Wild Heart S01 (Yabani) is a rough, emotional drama that explores the issues of identity, loyalty, and strength in the face of the grim environment of the streets, family problems, and secrets. The novel is about a young man, Yaman, who has struggled to escape an abusive and gangster-filled traumatic past and make a new life full of hope and decency. The show makes his survival and experience of self discovery as raw as it actually is and the hardships and sacrifices of people living on the edges of a society are vividly depicted through the show.
The character of Yaman is very interesting and very human: his ability to endure the darkness and his faithfulness to his found family, his struggle with his inner self about who he is make a very emotional backbone. The series is exceptional in the way it exhibits the complicated interactions between the characters, particularly the conflict between what Ali was and what Yaman is now that begs deeper questions about nature, nurture and what makes us really who we are. The love story between Yaman and Ruy also introduces a romantic twist which is sweet and full of moral conflicts, particularly when Yaman struggles with the discovery that she is the love of his life and at the same time is the competition of his biological sister.
The show is also aesthetically captivating, as there is a very sharp juxtaposition between the colorful and grimy streets and the wealthy existence of the Yaman biological family. This visual opposition highlights the conflict of belonging and alienation. The cinematography and soundtrack contribute to the emotional space and plunge the audience into the stormy world of Yaman.
The part that stood out the most was the depiction of the unbending character and moral compass of Yaman during the time of making impossible decisions. The series evoked in me the overall power of love and loyalty, and the harsh truth of identity and family. Wild Heart is a strong narrative on how to struggle to be true to one self in the faces of the wilderness, and it leaves wanting that in the most enigmatic situations, the human soul could manage to shine bright.
