A Girl Like Me (2021)

AMAZING, One of the best dramas i have watched.

I started watching dramas around july 2021 and i was addicted to romance category's. For a long time i was tryna find a good romance drama and after i saw some clips i wanted to watch it. Actually at first i found it kinda boring but then like the funny stuff started which was amazing. This family had the biggest and best story ever the way the mom and dad support their kids and they don't force them is just amazing. The family has another type of chemistry which i loved. The brother and sister relationship was amazing and the relationship you would see in a normal family. They showed real relationship it didn't feel fake. The romance story between Ban hua and Rong xia was top tier. We all love badass female leads. I absolutely loved this drama and it is highly recomeded by me i watched almost 300 dramas so far and This is one of them which was a 10/10 for me absolutely amazing loved the story.

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Read the novel instead

Funny thing is, I saw the author of the book this was based on and I instantly recognized them as the legend they are in the historical drama fiction novels. But I hadn't read this novel of them yet, so I went to watch first the drama, full of expectations and... yeah, I don't know WHY they didn't follow the novel 100%. Now, having read the novel, I can honestly say, it's SO much better.

Somehow, the ones who adapted the novel made the characters lose their shine somewhat, especially the FL, who is way more independent in the novel. They also practically changed the ending and added a lot of useless stuff that were absolute cliches when they had a more interesting development in the novel... which, why would they do that? I don't know.

As I said, go read the novel instead, you are better off that way. You'll have even more of the adorable quirkiness that the FL and her family have there.

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Neo Hou is a handsome man...very gorgeous but he did a lot of 'space out' acting style. I think the drama was okey....kind of different from typical C-dramas but when character Shi Fei Xian came to the picture - it became so predictable. Ban Hua (Gabrielle Guan) was loved and spoiled by her family, her temperament and behavior wasn't acceptable as a noble girl at that time period but got a way a lot. Had engagement to 4 men but so unlucky enough to end up marrying to none of them. She had many dreams predicting the down-fall of herself and family. She figured how to avoid the disaster of falling-out in Royal family, being a cousin of royal family and a beloved niece of Emperor she had the freedom of princess around the palace.

Ban Hua was the most popular and beautiful Nobel lady while Scholar Rong Xia (Neo Hou) was the most handsome intelligent court First Gentleman that all girls dream to have him candidate for a husband, one of admirer was spiteful Shi Fei Xia which she created havoc in jealousy and bitterness after rejection from scholar Ron Xia. So, this is this the story about, Shi Fei Xia and a prince were collaborated to ruin blossom couple Rong Xia & Ban Hua in every way as well as taking away the reign.

I think somebody need to tell directors and ators not to act like 'gazing mindlessly' to the surrounding because I saw too much of it in C-drama. Act 'thoughtful' is more appropriate than just 'space-out gazing'....ask Mark Chao...he's good at acting 'thoughtful'. Yes, I finished the drama just to know how they ended the story. It's an okey, could be better though.

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Quite Boring

In this drama,my favourite character is (Princess Dening) , grand mother of Ban Hua. The character she played is really enjoyable.She is so lively and entertaining even in her sixties. But in the last She died to protect her family which is quiet heart touching part for me.

SPOILER
At the beginnings of the drama, the main lead (Rong Xia ) character was shown quiet attractive and strong . But after some episodes his character was shown a little bit weak .Being the prince ,The second prince (Jiang luo) is not as much powerful as Ban hua. He is easily bullied by her.Even the crown prince (Jiang Zhang) look as old as his father (The emperor-Jiang Rui).

Acting- I am not criticizing them .But I found in some of the episode the expression and the action needed according to the situation for this historical drama is still lagging behind.

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Had the tools but didn't deliver...

I cannot say I actively disliked this drama. I had a lot of elements I liked which I will discuss first. The main and side characters were all very likable or interesting in some way. Even the villains I felt were written well and not over the top. The female lead was such an amazing character and a badass but still had a soft feminine side. The leads had good chemistry I loved them together and it was easy to root for them throughout the series. This is where my praise ends and criticisms begin. The overarching plot was okay but the step necessary to get to A to B dragged on and felt repetitive. The writers made the leads make the same mistakes over and over and never learn or grow from them. How many times can you use miscommunication as a plot device? I was so frustrated because I really liked the first half of this drama but struggled to get to the end. The dreams part mentioned in the synopsis is underused and not done well. The explanation also was weak. I feel like the writers threw it in here and there to make more unnecessary problems for the leads that weren't even important to the plot. I don't really recommend this drama to anyone who values character development or leads who can communicate with each other well.

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Fully recommended

I’ve read the novel and I must say that the drama keeps quite close to the original storyline. Neo Hou’s Rong Xia is exactly how I imagined novel’s Rong Xia to look like. Don’t want to give any spoilers so I’ll just state here that this drama is definitely worth watching, and I also recommend those who can read Chinese to read the novel.
Oh yes—the background music is really a let down. Or perhaps it’s only me who think that electric guitars shouldn’t be used in soundtracks of period dramas. The only song I like is the one in the end credits sung by Neo Hou, “News of Flowers Blooming”.

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Not bad.

I love Ban Hua`s familyy. Very supportive. Thats what I like in this drama. Regarding the story, it is nice but it is not something that will surprise you or something. Basically if the watcher is after some light story, this is good. But then I want stories with surprises or story that will rip my heart so yeah gave it a lower rating hehe. Another thing I didnt like much in this drama is the fact that many guys fall for the female lead. But thank God it is tolerable and not that annoying as that of the princess agents and scarlet heart. Also, the ending was rushed. The pair ups were very very random. The production team didnt even bother to build up chemistry. The weirdest pair up is prince akeqi and the slave of Banhua. Like huhhhh??? They should have removed that part. It destroyed the story. Everything else is okay.

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A pro-feminism show

In the beginning, Ban Hua is seen as someone who knows what she wants and goes for it. She is fascinated with the ML and does not hesitate to woo him. However, she backs off when she realizes that the ML doesn't reciprocate. This aspect of the show is very relatable since, hey, we've all been there--liking someone who doesn't seem to like us back. I like how they portray self-respect compared to other typical romcoms where the FL just gushes and chases hard to no avail, that it becomes toxic and abusive due to the power difference.

Ban Hua is also shown to be someone who loves her family dearly and would even volunteer to lead an army to the battlefield just so her family can live a comfortable life again. There is a time when she saves the ML (rather than the other way around) and ended up almost dying. This is really touching because I would do the same for my family, too. Speaking of family, her family is very supportive of her, through her bravery and shenanigans, if you're used to watching abusive families, this will be very refreshing for you! They never once blamed the ML for their daughter's struggles as she chooses to face these trials for him, anyway. In every relationship she's had, the parents are very supportive, but of course, they still worry as Ban Hua is known to bring terrible fortune to men she gets involved with.

My favourite part is when Ban Hua was looking through the catalog of eligible bachelor in Daye (their Kingdom) and her parents suggest that she chooses Rong Hua as his parents have passed, meaning, she need not deal with in-laws, which would make her life very easy and peaceful.

So yeah, if you'd like some girl power going on, this show is for you!

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The Most Entertaining Historical Drama... so far really good!

I took it up after finding out it had two of my favorite actors starring in it so I had high expectations and it reached them.
The story had a perfect flow and I loved how the FL, though, was strong and rough on the outside but was innocent on the inside. Their love was simple but heartwarming and how they sacrifice for each other had me supporting them from the beginning to the end.
They each had their goals and motives for approaching (especially the ML) but they neither allowed that to be a reason for interfering their love which was another point I kinda liked as it made the story filled with all emotions and feelings but were neither heavy and changed my thoughts and outlooks on the show.
The drama is of 40 episodes having each episode different from the previous with no plot repeated and showed the storyline perfectly without any confusions. This made me understand the story better and grasp the whole concept. It was a little bit similar to The Sleepless Princess as in both the dramas the FL is a princess, they both see or predict the future and try by whatever means to change fate and of course the ML's both try to uncover the truth behind their family's downfall but again were different on the character sketch and were unique on their own.

After Untouchable Lovers this was Guan Xiao Tong's next historical drama and I found great improvements in her acting. She displayed the role of a free spirited woman perfectly and nailed all the scenes which showed various sides of the character giving us a gush of emotions and also feel the moments along with her.
This was Neo Hou's first historical drama from what I know and I am anticipating for his next. He portrayed a role of a scholar who is on a venture to find the truth behind his family's downfall and on the way he falls in love with a woman who is like no ordinary soft and weak woman. After watching his performance I can't wait to watch his next.
The whole drama had me looking forward for the next and wanting to find out what will happen. It was a simple yet enjoyable drama and I have also rewatched it so I totally recommend this drama for all who love watching Chinese historical dramas.
P.S
It is not a tragedy so don't worry it's happy one! :)

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One of the best chinese drama I have ever seen!

I won't talk about Ban Hua's anymore as everyone adores her already. I like her too, but not as much as I like Rong Xia. I didn't like him at first since he gave out mixed signal to Ban Hua. I was a bit confused when he got jealous and decided to express his feeling. To me, it was a bit rushed. But his acting and storyline gets better with time. He's not one of the best actors out there but good enough for this series.

How they depicted the main couple's love was adorable. I keep re-watching all cute moments (thanks youtube!). The best thing about them is that they never have to explain themselves to each other. They just knew why their significant half did what they did.

The dynamic in the Ban family was awesome. It is quite rare to see a great family in the drama. They made me feel I want to be part of the family.

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Fierce heroine + stunning romance + BEST family dynamics = nice blend of comedy and drama

When I first started this drama, a couple of things felt familiar to me (the ML's cunningness, the FL's wild ways, ensuing hilarity, etc), and when I looked at the synopsis again I saw that the novel it's based on is a familiar author! While fans are still translating this particular novel by Yue Xia Die Ying, I've read her other works which have similar elements, so it's no surprise that this premise drew my attention and I ended up loving the drama (even with differences from the original novel).

PROS
❀ Powerful female lead + calculating male lead = complementary romance | Huahua takes no prisoners and goes after what she wants. She's brash, straightforward, and protective (especially when it comes to her family). I absolutely LOVED her character as a female lead as she goes against the grain of society. She can do anything (archery, sword-fighting, etc) EXCEPT the virtues of women during the time, including calligraphy and poetry. But that's all good, because the male lead Rong Xia balances her out. He's the hottest scholar of the nation, a gentleman through and through who knows poetry and calligraphy. He also has a calculating side, as he's trying to figure out the mystery behind his family's death. HH and RX worked so well together and I loved their mutual respect and admiration towards one another. They accept each other, flaws and all, and stay supportive, loyal, and protective. HH's rambunctious family takes in RX as one of their own, as well, and it's really endearing to see her protect him after all his years of solitude. Truly, a match made in heaven. While their romance starts out with mistrust and hidden motives, it progresses into a pretty honest and open relationship (for the most part, other than when they're trying to protect one another lol).
❀ MOST WONDERFUL loving family | I can't gush enough about the Ban family... from the silly dad, playful son, fierce mom, and dedicated maids, the Ban family really made this drama shine. Their family dynamics were written so well and made for some wonderful comedic scenes. And while the drama is mostly light-hearted, there's some pretty dramatic moments when it comes to the plot. It's not exceptionally intense, but it's still there.
❀ Despite being 40 episodes, I looked forward to each ep | I'm the type to struggle through anything over 30 episodes, but A Girl Like Me never dragged, and I ended up binging it in one weekend. Each plot addition was exciting and I was never bored, even when watching the leads fall in love towards the middle (in fact, those were my fave scenes hehe). I definitely applaud the drama for keeping watchers on their toes and keeping the pace going.
❀ Beautiful sets and gorgeous costumes | Wow, Huahua's outfits were always STUNNING. The lead couple looked gorgeous in every frame (in fact, the ML looks exactly how I picture a ML in Yue Xia Die Ying's books look like, lmao) and the supporting cast also looked amazing. I was impressed with some of the set choices, such as the ice skating scene and the ones that took place in a cave (both very romantic scenes). Maybe this is a translation of the show's budget, but it made for some very captivating moments.
❀ While the villains weren't the best, they made for some intriguing court politics | I don't think the antagonists were super smart but the actors conveyed their desperation (especially the female scholar) pretty well. The second prince also had some entertaining scenes, although he stayed immature and whiny until the end. But like I said, they kept the plot moving and in the end had a super satisfying comeuppance.

CONS
✕ Sometimes the editing got weird... | I feel like there were scenes that were cut out so the transitions were odd/jarring. But this happened only a handful of times so it wasn't a big deal, just something I noticed.
✕ The ML was so beautiful but also so stoic | I'm not sure if this was just a part of his character, but the acting felt a little stilted towards the first half. After the main couple's love gets solidifed, I definitely felt more emotion from him, but his stoic, expressionless face is one that I saw often. Gorgeous actor, a little questionable acting.
✕ Veers away from the original story | I'm not sure how involved the novel author was in the script, but I'm pretty sure it divulges story-wise and the ending is different. Although I'm immensely happy with the drama ending, I think the novel ending would have been more triumphant to see (lol). You can probably find the ending in the reviews for the novel in NovelUpdates.
✕ There's a bit too much back-and-forth | It seems like it's for the sake of adding drama so I was fine with it, but this back-and-forth is definitely exacerbated by the antagonists and pushing the main couple in tough positions which kept happening, lol.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 4/10 | They happen, BUT I think the writing doesn't let it drag on. The leads are both quite smart so it doesn't mar their relationship in a significant way and instead allows them to grow closer. I didn't think they were too annoying and while some of them weren't necessary, they also didn't bog down the story.

OVERALL
The refreshing and intelligent female lead made me fall in love with this drama! This hit all the right notes (and tropes) for me and I ended up loving it. Definitely recommended if you love headstrong FLs and MLs that are supportive partners.

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

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