Speed and Love

I know exactly why I’m here and it’s not for the plot

I’ve been orbiting this drama since the first whispers of its existence escaped into the wild, so yes, expectations were involved. Possibly too involved.

Let’s start with the good, because credit where credit is absolutely due.

- Visually? This drama knew what it was doing. He Yu—sir. SIR. The camera loved him, the lighting worshipped him, and the man was sweating through half the scenes like he was being paid per droplet. Magnificently divine. No notes. My eyes were fed.
- The chemistry was also very much alive and breathing. There was sizzle. There were sparks. There were kisses, and not the shy peck-and-run kind either. Sprinkle sprinkle indeed. Whoever was in charge of that understood the assignment and clocked in early.
- Aesthetically, the drama was moody, atmospheric, and honestly gorgeous. The Thailand scenes in particular felt lush and cinematic, like the show briefly remembered it wanted to be cool and succeeded.

Now. Deep breath. The struggles.

- The “fake sibling” trope… listen. I tried. I really did. I performed Olympic-level mental gymnastics to tolerate this, but the ick kept winning gold. Too many moments were just deeply uncomfortable, and no amount of “but they’re not *actually* related” could save it.
- And then there’s the FL. Lord give me strength. Let’s be fair: Esther looked stunning in many outfits. Truly gorgeous. Face card never declined.
However.
I understand the intent: ML is mature, masculine, stoic—so they wanted contrast. What we got instead was infantilization turned up to eleven. Soft and feminine does not mean behaving like a 12-year-old with picky eating habits and childlike mannerisms. Yes, she’s 18. No, that does not excuse the constant helpless energy, the perpetual chasing, the desperation. Watching her run after the ML over and over again was exhausting. He yearns. We get it. But balance exists. Agency exists. Please locate it next time. She is doing the entire emotional labour of this relationship.
- Plot-wise? A free-for-all. Characters came and went, motivations shapeshifted mid-scene, and some dialogue lines had me staring at the screen like, “Who talks like this? Who approved this?”.

So, final verdict?

At the end of the day, this is pure fan service. A textbook idol drama, clearly aimed at a younger audience, and for that demographic, it probably hits. For me? It’s not unwatchable, but it is work. We’ve still got nine episodes left, and yes, I’ll probably finish them—out of commitment, curiosity, and He Yu-related reasons—but at this point, it feels less like a binge and more like a contractual obligation.

A chaotic watch. A visual feast. Chemistry is chemistrying. A narrative shrug.
Consume responsibly.


✨Alright. I’ve crossed the finish line.✨

All my previous points still stand, firmly planted and unbothered. Episodes 21–25, in particular, continued to irritate me for the same reason as before: the FL’s identity remained orbit-locked around the ML. Everything she was, felt, or did still seemed to exist in relation to him, and that creative choice continues to sit poorly with me.

I understand the reasoning behind their separation. Truly. Having read the novel, I’m familiar with JZ’s introspection, his internal logic, his emotional restraint masquerading as self-sacrifice. From a narrative standpoint, it tracks. From a woman’s standpoint? I have mixed feelings. If my supposed soulmate—someone who had yearned for me for years—still couldn’t bring himself to reach out, and the relationship only moved forward because I made the effort and carried the emotional momentum… that would hurt. Deeply. Love should not feel like a one-sided construction project.

That said, credit where it’s due: Jiang Mu’s character growth was beautifully handled. Her maturation felt earned, organic, and genuinely satisfying to watch. I loved her in the later stretch—confident, grounded, and emotionally present without losing her softness.

Episodes 26–29, in contrast, were unexpectedly healing. Warm. Unhurried. Rewarding. Watching them simply be happy—without constant tension, misunderstandings, or narrative whiplash—felt like a deep exhale. You could see it on the ML’s face: he had healed. He was no longer bracing himself against the world. He was openly cherishing his girl, and honestly? That part worked. It really did. Yay indeed.

As for the mother… I’m not touching that redemption arc. I’m still not forgiving how she treated JZ as a child, and no amount of present-day reconciliation will retroactively make that sit right with me. I said what I said.

Still, I am glad they reunited. I’m glad they reconnected. The ending delivered emotional closure, and while it doesn’t erase the earlier issues, it does soften the landing.

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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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Romance is on top! great chemistry and lovely story

I watched it with deep pleasure and I'm sure all those who don't get hung up on the smallest details (although they have provided a lot of details here) and select the drama by genre that they prefer to watch, will undoubtedly agree with me that this is an amazing drama! Initially, it is clear that the drama is in the format of a wattpad story. It's not about deep-deep meaning, although there are moments where the viewer should think. How many years were lost because one decided for the other what would be best for him. A clear example of the problem when there are misunderstandings in a relationship.
There's plenty of romance! I've never experienced such emotions when watching a drama, when you smile and giggle, get embarrassed and can't take your eyes off the screen in order to enjoy that spark between the characters! The attraction, tension and chemistry between Esther and He Yu is just crazy! They look incredibly harmonious together and when you watch bts the chemistry sparkles even more!
Many people criticize Esther's acting, saying that she overplays, but it's also about her character Mu, she's so cheerful and she's not afraid to express emotions. If you don't accept this style of behavior, then it's better to skip this drama, why underestimate it?
He Yu is a real discovery at the end of the year! So charismatic and attractive! I just melted from his smile, body, attitude to Mu, his racing skills and many more! And also his outfits.. He looked incredibly stylish! In his racing and fighting eras he undoubtedly looked the best, but in cute and gentle outfits while his cafe owner era, he was also extremely handsome! And what sensual eyes he has! You look into them and feel all the pain of his character! He's 100% the best aspect of this drama!
No wonder I've been waiting for this drama for sooo long! It exceeded all my expectations! I enjoyed every episode! I admired the racing scenes - the production is a masterpiece! He Yu also performed them on his own, which is admirable! The overall picture is incredibly beautiful! Definitely falls into my favs dramas! China ate with its hits this year!

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Great Chemistry, Bad Writing

This show might be a hit for a lot of people… but it just wasn’t for me. It was so hyped, and I ended up having really mixed feelings. There were things I genuinely loved, and other things that completely turned me off.

First, the good: the chemistry was INSANE. Like seriously, the chemistry carried this show on its back. The romance hit, and the spicy scenes? Super well done. He Yu specifically… wow. He ate that role up. I honestly loved him so much and I’m excited to watch anything he does next. For me, he was the show.

I also really enjoyed the friendship aspect and the racing side of the drama. It gave major Fast & Furious vibes, and overall the concept had a lot of potential.

Honestly the whole story felt like a Wattpad dream: bad boy / darker male lead, super cute and spoiled girl, intense obsession-level romance, and lots of drama with “I love her but I can’t be with her” energy. The vibes were there.

BUT… the biggest issue for me was the writing and execution. It felt sloppy, messy, and sometimes just straight up dumb. There were so many noticeable mistakes and continuity errors that it kept pulling me out of the story. One second something is happening, the next second it’s like they forgot what they filmed.

Even the time jump didn’t make sense — the whole six-year jump was badly handled.

And don’t even get me started on the male lead’s injury… sometimes he’s walking, sometimes on crutches, sometimes in a wheelchair, sometimes totally fine. It was honestly confusing and inconsistent. And the way he disappeared for years just didn’t feel believable based on how quickly he recovered. It didn’t add up.

Now the part that really ruined it for me: the female lead. I have nothing against Esther, but I’m honestly tired of this same type of role for her. She can act — I liked her in My Journey to You when she had a more serious vibe — but here she was written as overly childish and spoiled, and it got annoying fast.

What bothered me most is that even after the six-year jump… she didn’t really grow. She stayed the same immature, cringe character and I just couldn’t connect with her. I get that cute/fluffy characters are popular in Chinese dramas, but for me it was way too much.

The only reason I kept going was because the male lead clearly loved her exactly as she was — spoiled and all — and that dynamic worked for him, which I respected. But as a viewer, I was just irritated half the time.

One more thing I actually loved: Drunk’s character. He was so interesting and I wish we saw more of him. I didn’t expect him to become friends with the male lead either, but that friendship ended up being one of the best parts of the show. I thought we were getting a love triangle, but nope — and honestly I’m glad, because it would’ve been messier than it already was.

Overall, this drama had potential, and the chemistry + romance were strong… but the plot and writing were just too weak for me. A lot of things happened too conveniently, and some storylines (like the mom) felt like a switch flipped overnight.

So yeah — if you’re watching for a fluffy Wattpad-style romance with racing vibes, strong chemistry and spicy scenes, you’ll probably enjoy it. But if you want something with a solid plot and good development… this is not it.

I can totally see why people love it, but for me personally? Not my cup of tea.

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Daring Speed in Thailand; Sputtering Love in China

Thrills and romance set in Bangkok, Thailand? Sign me up. I relished the change of scenery with the opportunity to view the dilapidated elegance of a major city. The day scenes showcased colorful waterways, and the night scenes were magical in neon. I'm not a fan of brutality, so the boxing wasn't for me (and, thankfully, was limited), but I relished the racing scenes and wouldn't have objected to more, especially if the FL were the navigator.

The FL was adorable, but how could she not be when played by Esther Yu? I didn't realize until I double-checked that the continually smiling, sweet boy from My Fated Boy was He Yu, who now played a dark, dangerous, desperate man. Who knew such a cute Golden Retriever pup could transform into a snarling Pit Bull?

I was enjoying the drama (even the love triangle wasn't overly annoying) until the act of Noble Idiocy hit. I felt the momentum slow and sputter, and it never revved up after the ensuing time skip. I will begrudgingly admit that I could understand this instance of sacrifice more than most dramas, because of the FL's age. ML didn't want to take her future away when she hadn't even attended college yet, and he didn't want to saddle such a spoiled young girl with a handicapped husband.

Add a nice supporting cast and excellent music to round out my review.

Offhand remarks: I was visibly relieved when the ML got a haircut after the time skip. I had wanted to snip those uneven strands so badly! And the mother's outdoor garden in Canada in winter with tropical plants... they would all be dead after one night. Not only that, but the mother had all the doors and windows open in the house. They'd be celebrating the New Year with burst plumbing pipes and pneumonia! Canada is frigid in the dead of winter.

TL;DR: Romance and racing in beautiful Thailand, but the drama lost its momentum, sputtered, and stalled once it relocated to Nanjing, China.

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Disappointment. Utter disappointment.

I was expecting a pure, slow-burn romance, but there is absolutely nothing slow about this series. First, the FL is desperately searching for his brother, then she sees him and suddenly she wants him? What? It feels less like love and more like lust, and I hate it.

All that crying, the overly cute and innocent act… and then, out of nowhere, she’s a fierce, confident driver? It just doesn’t add up. The storyline itself has potential, and the filming is actually well done, but everything else feels weak and awkward.

I’m just not feeling that deep, undivided, true love that I usually get from other C-dramas, and without that, it completely falls flat for me.

I am dropping this drama.

This was the perfect opportunity to prove that Esther Yu isn’t limited to cute roles, and they completely wasted it. For a moment, it really looked promising. She pushed a guy in a fight scene. She used taekwondo. I honestly thought, okay, are we finally getting a strong and capable female lead? And then it stopped. Suddenly she’s acting childish. What a waste.

We get a grown woman acting like a little sister. The constant childish behavior, the picky eating, the helpless energy… it honestly gives me the ick. Being innocent is fine. Acting childish is not. And Esther Yu didn’t need this kind of role at all. I truly believe she could have pulled off a strong character—but maybe I’m wrong.

It really feels like the production didn’t know what they wanted. They tried to make her cute and sexy and innocent and childish and strong all at once, and instead of balance, it just turned into a mess.
And the romantic scenes… I don’t even know what to say. Why are they constantly making out in places that look uncomfortable and unsanitary? A bathroom, next to a toilet that probably doesn’t even have running water?

And why is the male lead always sweating? Yes, he works hard, I get it, but it feels like in every scene they spray water on his face to make him look “hotter.” It feels forced to me.

I think they have completely missed the point. A die-hard C-drama fan doesn’t want to lust over the male lead. We want to ship the couple. We want that tension where a simple hand touch makes you stop breathing, where you’re giggling and kicking your feet when they first kiss and replaying scenes late at night. That’s the magic. That’s why I’m not interested in Hollywood-type dramas with weak stories, awkward conversations, and meaningless make-out scenes.

This drama completely missed that point.

Now it’s just the same thing over and over again: making out, car races or car repairs, fighting, the FL worrying about the ML, making out again, the ML worrying about the FL, car races. No depth. No development. No emotional payoff.

I’m dropping it. So much potential, but such a disappointment.

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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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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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