This review may contain spoilers
Another titular drama that deeply disappoints
My boyfriend and I discuss shows while we semi-watch them. Recently, none of the dramas has been interesting or good enough for us to sit idly by and stare at the screen. Thus, when a character is introduced on screen, we often predict where his/her alliance is, what will happen to the individual and the entire plot. Based on how highly rated this drama was, we tried our best to complete it. Episodes 1-5 were downright boring, episodes 6-15 were the highlight of this drama because this is when you are introduced to the supporting cast, the rest were predictable and truly not memorable. My least favourite characters were the protagonists. Throughout the entire drama, I felt no connection nor emotions for any of the characters (Lin Chen was my favourite and he barely had any scenes). Therefore, halfway into the show, my boyfriend played it in the background while he gamed and I worked.Story:
This is probably the biggest reason why this title did not deserve so much hype. It was predictable from the beginning to the end, it did not help that the pace was so slow. The irony in this show was both amusing and annoying. The drama is named after Langya Bang, yet, it played almost no role in this story apart from setting it up. I found it irritating that the entire plot revolved around taking 'revenge', yet the protagonist is painted as a saint. The entire concept of exacting revenge on an Emperor who only did what all Kings do. It is as though this author and/or screenwriter has never had a history lesson. Despite throwing around words like 'ruthless' or 'cruel', the Emperor was none of those, he was a competent and selfish ruler, but many are. Moreover, it was clear from the beginning that the Emperor knew he had made a mistake, but one simply cannot change the past. As an Emperor, it was unlikely for him to admit he made such a huge mistake, this is normal and even common if we looked at history.
If we put aside the past, which obviously cannot be changed, Prince of Yu was the best candidate for Emperor. He was the most similar to the Emperor and hardly did anything one could deem to be too 'cruel'. It is a fight for the throne, he hadn't decapitated entire families or pillaged and raped, so what is the problem with throwing a few people under the bus for your dream job? One could argue that Lin Shu having thrown Jing Rui or the Empress under the bus is pretty much the same deal. HOWEVER, as a result of Lin Shu's meddling, we end up with Prince of Jing as the Emperor, who is just, but terrible in politics. I simply cannot imagine how he could rule. In the absence of Lin Shu, and filled with a courtroom of ministers with differing opinions, he is so inept that he would either crumble at the weight of the responsibility OR he would do what he wants (since he is so bloody stubborn), and is what he wants going to be the best for the country? One has to ask if he fits the bill of a ruler.
Prince of Jing is not very smart, he's not very good at planning or strategising, he's easily manipulated, even if by chance he was only manipulated in a positive manner by his trusted aide. If we were to boil it down to the real reason Lin Shu wants him in charge, it's mostly because of a he's-my-gay-bromance-and-a-good-guy sort of situation. Lol! It took his mother a mere couple of seconds to figure out that it was Lin Shu, and it took him well... THE REVEAL, to find out it was Lin Shu. Even as unbelievably stupid as one could be, seriously ROFL? Let's be frank, no one makes the good guy the CEO, you make the competent and smart guy the CEO. Why? Because that works. When you put all the puzzle pieces together, this is such a terrible political period piece because there was very little politics and almost no character development. Why anyone would call this title a great historical piece is laughable.
Acting/Cast:
This is the only redeeming factor. I have never seen many of the actors from this show, and one of the reasons my boyfriend and I had to rewatch episodes 1-3 approximately 5 times, is because of the lack of eye candies. We found none of the actors in this show physically appealing. Coupled with the slow pace and predictable plot, it was so difficult to focus. However, we held on and although I am deeply disappointed by the show, this cast did an excellent job. There were moments where the acting was stale or exaggerated, but otherwise, solid acting from nearly everyone.
Music:
A few decent pieces, but not crazy about the songs.
Conclusion:
A drag I had to sit through and would never rewatch. If you are into heavy plots and character development, skip this one. If you just need some decent acting because you are sick of terrible acting in C-drama, then, it's got potential. I was generous with the scoring mostly because of the acting, actors should not be penalised for bad screenwriting (or horribly misinformed authors who write mediocre novels).
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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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The execution of the story is truly remarkable, layers upon layers of the character's story woven into one big plot that was the main reason this story exists. The script is always spot on with getting the audiences engage in the story. And the directing as well as, the production of the drama is one of the best things this show has got to offer. The costumes, places, castings, cinematography, is top notch. Even though there are moments of editing that could be improved but those details were easily overpowered by all those I mentioned.
The casts all have their moments, especially towards the end. The revelations and the way they did it is just epic. It would surely hit you right in the feels and that is the reason why this show is so popular.
The women in NIF is one of the best aspects of the show as well.
In the end, just watch it !!!!!!!!!!
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I could talk about this all day but there is no better judge than yourself so go watch it. The pilot was good, you might be overwhelmed with the number of charters introduced in the first episode but you'll eventually get a hang of it. By the second episode, I was already hooked with the story and invested on the characters. If you are still not convinced, at least give this a shot till episode 12. By then if your still not invested then i don't know what to say anymore. :))
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Joy of Life is a lot more interesting
If you were wondering why everyone recommends this drama, perhaps this was a hit at a time where the audience was sick of being delivered idol dramas or poorly produced narratives that only served best as an accompaniment to doing work or chores around the house. For these viewers, this might have been a refreshing piece in cdramaland to alleviate the pain of having to suffer the insult of being patronised by aforementioned productions featuring flimsy writing, careless direction, and talentless actors who scored roles solely due to their popularity.However, despite it being a revered drama, it falls short on delivering excellence, and is at best, a drama you cannot label as an 'idol' drama. I want to be frank and say here that, just because a production doesn't have young, pretty liuliangs, it doesn't necessarily mean that the drama will be a 'good' one, just because it is deemed 'serious'.
Firstly, the acting was standard, (subpar for Liu Tao), the leads had no screen presence, the actors had no chemistry, and the biggest problem with the premise is that you don't really believe in the brotherhood between the two main characters. If we are to care about the protagonist at all, we should be able to feel the care he has for both his longtime friend and his past lover, but all I felt was his love for chess play, allbeit in his detached manner.
This comes to another major weakness of the drama, which is Hu Ge's interpretation of the character which seemed rather superficial. While he portrayed the intelligence of the character, I wasn't convinced that he was a humane, layered being with varying emotions. I didn't feel the connection between himself and his friend, and the love story felt unnecessary. Hu Ge's inability to convey poignant moments also made it difficult for me to empathise with his character and it made it hard for me to believe that he had any himself.
While Joy of Life definitely has its flaws, the amazing storyline, fast-paced direction, and strong characterisation will leave you more than satisfied if a serious, political intrigue drama is what you're into.
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this drama overrated
I found out this drama not as good what people said .. kind of boring a bit, fast forward quite a bit. I even didn't watch it for 3 days before continuing. May be because its to much for a matter about Huge sickness, No way to re watch this drama. Huge is great though but the rest just ok.. The story is good , but the ending not that good. I planning to watch the 2nd season, but not for now. I am sorry if my honest review is not like others, but it is my own opinion. It is overrated.I found out this drama not as good what people said .. kind of boring a bit, fast forward quite a bit. I even didn't watch it for 3 days before continuing. May be because its to much for a matter about Huge sickness, No way to re watch this drama. Huge is great though but the rest just ok.. The story is good , but the ending not that good. I planning to watch the 2nd season, but not for now. I am sorry if my honest review is not like others, but it is my own opinion. It is overrated.
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Since the beginning the plot is fast paced and keeps interesting all the time, building tension continuously I felt restless to know about what was happening. The plot never falls.
When there are so many intrigues and plotting characters its all about who can win over the enemies, and of course a great point about this drama is the fact that there are plenty intelligent characters and there is no weak point in the argument, everything is perfectly logical during the 54 episodes. You will enjoy this more if you like political dramas and palace conspiracies.
Of course this show is not all about fighting for power, beyond that there is one of the most emotional stories I have seen. This show is about revenge and the seek of justice, those two are important elements which set a clear goal to look for. But the drama is also about friendship, loyalty and morality, these things are important for the individual character development, but also for the relationships between them. But not everything is this highly mood, there are relieving moments and characters too, I got captivated with Fei Niao, he´s so cute.
Of course the characters are the core and all actors are exceptional. As I have said before, this drama is emotionally deep and every character portrays perfectly the situations around them.
The songs in Nirvana in Fire are a perfect addition to the general mood of the story, check out the lyrics they´re so perfect and emotional.
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A must watch drama!
From the intricately woven plot to the stellar performances, this drama was nothing short of exceptional. The narrative was brilliantly crafted, keeping me engaged at every turn, while the actors delivered performances that brought depth and authenticity to their characters. As the story progressed, I found myself increasingly immersed, constantly anticipating the protagonist’s next move. A truly rare 10/10 drama that sets a high standard for the genre.*you can skip season 2
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Excellent Revenge Story
After watching "The Princess WeiYoung" I was desperate for another period drama with a strong revenge plot and deep romance to move me to tears and give me a satisfying feeling. I scoured websites looking for similar shows, and this show was recommended to me. So I started watching. This was very different from WeiYoung because there was minimal romance, the main character was a man, the drama was way more believable, and less annoying and the revenge was a slow moving magma. It took me a while to get into, but slowly but surely the plotting was on. The schemes were taking hold and they wouldn't let go. By the end of the show I was in tears, and begging for more! Tears of joy, and sadness, and satisfaction. I'm disappointed there wasn't more romance, but honestly... I have to say that's about my only disappointment.At first I wasn't impressed by the main character as I couldn't get a good feel for him, and found him way too cold and cavalier. He didn't have that burning passion that most main characters do. But Prince Jing Yang made up for it I suppose, and the main character eventually gets a bit fiery. The music was nice, I enjoyed the ending theme. I really love that the intro and the outro don't give anything away like most Chinese drama's do. The acting was A+! really pulled me in and had me getting the feels. Story was amazing. Took me a while to put the entire family tree together and piece it together with the story but that's minor.
By the end all those long episodes came together rather nicely, and I didn't even notice the slowness anymore. I was racing through all the episodes by the time things started taking shape. The revenge is sweet and the ending is sweet with a hint of bitter. But it's worth it. I wouldn't rewatch anytime soon because I prefer faster moving stories, and I am also not one to rewatch shows. But maybe one day many years from now I might. HOWEVER, if YOU are reading this and are curious about whether or not you should invest your time? I have two words for you: WATCH. IT.
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This review may contain spoilers
Beautifully interwoven story
This is probably the best Chinese drama I have watched to-date. I gave a 10 for almost every attributes. The acting was first class - leading and supporting actors and actresses were all impressive, besides being good-looking. There was no lull moment. The plot was very well woven. The lead characters, Hu Ge and Liu Tao had excellent chemistry. The heart wrenching and gut rending moments made me cry and I do not cry easily. If I am to find any fault is the ending left me unhappy for a couple of days. The lead characters deserved better. But that is life - not everything ends happily. Later I found out that there was actually a clip which suggested a happier ending - I would have prefer if that was chosen instead.But there were some flaws - the appearance of the white-haired monster and the medical explanation for it was ridiculous. For a historic epic, there should be a more realistic medical case. If this is a fantasy drama, I would accept that. For this I took half a point off the story.
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Brilliant breakthrough plan
I can’t believe I’ve finally finished this series! I had tried so many times to start it, but after 5–6 episodes I would always drop it. I kept feeling like this drama was just hype and nothing special. (But I was TOTALLY wrong!)After going back and forth so many times on whether to watch it or not, I finally decided to give it a real try — and I can’t believe I became such a fan of this brilliant series.
Mei Changsu: A brilliant character who fights battles without a sword, because his mind is a thousand times more powerful than any weapon.
If you are looking for a good story and great casting, this drama is definitely for you. But if you are looking mainly for beautiful scenery, extravagant costumes, or glamorous faces, then this might not be the one.
What I loved most is that the drama doesn’t rely on overdone makeup, heavy jewelry, or painted faces. Instead, it feels real and original — like we are seeing genuine people who truly belong in the story.
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However, after I have watched “Joy of Life”, I then finally have the courage to start the series. NIF really is one of the masterpiece. The storyline is very well-written and the casts are very portrayed, acted, and immersing. To achieve the goal of uncovering the bitter truth of the past false accusations, the main character meticulously planned each step and carefully studied the political environment in the Capital and across ministries. The processes and events to uncover the truth is very well carried out and each plot makes so much sense and very logical. There are so many aspects of the drama that makes me feel so attached including the emotional attachments among the characters creating a perfect world for the drama to exist. The OST are also very emotional and very well reflect the storyline of the drama itself. Overall, this drama is superb, fantastically great in every aspects that the writer, the director, and the actors intend to offer to the viewers; in comparison to the dramas I came across so far.
I highly recommended you to give this drama a try, as it will not only bring you to an exciting and emotional journey, but offers you some excellent life lessons as well.
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