Renshe, short for 人物设定 (character setting), is the persona a character is written to carry: the traits, backstory and moral line the audience is meant to see. Fans use it for stars too, meaning the public image a team builds around a celebrity, and say a persona has collapsed (人设崩塌) when the person's behaviour contradicts it. Viewers often judge a drama by whether the writing keeps a character's renshe consistent. After The Lament of Autumn killed its hero, Weibo commenters argued that only his death let his renshe stand, as payment for his early cruelty.
Dramas
Where it comes up
The Lament of Autumn Killed Its Hero, and Viewers Say That Settled His Account
When The Lament of Autumn ended by killing its hero in a war, viewers in China and abroad described the death as the payment for his early cruelty. The loudest grief was for the husband, and the heroine is left holding it.