[Confession] Legend of the Blue Sea
Before anything else, I would like to define my drama reviewing:
First, I won't be posting episode recaps for dramas because i don't trust my character - I tend to get lazy when I have routines to accomplish and
Second, sometimes when I decide to watch a drama, I depend my continuance on the first episode. So if ever I am interested in a drama, I will watch the first episode and I will review it just to see how it goes. If I liked it, I'll have a continuation review after I finished the whole thing.
Kke, let's go! :D
I was thanking my patience that I was able to finish the Legend of the Blue Sea. I was thinking tons of times if I'll stop then and there or just continue later on - good thing I made the right choice and finished it. Considering this drama's heightened popularity, I chose this because sometimes my choices for dramas is not something that is better, but something that is less bad than the others.
Here is the synopsis of the drama:
How can a mermaid from the Joseon era survive in modern-day Seoul? Shim Chung is a mermaid who finds herself transplanted to modern times. She is caught by Heo Joon Jae, a charming but cold con artist who is the doppelgänger for Kim Dam Ryeong, the son of a nobleman from the Joseon Dynasty. But in the present time, Joon Jae works with Jo Nam Doo, a skilled conman who guides Joon Jae to become a genius scammer. Joon Jae may be Chung’s only hope for surviving in her strange new world.
Legend of the Blue Sea surprised us with powerhouse main leads - Lee Min Ho and Jeon Ji Hyun - which makes them automatic magnet of fans because, of course, we're expecting something incredible from them. This drama greets us with a sweet, funny ride because of Ji hyun's antics and praising Lee Min Ho some extra props for driving this show along, which was a total surprise since I think everybody was expecting it to be Jeon Ji hyun who blazed through with the force of her charisma like she did in You From Another Star. Plus, I didn’t even know that Lee Min-ho had it in him to be self-deprecating and funny, and to commit to a romance in a way that I really appreciated, because there were a lot of times when I thought, “Man, Joon-jae’s dialogue could be so cheesy but Lee Min-ho is being magically earnest and somehow I’m moved, rather than cringing.” It's been a fun ride!
I've enjoyed this drama a lot, in all fairness. But if I were to be perfectly honest, it isn't for the whole twenty (20) episodes. It failed me in the middle - that's why I had to stop. It was dragging and repetitive and it just has to be paused because I feel like I was drifting away. It wasn’t by any means badly written, just a tad predictable, which is why I think that spark wasn’t quite there—that spark that comes from feeling like you’re being led down a crazy, funny, unpredictable ride where you enjoy all the twists and bumps. When you see the road clearly before you, it’s just a little harder to deliver that feeling of surprise. I also would like it if scenes of Joon Jae conning people were presented because isn't that what makes him unique? So I quite understand Jo Nam Doo - after he fell in love, he wasn't as cunning as before. He looks like a pet finally obeying his master. Even though he did it at the end, he didn't looked cool as before.
The ending was warm and fuzzy because it only contained the couple. It was only about them and nothing else. Though the Legend of the Blue Sea contained plenty of goodness — a cute romance, a gripping backstory, etc. — it felt like that’s all it was trying to be: good. Not great. And it makes me sad to say that, since the drama was so hyped up. I’ll miss you for a little while, Joon-jae and Cheong, but I don’t see your legend sticking with me for too long.
My Rating:
Plot: 9.2/10
Acting: 9.3/10
Cinematography: 7.0/10
Characters: 6.0/10
Uniqueness: 6.0/10
OVERALL RATING: 7.5