This review may contain spoilers
Revenge: Why should one do it and how one man did it
The most unforgettable dramas are usually stories that often portray characters stuck in a backdrop of conflict, holding onto their innermost moral values against all odds and temptation whilst they experience challenges and setbacks. Nirvana in Fire is a thrilling watch because the main story, which revolves around the Lead Hero (Mei Chang Su) and his desire to redress the injustice committed against his father (a decorated Imperial military general) and the Chiyan Army battalion (led by him and his father), weaves multiple plots involving many other characters trapped in an unavoidable web of power and politics.Hence, the title of this drama is rather apt- Mei Chang Su's "nirvana" is his own idea of perfect justice and this drama is literally his quest "on fire" to reclaim his past injustice.
As this is my first time writing a review for a Chinese Drama, I won't be commenting on music score, cinematography and acting skills. Here's my take on the Story, after watching 54 episodes of NIF:
The Villain is not who you'd expect (SPOILER ALERT)
Every drama has a big bad villain whose job is to throw countless obstacles in the path of the Protagonist and NIF is full of them. The drama almost had me fooled when it led me into thinking that the bad guys were Xie Yu, Prince Yu, Xia Jiang or Ban Rou. The biggest villain is only hinted at the start and only confirmed right at the end when you realise the culprit behind all the fights, wars and killings is actually the selfish cowardly Emperor, who had the heart to allow the murder of his own son, a capable brother in law and nephew, 70,000 of his own loyal soldiers based on 1 piece of fake information manufactured by a rogue informant. It is so damning to realise that the biggest culprit behind the shedding of innocent blood is the very man that all these characters pledge their loyalty to. Indeed, the most powerful man is also the most insecure person. The Emperor had been too quick to jump to conclusions about his own son Prince Qi teaming up with the formidable Chiyan Army to rebel against him, without doing any due diligence or fact checking, purely because he was super paranoid about losing his control and power and it was just too easy to act on his presumptions and instincts. The Emperor gives us a believable portrayal how "evil" people are just extremely selfish people who manipulate every advantage to gain more wealth, fame or power. And the impact and brevity of the past sins he that condoned and covered up for his own self-preservation, only really struck me at the end after I completed the last episode. The drama left me feeling anguished and thinking...why do people pledge their lives for this guy??
The Lead Hero is a quasi-Villain
Mei Chang Su as the lead character in this story of finding justice and redemption, is no doubt a shrewd strategist, but he isn’t a human without imperfections. In seeking to put his best friend Prince Jing into the position of ultimate power (to be the main contender for the Imperial throne) to redress the injustice committed against his father and the Chiyan Army 12 years ago, he meticulously sets out his plans by planting various people and rumours in various places. The way Mei Chang su’s pre-planned schemes unfold are only gradually and subtly revealed across the episodes, that you might even miss these clues if you don't pay close attention to the drama’s dialogue and script. There's a classic scene in an episode where Mei Chang Su bitterly remarks to Fei Liu (his young and impressionable loyal guard) that "it gets harder to feel any pain when the heart gets harder and hardened" after one of his pre-planned schemes exposes a buried sin of the father of his good friend, Jingrui, and irreversibly implicates their entire family. Despite the hurt caused to people around him by the gradual unravelling of uncomfortable revelations, he remains cool calm and focused on his goal. One can't help but feel sad yet admire our Lead Hero for holding it all in while he executes his mission with stealth and laser focus, knowing that even with a future reclaimed by Prince Jing's ascension to the throne, his incurable terminal illness (by the Bitter Flame poison) would ultimately deprive him of any foreseeable future with his childhood love, the brave and beautiful military general- Princess Nihuang. If Mei Chang Su is the biggest manipulator of the chess game, you could also say he is biggest tragedy despite his winning schemes and victories. Because our hero does eventually achieve his own happy ending, but he exits the world without the company of loyal friends and workers who stood by and dearly loved him. Well done to the script-writers. They wrote a really unforgettable character in the morally ambiguous grey hero-or-villain Mei Chang Su.
The 2nd Lead is the secret Hero
I’m really drawn to Prince Jing, the oblivious underdog of this drama, as like Mei Chang Su, he has also experienced the tragedy of losing his loved ones during the Chiyan Army massacre. If it isn't obvious enough, I think Prince Jing always appears cold, aloof and anguished-looking for a reason. He has to wrestle with the memory of knowing that his closest sibling and best friend were framed and murdered in a scheme that was commissioned by his own father and even as a Prince (albeit second rank), he is unable to do anything about it because he knows that as long as his egotistical cowardly father remains Emperor, no King will ever admit such a catastrophic mistake of this magnitude in public. Hence, he starts out being the “loser” in the story, not the first in line for the throne and completely ignored by his Father and looked over by everyone in the Palace. Prince Jing eventually gets persuaded by his elusive advisor, Mei Chang Su, to swallow that stubborn pride and personal dislike for politics in order to make himself eligible enough to be next in line for the throne, where being the future Emperor would grant him the opportunity to redress the misconceived betrayal of the Chiyan Army that led to the bloody massacre. Prince Jing is stubborn in temperament but also stubbornly loyal to people he loves that we constantly see him constantly getting irritated and inflamed with Mei Chang Su because he wants makes sure that no one innocent gets harmed or hurt in the process of Mei Chang Su's scheming. Because he cares so much about people around him and is entrenched by the hurtful memories of the past events, the Water-Brained Buffalo becomes so dense and oblivious to the uncanny similarities between Mei Chang Su and his best friend Lin Shu, that he eventually becomes the last one to uncover Mei Chang Su's real identity. I suspect the script-writers have intentionally built up the endearing bromance between Mei Chang Su and Prince Jing prior to this. So that when we see how Prince Jing realises that he can no longer be with his best friend (Lin Shu) after Mei Chang Su departs from the picture, we feel Prince Jing's pain and sadness like a double whammy.
So if I can sum up why I'd rewatch this drama again, it would be this: Intricate plot. Unforgettable Characters. Multiple clues subtly hidden throughout the episodes that makes watching this drama a stimulating but fun cluedo-hunt.
Watch and savour Nirvana in Fire. You're guaranteed to become a wiser and more introspective person after it.
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This review may contain spoilers
The best C-drama probably until the end of time
I've written a review for my other favorite, TTEOTM, and decided I should write one about this one (I watched it years ago).If TTEOTM was a culmination of arcs and ideas that were exploited satisfyingly (albeit with some plot problems), this one seemed to start at a single point and expand outward relentlessly from there. The pacing is intense and substantive, the story is complex and masterful, and the acting is nothing short of wonderful. Very rarely do elements come together to form what could be an alternate universe or a chapter in history... Nirvana in Fire manages this, and is probably thus one of the best dramas I've personally ever watched.
Where to even start? Probably the story, the most wonderful thing about this drama. Although this meets the eye as the typical revenge plot with an ambitious strategist as the protagonist, there's so much nuance and many dynamics under the surface level that truly connect the dots together. How Lin Shu's history is intertwined with the present for many characters including Jingyan is beautiful, and the little twists and schemes involved (completely impossible but riveting) from how Mei Chang Su deals with Nihuang's suitor contest to how his aid towards Prince Yu helps Prince Jing is magnificent. Not only are the details critical and brilliant, they play a tremendous role in how the drama ultimately develops. Despite the numerous arcs, etc. that are present in the drama, they still fit into the narrative on how Lin Shu achieves his revenge goal. The writing in between, including the dialogue and script, excellently achieves this effect (not sure how the countless translated captions fare in corroborating the intent of the original script... watched this in Mandarin). Cleverness and wit are woven into every aspect of this drama and its characters' motivations (they all make sense given the time, personality, etc.). How the drama doesn't seem forced (besides its pacing at times) as well as the plot's fluidity is really impressive storytelling; it's also what separates this from similarly good Wuxia/Xianxia that doesn't reach its heights.
That being said, its complexity makes elements of the plot sometimes difficult to remember beyond the initial watching. That makes it satisfying to rewatch, and every rewatch I still find myself astounded by the numerous twists and ideas present. Given this, know that I watch a drama for the ideas and cleverness more so than the execution/logical sense (this one for the most part fulfills both, but there are some plot holes you find if you think carefully enough), and therefore I'd probably enjoy gripping stories much more than most/prioritize them over other things to make/break a drama.
I guess that's enough time spent on the story. I think the second thing to note here is the acting.
To be fair, there isn't much character development in most of the characters more than a change of motivations/desires, etc. I do think the characters fit perfectly with the setting and situation, but for those looking for those coming-of-age/character development arc dramas, this one is probably less so your thing... I'd push you to TTEOTM to see Tantai Jin if you wanted to see character development. The characters are mostly well developed already in this drama, and because of the abundance of motivations and schematics, it's hard to follow individual characters throughout (even the protagonist).
Given this, I don't think this drama would be a rave review for any individual actor. Instead, the entire cast does a great job portraying their parts to really make this story work. From Xia Jiang to Xie Yu (antagonists along the way), the antagonists of this drama are played amazingly. Their micro expressions, desperation, and different emotions are played realistically and believably for the plights they find themselves in. I do think a special shoutout has to go to Victor Huang who plays Prince Yu; his scenes are done beautifully to portray a pompous and crafty prince who eventually devolves into resignation. Additionally, the characters really do interact with the story and plot's purposes, something that I find often missing from a drama. The protagonists are played similarly well, with Mei Chang Su (Hu Ge) displaying the depth needed for a sick strategist who needs to finish one final task. He did remind me of Tantai Jin (Til the End of the Moon), but this one is significantly less dramatic of a portrayal (I think it's fair for the role Mei Chang Su plays) and therefore also less memorable. It's great acting nonetheless, and other protagonists like Consort Jing do really come alive with the acting of a splendid (and very expensive) cast.
Finally, I'll talk about the OST a little. I personally quite enjoyed the song 红颜旧 sung by Liu Tao (plays Mu Nihuang) and think the majority of the songs are quite pleasant. I did enjoy their melodies although I oftentimes found the singing subpar (that's okay, I do think it's more representative of the cast when sung by the cast). It's one of the great OSTs I've heard, despite having few songs. I wouldn't watch it for the OST (like I would Love Between Fairy and Devil), but it's kind of a bonus :)
Definitely the best drama I've ever watched and will be coming back to it over and over again.
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My first review for my top drama
Seriously the best Chinese drama I have seen so far. All dramas I watch will be compared to this one. I never rewatch dramas but I made an exception for this one. And after all these years it’s still awesome.Story
Enjoyable story keeps you hooked till the end. There could have been a little bit more romance, not necessarily for the ML but in general. The story is not too complicated but very interesting and well written. I didn’t find any unnecessary plotlines rather I want to know more about what happened before the drama starts and what happens after it. Season 2 sadly doesn’t really connect to the end of season 1.
Acting/Cast
Top notch acting and very well-chosen cast. The characters in general are a joy to watch and unique in their own way. You can tell it’s a veteran cast with lots of experience.
Music
I personally don’t pay much attention to music/OST so I can’t really judge but I certainly can’t complain about it.
Rewatch Value
First drama I have ever rewatched and will probably rewatch in the future.
Overall
A must watch for “historic/costume drama”-lovers and if not, should at least give it a chance in my opinion.
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This review may contain spoilers
So much can happen in a blink of eye
Before starting I want to state that this is my first drama review.So if there is any mistake please spare that.Title: The title is the first thing that attracted me .So in Nirvana in fire ,Mei Changsu is basically the flames. Title is too catchy to ignore.
Cast: I cannot imagine anyone except Hu Ge in that role.The same goes with all the other actors playing their roles.I could feel the ambition in every character.Especially the female leads nailed it.
Story: Perfect.It is the only word that can explain the draam.We can never get another Mei Changsu who is willing to sacrifice everything literally everything for his country and his men.The way he shows his love and care to ni hung and jinyang cannot be explained.On that note Yujin's and jingrui's friendship is underrated here. Every character is subjected to injustice even in the end but they served justice. Jinyang is quiet stupid I guess.But still a good human being.Concubine Jing is truly something.Without her help it would have been difficult for Mei Changsu to serve his purpose. I sympathized with Prince Yu in the end.At least I wanted his last wish to save his unborn child could be granted.Jingrui's story is also quite unique,thrilling and mysterious.Ni hung being a strong female is portrayed well.I think Banruo was the female version of Mei Changsu with more evilness.This drama is male centred but the actual masterminds are all female except Mei Changsu.In the c dramaland Mei Changsu aka lin Shu aka Xiao Shu is still my favourite character.Not to mention that Mei Changsu is my biggest crush till date.
Ending: Bittersweet.And that is what makes it more perfect.The way jingyan removed the red cloth assuming that Lin Shu is never coming back ,the last conversation between nihung and Lin Shu ,the re naming of the army refering to Mei Changsu,is hard it throw out of my mind.
Music was beautiful.I am definitely watching it again.And everytime you watch it just keep attention to the dialogues because you may have to re watch the scene to understand what is actually happening.
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One of the absolute BEST stories out there
Nirvana in Fire is one drama I hold in the highest esteem. I watched it 4-5 years ago and I definitely think this should be a classic. The story is just amazing and so well thought out. The characters were wonderful and the traits they promote in the series make you wish that these characters exist in real life.The pace in the beginning is slow but the setting is so beautiful that it doesn't take away from the drama. I also think it was necessary to set the scene. The acting was flawless. I worried and cared about so many of the characters. Fei Liu is just adorable. The loyalty, the virtue and honour of the characters are so inspiring.
I know series like this is not for everyone, and I'm not even the type to like this kind of series but this is the highest rated series of all time in my mind. This is a MUST WATCH.
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Hu Ge is Mei ChangSu
When I watched this the first time I was like nah although I liked it I won’t be rewatching it but I ate my words big Time because I am currently rewatching it.I’m rewatching solely for the purpose of watching Hu Ge bring Mei ChangSu to life with his loyal band.
Genius strategic mastermind who plays chess while other are playing checkers is the best way to describe the character known as Mei ChangSu/Sir Su/Su Zhe.
He’s impenetrable stares we’re so chilling, it was actually one of the things I liked the most about him. Plus he’s calm and nonchalant demeanor when facing off with his enemies. He portrayed being sick to perfection, I actually would have believed he was really sick.
He had such a majestic presence, it was really a good watch the first time around and now I’m so looking forward to relishing in all his genius glory on this rewatch.
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A must watch political saga!
This is one of those shows that would define Chinese entertainment industry for me! I don’t know why it took me so long to watch it, at first I never paid attention to shows that were made before 2019, but on recommendation of a friend who has very similar tastes to mine, I decided to watch it. If I had to list everything I liked about this show, I would probably go on for 10,000 words and more! To put it briefly, the amazing cast, the superb acting, the believable character, excellent cinematography, the costumes, the soundtrack…..there isn’t a single thing about the show that needs improvement. Be it the lengthy political discourses and scheming, or the near perfect war scenes, there was never a dull moment in the entirety of the 54-episodes! Each and every character was played to perfection, and one cannot help but want to see the happy times last longer between Lin Shu and Xiao Jingyan, between Lin Shu and his beloved Duchess Nihuang, but it was enough that we didn’t have to see the ML dying, and it was just implied towards the end. I am now looking forward to watching the season 2, though not having the same characters there would be disheartening, seeing that the second season was as popular if not more, I believe that the production team would have spared no effort in bringing to us a drama that deserves to be seen and appreciated. If I could give Nirvana in fire 30 stars, I would, but I can safely list it among the ‘must watch once’ list.Was this review helpful to you?
Worthy of its ratings
I couldn't believe that I waited for several years before finally deciding to watch this series! I wasted a lot of time not knowing how amazing and beautiful it is. Story is written perfectly, it was complex, intriguing, full of smart people, will keep you on edge while watching. Full of bromance, you'll feel a lot of emotion while watching. Characters were portrayed perfectly by the actors/actress, fight scenes were executed well. Cinematography is great.If you haven't watch it and you love intrigues, revenge, politics, wars, bromance/family/friendship drama, then you better watch this. It is all worth it, the 54 episodes were not enough for me. Will surely miss the entire casts.
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Direction Outstanding.
Settings - again -- Outstanding
The amazing thing about this drama was how with every little movement of the characters in close camera scenes the camera would move likewise in a fluid movement making it seem as if we were watching in 2nd person. (Every drama the camera moves but not like this.. Ripley's believe it or not)
Story was great - The writer just knew which scenes not to elaborate to keep the flow of the story with the original feel (A writer who knows his shortcomings and where in he cant make the scene abosulutely special is worth commending)
One Word :- Heartwarming!
Advice :- Miss it at your own peril x-)
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1This review may contain spoilers
A Golden Treat in a Michelin Star Restaurant
I'm gonna keep my review short and simple and spoiler free. This was hard for me to write so beware of my cringey and ridiculous review.Nirvana in Fire is truly one of a kind. How can I describe my journey of this show? It's like going to a Michelin Star restaurant. I was tired of the same old food I'm eating and I craved for something new. Something exquisite and something unique for my taste buds to explore. A different kind of cuisine I've always wanted to scout. Everyone kept talking about this place that I must check out and my curiosity level went up. Why did everyone love this restaurant? Did they add any secret formula like the Krabby Patty? I read reviews of it and one day, I finally said, *fuck it* let's give this a shot. I went in without any expectations, ordered their 3 course meal and I got blown away. I thought I was not gonna like it, I took my first bite, it was different, then I took a few more bites and I had flavours exploding in my mouth that I had to slowly indulged and savoured every bite I took. Finally, I finished it off with a glass of wine that showed a bittersweet ending. What a ride.
I'll be honest, it was hard for me to get into the show at first. The first episode I already got introduced to so many characters that I don't even know which character I should pay attention to. The directing was different, they talked more than they showed and I was not used to it. Since this show was political, which I'd never tried watched it before because I never liked political shows, of course I got confused XD. Therefore, I would like to thank the character guides and recaps for helping me to understand what was going on in the story.
The plot was complex and intriguing. I wanted to see more about the revenge but I couldn't binge it in one go. Instead, I slowly took my time to watch. After every episode, I read recaps to see what I'd missed out. This show must be watched in detail, if you missed one small detail, you would not understand a damn thing. This show is not your typical kind of revenge story. It's more than that. I don't know how I can describe it in words, but when you watch it, you'll understand why. I won't spoil so much of the plot. Surprise yourself.
Now, for the characters. I'll just write on 2 of my favourite characters there. I'll start off with the lead protagonist, Mei Chang Su. He is a very intelligent strategist and he shows who's boss. He is the type who comes here for business. His main goal is to fulfill his duty and to clear his family's name. He's admirable and he never lets his weakness get the better of him. He knows what's he capable of and plans everything ahead. Be like Chang Su and don't do your work last minute. Don't even dare to mess with him. He'll eventually bite you in the end. Prince Jing is my other favourite. He's a fine man indeed. He's brave and bold. He stays true to himself and will do anything to protect his loved ones. A great character who has proven himself to be a great leader. We need more people like him.
The ending exceeded my expectations. I cried a lot for this bittersweet ending. It's probably the ending I never thought it could work. In the end, it did.
Do I recommend people to watch the show? Of course. Don't watch alone, watch it with your loved ones. Discuss the theories together. Just wear your best pajamas, grab a glass of wine and your favourite snack, perhaps some tangerines? Prepare some tissues and enjoy the ride because it's gonna drive you crazy. Goodnight.
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