A Pequena Sereia

This is a very sad and beautiful tale, the way Hans Christian Andersen has intended it to be. Even more sad than this though is that mass audience now knows only the dumbed down Disney version, which actually is a clear case of plagiarism. What else is it if it takes the original story and changes the ending??? Of course the rights to do that were properly purchased, at least I think so. But now we do not even have a chance to see true version ever released on DVD, as it justly deserves.

I'm not being corny--this is an actual line from the film, straight from the Sea Witch (her sister Sand Witch was on vacation) to goofball princess Marina.

There should be a special section in video stores for Brutal Truth Fairy Tales. As opposed to the dark Disney overlords, the producers of this piece stuck to the original story with a few turns of creative license here and there. That is, Marina, our little mermaid, dies at the end. But hey, it's not so bad--after all, she stays true to her love (however misguided). It also appears that she picked up an immortal soul, or at least the promise of one, somewhere along the way.

The Little Mermaid for Mature Audiences? Well, I can't help thinking that kids expecting Disney magic would be a little horrified by this version. The happy ending--I guess--might be a little too philosophical for kids expecting dancing crabs and evil doers who are more goofy than terrifying. But if you're an anime fan and you'd like to see the mermaid thing a little more like it was originally written, you probably would enjoy wasting 1.5 hours with this.

When I first saw this movie, I hated it. I was outraged by how the Prince chose someone else over her (the mermaid rescued the Prince from drowning, but ducked away when she saw the other human girl coming, and the other girl sat with him until he fully regained consciousness). He assumed that girl saved his life, and she apparently never had the grace to admit that someone else had done the dirty work of hauling him out of the ocean--she just happened to be hanging out sunbathing, waiting for him to wake up.

So, I was pretty mad at this movie, but then I read the Hans Christian Andersen story years later, when I'd experienced my own first love and loss. I gained a new appreciation for this movie, as it depicts a desperate love, and this mermaid is willing to give up everything to be close to him. The only thing that sucks is that the object of her obsession truly does not deserve it, and the chick he chooses over her does not deserve his love either; he fell in love with her only because he thought she had saved him, but the mermaid was unable to tell him that.

It's sad, and frustrating, but still a good movie overall.

Loved this movie as a kid and I still love it as an adult. Beautiful music too. Not too many goofy annoying characters. More mature and enjoyable. Looking for more movies similar to this one.

I saw this Anime version of Little Mermaid when I was 8 or 9 years old, long before Disney got there happy little hands on it. I cried my eyes out at the end of it. However, it showed me that you don't always get what you want in life. It also taught me about sacrificing for someone you love. I believe the original version of this movie gets across a poignant message about sacrifice, love and loss. (If you read the story, there is much more to it than that, but as far as the movie goes, that is the message I saw in it.)

I was very disappointed in Disney's version at first. I didn't have to wait to see the ending to be upset at it. Ariel/Marina was not supposed to be able to talk, never mind being able to sing, and she was supposed to have pain when she walked....part of her sacrifice to be with the prince she had fallen in love with. And then, being a Disney version, she gets the prince in the end. I did not like it. Now, there is nothing wrong with optimism and believing things can get better and end happily. However, life does not always end "Happily Ever After" as Disney would have children believe. I think our overindulged children of today would be better off knowing that you don't always get what you want and that there is such a thing as sacrifice.

Well, I have grown to accept and even enjoy Disney's version. It is lighthearted and fun. And that is what Disney is all about.... fun and enjoyment.

In the end, I still love the original Anime version of it better. I didn't actually remember it as being Anime until I started searching for this version. Reading the comments on it helped me to recall the big beautiful eyes of the characters. Yes, this is the version I remember and love from my childhood....tears and all!