Chinese Drama Review: Hidden Love (2023)
Back again with Chinese drama series after a long time I didn’t review any C-drama. This drama is quite famous and many people talked about it so I can’t miss out this drama. This series tells us a story about a girl who have a crush on her brother’s friend. They first met when the girl, Sang Zhi is a middle school student and the boy, Duan Jiaxu is a freshman. One day Sang Yan (Zhi’s brother) took Jiaxu home and Zhi asked for his help because her brother won’t do it. After that, Jiaxu and Zhi relationship became much closer like siblings but deep down in Zhi’s heart she like Jiaxu not as a brother but more than that. But somehow in the middle of it, she felt heartbreak and cut of communication with Duan Jiaxu. Few years passed, they reunited again in Jiaxu’s hometown. Now Sang Zhi was a freshman in college and Jiaxu already success on his job in his hometown. They met once again and their real love story will finally begin.
Started with the plot, it is gives me a fresh vibe to the story. They’re not giving you a mainstream story but give C-drama a fresh air but still give you a fluttering feeling while watching it. Compete with When I Fly Towards You, personally I like Hidden Love better. They’re both good drama but for When I Fly Towards You it’s a drama with a common storyline. I can list many dramas similiar with that and I think I already have my favorite series with that kind of storyline. But Hidden Love is different. They gave us a new point of view and new storyline so I always curious how they handle the story. Even though they started it with brother-sister relationship but the transition to become crush and slowly become a couple is not awkward. The couple can show it well the feelings when he still consider her as a little sister to slowly grow up a romantic feelings and look at her not a sister anymore but as a woman.
I understand why this series is a big hit. The problem that showed up in this series also not heavy at all. Despite about how they become a couple, the only problem from beginning to the middle of the series just about Duan Jiaxu’s past. It’s not too intense and disturbing at all. Sometimes I just can’t stand and imagine when her brother knew that his friend and his little sister are dating. I just imagine honestly it’s so awkward but this series can packed it still in a good and relax vibes. At the beginning, it’s get a little tense up when the brother gap their relationship instead they tell him first. But from that, we can see how much actually her brother loves and adore her. In the end he also fell composed that his sister is on the right hand, his best friend. Instead, the conflict arise near the end of the series, and you can say they packed it a little bit intense. The real problem and their biggest obstacle will showed up. Get ready to falling down from the highest peak before getting up again in the really end. Around two or three last episodes, they make the series more serious than any other episodes. They make all problem and thought accumulated from all episodes to resolved in near the end. Problem about Duan Jiaxu past and how Sang Zhi’s family accept it. I thought it’ll not become a big problem, but I feel this things was the most intense scene in this series. But this intense episodes that make this series become more interesting and good as a full package. After all it’s still a kind of series that will not let you stop smiling throughout the series. So it’s really recomended for someone who looking a really light series.
Moreover I like the male lead, Chen Zhe Yuan from another series Our Secret. It’s one of my favorite C-drama too and I really love his acting there, so I’m curious about his acting and character here. Usually I like the tsundere type especially in C-drama, but from Zhe Yuan’s series that I watched his character is opposite from that but I really love how he acted out his character. I think I found my new type of men because of him. In Hidden Love his character also like that. He’s not the tsundere type but still he played his character best so I really fallin in love with his character, Duan Jiaxu. I think Duan Jiaxu is a character that won’t be found in real life. No men in real life would be like Duan Jiaxu. He’s too good to be true. Talking about his character, Zhe Yuan always become a character that had a problem with his family. His biggest obstacle in his life was his family. So I still found few similiar things from his character here with the character on his previous drama. But still he did excellent job for both of his drama because he potrayed it really well so I believe that his character was all package. Greenest flag man ever.
For the female lead, as I know Zhao Lusi also very famous and play many dramas but I think this is her first drama I watched. Of course she did a really great job here, seeing her potrayed her character from a teenage high school girl to her adult figure in college. We can see her transition from innocent girl look alike to a beautiful elegant and reliable girl. She really suitable become Sang Zhi because she knew how to become a little princess who always pampered in family but in the same time reliable and able to protect her beloved ones. I love how her character maybe looks weak because she was pampered but actually she’s stronger than anyone expect. She never let her beloved ones suppressed. She’s really brave and always trying to look mature. It’s not easy for her to make someone change perspective of her from a little girl to a woman that reliable. I also like her crying scenes. It’s just so natural and feels like I can relate to it. As a little sister like Sang Zhi, it feels like I really can relate to her even if it just a little. I just read somewhere that Zhao Lusi plays a very big role for this series to run smoothly. She did many things to make sure that Hidden Love can make it to the screen. One thing that I know is Lusi even used her personal wardrobe for her character here because production team can’t make a good use of it. And I’m thankful because I really love her outfits here. Maybe I’ll try Zhao Lusi other dramas after this.
After watching all the episodes, I just can say that this series is very good. This is one of the best C-drama I’ve ever watched. Interesting story and actor selection was done really well. All I can say is I like this kind of story. It’s really suit my taste. If I have ability to erase my memories, I’d delete my memory of watching this so I can experience again the feeling of watching it for the first time. Watching this series just make my ideal type of men become more high than before and difficult to looking for. I heard there will be a spinoff story about the brother, Sang Yan. I read in mydramalist that the cast playing Sang Yan will be Song Wei Long. I don’t know if it’s confirmed or not but to be honest he is one of my favorite Chinese actor. So I’m really looking forward to it. But if they cast original cast Victor Ma, to become Sang Yan again I’ll looking forward to it too. Importantly I think there must be a cameo of Sang Zhi and Jiaxu there. Audiences must be like it too.
So, after a long review in conclusion I really love this series. No need to take it further I’ll give this story 5 stars out of 5 stars!
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“That little girl who used to sit in my back seat suddenly grew up one day. She can always accompany me and walk side by side with me. She helped me overcome my longest and darkest hour. She even took a lead and waited for me in the sunlight.”
