Not my typa show

Please refrain from reading this comment if you have not completed the series, as it contains major spoilers.

I typically do not find myself compelled to write reviews for dramas; however, the portrayal of the main characters in "Hidden Love" has prompted me to provide a less favourable assessment. My critique pertains solely to the character of "Sang Zhi" and not to the actress "Zhao Lusi", who has exhibited exceptional talent in her other drama works. I just couldn't stand to like how Sang Zhi presented herself in Hidden Love.

Pros
Although I've given such a modest rating, I would like to acknowledge several positive aspects of the series:
1. "Hidden Love" effectively explores and promotes healthy family relationships, particularly in the depiction of Sang Zhi's close bond with her brother. His unwavering support showcases a protective and caring older sibling. For example, he backs up Sang Zhi when she is getting bullied at school, ensures she is well at university, etc.
2. The series handles the age gap between Jiaxu and Sang Zhi with sensitivity and respect, emphasizing that their romantic relationship develops only when Sang Zhi reaches adulthood. There was also a lot of disclaimer throughout the show to emphasize that they are 5 years apart and establish their relationship on a legal and ethical foundation.
3. Sang Zhi's willingness to stand up for Jiaxu - for example, when the antagonist poured water on Jiaxu, she demonstrated her commitment to protecting her man by pouring water back.
4. Sang Zhi handled herself really professionally during her internship, even though her supervisor gave her a hard time.

Cons
1. The primary concern I have with the series centres around Zhao Lusi's portrayal of Sang Zhi as a 17-year-old, which often felt incongruous with the character's age. It almost felt like she was stuck in a 10-year-old's body. For example, there was a scene where she wanted to eat a lollipop and asked her brother's friend to open the wrapper for her - this is what ticked me off. A 17-year-old should reasonably possess the skills to open a lollipop wrapper independently. How are you 17 years old but still need someone to open a lollipop wrapper for you? This inconsistency was particularly vexing, given the more mature portrayal of Sang Zhi at 14 by the younger actress. It raises questions about whether Sang Zhi's affluent upbringing resulted in excessive pampering. Perhaps she came from a rich family so she was babied throughout her life but this still makes absolutely no sense to me. At age 17, she possibly never washed the dishes or her clothes and that's ok but the inability to open a lollipop wrapper appears far-fetched. Another example is the scene where Sang Zhi's brother takes her out to hotpot while her parents are away for a wedding and she is caught playing "fort" at home...

Given that this drama had such high ratings, I really wanted to give this drama a second chance to see what the hype is about. The initial 7 episodes wherein Zhao Lusi portrays Sang Zhi as a 17-year-old were cringe-inducing and prompted me to skip ahead to episode 8, where a 2-year time skip makes her transition to adulthood.

2. Shan Zhi's character demonstrates growth in maturity by the age of 19, making her interactions with the main lead during their early stages of romantic development more enjoyable. However, the relationship takes a downturn once they officially start dating (in ep 17/18). There were several cringeworthy moments I just couldn't stand, such as the moment at the roller skating rink when Sang Zhi felt compelled to notify Jiaxu of her intention to kiss him, which disrupted the flow of the scene. This action appears overly contrived and unrealistic, as spontaneous gestures of affection are typically more natural in romantic relationships. It's also a little bizarre for someone to say "I'm going to kiss you today" - it should usually happen naturally, at the right moment, right? I get that she wanted to respect Jiaxu by giving him a heads up but he already showed affection in the previous episodes that it is safe to assume Shan Zhi can do the same without asking Jiaxu for consent. There were also a lot of weird moments where she was getting flustered for no apparent reason. I mean, c'mon, your mans chilling in full long-sleeve pyjamas at home (and also considering y'all been dating for at least 3 months now)? It's not like he's lounging around shirtless in his boxers on the couch. It just doesn't add up to me.

3. The whole lack of communication in this show is really something else. I mean, in any decent relationship or interaction, good communication is the key to building those deep, meaningful connections, right? But seriously, there were so many times in the series where it felt like Shan Zhi couldn't get her thoughts across to Jiaxu. Let's talk about that KTV scene, for instance, when they randomly bump into each other after two years. There's this whole mix-up with her friend's sweater and some cigarettes falling out, and she tries to explain it to Jiaxu, but he's just not buying it. I mean, come on, at that moment, it felt like she could've laid it out better, like, "Hey, I accidentally grabbed my friend's sweater, and it's an exact copy of the one from KTV, so that's why this whole thing went down." You know, just to clear the air and avoid any misunderstandings. Another example is when they are in Jiaxu's car and Jiaxu asks Shan Zhi if she has any feelings for him and she literally did since the beginning of her childhood, but she replies with "no" because she was shy. I mean, she could've said something flirty like "don't worry about it" with a smirk (?) again, just my opinion. And then, when they were dating, it felt like they never had any real, deep conversations.

While Hidden Love strives to depict an innocent love story, it ultimately falls short due to numerous unrealistic and cringe-inducing moments found during the start of their relationship. As they progress further in their relationship (a year in), that's when I start seeing more improvements and fewer cringe-inducing moments - which is why I think the drama deserves +1 point higher than mid @ 5/10.

I know a lot of ppl gave a much higher rating for this drama so please don't be offended. This is just my opinion.

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just legendary

I don't even know where to start with this one. "Alchemy of Souls" totally blew my expectations out of the water and basically set a whole new standard for K-dramas. Honestly, I'm worried I won't be able to enjoy any other drama now without comparing it to this gem.

I stumbled upon Season 1 of "Alchemy of Souls" when it popped up on my Netflix recommended list, and let me tell you, Go Yoon Jung as "Naksu" had me hooked right away with her killer looks.

What really got me was how the creators of the show introduced this whole magical world in a made-up country called Daeho. Every episode left me hanging on the edge of my seat with those epic cliffhangers. I actually felt a bit bummed every time an episode ended. I mean, it was a blast watching Naksu (played by Jung So-Min) teach all those different magical skills in Season 1, from Jipsu to Ryusu, Chisu, and finally Hwansu.

Now, let's talk Season 2. I bumped up my rating for it because the chemistry between the main characters was off the charts. Idk... the chemistry between Jae Wook and Yoon Jung just seemed a lot closer to me than Jae Wook with So Min. I get it, Naksu's character evolved a lot and leaned more towards Bu Yeon's style, but I was all for this new, assertive version of her. It was such a breath of fresh air seeing a character who wasn't afraid to speak up and go after what she wanted. Something a lot of K-dramas are missing these days – good ol' communication!

I'm not kidding when I say this is the only drama that's left me in withdrawal mode for weeks on end. Solid 10/10 in my book.

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