Nirvana in Fire (2015–2018) User Reviews

The Best Asian Drama Ever

[cheatongtonghai · 10/10 · 4 February 2016]

If you never experience watching the best TV drama, Nirvana in Fire is really the only thing you are looking for. It's all about revenge, deep critical thinking, amazing strategy, bromance , martial art, justice, romance, costume, loyalty,..., & historical period drama. The whole series is very very very brilliant & most reasonable. You can't even guess what going on. You will feel you yourself are so brainless. Moreover, you will experience what you never feel before. All I can say it's like breathless, addicted, crying, laughing, heart breaking,.... The cinematography is amazing. The costume is so beautiful. Not to mention actor performance. They are so talent. Not only the lead actors, everyone is great. It's so hard to not fall in love with the lead role actor. Nirvana in Fire won't give you a chance of boring. You probably feel uneasy on it first episode but believe me if you can pass it you will be unable to withdraw from your seat. Plese! don't miss it. It's really everything you can describe as the best TV drama you have ever seen.

Superior Strategy Compassionate Drama Series

[jjscong · 10/10 · 27 May 2016]

Nirvana in Fire (Lang Ya Bang) is a combination of martial arts, war strategy, friendship, respectful, ways of doing things, history of the ancient, different groups of people and the motive of how to reveal the truth after a war. The story will touch your emotional straight away when it reaches certain part of the stories. I am assured of you watching it will follow me tears down. The martial art is the most superb part besides others. The way they have been trained and those typical movements, it is thoroughly being studied. The beautiful scenery of all really making you feel so good and there are some humors in between if you follow through. I watched it purely in Chinese because I love the original voices of all. Don't forget that there are also some truly bad people villain in marvel as to say, how they have strategist to make the good and honest troop fall into the pool of fire in "May Ling". The pain and sorrows arisen. It also talked about how other higher authority bullied and framed others through physical plans but with "Mei ChangSu" who is brave, most intelligent and a bit sarcastic but with good heart giving advises to the prince - "Jing Yan" once his best friend but this prince really do not recognise him till last.

When I watched the first episode, that already leading me wanted to watch the second and so on. The entire flow of the stories really good despite towards the end, a little slagging but it comes back when they wanted to investigate the old case that the King himself had made mistake by listening to the two (find out more). Mei ChangSu is the no.1 leader towards his troop that spreads around all places. Everyone respect him but he is too weak to fight this on his own. His lovely body-guard, a kid called, "Fei Liu" is truly funny listening to his two or three words without a full sentence but he could understand the entire meaning. The brave and beautiful "Mu Ni-Huang" who fights and love deeply that always able to win in each fight. She is a true warrior.

Here, you can see, learn, feel, comfort, anger, sad, normal, and etc feelings that you could ever imagine. How do they help each other and togetherness never break chaining them without regret. I have watched every single episode and I felt sad + happy when I watched the last episode. In my mind, it is like I have attended classes to view the history myself even though it is a total different with three kingdoms but had given me the insights of human nature, the kind and warm, justice and truth, the evil side and bonded love and friendship. I love this and therefore I have given a 10 rating.

Patience is the key to watch it because all details in each episode truly touches heart and enjoy the entire series.

A wonderful Chinese drama

[w-59516 · 10/10 · 4 December 2015]

Well, I do not know how to express my feeling towards this TV drama. I just know that even after the second time of watching it, I was still moved deeply. Tears filled my eyes, as the music is on. I cannot get myself out of it, even after several days. I hope that it can be longer, with more episodes. It is really something that can touch my heart and my soul. This is a famous TV opera from China. I am not sure whether the audience from western world can understand the culture and spirits in it. For example, why the emperor can have more than one wife. But still, something is always in common, no matter where we are, that is friendship and love. It is great luck, if a friend of you would like to anything for you without considering the outcomes. And when you do find one, please cherish that, cos maybe someday he or she will leave like the Shu in that drama

A TV drama that transcends

[Jack_C_ · 10/10 · 19 March 2016]

The literal translation for this series title is LuoYang List, which is a list of the best martial artists in China at any given time during the 5th century. The dialogue is not dumbed down or forced like almost all Asian TV dramas. It is painted with classic four character Chinese metaphors/colloquialisms. Native speakers will enjoy the intricate writing.

If you only speak English, know that much of the beauty is lost in translation. Try to watch it with a native speaker who can give you the beautiful literal translations for each phrase.

There is an ever evolving story line of political intrigue and martial arts fights. There are dozens of complex characters who are a part of the succession struggle for the throne of the sitting emperor. Game of Thrones without the sex, dragons, and zombies.

There are also implicit parallels when compared to modern Chinese politics. Historical Chinese dramas are one of the very few avenues where the common man can still levy criticisms of present day Chinese government.

I am proud that the Chinese entertainment industry has finally graduated to the next level. I truly hope that there will be more dramas of this caliber.

One of THE best TV shows ever!

[zhuzhube · 10/10 · 16 February 2016]

This is definitely one of the best shows I've seen in my life! Speaking from someone who has watched countless US and Asian shows over the past 15 years. It is definitely a plus if you are fluent in Chinese because part of the beauty of this show lies within the writing and I especially enjoyed the concise and poetic style that the characters spoke with, but aside from that, the acting, music, costumes, story, and character development are all extremely well done, worthy of your time every second. I am currently watching it a second time, and it is even better this time around because I am able to better connect the dots from the very beginning and I must applaud the writers and directors for their incredible achievement of presenting such a complicated and emotional story in such a breathtakingly beautiful way.

The story really reminds me of the Count of Monte Cristo, but it is much more grand in scale and more noble in motivation. The suspense and logic within the story is on par with shows like Sherlock and GoT. The music is beyond perfection, every piece fits the atmosphere perfectly, similar to the level of precision found in True Detective and Hannibal. The casting is also spot on, every protagonist and every villain is portrayed with such accuracy and care, you can't help but feel that the actors are all extremely emotionally and mentally invested in their characters, which makes a fictional story that takes place 1600 years ago seem so real and intimate.

Overall, Nirvana in Fire has captured my heart in more than one way upon second viewing. It's been a really long time since a show has made me feel such a complete spectrum of emotions. I would recommend this show to anyone who likes complex, beautiful, and thought- provoking stories.

All-time favourite

[kiaile · 10/10 · 8 June 2017]

This is my favourite drama of all times, even after watching it three times, this drama still puts me through a spectrum of emotions.

Hu Ge's acting was just amazing (as well as other casts). He himself experienced a serious accident which probably made him feel his character better. Cinematography and music in this drama is outstanding as well

What I liked most of this drama is that they trust their audiences to get what they are talking about (and to feel their emotions), without saying everything out plain. This is unlike a lot of other dramas, which treats their audience like retards. For me, this actually adds on to the beauty of the drama. That being said, it is advantageous to know the language and some Chinese culture, or have someone who is a native speaker to watch it with you. The language used in this drama is indeed poetic, and adds on to the beauty of the drama.

In addition, this drama has a reputation of being strict on detains such as the etiquette, courtesy and costumes, which matches actual history.

To me, this drama represents a warm ideal of the author, with regards to politics, loyalty and friendship and unity, which myself also has, yet not to expect in real life. Really, this will be the best Chinese drama you will ever see.

television at it's absolute finest

[urthpainter · 10/10 · 17 May 2018]

I rank Nirvana in Fire up with the best of the best: writing, camera, production - it's a damn near flawless presentation of story and ideas. While sets and costuming are noteworthy, it's amazing how few locations Nirvana in Fire uses through 50+ episodes. All the power is in the dialog, characters and acting. Individuals make choices for an empire, and generally the dialog itself has multiple levels of meaning - some apparent to the characters, some aimed directly at the viewer. It's media that makes you think, made all the more rewarding due to a high level of entertainment.

10/10

Epic Drama - Sherlock Holmes Would love it

[grow386 · 10/10 · 14 January 2019]

The whole series is a journey of understanding for me. The overall story arc is revealed in bits and pieces. Imagine a huge garden in spring. Once the flowers start to bloom, one begins to see a pattern and the viewer starts to think that "Ah-ha, that is what the picture looks like." As more flowers bloom, more patterns are revealed which congregate to create an even bigger pattern. Each episode is like a single flower blooming. The main character is faced with a seemingly impossible task and he is comparable to the legendary Kong MIng of the Three Kingdoms era. Each step, each solution is logical without any "contrived" situations that insult my intelligence.

I've watched the whole series twice through and through and more when it comes to certain "emotional," "triumphant," "ah-ha" segments. Clues are littered everywhere for the audience to catch and these become obvious on the second run through. I highly recommend it to everyone who likes an insightful experience. This is not for "heavy Kung Fu" action movie afficionados although there are some action scenes sprinkled throughout the series.

Best Chinese TV drama in 10 years

[zhushirui · 27 January 2016]

When Several friends recommended this TV series to me, I didn't expect much at all, but I'm so happy I watched it - twice already.

I was very disappointed with Chinese history dramas in recently years - either the stories being over-exaggerated or the computer graphic was so bad that you couldn't bare watching. Nirvana in Fire saved my hope for the Chinese TV drama.

I have watched many Asian, American and European dramas - this was definitely the best one in 2015, and has been the best Chinese one in 10 years. Not going to tell you what happened but it's a very touching story packed with good acting.

A new level of storytelling

[bohrsmodel · 10/10 · 22 April 2018]

This series really transcends every other story. It raises storytelling to a whole new level. The love many of these characters have are not the typical selfish love of one person, but a selfless self-sacrificing love for country and friends.

Many compare this to the Count of Monte Cristo, calling this a revenge story. They are all wrong. Shu Zhe could have easily killed each and everyone of his enemies, but he doesn't do so. He has even saved the emperor and Xie Yu. What he wants is not selfish, feelgood, revenge; he just wants to clear the names of the deceased, so they can rest in peace.

People have also compared this to the Game of Thrones. It couldn't be any different. I wouldn't want any young child watching GOT, but I think many parents will gladly show this to their children (maybe skip the few war scenes) hoping they are old enough to understand and appreciate it.

It will be a long time before any series come close to this masterpiece, if ever.

Must watched series. It's Chinese Game of Thrones.

[smurfin-mail · 10/10 · 5 September 2018]

This series is like Game of Thrones, there are so many intrigues and there are many interesting characters. The actings are really good and believable, and the production quality is top notch. It's hard to find a series that I enjoy like this one.

Every character in this series doesn't seem random, they have their backgrounds and their position is clear. Interaction between characters is also interesting, their emotions are backed up by solid acting and the dialogues are very well written.

The story is also very good, the plot gets thicken several times, you'll really get absorbed into it.

I'd give this series a thousand stars if allowed, but since max is 10 then every star represents one hundred stars xD.

====

After watching Lang Ya Bang / Nirvana in Fire 1, now I continue to watch 'season 2' , it's not actually season 2 like in most Western series and imo it should have its own page because it's completely different story and different timeline even though it borrows a few characters from previous installment.

It is common in Chinese drama/novel/wuxia series that the next 'season' or sequel to pick the descendants of the previous series' main heroes / normal characters as the new main heroes in the sequel. That creates something like a link to the past that provides an interesting and unique fresh start because we already knew the background of the characters and can relate to him/her since we know their ancestors LOL, it's really satisfying per se. So If anyone continues to watch this sequel, be sure to check the characters' background, and find out who relates to who.

I haven't finished watching but I already want to review it. I want to say that NIF/LYB is a series that you'd want it to never end. I already wish there will be NIF 3. Everything is good, especially the story. I read some mild spoilers and like the previous series, the plot will thicken several times.

There are a few actors/actresses from NIF 1 that fill the cast but play different role here, it's kinda weird seeing the same faces playing different role but I'm not too bothered with that, even Hu Ge the main lead from NIF 1 was offered to play again here, but he was taking a break.

Excellent!

[facesofine · 10/10 · 12 March 2020]

I have watched so many TV series that keeping count is nearly impossible, but few have grabbed my interest and heart at this level. I watched the entire series in 5 days, using up much of my data plan, for crying out loud. While other reviewers have already done an excellent job of covering the superb plot, acting, and pacing, I won't go into it here. For me, there is just enough fight scenes to keep the action lively, but the heart in this series is in the dialogue. Each line, word, may carry multiple hidden meanings to decipher. There are no real surprises here, but I can feel each character's (protagonists and villains alike) pain, suffering and joy. I only wish it provided more back story on the main lead and his young body guard Fei Liu (my favorite character), how they met and developed such a strong bond, or fill in the 12 years of Lin Shu becoming Mei Changsu...a prequel series, perhaps.

Anyhow, this was a 2015 production/release, and as of this review, the difficulty was in finding all the episode videos as the series is no longer available on Amazon prime or other streaming services. I had to scour Youtube for bits and pieces to get all 54 episodes.

A little hard to follow

[mbl-82007 · 6/10 · 8 December 2018]

Disclaimer: I only watched the first episode

This show was intense. The fighting and blood started from the very first scene, and it didn't end there. While the plot seems pretty confusing, I attribute that to the fact that I haven't watched more than one episode yet.

From the one episode that I did watch, however, I can tell that this is an interesting historical drama. Being from the US, it's very interesting to see eastern history represented in a TV show. Having been raised going to American history classes, it was a fresh change of information. For example, even something as simple as clothing can create a world of difference in a TV show. The clothing was foreign to me, and created a sense of history and culture that greatly added to the show. Also, I feel as if many of the references went over my head a bit. I feel as if the language barrier made it difficult to understand the significance of the landmarks and people mentioned in the show.

However, I was able to appreciate many aspects of the show. The combat scenes were surreal to watch. I started to connect to characters, and even found myself rooting for certain ones just in the first episode.

Overall, I enjoyed this show. While parts of it were a bit confusing, I can tell that to fully appreciate it I'll have to continue watching.

I wouldn't call it a masterpiece. Just okay

[Bibiliography · 5/10 · 7 October 2022]

Nirvana in Fire can be shelved as a psychological suspense and one of the most satisfying revenge plots in C dramas. That said, the p a c i n g was mind numbingly slow. For instance, why tf does it take the characters five minutes to say one sentence or have them spend 20 minutes just walking from one scene to the next? Look, I understand it's hard to churn out 50+ episodes of anything but the fillers in these shows are getting out of hand.

Additionally, the relationship between the LM and his contracted bride simply didn't work perhaps due to a lack of chemistry between the actors or the writers were undecided who Lin Shu's love interest should have been. Wouldn't it have been better to stay true to the source material?

Simply one of the best dramas you will ever see.

[jindann · 10/10 · 19 April 2021]

Simply one of the best dramas you will ever see. The best is the new 3 kingdoms, nirvana in fire comes 2nd. The plot is deep and emotional intertwined with endless wit battles that are just most amazing. The acting and characters developments are just extraordinary, the voice, the music, all the costumes, art and everything is just so well made that's even way better than most of the movies. 100% must see, this drama need to be watched and think attentively.

Excellent! The best drama I have ever seen

[giteckm · 10/10 · 4 May 2020]

One of the best drama I have watched till date. Magnificent script,brilliant acting and excellent cinematography. I am amazed by the lead character Lin Shu/Su Zhe/ Mei Changsu played by Hu Ge, Terrific plot lines, character development and perfect end. This is a must watch.

My favourite show ever

[magicbluebox · 10/10 · 17 September 2018]

I could cry every time I watch the show. All the relationships are so beautiful, and the story is so brilliant.

A story about Seeking truth

[hooraychining · 9/10 · 17 April 2016]

It's a complicated story. Different audiences may see different key: loyalty, trickery, friendship, love, revenge, of course, a little bit of humor.

At beginning, I was attracted by its delicate and concise dress, calm and elegant slow lives. The characters' etiquette and the gave me a feeling of release pressure. Because of this, I fantasy I can live in ancient China.

But beneath the surface of slow tempo, undercurrent was terrible. As the story go, I felt the author's unprecedented courage. Original author Hai Yan (a female author, not that famous male entrepreneur also an author named Hai Yan) seems to convey a kind of the power of justice through this ancient Chinese story. Even if only to see her conception , the story and this series' art height is far more than those similar ones . In my opinion, previous produced ancient Chinese dramas just told audience what Chinese did and what they experienced, but in this series ,it seems to want to tell audience what Chinese should do in the future for seeking justice and truth.

An authoritarian government, the struggle of the two forces, a group of people full of justice, in order to a grievance of 13 years ago,finally, the leading role spoke out stirring line: "The purpose of review the case, just for the truth!" Yes, the truth! Even authoritarian Emperor Liang (Yongdai Ding played) refused to review the case because of various reasons , but in the end, he had to kneel down in front of the truth. His final confession is based on the goodness of human nature, I think it is the return of the family emotion cause. This kind of mood generated long before Mei Changsu (Ge Hu played) last stood in front of him. The most touching in this paragraph give me a chance to reflect: confession is the base of exposing truth and maybe result in seeking justice.

Of course, the process of seeking justice may be a very long time such as 13 years in this series, it takes patience, perseverance, teamwork and wisdom. The power of justice will be successful finally.

Best Historical C-Drama Ever!

[morebon · 10/10 · 26 October 2021]

Absolutely fabulous the second time around in watching Nirvana in Fire. Six years later, and this still supercedes any other series ever made. BEST EVER! Extraordinary story, beautiful cinematography, wonderful production, and fantastic cast! This will always be an all-time favorite! Love it forever! Bravo!

Excellent drama

[alaningle7 · 9/10 · 27 September 2018]

If you like dramas with twists and turns this is for you. A puppet master influences political life by pulling strings in the background. Very well acted and totally engrossing watching each episode and the ups and downs of the chess game played with peoples life and future

Deserve more viewers

[arafathrahman24 · 8/10 · 7 December 2020]

This series is definitely worth watching and of course one of the best in Chinese..

Very exciting costume drama

[axmlsmartdrv-82134 · 10/10 · 20 December 2017]

I rarely watch TV because of the low intelligence of domestic drama, but this TV drama has changed my disappointment with domestic drama, with many full-fledged characters, few facial masks, and perfect scripts. TV series, highly recommended.

Engrossing story but way too many deus ex machina twists

[asiantaleweaver · 7/10 · 1 February 2024]

If you get past the first two or three episodes where new characters are pretty much introduced non-stop without a real explanation of their role in the story or world, you're in for a treat: "Nirvana in Fire" has often been described as the Chinese "Count of Monte Cristo", and while that definition is a little lacking, it's a good general description of the main plot: man who has been terribly wronged in the past returns under a new identity to set right those wrongs and punish the evildoers behind it.

The plot is tightly knit, with interesting characters at every twist and turn, multi-dimensional to the point where even the most wicked of villains have a humanity to them that's hard to find in media. Some of the antagonists are really difficult to hate, and you even find yourself rooting that some of their plots against the hero of the story might work out.

Alas: they never do, and once you figure that out, watching the show is only half as fun. Mei Changsu is pretty much written as an undefeatable.schemer and god-level prepared planner, to the point that half of his plans just work out despite relying on sheer luck or coincidence. One example: he buys a tract of land he knows was used to hide the dead bodies of murdered people on and then has another person accidentally stumble right on the scene of the crime - and by "accidental" I mean "fall into a hole in the ground by just wandering off." Another example: when one of his allies loses an important opportunity to do good to one of his rivals, Mei Changsu's people just happened to find a important piece of evidence about that rival taking bribes, which he can use to make that rival give up the opportunity again.

The sheer amount of situations in which Mei Changsu - apparently having read the script of the series - was perfectly prepared for someone's actions or has a deus-ex-machina solution to a problem arising is approaching cringe level in "Nirvana in Fire", and although the story remains interesting until the very end, for me, that took away a lot of the fun watching it. It's still a good show, mind you, just one where I would wish the storytelling to rely less on such weak plot devices.

I couldnt get pass the first episode

[kevinhtj · 1/10 · 27 October 2020]

The moment the flying boy flew all the way from a river bank to the guy on the raft just to put on a cape/coat for the flute guy, I lost it. Whats the point really? Why would you do that? If you had the abilty to fly, would you fly all the way to put on a fluffy cute cape for another man thats playing flute on an automatic moving raft (yes, its a moving raft without anyone rowing or steering it). Not to mention, bad lighting, horrible lip syncing and just cheap production overall. I cant get past episode 1.

A brilliant masterpiece

[magnoliacream · 10/10 · 2 April 2022]

This is one of the best TV dramas I've watched, up there with Sherlock, Wolf Hall and The Crown. More thought-provoking and less violent with hardly any sex scenes, I much prefer this to Game of Thrones. The story, writing, direction, acting, music, cinematography and over-all production are top-notch.

Hu Ge is flawless as political strategist Mei Changsu/Su Zhe who is bent on restoring his family's honor as well as those of his much-admired cousin Prince Qi and 70,000 soldiers of the Chiyan Army who were wrongfully accused of rebellion thirteen years ago. The rest of the characters, notably Prince Jingyan (Wang Kai), Duchess Mu Nihuang (Liu Tao), the Emperor of Great Liang (Ding Yong Dai) and Mei Changsu's young but capable bodyguard Fei Liu (Leo Wu), are as compelling. Watching Mei Changsu navigate the political arena in the imperial court is like watching a grandmaster playing chess. His metamorphosis from vibrant young marshal Lin Shu to a frail, soft-spoken but formidable strategist unrelenting in his search for justice is awe-inspiring but heart-breaking as well, such that even just hearing the beautiful opening and ending themes makes me tear up.

The first few times I watched the opening sequence, I was underwhelmed, wishing that, in addition to butterfly wings, there were also dramatic images of people to complement the stunning music. Then I realized there ARE human forms, I just had to be more observant. Turns out, the opening sequence is more beautiful than I could imagine. Since then, every time I watch it, I would try to find more hidden images, much like discovering forms in clouds. Another delightful feature is the original dialogue that I understand is poetic, making me want to learn Mandarin. These easter eggs show how meticulously crafted this gem is.

The emotional impact is not forced but grabs the viewers organically, from the story, acting, music and other elements that subtly add to the power of each scene. I cried almost the whole finale episode, even though there were hardly overly dramatic scenes. In fact, I think it's because the emotional expressions are muted that I felt the urge to release pent-up emotions. Even now, I still tear up whenever I remember the scene where Lin Shu bowed and silently wept in his family's ancestral hall after he successfully restored the family's honor.

It is a testament to the brilliance of the storytelling that a sucker for happily-ever-after endings like myself cannot fault the ending. While a fully fairytale ending would have been inconsistent with the tone of the story, this may be considered as having a happy ending, one that Mei Changsu/Su Zhe/Lin Shu would have approved of, having been able to give his all in the service of truth, justice and country.