This review may contain spoilers
This drama has a Bad Ending - Not Sad but Everything Else was Nice
The story was illogical. Don’t get me started on the plot holes! I liked the idea of the first time loop. It wasn’t the cliché reincarnation or erased-memories trope. But the OG life also being a time loop? No. That idea was senseless. They should have pulled a 'Till the End of the Moon 'there, like Sang Jiu’s story.Bing Zhu killing off the most powerful demons like bed bugs—were they a joke to the storyline? Xing Mu dying in that scenario, and then Bing Zhu comes along and says, “Sorry bro, my bad, I’ll repent for it.” Really? The villains were so weak, while the other side was shown as extremely powerful—the Emperor, Bing Zhu, Hei Wui. Hei Wui had so much potential in the beginning, but even he became a joke halfway through.
And the ending. Oh, the ending. She goes into the loop again just to relive the memories. That’s when I understood—we were the joke. Did I get closure, even though everyone conveniently moved on in the last 10 minutes? HELL NO.
The OST was nice. It suited the drama very well, but they could have used all the songs more equally. They barely used the others compared to the title track.
All the actors and their costumes were beautiful. Even the minute details were well done. The Valley was beautiful. The human world was beautiful.
Their romance was also cute. It wasn’t very burning or steamy; it gave innocent, first-love vibes. There was no confession per se—they were already an unspoken couple. There were no unnecessary misunderstandings or a green-tea female lead following the ML around calling “gegegege” like a turkey.
Overall, it’s an 8/10 from my side—mainly for the pretty ML, FL, the other actors, the sets, and maybe the OST.
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Plot is not interesting - Review up to 20
This is a review up to eps 20. I will be dropping the drama because the story is not interesting to me. Please don't comment/attack my review because this review is not attacking you, "your actors," or your values. It's just about how I feel about the story up to 20.I like both actors. Up to episode 8, the drama was great.
However, the script can't hold my interest. The love story is not compelling, especially when the ML disappeared for awhile. Then he lost his power. The SML seems to have equal screen time.
I normally like TSY. Here, when she was in the Princess role, she looks beautiful. However, in the XY role, her hair always looks unkempt. I love her when she was in Under the Power. She was really funny and cute there. I think it's the script.
The resolution of the Sui Meng Xian Jun [Dreamshard immortal] story doesn't make sense.
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Lazy writing at its best ?
After the huge success of Love In The Clouds, The Unclouded Souls was definitely something I was looking forward to. Can't say I'm fully disappointed cause I could see both Hou Minghao and Tan Songyun did everything they could to save this lacklustre of the plot...but even they had their limits!Lets talk about the pros.
Well,HMH as the Demon King Hong Ye was absolutely gorgeous. He's a king,who is not someone with arrogance or show off but a leader who has this huge responsibility to protect his people from human...a King with morality,sense of duty,someone you can always rely on.But when he's with Xiao Yao,he's a lover,a protector who has been betrayed in his previous life but still his heart belongs to her and he acknowledges it really well. HMH did real Justice to this role.He had that calm,elegant,gentle sophisticated aura that immediately makes you respect him as a King who is always ready to protect his subjects or a lover who despite being hurt deeply, loves with his everything. I could feel Hong Ye's sadness in his sorrowful eyes before that first time travel and loved how eventually his eyes changed after he finally fell in love with Xiao Yao.
Tan Songyun,even though she was older than HMH,was so lively,beautiful as Xiao Yao who is naughty,cheerful,vibrant,cheeky, always smiling and making everyone smile. She was weak but never solely depending on others. When needed,she delivered powerful performance. As a dragon lord from 10,000 years ago,she was looking majestic.She was one of the reasons for me to finish this drama,loved her as Xiao Yao/Ning'an.
And this pair worked. Not in a "set the screen on fire" way,but in a mature,more understanding, subtle way. Hong Ye who even after everything,his past with Ning'an,his enmity with human,his responsibility as Demon King, still loved his Xiao Yao till his last moment. Xiao Yao even after her heartbreak 10000 years ago due to Hong Ye,after everything she went through,still loved her Hong Ye till she found him again and again. They understood each others sacrifices,their past never became a hindrance to their love.They were destined to be lover,a miserable pair mocked by destiny who just wanted to live with each other in every timeline. HMH and TSY was sweet as a couple, understood their character and delivered well.
Cinematography and cgi was good. OST's were really lovely, I absolutely loved "Afraid It's Only A Dream". Comedy bits were good too,some were really laughable.
Now...cons.
1.Story writing was really lazy...perhaps bad at some points.There were times when I had to skip cause it was so boring.The whole plot with Dreamshard Immortal was so painfully boring...making Hong Ye almost disappear for like 4/5 episodes,making him a prisoner with no power, the trials with those girls,suddenly Dali becoming evil for no reason..... Nothing was appealing at all. Later they again made Hong Ye powerless only to make Xiao Yao have time travel and when she came back,she had to go back again...there has to be some limits of stupid writing! Also Bingzhu-Pianpian plotline was another headache! Bingzhu who always hated Demons suddenly becoming one and Pianpian behind all these calamity that fell upon Demon valley for no apparent reason....nothing makes sense.
2.Since time travel contains a huge plot of the story,some effort should've given to make it somehow logical. Now the " chicken-egg" theory makes everything questionable.Xiao Yao kept going back, sometimes she's clueless,sometimes she remembers,she knows whats gonna happen but still did the same thing...it was painful to watch.Also after the story unfolds,it felt like it was Xiao Yao as Dragon Lord and her obsession with Hong Ye that started everything. Didn’t understand how it was Hong Ye's fault 10000 years ago when it was him and his people who was tortured,killed by demons and he deceived them only to protect his people. Yes,he did deceive Xiao Yao too,but he didn’t deserve to be killed by her for that,that part was illogical. Also,why Hong Ye didn’t go with Xiao Yao in time travels when he also was a main part of whatever happened??
3.Bringing back three big Demons,giving them likable characters only to kill them so easily was another bad turn of the plot. Other small demons and Demon valley also got sidelined since the story started to heavily base on past incidents.
4.The ending could be much much better if they didn’t take the typical sad xianxia route. Hong Ye already got punished and suffered in the past two timelines. Even after becoming a demon, he's been atoning for his sins for 5000 years.....so why make him punished again for eternity??? Why nothing happened to Bingzhu who been killing demons left and right?He suddenly became a demon and out of nowhere Tan'er appeared on Pianpian's body and he stopped fighting???? Why Pianpian not punished who's been behind everything? How can that greedy emperor die so easily and after that suddenly human and demons were on good terms???? Out of all these people who deserved to die,why Hong Ye was the one who had to sacrifice??? Its not like people will forget about Yuli Spring,they will keep finding it and make chaos.Hong Ye's sacrifice was'nt needed.
Overall if we ignore the plotholes and that bizarre nonsense ending, its really enjoyable as a eye pleasing drama with sweet mature likeable leads.The story wasn’t that bad,a better writing could actually give us something really memorable.
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Okk But is it just me or you might agree that
Hou Minghao would be a great choice for Playing Inuyasha. If only there ever was a live action adaptation of "Inuyasha" An Japanese Anime that I love & grow up watching.
Maybe, just maybe? I maybe trying to manifest this light bulb idea in my head. Who knows it could actually be good, cause after watching all his fantasy dramas where he either plays a demon or a fox. His getup, his costume and his makeup is always on point & super slik. I would differently tune in for just that.
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1Another masterpiece after Fangs of Fortune
I love the drama.... It is so interesting . If you are hesitating in starting the drama, you shouldn't. Go ahead and watch it. True to my expectations.Hong Ye-
Our ML is just woww...I have no words for expressing my feelings. Hou Ge really portrayed it in the best possible way.
Lord demon Hong Ye became my favourite character with ZYZ. How beautifully Hou Minghao (ML) can convey his characters' inner thoughts (cry, pain, smile, laugh everything) even without using a word, really appreciable. (Just through his eyes and expression) Truly a great actor. ✅
Xiao Yao- Naughty but smart FL...did a good job alongwith HMH.
I will write a full review after finishing the drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Can't wait for the new episodes!
It’s funny— I started 2025 watching Neo’s Fangs of Fortune, and it feels really fitting that I’m ending the year with another one of his series, The Unclouded Soul. I’m only 16 episodes in so far, and here’s what I’m loving:The cast, especially Seven and Neo as the leads. I’ve always admired Seven’s work and completely fell in love with her in Go Ahead. She consistently has great chemistry with her male leads, which is why I enjoy following her projects. I’m also not surprised to see Neo playing another Demon King—he fits these roles incredibly well. At this point, he might just be the king of playing Demon Kings.
One thing I really love about iQIYI dramas is their consistent CG style. The cinematography and color palette are absolutely beautiful.
The story hooks you right away—a flashback to an unforgettable love story between the leads, paired with a puzzling moment from the past that leaves you questioning what really happened and what was left unresolved. So far, I’m enjoying the pacing and where the story seems to be heading. Maybe it’s the cast, or maybe it’s how lighthearted the drama feels. After watching so many intense historical dramas filled with heavy politics and intricate details, this was a refreshing change of pace for me.
I also love how this drama reminds me of classic wuxia. It gives me vibes similar to Ashes of Love, Fangs of Fortune, Love Between Fairy and Devil, and Back from the Brink.
This is one series I cannot wait for the new release!! I hope this continues till the end! Currently this is a 8/10 for me!
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Great acting with nice ost
I rarely watch xianxia but The Unclouded Soul totally pulled me in! The moment Hongye first appeared, I could feel his pain right through the screen. Hou Minghao's micro-expressions are absolutely next-level - he conveys so much without even saying much. And don't get me started on Xiao Yao and that adorable green fluffy creature... my heart can't take how cute they are! Last but not least, i love the ost, already stuck in my head!🥺✨"Was this review helpful to you?
Very good when taking off
I have watched the full drama and enjoyed it very much. But first I had dropped it around the third episode because it looked too childish, and I thought the production had failed to precise it was addressed to a 4 to 12 years old audience. Then I had a second thought that such a great cast could reserve some good surprise later on, and so it happened. The drama really starts to take off after episode 10, becoming more mature and consistent,and it keeps improving till the end.
In the beginning, it was too much in the context of a school of little hybrid animals and plant characters,
mistakenly called 'demons' when actually some are very nice and others really bad. Let's say they rather are 'nature spirits'.
Then the plot thickens and an excellent production finally emerges that I found good on every level. The leading actress Seven Tan is so fresh and funny, Neo Hou a real magic gentleman, and all around just beautiful, images, sound, and the story gets more and more interesting. Finally very recommended !
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Has delivered almost nothing memorable or distinctive.
I am currently on episode 21 and, unfortunately, I have to agree with some fellow viewers about the poor quality of the story. The script is very weak, slow-paced, and lacks emotion. Worse still, the love story is dull and unengaging.Both main leads are excellent actors, delivering first-rate performances, as expected. Sadly, the story does not support them. It fails to gain momentum, fails to captivate, and fails to move the audience.
I have watched so many good C-dramas recently, but this one truly promised a lot and, so far, has delivered almost nothing memorable or distinctive.
I will try to finish it for the sake of the actors, but it is honestly quite discouraging.
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Mixed Emotions but Worth Watching
I honestly don’t know where to begin with this drama. Seeing the rating drop from 8.4 to 7.8 truly broke my heart because I genuinely love both lead actors. Still, I can understand the reason behind it.Some episodes are really engaging and pass by quickly, while others feel quite slow. Even then, skipping isn’t an option because you want to watch your favorite actors. Open endings are always difficult to process, and the ending in particular made me lower my rating to 8.
Personally, I don’t see this drama going above 8.2, and I believe the lower ratings are mainly due to the ending and the uneven pacing in certain episodes. That said, if you are planning to watch it, go ahead but be prepared to push through a few slow episodes.
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This review may contain spoilers
Tan songyun you really didn't me disappoint for ur acting 🤗even though some of minghao fans didn't like u, i will continue watching cuz u really did so good to ur role, and you're so funny, pareho kong favorite actor /actress i wait this series for so long now im so excited but for now i will rewatch till got have new episodes 😍 Was this review helpful to you?
Why Change a Perfect Ending?
I really enjoyed this drama, especially its emotional story and character development. The journey of the female lead was meaningful, and seeing her grow stronger made everything more engaging.Hong Ye was also a standout character, not only for his depth but also for his striking and captivating presence on screen.
However, I didn’t like the ending. The drama made it feel unclear and a bit tragic, which was disappointing.
In the original story, she doesn’t give up. She trains, becomes stronger, and eventually finds her way back to Hong Ye, choosing to stay with him forever in that dimension.
This version feels much more complete and satisfying. I really wish the drama had followed the original ending.
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