Where many sports dramas showcase the peak physical performance of their athletes who always get the love interest inevitably, My Mr. Mermaid showcases the hard work that comes with starting out in your professional career at a young age, and the struggles of shining the media spotlight on youth.
Most journalists will go to any length just to break a story. But for Yun Duo, she won’t ruin the reputation of a good swimmer without all the facts. And most swimmers just want to get on with the race. But Yi Bai’s scandalous past gets him more media attention outside the pool than in it. Morals and career progression go head to head in this stunning drama.
This Chinese romantic sports drama crosses genre boundaries to include a mystery that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Content warning: This article and drama contain references to drug use.
- Main Cast: Seven Tan | Dylan Xiong
- Streaming Site: WeTV | YouTube | Viki
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- Dramas of Similar Vibe: Mr. Swimmer | Skate Into Love | Swimming Battle
Ford Carter watched My Mr. Mermaid on YouTube
My Mr. Mermaid Quick Plot Recap
Young sports reporter Yun Duo is struggling to keep afloat working an internship at a media company. Being rated against all of the other interns, she hopes of getting one of the few places for a permanent position. Her mentor gives her an assignment set to make her recognized by the company’s CEO – scoring an interview with breakout swimming star Qi Rui Feng.
Unfortunately for Yun Duo, anything that can go wrong will go wrong for her. She gets pushed to the back by a crowd of rival reporters. And then she falls into the swimming pool, where she nearly drowns. She even destroys one of the company’s expensive video cameras. But most importantly of all, she accidentally, inadvertently falls in love with comeback swimmer Tang Yibai.
And so begins the dramatic storyline that unfurls over the following thirty-six episodes.
From amnesia, multiple near-drownings, drug scandals, secrets, and lies, My Mr. Mermaid has it all.
My Mr. Mermaid Peak Points
Career
The careers of the main couple are at the front of their minds most of the time. In a drama about romance, for once the careers don’t just fall to the side.
Yun Duo is determined to do her best at her job, no matter the cost. Working as one of over a dozen interns at QK Media, her mentor has informed her that only two or three of them will receive a permanent position. But her boss, Director Liu, certainly seems to have it out for her. It doesn’t help her position on the totem pole when she ruins expensive camera equipment after falling into the swimming pool.
And Yun Duo doesn’t just want a position for herself. Her best friend, Cheng Mei, is also working at the company. Together, the two of them are hoping to make it through.
But when mysterious multi-millionaire newcomer James Lin (using the name of Lin Zi) comes in under the guise of a new recruit, things become more difficult for Yun Duo as she struggles with his interfering, either for better or worse.
Despite Yun Duo’s fervent belief that Tang Yibai can make it as a professional swimmer, it’s new hire Lin Zi who seems determined to make sure Yibai never returns to the pool.
Tang Yibai also has a major focus on his career. Becoming a professional swimmer certainly isn’t an easy feat. No matter his love for Yun Duo, his dedication to the pool must come first. Not only is it his swimming he has to focus on, but also his studies.
But with everyone bringing up his traumatic past, becoming the best swimmer in China won’t be simple. People want to bring him down at every turn. Whether that be in the pool, on the basketball court, or by bringing up his drug scandal from four years prior.
Romance
Sometimes, “love at first sight” doesn’t mean that everything is going to go smoothly. Especially when that “love at first sight” ends with you falling into a swimming pool and nearly drowning.
Everything seems to be against Tang Yibai and Yun Duo’s relationship at first. Yun Duo’s struggling career as an intern sports reporter. Tang Yibai’s incredibly busy schedule as a professional swimmer. The professional relationship between the two careers. And, of course, a classic misunderstanding between the main couple.
While Yun Duo is clearly falling for Tang Yibai, My Mr. Mermaid features a male lead who is falling for the girl even harder. Tang Yibai’s constant smiles, smirks and gazes of wonder clearly show that he has fallen in love.
As is usual with most romantic dramas, the main couple is always guaranteed to get together in the end. But they aren’t the only couple we care about in the show. What about Qi Ruifeng and Xiang Yangyang? What about the two swimming coaches?
While less explored than the romance of the main couple, these side relationships are no less interesting to watch. Both of these relationships do have a very one-sided feel to them when they begin.
Scandal
This isn’t Tang Yibai’s first attempt to join the South Physical swim team. In fact, his first time attempting to join was actually four years beforehand. And it didn’t go well. Embroiled in a scandal, Yibai was forced to take an unplanned hiatus.
And during the show’s earlier episodes, there is some speculation as to exactly what happened four years ago that led to Yibai not being able to join the team, despite winning his race.
It comes out that Tang Yibai was accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs in order to excel at his race. A big no-no from the university and the swimming community alike, it was this that led to Yibai’s forced hiatus.
Outside of the swimming teams at the university, Yun Duo is the only one who believes Yibai. After his amazing performance at the competition, media attention brought up his doping scandal once again, to which Yun Duo effervescently defends Yibai. Out-talking the reporters circling him, Yun Duo attempts to clear the swimmer’s name.
But a drug scandal isn’t the only one centered around this team. The past of Lin Sang, the girl who had fallen in love with Tang Yibai some years ago, who is currently in a coma, leads to speculation of what happened to her.
Lin Sang’s plot leads to some of the show’s biggest plot twists and turns, and despite her role as a secondary or even tertiary character, she is integral to the storyline overall.
Sports
With all of the drama listed above, it would be easy to forget that My Mr. Mermaid is in fact first and foremost a sports drama.
Despite the romance, drugs, secrets, and coma, it’s the drama in the swimming pool that can’t be overlooked.
Inter-school races between the four main sporting campuses bring excitement not only to the competition in the water, but to the history between Tang Yibai, Qi Ruifeng, and Ouyang Heng. These three used to be the best of friends and the closest of competition back in high school. But circumstances surrounding Lin Sang’s part of their history together is what led to their major falling out.
Tang Yibai’s dream of swimming for China might be falling down around him, but he’s determined that he’s going to make it.
My Mr. Mermaid Series Musings
At thirty-six episodes in length, My Mr. Mermaid could most certainly have done with being slightly shorter. Towards the series finale, the storyline begins to drag.
However, on the whole, the series is definitely worth the watch.
My Mr. Mermaid does a fantastic job of stitching together the many fabrics of its complex and interesting storyline. Not just a sports drama, elements of romance, mystery, and detective genres weave together to make for an amazing plot.
If you have a thing for shows where it’s up to the viewer to try and figure out what’s happened, this is for you. While the majority of the cast knows about Lin Sang, her history with the group, and how she ended up in a coma, we see the story from the eyes of Yun Duo. The Yun Duo who hasn’t met Lin Sang. The Yun Duo who doesn’t know what secrets everyone is hiding from her.
If you have a thing for romantic Asian dramas, this is also for you. The romantic storylines of Yun Duo and Tang Yibai aren’t the only underlying romances of this show. There’s also Xiang Yangyang’s seemingly unrequited love for Qi Ruifeng. And coach Wu Yong’s feelings for coach Yuan Yongmei.
Love a sassy mother? Check out Lu Chen – Tang Yibai’s mother. Love a dark and mysterious man? Then you’ll love James Lin. Love looking at attractive men who aren’t wearing shirts? This show’s about swimming, so they’re almost never wearing one.
While the series as a whole may not pique your interest as a viewer, the broad-ranging genre of the show is sure to delight almost anyone, with at least one of the storylines being engaging to a viewer.
Image source: Hunan Sattelite TV | WeTV | Twitter User @BlackSesame88
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