Reviews

my first cdrama, the beginning of a wonderful journey

i never thought in my life I could finish a drama in less than 1 week and be that obsessed with them
What makes me stuck is the original background of the main lead; she is strong; she is ready to lie, to act, and to even deceive us, the watchers, during the whole drama. The slow development of their relationship from strangers to friends to lovers to coworkers—their chemistry is insane; their eyes do not lie. I smell love in the air between the two actors. From the beginning till the end, nothing is sure; you just pray. I want Lu Xixiao to be happy and get what he really deserves. Lu Xixiao is one of the greenest flags ever with Wan Zhou; especially when they become so close, he is the true definition of how a man must love and sacrifice for his lover. This drama is recommended to those who have lost faith in love; this drama makes you fall in love with life again. Their voyage from teenager to adult summary: If two people are meant for each other, fate will work in their favor, and they will reunite again.

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Childhood series that disappointed me.

Back in like 2017-2018 I was OBSESSED with the anime and manga. When I heard there was a remake I immediately put this on my watchlist, butttt, I never ended up actually watched it. My only motivation to watch this was the ost 'Love stage!' because It's been years since I thought about Love stage. I have to admit, I totally forgot what the love stage anime/manga was about even though it was one of my first bl anime and one of my favs. I love how in the ost you see the characters from the manga and the actors next to each other. I would say I'm disappointed in childhood me. I'm now going to watch the Japanese version and the anime one again and see if my opinion changes, but I doubt it.

The whole plot was kinda lost. I have to admit that I forgot the original anime/manga. But, Anda being revealed to be a man was not something genuinely big. They could've better shown more backstory aside from the wedding pictures, like feelings Ryou had when looking back on it. So this really lacked. No hate towards the set team but the 'cross-dressing' was done sooo bad. They could've gone with straight hair wig and make up that actually suited him, but they didn't. The wig pulling was WILD. It wasn't even serious in my head I was laughing like crazy. The way Ryou found out he was actually a boy was just wayyy too fast and rushed.

The way they portrayed famous annoyed me a lot. Through the show it didn't feel like they were famous at all. At some point I even forgot Thee was famous. I know that in real live idols and famous celebs are also normal human beings but they will always have consequences to their own moves. The amount of times all characters just went outside without any hiding is crazyyy. Everything just felt weird. Also, as a guitarist the 'playing' on the guitar irritates me, they weren't even playing correctly in certain scene's!!

The family dynamic is so weird. The parents seem super evil but then like their whole personality switches to positive after like episode 5? Not gonna lie , the brother (Thee) is more of a dad to Anda than his actual parents. His parents were basically never in any scenes. Also in the beginning it felt like they tried to add pushful parents who wanted Anda to also be famous but uhh.. that was gone aswell. Not to mention, the family of Ryou was gone. I don't remember seeing them uhh twice in this series? It kinda annoys me.

I hate to write this, I know it took a lot of time and work but the acting was... bad. The crying moments didn't feel real and the emotions did not touch me at all. From the first scene I already suspected the ending correctly. It's not just Kaownah but also Turbo. I've never really seen Kaownah as a main. I'm currently also watching crazy love moo moo because it's airing and it's so funny to see Turbo Chanokchon play in both Love Stage and Crazy love moo moo. I loveee Trubo as Tai. And as soon as I saw Fort as a guest character I was lowkey screaming., I love Fort a lot,

The plot was extremely lost. The unnecessary love triangle, which didn't even add development was sooo annoying.I was having a 'here we go again' moment. And if I can be 100% honest I didn't even care about Ryou and Anda. I stayed for Thee and Jet's relationship. They were so cute and it felt somehow way more realistic than Ryou and Anda's relationship. Also I got curious whether or not the parents knew about their relationship. They were adorable. and just made my day. I also like how it's not the stereotypical 'soft guy' x 'strong protective'. Also the friendgroup was like gone and barely any screen time...

Even though it disappointed me and had some small problems, this series was extremely comforting and interesting. It did for sure not get my attention taken. I was locked in. To my liking it was pretty good and I am giving it a 7 for a reason. I think you have to watch this series yourself before creating an opinion.

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Could be a better plot

It was a pleasant drama to watch. The episodes weren't boring; the acting of all the characters was good; they conveyed both the sad and happy situations; and the casting was good.
Sometimes the plot used exaggeration for humor, making unnecessary gestures that, really, as in the final scene or the third couple, supporting the mother of the supporting male, who was close to ridiculous, left the son as retarded, which seems very surreal even for Asian cultures, and suddenly she accepted the girl because of a dance, which couldn't be faker, making all their appearence unnecesary.
The FL and the ML wasted too much time solving the overly dramatic deeds of bad people, which detracted from the reality of the acceptable verbiage used.
For me, as a Westerner, it seems improbable for two grown adults living together and liking each other to waste too much time on a sometimes-lacking-credibility "pure behavior".
Overall, it was entertaining to watch the drama, and it brought good feelings.

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A fun, warm and heartfelt journey of healing and growth

I ended up loving this drama far more than I expected. When I first read the synopsis, I honestly wasn't sure how they were going to pull off the mix of genres - a medical drama, slice of life, healing story, rom-com, and melo all in one. Somehow, though, it worked. It took me through such a wide range of emotions: I was laughing out loud, on the edge of my seat during some of the medical cases, kicking my feet in the romantic scenes, enjoying the quieter slice-of-life moments, and then unexpectedly moved by the more emotional moments / patient stories. It was a really enjoyable ride, and probably better in a binge watch without the agony of waiting for a week between episodes!

At its heart, this drama is about healing and growth - not just for the patients and the community, but also for Ji-ui and Hari. I loved how Ji-ui is such an atypical male lead: anxious, clumsy, soft and vulnerable, though also incredibly steadfast and full of inner strength. He’s the opposite of textbook ‘cool’ male lead (except for his looks and even then they did the gorgeous Lee Jae Wook a bit dirty with this hair style imo) yet I still find myself rooting for him. His confidence isn't about being the coolest or most impressive person in the room; it comes out when he is caring for his patients, standing up for what he believes is right, and being there for the people he loves (and when he is running towards an emergency haha - honestly, so hot every single time he does that!)

I especially loved Ji-ui and Hari's relationship. Their chemistry isn't loud, but feels incredibly warm and natural. What stood out to me was how much of their relationship was built through conversations - moments where they were honest, vulnerable, and simply there for each other. They felt like two people who genuinely understood and supported one another, less like a dramatic whirlwind and more like two people slowly becoming each other’s safe place. Lee Jae Wook and Shin Ye Eun's chemistry was one of the biggest highlights of the drama for me, I couldn’t get enough of their scenes together.

The medical aspect was also something I ended up enjoying much more than expected. This isn't a drama about impossible surgeries or dramatic hospital battles. Instead, it focuses on what it means to truly care for patients - quality of life, respecting people's choices, understanding what they need, and remembering that medicine is ultimately about people. Some of the patient stories genuinely moved me because they explored difficult but meaningful questions around care, dignity and compassion. The medical scenes themselves were also surprisingly immersive, with realistic procedures and enough detail to make the stakes feel real.

I also loved the community aspect. The villagers were not always easy to love at first, but watching the relationships develop and seeing the warmth of the clinic and the island community grow was really rewarding. The drama has this comforting sense of people slowly becoming important to each other and having each other’s backs.

The middle stretch was quite heavy, and there were definitely moments where I wanted Ji-ui to have more wins rather than constantly being put through emotional challenges. As much as I appreciated his vulnerability, I also wanted to see more of his confidence and strength shine through.

But ultimately, I think those struggles made his growth and the final payoff in the last few episodes more meaningful. The ending was satisfying and felt true to the themes that had been built throughout the story: healing, growth, compassion and choosing the kind of person you want to become.

Doctor on the Edge may not be a drama that fits neatly into one genre, but I think that is also what makes it special. It's funny, warm, emotional and meaningful all at once. If you're looking for a character-driven drama about medicine, community, love and healing, I think this is absolutely worth watching.

A fun, warm and heartfelt journey that I’ll happily revisit. I can see myself going back again and again to rewatch my favourite scenes and episodes.

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Beatifully crafted characters.

As someone who likes this writer's stories, this time felt very frustrating. I should say, personally. Because watching this one in 2026 is a challenge when you're aware of what's going on in the world, and how you see the struggle of constant colonization, from the very same country this series presents as neutral, and at times as just, in a somehow historically accurate setting, as if they themselves haven't been affected culturally by them.

As a tribute to historical Korean resistence figures sometimes is well shown, even the artifacts got their moment, which was all very touching.
Beautifully crafted characters, especially amazed by their maturity and evolution through time.
And a wonderful cast.

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Disappointing Ending

This series really came out of nowhere and tugged at the heart strings immediately. Good story, great acting, and all the promises of being a top 2026 contender in the sea of BLs. But man oh man... that final episode left me so disappointed. Honestly, I'm just not a fan of open ended endings. But in this one, it's not only open ended, but also mystifying in the same. I'm not really sure what they wanted the final message to be and I don't really want to do the mental olympics to come to a final conclusion.

It had it all but a good ending.

Disappointing.

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An Amazing Cast, and A Light Hearted Story Line that Felt Deeper Then It Looks

As many of you may know, this drama has been delayed for airing by nearly 3 years, starting in 2023 and finally airing in 2026. You can obviously see the low-budget cuts and how the scene transitions were just not up to par. Not to mention the stunning costumes that were repeated too many times and action scenes that just didn't quite meet what I was hoping for. Basically this drama straight out screams that they were on a low budget.

First off I have too talk about the title of this review. Until the last scene I didn't realize how heavy this drama was on the inside. (At least in my opinion) On the outside this drama seems super light hearted and feel good. Especially with all the humor that got mixed into the plot. But when I watched the last episode I realized that this drama isn't just about laughs, but actually it's about longing for love, figuring your feelings out, and letting go. That's what I feel like the real message of the drama is.

- The Cast
I have to say that this is an amazing cast. Joseph Zeng, Li Yi Tong, Deng Wei, Dai Lu Wa, Riley Wang, Cheng Hong Xin, and Tian Jia Rui all in one drama is basically like a dream come true. But due to the messy story line I feel like the full potention of the cast is straight out wasted.
Even though the plot was rather disappointing I have to say the acting was exceptional and awesome! I really enjoyed watching Joseph Zeng as Qi Zheng. He was goofy and funny but also calculating and clear when the scene needed it.

- Setting and Costumes
I have to say that the Qi Mansion and other destinations in this drama were absolutely stunning and so well designed! Although the costumes were repetitive, they were gorgeous and fitted the Wuxia vibe very well.

- Love and Romance
I normally dislike love triangles but for this one I actually enjoyed watching. A lot was on changing the way the world felt about anyone can be officials and the struggle the way there

< Male Lead, Qi Zheng: I love how pure his love for Fan Yun is. He cares for Fun Yun with his whole heart and devotion. He would always put himself in front of Fan Yun in terms of danger. I really love this of him.
< Female Lead, Fan Yun: She really made me lose my mind for the whole drama. It wasn't until episode 32 when I feel like she final figured out what her true feelings were. I do think that her hard work and perseverance for "women can also be officials" is truly admirable
< Second Male Lead, Zheng Shi: Personally I think Deng Wei did a really good job with the whole love triangle situation. He portrayed his character really well.
< Second Couple, Gao Ran and Wei Shisan: I loved this couple so much while I was watching. In the beginning Wei Shisan was completely heed-over-heels for Gao Ran, while Gao Ran didn't feel the same or didn't know how to express his feelings. Over time though he ended up finding his way and expressed his love to Wei Shisan in his own way. This couple truly earns a like!

-OST Thoughts: In my opinion a good OST can level up a drama so so so much. I really enjoyed listening to these songs during the drama, and they match the vibe perfectly. Also it included my one of my all time favorite OST singer Liu YuNing! Two OST's that really stood out to me are 浮生若梦 (A Dreamlike Life) by 周深 (Zhou Shen) and 何故 (Why) by 刘宇宁 (Liu YuNing).

- Ending Opinon's
In conclusion this drama is not a total masterpiece or anything really phenomenal. But it's special in its own way and the humor was definitely one of the best parts. Indeed the flaws in this drama are practically countless and improvement is definitely needed.

But really this drama isn't something I'd never watch again, as I mentioned before the OST's are amazing and I will definitely continue listening to them long after finishing this drama! 🌹☁️

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Another amazing lakorn but such a waste of good Thai lakorn cause it's only sub till ep 4

So the story is about a handsome police officer named akkanee who's twin brother dies in some village where there's two rival farms who are enemies there's also a cute girl name man who has to live like a man because of her grandpa who want her to be strong but forcing her to be live like a man even if she's women don't take me wrong but I just don't like the fact that he wants her to live like man even if she's women when sometimes become weak he treats her like a dirt not understanding that she's young girl almost like a kid love the bickering and lovey dovey moments of akkanee and man.sadly I can only watch till ep 4 cause rest of the episodes are raw such a waste of good Thai lakorn I hope it get eng sub some day so I will watch this entire series became a fan of guy ratchanont hes my type .handsome and strong ♥️♥️

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More Than Revenge, More Than Romance-Finding Home After Losing Everything

When I started The First Jasmine (Mo Li), I expected another beautiful historical romance built around revenge, palace intrigue, and a slow-burn love story. Instead, I got something far more thoughtful. This isn't simply a revenge drama or a romance wrapped in political intrigue. It's a story about grief, survival, healing, loyalty, and the choices people make after losing everything. At its heart, it's about the fall of one era and the rise of another, where every character is fighting a different battle. Some seek revenge, some want to restore their family's honor, some are trying to clear the names of those who died unjustly, while others desperately cling to power because admitting they were wrong would mean accepting that their entire lives were built on mistakes. Every alliance has consequences, every victory comes at a cost, and every political decision leaves ordinary people paying the price.

As someone who loves history, I found the political writing incredibly refreshing. Rather than presenting a simple battle between heroes and villains, the drama explores how power shifts, how loyalty changes with circumstance, and how survival often requires morally difficult decisions. At times, it genuinely felt like watching a historical lesson instead of a work of fiction. The politics never existed merely to create tension. They shaped every character's motivations, relationships, and choices, making the world feel authentic and believable.

One criticism I've seen repeatedly is that the drama is slow, but I never agreed with that. To me, a slow drama is one where the story stalls and episodes are padded with unnecessary filler. **The First Jasmine** never felt that way. It's simply a character-driven drama rather than an event-driven one. Instead of rushing from one twist to the next, it allows every important relationship and emotional wound the time it deserves. Every conversation, every silence, and every small decision contributes to understanding who these people are. I stayed completely invested throughout all forty episodes because I cared about the characters just as much as the plot.

The drama's greatest strength is undoubtedly Ye Li. Historical dramas often advertise "strong female leads," but that strength is frequently reduced to physical combat, reincarnation or transmigration storylines, or an exceptionally intelligent heroine whose brilliance is confined to household politics. Ye Li is refreshingly different. Her strength comes from her intelligence, resilience, emotional endurance, and quiet conviction. The epidemic at Lishan isn't simply a tragic backstory that's forgotten after a few episodes. It continues to shape every decision she makes throughout the drama. She carries survivor's guilt, quietly dedicates herself to protecting others, and refuses to let her grief define her. She never needs someone to rescue her because her greatest weapon has always been her mind. Watching her patiently outmaneuver her enemies through strategy while carrying unimaginable pain made her one of the most memorable female leads I've watched in recent years.

Mo Xiuyao complements her perfectly. He's not written as the flawless hero who swoops in to save the heroine, nor is Ye Li there simply to heal his physical injuries. Instead, they become each other's greatest source of comfort. Ye Li restores his confidence long before she helps him recover physically, while he becomes the first person who truly understands the loneliness she has buried beneath years of composure. Their relationship is built on trust, mutual respect, patience, and quiet understanding rather than dramatic misunderstandings or overwhelming passion.

Because the romance is so restrained, much of its emotional impact comes from Bai Lu and Cheng Lei's performances. They don't rely on grand romantic gestures or excessive physical intimacy. Instead, they communicate through lingering glances, subtle expressions, and carefully measured silence. Their chemistry isn't loud. It exists in the way they look at each other, the way they listen, and the way they instinctively understand one another without needing words. Bai Lu delivers one of her finest performances to date, portraying Ye Li's grief with remarkable subtlety. Even in scenes where she says very little, you can feel the weight of everything her character has endured. Cheng Lei is equally impressive, bringing quiet dignity and vulnerability to Mo Xiuyao. Together, they elevate every scene they share.

One thing that deserves far more appreciation is the production design. Every frame feels carefully crafted without ever looking artificial. I absolutely loved the makeup and styling because they embraced natural beauty instead of trying to hide everything behind heavy filters. You can actually see the actors' real skin texture, natural complexion, and expressions, which made the emotions feel much more genuine. The costumes are elegant without being overly extravagant, and the sets strike the perfect balance between grand and lived-in. The use of natural wood, earthy colors, stone, and soft lighting creates an atmosphere that feels warm, timeless, and authentic. Nothing feels excessively decorated or overloaded with accessories just to look expensive. Every room, courtyard, and palace feels believable, as though people genuinely live there. It is the perfect amount of detail without ever becoming distracting, allowing the story and performances to remain the focus.

Another aspect I deeply appreciated was how the drama portrays women. Instead of forcing modern ideals into a historical setting, it explores the different ways women exercised influence within the limitations of their time. Ye Li, Guo Jin, Qing Shuang, and the other women each navigate power differently through intelligence, strategy, sacrifice, or political manipulation. Their stories never feel secondary, and they offer a refreshing perspective that is often overlooked in historical dramas.

The supporting cast is equally memorable, with each character contributing meaningfully to the larger narrative. Their individual stories never feel like distractions because they all reinforce the central themes of loyalty, family, sacrifice, and survival. Even the antagonists are written with enough depth to make their motivations understandable, reminding us that history is rarely divided into purely good and evil people. I also appreciated how the drama handled Guo Jin's ending. Rather than giving her a gruesome punishment, it allowed time itself to become her greatest enemy. After spending a lifetime controlling everyone around her, she ultimately faced the one thing no ruler can command. I found that far more poetic than a conventional revenge ending.

The drama isn't flawless. There are moments where the editing feels abrupt despite its forty-episode runtime, and a few supporting characters deserved stronger development. I also wish Princess Lingyun's storyline had been explored more deeply because it held enormous potential. However, these are relatively minor shortcomings in a drama that consistently remains emotionally engaging from beginning to end.

Ultimately, The First Jasmine isn't really about revenge, despite revenge setting the story in motion. It's about finding hope after unimaginable loss, learning to trust again, and discovering that healing isn't something you achieve alone. It asks its audience to understand people rather than judge them, to recognize that history is shaped by flawed individuals carrying impossible burdens. By the time the story reached its beautifully understated conclusion, I realized the greatest victory wasn't defeating enemies or reclaiming lost honor. It was watching two broken people slowly find a place where they could finally call home. That is what stayed with me long after the final episode ended.

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Plot twist and ending

Let's starts with main couple.....
They good ,I loved em Nd their moments were super cute ...not a hectic NC scene but it was a bit hot overall I liked em

Now the other couples...
I like the student /doc couple they really something,.Nd their NC scene was aweeeessooooome ,I dot no issue with em the top is surprising that too the bottom ... As for the gl that I predicted on their first encounter wasn't bad but hated the girl for outing everyone Nd causing a scandal after so much progress



Lastly WTF with the ending ,I get they were trying to do things differently but the loop shld have been myb a scene from 10yrs later telling each other I love u or maybe wen the ZW opens his eyes from the surgery...idk just saying Caz yoh I can't with ending Nd still who is the mysterious Yakuza guy and the dads dark past??? Alot of questions are left unanswered or will the be a s2?

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