kokojuju

Thanks for the heads-up. I usually read a few reviews, but not too many because I like to form my own opinion without being overly influenced by what everyone else thinks. But OMG, I'm a little more than halfway through the drama, and it just not getting any better. I don't really see a silver lining with the way things are going. At this point, I'm committed to finishing this disastrous piece.

Is it just me, or have Korean dramas become more hit-or-miss since they gained global popularity? They were always popular throughout Asia, but it feels like, as they've expanded to a worldwide audience, some of them have become more formulaic or less consistent in quality. There are still some great ones, of course, but they don't captivate me the way they used to.

The First Jasmine grabbed my attention from the very beginning with its political intrigue and strong introduction of its characters, especially Ye Li. She is a capable heroine whose intelligence—not just luck—allows her to navigate dangerous situations, making her an engaging lead from the start.

I think the drama's biggest mistake was spending too much on the Ye family arc and delaying Mo Xiu Yao's treatment. Because his recovery happened so late in the drama, it ended up feeling rushed. The divorce arc was thankfully brief, but it didn't completely work for me. It felt like the writers mainly needed a reason for Mo Xiu Yao—and everyone else—to learn about the tragedy at Lisan Academy and Ye Li's illness which could have been executed better.

Although Bai Lu is the lead, Cheng Lei's Mo Xiu Yao is the catalyst for much of Ye Li's story. Once his personal storyline was resolved, his presence in the second half of the drama diminished far too much.

Part of the reason the latter half felt anticlimactic is that we rarely saw the villains actively carrying out their plans. Everything was filtered through Ye Li, so major reveals often happened after the fact rather than allowing the audience to experience the tension alongside the antagonists. The drama relied more on characters explaining events than actually showing them unfold.

You couldn't really hate any of the villains exception is Su Xui Die!!! Again, really no actions, just dialogue especially with the last episode with Empress Dowager.

One of the most heartbreaking moments was when Mo Xiu Yao finally learned what had happened to Ye Li. Discovering that every member of Lisan Academy had died—and that she was the sole survivor—was devastating. It became even more painful knowing that she buried each of them herself. Ye Li had already lost her mother, then lost everyone she cared about at Lisan Academy, and spent years living completely alone. Those revelations did carried enormous emotional weight but still the emotional payoff felt short and choppy. After those heartbreaking revelations, the story moved on as though very little had changed. There was simply more telling than showing, which kept some of the most emotional moments from reaching their full potential.

There was definitely chemistry between them, despite what some people may say. But seriously, drama! I wasn't asking for smut—I just wanted a little more skinship. A few hugs, lingering touches, or even one more meaningful kiss would have been enough to satisfy me.

I'm only on Episode 4, and for the life of me, the FL gets on my nerves. 😂 Jung So Min is lucky I'm such a fan, or I would've dropped this drama after Episode 1.

Meri is such a disaster. She keeps making one terrible decision after another—from the men she chooses, to her fashion, to pretty much every life choice she makes. I'm really hoping she gets some character growth because right now she's testing my patience. 😭

Legal drinking age varies from country to country. China is 18.

I graduated high school at 17 and turned 18 a few months after graduation, so I'm assuming XW is currently 19 and turning 20. That seems to make the most sense. Correct me if I am wrong but didn’t QY take a year off or at least a semester off to care for her mother? So since she could drink I am assuming she recently turn 18 or will be turning 19 after graduation?

What's confusing me is that XW is friends with those two other guys who are supposedly QY's age. Unless they were also held back for two years, the math isn't really mathing.

I mean, it's totally normal to have friends who are younger or older than you. Back in high school, I had friends who were freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. But my main friend group was usually people in the same grade as me.

Then you throw SH into the mix, and now I'm questioning everything I thought I understood about these characters' ages and timelines. 🤣

I just finished ep8 and hot damn. I had to watch that pool scene twice. Du Ling nails the seductively of a fox! I want more of her seducing WSG.

I see where you're coming from. I actally question quite a lot 😆 but Joseph is no where near ugly/unattractive territory.

That's good to know. I am hoping the story will shift in balance with focus on all 4.

Equal billing? Well I ain't seen it put into action yet. All the trailers make Joseph and Duling secondary. And I am up to episode 8, yet it still feels that way. Most secondary from other drama has way more screen time than Joseph and Duling in here.

This is the very time I actually find Jingyi ptetty and attractive. Her scting doesn't bother me here.

I could go into more detail, but I’m typing this on my phone for now. That said, I think the story might have been more engaging if the murderer had been revealed earlier, giving the narrative more room to focus on the emotional fallout for the characters. At times, it felt like the writer wasn’t quite sure which direction to take, trying to keep the murderer mysterious while also aiming for a strong emotional impact. In the end, neither aspect felt fully developed.

Honestly, I can’t say I was bored but I was definitely disappointed. The contrast is especially noticeable when you think about how other characters’ backstories were handled. For example, La IK’s past and his relationship with his mother gave me a huge heartache. Sena’s story, by comparison, feels underdeveloped. Her past is treated almost like an afterthought; we’re shown fragments instead of a fully realized backstory, which makes it difficult to form a deep emotional connection to her. As a result, the moment that should have carried the most weight never truly lands.

The reveal of how she became a fan feels particularly anticlimactic, not because the concept itself is weak, but because it’s given no time to breathe. His reaction is fleeting—barely a couple of seconds—and before I can register the significance of the moment, it’s already over. Without proper buildup or emotional reinforcement, what should have been a powerful turning point ends up feeling strangely hollow.

Surprising entertaining but the dubbing is horrible for the FL.

Why does it feel deja vu like I have already seen this drama. The first episode feels so similar to another drama that I can't seem to remember. I must be tripping right?

Adorable ending but I am still dissatisfied. Definitely not a terrible drama but the buildup was lacking a bit.

My favorite character was Mei Si, such a wholesome character and his friendship with Xuan Hui- I cried.

By the way Wang Jia Yi is stunning. She's very model material and the beauty mark on her face is just gorgeous. I am glad the makeup artist on set didn't cover it up.

Chemistry was fire... but was still underwhelming.

I feel cheated though. I mean it was a good ending, and surprisingly I wanted the younger sister to find happiness as well.

Did I miss something or am I not following? So the first episode she kept dying but all of a sudden she cannot get kill because ML is set to save her.

Some scenes are straight out hilarious while some feels out of place, not funny, almost forced to be funny.

You got through the worse part. The drama really kicks off at episode 20. This could have been the drama of the year if it had a better beginning. Or at least cut the beginning short.

I felt the chemistry when they were releasing trailers before airing. But I don't know where it went in the drama. They could have had a better beginning.

Thailand censorship is not as strict as China, so I expected more their for transmigration genre.

This was a really good drama but I was still left unsatisfied.