Amor Oculto (2023)

The perfect feel good summer romance of 2023 (and perhaps, beyond!)

Forget all that you watched before. Clear your mind from jaded gazing through heavily lead-tinted dark old-hand "grandma- who- knows- better" glasses of disbelief and suspicion. (Btw chuckle along when you get to the part with the monstrous and hilarious asymmetrical sunglasses presented to the big brother Sang Yan). Or nitpicking about colors, dress, or technicalities : these are anyway very good despite the short-changed budget it came from.
Even if this doesn't remind you of the crushes you might have had, all those treasured or awkward, sometimes suppressed and forgotten, childish memories, it could let you be moved or reminded of what it felt like to imagine love. You will thus get the added bonus of personal connection to the youth and coming-of-age story better than anything you watched before. Even those who had not so good experiences , even horrible ones, in love, recognized how wholesome this drama was and remains.

I suggest you watch on just as if you were admiring and expecting a small seedling break the soil and grow : first frail, then strong, until the rose bud flowers and engulfs you in its heavenly perfume : enjoy !

This drama is very special and we are many who knew it even from the beginning, with the young child actress Zhang XiWei who was not bad, ,but did not steal or represent the show. The continuity between her and older Sang Zhi (played by Zhao Lusi), was quite good : she was acting a role older than her real age, but represented well the difference between an overprotected and childish girl of 13-14, before the older actress took over to portray the evolution of the pampered 16-17 years old that suddenly broke the glass ceiling to experience her first real wound in love, and rebuilt herself into a more independent young lady of 19-20 in a different city. 20 is the minimum age for marriage in China btw. So, the dating had to take its time. And there were other smaller or bigger hurdles to overcome, that many watchers could relate to, one way or the other.

That's why it is on top of the wave of popularity in this summer season laden with blockbusters from Indiana Jones, Mission Impossible ... to long expected heavyweight c-dramas such as The Longest Promise : Hidden Love is not just a little appetizer story for fangirls of a manhua. Netflix does not look to China to purchase a drama idly.

Zhao Lusi ("ZhiZhi", Sang Zhi) and Chen Zheyuan (Duan Jiaxu) have elevated the "classical love story" from ordinary to work of art : it is that good!

The rest of the cast played along well or remarkably well :
- Sang Zhi's big brother was played by Chinese-American Victor Ma BoQian, who entered the world of Chinese entertainment by taking part in a song battle in 2017, where he was a strong competitor of Mao Buyi (who performed the famous "Drowning Sorrows" song that you can hear the tune of, when Duan Jiaxu went with colleagues to a karaoke where he bumped into Sang Zhi , now a freshman student at Yihe university.)
---- You will also find :
- an understanding and doting modern mom in Li Ping, Mrs Sang (played by Zeng Li, different from the at first traumatizing one she played in Love Like the Galaxy, but with whom Zhao Lusi had already many good memories of interacting on and off sets),
-a concerned but relatively generous dad in Sang Rong (played by Qiu XinZhi).
- faithful friends such as Qian Fei (played by "chubby" Hu YuXuan who has been remarked in many supporting roles since Ever Night), or a trio of sisterly university roommates, each with their own individuality :
- independent Yu Xin (played by Qi Tian Ting),
- bubbly Ning Wei (played by Smile Wei Xiao)
- and diffident Wang RuoLan (played by Wang YiLan) who has her own crush on
- a tall basket ball player university student, Jiang Ming (played by Lu DongXu) who himself had at first set his eyes on Sang Zhi.

There are understanding and supportive office superiors, such as :
- Li Xun (played by Guan JiTing) who is the director of a game design studio to which he invited Jiaxu when they were both interning in Nanwu in episode 4 (and no, this Li Xun is not related to the one in the drama Lighter and Princess, if you were wondering!) who is married to
-Jiang SiYun (played by Wang Yang), who is the motherly and big sisterly figure that makes the game designer studio a sort of home for the staff.

Since an antagonist of sorts is needed, we get the obsessive Jiang Ying (played by Xu ShiXin) who has a suspicious-minded friend in Shi XiaoYu (played by Shi XiYue) Xiaoyu also acts as superior to Sang Zhi during the student's internship in a design company in Yihe. But these two are barely a threat for the blossoming love story between main leads, so they are like the necessary mists and clouds that make the azure blue skies uplifting. That said, even rain on a day devoted for a project transforms the day into a very special camping opportunity, in the lovely story : it will remind some of the audience about the make-believe grand travels and explorings they did as kids on rainy days.

The background music and songs are sweet counterpoints to the moods and change in those.
Zhao Lusi sings two songs, the intro one, 只想把你偷偷藏好 (Just Want To Secretly Hide You), in duet with Silence Wang Sulong 汪苏泷 , and the solo song, 我有喜欢的人了 (I Have Someone I Like) -
Five other songs also contribute to make the OST pleasing and memorable :
- Be Your Light (sung by Victor Ma Boqian 马伯骞);
- You Are My Only Wish - 你是我此生唯一所愿 (sung by Diamond Zhang Bichen 张碧晨, famous singer and unconventional unwed mother of a daughter with ex-companion "Martian"musician Hua Chenyu 华晨宇),
- Forever Star - 张洢豪 (sung by Zhang Yihao 张洢豪),
- I Have You - 有你 (sung by Zhao Lei, but , not the Beijing born singer 赵雷 best known for his Chengdu song, but the Chengdu born younger 赵磊 who was a member of R1SE and X NINE), and
- Star Thief - 偷星星的人 (sung by yihuik 苡慧).
Some other tunes in addition to the Drowning Sorrows one (消愁) that I mentioned before, can be noticed. Such as a Zhao Lusi song from the Oh! My Emperor! drama (that also starred her), a snippet of a Coco Lee one (Di Da Di) sung by Sang Yan (The iconic Hong Kong singer passed away at 48 very recently on July 5, 2023. She is remembered for many songs such as “A Love Before Time,” from "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon that almost won an Academy Award in 2000. Also for the "Reflection" song and voicing Fa Mulan in the Mandarin-language version of "Mulan,")
Also, in Ep12, student Jiang Ming sang and played on the guitar the song " I've Liked You Since The First Day I Met You"遇见你的第一天起我就喜欢你 by Zhāng Yīháo (張洢豪), from the OST of the recent youth c-drama 《时光与他，恰是正好 》Time and Him are Just Right. The tune is repeated in background music in the last episode bar scene.

Hidden Love, despite all the complications it went through, in its making (that you can learn separately about it, in interviews, if you are curious), is already an international phenomenon, breaking many mental and geographical boundaries with its soft and refreshing, healing message, based on humanity's most powerful sentiments to change the world for the better : hope, confidence, benevolence, trust, courage, persistence, and love.

The drama has an "extra" episode 25.5 after the 25 scheduled ones. This extra one is, like for Lighter and Princess, a compilation of various footage such as jokes, humorous BTS and making of iconic scenes, fashion parade, interview, cut scenes, more, and ends on a wish that touches the audience too, written by Jiaxu on a strip of star paper : 只只的 所有的 愿望 成真 (Zhǐ zhǐ de suǒyǒu de yuànwàng chéng zhēn) : May ZhiZhi's wishes come true

Also, don't forget to play along with the episodes' end snippets to find clues about where they belong and why they were added.

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Perfect love and healing story

Even in my most favorite dramas I always had something I didn't like, there always were some flaws... but this story just PERFECT

This drama amazing in everything, its fully focused on main leads, but same time all other characters have their own charm (SZ parents, roommates, DZX friends, his boss and co worker), even if they had only a bit screen time, they wasnt just decoration or waste of time! And of course Sang Yan, I loved him as much as main leads ❤️❤️❤️ this drama has right amount of angst, to make this story more real and touching, but still be the most light, heartwarming, hilarious, comfort story ❤️

Chen Zhe Yuan and Lusi did so amazing job to bring this characters to life, their personality and relationship were so real, they always remind me my youth experience, how it feels be in love first time, first heartbreak, anxiety, excitement, comfort you can find in other person, acting was very realistic with many details and nuances, their chemistry made me feel butterflies and also made me cry.

Its also not just love story, one of the main theme is healing, forgetting and accepting❤️
I really not ready ay goodbye for this story((( there no drama like this, will miss them very much ?

I recommend it everyone, just give it a try !

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Well deserved ratings

This review is going to be a long one.

"Hidden Love" is one of those dramas that really deserve all the attention, popularity and love. Ever since the beginning of the drama, I knew it would be good just by looking at our two main actors - Lusi and Zhe Yuan. Everybody probably already know they are good at acting and it seems repetitive of me to always rave about their skills but they are so on point in this drama, I am blown away everytime I watch them.

Before this drama, I watched "Our Secret" (multiple times) and was really impressed with Zhe Yuan from there. It's quite rare to see actors who can portray such good expressions through their eyes. It's as though you could feel whatever he was feeling at that moment by just looking at his eyes. There are so many scenes I really, really love from Zhe Yuan in this drama.

1. When Jia Xu was sitting outside of Sang Zhi's house, starring into the sky. I immediately felt how burdened he was, lonely and just sad. He wasn't crying, his face was calm, but his eyes - you can feel how tired he was, trying to shoulder everything that is happening around him.

2. When Jia Xu opened the red packet Sang Zhi slipped in his pocket. This is another moment where he was feeling extremely tired and lonely, unwilling to go back to his hometown to face the gazillion problems waiting for him. When he opened the red packet and read this simple message from Sang Zhi, through his eyes, you can really feel how touched he was. The warmth that one simple message brought to him.

As for Lusi, it's no secret that she is a very happy-go-lucky kind of girl. Perhaps, even in real life, she seems like a person who would bring joy to the people around her. With dramas like this, I can imagine it'll be very difficult to portray this cute, innocent girl, without coming out as annoying. I've seen so many dramas where the female lead would always act cute and innocent but resulted in being cringy, annoying and (honestly) stupid. Lusi really has that capability to make you really like her without making you feel like she's forcing to be cute. Her character in this drama is someone who I really like, too. Protective, strong, well-loved and understanding. There are too many scenes from the drama I love with Sang Zhi in them but I guess my favourites are these:

1. When she confronted Sang Yan for hitting Jia Xu. She was unafraid to stand up for herself and for the people she love. The moment when she was trying so hard not to cry while telling Sang Yan that she wanted to cut contact with him was so impactful.

2. When she was in high school and cried the moment she saw her brother at the airport after thinking that Jia Xu had a girlfriend. Honestly, if you look at the scene, it's really not something we would cry about because she was just a kid who misunderstood her crush having another girlfriend. You can't even call that a "break up". But when she cried, it was so sad, you couldn't help but cry along with her.

On the topic of Sang Yan, I think I'll miss the siblings relationship more than Jia Xu - Sang Zhi relationship. The way Sang Zhi and Sang Yan interacted with each other are honestly so, so, so real and relatable. This is one of the best sibling-relationship I've ever watched in the drama land. They would fight like cats and dogs, most of the time they are incapable of speaking politely to each other, they complain to their parents about each other all the time, but when one of them is in trouble, the other person will always be there to support.

If I am to nitpick on one thing that I think probably is a bit off in my opinion, is when Sang Zhi and Jia Xu got together. It's really just a preference thing. After seeing how well Jia Xu treated Sang Zhi as a brother during the beginning of the drama, it's difficult to accept how he could switch from brother mode to I-love-you-only mode so quickly. I understand, Sang Zhi has obviously grown up and was treating him differently. It probably makes more sense to me if Jia Xu didn't treat Sang Zhi that well at the beginning. Instead of Sang Zhi's "second brother", if he was more like Sang Yan's friend, it'll probably be easier to accept how Jia Xu could change his feelings like that. I love the beginning parts more than the later episodes, to be honest. Probably also cause it reminds me of when I was a child and had a crush on my brother's friend, the whole concept seemed very relatable to me.

The OSTs. Oh gosh, the OSTs! They are so good. I feel like everytime when I was immersed in the drama and cried was 60% cause of the cast's acting, but 40% cause of the music accompaniment. My ultimate favourite song from the drama is Forever Star. When this song plays in the drama, I get the goosebumps, especially during the scene when Jia Xu opened Sang Zhi's red packet in the airport.

100% recommend this drama. It's really not the typical high school drama that is probably 70% cringe and 30% real story. This one has so many depth and layers to it that it really hits differently.

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Healing all the way

How I love not so short dramas. 25 episodes are just perfect even though with good dramas such as "Hidden Love" I could definitely use more.
I just finished the series and it's one of the few that has made me want to rewatch a few scenes right away; they were that good to my opinion.
I'm glad I decided to check this drama out; it was so healing to me. The whole show is a green flag: both characters are amazing and so healthy. I love their maturity, I love the way they love and care about each other. I love how considerate they are, how they put each other first and so much trust in their relationship. I love it how he cared for her from a young age and literally treated her so well. Their small talks/gestures, deep conversations were so nice and something I wanted to hear. You don't see this nowadays... not that often at least. I miss this kind of energy in the world.

The acting was so so good even though I have to be honest: the kissing scenes might've been a bit cringe for me but they rarely go harder than this in many dramas. I think Lusi literally slayed, both of them did. Victor too. They never felt forced, I like that feeling. Chen Zhe Yuan has a way with his eyes that I search for in every actor. It was this scene in episode 24 when he tells her he loves her that I felt him the most. It was so beautiful and memorable.

I don't wanna forget about the amazing work the writers and the director have done with this drama. Thank you all guys.
Such a great drama. I bet your hard work paid off nicely by outrating all the dramas out there in such short time.

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Secretly, Simple but Wholesome!

I usually don't write reviews, but this drama truly blew me away. It deserves recognition for its remarkable qualities and has left me with very few critiques.

While I'm not typically a fan of modern C-dramas, I decided to give 'Hidden Love' a chance due to the recommendations and the presence of Zhao Lusi, one of my favorite actresses. To my surprise, this drama turned out to be one of the most enjoyable series I've seen in a long time. Perhaps it was the absence of expectations that made it even more satisfying.

‘Hidden Love' embraces simplicity with a short and straightforward storyline, free from unnecessary complications or dragging plotlines. Everything within the drama is relatable, grounded, and devoid of far-fetched elements. The relationships between the main characters and the supporting cast are exceptionally well-written and portrayed, resulting in numerous moments that made me giggle like a little girl, roll my eyes in tandem with the characters, and burst into laughter due to the outrageous interactions between them. The drama evoked a range of emotions, leaving me feeling warm, fuzzy, and wholly engaged. I also appreciated how the drama remained faithful to the novel, making only minor adjustments here and there.

To be honest, I'm accustomed to more dramatic storylines, but 'Hidden Love' beautifully demonstrated the beauty of simplicity. Despite its straightforward plot, the drama remains highly enjoyable and memorable, mainly because the acting is on point.

There are no over-the-top performances like you often see in C-dramas. Instead, everything feels genuine and natural. The actors' micro expressions are spot-on and bring an extra layer of enjoyment. I even had to rewatch some scenes just to catch all the little details. The whole cast nailed it, but I have to give a special shoutout to Zhao Lusi as well as Chen Zhe Yuan. ZLS perfectly portrayed Sang Zhi's growth throughout the story, devoid of any fake cuteness.

As for CZY, he impressed me immensely. He's definitely maturing as an actor, and I can't wait to see more of his work in the future. While the chaotic brother-sister relationship brings the perfect amount of chaos, the overall storytelling heavily relies on the actors' actions and expressions, allowing them to convey the story with minimal reliance on dialogue. Perhaps, this is where the complexity lies. A simple storyline, but the actors' acting skills add layers of depth to their characters without explicitly stating their emotions. I can clearly perceive the changes in the male lead's evolving feelings. It's subtle but definitely there. I can feel their insecurities, burdens, as well as their determination and strength. The leads truly show how well the characters complement each other. It's a testament to the actors' remarkable talent, and even the crying scene tugged at my heartstrings.

The acting undoubtedly propels this drama to new heights, but the music is also a delight. The lyrics of the main theme beautifully encapsulate the love story, while the song by SY (Victor Ma) exudes a cute and feel-good vibe that had me smiling and bobbing my head along with the ML.

My main gripe about the show? They released it so slowly! One episode per day was pure torture! But hey, lucky you get to binge the whole thing now and won't have to suffer like I did.

In a nutshell, ‘Hidden Love' is a gem among modern romance dramas. Its simplicity, well-crafted characters, exceptional acting, and enjoyable music make it a must-watch with high rewatch value. Whether you're a fan of the genre or not, this drama is well worth your time.

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The feeling of being loved and loving those regardless of their flaws

I felt like I was apart of this drama. The cast and writers pulled me in with such raw emotions. This drama has an overall happy/pure feeling to it. This drama not only had a good sounding synopsis but actually exceeded every expectation I had for it while watching it. This drama primarily focuses on the main leads relationship and their family/school plots. Not much of side character plots, but there are some. Occasionally with first loves, you’ll be let down or have doubts in yourself… Sang Zhi expressed those feelings in such a pure manner. At one point I just had to stop the drama and let myself have a good cry, and at other points I found myself laughing out loud and smiling ear to ear. I haven’t had such a fun drama come across my list in quiet some time. The speed in which I finished this drama says it all, and at no point did I skip through any scenes that I felt weren’t relevant. I absolutely loved this drama!!!

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Perfect drama to relax

Highly recommend if you're in the mood for adorable and heartwarming love story. No complicated twists or mind-boggling plots, just a simple, sweet plot, and it's a perfect drama to relax.

Chen Zheyuan and Zhao Lusi have extraordinary chemistry, portraying a cute yet mature relationship. Zhao Lusi totally nailed it as a cute high schooler without being cringe, and Chen Zheyuan also nailed his role as Sang Zhi's loving "brother" aka boyfriend. I'm obsessed with the Sang Sang siblings too. They’re so relatable, just like how real brothers and sisters act at home. Waiting for new episodes every week is torture, and now I'm already missing them like crazy.

The OSTs for this drama also *chef kiss*. Currently listening to Forever Star, Be your light and I Have Someone I Like non-stop.

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CLASSIC Coming-of-Age Romance Drama! MUST WATCH!

This series was simply beautiful! From the cast, crew and overall production, well done! The ML and FL were very good at giving nonverbal communication and cues that spoke volumes. The trials and challenges within the series were felt but not overdone. Thank you, writers, for smart edits. The OST was perfect for driving the theme and overall progression and tensions throughout. I have seen Zhao Lu Si in various series, and she is good at conveying innocence and desire very well. Yet, within this series the audience can feel and see the growth within the ML and FL more than just positioning of hairstyle, job, school or situation. The leads conveyed real innocence to mature growth throughout the series that felt genuine and not forced or assumed. Chen Zhe Yuan is very dynamic and charismatic with his nonverbal cues. Their chemistry was methodically heartfelt and warm. There are many series that try to convey the love, desires and expectation gained and lost through adolescence to adulthood. Some come close but this one truly hit the mark in every way. The supporting cast was very good. The parental concerns which can be intense were addressed with reason and not an overbearing abuse or control. This is truly a treasure of what a blooming respect of connection, friendship and love can be. MUST WATCH!!!

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A drama adaptation that stayed true to the original source material

This drama has a special place in my heart. To be honest, when I heard that the novel will have a drama adaptation, I had my doubts. Given that most adaptations don't really give justice to the original source material, I really thought this project won't go well. Fortunately, I was totally wrong! I love how they closely followed the novel. The vital scenes that kept the story standing together were well executed. I must say some of the scenes was even better in the drama than what I have imagined while I was reading the novel. The Female and Male leads down to the supporting casts had created this dynamic that will made you feel a sense of comfort from just watching a fictional show. The acting felt so real and natural. Interactions are not forced with no over the top expressions. Lines were delivered perfectly especially from the leads from the funny sibling interactions to Duan Jia Xu and Sang Zhi's conversations which made me so emotional. I also love how they showed Sang Zhi's university life and Duan Jia Xu work life normally. Sang Zhi's interactions with her roommates felt so relatable and nostalgic as well. Moreover, the leads were so character coded and their chemistry were off the charts! I almost forgot they're just acting. The greenest couple I have witnessed in dramaland. ? Their genuine care, love, and trust with each other made me realize that I may not find a love like that. ? I definitely cried in single. ??

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The ultimate sweet romance.

You think you saw unproblematic, cute, heartwarming and wholesome dramas? Let me tell you, none comes even close to Hidden Love. It’s an ultimate sweet romance.

Easily the best aspect of the show was how natural and real everything felt, and I’m not talking about just the romance. The relationship between the siblings? Exactly how it usually looks like in real life. The friendships? Hilarious and relatable - both for guys and the girls. How people act when they are drunk, sick, sad, happy, shy, excited - both the way it was written and then performed was just… natural, and that’s the best compliment a drama can get.

Still, the highlight, the core, the true beauty of Hidden Love was the blooming romance between Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xiu. What started as a teen crush, turned into one of the most healthy and balanced relationships I have seen in any drama ever. Getting into the show I was afraid how they would handle the age gap. 5 years is not much, but it is not little considering the age Sang Zhi was. The writer did not disappoint.

What I loved the most about the relationship was the fact I could see true partnership between the leads. It was not an older guy just taking care of a younger girl sacrificing everything for her happiness. They also did not make Sang Zhi this unrealistically mature, 20 acting 30. They became each other's emotional support, they handled issues in a mature way while still believably presenting characters in their early and mid twenties. They also delivered some good kissing scenes, no fishes to be found on set ;)

And you know what’s great? The leads were amazing as a couple, but they were also great as their own individuals! While there were moments I found Sang Zhi’s behavior too sweet for my taste, it’s simply impossible not to love her. She was emotionally strong, empathic, driven and supportive. Then we have Duan Jia Xu - honestly too good to be real, and that makes me feel depressed. Good natured, patient, protective. But I also appreciated his own arc and the depiction of the loneliness he was facing.

What’s more to love? The sibling dynamics between Sang Zhi and Sang Yan. I’ve got both comedic and touching scenes. Yes, they might have fought a lot, but they also cared for each other deeply. And honestly? The bickering scenes between them were some of my favorite moments in the drama.

One thing that caught my attention production wise were the outfits picked for the characters. Not only did I love the slight couple matches Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu were wearing (even before they became a couple, their colors always matched), I also literally wanted to steal the whole wardrobe from Sang Zhi.

The acting from the whole case was so good it got me jealous watching. Jelly for the romance, the friendship, the family dynamics. It all seemed so real and so wholesome. I knew Chen Zhe Yuan is a good actor after watching Our Secret, but he was so much better in Hidden Love (even though I did not think it’s possible). Zhao Lu Si's little mannerism added to the realism of the character she was portraying and I could not stop smiling while watching her performance.

Anything I did not enjoy? Not that into the “debtor” story, or rather the closure it got. With how serious it was introduced, I expected something more to happen for it to end. I was also completely not interested in a love story of one of Sang Zhi’s roommates.

Overall, for modern romance fans, this is a golden standard. I’m extremely pleased I’m ending 2023 with this drama. Nothing better than entering the new year with a new found crippling loneliness after seeing the most perfect couple in dramas history.

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