This review may contain spoilers
Love in the Clouds：A Romeo-and-Juliet-in-the-Sky Extravaganza
If Romeo & Juliet ever decided to move to a fantasy realm filled with glowing clouds, oversized swords, tragic backstories, and dramatic aerial martial arts, Love in the Clouds would be their Airbnb.
Except in this version, Juliet is a fallen “prince” (yes, not princess — gender-bending is very in vogue!) from Yaoguang Mountain, and Romeo is a criminal-turned-#1-warrior from the rival Jixing Abyss.
Star-crossed lovers? ✔️
Generational blood feud? ✔️
Emotional carnage? ✔️✔️✔️
****
A Relationship That Starts With… “Did You Poison Me?”
Our FL approaches the ML not because of fate, destiny, or some cosmic red thread — but because she thinks he poisoned her and is the only man on earth holding the antidote.
Honestly? Respect.
Girl saw a problem and chased down the solution.
ML, who hates deception more than I hate pointless filler arcs, suspects she has ulterior motives.
Both are testing each other like suspicious cats circling the same piece of fish.
It’s not exactly romantic, but hey — in xianxia, “I think you poisoned me” is practically foreplay.
Soon:
The ML tries to investigate her intentions.
FL tries to secure the antidote.
Neither succeeds because BOTH are too busy catching feelings.
Even after ML realises she lied, he’s already halfway to “If she asked, I would move mountains.”
Love is truly the strongest bug, even in the xianxia system.
****
Love Story: A Romance that's Predictable in Theory, Surprisingly Sensible in Practice
Romance in fantasy dramas is often:
“I died for you!”
“I reincarnated for you!”
“I stabbed my best friend for you!”
But here? The romance grows with refreshing emotional logic (yes, even when everyone is flying).
No car crash amnesia.
No evil twin.
No “I forgot you because my spiritual core shattered.”
Just two smart adults cautiously learning trust, honesty, and partnership — while surrounded by homicidal side characters. The angst is justified, the misunderstandings are grounded in actual lies (not IQ-lowering imagination), and their emotional progression makes sense.
Respectable, honestly.
Unlike certain dramas (looking directly at you, Princess Gambit), this show doesn’t rely on:
- Walking in on ambiguous hugs
- Half-heard conversations
- Jumping to conclusions like Olympic athletes
Here, misunderstandings are caused by actual lies, not fictional stupidity.
Both leads are smart.
Both behave like adults.
Honestly, 10/10 for not insulting our IQ.
****
Acting: Oscar-Worthy Imagination
Let’s give a round of applause to the cast, who spent 70% of the drama waving their arms at absolutely nothing while pretending to summon ancient spirit techniques.
All those:
- Elaborate mystical hand gestures
- Dramatic power poses
- Intense fights against absolutely NOTHING
- 仙气 swirling around them that only appears after CGI team does its magic
You have to be extremely professional (and have zero shame) to do all these movements in front of a green screen.
This is peak 中二病 performance art, and the commitment is admirable.
Imagine doing:
- 7 consecutive magic gestures
- A dramatic stare into the void
- fake-flying like a majestic pigeon caught in a wind tunnel
It’s cringey sometimes, but it’s xianxia-essential cringey, and they SELL IT.
****
Visuals: EXPENSIVE. VERY EXPENSIVE.
This drama is gorgeous.
The skies? Stunning.
The backdrops? Wallpaper-worthy.
Costumes? Absolutely dripping in celestial couture.
I was frequently so mesmerised by the scenery that I had to pause to appreciate it.
****
Neo Hou: The Real National Treasure
Let’s be real.
I watched this for Neo Hou, and I have NO REGRETS.
He did not disappoint.
Not only is he beautiful, the man’s eyes are weapons of mass emotional destruction.
B I G.
Sparkly.
Reflective like a cosmic disco ball
Every close-up felt like gazing into the cosmos.
If Helen of Troy were a man, that would be Mr Neo, the face that would launch a thousand, no, ten thousand spaceships.
My goodness. This man is so pretty, he sometimes steals the spotlight from the actual female lead. Don't get me wrong, it's not because the FL isn't pretty. It's because he glows like a divine artifact.
China's Cha Eun Woo, I see you.
Dude didn’t just act in the show — he illuminated it.
***
Plot & Pacing: Surprisingly Tight
While the central romance carries the show, the side plots add flavour without dragging the story into a ditch.
No pointless fluff.
No “why is this episode here?” moments.
Even the noble idiocy moments make sense! It's not the usual “I’m leaving for your own good because a random tree spirit gave me unsolicited relationship advice.” nonsense.
Honestly? I appreciate the maturity.
No “I’ll die so you’ll realise you love me.”
No “I’ll suffer alone because I have the IQ of a bean sprout.”
Here, love is mutual, effort is mutual, sacrifice is mutual, and power is balanced.
It's refreshing and I love seeing it.
****
Romance: Small But Meaningful Romance Moments (aka the REAL Fan Service)
This drama respects its women, THANK GOODNESS.
No damsels in distress.
No grand 霸总 theatrics.
No unhealthy simping.
Just two capable people willing to sacrifice, protect, and trust each other.
One of my favourite scenes?
ML gives up his antidote by hiding it inside her favourite snack, then watches her eat it with the softest, most adoring eyes known to Mankind. If I were the FL, I wouldn't be eating. I'd be drooling.
But I digress.
When I first saw the scene, I was like: “Aww, he’s feeding her. So. CUTE. Food is love.”
Me after the reveal: “OH. OHHHHHH.”
Subtle. Intimate. Heart-melting.
SO GOOD. And yes, I still stand by my initial impression: Food is Love.
And then there’s the whole falling-petals-equals-dying setup, which is basically a 仙侠 version of Beauty and the Beast.
Except here, she’s the “beast”: cursed, marked, racing against time
And he’s the beauty, with his galaxy eyes and devastating close-ups.
Ooh, how APT 🤩🤩😍😍
Every falling petal is a ticking clock on her life. And instead of locking herself in a castle and yelling at teapots, this “beast” spends her limited time fighting fate, saving people, and trying to protect the man she loves.
Meanwhile, our “beauty” chooses his “beast” again and again; not despite her curse, but fully aware of it, fully willing to stand with her no matter what.
It’s a clever twist on a familiar trope, and it works beautifully:
she’s the one marked for doom (initially),
he’s the one shining by her side — until he gives up his antidote for her.
And then?
She turns around and saves him right back.
Because she’s not about to let her man die on her watch.
See what I mean when I say effort is mutual?
This is one power celestial couple, and the power is actually balanced between them.
I likey.
No enchanted castle.
No chandelier.
Still very much my kind of fairytale.
****
The Antagonists: An Entire Psychiatry Conference
Every villain here is either:
- Emotionally unstable
- Power-obsessed
- Psychologically unhinged
- Or ALL OF THE ABOVE
We have:
2 psychos because of twisted, delulu love
4 psychos because of ambition
0 psychos who sought therapy
and 3 of them are related. So maybe, craziness is indeed inherited.
Honestly, if they used all that unhinged dedication and intensity for world peace instead of world destruction, they’d have won the 6 Realms Nobel Prize already.
Instead, they vomit blood, monologue dramatically, and commit war crimes.
A cautionary tale about the importance of hobbies and therapy.
****
Speaking of Vomiting Blood…
Why. Do. They. ALWAYS. Vomit. Blood.
A push? Vomit blood.
A hit? Vomit blood.
A slightly disappointing conversation? Vomit a waterfall. Ok, I exaggerate. But you get the drift.
The amount of haemoglobin lost in this drama could supply a small hospital. Based on the sheer volume of internal haemorrhage I've witnessed, it's a miracle anyone has any blood left for, you know, living after episode 20.
****
The MVPs: Spiritual Animals with Identity Crisis
Shoutout to the world's most dog-like cat and a dragon that's more golden retriever than majestic beast. These spiritual animals are loyal, naive, and emotionally-invested (in the most adorable way). I'm starting to question all my real-world assumptions about these creatures (both real and mythical).
****
Foxes: The New Gold Standard for Devotion
This drama taught me something important:
Foxes may be the most 情深 species.
Some are loyal like Hachiko.
Some are delulu like Xun Ming (please get therapy).
But their devotion?
Unmatched.
Nat Geo needs to confirm this immediately.
****
Female Power: Restored, Recharged, and Long Overdue
One thing I absolutely adored about this drama is its unapologetic reclamation of female spiritual power.
Apparently, a long time ago, the women of the realms got blamed for a cosmic catastrophe —
not because they caused it, but because a bunch of ancient men made terrible decisions and then collectively pointed fingers at women because…
well…
history has shown that blaming women is easier than taking accountability 🙃
Classic.
As a result, all female cultivators had to seal their power for generations, living under a false narrative of “dangerous femininity” when the real danger was (surprise!) male ego plus poor decision-making.
This injustice becomes a major theme in the finale, and the ML + FL literally need to work together as equals, combining their spiritual power, sincerity, and hearts to break the cycle and restore balance.
To save the world, they don’t need:
- a Miss Universe speech,
- a vow for world peace,
- or any “I just want everyone to be happy” fluff
They need action, partnership, and most importantly:
✨ 心有灵犀 combo attack ✨
(because apparently balanced yin-yang couple energy hits harder than a thousand immortals combined.)
And what happens?
- The world is saved.
- The realm is restored.
- Women get their spiritual power back.
- Gender balance is literally rewritten into the stars.
World peace:
✔ Achieved
✔ Improved
✔ Done without any tiaras or sashes
Honestly, Miss Congeniality could never.
It’s actually meaningful: the show reinforces that power imbalance is a human-made problem, and equality is not just a political concept but a spiritual necessity for the universe to function.
A surprisingly progressive message wrapped in sparkly CG and flying spirit beasts.
****
⭐ Final Verdict
Love in the Clouds is:
✔️ Visually stunning
✔️ Surprisingly well-written
✔️ Emotionally compelling
✔️ Powered by Neo Hou’s cosmic-level beauty
✔️ And filled with just enough xianxia absurdity to remain fun
It’s predictable, yes.
But it’s also warm, engaging, and wonderfully sincere.
If you like:
- star-crossed lovers
- strong female leads
- emotionally damaged male leads who learn to love
- sparkly skies
- sparkly costumes
- sparkly Neo Hou
Then this drama is 100% for you.
9/10 - If you can look past the chronic hematemesis and embrace the xianxia cringe, you're in for a solid, swoon-worthy time.
As for me? I will rewatch the antidote snack scene and stare into Neo Hou’s celestial eyeballs again.
Except in this version, Juliet is a fallen “prince” (yes, not princess — gender-bending is very in vogue!) from Yaoguang Mountain, and Romeo is a criminal-turned-#1-warrior from the rival Jixing Abyss.
Star-crossed lovers? ✔️
Generational blood feud? ✔️
Emotional carnage? ✔️✔️✔️
****
A Relationship That Starts With… “Did You Poison Me?”
Our FL approaches the ML not because of fate, destiny, or some cosmic red thread — but because she thinks he poisoned her and is the only man on earth holding the antidote.
Honestly? Respect.
Girl saw a problem and chased down the solution.
ML, who hates deception more than I hate pointless filler arcs, suspects she has ulterior motives.
Both are testing each other like suspicious cats circling the same piece of fish.
It’s not exactly romantic, but hey — in xianxia, “I think you poisoned me” is practically foreplay.
Soon:
The ML tries to investigate her intentions.
FL tries to secure the antidote.
Neither succeeds because BOTH are too busy catching feelings.
Even after ML realises she lied, he’s already halfway to “If she asked, I would move mountains.”
Love is truly the strongest bug, even in the xianxia system.
****
Love Story: A Romance that's Predictable in Theory, Surprisingly Sensible in Practice
Romance in fantasy dramas is often:
“I died for you!”
“I reincarnated for you!”
“I stabbed my best friend for you!”
But here? The romance grows with refreshing emotional logic (yes, even when everyone is flying).
No car crash amnesia.
No evil twin.
No “I forgot you because my spiritual core shattered.”
Just two smart adults cautiously learning trust, honesty, and partnership — while surrounded by homicidal side characters. The angst is justified, the misunderstandings are grounded in actual lies (not IQ-lowering imagination), and their emotional progression makes sense.
Respectable, honestly.
Unlike certain dramas (looking directly at you, Princess Gambit), this show doesn’t rely on:
- Walking in on ambiguous hugs
- Half-heard conversations
- Jumping to conclusions like Olympic athletes
Here, misunderstandings are caused by actual lies, not fictional stupidity.
Both leads are smart.
Both behave like adults.
Honestly, 10/10 for not insulting our IQ.
****
Acting: Oscar-Worthy Imagination
Let’s give a round of applause to the cast, who spent 70% of the drama waving their arms at absolutely nothing while pretending to summon ancient spirit techniques.
All those:
- Elaborate mystical hand gestures
- Dramatic power poses
- Intense fights against absolutely NOTHING
- 仙气 swirling around them that only appears after CGI team does its magic
You have to be extremely professional (and have zero shame) to do all these movements in front of a green screen.
This is peak 中二病 performance art, and the commitment is admirable.
Imagine doing:
- 7 consecutive magic gestures
- A dramatic stare into the void
- fake-flying like a majestic pigeon caught in a wind tunnel
It’s cringey sometimes, but it’s xianxia-essential cringey, and they SELL IT.
****
Visuals: EXPENSIVE. VERY EXPENSIVE.
This drama is gorgeous.
The skies? Stunning.
The backdrops? Wallpaper-worthy.
Costumes? Absolutely dripping in celestial couture.
I was frequently so mesmerised by the scenery that I had to pause to appreciate it.
****
Neo Hou: The Real National Treasure
Let’s be real.
I watched this for Neo Hou, and I have NO REGRETS.
He did not disappoint.
Not only is he beautiful, the man’s eyes are weapons of mass emotional destruction.
B I G.
Sparkly.
Reflective like a cosmic disco ball
Every close-up felt like gazing into the cosmos.
If Helen of Troy were a man, that would be Mr Neo, the face that would launch a thousand, no, ten thousand spaceships.
My goodness. This man is so pretty, he sometimes steals the spotlight from the actual female lead. Don't get me wrong, it's not because the FL isn't pretty. It's because he glows like a divine artifact.
China's Cha Eun Woo, I see you.
Dude didn’t just act in the show — he illuminated it.
***
Plot & Pacing: Surprisingly Tight
While the central romance carries the show, the side plots add flavour without dragging the story into a ditch.
No pointless fluff.
No “why is this episode here?” moments.
Even the noble idiocy moments make sense! It's not the usual “I’m leaving for your own good because a random tree spirit gave me unsolicited relationship advice.” nonsense.
Honestly? I appreciate the maturity.
No “I’ll die so you’ll realise you love me.”
No “I’ll suffer alone because I have the IQ of a bean sprout.”
Here, love is mutual, effort is mutual, sacrifice is mutual, and power is balanced.
It's refreshing and I love seeing it.
****
Romance: Small But Meaningful Romance Moments (aka the REAL Fan Service)
This drama respects its women, THANK GOODNESS.
No damsels in distress.
No grand 霸总 theatrics.
No unhealthy simping.
Just two capable people willing to sacrifice, protect, and trust each other.
One of my favourite scenes?
ML gives up his antidote by hiding it inside her favourite snack, then watches her eat it with the softest, most adoring eyes known to Mankind. If I were the FL, I wouldn't be eating. I'd be drooling.
But I digress.
When I first saw the scene, I was like: “Aww, he’s feeding her. So. CUTE. Food is love.”
Me after the reveal: “OH. OHHHHHH.”
Subtle. Intimate. Heart-melting.
SO GOOD. And yes, I still stand by my initial impression: Food is Love.
And then there’s the whole falling-petals-equals-dying setup, which is basically a 仙侠 version of Beauty and the Beast.
Except here, she’s the “beast”: cursed, marked, racing against time
And he’s the beauty, with his galaxy eyes and devastating close-ups.
Ooh, how APT 🤩🤩😍😍
Every falling petal is a ticking clock on her life. And instead of locking herself in a castle and yelling at teapots, this “beast” spends her limited time fighting fate, saving people, and trying to protect the man she loves.
Meanwhile, our “beauty” chooses his “beast” again and again; not despite her curse, but fully aware of it, fully willing to stand with her no matter what.
It’s a clever twist on a familiar trope, and it works beautifully:
she’s the one marked for doom (initially),
he’s the one shining by her side — until he gives up his antidote for her.
And then?
She turns around and saves him right back.
Because she’s not about to let her man die on her watch.
See what I mean when I say effort is mutual?
This is one power celestial couple, and the power is actually balanced between them.
I likey.
No enchanted castle.
No chandelier.
Still very much my kind of fairytale.
****
The Antagonists: An Entire Psychiatry Conference
Every villain here is either:
- Emotionally unstable
- Power-obsessed
- Psychologically unhinged
- Or ALL OF THE ABOVE
We have:
2 psychos because of twisted, delulu love
4 psychos because of ambition
0 psychos who sought therapy
and 3 of them are related. So maybe, craziness is indeed inherited.
Honestly, if they used all that unhinged dedication and intensity for world peace instead of world destruction, they’d have won the 6 Realms Nobel Prize already.
Instead, they vomit blood, monologue dramatically, and commit war crimes.
A cautionary tale about the importance of hobbies and therapy.
****
Speaking of Vomiting Blood…
Why. Do. They. ALWAYS. Vomit. Blood.
A push? Vomit blood.
A hit? Vomit blood.
A slightly disappointing conversation? Vomit a waterfall. Ok, I exaggerate. But you get the drift.
The amount of haemoglobin lost in this drama could supply a small hospital. Based on the sheer volume of internal haemorrhage I've witnessed, it's a miracle anyone has any blood left for, you know, living after episode 20.
****
The MVPs: Spiritual Animals with Identity Crisis
Shoutout to the world's most dog-like cat and a dragon that's more golden retriever than majestic beast. These spiritual animals are loyal, naive, and emotionally-invested (in the most adorable way). I'm starting to question all my real-world assumptions about these creatures (both real and mythical).
****
Foxes: The New Gold Standard for Devotion
This drama taught me something important:
Foxes may be the most 情深 species.
Some are loyal like Hachiko.
Some are delulu like Xun Ming (please get therapy).
But their devotion?
Unmatched.
Nat Geo needs to confirm this immediately.
****
Female Power: Restored, Recharged, and Long Overdue
One thing I absolutely adored about this drama is its unapologetic reclamation of female spiritual power.
Apparently, a long time ago, the women of the realms got blamed for a cosmic catastrophe —
not because they caused it, but because a bunch of ancient men made terrible decisions and then collectively pointed fingers at women because…
well…
history has shown that blaming women is easier than taking accountability 🙃
Classic.
As a result, all female cultivators had to seal their power for generations, living under a false narrative of “dangerous femininity” when the real danger was (surprise!) male ego plus poor decision-making.
This injustice becomes a major theme in the finale, and the ML + FL literally need to work together as equals, combining their spiritual power, sincerity, and hearts to break the cycle and restore balance.
To save the world, they don’t need:
- a Miss Universe speech,
- a vow for world peace,
- or any “I just want everyone to be happy” fluff
They need action, partnership, and most importantly:
✨ 心有灵犀 combo attack ✨
(because apparently balanced yin-yang couple energy hits harder than a thousand immortals combined.)
And what happens?
- The world is saved.
- The realm is restored.
- Women get their spiritual power back.
- Gender balance is literally rewritten into the stars.
World peace:
✔ Achieved
✔ Improved
✔ Done without any tiaras or sashes
Honestly, Miss Congeniality could never.
It’s actually meaningful: the show reinforces that power imbalance is a human-made problem, and equality is not just a political concept but a spiritual necessity for the universe to function.
A surprisingly progressive message wrapped in sparkly CG and flying spirit beasts.
****
⭐ Final Verdict
Love in the Clouds is:
✔️ Visually stunning
✔️ Surprisingly well-written
✔️ Emotionally compelling
✔️ Powered by Neo Hou’s cosmic-level beauty
✔️ And filled with just enough xianxia absurdity to remain fun
It’s predictable, yes.
But it’s also warm, engaging, and wonderfully sincere.
If you like:
- star-crossed lovers
- strong female leads
- emotionally damaged male leads who learn to love
- sparkly skies
- sparkly costumes
- sparkly Neo Hou
Then this drama is 100% for you.
9/10 - If you can look past the chronic hematemesis and embrace the xianxia cringe, you're in for a solid, swoon-worthy time.
As for me? I will rewatch the antidote snack scene and stare into Neo Hou’s celestial eyeballs again.
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