Guardians of the Dafeng | Open Thread

A crafty salesman lives his power fantasy.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Wang He Di: Xu Qi An

Tian Xi Wei: Lin An

Director

Deng Ke

Chinese Title

大奉打更人

The Night-Watchers Guardians of Da Feng

Genres: Costume Qihuan, Romance

Network: Tencent Video

Year: 2024
Episodes: 40

Jump to Remarks | Review | Screencaps | Recs | Comments

Cast

Wang He Di: Xu Qi An [Wishing 7 Peace]	Tian Xi Wei: Lin An [Lin Peace]
Liu Yi Jun: Wei Yuan	Yan Zi Dong: Xu Xin Nian [Wishing New Year]
Yue Yang: Xu Ping Zhi [Wishing Flat Ambitions]	Zhang Xiao Chen: Chu Yuan Zhen
Mao Xiao Hui: Huai Qing	Ni Hong Jie: Li Ru
Liu Jun: Emperor	Fan Shi Qi: Yang Yan
Fan Shuai Qi: Nangong Qing Rou	Liu Mei Han: Chu Cai Wei
Zhang Miao Yi: Xu Ling Yue	Yan Pei Lun: Song Ting Feng
Wang Run Ze: Zhu Guang Xiao	Wang Yi Yao: Li Miao Zhen
Chen Xiao Yun: Mu Nan Zhi	Kang Kang: Li Yu Chun
Du Chun: North Lord Zhen	Guo Tong Xi: Xu Ling Yin

Romcom/Romance Checklist

How much of the plot is angst/romance?

0.75 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

The ML:

Cold–Lukewarm–Warm / Timid / Tsundere / Falls in Love First / Noble Idiot / CEO / General

The FL:

Bold / Cute / Cool & Independent / Falls in Love First / Better than ML / Noble Idiot

Describe the Relationship (the tropes):

Annoying Love (F/M) Rivals +++ / Bickering Start / Childhood Connection / Cohabitation / Contract Marriage or Fake Couple / Enemies to Lovers / Hidden Identity / Harem / Love Triangle / Married Couple (Real) / Rebirth / Secretly in Love (F/ML) / School to Adulthood / Star-Crossed Lovers

Relationship Progress (officially together; first (official) kiss; breakup*):

Ep 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 / 32 / 33 / 34 / 35 / 36 / 37 / 38 / 39 / 40

# of CPs (including main CP):
0 / 1+ / 2 / 3

Ending: 

Happy / Sad / Open Happy / Open Sad / Bad / Rushed+++

Remarks

[Drama Info]

From the director (Deng Ke) of The Legend of Shenli, My Heroic Husband, and the incarcerated The Prisoner of Beauty (Song Zu Er). The general impression from him is large cast + comedy.

Produced by New Classics Media (NCM; 新麗傳媒), which explains the New Life Begins recurring actors (like Fan Shuai Qi with another compound surname). I'd list them, but that would be regurgitating at least 50% of the cast.

Poster says Season 1, and so if this does well.... Also, what ending shall we expect then?

Wrapped on December 11, 2023.

[Ending] Exciting! Until we reach post-16-min. I wouldn't say it's a satisfactory ending even if they're expecting a S2. Maybe I'd want amnesia to forget what I saw....

Reviews

Submit Your Review | Rating Guide

Five (5/5)

Four (4/5)

Three (3/5)

Reviewer: cynlynn

Hearts: ♥♥

Date: January 2025

This drama is a “hilarious” brainless ML power fantasy featuring alchemists, jianghu pugilists, demons, sorcerers, royals, dragons, cats, and foxes. It’s complicated yet narratively simple. The comedy didn’t land for me, but the unpredictable plot and fascinating characters kept me hooked. (Honestly, I’d trade all the laughs – except that one scene in Ep9! – for a deeper dive into the web of relationships teased throughout.)

Wang He Di is Xu Qi An. He should just walk with the gong from now on. He may never redefine acting (ever, lol), but he’s perfect as the ridiculously overpowered protagonist who stays grounded enough to effortlessly win everyone’s admiration. Tian Xi Wei is wasted as Lin An, though she definitely elevates her spoiled brat role. As the drama progresses, I really like that I actually get to know her as a person. The other ladies are awesome but stuck at their surface-quirks: Cai Wei’s gluttony, Huai Qing’s poise, and Li Miao Zhen’s fiery heroism. I wanted so much more personality from them! (The Aunt wasn't too bad.)

Romance? Oh you mean the shoehorned mess that drags the plot? But mercifully, it stays irrelevant enough to ignore. Still, just when I’d written it off, one or two sweet moments peeked through. Xu Qi An’s bromance game, however, is superior. From his copper sidekicks and silver and gold fanboy bosses to Wei gong, the freeloading (but hot) monk arm in his brain, and Yang Qing Huan’s faceless rivalry, the guys bring chaotic, lovable energy that lights up the screen—even with limited screentime. (We needed so much more...)

Ending? Oh you mean that cop-out? I cannot defend you, Show! If they’d at least tried to show how the big boss was defeated, even poorly, I could respect the effort. Instead, the drama sidesteps the climax entirely, withdrawing from the challenge, and punts it to a “second season.”

Overall, at its worst, it’s a shallow comedy, an even shallower romance, and an action flick that only ever nails the entrance. BUT at its best, it’s a fun, entertaining, escapist ride. When it hit its stride, I really enjoyed this, especially for all the characters.

Public reception: Not a flop, but it didn’t smash records. The production team likely had higher expectations that weren’t met, and its pre-airing hype set the bar too high. Still, Dafeng dominated viewership throughout its run (with Flourished Peony stealing the spotlight briefly). Yet, thanks to its pompous pre-air buzz, the “flop” narrative stuck harder than it deserved.

Two (2/5)

One (1/5)

Screencaps

→ Dageng Guardians

→ Family Amusements

→ Wang He Di Faces

→ Lin An – Romance < Sismance

→ The Better "Romances"

→ Weirdos

→ Ending Highlight

Dageng Guardians / "Night Watchmen"

[Jump to: Screencaps | Comments]

[Ep2]

[Ep9]

Absolutely, the funniest scene for me! From the beast-avalanche to sharing-"Maltesers-pill"-is-caring xD

He doesn't learn, haha.

[Ep13]

[Ep14]

[Ep15]

YYDS! 永遠滴神 Forever God

YYDB 永遠滴Boss 🫡🥺

[Ep16]

Cutie.

[Ep21]

[Ep34]

It was Wang He Di's idea to crawl under the table to hug his leg

[Ep36]

[Ep38]

Nailing those entrances!

And that's about it 😭😂

[Ep40]

Family Amusements

[Jump to: Screencaps | Comments]

[Ep1]

[Ep5]

[Ep8]

[Ep13]

The uncle and nephew LOL. It looks like they're humble and complimenting each other, but in reality neither of them want the title of the best sycophant ("dogs"), hahahaha. The way they end up on the floor to not be "dogs" xD How can they be so related.

[Ep24]

Aunt: I wasted my tears.

[Ep30]

Wang He Di Faces

[Jump to: Screencaps | Comments]

[Ep2]

[Ep5]

Singing his own Seaside Tango ♪ Baby I love you ! ♪  | Fang Shi Qi "snitched" on him on H!6 for loving to play his song so much, he hears it every single day xD

[Ep8]

[Ep8]

[Ep18]

[Ep19]

[Ep24]

Orthodontic fashion? 

Chin-Bra?! (Credit: 🥔)

[Ep27]

Lin An (Tian Xi Wei)

Bore-mance 🤕 + Sismance ☺️

[Jump to: Screencaps | Comments]

[Ep8]

[Ep14]

[Ep18]

Fainting with the princess was Wang He Di's idea.

[Ep19]

[Ep23]

[Ep24]

[Ep34]

Sismance

Hua Qing loves you, dumb dumb Lin An!

[Ep24]

Huai Qing knows Lin An prefers savoury.

[Ep26]

Huai Qing sending underwater pirates (who have acquired gills) to escort Lin An xD

The Better "Romances"

[Jump to: Screencaps | Comments]

Golden Bickering Duo

(And the CP)

[Ep9]

Literally, all they do is stand like this and I love them together.

Vowed Enemies

[Ep29]

2 idiots and 3 pig heads

Weirdos

😍😆

[Jump to: Screencaps | Comments]

Cai Wei (Liu Mei Han)

🥒🫑🫓🍜

[Ep1]

[Ep17]

Yang Qing Huan (Liu Guan Lin)

[Ep20]

He isn't even in the credits 😂

[Ep21]

[Ep40]

Last episode and still ... 😂

Still there in the left corner! xD

A Freeloading Hot Arm Monk

[Ep25]

(So much happened at the end, I forgot about his existence...is he existing?)

Ending Highlight

[Jump to: Screencaps | Comments]

 📣 Spoiler! Ending was awesomely emotional and thrilling until we hit 16 minutes. You can't just mass-amnesia everyone and cop out on the real ending!

Recommendations

Genre List:

Costume Qihuan

Male Story	Male Story	Male Story