by Eleanor Walker, Okazu Staff Writer.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what would happen to The Little Mermaid if she was reincarnated in modern Japan, then Goodbye, Lara is the show for you. Even if you haven’t it’s still worth a watch. Produced by Kinema Citrus as a 15th anniversary project, and streaming both subbed and dubbed on Crunchyroll, the show is described as a modern interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid.
Episode 1 is mostly exposition and is set in the 1700s, under water in the mermaid kingdom. Lara is the youngest of her sisters, has been brought up as a member of the royal family and, like all mermaids, is supposed to believe that humans are beneath them. But as in the original, Lara falls in love with a human prince who she rescues from a burning shipwreck. She is imprisoned for this by her father and is then given an impossible choice by her aunt Grace, a sea witch who has been banished from the kingdom previously. Lara can either drink the mysterious potion to become human, but will dissolve into foam unless she finds true love. The prince rejects her when she transforms back into a mermaid and she is sent back to her kingdom, which to her horror she discovers is in ruins as a result of her foolishness. Grace reappears and Lara is sent to the modern world via Lake Biwa, and is immediately punched by a girl walking nearby.
Episodes 2 and 3 are about Lara adjusting to the modern world. The girl is named Mari, and she is a national champion boxer who trains at her school boxing club. Grace has reappeared in the body of Mari’s pet fish and is affectionately called Gon-chan by Mari. She acts as a mentor to Lara and keeps her out of the worst trouble. Lara is focused only on the fact that she must find her true love in order to reawaken her family below the sea. We also learn that Lara’s sister Lisa and a mysterious figure known as Kota are also in the modern world. Lara goes to school with Mari and begins to learn about love from the other people around her.
Yuri wise, there’s not a lot going on in these first episodes but the signs are there if you want to see them. At first Mari seems annoyed by Lara’s naivety but she definitely starts to care more for her as time goes on. The show makes a big deal about the fact that Lara is looking for her prince, but what if her prince was right beside her all along? I hope the show’s creators are brave enough to take it in that direction.
The art and animation are nothing to write home about. The character designs have a kind of early 2000s/Rumiko Takahashi vibe which I quite enjoyed.
Overall, I will keep watching but this is definitely one of those shows where the yuri is subtle rather than in your face.
Ratings:
Art – 7
Story – 6
Characters – 7
Service – 0
Yuri – 2
Overall – 6
