Love Designer (2020)

The sheer level of product placement in this drama is so high, you wonder if it is a drama about the products at times instead of a romance business drama which is a big turn off. It not only can take you out of the drama but there are so annoying about it in nearly every episode. If a gift is involved in any scene, you can bet there will be product placement. It was so abrasive that throughout this review you will be seeing [Insert Product Placement] to show you my frustration.

This drama was interesting until it became a repeat game of "will they won't they", miscommunication and lack of trust. Pretty standard for romance dramas [Insert Product Placement] but it was done so much in an already freaking long drama that it became an issue of 'WHY the heck are you guys even together problem.' [Insert Product Placement]

The only reason the FL and ML are together is their PURE chemistry and light sensual tension. They are the sole reason I kept watching a drama that I would've normally [Insert Product Placement] dropped after a certain point. This drama could've saved time and money by just keeping [Insert Product Placement] the FL and ML the main focus while making the drama 12-14 episodes long. Everything else was either useless fillers or annoying. They were the best in the beginning half drama before annoying things got in their way. I suppose that is life, ain't it?

Other problems/peeves: FL is not competent enough at her job. She is "good but not good enough" lame excuse. Her fashion in the drama is an indicator that this chick plays it safe. I suppose she improves but whatever. She had so many problems coming at her it was ridiculous. ML is the classic [Insert Product Placement], "I ace everything but dealing with my teenage sister" type of gege/oppa. He has a setback, but again whatever. His losses aren't significant enough or last long enough for me to say much. Both Dilraba and Johnny act well in this. This was my first drama with Johnny Huang, so I was pleasantly happy because he was [Insert Product Placement] swoon worthy at times.

I enjoy the failures of the characters and the problems they have but I have no empathy for [Insert Product Placement] them since they repeat like crazy. Learn your lessons people! I mean the two females in this drama are legit spoiled brats who have been spoon fed way too many times for me to take them seriously. They never suffer severe losses even when it is claimed that they are/have which only proves their brat [Insert Product Placement] statuses.

The other couples were cute at the start but I became increasing frustrated with the Qin Qing when her boyfriend [Insert Product Placement] was legit the sweetest guy ever. You really get some annoying ass character later who you just wish would go away because they aren't interesting enough to stay in the story and it is just lame after a certain point.

I highly suggest everyone watch episodes 1-14ish and then just STOP. You legit don't need to go any further than that, nothing happens that doesn't reset it self to the status of those episodes. Save yourself time. [Insert Product Placement]

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This drama had so much potential, with interesting characters and an avoidance of many annoying cliches I've repeatedly encountered in modern dramas lately. However, it was ultimately very disappointing, with a lot of storylines that lacked depth and a rushed ending.

Dilraba Dilmurat finally plays a character who is not naive, silly, and clumsy. Zhou Fang is a motivated, ambitious fashion designer who speaks her mind, and I liked that they didn't make her a spectacularly talented designer but someone who is learning and recognizes how far she has to grow. Meanwhile, Johnny Huang's Song Lin is a workaholic CEO but he's (for the most part) straightforward. There is, thankfully, not a lot of will-they-or-won't-they and only briefly is there a second lead who tries to get between them. The biggest conflict between Zhou Fang and Song Lin is that they are both ambitious and stubborn, and they encounter work-related problems including conflicts of interest and struggles with work-life balance. They have a lot of very sweet moments, which is a nice change from all those dramas where it takes 40 episodes for the leads to finally express their feelings for each other. Also, I loved the storyline with Zhou Fang's nephew and Song Lin's younger sister. They brought so much humor and lightheartedness to the drama.

The other storylines were extremely weak. I loved Qin Qing in the beginning because she's a fiercely loyal friend and a confident, successful jewelry designer. Unfortunately, everything went downhill due to Zuo Yu Lin. I could understand her uncertainty due to their age gap, but it was his mother's storyline that I found intolerable. While Zuo Yu Lin initially seemed like a genuine, caring boyfriend, it was when they encountered a real external conflict that he showed his true colors. He should've addressed the issues with his mother rather than repeatedly lying and then letting Qin Qing do the work to win her over. Also, they became increasingly cheesy and over-the-top when they were together and it made me cringe.

The biggest missed opportunity was Su Yu Shan, who was initially presented as the Bad Guy, a ruthless businessman who uses questionable methods and ignores his lonely wife. They should have developed his story more, and not just in the last episode. Things changed so quickly in the end! The two other supporting characters were Zhou Fang and Qin Qing's friends, Huo Chen Dong and Shen Pei Pei, who totally disappear towards the end and receive an unsatisfying resolution in the final episode. Zhou Fang's mother was also had a significant storyline, and she was just too much. Honestly, all three mothers in this drama were rather domineering.

Lastly, a note on product placement: I hope to never encounter that awful ringtone that multiple (or was it every??) character used, but I am curious to try Hai Di Lao takeout (lol).

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