The Legend of the Blue Sea

A mermaid from the Joseon period ends up in present-day Seoul, where she crosses paths with a swindler who may have ties to someone from her past.

The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016-2017) is a South Korean fantasy romance series created by Park Ji-eun for SBS. Shim Cheong (Gianna Jun), a mermaid from the Joseon period, finds herself adrift in present-day Seoul, where she crosses paths with Heo Joon-jae (Lee Min-ho), a charming swindler whose life seems tangled with someone from her past. Their uneasy partnership drives the engine of the story: she must learn the rules of an unfamiliar city while he tries to stay one step ahead of his own schemes, and each episode builds from small cons, comic misunderstandings and sudden flashes of old feeling. Supporting characters including Lee Hee-jun, Shin Won-ho and Shin Rin-a fill out the ensemble around them. Told across a single season of twenty hour-long episodes, the series moves like a classic k-drama, blending fish-out-of-water comedy with melodrama and a long-simmering romance. Its tone is playful and sincere, with wistful moments that lean into fate and devotion. Fans of Goblin, Splash and My Love from the Star will find resonance in its mix of folklore, time-crossing romance and sly humor, set against both a Joseon past and a glossy modern Seoul.

Viewers broadly praise the romantic chemistry, the fairy-tale premise crossing Joseon and modern Seoul, and the lead performances in this single-season Korean hit.

• Goblinshared romantic fantasy tone, supernatural love across worlds, k-drama melodrama
• Splashshared fish-out-of-water mermaid romance with a comedic modern-day clash
• My Love from the Starshared historical-to-modern time-crossing romance with a rom-com lead pairing

Created by

Park Ji-eun

Release Date

2016-11-16

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

8.1 / 10 (222)

What is The Legend of the Blue Sea about?

A mermaid from Joseon-era Korea washes up in modern Seoul and tangles with a swindler who may be bound to her past.

What is The Legend of the Blue Sea like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Legend of the Blue Sea as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is The Legend of the Blue Sea violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Legend of the Blue Sea as mild.

What did critics think of The Legend of the Blue Sea?

Viewers broadly praise the romantic chemistry, the fairy-tale premise crossing Joseon and modern Seoul, and the lead performances in this single-season Korean hit.

Which shows are like The Legend of the Blue Sea?

Shows with a similar feel include Goblin, Splash, and My Love from the Star.

How long is The Legend of the Blue Sea?

The Legend of the Blue Sea: 1 season, 20 episodes.

Is The Legend of the Blue Sea still running?

No, The Legend of the Blue Sea has ended.

Where can I watch The Legend of the Blue Sea?

In United States, The Legend of the Blue Sea streams on Rakuten Viki, WeTV.