Name: Greene Grant / Guo Guiying.
Mermaid kingdom: East China Sea
Age: At least 18.
Occupation: High school student and part-time waitress at the Jade Dragon restaurant in Santa Ana. She’s also the daughter of the emperor of East China Sea.
Looks as a person: Greene has dark green hair which she puts in a messy updo, leaving some strands outside for fashion reasons, and beautiful hazel eyes which look almost orange in different lightning. When Amelia first meets her, she’s wearing the restaurant’s uniform, consisting of a short black skirt with golden shirt. So, it’s not known, what her style is. It is clear, though that Greene is slightly plump.
Looks as mermaid: Greene doesn’t appear anywhere as a mermaid.
Personality: Amelia doesn’t get many opportunities, to interact with Greene. However, the girl seems friendly, both towards her and Taisuke. She’s diligent about her job, offering them different dishes, and giving recommendations. Then, she simply leaves them alone, showing, she values her clients’ privacy. She reappears only later, and asks to have a quick chat with Amelia, where she warns her against artifact theft and Lumina. Interestingly, after hearing, Amelia and Lumina are sister, she remains non-judgmental. She also says, if she had a sister, they’d surely have a close relationship, and mentions two dragons from one of her country’s legends. This shows, Greene truly cares about family relationships.
Interests: She’s very attached to her country and its culture, stating, she works in the restaurant, mostly because she misses home atmosphere. She seems passionate about cooking and everything related to food. However, that’s definitely not her only interest. She loves kung fu, thanks to which, she instantly catches common language with Amelia.
Best friends: Nothing is known about Greene’s friends, but it looks like she’s got a positive relationship with Huang Yan, and Taisuke.
In Stories from the “Undersea World of Mermaid Princess Amelia, Vol. 2”
In Huang Yan’s Story
(Coming Soon)
In Greene’s Story
Guiying, the 18-year-old princess of the East China Sea, is a character defined by a profound and compelling internal conflict between her prescribed royal identity and her authentic self. She is not the stereotypical fairy-tale princess; instead, she is a young woman of intellect, physical prowess, and simmering rebellion, navigating the treacherous waters of adolescence under the immense pressure of imperial expectation.
Physically, Guiying possesses a natural, unadorned beauty that she herself fails to recognize. She has tea-colored eyes that are frequently described as glowing with warmth when she is excited or sparkling with determination. Her hair is a dark green, its strands moved gently by the sea currents, a constant reminder of her aquatic nature. She is acutely self-conscious about her body, believing she carries too much weight—a perception relentlessly reinforced by her etiquette teacher, Madame Xia. This leads to a strained relationship with food, where the cherished crayfish dinners with her uncle become a source of guilt rather than joy. Her preferred attire is a stark rejection of royal fashion: a simple, plain black kung fu shirt. This choice is both practical and symbolic; it represents comfort, freedom of movement, and an allegiance to her martial arts discipline, setting her apart from the glamorous, qingse-clad mermaids at court balls. Her caudal fin is a distinct jade-green, a mark of her royal lineage that she cannot shed, even when she wishes to blend in.
Her intellectual identity is central to her character. Guiying is not just interested in chemistry and alchemy; she is passionately devoted to them. She finds solace and certainty in the logical, predictable reactions of chemical formulas, a stark contrast to the unpredictable and often cruel nature of social interactions and emotions. She transcribes intricate acid formulas with diligence and speaks with genuine excitement about her idol, Tu Youyou, and her ambition to revolutionize medicine. This scientific mind is not merely academic; it is a lens through which she views the world. When confronted with the bank’s vault, a masterpiece of engineering, her disbelief is followed by intense curiosity and awe. She asks pointed questions about propulsion and matrix codes, her mind grappling with the complex mechanics, demonstrating that her intelligence is both analytical and deeply inquisitive.
However, this analytical nature exists in tension with a deep-seated emotional insecurity and a yearning for guidance. This is where the copper coin from her Uncle Wang becomes a crucial character trait. The coin is her secret totem, a tangible object for her intangible anxieties about the future—her gap year, her grandmother’s illness, her career path. Her reliance on it reveals a vulnerability beneath her confident exterior. She is not flipping the coin to learn fate’s will, but to discover her own, using it as a mirror for her subconscious desires. This ritual, conducted in the sanctuary of the porcelain room, highlights her loneliness and the lack of a confidante who would understand this seemingly superstitious practice without judgment.
Her social interactions further illustrate her complex position. With her father, Emperor Guo Hai, she shares a relationship of mutual respect and intellectual partnership. He includes her in state affairs, valuing her perspective, and their dynamic is one of the most stable in her life. In contrast, her relationship with her mother, Empress Wang Guilan, is fraught with tension, centered on Guiying’s failure to conform to feminine ideals. With her bodyguard, Qiuling, Guiying finds a fierce protector and a loyal friend. Qiuling is the “older sister she never had,” a figure she admires for her strength and composure, even feeling like a “flawed younger version” of her. With her cousin Ning Ning, Guiying is supportive and kind, offering comfort in the face of family scandal.
The core of her character arc, however, is her burgeoning romantic feelings for Detective Shim Jin-Hae. This is her first experience with attraction, and it completely disarms her. Her usual composure shatters in his presence; she stutters, her heart pounds, and she feels an “intense awkwardness and heat.” Jin-Hae represents everything she finds fascinating: intelligence, competence, and a worldliness beyond Lucheng. Her decision to ask him to the prom is the culmination of her courage, a defiant act of claiming her own desire against the weight of protocol and expectation. His rejection is not just a romantic setback; it is a catastrophic validation of all her deepest insecurities. It confirms Madame Xia’s criticisms and makes her feel “unattractive,” “unwanted,” and “worthless.” The heartbreak is visceral, leading her to tears and a feeling that her “heart feels shattered already.”
Yet, Guiying’s defining quality is her resilience. Even in the depths of despair at Qinghai Lake, her analytical mind re-engages when she deciphers the spy code in the painting, a moment of triumph that momentarily eclipses her personal grief. The journey ends not with her defeated, but with her transforming. Inspired by Qiuling and the Yijing reading of the “cauldron” hexagram—signifying transformation—she forges a new identity for herself: Greene Grant. This name, blending a surname with the name of a chemist she admires, Alexander Grant, is a powerful act of self-creation. It is an identity rooted in her own passions (chemistry) and her own choices, independent of her royal title or a romantic partner. Guiying’s story is that of a young woman learning to trust her own mind and heart, moving from relying on a single coin to embracing the complex wisdom of the Yijing, and ultimately, beginning to write her own fate.
Guiying’s Relationships:
- With Emperor Guo Hai (Father): Guiying shares a relationship of profound mutual respect and intellectual partnership with her father. Emperor Guo Hai actively mentors her, including her in high-stakes state affairs like the bank robbery investigation because he believes it is essential training for her future role. He values her perspective and questions, treating her as a capable apprentice rather than a child. Their dynamic is one of the most stable and supportive in her life, built on a foundation of quiet understanding and shared duty. He is a pillar of pragmatic support, differing from his wife by not pressuring Guiying to conform to rigid feminine ideals, thus giving her the space to develop her own identity.
- With Empress Wang Guilan (Mother): This relationship is fraught with tension and a fundamental clash of values. The Empress embodies traditional royal expectations of femininity, elegance, and social compliance. She consistently expresses disapproval of Guiying’s preference for practical kung fu shirts over dresses, her disinterest in makeup, and her self-consciousness about her weight. She arranges for the prom dress and employs the critical Madame Xia, seeing these as necessary corrections to shape Guiying into a suitable heir and marriage prospect. Their interactions are often a source of anxiety and feelings of inadequacy for Guiying, who feels she can never meet her mother’s standards.
- With Qiuling (Bodyguard and Friend): Qiuling is far more than a bodyguard; she is Guiying’s most loyal confidante and the “older sister she never had.” Guiying deeply admires Qiuling’s fierce strength, stoic composure, and martial prowess, often seeing herself as a “flawed younger version” of her. Their bond transcends their professional roles, filled with easy banter, shared laughter about merboys, and the trust that allows Guiying to ask for help with reckless plans. Qiuling is her protector in every sense, shielding her from physical danger and offering unwavering emotional support and blunt, heartfelt advice during her heartbreak.
- With Shim Jin-Hae (Romantic Interest): Jin-Hae represents Guiying’s first experience with romantic attraction and intellectual infatuation. She is captivated by his intelligence, his methodical detective work, and the worldly perspective he brings from the Yellow Sea. Her feelings cause a thrilling yet disorienting shift in her normally composed demeanor, making her heart pound and her words stumble. Her courageous decision to ask him to the prom is a pivotal moment of self-assertion. His rejection is devastating because it feels like a confirmation of all her insecurities, but it also serves as a painful catalyst for her eventual growth and self-redefinition.
- With Uncle Wang (Maternal Uncle): Uncle Wang provides a sanctuary of unconditional support and warmth away from the pressures of the palace. He is a kindly, reassuring presence who listens to Guiying’s dreams and anxieties without judgment. His gift of the copper coin is a profound act of guidance, offering her a tangible tool to navigate her dilemmas. Their relationship is simple and affectionate, centered on comforting rituals like crayfish dinners, and he serves as a crucial emotional anchor, reminding her that she has “plenty of time” in her long life to find her path.
- With Ning Ning (Cousin): Guiying’s relationship with her younger cousin Ning Ning is one of gentle, supportive kinship. She acts as a comforting and optimistic presence in Ning Ning’s life, which is troubled by her parents’ bitter custody battle and public scandal. Guiying offers reassurance against gossip and sincerely admires Ning Ning’s musical talent. She includes Ning Ning in the prom to bring her joy, demonstrating a protective and generous nature. Through Ning Ning, Guiying also gains insights into the family’s hidden histories and the mysterious connections between music and intuition.
- With Madame Xia (Etiquette Teacher): This is a purely antagonistic and psychologically damaging relationship for Guiying. Madame Xia, employed by the Empress, is the direct voice of the criticism and conformity Guiying rebels against. She relentlessly attacks Guiying’s weight, clothing choices, and lack of flirtatious demeanor, explicitly linking them to her failure to be “alluring” and her perceived inability to secure a politically advantageous marriage. These interactions systematically erode Guiying’s self-esteem, making her feel like a “simple peasant” and embedding the insecurities that later magnify the pain of Jin-Hae’s rejection.
Greene Grant / Guo Guiying in “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Destiny’s Theater”
Coming soon.
Trivia:
- Greene Grant’s true name is actually Guo Guiying. Guo is her surname, and Guiying is her real name. Interestingly, she got her name after a Chinese heroine named Guiying.
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- Is there going to be a Chinese version of „Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony”?!
- Huang Yan – a tertiary character in “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony” by Maxine Foti
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