Decent show overall.... amazing show for the right crowd
The issu i have with this show is... story like these are a dime and dozen every few months.Though this show did an amazing job portraying a little girl's infatuation slowly turn into her first love and so on...it lack that "thing" to keep me hooked... by episode 11 or so... I was asking myself... so what's next...
Personnaly, the acting is by far the biggest plus to this serie....Zhao Lusi is insanely good in this role... it's actually scary how good of a job she did portraying a little girl from 14 to 19 years old. .. the rest of the cast was... meh nothing more nothing less.
The music was ok I guess.... you see show like " The Double" for example have me humming differents songs after each episode... because not only were they good.... but they stick with you... this show.... to be honest.... i can't even rememer a single song from any scene...I wouldn't say it was bad... but just forgettable.
Thi si the kind of drama that I usually watch once then forget about it....
Overall I gave it a 7 because it wasn't really my type of show and there are soo many out there like this one....
However I can see why people who enjoy this kind of show giving it 9-10.
Was this review helpful to you?
✒⭐Grasp Those Stars & Hold Tight⭐ °7.8° °VG°
Here's a romance that's a warm and sticky sweet bun with a nice cup of chamomile tea. We're talking very low drama. Romance fans will find it charming and relaxing. I certainly did. Others might be underwhelmed. We meet Sang Zhi (Zhizhi) in middle school and follow her through several years of her life. In ep1 big bro brings his friend, Jiaxu, home. Zhizhi is smitten. Jiaxu is thoughtful and kind towards her. He always has time for her, which only fans the flames as the years roll by.HL is a 2023 release that is rated a whopping 9 on MDL. It is 1 season consisting of 25 45-minute episodes. Zhao Lu Si (Who Rules the World-7.5, I Hear You-7, The Romance of Tiger and Rose-9.8, Love Like the Galaxy) is FL Sang Zhi. I've liked her in everything I've seen so far, but my respect for her abilities took a leap forward with this show. Feisty and full of life describes most of her characters. Here, she's shy and demure (though she's capable of pulling some bold moves, we'll see). Even her body language says she's not fully grown. While in HS, her gangly walk is the pièce de résistance of her act. She's extremely impressive, particularly when one factors in how different she is from her other performances. I am a fan.
Chen Zhe Yuan (Our Secret, Handsome Siblings-8.7) play ML Duan Jiaxu. He's a sparky, mischievous brat in HS, a show that I love. In HL he's calm and thoughtful. Victor Ma (Detective Chinatown, Moments We Shared) is big brother Sang Yan. He may be the big brother, but he's a bit of a brat, always calling Zhizhi “Little demon”. The director is Lee Ching Jung (Go Go Squid!, Everyone Loves Me). The screenwriter is Ou Si Jia of Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities, and the original creator is Zhu Yi of the show, When I Fly Towards You-7.8.
The day Zhizhi meets Jiaxu she has a dilemma. She's in trouble at school and her parents have been called in for a teacher conference. She somehow persuades Jiaxu to pose as her brother for the conference. He attends, explaining that the parents are out of town. Crisis deleveled. That favor creates a bond between them that will never be broken. Zhizhi ends up at college in Jiaxu's hometown, and he is the only person she knows there. Sang Yan asks friend, Jiaxu, to look out for his sister. Jiaxu does. Zhizhi was already looking at Jiaxu… and only him.
I watched HL back-to-back with When I Fly Towards You. They are similar - same author. They're relaxing, they really couldn't be sweeter, and they both lack depth. Other than a stalker connected to Jiaxu over a mistake his father made, the biggest problem the characters face in HL is Zhi's milk allergy. (The show presents the 5 year age difference as a big issue. It certainly is for teens, but once they are both in their 20's it isn't worth mentioning). That's okay; there's a nice big space with comfy couches for such wind-down watches. It does lower the degree of difficulty, though, and thus the maximum score. One the one hand, to do a slice-of-life feature in which not much happens, yet it is still a great watch, takes skill. On the other hand, for a feature to be in the high 8's and above, there should be complexity and these 2 shows have none. They can be every bit as enjoyable as, and the ones we rewatch before more highly rated shows. Entertainment that touches the heart is meritorious regardless of technical lapses. WIFTY gets a higher cuteness rating because the female lead’s character is ridiculously and relentlessly cute, while HL is more tranquil. It's almost plodding, but never boring. These shows are for romantiholics only, and look at the ratings - romance junkies are very satisfied. If you want to expose a friend, who is only a casual romance watcher, to a youthful Chinese romance, I suggest A Little Thing Called First Love-8.5 or Wait, My Youth-8.4.
HL may lack deeper shading but it has no flaws. Every element is done well. The music is quite nice, however Shazam only had titles in Mandarin. Some did pop up on Spotify. Modern-day Cdramas have gotten better. Before 2019 most are deeply flawed, though not without their charms. One of the best things about Cdramas is what I call their Prozac effect. They are designed to quiet the mind and calm the spirit. If anxiety is up, a Chinese modern-day romance like HL could very well help level the mood.
At one point Zhizhi pumps her fist in the air and gives Jiaxu the common Kdrama encouragement: “FIGHTING!” The most recent Cdramas have been acknowledging the popularity of Kdramas, and I suspect it's a call out to what has inspired their growth. I love it. I also loved HL. Will you? If you call yourself a romance fan, maybe. Probably. If you consider yourself a romance /junkie/ then there can be no doubt; check it out!
〰🖍 IMHO
📣7.5 📝7 🎭8.3 💓7 🦋6 🎨6.5 🎵/🔊8 🔚7.7 ▪ 🌞7 ⚡3 😅3 😭3 😱1 😯2 🤢0 🤔3 💤0
Age 12+ for mild sexual content; Rated TV-Y7: Directed to Older Children
Re-📺? It's not impossible, but there's a long list of other shows that would precede it in a rewatch.
In order of ~lite & trite~ to ~heavy & serious~ you may also like:
💓 -
C🇨🇳: Well-Intended Love 7.5 Rom-porn - extra points for the dopamine;
🌐 I Hear You ‘19 7.3, so cute but with many flaws
🌐 You are my destiny 6.8 ‘20 cute and sweet and 1/2 padding
Find Yourself 8.9;
The Sleepless Princess 9.1
K🇰🇷 :
A Witch's Love 7.8;
Love To Hate You 8.9;
Touch Your Heart 8.2;
Crash Landing On You 9.1;
Oh My Ghost 10;
It's Okay Not to Be Okay 9;
Hospital Playlist 9;
My Mister 9.5;
🎎 -
C🇨🇳: Overlord 8.4,
Under the Power 8.6,
The Rebel Princess 9.1,
The Sword and the Brocade 8.6 (in ancient Chinese opera style),
The Rise of Phoenixes 9
K🇰🇷:
My Only Love Song 8.7 excellent comedy;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl 8.5;
The King's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9
🔮🐉-
C🇨🇳: Love Between Fairy & Devil 8.9;
Once upon a time in Linglian Mountain 7.5;
Douluo Continent 9.4;
Eternal Love 8.3,
Ancient Love Poetry 8.6;
Love and Redemption 10
Japanese🇯🇵 lite romcoms: Maid Sama-10, Mischievous Kiss Love in Tokyo-7.8, Love, Chunibyo And Other Delusions-8.4, Toradora-8.5
Was this review helpful to you?
Trope and juvenile
This is a juvenile drama and should be watched as such. It is trope and adolescent to be crushing someone. It is very innocent (or naive depending on your viewpoint) and pure as some reviewers have commented. It is refreshing even compared to some other teen dramas which nowadays focus on difficult themes like bullying or the stress/pressure of academic excellence or suicide ideation. However, I couldn't help but get vibes of paedophilic grooming especially in the first episode with the 14 yo Sang Zhi and developed a strong 'ick' factor.I seriously don't know how this drama can rate so highly compared to real meaty dramas. I watched hoping it would get more 'adult' and meaty but finally gave up. I really liked Zhao Lu Si and her portrayal of a high school student was spot on. Young love is pure and juvenile and one has to be in the right mood for it. Unfortunately, I'm not.
Was this review helpful to you?
Disappointed
I was very excited to watch this series because of Zhao Lusi, butdropped it because of ML. I was not able to watch him onscreen,
somehow adjusted because of Zhao Lusi.
ML is not looking like a man in love, his expression is of lusty man.
In the first few episodes, he is looking like a pervert, a Pedophile.
Disappointed . They should had hired a good actor, with a little bit more mature love looks not a actor who's giving expression of a molester than a lover.
Was this review helpful to you?
Diabetic sweetness we need in our life
SO ADORABLE!! Great acting, great chemistry., beautiful family relationships. This is such s breath of fresh air after watching so many toxic relationships.Recommended to watch to ease d pressure of daily life. Makes you rethink on wat kind of relationships you want in your life. On a deeper level, this is d kind of love and family dynamics dat we should aim lol.. Love d brother realness, dat regardless his full blown annoying attitude, he always protects his sister. I want one too, please.. And dont forget his brother kind and fluffy sidekick., Love his kind nature too.. DAYM I ADORE THIS NON TOXIC CREATURES!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
Dropped
The acting is bad except for the first episode.The music is decent.
The story is too slow. Can walk away to get some coffee and 20 min later and not miss anything. Can miss an entire episode and not miss anything. Being called 2nd brother over and over, him acting like a father figure but later wanting a romance is creepy.
Shouldn't be listed as comedy.
The hype is ridiculous. Started off at 9.9 on imdb and once it gets on Netflix, it'll probably dump faster when people try it like I did. Waste of time unless you are a 9 or 10 year old maybe.
Was this review helpful to you?
Worth it ❤️
The story is just perfect. I love the development of the plot. The scenes are very simple yet it invokes so much emotion. I also like the fact that there is no dull moment nor toxic parts. The story does not only gives entertainment but it also gives lessons. Like how the characters build their own self, there’s self-love, there’s patience, there’s hope. The story is really nice and i don’t want to spoil it.The casts and their acting is FRENCH KISS💋💋 They are so talented and very natural. Especially the female lead both her kid and adult version. I also love the dynamics between their siblings relationship. Everything about the cast is just so pretty, natural, and VEERRYYY talented. Just imagine how thier subtle smiles or movements looks so natural 🥹 Gossssshhh, I so want to hug her in her middle school airport scene, that scene is so impactful that I totally felt her what she felt that time, very relatable. The story is nice but I must say that because of the casts, the story was brought to so much life.
OSTs are so cute that it feels well to the scenes. I must say that they chose prefectly well the osts for this series.
Overall, I will definitely recommend this 🥹❤️
Was this review helpful to you?
Hidden First Love
Hidden Love is a sweet romance that captures the magic and vulnerability of falling in love for the first time. With its soft atmosphere, lovable leads, and heartfelt storytelling, this drama feels like a comforting memory you want to hold on to.The story follows Sang Zhi, a bright and somewhat awkward high school girl, and Duan Jiaxu, her older brother’s friend. What starts as a quiet crush gradually grows into something deeper, and the drama carefully traces their relationship over several years. It’s not rushed, not overly dramatic, but instead focused on small moments—glances, shared silences, and emotional growth.
One of the drama’s biggest strengths is its atmosphere. The cinematography is warm and nostalgic, almost dreamlike at times. The pacing is relaxed, which might feel slow to some, but it works beautifully for a story built on unspoken feelings and growing trust. The OST (original soundtrack) also adds to the overall feeling, matching the tone perfectly.
Zhao Lusi as Sang Zhi is incredibly charming, capturing the innocence and uncertainty of young love. Chen Zheyuan plays Duan Jiaxu with a calm, steady presence that slowly reveals more emotional depth as the story unfolds. Their chemistry feels natural, never forced, and the age gap is handled with sensitivity and care.
Beyond the romance, Hidden Love also explores themes like family relationships, personal growth, and emotional healing. It doesn’t rely on dramatic twists, but instead lets the characters grow organically. It’s a story about timing, patience, and the quiet ways people come to care for each other.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Healing dramas
For this drama I'll give 9 out of 10 since the plot isn't that bad and not overhyped. I get it why, their chemistry is chef kiss and what I love the most is the relationship love-hate siblings between Sang Yan and Sang Zhi.Literally the definition of siblings 😂😂
I'll look forward to other Zhu Yi's Universe.
Was this review helpful to you?
I LOVE ITTTTT
this was so cozy and TBH it changed my perspective on relationships. the way they’re each other's constant support system throughout the whole story is so SOOOO 🫶🏻 watching their bond grow made me realize how important it is to have someone who truly gets you and is always there for you.duan jiaxu didn’t deserve anything that happened to him. he’s such an amazing person and i’m so happy sang zhi was there to show him his worth and helped him heal. it was so heartwarming to see how she brought out the best in him ❤️🩹
Was this review helpful to you?
Nothing special
I heard so much about it so thought to watchDrop after forest twenty min
The young girl who played Zhao lusi is v young May be 9 or ten. And it becomes creepy to see her fall in love
When Zhao lusi is 17 why she talks in whining voice. , have the director been to ny high school girls in grade ten and 11 don’t talk like this , ny one seen going for high jump with cap?
She hurt her leg and they carry her on back what happened to wheel chair?
so far male lead is the only saving grace I might watch till they grow up but if it’s still same I might drop
Was this review helpful to you?
