Reviews

A Story That Trusted Me

I don’t write reviews immediately after finishing a drama. I need time to process what I watched. But this is one of those rare dramas that I knew I wanted to write about the moment the credits rolled.

This is not a conventional romance. It is not a conventional political drama. It is not even structured in a conventional way.

The story unfolds through layers rather than a straight line. The past and present constantly weave together, asking the audience to pay attention instead of simply waiting for the next exposition dump. I was continually asking myself: Who did this? When did it happen? Is this connected to the current timeline or to the events eight years ago? Instead of frustrating me, it pulled me deeper into the story. The writers trusted the audience to assemble the puzzle, and that trust paid off beautifully.

The romance is one of the most mature I have seen in a historical drama.

Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li don’t fall in love because the plot says it’s time. They become each other’s refuge through shared grief, loyalty, respect, and healing. Their marriage begins in Episode 1, yet physical intimacy is almost irrelevant. Watching their relationship grow through quiet moments, unwavering support, and genuine understanding was far more satisfying than grand declarations ever could have been.

The political intrigue is equally impressive.

Every decision has consequences years later. Small details that seem insignificant early on become central pieces of the larger picture. By the final episodes, I realized just how carefully everything had been constructed. Nothing important felt random.

The acting deserves enormous praise.

Bai Lu delivers one of the strongest performances I’ve seen from her. Ye Li is extraordinarily competent, but underneath that competence is unimaginable grief. The gradual revelation of what she endured completely recontextualizes her behavior throughout the series. Watching those pieces fall into place was heartbreaking.

Cheng Lei gives Mo Xiuyao tremendous dignity and restraint. His performance is built on subtle changes rather than dramatic speeches. You watch a man who has spent years believing he no longer deserves happiness slowly return to life. His transformation feels earned every step of the way.

The supporting cast is equally strong. Even characters I disagreed with rarely felt one-dimensional. Prince Li, in particular, became far more tragic than I initially expected. His story is not simply about unrequited love but about a man trying to reclaim an entire life that history stole from him.

One scene near the end will stay with me for a long time. Ye Li returns to Lishan Mountain after we finally learn the truth of what happened there. The emotional weight of that revelation reframes everything that came before it. By the time the mountain opens once again to new scholars, the story has moved beyond revenge into something much deeper: healing, remembrance, and choosing to build a future without forgetting the past.

Very few dramas genuinely surprise me anymore.

This one did.

It surprised me with its structure, with its emotional restraint, with its confidence, and with its willingness to let its audience think.

This is unquestionably one of the finest historical dramas I’ve seen and it unquestionably earns a place among my highest recommendations.

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She Wasn’t Broken. She Was Holding the World Together with Her Bare Hands

Historical dramas love giving their female leads tragic backstories. A dead parent here, a betrayal there maybe a few episodes of crying into a pillow before she “gets over it” and the plot moves on to the romance everyone actually tuned in for. The First Jasmine does not do this. It refuses to do this, and that refusal is the whole reason this drama stayed with me.

What gets me is how the show treats Ye Li’s pain. It doesn’t play her composure as denial. It plays it as discipline, as a woman making an active, conscious choice, again and again to carry her grief privately so it doesn’t get in the way of what she has to do. Standing calm at the funeral of the grandmother who murdered her own mother isn’t a woman who’s “lost it.” It’s a woman who has decided, on her own terms, exactly how much of herself the world is allowed to see. That is not weakness. That’s armour she built alone with no one’s help because no one ever offered.

And here’s the part that really won me over. Even while carrying all of that, even while fractured, even while lonely in a way most of the people around her couldn’t begin to imagine, she still got up and did what needed to be done. She tracked down the men who destroyed Lishan and orchestrated their downfalls one by one, patiently, using their own pride and greed against them until they walked themselves into the trap. She helped heal her husband’s legs when the royal physicians had given up. She rebuilt a household that was falling apart around her. None of it came from anyone holding her hand through it. It came from her own intelligence, her own will, dragging herself forward one task at a time even while unraveling underneath. That’s the part of her character that feels the most real to me. She didn’t need to be whole to be capable.

And then, just when she lets that armour down, just when her husband finally earns enough trust that she’s willing to believe she doesn’t need to carry it alone anymore, he hands her divorce papers. Not out of cruelty exactly but out of his own wounded pride misreading her devotion as obligation. He doesn’t realise that the one promise she actually believed was that she wouldn’t have to go back to being alone. And the moment he breaks that, even unintentionally, she fractures further than before, because now even the version of “alone” she’d survived once already feels unbearable a second time with someone she trusted standing right there.

That’s not a romance plot device. That’s what happens to women, to people, who are taught that being needed is conditional that their pain is only acceptable as long as it doesn’t inconvenience anyone else’s feelings.

Ye Li isn’t a woman who needed fixing. She’s a woman who needed someone to finally stay.


This drama understood the difference and so did I, watching it.

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Started Strong, Lost Its Spark

It was really good... until it wasn't.

The show actually started off so strong. I was hooked from the beginning—the story was fun, the pacing was great, and who doesn't love a yearning male lead? The chemistry was there, and I genuinely thought this was going to be one of my favorites.

Unfortunately, the last 5–6 episodes completely lost me. They weren't necessarily bad, but they became so boring that I genuinely struggled to finish them. The writing feels very inconsistent. One moment it's engaging, and the next it's falling back on the same overused K-drama tropes we've seen a hundred times before. Nothing really felt fresh.

What disappointed me the most was the romance. It had so much spark at the beginning, but somewhere along the way it just fizzled out. It felt like the characters kept going in circles—every time they made progress, they'd have another misunderstanding and end up right back where they started. They never seemed to communicate properly, and after a while it just became repetitive instead of emotional.

The show had so much potential, especially with the reincarnation storyline, but it barely scratched the surface. They could've explored it in a much deeper and more meaningful way, but instead it felt underdeveloped. The characters also had so much potential to be incredibly well written, but the execution just didn't live up to it.

One thing I will give it credit for is the editing and overall production—it looks great, and some scenes are genuinely beautiful. Sadly, good editing can't make up for weak writing.

Overall, it's an easy watch and not overly complicated, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it. It starts off incredibly promising, but the second half really drags, and the ending feels rushed. It's one of those dramas that had all the ingredients to be great but ultimately missed the mark.

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A Beautiful Drama with a Heartbreaking Ending

I just finished Snowdrop and... yeah, I have my thoughts and frustrations with that ending.

I genuinely enjoyed the drama more than my expectations . But that finale? It was way too much to process. Now I completely understand why people call it a K-trauma.

My biggest disappointment was that Soo-ho and his comrades went through ALL. OF. THAT. just to end up dead. 😭 What was the point of dragging the hostage situation till the very end, making multiple deals with the ANSP, and giving the spies (and us viewers) hope that they might actually survive... only to kill them all anyway?

I was so relieved when they finally escaped the dorm. I thought, "Finally! They're free!" But then Soo-ho decided to go back inside. I literally yelled, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? JUST RUN! He basically dug his own grave. The main couple wasn't going to get a happy ending anyway, so was it really necessary to kill him and all his comrades?

Another thing that disappointed me was the romance. Soo-ho and Yeong-ro had amazing chemistry in the beginning, but after the first few episodes the romance was almost nonexistent. They barely got any meaningful moments together. By the end, the story became all about survival, and honestly, I just wanted them to stay alive, even if it meant living separately. The spark, chemistry, and emotional tension they had at the start completely faded. What was supposed to be a romantic story slowly turned into an action thriller, with the romance pushed into the background. I didn’t mind that but I really wanted more Soo-ho and Yeong-ro... but alas.

I have to give a special shoutout to Dr. Kang. She was an absolute boss. I did not expect her character to become one of my favorites, but she surprised me in the best way possible. Smart, fearless, and always in control I'm so glad she survived.

Han-na annoyed me so much in the beginning, but she really redeemed herself. She played such an important role in trying to save the students, and by the end, I loved her too. These two boss ladies carried themselves so well.

One thing the drama never cleared up, though: What happened to Soo-ho's sister? Did she survive? I kept waiting for some closure, but they just... never mentioned her again.

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fun watch but forgettable

This drama was a nice surprise. It offers an interesting story about agents and spies living in hiding, blending action and comedy with just a touch of romance.

I really loved the team and their journey to becoming a unified group. Their bickering was entertaining, and the fight scenes were well-executed. The acting is great across the board—the cast is filled with talented performers who brought their characters to life.

The drama kept my attention for the most part, though I did start losing interest towards the end. Still, it was a good watch—just don't go in expecting a top-tier drama.

Verdict: A fun, lighthearted spy drama with solid action and comedy. Entertaining enough, but not groundbreaking.

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What exactly is the bridge between storytelling and life?

We Are All Trying Here (2026) 🎥

I did enjoy Eun-a's story, but honestly, her mother's subplot was easily the least interesting for me. Otherwise, I am reminded of what I really enjoy about Park Hae-young's works, her ability to craft complex characters and show how life is never as straightforward as we want it to be. There is no one way to solve something, and we have push and pulls that make these stories, our cries to say that we exist humourously, happily, pitifully, and everything else. The emotion watches were a rather provocative tool, and they were used in a way that allowed the characters to still exist and learn to deal with their greatest mental setbacks. Eun-a and Dong-man bonded over the unknown emotional pattern flashing red, and learned to address the feeling rather than repress it. Specifically, the main thing here is how they know when they feel it and the reason why they cannot feel as in touch with their emotions.

I really got to know and understand these characters as human beings, and maybe learned a lot about why stories are ingrained into our lives, where I sympathized with these creatives, who, above all, are people, criticized their actions often, and sat back without saying a word, watching this. I need to probably rewatch some episodes and reflect a bit more, but this was still a fascinating drama. Sometimes the pacing was not to my standard, but I still think I will take their words with me every time I choose to create anything; those simple reminders will help me. Dong-man is very flawed, but he has heart and chooses stories to achieve a lighthearted approach that is not consumed by anxiety and envy at its best. I did not feel bad about how people chose to respond towards him because he is just not the hero you can root for; he can maybe write those heroes, but with grit and honesty, as with the stories he tells his friends. Eun-a mostly relied on facial expressions to craft her story, but she was also the perfect balance for all the relationships encompassed. She got to understand the root of her trauma and grab it while she still can.

Ko Hye-jin was someone who also stole the spotlight, and she was equally intriguing and complex, someone you would want to root for in the film business, too. I enjoyed seeing Jang Mi-ran, too, and Hwang Jin-man for his insights but felt his ending was rather rushed, besides the other directors in this drama. Choi Dong-heon of Choi Film was also a businessman who invests in films, but that doesn't make him completely unlikable, besides his treatment of Eun-a. Eun-a, changing her name from Si-on, reminded me of My Mister, quoted by Lee Ji-an, where she says she wants to live as a new person, change her name, and move to a place where no one knows her.

Highly recommended, and I would say that the character writing of Dong-man exceeds the work in My Mister and My Liberation Notes. But just take your time with it and don't take long breaks in between episodes either.

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When Love Becomes the Light in the Dark

"We live to pursue hope in life."

That quote from Day has stayed with me long after I finished Last Twilight, and I think it perfectly captures the heart of this beautiful series.

I honestly didn't expect to love this drama as much as I did, but it ended up becoming one of the best Thai BLs I've ever watched. Every episode made me feel something. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, and I found myself completely immersed in the journey of the characters. It was absolutely worth every minute.

Jimmy and Sea delivered such heartfelt and natural performances. Their chemistry felt effortless, making every emotional moment even more powerful. They didn't just portray Mhok and Day... they became them. Their emotions felt genuine, and it was impossible not to become attached to their story.

One of the things I loved most about Last Twilight is how beautifully it reminds us that life is unpredictable. In an instant, everything can change. Life will test you in ways you never imagined, but it can also bring unexpected people into your life... people who end up becoming your greatest source of comfort, strength, and love.

The series also sends a beautiful message that love isn't based on what we see with our eyes. Real love is about understanding, acceptance, trust, and choosing someone every single day despite life's uncertainties. That message was portrayed so sincerely that it left a lasting impact on me.

The character development throughout the series was exceptional. Watching Mhok and Day grow individually and together made their journey even more meaningful. Every challenge they faced shaped them into stronger, more compassionate people, making the ending feel truly earned.

I also have to mention the OST because it deserves so much praise. I honestly don't even know how many times I've listened to it, especially William's song. It's absolutely beautiful on its own, but hearing it during the emotional scenes made those moments hit even harder. His voice carried so much emotion that it elevated every scene it accompanied. Even after finishing the drama, I still find myself replaying the soundtrack because it instantly brings back all the feelings I experienced while watching.

The cinematography was stunning, the soundtrack perfectly complemented every scene, and the storytelling struck a wonderful balance between emotional, romantic, and hopeful moments. It never relied on unnecessary drama... it simply told a deeply human story that resonated with me.

Last Twilight is more than just a romance. It's a story about hope, healing, acceptance, and learning to find light even during life's darkest moments. It's a series that will stay with me for a very long time, and one I'll gladly recommend to anyone looking for a heartfelt, beautifully written BL.

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BEST OF 2026 (Not in terms of Quality , But the pacing and thrills)

We have seen this type of stories in Kdrama . But I finished 10 episodes without any lag , hooked till now.

After THE MANIPULATED series, i tried to watch many 2026 k dramas , but most of them i watched in 2x speed after 2 eps,

In the case of Reborn Rookie , after the 6th Episode, i thought i ll do the same (2x). but Nah, Screenwriter actually awakened after the halfway of this series.

Major plus was the cast's Performances. Other positive was the Director , Ist Half (5 eps) of the show was not that good,
But DIRECTOR managed to give the thrills to the audience

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A Brilliant Adaptation Elevated by Two Outstanding Performances

Inspired by Juan Mayorga's acclaimed play El chico de la última fila, Notes from the Last Row transforms the original story into something that feels both faithful and refreshingly original. It preserves the play's thought-provoking core while expanding its emotional and cinematic possibilities in a way that never feels forced.
The true heart of the drama, however, lies in its two leads. Choi Hyun-wook and Choi Min-ho deliver exceptional performances, bringing remarkable depth and authenticity to their characters. Their chemistry is subtle yet compelling, built through meaningful conversations, lingering glances, and quiet emotional moments rather than dramatic declarations. Together, they create a dynamic that feels natural, complex, and incredibly engaging.
The writing trusts the audience, allowing the story to unfold with patience and confidence. Instead of chasing constant twists, it focuses on character growth, moral ambiguity, and the power of observation, making every episode rewarding in its own way.
Beautiful cinematography and a carefully chosen soundtrack enhance the reflective atmosphere without overshadowing the performances. Every artistic element works in harmony to create a drama that is as emotionally resonant as it is intellectually engaging.
Whether you're familiar with El chico de la última fila or experiencing this story for the first time, Notes from the Last Row is a memorable adaptation that honors its literary roots while standing confidently on its own.

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The World from an Autistic Perspective

Woo Young Woo has been having a hard time landing a job after graduating as one of the top students in Seoul National University Law School, simply because she is in the spectrum. Finally a job offer came from a top law firm, Hanbada and she started as a rookie attorney with a 1 year contract, dealing with various cases that teaches her about the world and its workings. Though sometimes bullied by her fellow rookie coworkers or yelled at by clients and senior attorneys, she still manages to learn about love and making concessions, eventually learning the secret behind her father’s simple background that led to her not so simple identity.

First off I just had to give it off to ALL the actors in the cast, from the one who played young Young Woo who appeared less than 15minutes to the mainlead adult Young Woo. Every single one played their roles well and I could really feel the connection between them. The one that hit me tha hardest is how lonely Young Woo’s father’s life had been raising an autistic child all by himself, with absolutely no support system nor job stability, knowing that he is throwing his dreams and life away to make a life for somebody who may never learn how to express her love back at him, his autistic and socially-challenged daughter, Young Woo. Imagine raising a child who could never stand holding hands or hugging you for more than 1 minute, it wouldve been infuriating, especially when youre all alone with no one to confide into or seek warmth from, ie a soulmate. Young Woo’s father deserves the Parent of The Year Award for having that kind of endurance.

Although the story is very simple and straightforward with a pinch of political maneoevre, it still manages to keep my attention on with all those quirky characters they throw in, from the sassy Dong Geurami to the colourful attitudes of judges. I really liked Honju, although he is an extremely green flag that seem too good to be true. It’s somewhat sad to see him constantly giving in to Woo Youngwoo cuz she just couldnt understand social cues, deep down I know he’s going to be father 2.0 if he ever gets together with Youngwoo. Of course it is a good thing for Youngwoo, hey autistic people long for love too, just in their own way that may not seem like love to the ordinary people.

A fun fact that I find unique about the show is there wasnt any true villain in the show, even the horribly selfish and cunning Tae Sumi and Kwon Minwoo eventually redeemed themselves at the end.

The conflicts and tensions here isnt as pressing as other stories i’ve seen, but okay for a moderate-paced family drama. I look forward to Season 2.

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Your typical school romance

Overall it's a pretty cute series, with good acting, nice visuals, and scenery, but definitely nothing special. Just your classic Japanese school BL series.

Things I liked:
1. Hosaka Yui. He is a great friend. Mature and smart. Definitely my favorite character in this series.
2. Akane. She is a nice and supportive girl.
3. Yamato's sister. Yet again, another great and supportive character.
4. Everyone is so supportive of their feelings. It's truly so nice and refreshing to see people take them seriously and genuinely try to help them resolve their problems.

Things I disliked:
1. Slow start. Things definitely get more interesting after the first few episodes.

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Glory in Shadows(2026) is a very well done mystery romance miniseries within a revenge storyline due to the chaotic conspiracies and hidden agendas within the Shen family. The drama has ML: Dong Zi Fan (as Li Jing Chuan) and FL: Wu Jia Yi (as Shen Yao Chu) in the leading couple's roles. This drama could've used another 30 minutes to give a better flow to the antagonists' deviousness and psychotic behaviors. The Shen family was a mayhem and it was the source of all evils that the leading couple had to join forces against. General Li Jing Chuan and Shen Yao Chu were both thrown into this maelstrom when Shen Yao Chu was forced to marry Li Jing Chan as he was presumed dead by her equally deranged family and, due to having lived similar circumstances, the leading couple form a bond that flourished into a steadfast and protective love. The leading couple had great rapport and a satisfying romantic chemistry. Within the time constrains of the miniseries, (SPOILER ALERT) the leading couple's separation was completely unnecessary and, briefly, disturbed the flow of the nice ending. Overall, the drama is entertaining; enjoy it!

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✨An Emotionally Rich Journey That Stayed With Me✨

I went into this one knowing almost nothing about it, and it turned out to be an unexpectedly emotional and beautifully crafted journey.

The writing, layered narration, multiple POVs, and haunting OST all come together to create a deeply immersive experience that stays with you after it ends.

Bai Lu and Cheng Lei are outstanding. While both are consistently strong actors, this drama gives them especially layered, complex characters. Bai Lu, in particular, may have delivered my favorite performance of hers so far—her character was intelligent, vulnerable, and compelling, and I found myself fully invested in her journey, rooting for her at every turn.

There is also a (not so) subtle but refreshing psychological layer to her character involving unresolved trauma and how she perceives her past, which adds unexpected depth without giving too much away—but I’ll leave that for viewers to discover.

The romance is equally well done, with chemistry that feels natural and earned rather than rushed. Even when things are difficult between them, the emotional build-up makes their connection all the more satisfying.

The overall premise—swapped marriage, political intrigue, and opposing schemes—is familiar, and many arcs, especially the final palace rebellion, follow a well-known historical drama formula. Still, Mo Li manages to stand out through its execution, character depth, and emotional pacing.

The ending is also a highlight, taking its time to resolve everything properly and giving the story a peaceful, satisfying conclusion.

All in all this one surprised me in the best possible way. It's beautifully written, wonderfully acted, emotionally powerful, and filled with heart. A memorable journey from beginning to end, and one I'll happily recommend to anyone looking for a historical drama that values both emotional depth and meaningful storytelling.

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A typical historical romance drama with a fresh twist

This would have been another one of those typical historical romance cdramas with wronged leads, lots of scheming for revenge, and court intrigue if it wasn't for one big twist - FL here suffers from severe psychological trauma and is an unreliable narrator. Add to that ML having a physical disability, and you get a dire mix of trauma dumping from the crippled leads in this drama, driving most of the plot. All in all, this drama is around 10% romance, 40% scheming, 50% trauma. So if you're looking mainly for romance here, you may be disappointed.

TL;DR:
POSITIVES:
- Very interesting FL character's concept
- Stellar Lishan mountain arc
- FL's cunning revenge schemes
- Different POVs and clever use of unreliable narration from FL's perspective
- Beautiful OST

NEGATIVES:
- Very lackluster, prudishly filmed romance
- Some big, forced angst for the sake of moving the plot
- Convoluted plot device
- Uncompelling, boring villains
- The plot is not easy to follow due to how it was filmed
- Lots of forgettable side characters

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FEMALE LEAD:
FL here is a genius level scholar, martial arts pro, experienced medical expert, skilled painter, savvy businesswoman, wise beyond her years and progressive, yet also kind, selfless and generally liked by all. She's also very cunning and plots elaborate schemes like a veteran strategist. She definitely falls into a typical Mary Sue category, but it's easy to close your eyes on all that because of her severe mental trauma.

5 years before the start of the plot, FL suffered a great tragedy at the scholar academy on mount Lishan, where she lived with her grandfather and other scholars. She survived, but it left a deep scar in her psyche, resulting in a severe case of PTSD, with symptoms such as hallucinating imaginary interlocutors, associating herself as another person, and completely erasing the tragedy from her mind. Her hallucinations come and go on a trigger when she's very stressed.
Because of this, it's very easy to sympathize with her - she's traumatized, her mind is fragile, she's lonely and yearns for family's warmth and somebody to lean onto. She's utterly devoted to ML after marrying him, and he becomes the anchor that keeps her rooted in reality.

She expertly hides her plans and intentions behind all sorts of masks to complete her goals - naive, overly cheerful, impassionate, pitiful...But behind it all she's still that lonely, scared girl, crying her heart out on a desolated mountain.

The plot is heavily centered around FL and, like always in Bai Lu's dramas, she carries the whole drama on her shoulders. Forget about ML, he's just a prop here. Her intriguing, unpredictable character is the main highlight of this drama.

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MALE LEAD:
ML here is rather boring, to be honest. It's obvious he's mainly here to love FL and heal her trauma; it's a female-centric drama after all.

He's a typical brave and loyal general prince who got his legs crippled in a war 8 years ago and whose family almost got wiped out on unjust charges of treason. He harbors a grudge towards the same villains as FL and wants to clear his family's name, but in 8 years he hasn't achieved much on that front. Only after FL arrives at his mansion, do things start moving with him. He gets promoted to a prefect position, which allows him to investigate the villains' dealings. But in the end, it's FL who manages to clear his family's name through her scheming.
His character can be described as reserved, brooding, mistrustful and intolerant to pity.

Though very suspicious and wary of people after suffering from his own tragedy, he rather quickly gets enamored with FL, which later gets even a bit obsessive. After she convinces him to heal his legs and he learns of her mental issues, he tries to help her overcome them in return. And in the end, after weathering all the misunderstandings and villains' schemes, he becomes her one constant in the world to lean onto.

However!
One of the major letdowns of this drama also involves ML. To move the plot back to the Lishan mountain, the writers couldn't come up with anything better but to force a blown out of proportion, angsty misunderstanding between the leads. This led to the signing of divorce papers and FL, with all her imaginary friends, leaving back to the mountain. All because ML got into his mind that FL only pitied him and never loved him. He couldn't conceive it could be both. And, bro, you didn't marry for love; she did a lot for you, like, A LOT. But nah, one big misunderstanding and it's "off to the mountain with you, imma divorcing you". If people acted this flippant in marriage all the time, no sane woman would want to get married. It's not a fkn car rent contract.
Thankfully, they didn't drag this for too long. ML hated FL for pitying him, but after learning what happened to her on the mountain, he himself became overwhelmed with pity and rushed after her. The ironic hypocrisy at its best.

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PLOT:
The drama starts when FL is ordered to come down from mount Lishan back to her father's scummy family to marry ML in an arranged marriage. She leaves with a mental checklist of things to do:
• to avenge her mother's death;
• to avenge the mountain's graduates, who got persecuted;
• to uncover the edict plot device lost by her mother, which led to ML's family's ruin, and heal ML's crippled legs;
After the marriage, she immediately starts working on these things.
This is the most fun part of the drama - watching this dissonance-inducing character struggle with her mental trauma, all the while enacting her elaborate, cold and calculating revenge plans with precision and guile.

Another, absolutely stellar part of the plot was the Lishan mountain arc - FL elevated this drama to another level with her performance there. Prepare to cry.

Besides the intriguing mystery of FL's past and her revenge schemes, this is a typical historical romance drama - expect to see court intrigue, incessant scheming and plotting, annoying love polygons, etc. If you've seen a dozen such dramas already, there's nothing new to find here, unfortunately.

What they've tried doing cleverly with the plot here is carefully dosing crucial information about the mystery of what happened on mount Lishan, inserting different POVs, and introducing unreliable narration from FL's perspective.

Plot quality in this drama also fluctuates like crazy - this drama was written by a group of writers, and it shows. Excellently written FL's trauma and schemes (main plot) look like they were written by one party, boring ass romance by another, side stuff by a third.

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PACING AND PLOT DEVICES:
Unfortunately, some scenes here were weirdly paced and edited, leading to uneven pacing overall. At times haphazard; at times dropping names, but not showing who these people are until later; at times showing people, but you've got no clue who they are; lots of "blink and you miss it" plot points.
The drama also got quite draggy in the last couple of episodes, but at least nothing was rushed. Everyone had enough sceen time for their own epilogue.

There are also some very convoluted plot points here.
For example, the general-governor, whose murder was investigated for a long time, had such an egregiously written path to the capital, you can't help but get confused.
And don't even get me started about the edict plot device. I even wrote a lengthy explanation with a timeline in discussions about it while trying to connect the missing dots.

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VILLAINS:
There are 3 main villains in this drama, and unfortunately, none of them are anything to write home about.

Marquis is a lapdog of the main villain - the empress dowager. Together, they staged a coup 8 years ago against the Crown Prince and erected the dowager's son as the new emperor. They then intimidated or killed all dissidents and kept on doing that for 8 years, until other factions started digging under them and eroding their bond with court intrigues.
The dowager's scenes mostly are as dull as watching paint dry, maybe because they tried showing her sickly and heavily burdened by regrets over the years.
And the marquis is so dumb and reckless and gets played so often throughout the drama, you'll quickly start questioning how these two even managed to grab and hold onto power.
All in all, these two are one of the major letdowns of this drama - very uncompelling, flat villains.

Then we also have the 3d villain - SML. The son of the killed Crown Prince and a contender to the throne, he's a typical Hamlet-esque character with some very annoying flaws, such as being obsessed with FL, being self-pitying, self-destructive, ruthless and conniving. He's a bit more interesting to watch, but in the later part of the drama he gets swept under the rug for many episodes, only to reappear in the end with predictable rebellion and pathetic death.

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SIDE CHARACTERS:
There are also lots of side characters plotting schemes against the villains, against each other, and against the main leads, but it's all been there, seen that. If you want to watch smart court intrigues, this drama definitely is not it, to a point it just starts to get cartoonish at times. They also kept adding a new set of side characters on the regular basis, making the cast very bloated in the end. Some side characters were boring and a plain waste of screen time.

And there were so many "dead end" characters' arcs here with worst possible endings - the stupid assassin boy, marquis's sons, ML's merchant friend+Cangbei princess, SFL...So many painfully obvious opportunities to make something great with these characters, but nah.

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ROMANCE:
Unfortunately, it was so lackluster and prudishly filmed, it became another one of the major letdowns of the drama.
I've thought about what was so off about it for quite some time and here are my thoughts:

First, in terms of FL, for the bigger half of the drama she so often switched from acting overly cheerful, kind and friendly in one scene only to turn into a stone-faced, cold and calculating mastermind in the next, that for the longest time it made me question whether anything she was doing or saying was genuine. So, her budding romance with ML also looked fake and not genuine for a long time. Maybe the actress failed to properly convey her character's complex emotions, or it was for a purposeful sense of dissonance. Whatever the reason, it didn't do any favors to the romance subplot. Way later in the drama, they tried assuring the audience that she loved ML from the beginning by showing her having a teenage crush on him after he saved her one time years ago. But the first impression at that point had already taken deep root, and since it happened years ago, it still wasn't convincing enough.

Second, while some viewers praised their good communication in the beginning, it mainly involved FL quickly resolving small misunderstandings with ML. But she never told him about or included him in her big revenge schemes. This led to a predictable, but very overblown conflict between the leads when ML learned she was lying to him. For the larger part of the drama they acted like a devoted married couple, but were working and plotting by themselves, never fully trusting each other, until it blew up in their faces.

Third, their relationship development skipped a few steps and never backtracked to pick them up.
Their romance here is a "slice of life", "skipping steps straight to the endgame", "old married couple" type. It lacked passion and sexual tension. The leads got married since the start of the drama, so the scriptwriters decided this couple can just skip all the normal romantic relationship steps straight to the end. There's basically no-lead up, stakes, or struggle to get together. Everything is taken for granted. ML was shown a few times to be nervous around FL, but she was looking like she's oblivious to any of these concepts all the time.
Even when they finally consummated their marriage, it all looked so flat and unenthusiastic, it made me wonder whether anything actually happened there. There are literally two prudish kissing scenes in this drama, with none left for the ending, not to mention any mention about kids.
One could argue there was often something interfering with their romantic life - emotional unavailability, misunderstandings, etc. But there were also lots of quiet, peaceful moments that were wasted on day-to-day domestic banalities and hand holding.

All in all, ML here shows more passion in being jealous and angry at FL's shenanigans, and FL acts most natural when she's executing her schemes and suffering from her trauma. It's possible the actors were uncomfortable with each other and failed to convincingly convey romantic feelings. But I saw these actors in other dramas, and I think romance wise the scriptwriters and directors simply did us dirty. And not including a kiss in the final episode of a romance drama is just a crime in itself.

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PRODUCTION AND MUSIC:
Compared to some of the recent cdramas, the sets and costumes here are on the cheaper side, but at least they're fresh and new. I'm very tired of seeing the same palace sets in every historical cdrama made in the last 4 years or so. They've also tried stylizing everything with eye-pleasing color palette.
The last major highlight of this drama is the music - the bgm instrumental music is superb, and Zhou Shen's intro delivered as always, and there were some other nice songs.

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CONCLUSION:
This drama sure was a rollercoaster in terms of how to rate it. I went back and forth as the episodes aired. And in the end, I gotta say that overall it's quite good. Some parts were stellar; some, unfortunately, didn't deliver.
If you're a fan of Bail Lu's work, it definitely is a must watch - compared to her other dramas, it's one of the better ones. She's been on a roll this year with good dramas. Her performance in the Lishan mountain arc will probably net her all the yearly awards, it was so good.
There were some very annoying letdowns in this drama, though, described in detail above, so I had to lower the score a bit. Overall, it's an 8 from me.

P.S. If you want to watch a drama where Bai Lu unquestionably fits her role like a glove, with none of the draggy soap in the plot, go watch her previous drama - Unveil: Jadewind. And it's funny, but even that grim detective drama had more exciting, natural romance than in The First Jasmine, even though it wasn't the main focus.
For an intelligent court intrigue and revenge drama with well-written complex villains, I'd recommend the recent Legend of Zang Hai.

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