Hidden Love (2023)

HIDDEN ❤ LOVE - deep in heart

Loved and enjoyed this drama so much feeling too many butterflies!! Great story and perfect cast they nailed it. Zhao lusi stolen our hearts in every drama.

I watched this series when it was still on air and amount of curious and patience to wait for next episode to air was another excitement for me!! But as we all know "worth the wait" , this drama nvr disappointed in the storyline .
Perfect balance of FL and ML chemistry and understanding level. The bond between sister and brother is another spark to this drama. Its so real and natural.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 🐱🐱

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DO NOT BELIEVE THE VIEWERS THAT CONFUSE FEELINGS OF FINDING A YOUNG GIRL CUTE, WITTY, AND SWEET GIRL WHEN SHE WAS 12 TO FEEL A SMALL TUG IN HIS HEART WHEN HE MEETS HER AGAIN WHEN SHE’S SEVENTEEN, AND TO FALL IN LOVE WHEN SHE WENT TO COLLEGE AS AN ADULT. The male lead never crossed the lines of impropriety, even when they were dating; he was lovely and respectful towards her. Hidden Love is a great, delightful, and lighthearted drama that will make you smile tenderly at the leading male and female once they become a couple. Chen Zhe Yuan (as Duan Jia Xu) and Zhao Lu Si (as Sang Zhi) have a refreshing, charming, and beautiful engaging relationship that dazzles the screen every time they look at each other. This drama has a great main and supporting cast that delivered a well crafted story of two individuals that, in spite of their age difference, managed to bring about a healthy and beautiful love story. Enjoy it!

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The sweetest drama of 2023

I have been waiting for this drama since last year when i found out lusi was filming this drama after she finished filming gen z.. i love this pairing , because previously I've also watched dramas from Chen Zhe Yuan. so I was happy when I found out that they were paired up in the drama. I know that Lusi is the queen of chemistry, she has charm and chemistry with all of her co-stars,
but lusi with chen zhe yuan is very different, their chemistry is very good both in the drama and outside the drama.
Even though the plot is rather simple, this drama has quite complex characters and backgrounds. especially when ML fell in love with FL and tried to pursue FL. this moment was so sweet that it made all the viewers always smile to themselves when watching this drama. The chemistry between FL and her brother was also very good, they were two funny siblings.
Well IMO this drama is the best romance comedy of the year 2023

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LIKE RIDING A CAROUSEL; DELIGHTFUL, CALMING, AND PURE *DJX* RIZZ OF THE YEAR AWARD

**Don't watch if you're into a rollercoaster, complicated romance/drama. This would seem like a boring series because it's like looking into a couple's intimate life. But I forgive all the flaws it has because of how it made me feel. This couple had me grinning, crying, blushing, kicking my feet giggling. I keep dropping the dramas I watched after this. I think I have seen this 9 times already (and counting) **

The best drama I have seen this year (or ever). It's not perfect, but with all the drama out there, this is the closest to what a relationship should be with family, friends, colleagues, and partners. They had ups and downs but they think rationally and always communicate. The plot is so simple but had a lot of people cringing because of the age gap (5 years in the drama and 7 years in the novel. I read a bit of the novel because waiting for the next episode was killing me but I didn't finish it because the translation was meh). When I watched it, it wasn't like Jiaxu was grooming Sang Zhi. It was wholesome; as a middle school she admired him as a sort of big brother, as high school she started having a crush on him and it developed naturally. He saw her as a younger sibling and protected her as her brother Sang Yan did up until the time he was the one that needed to be protected and taken care of, he started seeing Sang Zhi in a different light. Watching Sang Zhi portray the different stages of her life and Jiaxu's flirting were the best parts. This has one of the best confessions I have ever seen. I don't believe I have ever seen a drama unfold this way with zero dragging and just two people falling in love together (he is a central AC, alright). The way he teases, flirts and the little touches are done so well that you can not help but have a silly grin on your face. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a drama as sweet and romantic as this one before. Thank you for playing the greenest girlfriend and boyfriend Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan! Lusi especially, she had a lot of input and influence in this drama. I savoured every single episode and will watch it over and over again. This drama has my heart. It wasn't a roller coaster ride, this is like riding a carousel, delightful, calming, and pure. I am so obsessed with this drama, it's not even funny.

PS. To all the future viewers who are reading this, trust me, you guys are so lucky you got to binge-watch it all together because I know how much I had to suffer every day waiting for each episode to air. BTS and the nuggets at the end of each episode, RIP replay button.

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Exceptionally Executed and Performed

Hidden Love is an exceptionally executed and performed contemporary romance. Emotional, humorous, heartwarming, romantic - honestly, it evoked a ton of positive feelings and featured some incredibly swoony moments. Zhao Lusi continues to impress me with her ability to sink into her characters, making her mesmerizing onscreen. Sang Zhi's evolution from shy teenager with a crush to feisty adult willing (and able) to protect the man she loved was done to perfection. Not to be outdone was Chen Zheyuan, who convinced me 100% the amusement Duan Jiaxu felt for his friend's kid sister could transform into the love of his life. The character's progression from friends to lovers felt so genuine, authentic, and earned. I could watch it over again and again (and I intend to soon).

The romance worked so well because the two characters were dynamic individuals. They had their own careers and connections outside of the romance, but those elements never overshadowed the romance. The biggest connection between the two is Sang Yan, the best friend of Duan Jiaxu and brother to Sang Zhi. He brought a wonderful dynamic in his relationship with both of them individually and as a couple. In particular, I loved the sibling rivalry and love between him and Sang Zhi. Their interactions felt so natural that I felt like I was watching two real life siblings on-screen, not actors.

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THIS C-DRAMA IS ***PERFECTION***

This is the most perfect Chinese drama that I have ever watched. I loved every moment of it. It has only been a week since I completed it and I already want to re-watch it!

Why is it sooooo perfect?

1.) THE CAST was gorgeous. Zhao Lusi, Chen Zhe Yuan and Victor Ma, brought this drama to life in such an enjoyable and aesthetic way. The sibling chemistry, the couple chemistry, and the bromance chemistry was amazing all around.

2.) THE PACING. I cannot stress this enough. A lot of C-Drama often fail to catch my interest because they tend to drag and this mainly has to do with the pacing of major events in the drama. With 'Hidden Love,' on the other hand, everything unfolded beautifully, there was NEVER a moment where I was bored, there was something to look forward to with every episode. This is the first time I didn't want this to end, and I even wanted the drama to be longer than 25 episodes.

3.) SANG ZHI, which was Zhao Lusi's character, exceeded my expectations and gave me hope that other C-drama heroines could be just as fantastic. I liked that Sang Zhi was quick witted, intellectually sound, and that she never did anything cringe to express her affections towards Chen Zhe Yuan's character Duan Jiaxu. She kept her cards close to her chest and was smart about how she faced her one-sided crush as a teenager. I love that she understood how to keep things appropriate as a kid/teen and simply wrote her secrets down rather than making things awkward by confessing. I also like there are distinct changes in her way of talking, demeanor, clothing style and behavior as she ages so she doesn't remain feeling like a little girl as the drama progresses. There is a confidence/determination to her as an adult that is sooo charming in her character.

4.) AGE GAP! Given that the plot of the drama is a semi-forbidden romance between a younger girl and older man, the writers did a great job NOT making Duan Jiaxu creepy and inappropriate. I enjoyed the fact that he never saw her as anything other than a little sister until she was a grown woman. Even when they finally got into a relationship their communication on the matter of their experiences in dating and their age gap was a welcome conversation between them. Green flags, truly.

5.) VICTOR MA. I need him to be a male leading his own drama, immediately. He does amazing as the role of the older brother, but he has all the makings for a great male lead. He was funny and believable in all his scenes. I also just have to mention how FINEEEE he is, he was enjoyable to watch in every scene he was in.

6.) MAIN COUPLE ONLY. One of my biggest pet peeves with C-dramas is that they consistently use a second lead couple to fill out their episodes and I am never interested in their story lines. Thankfully, 'Hidden Love,' focuses primarily on Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu. There is a teensy bit of second lead romance going on towards the end, but not enough to detract from the plot or the ML & FL's relationship. More C-dramas need to adopt this format going forward because personally I find it significantly more engaging.

7.) BROTHER'S BEST FRIEND. I didn't know that this was a trope that I would thoroughly love, until watching this drama. I need more dramas about girls falling in love with their older brother's best friends, because I ate it up in this drama. The overprotectiveness from the brother was adorable, and the anticipation of him finding out once they got in a relationship was just EVERYTHING, I could not get enough.

8.) NO GIMMICKY COMEDY. If you've watched C-dramas as long as I have you probably know the difference between a drama that is playing up the comedy aspect and ones that feel more natural/realistic in their interpretation of funny moments. 'Hidden Love," is a blend of both with all the right characteristics, the comedy wasn't gimmicky or annoying but relatable and genuinely got a laugh out of me. It also had its moments of really bringing you into the tense melodramatic scenes without feeling overwhelmingly heavy with tension and anxiety. It was perfect in its execution of each character interaction, and this enhanced the viewing experience immensely.

9.) CINEMATOGRAPHY. Beautifully shot, especially Zhao Lusi she looks absolutely flawless in this drama. There is quality to every scene and it definitely makes the drama that much more addicting. You simply cannot detach your eyes from the screen.


Please watch it. It was absolute perfection in my humble opinion. I never rewatch dramas and I'm itching to rewatch this one. You won't regret it. Its officially my favorite C-drama .

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Unpretentious Fluffy Drama

This drama is perfect for a binge-watching experience. Watch beautiful people enact young love. It is perfect escapism.
The actors did a stellar job but I have to specially mention #ZhaoLusi who brought the character of Sang Zhi very true to the book.

The chemistry between Zhao Lusi (Sang Zhi) and Chen Zhuyuan (Duan Jiaxu) is palpably scorching. But having said that I actually love the brother-sister synergy between Zhao Lusi and Victor Ma better. It actually got to me more and I would have loved it if they had more scenes together.

Highly recommend this drama, particularly to those who wanted to relive the cute feeling of puppy love/first love.
I would also like to mention the OST. The songs are very catchy which is of course a testament to how good they are for a non-Chinese speaker.

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CLASSIC Coming-of-Age Romance Drama! MUST WATCH!

This series was simply beautiful! From the cast, crew and overall production, well done! The ML and FL were very good at giving nonverbal communication and cues that spoke volumes. The trials and challenges within the series were felt but not overdone. Thank you, writers, for smart edits. The OST was perfect for driving the theme and overall progression and tensions throughout. I have seen Zhao Lu Si in various series, and she is good at conveying innocence and desire very well. Yet, within this series the audience can feel and see the growth within the ML and FL more than just positioning of hairstyle, job, school or situation. The leads conveyed real innocence to mature growth throughout the series that felt genuine and not forced or assumed. Chen Zhe Yuan is very dynamic and charismatic with his nonverbal cues. Their chemistry was methodically heartfelt and warm. There are many series that try to convey the love, desires and expectation gained and lost through adolescence to adulthood. Some come close but this one truly hit the mark in every way. The supporting cast was very good. The parental concerns which can be intense were addressed with reason and not an overbearing abuse or control. This is truly a treasure of what a blooming respect of connection, friendship and love can be. MUST WATCH!!!

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Compilation of random thoughts I had while watching this drama:

1. Why don't I have an older brother with hot friends?
2. Jiaxu is way too hot for his own good! Every time he appears on screen, my heart skips a beat; I forget to breathe; I go into a daze; and I keep smiling like a stupid fool who's too old for this shit!
3. Sang Zhi looked more mature when she was 14.
4. But Sang Zhi is still fine as 17 year old. Maybe a little too shy, or she could be like that because of her crush on Jiaxu, and I totally understand it.
5. I love Sang Zhi's petty fights with her brother. That's me and my brother and we still fight like that at the age of 26 (me) and 24 (my brother)...
6. For a moment I thought Sang Zhi at 17 is too much, but again I was kinda exactly like her except I never skipped cities just to see a guy I had a crush on (perhaps rich people privileges!)...
7. I love how considerate Sang Zhi's parents and brother are. If I would have even told my family about my first love and heartbreak in school, I would be dead.
8. Does the parents' generosity and good deeds get passed down to the kids? No! Then why should kids bear the burden of their parents' sins?
9. Again, I love the brother-sister dynamics. They are just too real!
10. Sang Zhi and Jiaxu's overthinking phase is very realistic. I am sure most people in their young age would have experienced it. Maybe that's why I am liking this drama so far, even though it's a fluffy romance (I am more into crime thrillers).
11. This is soooo cute..... I am constantly screaming and getting butterflies seeing Sang Zhi and Jiaxu interact with each other. This drama is like every girl's dream fairytale!!!
12. It should be a crime to make a guy look this adorable! How am I supposed to lower my expectations when someone could imagine such a person and put it down on paper? Where will I find someone like Jiaxu who can reach my sky-high expectation? Or does the writer wants me to be delulu forever until I die single?
13. I might die of diabetes before this drama ends!
14. I like how understanding Sang Zhi is. I would probably die of overthinking if I would have been at her place!!
15. I am going to cry myself to sleep after finishing this drama because it is making me feel single and lonely in 100 different languages.
16. Love that every action and reaction of people in the drama feels natural. Some people may not agree but when I imagine the type of situations portrayed here, I would expect people to react in the same manner, be it Sang Zhi, Jiaxu, Sang Yan, Sang Zhi's parents, or Jiang Ying. I was a little disappointed with Sang Zhi's boss coz I would expect a boss in the workplace to be more mature to keep personal and professional life separate.
17. I know I have said it before, but I truly adore the Sang siblings' relationship. Not everyone gets to experience it, but personally, I relate to it the most.
18. And slowly, I fell for Sang Zhi also!
19. I am so envious of Sang Zhi that she could ask someone to love her forever. A lot of us have lost hope in love so much that we don't expect it from anyone anymore. All we do is try to love ourselves to feel a little less lonely and somewhat content...
20. I think I can watch them for 1000 more episodes, growing old together, successfully overcoming all life problems, and living happily.

I ASAP need some advice on how to get over this series! Ahhh! It completely ruined me.

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The Most Beautiful Realistic Love Story!

Hidden Love is a beautiful drama that you don't want to miss!
Hidden love is a romance/ youth drama full of love and hope.
The story has no angst, there is no jealous ex gfs, love triangles (Duan Jiaxu has a stalker that is a girl, but she is taken care of maturely and is not a hindrance for their relationship.) There is no breakup after getting together and a super happy ending.

STORY:
Sang Zhi falls in love with her big brother's friend, Duan Jiaxu. Duan Jiaxu is kindhearted and hardworking guy who gladly helps Sang Zhi. Duan Jiaxu moves back to his hometown Yihe after he graduates from Nanwu's university. Sangzhi and Jiaxu lose touch for 2 years before meeting again in Yihe, as Sang Zhi had gone to University in Yihe. Sang Zhi realizes that she still has a crush on Jiaxu, meanwhile Jiaxu falls for her. "She fell first, but he fell harder"

SPOILER PART OF THE STROY, MY OPINION:
Duan Jiaxu unfortunately has to carry a heavy weight on his shoulders as his father had done a hit-and-run and now Duan Jiaxu alone is trying to make up to the victim's family. The victim's daughter, Jiang Ying, is stalking Duan Jiaxu obsessively, but when face to face with Sang Zhi, Sang Zhi isn't afraid of her and stands up for Duan Jiaxu. The matter with Jiang Ying is taken care of very maturely by Duan Jiaxu giving her a restraining order. It was refreshing to see the main lead not getting too sad, anxious or scared for herself, but actually more worried about her boyfriend and his safety. It was also refreshing that Duan Jiaxu gave her a restraining order instead of letting her act the way she wants or getting guilt-tripped to think that he doesn't deserve Sang Zhi.
There were no breakups or misunderstandings, and I loved it. It was a beautiful drama of a childhood crush becoming a real, passionate love. Furthermore, it was a beautifully made drama and one of the best modern dramas I have seen.


ACTING:

Zhao Lusi as Sang Zhi,
She was THE MUST-HAVE in this drama. Her acting was just so cute, natural and realistic. She did well, acting as a small teenager in love that grew up to be a kindhearted adult. Beautiful acting.

Chen Zheyuan as Duan Jiaxu,
Cute, Mischievous and mature, he can act it all. It was really a great pick to have him act as Duan Jiaxu.

Victor Ma as Sang Yan (San Zhi's older brother).
He acted well as Sang Zhi's brother. Made me sometimes think that Zhao Lusi and Victor Ma might as well be real siblings after this, since their acting was so believable.

I'm giving this a 10. Truly worth my time. I will rewatch this definitely sometime.

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