3 Reasons To Watch Angsty Romance C-Drama “Speed And Love”

Young love, rebellion, and a need for speed make for a heady combination when Jiang Mu (Esther Yu) defies her mother and travels all the way to Thailand. She wants to reconnect with her older brother, You Zhao (He Yu), whom she hasn’t seen since her parents divorced. Her mother tells her Zhao is not her biological brother, and the two have no connection whatsoever. Adamant, Jiang Mu heads to Chiang Mai, wanting to reconnect with Zhao, who had always meant the world to her.

But she is in for a shock. Zhao is very different from what she had imagined him to be. The once endearing boy is now a rugged man hardened by the streets. He is into boxing and speed racing. Choosing to drop out of school, he thrives on life in the fast lane.

Mu is willing to assimilate herself back into his life. Hesitant at first, Zhao resists her, but his one-time younger sister is now a stubborn young lady who knows how to get her way around. As Mu brings lightness back into Zhao’s life, some serious sparks fly, and the relationship transitions into a fiery romance that’s willing to stand against all odds. Here are just a few reasons why C-drama “Speed and Love” is worth the watch.

He Yu as Jin Zhao, the man of quiet strength

Calm in a crisis—that is how Jin Zhao is described by those around him. He masks his emotions and chooses silence, a coping mechanism he has honed over years of hardship. Jin Zhao has never had it easy. The son of a close friend of Mu’s father, a racer, he is taken in by their family even before Mu is born. While he grows up looking after and protecting Mu, her mother remains resentful of him, repeatedly making him believe that he is bad luck.

After Mu’s parents divorce, Zhao moves to Thailand with her father, and his life changes drastically. Circumstances harden him, forcing him to mature far earlier than he should have. Once a bright student at the top of his class, Zhao chooses to drop out of school just days before his college entrance exams. The former campus favorite, once destined for bigger things, now survives as a hardened fighter and racer running a small garage.

Known for his natural aptitude with cars, Zhao approaches racing like a maverick. His skill, however, breeds resentment. Rival automobile garages view him as a threat, and he is wrongly framed at a place where he once worked, with battle lines clearly drawn between him and the influential. Despite repeated attempts to pull him down and sabotage his rise, Zhao remains relentless.

Unwilling to ask for favors, he steadily works his way up the racing order. Over time, Jin Zhao becomes Brandy, the reckless and untouchable racer who thrives on life on the edge.

Yet beneath this hardened exterior lies emotional fragility. It surfaces only around Mu, the one person he cherishes completely. Even as he tries to push her away from his unstable and fractured world, Zhao does so to protect her, unwilling to let her carry the weight of his life. He confesses to her that people in his life come and go as if it were some passing parade. He indulges and pampers her, and it is around her that the tough guy drops his steely armor to show his soft and vulnerable side. He has not only kept her letters but also carries a key chain engraved with his feelings for her. The brooding man is a die-hard romantic at heart.

He Yu embodies Jin Zhao with restraint, giving the character a lived-in authenticity. His strength lies in subtlety with expressions that speak louder than words. Through controlled gestures and quiet emotional beats, the actor delivers a performance marked by depth and strong screen presence.

Esther Yu as the stubborn Jiang Mu

Defiance and stubbornness come naturally to Jiang Mu, and they become her greatest strengths when she is faced with situations beyond her control. Brought up in a protective environment, she is determined to travel to Thailand in search of her long-lost older brother, Jin Zhao. When her mother insists that they are no longer related, it only strengthens Jiang Mu’s resolve.

Coming face to face with the reality of Jin Zhao’s life is a jolt. The world he inhabits is far darker and more dangerous than anything she has known. Yet, instead of retreating, she persists, determined to get answers and understand the man he has become. Gradually, she assimilates herself into his life, closing the emotional distance between them. She realizes that his life has been far tougher than hers, that he has been fending not just for himself but also for her father and half-sister. What unsettles her most, however, are the dangerous operations he is constantly drawn into, and in her own way, she begins to protect him.

Jiang Mu matches Jin Zhao stride for stride as she steps into his world. She becomes his navigator on the racing track and his emotional anchor off it, steadfast in her belief that he does not have to face life alone. Her devotion is unwavering, but it is never rooted in weakness. She does not seek permission to live her life or make her choices. Brave and independent, she stands up to her mother, refuses to be worn down by Jin Zhao’s attempts to push her away, and sees through his emotional defenses. She is the one taking the lead, from her confession to the first kiss. She makes it clear that when she puts her mind to something, she achieves it.

Far from being a damsel in distress, Jiang Mu is a woman who fights back literally and emotionally. A trained taekwondo expert, she holds her own in physical confrontations, maintains composure during car chases, and stands her ground in the roughest situations and against hostile opponents. It is refreshing to see a female character written with such agency and grit.

Esther Yu does justice to the role of Jiang Mu—portraying her as a stubborn, steadfast, adn quietly formidable character who wins the day

Love at full throttle

The chemistry between these two isn’t just cute—it is intense and magnetic. Whether they are arguing or simply looking at each other, the tension is so taut you can almost feel it. Without question, the strongest element of the drama is the chemistry between the leads.

Their bond is rooted in a long standing family friendship rather than biology. This pseudo sibling dynamic gives their romance its emotional weight. Jin Zhao was not just a childhood companion—he was her protector, guide, and a constant presence through her formative years. That history complicates his feelings. Bound by gratitude to her parents and a fierce desire to protect Mu’s innocence, Jin Zhao grapples with guilt—not only over loving her, but over what he believes is a betrayal of the bond they were raised to honor.

Mu, on the other hand, makes her feelings and attraction obvious from the get go. So taken in with the rugged Zhao, she unabashedly tells him that she is neither little nor would she call him older brother like before. Constantly teasing him, Mu is the one in the driver’s seat in the relationship.

His eventual surrender to that love feels earned, layered, and deeply affecting. Since she is so relentless in her pursuit, he tells her since she is so earnest to stay, he will never ever let her go.

As they move from childhood familiarity to a forbidden adult relationship, the pull between them becomes undeniable. Whether in charged silences inside the garage or quiet moments together under the heat of Thailand, their connection crackles with palpable intensity.

Though it does come with its fair share of cliches, nevertheless this coming-of-age angsty young adult romance keeps up the momentum with thrills, racy moments, and squeal-worthy kisses.

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Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.