Random Thoughts on Nirvana in Fire 2

-

When the sequel of Nirvana in Fire was first announced with Huang Xiaoming, I was disappointed in Daylight Entertainment for selecting an actor who's known for his overacting. I didn't even bother checking any info on the drama until its release this past December. It was only when I learned that Huang Xiaoming was cast as a "special"leading actor, meaning he's not the true male protagonist of the sequel, that I decided to read more about it and watch a few fanmade music videos of the main couple. It was a path of no return for me when I saw how stunning the visuals were in these fanmade videos. I became obsessed.


This sequel is also written by the original writer/creator, Hai Yan, who actually began writing a sequel to her original work before the success of Nirvana in Fire. The true male protagonist in the sequel is actually the 20-year old actor, Liu Haoran, who plays Xiao Pingjing, and not Huang Xiaoming's Xiao Pingzhang. Since the Nirvana in Fire 2 takes place 40 to 50 years after Nirvana in Fire, many of the beloved characters from the original are only briefly mentioned in Nirvana in Fire 2.

Sequels tend to disappoint and rarely do they surpass the original. Surprisingly, Nirvana in Fire 2 didn't disappoint and is really quite captivating if you just watch the drama without prior preconception. In fact, I feel more for the characters in Nirvana in Fire 2 than I ever did for Mei Changsu in Nirvana in Fire. The true protagonist of Nirvana in Fire 2 is Xiao Pingjing who seems to be the untold successor of young Lin Shu in the original Nirvana in Fire. I feel like Hai Yan penned the second installation to tell the story of Lin Shu if he hadn't transformed into Mei Changsu but continued his political life in the capital city as a young general. Xiao Pingjing is probably the last remaining blood descendant of Lin Shu/Mei Changsu's family. Xiao Pingjing's great grandmother was Lin Shu's paternal aunt.


If Nirvana in Fire is a revenge story of Mei Changsu/Lin Shu, Nirvana in Fire 2 is a growing up story of a carefree and privileged young man whose world turns upside down when his older brother dies.  The first half of the drama chronicles Xiao Pingjing's lack of interest in politics and in following his family military tradition. He takes a keen interest in living a swordman's life away from political intrigue. The latter half shows his transition into an ingenious military commander and ends up accomplishing more than what his father and brother ever hoped for.


Compared to the original whose romance content was probably hovering around 5% of the story content, the romance in Nirvana in Fire 2 isn't much much greater but an vast improvement to the original. Don't expect a full-blown out romantic story like Three Lives Three Worlds to unfold in Nirvana in Fire 2. The main pairing in Nirvana in Fire 2 is starred by two movie actors, Liu Haorang as Xiao Pingjing and Zhang Huiwen as Lin Xi. The love story between Xiao Pingjing and Lin Xi is only the icing on the cake and you will only get a taste of their romantic chemistry sporadically throughout the 50-episode drama.



Despite the small amount of screen time dedicated to our main couple, Chinese netizens absolutely adore this pairing. They exude an innocence and sweetness onscreen that I haven't seen for awhile in Chinese period dramas. There is rarely any physical display of affection. The most affectionate gesture you will see between Xiao Pingjing and Lin Xi is probably a friendly hug. Nonetheless, I couldn't help myself but root for this young pair.


Daylight Entertainment continues its stunning cinematography and offers breathtaking visual in its production. The details are perceptible in just these few shots. The cast and crew traveled to many remote destinations across China to offer us some really amazing backdrops and sets. Some scenes also required the entire team to hike up a mountain to film.




Popular Posts

Understanding the final episode of Sealed with a Kiss

-
Image
Are you unsatisfied and frustrated with the final episode? Expected a happily ever after? Apparently, the scriptwriter succeeded in getting us all hooked onto this series for 28 episodes and suddenly bombarded us with a really CRAPPY open ending. My reaction when I first finished watching the final shot of Mo Shaoqian  walking lonely toward the police station was like this...   I so expected the last scene to be the novel's ending where Tong Xue cried at the airport, and not Shaoqian at the police station!  At minimum, I think they should have put Shaoqian's police station scene before Tong Xue's airport scene. Then show us Shaoqian at the airport watching Tong Xue's cries from a distance, as described in the epilogue. To cure my poorly frustrated mood, I rushed to reread the dreamily happy epilogue that the author wrote for Sealed with a Kiss novel. After reading various analyses by different viewers online and the scriptwriter's comments about the endin
Read more

Character Guide to Nirvana in Fire 2: Wind Blows in Changlin

-
Image
Like Nirvana in Fire I, Nirvana in Fire 2: Winds Blow in Changlin has a plethora of characters that are not strictly good or evil. In terms of story execution, the sequel can be split into three phases, each driven by one of the three leading male characters. The central figure of the first phase is Huang Xiaoming's Xiao Xiaozhang whose intelligence and political shrewdness are well exhibited from Episode 1 to 25. The second phase is led by Liu Haorang's Xiao Pingjing. Although Xiao Pingjing also figures prominently in the first phase, his moment to shine is actually from Episode 28 onward. The focal character of the last phase is undoubtedly the antihero, Wu Haochen's Xiao Yuanqi. His slow progression into darkness and moral conflict bring the story into a new climate. This drama is officially being subtitled by DramaFever and Viki. You should go check out the series if you want to watch something that is not cheesy and has substance. Xiao Pingjing 萧平旌 - Second Yo
Read more

Ru Yi: The drama that brought Hawick Lau and Yang Mi together

-
Image
I'm sure many of you have heard the surprised announcement on January 8th about Yang Mi and Hawick Lau admitting to their romantic relationship on Sina weibo.  Personally, I always wanted Yang Mi to hook up with her Gong co-star, Feng Shaofeng, but that's wishful thinking. Real life is totally different from onscreen pairing. Trivia : Yang Mi was actually the producers' first choice to play Tong Xue in Sealed with a Kiss. I think she was offered the role, but she turned it down to accept another project, Beijing Love Story. I remember during the casting phase, the casting decision for Tong Xue was announced last while it was publicized pretty early that Hawick Lau would play Mo Shaoqian. Thus, many fans speculated for a long time that Yang Mi was cast as Tong Xue. Before Sealed with a Kiss ever started shooting, fans actually created a MV with Hawick as Mo Shaoqian and Yang Mi as Tong Xue, using previous existing materials from their individual series. Now I come to think
Read more

✿ Chinese Drama ✿ Sealed with a Kiss Miniseries Sequel

-
Image
Title: Sealed with a Kiss Miniseries Sequel / Qian Shan Mu Xue / 千山暮雪续集 # Episode : 7 (~10 minute each) Release Date : 2/14/2012 Broadcasting Company : Sohu TV Cast :　Hawick Lau as Mo Shaoqian, Ying'er as Tong Xue, Li Zhinan as Song Yi, Zheng Zhenglong as Wen Hao, Wen Mengyang as Liu Yueying, Liu Kenan as Zhao Gaoxiang, Angelina Ma Wei as Lisa
Read more