raquelle b

(Long review contains a lot of spoilers)

When i started the show i didn’t really know what to expect. I knew it was gonna be xianxia and i’ll like the production based on the visuals alone. But not only is LITC a gorgeous gorgeous show, it’s also super fun and entertaining to watch!! I was throughly invested every ep!! The plot is not super new or complicated, but i enjoyed every arc! There are some conflicts but never too dragging. And of course we got true Happy Ending which is 10/10 in my book. 🤧🤧

Directing and editing is also great! Obvi when it comes to xianxia visuals are so important, and i think directors did a great job at weaving a cinematic show 😃😃 everything really is so dreamy, and love scenes are so romantic!

I also loveee this OST!! Every track is a bop!! 😃😃 my favs are “If Your World Had No Sunshine” by Hou Minghao and “Pretending It’s Nothing”, Lu Yuxiao ver!! (yes im basic and biased 🙈🙈 BUT THE SONGS ARE GOOD! 😭😭

Characters commentary / analysis

The characters are endearing to me. Even villains i have beef with don’t make me wanna punch the screen too much 😭💀 (cough cough, Situ Ling 💀💀).


Ming Yi is officially my top 5 FLs ever!! A powerful, strong but also sensitive, compassionate, funny, and suuuper adorable!! Ming Yi is a well written heroine to root for! The show starts with MY being at the top of her game and fall to the bottom, then as the story progresses, MY gradually regains her strength and former glory, finding her enemies and seeking justice. It’s such a classic revenge hero archetype that can’t go wrong.😃😃

Ji Bozai is such a physically and mentally strong character, yet also able to be soft and vulnerable. Contrast with Ming Yi, JBZ begins his story at the absolute bottom of the world, a prisoner, a slave, weak and close to death. He then progresses his character development by being saved, training good and eventually become the top warrior, with the aim to find his enemies and destroy them. Also the revenge protagonist archetype like Ming Yi, but even more tragic 😭.

But the show actually starts with Ji Bozai coming from ‘nowhere’ and stealing Ming Yi’s thunder. Their trajectory started in opposite directions. As Ming Yi’s loses spark, Ji Bozai gains his, for the first time ever!
Ming Yi 📉 Ji Bozai 📈.
Though unintentionally on JBZ’s part, this puts him and Ming Yi at enemies ends of the spectrum. This twisted beginning is the basis for the majority of their conflict in the first half of the show 😭 A relationship based on lies is bound to hurt 😭 those lies are gonna bounce back to the liar and it’ll be too late to fix. 🥲

Although that kind of miscommunication bothers many, i find it in character for Ming Yi to hide her Ming Xian idenitity for as long as she did. MY could never burden JBZ with her quest to find Huang Liang Meng, that is her sacrificial personality. MY could never show her love truly to JBZ, that’s on her traumatised past 🥲. JBZ lost all trust in MY’s feelings for him after her stealing HLM despite everything she did to protect him before? That’s his traumatised past. JBZ hiding his decision to sacrifice himself for the Sky-Swallowing Array? That’s his sacrificial personality 😭.

It’s funny how similar Mingzai are, that even their conflict and miscommunication happen cuz they both share traumatised and sacrificial personalities 😭
That’s cuz lore behind Mingzai soulmatism ties together well. Them being born the same day and the baby switch?? I love that! 😃 is it cliche? A lil bit. But it makes sense to me 😃

And Mingzai romance?? Top 5 cdrama couples of all time in my book 😩😩🔥🔥 the way their flirting make me squeal and giggle so hard, their seperation make me cry, their divorce era make me laugh 😭 their back and forth yoyo romance make the Marriage Stone take a sigh 🤣🤣

But truly they got all my fav tropes and execute them perfectly! Rivals to lovers? Check ✅ Romeo and Juliet? Check ✅ He falls first and falls harder? Check ✅ Hidden Identity? Check ✅ 2 family-less characters finding family in each other? Check ✅
😃😃
Even their yoyo romance was so fun to watch cuz no matter what, we watchers know he’ll come crawling back to her anyways 😭🤣 after telling her to get away from him too, mind you 😭🤣 Mingzai also got all the milestones my previous 2 xianxias didn’t 😭 not only did they kiss, they also mukbang 😛😛 and even MARRIED OFFICIALLY AGAIN!! 😃😃 previously with LGIEF, not even a KISS 😭😭 i ate vegan food 🫩🫩🥲 LBFAD have many kisses, but no mukbang and 2 failed weddings where Xiao Lanhua was engaged to Changheng 😭😭 that’s why LITC is peak for not making me eat vegan again 😭🤣🤣 djjdjd

Shoutout Lu Yuxiao and Hou Minghao! 😃😃 Been seated for this show before i even watch any LYX drama and by the time i sat down for LITC i alr watched 2 with her as the lead 😂😂 Perfect Match and Serendipity (both are mid alas 😭 altho i actually like PM more, surprisingly 😃). Never saw HMH but he’s kinda fav-in-law a bit 😭. Lu Yuxiao really becomes one of my favs, tho i alr like her before watching any of her shows, i just like her vibes 🤭🤭 but LITC really sealed the deal for me. This is peak LYX 😃😃😃 her ability to be playful and cute and switch to a strong tough warrior is seamless. Also my fav thing about LYX is how dynamic her eye acting is 😃 she can tell sm with just her eyes, and that’s so important to me!! Also lovee the crying scenes sm 😭😭 every single Ming Yi cry scene makes me cry, but the worst one must be Ershiqi’s death 😭 bro LYX crying got me sobbing so hard 😭😭 that was such good heartfelt acting!! Anyhow i just love Lu Yuxiao 🥹🥹.

First time with HMH and he impressed me! I really like his performance as Ji Bozai 😃 pretty good crier too actually! A notable scene is the Xun Ming losing Xinliu illusory dream 😭😭 this was so sad and HMH was acting his ass off 😭
LYX and HMH also have insane chemistry 😩😩🔥🔥 love that 😃😃.
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Sm yapping, next up is 1 of fav second couples ever 😃 Jixiao Mu Tianji and Yan Xiao served childhood sweethearts and second chance romance so hard 🥹🥹 I’ve been rooting for them since their first interaction! Even when they’re in their angst era, we can tell they have deep history and potential to be a good couple, and writers deliver 😃😃 Yan Xiao was such a 2 faced character at first, seemingly hates corruption but is working for the n1 corrupt politician in the land 😭😭 he obvi has feelings for Tianji but is conspiring her her uncle who want her and her father gone?? But then the reveal of him being double spy? Writers ate that 😌😌!

Shoutout Quan Yilun and He Nan!! This is my 4th QYL show, might as well be his stan 😛😛 usually a supporting role but as always, QYL got everyone’s attention with that majestic face card and emotional eyes 🤭🤭 he’s such a dreamy romantic partner, need him in more romance pls 😭😭 the only one he was the lead in was Echoes of the Self, and it was good but short 😭 hope he gets long drama lead sometime soon 😃😃
He Nan is sooo pretty 😩😩 also she alternates between a soft flirty girl to a majestic and authoritative Empress so well! HN also has this mocking smile face that just makes Tianji such an interesting character!!
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Next, our SML Situ Ling 🙂🙂
This is a clasic case of obssessive SML turned villain and he’s defo up there with Chu Zhao and Su Rongqing in terms of most punchable, but he has redeemable qualities and somewhat understandable trauma 😭 So still annoying but not the most ig 🙃.
Shoutout Yu Chengen 😃😃 ive been lowkey simping for him ever since Situ Ling started turning evil 😝 not only is his face card smth serious, he also suits traumatized psycho more than i thought 😃 i dont think another actor would’ve been able to salvage STL like he did 😭

Not a true villain either, but by association is Fuyue. This is such a classic case of tragic second female lead character 😭 though she still has interesting aspects to her personality and character building, Fuyue’s main purpose throughout the show is very much a prop to other characters. First she was a segway introducing Ming Yi to Jixing Abyss, then a sidekick and unrequited love interest to Situ Ling, then the character driving some of the plot forward, providing information and help 😭 she really is just there to save STL a few times and serve to be a his own reflection he never bothers to look at: someone exactly like him in everyway, bullied, weak, underrated, abandoned, even down to the painful obssessive love with someone who don’t love them back 😭 in the end Fuyue left STL, but now that he’s dead, he’ll forever be her bai yue guang, the one who inhabits her most cherished memory 🥲 such a pitiful fate, but im somewhat so glad she didn’t kill herself to save STL, it’s such a cliche i dislike 😭😭 (although she defo burned a few of her years on him 😭).
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Bo Yulan is another character that gets mixed opinions 😭 personally i see her as a tragic mother figure 🥲 yes she had no bio children but she did raised Ji Bozai for a minute.
Imo we gotta remember Ji Bozai forgives Bo Yulan and tho he was hurt upon learning the truth, never held it against her. Her atonement outweighs her sins in his heart. JBZ understands BYL is a victim of his own mother’s greed. The whole Bo fam suffered enough 😭
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Other supporting casts worth mentioning: the found family!! Gotta talk about Ershiqi, the cutest cat/ baby brother everrr 🥺🥺 his temporary death got me sobbing 😭😭😭 pretty sacrificial but Ershiqi serve as a comedic side kick and his death was a turning point in Ming Yi’s life as well: beginning of divorce era and MY’s past and origins reveals.

Ershiqi’s Ji Bizai’s counterpart is Buxiu. Another sidekick character, defo brother type relationship with Ji Bozai too, although they have a more boss-employee vibe too 😭 Buxiu is pretty cool as a dragon, his fight with Mu Qibai and Ming Yi’s help was a strong highlight! Also him and Ershiqi fighting sequence together was pretty cool too! 😃😃

Shout out to Granny Xun. The grandma Ji Bozai never kmew he needed 😭😭 although she mostly just serves comic relief and grandma figure, still a very endearing character 🥹🥹
Also shout out to old man Master She Tianlin 😂😂 ngl at first I thought this guy is a villain 😭 smth about his behavior seems sus 😭 but the reveal that he’s actually Ming Yi’s birth father actially touches me 🥺🥺 i like this plot direction more for sure 😂 also he’s just a bit of comic relief at times, a quirky guy who loves his daughter and her late mother 🥲🥲.

Another major character i love sm is Zhang Tai! What a cutie 😽😽!! She really is the sister Ming Yi never knew she needed 🤧🤧 tho sometimes vain and naive, Zhang Tai is a caring friend and loyal companion. Even being heavily tortured, ZT wouldn’t reveal a thing about Ming Yi!! Her biggest mistake is falling for Xun Ming, but it gave her a lesson. This arc was also particularly profound to me, cuz i find Xinliu’s fate to be such a tragic and cautionary tale 😢. Seeing how Ming Yi and Zhang Tai freed and uplifted Xinliu’s soul really got to me 😢😢.

Also this was my Coroner’s Diary sisters’ reunion, Qin Shuang and Qin Xiang, aka Pan Junya and Wang Junbi 😃😃 this time around they don’t beef anymore, but help each other 🥹🥹

Talk about comic relief, shout out to Meng Yangqiu and Chen Xi 😂😂 this himbo rascal and his baby brother 😂😂 love how Meng Yangqiu is basically Jixiao’s son 🤣🤣 Chen Xi is a cutie pie 🥹 yet so strong! My Jixing Warriors love them 🤧🤧
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Aside from Situ Ling, other villains are also entertaining to watch. Shout out to lord Hanfeng Mu Qibai aka ‘Bai’er’ 🤣🤣 truly the most pitiful villain 🤣🤣 all his employees betray him, and his best minions died for him in vain 😭💀💀🤣

That being said, i am annoyed how easy Mu Qibai’s death was. He just poof and gone 🥴 was it poetic irony in terms of karma and narrative progression? Yes. Was it justice served? No 🥴.

About Zhushui Emperor Chao Heng, maybe we could’ve delve more into him, but the short backstory with Lin Ziyao was enough lore for me 🙃🙃 imo he’s the worst guy in the whole show, greedy and evil. Should’ve been final big bad instead of Situ Ling but whatever 😭💀

Altho not regarded as villains by the show, the Yaoguang royal fam are whole other level of annoying and ungrateful!! First Empress Jing Shu basically forcing Bo Yulan to give up her niece and then not even treating this child right. Then Ming Xin and his mother poisoning Ming Yi. Worst of all is the Emperor who dgaf, but the moment sht hits the fan uses Ming Yi’s own weapons to torture her 😡!!

I’m annoyed how in the end no retribution happened to Emperor and Empress. Ming Xin is dead, Madam Meng is imprisoned, but Empress Jing Shu got away scot free?? Just cuz Ji Bozai asked it 😭
2 things to consider ig:

1/ Ji Bozai though has no feelings for his birth mother for all the pain she caused him with her abandonment, can see the complicated relationship she has with Ming Yi. The show ends with MY asking about Empress Jing Shu’s wellbeing, so they’re on good terms now. This pmo a bit but i can look past it 🫠 after all, happy endings require a certain compromised balance where one or more of the annoying perpertrators get a lighter sentence than they deserve (even more so when they’re a parent 🫠🫠 smth smth taoist piety idk. 😭😭)

2/ They don’t wanna make Ji Bozai the heir to the throne 😭 therefore they can’t have too much bad beef with the Yaoguang royal family, cuz now that Ming Xin is gone, Ji Bozai gotta take over. But if he doesn’t want to, then Emperor continues to rule, in all his ignorance and prejudice i guess 🥴🥴💀
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Now that i’ve mentioned all the mother figures, let’s talk about the last one - the woman who haunts the narrative: Bo Yucen. Appearing for a total of 1 episode, BYC’s role is to answer so many questions about the most uprooting event in Mingzai’s life: the baby switch 😭 Bo Yucen is the mother Ming Yi never knew, who would’ve loved her, the one who gave her such strong spiritual veins. She Tianlin’s love, the Bo family descendant, the mother Ming Yi met her once and when MY knew the truth, her tears hurt me almost more than it hurts her 😭😭

Bo Yucen is a classic tragic woman archetype, the “wife that dies at the beginning of movie”, similar to characters like Fantine in Les Misérables or Fengxian in The Apothecary Diaries. Her existence is to highlight how tragic and ironic Ming Yi’s (and Ji Bozai’s) fate really is, through how tragic *her* fate is. All Bo Yucen did was love a man outside of her own realm, and the price she had to pay was not only her own life, but her daughter’s as well.

And that’s my Love in the Clouds review 😃😃 this was a long ass essay 😭😭 Overall, truly one of my fav dramas! 10/10!! Mingzai is one of my fav couples fr, and my fav cdrama couple of 2025 🥹🥹! I’ll probably come back to LITC from time to time. But for now, Goodbye Love in the Clouds 🥹🥹🤧🤧🫶