The director discusses building Kinema Citrus’ original anime from scratch, grounding Lara’s journey in Shiga Prefecture, and why the title carries a deeper meaning.
What if a mermaid’s fairy tale began again roughly 200 years later, not in the ocean but in Lake Biwa?
That striking idea sits at the heart of Goodbye, Lara, an original Japanese television anime created and animated by Kinema Citrus. The series places its mermaid heroine in modern-day Japan, blending a familiar fairy-tale foundation with the landscapes of Shiga Prefecture and a personal story about leaving one world behind to enter another.
In an interview with The Kitsune Network’s Krystal, director Takushi Koide discussed the creative freedom of building an original anime, the challenge of translating a centuries-old story for today’s audiences, and the real-life emotions he placed at the center of Lara’s journey.
An Original Anime Built From Zero
For Koide, Goodbye, Lara carries another layer of significance: it marks his first major project as a director.
“Goodbye, Lara is a rare opportunity because it is a completely original anime,” Koide explained.
As a fully original production, the project gave Koide and the team the chance to shape the story, visuals, and even the way the anime uses time from the ground up. For Koide, that freedom was not simply permission to make bigger creative choices. It was an opportunity to give each part of the production the attention it deserved.
“I have always wanted to treat every element of an anime with great care, whether it is the background art or the animation itself.”
Koide hopes viewers can feel the love and craftsmanship behind the series. More importantly, he wants audiences to experience the story through Lara’s eyes and discover Shiga Prefecture alongside her.
Reimagining The Little Mermaid for Today’s Audience
Although adapting the concept of The Little Mermaid might sound intimidating, Koide said that part was actually fun. The real challenge was bringing a fairy tale written in the 1800s into a modern setting with themes that feel relevant today.
“We also needed to develop an aesthetic unique to this work and communicate it to the audience through the visuals,” he said.
That meant Goodbye, Lara could not simply relocate a familiar story to Japan. The team needed a clear visual identity capable of making its fairy-tale roots and contemporary setting feel like parts of the same world.
Lara’s Journey Began With Koide’s Own
The most personal inspiration behind the anime came from Koide’s own life. He explained that he left Shiga Prefecture, where Goodbye, Lara is set, and moved to Tokyo alone to begin his career.
“When I created Lara, I gave her some of the same feelings I had when I moved to Tokyo. She leaves the world of mermaids and enters the human world.”
That experience gave Lara’s transition an emotional foundation beyond the fantasy premise. Her journey from the mermaid world into the human world reflects the uncertainty of leaving a familiar place, crossing a boundary, and trying to understand life somewhere new.
“To me, this is a story about someone who crosses a boundary and moves into another world,” Koide said.
Even Creative Freedom Needs Rules
Animation can depict almost anything, but Koide views that unlimited canvas as both a strength and a potential trap. Without a consistent approach, a world that combines fantasy and modern Japan could quickly become confusing.
“If you try to depict everything, the result can become confusing or messy,” Koide explained. “As part of our directing approach, we established certain rules for how this particular work would express its ideas so that everyone shared the same direction.”
Viewers may initially be surprised by the combination of a fairy-tale world and a Japanese setting. Once production began, however, Koide said those elements did not feel as far apart to the team as they might appear. He believes audiences will understand that connection once they watch the anime.
What Does Goodbye, Lara Really Mean?
Of course, a title like Goodbye, Lara immediately raises one important question: Who, or what, is saying goodbye?
When Krystal asked whether the title should be taken literally or carried a deeper meaning, Koide remained careful not to reveal too much.
“I cannot say too much without spoiling the story, but the title does have a deeper meaning. It connects to the overall concept behind the work.”
That spoiler-free tease makes the title part of the mystery. Whatever Lara must leave behind, Koide wants viewers to discover its meaning by following the world from her perspective.
Goodbye, Lara is shaping up as more than a modern retelling of a familiar fairy tale. It is a personal journey constructed with intention, where Lake Biwa can feel as magical as any storybook ocean and crossing into another world may only be the beginning. For anime fans drawn to original worlds and creator-driven stories, Lara’s next life is one worth watching closely.
This article is based on The Kitsune Network’s interview with director Takushi Koide. Interview responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
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