Peridot83
Love it or hate it . . .
If you fall in love with the mermaid out of water storyline in the first couple episodes, you will love the show. She is THE main character, and I loved it. I thought Jun Ji-hyun was electric, playful and a bit sarcastic in a way that was up to matching Lee Min-ho's aggressive acting style. I wanted to watch her all the time. I liked Lee Min-ho's protectiveness/jealousy/action-ness for this storyline where it made much more sense than say Boys Over Flowers or Heirs.
The fantasy elements give an added sense of drama and tragedy but if you were hoping for a full fantasy world, this is not for you. There is barely any undersea water universe/other mermaids or sea creature scenes at all.
The plot is extended with yet another out of place serial-killer type storyline (why??? K-dramas, why???). It really was not needed to add such a disturbing element in.
Music didn't register for me. Some scenes do linger on - again I just really liked the interaction between the two main leads a lot.
I grade on other criteria as well.
Complex Themes - 6.5
Not too much. Greed is relentless through multiple lifetimes - you need to address and confront it not let it fester. Your family is who has your back and sticks with you, not simply who has married in/is a blood relative. Life on earth is wondrous if you can take a step back from it.
Character Growth - 7.5
Jun Ji-hyun shows a lot of different facets to her character, and she gets harder, cynical and a little rough around the edges as the plot goes on. Lee Min-Ho basically is the character he typically plays.
Complex Women Characters - 8.0
The high score is almost solely for Jun Ji-Hyun's portrayal of the mermaid. There are other female characters but they play very supporting roles. The main couple has the majority of the interest/screentime.
Cinematography/Production Values - 8.0
Competent. There were some scenes where Lee Min-Ho came off as very 'cool' in a way that I had to credit the pacing/shooting of the scene. I loved the use of real/in person locations. Lots of shooting outside and in-person gave it a much better 'feel'. It was shot in a cinematic style (focusing/unfocusing in different areas, shooting from different angles) - it didn't just try to capture the whole room clearly in every shot.
If you fall in love with the mermaid out of water storyline in the first couple episodes, you will love the show. She is THE main character, and I loved it. I thought Jun Ji-hyun was electric, playful and a bit sarcastic in a way that was up to matching Lee Min-ho's aggressive acting style. I wanted to watch her all the time. I liked Lee Min-ho's protectiveness/jealousy/action-ness for this storyline where it made much more sense than say Boys Over Flowers or Heirs.
The fantasy elements give an added sense of drama and tragedy but if you were hoping for a full fantasy world, this is not for you. There is barely any undersea water universe/other mermaids or sea creature scenes at all.
The plot is extended with yet another out of place serial-killer type storyline (why??? K-dramas, why???). It really was not needed to add such a disturbing element in.
Music didn't register for me. Some scenes do linger on - again I just really liked the interaction between the two main leads a lot.
I grade on other criteria as well.
Complex Themes - 6.5
Not too much. Greed is relentless through multiple lifetimes - you need to address and confront it not let it fester. Your family is who has your back and sticks with you, not simply who has married in/is a blood relative. Life on earth is wondrous if you can take a step back from it.
Character Growth - 7.5
Jun Ji-hyun shows a lot of different facets to her character, and she gets harder, cynical and a little rough around the edges as the plot goes on. Lee Min-Ho basically is the character he typically plays.
Complex Women Characters - 8.0
The high score is almost solely for Jun Ji-Hyun's portrayal of the mermaid. There are other female characters but they play very supporting roles. The main couple has the majority of the interest/screentime.
Cinematography/Production Values - 8.0
Competent. There were some scenes where Lee Min-Ho came off as very 'cool' in a way that I had to credit the pacing/shooting of the scene. I loved the use of real/in person locations. Lots of shooting outside and in-person gave it a much better 'feel'. It was shot in a cinematic style (focusing/unfocusing in different areas, shooting from different angles) - it didn't just try to capture the whole room clearly in every shot.
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