Guardians of the Dafeng

Guardians of the Dafeng is humorous and yet meaningful drama that made the beginning of my 2025

Watching this was such an interesting and compelling journey. I like Dylan's works in the past, so I've decided to check this one too. What I didn't expect that I would love it as much as I did.

Guardians of the Dafeng is one of those dramas where you have to watch carefully since the beginning in order to truly appreciate it. The story delivers and connects with characters in humorous way, which I enjoyed. I find that may be because of contrast between funny moments I was able to appreciate serious and dramatic moments.

Guardians of the Dafeng crafts characters beautifully. I love how every part of cast and supporting character is given the stage to shine. Xu Qi An and his life as a protagonist represents what normal person life should be, with importance towards family, friends, love partner and colleagues. I find this very refreshing.

I love Xu Qi An's righteousness. He is not perfect and definitely has flaws but consistency in building his character as someone who will stand for the weaker ones is admiring. I connected with him instantly, I love his quirkiness, sarcasm and positive attitude towards life. Dylan did an amazing job portraying Xu Qi An.

I loved romance storyline, though it was not central, Xu Qi An and Lin An were beautiful.

Overall, this is a great drama with great visuals, great OST, great CGI, great cast and great story. I can't wait to see Season 2.

Read More

There are things that are more important than life

Breath of fresh air in Chinese dramaland. What starts with epic humor is able to deliver serious thought provoking themes in the end.
What makes one a decent person? Is ordinary and mediocre life is considered a meaningless one? Should we stand up for weak ones or conform? Is it better to take things slowly or act rashly? There are no simple answers but Guardians of the Dafeng tried to provide some insights.
I am writing this as I have ended watching this, so emotions are very fresh. I cried so hard at the last episodes, and it solidified its brilliance to me. The fact that we were presented with light-hearted comedy as a way to portray and present characters is making it even more painful.

I want Season 2 so badly. Music, acting, production, script - everything was great about this drama.

Read More

Great

You wouldn't be able to quit this drama after watching 2 episodes, every episode got me hooked 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Read More

My Favorite C-drama of all time

No way in my wildest imagination I thought I will love this drama this much when i started it. It started as a fun and humorous drama but the the more I watch the more I was falling for these characters & story. For me, Guardians of the dafeng is all about character dynamics & their relationship with each other. The drama explore all kind of relationships & make me invested in every storyline. It has comedy, silliness, comaderie, family bonds, mystery and many more. XQA, the protagonist is the heart & soul of the drama whose bravey & courage inspire and touch many viewers. At the end, I was left with tears and awed at the performance of Dylan wang as Xu Qi An because this story was much more than goofy non serious drama

Read More

Guardians of the Dafeng was a surprisingly brilliant watch

I am not usually into male-centric dramas, but this one I enjoyed so much. I love how heart-warming and complete relationships of Xu Qi A with his family, I think this one accept deserves a lot of praise. It's rarely we see that family relationship are portrayed that well in Chinese dramas.

Acting, visuals and storyline were all great. Guardians of the Dafeng is very similar to a game, where you start without understanding much, but once you move to the next level - some truth unfolds.

On the rewatch, I noticed so many details I haven't noticed on the first one which solidified GOTD excellence to me.

Read More

A Must Watch!

Guardians Of Dafeng definitely has to be one of the best Action/Dramas I've ever watched.. From the acting to the fighting scenes to the many friendships formed in this drama... I think it's well worth the watch.. It had me laughing alot as well.. I love Martial Arts/Swordsmanship Dramas and I feel like this had a little of everything.. It does have some fantasy aspects to it as well.. This drama is not highly focused on romance however the male lead (Dylan Wang) does have a love interest in this drama and they do have atleast two full blown kiss scenes that are very spicy to look forward too... Its definitely worth watching atleast once...
Dylans Dramas are usually pretty good, he's one of my favorite Chinese actors and he definitely didn't disappoint me with this one... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS
Thoroughly Enjoyed Watching This... 🤍

Read More

The peony is mightier than the sword

I'd often start a review with "this show starts promisingly". It is not so straightforward here.

The issue with this series is multifaceted. Firstly, I can't escape a comparison with the Joy of Life series. The cocky ML and his modus operandi are uncanny. There are differences but the subplots regarding famous poems, and the spy master mentor are too close to ignore.

Secondly, the tone of this show is inconsistent. It starts off light and breezy. It even lean towards slapsticks at time. This makes it harder to change things up. For instance, the ML is sentenced to death in ep.15 but within minutes, the tone shifted again. How serious is serious? We are always expecting a get-out-of-jail card.

Thirdly, the ML's sudden appearance in ancient time was never explained (at least by ep.20). He has no problem assimilating into his new life and gains new skills in the blink of an eye. Granted, he is charismatic and a smooth operator. Everyone is fawning over him. It just feels contrived.

We are told he is a police academy graduate, so he is presented as some kind of Chinese Sherlock. The problem is that we don't see much real police work at all. He would "review" a case and just pronounce "the butler did it!". To tell you the truth, that was one aspect that I was most looking forward to. I was hoping to see some scientific approach to crime solving but alas, it was not to be.

Needless to say, the writer is holding all the cards and we are drip-fed information. It is all designed to show the ML in the best light, but at the cost of narrative logic.

Fourthly, we are sold a strong romantic line regarding our leads. Unfortunately, the chemistry is weak (up to EP.20). It is obvious from the start that they are the OTP but I don't get the feels. This is partly due to the way the FL role's is written. The FL plays a ditzy princess who is constantly competing with her royal siblings but not in the deadly game of thrones way, more like petty squabbles. Her schemes are borderline childish. It really throws shades on her intelligence. I'm sure the writer will right that ship in due course but at this juncture, she is just another tropey character. This drama is well populated with such standard characters.

Lastly (for now), there is no rhyme or reason why the ML should suddenly wake up in ancient Dafeng after a staff dinner (see next paragraph). The show goes hard on its own lore but we are none the wiser unless you have read the web novel.

It is full-on xianxia. Monsters, wizards, warlocks, flying heroes, the works. Everyone is cultivating, just not peonies. ;) This means we are running to catch up with who’s who and what’s what. Sects and agencies, both official and secret, are everywhere. They all slot in somehow but there doesn't seem to be a prime directive other than lore, petty jealousy and powerplay.

Of course, all that pales when they played the Ancient Evil card. Yes, it spices things up and pushes a lot of the filler subplots aside. May be there will be some clarity at long last. My money is on the ML being the Chosen One™. Old tropes but good tropes, I suppose.

None of what I listed are deal breaking but when you add them up, I am foundering and losing heart.

This is where the scheduling god played a cruel joke. In the middle of its run, Flourished Peony starts airing. This shines a harsh light on our Guardians. Once I sampled FP, it became an one-horse race. I'm shelving this series until I finish FP. I'll give it another go then. Peace.

Read More

My take

**may contain spoilers**

First of all, I am so confused, let me preface that I have no idea about the origin of the story (books, novels, etc).

In the first 20 episodes, I was so hooked, I like how the story progresses, with so many intricate web surrounding Xu Qi An’s cases. I love DW's portrayal although sometimes he can be stiff and there are some cringe moments however it doesn’t bother me much because overall I like it. The fl is ok but not too much exposure except for the latter part but I'll delve into that later.
The thing that surprises me is the comedic part, I love it, especially the one involving Xu Xin Nian, also his acting chef’s kiss, always in point!

About the story, like I said, I'm so confused! After episode 28 onwards the story suddenly becomes confusing, there are elements that I cannot follow especially involving the Duchess Zhenbei to Chuzou, it’s like there’s no time anymore and they have to finish the story, for me, there’s no rhyme and felt force. I was left confused since no explanation leading to that moment. I guess there’s part 2 since the ending is a cliffhanger with his father, the supervisor, the resurrection of Wei Yuan, Witcher’s sect, Shen Shu, the reason to erase all memories, and many more!

With all the disappointments I experienced in the latter part, would I recommend it, still yes. The actors especially XQA and his family are too endearing and most episodes are really solid! I would love the 2nd season and hope that it can clarify all the confusing part.

Read More

Xu Qi An Show

The fantasy elements are used very well and very harmoniously in this series. There is no excess, it is also blended with comedy, very nice. I especially liked the family atmosphere comedy. Personally, the knowledgeable attitudes of the scholars, their arrogance and thirst for knowledge are reflected in a funny way. The Imperial Guard Corps in a serious institution and a cocky guard in this unit, a funny, sarcastic but intelligent, secret person who knows what he doesn't know because he came from the future. He fascinates everyone. This adds a mysteriousness to the event, as I said, it is blended well. Only too much information is placed. A man who creates miracles on his own and breaks all the rules of that period, challenges everyone in high places and destroys the powerful with a single blow. It can be criticized a little that he is shown as having such incredible intelligence and power. In other words, the over-inflated Xu Qi An character was very harmonious in my opinion. The actors were also very good. I liked it very much. I watched it with pleasure. We understand that there will be a second season by looking at the end. Because it was such an ending. A shocking ending. I personally did not expect such an ending. I recommend it to those who haven't watched it.

Read More

A perfect blend of comedy, drama, investigation and mystery.

Guardian of the Dafeng is a male-centric drama about Xu Qi'An, originally known as Yang Ling in the modern world, who transmigrated into the Dafeng world via a murder mystery game. He had to use his knowledge and wit from the modern world to navigate successfully, solve cases, gain connections, family and loyal friends -- though, of course, there were some enemies.

PROS:
- Good acting chops : Wang Hedi gave his all to the show and I was thoroughly impressed. It felt like a walk in the park for him and while watching this, I could feel he was relaxed and I couldn't imagine a better person to pull off Xu Qi'An. These kinds of male leads in male-centric dramas can be a hit or miss, especially as the character has everything going well for them, but Dylan was able to make the audience connect with and like the character. His performance shined even more with the last two episodes, you just had to watch it to see! I hope he gets more comedy drama as well, cause he is so good at delivering the lines. Tian Xiwei is an emotional powerhouse, so I was not surprised she nailed the role, from a spoiled, naive Princess to a well developed character. I must commend her crying scene, it really tugs at your heart and it was one of the my fav performances in the show. The rest of the cast were also excellent, they all embodied their role, even new characters would pull you into their story.
- THE COMEDY!! Yes its in capital letter cause this was my favourite thing about the show, it was sooo funny and relatable. I can't count how many times I burst out laughing in almost every episode. Every supporting cast nailed it, cause they had good comedic timing. The family dynamics (my best) is something I can't describe,  you just have to watch it! 😂 I might be a bit biased here but I love shows which can give me a blend of comedy and drama, and GOTD delivered. Good comedy embedded in such drama, is the kind of dynamic that really makes a show entertaining.
- Same pacing to the end: It didn't get boring at any point. Even the latter half matched the first half in momentum
- The chemistry: Xu Qi'An had chemistry with literally everyone in the cast list. Even though romance is barely part of the show, Dylan and Xiwei had good chemistry in the latter part of the drama. Then, his chemistry with every member of his family, Wei Yuan, his friends, the Sect, literally everyone.
- Supporting characters were interesting: This is one of the few drama that you will find yourself not skipping scenes of side characters cause they were all entertaining and well written. You literally can't pick a favourite cause there are very strong interesting characters such as Princess Huaiqing, Caiwei, Yang Yan, Wei Yuan, his family (each member is crazy and funny), his buddies, Simu etc .. I really can't name them all, and I commend the writers for this 👏

CONS:
- Transmigration is not done right : The way Qi'An forgot the modern world and easily adapted to the world of dafeng within a few episodes, was unrealistic. There could have been more inner push and pull, even if he didn't enjoy his life in the modern world, or at least they could have shown us his past life much earlier so we could understand why he almost immediately decided to settle down in an entirely novel place. It would have also been interesting see more of his struggle in adapting to life in the historical era, as that transition shouldn't have been easy. Maybe due to censorship, they didn't want to dwell much and hint that it was transmigration. The only exciting part was seeing him bring in modern elements to Dafeng such as the poems, earbuds, bar etc
- Few action/fight scenes : I was craving more fight scenes, however, they were very minimal and when it occurred, it was so short that it leaves you feeling unsatisfied and almost like an appetiser that you have to go rewatch the scene again to feel full.
- Romance : I expected this to be a con cause normally in male-centric dramas, the romance is watered down as it's not supposed to be a major part of the story, which is fine. However, the path they took with the romance starting with a misunderstanding almost turned people away from it, especially as the misunderstanding lasted for quite a long time and they also had few scenes. Luckily, Tian Xiwei and Dylan had good chemistry and were able to save the romance; thus, when the misunderstanding was cleared, their connection became cute and endearing.

In general, GOTD is an interesting drama that I enjoyed to the end and I'm glad [SPOILER ALERT]... there will be a season 2. I hope it doesn't take years before it comes though.

Read More