Love Designer

Waste of time..

One of the worst c drama I have watched. Couples in this show don’t communicate openly, hide things from each other, don’t trust each other and keep breaking up for every damn thing. Mother of the lead actress is super overbearing. Only thing she wants is for Dilraba to get married. Oh my god how much she talks crap! She thinks her marriage is best but she just ignores her husband all the time. Lady get a life and stop bothering your daughter. She is 26 and she knows what she is doing.
The second lead’s parents are worst. They use the boyfriend for hospital work then they tell daughter to get married to someone else. What nonsense!!
The character Luna, is pathetic. She is a famous actress but she doesn’t have self respect. What are they trying to portray in this show?!?!
Why do people think chasing unavailable people good? When someone says no let’s break up and not interested, just move on. Chasing someone who isn’t available and doesn’t trust and communicate is not something to normalize !!
The second leads mom who is a teacher but holds such prejudice. As a teacher she should know that kids grow up and change and they should be treated as adults when they are adults. She still treats her son like he is a toolset and his girlfriend like her student. What the hell?!?’ Grow up lady. You are supposed to be an example to your students but if students follow your values then god save them 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🙄
I don’t know how this show has 9 rating nor I can understand how this show was no 1 for long time. Please don’t watch this show
If you want to watch a fashion designer based and CEO type Cdrama then “Our glamorous time” is much better. At least they show trust and unity among couple and communication between them and how supportive they are to each other.

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If anything, just watch the main lead's scenes

I watched this drama purely for Dilreba, who happened to have great chemistry with her co-star Johnny Huang. The story line started out interesting at first (2 strangers meet, end up working in the same industry, crossing paths often, falling in love, etc), but as it got into their professional struggles and showed more of the second pairing, I lost interest.

There was no suspenseful or compelling drama. The only enjoyable aspect of such a slow paced drama is the natural, mature relationship between the 2 main leads.

Otherwise, I dropped the drama about 70% of the way and only came back to watch Reba and Johnny Huang's scenes. Skipped most of everything else.

There just really wasn't much to this drama.

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All about the feels

This show is all about the feels. :) The OTP is just so amazing together. Sure, there is the cliché love-hate beginning but it is the growth that hooks you. I have to say, as their love grows, the show will grow on you (or you'd have dropped this by then). The writer took their time to explore the many phases of falling in and out of love and how love grows and matures. It starts with the attraction, then a spark. Infatuation, longing and obsession all got explored in a mature way. Ultimately, the show took us beyond the typical total episodes minus one "will they, won't they" formula and allowed us to watch their characters grow while in love.
BTW, I like Dilraba so much more in this drama than Pretty Li Hui Zhen. She gets to play a mature woman with strong character and great personality. Some might say a bit naïve but she is trusting and will not say a bad word about anyone. She has so much chemistry with the ML it is swoon worthy in most scenes after their confession. They just behave so naturally around each other. I would believe it if someone tells me they are dating in RL. I would ship them in an instant. Their interaction is so natural. From the teasing to casual touching, it does not feel scripted which is an achievement in a c-drama where the odd awkward kiss is the norm.
The OTP carried the show. The main plot is ok, very heavy on the scheming and make the fashion industry looks a bit grim (maybe it is all true! LOL). Certain scenes are almost contemplative. Thoughts and ideas are expressed by the characters like snippet of life lessons. The 2OTP is good but the 2ML lacks that natural charm that Johnny has in spades. It does allow the writers to explore other aspect of love and loving though. My one negative are the moms. Boy, did the meddling moms get a run for their money, not 1 but 3! Why all the moms are so one dimensional and controlling? I get they want to get some angsts happening but not all moms are like that, surely? They all have their redemption at some point but it is very monotonal.
Two minor gripes, so much PPL and they are everywhere and a couple of minor plots seemed to disappear into the ether and then got a quick scene in the last episode. To bring some closures? In conclusion, if you want big dramas, explosive plot twists and suspense galore, go watch something else, if you want to see two mature, stubborn and charismatic people fall heavily in love (for realsies) and live through a slice of their lives with them then pull up a chair. You will get your romantic fill.

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I’m happy I decided to watch this series despite the not so positive reviews I read.
I think this show was wholesome and heartfelt. There were a lot of sweet and funny moments and of course there were frustrating moments as well.
There was some repetition in the show, but nothing too bad in my opinion. Don’t relationships typically have some repetition? There will be some situations/characters you’ll get frustrated with though so prepare for that.
The ending was very cute. I think they wrapped everything up very nicely and it made me feel like watching all 45 episodes was worth it. A happy ending for a couple with great chemistry plus a happy ending for other characters gave it that worth.
Even though it was worth it, I wouldn’t really watch it again. I’d only watch some parts.
I think overall Love Designer was a good show that represented real life situations and life lessons. It’s a relate-able show with a lot of fun scenes, but in typical c-drama fashion, it is very long.

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Rewatch Review:The drama that owns a penthouse in my heart, rent-free.

Let me be upfront this review is deeply biased, and I have no intention of pretending otherwise. Love Designer was my gateway drug into the drama world, and nothing hits quite like your first high. I’ve made it an annual ritual to rewatch this gem, and every time, it feels like coming home to a very chaotic, very attractive couple who refuse to use a single brain cell when emotions are involved.

Let’s talk about Johnny Huang and Dilraba Dilmurat, or as I like to call them, the reason I can’t enjoy 90% of other onscreen pairings. These two had insane chemistry. The type that feels illegal. The type where you're constantly checking to make sure you're not third-wheeling on something real. They didn’t just act together, they collided. Whoever cast them deserves a lifetime achievement award and a bonus spa day.

I’ve watched Johnny in other dramas, yes, even Bright Eyes in the Dark, which I actually liked, but no pairing has come close to what he and Dilraba brought to Love Designer. Same goes for Dilraba and Yang Yang in You Are My Glory, they were stellar, but this? This was magic in motion.

Back in 2020, I admittedly didn’t care much for the second leads. They brought a lot of drama, sure, but not the kind I was invested in. They took up a bit too much screentime for my taste. But one side character who did steal my attention (and my admiration) was Song Luoluo, our rebellious, sharp-tongued little sister who terrorized Song Lin with the confidence of someone who knew he’d never dare fight back. She was a teenage tornado and I loved every second. Honestly, her scenes had some of the best emotional growth in the entire series. If Song Lin ended up a better man, it's 50% Zhou Fang’s influence and 50% Luoluo’s psychological warfare.

As for Johnny Huang, the man can do it all. Whether he’s leading a rescue team, marching through explosions, or bossing around in a perfectly tailored suit while delivering emotionally constipated monologues, he sells it with conviction. His portrayal of Song Lin, the emotionally-stunted CEO who falls for a fiery fashion designer, was both frustrating and endearing. I wanted to shake him and hug him, sometimes in the same scene.

Let’s not skip over the soundtrack, because oh my god. The OST carried the emotional weight of this drama like a seasoned sherpa. The main theme lived on as my ringtone for months, and yes, Johnny sang some of the interval tracks himself. How dare he act, smolder, and sing? Choose a struggle.

Love Designer is what I call my "firstborn drama", the one that imprinted on me like a baby duck. It’s far from perfect, I’m fully aware of that, but perfection was never the point. It’s about the feelings it gave me, the spark that turned a casual viewer into a hopeless drama addict, and the unshakable standard it set for every romance that came after.

So yes, this review is biased. It’s drenched in nostalgia. And I’m absolutely okay with that.

For future generation, I made a timeline of all Zhou Fang and Song Lin moments that make you question if they are acting or you are a 3rd wheel.

ZHOU FANG & SONG LIN | Love Designer Moments

Ep 18 | 10:28
"Tension Served Sharp"
Where arguments cut deeper than knives, but the sparks are undeniable.

Ep 21 | 24:26
"Post-Press Passion"
Business dealt. Feelings pending. Emotions bubble after the storm.

Ep 23 | 33:33
"When Past Wounds Resurface"
Chaos meets calm—Song Lin protects, Zhou Fang holds ground.

Ep 25 | 11:59 – 17:20
"Crash Into You"
An accident rewrites their emotional playbook.

Ep 26 | 18:27
"Office Dine & Kiss Replay"
When dinner turns into a memory your replay button can’t survive.

Ep 26 | 30:05
"Whispers After Hours"
A mature love language only the two of them speak.

Ep 27 | 14:50
"Exhaustion & Ease"
End of day, but beginning of heart.

Ep 27 | 29:27
"Above All—Us"
Shanghai Tower view, but all they see is each other.

Ep 28 | 31:10 – 34:18
"Acting? Never Heard of Her"
Too real, too raw, too them.

Ep 29 | 32:49
"Kiss of Defiance"
A top-tier kiss fueled by love, defiance, and a bit of danger.

Ep 31 | 16:30
"Hospital Playlist: Song Edition"
Vulnerable hearts on a sterile stage.

Ep 31 | 26:11
"Radio Zhou Fang: Tune Into Love"
Late-night conversations. Frequencies aligned.

Ep 32 | 14:52
"Just One Hour Apart"
Separation anxiety: the romantic kind.

Ep 34 | 28:42
"Sweet Like Cheese"
A scene that melts like mozzarella on a flame.

Ep 34 | 30:00 – 39:18
"Ride or Propose?"
The line between commitment and confession gets blurry.

Ep 35 | 37:11
"Fighting With Finesse"
Where love is mature enough to argue... and stay.

Ep 37 | 26:29 – 30:30
"Yaya & Song Lin: Gentle Giants"
A soft scene that could hug your soul.

Ep 38 | 10:45
"Where's the Gift, Milan?"
Comic relief meets couple tease. Iconic.

Ep 39 | 22:55
"Pour Decisions & Honest Hearts"
A glass of wine, a splash of truth.

Ep 44 | 14:00
"Under Shanghai Lights 💍"
A cityscape moment worthy of vows and velvet boxes.

Ep 45 | 25:28
"Harley Ever After"
From motorcycle mayhem to marriage march.

Ep 45 | 39:00
"Sunset Riders & Baby on Board 🍼"
Their journey ends with a third heartbeat.

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OTP Incorrectly Billed! OTP/SLC Switch:

This could have been such a great drama but this writer was so lacking it ruined it completely.

CONS:
1) If someone set out the task, like they do with lyric distribution for K-Pop idols' music, to calculate how much on-air screen time the Secondary Lead Couple got to the OTP, I'd say that it would be 2:1. This isn't even counting the amount of time the OTP, either as a couple together on-screen, or individually, spent discussing the SLC's issues, problems, life, and not focusing on themselves.

2) For me, it was like false billing where Viann Zhang & Yi Da Qian were actually the true OTP and Zhou Fang/Song Lin couple were the SLC, and the ONLY reason they billed Reba and Johnny as the OTP was because of the Qin Qing/Zuo YuLin story being lacking, and trying to get away with it. Qin Qing's character annoyed tf out of me...and the topic of this couple's issues and problems, and roundabout relationship and work place stuff was so PAINFULLY boring, it ruined this drama for me.

3) The editing wasn't the worst I've seen but it was certainly messy. Too many random scenes, and the OTP meeting in random settings, talking about random things.

4) A LOT of predictable scenes and conversations.

PROS:

1) Reba & Johnny as a couple are the best. Off-the-charts chemistry. Both acted the hell out of their characters despite the poor and lacking script/plot. They were the most natural couple I've seen on screen in a while. So much so, I wouldn't be surprised by eventual dating rumors. lol.

2) Johnny's character was absolutely the best, hands down and he played Song Lin the best anyone could. Reba's Zhou Fang was good as well, and she played her excellent, but, unfortunately, her character was trashed by the writer a handful of times, and it wasn't pleasant and made me frustrated watching it.

3) The friendships, bromance/sismance are really pretty good, even despite not liking some of the characters initially or on/off during the course of the drama based on their actions and boring topics.

The beginning had the seeds of a good story... it's just too bad that the writer decided that the boring SLC's story was better and worth more promoting than the actual OTP. The only time I really enjoyed this was when the OTP were together on screen.

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Love Designer was one of my anticipated releases for 2020. Initially I waited for it to be over so that I could binge watch it put I kept putting it off due to the negative comments I read. I can see why people weren't pleased with this - I am not happy either. However I am glad I gave this drama a chance because at least the first 20-ish episodes were well made and I discovered Johnny Huang thanks to this.

STORY:
Oh lord. Was there even a story, a plot? I cannot pinpoint to what the drama was about. All the characters do are talk about dreams and yet everything is underwhelming and a bore. There are some nice moments and some fluttery romantic scenes. The main problem of this drama is that nothing fits. It's like putting too much to eat on your plate, and you end up tasting a bit of everything, but by the end you can't tell what was what. None of the sub-plots fit or compliment each other. Characters drop in and drop out at random times. Some random "problems" arise which make no sense or seem like they were written just because they had to. This drama has good actors and shallow plots with stories that go nowhere. There was nothing that could keep me interested enough to appreciate even a single plot/struggle/growth of any single character.

This drama tries to play it smart but it fails- there is no depth or enjoyment in it. The writing is lazy and I feel like it was written by a bunch of people who all had their own ideas. The end result was that it went nowhere and left me underwhelmed to a great degree. The half-assed ending was thrown into the mix as a formality because they wanted this to end finally.

ACTORS:
Now this is why I ended up finishing the drama. This drama has one of the better main and supporting casts I have seen in a modern C-drama. Dilraba isn't the best actress but the character of Zhou Fang really suited her. She is really beautiful and sometimes left me in awe of her visuals. Johnny Huang is perfect as Song Lin and did an amazing job of his otherwise maybe an "okay at best" character. He is really manly and super charming. He was really good at holding my attention. The others- the friends, family and Song Luo were all good to watch but unfortunately the plot didn't leave them much to do with.

ROMANCE:
This was really nice. Johnny played his part perfectly and his pursuit and the dedication towards Zhou Fang remained strong till the end. The main female lead was confusing at times. Their romance was super cute and only got boring towards the end. Their interactions, skinship and chemistry felt very natural to me. There are secondary couples also which you could either care or not care for - I didn't.

OVERALL:
The worst part of this drama was it that I had so much I wanted to watch but those parts never materialized. It was like a bunch of unresolved plots till the end. The episodes are pointlessly long and dragged out. This drama was best suited for 24 episodes. More time should have been dedicated to our leads and there should have been more challenging subplots/arcs for Zhou Fang. I felt like Dilraba really tried this time but the it didn't show as her character remained the same throughout. Johnny managed a good job due to his exuding charm but even that fell flat by the end.

This drama is one giant mess. There are beautiful people in it and other than that I say there isn't much reason to watch this. Maybe if you have nothing to do and wish to appreciate the beauty our leads - it's the drama for you.

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A very chill drama with chill leads

I actually liked the drama. The drama is basically a chill love story with chill leads and mostly none annoying characters, (other than the actress, Luna, in the beginning)

Story:
Both the female lead and male lead are independent people. The FL focuses more on her job and the ML is kinda a bit the opposite and finds the FL more important, which I like. Many modern dramas nowadays focus much more on the love part chasing each other and how everything is just perfect if you just love each other, but no, cause that's not realistic and that's why I find this drama different and interesting. This drama actually shows how important a stable job is in a relationship, and all the conflicts are just realistic. I must admit that there were many misunderstandings, but all those misunderstandings again have to do with the job, and not a third person, which i like.
I love how chill the ML is in serious situations.
I like how they so quickly tell each other that they have feelings for each other, instead of first saying it in episode 15, as in many other dramas.

I've read many other reviews and many think that the main leads don't have chemistry and how everything is just so cliche but I do not think so. regarding the chemistry, I just think the main characters want to show the worst of themselves first, sort out all the conflicts, get a stable job, and then finally be happy together.
Both the FL and ML are super chill and doesn't show an "I can't live without you" feeling, which is nice.

The bad thing about this drama is that the second couple has too many scenes, why can't they just be happy together????
And the "third couple" should have more scenes, so that we can know exactly whether they end up together or not, instead of guessing it.

The acting was superb, good actors and actresses. I love Johnny Huang and Dilrabas super chill acting.
I also love how the ML's sister is involved and all the funny scenes.

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