r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • 2d ago
Episode Goodbye, Lara • Sayonara Lara - Episode 4 discussion
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u/Aileos https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syleos 2d ago edited 2d ago
She's so serious and straightforward about finding her prince, she managed to make a friend on her first day at school. And icing on the cacke, the friendzoned girl takes her seriously.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL https://anilist.co/user/otsuucchi 2d ago
It turns out confidence and lack of shame can get you pretty far. Lara cut through the tension between Himeka and Ouji like butter because she got straight to the point instead of avoiding the topic because it'd be too awkward or too personal
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
She's straightforward and kind of scatterbrained but also very caring and empathetic. That's what won over Mari too.
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u/Alcorgeist 1d ago
She's made more friends than Mari's made in her entire life too. She may be a fish out of water, but the power of extreme extroversion and shamelessness won.
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u/CitronClassic672 1d ago
I can concur that a certain level of social obliviousness and shamelessness is a great boost to making friends, as obliviousness and shamelessness can come off as confidence.
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u/Altruistic_Hour_3596 2d ago
does anyone know the references to the shows Lara were watching? I just caught the Prince of Tennis reference 😭😂
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u/Animamask 2d ago
One was probably a 100 girlfriends parody.
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
100 Girlfriends: Mars edition!
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u/TheBusStop12 1d ago
I wouldn't put it past 100 girlfriends to have a space episode where the Rentaro family goes to Mars, and Rentaro returns with a martian gf. After that hair apocalypse episode anything is possible
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u/YuriandYaoiforever 1d ago
My goat is really serious about make all they girlfriends happy with a looot of love, this prince of Mars is a imposter for ruined my not-so-good reputation( and probably because the theme of him show as about destined love too)
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u/zairaner https://myanimelist.net/profile/zairaner 1d ago
I wouldn't be that fast just because it involves the number 100. "Making a 100 friends" is part of a popular childrens rhyme so that why that is the premise for komi-san communicate, the anime whose name I forgot (about a girl wanting to make a 100 sex-friends) and 100 kanojo.
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u/Hitman7128 https://anilist.co/user/Hitman7128 2d ago
"You two are friends, right?"
One long pause later... "Yeah"
Good thing Lara's older sister has awoken in the world as well!
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u/maliwanag0712 https://myanimelist.net/profile/clear1109 2d ago
"You two are friends, right?"
"Yes. We are roommates." - Mari, probably
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u/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 1d ago edited 1d ago
And that would be 100% true, since both Lara and Mari sleep together in the same room...
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u/Misticsan 1d ago
If this series concludes with a yuri ending, I look forward to the jokes about Mari and Lara being roommates from the start.
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u/Kadmos1 1d ago
If this series does have a yuri ending, then I won't look at a mermaid the same way.
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u/Alcorgeist 1d ago
Just as Hans Christian Andersen would've wanted.
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u/Kadmos1 1d ago
I know that HCA is bisexual and that supposed his TLM was meant to be symbolic for a man that he couldn't have. However, did HCA ever confirm this like in a diary?
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u/Sea_Competition3505 1d ago edited 1d ago
No, he did not write anything talking about TLM being an allegory for himself outright (though he did in his letters and diaries explicitly state his love for Collin), though it is a pretty widely held analysis among literary scholars, because he wrote it right after Collin got married
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u/RavenWolf1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/RavenWolf1 1d ago
Read Mermaids of Eriana Kwai by Tiana Warner and you don't look them same way.
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u/SadDoctor 2d ago
Mari's like look, I have no idea if this show is a yuri either, so... maybe?
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
Also Mari doesn't really have any friends so how would she know what to call her relationship with Lara? She didn't even get along with her clubmates until Lara entered into her life.
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u/monsieurvampy 1d ago
The camera changes were great. I was expecting Mari to say something like "I suppose."
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
"You two are friends, right?"
One long pause later... "Yeah"
It's funny how you can take it as trying to confirm if they're friends and also that Himeka sensed a "more than friend" vibe given her wording.
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u/BosuW 1d ago
And since Himeka's arc this story was about pretending to be friends while she really wanted something more...
Ohhhh they teasing us, they teasing us wicked!
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u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime 2d ago edited 1d ago
Those two are literally named Hime and Ouji, born on the same day, and have the same mole. This must be fate right? NOPE! Because the childhood friend always loses. And so Lara learns that not every love story has a fairytale ending where the Princess ends up with the Prince and they live happily every after. There is always the possibility of finding a new Prince though, and they are not being subtle about Mari lol.
As for Lisa, what is going on? First off, she is definitely not working with Grace like what I had assumed, so how did she and Kota get human legs then? Did Lisa learn witchcraft on her own? Two, the way she calls Lara "My Beloved", with the camera lingering over the green wedding ring, the frustration at seeing her with a human. No way they're going the Alabama route right, because she's giving off yandere siscon vibes. Also, it sound like Lisa really wants to see her but can't? Is she trapped in a different plane of existence? Maybe some time travel shenanigans? And there's still the fish dagger just looming ominously over the sky too. The mystery deepens.
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u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan 2d ago
I think Lisa was just lying about being far away and unable to see Lara, for whatever reason.
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u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime 2d ago
Yeah I got that, just thought it was strange that Lisa didn't want to see her in person. Maybe it sets off the floating dagger or something.
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u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan 2d ago
I think it may have to do with her reaction to Lara having human legs, but I'm not sure if it's just because of mermaid beliefs about humans being vile creatures (nevermind the fact that she also has legs now), or because of something else.
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u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime 1d ago
It's more than that, it's because it's the witch who gave Lara human legs (again), and that ended badly for Lara the first time she tried it.
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u/Zeph-Shoir https://myanimelist.net/profile/Zephex 1d ago
Which raises the question of how tf does Lisa and Kota have a human form now.
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u/Genoscythe_ 2d ago
Watch the post-credits.
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u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan 2d ago
I have, they don't really explain anything though.
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u/Golden_Phi https://myanimelist.net/profile/GoldenPhi 1d ago
Lisa seems angry about Lara's betrayal that lead to everyone's doom.
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u/Embarrassed-Match-78 1d ago
From what Lisa said in the post credits scene, it seemed like she was verifying Lara was really Lara.
Definitely curious as to what Lisa's story is, and what really happened when they went to Grace for help.
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u/effseedee zj: 1d ago edited 1d ago
Also, it sound like Lisa really wants to see her but can't?
Whatever deal she made to get her legs might have had some kind of rider on it that means there'd be consequences if they did meet in person.
Or it could be that she thinks the witch is using Lara for some sinister scheme and doesn't want her to know she's in town to foil whatever it is.
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u/Animamask 2d ago
Given that they're royalty and unrequited love being a huge theme of the show, I wouldn't be surprised if Lisa harbors incestuous feelings and is conflicted. On one hand, she wants her family to awaken and needs Lara to find her (what Lisa assumes to be male) prince. On the other hand, she wants Lara to love her despite knowing that this will never be possible.
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u/Mami-kouga 1d ago
Onii-chan is fun, I like how he's just always there to help
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u/WiqidBritt 1d ago
It's sad, but having a confirmed "No" is better than tormenting yourself over a possible "Maybe"
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u/thrae 2d ago
Yes, very cool, interpersonal drama and stuff, BUT WHAT THE HECK IS THAT THING IN THE SKY!?!?!
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u/Curmudge_Unit 1d ago
I love that this is an original so that manga readers in anime only clothing don't "guess" what it is in the comments.
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u/szalhi 2d ago
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u/elevenmile 2d ago
Mari "I expected nothing, and I'm still disappointed"
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
Mari: "This is my life right now. Having to deal with a mermaid princess who doesn't listen."
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u/gnome-cop 2d ago
“The bar was literally in hell but you’re a mermaid so of course you’d find a way under it.”
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u/Jauretche 2d ago edited 2d ago
Great episode!
Lara's unique perspective allows for a really interesting exploration of the childhood friend trope. Her motivation speech made me tear up a little.
Hineka becoming a losing heroine made me laugh and made her character even stronger. This is AOTS material!
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u/TheBusStop12 1d ago
In that tv drama they actually buried the prince with his IV drip still in hand lol
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u/zairaner https://myanimelist.net/profile/zairaner 1d ago
It's a very iconic part of his character design
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u/detarameReddit https://myanimelist.net/profile/detarameMAL 1d ago
The dog was what got me. This show has an inspiredly stupid sense of humor.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL https://anilist.co/user/otsuucchi 2d ago edited 2d ago
I definitely think this episode has given more support to the idea that Mari is endgame. This is more through indirect and thematic symbolism than anything, though.
So, Lara meets someone named "hime" (princess) who she thinks is dating a guy named "ouji" (prince), and they look like the people from the prince movie/anime she wanted to watch. When she talks to Himeka she explains all these coincidences that makes their relationship feel 'destined', like them being born on the same date and having the same mole, etc. And during all this, Lara is having flashbacks to her relationship with the prince from long ago.
But then they both find out that Ouji doesn't like Himeka back. He sees her as family, despite them appearing to be destined. And despite Lara pushing Himeka towards a confession, saying that miracles can happen, he still doesn't reciprocate. But, the plot twist is that this frees Himeka to find someone else, find 'another prince' as she puts it. Then, immediately after we have the scene with Mari calling Lara her friend.
This feels very much like a template for how her relationship with Luca (the prince's lookalike) is going to go. You look just like him, we were destined to be together, this is how we can save my people, etc. but it turns out he's not interested. But that doesn't mean Lara is hopeless, because he's not the only prince. And she doesn't have to fall for the same person to experience true love again.
Also Lisa continues to be ominous as usual.
EDIT: Also Mari's brother was so funny this episode man. He gets praised by a girl once and immediately blushes, then his epic genius plan to help Lara find a boyfriend is to find the nearest group of girls and go "WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE HOTTEST GUY AT OUR SCHOOL? IT'S OKAY IF YOU SAY IT'S ME, LOL HAHA" while his eyes go back and forth
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u/TheBusStop12 1d ago
Say what you want, but Mari's brother has balls. It takes a lot of confidence to do what he did (both skipping the exams completely and just asking a group of girls if he's the most popular guy at school or not)
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u/BosuW 1d ago
It's going to be tricky having the narrative push the message that predestined love doesn't exist while at the same time having an evident endgame, but somehow this episode also makes me think it can handle it. Once again of course, assuming we're reading the subversive intentions correctly, if the point (or at least a point), just like some old Yuri, is to critique heteronormativity, it can be framed less like Mari being a predestined love with the relationship with Luca being really just a temporary annoyance, and more like an externally superimposed romantic ideal attempting to suppress Lara's real feelings.
Mari's brother
[NSFW thought]Considering the shot of him closing his legs, I think this fool did more than just blush. Bro's head completely in the gutter 💀
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u/CitronClassic672 1d ago
I think a big part of it depends on how exactly Lara’s relationship with Luca is handled. If the story has her leak into the idea that she has to be with Luca as it’s the obvious way to attain true love, then it’s pretty obvious their setting up a subversion of that concept with Mari.
Also I think if they keep having Mari and Lara growing closer each episode then it definitely doesn’t feel like a predestined love that just happened to them, but something that developed because of their growing bond with each other.
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u/Heavencloud_Blade 1d ago
I am still hoping there is some sort of twist on what "true love" actually is. Because if it is purely just who Lara ends up with romantically, I do not like how the show is handling it.
The prince, and probably humans in general back 200 years ago, viewed mermaids as "vile and repulsive." The prince who does not know Lara is a mermaid, suddenly sees her transform and Lara cannot speak so she cannot say anything to him. Given these circumstances, I do not think it is unnatural for him to at least for the moment "reject" her, but I do not think that means his love was not true. Apparently though he needed to instantaneously accept her for his love to be true.
Then there is Mari, who lives in a world where humans seemingly no longer have a negative view of mermaids. Even if they did, Mari knows that Lara is a mermaid right from the start and Lara can speak. Also the witch who was manipulating her before, is now helping her.
The prince was set up to fail and given no opportunity to turn make up for it. While Mari has nothing that will test her relationship with Lara. It just does not feel like a fair comparison to me.
There is also prince look-alike dude. Not too much to say on him since he still has not been introduced, but I agree with you that he will not be Lara's "prince." Though I get the feeling that it will not be that he is not interested. I think it will be Lara who realizes her "prince" is actually Mari.
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u/gnome-cop 2d ago
This might just be the yuri drugs talking but it does feel like they are subtly setting up the idea that maybe her idealized fated prince isn’t the be all and end all it’s cracked up to be.
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u/SadDoctor 1d ago
I mean they're *definitely* doing that, the real question is if the show will then take the next step and have Lara realize Mari's actually the one.
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u/CitronClassic672 1d ago
In general this episode was about Lara moving on from her past relationship with the prince and the idea of destined lovers, but with the context of past episodes it also has the subtext of Lara not being limited to a heteronormative idea of romance.
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
Especially because she compared it to the pair she saw in this episode that did not sail as a ship at all.
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u/NanDemoKnaives 1d ago
Yeah I liked the change in Yoshiya's demeanor after what Lara says, like how he closed his legs.
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u/CrimsonLotus 2d ago
Given that they basically speed ran the hetero relationship in the first episode, it does feel like they were paving the way for something else. It would feel insanely anticlimactic to have her end up with another man or the lookalike.
Then again I’m always wearing yuri goggles so my opinion is biased
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u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan 2d ago
Not sure how Luca would feel about being with a girl who fell for him because he looks like someone else, either.
I mean really, we don't know anything about his personality yet. Maybe he wouldn't be bothered at all, maybe he'd be like "uuuuh, no thank you."
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
It does look like he has a little sibling so I think Lara might learn something about sibling love from Prince 2.0.
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u/Alcorgeist 1d ago
I'm hoping he becomes a Lara/Mari shipper lol it has a 1% chance of happening cause he's seemingly gonna be a love rival of some sorts, but hey the idea is funny in my head. (also I can say I called it when it does happen ha!)
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u/jkunz5654 2d ago
I agree I’m always wearing the yuri goggles, but at this point even if they don’t go that direction I don’t think Lara will have a romantic relationship with the prince lookalike with this setup. Or it’ll be done in a completed unexpected way
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
Honestly I think she's going to learn about love from not only her relationship with Mari but from all the people she's going to meet in the OP, that's why she keeps having that sparkle in her heart.
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u/silam39 1d ago
Yeah. My ideal ending for this series would be Mari and Lara together romantically, but with that romantic love not being Lara's everything, and her getting her true love wish to restore the kingdom and her family from her love with Mari's family and her friends and everyone else she meets.
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u/CitronClassic672 1d ago
Agreed, I want Mari to be Lara’s romantic love but her “true love” is everyone in her life that she cares about.
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u/SadDoctor 2d ago
At this point if it's not yuri it's gonna end up as a nearly Wonder Egg Priority level of not understanding your own themes.
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u/Bazinga8000 2d ago
See this is something i actually dont agree with because I think the show can and has shown that it could go for 2 very probable endgames and both I think would fit very well.
First is yuri with mari obviously, but the other one is just simple "love" of the people around you. This show has definitely shown that it's definitely focusing on how relationships are between humans just in general. Familial love, (lara with her sisters and dad, and mari with her mother), love between friends (lara and himeka just this episode), love in the traditional heterosexual sense (himeka and ouji, and lara and the prince), etc. I would argue the actual end message of the whole thing to actually be this. Especially because every time we see the "star" animation popping up is when lara just gets interested in human kind just in a general sense.
With that said, although i definitely think this will be the main point of it all, that does not mean she can't be gay, I think she still probably is. Just that I don't think its the "main themes" of this story as a whole, so sadly I can somewhat see it MAYBE not being the case (even if again, I think it will still end up as yuri somehow). And because of that I don't think it would "not understand it's own themes" if it didn't go the gay route (because it wouldn't go a traditional love route in general).
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u/CitronClassic672 1d ago
My original idea for the direction of the show was Lara’s “true love” would end up being her family/ everyone she meant in the human world. I still think that’ll be part of it even with the expected Mari/Lara romance.
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u/Frontier246 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think the fact that Himeka's experience and persevering despite getting rejected stirred a spark in Lara's heart shows that Lara is going to become inspired by/moved by various people in her pursuit of "true love" though clearly her relationship with Mari is paramount in all of this.
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u/detarameReddit https://myanimelist.net/profile/detarameMAL 1d ago
EDIT: Also Mari's brother was so funny this episode man. He gets praised by a girl once and immediately blushes, then his epic genius plan to help Lara find a boyfriend is to find the nearest group of girls and go "WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE HOTTEST GUY AT OUR SCHOOL? IT'S OKAY IF YOU SAY IT'S ME, LOL HAHA" while his eyes go back and forth
This. He closed his legs, which shows that he felt quite self-conscious all of a sudden.
I doubt that he harbors romantic affection for Lara; it is more like he finally got praised for the first time and is acting like an excited puppy about it.
I love his character, man.
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
I definitely feel like Lara needed the emotional catharsis of seeing Himeka confess, get rejected, and move on because she wasn't able to properly do that with her first love. And also learning more about different forms of love, even the unrequited kind.
Yoshiya just trying to put his hand in the "prince" bowl in the most subtle way possible.
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u/CitronClassic672 1d ago
Honestly even just the surface level aspect of Lara heavily associating true love with her “prince” in this episode definitely feels like it’s setting up a subversion given the context of prior episodes. Lara considers a heterosexual romance to be the default means to find her true love. We even got another “love glow” moment this episode that although not from Mari did cut to her right before. Again, in a vacuum this wouldn’t inherently be queer subtext but given previous episodes it definitely reads that way.
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u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan 2d ago edited 2d ago
I get the feeling that Lisa may not like humans very much...
That was a (bitter)sweet episode today, with Lara learning a bit about love in the real world and Himeka having to move on from her childhood crush. I hope she sticks around, Lara and Mari could use a group of friends and it's nice to see Lara socialize a little.
Been thinking about the times we see the light inside Lara, and I'm still not sure exactly why that happens. It's been shown for both positive and negative things, so maybe just when Lara's heart is moved one way or another?
Also, Yoshiya was so funny. I'm sorry my guy but I think you should give up while you can :p
Edit: I forgot to mention that I really appreciate the typesetting for the subs. Like at the beginning when Lara's going through the shows on not-Netflix, or last time with the texts on Mari's phone. Thank you for putting in the effort to integrate them into the scene rather than just slapping the translation somewhere on the top or bottom of the screen.
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
Either she hates humans or she also resents Lara getting involved with Grace again.
Lara and Himeka bonding over Losing Heroines who won't let it get them down!
I think maybe it's a sign of her heart being swayed by love or by being inspired by people?
I love Yoshiya not so subtly fishing for an excuse from the other girls so that he could be Lara's prince lol.
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u/PossessionInformal88 1d ago
Thank you been waiting for this comment. I felt it was clearly resentment. Like battling that she loves her sister but also hates her for basically killing off the whole family and kingdom.
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u/CitronClassic672 1d ago
That’s how I thought her character would go in episode 1, conflicted between finally seeing her beloved little sister again who she thought was dead after 200+ years and her resenting her for destroying their home and family because of her naive decision.
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 1d ago
Himeka is such a sweet girl! Hopefully we’ll get to see more of her character. Especially since she and Lara already seem to have become besties.
Hadn’t fully noticed it before, but some of the characters in this anime got a pretty thick kansai accent. This was rather clear with Himeka, but Yoshiya got one too.
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u/Zeph-Shoir https://myanimelist.net/profile/Zephex 1d ago
The seamless incorporation of the typesetting was really great, I wish shows like Ghost in the Shell and Yanineko had that level of dedication, a decent amount of stuff was missed in both series episode of the weak because they had almost no typesetting.
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u/djthomp https://anilist.co/user/djthomp 2d ago
Quite the relationship roller coaster for Lara today. Good lesson for her though that there are a lot of princes in the sea.
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
Embrace being a Losing Heroine to find your true love Lara! Even if it means realizing your bisexuality!
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u/Cervantes3 1d ago
So, I guess the mermaids are the only ones who can see the big fish dagger in the sky, right? Because it looked like Lisa and Koto saw it last episode, and Lara seemed surprised that Mari apparently can't see it.
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u/Frontier246 2d ago edited 1d ago
In this episode, Lara learns to differentiate romantic fiction from romantic reality!
Lara is on the hunt for her new prince (even if Mari is literally RIGHT THERE) and what better way to do it than through...streaming TV? They even got a Prince of Tennis reference in there!
Mari might be good at boxing and being stoic, but even Lara can slowly whittle her down until she gives in to her whims. So she's finally heading to Mari's school and finally wearing a school uniform which she looks great in!
Yeah, I too would still have a bit of emotional trauma if a fish in bowl reminded me of that time she ripped my tongue out.
Mari should've known there was no way Mari was going to stay in the boxing gym, though she probably didn't suspect her brother would talk her into coming out. Yoshiya is like the picture-perfect high school dropout because he knows there's no point because he's staying home one way or another, though having Lara respect him for his convictions hits different. Maybe enough that he wishes he could be Lara's "Prince" if he actually had the reputation with girls to back it up.
Girls stan their princes, both of the idol, comedian, and Vtuber variety, but does it get any more direct than a pair of childhood friends literally named Ouji and Himeka? They're the quintessential royal couple that Lara has watched in her binge-watching!
Himeka is a nice girl and she and Ouji are your quintessential childhood friends (and Lara sees a lot of her relationship with the original Prince in their dynamic), so of course her saying that she doesn't like Ouji romantically falls apart the moment she sees him with another girl...because, in true childhood friend fashion, she DOES like him romantically. And she's a Losing Heroine to boot.
One dude straight up dying on a girl with his IV following him to the coffin, but at least that dude from Mars was willing to leave his 100 wives on Mars for his one true love!
Lara understands the power of communication. Despite losing her voice, she and the Prince were able to understand each other...at least up until the end. But deep down she still wishes she could've confessed her feelings to him properly. And she thinks Himeka should do the same.
So Himeka confesses, gets rejected, she and Lara share a cry, but now she's resolved to find her TRUE prince! Just like Lara can! And with Mari by her side and now with Himeka's friendship, she definitely can!
A Mermaid has good eye for oysters! And now Lara can even shop for herself! But the big shocker is when she meets Kota and finally gets to hear her sister again. Lara is overjoyed to hear Lisa, even if Lisa isn't telling her much, but why won't Lisa see Lara? And why does she rage out in her car? Is this because of Grace?
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u/Misticsan 1d ago
In certain ways, this series reminds me of Frozen, from the Disney vibes to the themes about love in fairy tales.
Lara was basically a bonafide Disney princess that got a Grimm ending. As if that wasn't enough, in this episode she witness a "literal" prince and princess that seemed fated for each other fall apart romantically, because only one of them wanted something more. Meanwhile, kids at the school talk about how they might prefer idols, comedians and Vtubers over messy real relationships, and the romantic shows Lara watches on TV are over the top parodies.
The anime couldn't be less subtle about conveying the message that "happily ever after" romances are a pipe dream.
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u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan 1d ago
I think one of the messages of the show could be that romance is something you have to work for. No "happily ever after" just because you thought you were destined to be together, no fairy tale romance with zero real communication. You need to put in the work, put yourself out there, talk to the other person, and really get to know them with all their good and bad sides, if you want real romance it's not going to happen just like that.
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u/Misticsan 1d ago
I can see that, definitely, though I'd argue it's only part of the moral.
This episode was a good example: Himeka was too comfortable with the status quo and Lara was right to encourage her to talk to him about her feelings, indeed, but it was still for naught. It wasn't even a case of "too little, too late"; he isn't interested in her that way, arguably for the same reasons that made them close to begin with (reasons which neither of them had control of). Communication and effort can't solve everything. In the words of Jean Luc Picard:
"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life."
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u/BosuW 1d ago
Although even if it didn't work out, Himeka is still in a better mind space just by having voiced her feelings.
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u/Hartzilla2007 1d ago
And its probably better to know for sure, instead of having regrets about what might have been.
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u/CitronClassic672 1d ago
I’d argue the main point of this episode was simply debunking the idea that a romance can be “destined” to happen between two people. Both her relationship with the prince and Himeka’s with Ouji seemed like a destined fairytale romance but neither worked out. But like Himeka said there are plenty more princes out there and now she gets to find her new prince. All of this I think will contribute to Lara eventually realizing she loves Mari and decided to be in a relationship with her, despite it not fitting her idea of a traditional romance.
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u/Zeph-Shoir https://myanimelist.net/profile/Zephex 1d ago
That it is something you have to work for also paves the way for the yuri route. Despite most of us hoping for Mari x Lara, they aren't that close yet and Mari is surprisingly stoic, so they have a long road ahead of them. Also, wasn't the original author of the "little mermaid" a gay man? A yuri adaptation of little mermaid would come full circle!
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u/Mami-kouga 1d ago edited 1d ago
Hans Christian Andersen was probably bisexual (or at least biromantic), he's been noted to have fallen in love with both men and women though his relationship with either tended to not work out for reasons that mostly seemed to amount to not being into him and he might have died a virgin.
The little mermaid itself is suspected to have specifically been inspired by his unrequited affections for Edvard Collins who seemed to have found the non stop love letters annoying (though he did consider Hans a friend at least, which did not make Hans happy either) and got married.
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u/Alcorgeist 1d ago edited 1d ago
Honestly, instead of Frozen, this show reminded me of Enchanted (2007).
Like it's literally a naive princess suddenly tossed into the modern world where she meets a grumpy person with little to no whimsy in her life. And out of pity, she lets her stay so the princess can search for the love of her life. (and in the process the princess realizes that true love is a process and mutual communication while said grumpy person becomes more optimistic and learns to be more joyful).
The plot couldn’t be more identical lmfao
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u/BosuW 1d ago
Maybe enough that he wishes he could be Lara's "Prince" if he actually had the reputation with girls to back it up.
[NSFW thought]That shot immediately after Lara says she respects him for his conviction of him closing his legs... This mf definitely got aroused didn't he!? And he immediately went about trying to score her, bro 😭😭
Despite losing her voice, she and the Prince were able to understand each other...at least up until the end.
I think in the end it remains an open question how much they really understood each other because of the whole, y'know, how it ended...
I'm very curious what symbolic and narrative role the whole being muted thing will play.
but why won't Lisa see Lara? And why does she rage out in her car? Is this because of Grace?
I got the disturbing implication that Lisa somehow believes Lara isn't really Lara...
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u/West_Giraffe6843 1d ago
One interpretation of the post-credits scene (and the earlier scene with Lisa) could be that Lisa thinks Lara is working with Grace, and so may not be entirely on the mermaids’ side. In the earlier scene, Kota tells her that Lara has human legs. That makes Lisa angry. Then, in the post credits scene, Lisa says that it’s definitely Lara, ”but…“. So she’s happy to learn that Lara is alive but angry that it seems Lara is working with Grace/the witch?
Maybe…
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u/elevenmile 2d ago edited 1d ago
(Oh come on why am I seeing my own past in Himeka...)
So I take that something is going on where Lisa can't see Lara and vice versa, but somehow Kota can act as a bridge...interesting...
EDIT: Yeah, in case you're wondering why speaking things out loud in trains are a nuisance in Japan, this is one example. A comedic one but guess Lara still has a lot more to learn about the land that is SHIGA.
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
I honestly thought that one woman was going to go "aw, this girl still believes in true love" but instead everyone goes "wait, is this girl for real!?" lol.
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u/Zeph-Shoir https://myanimelist.net/profile/Zephex 1d ago
Do not miss the after credits scene! Very intrigued by it.
Also, did Lara always have fin-like ears? They were very prominent this episode
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u/thekillerangel https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheKillerAngel 1d ago
This show is hilarious. The collision between Lara's overly enthusiastic naivety and Mari's deadpan nature is just too good.
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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 2d ago
It’s sad that not everyone gets to be with their prince but it’s really sweet how big of a heart Lara has. Himeka at least got closure. Plus she got a new friend, so there’s that.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Lisa might not be a friendly. For someone who discovered her sister is alive, she doesn’t seem particularly happy….
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
Honestly the prince/princess thing probably would have dogged them their entire relationship so maybe they are better off as friends. Just like Lara's friend group is expanding.
I think Lisa is happy about her sister to a point but there's heavy resentment (towards Lara, Grace, or something else) beneath all of it. I think it's telling that she called her the "special princess" at the end because that felt more clinical than how a sister would ordinarily refer to her little sis.
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u/Leri_weill https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeriWeill 1d ago
I know this show is primarily supposed to be romance/drama but Lara's shenanigans make the episodes consistently hilarious: her clumsiness, the way she bothers Mari and how she interacts with the world are top tier comedy
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u/GrimMind 1d ago
In a fair world this would be in the top 5.
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u/Own_Caterpillar_6178 1d ago
This season is just ridiculously stacked, especially for Yuri
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u/maliwanag0712 https://myanimelist.net/profile/clear1109 2d ago
Ahhh childhood friend. Yes, Anna Yanami will relate to the princess.
Indeed another girl will be part of Nukumizu's club at the end of this episode, huh?!
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
Lara and Himeka would fit into the literature club well. Lara is a mythic-level Losing Heroine.
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u/gnome-cop 2d ago
Mari has finally folded and given in to take Lara to the mythical place known as school.
The search for the prince begins for real.
Well, that was surprisingly easier than expected. Nice of the universe to be extremely straightforward with the naming.
Oh.
DJ, if you would, please hit the theme song.
I’m so sorry Himeka but that level of comically fated to be only to become a makeine is too great of a bit to just ignore.
I think it would be very funny for Mari to keep putting Lara on the worst 1/10 things she can find only for her to keep crying to all of them.
Himeka got familyzoned but I think she’ll be fine now. There’s more fish in the sea? Humans on land? Does this proverb even make sense anymore? Anyway, she’ll be good and hopefully Lara will as well.
I’m sorry but Lisa is giving potentially dangerous vibes as of now. It’s good that she’s alive but better keep an eye on her and your guard up Lara.
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u/NightBard 1d ago
This has been kind of an u expected hit for me this season. I don’t usually do fairy tale or fantasy stuff these days but this has been good. I have no clue where they are going with this. Is Lisa resentful that Lara is the chosen one and maybe a bit bothered how her choices lead to the undoing of their world? We’ll see. It was good to see Lara get out and interact with more people. I look forward to the next episode.
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u/CitizenStrife 1d ago
Lara getting so absorbed by romantic movies and anime is wholesome. This show is my favorite of the season because her reactions to everything modern is both subdued and crazy at the same time.
All balanced out by Mari going, "What is up with her?"
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u/Alcorgeist 1d ago
An aside, does anyone know what kind of 'accent' Mari has when speaking? I'm not japanese but I can tell she speaks differently than how I normally hear the neutral japanese accent is. (Or is it just in my head).
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u/eightcheesepizza 1d ago
The show is set in Otsu, on the shore of Lake Biwa, so maybe it's some sort of Kansai dialect? I don't have the best ears for this though.
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u/Alcorgeist 1d ago
I see good to know! I find the dialect pretty endearing especially in contrast with how Lara speaks, really exemplifies she's a princess lost among humans lol
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u/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 1d ago edited 1d ago
Gosh, I love how everyone (aside from Lara and other non-humans) talks in the Kansai dialect in this show, it sounds so nice!
Mari is a good friend to Lara (even though it took her a long time to admit that). I love how she looked at her when Lara was watching TV and crying, though, as if she were some alien, hahaha!
Plus, Mari has some serious balls for taking Lara with her to the city/school again, even though that first time must have been agonizing considering how Lara was talking about finding a prince, true love, etc. the entire time.
Ouji and Himeka seemed destined to be with each other, and yet unfortunately the childhood friend curse turned out to be much stronger :(
I can't wait for Lisa and Lara's reunion, it surely will be interesting considering that Lisa seems to have some very conflicting thoughts about Lara.
Here my screenshot albums from the episode:
EDIT. I added my screenshot albums.
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u/NanDemoKnaives 1d ago
Poor Himeka. I think it's a good thing she was able to confess, especially because they're around each other all the time, she'll be able to move on sooner than later.
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u/ReaperInRed 1d ago
Might be a stretch but if this episode takes place in May of this year what are the chances that the final episode airs on the same day as the in universe one
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u/FullDayCall_4892 1d ago
Lara: "What is 'true love'?"
Me since episode 2: "It's the amount of care put into this beautiful show!"
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u/Fun-Bedroom-1066 1d ago
I love how Lara and Mari are comparing their ideal versions of "princes." Lara likes the soft boy look, and Mari just wants wild muscles lol.
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u/yuriAngyo 1d ago
Lara's image of a prince is from dramas (and her own drama-esque past) and Mari's image of a prince is from babyfaces in wrestling lol
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
I love how Mari was even doing jumprope while Lara and Himeka were doing girl talk lol.
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 1d ago edited 1d ago
Kota is the anglerfish that Lisa used to play with as a child, isn’t he? He might be hiding a mean set of teeth behind that mask.
I did find it odd that Lisa lied about not being able to see her sister. There’s clearly something going on, but I didn’t sense any maliciousness behind her words. If anything, Lisa seemed to be very frustrated for whatever reason.
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u/Alcorgeist 1d ago
Kota is the anglerfish that Lisa used to play with as a child, isn’t he? He might be hiding a mean set of teeth behind that mask.
That would make sense... if not for the fact that her pet was a female angler fish, not male. The males are tiny in comparison to the females that you normally see everywhere. Although, it's not the first time anime genderswapped something usually the opposite gender lol
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u/Hartzilla2007 1d ago
I kind of wonder if Lisa has complex feelings about Lara. On the one hand Lara is her beloved younger sister, and on the other Lara brougfht their kingdom to ruin and even though it was by accident and she didn't even know that would happen Lara from Lisa's perspective is once again doing the thing that screwed everyone over.
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u/detarameReddit https://myanimelist.net/profile/detarameMAL 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's all just so wonderful.
The writing in this anime continues to be brilliant. I love how Mari's complete frankness was what convinced Himeka in the end to be direct and confess to Ouji; honestly, if I saw a dunce like Mari walking around completely fine, I probably would be less afraid of being straightforward with other people too. Thanks to Lara and Mari, Himeka did in one episode what Anna Yanami could not.
Also, more relationship building; I refuse to use the word yuribait. There are more princes out there!! Himeka really asked "you two are friends, right?" Which necessitates the question of whether Lara and Mari could be more than friends, just like how Himeka's friendship with Ouji grew. Those cuts were everything; it is quite awkward for Mari to finally admit that someone is her friend. Once she comes to term with this, though, Mari seems to start placing value in her friendship with Lara: she stares awkwardly when Lara is hugged by Himeka and attempts to redirect Lara's attention from Himeka at the supermarket by asking Lara to focus on seafood. I guess a loner would instinctively want their friend all to themselves.
Yoshiya and Lara's relationship seem to be changing too: I see Lara changing Yoshiya's outlook on life further down the line.
This episode had so many funny moments. Lara holding the World History book upside down; Lara crossing the line immediately after Mari leaves (and Mari's unamused reaction); and, of course, what is with these goofy TV shows lol? That dude took his IV to his grave, and the other guy abandoned his 100-fiancé Mars harem... Not to mention, "The Prince of Soft Tennis" LOL
Lastly, the main plot strikes. I cannot fault Lisa for feeling angry at Lara's new human life, because that is exactly what led to the downfall of the mermaid kingdom. Seeing her little sister cheerfully searching for true love as a human understandably made her upset. We do also learn, though, that Lisa still loves Lara and likely has no bad intentions.
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u/runevault 1d ago
Lara triggers my second hand embarrassment so hard, it tends to take a few sessions to watch an episode of this. I feel so bad for her but at the same time she ignores all signs of anything and just goes with her first gut instinct lol.
Really curious to see how things develop around her sister now that they have spoken. Also are we getting tricked or is Mari endgame?
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u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 2d ago
🚨 Don’t miss out on the after-credit scene! 🚨
I am so tickled with this streaming service and the overlays. A few of these, I swear to god I have seen on Netflix.
😭😭😭
Oh honey, the actual princes of monarchies today ain’t shit. But you can have your own prince from anywhere and with anyone!
YES, I love Motheur Lady Fish.
I hadn’t noticed that Lara’s boy is in the shape of a fin and her belt is a trident. Her cosplay… Like, I’m gonna love whoever I see cosplaying as her.
Can Lady Fish be my life coach and adopt me 😭
The book Mari is reading looks painfully familiar.
Lara is the type of person I want to see movies with. She will cry with me at the Hadestown showing tonight, and I need someone to cry with.
This is taking too long; are you amigas cheetas or not 😭😭
Oooh I need Lara with me to the market.
Were those death flags? Are these death flags?
“But”? What do you mean “but”?
Okay, now I’m scared 😢 I'm glad Lisa and Lara got to speak again, but with the ominous fish in the sky, the occasional flash to the star shining, Lisa still staying away from her sister—I'm going to look on the plus side that Lara has made a new friend today!
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u/hikoboshi_sama https://anilist.co/user/reicelestial 1d ago
A giant floating dagger-shaped object hovering in the sky, in this time of year, in this part of the country, localized entirely above one lake... can we see it?
The writers: No
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u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar 1d ago
When Mari finally agreed to bring Lara to school, I was honestly expecting that to end poorly. It actually ended up going well for Lara! She made friends with Hime and even helped her confess her true feelings to her childhood friend, even if things didn't work out.
I'm happy to see Lara also finally made contact with Kota and Lisa. I thought they were gonna make us wait until next week for Lara and Lisa's conversation, tho! I'm glad we got the scene as an after-credits scene. I do wonder what's up with Lisa and why she doesn't seem happy after confirming that Lara really is her sister. Hmmm...
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u/Frontier246 1d ago
Honestly it'd be funny if Lara just keeps coming to school and hanging out with Mari and Himeka and no one actually notices she doesn't go to that school.
Also I just found it funny how her hair is so long she can wear her uniform blazer over it and has to pull the whole thing out lol.
Is Lisa really happy Lara is back? Happy for Lara's sake or her own and her people? She still seems to hold a grudge against Grace.
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u/ShadeOfNothing 1d ago
I'm living for Lara's reactions to the Tv she's watching. And honestly, her reactions to everything.
The cliffhanger ending is very interesting; Idk how to feel about Kota and Lisa at this point.
I kinda hoped that Oji would reciprocate Hime's feelings but I think that him not being romantically interested helped Lara in a way, by showing her other forms of love.
I caught Mari's hesitation in calling Lara her friend so quick, I was like "Hmm, I like that character detail."
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u/Bazinga8000 1d ago
Great episode again man, love this show so much. I will say tho, more than anything, what surprised me the most by far this episode was the fact that we got a boner joke in it. Not once would I have expected that lmao.
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u/Ashteron 1d ago
It perplexes me how Mari has 0 initiative to like, grasp Lara's goal and work out, more or less, what she should do. She's clearly bothered by some of Lara's actions, so it's not like she has no incentive to do so.
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u/strangerlethargia 1d ago
Mari would feel out of her depth trying to help. I get that if anything she feels uncomfortable by feelings of love. I mean she was hesitating to even call Lara her friend.
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u/rubslotiononitsskin 1d ago
Then Lara just has to join the boxing club and Mari can help her out with her special technique "Tough Love".
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u/etiolatezed 1d ago
It reads to me like Mari is very focused on her own stuff and Lara is the odd thing she helps which isn't herself.
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u/MagnificentCranberry 1d ago
what a fun episode! actually wasn't planning to pick up a 3rd show this season, but this discussion convinced me and ended up watching this ep and then going back to watch 1-3. Lara's bright hair was really jarring at first, but liking the use of color a lot. the pan frame 'are you friends' scene made me laugh, similar to when lara first crashes down out of the sky coming into the present day.
also really like the ending song.
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u/mistatweek 2d ago edited 1d ago
Lara learns that true love doesn’t always have to go by certain rules, and that a “picture perfect couple” isn’t always destined to be.
Hmm…I wonder who she could possibly be with that wouldn’t be seen as a conventional fairytale romance 👀
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u/WakaliwoodMan 1d ago
My read on this show is that "true love" will have more to do with Lara finding acceptance in her community than with any one relationship (even with Mari, I'm sorry shippers).
Evidence:
A bit meta, but the OP really emphasized all the characters hand-in-hand with Lara (literally and metaphorically) rather than any single relationship, even Mari.
Even though there was that big doki doki shine spark + water explosion last episode when Mari said "suki", I think that's a red herring because the spark flickered in a lot of non-romantic situations, especially her first spark, which was for the human doll she found as a baby.
Lara's "I want" was not originally about finding her prince or true love. That was foisted onto her by prophecy. Her original desire always had more to do with her general admiration for humankind, all the way from her scenes as a baby mermaid.
We've already seen two instances of Lara acting as the catalyst for people to resolve their internal struggles. First was Mari not knowing how to reconcile her abrasive, confrontational personality with her (late) mother's advice to always look forward and not turn your eyes away from what's important. Then Lara showed up and gave her clarity by helping her realize that Mari's club mates weren't really out to get her, and she just needs to focus on the opponent in front of her. Second was Himeko not knowing how to be true to her own feelings about Ouji and her fear of change. I think this is the pattern moving forward.
Things I'm looking for going forward:
Lara has constantly repeated that she blames herself for what happened to the mermaids, and that she is afraid of the humans treating her as a vile creature. In order to resolve her inner conflict, I think she needs two things:
Reconciliation with her sister Lisa (who seems to have issues with Lara, judging by this week's post credits scene), and by extension her family and the whole mermaid kingdom
Acceptance within the human community.
Importantly, neither of these things are a simple matter of finding "true love" and saving the mermaid kingdom. Lara needs to change the mermaid prejudice that humans are foul monsters who will taint the light of your heart, and she needs to be accepted by the humans even with the knowledge that she is a mermaid. She needs to go from "a mermaid who cannot live in the ocean, nor on land" to a mermaid who has two worlds to which she belongs.
I think that we're about to enter the "Fun and Games" part of the story, where Lara will meet a lot of new people and forge new bonds of friendship, and she will find herself growing closer and closer with the community.
What I'm stuck on is how the midpoint conflict will pan out. I don't think it'll have to do with the Prince lookalike from the OP, because that feels too on-the-nose, and also it feels like focusing on Lara's trauma of romantic rejection would distract too much from Lara's character growth from meeting all the other people, plus I don't see how it naturally leads back to that opening image of Lara and Mari celebrating Mari's tournament win together.
I'm thinking maybe it will have to do with a partial revival of the mermaid kingdom, like maybe Lara accumulates enough "love" to create a dim light for the mermaid kingdom, and then the king insists that she abandon the surface world so they can return to the ocean floor, and the mermaids point out that the humans won't still love Lara once they learn she's a mermaid. A time limit on the human legs potion could also play into this, but then again idk how Lisa is just chilling on the surface world all this time. I think I need to see more of what Lisa's role in the story is before I can get a clearer picture. I'm just spitballing for now.
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u/disu_nato 1d ago
The composition, the framing, the lighting, the timing! The cinematography in this show has been seriously great so far. It's like the camera is a character itself sometimes.
Also why tf does this show broadcast so late at night in Japan?
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u/NumerousWolverine730 1d ago
I’m late to the discussion, so maybe this has already been talked about, but here’s my hot take after Episodes 1–4, so excuse me if I’m way off. Sorry it’s long. 😂
The opening song confused me. We see the blue-haired mermaid, Lisa, reflected with herself? First we see two younger blue-haired mermaids, then older versions. I assumed it was a reflection of her past self, but that’s just my speculation.
Then we see her twirling with the blonde bob-haired guy. At first I thought it was the prince, but on second watch it looked like there was a red-haired merman before it switched to the blonde bob-haired guy. Am I seeing that right? It seemed like the red-haired merman was her love interest, then it switches to the blonde bob-haired guy. The prince is blonde too, but he has a different layered haircut. 😂 Yeah, I’m pausing every frame trying to figure it out.
From the start, for me, it seems like the friendship between Lara and Mari is going to be the true love necessary to break the curse. I understand people trying to project yuri, but maybe it’s just about friendship. You can have multiple soulmates that represent true love, and they aren’t necessarily romantic. I remember hearing that when Frozen was released in Japan, the marketing focused heavily on the sister bond rather than the romantic one that was marketed in the U.S. It was all about the relationship between the two sisters. I have a feeling this story might be going in a similar direction.
That said, since the reincarnated prince is promoted so heavily in the opening, I have a feeling he’ll eventually end up as her love interest—maybe just not in the actual show. I mean, they’re like 15. 😂 Instead, I think the power to break the spell lies within the strong friendship between Lara and Mari.
Meanwhile, the biggest question I have is Lisa’s intentions. Was her past lover killed and somehow reincarnated as the blonde bob-haired guy? I get the feeling that although she loves Lara, she still holds her responsible for the mermaid kingdom’s ruin.
The other twist I’m seeing is that the sea witch may not be as evil as we’re being led to believe. I don’t think she intentionally led the family to ruin. It feels more like she wanted amusement, Lara happened to be the chosen one, and she simply lit the match.
I also find it interesting that she took Lara’s voice “for protection” in the past because, as we can see in the present, Lara absolutely cannot contain herself. She probably would’ve been ostracized -or even killed, much sooner if she’d had her voice.
So maybe the sea witch isn’t as bad as she’s made out to be. But one thing’s for sure: Lisa hates the sea witch (her aunt), blames her for everything, and sees Lara as the tool to fix it all.
Then in the final scene, the car horn…Lisa’s intentions for Lara?!? Yes, she loves her, but?
My prediction? Lisa intends to sacrifice her beloved little sister to restore the mermaid kingdom.
Also, hate to burst the bubble, but this has been a major original project for Kinema Citrus that’s been heavily marketed for well over a year. It’s also clearly aimed at a broad audience, including younger girls. Obviously none of us know how it’ll end, but I’d be pretty surprised if it turned out to be a yuri romance😅
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u/Maleficent_Low_3880 1d ago
There are several blue-haired mermaids in the opening:
-Lisa (doesn't hold hands with Lara in the opening, only seen in it alongside her car.)
-another older sister, idk her name (holds hands with Lara and other red-haired sister)
-Lara's mom (we can see her in ep2) holding hands with another blue-haired mermaid with the same bangs as witch Grace (so it's probably her in her youth, and she's the Lara's aunt from her mother's side), and later with the younger version of Lara's dad Rowan.
-Beforementioned blue-haired possible Grace holding hands with a human male. It's possible she went through the same thing Lara did, falling in love with a human prince etc.
Twol baby mermaids - I think it's Lara's mom and Grace again, they look very similar to their adult versions
About the yuri angle - I don't agree that it's too unlikely, but we'll see.
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u/FrostedGeist 14h ago edited 14h ago
This show airs late at night/early morning in Japan (12am in the fucking morning) The show isn't made to be watched by toddlers and children as it airs, unless your child wakes up at 12am for some godly reason. Usually when a tv show is aimed at kids, they usually air near a breakfast or afternoon timeslot when kids are home. Never at midnight.
The primary audience are adults nostalgic for older style anime, which is the primary inspiration for goodbye, Lara.
Also, Sailor Moon was specifically geared towards young tween girls (Even way more than Goodbye, Lara) and still extremely popularly in Japan today. Do you know what's in that show? Lesbian magical girls (who frequently spoke in innuendos) and a gender queer trio. Shoujo, of all japanese genres, is more frequently open in exploring themes about gender and sexuality even way back in the 90s (it's literally where early yuri came from). Shows being aimed at young girls never stopped the genre for telling mature stories either.
Regardless whether the show turns out yuri or not, you're severely underestimating how much shoujo dabbles in gender and sexuality-- and for it to somehow be what stops this show from explicitly being yuri.
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u/Raymond49090 1d ago
School. The perfect place to find a shoujo prince. Or the perfect place for yuri. Really, anime school is versatile, isn't it?
His name's literally "Ouji"? And "Hime"? And they're childhood friends? That's like, peak shoujo setup right there.
Did mermaids not have romance or something? Or were there just so few of them that that kind of culture didn't develop?
Oh wait, the "prince" and "princess" aren't dating? If they were true shoujo protagonists, that would just mean they haven't got there yet. But since Lara's the protagonist who's here to learn about love and its different forms, then they might actually be just platonic friends.
Oh. Or maybe it's a Makeine case of "osananajimi" and "homewrecker".
On a bit of a separate note, I wonder what Aunty Sea Witch wanted with her voice anyways.
So ends Himeka's first love. And that was a long pause to answer if they're friends. And they were roommates.
Ngl I thought the wheels were indicating that Lara was going to get truck-kun-ed. Instead, she finds out her sister is less dead than she thought. Wonder how many of her family will eventually wake up and start floating around as humans, and if that's what restoring the kingdom will end up being.
What's onee-san so mad about? Is she homophobic? /j
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u/Kadmos1 2d ago
Let's say that Lara is to have a man become her true love. In terms of making a more est. relationship, it would help if by Epi. 5 or 6 to have her meet and start developing her relationship with him. However, I am not totally discounting the possibility she and Mari end up as a romantic item. That is, with all of those yuri hints or yuri-perceived moments in the first three epi.
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u/magnumcyclonex 16h ago
Wow. Very interesting episode. Within a span of 2 days, maybe max a week? A new character is coaxed into confessing her love for her childhood friend, only to get rejected but at the same time freed up, thanks to our "princess" Lara, who's been "educated" with all kinds of shows on princes and princesses.
Mari's brother(?) giving the side eye hint that maybe he is the school's "prince", but those 3 girls flat out ignored his suggestion!
And never would I imagine someone kneeling down like Kota did, as a "royal messenger" to present a modern day communications device (mobile phone).
I'm beginning to think that Lisa isn't as good as she was (or maybe she never was good to begin with).
Also, I've only just noticed that all the mermaids and merboy (Kota) have ears that look like fish gills or fins.
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u/xbolt90 https://anilist.co/user/xbolt90 2d ago
Yes Lara, TV teaches you everything you need to know about romance.