KADOKAWA Reveals 'Goodbye, Lara' With First PV and U.S. Premiere Plans

KADOKAWA has officially revealed its original anime project, “Goodbye, Lara,” which is scheduled to premiere in July 2026 as part of Kinema Citrus’s 15th anniversary celebration.

Alongside the announcement, the studio released the main promotional video (PV), providing audiences with their first look at the world of “Goodbye, Lara,” realized through vivid animation and layered storytelling.

Main Promotional Video

The PV introduces Lara (VA: Hana Hishikawa), a mermaid princess who reemerges in modern-day Shiga Prefecture after 200 years beneath the water. There, she meets Mari Otsu (VA: Nana Kawaishi), a high school student and boxer. The two begin a journey shaped by friendship and personal growth, gradually uncovering deeper truths about themselves and their intertwined destinies.

Beneath the playful exchanges between the characters, the narrative shifts back two centuries. Lara wrestles with uncertainty, questioning, “I don’t understand… Are humans truly such ugly creatures?” After receiving a forbidden potion from Grace, a heretical witch, Lara pursues her longing for “true love.”

Her path leads her to Luca, a boy who resembles the prince she once cherished. The story explores Lara’s internal struggle, her yearning, and the emotional weight of past choices, laying the groundwork for a poignant tale centered on love, sacrifice, and redemption.

The series carefully renders everyday settings, such as a neighborhood supermarket aisle, a railroad crossing, and the quiet streets of Shiga Prefecture, with remarkable detail.

These grounded, familiar backdrops contrast sharply with the extraordinary presence of Lara, the mermaid princess, and Mari, the determined high school boxer. The juxtaposition between the ordinary and the fantastical strengthens the emotional tone of the series.

Set against the scenic beauty of Shiga’s landscapes, the anime delicately captures the nuanced feelings of its cast. It signals the beginning of a powerful yet bittersweet story focused on the pursuit of “true love.” The blending of mundane daily life with magical elements deepens the narrative’s emotional resonance.

Anime Central, in collaboration with KADOKAWA, Newtype, and Kinema Citrus, will host the U.S. premiere of Episode 1 ahead of its official July 2026 streaming launch.

Attendees will have the opportunity to view the episode on the big screen and participate in a special session featuring Director Takushi Koide, KADOKAWA Producer Sayaka Ueda, and Deputy Editor Momoko Hatooka as guest speakers.

Sayaka Ueda

Sayaka Ueda is an anime producer whose professional background spans both journalism and production. After graduating from university, she began her career as a news reporter at Kansai Television in Osaka before transitioning to KADOKAWA.

She has worked as Assistant Producer on “Uncle from Another World,” “Delicious in Dungeon,” and “Made in Abyss,” and served as Producer on “Overtake!,” “Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again,” “The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor,” and “I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History.” Her forthcoming projects include “Goodbye, Lara,” “Kusunoki’s Garden of Gods,” “Bride of the Barrier Master,” and “Rebuild World.”

Momoko Hatooka

Momoko Hatooka is the Deputy Editor of Newtype, one of Japan’s leading anime publications under KADOKAWA. With extensive experience in anime journalism, she oversees the development of features, interviews, and editorial content that capture the shifting dynamics of anime culture and fandom.

Takushi Koide

Takushi Koide is an animator and director affiliated with Kinema Citrus, recognized for his visually compelling and emotionally grounded work. He previously served as Assistant Director on “Revue Starlight” and directed the opening animation as well as a key episode of “Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun.”

In 2026, Koide made his directorial debut with “Goodbye, Lara,” an original animated film and the first fully original project announced by Kinema Citrus. Notably, the project was initially showcased at Anime Central, making Koide’s return in 2026 particularly significant.

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, there was a mermaid princess named Lara.
She grew up loved by her father, the King of the Sea, and her sisters.
One day, Lara fell in love with a human prince living on land.
It was a forbidden love, not permitted in the world of mermaids.
Even so, Lara set out for the surface.
She drank a potion given to her by the witch Grace and took on a human form.
However, it was a taboo potion.
Unless she found “true love,” she would turn into bubbles and disappear.
Though she was a mermaid princess, Lara desired love with a human.
But her wish did not come true, and she turned into bubbles and disappeared into the sea.
200 years later.
After a long passage of time, the mermaid princess Lara is revived in Lake Biwa.
This time, to find “true love”…

Series Overview:

“Goodbye, Lara” is an original anime project created to celebrate Kinema Citrus’s 15th anniversary. The studio is widely known for titles such as “Made in Abyss,” “My Happy Marriage,” “The Rising of the Shield Hero,” and “Revue Starlight.”

Drawing inspiration from the classic fairy tale “The Little Mermaid,” the series reinterprets the story within a modern Japanese context.

Director Takushi Koide, who hails from Shiga Prefecture, makes his directorial debut with this production.

Staff: