Nirvana in Fire
Aug. 17th, 2019 09:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cahnI am having SO MANY FEELINGS about Nirvana in Fire right now. I just finished episode 27, so I'm exactly halfway through. (Don't spoil me! :) ) I took a while to ramp up but now I'm at the point where I'm sneaking ten minutes here and there whenever I can watch because it's sooooo good.
Basically, this is a complicated drama with a ton of characters and a ton of subplots all of which I think turn out to be related at the end?? The big drama is the fight for who is going to rule after the Emperor; at the beginning there is the Crown Prince but also Prince Yu, who is competent and powerful, and both are vying for the ascendancy. They both find out that the man who wins the fight for the throne will need to have Mei Changsu (henceforth MCS) on his side. MCS is the head of a powerful martial arts sect (despite not being very strong or martial-arts-oriented himself) and is a master strategist.
...so that's the beginning.
As usual, I shall now ramble on in a way that will probably make no sense if you haven't watched it:)
-At the beginning my favorite character would switch every episode (Mei Changsu! Meng Zhi! Xia Dong!) but for a while now my consistent favorite has been Consort Jing. She's just sooooo awesome and so calm and so wise and so perceptive and the nicest person EVER, yet with so many thoughts behind that head. (Alsozdenka has had to put up with a whole bunch of my going "What?? She just went to the Inner Palace to see a sick lady and NEVER CAME OUT AGAIN?? gaaaaah!" This was revealed a bunch of episodes ago as a throwaway comment but I am still not over it!)
-Mei Changsu is so fascinating, it's really cool how the writers make me both feel so hard for him and make me go "OH MEI CHANGSU NO" within the course of a single episode. It is becoming more and more clear to me that there can't be a happy ending for him (not least because his character arc involves him always putting the greater good (I think) of his goals over hurting individuals, but also because he just is looking more and more fragile) but I just really want him to run off with Nihuang and for both of them to live happily ever after and make super-cute babies (what?? wouldn't they be super cute??), okay?? Well, no, part of what I love them for is that they put duty over personal happiness. But still! (Don't spoil me for him either dying or living happily ever after!)
-Xia Dong is probably my second favorite character (although right now she is vying with Jingyan for the title). She's so great, super-competent, doesn't suffer fools gladly, more perceptive than is quite comfortable for everyone else. (1) My heart breaks every time her husband is mentioned (2) I would super watch a spinoff where Nihuang and Xia Dong fight crime.
-Prince Jing took a while to grow on me because he doesn't look at all happy for a large number of episodes, but when That Smile comes out. I just. The way he's so happy when he's with his mom (I just love Jingyan and Consort Jing together!) The way his heart is totally visible in his eyes sometimes when he talks to MCS. JUST TELL HIM WHO YOU ARE ALREADY, MCS.
-Marquis Yan is totally amazing. That was an amazing reveal. I am in awe of how this show takes hitherto minor characters and makes you realize they are amazing. (See also Jingyan, whom I wasn't really expecting to be that interesting, and... really... everyone else.)
-JINGRUI <3333333 :((((((((((
-Jingrui and Yujin are the cutest!
-The Zhuo family <3 :(((((((
-Fei Liu cracks me up pretty much anytime he is on stage.
-aaaaand as soon as I post this I'm gonna go watch the cliffhanger that Ep 27 left me on, CONSORT JING
Basically, this is a complicated drama with a ton of characters and a ton of subplots all of which I think turn out to be related at the end?? The big drama is the fight for who is going to rule after the Emperor; at the beginning there is the Crown Prince but also Prince Yu, who is competent and powerful, and both are vying for the ascendancy. They both find out that the man who wins the fight for the throne will need to have Mei Changsu (henceforth MCS) on his side. MCS is the head of a powerful martial arts sect (despite not being very strong or martial-arts-oriented himself) and is a master strategist.
...so that's the beginning.
As usual, I shall now ramble on in a way that will probably make no sense if you haven't watched it:)
-At the beginning my favorite character would switch every episode (Mei Changsu! Meng Zhi! Xia Dong!) but for a while now my consistent favorite has been Consort Jing. She's just sooooo awesome and so calm and so wise and so perceptive and the nicest person EVER, yet with so many thoughts behind that head. (Also
zdenka has had to put up with a whole bunch of my going "What?? She just went to the Inner Palace to see a sick lady and NEVER CAME OUT AGAIN?? gaaaaah!" This was revealed a bunch of episodes ago as a throwaway comment but I am still not over it!)-Mei Changsu is so fascinating, it's really cool how the writers make me both feel so hard for him and make me go "OH MEI CHANGSU NO" within the course of a single episode. It is becoming more and more clear to me that there can't be a happy ending for him (not least because his character arc involves him always putting the greater good (I think) of his goals over hurting individuals, but also because he just is looking more and more fragile) but I just really want him to run off with Nihuang and for both of them to live happily ever after and make super-cute babies (what?? wouldn't they be super cute??), okay?? Well, no, part of what I love them for is that they put duty over personal happiness. But still! (Don't spoil me for him either dying or living happily ever after!)
-Xia Dong is probably my second favorite character (although right now she is vying with Jingyan for the title). She's so great, super-competent, doesn't suffer fools gladly, more perceptive than is quite comfortable for everyone else. (1) My heart breaks every time her husband is mentioned (2) I would super watch a spinoff where Nihuang and Xia Dong fight crime.
-Prince Jing took a while to grow on me because he doesn't look at all happy for a large number of episodes, but when That Smile comes out. I just. The way he's so happy when he's with his mom (I just love Jingyan and Consort Jing together!) The way his heart is totally visible in his eyes sometimes when he talks to MCS. JUST TELL HIM WHO YOU ARE ALREADY, MCS.
-Marquis Yan is totally amazing. That was an amazing reveal. I am in awe of how this show takes hitherto minor characters and makes you realize they are amazing. (See also Jingyan, whom I wasn't really expecting to be that interesting, and... really... everyone else.)
-JINGRUI <3333333 :((((((((((
-Jingrui and Yujin are the cutest!
-The Zhuo family <3 :(((((((
-Fei Liu cracks me up pretty much anytime he is on stage.
-aaaaand as soon as I post this I'm gonna go watch the cliffhanger that Ep 27 left me on, CONSORT JING
no subject
Date: 2019-08-18 11:51 am (UTC)I spent the first twenty episodes or so saying, increasingly loudly, "ALL I WANT is for Jingrui to have a GOOD BIRTHDAY," in the hopes that somehow the narrative would hear me and make it so. It did not. :(
no subject
Date: 2019-08-19 01:52 am (UTC)Oh no. :( And if anyone deserves to have a nice birthday, it's Jingrui!
no subject
Date: 2019-08-20 01:11 am (UTC):( I... did not spend them saying that, partially because I did not realize just how much of a mess his birthday was going to be. (He is so nice!)