Reviews

A drama this expensive, and support from the internal platform. Even han

Zhang Linghe’s Stiff Acting: Failing to Bring a Multidimensional Character to Life

The most significant criticism is directed at Zhang Linghe’s performance as Murong Qingyi. As the son of a warlord burdened by past trauma, the character should possess complex emotional layers—a blend of vengeance, love, and vulnerability. Unfortunately, Zhang Linghe’s portrayal is remarkably stiff; a sly smirk is simply not enough.
• Flat & Monotonous Expressions: When faced with intense internal conflict, his facial expressions often appear blank and lifeless.
• Inability to Match His Co-star: His lackluster acting becomes even more glaring when sharing the screen with Wang Churan. Instead of radiating an intense "love-hate" chemistry, his rigid demeanor makes their romantic interactions feel forced and cold.

2. Bizarre Camera Movement That Disrupts the Aesthetic

The direction and cinematography in *Overdo* amount to a form of "visual malpractice." Many have complained about the highly unconventional camera movements, which distract from the story—reminiscent of low-budget, vertical "micro-dramas," further exacerbated by excessive "beauty" filters.

• "Short-Drama" Style Angles: The camera often moves in a hurried, erratic fashion, utilizing jarring transitions. Far from looking cinematic, the visuals evoke the feel of a low-budget, vertical-format micro-drama. At one point, the camera even focuses on the back of a character’s neck while Wang Churan is speaking—a truly absurd choice.

• Illogical Focus: The director frequently forces extreme close-ups on characters' faces or, conversely, zooms in inexplicably on their feet or the ground, with no clear narrative justification. This creates a disjointed visual flow that becomes exhausting to watch.

The story itself is good, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone prone to dizziness; the production quality is, in my view, visually jarring.

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too emotional and its all real

i think this is one of my most rewatched movie whole time. I first started watching it as "oh another bl movie time to watch it then" then it got so addictive to rewatch. The cinematography was insane, colouring, plot, the characters and I love a good tearjerking movie to just cry my feelings out.

I then realised why I loved rewatching this film so much is because the emotions were real, every emotional scene hits wayy too close to home, jia han's unrequited feelings to birdy, him watching fall in love with his girlfriend, being told having gay feelings for your bestfriend is a sin, all of these emotions were so real and painful to think I was there before, I loved my best friend bit too much without realising it was romantic, watching her fall in love with her boyfriend day by day, and out dating while I struggled with my unrequited feelings. And espeically the telephone scene. That separation just solidified that emotional feeling I felt for the past 2 years after graduation when she decided to not stay in contact even though we had a 7 year long friendship.

Its a really fantastic movie and I would always share it to friends who wants to watch lgbt movies espeically taiwan films/shows

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…

Season 1 was so good that I went into Season 2 with ridiculously high expectations, and honestly, I wish I hadn’t.

It’s not that Season 2 has a bad story. There are good ideas there, but somehow, it just doesn’t hit the same. After everything that made Season 1 so special, Season 2 feels like a disappointment that I could’ve easily lived without.

So, if you want to preserve the magic of Season 1, please do yourself a favor and skip Season 2. Trust me, not watching it won’t change a single thing in your drama fan life. You won’t be missing out on anything essential.

Just cherish Season 1 and let it remain the masterpiece you remember. Some stories are better left untouched.

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holly molly

This movie is seriously incredible. Maybe it’s because I’ve never come across this kind of concept in K-drama before, but it genuinely caught me off guard in the best way possible. I didn’t even watch the trailer before heading to the cinema. I just saw the cast and decided to go for it, and honestly, I’m so glad I did.

This movie took me on an emotional roller coaster. I was scared, laughed out loud, and cried throughout the whole thing. I love how it kept me feeling so many different emotions without knowing what to expect next. Going in completely blind made the experience even better, and I think that’s part of why I enjoyed it so much.

Sometimes, the best movie experiences are the ones you walk into with zero expectations and come out of absolutely blown away. This was definitely one of them. What a ride!

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super power !

This drama is such a fun and creative watch! It may not be the most original concept in K-drama land, but it still manages to be entertaining and enjoyable. The comedy keeps things lighthearted, and I appreciate that it doesn’t lean too heavily into emotional moments.

What I find most interesting is the contrast between the characters’ superpowers and their very human weaknesses. They may possess extraordinary abilities, but what they truly lack is something much simpler: love, affection, and genuine human connection. Beneath all those powers, they’re still people who need to be loved and cared for.

Overall, it’s a charming, funny, and easy-to-watch drama that balances fantasy and comedy with a sweet little reminder that even the most extraordinary people can feel powerless without love.

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If you want to cry watch it

I stumbled upon videos of audiences visiting the tree associated with this movie, which sparked my curiosity and eventually led me to watch it, knowing that the story is connected to real historical events.

I already knew how it would end, so I thought it might ruin the viewing experience for me. But surprisingly, it didn’t. The incredible acting and brilliant screenwriting made the journey just as compelling, even when I knew where it was heading. The performances felt so convincing, and the storytelling kept me emotionally invested throughout the film.

I genuinely enjoyed almost everything about this movie, from its emotional depth to the way it brought history to life. My only complaint would be the rebel plot, which didn’t quite work for me compared to the rest of the story.

Overall, knowing the ending beforehand didn’t make the movie any less powerful. If anything, it made me appreciate the acting, writing, and emotional weight even more. A truly compelling historical drama that proves a story can still leave a lasting impression, even when you already know how it ends.

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What a Brilliant Plot and Performance, I Wish it was Longer!

Jinyiwei officer Pu Ying, who is sent to Liangzhou from the capital to investigate the death of the whole 27 members of Zhang Escort company, found himself infuriated when none of the military officers from Liangzhou district came to see him, and instead sent a mere coroner to attend to him while on-site. While checking the horse feed that the coroner said to be laced with poison that made Zhang Escort members kill each other, Pu Ying unexpectedly became poisoned and goes off on an attacking rampage. Just as he is about to break through the room that the coroner and Liangzhou soldiers managed to contain him in, Zhang Luyao, the surviving member of Zhang who had returned from foreign land upon hearing about the deaths of her family, arrives and cures him from the hallucinations. A poison expert immune from poisons, Zhang Luyao starts to unravel the plot behind her family’s deaths, which led them to the hunt for 300,000 taels of gold from the previous dynasty’s official by various parties, legal and illegal ones.

I came here not expecting anything because I have seen enough desert adventure shows with bad and uninteresting plot, but i have decided to endure this if this show is one of them, just because of Xin Zhilei and Gao Weiguang. I badly wanted to see them together again after Candle in the Tomb: The Wrath of Time. Although they were not essentially a couple here, I couldnt really ask for more because this is truly one of 2026’s wuxia masterpiece. No. I actually wanted to ask for more, like more episodes! Such masterpiece only had 13 episodes while other crappy shows have enough budget for 30-40 episodes of draggy plot, good lord. I havent had enough of those action parts when it ended.

This series throws in the struggle between righteousness and loyalty in a very dark way. Characters that supposed to have clear conscience like Yu Hou and Xiao Fang get beaten with greed and blind loyalty while the character we expected to give in to those, namely Pu Ying, turned out to survive not because he has clear conscience, but because his pride is his driving force. Pu Ying is definitely not the kind of ML that I would root for, he is annoying with his constant rattling “I am Jinyiwei of 7th rank from the Imperial Court! How dare you don’t listen to me?”, his martial ability isnt all that impressive - heck almost every other characters even the insignificant ones are better fighters than him, and his only ticket to survival is actually his authority token, because people there are just too afraid to attract the court’s attention with a dead investigator in their backyard. But he did solve the case with his resilience albeit with tremendous help and deductions by Zhang Luyao and he eventually kept his word to her, going out of his way of returning directly to the capital to bring her to Wusuhai. Gotta admire this character for that. The blind loyalty is too frustrating to watch though, there were so many times that I feel like smacking some senses into the characters.

Although Pu Ying seemed to be the ML here, his character is greatly overshadowed by stronger roles like Yu Hou, Xiao Fang and even the villain Tie Futu.

The choreograph here reminds me of the oldschool wuxia shows of the late 90s and early 2000s, but with better CGI, smoother wireworks and engaging fast-paced plot. The most ostentatious moves gotta be Bancha’s. Not because i love the actor, but because the character really got suave moves that catches the eyes, like whoever would have thought of shooting packs of salt from a bow to knock the enemies down? Yeah only Bancha could do that. His nonchalant personality made him even more intriguing than ever. Although I imagined the final fight couldve been much more epic had it been done three-way between Bancha, Tang Zheng and the weird Guqin couple. These three indeed had the most wuxia-like martial art that is propelled by great internal power, like the wuxia series I’ve seen in my younger years, the kind of moves that isnt fantasy-looking like those we see on xianxias. Basically every action scenes here is very satisfying to watch, even those of brute force without neili infusion.

By the way, I really missed Gao’s gritty and messy look, he looks more manly this way instead of the pristine, flawless appearance that I mostly saw him in. If only it had more episodes i wouldve enjoyed a feast of Gritty Gao scenes, especially his fights.

I wouldve liked a deeper background on Zhang Luyao and Tang Zheng though, a 30-40ep series wouldve given us that. But yeah, longer episodes means more risk of plotholes, i guess there’s also cons in that. Although many lost their lives here, the ending is actually perfect. I think the final Wusuhai view with the shiny sand dune had been breathtaking. That little trick with the sand and the goldbars is mindblowing. What a brilliant screenwrite-up.

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Deadfish Kiss First, Duty Later

Tear. Tear. Tear. That is me wiping away the sobs from what I thought was going to be a stellar BL. However, by its end, it fell apart. How could something that started out so good turn into a standard, formulaic piece of unproductive vapidity. Honestly, the story maintained its integrity for over half the series. The anxieties, fears, and angst that both go through are somewhat understandable and justified. I thoroughly enjoyed MOST of this series. Where it fell from grace for me is glaringly obvious. The ending is ridiculous. Period. And it could have gone in so many directions in emotionally satisying more productive ways. The kissing between the protagonists was atrocious. I mean cringeworthy bad even at the end. And it should not have been. I get so annoyed with ‘bad kissing’. This one was particularly irritating to me as neither character was young or innocent. In addition, since they had already planned and indeed spent an entire weekend at a spa, the expectation was something intimate would occur. Images were that the two of them did nothing but eat, romp around naked in the water, played footies, and embraced without once getting physical? Nothing more – seriously?! Then if not, I understand the deadfish kissing at the end. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this series for its warmth and charm. They did bring these characters to life. I just wish one day we can honestly see a true romantic BL from Japan free from its ingrained cultural mores.

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Shadow Punisher is the only Chinese drama I’ve watched all the way to the end in 2026!

I was quite surprised when this drama suddenly premiered in October. I decided to watch it right away after coming across its trailer on social media.

What caught my attention the most was, of course, Li Si, played by Luo Yunxi. He is such an interesting character: intelligent, wealthy, cunning, skilled in martial arts, and living under a hidden identity. His only weakness? He has a terminal illness! From the very first episode to the last, I absolutely loved Li Si’s character.

As for the storyline, the drama revolves around mysteries and investigations, with a power struggle between imperial siblings over the throne adding to the tension. Each case is interconnected and tied to Li Luo, with most cases spanning around five or six episodes. My favorite was the first case involving the dolls, as well as the final case involving the emperor’s grandson.

Aside from the first episode, which introduces Li Si’s character, I think the best episodes are episodes 20 and 21, which focus on Li Si’s master, followed by episodes 26 and 27, when Li Si appears as Zhao Yan.

The pacing is quite fast, which is understandable considering the drama only has 30 episodes. However, the final episode feels a little rushed. As for the ending, I think it was decent, although something still felt missing. At least Li Si survives until the very end! 🤌🏻

When it comes to the costumes and makeup, I honestly have no complaints. Everything suits Luo Yunxi perfectly as the lead actor without looking excessive. Luo Yunxi was truly born to wear hanfu! I hope Yunxi takes on more historical costume dramas in the future because he really excels in period dramas, whether they are xianxia or wuxia. From his elegant presence and the way he delivers his lines to how he brings out the best in every costume he wears, he is simply outstanding.

Some people might say it would get boring if he kept taking on costume dramas, but personally, I think it’s better this way. He can give 100% of his abilities to a single project and deliver the best possible performance, ultimately giving the audience a satisfying viewing experience.

As for the acting, Luo Yunxi’s talent is beyond question. He knows how to convey his emotions to the audience. Even the slightest change in his facial expressions or the look in his eyes shows just how professional he is. His performance when Li Si loses his master really left a lasting impression on me. You can see the exhaustion and pain in his face and eyes.

Moving on to the other characters, Meng Rui’s performance was very good, although his character felt underutilized toward the final episodes. I was hoping he would have more opportunities to showcase his strengths.

As for Zhen Zhu, hmm... the actress is beautiful, but that’s about it. Her expressions and eyes felt rather flat. Perhaps she would be more suited to modern dramas, where her acting might come across better.

Li San, who plays the master, delivered an excellent performance. 👍🏻 Meanwhile, the actor playing the emperor was also good, but I honestly struggled to focus on his scenes because throughout the drama, he kept making this expression: 😳 His eyes always seemed to be wide open!

Overall, I think this drama is well worth watching if you enjoy mystery dramas. However, if you’re a fan of romance, this might not be the drama for you, since romance is not its main focus. 🤌🏻

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def did not lived upto the hype it gathered

i'm going to be straightforward... this show was absolutely not it for me. it reeled many of us in because of the pilot , then came the trailer so many of us ( including me were disappointed about the supernatural and demon themes being removed from the main story , but we still had our hopes up for the show . but holy generational fumble the show went downhill so badly since the 'office romance arc' and honorable mention to the fact that little jane never confronted jane patrick about the harassment and assault ... i mean it just slipped off like it never happened and was just forgotten like nothing ... frankly speaking shows like these generalise such treatment which is absolutely not acceptable .
also , the show could've taken things show ... being honest , there was no need of the corporate arc in the show and would've been better off as a uni drama .

The screenwriters could've made a better use of put's death and built the intensity of the plot into something much better but honestly , it was just a waste .
i also didn't like how "relationship" focused the show was .... to put it in simpler terms any and everything that happened in the show was to drive the main relationship ... such poor character individuality for both the leads and the side character.
for me i'm always more into shows that have character individuality in them ... like when the whole plot isn't just the relationship but also as the characters being themselves , learning , growing and doing much more . for me it just adds so much more dynamic to the show and makes it more immersive and relatable

the show did ABSOLUTELY nothing to add into the side characters . all those beautiful side characters with so much acting potential and allat were all grinded up to fuel the main relationship and i REALLY did not have it ...

the whole thing was just a waste of potential , budget , audience and hardwork
the casting was the only good thing about the show

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Two identities, one undeniable connection

I absolutely loved how Ash managed to combine crime, action, undercover investigations and romance without making any of them feel like an afterthought. But what really got me was Fei Foon and Hui Leuk To's relationship. THE CHEMISTRY!!! Whether they were arguing, looking at each other or simply sharing a quiet moment, the tension was always there, and that reunion in the alley after being apart was easily one of my favorite scenes. I especially loved Fei Foon's character and how different he felt as Cheung Wai Keung during his undercover operation compared to his real identity as a police officer. It genuinely felt like watching two sides of the same person, and I loved how intelligent and resourceful he was throughout the story. The investigations, family loyalties and power struggles kept me invested just as much as the romance, especially because everything became more connected as the story progressed. And I appreciated that their relationship wasn't built on physical intimacy alone, but on trust, longing, misunderstandings and everything they had to overcome together. Such an intense and engaging drama, with two leads who completely carried the emotional side of the story.

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