The drama builds momentum slowly for the first 3-4 episodes, almost as though to test how willing you are to stick it out. If you do get through the first few episodes however, you will be in for a spectacular ride. Every new character that appears is intelligent, well rounded, and important to the story. The attention to detail is unrivaled by any other C-drama I have seen. There is meaning behind the eyes of a single glance and a question asked in casual conversation. Symbolism can be found in a cup of tea, a chess piece, a butterfly, etc. This drama places heavy emphasis on reading between the lines, and as other reviewers have mentioned, it treats its audience as intelligent beings. Once the story picks up, it is very easy to miss vital information if you are not giving this drama your undivided attention. This is not a drama that you can put on in the background while you do house chores, homework, and what have you (trust me). The music is great and aptly chosen, but you don't have to take my word for it, you can watch the drama's opening intro and determine that for yourself. If you're one to cringe at lower quality CGI, fret not, the worst of it is over within the first ten minutes of the drama, and from there on out it hardly ever makes a reappearance. The cinematography is beautiful, and as far as acting goes, it is superb, but you'll just have to see it to believe it.
This drama holds up extremely well to rewatches. As mentioned above, there is so much symbolism and reading between the lines, you will be delighted to discover new content the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time around.
Seriously though, stop reading the reviews and go watch the drama already!
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Each story detail is meticulously revealed for a reason. I think this is one drama where a slow build up might actually help make it a better drama overall. The characterizations and relationships build gradually but deeply. Around episode 20 or so is a turning point. It's like the point where you have reached the top of the roller coaster ride, then all the stuff that happened in the first part of the drama really starts to come together and the rest of the drama goes so fast. When you get to around episode 30, all the drama and relationships have built up to the point that I just had to marvel at the storytelling. It's genius. I really felt the emotion under the surface of these characters that had to stay so reserved and careful so much of the time. My heart started breaking around this point because I felt the inevitable end coming. I never really feel like re-watching dramas, but I think I will re-watch this one just to visit these characters again and see if I can pick up details that I missed the first time around.
Hu Ge and Wang Kai are riveting as Mei Chang Su and Prince Jing. Their relationship is heartbreaking. Though there is romance in this drama, it takes a backseat to the camaraderie and deep friendships among the male characters.
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Characters -- 10/10
I have never seen better written characters in a drama than this one. Mei Changsu, our MC, is a brilliant strategician. However, he is not perfect. You can see the groundwork in his plans, his struggle to balance morality and success, his physically weak body, and his emotional past. All of these and more create a unique character with a believable motivation, a distinct personality, and clear flaws. It's not just our MC that is a great character. Other characters also have their well written motivations and backstories. The melting pot of all these complicated characters in the dangerous political landscape that is the capital city creates an exhilarating and beautiful story.
All the villains are multidimensional. They are intelligent, ambitious, and resourceful. But just like every other character, there are no perfect villains. They can be manipulated as well by the other players.
Costumes and Set -- 10/10
Despite being made back in 2015, the set and costumes are very high quality. Everything has this sharp and fitting feeling that really immerses you in the setting. You can really tell that the production value was really high. A lot of Chinese dramas can feel dated because of bad costumes or effects, but this one does not at all. Initially, I thought this was a much newer drama until I checked the date.
Tone
This drama has a very realistic tone. Unlike a lot of action or ancient setting dramas, friendships are not made instantaneously. Friendships here are cultivated over long periods of time so that's its very believable when someone is willing to risk their life for someone else.
Acting -- 10/10
Every single actor here is phenomenal in their role. I was always fully immersed in the story. Their expressions of love, pain, determination, and sadness are perfect and they pull you in. I found myself feeling a range of emotions to go along with their performances. It got quite a few nervous shakes and cries out of me.
Pacing
I never had a problem with the pacing. I found myself always trying to watch another episode when I had the time. The beginning may start of a little slow in order to introduce the world and characters, but once the setting is in place, the ball gets rolling and doesn't stop.
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Some of the cdramas have been really amazing... particularly Ming Lan and Hao Lan.....NIF has always been on the list of the perfect cdramas of all time... and yet, I could never get past the first episode. This has to be the fourth time I tried watching it....... and man.......was it sooooo worth it. It blew me away.....I cried like a baby so many times.
On the surface, it appears to be just another revenge story...... but no, NIF is soooooo much more. Mei Changsu is an incredibly sad man, and watching him go through everything just breaks you. And it's not just him.....all the characters in the drama are so incredibly deep and layered that at no point of time will you feel bored. Jingyan, Nihuang, Meng Zhi, Consort Jing..... and every single character feels so real.....
This is hands down the BEST DRAMA OF ALL TIME and I don't just mean the cdramas.... I mean all the dramas ever made.
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at first it was slow but i knew it was gonna pick up so i’m glad i didn’t drop it. once it picked up, i was hooked all the way. the story and characters were very well written. each scheme was brilliant and the execution was great. the actors and actresses did a wonderful job with their roles. and i, like many other ppl who like this drama, loved the bromance between Jingyan(prince Jing) and Lin Shu(Mei Changsu/Su Zhe). and not only that but the friendship between Jingrui and Yujin was nice as well.
please please please try watching Nirvana in Fire. even if you aren’t a c-drama fan, you will be surprised with this incredible show. honestly, what are even doing if you haven’t watch this show haha
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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
Lives up to its hype
I've already watched this series twice across a number of years and its score still holds steady. Because of its fame, going to keep the review short and sweet.This is one of the best revenge schemes out there that I've yet to come across. Almost all of the characters do a fantastic job in their roles and the chemistry between all of them is also top notch. Our ML is very believable as a highly intelligent strategist. There's minimal focus on romance but enough hints of it to keep it well rounded and all of the female characters hold their own well. The graphics are vivid and the action scenes are done really well.
The slight nit I have with the series is the "furry" disease concept. While they do a decent job of explaining it, it also just feels out of place. If they had done a better job with this particular aspect, the series would have been near perfect.
For those who are unaware, there is an original ending as well as an alternate ending. Both endings interestingly leave it open for speculation.
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A true masterpiece.
The story is intricate, smart and never stalls, a proper chess game. The characters are well rounded, their development and reasons for what they do is properly explained in a way that you sympathize even with the most ambitious and ruthless. Victor Huang’s performance, for example, as Prince Yu is one of the most incredible to watch, side by side with Hu Ge’s subtle movements as Su Zhe. But not everything is machiavellian ploys, there’s a good balance of humor, levity and drama. I fully recommend it.Was this review helpful to you?
Extraordinary" divine" talent AKA master strategist
This drama has been on my plan to watch for the longest time mainly because I love the dramas I watch to have romance even if its not just a little and I heard there was no romance so I was hesitant to start .I also heard its tragedy and I always avoid those type of dramas because life is already sad enough ,but I finally decided to make an exception and just start it and see what happens but now I am very glad to have made the right decision.THINGS I loved
Script;Whoever wrote these script is so brilliant and talented.it was such an intelligent, entertaining and intimate plot that made sure you made attention to the details and it made you use several storyline which were tightly interwoven and did a good job explaining and taking care of loose ends.Flawless dialogue and delievery.
Acting; The acting of cast was amazing, there was no weak link, they all collective did an amazing job to bring to life these characters, they were so believable that I found myself completely emerged into the story.Everyone played their part well even villains, they were well matched.
Characters; I loved most of these characters,their sincerity, loyalty and uniqueness.But the characters that I loved more were:
Meng changsu(AKA Lin she); So Briliant,i fell in love with his character and his mind and his unbreakable will.this is the most intelligent male lead character I have ever had the pleasure of watching.i love how his character stayed consistently smart till the end and they didn't try to dumb him down just for misunderstanding and conflicts to drive the drama along(like we have seen in various dramas).he suffered unspeakable torture and betrayal but he did not let it break him.He plotted, persevered until his ultimate goal was achieved.i only wished by some magic that he got to finally enjoy his after many years of suffering but alas*tears*I knew right from the beginning so I mentally prepared my mind but I still not ready*more tears*
Consort jing; This was the smartest female character to me.she was so smart yet quiet, tolerant yet strategic, she always found a way to say the rights words at the right time and be so calm and settling.she did a lot of behind the scenes work that might not look like much but had a lot of impact.She was the voice of reason to the emperor.she was wise and simply amazing.
Fei lui; this was such an adorable character, any time he came onscreen I couldn't had but smile.i loved his quirks, responses and his childlike actions.Even when he beating up people ,you couldn't help but find him so cute.(its clear that I am very unashamedly biased to him).
Special shouts out to Prince Jing, very rash and sometimes unable to control his emotions but you can doubt his sincerity and loyalty and because this you can tell his going to make a good emperor(at least better than all the options presented)some one said he is the female main lead in this drama, funny but I absolutely agree.the prince who the emperor neglected and overlooked because
Commander Meng; loved him too.such a bubbly, supportive ,caring and honest friend.So loyal to the core and excellent commander.
Princess Nihaug; she is a badass character as well unfortunately she wasn't shown in enough episodes.But from what we saw she is brave, loving and strong.She would been such wonderful partner to Lin she.
Emperor:You always have emperors like this ,hardly seen any emperor I have actually liked in a Chinese drama .He was terrible, incompetent and biased to his children,I can't really say if he was the just evil or simply overly suspicious and jealous of people better than him or just an emperor that knew the evil deeds he did to us and was scared of it coming back to hunt him and it eventually did.he played his role so well and sometimes I found his throwing things when mad funny.How can the emperor know his children when he has so many concubines and children and is only concerned about being the emperor(yes I hate harem things and I know thats how things were then but it was still distasteful.
Lin chen;loyal ,funny friend
Xie yu and Xia jung were really smart villains and I am glad they got that deserved end.
There were so many loyal characters in these drama, that it was so heart warming to watch and the friendships were so beautiful.
Honestly if you are still having doubts about this drama, I am here to tell you that this drama is not overhyped, it deserved any praise and accolades given to it because it is simply outstanding, its a tough drama to beat in terms strong plot line and execution. this drama has flawless writing and dialogues.the scenes progressed smoothly and every backstory was adequately explained that I didn't have to suspend logic and reality like some other dramas.Watch this drama because they actually treated the audience as intelligent people and there was barely any unnecessary scenes but I must warn you it is really sad at the end I cried but it was full circle moment for Lin shu. Even though I know that can't help feeling sad about the main lead but I understand this is the end he wanted for himself.BUT still I blame the writers that wrote such a sad end, notwithstanding that this drama is one of a kind, bittersweet but beautiful and you should definitely give it a go.
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1The Poetic Genius
The origin of Nirvana in Fire is the book "Lang Ya Bang" by Hai Yan.The author is also the scriptwriter, which is one of the reasons why the script is so thorough and in the vein of the novel.
Nirvana In Fire is a fictional story with the historical background of the North and South Dynasty period. It uses the massacre of 70,000 soldiers ordered by Emperor Xiaoxuan Liang as the basis for the story. From this massacre, General Lin Shu survives and for 12 years he refines a strategy to re-establish the truth about the reasons for the massacre.
A strategy planned from every angle. Anticipated for any unforeseen event, even if, as Mei Chang Su, the name with which he came back from the dead, says himself, no strategy is infallible.
The plot is superbly orchestrated, we are dealing with a clever character who has created a spider's web to draw each victim into.
More than a chess game, Nirvana in Fire is a hunt brilliantly led by Mei Chang Su. Manipulation from A to Z mastered with a genius rarely achieved. It may seem boring to think, well we know he's going to be the winner and who the bad guys are. But no, the beauty of this drama lies in its simplicity, we already know the endgame and yet we watch in wonder as the villains get caught up in the spider's web little by little because it's the path to get there that is captivating. Everything in this drama is finely tuned, the outcome of each attack is skilfully revealed, neither too fast nor too slow. We know the why but not the how because it's not so easy to guess in advance what's going through Mei Chang Su's head.
I have never seen a character as charismatic, relentless and formidable as Mei Chang Su. An intelligence in the service of good that marries wonderfully with his goodness and his purity of heart. He is the definition of the hero, the one who goes to the end of his mission in spite of a body that fails him, in spite of the adversaries to be put down and allies to be sacrificed.
Beyond the political strategy, Nirvana in Fire is also about LOYALTY, the LOYALTY that the fellow pugilists have towards Mei Chang Su, the LOYALTY that Prince Jing has towards Lin Shu even beyond death.
I loved the intense friendship between Mei Chang Su and Prince Jing, which started out suspicious and became solid long before the Prince discovered the truth.
If the ending isn't a surprise, I don't regret this incredible journey. The strength of this drama lies in the relational chemistry between each character from the most important to the minor role.
If I have only one drama to recommend, even if you don't like political conspiracies, even if you don't like historical dramas, even if you have preconceived ideas about Chinese dramas, I would say, this one is worth seeing over and over again.
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This review may contain spoilers
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?
