Reviews

I rarely write reviews

My Take on Love of Nirvana

I went into Love of Nirvana expecting a strong, character-driven journey with emotional payoff—and while the show absolutely delivers in some areas, it falls short in others that matter just as much.

Let’s start with what worked.

The strongest element of this drama is, without question, the evolving dynamic between Wei Zhao and Lord Pei. Their relationship is layered, intelligent, and deeply respectful, even when they stand on opposing sides. There’s no petty rivalry—just two capable men who recognize each other’s strength and carry the weight of their choices. Watching their mutual understanding grow, especially in the final episodes, was far more satisfying than the central romance. Lord Pei’s confrontation with the Grand Prince was a standout moment—bold, earned, and reflective of real character growth. He didn’t just change internally; he acted on it, and that made all the difference.

The show also excels in its themes. It explores the tension between power and morality, loyalty and justice, and what it really means to lead. It doesn’t give easy answers, and I appreciated that. The emotional weight is real—the war, the losses, the suffering of ordinary people—it all hits hard and lingers.

But where the show loses momentum for me is in its female lead, Ci Jian’e.

She starts off as a bright, witty, free-spirited character—someone who feels capable of navigating the world on her own terms. But as the story progresses, that spark fades. Instead of adapting to the harsh reality around her, she becomes increasingly reactive and emotionally driven without translating that growth into meaningful action. She feels the weight of the world, but she doesn’t use what she learns to gain agency within it.

And that’s the core issue: her intentions and her actual influence never fully align.

Compared to a character like Second Lady Jiang in The Double, the difference is stark. Jiang evolves visibly—she learns the system, adapts, and begins to shape outcomes. Ci Jian’e, on the other hand, endures more than she transforms. She remains morally grounded, which is admirable, but without strategic growth, she often feels overshadowed by the men around her.

At times, she comes across less as a driving force and more as an ornament—someone the story revolves around, but not someone who actively moves it forward. And that’s frustrating, especially because her character wants independence and agency. The show just doesn’t consistently allow her to claim it.

The romance also didn’t land for me. It felt secondary for most of the story, then suddenly pushed forward near the end without enough buildup to make it fully satisfying. Wei Zhao, in particular, comes off awkward in these moments—not in a charming way, but in a way that highlights how underdeveloped the romantic thread is compared to the political one.

Overall, Love of Nirvana is a strong drama with compelling themes, emotional depth, and excellent character work—particularly on the male side. But its slow pacing and lack of satisfying growth for its female lead keep it from reaching its full potential.

Final rating: 7.5–8/10
A story I respect and appreciate—but not one I fully loved.

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IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE (THIS IS NOT SARCASTIC)

I don’t know what people had against this movie. I personally think it was amazing, people that watched this and give out bad reviews have probably watched Thai BL that makes their chemistry seem like the bare minimum. It’s actually not, like this is the best movie I’ve ever watched. There’s no such BL that had ever had such a good plot, amazing actors and such an amazing OST. Everything about this movie was a masterpiece. There is nothing that made me like it less, everything about it made me so shocked because of how beautifully this is portrayed. Aloha and Jyutaro really got me with this one because this is a masterpiece. I recommend it a 100%. If you haven’t watched this, then do it because this is so beautiful. People that are hating on it are just mad because there was no more than smooches, but in my opinion, BL series or movies shouldn’t only consist of kisses, spicy scenes etc., if you’re not into that type of movies or series, I do not recommend this for you because if you’re gonna look down on BL just because it didn’t have spicy scenes or anything then I don’t like you and you don’t deserve to watch this masterpiece.

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This isn’t the type of movie you casually watch and move on from. It’s heavy uncomfortable and emotionally draining in a very real way.. like the story where you dont even know if you liked it or not… but you felt everything.
The acting was INSANE!!
Every emotion pain angertrauma feels so real that at some points it actually makes you uneasy. You dont feel like you’re watching characters.. you feel like you’re watching real people going through something brutal.
What really stands out is how deeply the film pulls you into its world you start caring about certain characters so much that you just want to protect them.. while at the same time feeling pure anger towards others and THAT emotional contrast hits hard and at the same time.. its not a perfect film some scenes feel a bit abrupt and certain transitions could’ve been smoother.. there are moments where you feel like something ended too quickly or could’ve been explored more... but even with that, the impact stays strong.
This is not atypical thriller or emotional drama. It leans more in dark psychological and uncomfortable storytelling... the kind that makes you reflect on things like pain choices and how far someone can go when pushed. It’s one of those movies that doesn’t just entertain you it makes you sit with your thoughts after it ends... if you’re someone who prefers light or fast paced content, this might feel too heavy but if you’re okay with something intense emotional and thought provoking.. its definitely worth watching.
wont say flawless but powerful enough to stay in your head

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Find My Own "Line"

As an artist, the story spoke to my heart, though my artwork isn't sume-i.
This story speaks of art not just as a pretty picture but of the heart of the artist. It conveys a story of the artist's life which the viewer may not see.
The story of Sosuke from being directionless to finding his 'line' does not only apply to artists. It speaks of becoming - the thought of a progressive transformation of finding one's calling.

From the opening of the movie, I had been curious as to why Sosuke was so teary-eyed just by looking at one painting. I asked myself, what moved him? Little do we know that the picture is connected to his family whom he lost in a tragedy.

I do not know Japanese actors. The characters were not the loud ones, but in their faces, you can see their emotions.
1. Sosuke - a young man drifting, not even sure if his course is the right one. His chance meeting with Master Kozan had given him a new lease in life. Only in the end do we see a happy Sosuke when he finally found his line.
2. Kozan - he sees something in Sosuke to take him in as apprentice. It was not his skill; it was his heart.
3. Chiaki - she has been working hard with her art; however, it was mechanical. Her encounter with Sosuke challenged her to find her own line as well.

It isn't just about art, but also about life, about moving forward despite of a tragedy.
It isn't just about being a student, but about finding your purpose in life.
A master can teach the basics, but still each one should find his own line. The skill to compose, to draw or create is not the essence of art. The artist's heart brings life to his art which moves us to appreciate life.

Now it inspires me to look beyond what I see and create my own line which speaks to the heart of man.

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Grows Into Something Special

I really enjoyed this series. I thought it ended strong and was thoroughly satisfying. That said, it might be the kind of drama that takes time to grow for some viewers.

For me, the early episodes felt a bit uneven. The premise, with its transmigration twist, offered a compelling blend of comedy and intrigue, though the plot lines were obvious. And for every episode that drew me in, there were a few with lighter, less substantial storylines. Still, they didn’t overstay their welcome, and I found myself increasingly engaged with the main narrative.

Overall, I felt the cast gave solid performances. While a few characters could have benefited from more development, I thought the acting carried the story well. I was in tears by the final episode, which speaks to how invested I became.

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Heartbreaking

I would discourage anyone from watching this drama because it is incredibly sad and heartbreaking. The entire storyline is quite depressing in a way. Looking at how much abuse Sachi went through is so heart-wrenching, and seeing how only her kidnapper shows her mercy and kindness is incredibly saddening. This is not a drama with any type of happy ending; it's thought-provoking, challenging, one of those dramas that you just don’t want to talk about because it’s a reality that most of us try to avoid confronting. It's so hard to watch; everything was heartbreaking, and seeing how adults failed her, and even knowing what she was going through, still did more harm. Once I finished this drama, I just felt empty; I was just there, I couldn’t process anything except keep sighing!

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A story of two hearts in winter, trying to become each other’s spring.

When you strip everything back, this is a fairly simple story about people learning to face what they avoided for too long. The main conflicts could have been solved earlier if everyone just talked honestly, but then we would not have this journey. Thus, it became a drama that is dressed beautifully, paced with patience, and carried by two people trying to become safe places for each other.

The FL is living through heartbreak layered on heartbreak; this is the premise. She lost her parents, then lost the man she loved, only to later learn that the very thing she was trying to hold onto was built on deception. After losing a beloved one after another, it makes sense why she returns to life wanting no attachments, choosing distance as protection. And I think the drama does a good job showing that withdrawal without needing to overstate it.

Then comes the ML, who offers friendship first. It is such a simple gesture, but it carries the whole story. He wants to heal FL because she unknowingly healed him first long before they properly met. Her words had already reached a man who was close to giving up in life, so he wanted to repay that kindness.

Ironically, however, the ML is the one whose pain becomes most visible. We quickly learn he may not have healed at all, at least not physically. While she hides emotionally, he suffers through headaches, memory flashes and distortions that keep interrupting and questioning his present. Their wounds take different forms, and I appreciated that the story allows both to matter.

One thing that I was surprised, is how much I liked the amnesia angle here. Usually, this trope tests my patience, but this time, it added something meaningful. The truth was not dumped all at once, even to us viewers. It arrived in fragments, enough to keep the mystery moving while also deepening the emotions behind it. Even when the full truth waits until (very) late in the story, the pacing gives enough along the way to keep me engaged.

When everything started surfacing, I felt for the FL the most. I'm glad it wasn't only a one-day argument, because she has every right to feel betrayed and disappointed. The man she thought she once loved turns out to be tangled with someone else’s presence. Grief alone is heavy enough, but grief mixed with betrayal leaves a different scar. The ML knew so much about her as he pretended to be someone else, while she knew almost nothing about him until the revelation. Her pain is so valid, because what she lost was not just her past love, but also the version of love she believed had been hers.

Outside the colors and the pacing, I also loved the FL’s dynamics with her sisters. They each had their own stories and personalities, enough to feel alive without stealing attention from the leads. No one felt like filler. They added warmth whenever the main story grew heavy, and brought the FL back to life, though showing withdrawal, even before meeting the ML.

This is far from a perfect drama. I have little nitpicks on a few of the leads' actions as well as questions on why the involvement of some characters were needed, but overall, I liked how the story played out.

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Flawed but Under Rated.

This wasn't on my radar. It dropped into my FYP on Tik-Tok. Out of curiosity, because it was Song ZE, I watched the first episode. In the first 24 hours, I did 20 episodes.

The ML, Ethan Juan, is totally IT. He fitted the role of a broken wing bird incredibly well. This is one CDdrama where the ML actually shone for his acting merits and not for his big eyes, flawless plastic job and posing. He carried his role of total commitment to art beyond personal and emotional needs incredibly well. Especially of his relationship with Elise. He was fine until Ep 35. But then its not his fault but that of script for putting him into an impossible situation with his second sudden disability.

I don't think anyone could carry the FL role better than SJE She was ditzy. She was innocent, naive and petulant as required. She is adorable and literally melted her way into his heart. Its not a slow burn romance. Its melting butter to caramelised his heart. Her expressions are priceless and spot on. When she announces, "I am back", its heartwarming. She matured nicely in her role from being in a crush to a shared romance in delightful sequences. A lowly apprentice in art to a responsible partner in life.

My first exposure to Augusta XH. I am impressed by her. Especially in the initial episodes. Again her later parts is impaired by the later script.

Most of the supporting casts played decent roles. Especially Nina, Uncle Feng and the mentor Mr Huang. Nina deserved a more prominent part and she was sorely missed until her reappearance. The shenanigans of Victor was so irrelevant. Obviously he can't sing. Whoever is doing the dubbing did an incredibly bad job. Whose bad idea was it to introduce that bicycle shop girl into the plot? Was it to make it to 40 episodes? Blu got a little irritating. Equal honours with Boris. The evolution of Xiaoyu was psychopathic. She deserves a better script.

The OST is emotionally numbing. For any foodie, the food sequences would be delightful, especially those of the street food.

I really enjoyed the series, reveling in the developing roles of the ML and FL until Ep 30. As the script evolved beyond Ep 30, the plot holes got bigger culminating in the final episode 40. Overall it was entertaining. Of course this will be compared to "Dating in the Kitchen". DITK would is a better drama but here SJE and EJ shined brighter.

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Who's that girl

Ok, first of all, can we just appreciate how even though Fan Chang Yu is a total bada$$, she's also totally a girl. She's always beautiful in whatever she has on, but I'm talking more emotionally. Once she finally discovers who Xie Zheng really is, she's all "I'm not good enough for him" and then when he finds a solution to try to make her feel better about the situation, she's all "well, if he doesn't love me for who I am". I actually laughed out loud at that scene because she reminded us of what it is to be a woman and the ridiculousness we put men through. I both loved and hated the slow burn. The just missing each other everywhere they went for 10 episodes was driving me crazy. I also have a big heart for Qi Min. I know the man is pure evil, but I think he was forced to be that way and I think if you watch to the VERY end, you will agree. My heart broke for him knowing he really did love Yu Qian Qian and she was in fact the only person he had ever been able to love. This series had me laughing and crying through all 40 episodes.

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I was 8.5 until I counted the times God was mentioned and how many villains got out scotch free

Things I adored

1 The uncle of the FL. Great actor and incredible character who stood up for his principles from start to finish. It's rare to see a father written this way but it was the right way and it was heartwarming to see they never ruined his character. My heart went to him many times during his feud with that stupid daughter he had.

Things I loved

1 That it has a cooking theme. I love the premise and this one didn't disappoint.

2 The FL. She became one of my favorite actresses after Legally Romance and she proved once more that she's a wonderful actress. That said, I can't put her on the adore list and I'm sad but her character wasn't really developed and sometimes she came out as too childish. Especially regarding the romance part. She called the ML Mr. Jiang even after confessing her love, she slept on the same room but had to specify in another bed. She never stood really up to the 2FL or the cousin or anyone who wronged her. Yes she was likable and lovable, no doubt about that, but she was nowhere near the fabulous character of Legally Romance. Not her fault of course, but I have to rate with what I have.
She had some great moments when she rebelled, when she smiled, when she cried and of course she made me feel what she felt. I also liked her inner monologues and her relationship with her best friend/crush as well as her relationship with Nina, her uncle, her parents. I still think she could be much better if she had a better character development ad acted more like a young woman in love rather than treat the romance as an afterthought.

3 The ML. he's a good actor, no doubt. this is the first drama I watch with him but there's a chance I'll look for other dramas he was in. Now there were too many things I disliked in his arc and especially the last episode. He forgave the stupid 2FL who nearly killed him and he never affronted her. Not his fault, the fault of the stupid writing, but I have to take thins into account. It was bad for his character. Same for his supposedly friend, the doctor. I also have many issues with the romance part. I know in real life they are years apart with the FL but I never felt like there was a big gap between them in the drama. Yet he never kissed properly the FL except for one kiss in the last episode.

Many things were lacking in the romance part and after noticing how many times God has been mentioned in this drama I guess this is the reason. it seems for some stupid writers being in love and show it is contrary to the God's will. Effing idiots they ruined the drama for me. Other than that I have several issues with some of his actions, like asking the 2FL to get back with him. What the heck was that? No explanation, no following up, then confessing to the FL like this had never happened, a messed up arc. He also never learnt about the contract, about Lin Yan, so many things that weren't satisfying. But the last episode ruined things the most.

4 The camaraderie in the uncle's restaurant. It was heartwarming and needed to lighten up all this negativity the drama brought. There were other characters like the president of the contest, or the chef in the ML's restaurant, or Blu's mentor that were decent and nice to watch.

5 Nina, the housekeeper. She wasn't in many episodes and I hated the way she was written off for most of the drama but I loved her character and he relationship with the FL. Even more than her relationship with the L. I was happy to see her back even if it was for a reason that broke my heart. Great actress and character.

6 The best friend of the FL. He was always good to her and supported her whenever she needed it. He had no idea about her feelings and he was confused about his but he had the best arc to be honest. He learned from his mistakes and grew as a person. He respected the FL and was her first fan. He made mistakes in his personal life but he tried to correct them and for that alone he is one of my favorite characters.

7 Chu Ting, the girlfriend of the best friend of the FL. The most normal person out there and I understand her reactions all along. I'm happy she found happiness with the best friend. I also have to add that the actress was very beautiful and had great outfits, which is nice to watch.

8 The FL's parents. Great parents, great characters. I loved seeing them as a couple, but also seeing the support of their daughter and they were the only ones that provided a bit of humor in this otherwise quite depressing sometimes drama.

Things I liked

1 Blu. I didn't care much about him but at east he was a decent character and that's a lot for this drama where decency doesn't come along often.

Things I disliked

1 The lack of real romance. I expected more since the chemistry between the leads was there but the story of the competition and the illness took so much space it left no space for real romantic moments and that bothered me a lot. One of the reasons the rating isn't better. There were some heart fluttering moments but they were rare and never enough.

Things I hated

1 I guess the low rating has to do with how many of the characters were despicable, but to me the fact that there were that many awful characters was one of the reasons I kept watching. I wanted them to pay for their actions. So let's start and let me tell you the list will be longue. First that atrocious caricature of a person with more eyeliner than Boy George and the talent of a high school student in their first school drama performance. That he had a love story on top of that was ludicrous and I skipped all the scenes after a while.
That he won also was frustrating to watch and that he put up a performance to congratulate the main couple contestants irritated me to no end. Why did the writer needed that? They should leave him be the miserable know it all unethical and arrogant son of a "beach" he was all over the drama. And the nail in the coffin, he became a helper at the uncle's restaurant. Spare me the violins. A character I hated from start to finish and I never want to see again that ugly, untalented actor. He had the nerve to say his sister is a good person when his love interest asks. What a distorted view of what is good and what is bad. Unbelievable.

2 The cousin. Yes they gave her a way to redeem herself but she stays on my hate list nonetheless. The things she did and how crazy she went for a competition losing her soul, if she ever had one, were beyond anything I can tolerate as a human being. The FL vexed me to no end when she didn't reciprocate ever. Why? I'm a pushover notoriously but even I would accept things to a certain point and would never forgive her. That said, I have to admit that due to her father and the parents of the FL I was happy to see that the family wouldn't be affected because of that stupid girl. She didn't deserve Blu either, but there you have it. Whoever wrote this wanted a world where there is no accountability and everyone can be happy even when they are despicable human beings.

3 Boris. Okay first of all ridiculous to choose someone called Boris to be a villain, but it is what it is. The thing is I hated him and wanted him to suffer, but he's also the only one I wasn't too mad he got off scotch free. I get where he came from although he has no excuse to behave like a lunatic when he was a grown up man. But I can understand that when we are hurt and we see things from a distorted angle we can become our worst enemy and go too far. So there's no doubt he remains in my hate list despite the redeeming but at least there was story there. The other villains had no story, they were just villains without reason.

4 The mother of the 2FL. I think I hated her the most of all. What an awful character without any redeeming qualities. Not only she was a dangerous mother to her children with her advice and her enabling but she never regretted any of her actions. A two faced beach who I wanted to suffer though hell. She knew what her daughter had done and instead of asking her to take responsibility she pushed her to harm even more the ML. Seriously I hated her every second she appeared. I wish she paid a hefty price for her maliciousness and never have anyone forgive her. Cruel and terrible person and instead of making her pay for her cruelness they gave her a love story. Are you effing kidding me?

5 Li Yan. Another stupid character you have to hate. Going along with the despicable 2FL was his downhill. Although I can't move him from the hate list, I get why he did what he did. Well, as much as you can understand a villain. He showed early on redeeming qualities and that's something in this ocean of bad characters.

6 The doctor, supposedly friend of the ML. He was one of the worst. How can a person who vowed to protect and cure people can go along with a near murderess and forget all his principles because he had feelings for her? No, here's no way this person should be redeemed. So as I write this review I come to understand because so many people gave a lower rating than me. Because of this kind of things, the unaccountability of the villains.

7 The last episode. What the heck was that? After all we went through we had a heavy episode and not even an interesting one. Eulogy? Are you effing kidding me again? He was a gift from heaven, Who in their right minds writes this? Yes until now I had the drama at 8.5 but I'll go lower it to 8. Enough is enough. The praying, I watch Cdramas to avoid that kind of western stupid thinking and now I have to see it in Cdramas as well? I think this is the drama that had more times mentioned God and that kind of things than any other. Thank God, God's gift, God heard my prayers, and every other sentence was about God. No doubt the stupid writer chose to redeem everyone. They probably think it's their mission.

Only I watch dramas to get entertained and one of the things I expect is to have realistic arcs for the characters. There's no effing way in hell anyone would forgive any of these awful people. He wrote a letter of forgiveness because there were no terrible consequences. That is the understatement of the century. Are you effing kidding me for the millionth time?
Then we also have the cherry on the top with the musical sequence and none of the actors had any natural gift for that. It could be great if they had spent more than 20 minutes to learn how to act and if the vibe of the last episode was lighthearted. But after an awful over the top dramatic episode you give me that? Yeah, hard pass. You are idiots. Instead of giving us a few moments with the leads and a kiss or two we have that nonsensical finale. Now that I think of it I'll lower it even more which pains me since I loved the main couple, but it is what it is.

8 The 2FL. A psychotic person with as many issues and the distance to the end of the Earth. We're supposed to understand why the idiot forgave her and it is because she showed remorse. So she almost killed him, she was the reason he lost his taste buds, his sight, she tricked him to take the restaurant away, but because she went to the police after he almost died, she had a redeeming arc. I will definitely avoid this writer because I'm so frustrated I could scream.

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