This review may contain spoilers
Right Main Character, Wrong Love Interest
As much as people are complaining about the FL, I think she was fine. People always complain about FL's in chinese dramas not having much personality or acting too cutesy but when we finally get a FL who has a dynamic personality that cares about more than just the ML then suddenly its an issue? If the FL was a man then she would have been praised for her ambitions. I think its just misogny running rampant.The real issue is the ML, he assaults the FL on multiple occasisons. Forcfully kissing her, grabbing her, etc without her consent. That is a BIG RED FLAG!! It doesn't matter if she likes him or not, forcing someone is assault and I hated that this drama tried to make it seem romantic. The ML also went off of his assumptions about things the whole time, not even considering the fact that he could be wrong. That was very annoying. Honestly, I found myself rooting more for her to be with her personal guard rather than the ML. I honestly think she had more chemistry with the personal guard and the second lead rather than with the ML.
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Overdone
Overdo was one of my most anticipated dramas of the year. With Zhang Ling He and Wang Chu Ran leading the cast, I walked in with expectations through the roof. In hindsight, that might have been my first mistake. The irony is almost poetic because, much like its title, everything about this drama feels overdone. It constantly tries to raise the stakes, only to end up feeling exaggerated instead of impactful.Set against the fading days of Republican-era Shanghai, the story follows Murong Qing Yi, a doctor whose life has been shaped by a cruel mistake made at birth. A chance exchange of letters leads him to Ren Su Su, an orphan carrying wounds just as deep as his own. Their relationship begins with quiet sincerity before fate tears them apart, leaving Qing Yi imprisoned under the belief that Su Su betrayed him while Su Su disappears without a trace. Three years later, she returns under a new identity, now engaged to his brother. Their reunion is fueled by resentment, misunderstandings, and buried truths, all unfolding as the nation inches toward war. On paper, it sounds like an emotional roller coaster filled with second chances, mistaken identities, and undying love. In execution, however, it often mistakes melodrama for emotional depth.
The problems start almost immediately with the cinematography and directing. The color grading, lighting, soft focus, and camera treatments constantly reminded me of a vertical drama. I have nothing against vertical dramas. I actually enjoy them. The issue is that I expected a high-budget long-form production, only to feel like I was watching one dressed up with a bigger cast and longer runtime. The directing only amplifies that impression. Many scenes feel unnecessarily dramatic, to the point where they become unintentionally funny.
The clearest example is the scene where Qing Yi jumps into the water to save Su Su. Instead of diving naturally, he launches himself flat into the water with his hands stretched forward, looking less like someone rescuing another person and more like someone accidentally participating in a belly flop competition. It completely took me out of the moment. If Zhang Ling He was unable to perform a proper dive, there were plenty of alternatives. He could have simply run into the water or jumped normally. Sometimes the simplest solution is the smartest one. Instead, the final result became comedy when it should have been life or death.
The use of AI in certain scenes also does not help. AI itself is not necessarily a deal breaker if it blends naturally into the production. Unfortunately, scenes like the airplane sequence look noticeably artificial, making it difficult to stay immersed. There are many moments throughout the drama where everything feels just a little too exaggerated, reinforcing that same vertical drama energy.
That said, not everything misses the mark. There are genuinely beautiful scenes scattered throughout the series, and several supporting actors deliver surprisingly strong performances. Li Bo Ze, Hai Tang Qing, and several other major supporting characters leave a positive impression. The drama also deserves credit for attempting to create morally layered characters. Li Rong Zhang, for example, is presented as both an abusive father and a patriot willing to sacrifice himself for the nation. That contradiction could have been fascinating, but the writing never explores it deeply enough. Rather than feeling like a complicated human being, he simply came across as confusing. Complexity only works when the audience is given enough time to understand it.
As for Zhang Ling He and Wang Chu Ran, they are easily among the drama's biggest strengths. Both actors maximize every opportunity they're given and deliver convincing performances despite the material. Unfortunately, they become victims of weak directing and increasingly outrageous plot twists. Qing Yi and Su Su are constantly trapped between personal desires and external responsibilities, which could have been compelling. Instead, their relationship becomes an endless cycle of misunderstandings, separation, reconciliation, love, hatred, and then back to misunderstanding again. I normally enjoy these kinds of tropes, but there is a difference between using them as seasoning and making them the entire meal. By the end, their relationship feels emotionally exhausting rather than heartbreaking.
One thing I cannot complain about, though, is the styling. The costumes, hairstyles, and makeup absolutely delivered. Everyone looked stunning, and the visual presentation of the cast deserved praise even when the script did not.
Ironically, the first half of the drama gave me hope. The early mysteries surrounding Su Su and Qing Yi immediately pulled me in. I especially found Su Su's past involving the women and the Huo family intriguing. The drama explores dark subjects including human trafficking, prostitution, and violence, and despite Chinese censorship, it presents these themes with surprising rawness. Some scenes are genuinely disturbing in ways that effectively capture the brutality of that world. Qing Yi's own mysterious past also kept me invested.
Unfortunately, once these mysteries are resolved around the middle of the series, the drama changes gears completely. Instead of building naturally upon what had already been established, it veers into increasingly dramatic territory filled with makjang-style twists and a storyline involving biochemical virus terrorism. It feels as though the writers kept asking, "How can we make this even bigger?" without asking whether it actually made the story better. Sometimes less really is more.
The ending perfectly reflects this issue. I actually prefer tragic endings for stories like this, but tragedy only works when it feels earned. Here, it often feels manufactured for the sake of making the audience cry. Certain sacrifices and plot developments seem unnecessary, and everything becomes so chaotic. Someone is gravely ill, then suddenly recovers. A terrorist incident appears out of nowhere. An entire village ends up paying the price. I found myself trying to justify the characters' decisions by assuming they simply had no better options under such desperate circumstances, but the story never fully convinces me that this was truly the only path available.
Overall, Overdo became an emotional graph that never quite stabilized. I started disappointed, became genuinely invested once the mysteries unfolded, then found myself disappointed all over again as the story spiraled into increasingly excessive territory. Thankfully, the short episode runtime made it easy enough to finish.
This is one of those dramas that I cannot confidently recommend, even if there are parts I appreciated. Whether you enjoy it will depend heavily on your tolerance for exaggerated melodrama, constant emotional whiplash, and makjang storytelling. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you may find much more to love here than I did. As for me, Overdo lived up to its title a little too well.
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In the meantime, you can watch the drama on YouTube under the caption: "Awkward blind date! CEO saves her, turns out her secret crush. A 5-year letter reveals her love!" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4-nWOIMEDA&list=PLk-9HNkdMSZqE97P7pIGr5O2FVgH6bMZK)
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Not worth 6 months of wait
Starting off it was still better till I assume episode 7. After that oh lord. The leads had no chemistry AT ALL and I don’t think there’s been a single episode where both of them ACTUALLY willingly loved eachother.I see a lot of people who had issues with the ai intro but that wasn’t even important considering how bad the plot got.
I felt like I was watching a vertical drama with unnecessary drama. Ep 15ish till the end was really boring to a point I felt— “What even is happening in this?”
The ending was the cherry on top– It was so messy. I was hoping for a resolution, maybe it’s a sad ending or maybe it’s a happy one, but unfortunately it seemed as if the ending was hurried with no proper ending.
I mean you had 7 episodes till 40 episodes and you still give us a horrid ending?
In my opinion, it was not worth the wait AT ALL. I had so much expectations from this considering how well it was promoted but the direction was horrible, plot wasn’t well written and somehow the acting was cringe at some points too.
The only reason I’m giving rewatch value a 1 is because I apparently can’t leave it at 0 😓
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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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Cheerful in all eps, but discouraging at the last ep.
I think all episodes got the cheerful themes, where the main female character had never given up. She had a very high enthusiasm filled with bravery and intelligence. This female character could be the role model for young girls who watch the media.However, the last episode is pretty discouraging, where the main female character gave up her goal for family. I think it is unnecessary for women to give up her dream just to marry or have kids. To have family and to reach life achievement could be done together.
An animated film, In Your Dreams (2025), the mother character got a new job in a big city, while the father did not want to move, but finally, whole family moved together there. I think this is a good example.
For the bad example, Think Like a Man Too (2014), a female character refused to be promoted in her career for her husband/boyfriend's personal need not to move.
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This review may contain spoilers
Reset and reset and reset...
Eleven people are sent back 365 days, effectively resetting their last year of life while retaining their memories (resulting in some regaining the use of their legs, others reuniting with a murdered colleague, and some winning big in the stock market or the lottery...).Does this "rewind" come at a price? Have they been thrust into a survival game? That is what they begin to suspect as they start dying one by one. What is the pattern? Gradually, it is revealed that the people involved were not chosen at random but were connected—and their dark sides come to light. No one is truly who they appear to be.
Each person receives a basket of flowers containing a note with a book excerpt, along with the chapter and page number indicating the day of their death. It turns out they have all already died and been reset five times.
They are puppets in the hands of a psychopath pulling the strings. Is this an experiment to see if fate can be altered, or if the outcome remains the same no matter what?
The more they seek certainty, the more they are disappointed, and their perspectives shift.
The killer identity will unexpected. If you want to get to know him, you must watch this series.
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Overdo - a missed opportunity..
I’d been looking forward to the drama “Overdo” for so long, and I have to admit I was wrong. I understand they wanted to “break away” from ZLH’s usual roles, but did you find the character believable? Didn’t you find him over-the-top? Did he really seem like a man who lived during the Republican era? Was he convincing in playing a character with a split personality? For me—(as a fan of his, and someone who actually likes him)—honestly, no. I found it all over-the-top, repetitive, and predictable... The first part of the drama really disappointed me, from the editing to that “I don’t know what I’m going to become” vibe… (but maybe that was because of my high expectations) I saw so much—way too much—toxicity, and it was one of the few times I didn’t root for the couple… I’m so frustrated that I don’t even want to keep talking about this drama—the only things I’ll give credit to are the costumes, the jewelry, the always-brilliant Whang Churan, and… and I guess that’s it. This was ZLH’s worst drama. I just want to forget what I saw, especially episode 33, which was HORRIBLE… IMHO.Was this review helpful to you?
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nice actors - good stage-team/director but unforgivable break in storyline
The production is quite good - the actress is very pretty und the producer-team are real capable to get the best out of the actors - the costumes are nice the make-up team are also ambitioned experts. SORRY but in the storyline - which was nice at the beginning -there is a total moronic break which destryos the drama (episode 15 to16. So - sadly i couldnt give a better rating - but i cheer for the actors and the stage team !Was this review helpful to you?
Bad acting, but I do not blame the performers
The plot was interesting at the early part, although I still see Mary Sue, and the female character who tried to pull other women down. I do not enjoy it. However, the worse thing about this series is the acting. All major characters had the same characteristic (except Fan Shuai Qi and Li Hong Quan). I do not see any difference among them. They tried to hold still all the time to make themselves look like narcissists. Similarly, their speaking styles are the same too. I used to see some of these actors and actresses in other series, and they were not as bad as in this one. Therefore, I do not think that it is the problem based on the actors, but it might be from the screenplay or directing.Was this review helpful to you?
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A Curse I’d Actually Wish On My Daughters (In a Good Way)
I initially started this show because I didn't know what else to watch and I figured I would just check it out. I ended up getting pulled in by the 2nd episode., and it turned out better than I thought. The show was a mix of Final Destination and Carrie for me. The FL did a great job in portraying an outcast type character, that ended up secluding herself from the world. I liked that the ML had a genuine interest in the FL, and used his skill set to find a way to be with her. Heo Eun Sil, the FL's bestie, was by far the funniest character, for me anyways. At one point, I thought she was going to have a thing for the ML, but I liked that her attraction to him was more of a big sister being happy to come across someone that cares about her little sister. I was surprised to see that the ML had two people in his life that were dealing with this phenomenon and that he devoted his life to helping them. It was an inspiring and feel good show at the end. I wish I could figure out how to create this phenomenon for my daughters, so only genuine guys will make the effort to get close to her. Don't get me wrong, I would tweak the phenomenon, if it were possible, so it wouldn't injure or kill them. Maybe make them sick... like intense sore throat so they can't try to sweet talk them with non-sense or non-stop diarrhea as long as they are in their space, so they're always stuck in the bathroom and away from my girls.Was this review helpful to you?
Drop at the first ep.
It repeats the same old trope of almost all of the Chinese dramas.
Women hurt one another, and the female lead was saved by a man, lying a lot, and discrimination against fat people. I do not know why the media try to teach these things to their people. I watch many sport matches with Chinese women athletes. They are strong with high attempt and enthusiasm. I praise them. What I learned from watching Chinese sport is very different from fictional stories in their TV shows. I want to send a big cheer and big hug to those athletes. Although they are prejudiced by their local media, they still try so hard and never give up.
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Skip this drama
It's a pity for the whole beautiful casts with the terrible drama. The story is so stupid and unacceptable.Extremely disappoited to build FL. She had caused many problems , and drove the ML to the sad ending.
The Mom got mental problems ,but still alive until the end.
I cannot feel any sympathizes with the FL, all good people died because of her
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Regret
Don’t watch this drama. By the end, you’ll regret why you even started it. You’ll be sitting there questioning every life decision like, “Why did I watch this? Who told me to waste my time?” Save yourself the regret, protect your sanity, and stay far away from this drama. Seriously. 💀😭!!
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