Love of Nirvana (2024)

Worth every minute of my time.

This drama has now become my all-time favourite. After seeing "Until the end of the moon", I really thought that no other drama can top it in terms of storyline, ost, casting and acting but I have finally found the one to do that.

This drama itself takes place in the Liang state where Wei Zhao (also known as Xiao Wuxia, played by Ren Jia Lun) seeks to find the truth about his father's and family's downfall. Whilst on this journey, an unfortunate girl, Jiang Ci (played by Landy Li) unintentionally foils his plans, leading to their fates intermingling for the rest of the drama. Based on this description alone, you can discern that this is an enemies-to-lovers trope, and it is, and by far, it is my favourite representation of this trope in all the c-dramas that I have seen.

The characters in the series also play their roles extremely well and there was no particular complaint that I could make regarding the acting or execution of these characters. There weren't any plot holes in terms of motive or background of the characters and this made it such a more enjoyable watch as everything that the characters did had a purpose. The actors did an exquisite job in playing their characters -- I really don't think there could be another cast that could pull off this drama as well as this one did. There was a point where I really hated Pei Yan (you'll understand if you watch the drama) so you can really tell that they were mastering their roles.

The plot of the series was also interesting. As it is a historical c-drama, you can expect a lot of politics however, unlike the other c-dramas that bombard you with a bunch of irrelevant side quests that the characters go through, I didn't feel this way about this c-drama. All the politics in this drama served their role wonderfully and it was actually comprehensible and beginner-friendly for all those who are new to this genre of c-dramas. The romance, of course, is there. I don't know how else to put it but it's just the perfect amount of angst, yearning, passion and sincerity.

The ost of this drama OH MY GOODNESS. I cannot express how well they chose their ost. All of the songs as well as where they were placed throughout the drama made it all the more beautiful as the osts really capture the moment on screen; they made the heartwarming scenes even more cutesy and the depressing scenes even more heart-wrenching. They're definitely going into my favourite ost playlist!

All in all, should you watch this drama? Yes. Should you give it your full attention? Yes. Is there any advice I would give to future watchers? ???

Happy Binging!

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drama of two halves

I have mixed feeling about this as the last two story arcs were comparatively poor. Up to this point the plot unfolded at a modest but gripping pace that allowed the viewers to understand the different complexities of the main characters. Jiang Ci and Wei Zhao changing relationship from antagonism to love felt credible for the most part, spurred on by Jiang Ci understanding of the impact of Emperor Liang's genocidal policies on WZ and the Zhengrong residents but I have reservations about the Stockholm syndrome aspect of this relationship. The second half of the drama is disappointing. The third arc involving the Shifu was trite and cliched and did a disservice to the development of complex characters in the first half of the drama. The final arc dragged and was predictable and involved too many flashbacks,
Generally, the actors portray the main characters well. But Ren Jialun’s acting is still a bit underwhelming and Ji Landi portrayal of J CI does not really convey the “free spirit” of the character, which is a big part of why J Ci opts for WZ not Peil Yan. On the other hand, Xu Zhengxi delivers a great performance as s the ambitious and manipulative Pei Yan. Still, it is one of better new costume dramas of 2024 (i.e. excluding season 2 /3 dramas), which have so far been disappointing.

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Fell a little short because of the romance

This story would have been much better if they left the romance completely out. I get that romance is CDrama’s kryptonite and without it, maybe some people won’t want to watch it but it is not needed in every drama. CDrama’s tend to try to force romance no matter if the situation is murky and it takes so much away from the story sometimes.

The Good

Started strong steeped in some mystery with a murder/revenge plot. The original plot was actually engaging and intriguing. The main characters were all setup nicely, had strong acting and were a great fit for their roles. Costumes, makeup, wigs and sets were decent as well.

The Bad

The romance. I love a good romance story like the next person but the connection between main leads felt lackluster and partly due to the extreme treatment he put her through. This caused a huge disconnection of even wanting to see romance or even believe it. Again, the romance was not needed or warranted after all he had done. It became forced and became the identity of the story as it went on towards the end. They could have been great allies since their stories intertwined but the shallow romance left the ending for the main FL unsatisfying for me. I also did not like that the two MLs were dubbed. I don’t think it was necessary since both can dub themselves.

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If Only…..

I am so heartbroken!!! Why does most Ren Jia Lun series have tragic endings?? If we could for a minute forget that there isn’t a happily ever after in this drama, I would have given it a solid 10 stars, 15 if possible. The story was amazing, the conspiracies, the politics, the quick thinking leads, the soundtrack was like icing on the cake, not to forget the amazing costumes of Ren Jia Lun and Jeremy Tsui. I’m sure the makers of this series have attended to every minute detail in the show to bring us an amazing series, if only they could give the leads a happy ending after all they went through. I suffer from the second lead syndrome in most shows, but even if Jeremy Tsui was an amazing second lead, I didn’t get the second lead syndrome, this shows just how good he was in character. What do I even say about Ren Jia Lun! He was amazing, he is the champion of sacrifices, subtle glances for romance, and tragic climaxes. On top of it, he looked super awesome too! As for Landy Li, she was perfect in her girl-next-door personality and I loved her chemistry with RJL.

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Surprisingly good

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The dynamic between the leads was engaging, though i initially wasn’t a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, as I often find it overused and cliche. Despite that, i found myself enjoying it, even though there were moments when i wanted to skip scenes. It didn’t always feel like a true enemies-to-lovers story, as the fl often seemed disadvantaged in their interactions. Still, i couldn’t skip any episodes, which is impressive for me, especially in a political drama.

I liked the fl’s character. she has this genuine desire to make people around her happy, and even though she helps others, she doesn’t come across as a pushover. She genuinely seems content with helping, which is heartwarming and made me connect with her on an emotional level.

That being said, some things bothered me. The ml’s initial treatment of the FL was frustrating. He acts like he’s going to kill her, using threats to keep himself safe and hidden, even though she’s a defenseless girl with no martial skills. His approach felt unnecessarily harsh. This is part of why i don’t typically enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope—it often feels forced, with little thought given to why the characters are even at odds in the first place.

Also, the fl’s inconsistency with her principles was frustrating. She helps one person, then immediately goes back on her word just to reconcile with the ml. It made me wish she would stand up for herself more and follow through on her own path, rather than bending to fit his.

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Scheming, scheming and more scheming

I love watching scheming, political, fighting for the throne type of Chinese dramas so I had to give this one a shot.

Where do I even begin with this. I mean, the storyline itself is mediocre at best. It's the typical political/framed hero type of storyline, so I am very used to this. However, what I like about it is that it has so many unlikable characters and people wanting the throne.

Of course, it has the two brothers fighting for the throne, but it also added the scorned ex lover who is crazy enough to believe that she deserves the throne after the emperor casted her aside. I mean, who even saw that coming.

Lets start with the main leads:

Wei Zhao/Xiao Wuxia: I like Allen Ren and I like how he plays this character. Don't get me wrong, he was not the nicest male lead. I mean, he tried to kill her every chance he got, so yeah, not the nicest man alive. Does he deserve her undying love? No, he does not. But I do understand where he is coming from. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time and saw something she shouldn't have. And yes, he did also saved her a lot of times, but I don't think that makes up for the fact that he also tried killing her so many times either. I also like how him falling in love with Jiang Ci did not deter him from trying to reveal the truth behind his father's unjustified death. All he wanted to do was clear his father's name and restore Yueluo to its former glory while trying to serve the one person who is behind it all. One thing I would say about him is that for someone who is so smart and supposed to be one step ahead, he still fell into the emperor's trap. However, I really do like how they ended his arc. He died a hero to the Yueluo people. He was able to accomplish what he set up to do, even though the world may not know that the real truth, he was able to bring peace to Yueluo. And to me, that's the greatest thing he did by sacrificing himself, he protected the people he wanted to protect the most.

Pei Yan: Don't even get me started on him. Argh. He is my most hated second male lead. He's obsessive, controlling, and manipulative person ever. He used Jiang Ci for his own good and even tries to control her. He wants her to be trapped in a cage even though she only wanted to be free. AND he knew that, but yet, he wanted to control her. Every time he says that he's doing it to protect her, I just want to slap him because he's not doing anything for her. He is only pushing her further away from him. She respected him as her savior and he went and become someone she hated. I do feel pity for him because he grew up under his mother's reign. She used him and treated him like a puppet and her meal ticket to the throne. He deserved a better mother than that. However, that does not excuse him for trapping Jiang Ci because he was trapped by his mother. Even to the end, he foolishly protected her when she deserves death for staging a coup.

Jiang Ci/Princess Yong'an: I like her carefreeness, but boy, she got herself in a lot of trouble. She's always at the wrong place at the wrong time. Honestly, out of the three main leads, I wished they explored her childhood more. They barely touched based on her father and mother and her master/aunt. I mean, we met the master/aunt and then she disappears for more than half the drama and shows up towards the end and then she's dead. I wanted to get more of her background and stuff. As for her secret birth, I haven't read the novel, so I don't know if this was part of the original story, but I can go without it. I don't really think we needed her to be a princess but I guess it's just way to trap her even more. Who knows. I just wished they would have showed her being a doctor or something. Throughout the show, they showed her as someone who likes medicine and is knowledgable in it, but yet, they just ended it like that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like that they gave her a child and she returned to her home with Wei Zhao/Xiao Wuxia, but at least make her a doctor or something. You know? Like give her something more than just being a mother.

Cui Zhiming: I don't have much to say about him, but I do feel like they kind of messed up his relationship. He was so cute with Miss Dong and they just ended like that. He deserves someone to be his side. He was the only one who treated Jiang Ci like a real person and not just someone they can used. He was nice to her and cared for her -- genuinely. I am glad that he is finally free from Pei Yan. So, I am happy with that. I really do like Gao Han since Falling Into Your Smile, I especially enjoyed him in Love Like the Galaxy, but I do wish that they gave him someone.

I'm not even going to talk about the emperor and Madam Rongguo, because they're just so unlikable. They make my blood boiled and at the end of it all, I was wishing for their deaths. So let's just leave it at that. Two of the most detestable persons in drama land.

Overall, I gave this an 8 out of 10. I feel that it could have been shorter and I wished they took some plot lines away that were not necessary at all to the main plot. I also wished that Wei Zhao/Xiao Wuxia or at least Pei Yan have evidence of what happened 20 years ago so the world can truly know that their "beloved" emperor was the cause of Prince Qi's death and the fall of Yueluo. Don't get me wrong, I am satisfied with how they wrapped that up, but I wished there was evidence to really let the world know what happened. Other than that, I am happy with how they wrap up the story.

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Political intrigue

The plot centres around xiao wuxia who is eagerly seeking for justice for the people of yuelou,his father inclusive
I greatly enjoyed the first episode .the ml was focused on accomplishing his task of capturing teng rui which was ruined by the fl .
Pei Yans character initially was manipulative but later ,I was happy wen he decided to join hands with wei zhao .
All in all, the story was intriguing and I loved all the actors for the great work done .I liked the marital arts scene very clear and on point.
I too also liked Dr.cui character .for the first time , HE DESERVED THE BETTER

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Slow start, picks up in the middle, then drags toward a shit ending.

I feel like I went through all that for nothing.

I just want to make it clear from the outset that I am exclusively a romance watcher, the actual ROMANCE aspect of a story is what i'm interested in and focused on. I rate things based on the quality of the romance part of the story, and how it fits into the plot.

Viewed strictly as a romance, imo this was awful. The romance was a side-dish to the main story, which was basically palace intrigue and political power struggles. There is a love triangle and the dynamics of it are weird and uncomfortable. The ML/FL chemistry was quashed over and over again, leading up to a SINGLE kiss scene you wait 38 episodes for that is maybe the most sanitized kiss scene Ive ever seen, it was basically only visually alluded to.

If you watch for spicy chemistry and romance, then you just get strung along and strung along all the way to the end, for nothing. ML dies.

Production value, acting, ost were all mediocre, except the FL who did a really good job.

First quarter of drama is hard to get into, and you wonder where its going with this large and cumbersome story. Middle 50% was a solid watch. Last 25% just totally dragged and turned into a cringefest of sappy filler monologues and over the top moments.

It was just a cop out of a romance story, and I really find it a shame I wasted so much time on it.

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From hate, to understanding, to mutual respect and love

Picture this: you've just selected the perfect perch to admire beautiful people and drink expensive wine. Little do you know, you've now infiltrated a carefully laid-out assassination plan, one which the lives of an entire city hinge on.

A simple case of wrong place, wrong time pushes our happy-go-lucky heroine into dangerous waters, caught up in a high-stakes political chess game. This drama is dark, and unafraid of going to extremes!

For a country bumpkin, Jiang Ci really surprised me: she is innocent, but she is not naive. It takes a certain kind of mettle to hold your own (life—ahem, thanks to a certain masked man) between two powerful schemers. On one hand, she is kept in the mansion of Marquis Pei Yan as bait to lure out the culprit, while on the other, she is hurt and poisoned within an inch of her life by the assailant himself. Jiang Ci has no power, no connections and no martial arts, nor does she have anyone to rely on. Yet, she possesses a formidable inner strength and bravery. She is aware of her restricted agency, yet she persists in finding a way to escape, making her own moves without regret.

As you root for her, you cannot imagine ever understanding, let alone forgiving, Wei Zhao's cruelty towards her. This is when a second perspective emerges, and we learn not everything is so black-and-white as a chessboard— the reality is chillingly bloodstained, involving decades-long genocide and enslavement. It is Wei Zhao alone who carries this burden, dedicating his entire life solely to freeing his people from subjugation,

For viewers, this is a turning point in the story that seems to be polarising: the drama, true to its name, explores the fluidity of empathy and human nature. In truth, Jiang Ci is just sticking to the principles that have guided her since the beginning of the story: her concern and compassion for the people. When she realises it is not just a matter of her own life, she promises to protect the secret of his mission. At this point, our leads shift from "enemies" to "acquaintances no longer in each other's way".

The romance is subtle and slow-burn, progressing from mutual respect and helping each other in Nanling, to admiring and falling in love with each other in Yueluo. Li Landi and Ren Jialun's chemistry is so heart-fluttering that I didn't even care about the lack of skinship. Where Jiang Ci was flirtatious and forward, Wei Zhao is shy—but he is equally deep in yearning. He expresses his feelings in his own hidden ways: the way his eyes track her, smiling when she is happy and noticing when she isn't; when he returns her promises about their future; when he takes care of her while she's sick; and when he gives her his only family keepsake, again symbolic of his own secret promise to her.

There are a few annoying characters in the story: Pei Yan, who for the majority of the drama, is obsessed with keeping Jiang Ci trapped with him. He does get redeemed in the end though. The other is Jiang Ci's master, who mainly served to create more conflict and angst, but this is luckily wrapped up quite quickly.

The final arc in Qingkang is fast-paced, angsty and politics-heavy.

OVERALL: The drama is one of a kind, and the romance was a beautiful and rare, authentic portrayal of enemies to lovers. Wei Zhao is a complex, cunning and selfless character who I fear I will often be comparing to future male leads. He's just THAT guy! The same goes for Jiang Ci: her being a physician and playing an active role in the battles makes SO much sense for her character, because she is not the type to sit still in the face of others' suffering. In that sense, she is as much a protector of the weak as Wei Zhao, which is what incites their mutual attraction.










ENDING SPOILER:
I felt the ending was so unnecessary, and seemed to be directly contradicting all the buildup, foreshadowing and symbolism of the earlier episodes. But, I love this drama too much to give it a lower rating. With that being said: for those considering watching, don't let the ending scare you out of missing on this beautiful story. I don't regret watching it at all!

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