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!