Hidden Love (2023)

It weirdly works!

OVERALL
If you 1) are looking for a FL-likes-ML-first love story, 2) are into the older-guy, younger-girl trope, 3) like when FL is "innocent", and 4) can get over the fact that ML and FL meet when she' s a minor (and played by an actress who looks like she's 10), then this drama is right up your alley. If any of the above bother you...maybe still give it a try? It worked for me!

THE STORY
So, not going to lie, the premise of this drama is everything I hate. I'm really not into stories where the FL pathetically pines for the ML for 2/3 of the drama, I don't like FLs that are "innocent" (because 9/10 times, they're just childish and immature), and I'm not particularly into the older-guy/younger-girl trope. The only reason why I decided to give this drama a try is because of the controversy (it had pretty polarized reviews on YT). I wanted to see what everyone was talking about.

The main issue people had brought up is that FL starts out looking like a literal YOUNG child (definitely younger than the 14 she is supposed to be), while ML is the main actor (so adult actor), and it feels very wrong to see any scene between then two or imagine them getting together later on. Giving these comments, I was expecting something huge. But while it was off-putting, it wasn't that bad, imo. These scenes with the child actress are just a few flashbacks, and it's just FL liking ML (not the other way around), so...I just took at as a silly girl doing her thing.

I'm not going to say this is the drama of the year. The plot is very basic (almost a non-plot, revolving entirely around FL's unrequited feelings for ML...until they stop being unrequited), and the core of the story (a girl crushing over some guy for years) remains something I'm just not a fan of. But I was truly pleasantly surprised by some aspects of this show:

- First, FL is thankfully not the childish/immature type of "innocent" girl. I think the writers did a good job of giving her a bit of character, a bit of youthfulness, a bit of maturity. She feels very 3D and likeable.
- The writers also did pretty well in cutting out the pining, so FL doesn't look that obsessed with ML and her unrequited love is easier to swallow
- While I had trouble buying that FL started loving ML as a pre-teen (just looked liked admiration to me, like when girls become fans of idols), I liked how the drama shows ML finding out he likes FL and the extent to which she loves him. Overall, the relationship between the two is also very sweet and caring, and rooted in respect. It's a bit cringey sometimes, but on the good side of cringe.
- The secondary characters are all pretty cool additions to the show (which is rare, they're usually useless and annoying). I LOVED the relationship between FL and her brother, as well as FL and her parents. ML's friends were fun too!
- The ending scene is honestly the funniest innovation of a common cliché ever. I loved it!
- Finally, the overall vibes of the show are totally my style. No childish quirks or annoying music. Feels more mature and raw.

Bottom line: I didn't expect to enjoy this drama and I did, so if you're like me, just give it a try!

THE ACTING
Good, all around. I love Zhao Lusi. Nothing else to say haha ML was also pretty impressive, and it was my first time seeing him. The child actress was great too (but she did look WAY too young for the part). On the chemistry department...it was okay. Could have been better, imo, if the writing focused a bit less on FL's age and her being young.

THE MUSIC
Alright, I guess, though nothing I'd listen to on my own!

REWATCH VALUE
Oh, it's high. I've already rewatched it once (with some skipping, I won't lie, but still)!

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Feels like youth all over again

Hidden Love was my first ever introduction to C-drama's and I like that I was able to pick a good one it really made me have the feels, love shivers, and nostalgia of youth if you are into rom-com or romance in general this show is one of the best one I would even say for beginners for drama's in general though the episode count may look scary at first it worth the time these are those drama that make you want to watch what would happen next and make you sit back down when you want to stop that feeling of anticipation of what's going to happen wtih the characters make you want to continue and not stop I cried a few times and maybe so many others but its a drama worth picking up and finishing and something to watch when you are bored and need a bit of energy.

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Any romance lover would love this

I am not typically a romance drama watcher, but when I do get the itch for one, good chemistry-dynamic is a must. The leads deliver a brilliant progression of their relationship. Initially, I was thrown off by the age gap. Its clear to note that our male lead did not harbor any romantic feelings towards our character when she was a minor, so I really don't like when people try to make it weird like that. The story introduces the first young girl, and her unrequited feelings for the older boy. I will say, the first couple of episodes that explore this part weren't my favorite. Once the drama skips to her older/college age and her progression with the male lead, that's where the drama picks up for me. And I ADORDED their dynamic. The main cast and all their relationships were fun to watch, and I really liked all the characters.

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You'll need a lot of tissues ??

Such an amazing drama, really recommend you watch it.Zhao lusi and Chen zheyuan have such good chemistry in the bts. such an emotional drama too. lovely, overall tbh. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️?❤️?❤️??❤️?❤️?❤️???❤️?❤️?❤️??❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️❤️❤️❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️????????????????????❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️❤️?❤️??❤️??❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️????????????????❤️??❤️?❤️??If your still reading this then love you so much!!!!!!!!!!

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“the distance between us was only five years, but you’re worth the time”

This film is such a youthful and light watch! I absolutely adore the aesthetic and the casting was truly incredible. I held off this film, but I’m glad I finished it as it made me feel butterflies and nostalgia for a happy ending. I like that the ml waited for her and though he might’ve not knew it at the time, he always WANTED to be there for her and see her grow through the years of adolescence. No matter what role, he wanted to be there in her life. He also said that he wanted to be her boyfriend, not he wanted her to be his girlfriend and I start to crumble whenever the ml says that (its the little things that count ?).

Overall would recommend for if you want a feel-good cdrama. Though there were many obstacles, they always found their way back to each other, so if you want a happy ending and “always meant to be” genre, it’s perfect for you!

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this show is an absolute watch and rewatch

this show is one of my absolute favourite cdramas of all time no matter how many times I watch it I fall in love with it all over again. the concept of the whole show was that friendship and family
scenes were well portrayed and the roles were played by amazing actors, especially by my top faves zhou Lusi and Chen Zheyuan, my endgame throughout the show.
if you are looking for a sweet heartfelt show I highly recommend this. and if you are trying to get into cdramas this is also a recommended watch. (I was skeptical about the age gap but it did not disappoint).

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Overall a very cute romance drama about a girl falling in love with her brother's friend.

Although I really loved the show and their romance there are still some flaws. I feel like the beginning, where she was still in school was a bit long. Also there were some cringe moments, like when FL heard that ML has a girlfriend and flew all the way to his hometown at a ver young teenage age. A bit unrealistic.

Their romance really had me giggling all the time but after they got together I feel like it became a little dragged. There was very little story progress after that.

It could definitely be some episodes shorter but still very cute

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Job done !

It was the first time I watched a Cdrama so no other Cdrama to compare to… And I have to say that enjoyed it most of the time.

On one (negative) hand, it was for me a typical Romance drama with classic storyline, no surprise, no plot twist (« they lived happily ever after »).
And sometimes too slow and boring (I admit I sometimes used fast forward button).

One the other (positive) hand, you get what you expect from a Romance drama : a love story without (a lot of) troubles (there is the ML’s father story but it isn’t much compares to real life), a happy ending (again « they lived happily ever after »).
A sweet, adorable and heartwarming drama with a beautiful chemistry between lead characters, cute and tender moments of romance and a funny relationship between siblings.

About acting, I didn’t know Zhao Lu Si (FL) before and I liked her acting (made me want to see more cdramas she stars in).
I also liked Chen Zhe Yuan (ML) and Victor Ma (FL’s brother) acting, they were great too.

I really appreciated the directing that allow actors to portray characters in a very natural way !!

I liked the OST and it was a good surprise to find out that Zhao Lu Si is also a great singer. I’ve added 2 or 3 songs to my Drama playlist.

Finally, yes I understand some people could find this drama too cheesy, unrealistic and a bit boring. But from my point of view, it met expectations of « sweet & adorable » Romance drama (if I’d wanted to see real slice of life drama, I’d have prefer My mister, Lost, My liberation notes or similar dramas…)

To summary, if you need heartwarming feelings and butterflies in your life, this drama is made for you.

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Grasp Those Stars & Hold Tight °7.8° °VG°

Here's a romance that's a warm and sticky sweet bun with a nice cup of chamomile tea. We're talking very low drama. Romance fans will find it charming and relaxing. I certainly did. Others might be underwhelmed. We meet Sang Zhi (Zhizhi) in middle school and follow her through several years of her life. In ep1 big bro brings his friend, Jiaxu, home. Zhizhi is smitten. Jiaxu is thoughtful and kind towards her. He always has time for her, which only fans the flames as the years roll by.

HL is a 2023 release that is rated a whopping 9 on MDL. It is 1 season consisting of 25 45-minute episodes. Zhao Lu Si (Who Rules the World-7.5, I Hear You-7, The Romance of Tiger and Rose-9.8, Love Like the Galaxy) is FL Sang Zhi. I've liked her in everything I've seen so far, but my respect for her abilities took a leap forward with this show. Feisty and full of life describes most of her characters. Here, she's shy and demure (though she's capable of pulling some bold moves, we'll see). Even her body language says she's not fully grown. While in HS, her gangly walk is the pièce de résistance of her act. She's extremely impressive, particularly when one factors in how different she is from her other performances. I am a fan.

Chen Zhe Yuan (Our Secret, Handsome Siblings-8.7) play ML Duan Jiaxu. He's a sparky, mischievous brat in HS, a show that I love. In HL he's calm and thoughtful. Victor Ma (Detective Chinatown, Moments We Shared) is big brother Sang Yan. He may be the big brother, but he's a bit of a brat, always calling Zhizhi “Little demon”. The director is Lee Ching Jung (Go Go Squid!, Everyone Loves Me). The screenwriter is Ou Si Jia of Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities, and the original creator is Zhu Yi of the show, When I Fly Towards You-7.8.

The day Zhizhi meets Jiaxu she has a dilemma. She's in trouble at school and her parents have been called in for a teacher conference. She somehow persuades Jiaxu to pose as her brother for the conference. He attends, explaining that the parents are out of town. Crisis deleveled. That favor creates a bond between them that will never be broken. Zhizhi ends up at college in Jiaxu's hometown, and he is the only person she knows there. Sang Yan asks friend, Jiaxu, to look out for his sister. Jiaxu does. Zhizhi was already looking at Jiaxu… and only him.

I watched HL back-to-back with When I Fly Towards You. They are similar - same author. They're relaxing, they really couldn't be sweeter, and they both lack depth. Other than a stalker connected to Jiaxu over a mistake his father made, the biggest problem the characters face in HL is Zhi's milk allergy. (The show presents the 5 year age difference as a big issue. It certainly is for teens, but once they are both in their 20's it isn't worth mentioning). That's okay; there's a nice big space with comfy couches for such wind-down watches. It does lower the degree of difficulty, though, and thus the maximum score. One the one hand, to do a slice-of-life feature in which not much happens, yet it is still a great watch, takes skill. On the other hand, for a feature to be in the high 8's and above, there should be complexity and these 2 shows have none. They can be every bit as enjoyable as, and the ones we rewatch before more highly rated shows. Entertainment that touches the heart is meritorious regardless of technical lapses. WIFTY gets a higher cuteness rating because the female lead’s character is ridiculously and relentlessly cute, while HL is more tranquil. It's almost plodding, but never boring. These shows are for romantiholics only, and look at the ratings - romance junkies are very satisfied. If you want to expose a friend, who is only a casual romance watcher, to a youthful Chinese romance, I suggest A Little Thing Called First Love-8.5 or Wait, My Youth-8.4.

HL may lack deeper shading but it has no flaws. Every element is done well. The music is quite nice, however Shazam only had titles in Mandarin. Some did pop up on Spotify. Modern-day Cdramas have gotten better. Before 2019 most are deeply flawed, though not without their charms. One of the best things about Cdramas is what I call their Prozac effect. They are designed to quiet the mind and calm the spirit. If anxiety is up, a Chinese modern-day romance like HL could very well help level the mood. At one point Zhizhi pumps her fist in the air and gives Jiaxu the common Kdrama encouragement: “FIGHTING!” The most recent Cdramas have been acknowledging the popularity of Kdramas, and I suspect it's a call out to what has inspired their growth. I love it.

I also loved HL. Will you? If you call yourself a romance fan, maybe. Probably. If you consider yourself a romance /junkie/ then there can be no doubt; check it out!


〰? IMHO

RATINGS
Directing 7.5
Writing 7
Acting 8.3
Romance 7
Flutters 6
Art 6.5
Sound & music 8
Ending 7.7

LEVELS
Warmth 7
Action 3
Laughs 3
Tears 3
Fright 1
Tension/Anxiety 2
Gore 0
Thought provocation 3
Snores 0

?7.5 ?7 ?8.3 ?7 ?6 ?6.5 ?/?8 ?7.7 ▪ ?7 ⚡3 ?3 ?3 ?1 ?2 ?0 ?3 ?0

Age 12+ for mild sexual content

Rated TV-Y7: Directed to Older Children

Re-watch? It's not impossible, but there's a long list of other shows that would precede it in a rewatch.

In order of ~lite & trite~ to ~heavy & serious~ you may also like:

? -
C??: Well-Intended Love 7.5 Rom-porn - extra points for the dopamine;
? I Hear You ‘19 7.3, so cute but with many flaws
? You are my destiny 6.8 ‘20 cute and sweet and 1/2 padding
Find Yourself 8.9;
The Sleepless Princess 9.1
K?? :
A Witch's Love 7.8;
Love To Hate You 8.9;
Touch Your Heart 8.2;
Crash Landing On You 9.1;
Oh My Ghost 10;
It's Okay Not to Be Okay 9;
Hospital Playlist 9;
My Mister 9.5;

? -
C??: Overlord 8.4,
Under the Power 8.6,
The Rebel Princess 9.1,
The Sword and the Brocade 8.6 (in ancient Chinese opera style),
The Rise of Phoenixes 9
K??:
My Only Love Song 8.7 excellent comedy;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl 8.5;
The King's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9

??-
C??: Love Between Fairy & Devil 8.9;
Once upon a time in Linglian Mountain 7.5;
Douluo Continent 9.4;
Eternal Love 8.3,
Ancient Love Poetry 8.6;
Love and Redemption 10

Japanese?? lite romcoms: Maid Sama-10, Mischievous Kiss Love in Tokyo-7.8, Love, Chunibyo And Other Delusions-8.4, Toradora-8.5

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Watching this is like having a crush again

This show is pure dopamine; it's like falling in love or going through your first crush again. Has you squealing every time there's ANY development or even interaction between the two leads, and reminds me of the feeling of watching Business Proposal (another show that's like a pure dopamine shot). And all this is thanks to the amazing acting by the two leads, Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan. The two of them were just SO good together. Chen Zheyuan's character is so dreamy, help ?

With that being said, I still skipped a lot of scenes. I'm not a fluff person and just find fluff, coming-of-age, student life, first love etc., to be a bit too low stakes to keep me 100% invested. The pacing is (imo) pretty slow and really drags. I also struggled with how cutesy ZLS's character acted in the first 4-6 episodes, I ended up skipping those.

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Pure fluff, cuteness and love.

As someone who stopped watching 'Girl x Boy loveteam' type of series (became a BL and GL fan for a long time), Hidden Love is a great comeback. Just pure fluff. A lot of very relatable scenes and also scenes that can make the viewers believe (somehow) in love again.

Both Duan Jiaxu and Sang Zhi was written perfectly, "green flag couple" indeed. Now I understand why people are really hooked up by Zheyuan and Lusi's chemistry, they worked. Their chemistry is just top-tier. Love these two so much, really. But in this drama? I fell in love truly to Victor Ma, SANG YAN!! He is just an overall relatable character, I love him so much.

Story wise, tbh, nothing new. I guess what really made this drama stand out was everything inside this drama worked out so well. From casts to story, up to the execution, its really good. But yeah, when it comes to the story, I am not too stunned or what.

Overall, this is such a good watch. It will bring back lots of butterflies on your stomach. Watch this, its worth it, really! ?

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