This review may contain spoilers
This easily shot to the top of my favorite modern Chinese drama list, with my favorite actress in tow. Zhao Lu Si is nothing short of amazing in this romance where her character is crushing hard on her brother's best friend. If it were anybody else, the FL will probably come across as clingy and annoying, but she just does it with the right amount of sass.First time encountering Chen Zhe Yuan in a drama but he's not too shabby himself as the doting big-bro type who is totally clueless in the love department despite his handsome looks since he's pretty focused on working to clear his father's debts. Of course, the difference in age while one is still a minor in itself is a tricky situation, when treated the wrong way. But we learn that Jia Xu does not even express any romantic interest in Sang Zhi until much later when the FL was in college.
I believe the drama made this distinction as clear as day to make all those accusations of pedophilia or grooming baseless. You can't accuse Jia Xu for encouraging Sang Zhi's affections when he is oblivious and does not even see her as more than a younger sister. The feelings of the FL has always been one-sided until they both got older and the show demonstrates this in several occasions.
In other aspects, the parents are not caricaturally cruel but had the appropriate amount of concern for their daughter's well-being as well as being supportive. There are no over-the-top characters and most are well-rounded. The pacing of the plot suited the narrative, and there was no blinding inconsistencies that I can think of. There was the right amount of fluff, angst, comedy and romance in this drama that I enjoyed watching it from beginning to end without touching the FFWD button.
Last but not the least is the swoon-worthy OST that I barely even notice in other dramas, but here, it serves as a delightful backdrop to Sang Zhi and Jai Ju's platonic-to-romantic journey.
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Pure, Wholesome, 10/10
I love that this drama did not have unnecessary drama and focused on the main couple. Their development was splendid and their moments are super cute. Zhe yuan and Lu si look really good together and their acting was great too The story is relatively simple though I did enjoy Jia xu's backstory and the drama of it, but it's alright this is still an extremely wholesome romance telling of two great characters.The OSTs are also really good. Wang Su Long and Lu si's duet was so sweet and Ma Bo Qian (sang yan)'s vocals??? SO GOOD
10/10 recommend for those who just want a lil fluff in their life HAHA
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Proving Zhao Lu Si's acting genius, once again
This show has set the bar for Asian dramas for me.Realistic, sweet, funny, heartbreaking, bittersweet and romantic.
The actors who play the FL and ML are brilliant. The connection between the two is amazing. The interactions are so natural and charming that it looks like entire scenes were ad-libbed by the actors. I wouldn't be surprised. The scenes between the FL and her brother are the same -- completely natural and adorable. The subtle physical comedy that Zhao is able to do, playing off her costars into those scenes is amazing. Just a few tiny examples: the wedding scene with her brother when they're at the table - the look they give each other while they're clapping; her expressions with the missed kiss at the skating rink. Whenever she watches the ML do something, her expressions of confusion are hilarious. I haven't mentioned the actor playing the ML yet, but he did beautifully in this drama too. The ML is roguish, loveable, heartbreaking. Will watch this again.
Special mention to the actor that plays the brother. He made his character hilarious. And the child actress: brilliant. Hope she is in a lot more shows.
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The best drama ever
I swear this drama was the best drama I have seen recently the chemistry between the lovers and the siblings was just too perfect and their acting was top-notch. The scene where she confessed to him about her being in love with him from first sight was my favourite scene. Honestly, this was the greatest drama I have ever seen as the main character is very good 🌟 and on the other hand it was very interesting, the plot of brothers best friend, the age gap was actually different from other dramasWas this review helpful to you?
Perfectly describes first love
I started this drama twice. The first time I didnt understand why we were spending time with a middle shcool character, and the second time- I could not stop watching. As someone who has never experienced a first love, or even a crush, the writing and acting done in the show managed to portray all the feelings that come along with it in a way that even i ended up feeling them. It felt as if i was expriencing it along with the FL, the innocence and heartaches of a first love. The time the show spent on that part of the story ended up being my favorite part.But besides that- i believe most of the cast, especially the leads did a really good job; their facial expressions and body language were on point. Specifically in cdramas i think its the most important part of the acting since the actors get dubbed over.
One thing that did bother me though is that sometimes plot points were dealt with too fast- i wont spoil it, but lets just say that there were never any real consequences to anything, and even if there were they were solved very very fast.
I think that was a real waste, since it could've been used to develop the characters and let the audience have a better understanding of them.
In conclusion- if you're looking for a sweet, healing and worth while drama, this is the one for you!
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This review may contain spoilers
If you're looking for something cute, light, fluffy and with almost zero conflicts, this is for you.
My review might feel a little harsh for some people, but understand that that is only so because I'm a real fan of the original material, so I had really high expectations for this adaptation! Some of which were met, and others, unfortunately, were not, so each point not met hurt more than usual for me.Regardless, this is still a really good drama in general. So, if you're here reading this while still not being sure whether you should give this a chance or not, I would like to say: GO FOR IT.
My first encounter with this story was through the manhua adaptation. Chapters came out really slowly (and still do), but I was immediately hooked because, one, the art was absolutely gorgeous and, two, the story was really fluffy and cute. So when the manhua had only the first few chapters, I found out there was a novel and there was already a completed english translation. From that moment on, my husband only saw me again after I had finished binge reading it all! I'm absolutely crazy about this novel.
Having this been said, I think the drama adaptation failed in quite a few points. Before I get straight to them, firstly I would like to state that I don't mean to spread hate in anyway, but still, I gotta express my opinion.
So, the first thing that the drama adaptation did, that, for me, wasn't really well done, was when it decided to change the age gap between the characters by making drama Sang Zhi older then she actually is during some scenes. It's like they kept novel's SZ age mentality (of a 12 year old) and put them on a 17 year old drama SZ. Because of this, I found Zhao Luo Si's acting in the first part of the novel way too childish and unnatural for a supposed 17 year old girl. Had I not been familiar with the novel, I would probably think that teenage SZ was mentally challenged.
Also, some really important little nuances and scenes from the novel, sadly, didn't make it into the drama version. Two that immediately come to mind while I'm writting this is how they changed the scene and reason why SZ decides to stop the pursuit phase and accept DJX. This scene change really affected one of the most important moments for me in the novel, which is the moment DJX shows his real self for the first time to SZ and opens up about his family situation, while being serious and vulnerable. Though the drama did include this last scene, it didn't really have the same emotional impact the novel had.
What's more, for this drama to be perfect to me, I would change Sang Yan's casting. Though I like Victor Ma, his version of Sang Yan didn't really catch the actual character's essence...
On the other hand, I loved the rest of the casting, in special, Zhao Luo Si, who made me cry with her in both airport scenes, she's really a great actress. Her feelings of first and pure love really reached and moved me. She was able to convey adult SZ's spoiled and cute nature really well.
The OST was good and solid. I expect to put at least 3 songs in my playlist.
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One of the things I liked most about Hidden Love was the way it dealt with the topic of love. The drama didn't shy away from the challenges of being in love with someone who is not your "type," but it also showed the beauty and power of love. I thought the drama did a great job of portraying the different stages of love, from the initial attraction to the deep, abiding love that can last a lifetime.
Another thing I liked about Hidden Love was the way it explored the theme of friendship. The two leads, Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu, are best friends, and their friendship is a major part of the drama. I thought the drama did a great job of showing how friendship can be just as important as love, and how it can help us through tough times.
Overall, I really enjoyed Hidden Love. It's a heartwarming, sweet drama with great characters and a beautiful story. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the BL genre or anyone who loves a good romance story.
Here are some specific things I liked about the show:
* The chemistry between the two leads was undeniable. I felt like I was watching two real people fall in love.
* The story was heartwarming and sweet, but it also dealt with some serious issues. I thought the drama did a great job of balancing the two.
* The characters were relatable and well-developed. I felt like I could understand their motivations and why they made the choices they did.
Here are some things I didn't like as much about the show:
* The pacing was a bit slow at times. I felt the drama could have been more concise without losing any important plot points.
* There were a few plot holes that I didn't quite understand. However, these were minor issues and they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the show.
Overall, I enjoyed Hidden Love and recommend it to fans of the BL genre or anyone who loves a good romance story. It's a heartwarming, sweet drama with great characters and a beautiful story.
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I can't stop smiling
I really really enjoyed this Drama.If Dramas that are all about romance are not your cup of tea than this Drama is a pass but if you want to get the giddy feeling of the early stages of love and dating than this one delivers.
The story is based on a novel/ manhua and is very faithful to it right down to the dialogue in a lot of places.
Both actors do a great job. ZLS delivers on the cuteness and charm with a killer smile while CZY is sensual, vulerable and a tease. They perfectly embody the characters and are well cast. Their interactions were very natural and their feelings felt very relatable.
The Main Leads are very loveable and I liked the way they protected and stood up for each other and that even though the FL was younger she always had the MLs back and supported him.
The chemistry between them is on fire. There are so many scenes where I couldn't keep looking because of all the butterflys and giddyness. I almost felt as if I was reliving first love. The kiss scenes are plenty and hot no statue kissing with wide eyes.
The rest of the cast is ok though forgetable exept for the FLs brother who is funny and caring and feels like a real brother other than the ML who is too nice to be a real brother.
The story is slice of live and follows the FLs hidden crush that develops into a romance later on. Storywise there is not much else.
The criticism of romantizising pedophilia is totally unwaranted as the ML never crosses a line towards the FL when she is underage and only falls for her once she is an adult. Their relationship develops slowely and he is very considered and careful with her. The FLs crush on the ML is something almost every woman can understand as older boys have always been particulalry instresting to teenage girls in real life. I found the FLs insecuritys towards the ML very relatable. Also the age gap isn't that big anyways. 5 Years age difference at a certain point is nothing.
Rewatch value: medium since the story is nice but not very meaty. Watch for the romance and Leads chemistry.
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Simple story, wonderful execution
The story is pretty damn basic and simple, like it has nothing. An adolescent girl has a crush on her older brother's friend and never really moves on from it, rather it grows as she grows older and finally she falls head over heels in love with him and accepts her fate, only to get him to love her back in the end.So why such a high rating and so much love from everyone? A lot of reasons actually.
1. Simple story, no melodramatic plot, unnecessary angst, bloodshed, death or anything annoying.
2. This is one of those very realistic stories where people can relate to the main leads. Also which girl didn't have a massive childhood crush, but never really got him and still would love to see what if it worked out? i personally could relate to the character of sang zhi all too well, that is until she got him to love her. So for me, their relationship is like the part that i could never experience with my crush. It made me happy, i swooned and it brought me so much peace and satisfaction.
3. The characters (except jiang ying) were all loveable. Their relationship dynamics was natural. Main characters had development. They were well written and mature.
4. The acting and visuals. Needless to say zhao lusi is a high traffic actress. And in my opinion she outdid herself in this with all her micro expressions. I was truly impressed by her performance this time particularly. I felt everything she was feeling, her acting was so perfect this time. Her character wasn't a stupid airheaded crybaby who does dumb shit and behaves like a 3 year old. She is a beauty and chen zheyuan looked like he is straight out of a manhua with his visuals. How can someone look that attractive and sweet and charming all at the same time? His character was the perfect high school crush.
5. No unnecessary misunderstandings, plot fillers with too much spotlight on unimportant secondary characters. The story focused on the main characters.
6. The story was fast paced but editing was not choppy. The screenwriter and production team did a marvelous job at the whole process. With a minimalistic visual theme, it screamed elegance. This proves its high budget.
So despite being a simple drama in one of the most common genres of coming of age, it was soothing, relaxing, relatable and light romantic comedy with a happy ending. It definitely is worth rewatching because of these exact qualities. It is perfect in its own beautiful way. It was a very pleasant and easy to watch show and i would recommend this to any romance lover.
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Best romantic drama ever
I haven't seen that one y bhi keh skte hoo bla Bla bla person who is the best for you to be a bit better now than when you get the chance to see you later in life you are not the same thing I have no clue what how to get it done before I go leave it to the point is of you and your loved one of my life and death note that I will send you it will is it the other one was a bit more than a week and I have to be a bit of time to go to bed now and then we can use good night sweetIF ANYONE DON'T UNDERSTAND MY REVIEW SO WATCH DRAMA
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Love story between a girl & his brother's bestfriend?
I've been exciting for this drama for more than half a year, because of the casts and their acting skills. I think Zhao Lusi acting skills were superb, how she portrayed a teenager who was cheerful, cute & always pampered by her family. The siblings scene was something to always look forqard to. I've been reading a lot that Sang Zhi was lucky to have Jaixo, but I think for me it was oppostite. Jaixo was lucky to find Sang Zhi because she fought for him even if it was an outsider or her brother. She gave him the confidence to believe that he deserved love and that je was a great person. He was so much in guilt for things he didn't even do and he found someone who loved him, wanted to protect him and wanted to help him overcome his past. Jaixo was a green flag and a perfect boyfriend as well. So, overall I would say that I liked and enjoyed this drama.->By the way, I loved When I fly towarda you more❤️
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Nostalgic ; -)
The storyline is simple yet wistful. It brings back feelings from decades ago -- the ones you want to reminisce about and those memories you want to forget but can't ;) ML & FL have great chemistry, their acting was so natural that I almost felt like I am watching my own teenage years! Not only the memories but the feelings as well. great emotions in portraying their characters. Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhe Yuan are great actors, they made a masterpiece out of a simple plot! not to mention also other actors involved also, they were all great!This is my first time writing a review out of all the dramas I've watched -- Kdrama, Lakorn, Mexicanovela, and Cdramas.
Looking forward to a season 2 with the same actors in it. Thank you, Rosy and Chen, and all the Hidden Love cast for bringing back good old memories. Thank you mydramalist for allowing us to write reviews ;-) Highly recommended.
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