Hidden Love (2023)

A ‘waiting’ show

It was a simple drama focusing on the female lead, Sang Zhi’s life or more accurately, her love for the male lead, Duan Jia Xu. The drama title hidden love was depicted by her love at first sight for him when she was 14 years old and thereafter secretly liking this guy till her time in university when her deep concern and love for the guy finally touched his heart and they got together, somewhat like a dream came true.

Zhao Lu Si as Sang Zhi, was convincing in her role. She was pretty and sweet as a young girl. I have no negative comments about her. They clearly tried to make her look like a senior high schooler with non-existent makeup and a student-like hairstyle.

This was the first time I watched Chen Zhe Yuan. He was good-looking and a perfect male lead as the character of such lovey-dovey idol dramas, though to be honest, I had enough of seeing his face after about 20 episodes.

I saw the high ratings for this drama and hesitated to post my review because watching this drama, to be honest, I was bored.

There was nothing exciting happening or nothing to look forward to episode after episode, unless you consider waiting for the next passionate kiss to be something to look forward to. Everything was predictable and execution was slow. The only setback or obstacle to their relationship was that of the objections of Sang Zhi’s parents, but this was solved uneventfully. And then there was this third party, a harassing girl, but nothing really happened after repeated warnings.

Furthermore, this drama revolved around only the main leads. There were no stories for the secondary leads who existed simply for the main leads so the screen time of the main leads was 99.9% and that was perhaps the reason for my fatigue watching Chen Zhe Yuan.

I struggled through the first 10 episodes, waiting for the female lead to grow up and go to university as I knew that was the time things between her and the male lead would have some development. And then when she was finally in the university, I waited for her to meet the male lead, for the male lead to fall for her, for them to get together and for them to hmm....have some passionate intimate scenes and for them to get married.

I knew once they got together it would just be all fluff after reading others’ comments and people said you had to be in the right mood to watch such shows, I believe I was, there was no better time when I watched this, but somehow, I was not as touched or cringy as I thought I would be. Sweet? Yes, but just a little when they dated. That mild sweetness was the kind when you watched a young couple so madly in love with each other, but that was it. I guess because there were no surprises, so no unexpected moments that touched my heart.

However, I have to give special mention to the ending. The proposal was rather unexpected and I did shed a few tears. Finally, the girl got the guy and it was a happily ever after ending, though do not expect any explanations for the other characters.





An afterthought:
Not sure whether this was part of Asian or Chinese culture, Sang Zhi’s brother hit/punched Duan Jia Xu after realising they were together. I tried to understand this. Was he unhappy that Duan Jia Xu ‘stole’ his baby sister away from him? Maybe. Was he unhappy that they did not tell him earlier? Perhaps. Was he unhappy that the person who ‘stole’ his baby sister’s heart was actually his own buddy and he actually had the nerve to ‘steal’ his sister who was younger than him by 5 years? It seemed so.

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The hype is killing the enjoyment.

When one's expectations are set to perfection, the show fails to deliver. The show has a high rating, but it felt underwhelming to me. The story is mellow-stress-free, and I failed to feel the astonishment it promised.

I would first like to discuss what I enjoyed. Visually, the drama is enticing, and the cast is beautiful (and I emphasize BEAUTIFUL). The show has no actual conflict, and whatever minute disputes we see are either superficial or short-lived. I also liked that initially, it was strongly communicated that the feelings were one-sided (younger FL to older ML) and were not reciprocated until they were seemingly mature enough (they tend to focus on the age difference a lot, personally, I don't care much; I understand since maturity level changes drastically at this age it can be uncomfortable for many). Also, I would especially like to applaud the actress portraying young SJ's, Zhang Xi Wei; her performance stole my heart! The banter she had with her brother is among my favourite scenes.

Adding to that, I would have appreciated, it if there were more scenes with the brother and slightly more focus on other relationships. If such scenes would have replaced the everyday interactions, which were monotonous at times, between the ML and FL it would have added a bit more to the comedic parts. All the characters are well rounded, but not all characters go through a proper development arc or are even given the screentime for us to discover a bit about them. ML and FL, are both shown to have friends and coworkers. Still, we never learn anything more about these side characters apart from the caricature they are supposed to portray. Generally, I do not mind seeing characters as just 'the smart one, 'the hopeless romantic one', but when all the characters are just that, the scenes without the ML and the FL feel too bland and tedious. I did end up skipping a lot of these scenes.

Now, speaking a bit about the story and direction. As I said before, it is a stress-free drama. I generally watch such dramas to escape my stressful real life, and on this account, the show delivers. It is enjoyable for viewers, especially the younger audience. My 19yo niece is in absolute awe of this show. I would think it is a mature story for people below 25 and a cute fluff for people above 25 (although I could be wrong, it is just my opinion). Either way, one cannot go wrong. For me, though, the alacrity was disjointed, and the main reason for this was the way the FL in her high school years kept talking and acting like a baby. This infantilizing of the character is especially unconvincing after seeing her as a child. She is a witty and funny character, but all of it is lost too suddenly; I would have loved it if some of these personality traits were carried into her adulthood. Her university personality is still better and she does start acting like an actual human adult eventually, but one has to go on till ep7 with an unpleasant babyish acting. But the actor is not to blame here; it is solely the fault of the direction and the production.

If I had seen the show before reading the reviews and comments, I would have given it an 8/10. But the way the reviews make it sound brought my anticipations way too high, and then the drama failed. The storyline is not new but rather an updated version of what most fluffy romances are, albeit with better visuals. The acting is above average, and the worry-free storyline does leave much to desire. So, is it a trailblazing perfection? No. But is it worth watching? Yes, and it is enjoyable for what it is, a simplistic warmhearted easy-going-romantic drama!

PS: I had been watching this drama for a while now, so please excuse my grammar. :)

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Still trying to watch this... (updated after completing it)

Ongoing review (See final update after completing it at the end):

It is overrated here. This does not compare to other good romcoms and definitely doesn't compare to Love Like the Galaxy or even Who Rules the World. I have watched up to ep 15 and it is below par with the top Chinese romcoms dramas. I like Lu Si and I have seen most of her dramas but her acting as a 17-year-old made me cringe, by skipping like a child in one scene, and constantly hugging a stuffed animal... Etc. which is appropriate for maybe a 12-year-old. The grade school SZ was more mature (played by Zhang Xi Wei who did absolutely wonderful, by the way). After episode 1, I was really looking forward to her character growth but it actually goes backward. Their actions and banter are still like 14 or 15-year-olds even in episode 15. It has been the same type of interaction. It is repetitive. Episodes 12 and 13 gave me hope to show some depth but it fell back to the same pattern in 14 and now 15. The best part about this drama is her interaction with her brother and their relationship but those scenes are far and few between.

It is extremely slow and uneventful for the majority of the episodes with most of the drama just interactions between the two leads. I am still sticking with it but I find myself struggling to keep interested because the script is way too simplistic with no wit, no humor, and no memorable lines... Etc. and pretty unrealistic for college-level romance. It feels tedious. I will update this review if I change my mind.
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Final Update: Even at Ep 17 there was still the same type of dialog "Do you really have no feelings for me?" "Maybe just a little bit." >.< There are countless scenes throughout this drama of making a big deal about this age gap of him being "old". Not sure why the director/writer emphasized it as much as they did. Again, I think the show should've had far more scenes with the brother and their relationship instead of the slowing moving repetitive interaction between the leads. It's cute and all but 25 episodes of that was just far too slow and tedious for me. I think most people would be far better off spending time watching the modern drama Reset, or if you are into romcoms Meet Yourself, The Love You Give Me, The Day of Becoming You, Skate to Love, and more. If you like costume dramas, then there are plenty that are worth your time.

Final words: Having said that, If you like this type of drama then try it. Everyone is different. For me, I just didn't care for it. Too simplistic for my taste. As I said, the best part is episode 1 with the child actress and the rare parts with the older brother. But then it goes downhill. I favor Wuxia like Nirvana in Fire, The Untamed, and Joy of Life (so I may not be the best judge for this type of drama) but I do enjoy romcoms from time to time but there has to be some comedy, and memorable lines, or wit, and more depth for me to really embrace it.

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It is a nice slow romance. Loved it all!

I loved this drama. It was light and fluffy and perfect for me. It had a bit of drama in it but not to the point I wanted to stop watching it. Everything was resolved perfectly and not in a huge drug out dramatic way… thank goodness. If you are looking for a good romance… This is it!

Storyline - very predictable but I honestly LOVE this drama. It was well written and well done! It flowed great and the ending… thank you writers for giving me a happy satisfying ending! I loved how the FL protected the ML. She was bold and did not back down. She was no push over and I loved that! I loved that there was no stupid breakup and everything was resolved in an adult manner. ML’s life was sad due to his fathers mistake and not wanting to own up to it. I loved that the wife and son would not allow him to run from it. Too bad he (the father) took the chickens way out and left his huge burden and failure for his wife and son to shoulder. I hated the way the girl made him feel the guilt of what his father had done all those years. She was a manipulative little brat that needed psychiatric help! I loved how the FL told her friend that if she really cared about her friend then get her some mental help. She so needed it!

Acting/Cast - first off the ML…He was perfect for this role (and really cute. Lol)! I loved how he showed the emotions and everything. I have a new actor to watch more of…I hope! As for the FL, Zhao Lu Si, she is one of my all time favorites to watch! When I saw the advertisement for this drama I knew it would be a favorite of mine! And I was not disappointed! She is amazing!

Music - loved it all! Hope to find the OST but I am finding that they are hard to come by in the states. But I will keep hoping they will release it here.

Rewatch - YES! Most definitely ?!

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Gave me so many butterflies

I originally started watching because I tend to enjoy most of Zhao Lusi's dramas but what I wasn't expecting was to find myself having fallen deeply in love with Chen Zheyuan! First drama I have ever seen of his but I will be going to look at all his other ones because he took my breath away.

I haven't watched such a perfect drama in awhile (last one that blew me away was My Little Happiness). From cast to story to music it was perfect. Speaking of music, I usually tend to not have too much specific thoughts on music in dramas but I actually really liked the songs they used and the timing of them for this drama, matched the vibe and emotions really well and very pretty.

It did have some sad parts, I used some tissues but it was a wholesomely sweet love story that possessed valuable morals, ethics and values. I will also say that I really appreciated and admired the healthy relationships the characters had with one another, especially ML and FL, it was really touching and beautiful.

CZY's smile is going to melt me every time I see it and his gaze is so mesmerizing and alluring. He gives me so many butterflies and I don't know how I'm going to move on.

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Pure Innocent love at its best!!

what a heartwarming love story ...the pure innocent crush of a girl was so beautifully portrayed... I also loved d fact that in the beginning when she was still minor they refrained from showing any romantic feelings from the ML.....it was just pure adoration for someone he considered a sister like younger friend ...the progression in the love story was so organic you can literally see the ML starting to develop feelings and also the exact moment when it transitioned from brotherly adoration to something more for him...I love how the FL was cute and childlike (not childish..huge difference) when it came to her loved ones but also knew where to take a stand for herself ...the acting the ost everything was sooo good! Definetly one of my all time favorites and one which I will watch multiple times !!

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One of the best modern rom-com dramas!

I don't usually watch cdramas but this drama turned out to be so unexpectedly good. The last cdrama that I liked was Le Coup de Foudre, which was also a rom-com drama, I had loved the chemistry between the main leads there. It's the same reason I liked Hidden love so much too. The chemistry between the leads was so natural, they really felt like a real couple. I will say though that I found the first few episodes a bit slow, but the story picked up after San zhi went to university.
I liked the way they showed the main leads relationship through all the stages. They didn't fast forward through anything and it made me root for them even more as the story went on.
They didn't focus much on the side characters in this drama which I initially wasn't too keen on but later appreciated a lot because I just couldn't get enough of the main leads scenes. Although I wouldn't have minded having more scenes of Sang Yan, he was so fun to watch.
The OST is so goood too. The vibes reminded me a bit of Our Beloved Summer. (Forever star reminded me a lot of V's Christmas tree. Both such great songs)
Definitely one of the best dramas I watched this year!

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If you like fluff and you can survive annoying baby voice - this drama is for you

POSITIVE:
- If you want to watch warm and nice people loving and taking care of each other expecting nothing in return - this is right drama for you. Characters love each other, and I am not talking only about romantic love, I am talking about love itself: love between siblings, parents, friends, co-workers. So, love and care 11/10!
- No toxic triangles and relationships.
- No stupid misunderstandings and breakups.
- Child actress who plays young FL is wonderful actress, beside being so adorable.

NEGATIVE:
- The way first encounter between FL and ML was directed is ... yuck. When they meet for the first time she is 14 (actress is 10 or 11 at that point and it is so obvious that she is not 14) and ML is 19-20. It was made as you would make romantic encounter with two adults. It was cringeworthy, tbh. I don't understand why they didn't go with some cartoonish version, him as knight on white horse, or something like that. Something funny to tone the cringe down. Because, little girls do fall for older boys, but it is so different from adults.

- The way director decided to portray FL
So, young FL at the age of 14 is very smart, charming, playful and cute. Actress Zhao Lusi is smart, charming, playful, cute. Director could let her "just be herself", but, ah, no! They decided to make her "cute" by giving her the most annoying baby-voice ever and they dumbed down her behavior. We have 17 years old girl that sounds like 3yo, then 19, 22 years old young woman, university student, who sounds and acts as she is in kindergarten. And she stays like that till the very end. Even when she is doing or saying something smart, you don't believe her due to her baby voice and baby manners.

Acting(Cast): 5/10 (10 for acting and cast, ZERO for baby voice)

Dumb baby-voice + baby-pouting isn't "cute"! It's ANNOYING! And disturbing because you keep wondering: "Hey, is this FL mentally challenged, or what?"

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Special place in my heart

There is a lot of hype about this series and i really expected something different from it. The story is just about two people who fall in love and grow their relationship.
Nothing new yes, but… is so warm this one and gorgeous that after finishing it i started to re-watch those heart-melting moments. The scene at the airport - oh i really cried with her, the scene when she is explaining (again at the airport) that she came for him and not for on-line boyfriend. There are more beautiful moments that you just enjoy just watching it.
Zhao Lusi love most of her dramas and i really saw through the years her grow up, she has great chemistry with all her partners.
Chen Zhe Yuan i liked him from Secrets in the Lattice and Mr Bad. He has very good face expressions.
This drama has a special place in my heart because of beautiful feelings of hope, confidence, trust, courage, persistence, and love.

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Best chinese drama I've ever watched!! ??

If you are planning to watch this, you definitely should try it. The story, characters and how they act through every scene. I felt every scene, first heartbreak of a young girl and a young boy who is struggling because of his past and making sacrifices to make ends meet. I can't express how much I love them. There are so many lessons to learn through their story.

Chen Zhe Yuan and Zhao Lusi are so good at portraying their characters. Their gestures, facial expressions and the way they look at each other makes me feel that they truly love each other in real life. Their CHEMISTRY is 10000000/10!!! ? It almost feels like they're real. This show has no boring parts, all scenes are worthy of your time and worthy to rewatch as well!!! Also the bonus scenes at each episode are so cute ???

Duan Jiaxu and Sang Zhi ❤️

I hope they'll get paired together again for another drama, I'll watch that drama if it happens.

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