Goodbye, Lara has officially reached the end of its first anime journey, but its final farewell is far quieter than the supernatural drama that shaped Lara’s story. After the broadcast of the 12th and final episode, the original series revealed a new memorial illustration that turns the spotlight toward a much simpler side of Lara and Mari’s relationship.
The artwork, created by character designer Shiori Tani, captures a warm everyday moment that viewers never saw during the main story. Lara is learning to ride a bicycle, while Mari holds onto the back to keep her steady, creating a surprisingly tender image to accompany the anime’s conclusion.
Goodbye, Lara Receives a Memorial Visual After Episode 12
The new memorial visual was released on September 22, 2026, shortly after Goodbye, Lara completed its television run. Shiori Tani, the anime’s character designer, drew the illustration specifically to commemorate the conclusion.
Rather than showing Lara in the middle of the supernatural conflicts surrounding her story, the artwork presents something much more ordinary.
Lara is gripping the bicycle’s handlebars while Mari supports her from behind. Lara’s cheeks are dirty and her appearance is slightly disheveled, suggesting that learning to ride has already involved a few tumbles. Even so, she looks happy as she continues trying.
The official anime account accompanied the artwork with a message thanking viewers for following the series through its final episode:
ใๆ็ต่ฉฑใพใงใ่ฆงใใใ ใใ
ๆฌๅฝใซใใใใจใใใใใพใใ๐งโโ๏ธใ
The message expresses the production team’s gratitude to everyone who watched the anime through its conclusion.
Japanese coverage also describes the illustration as a warm everyday moment between Lara and Mari that was not shown in the main story.
That detail gives the visual an extra emotional layer. After a series built around mermaids, love, sacrifice and supernatural stakes, the farewell instead focuses on two characters sharing an ordinary experience.
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The Finale Marks the End of a 12-Episode Original Anime
Although the memorial artwork arrived on September 22, the anime itself had already reached its conclusion.
Goodbye, Lara was an original television anime produced by Kinema Citrus as part of the studio’s 15th-anniversary projects. The series began airing in July 2026 and concluded with Episode 12, titled โGoodbye, Lara.โ
There is a slight date distinction surrounding the finale because of its late-night Japanese broadcast schedule.
| Detail | Verified information |
| Anime | Goodbye, Lara |
| Production | Kinema Citrus |
| Format | Original television anime |
| Episode count | 12 episodes |
| Finale | Episode 12, โGoodbye, Laraโ |
| BS Asahi listing | September 20, 2026, at 1:30 a.m. in Japan |
| Other reported date | September 21, 2026, due to the late-night scheduling convention |
| Memorial visual | September 22, 2026 |
| Character designer | Shiori Tani |
| Director | Takushi Koide |
| Series composer | Anna Kawahara |
| Music | yuma yamaguchi |
BS Asahi’s official programming archive lists the finale for September 20 at 1:30 a.m. in Japan, a broadcast time that falls within the overnight scheduling period following September 20. Crunchyroll and other coverage refer to the conclusion as September 21 because of that late-night scheduling convention.
KADOKAWA’s official anime portal lists the series as running for 12 episodes.
The anime’s principal staff included Takushi Koide as director, Anna Kawahara as series composer, Shiori Tani as character designer and yuma yamaguchi as composer.
The main voice cast featured Hana Hishikawa as Lara and Nana Kawaishi as Mari Otsu, alongside Rika Fukami, Ayumu Murase, Tomohiro Ono, Mitsuaki Madono, Nanae Sumitomo, Masaki Terasoma, Minami Tsuda and Kazutomi Yamamoto.
Lara’s Story Reimagines The Little Mermaid in Lake Biwa
The emotional weight behind the farewell visual becomes clearer when looking back at the unusual journey that brought Lara to this point.
At the heart of Goodbye, Lara is a mermaid princess whose story begins with a familiar fairy-tale idea before taking it in a very different direction.
Lara once fell in love with a human prince and used a witch’s potion to become human so she could be with him. But the transformation came with a devastating condition: if she could not find true love, she would eventually disappear into sea foam.
Two centuries later, Lara awakens in Lake Biwa, giving her one final opportunity to find love and determine her fate.
The official synopsis follows Lara as she attempts to navigate modern human life while dealing with the conditions imposed upon her existence. Crunchyroll describes Goodbye, Lara as an original anime inspired by The Little Mermaid.
The Lake Biwa setting also allowed the production to connect that familiar fairy-tale foundation with modern-day Japan, particularly the real-world setting in Shiga Prefecture.
That combination of an old fairy-tale premise and a contemporary Japanese setting became one of the defining elements of Lara’s story.
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Episode 12 Put Lara and Mari in a Much Darker Situation
The bicycle scene in Shiori Tani’s memorial illustration is gentle, but the circumstances surrounding the final episode were anything but simple.
Japanese coverage of Episode 12 explains that the only way Lara could save her family was to โkill someone she loved,โ with Mari becoming the person who immediately came to mind.
At the same time, abnormal weather around Lake Biwa interferes with the journey, while Mari heads toward Lara.
That makes the decision to commemorate the anime with an everyday image of Lara and Mari particularly striking. Instead of returning viewers to the tension of the finale, the artwork imagines the pair in a moment of uncomplicated companionship.
Mari is simply there to help Lara stay upright.
Lara, meanwhile, is still learning.
The contrast allows the illustration to show a side of their relationship that the main story did not have space to explore directly. It is not a continuation announcement or a new dramatic scene. It is a small glimpse of an ordinary experience between the two characters.
The Official Goodbye, Lara Website Continues Its Finale Material
The series’ official website is also continuing to collect material connected to the anime’s conclusion.
One of the latest updates is the โGoodbye, Lara Giftโ campaign, announced on September 21 as part of the finale celebrations.
The official website had also previously published a report covering a special event held at the Lake Biwa Museum on August 29. The event further connected the anime with the real-world location that plays an important role in its setting.
The official site also contains the anime’s story information, character details and promotional material, making it the primary location for further announcements connected to the original series.
Ikimonogakari Gives the Finale Another Musical Farewell
The anime’s conclusion also received a special tribute from Ikimonogakari, the Japanese pop-rock duo responsible for the opening theme.
On September 21, the group released a special memorial music video for โGoodbye Lara.โ The video combines memorable scenes and lines from the anime with the opening song.
Ikimonogakari’s official website described the video as a special collection of memorable moments from the original TV anime and encouraged viewers to watch it repeatedly.
At the end of the special video, the production staff shared a message of appreciation:
“Thank yo all for sharing this journey with us to the very end.”
The wording is preserved exactly as published in the Crunchyroll report, including the apparent typo in โyo.โ
The opening song itself was released digitally on July 15, 2026, ahead of the physical CD single’s release in Japan on August 26.
According to Crunchyroll’s report, the single reached No. 32 on Oricon’s weekly single chart.
Ikimonogakari’s official music-video listing identifies โGoodbye Laraโ as the opening theme for the July 2026 original TV anime. The listing credits Yoshiki Mizuno with the lyrics and composition and Seiji Kameda with the arrangement.
Kinema Citrus’ 15th Anniversary Project Comes to a Close
Goodbye, Lara occupies a particular place in Kinema Citrus’ recent production history because it was not adapted from an existing manga or light novel.
Instead, it was created as an original anime project by Kinema Citrus as part of the studio’s 15th-anniversary projects.
The production team brought together Takushi Koide as director, Anna Kawahara for series composition, Shiori Tani for character designs and yuma yamaguchi for the music, with Kinema Citrus handling animation production.
Japanese coverage of the finale and memorial artwork specifically identifies the series as the studio’s 15th-anniversary original television anime.
That original status also makes the conclusion distinct from a typical adaptation milestone. The 12-episode television story has now reached its ending, with the memorial material serving as a celebration of the journey that has already been told.
What the Final Lara and Mari Visual Means for the Anime’s Farewell
The memorial illustration does not announce a sequel, second season or continuation.
Instead, it functions as a celebration of the story that has now concluded.
After 12 episodes, the production team and Ikimonogakari have given viewers several ways to revisit the characters around the finale, from the official website’s celebration material to the special memorial music video and now Shiori Tani’s new illustration.
Among them, the bicycle scene stands out because of how small and personal it is.
Lara’s story began with a centuries-old fairy-tale tragedy. She fell in love with a human prince, became human through a witch’s potion, faced the possibility of disappearing into sea foam and eventually awakened 200 years later in Lake Biwa.
Her journey then moved into modern human life, family, love and sacrifice.
The memorial image strips those enormous stakes away.
There is no dramatic confrontation. No supernatural crisis. No reminder of the conditions surrounding Lara’s fate.
There is simply Lara learning to ride a bicycle while Mari holds on from behind.
That ordinary moment is precisely what makes the image such a fitting farewell. It highlights the warmth between Lara and Mari and offers viewers a glimpse into an everyday relationship that the main story never directly showed.
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Conclusion
Goodbye, Lara has completed its 12-episode original television anime journey, and the series is now leaving viewers with a final collection of memories rather than a continuation announcement. The September 22 memorial visual by Shiori Tani provides the most intimate farewell yet, showing Lara learning to ride a bicycle while Mari supports her.
Alongside the official finale material and Ikimonogakari’s โGoodbye Laraโ memorial music video, the artwork gives the ending a warmer, more reflective feeling. After a story built around love, sacrifice, family and Lara’s attempt to navigate the human world, the final image brings everything back to a simple moment between two characters.
For viewers who followed Lara from her awakening in Lake Biwa through the conclusion of her story, that small bicycle lesson offers one last glimpse of Lara and Mari beyond the supernatural drama that defined their journey.
Disclaimer
This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided for the Goodbye, Lara story, including the official Goodbye, Lara anime website, KADOKAWA Animation Portal, BS Asahi’s broadcast archive, Ikimonogakari’s official website, Crunchyroll News and MANTANWEB. The article reflects the information available from those provided sources as of September 24, 2026, and does not imply independent verification beyond the material supported by those sources.
Sources
- Goodbye, Lara official anime website
- KADOKAWA Animation Portal โ Goodbye, Lara
- BS Asahi โ Goodbye, Lara broadcast archive
- Ikimonogakari official site โ Goodbye, Lara memorial video
- Crunchyroll News โ Goodbye, Lara memorial visual
- Crunchyroll News โ Ikimonogakari memorial music video
- MANTANWEB โ Memorial visual report
Featured Image Credit: Kinema Citrus
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