Kadokawa shared a new promotional video for Goodbye, Lara (Sayonara Lara) that introduces several key cast members and reveals the anime's opening theme song "Sayonara Lara" performed by Ikimono-gakari.

The newly announced cast includes:

  • Tomohiro Ōno as Yoshihiro Otsu, Mari's older brother and a third-year high school student
  • Mitsuaki Madono as Makoto Otsu, Mari's father and a freelance photographer
  • Nanae Sumitomo as Ema Otsu, Mari's grandmother and a church pastor
  • Masaki Terasoma as Rowan, the sea king and father of Lara and her five sisters

These additions join the previously announced leads: Hana Hishikawa as Lara (the titular mermaid protagonist) and Nana Kawaishi as Mari Otsu. Rica Fukami voices Grace, the witch who transforms Lara into a human, while Ayumu Murase plays Luca, a boy Lara meets who resembles a prince from her past.

Directed by Takushi Koide at Kinema Citrus, the series follows a premise inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. The story centers on a mermaid who makes a forbidden wish to be loved by a human. After her death, she's reborn 200 years later in Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake in Shiga Prefecture, where she must learn to navigate human society. Notably, director Koide hails from this same region, adding personal significance to the setting.

Anna Kawahara handles series composition, with Shiori Tani designing characters and Yuma Yamaguchi composing the score. The production boasts an extensive crew including art direction from Studio Pablo, photography direction from T2 Studio, and specialized roles like a dedicated water artist (Naoki Yoshibe) and deep-sea imagery supervisor.

Goodbye, Lara will debut in July. Fans in North America can catch the U.S. premiere screening at Anime Central, taking place May 15-17 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois.