The First Jasmine

I was really enjoying The First Jasmine… until I realised that I wasn’t. 

 

This drama was among my most highly anticipated shows of 2026. Who could resist Cheng Lei and Bai Lu together on screen? Not me. Add an impressive supporting cast and an intriguing premise and I was in. I was all in. 

 

The story follows Ye Li (Bai Lu) after her marriage to Prince Mo Xiu Yao (Cheng Lei). Their wedding takes place on the same day as her stepsister, Ye Ying (Yang Shu Yi), marries Prince Mo Jing Li (Cai Zheng Jie). Mo Jing Li and Ye Li have a complicated past and were, at one stage, betrothed (awkward). However, “plot stuff” happened and Ye Li’s prospects for a husband were “downgraded”. 

 

Now, you would be forgiven for thinking that this is an immediate plot hole because, people, the supposed downgrade is Cheng Lei. The reasoning is that, having been a formidable force on the battlefield, he has been gravely injured and is now unable to walk.

 

The pairing of Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao proves fortuitous as they bring out each other’s strengths. It is a particular joy to watch Ye Li outsmart her foes in a number of pretty satisfying ways. Time and again, she proves her intelligence and all round badassery. 

 

However, Ye Li also begins to display some troubling signs of a possible mental health condition – most likely Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The show takes its time to reveal the exact cause/trigger of her symptoms, and it is well worth the wait for Bai Lu’s emotional performance. 

 

The First Jasmine’s combination of a male lead in a wheelchair and a female lead with a mental health condition feels like a welcome exploration of issues that are rarely explored in dramas. Both lead characters are strong, yet vulnerable and, slowly, they begin to heal together.

 

The show understandably seeks to deal with its themes in as sensitive a manner as possible. The healing process for both characters is, perhaps, not the time for an overt display of physical attraction. 

 

However, The First Jasmine largely skips the chemistry stage of the relationship between Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao. While I didn’t need many such scenes, this seemed like a storytelling misstep and their relationship felt a little flat as a result. It is hard not to be disappointed at the lack of spark between these characters as we know how charismatic both actors are on screen (plus, Cheng Lei could generate chemistry with a wooden chair).

 

My feelings towards The First Jasmine’s central pairing were further unsettled after Mo Xiu Yao discovers a devastating secret. He acts entirely out of character and behaves in a pretty reprehensible way to a person that a) he is supposed to love and b) is clearly in some mental distress. Insult to injury, he faces no real consequences for his actions. Yes, he has regrets, but his behaviour is never really confronted. It left a sour taste.

 

By this stage in the show, I had fallen into a routine of watching the newly released episodes each day. Then Viki’s “buy our Plus Pass” strategy kicked in and the pipeline dried up. Yes, I could have paid to continue… but, to be honest, I already pay for so many streaming platforms that I didn’t want to stretch my drama budget any further. 

 

Unfortunately, the break gave me time to think and realise that I was watching out of habit rather than investment. I realised that I was not as interested as I should have been in the drama’s supporting characters (even though they were all well portrayed) and plot strands.

 

By the end of The First Jasmine, and this is no criticism of the performances, I wasn’t even that interested in our main couple. Something has gone very wrong with a show if I am not invested in a Cheng Lei character.

 

I made it to the finish line, but only just. I found The First Jasmine’s conclusion to be rather flat and forgettable. This is real a shame for a drama with such potential.