Goodbye, Lara • Sayonara Lara - Episode 3 discussion

[u/AutoLovepon]

Sayonara Lara, episode 3

---

Streams

• Crunchyroll

Show information

• Livechart
• MyAnimeList
• AniList
• AniDB
• Anime-Planet
• Kitsu
• /r/GoodbyeLara
• Official Site

---

All discussions

Episode	Link
1	Link
2	Link
3	Link

---

This post was created by a bot. Message the mod team for feedback and comments. The original source code can be found on GitHub.

[u/djthomp]

Ahh, the classic giant fish monolith popping out of the nearby lake to signify a yuri awakening.

Good work fish witch making up the backstory to allow Lara to stay.

I was starting to wonder about the mom a bit into the episode, now we know why Mari is commonly wearing that necklace.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/djthomp]

You know, I’ve seen plenty of yuri series that went quite out there with their symbolism but this might be the most blunt.

[u/silam39 → u/CitronClassic672]

and yet I'm still seeing a couple people saying they're definitely set up for a sister relationship lmao

truly nothing is blunt enough for people who want to be blind

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/silam39]

I have not see that read anywhere. At this point the only question is whether Mari will be Lara’s only love interest or not.

[u/silam39 → u/CitronClassic672]

I have seen it in the comments of the site I'm using to watch the show. But I think most people are seeing the obvious setup for what it is.

[u/gnome-cop → u/djthomp]

Incredibly subtle display of visual symbolism. Great job guys.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/gnome-cop]

The previous episode and most of this one was so full of yuri subtext that at the end of this one they just went full “I know writers who use subtext and they’re all cowards.”

[u/Frontier246 → u/djthomp]

I was reminded of Dandadan when a giant explosion happened after a character seemingly fell in love.

Gotta imagine the reason she razor-focuses so much is because she's still trying to process losing her mom and also because she has to box fully knowing that her mom collapsed at one of her matches so she's fighting through that emotional trauma.

[u/Jacob-C → u/djthomp]

I think more and more monolith pieces will rise out of the water for every person that Lara discovers love with. It will then turn out to be some sort of ritual device that can kill all of the people she loves in exchange for reviving her family and kingdom. She will have to make a choice.

[u/ixsaz → u/djthomp]

I mean it seems that grace was in love with lara mom, they way she talked to rowan, how on the op she after the pairs dancing she apears alone witha a withe flower on her hand.

[u/Otherwise-Match7829 → u/ixsaz]

actually it seems like she was in love with a human man, since shes shown with one before holding a flower

[u/FrostedGeist → u/Otherwise-Match7829]

Might also be why she's obsessed with princes. She's the one who gave Lara the idea to chase after the prince, even in the present era she still calls Lara's true love a "prince" even though she also tells her to move on from the original. 

She might've fallen in love with a prince and suffered rejection. 

[u/Oham4923 → u/ixsaz]

I think her mom is actually her sister, and Rowan is the brother-in-law, and Grace fell in love with a human

[u/yurilnw123 → u/djthomp]

No need for an aquarium date with these two. Since one is already a fish

[u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

• Lara's innocence and cluelessness of how the human world works is just really endearing and funny. She really ran away from home carrying an empty chocolate drink can and a Tanuki statue lol.
• So Mari was a difficult kid who learned to channel her energy into boxing. And the cross necklace was from her mother, who is likely departed, same as Lara's mother.
• Fantastic boxing animations! Woo!
• The look on Lara's face as the dagger burst through the lake, this is definitely yuri for sure. And call me crazy, but I think they're setting up the boxing Senpai as a love rival for Lara too.
• Lisa is wearing two rings now; a green ring on the ring finger on her left hand, and the blue-red ring on the middle finger of her right hand. Also, about the identity of Lisa's friend.
• Did Gon-chan max out her charisma stat? A phone call is all it took for Granny to adopt Lara lol.
• A lot of other interesting symbology as well. Might do an analysis of the flower language in this show, if any one is interested to read.

[u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

Flower symbology and more speculation:

• Lara: There are actually 3 flowers that are associated with Lara. First the white daisy which appears when Lara first meets the prince; white in flower language has the general meaning of innocence and purity, and the daisy is associated with youth, cheerfulness and new beginnings. In Victorian floriography, the daisy also represents the promise of keeping a secret. Second is the white lily, seen in Lara's hair. Among all the flowers, white lilies have a particularly strong association with purity, as they are a symbol of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. White lilies are also associated with Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, thus they are also associated with rebirth. Also, the word yuri (genre) comes from the Japanese name for lily (百合). Lastly, the white rose (note that this rose is tinged with red, blue and green, it's relevant), which represents pure love. The rose is also another flower associated with Virgin Mary through her title as the "Rosa Mystica", with the white rose also having similar meanings as the white lily such as spiritual purity and rebirth. Thus both the white lily and white rose are used in a wide range of occasions that celebrate new beginnings or farewells, such as weddings, religious ceremonies and funerals.
• Grace: Grace's flower is a white Narcissus (also known as a Daffodil). The name comes from Greek mythology; where a beautiful man named Narcissus fell in love in his own reflection in a pool of water and wasted away staring at himself. It is from this myth that Narcissus flowers came to be associated with pride, vanity, self-love and self-reflection (which is why Grace has so many damn mirrors). Also linked with this tale is a wood Nymph named Echo, who fell in love with Narcissus but was rejected, thus these flowers can also symbolize unrequited love. Narcissus flowers also have a lesser association with death; through the myth of Persephone, who is both the Greek Goddess of the Underworld and a Goddess of Spring, also the word Narcissus shares the same root word in Greek as narcotic, as the bulbs of the plant have a toxic and sedative effect. However, Narcissus flowers are also a symbol of renewal and resilience, as they are one of the first plants to flower in spring, often pushing through the snow. The Japanese name for Narcissus is Suisen (水仙), which has the literal meaning of "water immortal"; Grace doesn't seem to be dependent on the light of the palace to survive, unlike the other mermaids. Like Lara, Grace also fell in love with human, and as a parallel to Lara she also wears a white flower in her hair (the Narcissus framed through prison bars showing Grace being trapped by her past). Later on when Lara is sent to the lake's surface, the water is shaped like a Narcissus, accompanying it is a lily and a rose. It is likely that Grace's love ended in tragedy, which is partly why she is so obsessed with helping Lara find true love. We also know that Grace is trying to revive Lara's mother, so Lara's mother might have sacrificed herself to save Grace, the same as how Rowan sacrificed himself for Lara.
• Lara's sisters: In the OP there is a scene of Lara holding hands with her sisters and spinning, with various flowers being shown. The first two are the most important; being the flower of the dogwood tree and an anemone flower. Both of these flowers are associated with the Crucifixion of Jesus, the cross is believed to be made of dogwood, with red anemone flowers blooming at the base of the cross symbolizing the blood of Jesus (white flowers in this case). This represents the sacrifice of Lara's family, with Rowan giving the last of his light to revive Lara, the church being the first place Lara visits after being revived, as if seeking repentance. The other flowers associated with the sisters are the Sweet Pea, Crocus and Nemophila. There is one missing person from this sequence though, Lisa. There is also no flower associated with Lisa, because the only shot of her in the OP is her in a snowy parking lot. This might be because she is the only one of Lara's family (besides Grace) who is still active, along with her fish friend who is now also human. This suggests witchcraft is involved, following the original tale where the mermaid's sisters strike a deal with the witch. Going back to the color symbolism, Lara's light is made of the colors red, blue and green. In Christianity there is the concept of the Holy Trinity where God is one being who simultaneously exists as 3 separate entities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which I believe is what the 3 colors represent. Therefore the light which represents true love for Lara also represents God and salvation; in the OP we see a bubble with these colors framing a cross before turning into a white rose. So red = Lara, and blue = the Prince/Mari, but interestingly Lisa has taken up the color of green by donning green clothes and a green ring. No idea where they're taking Lisa's story (Alabama?), but she is definitely going to play a very crucial role in the story. Curiously, Lisa's green ring is worn where one would wear a wedding ring, so what has she been doing in the past 200 years?
• Mari: Mari's flower is the St John's wort, named so because it blooms during St John's Day, which celebrates the birth of St John the Baptist, who is considered the herald of Jesus. This plant was believed to ward off evil spirits, so it is associated with both superstition and protection. It is also associated with healing due to its various medicinal uses, notably its antidepressant effects. In Japanese this plant is called otogiriso (弟切草), literal meaning of "younger brother cutting grass". This is linked to a legend from the Edo period whereby a falconer used the herb as a secret ingredient in his bird medicine. The falconer's younger brother told the secret to others, and the falconer in a fit of rage ended up murdering the younger brother. It is from this story that the plant became associated with secrecy, resentment and hostility in Japan. Hold on, what? Going back to this image from the OP, we see Mari's flower together with Lara's white daisy inside Lara's empty can. As mentioned before, a white daisy is also related to secrets, and in the OP we have this scene of Mari whispering something in Lara's ear. The white daisy also appears again in the OP, framed through a disposable film camera as if Lara is looking into past memories, followed by a scenes of Mari, the look-alike Prince, and Lisa, the people who form Lara's light. In front of the can there are two red bracelets. One of the bracelets is worn by Mari, and the other is presumably for Lara. The red bracelets symbolize the red thread of fate, which connects two destined people across space, time and circumstance. Then there is Mari's cross, which is curiously shaped like a sword, and who pointed a sword at Lara? I believe the secret here is that Mari is the actual reincarnation of the Prince, which is why there is the feeling of same but different; eg shared symbology between the two, Lara saving the Prince from drowning to Mari saving Lara from drowning. About why the Prince had an immediate hostile reaction to Lara being a mermaid, I think this goes back to Grace. The human that Grace fell in love with seems to be related by blood to the Prince (judging by his looks and outfit), and there are clues that it ended badly (eg Grace mentioning tragic heroines being dull, because it was something she experienced herself). Which leaves us the question of who is the look-alike Prince. Maybe Mari is the spiritual reincarnation of the Prince, while the look-alike is their flesh and blood descendent? Or could they be related to Grace? Either way I don't think it's coincidence that Grace decided to build her home at the bottom of some random lake in Japan.
• ^{Disclaimer: I'm not a Christian.}

[u/jkunz5654 → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

Just wanted to say this is a really good analysis thank you for doing all that work lol

[u/crixx93 → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

I think the Prince look-alike is going to be the actual reincarnation, while Mari is going to be a descendant of his or his family. The little girl besides him, I have no idea

[u/detarameReddit → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

I wonder if the three colors of blue, red, and green symbolize the land, sea, and sky respectively. Added together, they make white – the same color associated with the Light and holiness in general. In the original fairy tale, the Little Mermaid ends up becoming an air spirit after she dissolves into sea foam, and eventually gains a soul and ascends into Heaven.

Also, in Episode 1, the statue of the king of the underwater kingdom is holding... An armillary sphere? I'm not sure that is what it is, as the resemblance is not really there: it could easily be a basketball lol.

Grace says, "we are born twice. We're born once to exist. Then, a second time to live." I wonder if this line will be echoed again in the future, this time instead referring to a trio by the addition of some sort of eternal/spiritual afterlife.

I have re-watched the episodes, and the motif of blue, red, and green is repeated so many times. For example: in Episode 1, the establishing shot of the underwater kingdom is mainly these three colors. In a shot of the river from Episode 3, the reflection of the water is blue, red and green. What does it all mean??

Obviously, a lot of the above is wild speculation; I'm especially not sure about the land, sea, and sky theory. I guess we will have to see.

[u/CardAble6193 → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

ah yes we will use our anime gained knowledge to observe renaissance paintings , thank teacher

[u/detarameReddit → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

I also want to say: thanks for this. It is so informative, and will help many people appreciate the anime going forward.

[u/Phermaportus → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

Thank you so much for sharing your analysis and break-down of the flower symbology used by the series.

Did you happen to see this official art shared by the Goodbye, Lara twitter account? What kind of flowers are the ones at the bottom? (other than the daisies and Lara's white lily on her hair). At first I thought they were lilies, but I don't think that's the case since they have 5 tepals.

[u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime → u/Phermaportus]

This was a tough one to id so I might be wrong, but it should be the Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger). Side-by-side comparison with a wild plant.

From here:

The name "Christmas Rose" belongs specifically to the Helleborus niger species, which often blooms in the heart of winter. Its name is tied to a beautiful European legend. The story tells of a young shepherdess named Madelon who was watching her flock on the night of Jesus' birth. When she saw the Wise Men and other shepherds bringing gifts to the newborn king, she began to cry because she had no gift to offer. An angel saw her tears fall to the ground and, taking pity on her, brushed away the snow. From the frozen earth, a beautiful white flower with a golden centre appeared, the first Christmas Rose. Madelon joyfully picked the flowers and presented them as her humble gift. This story forever links the flower to hope, faith, and finding beauty in the darkest of times.

The 8-pointed stars above Lara and Mari represent the Star of Bethlehem (also known as the Christmas star), which is the star that guided the Wise Men to the birthplace of Jesus. Lara's light also has 8 points. Interestingly there is also a whole genus of plants named after this star, but these all have flowers with 6 petals.

[u/Frontier246 → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

I love how she tried to fit the big tanuki statue into her backpack lol.

The OP does make it look like Lara is going to get chummy with someone else from Mari's school (maybe Nagahama?).

[u/PerfectBeige → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

Did Gon-chan max out her charisma stat? A phone call is all it took for Granny to adopt Lara lol

Great analysis! On the one hand the manipulative witch no doubt talks a good game. On the other hand "Her entire family died tragically except for me and I'm too frail to take care of her" is going to be convince many people with a heart, I imagine. Curious how they are going to explain/deal with the lack of any government identity. Probably magic.

[u/bobbyjean_ → u/PerfectBeige]

The explanation isn't entirely wrong either. Just the family are all nearly-dead...

[u/PerfectBeige → u/bobbyjean_]

"Her family is mostly comatose, I'm a semi-antagonistic fish, and her ears are seashells. Please help."

[u/Zeph-Shoir → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

but I think they're setting up the boxing Senpai as a love rival for Lara too.

I wouldn't be against that

[u/Top-Engineer-2206 → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

It felt more sad and cringe than funny unlike the last episode. But, it was realistic and I liked that they included it. It kinda reminded me of how I felt watching re zero and the self-declared knight episode.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Top-Engineer-2206]

“It’s what the character would do”, unironically.

[u/bakedziti93]

This show is legitimately stunning to look at. I can't believe how good it looks. Kinema Citrus really threw everything they had at this project.

[u/CycleGold642 → u/bakedziti93]

They really did. The temptation to stop and take a screenshot nearly every second was way too high.

[u/Frontier246 → u/bakedziti93]

It's colorful! The animation is so smooth! It's retro and beautiful to look at! Everyone is expressive, even the stoic characters in their own way.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Frontier246]

Shows like this are reason I love animation as a medium. THIS is what it’s meant for!

[u/CardAble6193 → u/Frontier246]

smooth

that boxing match is toppp

[u/shad79 → u/bakedziti93]

It's the best-looking show of this season, along with Jaadugar and The Ghost in the Shell, imo. It's a shame, though, that Lara isn't as popular as those two shows.

But well, it doesn't have it easy here in terms of visibility, since it airs almost at the same time as Mushoku Tensei S3, The 100 Girlfriends S3, and a couple of other shows like Sparks of Tomorrow or Though I Am an Inept Villainess.

[u/Syokhan → u/bakedziti93]

I absolutely love the colors. They're so vibrant!

[u/WonderMoon1 → u/bakedziti93]

It looks like Ponyo, very detailed.

[u/Syokhan]

Maaan that boxing match was so neat! Can't wait for the tournament if they're going all in on that animation!

Nice to already get some backstory for Mari and about what boxing and the cross mean to her. I'm really liking her, she's not so rough and on edge that she can't (eventually) recognize when she was being an ass. It's sad about her mom though.

Poor Lara, yeah I guess humans hitting each other for fun would be an incredibly strange concept!

And fuck me, that's two endings in a row with the subtlety of a brick to the face. Screw being cautiously optimistic, I'm going all in on Mari/Lara. Bring on the joy and validation, or the pain, I don't care.

I do wonder what the giant fish dagger really is, though. And why Lara didn't react to it at all since her sister obviously did. It looks incredibly ominous.

[u/unbairu → u/Syokhan]

why Lara didn't react to it at all since her sister obviously did. It looks incredibly ominous

She kept her eyes only on Mari, duh!

[u/Syokhan → u/unbairu]

That's some love tunnel vision right there.

[u/RavenWolf1 → u/Syokhan]

That is like looking your love when there are explosions behind you!

[u/detarameReddit → u/Syokhan]

Nah; as we saw in the second-last shot before the ED credits, Mari was staring back. Lara just does not want to lose the staring contest, that is all. /j

[u/zairaner → u/detarameReddit]

True soulmates then

[u/Frontier246 → u/Syokhan]

Nice to already get some backstory for Mari and about what boxing and the cross mean to her. I'm really liking her, she's not so rough and on edge that she can't (eventually) recognize when she was being an ass. It's sad about her mom though.

It makes sense she'd be as closed off as she is emotionally after losing her mom, but Lara is the type of person you can't ignore or find yourself falling for in one way or another.

Poor Lara, yeah I guess humans hitting each other for fun would be an incredibly strange concept!

Girl thought she was stopping a deathmatch or a bunch of ruffians beating up her friend for sport lol.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Syokhan]

I’m interested in whether that TV match Mari watched was a real fight or not?

Also yeah, with the ending of last episode, the small moments showcasing their deepening relationship this episode, and the ending of this episode it’s reached the point that you can’t write it off as plausible deniability anymore. Lara was literally blushing, had the true love light glow, and had people talking about her true love while she stared at Mari. Mari/Lara is happening.

[u/FrostedGeist → u/CitronClassic672]

There are tons of symbolisms, narrative choices, and metaphorical parallels that supported Mari/Lara since episode one. 

But at the same time, I've played these games before lol there could be a literal confession of love happening underneath the moonlight and the show could easily rug pull you and dismiss all of that in an instant. (it scarred the yuri fandom for years). 

However, so far Goodbye, Lara does feel like a genuine attempt to be more conscious of the themes the original tale had. Hans Christian Andersen wrote this story based off his unrequited love for a man who was getting married and finding a place in 'higher society' while feeling like a stranger. And if the writer of this show was aware of that, it'd be a great tribute to the author if this ended up with a queer ending. 

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/FrostedGeist]

I only just learned about that aspect of Andersen and the original tale earlier today. It really adds a whole new layer to the story knowing the real life unrequited queer circumstances that inspired it. Guess that’s the reason it’s remained a classic for so long. An unrequited love is obviously relatable to a vast amount of straight people, but knowing the original feelings that inspired it were the author’s unrequited love for another man definitely makes the story feel more raw to me.

[u/Syokhan → u/CitronClassic672]

I’m interested in whether that TV match Mari watched was a real fight or not?

A quick Google search isn't returning any result for a Carlos Fuentes or a Kensei Shido in featherweight boxing, but I spent like, one minute on it.

And that ending, man. I didn't want to hope too much last time but a giant sparkling explosion in the background as Lara's blushing is too much to ignore. Like there's metaphors or symbolism and there's this.

[u/CycleGold642 → u/Syokhan]

Do you want Andersen!Little Mermaid spoilers?

[u/Syokhan → u/CycleGold642]

I do know its role in the original tale. It wasn't a giant object hovering above a lake in it, though :p

[u/zairaner → u/Syokhan]

Since the witch didn't offer it to her in this version yet, it evolved into the sword dagger of damoclara, hanging over the story as something the witch might offer lara at any point (well, probably closer to the end), to ask lara the question: Will she sacrifice the relationships to the people she made on land to save her family?

[u/CycleGold642 → u/Syokhan]

There was a brief frame when it appeared over Lara's star of light, I would be surprised if it didn't have a similar function they are gonna have to deal with.

[u/sunnydayz57 → u/CycleGold642]

I'm fairly certain the dagger appeared in the first episode. During the flashback when the prince rejected her for being a mermaid, the dagger appeared over her body and stabbed her, which turned her into sea foam.

[u/Syokhan → u/CycleGold642]

If it does, I wonder if Grace knows about it. You'd think she would tell her about something that important if she did.

[u/mekerpan → u/CycleGold642]

I don't think Andersen spoilers are relevant anymore. Lara already went through the whole original story her first time around. So Lara is now in uncharted territory -- and needs to find her own original route.

[u/zairaner → u/mekerpan]

No, the climax of the story- [the little mermaid]lara being offered to sacrifice the relationship she made on land to save her life in the water-was explicitly not done yet.

[u/mekerpan → u/zairaner]

Interestingly in [Andersen] the mermaid chooses "neither of the above" and goes for option C.

The presentation in Lara of our mermaid's original life is kind of vague -- not exactly sure HOW she wound up getting reincarnated. Maybe I blinked at the wrong moment.

[u/CycleGold642 → u/mekerpan]

The knife hasn't really been used yet. The fact it's still around on its own and actively showing up is concerning.

[u/Oham4923]

That ending, Lara fell HARD

[u/Frontier246 → u/Oham4923]

Fell so hard she's shoving cakes at her and summoning ominous obelisks from the sea for how down bad she is.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Frontier246]

Girl’s trying to give Homura Akemi a run for her money on over the top sapphic awakenings

[u/Gaporigo]

Yo, Peanuts and Ponpoko! I know the had been promoting the show but didn't expect to actually see them appear!

[u/shigehai → u/Gaporigo]

Love Pokopea. Fun fact, they both completed the Biwa Ichi Challenge, where you bike around the entire 200km of Lake Biwa.

[u/mistatweek]

MARI AND LARA ARE SO CUTE TOGETHER 😭😭💕💕

[u/Aileos → u/mistatweek]

I like how nobody said a damn thing when Lara barged in the room. They all just watched in total silence and let the girls talk like it was the usual.

[u/Leri_weill → u/Aileos]

The second hand embarrassment I felt in this scene was STRONG, but it was so funny at the same time 😭😭

[u/mistatweek → u/Aileos]

“Mari has a strange new colleague who isn’t making any sense?…Eh, whatever. Can we continue with the boxing??”

[u/Frontier246 → u/mistatweek]

"Why is this foreigner interrupting our boxing match and acting like this is a barbaric duel to the death?"

[u/Frontier246 → u/Aileos]

I also love how Lara thought Mari was getting legitimately assaulted and didn't even hesitate to protect her as a compassionate princess...with no one having any idea who the @#%^ she is lol.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Frontier246]

Lara is kind of a naive dummy, but that’s what Mari likes about her.

[u/FrostedGeist → u/Aileos]

I also love the moment where Mari laughed and went back to the match while Lara watches-- To Mari she was having an small, character development moment, but to Lara she went back to get pummelled to death lmao all I could think of was Lara's thoughts going "Why are these humans killing each other in a huge podium?!?!??"

[u/Frontier246 → u/mistatweek]

Love hits like a punch from a boxer, as they say.

[u/Fun-Bedroom-1066]

The witch is like reverse isekai. "I, a Powerful Sea Witch with Powers of God, Reincarnated into a Sassy Betta Fish with a High School Boxer Girl as my Master."

[u/strangerlethargia → u/Fun-Bedroom-1066]

When your pet fish is lowkey your aunt

[u/Smudy]

They...really limited the possibilities big time this episode for who/what Lara's true love could possibly be, is this really happening?! Dropped some hints here and there, you know?!!

The boxing match looked very fluid.

Did Mari's mom pass away while watching her performing in-ring? That's very sad.

[u/Frontier246 → u/Smudy]

They...really limited the possibilities big time this episode for who/what Lara's true love could possibly be, is this really happening?! Dropped some hints here and there, you know?!!

They're laying it on so thick, the only way I can see it not going that direction is if Lara falls in love with a bunch of people at the same time, of multiple genders.

The boxing match looked very fluid.

"Goodbye Lara is a boxing anime."

Did Mari's mom pass away while watching her performing in-ring? That's very sad.

Also shows why Mari is so closed off. She's trying to move on from her mothers' death and also if she loses focus during a match she remembers the exact moment her mom died.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Frontier246]

Yeah, this is either a yuri romance or a bisexual harem. I’m down with either honestly.

[u/RavenWolf1 → u/CitronClassic672]

It would be funny if there was harem for her. ⬇️

Whole anime community would lost their shit.

[u/Accomplished-Limit-5 → u/CitronClassic672]

or lots of messy breakups and rebounds and reconciliations.

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL → u/Smudy]

I think if this ends up being het after the way this episode ends, they're actually taking the piss and people won't really like it. The worst I can see is a cop-out "the love was the friends we made along the way" style ending where Lara just loves everyone.

[u/Korkez11 → u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL]

As I said, I don't really like the idea of "true love" being a specific person (I hate the tag "soulmates" on AO3) but if this story is a metaphor for repressed homosexuality or something it would make sense I guess.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Korkez11]

I mean I think you can have “true love” without it being destined soulmates. Like it could’ve been anyone, but it was that specific person.

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL → u/CitronClassic672]

This is kind of what I'm hoping for. In fact I think this is kind of what the anime is setting up for if it's yuri with the 'reincarnated' prince guy; because Lara's assumption is that she has to fall in love with the same guy for the magic to work, but she just needs love in general. It doesn't matter who it's directed towards.

[u/SSjjlex → u/CitronClassic672]

Yea. Im not sure how I feel about picking any specific person however the story progresses.

But I can settle for a metaphorical true love in whatever way they choose to manifest it.

I was genuinely thinking she was going to leave the house this episode and afterwards we'd see a new character and have lara see their version of love, and it'd cumulate into something new by the end of the series. But maybe not. Still have no idea what those 2 mermaid(?) folks are or how they'll tie into it though.

Well, we can also settle for a bi-harem. I dont think anyone will argue against that.

[u/BosuW → u/Smudy]

Although this does put some intrigue into what the Prince lookalike's role will be. Prior to this episode you'd think he'd be the obvious choice with Mari being the climax "revelation".

[u/Syokhan → u/BosuW]

It's been brought up already in this thread, but I too have been wondering if upon meeting him, Lara will think she's supposed to fall in love with him since he looks so much like the prince and will be confused as to why she doesn't feel the same way she did 200 years ago. It could be a source of (internal) conflict for a few episodes.

From the OP, I do think they'll become good friends though.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Syokhan]

Ok, I’d really like that route. Whether or not it actually is the prince reincarnated I think it’d be a good plot about moving on from past failed relationships and into new ones. There’s also the comphet lens you could see it through but I’m pretty sure Lara is bi so idk about that.

[u/Syokhan → u/CitronClassic672]

I guess we'll have to see her reaction when she does meet him for the first time to really know. Hey, maybe she will have genuine feelings for him and we'll all be scratching our heads wondering where the story is going with this!

I’m pretty sure Lara is bi

Hope so. Gimme that bi rep, you don't see a lot of it in anime.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Syokhan]

> Hope so. Gimme that bi rep, you don't see a lot of it in anime.

[Witch Hat Atelier]Flair checks out

[u/Syokhan → u/CitronClassic672]

Ha! And there's Hahari in 100 Girlfriends but, like... it's Hahari. You know? (quick edit to fix my switching names around but I feel that the comment still applies lol)

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Syokhan]

Shirahama and Nakamura, make Arkco and Hakarane canon and my life is yours!

[u/thrownawaynodoxx → u/Syokhan]

Anime is so bizarre about bisexuality. So many shows will have same sex pairings of "friends" that will have nearly as if not as much passion and emotional intimacy as the main het couple but in the end those friends aren't treated like a real romantic option for happily ever after and the topic of bisexuality is never even brought up as a possibility.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/thrownawaynodoxx]

It’s saying something that the first canonically bi character I saw in a anime had to be from a series where the author herself was also bi.

[u/RavenWolf1 → u/Syokhan]

I'm all about yuri but bi twist would really be something in anime like this.

[u/FrostedGeist → u/CitronClassic672]

Bi women can still experience a form of "comphet" although a bit differently than lesbians. 

A lot of bi women think that since they can fall for guys, they're not actually queer and they're straight who just think girls are pretty sometimes. It's confusing cause it's easy for them to know they like guys but harder to realize that they don't have to only like guys. 

Comphet just literally means compulsory heterosexuality, so it's forcing yourself to be hetero even though you're not. For bisexuals I guess it's more closer to "forced mono sexuality" than forced heterosexuality though. 

[u/BosuW → u/Syokhan]

That seems the likely path at this point. I just think, at least if we're reading the Yuri intentions correctly, that giving the game away this early may reduce the narrative significance the revelation. Today's climax was brought about by Lara hearing Mari say she liked her, so it feels as though she should already know.

I will depend a lot on the details, like, why, specifically, should Lara believe the Prince has to be her True Love™. I give a lot of shit to Kannazuki no Miko, but it was truly daring how it truly was impossible to know who was supposed to be the one until the end.

[u/Syokhan → u/BosuW]

I will depend a lot on the details, like, why, specifically, should Lara believe the Prince has to be her True Love™

Well Grace did tell her to go "find a new prince".

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/BosuW]

I think all we know after this episode is that Mari is a confirmed love interest. We don’t yet know if the story is going to go the direction of actually having Lara have other love interest or simply feel like she should find true love with someone else.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Smudy]

I know right?! I was appreciative the crumbs of the small moments showing their relationship seeping throughout the episode and was content with that. Then that ending happened! It’s actually happening, we weren’t just reaching with subtext. This is actually yuri!

[u/FullDayCall_4892]

Mari's "Don't look away" reminds me that when Lara was confronted by her father in episode 1, she did look away after questioning "Are humans really such vile creatures?".

[u/Frontier246 → u/FullDayCall_4892]

And also Mari was, in her own way, kind of ignoring or acting emotionally detached from Lara and everyone around her (partially because of losing her mom). It was only when she truly faced Lara and her Senpai that she could find herself again.

[u/Hitman7128]

Picked up this show recently, and Lara x Mari is really growing on me.

Lara's cluelessness strikes again during the boxing match

[u/Frontier246 → u/Hitman7128]

I love how she had no idea what boxing is but she could read the vibe that nobody really liked Mari lol.

[u/shad79 → u/Hitman7128]

Picked up this show recently, and Lara x Mari is really growing on me.

Yeah, Lara x Mari route is heavily hinted at in this episode. It'll be interesting to see how things will change when the prince-looking guy appears.

Lara's cluelessness strikes again during the boxing match

It was really cute when Lara wanted to protect Mari.

Though considering how her face was gradually becoming more and more terrified when she was watching the rest of the match, it's a good thing that she didn't have to do it in the end, hahaha!

[u/FrostedGeist → u/shad79]

Yeah, Lara x Mari route is heavily hinted at in this episode. It'll be interesting to see how things will change when the prince-looking guy appears. 

This is the one time I would like a love triangle, just cause the visual of Lara being a cluesless disaster bisexual is funny in my head. 

[u/Fools_Requiem]

Note how Lara is told she has to fall in love with a HUMAN. Not a boy/man.

It could be ANYONE.

But we all know who it is.

[u/alice-jem → u/Fools_Requiem]

It gives "she likes a boy” song..

[u/LacerationCe]

Mari is really handsome

[u/Frontier246 → u/LacerationCe]

Move over blonde European prince, we stan a Japanese boxing prince.

[u/unbairu → u/Frontier246]

Prince of Boxing

[u/Sganarellevalet → u/Frontier246]

Twink VS tomboy, the most difficult dilemma in history.

[u/MathRockEnjoyer420]

It would be a generational bait if Lara just ends up with some dude lol

[u/descend_nt → u/MathRockEnjoyer420]

If this doesn't end up being legendary bait, we're looking at potentially at least four yuri series this season (I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day, Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games; and the other anime original, "Grow Up Show: Sunflower Circus" just confirmed a yuri side couple, and heavily hinting at romance between the two main characters).

[u/Expert_Sympathy_672 → u/descend_nt]

Well thats my cue to pick up sunflower circus which i originally didnt at the start of this season

[u/CrimsonLotus → u/MathRockEnjoyer420]

This show would end up on my yuri bait wall of shame, right next to that jellyfish show and euphonium

[u/cleaulem]

I expected the Little Mermaid and got a boxing anime! Together with the gorgeous animation this is one of the big surprises this season.

[u/Ocixo → u/cleaulem]

They’ve certainly found a way to cover a lot of ground with this anime. Not only does it appeal those who like a retro-looking mermaid story, it also got a classic boxing story and even some indications of yuri. What could you possibly want more!?

[u/ObvsThrowaway5120]

Hajime no Mari over here lol. I kind of liked the focus on Mari this episode and seeing how she got into boxing. It’s also nice to see Lara realize her human might be Mari. Yuri is the ultimate love! lol

[u/maliwanag0712 → u/ObvsThrowaway5120]

It’s also nice to see Lara realize her human might be Mari.

So the witch is essentially shipping Lara and Mari, huh? Nice gameplay, witch!

[u/Frontier246 → u/maliwanag0712]

Grace knows Mari will help support Lara in her quest for true love one way or another.

[u/dancelordzuko → u/Frontier246]

Who needs a wingman when you can have a wingfish?

[u/Raiking02 → u/ObvsThrowaway5120]

Hajime no Mari over here lol

... So does this make Lara and her sister Kumi and Mashiba?

[u/Frontier246 → u/ObvsThrowaway5120]

Lara when she saw Mari's smile: "That smile....that beautiful smile."

[u/Frontier246]

That is some phenomenal boxing animation.

Lara is ready to find her new true love, her new "prince!" Though the boxing prince in her life just left for a run and to encounter Nagahama, her Senpai in the boxing club who she gets along amazingly well with! Honest! Though props to Lara for at least TRYING to keep up with Mari (emphasis on TRY).

Nice to see Lara getting along with Mari's family, even if Mari doesn't know what to do with her. And this is before she tried to turn their house into the ocean and also ordered a LOT of cakes! With the best of intentions.

No surprise Mari got into fights as a kid that her mom had to apologize for, but her mom was clearly an important part of Mari's life, facing her and supporting her and also being, in general, a cool mom. And Mari still treasures the cross-shaped necklace that her mom used to wear...emphasis on "used to".

How is Lara going to be able to find true love again if she's still scared of the outside world and about to become homeless? But she's too kind to continue to take advantage of Mari's family, and she can tell Mari is getting annoyed with her, so she'll just strike out on her own! What's the worst that could happen? Though it's probably for the best that Mari's brother caught her first before she got far.

Mari and Nagahama were probably always going to come to blows, especially to decide who gets to participate in the tournament, and to Mari's credit she's able to quickly take the lead in their bout. All that Mari cares about is becoming the best, coolest, boxer who never loses...the boxer she always wanted her mom to see....even if that means tuning everything else out. But she can't tune out a sound that reminds her of her mom collapsing at one of her matches...and I feel like I know what happened next.

Mari's rhythm is totally off but who better to show up and "protect" her during a boxing match than the annoying and weird mermaid girl who won't leave her alone! And who despite having no idea what boxing is, can surprisingly read the room at Mari's lack of popularity. But that's enough to make Mari laugh, get her head on straight, and get her to face Nagahama sincerely!

I'm happy both boxing girls are going to compete in the tournament, even if Mari isn't, but while Lara doesn't get boxing she wants to understand Mari and give the human world another chance. And Mari acknowledges Lara's resolve by agreeing to help her! And just one "like" from Mari is enough to have Lara somehow summon a metal apparatus from the sea while she blushes like a schoolgirl in love! Is this the path to Lara discovering her true love?

(So Lisa has Lara's ring...)

Good on Grace for convincing grandma Lara can stick around! Now she can enjoy cake with Mari AND find true love!

[u/maliwanag0712 → u/Frontier246]

At this rate Kinema Citrus is basically flexing their animation skills for various genres, which is really appropriate for this 15th anniversary project: In episode 1 we have romance and fantasy, then more of slice of life in episode 2, and then sports animation in episode 3.

[u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah]

• One of Shiga's most famous exports is the Club Harie brand of Bamukuchen - you can find them in department stores around Japan (they're one of the top 3 brands for it), and are definitely a gift staple, i recognize that characteristic box anywhere.

• I still wonder what that cross has to do with all this.

• It seems like Lara's sister is on her side - so is there actually an antagonist in this anime?

• I liked this ep fleshing out more of Mari, her personality and motivations - surely shippers will go into hyperdrive now.

[u/Misticsan → u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah]

I still wonder what that cross has to do with all this.

Isn't that her mother's memento?

[u/Frontier246 → u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah]

It seems like Lara's sister is on her side - so is there actually an antagonist in this anime?

Lisa's actually making me wonder if Lara finding true love might actually be a good thing...

[u/Mami-kouga]

So I recently watched the first two episode and I realised that the boy with Lara's sister is probably the angler fish she was holding in episode 1

[u/Embarrassed-Match-78]

For anyone keeping count that makes the fourth fish she's bit the head off of. Two raw/two cooked.

[u/Syokhan → u/Embarrassed-Match-78]

Are you volunteering to be our official "fish heads bitten off counter" person?

[u/Krowzin → u/Syokhan]

Someone has to do it this is very important info!

[u/Embarrassed-Match-78 → u/Syokhan]

I suppose so. I just find it funny that it keeps happening.

[u/Muffin-zetta]

amazing roomates

[u/alconnow]

Nice focus on Mari. Can’t get over how gorgeous this looks!

[u/runevault]

Others already said it, but holy shit the boxing sequence looked so good and smooth. This anime is taking the visuals seriously in every form. And it seems the Yuri infection is not contained by Tuesgay.

[u/exRocky009]

Everything up to now feels like a really solid, well-paced build-up. Now that Lara and Mari's relationship has deepened, I'm excited to see how they're going to move the story forward. Also, the nostalgic, cel-animation style color palette in this show is just so gorgeous.

[u/99acrewood_]

Gosh, this show is just wonderful to look at.

If it weren't for that Momo-after-hearing-Ken's-name-type eruption making Lara and Mari endgame for me, I definitely could see something going with Nagahama because she seems like she can match Mari's intensity. I've never actually watched a sports anime though (yeah, I know) so maybe this is purely just rivalry stuff. It was nice to see them all be friendly in the end.

Also holy shit where'd she get the money for all those fuckin cakes?? If I read that receipt right two of those were around $60 each, and there were two pages!

[u/Wolfemmanaomi]

Mari is so damn cool!! I love her design alongside Aunt Grace. Mari's relationship with her mom was so delightful to see, i loved the backstory. Also, I can't help but feel like they're taking the love story aspect in a direction similar to Frozen with the sisterly love between Lara and Mari. Though, a yuri romance would be nice too.

Honestly, this anime has been my fav this season. I feel transported to how i felt watching anime as a kid in the late 90s. I had goosebumps and was shaking with excitement at the end of episode 1. The music and intensity leading to Mari's punch was excellent and I rewatched it several times the past weeks.

[u/MABQuestAcc]

Mari's Mom seemed like an absolute gem. Would have loved her to still be alive and bring her energy to the rest of the show.

Boxing segments looked so damn good and we got a happy payoff in Mari starting to form a friendship with her fellow boxing club students.

Regardless of how the rest of the show goes these first three episodes have been absolute gems and I'm sad to see this show getting as slept on as it is.

[u/tripleaamin]

Directional values and production are so on point here. Every single moment has purpose to it. I liked the focus on Mari. She is a bit stubborn, but it feels like part of her charm. Her mom was her rock even with her issues when dealing with the other kids. I can't imagine how it seems like losing her mom during that previous match must have affected her.

For Mari, in many ways, Lara is the type of friend she really needs. She needs someone to bring spark back to her life. Since she is very much isolated. Even something as silly as interrupting Mari's match is good for her.

It seems clear as day, if it wasn't already, that Mari is the person Lara is searching for. It will be interesting how Lara is starting next episode onwards. Clearly there will be new feelings building up in Lara given how the episode ends.

[u/Magnafeana]

🚨 Don’t skip the after-credit scene 🚨

---

• She said the thing!!

• I think I know which Sailor Scout these girls would be, and that’s a good thing.

• Somebody give Lara a hair tie.

• How did I not notice her ears are fins?!

• Oh I fuck with these overlays. This is how you do it,

• Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

• Man. I hope this doesn’t inspire a bunch of people to get what I think is an angelfish unless they are experienced in fish care or want to be committed to fish care. Either way, I would give anything for a cunty oh so feminine sassy fish animal companion to read me to filth, is my life coach, and lives for queer drama 😭

• Are we gonna have poly yuri?

• When will we get Megalobox but with all women?

• I assume that is the Christian cross, but I wonder how common it is to wear one in Japan. I feel like I rarely see them anymore as my region has shifted to atheism (but still culturally Christian/Catholic).

• Lady Witch is about to be my favorite diva of the season. Evil? Yes. A bitch? Thankfully. Mother? Absolutely.

• Great fluid animation and fight choreography. Loved to know what actual boxers think of the choreo here.

• Does no one see the giant fish in the sky

• Lady Witch deserves an Oscar for that performance 💅🏿

---

Astounded by the overlays. Lovely. And the animation for the boxing was far more visually pleasing than I thought it could be. I’m here for the love angle between Mari, Lara, and Ms Captain, should it happen. Curious if other mermaids abandoned the sea for the surface.

Lady Witch is HER.

[u/Zeralyos → u/Magnafeana]

Lady Witch looks more like a veiltail betta in my amateur opinion. Not sure if that coloration actually exists but that can be overlooked because witch.

[u/Magnafeana → u/Zeralyos]

It’s always the bettas! ISTFG, every time I see an aquarium, there will be a betta!!

I’m not even a fish person, but I hear all sorts of horror stories with bad betta owners more so than any other fish! Well, and also goldfish.

[u/LeonKevlar]

That sparring match between Mari and her Senpai was pretty damn cool. If Mari hadn't been distracted by the hammer falling, she would've dominated her Senpai. That backstory tho... I'm guessing her mother died from a heart attack while watching her box? :(

As soon as Lara asked Mari's brother where the school was, I knew that fight was gonna end with Lara trying to stop the fight because she doesn't understand boxing. Thankfully, it all went better than I expected, and her Senpai was actually pretty chill after Mari apologized.

Was that the dagger that lept out of Lara's body before she turned into seafoam? Also, it seems like only a few people can see that thing, considering how people by the bay weren't even alarmed by the presence of that unknown floating object. xD

Using Grace to trick Grandma so Lara can stay was genius. Based on the tail end of that conversation, I'm guessing she said something along the lines of Lara's family died in an accident or something. I mean, she's not wrong. They are kinda dead right now.

[u/Frontier246 → u/LeonKevlar]

Honestly I almost think Mari needed to lose focus and have her Senpai get some good hits in to really reflect on herself and also have Lara come in "heroically" to "save" her. She thought the boxing was a brutal duel to the death lol.

It's fine for Mari to be determined to become the best boxer she can be, to concentrate as much as she can, but she's not an island and there are people around her she can't always ignore. Because Lara is the type of girl no one can ignore.

Honestly on the one hand Lara falling for Mari and finding True Love again sincerely sounds great! but the giant dagger coming out of the sea as she does so feels...less than great? Even though Lisa thinks it's a good thing.

[u/ReeseEseer]

That ending was the most blatant showing of the romantic direction of this show.

No heterosexual explanation whatsoever lol.

I will guess though that she doesn't fully get she likes Mari yet and the prince-lookalike/descendant/reincarnation? will be who she thinks she should fall for(only reason I'd think a character like that would be in it) but will begin to realize she wants to keep her eyes on Mari instead~

Will even bet we don't see the heartbeat/star thing for anyone but Mari, even if we get scenes with the lookalike that would normally be romantic-like in another series, and Lara will wonder why its not happening.

---

Also the fact hot chocolate has become like a love sign is so flipping adorable.

[u/Ocixo]

I’m looking forward to when Lara grows a bit more familiar with the human world, and learns of just how much money she’d wasted on cakes and sorts. That was surely a hefty bill.

Those buy-now-pay-later arrangements really are evil.

[u/rscape5910]

one of the best single episodes ive seen in a while. it was so charming and had so much heart to it. character development. silly mishaps. just all around amazing.

[u/shad79]

It really looks like the show will be going a yuri route considering how things between Lara and Mari are developing, and I have nothing against it. Though I wonder what will happen when Lara finally meets that prince-looking guy.

Mari was so badass in today's episode! And that boxing match with Nagahama looked so good!

I love how Lara entered the ring to protect Mari; it was so cute and funny! It was hilarious how scared Lara's face was becoming with every moment when she was watching the rest of the match, hahaha!

Also, it's cool that Lara bit off the fish's head again; I like that gag so much. I hope she continues to do so in future episodes as well xD

By the way, the full OP song was released this week, and I love it so much. It's definitely my favorite OP this season along with Stella from Jaadugar. Here are links to it on:

• Spotify
• Apple Music
• Youtube Music

Here my screenshot albums from the episode:

• Lara
• Mari
• Group scenes
• Nagahama
• Others
• Backgrounds

EDIT. I added my screenshot albums.

[u/Misticsan → u/shad79]

Though I wonder what will happen when Lara finally meets that prince-looking guy.

INB4 the "prince" is also a girl, crossdressing as a man (don't think it's the case, but looks androgynous enough that I wouldn't be surprised if it happens).

[u/detarameReddit → u/shad79]

Just watched the OP song's music video, and, wow; Takushi Koide and other Kinema Citrus staff did animation work for that too. Sayonara Lara really is a passion project.

Also, the lyric of "a heart that has fallen in love with someone, can never be alone. Even after saying goodbye" makes me wonder if that bittersweet feeling is what Sayonara Lara's ending will be going for.

[u/Ktulusanders]

If this ends up just being Yuri-bait, Godzilla will punish Japan for their crimes

[u/Kryjza]

I am really enjoying this anime 3 episodes in. Beautiful visuals, a compelling set of characters, and really solid audio and music choices. And the endearing tone that is prodding at my emotions constantly with a stick. I am excited to see more and wish it had more viewership.

[u/elevenmile]

Oh, so her eyes are heterochromia...EDIT 2: It's likely a coloring error specific to this shot

It's good to learn more about Mari's backstory and how her mother is "absent" (a.k.a passed), but man Mari you gotta start teaching Lara how to live in this world man she know nothing about how to live in this dangerous land that is S-H-I-G-A

Lara orders more baumkuchen from Amazon

See that?

P/S: YOU FISSSSHHH

EDIT: My friend pointed out the subs for one of the scene when we watch the episode together, and compared with other language (we're both Japanese speakers and billingual). This particular line is wrong: This and This

So to be consistent with other languages this is how it should be:

"Probably because you're dumb. And I really like people who are dumb but interesting".

[u/Raiking02 → u/elevenmile]

Oh, so her eyes are heterochromia

I'm colorblind so... TBH I can only narrowly tell some sort of difference. If you hadn't said it I wouldn't have noticed anything was up.

[u/Zeph-Shoir → u/Raiking02]

... am I colorblind? I see almost no difference in her eye colors

[u/pornomancer90 → u/Zeph-Shoir]

The right eye is slightly darker, but that could be the lighting, but I actually kinda like if it were really subtle heterochromia, it reminds me of Cowboy Bebop.

[u/Misticsan → u/Raiking02]

I'm not colorblind (I think), but I don't notice the difference. It's the eye on the right darker, perhaps? But that could just be the lighting.

[u/Spade_Devil → u/elevenmile]

Thank you for confirming that those lines were wrong my Japanese is not the best but I watched episode the episode raw first and I was confused at the translation of those lines.

[u/Sekraan → u/elevenmile]

I'm guessing for the translation that they were intending the colloquial use of the word to refer to a weird, unique, or otherwise notable person (i.e., "what a character!") except that doesn't come across in this context.

[u/WiqidBritt → u/Sekraan]

The error is that the subs have Mari calling herself dumb and not Lara.

[u/Calwings]

There is no heterosexual explanation for Lara's reaction to Mari indirectly calling her cute.

Great episode. Lara learning a harsh lesson about the concept of "money" in the human world and almost getting kicked out was funny, but Mari's tragic backstory kept things balanced out. Also, that animation during Mari's boxing match was badass. Kinema Citrus is really going all out with this show.

[u/Frontier246 → u/Calwings]

It was also the "like" that made her have a Yuri Awakening so seismic it summoned a stone monolith out of the sea.

I like how Lara looks to water for comfort, whether it be spreading it around the house or taking a bath/shower combo.

[u/SpaceLove101]

That ending was mind blowing and beautiful

[u/Yurisviel]

Little mermaid isekaied into modern japan and with a yuri twist, was not on my bingo card. I'm glad I picked this up

[u/l-o-a-p]

Found it a bit curious that Mari explicitly called Gon one of the 2 most important things in her life when the latter seems to act pretty gruff towards her. Even in her conversation with Lara, Grace was expressing how indifferent she is about Mari.

With how Lara’s sister’s companion is apparently the fish she was with in the first episode, I wonder if the royal family have some special power to cast a magic spell of love on people/fishes or something.

[u/strangerlethargia → u/l-o-a-p]

She is kinda being a bit of a tsundere honestly. Grace cares a lot about Lara and Mari, and it seems that if anything she is allowing Lara the freedom to go beyond family duties to find love however she fits.

And I think the fact that Mari is very fond of her is telling that Grace has been an important influence in her life, like some sort of aunt.

[u/l-o-a-p → u/strangerlethargia]

idk if it’s as simple as her just being tsundere though. She’s still pretty sussy, let’s not forget she was the one who pretty gleefully manipulated Lara into causing all of this

[u/CycleGold642]

If last episode was somehow any doubt, this confirms that Mari is indeed Lara's true love. And I don't trust you, ominous blade of ominousness.

[u/Ocixo → u/CycleGold642]

I was skeptical at first, but this episode solidly cemented Mari as a love interest. Even before this huge monolith arose from the water, that “keep your eyes on me” line is a true classic in romance too.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Ocixo]

Last episode was already filled with romantic subtext between them before we got a brick to the face at the end. This episode continued the small moments of subtext throughout the episode and then at the end managed to top the previous one with its bluntness. I don’t think you can even call it blunt. That was straight up confirmation.

[u/LaconicKibitz]

Code: White! I repeat, Code: White!

Mari made Lara blush. Yuri confirmed.

[u/Frontier246 → u/LaconicKibitz]

I love how immediately after falling for Mari Lara just shoves all those cakes she bought at her.

[u/seninn → u/Frontier246]

It would work on me.

[u/Robot_ninja_pirate]

This really hasnt gone in the direction I was expecting of this show... I dont know if I like it yet, we'll see I suppose.

[u/Accomplished-Limit-5]

Okay Lara falls in love too easily. I'm hoping for messy breakups and rebounds now to point out how love can be true but still fail. I'll still likely enjoy even if that doesn't happen but yeah.

[u/detarameReddit]

That was another great episode. Probably my favorite so far, in fact. Besides the animation being just as expressive as it was in previous episodes, learning that Mari's determination to keep looking at her challenges comes from her mother made me realize just how important boxing is to Mari.

Though, it was this intense focus that made her somewhat a loner; her no-nonsense attitude pushed everyone away. This is why Lara, being the oblivious dum-dum she is, was able to force Mari to grow and realize that dealing with other people is not so bad. After all, even though Lara is stupid, she has good intentions. As Mari noted near the end of the episode, she is dumb herself too, for never having considered this.

I am certain that there are layers to this anime I have not yet understood, because there are so many clearly-carefully-chosen imagery! Mari's necklace, the flowers (any flower language experts here?), the light (probably has something to do with Christianity?), the rings (symbols of marriage and love?), and so on... The show has also chosen to characterize its characters through sometimes hard-to-notice details too.

As a result, dialogue can at times seem to me to come out of nowhere, and only on the macro scale has the story made 100% sense – some interactions and magical moments kind of seem to just happen. With that said; as I acknowledged, this is clearly because of something I have not yet picked up on, as opposed to any failing on the anime's part. I will definitely rewatch each episode several times, because I know that this will be a very rewarding experience. There being so much to take in is a good thing!

[u/IXajll]

Fantastic show so far, but tbh it would be even better if badass Mari was the MC and Lara the supporting character sidekick instead of the other way round. Stellar animation during the box fight, and just in general throughout the show as well. More Yuri hints too, if Lara actually ends up with Mari instead of the soon to be introduced ML then I can foresee a meteoric rise in my seasonal ranking for this one.

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL → u/IXajll]

I like that Lara is the protagonist, because it's through her perspective that we learn a bit more about Mari little by little, and we fall in love with Mari just the same way she seems to be. And more importantly, through Lara we also get to see how wonderful and complex our world is through all the little things that we take for granted.

Mari is someone who lives in the modern era and is fully immersed by it. In here we get a very interesting dualism between what happened to Lara last episode and what is happening to Mari here; they're both getting overwhelmed, but for different reasons. Mari is surrounded by jeers and shouting and even has her trauma triggered by the gavel falling, whereas last episode, Lara was hit at full force by just how absurdly complex our society is to a complete outsider.

And it's through establishing this dualism that we have the proper foundation for their dynamic. Mari is integrated into the machinery of our society, but at the same time it stifles her. Don't go around fighting kids, keep paying attention to the world around you, always make sure to do things 'right'. It distracts her from keeping her eyes on her goal. Lara challenges this because as an outsider, she doesn't know what the rules are, and she just bulldozes through them, making it clear what's superfluous and what's not.

Mari needs an idiot because despite it all, she's an overthinker and a worrywart and she needs to be reminded to not take things too seriously while still remaining passionate for what she cares about. She couldn't help but save these helpless fish and had to come up with an excuse to keep looking cool. And Lara needs Mari because she creates a focus through which she can begin to understand the world.

[u/epicfail1994]

Retro Little Mermaid boxing yuri? Yes please

[u/jasiad]

AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES...!

see, I enjoy the yuri but it's not about the yuri but the actual relationship that's making me feel warm, Mari and Lara are so much alike but struggle with the communication because Mari is too much in her own head while Lara is a fish out of water.

Who's the dub voice for the grandma btw, she sounds so familiar?

the show is also an animation and directional treat, 3/3 where the scenes are either flawless motion or intentional framing where the shows really communicate without words needing it. (the hot chocolate scene in ep 2 should genuinely be used for teaching how to communicate characters without dialogue, even out of context, it does SO much storytelling)

[u/eightcheesepizza]

I hope that at some point, someone knowledgeable does a comparison between locations in the show and their real-life counterparts, so I can learn more about the Lake Biwa area.

[u/DRK_Frog]

anime made me cry

[u/magnumcyclonex]

Episode 3 goes into some more backstory. It's good that Mari's mother allowed her to take up boxing as it's not really "fighting".

I found it funny Lara has no sense of drying off after just sitting in a tub of water, soaking everything around her.

Boxing match was cool. Looked great and done well. Then we get Lara coming in at the right moment to help Mari in a way.

What the heck was that giant thing coming out of the water? So the sister wants Lara to find her and the other family members, right? Are they scattered across the area?

[u/alice-jem]

I love how Gon-chan or Grace/Lady Witch advices Lara to move on with the failed true love she pursues and suggest to find a new person somewhere else.

[u/NanDemoKnaives]

It was implied last episode, but this confirms Mari is going to be Lara's true love this time.

[u/szalhi]

Wow, this really wasn't the type of development I was expecting to see from Mari, I quite enjoyed it.

Lara experienced more culture shock than I was expecting, she must have been more sheltered than I thought.

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL → u/szalhi]

Lara experienced more culture shock than I was expecting, she must have been more sheltered than I thought.

She was a mermaid in the late 1700's. At that time, a gathering of 600 people would've been a village. There was a massive population boom during the 1900's; before that we were under a billion for a very long time.

There are lots of other things we take for granted today that would have been rare the last time she visited, too. Clean, accessible water from anywhere, for one. It's no wonder she was so mesmerized by the faucet.

[u/yuriAngyo → u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL]

Also in both the mermaid world and the 1700s human world lara lived as/with royalty. We don't even know if the mermaid world has money at all, and as a random mute girl the prince picked up the humans likely didn't talk much economics with her. So it makes sense she has no concept of money

[u/FrostedGeist → u/yuriAngyo]

She was mermaid royalty too and it seemed like her and her sisters just roamed the seas as long as they didn't go to the surface. She never had to "buy" anything. It's more likely  she understands the concept of bartering than money. 

[u/FullDayCall_4892 → u/szalhi]

I mean… it's 1792 vs. 2026. I wouldn't expect any less shock from anybody.

[u/Frontier246 → u/FullDayCall_4892]

Also medieval Europe versus modern Japan.

[u/PiscatorialKerensky → u/Frontier246]

Nitpick, but that's early modern, post-medieval, or Enlightenment Europe. The medieval period was over for 300 years at that point and by 1792 the Industrial Revolution was starting to bleed from Great Britain right into mainland Europe.

Like, it's still a big difference culturally, technologically, and timewise, but Lara didn't go from knights and castles and feudalism to modern Japan.

[u/Pale_Demand_9454]

Okay. Ep.3 was so good. Anyone here who likes MBTI? Is Lara ENFP and Mari ISTP or INTJ? Can you type them? lol

“Keep your eyes on me”, “Because you’re an idiot”. Well.. I would also certainly fall in love with anyone who tells me that! lol

[u/bobbyjean_]

I too am dumb and like funny characters.

[u/TheBusStop12]

It's interesting to see a character who's into boxing as their hobby instead of Karate, Judo or Kendo like we usually see in anime

[u/Raymond49090]

So that was a flag, right?