Hidden Love (2023)

A girl's manifestation came to life

July 30, 2023

Hidden Love is definitely one of the best released rom-com Chinese drama of the year. The story of Sang Zhi and Jia Xu is so fluffy and cute.

As a a rom-com Chinese drama, I was expecting petty and stupid arguments when the leads get together. But they are so mature to the point where all the little misunderstandings are resolved right away. They have such a healthy communication with each other. I am in awe with how much I am jealous of what they have.

Sang Zhi and Jia Xu's chemistry is just off the chart. It is amazing to think how much the actors can deliver into their character role. I understand the hype that Hidden Love received. They truly deserve it.

All the other side characters are just chef's kiss as well. They brought things to the plot and I didn't see anyone being a waste of time. I never skipped scenes either which is quite rare nowadays. As there are so many dramas putting up filler scenes and sub plots which sole purpose is for them to fill their timeslot and drag the show longer.

As someone who have watched Cdramas for a quite a long time now. I will put Hidden Love with the other "S"-tier fluffy rom-com Cdramas imo like "Put your head on my shoulders". "Perfect. & Casual", "Falling into your smile", and "When we were young".

If you are a sucker for rom-com who hates misunderstanding please give this show the love that it deserves!

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I don’t get it

Ok, this is my opinion..No hate on anybody

I know I’m a bit late to the party. I was strangely reluctant to first watch this drama (because I was afraid of being disappointed if it did not turn out to be as good as everybody said it was) and then I was hesitant to post my thoughts about it; mainly because I couldn’t understand why I was “not impressed”. (For some reason, I kept remembering Superman saying to Steppenwolf, “Not Impressed”).. anyhoo..

The show ticks so many boxes.. it has a perfect recipe of a perfect romance. Really good looking ML, quite pretty FL, supposedly swoon worthy romance, all the usual tropes, etc. But for me, something was missing. And I still don’t know what. May be it’s a case of it’s not the show, it’s me.

There seem to be polarized views on the kid playing young Zhao Lusi. It didn’t bother me much. Probably because I was prepared for it. And ML during that phase really treated her as an elder brother. Did not creep me out. I wasn’t a fan but I also didn’t find it gross.

I just couldn’t get the romance between ML and FL. I understand she had a crush. But it takes a lot for a crush to transform into once in lifetime kinda love. And I really didn’t get that feeling from our leads. The drama tried to sell that, but I just couldn’t buy. I don’t get why he gets attracted to her. Is it just because when she takes care of him, he suddenly sees her in a different light? If that, then I somehow don’t see it as love. It’s gratefulness at best and selfishness at worst. I don’t want to believe that he always had a specific soft spot for her (even though it is hinted.. he keeps just his and her photo from the graduation ceremony). That would feel weird because in my eyes it’d make him a creep. She was pretty young at that time. So no, I don’t want to believe that. Then I really hit a wall there… why?

It was easier for me to see how her fascination with her brother’s friend progressed to a crush. Those who have older siblings or cousins would know, how your sibling’s one friend seemed like a perfect specimen back when the puberty hit. So I get it. What I don’t get is why that progresses into this forever kind of love? Granted at such an young age, all the emotions are extra bright. But I find it difficult to accept that none of the other friends in her widening circle capture her interest? If they made her fall for him after they meet again, it might have made more sense. They could have shown how the new encounters slowly remind her why she had a crush on him, and I’d have accepted that.

I really like Zhao Lusi. She has the looks and the skills. But somehow in this drama, she appeared a bit stiff. IMO it’s on the director. Same with Chen Zheyuan. I don’t think he is a great actor but he is not bad either. He gets the job done. But here somehow he looked .. I dunno.. bored?!? Personally, I didn’t see their chemistry which is driving people nuts. But yeah they were effortlessly together. I give you that.

One thing that was like a sour note for me was in their bid to show her as an apple of her family’s eye, they treated the bro rather shabbily. Her mum-n-dad were very much about her but mostly treated the big bro like an unwanted adopted child. To be honest again it could be just me. But I hate it when in dramas, parents treat main leads’ siblings more favourably. Similarly I hate it when parents are so darn biased in favour of main leads. I dinna find it cute, I dinna find it funny. I was second hand annoyed for her bro.

The drama is polished. It looks good, OST is not bad either. I just didn’t get hooked onto it the way I expected after the reviews. My expectations were way up there. But at the end I was underwhelmed. I just couldn’t see the “wow”.

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A Character-Driven drama for those in the mood of some sweetness and cuteness!

Subjective Gut Rating - 8.75

A 9.1 MDL rating for a romantic drama is no joke as there are many other critically acclaimed ones that don’t reach this milestone. In order to give “Hidden Love” a fair chance to maximize the enjoyment of watching this, I prepared myself and will share my recommendations for those who hesitated. As an ‘older’ and veteran drama watcher, fluffy and cute romances don’t always work on me anymore.

Recommendations/Tips to prepare myself:
1. I am a romance junkie
2. I am in the right mood for a cute, sweet and fluffy romance.
3. I like the main leads.
4. I am OK with and am prepared for a character-driven drama.
5. I am OK with an age-gap that could seem big.

I know if I watch “Hidden Love” when it’s airing or when it just finished airing, I will be extremely critical in finding faults since the hype is real and positive reviews are everywhere. Therefore, I waited until I was ready. And I am ready now.


What I Like:

Acting - I am quite familiar with Zhao Lu Si’s acting and know that she has no problem acting shy or cute. She did not disappoint me. On the other hand, Chen Zhe Yuan surprised me in a positive way. I’ve seen a few of his dramas but don’t recall him having the ability to subtly control his emotions (happy and sad) and his big, beautiful eyes speak volumes in this drama. It’s only been a few years’ time and Chen Zhe Yuan has improved so much since his “Handsome Siblings” days, the first drama I saw him in. The rest of the supporting cast also did a great job. But this drama is about Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu. If Zhao Lu Si and Chen Zhe Yuan can’t act, this drama will be a disaster.

Siblings - Many have pointed out the amazing chemistry between Zhao Lu Si and Victor Ma. I echoed the praises that they are so fun to watch. Their banter, argument, and horseplay brought so much color to this otherwise quite mellow drama. Their conversations are fun and witty, and you can still see how much they care and love each other.

Sang Zhi (FL) - At first, I thought I would be very irritated with Sang Zhi. I’ve seen clips of her acting all shy with that baby voice. However, I enjoy seeing her character grow from a spunky 14-year old girl, to an independent strong woman who can think on her own, make her own choices and protects the man she loves. We’ve seen female leads who are supportive of male leads. But Sang Zhi took it to a different level. She not only supports her man, but she’s there to protect him (physically, verbally and emotionally), to dispel any prejudice and stereotypes against him, and stand up for him. In a way, she was more emotionally mature when she’s 22 than when Duan Jia Xu was 22 or 27.

Duan Jia Xu (ML) - How can I not love a walking green flag like him? Yes, he’s too perfect and that could be a criticism. But I am also not going to deny the fact that he’s going to my Hall of Fame for Best Boyfriend/Partner. He is gentle, kind, considerate, understanding, and thoughtful. A unicorn that you can’t find in real life but I can indulge myself in this drama and pretend he does exist.

Main Romance - Chemistry is great. I was actually waiting for the college days to come so that I can finally see them interact as adults. I love the secret confessions in folded stars, the shy-but-in love glances/looks, the courting, the heartfelt yet somewhat awkward conversations by two inexperienced lovers, and of course, the hugs and kisses. This drama is made for romance lovers. I can’t help but smile throughout the drama.

Sang Family - I am so glad to see Zhao Lu Si and Zeng Li act as daughter/mother again. After the traumatic experience of “Love Like the Galaxy”, I am so glad to see them in a much different dynamic. The Sang parents are so lovely as well. Even though they disapprove of Sang Zhi’s rebellious trip, they never yelled at her, but just tried to talk some sense into her. They might have disapproved of the leads’ relationship, but the conversations are mature, reasonable and all come from the heart and love for their daughter. It’s so rare to find such amazing parents in a C-drama. Adding the fun Sang Yan to the mix, it’s no wonder Sang Zhi is able to grow up to be someone worthy of love and can protect her love.


What I have Mixed Feelings:

Sang Zhi’s baby voice - I can understand Zhao Lu Si using a somewhat younger voice when she’s 17, but when she’s a college student, that voice has got to go. She can speak normally with her roommate, so I know she can speak normally to her boyfriend. Towards the end of the drama, she has grown to be a mature young lady, and that baby voice really doesn’t match her. Is that Zhao Lu Si’s over-acting, or the director wanted her to act that way? I would never know.

Sang Zhi (14 years old) - No matter how short Sang Zhi is supposed to be at 14, the amazing young actress can’t convince me she’s 14 years old. She’s 12 in real life but she looks like she’s 10. If you are going to use such a young actress, maybe they should have a different younger actor to play the male lead.

Stalker girl - The side plot about the stalker girl lasted a little too long. I also think her presence changes the overall tone of this drama. I understand the reason for her existence in telling ML’s back story, but I wish that side plot was written better. Luckily, she’s the only annoying character and she’s still tolerable.

Supporting Cast stories - Because this drama focuses on the leads’ story so much that the rest of the side characters are forgotten in the back burner. This can be a good or a bad thing. If you just want to focus on Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu, then this is not a criticism at all. But I wanted a more well-rounded approach and wanted to know more about other characters. What happened to Sang Yan’s personal life? Did he really have a girlfriend? What is up with his knowledge of childbirth? I thought he got someone pregnant! What about the romance of the dorm mates? If you don’t plan to give them time, then let’s not start to begin with. Not every single character needs to have a love interest, but don’t start and forget.

Age gap - I don’t know if they have to keep on talking about how much older Duan Ji Xu is. 5 years isn’t really that big of a gap. It is central to the storyline, but it doesn’t need to be repeated and reminded so many times.


Overall, this is a great romance drama if you are looking for something easy, sweet and fluffy. The leads’ acting and chemistry are great and it’s a drama full of love, care and personal growth. If you are like me and like my tips above, that will increase your chance of enjoying this drama.


Completed: 8/27/2023 - Review #346

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KESAN INDAH DARI HIDDEN LOVE

Perbedaan umur di drama ini bener² dikemas bagus sih menurut aku. Timeline & tempo mereka untuk sampai jadi pasangan / pacaran itu pas semua. Jeda 2 tahun ga pernah ketemu tuh nge-highlight perubahan besar pada Sang Zhi di mata Duan Jiaxu.
It gives him a lot of space to see her as a woman now, not a little kid he used to care for. And that's also probably why -gak butuh waktu lama utk Duan Jiaxu falling love with Sang Zhi.
Jalan ceritanya gak bertele². Sat set sat set. Inget kata Duan Jiaxu, "aku akan mencintaimu secara ugal-ugalan". Maksudnya di sini, "If a man wants you, he will come to you no matter what." Contohnya : masalah kekhawatiran ortunya Sang Zhi tentang hubungan mereka, segera dia atasi dengan akal sehat. Bukan malah jadi penghalang hubungan mereka.
Actingnya ? especially Zhao Lusi, Chen Zheyuan, & Victor Ma. Chemistry...!!! From couple, siblings, parents, friendship. All are ❤.
Relationship mereka juga sehat, green flag energy tingkat dewa... ? Gak cuma bucin uwu²an doang. Jadi secara personal mereka sama-sama growth. ?
Ada beberapa pelajaran / pesan moral yang bisa diambil dari drama ini. So, pinter² ambil hal positifnya.

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PURE FLUFYNESS!!! ~ MY COMFORT DRAMA <333

If you looking for something will thrilling plot or something that has a drama or plot, these drama is NOT it.

BUT, if your looking for something to watch causally, just to laugh, enjoy, and have a good time, then don't look any further!

I don't usally watch these chinese drama, but I have to say these these become into my top tens! GIVE IT A CHANCE, YOU WON'T REGRET IT I PROMISE!!

These drama is a GEM. The romance between then is the cutest I seen; it explores the main characters personality, background, and just how to came together and support each other! Both of the character have depth and FINALLY A FEMALE LEAD THAT KNOWS HOW TO STAND UP FOR THE MALE LEAD!! LIKE YASSS QUEEN!!

The actors did a great job and I become a fan! There acting was so good, it make me think if they are lowkey a couple in real life because how can you be these cute!!!

My favoriate song was "Forever Star" in the drama and it's very catchy! The other songs, I don't remember much of, but they were decent.

Overally, I would go back to it just to watch for comfort and the romance <3 10/10.

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Perfection definition of „She fell first, he fell harder“…

After watching hundreds of dramas, I can’t believe I’m writing my first ever review here.
I’ve watched quite a lot of great dramas, so I’m surprised at my lazy self, that I actually took the time to write this and summarize my thoughts.



You know the feeling when you want to describe something and try to convey your thoughts and feelings into words, but no words can actually truly express it right? Yes, that’s how I feel right now. That’s how much I loved this drama.



It might sound exaggerated but every time I finish a drama that I feel so content and happy about, I start to feel immense gratitude for things I usually take for granted. Be it the eyesight I have, to be able to watch and read the subtitles or the hearing that I have to be able to listen to voices and music. I’m so happy to live in a country where I can peacefully watch dramas and enjoy myself. Sounds weird, but that’s how I feel.



Hidden Love was an absolute beautiful and heartwarming drama. One of the best, if not THE best ROMANCE drama I’ve seen. I’m so happy we get to see so many healthy couples in dramas recently. I’m really impressed by Chinese dramas these days. After „Meet Yourself“, I’m happy to rate another lovely Chinese drama 10 stars this year.



I’ve watched great dramas over the years and I can tell you. This drama is PERFECTION. I’ve never felt bored for even a second. This is how romance is done right. I absolutely adored this couple. They made me feel whole lot of butterflies and brought me to tears as if I’m the one in the relationship. Their acting was so incredibbly natural and authentic. It felt so real! I will miss them so much!

I also loved Sang Zhi’s relationship with her brother Sang Yan. It was so fun to watch them quarrel and be ordinary siblings.



I will keep myself short, because I could ramble on for too long. I’m happy to have watched this drama. And I look forward to rewatch it in the future. 

Really thankful for all the people who put this awesome drama together and made it the gem it is. 



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The amount of sweetness in this drama will give you cavities!

I have to say that I've seen a lot of dramas adapted from the novel before. Some strayed away from the novel, some started off promising but ended with disappointment, some just take a completely different direction from the novel but with Hidden Love, for someone who had read the novel, it did remain faithful to the novel and I am impressed that I can get so many of the scenes I like in the novel adapted into the drama itself.

I know the novel have some scenes that wasn't adapted in the drama but given the drama only has 25 episodes it's only understandable why they cannot included everything in.

I think the only sad part that I was looking forward to see in the novel was the part when DJX went to visit SZ parents again and that time Sang Yan(SZ brother was there), I really love that part in the novel because SY express how much he cares for DJX to the point that he was defending him from being "bully" by his own parents. Although SZ parents concerned was understandable, I liked how that scene played out in the novel better because I love seeing SY stepping in and wanting to protect DJX on his end. So yeah that's a sad missed in the drama.

This isn't my first time seeing actress Zhao Lusi (ZLS) since I've seen her other dramas before, and I have to say that her acting on the character Sang Zhi really brought it to life and I'm glad she is cast to play this role.

For Chen Zhe Yuan (CZY), this is my first time watching his drama to be honest as I've never seen his other dramas before. Similarly to how I feel for Zhao Lusi being cast to play Sang Zhi, I am glad that Chen Zhe Yuan got this role for Duan Jia Xu. He really did played the character well on his end.

Both ZLS and CZY really have chemistry and their interactions as a CP was sizzling with the romance between them and their kiss scenes definitely doesn't disappoint!

I truly recommend this drama to all fans because it is really sweet to see the journey between the main leads SZ and DJX come from the beginning to the end. DJX is SZ first crush and her one true love ever since she saw him the first time she fell in love at first sight. Some may not like that trope but I think the writers did well to bring out how she hid her feelings from him developed from a mere crush to her one true love.

Aside from the main pairing I also have to say I really like Sang Yan's character. I love him for being the tsundere brother who cares for his sister and I love all his interactions with his sister Sang Zhi.

The sibling relationship between SZ and SY kinda does remind me to Touya and Sakura in Cardcaptors and SZ crush for DJX is similar to Sakura crush for Yukito(in cardcaptors), although the outcome between the two pairings in their respective stories is a different outcome at the end.

I also love the part when it was revealed that at the beginning when SZ was born, SY didn't like her because he felt that his parents was giving all their attention to SZ(his little sister) and it was revealed by his father that back then SY said that he rather have a dog than a sister but it was also revealed that when his sister was not at home for the few days (since she had to stay in the hospital), he was worried about her and how he ask his father where SZ is and his father lied and told him that he threw her away, and then when SY heard that he was crying (because of what happened) and at that moment I was like really awing at the scene because I love how he said he doesn't like his sister but that's not really how he feels, because deep down he really cares and loves his sister.

SZ parents are great parents and I envy that kind of family environment that she grew up in. She have loving parents and a loving brother.

I wish DJX could grow up in a more warm environment but because of his father , his life turned upside down that made me feel so sorry for him. I don't blame DJX if he cannot forgive his father to be honest because I do think he has the right to be mad at him.

Anyways, to cut my review short and not spoil too much of the story, I do recommend this drama to everyone. It definitely don't disappoint and it's definitely on my list of favourite dramas and CP.

If I may, I will also add this down in my review here, based on my preference

My top 3 Favourite Chinese CP:

1. Wangxian (Mo Dao Zu Shi - Novel)
2. TianHui (Back from the Brink/Hu Xin)
3. Duan Jia Xu x Sang Zhi (Hidden Love)

So, DJX and SZ made it into my top 3 favourite CP, and that's a good outcome since it's not easy to make it into my top category.

I have to also thank this drama since I cannot get into any other new drama after Back from the Brink (because I miss HMH and ZY so much!!) But Hidden Love made me got into it from the first episode that not even Here we meet again and Snow Eagle could which I have been having plans to get back into it

I guess some dramas will have different magnetic pulls for each of us.

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Enchanting fairytale

Once in a while, a simple rom-com can be more satisfying to watch than an elaborate expensive costume dramas. This is exactly what happens here. Who would have thought that the summer 2023 will have a surprise mega hit in the form of a simple rom-com that was adapted and executed beautifully. Going against the high profile costume dramas this summer, this simply stood out due to excellent acting , visuals and charisma of the leads.

No doubt, this will become a classic as evidence of its high rewatch value and relationship goals.

Get ready to laugh and cry and experience butterflies and be enchanted with this cute fairytale.

Highly recommended

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is it love ?

sometimes people's wild imagination can be creepy and when you read their comments or watch their reviews, it effect your experience as a viewer too. this is my review , hope it help you and clear your head so you enjoy watching such a beautiful wholesome story.

1- ( FL persona )
not every teenager act the same as you. FL is an introverted teenager but she is smart and doesn't hesitate when she wants to make a decision. i completely feel her cause i have similar behavior pattern but you may not. the way you talk and act at 14 is different than at 20, and you can act differently in front of your friends ,family or your crush (which is well portrayed in this drama).

2- ( chemistry and shipping )
if you don't feel any chemistry between leads by ep 8, well you are not supposed to. story is about a teenager who had a crush on an adult and after she go uni and met the guy again ,the guy fall for her. some of us are fan of actors and we were here before the drama air so it's obvious that we are shipping them more than you cause we saw the bts of this drama month ago.

3- ( age gap )
ML is 5 years older than FL . ML fell in love when the FL was an adult . it shows in story when he fell in love and why. he was not her neighbor and he was not grew up with her . ML was her brothers friend who lived and worked in dorm and THEN in another city , he did not know that FL loved her. you see clearly the way He act when She is minor, when She is an adult and in uni, when He start to falling for her and when He wanna pursue her. it's all clear in the drama . it doesn't seem creepy to me at all. ( and tbh 5 years is nothing )

4 - this is a very simple story. doesn't have messy or dumb plot to it . everything go smoothly and if there is a problem ,they handle it quick. so if you love messy drama, this drama ain't for you. this drama has simple plot and logic to it .
so for me it is love and it's a very sincere and healthy couple .

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