Lang ya bang

Well, I do not know how to express my feeling towards this TV drama. I just know that even after the second time of watching it, I was still moved deeply. Tears filled my eyes, as the music is on. I cannot get myself out of it, even after several days. I hope that it can be longer, with more episodes. It is really something that can touch my heart and my soul. This is a famous TV opera from China. I am not sure whether the audience from western world can understand the culture and spirits in it. For example, why the emperor can have more than one wife. But still, something is always in common, no matter where we are, that is friendship and love. It is great luck, if a friend of you would like to anything for you without considering the outcomes. And when you do find one, please cherish that, cos maybe someday he or she will leave like the Shu in that drama

When Several friends recommended this TV series to me, I didn't expect much at all, but I'm so happy I watched it - twice already.

I was very disappointed with Chinese history dramas in recently years - either the stories being over-exaggerated or the computer graphic was so bad that you couldn't bare watching. Nirvana in Fire saved my hope for the Chinese TV drama.

I have watched many Asian, American and European dramas - this was definitely the best one in 2015, and has been the best Chinese one in 10 years. Not going to tell you what happened but it's a very touching story packed with good acting.

The whole series is a journey of understanding for me. The overall story arc is revealed in bits and pieces. Imagine a huge garden in spring. Once the flowers start to bloom, one begins to see a pattern and the viewer starts to think that "Ah-ha, that is what the picture looks like." As more flowers bloom, more patterns are revealed which congregate to create an even bigger pattern. Each episode is like a single flower blooming. The main character is faced with a seemingly impossible task and he is comparable to the legendary Kong MIng of the Three Kingdoms era. Each step, each solution is logical without any "contrived" situations that insult my intelligence.

I've watched the whole series twice through and through and more when it comes to certain "emotional," "triumphant," "ah-ha" segments. Clues are littered everywhere for the audience to catch and these become obvious on the second run through. I highly recommend it to everyone who likes an insightful experience. This is not for "heavy Kung Fu" action movie afficionados although there are some action scenes sprinkled throughout the series.

The literal translation for this series title is LuoYang List, which is a list of the best martial artists in China at any given time during the 5th century. The dialogue is not dumbed down or forced like almost all Asian TV dramas. It is painted with classic four character Chinese metaphors/colloquialisms. Native speakers will enjoy the intricate writing.

If you only speak English, know that much of the beauty is lost in translation. Try to watch it with a native speaker who can give you the beautiful literal translations for each phrase.

There is an ever evolving story line of political intrigue and martial arts fights. There are dozens of complex characters who are a part of the succession struggle for the throne of the sitting emperor. Game of Thrones without the sex, dragons, and zombies.

There are also implicit parallels when compared to modern Chinese politics. Historical Chinese dramas are one of the very few avenues where the common man can still levy criticisms of present day Chinese government.

I am proud that the Chinese entertainment industry has finally graduated to the next level. I truly hope that there will be more dramas of this caliber.

I rank Nirvana in Fire up with the best of the best: writing, camera, production - it's a damn near flawless presentation of story and ideas. While sets and costuming are noteworthy, it's amazing how few locations Nirvana in Fire uses through 50+ episodes. All the power is in the dialog, characters and acting. Individuals make choices for an empire, and generally the dialog itself has multiple levels of meaning - some apparent to the characters, some aimed directly at the viewer. It's media that makes you think, made all the more rewarding due to a high level of entertainment.

10/10