I can’t tell you how many names have been bandied about for Sword and Flower – Kim Nam Gil, Song Seung Heon, Park Shin Hye, Song Joong Ki, Yoona, Song Dam Bi, the list goes on – but now the cast is finally set its pretty much so powerhouse people will need to take tranquilizers to calm down from watching so much acting talent smushed together. Uhm Tae Woong dropped the remake of Admiral Yi Soon Shin and turned his sights to the Gorguryeo era to do a star-crossed lovers-revenge sageuk. I think the trade was a wise now, and he’s been gifted with a critically acclaimed leading lady in movie actress Kim Ok Bin. This is about as far from the possible Yoona-Son Dam Bi option as it gets. The drama is set in the Goguryeo era, with Kim Ok Bin playing the daughter of King Yeongryu who is overthrown by military dictator Yeon Gae So Mun. The princess loses her brother and father and vows revenge, transforming herself into a warrior and spy and infiltrating the military dictatorship of her father’s killer. Her intent is to seek revenge but she ends up falling in love with the illegitimate son of Yeon Gee So Mun, played by Uhm Tae Woong, who is actually the one that struck the killing blow on her father. Park Soo Jin plays the daughter of Yeon Gae So Mun’s right hand man with a one-sided love for Uhm Tae Woong. The second male lead is described as an orphan rescued by King Yeongryu and raised as a family member. He calls the princess older sister, and helps guide her through her revenge and falls into a romantic love for her that is unrequited. CN Blue‘s Lee Jung Shin has joined the cast along with two major powerhouse actors that instantly rocket this up to must see status simply to watch them act opposite each other. Kim Young Chul (The Princess’s Man and Nice Guy) and Choi Min Soo (Warrior Baek Dong Soo and Father’s House) have confirmed their casting and I’m guessing one plays the King and the other the Military Dictator? Sword and Flower will air on KBS Wed-Thurs following The Fugitive of Joseon come late July, continuing with the sageuk deluge in K-dramaland.
Uhm Tae Woong.
Park Soo Jin
Choi Min Soo and Kim Young Chul.
Kim Sang Ho.
Lee Jung Shin
Uhm TW is back, and back with what.., I’m so on board.., then again I’m watching e’thing he films.
Looking forward, looking forward!
I was on board until I read Lee Jung Shin’s name – anyone get the impression that writers are simply manufacturing roles for male idols these days? Couldn’t they have written a more believable adult male character for the sake of the plot?
And it’s not even like these idols help ratings. What a blot on this show.
And to be clear, I don’t mean to insult Lee Jung Shin. But his name stands out in a bad way… Park Soo Jin is ok in my book.
Jung Shin has acting talent, actually, and good screen charisma. He owned his scenes in My Daughter Sooyoung, especially from mid way onwards. I cried with him during the scenes when he found out his mother was not his biological mother. I get Joo Ji Hoon vibes from him (and we know how wooden JJH was in Goong) so am expecting good things to come from him in the future. Let’s not condemn idols just because they are idols.
Lee Jung Shin is such a good actor. He’s a rookie but he acts well. He will not be included in the casting if he’s not that good. He’s one of the idols who can be actors.
Hurray!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!
Choi Min Soo!!!!!! Kim Young Chul!!!!!!!! I’m so in!!! UTW hasn’t impressed me yet but I guess he is ok. If he pulls a Kim Yushin again he would be overshadowed again by the other cast but he may have improved.
Seriously breathing a sigh of reliefe…this is so much better casting, though I could do without Park Soo Jin( I can barely stand in contemporaru rom coms and now have suffer through a sageuk too?)…glad the lead is Kim Ok Bon though, she has become so much better in her movies compared to her drama performances in the past
Glad that it was Kim Ok Bin. She a solid actress with a much better film success than her dramas. Also I’m glad for them not casting an idol in the lead!
thank god it’s not yoona!
Ah~ I’ve been dying to see Choi Min Soo ahjussi since WBDS 😀
WOW…that is some amazing casting…must watch indeed!
Kim Ok Bin looks like Tang Wei in some of her pictures. Tang Wei is one hell of a gorgeous actress.
BTW, why can’t I right click links anymore so that I can open them in a new tab? I like doing that so I have a tab dedicated to the homepage of your blog. Hmmmm..
Question is why so many A-listers refuse the project…..
It’s probably stuff that’s too intellectually demanding for the audience and too physically demanding for the actresses.
This is going to be a great drama.
one of these is not like the other!
i hope KYC is UTW’s dad just for the angsty father-son scenes. i love it when he plays dads in dramas, the princess man and life is beautiful coming to mind. i’m liking the entire cast at the moment, PSJ was not too bad in You Who Rolled in Unexpectedly, i thought she’d annoy me but i actually ended up liking her character and LJS was pretty good in My Daughter Sooyoung. As someone said above i hope UTW just doesnt turn this character into Kim Yushin 2.0 cos my disappointment from that is still raw 🙁