The Little Mermaid

Andersen Douwa Ningyo Hime (Anime Film)
Japanese Title: アンデルセン童話 にんぎょ姫

English Title: Andersen's Children's Story: The Mermaid Princess

Italian Title: La Sirenetta: La più bella favola di Andersen

French Title: Marina la Petite Sirène

Russian Title: Принцесса подводного царства

Portuguese Title: A Pequena Sereia

Arabic Title: الحورية الصغيرة

Airdate: March 21, 1975

Plot
The movie opens in live action Denmark. From there, a narrator explains to the audience how Denmark is a popular tourist destination. He also states that many storytellers were born in Denmark, and the most famous one is Hans Christian Andersen. After explaining how this man wrote beautiful stories, the narrator finishes the explanations by mentioning that Andersen's most famous story, "The Little Mermaid," originated in Denmark. After a brief shot of a live action ocean and the opening title card (with a mermaid song in the background), the scene dissolves to 2D hand-drawn anime.

Marina, the youngest and most beautiful mermaid in the royal family, is curious about the human world. She always tries to go up to the surface with her six older sisters, but is forbidden because she has not come of age yet. One day, while exploring inside a sunken ship, she discovers a statue of a human boy and starts to daydream. She decides she is ready to see the world above and, ignoring her family's wishes, she sneaks away with her best friend Fritz the dolphin. Moments after emerging from the depths, she sees a handsome prince on a ship, the very same boy from the statue. Suddenly, the Sea Witch creates a storm, throwing him into the sea. Marina saves her handsome prince and swims with him to the seashore. She must leave him on the shore when the sun rises and people arrive. Marina falls deeply in love and wants desperately to become a human. Seeking help from the sea witch, Marina gives up her life as mermaid and her voice to gain legs. She is informed that if the prince marries another woman, she will turn into sea foam the very next morning. Despite the hazards, she is willing to risk all for pure and genuine romance. The sea witch takes Marina's voice in exchange for legs. Tearfully bidding farewell to her family and to Fritz, she goes on to the surface. The following morning, she is discovered by the prince.

Marina lives with the prince for a month, in that time their bond of friendship grows stronger and soon blossoms into genuine and close romance. The Prince calls her "Princess Mermaid" because she came to him from the sea and cannot tell him her own name as she is now mute. The Prince tells her how his parents want him marry a princess from another kingdom. However, the only girl he wants to marry is the one who saved his life. Unfortunately, the prince does not know Marina is the one who saved him. He mistakenly believes it to be the raven-haired girl who discovered him on the beach after Marina had rescued him. Since he cannot find her, he wishes to marry Marina. However, when forced to meet the princess his parents want him to marry, he discovers that the foreign princess is the raven-haired girl. Filled with joy, he arranges to marry her immediately, breaking Marina's heart.

The night before she is to die, her sisters visit her. They present a knife they have bought by cutting off their beautiful hair and giving it to the sea witch. Her sisters tell her that if she stabs the prince through the heart, she will turn into a mermaid again and can go back to her old life in the sea. Marina accepts the knife. However, as she goes to stab the prince, she finds that she cannot bring herself to kill him as she loves him so. She goes to the stern of the ship they are on, having decided that the prince's happiness is her happiness, and that as sea foam she can always be around him. As she throws the magic knife into the sea, it shines a blood red, which wakes the prince. He runs onto the deck and sees Marina, about to jump off of the ship. He calls her name, and runs to her, but she jumps off the ship. As he calls her name a final time, he looks to see that she has left behind her pearl hairpin and a scale from her tail. He grabs them both, and looks confused into the sea. As the sun rises, Marina's body slowly turns to foam and ascends into the sky. The prince remembers now that she was, in fact, the one who had saved him. Marina's spirit goes on to Heaven for her self-sacrifice, as Fritz calls out her name.

The narrator then speaks again, explaining to the audience that the mermaid's soul went to Heaven and the scene then dissolves back to live action Denmark. As the movie's final shot shows us The Little Mermaid statue, the narrator finishes the movie by assuring us that the little mermaid, with her courage, bravery, and story, will continue to guide mankind now and forever more.

The Little Mermaid (Disney Cartoon)
Spanish Title: La Sirenita

Italian Title: La sirenetta

French Title: La Petite Sirène

German Title: Arielle, die Meerjungfrau

Chinese Title: 小美人魚

TV Series
The Little Mermaid television series is a prequel to the movie of the same name. The story is set before the events in the 1989 film, and follows Ariel's adventures as a mermaid still living under the sea with her father, Sebastian the crab and Flounder the fish. Ariel is self-taught with magic as revealed in some episodes like "Land of the Dinosaurs" where she uses her father's trident to thaw the ice. Various episodes highlight her relationship with her friends, father and sisters, and usually involves Ariel foiling the attempts of various enemies that intend ill harm to her or her kingdom.

First Movie: The Little Mermaid
Airdate: November 17, 1989

A sixteen-year-old mermaid princess named Ariel is dissatisfied with underwater life and curious about human life on land. With her best friend Flounder, Ariel collects human artifacts and goes to the surface of the ocean to visit Scuttle the seagull, who offers very inaccurate knowledge of human culture. She ignores the warnings of her father King Triton, the ruler of Atlantica, and his adviser Sebastian that contact between merpeople and humans is forbidden, longing to join the human world and become a human herself.

One night, Ariel, Flounder and an unwilling Sebastian travel to the ocean surface to watch Prince Eric celebrate his birthday. Ariel soon falls in love with Eric. A storm ensues and the ship is destroyed, but Ariel saves an unconscious Eric from drowning. Ariel sings to him, but quickly leaves as soon as he regains consciousness to avoid being discovered. Fascinated by the memory of her voice, Eric vows to find who saved and sang to him, and Ariel vows to find a way to join him and his world. Noticing a change in Ariel's behavior, Triton questions Sebastian about her behavior and learns of her love for Eric. Frustrated, Triton confronts Ariel in her grotto, where she and Flounder store human artifacts, and destroys most of the objects with his trident to her dismay. After Triton leaves, two eels named Flotsam and Jetsam convince Ariel to visit Ursula the sea witch in order to be with Eric.

Ursula makes a deal with Ariel to transform her into a human for three days in exchange for Ariel's voice, which Ursula puts in a nautilus shell. Within these three days, Ariel must receive the "kiss of true love" from Eric; otherwise, she will transform back into a mermaid and belong to Ursula. Despite saying that she is doing this out of kindness, Ursula is plotting to use Ariel as a bargain to challenge Triton's right to rule. Ariel is then given human legs and taken to the surface by Flounder and Sebastian. Eric finds Ariel on the beach and takes her to his castle, unaware that she had saved his life earlier, assuming her to be a mute shipwreck survivor. Ariel spends time with Eric, and at the end of the second day, they almost kiss but are thwarted by Flotsam and Jetsam. Angered at their narrow escape, Ursula disguises herself as a young woman named Vanessa and appears onshore singing with Ariel's voice. Eric recognizes the song and, in her disguise, Ursula casts a hypnotic enchantment on Eric.

The next day, Ariel finds out that Eric will be married to the disguised Ursula. Scuttle discovers that Vanessa is actually Ursula in disguise, and informs Ariel who immediately pursues the wedding barge. Sebastian informs Triton, and Scuttle disrupts the wedding with the help of various animals. In the chaos, the nautilus shell around Ursula's neck is broken, restoring Ariel's voice and breaking Ursula's enchantment over Eric. Realizing that Ariel had saved his life, Eric rushes to kiss her, but the sun sets and Ariel transforms back into a mermaid. Ursula reveals herself and kidnaps Ariel. Furious, Triton confronts Ursula and demands that she release Ariel, but the deal is inviolable. At Ursula's urging, the king agrees to take Ariel's place as Ursula's prisoner. Ariel is released as Triton transforms into a polyp, and Ursula declares herself the new ruler of Atlantica. Frustrated, Ariel confronts Ursula and lunges at her. Ursula is about to use the trident to kill her, but Eric throws a harpoon at her and saves Ariel. Just as Ursula attempts to kill Eric, Ariel attacks Ursula, who inadvertently kills Flotsam and Jetsam. In her rage, Ursula uses the trident to grow into monstrous proportions.

Ariel and Eric reunite on the surface just before Ursula grows past and towers over the two. She then gains full control of the entire ocean, creating a storm with a maelstrom that causes shipwrecks, one of which Eric commandeers. Just as Ursula attempts to kill Ariel who is trapped in the maelstrom, Eric fatally stabs Ursula with the ship's splintered bowsprit. Ursula's power breaks, causing Triton and the other polyps in Ursula's garden to revert into their original forms. Realizing that Ariel truly loves Eric, Triton willingly changes her from a mermaid into a human. Ariel and Eric marry on a ship and depart.

Second Movie: The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
Airdate: September 19, 2000

Ariel and Eric celebrate the birth of their newborn daughter Melody on a ship at sea. Ariel's father King Triton presents Melody with a magic locket. The party is interrupted by Morgana, sister of the deceased Ursula, who threatens to cause Melody harm, using her as leverage to get Triton's trident. Ariel and Eric work together to foil Morgana's plan.

Fearing Morgana and remembering Ursula, Ariel decides to withhold all knowledge of the sea world from Melody. The locket is tossed into the ocean, and a massive wall is built to separate the royal castle from the sea.

Twelve years later, Melody remains unaware of her mother’s mermaid heritage and is forbidden from ever going into the sea. However, she has been sneaking out the castle regularly to swim and one day finds her locket. Seeing her name on the locket, Melody confronts her mother and, frustrated with her mother's refusal to answer her questions, Melody takes a boat and sails away from home. Her parents soon learn that she is gone, and Triton uses his magic to transform Ariel back into a mermaid to search for Melody.

Melody is lured to Morgana’s lair by her manta rays, Cloak and Dagger, and Undertow, and Morgana uses the remains of Ursula's magic to temporarily transform Melody into a mermaid. Morgana says that the transformation will be permanent if Melody can get hold of the trident, which she claims was stolen by Triton. With the help of Tip the penguin and Dash the walrus, Melody successfully returns to Morgana with the trident. Ariel tries to stop Melody, but before she can explain that Morgana is evil, Melody gives the trident to Morgana. With the trident in her grip, Morgana reveals her true intentions and grabs Ariel with her tentacle and holds her hostage.

Morgana uses the trident's magic to lord over the ocean, rising to the surface to gloat. Scuttle, Triton, Sebastian, and Eric arrive, and a battle ensues against Morgana and her minions. Melody manages to grab the trident and throw it back to Triton by climbing up the cliff on which Morgana is standing and sneaking up on her. Triton uses his trident to encase Morgana in a block of ice, which sinks underwater.

Melody reunites with her family, and Triton offers his granddaughter the option of becoming a mermaid permanently. Instead, she uses the trident to disintegrate the wall separating her home from the sea, reuniting the humans and the merpeople.

Third Movie: Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
Airdate: August 26, 2008

King Triton and his wife, Queen Athena, rule over the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which is filled with music and laughter. They have seven young daughters, the youngest of whom is Ariel. The merfolk are shown relaxing in a lagoon above water, and Triton gives Athena a music box. Suddenly, a big pirate ship approaches. Everyone escapes except Athena, who is crushed by the ship when she tries to save the music box. Devastated by Athena's death, Triton throws the music box into the ocean and bans music from the kingdom.

Ten years later, Ariel and her six older sisters live under a strict routine maintained by their governess, Marina Del Rey and her assistant, Benjamin. Marina hates being the girls' governess and longs to be Triton's attaché, a job currently filled by Sebastian the crab. Ariel is frustrated by their current lifestyle, which brings her into conflict with her father. One day, Ariel encounters Flounder, a young fish whom she later follows to an underground music club. She is overjoyed by the presence of music, and is shocked when she sees Sebastian performing there. When her presence is revealed, the entire band stops playing and hides, believing Ariel will tell her father about them. Ariel sings a song explaining her love of music and the remembrance of her mother and she joins the club with an oath.

Ariel returns to the palace, and her sisters confront her over her disappearance. She explains where she was, and the following night all seven girls go to the club to have fun. Marina secretly finds them, and she later reports their activities to Triton. Sebastian, Flounder and the band are sent to jail, while Marina gets the job she wants.

Triton confines his daughters to the palace, which results in Ariel arguing with him why music isn't allowed. Triton refuses to answer and argues that he won't have music in his kingdom. Distraught, Ariel argues that Athena wouldn't have wanted music to be forbidden and angrily swims to the girls' bedroom, with her saddened sisters soon following. That night, she leaves Atlantica and frees the jailbirds. Sebastian leads them to a deserted place far from the palace where Ariel finds Athena's music box, as Sebastian hoped. Ariel and Sebastian decide to return to Atlantica to bring the music box to Triton, hoping that it will change his mind, as he has forgotten how to be happy after Athena's death.

On the way back, they are confronted by Marina and her electric eels. Marina wants to stop them so she will retain her position of "power", and a struggle ensues. It ends when Marina barrels towards Sebastian, but Ariel pushes her away, getting hit in the process. Triton arrives in time to witness this, and he is remorseful for his actions. He sings the lyrics of "Athena's Song", and Ariel wakes up. The film ends with Triton restoring music to Atlantica and appointing Sebastian as Atlantica's first official court composer, much to everyone's glee. Everyone rejoices except Marina, who has been sent to prison.

Inside the prison cell, Benjamin, who was also arrested for knowing about Marina's evil plan, asks Marina if she's learned her lesson. She reluctantly says yes, and Benjamin asks Marina to dance with him. They begin to dance from inside the cell.

Ningyo Hime Marina no Bouken (Anime Series)
Japanese Title: 人魚姫 マリーナの冒険

English Title: Saban's Adventures of the Little Mermaid

Italian Title: Avventura di Marina / Una sirenetta innamorata

Spanish Title: Aventuras de la Pequeña Sirenita por Saban

German Title: Die kleine Meerjungfrau Marina

French Title: Le Prince et la Siréne

Polish Title: Przygody Syrenki

Portuguese Title: Sereiazinha

Plot
Marina is a mermaid who is in love with Prince Justin, a human prince from a kingdom on the shore. Marina saves Justin when he almost drowns after a chase from a giant Cyclops and a shipwreck attack from a three-headed sea serpent. She then makes a deal with Hedwig the sea witch to become human temporarily to try to win Justin's love. Justin and Marina become close but Justin thinks that Princess Cecily, a human princess, was the one who saved him from drowning and therefore he gets engaged to her. Justin eventually remembers that Marina was the one who saved his life but by then Marina becomes a mermaid again. The four continue to secretly meet and try to find a way to be together while dealing with Hedwig's plans to take over the kingdom, and Cecily's attempts to get Justin to marry her. Marina and Justin are aided by their underwater friends, Winnie the seahorse, Bobo the tropical fish, and Ridley the sea otter. They are also aided by the wizard Anselm and by Chauncey, Justin's page.