The Little Mermaid (1992)
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The Little Mermaid Review
The Little Mermaid is a fantasy animated television series that premiered in 1992. It consisted of three seasons, totaling 31 episodes. It’s a serviceable show for Disney fans.
This show is a prequel that is set between the events of ‘Ariel’s Beginning’ and the original film. It includes continuity that is very different from that prequel film, but for the most part I appreciated the series for what it is, which is a cheap, but charming continuation of this franchise.
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When I say cheap, I really do mean cheap. The animation here is of such a low quality that just showcases how television standards have changed in recent decades. The movie has none of the beautifully drawn and enchanting magic of the original. The character designs range from solid to lazy while the backgrounds are rough and far from appealing.
The same goes for the score. The series actually does become a musical in spots, but mostly in the first season as the subsequent two discarded the songs for the most part, making for a very uneven structure. The numbers that we got are fine for what they are. They lacked the Broadway pizzazz of the first movie, but a couple of them were well written and somewhat catchy at least.
The bulk of this season is about Ariel’s adventures undersea, which stood in stark contrast to the original film in that it presented her life under the sea as joyous and fulfilling. I loved that about it, but let’s face it, the heart and core of this story is her drive to explore and go to the land. And sure enough, the best episodes of this show also focus on her penchant to explore and collect human objects. There is this wonderful episode that was an homage to Hans Christian Andersen that was by far the highlight of the whole series.
But those episodes were the minority on this show that is obsessed with adventuring and comic reliefs. There are so many characters here that are made to be funny, but simply aren’t. They were cringe-worthy in their gags and lines that were written to appeal to the smallest of children only. Urchin and Gabriella got the most to do of the new characters, but even they were barely developed. As for Manta, the less said about him the better. The villains on this show are truly awful and way too over-the-top.
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The Little Mermaid series does benefit from more emphasis on Flounder and he was quite sweet, but of course the standout is Sebastian himself. He was much better in the movie obviously and most of his storylines here are repetitious, but at least he was as endearing and as lovable as always. I loved King Triton too and his parenting was much better here. Ariel having a great sense of adventure and a big heart made her extremely likable. The show has that ecological theme of the importance of helping other creatures and the sea overall, which was great for kids. I just wished to have seen more of Ursula and the themes from the first film.
Overall, The Little Mermaid show is certainly a respectable television take on one of Disney’s biggest classics. It has its numerous flaws – the new characters are poor, the animation is cheap and the music is just serviceable, but the opening theme mixing Under the Sea with Part of Your World was an utter delight, and the show’s sense of adventure and its big heart made it quite enjoyable. Most episodes are too comedic and childish, but those that had richer storytelling and world building were quite strong.
Worst Episodes: Double Bubble, Message in a Bottle and Giggles.
Best Episodes: Charmed, Scuttle and Metal Fish.
My Rating – 3.6
Ranking Seasons:
