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This review may contain spoilers
The Love Child of Joy of Life & My Uncanny Destiny
EDITED: For sanity! The previous version was a cross-platform transfer gone horribly wrong on grammar and formatting. I have addressed the issues.GUARDIANS OF DAFENG is everything you want in a Wuxia or any television series for the matter and
more. Guardians is the joyfully cheeky love child of Joy of Life and My Uncanny Destiny, and THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT SO GOOD!
The 'Unaware Chosen One' trope is revised in a contemporary manner. Our ML is always in 2nd place, a ‘could’ve, should’ve, would’ve’ man with a broken dream and heart. Add plot armor + ‘look how smart I am’ style palace intrigue + a massive cast similar to JOL, and the formula makes sense. This is cleverly and hilariously balanced by the boundless energy of ‘over the top’ tomfoolery, and humor that stays consistently throughout the entire series. The undeniable chemistry of the ensemble cast is the yummy stuff. I only wished it would have taken some of Uncanny’s skinship as well. Yet, this is the 1st series in a long time that I didn’t care that it was a show that advertised as a romance without any romance. I was so invested in the story! The flitterings of love that did occur were unexpected and charming; The palaple connection that Lil Bro Xunnan and Simu pull off in a single episode gave me the feels, it normally takes MC's 15 or more boring episodes to achieve what these two young actors accomplished with just a look and a word. And Secret Sect’s # 2 and #4, the couple that slays together, stays together. I’d be happy to follow either 2LMCs to 🫶🏾town.
The FL's antics didn’t bother me as the show progressed and her court attendants became more involved. I like this actress and New Life Begins is a favorite of mine, so she probably got a pass from me here. Tbh, I never really saw them as a real couple. In fact, this is the 1st series of Hedi’s that I could finish since my GOAT 🧚🏻♂️🖤😈
Our ML is a Chinese Millennial salesman whose dream it was to be a detective. Dafeng grants his deepest held wish. A quid pro quo is expected. Dafeng wants a good one, just as we all do.
I’m cynical, not by choice, and I’m well past my angst era too, so to find myself crying early in the series,
then at least once per 10 episodes was wild. I was also laughing in every episode, often. That is the cure for me now.
The writers were straight up showing off by Episode 31. Betting that they could drive the viewer to the edge of
existential despair where madness makes so much sense. And seconds later, make those tears become cries of laughter, as our ML goes from humanist stoicism to the embodiment of a cartoon character con man. I was so blown away by this. Bravo! Even the losers get lucky sometimes.
As he said dying, 'Losers, the common people, their experiences have meaning. Success or failure. I came, I did, I had. That is also meaning. Just when I begin a profound, tear filled rumination of these words, I look up to see our hero call for the nurse and proceed to die. And like a mashup of Cdrama, Rick & Morty, and Once and Future King, we watch the 'cycle of death and rebirth to annoy the enemy' play out over and over again, each death and rebirth filled with chaotic Lao Tsu energy seemingly renewed after each turn. They made you legit laugh and cry at the same scenarios in less than 10 mins. That’s magic.
Near the end, our ML Silver Gong is experiencing existential crisis, can you blame him? I don’t.
Someone being slow will get you dead.
Sometimes being slow gets others dead.
Sometimes being slow will cost you the love of your life.
The people of the Dafeng cohabit with time.
Finally, is it me or my whimsy. Or he needed the $$. No shade I need $$$. Did everyone clock DFQC lil bro from LBFAD as the Witches Cult Leader’s right hand man. Then suddenly the bros are in a triangle, slowly swirling in red with a ferocious father at the apex preparing to demand. In my head this could be what DFQC spent his 500 years doing: tribulations. And this is one. Let me dream.
Big up to cast, crew and producers and Wang Hedi, our man Dylan for giving us 2 iconic characters that no one will forget for years to come.
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MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND: Don't let those who judge Dramatic FICTION...
...by their individual morals make your choices for you.Dramas are all works of fiction that are meant to be dramatic.
- [ ] We suspend our disbelief every time we watch a series with impossible storylines, cliched tropes and unrealistic romances.
- [ ] We overlook some of the more egregious plots because the MC are good looking and the chemistry between them is palatable.
- [ ] We will slog through episodes that are nothing more than recycled scenes under the guise of flashbacks just for those moments that make us tense with anticipation, laugh out loud, and our hearts flutter.
- [ ] We ignore narrative devices such as the plot armor that protects protagonists from certain death over and over because we like the character.
- [ ] We suspend our disbelief at yet another 2nd Lead who stalks the Lead , laying claim and demanding reciprocation of a one-sided love based on the fact that they grew up together.
- [ ] We happily pretend that silly interns enter into glamorous marriage contracts with rich CEOs in the 20th century and it ends up in life long love.
- [ ] We snicker at the thought of a cold landing you in the hospital.
- [ ] We play along with grown adults pretending to be 30 year old virgins.
- [ ] We shake our heads at the notion of wearing tiny jean shorts, a blazer, sneakers and hair in pig-tails is completely acceptable in a corporate office.
- [ ] We roll our eyes when females trip on air only to have the male catch them and spin a full 360 circle in the middle of the street.
Yet when any gray area, no matter ridiculously over-the-top it is presented, causes some offense great or small to some viewers, suddenly the fiction in the drama becomes real. The fantasy bubble is popped for them and now they must pop it for everyone else who still understands that it is still just fiction. It is like watching a cartoon and freaking out when dogs start speaking. "Dogs can't talk!" but it was fine when the hero flew the spaceship?
The controversial and polarizing plot has many people unable to separate their personal biases, from the other viewer's biases, and those of the show's creators. But it is still fiction, it didn't really happen. It was a twist designed to stoke moral outrage, as most are crafted to do. This one just happened to be more controversial than the norm, but more importantly, it is original and unexpected. It respects your maturity and intelligence. The plot choices caught us off guard while we were pacified in a fugue of romantic stereotypes. You may not agree with how they got you, but they did, and as long as you keep it within the confines of the dramatic fantasy, enjoy the ride. It is okay to scream, holler, cry, clutch your pearls and wag your judgmental finger at the CHARACTER within the confines of the in the DRAMA! And try to appreciate the fact that it made you think and feel some type of way in a way you never have before, and rejoice that you got more than you bargained for. How often can you say that these days?
Please don't take the magic of storytelling away from others because it doesn't follow your moral playbook.
That's not fair. Every time a few create an unnecessary moral frenzy over a fictional story, more and more productions are afraid to take chances on fresh and original material. Then we all have to suffer endless, boring repetitions of 'safe' and predictable series, books, films, all of which are art, and art is not supposed to be 'safe' and predictable.
The reviews for the Chinese series’ "Well Intended Love", "Circle of Love", and the Taiwanese series,
"Before We Get Married", has suffered unfairly at the hands of armchair, self-appointed moralists who have ceased thinking for themselves, but want to think for you, don't let them. Protect Asian Media, Protect Art! We need to encourage writers, directors and actors to continue to create original takes on familiar themes even if you don't agree with them. I think we can all agree that the Nazis are reprehensible, but the movie "Schindler's List" resplendent. I am morally opposed to war, all wars, and I adore "The English Patient." I don't agree with adult females acting like school girls, it affects my moral feminism, but I will never dismiss a series for it, I will suspend my disbelief because that is part of the viewing contract. The dynamic and exciting relationship between the ‘observed’ and the ‘observer’ is one to cherish, not admonish.
Was this review helpful to you?
MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND: Don't let those who judge Dramatic FICTION..
..by their individual morals make your choices for you. Dramas are all works of fiction that are meant to be dramatic.- [ ] We suspend our disbelief every time we watch a series with impossible storylines, cliched tropes and unrealistic romances.
- [ ] We overlook some of the more egregious plots because the MC are good looking and the chemistry between them is palatable.
- [ ] We will slog through episodes that are nothing more than recycled scenes under the guise of flashbacks just for those moments that make us tense with anticipation, laugh out loud, and our hearts flutter.
- [ ] We ignore narrative devices such as the plot armor that protects protagonists from certain death over and over because we like the character.
- [ ] We suspend our disbelief at yet another 2nd Lead who stalks the Lead , laying claim and demanding reciprocation of a one-sided love based on the fact that they grew up together.
- [ ] We happily pretend that silly interns enter into glamorous marriage contracts with rich CEOs in the 20th century and it ends up in life long love.
- [ ] We snicker at the thought of a cold landing you in the hospital.
- [ ] We play along with grown adults pretending to be 30 year old virgins.
- [ ] We shake our heads at the notion of wearing tiny jean shorts, a blazer, sneakers and hair in pig-tails is completely acceptable in a corporate office.
- [ ] We roll our eyes when females trip on air only to have the male catch them and spin a full 360 circle in the middle of the street.
Yet when any gray area, no matter ridiculously over-the-top it is presented, causes some offense great or small to some viewers, suddenly the fiction in the drama becomes real. The fantasy bubble is popped for them and now they must pop it for everyone else who still understands that it is still just fiction. It is like watching a cartoon and freaking out when dogs start speaking. "Dogs can't talk!" but it was fine when the hero flew the spaceship?
The dark and unexpected ploy twist here caught me off guard, and it was a very f*uck@d up thing to do, no argument there. But it is still fiction, it didn't really happen. It was a twist designed to stoke moral outrage, as most are crafted to do. This one just happened to be a little darker, but importantly original and unexpected. They got us!
They caught us while we were pacified in a fugue of romance stereotypes. You may not agree with how they got you,
but they did, and as long as you keep it within the confines of the dramatic fantasy, enjoy the ride.
Scream, holler, cry, clutch your pearls and wag your judgmental finger at the CHARACTER within the confines of the in the DRAMA! Rather, try to appreciate the fact that it made you think and feel some type of way in a way you never have before, and rejoice that you got more than you bargained for. How often can you say that these days?
Please don't take the magic of storytelling away from others because it doesn't follow your moral playbook.
That's not fair. Every time a few create an unnecessary moral frenzy over a fictional story, more and more productions are afraid to take chances on fresh and original material. Then we all have to suffer endless, boring repetitions of 'safe' and predictable series, books, films, all of which are art, and art is not supposed to be 'safe' and predictable.
The reviews for the Chinese series’ Well Intended Love, Circle of Love, and the Taiwanese series, Before We Get Married, has suffered unfairly at the hands of armchair, self-appointed moralists who have ceased thinking for themselves, but want to think for you, don't let them. Protect Asian Media, Protect Art! We need to encourage writers, directors and actors to continue to create original takes on familiar themes even if you don't agree with them. I think we can all agree that the Nazis are reprehensible, but the movie Schindler's List resplendent. I am morally opposed to war, all wars, and I adore The English Patient. I don't agree with adult females acting like school girls, it affects my moral feminism, but I will never dismiss a series for it, I will suspend my disbelief because that is part of the viewing contract. The dynamic and exciting relationship between the ‘observed’ and the ‘observer’ is one to cherish, not admonish.
Was this review helpful to you?
