Question to Ariel fans; Why do you like her?

[Old Fish Tale]

Old Fish Tale, did you mean The Snow Queen fairy tale has that or Frozen has that?

I mean 'Frozen', but I'll always call it 'The Snow Queen'. The Hans Christian Andersen story is perfect. The 1957 film is still it's best adaptation!

[Disney's Divinity]

I thought it had great potential which was squandered by one-dimensional characterizations, uninspired plot, unnecessary and obnoxious gags, and cheap sentimentality. In short, I'm not a fan.

I feel the same about Brave. Merida is like a walking stereotype, not a real character. I did like bits and pieces, but overall the film and the character are unimpressive (especially considering how unfavorably Merida compares to Ariel, who the character is apparently supposed to be a twist on).

[Disney Duster]

I wanna keep calling it "The Snow Queen" too, Old Fish Tale, , but I thought the ending was great except for the Hans twist.

To pertain to the topic, I'm not a what you'd call an Ariel fan, but Ariel is a fantastic, stand-out heroine because she's so full of life, personality, and character. Her eyes were designed big, but they aren't just big, they're wide with her excitement and wonder, so who can't find her exciting and wondrous? Not that she has no flaws, but they can't oppress the amazing quality she displays. She's so unique in her voice and she's so yearning to get what she wants she's one of the best characters ever.

[DisneyFan09]

The same reason she gets so much grief and criticism from people on their high horses is one of the things that endears her to me. She is a flawed protagonist that makes a very bad decision to try and get what she wants. I feel too much pressure and great storytelling is sacrificed in making our heroines say the right thing all the time.

Well said, but heroines still get criticized for whatever they say or do or how brave or pure they're trying to be.

Ariel came about at a time where there wasn't so much political scrutiny hanging over Disney, so we got a more fleshed out, realistically rebellious 16 year old girl, rather than someone who had to reassure the audience that she had a strong feminist political stance that reflects her being light years ahead of her era. She was simply allowed to be her own character in her own story, regardless of what was or is a representation of the ideal female figure.

I'm writing a blog about "Mermaid", do you mind if I use your description in my essay? If it's okay for you?

[MeerkatKombat]

I love the Triton and Ariel dynamic.
I think Ariel was a realistic portrayal of a teenage girl in love. Of course I didn't realise how much when I was younger but I certainly did when I reached 14 and was the same and chased after things with the same determination even if it was stupid idea. I also fell hard and fast in love (and out of it!) and like Ariel, I drove my parents to distraction when I went after boys that they hated.
That moment at the end where Triton realises that Ariel can make her own decisions and he lets her go so she can pursue her own happiness is beautiful.
I am now of an age where the thought of having a daughter like Ariel is pretty scary because teenagers can and do make awful decisions. Ariel went completely the wrong way about getting what she wanted and should have been honest but it is part of teenage rebellion. I do believe she is probably the most realistic teenage girl character that Disney have done and I respect them for that.

I think a lot of the appeal of Ariel is the fact she is a mermaid and so has this wonderful magical fantasy surrounding her and that is powerful. It's also the reason why my boyfriend thinks Elsa is awesome - basically because she is an all powerful, all consuming ice god.

[DancingCrab]

Ariel came about at a time where there wasn't so much political scrutiny hanging over Disney, so we got a more fleshed out, realistically rebellious 16 year old girl, rather than someone who had to reassure the audience that she had a strong feminist political stance that reflects her being light years ahead of her era. She was simply allowed to be her own character in her own story, regardless of what was or is a representation of the ideal female figure.

I'm writing a blog about "Mermaid", do you mind if I use your description in my essay? If it's okay for you?

You're more than welcome to use any of what I wrote. Thank you for asking.

[DisneyFan09]

You're more than welcome to use any of what I wrote. Thank you for asking.

No problem, of course I would ask. Thankyou so much.

But just wondering, would you like me to credit you with your username or do you want to be anonymous?