Good storyline but missed the mark on casting

Overall the storyline was good, production & costume quality were good. My main issue with the series is the casting. While most actors did ok with their individual parts (except Xu Kai Cheng) the casting and chemistry were seriously lacking. They really missed the mark on the casting with this one. Especially w/ the ML and FL leads.

While ML and FL acting was decent - they didn't quite fit together. They really lacked chemistry and I didn't root for them. Jian Ming had a more youthful look but his character was supposed to be quite older than the Haishi. He was a grown adult when they met and she a child. But when she became an adult he still appeared younger than her. They should've casted an older actor for the ML or a younger actress for the FL.

ML (Willam Chan) as Fang Jian Ming - this is the first time I've seen this actor in a role. He was not able to exude the tough, stoic demeaner that the role entails (such as actors like Wallace Chung in Sword and Brocade or Lin Geng Xin in Princess Agents). But in the last few episodes where he was more carefree & and happy, and then the tragic ending he did really well portraying the exhaustion and utter sadness.

FL (Yang Mi) - she did fine as she typically does. But I couldn't help but feel like she played the exact same character/acting as she did in Legend of Fuyao. Took me a bit to get accustomed to her real voice.

2ML (Xu Kai Cheng) - the Emperor. I had zero empathy for him. He was supposed to portray a tormented, conflicted emperor with morals and compassion, but he just came across as an unhinged sadistic lunatic. He completely overacted. Scenes of his abuse towards Tilan were uncomfortable to watch.

2FL (Tilan) - Started off w/ some edge to her but fizzled out and became a limp doormat. She overplayed the sweet forgiving angelic aspect.

3ML (Zouying) - he did fine, I liked his loyal/playful bond w/ Haishi. But his portrayal of the evil twin brother was overacted and not believable.

3FL (Zheliu) - she did a good job. this is the first role I actually like this actress in. I couldn't stand her in all the other series I've seen in her.

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Cute and realistic romantic comedy

Storyline:
It was refreshing to watch a drama that just followed the natural progression of a relationship without inserting unnecessary villains trying to break them apart and having the main couple dealing with unspoken misunderstandings. It's a cute and realistic romantic comedy about a normal couple that are wholeheartedly in love and devoted to each other but navigate through the challenges of maintaining a relationship due to the nature of their demanding careers as a SWAT officer and a ER doctor/Neuro surgeon.

Characters/Acting:
- Main couple were cute and had good chemistry. What I liked most about their relationship is their open honesty with each other rather than letting misunderstandings or conniving people (those annoying sisters) get in between them like you see in most cdrama relationships.
- ML (Xing Ke Lei) I had an hard time seeing him as Mr. Tough Guy because he has such a young baby face. And I still see that actor in his quiet, naïve role in Rise of the Phoenixes. But his acting was good. It was so endearing how much he loved Mi Ka and always looked out for her.
- FL (Mi Ka) This is the 2nd series I saw her in (she was in Mr. Fighting w/ Allen Deng). She's a good actress. She always manages to come across as wholesome, sweet and genuine with a little spunk. She's very likable.
- Support couple (Wenbo and Xiao Xia) - cute progression of their relationship, particularly Wenbo who was utterly clueless when it comes to women and love but so honest.
- Xing Ke Yao - ML's older sister. She was one of my favorite characters. In the beginning you expect her to be a cold and controlling sister/character. But underneath that hard exterior she's such a loving, honest and nurturing person. I love the witty banter and relationship she has with her brother Xing Ke Lei.

Music:
- Decent. The upbeat song went well with the happy scenes.

Rewatch Value:
- Overall I enjoyed the show but not enough to re-watch it.

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Slow and uninteresting

Only watched it since I had just finished the prequel Nirvana in Fire since its so highly rated (it was not good). This sequel wasn't bad but it definitely wasn't good.

Characters: Most of the acting and character development was not good. The actor/character that stood out was Xiao Ting Sheng (the MLs father). He portrayed the character as a fierce and loyal hero at the same time a kind and selfless brother, father and prince. the ML was just ok. The FL was terrible. She didn't have any real emotions or any changing facial expressions . The chemistry between the ML and FM couple was non-existent. I was not invested in them and could not care less if they ended up together or not. The supporting male and female couple - they had chemistry and their love story was endearing.

Music: nothing memorable.
Costumes: average
Pacing: the show was so slow, I skipped through a lot of it

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I don't understand the hype

I've heard so much hype about this Nirvana in Fire and the sequel Nirvana Fire 2. I watched both. Unimpressed. Overall this series dragged on way too long. I found myself skipping so many parts and sometimes entire episodes. I only sat thru the entire series just to find out what happens to see if the show redeems itself at the end. It did not.

Characters: While the acting wasn't bad, I was never truly invested in any of the characters, including the ML. The lead couple had zero chemistry. The only character I rooted for was Concubine Jing (wonderful actress, saw her in Rise of the Phoenixes).

Music: The OST wasn't bad but nothing memorable.

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Decent but not great, lead couple had no chemistry

Decent, but not an great series that really tugs at any of my emotions or lingers long after I've finished the series. Seems they didn't have much budget for a star power cast.

Pros:
- I only watched it for the ML (Chen Xing Xu) because I loved him in Goodbye My Princess and the recent modern series My Boss. He just stood out so much compared to all the other leads and support characters.
- The storyline had such great potential - but the cast seemed to fall a bit flat.
- One of the few scenes that tugged at my heartstrings was when the ML was portraying the La Mu shard (fire demon) went to make peace w/ the villagers who misunderstood and accused him - he showed up w/ such hope, innocence and kindness but instead they attacked him. That broke my heart - and Ye Tan's reaction of pity and heartache for him. That was so sad.
- The scene of Man Man's death was really sad. I like her character and the funny, loyal friendship/sidekick relationship w/ Ye Tan was cute.

Cons:
- The lead couple Ye Tan and You Qing had little to no chemistry at all, which is crucial for this type of storyline of undying devotion/sacrifice for love (such as Ashes of Love, Ten Mile of Peach Blossoms, Love & Destiny).
- The cast was weak, no star power. I watch a LOT of dramas and I didn't recognize any of the lead or support actors (other than the ML Chen Xing Xu). The Heavenly Emperor was one of the worst, his acting was just awful, he literally had ONE facial expression the entire series!
- The two FLs (the sisters Ye Tan and Qing Kui) did not have the screen presence that these lofty roles required to captivate the audience - their acting wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. Qing Kui character was renowned for her beauty and gentle kindness - while the actress did portray the gentle kindness part, but she did not embody stunning beauty. She looked more like an actress that would play a 2nd or 3rd support role.
- When the ML was playing the womanizer shard, he came across as super gay/feminine rather than a womanizer/playboy.

OST - just ok, not memorable

Re-watch - nah, not worth the time

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Boring had to drop it

I started this series because I like the FL Zhao Li Ying (Prince Agents) and Luo Jin (Princess Wei Young). While this is a far departure from typical dramas of the city life, the village life is still an intriguing plot/storyline to explore. However this series was painfully boring. Aside from the FL who did a good job, every other character was so annoying and boring to watch. I just could not get into this series at all. Made it to episode 5 (with lots of skipping) to when Luo Jin finally makes an appearance. But even then, his appearance did not make the series more engaging.

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