Overdo

Drama Worth Watching

I honestly didn't expect Overdo to become one of those dramas I'd think about even after finishing each episode, but somehow it did. It wasn't because every episode was perfect or because it tried to do something revolutionary. It was simply because I enjoyed the journey from beginning to end.

What I liked the most was how easy it was to stay invested. Every episode I found myself looking forward to the next, wondering what would happen and wanting to spend more time with the characters. That's something I don't experience with every drama.

The cast really brought everything together. Everyone felt like they belonged in their roles, and the chemistry never felt forced. Zhang Linghe especially stood out to me. He didn't rely on loud scenes to make an impression. Sometimes it was just the smallest expressions or the quiet moments that made his performance memorable.

I know Overdo won't be everyone's favorite, and that's completely fine. Every drama has its own audience. But for me, this was one of those shows that reminded me why I enjoy watching dramas in the first place. It made me laugh, made me curious about what would happen next, and gave me characters I genuinely cared about.

Read More

why is the rating so low?

this isn't as bad as it seems and the rating system on here is deceiving. the story is gripping from the opening. I do think the first half was more gripping but by the time you get to the second part of the story you're already invested. not to say its bad, it could have been wrapped up with one in 20 somethih episodes instead of 33. I'm not sure why they make the ML into a kicked dog in every drama he's supposed to be "wicked" when it comes to women. the FML character is overboard with the pride. Other than that this is pretty good, again the low rating is not accurate and seems biased

Read More

A messy collection of disorganized scenes

Despite high expectations and a visually appealing lead cast, Overdo unfortunately falls flat, delivering a highly frustrating viewing experience marred by fundamental execution failures. From the very beginning, the production choice to use a bizarre, jarring AI-generated opening sequence immediately alienates the audience, setting a tone of cheap experimentation rather than historical immersion. This initial misstep transitions into a broader technical disaster, where the cinematography suffers from amateurish camera work, bewildering close-ups of random objects like footwear, and an overwhelming yellow color-wash filter. Furthermore, the persistent use of aggressive blur and light refraction effects does not create a romantic atmosphere as intended; instead, it leaves viewers with strained eyesight and the impression of a low-budget vertical micro-drama rather than a premium television production.
While the visual flaws of Overdo are distracting, the true failure of the drama lies in its deeply flawed narrative framework and disjointed plotting. The script suffers from a severe structural imbalance, choosing to rush through critical historical context and political intrigue in favor of manufacturing endless, unearned melodramatic peaks. Instead of building a cohesive, slow-burning story arc, the writers rely on an exhausting series of ridiculous coincidences and abrupt character decisions that defy basic logic. Every major plot progression feels unearned because the series prioritizes immediate shock value over organic development, leaving the overarching wartime strategy feeling incredibly shallow, juvenile, and completely disconnected from the stakes of the Republican era.
Furthermore, this narrative emptiness is severely worsened by the show's inability to establish any genuine emotional hooks or nuance. The pacing swings wildly between painfully slow filler scenes and rushed resolutions, stripping the central romance of any authentic tension and turning potential high-stakes conflicts into predictable tropes. By aggressively pushing the emotional intensity to a maximum in every single scene, the plot completely loses its rhythm, making major tragedies feel hollow and leaving the viewer entirely detached from the characters' fates. Compounding these narrative flaws are numerous glaring production oversights, including distracting modern anachronisms like visible clothing tags, gas stoves, and tablets in a 1930s setting, thick makeup even in the middle of a war zone, alongside extras who awkwardly pretend to eat or blink during crucial moments. Regarding the performances, the acting isn’t good enough to elevate the weak script, delivering a standard execution. While the lead cast displays occasional moments of competence, their portrayal lacks the deep emotional range and nuance needed to make the high-stakes narrative feel genuinely convincing.
Because the adaptation heavily alters the original novel's intricate source material without replacing it with a competent substitute, the final product feels like a messy collection of disorganized scenes rather than a well-thought-out, comprehensive story.

Read More

Don't even think to watch it.

# Review for Anyone Planning to Watch *Overdo*

If you're planning to watch this drama, you've probably already seen a lot of mixed reviews—some people love it, while others dislike it. Here's my opinion.

The first half of the drama is enjoyable and stays true to its main theme. It builds the conflict well and makes you curious about what will happen next.

Unfortunately, around the halfway point, the drama completely loses its direction. It's almost as if a different writing team took over. Instead of developing the central conflict, it starts jumping from one plot to another. That's when the story begins to feel unfocused, repetitive, and boring. This is also the point where many viewers will probably consider dropping it.

## My Criticism

### 1. Poor Execution (The Biggest Problem)

The biggest issue isn't the story itself—it's the execution.

The core idea and the main theme had a lot of potential, but many scenes fail to deliver the emotional impact they should have. There are several moments where you naturally expect a stronger reaction from the characters, more tension, or a more satisfying payoff, but the scenes end too quickly or move on before they can leave an impression.

Many emotional moments feel rushed instead of being allowed to breathe. Because of that, scenes that should have been memorable become forgettable.

### 2. The Drama Loses Its Core Plot

The story starts with a clear central conflict, but halfway through it seems to forget what it was really about.

One major reason is that the main villain is dealt with too early. After that, instead of deepening the original conflict, the writers keep introducing new storylines one after another.

A story doesn't become better by adding more events. It becomes better when every event pushes the same central conflict forward. *Overdo* does the opposite—it keeps changing its focus until the story feels scattered.

### 3. Weak Plot Progression

Even when individual scenes are interesting, the sequence of events often isn't.

Many plotlines feel disconnected from each other, and the transitions aren't smooth. Rather than building naturally toward bigger moments, the story keeps jumping to new ideas before properly developing the previous ones.

As a result, the pacing becomes uneven.

### 4. Unconvincing Character Reactions

Several scenes don't feel emotionally believable.

Characters sometimes react much less than a real person would in the same situation. In other moments, conflicts continue simply because nobody communicates honestly.

Some misunderstandings and problems could have been solved with one simple conversation, but instead they're stretched out to create unnecessary drama.

### 5. Unsatisfying Motivations

Some actions and plot twists don't have strong enough reasons behind them.

Characters occasionally make decisions because the plot needs them to, not because those choices feel natural for their personalities. That makes certain moments less satisfying.

## What I Did Like

I can't really judge the cinematography, editing, lighting, or camera work because I'm not knowledgeable enough in those areas.

However, I genuinely liked the OST, especially the main revenge theme. The production value, costumes, fashion, and casting are also impressive and make the drama visually enjoyable.

## Final Thoughts

Overall, *Overdo* had the potential to be a much stronger drama.

It had an interesting premise, a capable cast, and high production value, but the weak execution prevented it from reaching that potential. The biggest disappointment isn't that the story had flaws—it's that many good ideas weren't executed as well as they could have been.
And at the end its a sad ending.
So overall at the end you will get a lot of trauma without getting good story.

Read More

So much more could have been done with the story

I mainly started this drama because of the two leads. I genuinely enjoy watching their work. I first became familiar with Zhang Ling He through "The Princess Royal" and thought his acting was excellent, so I wanted to see more of his projects. Wang Chu Ran caught my attention in "Are You the One", where I really enjoyed her performance and the way she conveys emotions on screen — especially impressive considering how many dramas I’ve seen with weak acting.
The supporting cast was also strong, and overall I felt the acting and casting were one of the drama’s biggest strengths. The chemistry between the two leads was amazing, and I truly hope they reunite in another project.

However, despite the great cast, the drama fell short in several major areas, which unfortunately led to the actors receiving unfair hate. These are the main issues I felt held the drama back:

1. The Sad and Confusing Ending -
From what I understand, the original author is known for tragic stories, but I really wish the drama had chosen a different direction. The ending killed almost every character, and I would have preferred a happy ending for the main couple in the actual timeline we followed from the beginning — not just in a parallel universe.
The parallel universe concept was a nice touch, but it didn’t make up for how unclear the real ending was. For example, I didn’t even realize Qing Yi died until I went online and read an article explaining it. The emotional impact was lost because the storytelling was confusing, and the execution of the tragedy felt messy rather than meaningful.
2. Killing Off Everyone / Rushed Pacing -
After Qing Yi’s return, the drama suddenly became extremely fast‑paced, as if it was rushing to wrap up every remaining plot point. It would have been much better if the story had taken its time early on to set things up properly, then slowly addressed the conflicts instead of cramming everything into the end. And honestly — they killed off EVERYONE!! I get that Republican‑era dramas tend to be more dramatic, but this was excessive. Almost every character the audience becomes attached to ends up dead. One or two deaths can make sense, maybe even three, but wiping out nearly the entire cast just leaves a bitter taste. Some deaths, like Qing Yi’s subordinate, felt completely unnecessary.
3. Lack of Emotional Bond With the Child / Family Issues -
From the beginning, many family members — especially Qing Yi’s biological mother — were written as one‑dimensional, which explains why both leads grew up the way they did. I accepted that. But because they experienced so much neglect, I expected the story to show them building a healthier relationship with their own child, Le’an.
After Qing Yi’s return, I wanted to see him spend more time with his son and try to win his heart. It’s unrealistic for an adult to suddenly say, “I’m not your uncle, I’m your father,” and have the child accept it instantly. The drama missed a huge opportunity to show a meaningful father‑son bond developing.
As for Susu, her constant emotional push‑and‑pull and her revenge-driven choices were frustrating, even though I understand what the story was trying to portray. Still, after Qing Yi returned, I wish she had shown more affection and finally told him she loved him — something he had been longing to hear since the beginning.
Conclusion -
The story was clearly meant to be a tragedy, but it fell short in many areas. The hate the actors are receiving is unfair, because the issues came from the writing and production choices, not their performances. If the script had allowed it, the cast could have delivered much stronger romantic and emotional moments.
As someone unfamiliar with the original novel, I found the drama disappointing despite its beautiful visuals, strong acting, and even some great OSTs. I truly hope the main couple reunites in a future project where they can fully showcase their talent — something this drama didn’t allow them to do.

Read More

Soapy!!!

This show is like Young and Restless meets Bold and Beautiful - Chinese version. This is a soap Opera !!! Que the dramatic songs 😩 If you are looking for poj or similar, this ain’t it. This show is packed with lots of twist and turns and most of all DRAMA!!!! If you are not into messy situations and drama, then don’t watch this . Now for those of you who like a drama with lots of tea 🍵, sit back and enjoy!

First let me say, the acting is great. I definitely can not stand Ren Susu. For an actor/actress to invoke an emotion from you like a a strong like or hate, then they are the character they have become. So let’s get into the spoilers!!

REN Susu dated Qingyi back in the days and she ends up getting shot and is presumed “dead”. Qingyi hasn’t let go of his first love who is Susu. Fast forward 3 years later, his brother is getting married and so is he. But guess who his brother is marrying, REN FREAKING Susu, his dead lover. 😱 yes and from there it’s been nothing but drama and more drama. Now I have to give it to qingyi, because it could not have been me. At the engagement ceremony, everyone would have to know about my past with her especially my brother. He would have known that night. Cause what you mean , you marrying my brother?!!🤨 clearly he is still hung up on her and this carries on throughout the show. The moment we think they may get together , then boom she got other plans that don’t include qingyi . Like girl , why are you still around??! Yall it’s a lot of unnecessary necessary drama that keeps you frustrated and delusional and other emotions I can’t quite think of now. Please don’t have any expectations of having sensible reasons of why this or that happens because again this is soap opera drama. Nothing need to be understood except MORE DRAMA🫩 This is their recipe and I’m here for it. Now what I can say is that I felt like they should of at least draw us into the backstory of ren susu and qingyi before they hit us with the return of dead susu . That way we would of been fond of their relationship and hoping for them to get together. Right now, I wish she would disappear and I can’t stand how so devoted qingyi is to her and he neglect his own feelings and life for her. While she disregards his without batting an eye 🙄 Like if I could snatch her a** up in the tv, I would of done it since 1st episode. Now mind you mid-way, qingyi and susu , end up going to one of their special place that only the two of them know about, and this is after she is being chased and wanted. They end up spending the night together and get this, she gets pregnant. Mind you, she don’t know it yet but she still insists on marrying his brother😩 after smashing😩
I can’t spoil too much, because then there would be no point in watching the show. His older brother , is one of the only one out of the family that is redeemable and the other brother who was accidentally switched with qingyi. His mom and sister, can kick rocks.
So to sum it up, if you like soap opera and drama filled episodes, then join the clan. It’s a nice change of pace . Think of it as a palate cleanser after eating good sushi. This show is suppose to keep you on your toes with lots of angst and frustration. If that was their angle, then baby they delivered🤌. If I’m grading it on that level, the show is 9/10. It’s better production than days of our lives. But overall I’ll give it a 8. Yall lost that point because of Susu. I want to smack the 💩 out of her. Hope this help some of you Zhang Linghe fans understand the assignment in this show and see his performance differently here. You can tell that he has come a long way from his previous performances. He captures Qingyi character beautifully in this drama. And Wang Churan as Susu is such a great actress. I think she is starting to become my favorite. I can’t wait to see more of her work.

Read More

Good story

Congratulations to everyone who was part of this project! I genuinely looked forward to every new episode and enjoyed the journey from beginning to end.
Of course, nothing is ever perfect, but when you have a good story and great chemistry between the actors, a little imagination can fill in the gaps and make you overlook the flaws.
I actually think the ending was a good one. After everything these characters went through, and after so many deaths, simply surviving doesn’t necessarily mean getting a happy ending. Sometimes, surviving is just the beginning of learning how to live again.
And as a fan of the multiverse concept, I like to believe that there is always another world somewhere out there — one where things turned out differently, and perhaps a little better. ❤️

Read More

Dropped

So I initially wanted to watch this drama because of the female lead because I loved her in Fireworks of the Heart.. but unfortunately I was not able to complete this drama, It's name is called overdo and quite frankly, they are infact over doing everything in this show to the point where I just found it to be overbearing to watch. The suffering in this show is crazy....... Male lead and Female lead have never really been happy since Episode 1 go straight up to Episode 25.... Maybe the 3 months in the past when they first met was the only time that they were ever happy!!
I cannot watch a drama where everyone suffering 24/7.... That don't make sense to me..
Personally I didn't even want the main couple to get together anymore.. I feel like she has hurt this man time and time again and he deserves better!! On his path, he needs to stop chasing after a woman who is fine with hurting him.... She is the real Villian in this show at this point.. because no matter what male lead does.. it's never enough for her... And he went through so much pain and suffering for her and yet still she still continues to mistreat him... Push him away.. 😐😐😐
So yeah I'm good on this one... I have a long list of other dramas to watch so I'll get started on those instead...

Would I recommend? No!
Rating... 0 Stars because they started off with a really solid foundation storywise and then completely flopped it... So it gets no stars from me!

Read More

Give it a chance

I know that a lot of viewers were disappointed at the beginning of this show and many dropped it. I forced myself to ignore the negative comments because I love Zhang Le He and Wang Churan. I knew the show had to get better (even though I was never really bothered by the things that people were complaining about). It did!! The chemistry between the two main leads is phenomenal. The costuming is jaw dropping. Cinematography is breathtaking. The music is perfect. The storyline is engaging. This is an original story and if you can get past the green screen effect of the first few episodes sticking with it will pay off. One of the complaints originally was the AI introduction to the show which was changed by the time the sixth episode was airing. Don't listen to other people's feedback. Watch the show knowing that it progressively gets better and better and make a decision for yourself based on what you enjoy.

Read More

A Drama I Genuinely Enjoyed Despite the Mixed Reviews

I genuinely liked Overdo. I enjoyed the plot, the atmosphere, and especially the acting. Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan were both great as the main leads, and their performances made the story much more engaging for me.

Zhang Linghe was soooo good in this role. I feel like he really got the chance to show what he can do as an actor here. His expressions, emotions, and the way he carried his character were so convincing. Definitely one of my favorite performances from him.

I know this drama didn’t work for everyone and I’ve seen quite a few mixed opinions about it, but I think if you watch it with an open mind and don’t go into it expecting a perfect or conventional story, it’s actually very enjoyable. It has its flaws, of course, but they didn’t stop me from getting invested in the characters and wanting to keep watching.

Overall, I had a genuinely good time with Overdo, and Zhang Linghe alone made it worth watching for me. ❤️

Read More

Excellent Actors, poor production

The cast is excellent. I genuinely enjoyed both Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan, and I don't think the shortcomings of this drama reflect their performances.

Unfortunately, the drama itself didn't live up to the expectations set by the clips circulating on Instagram and TikTok. I was expecting something grand, cinematic, and emotionally gripping. Instead, I found the story unnecessarily heavy, with the male lead enduring relentless suffering in almost every episode. Rather than feeling invested, it became emotionally exhausting.

I also struggled with the female lead's characterization. Instead of rooting for the romance, there were many moments where I questioned whether I even wanted the leads to end up together.

The production choices didn't help either. The editing often felt disjointed, the music cues were awkwardly placed, and some of the camera angles were distracting rather than immersive, pulling me out of scenes that should have carried emotional weight.

That said, I do appreciate that the production team updated the opening sequence—it is a definite improvement. I only wish that level of care had been there from the beginning, rather than after the backlash.

I genuinely hope the director takes the audience's feedback on board. There is clearly a talented cast and a promising premise here, and I'd love to see those strengths matched by stronger storytelling and execution in future projects.

Read More