This review may contain spoilers
The weird trope and clichés aren't for me...
Jiang Mu and Jin Zhao, who is an adopted son, were raised as siblings until their parents got a divorce when Mu was 10 and Zhao in his early to mid teenage years. This background alone was enough for me to raise my eyebrows but I still gave it a chance since they were technically separated until Mu was 20, but still, it was weird. Jin Zhao basically raised her too since he's been taking care of her since she was a baby, and it was just weird to me that they made it seem like he's been yearning for her ever since they got separated when they were younger, like, a teenager liking a 10 year-old just doesn't seem right to me. The difference with how they treat each other after they were reunited was kind of crazy to me, bc it seemed like they weren't "siblings" at one point, they already had some sexual tension going on, again, weird.I decided to just turn off my brain and ignore the part that has been bothering me so I kept watching. Everything was fine and they were actually cute and sexy when they started dating until... the accident and the breakup, things became messy after that. Like okay, I get why Jin Zhao had to send Mu away bc he wasn't sure if he could still stand up or walk so he didn't want to hold her back. But it only took him like 6 months or a year to walk normally again, I don't get why he cut off all contact with her, and everyone else basically covered up for him, which is such a crappy and selfish thing to do bc Mu was hurting for 6 years missing him. If she didn't go back to China and found his coffee shop by coincidence, then she would've continued living without knowing anything. I also hated how his friend, Sanlai, lied that her dog went missing and she was so heartbroken about it bc she wanted to bring it with her overseas 'cause she can't be by Zhao's side, but no he didn't tell her that the dog was with Zhao and just let her cry about it, Jin Zhao basically stole her dog and even renamed it. There was also the coffee shop which seemed sweet at first, but if you think about it, he established it all by himself and just gave it to her like a piece of candy, when all she wanted was to put up a shop TOGETHER.
The lack of self-respect that Jiang Mu had made me go crazy, bc she basically had to beg Jin Zhao to let her stay by his side even though she did nothing wrong because she was left out of the loop and everyone lied to her for years. I hated Jin Zhao's reason that he didn't want to hold her back, he didn't want to make her suffer blah blah, like dude, she still suffered anyway, for 6 years bc she wanted YOU, she wanted to be by YOUR SIDE all this time. He didn't even apologize enough for hiding and lying from her and making everyone else lie for him, she forgave him too easily and was desperate to get back together with him even though he's pushed her away so many times, that's just foolishness disguised as love. She also forgave the friends too easily like nothing happened.
I thought the main conflict of this drama would be the mom being against them bc they were like siblings, but no, the problem was solved in just one episode and Jin Zhao didn't even get to talk much, he just cut off the plant for her and then ta-dah it's all okay now.
Whatever, maybe I'm just not the target audience for this drama, maybe I just don't see the world through rose-colored lens.
Was this review helpful to you?
Got me so OBSESSED!!
I've never been this obsessed with a Chinese drama this much. First of all the chemistry is the best part of the drama. Their acting was so natural when it's come to skin ship and those yearning looks. Both EstherYu and Heyu looks incredible and the acting was also good. It's been a long time since a drama made me feel butterflies in my stomach from episode to episode.The plot is actually good it does give Wattpad vibes but that's actually what I like the most. I do love some brain crushing marvelous plots but what my inner little girl yearns is this kind of dramas.
The colors and the sceneries are fantastic. Such a please and easy for the eyes tbh. Something warm and cool at the same time.
it's such a shame this is just a 29 episode drama. Wished there was more episodes because it went too fast that it feels empty after all those emotions they put me through. I'll name this as the best heart fluttering drama for me after many years.
Was this review helpful to you?
THE STORY IS SPICY, AND THE DELIVERY IS DAMN HOT!
This drama is LIT. But don't be fooled by the hype, this isn't a one size fits all crowd-pleaser. It's a love-it-or-hate-it.You will have a bad time with this drama if:
*You're uncomfortable with pseudo-incest dramas
*You can't stand FL's babydoll brand of coquettishness
*You go in with high expectations that this is going to be some kind of Lighter & Princess or Amidst A Snowstorm Of Love
You will have a good time with this if:
*You go into it knowing that you're watching basically a pimped out on steroids version of a short-length c-drama scorcher.
* Your standards are "I hope it's at least as good as Embrace In The Dark Night"
* You like it when your dramas play up the "dark ML/ light FL" dynamic
If this sounds like your scene, then this is what you will get:
DARK FIRE DONE RIGHT. This is the most clutch point you need to know about this drama.... it has a kinky side. If you can't handle taboo/dark/forbidden/morally gray stuff, you gonna dislike this show. ML and FL are not blood related. But he fed her her first bottle when she was a baby, they show a flashback scene of it. Mkay. And that's the basic foundational dynamic. He played an outsized role in raising her for the first half of her life. Now that the two of them are of-age, they are semi-cohabitating alone together, and their father is ambivalent about it. He probably wanted to see them get together from the time she was born. There's a scene where ML goes to her parent-day at school. It's like that.
Now add another layer: They take it to the next level with the innocent/badboy dynamics here. They dress her up in barettes and little girl dresses and corsets and frills with porcelain perfect skin and she does the babydoll thing. They put him in black hoodies, old ripped up metallica tees, leather, black raver pants, and he almost never cracks a smile or loses his cool.
Not only that, but seen through a green-flag lens, he's allowing his attraction to her to drag her down into a life full of risks and crime and danger, throw away her future education and career prospects, and tie her down without any real way of supporting her. And he's practically her brother.
If all of that bothers you, this is not your drama. For some of us, this dynamic is completely lit. And we don't get enough of our kind of romance stories. You green flaggers have so many dramas to choose from, we don't. Our romance stories always have to do so much extra to make it past censors and find a good script and get funding. Well this one's for us, not for you! We like it DARK!
Now that the green-flaggers have been scared off, let me just say to everyone still interested even after all that: Waaaahhhhhh they nailed it!!!
Yes, FL is doing babydoll. But the way she does it here is ***justified by the script***, and feels genuine compared to many other FL's who try to do babydoll and fail. Her EQ is high. She is often quiet, shy, or demure. But she is very clever, and often her silence is her shield. She uses it to stop and think things out carefully on her own before she acts. She also has a precocious, brave, independent side. She is unafraid in many situations: She unflinchingly navigates during car chases and she takes it upon herself to learn to drive racecars, she jumps in to melees and kicks bad guys' asses, she can stand alone in the center of a crowd of intimidating people in an unfamiliar situation and keep her cool no problem. Without asking anyone's permission, she enrolls herself in school, and she insists on getting her way when something is important to her. She is actually a strong personality. That's why she can *afford* to act so soft and sweet and innocent. She is NOT a doormat, and she is NOT infantile or helpless.
ML is stoic, protective, secretive, and is tortured by a constant low-grade guilt that comes from knowing that having a thing for the girl you fed bottles to as an infant is basically deviant. Yet that guilt is always wrestling in his mind with another part of him that is fierce and unapologetic in his desire for her. And he is a total shitkicker. He's always banged up, bruised up, covered in dirt, sweat or blood.
It goes so much harder and darker than Hidden Love, and with NO groomy aftertaste.
EXCELLENT FASHION. The hair. The clothes. The shoes. The makeup. The sets. The way they portray Thailand. The color palatte. The dialogue. The extras. The cars. The people involved in creating the aesthetics for this show really had their shit together. Coture + thrift store = HOT. There is always a contrast and a seamless melding between rich and poor, having everything and having nothing. It feels authentic. Everything has it's own beauty. Extras and side characters are treated right by stylists, and full justice is done for the script.
CARS! I love how the topic of the drama is not treated as just a pretext for romance and fight scenes. It's treated like it's an important part of the story. This makes cars sexy and interesting, and gets you so involved with the racing scenes in a way that reminds me of Days of Thunder, F&F, or Rush. And yet it is still a *romance*. It doesn't look like some male person's testosterone and car fanaticism muscled out the softer and more romantic side of the story. It's a completely seamless blend of both.
This drama kicks the sh*t out of Fast and Furious, Need for Speed, and Mia Culpa. It also kicks the sh*t out of almost every other badboy ML romance out there, and in this sense, just as far as 'ultimate badboy' characters go, ranks among some of the best with stories like SOPK, WDBTD, EITDN, LOTEOD, MLM, and TTEOTM.
Now there is just one true caveat: This is one of those dramas that peters out at the 2/3 mark and ends in a whimper and not a bang. Is there a time-skip, are there montage scenes, does it drag, does the chemistry fade, do ML and FL stop getting screentime together, are there misunderstandings, do the clothes start to look stupid, do they juuust miss eachother 15 times before they reunite... yes. All the things. So expect to spend the first 2/3 of the drama enthralled, and the last third yelling at the characters and just generally being bummed that it stopped being awesome. But honestly. WORTH IT for the first 2/3 alone, the tradeoff is that you just have to tolerate the last eps to finish it. And it's not thaaat bad, but it's not what we signed up for when we started is all.
Started off as a 10, one point off for not recognizing that the last section of the drama needed a total creative overhaul because they wanted to give me angst, but all I got was eyeroll and exasperated sigh.
9/10
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
An undisputed gem!
Ohh Speed and Love can words fully express how I felt about you and how you made me feel!?? Ohh silly me crying while writing this review!🥹😭Having second thoughts about watching this drama?? Say no more, hope onto the train and watch this gem as soon as possible! Speed and Love caught my heart not only because of my love for Esther but the storyline, OST, cinematography, chemistry and all the other actors input left me without any other option but to deeply fall for it!
As someone who didn’t read the novel, watching this drama was like discovering a gold mine which other people had already started digging into but that didn’t mean I missed out on getting my fair share of enjoyment!
The storyline was one l found enjoyable and relatable. Throughout the drama, l stood by both Jiang Mu and Jin Zhao. They both had crosses to carry and for that they deserved grace rather than criticism. As you watch this drama, bear in mind that Jin Zhao is a man full of love yet he found himself entangled in a web of misfortunes. He was a man who grew up with little to no love yet he grew up to be a man full of love and that needs to be applauded. He always hoped to be a man who is responsible, one to provide for his loved ones and he never wanted to be a burden to anyone. It bruised his ego or should l say he felt as a failure if he couldn’t be a provider or shoulder to lean on towards his loved ones. The misfortunes he faced in his life left him bruised yet he tried to cover it all up while showing other people his brightest side without dimming their light! Despite the painful childhood he experienced, he chose to make it nurture him into a better man! He chose not to hold any bad intentions towards anyone🥹😭To better understand and enjoy the drama, try putting yourself in Jin Zhao’s shoes when things are being shown from his perceptive. He was a man who needed help so please cut him some slack! Honestly after seeing how Mumu’s mum treated him, l honestly don’t blame him for feeling torn and inadequate for the 6 years they were apart! He’s a responsible man who chose not to be rebellious but courteous throughout the drama! This drama is my first He Yu drama, l must say he delivered an award worthy performance from the beginning till the end. I am still in awe of how just his facial expressions without saying a single word could make me feel and understand the emotions he needed to convey!😭 That man has talent which deserves to be applauded.
Ohh my girl Jiang Mu! You are too innocent for this world!😭 Firstly, l would like to applaud the production team for showing us a total 180 degrees of her character development. We started off the show with a very innocent, unbothered, loving and cute girlie yet we ended with a mature, loving and subtle cute lady. One thing l appreciate is she didn’t lose her lovable traits regardless of how she felt torn during moments of separation. As you watch the drama, l hope you realise that she is a cute girlie but she was never naive! Throughout the drama, we were shown that she’s the lady who would get anything and everything done as long as she put her mind to it. Esther Yu was born to be Jiang Mu and I will continue to stand by that! The cuteness and bubbliness Jin Zhao expected to see in his long lost childhood friend is exactly what Esther gave us. The outfits and styling deserve a full review of their own because they were amazing throughout the show!
An important issue l have to address is that of the female lead constantly chasing the male lead. In all honesty, l feel like that’s where some of the beauty of the drama lies. Many people hoped the male lead would at some point, aggressively pursue her but that’s not how they showed it. Truth be told, she was stupidly chasing him, she built herself first rather than being completely immersed in her love interest! As someone who would never constantly pursue a man, l stand by Mumu in this drama. This wasn’t some one-sided type of love! She wasn’t chasing after a man who wasn’t going after! She wasn’t chasing after someone who hadn’t shown her how much love he can give and the world he could provide for her! As you watch this drama, keep in mind that both Mumu and Zhao had their different ways of expressing themselves and their love for each other. Even the doctor mentioned that Zhao needed psychological help thus he needed someone to be there for him not give up on him. The only thing we were dealing with here was that Zhao had battles to fight within his mind before he could even fight for the love of his life. The fact that Mumu stayed helped him heal and realize that he too is worth loving. At the end of the day he did stand up to face Mumu’s mum which was a battle he eventually needed to fight to prove his love for Mumu!
Trust Speed and love to put you through a rollercoaster of emotions! I would gladly recommend you to watch it for this! From giggling, throwing your feet in the air, leaping with joy, screaming, blushing, sobbing, and screaming, you will experience it all. I lost count of the number of times I found myself grabbing my tissues to wipe my teary eyes or the moments l had to shove myself under a blanket to giggle and blush! It’s packed with scenes in which the actors made sure to put us through the same emotions they felt while shooting this turning the drama into reality. Watching this drama till the end had to be the worst and best things l had been looking forward to! It’s too precious to let go yet to enjoyable to spark my curiosity to finish it 😭😭😭
Ummm excuse me, who decided on casting He Yu and Esther Yu!!!!! I hope their pockets never run dry because that was one of the best casting l have ever seen in Cdrama land. Before they even have intimate moments, their chemistry was already overflowing! The gazes and hot stares from He Yu meeting the innocent stares from Esther Yu could easily light up the Equatorial rainforest😂😭 The way they had me on chokehold anytime their emotions changed making sure they take me along still baffles me!
I have no complaints for any of the supporting cast!! Regardless of their limited appearances, they delivered exactly what needed to be delivered in order to make this drama a gem. Sanlai, you will forever be famous as a supportive, lovable, loving and cheerful friend! At some points he even gave uncle vibes as he always hyped Mumu while giving love life nuggets to Zhao!😂😭
Mike and Patrick’s aura deserve standing ovations! They made their appearances memorable. Jiang Mu’s dad really nailed the duality of stupidity and seriousness! Ohh Nana was such a girlie’s girl, trust me her interactions with Mumu are worth watching! The bromance un this drama is top tier! Sanlai-Zhao / Zhao-Sui / Sanlai-Zhao-Crazy Jin😭💕
However there’s no man made thing without flaws. I do wish they hadn’t lengthened the breakup time but it’s understandable considering how they tried as much as possible to follow the novel’s plot. Moreover, the long breakup time might have triggered the drama to be slow paced at some point as we became more focused on Mumu’s side of life. Regardless of this, the storyline is still enjoyable it’s only a matter of adjusting as the first half of the drama was a bit fast paced. My heart bleeds for the brutal cutting of scenes they did to Speed and love episodes. While watching the drama, you may notice unsmooth transitions between scenes or gaps in some parts of the plot. Despite its flaws, Speed and love is still an awesome drama worth sparing your time for.
The OST definitely caught me off guard! Each scene had an OST to perfectly blend with it in order to trigger all expected emotions! Ohh my girl Mumu singing The moon represents my heart holds a special place in my heart, it’s a moment I would like everyone to witness!🥹💕
The cinematography during the fighting and racing scenes is definitely unmatched! The tension they created just from the intimate scenes!!! I don’t even know if l should say either the racing scenes or the love story was the bonus because both storylines served us properly leaving no room for doubt! Ohh dear reader, dive into the pot of honey and witness a love story unlike any other! Their love story is one for the books! Despite the ups and downs they made sure to fulfill the words we had right from the beginning, “ Mumu and Zhao, the moon and sun, day and night, always together, never to be apart!” Yes, we did get a happy ending 🥹🫂💕
My biggest wish is to forget this drama so that l can rewatch it and experience all the emotions l felt initially all over again. While it was ongoing I rewatched all episodes over 6 times yet each time l was entangled in a web of emotions as if it was my first time watching it. That is just the beauty of the gem, SPEED AND LOVE!
Above everything else, the strengths of the drama undisputedly overlap the flaws! This was definitely a top tier production!! Beloved reader, even in my sleep, l would confidently recommend you to watch Speed and love!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
All u need to know abt this drama is under this review!!
I really enjoyed watching speed nd love. The story pulled me in right away, it's not just abt racing, but abt how love nd personal growth can be tested by circumstances.In the first part we saw the main leads meeting after such a long time of being separated due to the female lead parents divorce. Mumu was young innocent nd jin zhao being a father to her by caring nd protecting her til their relationship gradually began to transform frm being like siblings (w no blood ties ofc) to lovers.
Then in the second part they faced another separation because of jin zhao health issue after the car accident when he was carrying out his task he kept her away frm him so that he wouldn't be a burden on her nd let her focuses on her mom nd her future so she can meet a proper guy, nd as a result of all this we saw a change in her personality, she became more serious nd mature.
After her mom recovered nd her health improved, she decided to return to her hometown to see him again. There, she began to investigate his life : what had become of him, what he was doing, nd why he had distanced himself frm her because he didn't tell her abt his health so as not to scare her. And yeah finally she knows everything nd they revived their relationship again.
Then the acting frm the leads was excellent, they made the emotions believable without overdoing it. And their chemistry was sooo strong, whether they were playful or serious u could feel the connection.
So overall, it's a drama that mixes excitement w heartfelt emotion nd am glad i watched it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Finally completed it ... Worth watching♥️♥️♥️♥️
Happy mumu and Zhao Zhao... Characters which will etch in my heart forever... Loved the drama to the core... And the performances are top notch.... The best one I've watched after the best thing... Such a comforting drama... Just go for it ♥️♥️♥️♥️💕💕💕💕💕 i truly miss them... We need season 2🥳Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
ML is hot in the garage! Great performance!
This show mistakes obsession for romance. Jiang Mu exists only to orbit Jin Zhao, erasing herself while he “lives” by accomplishing her dreams — yet he isn’t truly living either, since he’s chasing a life not his own. Six years pass, bad things happen, but neither grows; the show glorifies silence, waiting, and avoidance as love. Jin Zhao ghosts, hides injuries, and faces no consequences, while Jiang Mu’s devotion is romanticised despite her stagnation.Esther’s baby-voice and expressionless performance turns what should be vulnerability into a caricature, making emotional immaturity unbearable. She hasn’t fully developed the nuances that distinguish a good actor from a great one, understandable given her experience.
The screenwriter leans on tired c-drama tropes — noble sacrifice, prolonged separation, silent suffering — and calls it depth. By the end, the “romance” is just two people stuck in each other’s dreams, never truly living, never truly growing. It’s arrested development with a soundtrack.
Was this review helpful to you?
The ML's Controlled Hunger Is the Plot
<< Male Lead >>Let’s start with the ML, because wow... he absolutely blew my expectations through the roof.
He was a complete nobody in my eyes before this. Not a heartthrob at first glance. Not the second. Not even after several glances. But the moment he starts moving in this role, everything shifts to a whole new level. My gosh, he’s genuinely thirsty. You can feel his hunger. And yet, what makes it so compelling is how tightly he controls it.
I couldn’t help comparing him to the ML in Amidst a Snowstorm of Love. That character was supposed to be calm, restrained and self-disciplined, yet he felt perpetually “in heat” whenever the FL appeared. Honestly, that ML should come take lessons in what real self-restraint looks like from this one.
Here, the thirst is everywhere... in his eyes, his presence, his body language, but there’s always restraint. He carries himself with a casual chill, yet you can sense a quiet self-control in the air he breathes. He’s absolutely perfect for this role.
---------------------------------------
<< Female Lead >>
As for the FL… I’ll be honest that I’ve never been especially fond of her. Ever since Youth With You Season 2, I’ve struggled to tolerate her deliberately cutesy voice. I was genuinely surprised by how popular she became after the show, landing FL roles one after another.
She still comes across as a bit pretentious to me, but I have to admit I was impressed by her in A Romance of the Little Forest and in this show as well. (In A Romance of the Little Forest, the chemistry was there, but the story wasn't. It isn't wort watching unless you skip straight to the leads' scenes.)
---------------------------------------
<< Acting >>
I honestly can’t say who acts better. While I don’t find the FL’s character particularly convincing as someone a man would fall head over heels for, the ML completely sells it. He makes me believe, without question, that he is utterly gone for her.
---------------------------------------
<< Story >>
Now, outside of the leads’ chemistry (the credit goes to ML:FL at about 65:35) and the steamy love scenes, there really isn’t much story to talk about.
I skipped a lot. Mostly fast-forwarded straight to the scenes with the two leads together. And I didn’t miss anything essential to understanding the plot.
This is very much a drama worth rewatching for that light-headed, dizzy feeling the love scenes give you, not for the story itself.
---------------------------------------
<< Setting >>
The setting is Thailand, and the rivers, local communities and cultural scenery are visually appealing. But the overall vibe feels nostalgic. Some people might love that atmosphere. I didn’t. It feels old, not in a classic way, but in a low-maintenance, slightly dated kind of way.
---------------------------------------
In short: This drama is right for you if you're for the ML’s controlled hunger and the leads' electric chemistry, but don’t expect a story that can glue you down.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Honestly, the best thing I've ever watched in my life
I usually don't write reviews (this is actually my first one), but the effect this C-drama had on me is so huge, that I thought should write one.First of all I wanna say that Heyu's and Esther's acting was absolutely phenomenal. I could feel the emotions through the screen. Especially Jiang mu's crying scenes, they felt so real. I could physically feel her pain through her crying, which is something I've never really felt from any series or movie before. And Jin zhao's eyes, the emotions he was portraying with only his eyes is so crazy to me. You could exactly see what he was thinking or feeling just by looking at his eyes.
The music. I've never really felt that the music affects me in series. Like sure, sometimes I find a song that I like a lot and add it on my playlist, but there has never been a song that has actually changed the way I understand or feel while im watching the show, the same way as it was in Speed and love. First of all, everytime I heard the intro song, it gave me goose bumps. And the songs that would play during the crying parts or sad parts made me cry even harder. But the song that made the biggest impression on me was when Jiang mu first sang a song to Jin zhao. After looking up the meaning and lyrics (which you should definitely do, if you haven't yet) I was actually mindblown by how perfect it is for this series.
Another thing I REALLY liked about speed and love is the references to moon and sun. I thought that it was such a genius thing to have. It definitely made the plot ten million times better for me (and the plot is already amazing). It truly made me connect with the characters on a deeper, emotional level. And I also love how it wasn't a dominating element of the story. It was a rather small part of the plot, but it was so vital. I would've never gotten as emotionally attached to mumu and zhaozhao without the sun moon references.
Usually after I watch a series I'll remember the plot, and I won't really think about the characters, but with speed and love I loved mumu and zhaozhao so much. They will have a special spot in my heart. I loved everything from their personalities to their styles. (Also to add, all the outfits and just the styling in general was amazing, I didn't see one single bad outfit.)
I loved the colors. Especially the scenes in Thailand, when the cars were racing around the city, the buildings that were lighted up with different colors and all the colored lamps they used in the scenes in Thailand. It made it feel really nostalgic in a way, it also felt very comforting for some reason. Simply said, watching it felt like home, even though it wasn't home. The "emotional" warmth I felt from the color palette was also something I've never felt before. (Especially the colors in the scenes with fireworks)
Also another thing I really liked, was the character development. It was truly visible, from not only their actions, but you could see how they had changed just from the clothing and hairstyle. Also the way they acted, it was clear they were still the same people, but you could see how everything that had happened had affected them, or just the fact that a lot of time had passed and they had matured more.
If you're wondering whether or not to watch Speed and love, I strongly suggest you do watch it. I didn't have that high expectations when I started, I never really looked into it, since usually I watch mainly K-dramas. But since I kept seeing this on social media even though it wasn't out yet, I decided to give it a try when the first 8 episodes came out. And let me tell you, I've never felt a sadness that's this strong, because a series has come to an end. It was truly so amazing, and exceeded my expectations, more than I thought was possible to.
I will definitely be rewatching this, possibly already tomorrow, because I genuinely think this is the best thing I've ever seen. I don't think anything will ever come close to how much I liked this.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Best of the Best ever watched
This drama made me log in to my Drama List and comment in the comment section for the first time ever. I have seen all sorts of dramas from Pakistani, Indian, Turkish, Thai, Korean and Chinese. This year Chinese dramas have made me too addictive starting from First Frost in the first half, Prisoner of Beauty in the middle and now Speed and Love in the last.I will truly say I didn’t even expect some ML will truly top Sang Yan for me but now I think Jin Zhao did. Sorry Sang Yan but you will remain my Green Forest forever.
I don’t have much to say about the drama itself. Just wanted to express my feelings to explain how this drama made feel.
I found everything perfect Esther and He yu’s acting, both arcs and I fell for He yu too for the first time ever.
Just my last wish please I want to see all the deleted scenes and wedding scenes so bad. May my wish come true.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Definitely an overrated show
This was definitely... an experience. I started this drama with lots of expectation because throughout the episodes' release I came across good reviews and some praise about it, but it did disappointed me, unfortunately. For this review, I want to break the show into two moments: pre and post-time skip.I already want to state that the drama is very well produced and has a beautiful visual aspect to it. The soundtrack also rocks. The main problem is that the pre-time skip is really silly and childish. Like, they really tried to sell the mature aspect of the show, but it feels like you're watching a high school drama instead.
Starting with the FL, whose only personality trait is being cute. Really, I've seen other dramas with Esther Yu and I usually like her bubbly characters, but I missed something more in this one. In the first few episodes, they tried to give her some traits (like the subtle knowldge in mechanics and the black belt in taekwondo), but those just dissapear into thin air and she just keeps being treated like a child by everyone around her. Mind you, she's already 20 years old at this point.
Now about the ML. I thought he was very cool at the beginning. He's hot, caring, book smart AND street smart and he only has eyes for the FL (since he was a child). However, at some point after they start dating, he begins to act like he carries the world on his shoulders. He doesn't tell her ANYTHING about his struggles, in a way that, everything she comes to know about his whereabouts, she knows through a third party.
The accident arc was insufferable to watch and his actions were ridiculous. He ghosted her for 6 YEARS, claiming that he didn't want to be a burden to her, since he was crippled and vulnerable. So he made all of their friends and family lie to her, saying that they had no idea where he was, so that she would stop contacting him. I hate when characters act like they know what’s better for their partners and don’t allow them to make their own choices (and that’s the case here).
The action scenes are good and the racing theme was also cool, but that's it. After some time it becomes quite repetitive.
Now about the post time-skip: 6 years. REALLY? But, I guess we should be thankful for that, since the drama becomes better afterwards IF you ignore the ML’s actions. The FL spends about 2 or 3 episodes trying to get closer to him after their separation, while he pushes her away. Despite all that, I really enjoyed the ending, and what they did to the characters, especially the secondary ones, who were really cool since the beginning. The FL also changes a bit and becomes slightly more interesting and mature.
Overall, the romance carries the whole drama. The leads are very passionate about each other and they have great romantic scenes. Their kisses feel real and you can feel how much they yearn for each other. I liked that they were equally thirsty, which is very unusual for a Chinese drama. After the time-skip, FL was not shy at all. When they get back together, she literally gets on top of him and starts kissing him all over. I think that’s very realistic. It is very annoying when they portray girls who are always scared and hesitant about intimacy, to the point where it feels unrequited. That is why I get it why some people loved the show and ignored the other aspects.
However, everything else feels average and overrated. They could've cut at least 5 episodes without any problem. I confess that I was hesitant about watching this drama at first because I'm not into the adoptive siblings trope, but you easily get over it after a couple episodes. Especially because they don't have sibling energy after they become adults. I mean, he has always liked her, and on episode 2 my girl was already SCANNING him head to toe.
If you don't care about the plot and only want to watch some romance, you might enjoy this one. But if you are kind of picky (like me), you will feel bothered by the aspects I mentioned.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is a masterpiece!
Its worth watching!!i highly recommend it!from episode 1 to 29..youll get hook to the story.. there's no boring episode.. their chemistry is on top..the acting is 100% .you can feel their emotions.. their yearning with each other,it looks so real ..this is the best drama for me..ive seen so many dramas.but this one got me .i love their interactions with each other!makes me giggle and gives me butterfly's in my stomach!! I think I cant move on easily..i need to rewatch it again cause i know im gonna miss them so badly..any way! Congrats to all the team of speed and love.. especially to jiangmu and jhinzao ..best drama! Best couple best acting!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
1


