Nirvana in Fire

This is definitely one of the best shows I've seen in my life! Speaking from someone who has watched countless US and Asian shows over the past 15 years. It is definitely a plus if you are fluent in Chinese because part of the beauty of this show lies within the writing and I especially enjoyed the concise and poetic style that the characters spoke with, but aside from that, the acting, music, costumes, story, and character development are all extremely well done, worthy of your time every second. I am currently watching it a second time, and it is even better this time around because I am able to better connect the dots from the very beginning and I must applaud the writers and directors for their incredible achievement of presenting such a complicated and emotional story in such a breathtakingly beautiful way.

The story really reminds me of the Count of Monte Cristo, but it is much more grand in scale and more noble in motivation. The suspense and logic within the story is on par with shows like Sherlock and GoT. The music is beyond perfection, every piece fits the atmosphere perfectly, similar to the level of precision found in True Detective and Hannibal. The casting is also spot on, every protagonist and every villain is portrayed with such accuracy and care, you can't help but feel that the actors are all extremely emotionally and mentally invested in their characters, which makes a fictional story that takes place 1600 years ago seem so real and intimate.

Overall, Nirvana in Fire has captured my heart in more than one way upon second viewing. It's been a really long time since a show has made me feel such a complete spectrum of emotions. I would recommend this show to anyone who likes complex, beautiful, and thought- provoking stories.

It's a complicated story. Different audiences may see different key: loyalty, trickery, friendship, love, revenge, of course, a little bit of humor.

At beginning, I was attracted by its delicate and concise dress, calm and elegant slow lives. The characters' etiquette and the gave me a feeling of release pressure. Because of this, I fantasy I can live in ancient China.

But beneath the surface of slow tempo, undercurrent was terrible. As the story go, I felt the author's unprecedented courage. Original author Hai Yan (a female author, not that famous male entrepreneur also an author named Hai Yan) seems to convey a kind of the power of justice through this ancient Chinese story. Even if only to see her conception , the story and this series' art height is far more than those similar ones . In my opinion, previous produced ancient Chinese dramas just told audience what Chinese did and what they experienced, but in this series ,it seems to want to tell audience what Chinese should do in the future for seeking justice and truth.

An authoritarian government, the struggle of the two forces, a group of people full of justice, in order to a grievance of 13 years ago,finally, the leading role spoke out stirring line: "The purpose of review the case, just for the truth!" Yes, the truth! Even authoritarian Emperor Liang (Yongdai Ding played) refused to review the case because of various reasons , but in the end, he had to kneel down in front of the truth. His final confession is based on the goodness of human nature, I think it is the return of the family emotion cause. This kind of mood generated long before Mei Changsu (Ge Hu played) last stood in front of him. The most touching in this paragraph give me a chance to reflect: confession is the base of exposing truth and maybe result in seeking justice.

Of course, the process of seeking justice may be a very long time such as 13 years in this series, it takes patience, perseverance, teamwork and wisdom. The power of justice will be successful finally.

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

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