1Beyond All That Drama
A drama that lives up to its reputation
In a Nutshell:
Nirvana In Fire is based on a Chinese web novel Lang Ya Bang, or “The Langya list”. This list is updated each year by a spy network and provides intel to the highest bidder about who the most talented people in society are. Mei Changsu is on the list as the best political strategist and is desperately sought after by rivals Prince Yu and Prince Xian in their quest to become the Crown Prince of the Liang Dynasty. Unbeknownst to everyone, Mei Changsu’s real name is Lin Shu, whose father was a loyal Commander of the Chiyan Army. Lin Shu shared a close friendship with the Emperor’s 7th son Prince Jing, and was engaged to marry Princess Nihuang, an accomplished General of the Mu army guarding the Southern borders. Lin Shu and his father was ordered by the Emperor 12 years ago to quell a rebellion. However, the Chiyan Army was framed by political rivals which resulted in the massacre of the entire Lin family and Chiyan Army. Only Lin Shu and a few loyal soldiers survived the slaughter. Severely wounded, Lin Shu was nursed back to life with Poison of the Bitter Flame. The concoction, although lifesaving, completely stripped the once strapping Lin Shu of his physical strength and drastically altered his appearance. He uses this “disguise” to assume a new identity as Mei Changsu and returns to the Capital to bring those responsible for the conspiracy against the Lin family to justice.
The Highlights:
Nirvana in Fire is a smartly written drama with a tight plot that stays 3 steps ahead of its audience. Although the drama is often catagorised as a WuXia, it is more a battle of wits than brawn with each character a chess piece in the larger political arena. The sustained build-up to every checkmate that Mei Changsu / Lin Shu make against his enemies is logically written and well executed in terms of production, editing and design.
The heartfelt screenplay masterfully weaves the intricacies of relationships fractured by tragedy, injustice and loss. It paints a sombre yet riveting picture of the fallout between fathers and sons, husband and wives, siblings, and best friends, as a result of the Emperor’s paranoid decision to wipe out the entire Lin clan and Chiyan Army. The friendship between Mei Changsu and Prince Jing make for compelling viewing. Mei Changsu never bats an eyelid as he intentionally lies to Prince Jing about his true identity, yet at the same time he is heartbroken about not being able to reconnect with his best friend. It was equally tragic to see Prince Jing finding something oddly familiar about Mei Changsu's mannerisms, but never quite fully connecting the dots. Although Nihuang plays third wheel to the bromance, the character holds her own in terms of delivering some beautiful and poignant moments with Mei Changsu which continue to linger in your mind even after the drama finishes. The acting in this drama is also impeccable, with the bonus of no melodramatic over-the-top acting from the supporting cast (which can be quite common in C-dramas).
The lowlights:
For those not familiar with the Chinese concept of JiangHu and palace hierarchy, I think the first few episodes of this drama can be quite hardwork as it takes a while to get a hang of the lingo. However, the persistence pays off as soon as you get over this hurdle. You also need to suspend your belief that someone’s entire appearance can change so drastically and survive the ordeal. The drama also starts off really slow with an overwhelming introduction of multiple characters and relationship structures. Like I said … the beginning few episodes are hardwork!
The verdict:
Nirvana in Fire is just like a chess game - a slow start to set up moves, but a thrilling finish as endgame approaches. It certainly does live up to its reputation as one of the best Chinese dramas out there.
Nirvana In Fire is based on a Chinese web novel Lang Ya Bang, or “The Langya list”. This list is updated each year by a spy network and provides intel to the highest bidder about who the most talented people in society are. Mei Changsu is on the list as the best political strategist and is desperately sought after by rivals Prince Yu and Prince Xian in their quest to become the Crown Prince of the Liang Dynasty. Unbeknownst to everyone, Mei Changsu’s real name is Lin Shu, whose father was a loyal Commander of the Chiyan Army. Lin Shu shared a close friendship with the Emperor’s 7th son Prince Jing, and was engaged to marry Princess Nihuang, an accomplished General of the Mu army guarding the Southern borders. Lin Shu and his father was ordered by the Emperor 12 years ago to quell a rebellion. However, the Chiyan Army was framed by political rivals which resulted in the massacre of the entire Lin family and Chiyan Army. Only Lin Shu and a few loyal soldiers survived the slaughter. Severely wounded, Lin Shu was nursed back to life with Poison of the Bitter Flame. The concoction, although lifesaving, completely stripped the once strapping Lin Shu of his physical strength and drastically altered his appearance. He uses this “disguise” to assume a new identity as Mei Changsu and returns to the Capital to bring those responsible for the conspiracy against the Lin family to justice.
The Highlights:
Nirvana in Fire is a smartly written drama with a tight plot that stays 3 steps ahead of its audience. Although the drama is often catagorised as a WuXia, it is more a battle of wits than brawn with each character a chess piece in the larger political arena. The sustained build-up to every checkmate that Mei Changsu / Lin Shu make against his enemies is logically written and well executed in terms of production, editing and design.
The heartfelt screenplay masterfully weaves the intricacies of relationships fractured by tragedy, injustice and loss. It paints a sombre yet riveting picture of the fallout between fathers and sons, husband and wives, siblings, and best friends, as a result of the Emperor’s paranoid decision to wipe out the entire Lin clan and Chiyan Army. The friendship between Mei Changsu and Prince Jing make for compelling viewing. Mei Changsu never bats an eyelid as he intentionally lies to Prince Jing about his true identity, yet at the same time he is heartbroken about not being able to reconnect with his best friend. It was equally tragic to see Prince Jing finding something oddly familiar about Mei Changsu's mannerisms, but never quite fully connecting the dots. Although Nihuang plays third wheel to the bromance, the character holds her own in terms of delivering some beautiful and poignant moments with Mei Changsu which continue to linger in your mind even after the drama finishes. The acting in this drama is also impeccable, with the bonus of no melodramatic over-the-top acting from the supporting cast (which can be quite common in C-dramas).
The lowlights:
For those not familiar with the Chinese concept of JiangHu and palace hierarchy, I think the first few episodes of this drama can be quite hardwork as it takes a while to get a hang of the lingo. However, the persistence pays off as soon as you get over this hurdle. You also need to suspend your belief that someone’s entire appearance can change so drastically and survive the ordeal. The drama also starts off really slow with an overwhelming introduction of multiple characters and relationship structures. Like I said … the beginning few episodes are hardwork!
The verdict:
Nirvana in Fire is just like a chess game - a slow start to set up moves, but a thrilling finish as endgame approaches. It certainly does live up to its reputation as one of the best Chinese dramas out there.
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