The Unclouded Soul

The Karmic Cycle had always been the theme of this series

When i started this series i honestly thought this was just one of those fantasy dramas that would fill my day. Started out slow and a bit of a confusing world building but they did pick it up as soon as we reach the middle of the story.

When we reach the story of the mountain elf, thats when i realized that the theme of this series is karma. The madam of that sect wanted to plant good karma for her husband who has turned to a demon because the husband wanted to cure her, in turn she has helped the mountain elf become good. Again the cause and effect. And it has already been established that even when the mountain elf consumed the water from the spring, he just felt empty even when granted with immortality. This is evident when we see the actual place of the spring, its empty, shallow, endless and dark.

The ending of the drama is not gonna be everyone's cup of tea but it exactly fits the entire theme of the series. Hongye finally understands the cycle. No one will be able to destroy the spring as long as there will be living beings with desires but no one will be able to access it anymore if he seals himself with it. As for xiaoyao, she will continue going back in time just to see hongye but the ending will always be the same. And that will be her unattainable desire.

I always say this to everyone, if the message of the series doesn't resonate with you right now, leave it. And when the time comes and you remember this series, watch it.

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Cute and Sweet

I was so excited when the preview of this drama came out because I’m a complete sucker for anything fantasy, especially if the ML is one of my favorites. I wasn’t over with Love in the Clouds, and now Hou Ming Hao has another drama with “cloud” in its title. Of course I was sold. I’ve only seen Tan Songyun in Whirlwind Girl and I couldn’t say much about her acting. Everyone seems to love her in drama land, so I was like okay, I’ll give it a go because this is a Hou Ming Hao drama and I know it won’t disappoint. I ended up enjoying her performance here. She’s cute and funny. This drama was special in its own way. I can’t compare this to Love in the Clouds. It’s cliche because almost every fantasy drama out there is made up of the same ingredients. I’m not complaining, though. The ML, Hong Ye, was awakened from a century’s nap by a young girl. We all know they’re linked somehow from the past, as always. The girl, Xiao Yao, was saved from falling off a cliff by the ML. She was brought back to the Demons’ Valley where she met some friends, the pig demon, Luoluo, and Dali, a flower demon. When Hong Ye was triggered by a memory, he started strangling Xiao Yao because he was so pissed. We saw a sneak peek of the memory that showed how Princess Ning’an betrayed him. I love how he fell for her right away after realizing they’re not the same person. I already knew that whatever she did to him 100 years ago wasn’t the full truth. Whenever Ning’an’s name popped up, she gets sad. She thinks Hong Ye only helps her because she looks like his past lover. When she saw Ning’an’s illusion, she asked what’s so special about her that Hong Ye kept thinking about her. In the end we found out that she is Ning’an and she’s also the Azure dragon Lord from 10,000 years ago who was the monarch of all demons. I love how Xiao Yao doesn’t stay mad for long when complications arise. She’s always there for him. Hou Ming Hao doesn’t show much of his acting chops here because Hong Ye was supposed to be this gentle, kind hearted demon that only wants peace between the human and demon race. It was nice to see Zhao Liying as the exalted immortal at the beginning. I started missing The Legend of Shen Li all of a sudden. The CG effects, music, fight scenes, and settings were really great in this drama. I adored the little Zhuyu herbs. They were so cute! The kisses were simple, not passionate. The chemistry between the leads was kinda off. I can’t put my finger on it. Overall, it was a great drama. I have to shave a point here because first off, what the heck was that ending? I refused to accept it. Poor Hong Ye! I hate that kind of ending. Why can’t they just guard the kunlun mirror and still be together? That really ripped my heart out. Then the writers killed off the three great demons as well. I really wanted to see them again. Anyway, I really thought Hong Ye was originally from an extinct dragon clan like what one of the theories say. Turns out, that was actually Xiao Yao. It’s funny how in the end, Hong Ye who used to be a human prince fought with Bingzhu, who used to be human, too. I love Xiao Yao because she has a good heart. When she learned the truth from 10,000 years ago, she transferred her power to him and made sure that Hong Ye will never die. He will become a demon and atone for his sins. She accepted the truth no matter how unbearable it was. Ah, true love. I was smiling and giggling whenever they had cute moments. I loved this drama so much. I highly recommend it for fantasy junkies like me.

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May the type of "love" that found Hong Ye never find me.

The people who know me know that I will drop a drama at the slightest inconvenience, even if it’s from one of my favorite actors, without looking back. In this show, the first of such inconveniences was the female lead’s voice. It grated on my nerves, and it bothered me that even the Zhuyu herb’s sounds had more feeling behind them than whatever she was trying to portray at any given moment.

So if I were to judge this drama solely on the main leads’ story, chemistry, and portrayal of their characters, it would be, at best, a 1/10. That means I wouldn’t even get a chance to rate it, because I would have already said, “Be gone from my sight, you putrid thing,” and dropped it after the first episode. Okay, I would have dropped it before the first episode was even over. However, despite how terribly the main story was written and how unlikeable the main female lead was, and, a lot of the time, even the male lead, the drama still had something that kept me going back to it.

First, it was Bing Zhu. His character’s story was so much better written than the main leads’, and I just wanted to keep watching him and his struggles. Then, they started giving me these mini side stories that tugged at my heart. Some of the guest characters’ stories, although rehashed time and time again, were still far better than the main leads’ overarching one. As if it wasn’t enough that Bing Zhu and the guest characters were outshining the main leads, they added Pian Pian to the mix. The drama did not give me what I needed, but Bing Zhu and Pian Pian certainly did.

So, after struggling through narcolepsy, rage bouts, and disgust, because of the horrible writing and a female lead who felt like an omniscient narrator, always everywhere, mostly looking like a deer in headlights, but not really adding anything to the events happening on screen, I can honestly say that even the “villains” didn’t annoy me as much as she did. Possibly because she was the main villain in the story. This is not a spoiler; this is just my opinion of her.

I say all this to justify why I decided not to rate it a 3 like I was going to originally do. It would be a disservice to Bing Zhu and Pian Pian, and to all others who acted their hearts out no matter how small or big their roles were. Final rating 5/10.

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I don't like the last 5 ending episodes

Tbh i am not very satisfied with this serie, ending was terrible, i hate that they killed those 3 funny guys after just lifting their seal, these boys didn't even get a chance to change their lives and find their true better half. As always chinese like to use side characters to use only for the wellbeing of the leads, and honestly it's anoying as it its already, just stop with that, it's getting on my nerves. But i also understand that this kind of pov is part of the culture, but it's wrong, everybody deserve to be happy and loved equally. Also after Hong Ye sacrifised himself and let all the shit he made repent, writers still didn't leave it as it is, and got him back with XY with some bibidibabidi bu. Like what?? Serioslly, i love Neo but this character he plays, its terrible, wtf are you telling me Ml can be back and some back characters can't? They should at least give those 3 boys reincarnation possibility they def deserved it after all shit they selflesly took from Fl and her HY obssesion. In normal dramas those two leads are evil guys.

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Great cast, nice acting, ending could've been better

So, I completed this drama today and all I can say is that the ending could've been better... I get that they wanted to portray cause and effect which they did excellently, but 3 lifetimes should've been enough to find a solution that benefits everyone.

Tang Songyun is my best actress and I couldn't see anyone who could've played Xiao Yao like she did. I became a fan of Hou Minghao more recently; he's an amazing actor and played his role as demon lord perfectly... For some reason though, there were times when it felt like something was missing in their acting... I don't know if it's the script or their age difference that caused the little frictions, but I've seen them be so involved in their acting in other works that it felt so natural... My opinion on their acting as individuals certainly won't change.

Overall it's a good drama. If the ending was well planned, maybe it'd have been a drama I'd rewatch but most deaths in the last two episodes were unwarranted and some characters deserved far worse endings than they were given.

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Nice one

The Unclouded Soul is a 40-episode drama about relationships between humans and demons, and the greed within them to become immortal. Even those who are already immortal seek greater power.
I liked the drama, especially the love story between the leads. It also has a few light and humorous scenes. Overall, everything was fine except the ending. Firstly, I disliked the killing of the three demons who had been sealed in the mountain for many years. Secondly, I was dissatisfied with the ending of the leads’ love story.
Apart from that, everything else was perfect. The background music and songs were also good.

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for me it's in between average & very good/excellent drama .. rating wise maybe 7.8/10 ..

Hou Ming Hao is a good actor , but the vibe of demon lord i feels missing .. in dramas in which ML is the demon , then i prefer Arthur Chen , Ao Rui Peng , Dylan Wang , Ryan Cheng .. maybe if Wang Duo [ Bing Zhu ] would have been the main ML than it's demon vibe would have different . but out of the names i have mentioned Arthur Chen is now currently my no. 1 preferred ML in demon main ML dramas after watching When Destiny Brings the Demon ..

coming to the story it's same type of happy ending where the ML will sacrifice himself & they will meet again in last 3-4 minutes before ending , but in this drama the style is different ..

in flashback it was shown that Ning An killed Hong Ye , & in the present time when Xiao Yao went back in time to get back Hong Ye's power she became Ning An & Xiao Yao knew that Ning An killed Hong Ye & still in the end Hong Ye still died & Xiao Yao couldn't prevent it even knowing what had happened & actually it was Xiao Yao as Ning An who killed Hong Ye because she was controlled using magic & she couldn't stop it which was shown in flashback but it still benefited her because she got his drop of tear & he was able to get back power in present time ..

when Xiao Yao went back 10000 years ago , at that time Hong Ye was human & Xiao Yao was a demon & still Xiao Yao during that time she had to stab & made him sleep for 5000 years . so in the end Xiao Yao learnt a technique where she can go specific time in the past as per her choice . so when she want back 1000 years ago she knew Hong Ye died in the past still she couldn't change that . when she went 10000 years ago she doesn't have any memory of that time but still she had to stab & make him sleep for 5000 years in the end . so in the finale episode when she went back in time , when she had to kill Hong Ye 2 times & couldn't change the timeline , so going back in the past in the finale how she can change the timeline & stop Hong Ye from sacrificing himself in the end ..

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Storyline

I never write reviews about dramas but this one annoyed me because they wasted a very good plot and characters. They really could've expanded the story and moved in a different direction.

They had 3 perfectly great characters they introduced in ep 30+ and they just killed them off after you end up vouching for all of them individually. Seriously? I think they could've skipped the more of the immortal spirit part as well. You could start at around ep 20? where she goes back into her 2nd life and still enjoy it. The 1st life was more interesting to be fair.

And the ending to have the ML sacrifice himself and the FL goes back to a moment she enjoys with him but he still stays stuck in that way, seems like lazy writing. Could she not have invented something else to go back and change reality. And who is that other female god that promised humans the Yuli spring just to tempt their desires and say they cant be changed? So at the end the takeaway is you still have to repent for your crimes no matter how you have redeemed yourself and you'll be stuck in a loop forever. I mean if that was the end message thats fine but to make it a good thing for the FL to stay in an illusion forever? They can do better then this.

This whole series could've been edited better to 25-30 episodes. I can see how some said messy writing. Omg.

Pros:
You buy into FL &ML chemistry in about ep 20.
The casting was good.
The production development was good.

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Boring, not make sense, too much useless scene, but it still a good movie I think

I might get some hate for this, but this drama honestly wasn't the best. I’ve seen much better work from Hou Minghao, like Love in the Cloud. While I’m trying not to be biased, this show only held my attention for the first 10 episodes; after that, it became incredibly boring. There were so many filler scenes that I found myself flying through 3 or 4 episodes in a single hour just to get through it. By the time I reached the end, the scenes felt useless, the plot was confusing, and the overall execution was just... "meh."

For example, why did when Dreamshard Immortal appear Hong Ye in scenes always involving prison and torture? Even Zhao Liying, who is my favorite, had a role that genuinely frustrated me. The female lead and supporting roles were equally exhausting to watch.

Then there is Bing Zhu, who constantly say about killing "evil" demons while he is slowly turning into one himself. The hypocrisy was hard to watch!

The time-travel where Xiaoyao returns to her past as Ning An started off well, But When she come back to the present not long enough, she met the 3 demon that want her to go to the past again to see why they have grudge on Hong Ye and then the story dragged on by having her go back yet again as a **Demon Lord**. It felt like the writers were just trying to stretch the episode count.

The constant, repetitive fighting between the humans and demons grew tireless. Furthermore, the logic of the side characters made no sense like Long Zhi why did she think killing Hong Ye’s family would benefit the demons or help Xiaoyao? It was a reckless move. and Ao Hen on more I don't even want to talk about him. He claims he wants "revenge" on Hong Ye, yet he is the one torturing Hong Ye and killing his people. The fact that he thinks Hong Ye is the one who needs to "pay" is ridiculous.

even the kiss scene scene is hard to watch maybe it better to not kiss.

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A good drama, not flawless but good

Okay so I watched it and let me simply divide it into pros and cons because it had both equally:

(This is just my opinion and it is full of spoilers, proceed at your own discretion)

PROS:

1. The caste - chef kiss, beautiful. I'll forever be the HMH fan and although I have not watched many dramas with TSY she was lovely.

2. Acting- Hands down amazing. I cried and will cry for them.

3. CGI- Beautiful! The productions value overall was high and beautiful 😍

4. OST- Is on my playlist and would never leave.

5. Story- Overall the story is engaging, beautiful with deep meaning. I loved how their was no main great villain but it was just a big karmic cycle. That was something you don't see often.

6. Xiao Yao- I think her character development and her just travelling through lives and taking no bull makes her my favourite. She was one character they did do justic to.

Now, for the CONS:

1. Ending: One of the biggest cons. I don't know what with a wholesome story with zero angst they decided it is a good decision to put a sad ending.

2. Characters: I thoroughly believe Hong Ye was treated unfairly by the story. But that's just life. Another character was The Demon Slayer who was like one of my favourite at the start but at the end he just became a character I skip every scene of. Another honourable mentions- Dali, PianPian, Tan-er.

3. Power- I see this a lot in recent dramas and maybe many don't mind it but it bugs me. They show narratively strong characters like "The most powerful Demon Lord, blessed by gods!" And the demon lord in the story (after gaining power btw) just stands... I mean this is much better than some "powerful" characters I've seen.

WARNING: First 5-6 episodes are terribly slow but trust the process. It gets good.

4. Kiss- This dramas has like 2 kiss scenes and they are just bad. No movement, no expressions. But I love HMH so I'll let it pass. To me personally good plot is what matters most so I don't mind bad kiss scenes.

Do the cons overpower the pros? No. I recommend you watch it because it is a worthwhile drama and even though the kisses may make you facepalm, the chemistry is good and worthwhile.

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The ending ruined it

From the beginning, i already expected a bittersweet ending because the core conflict of the story, ending the dispute between Demons and Humans, felt almost impossible to resolve without sacrifice. So if they succeeded, i knew it wouldn’t come with a fully happy ending.
That said, episode 38 still raised my hopes, especially when Ao Hen nearly defeated Lord Bing Zhu, the main antagonist. For a moment, it really felt like things might turn out better. By episode 39, the sadness started sinking in, and by the first half of episode 40, my heart was already aching. The second half of the finale completely broke me. I tried convincing myself that this ending was expected, and still failed to hold back tears.
The CP in this drama unfortunately didn’t work and they failed to create chemistry so the romance here is off and disappointed because in xianxia dramas if the plot is messed the romance and chemistry is what saves the show...
That said, there are things also i didn’t like:
Dali’s character was disappointing. She had the potential to be a true friend to Xiao Yao, but instead chose betrayal just to be “perfectly beautiful” in the Realm of Mist and Void. I honestly expected Dali and Xiao Yao to reunite at the end, and it was sad that they never did.
The bittersweet and open ending left me conflicted. It was emotional, and the behind-the-scenes clips helped ease the pain a little, but I’m still confused about why Xiao Yao chose that specific memory to return to. Since she mentioned having another request, I assume she had her reasons, but the ending still felt unsatisfying and has no sense. It was also clearly rushed. The sudden handling of Pianpian’s fate, and Tan’er ending up in Pianpian’s body all felt abrupt and poorly explained...
The things i liked are solely the cgi and beautiful clothes.

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