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Terrible Script, 19 & 24 is a Terrible Age Gap for Romance!
Sit back because it's a lot; coming from a fan who looked forward to Hidden Love since the start of this yr.People accuse Hidden Love of the Big P word, here I'll be accusing it of terrible, ignorant writing, and plain illogical plot progression. It's terribly written and lacks self-awareness. A 5 year age gap is nothing between consenting adults—the problem is that Hidden Love develops this relationship when SZ, (a rich, immature, sheltered brat) is 19 years old (MAYBE SHE'S 20—same thing) and the ML is 24, but acts older.
I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone, because how can I be the only person to find it strange how there's really only 1 episode of DJX having conflicting emotions over his change in love for his meimei...and then the next ep is him confirming it, then the next ep we move immediately to him flirting and beginning to pursue her. Pursue a 19 year old....
❌ Here's what they should have done differently:
1. ❌ DJX accepts his feelings too quickly—alarmingly quick. Yikes.
~2/3 episodes. First, him thinking about her more, then acknowledging his feelings, then WHAM! he's pursuing her now???
I would have hoped for there to be longer hesitation and for there to be a point where he pulls away—It's weird because he has known her since she was 14 and he was 19. It doesn't help that the actress casted for 14 year old SZ literally looks like an 8 year child, not a pre-teen. (actress is 12, which doesn't help either).
Shouldn't he find that so conflicting and feel some amount of disgust or have a knee jerk reaction to reject these feelings? Shouldn't he at least sit down with a trusted friend and share his conflicted feelings? Withdraw from SZ? Analyze his memories with SZ and wonder where he went wrong, maybe where these feelings started changing? Analyze if what he feels is really romantic love, or just appreication for a close friend/family member that have been amplified because he's lonely?
2. ?Sang Zhi has not grown. She is NOT a grown up.
I thought the time skip would take us to a Sang Zhi that was more mature and wordly in her mid 20s. Maybe take us to a Sang Zhi in her final year of school (age 22), the same age DJX would have been when she was in high school. No. Instead, SZ is 19, and only 2 years have passed since she entered her senior year of high school. It's a black box of 2 years until we see SZ again, and although she tries to pull away she has very weak resolve towards distancing herself from him. Why? BECAUSE SHE'S ONLY 19!
She keeps constantly repeating that she's grown up now, but none of her 'grown up' life is shown, such as actually focusing on her career, working a part time job, interacting with her professors, taking up positions of responsibility at school. She majors in Digital Media? I have not heard this word since it was first mentioned in the time skip episode. SZ is a sheltered, pampered kid who functionally has not changed since she was 17. Her character simply revolves around her meetings with DJX.
3. ?There should have been a longer gap in between when they got together.
(why does it have to be her freshman yr of uni? Why not the same year when she was graduating uni, as it would have been for DJX when SZ was in highschool) I've said this many times but 19, even 20 is still TOO YOUNG. She has not dated anyone else. She's still a sheltered rich kid. What does she know?
4. ☀️ DJX should have had more wealth of characters around him.
A healthy adult, not suffering from trauma and not having many close friends who they open up to, would not form such an emotional reliance on their 19 year old meimei. Compared to SZ, DJX is much less developed, except for his backstory with his father. Does he have no friends in Yihe? He doesn't really get deep and personal with anyone besides SZ, not even Sang Yan, his jie at work, or his friend who's getting married. Let's not forget the psychotic Jiang Xing or whatever her name is, to act as a foil and make SZ look better. He should consult someone about his changing feelings the same way SZ spoke to her roommates.
5. ? DJX is that DENSE!? How could he not realize SZ's feelings?
You're telling me this highly intelligent, (both EQ and IQ) guy, at age 19, 22, and then 24, did not realize or have an inkling that SZ might like him? The story deliberately never lets him find out when she is in HS or as a child, because then the right thing to do would be for him to flat out draw a boundary, reject her, and distance himself.
Instead, DJX is always 'teasing' in an I'd like to believe innocent way, but isn't taken that way because the audience knows SZ likes him, and that he 'doesn't know'. Such terrible writing, in the year 2023? Do you want to show a proper depiction of a healthy relationship, or do you want to just romanticize these....weird grooming-esque interactions, because the person in power (DJX) NEVER gets the opprtunity to draw a boundary and tell SZ to stop being delusional and obsessive.
5. ?❓DJX is only 24. He doesn't FEEL 24.
I get that originally he would have been 27, which would have made more sense with what he does day-to-day, but I find it hard to believe that every 24 year old is this mature and flirty and with a job and a car and a chief engineer at a top gaming company. I can suspend my disbelief that he's really smart, and was forced to grow up early. But some script changes should have been made for us to believe that DJX really is younger in the drama version VS. novel, because what it then really starts to look like is that they just changed his age to be younger so netizens would get off their back about their 7yr age gap.
Honestly? I had high hopes going in! I've been waiting for this drama all year. I loved Chen Zhe Yuan in Secrets in the Lattice, and also can always count on Zhao Lu Si do deliver a great performance.
But the progression from their relationship from brother-sister, to lovers, is concerning.
There were some netizens condemning this show and comparing it to pedophillia, and I can see why. I don't think this show **is** that, but they've done a piss poor job at having 0% evidence of that. When you're making a story with this kind of premise, you need to handle it very carefully and make very deliberate decisions, and Hidden Love didn't do it carefullly enough, and made POOR deliberate decisions.
The novel material may very well have had grooming and pedophilia, I haven't read it and don't plan to. But why wasn't this fixed for an adaptation, with such a good cast? Better yet, fixed for an adaptation that will be aired internationally, that many young children will see? I'll reiterate, a 5 year age gap is nothing. It's PROBLEMATIC and hORRIBLE, however, when it's between a 19 year old, immature and childish girl, and a traumatized, emotionally vulnerable 24 year old man. I'm SZ's age group. I would never date a 24, much less 27 year old. And SZ is 19, and acts 12. Aiyaaa.
ANYWAYS, TL;DR, could have been a great story, with especially great actors after this drought from Cdrama land the past few months, but even my desperation will not allow me to keep watching this (at least not right now). A story with potential, with GREAT ACTORS and OST and PRODUCTION, that had a very poorly thought out,ignorant, misleading, and harmful script.
Could have all been solved by keeping things innocent until SZ is older and mature.
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A Rom-Com That Can Make Anyone's Heart Skip
Hello everyone!! I know I am VERY late to this show and all it's glory, hence why likely not many people will end up reading this review, but I must write it anyway---even though I'm not 100% done this show myself (which is something I seldom ever do for my reviews). I will preface this review by saying I don't usually watch C Dramas, the only other Chinese show I have seen is The Untamed, which is of course a very different genre from this one. Nonetheless, I stumbled across this show on Netflix and can't wait to give you my review!!Story: 10/10
Now, I will preface this by saying I have not yet read the English translation of the original novel, but I am aware there are certain differences. Such as in the novel, Duan Jiaxu is 7 years Shang Zhi's elder, but in the show, he is only 5 years older than her. I usually steer away from age gaps in shows and books personally, ESPECIALLY when the ML and FL meet when one is a minor. However, this show does an incredible job of showing both characters, their personalities, and how their dynamic changes over time. The ML, Duan Jiaxu, treats the FL (Shang Zhi) as nothing more than a younger sister for the first several years of their relationship and then slowly he begins to see her as a woman when they meet again.
Although the age gap could slow down any other rom-com show, we never lose any of the chemistry from start to end. The writers do an incredible job of selling the story to us through the FL's innocent, fluttering heart. Even as an adult watching this show, I feel teleported back into my own middle school and high school days as we watch them interact in a heartfelt way. The writers also do an excellent job of showing the FL's innocence without making her unintelligent or unaware of others' feelings, and as you watch, you start to root for her and the ML. Both the ML and FL are kind and honest, and are willing to communicate their concerns to one another. It's very refreshing to watch--no unnecessary miscommunications!
In the second half of the show, when both are now adults, that fluttering feeling only gets stronger for the audience. Only now, this fluttering is accompanied by more adult-like issues. The show shifts to a slightly more "grown up" vibe effortlessly, and we start to see some problems in the ML and FL's lives, how they cope like adults, and how they support one another. It's incredible how almost all of the scenes in this show have just the ML and the FL, but we never get bored as the story is always pushing forward and we can see slow changes in both leads' personalities for the better.
The story itself is a simple brother's best friend situation, but the emotionally mature characters and sweet romance make you feel like you're teleported into their world--it makes you feel like a love like that is waiting for you around the corner! So heartwarming.
Acting/Cast: 10/10
I absolutely love all of the actors in this show despite it being my first time seeing them. Each actor knows their role very well, and conveys emotions in a way that makes you feel like you're truly watching a character be brought to life. One thing I have noticed is almost the entire cast is incredible at micro-expressions, whether it's a smile fading slowly or showing worry with a shift in their gaze. This is especially true for the ML and FL, who are both so good at showing their characters' love and concern for one another. I'd also like to point out the actor who plays the FL's older brother. He makes me laugh every time he comes on screen, and you feel like you're watching a brother bicker with his sister every time, but he does a great job in serious scenes as well. Seeing this quality of acting makes me wonder what I've been doing not watching C Dramas!
Music: 9/10
I'm not really a big OST person, but I truly enjoyed this show's OST. I particularly like the one song which goes "moonlight shines in your eyes", it makes my head beat fast whenever it plays during a romantic moment between the leads. How lovely!!
Rewatch Value: 10/10
This show is incredibly healing. You get lots of comedy and romance, and although there is a reasonable amount of sadness and problems, you don't feel weighed down by it. The writers have done an excellent but incredibly difficult job: making a show that is romantic and fluffy without making it feel plotless or like you can't enjoy the romance because of the heaviness of the problems. I am not all the way done this show yet, but I already know I will be rewatching it in years to come. We all need some rest and peace sometimes, and this show does that for me.
Overall: 10/10!
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L'infantilisation de la FL à son paroxysme
▬▬▬ Whether you agree or not, I respect your opinion, so respect mine too! Here or in private messages. I'm past the age of fan wars. Thanks!Hidden Love connaît une surmédiatisation délirante. Ce n'est pas sur MDL qu'on pourra en dire le contraire avec son offensante collection de 10/10. Forcément, quand je débarque avec mes grands espoirs, j'en attends tout un spectacle. Alors... Feu d'artifice d'exception ou pétard mouillé ?
L'histoire commence par Sang Zhi adolescente, j'y vois deux problèmes. Le premier est que l'actrice n'a que 12 ans alors qu'on parle d'une adolescente de 14 ans. Deux ans, ça fait une sacrée différence à cet âge. Ensuite, cette période ne sert strictement à rien si ce n'est mettre la FL dans des situations embarrassantes. Lorsqu'on arrive à l'âge adulte, rien ne change. Sang Zhi est physiquement présente parce qu'elle doit l'être.
Zhao Lu Si n'est pas une actrice que j'apprécie. Après 4 drames dans des genres différents avec elle en tant que personnage principal, je pense pouvoir le dire. Je ne lui trouve aucun talent pour jouer la comédie. Pour moi, elle fait partie de ces actrices dont je ne comprends pas la popularité. La voir jouer m'ennuie. Si je suis capable de regarder une série avec des acteurs/actrices que je n'apprécie plus que ça, j'arrive toujours à m'impliquer d'une façon ou d'une autre. Cependant, je dois avouer que Zhao Lu Si me fait juste souffler d'ennui. Bien sûr, certaines personnes l'adorent et je n'ai aucun problème avec ça. Après tout, les goûts et les couleurs...
Mais le pire de son personnage n'est pas là. La production a sacrément abusé de l'infantilisation du personnage. D'abord sur le fait d'assister le personnage sur tout ce qu'elle fait. Alors quoi, si elle fait ses lacets toutes seule, elle explose ou... ? Et comme si ce n'était pas assez, le doublage enfonce le dernier clou. C'est une pratique récurrente dans les C-Dramas, ce n'est pas un souci. Non, le réel problème c'est que ce doublage n'a fait qu'accentuer l'infantilisation de la FL au point de devoir couper le son ! Pétard, j'étais tellement mal à l'aise que j'en venais à couper le son... C'est du délire.
Quoiqu'il en soit, c'était un personnage avec du potentiel. Pourtant, c'est gâché en raison d'une performance sans conviction et des choix de production sur lesquels je n'ai pas envie de revenir.
Ensuite, Chen Zhe Yuan. C'est un acteur que j'aime bien et qui m'avait conquise dans Our Secret. Par la suite, je n'avais pas apprécié Mr Bad pour son scénario casse-gueule et son personnage, mais j'en garde un vague souvenir pas très mauvais. Pour moi, Chen Zhe Yuan fait partie de ces acteurs qui parviennent à transmettre l'émotion par un regard, une esquisse de sourire ou un geste. Il n'est pas le plus talentueux de sa génération, mais on sent de l'amélioration dans son jeu au fil de ses projets.
Pourtant, je dois bien reconnaître que son personnage (Duan Jia Xu) m'a laissé de marbre. En réalité, Duan Jia Xu est un bon gars qui se trouve (souvent) au bon endroit au bon moment. Rien de plus, rien de moins. Aucune prise de risque sur le personnage ou son évolution. On suit un schéma bien rodé des romances modernes chinoises - et c'est peut-être une des causes principales de son échec pour moi. En plus d'avoir des personnages qui n'ont aucun artifice. Ils sont là parce qu'ils doivent y être.
Les 8 premiers épisodes sont longs ! C'est une partie qui se concentre sur la FL adolescente, une période sans intérêt si ce n'est des situations gênantes et du garçon plus âgé qui est son héros. Et une fois à l'âge adulte, on ne change pas tellement.
Cependant, je tiens à préciser une chose. Ils commencent à se fréquenter lorsqu'elle est majeure. À aucun moment ML ne donne de faux signaux à FL lorsqu'elle est une adolescente. La limite n'est jamais franchie et reste claire. J'ai vu pas mal de personnes outrées, mais non. N'avez-vous donc jamais eu le béguin pour un lycéen alors que vous n'étiez qu'une petite collégienne ? C'est exactement ce à quoi ça ressemble. Mais en aucun cas, le ML profite de la FL lorsqu'elle est adolescente !
Dans mon avis de Plus & Minus, j'avais mentionné que toutes les histoires d'amour, même les plus simples, avaient tout autant de mérite à être racontées. Des histoires compliquées, simples, difficiles ou faciles. Tant que l'amour reste l'essence principale. À mes yeux, Hidden Love a complètement manqué sa thématique. Duan Jia Xu tombe amoureux en se réveillant un beau matin au chant des oiseaux. C'est soudain, ça tombe d'on ne sait où ! De l'autre côté, Sang Zhi est toujours aussi expressive qu'un mur de briques. Au final, c'est une romance qui part au casse-pipe avant d'avoir commencé. Pour moi, rien ne fonctionne, pas même l'alchimie du couple qui n'existe pas. La superficialité romantique qui a oublié que l'émotion ce n'est pas seulement faire jouer deux belles personnes.
Bien qu'il m'arrive d'être assez dure dans mes avis, je me remets souvent en question. Je remets aussi des idées et productions en question. Ces deux dernières années, j'ai souvent remis en question le cinéma chinois après avoir enchaîné les déceptions quant aux romances modernes chinoises (en plus, ces derniers mois, des productions coréennes du même genre). Ce n'est pas la première fois qu'un scénario est sauvé par un duo visuellement attrayant. Si vous retirez le couple, l'histoire se fracasse au sol. Le duo donne de la visibilité, les spectateurs vont en parler parce qu'encore une fois le couple est attrayant. Parce que oui, Zhao Lu Si est une jolie femme, et Chen Zhe Yuan est un bel homme. Mais en réalité, il n'y a aucune substance dans cette histoire.
Naturellement, j'ai commencé à me demander quand le physique allait cesser de primer sur le talent ou un scénario solide. Parce qu'en fin de compte, j'ai vu beaucoup de drames chinois avec de beaux visages, mais où le talent et des histoires consistantes n'ont jamais franchi la porte.
Bref, la surmédiatisation de Hidden Love n'a pas aidé ce drame qui passe à côté de sa thématique principale, la romance. Des personnages faiblards, un manque de maturité global et l'infantilisation de la FL auront raison de lui. Peut-être que si j'avais été une adolescente en mal d'amour, mon discours aurait été différent, mais aujourd'hui en tant qu'adulte et avec mes propres expériences et blessures, c'est une comédie romantique sans comédie et sans romance avec seulement un duo physiquement attrayant. Enlevez-le, et il ne restera rien de Hidden Love si ce n'est un pétard mouillé.
PS : Non, ce n'est pas Hidden Love qui a lancé la carrière de Chen Zhe Yuan, n'abusez pas.
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Love maturity
The theme is good. The feeling is not controlled by the relationship. The true love always understand others and try to keep others in first. In simple way to say that love is selfless... Love needs understanding and adjustment... One's the feeling is built it's unable to shake it... We could see this in this drama. I love both the actors... They are such awesome and beautiful looking. God bless you... Thanks for directing such a lovely story and cherishing us by your creativity. Al the credit goes to the entire team as they had worked out on the drama.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Waste of My Time
I found it perplexing that 'Hidden Love' received a high rating of 9.1 which is equivalent to 'Nirvana on Fire.' I watch about 10 episodes but ultimately had to abandon it, lacking any inclination to resume. The series felt monotonous and lacked the promised romantic essence. The male lead's persistent pursuit of his friend's younger sister struck me as inappropriate, to the extent that I would have severed ties if I were the brother. Overall, the drama failed to captivate my interest. I'd advise against investing time in it. If you're seeking a contemporary romance drama, I highly recommend the Korean series 'Crash Landing on You' instead.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Sweet youth romance + controversial setting
The best part of this romance drama is the chemistry between the main couple as well as the trio leads. The main leads ZLS and CZY are truly complement each other, although tbvh it's also hard to believe their characters are supposed to be 5 years apart with him being older.Controversial part, the setting between adult male lead and child version of the female lead/ when the female lead during her high school in around 7 ep was actually quite uncomfortable to watch, yes we can argue the male lead didn't see her as a woman yet that time but it doesn't mean everyone should agree with that.
Overall, it's still quite pleasant to watch. All of us have crush, but mostly ended as unrequited ones. Nice to see someone's crush has her happy ending in the fictional world.
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Verry interesting story
I usually do not watch cdrama but this one really got me to start watching. ?? I do not watch cdrama because of poor acting and the plot but the acting of this actors feels like real life moment .❤❤ Also the story line is not moving to fast to the future but neither remains to long on present life. The fact that the cdrama do not focused to much on the pastit makes me more curious about watching it.??Highly recommended ???❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤???????????????????Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Anothe hit from Rosie!
I'm a fan of Zhao Lusi and this is one of my fave roles of hers, perhaps only second behind Dating in the Kitchen (with Galaxy and Rule the World close contenders, aswell). I really have no notes, this was close to perfection. It was perfectly cast, perfectly acted, perfectly produced. The romantic chemistry between the lead couple was perfectly sweet and the platonic chemistry between all the other characters was perfectly compatible. Overall, PERFECT! No need to hestitate, you won't regret the time spen watching this drama!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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Both the FL and ML are green flags
Its impossible not to love these two seemingly adorable characters. There is no finding fault. The writes did such a beautiful job and this is one gem worth rewatching. It is like a salve for your heart, especially if you have been traumatized by crappy endings.The cast was also a treat to watch, all the actors were so visually stunning. The FL's entire family was full of green flags, her brother and her parents. They were so understanding of her and also cherished their daughter so much. A treat for people who understand how precious gentle parenting can be.
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LO MEJOR QUE ME PASÓ
Es que de verdad esta serie se volvió mi safe place. Tuvo todo lo que amo y más. Todos tienen que verla porque la van a amar. Mil veces la vería y mil veces la amaría!!! Lusi y Zheyuan son unos actores excepcionales y tan realistas. La historia estuvo llena de todo lo que amo y me tenía chillando cada 3 segundos. Definitivamente un MUST WATCH de todo drama lover así que si aún no la ven no sé lo que esperan para verla.OST - Forever Star ✨?
“Never knew the shine would light up my whole life”
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The greenest green flag goes to
I will admit, at first I was a bit scared - first of all, I mostly watch BL seriep since romances between girl & guy always seem a bit awkward and forced, second I thought it's gonna be weird after the fist ep where Zie looked like an 8 year old kidd BUT there was nothing inappropriate about this and main leads had so much natural chemistry!!! They both are the ultimate green flags together and for each other. Even if this story is a bit basic the main copule made me give up my fist 10/10. LOVE IT AND HIGHLY, HIGLY RECOMMENT!!!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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So impactful, easy to fall in love with it.
This drama could've been terrible. It could've been uncomfortable and tasteless. But it wasn't. It was endearing, emotional, intense, and heartfelt. There was a very thin line around the appropriateness of it, but what they accomplished with the writing , acting, and overall storytelling is a beautiful example of an innocent crush blooming into first love. I loved the way they handled such a delicate topic. At no point did it ever feel inappropriate or cringey. It just felt real. The ML's acting was phenomenal. I truly felt he loved the FL. It was so convincing, I couldn't have even imagined who else the MCs could've ended up with. It felt destined and they did a great job portraying that. This drama takes a special place in my heart. I will watch it many times over.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
