A Pequena Sereia

I first saw this movie when I was a little girl. I hadn't been exposed to the Disney version yet, and had had the book (which was my favourite) so I kind of knew what to expect. Needless to say, I loved it! It quickly became my favourite movie, and also introduced me to the loveliness of anime. Very few people I know have seen this version, but I encourage any and everyone to view this version. When I eventually saw Disney's version I was kinda disappointed, but also understood that they couldn't make it the same as the original. Watch this movie and you will see what I mean.

I first saw this movie when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I absolutely loved it!!! Unfortunately we moved to another state shortly after and when I went to the local video store to rent it again, the man treated me as if I were stupid. "There is no other Little Mermaid besides Disney!" We got into a huge arguement right there in the store :) So I rent the Disney version....I had a bunch of friends over and I remember standing up at the end saying "No! She dies! That's not right!" I was so disappointed. Sure the Disney movie is fun and has lots of great songs to sing along to...my little girl loves dancing to it. But it's just not right. If anyone wants to see one of the greatest love stories of all time....this is the one for you. You won't regret it.

If you grew up on bouncy, sanitized Disney videos and slick animation and not written fairy tales, this film may not be your cup of tea. Unlike Disney's happily-ever-after version, this one fairly faithfully recreates the fairy tale written by Hans Christian Anderson. Yes, inevitably, a little of the 70s creep into the artwork but that's not necessarily a bad thing since it gives this film a unique look and feel (which wasn't meant to be anime as we know it now). Like most fairy tales, it can be dark and sad and violent. It's the nature of the genre. But we still read them to our children and our children are still thrilled by them, as we were and as our parents were.

This adaptation is starkly beautiful and tragic. In the early to mid 70s, it aired on TV every Christmas along with other animated shorts like The Selfish Giant and The Happy Prince (two more tearjerkers). Even now, 30 years after I first saw it, it can reduce me to tears...but that doesn't stop me watching it.

In short, if you adore Disney's take on this story, then you'll probably be disappointed by this one. On the other hand, if you loved the fairy tale (or if you enjoyed The Selfish Giant or The Happy Prince animated shorts) then give this a try.

This is my favorite movie out of all of the Little Mermaid's I have seen because it is the closest to the real story. I have been searching and searching for days to try and find this particular version of the Little Mermaid to buy. The only version I've been able to find narrated by Richard Chamberlain says that it was released in like 1987 or something like that and said it was put out by Reader's Digest. That was about the time that I saw this particular version, so I was just wondering if it was re-released or something like that. When I looked at the case I wasn't too sure if it was it or not and I don't want to waste the money on it if it's not the version I want. I'm looking for the Japanamation one with Marina and the dolphin Fritz. If anyone can help me out I'd really appreciate it. And if you haven't seen this movie yet please do, because it is absolutely amazing!

I would like to defend this movie as user Josephine left a very angry review. I'm sorry if you saw this as a small child and are forever traumatized but your review is very incomplete, not to mention the you speak of things that were never in the movie including saying that the prince "marries another prostitute" the mermaid drowns herself, and that there is beheading in the film. I don't really understand why you would lie about what happens in a movie on the review. Perhaps you just really hate this movie..anger issues?

This movie is early anime. It is not bad anime, the animation simply is not as complex as the animation we see today, after all, the movie was made in 1975. The movie is definitely for older children, I saw it as a little girl when I was five and loved it, however it is important to realize that the end is very tragic. It can be very upsetting for young or sensitive children. There is no happily ever after, nor was there in the original story by Hans Christian Anderson. The movie begins very much in the way a child's movie would..juvenile dialogue, etc. but takes a rather tragic and serious turn. Understand that anime tends to be very different from Disney.

It is not the happy, fictionalized fiction you would see in Disney's Little Mermaid or Aladdin. Clearly, many like this movie, as it is always selling on eBay, sometimes at rather high bids. There was something about this movie that I loved as a little girl, and still do. I can't clearly define what it is. Perhaps it was refreshing to see something so different. It could be a little cheesy at times, but all children's movies are to a degree. I enjoyed it, many of my friends enjoyed it, I certainly would not recommend renting it for your Friday night dinner and a movie. But is it worth seeing? I think so. It depends on what you are looking for.