61

Boy meets Joseon mermaid in Legend of the Blue Sea

It doesn’t look like they’re letting up on promos over at Legend of the Blue Sea, which is continuing to release a steady stream of stills, teasers, and posters. You’d think this pace would be unsustainable, but two weeks in and they’re still going strong.

As gorgeous as Jeon Ji-hyun is as the mermaid heroine of our story, it’s the last set of images that has me most intrigued, with the two sets of child counterparts to our leads, giving us three timelines in which to play out their past connection. The present-day storyline takes place in modern Seoul, but I wouldn’t mind a fair bit of Joseon-era story; I found the Joseon-era segments in You From Another Star quite affecting and well-executed, establishing a more emotional framework for the couple before they moved on to the shenanigans of the present.

In the past timeline, their characters are called Mermaid and Dam-ryung, and the youngest versions are played by child actors Kal So-won and Jeon Jin-seo, both 10 years old. They’ve both got a number of credits under their belts: I recall Kal So-won most fondly as the adorable little girl in Miracle in Cell No. 7; her drama credits include Birth Secret, My Daughter Geum Sa-wol, and Dazzling Temptation. His dramas roles include Hwajung, My Daughter Geum Sa-wol, and All’s Well With a Happy Home.

The characters’ connection continues into their adolescent years, and the teenage Mermaid is played by 16-year-old rookie actress Shin Eun-soo, who’s been in the spotlight recently for another project, Kang Dong-won’s film Vanishing Time—which, coincidentally, releases on the same day that the drama premieres, November 16. Teenage Dam-ryung is played by 22-year-old Park Jin-young, also known as simply Jinyoung as part of idol group Got7.

We know that Lee Min-ho plays a master con artist in the modern-day timeline, but I’m curious to know what his Dam-ryung character is like, pictured here looking like a lofty nobleman’s son. And while there’s an undercurrent of wistfulness in some of the promo materials, I can’t wait for a return of comic Jeon Ji-hyun as the mermaid running around Seoul trying to fit in as a human. I hope she makes a terrible human!

Legend of the Blue Sea kicks off next week on SBS—as do its competitor shows on KBS and MBC, Oh My Geum-bi and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju.

Via Ten Asia

RELATED POSTS

Tags: , ,

61

Required fields are marked *

So the mermaid stopped aging after she reached Jun Jihyun stage? Maybe she attained immortality at that stage? I'm so curious about this!

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hmm I wonder too. So she grows up from childhood to teens to adulthood n stop ageing? How many of us wishes to be like her ???.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Perhaps she just ages really slowly, like a year in mermaid age is 20 years in human age or something.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

But doesn't she keep meeting Lee Min Ho's character during her growth and they appear to be around the same age so I don't think that theory works...?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

But their childhood and teenage counterparts seems to be aging normally in parallel.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Probably...when hitting adulthood they just age slowly compared to humans or there is some other reason behind it.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

So much prettiness! I hope this drama is as good as it looks?

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

JJH looks so flawless and LMH looks handsome in every still cuts. Cant wait for this drama. From the trailers i can tell it'll be so exciting!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"I hope she makes a terrible human!"

Haha, same! I'm a sucker for fish-out-of-water shenanigans, so I'm really looking forward to these antics.

Also... Omg! Jeon Ji-hyun's child counterparts really look like her! I'm always so impressed when that happens because much of the time the child actors look nothing like the adults.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I know! I did a double take when I saw her child counterparts in the picture. Great casting there.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Shin eun soo is next jyp star.. See her aura..

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Previous lives again. Isn't the storyplot too smiliar to You Who Came From The Star ? But changes to You Who Came From The Sea (a mermaid instead of an alien).....

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

To be honest, I never enjoyed joseon era scenes of MLFTS. I found it so boring, the reason why I dropped it. So Im kinda worried. I love Lee Min Ho so much so Legend of the Blue Sea please be good. ><
PS. Jun Ji Hyun is so gorgeous! ^^

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

You might give it another try then; the Joseon part wasn't my favourite either, but it was only done for the first few episodes, and at one point again in the middle. It was not prominent at all. I am not a diehard fan of the drama, but I did enjoy it a lot. I am even thinking of rewatching it at some point, when the backlog of current shows clears up a little.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I am curious on how she get the foot,
and how it will ends, like is the foot stay?

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

Maybe like 'Ariel' you know? The little mermaid.......?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Me too...I've watched an older kdrama which is also about lead gal as the mermaid, she got her legs cos she got a special lotion to drink from an older mer-man or smth like tat....but same as the fairy tale, she must find real love or else she will disappear into bubbles within a few months or so...so now I wonder in Legend of the Blue Sea, will it be the same as to how the mermaid got her legs???

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Maybe they just have them? And they just use them when out of the water but they cannot stay on shore for too long? I hope they are not following the original Danish version of the little mermaid story...could not stand for her to end up as bubbles. lol

She already met her true love in Joseon era, right? I assume it will be interesting to see how her relationship with the Joseon lover ended. Did he die saving her? Is that the reason why she is looking for him in present time? Is this the first reincarnation of him she meets?

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

It would be hilarious if he kept dying just to get away from her - like she plagued his life or something, and he thought dying would put an end to things - but then he keeps getting reincarnated and keeps meeting her like some wretched fate.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

lol....that sounds really funny....that damn wretched fate....

0

Agree, looks like her tail turns to legs when she is on land or like she can do it whenever she wishes, I have a feeling this drama will slay all other competitors just looking at the leads

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

i just cant wait for this drama to unfold...no worries. this drama will be so much loved..

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

????? could JJH and LMH get any prettier?? ❤❤❤
Love the storyline. Although they have released many stills, I have many questions about the drama, the characters and how the story is gonna unfold. It is one of those unpredictable dramas. How they meet and fall in love, I wanna know alllll about it. :))
I know it's too soon 2 talk abt ending, but a mermaid story could be written in a very heartbreaking way. Have u guys seen the stills of LMH on the rock starring at the sea?? It is so beautiful yet has a touch of sadness and missing emotion in it.

PS The comedy Kdrama are usually light and comedy for the first half of drama and the second half is kinda different and a bit sad. I am wondering if LBS is gonna have similar pace. Im also curious about the roles of the cameos!!
Have u guys heard that partner of JJH in "my sassy girl" is gonna cameo in LBS?? ☺☺☺☺ I wish Goo Hye Sun(Jan Di) would cameo too. because Lee Min Ho and Goo Hye Sun had such amazing chemistry and the drama was a mega hit.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh no, hope Jan Di stays away, really hate her acting and yay to Cha Tae Hyun guest-starring

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

To be honest, I never enjoyed joseon era scenes of My Love from the Star. I found it so boring, the reason why I dropped it. So I'm kinda worried. I love Lee Min Ho so much that I dont want my 3 years of waiting be wasted. :(
Anyway, Jun Ji Hyun is so gorgeous! Can't wait to see her with Lee Min Ho oppa. Fighting Legend of the Blue Sea!!!!!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

JINYOUNG FIGHTING <3 <3

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Jinyoung!!!! Omg I'm so happy about this. He's been wanting to get acting roles for so long and has had so many instances of self-doubt, I'm so excited for this opportunity that he's getting :)

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Me too. Jinyoung is a hard worker, but beyond that, he's a thinker. He can give his roles depth. He's changed a lot since JJP days. I never expected him to go this far in pursuing acting but he has, and needs an outlet and opportunities to show how much he's learned, just as you say. Only then will his confidence return and his skills improve.
I so so so hope he gets recognition through this role. I so so so hope he doesn't get too tired for this project, though.
In general, I am just so happy we get to see his handsome face.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

the second child actress (not the little girl one) looked so pretty (and such a dead ringer for a younger jeon ji-hyun) that i went and looked her up.

from the pics that come up, she actually looks a lot like the child actress who played jeon ji-hyun's younger counterpart in my love from another star. that actress' name was something hyun-soo. (i remember thinking that she had a boy's name). only i didn't think that actress looked much like jeon, but she was very pretty anyway.

a bit ironic that the two child actresses actually resemble each other?

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

So the aging of the mermaid is limited? Wait a minute! This sounds fam..ili...ar.........,oh got it, its like the "Justin Timberlake" movie "In Time" where,; when the characters reach 25yrs or somewhere there, they stop aging but gain a countdown time print on their forearms. I think it is the same with the mermaid, she's going to stop aging when she reaches Gianna Jung's age.
Just saying

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Comment was deleted

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This is the first time I fangirl on the female lead more than the male laed. I can't wait to see more of JJH's charm after Cheon Song Yi swayed me

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I actually did that with a couple of kdramas: YFAS -- loved JJH over KSH, and also My Girlfrind os a Gumiho -- fangirled over Shin Min Ah. This time I think I will love both leads equally. I am hoping for good plot and chemistry between the two.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I remembered being enttralled with all the hermes / chanel outfits in the love from another star...wonder how those fashion houses are hoping to fit their clothes on a mermaid...ah yes mustn't forget about lipsticks...hopefully nothing in blue...

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh Park Jin-young Jr! :D He was good in My Love Eun-dong, nice to see him again in this ^_^

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Never been her fan and I didn't watch You from Another Star too, but here she looks soooo gorgeous. And the drama itself looks promising. Well, it should be on my list then...

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Not a fan either but she is fun to watch because she dominates the pretty boys of drama land.
She knows her limit and I think that's why she doesn't do sageuk. The sageuk part of the drama is usually done by child actors.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes, she was the one carried YFAS and without her, I don't know if that drama will be fun to watch. I am not her fan either but she is enjoyable to watch. She own her roles and none other can do as good as her in her roles.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The promotion is doing a great job! This is getting more and more interesting! I cant understand people already complaining about the plot. We dont know anything yet! that is what makes me more excited! I want to know how they met, what happened to him after he saved her in the joseon era, why she doesnt age anymore, how did she got legs, does his present time incarnation share memories with his past, does he knows she is a mermaid, there will be more comedy or drama, what is going to happen to them now? Im really looking forward to all of these and more! I cant wait for Legend of the Blue Sea to premiere!
Oh, and, of course, Im totally captivated by Lee Min Ho's looks and Im also excited to see him play different roles in this drama. He is the main reason for me to be interested in LotBS.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Am I the only one who's sick to death of this "childhood/past lives connection" trope in dramaland? It's starting to be as annoying as the noble idiot syndrome which is my all time biggest pet peeve. Not everything needs to be telegraphed as meant-to-be, fate, cosmic will. A present strong bond is not made any more significant by having a past connection.

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

Now that you mention it, yeah I wonder why it is such an overused cliche plot. If there's really fate and meant-to-be stuff I guess I am not having any good fate then. Sigh.....

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It would be hilarious if real life was like that. That boy I slapped in Primary School might be my husband. Or that other one I arranged to fight after school....or the other one I punched in his face (after trying to walk away but he persisted) or the other one I was about to throwdown before my sister came and stopped me.

Whew...I wonder which of those four will suddenly appear before me. Pity I don't remember their names.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Maybe you haven't perfected your Candy girl act yet. At least a few part-time jobs are in order before you should dare to dream! What if you meet all 4? If he's rich with a nasty attitude, you'll know he's the one.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

LOL!! :D :D :D

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't want to complain about the poor-gal-meet-rich-guy overused plot....cos I like the kind of poor gal becomes cinderella kinda of story....haha ....imagine when you are poor and suffering and one day one rich guy who loves you comes to your rescue (and of cos the love must be mutual too).... <3

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Never thought of it but yes, you are right, most of those phantasy based stories get that love from other lives tha ended tragically and still needs to get it's happy ending thing, I get it gives that eternal love and intensity but yes, it is overused

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I strongly disagree with Blue and others who are aginst the childhood love plot, especially with the statement that "a present strong bond is not made any more significant by having a past connection". I think IT IS made more significant, especially if this bond is formed as children, even before teenage years, this kind of love is especially pure and sublime, children and generally more innocent then adults after all. I don't know, I don't think this plot is over-used in fiction, at least in its "perfect" form, with happy endings and characters never cheating on each other. It is quite difficult to find a childhood love story without annoying love triangles, where the obstacles and problems for the characters are "external" and don't "corrode" their relationship from inside. And, by the way, even though here the discussion is civilized, but I have seen many sites, blogs, forums about different kinds of fiction, where PLENTY of people were bashing the stereotype of "being forever faithful to the first love" in an extremely offensive way, even calling it "immature" and "childish"..... :-( In my opinion, if there is something immature and childish (and even plain evil), it's when people genuinely hate something as tender, cute and sublime as the love formed in the innocent age of childhood, especially if it lasts forever. It is extremely rare in real life, so I am always happy that it exists at least in fiction, even though such books and films are hard to find.
Sorry for the very long post and if I sound somehow harsh and maybe even belligerent, it's just after all those insults towards the "childhood sweetheart" trope on various forums, I became ultra-defensive towards these stories. I even take insults directed at me as a person more lightly than an insult towards the rare trope of childhood love.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Jinyoungieeeeee
What a role and drama to have landed! I hope he knocks everyone's socks off with his performance. Even if it doesn't end up being a breakout performance, what a powerful entry on his portfolio just from the fellow casting.
But Jinyoung's acting style is quite different from LMH's...as Yugyeom said in their Got2day recently, Jinyoung seems to have two "moods" that suit him best--or that he delivers best--sarcastic playfulness and serious sincerety. I wonder how it will all play out.
Regardless, Nyeong fighting!!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

You are not alone, my friend. Where' s the creativity, right? It's like we're being presented with a fancy sandwich that's layered with the freshest ingredients possible. Only...the fancy bread it's sitting on is stale (childhood/past life connection trope) and dry (noble idiocy trope)!

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

My comment was in reply to Blue @22

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

That's a very apt analogy! I've tolerated this trope even in some of my favorite dramas, I'll concede sometimes it's executed better and sometimes it's shoehorned into the last episode or two, but I think I finally had it with this K-drama obsession with fated love. I know I may seem like a negative nancy, but it's been bugging me for years, some venting was in order!

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

My Spidey sense is tingling... I just get this bad feeling that show will be a dud. It looks like this writer is just repeating a well trodden formula.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

@Blue

Nah, you're not being negative. Like most beanies visiting this site, we're just intelligent viewers looking forward to a new drama that will steer clear of the overused tropes, one that will give us an interesting storyline, substantial plot with creative content and twists, a strong ending that will not leave questions unanswered. :)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Amen, this could work just fine without the childhood element and joseon cross-over.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

As long as the Truck of Doom doesn't make an appearance in the form of a Runaway Boat I'm fine.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

damn JJH is so pretty!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ooh. This makes me even more excited about the show. Love how this team layers and interweaves their storylines.

And a broody Joseon LMH.... *grabby hands*

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ooh. This makes it even more interesting. I love this teams capacity for seamlessly layering and interweaving genres and storylines.

And... broody Joseon LMH.... *grabby hands*

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oops, it showed up after all. Saw-wee.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Excited about this show and the casting is great for all three ages... SES looks like a dead ringer for younger JJH in that pic!!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Noo... the mermaid is not immortal, in the series the mermaid is not immortal. The mermaid and Kim Dam Ryeong died together during Joseon Period. They were both reborn and met each other in a different time and place but the same villain were reborn in the present times. The story is really unique and nice. I love the movie so much. Nakakaspoil. HAHAHAHA Filipino here.

#FilipinoFanOfLMH #MinozPH

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *