Japanese animation studio Kinema Citrus will celebrate its 15th anniversary with the premiere of its original anime project Goodbye, Lara, scheduled to debut in July 2026, KADOKAWA announced .
The announcement was accompanied by the release of the series’ main promotional video, offering a first look at the fantasy drama and its distinctive visual style .
Inspired by the classic fairy tale The Little Mermaid, the story reimagines the familiar legend in modern Japan while blending magical elements with everyday life.
A Mermaid Princess Returns to the Surface
The series follows Lara, a mermaid princess voiced by Hana Hishikawa, who resurfaces in modern-day Shiga Prefecture after two centuries . There she encounters high school student Mari Otsu, voiced by Nana Kawaishi, and the two begin a journey that explores friendship, identity and the search for true love.
According to the promotional material, the narrative moves between past and present. Two hundred years earlier, Lara fell in love with a human prince despite the strict laws of the mermaid world. In pursuit of that forbidden love, she drank a potion given by a witch named Grace that allowed her to take human form. When her love ultimately went unfulfilled, she dissolved into sea foam.
Now revived in Lake Biwa centuries later, Lara is given another opportunity to find the “true love” that once eluded her .
The series juxtaposes ordinary settings — including supermarket aisles, quiet streets and railroad crossings in Shiga Prefecture — with the extraordinary presence of Lara, creating a grounded yet fantastical atmosphere.
U.S. Premiere Planned at Anime Central
Ahead of its global release, Episode 1 of Goodbye, Lara will receive a U.S. premiere screening at Anime Central, presented in partnership with KADOKAWA, Newtype magazine and Kinema Citrus .
The event will feature appearances from director Takushi Koide, KADOKAWA producer Sayaka Ueda, and Newtype deputy editor Momoko Hatooka, offering fans an opportunity to hear insights about the project directly from its creative team.
Koide, a native of Shiga Prefecture, makes his directorial debut with Goodbye, Lara. He previously served as assistant director on Revue Starlight and contributed to Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun .
A Milestone Project for Kinema Citrus
Founded in 2008, Kinema Citrus has built an international reputation through acclaimed titles including Made in Abyss, My Happy Marriage, The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Revue Starlight .
Goodbye, Lara represents a milestone for the studio as a fully original project created specifically to commemorate its 15th anniversary.
The production staff includes series composition by Anna Kawahara, character design by Shiori Tani, and music by yuma yamaguchi, with animation produced by Kinema Citrus.
With its blend of fairy-tale inspiration, contemporary Japanese settings and emotional storytelling, Goodbye, Lara aims to deliver a modern reinterpretation of a classic tale while celebrating the studio’s creative legacy.
The anime is scheduled to premiere in July 2026.
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”—
Staff:
Director: Takushi Koide
Series Composition: Anna Kawahara
Character Designer: Shiori Tani
Music: yuma yamaguchi
Original Story, Animation Studio: Kinema Citrus
Japanese Voice Actors:
Lara: Hana Hishikawa
Mari Otsu: Nana Kawaishi
Grace: Rica Fukami
Luca: Ayumu Murase
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