No matter how much the mermaid tries to stay away from her Joon-jae, fate in this tightly woven fabric of fantasy always leads him to her, or she to him. Oftentimes convenient coincidences are the product of lazy writing. In "The Legend of the Blue Sea" it tells the story of two lovers who fate transcends time and circumstance. Not only is it romantic, but it's fun, cool, and full of the opportunity for Jeon Ji-hyeonto time and time again prove herself the genius comedienne that she is.
Episode 3 is comprised of three plot threads during three periods of time in our main characters' lives or the lives of their incarnations. We meet Dam-ryeong, Joon-jae's former incarnation, and Sae-ra, the mermaid's previous incarnation. Even then they had a strong connection, but it stemmed from childhood. Sae-ra's magical mermaid's kiss erases his memories during their youth so he can live his human life without being distracted by her. Even so, they come together again. The same holds true for the present. Her memory-banishing kiss cannot keep them apart and they come together after an episode of fun hijinks, mostly on Jeon Ji-hyeon's part. This woman is so extremely charming in her ability to throw everything away in the moment and just let the humor bubble to the surface. With the mermaid's exploration of modern day Seoul the writers are also able to edge in some social commentary such as a few jabs at the wealthy (who throw away perfectly good coats,) or how people work long hours to gain a better life and quality time with their family (but don't have enough time after working to do so.)
The chemistry between Jeon Ji-hyeon and Lee Min-ho is also quite solid and full of a warm, sweet affection that makes the fated pairing feel real. It makes their characters' perpetual draw towards each other believable and real. Si-ah and Joon-jae, however, are shown for the first time and have very little chemistry, which is to be expected. But because she's listed as an important character, I was hoping to like her more, or at least be more invested. Instead, she seems arrogant without redeeming qualities. Other soon to be important characters crop up like Seong Dong-il's present day escaped murderer character. I'm anxious to get them integrated in the storyline as well as to see more of Joon-jae's present day back story. It's already quite complicated with a chaebol father and a maid mother.
One of my favorite moments in the episode is when Joon-jae using his hypnotic powers to instill sympathy in a rich, cold-hearted woman. Yes, he commits felonies, but he also genuinely cares about the have-nots. I have a feeling they are a reflection of his rough past.
Let's feel thankful we have one more episode this week. Until tomorrow!
Source:HanCinema
