| Alt Name: | Tornado Girl Taekwondo Girl |
| Genre: | Teen Sports Romance Comedy |
| Based On: | Tornado Girl by Ming Xiaoxi |
| Director: | Cheng Zhichao |
| Opentheme: | Burning Youth by He Jie |
| Endtheme: | That Distance by Chen Chusheng |
| Country: | China |
| Language: | Mandarin |
| Num Episodes: | 32 |
| Location: | China South Korea |
| Runtime: | 50-55 minutes (single episodes), 30-35 minutes (double episode) |
| Company: | Mango Media, Grand Media |
| Channel: | Hunan TV |
The Whirlwind Girl is a 2015 Chinese television series based on the novel of the same name written by Ming Xiaoxi. It aired on Hunan TV from 7 July to 26 August 2015.
The story tells the journey of Qi Baicao (Hu Bingqing) who has a fondness for Yuanwudao (a martial arts sport) ever since she was little. After her parents died in a fire accident, Bai Cao is adopted and raised by Qu Xiangnan, the former world champion of Yuanwudao, whose skills and reputation have been defamed by his rivals. Honest, righteous, and determined to succeed, Bai Cao gradually transforms from a "weed" into a professional Yuanwudao athlete, fighting her way to the top and reclaiming her teacher's innocence. Along the way she encounters friends such as her stoic and selfless senior Ruo Bai (Yang Yang), the warm and caring but mysteriously secluded medic Yu Chuyuan (Bai Jingting), and the flirtatious, playful Fang Tinghao (Chen Xiang) with a hidden agenda as well as rivals such Fang Tingyi (Zhao Yuannuan).
Ruo Bai's dorm mate. He appears to be lazy, but is very talented. He often bickers with Xiaoying, and later falls in love with her. He is good friends with Baicao.
Baicao's best friend; who always supports Baicao in times of need. She is a cheerful and playful girl. She likes Ruo Bai initially, but later falls in love with Yifeng whom she often bickers with.
The former world champion of Yuanwudao; Baicao's master and Guangya's father. He started to look after Baicao during her childhood after her parents died in a fire accident. Due to an incident where he was framed for taking drugs, he was banned from the Yuanwudao industry. No one believes in his innocence except for Baicao, who sees him as her father and is willing to do anything to stand up for his honor.
Qu Xiangnan's daughter. She appears to be cold but is actually very kind. She is Baicao's childhood friend and cares for her deeply.
Current Master of Quan Sheng Yuanwudao Center.
This drama is highly recommended.
Master of Xian Wu Taekwondo Center and the Fang siblings' maternal grandfather.
A talented Yuanwudao coach, who is the role model of many female students. She is also Guangya's aunt. She believes that Qu Xiangnan (the husband of her late sister) had taken stimulants to cheat and as a result, her sister had died from the shock. As a result she doesn't like Baicao initially because Baicao regards Qu Xiangnan as her master. However, she is surprised by Baicao's abilities and comes to appreciate her.
A Yuanwudao student from South Korea, who is frank and adorable. Due to her father's rivalry with Qu Xiangnan, she holds a grudge against An Yang students. She initially dislikes Baicao, but eventually comes to admire her abilities and her personality.
Chuyuan's half-sister. Eun Soo is a Korean Yuanwudao athlete, who is the current top player in the female Yuanwudao community, referred to as "Maiden Master" and is Baicao's role model. She is a kind-hearted and innocent girl who likes Tinghao. She likes Baicao the moment they meet and comments on her remarkable abilities. She is also the only person besides Fang Tingyi who hasn't been defeated by Baicao and is the only one who has defeated Fang Tingyi.
Min-joo's father, and Qu Xiangnan's opponent. It is hinted that he may have used an underhanded method to defeat Qu Xiangnan back then to become world Yuanwudao champion.
Yishan's beloved disciple. A determined and upright guy, who became the runner-up at the Yuanwudao Youth Champion after Tinghao. He is close to Min-joo, and admires En-xiu.
In season 1, Xu Jiao was originally chosen to portray Qi Baicao, but withdrew due to physical problems and speech. The role eventually went to Hu Bingqing.[1] This series also marks the second collaboration between Leo Wu and Jiang Yiyi.[2] Filming began in April 2015 at Changsha and ended in July 2015.[3]
The drama is a commercial success. It maintained the number one spot in its timeslot during the broadcast, with an average viewership rating of 1.68% (CSM50) and 2.43% (Nationwide), becoming one of the highest-rated Chinese dramas for the year 2015. It also has 2 billion views on Mango TV.[4] [5] [6]
| China Hunan TV premiere ratings (CSM50) | |||||
| Episodes | Broadcast date | Ratings (%) | Audience share (%) | Rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | July 7, 2015 | 1.200 | 5.920 | 1 | |
| 3-4 | July 8, 2015 | 1.159 | 6.189 | 1 | |
| 5-6 | July 14, 2015 | 1.215 | 6.898 | 1 | |
| 7-8 | July 15, 2015 | 1.501 | 8.064 | 1 | |
| 9-10 | July 21, 2015 | 1.664 | 8.951 | 1 | |
| 11-12 | July 22, 2015 | 1.778 | 9.507 | 1 | |
| 13-14 | July 28, 2015 | 1.736 | 9.246 | 1 | |
| 15-16 | July 29, 2015 | 1.733 | 9.068 | 1 | |
| 17-18 | August 4, 2015 | 1.725 | 9.129 | 1 | |
| 19-20 | August 5, 2015 | 1.781 | 9.111 | 1 | |
| 21-22 | August 11, 2015 | 1.605 | 8.720 | 1 | |
| 23-24 | August 12, 2015 | 2.000 | 10.089 | 1 | |
| 25-26 | August 18, 2015 | 1.950 | 10.335 | 1 | |
| 27-28 | August 19, 2015 | 2.150 | 10.940 | 1 | |
| 29-30 | August 25, 2015 | 1.879 | 10.022 | 1 | |
| 31-32 | August 26, 2015 | 1.904 | 9.371 | 1 | |
| Nationwide Ratings | |||||
| Episodes | Broadcast date | Ratings (%) | Audience share (%) | Rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | July 7, 2015 | 1.58 | 10.30 | 1 | |
| 3-4 | July 8, 2015 | 1.66 | 10.96 | 1 | |
| 5-6 | July 14, 2015 | 1.89 | 12.69 | 1 | |
| 7-8 | July 15, 2015 | 2.19 | 13.79 | 1 | |
| 9-10 | July 21, 2015 | 2.56 | 16.14 | 1 | |
| 11-12 | July 22, 2015 | 2.46 | 15.26 | 1 | |
| 13-14 | July 28, 2015 | 2.44 | 15.02 | 1 | |
| 15-16 | July 29, 2015 | 2.50 | 15.49 | 1 | |
| 17-18 | August 4, 2015 | 2.68 | 16.55 | 1 | |
| 19-20 | August 5, 2015 | 2.58 | 15.88 | 1 | |
| 21-22 | August 11, 2015 | 2.55 | 16.58 | 1 | |
| 23-24 | August 12, 2015 | 2.82 | 17.33 | 1 | |
| 25-26 | August 18, 2015 | 2.78 | 17.66 | 1 | |
| 27-28 | August 19, 2015 | 2.82 | 17.77 | 1 | |
| 29-30 | August 25, 2015 | 2.61 | 17.12 | 1 | |
| 31-32 | August 26, 2015 | 2.71 | 16.29 | 1 | |
| Channel | Location | Broadcast start date | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunan TV | Mainland China | July 7, 2015 | Tuesday, Wednesday 22:00 (two eps) | |
| Mango TV | Mainland China | July 7, 2015 | Tuesday, Wednesday night (two eps). August 27 13:14(Highlights + second quarter pilot film) | |
| Home Drama | December 9, 2015 | 01:15, 18:00 (replay) | ||
| Guangdong TV | China, Hong Kong | January 23, 2016 | Everyday at 19:30 (two eps) | |
| CCTV8 | Mainland China | August 9, 2016 | Everyday at 13:00 |
| Network(s)/Station(s) | Series premiere | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
 China | July 20-September 15, 2016 (Youth in progress Wednesday, Thursday 22:00-00:00) | 旋風少女第二季 ( ; lit: ) | |
 Malaysia | January 26, 2017 – March 13, 2017 (Monday to Friday 18:00-19:00) | 旋风少女2 ( ; lit: ) | |
| April 23, 2019- (Monday to Friday 14:00-15:00) | 旋风少女2 ( ; lit: ) | ||
 Thailand | Channel 3 Family (13) | August 18, 2018 - November 3, 2018 (Every Saturday - Sunday from 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM.) | สาวน้อยจ้าวพายุ 2 (Tornado Girl) ( ; lit: ) |
The second season of the drama, The Whirlwind Girl 2, starred Korean actor Ji Chang-wook and An Yuexi.