#character: su mu zhe

[movielosophy]

The Story of Pearl Girl | The pearl girl has grown colder, locking her pain inside. Her calm isn’t noble grace; it’s the grit of someone bearing the weight alone.

[fandomside]

Nirvana in Fire Rewatch Episode Nine

Events:

MCS has moved into his new house.

Jingyan starts the Duke Qing case.

Prince Yu asks MCS for help protecting the Duke, and MCS convinces him to give up and help JIngyan instead.

MCS and Meng Zhi play with ministry tokens.

Xie Yu makes another failed attempt at killing MCS.

MCS visits Jingyan and has emotions. Fei Liu gives Tingsheng magic chainmail.

At the end, Shen Zhui's name is mentioned.

Names and titles

Auntie Ji (MCS's housekeeper) is called Ji-shen.

Duke Qing’s name is Bai Ye, his younger brother is Bai Xun, they have 5 sons between them.

The Minister of Justice (who is a daren rather than a shangshu?) is named Qi Min.

Prince Yu and Jingyan both just call MCS ‘xiansheng’.

Xie Yu often refers to Jingyan as just Xiao Jingyan – a lack of respect?

Past Jingyan describes himself and Lin Shu as xiongdi

Costumes and weapons

The ‘golden armor’ looks like it’s made of brass. I’m pretty sure that’s not a good metal for armor.

Why does Prince Yu get actual sideburns and not the awful cdrama wig sideburns?

In the past as teens, Jingyan wears his hair down and Lin She is wearing his up.

Characters

People tell MCS to stay out of the cold, but he only obeys when Yan-daifu tells him.

Prince Yu and MCS are no longer pretending Su Zhe exists.

Prince Yu is so impressed by MCS he bows to him and vows to protect him.

Mu Qing told Jingyan about MCS moving house. They must be only friendly terms.

Fei Liu talks more than I remember.

Nihuang has sent Tingsheng to Jingyan. Tingsheng is doing military training 6 hours a day.

Time

It’s the winter solstice.

It takes an hour (they said half a shichen) to get to Jingyan’s house by road from Su Manor.

Jingyan was given his house when he was 17.

Place

Jingyan’s house is massive. It contains a full training ground.

The beast (Nie Feng) is at Mt Xiaogu in Lantai county.

[cosmoglaut]

Since I’m watching a lot of ZZH dramas, I thought I would put up links in one place for myself, and for others in case they want to get obsessed with (or, y’know, just normally like to check) this fucking gorgeous man.

WARNING: LONG POST. I don’t want to use Read More cut.

0. Nirvana in Fire (2015) (54 episodes)

This is an obsession that gripped me so badly that I didn’t even liveblog and inflict it upon others. I have already finished this once and am on my rewatch. I was going to put it last because I thought I would list them in the order I have watched, but this deserves to be on top.

I DO NOT GET INTO FICS THAT EASILY and yet, I have already consumed a few!

To be fair, ZZH has a very minor role in this. He plays the younger version of main character Lin Shu. And if you watch it on youtube, his scenes are edited out now  🖕 so I won’t link youtube here.

Main actors in this series are:

Hu Ge  (who I didn’t expect to be get swept by and honestly this much handsomeness in a single person should not be allowed), who plays main character Lin Shu/Mei Chgansu/Su Zhe. Intrigued? GOOD!

Liu Tao who plays Princess Mu Nihuang who is a badass, smart princess.

Wang Kai (just hearteyes all over ok?) who plays Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan, and has just the kind of chemistry with Lin Shu that my id craves for. (Let me just say, loyalty kink in the series is just off the charts.)

The story is that of revenge, political machinations, love, friendship (or in my case, just ship), with liberal amount of humor sprinkled. If main cast is brilliant, the supporting cast is just as phenomenal. It’s 6 years since the series, and people are still discovering it, getting crayzy over it. So much so that Hu Ge posted a happy 6th anniversary msg on weibo! It already has a sequel NiF 2 (haven’t watched yet), and its triquel was announced recently (I read about that on 15th Oct 2021) slated for 2024.

Even though I wanted to watch it to get my ZZH fills, it didn’t matter that he was in it for a small bit. I have already drowned in it. I have cried, sobbed, laughed, had my heart racing, felt such a dejection on Lin Shu’s behalf, felt utter vindication of him, and finally had my heart ripped out. I know an obsession as they have been long time friends. And this is An Obsession™. 

SO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED ALREADY and come cry with me 😭😭

Available with original scenes on viki Downloads: working torrent 1, working torrent 2, viki subs

For viki subs download, you will be required to join the NiF community. But it’s absolutely worth because the subs that came with the torrent were butchered version of viki subs. I was EDITING AS I WAS REWATCHING, no thanks. Also, viki episodes are a bit low rez, but still good to watch.

*******************************************************************************************

1. Legend of Yunxi (2018) (48 episodes)

Han Yunxi (Ju Jingyi), a daughter of an Imperial doctor is married off to oh-so-stoic-but-oh-so-gorgeous Prince Qin, Long Feiye (ZZH). It’s a marriage both don’t want but are saddled with now. Yunxi, who’s a potions genius, gets embroiled in all kinds of political intrigue due to her association with Prince Qin. Both start respecting each other and fall in love. Although path of love isn’t easy as there’s another suitor who’s trying to win over Yunxi. In terms of tags:

#love triangle #historical drama #superb female characters #gorgeous ZZH #excellent political machinations #BAD ENDING #Alternate ending available

Highly recced 😍 in spite of the fact that I thought the romance angle of the series was bleh (cause I don’t care about love triangle). But the last vertex is Mi Re (Merxat) who’s just too good looking. And uh... gives off vibes of both WWX and WKX in the beginning episodes?

Available on youtube and viki. If you want to download, do that here (hardcoded eng subs)

As a rule of thumb, viki has better subtitles, but youtube has better resolution. YT also has alternate endings. I d/l-ed and watched. Those episodes have viki subs so that’s actually a good thing.

*******************************************************************************************

2. Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion (2020) (40 episodes + 3 spin-off episodes)

Unofficial sequel of LoYX due to its BE. It ACTUALLY mentions the story of Yunxi in this series, like, Yunxi is canon in this verse 😂 People couldn’t get enough of ZZH+Ju Jingyi, so have another cake!

Fu Rong (again Ju Jingyi) accidentally crosses paths with Prince Su, Xu Jin (ZZH), and keeps crossing them again and again. Well, there’s love and then marriage and simultaneously a whole lot of other things happen. Yet again, there’s a love triangle 🙄 which is fairly stupid. In fact, the entire plotline felt all over the place. Also, the cast from LoYX is recycled, so you see same actors (which ok since they’re good.) Some got better deal in this. Absolute must mention are Wang Youshuo who plays the character of Wu Baiqi, an eventual lieutenant under  Prince Su.  He is the love interest of Fu Rong’s older sister Fu Xuan played by frankly unbelievably beautiful Xu Jiaqi (who also has a vital role in LoYX). More than the primary romance of Fu Rong and Prince Su, I loved this secondary one! Wang Youshuo was fantastic! Also, Rong household gave me a strong vibe of Bennet household.

Tbh, if you watch LoYX twice instead of this one, no big loss, but consider this: ZZH smiles and laughs a lot more in this 🥺🥺 And well, his acting is amazing as usual. Isn’t that enough 🥺🥺 Although, given how popular it got, you may like it more than I did. And it actually is very likeable if you don’t expect the plot to hold too tightly! I never felt like I should give up on it.

40 main episodes available on youtube and viki

Spin-offs (or special episodes)

I kid you not, this is a modern reincarnation AU that they ACTUALLY FILMED. Because people STILL couldn’t get enough of ZZH+Ju Jingyi. I am completely onboard with that kind of sentiment. Links:

Special episode 1

Special episode 2

Special episode 3

And because IT’S STILL NOT ENOUGH, HAVE A LAST BITE OF THEIR ROMANCE (what you thought just because I put 3 sp ep in the title, there’ll be only 3? *hmphs at your innocence*)

Special episode 4

#overload of ZZH 💗💗🥴

[psqqa]

Nirvana in Fire Character Reference Sheet Roughly in the Order Those Characters Are Introduced

For @howdydowdy, as promised, and for anyone else who, like me, is terrible at names and needs some kind of “Who?? Ohhh right. That guy.” reminder.

Basically, my Nirvana in Fire Journey started with me watching half the first episode, being wildly confused, realizing I was in over my head re: names and thus deciding to go back to the beginning and watch it again But Taking Notes This Time. I watched the whole show with a notebook and pen at my side. I figured I may as well spare you all the labour by typing it up. 

As more information was revealed, I often added it to a character’s initial note, but by and large I’m leaving those extra notes out so you can experience the joy and confusion and anguish of New Information yourself. The exception to this is generally a person’s name, title, and position. E.g. Duke Qing’s name, Bai Ye, isn’t mentioned until a number of episodes after he’s first mentioned, if I recall correctly, but knowing that the person named “Bai Ye” is the same person called “Duke Qing” is exactly why I took these notes for myself in the first place.

Basically this isn’t intended to be a character guide that lays out exactly who a person is, their relationships to the other characters, and their place in the story, but rather something you can look at whenever someone mentions a name that jogs your memory just enough for you to be able to place to person. Which is why the notes tend to be either the context in which the person was introduced or the relationship through which they’re introduced.

Some names and notes are inherently spoilers, but hopefully by virtue of the fact that this is broadly in the order a character is first mentioned/introduced, you can avoid spoilers simply by not scrolling down too far. For those persons where their name or an alter ego comes in significantly after their initial introduction and is a spoiler, they are listed a second time starting with the “new information” and with the note in italics indicating their original entry (there aren’t a lot of these, don’t worry).

I will readily admit that some of my handwritten notes are just a name and then a blank space because apparently I just never actually added a note for them. I haven’t bothered adding those people here. Yes it’s because I’ve forgotten entirely who they are, but I’m pretty sure that means you’ll be okay if you immediately forget who they are too. (That being said, I get the sense there are actually relevant people missing from this list. As the show carried on and introductions became less frequent, remembering them became less difficult.)

The List

Lin Xie –> Commander of the Chiyan Army

Lin Shu –> “Xiao-Shu” –> Lin Xie’s son –> Mei Changsu --> Chief of the Jiangzuo Alliance --> Su Zhe

Lin Chen –> Young Master of Langya Hall –> NOTE: The “Lin” of Lin Chen and the “Lin” of Lin Xie & Lin Shu are both written and pronounced differently. These people are not related.

Northern Yan’s 6th Prince –> Now Northern Yan’s Crown Prince

Minister Xu –> Da Liang’s envoy to Northern Yan

Prince Yu –> Xiao Jinghuan –> 5th Prince of Da Liang

Xiao Xuan –> Emperor of Da Liang

Empress Yan --> Prince Yu’s adoptive mother

Consort Yue --> Crown Prince’s mother

Grand Empress (Dowager) --> Emperor’s grandmother

Xiao Jingxuan --> Crown Prince of Da Liang --> metonym is “Eastern Palace”

Zhuo Dingfeng --> Master of Tianquan Manor

Zhuo Qingyao --> Eldest son of Zhuo Dingfeng --> guy on the horse and later the guy helping the old couple on the boat and later also the guy who calls Xie Yu “father-in-law” (I am telling you this specifically because I am not bad at faces but this guy added so much confusion to my life that was cleared up the moment I realized these people were the same person. And also because my mother is terrible at faces and for like 15 episodes every time he showed up in another random place I would say “that’s horse and boat guy” and she would say “wait what? really???” So I’m assuming at least one other person will share in this struggle)

Xie Yu --> Marquis of Ning

Qin Banruo --> Prince Yu’s strategist

Duke Qing --> Prime Minister --> Bai Ye

Ji Ying --> member of Double Sword Sect

Li Gang --> member of Jiangzuo Alliance

Fei Liu --> Mei Changsu’s bodyguard

Yan Yujin --> Son of Empress Yan’s brother

Xiao Jingrui --> Eldest son of Xie Yu

Mu Nihuang --> Commander of the army in Yunnan --> Princess of Yunnan’s House of Mu 

Xie Bi --> Second son of Xie Yu & Xiao Jingrui’s younger brother

Mu Qing --> Mu Nihuang’s younger brother

Xia Dong --> An officer of the Xuanjing Bureau

Nie Feng --> Xia Dong’s late husband --> Vanguard General of the Chiyan Army under Lin Xie

Meng Zhi --> Commander of the Imperial Guards

Xuan Bu --> From Da Yu --> stronger than Meng Zhi

Gao Zhan --> Emperor’s chief eunuch 

Fei Changshi --> Prince Yu’s guy out looking for Mei Changsu

Prince Jing --> Xiao Jingyan --> 7th Prince of Da Liang

Concubine Jing --> Mother of Prince Jing

“Xiao-Xin” --> Attendant to Concubine Jing

Grand Princess Liyang --> Xie Yu’s wife & Emperor’s sister

Eunuch Zheng --> Eunuch who is mean to Tingsheng

Prince Qi --> late Crown Prince of Da Liang --> Xiao Jingyu

Tingsheng --> servant boy caught reading

“Lao-Wei” --> Mu Qing’s subordinate of some kind

Wei Zheng --> member of Chiyan Army at Battle of Meiling (and survived)

Sima Lei --> member of Royal Guard --> Consort Yue’s preferred suitor for Mu Nihuang

Liao Tingjie --> Son of the Marquis of Zhongsu --> Empress Yan’s preferred suitor Mu Nihuang

Baili Qi --> Mu Nihuang suitor from Northern Yan --> A favourite of the 4th Prince of Northern Yan

Lady/Madam Zhuo --> Zhuo Dingfeng’s wife

Xie Qi --> Zhuo Qingyao’s wife & Xie Yu’s daughter & Jingrui’s sister

Consort Hui --> bullied by the Empress

Young Lady Zhen (I think is what my handwriting says) --> servant being sneaky at late dowager empress’s palace

“Wu-momo” --> older servant with the Bad Wine

Consort Chen --> now dead --> son was a rebel

3rd Prince of Da Liang --> Xiao Jingting --> Prince Ning --> disabled

6th Prince of Da Liang --> no ambition 

9th Prince of Da Liang --> too young to fight for throne 

Former Crown Princess --> late Prince Qi’s late wife

“Qi-momo” --> Grand Princess Liyang’s senior attendant

Gong Yu --> window lady who works with Mr. Shisan --> a musician

Mr. Shisan --> member of Jiangzuo Alliance --> connection to Lin family

Minister Lou --> Lou Zhijing --> Minister of Trade/Finance/Revenue/other words that mean “money” --> Knows about the corpse well --> Crown Prince’s faction

Zhang Jing --> Owner of corpse well house (Lan Mansion) at the time the corpses ended up in the well

Shi Jun --> Servant at corpse well house at relevant time --> has record book

Magistrate Gao --> Gao Sheng --> The Capital Magistrate

Princess Xuanji --> ruler of a previous dynasty --> founded the “Hong Court”

Minister Qi --> Qi Min--> Minister of Justice --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister He --> He Jingzhong --> Minister of Personnel --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister of Public Works --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister Chen --> Chen Yuanzhi --> Minister of Rites --> Crown Prince’s faction

Minister of Defence --> Li Lin --> Crown Prince’s faction

Bai Xun --> Duke Qing’s brother

Lie Zhanying --> Staff Officer under Prince Jing

Qi Meng --> One of Prince Jing’s men --> fights Fei Liu and commits Great Offence

“General Bian” --> One of Prince Jing’s men

Shen Zhui --> Acting Minister of Finance

Princess Qing He --> Shen Zhui’s mother

Cai Quan --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> Did well-received report on the Bing case 

Han Zhiyi --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Zhang Jianzhen --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Wei Yuan --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Yuan Shiying --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Qin Yue --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Tong Lu --> Vegetable cart guy --> brother of one of the corpse well girls 

Qiu Zhe --> Son of Count (Duke?) Wen Yuan

He Wenxin --> Son of Minister He --> dislikes Qiu Zhe 

Grand Prince Ji --> Emperor’s youngest brother --> Owns hot springs

Yang Liuxin --> A dancer

Hong Xinzhao --> Has “understanding girls”

Xinliu & Xinyang --> Brothel sisters --> their younger brother was murdered by Qiu Zhe

Princess Consort --> Lanjin --> Prince Yu’s wife

Zhou Xuanqing --> renowned scholar

Li Chong --> former Imperial Tutor --> former teacher to Lin Shu

“Brother Zhao” --> Canal transport guy --> Jiangzuo Alliance

Lin Xiangru --> famous literary envoy

Marquis Yan --> Yan Que --> Yan Yujin’s father & Empress Yan’s brother

Lin Yueyao --> Prince Qi’s mother --> Consort Chen

Zhen Ping --> Jiangzuo Alliance --> sword challenger

Xia Qiu --> An officer of the Xuanjing Bureau

Xia Chun --> The most senior of the officers of the Xuanjing Bureau

Prince Jingli --> Consort Hui’s son

Yuwen Xuan --> Prince Ling --> A prince of Southern Chu

Yuwen Nian --> “Niannian” --> A princess of Southern Chu --> student of Yue Xiuze

Yuwen Lin --> King of Southern Chu --> Yuwen Nian’s father

Ouyang Chi - Head of CApital Patrols

Xia Jiang --> Head of the Xuanjing Bureau

Li Chongxin --> Schoolteacher assassinated by Zhuo Dingfeng 

Jun Niang --> former member of “Hong Court” under Princess Xuanji

“Miss Liu” --> Granddaughter of former Chief Secretariat Liu Cheng

Wei Qi --> The general at Jiaxing Pass --> was Xie Yu’s lieutenant for years

Su Tianshu --> Chief of Yaowang Valley --> 7th on the Langya Rich List

Su Xuan --> Su Tianshu’s adopted son --> Wei Zheng

Yun Piaomiao --> Su Xuan’s wife 

Concubine Xiang --> Prince Yu’s birth mother

Zhu Yue --> Head of the Review Court --> Prince Yu’s brother-in-law

Cheng Zhiji --> Elder Master of Feng Hall --> 75 years old

Princess Linglong --> A princess of the Hua Kingdom --> Princess Xuanji’s sister --> Concubine Xiang

Grand Princess Jinyang --> Lin Shu’s mother & Lin Xie’s wife --> Emperor’s sister

Yao Zhu --> Official Fan’s servant who knows The Secret

Official Fan --> Harbouring Xia Jiang

[annelesbonny]

List of Nirvana in Fire characters I would die for:

Fei Lui (small murder child, cutest lil ponytail)

Mei Changsu/Su Zhe/his og name that I forget rn (sneaky boi, please rest tall child)

Mu NiHuang (most beautiful, most likely to step on me)

Prince Jing (angry cat found in dumpster follows me home and into my heart)

General Meng (beautiful facial hair, beautiful heart)

The Grand Empress (“who’s child is?” I CRY)

Jingrui (tries hard, feels things, a Good boy)

Yan Yujin (I just *clenches fist* love an idiot)

[kyrrahbird]

Ky’s 琅琊榜 Nirvana in Fire/Lang Ya Bang liveblog experience

EPISODE 2

[prev] | [next]

Time for episode 2!! the one you should really stick around for!! Altho ill be honest, episode 3 is when it really really gets going. this ep is still introducing more major characters LMAO

We left ep 1 finding out about a competition for Nihuangs hand. thank god ep 2 picks up with a discussion about that

The princess is a marquess general rank and has made it on to the Langya martial list

have i mentioned i LOVE HER

unfortunately the emperor is very paranoid

(summary of the whole drama)

and Nihuang is apparently too powerful. hes trying to limit her power with marriage

HIM

I love this intro. Crunchy knuckles man

Bamf and ominous!!

little did I know!!

They also casually drop that Xie Yu controls the capitol patrol guards

i sure do hope that doesnt become relevant later

I still do not like prince yu. hes trying to control Nihuang :(

Mei Changsu has disappeared!! Right under their noses!!

He’s already delighting me

“Even though Fei Liu has mental insufficiencies, he has a good temperament” I CACKLED

MY FACE TOO

Great father-figure, just letting hes souped-up superhero kid wander wherever

But thats okay, we now get to see Commander Meng and Fei Liu battle it out

Fei Liu is HORRIFIED that there might be someone he cant beat

All the fight scenes serve multiple purposes too. Xie Yu is Judging™

Commander Meng “I wouldn’t have dared say I could have won within a hundred moves” 

Cut to Xie Yu’s double take 

SOMETHING CLICKED

you used the Su Zhe alias for like 1 day tops and its already nearly useless

It’s solely to confuse first time watchers

Fei Liu being depressed against a pole im dying

(MCS said he couldnt have beaten Commander Meng)

Im not making a comment about that quote

youre making a comment about that quote

But Xie Bi is onto MCS secret and runs straight to prince yu, while Xie Yu runs straight to the crown prince LMOA

So predictable

“Openly yet discretely took discretely took up residence in my househole”

Yeah it wasnt that discreet 

Also love how Xie Yu goes “yeah no we’re probably gonna have to kill him”

OH

HEY GUESS WHOS FINALLY HERE

YEAH

THE OTHER MAIN CHARACTER

PRINCE JING. JINGYAN. MY PRINCEEEEE

i love how hes just so,,, fucking blunt

and terse

absolutely no social niceties

Xia Dong just stares off into the middle distance and refuses to acknowledge him

Priceless

“This wouldnt be another big conspiracy case would it?”

THATS SO DANG POINTED

i didnt even know what was going on the first time and i still figured out that was a pointed dig. Xia Dong’s look of outrage is priceless

AND THEN HE JUST FUCKS OFF

So Lin Xie (our mc’s dad) apparently killed Xia Dongs husband and that was part of this whole big Chiyan conspiracy that resulting in the army being massacred and mcs falling off a cliff and not dying

But Prince Jing and Nihuang dont believe it. dun dun dunnnn

I remember the first time i watched this and i had the thought that this dude is just. dead inside

I was not wrong

His life sucks rn

And his father and brothers are making him stand outside for hours

thank god for gao zhan the eunuch

His dad FORGOT about him

His brothers piss me off soooo much. i can just see his desire to sink into the floor and/or throttle them both and I CONCUR

And here we have Jingyan’s mother!!!

The real mvp of the show

shes also absolutely gorgeous

And sad that her son didnt visit :((((

Jingrui protecting mcs from his mother and the empress is precious and absolutely breaks my heart

“There’s nothing moral about needlessly placing a friend in a difficult position” AAAAAAA

The thing i loved was that foreshadowing was always evident (through the music and stress and long stares) even if u had no idea what was being foreshadowed 

They’re deliberately late to the fight show so that they dont end up in the boring procession

We (briefly) see Mu Qing who is Nihuang’s lil bro and a Whole Idiot. I love him

But then we get the gr8 scene of the Crown Prince and Prince Yu blatantly jockeying for MCS’s favour

MCS manages to deftly deflect all their gifts

its incredible

Yujin and Jingrui are just looking on like o_o’’’

ooooh no

we’re going to meet the grand dowager empress (the emperors grandmother)

;;A;; IM GONNA CRY

“She is the most peaceful grandmother on earth” oooo my heart

I LOVE THIS bc i was not entirely clear on the family relation here the first time but i still knew EXACTLY what this meant to mcs

THAT MUSIC

she doesnt remember any of them ;;n;;;

HIS EYEEEES

SHE CALLS HIM XIAO-SHU

AAAAAA

u just know this is important. that this recognition is everything hes lost (his family, his friends, his fiance)

but his great grandmother still recognises him

She remembered his favourite sweet too TAT

oh no

and MCS grips nihuang’s hand!!!

Jingrui had to remind him to leave

im so sad :((((( 

I feel bad for his great grandmother;;;

And then he goes back to lying

Why you always lyyyyinggggg

Nihuang asking the pertinent questions like “why tf would you come to the capital, where all the politics are, to REST?”

She may have a point

This ep ends with a slave boy being whipped when spills a bucket of water :000

Which means next ep is the MEETING

I said this one would be shorts and it....nearly is. Apparently i have a lot of thots on Every Scene /surprised pikachu face. 

[caravanslost]

Nirvana in Fire

Are you in the market for a new hyper-fixation? Something so good that you’ll find yourself periodically pausing and reaching for a cushion in which to smash your face? Characters for whom you would, in all seriousness, die? 

If so, look no further than Nirvana in Fire. 

Nothing short of physical screaming can accurately convey how much I love this show. It is easily - easily - one of the best I’ve ever watched. I find myself thinking about it during the middle of the workday and smiling absently like a lovesick schmuck. I have preached its gospel to every unwitting soul that has crossed my path in the last month.

Best of all, all 54 episodes are on YouTube, with subtitles. 

Plot

Nirvana In Fire is so intricately well-plotted that it constitutes foreplay. It begins with a dozen, seemingly disparate threads, and you don’t realize they’re being woven together until you notice a tight rope wrapped around your heart. 

Because of its complexity, it’s difficult to summarise. Below, I’ve included a brief synopsis from TV tropes - but oh, my god, this isn’t even 5% of it.

Mei Changsu, the brilliant leader of a powerful martial arts alliance, hides his true identity as the young Marshall Lin Shu. He returns to the capital of his native country in order to claim justice for his wrongly executed father and the entire Chiyan army, to which he belonged. Set in a fictionalized ancient China, the drama revolves around complex political strategies with a healthy dose of kung fu action and character drama.

Major themes

You will like this show if your fancy is tickled by the following:

Identity porn: The main character, Mei Changsu, has three identities. His original identity, Lin Shu, is presumed to be dead. One of the best things about this show is watching the remaining characters - and one of them  in particular - slowly work out who he is. It is SEX.

A machiavellian hero: Mei Changsu is also a genius political strategist. He moves people, incidents, and confrontations around like he’s playing chess with them. This, too, is sex.

Politics/Court intrigue: At its heart, this show is about a game of thrones. Its emotional dividends in this regard are superlative.  

Bromance that will bring you to your knees: Mei Changsu enters into the service of his childhood best friend, Prince Jing, without revealing his true identity to the Prince. You will witness their interactions  and loyalty and you will cry hot, salty tears over it. I promise.

Justice as a nine-course Michelin-starred degustation menu: Although this show is often described as a “revenge” show, it’s really more about grand wrongs being put very, very right. It’s viscerally satisfying,

Other reasons to watch this show

I’ve kept them down to three.

The incredibly polished production: It’s honestly worth watching for the costume porn and intricate sets alone.

Almost everyone is really, really hot:

Hu Ge, who plays Mei Changsu/Su Zhe/Lin Shu, has a face as delicate as a butterfly wing.

Wang Kai, who plays Prince Jing, has a death stare known to dissolve all panties within a five kilometre radius. 

Liu Mintao, who plays Consort Jing (Prince Jing’s mom), is the embodiment of the concept of grace.

Liu Tao, who plays Princess Mu Nihuang, is an ARMY GENERAL. 

Chen Long, who plays Commander Meng Zhi, is so very hot, and so very dumb.

The plot, again: Just - trust me on this, okay?

One more thing

This show is huge in its scope, and it jumps right into the narrative. It will take several episodes for you to meet all the characters understand where they fit, but you should absolutely give it time. It’s worth it, I promise. In the meantime, here’s a handy character guide to keep you going. 

And finally - if you do watch it, and enjoy it, come scream in my inbox!

[semirahrose]

Nirvana in Fire (for the hopelessly confused)™.

Or, “How to survive the first few episodes.”

Nirvana in Fire takes in medias res to a new level, then throws in an ensemble cast in the middle of political machinations to top it all off. It may be one of the best shows you’ll ever watch, but only if you can survive the beginning.

Unless you've read the novel it’s based on, the Confusion is Real. Some viewers may be reliant on subtitles in their native language and have less time to commit faces to memory. The first episodes are central, but very hard to digest. Here’s something for folks who want to give the show a shot but also want to live. 

(Nothing on these graphics or in the accompanying text includes info beyond the first two episodes and the beginning of the third.)

Lin Shu (A.K.A Mei Changsu, Su Zhe): Man on a mission. One-stop-shop for all your hurt/comfort needs. Prodigy, was once a skilled fighter. “Died” in Meiling at 19 years old. Has been plotting and dealing with an as-yet unspecified illness in the 12 years since the massacre of the Chiyan army. Goal: get justice, root out corruption in the court, put his friend ▼ on the throne. Method: get invited to capital by his pal Jingrui and get cracking.

Xiao Jingyan: Very hotheaded if you know which buttons to push. (Everyone knows which buttons to push.) Traits of note: Loyalty, rock-solid moral backbone, occasional leaps before looking, eviscerating snark and a give-no-f***s attitude. Still mourning Lin Shu (and many others). Won't show up until episode 2. (Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it...) Hates strategists, which is too bad for our main character ▲, but also good for him, because while Prince Jing is busy hating him—and MCS purposely makes it easy for Prince Jing to do just that—he won’t find it easy to question his strategist’s motives and uncover his true identity.

And now for a rousing round of...

On first watch, it’s really hard to parse allegiances. Too many shifty folks Doing Secret Stuff. Below are some simple charts to demystify the first two episodes. 

The charts have simple information. Consult them if you just want a quick primer. If you need more in-depth information, see the bullet-pointed lists below.

Xie Yu, father of Jingrui and husband of the Emperor’s sister Liyang, plays at being neutral but is actually supporting the crown prince, all while knowing that his younger son by blood, Xie Bi, is supporting Prince Yu. Because of the custody arrangement due to Jingrui’s uncertain birth status, he is close friends with the Zhuo family, who are masters of a sect of martial arts outside the capital. He uses them regularly to do his dirty work.

The Zhuo family (above: father Dingfeng and son Qingyao) is a martial arts family.  In this episode, they attempt to assassinate prince Yu while he is outside the capital. (Jingrui has no freaking idea any of this is going on. Completely clueless.)

When that doesn’t work, Qingyao moves to help an elderly couple (pictured above), get to safety from some of Prince Yu’s supporters (ish) in big boats, who would really like to kill them. Mei Changsu��slides in like a true drama queen, playing the flute, and the couple does, indeed, get to safety. This couple, as revealed at the end of the episode, has dirt on Duke Qing, an influential minister under Prince Yu’s control. Duke Qing and his people have been appropriating property and killing folks, among other things. It is to the Crown Prince’s advantage that Duke Qing is put on trial, so Xie Yu asks the Zhuos to ensure the couple’s safe passage. 

Basically, this whole episode is about the two highest ranked princes (jerks, the both of them), trying to one-up, smear, and/or kill one another.

Turns out that, while Prince Yu went in person to Langya Hall to ask how to become Emperor, the Crown Prince sent some of his supporters to ask for the very same information. They both receive it in episode 1.

At the end of the first episode, you see Nihuang and the Emperor speak with Xia Dong, an investigative officer. The Emperor has successfully received the elderly couple’s report. He sends Xia Dong to investigate its veracity.

Xiao Jinghuan, Prince Yu: Xiao is his surname, and the name his father emperor and all his brothers share. The “Jing” in his given name is, you might notice, a bit of a theme. All the children of the emperor have this character in their names. (Xiao Jinghuan, Xiao Jingxuan, Xiao Jingyan.) Though Xiao Jingrui, son of the Xie and Zhuo families, has that whole imperial name thing going, he is not related to the emperor. The reason will be explained mid episode 3, actually!

Qin Banruo is very smart and has a network of spies she puts to use for Prince Yu’s benefit. 

Duke Qing  has been stealing land and murdering people. Things like this are not too terribly out of the usual for the supporters of the Crown Prince and Prince Yu, or the princes themselves.

Xie Bi wholeheartedly supports Prince Yu because he’s swallowed Prince Yu’s facade of wisdom and kindness hook, line, and sinker. Has absolutely no idea that his father, Xie Yu, is supporting the Crown Prince in order to play both sides. Xie Yu, however, is aware of his son’s allegiances.

We are now done with the primary princes and their supporters. Here are a lot of cool folks who show up in the first episodes and very short descriptions of their roles/relationships. None are affiliated with/supporting the Crown Prince/Prince Yu.

Commander General Meng Zhi: The only person Lin Shu/Mei Changsu informed of his plans before arriving in the capital. He was worried for Lin Shu and strongly advised him never to return. Knew Lin Shu when he was a boy, and once fought with the Chiyan Army. Now is in charge of the Imperial Guard. Will not act to harm the Emperor directly, but supports Mei Changsu’s bid for justice.

Li Gang shows up in the first episode giving a report to Mei Changsu/Lin Shu. Nice guy, member of Jiangzuo Alliance. Mother hen of MCS.

Xia Dong and Nihuang would have been close friends, but their respective positions in the massacre put them at odds. Xia Dong lost her husband, and believes the Lin family murdered him to keep him from reporting the “rebellion.” Mu Nihuang lost Lin Shu, to whom she was once engaged, and believes in the Lin family’s innocence. Xia Dong is about ready for Nihuang to marry so Nihuang’s connection to the Lins is no longer hanging between them. She hates Prince Jing because he has actively defended the Lin family in the past. The emperor mostly wants to tie Nihuang to a husband in order to control her.

Yan Yujin and Xiao Jingrui: Very close friends. Jingrui spent some time with his Other Dad outside the capital, exploring. He goes to pick up his friend Mei Changsu, since he has received news that Mei Changsu is suffering from a serious illness. He and Yujin go to invite MCS to the capital to recover at Jingrui’s family’s manor. (All according to Mei Changsu’s plan.)

Grand Princess Liyang: Soft-spoken. Unbreakable. Core of steel. Does not deserve to be married to Xie Yu, honestly. :(

Grand Empress: AKA that nice old lady who will make you cry in ep 2.

Mu Qing: Nihuang’s brother. Very, very invested in her suitor tournament and is angry that any of those fools would dare to seek his sister’s hand. Nosy, sweet, best intentions. Will fight everyone.

Tingsheng: I can’t spoil you, but keep an eye on him. Good fella, wants to learn how to read.

Lin Chen, friend of Mei Changsu and inveterate troll. Young master of Langya Hall. Exhausted doctor to Mei Changsu. 1000% done with everything. Also a troll. He gave both princes the exact same information when they came to ask after the throne: If they wanted to become Emperor, they’d need none other than Mei Changsu himself.

[convenientalias]

Some Nirvana in Fire Ficlets

It occurred to me that I never linked to my more recent Nirvana in Fire ficlets here, so I thought I’d drop them now. They’re all basically gen with just a little shippiness.

One Long, Treacherous Riddle

Su Zhe comes to visit Liyang shortly before her husband's exile. (1.4k, character study.)

A Slightly Precipitate Requiem

In which Prince Yu is informed that Mei Changsu was poisoned at the Xuanjing Bureau and will probably die within the week. (1k, gen.)

So I heard you broke Sima Lei’s leg

In the aftermath of Noble Consort Yue's attack on Nihuang, Nihuang and Qing have a talk. (843, gen.)

fighter and lover

Mu Qing is amazed by people’s misconceptions about his sister. (1k, Nihuang/Xia Dong.)

So that’s all that. I’ve been kind of behind on linking to my fics in general, but particularly Nirvana in Fire, which is my current obsession :) I’ve now watched up to episode 40, but then I had to restart at the beginning bc I wanted to watch it with a friend.

[vassa07]

Bride kidnapping

Peyring / Characters: Mu Nihuan / Mei Chansu (Su Zhe, Lin Shu) Sources: footage from the series, photos from the network

[sovinly]

Chapters: 8/8 Fandom: 琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Yan Yu Jin, Lin Shu | Mei Changsu | Su Zhe, Xiao Jing Rui, Xia Dong, Mu Ni Huang, Yan Que, Xiao Jing Yan, Consort Jing, Gong Yu, Ensemble, Minor Characters Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gender or Sex Swap, Canon Rewrite, Politics, Women Being Awesome, Plotty, Gen Work, Political Alliances, Intrigue, Friendship, Fix-It of Sorts, Arranged Marriage, Secret Identity, Family Secrets, Families of Choice, Coming of Age, Background Relationships, Minor Original Character(s), Canon-Typical Violence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD Summary:

Yan Yujin has mostly evaded the worst consequences of the Chiyan case, despite her standing betrothal to Lin Shu. So warned, she precariously balances freedom and evading attention, and stays quite far away from politics for a number of reasons. Politics don't seem quite so keen to stay away from her.

A canon-divergence rewrite, based on the final scene of episode 46.

("At that time, everyone thought you were going to be a girl"/"If I was a girl, who would I have been engaged to?")

For @nyquildriver, who is amazing, insightful, supportive, and an utter delight.

[galeaya067]

Chapters: 15/15 Fandom: 琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Lin Shu | Mei Changsu | Su Zhe/Xiao Jingyan Characters: Lin Shu | Mei Changsu | Su Zhe, Xiao Jing Yan, Mu Ni Huang, Lin Chen, Lie Zhan Ying, Consort Jing, Cast Cameos Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Corporate, Reality TV, Crack Treated Seriously, Secret Identity, Happy Ending, (I mean come on it's the holidays), (which calls for romcom shenanigans), (an ensemble cast episodic romcom), (don't think too hard about it) Summary:

“I did tell you Madame Jing warned me that if you did not make an effort to meet more people, she would take matters into her own hands,” Zhanying says, giving Jingyan a stoic look that manages to convey all of his aggrieved disappointment.

Jingyan reluctantly participates in a reality TV dating show, and falls in love—just not with any of the contestants.

[anchorpointua-blog]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Lin Shu | Mei Changsu | Su Zhe/Mu Nihuang, Nie Duo/Mu Nihuang Characters: Xiao Jing Yan, Nie Duo, Lin Shu | Mei Changsu | Su Zhe, Mu Ni Huang Additional Tags: Afterlife, Reincarnation Series: Part 2 of Afterlife, Incarnations Summary:

MCS can't pass through the Heaven's gate because he has something unsolved. Adventure of the very decisive ghost

[rhea314]

Fandom: 琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Lin Shu | Mei Changsu | Su Zhe/Mu Nihuang/Xiao Jingyan, Mu Nihuang/Xiao Jingyan Characters: Xiao Jingyan, Mu Nihuang Additional Tags: Grief, Secret Relationship, Pre-Canon, CNTW because Lin Shu might not die on-screen but wow his death is integral to this fic, Podfic, Podfic Length: 0-10 Minutes

Summary: Xiao Jingyan is in Mu Nihuang’s tent, having slipped into it well past the time they were both supposed to be asleep, because he cannot help himself and knows she will welcome his company. They are two sides of the same coin, these days, and the edge holding them together is (as it always has been) Lin Shu. That he is an absence and not a presence does not change that, though it has changed many other things.

[orangememory]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Mu Ni Huang/Xiao Jing Yan, Lin Shu | Mei Changsu | Su Zhe/Xiao Jingyan Characters: Mu Ni Huang, Xiao Jing Yan, Lin Shu | Mei Changsu | Su Zhe Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Angst, Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, Drama, Also hints of my favourite OT3 MCS/NH/JY, Emotional Hurt/Comfort Summary:

As the remnants of Lin Shu's memories devastate both Jingyan and Nihuang, they find peace and comfort in each other, deciding to grow old together. Written for a prompt where Jingyan and Nihuang reconnect.

| “I don’t think I ever forget the words of the people I care for, Princess,” he says, and falls into stillness.

They both watch their reflections dance with the moon, spending the night in silence, till Nihuang’s eyes droop and she falls into the leaves. Jingyan brings her head into his lap to save her from the hard ground, as he has done countless times before, and watches her sleep. Only in sleep, does Nihuang return to innocence.

[katekatharos]

Woman King, Sword in Hand (1427 words) by Katharos Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Mu Nihuang/Xiao Jingyan/Mei Changsu Characters: Mu Nihuang, Lin Shu | Mei Changsu | Su Zhe, Xiao Jingyan Additional Tags: what if au Series: Part 1 of Scenes from Another Universe Summary:

AU Three years before the series the Emperor falls ill, and the Prince Yu and the Crown Prince start a civil war. Nihuang has to make a choice - and the consequences of that take her further than she expected.

This is the responsibility of the Discord chat, and everyone who was talking about Emperor Nihuang.