Best chinese drama I've ever watched!! ??
If you are planning to watch this, you definitely should try it. The story, characters and how they act through every scene. I felt every scene, first heartbreak of a young girl and a young boy who is struggling because of his past and making sacrifices to make ends meet. I can't express how much I love them. There are so many lessons to learn through their story.Chen Zhe Yuan and Zhao Lusi are so good at portraying their characters. Their gestures, facial expressions and the way they look at each other makes me feel that they truly love each other in real life. Their CHEMISTRY is 10000000/10!!! 🩷 It almost feels like they're real. This show has no boring parts, all scenes are worthy of your time and worthy to rewatch as well!!! Also the bonus scenes at each episode are so cute 😭😭😭
Duan Jiaxu and Sang Zhi ❤️
I hope they'll get paired together again for another drama, I'll watch that drama if it happens.
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Cute and Refreshing Drama
The storyline is actually quite typical but the casts and products in this drama (the stuffed animals, their outfits, the freaking frog phone case!) make the drama so so cute! Zhaolusi really embodies Sang Zhi so well (they're both lovely and cute and sincere). Her transition from high schooler to college student is very convincing. This is my first time seeing Chen Zheyuan but he really gave me a good impression in this drama. Especially during those scenes where he was touched but didn't want to cry in front of Sang Zhi. Two thumbs up to the cast and production team! A very refreshing watch. Can't help but smile throughout the drama.Was this review helpful to you?
A hidden crush
I seriously adore this whole drama. Have lost sleep this week over the drama and really chose the express vip just to finish this earlier.This is really a feel good drama. The plot and story are just simple, but realistic. It is straightforward, and I really love the pacing of this drama. Best to watch when you want to just destress, and also not go through any heavy or so many twist dramas.
To those who are worried about the age gap and if they get together early on the drama. DON'T WORRY, the male lead doesn't develop any romantic feelings for the female lead during the early episodes and realize his feelings for her when she is an adult. The age gap isn't much, it is just a 5 years difference in the drama (much better than the novel version of 7 years.)
This whole drama felt so relatable, especially having a crush on an older person. Starting with admiration for the other person, before it builds up to be a crush.
Things I loved about the drama:
- This drama really focus on just the main leads' stories. Despite many side characters, they do not take up the spotlight so much.
- I LOVE THE SIBLINGS DYNAMIC. Seriously! The bickering between Sang Zhi and Sang Yan was just so funny and adorable. I love despite them bickering most of the time, they were there for one another.
- Chemistry between the main leads are just out of this world. Seriously I enjoyed every scene between them. They always made me feel so giddy and 'butterflies in my stomach' kind of feel in every episode. It's been a while that I have really seriously like a cp. Seriously need these two on another drama in the future.
- A very healthy relationship with the main leads. They also try to clear out misunderstandings right away, especially the ML when he started to pursue the FL.
- The music, all the songs played in this drama was so good. I couldn't help but repeat these songs on repeat right now.
- Only a few toxic characters, but they did not ruin my mood so much on the drama. Aside from the toxic characters, I love how the other side characters have such a positive relationship with the leads.
- As mentioned earlier, I love how they represented how the feeling of admiration would build into the feeling of having a crush on someone.
Let me say...
Chen Zheyuan really brought life to the gentle and hardworking gege Duan Jiaxu. To be honest, this is the first time I have watched his drama; and seriously I am hooked on his acting here. I love how he does his micro expression here in the drama. He really pulled off this role so well. He really gave such elderly brother vibes in the first half on the drama, in contrast to Song Yan he was a very gentle and sweet brother. And I love how he was able to relay the feeling of changing and developing feelings to Sang Zhi later on in the drama.
Now Zhao Lusi, she nailed Sang Zhi's role so well. Especially that she also had to pull off acting like a fresh high school student early in the drama. She made me believe that she was still in high school with how she acted here, and her voice really made her sound like one too. She was able to convey the feelings of looking forward to seeing your crush, the uncertainty when Jiaxu started to pin for her later in the drama, and other kinds of emotions (as much as I would like to go into details, I will refrain in doing so to prevent any spoilers). I also heard Zhao Lusi, did so many things for this drama and every details she have done for this was a success.
Just another thing, but Victor Ma did a great job as being Sang Yan. He was such a comic relief also to this drama. But seriously like I've said earlier, his dynamic with Zhao Lusi acting as his sister was so realistic. They really did a great job showing how siblings are in real life.
Overall:
This is really such a simple plot. But I really can't get enough of this drama. It really is such a feel good drama, nothing heavy. Currently I'm still going through withdrawals on this drama, and definitely re-watching this again because I really can't get enough of this. I may or may not update this review.
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This review may contain spoilers
A well-done romance drama with age gap
Personally, I am not fond of these types of plot where there's a big age gap between the leads. However, I decided to give this one a shot because I've heard good things about this drama, and also the actors are some of my favorite chinese actors. And I'm glad I gave this one a go because the story was really written carefully and still preserves that sweet innocence of love.I love Zhao Lu Si and Chen Zhe Yuan's acting and chemistry. They are just so good and so natural in bringing their characters to life. No wonder their works in the industry are so popular because they are just that good at acting. I just have one tiny tiny issue with the casting though, and it's the child actress for the female lead. I think she's too young for a 14-year old. If they decided to cast someone as young as her, they should've also casted another actor to play the younger version of the male lead. Other than that, the rest of the casts are perfect.
The portrayal of the family of the female lead is so lovely. They are so good with gentle parenting. I think the parents should be set as a standard for any parents, especially in an asian household. The brother-sister dynamic is also hilarious. I love watching their scenes. They always give me a good laugh. Also, it's too bad we didn't get to see the brother having a love life haha that would have been the cherry on top.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with this drama and also sad when it ended. I've given this a 9.5/10 just for the tiny issue with the casting as I've previously mentioned. But this is definitely a must-watch drama this year 2023!
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Hidden Love
"Hidden Love" is an absolute gem of a Chinese drama that left me utterly enchanted. From the very start, I was drawn into the intricate world of emotions and connections that this drama masterfully weaved. What truly stole my heart were the leads, whose chemistry was nothing short of magical. Their performances brought the characters to life in a way that was both mesmerizing and deeply relatable.The entire cast deserves applause for their impeccable work. Every actor contributed their best, delivering performances that were both sincere and impactful. The seamless teamwork among the cast members created a harmonious on-screen atmosphere that enhanced the storytelling.
At the heart of it, all lies a concept and story that captivated me from beginning to end. The delicate manner in which the narrative unfolds allowed me to immerse myself fully in the characters' experiences. The drama's ability to blend emotion, suspense, and romance in such a balanced manner was truly commendable.
"Hidden Love" is not just a drama; it's an experience that resonates on multiple levels. With a heartwarming storyline and outstanding character portrayals, it's a shining example of how to create a captivating drama that stays with you long after the final scene.
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Pure Innocent love at its best!!
what a heartwarming love story ...the pure innocent crush of a girl was so beautifully portrayed... I also loved d fact that in the beginning when she was still minor they refrained from showing any romantic feelings from the ML.....it was just pure adoration for someone he considered a sister like younger friend ...the progression in the love story was so organic you can literally see the ML starting to develop feelings and also the exact moment when it transitioned from brotherly adoration to something more for him...I love how the FL was cute and childlike (not childish..huge difference) when it came to her loved ones but also knew where to take a stand for herself ...the acting the ost everything was sooo good! Definetly one of my all time favorites and one which I will watch multiple times !!Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best modern rom-com dramas!
I don't usually watch cdramas but this drama turned out to be so unexpectedly good. The last cdrama that I liked was Le Coup de Foudre, which was also a rom-com drama, I had loved the chemistry between the main leads there. It's the same reason I liked Hidden love so much too. The chemistry between the leads was so natural, they really felt like a real couple. I will say though that I found the first few episodes a bit slow, but the story picked up after San zhi went to university.I liked the way they showed the main leads relationship through all the stages. They didn't fast forward through anything and it made me root for them even more as the story went on.
They didn't focus much on the side characters in this drama which I initially wasn't too keen on but later appreciated a lot because I just couldn't get enough of the main leads scenes. Although I wouldn't have minded having more scenes of Sang Yan, he was so fun to watch.
The OST is so goood too. The vibes reminded me a bit of Our Beloved Summer. (Forever star reminded me a lot of V's Christmas tree. Both such great songs)
Definitely one of the best dramas I watched this year!
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Extremely cute
Firstly zaho lusi never disappoints in her dramas.This drama was really cute and so entertaining, i loved the dynamics and squabble between the brother and her. It made it feel so realistic.
I loved how the story unfolded.
Everything of this drama was on point,
The music was fitting and the fact we didn't spend a lot of time on incident was a bounce.
The ending was perfect and bright.
A definite must to watch.
All the characters were well matched and played their role absolutely perfectly
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ngl hated it
So cliche. So textbook. and so overdone.This plot from the beginning was horrible. I hate cliche plots. Give me something unique???
Not only that, the acting. THE. ACTING. I wanted to die. Don't get me wrong, ZLS is wonderful. However, I don't quite understand the hype. Her acting... is only okay. And I think it's because she quite literally sucks at these cutesy girl next door roles. It's way beyond cringe (which is weird because all she needs to do is be herself and it'd be great). Her more powerful and independent roles is where she really shines. This, was just not it.
On top of that..... just not a huge fan of CZY. hes.... just okay I guess....
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Was not totally for me
I shouldn’t have read so many reviews like I did before finally watching this. My expectations were seriously so high but I ended up not really seeing what majority of the people who have watched this were raving about so I guess I am in the minority with this one.This was a very cute fluff albeit with no bite. I like me some romcom with fluff but I need it to have bite in it and this one didn’t for me, so I struggled to finish this. It took me almost 3weeks to finally finish this drama even with employing the fast forward button a bit.
I did enjoy Sang Yan a lot when he was onscreen. Shame he didn’t have more screen time. The proposal switch out was cute and different, I am not so sure about parents attending a proposal but to each their own.
This is not something I would rewatch but if you are a fan of both leads as I am plus the fact that majority of people love this drama so much then go ahead and enjoy the gooey sweetness.
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underwhelming romance development
I love both Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan... also i am an absolute fan of fluffy love story but to be honest they would both have better chemistry if it was for a different drama. Saying that this show is overrated does not mean it sucks it just doesn't justify for the high ratings in my opinion (FYI my review is also just based on the drama not the novel).Throughout the show I have a few ???? moments.
(1) I didn't liked how the FL is portrayed in the show.
The show started with FL when she was about 14 years old and she fell in love with ML who was 19 years. BUT the child actress does not look like 14 but 8-10. it looks strange and cringy. Why couldn't they cast a young girl that look more like her 14/15 (or atleast give ML a younger boy actor too).
Also, when FL grows up, she still speaks like a kid in a kiddy tone, the way she behaves is as though she is like 12?
(2) The romance
Throughout the show, their 5 years age gap is heavily emphasized all the time.. is it really such a big deal. I have watched so many drama with big age gaps but i didn't know 5 years is a lot to be a problem. They portray the male lead to be OLD like he is just 24?
I also didn't liked the development from bro/sis to lovers. ML's pov of how he fell in love was pretty sudden to me. In the show, there weren't any progress in how he fell in love but more like a one time and boom "i gonna woo you" the next day. Even ML confession didn't felt wow.
I guess u can dissect this drama into
1st part: FL's pov, her falling in love
2nd part: FL grew up (aka. went university) and met ML again
3rd part: ML fell in love and happy ending
Despite all these, the romance is quite sweet to watch after they got together.. but it's really not my cup of tea. I wouldn't rewatch this.
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A Rom-Com That Can Make Anyone's Heart Skip
Hello everyone!! I know I am VERY late to this show and all it's glory, hence why likely not many people will end up reading this review, but I must write it anyway---even though I'm not 100% done this show myself (which is something I seldom ever do for my reviews). I will preface this review by saying I don't usually watch C Dramas, the only other Chinese show I have seen is The Untamed, which is of course a very different genre from this one. Nonetheless, I stumbled across this show on Netflix and can't wait to give you my review!!Story: 10/10
Now, I will preface this by saying I have not yet read the English translation of the original novel, but I am aware there are certain differences. Such as in the novel, Duan Jiaxu is 7 years Shang Zhi's elder, but in the show, he is only 5 years older than her. I usually steer away from age gaps in shows and books personally, ESPECIALLY when the ML and FL meet when one is a minor. However, this show does an incredible job of showing both characters, their personalities, and how their dynamic changes over time. The ML, Duan Jiaxu, treats the FL (Shang Zhi) as nothing more than a younger sister for the first several years of their relationship and then slowly he begins to see her as a woman when they meet again.
Although the age gap could slow down any other rom-com show, we never lose any of the chemistry from start to end. The writers do an incredible job of selling the story to us through the FL's innocent, fluttering heart. Even as an adult watching this show, I feel teleported back into my own middle school and high school days as we watch them interact in a heartfelt way. The writers also do an excellent job of showing the FL's innocence without making her unintelligent or unaware of others' feelings, and as you watch, you start to root for her and the ML. Both the ML and FL are kind and honest, and are willing to communicate their concerns to one another. It's very refreshing to watch--no unnecessary miscommunications!
In the second half of the show, when both are now adults, that fluttering feeling only gets stronger for the audience. Only now, this fluttering is accompanied by more adult-like issues. The show shifts to a slightly more "grown up" vibe effortlessly, and we start to see some problems in the ML and FL's lives, how they cope like adults, and how they support one another. It's incredible how almost all of the scenes in this show have just the ML and the FL, but we never get bored as the story is always pushing forward and we can see slow changes in both leads' personalities for the better.
The story itself is a simple brother's best friend situation, but the emotionally mature characters and sweet romance make you feel like you're teleported into their world--it makes you feel like a love like that is waiting for you around the corner! So heartwarming.
Acting/Cast: 10/10
I absolutely love all of the actors in this show despite it being my first time seeing them. Each actor knows their role very well, and conveys emotions in a way that makes you feel like you're truly watching a character be brought to life. One thing I have noticed is almost the entire cast is incredible at micro-expressions, whether it's a smile fading slowly or showing worry with a shift in their gaze. This is especially true for the ML and FL, who are both so good at showing their characters' love and concern for one another. I'd also like to point out the actor who plays the FL's older brother. He makes me laugh every time he comes on screen, and you feel like you're watching a brother bicker with his sister every time, but he does a great job in serious scenes as well. Seeing this quality of acting makes me wonder what I've been doing not watching C Dramas!
Music: 9/10
I'm not really a big OST person, but I truly enjoyed this show's OST. I particularly like the one song which goes "moonlight shines in your eyes", it makes my head beat fast whenever it plays during a romantic moment between the leads. How lovely!!
Rewatch Value: 10/10
This show is incredibly healing. You get lots of comedy and romance, and although there is a reasonable amount of sadness and problems, you don't feel weighed down by it. The writers have done an excellent but incredibly difficult job: making a show that is romantic and fluffy without making it feel plotless or like you can't enjoy the romance because of the heaviness of the problems. I am not all the way done this show yet, but I already know I will be rewatching it in years to come. We all need some rest and peace sometimes, and this show does that for me.
Overall: 10/10!
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