“The Legend of the Blue Sea” is a strange mix of genres that mostly holds together. It starts as a fantasy about a mermaid from the Joseon era washing ashore in present-day Seoul, then shifts into a romantic comedy about a con artist and the woman he can’t forget. The series wants to be both a fairy tale and a workplace soap opera, and it spends most of its twenty episodes figuring out which one it is.
Gianna Jun plays Shim Cheong, the mermaid who becomes Se-hwa, and Lee Min-ho plays Heo Joon-jae, the man who might be the reincarnation of Kim Dam-ryeong. Their story is built around rebirth, fate and unrequited love, told through two parallel timelines that keep crossing each other. The Joseon-era plot follows Se-hwa and Kim Dam-ryeong, while the modern plot follows Shim Cheong and Heo Joon-jae. The series uses flashbacks and dreams to move between the two worlds, which works better than it sounds on paper.
Trailer, via Viki Global TV.
The Mermaid’s Tale
Shim Cheong is a fisherman’s daughter who falls in love with a man she cannot marry. She decides to become a mermaid instead, sacrificing her human life to stay near him. The legend the series draws from is a classic Joseon tale about a fisherman who catches a mermaid and lets her go, a story that has been told in Korea for centuries. The show takes that simple idea and builds a full romance around it.
The Joseon-era storyline is where the series is at its strongest. The relationship between Se-hwa and Kim Dam-ryeong feels genuine because the show takes the time to build their history slowly, through small gestures and quiet conversations. The modern storyline, by contrast, leans more heavily on comedy and action, and some of the emotional weight gets lost in the translation.
The Con Artist’s World
Heo Joon-jae is a man who makes his living by conning people. He is clever, charming and completely amoral. He meets Shim Cheong in Seoul, and the series spends a lot of time establishing why she is the one person he cannot trick. The show sets up a rivalry between them that eventually turns into something closer to a partnership, though the shift happens faster than the logic behind it suggests.
Lee Min-ho plays Joon-jae with a cocky charm that works well in the early episodes, but the character’s darker side gets less attention as the series goes on. The show wants to make him a villain at the start and then turn him into a hero, and the transition is not always smooth. The audience is asked to forgive his earlier actions quickly, which strains the tension the show had worked to establish.
Cast Chemistry
The leads carry the show. Gianna Jun brings a softness to Shim Cheong that makes her believable as both a mermaid and a woman in love, even when the plot asks her to act surprised by things she has lived through before. Lee Min-ho matches her energy, playing Joon-jae as a man who is both dangerous and devoted.
The supporting cast is strong too. Lee Hee-jun plays Jo Nam-doo / Park Moo, a character whose role changes over the course of the series. Shin Won-ho plays Tae-oh, and Shin Rin-a plays Seo Yoo-na. Shin Hae-sun plays Cha Shi-ah, Moon So-ri plays Ahn Jin-joo, Na Young-hee plays Mo Yoo-ran, Hwang Shin-hye plays Kang Seo-hee / Kang Ji-yeon, and Oh Yeon-ah plays Young Kang Seo-hee / Kang Ji-yeon / Hong Nan. Lee Ji-hoon plays Heo Chi-hyun, and Park Hae-soo plays Hong Dong-pyo.
The large cast means there are moments when the show feels crowded, especially in the middle episodes where subplots pile up. But the actors all bring their own energy to their roles, and the show rarely feels like it is losing track of anyone.
The Two Timelines
The show’s biggest structural risk is its dual-timeline setup. The Joseon storyline and the modern storyline run side by side, with flashbacks and dream sequences used to connect the two. This works best in the early episodes, when the parallels are still fresh and the show has not yet overloaded the format.
Later, the show starts to repeat itself, showing similar scenes in both timelines back to back. Some viewers may wonder why they are watching the same argument twice, once in the past and once in the present. The pacing slows in the middle stretch, and the show loses some of its momentum.
Comedy and Drama
The show tries to balance comedy and drama, but the comedy often lands awkwardly. The jokes about Joon-jae’s cons feel forced, and the show’s attempts at light-hearted moments sometimes clash with the serious tone of the romantic storyline. The drama, on the other hand, mostly works. The scenes between Shim Cheong and Joon-jae when they finally admit their feelings are well acted and emotionally honest.
The show also includes fantasy elements beyond the mermaid premise, including magic and supernatural creatures, which adds texture to the world. These elements are used sparingly enough that they do not overwhelm the central romance.
Peak Ratings
The show ran on SBS from November 16, 2016 to January 25, 2017, airing every Wednesday and Thursday at 22:00 KST. Its peak audience rating reached 21.0%, which is a solid result for a network drama.
| Episode | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 16, 2016 | 22:00 KST |
| 2 | November 17, 2016 | 22:00 KST |
| … | … | … |
| 20 | January 25, 2017 | 22:00 KST |
The show ran for twenty episodes, a standard length for a Korean drama of this kind. That gives it room to develop its characters and its world, but it also means the middle episodes suffer from filler content that stretches out the story.
Final Verdict
“The Legend of the Blue Sea” is a show with a good idea and a weaker execution. The Joseon-era storyline is the stronger half, and the chemistry between its leads is the reason to watch. The modern storyline and its comedy are less successful, and the pacing drags in the middle. The show struggles to balance its fantasy premise with its romantic storyline, but it never fully resolves the tension between the two.
It is worth a look for fans of Korean dramas, particularly those interested in fantasy elements mixed with romance. For casual viewers, the uneven quality and the filler episodes may make the show a harder sell.
Score: 7.5 of 10.
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