Would have done better as a 90-minute historical motion picture for kids on Disney
If you're looking for a riveting and compelling storyline with gripping plot twists, then this drama is anything but. Like many other fantasy dramas, Legend of the Sea is a light-hearted rom-com which tells the love story of a girl and a boy (well in this case, a modern-day mermaid and a talented con-artist).Characters
Cheong Shim/Se-hwa (played by Jun Ji-hyun) was an absolute cracker of a character; her fearlessness, cheek, wackiness, and great sense of humour won many people's hearts throughout the entire series, including my own. Could the casting director have picked anyone more suitable to play Cheong Shim other than Ms Jun herself? Absolutely not. Jun has this very captivating gaze about her when it comes to rom-com roles, and not to mention, her ability to act funny is both natural and effortless. But insofar as Jun's capabilities go, I have yet to see her act in more serious roles other than in 'My Love from the Star', and this drama itself.
Heo Joon-jae/Dam-ryeong (played by Lee Min-ho) on the other hand was less captivating as the leading male protagonist. Lee Min-ho's prior roles included Gu Jun-pyo in BOF, Jeon Jin-ho in Personal Taste, Lee Yoon-seong in City Hunter, and Kim Tan in the Heirs, and here, it just felt as though he was reprising his prior roles by taking on the same, boring, old personas - cold, callous, egotistic, but also funny, flippant and a huge romantic at times.
The supporting actors weren't any better to be honest, despite the years of experience three quarters of the cast had prior to starring in this drama. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some fantastic acting from quite a handful of the cast members, but their acting here just made me cringe so much. That said, the only person which really stood out to me was Heo Chi-hyun's character (older step-brother of Heo Joon-jae). Unlike Joon-jae, Chi-hyun was a good kid who grew up to be a successful businessman following in his his step-father's footsteps. A rebellious youngJoon-jae was therefore no match for Chi-hyun, yet all Chi-hyun wanted in life was for them to be brothers before anything. Of course the storyline didn't allow for this to happen, but I'm thankful that at least the actor who played Chi-hyun did a fantastic job at it by keeping his character's emotions and performance in check.
Storyline
Despite Park Ji-eun having written the scripts for two of the most commercially successful dramas ((My Love from the Star (2013-14) and Crash Landing on You (2019-20)), this script just couldn't compare in any shape or form, and was more or less the same in terms of dullness as her scriptwriting in the Producers (2015).
Park is no doubt a talented writer, but her ability to develop a unique dialogue really hit a low here (but perhaps not lower than that of the Producers). Needless to say, the effectiveness of the dialogue was watered down by a lot of small talk which failed to capture the essence of crucial moments. The over-use of petty remarks, or fatuous lines which contributed nothing to the plot, or character development was well and truly disappointing.
It's not often I turn my attention away from something I'm watching, but this drama made me feel so drained to the point I had I to figure out what other ways I could still watch it but not give it my full, undivided attention. And that's when it clicked - why not just play this drama in the background when I was doing something else? A drama's dialogue should be engaging from start to finish, but if as a viewer, you feel more determined multi-tasking whilst watching a drama like this on the side, then that's sufficient to say that you've really lost touch with it.
There were also many times where the writer was pushing for suspense, but everything just came across far too easy, cheap and predictable. For suspense to be elicited, the scenes should be gripping and heart-pumping, but what good is it if the stunts and tactics are of a Tom & Jerry kind, but worst?
Come to think of it, this drama would have done better as a 90-minute historical motion picture for kids; Disney style. Instead of going through the 20 episodes to find out what happens (which is basically an overly the top fairy-tale ending between the two leads), this drama could have been easily condensed into a movie using all the Joseon period flashbacks. Se-hwa and Dam-ryeong's poignant love story was already far more compelling and moving than that of their modern-day reincarnations, so for what reason did it need to be dragged on and made into a series? Furthermore, the key themes of fate, tragedy and revenge were heavily centred upon, but very poorly executed.
A couple of scenes which demonstrated this:
1. There's an emergency situation and A's phone is ringing on a bedside table; however A is unaware of this and by the time A picks up their phone to see a missed call from B, it's already all too late;
2. B dies as a result of having their drink poisoned by C and an autopsy is carried out, yet police is still unable to figure out the circumstances of B's death;
3. C pretends to fake mourn over B's death at the mortuary and everyone somehow falls for it;
4. D jumps in front and takes bullet for A only to end up in hospital (mind you there were 10 police officers at the scene, yet D somehow ended up getting shot...).
But, if there two things which I have to give this drama credit for, it would be:
1. the very unlikely noona and dongsaeng romance between Tae-oh and Shi-ah which was far more intense than Shim Cheong and Joon-jae's; and
2. great staged hostage situation by Joon-jae and his sidekicks (reminded me a lot of Signal).
Other than that, one would have hoped that a drama starring an A-class ensemble would without a doubt trump a B-/C+ storyline, yet this could not be helped considering the direction, production and writing was just a big, sloppy mess from the get-go and there was nothing that could salvage it.
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Really enjoyed this drama even though it's the typical mermaid story about growing legs when arriving on land, crying tears of pearl, etc. and some might think its cliché and boring but the lightheartedness, fluff and romance made it enjoyable. Liked how there was a killer involved and going after the ML and FL to add suspense or else the drama would've been boring imo. What I liked:
- Spain trip in the beginning was a fresh start to the drama and I loved it a lot. Especially the chemistry b/w the leads was really good and just seeing them have a good time made it enjoyable.
- I saw some complaining about the side story or the parallel universe (Joseon Era) snippets were boring but I actually liked how they added that to the plot as it was something new and added substance to the plot
- I've watched Lee Min Ho's other dramas and have to say his acting in this one is the best. I like his character of being a conman having many talents while also being a kind person. He was able to portray the serious side of things while being witty and genuine. I liked how in the beginning of the Spain trip, he didn't withhold the typical "tsundere" character but kind of showed his fun and true self to Sim Cheong
What I didn't like:
- Their chemistry was somewhat lacking near the end, some of the scenes felt a bit like "funny awkward" to me
- Noticed that Jihyun's acting didn't have that spark like it did in the beginning and middle. It could be due to her character and her situation of having to return to the sea but her facial expressions came off a bit bland at the end
- Didn't like the idea of Sim Cheong erasing everyone's memory when having to return to the sea, it just seems hypocritical how she mentioned to Jun Jae that memories with the good people around you should not be erased but to be cherished so in a way it leaves this bittersweet feeling or the unanswered question of whether or not everyone remembered her in the end as it didn't show it at all
- Soon, the flashbacks or snippets of the Joseon era began to feel a bit boring as I expected what would happen next
- On the topic of memory, I personally think the power of erasing memories was flawed. It'd make sense if Sim Cheong erased parts of a characters memory that it'd totally be gone and not some temporary fix for a sticky situation. It irritated me how one would start to remember what was erased which was just a tactic to drag on some issues prolonging it
- Wished that there was at least one scene where Jun Jae actually witnesses her mermaid form in present day just to get like his reaction and everything but it never showed that
Overall, this drama is like True Beauty where the plot is cliché and you can expect the plot twists or events that happen next but they're enjoyable and lighthearted to watch. Also have to mention the writer also being a part of Crash Landing on You and how she did a good job with setting the mood for both CLOY and TLOTBS by incorporating the visually appealing places for us like Spain or Switzerland which really freshens up the dramas a bit and it was one of the factors that made me enjoy both dramas. I always put off TLOTBS but am glad I watched it as it was a good drama and is the best mermaid k-drama so far as I've watched others that were poorly executed.
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Plot + review
Plot: Shim Chung is a mermaid who follows her one true love, a nobleman’s son named Kim Ryung from the Joseon Dynasty, to modern-day Seoul. Ryung’s modern doppelgänger is Heo Joon Jae, a highly skilled scam artist who first becomes interested in Shim Chung because of a jade bracelet worth $6 million that Shim Chung wears. With nowhere to go, Shim Chung is taken in by Joon Jae, who also finds his con partners, Jo Nam Doo and Tae Oh, hiding out in his home from a vengeful past victim of their scams. Shim Chung discovers a rival for Joon Jae’s heart in Cha Shi Ah, a researcher at KAIST who deals with ancient artifacts. When a dangerous killer named Ma Dae Yeong, sent by Joon Jae’s stepmother, who wants to make her own son the heir to Joon Jae’s fortunes.Main cast: Shim Cheong is a mermaid. She follows Joon-jae to Seoul after developing feelings for him in Spain. He names her Shim Cheong, which means "extremely stupid", as she is highly ignorant about the common things on land. She has super strength and the ability to read and erase one's memories.
Heo Joon-jae is a con-artist who uses his wits and looks to conduct scams on people of the privileged class of the society. He meets Shim Cheong, a mermaid and falls in love with her, he is able to read her thoughts. He wants to change the ill-fate that chases Dam-ryeong and Se-hwa.
Review: It is my first Kdrama and I really enjoyed it. It was a mix of romance, comedy, action and fantasy which I loved. — It was just super fun to watch. Another thing I loved was the chemistry — The two leads were amazing. I never got bored. Every episode was interesting.
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Second Time's the Charm
I started watching this drama when it aired and ended up dropping it after 6 episodes. Not that the acting or the story wasn't good, but this story starts off slow and I couldn't get into it at the time. I just started watching The King: Eternal Monarch while it's airing, and I forgot how much I enjoyed Lee Min Ho's acting style since he'd been on break for a while due to military service. I decided to give LOTBS a go again, since you know, quarantine and all. And I really enjoyed it the second time around. Great drama, well cast, interesting plot. Some bits of everything: humor, romance, melodrama, suspense, etc. I enjoyed binging it and definitely recommend adding it to your plan to watch. Not what I would consider a classic, but still an all around solid drama.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
The plot was also a little muddled and included too many frustrating cliches that K-Dramas seem to be moving away from in recent years.
This was not a bad show, and I actually plan to rewatch it soon so I can enjoy Jun Li Hyun and Lee Min Ho again. I always enjoy stories about mermaids because they can be everything from scary to beautiful, and both actors did a great job with the content they were given.
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STORY: This story is about a mermaid and a man (yep….story that has been around for hundreds…if not thousands of years in many cultures). There is an intriguing back story that goes right along with the current modern-day story that makes it all just a little more suspenseful and a little more fun to watch. And yes, the mermaid and the man meet and fall in love and do they have the happy Disney ending or the tragic fairy tale ending? Well I won’t give you a spoiler except to say, probably (yes, I’m being ambiguous)……just watch it…..okay?
CHARACTERS: The best character of all is the mermaid (Sim Chung) played by Jun Ji Hyun. She meets Heo Joon Jae in Spain and hilariously learns about being human and of course, he doesn’t know she’s a mermaid. I laughed out loud for the first ten episodes as she stays true to her mermaid self-dealing with the human world. From the moment Heo Joon Jae finds her in his closet wearing his hoodie eating his food, its just more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I can’t say enough good things about her performance. Just know that it isn’t all fun and games and when she gets serious or sad………wow, the audience follows her right down the emotional drain.
Heo Joon Jae is played by Lee Min Ho and he does a great job of creating an interesting character that is fun, serious, broody, and intelligent all at the same time. From the first moment he graces the screen as the town agent, we know there is more to Lee Min Ho than broody good looks. While he wasn’t as funny as Jun Ji Hyun, Lee Min Ho gave us two distinct characters that worked towards the same goal quite nicely.
The side characters were very very very well done. From Lee Hee Joon’s (is he a bad guy or good guy?) portrayal of Jo Nam Doo to Tae Ho’s (Shin Won Ho) and Cha Shi Ah’s (Shin Hye Sun) very strange relationship to the money grabbing Ahn Jin Joo (Moon So Ri)…..they are all very interesting, including the serial killer, and Heo Joon Jae’s very sad family situation. Not one character bored me. I would have loved to have seen more of little Yoon Ah and the very funny homeless woman (who actually does not have a name), but they wisely stopped at 20 episodes.
MUSIC: The music was enjoyable, but not killer…..whether or not the soundtrack is fabulous depends on if I buy one of the songs. None of the songs really stood out but were nicely used and not overly annoying.
RE-WATCH: I plan on re-watching but I wasn’t compelled to with episode 20…….lets face it….some shows you are just compelled to watch over and over and over. Legend of the Blue Sea is sweet and lovely, but once through might be enough.
OVERALL: If nothing else, watch this for Jun Ji Hyun. I thought she was funny in You Who Came from the Stars, but she was doubly hilarious in this show. This woman is not afraid to take on anything and sure has incredible timing, whether it be comedic or dramatic. I plan on watching everything she’s in because so far, she’s never disappointed me. Good News! Legend of the Blue Sea is entertaining. The characters are amusing and for twenty episodes, you keep biting your nails, asking the question…..Disney ending or Sad Fairy Tale ending?
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pearl tears
(i don't rate rewatch value, neutral stars)4K
i was going to say something about how supernatural love stories are unfair because they can f#%! you in ways normal ones cant.. but i guess when talking kdramas it doesn't matter what it is, they'll find a way to strap your heart right on the exterior of that underwater space elevator rollercoaster either way.
legend of the blue sea is the fastest i've finished a drama thus far, running through 10 eps in a night and finishing the rest within the next 2 days (fit some films inbetween). i didn't even expect id finish it today starting from ep13 in the AM, but here we are, a couple hours and 7 eps later. the 20 ep lenght i was initially put off by turned out to make for perfect pacing. they resolve everything with an ep to spare, and somehow rebound from the shinkick that #19 was in #20 effortlessly.
this is plain magical. whoever had the idea to cast jun ji-hyun as mermaid love interest, i bow to. knowing her from her strong role as freedom fighter in Assassination going in, seeing her go full kookoo born-sexy-yesterday trope for the first 1-2 eps was as jarring as it was cute, but then the turnaround when she first starts speaking??????? her deep voice?????? literally stomping out any concept of a trope. theres no one who could have nailed this like she did. super strenght, all that.
lee min-ho is also amazing and handsome and endlessly charismatic, and so is the entirety of this freaking cast. his roommates, the other families, the friends ji-hyun randomly makes upon arrival.
you get a laugh out loud comedy, scifi escapades, a joseon era period piece, outrageous crime stuff, outrageously sweet love story, and even lowkey mystery elements, all jumbled in one. the fact that so much time was spent at or around their amazing house makes it so cozy you'll wish you could live there. i don't think theres many kdramas about young love where the couple just lives under the same roof from the very get.
i absolutely adored every second, rly talking to my tv like an atashi all immersed after work. my girl rly dropping lil vegan remarks left and right with the mermaid POV, and she's not the only one!
if you want to feel all the things, look no further.
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It was already entertaining in the trailer, and the whole drama is even more so. The story is great, and even the flashbacks weren't boring. The twists are unpredictable. I enjoyed watching even the minor characters. This is a hilariously funny and entertaining drama even though it's a fantasy. No boring episodes and the ending is really great.Jun Ji Hyun really never failed to amaze me. She really made me laugh so hard. What I love the most is the fact that even some of her acts here are overly stupid (as expected from a mermaid who knows nothing about city life), she was able to play it well that it was still funny and not corny. I love her when she tried to imitate action scenes in the movie she has watched. I also enjoyed her fashion here.
Lee Min Ho is indeed handsome, but I found him more appealing and charming in this drama. I saw different styles of him here. He is really a great actor. He's so cute whenever he's hiding his reactions to some incidents. What I find most hilarious is when he set rules and curfew in his house. I can't forget the scene when he said to Shim Chung that some dress are bought just to be kept in the closet????? Every kind of role suited him. Whatever character it is, he was able to really play it well, and that's what made him so amazing.
All the actors and actresses here suited in the role they are playing. I love everyone. Oh, especially Jo Jung Suk, he really made this drama more hilarious. I love all the scenes he's in. My heart broke for what happened to him in the end??
This is really a must watch kdrama. It's also one of the best kdrama and a kdrama for beginners.
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What I like :
1. The Story line was enjoyable about the love between the mermaid and human
2. I love the setting, location, and the cinematography
3. Its a happy endung story.. my favorite kind of dama :)
4. Gorgeous main leads (handsome and pretty)
What I don't like :
1. I feel lack of chemistry between two main leads; it's sad becauss those pair are most anticipated pair to compete with dots
2. Dissapointed with Jun-Ji Hyun acting in here. I want to cry watching it. For one of the most high paid actrees, I just feel like her acting is so so.. I watched my love from the star and I thing her acting was so much better in those drama
Overall this is still an enjoyable drama . But I don't think it's worth to rewatch
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Nevertheless,i give it 9.5 and not a 10 because i was annoyed towards the ending...i felt like the last episode was just a way to add more to the drama so i was pretty annoyed with the fact that they had to do that just to make it a little longer.(if you've seen it you know what i talk about) But i got over it and i can finally say that this is a must watch!
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