Speed and Love

Deep obsession with this

I'm watching this drama recently. I watched 15 episode and every episode give goosebumps😍, and excited for next episode 🫣
this is a masterpiece with main lead Heyu and Eshter yu,🫰 and now I am obsessed with this jin zhao character (Heyu) 🤭
worth watch it if anyone doesn't know what should they watch then this is a answer to give your time with happiness and excitement, your time doesn't waste it in this drama
I love it and wish to session 2 and hope this review helpful for everyone
thank you Heyu and Esther yu and all team work to give this masterpiece
Thank you ☺

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A Sizzling Fire Doused with Cold Water

My ratings are generous, but my review might not be. If there are hundreds of things that I loved about this show, then some glaring issues made me question it as well. Following are the reasons why I liked it a lot yet left unsatisfied.

Why will you like the show?

1) Unique Setup
This show is not like other c-dramas. The synopsis might make you feel that it's a cliche, but not really. The whole setup is unique. Majority of the show is set in Bangkok (man city), some parts of Canada and the rest in Nanjing. It has a rebellious world building, something that's usually missing in Cdramas. The boxing, racing, mechanic/garage axis gives it a flair different from usual modern cdramas shot in Beijing and Shanghai.

2) Same yet Different Characters
The main characters might read like classic shoujo manga. Cutesy mischievous teenage girl, capable hot rebellious boy. But somehow, the execution of these characters was pretty refreshing thanks to Esther and He Yu. Now, that doesn't mean that I love the extra childish antics of Esther. But I understand that it was the demand of the script and the director. Both these characters were refreshing to watch because these actors did a great job, so did their styling team and direction.

3) Insane Romance
The single reason why I would recommend people to watch it is for its romance. The chemistry is sizzling and refreshing. Despite censorship, the team did a fabulous job of conveying a hot romance with a star-crossed lover theme. These two are meant to be together, period. And the moment they decide to understand, accept and act upon these emotions, its an absolute treat for viewers. You will experience dragons let alone butterflies in your stomach.

4) HE FREAKING YU
I was shocked to realize that he's the same guy who acted in My Fated Boy. Talk about being a chameleon. You can tell he really got into shape and worked very hard on himself for this role. Most importantly, he is intoxicatingly charming. If he is on the screen, you will not be able to focus on anything but him. Its not just that he is extremely handsome, but he is acutely aware of how to use his charms. He is spectacular actor. And the biggest takeaway for every viewer of this show will be discovering him cos I know I will keep a look out for his future projects.

Why will you dislike the show?

1) Disaster Second Half
If the first half of the show was the finest premium Swiss chocolate, the second half was the synthetic stuff found in a local shop. There was a point when I was wondering if I was watching the same show. It's not that I wasn't prepared for the shift as it was written in the synopsis, its the execution of it all. You will feel frustrated about things that don't make sense. It diminished the star appeal of the show.

2) Ridiculous script & story
The overall story is fine, two siblings who are not blood related falling in love....accepting this change and realizing the full depth of their relationship. The first half does great justice to that. But there were so many writing/creative choices made by the makers in the show that will make you extremely angry. The so called tribulation that they go through for years in the second half was not sensible in anyway. It was just a stupid creative choice. The characters started behaving unlike them, the fl was shown with zero self esteem, the ml was not given a chance to redeem himself, its all just too much by the end. You would start missing the Bangkok arc.

All in all, its a good romantic show which the fans of the genre should definitely give a shot. But do not expect a perfect show. Enjoy it for what it is and for their romance. It has a great rewatch value with many memorable scenes and performances.

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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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Love it!

I have a huge issue with Chinese dramas: the fact that they use Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) - this always throws me off and I hate that I can't watch something that seems interesting and could've been good. This drama, however, caught my eye because it revolved around driving cars, which I love, so I gave it a go, and in doing so, it was a relief to see that most of the time they either didn't use ADR, or you couldn't tell they did.
The cinematography is mesmerising, and so are the views.
Everyone in this drama is a great actor, especially Esther Yu, who had to cry a lot the entire drama, and He Yu, who was able to convey a lot of emotions and could only smile towards the end - they really make you believe they're those characters, well done to them!
San Lai was also an amazing character, and I absolutely loved Jin Zhao and Lin Sui's bromance - I just wish Jin Zhao hadn't been so mean to him, lol.
I really loved the way the writers wrote He Zhang as well!
As for what I didn't like, I'll have to say the fact that we could hear their thoughts - it didn't happen too many times, but only a few of them made sense and weren't cringe-worthy; I'll definitely skip the times when the thoughts are cringey when I rewatch this drama.

[Warning: Spoilers ahead!]
I also didn't like the way Jin Zhao disappeared from Jiang Mu's life out of nowhere - as someone who's done something similar to what he did, I have the moral high ground to say it's wrong because nothing gives you the right to decide for someone else, especially when Jiang Mu was so worried and sad the entire time she didn't know what was happening with him, and also the fact that he used her ideas, kept their dog and didn't tell her... If you find this sweet, you're just wrong. He should've told her, full stop. Communication and honesty above everything, always. And I don't want to hear "But he didn't want her to have a hard life, blablabla" - what he and all the people who think like this fail to realise is that when you like someone, your life will be much worse if you're away from them, and that's exactly what makes it difficult, not being with them even if it comes with a lot of challenges.
[End of spoilers]

I know some people will find the story a cliché, but I could relate a lot to it, there were many things they went through and said that were the exact same as what I've been through, thought and said, so this drama will always be special to me and I plan on watching it from time to time - it truly became one of my favourites.
The OST is awesome as well!
Well done to everyone involved and thank you all SO much for this drama!

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A refreshing look at modern CDrama with bad guy/good girl RomCom drama.

"Speed and Love" is a modern CDrama starring Esther Yu and He Yu. The story is interesting and cute. Personally, I do not like Esther Yu's dramas because most of the characters she portrays are childish. She used her natural, high-pitched, squeaky voice, which is annoying; however, in this drama, she used a lower-pitched register, which is less irritating.

This drama's synopsis is refreshing compared to other typical C-dramas about stern-faced CEOs, contract marriage, or childish Love. This story is unique in its portrayal of a bad boy/good girl dynamic, and it adds depth to the characters of Jin Zhao and Jiang Mu.

Her acting in this drama is better, and she should look for roles with mature love rather than silly or childish characters.

Synopsis: The series revolves around the siblings Jiang Mu, the sheltered and pampered younger sister, and Jin Zhao, the extremely gifted older brother. When Mu is nine years old, their parents get a divorce, and her father and Zhao move to Thailand. As such, Mu and Zhao's lives become two paths that never cross. After learning that her brother is adopted, Mu flies to Thailand alone. When they meet again, the once elegant boy has transformed into a rugged young man hardened by the streets. Zhao is now into boxing and racing, living a life full of wild thrills and danger that is completely unfamiliar to Mu. Undaunted, Mu works to assimilate into the life of Zhao and her father's family. Aligning with her talents, her studies, and life in Thailand are just as splendid, and her enthusiasm and empathy brighten Zhao's life. As Zhao's co-pilot, she is his perfect navigator. Seeing that Zhao is stuck in a quagmire, she decides to pull him out and take him home. When an accident separates the two again, Mu takes on the responsibility of caring for the family while pursuing their shared ambition in aerospace. Many years later, Mu returns to China after graduation. Mu and Zhao reunite again in Nanjing.

My Reviews:
1. Acting: 8.5
2. Script: 8.5
3. Music/OST: 8
4. Production Quality: 8
5. Cinematography: 8
6. Rewatchable: 8
7. On-Screen Chemistry: 7

Overall Rating: 8

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Every day is a Winding road filled with Sizzling Love until it burns

Honestly this started off really good, hot and sizzling our leads eyes yelled yearning, spunk and all round entertaining and fun to watch... Though I have seen He Yu in several dramas before this, I am going to say that this role fit him so much better than the others and truly made him shine in a completely new muscular light. As most of the times we get to see him he is wearing a tank top and dripping some kind of liquid to enhance the curves of his upper arm and back muscles.

Yes there is the whole I loved you as a non biological sister now I long for you as a lover that is slightly disturbing at times but every single gaze from start to finish pretty much saiys we are not siblings and girl you are not a kid anymore... And yes there is a slight attempt to dress her all innocent but they do also show that she really is not that innocent or naive, but rather a 20 year old that knows what she wants (in a way we rarely see in cs).

The twists, the winding roads of the first 3/4 of the drama are pretty fun to watch but then came the inevitable turn that just took all this heat and chilled it down in to some kind of annoyng mess.

Making it go from an 8,5 or even 9 to a 6 landing it a generous 8.

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Wonderful Chemistry, One Constant Discomfort

~ First Part (No Spoilers) ~

I started this drama mainly because I had heard good things about the romance, and in many ways, it delivered exactly what I was looking for.

The chemistry between the two leads was excellent. Their interactions felt natural, their playful moments made me smile, and once they acknowledged their feelings, I absolutely loved watching them together. One of my favorite aspects of this drama was that the romance didn't stop after the confession. Instead, we were given plenty of affectionate moments, kisses, longing looks, and the kind of romantic tension that made their relationship feel alive. As someone who loves seeing couples actually enjoy being together, this was incredibly satisfying.

I also have to praise He Yu. His performance was one of the biggest reasons I kept watching. Jin Zhao is charismatic, protective, and emotionally expressive, and He Yu portrayed those qualities wonderfully. Even when I disagreed with some of Jin Zhao's decisions later in the story, I never stopped appreciating his acting.

I also enjoyed several of the supporting characters. San Lai was one of my favorites, bringing both humor and honesty to the story. I especially appreciated how he wasn't afraid to challenge Jin Zhao when he believed he was making the wrong choices. The supporting cast added warmth to the story and made many scenes even more enjoyable.

Unfortunately, there was one aspect that constantly prevented me from fully embracing the romance: the adopted sibling dynamic.

I completely understand that Jin Zhao and Mu Mu are not related by blood, and I know that this won't bother every viewer. However, because they were raised as brother and sister, I personally never managed to forget that part of their relationship. I genuinely tried to look past it because I loved their chemistry so much, but that feeling of discomfort stayed with me from the beginning until the very end. Even when the story referenced this relationship near the ending, it reminded me of the same uneasiness I had felt from the start.

This is, of course, entirely personal, and many viewers may not feel the same way. I simply wanted to mention it because I think it's something potential viewers should know before starting the drama.

~ Spoilers ~

The drama changes its tone quite significantly after the time skip, becoming much more serious than the first half.

While I appreciated that the story became more emotional, I found myself becoming frustrated with Jin Zhao's decisions, particularly regarding his illness.

What bothered me wasn't his desire to protect Mu Mu—it was the fact that he made that decision for her. He chose to hide the truth, asked everyone else to lie as well, ignored her messages, and allowed years to pass without giving her the chance to decide what she wanted.

One of my favorite moments in this storyline was actually when San Lai confronted him. He pointed out exactly what I had been thinking: protecting someone shouldn't mean taking away their ability to choose.

Personally, I believe that if someone truly loves you, they deserve the truth. Let them decide whether they want to stay by your side instead of deciding for them. I truly believe Mu Mu would have chosen to remain by his side, which made this part of the story particularly frustrating for me.

Despite these frustrations, I still genuinely enjoyed the romance. The chemistry between the leads remained one of the drama's greatest strengths, and I loved every moment where they simply acted like two people deeply in love.

Overall, I had a really good time watching this drama. It made me laugh, gave me plenty of butterflies, and introduced me to another actor whose future projects I'll definitely be watching.

I would still recommend this drama—but with one small warning. If the adopted sibling dynamic is something that might make you uncomfortable, it's worth knowing that this element remains part of the story throughout the drama. If, however, you're able to look past it or it doesn't bother you, I think you'll have an even better experience than I did, because the chemistry, romance, and performances are genuinely enjoyable.

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Life is a Bumpy Road

This series offers a lot of character development for everyone but Jiang Mu who pretty much stays consistent throughout. And I don't mean that as a bad thing, she knows who she is, who she loves, and what she wants her future to look like. And while Jin Zhao has the same heart for Mu Mu all along, we see him really learn who he is and accept who he is in her eyes. There were definitely some over the top script areas, but for the most part the storyline is good and keeps things moving. I was very happy to see a 29 episode CDrama rather than another long drawn out slow burn 40 episode drama. This one was had me laughing and crying pretty much throughout.

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