This Chinese Drama With 3 Billion Views is Full-Fledged Game of Thrones Heir
Did you think no one could beat Game of Thrones for political intrigue? This Chinese show has already done it.
Summary:
- Although Game of Thrones is a fantasy show, its plot is built on political intrigue, and in this regard, its rightful successor is the Chinese series Nirvana in Fire.
- Nirvana in Fire tells the story of Lin Shu, whose family has been wrongly sentenced to death and who returns to court to prove it.
- Nirvana in Fire has been recognized as one of China's top dramas, watched by 3.3 billion viewers on iQiyi, and dubbed China's Game of Thrones by Western critics.
- Nirvana in Fire is available to watch on Viki.
On the surface, Game of Thrones is fantasy, filled with dozens of epic battles, dragons, and explicit scenes. But a closer look reveals a deep political philosophy, and references to real historical events.
One of the undeniable advantages of Game of Thrones is the complex socio-political structure of its universe. Typically, the fantasy world is bizarre and unrealistic, and this is its main attraction for the viewers.
But in the book and series, the focus is not on magic, but on history and politics. We see the slave-owning system of the city-states of Astapor, Meereen, and Yunkai, the nomadic tribes of the Dothraki, as well as Westeros, which is very reminiscent of the Middle Ages, and the palace intrigues inherent to that period.
Nirvana in Fire is Chinese Game of Thrones
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If you've been looking for a worthy replacement for the intrigue of Game of Thrones, you've just found it – and it is Nirvana in Fire.
This 54-episode Chinese series filled to the brim with masterfully twisted palace intrigue, treacherous crimes, power struggles, exciting investigations, and battles of wits among strategists.
And the defense of justice, honor, friendship, and loyalty is somehow still the main topic.
What is Nirvana in Fire About?
The Great Liang Army commander faces treason charges, and his whole family receives a death sentence. Only Lin Shu, who is 19 years old, makes it out alive. Lin Shu becomes a scientist after hiding out in the realm of Jianghu fighters for 12 years due to health issues that prevent him from practicing martial arts.
The fugitive returns to the capital under the guise of Su Zhe in order to take advantage of the chaos for the throne when a power struggle between the emperor's sons breaks out.
Su Zhe intends to promote the younger Prince Jing, who is not really interested in taking the throne and has never meddled in palace intrigues. Along the way, Su Zhe/Lin Shu tries to find proof that the accusations against his family are false.
The series became popular both in China and abroad – it garnered 3.3 billion views on the iQiyi platform alone, China's National Radio and Television Administration included the drama in the top 20 best series of 2015, and Western critics rightly called the series the Chinese Game of Thrones.
Where to Watch Nirvana in Fire?
Nirvana in Fire is available to watch on Viki.