Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action may have faced tons of backlash ahead its release, but the remake has actually improved some bits and pieces from its animated counterpart.
Apart from the additional songs where both Ariel and Eric sing about exploring the world on their own, away from simply staying put in their own palaces, The Little Mermaid live-action also added one crucial detail.
If you noticed, the remake introduced the ‘Coral Moon Festival’ or ‘Coral Moon’, as mentioned by the crew Prince Eric worked with on his voyage in celebration of his birthday.
Now what does this mean? A celebration? A holiday? How does this improve The Little Mermaid and King Triton (Javier Bardem), for that matter? Read on here!
The Little Mermaid: What Does The ‘Coral Moon’ Entail?
In the beginning of 2023’s The Little Mermaid, Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) was seen defending the fish and mysterious creatures of the sea as he told the crew of the ship to stop targeting the presumably merfolk.
Though many at the time believed that merpeople are mere tales, the crew pointed out that “It’s the Coral Moon,” where the King of the Sea and siren-like creatures “lure men to their deaths” which explains why they must strike first.
Do take note that the The Little Mermaid live remake emphasized more of the divide between humans and merpeople, which adds up to what the ‘Coral Moon’ means for the merpeople.
On that same day, as Eric celebrated his birthday on the ship, was also the same day they got struck with a natural disaster, one in which the queen (yes, Eric has a mother in the remake) told him, “The sea gods have always been against us.”
ALSO READ: The Ending of The Little Mermaid Explained
The Little Mermaid: ‘Coral Moon’ Is A Celebration For The Merpeople
Instead of The Little Mermaid introducing King Triton and his daughters through a musical that Sebastian composed like in the original animated film, the live-action was more straightforward.
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In this case, the ‘Coral Moon’ is actually a celebration of some sort for the kingdom. A celebration of King Triton once again gathering his daughters across the seas where they now reside.
The live remake spread the King Triton’s daughters, in short, whereas the animated film still had his daughters all sleeping in a single home.
This, in turn, is what angered King Triton when Ariel failed to show up on time. He even emphasized that “your sisters only gather here on the Coral Moon.”
Meaning that it is a once in a ‘Coral Moon’ opportunity to update the King of his daughter’s lives beyond the kingdom, one that Ariel was not there to attend to.
This brought up a more intimate family meeting for King Triton and his daughters, one that rarely comes, a ceremonious occasion in which they reunite together and ensure their bond is never broken.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid is out in theaters now!
ALSO READ: Will The Little Mermaid 2023 Live-Action Get a Sequel?
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