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this drama is hot mess!!
it's really hard to rate this drama. even thou it isn't bad the drama itself makes it hard to like it.the pacing is all wrong, the main plot gets lost in the sauce, some characters actions don't make any sense.
basic plot: the entire world inhabited by humans, demon and immortal deyates are after the Yuli springs which grants immortality. in other to access the spring water, one must look for the 8 pieces of a magical mirror.
that's were the story starts and where it ends , but the middle part is a whole mess.
we quickly put aside this mission and get lost in endless "quest focused" episodes.
main observations
The dynamic between characters are forced. The start of this love story doesn't make any sense. The 2 main leads are at best acquaintances but the plot wants to see us they falling in love. If you just skip this step, you'll enjoy the drama even though the actors don't have "couple vibes" but "friends vibes".
Same thing for the soldier guy. His only encounter with Xiao Yao is at the military office where he sees her as scammer. Later in the episodes she just flees away and later we are supposed to believe is respects her as a " kind person".. sorry...but when did this happen?😅
Adding to the strange dynamics between characters, Dali revolting against Xiao Yao doesn't make any sense. The was no foreshadowing of this conflict..it just appeared.
She was the one who volunteer to save the demonic Lord with Xiao Yao...
Ep 20: we are halfway through the drama and the main mission, finding the mirror pieces is on hold... They managed to obtain 2 pieces... Until now there is a lot of side quests but a main fil Rouge is missing. Where is this drama going?
Ep 28: the drama has lost the plot. We make 2 steps forward with the main plot and waste episodes on episodes on side quests. Xiao Yao went back in time to collect the primordial spirit of the demon King... Was are they doing? Solving crimes around town. Side stories no one cares about.
This drama started out with endless people looking for the immortality spring and 3/4 into the stories no one is really talking about it, they collect 2 pieces of the mirror so far. 2 pieces...
Hong he is such a boring character.
Pace is uneven. Everything happens at once or nothing happens at all.
The more the drama progreses the more I dislike the main FL. I get that you love Hong he but she treats everyone else like shit when Hong he is involved.
This drama is basically them falling In love because of "kindness" towards one another and eating noodles.
episode 40:
I am finally done with this drama. man, what a mess.
if would have been better to watch to first 10 episode and the last 10. everything in between is basically filler .
the last 5ish episodes cointain all the important information about this drama and we're still hard to swallow.
the only completely positive thing for me is the cat character. he is just too lovable.
watch this drama only if you have endless patience and don't care about coherence.
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Ok Story with good moments
The Unclouded Soul is a fairly typical xianxia story, with the usual elements of sacrifice, love, destiny, and cultivation that are common in the genre. The question is whether it stands out compared to other series in the same category.Personally, I would say it is average. There were no moments in the show that particularly impressed me. The Dreamshard Immortal arc was probably the most interesting part of the series. It draws clear inspiration from the historical story of Qin Shi Huang and his search for immortality, adding an intriguing philosophical layer of obsession, power, and the cost of pursuing eternal life.
However, the second half of the series becomes more problematic from a narrative perspective. The story introduces a time-loop dynamic involving Xiao Yao, in which Future Xiao Yao's actions influence Ning An and ultimately shape Past Xiao Yao's fate. This creates an unusual causal structure in the plot.
The implication seems to be that Future Xiao Yao’s actions directly affect the events that lead Past Xiao Yao to become the person she eventually becomes. In other words, her future self is partly responsible for creating the conditions that shape her past self.
As for the romance part, it's a typical story of misunderstandings, resentment, and sacrifices, and how they overcome them. Nothing really new, no real twist to the age-old formula.
Those who watch this ultimately would compare it to Love In The Cloud; both have their pros and cons. But I am guessing a lot of people who watch both would be big fans of Hou Ming Hao.
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Don't watch this shit its just bad
Here the bad ones gets away and just the good ones die , very much bad story. First i thought the female casting was bad now i realize why other female cast was not available. It was such a disaster ,it would have been good even if both leads had a good ending but at the end the villains just say sorry and escapes that's it. Wasted my precious timeWas this review helpful to you?
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A neverending story
I was so excited for this drama because the previous shows I watched with Hou Minghao were absolute bangers but this one.... yikes. It was a rollercoaster I didn't like and wanted to get off as soon as possible.The story follows Xiao Yao as she's caught up in the middle of the continuous feude between Demons and Humans. During a fight among them she discovers that she's part human, part demon but doesn't understand how the hell that happened. Before she can decide what to do the demons take her away to Demon Valley and tell her she can't leave due to her demonic powers and her practicing them. Along the way she makes friends and gets to know the demons. Instead of human eating beast they can be gentle and kind. She even makes friends and becomes very protective of them.
Can she stop the fighting between both worlds?
The plot above seemed interesting to me but I fell for a cheap scheme. Most of the story was dull, too long and most of it didn't make much sense. The characters didn't do much for me. I didn't feel attached to a single one and kind of hoped something interesting would happen. I'm usually a big sucker for romance but this one just felt off. It didn't feel like a real love to me because there was no time for them to actually fall in love. They just decided they were at some point and chose to not live without the other. Or to die protecting the other.
Maybe this is just not the story for me. I really thought it was going to be this epic drama that would blow me away but it never did. I ended up skipping through most of the ending, not really caring about the Feiyu gaurds, the humans or the entire storyline around that demon bat (with a name I keep forgetting) who wants to steal Hong Ye's demon throne. And it just became ridiculous after Xiao Yao started to travel back in time. At that point I started wishing Hong Ye (in his first life) was the manipulating and spiteful human who betrayed the demon queen and killed her entire race just to get to the Yuli Spring but that never happened. Even back then he was a lovestruck boy without any real power.
I really think this show overreached a little. They used great actors but the characters were outright stupid and too goofy. The power level of their demon king was weak ( I mean... that whole "I lost my powers so we have to bluff our way through" thing was silly. It was probably meant as comic relief but it came across as a weird plot).
Like:
- The OST is superb. I fell in love with most of the songs and have added them to my playlist.
- The cast is amazing.
- The costumes are beautiful!
Dislike:
- Most of the earlier episodes are story-to-storyline. Early episodes are filled with stories that are not connected to the main characters and most of the mains are reduced to background characters (as in, you don't see them for a while).
- Dali. They ruined her character for me by doing that "jealousy" arc.
- The main couple. I get that they fall in love over three lifetimes but the way time goes in this show and how time travel is a thing... they just didn't spark for me. I didn't feel the chemistry. They became annoyingly in love at some point. Always choosing each other (even when it was obviously a stupid choice) and I had to roll my eyes so badly they started to hurt.
- The overal storyline. We spend so much time on watching Xiao Yao sit in Demon Academy (which was a thing) and helping other people or demons in trouble. I actually liked watching her work with both demons and the Feiyu guards and was expecting them to reconcile at some point and make peace between both races, but the story took such a deep dive into randomness I was mindblown... and not in a good way.
- Hong Ye was supposed to be this all-powerful demon king but if I had to compare him to other Demon Kings I've seen he's probably the weakest yet. He's easily broken and felt like a king only by name.
Do I recommend? No. But if you're in for a long haul of a drama with a not-so-great story but great actors, this just might be your next watch. But if you're wanting something with a little more plot and interesting characters, this might not be the one for you.
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Not bad ..Not spellbinding..
The initial 6-7 episodes, I was this🤏close to ghosting this drama. Why? Because it opened with the most overused xianxia starter pack ever. ML lying unconscious in his core for a century in the middle of nowhere, only to be awakened by the FL. This savior is conveniently a lookalike of his ex lover who betrayed him and killed him. Add the usual human vs demon feud with elf, fairy and immortals making wildcard entries, opportunists of both sides taking advantage of the situation to exploit the innocent ones.The storyline feels like a neatly stitched quilt made from leftover pieces of popular xianxia dramas, Literally everything felt like hitting a Deja vu.
Anyways Episode 9 onwards the plot starts taking shape.. it's not like you will escape the cliches but they will be less obvious at this point.
Now, let’s talk cast. HMH is my favorite, no debate. His acting, his voice, his screen presence, chef’s kiss. But compared to the emotional hurricane he was in Love in the Clouds, here he feels… restrained. Subtle is fine, but some expressions feel oddly flat. Especially those past-life romance scenes with Niag’an. I’ve seen this man look at a co-star like the world stops spinning, but here the gaze felt vacant, almost awkward. His character in the drama is also TOO direct, there is nothing much to do apart from reciting the dialogues with a straight face and shedding a tear or two every now and then..
This is my first Tang Song Yun drama,She’s good, very convincing, especially her youthful and childlike voice. Since this is my only exposure to her work, I won’t overanalyze. She’s doing her job well, and I’m content. Her character is charming , naughty , smart and willful just the right blend and she is doing a good justice to it.
The chemistry between the two is okay-ish, Not skipping-a-beat-type dynamic. Felt flat cause there was not enough buildup to justify their 'sudden spark of love '.
Ironically, the supporting cast and guest appearances stole more of my attention...Wang Duo, Chen Xing Hai, Wang Xi Wei and especially Zhou Li Ying, her character has not even been introduced properly and she is already overshadowing the FL.
Technically, the drama delivers as much as it could with that stolen fragments of storytelling. Fight scenes look more like casting-spells magical rather than mechanical. The CGI sets are gorgeous, especially the demon realm. Pink glowing grass, silvery skies, glittery blue waters, tiny living herbs with baby houses. Cute overload 🥰❤️ Styling and wardrobe though? Meh. Very safe, very recycled. I’ve seen this look before in LBFAD and Sword and Fairy. Nothing fresh.
And the BGM was good which is again similar to a very popular xianxia, IYKYK (hint : Xu kai is the lead)
So yeah, for now, I’m holding on for the cast and praying the plot finds its spine.
PS: I will edit this review if things improve.
Edit: things didn't improve .. instead gotten worse ..so i dropped the rating to a seven... I am sorry but that's the best I can give to this drama.
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Only for Binzhu
The main leads’ performances were solid. HMH, as usual, never disappoints, his acting has always been reliable, and nailed his character perfectly. TSY is a great actress too, I loved her in FOY. However, in this series, their chemistry just wasn’t chemistry-ing for me, especially when compared to HMH and GLNZ in Glory.Both actors did well, but the storyline was honestly one of the worst I've seen. I know many people may disagree, but I couldn’t get past ep 2 without heavy skipping, rolling my eyes and brain damage. There was no way I could sit through the entire series properly. XY’s character was incredibly immature, not the most likeable FL to begin with, but beyond that, she was just plain childish. I genuinely don’t understand where the strong female lead narrative came from.
And why did HY have to sacrifice himself after going through so much? That decision made zero sense. Killing off the supporting characters didn’t help either as they haven't get the chance to rewrite their story. The ending was utter nonsense. If the storyline had been well written and HY sacrificed himself for the greater good, maybe could have accepted it. But when the entire series was already weak, that sacrifice felt completely undeserved and frustrating.
The only thing that kept me coming back at all was BZ and PP. Without them, I would rate this drama 1/10...
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Despite Hou Minghao’s stunning presence, I don’t see myself revisiting this series.
The Unclouded Soul is a visual treat. Hou Minghao as Hong Ye brings quiet intensity to the role of the demon king, and his restrained presence makes the epic moments stand out. Tan Songyun as Xiao Yao delivers charm and energy, making her one of the most interesting characters, even when her playful style may feel a touch cheeky at times. Taner and Bing Xu add depth to the side arcs, giving the drama layered emotional threads beyond the main storyline.The world-building is impressive: costumes, set design, and cinematography pull you straight into a mythic, xianxia-inspired universe. The soundtrack beautifully complements key moments, with songs that linger long after the episode ends, adding sweet and melancholic layers to the experience.
Romance is subtle — restrained and careful — which may feel understated for those expecting full-on swoonworthy payoffs. Some character dynamics also lean unconventional, keeping things slightly off the typical “romantic high” path.
Overall, The Unclouded Soul shines in visual storytelling and character depth, even if the romance doesn’t fully satisfy.
Overall, it’s a visually beautiful and ohhkey-acted drama with layered characters, but the pace and restrained romance may not fully justify the full 40-episode commitment for every viewer.
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Ending wasn't only bad but disastrous
The ending didn't satisfy me at all! Regardless Hong Ye human arc was my favourite but Even after all those suffering, it was again Hong Ye sacrificing himself apparently because every sin is committed by him only and no one else is guilty at all .. It would have been a lil bit better if he could have recarnated atleast in the end .. but it looks like the story maker was a total Hong Ye hater , he couldn't be bothered.. Moreover, Xiao Yao learnt the new technique and went back to the time , when they first met ??? Like girl ?? What do you want? All to be repeated all again? Moreover all this time traveling was just so pointless in this drama .. people going back and not changing anything? She travelled back just to live the past life .. couldn't change anything at all !? In the end , I thought she learnt something new from ancient scriptures so maybe she'll go at the time of sealing the mirror and do something else and Hong Ye will be saved ! But NO 😭😭😭 She just wanted to live again with Hong Ye and watch him suffer all over again!😭😭😭 This drama has so much potential but story kinda ruined it.Was this review helpful to you?
Briefing the core.
Tbh, if you want to enjoy this drama, just enjoy the characters, they have amazing onscreen presence, almost each one of them. Acting in convincing. But story is below average. I would rather say, uptil 25 episodes, there's nothing in the story, it feels like scattered pieces joined together, more like a part of another main story.But but but, beyond ep 25, the story unleashes it's power potential. It takes a turn and stands out as something new and different. Worth a try.
Characters make it enjoyable undoubtedly. They have done commendable job.
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Awesome fantasy drama - worth a watch
LIKEMy god Sui Meng Xian Jun!! - her story also touched my heart
Xiao Yao keeps on destroying Zhu Yu's wooden hut lol
Have you found your cat then? Lol what kind of question
A Li's piece of story is really so touching I want to die - cry till death
Wow the plot twist is good when the girls going through tests in "Huan Xu Jing" my tears!
The tao sha story cannot let go soso good criesss
Going back to see the pasts is such a good idea
When Ning An tries to make Hong Yan cry lol
The three big demons so funny my god and innocent
Poor Pian Pian's pathetic life
How is Bing Zu being let off so easily lol
The last idea Xiao Yao came out with was a turning point for all events which was great
DISLIKE
The timeline when Xiao Yao found Hong Yan a little wrong he is with blood but at that time she still doesn’t know him or was it a sign only?
MUSIC - personal fav
怕是一场梦 Pa Shi Yi Chang Meng - 侯明昊 Hou Ming Hao
镜 Jing - 段奥娟 Duan Ao Juan
念与劫 Nian Yu Jie - 黄霄雲 Huang Xiao Yun
燃烬 Ran Jin - 井胧 Jing Long
从此 Cong Ci - 谭松韵 Tan Song Yun
人间辞 Ren Jian Ci - 许馨文 Xu Xin Wen
裂 Lie - 菲菲 Fei Fei, 李鑫一 Li Xin Yi
REWATCH VALUE
Shall re-watch when I have the time some day
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40 episodes, really?
I would to start by saying this is not a bad drama, but it's very too long for what its has to tell. There a lot of problems for the plot and way too much episodes, the story have too much repetitive things. Acting is good, OST is very nice, i like the CGI.I can say it's worth it to watch if you like the actors but overall its a very common drama.
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