I’ll admit, I tuned into The First Jasmine (莫离) for the usual reasons: a love for the leads, Bai Lu and Cheng Lei.
But somewhere between the political scheming and the quiet glances in a wheelchair-bound prince’s manor, I realized I was staying for something much rarer.
After all, this isn’t just a romance; it is a tightly wound revenge thriller wrapped in silk that works on every level.
Currently airing on Tencent and CCTV in China, and on WeTV internationally, the 40-episode drama follows Ye Li (played Bai Lu), the eldest daughter of a noble clan, who is forced into a political marriage with the crippled and disgraced Prince Ding, Mo Xiu Yao (Cheng Lei).
On the surface, it is a union of two broken survivors.
But Ye Li is secretly a descendant of Lishan seeking justice for her massacred clan, while Mo Xiu Yao hides a fiery ambition to overturn his late brother’s treason charge behind his icy, immobile facade.
The First Jasmine offers superb pacing and a truly interesting mystery
What surprised me most after watching the first few episodes of the Chinese historical drama is the relentless pacing, in that the show resists the modern trap of dragging out simple conflicts for what often ends up seeming like years.
Instead, The First Jasmine is a fast-paced slice-of-life thriller that kicks off at a galloping pace in Episode 1 and, at Episode 16, which I just watched today, is still rushing ever forward at breakneck speed.
As it progresses, we watch the Prince Ding household heal bit by bit, as Ye Li persuades her crippled husband to let her cure his legs, while a massive conspiracy from eight years prior drips out its secrets slowly at the same time.
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And, as those who were involved in Lishan’s demise, begin to meet their absolutely 100% deserved fate. One by awful one.
Meanwhile, just when I thought I had figured out who betrayed whom, a whispered conversation or a new piece of evidence arrives, and flips the script completely.
Because of this, The First Jasmine is the kind of show that respects your intelligence, as it forces you to piece together the past like a detective. A detective that, like all real detectives, and as more evidence comes in, isn’t always right either.
The leads and their chemistry
What stands out when it comes to The First Jasmine cast are the two leads and their chemistry.
Bai Lu is magnetic as Ye Li as, unlike damsels who wait for rescue, Ye Li solves her own problems instead.
Just a few minutes into the first episode, for instance, she uses a stolen imperial plaque as leverage to reclaim her stolen dowry and then personally arranges the demise of officials who humiliate her husband as a nice follow up.
She is lethal, yet also tender when it comes to the people she loves.
Cheng Lei, meanwhile, plays the “cold exterior” trope to perfection.
His Mo Xiu Yao isn’t just brooding; he is a man drowning in trauma and sorrow who gives up and lashes out at everyone and everything before, eventually, learning to smile again.
That smile, of course, first comes when he begins to realize not only is his new wife, Ye Li, not a threat. She actually just might have his best interests at heart.
Once it gets going then, their romance is one of those slow, realistic burns that I love more than anything, as it moves from mutual suspicion to reluctant allies to genuine partners.
As one astute viewer noted about the pair, they are “insane in the most sane way,” as they push each other to heal, both physically and mentally (and yep, Ye Li has some major problems in the latter department) without falling into saccharine cliches at the same time.
Supporting cast & production
Meanwhile, I am thrilled that The First Jasmine supporting cast is a veritable chessboard of stellar performances.
Characters like the antagonistic Prince Jing Li (beautifully played by Cai Zheng Jie in one of his first major roles that isn’t in a short drama) and the jealous sister Ye Ying (played by Yang Shu Yi, who is new to C-dramas and doing a wonderful job) aren’t just obstacles; they have complex motivations that make you hesitate to label them pure villains.
Even while both of them often drive you insane with their recklessness, never-ending self-pity, and stupidity.
Visually too, the drama is a standout.
With directors Lam Yuk Fan and Leung Sing Kuen at the helm (masters of Hong Kong action cinema and collaborators for The Demon Hunter’s Romance among others), even minor fight scenes are elevated with sharp and incredibly precise choreography.
The cinematography by Li Hong Zhou also avoids the blurry filters common in the genre, opting for raw textures where you can see real skin and heavy powder, which makes the historical setting feel even more tangible.
The costume design is also exquisite, dressing Ye Li in elegant silks that mirror her deceptive softness, while the OST perfectly underscores the tension between hope and despair as it perfectly musically illustrates thousands of scenes.
In other words, The First Jasmine is more than just a pretty period piece.
It is a surprising, well-crafted thriller about trust and vengeance.
So much so, I say, if you want a heroine who wields power like a blade, and a romance built on respect rather than convenience, I urge you not let this jasmine wither on your watchlist.
The first 16 episodes are now streaming on WeTV.
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