The Beauty of War

• 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
• Mak Ling-ling as Cheung Mei-kuen, Siu-mei's mother
• Lee 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.

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.^[2]

The series ranked first on Google Hong Kong's Top Searched TV Programs of the year.^[5] It maintained strong viewership in Hong Kong, despite receiving negative reviews.^[6][7] The show featured an open ending, which drew criticism from some netizens. 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.^[8] Jeannie Chan received negative feedback for her acting, while Angel Chiang was generally praised.^[9][10] A writer from HK01 suggested a correlation between negative reviews, low scores, and high viewership in Hong Kong.^[11]