I'm Sad : a chance to remake this classic tale with real characters and insight

Um. I seem to differ from many viewers. I could not watch past Ep2. so this will be no more than my gut reaction to what I saw. I really wanted to like this: many reviews were ecstatic with it, but I could not bear to watch more, despite being a fan of LMH, and looking for ages for a place I could watch this.
The story treatment is cliched beyond anything I can say, despite a rather original start to the scenario and the characters. I liked the opening in Joseon history, with the suggestion of foreshadowing 20thC events, and possible connections between past and future : the depiction of humans v mermaid were 'realistic' and pretty much believable.
Once in 20thC, our hero is a conman with a group of colleagues, and scenes with them ensemble were very engaging indeed. I had good hopes at this point.
Those very quickly evaporated. The 'holiday' scenes with the mermaid caught in his wardrobe, with legs, hiding in a sweatshirt ... OK, almost - she's hungry, raided his kitchen, dropped a mess everywhere and hid. When he tries to grab her she punches him across the room. Twice. Good fr her - but then suddenly she's tied up with a tie round her wrists. From that point on ... not so much. Funny, in my experience a punch from two fists is even more effective than one fisted blows. She is suddenly almost completely docile.
She should be wild, fighting, dangerous, and terrified - she must know what humans can do to mermaids (won't say here - it's horrible, but there's a reason they are extinct in every other ocean but this one).
She is now nothing more than a little girl being led to shops and dressed up in pretty shoes and a glittery frock - this worked in Splash, but not here, 30 ears later. In Splash the mermaid has already fallen in love with the hero, and you can see her sense of fun and, frankly, lust. Not here. No - here, there is no such sense of connection, so her docility is vacuous He has designs on a bracelet she wears, but no sign of that greed in his actual performance. He doesn't show any connection with her - other than for the jewel. No - common sense would make him buy leggings, a sweatshirt with sneakers.
The music is pretty, but what I call "soupy", and at times the music or song replaces actual action, script, and, sadly, acting. My FF button was not enough to carry me through.
This was a chance to make a reimagined little mermaid, strong, wild, fascinated by the human, but full of fear, slowly engaged and tamed as what are in fact two incompatible cultures find points of contact through developing communication.
Jun Ji Hyung is very beautiful indeed, and Lee Min Ho handsome as ever, but this was not enough to carry me any further into this apparently weak retelling of an old tale.
Deeply disappointed. I could have given this less than three stars, but some of the acting is good, there are moments of insight, and the cinematography - easy given the locations' beauty - is very pretty.

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Large Pinch of salt

Disclaimer: this response is very partial because I could only bear to watch 1.5 episodes. The show is supposed for 13years + but I felt it would struggle even there.
First - the good - based on what I saw. ML and his side-kick the dry-cleaner were great and great chemistry. The idea of am effectively pro bono law office is very appealing too. Sadly, the execution of a pro bono idea, not so much.
FL was so badly written with all the Kd tropes of incompetence and an inability to move in high heels, so she face plants in front of the ML. ML is much older and more experienced and is shown running absolute rings round her leaving her speechless and breathless. Honestly, that's so unoriginal and tired, and BORING. Her styling is pretty awful too - presented with a cut-glass hairstyle that has never had a hard-working hand run through it in frustration, shows up for her first day at her harappoje's law firm in a salmon pink suit like an overpriced Legally Blonde - it works in that show because it's a fundamental of her personality; here, it's not, and it's awful. As to her acting, I can't really comment because I disliked what we saw of her personality too much to offer a fair assessment. I did find NO evidence of chemistry between her and ML which was also very off-putting
NGM is absolutely marvellous, as he always is, but sadly ML is insufferably smug and patronising, and frankly NGM enjoys it a bit too much, which is for me a real turnoff. I fear he was over-playing those moments - like, a lot. I believe that later on there are flashbacks which explain the premise of the ODL "brand", and they may explain why he is such a pain in the neck too, but I couldn't bear it any more.
I've been generous in marking the acting, because most actors were pretty competent, and most (except the leads) were very watchable - but I blame the poor writing/directing for any poor acting.
I'm so sorry I couldn't like this more: I had hoped for something on the lines of Lawless Lawyer, albeit with slightly less 'adult' content, but this failed me so badly! And I love NGM usually, too, so I feel let down on two fronts ...😢

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