''The Blade and Petal'' (; lit. "Sword and Flower") is a 2013 South Korean television series that aired on

KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

from July 3 to September 5, 2013, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.

Kim Ok-bin Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese fo ...

and

Uhm Tae-woong Uhm Tae-woong (born April 5, 1974) is a South Korean actor. He made his acting debut in 1998, but initially struggled to emerge from under the shadow of his older sister, popular singer-actress Uhm Jung-hwa. After several years of small roles an ...

play star-crossed lovers doomed by their fathers' epic battle for political power during the

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...

dynasty.

Synopsis

The

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

takes place in the twilight years of

. Military general

Yeon Gaesomun Yeon GaesomunSome Chinese and Korean sources stated that his surname was Yeongae () and personal name was Somun (), but the majority of sources suggest a one-syllable surname and a three-syllable personal name. (594–666) was a powerful militar ...

wants to go to

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

with the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, but the

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

King Yeongnyu opts for diplomacy and national stability, and in their battle of wills the palace council is divided between the "hawks" and the "doves." Yeongnyu has two children, the princess So-hee, and the crown prince Hwangwon. The king is particularly proud of his older daughter So-hee for being intelligent, assertive, empathetic, and an excellent swordswoman, and he respects her opinion during their frequent discussions about matters of state and politics. Despite being the heir, the younger, more frail Hwangwon acknowledges that he isn't particularly suited to rule, and prefers to quietly read his books in his quarters. Nevertheless, the siblings share a close, loving relationship with each other and their father. Meanwhile, hoping for an audience with his father, Yeon Gaesomun's

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...

son Choong, born of a slave mother, arrives in the capital. While on the road, the crown prince and princess are attacked in their carriage; Yeon Gaesomun and his allies had hired assassins to fake a Tang attack, since this could become grounds for war. Observing this from a rooftop, the masked Choong uses his

bow and arrow The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elastic launching device (bow) and long-shafted projectiles ( arrows). Humans used bows and arrows for hunting and aggression long before recorded history, and the practice was comm ...

to kill the one surviving assassin in custody, to prevent him from implicating his father. Shortly after, Choong and So-hee meet in the marketplace and fall in love at first sight. After his father rejects him, Choong decides to make something of his life and becomes a member of the royal guard, with So-hee ignorant of his paternity. When he foils another assassination attempt, Choong gets recognized by the king's nephew Jang as the masked archer, and he is sentenced to death. Yeon Gaesomun preys on Jang's ambitions, and together they plot to save Choong from hanging, unbeknownst to the grieving So-hee, who believes he has died. But Choong cannot resist revealing himself to her, and the lovers joyfully reunite. Fearing that the general's power and influence are rapidly overtaking the throne's, Yeongnyu orders Yeon Gaesomun to oversee the construction of the defensive wall Cheolli Jangseong in a remote province, which would effectively exile him. In retaliation, Yeon Gaesomun and his co-conspirators plan a revolt; it fails because of Choong's intervention, but the crown prince becomes seriously injured after he falls off a poisoned horse. The king unexpectedly declares So-hee as his successor to the throne, dashing Jang's hopes and causing him to finally shift his allegiance to Yeon Gaesomun. Yeongnyu asks the ''Geumhwadan'', a secret group of warriors meant to protect the royal family and the citizens in times of uprising and war, to investigate. But they have difficulty finding unequivocal evidence linking Yeon Gaesomun to the failed rebellion. Seeing no other solution to their ideological impasse which is causing political unrest, Yeongnyu decides to have the general and his fellow traitors assassinated. But Yeon Gaesomun has his own carefully laid plans in place, and he warns Choong to correctly choose a side, with his family. He tells Choong to cut off the princess's head to prove his loyalty, and orders a soldier to kill Choong if he acts against them. Enormously conflicted yet unable to betray his father, Choong agrees to join the plot, but only because he's secretly planning to save So-hee from what's to come. Thus, Yeon Gaesomun, his allies and their troops enter the palace, launching a bloody coup. The royal army stands down under Jang's orders, and the plotters massacre the ministers in the council and the remaining loyal soldiers. So-hee's brother the crown prince is murdered in front of her eyes. The ''Geumhwadan'' urge the king to escape, but he stands his ground in the throne room, facing his enemies with dignity. Truly believing that he is doing what's best for Goguryeo, Yeon Gaesomun commits

regicide Regicide is the purposeful killing of a monarch or sovereign of a polity and is often associated with the usurpation of power. A regicide can also be the person responsible for the killing. The word comes from the Latin roots of ''regis'' ...

by stabbing Yeongnyu straight through the gut with his sword. Once she sees Choong there, the utterly devastated So-hee assumes the worst that he was part of the conspiracy, not realizing that Choong risked his life fighting his father's own soldiers to protect her. Yeon Gaesomun installs Jang as the new king Bojang. But he is only a puppet king, and Yeon Gaesomun becomes the ''Dae Magniji'' ("Grand Prime Minister"), or the

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

ruler and

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times ...

of Goguryeo. Believing that So-hee had died in the coup, Choong reverses his earlier stance and joins Yeon Gaesomun's cause in order to gain power, castigating himself that if only he hadn't been powerless, he might've been able to save her. But So-hee is alive, and being hidden by the ''Geumhwadan''. She renames herself Moo-young (meaning "shadowless" because she no longer exists in the world), and vows to avenge the death of her family.

Title

In one of the flashbacks, Yeongnyu asks his daughter which she thought was stronger — the sword or the flower. He tells her that the sword can easily cut off the flower, but the flower can bloom again after being cut. And in the constant cycle of cut-and-bloom, the sword would inevitably rust and give way. Yeongnyu concludes, "The sword is not to be used to cut the flower, but to protect the flower." Conversely, according to another saying, "Flowers wither like love, only blades are eternal."

Cast

Main characters

as Princess So-hee/Moo-young :Daughter of the king. Proud, loyal and capable, the princess loses everything when her father and brother are assassinated. Vowing revenge, she

cross-dresses Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes usually worn by a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and self-express oneself. Cross-dressing has play ...

as a male warrior to infiltrate the ''Choeuibu'', Yeon Gaesomun's elite group of intelligence agents. *

as Yeon Choong **

Chae Sang-woo Chae Sang-woo (born March 31, 1999) is a South Korean actor. He began his acting career in 2008 as a child actor, notably in ''Deep Rooted Tree'' (2011). Filmography Film *''Wretches'' (2018) - Jo Seong-woo *''The Huntresses'' (2014) - Sa-hyun * ...

as young Yeon Choong :Yeon Gaesomun's illegitimate son. Despite his talent, he finds he cannot rise higher in the ranks because his mother was a servant. Choong wants nothing more than to be accepted and acknowledged by his father, so he joins the palace guard to prove his warrior skills and gets assigned as the princess's bodyguard. *

Choi Min-soo Choi Min-soo (born March 27, 1962) is a South Korean actor. He is known as one of the most acclaimed actors in South Korea. Life and career Choi's family has been active in acting, and singing. Choi is the son of Choi Moo-ryong, a popular acto ...

:A powerful military general who comes from a long line of political players. Because of the increasing frequency of

's attacks against Goguryeo cities, he believes that swift and more aggressive retaliation is necessary. He wants the king to declare war in order to prevent a possible Tang invasion. * Kim Yeong-cheol as King Yeongnyu :The 27th ruler of

. A former soldier, he believes that war would ravage his country and that of neighboring kingdoms

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...

and

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...

, and therefore diplomacy, not war, is the solution to their problem with the Tang. Yeongnyu tells his council, "It is not the strong who survive — it is those who survive who are strong." *

On Joo-wan On, on, or ON may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * On (band), a solo project of Ken Andrews * ''On'' (EP), a 1993 EP by Aphex Twin * ''On'' (Echobelly album), 1995 * ''On'' (Gary Glitter album), 2001 * ''On'' (Imperial Teen album), 200 ...

as Jang (later King Bojang) :The 28th, and last ruler of Goguryeo. The nephew of Yeongnyu, he betrays his family to side with Yeon Gaesomun, who places him on the throne as a puppet king. *

No Min-woo No Min-woo (; born May 29, 1986) is a South Korean actor, musician, singer and songwriter. He is also known under the stage names ICON and MINUE. He debuted as a drummer in TRAX in 2004, and left the band two years later. In 2008, he began act ...

Yeon Namsaeng Yeon Namsaeng (연남생, 淵男生) (634–679) was the eldest son of the Goguryeo '' Dae Magniji'' (대막리지, 大莫離支; highest ranking official or dictator; "prime minister") Yeon Gaesomun (603?-665). In 665, Yeon Namsaeng succeeded hi ...

:Yeon Gaesomun's eldest legitimate son. *

Park Soo-jin Park Soo-jin (born November 27, 1985) is a South Korean actress, singer and model. She was a member of K-pop girl group Sugar from 2001 to 2006, then she transitioned to acting in 2007. Park has also hosted ''Tasty Road'' since 2010, a cable sh ...

as Mo-seol :A female warrior on Yeon Gaesomun's side. *

Lee Jung-shin Lee Jung-shin (; born September 15, 1991) is a South Korean musician, singer, rapper, and actor. He is the bassist of South Korean rock band CNBLUE, which debuted in January 2010 in South Korea. Life and career Early life and career beginning ...

as Shi-woo :A master swordsman and the youngest of the princess's bodyguards.

Supporting characters

;Geumhwadan * Kim Sang-ho as So Sa-beon *

Jo Jae-yoon Jo Jae-yoon (born September 15, 1974) is a South Korean actor. He made his acting debut in 2003 and has since starred as a supporting actor in numerous films and television series, including '' The Man from Nowhere'' (2010), ''The Chaser'' (2012 ...

as Boo-chi *Yoo Seung-mok as Seol-young *Kim Hyo-seon as Young-hae *

Hyun Seung-min Hyun Seung-min (; born September 17, 1999), known professionally as Jung Ji-so () is a South Korean actress. Hyun made her acting debut as a child actress in the 2012 television drama ''May Queen''. She is best known internationally for her rol ...

as Cho-hee *

Yoo Jae-myung Yoo Jae-myung (; born June 3, 1973) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the series ''Reply 1988'' (2015), '' Stranger'' (2017), ''Life'' (2018), ''Itaewon Class'' (2020) and '' Voice of Silence'' (2020). He won Best Suppor ...

as Cho-hee's father *

Shin Hye-jeong Shin Hye-jeong, better known mononymously as Hyejeong, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is best known as a member of the South Korean girl group AOA. Early life Hyejeong competed in a supermodel pageant until the 3rd preliminary ro ...

as Dal-ki *

Kwak Jung-wook Kwak Jung-wook (born 12 June 1990) is a South Korean actor. Personal life On January 24, 2022, it was confirmed that Kwak and Park Se-young are getting married in mid-February, and the wedding ceremony would be held privately in Seoul. They ...

as Chi-woon ;King Yeongnyu's faction *

Lee Tae-ri Lee Tae-ri () (born Lee Min-ho; June 28, 1993) is a South Korean actor. He is well-known for his role as young Yang Myung in ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (2012), Song Man-bo in ''Rooftop Prince'' (2012), Jung Joo-hwan in '' The Beauty Inside'' (20 ...

as Crown Prince Hwangwon *Lee Dae-ro as Seon Hoe-young *Kim Joo-young as Hae Tae-soo *Jeon Hyun as Tae-kyung *Yoon Jin-ho as Yeon Jung-mo ;Yeon Gaesomun's faction *

Gu Won Gu Won (Korean: 구원; born 5 February 1988) is a South Korean actor and model. He is best known for his roles in television dramas and movies such as ''Fists of Legend'' (2013), ''Enemies from the Past'' (2017), '' Legal High'' (2019), ''Disco ...

as Ho-tae *Ahn Dae-yong as Yeon Jung-ro *

Lee Dae-yeon Lee Dae-yeon (born November 13, 1964) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Theater Awards and nominations References External links Lee Dae-yeonat JR Entertainment * * * 1964 births Living ...

as Do-soo *Park Yoo-seung as On Sa-moon *Park Joo-hyung as assassin ;Neutral nobles *

Joo Jin-mo Joo Jin-mo (born Park Jin-tae on 26 September 1974), is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the films '' Happy End'' (1999) in which he won Grand Bell Awards for Best Supporting Actor, ''200 Pounds Beauty'' (2006), ...

as Yang Moon *Hyun Chul-ho as Yang Jin-wook *Jeon Jin-ki as Sun Do-hae ;Choeuibu *

Lee Won-jong Lee Won-jong (born January 1, 1966) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Variety shows Theater *''Blind'' (2010) *''The Masked Hut Murder Case'' (2022) - Nobuhiko Awards *2002 SBS Drama Awards: Best Supporting Act ...

as Jang-po *

Lee Yi-kyung Lee Yi-kyung (born January 8, 1989) is a South Korean actor. Career Lee made his acting debut in 2011, and first gained recognition from playing a rebellious student in the teen drama ''School 2013''. Thereafter, he played supporting roles in t ...

as Tae-pyung *Kim Dong-seok as Ji-kwan ;Extended cast *Moon Hyuk as Jin-goo *Bang Hyung-joo as Choon-myung *

Yoon So-hee Yoon So-hee (; born May 7, 1993) is a South Korean actress. Early life and education Yoon was born in Stuttgart, Germany, on May 7, 1993, and lived there for six years before returning to Seoul. In 2011, she enrolled as a Chemical and Biomolecu ...

as Nang-ga *Park Sang-yeon as Jang's bodyguard *

Tae In-ho Tae In-ho (born Park Sang-yeon; May 2, 1980) is a South Korean actor. He starred in television series such as '' Misaeng: Incomplete Life'' (2014) and '' Descendants of the Sun'' (2016). Filmography Films Television series Web series ...

as Jang's bodyguard *Shin Hoo as Yeong-boo

Ratings

Awards and nominations

International broadcast

It began airing in Japan on cable channel KNTV on March 18, 2013. It began airing in Thailand on

PPTV PPTV () is a Chinese video streaming website. Its predecessor, PPLive, was peer-to-peer streaming video freeware created at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Hubei Province. The group of companies that runs the websi ...

on October 12, 2014. th, ภาษาไทย

Notes

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blade and Petal, The 2013 South Korean television series debuts 2013 South Korean television series endings Korean Broadcasting System television dramas Television series by KBS Media South Korean historical television series South Korean action television series