Hidden Love

Sweet Warm Drama

I'm not a fan of Zhao Lusi and Chen Ze Yuan. I'm watching out of curiosity as to why it's so popular.

a warm and sweet teenage story, perfect for watching when relaxing. but for me this was a bit boring, I skipped some scenes that were too long, like the scene when Sang Zhi was thinking. this is great to watch, especially for those of you who like relaxing dramas that warm your heart. i recommend it.

ML and FL are very good looking, they also have strong chemistry. very suitable. I last saw ZLS on Feel at ease Mr Ling, and CZY on Mr. bad did not expect they would play together and break a record like this. their acting skills are very natural and pleasing to the eye.

Anyway, this is a warm story, watch it if you're bored and relax. I think it will also be good if you watch it when you're lonely. one more thing, this drama is very light, especially since the characters are still teenagers, don't think the conflict will be complicated!

Happy watching all!

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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 perfect feel good summer romance of 2023 (and perhaps, beyond!)

Forget all that you watched before. Clear your mind from jaded gazing through heavily lead-tinted dark old-hand "grandma- who- knows- better" glasses of disbelief and suspicion. (Btw chuckle along when you get to the part with the monstrous and hilarious asymmetrical sunglasses presented to the big brother Sang Yan). Or nitpicking about colors, dress, or technicalities : these are anyway very good despite the short-changed budget it came from.
Even if this doesn't remind you of the crushes you might have had, all those treasured or awkward, sometimes suppressed and forgotten, childish memories, it could let you be moved or reminded of what it felt like to imagine love. You will thus get the added bonus of personal connection to the youth and coming-of-age story better than anything you watched before. Even those who had not so good experiences , even horrible ones, in love, recognized how wholesome this drama was and remains.

I suggest you watch on just as if you were admiring and expecting a small seedling break the soil and grow : first frail, then strong, until the rose bud flowers and engulfs you in its heavenly perfume : enjoy !

This drama is very special and we are many who knew it even from the beginning, with the young child actress Zhang XiWei who was not bad, ,but did not steal or represent the show. The continuity between her and older Sang Zhi (played by Zhao Lusi), was quite good : she was acting a role older than her real age, but represented well the difference between an overprotected and childish girl of 13-14, before the older actress took over to portray the evolution of the pampered 16-17 years old that suddenly broke the glass ceiling to experience her first real wound in love, and rebuilt herself into a more independent young lady of 19-20 in a different city. 20 is the minimum age for marriage in China btw. So, the dating had to take its time. And there were other smaller or bigger hurdles to overcome, that many watchers could relate to, one way or the other.

That's why it is on top of the wave of popularity in this summer season laden with blockbusters from Indiana Jones, Mission Impossible ... to long expected heavyweight c-dramas such as The Longest Promise : Hidden Love is not just a little appetizer story for fangirls of a manhua. Netflix does not look to China to purchase a drama idly.

Zhao Lusi ("ZhiZhi", Sang Zhi) and Chen Zheyuan (Duan Jiaxu) have elevated the "classic love story" from ordinary to work of art : it is that good!

The rest of the cast played along well or remarkably well :
- Sang Zhi's big brother was played by Chinese-American Victor Ma BoQian, who entered the world of Chinese entertainment by taking part in a song battle in 2017, where he was a strong competitor of Mao Buyi (who performed the famous "Drowning Sorrows" song that you can hear the tune of, when Duan Jiaxu went with colleagues to a karaoke where he bumped into Sang Zhi , now a freshman student at Yihe university.)
---- You will also find :
- an understanding and doting modern mom in Li Ping, Mrs Sang (played by Zeng Li, different from the at first traumatizing one she played in Love Like the Galaxy, but with whom Zhao Lusi had already many good memories of interacting on and off sets),
-a concerned but relatively generous dad in Sang Rong (played by Qiu XinZhi).
- faithful friends such as Qian Fei (played by "chubby" Hu YuXuan who has been remarked in many supporting roles since Ever Night), or a trio of sisterly university roommates, each with their own individuality :
- independent Yu Xin (played by Qi Tian Ting),
- bubbly Ning Wei (played by Smile Wei Xiao)
- and diffident Wang RuoLan (played by Wang YiLan) who has her own crush on
- a tall basket ball player university student, Jiang Ming (played by Lu DongXu) who himself had at first set his eyes on Sang Zhi.

There are understanding and supportive office superiors, such as :
- Li Xun (played by Guan JiTing) who is the director of a game design studio to which he invited Jiaxu when they were both interning in Nanwu in episode 4 (and no, this Li Xun is not related to the one in the drama Lighter and Princess, if you were wondering!) who is married to
-Jiang SiYun (played by Wang Yang), who is the motherly and big sisterly figure that makes the game designer studio a sort of home for the staff.

Since an antagonist of sorts is needed, we get the obsessive Jiang Ying (played by Xu ShiXin) who has a suspicious-minded friend in Shi XiaoYu (played by Shi XiYue) Xiaoyu also acts as superior to Sang Zhi during the student's internship in a design company in Yihe. But these two are barely a threat for the blossoming love story between main leads, so they are like the necessary mists and clouds that make the azure blue skies uplifting. That said, even rain on a day devoted for a project transforms the day into a very special camping opportunity, in the lovely story : it will remind some of the audience about the make-believe grand travels and explorings they did as kids on rainy days.

The background music and songs are sweet counterpoints to the moods and change in those.
Zhao Lusi sings two songs, the intro one, 只想把你偷偷藏好 (Just Want To Secretly Hide You), in duet with Silence Wang Sulong 汪苏泷 , and the solo song, 我有喜欢的人了 (I Have Someone I Like) -
Five other songs also contribute to make the OST pleasing and memorable :
- Be Your Light (sung by Victor Ma Boqian 马伯骞);
- You Are My Only Wish - 你是我此生唯一所愿 (sung by Diamond Zhang Bichen 张碧晨, famous singer and unconventional unwed mother of a daughter with ex-companion "Martian"musician Hua Chenyu 华晨宇),
- Forever Star - 张洢豪 (sung by Zhang Yihao 张洢豪),
- I Have You - 有你 (sung by Zhao Lei, but , not the Beijing born singer 赵雷 best known for his Chengdu song, but the Chengdu born younger 赵磊 who was a member of R1SE and X NINE), and
- Star Thief - 偷星星的人 (sung by yihuik 苡慧).
Some other tunes in addition to the Drowning Sorrows one (消愁) that I mentioned before, can be noticed. Such as a Zhao Lusi song from the Oh! My Emperor! drama (that also starred her), a snippet of a Coco Lee one (Di Da Di) sung by Sang Yan (The iconic Hong Kong singer passed away at 48 very recently on July 5, 2023. She is remembered for many songs such as “A Love Before Time,” from "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon that almost won an Academy Award in 2000. Also for the "Reflection" song and voicing Fa Mulan in the Mandarin-language version of "Mulan,")
Also, in Ep12, student Jiang Ming sang and played on the guitar the song " I've Liked You Since The First Day I Met You"遇见你的第一天起我就喜欢你 by Zhāng Yīháo (張洢豪), from the OST of the recent youth c-drama 《时光与他，恰是正好 》Time and Him are Just Right. The tune is repeated in background music in the last episode bar scene.

Hidden Love, despite all the complications it went through, in its making (that you can learn separately about it, in interviews, if you are curious), is already an international phenomenon, breaking many mental and geographical boundaries with its soft and refreshing, healing message, based on humanity's most powerful sentiments to change the world for the better : hope, confidence, benevolence, trust, courage, persistence, and love.

The drama has an "extra" episode 25.5 after the 25 scheduled ones. This extra one is, like for Lighter and Princess, a compilation of various footage such as jokes, humorous BTS and making of iconic scenes, fashion parade, interview, cut scenes, more, and ends on a wish that touches the audience too, written by Jiaxu on a strip of star paper : 只只的 所有的 愿望 成真 (Zhǐ zhǐ de suǒyǒu de yuànwàng chéng zhēn) : May ZhiZhi's wishes come true

Also, don't forget to play along with the episodes' end snippets to find clues about where they belong and why they were added.

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Just wow

I love this ❤️❤️! I’ve watched so many Chinese dramas, but honestly, I usually skip a lot of parts — sometimes even whole episodes — and still manage to follow what’s going on. Too many episodes and unnecessary scenes are the worst parts of most Chinese dramas for me.

The first Chinese dramas I never skipped were Arsenal Military Academy and Falling Into Your Smile. After that, I watched many others, but I still ended up skipping quite a bit. Then, one day, I randomly found this drama on YouTube — and wow, I fell in love with it from the very first episode! It’s simple yet beautifully written, with no unnecessary scenes at all. There are so many emotions — laughter, tears, friendship, family bonds, sibling love, and romance — all perfectly balanced.

Normally, I don’t watch ongoing dramas, but this one completely hooked me, and I waited eagerly for every new episode. I love every single character and their relationships. The siblings especially — I adore them! A little more romance would’ve been nice, but honestly, it’s already perfect as it is 😁

As for the acting — no words! The casting is amazing. Every actor delivers real emotions, and when they’re happy, sad, or touched, you can truly feel it with them. Sang Zhi is such a cute and talented actress — her performance totally captured me, and she’s now one of my favorites. Sang Yan is also adorable and talented; his smile and the way he cares for Sang Zhi made me wish I had a brother like him 😍

And Jia Xu… oh wow. I think I’m officially falling for another Chinese actor after Xu Kai 😂 He’s the only one who has so many emotions and cute expressions like Xu Kai. When he smiles, my heart aches! 😂 The way he looks at Sang Zhi is just wow — so full of emotion. His chemistry with her is perfect; they’re both so cute, talented, and relaxing to watch.

As for the rest of the cast — all of them are superb and talented. The only thing I didn’t like was Jia Xu’s fashion sense 😁 It’s a bit old-fashioned. He’s quite thin, so I think they should try different styles for him. Actually, that’s a common issue in Zhe Yuan’s other dramas too 😅 His stylist should definitely pay more attention! But still, I love him 😍😍😘😘

And let’s talk about that proposal — honestly, it’s the most successful one I’ve ever seen in a drama! Most Chinese dramas have the dumbest proposals, but this one was perfect. She didn’t even suspect anything, which made it so clever and heartwarming ❤️

If I could change one thing, I’d add more scenes between Sang Zhi, her brother, and Jia Xu — like when she argues with her brother, and Jia Xu steps in to defend her 😂 That would be so cute, right? I’m totally obsessed 😂😂

Also, during the award ceremony scene, when Jia Xu surprises Sang Zhi, I think it would’ve been even cuter if he hadn’t gone straight to her. Imagine if he quietly appeared as the one presenting the award — that surprise would have been priceless ❤️❤️

Overall, if you want to watch a drama with touching sibling love, bromance, and adorable romance, this is a must-watch!

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Happy Feel Good with Extra Sweetness

This is such a happy feel good drama that gave me the same vibes as Hometown Cha Cha Cha. It’s just a bit more sweet with teenage & college vibes instead of the 30yo adult plot line from Hometown.
The first few episodes covers a young teenager’s first crush on an older boy. Then it depicts a young heartbreak due to a misunderstanding. And finally venturing into adulthood and falling in love. Real love. Sang Zi fell first but Duan Jia Xu fell harder. The drama moves fast and doesn’t have any unnecessary filler scenes. It also follows very closely with the popular Chinese novel with few changes. There are no side plots. Love triangles or breakups.
I’m gonna miss this drama after I stop watching it on repeat. I’m def gonna rewatch it on Netflix so it’ll get some ratings there as well. I love ZLS and CZY!!! What great chemistry and beautiful people inside and out. I hope this drama rockets CZY’s career!!!

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Must-watch summer drama with a unique storyline, oozing with sweetness and filled with emotions

If you are looking for a cute, sweet, and funny romance drama with great acting, this is a must-watch!
(scroll to the bottom for the drama filming incident backstory)

Hidden Love is my favourite school & life romance drama this year, with a familiar type of storyline plus a slightly different twist from the usual. The story revolves around the main characters and how they grow individually to eventually become people suitable and good for each other.

The first thing I loved about this drama was how it did away with the usual sad-life female lead and a rich-with-everything male lead. This drama kind of flipped the roles around but both characters remained on equal grounds and treated each other with respect, with both of them equal grounds throughout.

Next, character growth was great in this drama. I absolutely appreciated how they portrayed Sang Zhi, from when she was young till she grew into a fully grown adult. If filmed badly, it could easily be sending the wrong message about childhood crushes and having underage relationships. However, the Hidden Love crew did fantastic by showing how Sang Zhi saw Jia Xu as a really nice brother and wished for him to be her brother instead, resolving any possible mislead. Same for how Jia Xu was portrayed, as they showed how he only treated her as a young kid until she was in university to prevent misleads. Props to the crew!

Lastly, the actors were amazing. Every sweet scene had me screaming, and every tearful scene made me sacrifice tissues. The actors made the scenes believable, and I could feel the happiness and sadness along with them through the screen. It was so heartening to see how all characters played their role seriously, working together to make the scenes relatable, no matter funny or emotionally heavy.

This summer, Hidden Love brought me lots of happiness and laughter in a short span of less than 3 weeks. As mentioned, there were tears involved as well, but it was all worth it. Although this might seem like a pure romance drama, I deeply appreciate the realistic parts of the drama to balance everything out. Jia Xu's character taught us how hard work can change things, even when your whole world looks like it's collapsing, and days will get better eventually. Sang Zhi showed us how we have to grow and mature as we age, to become our better selves, so that we can care for the people around us who matter.

Bonus; the OSTs were all so good, one of my favourite drama OST list by far.

Just to share, the original director of Hidden Love actually left the crew before shortly before filming started, and the drama faced problems with casting and wardrobe - they only had outfits to last for 2 days.
Lu Si (female lead), invited actors she knew (previous drama partners & friends) to take up the characters appropriately. Also, she went around looking for brands to sponsor outfits for the other characters and helped with their wardrobe styling as well. Lastly, Lu Si even personally designed Sang Zhi's character further by choosing accessories and props that fit the character well. Without all these efforts, the drama could have been unable to push through.

10/10 for the actors' efforts in scenes, 10/10 for OSTs, and 10/10 in my heart, there was nothing in the plot I wanted to deduct points for, so Hidden Love is 10/10 in all!

See you next time, peach

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I wish I can rate 11 or higher ?

If you have experienced romantic crash to older guy in your school days, you can relate to FL in this drama. The emotion and feeling of FL are so well described and performed by Lusi. And the chemistry between ML and FL were phenomenal and they made this drama much more fun and meaningful. At the same time, screenwriter, director, all of supporting performers and staff are amazing to complete this perfect love story. Especial actor who played older brother of FL, he was amazing.

Without any doubt, this drama will attract many viewers around the world. It is rated as TV-G in USA Netflix, so young adults can also enjoy it.

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I have no clue how I am supposed to get over this !

I usually do not watch Chinese drama much. But after watching some clips here and there of the first 2 episodes, this drama had my attention. I was hooked from the very first episode of it.
It is different from any typical drama in my opinion. No toxic storyline, nothing over bearing - just a simple and wholesome story full of green flags. Every relation in the drama is so pure, understanding and refreshing.
The chemistry between the two leads is amazing and truly it made my heart beat faster every single time! Even the friends of both the leads are so supporting and caring towards each other, no jealousy, no competition, no negativity, nothing toxic.
I am in love with this drama, the plotline, the characters, the music - everything ! I have already started re-watching it from the start the very next day I finished it for the first time. Every time it feels like I am watching HIDDEN LOVE for the first time. Every second of the drama is worthy of appreciation. Every little detail is commendable.
Even after finishing it, I still have butterflies in my stomach and my heart feels full.
I have no clue how I am supposed to get over such an amazing, heartwarming, swoon worthy drama.

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An Unforgettable Gem in My Drama Collection

So, I just finished watching "Hidden Love," and guys, it's officially skyrocketing to the top of my drama list. I'm not even a hardcore drama buff, but this one? It's a game-changer. The story had me hooked from the get-go – emotions, plot twists, character development – you name it, they nailed it.

Let's talk about the chemistry between the leads – off the charts! It felt so real, you know? Like, I was invested in their journey. The actors were on point, delivering performances that gave the characters depth and nuance.

And guess what? I'm already planning a rewatch. There's so much going on in the plot, and I'm pretty sure I missed some subtle details the first time around. The thought of diving back into "Hidden Love" is just too tempting to resist.

Bottom line, if you're into dramas or even if you're not, "Hidden Love" is a must-watch. It's got that perfect blend of a gripping story and outstanding performances that'll stick with you long after the credits roll. Trust me, it's a gem in the drama world.

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