Not long after their recent scandal for allegedly plagiarizing the movie "Sherlock," new hit-drama "The Legend of the Blue Sea" is up for another issue. Today, the drama is accused of copying the 1984 movie "Splash."
The 1984 fantasy romantic comedy film involves a young man who falls in love with a mysterious woman who is secretly a mermaid. Directed by Ron Howard, the film is notable for being the first film released by the Walt Disney Studios' Touchstone Pictures label.
Not far from the film "Splash," the Korean drama "The Legend of the Blue Sea" focuses on a genius con-artist falling in love with the last mermaid on earth. As reported by Allkpop, netizens claims that apart from the basic plot, Jun Ji Hyun's behavior as a mermaid are also similar to the 1984 movie.
In the drama, Jun is playing as the last mermaid on earth, Shim Chung. Her abilities such as learning how to speak like a human from the television, eating with her hands, misunderstanding the traffic signs, and more were previously portrayed through "Splash's" female lead.
Netizens further revealed that Jun's role and character is very much alike with "Splash's" lead that it looks like a repetition of what the American lead had done in her film. It was also revealed that the behaviorisms of Jun in the SBS drama are too similar with the American film.
Meanwhile, SBS recently released its new behind-the-scenes videos showcasing Jun's swimming skills. In a report by Soompi, to fully express her role as a mermaid, the 35-year old actress wore a mermaid tail and dived underwater multiple times.
Despite the difficult filming, Jun showed no sign of discomfort and exhibit her dedication and attention to detail by reviewing the content before filming. Production crew also considered different filming methods, such as filming on a boat, using drones, and underwater shot.
"The Legend of the Blue Sea" will air its upcoming episode on Nov. 23 at 10 p.m. KST on SBS.
Catch Jun on the latest "The Legend of the Blue Sea" behind-the-scenes below:
