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Spoiler-Free Mini Review: Nirvana in Fire

  • 7 hours ago
  • 2 min read

A dying man seeks revenge, in a Count of Monte Cristo-esque chess game for justice.


Synopsis:

In sixth-century China, the Emperor of Great Liang orders the unjust execution of his brother-in-law Marshal Lin Xie alongside the Lin family, his 70,000 army soldiers, and Crown Prince Qi. Secretly surviving the massacre is Lin Xie's son, Lin Shu, who undergoes medical treatment that changes his appearance entirely and leaves him in a weakened state, unable to ever perform martial arts again. Lin Shu changed his name to Mei Chang Su and later became the chief of the pugilist world and established the Jiangzuo Alliance. Twelve years later, Mei Chang Su returns to the capital with a secret plan after being sought after by Prince Yu and Prince Xian during their fight for the throne. He decides to covertly assist Prince Jing, the unfavored son of the Emperor, and wisely rids the court of all scheming officials. @MDL

Title:

Nirvana in Fire

Platform:

Viki, Youtube, Apple TV

MDL Rating:

9.0

Genre:

Period Political Drama

Episode Count:

54

Parental Guidance Rating:

PG-13: Minor violence, Minimal blood and battles depicted, References an assault


Staring:

Hu Ge

Wang Kai

Victor Huang

Liu Tao

RBTS Rating:


Stay tuned for my full review!



Spoiler-Free Mini Review:

This is more a serious and grounded period drama, but there is a sasquatch man. So... there is that. But sasquatch man aside, the plot is very twisty and has a more complex, court politics focus. This is NOT a romance *tears* but a chess game of revenge.



Nirvana in Fire is considered pretty prestigious and it is/was the highest rated Chinese drama on MDL (NiF was recently dethroned by Pursuit of Jade in 2026). It is slower, but more intricate, and you can tell that is was made in 2014. But don't let that deter you because the story will stick with you. Also, am I crazy or does this have music from Inception?


Story=5 (Interesting Arcs and solid momentum)

Acting=4 (Solid)

Production Quality=4 (Good for the time)

Ending=4.5 (Wraps up all the story points)

Enjoyability= 4 (I was never on the edge of my seat but I enjoyed the characters)




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