Guardians of the Dafeng

One of the Best Wuxia Comic Series in 2024!!

There are very few shows that actually manage to hold your attention until the very end, no less a melodrama with over-the-top & loud characters!

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that “Guardians of Dafeng” was all about Dylan Wang; rightly so, because he is the titular lead. From being an overworked office worker, Yang Ling; he transforms into the powerful, albeit melodramatic yet righteous Guardian of Dafeng, Xu Qi An. The protagonist’s investigative skills make him invaluable to the “Astronomical Bureau”, “The Guardian Yamen” & “Yunlu Academy”; head honchos at all three places keep fighting each other to make him join their side. Add to this mixture, a jaded Emperor who doesn’t know what to do with Xu Qi An, and we have a healthy potboiler. Starting from the main lead, to his endearing family to the dumb yet sweet Princess who ends up for falling for him, the show is entertaining and intriguing. There was never a dull as different cases are added and Xu Qian’s acumen is tested. Though he might seem money minded, over the course of time, Xu Qi An realised and accepts the weight of the responsibilities that lie with his powers. While his childish side was adorable, Xu Qi An’s mature side was subdued and resilient.

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Boring

Personal View:

After watching the first three episodes, I started to lose interest as the story became boring. There were a few moments where the drama attempted to add comedy, but I didn’t find them funny at all. I was most excited to see the chemistry between the main leads, but there were hardly any meaningful scenes between them, which was quite disappointing.

After their first kiss, I was eager to see more romantic moments between them, but aside from that one scene, there was barely anything. Throughout the drama, the male lead was too focused on accomplishing his task, making it feel like his love wasn’t a priority. It seemed as if he took his feelings lightly—there was no depth in their relationship, even though both were supposedly in love.

Moreover, the ending felt incomplete, leaving me unsatisfied. It lacked the emotional closure I was hoping for.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy the story much. The lack of romance, the weak emotional connection between the leads, and the dull progress

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There must be a sequel.

The story in general, going to a different world and becoming someone else, using knowledge from the modern world and applying it to his advantage both in solving problems and other matters.
ML's plot armor is quite thick because he is very lucky. And it turns out there is a common thread why he can be very lucky and become the root of the problems that come later.
Overall I like the story. It's just that when ML was deceived by FL who disguised herself as the First Princess, ML actually chose FL over the First Princess who supported him from the start. Long story short, ML did fall in love with FL. If I could give some input, I would make ML not like FL at first and later after there were some new conflicts that occurred, slowly as FL looked more mature I would make ML start to fall in love with her.

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Enjoyable, but Goofy

If you like your comedy dramas on the goofy side, this one is for you. This series doesn't take itself too seriously and that isn't a bad thing. It likes to flip flop between the campy and dramatic elements to keep it from stagnating. It has just enough elements to keep you engaged from the sets, to the stellar acting from the seasoned cast. I feel that Dylan Wang's performances improve with every series he is cast in. It is satisfying to see him grow as an actor and he has been very lucky to choose some really great projects. He can be the goofy little brother in one show and the cold demon lord in the other. There is no denying that he has onscreen charisma and deserves the success he has--and, here, he does not disappoint. There is a playful spark in his eyes in GOTD that just draws you in.

His playfulness is tempered by his guardian master, Wei Yuan, brilliantly played by Liu Yi Jun, whose performances I have been impressed with since Legend of Fuyao. This man breathes life into his roles like no other. He is exceptionally talented. As the leader of the Guardian forces, he is quiet, guarded and calculating. He quietly "brings up" our ML, instilling in him a confidence that he would later draw from. He is very much the father figure our ML lacks.

Rounding out this exceptional cast are the essential buddies and colleagues needed to support our principal lead. All provide the right amount of comic relief and unyielding loyalty to keep viewers entertained. Unfortunately, the cast is too large and because of this, characters disappear for large stretches enough to miss them. Some of the writing elements were off--I never understood the present day setting as it isn't central to the plot. It gives me the impression that the writers were trying anything and everything in this mishmash of plots to see what stuck. I prefer more linear story lines with a less-is-more approach. If there is too much to keep track of that doesn't really further the plot, then it's just filler. Though it was interesting to see our ML go from one adventure to the next, I felt none of the storyline all that impactful. The hastily wrapped up cliffhanger ending was disappointing because it wasn't fair to the viewers. It left a lot of loose ends and unfairly treated some of its characters. I felt this was the weakest part of the show. I am hearing there might be a movie to finish the story, but I'm not all that invested in the series to follow it through because it didn't leave a lasting impression. So, good series, terrible ending.

OST was really great. I liked the different genres of music used and that there is something for everyone to enjoy. I rarely rewatch shows, so I really can't talk about its rewatch value. I would pass on a rewatch.

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Stay in School - Part 1

Good thing I read the comments and reviews before watching so I was mentally prepared to be left hanging. Like another show I watched, this was written with a season 2 in mind, and that doesn't bother me as long as I know that beforehand LOL

Having said that, this is at heart, a fun watch. I felt like I was watching a live action video game. Our ML who shows his thick skin and mental prowess from the opening scene, is transported into the world of Dafeng when he visits a game room, with his co workers after a group dinner.
He wakes up in a prison cell as Xu Qian, waiting to be executed with his family. He perhaps adapts to this magically world a little too quickly for realism but I honestly soon forgot about it as the hi jinks started. Xu manages to solve a puzzle with some chemistry know how and saves his family. From there, it's step after step, using his modern day knowledge of chemistry and poetry, and riddles we may have heard before, he manages to impress/manipulate himself into being offered a position as a Guardian where he continues to go up the ranks, making friends and enemies at every turn.

Overall, it's like playing a game where you can impress or do favours to make powerful allies, and in turn, when you need help they can come in and defend you. Our Ml Xu is perhaps a little too good. It was like one big lesson to stay in school because he must have all his memories of chemistry and lit class to have such a backlog of modern information to use.

His marital ability is strange though. He seems to have just picked it up randomly and his extra power boosts make him a powerful and skilled warrior naturally. I think his real power is just simply getting most people to like him. He is a bit of a selfish goofball but ultimately wants what's proper justice in the end.

Most of the side characters are enjoyable to watch, as they are each their own character and leave you guessing what their main motive is. The FL, unfortunately, is the usual, spoiled and silly love interest, that always leaves you wondering how such a strategic and firebomb ML fell in love with her. They keep promoting this kind of character as the FL but I'm not buying it. Like most, I did find her a nuisance.

The humour is very cartoonish but I kind of liked it. I felt like the humour in the show was a mock take of the wuxia genre. It was very much poking fun of the stereotypes you usually find in these sorts of shows.
It did at times, I feel, ruin the flow a little though, the further you go into the series. Although I did enjoy it, after I was into the 20s eps, I was starting to skip a lot of the sillier scenes because I just wanted to go back to the actual plot.

I enjoyed it enough to be interested in a season 2 and hope it doesnt take years to air lol

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This is such a great dorama...

This is such a great dorama. By and large, it is a masterpiece. Intriguing plot, interesting characters all without exception, music, humor and, of course, inimitable Dylan, whose game is the highest class. If the first episodes are diluted with humor, but there are powerful episodes about resilience, faith, justice, perseverance and courage. There's a lot of informative stuff about poetry and chemistry, love, combat skills and weapons. Lots of right words about life and its meaning, about family and relationships. There are violent scenes with the punishment of criminals and here Dylan is limited and beautiful. I enjoyed it all from start to finish and will watch it again, and look forward to the second season with the same cast.

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A missed opportunity

Going to start by saying, this was my most anticipated drama, and having read the novel, I was 100% invested in how it would come to life. Fantasy lore as genre has always interested me and knowing this would be a high budget drama got me excited since the grandeur, action and effects would be top notch. But, after watching, I am left with nothing but disappointment. While the show had it's highlight moments which gave me hope that it was finally getting back on track, but it veered off almost immediately making this journey a "damn it, what it could have been", rather frustrating, hence the long review.

Positive- I loved Wang Hedi as Xu Qi An. I know there were conversations around accent, but since I am not a chinese speaker, i only focused on the expressions & emotions and he definitely delivered on those. He was funny when he needed to be and serious when the story demanded it and I loved that for him. His emotional breakdown in the Chuzhou case was very well done. Loved the way he executed his one slash skill, I had hoped to see more intense action, considering all his BTS practice, but alas, that's a plot issue (and I am ranting about it below). His character and how he stands for his ideals and defends people was an instant winner.
Defintely loved the family dynamics, our little glutton Lingyin was such a cutie. The Pingyan and LinAn friendship was heartwarming to see, that entire sub plot though different from the novel was a good emotional journey albeit long. The whole Guardians cast was the absolute best as well. Ep 38-39 were definite highlights, made me cry and remember why i wanted to watch this show in the first place. Great CGI, makes it even worse they didn't use all this great CGI in creating more thrilling action scenes.

Negative- SCRIPT/DIRECTING- 99% of my problems with the show are concentrated here. Just sticking to the original material in terms of the big sub plots could have made this a 100/10. But there was no effort to introduce the Dafeng universe, the various sects and ranks among them which would have greatly benefitted viewers. The scriptwriter seemed determined to ruin the show, and the director adding fuel on fire, by introducing chracters at random focusing on making it "funny", not bothering with their stories & ruining the depth of them. The show should have focused on the action, the lore, but all the crew could think of is cringeworthy comedy. I was bored for so much of it. The original book is peppered with naturally funny moments, there was no need for this forced humour. It was infuriating to watch them completely ruin the character of Xu Xin Nian, who was SUPPOSED TO BE A SMART, LEARNED SCHOLAR specialising in strategy by making him a complete parody. They made him such a loser, all his little points of wisdom, especially the scene where he comes to scolds the king for hours which was so well written in the book, had no impact whatsoever.
I understand the need to focus on the romance angle, but come on. The unnecessary Lin An moments, did nothing for the story, made her more dislikeable as it wasted precious runtime that could have been used for plot continuity and most importantly, took away from developing Huaquing as the smart, accomplished female character that she could have been. They had time to show Lin An's stupidity at the Bureau and no time to show Heng Yuan teach Xu Qi An the Lion's roar that was a perfect compliment to his primary skill and a major part of him defeating Tianyu later. And this tradeoff is still not the worst thing. Post Episode 15, when the progress begun, I hoped the best is yet to come. But no. Major plots where the action and emotion were all just skipped over, or showed in a minute or in some cases narrated. Xu Qi An is a martial artist, the whole story revolves around his journey of developing and ultimately becoming a martial god, but all of it was deemed unimportant. I could cry at how they skipped over his heroic & emotional death in Yunzhou case which cemented his reputation in the world & showed it in one scene as just him retriving silver. His strength i.e., investigating, deleted. And was further apalled at how they cut short the Xu Qi An and Duke's battle, one slash and that was it. They completely undermined a 3rd rank warrior's strength to the viewers and ruined a highlight intense action moment? Did the budget dry up, it was literally my most anticipated scene of the show. Could have taken out that 15 mins from the unnecessary Xu Xin Nian and Li Miaozhen moment or the uncle trying to break into & getting caught by the Guardians or that seriously unfunny and long Lin An poetry plotline or the Xu Xin Nian & Wang Simu's unnecessary running meetups. And that ending summary of Wei Yuan's battle, I was going to pull my hair out. Xu Qi An and Wei Yuan's remarkable relationship, his reactions and action to defeat the Witcher Sect and avenge Wei Yuan, the grand bow he made at the end in the book all just skipped over? I would rather they have completely saved it for next season instead of doing it this way.

My hope for the next season, if there is one- Add the stupid when you have developed the plot. Don't add fillers at the expense of killing major, game changing moments.

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The Guardian of Dafeng

An unsuspecting young man + a mysterious game = a transmigration story full of comedy, plot twists, and epic adventure. The story starts with Yang Ling, a personable and promising young man who aspires to enter the police force as an investigator. But as luck would have it, he fails to do so and is forced to work as a struggling salesman. One night, he decides to play a seemingly harmless mystery game with his colleagues and suddenly finds himself transported into the magical world of Dafeng. In this world, he is known as Xu Qi An, the nephew of a low-born government official. In order to leave this world, he has to solve the mystery, and so he assumes the identity of this character and decides to make good use of his deduction skills. As he rapidly climbs the social ladder in this intricate world of Dafeng and becomes more and more attached to the people in it, he unknowingly uncovers a sinister plot that could put him and his loved ones in critical danger.

I immediately found myself enamored with Dafeng and the more I immersed myself in its rich world and colorful characters, I became more fond of it. Wang Hedi positively shines as Xu Qi An. If I may so boldly claim, I believe this role was practically written for him and his best one yet. Yes, I know, this is was based on a novel, which I haven't read by the way. But the role fits him like a glove that it feels like it was written with him in mind. Many have compared the drama to Joy of Life, including myself, and I must agree, they are quite similar. But they're also very different. Joy of Life is more politically driven with far more complex characters that are neither black nor white. Guardians of the Dafeng has more idealistic characters that can be likened to superheroes in terms of principles and traits. In short, it's a more straightforward story with a role model type of main character who's driven by his sense of justice and has friends who share his ideals.

The Guardians are probably the coolest part of this drama, especially Xu Qi An's close-knit circle of friends. They're basically the Justice League or the Avengers of C-drama and I loved watching them on screen. I also became very attached to his wacky family. They reminded me of Fan Xian's equally adorable family from Joy of Life. One of my favorite characters in this is Wei Yuan, who is the counterpart of Joy of Life's Cheng Ping Ping. Both are powerful eunuchs and highly intelligent strategists and are probably the most interesting characters in their respective dramas. I like all the characters except one. I wish they hadn't added a love interest. I know that Xu Qi An marries her in the book but he was supposedly more in love with the Royal Princess and she was his primary romantic interest. To avoid the harem angle, they could've just made them fall for him but he didn't need to return their affections. That way, the drama would just be a straight up male-centric story revolving around Xu Qi An with no romantic entanglements and complications.

Strangely enough, I actually enjoyed the first few episodes even though many viewers complained about the slapstick comedy and slowburn plot progression in the beginning. I started to lose interest the moment the princess showed up and began causing all kinds of havoc. The character doesn't contribute anything of value to the story, frankly speaking. She is no more than just an unnecessary accessory, the tasteless edible gold leaf embellishment to the proverbial cherry on top of an already well-decorated cake. She annoyed me to no end. I skipped all of her scenes save for the ones that involved a subplot regarding another princess. I didn't feel the need to watch the rest and I didn't lose anything from not watching them. They could've completely written her out of the story and it wouldn't have mattered. I wish they had focused more on the Royal Princess, she's a far more intriguing character in my opinion. It wouldn't have mattered if she was the love interest or not because she could've played a more significant role in the court politics and her interesting relationship with Lord Wei needs to be explored more. I get the feeling that she's actually his daughter and not the emperor's. I hope they'd delve more into her character in future seasons.

All in all, this was a highly entertaining drama that could've been great if not for the hiccups in the writing of the love interest, the silly mistaken identity subplot that slowed down the story for several episodes, and the abrupt ending that made me cuss and complain that they could've fit everything in just 40 episodes if they didn't add so much unnecessary stuff that only dragged the story. I would've given this a much higher rating if they had actually done that. Anyways, I'm still going to watch the second season if they ever make one.

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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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This hit the spot

It’s rare for me to watch a C-Drama without cringing at least once at the attempted comedy - but Guardians of Dafeng had me genuinely belly laughing more than a few times.

What began as what I thought would be a light-hearted, casual watch quickly turned into something much deeper. As the episodes went on, I found myself increasingly invested in the main character’s journey. The writing is sharp and purposeful, the scenes feel natural rather than forced, and the characters are well-rounded, distinctive, and memorable. To top it off, the soundtrack is catchy and fun—I don’t speak a word of Chinese, yet months later I can still hum the main theme.

I knew this was a standout series when I accidentally binged six episodes in a single sitting without even realising it. By the time it ended, I was left wanting more—and to me, that’s the hallmark of great storytelling.

The world-building is rich and immersive, the performances from the entire cast are top quality, and even the side characters bring their own meaningful impact to the storyline. Well, all except for one faceless mage - you’ll just have to discover that one for yourself.

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