As someone who rarely watches modern dramas, I must say I was hooked from the start ❤️. I found myself waiting every day for a new episode.
The chemistry between our leads is electrifying! I loved it from start to end. All the emotions were portrayed so well. There were no boring moments, and I like that the second CP didn't take up too much of the story. They were friends of the leads, and their scenes added to the story without taking the focus away from the ML and FL.
Good amount of romance and kisses too! I'm so impressed by that phone call scene in episode 20 and the surprises Zhou Wan and Lu Xi Xiao had for each other in the last episode. And the twist at the end of the last episode... OMG!! ❤️
I'm really satisfied with this drama and the way it wrapped up in the final episode 💖. In my opinion, The First Jasmine is far more deserving of that 9.1 rating on MDL (iykyk). Still, despite giving it a good rating, I have a few personal rants:
- Introducing Ting Lan, Qin Cang, and Zhou Tian Yang without properly developing their stories made their characters feel unnecessary. The drama could've done without them. - Princess Ling Yun. Considering how intelligent and capable she was, the way she died didn't make much sense to me, which ultimately made her storyline feel unnecessary. - The lack of development and screen time for one of the main villains, Mo Jing Li. - I really wish Han Ming Xi had been more involved in the story and given more screen time.
Still, this drama has further cemented my appreciation for Bai Lu and Cheng Lei. I also wish Cai Zheng Jie, Yang Shu Yi, Lin Mu Ran, Zhang Shu Lun, and Xu Wei Luo a bright future ahead ⭐
I understand why Lu Xi Xiao's grandfather asked Zhou Wan to leave him and why she agreed. If they had stayed together back then, they were just going to elope and skip university, wasting their potential for a better future and career. This is realistic. It is simply not what we want for our loved ones especially at 18 years old.
Zhou Wan thought that by leaving him, he would get a better life, but both she and Lu Xi Xiao were deeply hurt. Even when they meet again 10 years later, she keeps pretending she never loved him and has forgotten everything, hoping he has moved on.
And what if Lu Xi Xiao pursues her again this time, even after she dumped him back then? He can't help it, because the heart wants what it wants. In real life, sometimes we wonder why some people get together when they shouldn't. But to me, Zhou Wan and Lu Xi Xiao truly deserve a second chance.
So far, this has been a lighthearted drama but still serious. Something I can watch daily without thinking too much, without stress and angst. And what a good looking couple we have here! I'm mesmerized every time I see Li Yi Tong and Zeng Shun Xi on screen 🤩🤩
I've finished 6 episodes and I'm enjoying it so far. It's not particularly intense, but the story is engaging enough to keep me curious about the next episodes.
The second drama I've watched where the leads got married in the first episode, and both are airing this month! I love the purple wedding dress, it's beautiful and refreshing. And there are so many familiar faces in the cast 😍
I'm somewhat disappointed. The earlier episodes were so promising, and since this drama only has 24 episodes, I expected a faster pace. But apparently, it went downhill halfway through with everyone constantly scheming against each other while nobody actually succeeds or makes any meaningful progress. The 1 ep a day schedule makes the slow pace feel even worse and quite boring. The last four episodes were good, but by then it was already too late.
Regarding the chemistry, I'm not sure whether it's because the chemistry between Chen Du Ling and Zhou Yi Ran isn't as strong as the chemistry they had with their previous co-stars, or because the plot and their visuals together make me feel that Chen Du Ling had better chemistry with Tang Xiao Tian. And how I mourn the ship that never sailed: Deng Yi and Chu Tang.
Still, I give this an 8/10 for the acting from the FL and the four MLs.
I don't know why, but I sympathized with Mo Jing Li. As the true rightful heir to the throne (it's giving POJ's Qi Min all over again), he lost everything including the woman he loved. I feel bad for Ye Ying as well. On another note, the actress Yang Shu Yi did a really good job here in The First Jasmine.
This is a great example of how a good drama is anchored not only by the main leads' performances, but also by its supporting cast. Kudos to the actors for for their portrayals of Xie Yan Fang, Deng Yi, and Xiao Xun.
Almost every drama I watch has its rating on MDL drop suddenly in the first few days of airing, but it steadily recovers afterward. Looking at the average rating on the stats page, I believe this drama's rating will get back to 8.5 or even higher.
Since the drama only has 24 episodes, I thought there wouldn't be a second couple, but here I am, excited about the possible pairing of Deng Yi and Chu Tang 😊.
What a strong first two episodes! I didn't even realize that Chen Du Ling has become my most watched C-drama actress. To me, she always seems to pick good scripts, just like this one. Her acting is beyond doubt. And I'm happy to see Zhou Yi Ran in a historical drama again. Looking forward to seeing how the story progresses!
This drama is so underrated! I like the dynamic between the four main leads. The cases are fast paced and mostly solved within 2–3 episodes. I also think the supporting casts in each case did a good job and that’s important for staying immersed in the story. I once dropped an investigative drama because the supporting actors felt over the top and some of the cases had cliche, predictable twists that constantly reminded me I was just watching a drama. But this one hooked me right from the start. I feel sorry for all the victims here, and I especially sympathize with two particular cases:
The chemistry between our leads is electrifying! I loved it from start to end. All the emotions were portrayed so well. There were no boring moments, and I like that the second CP didn't take up too much of the story. They were friends of the leads, and their scenes added to the story without taking the focus away from the ML and FL.
Good amount of romance and kisses too! I'm so impressed by that phone call scene in episode 20 and the surprises Zhou Wan and Lu Xi Xiao had for each other in the last episode. And the twist at the end of the last episode... OMG!! ❤️
- Introducing Ting Lan, Qin Cang, and Zhou Tian Yang without properly developing their stories made their characters feel unnecessary. The drama could've done without them.
- Princess Ling Yun. Considering how intelligent and capable she was, the way she died didn't make much sense to me, which ultimately made her storyline feel unnecessary.
- The lack of development and screen time for one of the main villains, Mo Jing Li.
- I really wish Han Ming Xi had been more involved in the story and given more screen time.
Still, this drama has further cemented my appreciation for Bai Lu and Cheng Lei. I also wish Cai Zheng Jie, Yang Shu Yi, Lin Mu Ran, Zhang Shu Lun, and Xu Wei Luo a bright future ahead ⭐
Zhou Wan thought that by leaving him, he would get a better life, but both she and Lu Xi Xiao were deeply hurt. Even when they meet again 10 years later, she keeps pretending she never loved him and has forgotten everything, hoping he has moved on.
And what if Lu Xi Xiao pursues her again this time, even after she dumped him back then? He can't help it, because the heart wants what it wants. In real life, sometimes we wonder why some people get together when they shouldn't. But to me, Zhou Wan and Lu Xi Xiao truly deserve a second chance.
Regarding the chemistry, I'm not sure whether it's because the chemistry between Chen Du Ling and Zhou Yi Ran isn't as strong as the chemistry they had with their previous co-stars, or because the plot and their visuals together make me feel that Chen Du Ling had better chemistry with Tang Xiao Tian. And how I mourn the ship that never sailed: Deng Yi and Chu Tang.
Still, I give this an 8/10 for the acting from the FL and the four MLs.
On another note, the actress Yang Shu Yi did a really good job here in The First Jasmine.
I feel sorry for all the victims here, and I especially sympathize with two particular cases: