Phenomenal and addicting! So good!
I normally only leave reviews for shows that really impresses me. I can only say wow! It's rare to see a story with strong leads that stay strong all throughout the series--when I say strong I mean leads who aren't foolishly blinded because of "love" and are strong all on their own regardless of the other person(s). They are independent and can make their own decisions. I love that there aren't any of those annoying drawn-out misunderstandings that historical dramas usually have.Both characters of ML and FL are very likeable and loveable all on their own, with their own individual quirks which makes their coupling even better. Also, for once the main girl has a good family--no family drama which is really refreshing for me. The FL is strong, fierce, smart, has good martial arts, has influence and confident which is uncommon for historical dramas. The ML is equally great. I also especially love that they incorporated comedy appropriately into the show. I laughed so much almost every episode and there were a lot of "aww!" scenes. This is a very fun and wholesome show.
Both Neo and Gabrielle did such a phenomenal job displaying their character and roles. The storyline is unique and refreshing; misunderstandings are resolved without viewers having to pull their hair out from frustrations. I'm currently on episode 36 of 40 and will be sad once the series is over. I already know this show is worth a re-watch!
**EDIT: I have now completed the series--all 40 episodes. I am so sad that this show is over, but really enjoyed watching it. I have already re-watched twice. A very addicting show and also quite uplifting and wholesome. This is a great show to watch, especially for those who hate angst-filled dramas because this drama is not--it's more light and fluffy. ♥
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Empowering Drama for Girls
I really love the female lead character in this drama - independent, unconventional, fearless, strong (good in fighting), forthright (doesn't hide anything - speaks her mind), intelligent, decisive, compassionate, confident, will not be manipulated, smart, at the same time, loves her family dearly and will protect everyone with her own life. Together with an eye-candy male lead, this drama is really an enjoyable and easy watch.Ban Hua (Guan Xiao Tong aka Gabrielle Guan) has come from a bloodline of royalty. Her paternal grandmother is also the aunt of the Emperor who respects her greatly and grants the Ban family unlimited privileges and protection from the other noble families who constantly want to harm them and even want them dead.
Ban Hua doesn’t take orders from anyone, not even from the Emperor himself. Despite her high status, she’s being shunned by most eligible men in town because of her ‘bad luck’ reputation, her unabashed demeanor, and most of all, her being the best fighter around as she’s learned her skills from her grandfather who was a great general. She is fierce and forthright with her feelings, beats the shit out of men whom she finds intolerable, as she tells them “even the Lord of the Netherworld is scared of me”.
The Ban family is one of the most wonderful families I find in any historical dramas, with loving and open-minded parents who respect Ban Hua’s opinions and supportive of her, a little brother who is sweet and streetwise, and a couple of adorable maid servants who are like sisters to her. Despite the high status of the Ban family, none is well read. It is hilarious to see how they struggle to read a simple letter or poem flawlessly, and to make sense of it. The family dynamics are precious and it’s always a joy to watch them.
After an incident, Ban Hua is bestowed the ability to see her future in her dreams. However, most of these dreams are omens to the fate of herself and those she loves. She finds ways to change course of their fates. As one can imagine, the steps and processes she takes are hilarious. And as in her dream, she meets her true love, Rong Xia (Hou Ming Hao aka Neo Hou).
Rong Xia is the most handsome man in the world. Not only is he handsome, he is also the most intelligent man. In contrast to the Bans, Rong Xia is very well read and gentle. He is also the Emperor’s most treasured strategist who holds important official post. Together with Ban Hua, they resolve multiple conspiracies hand in hand, saving each other time and time again from death.
Guan Xiao Tong is very beautiful with great acting skills. As Ban Hua, she brings out the fierceness in her, at the same time, not losing her elegance as an anointed princess. Dressed in her unconventional outfits purportedly designed by Ban Hua herself, Guan Xiao Tong brings Ban Hua to life. I really love her stylish outfits with bold colors and designs.
Hou Ming Hao is one of the most handsome actors around. He looks amazing in his scholastic outfit with a fan, he also looks so good in his somber court official uniform, and he looks mysteriously wonderful in his dark martial arts clothing. His acting is good too in bringing alive the gentle Rong Xia who viewers come to love so much.
My Verdict
I really love Ban Hua’s kickass demeanor and her beautiful stylish outfits, the handsome face of Rong Xia, the wonderful dynamics of the Ban family, Ban Hua’s and the second prince’s hostile relationship, the hilarious rivalry between Marquis Xie and Ban Hua’s father, the lovable side couples, among others.
This is a wonderful and happy drama not to be missed. The badass female lead alone would make any viewers love this production. Together with a very smart and good-looking male lead, this drama indeed is a great entertainment for all to enjoy.
Recommended!
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Definitely a great watch!
Usually I avoid historical dramas because it mostly filled with wars and political schemes. But this one is different. I loved how the balance of comedy and politics is maintained. From the first episode, is like a hilarious rollercoaster ride. There is not a single moment i felt bored.I really loved Ban Hua's character, she's strong, independent, and straightforward. Both her and Rong Xia are likeable characters. Which made them a perfect couple. Supporting actors were great too, especially The Ban Family, Du Jiu, A Ke Qi, Princess Dening, even Jiang Luo, they're so fun to watch. The OST are great too.
At first i thought 40 eps are too much and make me lazy to watch it. But now that i finished watching, 40 eps felt like nothing. Its a great show for those who like light&fluff drama.
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Rules are made to be broken.
The bold and unconventional baroness Ban Hua is a one of a kind character. Her doting uncle is the emperor of Daye; her father the hedonist Marquis Jingting has more money than God; she inherited her grandfather General Ban's martial arts prowess and she has a wardrobe to die for. For her, rules are made to broken and her flamboyant devil-may-care attitude and daring exploits have the noblemen smitten and dazzled and the noblewomen choking with envy. If there is one stain on her charmed existence, it is that all her engagements go down in flames, to the amusement of the Daye elite.When the incomparable Ban Hua's path crosses with that of the elegant Rong Xia, Count Chengán, Daye's most talented and most eligible gentleman, their courtship becomes the talk of the town. The best thing about this drama is Ban Hua and Rong Xia's character design and their hilarious and sizzling interactions that light up the screen. The comedy is very well written and blithely presented by the lively cast. The Ban family is one of the most uproarious and delightful drama families I have seen in a long time. Ban Hua's biggest fan, her charming, spendthrift rogue of a younger brother Ban Heng is my favorite character. Both Guan Xiaotong and Hou Minghao hit all the right notes in their performances. Guan Xiaotong delivers a curious air of exquisite vulnerability that softens Ban Hua's imperiousness and arrogance. While Hou Minghao's Rong Xia is looks too handsome and unattainable and is so measured and powerful in a soft spoken way that he is the perfect foil for Ban Hua's impetuousness.
Unfortunately the plot does not at all do justice to the all-around strong performances by the cast. The history between Daye's aristocrat families and secret plotting that led to the Rong family's downfall is quite interesting and well conceived. I enjoyed watching Ban Hua and Rong Xia learn to trust each other and work together against their enemies. The drama would have been best served wrapping up after the take down of the villain of that early arc. After that, the plot feels very forced and succumbs to tropey, boring and contrived delusional love rival tropes. All of the progress the couple makes is undone to create unnecessary misunderstandings and ridiculous and unimaginative palace coups. I was left with the impression that the couple can't communicate or work together and is surely doomed to divorce. The second half is as boring and ridiculous as the first half is interesting and engaging. Rong Xia's character in particular is destroyed as he goes to inexcusable lengths to save his love. The character interactions are funny throughout and that is the only thing that kept me watching until the end. It is still overall a decent watch but nothing to write home about. This is overall a 7.5/10 but the first half feels closer to an 8.5.
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One of the best couples out there!
This drama left a big visual impact on me, not only from the eye candy of a cast but also the gorgeous costumes. I could not get enough of how breathtaking Ban Hua, our FL, looked in her outfits, from the striking brights to the lovely pastels. The men did not disappoint as well, looking dashing in their own ways - Rong Xia, our ML, refined and elegant in lighter colours that matched Ban Hua's outfits nicely, and Shi Jin, imposingly handsome in darker tones. I absolutely love the detailed features that made the costumes so unique, including subtle patterns, ombre, and contrasting accessories and ruffles. Most of all, the colour combinations were so perfectly paired and well-coordinated with the jewelry and make-up. Indeed, I was mentally taking notes for my wardrobe throughout the show!The series did not feel like a big-budget production, and the sets felt repetitive and nondescript. Some of the CGI could be a lot better, but those did not detract from the show's charm. It was ultimately entertaining, mixing romance, drama, comedy, and a little fantasy with Ban Hua's prophetic dreams. I also liked that the show set up our female lead as a strong character who was recognized and respected despite the social expectations of women at that time. Ban Hua comes from a powerful family, was blessed with good looks, and possessed strong martial art skills but she was legendary in Daye more for her wit, bluntness, and razor-sharp tongue.
Compared to proper action dramas, the fight and battle scenes were not spectacular, but some action sequences were well-done. Ban Hua looked pretty awesome as she showed off her martial arts. Plus, Rong Xia with his fan and Shi-Jin with his staff, were such visual treats whenever they flexed their skills. By the way, there's just something about the female leads with whips that is just so appealing. Ban Hua's prowess with the whip reminded me of Sandra Ma's Ye Zhao in 'Oh My General' (who I was crushing on in that show, but that's a different review).
The show hit the jackpot with the chemistry between our OTP. As individual characters, they were likable, and as a couple, they were endearing. I was relishing their romance so much that I felt so much angst when they were forced to be apart. Even though the melodrama lasted just a couple of episodes, I was seriously annoyed at the villains for ruining the smooth ride of love for me. Still, even during those heartbreaking moments, I appreciated the consistent portrayal of Ban Hua, who did not give everything up for love. Ban Hua had backbone and pride, and she was so dignified even when Rong Xia acted so cruelly towards her. Seriously, I love this character so much - she did not allow anything to break her and reduce her to a simpering mess! She moved on and focused on matters more critical at hand, like her family.
It's great to see how committed our OTP was, and both were also sensible and intelligent enough to come to the right conclusions about each other's actions. Gotta love a show where there were no prolonged misunderstandings! There was a pretty good build-up during the earlier episodes, with the ML having an ulterior motive to get close to the FL but resisting his attraction to her, to the moment when he finally gave in to his true feelings.
I loved watching the OTP grow from the natural conflict of their budding relationship and going through the trials of fending off other people, trying to separate them to becoming a power couple. What was ultimately gratifying to me was not the chase and drama of Ban Hua and Rong Xia finding common ground so much as their ability to bring out the best in each other. They complemented each other and reveled in each other's strengths, rather than expecting each other to possess the traditional gender-related skills. When conflict entered the plot that kept them apart, it was not a test of whether it will break them up but more of a testament that their relationship was healthy enough to adapt and overcome. They were partners through and through.
This is the first time I have watched the lead actors, and while they were pretty good, they still need to hone their acting skills, especially when it comes to their facial expressions. That said, Gabrielle Guan's pretty good at staring daggers at people! Neo Hou was cast perfectly as Rong Xia, the most sought-after, most handsome, top gentleman of Daye. He was so good-looking that most times, I found him prettier than Gabrielle's Ban Hua. Still, Gabrielle did not fade into the background as she carried her own and looked gorgeous in every single outfit, including her military uniform. I loved the scenes when she changed into female clothing, and her soldiers kept coming back for extra looks. Rong Xia was the perfect male lead - intelligent, calm, rational and his level-headedness tempered Ban Hua's fiery personality. Interestingly, Rong Xia had more jealousy fits; those scenes were funny, and he was so adorable! It is nice to see Ban Hua's character develop, especially during the scenes where she became more thoughtful and gracious under Rong Xia's influence. As for Rong Xia, he went up a level of swoon-worthiness when he learned to discern what really mattered to Ban Hua and whole-heartedly supported her in any way he could, even if it could lead to a terrible outcome.
Zhao Shun Ran's Shi Jin was not perfect looking, but I found him very attractive, more of a man's man than Rong Xia. As the second male lead who loved Ban Hua for so long and only wished for her to be happy, I found myself feeling for him. When he remained so steadfastly loyal to his ideal love until the very end, I suffered a little of the second lead syndrome. I did not realize that Zhao Shun Ran played Sheng Huai Nan in Unrequited Love, but he has proven his acting range more in this show. Some of the characters fell a little flat, like the villains Jiang Luo and Xie Chong Qing, but the cast did well overall. I adored the dynamics of the Ban family and Ban Hua's maids. They were hilarious and were so supportive and protective of each other. Also, Ban Heng and Wan Yu's romance provided comic relief, and it was cute that they bonded over chicken with scallions!
The OST was memorable, and by that, I mean the songs were effective in evoking memories of the scenes for me. I particularly like the songs that played during the poignant moments with the OTP, but the entire playlist is recommendable. The two leads even sang a song together - Fēng Huā 風花. For those interested, you could listen to the OST here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBA8WDQza5s. The uploader did a fantastic job providing lots of information, including the lyrics in pinyin.
All in all, A Girl Like Me was refreshing, enjoyable, and satisfying. I could not recommend it more!
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Must-watch Historical Rom-com
First off, I highly recommend this drama to anyone looking for a historical rom-com. I find myself laughing at almost every episode. Along with the comedy, this show packs several plot reversals that quickly advances the story. The pacing is quite perfect. A few episodes toward the end suffer from some rushed editing, but it does not affect my overall enjoyment too much.I am very impressed by the character development and casting. Many characters have their own backstory and motivation for their actions. Each actor fits their role perfectly. Among the entire cast, I really can’t pinpoint a single bad actor. I am especially impressed by Neo Hou who can delicately depict Rong Xia’s emotional trauma. The cast members deserve praise for their outstanding performance. The production team have created interesting characters and select the most appropriate actors for them.
The show’s central theme is “family”. We see contrast between our two leads: Ban Hua, who is adored by her family members, and Rong Xia, who loses his family at an early age. It is also because of “family” that brings our two leads together: Ban Hua strives to protect her family at all cost and Rong Xia wants revenge for his deceased loved ones. As the story progresses, we see the interaction and competition between the different families. Despite the many hardships, the Ban family sticks together and manages to prevail. Unfortunately, some families suffer from greed for power, which lead to miserable outcomes.
Ultimately, what makes this show so heart-warming is the union of family. Rong Xia desperately longs for the family that he has lost. He tries to find another father figure but feels empty after certain events. Without realizing it, he internally torments himself over the issue of “family”. Thankfully, Ban Hua stops him from self-destruction through warmth and love.
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Second off, I love Ban Hua's family. She's got 2 servants which are funny and easygoing. She has a mother who treats her well and a father who supports what she does. She has a brother who is funny and just awesome. I would say she has the best family, no one hates each other in her family.
Third, I don't know what in the world is wrong with Shi Feixian. She never loved the second prince but somehow pretends to like him, like it doesn't really make sense to me. Also, the fact that she is very ungrateful. Ban Hua once saved her life, yet she is still so eager to kill her.
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The story was fair overall. The beginning was exciting, engaging and truthfully had me hooked. Once you get to the mid/end of the series; It was nothing to scream about but it was descent. Around ep 30 or so it just kind of ran off on it’s on. It wasn’t terrible but you know when something major happens and is resolved, you feel like it should be the end but in this case it wasn’t. They just kept the camera going.
The ending was good but after such a long awaited ending I would have preferred a bang.
Overall, I’d recommend it. It’s sweet and funny. Downside, the plot disappears in the later half.
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Cute Drama
This drama is based on the web novel "I Am This Type of Woman."Pros:
Cute warm family
Light-hearted
Female lead doesn't care what others say (which is rare for that time)
Cons
It starts to drag around ep. 30
Second Lead syndrome
I enjoyed watching this drama. It is a fairly light-hearted, romantic comedy. It took me a while to warm up to the female lead, but once I did, I just wanted to see what she does.
The villainess was fleshed out so well. I felt sympathy for her. She wasn't given a lot of choices in life, trapped by expectations from her family. She did what she had to do at times, even though the choices sucked.
And I have major second lead syndrome - I'd have picked him over the ML. I felt so bad for him, and he's a great guy. I started watching this in 2x sometimes 3x speed around episode 30. That arc bored me...and then there was a last hurrah by the bad guys, but I didn't really care. lol.
The greatest thing about this drama is that the family is so adorable.
I enjoyed this drama, and I'd probably rank it as one of my favourite cdramas.
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WHO DOESN’T LIKE A GIRL LIKE BAN HUA!?
Another period piece with great looking costumes, and a beautiful production setting. Strong leads in both female and male, great pair, both clever and intellectually working together for the good of family, duty and country, the female characters who can fight is always a plus for me (I love martial arts in general). Although it was a period piece, I doubt Ban Hua’s character would get away with half the things she did, but that’s what made it an interesting storyline. A different setting in time with a more modern, straightforward thinking kind of girl, no wonder why she was well liked. Guess that’s what made it entertaining and fun to watch. The typical political schemes, plots and twists with a good amount of humor in it, and of course, the romantic connection between the two leads. Their relationship was special, they knew each other well enough and loved each other even more to sacrifice that love when they needed to make things right. They knew how to work together to try and fix all the wrong doings of others going against them. This show is a definite watch, and a “maybe” rewatch (if I had the time to). Hope you can enjoy it, too!Was this review helpful to you?
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Amazing, must watch drama!!!
This drama is phenomenal! After finishing The Untamed drama, I had a hard time getting into new dramas. But this show was perfect! It's a light, romantic drama with some comedy, but it still had me dropping my jaw at so many scenes.I also absolutely adore the main leads! Their relationship is super cute and misunderstandings are quickly resolved. I'm glad the female lead is strong and able to think for herself and doesn't do stupid things for the sake of love. I also love how wonderful the FL's family is. Everyone is nice and not everyone is scheming against the main leads, a nice change for once.
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