Superwoman on Steroids
LI Ye, the FL in this series, is skilled at swordsmanship and martial arts, knowledgeable of court etiquette & manners, knows accounting and how to run a business. And did I mention she’s drop dead gorgeous? She knows all about herbs and Chinese medicine, and how to perform acupuncture. She can predict an eclipse, (because she knows astronomy). She paints as well as a Chinese master (dragon). She can create magical illusions, and knows how to design and build a wheelchair, (ep.32). She has excellent social skills, knows how to psychologically manipulate people, and she can whip up a meal of bamboo shoots and mushrooms in the middle of nowhere. Plus she’s acquired all these skills in spite of being completely isolated with no human companionship for 8 years. Also, she’s a little bit crazy.All this makes her about as believable as Superwoman, although Superwoman had an excuse...
She was an extraterrestrial.
Several men are in love with Li Ye, including her underwhelming husband who (at the outset) has about as much verve and charm as a banana slug. But I have to admit that first impressions aren’t everything. This dude is kind, reliable, understanding, and an altogether stand up guy–although we don’t find this out for awhile. Turns out he’s not so bad in the martial--or marital--arts department either.
As others have mentioned, this series really sloooows down in the last 10 to 15 episodes., during which the ML has to play therapist to the FL. The music is OK, though unbelievably repetitious.
What’s absolutely stunning, though, are the costumes and jewelry, which give the viewers somewhere to focus if their eyes are glazing over with all the convoluted politics.
Villains seldom get any appreciation, but I really thought the actor who played Marquis Muyang--I believe it’s Calvin Yu-- did an outstanding job of making the character three dimensional (showing his love for his son, for example) and his body language in general was quite effective.
Well done, movie makers.
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This review may contain spoilers
Such a bright smile, Ye li, in an empty room, Ye li
I truly feel such a pity to give only 6, for such a masterpiece of Ye li story, yet the pity, not to mention that Bai Lu is my fave actress, still i cannot bring myself to give any higher—The story starts strong yet fails midway, it feels like stoped in time for few episodes until it catches you on answers full of suspense! =>But then…Onwards 35episode it again started feeling boring, and I just skipped everything. I think it was just too boring and slow for me :< I can say that I didn’t even watch it, just pure forwarding
“I felt that i dont like the slow story…It feels that something is missing. I was forwarding a-lot.” Yet still kept watching because of suspense and Bai Lu (Ye li)
The suspense is made well, the whole suspense is literally Ye li itself, more exactly her past. Without Ye li trauma, I think it would be casual romance, female driven revenge drama without anything pretty much.
——Characters—SPOILERS
Ye li and Ye Ying had my heart the whole time.
I truly felt attached to Ye li, because of her loneless. And i understand her, the hallucinations that she created out of loneless and lose…Out of harsh live in Lishan mountains yet she is cherful and full of joyment, and made-like genius character! She is one of my favourites female characters in C-drama land!
Ye li never understands that she is alone, the vivid images of people, the knowing that they just went to harvest…Her heart cannot bring herself to see the truth, and if she does she just simply forgets because its too overwhelming for her. She just shuts the brain, and lets the heart act, her delusion mind
on the other hand Ye Ying, it makes me pity her. She married a man that will never love her, no matter how much she will try. I think in the heart she also feels lonely and deceived, thats why at first she acted mean towards Ye li
Is one-sided love deemed worthless?”Ye ying
“Those with deep cravungs have shallow understanding” - Ye li
Li Fei bei and Princess Ling Yun, truly had heartwarming moments
It’s just that I don’t know what to say about Mo Xiu Yao, he also has past-story, but I didn’t felt anything for him, after all Ye li is the main point of the story.
So I want to say that, the story was just not for me, i understand people who give good ratings, I also think it deserves the rating. it’s just simply not for me, that’s why my rating is like this, I’m rating how much I enjoyed, not how good the drama is!
But I also think that the drama is a bit has too overused plot, if not the “trauma” of Ye Li, I wouldn’t like the drama not even a little bit. that’s the only special thing about this drama the mental illness, because it’s rare that mental illness is bringer into historical idol cdrama, the plot-twist was something new!
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Li Shan Academy to the rescue in the 2nd half.....but still a Disappointment
“The First Jasmine” started out with a bang, and I really like the first half of the drama. I was captivated and the plot was moving at a pretty good pace. The first half focuses on setting the stage, introducing all the characters, development of romance and the revenge plot. The second half becomes more political and that’s where the drama falters. If it’s not for the Li Shan Academy arc in the second half, I might have dropped the drama, despite liking both Bai Lu and Cheng Lei as actors.What I Like:
1. Smart leads - it’s always fun to watch smart main leads trying to outsmart each other, and guess the meaning behind each move. The first half of the drama was fun because Ye Li (FL) and Mo Xiu Yao (ML) are both introduced. Before they got together, it was interesting to see their interaction.
2. Revenge - Although Ye Li seems way too smart, it is without a doubt fun to see her try to take down all those who wronged her and her family. One by one, she seeks revenge, almost happening stealthily behind the scenes, while ML is trying to do the same.
3. Li Shan Academy arc - Without this arc in about ep 30, the second half of the drama would be a total bust. Everything about those few episodes was amazing - the story, the emotions, the acting and the romance. I cried during those few scenes, for ML, for FL and for everyone involved in Li Shan Academy.
4. Action scenes - this is a total surprise. I was not expecting fight scenes in a political revenge drama, but the few scenes they have are quite well-done. Ryan Cheng has a few fights that I was especially excited about.
What I have mixed feelings and don’t like:
1. Main romance - I know I am supposed to be in love with them. Their story is interesting, and their experiences together are supposed to make me fall in love with them individually and as a couple. Unfortunately, I was having a hard time connecting with them. It’s disappointing, because I am a romance lover. Aside from the angst and revelation/confession before the Lin Shan academy arc, I was lukewarm about the romance. I found Bai Lu and Ryan have decent chemistry, but not amazing enough to wow me.
2. Secondary romance - Can I even call it a secondary romance? The Prince Li and Ye Ying relationship is so blah. I would rather see Prince Li more as an obsessive ex-fiance and Ye Ying supposedly in love with this man, and wanting to be the wife to support him.
3. Acting - The acting is not bad, but it’s not amazing either. Bai Lu and Ryan performed to my expectations, and I have seen them done better in other dramas. Usually in dramas as such, I would be praising the veterans. But here, the veterans are also just OK, and no one really wows me. Is it the fault of the writing?
4. Court Politics - Unfortunately, this is the weakest theme and plot of the drama which took up most of the second half of the drama. The politics, though not complicated to understand, are not written in a way that excites me. There aren't any unique plot twists. The Prince Li revenge plot isn’t written well, and him as a character is rather boring. He was more interested as an obsessed ex-fiance than a political mastermind.
5. Characters - I think the biggest reason I am somewhat lukewarm about this drama is that I couldn’t quite connect with each character, especially the supporting characters. A drama can’t just rely on the male and female leads. You need compelling supporting characters (like beautiful green leaves to blossoming flowers). None of the supporting characters and backstories are interesting. I don’t feel happy or sad for them, because I don’t feel like their stories are written well. This is especially true with the 3 villains. Compared to other political dramas, villains fighting for power/throne have to be interesting, smart, and cunning enough for me to be invested in the whole political plot. But unfortunately, they are not shown this way.
I understand many viewers love “The First Jasmine” and it has a current high MDL rating of 8.4 right now. I think maybe not connecting to the characters is a “me” problem. However, the boring writing in the second half is a more objective criticism. It’s not a horrible drama, but a disappointing one when I quite enjoy the first half and the second half bores me. There are flashes of brilliance, but not enough to get a high rating. Because I enjoy the first half and the Li Shan academy arc, I am giving “The First Jasmine” a generous solid 8.0.
Drama Completed: 7/5/2026 Review #702
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This type of dramas may not be for everyone and that's fine as long as you respectfully do not hate on the actors and on the drama as it is a good one even if it's not your favourite, respect the time they took and don't leave hate comments but simply move on to your favourite drama if this isn't suitable for you, after all everyone has different taste they like to watch and that's fine.
My favourite character is the female lead with is rare knowdays, she's not weak even if she pretends to be, she's a cunning and a smart character, always 3 step ahead even from the male lead, If you haven't watched it yet I will just tell you a hint that she took out most of his enemies without him knowing it was her, And that she seems to have a hobby of cute voodo dolls, The Actors have done a very good job especially with the way they express their emotions with their eyes it is chilling and it feels as if they truly have stepped in to the chara ters of the roles they took, This draka is drilled and soaked in a heavy plot I am a reader so it may not be so heavy for me but even so it's truly good and juicy in it's own way.
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A Must Watch!!
This drama was what we all needed.. a break from the usual storylines.. i love how it tackled mental health, resilience, and just the human heart itself.. Bai Lu was perfect for the FL role.. she really pulled this one off.. Cheng Lei is always the right person for these General roles.. i swear this man was a General in his past life.. i love how the writers paced the story it wasnt rushed or lagging.. it flowed. And they gave each character development and closure in the end.. nothing was left undone.. this drama was not romance heavy so dont expect heavy making out.. but their chemistry was wonderful.. their love was so endearing and gets you right in the chest.. I really truly enjoyed this drama. Go give it a watch! Gonna go rewatch it again right now lol 💜Was this review helpful to you?
Loved it except one thing...
I’m a 30‑year‑old woman, and when I first saw the trailer for *The First Jasmin*, I immediately knew I wanted to watch it. It looked intriguing, mysterious, and right up my alley. I also hadn’t watched a full drama with Bai Lu before, even though I really enjoy her personality from the variety shows and interviews I’ve seen. I like Cheng Lei as well—I first saw him in *How Dare You*—so I went into this drama with a lot of excitement.Overall, I had no issues with the acting, story, or music. The only thing that genuinely disappointed me was the lack of romantic scenes between the two main leads. It felt like there was little to none, which was frustrating. I’m not sure if the original novel is the same way or if the drama was intentionally kept very PG, but as someone in her 30s who doesn’t need heavy censorship, it really took away from the experience.
What made it even more annoying is that both actors have done dramas with skinship and kissing scenes before, so it’s not like they’re against it. I truly hope they work together again in the future—and that next time, we get a lot more romance between them.
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Fair
I thought that this drama was really okay, it was a little over hyped.Characters were good, the story line was fair, it did however feel like there was a repeating and going backwards.
Fight scenes fair, and on point.
Music was not so good and at times felt depressed
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Intriguing story line
Done watching til Ep. 9. Can't help but to buy wetv express because each episode got me hook and can't wait till all episodes are released. I have a lot of questions and theories in mind especially about Lishan Academy and how Ye Li survived in the mountains alone?? I also need to see some theories of other viewers, maybe we have the same questions and all.Was this review helpful to you?
Great First Quarter, Fell Flat Towards the Ending
Ye Li from Lishan Academy is ordered to descend the sieged mountain to fullfil the Empress Dowager’s decree to marry former-general-now-crippled Prince Ding, Mo Xiuyao, after her past bethrothal to her childhood sweetheart Prince Li, Mo Jingli, fell through. Treated coldly by the brooding Mo Xiuyao who is the only survivor of the battle of Suixue Pass with her brother the general branded as rebel and sentenced to death, Ye Li is adamant on making his life better by secretly dealing with the officials who have been treating him badly and insisting on curing his legs. Her strange behaviour only increases her husband’s suspicion but her crafty nature finally manages to break Mo Xiuyao’s emotional defenses. Both needed to traverse around each other carefully and they each have strategical moves brewing behind them, although unbeknownst to them they actually had the same goal.Although the story is incredibly slow paced, it managed to keep my interest on as the mysterious backstory of Ye Li took ages to surface. Most of the plot is really flat and the major of it focuses on the growth of the mainleads’ relationship, a typical romance story. Although I did not expect much action, I did anticipate political struggles and manoeuvre but even this fell totally flat. There was not much strategy going on, no backstabbing drama or plot twists, the political play was really flat and straightforward, almost nonexistent strategy like how they had it on Fated Hearts.
My heart goes to Bai Lu’s Ye Li though. As usual she excels in crying scenes, that arc of her life in the academy was really heartbreaking and incredibly sad. This is also the third of Bai Lu’s show that I didnt drop, I am glad she finally came across a good script this time. Her character is the only thing that kept me going to the last episode depite me starting the show solely for Cheng Lei. The plot went rather uninteresting and mundane in the last quarter, and Ye Li was the only thing that made me stick on to it.
My hat’s off for the writeup that despite being more than 50% love story, they managed to exclude erotic bedscenes that is usually a staple for such genre. Even the kissing scene is very few and they ended it as quickly as it started. I really appreciate the modesty in displaying the physical intimacy as many other shows wouldve opted for spicy sexually explicit scenes to cater larger number of viewers. This is what i call an almost real asian values untainted by western style. Gotta give an extra star for that effort.
Basically I can say this is a story of a couple that heals each other, Ye Li by curing Mo Xiuyao’s physical disability and Mo Xiuyao by healing Ye Li’s emotional scars. Despite being portrayed very cheery and sassy as Princess Consort Ding, Ye Li is actually the most pitiful character of all, keeping it all inside while appearing to be normal to the people around her.. The show isnt for those who are impatient, because the writer made sure to take his time peeling the layers of the jasmine flower petals one by one for the audience’s consumption. There are no back-to-back fighting sequences or dramatic arguments to keep the heat up, but instead many uninteresting things that couples do while on a date, generally to show the buildup of their romance. Good thing that I feel the chemistry, so I dont mind those boring scenes and didnt use the FF button much.
Although this isnt my kind of preferable genre, I am still glad that I stick to the end and not drop it midway. For once, kudos to Bai Lu for making Ye Li so mysterious and alive for me to stick on. I finally managed not to drop her show. Hell yeah.
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This drama is very interesting
they've only aired 7 episodes but i'm already in love with this drama! the acting, visuals, costumes, chemistry, cinematography and even the script are all really good!I can't wait to see the next episode, and I'm sure this drama will be even more interesting.
I hope this drama will continue to surprise me in the future.
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This review may contain spoilers
So good .their acting is so good .the cinematography everything is on point .Bailu and cheng lei in a drama a masterpieces
The way yeli protect her husband like if you touch my husband you gonna suffer 🫣she is very cunning and smart also chenglei acting so good his state everything is on point
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A unique, refreshing, and irresistible drama!
A unique, refreshing, and compelling storyline, delivered in a perfect pace, and presented with top-notch acting quality of the main actors. The rich plot twists also make this drama even more captivating, unpredictable in a very positive sense.The layered characters and 'mysteries' of Ye Li, Prince Ding, and Prince Li are so intriguing. Ye Li has become the best FL character for me together with Manman of The Prisoner of Beauty!
The chemistry is deep yet natural, sweet, touching, without overly dramatized. It's so sweet the way Prince Ding expressing his affection subtly but beautifully through his eyes, his subtle smiles and touches, and even his worries whenever his wife having hard times or isn't around too long...
It has become an addictive drama for me. Waiting for the next episodes released on the next day is so hard 😩
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