Hidden Love" is one of the most beloved and highly rated dramas out there—but it hasn’t been free from criticism, especially regarding the age gap between the leads. Like many others, I was hesitant to watch it at first. The biggest concern? Sang Zhi was only 14 when she first met Duan Jiaxu, who was 19. And because of her delayed puberty, she looked even younger—some even said she looked around 10—which understandably raised concerns about the nature of their relationship and whether anything inappropriate happened. But after finally giving the drama a chance, my entire perspective shifted. For anyone still hesitant or filled with questions, I encourage you to read through my full comment—I've tried to address everything as clearly as possible. What I found was a story that was pure, wholesome, and emotionally resonant. Not only did it ease all my initial doubts, but it ended up becoming one of my top three favorite dramas of all time.. To clear up some common misunderstandings: When Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu first met, she was 14, and he was 19. They only met twice during that time. At that point, there was no romantic involvement—Sang Zhi just admired him, even wishing he were her real older brother. 3 years later, they reconnected when Sang Zhi was 17 and Jiaxu was 22. This was when she started developing real feelings for him but kept them to herself. Jiaxu still saw her as a kid and was respectful, acted like a responsible adult. He was even appointed as her tutor Eventually, they drifted apart again after a few months. A painful incident at the airport marked a turning point for Sang Zhi, forcing her to grow emotionally." At 17, Sang Zhi came off as immature—and yes, some viewers found her a bit annoying. But context is everything. She grew up sheltered, pampered, and untouched by real-world struggles or responsibilities. That emotional airport scene was the turning point. From there, she took steps toward independence: – Moved into a dorm (though not shown in detail on screen), – Maturity is not measured by age. It's an attitude built by experience , situation, hardship & responsibility. Sangzhi got to experience that in her dorm life
By the time she turned 19, she had transformed from a naive girl into a confident young woman—shaped by experiences, not just time. Unlike before, Sang Zhi started carving her own path—choosing Yihe University not to follow Jiaxu, but for herself. She began proving she could navigate adulthood on her own, and that growing independence is exactly why her parents finally trusted her to take that leap. By the time they crossed paths again, Sang Zhi was nearly 19 and Jiaxu was 24. This time, they met as more equal individuals.but initially Sangzhi still became nervous out of habits It was around that time that Jiaxu began seeing Sang Zhi in a different light. Her presence had always been a quiet source of comfort during his hardest moments. At first, he still saw her as the little girl he once knew—but after a few recent incidents, something shifted. He began developing real feelings, and for the first time, he felt the sting of jealousy. That’s when it truly hit him—he liked her. Still, he hesitated, feeling conflicted and guilty about it. But once he found out that her feelings for him were just as genuine, the hesitation faded. He stopped holding back—and finally began to pursue her seriously. He chose to act on it: he confessed on her 19th birthday. She accepted a month later, on his 24th. For both of them, it was their very first relationship—sweet, sincere, and a bit awkward at times due to their inexperience. (Fun note: In the drama, both are '90s kids—Jiaxu was born in 94 and Sang Zhi in 99. But in the novel, Jiaxu was born in 89 and Sang Zhi in 96. There are even several playful moments where Sang Zhi and her brother joke that Jiaxu belongs to an entirely different generation—basically calling him an '80s kid!) In the drama they became physically intimate (initiated by her) when she was almost 20, and it was portrayed as a respectful and mutual moment—nothing rushed or inappropriate.both adults, equally invested, and emotionally ready Her family was aware and accepting: Her brother fully supported the relationship,Her parents hesitated initially but eventually trusted Jiaxu due to his consistent decency. The only aspect that complicates things is the fact that they first met when she was 14. That caused internal guilt and conflict—even Jiaxu himself, along with his friends, questioned his feelings and called him shameless , Sang Yan beat him up But the truth is, he genuinely fell for her, and it wasn’t something he could control or avoid. Both Sang Zhi and Jiaxu had to grow, face their own struggles, and go through personal journeys before they could truly come together. So if people still criticize their relationship, it’s important to consider two key things: emotional development and timing. In real life, age gaps exist. Not everyone ends up with a classmate or childhood sweetheart—and that’s okay. If age-gap stories aren’t your thing, that’s totally valid. But if you're going to judge this one, at least watch it first and understand the full context before forming an opinion. Also—there’s a bit of irony here. Fantasy romances between a 100-year-old vampire and a teenager often get a free pass, but a realistic story with a 5-year age gap, emotional growth, and proper timing causes outrage? If you really want to critique something, take Twenty-Five Twenty-One for example. It clearly stated that the female lead was a minor and still in high school when many of her moments with the male lead carried romantic undertones. Yes, the way they interacted made them feel closer in age, but he was four years older and already emotionally mature. Let’s just be consistent with our criticism.
I loved the moment in today’s episode when Sua’s mom called Hae seong her son-in-law!in front of everyone , but the sub completely changed the translation.
Hmmm , he put the necklace on her neck, held her hand, reassured her, and yet no one saw them🤡🫣
I’d call that pure luck. That’s just how life is—sometimes, so much happens around us in reality, yet we barely notice. And in dramas, unrealistic things are the norm, so it’s nothing unusual.
But after finally giving the drama a chance, my entire perspective shifted.
For anyone still hesitant or filled with questions, I encourage you to read through my full comment—I've tried to address everything as clearly as possible. What I found was a story that was pure, wholesome, and emotionally resonant. Not only did it ease all my initial doubts, but it ended up becoming one of my top three favorite dramas of all time..
To clear up some common misunderstandings:
When Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu first met, she was 14, and he was 19. They only met twice during that time.
At that point, there was no romantic involvement—Sang Zhi just admired him, even wishing he were her real older brother.
3 years later, they reconnected when Sang Zhi was 17 and Jiaxu was 22. This was when she started developing real feelings for him but kept them to herself.
Jiaxu still saw her as a kid and was respectful, acted like a responsible adult. He was even appointed as her tutor
Eventually, they drifted apart again after a few months. A painful incident at the airport marked a turning point for Sang Zhi, forcing her to grow emotionally."
At 17, Sang Zhi came off as immature—and yes, some viewers found her a bit annoying. But context is everything. She grew up sheltered, pampered, and untouched by real-world struggles or responsibilities. That emotional airport scene was the turning point.
From there, she took steps toward independence:
– Moved into a dorm (though not shown in detail on screen),
– Maturity is not measured by age. It's an attitude built by experience , situation, hardship & responsibility. Sangzhi got to experience that in her dorm life
By the time she turned 19, she had transformed from a naive girl into a confident young woman—shaped by experiences, not just time.
Unlike before, Sang Zhi started carving her own path—choosing Yihe University not to follow Jiaxu, but for herself. She began proving she could navigate adulthood on her own, and that growing independence is exactly why her parents finally trusted her to take that leap.
By the time they crossed paths again, Sang Zhi was nearly 19 and Jiaxu was 24. This time, they met as more equal individuals.but initially Sangzhi still became nervous out of habits
It was around that time that Jiaxu began seeing Sang Zhi in a different light. Her presence had always been a quiet source of comfort during his hardest moments. At first, he still saw her as the little girl he once knew—but after a few recent incidents, something shifted.
He began developing real feelings, and for the first time, he felt the sting of jealousy. That’s when it truly hit him—he liked her. Still, he hesitated, feeling conflicted and guilty about it.
But once he found out that her feelings for him were just as genuine, the hesitation faded. He stopped holding back—and finally began to pursue her seriously.
He chose to act on it: he confessed on her 19th birthday. She accepted a month later, on his 24th. For both of them, it was their very first relationship—sweet, sincere, and a bit awkward at times due to their inexperience.
(Fun note: In the drama, both are '90s kids—Jiaxu was born in 94 and Sang Zhi in 99. But in the novel, Jiaxu was born in 89 and Sang Zhi in 96. There are even several playful moments where Sang Zhi and her brother joke that Jiaxu belongs to an entirely different generation—basically calling him an '80s kid!)
In the drama they became physically intimate (initiated by her) when she was almost 20, and it was portrayed as a respectful and mutual moment—nothing rushed or inappropriate.both adults, equally invested, and emotionally ready
Her family was aware and accepting:
Her brother fully supported the relationship,Her parents hesitated initially but eventually trusted Jiaxu due to his consistent decency.
The only aspect that complicates things is the fact that they first met when she was 14. That caused internal guilt and conflict—even Jiaxu himself, along with his friends, questioned his feelings and called him shameless , Sang Yan beat him up But the truth is, he genuinely fell for her, and it wasn’t something he could control or avoid.
Both Sang Zhi and Jiaxu had to grow, face their own struggles, and go through personal journeys before they could truly come together. So if people still criticize their relationship, it’s important to consider two key things: emotional development and timing.
In real life, age gaps exist. Not everyone ends up with a classmate or childhood sweetheart—and that’s okay.
If age-gap stories aren’t your thing, that’s totally valid. But if you're going to judge this one, at least watch it first and understand the full context before forming an opinion.
Also—there’s a bit of irony here. Fantasy romances between a 100-year-old vampire and a teenager often get a free pass, but a realistic story with a 5-year age gap, emotional growth, and proper timing causes outrage?
If you really want to critique something, take Twenty-Five Twenty-One for example. It clearly stated that the female lead was a minor and still in high school when many of her moments with the male lead carried romantic undertones. Yes, the way they interacted made them feel closer in age, but he was four years older and already emotionally mature.
Let’s just be consistent with our criticism.