The First Jasmine

a warm hug

I must say—this has to be one of the best-constructed dramas I’ve watched. It might feel slow at first, but the buildup, the construction, the focus, the costumes, the character development, the plot, and the ending were all so beautifully done. Nothing felt rushed, and every character had a proper story and purpose.
What I loved most was how gently the drama navigated through each character’s trauma, illness, and emotional scars. It wasn’t just a revenge story; it was a story about people carrying so much pain and slowly learning how to live with it. After completing the series, I genuinely felt a strange sense of calm wash over me. 🥹 It felt like a warm hug. A very peaceful and rightful revenge story, where the drama actually did justice to its characters.
Every character felt like a puzzle piece, and the more I watched, the more the bigger picture came together. The story was full of twists, trauma, hidden layers, and symbolism, yet everything eventually connected. I especially loved how the drama showed that authority doesn’t need a loud voice. Ye Li’s calmness, intelligence, and capability were enough. She could show an entire enraged storm through a calm face, while Mo Xiu Yao could express so much through his eyes—the pain, love, restraint, and yearning were all there. Their relationship was especially beautiful because the love was shown through actions and quiet yearning rather than relying on intimate scenes. ❤️
Ye Li’s character growth was amazing. She initially cared for Mo Xiu Yao as part of repaying a debt, but slowly, through everything they went through together, she genuinely fell in love with him. Watching that transition happen so naturally was one of my favourite parts of the drama. And Mo Xiu Yao’s journey was equally beautiful.
I also absolutely loved the way the drama portrayed mental trauma and its aftereffects. Kinshu’s character was so beautifully made—the contrast between the calm Ye Li, her maid, the soft and childlike Kinshu, and the hallucinations created such an interesting portrayal of trauma. I loved the character who helped Kinshu as well, especially seeing how he eventually settled down with the musician. 🥹
Some of the side characters broke my heart. I felt especially sorry for Mo Xiu Yao’s sister-in-law, Wen Ran. Her story was so unfortunate. Ye Li’s sister, Ye Ying, also had such a difficult journey, and I genuinely felt sad for her. The death of Princess Ling Yun was heartbreaking too. And Mo Xiu Yao’s best friend’s story absolutely destroyed me—the feeling that they were finally going to be happy, only for that happiness to be taken away later, was devastating. 💔 I also loved the assassin brothers. Somehow, even the side characters felt complete because the drama actually gave them their own stories and endings.
The Mountain Academy storyline was heartbreaking as well. Seeing what happened there and how the powerful nobles treated everyone was painful, but honestly, the enemies had it coming. The revenge felt satisfying because it wasn’t just revenge for revenge’s sake—it had meaning behind it.
The visual direction was another thing I really appreciated. The drama wasn’t excessively grand or overloaded with elaborate costumes and ornaments. Everything felt intentional. The costumes were simple but beautiful, and every character’s dressing reflected something about them. I especially loved Wen Ran’s costumes—at the beginning, she barely cared about herself, and later, as she slowly began to heal and find herself again, the colours and details of her clothing seemed to come back too. Those little details made the world feel much more thoughtfully constructed.
Even the CGI and fantasy elements didn’t feel fake or distracting. They blended surprisingly well with the story. There weren’t many huge fight scenes, but the moment when Mo Xiu Yao did that DRIFT with his wheelchair??? 😭🔥 That was ICONIC and definitely stood out to me.
The pacing was very slow in the beginning, and initially the drama felt almost cold and distant. But honestly, I think the slow pacing was NECESSARY. If this story had been rushed, it would have completely lost its depth. The suspense was peak, and the plot was unpredictable enough that I became completely engrossed. It was the kind of drama where you slowly uncover one layer after another.
One of my favourite things was the symbolism. The stick man, the revenge, the costumes, the hallucinations—all of it had meaning. And I especially loved the full-circle moment when Ye Li returned to the camp in desperation and, unlike the previous time when she couldn’t see her husband, this time she actually found Mo Xiu Yao there. And there was no Kinshu anymore. No imaginary maid. It felt like Ye Li had finally let go of that part of herself. 🥹
And the ending!!! I loved how every character got an ending that actually suited their journey. Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao finally got their happiness after everything they had endured. Wen Ran and her son were able to live peacefully and actually begin living their lives. The Emperor finally secured the throne and had someone he could genuinely trust beside him. Even the man who was losing his eyesight found someone who stayed with him, cared for him, and helped him heal.
And Mo Xiu Yao’s best friend carrying the princess’s portrait, travelling around the world with the flowers, and eventually living the simple life she had once imagined for herself—that was so beautiful. He didn’t live the grand life of a nobleman; he lived the quiet, simple life she wanted: a small shop, a small family, and travelling the world. That ending was SO close to my heart. 🌸😭
Even the final moments felt peaceful. Nothing was unnecessarily rushed, and I never had that feeling of, “Wait, but what happened to this character?” Everyone’s journey had been given a proper conclusion.
To be honest, I absolutely adore Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao. Cheng Lei was actually one of my primary reasons for starting this drama, but by the end, it was the STORY and the characters that made me stay. The cast was absolutely perfect, and the performances were amazing.
This drama felt like a puzzle—the more you watched, the more the picture came together. It was layered, symbolic, emotional, unpredictable, and surprisingly peaceful.
And I loved it. Like, REALLY loved it. 🥹❤️
Absolutely recommend watching this. 100% rewatch-worthy.
10/10 ⭐🌸

Read More

Beautiful, Addictive, and Emotionally Complex, but Weaker Toward the End

While I was watching The First Jasmine, I was completely immersed. It was the kind of drama that constantly made me curious about what would happen next, and I became so attached to its world and characters that I felt strangely empty after finishing it. Perhaps binge-watching intensified that feeling, but I also think the final few episodes were genuinely underwhelming compared with everything that came before them.

For me, the first thirty episodes were the strongest part of the drama. I loved Ye Li and Xi Yao’s marriage era, the political intrigue, the revenge storyline, and the way Ye Li moved through the story while secretly pursuing her plans. Their divorce arc genuinely broke my heart, but it was also incredibly well executed. The moment Xi Yao discovered how ill she was, along with the eventual revelation of what had happened on the mountain, was one of the emotional peaks of the entire drama. Everything leading up to that point felt intense, layered, and deeply engaging.

Ye Li is easily one of the most fascinating female characters I have encountered in a historical drama. She is deeply broken, psychologically complicated, and filled with layers that are gradually uncovered throughout the story. Her trauma, anger, determination, and self-destructive tendencies made her unpredictable and compelling. Bai Lu gave one of her strongest performances here. She portrayed Ye Li’s pain and emotional instability with so much depth that I could not look away. Her acting was immaculate, particularly during the heavier and more heartbreaking moments.

However, Ye Li gradually seemed to lose some of her spark toward the end. The revengeful, determined energy that made her so intriguing began to fade, and even though the final confrontation should have been her defining moment, it did not carry the emotional impact I expected. After such a memorable portrayal of her trauma, the conclusion to her revenge felt strangely muted. The revenge plot did not provide enough closure or transformation, especially considering how much of the drama had been built around it.

I also loved Xi Yao, particularly during the first half of the drama. It was refreshing to see Cheng Lei play a vulnerable and physically broken character rather than the powerful, commanding roles I usually associate him with. His performance while Xi Yao was confined to the wheelchair was incredible, and his quiet pain, loyalty, and emotional restraint were beautifully portrayed. He also looked amazing with the grey hair; that entire look was such a refreshing change for him.

Unfortunately, Xi Yao became increasingly sidelined as the story progressed. He was no less a victim of what had happened, so I strongly felt that he deserved to be involved in the final confrontation. I understand allowing the heroine to lead the finale of a female-centered revenge story, but completely pushing the male lead aside made the ending feel incomplete. His character had so much emotional depth and potential, yet the drama gradually reduced his importance. Even during the war sequences, we barely saw him fight, which felt like another wasted opportunity, especially because Cheng Lei is so good in action scenes.

The relationship between Ye Li and Xi Yao was essential to the story, even though the drama was never romance-centered. Their love helped both of them heal. Ye Li did not simply recover on her own; through Xi Yao, she found someone who remained beside her, while she also helped him rediscover his will to live. Their connection was therefore more than a romantic subplot—it was part of both characters’ emotional journeys. That is why I was disappointed when the drama gradually moved away not only from their romantic scenes, but from the healing relationship itself.

I actually enjoyed the slow-burn romance for most of the drama. Their love was gentle, warm, supportive, and often unspoken rather than passionate or electric. They sometimes gave me the feeling of an older married couple, and I do not necessarily mean that negatively. Their affection came through in the quiet gestures, particularly from Xi Yao, who carried much of the romantic side of the relationship. Ye Li was written as emotionally closed off and could sometimes feel like a block of wood when it came to expressing affection, so most of the direct romantic gestures came from him.

The problem was not the lack of kissing or intimate scenes. The drama worked perfectly well without them. My issue was the way so many promising moments between the couple were abruptly cut short. Just as a scene began building emotional closeness or chemistry, it would suddenly move elsewhere. The romance constantly felt within reach but never fully explored. The actors did have a warm spark, particularly earlier in the drama, but the script and editing did not allow that chemistry to develop naturally. By the end, it felt as though the connection had faded—not because the relationship itself lacked potential, but because the drama kept taking time away from it.

Their dynamic was also weakened by Ye Li constantly acting behind Xi Yao’s back. They shared the same enemies, goals, and ambitions, yet they continued walking toward those goals separately. Even when Xi Yao understood what she was doing, Ye Li rarely chose to place her trust in him and work openly beside him. I would have preferred to see them combine their strengths and pursue their shared goal together rather than repeatedly taking different roads toward the same destination.

I also think some viewers misunderstood Xi Yao’s decision to leave her. He needed to be hurt and broken by Ye Li before he could truly understand her pain and ultimately help her heal. His actions make more sense when viewed through the emotional complexity of both characters rather than simply as a romantic betrayal. With characters this complicated, criticism and differing interpretations are inevitable, but that complexity is also one of the drama’s greatest strengths.

Beyond the leads, the drama introduced many interesting characters and storylines that never reached their full potential. Han Mingxi seemed as though he would play a more consequential role, and his interactions with Ye Ying had so much entertaining potential. Mo Jingli was perhaps the greatest missed opportunity. He was intelligent, cunning, and morally layered—a man pursuing what he believed was a just cause through questionable methods. Yet the narrative gradually diminished his motivations, intelligence, and overall importance as it approached the finale.

This became the drama’s biggest weakness: it tried to handle too many themes, characters, and conflicts without properly completing all of them. Many characters initially appeared to possess genuine agency and complexity, only to be pushed into familiar tropes or sidelined when the story needed to conclude. The ending closed several plotlines and was technically happy, but it did not feel like a proper emotional goodbye. We barely saw the main couple together, Xi Yao was largely absent, and even Ye Li no longer felt fully present in her own story. After spending so much time with them, I wanted a conclusion that allowed their relationship and individual journeys to breathe.

Visually, however, the drama is absolutely stunning. The costumes are beautifully designed, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the entire production is rich, colorful, and vibrant. The styling, sets, and use of color created a world that was consistently beautiful to look at.

The music deserves even more praise. This drama has one of the best and most memorable soundtracks I have heard. I do not mean only the OST songs, although those are also beautifully done—the background score itself is phenomenal. The music elevates the tension, heartbreak, mystery, and emotional weight of so many scenes. It remained in my mind long after the drama ended, and it is easily one of the strongest aspects of the entire production. Honestly, well done.

Despite my frustrations with the final stretch, The First Jasmine contains so many memorable scenes, complex characters, and excellent performances. It is an unusual mixture of revenge, politics, trauma, healing, and subtle romance. I would not recommend watching it solely for the romance, because the relationship supports the story rather than carrying it. Those expecting a highly passionate or intimacy-heavy romance may be disappointed. However, anyone interested in a compelling storyline, emotionally damaged characters, stellar acting, and a beautifully produced historical drama will find plenty to appreciate.

The ending may not have delivered everything the earlier episodes promised, but the journey was still exciting, emotionally absorbing, and different from the typical romance-focused historical drama. Despite its flaws, I would definitely recommend it.

Read More

That Cheng "Ryan" Lei eyes are spiritually beautiful

Cheng "Ryan" Lei and Bai Lu made this story come to life in a unique way. Ryan is a softie, but he can become aggressive in a good way in this drama. I felt they had good chemistry with one another, but it was more like a sibling pairing. They need to make another drama together to show me even more chemistry. I'm laughing right now because these two artists are my favorite lead actors in Chinese dramas, so I would definitely love to see them together again.

Okay, okay... let me get to the drama.

I loved the way they moved from normal life to a costume drama and then back again to real life. I especially loved the historical storyline, where Cheng Lei's character was healed by Bai Lu, and how their chemistry grew stronger after that. I think Bai Lu's character was initially shocked to find herself in a historical timeline, an enduring civilization rather than a conventional nation-state. I felt that her character, Ye Li, had to rediscover her beloved Mo Xiao Yao, the Prince... and she did!

Both Cheng Lei and Bai Lu were excellent in their roles. I loved everything about this drama. I especially enjoy stories like this, where characters travel from the future to relive the lives of their ancestors and then return with a deeper understanding of themselves. I will definitely be watching it again to see if I missed anything.

NOTE: I was really anxious to see this Chinese Drama when I thought it was going to be shown in November, 2025 then January and had to wait until April 2026. I couldn't wait for the whole drama to air on Disney, but couldn't, so I watch the episodes day by day until finished. Now I will watch it a 2nd time straight through. Yes, for these two actors, I can do that.

Read More

An excellent historical drama starring Bai Lu & Ryan Cheng.

PLOT: The female lead, a disciple from the Mount Li Academy, descends from her mountain home (where she had been confined by the Empress Dowager) to marry Prince Ding—the male lead—who is injured and wheelchair-bound. Their relationship develops gradually, even as both pursue their own hidden agendas. As events unfold, the couple discovers how they have become entangled in the power struggles for the throne.

+++ Bai Lu & Ryan Cheng are, as always, phenomenal and fantastic.
+++ Excellent cast: all the actors are talented and bring engaging characters to life (even the villains are not one-dimensional).
+++ Beyond the usual tropes of power struggles, war, and inner-court politics, the story explores mental health—something exceptional for a historical drama.
+++ The soundtrack (OST) is outstanding.
+++ Masterful production: lighting, framing, effects, sets, costumes, CGI, fight and war scenes... Flawless.

### No sweet romantic scenes (barely one or two kisses).
### The finale (happy ending) is a bit disappointing and flat.

=> An excellent historical drama with an exceptional lead couple.
*********************************************************
Excellent drama historique avec Bai Lu & Ryan Cheng

PLOT: La FL, discipline de l'académie XX, descend de sa montagne (scellée par l'impératrice douairière) pour épouser le Prince Ding, le ML, blessé, en fauteuil. La relation va se construire peu à peu, bien que chacun poursuive son agenda caché. Le couple va découvrir au fil des évènements, comment ils ont été pris dans les luttes de pouvoir pour le trône.

+++ Bai Lu & Ryan Cheng sont, comme toujours, phénoménaux, fantastiques.
+++ Excellent cast : tous les acteurs sont talentueux et donnent vie à des personnages attachants (même les Villains ne sont pas manichéens).
+++ Hormis les plots habituels de lutte pour le pouvoir, la guerre, la gestion des cours intérieures, la story explore la santé mentale, ce qui est exceptionnel dans un drama historique.
+++ Les OSTs sont exceptionnelles.
+++ La réalisation est magistrale : lumières, cadrages, effets, décors, costumes, CGI, scènes de fight et de guerre, ... No flaws

### No sweet scenes (à peine 1 ou 2 kisses)
### Final (happy ending) un peu décevant, plat.

=> Un excellent drama historique, avec un CL exceptionnel.

Read More

mo li makes me yearn for marriage

(personal review - all thoughts, opinions, and biases are mine.)

the story is really great. for a revenge plot, it's solidly unpredictable and kept me at the edge of my seat while watching. ye li is so smart from episode 1 and i always love an intelligent FL. both her and mo xiuyao's stories captivated me, and how they actually yearned for each other and kept the other in their hearts for 8 years...

i do think there are some missing components in the story that could've made it even better especially concerning the characters. i think mo jingli's motivations are not really all that? he's insistent on his "love" for ye li and he also wants the throne but he also holds a grudge like dude get real just get it together. i couldn't really figure him out tbh, and the way moli played out gave me no room to sympathize with him despite his sorrowful death (which was really anticlimactic, actually). ye li's ptsd was handled well in my opinion, but her whole dissociative identity disorder was not really touched on at all and that bothered me. because she's clearly great at martial arts but she doesn't think so and she thinks that it's master zhu that saved her everytime she's in danger when it's herself...i guess this does tie into her whole hallucination-delusion problems that she believes master zhu is alive to save her but she clearly also has dissociative amnesia. oh well.

i really do love the entire lishan arc though. the conflict that led up to it was maybe unnecessary because like honestly mo xiuyao DIDN'T need to divorce her, like what the hell guys you dont NEED to divorce, but ik it's a necessary bridge to get ye li back on lishan and oh boyy. cheng lei and bai lu really nailed playing their characters at that time, i cried SO much because i felt so much for both mo xiuyao who was so regretful and sad for his wife, and ye li who lived in the delusion that lishan always remained as lively before the tragedy... (and i had this thought in my mind that the empress dowager must've planted the illness in the academy then sealed it off on purpose so that everyone would die without help and without people knowing but i guess not? how come ye li alone wasn't sick anyway? idk it's weird i'll accept it as just main character things.)

i really loved the side characters here when i usually don't care about them that much. ye li's family are all horrible people except ye ying who was just more pitiful than anything because she held onto her desire to be with mo jingli until the very end. the part where ye li confronts ye ying about her "love" for mo jingli did leave an impression on me because ye ying is pretty much in love with the idea of mo jingli rather than the man himself, but she fell in love with his works, his music, his writing... that struck a chord in me. she's actually a good character (speaking of, where was she in the ending?)
and then there's others a-jin, feng zhiyao, li feibai, han mingxi, even ms wen... just to name a few, i enjoyed them all very much. contrary to others opinions i actually did like the sub romance between feng zhiyao and lingyun i think they were sweet and tragic and i always loved a secret identity romance.

i'm not a hard critic, yeah the last few episodes were a drag but so are most cdramas honestly. and i really do love this story and this couple more than it lets me down, so i don't have a reason to give it less than a 9 in the end. it has good rewatch value for the fact that i'm sure you'll learn and catch on to more stuff on the second watch.

mo xiuyao and ye li make me yearn for marriage and i'm not even joking. they are so so sweet with each other, even when mo xiuyao is angry with her and scolds her, the care he has for her is just oozing out of the man. i loved watching them fall in love as they scheme together and go through life and death together it's just amazing. peak romance honestly.

Read More

Court Intrigue, Healing but Lukewarm Romance, Good Portrayal of Disability & Trauma

The First Jasmine is a gripping blend of court intrigue and deep healing romance that stands out for its raw, meaningful portrayal of disability. The story centers on an unlikely power couple: Mo Xiu Yao, a bitter prince physically confined to a wheelchair, and Ye Li, a brilliantly calculating woman whose sharp mind masks her own deeply hidden mental health struggles while she meets out revenge.

First Impression

As someone who has been waiting a very long time to see Bai Lu and Ryan Cheng on screen together, my anticipation for this drama was high. For the most part, The First Jasmine absolutely delivered, living up to about 80% of my high expectations. While there were frustrating moments where precious screen time felt wasted on unnecessary subplots or underwhelming character development and utilization, the overall production quality is undeniable. You can genuinely feel the immense effort and care that went into creating this world; nothing feels cheap or artificial. The costumes were great, the fight scenes, however rare, were well choreographed. Unlike a great deal of traditional C-dramas that rely heavily on embellished, over-the-top tropes and their delivery, everything on screen feels toned down, remarkably natural and subtly realistic. The chemistry between the main leads is absolutely electric, and they are backed by an extremely talented supporting cast that grounds the entire story. Additionally, the music plays an extremely important part in this drama. It adds another layer to the story. The background score is not the typical depressing historical C-drama type that start giving you headache by the end of episode 25. It’s different and it really elevate the scenes and the actor’s performance.

Things I Enjoyed

One of my absolute favorite things about The First Jasmine is that it doesn’t just gloss over physical and mental disability for the sake of convenience to your characters into their healthiest selves. In many C-dramas, if a main character starts out disabled, they are miraculously cured by the end of the second episode just so they can jump into the action.

This drama takes a refreshingly different route: Prince Ding stays in his wheelchair for a good half of the series, which I truly appreciated. While he does eventually heal—which does feel a bit unrealistic after eight years of confinement—I understood the writers' choice of getting him up to his feet, because the narrative demanded it. Even then, he doesn't just bounce back to 100%; he only participates in two or three fight scenes and seemingly remains deeply aware of his physical limits and the need to take care of his body. I appreciated writers not overdoing it with his character after the recovery.

As for our female lead, Ye Li comes off as ruthless, charming, and calculating at first with mild psychotic tendencies, but if you pay close attention from the very first episode, it’s clear that something is wrong with her. The mystery surrounding her mental state builds beautifully over the course of 30 episodes and isn't fully unraveled until the final stretch of the drama. While improvement in her mental state, felt a little rushed toward the end—which pissed me off a bit—the last two episodes clearly show that she hasn't magically conquered her personal demons. She is still not 100%.

There’s a raw, honest portrayal of depression, and I deeply appreciated watching her grow and continue her healing journey throughout the entire show. The creators deserve massive credit for handling both physical and mental struggles with this level of care. I think this is a big achievement for C-drama in general. Usually disabled characters are always side characters. Was it perfect? Of course not. Was the portrayal very accurate? Probably not. But compared to everything that I have seen in the past, it’s still a bold step forward.

I also liked many of the supporting characters and their standalone stories. The subplot featuring Feng Zhi Yao—who was secretly in love with a foreign woman without realizing she was Princess Ling Yun—was deeply meaningful and sad. My only critique is that I wish the writers had expanded on their relationship a bit more. Instead of dumping their entire story in a span of two episodes, they should have sprinkled it across multiple episodes, which would have made her tragic death hit the audience much harder. Additionally, Han Ming Xi was a standout character for me. I previously saw Lin Mu Ran in The Pursuit of Jade, where he played one of the antagonists, and his charming, cute performance here proves he has a very bright future if he keeps landing the right projects. While I have some critiques regarding where his character arc ultimately went, his talent is undeniable.

Qin Cang’s character and his character arc started and developed great, but there were definitely things to improve about his story in the later, half of the drama, but I will talk about this in a bit.

Things that Definitely Needed Improvement

While there’s a lot to love about The First Jasmine, the drama is not without its flaws. The biggest issue was the pacing and the highly uneven distribution of various story arcs, especially the antagonists.

First and foremost, Mo Jing Li was severely underutilized. As the main antagonist, he was an incredibly important character at the start, and the writers could have deeply explored his personality and his trauma better than they did. Instead, he completely disappeared for a third of the show, only to resurface later. We are given reasons to pity him early on, but his character becomes largely unredeemable and flat by the end, save for one quality: letting his wife go so she wouldn't be dragged into his rebellion.

This issue of dropped potential extends to several other supporting characters. Qin Cang had a fascinating setup, transforming from a loyal henchman-servant desperate for his father’s approval into someone who finally saw his father’s true nature and decided to do the right thing. There was a compelling romantic story brewing between him and one of the supporting female characters. The writers set up their potential future reunion once he is on the way to exile, but we never even got a scene of them meeting up to start over. It’s a very open ending for them, like use your imagination. I truly didn’t appreciate it. It felt incomplete almost like these characters weren’t even necessary.

Basically, the writers spent so much time setting up Qin Cang’s arc but failed to deliver a proper conclusion, leaving us hanging.

Similarly, Han Ming Xi started strong with a great transformation arc, but the writers essentially erased his ending. They want us to use our imagination too to pretend that we know he gets his wish for a quiet life somewhere out there. The lack of a final scene between him and Ye Li is baffling. She was the primary influence behind his choices throughout the series and quite obviously his crush, and omitting their closure felt like the writers just forgot about him. Giving them at least one brief scene would be very satisfactory.

Conversely, the Empress Dowager was given far too much screen time. She should have stayed in the background. While her character serves a purpose—the final episode makes it clear that despite her noble intentions, she chose a bloody route—the narrative wasted massive amounts of time on her and general palace personnel only to drag the drama down. Yes, yes, I understand why we needed her character, but I think the amount of scenes she received was just going overboard. It’s not necessary to spend that much time on one uninteresting character to get the point across. That precious screen time should have been reduced and redirected to the far more interesting character arcs that were left incomplete.

Pacing

Let me expand a bit on the pacing of the drama and the issue with it. The pacing itself was a strange mix; the show would give us beautifully paced action scenes, then would slow down, then we would get more action only to grind to a halt with lengthy dialogues at the end where absolutely nothing actually happened. Those stagnant stretches were very boring to watch, and I think a lot of viewers share this sentiment. The general feeling about the pacing is that the drama keeps building up to something grand that actually never comes to fruition.

The pacing in the final five episodes, in particular, desperately needed adjustment. I think the pacing went downhill in general after the revelation of what happened at the Mountain. Since Prince Li was the main antagonist, giving more screen time to his troops invading the capital should have set up an epic, high-stakes ending with more action and more involvement from various characters. Instead, it literally took the characters a mere 15 minutes to subdue him. After that rushed climax, the show dragged out a lot, just slow-paced scenes toward the end for another episode and 3/4 of an episode with the Empress and her son once again receiving way too much unnecessary screen time.

Let’s Ralk about Romance

When it comes to the romance, the relationship between the main characters is incredibly well-done, healthy, but you need to manage your expectations. Both Bai Lu and Ryan Cheng are well-known for their insane on-screen chemistry and great skinship scenes with other partners, but expecting that same level of passion here is not a wise decision.

While there are a couple of on-screen kisses, it is a much more calm, down-to-earth romance between two people who don't go physically crazy over each other. The chemistry between them is absolutely there—there is no doubt about that—but the execution triggered one of my pet peeves when it comes to romantic storylines in general.

The romance builds up beautifully and slowly throughout the first half with a lot of great teasing scenes, and the marriage finally becomes real in the second half. Yet, once they are officially together, there is barely any kissing or physical intimacy—just a couple of hugs and that's it. After watching the entire thing, I am still wondering if they ever consumed their marriage, haha. All the cute parts are put in the first half of romantic storyline development. Later on, even when they’re sleeping together in one bed, there are very strange choices from the production team and the director where it’s clear that there’s yearning and the scene is seemingly leading up to a kiss, but it just goes nowhere, leaving viewers hanging.

But again, this is just my personal take. Obviously, the reason why the romance ended up being so toned-down toward the end is that the writers chose to strictly concentrate on the female lead healing from her trauma. But to me this seems like some kind of a backward writing. I’d much preferred the producers to move the kiss scenes from the first half of the show to the second to make the romance more well-rounded and fulfilling. My opinion remains the same for all the dramas that do that: if you include a romantic storyline that runs throughout the entire drama, romance needs to be done according to the rules of romance writing. Especially if this is the romance between main lead. So definitely keep your expectations low if you are looking for anything steamy or hot.

Another reason for this choice to keep romance lukewarm is because this is not a heavy romance drama. This is a political drama with the romance as one of the subplots. They just needed to make some adjustments to certain scenes. On the other hand, others may like this type of clean romance. To each their own.

No matter the drawbacks in the way, the romance is executed here, The First Jasmine is still absolutely worth watching because it’s a very healing story about two broken people, who get there well deserved happy ending, even if they don’t kiss at the end.

Final Thoughts

While The First Jasmine definitely has its flaws, particularly with uneven pacing and the underutilization of several key supporting characters, it is still a drama that I would recommend. It’s one of the better historicals out there, especially if you don’t like anything fast pasted and want to take it slow. The stellar acting, the mature and steady healing romance, the realistic, portrayal of physical and mental disabilities, and the meaningful overall story that teaches you a thing or two about life make it a standout project that stays with you despite its shortcomings.

Read More

Not like the novel

Okay, so they have changed Mo Jing Li character a lot compared to the novel. They made him out ot be a victim when in the novel he is not . In the novel his character is just vile and self serving. Ye Li in the novel is a lady of hidden tallents and a lot stronger not as strong as amna but she could hold her own. A huge plus is her memories from her pervious life as a special agent solider. She retains this knowledge in this world from the morder world. so she knows different fighting techniques from the mordern world. It would have been nice if they had stuck to the novel. Anyway dropping this series. It does not help when the change things so much from the novel to the drama. Really dont see the chemistry between the two main leads it is there a little but I think Ye Li is trying a lot more in the drama. Pring Ding was a lot colder in the novel as he could stand fron the start and hid the fact so he could work for the emperor behind the scene.

Read More