One of the best C-drama I have ever watched
This is one of the best dramas I have ever laid my eyes on. Like literally. It is in my top four being LLTG, Mr Sunshine, 25-21 are the other 3.The storytelling and acting is top-notch. This is one of the best portrayals of real-life sweet siblings. More than the main couple I loved siblings' relationship more. I don't know how many times I have re-watched Sang Yan and Sang Zhi fights. Each time I wanna rewatch the whole series again.
Another unique thing about the drama was the story, the main female lead was innocent, scheming, soft-hearted, loyal, dedicated, and clever at the same time, like how the writer managed to write such a character. It blew my mind. Usually, such crybaby characters annoy me but even the spoiled brattish phase of Shan Zhi I found it somehow adorable. I fell in love with Sang Zhi. Character developments were out of this world, I witnessed how mature Sanag Zhi became with each year passing, and I felt like a proud momma.
I loooove Zhao Lusi, Usually, she picks great scenarios. So far her other jobs such as LLTG(which is my favorite), Who Rule the world, Long Ballad have been great too. The Last Immortal didn't meet my anticipation but I could say she has great taste
And the Couple. I could confidently say they had one of the best chemistry(but usually Zhao Lusi always have great chem with her male leads). They had very healthy relationship, trusting non-toxic, each problem is resolved like magic, and each one wanted the best for each other, was steadfast, and self-sacrificing/devoted.
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a warm hug in a very cold day
A young love story put in a simple frame, but still shinning enough to win the one's heart!you may think that the only story is about Sang Zhi who falls in love with Jia Xu, her older brother's friend and he is 5 years older than her.but after watching a few episodes,you get to know those characters more and find out how is Jia Xu suffers from the consequences of a painful past that his family had, he works hard since highschool, and even after graduation, he doesn't fall in love with anyone, he sometimes feel guilty. But still he is very gentle with everyone, and when Sang Zhi come back to enter his lonely world when she is finally 19 , she is still secretly in love with him, feel sad for him, and still hoping him to notice her as a girl friend not a little sister. But what i really love about these two that no matter what kind of relationship they have, they were there for each other, they protect each other.
And then they both take steps towards eachother to show us a wonderful love story full of trust and caring.
I enjoyed a lot of watching their love grows, and the romantic scene was so soft and heart warming.
The chemistry between Zhao Lu Si (Sang Zhi) and Chen Zhe Yuan (Duan Jia Xu) is unbelievable and gave me many butterflies ?
Another thing i appreciate most is the brother-sister relationship in this drama is so real, while i watched how Sang Zhi always acted with her brother Sang Yan (Victor Ma), i thought " this is how i behave with my older brother. very funny scenes between them. So i loveeeed her brother, he was such a caring friend too.
And i liked that this story was focused only on the leads only.
The music is so good too, i liked the intro, and my favourite ost is " be your light" which I'm listening to it in repeat now.
So if you are home after a long tiring day, or even feeling depressed and blue, you must watch this drama to cheer you up. It's like a warm hug in a cold day.
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fluffy, sweet, heartwarming, and so beautiful!!
Happy first anniversary to this super cute drama! I'm rewatching it now that it's airing on one of Indonesia's channels!i'm convinced that having a crush on an older sibling's friend is a common experience, and i'm not alone in this. Zhizhi is a cheerful and optimistic girl who is in love with her older brother's friend. Sang Zhi's story is like.. exactly what i've always wanted. seeing her grow up in this show totally feels like i'm there with her. Jia Xu is the dream boyfriend material and Sang Yan is the best big bro ever! those three are seriously unforgettable and i really love them.
i love how the story isn't too slow or fast, it gives the characters room to develop perfectly. and i love all the OST, i've been replay so many times! All the adorable stuffs fit Sang Zhi's personality so well, her family is so warm and her brother's friend group so fun. there's some conflict, sure, but it all works out in the end in the sweetest way. it feels pretty realistic too, how the characters' feelings develop, and the acting is on point!
seriously obsessed with this drama! Sang Zhi's life seems perfect and i know i'll totally rewatch it again. it's my comfort drama!
i reallt appreciate the lighthearted plot, the well-developed characters, and the heartwarming story. i also love the OSTs and the acting of the cast. i would definitely recommend this drama to anyone looking for a sweet and heartwarming watch!
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The Secret Crush Of A Teenage Girl
I'm usually not a fan of C-dramas, especially if it's an adaptation of Manhua but this one is really good. Some scenes in the drama may be different from the novel+manhua but it still doesn't change the storyline or the mood. The main lead actors really suit the characters. Others say the male lead actor doesn't resemble the Duan Jiaxu but I think he does. And Zhao Lusi matches Sang Zhi a lot, mostly because of her cute nature. She can definitely show how Sang Zhi acted when she was worried by Jiaxu. I have seen many people not want to watch drama simply because of the age gap but honestly, it's only 5 years. The male lead does not fall for her until she's in university. People mistook him as flirting with her when she was younger but he was teasing her as a little sister. Jiaxu's story is told after she's in university and is also the reason why she felt more sympathy for him. Overall, you guys should definitely watch the drama and Manhua!Was this review helpful to you?
Hidden Love: A Bittersweet Delight - Love, Atmosphere, and Talent
Lets be real, the story is at most a 7/10, BUT everything else in this novel adaptation is top-notch. From the atmosphere, music, progression and setting, to the cast and production. Especially, the performances of both the female and male leads carry 70% to 80% of this drama's rating, elevating it to a 9 - 9.5 .First Chen Zhe Yuan, his character is the perfect mix of the most bitter and darkest chocolate and the sweetness of cotton candy. An example of a humble, disciplined and determined human to almost transcendent extent .
And Zhe Yuan portrays those qualities on a remarkable level on screen. Personally this is my first time watching him, but after this I will make sure to watch some other dramas with him in the main role. (..also funny thing for me is, Zhe Yuan expressions resemble a lot Ahn Nae Sang acting (like a younger version) *haha*, and I remember Nae Sang for a lot of villain roles, so I had a more negative impression of the character Duan Jia Xu at the start "xD") .
Zhao Lu Si, daaaaaaaamn. In this role her character is a total airhead, gentle and insecure but also a little shrewd and astute (except when it comes to romance...).
Idk, how should I describe it? It felt like Lusi entered a different kind of level in this role, a higher plane in comparison to her other roles. To be fair it is a modern setting in comparison to most of her other roles, but still... the expressions felt carefree and captivating, and a lot of times like it was off-script.
To wrap thing up: A great cast, pleasing to the eye environment, a good story pace, gentle romance and no rage inducing plot-armor plot. In the end we are left with a few unresolved questions, but nothing that breaks my impression of the show, and if I truly wanted to know the answers I probably would read the novel.
This drama was undeniably worth my time, and if you're a fan of the cast, I wholeheartedly recommend giving "Hidden Love" a try.
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Plot of the drama
This drama is quite a refreshing one for those who love the fantasy of elder brother's best friend and sister falling in love. Upon entering university Sang Zhi ( female protagonist) falls in love and makes sure of her feelings through her daily interactions with Duan Jiaxu (male protagonist) as they go through life's problems and solve them in their own way. Although DJ always sees SZ as a younger sister but slowly falls for her charms as time passes and discovers his inner feelings.I personally liked the story because I like male actor and have watched all his previous works. Along with it I like their cute interactions and you can really gush over them. Overall I liked it and the story is a good one-time watch.
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Mmm... Cute.
I don't usually watch cdramas but this one caught my attention and I really liked it. The story is cute, touching and the characters are adorable, I have a special place in my heart for Sang Yan -the brother- I always loved it when he appears on screen and the dynamic between him and Sang Zhi is so real, a real sibling behavior. Another thing I liked about this cdrama was how it portrayed friendship, between the female characters and the male characters, it made me want to have friends like them. Maybe I have a lot to say about this cdrama but some people find it a bit controversial because of the age difference (I highly understand), but from my point of view the story is well constructed, they met when she was little but he never saw her as a potential lover until they met again when she was older, having an older crush when you are little is very common, he never interacted with her with other intentions when they first met, she sees his actions in that romantic way simply because she is in love with him. I don't know what else you think but for me, this story was super cute, the ost was also super cute, I loved the songs, and again Victor Ma and his character was my favorite.Maybe what I didn't like so much is how the female lead continues to be so innocent and pure even as an adult, as they emphasize so much.
But if you're looking for something cute, sweet and very cheesy, you should watch it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Just my thoughts on this show!!!
It was a random pick, no one recommended it to me, I watched a reel and immediately looked for it and yeah I finished all the 25 episodes plus a special so here is my honest review!!!1. Reality / Fiction:
It's purely fiction?, I understood how the author of original story created or made up a whole show on thought of "how it will look like if it's too good to be true"
All went well no drama indeed. it's far away from reality and only satisfies the delusions of ppl nvm!!!
2. Story:
A cliche, mediocre and typical, it's good to watch n nothing else, we can predict most of the scenes as what's happening already so.
3. Acting:
FL is such an expressive actress I really appreciate they way she played her role and ML too. Good chemistry.
4. The loop:
it's a delusional story of 'what too good to be true looks like' as I mentioned above, and the childish voice why was director okay with that. It's nice as it's fiction it can be uneasy and discomfort when we think in reality pov like
- 8th class, 14yr old girl first saw 19yr old boy, she likes him because he is good looking and then for kindness which came next after!!!? idk it's her thoughts so idk
- 11th grade, 17yr girl crushing on 22yr guy, okay girl teenage phase can understand, she flew ✈️ to see him as she overheard a rumour like okay!!!
-1st year, 18yr old girl meeting 24yr guy and after being taken care of indeed he should fall for her right like on snowy day!!!?
-19yr old girl, her birthday, he is 25yr and it all started like nice, good for them it's fiction
after graduation ?
-22 her and 27yr him, proposed right away like bro ?, okay okay marry younger is what writer is telling and settling in life by that age. such delusions.
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The story is so sweet like good roomates, no exs bs, good parents, good everything and story of ml idk it's unsettling even as fiction. idk why I watched but went on coz I'm bored.
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Well age is just a number and maturity comes with experiences then idgaf with drama logic because its a pure delulu story. wake up to really pals!!!
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overall, Looks good only to watch and nothing great or impactful drama so, 8.5 star for ost and for crew who worked on this drama, it's my personal opinion so nvm!!!
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have a great day ?
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This review may contain spoilers
Suggest you start at episode 8
I overall liked this drama, but I hated how young they had the youngest Sang Zhi look. There was too much time taken for the scenes where they were younger and I have a fondness for age-gap stories, provided they don't creep me out. (so for me, historical is better than modern, the older the characters, the more comfortable I am in general.) And the eventual love story that occurs doesn't creep me out, but some of those early episodes would make me feel uncomfortable in a couple places, knowing where it was going.So, when I rewatched, I just skipped those first 8 eps and there were enough flashbacks to tell the story well enough, IMO, and then I still knew she's had a crush on him for forever, but I didn't feel like he was being creepy at all. (I know he's clueless when she's young, but because I "know the future", it can just be looked at in an ugly lens.)
Past ep 8, it's a heartwarming love story, with many of the familiar tropes. But I do like that her mom gets to be nice to her in this one! LOL
Overall, confirms my enjoyment of Zhao Lusi and adds Chen Zhe Yuan to a list of preferred actors.
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very simple but super adorable
I should start by saying that i usually enjoy dramas with more thrill or supernatural tropes, but i was still really hooked by this.This drama was about growing up, falling in love, and life in general and the hardships that come with it. The stages and problems that come with adolecence were captured really well.
Its important to note, that this was a slow burn.
The cast was great! I watched a few of Zhao Lu si's dramas and really adore her acting. She tends to have great chemistry with everyone but her and Chen Zhe Yuans chemistry was unreal!! They looked so in love and their kisses were great!
The drama showed Sang Zhi at very different ages and her styling was always very suitable: the hair, clothes, shoes and phone cases really reflected her age well in my opinion. Same for Jia Xu, but it wasnt as noticable.
Next, about the characters:
- Sang Zhi is very kind, creative, pretty, caring and hard working. She is not perfect and gets protected by Jia Xu but she still stands up for herself and can deal with her problems on her own.
Especially in Cdrama, the female characters tend to be weak and always need their ML to save them so i was really positively surprised by how strong and independent she was.
She was very popular in school but only had two suiters that we know about and they did not trouble her after she rejected them.
The only thing i did not like about Sang Zhi was how soft and 'babyish' her voice was even when she was an adult. It was just a little unsuitable for a strong girl like her in my opinion.
- Jia Xu is a very nice, supportive, hard working, handsome and determined character. He has trouble concerning his family and is financially not well of. He is very skilled and smart but not to the point were he gets annoyingly perfect.
especially the male leads in Cdramas are often emotionless and can do everything perfectly, but he is not like that and i love it!
Moreover, whenever he appears the girls in the back often whisper "handsome" but not 1596 girls have a crush on him at the same time and are annoying and hate Sang Zhi. There is one girl, that troubles him and Sang Zhi because of her feelings but there is also more to it than just attaction and jealousy.
- San Yan and his parents. I always loved seeing them. The whole family was so cute and supportive. They bickered, supported and worried about each other. that was great to see.
This Drama showed a really cute, wholesome, nice and helathy relationship. He asked for concent before holding her hand and kissing her, there was no gaslighting, no frustrating miscommunication, just love.
Sang Zhis relationship with her dorm mates was also really beautifully shown. No jealous friends or anything like that.
Jia Xu and his work-colleagues were also very cute and him and his college friends had nice and realistic friendhips! (i also liked that the plump character Qian Fei got married)
The music was alright. Nothing great or emotional but it fit the vibe well.
Even though i'm glad that there were no unnecessary conflicts, there was also some drama missing, every problem got resolved after a few episodes and that made the drama alittle flat or boring at times. also the timeline was not always easy to follow. One time i thought i missed an episode because it started with a random scene.
All in all, it was a very cute drama, that showed a more realistic, mature, simple and happy relationship. At times it was a little boring if you like dramas with more action.
I can't picture myself rewatching it anytime soon, but i did enjoy it so maybe i will in the future.
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Sweet and tender
Hidden Love it’s a beautiful love story about love, overcoming grief, guilt and building a family. The acting is really good and the OST fun. I don’t know where scriptwriter Shen Fei Xian has been for the past 7 years but, God, I am so glad she’s back!This drama had two MVPs: Sang Yan for opening his home and always being a good friend and brother, and Qian Fei for helping Jian Xu figure out his love life. Where would our leads be without them? Probably still pining for each other.
Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan carry the drama with ease and sizzling chemistry. It was a joy to see their characters fall in love and dealing with everything that came their way as a team with a deep understanding of each other. They made an effort to communicate and this made them stronger and smarter as couple. Wonderful.
If you enjoyed this drama, you might want to check out Love O2O. Shen Fei Xian was also the scriptwriter responsible for that adaptation to the screen and she clearly very talented. And if you have already seen both dramas, then good news: she’s already working on her next project!
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Heroine falling in love with her older brother's best friend: such a wholesome and romantic story
This drama depicts the story of Sang Zhi secretly in love with her brother's best friend Duan Jia Xu, who is five years older than her and how their relationship build and develop itself overtime. I really liked the premise of the series as well the pacing of the scenario. There are three acts to the romance and I was particularly seduced by the first one with the introduction and contextualization of the relationship: it kinda broke my heart a little bit but in a wholesome way.It is a really cute age gap romance and the screenwriter managed to make it sweet, believable and not creepy-like. The several part of the story are well done and allow a slow burn that I felt was quite earnest. It was super rewarding to see the male lead figuring out his feelings and the one-sided crush of the female lead evolving as well.
The two main leads were really great with a beautiful chemistry together. The romantic scenes were lovely and convincing and the character were also interesting outside of the romance, with growth storylines as individuals. The main actress make me care about her character, I liked a lot the heroine with her princess attitude, her relationship with her brother and her cuteness. It was never annoying to me and it could honestly have been too much but the actress really found the right balance even in her voice tone and all the little quirks. The male lead was just super swoon-worthy, it is impossible to not get why she fell in love with him and he is kind of clueless, just there at first as a protector which I found really lovable.
The production was quite beautiful...Some scenes were just dreamy and I enjoyed a lot the little drawings and animations over the course of the series. The OST was participating well to the surreal, dream-like atmosphere of the drama, with some appeasing and sweet ballads.
I would recommend this to people looking for sweet romance with an age-gap trope done really well and convincingly without any cringe factor, just wholesome. At its core, the story is super classic. There is also not a lot to be found in terms of secondary characters and layering of storylines. It is super simple and direct, and sometimes, that is just what you need. A wholesome romance, not too long and sweet to the eyes.
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