duck

Best Series I've ever watched

STORY - 10/10
It is undeniable that "Nirvana in Fire" is one of the most rewatched and acclaimed series in C-Drama history. Therefore, I went into this drama with somewhat high expectations. Not only did these get easily surpassed, but Nirvana in Fire also became my favourite series I ever watched. In fact, the story is so masterfully crafted that it transcends its C-Drama bubble and I could comfortably recommend it to everyone.
Although the series starts of with the first episode being quite confusing due to the many things introduced at once, the story does not remain that difficult and is, in general, quite easy to understand. Should you get confused at some point, helpful and entertaining blogs such as "the fangirl verdict" are here to help you out. Overall, you quickly start to grow accustomed to and love the excellently written characters. Regarding whom my favourite character is, I really struggle to choose between the many great ones.
To name a few: Mei Changsu, the main character, stands out the most as the genius strategist with a tragic backstory and a secret identity, who is looking for revenge, by any means possible. Prince Jing, a highly idealistic, righteous individual, who wants to seek justice. His mum, Consort Jing, a very comforting, but also very smart woman. And there are many more…
On top of that, the relationships between these characters really enhance the plot. For example, Mei Changsu and Prince Jing have more chemistry in their bromance than some BLs out there. Every time, the prince came close to discovering Mei Changsu's real identity, it had me sitting at the edge of my seat.
Whereas other dramas would resort to long-winded backstory-segments, "Nirvana in Fire" manages to convey the past relationships of the characters through excellent acting and great dialogues, which make you fill in the blanks yourself by showing the impact of their shared past instead of outright telling us.
Beyond that, it's extremely impressive that the pacing is very consistent and doesn't linger too long at any points. As a result, I excitedly looked forward to every single episode and was never disappointed.
Furthermore this series was quite addictive due to the relatively short story arcs dealing one by one with the various smaller conflicts within the larger narrative. Each obstacle and enemy gets absolutely obliterated, which is a very satisfying outcome to see. Besides that, it's very entertaining to see Mei Changsu's genius plans come to fruition, which often have an unexpected twist and sometimes not really work out the way you would expect.
All in all, the series managed to hold my attention through all 54 episodes. This was quite surprising to me, as I usually prefer and am used to much shorter shows.
However, I had some mixed feelings toward the ending. Even though it was quite satisfying in the sense that all questions were answered, all important conflicts resolved, and it made sense, I wished that they had done it a little differently (can't say how exactly due to this review being spoiler-free). Overall this doesn't sway my very positive opinion, but with such a near-perfect show, I needed to point that out.
In conclusion, the story is one of the greatest ever told in the history of humankind and everyone should watch it at least once.

ACTING - 10/10
The acting in this is the best I've ever seen in an Asian drama. All the actors, but expecially Hu Ge, who is Mei Changsu, convey nuanced emotions and inner conflict expertly. This series wouldn't be the same without this amazing cast. It's truly rare that the actors add so much value to a series.

MUSIC - 10/10
I love the OST. In fact, I was even listening to the opening on loop for a while. It is very epic and gorgeous. Other than that it always perfectly accentuated what was happening in the show.

REWATCH VALUE - 10/10
I will certainly rewatch his many times. Despite the fact that I just finished watching it a couple of months ago, I already feel the urge to start a rewatch. I'm positive that I would enjoy it just as much as my first watch.

Read More