Nirvana in Fire (2015)

One of the best dramas I've watched. This drama has a lot of complicated political intrigue and beautiful cinematography, and, importantly, a lot of very smart characters, including plenty of smart women. There was some romance but it paled in comparison to the wonderful heartfelt bromances. And, unlike most Korean dramas, everything wasn’t neatly tied up into one big happy pill, which made Nirvana’s ending much more meaningful and satisfying. I nearly gave up after the first episode because it was confusing with too many characters being introduced too quickly and too briefly (hint: learn their names!) but I’m glad I stuck with it. I would recommend this drama to people who like complex plots and who like to watch smart people behaving intelligently.

Leia Mais

Watched this in 2022 and this drama is not for me

I wanted to watch this drama because of the hype and also because of the director. To be honest , I agree that among many many costume c-dramas, this is one of the good ones given the fact that this is released in 2015. But whether you will like this drama and find it captivating or not depends on what kind of c-dramas you have watched before. For eg., if you had watched Joy of Life before this , you will seriously be bored and disappointed by this drama. On the other hand , if you had watched romance k-dramas/c-drams always and wanted to try a political costume c-drama for the first time , you may feel pretty happy with this.

Another major pain point is, this drama is conversation heavy. Around 80 % of the time, it is just somebody talking about the revenge, plot etc., And the flashback scenes are cut heavily because of Zhang Zhehan's problem in China ( which is really frustrating in my opinion). And the music is not that great or memorable. I felt that the drama is dragged unnecessarily until 54 episodes. it could have been closed at 40.
I thank the team for not bringing romance into this and sticking to revenge political plot.

One of the BIGGEST disappointments for me is, the sequel of this is actually not a real sequel. Nirvana is Fire 2 is actually a different drama just with some links to the past. I expected Fei Lu, Meng, Jingrui, Lin Shu in sequel.. but it didn't happen.

Will I recommend this to you? If you are new to political revenge plots in c-drama world, you can give this a try.
If you had already watched master pieces like Joy of Life or if you don't like too much talking , this is not for you.stay away.

Did I enjoy watching this? Not really.

Leia Mais

An epitome of perfection and a class of its own

This series surpassed all levels of hits there could be for a drama to score. In all my years of watching dramas, I can confidently say even until 2021 (I've watched countless J-series, K-series, Thai series and English series), not a single drama manages to even come close to this one in terms of plot, flow, character dynamics, cinematography and pacing. Brilliantly written and spun like an intricate web. The layers are astonishing. The plot is just mindblowing and NOT CLICHE. If you think you watched enough dramas to know or expect what the characters will do next, this series will throw you off the cliffs. Everytime you think the plot is going a certain way the characters always manages to surprise you or end up 10 light years ahead to wave and laugh at you. Even upon rewatching for the 6th time, I'm amazed at all the little details I manage to find each time. I was so sad when I watched this series for the first time in 2016. Near the end I had withdrawals and knew then that when this one ends, never will i find such a brilliant series again. NEVER. This one set the bar too high for me now. Simply because each characters here were written with such detail and care. There are none who exist simply to push the plots. Each of them fit and mould well in the mixture. Every one of them exist to represent a thought, a seed and they all have intentions or reasons as to why they do things. Even the character I hated most, the emperor - (who in his ego and ignorance chose to be blind to all evidences and essence of the truth) manages to make me find empathy and sympathy for him because of the way his character expressed his thoughts when he last spoke to Mei Chang Su. There are no good or evil in this series. There are only the truest and realest intentions, desires and sufferings humans ultimately choose for themselves or others on their paths. So this really is a win. It's been years and I came back to write this review simply because I haven't found a single drama which can be up to par with NiF and every time i feel that my standards sort of dropped or I watched too many 'disappointing' series, I come back to NiF for a rinse.

Leia Mais

Easily the most intricate drama ever

I'm not sure where to start because I've watched this immediately after it was aired

It took me a while before I actually absorbed every detail and every character. And it was so difficult. I need to keep tabs of their names, and search every now and then about the characterization, very very carefully because I don't want to be spoiled. It was a chore.

But believe me, once I digested everything, it made perfect sense. Every decision. Every feeling. Every character started becoming so palpable and suddenly, I was already in the world. I realized that finally, after obsessing over Bu Bu Jing Xi, I finally found something that will caress my heart, and back then, it has also invaded my mind.

The goosebumps I got in this story can't be counted. Hu Ge was spectacular. And this is the drama that made me fall in love with Wang Kai.

I couldn't find any more words to say but this is a very intelligent drama. But with a heart.

I just put a little less on the rewatchability because even though I've rewatched this a few times, it's very painful that I don't come back immediately for more. But still, I know I will rewatch again. Some time in the future.

Leia Mais

Starts absolutely confusing, yet ends absolutely riveting

This is the first Chinese drama that I've ever watched, so I am really new to everything about their storytelling style. Yet, after watching the last episode, I was just left to ask: "What took me so long to watch it?"

A really common comment about this show is on how really confusing it is during the first 5 episodes. It was very confusing in that I had to search for a "relationship tree" picture between the characters to get the context. Furthermore, the story at that point can be understood, but for the most part, I was just clueless about what was happening, who's who, and why is that happening.

However, what made me start to invest here is that it isn't shy in focusing more on the main story (which is in contrast with Korean dramas that adds subplots to further add the story). The pacing here was neither fast nor slow burn. It really took its time in developing the events surrounding the main character, and then wraps up with heavy impact. Also, it did not relied on plot twists and deus ex machina, which made it more realistic in terms of the characters' decision-making. It was just refreshing to me as a viewer to see letting the story flow on its own organically.

One would think that this show's 54-episode run can be a turn off especially when there is only one main story. The erratic cliffhangers were just enough to really make my scratch my head, wanting for more episodes. KDramas and its dramatic cliffhangers just cannot compete here.

Speaking of the story, I absolutely loved how great it is. Once I was able to grasp the details around it, I was frequently reminded of "Game of Thrones" and was just in awe in terms of the parallelism and the context similarities of the two. Both are equally great in giving tension, drama, and royal politics, but this show in particular, was in top notch in portraying royal politics well. It wasn't too complex, yet it also wasn't too cliché. It still gave room for the watcher like me to think profoundly about their actions, and still enjoy its entertainment value at the same time. Also, the action and martial arts was just top notch, and the fighting skills are just chef's kiss.

The ending was what I expected it to be, but I would have appreciated it more had it followed the Korean 1-hour episode format. I found it to be too condensed though it was able to answer the questions and close the story pretty well.

Given all the praises, why would I not rate this drama a 10? Well, here comes a disadvantage when watching a show focused on a single major story - it tends to become redundant. There were quite many flashback scenes (particularly of the Chiyan army 13 years prior the story setting), and at a point, I was already tired seeing it. The scheming of plans also tended to move slow, despite the brilliant outcomes. It was more emphasis on talk, therefore more screentime and less on the action. But when the action scenes came, I wasn't able to think anything but be speechless.

Since this is the first time I am watching a Chinese drama, I don't have any idea how to perceive this show in the grand scheme of things. Nevertheless, I will set this show as the standard for my future Cdrama endeavors. Can't wait to watch more shows like Nirvana in Fire that starts absolutely confusing, yet ends absolutely riveting.

Leia Mais

ONE WORD: MAGNIFICENT.

To summarize my experience of watching this drama, I have never skip even a second for the entire series (mind you I am a skipper while watching drama)

STORY:

The plot is pure brilliant! I have never watched such well written and thought out political "history" drama such as NIF. Every single part matters, no wasted screen time at all. Every moment as I continue to watch it, it kept me surprised and intrigued. The character is written very well, no 'dumb' characters at all, every characters serve its purpose for the plot and also as real as it gets.

ACTING:

Hu Ge and Wang Kai blew me away. What a magnificent potrayal of the characters. When you watch it, there are no Hu Ge and Wang Kai in the characters, it is purely Mei Chang Su and Jing Yan 100%. Other actor and actress also perform a very good job for their characters. They made it believable and real.

MUSIC:

I do not have any issues with the music or the background music or sound. I like it all.


REWATCH VALUE:

i have watch it for more than 3 times and I did not skip a single thing. This should explain the rewatch value.


OVERALL:

I may not write a long review for this due to one simply can't express how great it is unless you watch it. However, I can confidently say that this is the best Chinese Drama (#1) ever made up until this moment. If you have not watch NIF, you can't say you are a C-Drama lover.

Leia Mais

May the noble legacy and selfless sacrifice of Lin Shu and Mei Changsu live on forever

This show has been the top of my list since I watched it the first time. There were many times when I cried for all the injustices that the Chiyun army suffered and the House of Prince Qi. For all the suffering Lin Shu has endured so he could clear his family's name of the crime they have never committed. For Nihuang, who painstakingly waited for her Lin Shu gege to come back, only to be separated in the end. Life was never fair. But it was particularly cruel for Lin Shu.

Lin Shu is a character I truly admire. After the massacre of his family, he didn't vow for vengeance and didn't cruelly kill everyone involved. Instead, he traded his life, his chance to be with the people he loved and instead be the sly, cunning, and shrewd Mei Changsu. For 13 years, he planned his strategy and eventually he succeeded. The journey though was never easy. And when we thought that he can finally leave in peace, war happened. Instead of spending his limited time with the love of his life, he went to battle to protect the people and his country. This was his ultimate sacrifice so that the people he loved would have peace. Jingyan knows this, more so Nihuang. For Lin Shu and Nihuang, their separation on that hill was poignant and full of hope. Not because they knew they will meet again, but instead they knew this could be the last time they will see each other. And for them, that was okay. Duty to their country comes above all else.

I truly hope that in their next lives, they were born as ordinary families, spending their life until old age. Or, they could have just been reincarnated as Xiao Pingjing and Lin Xi.

Leia Mais

I cannot stress enough how much I love this drama. From the plot, acting, script, and directing-Everything were done beautifully. I actually didn't care for this drama, because I read before that there was a lacked of romance. So, I didn't care for it, even though friends have suggested to me to watch it. So, I watched it when I ran out of my romance dramas, and boy was I hooked!!! I was in for a ride! I love the plot so much, and each episode keeps your in your seat. I just love how intriguing and hooked I was with each twist and turn. Not to mention, the lead actress is so beautiful!!! Even though there was not a high volume of romance in here, that was not a problem at all. The plot is just amazing, with revenge and everything in between. Watch this, you will not be disappointed!!!! I would definitely watch this again and again.

Leia Mais

The praises didn't lie, this is a masterpiece

I can't believe how good it was...the characters stayed with me. I can't forget them even if i wanted to. The expressions, dialogues, stories everything was so deep and impactful that i got overwhelmed multiple times throughout the show. The characters were so complex nd each driven by such strong motivations that it was beautiful. I'll particularly mention the brilliant antagonists. NiF is great at making u feel varied ranges of emotions for all the characters including the 'villains'. If u are a fan of historical settings, brotherhood, complex plot involving revenge and court politics which will keep u at the edge of ur seat, minimal romance but amazing relationship between the characters, then this is a MUST watch.

Leia Mais

Perfection

This is one of only two dramas I've seen that made me feel unworthy of its greatness (the other being Stranger). That I needed to work to deserve watching it, which manifested in the form of my full rapt attention. Everyone is a mastermind, or, at least, close to a mastermind. Each main and side character is fully utilized, with not one person being forgotten or failing to play a key role at some point. The FLs aren't reduced to stereotypes, plot devices, or trophies to be won; they are portrayed as equals who are mentally strong and can fight as well as anyone. The bromance is a slow-burn epic. The dialogue is so well-written that I would not be surprised to know each scene was rewritten ten times so as to produce perfection, plant the seeds of things to come, and fill any plot hole the viewer could conceive of with their eager but small mind. This leads me to the point that I would be falling short of my duties as a reviewer not to stress: the incredible intelligence of not only the drama but each character and plot point. It is impossible not to root for everyone, if only briefly. The antagonists, protagonists, and morally grey characters are not minds you would dare imagine battling and are helpless but to admire. They point out flaws in their plans, consider each possibility with all the knowledge at their disposal, tactfully make allies, carefully plan not only their main and strongest course of action but multiple backup plans, and plot and plot some more.

Nirvana in Fire is truly one of a kind. I can safely say it is the best C-Drama I have seen (and, for now, the 10th best piece of Asian media I have seen. Yes, it has skyrocketed to 10th place on my Absolute Perfection list).

NIF can keep you in the dark without upsetting you or being nonsensical. It doesn't try to be something it's not or pull you in different directions, nor does it lay all the cards on the table for the viewer resulting in its characters appearing foolish and unable to see the bigger picture. From the start, there is a hint of a goal that slowly becomes revealed and then worked toward in the light, with added revelations and events only solidifying it and enriching and adding more scope. The viewer only needs the patience required to allow it to unfold as it will, attempt to guess what may happen if you can, but simply: give it the attention and respect it deserves.

By the end of watching this, you feel as though a massive weight has fallen from your shoulders. And it is a relief but also terrifying to feel so unburdened.

I cannot recommend this drama to you enough. I thank my lucky stars it was recommended to ME. Yes, it is 54 episodes, each averaging 45 minutes. But I promise you, it is worth it. The only valid question to answer is if you are a dialogue junkie. Because if not, this is most definitely not the drama for you.

Side Note: And, let us not forget, this is the sexiest of Sexy Brain dramas.

Leia Mais

Stellar Drama Combing a Revenge Story With Complex Character Dynamics

Nirvana in Fire took a few episodes to grab me, and I was definitely hesitant to start such a long series. But, in the end, it turned out to be a captivating story with interesting, tense character dynamics and a brilliantly dramatic overarching conflict.

ACTING
There's not really much I can say here - all the performances are quite good, with a special commendation to those who play Changsu's retainers, Eunuch Gao, The Emperor, and Prince Jingyan. The interaction between The Emperor and Jingyan especially feels very natural and portrays the complex dynamic between absolute ruler and son quite well.

MUSIC
The music took a while to grow on me, but like the series, it's a bit of a slow burn. The OST is well-placed in each episode and rarely feels awkward, while the opening and ending are both references to some of the underlying themes in the show (with the butterfly prevalent in the opening being a particularly poignant double-metaphor). I rated the music slightly less for those few times that the songs feel a bit overplayed.

STORY
The story and characters - these are the real reason to watch Nirvana in Fire. The plot could be roughly broken down into several arcs in which tie together in Mei Changsu's ultimate "revenge" plot. I won't go into details here for risk of spoilers, but each arc roughly involves a new event or circumstance that at least one major actor - Changsu being the most common - tries to take advantage of. The other characters in advisory positions react and attempt to put out fires (sometimes literally) while slowly shifting the politics of the court one way or the other.
All of the plotting one way or the other eventually comes down to The Emperor. Nirvana in Fire portrays the role between various court actors and The Emperor better than any other series I've seen. How The Emperor will react, what he wishes, who he'll be suspicious of - everyone who plays the game of the court ultimately has their focus on its head. And given the goals of each of the characters - which often conflict with The Emperor's desires - subtly changing the atmosphere by planning events days in advance can be essential to ensuring a plan succeeds.

SUMMARY
From start-to-finish, Nirvana in Fire is a stellar drama that combines a driven revenge story with complex character dynamics and courtly politics to create a masterpiece of intrigue and planning.

Leia Mais