[Drama 2014] Surplus Princess (The Mermaid) 잉여공주

[Guest HazelP]

Whatever u say.. this is HM&HN love story.. it was soo obvoius from the start that they are the leads and SK&JA were d supporting cast only. Truth sometimes really hurts. Peace !!

[sc_12c8]

[surplus Princess OST] Ever-New - Last Conversation With Him MV 

Made by me :x :x :x

[Triton823]

Watched the final...overall the ending is what saved it. I love the terminator throw back! As to the question as to who was hn true love...that depends on your perspective for me sk sacrificed more and let hn be with hm. I can't see what hm sacrificed for anyone. I know you guys will hate that but its true. This network royaly destroyed the story with the cut down of episodes...it always has because these kwriters never can salvage anything once hey reduce the number of episodes.

[dirtylittlesecret765]

I was seriously devastated and shocked by the ending because it was really rushed & in one episode HN realize that she's in love with HM when in 9 episode she was in love with SK. Also I was expecting it would end with the beach scene in episode 1 but we didn't get that. It sucks that the episode was cut down & the story was rushed which I think the writer opt to use a different ending than their original one. 
I think the original ending might be where HN ends up with SK but it wasn't true love so she disappears. I seriously hope there's a DVD for Surplus Princess with the Director's Cut  

[Wanderer17]

:\">

[Guest pico89]

I really love this scene )

[Beycuteful]

photos credit to Surplus Princess fb:

[Guest Emily Lu]

its sad how so many things werent fixed
Hani never found out the SK was facial blind like what... 
Hani also never found out that SK knew she was a mermaid and also that SK had that missing scale or something from her tail 
Even if Hani was gonna end up with HM they shouldn't have made it end it like that... 
Also when Hani was disappearing its like she knew she was gonna disappear...
And y did Jina end up with SK like what??! that was the biggest thing i was avoiding..... Im waiting for season 2 already lolololol

[Wanderer17]

CR: Dramatroll

[Beycuteful]

photos credit to Surplus Princess FB:

[rheiuna]

I had a crush on Shi Kyung like Hani hahahahahaha

Anyways, im looking forward on Season 2 where ShiKyung can have his perfect timing with our female lead...

[Wanderer17]

CR:Dramatroll

[Beycuteful]

class="content-title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; font-size: 23px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(63, 63, 64); text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 1px 1px 0px; visibility: visible; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"Final Call: “Surplus Princess”Hanyeoun October 16, 2014



I’ll be honest. I was extremely disheartened to  learn that this series ended so quickly, with a running time of only 10 episodes. Before it was cut from the production team due to low ratings or lack of budget, “Surplus Princess” was an entertaining ride despite the many flaws displayed during the ending. The drama presented a wonderful story, but the concept didn’t deliver successfully in terms of following accurately the classic mermaid tale. However, “Surplus Princess” exceeded my expectations on one thing: humor. Let’s revisit and review!

Story

Aileen is adventurous mermaid and she is intrigued about the human world after discovering a waterproof case smartphone (perfect product placement opportunity)! Let’s not forget she can charge it with jellyfishes! Her quest began after admiring and observing Kwon Shi Kyung. Her goal is to live in the human realm with her Prince Charming. Unfortunately, a tragic turn of events forced Aileen to spend her time on ground living under a false identity. Consequently, our heroine must find true love within 100 days before she disappears from existence forever.

Cast

Jo Bo Ah as Aileen/Kim Ha Ni. The eighteenth (surplus) princess of a mermaid kingdom – Aileen has fallen in love with Kwon Shi Kyung and follows him around for six months. An opportunity arrives and she desires to become human so that she can be with him.

On Joo Wan as Lee Hyun Myung. A resident of the surplus house – Hyun Myung is struggling finding a job based on his art degree. He also tries to maintain a relationship with his girlfriend Yoon Ji Ah.

Song Jae Rim as Kwon Shi Kyung. Here is our prince! A famous chef in a conglomerate food company, he is described to be cold and arrogant, but very charismatic. He also keeps a dark secret.

Park Ji Soo as Yoon Jin Ah Hyun Myung’s girlfriend. She admires Shi Kyung and decides to break up with Hyun Myung after a misunderstanding.

Parodies

I absolutely loved this drama for its sense of humor – the comedic relief was the major salvation of the show, and avoided it from becoming a disaster. Most of the humor was focused on parodies of Korean and foreign pop cultures. Attention to frail hearts because the comedy on this show has lots of naughty content! Expect to see references from “Man From the Stars” or “Let’s Just Eat”, movies like “The Avengers” or “Terminator” and mangas like“Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)” or Sailor Moon. If you just want to laugh, this drama could be the perfect series for you. In my opinion, “Surplus Princess” might be the craziest and wildest show I’ve ever watched.

Romance

To be honest, the romance wasn’t a strong point for this drama. The romantic development between Si Kyung and Ha Ni was… disappointing. Despite the fact that their interactions were hilariously fun to watch, the sudden cut of episodes prevented “Surplus Princess” from having proper space for character development or any substantial progress on romantic relationships. The show also waited too long to set up love lines, which could explain the lower ratings. On the other hand, the main highlight of that category would be given to our side couple consisting of Hye Young and Big ending up together, both of them being roommates of the sharing house Kim Ha Ni is living with. Their chemistry was amazingly good and the narration of their love story was extremely cute and well-written compared to the main cast.

Relationships

Another thing I like about “Surplus Princess” is the show putting their characters in unexpected relationships. One prime example would be Hye Young’s friendship with Ha Ni. After discovering Ha Ni is actually a mermaid, Hye Young believes her to be the reincarnation of her fish who died last year *chuckles*. The drama uses wacky and humorous elements as foundations to build relationships. Who would’ve thought Ha Ni’s guardian, the male witch of Ahn Ma Nyeo, is part of a love triangle between Hong Myung Hee and Kim Woo Sun, senior managers of JH Food Corporation. Who could have predicted Do Ji Yong would have a crush on Ha Ni?

Drama

There are not a lot of dramatic moments in “Surplus Princess.” Actually, even the drama’s most serious aspects were overshadowed by comedic relief – perhaps one of the reasons why character development felt so weak. Do not give up hope! As the show progresses, Ha Ni will discover the meaning of true love meaning one of the alpha males from the main cast would suffer tremendously. In order to avoid spoilers, the affected gentleman will keep composure and pride until he breaks in with tears. That particular scene was very moving.

Acting

Jo Bo Ah has nailed her role into playing a mermaid. Playing a playful, bubbly, and naive character through the whole length of a series requires diligent consistency, and Bo Ah really delivered her part. I believe her character genuinely had an impact in the human realm. She adds life in the house she’s sharing with her roommates, blossoms friendships, and even strengthen a certain bond with her rival, Yoon Jin Ah. As for Song Jae Rim, he really knows how to portray Shi Kyung as an arrogant man who morphs into a caring individual once he has met Ha Ni. His cold personality is masqueraded by his sadness over his cognitive disorder called prosopagnosia also commonly known as facial blindness.

On Joo Wan‘s character, Lee Hyun Myung, is the typical average man who sacrifices success to chase his dreams. Although he is talented at sketching, he can’t make money from his skill. I was unconvinced by the performance of the actor at the beginning, but his scenes showing Hyun Myung’s dedication and care for Ha Ni really changed my mind. For example, after discovering her real identity and questioning his known reality, he becomes a supportive protector making sure her real identity remains untouched. Switching to Park Ji Soo‘s character, Yoon Jin Ah, well, she’s really frustrating… I meant that in a good way! She infuriated me because she’s actually a good antagonist competing for Shi Kyung’s attention against Ha Ni. Jin Ah isn’t a bad person. She is being pushed constantly by people around her, including her mother, and that made her become a heartless and remorseless woman. However, I didn’t really understand her redemption at the ending because no plausible explanation was given, so I found Yoon Ji Ah underdeveloped.

Verdict

Personally, I found “Surplus Princess” very entertaining despite its major flaws hindering the romance and drama. Parodies in this drama are beyond hilarious once you spot every hidden gag and cultural reference. On the other hand, “Surplus Princess” may not fit for the audience wanting a rock-solid drama with unforgettable chemistry and a rich storyline. Instead, the show is for people desiring something different: a fun getaway possessing some originality on rom-com humor and fantasy. Since it was cut to 10 episodes, I’m skeptical that this show would have a second season, but there were some speculations based on the ending stating that our mermaid would be back. What do you viewers think? Can tvN renew its show for a second run despite the low ratings on the first season?

[Wanderer17]

CR: Dramatroll

[telzey]

I finally watched the last few episodes. It was nice. The mermaid was great- so cheerful and bubbly. (heh) I don't understand why they cut the series off short when it was lots better than some other shows *cough* Secret Hotel *cough* that dragged on and on and... well you know. I'm waiting to see the sea witch/ Detective Lee show up in another drama. My favorite character.

[sc_12c8]

When Hani tells Hyunmyung that he's a good/great guy =)) =)) =))

[Guest LadyAra]

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "The Idle Mermaid"

Romantic comedy with fantasy elements is common in Korean drama. The fantasy elements give a twist to a type with very little deviation from its formula and they offer some dramatic conflict. "The Idle Mermaid" (a.k.a 'Surplus Princess') aimed to be the odd one out from the start. With more of an ensemble approach and unapologetic quirkiness, it tried to be something new and fun. Despite being cut short due to bad ratings, it managed to do just that. [more]

[Mayiya]

class="content-title" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.4em; font-size: 23px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(63, 63, 64); text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 1px 1px 0px; visibility: visible; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"What Does Model-Actor Nam Joo Hyuk of “Surplus Princess” Think Is His Charm?

MBC’s “Section TV Entertainment Relay” caught up with the up-and-coming actor, fashion model Nam Joo Hyuk at the Seoul Fashion Week for a quick interview.

On the October 19 broadcast of MBC’s “Section TV Entertainment Relay,” the model-turned-actor Nam Joo Hyuk, who recently appeared in a supporting role in tvN’s “Surplus Princess,” was asked some pretty interesting questions.

“Which is better: living in the dorm or walking on the fashion show runway?,” asked the reporter. Nam Joo Hyuk replied without batting an eyelash and said “the runway,” he then added, “I really hate living in the dorm.”

He was then asked by the reporter regarding what he thinks is his charm and he answered, “My common-looking face,” surprising the reporter. He then quickly explained, “I was told there’s a lot of faces like mine around here,” and made the reporter laugh.

Credit Soompi

[Guest westihh]

I just finished the 10th episode. Why do they have to cut it down the six remaining episodes? :'( I agree that the ending feels like rushed off and too forced. Is there the sequel for this drama? Surplus Princess 2? To be honest I like the humor in this drama and so disappointed to see it end

[Guest irene24zyhhk]

i know im late..but i just got the chance to watch this somedays ago..despite all the hearbroken comments from all of u, im just gonna add some more..haha..this is in fact the most stressful drama i have ever watch bcuz of the cut-down episodes since i've been rooting for shi kyung all the times and been hoping he'll get the girl in the end (but we all know hyun myung did)...

nevatheless i enjoyed watching this very much..humorous in some ways and cute too..esp jaerim..i would be able to see him in different perspectives, views and character...he's a really good actor..hoping to see him in other bigger projects