This is one of my favorite K-Drama so far..
- Title: Ineo Agassi
- Also known as: Little Mermaid / Mermaid Lady / Story of a Mermaid
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Episodes: 256
- Airing time : 2002-06-24 ~ 2003-06-27
Cast :
- Jang Seo Hee as Eun Ariyoung
- Kim Sung Min as Lee Joo-wang
- Han Kyung-hye as Jung Young Sook
- Park Geun Hyung as Eun Jin-jung
- Han Hye Sook as Shim Soo-jung
Synopsis :
Eun Ariyoung (Jang Suh Hee) is a successful drama writer with a scarred past. When her father had an affair with another lady and left the family, her brother died and her mom became blind. Hating her father her whole childhood, she grows up to plan revenge on her father’s new family. Her father’s wife, Shim Soo Jung (Han Hae Sook) is a popular actress. Ariyoung writes a drama about the affair and her blind mother, and casts Shim Soo Jung in the role of her blind mother in order so that Soo Jung will feel guilt. Ariyoung also plans to steal her stepsister (Woo Hee Jin)’s fiancee (Kim Sung Taek). A guy she only chose for revenge becomes a guy she truely loves, and that love confuses her feelings for revenge. Soo Ah (Go Doo Shim), her mother’s friend, helps in the revenge because she wants Ariyoung to become her son (Jung Bo Suk)’s wife. As one person’s plan for revenge starts, many people will become hurt, and the true meaning of forgiveness and understanding is learned
My comments :
Did I mention this is my favorite? I love it so much.
I watched this for about 6 months, because I got the copy partially, which also made me upset.
You know, if you watch drama, they made “cliff hanger” scene which made you’re craving for the next episode, it really sucks, isn’t it? And I have to wait for about 2 months for every 50 episodes to get the next copies.
But luckily, this serial is worth the wait, and 250 something episodes are worth watching. Yes, so many episodes, of course they have draggy times, but I am not complaining.
I love the main couple. They have the chemistry, they look good together, and I’ve wanted to see them together from the beginning of the story.
The drama even got several “MBC awards” on 2002 for :
Yun Gi Dae Sang (the highest award): Jang Seo Hee
Best Actress (drama): Jang Seo Hee
New Actor Award (drama): Kim Sung Taek
Most Popular Actress: Jang Seo Hee
Second Best Actress (drama): Woo Hee Jin
Best Couple: Kim Sung Taek and Jang Seo Hee
Netizen’s Popularity Award: Jang Seo Hee
Special Actors Award: Jung Young Sook, Han Hae Sook, Park Geun Young
While I watched this serial, my heart is wrecked, I cried whenever Ariyoung cried, mad whenever Ye Young tried to hold Joo Wang.
When I got the first half, I thought it was going to finish at episode 100 something, and I was soooo mad to see the ( what I thought was ) ending..
The story is around about Ariyoung’s revenge, which is somehow I can understand. I am not agree about revenge thingy, but if I have to get through a bitter life like she had, lost her father for another woman ( it’s the daddy’s fault, anyway ), then her brother died, her mother blind because crying too hard ( scary! I mustn’t cry too much from now on ), she had to live on her own since young, maybe I would take same path she had. So during the story, I can not blame her action, seduced her step sister’s boyfriend. After all their relationship is not strong enough, so Ariyoung can easily came between them.
But yes, I also can understand her regret after seeing her sister got crazy after being abandoned by Joo Wang. That’s why I don’t like Ye Young, how come she is so weak. OK, you’ve been together for 5 years, but during what-so-called relationship, Joo Wang already showed that he didn’t really love her. Like, maybe, or care, but not love. If not, why he always tried to postpone their marriage? And how could he is easily seduced by other woman that he barely known?
Ariyoung’s “step mother” is really pissed me off. She knows she’s the one to blame for all things happened but she also the one who made all getting worse.
I like the side story also. Joo Wang’s parents and the grandmother’s cute relationship, Ma Ma Joon and Ma Rin’s fights, they just brighten a bit of the dark devastating story.
Like you can see, it has 256 episodes, and it run for a YEAR! If in regular length of a drama, which is around 20 episodes or even less, the developing of the problem is kinda short. Here, the process of the revenge’s plan is detailed. And after they re conciliated, I think the story is over, but they still have to face other problems!
I must say that yes, sometimes it has draggy moments ( how could not. 256 episodes is looonnnggggg….. ), but overall story and the casts’ acting are saving it.
I was so impressed by Kim Sung Taek ( or Kim Sung Min, it’s the same person ) as Joo Wang. He potrays nice, caring but decisive. He was really into the role, so when I saw him on “Tears of Diamond” as cruel, cheating husband, I couldn’t accepted it. I haven’t continue watched it because I was still couldn’t imagine him as anybody instead of Joo Wang. ( But then, I praised his totally different character as Billy Park on “Fantasy Couple” )
As Jang Soo Hee, she’s really beautiful. You can’t tell she’s already past 30 y.o! I guess even I look older if I stand beside her. ( Ups. I should not embarrassed myself! ). She did awesome job here, she cried I cried. ( Oh I always cry during any dramas, anyway. hehe. ) Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any her recent project.
The rest of the casts did a great job too. I believe it was not easy to keep on track doing a very long drama, especially with this kind of story which can affect people’s emotion.
Miss Mermaid is indeed memorable serial for me. I watched it while I was waiting for getting a job after I graduated, and I remember there was JW. Marriot’s hotel bombing then, so my cousin called me to watch news instead of it. There were times I watched it straight until dawn, abusing my ( at that time ) VCD player.
After I finished it, I lend it to my aunty. She liked it soooo much. More than I am, I believe. She watched, and re-watched it again for 4-5 times. All 256 episodes. Huh. After she watched it for the x times, she found new perspectives of each characters, then discuss it with me. She said she got more understanding why Ariyoung did this or did that, why her step mother did that, or why Joo Wang did those. 
I recommended this to whoever person if they asked me about a real good drama, but mostly they didn’t want to try it, since it was too long. They were afraid getting hooked!
But if you are really bored, have really plenty of spare time, try this one. You’ll gonna like it, and yes, are getting hooked!
