Yongchan, Volume 1 Cover Art, Ineoreul Wihan Suyeonggyosil, Young Com.
Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid – Information
Author of Story: Yongchan
Chapter Count: 96 chapters + 5 spin-offs
Status: Completed
Content Warnings
These content warnings do not reflect the contents of the review below; only the literary work itself.
- Blood
- Deep ocean, swimming, drowning
- Bullying
Spoiler Disclaimer
This recommendation post may contain small plot spoilers for review purposes. Any major spoilers are hidden by default and are able to be revealed via click or tap.
Plot Summary
Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid is a lighthearted, easy read with silly characters and a cute romance that’ll put a smile on your face!
The story starts with high school student Choa Shin, who is secretly a mermaid. She once lived in the ocean with her mother and sisters, but was unable to swim properly.
This resulted in dangerous situations for her, as well as teasing from other mermaids. So, Choa’s family bought her some temporary legs from a witch, that allows her to walk on land. Because they are temporary, she will turn back into a mermaid whenever she in submerged in water.
One day while delivering papers to the school swim coach’s office, Choa is startled by her classmate Soo Lee and falls into the pool. Soo Lee, a swim team member, jumps into help her, discovering she is a mermaid! Not too long after, he offers to teach her how to swim; beginning the fun plot of Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid!
Why I Enjoyed Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid
This romance Webtoon is so cute and innocent. There’s a lot of silly moments, as well as embarrassing or awkward moments as these characters grow feelings for each other.
We get a bit of a love triangle, but both of the two male leads are likable, so it doesn’t become the annoying version of that trope. Instead, it might actually give you second lead syndrome. In the end, we get a really sweet and wholesome slow burn romance story!
The romance in this story feels very natural and sweet. We don’t get too many obstacles in the way, and even though there’s technically a love triangle in this Webtoon, it is resolved in a realistic manner. I really like the second male lead because he isn’t super annoying or persistent. Instead, he becomes an important friend and source of support for Choa.
I like both of the male leads’ personalities and even their little bit of competition over Choa. Their relationship is not overdone or annoying; they’re just sort of silly.
They even eventually become friends, so I really like their strange relationship, haha. Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid really does a great job representing a love triangle that isn’t exaggerated.
Yongchan, Volume 1 Cover Art, Ineoreul Wihan Suyeonggyosil, Young Com.
Some other aspects I like about this series is that it’s lighthearted but still realistic (other than the whole mermaid thing). The characters are goofy high schoolers who definitely aren’t perfect.
They fight, make mistakes, and have to practice to get to better at different things. I love when authors make characters relatable and not magically perfect. We even see these characters struggle to improve and work towards their goals, even if it’s hard.
It also feels more wholesome because the friends and family members always cheer on the characters and help them during their endeavors. The characters are so genuine and truly care about each other. This makes Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid feel so wholesome and sweet!
Another fun part of this series is the way the characters are drawn. They are so dramatic sometimes, and often exaggerated. It makes the story fun and silly. Especially the main characters! Choa is a little sassy, sort of threatening, and doesn’t put up with things she doesn’t like.
Soo Lee, on the other hand, is loud, boisterous, and a bit of a clown! And lastly we have the second male lead Woo, who is just a shy cutie who’s trying his best.
Although the art style for the Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid series is on the simpler side, it’s still rather cute. It’s clean and minimalistic; the characters are all so sweet, too.
And we often see the characters drawn as silly chibis, which helps push some humor into this story. It’s not so funny that’d I’d consider it a rom-com, but this Webtoon is pleasantly silly and lighthearted!
Any Cons?
I have a hard time finding cons for Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid. It’s such an enjoyable and cute Webtoon with a simple and easy to enjoy plot.
Even characters who start out a little unlikable have great character growth and I also feel like they were all written accurately in terms of high school aged characters.
Yongchan, Volume 7 Cover Art, Ineoreul Wihan Suyeonggyosil, Young Com.
If I had to list one con, it’d probably be that I wished to see more romantic interactions between the main two. The way they end up together is satisfying and I enjoyed the slow burn! I just wished that the story would have continued a little longer after the fact. At least we got some cute spin-offs in the end!
More In-Depth Review (Warning: Spoilers!)
Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid has a pretty good representation of the struggles and worries of a high-schooler. Choa has to decide what she wants to do (or be) in the future (stay on land or return to the ocean), while also dealing with studying, friendships, love, and familial relationships.
The characters are even a bit immature at times, which is another part of being young and learning how to process emotions. Choa is a great example, with how she struggles to communicate about her problems with her Dad and even isolated herself from others at the beginning of the story.
Another good example is Icelyn. Understandably, she becomes worried for her long-time friend Soo, and also probably felt left out when he made friends with Choa.
She acts a bit childish and creates her own assumptions about Choa without getting to know her first. Thankfully, Icelyn does realize her own mistakes and has a lot of character growth. I really liked to see everyone become friends in the end!
Then we have Soo and Woo, who both like Choa and bicker a little bit here and there at the beginning of Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid. It takes some time, but they do become friends after they get over their little bouts of jealousy.
I especially like that when Woo realizes Choa and Soo clearly like each other, he doesn’t try to barge in or even confess his feelings. He doesn’t try to come in between them, and instead just stays as a good friend to Choa and even Soo.
He struggles a bit in the process, but I feel like this is such a mature and realistic representation of a love triangle. He may be second lead, but I really like Woo’s character.
In regards to Choa and Soo, the romance feels natural and realistic. Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid portrays this young relationship so sweetly, with two students getting to know each other and slowly growing closer.
Although they confess their feelings for each other, it just kind of felt as if they were already together beforehand. The confessions just made it a little more official. The bond was already present to begin with, though!
Final Thoughts
Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid is a really cute and wholesome love story with cute characters and a fun supernatural twist.
The romance is a sweet slow burn, and the story is very satisfying overall with a good, suspenseful ending! It even has a couple of cute spin-offs afterwards to make things feel more complete. Be sure to check it out!
Disclaimer: Any images used for this blog are for illustrative purposes only, are not owned by me, and are under ownership of the artist or publisher.
Images Credit: Yongchan, Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid, Webtoon, 2020, Ineoreul Wihan Suyeonggyosil, Young Com, 2021.
