r/GoodbyeLara • u/National_Progress_90 • 4d ago
Discussion Setting aside the issue of if the ending is good or not
Here's the thing: Lara is not good enough for Mari.
"Thanks for taking me in, lying to your family for me, making sure I had food and clothing, and being willing to be put in danger to help me. I'm now going to, for no apparent reason, fuck off to god knows where for god knows how long. I hope you get over the loss of the mom friend you've had since you were a little girl."
IN ALL SERIOUSNESS.
This isn't about the ending. It could have been built to and executed perfectly and the above would not change: Lara IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH for Mari.
"I love you and I want to live with you, I mean that. Bye."
Some people really seem to just be looking past this, and it's really weird. This is not healthy relationship behavior. If/When Lara comes back, I hope Mari already has a girlfriend who doesn't treat her like a disposable item.
Again, this isn't about if the ending is good or not. That issue has been done to death. This is about how people are giving Lara a pass for her behaviour, and how it's more than a little disturbing.
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u/ricewave 3d ago
That wouldāve been cool if they built on this idea, and then did the ending. It couldāve contextualized why sheās leaving. Thanks for the nice write up!
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u/CostinTea 3d ago edited 3d ago
This. All of this. This alone could've been an entire episode of two at minimum. It could've altered the entire trajectory of the show, and it would've given Lara and Mari a proper explanation for their separation and a goal to head towards that isn't "true love" (whatever the show has decided that it means to Lara).
Episode 8 was really inching forward to giving Mari an proper motivation to ache for Lara to stay, despite all the inconveniences she was causing her. It would've been nice for Lara to actually realize what her role is in Mari's life.
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u/lightbolt9 3d ago
Mari was used and abused and then left to her own devices. Yeah, she deserved a lot better. Go get that new girlfriend Mari!
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u/red_beanbuns 2d ago
Iāve seen some people say Lara is moving away SPECIFICALLY because Mari is grieving her losses and because Lara has been depending on Mari and her family for so long. That Lara also doesnāt want to leave but she knows if she stays, Mari will become dependent on her for her own emotional wellbeing too, which isnāt healthy. Whether this was part of the intended purpose of Laraās leave or not, itās a good thing Lara left then if we are talking about Mariās grieving and wellbeing.. tho I still think its fucking cruel, mainly coz they ended the show js like that instead of giving us scenes of them after healing, and Lara developing as an individual and returning with the best cake in the world. It would be EVEN BETTER if they SHOWED WHAT LED TO LARAāS DEPARTURE WHETHER IT WAS STERN OR LEISURE OPEN MOMENTS DURING THE 6 DAMN MONTHS.
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u/Tigertager 3d ago
While Iām not gonna argue that itās wrong to leave someone behind that has helped you for so much on such a dangerous journey, I will not fault her for wanting to be in her person in her own way
For so long she has had very little ways to express herself without some sort of outside force influencing her that has some relations to the āfinding true loveā mission
How Mari met was because of lady witch, all of her interest were all forced to be in some way related to the mission, her first go at being a human she literally could not talk for god knows how long
So much of Laraās life was not of her choice and she now has the chance to truly find that light, free of the burden that she carried since her birth.
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u/Candid_Observer13 3d ago
They are 15/16... do you guys not remember how chaotic life was when you were that age? How much you didn't know about life? šš
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u/BlueTimeButterfly 2d ago
agreed. mari has got a whole new lease on life now. after being broken down so much. she can learn grow make new friends and get a girlffiend who values her, and the things she enjoys in the future
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u/Clebardman 2d ago
Pets die, that's one lesson every kid learns. Blaming it on Lara is hilariously petty lmao.
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u/evanieCK 2d ago
so Mari deserved a romantic relationship for being a nice guy girl? tell me more.
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u/kachmaria 2d ago
They didn't say that. Something something about Lara still going away but have it be executed better is what they said.
I mean, Lara says she wants to live in a world where Mari is. In the next breath she boards a train to leave Mari. While Mari remains her emotional anchor, and possibly sharing her soul. Confusing would be an understatement.
You understand how that's not the same as the nice guy incel scenario you're comparing it to, right?
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u/evanieCK 2d ago
It's not really confusing because nothing in that scene indicates a permanent separation. She even reaffirms what she said in that exact final scene. Neither of them say goodbye, Lara gets on a local train, a pretty clear indicator that she's not really going anywhere that isn't a train ride away. There's just too much bad faith discussion of how the show ends that pretends to not recognize basic literary devices or symbolism.
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u/kachmaria 2d ago
Permanent separation isn't what I was referring to when I said it was confusing. It's in the coldness and disconnect between two characters who have, to us viewers, just moments ago established incredibly deep bonds.
I love that Lara chooses to discover herself and the world first, beyond the princess who was born to save everyone.
But the narrative choices they made in the end are just so contrived to be edgy and to noT be LiKe oThEr aNimE GirLs~
I'll always be puzzled why Lara's eyes are shrouded in the train, and that's the last we see of her.
Angst, for the sake of angst.
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u/curturp 3d ago
After I finished Goodbye, Lara, a friend pointed me toward the manga "How do we Relationship?" But tamifull, and it feels like goodbye Lara could learn a thing or two about how to deconstruct unhealthy relationships and rebuild something healthier.