Goodbye, Lara

Goodbye, Lara is an original anime, which means it is not based on a manga or novel. The studio Kinema Citrus made it to celebrate its 15th anniversary. This studio is known for shows like Made in Abyss, My Happy Marriage, and The Rising of the Shield Hero. The series aired 12 episodes from July 6 to September 21, 2026, on Tokyo MX and other channels. It streams on Crunchyroll, with an English dub released on the same day. Takushi Koide directed it. This was his first time as a director. Anna Kawahara wrote the series story, Shiori Tani designed the characters, and Yuma Yamaguchi composed the music.

The show is a modern new take on the old fairy tale The Little Mermaid. In the classic tale, a mermaid princess falls in love with a human prince. Mermaids are not allowed to love humans, but she follows her heart anyway. She drinks a potion from a witch named Grace and gets human legs. The magic has a harsh rule. If she cannot find real love, she will turn into foam on the sea and disappear.

In this anime, that old story is only the beginning. Two hundred years later, the mermaid princess Lara wakes up again. This time she is not in the ocean. She is in Lake Biwa, the biggest lake in Japan, in Shiga Prefecture. The director grew up in Shiga, so the lake setting is personal to him. Lara has been given one more chance. She must find true love, and the fate of her fallen mermaid kingdom also depends on it.

Lara knows nothing about modern life. Phones, cars, school, and city streets are all new to her. She gets help from Mari Otsu, a high school girl from Shiga who does boxing. Mari is tough and down to earth, and she teaches Lara how humans live today. Their friendship is at the center of the show. Grace, the sea witch who set Lara's test, is also nearby, hiding in the form of Mari's pet fish. Grace has her own sad history with humans. Lisa, Lara's older sister, is also searching for her.

The story asks what true love really means. Is it only romance with a prince, or can it be friendship, family, or caring for yourself? The mix of a fairy tale princess and an everyday Japanese town gives the show both a magical and a down-to-earth feeling. It blends fantasy, drama, romance, and some funny moments as Lara learns about the human world. It is a good choice for viewers who enjoy fairy tales retold in new ways.