Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid 1975

Family

Animation

Fantasy

Runtime

68 mins

Language

Japanese

Directed by

Tomoharu Katsumata

Made by

Toei Animation

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Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1975). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid opens in live-action Denmark, where a narrator nods to the author’s origins and his classic tale before the scene gracefully shifts into a rich, 2-D hand-drawn anime world. In the undersea kingdom, Marina, Fumie Kashiyama lives with her father, grandmother, and five older sisters, sharing games with her best friend Fritz the Dolphin, Mariko Miyagi. The sisters’ light-hearted routine is interrupted by a tempest conjured by the Sea Witch, a danger that arrives just as Marina and Fritz enjoy a sunny moment near a sunken ship.

When the storm subsides, Marina’s sisters scold her for being late and remind her that adulthood comes with responsibility—their grandmother will only grant the pearl hairpin that marks maturity if she proves herself. The next day, the sisters venture to the surface while Marina remains below, awaiting her own rite of passage. During a dive among ruins, Marina discovers a statue of a human prince. She and Fritz summon the courage to reach the surface, where she glimpses the prince aboard a ship, sparking a longing that will drive the rest of the tale.

A second storm hurls the prince into the sea, and Marina acts quickly to save him, guiding him to shore and leaving him there to be found. A raven-haired girl on the shore tends to the prince, and Marina’s selfless act earns her grandmother’s blessing to come of age—she receives the coveted pearl hairpin. Yet the wish for closer contact with the human world remains strong, and Marina seeks out the Sea Witch for a perilous bargain: human legs in exchange for her voice, forever relinquishing her mermaid song and the chance of ever returning to the sea as a mermaid.

The Sea Witch makes the swap, warning that if the prince marries another, Marina will die at sunrise of their wedding day. After a heartfelt farewell to her family and Fritz, Marina drinks the potion and undergoes the transformation. She is found by the prince on the shore and, for a month, she and the prince grow closer as he learns to trust and care for her. He speaks of his parents’ wish for him to wed a foreign princess, but he longs to marry the girl who saved his life—yet he cannot locate that mysterious savior.

Trouble intensifies when the prince’s cat, Jemmy the Cat, Kazuko Sawada, grows suspicious of Marina and reports their exchanges to the royal court. The queen—sensing a charm at work—begins to fear Marina’s influence over her son. When the foreign princess arrives, the king seals Marina’s arrest for treason. The prince recognizes the foreign princess as the raven-haired girl who saved him earlier, and the couple’s betrothal seems sealed.

Heartbroken, Marina asks Fritz for one last farewell, and the dolphin promises to help. Marina’s five sisters, who have already traded their own hair to the Sea Witch in exchange for a magic dagger, provide Marina with the weapon and explain a brutal path: if she stabs the prince and lets his blood touch her feet, she will revert to a mermaid. With dawn only moments away, Marina slips into the prince’s room but cannot carry out the act. She kisses him gently and retreats, dropping the dagger as a symbol of what she cannot do.

The dawn arrives, and Marina leaps from the ship into the waiting morning light. The prince and the others rush to call her name, but she sinks into the sea and dissolves into foam, leaving behind a pearl hairpin and a single scale from her tail as proof of her passing. The sun climbs, and the couple—though shaken—watches Marina’s fate with heavy hearts, mourning her loss as the film shifts back to Denmark.

As the live-action frames reappear, Marina awakens in the realm of the Daughters of the Air, discovering she has become one of them. She smiles softly at the memory of the distant prince, the longing for a true connection, and Fritz’s steadfast friendship, then takes to the skies to join her new sisters. They tell her that kind deeds toward people in the world will earn her an immortal soul and, someday, guide her to a true prince. The story closes on a tranquil still shot of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, signaling both an ending and a hopeful new beginning for Marina.

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1975) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Opening in live-action Denmark and transition to animation

The film opens in live-action Denmark, establishing a frame for the Andersen tale. A narrator mentions Hans Christian Andersen and his original story, signaling a retelling rather than a straight adaptation. The scene then dissolves into a 2-D hand-drawn anime style, blending two realities into one narrative.

Opening Denmark

Marina's life in the undersea kingdom; storm foreshadowed

Marina grows up in the undersea kingdom with her father, grandmother, and five older sisters, and she enjoys time with her dolphin friend Fritz. A storm conjured by the Sea Witch sweeps through, catching her off guard and testing her luck. Back home, her sisters scold her for being late and remind her that adulthood begins with earning the pearl hairpin from their grandmother.

Daytime Undersea kingdom

Sisters surface; Marina discovers statue of prince

The next day, Marina's sisters swim to the surface while she remains forbidden because she has not yet come of age. While exploring a sunken ship, Marina discovers a statue of a human prince. Later, she and Fritz sneak to the surface and glimpse the prince aboard a ship.

Day Undersea kingdom / Surface near ship

Prince falls into the sea; Marina saves him

Another storm drives the prince into the sea, and Marina dives in to save him, carrying him to shore before letting him be found. A raven-haired girl finds the prince and cares for him on the shore, foreshadowing the foreign princess who will soon arrive. Marina remains on the sidelines, harboring her growing longing to be with him.

Night Shore

Marina comes of age; pearl hairpin

Because of her rescue, Marina's grandmother decides she is ready to come of age, and Marina receives her pearl hairpin. The symbol confirms her new status among the merfolk and unlocks her opportunity to seek a human life. The undersea world marks the moment as a turning point toward the surface.

Following day Undersea palace

Sea Witch pact for a human life

Marina seeks the Sea Witch to gain a human body, offering her beautiful voice in exchange. The Witch's potion turns her into a girl on land, but she must renounce her mermaid heritage. The Witch warns that if the prince marries another, Marina will die and dissolve into sea foam at sunrise the next morning.

After pact Sea Witch's lair

Transformation and first meeting with the prince

Discovered by the prince after her transformation, Marina begins living with him for a month, building a fragile bond. He tells her that his parents want him to marry a foreign princess, yet he desires the girl who saved his life. The quiet days test Marina's resolve as she tries to reveal herself without frightening him.

First month On land, near the prince's residence

Jemmy and the royal suspicions

The prince's jealous cat, Jemmy, reports their private conversation to the royal parents, triggering suspicion of witchcraft. The queen and the king begin to fear Marina has bewitched their son. Complicating matters, a foreign princess arrives on the scene and seems poised to claim the prince's hand.

After a month Palace

Arrest order and revelation of the foreign princess

When the foreign princess arrives, the prince's father orders Marina arrested for treason, hoping to secure an orderly match. The queen's suspicions grow, and the truth about Marina's origin remains hidden. In a twist, the foreign princess is revealed to be the raven-haired girl who had cared for the prince earlier.

Wedding day Palace

Sisters' dagger plan

Marina's sisters, in exchange for a magic dagger, urge her to stab the prince and let his blood drip onto her feet to regain her mermaid form. Dawn is looming, and the act would seal her fate either way. She cannot bring herself to kill him and prepares to say goodbye, hoping Fritz can help somehow.

Night before dawn Prince's chamber / Palace

Farewell and failed murder attempt

Marina cannot go through with the murder, and she kisses the sleeping prince goodbye. She slips the dagger into the sea as dawn breaks, and the prince and princess wake to search for her on deck. They find only her pearl hairpin and a scale from her tail as they call her name in despair.

Dawn Prince's ship / Deck

Marina dissolves into sea foam

At sunrise, Marina's body turns to foam and rises toward the sky, vanishing from the world she knew. The prince and Fritz mourn her loss, realizing the depth of her sacrifice. The sea witnesses the end of her human-mermaid journey and the beginning of something beyond mortal love.

Dawn Sea at sunrise

Marina becomes a Daughter of the Air

Back in Denmark, Marina awakens as one of the daughters of the air, free to roam the skies. She smiles sadly at the distance of the prince, the princess, and Fritz, understanding her path toward immortality through kindness. She embraces a new purpose: earning an immortal soul by helping others, until she finds her true prince.

After dawn Denmark

Ending shot: the Little Mermaid statue

The film ends with a still shot of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, anchoring the legend to its city. The image lingers as the story hints at redemption through selfless deeds and hopeful future romance.

Ending Copenhagen

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid Characters

Explore all characters from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1975). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Marina (Fumie Kashiyama)

A mermaid princess who longs to see the human world and earn an immortal soul. She saves a prince from a shipwreck and falls in love, risking her voice and humanity to be with him. Her bravery and compassion drive the plot, culminating in self-sacrifice.

🪼 Mermaid 💖 Protagonist 🧭 Sacrifice

Fritz the Dolphin (Mariko Miyagi)

Marina's loyal dolphin friend who accompanies her on adventures and provides companionship. He remains faithful and offers support when she faces danger and heartbreak.

🐬 Companion 🧭 Loyal 💙 Friend

Prince (Tarō Shigaki)

The prince saved by Marina who is torn between an arranged marriage and his true feelings. He recognizes Marina as the girl who saved him and falls in love, despite pressure from his parents and rivals.

👑 Royalty 💕 Love Interest 🗺 Destiny

Jemmy the Cat (Kazuko Sawada)

The prince's jealous cat who schemes to remove Marina from the prince's life. His scheming fuels mistrust and heightens the danger Marina faces.

🐈 Cat 😼 Antagonist 🐾 Mischief

Sea Witch (Haruko Kitahama)

A cunning sea witch who bargains away Marina's voice in exchange for human form. She warns of dire consequences if the prince marries another, driving the central conflict.

🪄 Witch 🌀 Bargain 💬 Voice

Marina's Sister (Kazuko Sugiyama)

One of Marina's sisters who exchanges her hair for a magic dagger to aid Marina. She embodies family loyalty and willingness to sacrifice for loved ones.

👯 Sister 💇‍♀️ Sacrifice 🗡️ Tool

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid Settings

Learn where and when Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1975) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

The film blends a contemporary Denmark opening with a mythical, timeless era. It shifts between storms at sea, bargains with the Sea Witch, and a quest for an eternal soul across surface and ocean realms.

Location

Denmark, Undersea Kingdom

The story opens in live-action Denmark and then plunges into a vibrant undersea kingdom where Marina and her sisters reside. The mermaid realm features coral cities, magical currents, and a political dynamic shaped by sea witches and royal merfolk. The contrast between the Danish shoreline and the enchanted ocean world creates a timeless fairy-tale atmosphere.

🇩🇰 Denmark 🐚 Undersea Realm 🧭 Fairy Tale Setting

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid Themes

Discover the main themes in Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1975). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💖

Love and Sacrifice

Marina's love for the human prince drives her to risk everything—her voice, her mermaid life, and even her future. She acts with bravery and mercy, rescuing him and choosing not to harm him when faced with impossible choices. Her self-sacrifice culminates in a fate that transcends death, illustrating the transformative power of love.

🌟

Immortality and Identity

Marina seeks an immortal soul, believing it will complete her longing for belonging. The Sea Witch's bargain trades away her voice and mermaid identity in exchange for humanity, raising questions about what gives life meaning. The story suggests immortality is earned through actions of love and kindness, not simply granted by magic.

🕊️

Freedom and Belonging

Marina's transformation into a human and later ascent to the Daughters of the Air reflects a quest for belonging beyond the sea. Her final choice to become one of the Daughters of the Air shows that true belonging comes from benevolent deeds. The ending implies a hopeful afterlife through kindness.

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Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1975). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

Opening with a glimpse of Denmark that nods to the author’s origins, the film gracefully transitions into a rich, hand-drawn anime world beneath the waves. In this undersea kingdom, Marina shares a playful existence with her father, grandmother, and five older sisters. Her days are filled with games alongside her constant companion, Fritz the Dolphin, yet the lighthearted routine is underscored by the looming responsibilities of adulthood. As she awaits her rite of passage, the vibrant underwater setting establishes a tone of wonder, contrasting the safety of the deep with the mysteries waiting above.

Marina’s curiosity about the human world sets her apart from her siblings, drawing her toward the surface despite the potential dangers. A discovery among sunken ruins ignites a powerful longing within her, bridging the gap between her reality and the human realm she observes from afar. When a violent storm disrupts the peace of the ocean, Marina is thrust into a situation that challenges her bravery and defines her destiny. Her actions during this turmoil reveal a depth of character that goes beyond the typical concerns of a mermaid her age.

The narrative deepens as Marina faces the profound consequences of her desires. To pursue a connection that spans two different worlds, she must accept a perilous bargain that would forever alter her identity. The story focuses on the emotional weight of her choice—relinquishing her voice and her place in the kingdom for a chance at a life on land. It is a journey of transformation and resilience, highlighting the enduring spirit of a protagonist willing to risk everything for a bond that seems impossible to achieve. As she steps into the unknown, the film captures the poignant struggle of a soul seeking belonging in a world not her own.

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