A mermaid's journey to find true love mixed with a group of youngsters trying to survive in the job world? Weirdest combination that well ends up being pretty good and definitely not just a dumb fairytale.
THE CHARACTERS
Jo Bo Ah as Kim Ha Ni/Aileen aka 18th princess of the mermaid world
Who was expecting a mermaid that's sassy, innocent but sometimes acts like a pervert, aware of the human world through a smartphone in a waterproof pouch and thus knows the latest fashion trends, what to eat and yes even stalk her crush on twitter? She's definitely a lovable and memorable mermaid having to be innocent but at the same time stands up for herself when she needs to. Aileen is a mermaid that dreams of being a human so that she can be together with her crush whom is a celebrity chef (Song Jae Rim's character), her desires gets stronger when he dropped into the ocean and she saved him, she's totally convinced that they are in love so she risk her life to become a human (although she wasn't expecting that she's putting her life in danger when she drank the potion). But of course, things aren't as simple as she think it is, she ends up needing to work to find true love and she ends up living in a share house filled with youngsters trying to find a job in the competitive society.
Jo Bo Ah is absolutely perfect as the role, she manage to express Aileen/Ha Ni in a cute, innocent and cheeky way. I've watched her in a move with Jang Hyuk (I've forgotten the name), although I didn't finish the movie because it became too dark for my taste but her acting was great, she's really one of those actress that stands out from others whom is around her age (she's only 23). She is also pretty famous for looking alike to f(x)'s Suili and I do have to agree they really do look alike and they are both super gorgeous. (her eyes are stunningly pretty)
Ohn Joo Wan as Lee Hyun Myung
Lee Hyun Myung is probably one of the most normal character in the show and thus makes him less attractive than others which is a pity because he loss the support of many viewers *shrugs* Lee Hyun Myung is a typical man living in the share house, he gets dump by his girlfriend (Park Ji Soo) at the beginning because she wants to aim for someone better instead and he is of course totally hurt by her so he tries to find a job (it's hard for him because he has a art degree which is kinda hard for him to find a proper office job) and also he aims to win her back. He started off disliking Ha Ni because of some conflict (it's totally understandable though haha because she caused him to be mistaken by others) but as they start interacting, he ends up liking her more and more.
Ohn Joo Won didn't do a bad job but he is totally overshadowed by Song Jae Rim, even though I still find him quite attractive, I can't help but also feel that he's kinda dull being beside Song Jae Rim. He's acting isn't a problem, he manages to convey Lee Hyun Myung's sincerity and earnest character well but he lacks charisma which caused viewers to prefer SJR over him. (but of course, he still has his own fans)
Song Jae Rim as Kwon Shi Kyung
Kwon Shi Kyung is the celebrity chef that Aileen saved and is in love with but he doesn't exactly remember Aileen when she came to look for him as Ha Ni although he has slight impression of being saved by a mermaid. Kwon Shi Kyung is a great character, perhaps too great that it became a flaw of the drama *spoiler so i'm not gonna emphasize more here*
Song Jae Rim stands out in this drama, I've actually watch him in 4 dramas before but never ever noticed him.... (I did notice him in KARA's secret love though, his character came out only for a few minutes). This role certainly helps him gain a lot of attention and a lot of fans, his popularity probably went up twice this year having to do this role and also take part in we got married and also his participation in running man was mega cute too hehe. I don't usually like celebrities with small eyes because i'm the kind of person that notices the eye before anything else but he is really cute with his small eyes and he has great on screen charisma.
Park Ji Soo as Yoon Ji Ah
Yoon Ji Ah aka the girlfriend whom dumped Hyun Myung and left the share house after she found a job at a big food company that Shi Kyung works as a chef at too. She is a bitch but at the same time not exactly as bitchy as most second leads that are suppose to be bitchy in dramas but still a bitch (I use the word bitch 4 times in a sentence haha) She does annoy me but at the same time, I understand her and her actions although I don't approve of it duhh.
Park Ji Soo may be new to many but I did notice her from Ma Ratima trailer (she was the lead with Bae Soo Bin), although I didn't watch the movie because it's super hard to find but the trailer itself was attractive and memorable so I still have a slight impression of her. She has gotten many compliments from her performance in Ma Ratima although it was her first acting gig and she even won best new comer award in the blue dragon film awards which is pretty impressive. Her performance here was okay, she was annoying, nothing much to say about her since her character is just suppose to be a bitch. Hopefully in the near future, she will be having a role that showcases her acting and is likeable because having to win the award last year, it shows that she do have the talent so she just need a right role.
Kim Seul Gi as Ahn He Young
I usually only talk mainly about 4 characters but Ahn He Young deserves a mention too!!Ahn He Young is one of the tenants of the share house, she is probably the only one that is successful. She's famous and earn money online by eating..... I LOVE HER JOB. She started off being quite cold to Ha Ni but ends up being her friend when she found out that she's a mermaid (she thinks that she's the recantation of her dead gold fish *chuckles*), she helps her, do girly stuff together, take dips in the bathtub or water together and even go shopping together. A BIG FAT AWWW. <3
Kim Seul Gi is an actress to watch out for, she was memorable in Flower Boy Next Door as the sleep deprived webtoon in charge and her roles this year certainly caught the attention of many people. She is really pretty too!!
Nam Joo Hyuk as Big
Big is also part of the share house and another person trying to find a job. He is a huge cutie who doesn't exactly have luck when it comes to love (but honestly, who will actually break his heart in reality) but he ends up liking He Young unnie hehe. Their otp was cute and a joy to watch despite being short.
I recognize Nam Joo Hyuk right away from Akdong Musician's 200% music video, he gained a lot of attention from that video so he quickly gained a drama role here (he is actually a model), he is really cute and he's acting is pretty decent for a first time model turned actor. He was natural and manage to steal viewers heart quickly and he has great screen presence so this definitely won't be the last time we see him act.
STORY AND DIRECTING
Synopsis
Aileen, the eighteenth princess of the mermaid world, dreams of becoming a human because of a love one. She drinks a bottle of the human potion, before she even realize the 100 day consequences to this potion. Before she reaches the 100th day of being a human, she has to find her perfect love one. Will she be able to find him in time?FROM DRAMAWIKI
I have a soft spot for mermaids because I really like them so of course I was happy that this drama was going to be revolving around a mermaid but I can't say I was disappointed but I didn't exactly like it as much as I thought I will. The characters are well written and cute, the idea of mixing a fairy tale element with a realistic problem of the society (finding jobs) is really smart and of course makes it realistic but at the same time magical. The flaw is really how the writer manage the relationship between Ha Ni, Hyun Myung and Shi Kyung, the writer can't completely be blamed since the show was cut short by 4 episodes due to low ratings so the writer didn't have enough time to show what she wants to show so she just have to end it abruptly. *spoiler alert so i'm typing it in another colour, pls only read if you don't mind being spoiled/know what happens to their relationship alr/watched the show alr* At the same time that i'm happy with the writer trying to change the ending by pairing the princess with a normal guy instead of the perfect "prince" Ha Ni has been dreaming of because well it's true that Hyun Myung understands, knows and interacts with Ha Ni much more than Shi Kyung but I can't help but to wish Ha Ni and Shi Kyung will end up together..... :x I've read that a lot of others that are like me too but honestly I didn't mind Hyun Myung because I like the twist but the writer shouldn't have make Shi Kyung so freakin lovable that caused viewers to actually ship Shi Kyung and end up cursing and swearing at the ending- just my opinion so pls don't scold me too haha.
The conversations and flow of the story is really well done, the conversations are quirky, smart, direct and cute but not cheesy, the flow of the story was good until the end (which i'll blame it on the cut of episodes). The drama has many umm r rated jokes? the story feels really realistic actually until you realize oh there's a mermaid so I think the mixed of themes and genre are done super well!
Directing was good, it's a challenge to direct and make something like this, with special effects, mermaid tails, underwater shots and all so it's well done. The directing style was good too, making it easy to watch and fun but I didn't find it really memorable like it's the type of drama you enjoy watching but by the next day, you forget about it.
IN CONCLUSION
Comedy element done well but that's all. Cute and different with a great mixed of themes and characters, worth the watch and well it's only 10 hours!!
Personal Ratings: 8.5/10
How much it deserves: 9/10
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