Hidden Love (2023)

Decent show overall.... amazing show for the right crowd

The issu i have with this show is... story like these are a dime and dozen every few months.
Though this show did an amazing job portraying a little girl's infatuation slowly turn into her first love and so on...it lack that "thing" to keep me hooked... by episode 11 or so... I was asking myself... so what's next...

Personnaly, the acting is by far the biggest plus to this serie....Zhao Lusi is insanely good in this role... it's actually scary how good of a job she did portraying a little girl from 14 to 19 years old. .. the rest of the cast was... meh nothing more nothing less.

The music was ok I guess.... you see show like " The Double" for example have me humming differents songs after each episode... because not only were they good.... but they stick with you... this show.... to be honest.... i can't even rememer a single song from any scene...I wouldn't say it was bad... but just forgettable.

Thi si the kind of drama that I usually watch once then forget about it....

Overall I gave it a 7 because it wasn't really my type of show and there are soo many out there like this one....
However I can see why people who enjoy this kind of show giving it 9-10.

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Hidden love is a complex and light drama

First of all, I would like to congratulate the two actors who succeeded in portraying their characters very well.

OK, first I will discuss property and fashion. Of the many Chinese dramas, I think Hidden Love is Very ready, many modern dramas use that same fashion. However, hidden love shows different nuances in each depiction according to the development of the character.

Sang Zhi's character was portrayed well, and made me very Excited sometimes it made my heart ache to feel what he felt. Sangyan's depiction is also very good. It made me think of my older brother, Victor ma really succeeded in bringing the character of his older brother to life in real life.

OK, regarding Duan Jiaxu, somehow since the first appearance I was hooked. The eyes of the actor who plays him seem to speak sincerely to his heart. What a beautiful sight, He plays it with such sincerity that the feeling carries over to the audience. Great...


Okay, about the songs, I always felt that Korean dramas were superior before, however.... Hidden love is extraordinary. I love the touch of the beautiful and sweet songs that are there.

I am very grateful to the writer, and everyone involved in the film for presenting something extraordinary. So much so that I don't know what drama to watch after that?

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Hearts in Harmony: The Tale of Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu

This story is about love in its many forms. It's about the love between Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu. Their loving and pure relationship didn't happen immediately; both heroes had to go through a lot to find their way to each other. Then there's the unique love between a brother and sister. Although the siblings tease each other, they support one another, and brother Shang Zi would do anything to protect his little sister. There's also the love between children and their parents, where in this case, the whole family functions very harmoniously and respects each other. In this love story, of course, there are many challenges that the protagonists must go through. The main heroine transitions from a little girl into a woman and becomes a great support for her Duan Jia Xu. Raised in a harmonious environment, she becomes his protector, support, and other half when she encounters the hardships faced by her boyfriend. These fragments are always very touching, and her sincerity and purity often bring tears. However, there are also very comedic moments, as is typical for actress Zhao Lusi, and these are precisely the parts that I can watch over and over again. Like when Sang Zhi is carried on the back to her dormitory, or many funny moments with her brother.

For me, it's one of the nicest modern Chinese dramas, which never has a dull moment and, at least for me, is one you'll return to from time to time.

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This drama is perfect to feed your heart and make you smile ?

The secret in hidden love popularity is the warmth and the positive vibes that you can feel between the FL and ML , the lovely family and the chaotic brother ?
Duan jia xu found his home and comfort in Sang Zhi is so heartwarming ?
Sang Zhi drunk scene is the cutest and the funniest thing ever ?
Despite being a low budget drama the cast is brilliant and everyone gave great performances . The plotline , The writing are well done which led to get a huge amount of views and recognition .
Zhao Lusi as always never disappoint and she's the queen of chemistry ? and Chen Zheyuan smile is so healing ??

This drama is perfect to feed your heart and make you smile ?

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Chen Zhe yuan and Rosy's Mesmerizing Chemistry Leaves Me Longing for Jiaxu gēgē's Arrival"

The show's brilliance extends beyond mere entertainment – it's a symphony of artistry where every element harmonizes flawlessly. Chen Zhe yuan and Rosy, with their nuanced portrayals, infused the characters with depth and authenticity, making every moment on screen a revelation.

As the plot unfolded, each twist and turn felt like a carefully crafted masterpiece, leaving me yearning for more. The chemistry between the characters added a layer of enchantment, making their interactions a source of joy and intrigue. Now, the longing for a Jiaxu gēgē resonates not just as a desire for a new character, but as a testament to the show's ability to create an immersive and unforgettable world.

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An all time favorite

I was hesitant in picking up modern c-dramas as i was purely a historical/wuxia/xianxia/xuanhuan purebreed however this drama just blew me away. I admit i dropped it initially during the first 5 episodes due to some comments i have seen but after watching some snippets on Tiktok edits, some moments actually made my heart skip a beat. I decided to pick it back up and voila the rest was history. It's currently on my to be rewatch list however i keep stalling as i still wanted to savor the feeling i felt watching the show. One day for sure i will revisit this (when i eventually run out of c-dramas to watch). To those of you who have hear good and bad things altogether leaving you on the fence whether to pick this up or not. JUST DO IT, DROP EVERYTHING AND BINGE THIS.

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Terrible Script, 19 & 24 is a Terrible Age Gap for Romance!

Sit back because it's a lot; coming from a fan who looked forward to Hidden Love since the start of this yr.

People accuse Hidden Love of the Big P word, here I'll be accusing it of terrible, ignorant writing, and plain illogical plot progression. It's terribly written and lacks self-awareness. A 5 year age gap is nothing between consenting adults—the problem is that Hidden Love develops this relationship when SZ, (a rich, immature, sheltered brat) is 19 years old (MAYBE SHE'S 20—same thing) and the ML is 24, but acts older.

I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone, because how can I be the only person to find it strange how there's really only 1 episode of DJX having conflicting emotions over his change in love for his meimei...and then the next ep is him confirming it, then the next ep we move immediately to him flirting and beginning to pursue her. Pursue a 19 year old....

❌ Here's what they should have done differently:

1. ❌ DJX accepts his feelings too quickly—alarmingly quick. Yikes.
~2/3 episodes. First, him thinking about her more, then acknowledging his feelings, then WHAM! he's pursuing her now???
I would have hoped for there to be longer hesitation and for there to be a point where he pulls away—It's weird because he has known her since she was 14 and he was 19. It doesn't help that the actress casted for 14 year old SZ literally looks like an 8 year child, not a pre-teen. (actress is 12, which doesn't help either).

Shouldn't he find that so conflicting and feel some amount of disgust or have a knee jerk reaction to reject these feelings? Shouldn't he at least sit down with a trusted friend and share his conflicted feelings? Withdraw from SZ? Analyze his memories with SZ and wonder where he went wrong, maybe where these feelings started changing? Analyze if what he feels is really romantic love, or just appreication for a close friend/family member that have been amplified because he's lonely?

2. ?Sang Zhi has not grown. She is NOT a grown up.
I thought the time skip would take us to a Sang Zhi that was more mature and wordly in her mid 20s. Maybe take us to a Sang Zhi in her final year of school (age 22), the same age DJX would have been when she was in high school. No. Instead, SZ is 19, and only 2 years have passed since she entered her senior year of high school. It's a black box of 2 years until we see SZ again, and although she tries to pull away she has very weak resolve towards distancing herself from him. Why? BECAUSE SHE'S ONLY 19!

She keeps constantly repeating that she's grown up now, but none of her 'grown up' life is shown, such as actually focusing on her career, working a part time job, interacting with her professors, taking up positions of responsibility at school. She majors in Digital Media? I have not heard this word since it was first mentioned in the time skip episode. SZ is a sheltered, pampered kid who functionally has not changed since she was 17. Her character simply revolves around her meetings with DJX.

3. ?There should have been a longer gap in between when they got together.
(why does it have to be her freshman yr of uni? Why not the same year when she was graduating uni, as it would have been for DJX when SZ was in highschool) I've said this many times but 19, even 20 is still TOO YOUNG. She has not dated anyone else. She's still a sheltered rich kid. What does she know?

4. ☀️ DJX should have had more wealth of characters around him.
A healthy adult, not suffering from trauma and not having many close friends who they open up to, would not form such an emotional reliance on their 19 year old meimei. Compared to SZ, DJX is much less developed, except for his backstory with his father. Does he have no friends in Yihe? He doesn't really get deep and personal with anyone besides SZ, not even Sang Yan, his jie at work, or his friend who's getting married. Let's not forget the psychotic Jiang Xing or whatever her name is, to act as a foil and make SZ look better. He should consult someone about his changing feelings the same way SZ spoke to her roommates.

5. ? DJX is that DENSE!? How could he not realize SZ's feelings?
You're telling me this highly intelligent, (both EQ and IQ) guy, at age 19, 22, and then 24, did not realize or have an inkling that SZ might like him? The story deliberately never lets him find out when she is in HS or as a child, because then the right thing to do would be for him to flat out draw a boundary, reject her, and distance himself.

Instead, DJX is always 'teasing' in an I'd like to believe innocent way, but isn't taken that way because the audience knows SZ likes him, and that he 'doesn't know'. Such terrible writing, in the year 2023? Do you want to show a proper depiction of a healthy relationship, or do you want to just romanticize these....weird grooming-esque interactions, because the person in power (DJX) NEVER gets the opprtunity to draw a boundary and tell SZ to stop being delusional and obsessive.

5. ?❓DJX is only 24. He doesn't FEEL 24.
I get that originally he would have been 27, which would have made more sense with what he does day-to-day, but I find it hard to believe that every 24 year old is this mature and flirty and with a job and a car and a chief engineer at a top gaming company. I can suspend my disbelief that he's really smart, and was forced to grow up early. But some script changes should have been made for us to believe that DJX really is younger in the drama version VS. novel, because what it then really starts to look like is that they just changed his age to be younger so netizens would get off their back about their 7yr age gap.

Honestly? I had high hopes going in! I've been waiting for this drama all year. I loved Chen Zhe Yuan in Secrets in the Lattice, and also can always count on Zhao Lu Si do deliver a great performance.

But the progression from their relationship from brother-sister, to lovers, is concerning.

There were some netizens condemning this show and comparing it to pedophillia, and I can see why. I don't think this show **is** that, but they've done a piss poor job at having 0% evidence of that. When you're making a story with this kind of premise, you need to handle it very carefully and make very deliberate decisions, and Hidden Love didn't do it carefullly enough, and made POOR deliberate decisions.

The novel material may very well have had grooming and pedophilia, I haven't read it and don't plan to. But why wasn't this fixed for an adaptation, with such a good cast? Better yet, fixed for an adaptation that will be aired internationally, that many young children will see? I'll reiterate, a 5 year age gap is nothing. It's PROBLEMATIC and hORRIBLE, however, when it's between a 19 year old, immature and childish girl, and a traumatized, emotionally vulnerable 24 year old man. I'm 19. I would never date a 24, much less 27 year old. And SZ is 19, and acts 12. Aiyaaa.

ANYWAYS, TL;DR, could have been a great story, with especially great actors after this drought from Cdrama land the past few months, but even my desperation will not allow me to keep watching this (at least not right now). A story with potential, with GREAT ACTORS and OST and PRODUCTION, that had a very poorly thought out,ignorant, misleading, and harmful script.

Could have all been solved by keeping things innocent until SZ is older and mature.

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A Rom-Com That Can Make Anyone's Heart Skip

Hello everyone!! I know I am VERY late to this show and all it's glory, hence why likely not many people will end up reading this review, but I must write it anyway---even though I'm not 100% done this show myself (which is something I seldom ever do for my reviews). I will preface this review by saying I don't usually watch C Dramas, the only other Chinese show I have seen is The Untamed, which is of course a very different genre from this one. Nonetheless, I stumbled across this show on Netflix and can't wait to give you my review!!

Story: 10/10
Now, I will preface this by saying I have not yet read the English translation of the original novel, but I am aware there are certain differences. Such as in the novel, Duan Jiaxu is 7 years Shang Zhi's elder, but in the show, he is only 5 years older than her. I usually steer away from age gaps in shows and books personally, ESPECIALLY when the ML and FL meet when one is a minor. However, this show does an incredible job of showing both characters, their personalities, and how their dynamic changes over time. The ML, Duan Jiaxu, treats the FL (Shang Zhi) as nothing more than a younger sister for the first several years of their relationship and then slowly he begins to see her as a woman when they meet again.

Although the age gap could slow down any other rom-com show, we never lose any of the chemistry from start to end. The writers do an incredible job of selling the story to us through the FL's innocent, fluttering heart. Even as an adult watching this show, I feel teleported back into my own middle school and high school days as we watch them interact in a heartfelt way. The writers also do an excellent job of showing the FL's innocence without making her unintelligent or unaware of others' feelings, and as you watch, you start to root for her and the ML. Both the ML and FL are kind and honest, and are willing to communicate their concerns to one another. It's very refreshing to watch--no unnecessary miscommunications!

In the second half of the show, when both are now adults, that fluttering feeling only gets stronger for the audience. Only now, this fluttering is accompanied by more adult-like issues. The show shifts to a slightly more "grown up" vibe effortlessly, and we start to see some problems in the ML and FL's lives, how they cope like adults, and how they support one another. It's incredible how almost all of the scenes in this show have just the ML and the FL, but we never get bored as the story is always pushing forward and we can see slow changes in both leads' personalities for the better.

The story itself is a simple brother's best friend situation, but the emotionally mature characters and sweet romance make you feel like you're teleported into their world--it makes you feel like a love like that is waiting for you around the corner! So heartwarming.

Acting/Cast: 10/10
I absolutely love all of the actors in this show despite it being my first time seeing them. Each actor knows their role very well, and conveys emotions in a way that makes you feel like you're truly watching a character be brought to life. One thing I have noticed is almost the entire cast is incredible at micro-expressions, whether it's a smile fading slowly or showing worry with a shift in their gaze. This is especially true for the ML and FL, who are both so good at showing their characters' love and concern for one another. I'd also like to point out the actor who plays the FL's older brother. He makes me laugh every time he comes on screen, and you feel like you're watching a brother bicker with his sister every time, but he does a great job in serious scenes as well. Seeing this quality of acting makes me wonder what I've been doing not watching C Dramas!

Music: 9/10
I'm not really a big OST person, but I truly enjoyed this show's OST. I particularly like the one song which goes "moonlight shines in your eyes", it makes my head beat fast whenever it plays during a romantic moment between the leads. How lovely!!

Rewatch Value: 10/10
This show is incredibly healing. You get lots of comedy and romance, and although there is a reasonable amount of sadness and problems, you don't feel weighed down by it. The writers have done an excellent but incredibly difficult job: making a show that is romantic and fluffy without making it feel plotless or like you can't enjoy the romance because of the heaviness of the problems. I am not all the way done this show yet, but I already know I will be rewatching it in years to come. We all need some rest and peace sometimes, and this show does that for me.

Overall: 10/10!

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