Kinema Citrus, the same studio that brought us Made in Abyss and The Rising of the Shield Hero, has finally released new teaser footage and poster for the company’s upcoming The Little Mermaid adaptation, Goodbye, Lara. The studio initially announced the project in 2024, sharing the first teaser at Anime Central. The company also announced the light-hearted school anime, Ninja Skooler, alongside Goodbye, Lara. The two teasers for Goodbye, Lara evoke the classical Studio Ghibli feel, with bright colors, soft character designs, fluid animation, and mundane life within the fantastical. The original footage focused heavily on the storybook atmosphere of the tale, showing Lara slumbering within the pages of the classic Little Mermaid novel.
The first teaser features a mixture of Lara’s extraordinary life underwater and her normal life above ground with human legs. The underwater stuff features many classic Little Mermaid traits, including the evil sea witch and the undersea castle. The normal life parts are more contemporary, with Lara befriending a Japanese schoolgirl and meeting a charming blond boy. The new teaser is shorter, highlighting a few scenes in the series, including the iconic scene of the titular mermaid saving a drowned prince, the underwater castle, and Lara learning how to run. Goodbye, Lara is expected to release in 2026.
Why Is The Little Mermaid Important in Anime?
「私、愛してしまったの」
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『#さよならララ』
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2026年放送決定ティザーPV▼https://t.co/ikej6mTssq#さよララ #GoodbyeLara pic.twitter.com/nog2NCKL1S
— TVアニメ『さよならララ』公式
2026年放送決定 (@Goodbye_Lara) June 30, 2025
The Little Mermaid is one of those Western media that is fairly popular in Japan. Several prolific European and American stories have discovered great success in the country, including Alice in Wonderland and Anne of Green Gables. Classic fairytales like The Little Mermaid were always popular in Japan, with the iconic Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid anime film predating the more infamous Disney animated film by 14 years. However, Disney’s The Little Mermaid has become so ubiquitous with the fairy tale that the animated movie continues to influence more modern renditions of the story. The protagonist in Goodbye, Lara even has bright red hair just like Ariel in Disney’s film, a trait that wasn’t specified in the original Andersen story. The classic 1975 Little Mermaid anime film had the titular character as a blonde.
While the two teaser footage emphasizes the slice-of-life aspect of Lara, the poster and title hint at a darker undertone. The original Andersen story was a more somber story featuring a more tragic ending for the character, whereas the more iconic Disney film had a happier ending. The 1975 Little Mermaid anime film kept the more bittersweet ending. The Goodbye, Lara’s name suggests the main character will have to leave, and people have to say their farewells, which is similar to how the original story ended. The new official poster is a close-up on Lara’s eye as she sheds tears that shine like stars. It’s a much more dire image than what the anime is advertising as. Goodbye, Lara is being sold a fun, slice-of-life anime starring a mermaid who is learning how to live in the human world.
The title and poster hint at a sadder story, probably one closer to the original tale. This wouldn’t be the first time that Kinema Citrus tricked audiences with its marketing. The company notoriously advertised Made in Abyss as a much more lighthearted show than it became, making it one of the most somber yet still hopeful shows in the last ten years.
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