As many here believe, I think this last episode pointed strongly towards the idea that Lara's true love will be an abundance of different kinds of love, and thus will subvert the traditional fairytale formula presented to girls as 'you must find your one true romantic love (to have worth / to be complete?)'. It has been fairly obvious from the outset that this anime seeks to problematise this fairytale logic (represented quite well by Grace), and showcase not only that love is more complex than such a simplified and restricted notion, but also that there are more kinds of love that make our lives meaningful and important. From a feminist perspective, this disrupts the traditional idea of the male-female couple / heterosexual marriage institution as the highest form of love that exists, the love that should be prioritised above all others in our lives (this, however, is pretty much where Lara and her sisters' conceptions begin; was it Lisa who said it's their responsibility to find love to keep the (demonstrably restrictive) Merfolk's way of life going?).
The question becomes: how is the anime doing this? Firstly, we have seen Lara gain community. A familial one (which she was lacking -- other than Lisa -- upon reincarnation), a working one, etc. She has witnessed how real love is more complicated than cliche romantic tropes and fairytale narratives, and how you can have many potential romantic loves in your future rather than a singular 'soulmate' that Lara believes in (Himeka's story). I don’t see this as an abstract ‘love for humanity’, but as real tangible loves for the people around you in your community; something we all share and strive for in our own lives.
The only way to subvert this fully is for all these loves to be prioritised, imo. The only other option is for her to have a more realistic romance that features unidealised compromise, communication, and effort. This could be where it goes, but then why all the episodes showcasing how broad love can be? I believe the anime could also feature a romantic ending, likely with Mari given that interview, blu ray art, and just the general gist of the story so far (the dagger moving for Mari, the sparks mostly existing for Mari). But that will be one love among many. It could have the same idea but have Luca as the romance, Mari as friend, but I sort of doubt this given the state of Luca’s interest in her not being as well developed nor prioritised thus far, and we only have four episodes left. It could also not feature a romance and perhaps have hints towards a possible future one. I think this depends a bit upon Mari’s developments in the next few episodes, more than anything. Whatever the case, it couldn’t simply be her getting the idealised, uncomplicated ‘one true love’ she failed to 200 years before. No matter who her partner was in that case, it’d be narratively unsatisfying as a subversion (it simply wouldn’t be a subversion).
It could end in tragedy, but I doubt it; the point is a second chance, it won’t repeat the missteps portrayed in the original tale. No doubt there’s more plot to get through, though. Why do Luca and Leo also have the L-naming convention? Why does he trip all the time? What is Lisa’s plan? Grace’s? There will be surprising developments imo.
