Andrzej Sapkowski, the Polish author who created The Witcher saga in his 90s book series, was known to repurpose fairytales for Geralt of Rivias adventures, particularly in the short story collection called Sword of Destiny. The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is based on a tale therein called A Little Sacrifice, a version of Hans Christian Andersens The Little Mermaid. So it is perhaps only fitting that the new Netflix animated film of the same name refashions it again to include even more nods to the original tale, its other adaptations and an ending all Netflixs own.It might not seem all that different at first. The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep begins as a very faithful adaptation, following Geralt and Jaskier on their travels to Bremervoord, a humble coastal kingdom known for its vibrant fishing industry. As in Sword of Destiny, Geralt is brooding over his hot-and-cold relationship with Yennefer, still in its early phases, while tackling a monster hunting job to distract himself.In the original story, the Witcher is hired merely as a translator, helping a somewhat boorish Prince Agloval in persuading a mermaid to give up her tail and join him on land as his wife. The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep turns it into more of a story of star-crossed lovers, each trying to persuade their royal parents that a marriage could unite their divided nations while Geralt investigates the mysterious death of local pearl divers.The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep borrows from multiple sources to flesh out its tale. First, it adds vodnik, fish-men that act as a merfolk army, from elsewhere in Witcher lore, including the video games. It also expands upon the ruling family of Bremervoord, adding a king, a bastard son, and even a childhood conflict for Jaskier, who grew up in the town. But the biggest addition will be immediately recognizable to those familiar with Disneys iconic animated The Little Mermaid: the Sea Witch.The brewer of potions was in the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, of course, but she was not in the original Sapkowski short story. The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep brings her back in spectacular fashion, even adding some decidedly Ursula-like imagery to the mix. Her motivations for assisting Sheenaz, the mermaid who fell in love with a human, are less about taking over the mermaid kingdom and more about spreading total destruction in the Netflix film.There are also several nods to the title of the Sapkowski story throughout The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, including a song that carries the name, A Little Sacrifice. But one characters line points out the major flaw in its original meaning. In the story, Sheenaz gives up her tail to avert a war between merfolk and humans, but Essi, the local bard, scolds the Prince saying, All of your solutions require loss on her part and nothing from you. Not even a little sacrifice.And perhaps that is one of the most elegant modifications in The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. Although the twist ending is predictable, it completely changes the dynamic of the story for the better. Even the implied dalliance between Essi and Geralt is handled more deftly in the movie, creating character relationships that actually make sense while still honoring one of the stories that made The Witcher into the global hitin every mediumthat it clearly is.Its not just that The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep gives more agency to its female characters than either the fairytale or the Disney movie do, although it certainly does. It also reminds us that The Witcher has always delivered commentary about human encroachment on the territory of others. In this way it not only contextualizes the world Ariel proposes to join in her song Part of Your World; but it also questions why she should have to give up her voice to find love. As incredulous as it sounds, it brings a measure of practicality and reality to a story about a fish that wants to be a woman.