The Beauty of War
| The Beauty of War | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | 美麗戰場 |
| Genre | |
| Written by | Patrick Kong |
| Directed by | Patrick Kong |
| Starring |
|
| Opening theme | "Beautiful Battlefield (美麗戰場)" by JW |
| Original language | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Patrick Kong |
| Production location | Hong Kong |
| Running time | approx. 45 minutes per episode |
| Production company | TVB |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | 3 October – 28 October 2022 |
The Beauty of War (Chinese: 美麗戰場) is a Hong Kong drama series produced by TVB, with Patrick Kong serving as executive producer, screenwriter, and director. The 20-episode series premiered on 3 October and concluded on 28 October 2022. It follows three close friends whose sister-like bond begins to unravel after graduation as they navigate life, ambition, romance, and rivalry. Starring Jeannie Chan, Moon Lau, Hera Chan, Angel Chiang, Joel Chan, and Alex Fong, the series achieved strong viewership despite mixed reviews, with praise for Angel Chiang's performance and criticism of its open ending and certain plot and character developments.
Cast
- Jeannie Chan as Chung Ka-po (Michelle), one of three best friends/sisters; evolves from innocent to hardened, the "black rose."
- Moon Lau as Lee Ching-yee (Joey), the "cactus" sister; upright and tough, later conflicts with Ka-po.
- Hera Chan as Lam Siu-mei, the "sunflower" sister; pure and gentle.
- Angel Chiang as Chung Ka-kei (Katy), Ka-po's stepsister; the "Venus flytrap," fierce and seductive.
- Joel Chan as Wong Yat-yin (Kevin), manager who recruits Ka-po; skilled at shaping careers.
- Alex Fong as Pong Chun-yu (Alex), tycoon's son; Ka-po's husband.
- Aska Cheung as Au Ka-ming, Ka-po's first love
- Karl Ting as Ching Yu-chun, Siu-mei's boyfriend; deceives and manipulates her.
- Bob Lam as Tsui Foo-kwai, wealthy playboy; falls for Ching-yee.
- Rebecca Zhu as Tong Yan, the "other shore flower"; involved in rivalries.
- Rainbow Ching as Lee Ping, Ka-po's grandmother.
- Yen To as Chung Shing, Ka-po's father.
- Candy Cheung as Lau Yuk-ling, Ka-po's deceased mother.
- Lenna Yeung as Tsang Wai-fong, Ka-po's stepmother.
- David Chiang as Pong Kwok-tung (K.T.), tycoon; Chun-yu's father.
- Regina Ho as Pong Tsz-shan, Chun-yu's younger sister
- Telford Wong as Chiu Si-kit, Tsz-shan's husband
- Terence Tung as Lee Wing-keung, Ching-yee's brother
- Patrick Dunn as Lam Chung-sam, Siu-mei's father
- Mavis Wong as Cheung Mei-kuen, Siu-mei's mother
- Li Shing-cheong as Lo Wai, triad boss
- Snow Suen as Lam Lam, Yat-yin's assistant
- Carlo Ng as Chow Chong-fat, Wai-fong's extramarital lover
- Amy Fan as Fan Siu-keun (Cat), TV producer; aids Ka-kei, sabotages Ka-po.
Plot
The Beauty of War explores the theme "Life is a battlefield; the more beautiful, the more resilient." The story follows the intertwined lives of three close friends — Chung Ka-po (Jeannie Chan), Lee Ching-yee (Moon Lau), and Lam Siu-mei (Hera Chan) — whose sister‑like bond gradually unravels after graduation. Siu-mei enters Ka-po into a beauty contest, and Ka-po eventually impresses a talent manager, Wong Yat-yin (Joel Chan), launching her into the competitive world of entertainment. Encouraged to enter the Miss Hong Kong pageant, Ka-po faces sabotage from her stepsister, Chung Ka-kei (Angel Chiang), which only fuels her determination to succeed. As Ka-po rises to fame and later marries wealthy heir Pong Chun-yu (Alex Fong), she grows increasingly distant from her friends, and their relationships are tested by jealousy, pride, and ambition amid the metaphorical "battlefields" of showbiz and high society.[1]
Music
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beautiful Battleground (美麗戰場)" | Hayes Yeung | Alex Lau | JW | 4:08[2] |
| 2. | "Can't Wait for You (沒法等你)" | Hayes Yeung | Aska Cheung | Aska Cheung | 3:38[3] |
Ratings and reception
The series ranked first on Google Hong Kong's Top Searched TV Programs of the year.[4] It maintained strong viewership in Hong Kong, despite receiving negative reviews.[5][6] The show featured an open ending, which drew criticism from some netizens. Executive producer Patrick Kong stated that several alternative endings had been filmed, but the final cut was chosen based on audience reactions and the believability of each character's arc.[7] Jeannie Chan received negative feedback for her acting, while Angel Chiang was generally praised.[8][9] A writer from HK01 suggested a correlation between negative reviews, low scores, and high viewership in Hong Kong.[10]
| Week | Episodes | Airing dates | Ratings[a] | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-platform peak ratings | Viewership | ||||
| 1 | 1 – 5 | 3–7 October 2022 | 18.7 points | 1.22 million | [12] |
| 2 | 6 – 10 | 10–14 October 2022 | 19.1 points | 1.24 million | [13] |
| 3 | 11 – 15 | 17–21 October 2022 | 20.7 points | 1.34 million | [14] |
| 4 | 16 – 20 | 24–28 October 2022 | 22.8 points | 1.48 million | [15] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Results | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | AEG Entertainment Popularity | My Favorite TV Series | The Beauty of War | Won | [16] |
| My Favorite Leading Actor (TV series) | Joel Chan | Won | |||
| My Favorite Leading Actress (TV series) | Jeannie Chan | Won | |||
| Best On-Screen Partnership (TV series) | Bob Lam and Moon Lau | Won | |||
| Best TV Themesong | "Beautiful Battleground" (by JW) | Won | |||
| Yahoo! Search Popularity Awards 2022 | Most Popular TV Series | The Beauty of War | Won | [17] | |
| Most Popular Female Character (TV series) | Chung Ka-kei (by Angel Chiang) | Won | |||
| Most Popular On-Screen Partnership (TV Series) | Jeannie Chan, Moon Lau, Hera Chan | Won | |||
| TV Male Artist | Joel Chan | Won | |||
| TV Female Artist | Jeannie Chan | Won | |||
| 55th TVB Anniversary Awards | My Favorite Female Character In A Television Series | Lee Ching-yee (by Moon Lau) | Nominated | [18] | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Bob Lam | Nominated | [19] | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Angel Chiang | Won | [20] | ||
| Most Popular On-Screen Partnership | Bob Lam and Moon Lau | Nominated | [21] | ||
| My Favorite Actor in a Leading Role (Malaysia) | Joel Chan | Nominated | [22] | ||
| My Favorite Actress in a Leading Role (Malaysia) | Moon Lau | Won | [20] |
Notes
References
- ^ 美麗戰場｜率先睇劇情簡介+主要演員！陳瀅演阿寶挑戰演技橫跨20年演出 葉念琛首部TVB劇集 [The Beauty of War Plot and Cast Preview: Jeannie Chan stars as Ka-po in a role spanning 20 years in Patrick Kong's first TVB drama]. ULifestyle (in Traditional Chinese). 3 October 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ "Beautiful Battleground (美麗戰場) (Theme song from TV Drama The Beauty of War by JW on Apple Music". Apple Music. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 12 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
- ^ "Can't Wait For You (沒法等你) (Ending theme from TV Drama The Beauty of War by Aska Cheung on Apple Music". Apple Music. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 12 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
- ^ Google香港2022年度娛樂名人劇集節目搜尋榜出爐！袁嘉敏成唯一入榜港女星 《美麗戰場》意想不到 [Google Hong Kong 2022 Search Rankings: Candy Yuen is the only Hong Kong female star to make the list; The Beauty of War delivers an unexpected result]. ULifestyle (in Traditional Chinese). 7 December 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ Goody25 (6 October 2022). 美麗戰場劇評｜大灑狗血開播負評一面倒 集體回憶氾濫非最大敗筆 [The Beauty of War: Melodrama sparks negative reviews, nostalgia not the main flaw]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 《美麗戰場》4.7分破台慶劇豆瓣網最低評分 內地網民負評 [The Beauty of War scores 4.7 on Douban, the lowest ever for a TVB anniversary drama, drawing negative reviews from Mainland netizens]. Ming Pao (in Traditional Chinese). 15 October 2022. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ 獨家丨葉念琛睇好陳瀅蔣家旻攞獎 網友狂鬧大結局開心觀眾咁投入 [Exclusive: Patrick Kong backs Jeannie Chan and Angel Chiang for awards; pleased fans were so invested despite finale backlash]. Sing Tao Daily (in Traditional Chinese). 3 November 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ Goody25 (11 October 2022). 美麗戰場｜豆瓣僅得5.1分「淪史上最差TVB劇」內地網民睇完一肚氣 [The Beauty of War: Rated 5.1 on Douban, deemed TVB's worst drama; mainland viewers outraged]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 陳瀅被《東張》主持提演技捱批突然眼濕濕 雙眼通紅令人心疼 [Jeannie Chan suddenly gets teary-eyed when the Scoop host brings up criticism of her acting, looking heartbreakingly pitiful]. Sing Tao Daily (in Traditional Chinese). 13 October 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ 鍾冠全 (19 October 2022). 美麗戰場｜負評越多收視越升 第11集直播收視衝破20點! [The Beauty of War: Despite negative reviews, Episode 11 hits 20-point ratings!]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ Nip, Amy (9 August 2013). "Slide in television ratings is no drama, says TVB". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ 《美麗戰場》收18.7點 陳瀅鬥蔣家旻吸122萬觀眾 [The Beauty of War scores 18.7 ratings points — Jeannie Chan vs Angel Chiang draws 1.22 million viewers]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 10 October 2022. Archived from the original on 12 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
- ^ 林迅景 (17 October 2022). 《美麗戰場》企穩第二周 最高收視19.1點不敵內地劇《夢華錄》 [The Beauty of War steady in week two — peaks at 19.1 but trails mainland drama A Dream of Splendor]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 12 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
- ^ 《下流上車族》首周開播吸引155萬觀衆收看 《美麗戰場》最高收視20.7點 [Get on a Flat drew 1.55 million viewers in its first week; The Beauty of War peaked at a 20.7 rating]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 24 October 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ 《美麗戰場》結局狂吸148萬觀眾 葉念琛超滿意：令我喜出望外！ [The Beauty of War finale drew 1.48 million viewers; Patrick Kong said he was extremely pleased: "It exceeded my expectations!"]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 31 October 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ 《美麗戰場》勇奪AEG五個電視獎成大贏家 陳瀅阿BOB豪言：攞到公司大獎會自資拍《美麗戰場2》! [The Beauty of War won five AEG TV awards; Jeannie Chan and Bob Lam said they'll self-fund a sequel if they take the top TVB prizes]. MyTV Super (in Traditional Chinese). 10 December 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ 羅志宏 (24 December 2022). Yahoo搜尋人氣大獎2022｜完整得獎名單出爐！票王姜濤掃4獎成大贏家 炎明熹跑出榮登票后 [Yahoo Search Popularity Awards 2022: Full Winners List—Keung To Sweeps 4 Awards; Gigi Yim Emerges as Vote Queen]. ULifestyle (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 7 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2022 ｜最受歡迎電視女角色｜樊亦敏（白天娥）｜愛回家之開心速遞 [TVB Anniversary Awards 2022: My Favorite TV Female Character] (Video) (in Cantonese). Hong Kong: TVB on Youtube / Google, Inc. 8 January 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2022 ｜ 最佳男配角 ｜鄧智堅《 下流上車族 》｜ 最佳男配角 ｜鄧智堅 [TVB Anniversary Awards 2022: Best Supporting Actor] (Video) (in Cantonese). Hong Kong: TVB on Youtube / Google, Inc. 8 January 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ a b 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2022·得獎名單｜江美儀陳山聰奪視后視帝！《下流上車族》奪最佳劇集 [TVB Anniversary Awards 2022: Elena Kong and Joel Chan win Best Actress and Actor; Get on a Flat takes Best Drama]. Sing Tao Daily (in Traditional Chinese). 8 January 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2022｜ 最受歡迎電視拍檔｜ 周嘉洛、陳瀅、JW王灝兒、朱敏瀚、張頴康《 痞子殿下 》｜ 最受歡迎電視拍檔 ｜ 周嘉洛 ｜ 陳瀅 ｜ JW王灝兒 ｜ 朱敏瀚 ｜ 張頴康 ｜ 痞子殿下 [TVB Anniversary Awards 2022: Most Popular On-Screen Partnership] (Video) (in Cantonese). Hong Kong: TVB on Youtube / Google, Inc. 8 January 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2022 ｜馬來西亞最喜愛TVB男主角｜ 陳展鵬《 超能使者 》｜ 馬來西亞最喜愛TVB男主角 ｜ 陳展鵬 ｜ 超能使者 [TVB Anniversary Awards 2022: My Favorite Actor in a Leading Role (Malaysia)] (Video) (in Cantonese). Hong Kong: TVB on Youtube / Google, Inc. 8 January 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.