Golden House Hidden Love (2024)

Lovely drama

I’ll start with saying that this drama is lovely. It’s not the drama of the year, but it’s one that leaves a quiet and lasting impression, at least for me.

First, it’s a low budget drama with actors with a short resume. That might repulse some people who would automatically catalogue this drama into the lame one. But there are very expensive dramas which aren’t good so money is not necessarely the winning factor.

Second, I think the actors played very well, all of them. A bit on the exaggerated side, like in sitcoms (but still, less than in american sitcoms !). I had seen the ML in a short drama where he was not nice at all and arrogant and here, he plays a sweet, old fashion man very naturally so I find him quite good for someone with so little acting experience. The FL was fine, I hadn’t seen her in anything else but she was doing well, here. Especially when she was playing scenes with her best friend, I have to say.

The summary on MDL is not quite exact when it comes to who and what the ML is but I’m not going to spoil it for you, just know that it’s more complicated and original than a simple « ghost story ».

This drama has this serene elegance, due to who the ML is, the music, the ambiance of the drama. There are some fun moments, some angst, some mystery and in episodes 11 and 12, real sadness. Be prepared for it if you are living through the same thing in RL, it can be a bit tough, at least for me, it rang true. The drama has more depth than the ratings would let you believe. Life, death, longevity, loss, going on with life despite being bereft of love and affection…

It’s a paranormal/love story drama so of course, you have to be willing to, what’s the english word ? Suspend disbelief ? But « fantasy » is in the tags for this drama.

I’ll end up by saying that yes, there is quite a height difference between the ML and the FL. I’m starting to wonder if writers and directors don’t have a fondness for this situation because it’s not the first time that I watch a drama with such a height difference (Hello « My little happiness » and « Put your head on my shoulder »). I can’t help thinking that it must be uncomfortable for both actors to shoot a drama for months with such a difference.

But apart from that, I really loved this drama. If you love old fashion MLs and old fashion eerie feeling hovering over a drama (while still remaining modern), then you can give this drama a chance.

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Unpredictable with plot twists. But damn, I felt my neck was stiff!

As someone who loves the mystery genre, I found this drama's fantasy part, which gives a mystery vibe, unpredictable with plot twists along the main plot. Only watch it if you're comfortable with a huge height difference.

STORY:

The Female Lead Jin Xia bought her dream house, a cute old house by the sea. Once moving in, she finds that her new house is haunted by a ghostly tall handsome guy Nan Hua, a man from ancient times, who is not a ghost but can choose to be unseen by people. Nan Hua got stuck living in that house and is waiting for someone whom he doesn't remember who the person is. So we have the usual cohabitation trope with Jin Xia and Nan Hua gradually falling in love.

I found that the fantasy plot of this drama is unpredictable, as in Nan Hua's background, the person he's waiting for but doesn't remember who, how he's able to live that long, etc. I won't spoil you with the details but will spoil you with the ending if you're someone who wants to know if it's a happy ending or a sad ending (scroll after you reach the bottom of the review).

CHARACTER AND ACTING:

I have never seen Lai Mei Yun before. Her character Jin Xia is pretty and petite, independent, and career-oriented. She wants to remain single, with only a grandma and a best friend as people who are close to her. I saw the actor Wang Zi Hao in the short-length series with the time-loop theme "Secretary Bai Wants to Resign Everyday", which I thought it's quite funny. Nan Hua is a nice Male Lead, but I think the actor looks better in ancient costumes than in modern costumes. I felt like the huge height difference of 40 cm or 16 inches (see source below) between Nan Hua and Jin Xia gave me a stiff neck. So, it's understandable that others said that they saw a romance between a man and a little girl. Fortunately, Jin Xia has pretty long wavy hair, and she doesn't have a high-pitched voice or act childish.

Height difference source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy531LiwncE

OST:

The ending theme "Love Will Tame the Wind and the Rain" (爱会驯服风雨) is sung by the actress Lai Mei Yun herself.

SPOILER of the ending (Scroll down below)















A happy ending between Nan Hua and Jin Xia. He disappears because of losing energy. Jin Xia buries her engagement ring and it regenerates the dead ancient tree that was Nan Hua's source of energy. Nan Hua is reborn and he comes back to find Jin Xia. Not a last-minute reunion.

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Unpredictable twists & height gap

I recently completed watching this drama and somehow enjoyed this show. The first thing you'll notice is the extreme height difference, sometime It's felt like watching a kid with an adult but they are so cute, and the chemistry is great.

Story:-
The male lead has been stuck for 1000 s of year in the same house and cant leave waiting for someone to return ( which he forgot) who. The female lead moves into the house and she somehow possess the energy to recharge the male lead. He is like a ghost but not a ghost, He can move freely through the walls and become invisible but cant leave too far from home. The male lead also would sometimes get cold if he used up too much of his energy, resulting in the need of the female lead's touch to recharge.

Acting:-
The performances by the lead actors are commendable, bringing depth to their characters and making their emotional journey relatable. The chemistry between them is palpable, which adds a layer of authenticity to their romance. The supporting cast also shines, contributing to the richness of the narrative and providing various perspectives on love and ambition.

Visually:-
The drama is stunning, with beautifully crafted sets and cinematography that captures the opulence of the golden house. The attention to detail enhances the overall viewing experience, making it a feast for the eyes. The soundtrack complements the story well, featuring melodies that evoke the right emotions at pivotal moments.

Why 8.0 stars?
While Golden House Hidden Love offers a compelling storyline, it does fall into some familiar tropes and clichés typical of romantic dramas. Certain plot twists can feel predictable, and a few subplots could have benefited from more development, leaving some unresolved questions by the end. The resolution of key conflicts may feel rushed or insufficient, leaving some viewers dissatisfied with how certain storylines conclude. Some episodes may feel uneven, with a slow build-up that can test the audience's patience, especially during moments that could benefit from more dynamic storytelling. These aspects slightly hinder the drama from reaching its full potential.

So I rated Golden House Hidden Love a 8 out of 10 because, despite its engaging characters and beautiful production, it doesn't fully escape the common pitfalls of the genre. It's an enjoyable watch, especially for fans of romance dramas, but it leaves some room for improvement in terms of originality and plot depth.

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Doomed for chemistry and height gap awkwardness

My patience was stretched way beyond my limitations finishing this up. It was cute at the start but eventually tore down my enthusiasm as I was seeing cliché scenes of overly romantic setups that were not giving me the heart-fluttering feeling. It has a promising storyline I believe so, about an ancient man (ML) who was still living in the modern times, with a life sustained by spiritual energy coming from a cherry tree in his old house. He lived his life there for over a thousand years waiting for someone he could not recall at all due to his distorted memories. The catch of the story was his identity and his fated relationship with the new owner of the house (FL), who decided to remain unmarried all her life. It was a let-down to have not seen the depth of the execution in the middle episodes. I am a hopeless romantic and could easily connect myself to the characters of any romantic drama or film; here I was struggling the whole time. I guessed the only strength of this show was the credible performance of the ML, one reason I gave this show a chance until the end and my curiosity to find out the truth about his past and his association with the FL’s best friend. Also, fair to say, it has a nice set of songs.

Well, this drama did not meet my approval. Felt bad for the writer and the director's efforts who lacked the knack yet to move the viewers. This kind of show seemed likely to pass either the high schoolers' crowd or those who are innocent, inexperienced, and have simple thoughts about love. I was swayed by one of the good reviews and since I was also exploring other artists, I decided to try it.

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When The Giant Meets The Fairy

The first thing you'll notice is the extreme height difference, but they are so cute, and the chemistry is great! Brand new actors but they do really well. (the acting isn't the best since they are fresh faces to dramas, but they did pretty good for newbies) The plotline was fun, and funny, but then the ending episodes are tearjerkers. Then a happy ending. I liked the ML more in the costume parts then the modern parts and I'm really hoping he does a full fledge serious costume drama. He has a good career ahead if he wants it. And by the way, he is drama's new heartthrob in my opinion. The FL is adorable and tiny and cute. Hope to see her more too. I loved the plot twist, and you really can't guess who is who or what is what and that my Dramalanders, is what keeps the attention. Great job Cast & Crew!!

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Interesting story hampered by uneven pacing...but find me a greener flag in C-dramaland!

Golden House Hidden Love is a refreshingly original and intriguing take on immortals and their secret existence among mortals in contemporary society, focusing on the mystery surrounding a man bound to a home for some two thousand years.

This is only Wang Zihao's second screen role, but at just 21, he is already demonstrating his acting potential. One easily forgets how young he is, as he is able to convey the gravitas and maturity of the mysterious and very lonely Nan Hua, an immortal who has shunned the world. His smooth, understated narration at the start of each episode also showcases his talent as a voice actor as well. Nan Hua is so impossibly perfect and idealized in every way, however, that in the hands of a lesser actor, he could absolutely be a boring or even annoying Gary Stu character archetype. Instead, he is perhaps one of the loveliest ML characters I’ve seen in a Chinese series. You would be hard pressed to find a greener flag anywhere in C-Dramaland.

Unfortunately, Wang Zihao's warm portrayal overshadows his female counterpart. Lai Meiyun started off perfectly fine as Jin Xia. But as the drama unfolded and the ML's character became increasingly likable (and frankly, almost too perfect), the FL's weaker casting became increasingly difficult to ignore. The FL's BFF Jiang Xiaochuan was also one of the most compelling and intriguing characters in the story, and Peng Bi Yao was immensely likable here, but like much of the cast, the character could have shone even more with a stronger actress.

Casting aside, the pacing of the story is unfortunately, extremely uneven, especially once our main couple decide to be together. Some story telling elements -- like the tantalizing flashbacks -- were highly effective, but they dwelled unnecessarily long on comedic dating gags that were only occasionally very funny and mostly cringeworthy. There were also some inconsistencies in framing the origins of the immortals that also distracted from the story. The mystery surrounding Nan Hua's past doesn't really unfold until the last 3 or 4 episodes when all our questions are finally unanswered one by one until the very last episode.

This drama had the potential to be great. Yet, despite its flaws, is still immensely watchable.

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I have forgotten who i am waiting for... I am your energy charger

I had high hopes for this drama , such a big let down!.
First thing i noticed is the male lead is extremely tall and the female lead very short so they have a really big gap between their height. They have no chemistry whatsoever ! Its like watching a kid and an adult .

This drama has potential with the background of the story, that intrigued me but beside that they didnt further or explain more of the story. It was just really bland and boring, like nothing exciting really comes out. The male lead has been stuck for 1000 s of year in the same house and cant leave waiting for someone to return ( which he forgot) who. The female lead moves into the house and she somehow possess the energy to recharge the male lead. He is like a ghost but not a ghost, He can move freely through the walls and become invisible but cant leave too far from home. The male lead also would sometimes get cold if he used up too much of his energy, resulting in the need of the female lead's touch to recharge. He needs more physical contact with each charge> first just a hand hold, then a kiss on the head even to the point of a kiss, but like afterwards the effect of the kiss is slow... dont really understand....

I ve watch to ep 16 and still the background is a mystery as to why the female lead is the one , who the male lead is waiting for? who is trying to destroy the tree. (the tree is linked to the male lead)

Its like both ends the male and female persona isn't developed well... female lead is a designer but she realizes that she is actually plagiarizing someone else' work. This was due to the male lead having this pouch that can help recall the memory of what the female lead saw.... We know the male lead is waiting for someone.... but who ?

DROP. aint worth your time. really wanted to like it, but no! just no!

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poor casting

I am about 16 episodes into the drama.....it story is either good nor bad....the actings is also just so so......everything about the show is only mediocre.

Immediately into the show. I noticed the height differences between FL and ML.....He is really tall and she is cute but super short and tiny..She barely reached the ML's chest. That is not the only problem, she is only about 1/3 his size..........Next to Nan Hua and Jiang Xiao Chran (FL's best friend, a better match for the ML) Jin Zia is looks like a 6 year old child with adults.

Whoever choose the castings, did an extremely poor and dreadful job. They are sooooo ill-matched, uneven..... it's ridiculously comical to put them side by side.......

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