Nirvana in Fire (2015)

As my first Wuxia this series blew me away. I bombed through 54 episodes without skipping forward one single minute in just under 5 days. I was intrigued by episode 2 and I was hooked by episode 6.

The BRILLIANT cinematography and dramaturgy is breathtaking and really pulls you in. There is an atmosphere that is overwhelming and is still with me days after I finished this series. The emotions and feelings came across so well, with a lovely original sound track. There were moments in this drama that were so brilliant that I had to remember to breath. I felt so moved and invested by the end that I cried because I won’t ever get to watch this for the first time ever again.

The actors were fantastic and the directing was wonderful. These characters are not all easy to portrait but they came across so well. The whole ensemble worked very well together. The actors and director set a tone that was intriguing and appealing. How they moved and the mannerism they used were perfect and it was very satisfying to watch how it reflected the way royal court worked in the old days. The costumes are lovely and beautiful. The setting locations, the backdrops and the props were just magnificent!

The main story is very touching and not a straight up revenge story, but instead about fairness, truth and justice. I found that so appealing. Shades of grey of good versus evil. I was so invested in the friendship between the two main male leads, it was beautifully portrayed and involved elements like loyalty and trust. They were perfect together. As the story unfolded I rooted for them, cried with them and cheered them on.

One of the things that made me really interested in this story was the fact that our hero is very sick and weak. His power is not brute strength but his brilliant mind. For me this is the first of watching a drama where the main character is truly dying and very weak, at no time does he pull any superhero stunts. Except when his mind solved problems with impossible odds!

The romance is almost none existent in this drama. It is sweet but chaste and not at all any main focus. I actually quite enjoyed it being so on the low and not in the way for the more important events. You won’t be seeing the hero rescuing the princess from the castle, because she can take care of herself. I do actually think this drama is labelled wrong when the tag says romance.

The story pacing is excellent! The side stories spanned two or three episodes, often overlapping, and were all linked to the main story. The plotting and planning was exciting. I was worried going into this that I would not enjoy or be able to follow the politics, but it was more like watching the detective case of the week and before I knew it I suddenly knew all the characters and was perfectly following along how everything unfolded. Not getting it the first couple of episodes was not frustrating an everything was presented so naturally that I was never confused or frustrated. There was never really any effort.

I am having problems with coming up with downsides of this series. What did I not like, what were the mistakes. But I seriously can’t. It was like it was made for me.

My views on this is as a total beginner of this type of drama (Wuxia drama that is, though I am a fantasy lover and watch loads of Korean drama). I usually avoid fantasy with too much “flying” fighting, because it breaks my immersion, and go for the more realistic (haha…) fighting style productions. But before I watched this I stumbled upon a short description of the typical standard Wuxia world building and I suddenly understood that things did not work as they do in our “world”. As a nerd I filed some of the information away as totally legit and comparable to a D&D rule set.

Shallow as I am I also need to address the two male leads again and their "bromance". Hu Ge who is playing Mei Chang Su/Su Zhe took on a role I think is very difficult to portrait without coming across as fake. He is supposed to be very sick and that is easy to overdo. With just his body language and demeanor he made me feel his pain. There was no room for overacting. Still he was very sexy. Because a brilliant mind is something extremely attractive.

Wang Kai who plays Prince Jing played a more rough cut type of role. Even so when he broke into emotions it was heart achingly good. I could feel his sorrow and believed the emotions he displayed. Also, the very dark voice he has is something of the sexiest I have ever heard. I am just that shallow I guess. :)

These two together were amazing!

I loved this! I can’t recommend it enough.

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Not My Cup of Tea

I'm one of the few who is not in love with this drama. I was thinking to drop it around episode 21 or 22, but others on MDL said it picks up around episode 35. Well, the lie detector test determined that that was a lie. It was boring to the bitter end. It is a political drama filled with long, drawn-out dialogues and in some cases, very questionable logic. If you feel that you should drop it, do not doubt yourself because of what others say, listen to your gut and drop it. I am not mad that I watched it, but I should have followed my intuition and just read recaps.




What I liked:
-Fei Lu- Yes, the boy who spoke the least and loved eating and fighting was my favorite. He was adorable and extremely loyal.
-The Emperor, Jing Rui, Yu Jin, Lin Chen, Prince Ji, Meng Zhi, and Gao Zhan- These characters added some comic relief to a very serious and boring drama.





What I didn't like:
-Mei Chang Su- Yes, I know everyone loves him, but I didn't care for him. He was very smart, but he had a sanctimonious air to him. I lost all interest in him after what he caused at Jing Rui's birthday party. He wanted his revenge but often didn't take into consideration the feelings of people he was using as stepping stones.
-The keeping his identity from Prince Jing storyline was annoying and drawn out for too long. Prince Jing didn't find out until episode 48 or 49. I also didn't like that when Prince Jing was very close to figuring it out, the ML, the princess, Prince Jing's mother, and General Meng would consistently lie to him and insult his intelligence by gaslighting him. I don't know how he was able to trust any of them after that. I don't care if it was for the greater good, these are not the actions of trustworthy people.
-This drama lacks an emotional connection. I could not connect with many of the characters, especially the ML. They tried to make us feel something between him and the princess, but we never really saw any romance between them. We know they love each other, but I couldn't feel anything for them. Everyone raves about the bromance, but it actually didn't do anything for me. In terms of bromance only, it doesn't compare to Cross Fire, Ouroboros, Handsome Sibling, or Inseparable Bros, in my opinion. The only times this drama elicited feelings from me was when Prince Yu was pleading with his father while he was in the cage after his rebellion (he acted really well in that scene) and Tong Lu's little love story.

My recommendation is if you want to watch it, then watch it; if you want to drop it, then drop it.

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do i dare give nirvana in fire a less than perfect score? yes i do.

since 2015 nirvana in fire has been known in dramaland as the BEST C-DRAMA EVER!!!! to both dads and bl fans alike... i struggled for many years to get past the first two episodes and have watched the beginning over ten times with various different people. i literally can repeat verbatim the exact sequence of events in episode 1 because i've seen it so many times. THATS how much i struggle with political intrigue in media res many old dudes talking and plotting...

anyway this time i sat down by myself and finally forced myself to binge the whole thing, and though i find the show slow to start, once it gets the ball rolling, it sucks you in quite easily. i think the absolute best thing about this show is specifically the schemes and plots. while i personally prefer the iconic zhen huan zhuan, which is also heavy on the scheming, this show has it beat in how well written and cared for the little plots are. each game/scheme is meticulously designed with a lot of detail, intricacy, and complexity and yet still gives the viewer enough clues to follow along with and even figure it out themselves! it manages to do all of this, keeping the viewer engaged and entertained, without becoming too smart, or taking on some kind of condescending tone (like bbc sherlock which actively mocks its viewers) and getting too elaborate or convoluted. it is smart enough to be impressive, and simple enough to be easily understood, which is what makes it really good writing! this is the kind of writing that can really draw viewers in and immerse them in the plot!

the show does a very good job at very wholly telling the story and themes in a way that perfectly accomplishes what their goals are. not a lot of shows are able to do this successfully. nirvana in fire is a very complete product that wraps up perfectly. unfortunately, though i can recognize this as well thought out writing...... the themes and goals of the series are just not it for me. this is where i have to knock the score down.

first of all in regards to the political system, nirvana in fire is extremely optimistic. this is not inherently a bad thing, but this show specifically seeks to express that positive change is possible WITHIN the system. and that the system can be changed by replacing all the bad guys with good guys. sorry but this is just unrealistic and frankly irresponsible- the oppressive systems that govern us are inherently flawed from their roots. to say that the answer is as simple as just weeding out the corrupt and replacing them with just and righteous people is just..... not right.... don't get me wrong, like i think that it is Good to hope! to write an ending in which you CAN create positive change!! but to say that the system CAN work and does work and you just have to get the right people on the throne.... i just don't agree with that, at all. even at the end of the series the emperor says to mei changsu (paraphrased) "you think that jing wang is different, but he isn't, i wasn't always corrupt either, once you sit on the throne... over time you will change" and i was like 'dang he has a point' and mei changsu is like 'no you're wrong' IAHJKDJDLFKD LMFAO like the thesis of the show is literally the antithesis to my beliefs. i know that the story is a story, but the POINT of stories and narratives is that they speak to the struggles and experiences of human beings, and if this was made in the modern era then it is meant to speak to modern day people. im sure that watching this was satisfying to a chinese audience in many ways that i, an abc, cannot understand, but based on my own values i just can't agree.

next up is both mei changsu's character arc as well as the themes associated with it. i'm gonna go ahead and say that mei changsu's character arc is specifically tied to masculinity. the person who lin shu was, was the chinese vision of ideal young manhood: noble, righteous, loyal, honest, brave, a warrior. not only was he a hero, he was also a talented genius. they literally wrote him to be like a storybook character, the picture of upright heroism. with the fall of the chiyan army, lin shu not only lost his clan and almost everyone he loved, he lost something even more important- his masculinity, and in turn, he lost his identity, and was forced to become mei changsu. he lost all of his strength and vitality, he became weak and frail and delicate, losing his martial arts and all of the traditionally masculine traits he had. no longer bright, forthright and honest, he now works from the shadows, he schemes and manipulates, sacrifices people as pawns and is the definition of cold, calculating and deceptive. it is extremely clear from the beginning that mei changsu hates himself, and is ashamed of what he has become. single mindedly dedicated to his goal, he views all of his schemes as sacrifices of his good character in order to attain his end goal. in particular a scene that really struck me was specifically when he had to hurt innocent people in order to expose some bad guy's plots, and one of the women died from the stress and pain. the narrative focuses on HIS pain, as if this was a sacrifice that Had to be made, and that he had to be cold and heartless to attain his goals. the narrative did not accuse him or blame him, instead it asked us to Sympathize with him??? it really rubbed me the wrong way, i hate this manpain kind of shit esp when women are just seen as collateral damage and their deaths are just used for HIS character development.

anyway, the narrative very much says that in order to attain his righteous goal of filling the court with good people, mei changsu had to be the LAST bad guy, and that was his ultimate sacrifice- his own goodness. he will be bad to get the job done so that jing wang doesn't have to sacrifice his character and morals, and can remain good and untainted. when jing wang asks him to be a part of his court when he's emperor, mei changsu actively refuses because he does not want a calculating and scheming person such as himself there. when jing wang tells him he should come out as lin shu and reclaim his former identity, mei changsu resolutely refuses, because he believes that the mei changsu he is now would taint the good memory of lin shu, and that he would rather lin shu have DIED a hero on the battlefield, than become what he has. like???? jfc talk about idealization of the past, and specifically traditional chinese righteous masculinity. the thing is, this is all actually really interesting to me as a character?? the way that both jing wang and nihuang repeatedly still refer to him as 'lin shu gege' and 'xiao shu,' the way that they still see him as lin shu and maintain that he IS lin shu and want him to continue to live as lin shu, much to mei changsu's reluctance, is really interesting. esp when compared to his doctor friend who says 'i don't know who lin shu is, i ONLY know mei changsu.' the show also shows that he does have so much value AS mei changsu, not lin shu, and is lovable, and kind, someone who is a good leader to his sect and has many loyal followers who admire him. they showed that he was a good brother to fei liu, and that he could be playful too. jing wang specifically came to care and love him for who he was even before he found out he was lin shu. literally everyone loves him SO much, everyone goes to bat for him and would do anything for him, jing wang, nihuang and meng zhi are ready to start a rebellion and sacrifice hundreds of lives for him at the drop of a HAT. to me, all of this seemed to be pointing at a thesis that goes something like "the past that which is romanticized can never be returned to- the dream of idyllic heroic masculinity does not exist, but it is okay to accept yourself for not living up to it, and who you are now is valuable and deserves life and love" which could've been cool...................................... jokes on me i am the clown... INSTEAD, mei changsu literally decides that he doesn't want the rest of his life, and goes back to being a soldier on the battlefield and DIES as lin shu the way that he always wanted to. not only did they say that you CAN reclaim your heroic masculinity, they also said that it is worth DYING for!!!! and that his literal reward for all of his pain, his sacrifices, and his efforts, was the honorable and glorious death in battle!! literally, wtf!!!!!!! mei changsu didn't learn ANYTHING!! and then jing wang names an army after him to honorably commemorate him forever and this is all shown as a great thing! like mei changsu's doctor and everyone else was begging him to live the rest of his life in peace and go on fucking vacation which is what he actually deserved! just like.... imagine if the storyline was actually kind to who mei changsu had become, and allowed him a character arc of self acceptance, that said, ok you can do this one last thing for who you once were 13 years ago, and afterwards you can be free, and live as the real life person that you are, not as a romanticized idea.............. what a disappointment and what a shitty final message.

i find pretty much none of the other characters are well written, nor do they even have character arcs or much depth at all. rather they generally tend to just be very one note symbols of righteousness, or corruption, or whatever. The emperor was generally pretty interesting and a good character and I think that Princess Liyang also had the potential to be interesting too if she was given more time. that's pretty much it?? yu wang also was pretty interesting in his storyline as a prince who was extremely favored and yet still held at a distance and never given the throne.... couldve been an interesting father-son relationship but then that devolves into lazy information reveal about his backstory and heritage that was also quite disappointing. and jing wang and nihuang who are also supposed to be main characters get pretty much nothing??? extremely simple and one note?? in fact nihuang literally is not in 3/4 of the show???

this show has also been sold to me as extremely emotional and tear jerking and i gotta say..... it was really good at Doing the technical storytelling thing of making emotional moments, but it really failed at deliver depth, if that makes sense. a good example of what i'm talking about is how mei changsu works very hard to keep all of his emotions repressed under a mask. in all of his scenes w jing wang there is a brutal cold and technical formality where he is holding back every single bit of warmth and genuine personality. smiles are rare, any talk that isn't politics doesn't happen either, it's 'jing wang this' and 'dianxia that' all very formal speech. and then jing wang is being stupid and about to get himself killed and ruin all their plans, mei changsu finally screams his real name at him and berates him for being an idiot. the emotional release of this scene... super effective!!!! very compelling and engaging!! mei changsu finally lets down his formal walls and allows himself to be human for a second! very well done at making the audience really feel his frustration, fear, desperation, and how deeply he actually feels! mei changsu is actually super emotional and by depriving us of this emotion, it allows for the moment to hit so much harder when they finally give it to us. unfortunately........ all of this happened...... not because of some careful writing of mei changsu and jing wang's characters, not because they wrote a genuine conflict between the two of them, which they have a wealth of a basis for......... but because of..... misinformation...... that the enemy laid ....... as a trap to sow discord................ do u all see what i mean by the writer being technically proficient at making the audience feel things, but didn't bother to give them real character arcs and complex relationship arcs, beyond jing wang eventually trusts mei changsu, and a conflict that would actually develop the characters instead of just being like jing wang is a fucking idiot??? there's depth but it feels really shallow, and just doesn't go very far.

plus most of the emotional moments are just the work of some sad glances and a mumbled 'you remind me of someone i used to know' combined with a swell in the musical score....... i'm sorry it's just not cutting it for me when the very excellent soundtrack is carrying the emotional work of the show. it's that and sentimental objects like the egg sized pearl! all of it just feels like cheap shortcuts. even though mei changsu and jing wang's relationship is supposed to be the emotional core of the show, there really just wasn't nearly enough depth, complexity and development considering what they're set up as... don't even get me started on nihuang she is literally just not even there... this is literally mei changsu's love interest and there is nothing happening beyond her continuously seeing him as lin shu, which is not explored at all. so disappointing!! also fucked up that banruo is villainized for wanting to avenge her people and country but mei changsu is a hero for working within the system instead of destroying it LMFAOO

tldr: the show IS technically very good in many ways, well written plots, successful in their goals and in conveying their themes in a whole and complete manner. unfortunately it falls short on the character and relationship writing, and i also just personally don't agree with any of their themes. i understand why ppl see it as an impressive introductory cdrama, but ultimately its aesthetics of being a high budget, very serious, very political, high quality drama can't be backed up by enough actual depth. i have seen a LOT of frankly, very low budget, very trashy shows, that were a lot more fun than this and ultimately had something better to say.

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Gold Standard for C-Dramas

Its 2023, years since NIF has been out and I STILL have friends who have not watched despite hearing rave reviews. Please give this drama a chance. At first glance it might not have the pretty young faces of idol dramas but what it does have is a deep and intricate plot, good overall pacing and a stellar cast.

Story - It might start a bit slow as it lays down the groundwork and setting for the story, but quickly gets more interesting after 6th or 7th episode after you get a feel for the context of the story. Its a battle of wits and smarts, righting old wrongs, enduring friendships, and betrayals by those you thought could be trusted. And its about an unfavored prince who, with the right advisor, grows the motivation to also fight for the throne with his brothers.

Acting/Cast - Wang Kai and Hu Ge were amazing as the main characters. Wang Kai as that unfavored prince who transformed in the story from someone resigned to being unfavored with no shot at the throne, to someone who is determined to fight for it for the sake of the people and for the sake of those wronged in the past. Hu Ge did great as that mastermind manipulator navigating all the political schemes like a chess grandmaster, while at times showing some regret/sorrow for who he needs to manipulate to accomplish his plan. I also loved the supporting cast, especially Liu Min Tao's character as Jing Yan's mother. There really was not a single character from the main leads to the minor characters that I was disappointed with. Even supporting characters who only showed up in a few episodes a small handful of times, I remember their backstory well and what their role was and was invested in what happened to them--even the supporting cast was memorable. I wish I could thank the entire cast and crew for creating this wonderful drama.

I've rewatched this drama a couple times already and while I don't usually enjoy stories with power scheming and the backstabbing/cunning of harem politics as much, I really loved this drama. As far as pacing and storytelling, fleshing out the characters, finding the right cast for the roles INCLUDING the supporting characters, I hold this drama up as the gold standard for other dramas to aim for.

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Best C-Drama of the 21st century

I watched this drama later than everyone else; 16 months after the original TV broadcast. I watched the entire drama in three weeks, staying up until 3AM, to watch episodes.

Nirvana in Fire is a TV drama masterpiece, that was brilliantly written and produced. All the actors in the primary and supporting roles, gave exceptional acting performances. Hu Ge and Wang Kai were the perfect casting choices for the Mei Chang Su and Prince Jing Yan roles. The costume designs and the set designs were flawless, and the music soundtrack was perfect. The directing and editing were very good.

The intricate plot flowed like an English Literature textbook. Hai Yan's novel, "Lang Ya Bang", deserves recognition in the Asian and Western literary worlds, and the TV drama deserves honors in the Asian and Western entertainment industries. All TV production houses should use the Nirvana in Fire as the benchmark for their dramas.

This is the first TV drama that I awarded 10 points across the board.

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The standard by which I measure all other dramas

It's been 5 years since this drama came out, and still there is almost nothing that compares to the magic of NIF:
- a focused, structured story that is well-paced, doesn't have any filler content, and also doesn't think of its audience as idiots
- strong, intelligent characters that are unique and lovable (or at least understandable), both male and female, with character arcs that go somewhere and feel earned
- natural, expressive acting where you feel the full personality and history of each character
- beautiful costumes, settings, and scenery as befitting a historical/costume drama

NIF has the clear elements of good narrative storytelling, which seems rare in dramas nowadays - setup, rising action (with each step a necessary piece of the plot and building up the tension), climax, and resolution. Most other dramas that I've seen fall into a trap of just having things that happen one after another, with nothing to link them together and no clear advancement or tie to the plot = it's less a story and more just a series of events.

The only criticism I might have of NIF is that I felt the resolution was a bit rushed, but otherwise this is the drama that I measure all others by, and the vast majority of them fall short.

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Chinese historical dramas are the best, Basically, it doesn’t matter if you don’t usually watch dramas from China, or if you don’t usually watch period dramas, or if you don’t usually watch long dramas. This drama is, objectively speaking, so splendid and magnificent that if you don’t check it out, you’d be missing out. Big Time.
Not even exaggerating, by the way.

1) The reason I watched this :
if you’ve poked on my dramalist, you would probably know that I watch Korean dramas almost exclusively. It’s partly habit, partly soft spot, and partly the excellent production values that kdramas tend to serve up. Coz I do like pretty things, as you very likely know.????
Still, I like to keep an open mind, and when something that’s not within my usual wheelhouse gets a lot of buzz, the curious cat in me can’t help but want to see for myself what the fuss is about.
That’s what happened here.

2) background and cinematography :

A LAND OF FAIRYTAIL, its a world in itself , a unique story plot fantasy world , full of twists and LOVE , the scenes itself , are original .. The production values of this show are so high that it often feels more gloriously cinematic than modestly small screen.
Everything is carefully, lovingly, beautifully shot, and it is a literal feast for the senses. From the amazing landscapes, to the loving camera angles and every meticulously-framed shot, to every deliberate, painstaking detail in set, costume and background music, everything is precisely, just-so perfect.

*The cinematography is great , which is one of the strong points of this drama


3) Acting
Our principal cast does a tremendous job of bringing their characters to life, and even the baddies are excellently and believably portrayed. Layered and nuanced from the big moments to the quiet, subtle ones, every major character is delivered with an admirable level of mastery and commitment.

10/10.


4) The writing
Its all about the writing ... this show wouldn't have been a success without the great mind of the writer,As excellent as the production values and acting are, the writing is truly the star of this entire show. Mad, mad props to Hai Yan, who not only wrote the original novel, but also penned the script for this show.

ONE WORD " General brilliance "

5) My impression (How did it affect me):
Its like I lived in the world of FANTASY and dreams for a short period of time :)


*Is the drama memorable: YES

My impression: 9/10.

6) Overall: 9/10

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The ONE Chinese Drama, Everybody should watch! Instant classic! Masterpiece!

This is MY FAVOURITE ASIAN DRAMA SO FAR!
This is one of the Best Chinese Dramas ever produced. A MASTERPIECE!!

A story about revealing the truth. About Revenge, yet it's much more than that.
The Main Male Lead is one of the smartest written characters ever.
The story is Excellent. It's about a quest to make things right. (Justice)
That is the goal of the main Character, Mei Chang Su.

This story brought me to tears, tears were shed for the romance moments,
the bromance between Mei Chang Su and Prince Jing.
Even shed tears for Prince Yu and Emperor.
I loved all these characters, like they were real!
The Characters were very much alive, and they had reasons for their actions good and bad.
Also the characters motives was very reasonable, with a lot of depth.
Most Characters had Depth and were smart. The Martial arts scenes was amazing too.

All the Actors were amazing and really did a great job.
Especially Hugh Hu, Tamia Liu, Wank Kai, Victor Huang, Ding Yong Dai and Leo Wu.
The Music was amazing in this show, I loved the main instrumental theme.
A theme that perfectly fits this Drama.

I have already watched this again. So definitely want to rewatch this one in the future.
Overall one of the best and most moving stories I have seen and experienced.
This just shows, how incredible Chinese Dramas can Be!

STILL THE GREATEST CHINESE DRAMA EVER, In my eyes!

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Wow. First of all, even if you're not usually a fan of Chinese dramas, watch Nirvana in Fire. This was probably one of the best TV shows (Western or Asian) I've ever watched. Even though it got rave reviews I was also skeptical when starting it. The beginning was a little challenging because of the introduction of SO many characters and, honestly, it was a little hard to follow in the first couple of episodes. However the more you watch the better it gets, and everything quickly started to make more sense after episode 2 or 3. This is mainly due to great acting by its cast and a well-paced story. Pacing is important for a 54 episode political drama and this never dragged. Maybe I am just drawn to epic stories about war, brotherhood, and subterfuge, but even if you're not, this show is higher quality in terms of writing, acting, and cinematography than most things you'll see.

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(1/3/17) I've been posting a lot of reviews today (I've been super bored haha), but of all the dramas on my watchlist and the reviews I've written, Nirvana in Fire is the only one with a 10 star rating from me.

Its definitely no surprise that NIF is one of the best rated dramas worldwide. It is still highly regarded by a large majority of the drama audience to be one of THE BEST dramas ever produced. It completely deserves that rating.

STORY:
The ultimate revenge plot. The best scheming and plotting (but in a great way) written for TV. Oftentimes, you'll watch a drama with tons of manipulations and plotting, and they'll feel repetitive or basic. NIF is completely different. Every step, word, every breath that Mei Chang Su takes all has a greater purpose. It's the best bittersweet story as you find out who was behind everything that happens to the Chi Lin Army those years ago and what happens when you cross Mei Chang Su. Although I feel like most people have watched it by now, I definitely don't want to spoil it for people who haven't gotten to witness the majesty yet haha.

Be warned, yes it takes a few episodes to get super hooked. The first few episodes are a little slow, but few tv dramas aren't. I'm honestly ok with the slow start because when it gets going, it doesn't really stop. The relationships between the characters (both romantic, familial, and brotherhood) are so captivating. Every character has a purpose and no one really feels unnecessary to the overall plot.

This is definitely a show you have to pay attention to because even some of the smallest, seemingly meaningless details can have a big impact on the overall story. Everything was honestly so well weaved together and everything served a greater purpose.

ACTING:
Phenomenal. Amazing. Outstanding.
Hu Ge, Wang Kai, Liu Tao: They were household names after this (if they weren't already before). They were all amazing at their respective roles. Everyone felt real and well rounded. They all had their moments of being serious or being comedic or whatever it might be. Honestly you just have to watch the drama to understand.

Comedic Awards go out to Meng Zhi and Fei Liu because they (with sprinkles from the other actors) were the bright spots in a fairly serious and dramatic tv drama.

REWATCH VALUE:
I've only watched through twice, but I will definitely watch again and again. The drama gets a little hard to follow at times because of how intricate the plot can be sometimes, so the second rewatch brought everything together for me as I was able to pay closer attention to everything since I already knew the outcomes. 100% recommend for anyone because this drama has all of the good stuff you want in a drama and almost nothing bad.

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I am normally very hesitant when it comes to watching Chinese dramas because I’ve tried crossing the boarders many times over my drama-watching -years but I end up giving up each time. However, none of the dramas were historical/wuxia ones so a dear friend of mine has once jokingly said, “maybe you’ll like their historical dramas?” It was a joke but I seriously thought it through and all the praise I’ve heard about NIF has finally pushed my button. It was time to take the step, and boy am I glad that I did.
I have to confess one thing before I start, the storyline is what drew me in considering I did not really care for most of the cast prior to watching. Nevertheless, their portrayal was so captivating that I was won over completely.

Nirvana in Fire is a smart show. All the characters are smart and act in rational ways it’s so mesmerizing! The political maneuvering by the various competing parties in the show is like watching a brilliant game of chess being played in front of you. The show is so smart that sometimes I feel like I’m getting smarter as I’m watching it! Every scene, every action, every word has a purpose. Everything counts! The story forces you to stay alerted to every little detail, because every little detail matters and might be introduced ahead many episodes before you could understand what is it aimed for. Although some may say it’s slow paced plot but for me I was constantly holding my breath eagerly watching how our leads will turn a potential defeat into a victory.
The high production value evident with the impressive cinematography of the imperial court and countryside, beautiful costumes, dazzling sword fights… not to forgot the breathtaking introduction which is very deeply related to the story if you watch you will understand the meaning behind a butterfly emerging from cocoon.The story unfold bit by delicious bit. The plot had all the elements you could think of.. greed, betrayal, loyalty, suspicion, love, revenge, lust for power, implications of genocide, jealousy, honor, integrity, murder, cruelty, kindness, generosity and mixtures of these qualities in conflict and contradiction.

Characters:
Hu Ge as Mei Chang Su: My absolute favorite actor and character! Considering that his character is the emotional heart and of the show, it was vital that Hu Ge’s performance be no less than phenomenal and indeed it was. He was a piece of art! Hu Ge eyes were so expressive! By only looking at his gaze I’d immediately feel the chill and fire at the same moment! The character of Mei Changsu is very dynamic and complex! It requires someone who has the ability to portray the character in a nuanced manner. Hu Ge managed to portray the varying components of his character from mischievousness to deviousness, cunning to kindness, unscrupulousness to tenderness, sorrow to longing, etc. I am mostly amazed by how Hu Ge has totally embodied the weariness of his character so well! Every little gesture was so unbelievably well mastered! What a gem of an actor

Wang Kai as Prince Jing: I heard that this drama escalated his status as an actor; it’s no surprise to me! If I had to describle Prince Jing I would say he is the idealistic form of power/authority that everybody dreams of living under which why it took me sometime (over half of the show) to warm up to him and accept his stubbornness and impulsive reactions. It’s not that I had a problem with his beliefs, I admired that he would stick to his guns and would never sacrifice his morals for power. But sometimes it got too naïve and idealistic for my taste. The world isn’t an ideal place, a price will always be paid for the greater cause… is what I believe so his character frustrated me (sometimes) but by the end I came to like him very much. For me to even like or dislike any of Prince Jing’s actions proves that Wang Kai is clearly a very talented actor.

I would love to talk about each and every character but the review would go on and on so for your sake I’m just mentioning the two most powerful characters. Nonetheless I have to give everyone in the cast a big round of applause for their wonderful performances. The whole cast is just so darn likeable and everyone portrayed their character so fantastically! From the very top to the very bottom, from the veterans to the younger actors, everyone did a great job.

Music:
I fell for the OST the instant I heard it before engaging into the story (and that has never happened before). To my surprised 3 songs were sung by the 3 main actors, Hu Ge, Wang Kai and Liu Tao so they aren’t only great actors but can sing this beautifully? Talk about perfection :)
My favorite song is Aging of a Beauty by Liu Tao

Lastly I will leave you with “some of the spoiler-free” favorite quotes of mine:
“You know, this pair of hands, used to bend bows and tame horses. But now it can only hide in the dark and stir the pot.”—Mei Changsu
“People can only be betrayed by friends, enemies will never have chance to do so” —Mei Changsu
“If not for the people, what need for an emperor?” —Mei Changsu
“If you did things for others to see, then it’s a problem of your moral character, but if no one knew of your good deeds, then it’s a failure on my part as your adviser”–Mei Changsu

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