I BELIEVE!
Previous >>4580248
>>4587163The previous thread is barely on page 8, you fucking retard.
>>4587163This show is truly brown tomboy heaven. I'm loving it.
>>4588168She's not even that brown. Otherwise it is a good show I agree
>>4588173Japan's stagnating economy made them lose the ability to draw true brow girlsIt's a shame but we have to take what we can get
https://pt.slideshare.net/slideshow/the-mysterious-adventures-and-life-of-the-anglerfish-complete/7901036This is Kota speciethat stuff in the back could be easily be a fish part, not a weirdo functioned
>>4588208Learn English, you fucking retard.
>>4588330>If he was actually a she she'd be a 10/10 but unfortunately Lisa and Kota are probably just the obligatory straight side coupleI very much doubt Kota is a fully male fish. That thing was born as a female fish that's pretty possible despite being "straight side couple" for the series.
I like this series but I'm not convinced these threads should exist yet
>>4590644It's all on the director for talking about yuri in an interview and that goddamn BD cover. Also episode 3 when the goddamn giant fish dagger in the sky manifested
>>4590644>don't talk about the very obviously yuri show that's already generated a 600 post thread of discussion
YEET
>>4587163MEET POTENTIAL YURI
>>4590895Have Westoids latched onto this?
>>4591123>have westoids latched on an anime based on a westoid fairy taleYes.
>>4591125Hans Christen Anderson was chinese
>>4591127So was I, years ago.
>>4591041I don't like this image, it doesn't capture the DV
>>4591227It's hard to throw someone while wearing boxing gloves.
>>4592236Was that a fan or a baseball bat at the end?
>>4592237It's a curtain being pulled closed.
>>4592482>Mari had better hope they never divorce
>>4592501It's alive so you can just punch it.
How do you guys feel about Lara being the prince
>>4592716Not convincing especially since Mari *is* the perfect prince.
>>4592739princess it is...
Would you sisters post with source in filename? Most of the time image search does nothing. Onegai
How do we feel
https://cdn.donmai.us/original/9c/4e/9c4ec4e030bcbb44f7d272a6686ba6ee.mp4
Cute.
So two thirds of the series have aired now, is the yuri route confirmed yet?Cause even if it ends in yuri, there's not much of a point if it's only yuri in the last ten minutes.
>>4593616It's not the last ten minutes. It has been very gay from the end of episode 2 (if you don't count episode 1's "this is how we met").
Wonderful episode and a good setup for the last third.
>>4593619>It has been very gay from the end of episode 2So it's basically confirmed?I wouldn't call something 'very gay' if it left much room for doubt.
>>4593623>So it's basically confirmed?We don't talk about that.
>>4593623It is not confirmed because death is a potential risk here, and there are sinister undertones just beneath the surface, so it's entirely possible that Lara might end up having to sacrifice herself (her mother, who was the previous light-bringer, is "gone" and we've yet to get an explanation on why). But yes, the series is not shy about putting the two girls together essentially 6/8 episodes so far, where 1 of the remaining 2 is a flashback episode not about them, and the other is an episode all about how lacking the male character is in comparison to Mari and how Lara's heart doesn't move for him.The show continually frames Mari as being Lara's true love, and because this is paralleled by two other romantic relationships (and has two more romantic relationships as foils), it is very, very unlikely that true love means some non-romantic version of "most important person but platonic".
I really liked the bridge scene. It was cute how emotional and desperate Mari got over Lara.
>>4593637Agreed, the whole story development in the episode was great but finally seeing Mari this expressive was the best.
>>4593639Now give us the same smile without a mouth guard in the way.
What do we actually make of Lara's "he makes me feel something I never feel before" relationship with Luca if Mari is clearly set up to be the endgame
>>4593648see>>>/a/290378743She's feeling it FROM Luca. And that's even what the subs say. Now what that means, I don't know.
>>4593648She says she senses warmth coming FROM him that she doesn't from other people. Lara's own feelings towards him (or lack thereof) are made obvious by her still turning into foam, her depressed face even while texting him, the lack of reaction when he phones her vs the light stirring when she sees Mari in the call and Lara only deciding to go back to the human world because of Mari after telling Luca she wouldn't.
>>4593654If we won't see any kind of romantic move from Mari x Lara in next 1-2 episodes we can cross this out as just friendship love ending anyway.And who knows what thing director actually wants to show from Luca x Lara, hell it can be romantic love for Luca which also isn't true love, cause Lara true love gonna be friendship love with Mari ending.Eat a cookie and still have the cookie type, but most likely it gonna be non-romantic friendship ending for all.
>>4593616It's 100% confirmed after this episode.>>4593648She's forcing and deluding herself. That's what she's been doing the entire time, forcing herself to find true love. It's no coincidence he looks like the prince she loved in the ages past, she might as well created him herself.
>>4593656This episode had a very blatant romantic parallel with the flashback to Mari's mom telling her dad Mari would find a loved one someday. Not saying it absolutely will happen, but the seeds are there.
>>4593656>most likely it gonna be non-romantic friendship ending for allNo. It's going to end in "true love is her love for mankind" while still having a yuri ending. It doesn't have to be one or the other.
>>4593672>It's going to end in "true love is her love for mankind" while still having a yuri ending.Is this a metaphor ofMari and Lara having kids together as a family in a distant future.
I'm a bit dumb, what was with the scene where Lara arrived at the tournament?She's looking at the ground in the corner, but then starts crying (presumably) because she knows Lara came. Did she see her during the transition from the rope to the corner or something?
>>4593709The direction almost makes it look like Mari felt Lara's presence and knew it was her just from her opening the door and breathing, but I guess she could've caught a quick glimpse before raising her head and looking at her.
I was expecting Lara to start foaming at the tournament and cause Mari to look away again
https://x.com/saekoandmiwa/status/2091572949329293530Some neat clarifications on accents in the final scene.
>>4593620We are so back.
the real irony is that Lara doesn't die in the endbut Mari gets Ashita no Joe'd
What will it take for both of them to realize that what they have is romantic?
>>4593749Himeka handing Lara a yuri doujin.
>>4593749Mari's gonna challenge Lara to a staring contest, and then they're both going to lose when she kisses her.
At this point I'm pretty sure they're doing the thing where a gay romance is portrayed as taboo for a fictional reason (mermaids can't love humans) while the same sex part is entirely unacknowledged, in order to highlight how both taboos are nonsensical. Star Trek did something like this years ago to good effect (https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Reassociation). This would tie wonderfully into the original story, simultaneously refuting the tragic in-story impossibility of a human/mermaid romance, and the metaphorical impossibility of Andersen's gay romance in his era.
An anon has theory that Lara might already know that Mari is her true love, which is why when she said she is going to find her true love in this scene, the camera flash to Mari's head.But Lara is afraid that Mari will reject her, which is why she is crashing out at the end.
>>4593918And the reason Lara thinks Mari might reject her is because earlier, she is trying to make Mari jealous by exagerating her experience with Luca (hence Lara says she feels "warmth from Luca"), but Mari doesn't seems to be bothered and even support her.This either shocked Lara, or put Lara in a pinch (on one hand she knows pursuing Luca won't lead her to her true love, but on the other hand time Mari doesn't show she has feeling for Lara), and that is why she begins to turn to foam in the middle of this conversation.
>>4593920And so the resolution of the episode is Lara decides that it doesn't matter if Mari doesn't feel the same way, she will stay by Mari's side.And on Mari's part, she begin to be open and acknowledge her feeling for Lara.
>>4593920I think this might be right. There's also the soul-eating aspect. Now that Lara has remembered that her love can cause harm, she's afraid of putting Mari in that role.
>>4593921Right, Mari's blurred view of the overhead lights resembling Lara's flash is telling.
>>4593918I think the framing was just a way of telling us without showing us Mari's expression that she knew Lara was lying to her face and herself about everything being fine and dandy. But that's a fun interpretation to consider.
>>4593918To me it seemed this episode was mostly confirming to the audience that Luca is not her true love and Lara was forcing herself with Luca. Other thann the giant blade not reacting and the lack of light when thinking of him, there's this detail here with the flickering street lamp where she mentions getting closer to Luca and it just turns off for like a second to symbolize her heart going from wavering to full doubt. I don't think she fully grasps that Mari is her True Love or what True Love is yet, but she understands that what she wants is to be by Mari's side. Then there's still that ring. I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of her figuring it out once the ring returns to her. If the blade is really meant to be the demise of a True Loves rejection, then she'll probably either believe it's Mari and hope it's not before the ring confirms it.
How will Lisa retaliate after Lara's choice?
>>4593977Rape Mari.
>>4593977We haven't seen this little bit of animation yet, have we?
I was holding off my opinion waiting for what this show has to offer. But after the last episode I think there is enough material for the verdict. Good anime, garbage yuri. Would it kill them if they made 1 memorable romantic scene? Or overflowing emotions and raw feelings are against the show's philosophy? It's gonna be "i feel comfortable around you, let's live together" ending.
>>4594064I kind of agree. I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth, but I wish we'd gotten more. I just want to feel doki doki in my heart.
I didn't know the redhead was a mermaid.And it's not a horror genre?
>>4594080Learn English before posting here.
>>4594047Nope, and it seems like Mari and Lara are all smiles and giggles going forward for a little bit at least.
>>4594064>Garbage yuri>Would it kill them if they made 1 memorable romantic scene?They aren't even aware of their feelings yet, so its obviously not going to be shown through a romantic lens yet, but they've already had many scenes that can be looked back on more fondly.Moonlit talks on the balcony, sharing drinks after nearly drowning in the lake, rushing over to cheer for her boxing tournament (which powers Mari up), sleeping together in the backseat of the car, getting jobs together, lap pillow when lara starts turning to foam, Mari making Lara promise to bake her a cake (reassuring Mari that she won't abandon her), rushing home and hugging Mari when she thought Lisa had her killed, living together and sharing clothes/plushies, etc. I swear half the people on this board have never seen a slow burn romance before. You start off as friends and it transitions into love gradually, with no clear transition point.
>>4594080It is a slice of life/drama with fantastical elements, not horror.
Has it been pointed out that Lake Biwa is the real life Lake of Rage from Pokemon GSC.Is Lara Red Gyarados?
>>4594093Late stage zoomzoms/Gen A are used to 15 second tiktoks and YT shorts where there is text on the screen explaining what is happening in the video so they struggle with anything taking its time or not just being explicitly stated.
>>4594093>I swear half the people on this board have never seen a slow burn romance before.I would love to subject these people to read A Love Yet To Bloom, and see if they can survive the 39 current chapters without coming to /u/ to complain about them not scissoring yet.
https://files.catbox.moe/3ey1nr.mp4
>>4594126Toward the Surface is such a good track.
>>4594126a bit too subtle
Maybe Luca has ALS which is why he keeps falling down.The problem might just solve itself
>>4594064>Would it kill them if they made 1 memorable romantic scene?Almost every interaction between Lara and Mari is memorable and romantic
>>4594093Thank you. There's dozens of little moments, facial expressions, and camera shots that add up to something significant and beautiful.>>4594124I'm still annoyed with myself for believing the comments and ignoring this one for so long. It's so good.
>>4594112She's still a Magikarp, wait until the giant fish gets really mad.
Does Luca even like Lara that way? They could be good friends. He didn't outright say he liked her if I recall
>>4594069Yeah, exactly!>>4594093>have never seen a slow burn romance beforeBack at you, Adashima had more good stuff in the very first volume, when it was just the beginning.And there's what, 4 episodes left? Do you expect them to dedicate all the remaining time for LaraMari romance, rush it or leave it at more or less the same point as is? Pick your poison. Slowburn only works because it's a promise of a long journey so these stories can take their time.>with no clear transition pointI was kinda expecting Mari's regionals to be this point. Instead their "interaction" ammounted to being in the same place. Funny how almost all the "expressions" of feelings are deligated to enviroment. Lara's emotional medium was fish-sword-monolith which did all the work. (And a streetlamp before that). Even the aftermath, Mari's victory and it's reception ammounted only to photo on a shelf. Not very doki-doki.
>>4594186>their "interaction" ammounted to being in the same place.Ok, so you just don't watch the show, got it. I'll never understand people who waste their life typing paragraphs of bait.
>>4594170I don't think he ever did, though they still go on dates I believe. At least according to the subs I remember Lara and Luca have never directly stated they love each other, it's all vague phrases or "like" only.
>>4594193"Dates" in anime are often nothing anyway. I think Japan uses the term date different than in the west, as it's not uncommon to have "dates" between actual, non romantically involved friends. Both girl-girl and girl-guy.
>>4594170I don't think I've seen people make the exact comparison, but some of the comments about how Lara described feeling around Luca to Mari seem adjacent to the "and that feeling was friendship" meme.Goodbye Lara seems poised to say and do a number of interesting things with regards to sexuality and romance that you don't really see in media in general, much less anime with its particular cultural hang-ups. Might just be projecting futile hopes, but if the story lands following through on at least half of what I'm getting from it, it'll be peak.
At least we still have those upcoming video dramas.
>>4594199
>>4594200That's official art?
>>4594202Yes.
>>4594202It's the new seasonal video coming out in around 5 hrs.
>>4594192Post it then. I dare you. Gif, screenshot, timestamp, whatever.
>>4594064>>4594069>a gift horseI don't think you guys fully realize the implications of what you're saying.If Lara's "true love" isn't romantic in nature, whether it's for Mari or humanity or whatever else, it won't conflict with romance, so that doesn't mean she's got to reject Luca and stay single forever, she can have a best friend and a lover.It's not even uncharted territory, Frozen did basically the same thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P77uDvHZLRAIt's finally time.
>>4594330I can't believe Mari is going to have to beat a deep sea fish to death in the street.
>>4594330again with the fucking stupid dudewhat are they doing???
>>4594330Voiceover translation from Tumblr:>Mari: You've been getting along with that boy recently.>Lara: Are you lonely?>Mari: Not really. You have to find your prince, right?>Lara: Yes! And then I can find true love!>Mari: And you want him? He seems awfully clumsy.>Lara: That's true! But even if he falls over a lot, he doesn't get hurt, and even if he loses things all the time he ends up finding them! I find that interesting about him!>Mari: Hmm...>Episode 9: True Love>Mari: Actually, maybe I am a little lonely.>Lara: Mari! And the next episode description:>Episode 9: True love>Lara uses the potion to gain time before she turns into foam.>She still hasn't found true love, but maybe she can find it with Luca. >While feeling impatient, Lara closes the distance between her and Luca, however...Luca getting dumped this episode.
>>4594368Het bait.
There's lots of casual intimacy between them but this one is my favorite so far. So tender.
>>4594376Why is your brain small
>>4594376>lesbian tries forcing herself to be straight to match expectationsA tale as old as time.
>>4594371And how she carefully supports her head as she sits up.
>>4594369>Episode 9: TRUE Love>While feeling impatient, Lara closes the distance between her and Luca, however...okay, so she's rushing to try and "force" this love to save everyone, before discovering this isnt TRUE love. She is probably taking the search more seriously now because of how worried she made Mari. Maybe she sees Mari sulking on her date and has an epiphany tooHopefully this is the final episode that revolves around him. I don't hate this trope, but i do dislike how it usually results in taking a lot of screentime away from the main couple. I remember getting really annoyed by it in Sweet blue flowers too
>>4594436Given she confesses and she feels nothing this should be the final ep... Luca will probably still be prominent in wingmanning however
>that glare Kota gives Mari at the endruh roh
Will the witch have to watch Mari and Lara have sex, or will they drape a cloth over the fishbowl?
Hope someone finds that ring eventually
>>4594446Gon-chan gives Mari advice on how to best please a mermaid
>>4594447
>>4594446The glass of the fishbowl acts as a mirror so she can see everything even if it's draped over.
>episode 9 AND 10 surprised the VAswill 10 finally be it or will Lara continue to be stupid?
>>4594451They go to space to fight robots
>>4594460To fight IN robots.
>>4594446Mari's bed has that convenient curtain they can close.
>>4594447??? Lisa has it.
>>4594451With only four episodes left, I'm thinking:9: Luca and Leo's backstory. Lara tries to make the relationship work, but ultimately realizes she doesn't love him, and breaks up with him. Post credit scene of Lara or Mari having a realization about the other.10: Lara and Mari each realize their feelings, mutual confession. Their true love allows the merfolk to be resurrected at the end of the episode, but Lara's father isn't happy that Lara found love with a human.11: Backstory on Lara's mother, Grace, and the human one of them fell in love with.11.5-12. Lara's father tries to force Lara and Mari apart, and they fight (in some form) for their love. Father relents, family says sayonara to Lara, and Lara stays on the surface.12.5: Time skip into Mari's grandmother performing their wedding service in the backyard church.
>>4594473Yeah but it's not hers, so.
>>4594478The obvious plot progression would be Lisa giving Lara the ring back once she accepts Lara's true love i.e. Mari.
https://x.com/RezuLily/status/2092173756756013427?s=20eng subs
>episode 8 is about her realizing she wants to be with Mari>so episode 9 is about her quickly confessing to Luca so she can stay alive>then she chimps out when it doesn't workLara...
>>4594335I want Mari to throw hands with fishboy and box his eyes in so badly.
Next episode prediction:>Lara is on her date with Luca>Mari sulking on her way home from school/boxing and meets Kota>Mari tells Kota that Lara isn't home and she's with a boy (which is why he looks pissed in the preview)>Lara confides in mask girl (forgot her name) that despite the dates with Luca, the light isn't returning to the merfolk>Mask girl confesses her love to Lara, prompting Lara to say the classic "but we're both girls">After realizing love can exist between two girls, she promptly apologizes to Luca and breaks things off (or refuses the confession)>Lara needs to hear Mari's voice pronto so she video calls Mari, in which she's greeted with "actually, maybe i am a little lonely", and she realizes that Mari might feel the same way
>>4594518Okay but what happens with Himeka (mask girl) here then? She's rejected again, this time by Lara?
>>4594522she can take one for the team and date Luca or something, idk. doesn't matter
>>4594335>>4594516>Anglerfish instinctually tries to bait her into a right straight to set up a bite>Mari fakes the right straight and lands a left uppercut to shut the mouth, literally and figuratively
I know we all want Mari to be jealous, but I was thinking, wouldn't Lara be more likely to be the jealous type? Little mermaid and all. Even if I'm not sure we'll ever see her being jealous since no one seems interested in Mari currently.
>>4594857She wouldn't be jealous she would be sad inside and her light would fade
>>4594857I could see that boxing senpai getting interested in Mari after Mari won the tournament.
>>4594857Lara actually has some edge to her so maybe, and it has potential to be the dangerous type.>>4594962I'm pretty sure I've the boxing senpai official art of her with a man multiple times.
>>4594869what a repugnant artstyle
>>4594869Not as bad as this >>4592982 but at least it's not making them fat
>>4595064Meant to reply to >>4595063
>>4595331>it's THAT artistthis show really is yuri...
>>4595435Mari would never wear something like that.
Gonna post some art for /u/ to look at while we wait for the next ep.
Is this anime perceived as yuri amongst the Japanese audience? Or are people over there rooting for Lara x Luca?
>>4594330>>4594436I hope the plot with the dude will only take up 25% of the episode max. I hope the episode culminates in Lara having a yuri epiphany. All her sights will be set on Mari from now on. Fingers crossed.
>>4596487From what I've seen the mix of perceptions is actually pretty similar to the west. There's been yuri fans all along, but after episode 8 the idea that it will end with Lara/Mari seems more common. There's a lot of people saying they don't see the yuri at all, or are expecting some kind of "true love is universal" ending. People like Luca but at this point no one seems to think he's Lara's true love. There's the usual "why can't two girls just be friends?" concern trolling, and complaints about foreign yuri viewers ("activist" fans in the west, and crazy yuri fans in China).
>>4596509Based on the narratives from Bilibili(China) - hard LxM no idea why China likes yuri so much. That being said the way they talk about it is heavily muted. Sanook/Pantip(Thailand/SEA) - larger LxM driven by the huge lesbian community here. CRK is incredibly popular in Thailand.2ch - majority feel it's just another show in a sea of anime shows. Fan base splitter off into the smaller LxL driven by female audience members and doesn't interact with the much larger LxM driven by males.That's just what I gather. An interesting thing about all of this is that discussions going on outside of Reddit/4chan seem to be much more civil, with people agreeing to disagree while respecting one another.
>>4596526Chinese fans are based. I closely follow what they say on X and they're super passionate about Lara x Mari.
>>4596509>There's the usual "why can't two girls just be friends?" concern trollingBecause that's every other anime on earth you stupid fucks.
someone is angy
>>4596527I admire their passion but I think some of their actions are self-defeating, like flaming the official twitter account after episode 7. You risk making studios reluctant to take chances on yuri work by associating the genre with controversy more than it already is.
>>4596531X seems to uplift a lot of 'vocal minority' posts IMHO. The people with the most idiotic takes tend to get the most attention. More so if they're willing to pay for more visibility, which is retarded in itself...
Pack your bags, the leaker was a liar. There's no chance this will ever end yuri in remaining episodes.
>>4596689>so desperate to shitpost he can't even point to anything in the episodes anymore because there's nothing to stand on and resorts to generalized "noooo"Oof.>Lara admits multiple times that she does not feel true love towards Luca, that the friendly warmth she feels with him is not true love and she is just desperately hoping that one day she could>Lara admits that Luca isn't anything like a prince>Luca buys Lara a drink and she despises the taste of it and throws the can away unlike Mari's hot chocolate>Luca admits that he feels like he does not understand Lara at all and has never even seen her real face in a scene where Mari then explains exactly who Lara is>Lara tries to press for dating for real and feels borderline nothing>Luca agrees and she still feels borderline nothing>episodes multiple discussions about finding a prince keep cutting to Mari>Mari trying to play the supportive friend scene hides her face because she's being dishonest.Mari is doing to have gay fish babies with Lara, and you can't stop it.
The subtlety of a brick as always.
Mari's sparkle is much larger than Luca's tiny little thing
>>4596692>Mari is doing to have gay fish babies with Lara, and you can't stop it.I hope so but I don't see it, why to hide Mari side of thoughts for whole anime then?There's big apocalyptic event coming we have 3 episodes left, leaker on /a/ is a liar cause he said Luca rejected Lara which didn't happen, but Lara wants to work to be with him even if he isn't true love yet, and I just can't see it how they could suddenly show Mari being interested in Lara romantically revealed and timed to that.I lost my hope, sorry.
>>4596694>>4596696The moon as well.
>>4596700>he said Luca rejected Lara which didn't happenHe did not. He said that his answer wasn't what she was looking for.
>>4596694The can was just... so on the nose.
>>4596700Weak.If you noticed throughout this entire series, Lara hunt for "true love" was more survival and obligation than what she truly feels. And it's pretty damn obvious Luca is not going to satiate Lara's needs.
>>4596700>why to hide Mari side of thoughts for whole anime then?Because otherwise it becomes even more obvious how this is going to end. >I lost my hope, sorry.That's funny, for me this episode was the opposite. Lara is forcing herself the entire episode, and then when Luca genuinely reciprocates her confession... >>4596696. Then in the same episode we have the shot in >>4596692 to remind viewers of Lara's reaction to Mari's "suki".On Mari's side it's more subtle but definitely there. Last episode we saw her see the star shape in the ring lights while thinking of Lara, and this episode there's several moments suggesting she's not happy with Lara and Luca dating, beyond just being upset that Lara is upset.The "true love is universal" theory took some damage here too. The scene with Yoshiya and his grandmother suggest that familial love or friendship can't be a substitute for romantic love.
>>4596721Yoshiya will play the organ at Lara and Mari's wedding and find love with, I dunno, one of the girls from the bakery in attendance there.
Good setup episode, I hope the payoff is worth it by the end of this.
>>4596723The organ and crucifix are good symbols of their faith. Both seem to have lost it when their mother died; ironically, Lara will bring it back to them. Yoshiya will probably end up taking his grandmother's mantle when she dies. And Mari will probably continue to pursue her dreams.
This anime made me realize that I enjoy hetbaiting when there's a clear yuri winner. I'm not sure 3 episodes remaining will wrap the story well enough though.
>two kiss attempts>Prince x Lara>Luca x LaraThird time's the charm.
I didnt really believe in a Yuri ending until this episode t bh. Mari's jealousy is undeniable, girl is absolutely hurting but trying to remain the supportive friend.
I love how Mari instantly moves into action here. I'm not sure if it's a deliberate parallel, but it contrasts with her delayed reaction to Lara falling out of the sky, and when she reverts to mermaid form.>>4596740I was hopeful before but now I honestly think it might happen.
Lara and Mari's childhood toys...
>>4596748
Good fucking lord, this is amazing but please just stick the damn landing.
>>4596694The energy drink thing was unexpected but fantastic.
>>4596752Wait was Gon-chan grooming Mari all along?
https://x.com/wolfy44231/status/2094110982205522207Great analysis of Mari in this episode from a Chinese viewer. A lot of it has already been pointed out, but the big one is how Mari keeps ignoring her mom's advice throughout the episode.Mari is standing aside for Lara's sake, because she doesn't yet have the confidence that her love can save Lara.
>>4596766That was before Mari found her, though I guess we actually have no idea what Grace spent the last 200 years doing and she's had access to the potion the entire time. I still think it's suspicious that the grandmother has blonde hair (Yoshiya dyes his). The majority of non-mermaid people in the show have ordinary Japanese hair colors, black or fairly dark brown. The brothers are one exception, but then Mari's grandmother is also, which I still think might mean they have some deeper involvement with the mermaids, like being descendants (on the grandmother's side) of either the original prince or the human that Grace was seemingly involved with. Which would also explain why their family has a heavy Christian thing going on.
it will be super yuri if mari ends up actually having to fork over her soul to lara
>>4596772I feel either Lisa or Grace is there to take the hit in Mari's place should things come down to that.
>>4596771I think she was weakened by using her powers to keep all of the merfolk alive, and that was her driving goal for the past 200 years. She conserved as much energy as possible, even turning herself into a goldfish. This is probably why she couldn't make any more potions. There are things I still want to know about, like what exactly happened to Lara's mother. Or what the importance of this light is. >>4596773I don't think it will come to that; in a lot of fairy tales, including this one, souls are joined by the union of eternal love. Luca wasn't ready to give up half of his life for Lara, who knows maybe Mari might be.
I already can see this shit is going to end up in 'Superfriendship' and 'I don't need a prince' type of stuff.Meh
>Mari knows where the sister lives >Father (or the other sister) is waking up at the end Mari's going to confront them at their house, then the father is going to nearly kill her in front of Lara, in which her heart reacts stronger than it ever has.
>>4596787Aren't both Lisa's group (with kidnapped Lara) and Grace heading to the witch's palace in Okishima? I don't know how, but I figure Mari will also head there rather than standing around in town until they're back.
>>4596794It's a relevant comparison but your pic's gonna get deleted.
>>4596793We wll see, maybe Grace gonna change into teenage girl form and gonna date Mari.
This is the sorriest samefagging yet.
>samefag still conjuring up things they created in their own head to get mad at each episode >>4596790Lisa was telling Kota that, who is on a speedboat. Lisa could just be looking after Lara at her house while Kota does the dirty work (again) since it's a race against Grace. Mari doesn't know the witches place even exists so she's probably going to confront Lisa at her house before the others regroup there, or maybe she follows Lisa to the secret entrance of the witches place without her noticing.Either way, Mari's on the way, which will probably result in Laras heart sparking after realizing she's putting her in danger
>>4596759I feel like they're gonna, but also I feel the Luca false-lead is stretching on a tad long. Like yeah, given the setup it's the most obvious route to go for the bulk of Mari & Lara working out their feelings for each other, I'd have just preferred a smidge more... I dunno, variety?
>>4596802It's over now. There's still the missing trailer scene of Mari and Luca talking at night under a streetlight which will happen when they meet up next episode, but from this point on I feel Luca will only serve to push Mari and Lara together. Mari is the one with all the plot relevance to what's going on due to her ties to Lara, Grace and Lisa.
>>4596794
>>4596803Mari just needs to buy Lisa hot chocolate and then she will get and Mari marry her little sister.
>>4596804Luca is so tone-deaf about Lara. Drags her to high places despite her obvious discomfort, insists that energy drinks are great despite her wariness. They're not on the same page at all.
>>4596804stg I could use this as a short-hand reaction for yuri vs het from now on
Does Mari not wearing her cross symbolize that she isn't Christian like her mother? She seems to keep the cross only as a keepsake.
>>4596804He's a nice guy, but he's simply not compatible with her except as a friend she only sorta likes. Which is also unfortunate since I thought that'd be his consolation prize, being her bestie. But it looks like that's Himeka.
>>4596814He's the autistic kid who they pity invite to stuff.
She was definitely upset Mari wasn't stopping her here right. I don't know why else she was about to cry
>>4596839It does feel like that was the most obvious read, but I guess maybe she was just upset that nothing was working and that she already knew that it wasn't going to work.
>>4596840Could be... but there was also a lot of focus on Mari, and Lara here is meant to still be deluding herself that it will work. Her saying she loved coming to the human world after this also feels like a goodbye, which could possibly be for everyone she's met as she needs to go back to the ocean or something after finding true love, or a goodbye for Mari as this feels like a separation even if Lara still doesn't understand her own feelings. Lara could also be worried about dying and therefore that's why she's crying and implying a farewell, but given how she reacted at the end of the episode I don't think she's at the "calm" stage of acceptance regarding that issue yet.
>>4596840Right, I think if anything she was hoping Mari would call her out for pretending to be fine like last episode. But Mari is still looking away.
>>4596844When you don't look away, you gain two (fish).
>>4596844They're both not looking at each other in this scene, actually...
>>4596814You can see this in how Lara had a much bigger light for Himeka too, so romance-wise and platonic-wise he's at best second place.
>>4596948
Would it be kino?
I know we're worrying about if it's going to be friendship/love for all humanity as true love vs romantic love for Mari, but I think today's episode makes it much less likely, in addition to btfoing het. Now, I do think Lara's experiences and feelings for everyone she's met will be important, but Lara's feelings this ep feel too strong and also too... narrowed on one thing for her heart to be soothed with just "I love humanity!" if that makes sense. Especially since we don't have much time (3 eps now) to bridge the gap from Lara's current immaturity into something more broad. Anyway, just my opinion. Really liked the episode today.
>>4596991I think we'll know for certain next episode. Things that hint at Mari having feelings for Lara have been very subtle an small. A pause here, a glance there, a certain way she delivers some lines. Easily missed, both intentionally ignored or just glossed over by people only half-watching.But Mari, like Luca, has just been taking their time. Just kids expecting things to work themselves out in their own time. Luca thinking his relationship with Lara was just fine without putting a "going out" label on it. Mari not able to express herself because there she didn't know Lara had a time limit and by the time she did know, Lara already had a chance to find true love and she wanted Lara to live, even if it wasn't with her.But now that that avenue is closed off, Lara is freaking out and there's not much anyone can do to soothe her short of a confession. Which at this point can only really come from Mari.
Shit's gay, yo.
>>4596997I wonder how much they intended for this to come off as a small dick metaphor.
>>4596526>Sanook/PantipBoth site is dead since Facebook happen.
Himeka's earings.
>>4597056Holy shit
>>4597056That is fucking wild.
>>4597056I don't get itI also forget who this character is
>>4597063Himeka is the girl from episode 4 who looked like the princess from the movie Lara watched, she was in love with her prince-like childhood friend but he didn't love her back. Her earrings in the latest episode are shaped like Mari's cross plus Lara's hair lily.
>>4597056Subtlety of a brick this show has sometimes.
>>4597162>>>/a/290591740It's apparently still too subtle for most people. Can't wait for the overflow of "wtf, when did this show become yuri" posts after it ends.
>>4597162People'll be concussed by said brick and still act surprised.
>>4597162>>4597167>Must have been the wind...
>>4597167>>4597166I'm very much looking forward to the final cope of "shit writing, the fishe and the tomboy boxer loving each other came out of nowhere"
>>4597180>>>/a/290592391This one is especially amazing. I think there's still a substantial subset of viewers, especially in Japan, that just can't conceive of two girls being in a relationship if there's a male option, like some kind of mental blind spot. They take for granted that the male will "win", even when it's obvious that it would go directly against the show's themes and what the female protagonist actually wants. When G-Witch was airing, it was crazy to me that some viewers truly thought that Suletta would end up with Guel, just because he had a crush on her, when they weren't even friends.
>>4596526>LxLI thought this meant Lara x Lisa at first and I thought, "these Japanese girls are pretty great". I think I've lost the ability to even conceive of het ships.
>>4597056I think you might've genuinely been the only person (at least on the internet) to notice this btw, so props to you.
Someone on the Sayonara Lara discord posted a pretty lengthy analysis of the show so far, and predicted an ending that I haven't seen suggested yet. Basically, Lara still feels that her mermaid form is ugly and unlovable, and that the climax will be Mari confessing and kissing her while in that form. The show will end Lara remaining together with Mari as a mermaid; she and the people around her will accept and love every part of her.I can't quite imagine the logistics of this, and it would require the general populace to learn about mermaids, which seems ambitious with only three episode left. On the other hand it would explain the helicopter sounds that play over episode one's opening scene.I'm more and more convinced that the comphet angle is a conscious choice by the writers.
>>4597262Was always sort of an option since Biwa is there. They can just be mermaids in Biwa instead of mermaids in the sea.
>>4597262Just expand Gon-chan's tank.
>>4597262That could work... it'd hit the self love angle quickly and succinctly without bogging things down. And it would also be a more literal bridging of two worlds that used to hate each other. But I think it depends on what the Grace episode has to say. Grace is obviously going to very important for clarifying the actual themes of the show.
https://x.com/Goodbye_Lara/status/2094697499042967956PV for episode 10. Feeling pretty good about that yuri angst.
>>4597352And all that other angst. It's too bad we'll probably only get a confession or kiss at the end, but it looks like the lead up to it will be really, really good.
>>4597354>And all that other angstYeah we're really getting into it now.
>>4597352Oh fuck, the slow burn I ordered is finally cooking.
Ladies and other ladies, we are reaching the deep pining part of the process.
>>4597429
>>4597262They posted it to reddit.https://www.reddit.com/r/GoodbyeLara/comments/1w4jtz3/goodbye_lara_is_about_romantic_love_and_thats/I don't agree with every point but I think it gets to the heart of what the show is about.
>>4597429She is depressed because her fish who has been with her for years just up and disappeared. Poor Mari. If she truly is in love with Lara, she really cannot catch a break.
>>4597509That scene definitely makes it look like she's been trying to call Lara and is waiting to be called back, she'd have no way to contact Gon-chan over the phone.
The hets are really living in their own delusional reality huh. See also all the comments under this post, they dont even seem psycho nor people who just wanna be hateful. They truly do think Lara and Luca are meant to be LMAOhttps://x.com/Moonni2213/status/2094456689198060000
>>4597547>hey hey look at this irrelevant twitter shit>look at this irrelevant twitter shit of people talking about het shit
I fear that they spend so much time in the 'does Lara love Luca?' plotline that by the time she realizes she actually loves Mari, the plot and their relationship will have to be speedran so it can fit the remaining episodes
>>4597557Retarded. They began falling in love in literally episode 2.
>>4597558Yes, which is why I'm wondering why are they dragging this current plotline when we have three episodes left
>>4597559It ain't a fairytale if it doesn't end with a big smooch. Also their romance won't be "speedran" because it existed and was developed around episode 2-3 and in literally every episode after it. The only thing that's needed now is a mutual confession.
>>4597557I was worried about that before but not so much now. We won't get to see Lara and Mari go on dates and such, but I really think the last few episodes have given us a good idea of what their relationship will look like going forward. I especially like the "talking on the cozy veranda before bed every night" routine they have going.
>>4597563They're already very domestic. I can also see them treating everything they do together as a date moment regardless. Grocery shopping, walking home together, eating dinner, etc.
I was hoping that the person who confessed to Himeka would turn out to be a girl and that would be Lara's introduction to homosexuality.
>>4597547>>4597548NTA but I think it's a little relevant here. If the show ends how I think it will (Lara has loved Mari early on but couldn't recognize it because of fairytale comphet), it'll be pretty interesting that a large portion of the audience will have fallen into the same trap as Lara. And who knows, maybe some of them will have the same realization?
>>4597568It is kind of like a meta commentary on how a big part of the audience assumes a hetero romance is a given with minimal effort. Their absolute confidence in it, and their blindness towards the subtle, but surely romantic development between Lara and Mari goes to show that they will not even consider a yuri possibility. In true romantic terms Mari and Lara is the best developed romantic relationship in the show, while Luca appeared in episode 7, all he has to do is look like the prince, and people are already calling it a great romance deserving of end game status, and this DESPITE Lara barelt being able to feel anything at all for him after dating for weeks? Months? A simple "I like funny characters" from Mari could make her heart explode in happiness. Luca has told her all these things she also wants to hear and wants to be her lover and there is just... nothing. It is laughable, and yet somehow sad (for them the hets) at the same time
>>4597573I've seen a lot of comments lamenting, "Oh, if only Lara and Luca had more time maybe things would have worked out for them," and I keep being reminded of Kannazuki no Miko, and something one of the writers said about it afterwards.>This story is not about Chikane winning because she scored 100 and Souma 95.>It’s not that Himeko didn’t choose Souma because of some fault or vibe that he has.>Then, why is it? There is only one true partner. And the one that Himeko loved was Chikane… At the very end, Himeko realizes this and accepts Chikane’s love for her. That’s the only reason. That’s the simple truth.
>>4597429>waiting all day and night for a phone callThis is how I wanted the first seperation arc to be like. She was lucky to have boxing as a distraction back then.
>>4597547Why are there even Lucafags he didn't show up until halfway through the series
>>4597429She looks as if she's been praying here
>>4597590She's asking God for the strength to be gay.
First toxic fanart.
>>4597660Is that her ass or the entirety of it is fish tail?
>>4597429Thrid act breakup, huh
The posters behind Mari here look like Lara's light. It's like the universe is begging her to notice Mari is the one who can light that sparkle in her.Also another small detail to note is that Lara and Mari both have flat drinks while only Luca's is carbonated.
>>4597705Layers upon layers...
>>4597712Baumkuchen layers...
>>4597705Mari also has a flat chest.
>>4597631>lightly biting someone's tongue is toxicWhy are zoomers like this?
>>4597741Is it really yuri if neither girl has boobs?
We all know Mari will win but how will it go:>Lara and Mari live happily every after on land as humans>Lara and Mari live happily ever after in the ocean as meraids>Lara and Mari discover true love but Lara returns to mermaid they have to split up and live in different worlds
>>4597776They live on land since Mari cannot turn into a mermaid but Lara can perfectly fine live on land.Lara's family stays in Lake Biwa so Lara can go visit them whenever she feels like it.
>>45977761 and they'll have a wedding metaphor. I can also see the rest of the surviving merfolk turning into humans as well
>>4597776Grace uses the last of her power to make a medicine that allows the mermaids to be permanently human and everyone lives happily ever after except getting national ID cards becomes a headache.
>>4597776Almost certainly the first one. I could maybe see>Lara accepts her mermaid form but continues to live on land with Mari using some kind of wheelchair.but that's more of a longshot.
>>4597776Considering the title is "Goodbye Lara" I think their separation is the most likely outcome
>>4597856That's assuming that it's Mari saying it, and not the mermaids.
>>4597754Lots of gay mermaids lately.
>>4597940something something lesbians love sea food
https://cdn.donmai.us/original/74/1e/741e49fca943f35eb1304354b34009be.mp4
Do you think Mari likes gardening? Her balcony which seems connected to her room has lots of potted plants but we've never seen her caring for it nor Lara
>>4598020We've got a lot of official character profiles, maybe they have something to say about it?
>>4598027>Mari>Boxing, listening to musicThat would explain her talent in singing>Lara>Discovering new things, watching dramaI guess it's just decor.
Another cute voice segment:https://www.tumblr.com/kudouusagi/826721798963052544/what-if-a-mermaid-princess-became-a-detective?source=share>The culprit is... you, Mari.Not subtle.
>>4598020Mari will care for Lara soon.
If a kiss doesn't happen I could be placated with a really tight, angsty hug, which I feel is gonna happen next ep.
>>4598134I don't think they'll get reunited as soon as next ep. I say episode 11.
I have this really bad feeling that Mari is going to lose an arm.
>>4598134They've deliberately had her fail two kisses she NEEDS to succeed on the third one, believe. The only possible bad ending at this point would be her kissing someone else, or the kiss somehow being platonic.
>>4598146She needs that to become a pro boxer, I don't think she'll break her promise.
>>4598151She'll become a paralympian, then.
>>4598151Yeah but I'm pretty concerned about the 'living toughly" stuff.
>>4598146>>4598151Sayonara Lara is a surprise prequel to Megalo Box and Mari becomes world champion of gear boxing with the title One-armed Prince.
>>4598155Fuck, I actually want this now.
>>4598146>>4598151She needs to ditch boxing before she gets hurt. I hope they do the anime thing and show her not boxing anymore in the prologue.
>>4598165*epilogue
Mari needs to get enough concussions that she starts talking to normal fish, too.
Did we ever get Mari running with a slice of bread in her mouth? It's very important.
>>4598171No, but also yes.
>>4597705The attention to detail in this show is really great. I still remember being impressed when one anon pointed out how the animators included such minute things as mari's mom carrying around the case for her reading glasses.
Another neat analysis on the comphet and sexism themes. Based on how the next episode preview describes Lara's family I think we see more in this area.https://x.com/NilLaney/status/2095361401200009713
Only a week until the whole ending gets spoiled early for everyone
>>4598511I'm just going to avoid all threads about the series around when it's possible for leaks to happen. I was going to do that anyway for this week but it turns out there were no leaks this week.
>>4598514Next week they are going to have an event where they show episode 10, episode 11 a bit early and episode 12 a week early so next week the whole finale will be shown early so there will be spoilers for that to avoid
>>4598514Me too. No 4chan at minimum from the 12th/13th 'til the finale, earlier if legit leaks come out. No one's spoiling this finale for me.
>>4598517Why would they do this?
>>4598514 #>>4598524 #Lol I dont give enough fucks about this show to care about being spoiled. All i care to know is whether it will end in yuri or not so hell yeh Im looking into those spoilers before I touch this show with a ten foot pole ever again.
>>4598530Because the show is popular? They are having a big event to celebrate it and you get to see the ending early
>>4598548I can't imagine watching anime like this.
>>4598548>Lol>hell yeh ImAt least try to hide your level of education.
>>4598511>>4598517Wtf. Is it a japan-only event?
>>4598766Yeah
>>4598572This anime isnt that deep
>>4598775Yes it is.
It'll be near impossible to avoid spoilers, man...
>>4598775Something doesn't need to be deep to be enjoyable and not just want to be spoiled on the ending for some kind of stupid sense of self satisfaction.
>>4598794Just avoid the usual places for a week.
>>4598775It's at least a fathom.
>>4598794Stop fucking crying, you little bitch. Is that so fucking hard not to go online?
>>4598977>Stop fucking crying, you little bitch. Is that so fucking hard not to go online?I already resigned to my fate and I'm gonna get spoiled willingly, there's no way I can keep from browsing /a/ and /u/ for whole week.
>>4598977Are you okay?
It's official, we're getting the 'up to interpretation' treatment again.So much for not being like other "yuri" anime.
>>4598997forgot pic
>interview that is meaningless pr speak>wowza that means it's not yuriyou're not slick
>>4598997>>4598998Nobody cares. Go away.
>>4599001I care? If they pull a non-romantic ending after all the tease it's going to retroactively ruin everything.
>>4598997>doomposting about a quote about the work itself that couldn't be more generic and vague if they tried
>>4599006It sounds a whole lot like preemptive damage control to me.
>>4599008Only if you're dead-set on believing there'll be damage to control
>GWitch mention out of nowhereThis faggot really can't help himself
>>4599012I thought it could go either way, but the VA saying this 3 episodes before the end doesn't bode well.Feels like something she'd write after thinking>damn, what if this billion people writing to me daily about lara and mari becoming lovers end up disappointed when they don't?You can't expect nips to anticipate that constantly dangling the carrot in front of the viewers might make them want to actually have it in the end.
>>4598998She wasn't even talking about the ending or yuri, you dumbass. Stop this concern trolling.
>>4599017You are retarded. It's just the last thing said in an interview where they talked about the entire show.
>>4599019>>4599020Well I don't care to insist, I hope your interpretation turns out to be accurate, but I'm keeping my expectations in check.
>True love and all that... Am I just not good enough?>It's not that...>It's because I love you, Mari, that I can't
>>4599020That's a really nice interview. Really like the part about the "I don't want you to die" scene.
>>4599020I'm pretty sure almost every japanese interview for every show ever talks about "interpretations" anyway because japan is a country of polite cucks.
>>4599049Ah, there are the true colors.
If we gonna get friendship ending (I hope not) the thing which I'm gonna be disappointed about is that director even once didn't show Lara that in modern times girls can love girls too as "princes" go.
>>4599059No. The typical retard is just shitposting about this VA interview >>4599020 where she mentions she thinks everyone has their own feelings and interpretations about the show.
>>4599066>make up bullshit>nooo I'm not a troll!Lara's VA went out of her way to say that she literally tried to capture that Lara DID NOT love Luca and was just desperate because she's running out of time. Stop shitposting.
>>4599071>>4599060I usually lurk and probably not the best time to post this but, Thanks for pointing out that it was a troll post, I got pretty scared it was recent and from the director or something but I came here to confirm since I know people here are more aware of the interviews and sources and stuff.
>>4599195It's the usual taking a nothingburger quote and trolling about it. Since new interviews are making the rounds we're gonna get a lot of those so you're better off ignoring all """"reactions"""" to extra material until the show ends.
Sayonara Yuri Confession and Mari x Lara endgame.
My dumb girls are suffering too much. I hope neither of them ends up sacrificing themselves to the big fish, they deserve better.
>>4599359It'll be like with Isaac, just willing to give your life for the other person will be enough. Neither of them will doe.
>>4599363>IsaacWho?
>>4599359Feels good to win. Gimme that angsty yuri. I don't think either of them will die but the drama is delicious.
>>4599359>>4599363or better yet, Mari will sacrifice herself and Lara will resurrect her with her life magic. Think Tangled.
>Isaac>TangledWhat the fuck board do you think this is? It's an El Cazador de la Bruja ending,
>>4599359Goddamit, this show is so good.
>>4599367Mari is Christian, so the biblical connection makes sense actually.
>>4599359>My dumb girls are suffering too much. I hope neither of them ends up sacrificing themselves to the big fish, they deserve better.Oops, I forgot about our most important rule. Here's the safe for w/u/rk version.
Thank you Rowan for forcing Lara to stop denying her feelings. Your reward will be having to witness your daughter kiss a human tomboy.
If they do want to not end with yuri, this series is going to have a lot more explaining to do than you normally see. I think I'm just going to ignore the interviews or posts by staff because they don't seem to line up with what happens in the actual show.
>reality vs Laravision
I can't believe Mari is going to learn siren witchcraft and become the new Grace.
>>4599400Will that grant Lara the power to bring the world revolution?
I had seen crossover with Cosmic Kaguya any with SuleMio?
>>4599400I need Mari to die and be resurrected. Just like Jesus died for humanity's sins? Shit would be so badass.
Luca x Yoshiya
>>4599433Noticed it frame one, yes.
>>4599433The Ohtsu lineage is over...
>>4599393It's definitely yuri, it's just a question of how explicit they'll be. With this episode it's established that Mari is Lara's true love, and I think the writer's are savvy enough to know that there's no point in further defining their relationship into something more specific and lesser like friendship. As long as they avoid that pitfall, at worst they coast through the finale we'll have a solid ending.>>4599433I'll be honest, at this point I'm convinced that the writers are specifically trying to portray LGBT+ stuff, while at the same time treating it as a non-issue. I could buy Kota's female anglerfish form just being a biology mistake, but not when there's also how Leo dressing as girl isn't even mentioned. Luca and Yoshiya is more of a stretch, but it's been noted before; see Yoshiya turning his head in the OP right before Luca appears, and them together with Leo at the festival in >>4594200. I won't be surprised if a final episode ending montage shows them hanging out.Based on this, I don't expect any character to note that Lara and Mari are both girls, just that they love each other.
>>4599408
>>4599441You could argue that treating gay stuff like that normally is a more "modern" answer than showing angst over it, so if the show sticks the landing, I think that'll be what they were going for.
>>4599444Sequel where Mari joins an underground magical boxing world tournament!?
Good use of this meme. The baumkuchen is a nice touch.
I wonder how Laras ring is going to be reincorporated into the story. Mari engagement ring perchance?
>>4599465Now that Rowan has returned and is even more of a hardliner than Lisa, I suppose Lisa will relent upon seeing Lara's light react to Mari and give Lara her ring back or, better yet, give Mari the ring to put back on Lara's finger since Mari was the one who knocked it off in the first place.
Dangerous siren Lara is real...
>>4599475
>>4599476
>>4599477
I didn't quite understand the logic of the light when Papa Mermaid meant by Lara needing to stab her honto no ai
>>4599481The light is a dagger in the first place because it was created out of Lara's turmoil when the prince rejected her. It wants to stab Lara's true love so that's what Rowan argues must be done in order for the light to return pure.
>>4599483What a dick he's just lying. Why would the light want to kill her true love (Mari) when she was betrayed by a fake love (Prince Luca).Doesn't he know the power of true love (yuri) will heal all?
>>4599483>The princess must kill her love to restore the merfolks' light!>The miko must kill her love to seal Orochi away!It's taken decades but we've come full circle.
>>4599486>>4599489It's also a way to give Lara the same dilemma as the actual Little Mermaid in Andersen's story i.e. stab your love or die, which was present with the prince in Lara's initial concept trailer but wasn't in the actual show.
I do not want to get baited but goddamn it is becoming harder and harder to deny the romantic aspect of Lara's love for Mari.
>>4599528There's no better bait than the real thing.
I appreciate the attention to detail that a magical thing that just exudes passive life energy causes a massive algae bloom in the surrounding waters. Also this is going to cause serious and widespread ecological collapse if it continues.
>>4599040Japanese interviews are literally worthless when it's about any topic that might make a single person upset. They can give nice insights on the process, but they are incapable of being straightforward about anything else.Cosmic Princess Kaguya has some really dumb interviews that go on about interpretation and friendship, even though the director directly supervised the explicitely yuri (and canon) light novel and in the guidebook they straight up say Iroha and Kaguya are in love.They have to filter everything out in interviews, making them legititmately worthless.
>>4599651>Cosmic Princess Kaguya has some really dumb interviews that go on about interpretation and friendshipWhile it's true, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't say stuff like that if the anime ended with the girls french kissing or something, so even moderated interviews can still be indicative.
>>4599665They infamous "up to interpretation" line is from an anime where the main couple is literally married at the end. To make it clear, Eri, Suletta's sister calls Miorine her sister in law. Which means Miorine is married to Suletta because Eri has no other siblings
>>4599669I kinda expected this example, I know it clashes with what I said.But I think that was either a case of higher ups not even watching the episode and realizing the wedding was not deniable in good faith, or simply not caring and going on a gaslighting spree anyway.However I wouldn't expect a member of the staff directly involved in making the anime to straight up deny what happens on screen.And it wasn't just Lara's VA, there was an interview with the writer who plain said they aren't going to explain what 'true love' actually is to not offend anyone, and with Mari now all but confirmed to be the target of it, the signs that it will be left ambiguous are all there.
>>4599670Let's look at an oppossite case then: Nanoha and Symphogear. Are they maintext because the seiyuus say the girls are married and Yuka Iguch (Miku from Symphogear) has made plushies of Hibiki and Miku kiss?. Is the symbolism in Eva actually meaningless because Anno said so?There's no need to explain the obvious. Unless you think Lara doesn't feel affection for her friends and family. What sets Mari apart from Lara's family and friends? Why must it be her and no one else? They've already invalidated "true love" as being family love or friendship
>>4599673>There's no need to explain the obvious.You don't need to convince me that the cases you cited are all really gay, but you know, it would be kinda nice for one fucking time to have things spelled out rather than elegantly side-stepped but deep down we know what's really going on so it's all good right, tee-hee.It would also mean possibly getting official side material that expands on it instead of going through ludicrous loops to avoid saying the forbidden words.And any physical display of romance in the anime is pretty much out of the picture now, unless they find some convoluted excuse to have them kiss and still keep it "ambiguous", like:>we need to kiss or everyone diesIt's an anime that started with a girl lusting after a prince, why can't it end with that girl having the damn lover with no hush-hush? It's not even a subplot this time, this is a freaking love story.
>>4599676Hilarious you mention the prince, because Lara's feelings for Mari are explicitly the same she had for the prince. So if Lara/Mari true love is ambiguous so is Lara's true love for the original prince. You can't separate them, they're explicitly the same "true love"
>>4599682>they're explicitly the same "true love"Anon, the whole point being made is that Lara's love for the prince (or Luca) was not 'true love', unlike Lara's love for Mari.And all I'm saying is that I would like the story much more if there was explicit confirmation, do you disagree?Wouldn't you like Nanoha and Symphogear much more if they ended with an unambiguous main couple kiss, or wedding ceremony? Then maybe a manga spin-off of explicit love life, for good measure?I feel that this apparent Maybe appetite for subtlety and ambiguity (and probably deniability for retarded viewers) will waste the potential for a truly cathartic conclusion, in other words we're getting a worse product because of it, which kinda makes me upset.Sue me.
Lara and Mari will have a lot of seashell babies because their love is so strong. Someone needs to make a joke comic where Lara tells Mari she's gonna be a dad, then shows her six giant seashells.>Mari, remember when I told you how I was born?
>>4599684But there is explicit confirmation here. You're just a moronic concern troll using the interviews to go "doesn't count" at whatever they doYou claim Lara's het feelings are "lusting after a prince"despite being no less "subtle" "ambiguous" or whatever. Fuck off bad faith tardWas Kamiina Botan also "not explicit" and "ambiguous" and bad?
>>4599684>ambiguity>"Who is the one you love?">Flashes to MariFFS there is nothing subtle or ambiguous about this.
>>4599703>But there is explicit confirmation hereI'm not saying these girls are not gay, you could argue the same for Nanoha and Symphogear, frankly only a moron would claim those main couples aren't confirmed together, but you can immediately tell the difference between the degree of explicitness there and in something unrestricted like YagaKimi, right?This is a love story like YagaKimi, is it wrong to wish for a finale that is just as cathartic and direct?Again, ask anyone else on /u/ if they wouldn't prefer it for Nanoha, Sympho, GWitch, Lara, Kaguya, etc... to end with a damn kiss or (shown) wedding ceremony, what do you think they're going to answer? No, because it's not necessary all things considered?I'd bet on a fucking yes, necessity be damned.Stories aren't just supposed to do the bare minimum to make you understand what's going on, they're supposed to trigger the greatest emotions that can be possibly achieved within their field, and Lara is now poised to fall short.
>>4599726>Lara is now poised to fall short.I strongly disagree. Sure it's possible, and I might be setting myself up for disappointment, but I think we're in a really good spot going into the finale:>Lara has recognized that Mari is her true love, but doesn't know that Mari loves her like that>Mari may have figured out that she loves Lara, but probably thinks Lara still wants Luca as her true love>Luca is hard out of the running, and is consistently compared to Mari by the show and found lacking>Show treats queer stuff (Leo, Kota) as normal. In another show it might be weird if they didn't deal with "but we're both girls," but we've already established that this doesn't need special acknowledgement.>Two failed kissed between Lara and her previous failed romances>Chekov's ringAnd then add on that the show doesn't have any franchise considerations standing in the way like Gundam, and that it's consistently surpassed expectations on the yuri front throughout its runtime, and I'd say things are looking good.
>>4599651>>4599669Yeah, after several yuri series in recent years, I see pattern in that Japanese try to water it down what happened in the show when answering magazine or online interview, but goes a lot more direct in Blu-Ray interview and/or Artbook/Guidebook.Like another example I can think of is Mahoutsukai Precure where in Blu-Ray interview the director just openly stated that Haa-chan is born from Mirai's and Liko's information (aka DNA) which simply doesn't exist in any magazine/online interview.>>4599676>It's an anime that started with a girl lusting after a prince, why can't it end with that girl having the damn lover with no hush-hush? It's not even a subplot this time, this is a freaking love story.Anon, they will kiss. The story structure is building up to that moment. Lara failed twice to kiss the person she thought is her True Love, the rule of three means she will have a third attempt to kiss which will succeed.In term of romantic structure, they've confirmed Lara's True Love is romantic, they've confirmed Lara's True Love is Mari, they've shown that when Lara is trying to confirm her love she tries to kiss that person.Not to mention the symbolism like Lara hide human girl doll's head (episode 1) inside her mouth.The show is hinting a Lara x Mari kiss from every angle.I'll be blunt neither Nanoha, Symphogear, WfM, or CPK have ever give this much hint that the main couple will kiss (and as such, I never expect them to).If there is possible caviate on that kiss, it might not showing their lips touching, but simply sound and "strategis" position. Like this kiss from Mahoutsukai manga.
>>4599788Precure has /ll/??
>>4599795Not that big of a fan of the pants on Mari. And she's never really seemed like she would dress like that in the series. I hope she wears pic related's outfit again in the epilogue.
https://archived.moe/u/thread/4580248/Looking at the original thread from July is pretty funny. So far the main structure of the story has gone almost exactly as most predicted, but gayer.
>>4599796She does wear track pants.
Lara pushing up Mari's sports bra to suckle her small tits.
The fanart is getting lewder
>new ep is more flashbacks They're really cutting it close, we only have one more episode left after this
>>4599749Add the new episode PV where it's shown the true love light is generated by a kiss. We're at the point where anything but a kiss between Lara and Mari would make no sense.
>>4600024I have faith. There is only one thing left to do really, so this episode and the final one should be more than enough.
>>4600025>>4600029In the lyrics of famous homosexual, Howard Ashman:>Shalalalalala, don't be scared, you got the mood prepared, go on and kiss the girl.
Mari seems like a total bottom, so I'm guessing that Lara takes the initiative.
Wonder if we'll get a timeskip in the epilogue.
>>4600058Yeah, to see Mari's sporta career succeed
Sudden, spontaneous tail regeneration.
>>4600130Would Mari eat Lara's eggs like caviar? They're full of protein, probably.
>>4600153But they're her kids...
>>4600029I want more mari and lara screen time. I was hoping for an entire episode dedicated to an epilogue or timeskip with their relationship and how the palace/family is doing. But it seems the last episode will have to resolve the plot, have lara confess to Mari + kiss, deal with the family coming to terms with lara loving a human, restore light to the palace, maybe show mari's family and friends reactions, etc.all in one episode.I hope they pull it off well, I really don't want it to feel rushed.
Man lara probably won't even kiss the girl
>>4600248She will and it will be glorious. And it will cause a chimpout of massive proportions.
>>4600197Not without someone to fertilize them.
>>4600248No but Mari will
>>4600248>Man laraHis name is Rowan.
>>4600266Fuck, I laughed out loud at this.
>>4600282
>>4600284
Cute couple https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9JRoQPNF60
>>4601197This is comfy as fuck
>>4601254Fish on a motorcycle
>>4601258Dykes on bikes
