For Koreanovela fans, especially those who follow Korean superstar Lee Min Ho, the actor is back on the boob tube with the highly anticipated series called The Legend of the Blue Sea.
The series that tells the love story of a mortal man with a mermaid is part of the lineup of primetime programs scheduled to air next year on ABS-CBN. The announcement was made during the Christmas Trade Launch of the network where new and upcoming shows were unveiled to the public.
Inspired by a classic Joseon legend from Korea’s first collection of unofficial historical tales about a fisherman who captures and releases a mermaid, this drama tells the love story between the son of a Joseon noble family named Dam-lim (Lee Min-ho) and a mermaid named Shim Chung (Jun Ji-hyun).
Shim Chung finds herself transplanted to modern times. She is caught by Heo Joon-jae, a charming but cold con artist who is the doppelganger of Dam-lim. But in the present time, Joon-jae works with Jo Nam-doo (Lee Hee-joon), a skilled conman who guides Joon-jae to become a genius scammer. Coincidentally, Joon-Jae’s junior, Cha Shi-ah (Shin Hye-sun), who works as a researcher at KAIST, may be Shim Chung’s only hope for surviving in her strange new world.
Currently being shown in South Korea, the series is now on its fifth episode and made a historical premiere telecast according to AGB Nielsen and TMnS Ratings, two of the most reliable ratings provider in that country.
While the series show a very strong debut, it was also swept with a few controversies surrounding its plot. Viewers of the show noticed uncanny similarities between the cinematography of the drama and the British TV series Sherlock. Some viewers also compare it to the 1984 movie Splash.
The plot of Splash revolves around a successful young businessman who falls in love with a mermaid who saved him from drowning in the ocean. Likewise, The Legend of the Blue Sea focuses on a genius con man that falls in love with the last mermaid on earth.
Perhaps these accusations will be immaterial once Lee Min Ho fans finally see the series air on TV. Besides, they will watch the drama not because of the story but because of the actor to begin with.
