This review may contain spoilers
The Best
I always stick to kdrama because it's relatable and I have gotten accustomed to the language but I decided to try chinese drama, I watched a few and it was not that great and I was starting to think mmm... chinese drama wasn't worth the change, the Nirvana in fire 1 happened. After I was done watching I told my parents and friends that they need to see this drama... Yes it's that goodThe story, the backstory, the cast ,the custom, the beginning, the end... I loved everything about it. We have the main lead Mei chang su who is going into battle with his arsenal fully prepared , a strategy like no other , oppositions he knows how to defeat before the battle start and allies he can depend on until the very end. This story isn't just about getting revenge for his dead families and soldiers, it's about setting wrongs Right. He could get revenge without him coming into their political world but he wants to set what as been wrong which is pased as right, Right (I don't know if that made sense).
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Smart Heroic!!
This has been out for years now. But I just happened to finish watching. It's a good drama that I enjoy. No wonder why scores are quite high on it.Plot
I love how much male lead is smart and planned everything, so his friend can be crowd king for the good of people, as well as to get those bad people who wronged him before. The development of his friend character from straight rightuous into adjusting it for the good.
The drama focuses a lot on game of politics yet characters'bonds and emotional sentimental feelings are also there, which is why its a delight. And yes theres enough fighting and wuxia(martial arts) scenes to enjoy. Romance is not main focus at all but its still included. A mature romance!
The only thing is that, it ended with ML having to be hero till end. It annoys me as I actually wanted him to live in peace after all. For that reason I deducted 1 score. But then I still don't call it bad ending.
Pacing and Cinematography
The pacing is perfect for me. Lol for some reason I got into the drama with ease, I like the way the characters are introduced, it doesnt give me much confusion as some other of this genre type drama did.
Cinematography is natural or it gives natural feelings. It relaxed my eyes. I love how its so different from CGI usage these days. But the drama is S+ production of the time for sure.
All in all, I give it 9/10. A Grade.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
The cast was outstanding and well-balanced. When emotions were to be conveyed they did such a wonderful job doing it that it would pull at the hardest heart strings of any viewer.
Mei Changsu planning was meticulous and his way of delving out justice was eye-opening as his agenda wasn't about getting revenge but making things right.
The bromance in this is by far the best I've ever seen...and I've watched a hell of a lot of dramas.
The reason I took off a half a point is because this is really like story-telling, there are some scenes I would have wished to have seen, but instead it was explained away instead.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good bromance, know what you getting into by reading the synopsis and okay with crying a few tears.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not quite perfect, but not far, either.
My first foray into Asian dramas and I wasn't disappointed! It's an epic 100% worth the time and among the greatest of all time television series (including western TV). Costuming is so perfect you'll want to cry and the cast's acting and chemistry is unparalleled in anything I've seen before. Pacing is good and there is little filler, and I appreciate that a lot of things, sometimes huge things, happen unceremoniously offscreen. The show only rarely pontificates, repeats, or overexplains things; in other words, it doesn't treat the viewer like an idiot who can't keep up.However, not knowing who Liu Tao was meant that I largely went "so what" over what little romance there was; what few scenes there were were out of place, not well written, and seemed to rely largely on her star power. Zzz.
I also wish there had been more intimate (platonic) scenes and between Su and Jing. I don't feel like their brotherhood was really given the time it deserved. Some flashbacks would have also helped illustrate just how deep their bond ran... because otherwise, we are just supposed to trust the things coming out of their mouths.
Chinese censorship is also felt through the lack of dimensionality - in Game of Thrones, you have several factions, some of whom have justified claims, and all of whom have their own (usually competing) interests. How those interests resolve is what made GOT so fun to watch, and its morally gray characters were some of the best characters in the series. By comparison, Nirvana in Fire just feels like it's lacking dynamism and, in the end, is very much just a "good guys vs bad guys" kind of show, which was a bit of a letdown to me.
All in all, it's a great show, definitely worth watching the entire 54 episodes at least once. However, I don't know that I personally will be rewatching it in its entirety, namely because while I loved many of the characters, the main protagonist and his shallow relationships left me with an apathetic feeling about the supposedly bittersweet events taking place. I'll likely go back and rewatch only a handful of episodes, particularly the ones around the spring hunt.
Was this review helpful to you?
1it took me 5 tries to get into this drama because i'm an absolute clown listening to political talks. the first 3 or 4 episodes can be overwhelming with the amount of information bombarded at your face. on top of that, you have character names to remember. basically, you literally need to have an open mind like literally open your brain, have it turned on and make it function because you never know what impact those characters have on the story.
the charming points that caught my eye is ma boi sir su, ma girl princess nihuang, relatable meng zi, babie boi fei lu and hella fine prince jing.
ma boi sir su is such an admirable character that doesn't fail to interest me. he had everything planned to attain justice not for himself but for the many who had their reputations smudged by false facts that were made to be known for many years. he is not careless to make a single misstep and where there is one, he is quick to resolve the problem.
while the ending was emotional, i didn't feel like it was that climatic. what i do like is it leaves room for questions and makes me eager to watch season 2.
p.s. A+ for the beautiful ost, the pigeon and yes to the tangerines
Was this review helpful to you?
A masterpiece
Its truly is a jaw dropping, heart-wrenching masterpiece about friendship, loyalty and justice. I loved the intriguing story that always kept me on my feet, the complex characters the actors splendidly portrayed, and the themes of the story that even in the most grueling of times, justice will prevail and the truth will be revealed. I will miss all the sleepless nights I stayed up watching it, it’s absolutely phenomenal.Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Possibly one of the best court dramas in any language
A piece of fiction that has all the basics covered. The plot is exiting at every instance, the characters intriguing. While there are many twists and turns that the side characters go through, we see the drama through the focal point of all those twists and hence, the audience is let in on all there is to the drama. The showrunners, therefore, counted on the characters to be relatable and flawed enough that their reactions to those twists to be the anticipated parts of the drama.The overarching story, therefore, is very simple. It's a story about a man whose family and friends were wiped out by a proud, foolish emperor. Instead of revenge being his driving principle, he sought after seeking justice for their legacy and a better future of his homeland.
Music fixes a lot of the flaws of the drama. It has a romance plot between the protagonist and his former betrothed. Their relationship was sadly not explored enough but the saving grace was the acting and the music alleviated them as much as possible. A lot of characters were also not explored enough. Consort Jing for example never had any role in the story besides feeling sad for the past and helping her son and the main character. Unfortunately, almost all female characters in the story shared the same fate. They had no desires or interests of their own aside from helping the male figures closest to them.
But, despite its flaws, it is possibly one of the best court dramas ever made. It has the right pacing, the right plots, the right actors and the right dialogue to keep audience on their toes. The values espoused by this drama are the same as most dramas that tell age old tales of brotherhood, community and bravery. Hence, I recommend everyone to watch it. It has something for everyone.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is exceptional with the push of the talented actors and actress as well. Hu Ge especially has been able to display Lin shu's passion to clear his family and army which is hidden behind his frail body. His tale is indeed sad but inspiring. He is an amazing person who is also recieved love the most from everyone around him. All of his followers follow him not because of fear, but love and loyalty. He is an unforgetable character and has become one of my most fav too.
Another thing that I love is the fact that the story highlight the importance of loyalty, family love and amazing display strategies.
This drama is a total must watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
ABSOLUTE GEM
Do you know he was in a car accident and has to be out for a year or something. Didn’t know if he was ever going to walk again. The director decided they will wait for him to come back. No one else can replace him for this role. Notice his eye lid has a scar. He fought his way back against all odds. Bravo to Hu Ge !NIF has all leading actors and actresses; there are no supporting. Everyone performed superbly of their roles. Each of their performance absolutely will make you BELIEVE in their struggle, love, care, goals, principle etc. their performances will draw you in emotionally and as if also physically. You’ll find your heart and breath skip the beat as you can feel their anguish, pain and happiness.
The whole story is so well coherently written and told. The plots and their exquisitely smart dialogues in each and every moment are all necessary; not more and not less …. Such perfection! The entire drama shows great respect to its audience with zero dumb or nonsense moments.
The costumes were rich, beautiful and elegant.
There’s so much depth in this drama and its pure beauty in conveying it to us make this drama 100% enjoyable watching it over and over and over again. Love it to death.
Was this review helpful to you?
