This review may contain spoilers
When ‘Not by Blood’ Isn’t Enough: A Deeply Uncomfortable Siblings Romance
Drama that has received surprisingly positive reviews, but for me, it was deeply uncomfortable and ultimately unwatchable.
The story centers on a “not-by-blood” siblings-to-lovers romance. The ML was adopted by the Jin family, and the FL was born later. They grew up as siblings until their parents divorced and never saw each other again. Years later, as adults, the FL learns that the ML was adopted and immediately flies to see him.
While the drama technically removes the blood relation, it completely ignores the psychological and emotional reality of the relationship. These two characters grew up as brother and sister, and that context is never meaningfully addressed. No one in the story seems to mind, nor the viewers who rated this positively. There is no internal conflict, no moral hesitation, no boundary-setting—nothing.
What disturbed me most is how the romantic and physical tension starts in episode 1, literally the day the FL lands. There is zero transition. Let's bear in mind that the FL’s entire memory of the ML is of her childhood brother, yet overnight the overly skinship didn't matter. There is no gradual shift, no self-reflection, no struggle with the idea that flirting with the person you grew up calling “brother” might be wrong or, at the very least, confusing.
The show treats this shift as if it’s the most natural thing in the world—brother one day, romantic interest the next. The FL doesn’t hold back at all. There’s no conscience, no hesitation, no acknowledgment of boundaries. It feels less like a developed romance and more like the characters were simply waiting for a technical loophole to justify their attraction.
The most repulsive aspect for me is the constant use of childhood flashbacks showing their innocent sibling bond, immediately followed by scenes of overt flirting and intense skinship in the present. The contrast is jarring and unsettling. By episode 13, when they are openly all over each other, I had to stop watching.
I’ve watched dramas with sibling-like relationships turning into romance before—Go Ahead, for example—but those stories handled the transition with care, emotional growth, and moral awareness. The characters didn’t behave as if they were itching to jump into bed the moment a non-blood-related excuse appeared. Side note: In Go Ahead, the characters were not related by blood, not adopted siblings, and not legal siblings. They were neighbors who grew up extremely close and formed a found-family dynamic, while still having their own parents and separate family identities.
Speed and Love lacks that sensitivity entirely. It romanticizes a relationship that, while legally permissible (?), is emotionally and psychologically twisted, without ever questioning itself. For me, it crossed a line on multiple levels, and no amount of chemistry or production quality could make up for that.
Final verdict:
If you’re comfortable with sibling-coded romance that skips moral reflection and emotional realism, you might enjoy this. If not, this drama will likely feel disturbing rather than romantic.
The story centers on a “not-by-blood” siblings-to-lovers romance. The ML was adopted by the Jin family, and the FL was born later. They grew up as siblings until their parents divorced and never saw each other again. Years later, as adults, the FL learns that the ML was adopted and immediately flies to see him.
While the drama technically removes the blood relation, it completely ignores the psychological and emotional reality of the relationship. These two characters grew up as brother and sister, and that context is never meaningfully addressed. No one in the story seems to mind, nor the viewers who rated this positively. There is no internal conflict, no moral hesitation, no boundary-setting—nothing.
What disturbed me most is how the romantic and physical tension starts in episode 1, literally the day the FL lands. There is zero transition. Let's bear in mind that the FL’s entire memory of the ML is of her childhood brother, yet overnight the overly skinship didn't matter. There is no gradual shift, no self-reflection, no struggle with the idea that flirting with the person you grew up calling “brother” might be wrong or, at the very least, confusing.
The show treats this shift as if it’s the most natural thing in the world—brother one day, romantic interest the next. The FL doesn’t hold back at all. There’s no conscience, no hesitation, no acknowledgment of boundaries. It feels less like a developed romance and more like the characters were simply waiting for a technical loophole to justify their attraction.
The most repulsive aspect for me is the constant use of childhood flashbacks showing their innocent sibling bond, immediately followed by scenes of overt flirting and intense skinship in the present. The contrast is jarring and unsettling. By episode 13, when they are openly all over each other, I had to stop watching.
I’ve watched dramas with sibling-like relationships turning into romance before—Go Ahead, for example—but those stories handled the transition with care, emotional growth, and moral awareness. The characters didn’t behave as if they were itching to jump into bed the moment a non-blood-related excuse appeared. Side note: In Go Ahead, the characters were not related by blood, not adopted siblings, and not legal siblings. They were neighbors who grew up extremely close and formed a found-family dynamic, while still having their own parents and separate family identities.
Speed and Love lacks that sensitivity entirely. It romanticizes a relationship that, while legally permissible (?), is emotionally and psychologically twisted, without ever questioning itself. For me, it crossed a line on multiple levels, and no amount of chemistry or production quality could make up for that.
Final verdict:
If you’re comfortable with sibling-coded romance that skips moral reflection and emotional realism, you might enjoy this. If not, this drama will likely feel disturbing rather than romantic.
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