No Cleo! Why TikTok Is Embracing The Cringe Of "H2O: Just Add Water"

H2O: Just Add Water may have ended in 2010, but the Australian teen drama has found new life on TikTok, where users are embracing the show's cringe-worthy moments with open arms. From awkward dialogue to questionable special effects, H2O: Just Add Water is the latest show to gain a cult following on the social media platform. But why are viewers gravitating towards this particular show?

Created in 2006 by Jonathan M. Shiff, H2O: Just Add Water follows the adventures of three teenage girls, Emma, Cleo, and Rikki, who discover they are mermaids after swimming in a magical pool on Mako Island during a full moon. The girls must learn to navigate their newfound powers, which include the ability to control water, swim at superhuman speeds, and communicate with sea creatures, while also keeping their secret from the rest of the world. Cariba Heine is Rikki Chadwick, Claire Holt stars as Emma Gilbert and Phoebe Tonkin is Cleo Seroti. Emma can freeze water, Cleo can control the shape and volume of water, and Rikki can boil water. 

As the series progresses, the girls must face challenges and adversaries, including a rival group of mermaids, a scientist who becomes obsessed with proving the existence of mermaids, and the girls' own personal struggles with love, friendship, and growing up. 

As the girls come to terms with their newly acquired abilities, even everyday situations like bathing and dealing with rainy weather become a challenge, given the various advantages and disadvantages that come with their powers. Moreover, they must also conceal their abilities from everyone, including their families, making it all the more difficult to navigate their lives.

Despite it’s nostalgic feel, the show does have some weaknesses that haven’t held up in the TikTok era. The plot can be predictable at times, and some of the side characters can feel one-dimensional and underdeveloped. The show's focus on romance can feel a bit forced or contrived at times, detracting from the more interesting aspects of the girls' relationships with each other and their own personal growth. The main weakness in H2O: Just Add Water, and the focus of the TikTok trend based on the show is how when the girls get water on them regardless of the scenario, they only have a short amount of time before they change into a mermaid and must get into the water to hide their secret.

Throughout the series, the girls must balance their normal lives with their mermaid responsibilities, often leading to these humorous and dramatic situations. Cleo gets thrown into a pool at a pool party and turns into a mermaid, Rikki turns into a mermaid to get a new fish for Cleo and Cleo accidentally gets water on herself at her sleepover and has to hide in a closet. It’s these seemingly random and outlandish situations that have caught the eye of Gen Z and have inspired the TikTok trend. Fans of H2O have been exclaiming “No Cleo!” on the app and copying the show’s over-dramatic situations. One creator can be seen sneezing close to her friend who notices a droplet of water land on her and the next scene is her flopping around on the floor like a mermaid who hasn’t made it to water. 

Despite the original show ending in 2010, H2O has been included in Netflix’s catalogue which has given it a new life and new generation of fans. It’s easy-watching nature and fantasy scenarios have made it the perfect comfort show for younger generations to rewatch. The announcement of a spinoff consisting of 26 episodes was made in July 2011. The spinoff, named Mako: Island of Secrets, focuses on 15-year-old Zac and his adventures with mermaids Sirena, Nixie, and Lyla. Cariba Heine also makes a guest appearance as Rikki in the final series of the original show. Later on, in May 2015, an animated spinoff titled H2O: Mermaid Adventures premiered on Netflix, catering specifically to children.

Despite the humorous transformations and the cringe scenarios, the show does feature stunning underwater and coastal scenery which adds to the show's magical and fantastical atmosphere. Another downside of the show that makes it an endearing rewatch is the special effects and the now dated look of the girls’ mermaid tails making it the perfect material for TikTok creators to emulate. Interestingly it has been discussed in interviews that three different types of mermaid tails are used on H2O; custom-fitted tails for swimming, a "floppy tail" for stationary shots, and a "hard tail" for stunts. The process of creating the mermaid costumes was extensive and time-consuming, with six months spent building the custom costumes alone. The tails and tops are crafted from body casts and feature individually hand-crafted scales, resulting in a finished product that weighs between 12 and 15 kilograms (26 and 33 lb). 

To wear the tails, the girls are strapped up and then zipped into place using leg straps. Once in costume, they are lifted into the water. To minimise the appearance of the zips on the tails, extra scales were added, and a ridge of material was crafted around the length of the zip. Additionally, the tail fin was designed with a foot pedal to assist the actors with swimming. All of these elements combine to add some 60 centimetres (2 ft) to the length of the costume. Despite their now outdated look, it must have been incredibly hard for the cast to “transform” and swim in the tails. This could have been one of the reasons the transformation scenes have been a subject of friendly ridicule on TikTok.

H2O: Just Add Water really is a fun and engaging fantasy series - it was originally planned to have only two series consisting of 52 episodes, but due to the overwhelming demand from fans, a third series was filmed showing just how special it was to it's audience.

While it may not be perfect, the show's nostalgic charm and magic more than make up for its shortcomings and it is well worth searching for the “No Cleo!” sound on TikTok to see some of the hilarious fan-made transformations.

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