This review may contain spoilers
Love the Casts but Not The Drama
Okay first of all, i want to say i am a fan of both. I have watched the ML in his other dramas and he is good. I really enjoyed his other dramas and ZLS, The FL, i also have watched all her dramas and truly enjoyed it but i have to be honest. I didn’t enjoy watching this. It felt more like a siblings romance rather than a couple. I just don’t like their chemistry here and this is STRICTLY MY OWN OPINION.You can ignore my review if you disagree on this but this is just my own opinion. I love the Manhua, i’ve read it but the drama is just not it for me. I’ll give high rating because of the casts, i truly do like them and their other dramas but this.. i dont know.
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Such a good watch. Topic: brothers best friend
Boy was I concerned when I started this drama and the FL looked like a baby while the ML was a full ass grown man.After watching it I have to say they solved this age gap pretty well.
The ML is a green flag and I fell in love with him BUT the FL was just perfect not only is Zhao Lusi breathtakingly beautiful I also really enjoyed her acting. They really casted a good match.
Not to mention the big brother who was just perfect.
This drama contains the usual long and painful bild up before their first touch but plays it out really well.
I hope you enjoy watching this drama because I sure did.
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The leads completely fit their roles
As expected from our queen of chemistry, Zhao Lusi, speaking not only as a fan from her but she is totally great and portrays every drama so perfectly. She excels in every act she plays. Even pairing her from any male lead, every pair she had with, they perfectly fit together.As for the storyline, it is a bit of cliche but you never get bored watching it, binge watching it to be exact, as the characters portraying each of their role did their best to make this modern drama exceptionally good for us viewers.
It is no doubt if this drama will garner awards at the end of the year . ???
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Pure and beautiful!!!
I’m actually gonna cry!!! This is in my top 5 of favorite drama’s of all time!!! People may think it’s weird how she fell for him at 14 when he was 22, but their relationship together was so pure and innocent up until he realized he loved her when she was already an adult so there was nothing weird going on!! Someone scams up with the expression “Duan Xiaju is a walking green flag” and it is nothing BUT true!!The actors were phenomenal!! The charisma between the two characters was beautiful and the innocence when he looks into her eyes is so sweet it makes me scream!!! Like I’ve said in a previous comment, they are so lucky to have found each other and her parents are the best parents I’ve EVER seen in a drama!! They showed their concern for her in a way that didn’t involve breaking the couple up for unnecessary drama!! Her big brother also deserves to be appreciated because he really gave his beast friend to his baby sister cause he knew he was a good guy and knew he would take care of her. He trusted him!! I feel like there were no plot holes in this drama either except for the fact that we never knew what happened to her high school friend that set her up, but maybe it’s for the best! I love that Sang Zhi was head strong and no one could change her emotions. Like she cut off that so called friend immediately and never turned back even when it hurt!! She was quiet and reserved and you don’t see that a lot with female leads in dramas! I know I’m rambling, but I can’t express enough how much this drama effected me!! I’m gonna strive to have this kind of love in my lifetime!! I’ll take no less!! I’m gonna miss this drama so much!!!!❤️❤️❤️??Was this review helpful to you?
c-drama u must watched at least once in ur life
this is one of the fluffy, adorable, heart-fluttering Chinese drama I've ever seen. hidden love is a heartwarming youth love story with straightforward storyline, with no dragging plotines, even the relationship main characters and supporting casts are well written & potrayed.the man with very warm hearted, protective, caring, romantic, responsible, adore, loved, expressive eyes to communicate, protecting, comfort,
remember when he said
thank u for giving me so much love. because of you, i found out that i'm such a great person too. it turns out that i deserve to be loved too. you made me suddenly want to try. to love someone no matter what
Duan jiaxu to sang zhi
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This review may contain spoilers
Heart Sizzling Romance that will hit all your feels
This is a 2023 Chinese romantic drama with 25, 45 minute episodes. It is adapted from the web novel entitled “Secretly. Secretly but unable to hide it”.First I will provide an original synopsis then review
Synopsis
Sang Zhi (Zhao Lu Si) is your typical younger sister who engages in all the standard sibling rivalry but acually looks up to and relies on her older brother a lot. Her older brother, Sang Yan (Victor Ma) brings his best friend, Duan Jia Xu (Chen Zhe Yuan) over a lot to hang out and play video games. The spirited Sang Zhi is immediately drawn to the kind and more tolerant than her big brother, Jian Xu. She asks him to help her with some trouble she is having at school and that sets the stage for a relationship of quasi sibling hood that develops between the two. He becomes like her second brother but the good brother who never torments her. Amd she is like the mischievous amd charming little sister he never had. After all she is five years his junior and a kid still in school while he is in college. As the years go by and their relationship deepens, Sang Zhi is the first to realize the feelings she has are not at all sisterly. As things develop you realize the spark was always there and these two, who have hidden their feelings from long, even from themselves, are unable to force an ending only because of their beginning.
Review
Overall it is one of the best romantic comedy dramas I have ever watched and I am currently at over 270 Asian dramas, mostly romance, watched. There is a reason the majority of reviews are overwhelmingly positive. If you like coming of age, age gap, she falls first but then he falls harder, romances this one is perfect for all of that. If you like a lot of intrigue and plot twists then this may not be as much your ideal. The chemistry between the two leads is so on point it would be easy to understand them dating in real life. Both actors are amazing and you really feel every emotion they go through.
Spoilers*
I read several reviews where people were worried that Zhao Lu Si might be in a role where she suffers as a character, that is how much people like this actress. So for those that worry about that it is not like that. She does have some scenes where she is heart broken but they more than make up for it later. So your favorite actress is not going to be in some Nicholas Sparks like Greek tragedy. It is very heart warming and she plays the role spectacularly as I am sure, if you are a fan, you would expect.
I did not feel like the age gap was large at all. I did wonder how they would transition from their brother/sister like relationship to a romantic one but it actually made sense. It was like he also had hidden feelings for her way earlier than he even admitted to himself. They were very soul mate like so it is not at all hard to envision them gravitating toward each other. Once the brother got over the fact that his best friend was attracted to his little sister it seemed he picked up on just how perfect they were for each other. This was apparent when the brother actually stuck up for them a bit with the parents by going with Jia Xu and nodding his approval in the background.
Personally I identified with the sibling relationship between the brother and sister. My brother is 5 years older than me and our relationship was much like theirs. I did date one of his friends and he dated several of my friends (I called him the friendship killer). The difference was he actually trusted his friends to date me more than someone he didn’t know. He really should not have because his friend was one of the worst people I ever dated and I only dated just that one of his friends. So I could see where it could go either way. Of course I did not date his best friend, the one he trusted acting on his behalf, I dated just a regular one of his friends. It may have been different, and my brother may have felt betrayed more, if it was his best friend. But, because my situation was very similar I could really relate to that sibling relationship and I am sure others would as well. It was a very nice part of the series to explore that relationship.
I did not get the age gap thing being an issue once she was an adult. Five years is not a huge age gap it is within most normal ranges. The girl that played the younger Sang Xi (Zhang Xi Wei) did a fabulous job but did not look 14, she looked much younger. So, it did make the age gap seem a lot larger in their younger years. They did a remarkable job with Zhao Lu Si making her look younger than her actual years by just changing her hairstyle and makeup.
There were no compelling 2nd or 3rd romances and the love triangle was not that persistent. But the romance between the lead characters was so intense none of that was needed. It would have been nice to see the brother with someone and they did drop a hint about something when he knew so much about birthing centers and that never bore out.
I think the second most heart warming and interesting relationship was between the brother and sister. He called her “Little Demon” which was so cute as it reflected that kind of playful rivalry siblings can have for the parent’s affection. She was your typical little sister and he was very much within how most older brothers are. It also reflected what I understand about the shifting view of daughters in China. There were so few females at one point because of the one child policy and favoring boys during those times that daughters actually became precious once the policy opened up. There was a part where she was having a really hard time on her internship and she just wanted her brother. But, it showed he was accepting her relationship and even embracing it when he said you have Jia Xu.
I loved what a warrior to his defense she became when anyone was “bullying” Jia Xu. He had such a hard life because of the horrible incident surrounding his father that I wanted nothing but happiness for him. When the crazy daughter of the man who was hit and killed by Jia Xu’s father threw water at him and she, without hesitation, turned and threw water right back at her I cheered. I also loved that she made it clear to him that she did not all feel the sins of the father were his own. She even was willing to combat her brother when he beat him up. I was a bit angry with her brother for doing that as well and was disappointed when they seemed to lie about him hitting him back. The cut away scene when they showed that he actually did hit him back was a perfect way to wrap that up. I was glad he did not lie to her even to protect her brother.
In other dramas I have been disappointed when the lead would be made to distance themselves because the parents did not approve so I loved that she even took her parents on for him by leaving early when their harsh words drove him away. In really good relationships, the significant other is the first person you can count on being on your side and having your back. The depth of their relationship and connection was apparent in the fact that you could see they were hurt too when the other one was hurt either physically or mentally.
There was a separation, but it made complete sense. He was going back to her hometown to set things up for their future. And neither of them were okay with it but went through it as they knew it was the best in the long run. The scene at the airport where she wanted every last second with him and he indulged her because he actually wanted it too was so cute. I loved that they did not follow the tired trope of I must go away and I am just okay abandoning you in the middle of a deep relationship. And the reason the person is going away is usually inane and you feel like yeah I get you want to do that but why do you insist on doing it now. Or can’t you just do that with the person you love? This wasn’t like that. His going was actually because he knew how important her relationship with her family was to her and there was no reason he couldn’t resettle there as he no longer had a family tying him to his hometown. He also was taking steps to make their financial future more secure. And he wanted to make her parents more comfortable with his ability to provide and take care of her. So all of the reasons he had were good ones.
The proposal scene was just beautiful. I was fully tricked by his surprise as well. It was really sweet and seeing her family there just beaming about it was very heart warming. It was clear that they fully accepted it and that he was now going to be a part of that loving family.
#HiddenLove
#ZhaoLuSi
#VictorMa
#ChenZheYuan
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Best light romance drama of the year with PERFECT CAST
I don't usually write a review, but this drama is worth to mention!!!Hidden Love has super great cast with great chemistry, making me blush myself everytime they have romantic moments. And I soooo freaking love their romance scenes - it gives me butterflies. The story itself is pretty light, making it enjoyable to watch every single episode. Chen Zheyuan plays the cool big brother role soooo perfectly (isn't it a crime to be that adorable tho?!! I'm falling head over heels myself, help!!!). Give him a thropy for stealing my heart. They're such a cute couple, seriously. I keeps smiling from ear to ear watching them.
I wish the drama would be longer, I enjoy the journey of Sangzhi - from being a little brat to a mature young lady (as expected from Zhao Lusi acting). It has perfect pace, not dragging too long but not too fast as well. Definitely going to rewatch it again in the near future.
SUPER recommended if you're a fan of light romantic drama. It's overloaded with sweetness to the point that it's diabetic.
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My Forever Comfort drama 2023
On June 2023, I'm watching Yoona and Lee Jun Ho in King the Land. But when I saw the trailer of Hidden Love in Netflix, I start watching this movie and stuck with this movie until now.. I keep repeating and still not finish my last two episode of King the Land.. I felt in love with the actor 1st, but when I watch the movie, the actress also very cute.. I start digging their BTS moment and I found that they were so sweet.. That is also the main reason why I still stuck with this movie.I hope there will be Hidden Love season 2. I love Chen Zhe Yuan And Zhao Lusi acting so much
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Drivel
I was absolutely shocked by how much I disliked this drama after reading other reviews here and elsewhere!I've enjoyed everything else I've seen of Zhao Lusi's work, and I do think both she and Chen Zheyuan portrayed their respective characters well, but I found the character of the FL wholly unpleasant - spoiled manipulative lazy brat anyone? - and the story itself decidedly uncomfortable.
I'm aware that the portrayed crushes of both the young and teenage FL were entirely innocent, but imo the ML could not have been unaware of the soulful stares and puppy dog eyes that were directed his way. Which makes the ML's behaviour look not so great. He should not have encouraged her in the ways that he did - in my own subjective opinion!
I tried hard to see it as a coming of age style story, but by the time FL starts university she's still painfully immature despite her frequent sulky assertions of being an adult!
When I realised that I was fast-forwarding through most of the episodes in a vain attempt to get to any point where the FL was bearable to watch I surrendered and finally dropped the show. I hope that FL did continue to grow emotionally and intellectually, but I couldn't stay the distance.
I'm glad that many people clearly love and enjoy this drama but sadly it's not for me.
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Heart-warming romance, cheesy but not cringe-y
Fleeting or true? Love is hidden. It's a heart-warming romance with cheesy but not cringe-y & realistic approach towards life, career & relationships.You can grow together if you find strength in each others company. Shows like Hidden Love emphasize subtly on how life changing or important it is to have people with positive influence around in your teens.
Antagonist to Twenty five twenty one Kdrama. Zhao Lusi, Chen Zhen Yuan were brilliant in this show, beautiful chemistry. Styling of Lusi was beautiful.
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Not for people who dislike age gaps and straightforward romance
Everything has already been written. I think it's purely a question of personal taste. Here are the two things that didn't work for me :- Age - gap : I was very worried about that aspect. To be fair, it was handled rather professionally and there was no reciprocity until the FL was an adult. But it still is a bit on the edge for me. 19-24 is not huge in theory and a 5 years gap is pretty common later on in life. But people change A LOT during those specific years. I am 24 and would personally never consider looking at a 19 yo coming out of highschool as anything else but a young adult who has a lot to learn, no matter how "mature" they present. It would just feel wrong to me.
The ML has treated the FL like a little sister for 10 years and even though they weren't always together, they still were close enough to have each other's phone number and occasionally text. The shift in the relationship almost as soon as she becomes an adult is a bit abrupt for me.
- the ML approach : once the ML quite suddenly decides that he's gonna go for a 19 yo, he gets very blunt with his approach. And it makes sense, he's honest and clear about his intentions and it's probably the best way to straighflowardly break the existing walls between them. I personally don't like this style at all, it's a matter of personal preference but he came off as too pushy and rushed for me.
Other than those two major contention points in the story, it's a very well made, peaceful love
story. So if you don't mind the age gap and the straightforwardness, it's worth a watch.
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