Danielle from the group NewJeans has been confirmed as the lead voice actor for Ariel in the Korean-dubbed version of 'The Little Mermaid.' Although Danielle's youthful and melodious voice aligns well with Ariel's character, there's also a cloud of concern as this is her maiden acting endeavor.

On the 12th, Walt Disney Company Korea unveiled that Danielle from NewJeans will voice Ariel in the Korean version of 'The Little Mermaid.' Walt Disney assured, "Danielle will step into Ariel's shoes, showcasing her dubbing and singing talent in the OST, revealing a side of her we have yet to see."

Walt Disney explained their choice of Danielle as the protagonist citing her similar age to Ariel in the story and her appealing vibrant and curious personality mirroring Ariel's.

In the released still photo, Danielle is seen clad in attire reminiscent of the Little Mermaid, her eyes closed as she immerses herself in the song.

Until this point, there has been significant apprehension concerning Danielle's assignment to the role of Ariel. Notably, Danielle is an acting novice with no prior acting experience or specialized acting training, which sparked skepticism. There were even suggestions that the casting decision was primarily influenced by Danielle's popularity.

However, the scenario flipped when the teaser and full version of 'The Little Mermaid' OST 'Part of Your World,' sung by Danielle, were unveiled. The expressive intensity, perfectly encapsulating Ariel's innocent curiosity about the world beyond the sea, was palpable. Danielle's impressive singing ability, coupled with her pure character depiction that enhances audience immersion during the spoken dialogue in the song, was noteworthy.

According to Walt Disney, Danielle, who has been a fan of Walt Disney's works since her childhood, tirelessly practiced for both voice acting and musical performances, starting from the audition preparation stage.

Walt Disney Company Korea mentioned, "Danielle was finally chosen after undergoing singing and dialogue tests, where she was only given sheet music on the spot," adding, "Matching Korean songs and dialogue acting with Ariel's English lip movements and timing on screen was a challenging feat, but it pulled in positive feedback from the team."

Danielle, a dual citizen of South Korea and Australia, has an impressive understanding of English dialogue. Her clear and vibrant tone as a NewJeans member played to her advantage. Although she hasn't formally learned acting, the prevailing opinion is that she aligns well with Ariel's curious teenage character.

The music video teaser for 'Part of Your World' sung by Danielle soared to number one on YouTube's trending videos in Korea immediately upon release. It also drew enthusiastic responses in multiple countries/regions, including the United States, the UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia, currently surpassing 2.25 million views. Furthermore, the full version of 'Part of Your World' has been explosively popular, exceeding 2.6 million views in less than a day.

A film industry insider opined, "The worldwide controversy over the 'blackwashing' issue concerning Halle Bailey, and her being black, unlike the original character, continues to incite dissatisfaction among certain audiences," further suggesting, "The casting of NewJeans' Danielle, who is adored by a wide age group in Korea, could counterbalance the controversy surrounding 'The Little Mermaid' domestically."

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