Hidden Love

The best of the best drama there is.

Wow, this drama is the best of the best there is. Watching the character grow up from when she was a child to a college-graduate student is a journey worth watching -- plus the relationship she has with DJX. It's pure, simple and no overboard extra characters that will lead to major misunderstandings b/w the two leads. ZLS and CZY played their characters really well. This story will take you through a rollercoaster of emotions that are relatable to real life and there are a lot of "life quotes/lessons" to be learnt from this drama.

I'd definitely recommend this drama to anyone who haven't watch it yet -- who's looking for a light-hearted, fluffy, sweet, funfilled, romantic, and growing up journey type of drama. It may contain a lot of your type "trope" expected in a drama -- but it's something where you can relax, enjoy the ride and bring back memories of not just your childhood life but the journey from that to a young adulthood life too. The story between Sang Zhi & Duan Jia Xu will take you into a world where you can escape from your everyday "busy" lifestyle into a world "where dreams, love, etc" can be found. You will be so absorbed into the drama -- that you'll find yourself to be happy with them as well as also feel the sadness when they are feeling sad too...all the different emotions can be found throughout the drama -- and this is one great journey worth joining & watching again and again.

The drama ost - are prefectly played throughout the whole drama itself and worth listening to.

Well done Zhao Lu Si, Chen Zhe Yuan, Victor Ma and the other cast members, director, and screenwriter of this drama!! You guys did well!! A round of applause to all of you for your hardwork in bringing this story to life!! Well-worth it and deserves a 10/10 rating no doubt from me and many other viewers who love this kind of story!! Sweetness all around!!

P.S. (Bonus) I love how there's a special with the main leads giving each other positive feedback to each other and some of the other actors/actresses too in the story to each other too!!

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Special place in my heart

There is a lot of hype about this series and i really expected something different from it. The story is just about two people who fall in love and grow their relationship.
Nothing new yes, but… is so warm this one and gorgeous that after finishing it i started to re-watch those heart-melting moments. The scene at the airport - oh i really cried with her, the scene when she is explaining (again at the airport) that she came for him and not for on-line boyfriend. There are more beautiful moments that you just enjoy just watching it.
Zhao Lusi love most of her dramas and i really saw through the years her grow up, she has great chemistry with all her partners.
Chen Zhe Yuan i liked him from Secrets in the Lattice and Mr Bad. He has very good face expressions.
This drama has a special place in my heart because of beautiful feelings of hope, confidence, trust, courage, persistence, and love.

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This drama is like eating Liquorice and chocolate all freaking day and night

Hidden Love is a diary drama about an introvert girl that secretly falls for her brother's friend, and their journey to falling in love and healing each other. This drama is like eating Liquorice and chocolate all freaking day and night. If each scene was a candy I would have probably become diabetic by the end. There are tons of romantic scenes, a sweet dating era, both ML and FL protecting and taking care of each other. Usually you see the male chasing the female and doing most of the work but here it is a subtle love, both equally loving and taking care of each other.

No break ups, no love triangles, no angst, no annoying second male or female leads that are obsessed with the main leads and want to break them apart. It's purely focused on the main couple with no unnecessary side couples and filler plot lines. Most of the episodes are heartwarming with a few sad scenes that don't last long and the conflicts are quickly resolved.

The drama is definitely one to watch when you need something sweet and loving, when you are depressed and want to smile, when you are going through hard times and need a free loving therapy session, when you are laying on your bed in the evening with a warm cup of tea watching this. Basically if you want something that pulls on your heartstrings and reminds you of your childhood/teenage/college years, this drama is for you.

Note: An important thing to address is that there is an unnecessary controversial topic about how ML meets FL when she is 14 (and the actress looks 10). He is only 5 years older than her and the drama clearly states and portrays that he starts to fall for her romantically as they meet again when she is already an adult.

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When your high school love turn real

Made me giggly like a high school girl thinking about her first crush. But also bawling like a girl that just breaking up with her first love.

The main couple both are sweet human being and the biggest green flags ever. Their love is so pure, and I love that they really respect and rely to each other in a very healthy manner.

FL's family is a model family with believable moral compass. I really adore this family relationship with each other.

Setting, costume, OST, and direction is so well thought. And the last but definitely not the least, the acting! All cast working so well and looks very natural. I never watch these casts work before, but I think Lu Si and Zhe Yuan are romance monster. They are so good. Really good. Whoever has first idea to put them together should get an award😂

I'm gonna give shout out to Victor Ma. He is the most believable brother in drama land. He reminds me with my own brothers and several other stories about my friends brother. And he looks like he deserves his own story, I bet he will be very charming. But the rumored spinoff will use different actor, it's okay, but I still want to give shout out to him, haha.

I'm such a Kdrama girl before. But I should say well made Cdrama are superior. I really appreciate that they not afraid of 'cliché' ending and forcing plot twist. Well made cliché is good. I mean, so many people living similar life, yet so different.

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A girl's manifestation came to life

July 30, 2023

Hidden Love is definitely one of the best released rom-com Chinese drama of the year. The story of Sang Zhi and Jia Xu is so fluffy and cute.

As a a rom-com Chinese drama, I was expecting petty and stupid arguments when the leads get together. But they are so mature to the point where all the little misunderstandings are resolved right away. They have such a healthy communication with each other. I am in awe with how much I am jealous of what they have.

Sang Zhi and Jia Xu's chemistry is just off the chart. It is amazing to think how much the actors can deliver into their character role. I understand the hype that Hidden Love received. They truly deserve it.

All the other side characters are just chef's kiss as well. They brought things to the plot and I didn't see anyone being a waste of time. I never skipped scenes either which is quite rare nowadays. As there are so many dramas putting up filler scenes and sub plots which sole purpose is for them to fill their timeslot and drag the show longer.

As someone who have watched Cdramas for a quite a long time now. I will put Hidden Love with the other "S"-tier fluffy rom-com Cdramas imo like "Put your head on my shoulders". "Perfect. & Casual", "Falling into your smile", and "When we were young".

If you are a sucker for rom-com who hates misunderstanding please give this show the love that it deserves!

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Very sweet and highly recommended

From the first episode to the last, it was simply captivating and yet sweet at the same time. I’m sure most have had the all too familiar storyline of having a crush on your older brother’s friend at 13/14yo. I know I did;) and that crush became my first bf at 18yo! Sadly though it didn’t last haha.

Sang zhi had a crush, which turned into a very real liking , going to great lengths to be with him, and it eventually worked out for her. I absolutely loved the young actress at 14yo- she had a natural talent. Sang zhi at 14 was very outspoken and confident, so I’m not sure why at 17, she became rather quiet and reserved. That didn’t really make sense to me. Maybe the writers wanted to portray how she grew as a person in university. But still, her character development didn’t seem to jive.

ML Duan Jiaxu was extremely well acted by Chen Zheyuan. Minimalistic change of facial expressions, his eye connections and how he moves his mouth- all very convincing and engaging. Oh his tears!! [Spoiler- the scene where he spoke to his comatose state father, and after that when SZ hugged him.. OMG it was SO TOUCHING!!! Cried and cried) Well done CZY… a very promising career awaits you!

Storyline was beautifully written. Initially I was a bit concerned on how she would let him know about her feelings, then how he would turn from seeing her as a little sister to looking at her as a woman. The writers did a good job with that transition. Many many good principles and morals to learn from the storyline too; and how SZ handled the “other woman” and her friend aka her supervisor was admirable and so matured.

As for the romance development- also very very good pace, good chemistry, LOTS AND LOTS of PDA :):):) although the kissing was a bitttt forced I felt. ZLS has kissed many many of her male costars ;) so maybe .. idk haha. I’m expecting too much? Lol. But YES!! From the accidental kiss, to the first light touch kiss, to holding hands to the roller-skating kiss etc etc.. plenty to look forward to;)

Definitely highly recommended for a youth drama! Simply enjoy this one:)

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So impactful, easy to fall in love with it.

This drama could've been terrible. It could've been uncomfortable and tasteless. But it wasn't. It was endearing, emotional, intense, and heartfelt. There was a very thin line around the appropriateness of it, but what they accomplished with the writing , acting, and overall storytelling is a beautiful example of an innocent crush blooming into first love. I loved the way they handled such a delicate topic. At no point did it ever feel inappropriate or cringey. It just felt real. The ML's acting was phenomenal. I truly felt he loved the FL. It was so convincing, I couldn't have even imagined who else the MCs could've ended up with. It felt destined and they did a great job portraying that. This drama takes a special place in my heart. I will watch it many times over.

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Sweet Romance Teenager Story!♥

My new comfort drama ever!! The plot is very simple but really beautiful, I really enjoyed watching the drama which made me smile without realizing it^^ Zhao Lusi as Sang Zhi and Chen Zheyuan as Duan Jia Xu are the right choice and really suit their characters well. Their chemistry was extraordinary and look so natural♥

I like seeing the development of Sang Zhi's character from a cute and spoiled high school student to a mature, brave and open-minded college student also Duan Jia xu, very dreamy character, wondering where I can find a man like him ಥ_ಥ
One of my fav cdramas that I would recommend to many people because this drama really worth to watching over and over again!

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Hidden Love, Hidden Gem, Hidden Talent

What I really liked about this drama was not only the romance, but the couple’s journey itself. Sang Zhi’s coming of age was a lovely and relatable tale. Including Jiaxu’s and Sang Yan’s transition to working adult-hood. I felt like I wasn’t alone. They were worried about college and graduating, and then there was the having to find a job and stick with it. Those aspects made me really enjoy the show. Adulting is hard but it’s not unbearable. Especially when you have a friend or family beside you.

And in episode 23, Sang Zhi’s love confession was everything. I think this scene was acted so well. Zhi looked so pretty. And Jiaxu looked so handsome. The actors really stunned me here. Second to “The Day of Becoming You”, I’d say this is one of the best love confessions in all of CDRAMA history. I really felt that scene. I’ll always go back to it.

I liked how steadfast Zhi was when it came to her love for Jiaxu. She was bold, and her personality really came alive. I like how when people came at Jiaxu wrong, she’d defend him. Wholeheartedly. With no effs to give. I’m really, Duan Jiaxu held on to her love as well.

Jiaxu was a good character too. He always said what he meant, and was extremely genuine as a best friend and boyfriend. He was never out of line. Zhi was great at reading people. And wasn’t cringe.

And I really adored Zhi’s older brother. His fashion style fit the actor and made him even more attractive. Yan’s personality really gave the show some relief. He was understandable and he never alienated Jiaxu or his sister when it came to their relationship. I was so annoyed with him at one point, but his personality and smile made me feel all fuzzy inside too. I was so sad when he was off-screen sometimes. He was a good older brother, who never hesitated when it came to defending his sister from the bullies.

Overall, this drama will always hold a special place in my heart. The characters did and said what you wanted them to say (which was pleasantly surprising). And none of the characters that mattered were harmed in any serious way. I wish I had a friend like WeiWei and the others. Alas, I can only write about friends I wish I had.

Will watch again one day. I recommend! 10/10!

P.S.

There’s no grooming or weird-isms in this drama. So, don’t let some weird words from others cause you to overlook this drama.

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I think I'm in love

Guys this actually became one of my favorite ever dramas so freaking quickly. I think I was pretty much hooked from the beginning. I’m slightly biased in favor of Zhao Lusi since I’ve already seen her in another drama and liked her from there, but I thought she was the absolute cutest and most perfect FL for this drama. You simply can’t change my mind. I’m still so high from finishing this drama literally a few minutes ago so I don’t think I can offer any constructive or cohesive thoughts about this show besides just wow. Simply the sweetest, least problematic drama ever. No idiotic misunderstandings, so stupid fights, no pointless breakups. Just vibes and cuteness and a simple story about a girl who was in love with her brother’s friend. Definitely not a rom com despite what the genre says, more of a melo/drama than anything else. Probably one of the best executions of a youth drama though, hands on. Usually the time skips where they get older feel weird, and quite frankly this one felt a little awkward too, but it didn’t last long and was pretty easy to transition to. And this is coming from someone who’s pretty freaking sensitive to time skips in dramas (big reason I usually avoid the youth genre), don’t really know why. My only complaint is that the drama did run out of steam a little toward the end. There weren’t many conflicts left and it very obviously slowed down in terms of plot development, interestingly this happened quite a bit after they got together and not right away, so kudos to them for that. Nothing too terrible, still worth watching, just probably soured my vibe a tad bit when I had to force myself to watch the last couple episodes when it was far from being an issue in the beginning (guys, I was eating up those episodes like tic tacs). Still 100% worth the watch, hence the rating. Just something to be aware of hehe. Anywho, watch this drama! If you’re a fan of cute contemporary romance that isn’t very heavy on plot and is just pure ***vibes*** then this one is def the one.

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Hidden Love: Built on Every Small Moment

I finished Hidden Love two days ago, and now that I’ve had time to sit with it, I can say this: it’s a story that knows how to be loud without raising its voice.

Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu didn’t rush into anything, and the drama didn’t force them either. It let them breathe. It gave space for all the small, important moments the ones that usually get overlooked and turned them into the whole foundation of their relationship. You could feel everything building under the surface, even when no one said a word.

What stood out to me the most was how natural it all felt. Nothing was exaggerated. Their feelings didn’t explode; they grew, slowly and quietly, until they couldn’t be hidden anymore. And when it finally happened, it didn’t feel like a surprise it felt right. Like it had been there the whole time, just waiting for them to be ready.

The acting made a huge difference. Zhao Lusi made Sang Zhi’s emotions so real shy, stubborn, sometimes messy, but always genuine. Chen Zheyuan gave Duan Jiaxu this calmness that never felt boring; he made patience look powerful. Together, they made something that felt believable, not just sweet.

I can’t talk about Hidden Love without mentioning the siblings. Sang Zhi and Sang Yan’s dynamic was pure gold. Their constant bickering, the way they annoyed each other just for fun it felt so real. But underneath all the chaos and teasing, you could see how much Sang Yan genuinely cared about his little sister. He wasn’t just a funny character; he was the type of brother who would throw hands if someone ever hurt her, even if he pretended not to show it.
Their relationship added this extra layer of warmth to the drama the kind you don’t always get but makes everything feel even more alive.

Even the way the show was shot soft lighting, warm colors matched the story. It wasn’t just "pretty"; it fit the feeling of growing up, waiting, and finally getting what you’ve been hoping for.

There’s a short poem I wrote after thinking about their relationship. I’ll leave it here, because it says what I think about them better than anything else:

The Quiet Bloom

In gardens where the soft winds weave,
Two hearts found room to slowly breathe.
No sudden storms, no urgent cries,
Just quiet mornings, steady skies.

A stolen glance, a warming hand,
The unspoken words they understand.
Not fireworks, but lantern light,
Leading them safely through the night.

She grew with dreams tucked in her chest,
He stayed with promises unexpressed.
And side by side, they came to know
Love is the gentlest thing to grow.

Hidden Love wasn’t about drama for the sake of drama. It was about growing up, holding on, and learning when it’s time to stop hiding how you feel.
It’s not a story I’ll forget easily.

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