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A classic Korean fairy tale involves a mermaid who falls in love with a fisherman, with this premise adapted and modernized in the 2016 K-drama “The Legend of the Blue Sea.” Currently available to stream on Hulu, the series is divided into two narratives, one set in Korea’s medieval Joseon era, and the other in the present-day. Reuniting the core couple at the center of these two time periods is reincarnation, with their star-crossed romance reborn through time and tragedy. This dual-narrative approach lets “The Legend of the Blue Sea” weave in a number of classic K-drama themes and tropes while presenting a thoroughly entertaining and unique story.
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During the Joseon Dynasty, young nobleman Kim Dam-ryeong (Lee Min-ho) falls in love with mermaid Se-hwa (Jun Ji-hyun). Centuries later, Dam-ryeong has been reincarnated into a con artist named Heo Joon-jae, while a reincarnated Se-hwa takes on the name Shim Cheong after being smitten with the handsome human. As Shim Cheong acclimates to life on dry land, Joon-jae begins experiencing dreams of his past life with her. Finding a time capsule left by Dam-ryeong, Joon-jae learns about his tragic history with Shim Cheong and looks to break the cycle.
“The Legend of the Blue Sea” premiered just before Korean shows really exploded in the United States, making it an overlooked and underrated K-drama. Fortunately, its availability on Hulu makes that an easy oversight to fix, as there is so much to love about this particular series.
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Why first-time K-drama viewers will love The Legend of the Blue Sea
The thing about “The Legend of the Blue Sea” is that it really throws so much together thematically and the whole thing still works beautifully. There’s the ill-fated period piece romance that really appeals to fans of sad K-dramas, with fantasy flourishes through its underwater love story. But as the narrative shifts to present-day, there’s plenty of literal fish-out-of-water romantic comedy to keep the story from becoming overly dour. This is balanced with the mystery over the couple’s past lives that retains that sense of impending peril and prevents the series from becoming an imaginative retread of “Splash.”
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The other major factor in the show’s appeal, of course, is the fantastic chemistry between Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Min-ho. Both actors have been working steadily for decades, with Jun memorably appearing in the medieval zombie series “Kingdom,” and Lee practically stealing the show in “Boys Over Flowers.” Any good romantic K-drama lives or dies based on the strength of its core couple, and Jun and Lee each deliver captivating performances as the show’s protagonists. While Lee reliably brings his fan-favorite leading man charm, Jun excels at balancing the show’s screwball comedy with fantasy romance allure.
If you missed out on catching “The Legend of the Blue Sea” in its initial debut, the series is ready and waiting in Hulu’s growing K-drama library. And with its seamless blending of genres, it’s easy to see why the show has become such a hit with both local and international audiences in the years since it premiered.
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