Overdo

An absolute rollercoaster

One of the most anticipated dramas of 2026, it gave me everything I didn't know I needed. A story that was unapologetically and uncompromisingly melo. A cast so beautiful in costumes so outstanding. Emotive and fantastic acting, giving the actors the chance to show their acting range and skills. It had everything.

Now to be honest, this is a 9.5 drama to me. I am rating it a perfect 10 to combat antis. This series got a disproportionate amount of hate from antis, bots, people who were looking for reasons not to like it, and people who came into it with expectations for a series that this show clearly wasn't going to be. Now some of the criticism is valid: there was very heavy use of AI (honeslty expected at this point with cdramas), and there was some pretty stilted cinematography in the early episodes. It did not warrant the level of hate it got however.

This show is a melodrama - comparable to some short youtube series dramas. But it stuck to its guns and told a story.

Story:
The story centers on our ML MRQY, the youngest son of a warlord family who was switched a birth and returned to his family around age 12. He is the abused son, the one that everyone hates and blames for everything. This is a common theme throughout the series as he constantly gets blamed for other people's decisions. His life gets derailed after taking the blame for a murder committed by his girlfriend, our FL RSS, and going to prison for 3 years. RSS is a girl on a mission to stop human trafficking and avenge her sisters from the orphanage she grew up in after her family was murdered. She kills one of the traffickers, and (fakes) her death (at the time she was trying to die it just didn't stick). Ultimately, she returns and takes on a new identity as one of her deceased sister's who had a powerful family to continue her quest for revenge. In her quest, she becomes engaged to her ex-boyfriend's brother/ our ML (who believed she was dead for the last 3 years after she shot herself in front of him and fell out of a train)'s older brother.

Over the course of the show, the two have a push and pull relationship, in love but hate each other. In my opinion, MRQY is the only one who has any valid reason for resentment, but he is also the one who is an absolute simp for the FL and yearns for her way to much to ever play hard to get. Meanwhile, FL has way too much trauma to ever let herself just be happy and is constantly sabotaging her relationship with him, even as she simultaneously gives him mixed messages that she does love him.

So as you can see, this show is complicated. We are on a rollercoaster of emotion. It is absolutely melo. People are making emotional, ridiculous decisions left and right, back and forth, up and down. It's insanity. In the background of all this are the politics of republic warlord violence typical for the era and war that show that ultimately, this era was full of chaos and that for there to be any resolution, sacrifice needs to be made.

The ending is a massive wtf that also feels right because to be honest how else was it going to end... a happily ever after.?Unlikely with everything that happened and with these two. We could hope, especially for their son, but unlikely.

Characters/Actors:

MRQY is a walking talking green flag covered in a red flag. He's got the biggest heart and the biggest obsessive streak, and trauma that packs a punch. Abused as a child, abandoned and loathed by two families, replaced by another boy by those same families, the only girl he ever loved shot herself in front of him, used him for murder, his only aspiration to become a doctor was destroyed after being tortured, and his family continues to use him while hating him and constantly berating him. The girl he loves is constantly chosing his brothers, playing into his inferority complex and feelings of inadequacy. And all the while, he'll continue to love her and put himself in harms way for her. He'll pursue justice so people won't be hurt like he was, he'll be prickly but he'll stand up for others.

Zhang Linghe plays MRQY perfectly. He is able to showcase a phenominal range of emotions and action in this role. I think this role gave him the most opportunity to showcase his skill (we even got some comedy with that bellyflop). I admit that I put this show on by to watch list because of ZLH and was keeping up with the filming Reuters when it was in production in 2025 because of ZLH. But even though the bias is massive, I was not disappointed. ZLH delivered a great performance.

RSS is a walking red flag full stop, and I standby almost all her decisions (almost all because I do not standby the baby concealment or pretending to have a relationship with LBZ because that stupid cruel and horrible for no reason at all). She's got vendettas lining up down the block, and is gaslight gatekeep girlbossing her way through life. She was horribly abused with other children when she was young after her family's tragic death, she holds the weight of responsibility for her friends/sisters lives especially after one died saving her, and she has survivor's guilt preventing her from letting herself truly be happy for even a moment or stop chasing after revenge. She has a terrible habit of making decisions for those she loves to protect them, and can be cruel as a result. She also loves fiercely and will pursue justice and vengence with obsession to destroy everything else in her life.

Wan Chu Ran played an outsanding character. She portrayed the decisiveness and determination of RSS, she made us frustrated with her decisions when watching the show for romance, but gave us reason to admire the character when the show gave us action and revenge. It is impossible to hate the character as the reason for her decisions are clear, but it is likewise impossible to truly hope these characters end up together when one (RSS) keeps hurting the other. Nevertheless, you hope, because WCR gives you those flickers of love, the emotion and expression that shows that every decision is hurting RSS too. You hope that she can heal, you hope that she will live a happy life, but at the same time, part of you knows that it is impossible.

Cinematography

I'm not mad about it. I know a lot of people had a lot to say about the camera editing, and the lighting. But honestly, it wasn't bad for me, it didn't take me out. Maybe the pretty faces kept me distracted.
I'm not even going to bother talking about the AI...

Rewatch value:
Yes. This was a good show, I am going to watch a million edits of the characters and I'm going to rewatch this many times because the action was great, the drama was amazing and it kept me entertained.

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NO REGRET WATCHING IT! You enjoy Dark Romance & Toxic Love? You will like this!

DISCLAIMER: The most overdo thing about this drama is the hate it received. If you're interested, watch it to make your own opinion. I usually also check reviews to see if I should watch a show or not, but I never saw a show receive this much hate by people who dropped it so they don't even know what's the story is about anymore.

REVIEW: It was one of the show I was anticipated the most this year and I'm so glad I watched it! Since last year, the story and the trailer promised toxic love and red flags leads then guess what? We got served toxic love and red flags lead! I'm very happy about that. Is the drama top notch? No, we can tell the editing is not all that. But not one second I regret watching it. The setting and the fashion are beautiful, we really feel in the republican era.
This drama type is nonsensical over the top dramatic soap opera-like. A bit too much when it comes to the story, like how they purposefully make the leads suffer but it's not that bad of a show. We get that it's just part of the story, lol. The story is a mess and somehow that's what makes you want to keep going, because you can't guess what's coming next. It's a very entertaining show with a cast that have great chemistry and embody their characters well.
The characters are complex and it seems some people can't handle when characters are not good or bad but actually both because of their own trauma. We see the leads hurting each other more than loving each other, while also knowing they really are in love with each other and would die/kill for the other. Despite their toxic love, they are really made for each other.

I don't think you missed anything if you have not watched it, like it's not a must watch, but I do not believe it's the worst drama of the year nor of Zhang Ling He and you will waste hours of your life watching it either.
To me, it felt like the closest show one could get if you enjoy mafia/dark romance and want that in a cdrama. It's very unique in its genre and I appreciated the time I spent enjoying this drama and wondering what was coming next. ^_^

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If you get past the experimental vertical format, it’s actually not that awful

I -almost- skipped this hot potato because of how much hate it’s been getting, which, tbh totally understandable because it feels unpalatable if you’re not ready for it. Same feeling when you think you’re eating sour cream and onion chips but turns out they’re shrimp flavored.

I don’t know what the thought process was behind the high intensity vertical style cinematography and storytelling, but you can tell the director was really trying to make a splash with the trendiest new thang. There was some thought there, I guess, but tragically it went sideways. The boken and light refraction filters are jarring, the dramatic zooms are hilarious and the 1000 intensity level of every emotion is just so funny.

That being said though, I’m only on episode 3 and it’s already cooling off into a better pace and we’re beginning to see deeper flavors of emotions develop through the conflicts that are being set up between characters. I still hate the blur filter but not as much as I hated it on “The Best Thing” which apparently people loved and thought it added a “soft effect”. No, it just makes me think my eyesight is bad. Idk why people literally need blurry images to think something is “soft”, there’s plenty of other ways to go about it rather than making me question my eyesight.
Still though, I think fundamentally the emotional core of the story is logical, consistent and coherent. Additionally ZLH and WCR’s acting is top notch like, ngl, I’m also watching Key to the Phoenix heart rn and man, it’s so bland, I don’t understand its hype. Despite all this drama’s flaws, ZLH is just… so much better I mean, his eyebrows move! He doesn’t have to speak for me to know his feelings. It’s so great when actors can do that.
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Edit// Okay, catching up now and I'm early posting my update because this drama is getting a lot of unnecessary hate, I think. It is tonally 180 degrees from ZLH's role in PoJ and probably closer to his role in Our Generation. Which, by the way, I LOVED. He is so good at playing psychologically inflicted (and conflicted) characters. All the emotions are at 200% in this drama. There is no reprieve. I don't watch enough C-Dramas to know if they have a makjang genre, but if they did, this show would be top of the list makjang. In that light, the vertical style narrative makes sense because TikTok style videos are basically of the same caliber of high intensity drama, clipped cadence and insanity. Wang Chu Ran's character is also unhinged. She is too broken to make decent life choices. Qing Yi's mother is batshit crazy like... what is wrong with her, his adoptive father is basically a dictator. There is no character at 50% here.

So if you're starting this show, I'd shift my expectations from "will it finally make sense?" to "how hard does sh*t hit the fan today?"

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I didn't get bored

First off, please don't compare to pursuit of jade, it's not and it's not trying to be. It's beautiful in its own way.

I can't say it's the best production I've ever seen but the characters and relationships in this drama are something. I will say I watched every episode the day of release and then paid for the final 4 episodes so I could complete it. Zhang linghe is great in this. The way he can be intense and intimidating while still being vulnerable is incredible. I can't wait to see what else he does.
I loved the music but did notice small hitches in other parts of the sound production. It can disrupt a bit but it wasn't enough for me to stop watching.
Lighting seemed odd to me at some points, like it had a bright shimmer, what you'd usually see in a dream sequence, memory or something but it's just the main story. I was racking my brain to think why this would be a choice but couldn't figure it out.
The costumes and styling are beautiful.
Having said all that I'm m not sure I'd rush to watch it again.

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Zhang Linghe Carries This Drama with a Career-Defining Performance

After finishing Overdo I can confidently say that it is a very good drama. It is important to watch it with the right expectations. This is not a romance-heavy drama, nor was it ever meant to be. Instead, it focuses on survival, revenge, family conflicts, hardships, and the emotional journey of its characters—something that is very much in line with many classic 90s-style C-dramas.

The story is fast-paced and can be emotionally exhausting at times, but that is also what makes it engaging. It follows the hardships of the male lead and the sacrifices he makes for the people around him. From that perspective, the drama feels fulfilling and meaningful.

Overdo has a good balance of romance and emotional highs and lows. While it isn't a romance-heavy drama, the romantic moments between the male and female leads are beautifully portrayed and genuinely worth watching. Their chemistry feels natural, making every scene they share memorable.

One of the biggest strengths of this drama is its cast. Every actor has clearly put in tremendous effort, and their performances elevate the entire series. Even when there are a few flaws in the storytelling or editing, the actors' dedication makes those moments easy to overlook. The final episodes, in particular, show noticeable improvement, and it feels like the production team genuinely tried to address some of the issues that appeared in the earlier episodes.

That said, there is definitely room for improvement from the production side. Some of the AI-generated effects, lighting choices, music transitions, and visual inconsistencies can occasionally be distracting. I believe the drama would have been even stronger with less reliance on AI. However, these technical flaws should not be a reason to drop the drama. They are minor compared to the effort the actors put into bringing the story to life.

The ending may feel heartbreaking or even a little bittersweet to some viewers, but I personally see it as an open ending. It leaves room for interpretation, allowing viewers to decide whether it is a happy or sad conclusion.

I have watched many C-dramas, and I think people expecting a romance filled with kisses and sweet moments may end up disappointed.

I also know that some viewers have pointed out that it follows certain short-drama storytelling patterns. Personally, I don't see that as a negative. After watching many school romances and similar dramas, it feels refreshing to watch something different. As long as the story keeps you engaged, these storytelling choices work perfectly well.

Overall, I would definitely recommend watching Overdo at least once. If you're a fan of the male lead or female lead, their performances alone make the drama worth watching. Despite a few production flaws, the compelling story, emotional depth, and exceptional acting make it a memorable experience. Instead of focusing on the minor AI-related mistakes, I believe we should appreciate the incredible effort the cast put into making this drama what it is.

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MESSY, but worth it to the end.

The entire plot was a mess from beginning to end. The story was so painful, so torturous to watch. It was a sh*tshow after another. The ML and FL's lives were extremely cruel. Yet, as bad as it was, this drama was so alluring. I found myself not able to drop it, but instead, I was literally waiting for more. I wanted to believe that there was hope. Hope that it would get better soon. It doesn't.

The last 5 episodes were when it felt like a normal drama/storyline again. LOL. The ending was not as we all had hoped for. The alternative universe at the end was truly needed. It helped heal a part of me. It wasn't a satisfying ending, but it wasn't the worst either. I'm glad they gave us that what-if ending.

The most ironic to me was the people who MLs was trying to fight throughout the whole story turned out to be not so bad after all. This show had so much misunderstandings which led to all this drama.

I’m glad they didn’t turn Li Boze evil. He was seriously the last hope for us all.

Overall, this drama would be a 7 for me. Acting was very good from all of them. Would I rewatch it? Hard no. Not because it is bad, but because my heart can't go through this mess again. Not sure what the writer had in mind when writing the script, but DAMN. WT* haha!

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Everyone forget that overdo is angst drama not romance

This drama had everyone's attention long before it even premiered. It attracted fans, casual viewers, and even haters simply because it brought together two of the industry's biggest visual stars. On top of that, many people were already arguing about the original novel, which is known for being extremely toxic especially the male lead's character.

However, the director and screenwriter made it clear from the beginning that they only borrowed the characters' names, not the novel's storyline. Even so, this was always intended to be an **angst drama**, filled with conflict, misunderstandings, and a constant push-and-pull relationship between the female lead and the male lead.

Then Episode 1 aired, and instead of discussing the story, the drama started trending because of its AI-generated opening sequence. Many people immediately said they had no interest in watching *Overdo* simply because it used AI. But if you think about it logically, the opening sequence has nothing to do with the quality of the story itself. You can literally skip the intro and still enjoy the entire drama. Unfortunately, many people had already decided to criticize it before giving it a fair chance.

After watching Episodes 1–25, I can honestly say the story is much more than just romance. It also explores serious social issues such as human trafficking, scams, illegal drugs, switched families, abusive families, and many other dark themes. The romance isn't meant to be sweet and fluffy. From the very beginning, this is a push-and-pull relationship where both leads constantly hurt each other with their words, yet deep down they genuinely love each other and can't let go.

The problem isn't that the drama is bad. It's that this kind of highly emotional, Republican-era angst drama simply isn't everyone's cup of tea. That doesn't automatically make it poorly made.

The performances from both lead actors are excellent. The editing improved significantly from Episode 6 onward, and the AI intro was even replaced. Yet some people kept bringing up the same complaints, making it feel as though they were more interested in hating the drama than actually watching it.

What's truly disappointing is that many viewers gave it low ratings simply because it wasn't their preferred genre, rather than judging it objectively. A drama should be evaluated based on its writing, acting, directing, and execution—not just on whether it matches someone's personal taste.

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What a disappointment… saved only by the excellent performances of the cast

I have never in my entire life watched a drama as toxically written, ridiculous, and narrative-breakingly absurd as Overdo. The only reason I managed to survive the absolute torture of sitting through all 33 episodes is out of pure respect and love for Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan. They are a truly magnificent cast who deserved a masterpiece, but instead, they were handed a pathetic, trainwreck of a script featuring characters who completely fail to evolve.

The toxicity of the writing is entirely rooted in how the main couple is fundamentally broken. The writers present Susu as an entirely manipulative, heartless, and cold person driven solely by bitter revenge. She is pathologically full of lies, pathologically deceiving people even about the most obvious things—including the paternity of her own child. On the flip side, Qingyi is portrayed as an emotionally weak, completely obsessed man who remains pathetically in love with the exact person who actively sent him to jail. There is no genuine character growth; they simply cycle through the same toxic behavioral loops for 33 episodes.

By Episode 26, the pacing completely implodes. We are subjected to a bizarre, rushed, and incredibly poorly directed fake-wedding-turned-real-marriage that gives the audience total whiplash. If that wasn't absurd enough, the script suddenly decides to turn Susu into a high-security wartime espionage spy overnight. The writers threw every single pathetic trope into a blender—toxic family whippings, a sudden rare child blood disorder, secret drug cartels, and wartime explosions—just to force unearned high stakes because they didn't know how to write organic character development.

To make matters worse, the technical production values are an absolute eyesore that completely ruin the viewing experience. The show is plagued by relentless, constant flashbacks that treat the audience like we have no short-term memory, grinding the pacing to a halt. Visually, the entire series is buried under a bizarre, sickly greenish tint that drains all the life out of the scenes. Combined with the cheap camera angles and rapid-fire editing, the entire production gives off the low-budget vibe of a vertical micro-drama rather than a high-end, premium television series.

The finale package dropped by iQIYI is the ultimate proof of how chaotic this production was. In a matter of minutes, the script literally blows Murong Qingyi up in a horrific warehouse fire, only to immediately resurrect him and place him on a train with Susu and Le'an for a rushed "Happy Ending" quota. It is pure narrative whiplash.

The saving grace of this entire disaster is the leads. Zhang Linghe delivers an acting masterclass; his emotional restraint, his signature "one-tear" crying scenes, and his transition into "dad mode" were incredibly moving despite how weak his character was written. Wang Churan matches his gravity flawlessly, delivering heartbreaking vulnerability even when the script forces her to play a deeply unlikable, manipulative woman. Their chemistry and professional dedication are the only reasons this show is remotely watchable.

To the cast: I respect your hard work immensely.
To the writers: this script was an insult to the viewers and a complete waste of a gold-standard cast.
Watch only for the actors, but prepare for mental exhaustion.

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