Few years ago i saw H2O Just Add Water and loved it. Now i see Mako Mermaids and finished season 1 on Netflix in 2 days. I'm curious as to see what is going to happen now that their new found friendship has changed. The cast in this new TV series are very good actors/ actresses. Not bad for a very young new faced kids. Very hard to swim like Mermaids/mermen. Believe me I've tried my entire childhood life. I wished to swim like a mermaid but never nailed it. lol. Very good job by this cast. Even though this show is meant for a young group of people, I am a 36 year old woman, fascinated by what will happen next. So anxious. When is season 2 coming out? I really want to know what happened.
36 Reviews
It May Be No H2O, but It's Worth Seeing for Mermaid Fans
kirksworks23 September 2013
After watching the first 26 episodes, I've come away with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was great to have a new mermaid show follow up to H2O: Just Add Water, and this new series has much of the same creative team. On the other hand, the writing isn't as good as H2O and the characters aren't as likable. For much of Mako Mermaids the story just treads water. Secrets get held and characters give the same excuses as to why the truth can't be told. This goes on and on. It wasn't until the last four episodes that the story really came together.
H2O remained fresh because the writers kept surprising us with interesting character arcs and surprising plot twists. Mako mostly misses the boat in that regard. What made H2O special was the appeal of its three leads. Phoebe Tonkin (Cleo), Caribe Heine (Rikki), and Claire Holt (Emma) had real chemistry, and were just enjoyable to spend time with. When Holt left the series, Indiana Evans as Isabel blended in nicely, and though the series remained interesting, some of the original magic dissipated.
That dissipation was magnified with Mako Mermaids. This series is sort of an inverse H2O where mermaids get legs to go on land instead of girls becoming mermaids. The three leads of Mako, Lucy Fry (Lyla), Ivy Lattimer (Nixie), and Amy Ruffle (Sirena) spend a lot of time antagonizing each other and those around them. Lattimer tries too hard to be funny, and the writing of her character doesn't help. It seems the writers didn't know what to do with her. Her only lighter moment is one episode where she befriends a boy who has runaway from his parents.
The three girls are joined by Chai Romruen (Zac), as a boy who accidentally becomes a merman. Once that happens the three girls are banned from their mermaid pod and left to fend for themselves. The plot then focuses on the girls trying to get control of Zac, and Zac coming to terms with his newfound powers. Later in the series a trident becomes the second focus, and this just goes round and round until we reach the last four episodes where the show finally gets interesting.
Other secondary characters are a mixed bag. Zac's best friend, Cameron (mostly well played by Dominic Deutscher) is unfortunately too mysterious for his own good. He doesn't really get in gear until the last four episodes as well. Until then, he alternates between friend and nuisance to Zac and the girls. Rita, the school principal who (for reasons I won't mention) poses as the girls' aunt, is shamelessly used as a convenient plot device when mermaid lore or magic information is needed, but she is nicely played by Kerith Atkinson.
Gemma Forsyth as Zac's girlfriend, Evie, is for the longest time a one-note character. This is due to the poor writing. Later in the series she finally comes to life and actually integrates properly into the story, actually doing something interesting. Until then she just fights and then makes up with Zac repeatedly. Rowan Hills as David, who Sirena falls for, is too syrupy sweet for my taste, but perhaps young girls, the audience for this series, would like him.
Amy Ruffle (like Indiana Evans before her) is the musical side of the series, and she sings a number of songs. She has a nice voice and of the three girls, she's probably the most appealing. I had a hard time warming up to Lyla (Lucy Fry). She started off as the most antagonistic of the three girls, but in the end, she seemed to have the most interesting character arc, and Fry is probably the best actor of the three. Chai Romruen as Zac spends much of the show being annoyed, confused or proud of his powers, and none of this makes him all that likable. He too has a bit of a character arc, but it takes too long for that to happen. Romruen, like the girls, looks good underwater. He is part Thai, and his Asian features add a nice international element to the show, something missing from H2O.
Although I've got problems with this series, I need to say a few things in its defense. Overall, the show retains a sense of aquatic magic that began not only with H2O, but with the show's predecessor, the feature film Aquamarine, also shot in Australia. And as I've mentioned, the last four episodes really work well. It's just too bad it took so long to get there. The background music is similar to H2O, and just as effective. Despite its drawbacks, I looked forward to each episode and I hope they continue to make more. I'm surprised there aren't more comments about this show.
This series seems to have had a much smaller budget than H2O, but in general it doesn't show. The underwater scenes are exquisitely beautiful, and the use of the Gold Coast locations are nicely integrated. What a remarkable area that is!
H2O remained fresh because the writers kept surprising us with interesting character arcs and surprising plot twists. Mako mostly misses the boat in that regard. What made H2O special was the appeal of its three leads. Phoebe Tonkin (Cleo), Caribe Heine (Rikki), and Claire Holt (Emma) had real chemistry, and were just enjoyable to spend time with. When Holt left the series, Indiana Evans as Isabel blended in nicely, and though the series remained interesting, some of the original magic dissipated.
That dissipation was magnified with Mako Mermaids. This series is sort of an inverse H2O where mermaids get legs to go on land instead of girls becoming mermaids. The three leads of Mako, Lucy Fry (Lyla), Ivy Lattimer (Nixie), and Amy Ruffle (Sirena) spend a lot of time antagonizing each other and those around them. Lattimer tries too hard to be funny, and the writing of her character doesn't help. It seems the writers didn't know what to do with her. Her only lighter moment is one episode where she befriends a boy who has runaway from his parents.
The three girls are joined by Chai Romruen (Zac), as a boy who accidentally becomes a merman. Once that happens the three girls are banned from their mermaid pod and left to fend for themselves. The plot then focuses on the girls trying to get control of Zac, and Zac coming to terms with his newfound powers. Later in the series a trident becomes the second focus, and this just goes round and round until we reach the last four episodes where the show finally gets interesting.
Other secondary characters are a mixed bag. Zac's best friend, Cameron (mostly well played by Dominic Deutscher) is unfortunately too mysterious for his own good. He doesn't really get in gear until the last four episodes as well. Until then, he alternates between friend and nuisance to Zac and the girls. Rita, the school principal who (for reasons I won't mention) poses as the girls' aunt, is shamelessly used as a convenient plot device when mermaid lore or magic information is needed, but she is nicely played by Kerith Atkinson.
Gemma Forsyth as Zac's girlfriend, Evie, is for the longest time a one-note character. This is due to the poor writing. Later in the series she finally comes to life and actually integrates properly into the story, actually doing something interesting. Until then she just fights and then makes up with Zac repeatedly. Rowan Hills as David, who Sirena falls for, is too syrupy sweet for my taste, but perhaps young girls, the audience for this series, would like him.
Amy Ruffle (like Indiana Evans before her) is the musical side of the series, and she sings a number of songs. She has a nice voice and of the three girls, she's probably the most appealing. I had a hard time warming up to Lyla (Lucy Fry). She started off as the most antagonistic of the three girls, but in the end, she seemed to have the most interesting character arc, and Fry is probably the best actor of the three. Chai Romruen as Zac spends much of the show being annoyed, confused or proud of his powers, and none of this makes him all that likable. He too has a bit of a character arc, but it takes too long for that to happen. Romruen, like the girls, looks good underwater. He is part Thai, and his Asian features add a nice international element to the show, something missing from H2O.
Although I've got problems with this series, I need to say a few things in its defense. Overall, the show retains a sense of aquatic magic that began not only with H2O, but with the show's predecessor, the feature film Aquamarine, also shot in Australia. And as I've mentioned, the last four episodes really work well. It's just too bad it took so long to get there. The background music is similar to H2O, and just as effective. Despite its drawbacks, I looked forward to each episode and I hope they continue to make more. I'm surprised there aren't more comments about this show.
This series seems to have had a much smaller budget than H2O, but in general it doesn't show. The underwater scenes are exquisitely beautiful, and the use of the Gold Coast locations are nicely integrated. What a remarkable area that is!
Far better than expected
Hardcoremixer29 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
*Contains Spoilers! Proceed only if you don't mind*
Mako Mermaids is a spin-off series to H2O: Just Add Water and I didn't know about the fact this title was coming up, until I watched all 3 seasons of H2O last year and decided I wanted to see more. My passion for magic and the supernatural drove me to watch H2O last year, even though I'm a 20 year old guy. Let's talk about what I thought of H2O first...
I always though the supernatural was awesome, mermaids included and even though I knew it was meant for younger people than me, I gave H2O a shot. It first was what I expected, but also a little more than that: I saw it was for all ages actually; it deals with the every day struggles in life, with that harmless magical touch. The first season was enjoyable, but did not have much suspension in it. Still, I could give it a 6... the actors/actresses appeared to get better in acting itself during the seasons progress. In season 2, it was all better than the first one, until the end. I write stories myself and I hate it to not eventually get all answers, but Charlotte getting more powerful than the other 3 without explanation was ridiculous to me. And then she could even make water snakes that made sounds, so I wasn't too happy with the end. Magic, okay. But my opinion is that they shouldn't have done that. Maybe it was to add extra suspension, but even with magic to explain it, I felt it didn't belong in these series. The third season made up for the lack of suspension, but I became annoyed by plot holes. Too many things were left unanswered and I also didn't like some other things. Attacking water (what???) that eventually appears to be friendly and carrying a message with the Moon Pool functioning like a projector (seriously???). And Emma had left the series, but was only mentioned once; I thought they could've done a better job at making the audience believe she hadn't left the show by I don't know... contact between 'Emma' and the others by email and such. Her voice, nor her face would then be needed. But I tend to think too complicated about these things and let's not forget, the aim of the series is not to make 20 year old men happy about the complicated story lines...
I enjoyed it, that's what matters, even though there were some irritating facts. Still I wanted a season 4, it could turn out to be better, right? In stead Mako Mermaids was coming up, a spin-off. I did not know what to expect and didn't want a spin-off because I expected that to be more like a reboot, an H2O with other characters. I was positively surprised when I had watched season 1 on Netflix, which just recently has come to The Netherlands, where I live. The first episode I saw a cave appearing out of nowhere and a someone falling through a floor and I was like "O, no, not this... sigh, here we go again...", but it turned out that that was the only annoying thing about the magic in this spin-off. No attacking water to be seen. But there were many positive things throughout the story: I noticed a better initial acting performance from the cast in comparison to H2O season 1, Mako Mermaids had more suspension and decent plot twists that made me doubt myself and that's how I like to see it. Of course, there are some unbelievable things too, like how can the 3 main characters be 16 year old mermaids, if merman hadn't been there for almost a thousand years, mermaids feared merman and were not allowed on land either. How then, could new mermaids ever be born? Did they just make themselves pregnant, or was it magic? This intrigues me more than it should, I know, but it's like I said, I like to have answers for everything. In the end Mako Mermaids was an inverted H2O, like a user before me mentioned and I thought it was a good thing. It wasn't more of the same. It had a different look at mermaids and Cam's plan at the end, I didn't see it coming until about 4 episodes before the ending. All good things. I give this an 8, because it has it's flaws and it certainly isn't what I normally watch (horror and all that), but it's far better than I expected. Good story, good acting, nice special effects, good for all ages, nice new look at the H2O concept (mermaids coming to land) and I could go on for a little while. I'm awaiting season 2 now and I hope it doesn't go downhill from there, that would certainly be a waste. I recommend Mako Mermaids to anyone who loves the supernatural and doesn't mind skipping the super-violent series. Watching this should be very rewarding, if you give it a chance.
Mako Mermaids is a spin-off series to H2O: Just Add Water and I didn't know about the fact this title was coming up, until I watched all 3 seasons of H2O last year and decided I wanted to see more. My passion for magic and the supernatural drove me to watch H2O last year, even though I'm a 20 year old guy. Let's talk about what I thought of H2O first...
I always though the supernatural was awesome, mermaids included and even though I knew it was meant for younger people than me, I gave H2O a shot. It first was what I expected, but also a little more than that: I saw it was for all ages actually; it deals with the every day struggles in life, with that harmless magical touch. The first season was enjoyable, but did not have much suspension in it. Still, I could give it a 6... the actors/actresses appeared to get better in acting itself during the seasons progress. In season 2, it was all better than the first one, until the end. I write stories myself and I hate it to not eventually get all answers, but Charlotte getting more powerful than the other 3 without explanation was ridiculous to me. And then she could even make water snakes that made sounds, so I wasn't too happy with the end. Magic, okay. But my opinion is that they shouldn't have done that. Maybe it was to add extra suspension, but even with magic to explain it, I felt it didn't belong in these series. The third season made up for the lack of suspension, but I became annoyed by plot holes. Too many things were left unanswered and I also didn't like some other things. Attacking water (what???) that eventually appears to be friendly and carrying a message with the Moon Pool functioning like a projector (seriously???). And Emma had left the series, but was only mentioned once; I thought they could've done a better job at making the audience believe she hadn't left the show by I don't know... contact between 'Emma' and the others by email and such. Her voice, nor her face would then be needed. But I tend to think too complicated about these things and let's not forget, the aim of the series is not to make 20 year old men happy about the complicated story lines...
I enjoyed it, that's what matters, even though there were some irritating facts. Still I wanted a season 4, it could turn out to be better, right? In stead Mako Mermaids was coming up, a spin-off. I did not know what to expect and didn't want a spin-off because I expected that to be more like a reboot, an H2O with other characters. I was positively surprised when I had watched season 1 on Netflix, which just recently has come to The Netherlands, where I live. The first episode I saw a cave appearing out of nowhere and a someone falling through a floor and I was like "O, no, not this... sigh, here we go again...", but it turned out that that was the only annoying thing about the magic in this spin-off. No attacking water to be seen. But there were many positive things throughout the story: I noticed a better initial acting performance from the cast in comparison to H2O season 1, Mako Mermaids had more suspension and decent plot twists that made me doubt myself and that's how I like to see it. Of course, there are some unbelievable things too, like how can the 3 main characters be 16 year old mermaids, if merman hadn't been there for almost a thousand years, mermaids feared merman and were not allowed on land either. How then, could new mermaids ever be born? Did they just make themselves pregnant, or was it magic? This intrigues me more than it should, I know, but it's like I said, I like to have answers for everything. In the end Mako Mermaids was an inverted H2O, like a user before me mentioned and I thought it was a good thing. It wasn't more of the same. It had a different look at mermaids and Cam's plan at the end, I didn't see it coming until about 4 episodes before the ending. All good things. I give this an 8, because it has it's flaws and it certainly isn't what I normally watch (horror and all that), but it's far better than I expected. Good story, good acting, nice special effects, good for all ages, nice new look at the H2O concept (mermaids coming to land) and I could go on for a little while. I'm awaiting season 2 now and I hope it doesn't go downhill from there, that would certainly be a waste. I recommend Mako Mermaids to anyone who loves the supernatural and doesn't mind skipping the super-violent series. Watching this should be very rewarding, if you give it a chance.
Loved it!
cmorrisroberts14 June 2018
Do you know when you're an adult and you have to give up the TV so the kids can watch children's TV (for you to have piece) and you have to sit there and watch it with them. Well this is what happened when my Niece made me watch Mako. The thing is I'm sad to say I loved it; we both watched the entire series and we sang the theme music together. We were both sad when we realised there wasn't series 5. If you want a family, lovely, sweet and innocent programme to watch with your Children - this is it!
You can't summarize all the great things. You need to watch it, to understand.
xixtenz11 July 2017
I've never felt so at home with a movie or series before. It's fantastic. Everything I've ever wanted from a series. It's great both for girls and boys (at least for me, 'cause I'm a boy). I wish they'll make another season. It would mean the world to me. It's one of those movie which you wish you never forget after having watched it, and one of those movies I'll watch again and again.
Great show, and definitely recommended
supersqr18 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I love anything related to the sea. I had never seen H2O, but I decided to give it a chance. I loved Ivy Latimer (Nixie), and was sad to see her go after 1 season. Lucy Fry (Lyla) was good. The only season one mermaid (except for Zac and Rita) was Sirena (Amy Ruffle). Isabel Durant (Ondina) was pretty good. Allie Bertram (Mimmi) is one of my favorites. Chai Romruen was great playing one of the title roles. Everyone is great (although Ivy was my most favorite, and I wish she didn't go so soon). The one thing that doesn't make sense is the whole "mermaids don't go on land" thing. Sirena, Nixie, and Lyla use their moon rings to enable them to walk on land(have legs). However, it is uncommon for other mermaids to do so. However, we can clearly see Veridia constantly going on land. This is, however, with the exception of Rita, Zac, Weilan, and Evie. All in all, good show with lots of drama and laughs.
Good for kids but lacks depth for adults
jmbwithcats1 February 2014
Good for kids but lacks depth for adults
There is much to love about the show, and much to not love. Cute concept, perspective of mermaids, beautiful scenery of The Gold Coast, some fun plot lines...
I love Ivy's acting on the show, Mako Mermaids, she has this quirky confidence and cute expressions she makes, she can also be quite snarky which adds a lot of character to the show. I imagine she will grow up to be great in comedies.
I think the telling of the turtle and the crab story in episode 17 was the best... very funny.
The episode in season 1 (22) When Evie (Gemma Forsyth) and the cat switch places, very funny episode.
I think it's a pretty good show, but if they could develop these aspects a bit and others, it could be even better.
Season 2 starts in 2015! Not sure why it's going to take so long, especially since season 1 answered nothing, like what kind of parent would abandon their kids who make a mistake, kids and adults make mistakes all the time, that's what life is all about, so just abandoning them feels overly harsh. Rita says this is her new home, but she doesn't seem to have friends or a significant other, just a principal job, though she says teaching is her life, she doesn't teach at all? The show has so much potential and some things are done well, but no social issues are introduced even once, at least in H20 they covered fishing abuses, and how it effects turtles, and proper nets etc... they even have dolphins on the show, don't expect to see any interesting wildlife in MM though, which again is a letdown.
I kept expecting more development or back story that never comes.
I enjoyed the show, but I wouldn't watch it again because there's just no substance there.
While the pod moved on in self preservation, no one seems to care about the girls to come back and check on them? The trident is left unguarded? The island of Mako is left unguarded, the moon pool island entry is left unguarded... it seems a lot of power just sitting there unguarded.
I would imagine even if the pod moved on there'd be more of a council of mermaid people who would check up on the girls rather than just leaving them to wander on legs causing who knows what kind of peril and danger.
Basically, they're a little harsh on the girls, who are children, and don't know any better, this is bad parenting just to abandon them for making a mistake.
Overall though, for all its issues, it's an enjoyable show, and I imagine kids will enjoy it even more as they won't be looking quite so deeply into the script logic.
After watching some of H20, I must say it's much better than Mako Mermaids. Mako has a great cast, and a great theme song, but the stories have no social message, and H20 also addresses wildlife, dolphins, turtles, and fishing abuse... probably other important issues as well, and Mako doesn't have this layer of depth.
My Rating for Mako Mermaids: 6/10
There is much to love about the show, and much to not love. Cute concept, perspective of mermaids, beautiful scenery of The Gold Coast, some fun plot lines...
I love Ivy's acting on the show, Mako Mermaids, she has this quirky confidence and cute expressions she makes, she can also be quite snarky which adds a lot of character to the show. I imagine she will grow up to be great in comedies.
I think the telling of the turtle and the crab story in episode 17 was the best... very funny.
The episode in season 1 (22) When Evie (Gemma Forsyth) and the cat switch places, very funny episode.
I think it's a pretty good show, but if they could develop these aspects a bit and others, it could be even better.
Season 2 starts in 2015! Not sure why it's going to take so long, especially since season 1 answered nothing, like what kind of parent would abandon their kids who make a mistake, kids and adults make mistakes all the time, that's what life is all about, so just abandoning them feels overly harsh. Rita says this is her new home, but she doesn't seem to have friends or a significant other, just a principal job, though she says teaching is her life, she doesn't teach at all? The show has so much potential and some things are done well, but no social issues are introduced even once, at least in H20 they covered fishing abuses, and how it effects turtles, and proper nets etc... they even have dolphins on the show, don't expect to see any interesting wildlife in MM though, which again is a letdown.
I kept expecting more development or back story that never comes.
I enjoyed the show, but I wouldn't watch it again because there's just no substance there.
While the pod moved on in self preservation, no one seems to care about the girls to come back and check on them? The trident is left unguarded? The island of Mako is left unguarded, the moon pool island entry is left unguarded... it seems a lot of power just sitting there unguarded.
I would imagine even if the pod moved on there'd be more of a council of mermaid people who would check up on the girls rather than just leaving them to wander on legs causing who knows what kind of peril and danger.
Basically, they're a little harsh on the girls, who are children, and don't know any better, this is bad parenting just to abandon them for making a mistake.
Overall though, for all its issues, it's an enjoyable show, and I imagine kids will enjoy it even more as they won't be looking quite so deeply into the script logic.
After watching some of H20, I must say it's much better than Mako Mermaids. Mako has a great cast, and a great theme song, but the stories have no social message, and H20 also addresses wildlife, dolphins, turtles, and fishing abuse... probably other important issues as well, and Mako doesn't have this layer of depth.
My Rating for Mako Mermaids: 6/10
Zac?
beshna10 May 2017
I have loved watching this series. But I am not sure why it veers off from the original story-line. The series started with a focus on the merman Zac Blakley, but from one season to the next, has consistently changed its focus. Not only has Zac become a side story, the show has also switched the mermaids surrounding him without explanation. Don't get me wrong I love this show, however the story-line from season to season lacks consistency. It's a little hard to keep track of the story when the main characters such as Sirena who reveals her secret to the boy she likes just disappears in the next episode... Anyway I hope they keep making new episodes (because I love this show) I just wish they'd keep to one story-line from one season to the next.. and make Zac or the mermen a more prominent subject as the story-line insinuated in the beginning.
First is season good. Second ehhh
sarah_griff97825 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
When I heard that they were making a spin off of H2o just add water I assumed that it would be terrible, luckily I was pleasantly surprised. These mermaids have the perspective of being mermaids becoming "land people" rather than the other way around like in h2o which I found to be interesting. Overall, I thought season 1 was pretty good. The plot and adventures were very interesting. One thing I liked about this season was the love interests weren't quite as predictable and there was even a bit of a love triangle going on. I thought the mermaids personalities were likable and interesting ( although Lyla got on my nerves a bit). The Merman Zach was an interesting addition because he doesn't always agree with the mermaids and that gives an interesting conflict to the story.
In the first half of season 2 however, this all goes out the window. First of all Nixie and Lyla are gone with a VERY weak explanation. So now we have Sirena and Ondina and I forget what the brunette is called. Sirena I still like, but ondina is really whiny and the brunette is very forgettable and is a very flat character in the first half of the season. Probably the worst part is this new guy Erick. He is totally incompetent at his job at the juice place, yet never gets fired and is incessantly trying to get Ondina to go out with him while she plays hard to get. Then he is revealed to be a merman. Ohh wow what a shock ohh wait he is seen as a merman in the title sequence since the first episode. He seems to exist solely as a love interest for Ondina. The thing that annoys me most about him is that in season one they are like oooh Zach's so special he's the only merman and now they've decided actually there is many mermen out there. The only redeeming part of this is the last episode were we find out (major spoiler alert) Zach is the sister of the brunette and was always a Merman. I am hoping the season will get better from here and keep mako mermaids alive
In the first half of season 2 however, this all goes out the window. First of all Nixie and Lyla are gone with a VERY weak explanation. So now we have Sirena and Ondina and I forget what the brunette is called. Sirena I still like, but ondina is really whiny and the brunette is very forgettable and is a very flat character in the first half of the season. Probably the worst part is this new guy Erick. He is totally incompetent at his job at the juice place, yet never gets fired and is incessantly trying to get Ondina to go out with him while she plays hard to get. Then he is revealed to be a merman. Ohh wow what a shock ohh wait he is seen as a merman in the title sequence since the first episode. He seems to exist solely as a love interest for Ondina. The thing that annoys me most about him is that in season one they are like oooh Zach's so special he's the only merman and now they've decided actually there is many mermen out there. The only redeeming part of this is the last episode were we find out (major spoiler alert) Zach is the sister of the brunette and was always a Merman. I am hoping the season will get better from here and keep mako mermaids alive
Not as good as H2O
user-262-45086925 October 2019
Gave up on the series quickly during season 2.
On the one hand, all of the concepts I wish I had seen in H2O appear in this show: we get to see mermen, some mermaids lore and magic, mermaids who turn to humans instead of humans turning into mermaids, a mentor figure for the trio of mermaids, and while those elements felt alright, I felt the quality of the writing faltered. The characters and storylines were uninspired and convoluted, especially with the antagonist at the end of season 1 almost entirely forgotten about later on. For me, it was a letdown and if you liked H2O, you may not like it as much either.
One positive I have to bring up, strangely enough, is I prefer the blue tail for the mermen over the orange tail given to mermaids as it's a nicer colour in the water.
Fish Crush?
beshna14 July 2018
I don't know about anyone else but this show is what started my crush on and fascination with Chai Hansen. Also the writing is light hearted with drama free positive messages that allow you to escape the rut of everyday life (as long as you can suspend disbelief for 20-30 minutes and just enjoy yourself)...
Worth watching if you loved H2o
MochiandCookies7 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
(I'm starting this review at s2 ep20 as I want to write my thoughts so far. Might add to this when I finish the whole series.)
I absolutely love H2o, it was a favorite show of mine when I was younger and I rewatched it earlier this year and feel that it still holds up. So you can imagine my excitement when I learn that there is a sequel and it has 3 seasons!
Starting off, we learn that not only is it possible for humans to turn into mermaids, but there are entire populations of naturally born mermaids living out in the ocean.
We are quickly introduced to our main trio of girls; Sirena, Nixie and Lyla.
Sirena: Easily my favorite of the three, She's bright, happy, a bit of a pushover at the start, but overall a really sweet girl.
Nixie: I liked Nixie a lot more towards the start, she was a fun character and seemed to be the most level headed, but later on began making bad decisions and having moody moments, but I guess it still makes sense as she is only a teenager.
Lyla: I was not a fan of Lyla. She seemed to always be angry and aggressive which could get a bit hard to watch. Although her character does grow up a little and she settles down a bit later in the show.
And then we meet Zac; the boy who goes through the same fate as Emma, Cleo and Rikki when he comes across the Mool Pool on Mako Island.
It was quite interesting watching Zac deal with becoming a merman, it did give me a bit of the nostalgia from seeing the original trio of girls going through it too. I thought that Zac and Cam had great chemistry as two childhood best friends too, the interactions between them always felt really natural.
And then there is Zac's girlfriend, Evie. I have seen Evie getting some hate online which o assume is mostly because of season 1 and I don't agree with the arguments at all. She acted exactly how a real girlfriend would act if they were left in the dark by their partner. Not to mention the fact that for a long time she really tried to be understanding and give Zac space when it seemed he needed it. Of course she would get frustrated when she keeps on being given empty promises of "everything will be back to normal tomorrow" but then being continually avoided while seeing Zac look suspiciously close to the new girl, Lyla. I felt really bad for Evie in a lot of parts of season 1.
I think that she is a great match for Zac and was really happy to find out that she becomes a mermaid and a main character is season 2. I am enjoying seeing her story progress and her character grow more.
Speaking of season 2, that was a very interesting plot twist with Zac actually being not only a natural born merman, but also Mimmi's brother too.
I think that Mimmi has been a good character so far, I find her quite believable, but Ondina is something else.
I thought that Lyla was aggressive but she doesn't seem it at all compared to Ondina. It's not that she's not a convincing character, I have known kids like her, but that's the issue. I've known KIDS like her. She acts very immature and honestly just like a complete brat a lot of the time. It's gotten to some points where I've cringed from just how over the top angry she gets. Moments like these make it hard to sympathize with her properly in her sad moments.
One big issue that I've had with Mako Mermaids from the beginning up till now is "The Pod". The girls who've been banished from the pod spend so much time in the show missing their lives as a part of the pod and fantasizing about it, but we are never shown what makes the pod such a great thing to be a part of. Any time we see it, it's always a group of mermaids just floating in circles at the water surface. Yes, they have their families and friends there, but they just make it look like such a boring thing to be a part of. I know those tails must be very expensive to create, and whoever wears them needs to be properly trained to swim in them, but some underwater scenes of groups of mermaids swimming around the ocean floor would have really gone a long way to show the pod being more of a special thing than just sitting at the surface essentially just looking at each other.
My other main issue with the series is that a lot of the magic spells they do just seems really silly. I think it doesn't help that the special effects used in those moments just don't look convincing at all. It makes the show feel like it's directed at a even younger audience than what H2o was. The use of certain potions I do think is cool, it was just some of the flashy looking spells that didn't work well in my opinion.
It is definitely a lot more cheesy of a show too, with the plot surrounding the trident and the later in season 2 the merman chamber. I can't fault the writing here too much however, as the main plot of season 3 in H2o with the meteorite was starting to get a bit too over the top as well, so I don't think it's too crazy or too out there that they came up with plots like these for Mako Mermaids.
My positives are that despite all the cheesiness and over the top angry characters, if you have the nostalgia for H2o, Mako Mermaids is still a fun watch. Just like in its prequel, the underwater scenes always look gorgeous.
Can I also add in that the hairstyles they added for the girls especially in season 1 are stunning? I feel very inspired to try some of those styles out myself this summer!
I also absolutely love that they filmed up in the Gold Coast the same as H2o, and even used the same high school. It was really cool to see that and I'm happy that this show exists.
I absolutely love H2o, it was a favorite show of mine when I was younger and I rewatched it earlier this year and feel that it still holds up. So you can imagine my excitement when I learn that there is a sequel and it has 3 seasons!
Starting off, we learn that not only is it possible for humans to turn into mermaids, but there are entire populations of naturally born mermaids living out in the ocean.
We are quickly introduced to our main trio of girls; Sirena, Nixie and Lyla.
Sirena: Easily my favorite of the three, She's bright, happy, a bit of a pushover at the start, but overall a really sweet girl.
Nixie: I liked Nixie a lot more towards the start, she was a fun character and seemed to be the most level headed, but later on began making bad decisions and having moody moments, but I guess it still makes sense as she is only a teenager.
Lyla: I was not a fan of Lyla. She seemed to always be angry and aggressive which could get a bit hard to watch. Although her character does grow up a little and she settles down a bit later in the show.
And then we meet Zac; the boy who goes through the same fate as Emma, Cleo and Rikki when he comes across the Mool Pool on Mako Island.
It was quite interesting watching Zac deal with becoming a merman, it did give me a bit of the nostalgia from seeing the original trio of girls going through it too. I thought that Zac and Cam had great chemistry as two childhood best friends too, the interactions between them always felt really natural.
And then there is Zac's girlfriend, Evie. I have seen Evie getting some hate online which o assume is mostly because of season 1 and I don't agree with the arguments at all. She acted exactly how a real girlfriend would act if they were left in the dark by their partner. Not to mention the fact that for a long time she really tried to be understanding and give Zac space when it seemed he needed it. Of course she would get frustrated when she keeps on being given empty promises of "everything will be back to normal tomorrow" but then being continually avoided while seeing Zac look suspiciously close to the new girl, Lyla. I felt really bad for Evie in a lot of parts of season 1.
I think that she is a great match for Zac and was really happy to find out that she becomes a mermaid and a main character is season 2. I am enjoying seeing her story progress and her character grow more.
Speaking of season 2, that was a very interesting plot twist with Zac actually being not only a natural born merman, but also Mimmi's brother too.
I think that Mimmi has been a good character so far, I find her quite believable, but Ondina is something else.
I thought that Lyla was aggressive but she doesn't seem it at all compared to Ondina. It's not that she's not a convincing character, I have known kids like her, but that's the issue. I've known KIDS like her. She acts very immature and honestly just like a complete brat a lot of the time. It's gotten to some points where I've cringed from just how over the top angry she gets. Moments like these make it hard to sympathize with her properly in her sad moments.
One big issue that I've had with Mako Mermaids from the beginning up till now is "The Pod". The girls who've been banished from the pod spend so much time in the show missing their lives as a part of the pod and fantasizing about it, but we are never shown what makes the pod such a great thing to be a part of. Any time we see it, it's always a group of mermaids just floating in circles at the water surface. Yes, they have their families and friends there, but they just make it look like such a boring thing to be a part of. I know those tails must be very expensive to create, and whoever wears them needs to be properly trained to swim in them, but some underwater scenes of groups of mermaids swimming around the ocean floor would have really gone a long way to show the pod being more of a special thing than just sitting at the surface essentially just looking at each other.
My other main issue with the series is that a lot of the magic spells they do just seems really silly. I think it doesn't help that the special effects used in those moments just don't look convincing at all. It makes the show feel like it's directed at a even younger audience than what H2o was. The use of certain potions I do think is cool, it was just some of the flashy looking spells that didn't work well in my opinion.
It is definitely a lot more cheesy of a show too, with the plot surrounding the trident and the later in season 2 the merman chamber. I can't fault the writing here too much however, as the main plot of season 3 in H2o with the meteorite was starting to get a bit too over the top as well, so I don't think it's too crazy or too out there that they came up with plots like these for Mako Mermaids.
My positives are that despite all the cheesiness and over the top angry characters, if you have the nostalgia for H2o, Mako Mermaids is still a fun watch. Just like in its prequel, the underwater scenes always look gorgeous.
Can I also add in that the hairstyles they added for the girls especially in season 1 are stunning? I feel very inspired to try some of those styles out myself this summer!
I also absolutely love that they filmed up in the Gold Coast the same as H2o, and even used the same high school. It was really cool to see that and I'm happy that this show exists.
So far not that great...
gimcxyst22 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I've always loved the original H2O Just Add Water. I've rewatched it many times even now that I'm almost an adult. This show has almost the same vibe as the first show with the same concepts and background music but it's just nowhere near as good and doesn't really make sense. In the original the moon pool is destroyed so how did they get it back? Why is there an entire pod of mermaids now that only live in the water instead of just the girls who are mermaids part time? It's kind of confusing and the acting isn't very good in my opinion either. I suppose this version may be better for younger audiences but so far most of the actors are very unrealistic and have incredibly rude personalities.
Excellent
abek_xw20 April 2020
The scenarios, the songs, I love the series, good actors, a very good idea to add mermen to the series, there should be more seasons, I think their tails are very real and they look great in the water, one of the best series I've seen, from the first episode to the last, i just love it.
not have h2o charming but still a great show
aphroditexdiana15 April 2020
It's a good show it's not have the charming of h2o but still, the actors was there acting good yeah the actors not teenagers But really i like the actors, the The places where it was filmed better than h2o just add water, the scenario was really great, the events in the series was really better than h2o just add water season 3, i was have just one problem with the show every season they changed the actors, ofc i love h2o just add water more but still mako mermaids was a great show.
Not as enchanting as the original
tannegie1 June 2023
Where 'H2O Just Add Water' was charming and magical. With characters you could relate to. This series is rather a let down. And is it a prequel or a sequel or a spin off?
This time the mermaids are not accidentally came to be these creatures but are from the pod of mermaids that keep watch of Mako island. So where have these creatures been? In the original there were none. And this time the mermaids have to adjust to live on land. A young man accidentally falls into the moonpool on Mako island during a full moon and thus become a merman. The pod blames the three mermaids and they are banned as the pod leaves for saver waters. The three mermaids Nixie, Serina and Layla must find a way to return Zac (the merman) back to normal and set things straight. It could be a great series bit it lacks the charm of the original and it's mainly because the majority of the characters is very unlikable.
This time the mermaids are not accidentally came to be these creatures but are from the pod of mermaids that keep watch of Mako island. So where have these creatures been? In the original there were none. And this time the mermaids have to adjust to live on land. A young man accidentally falls into the moonpool on Mako island during a full moon and thus become a merman. The pod blames the three mermaids and they are banned as the pod leaves for saver waters. The three mermaids Nixie, Serina and Layla must find a way to return Zac (the merman) back to normal and set things straight. It could be a great series bit it lacks the charm of the original and it's mainly because the majority of the characters is very unlikable.
Terrible show, don't watch
ethigpen-173121 February 2022
I remember back a few years ago, when my sister started to watch this show with my mom. I was glancing over a couple times to look at the show when I was eating. And the show looks terrible. The actors suck.
Waist of time.
Waist of time.
Love it !!Expect to see more seasons
parthsirkar28 September 2020
A magical "TAIL" fresh and innocent with Australian reef and blue sky's
zendatrim31 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
OK I have to confess i am 66 found this as i was looking for something for my grand daughter to watch on Netflix.
I love the sea, swimming, and fish and dolphins and Australia although never been there my brother does.
Yes it has flaws and continuity issues like missing mermaids, but i really enjoyed it.
I found it funny in places when the girls suddenly transformed and i liked Zac, but boo hiss to Cam i mean really evil or what and yet he is forgiven. (watch it).
I enjoyed the principal being a mermaid nice twist. I didn't like Evie at first to be honest thought she was a bit petulant but once she joined the pod her character developed and I found her more likable.
The story had a lot of things going on, my only annoyance was loosing the mermaids you got to like, i felt cheated a bit, but the new one when they introduced Mimmi and it turned out she had a connection with Zac made it all OK again.
I enjoyed the end and it filled in some of the plot story lines.
Someone mentioned the creepy uncle of Weilan i liked him, as she felt comfortable with him, as she was home sick, and he kind of held the key to the mystery.
The scenery was breathtaking, the underwater shots brilliant.
I enjoyed this series as it was innocent, no swearing, nothing nasty, no guns, no blood just a simple magical tail for any age to enjoy. Refreshing change to some of the stuff out there.
I know a lot of people talk about H20 just add water, well i am watching it now, will review but so far i prefer Mako.
Well the point of a review is to help people to decide if they should watch it. Yes watch it, great bit of fantasy, lots of different story lines, relationship issues, growing up, trusting, (good music and great voices), so much stuff going on. I would recommend it for any youngster to watch. Even the dragon isn't scary....and the scene with it and the boat made me laugh to be honest.
Oh the only thing i would say is wow so many mermaids living in a pod, swimming about with hatchling's (so a mermaid lay's an egg then but surely it still has to be fertilised)...?? (I would have loved to understand how come there were children if there was a war with mermen. How did the species evolve? If they are hatch-lings then they would be Monotremes a species who lay eggs and nurse their young with milk, but you still need a male. I know this series is for children but really don't they teach biology at schools now then?
Also all these mermaids swimming about an island close to the main beach well a lot of people live on boats and go snorkelling in Australia and swim around reefs but yet not one sighting of mermaids, was a bit over the top i thought but still it didn't spoil the show, just an observation.
I give it 7, purely because of continuity issues and missing mermaids who i had grown attached too and also inaccuracies in the story- line.
Grandmothers a good one to watch when your sitting the grandkids lol.
I love the sea, swimming, and fish and dolphins and Australia although never been there my brother does.
Yes it has flaws and continuity issues like missing mermaids, but i really enjoyed it.
I found it funny in places when the girls suddenly transformed and i liked Zac, but boo hiss to Cam i mean really evil or what and yet he is forgiven. (watch it).
I enjoyed the principal being a mermaid nice twist. I didn't like Evie at first to be honest thought she was a bit petulant but once she joined the pod her character developed and I found her more likable.
The story had a lot of things going on, my only annoyance was loosing the mermaids you got to like, i felt cheated a bit, but the new one when they introduced Mimmi and it turned out she had a connection with Zac made it all OK again.
I enjoyed the end and it filled in some of the plot story lines.
Someone mentioned the creepy uncle of Weilan i liked him, as she felt comfortable with him, as she was home sick, and he kind of held the key to the mystery.
The scenery was breathtaking, the underwater shots brilliant.
I enjoyed this series as it was innocent, no swearing, nothing nasty, no guns, no blood just a simple magical tail for any age to enjoy. Refreshing change to some of the stuff out there.
I know a lot of people talk about H20 just add water, well i am watching it now, will review but so far i prefer Mako.
Well the point of a review is to help people to decide if they should watch it. Yes watch it, great bit of fantasy, lots of different story lines, relationship issues, growing up, trusting, (good music and great voices), so much stuff going on. I would recommend it for any youngster to watch. Even the dragon isn't scary....and the scene with it and the boat made me laugh to be honest.
Oh the only thing i would say is wow so many mermaids living in a pod, swimming about with hatchling's (so a mermaid lay's an egg then but surely it still has to be fertilised)...?? (I would have loved to understand how come there were children if there was a war with mermen. How did the species evolve? If they are hatch-lings then they would be Monotremes a species who lay eggs and nurse their young with milk, but you still need a male. I know this series is for children but really don't they teach biology at schools now then?
Also all these mermaids swimming about an island close to the main beach well a lot of people live on boats and go snorkelling in Australia and swim around reefs but yet not one sighting of mermaids, was a bit over the top i thought but still it didn't spoil the show, just an observation.
I give it 7, purely because of continuity issues and missing mermaids who i had grown attached too and also inaccuracies in the story- line.
Grandmothers a good one to watch when your sitting the grandkids lol.
Terrible costumes.
carrieayla10 February 2018
I'm aware that this is a show about mermaids, but even in fantasy there has to be enough realism to make it believable and draw you in; the costumes in this show fail at that so much it's cringeworthy. The acting and plot is usually very cringeworthy as well.
BEST MERMAID PROGRAM EVER
teamtwo4 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers now
I watched this on universal kids and Disney Channel. They were in a fish shop they nearly passed on. Ha!!! They live on mako. This is such a great spin off. But I might be wrong because I love the prequels. So watch it yourself, maybe even the attack of the clones movie prequel to A New Hope.
I watched this on universal kids and Disney Channel. They were in a fish shop they nearly passed on. Ha!!! They live on mako. This is such a great spin off. But I might be wrong because I love the prequels. So watch it yourself, maybe even the attack of the clones movie prequel to A New Hope.
good, poor and poor
daorestes3 July 2018
Different plot and good time passing show especially the season one. Season one is really well. Cast did their job very good but you can not say that they acted superbly but yeah..ok..satisfying. Disappointment starts from season two. Season two is completely average if you compare it with season one. Actually, I think Mako has 3 season, not four. Season two consists of 26 episode. I stopped watching the show from episode 2, season 3 (season 4 in IMDb). Btw Amy Ruffle is cute. love her smile <3
ABSOLUTE TRASH WASTE OF TIME
gabe_carp5 November 2018
The acting is BEYOND terrible these people cannot act for the life of them, hundreds AND I MEAN Hundreds of plot holes this show is probably the biggest waste of time and I would recommend staring at a wall over watching this pile of fat trash, this show is what created cancer.
Should have stuck to the original plotline
darkfox17316 May 2020
I watched H2O when it came out and I was actually looking forward to Mako Mermaids since it was meant to have everything I loved about H2O and my favorite actress from Lightning Point. The first season of Mako Mermaids was on par with the first season of H2O in my book and I would give it a 7 out 10 if that was the only season. However, the show started to go downhill after they decided to continue it as a sequel to H2O rather than as a prequel like the first season was intended to be. This creates a ton of conflicts, continuity problems and plot holes both between H2O and within the different seasons of Mako Mermaids itself.
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