Tyvm 😍.I like the Saintess she is very cool but I don't think she fits FX. Her first loyalty is to an enemy…
Agree on those points. But there are more sparks between FX and Saintess. Probably cos the actress is stronger, or perhaps the way her character was written. They click cos both of them are irreverent, witty and outliers in terms of talent. Of course I wish FX a happily-ever-after relationship with his chicken drumstick kuniang <3
Love the performances of the other main characters too, especially the Emperor, father, Chen Ping Ping and most definitely, Wang Qi Nian.
It was such an enjoyable watch. Glad I rewatched S1 prior to starting S2. Otherwise I would have missed the kooky use of totally non-mainstream music in some scenes. S1 used some kind of south american tune whilst S1 has yodelling. Only this drama could pull this off :P
The problem with NIF is after that, its really hard to watch anything. I think I may have attempted JOL right…
I should have written I've watched too many mediocre C dramas since dropping NIF2. Hence now I'm watching with more appreciative eyes 😀
Just tried watching Burning Flames. The acting and writing are quite lame. Not sure why the ML keep getting roles. Allen Ren has limited range. I wanted to watch more of Jeremy Tsui but he only appeared a few times.
Another thoughtful and well written review, PBG. Thank you ♡
I attempted this drama almost straight after NIF sometime ago, and I just couldn't go beyond a few episodes. Restarted and enjoying the drama so far, the quality of the writing, and all the nuances. Perhaps I'm more appreciative and discerning now after watching many many C dramas in the past couple of years. Haha.
Totally relatable review. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Like you, the show left many questions unanswered for me. Why would a ghost do the bidding of the very people who killed them? That was a big question in my mind.
The acting was fine most of the time, but became OTT went deeper angst was required.
Ty.and I am glad you enjoyed the show. It definitely wobbled slightly at the end but still deserves more love…
I didn't realise that it was a foodie show. I love food but.... Not sure if it's the writing but it's hard to feel anything for the main character. Too materialistic.
Didn't start Young Blood cos I didn't like Zhang Xin Cheng in Go Ahead. His character was annoying. Will give it a go as it was highly rated by you.
Ty.and I am glad you enjoyed the show. It definitely wobbled slightly at the end but still deserves more love…
Do you know who are the people behind this production? I'm trying to figure out was it the director, the writer, the producer or someone else? Would love to watch more of such high calibre C-dramas.
Isn't it a pity shows like these are not loved on MDL? I'm full of respect for Chinese shows like this one, The Wind Blows From Longxi, The Long Night, Ripe Town but they fly under the radar of most folks.
Actually, the quality of some C-dramas blew my mind when I first stepped back into watching Asian dramas after many years of mainly American and British shows. I was completely engrossed in K-dramas and didn't think Chinese dramas could match them. In the past, TVB dramas got boring after a few years. I watched fewer Chinese movies as the actors I liked such as Jet Li, Leung Chiu Wai and Donnie Yen got older.
Then one day I decided to watch Nirvana In Fire due to recommendations from a reviewer I liked. That is still one of my all-time favourites.
My favourite genre is romcom, and C-dramas have some excellent ones amongst the many many mediocre ones. So much talent in the C-drama world. Plus lots and lots of eye candies. Hehe.
Wow! Loved the show. Thank you for your recommendation to watch. I was not pulled in by the show's boring poster...but once i started watching i couldn't stop.
The storyline was very interesting and the main cast was amazing especially Chen Jianbin. His 1997 character reminded me of detectives from American police dramas in the 80s.
The rapid advancement in China within those 13 years was also fascinating to watch. The vibes in 1997 was more like a country still behind other countries by a decade or so. But then fast forward 13 years it was already on par or ready to leap frog.
The last episode was a bit disappointing. Young man couldn't carry his character. The writing was also weaker than all the other episodes. Not a show stopper though. This drama deserves more love!
Thank you again, PBG, for the rec and for this brilliantly written review ♡
1 
Love the performances of the other main characters too, especially the Emperor, father, Chen Ping Ping and most definitely, Wang Qi Nian.
It was such an enjoyable watch. Glad I rewatched S1 prior to starting S2. Otherwise I would have missed the kooky use of totally non-mainstream music in some scenes. S1 used some kind of south american tune whilst S1 has yodelling. Only this drama could pull this off :P
Totally enjoyed S2, aside from the laugh-out-loud reason FX escaped the S1 cliffhanger death 🤣
Don't you think FX has more chemistry with the Saintess? She is such a cool character.
Looking forwards to S3!
Just tried watching Burning Flames. The acting and writing are quite lame. Not sure why the ML keep getting roles. Allen Ren has limited range. I wanted to watch more of Jeremy Tsui but he only appeared a few times.
JOL was a good drama. Worth another attempt, PBG
I attempted this drama almost straight after NIF sometime ago, and I just couldn't go beyond a few episodes. Restarted and enjoying the drama so far, the quality of the writing, and all the nuances. Perhaps I'm more appreciative and discerning now after watching many many C dramas in the past couple of years. Haha.
Like you, the show left many questions unanswered for me. Why would a ghost do the bidding of the very people who killed them? That was a big question in my mind.
The acting was fine most of the time, but became OTT went deeper angst was required.
Which agency was he with? Are other artistes treated with the same level of disrespect?
Such a great loss for Cdrama fans 😢
FL's acting was leagues behind Jeremy's. Does she have a rich family, rich sugar daddy or a big fan base? 🤔
So, you are right. I'm watching Mandarin dub version
Not sure if it's the writing but it's hard to feel anything for the main character. Too materialistic.
Didn't start Young Blood cos I didn't like Zhang Xin Cheng in Go Ahead. His character was annoying. Will give it a go as it was highly rated by you.
Have you watched Wong Kar Wai's Blossoms Shanghai? I'm in ep 2, and finding it hard to get into the show even though I like Hu Ge.
Isn't it a pity shows like these are not loved on MDL? I'm full of respect for Chinese shows like this one, The Wind Blows From Longxi, The Long Night, Ripe Town but they fly under the radar of most folks.
Actually, the quality of some C-dramas blew my mind when I first stepped back into watching Asian dramas after many years of mainly American and British shows. I was completely engrossed in K-dramas and didn't think Chinese dramas could match them. In the past, TVB dramas got boring after a few years. I watched fewer Chinese movies as the actors I liked such as Jet Li, Leung Chiu Wai and Donnie Yen got older.
Then one day I decided to watch Nirvana In Fire due to recommendations from a reviewer I liked. That is still one of my all-time favourites.
My favourite genre is romcom, and C-dramas have some excellent ones amongst the many many mediocre ones. So much talent in the C-drama world. Plus lots and lots of eye candies. Hehe.
The storyline was very interesting and the main cast was amazing especially Chen Jianbin. His 1997 character reminded me of detectives from American police dramas in the 80s.
The rapid advancement in China within those 13 years was also fascinating to watch. The vibes in 1997 was more like a country still behind other countries by a decade or so. But then fast forward 13 years it was already on par or ready to leap frog.
The last episode was a bit disappointing. Young man couldn't carry his character. The writing was also weaker than all the other episodes. Not a show stopper though. This drama deserves more love!
Thank you again, PBG, for the rec and for this brilliantly written review ♡
The story is intriguing, and managed to keep my interest despite the underwhelming main leads. Haha.
He was brilliant in some of his dramas. And when the characters spoke in Jeremy's actual voice, they were unforgettable.
Such a shame to hear of his retirement. Wish Jeremy a well deserved rest, happiness and health in his next chapters of his life <3