Couple stills of Sword and Flower’s tragic lovers
by javabeans
Here we go, folks, the first stills of our leads of upcoming epic romance-revenge sageuk Sword and Flower. Playing the fate-crossed lovers are Uhmforce, aka Uhm Tae-woong (Equator Man), and Kim Ok-bin, who’s returning to television a much better actress than when she left it (her last drama series was 2006’s Over the Rainbow; she’s been doing films since then, like The Front Line and Thirst).
Uhm Tae-woong plays the illegitimate son of famed general Yeon Gaesomun (played by Choi Min-soo, pictured below right), while Kim Ok-bin plays the daughter of Goguryeo’s King Young-ryu (Kim Young-chul, below left). The fathers are enemies, the king and his family are killed by Yeon’s side, and the princess embarks on a revenge mission. Too bad there’s that whole romance angle to complicate matters, leaving our hero torn, wanting to protect her despite knowing she hates him for his family’s actions.
I would have preferred to wait for the pretty versions of these stills with colorful backgrounds edited in, because these studio shots always look so dry. They don’t convey the same excitement as the drama’s first poster, which is a lot more evocative of the drama’s revenge and its sword-and-flower motif. The titular flower is supposedly representative of love, to stand as the contrast against the sword of hate.
Also cast is Ohn Joo-wan (Twelve Men in a Year), who plays Kim Ok-bin’s cousin. He has particular fondness for her, but he receives “an offer he can’t refuse” from General Yeon and ends up betraying his royal family. As reward, he is made the next king (and Goguryeo’s last), Bojang—but then realizes that he’s nothing but Yeon Gaesomun’s puppet and faces off against him.
I think the jury’s still out on whether that’s a mane of glory or a mane of shame Uhmforce is sporting, because I can’t decide. On one hand, he wears the grizzly look well. On the other, there IS a certain very faint mop-ish quality to that wig that I can’t quite get over. I think we’ll have to see it in action—and from the looks of it, we can expect plenty of action. Here’s to hoping that the fierce fighting heroine gets a hefty slice of it. No reason the boys should have all the fun.
Sword and Flower airs on KBS on Wednesdays and Thursdays, premiering July 3.
Via Review Star, Newsen
RELATED POSTS
- Sword and Flower’s first poster and script read
- (The other) Lee Min-ho plays royalty for Sword and Flower
- Choi Min-soo cast as Uhm Tae-woong’s father in Sword and Flower
- CN Blue’s Lee Jung-shin joins Sword and Flower
- Sword and Flower lands one lead, still casting others
- Uhm Tae-woong drops Yi Sun-shin, considers Sword and Flower
Tags: Choi Min-soo, Kim Ok-bin, Ohn Joo-wan, Sword and Flower, Uhm Tae-woong
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1 snow_white
June 10, 2013 at 8:26 AM
still I am not able to make up mind whether I'm gonna watch it or not....I'll wait for the reviews....
you are absolutely right about that wig :D
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Jo
June 10, 2013 at 2:06 PM
I ditto the sentiments of ambivalence. On one hand the actors are splendid, but for me, I always feel so meh about the goguryeo period. People go too wild and weird with that period (people making dramas I mean). le sigh
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Kiara
June 10, 2013 at 5:41 PM
May I ask what you mean by too wild and weird?.
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2 the izzanie
June 10, 2013 at 8:36 AM
Never thought will see Tae Woong oppa that way. Cant stand the wig. But wont stop me to watch.. ;)
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3 Kiara
June 10, 2013 at 9:01 AM
It's smexy from a distance lol. I hate close up shots because you can tell that he is wearing a wig.
I think they look great together and I'm looking forward to a heroine that I can root for.
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4 Elise
June 10, 2013 at 9:03 AM
I still can't bring myself to watch 'Princess' Man', pretty sure I wont be watching this for that same reason...I don't mind tragic endings if they sneak up on me but when am going into it knowing there is definitely gonna be a tragic ending...what's the point!
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Rashell
June 10, 2013 at 10:26 AM
Princess' Man doesn't end tragically at least not for the main pair. Yes, there are losses and the don't get a perfect ending, but it is definitely an HEA for the OTP.
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5 Niki
June 10, 2013 at 9:07 AM
I cannot believe this is the same girl from Thirst! Kim Ok-Bin is looking lovelier as she ages. She kinda resembles Lee Ji-Ah in these stills. And her dress, gosh i'm a sucker for billowy sleeves and vibrant colors.
Uhmforce's up-do is a miss for me in these stills. Hope the drama version will look less scraggly.
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6 ida
June 10, 2013 at 9:16 AM
wow. choi min soo and uhm tae woong look kinda alike in these stills. if you just take in the face and not compare the hair. OK. Maybe it'd be more accurate (albeit weird) to say Choi Min Soo kinda looks like Uhm Tae Woong in his still.
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nedenuleyn
June 10, 2013 at 11:05 AM
http://theuhmforce.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/uhm-tae-woong-vs-choi-min-soo/
This article is about the similarity you mentioned...
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7 apple
June 10, 2013 at 9:18 AM
For a moment I thought it was Han Jung Soo O_o
But then I recognized Uhmforce, lol.
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Jenna
June 10, 2013 at 11:34 AM
Me too!!
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8 Dramafed1782
June 10, 2013 at 9:25 AM
Waaah!!!!! Great posters :) I hope JB and GF would recap it. Thanks again :)
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9 lassie
June 10, 2013 at 9:31 AM
Er...sorry, Umhforce,
But should not the hands be put lower ?
But....my mind can't be still...
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Kiara
June 10, 2013 at 9:42 AM
Lol ikr?.
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Rashell
June 10, 2013 at 10:30 AM
He is kinda flirting with a boob grab there isn't he? Naughty! :)
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fab
June 10, 2013 at 11:50 AM
LOLOL I had to take a second look... Thanks
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Stardust
June 10, 2013 at 5:29 PM
I thought I saw wrongly, but thank you for confirming... HAHAHHA first I was like: Why is that girl's hand so large? and so high ?! XD
why is uhmforce holding on to her...rib cage HAHAHHAAH
Thank you for the updates javabeans! hehehehe looking forward to it, as long as it is not a long draggy kind of sageuk...
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aoikarin
June 11, 2013 at 6:11 AM
Yup, when I saw the picture, what I noticed was Uhm's notty hand. LOLOLOLOL and checked all the pix... His hands all grabbing aim too high. tee hee hee
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10 KDaddict
June 10, 2013 at 10:30 AM
These stills, of 2 ppl standing against a white background, aren't doing anything for me. They don't tell me a thing.
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fab
June 10, 2013 at 1:22 PM
I know right, the less known characters have (much)better shots...
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11 dmohican14
June 10, 2013 at 10:34 AM
Blegh, no that is a Mane of Shame. Probably won't watch since sageuks just aren't my thing, but the plot seems interesting.
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12 Ann
June 10, 2013 at 11:19 AM
I keep thinking of the wig he wore in 1N2D!
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13 Rach ^^
June 10, 2013 at 11:47 AM
Is he wearing that mustache for 1N2D? HAHAHA.
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14 JenJen
June 10, 2013 at 12:43 PM
uhmforce and choi minsoo. humona~ I'm going to dub it a mane of glory since uhmforce is rockin' the grizzled look. the couple shots look gorgeous too
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15 ninji
June 10, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Oh I LOVED Kim Ok-bin in Over the Rainbow, that whole drama was a big pleasant surprise. Not sure about this one though.
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16 Quiet Thought
June 10, 2013 at 2:20 PM
Well, if Kim Ok-bin does get to do some action scenes, we won't have to worry about her looking like a lollipop who learned to kick just in time for her first scene.
"Specialty: Marital Arts (3rd dan in Hapgido and 2nd dan in Taekwondo) and Muay Thai"
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17 anvesha
June 10, 2013 at 4:21 PM
I sort of giggled when I saw UTW with that hair.. and that expression..
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18 Abbie
June 10, 2013 at 6:06 PM
Looking forward to this solely because of Uhmforce. I love him so much. He's awesome!
Is Choi Min-soo the bad guy then? I can totally see that thinks to his visits to Running Man. He's really scary as the Hunter.
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Abbie
June 10, 2013 at 6:07 PM
I meant *thanks to his visits to Running Man.
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19 brain_wicked
June 10, 2013 at 8:06 PM
sigh.... I LOVE historical drama (japan, korea, china), but goguryeo period always turns me off. Maybe because of the clothes, the setting or the behavior which I don't find them appealing.....
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20 tha
June 10, 2013 at 9:13 PM
I'm all in with this one!
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21 Lotus_Blossom
June 10, 2013 at 9:38 PM
I think I am in. Thus far, nobody looking like a 21st century hothouse plant transplanted back to the Goryguyeo era.
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pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉
June 11, 2013 at 7:37 AM
and hopefully, since this isn't a fusion sageuk, no one will behave like one either.
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22 chane
June 11, 2013 at 5:27 AM
Love his hair!!! Can't wait for this drama!!
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23 pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉
June 11, 2013 at 7:36 AM
I'll wait for the first two episodes before making up my mind, but this could be good - sure, my wished-for OTP of Song Joong-ki and Park Shin-hye didn't happen, but this looks no less exciting.
(and thank goodness for the female lead ultimately not being Yoona. She was decent in Love Rain, but I do not think she can do a sageuk, and it's bad enough when some idols half-ass it in fantasy sageuks, I do not want them near the real article)
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