It’s true, The Lament of Autumn deserves so much more recognition. And while I completely understand the criticism of its toxic elements, I think reducing the drama to that alone means missing a huge part of what it has to offer. One of its greatest strengths is that its characters aren’t easy to put into boxes. There are questionable choices, jealousy, manipulation, and a lot of pain, but there are also emotions and motivations that make you want to keep trying to understand them. #ChengLei is extraordinary as Yu Changxuan. He can make you frustrated with his decisions while, at the same time, showing you what lies behind them. His actions don’t have to be right for you to feel his inner conflict and understand how deeply Pingjun affects him. That ability to make you question the character is part of what makes his performance so impressive. And #XuRuohan is doing an incredible job as Pingjun too. I love that she doesn’t portray her as a woman simply waiting to be saved. Pingjun is proud, defiant, stubborn, and deeply aware of her own freedom. She knows exactly what effect she has on Changxuan, and many times, she deliberately pushes those buttons without backing down. For me, #TheLamentofAutumn works because it doesn’t force you to choose between “he’s bad” and “she’s good.” It lets you observe them, question them, and draw your own conclusions. And that, combined with the political intrigue and these incredible performances, is what keeps me so invested.