Speed and Love

A sizzling ride with a very bumpy road

I went into Speed and Love with very high energy. And for a good while, the drama absolutely delivered. Fast cars, nighttime Bangkok vibes, underground boxing, sizzling chemistry… and that mix of danger and romance? A clichéd bad boy meets good girl scenario? Sign me up! The first half of the drama was pure mindless fun, and honestly… I was addicted.

What immediately won me over was the aesthetic. Bangkok at night looked gorgeous, the racing scenes had real energy. And Jin Zhao living and working in a garage was just my kind of vibe. This drama knows how to look good~!

Then there’s the romance. Jiang Mu and Jin Zhao’s chemistry is undeniable. Their shared past, the unspoken feelings and the slow build of intimacy made every lingering look feel so intense! I loved how protective Jin Zhao was, how Jiang Mu gained confidence and became proactive… They had so many soft moments. I was giggling and kicking my feet. Episodes 1–15 are exciting, spicy and mindless fun in all the right ways.

But then… the drama hit the brakes. Hard.
Once the undercover anti-smuggling plot and noble idiocy trope kicked in, the storytelling started to fall apart for me. Maybe I should have continued to switch off my brain completely, but that just didn't work so well anymore. Scene transitions became more choppy, timelines confusing, and emotional scenes kind of rushed.

I had high hopes for a truly gripping angst arc. I was so ready for it… but it all felt flat and frustrating instead. I have to say that the noble idiocy trope just isn’t working for me.

The biggest disappointment was how the drama handled their separation and reunion in the second half.
I do understand that Jin Zhao is deeply traumatized after everything he’s been through, and his fear of becoming a burden makes sense… but to that extreme extent!? I’m flabbergasted. And not in a good way. Shutting Jiang Mu out completely, denying her the chance to communicate properly and to make her own decisions, and letting even her family and friends (!!!) lie to her for SO MANY YEARS crossed a line for me. It made the angst feel forced, dragged out and unnecessarily cruel.

And after they reunite by pure chance, Jiang Mu’s anger and her hurt feelings barely had space to exist. She quickly slips back into chasing him and making the first move again and again. Seriousness and light-hearted comedy vibes often bounced back and forth too much for me here. By the time they are back together, I wasn’t swooning, I was tired…

That said, the actors really did great. Esther Yu and He Yu delivered nice emotional performances, especially during crying and confrontation scenes. And I did appreciate that the final few episodes leaned back into warmth and healing... wholesome hugs, forgiveness, growth, and Jin Zhao finally facing his fears. Nevertheless, I couldn't find the spark from the first half of the drama anymore. The storytelling and characters lost me.

The ending also felt underwhelming. The pacing was off, the focus strange. Why so little time on the actual couple and their wedding? Censorship, why?

Final thoughts:
Speed and Love started as a ridiculously fun, stylish, chemistry-filled ride that I couldn’t stop watching. Unfortunately, it lost its way in the second half with messy writing and frustrating tropes that dragged on for too long. After everything the early episodes made me feel, the payoff just didn’t hit as hard as it should have. But I’m still kind of generous with my rating and try to keep all the things in mind that I really enjoyed.

[finished watching on 22 December 2025]

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The tension and angst killed me

Production:
- The aesthetics, colors, and cinematography in Thailand are amazing. Its giving Tokyo Drift.

- Impeccable wardrobe and styling for all the characters. Esther Yu wardrobe never disappoints.

- I adore the OST.

Plot
- The plot is nothing special. The drama focused more on its characters and their interactions.

- Zhao and mom’s whole interaction wasn’t shown in the book. It was the most heartwarming part of the show so Im glad it was added. Seeing Zhao plead and be accepted 💚


Chemistry:
- The romance is pure intensity and sexual tension. I give most of the credit to HeYu for this. Man knows how to make tension out of thin air.

- The book was a lot more adult. After their first time, Jin Zhao initiated sex whenever he was alone with her. Im shook.
“The soundproofing here is excellent. No need to hold back.”

“Some traditions shouldn’t be broken. A woman doesn’t take the lead her first time.”

Characters:
- Zhao is such an acts of service guy. He provides princess treatment and spoils her rotten. But he keeps making decisions on her behalf. He didn’t even grovel for ghosting our princess for 6 yrs and never making an attempt to reach out. Like why is she the one chasing you again sir?

- The burden of making the first move ALWAYS fell on Mu’s shoulders. She initiates all the clinging, flirty remarks, love confessions and skinship. Her efforts alone started and rekindled their romantic relationship. Without her trying, their story might have never progressed past yearning stage. The real green flag.

- Sin Lai is an amazing friend. My shaylaa
“Why are your shoelaces always untied?”
“Im afraid if I squat down and tie them, no one will wait for me”

- Ngl, I expected the father’s role to play a bigger part in the story. Wasn’t a very impactful presence.

- Lin Sui also felt like such a randomly written character that served no purpose. He wasn’t the villain nor the love rival we initially thought. His role is basically be the rich guy offering Zhao help at random moments.

Casting:
- Everyone was SO HOT 🔥.

- HeYu has great yearner/ bedroom eyes. His stares and little smiles make me melt. Perfect for a role like this. My pick for standout actor this entire drama.

- Esther has a good mix of baddie and cutesy diva princess. Mu’s styles and personality actually matches hers irl.

- Mike Angelo’s chemistry with Esther IRL is so much fun and makes for such a funny third wheel.

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ML carried this drama alone.

Finally done watching.

- Chemistry: 9
- Story: 8.5
- ML’s Acting: 9.5
- FL’s Acting: 4

The story is pretty decent. I really love bad boy–cute girl dynamics. The best part? No love triangle—which I absolutely hate. The leads have undeniably good chemistry, though the FL’s acting is incredibly annoying. I stayed because the ML was really good. I’m now a fan. Honestly, he carried this drama on his own.

The FL is just not good at acting. She only knows how to act cute and use baby talk. Her voice is so annoying—it was hard to watch her scenes. I have nothing against her personally; I’m judging purely based on her performance, especially as a female lead. She still doesn’t have what it takes to be one. In fact, the two female side characters (Nana and WQ) acted better than she did. This is my objective opinion, especially when comparing her to other actresses.

I want to commend the ML. He really made me believe he was JZ. He delivered his lines with depth and consistency. He’s one of the best C-drama actors I’ve ever watched. It’s my first time seeing him, by the way, and his acting was always on point. He’s the reason I stayed and finished this drama—he truly deserves to be watched.

Overall: A pretty decent drama and a good watch. Just don’t expect much from the FL, and prepare to be annoyed by her duck-face acting.

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From speed to snooze

Speed and Love Started with a very exciting premise but the story really took a nose dive to an anti climatic end. The build up is tantalising and will get you hooked. The FL and ML do a really good job however the writers really limited their characters. The siblings to non siblings angle can be off putting however the writers made sure that every other scene in the first half of the drama they reminded us that they were not blood siblings.


The racing part took over 2 thirds of the drams and suddenly disappeared- then we have a time jump which did not really move the characters along in understanding them. A missed opportunity for writers and directors to really use the accident, recovery period and the time that Mu Mu was missing Zhao and also looking after her mother to tap into deeper emotions.

This show was able to deliver eye candy, romance and bromance but plot was shallow and lacked depth. The parents were failures to both children - the mother abandoned the male child to an alcoholic father who could not look after him properly, before that she was already treating coldly in the house and had BL Anatoly said she did not want him there only to keep him there when Mu Mu spoke for the first time to call him. The father was an alcoholic who could not look after himself or the son and abandoned his daughter. Neither in the show sought redemption for the trauma they caused to the kids in my view. Yes dad stopped drinking and mum finally accepted Zhao however the writers missed another opportunity here.


She was separated from him for 6 years in that time she was being lied to by everyone and their dog about Jin Zhao- He had plenty of opportunity to talk to her- yet we still heard his story from others not him- Honestly frustrating. It just feels like everything seemed easy and wrapped up in a nice little bow. The drama is entertaining and beautifully shot. There is lots of chemistry between He Yu and Ester Yu which makes the romance really entertaining and easy to watch. They could have done more with this the latter half of the story. But hey ho! One of the better C drama’s this year and despite its flaws enjoyed the show.

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A drama adaptation of a fanfic!

I personally enjoyed the overall vibe of Speed and Love! It reminds me of one of my favorite Taiwanese dramas ever, "The Outsiders." The main focus is more about car racing which also reminds me of the Taiwanese adapted movie, "Initial D" They even have the CAR in this drama! It's very nostalgic for me hence I kept watching it! ^^

Firstly, I began waching this drama because of the synopsis and not the leads or any of the actors. The only reason I even stuck to this drama was, because of the plot. LOL Unfortunately, there were a few things that bothered me while watching this drama. But let's begin with the positives first.

THE SETTING! I absolutely LOVE the setting of this drama. It's set in Thailand, and the color gradient in the drama is GORGEOUS. I love how the director plays around with light and dark as well. You can see Jiang Mu (Esther) gets bathe in the sunlight occasionally, and then there's Jin Zhao (He Yu) sitting in the dark. By the end of this drama, I think it's safe to say this drama isn't about Jiang Mu, but more about Jin Zhao's life. Whoever designed the garage needs a raise, cause they used the tire as a SINK! I LOVE IT!

Jin Zhao is played by He Yu. He was orphaned as a child for reasons you may need to watch. Anyways, he grew up with Jiang Mu and takes very good care of her. He is the GREENEST FLAG character in cdramaland of 2025. I absolutely loved his acts of service, because he takes carrots and green onion out of Jiang Mu's plate so she could eat. He notices many things about Jiang Mu, and takes care of it without her having to ask. I think I saw 2 of He Yu's side character dramas, unfortunately I don't recall how his acting was there, but his name was memorable enough for me to look him up at one point. I digress. His acting in this drama is PHENOMENAL. I LOVE IT! This man can MICROact, he moves his facial muscles and is able to express through his EYES. Even the way he moves feels like he's embodying his character so well. A lot of male actors are not able to do this, I can count on my fingers how many other actors can do this, and He Yu is definitely on the list! For me, he carried the acting in this drama. I heard that he does his own drifting(correct me if I'm wrong) and I can definitely see it in the way he drives in the drama, it's very convincing and real to me. The way he fights is also quite satisfying, and apparently he also boxes in real life! This dude can do anything at this point.

Moving on to Esther's interpretation of Jiang Mu. Firstly, I did not read the novel, so I am basing my judgement on the drama itself. Jiang Mu is the younger adopted sister of Jin Zhao. She is typically a very happy-go-lucky girl who is always running after Jin Zhao and wanting to know what has happened with him since their family separation. However, she is no damsel-in-distress, she's able to fight for herself when it's needed and she's determined to get to the bottom of things when she sets her mind to it. She is also academically smart, possibly due to Jin Zhao's motivation. lol It feels like her world revolves around Jin Zhao, not her parents, not even her half-sibling. I honestly wish there was more half-sibling bond, but alas.

Acting wise, I think Esther's portrayal of a 18-year-old seems a lot more childish than one may be. I also think her acting from 1 to 19 was giving very "rookie actress" vibes because of the forced expressions, blank expressions with big boba but also blank eyes, or comedic expressions like when she's suddenly shocked: big eyes open and that's it. I thought for a second, it's the way the scene was edited - cause it just felt off when she suddenly had that expression on.
When Jiang Mu was driving or drifting, Esther's facial expression wasn't really there as oppose to how He Yu does it. I do not know how to describe what Esther was showing from my POV, but I know for sure she was not driving. lol There was a scene where she got out of the car all cutely which I thought was uneccesary. It just you'd think she would act "cool" cause she's drifting and all, but she didn't bring any of that charisma that I had expected of her. I was really hoping to see more of Jiangmu drifting, but unfortunately she only did it briefly all for Jin Zhao.
The first 19 episodes was difficult to watch Esther act as Jiangmu, but I pushed myself through it because I thought perhaps this is just her interpretation of a teenager and maybe it will get better as she grows up. Jiang Mu is not extremely cutified by Esther, but there is some cuteness trait to it because she's able to let loose and be comfortable acting like that around Jin Zhao. It sometimes it had me thinking whether or not the character is embodying Esther herself instead of the other way around.
Otherwise, she seemed okay around other side characters. I really enjoyed her portrayal in episode 19, granted it took some heartbreak to see it. Other than that, I don't think Esther's acting was terrible, nor was it amazing. I have seen a few of her dramas and many of her dramas are hit and misses for me. This was in the middle, I think she could've done better. I also think the drama fell off after Jiang Mu came back to Nanjing, I was getting bored by this point as there wasn't anything exciting left to watch.
Despite of this, the CHEMISTRY between the leads were intense, I think they looked good together!

Since the drama was cut short, there were a few scenes that came out of no where and it was quite confusing. I also have a problem with the SCRIPT! There were many times where I'm like wtf is wrong with this script, it's so cringe or it doesn't make any sense! Especially the lines given to Mike D'Angelo! WHO GAVE HIM THOSE CRINGEY AF LINES?! We need to talk!! "I like Chinese women" 'I like handsome men"- Jiang Mu. And then they wanted to cover the dog's eyes because Jiang Mu thinks it may be able to tell someone that they're dating or whatever I don't remember what she said exactly, but I thought that line was stupid. Who WROTE THAT?!

I would recommend this drama if you enjoy fanfic-like romances.
However, if you want a good script, I don't think this will fulfill that itch for you.
If you're a sentimental, and nostalgic kind of person, this may be up your alley due to the setting of the drama.
Also if you love Initial D or any car racing movie or drama - Give this drama a try!

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He Yu, He Yu, He Yu

Speed and Love stays true to its core: romance. At the center of it all is He Yu, who delivers an undeniably captivating performance as Jin Zhao. His microexpressions, subtle intensity, and overall portrayal make the character irresistibly charming and sexy.Honestly, he carries a lot of the show’s emotional weight with nothing more than his eyes and that devastating smile.

Esther, meanwhile, leans once again into her familiar persona: cute, bubbly, and a little childish. While I do like her, this particular style of acting can feel repetitive, and at times even tiring. I found myself skipping through several romantic scenes simply because the dynamic felt a bit too cringey (because of Esther’s childish expressions) for my taste.

That said, the drama as a whole is still enjoyable. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s sweet enough to make your heart flutter, largely thanks to He Yu’s performance. With themes of family, friendship, and love woven throughout, Speed and Love remains a worthwhile watch for anyone craving a light, romance‑driven series.

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A Total Heart-Racing, Emotional Masterpiece I Did NOT Expect to Love This Much

This drama has easily become one of my top favorites among the Chinese dramas I’ve watched. I was initially drawn in by the trailer and didn’t expect much, but it turned out to be far better than I anticipated, leaving me with no regrets after watching it.
The emotional delivery is one of the drama’s strongest points. The tension, love, and pain are portrayed convincingly, making the story emotionally engaging without feeling forced. The cinematography deserves special mention, the contrast and visual composition enhance the atmosphere beautifully and elevate the overall viewing experience. Another standout element is the car racing scenes. They are exciting and well-directed, and I genuinely felt the thrill while watching them. The OST also fits the drama perfectly, strengthening the emotional impact of key scenes, and it’s good enough to earn a spot on my playlist. Performance-wise, He Yu gives a compelling portrayal that has definitely earned him a place among my favorite Chinese actors. As for Esther Yu, she continues to shine—having watched many of her dramas, this role once again proves her talent and versatility. It’s honestly hard not to admire her work.

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He Yu’s Jin Zhao: The Heart and Soul of Speed and Love and a ML worth falling for

I really loved this drama, and I fell hard for Jin Zhao. Speed and Love is not a perfect show, but it has a soul and that soul is Jin Zhao. If you are thinking about watching this drama and like the bad boy with a heart of gold trope, do it!! Do it for He Yu/Jin Zhao and you will thank me. I rated acting as 9/10 because of the FL's lacking performance. But for the ML and He Yu's acting it would be 11/10! He really carried the show and emotional and intimate tension!!

One of the things I appreciated most is how the drama handled Jin Zhao and Jiang Mu’s early dynamic. I genuinely don’t find the “big brother” phase strange or uncomfortable at all. In fact, it makes emotional sense. Jin Zhao clearly grew up without ever feeling like he truly belonged. He knew he was adopted, he lacked consistent parental warmth, and later it becomes evident that the mother harbored resentment toward him while the father was distant and emotionally absent, especially after the move to Thailand. Jiang Mu was one of the first people who chose him purely and warmly, without conditions. His protectiveness wasn’t romantic at first, it was rooted in care, responsibility, and a quiet sense of guardianship that came from his own emotional deprivation.

What really stood out to me was how respectful Jin Zhao was when Jiang Mu was only twenty and beginning to develop feelings for him. He never crossed boundaries. He restrained himself constantly. He waited for her consent, not just verbally, but emotionally and through her making the first steps. At the same time, he never made her feel unsafe or unsure. He made it clear that he liked her, that her feelings were welcome, so when she finally did step forward, she didn’t have to fear rejection or humiliation. Their transition from estrangement to tentative closeness, and then into first love, was beautifully done. It felt exactly like a careful, young, emotionally formative first love: hesitant, intense, sincere, and deeply memorable.

I didn’t love the forced separation or the sacrificial breakup trope, and I do think that portion of the story was rushed and not fully articulated. That said, I could still empathize with Jin Zhao’s choice. The show gives enough signs that he was deeply depressed after the accident, stripped of his physical prowess, pride, and identity. His decision came from fear, guilt, and a belief that love meant letting her go rather than allowing her to suffer with him. While I didn’t love the execution, I understood the emotional logic behind it. What ultimately made me forgive him was his growth afterward. He reflects on his mistakes. He no longer hides behind silence or martyrdom. He learns to accept love instead of only giving it. Watching him transform from a reckless bad boy with a golden heart into a steady, emotionally open life partner was incredibly rewarding. Every smile he allows himself in the later episodes feels earned, and I found myself rooting for him constantly.

He Yu’s performance is honestly the backbone of this drama. His acting is nuanced, restrained, and intensely emotional. His eyes do so much of the storytelling: longing, fear, guilt, tenderness, hope. Even when the script falters, his portrayal of Jin Zhao never does. He made Jin Zhao feel real, layered, and unforgettable. I’ll absolutely be following his future projects, because this performance alone convinced me of his range and depth.

That said, the drama does have flaws. The plot is uneven and at times unclear, likely due to editing cuts. The motivations behind Jiang Mu going to Thailand at nineteen, and later the exact circumstances of their separation, deserved more emotional grounding and narrative clarity. These moments should have hit harder than they did.

Another major weakness, for me, was Esther Yu’s performance. I don’t mind an innocent or naive female lead, but her acting simply wasn’t on the same level as He Yu’s. In scenes that required deep emotional reciprocity, especially during moments of intimacy, tension, separation, longing, or reunion, she often fell short in facial expressions, micro-expressions, and physical stillness. I mean a girl can be cute but also have genuine emotional range!! But I felt all she did was focus on the naive cute big eyes look. Jin Zhao’s love feels enormous, consuming, and visceral; too often, it felt like he was carrying the emotional weight of the relationship alone. While I still cared about Jiang Mu as a character, I couldn’t help but feel that a stronger performance would have elevated the drama significantly.

Despite these issues, Speed and Love stayed with me. Jin Zhao stayed with me. The drama succeeds where it matters most: in creating a male lead who feels deeply human, loving, flawed, and worthy of devotion. If you enjoy emotionally restrained yet passionate male leads, slow-burn romance, and stories about choosing love after pain, this drama is absolutely worth watching, especially for Jin Zhao and He Yu’s remarkable performance!! Now I am off to find his other works and patiently await his future works.

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