Royal Nirvana (2019)

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

Mental health warning: if you are prone to depression do not watch this drama. It is relentlessly depressing and could win any competition for most tragic, angst ridden character ever. Despite the lack of balance in the mood and other flaws, the acting is fantastic and there are many stunning and unique aspects to this drama that make it worth watching. This drama literally transports you to an elegant pavilion surrounded by breathtaking landscape to admire the majestic grace and radiance of a pair of courting cranes... only to have them swoop down and poop all over you. You should stop reading here if you want to avoid mild spoilers - it is impossible to meaningfully review this without any.

The biggest issue with this drama is that it is not accessible. The plot is heavy with political intrigue and revels in ambiguity. This leaves many things open for analysis and discussion. Nothing and nobody is as they initially appear. The plot twists are intricate and the devil is in details that don't always lend themselves well to film adaptation. To dial up the suspense, key segments of footage is omitted and played back later to reveal the plot. Multiple re-watches are needed to understand the subtleties of each twist. The subtitles appear to be decent but don't do justice to more detailed subplots or the overall beauty of the prose. This is one where good subtitles would be worth waiting for. [Update Feb 2023: Good subtitles are now finally available for this on Youku International. They are vastly superior to previous ones so try to watch this on Youku.]

This story is adapted from a well-acclaimed novel about a tragic prince who is beset with treachery at every turn. Plotting and conspiracies are afoot as court officials advance their own agendas amidst the power struggle between crown prince Xiao Dingquan (Luo Jin) and his brother from another mother Prince Qi (Jin Han). The emperor (Huang Zhi Zhong) blatantly favors his first born Prince Qi over his heir Dingquan, who is perpetually in danger of being deposed by his own father. The emperor holds Dingquan to a higher standard; he must be groomed to hold on to the throne and carry on his legacy. Dingquan is hurt and bewildered by his father's favoritism and longs to be treated at least equally. He doesn't see that as the crown prince, he is already the most dear. The emperor presides over a corrupt court and depends on powerful generals to secure the kingdom's borders. He maintains his grip on power by pitting powerful ministers and generals against one another and does not allow sentiment or moral scruple to upset the balance of power in the court. Even his best loved sons have to be pawns in this merciless game of thrones. He finds Dingquan's morality and sentimental attachments at best naive and inconvenient; and at worst incompatible with the power dynamics and political realities of the court. He dislikes his son's frequent appeal to their relationship and his affection to get his way rather than winning on the merits of the situation. Their relationship is complicated by Dingquan's close relationship with his maternal uncle General Gu Silin whose military might is a source of discomfort and paranoia for the emperor.

The father-son relationship is the most significant, riveting relationship in the drama. Luo Jin visibly takes his acting up another notch in his portrayal of the lonely prince who demands his father's affection and approval even as he unflinchingly opposes him to protect his values and those dear to him. He was a bit too generous with the waterworks and indubitably has yet to master Hu Ge's ability to make his audience sob uncontrollably without shedding a single tear. Nonetheless Dingquan's struggle to stay true to himself as he is pushed to make painful choices for political expedience is compelling and gut wrenching. It is however, Huang Zhi Zhong's emperor that steals the show. He is first emperor and then a father caught between two sons that he loves in very different ways. His cold and ruthless public exterior masks his private pain every time he is forced to deal harshly with Dingquan, whom he distrusts but is actually the son that can hurt him the most. He is a cynical old soul who is disdainful of but yet also reluctantly admires his son's idealism and moral conviction. The emperor was masterfully portrayed and is able to evoke complex and multifaceted emotions including anger, empathy and pity. The conflicts that unfold show us that neither is ever completely right or wrong they just have different world views and priorities.

The second important relationship in the drama is the love story between Wenxi/Gu A'bao (Li Yi Tong) and Dingquan. The chemistry between the two leads is delightful and one of the reasons I stuck with this drama. The way the storyline unfolds and the writing however does not do justice to this wonderful pairing. In the novel (which I did not read) Dingquan never meets Wenxi, he only knows her as Gu A'bao. In the drama, Dingquan has several encounters with Wenxi before she steals into the palace disguised as a maid. Although he never fully sees her face, it is clear that they are soulmates and they fall in love. Forced to go separate ways, in their last encounter Wenxi approaches him in the palace dressed as a maid. Shortly thereafter, he meets Gu A'bao the maid with whom he continues to communicate in sophisticated allegory and metaphor but we are supposed to believe he doesn't recognize her! It is manifestly obvious that she is educated beyond even highborn ladies like the crown princess. This inexplicable and pointless faithfulness to the novel (after departing from it so significantly) is most likely just sheer laziness. They had the OTP meet early on to make it more romantically appealing but didn't bother to make further conforming changes to the plot.

Had they more logically carried this change through the plot, with some small modifications, they could have set the story up for a huge, far more relate-able and captivating plot twist, one that works much better in a drama instead of getting mired down in dry and detailed twists that work better in a book. I was already half convinced that at some point Dingquan figured out who she was and they were working together - this resonates from their body language and the way they communicate with each other. Considering the mental masturbation that went into the trivial question of whether the two male leads in the Untamed were lovers, imagine the speculative interest that would have gone into analyzing when Dingquan figured out Gu A'bao was Wenxi and when they started working together.. Instead they dragged out the reunion and settled for a far less memorable, crowd pleasing moment of truth devoid of the drama's signature ambiguity. This would also better explain some of the extreme lengths he goes to to protect Gu A'bao and make some of her motives and decisions more logical but those are small points. I just sigh for the big opportunity missed!

There was excessive plotting and too many betrayals in this drama. Censorship and deteriorating writing in the middle made some sub-plots confusing and less logical. The villains in this drama are complex grey characters with families and relationships that cast them in a somewhat sympathetic light. They are also way too smart, to the extent that each of Dingquan's few hard won victories cost him an arm and a leg. While there is some character progression and growth, Dingquan is too emotional and does not learn from his mistakes. As a result of repeated defeats, crushing personal losses, and an increasing sense of isolation the character regresses and starts to exhibit his father's capacity for cruelty and abuse. I did not like where they went with this and the way he treats the female lead is something that did not sit well with me. It was also gratuitous and rather pointless unless the writer was trying to make me lose respect for both characters. Which is a pity because Lu Wenxi/Gu A'bao is a uniquely interesting character - passive aggressive, bold, stubborn, vengeful, brilliant and indomitable. Li Yi Tong was so incredible in this role I was angry at the writer for diminishing her character into a bit of a lovesick fool in the middle although she finishes strongly.

The ending episode was messy and leads to the (mistaken) conclusion that the ending is open, possibly sad and definitely bad. For all intents and purposes however, the story actually ended at about 26 minutes into the last episode when things come to a full circle for the OTP. At that point, the two important relationships are satisfactorily and realistically resolved and all of the villains get some form of retribution. All of the rest is of footage that relates to a final thread that was shot but not aired due to censorship. This hints at the possibility of a different or open ending; that there is more betrayal and tragedy ahead. However, there was not enough build up of this thread to substantiate any definitive outcome. It should all have just been lumped together with the 3 minute cryptically worded epilogue that suggests the story continues (and may even be released one day). Viewed that way, the ending was good enough.

The twelve episodes that were cut likely closes the remaining loose threads with respect to several characters including Gu Fengen, scholar Xu and the 5th prince. Although the story never builds towards its final denouement, this could be the one time Chinese censors did us a big favor. This writer has no sense of balance and destroys some fantastic tropes and characters by taking them to mind blowing extremes. I have heard how the novel ends and I don't need to be there for a final betrayal that culminates in tragedy. This writer tortures the main protagonist to death with a vindictiveness that suggests the character was inspired by someone who terribly wronged them. I am glad that the censors have forced us to get off the bus at a great place and right before it drives off a cliff.

Despite the resonating sadness, this is still a ravishing production with some truly brilliant acting, moving prose, thought provoking insights, intriguing ambiguities and an acceptable ending. It has some of the most poetic, romantic lines I have come across in a Chinese drama. The real tragedy is that this has all the makings of a masterpiece but it just was not. 

Sept 2020 Update: The last 12 episodes (Royal Nirvana Special) are out. It ties up all the remaining loose threads regarding Prince Zhao (5th prince), Gu Fengan and Xu Changping. It is well done with a fitting ending.

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