Nirvana in Fire (2015)

The Epitome of the Bromance

If you are looking for a drama that centers around bromance, this is the one for you. Lin Shu is a young man from a respected family who suffers a terrible tragedy. He returns seeking revenge on those who wronged him by being a master of strategy in the game of thrones. By staying one step ahead of his opponents, he is able to close in on them one by one.

The best part of this drama is the well written plot line. It flows well and manages to keep you engaged even when main characters go missing for large chunks of the series. The storylines continue to change while still keeping the focus on the male lead. His relationships with his friends and subordinates are what makes this drama worth watching. This is not a romance at all. The female lead is underused and, for the most part, largely absent. Most of the female characters have supporting roles, but they, too, are well written. The performances were all noteworthy and I was very pleased to see such great talents in one drama. At times, characters disappear and then reappear without explanation and there is little to no wrap up in some of plot lines. I took a star off for that.

Costumes where beautiful and the soundtrack was gorgeous. You know you have a hit when fans find themselves humming the musical score. It is so unique that I would remember the title of the drama just by hearing the piece of music. In general a great series.

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I don't understand the hype

I've heard so much hype about this Nirvana in Fire and the sequel Nirvana Fire 2. I watched both. Unimpressed. Overall this series dragged on way too long. I found myself skipping so many parts and sometimes entire episodes. I only sat thru the entire series just to find out what happens to see if the show redeems itself at the end. It did not.

Characters: While the acting wasn't bad, I was never truly invested in any of the characters, including the ML. The lead couple had zero chemistry. The only character I rooted for was Concubine Jing (wonderful actress, saw her in Rise of the Phoenixes).

Music: The OST wasn't bad but nothing memorable.

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Does not deserve the hype.

I'll be honest upfront - Nirvana in Fire is not my cup of tea genre-wise, I just dislike palace intrigue dramas.
I was told it also had wuxia elements and it kind of does, but they do not make up for how much I disliked the PI stuff.
It's mostly well acted (by a lot of older actors, I appreciated that), mostly solidly written (though the plot does feel convoluted at times) and the rare fights are ok looking. I think overall it looks a bit dated, but not bad. Just not amazing.
For me personally it just felt long and tiresome in places. It might've started (or at least empowered) quite a few drama tropes I am not a fan of - the sickly character with incurable health problems and a mysterious past, the moral message of patriotically serving the country or a cause even if it means your death, episodes mostly consisting of characters talking in rooms.
To me this did not live up to the hype, plain and simple.

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Joy of Life is a lot more interesting

If you were wondering why everyone recommends this drama, perhaps this was a hit at a time where the audience was sick of being delivered idol dramas or poorly produced narratives that only served best as an accompaniment to doing work or chores around the house. For these viewers, this might have been a refreshing piece in cdramaland to alleviate the pain of having to suffer the insult of being patronised by aforementioned productions featuring flimsy writing, careless direction, and talentless actors who scored roles solely due to their popularity.

However, despite it being a revered drama, it falls short on delivering excellence, and is at best, a drama you cannot label as an 'idol' drama. I want to be frank and say here that, just because a production doesn't have young, pretty liuliangs, it doesn't necessarily mean that the drama will be a 'good' one, just because it is deemed 'serious'.

Firstly, the acting was standard, (subpar for Liu Tao), the leads had no screen presence, the actors had no chemistry, and the biggest problem with the premise is that you don't really believe in the brotherhood between the two main characters. If we are to care about the protagonist at all, we should be able to feel the care he has for both his longtime friend and his past lover, but all I felt was his love for chess play, allbeit in his detached manner.

This comes to another major weakness of the drama, which is Hu Ge's interpretation of the character which seemed rather superficial. While he portrayed the intelligence of the character, I wasn't convinced that he was a humane, layered being with varying emotions. I didn't feel the connection between himself and his friend, and the love story felt unnecessary. Hu Ge's inability to convey poignant moments also made it difficult for me to empathise with his character and it made it hard for me to believe that he had any himself.

While Joy of Life definitely has its flaws, the amazing storyline, fast-paced direction, and strong characterisation will leave you more than satisfied if a serious, political intrigue drama is what you're into.

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