⚠️ This article contains spoilers for Episode 1 of “Sayonara Lala.”

Original TV anime Sayonara Lala (さよならララ) premiered on July 5, 2026 at 24:30 on TOKYO MX — and its first episode sent the internet into a frenzy with a twist nobody saw coming.

Kinema Citrus’s 15th Anniversary Project

The series is the 15th anniversary project of studio Kinema Citrus, known for Made in Abyss, Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight, and The Rising of the Shield Hero. It marks the directorial debut of Koide Takashi, a veteran episode director whose credits include My Happy Marriage and Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun.

Director Koide wrote on social media: “It’s been two years since we released the pilot film, and even longer since the project began. I’m truly happy that the day we can finally deliver this to everyone has arrived.” The pilot film was first released in May 2024.

Episode 1: “Mermaid Princess Lala”

The episode opens with a photograph of two girls — one with black hair, one with red — holding trophies and certificates, with the words “Shiga Prefecture” and “Boxing” visible in the background. Before viewers can process this, the story leaps to the year 1777.

Deep beneath the sea, Lala, the sixth princess of the Sea King, is born. At age three, she ventures outside the palace with her sister and discovers a “doll” on the ocean floor — a human object. Her sister tells her to throw it away, but Lala is captivated.

At ten, Lala receives a ring and is permitted to swim farther from home, but is strictly warned: “Never approach the human world above the surface.” Humans are considered ugly, cursed beings.

When Lala is fifteen, a human sailing ship catches fire and a handsome young man falls into the sea. Lala rescues him — but her father notices sand from the surface on her and confronts her. When she fires back, “Are humans really that ugly?”, she is confined to the palace.

In her despair, her aunt Grace, a witch, appears and offers her a potion that transforms a mermaid into a human — in exchange for Lala’s voice. Fans reacted immediately online: “The potion is here!” / “This is literally The Little Mermaid.” / “Where’s the curveball going to come from?”

Lala drinks the potion, becomes human, and meets the prince — but their forbidden love cannot last. She dissolves into sea foam and vanishes into the ocean… only to wake up, bewildered:

“Wait — didn’t I die?”

Grace explains that Lala’s father and sisters are not dead but sleeping, and only Lala can wake them. She presents Lala with a terrifying trial. Lala steels herself, shatters a magic mirror, and is launched to the surface in a torrent of water.

The Twist: Shiga Prefecture, 2026

Lala is hurled into the sky and comes crashing down — right in front of a girl wearing boxing gloves, near the city of Otsu in Shiga Prefecture, in the year 2026. Their first meeting is, quite literally, a counter punch.

Social media erupted: “A girl fell from the sky!” / “I thought this was a Little Mermaid story and it turned out to be a Shiga anime!” / “Are there even princes in Shiga? lol” / “An ‘after story’ for The Little Mermaid — nobody expected this!” / “Episode 1 was absolutely brilliant — beautiful, adorable, and thrilling.”

Kawaishi Nana, who voices the boxing girl Otsu Mari, posted after the broadcast: “Did you get to witness their ‘meeting’? I hope you’ll keep watching Lala and the others grow.”

Theme Song & Staff Comments

The opening theme — used as the ending in Episode 1 — is “Sayonara Lara” by Ikimonogakari. Lyricist and composer Mizuno Yoshiki shared a comment:

“Choosing your own story, finding your own words, facing your fate, and even choosing to say goodbye — all of it takes courage and a desire for life. And eventually, everything returns to a quiet calm, as if nothing ever happened. I wrote this song through my encounter with Sayonara Lala. Please listen to it alongside the series.”

Made in Abyss manga artist Tsukushi Akihito, who attended an advance screening of Episode 1, revealed he was shown the Episode 2 opening as a surprise — and was moved to tears. “It’s going to be a wonderful adventure,” he wrote.

The end card for Episode 1 was illustrated by character designer Tani Shiori.

Broadcast Schedule

• TOKYO MX: Every Sunday at 24:30
• BS Asahi: Every Sunday at 25:30
• AT-X: Every Monday at 21:30
• Yomiuri TV: Every Monday at 25:59
• Streaming: Simultaneous with broadcast every Sunday at 24:30