Truly a MASTERPIECE✨ and the BEST way to finish the year
I don't even know where to start.
I started this just to pass some time, but man, was I in for a RIDE.
Let me just start off with my new reason for living, simultaneously the bane of my existence-- HE YU. He is not just fine. I've seen some of his other works before, but in this one, he is just utterly... STUNNING. Magnetic. Irresistibly captivating😮💨. The producers and cameramen deserve a raise because the way the camera caught all his best angles and slow motion/close-ups? A cinematic masterpiece 👏🏻 Even qualities I highly dislike in men, he can somehow make appealing-- a mullet, the scar under his eye, his slight cleft chin, even his freaking SWEAT. Like, no way was I ovulating the whole time the drama aired LOL but he was just otherworldly attractive. 🥵🤤 And seeing all the behind the scenes of him actually driving his car? Unbelievable.
Okay, I digress.
The storyline itself sounded interesting enough to get me to start, though I'm not a fan of the Culpa Mia parallel where step siblings get together. In this one, they aren't even legally step siblings though, so that clarification really helped clear the air on their potential future relationship. I quite liked the drama starting off with them reuniting after a long break, with flashbacks aded here and there. I think if it started off with them as kids, it would NOT have had the same impact at all. It's the vagueness of how close they were as children, and whether or not they kept in touch til they became adults, that adds to the tension and curiosity as the episodes progress.
Side characters are always so crucial to a good storytelling, because you learn to form different opinions of different characters who help build the plot in their own ways, good or bad. Speed and Love had such an amazing set of side characters. Mike Angelo was such a nice addition to the cast, not just because of the nostalgic vibes he gives from his previous drama with Esther as the two leads, but he gives an almost mysterious vibe where you're unsure whether or not he'd be the villain. Watch to find out hehe. Otherwise, the friend group and even some others like Wan Qing may not have had a lot of screen time, but they gave such strong impact that you can't help but wish the drama were longer just so they could appear more.
Another small factor that I found really interesting and not something I see in many Chinese dramas, is how they filmed a LOT of episodes overseas. This one was in Thailand, and I just thought it brought such an interesting setting and ambience that filming in a set can't bring. The authenticity was nice, though they did noticeably dub a lot of the Thai dialogue. I have yet to watch their variety show spinoff Thai is Sweet, but that's because I feel like finishing that will really mean I'm saying goodbye, which I don't think I'm ready to do yet🥲
And finally, our leads and their chemistry🧪hahah
Esther Yu is such an adorable actress, with her bubbly🥰 character really giving a strong impression in all the dramas she stars in. Because of how strong her character is, she is both positively and negatively criticized in all her works, but I quite liked her in this one. She does have the naive girl persona, but it fits her character as the younger sister, and there is a considerable change after the time skip in her maturity. If I had to choose one thing that did bother me, it would maybe be how she pouts😗 a lot when kissing her male partners, so it may seem like she's not immersing herself into a romantic scene. But regardless, her crying scenes were quite emotional and I think her performance was great. Back to our male lead😅 He Yu, like I said, was truly the scene stealer. Sorry to everyone else, but his character was the PERFECT "bad boy is not really bad and actually cares for those he loves" with the almost-rugged look as a car mechanic, and then the complete flip when he races oh my goodness. Even later on in the drama when they're a bit older, his style completely changes, and he's still SO ATTRACTIVE in a cleaner smart-boy look... though preference-wise I surprisingly found the former more charismatic and appealing. BOTH WORK THOUGH hahaha 👏🏻bravo. UGH this character will be SO SO HARD to beat in the future.
Their chemistry grows at the most PERFECT pace. They obviously aren't that close in the beginning, but as they spend more time together you can literally see how important one sees the other, and the small acts of affection even before they get together are sweeter than honey🍯 And when they do get together? Just more perfectness.
The soundtrack was also perfect. A different song for a different vibe, and matching the tension. Especially paired with the camera zooming in on details like clenched hands, or capturing angles in such mesmerizing ways.
THIS DRAMA JUST GAVE ME THE FEELS IN EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. Trust me and give this a go. I'll probably rewatch this 30 times before I die. Can't believe it's already over😭
I started this just to pass some time, but man, was I in for a RIDE.
Let me just start off with my new reason for living, simultaneously the bane of my existence-- HE YU. He is not just fine. I've seen some of his other works before, but in this one, he is just utterly... STUNNING. Magnetic. Irresistibly captivating😮💨. The producers and cameramen deserve a raise because the way the camera caught all his best angles and slow motion/close-ups? A cinematic masterpiece 👏🏻 Even qualities I highly dislike in men, he can somehow make appealing-- a mullet, the scar under his eye, his slight cleft chin, even his freaking SWEAT. Like, no way was I ovulating the whole time the drama aired LOL but he was just otherworldly attractive. 🥵🤤 And seeing all the behind the scenes of him actually driving his car? Unbelievable.
Okay, I digress.
The storyline itself sounded interesting enough to get me to start, though I'm not a fan of the Culpa Mia parallel where step siblings get together. In this one, they aren't even legally step siblings though, so that clarification really helped clear the air on their potential future relationship. I quite liked the drama starting off with them reuniting after a long break, with flashbacks aded here and there. I think if it started off with them as kids, it would NOT have had the same impact at all. It's the vagueness of how close they were as children, and whether or not they kept in touch til they became adults, that adds to the tension and curiosity as the episodes progress.
Side characters are always so crucial to a good storytelling, because you learn to form different opinions of different characters who help build the plot in their own ways, good or bad. Speed and Love had such an amazing set of side characters. Mike Angelo was such a nice addition to the cast, not just because of the nostalgic vibes he gives from his previous drama with Esther as the two leads, but he gives an almost mysterious vibe where you're unsure whether or not he'd be the villain. Watch to find out hehe. Otherwise, the friend group and even some others like Wan Qing may not have had a lot of screen time, but they gave such strong impact that you can't help but wish the drama were longer just so they could appear more.
Another small factor that I found really interesting and not something I see in many Chinese dramas, is how they filmed a LOT of episodes overseas. This one was in Thailand, and I just thought it brought such an interesting setting and ambience that filming in a set can't bring. The authenticity was nice, though they did noticeably dub a lot of the Thai dialogue. I have yet to watch their variety show spinoff Thai is Sweet, but that's because I feel like finishing that will really mean I'm saying goodbye, which I don't think I'm ready to do yet🥲
And finally, our leads and their chemistry🧪hahah
Esther Yu is such an adorable actress, with her bubbly🥰 character really giving a strong impression in all the dramas she stars in. Because of how strong her character is, she is both positively and negatively criticized in all her works, but I quite liked her in this one. She does have the naive girl persona, but it fits her character as the younger sister, and there is a considerable change after the time skip in her maturity. If I had to choose one thing that did bother me, it would maybe be how she pouts😗 a lot when kissing her male partners, so it may seem like she's not immersing herself into a romantic scene. But regardless, her crying scenes were quite emotional and I think her performance was great. Back to our male lead😅 He Yu, like I said, was truly the scene stealer. Sorry to everyone else, but his character was the PERFECT "bad boy is not really bad and actually cares for those he loves" with the almost-rugged look as a car mechanic, and then the complete flip when he races oh my goodness. Even later on in the drama when they're a bit older, his style completely changes, and he's still SO ATTRACTIVE in a cleaner smart-boy look... though preference-wise I surprisingly found the former more charismatic and appealing. BOTH WORK THOUGH hahaha 👏🏻bravo. UGH this character will be SO SO HARD to beat in the future.
Their chemistry grows at the most PERFECT pace. They obviously aren't that close in the beginning, but as they spend more time together you can literally see how important one sees the other, and the small acts of affection even before they get together are sweeter than honey🍯 And when they do get together? Just more perfectness.
The soundtrack was also perfect. A different song for a different vibe, and matching the tension. Especially paired with the camera zooming in on details like clenched hands, or capturing angles in such mesmerizing ways.
THIS DRAMA JUST GAVE ME THE FEELS IN EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. Trust me and give this a go. I'll probably rewatch this 30 times before I die. Can't believe it's already over😭
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