Hidden Love

This cemented why I love Zhao Lu Si!!

I'm watching this on Netflix in tandem with the C Drama Hidden Love. Part way through it becomes very obvious how amazing Hidden Love is, in contrast to the sub par storyline and acting of King Land drama. I've since dropped King Land. The couple of Hidden Love gives me what I want in a love story...the feel of romance and absolute thrill of watching a couple falling in love and staying in love. Zhao Lu Si hands down is an amazing ( and beautiful) actress. The supporting cast are incredible. If this is the kind of quality C dramas are aiming for then rest assure they are going to overtake k drama in the near future in terms of popularity. I love this 24 episodes length too.

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HIDDEN ❤ LOVE - deep in heart

Loved and enjoyed this drama so much feeling too many butterflies!! Great story and perfect cast they nailed it. Zhao lusi stolen our hearts in every drama.

I watched this series when it was still on air and amount of curious and patience to wait for next episode to air was another excitement for me!! But as we all know "worth the wait" , this drama nvr disappointed in the storyline .
Perfect balance of FL and ML chemistry and understanding level. The bond between sister and brother is another spark to this drama. Its so real and natural.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 🐱🐱

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Secretly, Simple but Wholesome!

I usually don't write reviews, but this drama truly blew me away. It deserves recognition for its remarkable qualities and has left me with very few critiques.

While I'm not typically a fan of modern C-dramas, I decided to give 'Hidden Love' a chance due to the recommendations and the presence of Zhao Lusi, one of my favorite actresses. To my surprise, this drama turned out to be one of the most enjoyable series I've seen in a long time. Perhaps it was the absence of expectations that made it even more satisfying.

‘Hidden Love' embraces simplicity with a short and straightforward storyline, free from unnecessary complications or dragging plotlines. Everything within the drama is relatable, grounded, and devoid of far-fetched elements. The relationships between the main characters and the supporting cast are exceptionally well-written and portrayed, resulting in numerous moments that made me giggle like a little girl, roll my eyes in tandem with the characters, and burst into laughter due to the outrageous interactions between them. The drama evoked a range of emotions, leaving me feeling warm, fuzzy, and wholly engaged. I also appreciated how the drama remained faithful to the novel, making only minor adjustments here and there.

To be honest, I'm accustomed to more dramatic storylines, but 'Hidden Love' beautifully demonstrated the beauty of simplicity. Despite its straightforward plot, the drama remains highly enjoyable and memorable, mainly because the acting is on point.

There are no over-the-top performances like you often see in C-dramas. Instead, everything feels genuine and natural. The actors' micro expressions are spot-on and bring an extra layer of enjoyment. I even had to rewatch some scenes just to catch all the little details. The whole cast nailed it, but I have to give a special shoutout to Zhao Lusi as well as Chen Zhe Yuan. ZLS perfectly portrayed Sang Zhi's growth throughout the story, devoid of any fake cuteness.

As for CZY, he impressed me immensely. He's definitely maturing as an actor, and I can't wait to see more of his work in the future. While the chaotic brother-sister relationship brings the perfect amount of chaos, the overall storytelling heavily relies on the actors' actions and expressions, allowing them to convey the story with minimal reliance on dialogue. Perhaps, this is where the complexity lies. A simple storyline, but the actors' acting skills add layers of depth to their characters without explicitly stating their emotions. I can clearly perceive the changes in the male lead's evolving feelings. It's subtle but definitely there. I can feel their insecurities, burdens, as well as their determination and strength. The leads truly show how well the characters complement each other. It's a testament to the actors' remarkable talent, and even the crying scene tugged at my heartstrings.

The acting undoubtedly propels this drama to new heights, but the music is also a delight. The lyrics of the main theme beautifully encapsulate the love story, while the song by SY (Victor Ma) exudes a cute and feel-good vibe that had me smiling and bobbing my head along with the ML.

My main gripe about the show? They released it so slowly! One episode per day was pure torture! But hey, lucky you get to binge the whole thing now and won't have to suffer like I did.

In a nutshell, ‘Hidden Love' is a gem among modern romance dramas. Its simplicity, well-crafted characters, exceptional acting, and enjoyable music make it a must-watch with high rewatch value. Whether you're a fan of the genre or not, this drama is well worth your time.

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The feeling of being loved and loving those regardless of their flaws

I felt like I was apart of this drama. The cast and writers pulled me in with such raw emotions. This drama has an overall happy/pure feeling to it. This drama not only had a good sounding synopsis but actually exceeded every expectation I had for it while watching it. This drama primarily focuses on the main leads relationship and their family/school plots. Not much of side character plots, but there are some. Occasionally with first loves, you’ll be let down or have doubts in yourself… Sang Zhi expressed those feelings in such a pure manner. At one point I just had to stop the drama and let myself have a good cry, and at other points I found myself laughing out loud and smiling ear to ear. I haven’t had such a fun drama come across my list in quiet some time. The speed in which I finished this drama says it all, and at no point did I skip through any scenes that I felt weren’t relevant. I absolutely loved this drama!!!

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SWEETNESS OVERLOADED

From a young grade school she knew she has crush to this boy, best friend of her brother, as he treated her nice like a little sister. Her persistent holding on childish infatuation like treasuring his presents and memories. Age 15 in high school she met again with this (now) university boy - a room mate of his brother at the uni, her brother trusted him to watch over her to her delight. He became her physic tutor, a better tutor than her own brother, became a mentor to her young tender heart. He treated her with kindness and protective nature that she obligated to listen to his advise. When she got caught for admiration of the boy in a drawing book, she said that was an On-line Boyfriend so now everybody were worried about her mysterious on-line relationship. On line boyfriend became her scapegoat, diverting her real feeling to her brother's friend. Even he concerned and objected the fake on-line relationship which she happily obliged to indulge him....it's all smokescreen.

Ep 7 she's about to finish high school and plan to go to Uni where the boy lived, overheard her brother saying that his friend has a girlfriend that shattered her heart. She flew to Yihu just to find out if he really had a girlfriend, family were panicked and called him to meet her at the airport, in the airport she saw a young woman came with him and presumed she's the girlfriend. When he asked why she's here? She said she'd promised to meet her on-line boyfriend here, same lie she kept to avoid revealing the real reason. Pretty sad indeed she finally flew back home heart broken, she decided to bury all things about him and moved on with her life. Pre-commitment in relationship, Shang Zhi had experience many heartache because of Jia Xu treatment as a little sister, he always called her 小朋友 xiǎo péng yǒu. She regret she's being so young, age was a big issue. Not without afford she tried to move on with her young life, but things always bring them back in contact, he treated her as a family while she's hoping for more.

My favorite was ep 20, when Sang Yan found out about their romance, 3 actors did amazing with their characters - we can relate to each of them, the fight was redefining friendship to be accepted as a brother-in law. funny part was Sang Yan went back to Jia Xu's apartment that he just punched. Zhao LuSi was awesome, rendered speechless as to why her brother hit hard on her boyfriend aka his own bestfriend - with emotion bursting with tears she wanted to cut ties with him although it's resolved for the best, Another favorite was ep 23 were Sang Zhi revealed her deepest secret, overwhelm with surprise and gratitude Jia Xu weep happy and realized how much love she had, the romantic part was the kitchen scene - kind of seductive.

Overloaded sweetness like we eat too much of candies, our tooth hurts. I am just glad there's nothing cross the line their relationship when she's so young....because that would be loathsome. Zhao LuSi (Sang Zhi) was the sweetest innocent girl in love, the relationship with Sang Yan (Victor Ma) were likely brother and sister - the brother that loved a little sister but didn't want to be bothered by her whim - he let his best friend to take care of her. Duan Jia Xu (Chen Zhe Yuan) 5 years older (7 years older in the book) a gentle, responsible, attentive, kind that protect and always nice to Sang Zhi - a better version of 2nd brother to Zhi Zhi. Jia Xu acted really matured and responsible, with all passionate dialog, Jia Xu showed he really into Shang Zhi, wooing done right. If I thought first that this drama was for 13 yo fans base, boy..... was I surprisingly wrong! This drama has more kisses than some c-drama I have ever watched, Zhe Yuan's spark of yearning and longing was pretty alluring. Sang Zhi was fallen in love in their first meting, however Duan Jia Xu has fallen harder in love with her on wards. What I think LuSi was perfect for Sang Zhi character, but she seems to hold/restrain her character more than Chen Zhe Yuan - he's more open in embracing and kissing scenes than LuSi.

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folding stars till all my dreams come true ;)

i will never be able to encapsulate fully the love i have for this drama in words.
i fell head over heels with all of the characters, storyline, and most of all the way jiaxu looks at sangzhi (i need someone to look at me as if they can't live without me). jiaxu loves her more than love. he is such a green flag, and their love story will always have a special place in my heart. also, viccctoooorr i wish you were my older brother i beg you please ahhhh. zhaolusi and victor will be top tier brotherXsister combo forever, and they literally act like that in real life as well <3
the ost is an absolute banger, its been on repeat for days and will be continue to be doing so till i die. also, half of them will be in my wedding playlist and im going to learn all the lyrics to it (not just by the sound). also, the fact that even though chenzheyuan usually never like to sing, but he sang forever star LIVE im crying. i will never get over how good this show is (i really don't know why i stopped watching when it was first released, i was just too young and oblivious to REAL LOVE LOL) i wish that i could erase my brain of all the edits and the show as a whole so i can relive the giggles, crying and laughing, ah please please i beg. my husband better watch this show before we get married because he needs to know how to love me the way jiaxu loves sangzhi, no scratch that he needs to know how to love me the way chenzheyuan and zhaolusi love each other PERIOD. half of the time, i related to victor so much because i felt really single watching this show, but what made me feel even more single was the fact that hes hasweiyifan.... :`) omg zeng li has the best hair in the whole show, and her skin is absolutely flawless like gurll you do not look like a mother of two grown adults and the fact that she and zhaolusi are so close and have that motherdaughter bond makes this show extra special.

i wish it was longer, or a season two would be absolutely amazing AHH i want to see them as parents and tell their love story to their kids (+baijingting and zhangruonan cameo maybe ?!??!?!? i would die if this happens, im already in heaven at that point)

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BEST CDRAMA THIS 2023!!!

I rarely write a review but this romantic series sets the bar so high this 2023. I am sooo much attached with their characters and love the way this gives you only good vibes and no hard drama. Truly a feel good series or drama. They also portray the slice of life that is very realistic. A girl has a crush on a guy for a very long time. True that she fell first but he fell harder. The role of Duan Jia Xu, very kind, smart and hardworking. Hopefully this kind of person exists in real life. Also the role of Sang Zhi somewhat a spoiled daughter but is very willing to support and defend her boyfriend that makes her more matured and learn the true meaning of love. And ofcourse I am hoping that Chen Zhe Yuan and Zhao Lu Si will be a couple in real life. I so love this and rate it as 11/10!!!

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"Its that kinda of love, that falls from heaven"

The way this drama has become my safe haven and source of comfort is truly remarkable.

I find myself drawn to it once or twice every month. The presentation of love in this drama is a beacon of hope, reminding us not to give up on love and encouraging us to be filled with optimism. The story is crafted in a way that instills a sense of warmth and reassurance, making it like a therapy session for me lol.

The portrayal of love in this drama goes beyond mere romanticism, it´s not just sweat, it´s also being strong and staying positive for your own partner. The characters exemplify a love that is not only endearing but also mature, offering a refreshing perspective. It's heartening to witness their journey, filled with both challenges and tender moments, which creates a profound connection with the audience. The main characters have this magical connection that brings butterflies to your stomach. Their sweet and mature approach to love makes the story even more interesting.

What sets this drama apart is its ability to infuse optimism into the story. The unfolding of events, coupled with the characters' development, creates a storyline that is not just entertaining but also filled with life lessons. .It's like a rollercoaster of emotions that leaves you feeling hopeful and believing that love can overcome anything.

In a world often plagued by uncertainties, this drama stands as a beacon of hope, reminding us that love, in all its forms, has the potential to triumph over adversities. It's more than just a show; it's a journey that takes you through the intricacies of human emotions, leaving you with a heart full of hope and a smile on your face.

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Finally a CDrama that competes with KDrama

So many CDrama's are small stories dragged out into 30 or 40 episodes with music scoring that make you cringe. Not so with "Hidden Love". From the start to the finish the script builds on each main character. Location shots and production values were more like a high-end KDrama with attention given to detail without shoving too many product placement adds. The star of the show is absolutely Zhao Lu Si, but my favorite is the young girl Zhang Xi Wei who plays the young Zhao Lu Si. She plays a 14 year old middle school student who develop a crush on the ML and constantly fights with her older brother. But there is real love between them and the bonds of their family are strong and healthy. A real plus in my mind when so many dramas focus on dysfunctional families.

Highly recommend this to any KDrama watcher who has given up on CDramas!

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