This review may contain spoilers
Overall, it is a very nice series. This is the third time I have watched this.
Actors ... Most were very good.Characters ... I was able to feel a lot of the characters and have an emotional connection with them.
OST ... lovely.
Storyline ... Actually, pretty good. It is nice to see something different.
CGI ... Was not great.
Fight scenes ... Good, sometimes very good.
I really enjoyed this show and the chemistry between FL and ML was lovely. They played their roles very well and the emotions they gave suited the story and progression.
The second ML was lovely to watch, albeit painful. His acting was superb and I could empathize with him and feel his frustration. His regression into insanity was believable.
The other supporting roles were OK but a tad boring.
The comedy was great, not too much, but the timing was done well.
The only downside to this series was the FLs character. Wow was she annoying, I get she was playing a certain manipulation game, but her voice actually hurt my ears. When the ML told her to talk properly ... I was yelling inside my head ... YES!! PLEASE TALK PROPERLY! PLEASE!
Growth, this was a hard one, I didn't feel ‘growth’ but saw change ... I guess it is similar, but it is hard for me to explain. I don't think this series called for growth, more acceptance, and reliance.
This is ‘rewatchable’, but the end is a bit boring.
On a side note, the kitty cat and dragon ... LOVE THEM!
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8/10, a review by characters and relationships.
To start, the leads Ming Yi and Ji Bo Zai:I loved them at the start, them acting like a really annoying affectionate couple in public was taking me outtttt. As for when they really fell in love, that line that Bo Zai said to Ming Yi so that she'd stop lying to him will never leave my mind. "Being honest is actually not that hard." 😂😂😂 But they broke up and got back together too much for me, I think they take the cake for most breakups in a single historical C-Drama that I've ever seen.
Situ Ling and Fu Yue:
I really liked Situ Ling at first, he was actually my favorite character but then they gave him that Daenerys Targaryen storyline (which I did see coming) and he lost me there. As for Fu Yue, she was out of her mind staying beside him after he said "Her life is above mine." Who in they're right mind would stick beside a man that they like after he said that bs about another woman?!?!? I'm glad that she eventually left him though, even if it took 30 episodes.
Princess Tian Xi and Yan Xiao:
I LOVED Tian Xi, she was doing everything in her power to get things done, even though her power was limited. I think she would make a great protagonist, but her love interest would have to be literally anyone other than Yan Xiao. I hated him more than I hated the antagonists of this drama because of how he would talk to Tian Xi, oooooh was I satisfied when Yang Qiu punched him!! I wanted to beat his behind every time he even looked at Tian Xi, I can't curse on here but **** Yan Xiao! Tian Xi deserves better!!!
Bu Xiu and Er Shi Qi:
I seen the look in Bu Xiu's eyes when he looked at Er Shi Qi, and the face he made when he learned that Er Shi Qi was gone. 💔💔💔 They deserved a romantic storyline but we were robbed.
General comments:
1. Ji Bo Zai's life was deadass a series of unfortunate events like omg, I'm so shocked he didn't end up just tweaking and killing everyone.
2. I was very confused with the hierarchy of the realms, how is it that Yaoguang Mountain won the tournament for seven years straight but everybody and they mama was afraid of people from Zhushui Mountain...?
3. Empress of Yaoguang Mountain was dead wrong for that entire situation, she single handedly ruined everyone involved lives. That doesn't excuse Bo Yu Lan, because you have to be an actual psychopath to take your anger out on a newborn baby like that.
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THE GOOD
- The leads are great, very comfortable and charming
- Strong FL despite plot keeping her powered down most of the time, she still has the agency and perspective of a strong character
- Some of the supporting characters are very charming
- Spirit beast companion friendships are everything
- Certain side characters are notable examples of strong women, portrayed in ways that not many dramas manage to pull off
THE CONFUSING
- The world presents itself has a pretty high fantasy (xianxia?) vibe at first but that premise drops away after the intro and the setting becomes a strangely low-magic wuxia. We clearly have major magic in this world but almost nobody actually uses it
- Certain angst cycle plotlines are overused seemingly to stretch the story. Frequently there will be only a very thin and vague reason for certain people to be apart or mad at each other.
THE BAD
- A certain antagonist gets WAY too much screen time. I actually think he got more screentime than the leads, like what actual reason was there to focus this much on one dude. Also he is worst combination of a character that is just unpleasant to watch PLUS he just never changes at all. No complexity revealed. No growth. Buckle in to watch the same characters do and say the same things over and over. The middle section was rough to get through just for the fact that nothing fun is happening and all the focus is on this one dude who is just cringey and gross.
- The main couple's conflicts are often thin, which makes it hard to conceive of their motivations and perspectives. A lot of "this makes good angst" on paper, but when actually played out within a story it needs to hold up to scrutiny. Many situations fall apart if you ask any questions -- Just why are you sacrificing so much? Just what level of trust do you have for them? The answers will just change depending on the moment.
- Some of the background relationships also don't hold up to scrutiny, if these characters are living in this world then why don't they have any human relationships from their backstories? If these dynasty squabbles are supposed to have impact then I would need something to make me invested in the families but none of that ever lands. It's just a flat backdrop for the main romance. Which is fine for what it is, but let's be honest about it.
- Fight scenes seem to be straight up avoided or heavily simplified. There seems to be some implied budget constraint? Or just intentionally avoiding luring audience looking for fight scenes. Which is fine, but the intro definitely fails to communicate this expectation accurately -- Beginning is VERY focused on a fight, and then barely any comparable fight will happen again.
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It was nice... even though it could have been done better
Nothing long just that i see why people enjoy this. Actors of main leads did great job and the effects weren't bad for a cdrama. But there were many unnecesary things in the story that sometimes had me question the characters choices. And also what happened with Situ Lings character? Idk.But overall, it was quite nice.
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Enjoyable, but the 2ML Just Made Everything Frustrating
This was a rollercoaster of emotions! My thoughts might come out a bit scattered, and remembering names isn't my strong suit, but here we go.Pros:
The two main actors were incredible. Their chemistry was so smooth. If someone told me they weren't acting, I'd believe them without question. I watched the ML in Back from the Brink, and once again, the way his eyes make you feel every emotion is just masterful.
This is actually the first time a drama has made me genuinely fall in love with a character.
First, Situ Ling (the 2ML). In the beginning, he was so funny. He acted clueless but knew everything happening around him. Sadly, he became a victim of the writers' boring obsession with making him never get over the FL. Like, she does not care about you, bro! You have a whole fox down bad for you, committing crimes in your name! Personally, I will pretend he finally changed his mind, paid attention to Fox Lady, and they lived happily ever after. This plot reminded me of "In Blossom," where the 2ML also knew the FL's secret first, a trope I don't love, especially in how it's handled.
The first 11 episodes were a solid 10/10 in enjoyment. But halfway through, it started to feel frustrating, and I actually struggled to continue. Thankfully, it picked back up for me around episode 26.
Twenty-seven & Dragon: My favorite duo! I enjoyed their friendship way too much. I was heartbroken when Twenty-seven gave his power to the FL just so she could live longer (I don't remember exactly, but it was unexpected). I thought he was gone for good, so thank god he came back. Also, the way they styled this actor was so pleasing to the eye.
Favorite Characters:
Situ Ling: Before he got obsessed and annoying, he was fun.
Zhang Tai (FL's friend): Love her so much. My favorite arc was with the fox clan.
Princess of the Jixing Abyss: Annoying at first, but I came to love her as the drama progressed.
Chao An (I think? The fox guy who married Zhang Tai): Whoever styled him knew what they were doing! The makeup, everything looked ethereal. Sadly, he had to end up being a black-hearted red flag. Still love him, though.
The Funniest of All:
I can't remember his name, but the guy who was not sharp at all. He found the fake wedding invitation and spread it everywhere, one of the best moments! We don't get to see characters like him often. The time someone asked him what he'd do if the princess gave him poison, and he just replied, "She would never do that." So oblivious, but so funny!
It’s a shock to me how a show was able to grab my actual attention with so many characters. I don't get emotional easily, but this did it.
I also love that the FL was actually smart and could protect herself. In the big year of 2025, a capable FL still feels rare.
My Biggest Icks:
Situ Ling, Situ Ling. Did I mention Situ Ling?
He had Fox Lady yearning for him but never spared her a glance. I don't blame him; I blame the writers and their obsession with creating a 2ML the FL will never glance at, who exists only to save her when the ML cannot. That's the whole problem, he was just a plot device, nothing more. His decisions after a certain point felt wrong, as if he did them because the script said so, not because it felt natural for his character. In another life, he and Fox Lady are happily married...
The FL's Lying:
Girl, I get it. But Ji Bazoi, after a certain point, would have literally gotten on his knees for her, and she just kept digging her grave deeper. I was feeling the ML's pain through the screen! I understand dragging out the truth for plot, but the problem is it dragged out too long and became exhausting. I'm sure if the FL had just asked for the cure, he would have given it to her,(that's true, because at the end he did) he wouldn't want to see her in pain. But no, let's make everything worse in the name of stretching the story. There were so many points where the easiest solution was a simple conversation, but writers are always allergic to that.
These two issues were my biggest "hell no, when is this getting resolved?" moments. I ended up skipping all the continued Situ Ling pining scenes, as well as countless scenes of Lord Hanfeng's evil monologuing. Can we just resolve the damn thing already?
That’s the main reason I’d give the Story an 8/10. Those were my biggest icks.
Bonus:
That quote, "You are the morning sun that never sets," from Ji Bozai? Perfection.
The ending was pretty okay—no regrets. And I am never forgetting Chao An. If evil, why so hot?
My rating is 7/10 overall, mainly for the female lead character. Please, writers, write more female characters like Ming Yi!
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Master She, Granny Xun, and the companion beast completely stole every scene they were in.
***** SPOILER ALERT (PERSONAL FEEDBACK) *****Personal Rating: ⭐️ 8.5/10
💕 How would you rate this drama?
Title: Love In The Clouds (2025)
Status: Completed – 36 Episodes
ML: Ji Bo Zai (a warrior of Jixing Abyss with a criminal past) – played by Hou Minghao
FL: Ming Yi / Ming Xian (the God of War from Yaoguang Mountain) – played by Lu Yuxiao
This is actually my first completed drama of Hou Minghao. I previously tried watching Back From the Brink but ended up dropping it. It's also my second drama of Lu Yuxiao after My Journey to You.
I can safely say this drama is worth finishing if you're looking for a light fantasy romance. I honestly planned to drop it in the beginning because of the cringe moments and the continuous lies. 😂 But the story really picked up around Episode 13, and that's when it became much more interesting and had some good twists.
The story revolves around the Qingyun Tournament, where the winner receives the Blessed Rain that brings prosperity to their realm. Ming Yi, who had won the tournament for seven consecutive years, is finally defeated by Ji Bo Zai. During the tournament, she is poisoned by Heavenly Grief, causing her spiritual vein to break. Believing Ji Bo Zai poisoned her, she disguises herself as a fairy attendant from Moonlit Blossoms to get close to him and find the antidote.
🖤 What fell short for me:
1. The first half of the drama was just okay—not bad, but not particularly engaging.
2 . The FL was cute and sweet, but at times she became a little annoying because of her fake persona. I know she was pretending for a reason, but I wish they had toned it down so we could have seen more genuine interactions and conversations between the leads.
3. Some episodes felt slow, especially the Nether Beast episodes which dragged on longer than necessary.
4. There were too many side characters that didn't really add much to the story.
5. Mu Qi Bai (the first main villain) had way too much screen time—it honestly became irritating.
6. It even felt like the supporting characters had more total screen time than the main couple.
7. The FL kept lying even after the ML had already been sincere with her, and that became frustrating to watch.
❤️ What I loved:
1. The chemistry between the leads was good.
2. Master She, Granny Xun, and the companion beast completely stole every scene they were in. They were funny, adorable, and made the drama much more enjoyable.
3. The drama has a satisfying happy ending.
4. Hou Minghao is so handsome. 😍
Overall: Love In The Clouds earns an 8.5/10 from me. It's a decent fantasy romance with a slow start, but it gets much better in the second half of the drama. I just wish the FL's performance had been more convincing and emotionally expressive, as stronger emotional delivery would have made the scenes more impactful. The ML also did well, but I wish he had shown a bit more intensity and anger in certain scenes. His naturally sweet and cute face sometimes made it difficult to fully convey the fiercer side of his character. 😅
Genre : Fantasy / Wuxia, Romance See less
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This drama just drops you in right away. The world is thinly sketched out world and assumes you know the basic tropes of the genre.
What keeps you hooked is excellent chemistry between the leads and multiple stacked plot/mysteries:
1) When will it be revealed Ming Yi is actually the enemy?
2) How will both Ming Yi and Ji Bozai survive multiple poisonings and plots against them? Will they both be able to survive?
3) Who will confess their love first and how?
There's LOTS of angst, protectiveness, rescuing and a smattering of jealousy. Plus a good secondary romance as well. I also appreciated the theme that whatever trauma you suffered growing up, you still have a choice on your morals, ethics paths in life as an adult.
The costumes and settings are a bit more creative and unusual than other shows. I do wish they shot a bit more in the real world almost everything is CGI.
One of my favorite couples modeling an equal partnership, an entertaining watch even if it slows in the last 5-10 episodes. Highly recommend!
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Stayed for the men.
Seriously what a beautiful cast of men! Everyone from the ML, the evil obsessed general, the physician, the ADORABLE cat to even the SIFU are either good looking or lovable. A treat for the audiences for sure.However, same can’t be said about the women with the exception of maybe Zhang Tai.
I was underwhelmed by Lu Yu Xiao as the FL. She didn’t sell it to me that she’s a once powerful warrior. She lacks the aura and martial arts (or dance) skills to pull it off and there’s something about her that doesn’t keep me engaged. I also fowarded most of the princess’ scenes unless she’s with the physician because her face acting is bad.
Story wise it’s not bad but I feel like it could’ve been so much more. Most of the time I felt like they’re just playing around while doing a skit.
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It Looks Repetitive But It Isn’t
After episode 20, it honestly feels like just another C-drama. The familiar setup appears: separation, sacrifice, misunderstandings that push the leads apart. For a moment, it seems like the same cycle we’ve seen countless times.But stop — there’s more.
Unlike many earlier C-dramas where misunderstandings escalate into hurting each other, emotional damage or stubborn silence, this drama handles conflict differently. They don’t intentionally wound each other. Even when separated, they continue to protect and support one another.
The biggest shift is growth. The ML reflects. He allows others to point out that poor communication caused the misunderstanding — and instead of reacting with pride, he re-evaluates himself. That evolution is rare.
The distinction between love and toxic obsession is clearly drawn. When he asks her not to appear before him, she leaves immediately. Not out of weakness but respect and dignity. That moment defines mature love.
Their vulnerability arc is subtle but powerful. The ML initially sees the FL as noble and emotionally untouchable. She breaks that illusion by acknowledging she cannot live without him. While he sure takes his time and only was able to show his vulnerable side in his drunken confession it still will become the turning point that has unconcealed future emotional openness.
The supporting characters are thoughtfully written I can write a whole review for them and still my admiration for them won't be enough to put in the writing the FL’s father, Princess Tianyi, her loved one (this character lifts the drama alone), the comedic friend and the two male (whatever is it called). Each adds texture rather than filler.
The FL is emotionally more mature than the ML, and he recognizes it and grows.The villains work well, though slightly two-dimensional.
What seems predictable at first gradually reveals itself as an evolution of the genre — not by avoiding tropes, but by handling them with awareness and growth.
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Entertaining Start and then just…I Couldn’t Finish it bc it became too Sad and Frustrating.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first ~20 episodes even if there were times when the writing and magic aspects of the show seemed too convenient to the story’s development (like the scene about the marraige rock).After the first ~20 episodes tho…the plot and characters make annoying decisions. I can even see where the writers mindsets could’ve been at when they wrote the following episodes but damn…it was so freaking frustrating to watch.
Then don’t even get me started on the revealment about Ji Bozai’s past. Guys…I love plots with tragic events and characters who overcome them but I just can’t with his life. I don’t know why they had to make this man suffer so so so much. I actually feel so bad for him that I can’t even bring myself to finish the show bc I just can’t stand to see how this perfectly innocent and most unlucky charcacter is still being dragged to deeper depths of despair. I have never dropped a show bc I felt too bad for a lead charcacter but yet here I am and it’s finally happened.
So yeah, thoroughly enjoyed the first half even with its flaws but I just can’t with the episodes after that. The combination of annoying choices and Ji Bozai’s past reveal is just too much.
First ~20 episodes, I’d rate as at least a solid 8/10.
The rest that I’ve seen…I honestly skipped so much just because I couldn’t stand what the leads were doing and then I dropped the show not long after the male leads past revelation. I’d give those episodes like a…2/10 (probably lower tbh) because it’s episodes of pure annoyance followed by despair for seeing a good guy, who despite a hellish past and managed to be a great person, be beaten down somehow even further as if his past wasnt already as bad as it could’ve been.
Dude…his character is SO hard to watch if you’re like me and get emotionally tied to characters.
I’m leaving a rewatch value of 1/10 bc it has to be between 1-10 according to the app but I’m probably never rewatching anything past the enjoyable episodes bc wow I’m already feeling so bad for him just thinking about it.
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Not perfect, but very enjoyable with a strong FL
I found the series overall quite enjoyable.I must say, I really liked the FL's acting. In the first few episodes, her character felt a bit annoying, especially when she was quite obviously pretending to be interested in the ML. I even thought I might drop the drama if that continued. However, I'm glad her actual character turned out to be bold and mature, which is something I usually prefer in cdramas. The actress did a great job portraying her.
The relationships and bonding were soothing to watch. It was especially fun seeing the cat in human form and I loved how the dragon was a bit slow headed. Loved watching them bicker with each other. I must admit, the actor looked really handsome in that costume.
I was really hoping to see Situ Ling remain as Situ Ling rather than what he chose to become in the end. It was just saddening. The character came across as unnecessarily obsessed with the FL and his storyline could have developed better. I also felt like, the FL didn't show proper gratitude toward Situ Ling. They also lacked a proper communication thougout the whole series.
The villains were defeated too easily..... almost disappointedly so. The misunderstanding between the FL and the ML, it could have been resolved much earlier with proper communication, instead of dragging on for several episodes.
Overall, the story is good, enjoyable and fairly consistent, but not particularly unique or anything extraordinary.
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Absolutely love it!
● Both leads are such a treat to watch because aside from looking stunning, they have acting range and versatility. Lu Yuxiao does it so well, from tears glimmering in Ming Yi’s eyes to pretending to be clueless, greedy, and broke so Ji Bozai lets his guard down. I love how Hou Minghao does the hedonistic character so well, then slides into a commanding warrior.● That said, I’m easy to please. The humor lands, especially when Ming Yi’s spiritual beast, a cat, delivers lines like “So Ji Bozai needs a shield like I need a scratching board,” or when Ming Yi calls him over with a “pss, pss” and bribes him with dried fish.
● It’s been a while since I’ve watched a drama that uses doodles. I think the last one was Royal Rumors, so seeing the doodles at the end of each episode is really neat.
● No one escapes the wind machine in this drama either. 😂 Those who are watching Fated Hearts can relate.
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