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Character Settings of Strong Male and Female Leads !

When I heard this novel would be adapted to drama and the casts are Yang Yang and Zhao LuSi, I knew it would be a good drama.

I read the novel many years ago and quite like the character settings of the strong male lead and female lead. Since the novel was very famous in those years, many novels after that imitated this setting. The author wrote this novel in her early stage, so it's not her mature work. The storylines and plots in the novel are fragmentary. That's why the drama has to add a lot of political plots in it to make it rich and complex. If the director and screenwriter didn't leave halfway, this drama would be on another higher level. Anyway, it is still a good drama worth to watch.

Yang Yang is very picky in choosing drama, so the next costume drama would be 5 years later...... ? His looking is spotless, the 'Ceiling of Chinese Costume Drama'. And Zhao LuSi finally collaborated with an actor matching her looking. This combination is my dream of costume drama!

I love the strong female character in a drama! The strong is not only in spirits but also in physical strength. She can protect herself and her surrounding people. There are two best strong female leads in my heart. One is Bai Fengxi/Feng Xiyun. The other is Zhao Jian (in 'Young Blood'). They are both strong, smart and interesting from beginning to end. The male lead is not everything in her life, with him, is just like 'a strawberry on the top of a cake'. Without him, she still has the ability to feed herself and survive in the world.

I think the purpose of the drama is to deliver the idea that throne is less important than people and peace. And you have the right to choose the life you like, instead of others expect you to be. Everyone cares about different things in life. BFX and HFX think each other is the most important thing in life. That's why they made the choice in the end. Although the end is not perfect enough, I believe they will find solutions and live in happiness.

Overall, after this drama, I'm afraid all the costume dramas in the future would rarely have this perfect male and female settings, healthy and equal relationship plus the dream actor & actress. If there are, that would be a treasure! ❤❤❤

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What does the drama bring us ?

Culture:
It shows part of Chinese cultural elements: tea and tea plays, cakes, dancing, ancient paintings, instruments, clothing….and the history of the Northern Song dynasty. It’s really a dream of splendor in the Eastern Capital.

Casts, Costume, Set and Aesthetic View:
I must say, Liu Yifei’s beauty is like a diamond you can’t miss. She’s really a fairy in costume dramas. Chen Xiao is a suitable mature actor for her. They have great chemistry. Other characters are all in their stories.

This drama has gorgeous clothing, beautiful scenery, movie-like cinematography, and a laid-back atmosphere.

Relationships:
This drama describes the relationships between the couples, sisters, father & son, emperor & empress, female characters & their bad ex….. We can see all the characters vividly with their personalities and stories, even the villain Ouyang Xu. He is both immoral and poor because of his background.

Feminist:
I think this is the only costume C-drama in recent years that discusses the feminist and female survival situation. All the female characters have their growth path. It was very hard in ancient times. And it’s also thought-provoking in modern society.

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Calling It Just a Romance Is Far Too Narrow & A Psychological Look at the Complexity of Characters

This is the first time I have written such a long review for a drama, because Overdo contains so many deep ideas that they cannot be fully explained in only one or two sentences.

1. The Story Is the Drama’s Greatest Strength
The drama explores several important themes.

1) Human Trafficking, Fake Charity, and Women Helping Women
The drama shows human trafficking, fake charity in an orphanage, child abuse, and the selling of young girls.

In this part of the story, it exposes the ugly faces of so-called charity workers and wealthy people. It also shows the resistance of the children and girls who were abused, as well as the power of women helping and protecting one another.

2) The Lasting Scars Left by Family Trauma
The male and female leads both had tragic childhoods. Their past strongly affected their personalities, reasons for doing things, beliefs, values, and romantic relationships.

The effects of their emotional trauma are so complicated that I previously had to write a separate article analysing them from a psychological point of view. Anyone interested can read it on my Substack.

Some people say they cannot understand the male and female leads.

Yes, without enough life experience or a similar family background, it can be difficult to fully understand why they behave this way. This is also one of the reasons why so many people misunderstand this drama.

The drama handles the subject of family trauma very well. Unlike many dramas, it does not forgive people who do not deserve to be called parents simply for the sake of a happy ending.

Crucially, the ML refuses to pass this trauma down to the next generation. He does the hard work of healing himself.

He finally breaks free from both his adoptive father’s and his birth mother’s psychological grip, and gets to start over.

3) The Power of Goodness and Beautiful Human Feelings
The drama shows many beautiful kinds of love and care.

These include women helping one another, love and sacrifice between romantic partners, trust and support between brothers, the soldiers who are willing to risk their lives for their country, and help between strangers.

And these relationships aren’t just background — the sisterhood in the orphanage, the brothers quietly covering for each other, the strangers who step in when it matters. They land hard because the show actually earns them.

4) Love for the Country During a Time of War
This is a drama set in Republican-era China, probably around the early years of Japan’s invasion of China.

The final part of the drama is about biological warfare. Biological warfare in real history was extremely cruel. The drama has already reduced the amount of graphic content to make it easier for audiences to watch. Even so, we can still imagine the desperate situation China faced at that time.

In the drama, the second brother, Li Boze, becomes an undercover agent to destroy the “Red Pill.” He is even willing to be seen as a traitor.

One soldier after another gives up his life for the country, putting life and death aside.

The eldest brother’s lover, the female pilot Ye Zhi Hong, firmly chooses to fly her plane into the factory to destroy the red pills.

The male lead also fights the villain to the death to stop his plan.

During that time of war, countless people gave their lives in exchange for the peace we have today.

So, calling this drama nothing more than a soap opera is far too narrow and does not recognise the depth of its story.

2. All the Actors Deserve Praise
1) Zhang Linghe
This is definitely the most complicated role Zhang Linghe has played since his debut. It is also the drama in which he has had the most screen time. This drama gave him the chance to fully show his excellent acting skills.

In this drama, he has to show many different emotional states.

He shows sadness, weakness, self-mockery, and rebellion when facing his mother’s hatred.

When facing the abuse of his adoptive father, he shows obedience, fear, and a complicated emotional attachment.

He depends on and deeply respects his eldest brother.

He loves the female lead even while telling himself what he feels is hatred, and he keeps loving her anyway, fully knowing it might destroy him.

He is also gentle with his son, and saving his son becomes a way of saving the wounded child inside himself.

This character has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He is sensitive, intelligent, and quick and firm when taking action. He is proud, bold, and unwilling to follow social rules or powerful people.

And for all that edge, he genuinely feels for the people beneath him and steps in to help them.

He sees exactly how ugly the world is and still refuses to wallow in self-pity. He just quietly puts himself back together and moves on.

2) Wang Churan
Many people dislike the FL. They believe she is selfish and that she does not truly love the male lead. But the opposite is true. She is not selfish, and she loves him deeply.

Because of her tragic past, she is afraid to express her love. In order to protect the ML, she would rather put herself in danger. That is why she hides many things from him.

From a psychological point of view, she shows a typical ‘Avoidant Attachment Style’.

It’s not that these people don’t feel things — they feel plenty. However, when a relationship becomes too close or requires too much emotional involvement, they may feel stressed. They then create distance in order to feel safe again.

The closer the other person gets and the more they want to confirm the relationship, the more they want to step back. But when the other person truly becomes distant, they may move closer again.

They may avoid commitment, keep the relationship unclear, or delay talking about the future.

Instead of directly saying, “I miss you” or “I need you,” they are more likely to show care by doing things or solving problems.

Once we understand this psychology, we can understand the female lead’s behaviour.

She also seems to have a very negative view of fate.

She believes that happiness will not last and that she is meant to be unhappy. That is why she pushes the ML away again and again.

The ML, however, is very sensitive and good at reading other people. He probably notices her unusual emotional state and her conflicting behaviour. That is why he keeps holding on to her at the edge of fate, refusing to let her fall into a deep darkness.

3) The ML’s Mother
This role is played by veteran actress Myolie Wu, and her acting is truly excellent.

At first, the character is extremely hateful. Later, she slowly becomes mentally unstable.

She is a hateful but also tragic character. Her twisted way of thinking originally came from the male lead’s biological father.

He did not love her and instead fell in love with another woman. Because of this, she became extremely obsessed. Even after his death, she continued to wear a piece of his bone, forcing him to remain with her in this disturbing way.

When the ML was only twelve years old, he risked his life to warn them about the danger.

However, his mother refused to believe him. As a result, his father did not change his travel plans the next day and was killed in an explosion.

Her huge regret, guilt, and other complicated emotions made it impossible for her to accept what had happened. She also could not admit that she had made such a serious mistake.

So for years she’s kept lying to herself and pinning the blame on the ML. As long as it was his fault, she gets to stay the poor victim.

The ML’s existence constantly reminds her of two things.

First, he reminds her of the mistake she made in the past.

Second, he reminds her that she has never fulfilled her responsibility as a mother.

Over time the ML turns into a subject she simply can’t face. The moment he shows up in front of her, she loses it.

She also shows strong narcissistic personality traits. This can be seen in the way she treats both her eldest son and her adopted son. She expects them to completely obey her and live according to her wishes.

So when the ML insists on living life his own way, she reads it as a direct threat to her authority. She can’t stand his defiance, so she belittles him constantly and even beats him.

The Supporting Cast
The other supporting actors, including the adoptive father, the two brothers, and the female supporting characters, also give excellent performances.

Every actor disappears into their role so completely that half the time it stops feeling like acting at all.

Honestly, the whole cast just clicks — nobody feels miscast, and that’s rarer than it sounds.

3. The Most Debated Parts: The Director and Editing
Finally, I want to discuss the most debated parts of the drama: the directing and editing.

I have watched Chinese dramas for twenty years. Objectively speaking, the directing and editing of Overdo are not the best I have ever seen, but they are still better than those of many other dramas.

Overall, I would say the quality is somewhere between average and very good.

Many people feel disappointed because they had already imagined a perfect final result after seeing leaked photos and videos from the filming period.

Another reason may be the success of Pursuit of Jade. Some viewers hoped that Overdo would reach the same level.

Some viewers may also have rarely watched dramas set in Republican-era China, so they are not used to a style that is different from both modern dramas and historical costume dramas.

Dramas set in Republican-era China are often filled with strong love and hatred. The story can feel like a roller coaster, with many unexpected twists, misunderstandings, and cruel turns of fate.

This drama also uses the storytelling style of a mystery drama. Of course, this style of storytelling may also make some viewers feel that the editing is too jumpy.

Many truths, clues, and memories are shown through flashbacks. Almost every episode ends with a new question or mystery, which makes the drama very addictive and makes viewers want to continue watching.

For the visual parts, the lighting in the drama is beautiful, and the costumes are also very detailed. Together, they successfully create the style and atmosphere of Republican-era China. The lighting also shows the actors’ strong facial features very well.

At first, the drama used an AI-generated opening sequence. Because it caused a lot of debate, the production company quickly replaced it with real scenes from the drama.

Ironically, Chinese dramas had already started using AI-generated opening sequences several years ago. Many recent dramas have also used them, but they did not receive the same level of public attack.

There are also two scenes in the drama that use CGI backgrounds. Although these backgrounds do not look completely real, they are still only small problems compared with the overall quality and enjoyment of the drama.

Unfortunately, negative online comments have greatly exaggerated these small problems. This has made many ordinary viewers who have not actually watched the drama believe that it is a cheap and badly made production.

Conclusion
In recent years, the stories of many Chinese dramas have become more and more similar.

Against this background, Overdo is a fresh and original drama that is difficult to stop watching once you begin.

It is also a drama that makes people think and leaves a deep impression after it ends.

Of course, everyone has different tastes. If you mainly enjoy light and relaxing romance dramas, I would not recommend a dark and heavy story like this one.

That is why judging Overdo by the standards of an ordinary romance drama is meaningless. The depth and scale of this drama go far beyond just romance.

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⭐️More Than Wuxia: The Human Realism Behind Blood River ❤️

In my view, Blood River is the best Wuxia drama in recent years. Whether in terms of narrative depth, character complexity, martial-arts choreography, or post-production visual effects — you can truly see the effort and sincerity of the entire cast and crew. It became a dark horse hit in the Chinese market this year.

The novel Blood River carries a strong realistic tone and a melancholic undertone. Because it was written by author Zhou Mu Nan in his thirties, it reflects a certain life experience and depth of thought. Compared to his previous works — The Blood of Youth and Dashing Youth, which were written in his twenties — Blood River reveals a more complex view of human nature.

❤️When writing The Blood of Youth, the author was particularly fond of Su Mu Yu, a “villain” character from the assassin organization Dark River, so he decided to write a standalone story just for him. However, he didn’t expect that the characters would “grow a free soul of their own” — wanting to decide their own fate. He later admitted that he regretted writing the sad ending of SMY and SCH too early in The Blood of Youth.

Therefore, he suggested readers treat Blood River as a parallel timeline. Actor Gong Jun also said during a livestream that this story is an independent one and should not be linked to The Blood of Youth. In this story, SMY and SCH could never become enemies.

In this timeline, they will forever remain the best brothers and soulmates. Even if SCH makes mistakes, SMY will always pull him back in time. There exists absolute trust and tacit understanding between them. During the internal turmoil within Dark River, both of them wanted to give what they believed was best to the other — SCH wanted to give SMY power, while SMY wanted to give SCH freedom.

In SMY’s future plans, SCH is always there; he would never abandon him. Others call SCH a bad ‘dog’, but SMY thinks that although this dog is a little wild, he is a good boy. He lets him grow freely, tolerates his temper, and occasionally disciplines him when it comes to matters of principle. Even when the puppy causes trouble, he always covers for him.

SCH has always listened to SMY. He treated those SMY cared about as family and protected them. Knowing SMY longed for an ordinary life, he spent years saving money to buy him a house. Knowing SMY would never save for himself, he secretly stored up a fortune of silver for him.

SCH also treated his Dark River brothers and sisters well — watching over them and helping them find happiness. His bad reputation in the martial world came from taking on all the dirty work SMY refused to do. He didn’t care — he only wanted to protect SMY’s kindness and moral bottom line. He has a tragic childhood. Growing up this way taught SCH that only by becoming strong could he protect himself and those he loved. Because SMY raised SCH from a young age and taught him many of his principles, SCH’s fundamental nature is shaped by that guidance — beneath everything, he is a genuinely kind-hearted person.

SMY’s childhood and his father’s teachings became the healing force that guided him for life — making him gentle, kind, and morally upright. SCH, on the other hand, lost his family as a child and became a wandering orphan. He was trained into a killing machine later. Fortunately, with SMY’s companionship, his life wasn’t entirely consumed by darkness. And with SCH by his side, SMY didn’t have to bear his hatred alone. After more than twenty years together, they became inseparable parts of each other’s lives, treating the other’s life as more important than their own — mutual bonds and redemption.

Even their names carry meaning:苏暮雨 (Su Mu Yu)，苏昌河(Su Chang He). 双日(Sun)为昌(Chang) - two 日(suns) together form 昌 (Chang)，落日(sun)为暮 - The sun at dusk is Mu (暮)，雨(Yu, meaning rain)汇成河 (He, meaning river) - Rain flows into a river. They are literally written into each other’s names.

SMY’s weapon is also fascinating — it’s an umbrella that hides 18 swords within. The umbrella shelters him from wind and rain, and also protects his family. It symbolizes protection and gentleness. The sword represents judgment and punishment. It stands for justice and decisiveness.

Together, they imply that beneath his gentle exterior lies a sharp, rational mind. In darkness, it is easy to fall. What’s truly difficult is holding onto oneself. One cannot defeat fate, but one can still maintain dignity within it. At the very beginning of the first episode, he asks himself, “Why do I wield a sword?” He is searching for the meaning of his existence.

True freedom is not “doing whatever you want,” but “being able to refuse what you don’t want.” Su Mu Yu is exactly this kind of willful yet innocent person. As long as he is strong enough, he has the right to remain innocent.

This story is told from the perspective of the assassin organization, but these assassins are not emotionless NPCs. They are living human beings. No one is born wanting to be a killer. They just wish to live like ordinary people — to have family, friends, and peaceful afternoons basking in sunlight — instead of living every day in fear, not knowing if they will see tomorrow’s sunrise. Sadly, even after exhausting their whole lives, they could only reach what ordinary people have at the very beginning. And they can never come close to the characters from “The Blood of Youth” or “Dashing Youth,” who are born with talent, powerful family backgrounds and wealth.

They didn’t want to kill. They hope to become a legitimate martial sect, to change public prejudice, and to stop being despised or excluded. But for shadows to walk under the sunlight is extremely difficult — it can’t be done overnight. Blood River is not an idealistic story of passionate young heroes traveling the martial world, nor a satisfying revenge tale. It’s a reflection of reality — just like the lyrics from the ending song River:

‘Like destiny drifting with the waves, winding and twisting.
Who can wade across the river of darkness?
Is there really a far shore waiting?
We spend our whole lives,
Pouring out every color of our souls for just a glimpse of light.’

Life is uncontrollable. Many are driven by fate, struggling their entire lives just to survive, searching for meaning or an answer. Yet even when hope is dim, they still devote everything to chase that single glimmer of light.

When they first stepped out of Dark River, only to realize that the outside world was just a bigger dark river, all they could do was grow stronger — to rely on their own willpower and faith to move toward the far shore. But in truth, as long as one’s heart faces the sunlight, one is already on the path toward that far shore.

As SMY once said:
‘道阻且长，然行则将至’-The road ahead is long and full of obstacles, but if we keep walking, we will reach it.

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The Best Historical Drama after 'Nirvana in Fire' !

So many fellows have already written excellent reviews from different aspects~

I don't know what else to say now ~

Anyway, I want to thank all the staff working behind this drama, especially Director Fei. You know the proper leader is so vital for a team! Hope Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei will show us more outstanding dramas! All the casts in this drama are so suitable in their roles!

This drama ranks second to 'Nirvana in Fire' on my drama list now! It deserves to rewatch!

(To fill the 150 words, I have to repeat it:)

So many fellows have already written excellent reviews from different aspects~

I don't know what else to say now ~

Anyway, I want to thank all the staff working behind this drama, especially Director Fei. You know the proper leader is so vital for a team! Hope Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei will show us more outstanding dramas! All the casts in this drama are so suitable in their roles!

This drama ranks second to 'Nirvana in Fire' on my drama list now! It deserves to rewatch!

Read More

The Best Historical Drama after 'Nirvana in Fire' !

So many fellows have already written excellent reviews from different aspects~

I don't know what else to say now ~

Anyway, I want to thank all the staff working behind this drama, especially Director Fei. You know the proper leader is so vital for a team! Hope Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei will show us more outstanding dramas! All the casts in this drama are so suitable in their roles!

This drama ranks second to 'Nirvana in Fire' on my drama list now! It deserves to rewatch!

(To fill the 150 words, I have to repeat it:)

So many fellows have already written excellent reviews from different aspects~

I don't know what else to say now ~

Anyway, I want to thank all the staff working behind this drama, especially Director Fei. You know the proper leader is so vital for a team! Hope Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei will show us more outstanding dramas! All the casts in this drama are so suitable in their roles!

This drama ranks second to 'Nirvana in Fire' on my drama list now! It deserves to rewatch!

Read More

Review for Zhao Lusi (❤ ω ❤)

I come to write this review for Zhao Lusi. She is my faviourite actress ever. Her acting skill or maybe her own personality is so natural, engaging , interesting and makes me laugh. This drama is for her and she also achieves this drama!

I've watched this drama nearly 10 times. Everytime when I'm not happy or down in life, I open this drama as a background music at home. Then I feel at ease. Everything is not a big deal in life. We can smile , laugh and feel love.

When I'm writing this review, I'm also watching her new drama on airing "Who Rules The World". Her feeling is totally different in that drama which is amazing . I read the novel many years ago and read it again recently. She is exactly the female character stepping from the novel. When I've heard this drama will be on airing on Netflix, I feel so excited for her. She's only 23 years old and her career is developing so quickly in recent two years. Which means she can get more rescources and produce more excellent dramas! Congratulations!

Overall, it's a very good, relaxed and funny drama. This setting of female and male is unique in Chinese Ancient Dramas. Very Interesting and thought-provoking. Thanks to the writer wrote a good script! Love Happy Ending!

ps. I love the all the clothes of Chen Qianqian. They are all so beautiful and perfect for Zhao lusi! I think they are also suited in modern times. (*^▽^*)

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