From the very beginning, Goodbye, Lara is a gorgeous work of animation. With its visual style reminiscent of both storybooks and 90s anime, intriguing plot loosely based on The Little Mermaid, and world mixing the mundane and the mysterious, it comes right out of the gate making a powerful impression. I’ve seen similar series with similar potential falter at the finish line, however, and as I watched this show I kept hoping beyond hope that it would not meet a similar fate.

Fortunately, I think it not only sticks the landing beautifully but is strong the entire way through. One thing that I think it does splendidly is having the little slice of time called the “present” feel truly special for its mermaid heroine Lara. The passage of time is a major component of Goodbye Lara, and the intimate focus on daily life amid her desperate mission to find love makes the mundane downright magical.

While the execution and results are very different, the use of time brings to mind the series Apocalypse Hotel. In a sense, it and Goodbye, Lara tackle the coming and going of ages in opposite ways. Whereas the former takes brief yet poignant looks at specific periods over a long span, the latter  intensely focuses on a specific period amid an enormous time span. When Lara says that she cherishes her life in this situation, it comes across as heartfelt and convincing.

Overall, we have a great original anime here. Goodbye, Lara is playful, evokes a lot of complex emotions, and somehow captures both the whimsy of youth and a deeply resonant maturity.