Hot
Girl - 2016 - Season 1
Chinese TV drama's more and more popular , as more streaming sites
offer these series previously unavailable to Mainstream Western
audiences for many years.
So Here we have a modern day action drama by the name of HOT GIRL.
Also known as The Bodyguards in some regions.
It follows a group of hopefuls who enter a training program at
China's top class L.H.S.D. Bodyguard protection agency.
Filmed in 2016 the series stars Female lead Dilraba Dilmurat as one
Guan Xiao Di (aka Firewolf) the daughter of Boxing gym owner Guan
Xiao.
Xiao Di is lucky that her father has looked after her well since her
mothers passing, she longs for nothing and has a privileged life
compared to many of her friends.
She spends her youth trying to be the best she can in the sports
arena, often taking challenges from her rivals, one of whom is Liang
Da Wei played by Ma Ke.
Liang shares a similar style of life and the two often meet under
competitive circumstances.
But when Xiao Di and her friends get challenged by a mysterious
Western woman who takes them on in various challenges and wins, but
not without leaving a clue to as where she's from Xiao Di and her
friends get curious.
This all leads to a series of tests to push these young hopefuls to
enter a training regime at L.H.S.D. Bodyguard agency. The top
entrants will be accepted to enter L.H.S.D. As interns.
The series starts obviously introducing the characters to us all ,
Guan Xiao Di being the lead for the show and it's her story that is
the main focus of the story , even though other characters have big
roles and their own story arcs.
But more often then not the character of Guan Xiao Di will be
involved in those stories.
From the outset the series has a bright and happy go lucky feeling to
it, much like Taekaondo Girl did. From intial viewing of the first
few episodes the series excels in the fight choreography department
with some very well filmed action, yes it's obvious in places that
stunt doubles are used in some scenes but for most part it looks like
these girls and guys did their own action for most part.
More then half of the first season focuses on the new recruits
getting through training to earn that coveted place at L.H.S.D. These training sequences are quite well done and quite extreme in
places. They also differ in their style, it's not all fighting
training. But stammer, strength and observation and even driving.
I must say some of the outfits for the characters are very village
people. The girls in their uniforms look ok ,but these same uniforms
on the the men look a bit of and gives a comic touch to the
proceedings.
The recruits have to take survival courses which is also a way to
eliminate interns .
As the episodes progress the stories of the various characters also
move on , there are relavations afoot, Xiao Di who had been given
the code name Firewolf Girl has her own agenda when certain facts come
to light.
Her friend and Computer nerd girlfriend known as Pink Panther is
hiding more then you think. But then a lot of the series relies on
you remembering earlier episodes and their smaller instances to catch
on early of any forthcoming revelations.
As their training gets more intense and the final few make it through, it also leaves others at a loss and resentment settles in with a
few .
The new interns are sent out ton missions as bodyguards ,but these
missions are quite bizzare and often has them serving clients which
in all honesty don't really need bodyguards but nanny's .
It's here that I started to feel the series may not be as addictive
as I hoped. I was really looking for more action in the series at
this point.
But after a couple or so slow episodes where I thought story lines
dragged a bit the series started to open up more as slightly more
darker tones took over.
Some of these tones are mysterious, while others are somewhat
depressing.
It's really the last few episodes where I thought the series had legs
and certain facts that come to light set you up to want to know more.
Now where viewing this on Prime video , the series is broken into two
seasons, with twenty episodes in the first and seventeen in the
second .
I thought the characters where good throughout and Dilrilba Demurat
as Guan Xiao Di played her role superbly, she has a screen presence
which carries the show.
As far as her on screen co-star played by Ma Ke he did well in the
role of White Shark, though I did think in places his acting was over
the top to say the least. Also his character seems to be like the
fashionista of the show, where his outfits are intended to make him
stand out even amongst his fellow peers who for the most part are
girls.
Shao Bing as the head of L.H.S.D. Is probably the most accomplished
actor on set and it shows in his performances. But then he has
appeared in Feature films as well including the Myth with Jackie Chan
and The Lost Bladesman and others.
Irina Kaptelova as Liu Sha the female instructor is good also and
unusual to see a a Non Chinese in such a prominent role where their
not the bad egg in a Chinese drama.
In the old Hong Kong films yes Westerners where used a lot. But for a
mainland Chinese TV series it took me by surpise.
And the fact that Irina actually speaks Chinese adds to the realism
of the series.
In the end Hot Girl is a fun ride for the first Twenty episodes. Some
of the characters are comic book like and if your into Anime your
imediately see the series has the look and feel of a live action
version of such a series, and as such should be looked on as light
heart entertainment.
I enjoyed my time with it and look forward to completing the story
when I view the next and final seventeen episodes of season 2, I
just hope the story moves on and that the action gets better as it
has done within the first season.
Review by Sertes Nake
Review Date 22-07-2020
Hot Girl can be viewed on Amazon Prime Video / Viki and Youtube..
Obviously you won't get any adverts on Prime but you can watch for
free on Viki and Youtube but with those pesky adverts.
Also the series is available to buy on DVD / Bluray on import as
well.
