Disney Junior's Ariel Enters The Little Mermaid Multiverse

Several months ago, I expressed concerns about Disney retconning their version of The Little Mermaid with the prequel novel to the live-action adaptation and the rumor of an accompanying animated series. Today, Disney confirmed that rumor at the Annecy Animation Festival. Featuring cutesy CGI animation in the style of Doc McStuffins and Sofia the First, Disney Junior's Ariel boasts a brand new design for the character, which vaguely resembles Halle Bailey from the live-action movie, with a seashell and pearl-accented outfit that is similar to the Merroway Cove mermaids from Sofia the First. She is accompanied by a younger-looking version of the 1989 animated Flounder as opposed to the more realistic CGI one from the new film, which has raised some eyebrows due to the mixing and matching of designs between the movies. Another concern is how much younger Ariel and Flounder look in this version compared to the other three opposing narrations of how they met, which were usually within a year to a couple of years prior to the main film. Showing them as childhood friends at such a young age presents a fourth option for this scenario, which really throws the show into multiverse territory.

As its own separate property, it sounds like a cute idea. The animation style blends well with the mermaids feature in Sofia the First or Elena of Avalor, so there is potential for a crossover with some of my other favorite shows. Another thing it has in common with Elena of Avalor is that this version of Ariel has a similar ability to the one Elena unlocked in The Magic Within special. Like Elena's dress, Ariel has an enchanted tail that shimmers and changes colors based on her mood. The series takes place in the Caribbean-inspired kingdom of Atlantica, which until now had not been referenced in any of the live-action properties, and will follow Ariel's exploration of human artifacts like "a big floppy hat, squeaky rubber duck, and whisk." It sounds like the series will chronicle how she began building up the massive collection of human things in her grotto, which is a pretty neat idea for a preschool series, especially if each episode focuses on a single item and educates children about its functions. I could see it having a more formulaic structure like Doc McStuffins or the new Netflix series Princess Power, which, unfortunately, do not hold much appeal for older audiences.

My biggest concern about this show is that it has the potential to make everyone forget the wonderful animated series from the '90s, which is already beginning to fade into obscurity. The Little Mermaid: The Animated Series had beautiful songs, animation, and stories, and gave us a chance to get to know Ariel's sisters better. One of the biggest discrepancies between the live-action and animated Little Mermaid movies was the names and appearances of Ariel's sisters. Disney Junior's Ariel is touted as featuring fan-favorite characters like "King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian, and Flounder as well as exciting new additions." It's possible the new series will exclude her sisters entirely, but that would be disappointing considering how much less screen time they got in the remake and how estranged they were as a family in their later years according to the prequel novel, Against the Tide. Since both this series and Against the Tide are meant to be prequels to the live-action adaptation specifically, I also wonder if the new series will reference anything about the Protectors, Residents, or MerSongs that were introduced as important lore in the novel or if it was actually a complete work of fanfiction, in which case it should never have used the Disney versions of the characters in the first place.

Another new element that this series introduces into the world of The Little Mermaid is Caribbean culture with the help of Dr. Patricia Saunders, a cultural consultant on the show, and Sean Skeete as the Caribbean music consultant. This implies that the musical numbers from the series will be more Caribbean-inspired as opposed to the musical theater-style songs we've heard in the previous animated movies and series. While I'm all for representation, I find it a bit odd that they need a cultural consultant for a fantasy show about mermaids that takes place in the ocean. Considering how many changes the newer properties have made to the animated Little Mermaid series of the early '90s, it is my opinion that this show would work better as an original property with new characters like Elena of Avalor, which focused on Aztec lore, to give preschoolers a chance to dive into the mythology and lore of Caribbean and mermaid culture. I'm also surprised at the use of the name Atlantica for Ariel's kingdom, which was previously interpreted as an underwater Mediterranean kingdom in the animated properties, whereas the more Caribbean-inspired kingdom from the live-action remake was referred to as Carinae in the tie-in novels.

The announcement of Disney Junior's upcoming Ariel series raises a plethora of concerns and questions for fans of the franchise. While the animation style and design of the characters appear to be cute and appealing for preschoolers, the potential multiverse plotline and discrepancies with previous renditions of the story could be jarring for long-time fans of  Disney's The Little Mermaid and its related properties. The addition of Caribbean culture and music is an interesting development, but it is unclear if it will fully integrate into the story or simply serve as a surface-level representation. Ultimately, the announcement of this series feels like a missed opportunity to create an original property that explores Caribbean and mermaid culture in a way that is more authentic and respectful. While it remains to be seen how the series will address these concerns, it is important for fans and creators alike to continue to push for meaningful representation and accurate portrayals in media. How do you feel about Disney Junior's Ariel? Do you think it will be a necessary update for modern children to the original animated series, or would you prefer to see newer mermaid properties such as Rainbow's Mertropolis, which is currently in the works? Let me know in the comments!