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This is what
the Little Mermaid we're used to looks like. But in Disney's live-action film, The Little Mermaid, which is set to be released next week, a black man has been cast. This led to a wave of protests against Disney's casting on social media.

Reporter Kim Kwang-hyun took a look at the mixed reactions.

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Walt Disney's 1989 animated The Little Mermaid.

It has established itself as the most popular princess character in the world.

However, controversy began in 2019 when it was announced that Black singer and actress Halle Bailey had been cast in the role of The Little Mermaid in the live-action film.

The reason is that it is different from the image of The Little Mermaid that has been imprinted on her for decades.

On social media, a counter-hashtag using Ariel, the name of the Little Mermaid, and the phrase "Sickle Mariael" were spread.

[This is ridiculous, mermaids don't look like this.]

However, there are also many fans who support the black Little Mermaid.

It's a cheer that the formula that Disney princesses are all white has been broken.

Halle Bailey, who plays the Little Mermaid, also expressed confidence that she wouldn't bother with the bad guys.

[Halle Bailey/The Little Mermaid: I think the director was able to put together a beautiful cast because of the vision he had for a long time.]

Since the premiere, there have been mixed reactions to the crab, Sebastian, the fish, and the flounder, saying that the cuteness has disappeared and that it looks realistic.

In recent years, Disney movies have been trending toward diversity by changing the race of their characters.

In the live-action film adaptation of the classic fairy tale Peter Pan, a black actor was cast in the role of the fairy Tinker Bell.

In the United States, where the film was made, amid mixed reactions such as "no racism" and "overly altering the original story and disrupting immersion", it will be interesting to see what kind of assessment our audience will make.

(Video Editing: Lee Sang-min)