Speed and Love

Speed and Love: More Than What Meets the Eye

I have been watching C-dramas for a long time, but this is the first time I feel compelled to leave a review, because Speed and Love truly deserves a strong and fair rating. Many viewers were probably drawn in by the so-called “intimate” scenes, but beyond that surface appeal, this drama offers so much more. There are several aspects worth appreciating, especially its emotional depth, storytelling, and overall production quality.

Admittedly, the plot may not be to everyone’s taste, as it involves the two main leads growing up like brother and sister before eventually developing romantic feelings. I honestly don’t know how realistic this is in real life, but that is precisely the point of dramas. They are fictional stories. It is unfair to project personal discomfort onto the actors, who are simply fulfilling the roles required by the script. Hate should never be directed at them for that reason. Regardless of this fact, the drama adaptation was successful in not focusing heavily on the "adopted" sibling relationship and instead drawing out the emotions behind it, such as how they became each other’s place of solace and source of strength and inspiration. The complexities of family relationships are portrayed with sensitivity, and it was satisfying to see proper closure, particularly with Mu Mu’s parents eventually finding happiness in their own lives.

Another strong point of the drama is the sense of friendship among the cast. Even the antagonists are given room for growth, with remorse shown toward the end. Jin Zhao’s journey, in particular, was rewarding to watch. His persistence ultimately leads to his vindication, making his arc emotionally fulfilling. As for the romance, the love between Jin Zhao and Mu Mu is sincere, deep, and unconditional. It is touching in many ways, and I believe this is why the drama resonates with so many viewers. Many of us have felt or hoped for that kind of love. The way Jin Zhao takes care of Mu Mu reflects what many people wish for in a partner. You are truly lucky if you have someone like that in real life, but sometimes reality may not be that kind.

From a production standpoint, Speed and Love stands out as a top-tier drama. The racing scenes were executed exceptionally well, and the cinematic effects elevated the overall viewing experience. One of the most striking aspects of the cinematography is its dynamic use of motion and camera movement. Racing sequences feature tracking shots, low-angle perspectives, and rapid cuts that effectively convey adrenaline, urgency, and competitiveness. The camera mirrors the speed and intensity of the characters’ lives, allowing viewers to experience speed not just as a theme, but as a physical sensation. The attention to detail is evident throughout, and the direction makes the emotional flow of the story easy to follow while adding depth to the characters’ journeys.

In terms of acting, I believe they chose the perfect cast for each role. He Yu undoubtedly gained a breakthrough role with Jin Zhao, and for good reason as he truly embodied the character. I can understand why the scriptwriter and director chose him for this role, and we should be grateful to them for discovering such a talented actor. His serious gaze, restrained reactions, and steady presence made Jin Zhao feel like someone carrying immense pressure while rarely expressing it aloud. This subtlety made his emotional development especially satisfying to watch. We should be grateful that this role introduced us to such a talented actor.

Esther Yu, as always, brings her signature bubbly energy to Mu Mu. While some viewers criticize her voice or her “over-the-top” acting style, I see this as part of her established identity as an actress. Whether one appreciates her style or not is a matter of personal preference, but her hard work and commitment to the role should be acknowledged. She handled both lighthearted and emotionally intense scenes well, showing Mu Mu’s resilience and inner strength beneath her cheerful exterior.

The only part that left me feeling a bit disappointed is how they cut a lot of wonderful scenes, especially the much-anticipated wedding at the end. As a viewer who was emotionally invested in the characters, it felt disappointing not to see a fuller conclusion to their journey. Those missing scenes could have provided stronger emotional closure and a more satisfying payoff after everything the characters had been through, making the ending feel truly complete and rewarding.

Speed and Love is loved by many overseas fans for numerous reasons, and it should not be dismissed or unfairly rated based solely on opinions about one actress. I am not fully aware of how serious Esther Yu’s controversies are within Mainland China, but I sincerely hope will rate this drama for the sake of the drama itself and for all the people behind this well-made project.

Kudos to the entire cast and crew for delivering such a heartfelt and memorable drama.

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overhyped but watchable drama

Right. I finally finished. I have conflicting feelings with this one. I feel, its very overhyped, but i might just dont see what the audience sees, probably I am not the target audience for it.
I was hoping to see a little different style from Esther but unfortunately she was yet again overpaying the character by portraying someone who felt like 12-14, not 20. Because of this, it feels very icky to see a grown adult would fall for her... Like what?
This put aside, I did enjoy the first 14ish episodes. They were fast paced, lots of actions, different story lines, I was entertained.Is it realistic? no, not really, like no one is ever on thr roads when they race, no police ever comes around, etc etc... but you kind of turn a blind eye as its done well enough. then the middle comes and as if the editors' eyes went on holiday, the scenes got cut abruptly, bits and pieces felt being missed out of the story and overall the story line just stopped flowing.
Then around the accident and his recovery. Very very unrealistic. He is so seriously hurt, no way in hell he could have gone and break up with her in person. He could not even get out of bed before. Just how?
I did understand his intentions with the break up, he was totally right, Mu had to grow up (purely as she was pictured as a teenager, at best, not a 20 year old).
the Canadian scenes were rubbish. why the Russian lecture, non native speakers, and 2 word sentences, I suppose as they dont speak english, but then why not just leave this part out and move to the 6 years later straight? that part was just unnecessary filler, which with the bad editing ruined thr drama for me.
Thank god, the end picked up and and after their reunion it was much better, I disliked the mother and even after the redemption arch they put on for her I still couldnt get around.

I did like their friendship group, her step mum and dad and little sister and liked the banter between Jin Zhao and Lin Luo.

So if you want your brain to have a break and you dont get the ick from overplayed childish girl character, its defo a drama for you.

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The ML's Controlled Hunger Is the Plot

<< Male Lead >>

Let’s start with the ML, because wow... he absolutely blew my expectations through the roof.

He was a complete nobody in my eyes before this. Not a heartthrob at first glance. Not the second. Not even after several glances. But the moment he starts moving in this role, everything shifts to a whole new level. My gosh, he’s genuinely thirsty. You can feel his hunger. And yet, what makes it so compelling is how tightly he controls it.

I couldn’t help comparing him to the ML in Amidst a Snowstorm of Love. That character was supposed to be calm, restrained and self-disciplined, yet he felt perpetually “in heat” whenever the FL appeared. Honestly, that ML should come take lessons in what real self-restraint looks like from this one.

Here, the thirst is everywhere... in his eyes, his presence, his body language, but there’s always restraint. He carries himself with a casual chill, yet you can sense a quiet self-control in the air he breathes. He’s absolutely perfect for this role.

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<< Female Lead >>

As for the FL… I’ll be honest that I’ve never been especially fond of her. Ever since Youth With You Season 2, I’ve struggled to tolerate her deliberately cutesy voice. I was genuinely surprised by how popular she became after the show, landing FL roles one after another.

She still comes across as a bit pretentious to me, but I have to admit I was impressed by her in A Romance of the Little Forest and in this show as well. (In A Romance of the Little Forest, the chemistry was there, but the story wasn't. It isn't wort watching unless you skip straight to the leads' scenes.)

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<< Acting >>

I honestly can’t say who acts better. While I don’t find the FL’s character particularly convincing as someone a man would fall head over heels for, the ML completely sells it. He makes me believe, without question, that he is utterly gone for her.

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<< Story >>

Now, outside of the leads’ chemistry (the credit goes to ML:FL at about 65:35) and the steamy love scenes, there really isn’t much story to talk about.

I skipped a lot. Mostly fast-forwarded straight to the scenes with the two leads together. And I didn’t miss anything essential to understanding the plot.

This is very much a drama worth rewatching for that light-headed, dizzy feeling the love scenes give you, not for the story itself.

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<< Setting >>

The setting is Thailand, and the rivers, local communities and cultural scenery are visually appealing. But the overall vibe feels nostalgic. Some people might love that atmosphere. I didn’t. It feels old, not in a classic way, but in a low-maintenance, slightly dated kind of way.

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In short: come for the ML’s controlled hunger and electric chemistry. Stay for the rewatchable moments. Don’t expect a story that sticks.

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Absolute rubbish of a drama

The story beings with a girl who goes to see her long lost “brother”. And immediately starts lusting after him. The first off putting aspect about the drama, from there onwards everything went downhill. The fuelling of delusions among young or stupid audiences is something cdramas have been aiming for and unsurprisingly it’s working. Lots of people justifying jiang mu placing her entire life around a man, and doing everything to satisfy him, will never sit well with me.
But again cdrama fans are divided into two groups, the sensible ones who aren’t afraid to call out complete nonsense like speed and love and the empty headed ones who don’t care about the message a drama is spreading, as long as it satisfies their delusions and hallucinations.
The latter group makes up 90% of speed and love viewers.

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Siblings but not really siblings....

I wanted to like Speed and Love, and the beginning had some charm, but I really couldn’t get past the main premise. The leads growing up as siblings—even though they’re not blood-related—felt uncomfortable and borderline incestuous, which overshadowed any chemistry the show tried to build. I will not deny the leads had chemistry but this girl literally saw him as her brother up until the middle of the story. I couldn't get past that.

The story lost momentum around the middle and became completely boring by the time the leads got together. I also hate the whole "I'm leaving you now because it's for your own good" trope.

The acting was fine, except for the fact that I was annoyed by Esther Yu's acting throughout the drama. She can act without a doubt, just didn't like her in this one. The production and music were competent, but the premise just ruined it for me. Overall, it was an okay drama, just not for me.

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misleading and dangerous mindset for young girls

Jiang Mu is a bad example for young girls because it promotes unhealthy and unrealistic ideas about relationships. The drama centers the female lead’s worth around romance, while romanticizing emotional dependency, possessiveness, and unequal power dynamics as signs of love. Most concerning is the incest aspect, where romantic feelings develop between characters raised in a sibling like or familial relationship and are framed as “forbidden love” rather than clearly condemned. This blurs important moral and social boundaries and risks normalizing inappropriate behavior. Overall, the drama sends harmful messages about self worth, boundaries, and what a healthy relationship should look like.

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Pulls you in and keeps you in

I don’t have a problem with the brother/sister issue because there is none. They are not blood relatives. What woman would not want the man in her life to let her lead him and be spoiled by him? Loved the racing part of the drama when MuMu learned to drift and make the heart shape. Both main actors can cry so believably at the right scene. And he said he would beat up the bastard who treated MuMu badly so would that not mean he would have to beat himself up if he let her stay with him post car accident when he was crippled and can not even walk? Wished the wedding scene was more fun than them eloping as all their friends are hung over from the night before.

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Drama of the year!

I've been waiting for this drama for a few months to come out and I'm glad that it didn't disappoint me.
The cast is amazing! Yu and Esther had such a great chemistry and the roles fit them really well! I also like the fact that He Yu chose his own outfits and used his driving and drifting skills for this drama, not a stunt double. Mike was noticeable for me as well and did a great job. OSTs were great too, especially the one at the end of every episode.
Overall, I loved every single episode and how the characters developed by time and there was so boring moment.
I already feel so empty after finishing this drama. I'll miss it so much.
Bye Zhao Zhao and Mu Mu!

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The plot is way more interesting than I expected....

So, this is my week off, and I’ve already rewatched this drama 3 times lmao. Anw, my review might contain spoilers

Honestly, I’m not a fan of dramas with age-gap romance or sibling-related themes. Some similar dramas that went viral before, I didn’t even finish them because the male leads felt straight-up pedophilic to me and the storyline was super mainstream (overrated, tbh)
But I decided to try this one because of the racing theme, and boom! Turns out the plot is way more interesting than I expected.

The ML is the son of the FL’s dad’s friend. After an accident, he gets adopted by the FL’s father and they grow up together. So no, this is not incest, they’re not blood-related siblings. As time goes by, they realize, what they feel for each other is more than just family.
Actually, if the drama didn’t have the racing theme, this might feel similar to Go Ahead (if you’ve watched it, you’ll know what I mean)
Since this kind of story is pretty common, what really sets this drama apart is the racing arc and the fact that it was filmed in Thailand. It’s truly a visual feast—shiny cars everywhere, plus the culture and scenery of Thailand are just chef’s kiss.

Now, the FL’s acting? No doubt. She genuinely made me cry my eyes out. To the haters who say Esther can’t “cry ugly”, bruh, I don’t get what that even means. Is she too pretty when she cries, so you think her acting sucks? Lol. Some people cry quietly, and in every Esther drama I’ve watched, she’s clearly that type and she does it well.

People say Esther can’t act just because her baby voice and acts cute? I don’t think so. In every drama and even variety show she’s in, that voice is clearly her real voice. The deeper-mature voice is actually the one she puts on for acting.
Let's be honest, acting cute is normal. Anyone can be cute, even as an adult. Especially women, there’s nothing wrong with being girly and feminine, right?
I think the haters are just salty because Esther naturally has a cute side, and at the same time she looks really graceful when she cries.

Next, the outfits! One thing I love about Cdramas is how visually pleasing they are, and outfits are a big part of that. Every time I see what Esther wears, I just want to buy it and wear it myself 😩

Last but definitely not least, the ML.

HE IS THE ONE I MEANT FOR THE PLOT OH MY GODSKDBN

Like, I don’t even care where the story goes. The real main plot is JIN ZHAO.

Heyu absolutely nailed Jin Zhao. His details and micro-expressions really remind me of Peng Yuchang (my favorite actor), who mostly does movies. And yeah, I feel like Heyu’s acting skills are very similar to actors who are deeply experienced in Cmovies.

I remember before this aired, there were a lot of haters spreading bad rumors about Heyu (they were clearly trying to stir drama between Heyu’s and Esther’s fans, but I don't care. I’D STILL WATCH IT)

Even though the pacing feels a bit rushed because a lot of scenes were cut, the chemistry between the FL and ML totally saves it.

Overall, I truly love this drama, and I don’t plan on moving on anytime soon, unless I find another drama that’s even better, lol.

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feels like a nostalgic ride

“Speed and Love” really hit me in a way I didn’t expect. While it has that strong nostalgic vibe that makes you remember first loves, youthful dreams, and the kind of thrill you only feel when you’re younger, it doesn’t rely on nostalgia alone. The story blends the past and present beautifully, showing how people grow, drift apart, and sometimes find their way back to what truly matters.
What really stood out to me was the cinematography. The racing scenes were shot so clean and dynamic that I actually felt the rush and tension through the screen. Even the quiet moments were framed beautifully — warm lights, soft colors, and shots that looked like memories you could hold onto. It made the whole drama feel cinematic, not just episodic.
The chemistry between the leads was another big highlight. Their connection didn’t feel forced at all. It felt like two people with shared history — full of unspoken words, regrets, and lingering affection. The side characters also added charm and humor, balancing the emotional moments with light, funny scenes.
I also appreciated how the drama touched on dreams, failures, and second chances. It reminds you that growing up doesn’t mean forgetting who you used to be — it just means understanding yourself better.
Overall, “Speed and Love” felt like watching an old memory but with modern heart, stunning visuals, and genuine chemistry. It made me smile, reminisce, and even feel a little emotional, in the best way.

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i’m rewatching this for the 3rd time & it’s not even done airing

the headline says it all. it’s SOOOO GOOD

tell me how I’m rewatching this show for the THIRD time already & not all the episodes have finished airing???? (watching from the start while waiting for new episodes)

I have NEVER been this obsessed with a drama like this & trust me I have watched over 500 different Chinese/Korean/Thai dramas. This drama shot all the way up to be in my top 3 dramas of all time!!

The plot, eye-candy, acting, cinematics, action, music and especially the romance are TOP-TIER.

He Yu was the perfect casting for the male lead and I am obsessed with him as Jin Zhao. He did the drift scenes himself & can ride a motorcycle in real life. He and Esther really brought the main characters to life. The hesitation and panting when they kiss… i held my breathe every single time 🫣

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A beautiful emotional roller coaster

i have been watching Esther Yu and He Yu for quite a few years now. This is by far one of their best performances. perfect blend of romance, drama, emotions and comedy. gets you hooked and the next thing you know, you would be binge watching. this comment is coming from a person who has watched 200+ dramas so far. Also, it’s definitely not light hearted, so watch if and only if you are ok to get emotional. Special shout out to Qi Ming for doing an amazing supporting role. Felt so happy to watch Mike Angelo. it’s been a while since I watched his series/movie. so it was a great treat for me

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