Hidden Love (2023)

Fluffy, comfy and stress-free drama

This is my first time to comment and give a review here in MDL and I'm happy it's about Hidden Love. Here's my two cents.

I haven’t really been INTO Chinese dramas until Hidden Love. I watched a few of them that are really eye catching but it’s very seldom. Hidden Love opened the doors for me to notice other notable C-dramas out there.

SPOILER ALERT!!!
What I love about it?
1. The storyline. Hidden Love mastered the art of portraying the spirits of youthful love, like those heart fluttering feelings when you have a secret crush on someone are SPOT ON. It transported me back to the early days of our relationship with my then boyfriend, now husband of which I can relate to the feelings Sang Zhi felt towards Duan Jiaxu because that’s EXACTLY how I felt towards my BF. Apart from that, I love that there are no evil 2nd leads in the story that would challenge the main leads’ relationship as well as there are no overbearing, overprotective parents/family members. I love how they wrapped up the drama with the best marriage proposal ever. Who wouldn’t melt with this line, “Six words. Only one person in a lifetime.” My tears just keep rolling here together with SZ and DJX.
2. The casts. From the main leads to the supporting casts, all of them did their parts exceptionally well. Kudos to the casting team on finding these actors who brought our beloved characters to life! Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan are the perfect Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu, there could be no one other than them. They will forever be immortalized in my system.
3. The OSTs. I think one of the things that made this drama successful are the OSTs played in the series. Seldom do I find a drama where I enjoyed almost all songs included in the official soundtrack. With Hidden Love, all songs felt comfortable to listen to even if I don’t understand the lyrics, the melody are relaxing and sets you in a mood. Zhao Lusi contributed two songs in the OST which I soooo love dearly – “I Just Want To Hide You Secretly” with Silence Wang and “I Have Someone I Like”. Victor Ma who played as Sang Zhi’s brother (Sang Yan) also contributed to the OST with his song “Be Your Light”. I couldn't tell which is my favorite because all of them are just sooo good.
4. The BTS. Their behind-the-scenes interaction can easily become a drama of its own. You can see how happy the atmosphere on set was. If the chemistry of the main leads is already top-notch in the drama, then their BTS is way beyond that which made me pine for them to be a REAL-LIFE couple. They are just sooooo amazing and comfortable with each other.

Hidden Love will forever be my “go to” comfort drama, when I just want to have a relaxing, happy viewing to cap a long, stressful week. As of writing, I am re-watching this series for the third time. And it never disappoints every single time.

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One of the best C-drama I have ever watched

This is one of the best dramas I have ever laid my eyes on. Like literally. It is in my top four being LLTG, Mr Sunshine, 25-21 are the other 3.
The storytelling and acting is top-notch. This is one of the best portrayals of real-life sweet siblings. More than the main couple I loved siblings' relationship more. I don't know how many times I have re-watched Sang Yan and Sang Zhi fights. Each time I wanna rewatch the whole series again.
Another unique thing about the drama was the story, the main female lead was innocent, scheming, soft-hearted, loyal, dedicated, and clever at the same time, like how the writer managed to write such a character. It blew my mind. Usually, such crybaby characters annoy me but even the spoiled brattish phase of Shan Zhi I found it somehow adorable. I fell in love with Sang Zhi. Character developments were out of this world, I witnessed how mature Sanag Zhi became with each year passing, and I felt like a proud momma.
I loooove Zhao Lusi, Usually, she picks great scenarios. So far her other jobs such as LLTG(which is my favorite), Who Rule the world, Long Ballad have been great too. The Last Immortal didn't meet my anticipation but I could say she has great taste
And the Couple. I could confidently say they had one of the best chemistry(but usually Zhao Lusi always have great chem with her male leads). They had very healthy relationship, trusting non-toxic, each problem is resolved like magic, and each one wanted the best for each other, was steadfast, and self-sacrificing/devoted.

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a warm hug in a very cold day

A young love story put in a simple frame, but still shinning enough to win the one's heart!you may think that the only story is about Sang Zhi who falls in love with Jia Xu, her older brother's friend and he is 5 years older than her.
but after watching a few episodes,you get to know those characters more and find out how is Jia Xu suffers from the consequences of a painful past that his family had, he works hard since highschool, and even after graduation, he doesn't fall in love with anyone, he sometimes feel guilty. But still he is very gentle with everyone, and when Sang Zhi come back to enter his lonely world when she is finally 19 , she is still secretly in love with him, feel sad for him, and still hoping him to notice her as a girl friend not a little sister. But what i really love about these two that no matter what kind of relationship they have, they were there for each other, they protect each other.
And then they both take steps towards eachother to show us a wonderful love story full of trust and caring.
I enjoyed a lot of watching their love grows, and the romantic scene was so soft and heart warming.
The chemistry between Zhao Lu Si (Sang Zhi) and Chen Zhe Yuan (Duan Jia Xu) is unbelievable and gave me many butterflies 💫
Another thing i appreciate most is the brother-sister relationship in this drama is so real, while i watched how Sang Zhi always acted with her brother Sang Yan (Victor Ma), i thought " this is how i behave with my older brother. very funny scenes between them. So i loveeeed her brother, he was such a caring friend too.
And i liked that this story was focused only on the leads only.
The music is so good too, i liked the intro, and my favourite ost is " be your light" which I'm listening to it in repeat now.
So if you are home after a long tiring day, or even feeling depressed and blue, you must watch this drama to cheer you up. It's like a warm hug in a cold day.

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fluffy, sweet, heartwarming, and so beautiful!!

Happy first anniversary to this super cute drama! I'm rewatching it now that it's airing on one of Indonesia's channels!

i'm convinced that having a crush on an older sibling's friend is a common experience, and i'm not alone in this. Zhizhi is a cheerful and optimistic girl who is in love with her older brother's friend. Sang Zhi's story is like.. exactly what i've always wanted. seeing her grow up in this show totally feels like i'm there with her. Jia Xu is the dream boyfriend material and Sang Yan is the best big bro ever! those three are seriously unforgettable and i really love them.

i love how the story isn't too slow or fast, it gives the characters room to develop perfectly. and i love all the OST, i've been replay so many times! All the adorable stuffs fit Sang Zhi's personality so well, her family is so warm and her brother's friend group so fun. there's some conflict, sure, but it all works out in the end in the sweetest way. it feels pretty realistic too, how the characters' feelings develop, and the acting is on point!

seriously obsessed with this drama! Sang Zhi's life seems perfect and i know i'll totally rewatch it again. it's my comfort drama!

i reallt appreciate the lighthearted plot, the well-developed characters, and the heartwarming story. i also love the OSTs and the acting of the cast. i would definitely recommend this drama to anyone looking for a sweet and heartwarming watch!

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I'm pretty surprised and a little bit disappointed

I'm honestly pretty surprised at how well this drama was received. C-dramas have finally gotten so much recognition and popularity from this drama alone, for which I am grateful. I enjoy both K-dramas and C-dramas and I was always a bit upset that C-dramas came nowhere close to the love and popularity that K-dramas get. So of course, I had to watch this drama myself to see what the whole hype was about. But unfortunately for me, I was disappointed and I really don't see what the hype is about. I feel like so many other C-dramas have a better story line that should've been the spearhead of this spike in C-drama popularity, but alas, this is what we get. The whole sister-brother thing made me uncomfortable at the beginning, and I feel like they chose a child actor that looked WAY TOO YOUNG for the age that she was supposed to be playing at. So because of that, it made it uncomfortable when our ML finally fell for our FL. Even after trying to ignore this point, I don't think their relationship was anything to die for. I didn't find myself smiling ear-to-ear, squealing my little tush off from their relationship. Everything just felt like it was lacking . Anyways I'm pretty tired so I'm just going to end this review but maybe I'll come back to fix it up. Bye for now!

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The story follows the main leads over a five year period. They first meet when Sang Zhi is 14 and Duan Jiaxu is 19, but it's a brief encounter. The story picks up again when Sang Zhi is 17, and the show chronicles how their relationship shifts from little sister/big brother to mutual feelings and finally, a couple.

What I liked about the story was that you really see each character go through different phases of their life, and the trials and joys of each period, be it losing friendships, finding a new job, graduating - from high school or university. Like changing seasons, we see our main characters getting their hearts broken, overcoming grief, and finding comfort and happiness.

Both the narrative and the cinematography (close-ups, focus on actors' minor expressions) reveal a story that is deeply personal. We mostly get Sang Zhi's perspective, and we spend a lot of time with her - she narrates her thoughts, we see her journals and sketches. It's cute, if you like that kind of storytelling, but there were moments when I wish they had used the screen time more wisely.

I will not say that this story is not meaningful or does not have depth, because it does. I will say that the world we see is very contained, and sometimes seeing the same faces gets old. This is exasperated by the fact that it's a low-conflict drama, which can be good or bad, depending on your preference. I thought the romance was sweet to the point of boredom. At times, I wished there was more conflict just so the pairing would feel like a more rewarding watch. However, if you want a sweet, comforting drama, this is a good pick.

The highlight of this show has to be the family bonds. I loved watching Sang Zhi interact with her brother. Their relationship was very relatable, from the bickering and petty fights, to the protectiveness. I loved how they could have little spats, but were a united front when it came to their parents. I also found the culture relatable - my parents would also ask me to focus on my education before my love life.

The romance itself was wholesome, if a little dry. Chen Zhe Yuan plays a charming Duan Jiaxu. Sang Zhi is meant to be cute and shy, and while that worked well when she played a teenager, it got a little drab as the story progressed. It was nice to watch them as a couple, but there isn't a lot to keep you excited once they get together. Or, at least, that's how it felt in my book.

It was an enjoyable watch but I'm clearly not the target audience of this show. At any rate, if it sounds like your cup of tea, you should give it a go. It's not my favorite, but it wasn't a bad watch by any means. I smiled a lot :)

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A childhood crush to lovers elevated by excellent chemistry and a hint of the forbidden . . .

In this realistic slow burn romance, Sang Zhi carries the show with her playfulness paired with a fiery stubbornness. She is willing to defer and let Duan Ji Xu lead but only to a point - determined and opinionated she doesn't hesitate to push if necessary. The suspense and tension comes from a few different places - their age difference, Duan Ji Xu's complex family and financial situation. In terms of ethics, their relationship matures with Sang Zhi's age with plenty of time skips. The plot hints at the forbidden without crossing the line.

The plot is simple and it's really the acting and chemistry that sets this apart. You, the audience, can feel and know the longing and hesitation from both sides. As they get older, the awareness that they are physically attracted to each other builds due to excellent acting.

The music is fine, production values bit low. I ended up dropping this before the end as once the central tensions were resolved, I started losing interest.

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Must watch and rewatch

First of all the story, for me it's the story that wanted me to give it a try , I think this story is kinda new for me after watching mang drama which were very similar(and i really love the concept of liking ur brothers friend actually it was little hurting to see her not able to say her love out because she was afraid of losing him and also the airport scene which made my eyes swollen because of crying and the scenes after he realised that she actually loved him for so many years was very good and the scenes on her birthday was also very good and I am waiting for the scenes on his birthday when sang zhi says yes )
Next is the cast i really loved all the cast and I love the fl and ml so much and i hve also watched their drama before and i personally think they have given their best in this drama in portraying the characters so well which made me fall in love with this drama.
This drama actually makes my heart flutter especially the ep 15 and I am also waiting for ep 16 and 17 , the trailer of these two episodes made my heart melt which makes me impatient and i hope it does the same for everyone who loves this drama
And this drama is actually very good which I will watch again . Overall this drama is good if u love watching youth , romance kinda genres and it's a worth giving it a try even if u don't usually watch this kinda drama , it's does cringe u out and it's romantic scenes actually make ur cheeks red better have an ice pack with you when u watch this drama

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A Beautiful Love Story We All Wish For…

OMG I have no words to express how much I love this drama. All I need to say is if you haven’t seen Hidden Love yet, drop whatever it is that your doing and go watch this drama. You will not regret watching this drama it should be a must watch on everyone drama lovers list.

I just wish a guy like a Duan Jaixu and brother like Sang Yan existed in real life. Oh how I wish to have a love story like Sang Zhi and Duan Jaixu, I guess we will only find a perfect guy like Duan Jaixu in our dreams. The character development between the two characters were amazing and the chemistry between all the characters were so perfect. The way Sang Zhi portrayed her heartbreak in one the earlier episodes thinking that her feelings were rejected and the way she cried. Oh my god she deserves an award for the way this scene touched the viewers hearts. Watching her cry like that, the sadness she felt in that moment I felt it too. I cried watching that scene as it made me feel I was also getting rejected of my feelings. Afterwards the way Sang Yan the brother comforted made me cry once again to see the brotherly love and care he had towards her. These scenes felt so real.

I think it’s right to say that she fell first but he fell harder. She started loving him at the wrong time but he fell for her at the right moment and everything worked out perfectly. Honestly I have no words for this drama except just perfect. I am writing this review late. I finished watching this drama when it first started airing. I was hooked onto it from the beginning till the end. After I finished this drama I have probably till now have seen for 5 more times and I still get the same excitement rewatching this drama. That’s how much this drama is perfect. It’s a drama where you get to follow along Sang Zhi and Duan Jaixu fall madly in love at the perfect time. We get experience a story from her young self to her adult life.

This drama is honestly an amazing story and makes you feel super happy. I enjoyed watching this drama so much and this will forever be my favourite comfort drama. Once again to anyone who haven’t seen this drama yet go watch it now you will not regret it. A beautiful love story between two very beautiful characters. It will make you wanting a boyfriend like Duan Jaixu and a loving brother, protective and caring brother like Sang Yan. Duan Jaixu will definitely raising boyfriend standards in all girls.

A MUST WATCH!!!! GO WATCH IT NOW!!!

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The FL is boring

I dropped this drama after finishing the 18th episode. I had surprisingly no problems with the plot and thought they executed the age gap at the beginning pretty well. It didn't feel weird when the FL and the ML got together because you could tell she matured. The thing that drew me away from this drama though was the FL. She's portrayed as super innocent and her personality is just meh. I found myself really bored with her character. She always had this look on her face when he did anything that made it seem like she didn't even like him. The plot was more cozy than exciting so it was pretty much the character's job to carry the show but the FL just missed the mark for me. If the FL had more personality I could've seen myself really enjoying this drama.

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A sappily charmed romance that is simply irresistible

One of the things I like about C-dramas is that their stories are relatively simple yet the relatable characters draw you in. Hidden Love is no exception.

Hidden Love revolves around Sang Zhi who has a crush on her brother's friend Duan Jia Xu. From the get-go, you know that the major conflict from this story is their age gap but this suprisingly this C-drama has more to offer.

The story follows Sang Zhi (played by Zhao Lu Si) throughout her high school and college days. We watched how her feelings evolve through time. What was once a harmless crush turned into an undeniable affection and beautiful love. I was impressed by how Lu Si was able to pull of the 13-year-old school girl look similar to how Kim Tae Ri effortlessly portrayed her role in Twenty Five Twenty One.

Sang Zhi's object of affection is Duan Ji Xau (played by Chen Zhe Yuan). I initially thought his character would be just one-dimensional, a male lead who only exists to be handsome and serve as the eye candy of the show. As the story progresses, Ji Xau's back story is revealed which ultimately affected the relationship dynamics between him and Sang Zhi.

In another note, this Cdrama reminds me so much of Twenty Five Twenty One sans the sports and slice of life theme. Hidden Love heavily focuses on romance while 25 21 revolves on ML and FL chasing their dreams. They may have different narratives but I must commend how they both handled well the age gap between the leads including the right time and the transition for the romance to bloom.

It is no easy feat to weave compassionate male characters in shows like these. It comes as no surprise when I learned that the director and writer of Hidden Love are women. Because of the female gaze, viewers like me were able to empathize and follow along Sang Zhi's journey as she learns more about her emotions and intimacy with Duan Ji Xau. It helped a lot that both our main leads did not rush their relationship and instead made efforts to get to know each other's feelings and intentions. It was a good slow-burn romance, one that keeps you at the edge of your seat while you can't stop giggling and swooning over the characters.

Although the show started at a slow pace, it successfully drew viewers into Sang Zhi's experience of first love and heartbreak. The show also portrayed the green flags of a relationship as both Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu constantly communicates their worries and dreams for each other.

Overall, Hidden Love contains familiar tropes but perfectly delivers a sincere and pure love supplemented by charming performances. This show is far from perfect but the absence of annoying villains and over-the-top conflicts makes this rom-com a comfort watch.

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