Hidden Love

Just love this drama

One of the best drama by Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhenyuan,the chemistry of both actors are great and natural, .ZL acting just superb,such a versatile actress, CZ on the other hand is just improving so well, both are so fine looking..And as for the drama itself, it was refreshing, it gives me a teenage love story way back then during my teenage life..I was so touch of the storyline, no heavy scenes, purely wholesome ..Hats off to the cast and crew of Hidden love, my only wish is that in the future Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhenyuan will have another project, the have such a superb chemistry!❤️❤️❤️

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Si buscas un drama súper meloso, llegaste al lugar correcto!

No tengo palabras para describir lo que este drama me hizo sentir!
Estoy impresionada, ver como cada vez hay más hombres escritos por mujeres, nunca te decepciona!
Esta historia te llega al corazón, te identificas con el personaje femenino, es dulce y simpática pero no al punto de ser molesta. Y del personaje masculino no puedo decir más que: Él es el estandar, green flag andante, llevava mucho tiempo sin ver un personaje que realmente te haga pensar: ¿porqué no hay más hombres así en el mundo real? (se imaginan, sería todo un sueño), este tipo de romance te hace elevar tus expectativas!
Pensé que iba a ser aburrido ya que no hay muchos giros en la trama, pero ver el proceso de enamoramiento de ambos fue muy agradable, nada forzado, es muy llevadero, te hace querer saber que va a pasar y les deseas lo mejor a cada uno. Simplemente encantador!
Y los personajes secundarios 10/10.

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Secretly, Simple but Wholesome!

I usually don't write reviews, but this drama truly blew me away. It deserves recognition for its remarkable qualities and has left me with very few critiques.

While I'm not typically a fan of modern C-dramas, I decided to give 'Hidden Love' a chance due to the recommendations and the presence of Zhao Lusi, one of my favorite actresses. To my surprise, this drama turned out to be one of the most enjoyable series I've seen in a long time. Perhaps it was the absence of expectations that made it even more satisfying.

‘Hidden Love' embraces simplicity with a short and straightforward storyline, free from unnecessary complications or dragging plotlines. Everything within the drama is relatable, grounded, and devoid of far-fetched elements. The relationships between the main characters and the supporting cast are exceptionally well-written and portrayed, resulting in numerous moments that made me giggle like a little girl, roll my eyes in tandem with the characters, and burst into laughter due to the outrageous interactions between them. The drama evoked a range of emotions, leaving me feeling warm, fuzzy, and wholly engaged. I also appreciated how the drama remained faithful to the novel, making only minor adjustments here and there.

To be honest, I'm accustomed to more dramatic storylines, but 'Hidden Love' beautifully demonstrated the beauty of simplicity. Despite its straightforward plot, the drama remains highly enjoyable and memorable, mainly because the acting is on point.

There are no over-the-top performances like you often see in C-dramas. Instead, everything feels genuine and natural. The actors' micro expressions are spot-on and bring an extra layer of enjoyment. I even had to rewatch some scenes just to catch all the little details. The whole cast nailed it, but I have to give a special shoutout to Zhao Lusi as well as Chen Zhe Yuan. ZLS perfectly portrayed Sang Zhi's growth throughout the story, devoid of any fake cuteness.

As for CZY, he impressed me immensely. He's definitely maturing as an actor, and I can't wait to see more of his work in the future. While the chaotic brother-sister relationship brings the perfect amount of chaos, the overall storytelling heavily relies on the actors' actions and expressions, allowing them to convey the story with minimal reliance on dialogue. Perhaps, this is where the complexity lies. A simple storyline, but the actors' acting skills add layers of depth to their characters without explicitly stating their emotions. I can clearly perceive the changes in the male lead's evolving feelings. It's subtle but definitely there. I can feel their insecurities, burdens, as well as their determination and strength. The leads truly show how well the characters complement each other. It's a testament to the actors' remarkable talent, and even the crying scene tugged at my heartstrings.

The acting undoubtedly propels this drama to new heights, but the music is also a delight. The lyrics of the main theme beautifully encapsulate the love story, while the song by SY (Victor Ma) exudes a cute and feel-good vibe that had me smiling and bobbing my head along with the ML.

My main gripe about the show? They released it so slowly! One episode per day was pure torture! But hey, lucky you get to binge the whole thing now and won't have to suffer like I did.

In a nutshell, ‘Hidden Love' is a gem among modern romance dramas. Its simplicity, well-crafted characters, exceptional acting, and enjoyable music make it a must-watch with high rewatch value. Whether you're a fan of the genre or not, this drama is well worth your time.

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THE BEST C-DRAMA THAT I HAD WATCH SO FAR

I'm not usually a fan of Chinese drama, but this one is an exception.
I'd seen a few Chinese dramas before this, but they left a bad taste in my mouth. I had watched Love020, A Love So Beautiful, Falling into Your Smile, Love Scenery, and some other dramas that I can't recall because I dropped them. It's either because of poor acting by the main characters, or the character is annoying, or they acting like a robot, or because the scene is too long and they focus too much on the second lead couple.

This drama proves that a simple romance genre can be excellent without a complicated and heavy plot. This is a simple drama, but it is a very well-done drama with interesting dialogue, a great plot, great casting, the characters did so well, and great directing by the director herself.

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No. 1 in rankings!

No. 1 in MDL for top C-Dramas and overall (even beating out K-dramas)! Hidden Love is getting all the love it deserves! 💗

For those who are still wondering or hesitating to watch this drama, just give it a try! It has a good storyline (nothing very stressful), lots of heartwarming scenes, nice visuals (Zhao Lu Si's clothes here are pretty and looks good on her!), beautiful soundtrack (Forever Star is especially written for this drama), superb acting (even the micro-expressions of the leads are spot-on), perfect chemistry between the main leads and even the supporting cast (sibling chemistry between Zhao Lu Si and Victor Ma, which we often don't get from dramas), and I don't know what else to say to convince you, the rankings don't lie! I will definitely miss waiting for new episodes to come. Congratulations to the cast and crew of Hidden Love! ❤️

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SWEETNESS OVERLOADED

From a young grade school she knew she has crush to this boy, best friend of her brother, as he treated her nice like a little sister. Her persistent holding on childish infatuation like treasuring his presents and memories. Age 15 in high school she met again with this (now) university boy - a room mate of his brother at the uni, her brother trusted him to watch over her to her delight. He became her physic tutor, a better tutor than her own brother, became a mentor to her young tender heart. He treated her with kindness and protective nature that she obligated to listen to his advise. When she got caught for admiration of the boy in a drawing book, she said that was an On-line Boyfriend so now everybody were worried about her mysterious on-line relationship. On line boyfriend became her scapegoat, diverting her real feeling to her brother's friend. Even he concerned and objected the fake on-line relationship which she happily obliged to indulge him....it's all smokescreen.

Ep 7 she's about to finish high school and plan to go to Uni where the boy lived, overheard her brother saying that his friend has a girlfriend that shattered her heart. She flew to Yihu just to find out if he really had a girlfriend, family were panicked and called him to meet her at the airport, in the airport she saw a young woman came with him and presumed she's the girlfriend. When he asked why she's here? She said she'd promised to meet her on-line boyfriend here, same lie she kept to avoid revealing the real reason. Pretty sad indeed she finally flew back home heart broken, she decided to bury all things about him and moved on with her life. Pre-commitment in relationship, Shang Zhi had experience many heartache because of Jia Xu treatment as a little sister, he always called her 小朋友 xiǎo péng yǒu. She regret she's being so young, age was a big issue. Not without afford she tried to move on with her young life, but things always bring them back in contact, he treated her as a family while she's hoping for more.

My favorite was ep 20, when Sang Yan found out about their romance, 3 actors did amazing with their characters - we can relate to each of them, the fight was redefining friendship to be accepted as a brother-in law. funny part was Sang Yan went back to Jia Xu's apartment that he just punched. Zhao LuSi was awesome, rendered speechless as to why her brother hit hard on her boyfriend aka his own bestfriend - with emotion bursting with tears she wanted to cut ties with him although it's resolved for the best, Another favorite was ep 23 were Sang Zhi revealed her deepest secret, overwhelm with surprise and gratitude Jia Xu weep happy and realized how much love she had, the romantic part was the kitchen scene - kind of seductive.

Overloaded sweetness like we eat too much of candies, our tooth hurts. I am just glad there's nothing cross the line their relationship when she's so young....because that would be loathsome. Zhao LuSi (Sang Zhi) was the sweetest innocent girl in love, the relationship with Sang Yan (Victor Ma) were likely brother and sister - the brother that loved a little sister but didn't want to be bothered by her whim - he let his best friend to take care of her. Duan Jia Xu (Chen Zhe Yuan) 5 years older (7 years older in the book) a gentle, responsible, attentive, kind that protect and always nice to Sang Zhi - a better version of 2nd brother to Zhi Zhi. Jia Xu acted really matured and responsible, with all passionate dialog, Jia Xu showed he really into Shang Zhi, wooing done right. If I thought first that this drama was for 13 yo fans base, boy..... was I surprisingly wrong! This drama has more kisses than some c-drama I have ever watched, Zhe Yuan's spark of yearning and longing was pretty alluring. Sang Zhi was fallen in love in their first meting, however Duan Jia Xu has fallen harder in love with her on wards. What I think LuSi was perfect for Sang Zhi character, but she seems to hold/restrain her character more than Chen Zhe Yuan - he's more open in embracing and kissing scenes than LuSi.

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deeply hidden secret of a young heart...

I rarely write reviews about movies and dramas but with this one I just had to!! For the past 6 years I've seen hundreds of different dramas but there was no drama that I wanted to rewatch right after finishing it. This one is the first one!!
There is just something unique about this drama, even though the short synopsis is not really that outstanding, but watching the trailer really encouraged me to start this drama. And I'm so happy I did that!!

The chemistry between the main leads got me so hooked that at some scenes I was literally screaming, laughing and punching the air (imagine that lmao). I really want to see Lusi and Zheyuan together again in a different drama, the chemistry was off the charts not only in the drama but also behind the scenes. The actress that plays little SZ is firstly soo cute but also matches the energy and character of Zhao Lusi so perfectly as if she was the real small version of her. And Sangyan!! - I've never watched any drama with this actor but from the very first episode I fell in love with him, he really played the role of a big brother so well that it made me believe he was really Lusi's real brother. The siblings duo was my favourite after the main leads of course. Also, the friendships with SZ roommates felt so real and they were always supportive of her. And the way SZ understood everything about DJX family situation and dealt with JY - this shows how mature she actually was. And the most important point is that there were actually no big problems between the main leads, they shared every single thing with each other, they relied on each other, they trusted each other, and because of this their relationship was very healthy!! ( which is rare to see in dramas)
It might seem like this is only a comfort and easy drama to watch but it is not, because it shows the reality of the relationships between people (not only love-wise but also friend-wise) we always meet struggles everywhere we go.

And for those who dropped the drama because of their age gap (in the novel the age gap was 7 years, so 5 years is not that much) + I want to remind you all that DJX fell in love with SZ when she was already an adult, so there is no problem with that and no pedophilia???
And for those who dropped the drama just after few minutes or few episodes: the worst decision you made in your life!! Never judge the book by its cover or by a few pages... I recommend you to actually watch more than just two episodes.

And finally the soundtrack!! - the music was so beautiful and so well fitted for this drama, I literally searched for every single song the instant I heard them.

Hidden Love perfectly showcases the beautiful stages of a journey of young people. Adding the amazing performance not only from the main leads but also from other actors - this story can make you sincerely laugh, cry, love, and smile!! I hope everyone who want to find comfort and genuinely feel some emotions will watch this drama <3 And I hope you will love it the same way as I did!! I'm actually so sad to say goodbye to Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu :(( Well done <3

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Cute!!

Loved it till 18th episode and then it felt like it was dragging on. Finished the last couple of episodes in 1.5x. The sibling dynamics were a treat to watch and the cast acted well. I just liked "When I Fly towards you" better because I was watching them parallelly and the general lack of misunderstanding and cliches in When I fly made it a better watch than Hidden Love. One thing that I did like about HL is that female lead was not a damsel in distress and could take a stand and not just for herself - but for the male lead as well. All the female characters written by this author are strong and know their mind - I truly appreciate the fact that these characters are unlike the naive/weak/gullible ones usually found in dramas,.

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"Moonlight stars in your eyes, never knew the shine would light up my whole life"

AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Trying hard to be coherent because I just finished watching THE MOST AMAZING SHOW EVERRRRRR!!!!

Okay, okay. (Deep breath) So.

Acting, music, cinematography, story, pacing = 10, 10, 10, 10 ,10 ,and more 10.
Honestly, I'm in love. This show is perfection.

Story:
The FL meets the ML when she's 14 years old. He is her older brother's college roommate.
Within moments of meeting him she conns ("cutes") him into pulling a caper with her, to get her out of trouble at school. Endeared, he goes along with her scheme.
They see each other periodically as time goes on. She falls in deep crush with him. He is endeared by her, and treats her very well, like a kind and protective older brother.
When she's a freshman in college they get the chance to spend more time together.
He falls in love. She's still in love. They live happily ever after.

That's the plot summary, without too much detail or spoilers.
(I'll add a more detailed summary with spoilers at the last part of this review.)

There is some deeply emotional content in this story, related to the difficult past of the ML. But it's sad, not toxic. In fact, this show has almost no toxicity (aside from a minor character with very little screen time).
It's hard to call this a "feel-good" romance, due to the emotional (gut wrenching) impact of what the ML has had to overcome. Some of those scenes flattened me. But! The romance itself is very sweet. The family and friends surrounding the ML and FL are sweet. And the ending is definitely sweet. So there's that.

The music is fantastic. Two of the songs are going into my playlist asap.


The pacing of the story was great. I didn't feel bored. The story did not drag. Everything was seamless.

(Kudos to Zhao Lu Si. I saw her in "Dating the Kitchen" where she pulled off a sneaky, sweet, and hilarious character, as well as in "Feel at ease Mr. Ling" where she's a bold, take no prisoners, strong FL. What she gives us here in "Hidden Love" is something completely different from what I'd seen before and she pulls it off to perfection. )


What I loved about the story (beware of spoilers!!!!):

* The brother/sister relationship of the FL with her older brother.
There's nothing new about the antagonism (friendly...mostly lol) between older brother/younger sister. He "bullies" and she takes full advantage, etc.
But this show pulled it off to perfection. They had me on the floor in the first 20 minutes of episode 1 with how they went at each other. Adorable and extremely funny.
The parts where the older brother sticks up for her (90% of those times are on the sly) are heartwarming.
He is very protective of her and cares for her deeply.
I just loved them.

* The non-toxicity of the side characters.
This includes the parents. They handle their concerns regarding the FL/ML romantic relationship in the best possible way. They are such supportive parents. And genuinely good people.
Also, the friends. Both the FL and the ML have a terrific groups of friends.
In particular, the FL has this one college roommate who falls in deep crush with a fellow classmate. Said classmate initially pursues our FL (she rejects him). In other dramas this would have called for the roommate to turn vicious, catty, etc. etc.
She did not. Despite knowing that her crush was crushing on her friend, she continued to be a kind, true friend to our FL and I love that for them both.

There is one toxic side character, from the ML's past. I don't excuse her at all. But an explanation for her behavior is given. The matter is resolved. And her screen time is limited. (Her impact on the ML is significant and their relationship is a very long one, but it's 98% in his past and not shown on-screen.)

*No second male lead or second female lead. The story doesn't call for it so I'm happy we didn't get any interlopers just for added drama.

* How kind the ML and FL are.
They are both genuinely nice, good people.
Their instinct is to help others.
It's just so nice to see good people on screen :))

*How unspoiled the ML and FL are.
His past is beyond heartbreaking. Given what's he's been through , and is still shouldering, it would make sense for him to be cold or uncaring. But he's not. His heart in open and unspoiled.
The FL is the baby of the family, spoiled and cherished by her parents and and older brother. Her upbringing has been comfortable, with no hardships. One might expect her to be self-centred, demanding, or weak. She is none of those things. Her heart is open and true. She is strong in her convictions, and not afraid of working hard to follow them. She is ready to give to others, and make sacrifices. She is a very kind and selfless person. Utterly unspoiled.

*The caring and devotion of the ML and FL to one another.
No matter which part of their story we see, back when she's a young teen up to when they're both adults and dating, these two will go out of their way to care for each other and make the other happy. It could cost them a little, a lot, or nothing. But their first instinct is always to care for the other. It's beautiful to see.

*How the ML treats the FL.
This here is the ultimate. The core of why I adored this show so much. Why it touched me so deeply.
So, when we meet the ML and FL she is 14 years old (a very young 14) and he is 19.
He's an only child, mature beyond his years, who is carrying a very heavy burden- both financial and emotional.
Yet he takes on the "older brother" role as if he were born to it.
He meets this young girl. With one sentence she manages to endear him. So he decides to help her get out of trouble at school, despite the time/effort it costs him or the potential blowback that might fall on him.
Every subsequent time he meets her, he goes out of his way to be nice to her. Giving her little gifts, making sure she is taken care of and comfortable, solving problems that are beyond her, sparing her embarrassment, and encouraging her. He spends thought, heart, time, and money (which he has very little of) on her. Completely selflessly. Waaaay before they ever start dating and he falls in love.
What struck me was how intuitive he was. There were time when he understood her, and took care of her, better than her actual brother did. It was incredible to see, how kind and caring he was, and how innately he understood her.

Then they started dating.
Now, at this point in time, he's out of college, is 24/25 years old, been working for 2 years. In other words, a fully grown adult.
While she is a college freshman, just getting her toes wet.
And he knows this!!!
Consistently, he behaves in ways to make sure that she gets the full experience of youthful "first love". Though he can't actually be her campus sweetheart he promises her (and follows through!) on giving her as many "first young love" moments and milestones as possible.

He is infinitely patient, never demanding, and never patronizing.

He lets her set the pace of their relationship from day one, and he respects her and her choices!

1) He confesses to her, but tells her "let me pursue you", not "let me date you". This gives her the right to say when (and if) they actually become a couple.

2) Initially she is a bit overwhelmed with physical intimacy. As soon as she pulls back he makes sure to stop. She explains that she's nervous. Thereafter he tells her in advance whenever he wants to initiate any contact (even hand-holding) and gets her explicit consent before proceeding. (This stage doesn't last long; she overcomes her nerves pretty quickly, but it just goes to show (again!) how well he understands her, cares for her, and respects her.)

3) She knows how difficult his life has been and how heavy a burden he still carries. More than anything she wants to take care of him and protect him. In an effort to do so, she doesn't share with him two ongoing hardships that she is experiencing. Instead, she tells him everything is fine, in order to spare him. (And in order to prove that she is an adult, capable of handling her own problems.) When he finds out about everything he doesn't rush in to save her, despite desperately wanting to (though he does handle one of the issues that directly relate to his own past). Also, he doesn't blame her for not sharing, or coerce her (emotionally, guilt-tripping, or in any other way) into sharing more in the future. He just requests of her to lean on him more and to give him more of her trust. Very, very respectfully done.

4) He is never condescending. There are many times, in many ways, where we see that he is indeed five years older than her. There is a gap of life experience. Each and every time, he always waits on her, or takes a step back for her- coming down to her level. All the while never for a moment being condescending or superior. (I just love him!)

* The confession at the end of ep 23, and the beginning of ep 24.
They were both crying and I was crying along with them.
As soon as I finished the last episode I went back to rewatch those scenes... twice!
I'm an avid drama watcher (chinese, korean and english) but I seriously cannot recall any other show giving us a confession like this one. The emotional wallop!! I'm still in my feels hours later.

Rewatch value = 1000/10. (Seriously, I just finished 25 episodes of this and I'm ready to start again from 1 right away. I have NEVER had this happen before.)

So, yeah....I love this show.
And I hope you will too <3

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JUST WATCH

This dreams was prefect. Whenever they cried, I cried with them and would whisper “Don’t cry, everything will be alright.

I have seen a lot of Cdramas and frankly, only a few blew my mind. I don’t know if it’s the norm in China, but I hated the fact that for most of the dramas it’s either the FL is extremely childish or the ML is super annoying. Remember, it’s a personal opinion. Like I said earlier, I don’t mean to be rude or offensive, I just want to air my opinion with all due respect.

This drama is a masterpiece! I haven’t seen a drama this flawless. Even the saddest person on earth would be happy after watching this. Honestly, it’s been long I typed this long epistle on any drama.

The actors were amazing! Every character were lovable, there was no single hate. And for the ML & FL? I felt deeply in love with those two. I have been a fan of the FL after watching “Love Like the Galaxy” which is by the way, among the best Cdramas I have seen.

I wish Chinese script writers would learn from this drama. I wish they would start writing more realistic characters & stories and stop making most FLs too fake and childish. I mean most of these movies are for adults, it should portray that too. I’m not a fan of skinships. However, those few kissing scenes should be as real as possible. Those romantic moments should be real and not some fake kissing scenes.

That being said, I want to applaud everyone that worked on this drama. I connected with this drama all the way, I had to rewind some of the scenes because I didn’t want it to end. To everyone that worked on this, you guys are super talented, amazing and effortlessly great actors. I love every part of it. I wish I could hug everyone on set, but it’s not possible. And I’m happy this was a huge success. You guys deserve the recognition. Thank you guys for making my day, I watched this in less than 24 hours.

For me, I would rate this an easy 10/10! I would really appreciate any recommendations to something similar; no hate, not evil parents, no evil EX, no breakups. Just two people who are deeply in love and are allowed to be and remain in love.

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