Cute!!
Loved it till 18th episode and then it felt like it was dragging on. Finished the last couple of episodes in 1.5x. The sibling dynamics were a treat to watch and the cast acted well. I just liked "When I Fly towards you" better because I was watching them parallelly and the general lack of misunderstanding and cliches in When I fly made it a better watch than Hidden Love. One thing that I did like about HL is that female lead was not a damsel in distress and could take a stand and not just for herself - but for the male lead as well. All the female characters written by this author are strong and know their mind - I truly appreciate the fact that these characters are unlike the naive/weak/gullible ones usually found in dramas,.Was this review helpful to you?
My heart....
I don't know if any show has affected me the way Hidden Love has. I watch with a smile on my face and I even cry through the sweetest scenes. First of all, the age gap is not an issue at all. He is only 5 years older and there is nothing inappropriate in any of the 25 episodes. Please do not be put off by any of the negative comments because you will miss out on a beautiful experience. I rewatched all the episodes while I waited for more episodes to be released. Now that I have watched all 25 episodes, I am so sad because I will miss Jia Xu and Sang Zhi! I also loved Sang Zhi's brother Sang Yan. I read that there will be a sequel with Sang Yan's story called First Frost. I am hoping to see the same actors play Sang Jhi and Jiaxu in First Frost.Sang Zhi grew up in a loving family. Her parents are kind and generous. Her brother loves her and is protective of her even as he bickers with her. It is still so touching to see how much the brother and sister love each other. I enjoyed watching the beautiful dynamics of Sang Jhi's family. If you enjoy watching sibling relationships, it is another plus for Hidden Love.
Duan Jia Xu had a sad family life, and he worked hard to pay off his father's debts. What made his relationship with Sang Jhi so beautiful is that even though he didn't have money to spare, he always took care of Sang Zhi and refused to take money from her or allow her to pay for anything when he was around. And even more beautiful was the way Sang Zhi cared for Jia Xu by protecting and taking care of him. He never had anyone to rely on and instead took on the burden of taking care of his mother and father. It was so beautiful to see the emotions as he felt Sang Zhi's love for him.
Both Zhao Lu Si and Chen Zhe Yuan are the magic key to Hidden Love. Zhe Yuan expressive eyes...sigh. Just watching him play Jiaxu is enough to convince me that a 17-year-old girl would have a crush and fall in love with him. Lu Si was perfect for Sang Zhi. You just need to watch to see. The BTS clips provide information on the scenes and be sure to watch the extra scenes at the end of each episode. The strawberry scene at the end of episode 13 was one I had to rewatch immediately. I absolutely love this show!!! There is nothing quite like it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Lovely
There are spoilers interspersed throughout my review, because some of them were things I liked, some I didn't.LOVED:
1) Zhao Lu Si as Sang Zhi. She is so beautiful and bubbly, I felt she was perfectly cast for this. Finally, a show in which they didn't put her in a lot of oversized outfits.
2) Chen Zhe Yuan as Duan Jia Xu. I've not seen him in anything before and I loved him in this. First, he's gorgeous. Second, the character was a warm and caring person.
3) Romance chemistry - just wow! The ML said things that most women would love to hear from their man. The way he looks at her, sigh. Good kisses.
4) Story - knowing someone for a long time and developing a relationship. For the most part, this was handled well.
5) Victor Ma as Sang Yan. He was a terrific character. The dynamic between him and his sister, and him and his friends was such fun to watch.
6) SPOILER: It seems like most romances have a secondary female that used to be a girlfriend that comes back after years and wants to pick up where they left off. She thinks she's entitled to him because she wants him. FINALLY, this show portrays the female the way I feel about the secondary women in other dramas. She's a stalker and not-just-a-little unhinged. And I love how the FL told the stalker's friend to go with her to get some counseling! END SPOILER.
7) Ending - I cried.
8) The voices weren't too terrible and the roommates weren't stupid and irritating.
9) The focus was on the romance of the main couple. Not a lot of wasted time.
10) She met him when she was in middle school. The way they handled her crush, her youth, and how he felt about her was handled well. This could have been kind of creepy if he liked her too soon. And the progression of how his feelings changed made sense.
11) The brother's reaction to finding out his friend was dating his sister.
12) The fact that the ML didn't drink alcohol.
13) I know it's not realistic, but I love when the people haven't had relationships before. When he came out and said he'd never dated...he got me!
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: (SPOILERS THROUGHOUT)
1) Sang Zhi acted in a very immature fashion when she was younger. I get that she was young, but when a girl has a crush on a guy, especially an older guy, she does everything she can to demonstrate how mature she is.
2) She's had a crush on him for literally years. She grows up, he confesses his feelings, and she says she needs to think about whether she likes him. I wanted to smack her upside the head. I felt so bad for him, but thank goodness he was patient. I think he knew, even if she didn't say anything. I was mad for a couple of episodes.
3) Her friends saying she needed to "test" him, and her doing it. Game playing in a relationship isn't a good thing, and it, again, made her look really immature.
4) Her making herself cry (when she was younger) to get her way. Once she grew up, I felt that she was still trying to manipulate people.
5) Them saying they would be there for each other, but then keeping things from the other because they didn't want to bother/overwhelm them.
6) One of the last episodes, he's alone in the living room drinking. She comes out and asks him about it, and he never opens up about what the problem is. AND, I really had a problem with the fact that the first time they were intimate he was drunk.
7) Parents, especially, complaining about the age difference. It was five years, people!
Kudos to the writers for not making this a long and drawn out story. My fast forward button got a good rest while I was watching this. It's low angst, light, fluffy, cute, and all the other things when you don't want something heavy. It's one of those shows that I put off, thinking it couldn't possibly be that good, and then I was disappointed when it was over. I will definitely be re-watching it at some point in time.
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STRUCK MY HEART!!!
Can this be considered as a drama or whattttt??It is one of the best drama i have ever seen
The Story - WOW!!
The Cast - WOW!!
The Acting - WOW!!
The Music- WOW!!
THE DRAMA - JUST WOWWWWW!!!!
The Main thing about this drama is that it is light and soothing , it gives a feel. of satisfaction , happiness , etc.
Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu have the best chemistry and no words can be used to express that
So Hidden Love is a 10/10 for me for being that perfect light romance drama that makes you blush in and out with the butterflies. it's worth checking out for the fluffy, sugar factor!! Would definitely recommend it!!
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I would recommend this drama to everyone! Honestly, I was a bit skeptical at first, mainly because of the casting of young Sang Zhi. I felt it might have been better if they had chosen an actress who was actually 14. In fact, I think Zhao Lusi herself could have portrayed that part.
But then again, during puberty, everyone develops differently—some mature later than others. Also, nothing inappropriate happened when she was a minor; it was just an innocent, one-sided crush that eventually blossomed into a beautiful, mutual love when she became an adult.
When she was 14, they only met twice, and then they didn’t see each other for three years. They reconnected when she was 17 and interacted more often for a few months before parting ways again. So it’s not like he was watching her grow up since 14—he was barely present during those years, and even at 17, he was only around for a short time.
It’s very common for teenagers to have a crush on someone older, and in this case, the age gap was 4-5 years. Plus, it was his very first relationship as well. If the age gap had been bigger, or if the male lead had prior dating experience, it would have been harder for me to accept.
Overall, I can confidently say—I loved it!
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Love! Love! Love!
This is my first time writing a review!! OH MY GODDD🤌🏻😩❤️ This drama have my whole heart. The best CDRAMA I've watched till date!! If anybody are willing to watch it, just go for it without any second thought. You will never regret watching this.Actually I became fan of CHEN ZHEYUAN after watching Our Secret. His Screen Presence and Acting are just amazing. 💗 Andddd, after watching this... He took my whole heart away with him 😭 How handsome that guy is!! 🤌🏻
The Chemistry between lead pairs is too beautiful to watch 😍 The best lead pair as far. You will never ever get bored by them at any point.
The story is well engaging... Everything is taken perfectly!!❣️
I don't have any favourite female lead till now... But from now, ZHOU LUSI will be the one 🤌🏻💗
Why only 25 episodes for such a beautiful story!!! I really miss them already 🥺
The ML and FL charecters were too good!! Not including any spoilers... People who have not watched it yet, Go for it!!
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How wonderful is the story created and narrated a perfect 100 percent satisfying
Watched it multiple times still not bored .A 100 percent FULFILLING STORY.
Sang yan and sang zhi ...duan and zhizhi ,the parents and zhizhi san yan ,friends ....every thing is so beautiful kept me smiling and laughing through out ..... could still go on watching over 100000000 times and not get bored...thanks for bringing in laughter and happiness with such drama.
This is a complete package of happiness ...
...........,............
Have never been happy and satisfied watching any other .
Each scene is creative and narrated well.
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Hidden Love
the drama is very good in terms of story, cast, acting, ost, everything is the best. I really recommend this drama, the story in this drama is very different from other Chinese dramas, this is really very interesting. The chemistry between Chen Zheyuan and Zhao Lusi was extraordinary. This drama even broke the popularity index of 10,000 in just 30 hours, this is the fastest among all Youku modern dramas. I can only say that this is the best modern chinese drama I've ever watched, it's very good, it will only make you smile while watching itWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Hidden Love: A Heartwarming Journey Through Love and Growth
"Hidden Love" is a spellbinding youth romance drama that captures the essence of love, friendship, and personal transformation. Adapted from the novel of the same name, the series introduces us to Sang Zhi and her secret affection for Duan Jiaxu, her brother's friend, as their relationship blossoms.This drama is a refreshing take on the genre, with a focus on heartfelt storytelling and character development. Sang Zhi's journey is portrayed with authenticity, avoiding the clichéd "love at first sight" trope. Instead, her feelings develop gradually, showcasing the realism of young love. Duan Jiaxu's character is equally well-crafted, adding depth and sincerity to the narrative.
One of the drama's standout features is its balance between tender romantic moments and the exploration of deeper emotional themes. The talented cast's comedic timing and chemistry add layers of enjoyment, making every interaction engaging and relatable.
Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan deliver extraordinary performances as Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu. Their on-screen chemistry is palpable, capturing the audience's hearts and emotions. Their portrayal is a testament to their exceptional acting skills, as they convincingly bring their characters to life.
Supporting characters, including Sang Yan and the parents, contribute to the richness of the narrative, making the world feel authentic and relatable. The drama's cinematography captures the essence of youth and adds a visual dimension to the storytelling.
While a few minor drawbacks like pacing and filter choices exist, they do not overshadow the drama's overall charm. The soundtrack complements the story beautifully, adding an extra layer of emotion to the scenes.
In summary, "Hidden Love" is a captivating exploration of youthful romance and growth. With its exceptional performances, engaging storyline, and genuine characters, it offers a heartwarming viewing experience that will leave you smiling, laughing, and cherishing the journey of love. Don't miss this delightful drama that invites you to immerse yourself in the beauty of hidden emotions and blossoming relationships.
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STORYLINE VERY GOOD , VERY RECOMMENDED.
Sang Zhi falls in love with Duan Jia Xu, a boy who often comes to her house to play games in his older brother's room. He is five years older than her. Sang Zhi had a crush on Duan Jia Xu when she was young, but they lost contact with each other for some reason. After he graduated, he joined the university in the city where he was, and during their intimate and close daily interactions, they slowly fell in love.Really support this drama chinese , the story line is never boring watching in every episode ❤️❤️ This the first drama me very recommended for you all.The chemistry between actors chen zhe yuan & zhao lu si is very good.
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This review may contain spoilers
A lot of things were hidden, mainly the reason.
This was a sweet story at times, frustrating at other times.My biggest gripe comes from the FL character early on.
It almost seemed as if the 14 year old version was more mature than the 18 year old.
I had a hard time at one point keeping track of her age due to her overly childish behavior and ridiculous baby voice.
No one I know has ever acted or talked like that.
From other reviews it seems she does this intentionally (?) which is even more bizarre for a character to do.
The ML was pure eye candy and he knows it.
This role was just another way for him to boost his fan count.
I disliked the way he dressed / styling of his character.
Some scenes his jeans seemed too high up and he'd have his shirt tucked in like someone's grandpa.
A 5 year age difference is not that much, especially not to dress him so much older.
I appreciated the few times they did things and it was a first for both.
Example: walking together on campus and then he plays basketball.
Even though he had already been to college, he didn't have the chance to do 'couple things'.
We saw very little development in his feelings for the FL though which was a let down.
It was very sudden and not very convincing.
The reason seems to be a complete mystery other than a few flashbacks of him looking at her (very short span of time).
He literally was calling her kid and treating her like a little sister one day and then BAM! all of a sudden he's head over heels in love with her.
How?
They could've spent more time developing that part of the story and less time on the fact that his dad killed someone while drunk driving.
I also didn't understand the constant emphasis on how wealthy the FL supposedly was.
They seemed to be middle class, maybe a little higher.
Not too impressive but somehow was a big point.
The leads are both good actors so they played their parts well, but their chemistry was very lacking.
Not a popular opinion, but given my seasoned experience, one I am sticking with.
I was not moved by it, but overall it was a good watch.
Just not worth all the 9s and 10s floating about.
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The perfect feel good summer romance of 2023 (and perhaps, beyond!)
Forget all that you watched before. Clear your mind from jaded gazing through heavily lead-tinted dark old-hand "grandma- who- knows- better" glasses of disbelief and suspicion. (Btw chuckle along when you get to the part with the monstrous and hilarious asymmetrical sunglasses presented to the big brother Sang Yan). Or nitpicking about colors, dress, or technicalities : these are anyway very good despite the short-changed budget it came from.Even if this doesn't remind you of the crushes you might have had, all those treasured or awkward, sometimes suppressed and forgotten, childish memories, it could let you be moved or reminded of what it felt like to imagine love. You will thus get the added bonus of personal connection to the youth and coming-of-age story better than anything you watched before. Even those who had not so good experiences , even horrible ones, in love, recognized how wholesome this drama was and remains.
I suggest you watch on just as if you were admiring and expecting a small seedling break the soil and grow : first frail, then strong, until the rose bud flowers and engulfs you in its heavenly perfume : enjoy !
This drama is very special and we are many who knew it even from the beginning, with the young child actress Zhang XiWei who was not bad, ,but did not steal or represent the show. The continuity between her and older Sang Zhi (played by Zhao Lusi), was quite good : she was acting a role older than her real age, but represented well the difference between an overprotected and childish girl of 13-14, before the older actress took over to portray the evolution of the pampered 16-17 years old that suddenly broke the glass ceiling to experience her first real wound in love, and rebuilt herself into a more independent young lady of 19-20 in a different city. 20 is the minimum age for marriage in China btw. So, the dating had to take its time. And there were other smaller or bigger hurdles to overcome, that many watchers could relate to, one way or the other.
That's why it is on top of the wave of popularity in this summer season laden with blockbusters from Indiana Jones, Mission Impossible ... to long expected heavyweight c-dramas such as The Longest Promise : Hidden Love is not just a little appetizer story for fangirls of a manhua. Netflix does not look to China to purchase a drama idly.
Zhao Lusi ("ZhiZhi", Sang Zhi) and Chen Zheyuan (Duan Jiaxu) have elevated the "classic love story" from ordinary to work of art : it is that good!
The rest of the cast played along well or remarkably well :
- Sang Zhi's big brother was played by Chinese-American Victor Ma BoQian, who entered the world of Chinese entertainment by taking part in a song battle in 2017, where he was a strong competitor of Mao Buyi (who performed the famous "Drowning Sorrows" song that you can hear the tune of, when Duan Jiaxu went with colleagues to a karaoke where he bumped into Sang Zhi , now a freshman student at Yihe university.)
---- You will also find :
- an understanding and doting modern mom in Li Ping, Mrs Sang (played by Zeng Li, different from the at first traumatizing one she played in Love Like the Galaxy, but with whom Zhao Lusi had already many good memories of interacting on and off sets),
-a concerned but relatively generous dad in Sang Rong (played by Qiu XinZhi).
- faithful friends such as Qian Fei (played by "chubby" Hu YuXuan who has been remarked in many supporting roles since Ever Night), or a trio of sisterly university roommates, each with their own individuality :
- independent Yu Xin (played by Qi Tian Ting),
- bubbly Ning Wei (played by Smile Wei Xiao)
- and diffident Wang RuoLan (played by Wang YiLan) who has her own crush on
- a tall basket ball player university student, Jiang Ming (played by Lu DongXu) who himself had at first set his eyes on Sang Zhi.
There are understanding and supportive office superiors, such as :
- Li Xun (played by Guan JiTing) who is the director of a game design studio to which he invited Jiaxu when they were both interning in Nanwu in episode 4 (and no, this Li Xun is not related to the one in the drama Lighter and Princess, if you were wondering!) who is married to
-Jiang SiYun (played by Wang Yang), who is the motherly and big sisterly figure that makes the game designer studio a sort of home for the staff.
Since an antagonist of sorts is needed, we get the obsessive Jiang Ying (played by Xu ShiXin) who has a suspicious-minded friend in Shi XiaoYu (played by Shi XiYue) Xiaoyu also acts as superior to Sang Zhi during the student's internship in a design company in Yihe. But these two are barely a threat for the blossoming love story between main leads, so they are like the necessary mists and clouds that make the azure blue skies uplifting. That said, even rain on a day devoted for a project transforms the day into a very special camping opportunity, in the lovely story : it will remind some of the audience about the make-believe grand travels and explorings they did as kids on rainy days.
The background music and songs are sweet counterpoints to the moods and change in those.
Zhao Lusi sings two songs, the intro one, 只想把你偷偷藏好 (Just Want To Secretly Hide You), in duet with Silence Wang Sulong 汪苏泷 , and the solo song, 我有喜欢的人了 (I Have Someone I Like) -
Five other songs also contribute to make the OST pleasing and memorable :
- Be Your Light (sung by Victor Ma Boqian 马伯骞);
- You Are My Only Wish - 你是我此生唯一所愿 (sung by Diamond Zhang Bichen 张碧晨, famous singer and unconventional unwed mother of a daughter with ex-companion "Martian"musician Hua Chenyu 华晨宇),
- Forever Star - 张洢豪 (sung by Zhang Yihao 张洢豪),
- I Have You - 有你 (sung by Zhao Lei, but , not the Beijing born singer 赵雷 best known for his Chengdu song, but the Chengdu born younger 赵磊 who was a member of R1SE and X NINE), and
- Star Thief - 偷星星的人 (sung by yihuik 苡慧).
Some other tunes in addition to the Drowning Sorrows one (消愁) that I mentioned before, can be noticed. Such as a Zhao Lusi song from the Oh! My Emperor! drama (that also starred her), a snippet of a Coco Lee one (Di Da Di) sung by Sang Yan (The iconic Hong Kong singer passed away at 48 very recently on July 5, 2023. She is remembered for many songs such as “A Love Before Time,” from "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon that almost won an Academy Award in 2000. Also for the "Reflection" song and voicing Fa Mulan in the Mandarin-language version of "Mulan,")
Also, in Ep12, student Jiang Ming sang and played on the guitar the song " I've Liked You Since The First Day I Met You"遇见你的第一天起我就喜欢你 by Zhāng Yīháo (張洢豪), from the OST of the recent youth c-drama 《时光与他，恰是正好 》Time and Him are Just Right. The tune is repeated in background music in the last episode bar scene.
Hidden Love, despite all the complications it went through, in its making (that you can learn separately about it, in interviews, if you are curious), is already an international phenomenon, breaking many mental and geographical boundaries with its soft and refreshing, healing message, based on humanity's most powerful sentiments to change the world for the better : hope, confidence, benevolence, trust, courage, persistence, and love.
The drama has an "extra" episode 25.5 after the 25 scheduled ones. This extra one is, like for Lighter and Princess, a compilation of various footage such as jokes, humorous BTS and making of iconic scenes, fashion parade, interview, cut scenes, more, and ends on a wish that touches the audience too, written by Jiaxu on a strip of star paper : 只只的 所有的 愿望 成真 (Zhǐ zhǐ de suǒyǒu de yuànwàng chéng zhēn) : May ZhiZhi's wishes come true
Also, don't forget to play along with the episodes' end snippets to find clues about where they belong and why they were added.
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