Surplus Princess (2014)

If this show had not been drastically cut by six episodes I am fairly certain that I'd be giving it a higher rating. I'm still giving it a fair rating because of the potential it had to be great. This show was cute, funny and silly (which I enjoyed). The acting and story were all good and yet it did not receive high ratings and ended up getting cut early. What makes the cut even worse then your typical cut is that 8 out of the supposed to be 16 episodes had already aired when it was announced that the series would be ending in 10 episodes instead. Thus, leaving the wirters with just two episodes to wrap everything up. The show was going so great and then all of a sudden you are hit with a rush job that did not do the show justice and frankly ended in a bit of confusing matter. The show is still very watchable though and I really enjoyed it minus the last two rush episodes.

Lire davantage

Surplus Princess was a drama with great potential.

And don't get me wrong. It delivered in all 9 of the 10 episodes. My only concern was the last episode.

In terms of story, it was a brilliant idea. A mermaid who has a crush on a human she pretty much knows nothing about, solely because he has nice assets. All puns intended. It had infinite potential and the comedy was fantastic. The lead character was bubbly and took nothing from anyone: If someone said something mean to her, she bit them right back! It was quite refreshing to watch; She was also more perverted than most characters tend to be, there were several moments when I was gasping from the things she was doing/saying/thinking. Fantastic! If I had to be picky, I'd say she made a couple of dumb decisions every now and then, but that's to be expected. If she was perfect, there'd be no plot.
The rest of the characters were great too, the girl best friend is a wonderful actress and added even more flavor to the drama, along with the funny and quirky ways of the other characters. So. Much. Potential. I'm still sad.

The acting was great, the humor was great! It did not lack in that department in the least bit! The music was also cute, very upbeat and adorable, suited the feel of the drama.

Honestly, I would probably rewatch 3/4ths of the drama again, with friends. It was so funny, and I would love to see their reactions to the outrageous and perverted humor the lead character has.

My only issue is that this drama was cut due to low rating in Korea (even though it had high ratings abroad). Because of this, we lost 4 episodes of development! 4! Which means the ending was rushed and nonsensical, which is typical of dramas that get cut. It's just so sad because this drama had such great potential. This actually reminds me of what happened to Nail Shop Paris. Oh gosh. It just struck me. IT'S THE CURSE OF SONG JAE RIM! Hahaha!

Anywhoo, still, I would recommend it to friends for the humor and wonderful acting. Go ahead and watch it, it's only 10 episodes anyways, unsatisfactory ending or not!

Lire davantage

For those who have kept up with Surplus Princess's weekly releases, such as myself, the biggest question that dawned was how the writer's and PD's would handle the episode cut. The story with the decision to cut four episodes was surprisingly well done. With an episode cut, one must realize that there will be multiple loopholes in the plot, simply because reveals and plot progression need to occur quicker. Despite these inevitable gaps, the writers weaved around it well and focused on what was necessary. That alone saved the story and the only decision I don't agree with was the closing scene. It was unnecessary and it deterred the quality of an overall well done finale episode.

As for acting and cast, Surplus Princess is a perfect example of a drama that has great casting. Upon starting the drama, I knew none of the actors/actresses (except for the one playing Shi Kyung because I finished Two Weeks as Surplus Princess was airing). But regardless, they drew me in with their individual charms and how well they all portrayed various emotions. While I found the drama hilarious, when tense scenes came, each character's emotions were portrayed beyond my expectation and they were believable and natural. Not to mention, all the love floating around is just absolutely adorable.

Thinking back to the soundtrack and BGM used throughout the series, there wasn't much that stood out, but everything fit in. The music felt well-placed and repetition of tracks was kept to a minimal. A couple of songs grabbed my attention, and I give the PD's props for using music sparingly.

As for the re-watch value, there isn't much to be found in this drama, but it doesn't mean that the ride wasn't worth it. The re-watch value for Surplus Princess depends on how attached the viewer is to the cast and the chemistry between them.

Overall, Surplus Princess stood its ground exceptionally well. The writers understood how the episode cut changed pacing and most importantly, they loopholes were irrelevant and the primary plot was executed nicely. Furthermore, the cast is lovable. The relationships that blossom throughout the series are cute and gave me more than enough reason to finish the series (as if ten episodes were a lot, hah). I recommend this drama for anyone looking for something light-hearted and easy to watch.

Lire davantage

It is such a waste that this drama has come to an end. It was originally planned to be a 16-episode drama, but then it was shortened due to low ratings. Personally, I see so much potential in the drama, and it is such a waste that its never given a chance to shine. I'll have my opinions on its potential on the different categories:

Story: The story itself gives off a unique vibe. it is refreshing to see a fantasy movie having a good dose of drama and comedy. This is not your usual Korean romantic-comedy drama. While the story mainly centers in romance, some themes such as camaraderie, friendship, and fighting spirit can be seen, which is not commonly paired in Korean Rom-com dramas. This is what gives the story much potential. Its lighthearted atmosphere makes it easy to watch, the little crossover parodies would totally nail the spotlight, the little doodle markings gives a cute tone to the drama. The plot pacing was actually nice, I like how confusing the plot is as deeper the story would go, but when it was cut down to a rushed end, it made a big change in the story and is therefore the impact completely disappeared. The characters are totally one-of-a-kind, especially the surplus friends and the mermaid. They are fun and entertaining to watch. I actually like the romantic part of the show, and in contrast to the public demand OTP (chef guy and mermaid girl). I wanted to see more of the other couple (surplus boy and mermaid girl). I'm not contented with the amount of chemistry they had, especially when it looks so forced at the end. The side couples are pretty cute to watch too, they could totally steal the spotlight in doing so. In conclusion, as much as the story and romance has such potential, it was cut down to 10-episodes, and the plot and romance totally suffered from it.

Acting/Cast: I can say that the acting is a bit over the top and annoying at times. However, even with this said, the cast is actually good. Personally I love the character portrayal. They did a nice job in portraying the character quite well. Its like they can make the character real funny and dramatic in the given appropriate atmosphere. Song Jae Rim, was especially a good actor that totally gets into his role as the sweet chef guy in the drama. I like it that he's the second lead, but that he's acting would totally convince you that he can be a main lead (and thus second lead syndrome).

Music: I gave music a higher rating, I like it that there are some crossovers of some OSTs from other dramas, nice Korean songs (some even made to be parodies), and even an anime opening song (anime fan here). The music totally contribute to the lighthearted atmosphere of the show and the comedic aspect of it.

Overall, I felt disheartened that this show has come to an end. As I have emphasized, the show has so much potential, yet it was never given a chance. I would love to see the complete bloom of this show. Nevertheless, It wasn't really a pain to watch, I enjoy watching it. It gave me a good laugh and some feels. I love the pairing even though I feel it is not justified and was forced in the end. There is so much potential in the chemistry of the pairing, and again, it was never given a chance.

I would recommend surplus princess for a nice change of pace in dramas, but don't expect much from it. Just watch it with an open mind, go with the flow of the story, engross yourself with the characters and it will be fun to watch! :3

Lire davantage

This show was probably not for everyone, but I sure enjoyed it throughout its run. Though the ending did feel a little rushed, I was happy with it overall. If it had been planned for 10 episodes from the start, I think it would have managed better.

My Rating: 8.0

In Short: Bottom line: This show was really funny! I liked its absurd approach to humor and parodies. I also really liked that this drama was just as much about friendship and life goals as it was about love. I like ambiguous love triangles that happen naturally, and was satisfied with the developments.

Pros: The hilarious parodies and cute characters made this drama for me. I also quite like a supernatural twist, as well as a modern twist to old stories.

Cons: This drama had an unfortunate episode cutdown. This resulted in a somewhat rushed ending, where the last 5 minutes were basically nonsensical for me.

Lire davantage

At first when i saw the trailers, i was thinking this was going to be totally different. I thought it was going to be more like the tv show h2o, but it was less on the mermaid plot and more on the comedy between friends in need of jobs. It may not be what I expected but it was still worth watching!
I feel like this had a really strong beginning that just changed course a little midway, like the writers changed their minds on some things. My advice is to not look into the plot too seriously and just enjoy the cute faces and comedy! Ha ni was adorable along with pretty much everyone else (except b*tchy second lead girl) and i just feel sad for everyone that worked on this drama when this got cut short... honestly I find it alot better than some dramas that just kept dragging! Anyway if your iffy about if you should watch it or not I say give it a try and see if you'll like it or not!

Lire davantage

This drama was great up until it was noticeably rushed. The ending was odd and very confusing, I didn't quite understand it so I had to look up the reason why it seemed like that. Anyways it was cut due to not being popular in South Korea.

The drama is about a mermaid princess who has been stalking this chief that has a nice butt. Things take a turn when he falls into the water. With this drama there's hot guys, butt groping, and some nice surprises like references to shows and music (it's a really nice little bonus). I recommend people who are familiar with Korean stars and music to watch it because it really is fun even though the ending was rushed.

With saying that, I liked it for the laughs and giggles. It's a nice drama if you are feeling depressed and just want something fun even though at times it tries to get dramatic it goes right back to being funny.

Lire davantage

This is drama is so refreshing!

It has a lot of unrealistic events but I guess it should be ok because this is fantasy drama, but for a picky watcher as I am it sometimes ruined the mood.

The acting & cast is amazing! They all did a great job and gave their all! I love that every character had its very own and strong personality and when those personalities met it's 100% promised entertainment!
I also liked how this drama was "built". Humor has a strong presence and I loved it! This is truly a fresh/bubbly drama! <3 one more time; I can't express how positive surprise the cast and humorous acting was!

9/10 episodes were extremely awesome but as many other watchers, I was disappointed with the final episode. I heard they had to cut episodes out because of the low rating in Korea and if that isn't sad then what is. I hate speedy endings/story lines that just end/"1 year later" endings and this ending was almost like a mixture of them all. I was super disappointed but when I learnt the reason I started to feel bad for the whole filming crew ;;__________;; ending should be well & carefully planned and that possibility was ruined for this drama.

Long story short; even though Surplus princess had its problems it is still, definitely, worth to watch! This drama proves the speculation; "If you fall in love with the characters, you keep watching no matter what"

Lire davantage

Surplus Princess. They were all surplus lol
So this drama was worth watching. Short but Heart touching,Hilarious and cheesy. Adorable and Unbelievable scenes with amazing characters :') A search of true love by a beautiful adorable mermaid. She is one of the reasons to watch this drama.Watching her will make you so happy.
She is just so cheerful and funny! OH and the guys &lt;3
I loved how this show focused on both the guys. She falls in love with both and gets the guy who deserves her at the end.Now i don't want to spoil it for you guys hehe
So basically mostly everyone wants her to be with Chef shi Kyung because he's hot ,their kissing scenes were AMAZING and man she is obsessed with his apple butt XD and his amazing smile(ONE of the reasons why everyone wants her to end up with him)..i mean i started watching We got married to see his smile! For awhile i was rooting for them but then i started rooting for The other Oppa Ha myung. He's sexy strong, funny and so so so caring towards her.
Other than that the other characters are cute and funny especially Park Dae Bak LOL his name is Park Dae Bak XD him and Young &lt;3 This show also focuses on friendship and family &lt;3
How they all stick to each other even when they were struggling.Although the endind was hurried its still worth watching. 10 Episodes of happiness and laughter. I mean it's better than nothing right? ;)
For me,it was and i hope more good dramas are to come!

Lire davantage

I can understand that the ending was rushed due to the cut of a few episodes, however with the episodes that were done I felt there was lots of flaws and that this drama could have had so more more potential.
The acting could have been better, with the main female (the mermaid), I felt she was acting a little.. 'over the top'. Okay she's gonna be all girly around the guy she likes, but she took it a little too far. Also, with the chef, i didn't feel much emotional response from him towards the girl he liked. This made it slightly confusing (and a little annoying) that the 'signals' were not that.. clear.
Thus, I couldn't even understand what was going on in the love side of things and the drama was supposedly focusing on love but, didn't really know where the storyline was heading.
I thought there would be more about the mermaids, maybe show flashbacks of her home underwater or struggles she's having with legs. Nothing. It barely mentioned anything about mermaids as again the drama was about love.
I don't even remember the music- obviously had no impact.
At the end of each episode, I didn't get the reaction 'omg what's going to happen next? I have to watch the next episode!' Or something would happen but doesn't follow through in the next episode.
Okay, that's a lot of negative comments I've said- I don't like saying bad things but this drama had so much more potential.
Although it was a good watch and there were lots of amusing things that did happen.

Lire davantage

Watching this drama, I felt like I was watching Disney's Little Mermaid, with a twist. The drama was somewhat similar to Little Mermaid and I did not have that great energy and passion to watch this because of that. My only consolation to my self is that, it's just 10 episodes so I should just endure and finish it.

It was indeed very hard for me, but as the episode goes on, I started to like the drama. The plot for me isn't that great. Well I find it a little bit slow in progressing. And I hated this drama for giving me 'Second Lead Syndrome'! One thing I really hated when watching a drama is falling for the second lead :(
And for the ending??!! Wahhh!! I was like 'What the hell just happened?' And this may be ridiculous, but I feel like it will have a season 2?? :P because of the ending. I knew that this was cut-off because of low ratings in Korea, and the ending has somehow told me that they will make another season to this, even more DAEBAK, and for sure get higher ratings. Well I maybe I'm just being delusional.

As for the acting, I don't have any problem with it. They did well, especially Kim Ha Ni :) I like her for being quirky and ignorant :D She has made me laugh in many ways. I find her character fresh, very different from other female characters. Also the other cast has made such great job in portraying their characters. I have watched four dramas that have character/s spoke in dialect, and now I'm loving listening korean dialect.

The music was good. It helped you feel the scenes. There are times you swing your head, and other times you feel like jumping from your seat. You'll feel lively, excited, then gloomy then switch back to being lively.

I will surely re-watch this drama because I was not impressed of my internet connection getting slow, and I always have to reload and restart my computer. Most importantly, I want to watch it again because of the characters :D

It was a nice drama for me. And I'm sure for those who haven't watched it, you'll surely love this.

Lire davantage