H2O: Just Add a Little Nostalgy
by Julia Yutkina
In 2008-2015 there was a surge in the popularity of mermaids. The reason was the release of an Australian dramatic fantasy series, “H2O: Just Add Water”, on the Disney channel.
Plot
Three teenage girls from Australia – Ricky, Emma, and Cleo – accidentally got to the mysterious island Mako on a full moon. After swimming in the crater of a volcano there, they discovered that they could turn into mermaids after contact with water. Moreover, the teenagers received supernatural powers. And for three seasons, the girls face various situations in their not ordinary life, while trying to keep their secret from everyone.
Three teenage girls from Australia – Ricky, Emma, and Cleo – accidentally got to the mysterious island Mako on a full moon. After swimming in the crater of a volcano there, they discovered that they could turn into mermaids after contact with water. Moreover, the teenagers received supernatural powers. And for three seasons, the girls face various situations in their not ordinary life, while trying to keep their secret from everyone.
The secret of a mermaid tail
Almost every fan of “H2O: Just Add Water” was interested in creating a mermaid tail in their childhood. It was made using a plaster cast and special waterproof materials. All the scales (there are about 5000 of them on one tail) were glued by hand. As a result, such a tail weighed about 40 kilograms! To learn how to hold their breath for a long time and naturally swim underwater, the actresses trained for a month. The staff of the movie set helped girls on land, carrying mermaids to the filming location.
Almost every fan of “H2O: Just Add Water” was interested in creating a mermaid tail in their childhood. It was made using a plaster cast and special waterproof materials. All the scales (there are about 5000 of them on one tail) were glued by hand. As a result, such a tail weighed about 40 kilograms! To learn how to hold their breath for a long time and naturally swim underwater, the actresses trained for a month. The staff of the movie set helped girls on land, carrying mermaids to the filming location.
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Actresses
For the performers of main roles, “H2O: Just Add Water” was the first serious acting gig. The girls started acting when they were just 16 years old. This series gave them experience and popularity.
Cariba Heine is best known for her role of Ricky Chadwick and Bridget Sanchez in the TV show “Big Wave”. Nevertheless, she appears not only in films and series but also in advertisements and music videos.
For the performers of main roles, “H2O: Just Add Water” was the first serious acting gig. The girls started acting when they were just 16 years old. This series gave them experience and popularity.
Cariba Heine is best known for her role of Ricky Chadwick and Bridget Sanchez in the TV show “Big Wave”. Nevertheless, she appears not only in films and series but also in advertisements and music videos.
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“H2O” opened the world of modeling for Phoebe Tonkin (Cleo Sertori). In addition, she obtained celebrity status by playing the role of a werewolf Hayley Marshall in the TV series "The Vampire Diaries" and "Originals".
It’s noteworthy that Phoebe's partner on screen "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals" was Claire Holt (Emma Gilbert). She also starred in the TV series "Pretty Little Liars" and the comedy “Mean Girls 2”.
It’s noteworthy that Phoebe's partner on screen "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals" was Claire Holt (Emma Gilbert). She also starred in the TV series "Pretty Little Liars" and the comedy “Mean Girls 2”.
Accolades
In many interviews with cast members, reporters called it “the major drama series”. This show has rightfully earned this title. In 2008, it won the “Best TV Drama Show nomination”, and in 2009, it was named “Most Outstanding Children's Program”.
In many interviews with cast members, reporters called it “the major drama series”. This show has rightfully earned this title. In 2008, it won the “Best TV Drama Show nomination”, and in 2009, it was named “Most Outstanding Children's Program”.
kinopoisk.ru
“H2O” Impact
Actually, “H20: Just Add Water” is not just a youth series, it's a whole phenomenon. It was shown in 120 countries and had a worldwide audience of more than 250 million people. It made teenagers believe in mermaids and created a new format of real-life games.
Speaking about its prevalence in Russia, it was popular in 2010-2014 among girls (yours truly was in elementary school at that time). After watching the series, children started to pretend to be mermaids wary of water. They wanted to feel the atmosphere of mystery, so they feigned that they had some secret. At that time, websites that described ways to become a mermaid were widespread. For example, Olga from my writing class group told me that she and her friends drank seawater after reading on the Internet that thanks to this, they would have a mermaid tail. They also bought pendants with mineral stones to look like the characters of the series.
Actually, “H20: Just Add Water” is not just a youth series, it's a whole phenomenon. It was shown in 120 countries and had a worldwide audience of more than 250 million people. It made teenagers believe in mermaids and created a new format of real-life games.
Speaking about its prevalence in Russia, it was popular in 2010-2014 among girls (yours truly was in elementary school at that time). After watching the series, children started to pretend to be mermaids wary of water. They wanted to feel the atmosphere of mystery, so they feigned that they had some secret. At that time, websites that described ways to become a mermaid were widespread. For example, Olga from my writing class group told me that she and her friends drank seawater after reading on the Internet that thanks to this, they would have a mermaid tail. They also bought pendants with mineral stones to look like the characters of the series.
Moreover, girls played mermaids, sometimes quarreling when deciding which mermaid was cooler: Emma, Ricky, or Cleo. My groupmate Kate says that Ricky was her favourite. She liked the fact that this character had her special sarcastic, slightly rude vibe, but at the same time was always ready to help her friends. Kate shared with me how she and her friends sewed themselves mermaid tails, put them on, and swam in the pool at the country house. Alina, the first-year student of MSU, had a similar experience: she made a tail out of sheets. Emma was the mermaid that she loved most of all because she seemed to her the most beautiful girl in this TV-show. Alina thought that Cleo was stupid and Ricky was rough.
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My former classmate Violetta said that often, while sitting in the bathroom, she tried to boil or freeze water. She attempted to make specific gestures with her hands to control the fluid, as the mermaids did in the series.
“H20: Just Add Water” made us believe in magic, so several times with my friends in elementary school we summoned the spirit of a mermaid with candles, water, and a special spell:
“You, mermaid, daughter of the water, come to me at my call! Tell me your secrets and share your mystery.”
“H20: Just Add Water” made us believe in magic, so several times with my friends in elementary school we summoned the spirit of a mermaid with candles, water, and a special spell:
“You, mermaid, daughter of the water, come to me at my call! Tell me your secrets and share your mystery.”
Nevertheless, the series not only became the basis of interesting entertainment but also inspired teenagers to do something new. For example, the love for mermaids helped Kate to overcome her fear of water. Thanks to the series, she started to take swimming classes.
What is more, the characters taught us important things. For instance, the relationship between Cleo and her sister became the anti-model of family relations for my groupmate Nadia.
What is more, the characters taught us important things. For instance, the relationship between Cleo and her sister became the anti-model of family relations for my groupmate Nadia.
After watching the series, she began to understand her sister and communicate with her better. Iman, the student of the Faculty of Journalism, wanted to be like Emma, so she copied her confidence and courage. These character traits helped her to overcome difficulties and achieve her goals.
It is unusual that nowadays this series is experiencing a second wave of its popularity. Lena, who studies with me at MSU, said that her classmates had recently decided to rewatch it. Mainly, Tik Tok contributed to this: a large number of videos on this topic began to appear there.
It is unusual that nowadays this series is experiencing a second wave of its popularity. Lena, who studies with me at MSU, said that her classmates had recently decided to rewatch it. Mainly, Tik Tok contributed to this: a large number of videos on this topic began to appear there.
| Spin-offs The series “Mako: the Island of Secrets”, a spin-off of “H2O: Just Add Water”, was released in 2013. The show follows the adventures of a teenage boy turned into a mermaid and other mermaid-girls. Two years later an animated series “H2O: Mermaid Adventures” premiered on Netflix. However, both projects didn’t gain as much popularity as their “predecessor” and couldn’t overshadow the “H2O” phenomenon. |
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cover photo: kinopoisk.ru
