Reviews

2 MOONS 2 - REVIEW

Story: 2Moons 2 is, in my opinion, the strongest adaptation of Chiffon_cake's Moon Courting Moon novel. What makes it stand out is how faithfully it follows the source material while also expanding the story beyond where the first series ended. Unlike the original 2Moons (2017), which only adapted the beginning of the novel, 2Moons 2 condensed the events of the first book into its opening four episodes before continuing with new material from the succeeding novel. This approach allowed viewers to experience the complete story in a single season without feeling like the series abruptly stopped.

Although the first four episodes revisit many of the same events covered in Season 1, I didn't see them as unnecessary. Instead, they served as an effective recap while introducing the new cast and establishing their interpretations of the characters. The condensed retelling also made the pacing much tighter, allowing the series to quickly move into fresh storylines that fans of the novel had been waiting to see.

Another aspect I appreciated was the greater focus on all three couples—PhaYo, MingKit, and ForthBeam. The original series barely scratched the surface of the latter two relationships because it ended before their stories fully developed. 2Moons 2 gave each couple meaningful screen time, making the overall narrative richer and more balanced. This made the friendships and romantic developments feel more rewarding and closer to what was portrayed in the novels.

I also found the storytelling more engaging than the original series. The pacing was faster, the conflicts had better progression, and there was always something happening that kept me invested. While some fans still prefer the chemistry of the original cast, I personally enjoyed the new cast's performances and felt they handled the emotional scenes well. The improved production quality and the continuation of the story made this version more satisfying from start to finish.

The only reason I wouldn't give it a perfect 10 is that the opening episodes inevitably repeat familiar content, which can feel repetitive for viewers who have already watched the first series. However, once the story moves beyond that point, it becomes a much stronger adaptation and delivers the continuation that many fans were hoping for.

Acting/Cast: The cast of 2Moons 2 delivered an overall solid performance, but the quality of the acting varied depending on the pairing. The biggest highlights for me were Joong Archen as Ming and Nine Kornchid as Kit, as well as Pavel Naret as Forth and Dome Woranart as Beam. Joong and Nine had effortless chemistry that made MingKit one of the most compelling couples in the series. Their playful banter, emotional moments, and natural interactions made their relationship feel believable and enjoyable to watch. Likewise, Pavel and Dome exceeded my expectations. They captured Forth and Beam's slow-burn dynamic with warmth and sincerity, making their scenes some of the most memorable in the series. Their performances gave the supporting couple enough depth to stand out alongside the main leads.

On the other hand, I found Benjamin Brasier (Phana) and Earth Teerapat (Wayo) to be the weakest pairing among the three couples. Individually, they gave decent performances and portrayed the personalities of their characters reasonably well. However, as a romantic pairing, their chemistry felt somewhat lukewarm. Since Phana and Wayo are the central couple of the story, I expected a stronger emotional connection that would make viewers invest in their relationship. Unfortunately, many of their romantic and emotional scenes lacked the intensity and natural spark needed to leave a lasting impression.

Music: One of the most enjoyable aspects of 2Moons 2 is its music, particularly the opening theme. The OST immediately sets a warm, comforting, and youthful atmosphere that perfectly matches the series' tone. Every time a new episode begins, the opening song creates a sense of excitement and nostalgia, making it easy to get immersed in the story. Its uplifting melody and heartfelt lyrics capture the themes of friendship, first love, and personal growth that define the series.

Beyond the opening theme, the background music is used effectively throughout the drama. It complements both the lighthearted and emotional moments without overwhelming the scenes, allowing the characters' interactions and emotions to remain the primary focus. The soundtrack helps reinforce the series' feel-good atmosphere and enhances many of the romantic moments.

While the overall soundtrack is enjoyable, I don't think it is particularly groundbreaking or especially memorable beyond the main theme. Most of the background tracks serve their purpose well but don't leave a lasting impression after the series ends. Because of this, the music doesn't quite reach the level of being one of the drama's defining strengths.

Rewatch Value: To be honest, the only scenes I consistently find myself rewatching are those of JoongNine. Their portrayal of Ming and Kit left a lasting impression because of their natural chemistry, believable performances, and the way they truly embodied their characters. Every interaction between them felt effortless, making MingKit the emotional highlight of the series for me.

I also revisit PavelDome's scenes as Forth and Beam from time to time. Their relationship had more emotional depth, angst, and maturity, and I appreciated how they moved away from the stereotypical "seme-uke" dynamic often seen in BL dramas. Instead, they presented a relationship built on mutual respect and emotional vulnerability, which made their story feel more authentic and refreshing.

Overall, these two couples completely stole the spotlight for me and remain the biggest reason I return to 2Moons 2. It's a little bittersweet knowing that Joong, Nine, Pavel, and Dome have all gone on to establish successful individual careers and, in some cases, new on-screen partnerships. While that means a reunion is unlikely, it's rewarding to see each of them continue to grow as actors and build strong fanbases through their own paths.

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Somewhat Original Concept ruined by the Lack of Chemistry

The look of the show, the beautiful leads and the fashion were great. It almost put me in the mind of The King Eternal Monarch, especially the look of the royals’ palaces etc., almost. The idea of a modern-day monarch with no power but a requirement to still follow ancient protocols sounded intriguing especially when a wealthy commoner would step into the picture to upset the status quo.

The story was set up nicely with a dramatic party and intriguing mystery from the past. The first meeting between the leads was perfectly executed with sparks flying between the two. So great start! Unfortunately, the story slowed to a crawl and the leads subsequent encounters did not exhibit the same fire. They had some great scenes that should’ve fueled the original spark that flashed between them but there was just nothing there. The chemistry died between them and I’m not sure why. With each interaction I found their “romance” less and less believable and actually begin to see an organic connection between her and the SML – the Prime Minister.

The acting was passable in this, but not great. IU is good at playing self-important, but when it came to exhibiting real emotions she just couldn’t pull it off. Additionally, with the storyline kind of dropping off and not being that engaging and the lack of chemistry between the leads, the episodes began to drag, and their 90-minute run times did not help. The more I watched the more I found I just could not and did not care about these characters and their romance. It’s a shame because the look of the show is fantastic and all of the actors and wardrobe are beautiful. But I just didn’t care enough to continue. So I ended up dropping this.

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Laughs ≠ Good drama

Personally I love short cdramas, but I firmly believe short cdramas should just stick with one season. I fear the only reason that this would have high ratings is because it has funny elements. Obviously I don't expect much from a short series, but I believe they male lead and female lead could have just addressed the elephant in the room, which was the misunderstanding that there was another man in the picture. Honestly, even if they did make a second season (which i would watch) it wouldn't add anything to the story regardless because what else can you say except she's not from his world and he can read minds? Yes there are plot holes, I don't know why that's not be addressed either.

I'm not even gonna attack the acting in this series, because then again. It is a short series, what would I actually expect? But what really gets me is the amount of times the female lead had the chance to uncover the fact that the male lead can read her mind. The story itself has its funny moments, but that doesn't add up to the quality of the drama itself.

I'm just unsatisfied with the ending, when the whole series could have been finished in an extra episode or something. Now I'm just forever (possibly) stuck with a cliffhanger as an ending and them not addressing their issues. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of stories like this, I'm just annoyed that it not got finished. I'm convinced this story isn't gonna get picked up again.

Would I recommend this? If you like being frustrated then yes, other then that NO. Will i watch the second season if it comes out? Yes. That is all I have to say, and if you disagree with me. That is perfectly fine. I still believe I was generous with my overall rating.

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The Nemesis being the Non-Traditional FL worked well for this Comedic Love Story

Though I’d heard that this show was really good, I was reluctant to give it a try mainly due to the actress who is playing the FL. Great actress but I’ve mostly seen her in the role of villainess. Therefore, I didn’t know if I could buy into her being the gentle FL for whom I needed to root for.

Well turns out the FL was anything but gentle. Lol. In fact she was just short of the antithesis of the typical FL. Loud, flamboyant (personality), confrontational and fearless. Loved it! And the ML wasn’t far behind. He was the typical moody ML but also extremely arrogant, unpleasant (to start) and generally dismissive. But again, it worked. The love story between him and the FL was fun and funny. They had good chemistry and I enjoyed the fact that their personalities were so different from what you normally see from OTPs. I also enjoyed the fact that once the ML realized he cared about the FL he was all in. Even when she’d push him away for her own valid reasons he would not give up but would still remain respectful of her wishes.

Though the love story was well written, I really enjoyed how they tied their story in the present to the past, some of the side stories weren’t as strong. The corporate infighting could’ve been written better. The story with the cousin/brother was okay, but I felt it wrapped up too quickly and a lot of his evil deeds were not addressed nor was his story fully fleshed out. How and why the FL ended up in the present and past and how she was able to co-exist in both places was explained but didn’t make sense. However, this is not new for reincarnation, time travel series, it’s rare they can make that part of the story make sense. Also, as the series progressed, especially once it got to the final 3-4 episodes, some stories were either abandoned or just used to fill time while others became repetitive.

Despite some of the storyline and pacing issues, overall, this series had good writing and acting and was enjoyable.

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More like family drama than revenge drama

Well, at first, like most people think, I also think it was a revenge drama, but when they got the body swap, I was already intrigued, like, how is he going to take revenge on himself?

But the plot is even better; instead of revenge, it was a journey to redeem himself, a second chance in life to sort everything back. I admit it was slow and has lots of boring stuff, but believe me, the betrayals and massive plot twist will keep you watching.
It is a very sad drama, actually, and it makes me realise a lot of things about my family that I also didn't realise before.

It's important to note that some might find it disturbing seeing the daughter started having feelings for her father in the younger body, but the director is very wise and keeps the romance in check; her father is still deeply in love with her mother, and his love for his daughter is just fatherly love.

I won't give away the ending, but it's a happy one in which everyone who commits a crime is held responsible for their actions; the true villain is your assumption of someone.

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I would walk 5000 miles for you or 8046 km, whichever comes first

Fair warning, Sunshine that Can Move Mountains is one of those mildly contemplative, slow paced, nothing really happens movies that are like butterfly nip to me. This is not the strongest Tibetan Buddhist film I’ve watched, but I still enjoyed it.

Twenty-four-year-old Tenzin Paljor/Banjue is a monk who has resided at the monastery near Lhasa since he was a child. He’s already completed 100,000 prostrations and is well thought of by the Lama/Guru. When a messenger arrives to inform Tenzin that his brother, Luoci, was badly injured in a mountain fall, Tenzin has to leave. The Lama calls on the monastery to pray for Tenzin as he knows this two-week period will be a trial for the young man and worries he might not return. The two weeks becomes an extended stay as Tenzin helps his mother care for his brother which puts him in uncomfortably close quarters with his beautiful and potential sister-in-law.

I shouldn’t have said nothing happens in this film. There was a love square, a missing yak, and beautiful snowfall. The Buddhist themes and symbolism were strong, many of which I’m sure I missed or didn’t fully understand. That didn’t stop me from settling into this film and going along with it. The scenery and cinematography were stunning and the small village was like stepping back into time albeit with motorbikes.

This film will not appeal to the majority of film fans, I’m sure. This sort of spiritual journey with a devoted monk tempted to set aside his calling for the secular life and love is my jam. The story definitely had a few hiccoughs, but overall, I enjoyed the mostly quiet contemplation on life and life goals. 7.75 rounded up to 8.0

6 July 2026

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Filing Fizzled Strangely as the "Love" Started to Blossom

I really enjoyed this show to start. Loved all the actors in this. Liked that the FL was all business and didn't take crap from anyone. Though I did have to laugh at the ridiculousness of her starting a physical altercation with the HR Director and still keeping her job and in management no less. Lol. Only on "tv." SMH. Both would've likely been fired if this show was more realistic. Still I liked that she wasn't the nicest person in the room, but she would fight for what was right.

I liked her interactions with the ML. Loved that she countered his arrogance and childishness with professionalism and maturity. But I also liked the potential that was between them. So when they finally kissed I felt the fire. However...things started to go down hill from there. After that kiss the ML was suddenly smitten with the FL and became insistent that they pursue a relationship, even though he knew doing such a thing would cause real problems for them, especially for her.

Also, it seemed like he had this savior complex, as evidenced by his past relationship with his ex-girlfriend. So I found myself questioning whether he truly liked the FL or did he see her as someone who needed to be saved and was confusing empathy with love. I think that's when their potential romance started to cool for me. Then the SML is thrown in the mix along with his history with the FL and I couldn't help but start shipping them.

Yes. He was problematic but their history was interesting and they were evenly matched emotionally unlike the ML, who could be extremely immature. I got more than halfway through this series and lost interest because I just could not ship the OTP anymore. Plus the story had some contrived plot twists and started to get boring. I took a break from the show and attempted to pick it back up, but it could no longer hold my interest, so I dropped it.

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Lost me by the 2nd episode

Love Lee Jun Young. He's one of my favorite actors. So I was looking forward to this show. Unfortunately, this went in a direction that I didn't expect nor which I was I interested . The show did a great job at setting up the ML's (soccer player) - HJH story and making me care about him. In contrast they did a great job at showing the awfulness of the chairman. He learns that the damage to his prized car is due to a kid being hit and nearly killed while his insufferable children were driving and his fury is over his car being damaged. So right off, I did not care one iota about him and his backstabbing family and could not wait to see them destroyed.

So imagine my shock when the body switch happens and we're stuck watching the POS chairman infiltrate his business as a "rookie" employee, so that he can take down his corrupt children - whom he raised and coddled to the point that they became this way. While poor HJH, the ML, whose professional soccer career has been destroyed because of them, lays up incapacitated in a hospital and trapped in the 80 year old chairman's body.

I did. not. care . about the chairman and his horrible family. They could try to kill him, embezzle from him, steal his business and run it into the ground, lie on him, ruin his reputation; they could do their worst to him. I did not care about any of them. I cared about HJH and how he'd get his life back on track while getting his revenge on this horrible family. Unfortunately, that's not the direction of the show , at least not to start. Perhaps they changed things up as the series progresses, but I didn't have any interest in watching them get there. I don't know why the writers thought anyone would be interested in this family. Perhaps they thought as long as Lee Jun Young (LJY) was the chairman people would care no matter what? This wasn't the case for me. Though I enjoy LJY, I had no interest in the chairman or him playing that character. So I dropped this. The only reason I gave it 2 stars was because LJY was in it otherwise I would've rated it a 1.

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Almost Perfect Drama ends on a Flat note.

This drama has everything.
Gripping Story/Script, Fantastic Acting, Suspenseful twists, thrilling action, Romance and killer OST.

Will make you laugh, cry, and be on the edge of your seat. It is really quite a joy to watch. Words do not do it justice.

Unfortunately the last quarter falls rather flat.
For three quarters of the drama, our heroine is built up to be, a talent with all the skills needed to be undefeatable. She is always pro-active, but for the last quarter, not only does she become inactive, she is nerfed to make way for ML and supporting characters.

While it is a happy ending, it could of finished much stronger, considering the title "The First Jasmine", i feel it lost focus on who the main character is.

Despite the lack lustre ending, i still rate it high. It is unlike any other in execution for the first 3 quarters.

Go Watch it!

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Watch the first 5 episodes and call it a day

This was a rewatch and apparently the first time I watched it (about a decade ago), I gave it 7.5 stars. I don't know what my past self was thinking. Clearly nothing, which mirrors most of the characters in this show.

This show has one strength - it masters the light, breezy, comedy/back and forth romance vibes.

Unfortunately that does not last enough and that brings up its many, many weaknesses. In no particular order:
- Kim Tae Hee's character, Lee Seol, is the Classic(TM) warm, bubbly, naive girl -- which would be fine if she also could think about things or make decisions or do something OF HER OWN VOLITION. But nope! She cries all the time and gets saved by someone (always a man, of course). She gets into scrapes and never learns her lesson. She has flashes of "I will be a Good Princess and Buckle Down" and then immediately gets distracted. That's not the kind of character I like!!! PLUS, most egregiously, her ENTIRE drive to do anything is to chase after a man (Park Hae Young). It's heinous. EVERYTHING revolves around him for her. She has no thoughts but his/of him. She waits around for him while he treats her like dogshit. He makes her cry ALL the time and she calls him a bastard and then two scenes later, she's forgotten all about it. The entire last episode is about her waiting around for him while she's A PRINCESS and he doesn't visit/doesn't call. I have no idea what her goals are except to be his wife. PASS PASS PASS.
- Like many people have already shared -- the sheer villainy of Oh Yoon Joo is wild. You never find out a legitimate reason she is doing all of that. AND she never gets any comparable punishment for her evil deeds!
- Horrible pacing. What is the point of most of these plots?
- When you get to episodes 10-14, you are begging for someone -- ANYONE -- to use their brain, but NOPE.
- Why did the stylists hate KTH so much?????????

Overall: pass unless you have a higher tolerance for these kinds of characters and nonsensical, dragged out plots. Or if you want to look at KTH. Because she IS simply gorgeous even when she has to play one of the stupidest characters ever.

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A Beautiful Journey From Beginning To End

🌸 Spoiler-Free Review

The Legend of Shen Li wasn't just another xianxia for me—it became one of my favorite dramas.

The first reason is Shen Li herself. She is strong, independent, funny, caring, and never loses herself, no matter what happens. She quickly became my favorite female lead I've ever seen.

The romance was exactly what I love. It is built on trust, respect, and genuine partnership rather than misunderstandings or unnecessary drama. Watching Shen Li and Xing Zhi grow closer while always standing beside each other was beautiful.

Another thing I loved was how easy it became to care about the supporting characters. I found myself getting attached to so many of them without even realizing it.

This drama made me smile, laugh, worry, and become emotionally invested from beginning to end. By the time I reached the last episode, I realized I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

If you're looking for a xianxia with an incredible female lead, a mature romance, memorable characters, and emotions that stay with you long after it ends, I can't recommend this drama enough.

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⚠️ Spoiler Review

Spoilers ahead!

Shen Li officially became my favorite female lead. I admired her strength from the very beginning, but what impressed me the most was that even after falling in love, she never stopped being Shen Li. She remained brave, independent, and true to herself until the very end.

Xing Zhi completely stole my heart as well. His quiet love, endless sacrifices, and unwavering devotion made him such a memorable male lead.

One of my biggest surprises was Feng Lai. Even with limited screen time, he became one of my favorite characters in the entire drama. His relationship with Liu Yu was incredibly touching, and Xu Haiqiao's performance made such a strong impression on me that I immediately wanted to discover more of his work.

I also loved Furong's character development. He started as someone I found quite annoying, but by the end I genuinely cared about him. I was also so happy to see Madam Jin again during the epilogue.

The ending... honestly, I cried for about five minutes—but they were tears of happiness.

I've always wished more dramas would give us a true epilogue instead of ending right after the final battle. That's exactly what The Legend of Shen Li gave me. Seeing Shen Li and Xing Zhi finally live in peace, watching Xing Zhi propose, and realizing they were about to start a family made me happier than I can describe.

It felt like the drama wasn't simply saying goodbye to its characters—it was allowing us to leave them knowing they would truly be happy.

Very few dramas have made me feel this satisfied by the ending.

Love Between Fairy and Devil will always hold a special place in my heart, but The Legend of Shen Li has earned its own place right beside it.

10/10. Without any hesitation.

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worth the rewatch!!

this is hands down the best show to come out this year, i have never binged and be so locked in to a drama in so long. i would watch this every chance i got when i was at home, at work, on a break, it was that good. im normally super picky with my historical dramas they have to have the right ratio of drama as when as the love line, not too long but not too short either. pursuit of jade is that show, right amount of episodes and clarity at the ending. i usually hate the opened ended type of endings since they have to be done really well. the clear cut ending of the show sealed the deal on my high rating and why i would watch it again and again. zhang ling he and tian xi wei rwal out did themselves in these roles. i can’t wait to see what they do next!

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Amazing setting

Love of Silom wasn't perfect, but it had a lot of things that made it memorable.

One of my favorite aspects was definitely the dance performances, especially the pole dance routines. They were always enjoyable to watch. I also loved the host/bar setting. It gave the series a unique atmosphere, and Foei was a perfect character as the proprietor and head of this big "family."

Moreover, Krit's and Wayu's best friends were amazing. They were supportive, fun, and added so much charm to the story.

I also appreciated the theme of Wayu carrying so much responsibility, especially when it came to looking after Singto. It made his character feel very caring and mature.

That said, there were a few moments where I wasn't a fan of Krit's behavior, particularly how he handled Wayu's job as a host and his interactions with customers. Between the two main characters, Wayu was definitely my favorite.

Overall, I had a great time watching this series and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a BL with a unique setting, strong friendships, and some unforgettable moments.

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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.

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