Discover your next favorite Chinese historical drama series if you’re a fan of The Untamed with the 2021 series Word of Honor. Produced by Ciwen Media and Youku and adapted from Priest’s novel Faraway Wanderers, Word of Honor follows the captivating story of Zhou Zishu (played by Zhang Zhehan) and Wen Kexing (played by Gong Jun) as their paths cross, changing their lives forever. The show offers not only epic fighting scenes and stunning cinematography but also unique and intricate characters that have drawn a significant fanbase, especially for the chemistry between the two male leads.
The show follows the emotionally scarred Zhou Zishu’s self-destructive path, and he takes on the guise of a drunken vagabond named Zhou Xu after deflecting from the assassin organization, Window of Heaven. He meets the flirtatious wanderer Wen Kexing, who senses something more profound beneath his shallow disguise and seeks to uncover it. Wen Kexing also has his own dark pasts as the morally gray leader of Ghost Valley, seeking revenge against the martial arts world for the murder of his parents when he was a child. Wen Kexing throws the martial arts world into chaos by spreading conspiracy about the Glazed Armor, a prized object believed to unlock immense power and resources, as they become further entwined with each other and others.
One unique aspect of Word of Honor is its strong queer romantic subtext, with subtle storytelling that delivers Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing’s romantic chemistry. The actors’ performances are captivating, portraying the once-cold Zhou Zishu’s warmth towards Wen Kexing and the latter’s gradual softening of his manipulative nature. The show ingeniously uses queer coding by alluding to the term “cut sleeve,” referencing a homoromantic story where an emperor cut off his robe’s sleeve to avoid disturbing his male lover sleeping on it. The two leads share not only heated battle moments but also tender ones, such as sharing a drink or grooming each other’s hair, contributing to the dynamic tenderness between them.
Word of Honor also explores the found family trope, presenting viewers with appealing characters, such as Zhang Chengling and Gu Xiang. Zhang feels indebted to Zhou Zishu for saving his life and desires him to be his mentor, initially faced with resistance. Still, Zhou eventually warms up and takes him under his wing as a mentor and father figure. The dynamic between Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang reveals teasing but protective behavior that extends to each other’s love lives and highlights the depth of their interactions.
Although Word of Honor’s plotlines and pacing may seem jumbled and lackluster in some instances, its 36 episodes and one special episode are enough to keep viewers entertained. The show’s funding was also cut during production, resulting in an undesirable ending, but it still delivers top-quality entertainment. With stunning costume design and beautiful shooting at Hengdian World Studios, Word of Honor is an exceptional Wuxia drama that succeeds in telling an exciting story, punctuated by aggressive queer romantic chemistry. If you’re looking for a well-made drama that showcases subtext boarding on canonically textual queer representation, Word of Honor is worth checking out.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
