This review may contain spoilers
Mastered what few can was exciting and thrilling yet deeply emotional and romantic
Speed and Love is an absolute standout for me. There were a couple of very minor elements that weren't entirely to my taste, but they were so insignificant that they didn't impact my rating at all. This is easily one of the best dramas I've watched in recent years, delivering a perfect mix of high-energy action, heartfelt romance, and nuanced family drama.
One aspect that impressed me in particular was the extraordinary work by the hair, wardrobe, and makeup teams in portraying the characters at different ages. It was hands-down the most convincing de-aging and aging I've ever seen in a drama. Esther Yu as Mu Mu looked so convincingly youthful in the early episodes that I genuinely thought they had cast a younger actress, despite recognizing her from other projects. The transition to older versions felt completely natural—huge credit to everyone involved.
Some viewers have critiqued Esther Yu's early portrayal of Mu Mu as overly cutesy, silly, or clingy, but I feel that's missing the cultural context. In many modern Chinese dramas, characters in their early 20s are shown as still very sheltered and childlike under heavy parental influence, which reflects real societal expectations rather than any acting misstep. Esther Yu perfectly captured a character who is both intentionally youthful and younger than the actress's real age. I have seen other series with her in them such as "Ski Into Love" but I expect a certain percentage of women would be that way in reality in a cultural context where young women are expected to remain pure, be careful about interactions with the opposite sex, and so that "cutesy" behavior aligns with that well. I think you either don't mind it or you do. For me, so far, I have liked many of the series she has been in so she must pick good roles.
The chemistry between Mu Mu and the male lead was electric—truly sizzling without ever feeling gratuitous or overly sexualized. I also adored the friend group; the male lead's best friend was especially endearing toward Mu Mu. He clearly could have been romantically interested in her if she wasn't his best friend's love interest, but that just increased the romantic tension. The whole garage crew treated her like a treasured little princess in the most charming way. The stepmother was a refreshing standout too—genuinely kind and supportive without being pushy or overbearing, which is rare for that archetype.
The early adrenaline-fueled sequences involving boxing and racing brought thrilling excitement, giving the first half a distinct high-octane energy that complemented the more emotional second half beautifully.
Mu Mu was a wonderfully balanced female lead who asserted herself firmly when needed without ever going overboard, while the male lead's growth made it clear he would become a devoted partner who had truly learned from past mistakes. Their shared thrill-seeking streak shone through in a hilarious, perfectly fitting ending that felt earned and true to their personalities.
This drama has it all and executes every element with heart and polish.
Spoilers
One slight disappointment was the choice to have the family and the male lead's best friend withhold the truth about his condition after the accident. The "we're doing this for your own good" trope isn't my favorite, but it was thoughtfully redeemed later when Jin Zhao stressed that true partners face difficult things together rather than alone. The only small missing piece was Mu Mu directly confronting the others and receiving proper apologies, but that felt minor in the grand scheme.
I thought it was a bit odd the relationship between her besties wealthy cousin and Jin Zhao was interesting and I could never quite figure out what the cousin's intent was. It was clear he admired Jin Zhao and wanted to race him. Or have him on his race team. But he almost seemed romantically interested in him. Which was weird because early on they said he was a playboy. And then for like a second he seemed interested in Mu Mu. He became a close friend with Jin Zhao but there was definitely something strange with it because they never showed cousin being a playboy after that, nor having a relationship, just seeming a bit jealous when Mu Mu and Jin Zhao were first back together.
I appreciated that Mu Mu didn't grant instant forgiveness upon their reunion. She gave him some much-deserved emotional distance—what my family calls "pickle jarring" him (from Lilo & Stitch, where she punishes friends by trapping their dolls in a jar)—for all the pain his absence caused. He earned that brief cold shoulder, yet she didn't drag it out unnecessarily, which kept it realistic and satisfying.
It was touching to see Mu Mu genuinely try moving on with other dates, only to realize no one else measured up. I also wished for more explicit scenes of her father and stepmother fully embracing the couple's relationship, given the layered but ultimately positive dynamic around the father's alcoholism (portrayed compassionately as a disease rather than a moral failing).Mu Mu's evolving bond with her younger half-sister felt authentic—starting with understandable jealousy (especially over the sister's easy closeness with the male lead) before warming into genuine affection. The Canada arc was pure emotional gold. Seeing the male lead decide he wanted to marry Mu Mu and travel there for his mother's blessing was beautiful, especially after the early heartbreak of his mother initially distancing herself and only staying involved because young Mu Mu expressed interest in him. The moment she finally acknowledged projecting her resentment toward his father onto him and embraced him fully as her son was profoundly heartwarming and cathartic—one of the most gratifying payoffs in the entire drama.Once the male lead fully committed, his growth into a thoughtful, devoted husband was unmistakable. I also loved that he channeled his thrill-seeking nature in safer ways without returning to racing, while the final motorcycle getaway—"eloping" after their wedding party got too drunk and slept through their planned wedding—was both hilarious and perfectly in character. Denying everyone the big fancy ceremony as playful payback was such a fun, fitting capstone to their arcs.
Finally, to address some viewer discomfort with their living arrangement feeling quasi-adoptive (the father treating him like a son, Mu Mu viewing him as an older brother figure), and thus weird later when they became romantically involved. They were not blood related. And he was never fully adopted into her family. Her father treated him like a son, she acted toward him like he was an older brother and he treated her like he would a younger sister. It was more friends to lover vibe to me. Especially since they were not even living together for many years after the parents split. I thought it was handled appropriately and never crossed into anything inappropriate.
Everything came together so well that this drama remains a 10/10 for me—highly recommended!
One aspect that impressed me in particular was the extraordinary work by the hair, wardrobe, and makeup teams in portraying the characters at different ages. It was hands-down the most convincing de-aging and aging I've ever seen in a drama. Esther Yu as Mu Mu looked so convincingly youthful in the early episodes that I genuinely thought they had cast a younger actress, despite recognizing her from other projects. The transition to older versions felt completely natural—huge credit to everyone involved.
Some viewers have critiqued Esther Yu's early portrayal of Mu Mu as overly cutesy, silly, or clingy, but I feel that's missing the cultural context. In many modern Chinese dramas, characters in their early 20s are shown as still very sheltered and childlike under heavy parental influence, which reflects real societal expectations rather than any acting misstep. Esther Yu perfectly captured a character who is both intentionally youthful and younger than the actress's real age. I have seen other series with her in them such as "Ski Into Love" but I expect a certain percentage of women would be that way in reality in a cultural context where young women are expected to remain pure, be careful about interactions with the opposite sex, and so that "cutesy" behavior aligns with that well. I think you either don't mind it or you do. For me, so far, I have liked many of the series she has been in so she must pick good roles.
The chemistry between Mu Mu and the male lead was electric—truly sizzling without ever feeling gratuitous or overly sexualized. I also adored the friend group; the male lead's best friend was especially endearing toward Mu Mu. He clearly could have been romantically interested in her if she wasn't his best friend's love interest, but that just increased the romantic tension. The whole garage crew treated her like a treasured little princess in the most charming way. The stepmother was a refreshing standout too—genuinely kind and supportive without being pushy or overbearing, which is rare for that archetype.
The early adrenaline-fueled sequences involving boxing and racing brought thrilling excitement, giving the first half a distinct high-octane energy that complemented the more emotional second half beautifully.
Mu Mu was a wonderfully balanced female lead who asserted herself firmly when needed without ever going overboard, while the male lead's growth made it clear he would become a devoted partner who had truly learned from past mistakes. Their shared thrill-seeking streak shone through in a hilarious, perfectly fitting ending that felt earned and true to their personalities.
This drama has it all and executes every element with heart and polish.
Spoilers
One slight disappointment was the choice to have the family and the male lead's best friend withhold the truth about his condition after the accident. The "we're doing this for your own good" trope isn't my favorite, but it was thoughtfully redeemed later when Jin Zhao stressed that true partners face difficult things together rather than alone. The only small missing piece was Mu Mu directly confronting the others and receiving proper apologies, but that felt minor in the grand scheme.
I thought it was a bit odd the relationship between her besties wealthy cousin and Jin Zhao was interesting and I could never quite figure out what the cousin's intent was. It was clear he admired Jin Zhao and wanted to race him. Or have him on his race team. But he almost seemed romantically interested in him. Which was weird because early on they said he was a playboy. And then for like a second he seemed interested in Mu Mu. He became a close friend with Jin Zhao but there was definitely something strange with it because they never showed cousin being a playboy after that, nor having a relationship, just seeming a bit jealous when Mu Mu and Jin Zhao were first back together.
I appreciated that Mu Mu didn't grant instant forgiveness upon their reunion. She gave him some much-deserved emotional distance—what my family calls "pickle jarring" him (from Lilo & Stitch, where she punishes friends by trapping their dolls in a jar)—for all the pain his absence caused. He earned that brief cold shoulder, yet she didn't drag it out unnecessarily, which kept it realistic and satisfying.
It was touching to see Mu Mu genuinely try moving on with other dates, only to realize no one else measured up. I also wished for more explicit scenes of her father and stepmother fully embracing the couple's relationship, given the layered but ultimately positive dynamic around the father's alcoholism (portrayed compassionately as a disease rather than a moral failing).Mu Mu's evolving bond with her younger half-sister felt authentic—starting with understandable jealousy (especially over the sister's easy closeness with the male lead) before warming into genuine affection. The Canada arc was pure emotional gold. Seeing the male lead decide he wanted to marry Mu Mu and travel there for his mother's blessing was beautiful, especially after the early heartbreak of his mother initially distancing herself and only staying involved because young Mu Mu expressed interest in him. The moment she finally acknowledged projecting her resentment toward his father onto him and embraced him fully as her son was profoundly heartwarming and cathartic—one of the most gratifying payoffs in the entire drama.Once the male lead fully committed, his growth into a thoughtful, devoted husband was unmistakable. I also loved that he channeled his thrill-seeking nature in safer ways without returning to racing, while the final motorcycle getaway—"eloping" after their wedding party got too drunk and slept through their planned wedding—was both hilarious and perfectly in character. Denying everyone the big fancy ceremony as playful payback was such a fun, fitting capstone to their arcs.
Finally, to address some viewer discomfort with their living arrangement feeling quasi-adoptive (the father treating him like a son, Mu Mu viewing him as an older brother figure), and thus weird later when they became romantically involved. They were not blood related. And he was never fully adopted into her family. Her father treated him like a son, she acted toward him like he was an older brother and he treated her like he would a younger sister. It was more friends to lover vibe to me. Especially since they were not even living together for many years after the parents split. I thought it was handled appropriately and never crossed into anything inappropriate.
Everything came together so well that this drama remains a 10/10 for me—highly recommended!
Was this review helpful to you?
