Guardians of the Dafeng

Office Worker Isekaied into Dafeng Dynasty and Becomes TOP DAWG

This is such a common trope I've read often in manhuas/manhwas but I have to say I really don't watch it enough in dramas. I would say the only other one I watched where MC was isekaied is Romance of Tiger and Rose! Guardians of Dafeng also lives up to the comedy in ROTR but more in the form of slapstick comedy rather than humour in the dialogue. I'm watching this while I'm in a kdrama slump and I am being kept very entertained so far.

Since this is based off a novel series, I wonder if they're planning on having multiple seasons or if they're fitting everything in one season! Personally, I haven't read the novel but super excited to be watching this! Summary of the drama from what I've seen so far is basically in my headline - Xu Qi'an (originally Yang Ling before he woke up in a different world) aka Mr. Dylan Wang gets isekaied into an alternate fantasy world which takes place during Da Feng dynasty. A world with magic and powers and magical swords. He wakes up in prison btw and basically clears his and his family's names by using his brain, catching the eye of some pretty high up people. His character is supposed to be very smart, and with the addition of his modern world knowledge plus somehow remembering all his years of education (seriously, who the hell remembers their entire high school chemistry textbook), he becomes very good at solving cases and becomes famous for his poems (the ones he writes from what he remembers from books hes read). He slowly starts to move up in this world, eventually achieving his goal of being a part of the Guardians of Dafeng (which are essentially the protectors of the people, think police but with powers). His family is funny, and its so heartwarming to see them form a close bond (apparently the old him was emo) - his uncle, cousin, and aunt are especially funny when they're all together. The one flaw I would say so far is the fact that the writers aren't thinking too deep about how to show Xu Qi'an as a brilliant detective, he is simply just better than everyone and pieces things together better than most people in this dynasty do. I honestly don't have a problem with this, I also like that he solves things so quickly without any confusing path to get there, but it's amusing seeing how it's REALLY not that complicated. If someone is expecting really complex and good investigative skills from this, this is noooot for you. Anyways, now that he's a Guardian, he's also beginning to upgrade his fighting skills and we see already that he's also gifted in fighting. Although he seems to have selfish intentions with his interactions, you can tell he truly does care about people and upholds this righteousness by defending those who need it. On the way to becoming top dawg for real - you just know he's walking out of this with a girl. The FL who is the second princess doesn't appear in the drama until 6 episodes in and I'm not sure how big of a focus their romance will have but I'm sensing some great character development from her. Princess Lin'an (Tian Xiwei) is introduced as a spoiled princess who's always competing to appear better than the Grand Princess, bothering the Bureau of Astronomy for education and now Xu Qi'an for his poetry. Also excited to see their love story play out and I expect a lot of bickering from these two. In terms of acting, I feel like it's the typical chinese drama acting - the side characters act decently well, nothing mind blowing but again this is a comedic drama. I haven't watched Dylan Wang in anything for a HOT minute and honestly I can see that there's been improvement in his acting. He has a lot more facial expressions since his Meteor Garden Days and his line delivery is much better. Could he do better? For sure, but for now I don't care and just like his face. His hair also looks good in this. This is my first time watching Tian Xiwei in anything and I like her so far - pretty natural acting, cute face, good expressions! I've also seen some people complaining about Dylan's sichuan accent and oh gosh some of these people are so nitpicky. I'm really glad he gets to dub his own drama this time and I quite like his voice, I don't think too much of his accent but I guess it bothers some people since this takes place in a Dynasty.

If you're looking for a lighthearted, comedic drama, with a character who gets super OP along with some romance, definitely give this a try!

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From Slow Start to Epic Finish: A Review of The Guardians of the Dafeng

This series is a bit of a slow burn, requiring patience, especially in the beginning. The first 14 episodes were a 7.5/10 for me, bogged down by excessive dialogue and a slow pace. However, if you stick with it, the payoff is worth it. The story picks up significantly from episodes 15-24, earning an 8/10 as the plot thickens. Then, the show really hits its stride from episodes 25-35, delivering compelling content worthy of a 9/10. Episode 36 was a standout, a definite highlight and a 10/10 for me! While the final episodes (37-40) dipped slightly back to a 9/10, the overall experience was fantastic. My final rating for the series is a 9/10. My only real complaint is the inexplicable cutting of some fight scenes, which was a bit disappointing. Despite that, I highly recommend this series to anyone willing to invest the time.

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Perfect balance of slapstick comedy & staggering emotional depth | Potential Comedy "Wang/王" Hedi.

"If one hit strike can't kill it. Then, Run!" - Xu Qi'an

Before anything else, I want to say how Dylan Wang is the real embodiment of Xu Qi'an and has become the undisputed face of the entire show. He fits his character like a glove, to the point where you can't imagine anyone else playing it once you watch his performance. His execution is one of the best I have seen so far for male leads—like this role was crafted specifically for him. Perfect casting!

This show was a total comedy skit from the very beginning. If I were to describe this drama in a single phrase, it would be "no dull moments." From start to finish, it never—not even once—failed to entertain and show its humorous side. Heck, they were even able to pull off comedic scenes during the most intense and serious situations naturally, without making it look weird or awkward.

A couple of great examples are:

• When Xu Qi’an (ML) crawled under the table to ask Wei Yuan for forgiveness, acting all cutesy and being extra clingy. It was a full-blown aegyo show that was surprisingly irresistible.

• When the Statue of the First Sage (Tianyu Dharma) appeared, and the Xu family decided it was the perfect backdrop for a portrait instead of being worried and fleeing to safety. They're so unserious! It was made even more hilarious when they attempted various poses, such as a star-shaped formation. Haha!

They are just effortlessly hilarious. They’re so extra—I mean, EXTRA! They never fail to insert a comedic skit into any situation, anytime, anywhere.

I honestly wanted to write more in-depth insights about the story, but how can I when all I can think about are the goofy scenes? Haha! They must have had a blast filming this because so many moments felt truly wholesome—unedited and full of the actors' pure reactions. It feels like we’re watching bloopers without knowing it because we assume it's acting, but it's actually their genuine, out-of-character reactions. The slapstick comedy they’ve provided never feels forced or irritating. So, I really appreciate the editing team for preserving those scenes in the final cut.

A great example is in Episode 9, when the Copper Gong Trio (Xu Qi'an, Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao) just finished their mission and were just talking and having fun. I won’t spoil the scene, so you'll have to watch it yourself to see what I mean. It was such a vibe!

"The strong urge to live will bring out one's potential." - Xu Qi'an to Xu Xinnian

One thing I find particularly noteworthy is the sense of togetherness surrounding Xu Qi'an—whether it’s within his family, the Nightwatchmen Bureau, or among his Heaven and Earth Society members.

The Xu family dynamics felt off to me at first because of how greedy Madam Xu (Li Ru) seemed. However, as time passed, her true, caring nature eventually emerged. She may value wealth and riches, but during the toughest times, she is someone you can count on. She is willing to sacrifice everything for the safety of her family. They're the true definition of the "family that comes together, stays together" mantra.

The Nightwatchman Bureau, being such a massive organization, surely has its own internal issues. However, one thing I love about them is the unexpectedly strong bond they share with Xu Qi’an. One of my favorite scenes was during the climax, when all the Gold Gongs—including the Breeze Hall Gongs—appeared alongside Xu Qi’an’s Heaven and Earth Society members to protect him against the Imperial Guards and the Emperor himself. It was a truly satisfying and proud moment. Above all, my favorite dynamic was the bond between Wei Yuan and Xu Qi’an. I love that Wei Yuan genuinely cares for him like a son.

Additionally, I had a lot of fun watching how equally chaotic both the Nightwatchmen Bureau and the Heaven and Earth Society are. I truly enjoyed watching all the beef going on among the Gold Gongs, as well as the personal vendetta and undeniable chemistry between Li Miaozhen (#2) and Chu Yuanzhen (#4). Both groups are equally crazy, which complements Xu Qi’an’s personality and amplifies the show’s vibe as a whole.

Surprisingly, I didn't feel any disappointment about this show. Rather, there were a couple of things that surprised me while watching it.

First is the female lead's (FL) appearance. This is the first C-drama I’ve seen where a considerably famous actress doesn't show up in the first four episodes. She had a "soft launch" in episode 5, but her actual introduction wasn't until episode 6. Beyond that, her screen time throughout the entire show was surprisingly limited. It likely bothered me because I expected her character to have much more relevance than she ultimately did.

Second is the cliffhanger ending. I didn’t realize that this was only the first half of the story—a prequel. I was completely lost when, with only two episodes left, they were still unfolding an entirely new plot. I really should have read the synopsis more carefully! Nonetheless, I’m so used to these "split-season" tropes in C-dramaland that I accepted it almost immediately.

Lastly, Xu Qi'an seeking justice for Zheng Xinghuai was incredibly satisfying. I wept with profound grief at the brutality and injustice of Mr. Zheng’s death. So it was such a gratifying moment when Xu Qi'an publicly convicted and executed the main perpetrators; it was a relief so massive, it felt as if a boulder pulling me down had finally been removed. It ensured the crime wasn't swept under the rug and that the deceased weren't left with their reputations unfairly sullied.

P.S. Let me treat y'all with my favorite Xu Qi'an line from that execution scene.

"I, Xu Qi'an, killed those two culprits not to vent my anger or to take revenge but to do the right thing, to clear Mr. Zheng's name, and to send the court a message: You're paid as a court official. You live off the people's resources. You can easily oppress the common people, but you can't fool the heavens."

Story - 10, I loved how the story stayed cohesive, flowing naturally through every beat even though it's only the first half. Prequels can be hit or miss, but this one definitely hit the mark. It managed to stay grounded while pushing the comedy to the absolute extreme. A fantastic watch!

Acting/Cast - 10, What an unexpected but perfect comedic duo! Wang Hedi and Tian Xiwei fit their roles so well. I’m obsessed with the chaos they bring—they are both goofy ASF! Even the supporting cast is just as good. The casting for this show is spot on!

Music - 9.5 Its OST is one that grows on you the more you listen to it. I wasn't initially crazy about the soundtrack, especially the ending theme, but the more I watch the show and feel its vibe, the more I start to jam to it. It gives off a happy, funky adventure vibe. I'm not really a big fan of rock and rap, but the upbeat and exciting tunes eventually won me over. It fits the drama's overall theme perfectly. The ballads, on the other hand, are really lovely—I've liked them from the start.

Rewatch Value - 10, This is one of those shows I can watch over and over again, regardless of when or where. It’s the ultimate example of a perfect balance between humor and emotional depth.

Overall - 10, I don't think I could give this show a lower rating—I love it so much! It's one of those shows I just couldn't stop watching. I literally binge-watched the whole thing.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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Intriguing Plot and Strong Lead Actor, but a Rush to the Finish Leaves Unanswered Questions

Out of all the dramas I’ve watched, this one has been the hardest to rate. On one hand, it checked all the right boxes with beautiful costumes, a star-studded male lead (Dylan Wang), a talented cast, and stunning special effects. The story was captivating, drawing me in with its intriguing premise. But despite all of this, something about it just didn’t quite hit the mark.

The plot kicks off with Yang Ling (played by Dylan Wang) and his colleagues stumbling into a gaming arcade after a night of drinking. When he wakes up, he finds himself in the body of Xu Qi-An, an orphan raised by his uncle and aunt. He later becomes a Guardian of Dafeng, part of an elite imperial investigation bureau filled with skilled fighters. As the drama progresses, Xu Qi-An grows, mastering skills, defeating enemies, and solving complex crimes. But things take a darker turn when he becomes the vessel for Shen Shu, a powerful spirit with extraordinary abilities. With Shen Shu's power at his disposal, Xu Qi-An's journey to uncover the truth becomes more complicated than he ever imagined.

Dylan Wang’s portrayal of Xu Qi-An was a departure from his previous roles in Love Between Fairy and Devil and Unchained Love, where he played dignified, proud characters. Xu Qi-An, in contrast, was goofy, money-minded, and far from the usual heroic type. It was only as the story unfolded that the righteous side of him began to surface, eventually transforming him into a more typical hero.

As for the female lead, Princess Lin-An, I found her a bit underwhelming. She was cute, but her character came across as somewhat dim-witted, which didn’t quite fit my idea of a strong heroine. I could have accepted her as a quirky second lead, but as the main protagonist’s love interest, it detracted from the drama. I personally would have preferred if Huai-Qing had been given more screen time, as she felt like a more fitting match for Xu Qi-An.

However, one actor who really tugged at my heartstrings was Feng Hui, who played the governor Zheng Xing Huai. His performance was nothing short of heartbreaking when he described how much he loved the city he had devoted his life to, only for it to be destroyed by the villain. Worse still, he was framed by the Emperor he served and ultimately tortured to death. His story was a powerful portrayal of a man whose entire life’s work was erased, a tragic miscarriage of justice that stayed with me long after the episode ended.

Now, I hadn’t read the original novel, so I rated the drama based on its own merits. The overall experience was a bit of a mixed bag, with plenty of room for nitpicking. For one, the humor often felt forced, relying mostly on making characters look stupid. This style might appeal to some, but for me, it didn’t quite hit the mark. There were moments, like when Xu Qi-An mistook Princess Lin-An for her rival and swore allegiance to Huai-Qing, that made me chuckle, but these moments were too few and far between. This subplot stretched on too long, and often Xu Qi-An’s convoluted schemes backfired in ways that felt more contrived than funny.

The pacing also posed a problem. After episode 10, I was about to drop the drama altogether, but a friend suggested I try watching at a faster speed, so I bumped it up to 1.25x on WeTV. Suddenly, the pacing felt much more manageable, and I enjoyed episodes 11 through 39 much more. If I were to rate those episodes at the faster speed, I’d give them a solid 9.5.

Episodes 1 to 10, on the other hand, felt like just another average detective story, something I’d probably rate around a 7. It wasn’t until episode 11 that things started to pick up, and the cases began to tie into a larger conspiracy. But even then, the drama left me with more questions than answers.

The final episode opened up a Pandora’s box of new mysteries, leaving me wondering about Xu Qi-An’s father and his true intentions, whether Wei-Yuan would be resurrected, and who Shen Shu really was. The Emperor’s role in the story remained largely unaddressed, with only a public self-confession to his wrongdoings—nothing substantial. And the whole arc involving Xu Qi-An’s forgotten existence felt a bit underwhelming. The drama started with a mysterious gaming arcade, yet that thread was never fully explored, leaving a sense of unresolved mystery.

The Emperor remained largely unpunished, his defiance at his brother’s statue and his actions in the temple felt disconnected from the main plot. The drama seemed to hint at a deeper political or philosophical commentary, but never fully delivered on that front. It felt like the story was building up to something grand, but then rushed to an unsatisfying conclusion.

While I would have loved a sequel to explore these unanswered questions, there’s no word on one, and given China's track record with sequels, it’s unlikely. So, with the drama leaving me with a sense of unfulfilled potential, I have to rate it a 7 for the first 10 episodes and a 9.5 for episodes 11 to 39. Taking into account the lackluster ending, I’ve averaged it out to an 8.5, which feels more generous than my kisskh rating.

Despite its flaws, I’d still recommend this drama, especially for die-hard Dylan Wang fans. With Tencent’s promotional effort and his massive fanbase, the drama certainly garnered attention, and for fans of his previous work, it’s worth a watch. Just don’t expect a perfectly polished story.

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Watched this because many people said this was a good one. And also there're Dylan Wang & Tian Xi Wei too. So I decided to watch this.

Story about Yang Ling (YL), a modern office worker, who is transported to the Da Feng Dynasty, where he becomes Xu Qi An (QA).

At first QA is a useless lad who is degraded in his family. QA lived with his uncle’s family, and his aunt really didn't like him. But since YL entered QA body, everything changed.

Soon YL gets introduced to this world, he quickly learns that in this world magic is a normal thing. Yet intellectuals & politics are still highly appreciated.

So, using his memories of poetry from the modern world, YL aka QA started gaining popularity among the scholars. Not only that, YL aka QA also uses his modern knowledge and reasoning to solve bizarre cases, earning the title of top investigator. QA started from the lower rank, a "copper gong", night watchman and soon promoted into the silver gong.

After sometime QA also starts to know some influential people. Among these people the one that really appreciates & thinks highly about him is Wei Yuan (WY). The more QA understands WY kindness and appreciation for QA, the more QA feels grateful & respects for WY.

And soon, QA also started getting entangled in a bigger mess in the kingdom, and started to deal and even offend the emperor himself. So, how will the QA journey enden in the end…? Will YL be able to get back to his world?

That's pretty much the story without giving the spoiler. Now what I like and don't.

What I like:
+ This is quite a funny drama. A few time they succeeded in making me laugh out loud.
+ The journey of QA is quite interesting to watch.
+ The crazy & messy political story you find nowhere else.

What I don't like:
- quite a boring plot for most of the time
- I don't d*mn care too much about the plot. If not because it suddenly becomes more interesting toward the end, I'm actually gonna rate this quite low.

Don't know whether to put it into like or not, but if you entered this with expectation about Dylan Wang & Tian Xi romance, you probably need to quick kick it from ur though. This is more like Joy of Life kinda situation, where politics are more dominant the whole drama.

Overall this is just another title on my list. Below I'll write some SPOILERS!!! Read it at your own risk.












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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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This is kinda an open ending, with a more confusing plot. I don't know I will watch this or not, if there's a 2nd season.

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Incredibly Hilarious, a Fresh Breath of Air

First things first, can we talk about Yang Yan? My Xiao Thor. He is an absolute baddie, I liked his portrayal of the character and charisma so much that I hanged on.

Second thing, I am a usually fast watcher, even if it is a fifty-episode drama, but this one took me a couple of weeks and a lot of fast-forwarding at times. However, it is super funny and has some genius storytelling (story of guardsmen in the sea lol). I think Didi did not just act the character but also reflected his goofiness into the character. His family is also a great foil to this plot. I laughed a lot and was not surprised much, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Got mad at FL many times, but the actress herself does a good job. From the bloopers, I could tell they had siblingly rivalry lol. I can actually imagine her acting with Chen Zhe Yuan, I think they would be a cute couple.

The third thing is the cinematography and special effects. It was obviously well done and well paid. And for the first time in my c-drama journey, I liked the whole OST. From the intro to the Atari (that is my take) remake in the sea story, songs were composed super intelligently.

It was a slow watch for me, personally. By any means, it was not bad at all.

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Awesome Watch! Enjoyed it…!

It was such an entertaining drama. Keeps a good hold throughout the episodes!
Definetly worth a good watch….!
Loved the comedic moments, emotional moments as well as the great action moments ….!
Dylan Wang is such a perfect actor for the character of Xu Qian. Not just him, the overall casting for each role was very well done.

If you have not watched it yet, then I would definitely recommend it.

Rewatch value usually lowers because the suspense is broken already, however it was such a fun and engaging watch that I won’t mind if I bump across the drama again! 👌

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Dafeng is worth it!

Guardians of the Dafeng is one of the best dramas I have watched recently. It's complex, beautiful, humorous and provides food for thought about things like, what is the meaning of life? What makes one life complete?

Yang Ling is a street-smart sales manager, who initially wanted to be policemen but life made its' correction. He is young, fast on his feet, pretty adjustable in social situations. After drinking party, he and his colleagues decide to play murder mystery game. That's how he ended up being in body of Xu Qi An, Chanty Constable who is in fact being imprisoned. That's how the story starts.

Story itself is very interesting. We start from case 1, and then we see it unfolding and connected to case 2 and bigger cases. While I was watching on-air, they constantly left us on cliffhanger, and I couldn't wait for another episode. Drama has a lot of easter eggs or details which makes interesting to me on re-watches. Complex world with magic, sects, taoist, artifacts and cultivation levels.

I like that drama has style, it explores and introduces quite complex world of Dafeng and connects us with characters through humor. Humor and a bit of hyperbolic style of acting might be not everyone's cup of tea. For me, it was highlights of Guardians of the Dafeng. I found myself to relate to a lot of situations. A lot of it touches work culture, relationships in family and society. I love visual aspects of the drama, CGI is extremely well-done, world building designs, it's amazing.

I love that drama has a lot of characters and they are all pretty well-written and have distinctive features about them and their own stage to shine. This is quite impressive considering how many characters are present in the drama.

This drama portrays absolutely beautifully the importance of family. Xu family is most chaotic and endearing family. Through humorous situations we get to know them, we see their bickering which depicts some real family dynamics so much. However, by the end of the series I found that I love them so much. There are so many moments when they stood for each other and showed genuine care and love for each other that it brought tears to my eyes. But at the same time, they provided some of the best comedic moments (like forgetting each other which ended up being connected to more serious note).

I loved romance storyline. I found that Xu Qi An and Lin An fit each other well. Romance is not the main plot but their moments were cute, endearing with spark of absolute chemistry. I think Lin An though by no means perfect is fitting for Xu Qi An. Lin An in the same way as Xu Qi An stood up to seek justice for her loved ones. Actually, the fact that both of them had their own lives and agendas made this line more realistic and healthy.

There's also significant story arc with Lord Wei and Guardians which shows the value of friendship, of people having your back and coming for each other. Some of the moments made me cry.

Overall, I think with portrayal of Xu Qi An's life they showed full spectrum of what makes one people's life full.

I have to talk about main protagonist and his character growth. Xu Qi An is a bit unserious and gives a lot of opportunist vibes at the very beginning. He is charismatic, charming and has his way with people. However, it's interesting and evident right from the first case that he is actually feels strongly about weaker people being oppressed. Interesting detail I noticed that he doesn't care much and can swallow if he is the one oppressed. And then he comes back to being unserious and being childish. I think Lord Wei described him: "You seem to be flexible on the outside, but you are rigid on the inside." I find interesting that guy that started from wanting to make money in Dafeng, spent large amount of time and efforts thinking about how to progress in the career and connecting with right people to what he did in the end of the series.

Cast is superb and everyone did a great job. Dylan Wang has showed his new side and how much he improved throughout his career. Portrayal of Xu Qi An is quite complex, he goes from being this hilarious character to heartbreak and to angry and just person. His gestures, body language, face expressions, tones of voice - just a great acting job altogether for a person that carried show. They showed scene where he goes from portraying young men, middle-aged man and old man - I couldn't believe my eyes. Great, great piece of acting. He also didn't get lost acting with much more senior cast and excellent actors.

I think everyone should give it a try of watching this. Dafeng is worth it a thousands times.

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