This review may contain spoilers
a drama with apparently no primary antagonist
where was the bad guy throughout the entire drama?! this irked me so much i stopped watching.the main characters and their families suffer a brutal tragedy years before the drama starts, tens of thousands of people get killed, lives are destroyed, etc. why? because one woman wanted to rule
YET for 34 episodes (that's how far i watched before i got too annoyed to go on), this woman is presented to the audience as kind, just, longsuffering, soft spoken, a fair and balanced ruler, measured, a good and caring mother, lonely, sad, astute, isolated, altruistic, everything and anything but a blood thirsty greedy tyrant who engineered so much disaster just so she could get a chance at the throne. not once do we see her directly do or say a bad thing.
and that is so unbalanced. because on the other hand there's the leads just having an absolutely miserable time - the ml and fl with their major physical and mental challenges but who caused it? who is the main villain? why were they so reluctant to directly portray her as a villain?
instead they shove marquis muyang at us for the first half of the drama even though he's obviously just her tool, then they tell us its the 2ml, who despite being her victim is somehow portrayed as even more of a villain than she is?
the ml rarely even acknowledges her as the bad guy, not one person treats her with the scorn she deserves. why did ye li, a girl barely 20 have to come down from the mountain to get justice for the past? what were all of those grown men doing??
speaking of ye li - why was she so mary sue? she was perfect and could do anything and everything from building a wheelchair to predicting an eclipse i mean c'mon! even her mental illness made her look cute and mysterious for the most part.
some positives
bai lu and cheng lei did good with their characters, they didn't really have any romantic chemistry and its not cheng lei's best performance, but they held down their individual parts well.
ye li's psychological issues - her whole i see dead people shtick was quite entertaining. i thought the cause and effect was well done - although i didn't finish the drama so i don' t know the resolution.
the drama didn't have the typical idol drama sheen - the weather looked visibly hot and everyone was sweaty and clammy and the makeup and hair and clothes were not the best, but it felt deliberate? like they had enough confidence in their story to not pack on all that other stuff. anyway it was refreshing
the boy emperor did a good job
the eunuchs and the empresses sometimes had similar makeup - i thought that was cunt
the ost was nice
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The First Jasmine
If there's one thing The First Jasmine did exceptionally well, it's proving that a revenge story doesn't have to rely on constant twists to keep you invested. From the very first episode, the drama built an atmosphere that felt elegant, melancholic, and quietly intense. The cinematography was beautiful, the costumes were stunning, and every frame looked carefully crafted. You can tell the production team paid attention to the little details, making the world feel immersive rather than just visually pretty.The acting was probably the strongest part of the drama. Both leads carried the emotional weight of the story so naturally that even during the slower episodes, I never felt disconnected from them. Ye Li, in particular, was a character I couldn't help but sympathize with. Her backstory was genuinely heartbreaking but it definitely fueled her desire for revenge. She's very cunning and intelligent. It shows the lengths she's willing to go through for her revenge. Can we also take a moment to appreicate her acting? Her micro facial expressions, expressing émotions through her eyes and the crying scenes, Bailu's acting is topnotch. Mo Xiuyao on the other hand, holds deep resentment for the people that had taken part in his family massacre and also the guilt for being the survivor. But at the same time, he's determine to restore his family's name. I enjoyed watching his relationship with Yeli slowly develop. Their chemistry wasn't loud or overly romantic, but it built on mutual understanding and respect. I wish there had been more kissing scenes tho.
The storyline was well-paced for the most part. It balanced political intrigue, family conflicts, revenge, and romance without becoming overly complicated. I liked that most characters had understandable motivations rather than being purely good or evil. It made the conflicts feel more believable.
That being said, the ending left me with mixed feelings. After all the emotional build-up, some character decisions suddenly felt forced. Yeli missing Mo Xiuyao so much that she simply rode off on horseback to find him didn't really make sense to me considering everything the story had established. It felt more like the writers needed to reunite them quickly than something Yeli herself would realistically do. Meanwhile Ye Ying is still a lovesick fool, she kept on making poor decisions which was exhausting to watch. there was barely any romantic payoff. After investing dozens of episodes into their relationship, I was honestly surprised there wasn't even a proper kissing scene. Their chemistry deserved a more satisfying conclusion. The emotional connection was there throughout the drama, but the ending held back when it came to giving viewers the romantic closure many had been waiting for.
Overall, The First Jasmine is still a drama I'd recommend. It shines because of its excellent performances, gorgeous production quality, emotionally grounded characters, and engaging story. It isn't perfect, and the ending definitely could have been stronger, but the journey itself was worth watching.
Petition for Bai Lu & Cheng Lei to have another drama together please, don't let that chemistry goes to waste!
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A Gentle Masterpiece
This drama is more than just revenge.I actually finished The First Jasmine last Monday, but I didn't have the time to write a review. Maybe that's a good thing because I'm no longer writing with fresh emotions. I can finally look back at the drama as a whole.
When I first heard about Mo Li, I had no expectations. I never read the novel or even the synopsis. I only knew it was Bai Lu and Cheng Lei's upcoming drama (I think this was around the time Legend of the Female General finished airing). Going in, I honestly thought it would just be another historical revenge story with a touch of romance. And I was perfectly fine with that.
But as the episodes went on, I found myself becoming more fascinated with the characters than the plot itself. I think this is also why some viewers felt the pacing was slow. To me, the drama leans more toward a slice-of-life approach than a fast-paced revenge drama. It takes its time to let every major character breathe, giving each of them their own story, flaws, and complexities.
That's probably why the divorce arc sparked so much discussion. I still stand by my opinion regarding that storyline, since I also learned to understand both of the leads. I haven't cried this much for any drama this 2026. Also, as viewers, we often forget that we're watching from a 3rd person perspective. That very advantage allows us to see both sides instead of choosing one over the other. I appreciate that the drama explored this kind of topic and story, especially in a historical setting.
Another thing I loved was how cohesive the story felt. It never became messy or overcomplicated. It didn't need for us to explain the story to the other viewers. The storytelling was straightforward, reminding me of older C-dramas where the narrative was allowed to unfold naturally, with both climactic moments and quieter, anti-climactic ones.
I also appreciated that the ending gave us enough time to simply watch the leads live in peace. I know some viewers may have wanted more action, but I personally loved it. Although the drama blends politics and romance, the romance itself never felt flashy or overly sweet. It was healing. It was gentle. It was a love built on sacrifice, forgiveness, understanding, and finding comfort in one another. That's something we don't often get to see.
As for the political storyline, I do think Mo Jingli's rebellion could have been developed further. The conflict and war between the factions deserved more time instead of being shown through brief sequences. Even so, I'm glad the spotlight remained on him during the rebellion. I've also seen people say they felt sorry for Mo Jingli. Personally, I didn't. Having the rightful claim to the throne doesn't automatically make someone worthy of it. He pursued power with the same cruelty as the Empress Dowager, and to me, he never deserved to rule.
As for Guo Jin, I know many viewers wanted her to suffer longer. But I actually think her ending was fitting. Despite everything she did, dying because of something she could no longer control felt poetic. In the end, time is the one thing that even power cannot control.
Overall, I genuinely enjoyed this drama. I loved the main characters, their friends, the seniors, and even the Han brothers. The only storyline I wish had been explored more was Princess Lingyun story. It had so much potential.
For me, The First Jasmine is one of the best dramas I've watched in 2026, and I've recommended to some friends.
If I could leave one piece of advice before you watch it, it would be this: keep an open mind. This isn't a drama about picking sides. It's a story that asks you to understand people, their choices, and the burdens they carry. And I think that's what makes it so memorable.
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This review may contain spoilers
When I started The First Jasmine, I expected a beautiful historical romance with a slow-burn relationship and plenty of emotional moments. While the drama certainly delivers all of that, what surprised me the most was how much depth it gave its characters. The biggest strength of the drama is undoubtedly A'Li. She is one of the strongest female leads I've watched this year—not because she is fearless or invincible, but because she feels incredibly human. Her past has left deep emotional scars, and the drama never tries to "fix" her overnight. Instead, it allows her healing to happen gradually, making every small step forward feel earned. Watching her slowly regain confidence, learn to trust again, and refuse to let her trauma define her was one of the most rewarding parts of the series. A'Yao complements her perfectly. I really appreciated that his role wasn't simply to become her love interest. Yes, A'Li helps heal his injured leg, but in many ways, he is the one who helps heal her heart. He never tries to force her to move on or push her beyond her limits. Instead, he stays by her side with endless patience, quiet understanding, and unwavering support. Their relationship is built on trust rather than dramatic declarations of love, and I found that much more meaningful than many romances that rely on constant misunderstandings or exaggerated emotional scenes.
The chemistry between Bai Lu and Cheng Lei is simply wonderful. They don't need grand romantic gestures to convince you that these two characters belong together. A simple glance, a quiet conversation, or a shared moment of silence says more than pages of dialogue ever could. Their performances make the relationship feel natural, mature, and deeply comforting.
The supporting cast also deserves a lot of praise. While not every storyline received the ending I was hoping for, each character brought something meaningful to the overall narrative.
A'Ying, in particular, broke my heart. More than anything, I wished the drama had allowed her to find happiness through her own independence instead of tying so much of her journey to Mo Jingli. She had all the qualities needed to become an incredibly strong woman in her own right, which makes her story feel bittersweet.
Then there's Mo Jingli... probably one of the most frustrating yet fascinating characters in the drama. Mo Jingli never felt completely irredeemable. His obsession with Ye Li after marrying Ye Ying was undeniably unfair and often difficult to watch, but the drama also gives him enough emotional complexity to understand why he became the person he is. I didn't agree with many of his choices, but I could never bring myself to hate him completely. If I had to point out one weakness, it would be the final battle. After all the build-up leading to Mo Jingli's arrival in the capital, I expected a much larger and more impactful confrontation. Instead, the fighting sequences were surprisingly short, lasting less than a full episode. Considering how much tension had been built throughout the story, I would have loved to see more large-scale battle scenes and military strategy before the conflict was resolved. It felt like a missed opportunity, especially because the drama had done such a great job raising the stakes beforehand.
What I appreciated most, however, is that the drama never forgets its emotional core. Yes, there are political conspiracies, revenge plots, and palace intrigue, but at its heart, this is a story about healing. It reminds us that surviving trauma doesn't mean forgetting the past. Healing isn't about becoming the person you were before—it is about learning how to move forward while carrying your scars with you.
In conclusion , The First Jasmine is much more than a historical romance. It is a beautifully acted, emotionally rich drama filled with memorable characters, meaningful relationships, and one of the most mature love stories I've seen in a long time.
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A phycological drama following 2 lonely souls find their heal in each other while seeking revenge.
it took me a while to write this review since it's my first review about a drama ever, but i feel i need to write this ... this drama truly deserve more hype.. here's an honest review of what to expect from this dramaFIRST,
*The drama story telling; to have an actual "FL POV" turly done well ...*
if your a person who likes reading novels and unravel the true events chapter by chapter this drama will certainly get you hooked.
i find this style of story telling of this specific drama is to be realty unique and brilliant and one of kind in the c drama. The complex narrative of this drama is what makes not everyone cup of tea ..
The narrative follows the FL all the way to the end of the drama so don't expect everything to be spilled to you from first few eps. The turn is the FL herself having a mental illness makes her unreliable narrator of the story. And our understanding of the story will only be from what the FL understand about her world and so the plot will always feel a little incomplete [like we actually don't know exactly what happened in the past except from FL perspective] until the FL discovers what's actually happened in the past herself [and us with her] and then also the other characters.
*As for the ROMANCE*
Characters having their first meet in their wedding night...
both being deeply broken with insecurities...
both focusing on their revenge as main goal...
The romance in this drama is also not typical yearning trop, but mature respectful one with ML bein total green flag (sometimes scolding FL..).
having established that the romance in this drama is slow burn, you need to focus on their micro-expression and their EYES looking to each other.. there's not much kissing scenes but you will find your self getting blushed, burying your face in a pillow..
you can expect:
- FL being so direct with ML initiating skinship, hug him, sleep on his leg so suddenly and early on before they're close.
- ML getting flustered onetime telling her to leave his house if she don't like it and the second minute get a side smile from her touch.
- The intimacy level between the leads will make you caught yourself smiling to the screen as if invading their privacy. Both being venerable about their insecurities with each other..
lots and lots of pillow talk and a good communication with rarely any misunderstanding (expect one to move the plot forward and resolved very fast).
- Other than physical touch, we also got all other forms of love expression:
act of serves, words of affirmation (ml making sure to ask FL if she still feel lonely if she's happy, if she's healthy),
husband returning home everyday with pastries to his wife (especially when he's in trouble).
-They will start acting like old married couple with lots and lots of soft moments that shows them being so in love with each other, being intimidate and real as husband and wife having a true bonding moment
*As for the plot, *
It's not related to the novel, BUT better than the original novel.
The plot is not for unmature people who looking for a simple romcom. it's slow paced romance between a mentally ill wife and a physically ill husband with intense political revenge (and dark humor).
the story revolves around main characters planning their revenge due to some incidents that happened in the past during a point of turning the power in the empirical balance results in main characters along with others being victims as they are caught in the middle of the fight. you should expect to see a empirical conflict just like any other historical drama. however, you need to be paint with the plot as the true events unravel slowly as the episodes goes. i would say don't expect to understand the revenge lore from the start we still didn't get the whole idea until all events unravel in later episodes.
Although the drama started with a wedding and FL fill first killing whoever missed with her husband and ML starting to fall down bad for his wife, this drama hits your emotions soo deeply with the story mainly focus on portraying other venerable emotions so be ready to cry with the characters as they try to heal each other.
you would see very strong character who are very educated or holding high ranks being broken and vulnerable only with each others as husband and wife yarning for love in their lonely live without releasing until they met.
The drama also conveyed some deep topics like death very good. while other criticize it for being always sad, i found it to be very comforting and as ML talked about it very gently soothing FL about the topic leaving you genuinely touched by his talk.
The plot also included messages about true good shouldn't be build on others sacrifice, and that people can't get a way without held accountable even if they made a good ruling afterwards, the cycle of bullying and forming aligns within the palace.
gotta say this is the first ever c drama that i feel is really mature in plot and delivery even as a person who like silly romcom, the vibe of this drama makes you can't move on once you finished it, it's the most c drama with touching events, characters being mature, real, and relevant in their grieve, love, anger, sadness, seeking justice.
*Finally, for the acting and filming*
for Bailu, i seriously can't imagine any other actress doing that role.. still i believe that role are my favorite for her so far o vulnerable and strong at the same time proving again how excellent she is.
For chenglei, he's a true master of micro expression.
i believe that MoLi is his second major hit role. His role in MoLi was different from a usual typical romcom drama but he showed that his acting abilities could be handle a complex phycological plot. His character showed different range of emotions and vulnerability that wasn't just about acting like a strong ML but also made his role [and overall all the drama vibes] to have a sense of being "real" or a relatable at some level with little talking.
For the director and writers they truly did a masterpiece.. making an adaption serious is always difficult given the expectation they had to deal with.. but here she was not only able to make a work that actually stand on it's own but even better than novel in some aspects...
*Also the director made sure to make this drama the most realistic drama in production now !! actors with no face filters and their real voices you could heat their breathing and crying just make it much more whole*
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I was hooked !!!
I never leave reviews, and I didn't even have an account here but I created one just to write this review. It's been such a long time since a drama had me this hooked. I binge watched the entire series in just two days because I simply couldn't stop watching.Every episode kept me invested, with excellent writing, strong performances, and a storyline that felt both unique and deeply emotional. I cried so many times throughout the drama. What stood out the most to me was the female lead - she had such a refreshing and distinctive personality compared to the typical female characters we often see.
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The plot had potential to be great, but the acting didn't do it justice.
I was hooked at first by how refreshing the writing was (the way it portrayed the real mental toll the female lead's character had to go through). Most idol dramas would write that type of character as strong-willed despite everything they've been through, so this felt like a nice change of pace.But after finishing all 25 episodes (I'll admit I forced myself through the last few and skipped a ton of scenes), I just wasn't excited about the leads' chemistry anymore. I'm not saying Bailu or Cheng Lei aren't great actors — they are — but they didn't deliver performances that did their characters justice. There was a lot of room for improvement. Their chemistry started off strong, but at some point it just stopped clicking for me.
I guess I was expecting more, especially with how much hype this got online, but honestly, I don't think it's worth it. I kept thinking about other actors who could've played these characters better. I really liked the character build-up, I just felt the acting didn't match it.
Also, a lot of the supporting cast had weak performances too -special mention to Su Zui Die and Mo Jing Li roles.
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This review may contain spoilers
Unique and beautiful drama with some plot holes
Overall Feeling: First of all, I loved this drama. It was more like an experience than a viewing. The acting was so convincing and the character development of the 2 main leads was so unique compared to most C-Dramas. After a while, typical character archetypes in C-Dramas can become a bit tiring but this was the first one for a while that gave me something a little deeper, and it felt so refreshing. A lot of people have called it slow but I really disagree. For me, a slow drama tends to be one that doesn't really have enough legitimate plot to fill all the episodes, so they pad everything out with side character filler, meaning the plot doesn't move forward. TFJ wasn't like that. I think what people consider to be slow is actually just the writers taking time to follow emotional development, not just plot. So if you prefer shows that are very event driven you might be put off by the deep, character focused scenes. But for me I love seeing characters have time to feel, so I was gripped pretty much every episode, which is rare for me because there is usually a point when I start to hit the skip button in your average 40 episode drama.Romance: This is one of the most beautiful and tragic love stories I've seen for a while BUT if you like your typical steamy/touch her and you die/save the damsel in distress type romance dramas then this is not that. This is the relationship between 2 deeply broken people who are learning to find safety in one another. They don't go overboard with the passion but it felt much more realistic than many. Would I have enjoyed a bit more romance towards the end? Yes. Was I still satisfied with how realistically their love developed? Also yes.
Plot Holes: So I don't know exactly what was going on with some of the episodes. Around halfway through it felt like they shot too much footage and had to be very harsh with the cuts. Especially with the supporting story lines, they felt cut short or forgotten at times. This gave more focus to the leads' story development but lost some of the details from the overall story. Main example that everyone has mentioned is the disappearing princess. Knowing that there are often controversies during shoots in China (often leading to shows getting cut-short or actors being replaced or killed off) I wonder if something happened because the actress gets stabbed and is literally GONE for the rest of the show. Would love to know if there is a reason behind these holes beyond running out of time with the 40 episode max rule? This also meant that some of the side characters that I was generally interested in got sudden and unsatisfying endings. I don't say this often, because 40 episodes is usually too many for most writers, but I think this one could have added 2 more just to wrap everyone's stories up nicely.
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Great Chemistry and Beautiful Visuals
This show is perfect for you if you want a more mature vibe from a romance couple where the female lead doesn't act like a baby all the time or have a baby voice.I enjoyed the pacing of this story and the romance. I like how its not too quick and how we could see Mo Xiu Yao gradually warm up to her rather than just randomly have him flip and start loving her.
I also love how the story unravels from an unreliable perspective and how it gives hints as to how unreliable she is. We basically get to see the story unfold as he is discovering who she is on a deeper level.
One thing I think this show does well is the cinematography. The shots of the backgrounds and buildings are so pretty. The colouring is very nice and I LOVE how we can actually see the actors skin textures. I'm glad they opted out of filtering the actors and actresses heavily however their makeup is still typically very white. It's also very nice that they're allowing the actors to use their own voices because I feel like Cheng Lei rarely does in his projects and this just shows how much his voice can bring to his characters.
Both actors are well casted because they both have a face that looks suspicious in my eyes. They both look like they're hiding something when their face is neutral which is perfect for this show as it leaves a bit of mystery and suspicion for me. I also think they visually complement each other well as they both have this mature vibe to them. It shows especially in the later half of the show but they are wonderful actors and are able to portray such great emotions with their eyes.
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The most engaging historical romances of the year.
Watching The First Jasmine has been a wonderful experience, and a huge part of that is the outstanding performances by Bai Lu and Cheng Lei.Bai Lu delivers one of her strongest performances as Ye Li. She portrays intelligence, vulnerability, determination, and quiet strength with remarkable depth. Every glance and subtle expression adds another layer to her character.
Cheng Lei is equally captivating. His portrayal of Mo Xiuyao is restrained yet deeply emotional, showing pain, dignity, and unwavering devotion without relying on exaggerated expressions. His eyes convey so much that words often aren’t needed.
Together, Bai Lu and Cheng Lei have exceptional chemistry. Their relationship develops naturally through mutual trust, respect, and emotional understanding, making every shared scene compelling and memorable. Their performances elevate the drama and make The First Jasmine one of the most engaging historical romances of the year
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Absolute potty plot.
A family is executed for rebellion because they lost the royal edict rag cloth , which commands them to enter the capital, thirty thousand soldiers lose their lives in the conspiracy on the other hand the elite and students of a national institute are also targeted and exiled in this university itself, all this by a single man's command. How illogical.? And that's not enough cause even after all this logic might be in coma but it was still breathing, the rage took its life when these people struggling with sickness denied to get crocin pills from the mountain foot cause they apparently didn't want to be branded rebels. Wow! Forget about proper court representation of their case, but being known for the bureaucrats making machine they didn't even placed proper guidelines for their daily requirements during the punishment was something so stupid and unbelievable. On contrary we had our FL who is not even in her sane mind but getting perfect executions of ministers right after descending the hill, with no man power or martial arts, how convenient.Was this review helpful to you?
Ah, the first half was heaven!
But somehow in the 2nd half all that tension starts to die off. Xiuyao's arc to clear his brother's name is resolved in one of the most anticlimactic ways possible. In just a few minutes' screentime, Ye Li goes from being imprisoned and very likely facing death, to singlehandedly clearing Xiuyao's brother's name in front of the whole court.
I think that was the start of the downfall. You can't have such an important arc end so unimpressingly.
After that, the only thing to really care about was Ye Li's illness. And credit to both the writers & actors: it was handled brilliantly. I have zero criticisms. They spent enough time on it to allow us to grieve with Ye Li. And by letting us live with her on Lishan for those few days, we were able to feel the sadness and the horror of what her life had been like before she met Xiuyao.
I think the show should have ended there, with them coming down the mountain and going back to the mansion.
But of course, it couldn't end there because we had to deal with one of the most bleh villains I've ever met: Mo Jingli. Jingli was a failed character from the start because he's not even around for half the show. I was so indifferent to his rebellion, I believe this storyline could have been dropped and the show would still stand on its own. Anyway, with neither Xiuyao's revenge arc or Ye Li's healing journey to root for, I don't see the point of continuing.
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