jessieli-39959 Royal family story happened in the era before the famous Tang Dynasty - around 700 A.D. (South / North Dynasty era). Best actors/actresses across the board, love the beautiful but powerful scripts (in partial ancient Chinese language), perfect editing, clothes, music, magnificent settings, love all of them. The love and royalty between emperor and his subject, between general and his army, between prince and his childhood buddy, between prince and his fiance all touched me and made me want to watch multiple times. Great fan the main actors (Lin Shu) and supporting actor (Prince Jing). Cried so many times while watching this.

aisidne CostumesCostumingYou will love this 54 episode thrill ride. The 2015 drama is based off of Hai Yan's novel Nirvana in Fire and stars Wang Kai as Prince Jing Yan and He Gu as Mei Cheng Su. The drama opens twelve years after the massacre of the Blaze Army at Plum Ridge and sucks you into Mei Cheng Su's plot to put Prince Jing Yan on the throne and right the injustice that happened in the capital as well as on the battlefield so long ago. Too much said, I will be spoiling. All I can say is that once you get strapped into your seat with this roller coaster ride of politics, palace intrigue, romance, and revenge, you won't be able to stop watching. The tension increases with every episode until you are hooked, needing to see the next episode. This drama is hard to turn off. Every nuance in this drama means something. I admire the directors, Kong Sheng and Lix Xue, because there is not a moment wasted. The costumes, scenery, acting, and cinematography are brilliant. Everything about this drama is intelligent and thought through, very well done and enjoyable.

Jack C 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.

zhuzhube 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.