A Lenda do Mar Azul (2016)

Way Better Than Expected

I pulled some names of some k-dramas I had been wanting to watch and gave them to my coworker to pick at random one day because I was struggling to choose a new drama. This was on the list ONLY because it had Lee Min Ho, as I really wasn't sure how I felt about a mermaid drama, as fantasy isn't really my jam.

Anyways, I'm so glad I watched this drama. This was my first drama with Jun Ji Hyun and I absolutely LOVED her in this. Her character was just great and she did such a good job selling it. I recently wrote a review for Personal Taste (another Lee Min Ho drama) and complained about the female lead's "quirky" sort of "I'm not like other girls" thing and how mostly it was just her being kind of gross and unkempt for no reason.

Shim Cheong (Jun Ji Hyun) also has this sort of thing about her, but it makes sense more for the character as she's not from our world, and as she spends more time on land, she does learn to be less... unsophisticated maybe is the word? And yet she still stays true to herself in some aspects which actually is cute and endearing, unlike the character in Personal Taste.

I honestly loved the whole cast but especially Na Young Hee (who plays lead male's mom) because I adored her relationship with Shim Cheong. I also really loved Moon So Ri (who plays this gossipy but super fun character) and ESPECIALLY Shin Won Ho who plays Tae Oh because he was adorable and hilarious despite doing very little speaking.

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The female lead was acting retarded. Like seriously autistic. I don't know what she was going for there, dazed and confused, goofy, stupid, silly, but whatever it was she didn't pull it off. I'm not even trying to be rude here, she literally acted as if she had maybe lower high functioning autism or something. I know this actress likes to play her characters kind of goofy (go watch You Who Came From the Stars that show was great and she stared in it) but this one was just oo goofy, As the show progressed she got a little less autistic but I dropped the drama a little less than half-way through because I just couldn't get past the annoyingness of her character.
Even though she's kind of annoying I know some people would probably not mind, so I say try it out! Except for her fuckery, the rest of the drama is amazing! I don't really like Lee Min Ho but this was his best drama in my opinion, and the plot, music, editing, action, romance was great. If the lead female (sorry I forgot her name) acted more dignified then I would give this drama a solid 9.5/10.

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I'm Sad : a chance to remake this classic tale with real characters and insight

Um. I seem to differ from many viewers. I could not watch past Ep2. so this will be no more than my gut reaction to what I saw. I really wanted to like this: many reviews were ecstatic with it, but I could not bear to watch more, despite being a fan of LMH, and looking for ages for a place I could watch this.
The story treatment is cliched beyond anything I can say, despite a rather original start to the scenario and the characters. I liked the opening in Joseon history, with the suggestion of foreshadowing 20thC events, and possible connections between past and future : the depiction of humans v mermaid were 'realistic' and pretty much believable.
Once in 20thC, our hero is a conman with a group of colleagues, and scenes with them ensemble were very engaging indeed. I had good hopes at this point.
Those very quickly evaporated. The 'holiday' scenes with the mermaid caught in his wardrobe, with legs, hiding in a sweatshirt ... OK, almost - she's hungry, raided his kitchen, dropped a mess everywhere and hid. When he tries to grab her she punches him across the room. Twice. Good fr her - but then suddenly she's tied up with a tie round her wrists. From that point on ... not so much. Funny, in my experience a punch from two fists is even more effective than one fisted blows. She is suddenly almost completely docile.
She should be wild, fighting, dangerous, and terrified - she must know what humans can do to mermaids (won't say here - it's horrible, but there's a reason they are extinct in every other ocean but this one).
She is now nothing more than a little girl being led to shops and dressed up in pretty shoes and a glittery frock - this worked in Splash, but not here, 30 ears later. In Splash the mermaid has already fallen in love with the hero, and you can see her sense of fun and, frankly, lust. Not here. No - here, there is no such sense of connection, so her docility is vacuous He has designs on a bracelet she wears, but no sign of that greed in his actual performance. He doesn't show any connection with her - other than for the jewel. No - common sense would make him buy leggings, a sweatshirt with sneakers.
The music is pretty, but what I call "soupy", and at times the music or song replaces actual action, script, and, sadly, acting. My FF button was not enough to carry me through.
This was a chance to make a reimagined little mermaid, strong, wild, fascinated by the human, but full of fear, slowly engaged and tamed as what are in fact two incompatible cultures find points of contact through developing communication.
Jun Ji Hyung is very beautiful indeed, and Lee Min Ho handsome as ever, but this was not enough to carry me any further into this apparently weak retelling of an old tale.
Deeply disappointed. I could have given this less than three stars, but some of the acting is good, there are moments of insight, and the cinematography - easy given the locations' beauty - is very pretty.

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