This review may contain spoilers
A sizzling ride with a very bumpy road
I went into Speed and Love with very high energy. And for a good while, the drama absolutely delivered. Fast cars, nighttime Bangkok vibes, underground boxing, sizzling chemistry… and that mix of danger and romance? A clichéd bad boy meets good girl scenario? Sign me up! The first half of the drama was pure mindless fun, and honestly… I was addicted.
What immediately won me over was the aesthetic. Bangkok at night looked gorgeous, the racing scenes had real energy. And Jin Zhao living and working in a garage was just my kind of vibe. This drama knows how to look good~!
Then there’s the romance. Jiang Mu and Jin Zhao’s chemistry is undeniable. Their shared past, the unspoken feelings and the slow build of intimacy made every lingering look feel so intense! I loved how protective Jin Zhao was, how Jiang Mu gained confidence and became proactive… They had so many soft moments. I was giggling and kicking my feet. Episodes 1–15 are exciting, spicy and mindless fun in all the right ways.
But then… the drama hit the brakes. Hard.
Once the undercover anti-smuggling plot and noble idiocy trope kicked in, the storytelling started to fall apart for me. Maybe I should have continued to switch off my brain completely, but that just didn't work so well anymore. Scene transitions became more choppy, timelines confusing, and emotional scenes kind of rushed.
I had high hopes for a truly gripping angst arc. I was so ready for it… but it all felt flat and frustrating instead. I have to say that the noble idiocy trope just isn’t working for me.
The biggest disappointment was how the drama handled their separation and reunion in the second half.
I do understand that Jin Zhao is deeply traumatized after everything he’s been through, and his fear of becoming a burden makes sense… but to that extreme extent!? I’m flabbergasted. And not in a good way. Shutting Jiang Mu out completely, denying her the chance to communicate properly and to make her own decisions, and letting even her family and friends (!!!) lie to her for SO MANY YEARS crossed a line for me. It made the angst feel forced, dragged out and unnecessarily cruel.
And after they reunite by pure chance, Jiang Mu’s anger and her hurt feelings barely had space to exist. She quickly slips back into chasing him and making the first move again and again. Seriousness and light-hearted comedy vibes often bounced back and forth too much for me here. By the time they are back together, I wasn’t swooning, I was tired…
That said, the actors really did great. Esther Yu and He Yu delivered nice emotional performances, especially during crying and confrontation scenes. And I did appreciate that the final few episodes leaned back into warmth and healing... wholesome hugs, forgiveness, growth, and Jin Zhao finally facing his fears. Nevertheless, I couldn't find the spark from the first half of the drama anymore. The storytelling and characters lost me.
The ending also felt underwhelming. The pacing was off, the focus strange. Why so little time on the actual couple and their wedding? Censorship, why?
Final thoughts:
Speed and Love started as a ridiculously fun, stylish, chemistry-filled ride that I couldn’t stop watching. Unfortunately, it lost its way in the second half with messy writing and frustrating tropes that dragged on for too long. After everything the early episodes made me feel, the payoff just didn’t hit as hard as it should have. But I’m still kind of generous with my rating and try to keep all the things in mind that I really enjoyed.
[finished watching on 22 December 2025]
What immediately won me over was the aesthetic. Bangkok at night looked gorgeous, the racing scenes had real energy. And Jin Zhao living and working in a garage was just my kind of vibe. This drama knows how to look good~!
Then there’s the romance. Jiang Mu and Jin Zhao’s chemistry is undeniable. Their shared past, the unspoken feelings and the slow build of intimacy made every lingering look feel so intense! I loved how protective Jin Zhao was, how Jiang Mu gained confidence and became proactive… They had so many soft moments. I was giggling and kicking my feet. Episodes 1–15 are exciting, spicy and mindless fun in all the right ways.
But then… the drama hit the brakes. Hard.
Once the undercover anti-smuggling plot and noble idiocy trope kicked in, the storytelling started to fall apart for me. Maybe I should have continued to switch off my brain completely, but that just didn't work so well anymore. Scene transitions became more choppy, timelines confusing, and emotional scenes kind of rushed.
I had high hopes for a truly gripping angst arc. I was so ready for it… but it all felt flat and frustrating instead. I have to say that the noble idiocy trope just isn’t working for me.
The biggest disappointment was how the drama handled their separation and reunion in the second half.
I do understand that Jin Zhao is deeply traumatized after everything he’s been through, and his fear of becoming a burden makes sense… but to that extreme extent!? I’m flabbergasted. And not in a good way. Shutting Jiang Mu out completely, denying her the chance to communicate properly and to make her own decisions, and letting even her family and friends (!!!) lie to her for SO MANY YEARS crossed a line for me. It made the angst feel forced, dragged out and unnecessarily cruel.
And after they reunite by pure chance, Jiang Mu’s anger and her hurt feelings barely had space to exist. She quickly slips back into chasing him and making the first move again and again. Seriousness and light-hearted comedy vibes often bounced back and forth too much for me here. By the time they are back together, I wasn’t swooning, I was tired…
That said, the actors really did great. Esther Yu and He Yu delivered nice emotional performances, especially during crying and confrontation scenes. And I did appreciate that the final few episodes leaned back into warmth and healing... wholesome hugs, forgiveness, growth, and Jin Zhao finally facing his fears. Nevertheless, I couldn't find the spark from the first half of the drama anymore. The storytelling and characters lost me.
The ending also felt underwhelming. The pacing was off, the focus strange. Why so little time on the actual couple and their wedding? Censorship, why?
Final thoughts:
Speed and Love started as a ridiculously fun, stylish, chemistry-filled ride that I couldn’t stop watching. Unfortunately, it lost its way in the second half with messy writing and frustrating tropes that dragged on for too long. After everything the early episodes made me feel, the payoff just didn’t hit as hard as it should have. But I’m still kind of generous with my rating and try to keep all the things in mind that I really enjoyed.
[finished watching on 22 December 2025]
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