The Mermaid King Begged Me to Return

This is the kind of guilty-pleasure serial that knows exactly what it is. On the surface this is a Fantasy / Second-chance Love serial, but underneath it is a story about love that deserves a redo — and "The Mermaid King Begged Me to Return" plays both layers for all they are worth.

Ryla gave up godhood for Mermaid King Aiden and endured five lonely years — until their son's fifth birthday, where Aiden arrives with another woman and the boy wishes for a new mother. So she leaves and agrees to marry the God King, and the show finally lets the two most oblivious males in the ocean feel the absence. Regret-fueled second-chance romance with a god-tier upgrade.

Tropes on the menu: family bonds, love after marriage. Episodes are bite-sized, the cliffhangers are ruthless, and the payoff lands faster than most full-length shows manage in a season.