“Overdo” Surpasses 3.3 Million Reservations, Set for Early Premiere

(Above) With both Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan enjoying strong momentum, and with their striking, high-impact visuals, their Republican-era melodrama “Overdo” has already generated buzz. 

Zhang Linghe (張凌赫), who previously starred opposite Bai Lu in Story of Kunning Palace <寧安如夢>, Esther Yu (虞書欣) in My Journey to You <雲之羽>, and the hit idol drama The Best Thing <愛你>, has become one of the hottest leading men in Chinese dramas. This year, his drama Pursuit of Jade <逐玉>, co-starring Tian Xiwei, became a breakout hit, further cementing his status as a rising C-drama heartthrob.

Originally scheduled to premiere on July 18, however, latest reports suggest that the series may now air earlier, in early July. The reason is said to be linked to China’s National Radio and Television Administration’s new actor billing regulations, which will take effect from July 10. If Overdo <這一秒過火> airs after the new rules come into force, the billing order of Wang Churan and Zhang Linghe may have to be adjusted, and all promotional materials would need to be revised accordingly. As a result, the production team has reportedly decided to bring forward the release date.

With its earlier premiere, Overdo is set to go head-to-head with Song Weilong’s (宋威龍) new idol drama Wild Dog Bones <野狗骨頭> in which he co-stars with Zhang Jingyi (張婧儀) in a pseudo-sibling romance and Wang Xingyue’s (王星越) upcoming costume drama Love in Red Dust <紅塵四合> co-starring Xu Ruohan (徐若晗), setting the stage for a major summer showdown among C-drama leading men. It was initially slated for a late-July release before being moved up to July 18. Now, reports claim that the premiere may be brought forward again to early July, mainly due to the newly announced actor billing rules.

However, the billing order for Overdo had already been set, with Zhang Linghe listed before Wang Churan. To avoid changes, promotional assets, and even possible contractual addendums, the production team has reportedly chosen to release the drama earlier. Zhang Linghe’s popularity has soared this year thanks to his role as Marquis Wu’an, Xie Zheng, in Zhu Yu. Wang Churan has also seen a major boost in popularity after starring opposite Cheng Lei (丞磊) in How Dare You!? <成何體統> earlier this year. More recently, her urban romance drama Love Has Fireworks <愛情有煙火> , co-starring Tan Jianci, has also begun airing.

Drama Synopsis

Overdo is adapted from the novel If This Second, I Hadn’t Met You by Chinese author Fei Wo Si Cun. Set against the turmoil of the Republican era, the story follows a forbidden romance filled with love, hatred, and entanglement between a powerful warlord figure and a mysterious orphaned woman. Zhang Linghe plays Murong Qingyi, the youngest son of a warlord family who was switched at birth. As a child, he suffers abuse at the hands of his adoptive father. While fleeing, he is rescued by Ren Susu, played by Wang Churan. However, this act of kindness brings disaster upon the Ren family and leads to their massacre.

Years later, Murong Qingyi and Ren Susu meet again. Though they develop feelings for each other, she is forced to fake her death and disappear in order to save someone. Three years later, she returns — but this time, she has become his future sister-in-law. Unable to suppress their feelings, the two become entangled in a forbidden and heartbreaking brother-in-law/sister-in-law romance, but eventually set aside their personal grievances and join hands to fight a national crisis.

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