A breath of fresh air with wonderful storytelling and fantastic character development
Directing/screenwriting
You can definitely tell that every part of this drama was well thought out, from plot and character continuity down to lighting and motifs. Where some might gripe about the slow pacing towards the end and an 'unsatisfying' revenge, I would strongly disagree.
The drama is centred around its main character Ye Li (Bai Lu) and this is reflected in the mood and pacing of the drama which mirrors her calm and inquisitive personality. It was never meant to be about her revenge, but her journey to healing her fractured mental state and isolation. Revenge is only a small part of that journey and I would argue that the story beats do a great job mirroring her internal world – it peaked when she was finally forced to face her delusions and ebbed as she began the long healing process to make peace with her past. The ending was reflexive and poetic, the villains all met their just ends and every character large and small had a full circle moment that perfectly completed their own stories.
Acting/characters
Bai Lu and Cheng Lei do an incredible job in The First Jasmine to bring out their characters' grief and loss. I'm particularly impressed with Bai Lu whose work I haven't enjoyed since Arsenal Military Academy (perhaps it was bad script and direction to blame!).
The main leads' romance is understated, but it fits the tone of the drama. Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao (Cheng Lei) share a quiet love that stems from their healing roles in each other's trauma. This forms a deep understanding of each other's psyche, helping them fit together like two puzzle pieces. The romance is a breath of fresh air amongst recent dramas that rely purely on sizzling chemistry and aesthetic visuals at the cost of all else to carry a drama.
What's most compelling about this drama is the level of character realism in the supporting roles that's rarely seen in idol c-dramas. Here, character presence from side characters is so strong and interwoven into the plot that it makes it seem like the plot was created to better tell their stories rather than the side characters serving their purpose to advance the plot. There is continuity to the supporting characters – by the time they leave the screen and come back, you can see their development and feel the passage of time. In this drama, everyone is truly the main character of their own story and by the end, they are all able to achieve meaningful closure to their stories.
All in all, a fantastic watch with banging OSTs. Heartbreaking at times but so worth it if you need a drama that you can sit with for a while.
You can definitely tell that every part of this drama was well thought out, from plot and character continuity down to lighting and motifs. Where some might gripe about the slow pacing towards the end and an 'unsatisfying' revenge, I would strongly disagree.
The drama is centred around its main character Ye Li (Bai Lu) and this is reflected in the mood and pacing of the drama which mirrors her calm and inquisitive personality. It was never meant to be about her revenge, but her journey to healing her fractured mental state and isolation. Revenge is only a small part of that journey and I would argue that the story beats do a great job mirroring her internal world – it peaked when she was finally forced to face her delusions and ebbed as she began the long healing process to make peace with her past. The ending was reflexive and poetic, the villains all met their just ends and every character large and small had a full circle moment that perfectly completed their own stories.
Acting/characters
Bai Lu and Cheng Lei do an incredible job in The First Jasmine to bring out their characters' grief and loss. I'm particularly impressed with Bai Lu whose work I haven't enjoyed since Arsenal Military Academy (perhaps it was bad script and direction to blame!).
The main leads' romance is understated, but it fits the tone of the drama. Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao (Cheng Lei) share a quiet love that stems from their healing roles in each other's trauma. This forms a deep understanding of each other's psyche, helping them fit together like two puzzle pieces. The romance is a breath of fresh air amongst recent dramas that rely purely on sizzling chemistry and aesthetic visuals at the cost of all else to carry a drama.
What's most compelling about this drama is the level of character realism in the supporting roles that's rarely seen in idol c-dramas. Here, character presence from side characters is so strong and interwoven into the plot that it makes it seem like the plot was created to better tell their stories rather than the side characters serving their purpose to advance the plot. There is continuity to the supporting characters – by the time they leave the screen and come back, you can see their development and feel the passage of time. In this drama, everyone is truly the main character of their own story and by the end, they are all able to achieve meaningful closure to their stories.
All in all, a fantastic watch with banging OSTs. Heartbreaking at times but so worth it if you need a drama that you can sit with for a while.
Was this review helpful to you?
