A marriage of convenience between two people with hidden agendas, power struggles, and political schemes combined with a healing romance, Tencent’s newest costume and period C-drama “The First Jasmine” features a journey that begins with two souls thirsty for revenge. But they’re unaware of the surprises that might lead them to a romance of epic proportions. Here are the first impressions on one of the most anticipated shows of the year!
Warning: spoilers ahead.
Outcasted and forgotten in the depths of Li Mountain due to complicated political movements, Ye Li (Bai Lu), the eldest daughter of the Ye family, returns to the capital after eight years of seclusion with a sole purpose: to repay a debt of honor and take revenge by fulfilling the promise of marrying Prince Mo Xiu Yao (Ryan Cheng), a once admired war hero who now lives broken and disparaged with the burden of a fallen family after his older brother’s alleged treason.
Their union, commanded by the Queen Dowager herself, might look on the surface like a simple transaction to keep them on a tight leash. It’s even more so after Ye Li’s childhood sweetheart, Prince Mo Jing Li (Cai Zheng Jie), ends up marrying her younger sister, Ye Ying (Yang Shu Yi), on the same day. However, soon enough, they reveal that Ye Li’s and Mo Xiu Yao’s tragedies are more connected than they ever expected, profoundly intertwining their fates.
For starters, Ye Li isn’t your typical female lead. After many years apart from society, she isn’t as demure and poised as some other young ladies from the court. She is what some people would call a natural beauty, unaffected and straightforward. She’s strong and smart with an innate tenderness and resilience. But that doesn’t mean she is as naive and simple as many people believe. In fact, she has been brewing an effective and lethal plan to take down the people who led her mother and her friends to their ruin.
And that isn’t everything. As much as she is seeking revenge for the Li Mountain Academy and all the disciples who died during the current monarchy’s power struggle, she is also trying to save Mo Xiu Yao, the man who once saved her life and her longtime crush. From the moment she enters the Prince’s house, she does her best to mend his family’s wounds. Nonetheless, at the same time, she seems to enlighten everything she touches; she carries a heavy weight in her heart that shadows her inner self, making her duality as contrasting as day and night. It’s very intriguing.
On the other hand, Mo Xiu Yao isn’t in a much better place than her. Aside from his physical scars, the self-inflicted guilt from his family’s disgrace hurts him more than anything else. Still, as tormented as he is by his own past, he can’t be completely indifferent to his new wife. The more Mo Xui Yao gets to know Ye Li, the more he understands the deep sorrow and loneliness hidden behind her apparent easygoing personality and sweet smile. It makes her more endearing to his heart, which is already halfway in love with her, even if he doesn’t want to admit it.
Like many costume dramas, the initial setup in the first episodes is slow-paced, even tedious at times. Yet, since the main couple is already married from the get-go, the progression of their relationship moves forward naturally, making several episodes feel as if you’ve watched just a couple of minutes before the romance really starts to sparkle. Even when they hesitate about the future of their marriage, the small moments of intimacy and their shy approach are so sweet that it makes you squeal with excitement.
Though their daily life appears ordinary, behind the scenes, Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao are two skilled masterminds. They both battle with their inner demons, coping with a deep-rooted grief while moving forward surreptitiously with their own plans, which prevent them from fully trusting each other despite wanting to do so. Furthermore, complications soon arise when Mo Jing Li, pushed by a sick obsession with Ye Li, decides to start a plot to seize the throne. That will inevitably entangle them in a love triangle where the outcome could be fatal for either of them.
Little by little, the intricacies of the story start to unravel, creating great anticipation to discover exactly what’s going to happen to this couple, whether their plans will succeed, and how much it will take for them to make it. Though the angst and mystery are present, as it’s common in this genre, it has a good balance to make it enjoyable. If that doesn’t seem like a good enough reason to tune into this show, the perfect chemistry between Bai Lu and Ryan Cheng surely does.
They not only match their strong aura and charming stage presence but also harmonically complement each other’s poignant performances, turning every scene into a feast for the eyes. As their characters slowly heal both physically and emotionally together, surpassing obstacles, and defeating their enemies, their journey is becoming even more exciting and impossible to miss!
Keep up with “The First Jasmine” here:
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Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Find her on Instagram @wuaitboni.
Currently watching: “The First Jasmine”
Plans to watch: “Love Has Fireworks” and “Never Ending Summer”