Goodbye, Lara: A Mermaid in Search of True Love

Goodbye, Lara is one of the anime that will delight us in the coming months and will refresh us during Crunchyroll's summer season (and with this heat, it's sorely needed). So why not do it with a story that bears some similarities to "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen, starring – precisely – a mermaid fascinated by the human world, or at least since she found a doll at the bottom of the ocean: a relic belonging to the world of bipeds. 

After all, what we witnessed was a preview of a completely original anime (in fact, there is no manga), conceived for the 15th anniversary of Kinema Citrus, the studio that gave birth to adaptations of Made in Abyss, The Rising of the Shield Hero (which we highly recommend, also dubbed in Italian) and Barakamon (a slice of life not to be underestimated).

The work behind "Sayonara Lara" must have taken a long time to produce, as it was shown to fans at Anime Central 2024, held in Chicago, Illinois: and it's well known that Americans particularly love anime, despite some incorrect pronunciations of Japanese terminology. 

Goodbye, Lara tells a simple but impactful story, with a '90s-style character design that seems to draw inspiration from the original description of the little mermaid. Despite everything, we won't be able to give you a complete view of Goodbye, Lara since we only watched the first episode, which serves as a prologue and stops at the moment Lara meets her new and future friend on land. 

A Mermaid Different from the Others

We are in 1777 at the bottom of the sea, the year and place where the mermaid princess comes into the world, none other than from a seashell. Her sisters were eagerly awaiting Lara's birth, she too destined to become a princess of light. The girl led a happy life, surrounded by the love of her father (the Sea King) and her sisters. But, unlike the others, Lara was curious about the outside world, the one beyond the oceans where humans live.

And one fine day, destiny decided to knock on her door: she fell in love with a human prince immediately after saving his life following a shipwreck. But the law of the seas has established rules and it is not permitted to interact with "mortals," considered despicable beings who contaminate the light of mermaids. However, the sea witch and Lara's aunt offered her a secret potion that would transform her into a human woman.

This concoction, alas, had undesirable effects: if she did not find true love, Lara would dissolve into a sea of bubbles. And just imagine: the feeling was neither pure nor authentic, which is why Lara vanished into the depths of the abyss. Until she suddenly reawakened, in a desolate world about 200 years later, discovering that all her family members had disappeared. And without revealing too many details, the girl is given a condition: to emerge from the shores of Lake Biwa (in Shiga Prefecture) and find true love. 

The episode concludes with a rather amusing scene: Lara is pushed out of the lake in a sort of geyser. Fortunately, Mari is nearby and stops the mermaid with a precise punch, but not before putting on her boxing gloves. As you may have guessed, the first episode didn't tell us much, laying the groundwork for the events that will unfold in subsequent episodes. And in reality, it's very difficult to draw conclusions and understand the narrative quality of Kinema Citrus's work as a whole.

Our First Impressions of Goodbye, Lara

It must be noted that the first episode ends exactly at the most exciting point, showing a bit of the exhilarating side typical (though not of all) Japanese anime. Just as we have been accustomed to with recent major productions, Goodbye, Lara wisely mixes fantasy with romance, with a dramatic vein that fuels this first taste of the series. Essentially, we found ourselves facing a modern reinterpretation of the little mermaid fairy tale that didn't leave much to the imagination: as we said, one episode is not enough.

However, the series seems to address profound themes, such as love and trust, but also a mermaid's dreams of abandoning the deep sea and embracing a pure and authentic love. And while telling this, the events also take on a lively tone, with altogether amusing moments (especially when little Lara "gobbles up" a small fish with her first cry). We also experience "failure," a love story without a happy ending, only to see Lara reborn in contemporary Japan: but to understand the developments, we will have to wait for the next episodes, which will be broadcast from July 5 on Crunchyroll (a new episode every Sunday).

As for the artistic choice, the Goodbye, Lara anime closely resembles the shojo genre, with some references to typical '90s animations. The color palettes appear bright and the character design seems so close to a "Disney-esque" style. Our hope is that this original series can attract more viewers in the West, demonstrating that Japanese anime are capable of telling stories that make the heart vibrate. 

We remain hopeful about the evolution of the story, which will see Lara moving through the Japanese streets, where she will be called to experience situations that could generate reflection and hilarity in the viewer.