The new Crunchyroll series Goodbye, Lara, which debuted on July 6, offers a fresh take on Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale, The Little Mermaid. Unlike traditional retellings, Goodbye, Lara explores the aftermath of the fairy tale, positing what happens long after the prince and princess find their happily ever after. The story follows Lara, who fails to secure true love and fades into the sea. Two centuries later, she is resurrected in Japan's Lake Biwa, presented with a second chance to understand the true meaning of love.
Director Takushi Koide, known for his work on series like Yuri Kuma Arashi and Revue Starlight, aimed to blend the universally recognized narrative of The Little Mermaid with a distinctly local setting: Shiga Prefecture and Lake Biwa, his childhood home. Koide's background in fairy tale and folklore structuring has equipped him to deconstruct and reimagine a beloved classic.
This creative philosophy is vividly reflected in the series' art direction. Goodbye, Lara employs a visual language that deliberately recalls older anime productions. Although largely animated digitally, the series achieves a tactile quality often absent in contemporary anime. Thick outlines around characters, saturated colors, and expansive compositions of water and sky contribute to this effect. Lara's vibrant red hair and clothing stand out against the deep blues of her underwater environment, and scenes depicting her emergence into the night over Lake Biwa, illuminated by a yellow moon, resemble evocative storybook illustrations brought to life.
The animation itself is characterized by deliberate movement. Underwater sequences showcase Lara's hair and fins flowing with the currents, with seaweed and debris drifting naturally. Even subtle details, such as floating mirror shards and Lara's tears, are animated to move realistically through the water, emphasizing that the world actively moves with the character rather than merely existing behind her.
When the series highlights its animation, it prioritizes deliberate movement over sheer spectacle. An example is the boxing sequence in Episode 3, handled almost entirely by animator Hidehiko Sawada. By using a high volume of drawings rather than camera tricks, the scene achieves a raw, physical intensity, allowing viewers to feel the impact of each individual movement.
While much of Goodbye, Lara is digitally drawn, its opening sequence uniquely incorporates analog cel animation. These cel-animated segments are interspersed with digital work, their distinct, softer texture momentarily altering the image's feel. This approach demonstrates that the series does not need to perfectly replicate the production methods of older anime to evoke their appeal. Instead, it emphasizes that each frame can be treated as a work of art, blending classic anime visual language with contemporary digital tools and traditional cel animation as a textural element.
Director Koide and his team have emphasized that the production was created "by hand," eschewing heavy reliance on 3DCG or AI. This focus on human intention, rather than solely technological execution, resonates with a growing appreciation for animation that feels intentionally crafted. This sentiment echoes discussions with artists like Yoshitaka Amano, who suggest that traditional hand-drawn animation might feel novel to younger audiences accustomed to digital imagery. The crucial element, they argue, is the presence of the human hand guiding the creation, regardless of the specific tools used.
Goodbye, Lara ultimately succeeds by reinterpreting an old myth with a contemporary artistic sensibility, making it feel fresh and memorable. The series is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.