Overdo

Poorly executed

Overdo Review: Wasted Potential

This drama could have been explosive if it had been properly directed. The ingredients for a gripping story were already there: human trafficking, dark romance, mystery, and morally complex characters. It had the potential to be intense, thrilling, and emotionally captivating, but unfortunately, the execution fell flat.

The biggest issue is the lack of suspense and thrill. For a plot dealing with such dark and serious themes, the drama rarely creates a sense of urgency or tension. Instead, it feels overly focused on visuals, often prioritizing beautiful cinematography over meaningful storytelling. While the drama is undeniably visually appealing, aesthetics alone cannot carry a story that needs stronger emotional and narrative impact.

The pacing also feels disconnected from episode to episode, making it difficult to stay fully immersed. Some scenes feel abrupt, while others drag on without adding much to the overall story. The music score does not help either—it lacks the intensity needed to elevate the darker and more dramatic moments.

Perhaps the most disappointing part is that this feels like such a waste of Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan's potential. Both have the visuals and acting ability to bring a dark, intense romance to life, and their pairing had all the ingredients to be memorable. But with weak direction and an inconsistent execution, their talents feel underutilized.

Overall, Overdo had an exciting premise and a visually stunning cast, but poor direction, disconnected pacing, a lack of thrill, and an underwhelming music score turned what could have been an explosive dark romance into a frustrating missed opportunity.

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Not happy with the ending

I wasn't happy with the story.

At first, everything was good. The drama started with anger, revenge, and separated lovers, which made the story interesting. However, as the story progressed, it became boring. There wasn't a single truly happy moment for anyone.

The drama had three love stories, but not one of them had a happy ending, which was the saddest part of the entire drama. And what was that ending? I wasn't happy with it either.

The story revolved around a family that was assassinated, after which the plot focused on revenge. However, I would like to appreciate the acting of all three couples, especially the second male lead, who was the cousin of the first and third male leads.

There were only a few happy moments between the main leads.

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It's worth. Not what people expected but emotionally a strong drama

I know many people didn't like it but it's time to be objective. Overdo was and is supposed to be melodramatic, and it really carry its name because everything was Overdose, overdoing😂 but on a serious aspect, the drama started with my bad impression but I kept watching and it's worth, the story took time to develop. I give credit to actors because their acting individuallly were amazing, they embodied their characters and emotionally delivered. So far Linghe has done an incredible job with his emotion delivery, micro expressions, one of his pest portrayal as an actor in my eyes after his drama Our Generation. I was in a rollercoaster of emotions watching it, mad, sad, crying, happiness for a moment but the story kept the viewers invested. The supporting cast hats off to them because I went mad 🤣🤣 I was invested into their nonsense but sense haha. Don't listen to others review, watch and make your own opinion

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For Mature Audience

1. BEFORE I ADDRESS THE DRAMA, I JUST WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE CAN'T THINK FOR THEMSELVES: Why do people rely heavily on negative comments online instead of watching the drama first in order to judge it? Second, too many POJ shippers coming to bash the drama as well as people who wants to see POJ in a "republican drama." Very immature and delusional behaviors. You can't expect to see glitz and glamour as well as "easy to understand" characters in a republican story plot, therefore be mature enough to watch or don't watch PERIOD. I'm so tired of seeing all the immature rants and complaints. Third, if you think OVERDO is bad, then you haven't seen "republican dramas." This era had always been dramatic and heavy to watch because it is during war times and dark times. If you want me to recommend a drama worser, then go watch "War of Flames," loves the actors, but plot was messy and unbearable.

2. PRODUCTION, ACTING, & STORYLINE: There are definitely way worser production than OVERDO, so it was unnecessary for people to spread hate. Two, the acting was superb on all ends. No matter it was the main or supporting cast. I will dive into Wang Churan's character since she is getting the most hate. Ren Susu was never meant to be this happy, jolly, easygoing character, therefore I am lost at people wanting her to be expressive and lively. She is meant to be cold, mono, and expressionless because she only knows "revenge, pain, suffering, and misfortunes." As you can see, there are times she gave in to Qingyi because she wants to let go, and on the other hand, she has a duty to revenge her parents and everyone she loved. She's an orphan, guys, she literally doesn't have anyone other than Qingyi therefore her pain is immense. Which brings me to the next point, because she knows she can't let go of her revenge, she protects Qingyi from her dangerous life by pushing him away therefore he does not get caught in the misfortunes. Because that man loves her and WILL DIE FOR HER. Also did everyone forget the fact that Qingyu tried to separate Ren Susu from Qingyi by pushing her to kill Li Rhongzhang knowing she was on a suicide mission?? Yes exactly, that's why Ren Susu does not want Qingyi involved in her life, because Qingyu also wanted her dead and gone from Qingyi. Third, storyline was decently written, it was just fast paced therefore we didn't spend a lot of time watching character development. If you understood then you understood, if you didn't then go back and rewatch it. Also if you've watched the BTS, you can see that there was so much more acting and emotions done behind the scenes, but because of limited episodes, a lot of scenes were cut short. As for ZLH, he nailed his character as expected. Qingyi made every scene emotional and painful because he is so selfless when it comes to Ren Susu.

3. Overall, I think it's evident, we need another ZLH and WCR drama with a more loving storyline. Because these two are not only power visuals, but they need a better script to bring their potentials to the screen.

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It Had Potential

Trust me when I say this: I dropped every c-drama I've started this year. I just couldn't get past episode 10 or so. But I held onto this even though I didn't like the way it went after Renxin orphanage case closed. Not saying I ain't a fan of melodrama but it was badly made.

The acting was good, the plot had potential but yeah, the drama kept up to its name. Over'did'. What's the point of showing 'what ifs' when reality had already been decided? If I'm being realistic, both Boze's & Qinyi's death had been logical, and we can take it. But instead of ending with a fake scenerio, why not showing how Susu and Le'an moves on? Why not showing how Hai Tangqing goes on with her life?

If I'm being honest, the only moment that made this drama like a romance was the months Susu and Qinyi spent in their first years. It went downgrade so bad. I'm glad Murong Qinyu and Ye Zhi Hong at least got married, even though his death was tragic and she died as martyr. Too bad Boze and Tangqing couldn't find their happiness.

Anyway, there are lot to say, like, how Qinyu died on spot with just one shot, how Ms. Ye's plane had error coincidentally. Suitable, truly. I just couldn't understand Qinyi's mother upto now but whatever. And how Boze had a forceful villain arc momentarily.

Though I'm not expressing hate and there are indeed some parts I actually appreciated, it was disappointing. I hope they'll come back with greater dramas next. I just couldn't agree with this one. Leaving with 1 rewatch value because I couldn't keept it blank. :')

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A Stunning Cast Trapped in a Weak Script

I'll start with the issues because, unfortunately, there are quite a few.

**1. I never connected with the love story**

The drama expects us to believe Qingyi and Susu are deeply, passionately in love, but I never felt it. Instead of watching their relationship develop, we're given scattered flashbacks and brief moments that are supposed to convince us they're soulmates. They don't even properly confess their feelings to each other.

As a result, I couldn't understand Qingyi's unwavering devotion. Why is he willing to risk his life for Susu over and over again when, from his perspective, she has betrayed him multiple times? The emotional foundation just isn't there.

**2. The baby swap is never explained**

The entire story revolves around the children being switched at birth, yet the drama never explains how it actually happened. It's one of the biggest plot points, but we're simply expected to accept it without any explanation.

**3. How did they discover the truth 12 years later?**

Equally confusing is how everyone suddenly figured out the children had been switched. The revelation comes out of nowhere, with no believable investigation or evidence shown to the audience.

**4. Qingyi's biological mother is evil for the sake of being evil**

We're told she hates Qingyi because she blames him for his father's death. But Qingyi was only 12 years old at the time. What kind of mother holds a child responsible for something like that?

Not only does she constantly berate him, but she also physically abuses him. Instead of feeling like a complex, broken character, she comes across as a one-dimensional villain whose only purpose is to make the male lead suffer.

**5. The adoptive father is just as ridiculous**

The adoptive father is written to be equally cruel. Feeding raw meat to a 12-year-old and forcing him to eat it isn't compelling storytelling—it's shock value.

You can't keep piling on increasingly horrific abuse just to convince the audience that the male lead has had a tragic life. Tragedy works when it's believable and emotionally grounded. This just feels excessive.

**6. Qingyi's actions don't make sense**

Qingyi knows exactly how both his biological mother and adoptive father treat him, yet he keeps going back to them. Why?

A character doesn't have to be fearless or emotionally detached, but his choices should make sense. I like male leads who are strong, resilient, have a backbone, and know when to walk away from toxic people. Here, his repeated visits to his abusers feel more like a plot device than believable character behaviour.

And I'm not even going to get started on the questionable AI, the weak dialogue, and several other writing issues.

**Final thoughts**

Once again, this drama proves that casting two incredibly popular actors is not enough to save a weak script. There's only so much Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan can carry on their shoulders. Both actors did what they could with the material they were given, but no amount of good acting can fix plot holes, inconsistent character motivations, underdeveloped relationships, and poor writing.

Overall, the drama relies too heavily on melodrama and manufactured suffering instead of telling a coherent, emotionally satisfying story. I wanted to love it because the cast had so much potential, but the script ultimately let them—and the audience—down.

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worse if not the worst work of Zhang Linghe

this is totally my pov. it's okay even if no one agrees with me but I'm disappointed at the story build-up!
I'm used to watching Zhang Linghe as an intelligent, smart character guy but in this drama he literally is just a dumb guy, an emotional fool. i get it he has trauma but the dynamic between ml & fl is too cliché, repeatedly annoying. the only thing that kept me going to finish the drama is visual✨ & ost 🤌 in the first few episodes the story was advancing quite nicely but idk what happened in the middle. after destroying the huo family they should have finished the drama there with showing their happily ever after but no that killing Li Rongzhan troop was really unnecessary.

Literally everyone (good or bad) died except the male & female lead. does it make any sense? the second couple too they did not have any sweet moments together! also how can a mother be thaaaat crazy like cheng zingdi? ridiculous! she didn't raise her daughter, her second son & mostly her 1st son. wtf did she even do? crazy woman! no i won't try to understand her character either.
btw i liked ren susu eyeliner. can someone make a tutorial for that please??
i hope zhang Linghe chooses better script next time and yeah poj was his peak he just proved that with overdo. i was really excited for this drama after watching the trailer but got equally disappointed!

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I am here for the Plot…. But really

Overdo is, at its core, a story in which the plot should be the driving force. And that is precisely why it is such a shame that the editing, cinematography, lighting, and music undermine the series so severely. There is actually a compelling story here, and the characters are well written and emotionally interesting. I was genuinely invested in the plot.
And, of course, Chang Linghe and Wang Churan are beautiful and currently among the most striking stars in the industry. The makeup and costumes are equally gorgeous and, in many cases, exceptionally well executed. My criticism is therefore not primarily directed at the actors themselves, but at the way their faces and emotions are presented on screen. This is where I found the production particularly difficult to engage with.

As far as the performances are concerned, I actually think both leads did a good job. The complexity of their characters is not easy to portray. One aspect I particularly appreciated is something that often frustrates me in dramas: characters who have experienced severe trauma, especially during childhood, do not necessarily behave like emotionally mature adults. Trauma does not simply disappear because someone has grown older.

I actually found Changyi's characterization fascinating for precisely that reason. He is a rather pitiful man who has allowed his pain to become the organizing principle of his entire existence. His conviction that he is fundamentally worthless determines so much of the way he behaves. Chang Linghe handled this surprisingly well. His character is not particularly likable, and that childishness could easily have become irritating, but here it felt like an intentional part of the characterization. He is not the stereotypical cool, powerful Marquis who effortlessly controls everyone around him. He is someone who has suffered profoundly and has never really experienced love. His emotional immaturity is therefore not simply a character flaw; it is part of the tragedy of his life.

Unfortunately, the production repeatedly works against this characterization. The editing, camera work, lighting, and especially the sound design constantly interrupt emotions that should have been allowed to breathe. At times, it almost feels as though you can hear the director saying, "Look dramatically into the distance," while the camera then proceeds to frame the moment in a way that completely misunderstands the emotion of the scene.

And then there is Wang Churan — wow, girl, she is genuinely stunning. I really liked her interpretation of the character. She plays another traumatized and emotionally broken person, someone who has learned to protect herself through distance and emotional restraint. At the same time, she has this closeness to Changyi but keeps distance and Wang Churan conveyed that contradiction very well.

In particular, I appreciated how she portrayed love that cannot be expressed verbally: the inability to say what she actually feels, the deliberate creation of distance, and the constant tension between wanting intimacy and being afraid of it. Changyi, meanwhile, desperately needs that closeness and desperately wants her, while simultaneously directing so much anger inward at himself. I thought both sides of this dynamic were convincingly constructed.

This is also why I find some of the criticism directed at the two actors difficult to understand. This is not a conventional "happy wife, happy life" type of drama in which one emotionally healthy person simply comes along and saves the other. The story deliberately refuses that trope, and that is one of the things I liked about it. Not every love story has to follow the same emotional blueprint. Sometimes it is refreshing to see a relationship between two damaged people who are not magically healed by falling in love.

The supporting characters were also, as others have already pointed out, far from one-dimensional. They are not simply divided into heroes and villains. The mother, the father, the brothers, and the wider family all have emotional depth, and the supporting cast did a great job bringing that complexity to life. I love them all… That is another reason I liked the male and female leads: the world around them is similarly complicated.

I also thought it was genuinely bold for such a highly anticipated drama to engage with subjects such as violence against women and children, human trafficking . Those are difficult topics, and I appreciated that the drama was willing to address them rather than retreating into a safer and more conventional romantic narrative.

Unfortunately, even here, the visual execution constantly frustrated me. The shots simply do not work for me.

What felt flat and frustrating was not the acting — it was almost everything surrounding it.

Let me start with the music and sound design, because this was probably my biggest technical frustration. Sometimes the sound effects are so heavy-handed that they would feel excessive even in a children's movie. There is, for example, this recurring use of little fairy-like sounds whenever "the penny drops" or a character suddenly realizes something. These effects are supposed to underline a glance or a moment of understanding, but they are completely unnecessary. Instead of trusting the actors and the scene, the production keeps telling us what we are supposed to feel.

And then there are conversations where the soundtrack seems to go through an entire emotional checklist: sad music, then dramatic music, then romantic music, then angry music — sometimes all within the same conversation. It becomes distracting rather than emotionally supportive. The sound effects often feel like generic, freely available stock sounds that someone quickly downloaded from YouTube. It simply does not feel professional.

Sometimes the dialogue itself should be enough. The emotion between the lines should be allowed to exist without being constantly amplified by manipulative music cues and sound effects. If two actors are having an emotionally charged conversation, I want to watch their faces, listen to their voices, and pay attention to what they are not saying. I do not need a sound effect telling me that this is supposed to be an important moment.

The cinematography is another major problem.

I can see what they were trying to do. There seems to be an attempt to borrow from film noir and to create something theatrical — almost as though the characters are performing on a stage inside a highly stylized world. In theory, that could have been an interesting visual concept.

But the execution is often bizarre.

This is supposed to be a Republican-era setting, yet the lighting frequently looks as though someone has installed a modern LED ceiling light directly above the actors. Even supposedly candle- or lamp-lit night scenes are often illuminated with extremely obvious frontal lighting. It destroys the atmosphere and, more importantly, makes the actors look strangely flat and artificial. The lighting frequently feels historically implausible as well as visually unconvincing.

Then there is the apparent attempt to make everything look "modern" or artistic by constantly filming through something: smoke, blurred foregrounds, tiny windows, gaps, holes — basically anything that obstructs the image. Once in a while, this can be effective. When it becomes a visual language used throughout an entire drama, however, it becomes exhausting.

The excessive softness and artificial blur are not aesthetically pleasing to me. Some camera movements feel unnecessary, others completely mismatched to the emotional rhythm of the scene, and occasionally the visual metaphor does not even work on a conceptual level. Instead of drawing me further into the story, the camera repeatedly reminds me that someone behind the camera is trying very hard to make the scene look "cinematic."

And that is ultimately my biggest frustration with Overdo: I can see the ambition.

There is clearly an interesting story underneath all of this. There are complicated characters, genuinely difficult themes, strong performances, beautiful costumes and makeup, and a romance that deliberately refuses to be emotionally simplistic. I actually think there is something quite courageous about the drama's willingness to portray two traumatized people without turning one of them into the emotionally mature savior of the other.

But so much of that potential is buried underneath production choices that constantly interfere with the material.

And regarding the ending: no, it does not always have to be happy. Life does not always give people beautiful endings, and I am perfectly fine with a drama acknowledging that. In fact, I appreciate it when a story has the courage not to force a conventional happy ending simply because the genre expects one.

I should probably read the novel, because at this point I genuinely want to understand how this story works in its original form. Because honestly — how can an entire production crew take so much potentially great material and make so many baffling choices?

The story deserved better.

The actors deserved better.

And, most importantly, the audience deserved to be trusted enough to feel the emotions without having them constantly explained through bad music, excessive sound effects, theatrical lighting, intrusive camera tricks, and editing that repeatedly seems to work against the performances.

The frustrating part is that underneath all of this, Overdo is actually a story I wanted to watch.

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