Guardians of the Dafeng Hits 28000 Heat Index on Tencent But the Reviews Continue to Skew More on the Negative Side
With two big female lead C-dramas on deck this Tuesday, last week’s premiere of big male lead C-drama Guardians of the Dafeng will see competition sooner than expected. The drama is now one week into airing and on Tencent just hit 28000 heat index which is very very high and good news for the drama which has faced a slew of criticism since premiering centered around male lead Dylan Wang‘s acting and own voice dialogue intonation and dialect. But the more negative than positive reviews has not made a meaningful dent in the viewership numbers which should make Tencent relieved, however this is a S+ budget drama so the viewership numbers needs to be even high to the Joy of Life level to have this considered a true hit. For now it’s just not a flop at least. I just started watching and did one episode and loved it, it’s so sleekly directed, I find Dylan so fun to watch both in character and performance, and the plot with the strong comedic tone paired with mystery investigation feels refreshingly different and engaging.
I am on Episode 13 and i have no problem with it either, although it could be because of my poor taste in dramas recently. It’s not quite on the level of Joy Of Life or even recently Blossom, but it’s not a bad watch at all.
This show is meant for Dylan’s fan. I have been dreaming to see him with a personality close to his because he is so much fun and so endearing. The plot is fun. Yes it might not be the best but who cares we get Dylan in a comedy and he is so funny. He truly delivers. I believe this was written for him. I’ll keep watching for sure !!!
watch until ep 21 he will be amazing there
I haven’t seen the drama but saw enough of clips of dylan wangs acting to agree with the criticisms. At least in the clips, his comedic acting seems forced and unnatural that it can look cringe. I can understand the negative sentiments. Again I haven’t watched the drama and idk if watching ut will change my perception
I completely understand why you feel that way! I was a bit hesitant to watch it myself after his previous series, Only for Love. I didn’t enjoy the writing in that one at all and felt like Dylan’s character lacked emotion, sticking too much to the “no-nonsense boss” persona.
That said, I’m actually enjoying the comedy in this show! I definitely see the resemblance to Joy of Life, which was fantastic—I’d say the humor here is on a similar level. As I keep watching, the storyline is becoming more layered and intriguing, which I love. I’d encourage you to give it a try and see what you think!
Dylan still has star power. You must admit it. But I personally think this is the worst acting of Dylan out of all his works. I can’t put it up for more than 4 eps and fast forwarded/skipped most of the scenes till ep 10. No regret at all to drop it. There are so many Kdramas available that are better than Cdramas in general. I’m also looking forward to Yang Zi’s new drama set in Tang Dynasty. And then, Xiao Zhan’s new drama will be upcoming soon too.
I’m currently on episode 19 and it’s getting better and better! The comedy in the beginning of the drama made me laugh out loud and now that the drama is getting more serious and the stakes are higher, I can’t wait for more episodes! I think people need to ignore the reviews and give it a try. I think Dylan Wang is doing a great job balancing the comedy and the dramatic scenes.
Also as of now it’s already hit 29,000 heat index and almost hit 30,000 heat index last night. Definitely not a flop like what yxh accounts want you to think.
Dylan has star power, definitely agree. Since he is also a active variety show host or member…many viewers have grown to like him alot. Can he really act well or now…his fans are more understanding and will give him more time to get better.
He is not going anywhere as yet…I too enjoy watching him in variety shows…but in dramas, I dont watch many. I have to say, it did surprise me the script actually pointed out his not great Chinese accent and pronunciation in eps 1.
Yep, within the first few screen time minutes …. a clear hint to all viewers that what is on offer is light hearted fiction & meant to be taken with a huge pinch of “salt”.
I am totally ignorant of the original IP but nonetheless doubt it falls into the “high” culture category.
Dylan Wang is a born “entertainer” & whether you love him or “hate” him in GoD he delivers what the script requires from him. Period
I have a soft spot for Dylan, I like his bright and cheeky variety persona. I don’t mind his diction although I kinda miss his sub voice from LBFD. Haha. Guardian of Dafeng is not great but not bad either. It skews more towards goofy comedy, which is not exactly my cup of tea, but my teenage son loves it! He started watching it with me and really enjoys it, laughing out loud many times at every episode 🤣 So this has become our daily mother-son post-dinner bonding activity, which is kinda nice for me.
The world building does take a bit of time to develop, and I find that the way they introduced some of the various organisations a bit vague and unclear. Certain story plots I feel serve little purpose other than for comedic purpose, which I find a bit draggy. The FL is also not as sharply and well-written as I would like her to be. But at 19 episodes in, the story does get a bit better and moving slowly into the “big” investigation that seems to be bringing in the various loose plots together. Dylan’s acting is not great but he does look like he’s having fun playing this character, because it feels like he is just playing himself. Hahaha. Unless it crashes badly in the second half and loses my son’s interest, I would be following Xu Qi-an to the end. 😆
Yah I am enjoying the drama. The story just keeps getting more and more intriguing. Yes he is the main character but overall the story keeps you on your toes. I know not everyone will like the funny business and expected more serious side but to me it balances it all fairly well so far. Episode 15 especially is where things start to get even more heated. I know most people give up by then but for me it is more interesting than most airing dramas and makes my day more interesting.
I am enjoying this as I love light comedy genre, and in that area this drama delivers.
Didi’s funny voice fits in this type of drama too! Can’t imagine his voice in serious Donfang etc characters though.
I’m currently at episode 16, a little slow as there were other things grabbing my time and attention lately. There were a few parts draggy and boring but there were others that were enjoyable and made me laugh. Overall, I would say it’s a good watch so far if you enjoy such genres. The acting don’t feel out of place at all.
I love Dylan and he derserves his success. I am enjoying it. So pleased to hear how well it’s doing.
Unfortunately, Dylan and the drama are facing massive hate attacks from many sides not because they deserve that but because it’s orchestrated. Fans complain that when they post positive videos and comments on a number of platforms, they get deleted while negative ones are always recommended. Even the platform of Tencent does some weird things to diminish its heat. It’s not surprising that the number of negative reviews will be bigger. It’s just not fair play. The story is great. Since I’ve read the novel, I know that the story only gets better and more engaging as it progresses. It definitely won’t crash. All the main crimes (and the drama focuses only on them) are parts of sth significantly bigger and more sinister. I love all the characters except the villains, of course. Nothing is boring. I really enjoy comedy here. Wang He Di is great. His character can be funny, brave, upright, boastful, scheming, touching. I don’t care about the accent thing since I don’t speak Chinese. He is a rare type of a popular actor of his generation (I’m writing about idol dramas here) who is uninhibited and relaxed in the way he acts. Most would make sure there is the right angle to show their best features, or show them as super strong. Also, when people criticise dramas or actors, they should be more specific about the things they find unsatisfactory.
It’s been a few months since we have something like God, very refreshing and the actors and the story is very good.
the expectation from this drama is very high especially to Dylan that he can finally change the overall ranking and take over the top rank in c-ent that is unchanging since 2019. The usual maximum length of holding top rank was only 2 years (e.g. Lu Han). The others were mostly one year or less but right now the top rank is still the same for 5 consecutive years and looks unwavering even this year or the next 2 years.
Sorry but i sleep while watching episode 10 – 12
That’s what happened to me while watching ep 5-10. LOL. I quit anyway.
I just finished episode 10 and find it quite entertaining. I’m a fan of Dylan Wang and like that he seeks out different roles. He’s willing to take risks, rather than being typecast. Being American and watching with English subtitles, I’m not affected by his pronunciation. I like his voice because I like him. It does seem like the role was written for him. It reflects his personality. It appears the entire cast had fun, which adds to my enjoyment. I can see myself watching this again.
I agree with the criticisms. I think Dylan is amazing in variety shows, but his acting and voice is…
I struggled to finish episode one. Nothing personal about Dylan. Her is amazing in his variety shows
I am at episode 20 and find Guardians of the Dafeng hilaroiusly entertaining. Regarding the pronunciation and dialect, it was already mentioned in episode 1 that ML needs to work on his Mandarin as he is in sales. So the character has been written as suc. Personally, I am looking to each new episode as it is highly watchable.
totally agree with you! I just finished episode 20 and anxiously waiting for the story unfold in future episodes! It’s refreshing to see a drama with intriguing plot and yet with humor and comedic overtones! Dylan is a very good actor who delivers what is required for the character he plays. He is charismatic and so good looking! Some may not agree with me but I give this drama a A+!
the viewership is pretty bad despite 28000. a big tier not hitting 30000 early is tough and it’s being boosted by the biggest promo tencent ever gives it’s drama (no other drama, ads across other tencent sites like music apps, and millions spent giving away memberships). seems tencent will drag out the airing schedule to make numbers be more decent. still not a flop like fox. It just didn’t help with the rap song and his recent concert business stuff so he’s getting some hate.
I tried until ep10s and the comedy wasn’t for me and plot was pretty boring. Dylan acting isn’t that bad while some criticisms is true its like watching him make the drama character just himself which is okay if you enjoy him so I don’t mind however it does take you out if there’s no plot to follow. the actually humour was a bit cringy to me I’d rather watch him act cocky (the fight scenes) actually. if anyone has caught up let me know if there’s more plot and I will give it another chance.
I find Dylan Wang’s performance fun and lively entertaining. This series is going to go down as one of my Favorite’s. I don’t understand why it’s not getting much better reviews.
It’s an epic ruined by bad direction/editing/scriptwriting and terrible voice-acting.
First off, the humor is nowhere near Joy of Life’s quality and even when the jokes have potential, the way it’s been filmed/directed/edited left a lot to be desired. This director is either really new with humor or just sucks at it. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no redeeming value – for one thing, while the humor is forced, some of it is ok-funny. More like smile than a lol. The wholesomeness makes it work and not the jokes/humor itself.
Secondly, the forced relationships. There seems to be some forced love between him and Wei Gong than him with his boss or his 2nd uncle. He’s so touched by the fact that Wei Gong was looking out for him while he’s been investigating things – that meeting was just bizarre and, er, forced. He seems to see Wei Gong as a father figure, but there’s no rhyme or reason for that. Then, there’s the relationship with the 2nd princess. It’s rare that I skip romance, but I had to when the FL is so cringe and I fail to see what he liked about her (besides her looks.) For me, that says a lot seeing that I like Tian Xiwei and her part in here is nothing more than a dumb vase. It’s a shame to write a female character this way.
Third, Dylan’s voice. Yes, he looks good. He can do the chivalrous, epic hero archetype very well. He looks handsome and eye candy is indeed sweet. But. His. Voice. I finally know the reason why his voice antagonizes me so much. And why it feels so jarring in dramas. I don’t know if his native accent is a trademark of where he’s from or it’s due to his hobbies. When he talks, it sounds like he’s about to rap. It’s like modernized, which should be fine considering he’s a modern person in a historical context right? But it still sounds jarring. Like when you put someone who speaks only Cantonese into a Mandarin show and they try to speak bad Mandarin. IF they had chosen another person to voice him over, I wonder if my impression of his acting would change. He can still do the crying and serious scenes well. His humor, on the other hand, is inadequate. Ironic given that he’s been in so many “funny” variety shows.
Fourth. When I see supporting characters outshining his acting, it leaves me very disappointed. For example, his “cousin-sister” in the drama has been very good at playing her role and steals his scenes. When I see the veterans, Wei Gong, Silver Soldier Lee, and even his soldier brothers “blending in” with the drama, the acting disparity is even more noticeable. He lost the gravita that he used to have and that has more to do with the direction, IMO, than it does his acting. He did fine in that drama with Yuki and with Esther. In this drama, he feels way more immature. I think the voice has a LOT to do with it, plus his general aura.
I also feel the drama wasted SO MUCH time on 2nd princess character and for no reason. If they can’t write a love interest well, don’t bother writing one at all! It’s a crime to waste our time like that.
I’m completely with you on this one… I know it might be unfair to constantly compare it to Joy of Life, but it really does have a similar tone in storytelling. There’s a male lead with modern day knowledge/advantages, similarly reciting poems and being recognized for their talent. There’s a royal female lead that serves as the love interest but is basically just a vase. The producer was also on the team of JoL’s production. However, JoL had much more engaging side characters and relationships. I actually felt the bond Fan Xian had with Teng Zijing. I absolutely adored Wang Qinian. The father figure relationship with Chen Pingping also felt way more natural. I even found the villains quite likable in many senses.
My personal opinion is that his line delivery detracts from his acting. The voice itself is actually okay for this type of cheeky character and it matches his IRL personality. But I can feel that he’s trying to be funny. He’s a naturally fun person on variety shows, but comedic acting is hard because you’re self aware of the need to be funny. Based on LBFAD, I think he can act okay with how he carries himself and facial expressions. At least he’s trying to dub himself though? Without experience he’s never going to get better.
Loving this drama Dylan is brilliant it’s light hearted funny and entertaining and a change from the usual – Scotland UK
Maybe I should have this a try since I like him in meteor garden. I’m so behind since I am watching his 6 year old work. What other dramas from him that are good that you all will recommend
Testing
Love Between Fairy and Devil is his best older drama…
I’m loving it and watching it as its released. He perfectly plays (IMO) someone from the present, who was working the system to get ahead, thrust into the past and making the best of it, slotting into the life he’s been given but with modern knowledge. Good fun!
Well I have never seen a koala post fangirling over an actor before. Sun rising from the east, brethren.