LayarHijau — The Republican-era drama The Lament of Autumn (玉簟秋), starring Cheng Lei and Xu Ruohan, has drawn criticism from viewers over its latest storyline. A scene in which Yu Changxuan corners Ye Pingjun has been seen as portraying an outdated romance built on coercion (qiangzhi ai) that disrespects women. In the ratings race in the same time slot, the drama only came in second, behind Where the Mask Ends (嫁金钗), starring Tian Xiwei and Yan An.
Warning: this article contains spoilers.
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In episode 14, Ye Pingjun (Xu Ruohan), a schoolgirl, is forced to give her body to Yu Changxuan (Cheng Lei), a young warlord commander. She does so to free her fiancé, Jiang Xueting (Liu Dongqin), who has been jailed over remarks deemed sensitive. She also needs money to pay for her mother’s medical bills.
Yu Changxuan harbors one-sided feelings for Ye Pingjun and goes to any length to win her. He keeps her in his home, then kisses her by force twice in intense bedroom scenes. Both scenes end because Ye Pingjun struggles with all her strength. She cries because she is not willing, and her reaction has sparked discussion on social media.
Some viewers say the “forced love” storyline between the two characters is cliché and melodramatic. They argue the relationship is unequal because everything happens at Yu Changxuan’s will alone, with coercion and engineered situations. Others have compared it to a romance novel from two decades ago. Some media outlets report that the criticism has led viewers to drop the show.
Ye Pingjun’s character has also drawn criticism. She gives herself up without careful thought for her fiancé and her sick mother, yet breaks down in tears when intimacy is about to happen. Viewers say this contradictory character makes the drama increasingly dull, and they find the story’s moral message problematic.
Even so, the acting of Cheng Lei and Xu Ruohan is considered smooth. The two are seen as successfully conveying the sense of a fated pair. However, the storyline is considered too cliché, amid growing awareness of gender equality in recent years. Romance dramas now emphasize mutual attraction rather than couples who hurt each other. The zhui qi huo zang chang trope, in which a male character hurts a woman and then tries to win her back after her heart has gone cold, is also said to be out of fashion.
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