This review may contain spoilers
He Yu’s Jin Zhao: The Heart and Soul of Speed and Love and a ML worth falling for
I really loved this drama, and I fell hard for Jin Zhao. Speed and Love is not a perfect show, but it has a soul and that soul is Jin Zhao. If you are thinking about watching this drama and like the bad boy with a heart of gold trope, do it!! Do it for He Yu/Jin Zhao and you will thank me. I rated acting as 9/10 because of the FL's lacking performance. But for the ML and He Yu's acting it would be 11/10! He really carried the show and emotional and intimate tension!!
One of the things I appreciated most is how the drama handled Jin Zhao and Jiang Mu’s early dynamic. I genuinely don’t find the “big brother” phase strange or uncomfortable at all. In fact, it makes emotional sense. Jin Zhao clearly grew up without ever feeling like he truly belonged. He knew he was adopted, he lacked consistent parental warmth, and later it becomes evident that the mother harbored resentment toward him while the father was distant and emotionally absent, especially after the move to Thailand. Jiang Mu was one of the first people who chose him purely and warmly, without conditions. His protectiveness wasn’t romantic at first, it was rooted in care, responsibility, and a quiet sense of guardianship that came from his own emotional deprivation.
What really stood out to me was how respectful Jin Zhao was when Jiang Mu was only twenty and beginning to develop feelings for him. He never crossed boundaries. He restrained himself constantly. He waited for her consent, not just verbally, but emotionally and through her making the first steps. At the same time, he never made her feel unsafe or unsure. He made it clear that he liked her, that her feelings were welcome, so when she finally did step forward, she didn’t have to fear rejection or humiliation. Their transition from estrangement to tentative closeness, and then into first love, was beautifully done. It felt exactly like a careful, young, emotionally formative first love: hesitant, intense, sincere, and deeply memorable.
I didn’t love the forced separation or the sacrificial breakup trope, and I do think that portion of the story was rushed and not fully articulated. That said, I could still empathize with Jin Zhao’s choice. The show gives enough signs that he was deeply depressed after the accident, stripped of his physical prowess, pride, and identity. His decision came from fear, guilt, and a belief that love meant letting her go rather than allowing her to suffer with him. While I didn’t love the execution, I understood the emotional logic behind it. What ultimately made me forgive him was his growth afterward. He reflects on his mistakes. He no longer hides behind silence or martyrdom. He learns to accept love instead of only giving it. Watching him transform from a reckless bad boy with a golden heart into a steady, emotionally open life partner was incredibly rewarding. Every smile he allows himself in the later episodes feels earned, and I found myself rooting for him constantly.
He Yu’s performance is honestly the backbone of this drama. His acting is nuanced, restrained, and intensely emotional. His eyes do so much of the storytelling: longing, fear, guilt, tenderness, hope. Even when the script falters, his portrayal of Jin Zhao never does. He made Jin Zhao feel real, layered, and unforgettable. I’ll absolutely be following his future projects, because this performance alone convinced me of his range and depth.
That said, the drama does have flaws. The plot is uneven and at times unclear, likely due to editing cuts. The motivations behind Jiang Mu going to Thailand at nineteen, and later the exact circumstances of their separation, deserved more emotional grounding and narrative clarity. These moments should have hit harder than they did.
Another major weakness, for me, was Esther Yu’s performance. I don’t mind an innocent or naive female lead, but her acting simply wasn’t on the same level as He Yu’s. In scenes that required deep emotional reciprocity, especially during moments of intimacy, tension, separation, longing, or reunion, she often fell short in facial expressions, micro-expressions, and physical stillness. I mean a girl can be cute but also have genuine emotional range!! But I felt all she did was focus on the naive cute big eyes look. Jin Zhao’s love feels enormous, consuming, and visceral; too often, it felt like he was carrying the emotional weight of the relationship alone. While I still cared about Jiang Mu as a character, I couldn’t help but feel that a stronger performance would have elevated the drama significantly.
Despite these issues, Speed and Love stayed with me. Jin Zhao stayed with me. The drama succeeds where it matters most: in creating a male lead who feels deeply human, loving, flawed, and worthy of devotion. If you enjoy emotionally restrained yet passionate male leads, slow-burn romance, and stories about choosing love after pain, this drama is absolutely worth watching, especially for Jin Zhao and He Yu’s remarkable performance!! Now I am off to find his other works and patiently await his future works.
One of the things I appreciated most is how the drama handled Jin Zhao and Jiang Mu’s early dynamic. I genuinely don’t find the “big brother” phase strange or uncomfortable at all. In fact, it makes emotional sense. Jin Zhao clearly grew up without ever feeling like he truly belonged. He knew he was adopted, he lacked consistent parental warmth, and later it becomes evident that the mother harbored resentment toward him while the father was distant and emotionally absent, especially after the move to Thailand. Jiang Mu was one of the first people who chose him purely and warmly, without conditions. His protectiveness wasn’t romantic at first, it was rooted in care, responsibility, and a quiet sense of guardianship that came from his own emotional deprivation.
What really stood out to me was how respectful Jin Zhao was when Jiang Mu was only twenty and beginning to develop feelings for him. He never crossed boundaries. He restrained himself constantly. He waited for her consent, not just verbally, but emotionally and through her making the first steps. At the same time, he never made her feel unsafe or unsure. He made it clear that he liked her, that her feelings were welcome, so when she finally did step forward, she didn’t have to fear rejection or humiliation. Their transition from estrangement to tentative closeness, and then into first love, was beautifully done. It felt exactly like a careful, young, emotionally formative first love: hesitant, intense, sincere, and deeply memorable.
I didn’t love the forced separation or the sacrificial breakup trope, and I do think that portion of the story was rushed and not fully articulated. That said, I could still empathize with Jin Zhao’s choice. The show gives enough signs that he was deeply depressed after the accident, stripped of his physical prowess, pride, and identity. His decision came from fear, guilt, and a belief that love meant letting her go rather than allowing her to suffer with him. While I didn’t love the execution, I understood the emotional logic behind it. What ultimately made me forgive him was his growth afterward. He reflects on his mistakes. He no longer hides behind silence or martyrdom. He learns to accept love instead of only giving it. Watching him transform from a reckless bad boy with a golden heart into a steady, emotionally open life partner was incredibly rewarding. Every smile he allows himself in the later episodes feels earned, and I found myself rooting for him constantly.
He Yu’s performance is honestly the backbone of this drama. His acting is nuanced, restrained, and intensely emotional. His eyes do so much of the storytelling: longing, fear, guilt, tenderness, hope. Even when the script falters, his portrayal of Jin Zhao never does. He made Jin Zhao feel real, layered, and unforgettable. I’ll absolutely be following his future projects, because this performance alone convinced me of his range and depth.
That said, the drama does have flaws. The plot is uneven and at times unclear, likely due to editing cuts. The motivations behind Jiang Mu going to Thailand at nineteen, and later the exact circumstances of their separation, deserved more emotional grounding and narrative clarity. These moments should have hit harder than they did.
Another major weakness, for me, was Esther Yu’s performance. I don’t mind an innocent or naive female lead, but her acting simply wasn’t on the same level as He Yu’s. In scenes that required deep emotional reciprocity, especially during moments of intimacy, tension, separation, longing, or reunion, she often fell short in facial expressions, micro-expressions, and physical stillness. I mean a girl can be cute but also have genuine emotional range!! But I felt all she did was focus on the naive cute big eyes look. Jin Zhao’s love feels enormous, consuming, and visceral; too often, it felt like he was carrying the emotional weight of the relationship alone. While I still cared about Jiang Mu as a character, I couldn’t help but feel that a stronger performance would have elevated the drama significantly.
Despite these issues, Speed and Love stayed with me. Jin Zhao stayed with me. The drama succeeds where it matters most: in creating a male lead who feels deeply human, loving, flawed, and worthy of devotion. If you enjoy emotionally restrained yet passionate male leads, slow-burn romance, and stories about choosing love after pain, this drama is absolutely worth watching, especially for Jin Zhao and He Yu’s remarkable performance!! Now I am off to find his other works and patiently await his future works.
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