Goodbye Lara Season 2 Release and Everything Fans Hope For

If you've been anywhere near anime Twitter or Reddit lately, you've probably seen people losing their minds over Goodbye, Lara (Sayonara Lara). And honestly? The hype is earned. With the finale just around the corner, everyone's already asking the same question: is a Goodbye Lara Season 2 actually happening. This Kinema Citrus original has managed to pull off something rare, a gorgeous retro art style paired with a story that keeps sneaking up on you emotionally when you least expect it. Before we get into what a second season might look like, let's rewind a bit and talk about how we got here.

A Quick Recap of Season 1

So, here's the setup. Lara is a mermaid princess who fell for a human prince centuries ago, got rejected the moment he saw her true form, and dissolved into sea foam because of it. A witch named Grace gives her a second shot at life, and Lara wakes up smack in the middle of modern-day Japan near Lake Biwa, getting literally punched in the face by a boxer named Mari within her first few minutes on land. Director Takushi Koide described the ambition behind this project in an interview at Anime Expo 2026, saying,

"It's always been my dream to direct an original anime." - Takushi Koide, Director

What starts off as this funny, chaotic culture shock comedy slowly turns into something way heavier, touching on generational trauma, self-acceptance, and a kind of love that refuses to follow fairy tale rules.

Over the course of the season, Lara grows closer to Mari, reconnects with her sister Lisa, and eventually comes face to face with her father Rowan, whose bitterness toward humans threatens to unravel everything she's built for herself. Then episode 11 hit us with Grace's backstory, and suddenly it clicked that Lara isn't the first mermaid to fall for someone on the surface, Grace went through basically the same heartbreak. With Grace seemingly gone and Lara forcibly turned back into a mermaid, things are about as tense as they can get heading into the finale.

The Final Episode Release Schedule

1. Episode 12 wraps up the season and is set to air on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
2. There's actually a special advance theatrical screening happening in Japan too, which means episodes 11 and 12 will already be out in the wild a bit early.

What The Finale Might Cover

Given where things left off, episode 12 will probably deal with the aftermath of Grace's sacrifice and Rowan's decision to strip Lara of her human form purely out of spite. Mari just got pulled underwater by one of Grace's helpers, so there's a good chance she's about to get the full story on what Grace went through and what that dagger is really capable of. The show has leaned so hard into themes of healing and found family that a lot of viewers are betting the ending finds a way to avoid the tragic sacrifice from the original fairy tale, letting Lara and Mari actually end up together without losing anyone.

You can stream the whole season over on Crunchyroll if you want to catch up before it airs. In the meantime, go watch the official trailer for Season 1 down below if you need a refresher before the finale drops this weekend.

What Season 2 Could Explore

Since this is a completely original story with no manga or novel to pull from, Season 2 really is anyone's guess. That said, based on the direction things are heading, here's what fans are hoping to see.

1. Lara and Mari figuring out what a relationship between a human and a mermaid actually looks like long term, especially if Lara gets her legs back for good.
2. Some kind of redemption for Rowan, particularly once more comes out about his late wife and his history with Grace.
3. Lisa finally making peace with her sister after all the resentment she's carried from her time living among humans.
4. More answers about how the light and the dagger actually work, since the show has only really scratched the surface of that magic system.
5. A closer look at Grace and Rigmor's younger years, because their story echoes Lara's so closely that there's clearly more to tell.

Why Fans Are So Invested in a Second Season

The reaction to this show has honestly been kind of wild. People keep comparing it to Revolutionary Girl Utena and Mawaru Penguindrum because of how much symbolism is packed into every episode, and there's a real sense that this isn't just another pretty looking anime, it's actually saying something. A lot of the online discussion has centered on whether the Lara and Mari relationship will be treated as the real endgame instead of being played off as subtext, and honestly, lines like Grace's final message about living for love instead of living by the rules have made a lot of fans feel like this show is fully committed, not just teasing something it has no intention of delivering.

There's also curiosity building around how a second season might expand the world beyond Lake Biwa, since season 1 kept everything pretty tightly focused on one small town. The director himself seems confident in what this show offers, telling press at Anime Expo 2026,

"I can guarantee you will experience something you cannot experience anywhere else." - Takushi Koide, Director

If this kind of speculation is your thing, we've also been covering some other potential renewals worth checking out, including Though I Am an Inept Villainess Season 2 and Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky Season 2.

Nothing is confirmed yet as far as an official renewal goes, but original anime that do well tend to get their Season 2 announcements within a few months of the finale, so it wouldn't be shocking to hear something concrete by early 2027 if the buzz keeps up.