Hidden Love (2023)

Well-written, light and heartwarming drama

Finally, have finished watching all the 25 episodes. You may see some comments I made while watching the drama in the "Comments" section.

Tbh, I seldom watch Chinese dramas, let alone write reviews, but I think this drama deserves my review. It is a very well-written, light and heartwarming drama about a young girl who had a crush (or "puppy love" as they called it) on her brother's best friend when she was a teenager, which develops into genuine and unconditional love for him when she enters university and becomes an adult.

I love the storyline, it's simple, light, and heartwarming, without any major villains -- the only so-called "villains" would be the ML's ex-creditor who kept on harassing him, and her friend who happened to be the FL's superior in the company where she's interned, and some schoolgirl bullies who bullied the FL's friend when they were still at school.

The rest are all positive characters with heartwarming relationships and their respective chemistries. I love the brother-sister relationship between FL and her brother, as well as between FL and her brother's friend with whom she is secretly having feelings. Love how they act as protective elder brothers to protect their mei mei from bullies. Love the bickering between the elder brother and the younger sister. Their acting is awesome and feels natural.

I also love the buddy friendship between the ML and the FL's elder brother, as well as the friendship between the FL and her three roommates at the university. I also love the FL's parents, both the mom and dad are portrayed as ideal parents who eventually are very supportive of their daughter.

Everything is being portrayed warmly. I believe this is partly due to the amazing acting performance of the actors, not only the main actors but the supporting actors as well. Their acting is awesome and feels natural. The main lead actress, Zhao Lusi, stands out for being able to portray the main FL character from her teenage years until she graduates from university. She is very pretty, cute and adorable. I also love the acting of the SML Victor Ma, who portrays the FL's elder brother. His bickering and interaction with her little sister (both the young and the adult version of the sister) is very heartwarming to watch - thanks to his superior acting skills.

Another thing, the younger FL character is depicted to be 14 years old (8th grade), but the young actress portraying the character (Zhang Xi Wei) seems to be younger, around 11-12 years old, I think? Her acting is awesome for a child actress her age, it's always a delight watching her on screen in the earlier episodes. I predict she will become an amazing great actress when she grows up.

It's a highly recommended drama everyone should watch.

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Breaking My Silence 2.0 (since its edited way below)

I tried. I really did.

I had randomly, one day started a manhua of the same name and did not finish it. Guess the art was not my style. And then I heard Zhao Lusi( I like her) starring in this drama and thought the production would be impeccable.
It was, but that's it.

I like age gap dramas if executed properly, but this drama did not have the magic.
That breathy baby voice of Lusi's had me in tears by the 2nd episode. It was too...juvenile and shallow. Could not feel the chemistry between the leads and had to push myself to complete the 3rd episode in hopes of it getting better.
It didn't. Now I can't even find the motivation to start the 4th episode, it's that serious for me.
I could not feel any personality from the fl and tried to muddle through the experience.

The only saving grace was the brother. Loved him


Edit: Okay so I completed it, never thought I would but I was too bored. The cast is absolutely fabulous and delivers every scene and every action. The pace of the story completely changes after the 8th episode and the chemistry literally melted my screen. I also changed my ratings especially for the cast (fl and ml are terrific) and the etheral ost.
Even if the story is nothing special, the delivery is out if the world.

Ps: I still absolutely LOVE the brother, the highlight if the whole show.

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Love Springs From Youth

I guess we all have done it, pined over this boy or girl that we first saw when we were tweenies and maybe carried that crush into adulthood. Hidden Love is about a girl who meets a good friend of her much older brother. When she first sees him as a tweny, her heart drops. The expression on this little tweeny’s face when she first sees him is beyond classic. The little girl (Zhang Xiwei) who plays the tweeny is definitely someone to lookout for in Chinese Dramas in the future. She is a star and I am a fan already. The male lead at first meeting is near his twenties.

Note: While ML Chen Zhenyuan’s character does not approach the tweeny or acknowledges any crush ideas of the youth, there is a profound age difference between the two in the younger years of the story. This is handled discretely. He treats her like a little sister. A relationship does not start till she is in College.

The female and male leads of this endearing romantic drama about everlasting crushes are actress Zhao Lusi (Love Like the Galaxy) and singer/actor Chen Zheyuan (Handsome Siblings).

Hidden Love has a lot of extras in the drama that makes this Chinese Drama work; the open mental contemplations, the set design notations placed discretely about, and the wonderfully handled flashbacks all help bring insight into the thoughts and motivations of this young girl. Hidden Love will be a trip down memory lane for the many of us. I am willing to take this ride. The drama Hidden Love is a go for me.

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Sweet romance done well.

'Hidden Love' boasts a deceptively simple premise, masterfully executed. Before delving into the finer details, let's start with a spoiler-free overview:

Sang Zhi's childhood crush on her brother's close friend, Duan Jiaxu, initially results in her heartache. However, their paths unexpectedly cross again, prompting Duan Jiaxu to question his own emotions. Thus begins a captivating tale of endearing longing.

While the "she fell first, but he fell harder" trope isn't my personal favorite, I can't help but admire the impeccable craftsmanship of this love story. The development of their relationship avoids feeling contrived, a pitfall common to such simple premise dramas. The credit goes not only to the skillful acting but also to the engaging script, which seamlessly weaves banter that ignites their chemistry.

My main qualm with the narrative stems from the peripheral storylines that felt more like endurance tests than enjoyable diversions, along with the unnecessarily grim backstory of the male lead. A tragic backstory is welcome, but this one felt forced. Additionally, the character of Jiang Ying, the daughter of the man the male lead's father killed, was extremely unrealistic. While she did catalyze delightful interactions between the leads, her portrayal seemed detached from reality.

Another area of concern lies in the handling of the "parents" subplot. Mainly because neither lead really spoke to each other about the problem their parents had besides the fact that the ML has less money which, as the viewer, wasn't the problem I cared about. It's perplexing how the two protagonists avoided addressing the elephant in the room – the implications of their relationship's origins. Specifically, they never spoke together about how their relationship could be perceived due to the circumstances of them meeting. ML seems to just accept punishment which implies he agrees its wrong, rather than explaining that when she was young, he never saw her in that way. I think this could the reason it was critiqued by some people, if they could've just had him say 'but when we first met, I really didn't see you in that way' clearly, I think many controversies could be avoided. (I understand that it is implied he doesn't see her in that way, but I personally would've preferred it to be said specifically, especially with such a sensitive topic).

Despite these reservations, the pacing of 'Hidden Love' remains a standout, especially within its genre. Although the narrative takes a somber turn towards the end, the moments of tenderness shared by the leads effectively balance the tone while driving the story forward.

Turning to the acting, it's a commendable aspect of the show. Both leads opted against dubbing, and if they did use it, it was seamless. Zhao Lusi's portrayal is a breath of fresh air, her meticulous attention to mannerisms allowing her to convincingly embody different ages. Chen Zheyuan's performance as the mature and protective yet not overbearing or creepy boyfriend is equally praiseworthy. The palpable chemistry they share adds to the authenticity of their bond.

As someone not particularly drawn to music, I must applaud the drama's soundtrack. It's one of the rare cases where I found myself listening to the OST even after the show's conclusion.

In summation, 'Hidden Love' is an exceptional drama characterized by stellar performances. The dialogue exudes wholesomeness and believability, with the chemistry between the leads emerging as the series' crowning jewel. While a few narrative aspects could have been refined, the overall experience remains truly captivating.

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The best

A very good script. I've read a book before, which itself is a ready-made script. Most of the scenes require great ZL and CH acting skills because the scenes are shot close-up and quite intimate. note that in each episode not much happens, the scenes are long and based mainly on dialogues between the main characters. This is a movie about how people should talk to each other. A beautiful story about growing up and maturing feelings - from youthful infatuation to true, difficult love.
I like the acting of the actors. on their faces you can see all the emotions that are tormenting them, and their minimalistic gestures are very eloquent. And the internal dialogues of both ZL and CH are quite new. in other dramas you can also meet, but not as often and not as funny. Her thoughts are great. I recommend to everyone

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Formulaic with weird paedophilic groomy vibes

When I saw the synopsis for this I knew it was going to be a teen drama replete with unrealistic behaviours and a female ingenue character that bordered on vacuous. I still gave it a go because I found out the lead was none other than Zhao Lu Si from 'Who Rules the World'. However, even having her as the protagonist couldn't keep me on.

Firstly, I have no idea why CDramas, or Chinese productions in general, always edit the characters' voices. Women always end up sounding like a chipmunk. Is that sexy? It's certainly not mature. Definitely not natural. Zhao Lu Si's lovely timbre in 'Who Rules the World' is reduced to a squirrel's that sounds like they have a perpetual cold in 'Hidden Love'.

Secondly, there is no life to Sang Zhi at all except when she decides to say or do something manipulative; if she puts half the energy she has in those moments into her studies, it might seem interesting. As it was, a childish, spoilt younger sister protag who has a crush on an older brother's friend and doesn't focus on her own education, dreams and ambitions was too formulaic and mundane a teen drama. Is Jia Xu the only friend Sang Yan has? Is he the only guy she's ever met and known all her teenage life? Will he be the only one there is? Surely, realistically not. And using an actress that's younger than the fourteen Sang Zhi was meant to be, when she first meets Jia Xu, didn't help with the whole groomy vibes too.

Dropped it after first episode as couldn't gel with the characters and didn't care enough to see their journey. Hidden Love did not utilise all of Zhao Lu Si's talents, not even a tenth of it. Disappointing. Only nice things to note were the food!

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Watching this

It looks fine, they look cute... I don't know but i feel something not good watching this show , the show is hit because they caste popular actors ...

If you want to watch something most funny, best drama then definately you should watch ‘ My Unicorn Girl ’ i will never forget how much i laughed watching this series this year , i always regret why i didnot watch this before....
The plot not always does makes sense but chemistry and acting also friendship is so much good & overwhelming

Another in historical drama : i will recommend you Love between fairy and devil , i love this series

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The drama 'Hidden Love,' featuring Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhe Yuan, captivates audiences with its profound storyline and exceptional performances. The strong on-screen chemistry between Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhe Yuan creates a captivating intimacy, immersing viewers in the emotionally charged narrative.

Zhao Lusi portrays her character with deep emotion, breathing life into every scene. Her subtle yet expressive facial expressions enhance the authenticity of her character's emotions, allowing the audience to feel every sentiment she experiences. Chen Zhe Yuan delivers an outstanding performance, presenting a complex and profound character. His character's courage and sincerity forge an emotional connection with the audience.

Beyond the stellar performances, 'Hidden Love' boasts an intriguing and intricate plot. The well-paced and surprising storyline makes each episode eagerly anticipated. The well-developed characters engage viewers in a colorful emotional journey.

The director and production team deserve commendation for their brilliant direction and visually stunning presentation. The beautiful cinematography and well-chosen locations add strength to the drama. The authentic costume and set design contribute to a strong historical atmosphere.

Furthermore, the carefully selected background music intensifies the emotional impact of each scene. The harmonious blend of visuals, sound, and acting makes 'Hidden Love' a captivating work of art that leaves a lasting impression.

With all these merits, 'Hidden Love' splendidly delivers a drama worthy of appreciation. Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhe Yuan not only impeccably portray their roles but also take us on an inspirational emotional journey. The drama not only pleases the eye but also touches the heart with an unforgettable storytelling beauty.

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