Love In The Clouds Review

Love In The Clouds (入青云) is adapted from a novel and has just completed its airing in October 2025. I wasn’t planning to watch this but gave it a go while waiting for Whispers Of Fate and Sword And Beloved. I find it entertaining but not exactly superb. It is a serious fantasy drama but with a dash of rom-com due to the nature of the story. I think the global audience is receptive to this drama and its availability on Netflix should enhance its following. Below is my Love In The Clouds review in full.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 36
Type: Fantasy
Aired: October 2025
Images credit: Douban Movie

The Cast Of Love In The Clouds

• Neo Hou Ming Hao as Ji Bo Zai
• Lu Yu Xiao as Ming Xian / Ming Yi
• Yu Cheng En as Situ Ling
• He Nan as Mu Tian Ji
• Quan Yi Lun as Yan Xiao
• Hu Yun Hao as Mu Qi Bai
• Zhu Li Lan as Fu Yue
• Pan Jun Ya as Zhang Tai
• Jerome Deng as Xun Ming
• Yu Yao as Er Shi Qi
• Lu Qi as Bu Xiu
• Hao Yan Fei as Granny Xun
• Cao Zi Shuo as Meng Yang Qiu
• Lin Xiao as Sun Liao
• Ke Bo Lun as Ming Xin
• Lei Hao Xuan as Chao Yu

Main Characters

Ji Bo Zai

Bo Zai is a warrior for Jixing Abyss. He was a condemned prisoner who has since become famous and respected after winning a fighting competition for the realm. Bo Zai appears as a playboy but hides a secret agenda. His master was Bo Yu Lan from the Bo Clan which is renowned for their healing secrets.

Ming Xian / Ming Yi

Ming Xian is the Crown Prince of Yaoguang Mountain and winner of a prestigious fighting tournament for 7 consecutive years. However, she is a woman but disguising as a man with the use of an illusion spell. Her mother is Jing Shu who is the Empress of Yaoguang Mountain. Ming Yi is her identity after discarding her disguise. She is a smart and resourceful woman who knows how to pretend to achieve her goals. Her master is She Tian Lin.

Supporting Characters

Situ Ling

Situ Ling is the new Chief of Judgement Hall of Jixing Abyss. He is a clever and observant man although he does not have strong cultivation powers. He appears as gentle and harmless but hides a personal ambition and a strong background.

Mu Tian Ji

Tian Ji is the Princess of Jixing Abyss and Venerable of Shouhua Academy. She is a determined woman who is trying to counter her uncle who is trying to seize control of Jixing Abyss from her sickly emperor father.

Yan Xiao

Yan Xiao is Tian Ji’s ex-lover who has switched camp to work for her uncle. He is a physician of Jixing Abyss. Yan Xiao is a cunning man who knows how to please his new master.

Mu Qi Bai

Qi Bai is Lord Han Feng of Jixing Abyss. He is also the Emperor’s younger brother and Tian Ji’s uncle. Qi Bai is an ambitious and ruthless man who will stop at nothing to achieve his aims. Shao Qun is his personal guard.

Fu Yue & Zhang Tai

Fu Yue is the owner of Moonlit Blossoms which is an entertainment club in Jixing Abyss. She is from the Fox Tribe and appears sophisticated and sociable. Zhang Tai is the most sought after dancer in Moonlit Blossoms and Ming Yi’s good friend.

Xun Ming

Xun Ming is the General of Jixing Abyss and reports to Lord Han Feng. He is from the Yousu Fox Tribe. Hence, Xun Ming has the ability to change his appearance at will. He is a cruel and sadistic man.

Er Shi Qi & Bu Xiu

Er Shi Qi or 27 is Ming Xian’s companion beast. His true form is a cat. Bu Xiu’s true form is a dragon and he is Bo Zai’s companion beast.

Granny Xun

Granny Xun is Bo Zai’s steward in his Wugui Sea residence. She owes her life to Bo Zai.

Meng Yang Qiu & Sun Liao

Both of them are warriors of Jixing Abyss. Meng Yang Qiu is clueless and naive. Hence, he is easy to manipulated. Sun Liao is hotheaded and jealous of Bo Zai’s success. He is also arrogant.

Ming Xin

Ming Xin is Ming Xian’s half-brother. His mother is a concubine. Both of them are ambitious and eager to get rid of Ming Xian for Ming Xin to take her place as Crown Prince.

Chao Yu

Chao Yu is the First Prince of Zhushui. His father is the Emperor but has yet to name his successor. With a few sons, Chao Yu has to fight with his brothers to be Crown Prince including Chao Xuan who is the Second Prince. Chao Yu is a snob and bully.

Synopsis

The Qingyun Tournament is an annual fighting competition in the 6 realms. Ming Xian, the Crown Prince of Yaoguang Mountain, has been a winner for 7 consecutive years. She is a woman disguised as a man. But after her defeat at the hands of a past convict of Jixing Abyss, Ji Bo Zai, she is forced to leave Yaoguang Mountain in disgrace. During the fight, she was also poisoned and has to obtain an antidote which is believed to be held by Ji Bo Zai.

Thus, Ming Xian discards her disguise and gives herself a new identity, Ming Yi. She goes to Jixing Abyss and works as a dance in a brothel to try to get close to Ji Bo Zai who is a playboy. At the same time, Ji Bo Zai wants to investigate his master’s death and Ming Yi provides a good cover to throw off the female spies sent his way. Hence, Ming Yi and Ji Bo Zai are secretly making use of each other to achieve their own goals.

However, their relationship turns complicated when love starts to take root between them. The deception could break their fragile trust while a conspiracy involving the 6 realms threatens to unleash an army of beasts onto the world which they have to stop.

Love In The Clouds Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)

Love In The Clouds has a happy ending. Bo Zai and Ming Yi manage to seal the array that has been activated by Situ Ling to absorb all the immortals’ primordial spirits and make him powerful to rule over the 6 realms. Waiting in the array is the divine consciousness of the Spiritual Veins Fairy. She has been framed by the Emperor of Zhushui as the culprit behind the netherbeast calamity 100 years ago. The Emperor was the one who raised the netherbeasts while she tricked him to subdue them. He then offered her as a tribute in a forbidden ancient spell to forge the array with the aim of ruling the realms.

Spiritual Veins Fairy hid her consciousness in the array to stop its activation. She connects Bo Zai’s and Ming Yi’s spiritual veins so that they could safely seal the array. With the array sealed, the couple defeat Situ Ling who dies from the fight. His last wish to for him and Ming Yi to meet again and start anew in his next life. Ming Yi’s wish is for Situ Ling to live for himself for a change.

Situ Ling’s and the Emperor of Zhushui’s crimes are recorded in the books although they are both dead. Fu Yue is still pining for Situ Ling. The Qingyun Tournament has been amended to be fairer with all realms to benefit from its blessings. Bo Zai doesn’t hate Bo Yu Lan although she started out abandoning him. Theirs is a debt that cannot be fully tallied as she was also sincere in saving him. Bo Zai also doesn’t want to be the Crown Prince of Yaoguang Mountain but only a warrior.

Ming Yi accepts Bo Zai’s proposal and they carve their names again on the ancient marriage stone to register their love. The drama ends with Ming Yi and Bo Zai facing each other in the Qingyun Tournament just like how it all began but this time, without the animosity.

When Did The Leads Get Together?

Bo Zai and Ming Yi agree to conduct a fake wedding to lure an enemy (Xun Ming) out and save a friend (Zhang Tai) in Episode 9. Both also want the “marriage” for their own selfish reasons. Bo Zai wants to make use of Ming Yi to kill the enemy while she needs his Golden Millet Dream antidote for her poison. But at the same time, there is a shred of true feelings in the pretend wedding held in Episode 10. They risk their lives to save each other during the confrontation with the enemy in Episode 11. As a result, they deepen their trust.

Bo Zai feels that Ming Yi’s affections for him is sincere in Episode 18 after she helped him and Bu Xiu to get through Lord Han Feng’s scheming. In Episode 19, Bo Zai could see how much Ming Yi suffered through Lord Han Feng’s torture when she refused to divulge his whereabouts. After saving her, the after-effects of the torture lingers and she blurts out that she actually loves him. Ming Yi’s confession touches Bo Zai and he no longer cares about who she really is in Episode 20 as he knows he can trust her. He brings her into his spirit well and tells her so in front of his master’s altar in Episode 22 and they consummate their relationship in Episode 23.

Is There A Breakup?

Bo Zai is hurt that Ming Yi has deceived him about her identity in Episode 13 and finds it hard to trust her anymore in Episode 14. But Bo Zai finds that Ming Yi is sincere after all that she has done to save and protect him from Lord Han Feng in Episodes 18 and 19. Just when he has bared his heart to her in Episode 22, she tries to steal the Golden Millet Dream from him in Episode 23.

Ming Yi doesn’t want to tell Bo Zai about her Heavenly Grief poison because she knows he had promised his master not to let anyone obtain the Golden Millet Dream. Telling him will just cause him to break his oath to his late master. So, Ming Yi rather Bo Zai hates her rather than puts him in a difficult position. Hence, they part ways due to her betrayal.

The couple reconciles in Episode 26 after Bo Zai knows that Ming Yi is Ming Xian and why she needs the Golden Millet Dream. But they break up again in Episode 32 as Bo Zai plans to sacrifice himself to stop the Emperor of Zhushui from activating an array that will enable him to rule over the 6 realms. Bo Zai gives Ming Yi the excuse that she reminds him of his bitter past for the breakup. But Ming Yi knows he is planning something and finds it out when Bu Xiu needs her to save Bo Zai in Episode 34. She convinces him to face the danger of sealing the array together in Episode 35.

Is There Any Love Triangle?

Tian Ji also wants to marry Bo Zai because his power and standing as a top warrior will help her to secure her position against her uncle. She doesn’t love him while he doesn’t want to get entangled with her in any way. So, Tian Ji is forced to give her consent when Bo Zai marries Ming Yi with the condition that he continues to fight for Jixing Abyss in the next Qingyun Tournament in Episode 10.

Situ Ling has always admired Ming Yi and is willing to give up the Golden Millet Dream to save her after learning that she has been poisoned by Heavenly Grief. This disappoints Fu Yue who also loves Situ Ling in Episodes 12 and 16. Situ Ling wrongly assumes that Ming Yi married Bo Zai to get her hands on the Golden Millet Dream in Episode 17. In Episode 24, he feels she will fall for him one day with all his sacrifices for her. However, Ming Yi tells Situ Ling that they are only friends although she is grateful for all that he had done for her in Episode 28.

In Episode 33, Situ Ling orders Fu Yue to leave him after she insists that Ming Yi doesn’t care about him but she will always do. He doesn’t want Fu Yue to live for him but for herself.

Ming Yi’s Identity

Situ Ling knows that Ming Yi is Ming Xian in Episode 8 due to their childhood connection when he sees her using her powers to save someone from a netherbeast. While Ming Yi already knows Bo Zai is avenging his master, Bo Yu Lan, in Episode 7, she keeps deceiving him about her identity. In Episode 13, Lord Han Feng sets a trap to trail 27 back to Ming Yi. Hence, Ming Yi’s identity is almost exposed. This forces her to admit that she is from Yaoguang Mountain. However, she spins a tale and tells Bo Zai that she is Ming Xian’s betrothed in Episode 14.

In Episode 25, Bo Zai suspects Ming Yi is Ming Xian after inspecting a weapon that she has crafted and recalling all the instances that support his hypothesis. He asks her if his suspicion is right in Episode 26. If yes, it also means that she is looking for the Golden Millet Dream because she has been poisoned. Finally, Ming Yi admits that she is Ming Xian and they open up to each other.

Who Poisoned Ming Yi?

Ming Yi was poisoned by her half-brother, Ming Xin, as he covets her position as Crown Prince. This is confirmed in Episode 28. Ming Xin obtained the Heavenly Grief poison from Lord Han Feng.

Who Is Situ Ling?

Situ Ling is actually a prince of Zhushui, Chao Yuan. He is weak because he was born without a spiritual vein. Hence, he is neglected in the family and bullied by his eldest brother. He was encouraged by Ming Yi who gave him motivation and hope when they met as kids. In Episode 8, Situ Ling wants to look for the Golden Millet Dream to grow a spiritual vein. He wants to grow strong and be able to protect Ming Yi.

Situ Ling and Fu Yue are revealed to be acquaintances in Episode 9. She regards him as a lord as she knows his identity. Situ Ling discovers that Ming Yi has been poisoned by Heavenly Grief in Episode 11 and is prepared to give up his dream to become a warrior to save her in Episode 12. In Episode 16, it is revealed that he is a prince and had saved Fu Yue from his eldest brother’s capture in the past.

Ming Yi and her master find out that Situ Ling is from Zhushui when he uses the state’s secret technique to suppress her poison in Episode 23. However, they don’t know he is Chao Yuan until Episode 32.

Situ Ling’s Obsession

Situ Ling desperately seeks Ming Yi’s love but finds she has no interest in him. Instead, she chooses Bo Zai over him. As a result of his obsession, Situ Ling succumbs to the temptation of gaining power through the netherbeast in Episode 28. He starts killing vagrants to absorb their energy in Episode 29.

In Episode 35, Situ Ling forces Ming Yi to marry her by using a rare ingredient needed to make the Golden Millet Dream as the bait. But the plan fails with Bo Zai by her side. Ming Yi defeats Situ Ling in a fight and tells him that they don’t share the same path if he has left the old him behind to become Chao Yuan. If so, they don’t need to hold back the next time they meet.

The Golden Millet Dream

The Golden Millet Dream is in Bo Zai’s spirit well and he has protected it with his blood seal. Ming Yi discovers it in Episode 15 but she couldn’t approach it due to the blood seal barrier that Bo Zai has set.

In Episode 22, Bo Zai narrates his story to Ming Yi about his master and the antidote. After escaping from Sunken Abyss, he was suffering from the effects of the Heavenly Grief when Bo Yu Lan stumbled upon him. Heavenly Grief is poisonous while Golden Millet Dream is the antidote. When the Bo Clan created the Heavenly Grief and Golden Millet Dream, everyone in the 6 realms coveted it and caused chaos because it can elevate their cultivation powers. So, the clan made a rule that no one can produce it anymore. But Bo Yu Lan broke the rule to produce Golden Millet Dream to save Bo Zai.

This caught the attention of Lord Han Feng who killed Bo Yu Lan when she refused to divulge the formula to make the Golden Millet Dream. He only has the Heavenly Grief formula and needs the second part as a complete package. His master’s dying wish was not to let anyone obtain the Golden Millet Dream which is why Bo Zai hides it from everyone.

In Episode 24, Fu Yue reports to Situ Ling that it was his father that ordered the raid on the Bo Clan. They only found the Heavenly Grief formula which his father then gave to Lord Han Feng to produce in the Sunken Abyss. He also ordered the Bo sisters be hunted down for the Golden Millet Dream formula.

Ming Yi obtains the Golden Millet Dream formula from the late Bo sisters after she is allowed entry into their illusion in the Bo ancestral home in Episode 26.

The Bo Sisters

Ming Yi finds out through Ming Xin that she is a Bo descendant in Episode 30. Ming Xin has obtained the information from the Emperor of Zhushui. She then confronts her empress mother about it. The Empress tells Ming Yi that she is Bo Yu Cen’s daughter. When the Emperor of Zhushui raided the Bo Clan, Bo Yu Lan and Bo Yu Cen fled for their lives. They were saved by Master She who then fell in love with Bo Yu Cen. She became pregnant. But Master She was a Yaoguang Mountain warrior and having a relationship with a foreign fairy is a grave offense. So, he was imprisoned.

Bo Yu Cen was weak due to injuries suffered from being hunted by the Emperor of Zhushui. So, she died from labor complications after delivering Ming Yi. At the same time, the Empress needed a son with a spiritual vein to secure her position after the Emperor took in a concubine. But her son was born without a spiritual vein which means he would be weak and cannot be the Crown Prince. Hence, she swapped the babies as Ming Yi has a strong spiritual vein. The Empress pressured Bo Yu Lan to give up her niece as the Bo Clan is being hunted by the Emperor of Zhushui. They also used an illusion spell to mask her gender.

In return, the Empress promised to release Master She from prison. By the time Master She was freed, everything was too late for him to do anything. He was also powerless to go against the Empress.

Bo Yu Lan’s Sin

Bo Yu Lan was given the Empress’ son to bring him to safety. But she was resentful that he was the cause that forced her to give up her own niece. So, Bo Yu Lan abandoned him and reported back to the Empress that he had died. The baby turns out to be Bo Zai. After being abandoned, he ended up growing up in Sunken Abyss and suffered immensely.

Years later, Bo Yu Lan heard about a boy with a tracing mark in Sunken Abyss. The mark was left by the Empress before giving her son to Bo Yu Lan. The latter looked for him and took him in to atone for her sin of abandoning him earlier. Bo Zai learns about his background through the secret story in Bo Yu Lan’s portrait in Episode 31. He has felt a connection to the Empress when he is in her presence.

Second Couple

Yan Xiao has switched camp to serve Lord Han Feng to repay him for his backing and tutelage. His low ranking caused him to be looked down upon and bullied until Lord Han Feng took him under his wings. He also wanted to climb the ranks by serving under Lord Han Feng. This caused his breakup with Tian Ji. However, the latter’s cruelty and crimes made Yan Xiao change his mind. So, he seeks out Bo Zai and cooperates with him to bring down Lord Han Feng in Episode 21.

Tian Ji’s father tells her that Yan Xiao has been quietly keeping him alive without Lord Han Feng’s knowledge in Episode 22. She is angry at Yan Xiao for keeping her in the dark while risking his life to counter Lord Han Feng. In Episode 23, Tian Ji tells Yan Xiao that she doesn’t like his way of protecting her. He wants him to be honest with her and for them to face challenges together. He promises to do so as they get back together as a couple.

Other Key Events

• Situ Ling kills Chao Yu in Episode 19. Chao Yu was humiliating him and made him watch Ming Yi being tortured by Lord Han Feng. He kills his brother in anger.
• Shao Qun sacrifices himself to raise a new netherbeast army for Lord Han Feng in Episode 21.
• Lord Han Feng is defeated by Bo Zai in a fight and dies in Episode 22. He is devoured by the netherbeasts that he raised and lost control of.
• 27 uses up all his spiritual energy to save Ming Yi who is dying from the effects of the Heavenly Grief poison in Episode 23. He dies but Situ Ling keeps a wisp of his divine consciousness in a bell for Ming Yi that enables him to come back to life in Episode 32.
• The mastermind behind the netherbeast army is revealed to be the Emperor of Zhushui in Episode 23. He wants the Heavenly Grief and Golden Millet Dream to activate an array that would enable him to rule over the 6 realms. This is stated in Episode 26.
• Situ Ling kills his second brother to snatch the Heavenly Grief formula from him in Episode 24.
• Tian Ji’s father sacrifices himself to create a barrier to protect Jixing Abyss from a poisonous fog in Episode 25. The fog is released due to the destruction of Sunken Abyss ordered by the Emperor of Zhushui.
• Ming Xin dies in Episode 33 from injuries inflicted by Situ Ling in Episode 32.
• Situ Ling kills his third brother, poisons his father, and makes himself Crown Prince in Episode 34.

Love In The Clouds Review – Obsessed Third Wheeler

Love In The Clouds starts out well with the female lead living a life as a male warrior and Crown Prince. But she was discarded after losing a fighting competition to the male lead whereby she was poisoned during the fight. Consequently, she has to shed her disguise as a man to get the antidote which only the male lead has. Given this set-up, you can already anticipate the romance that will follow and the deception that masks her real intention. Of course, the guy also has its own agenda to make use of the girl.

For this kind of story, when and how the cover will get blown would be one of the highlights. But for Love In The Clouds, the reveal is only partial initially which blunts that climax. That means the guy now knows she is not who she claims to be. The truth is close but not quite there. So, when the second reveal happens through a light bulb moment, the thrill isn’t there. Furthermore, the reason why she doesn’t want to tell him the truth is also not that compelling to me. It makes sense but not convincing enough given their deep love for each other.

I suppose that’s how the plot goes and there are other things to tell besides the romance. The antidote has its own storyline that involves the villains and their quest for power which is typical of a fantasy C drama. What is also typical is the presence of a third wheeler.

Annoying Third Party

If you don’t like dramas with a strong third wheel. you’d better stay away from Love In The Clouds. The second male lead in the drama is obsessed about the female lead. He has a childhood connection with her and she has left a deep imprint on him in a kind way. He is the usual weak being who dreams of being the strongest. When he meets her again, he wants to get close to her and yearns for her love. Of course, she only has eyes on the male lead instead.

So, you can easily predict what will happen to him. He sacrifices a great deal for her but her heart goes to someone else. His obsession and inability to let go will persist throughout the drama. While he is hung up on her, someone else is hung up on him. The whole thing just feels cliche and exaggerated to me with the power-will-get-you-the-girl trope.

Hence, this part of the story isn’t anything new. But the script does one thing well – it effectively connects all the points to make the whole story seamless. There a few things being explored in the drama that could have easily cause it to lose its focus. The guy’s revenge, the girl’s quest for an antidote, and the villains’ unbridled ambition are all linked up nicely to form a structured and coherent story. The other thing it has going for it is, of course, the romance!

Deception To Love

The romance starts off with a deception with the female lead hiding her identity and motive. She has to make the male lead keep her by her side as she needs something from him that he is hiding. So, she will act cutesy, charming, and playful with him. This is also where there are flirtations and wittiness between them. Hence, their interactions have a tinge of rom-com vibes at times especially in the first dozen episodes or so.

If you enjoy this kind of interactions, then Love In The Clouds will feel romantic and sweet provided you don’t mind the lies that are being spewed by the female protagonist. The continuous lies can feel frustrating when there is room for honesty. Personally, I feel that the deception stage has gone on longer than it should and the reason to continue with the lies isn’t solid.

But that doesn’t take away the tension in their interactions which is what makes them enjoyable to watch. The pretense and then the hiding of real feelings will generate the sparks needed for a romance drama. The relationship will then turn heartwarming and sweet when everything is out in the open between them. What makes it work well is the undeniable chemistry between the 2 leads.

Acting & Chemistry

I first started noticing Neo Hou from Back From The Brink. But delving a bit deeper into his drama list, I noticed that he was also the lead in A Girl Like Me which I have watched back in 2021. Anyway, his good looks is going to get his dramas a fair bit of attention nowadays. In Love In The Clouds, he plays a warrior with a traumatic childhood who is bent on revenge. So, he is intense when he needs to be and charming when he is with the one he loves. The different emotions are all there to portray a fairly complex character.

Lu Yu Xiao made her presence felt in My Journey To You although she played second fiddle to Esther Yu in that drama. Her last drama, Serendipity, didn’t do too well but Love In The Clouds should see better results. As Ming Yi in this latest drama, she puts on a playful and bubbly persona in the beginning which I think she did rather convincingly. It was fun watching her trying to attract the male lead’s attention and getting him to keep her.

Together, Neo Hou and Lu Yu Xiao managed to make us excited at the prospect of their on-screen romance. Their interactions feel natural and you wouldn’t mind replaying their kissing scenes. The chemistry is definitely there to give this pairing some extra marks although labeling it as off the charts may be debatable.

My Verdict – Watch With Some Reservations

Love In The Clouds does not have a refreshing tale to tell. If you have watched enough dramas of this genre, you will know a big chunk of the plot is rehashed stuff. Add in the female lead’s deception and lies, you may find it more of a hype than a solid drama. There are also a few scenes whereby the editing seems off as if some parts have been carelessly cut out. To me, the start is interesting but the deception is too drawn out that it starts to become a drag before the story picks back up in the last quarter.

Nevertheless, the drama is not without its positives. The romance and leads’ chemistry may be sufficient for some viewers to deem it an enjoyable watch. This is definitely the main selling point of the drama. The other positive is the easy to follow storyline. There are a few villains and a backstory or plot twist that needs to be told concerning the leads’ background. But the script successfully kept everything gelled together rather having the story going all over the place. The plot twist is also a nice surprise when the story is largely predictable.

Therefore, I would give 7.5/10 for this review of Love In The Clouds. It is watchable but don’t expect a unique story. Beware that there is an obsessed second male lead that you may not be too fond of. The set up promises a romantic and emotional tale though and that will hooked you at the start. The acting is on point and you will get emotionally invested in the characters to make you cross the finish line despite the cliches and prolonged deception that plagued the drama.