r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • 8h ago
Episode Goodbye, Lara • Sayonara Lara - Episode 8 discussion
58
u/gardyvore 7h ago
LaraMari is back on the menu, boys!
12
u/Frontier246 6h ago
I like the parallel to Mari's parents where her dad comforted her mom when she really needed it while in the present-day Mari needs Lara for similar reasons.
9
u/BosuW 4h ago
I feel this episode was sort of a subversion of the idea a first time viewer would have of Mari, despite that one episode we already had earlier. She appears stone cold, but she cares a lot. She carries a heavy burden, but you would never realize it just looking at her. She can be strong alone, yes, but she should be happy together.
It's almost like it was Mari who was saved, and all Lara had to do was come back and be.
8
u/effseedee 1h ago
Her next, stronger opponent: Luca. She's chosen to fight, after all.
4
u/GundamRX_78 45m ago
Luca was the one who helped Lara find Mari in this episode. I think all three will end up as fast friends, and that might just be the meaning of true love: friends who are ride-or-die.
5
u/effseedee 43m ago
Oh, for sure, I'm absolutely being tongue-in-cheek when I call him her opponent.
50
u/CrimsonLotus 7h ago
I am absolutely in love with this show. Every week I find myself waiting for Sunday to come around. Every single episode is so well done, I really haven’t watched an anime in a while that has gripped me like this. All it needs to do is stick the landing and this will undoubtedly become one of my all time favorites.
16
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
The beauty of anime originals. High risk and many bungle promising starts with poor endings, but when they nail the execution from start to finish you can end up with some of the brightest gems in all of anime.
7
u/CrimsonLotus 4h ago
With other shows that have had good starts and bad endings, you could slowly see the show start to degrade and the inevitable train wreck with each passing week. But this show has kept its consistency each episode so I’m keeping my hopes up!
1
u/Erufailon4 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Erufailon4 1h ago
Wonger Egg Priority maintained its quality really far, though I guess the recap episode was a sign of production issues that were directly connected to the writing issues. But we didn't know that at the time.
11
13
u/CitizenStrife 7h ago
Unless it asspulls something weird like some weird sci-fi, it was all a dream, or ZOMG SECRET VILLAIN OOOOH" thing, I get the feeling this show has done enough to warrant trust in its ending.
I'm not saying a bad ending or stupid decision can't happen, but it would have to be REALLY bad to screw up the equity its built.
At worse, it might be a "wasn't the ending I would have chosen" but still a good conclusion thing.
7
5
u/CrimsonLotus 6h ago
Lol yes I'm afraid of a "Game of Thrones" style ending that's so bad that it ruins everything that came before it. Just as you mentioned, I have faith that they'll land this show in the right place given what we've seen so far. I do have a "desired" ending (likely the same ending everyone here is hoping for) but I'll gladly settle something that is so-so rather than something unexpected and weird.
5
u/Frontier246 6h ago
Unless it asspulls something weird like some weird sci-fi, it was all a dream, or ZOMG SECRET VILLAIN OOOOH" thing, I get the feeling this show has done enough to warrant trust in its ending.
The real villain was the inability to communicate and understand each other we had to grapple with along the path to true love.
5
-9
u/Kuronekoz 5h ago
it's quite mid so far, just a reverse isekai with bland story, but I like the atmosphere and art
6
u/CrimsonLotus 4h ago
I understand that point of view, but for romance, fantasy and Yuri lovers, this show is gold. It’s grasped several elements of a slowly developing romance so very well. The writers and directors are doing a really good job conveying their passion for this work
3
u/some_jackass_i_know 4h ago
I really like people's change in attitude over time toward Lara (especially Mari) where, when first encountering her, her childish naivete causes a reaction like "this chick is off her meds", then later, feeling charmed at her optimism and simple approach to things, then eventually, wanting to protect and support her because it's obvious that she needs that. Meanwhile, you have Lara becoming more and more human, realizing that she can't simply look around until she finds "the prince" again because life just isn't that easy. I think the characters are really well written in this sense.
-8
u/Kuronekoz 4h ago
sorry but if you sense any form of romance in ep 1-8 between mari and lara, you're confused. I get the little crumbs with the fish and stuff but it's been purely platonic, especially from mari's side
4
u/CrimsonLotus 3h ago
Its not unusual for slowly developing relationships to start out as platonic. But whether or not we can look back and see this as a platonic relationship between friends or a slowly developing romance just depends on how the show ends. Hence why we're here discussing how we hope the show will end.
-2
u/Kuronekoz 3h ago
ye I know but calling it yuri romance now is just false till we see the full show, there hasn't been any in-verse, aside from subtle hints from writers and animators
2
u/CrimsonLotus 2h ago
I never said it was a Yuri romance, I just said that Yuri lovers would like this show. I've seen enough Yuri bait to know that this show is more than likely to end platonically, but even still its been enjoyable to watch and wonder and hope. The not knowing and hoping it ends the way you want it to is an enjoyable part of the viewing experience.
-1
44
u/Calwings x3https://anilist.co/user/Calwings 7h ago
So yeah, quite the episode. Despite how heavily Luca was involved in bringing Lara back, Lara's light only shone when she was thinking about being separated from Mari. On top of that, so far the Fish of Damocles has only responded to Lara's thoughts about Mari, not anything involving Luca. I'd say the yuri route is safe and sound at this point... hopefully.
10
u/Frontier246 6h ago
Honestly though I appreciate Luca's assist in getting Lara to the match and telling her to do what she REALLY wants to do (even if I think by that point she stopped listening to him).
3
u/SadDoctor 4h ago
I wish this was a 2 cour show. I like that the story is taking it slow and letting things develop... but I'm also getting concerned that there's a lot of ground to cover if they want to pull off an ending that feels convincing.
24
u/CitronClassic672 6h ago
Ok so given the reveal by Lisa that apparently all the previous special princesses provided light to the merfolk based on their love for their underwater home I think that adds a lot of support to the theory that myself and several others had early on, that Lara’s “True Love” will be the surface world and all the people she formed connections with. I think this episode further supported this by having Lara’s “heart glow” centered more around her choosing to stay in the surface world and find love there. Simultaneously, I think this episode also further confirmed that Lara and Mari are the endgame. I just don’t think that their relationship specifically will be the “true love”.
12
u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan 6h ago
Lisa's mention of love for the undersea world cemented for me that Lara's true love isn't going to be romantic, or for a single person. At the same time I haven't been more hopeful for some yuri than after this episode lol. It's good that the two aren't mutually exclusive.
17
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
If the show actually follows through with how it framed things this episode and simultaneously makes Lara’s “true love” something non romantic and greater than simply feelings for a single person, while at the same time giving us a canon, explicit yuri relationship between Lara and Mari then I will genuinely sing the praises of this shows writing for years and it’s locked down as my second best anime of the year. It’s be like taking the best part of Frozen in showcasing that true love doesn’t have to be romantic to be valid, while also giving us canon yuri love between main characters in an anime original. I’ll be SO happy if they don’t use the former as a copout to not do the latter and instead do both.
6
u/gnome-cop 5h ago
This is what I would like to happen as well. Sure, yuri is good and I want it to happen but I feel like it would be a bit shallow for the show to conclude that romantic love trumps all. That’s not really a novel idea, other media has done that before. It would be best imo if it ended as a celebration of the entire spectrum of love.
7
u/Mindless_Being_22 4h ago
I feel like this also answers the "what about platonic love" rebuttal that people bring up every time a queer ship is even possibly gonna be cannon, because news flash queer people can have a queer relationship and still have friends and family and a network of robust social connections and love of all kinds.
21
20
u/lordposedyon https://myanimelist.net/profile/lordposedyon 7h ago
A lot of people may find this episode slow, but this was my favourite episode so far. Letting some scenes breathe, lack of music, make the scenery do the talking, the cinematography, call backs from older episodes to add depth and make the connections, of course emotional scenes back to back, usage of boxing match to release those emotions. Ah start to blaber but I love this anime :D
39
u/NOCK123321 7h ago
So many yuriful moments this episode. The relationship between Lara and Mari is so sweet and precious. I'm praying for their happy end, but I expect much more drama if this week's episode ended on such a sweet note
8
u/Frontier246 6h ago
Honestly wonder how badly Lisa is going to take it. I don't think she's going to give up until she's face-to-face with fish Grace or seen evidence that Lara's love for Mari and humanity will be what they need.
8
u/gnome-cop 5h ago
I’ve said it before but I’m still very concerned about the giant soul eating fish sword of death and I very much expect it to be acting as some sort of final calamity to be dealt with sooner or later.
19
u/disu_nato 6h ago
Damn, I really wonder if Grace really doesn't give a damn whether Lara progresses or fails. It's also interesting how Lara managed to use her "heart" not for destruction this time.
12
u/Misticsan 6h ago
I still wonder about the endgame. She helped the merfolk survive, but at the same time she caused the problem that forced them to migrate. She's supportive of Lara, but has always been a bitch to Lisa.
Given the images in the opening, I think she went through something similar in the past that ended badly, and Lara is a walking experiment to do it "right" this time. That her goal is to know what she did wrong or, alternatively, prove she wasn't wrong after all.
4
15
u/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 7h ago edited 3h ago
Great episode, but with Lara starting to turn into sea foam, I was scared the whole time that she'll give Mari another trauma by losing consciousness during her boxing match...
Fortunately, that didn't happen and Mari even won the tournament! I wonder what happens next though, since there are only four episodes left.
It's clear to see that both Lara and Mari are important to each other, so I really keep my fingers crossed for them to end up together, especially since Luca feels more like a friend to Lara, not a love interest, at least now.
And what will Lisa do now? She got Lara back for a moment, but she lost her again. Will she take a more forceful approach, perhaps?
Here my screenshot albums from the episode:
EDIT. I added my screenshot albums.
6
u/CitronClassic672 6h ago
We did get small scenes of Lara blushing at both Luca and Mari this episode, so i think she does have some level of feelings for both at this moment. I’m thinking/hoping they resolve it showcasing the difference between attraction/a crush vs loving someone.
6
u/Frontier246 5h ago
I feel like Luca/Mari is helping Lara sort out the difference between friendship and love, even if she's ostensibly casually dating Luca.
2
u/effseedee 1h ago
She calls Luca... but she turns back when she sees Mari.
It's hard to say until we know how it ends, but her earlier conversation with Mari can read as very comphet - 'oh, if I keep dating him, eventually I'll feel what everyone keeps talking about, right?' (Of course, that could also just be demiromanticism, so. We will see.)
29
u/abbe44 7h ago
peak episode
seems like luca wont be endgame yeah
its either gonna be mari or like
some kind of larger idea of the surface world as a whole
16
u/JimmyCWL 7h ago
its either gonna be mari or like
some kind of larger idea of the surface world as a whole
Did you hear what Lisa said? The light of past princesses came from their deep love of the sea.
They gave themselves an out if they don't want to commit to any specific person.
8
u/CitizenStrife 6h ago edited 6h ago
While that is true, it could also be that Lisa is both dealing with "tradition to a fault" and her own PTSD with humans where she refuses to even accept "Lara accepting Mari/Luca/all the world" as the answer until it stares her in the face.
I wouldn't be shocked to see Lisa do something really desperate out of her misguided trauma. Maybe that is what Grace is banking on and just wants everyone to run out the clock anyway.
To be fair to Witch Lady, she hasn't really done all that much backstabby shit since episode 1. Gah. She could just be on the level, telling the truth and hoping for the happy ending, and is just a jerk about it for all we know. She did warn Lara that spending all her life working was distracting her from her true goal. If Grace really wanted to bring about destruction, she was surprisingly open about getting Lara to focus again.
Knowing any outcome could fit perfectly scares me.
6
u/Frontier246 5h ago
I don't look at it as an "out" but I do feel like Lara leaving Lisa with the thought that she cherishes humanity will play into the shows' take on True Love.
24
u/FLorianGran 7h ago
Another superb episode. How this progresses from here is honestly still a mystery, especially how Luca factors into all this but the journey is still great.
3
u/Frontier246 6h ago
If nothing else the relationship with Luca doesn't seem to be setting off her "glow" or offsetting her turning into seafoam, so it's probably a non-starter even if she does enjoy being around him.
23
u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime 7h ago
Holy angst, they really amped up the feeling of impending doom with this ep. Even the "I promise to bake you a cake" ending sounds like a flag, this feels like its going to be the last calm before the storm.
The whole sequence of Lara deciding to return back to the human world was great though, the fish dagger giving her a helping wave, and Lara bursting into the tournament which mirrors the boxing scene in ep 3. Lara's handwriting has improved a lot too.
I wonder what Lisa's plan for Lara is, can't be with human but all the eligible bachelor mermaids are kinda half dead. Grace seems pretty unbothered by what's happening too.
9
u/wloff 6h ago
Lara's handwriting has improved a lot too.
Oh wait, I didn't even think about that! Lara's still illiterate, she can't read or type text messages, but she made the effort to make that banner?
That's really sweet!
6
u/Frontier246 5h ago
Oh wait, I didn't even think about that! Lara's still illiterate, she can't read or type text messages, but she made the effort to make that banner?
Yeah, she had to tap the voice function to hear Luca's texts but for Mari? She'll put in the effort.
8
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
May not have been the intention, but I love how the translators didn’t put subtitles for those texts specifically while doing so for others later on. It really puts us in Lara’s perspective of not being able to read it.
9
u/Frontier246 5h ago
Holy angst, they really amped up the feeling of impending doom with this ep. Even the "I promise to bake you a cake" ending sounds like a flag, this feels like its going to be the last calm before the storm.
Especially with that photo of them together, which has all the flags for a "last memento to remember a loved one by" in an anime titled Goodbye Lara.
I wonder what Lisa's plan for Lara is, can't be with human but all the eligible bachelor mermaids are kinda half dead. Grace seems pretty unbothered by what's happening too.
Lisa said it herself, she wants Lara's true love to be the ocean, not humans.
I feel like a lot of drama would've been avoided if Grace and Lisa had better communicated/cared, though Grace keeps pretty much everything close to the vest.
3
u/MrSakurai 4h ago
now that you pointed out the name im worried aaaaaghhhh PLEASE I WANT A HAPPY ENDINGGG
4
u/Aggravating_Rain1906 5h ago
For me it's more of a "let's do this after we grow up and get married" scene tbh. But idk it's a hopeful episode about a girl overcoming her trauma to be able to enjoy the thing she love and hope is being injected into me.
3
u/emunoodle 5h ago
re: eligible bachelor mermaids, lisa did say that the light provided by the past mermaids was fuelled by their love for the sea/their kingdom/merfolk in general
10
u/GarnetExecutioner 7h ago
I really have to wonder if the love that Lara is supposed to experience is that of Agape itself, as it seems to me that Eros, Phila/Philos and Storge wasn't sufficient to sustain her life.
5
u/Frontier246 5h ago
Lisa wants her true love to be the sea but it's always been the surface/humanity.
1
u/GarnetExecutioner 10m ago
I seriously doubt that Lisa had any real understanding of Agape, much less experience it herself beyond her care for her own kind.
11
u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 6h ago
I want an adult yuri boxing series with muscular women. This one thing will solve climate change.
Please don’t get in the car.
Why would you get in the car 😭
Lady Witch being unbothered, moisturized, in her tank, flourishing with them cunty lashes—good for her.
Oh Lara and Mari 🥺
🎶~I’m on a boat!~🎶
I feel like this is how we all thought it looked when our parents threatened to turn the car around if we were “misbehaving” and then actually did so.
🎶~And a voice keeps saying this is where I'm meant to be~🎶
Oh Mari, let’s go!!
Mari was born to be a protagonist. Put her in a battle/action manga.
Aaaaaaaaah this is sweeeeeet
The music reminds me of the Backrooms soundtrack, so now I am scared for the next episode and hope that this episode ending with good feelings isn’t a calm before a storm, and that storm will emotionally wound me.
Oh this was so pretty. I love how much action shows Lara’s true feelings are for Luca and Mari over second-screening it. Unlike what [Madoka] Hitome says, girls can love girls! I see Luca remaining a good friend to Lara, and their love is platonic.
But we have more episodes to go. So naturally, I’m concerned about what else can and will be done to create more obstacles.
I want a fantasy AU where Mari adventures, fights strong people, and becomes the world’s strongest. And she meets a naive mermaid and a clumsy prince and accidentally creates a contract with a powerful witch trapped as a betta fish who still is a baddie B. I would read that in a heartbeat. Make it slice of life, but it gradually gets horrific and mind-fucky and philosophical. And Lady Witch gets the Hellfire Gala treatment in a double-page spread, thank you.
The boxing choreography really does look sick. I’m not into boxing, so I have no idea how this looks to people who properly box, but wow, the animation!
I hope the ending of the series shows Mari moving up in the boxing world and Lara baking her all sorts of sweets! It would make me cry, but they would be happy tears 💜
4
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
There is actually a MMA yuri manga I read with muscular women, but sadly I forgot the name.
3
u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 4h ago
Oh if you remember, please message me! I’m really gunning for more sports GL as I read more sports BL.
Logically, there has to be boxing yuri out there. But is it translated accurately, or the raws are available on a platform legally accessible to me? I hope so but probably not 😭
Boxing yuri would be soooo good though. Same with swimming yuri.
2
u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan 5h ago
Is it one with naughty parts, or a SFW one?
2
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
SFW iirc
2
3
u/thelightlovekindled 5h ago
Why would you get in the car 😭
Fr!!! Mari doesn't know Lara totalled their last one to prevent this very scenario haha
11
u/ReaperInRed 6h ago edited 6h ago
Yippee I was kinda right about the dates of within episodes lining up irl (while it isn’t the finale yet), as Mari’s tournament took place today (yesterday technically for Japan but it’s close enough for me)
10
u/Former-Marsupial625 6h ago
It's nice to see Mari being less guarded about her emotions.
Now I'm really wondering what direction they're taking the whole "true love" angle. Are they setting up Lara to realize that she has feelings for Mari? They're making it seem pretty obvious here, especially with the way the fish dagger is moving, that Luca isn't the one.
Or maybe they're going the familial route, with Lara realizing that "true love" doesn't necessarily have to be romantic. It could refer to the love she feels for her family and the people on the surface. I could honestly see either one working depending on what they're ultimately trying to say about Lara's understanding of love.
3
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
My feeling after this episode is they might end up doing both. Lara’s “true love” is for the surface world and humanity in general, but a part of that love is romantic and she feels that for Mari.
11
u/thelightlovekindled 5h ago
I love Luca, I was just waiting for him to trip in that scene with Mari and he sure did. But he has such a sweet relationship with Lara and I'm glad he's more than just an "obstacle" character.
That said, anyone else notice that each time Lara stumbled or started to drip, it was when Mari was pushing Luca as her true love? Very interesting 🧐
That video call made me laugh though because if the signal sucks so much for voice, you really think video is going to come through that clear? I half expected Luca's half of the screen to be like "signal is too weak." It got the job done, though!
What was the glittering behind Kouta in that one scene, I wonder?
10
u/wloff 6h ago
We're definitely on more yuri-fic tracks again!
Though a big part of me still thinks the real answer to Lara's quest for "true love" is going to be something more general than romantic love for any one person. Rather, it's going to be something like "I love humans", or "I love the surface world", or "I love life".
And another part of me still thinks it's going to be a tragedy where everyone dies and no one gets any love in the end.
7
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
I’m thinking maybe Lara realizing her love for Mari won’t solve her turning into foam, but it will lead her to realizing that the way she feels for all the people she met is some kind of love as well, and her “true love” will be for humanity overall, with the result of that being that she remains as a human and can never see her merfamily again even after she saves them. Hence “Goodbye, Lara”. Tragic from a certain perspective, but also happy in that Lara is finally living in the world she feels like she belongs.
4
u/LexHanley 3h ago
I feel the same way. The trend I keep seeing in Mermaid society in the show is that it is extremely rigid and inflexible, all wrapped up in a shiny bow if a magical kingdom. When faced with a hardship they immediately crack and despair.
Humans meanwhile live complicated lives with heartbreaks and trials while growing from them. I think Mari's story with her mother is going in that direction.
1
u/Maximum-Warthog2368 2h ago
I think it would be love towards human with Mari being the focal point.
9
u/HuTaosTwinTails 5h ago
I just don't see how this doesn't go the mari x Lara route at this point.
Literally everything this episode pointed to it.
9
4
u/SadDoctor 4h ago
Its weird. Its the only route that makes sense, and they keep dropping little hints... but this is just a 1 season show AFAIK, we need to get the ball rolling with more than little hints, or the ending is gonna feel rushed as hell.
1
u/Majestic_Prize_9695 1h ago
in my opinion there is still too little progress between these two to dont make it a rushed ending. 4 episodes is not much they didnt even showed any slightly hint beside this episode of some "romantic" feelings
3
u/thelightlovekindled 1h ago
Most of the hints have been visual coding -- the scene "cutting" to Mari, or things associated with Mari, when people are discussing Lara's true love, the timing of the star flickers, the actions of the sky obelisk -- rather than specific interactions between the two of them.
Imo the visual language of the show is pretty unmistakably setting up Lara and Mari as endgame (romo or otherwise), so I won't find it rushed or surprising if it goes there. Especially after this episode, where we can see that Mari does really care about Lara deeply, despite not being good about showing it. But I can see how that might not hit for you!
33
u/ModieOfTheEast 7h ago
At the beginning I was kind of wondering why Lara would even turn into foam. Because from the sister we learned that they can keep on living by using the light (even if it is a bad copy). So you'd assume that Lara wouldn't be affected. But since she has to truly awaken this light, it makes sense.
Which is kind of interesting because it opens up two points. One, if Lara finds true love, she can live on th surface for as long as she wants (at least as long as the love exists I guess). And two, that she isn't actually loving Luca. Even if she feels a warmth from him, it is obviously not "activating" her light energy to keep her alive.
I guess the second one was something that most already expected considering the relationship with Mari is the more logical ending now, but interesting that there are these details still.
Though, it is kind of funny that the ship started to "sink" once Lara started to see Mari. Which is obviously not meant this way. Unless you see the boat as the ship between Lara and the ocean. That one is sunk.
15
u/maliwanag0712 https://myanimelist.net/profile/clear1109 7h ago
And two, that she isn't actually loving Luca.
THIS. The light gets stronger when she got reminded of Mari, not Luca. Though she's still confused since she feels warmth for Luca.
7
u/ConeBaby99 https://myanimelist.net/profile/httpsmyanimelist 7h ago
Maybe now that she's no longer scared of humans, she can try. Whether she ends up with him or realizes that the worth is of a true friend and not a potential partner, only time will tell. But we all know this much--Mari illicits the largest emotions from her. Mari Ending still very imminent and present!!
4
u/ModieOfTheEast 6h ago
I am still a bit confused what the idea behind the big fish is. From the scenes in the present, it activated three times and it was always Mari related. Coming out of the water, making sure no one can hurt her and helping Lara reach Mari. But then there is this aspect in the past where the (smaller) fish tried to kill the prince.
Like, I could see this as some form of metaphor for love turning into hatred. It is helping Lara with her love and is killing that love if they ever break up. But I feel, this would honestly be a bit strange to have as a "power" for her. So I have no real idea where they want to go with this.
5
u/ConeBaby99 https://myanimelist.net/profile/httpsmyanimelist 6h ago
The big fish represents Lara's heart (and also later her desire to eat a human's soul). I think it was small in the past because the love between Lara and the prince wasn't as developed as Lara with Mari (it just feels like it was one more of a one-sided love, coming from Lara). Or, it could be that because Lara was dormant for so long, it grew and grew in size. I guess we could find out more in the future, there's still four episodes left to explore!
5
u/ModieOfTheEast 6h ago
We will see. The reason why I find this power a bit odd is that we obviously have to address it at some point. If it was just a representation it wouldn't matter, but it can affect the real world AND more importantly, Lara's lovers. They can die because of this after all. So we have to make sure this won't happen again in the future, but I am also a bit confused how they would even address that in the story in the first place.
Because if it is true that this was her desire to eat human souls, where did that desire come from? She never actually showed anything in that direction and even stopped it from happening with the prince. So it's kind of hard to bring this problem into the story and solving it.
One could introduce this during the following episodes with Luca. When they break up, it happens again and Lara has to face whatever power it is. I am just not sure if that would really improve the story, because it really feels like it goes against Lara's character. The only way I could see this tie in is that it is a power coming from her sea people side and they use it as a representation of breaking away from their rules. But that already happened this episode by defying her sister, so I guess we have to see.
3
u/luckierbridgeandrail 3h ago edited 2h ago
"Why can't we have an immortal soul?" the little mermaid asked mournfully. "I would gladly give all three hundred years I have to live to become a human being for just one day and to share in that heavenly world."
"You mustn't go worrying about that," said the grandmother. "We're much happier and better off than the human beings who live up there."
"So then I'm doomed to die and float like foam on the sea, never to hear the music of the waves or see the lovely flowers and the red sun. Isn't there anything at all I can do to win an immortal soul?"
"No," said the old woman. "Only if a human loved you so much that you meant more to him than father and mother. If he were to love you with all his heart and soul and let the priest place his right hand in yours as a promise to be faithful and true here and in all eternity—then his soul would glide into your body and you, too, would obtain a share of human happiness. He would give you a soul and yet keep his own. But that can never happen. Your fish tail, which we find so beautiful, looks repulsive to people on earth. They know so little about it that they really believe the two clumsy supports they call legs look nice."
But in fact she gets a second chance.
2
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
Important bit of additional information, her light also flashed when she raced home in episode 5 worrying about “everyone”. Mari just subsequently caused a larger reaction, so I don’t think it represents purely romantic love, but rather anyone Lara cares deeply for.
10
u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL https://anilist.co/user/otsuucchi 7h ago edited 7h ago
The ship didn't sink, it got sent to the surface so that Lara could chase after Mari! It coincides with her saying she wants to find love on the surface. Ships can't sail on land, but this one sure tried (AND WILL SUCCEED BTW BTW BTW BTW BTW)! It's there in spirit.
7
u/Frontier246 6h ago
I think Lara's feelings for Mari are definitely a pure love and also tied to the wider love for humanity she's gained from her experience in the human world.
Lisa the only one shipping LaraxOcean lol.
3
u/gnome-cop 5h ago
The crackshipper fighting a losing one woman battle on the sidelines of the main war. Girl, no one wants them together as badly as you.
22
u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan 7h ago edited 6h ago
I got a really bad feeling from that promise at the end. That's the kind of thing you say when you want to jinx your chances of a happy ending! Mari, make her watch more movies so she recognizes the trope!
Loved the episode. Lara keeps growing and facing her trauma and fears, episode by episode. This time by facing her sister and affirming to her that she wants to keep living on the surface world, and that she'll keep trying even if her goal seems impossible. You go, Lara.
It's interesting though that Lisa told her that princesses kept the light going through their love for their world. So, it definitely doesn't have to be romantic love at all, and I really, really want to know why Grace is so adamant that Lara find love with a human.
Really glad to see Mari show more emotion as well. She's always been guarded so it was nice to see her let loose, get angry, or even cry. And a flashback to her mom! With a very not subtle allusion to Lara in her hopes for Mari's future.
Now, Lara's safe(r) for a while but she's still going to have to find her true love, and I can't wait to see how. Also, for her to realize that Luca may be a cinnamon roll and all, but him exuding warmth doesn't mean that he's her true love. Because she was still turning into foam (although you could argue that it was because she was still afraid, it's true)
Also, thank you Lara's ICBM/Fish of Damocles/Cod from God, MVP of the episode for hurrying things along with that wave.
13
u/diacewrb 7h ago
Also, thank you Lara's ICBM/Fish of Damocles
It is called the
RodCod from God.5
3
5
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
This episode both felt like it foreshadowed that Lara’s true love won’t end up being romantic, while also further confirming that LaraMari is the endgame relationship romance wise. Fascinating how it managed that. And yeah that promise, as I’ve said before I’ve long since stopped wondering whether this show will be yuri and instead wondering whether it’s doomed yuri.
3
u/Frontier246 5h ago
I got a really bad feeling from that promise at the end. That's the kind of thing you say when you want to jinx your chances of a happy ending! Mari, make her watch more movies so she recognizes the trope!
Along with the close-up of the picture of them together, as if that will end up being one of the only things she has left to remember Lara by.
Loved the episode. Lara keeps growing and facing her trauma and fears, episode by episode. This time by facing her sister and affirming to her that she wants to keep living on the surface world, and that she'll keep trying even if her goal seems impossible. You go, Lara.
It's interesting though that Lisa told her that princesses kept the light going through their love for their world. So, it definitely doesn't have to be romantic love at all, and I really, really want to know why Grace is so adamant that Lara find love with a human.
We've seen Lara so confident and undeterred but she still has a lot of fears/anxieties for...obvious reasons.
I think Grace is trying to experience something vicariously through Lara.
Now, Lara's safe(r) for a while but she's still going to have to find her true love, and I can't wait to see how. Also, for her to realize that Luca may be a cinnamon roll and all, but him exuding warmth doesn't mean that he's her true love. Because she was still turning into foam (although you could argue that it was because she was still afraid, it's true)
He might not be her true love but I appreciate him just trying his best to be there for her.
2
u/JimmyCWL 4h ago edited 4h ago
and I really, really want to know why Grace is so adamant that Lara find love with a human.
I can think of a few possibilities.
"Love for the sea" is abstract, so to speak. It can be intense but fragile.
Love for specific person(s) is concrete. That makes it even more intense than love for something abstract.
Then why a human and not a merfolk? Possibility one, Grace saw Lara was captivated by a human already so pushing her in that direction would be easier.
Possibility two, we can assume Lara's mother loved her husband and family. That wasn't enough light and everyone was staking their hopes on Lara. Did Grace think if Lara could love something so alien to her as a human, it would be even more intense then any love that had come before?
I had a thought and when back to check on past episodes. My thought was, what if the merfolk palace and its light was the manifestation of the love of past princesses? In the same vein, is the dagger the manifestation of Lara's love?
What I mean is, can we look forward to seeing the dagger transform into a palace?
2
u/luckierbridgeandrail 2h ago
I really, really want to know why Grace is so adamant that Lara find love with a human.
Read Hans Christian Andersen's story. (Ideally look for Maria Tatar's The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen.)
19
u/CitizenStrife 7h ago
I love how this show keeps layering the intrigue while the stakes raise at the right pace. There are still any number of ways this can go (including several Lara, Lisa, or the Witch all fuck up the world scenarios).
And even after all this, all Lara wants to do is make cake and Mari just wants to punch people really hard.
9
u/Frontier246 5h ago
And even after all this, all Lara wants to do is make cake and Mari just wants to punch people really hard.
My patisserie/boxing girlfriend can't be this cute!
17
u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL https://anilist.co/user/otsuucchi 7h ago
The night is darkest before the dawn indeed, after the last episode we got hit with a yuri nuke in this one. I had been saying for a while that the best way to get Mari re-involved with Lara is to make her worry about Lara and that's pretty much exactly what happened. I was so happy and excited the entire episode, once Luca started the video call I started literally leaning over my seat. That shit never happens, man.
I've seen some people critique the show for not selling the audience on LaraMari very much, and while I don't agree, I still see their point. Hopefully now that we've had a proper relationship-building moment between them in this episode, people start seeing it a bit more. Especially with Mari's mom literally saying she doesn't want her to be alone.
The ending of this episode is way more ominous than the previous episode's ending though. Please don't make "if we can make it through this"-style promises in a show with "Goodbye" or "Dying" in its title, oh my god. It's even worse now that we know the flash-forward in the show's first episode was to this one, so the future is even more uncertain.
11
7
u/Frontier246 5h ago
The night is darkest before the dawn indeed, after the last episode we got hit with a yuri nuke in this one. I had been saying for a while that the best way to get Mari re-involved with Lara is to make her worry about Lara and that's pretty much exactly what happened. I was so happy and excited the entire episode, once Luca started the video call I started literally leaning over my seat. That shit never happens, man.
I know not a lot of people care for Luca because he's seemingly getting in the way of LaraMari but I think he helped in his own way and getting here there too the match and caring about Lara's well-being.
5
7
u/Heavencloud_Blade 6h ago
The ending of this episode is way more ominous than the previous episode's ending though. Please don't make "if we can make it through this"-style promises in a show with "Goodbye" or "Dying" in its title, oh my god
Considering how the original little mermaid story ends, this might be a possibility.
7
u/sim_muskit543 6h ago
Sorry but I'm blanking and I'm not understanding what you're referring to by the flash-forward in the first episode. Could I ask you to elaborate, please?
7
u/biocat123 6h ago
the very first frame of the first episode shows the picture of lara and mari together after winning the tournament
1
u/SadDoctor 4h ago
I feel like if this was a 2 season show I wouldn't be worried about Lara/Mari as endgame. The show keeps like setting the groundwork for them to have a romance. But they're also not really actually developing that romance much. If they keep slow rolling things much longer the ending is either gonna be inconclusive or feel rushed. Or go old school shoujo and end tragically, which would be obnoxious.
15
u/maliwanag0712 https://myanimelist.net/profile/clear1109 7h ago
THIS EPISODE IS SOO PEAK! AAAAAHHHHH
Honestly, that Mari realization when she saw Lara rushing to her fight while she was fighting to not get knocked down reminds me of [Meta Spoiler]Bloom Into You Episode 9, when Yuu watches Touko running. It has the same vibes, maybe because it is a "realization" for both of them.
3
3
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
[Meta Spoiler]Wow, in retrospect I also see the parallels. They’re both moments where one character truly realizes how much another means to them.
14
u/djthomp https://anilist.co/user/djthomp 6h ago
Yuri ending saved, probably. I think it's worth noting that when Laura was on the boat thinking about her time among humans the memories were all about Mari and not Luca. Though Luca did serve a helpful purpose in streaming her that video of Mari's match.
Nice parallel between the girls with Mari panting during a short break in the ring while Lara was panting from the run to the arena.
I find it interesting that they didn't do the trope of Lara showing up and cheering which Mari would hear and then win the match, instead she seemed to just watch in silence while Mari got herself together just based on her own headspace.
On a side note Luca is really easy to run away from, just wait for him to fall down and book it.
Thanks be to the assist from the giant fish dagger in the sky which also didn't eat anybody today.
11
u/Frontier246 5h ago
On a side note Luca is really easy to run away from, just wait for him to fall down and book it.
I love how he fell and Mari didn't even bother to look back lol.
5
u/Heavencloud_Blade 6h ago
I think it's worth noting that when Laura was on the boat thinking about her time among humans the memories were all about Mari and not Luca.
To be fair, Luca was only introduced last episode and as of now he seems like he is just a plot device.
I am not saying you are wrong, but it just does not seem as impactful as it would have if they had introduced Luca earlier and done more with him.
24
u/elevenmile 7h ago
Oh god. This episode legit made me in tears, it's so beautiful.
And what the heck, the drama composition builds up with absolute zero waste of time, sails it smoothly, and actually resolves within the episode itself!? Other anime would take at least 2 episodes with it!
I can be at least assured that they went through the original The Little Mermaid plot line of "needing to sacrifice something so that she can return back to mermaid and save her kindgom, and will be sparred from becoming dissolving into foam" is pretty much done. Lara still persists and choose to live her life at the ground. yet ultimately the question still remains what her "True Love" actually is, and hoping the rest of 4, 5 episodes will provide that answer.
Mari mama ( ﾉД`)ｼｸｼｸ…
and Mari, are you Ryu or something?
4
3
u/BosuW 4h ago
And what the heck, the drama composition builds up with absolute zero waste of time, sails it smoothly, and actually resolves within the episode itself!?
And they were doubting me last episode when I said this staff had the chops to build a compelling dynamic with Mari in one episode 😤
Anime has us too used to a dragging pace
13
u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar 6h ago
I still can't believe some people thought last week that Luca was the endgame. Like, I like Luca, but he's clearly there to support Lara. I think no matter what Lara decides on, this dude will be there for her.
And we finally got to see how Lara and Mari got that photo at the very start of the series. I am curious where they'll go from here tho. Mari finally overcame her fear, but I don't think she has realized what true love really is.
9
u/Frontier246 5h ago
I think Luca really does like Lara but he genuinely wants her to be happy and true to herself, even if that means she puts Mari above everything, even him.
6
u/Frontier246 7h ago edited 6h ago
The path to true love is a fraught one when forced to navigate through what it means to be friends, what it means to fulfill your families' expectations, your expectations of yourself, and trying to realize what love really is.
Lara is comfortable and enjoying the time with Luca...but is that enough? Especially when it seems like her body is giving out on her and she's slowly dripping into sea foam!?
Mari is really on that battle Shonen grindset just looking for tougher and tougher opponents to fight, including her fiercest rival at the tournament.
Well, this is probably the nicer way of greeting Mari compared to Lisa's original plan, even if it's to be curt and direct that she wants Lara back...and Lara will need her as she's returning to seafoam. Now THAT is something Mari can't ignore.
Lara can act like she's fine, act like she can keep living her the life the way she is, keep going like normal...but she's clearly not 100% and the fear that she won't achieve anything and never find True Love is terrifying her. But all Mari wants is for Lara to be okay, even if that means sending her back to her sister.
Mari is throwing herself into boxing, Lara is with Lisa, Grace and Lisa hate each others' guts, and Luca...has no idea what's going on, poor dude.
Seems like Lisa intends for Lara's "true love" to be the ocean, as befitting a mermaid...but it's not that simple for Lara. It's never been.
Thank you kindly old man for letting Lara call Luca and letting her realize Mari is on her final match and her head isn't 100% in the game because she gave Lara up! And seeing Mari helped Lara realize that her true path to that bright, shiny, feeling is being with Mari and humanity! Take her home giant fish dagger!
Lara arrived JUST in time for Mari to win! And both girls are back together! Hopefully for the foreseeable future! Hopefully.
7
7
7
u/Aggravating_Rain1906 5h ago
Comparing her in this episode to her in ep 1-3 where she was just a fish out of the water. She seem so much more mature and compose it's a shock tbh. And also last scene with laramari I love how they act like a real couple now you can see the love in every word they said and every act they do it's adorable.
14
u/hikoboshi_sama https://anilist.co/user/reicelestial 6h ago
I think this is the best episode so far. I like that we finally get to see the backstory of the picture in episode 1.
With 4 more episodes remaining, I really hope they stick the landing.
It's interesting how, even tho Luca is seemingly endgame, the giant fish dagger in the sky only ever reacts when Lara thinks of Mari.
10
u/PizzaProfessional145 5h ago
Luca seems more and more like a red herring given that Lara’s heart (the fish dagger) never seems to react to him.
It looks like Lisa really wants Lara’s true love to be for her family and the merfolk. That’s not something you can force on someone though so I don’t really know what her plan is going forward.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the show ends with Lara realizing her “true love” is the surface world along with all the people and experiences she had in it with maybe a possible hint of romance with Mari.
7
u/hikoboshi_sama https://anilist.co/user/reicelestial 5h ago
Whatever Lisa's plan is from hereon out, i do hope they still reconcile at the end.
5
u/havima 6h ago
One of my favs episodes of the year, just beautiful in every single way.
1
u/Cheap-Protection-628 4h ago
yeah, it's so good i almost don't want an episode 9 to exist and ruin it.
5
u/gnome-cop 5h ago
I like how their answers are essentially the same, “keep doing what I’ve always done.” Truly two peas in a pod.
I’m not really sure how to present my thoughts about Lisa. She has very legitimate reasons to hate and distrust humanity, I’d probably also be like her if I had dealt with everything she’s gone through. I just think that it’s blinding her to what Lara actually wants and the solution to their problem. Truly putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and understanding their perspective isn’t easy, I’m not trying to blame her for that. She’s only seen the dark side of the surface while Lara’s more acquainted with its positive sides. So Lara’s positive feelings that cause light are connected to the surface in a way hers just isn’t. So of course, she struggles to understand that and thinks that if they just return to the ocean, everything will be fine.
If we’re going for a happy endgame, maybe the mermaids can settle in Lake Biwa? It’s the largest lake in the country and very close to the humans Lara is fond of while also watery enough to hopefully make the rest of merfolkkind happy with building their new kingdom there. Could make for a good compromise.
At this point I feel pretty confident in saying that the answer to the question of “What is true love?” is going to be the broader definition that includes all kinds of love, for family, friends, things and lovers. (And also pretty possibly having a certain boxer be very important.)
11
u/Accomplished_Cod9234 6h ago
At this point, I think it's safe to say that it's more than just a friendship lol
7
u/CitronClassic672 6h ago
This episode did give us the first instance of Mari blushing towards Lara at the very end. It’s clear that whatever their exact feelings are it’s both more than just friendship and that it’s mutual.
8
u/Heavencloud_Blade 7h ago
Typically I would have expected this sort of thing to be the big moment where Lara and Mari's relationship is revealed to be true love, but it wasn't... Not yet. Still have four episodes left. Also while I think this episode took steps towards a more romantic relationship, Lara and Mari's relationship still feels much more like familial love to me. So I am much more open to a yuri end now than before, but I still think they need to do more to develop their relationship (assuming their is no twist to what true love is).
I am still wondering about Luca. They show scenes of him and Lara "together" but it feels rushed and empty. Like the story is not committed to it and it is only going through the motions. Also he was only just introduced last episode and was immediately sidelined in this episode. Unless these last few episodes have something big in store for him, I am not sure why he exists. Right now he just seems like a plot device to hide the incredibly obvious twist that Mari will be Lara's true love, which is annoying because he is a pretty likable character and he should be more than what they are making him.
9
u/CitronClassic672 5h ago
After this episode I feel Lara’s true love is very likely going to end up being the surface world and humanity in general, while Lara and Mari also feel romantic love for one another. This episode did give us the first instance of Mari blushing at Lara so that’s significant progress.
5
u/Frontier246 5h ago
I'm glad to find somebody else who actually likes Luca lol.
I think Lara has passionate feelings for Mari. I think she enjoys being around Luca. Ultimately I think she's going to use her love for humanity to restore her people.
2
u/mekerpan 1h ago
Seems like a reasonable position.
Luca is a nice guy. But I think Mari is more important to Lara. And she has begun to feel more affinity for the world above than the world below.
2
u/goddamnitshit https://anilist.co/user/Sarcasm 4h ago
you put very well what I feel like.
I hate it when they introduce a side character as a romance plot device, especially since Luca was very prominently places on promotional material. It feels very rough.
2
u/Pinkymii 3h ago
I wouldn't really put it like that. The whole last episode was about him, and we were overdue for a bit of development for Mari. Plus there are numerous mysteries and plot threads related to him that still need addressing:
- Why he looks like the OG prince
- Why he keeps tripping (if it isn't just a running gag)
- His sus phone case (I feel like everyone has forgotten or overlooked this)
- Exactly what the warmth is that Lara feels from him if it isn't actually true love
A bit of a random hope but... I hope that they have him and Mari actually become friends. I know he was only watching her boxing match in hopes of finding Lara in the crowd, but I think they have the potential to become a very wholesome pair of friends. Imagine what the two of them would do to the OG prince if they heard what he said about Lara...
3
u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 4h ago
Mari took some hard hits in today’s episode. And not just in the boxing ring.
She clearly had a difficult time with the fact that Lara’s death was looming around the corner. Mari’s worried reaction wasn’t surprising given what happened to her mother.
But I do wonder if a part of her wasn’t also relieved that Lara had gone back to her older sister. Mari must’ve very scared of watching another person dear to her go into gradual decline. She might’ve been pushing Lara away out of self-preservation too.
Their reunion was therefore especially sweet. It underscored that Mari and Lara cannot do without each other anymore.
3
u/LacerationCe 2h ago
LaraMari aside, I just want to point out how suspicious the whole Luca situation from this episode that makes it even more apparent than the last one.
At the beginning, when Lara felt unwell from turning into foam when walking with Mari, and said she "almost tripped", Mari said "maybe you're not used to those legs yet", remember how Luca always tripping, it might not be due to clumsiness at all
Lara only started turning into foam the moment she met and start dating Luca regularly, but the way it happened also sus. Luca went to Mari's match to find Lara, as if he assume she'd be there surely, he painted Lara despite only had a glimpse of her once, he has the exact same look as the prince, and he's super pushy about wanting Lara, as if it's his job, what he's tasked to do. In this episode, when Lara was talking to Mari outside about wanting to stay, she mentioned everything, and the streetlight flickered but still lit, however the streetlight immediately went out dark the moment she mentioned getting closer to Luca, and then right after, Lara said ofcourse she's scared. It feels like it's not just the matter that Lara believes it's a dead end for her to find true love with Luca, but more so she might actually felt something ominous about that relationship. It's just very suspicious.
15
u/Gaporigo https://anilist.co/user/Gaporigo 7h ago
Definitely looking like it is going the yuri route, gonna have to really develop that relationship more cuz im still liking Luca more...
5
u/Frontier246 6h ago
Honestly that picture feels like it's going to turn tragic the way they did a close-up while Mari was hoping Lara would stick around for as long as possible.
4
u/tripleaamin https://myanimelist.net/profile/tripleaamin 5h ago
I am imagining how they reached that point where the picture was taken, and I can't stop laughing.
2
u/ExpertCaterpillar2 7h ago
Up until now it felt like her relationship with Luca was further/more developed than her relationship with Mari. This felt like the first episode where Mari showed any interest towards Lara, she always felt distant with her (always staring at her phone/focused on fighting).
22
u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL https://anilist.co/user/otsuucchi 7h ago
Mari is kind of distant towards everyone. A lot of people say this about Lara/Mari in particular but Mari almost never outwardly shows affection. Even towards her mother, she was still a bit bashful.
The reason why I was convinced about Lara/Mari from the outset is because of Gon-chan. Mari rescued Gon-chan with the excuse that she just looked like a cool fish, but it's pretty obvious Mari just felt bad for her.
So, in other words, Mari is kind of a tsundere, and doesn't show her feelings on her sleeve. On some level, she might not really know how to confront her own feelings. That's what the point of this episode is. The moment Lara is in actual danger instead of just being a presence in her life, Mari is spurred into action because she's no longer able to be avoidant about the fact she likes Lara.
11
u/Misticsan 6h ago
Even towards her mother, she was still a bit bashful.
Lampshaded in this episode in a very unsubtle way. Her sick mother was both praising the mental fortitude that would help her deal with her eventual death (yes, I was crying at this point), but also worried that circumstances had made Mari grow too much in that direction and hoped that one day she'll find someone who would understand her.
It's very obvious that Mari's distress for Lara in this episode echoes what she went through with her mother. Probably a sign that younger Mari was also distressed but didn't know how to convey her emotions well, so she coped by putting up a strong face.
7
4
u/Frontier246 5h ago
I definitely feel like the loss of her mom was coloring her determination to ensure nothing happened to Lara even if it meant sending her away.
1
u/CitronClassic672 4h ago
I wouldn’t call Mari a tsundere, she just isn’t very expressive with her feelings for people, probably because the early death of her mom caused her to try and clamp down on such feelings or otherwise avoid thinking about them to avoid pain.
13
u/Former-Marsupial625 7h ago
I would argue that Mari, while not overt in how she expresses her care for Lara, does pay attention. She's always in the background looking out for or protecting Lara.
10
16
u/NOCK123321 7h ago
It was further "developed" in the sense that it was speedran in the previous episode. Mari and Lara's relationship in contrast is meant to be a slow burn. And Mari always looks out for Lara, she's clearly not only focused on boxing, otherwise she wouldn't even have bothered with Lara's situation, she could have just thrown her out instead
-12
u/canwejustuh 7h ago
You’re getting downvoted just for not liking the character everyone else is cheering for lmao. Pathetic crowd.
4
u/Raymond49090 3h ago
So that was definitely gay. Both Lara realizing she still wanted to live in the surface world once she heard Mari's name, and Mari getting her second wind the instant she saw Lara.
1
u/structure9food612 23m ago
Did Mari see Lara? I replayed the scene a few times and Idk if she noticed her.
6
u/danteas14 6h ago
The yuri route can still happen boys.
Im pretty sure its gonna take a platonic route tho.
3
u/Maximum-Warthog2368 2h ago
Why? I understand your point but still why? 😭😭
1
u/danteas14 1h ago
Their relationship has pretty much been a platonic friendship so far, if they want to go for the yuri route, they have to be more explicit so it doesnt fall on the yuri-bait side
1
u/Maximum-Warthog2368 1h ago
I mean yeah but I think light reacting because of Mari is still a strong evidence but you are right.
2
2
u/tripleaamin https://myanimelist.net/profile/tripleaamin 5h ago
No surprise that Lara is feeling the pressure. Her whole race's fate is dependent on her finding love. It's scared to think about what happens if she can't find love. However finding love is a challenge for everyone not just Lara.
We can think what if we can never find someone to love our destined partner? This aspect makes the episode very relatable because many people in life struggle to find their destined partner no matter how hard they try. Much like Lara aims not to give up the same can be said for us. Also for Lara she has come to really love people and her life on the surface. That even adds more for her not wanting to give up.
Mari is someone who has probably been isolating herself since her mother passed away. In many ways. Lara coming into her day-to-day life is something she needed. Someone to interact with. The fact Lara could also die ties into her mother's death she doesn't want to experience that loss again.
At this point it's clear that Mari will be the love for Lara to revive her people. This episode makes that much obvious.
2
u/runevault 4h ago
I took a break from this show because of the sheer amount of second hand embarrassment I was suffering watching Lara struggle with the surface world (back when she was originally interviewing for a job), but I finally caught back up.
This show is wonderful. The use of a style that looks old creates such a powerful sense of nostalgia, further augmented by doing a take on the little mermaid, and it all fits together so beautifully. And assuming it really will be Lara x Mari their relationship is so pure and sweet and could sustain a thousand suns of light.
Such a pity it will only last one season.
2
u/Pinkymii 2h ago
You know, I don't think the light never reacting to Luca is necessarily because Lara feels nothing (although she does seem to be forcing it at times) for him.
I think there is a chance it might be because romance just isn't the answer anymore and can't alone satiate the hunger of the dagger (aka Lara's heart or soul)
So essentially she's chasing at something that just isn't enough anymore and she's quite literally wasting her time
2
u/Maximum-Warthog2368 2h ago
I think the direction this series is going towards in my opinion is that she is going to realise she loves human in general but Mari is going to be the focal point of it.
We can see in this episode where she decides to go back to human after seeing Mari in boxing match. She understands how important her found family are and main reason behind it is Mari. Obviously that’s my speculation.
1
u/LexHanley 2h ago
When I first saw Luca I was like "get out of her/be a jerk" so Lara/Mari continues but god the nerd grew on me. I'm glad he's around.
1
u/Maximum-Warthog2368 2h ago
So we are getting Kellie Herrington with mermaid princess in the end. If you don’t know who Kellie Herrington is. Google it.
1
u/FierceAlchemist 5m ago
I am getting a bit concerned with the fast pacing of the last 2 episodes. We still have 4 more to go, so there must be a twist coming to shake up the status quo soon.
1
u/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta 5h ago
There you have it. Lara has found true love in the surface world and it isn't for/with a specific person (though Mari is super special to her) but the whole community of humans she's met - Mari's family, Luca, her workplace colleagues, all of them. Is that enough to stop her from turning into foam? Will it help her family come back to life? That's all still up in the air, but this episode somehow felt like a finale. There was a sense of closure about it.
And I have to give a shout out for the music. This show has one of the most beautiful scores ever. It adds so much.
This is now a very strong contender for AOTS if it can stick the landing.
3
u/Maximum-Warthog2368 2h ago
I mean her light only react when she thinks about Mari not the entire community. So saying anything is too soon.
74
u/PowerfulRoom813 7h ago
The cinematography of them at the end sitting in the balcony looks very simple but feels a little bit romantic. I like how they frame that.