Uhm Tae Woong must be in a sageuk mood, because he’s trading one for another just to satisfy that craving. He’s been attached to the SBS remake of the biography of Admiral Yi Soon Shin for what feels like forever, and clearly something was up with that drama because the production was definitely taking forever. Uhm Tae Woong may be a newlywed and a soon-to-be daddy in real life but he’s not letting nesting slow him down. He’s just signed on as the lead in the upcoming KBS sageuk Sword and Flower. This one is being called the reverse The Princess’s Man, with the daughter of the King of Goguryeo having a revenge filled love story with the man who assassinated her father. Casting calls for this drama have been going out for awhile, with both Song Seung Heon and Kim Nam Gil rumored to have been interested, but both decided on modern melodramas with When a Man Loves and Shark. On the female lead side Park Shin Hye officially did receive the script but in the end she was lured away by the chance to go back to high school with Lee Min Ho in Heirs. Now that Uhm Tae Woong is onboard (the official confirmation is not out but consider it inked) I expect the project to start rolling in earnest, though it has some wiggle room since it airs in July after The Fugitive of Joseon. This comes from the PD of The Equator Man and the screenwriter of Mom is Pretty, Too. I’m not the biggest fan of Uhm Tae Woong in sageuks, and I actually think this one screams MISCAST all around. In fact, he and Kim Nam Gil need to switch dramas ASAP, he goes back for a trifecta with Shark reuniting with the production duo who did Resurrection and Mawang (both starring him), while Kim Nam Gil returns to his badassary Bidam ways. What’s kicking my brain six-ways to Sunday is that the two ladies rumored for the lead role both suck at acting so badly I get hives when I see them – Yoona from SNSD and Son Dam Bi. What has the drama world come to?
First off, it’s not confirmed yet who will be the leading lady, but apparently Yoona is the frontrunner and might even be unofficially onboard already. There is also talk that if she turns it down it might end up in Son Dam Bi’s hands. Whatever, it’s like asking me which hand I prefer to be slapped with. I’m not surprised about the age of the potential leading actress, since Park Shin Hye was the producer’s choice therefore the character must be written in her early twenties. But then the casting of Uhm Tae Woong makes it all sorts of squicky for me. I LOVE Uhmforce, but I do not need to see him pretend romancing either Yoona (he looks like her dad) or Son Dam Bi (he looks like her uncle). As for acting, to be honest I thought Uhm Tae Woong did his worst acting in Queen Seon Deok where he literally faded into the woodwork (while Kim Nam Gil took over as the second half male lead), but even then I’m not happy he’s potentially getting a leading lady that (1) has never done a sageuk before, and (2) generally sucks at acting. The casting calls coming out of Korea have been hit-or-miss this year, but if he pairs up with either of these two, Sword and Flower will immediately become the craziest pairing of the year so far.
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Yoon or Son Dambi? Lol! There are a bunch of actresses who can actually act who would look better with UTW but they settle for wooden idols? Hasn't the idol brings ratings been debunked already?
Just....no. Has fail written all over it. I want shows to get burned, and burned badly, for their greedy use of idols instead of actors. I want this show to go down in flames. That's the only way to slap back those producers who keep thinking that idols are going to bring in the viewers.
Please choose Son Dam Bi instead of yoona. Otherwise it would be a waste to UTW talent. Heck i wish i will never see Yoona in dramaland because her acting so sucked it sore my eyes.
dude yoona may be a crappy actress but son dambi is way worse.
son dambi is worse
Yoona is better ok.. u just jelous..everybody know yoona can act..
Is the casting director (or whatever the Korean equivalent is) on crack?! That is the worst idea ever! I was really looking forward to this drama especially when I heard Uhmforce would be in it. But if either of these talentless children get cast as the leading lady, I'm out. Neither can act their way out of a paperbag and that is IF you can even get past the massive (and very obvious) age difference. NO. NO. NO. JUST NO! April Fools was weeks ago, right?! Argh, this makes me mad! If Uhmforce has any sense he'll back out of the project if they cast one of these children.
I have no problem with the age difference - it feels more authentic in a way.
But I have to disagree that Son Dambi is untalented. IMHO, I think she has some potential. If she focused on acting, I think she could become very good a la Park Si Yeon pre-propofol.
Please don't compare Park Shin Yeon with Son Dam Bi.
I think it's disrespectful to PSY
OMG!!!what's wrong with the casting team of this drama..its seems like Korea lack some good actress that they opted to choose... never mind
Am I dreaming? What's an odd paring. But when UTW smile he looks younger so it may work if either Yoona or SDB has a miracle improvement in acting.
I admit that the pairing with Yoona would be weird but I don't understand why we're supposed to accept leading ladies being 10+ years older than leading men but when it's in reverse it's somehow supposed to be inherently squicky.
For what it's worth, I don't like leading ladies being way older either (7th Level Secret Servant - *shudder*). Sometimes it works though and sometimes the reverse (older man, younger woman) works too - see IRIS, where LBH and KTH had great chemistry, IMO.
My problem is that UTW isn't the type I can believably see romancing a dewy innocent, and also the type of love story this sets out to be screams a male lead who is relatively young, not one who won't see 35 again.
I think there will be the young love interest! I think Uhm TaeWong will play the role of the general who kills heroins father!
It's not the actual years, it's the maturity. Some actors and actresses can play older/younger and so the real years don't matter. But in the case of UTW and Yoona, he looks every bit of his age and cannot pull off younger and she looks like a little baby and has the acting maturity to match. It's for the same reason that the reverse didn't work at all in Level 7 - Joo Won looks like a baby and Kang Hee looks every bit of her years.
What?! This has gone from most anticipated to 'avoid at all costs.' UTW has the market cornered on angsty hot cops, but he should never ever do a sageuk, is too old to believably pull off a love story with Yoona or Son Dambi, is too old for a romance-centric sageuk in general etc etc etc.
As to Yoona or SDB? I liked Yoona in Love Rain (I was probably one of 5 people who liked Love Rain, period), and SDB makes a rock look emotive, so while I am not a huge fan of either, I'd vote for Yoona. But, tbh, it doesn't even matter - UTW/Yoona in a romantic sageuk is not a pairing I ever thought I'd see except in my wildest nightmares.
I agree. Everyone here is so miscast. I feel so disappointed.... The excitement I built up is gone. I was initially looking forward to this when the rumors Park Shin Hye might be paired with Song Joong Ki. Now look at the mess this might become.
Oh God, please no....please.
Yoona can't act. I've seen some of her drama before and i think her acting was not good. i will never ever imagine she act in a sageuk. just don't...
i never see SDB acting before so i won't comment about her.
OMGSH!!!! Whhhhhhy????