Articles 
This review may contain spoilers
A story filled with seasons of changes that will leave you feeling empty in a bittersweet way.
During the peak of the season where things change, “The Lament of Autumn” has heavily moved many of us who came in with a mindset of a dark romance but left with something beyond a simple narrative. To truly capture all of the emotions this show will put you through is a story in itself. From anger to frustration, happiness to sadness, or even confusion, I deeply felt every single change and I ended up becoming the one who Lamented in Autumn.
Told from the POV of our male lead, Yu Changxuan, we get immersed into a world of someone who seeks validation from his father, fights for everything he wants, a commander that has the people’s best interest in mind, and a loving son/brother to the women in his house. But when love secretly sneaks its way into his heart, his life goes into a chaotic discourse. And so, the journey begins for us viewers!
I loved Yu Changxuan’s character growth throughout the entire show despite going from an unhealthy toxic man who associated power as a form of getting love to a healthy man who understood love is a natural force that has no rules and can’t be forced. I loved that from the get go, Yu Changxuan’s aura was always alluring. His main character energy popped off and no one could take that from him. Time and time again, I’ve always said that Yu Changxuan outside of romance is an ideal man. His heart was in the right place be it career or family. He just needed to expand his horizon and truly understand himself for himself before facing others. Once he did, he became even more respectable. He did his best to be patient and respect Ye Pingjun. He led the army with a sincere heart. He valued relationships that he built with others. And for this I have to commend Cheng Lei on giving justice to YCX’s character. I felt that the show heavily pushed his character onto viewers so that we could understand him. Every emotion, every thought, all of his actions could be deeply perceived. I even caught myself a few times reacting to situations as if I was YCX. When YPJ confessed to YCX regardless of gaining her memories back or not, I went into pure shock mode just like YCX. His journey was memorable and whether YPJ had chose him or not, he learned from his mistakes and worked on improving himself. Thank you, Cheng Lei, for doing YCX justice! ❤️🩹
As for Ye Pingjun, I did all the best I could to truly understand her character and lost in the end. She was smart, strong willed, and compassionate when it came to her outlook on life but somewhere a long the way she lost that spark. YCX really caused a discourse in her life or did he actually help expand her horizons too? From the beginning, I begged and hoped YPJ stayed away from YCX so she could genuinely realize her own feelings and be honest with herself. If she didn’t want to be with him because everything in the past was too painful, that’s totally understandable. Who couldn’t forget the things YCX did? But I know we'd have no drama to watch if she stayed away lol. If you do want to be with him, fine. The heart wants what the heart wants despite knowing your visions don't align. I just wanted her to make a decision without outside factors and be firm with it. No matter what she chose, I would have respected her choice. Outside of romance, I truly admired her independence. Honestly, she needed to take that leap and just face the consequences of her choices. Even after her amnesia arc, I was frustrated she ran away instead of dealing with the issue head on. I understand regaining her memories revealed a lot of truths that were overwhelming to cope with but decisions were still made during that time. For ex) choosing to love YCX wholeheartedly and being by his side despite the memory loss. It’s a shame YPJ was wishy washy for majority of the show. It’s even harder when we got no insight from her end contrary to YCX. Her character went through a lot during a time that was unsettling. Even I became exhausted for her. Our girly needed real time to heal. Regardless, Xu Ruohan did a good job to portray Ye Pingjun. She brought a gentle grace that shined a light on women during that era.
In terms of their romance, I’ve always said romance wasn’t for them until the very last bit of the show. They were unhealthy for each other. Despite the growth and changes, they were never on the same page. Ye Pingjun needed to be firm and respect herself. As for YCX, I wanted him to stay away from her when he was starting to grow and change. I know he's a fighter and doesn't believe in fate but I feel like him always being around made her not able to make a choice causing her to waver. It's true he loves her but for stubborn people like YPJ, they need to learn on their own. Which is why I'm glad towards the end he truly stayed away. If love was certainly for them, he deserved to have someone who wants to fight for him too after all they went through. They weren’t perfect but once they fully trusted one another, the short-lived beautiful moments were a true testament to a love that weathered storms. And I won’t say that my heart isn’t torn because they were so precious finally experiencing the fulfilled life of a little family. 🥹
I won’t deny their amazing chemistry though! 😍 Lord, if that wasn’t a treat to the eyes. LOL. The tension. The sparks. All of the feels! Before the show aired, I was over the moon with all of the promos being released because the chemistry was already 🔥. However, to see it in action was different. Cheng Lei and Xu Ruohan had this magnetic force that instantly pulled us in. You could feel the strong attraction between the 2 characters. This definitely was some of the best chemistry I’ve seen in a while!
As for the overall story, I didn’t quite feel the flow of all the events and arcs. I didn’t mind the time jumps but there were many plots amongst all of the characters that didn’t connect because of it. It felt choppy because we’d jump around from different plots and some seemed like they were on pause for a while too. For example, Kuang Bingwen’s revenge felt like the longest most uninteresting arc. Sure, he was slowly scheming behind the scenes but even then, I felt no connection because our focus was directed longer towards other plots like the romance of our leads. So, it felt like we were watching multiple different stories at the same time. The writers really put us on an emotional roller coaster. I had conflicted feelings the entire time. I could never settle on what felt right. By the end, I was so defeated. YCX and YPJ’s story was beautifully bittersweet. Their story will definitely leave you lingering in your thoughts.
The rest of the characters in the show were enjoyable. Some more than others. The ladies of the Yu household, Yu Changxuan’s 2 besties, Jin Zhong Fang, and all of the kids. I absolutely loved all of them. They were a relief to the chaos in the show. The balance that kept me sane. I wasn’t a big fan of Lan Qing and YCX’s father but they all pulled through for our leads. I’m thankful we didn’t get more toxic characters/plots because the leads, Jiang Xueting, plus Kuang Bingwen was enough.
Overall, “The Lament of Autumn” was not an easy feat but through this journey, diving into a story that’s not all rainbows and sunshine was a treat. My morals were challenged, the plot was complex and nothing was ever black or white. All of the imperfections made up a story that heavily imprinted a long lasting impression for me as a viewer. I’m not sure I would highly recommend this one in a heart beat but if you’re looking for a complex dark romance with a black flag male lead, jump right in! And buckle up because you will definitely be in for one heck of an emotional ride. Thank you to the entire cast and team of “The Lament of Autumn”! Because of you, I’m now the one lamenting in Autumn. Here’s to our hosta couple! 🌼
Told from the POV of our male lead, Yu Changxuan, we get immersed into a world of someone who seeks validation from his father, fights for everything he wants, a commander that has the people’s best interest in mind, and a loving son/brother to the women in his house. But when love secretly sneaks its way into his heart, his life goes into a chaotic discourse. And so, the journey begins for us viewers!
I loved Yu Changxuan’s character growth throughout the entire show despite going from an unhealthy toxic man who associated power as a form of getting love to a healthy man who understood love is a natural force that has no rules and can’t be forced. I loved that from the get go, Yu Changxuan’s aura was always alluring. His main character energy popped off and no one could take that from him. Time and time again, I’ve always said that Yu Changxuan outside of romance is an ideal man. His heart was in the right place be it career or family. He just needed to expand his horizon and truly understand himself for himself before facing others. Once he did, he became even more respectable. He did his best to be patient and respect Ye Pingjun. He led the army with a sincere heart. He valued relationships that he built with others. And for this I have to commend Cheng Lei on giving justice to YCX’s character. I felt that the show heavily pushed his character onto viewers so that we could understand him. Every emotion, every thought, all of his actions could be deeply perceived. I even caught myself a few times reacting to situations as if I was YCX. When YPJ confessed to YCX regardless of gaining her memories back or not, I went into pure shock mode just like YCX. His journey was memorable and whether YPJ had chose him or not, he learned from his mistakes and worked on improving himself. Thank you, Cheng Lei, for doing YCX justice! ❤️🩹
As for Ye Pingjun, I did all the best I could to truly understand her character and lost in the end. She was smart, strong willed, and compassionate when it came to her outlook on life but somewhere a long the way she lost that spark. YCX really caused a discourse in her life or did he actually help expand her horizons too? From the beginning, I begged and hoped YPJ stayed away from YCX so she could genuinely realize her own feelings and be honest with herself. If she didn’t want to be with him because everything in the past was too painful, that’s totally understandable. Who couldn’t forget the things YCX did? But I know we'd have no drama to watch if she stayed away lol. If you do want to be with him, fine. The heart wants what the heart wants despite knowing your visions don't align. I just wanted her to make a decision without outside factors and be firm with it. No matter what she chose, I would have respected her choice. Outside of romance, I truly admired her independence. Honestly, she needed to take that leap and just face the consequences of her choices. Even after her amnesia arc, I was frustrated she ran away instead of dealing with the issue head on. I understand regaining her memories revealed a lot of truths that were overwhelming to cope with but decisions were still made during that time. For ex) choosing to love YCX wholeheartedly and being by his side despite the memory loss. It’s a shame YPJ was wishy washy for majority of the show. It’s even harder when we got no insight from her end contrary to YCX. Her character went through a lot during a time that was unsettling. Even I became exhausted for her. Our girly needed real time to heal. Regardless, Xu Ruohan did a good job to portray Ye Pingjun. She brought a gentle grace that shined a light on women during that era.
In terms of their romance, I’ve always said romance wasn’t for them until the very last bit of the show. They were unhealthy for each other. Despite the growth and changes, they were never on the same page. Ye Pingjun needed to be firm and respect herself. As for YCX, I wanted him to stay away from her when he was starting to grow and change. I know he's a fighter and doesn't believe in fate but I feel like him always being around made her not able to make a choice causing her to waver. It's true he loves her but for stubborn people like YPJ, they need to learn on their own. Which is why I'm glad towards the end he truly stayed away. If love was certainly for them, he deserved to have someone who wants to fight for him too after all they went through. They weren’t perfect but once they fully trusted one another, the short-lived beautiful moments were a true testament to a love that weathered storms. And I won’t say that my heart isn’t torn because they were so precious finally experiencing the fulfilled life of a little family. 🥹
I won’t deny their amazing chemistry though! 😍 Lord, if that wasn’t a treat to the eyes. LOL. The tension. The sparks. All of the feels! Before the show aired, I was over the moon with all of the promos being released because the chemistry was already 🔥. However, to see it in action was different. Cheng Lei and Xu Ruohan had this magnetic force that instantly pulled us in. You could feel the strong attraction between the 2 characters. This definitely was some of the best chemistry I’ve seen in a while!
As for the overall story, I didn’t quite feel the flow of all the events and arcs. I didn’t mind the time jumps but there were many plots amongst all of the characters that didn’t connect because of it. It felt choppy because we’d jump around from different plots and some seemed like they were on pause for a while too. For example, Kuang Bingwen’s revenge felt like the longest most uninteresting arc. Sure, he was slowly scheming behind the scenes but even then, I felt no connection because our focus was directed longer towards other plots like the romance of our leads. So, it felt like we were watching multiple different stories at the same time. The writers really put us on an emotional roller coaster. I had conflicted feelings the entire time. I could never settle on what felt right. By the end, I was so defeated. YCX and YPJ’s story was beautifully bittersweet. Their story will definitely leave you lingering in your thoughts.
The rest of the characters in the show were enjoyable. Some more than others. The ladies of the Yu household, Yu Changxuan’s 2 besties, Jin Zhong Fang, and all of the kids. I absolutely loved all of them. They were a relief to the chaos in the show. The balance that kept me sane. I wasn’t a big fan of Lan Qing and YCX’s father but they all pulled through for our leads. I’m thankful we didn’t get more toxic characters/plots because the leads, Jiang Xueting, plus Kuang Bingwen was enough.
Overall, “The Lament of Autumn” was not an easy feat but through this journey, diving into a story that’s not all rainbows and sunshine was a treat. My morals were challenged, the plot was complex and nothing was ever black or white. All of the imperfections made up a story that heavily imprinted a long lasting impression for me as a viewer. I’m not sure I would highly recommend this one in a heart beat but if you’re looking for a complex dark romance with a black flag male lead, jump right in! And buckle up because you will definitely be in for one heck of an emotional ride. Thank you to the entire cast and team of “The Lament of Autumn”! Because of you, I’m now the one lamenting in Autumn. Here’s to our hosta couple! 🌼
Was this review helpful to you?
