English Dub Review: Assault Lily Bouquet “Violet: Daydreaming, You Occupy My Thoughts”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Riri and Yuyu’s newly formed legion is ready for action, but first they need a name. Everyone agrees to call themselves the Hitotsuyanagi legion — except for Riri, who is a little embarrassed since it’s her last name. The group decides to train by going to watch a more experienced legion fight.

However, the Huge they’re viewing is no mere pushover. This monster seems to be using a charm, and not just any charm, but the one Yuyu used to kill her old pledge. Together, the girls face it head on and Yuyu has a heart to heart with Riri as the two of them strive to understand each other. Once the dust settles, the legion is able to utilize the Neunwelt tactic to finally take down the Huge for good.

Our Take:

At about the halfway point of Assault Lily Bouquet, the series has become more of a known quantity, and has gotten pretty good at doing what it tries to do. This week’s episode is a good encapsulation of the show so far, as it combines group dynamics, heavy combat, and even some touching confessional moments between Miss Yuyu and Riri. It’s a solid midseason tentpole type episode that goes back to the past while looking ahead at what the Huge may be capable of doing.

Of course, this wouldn’t be an episode of Assault Lily without giving Riri some grief at the beginning. It’s a nice touch that the group has come to center around her, especially given that her special power may just be charisma. When Yuyu first heard of it, she wasn’t sure that was even a special ability option to begin with, but after the events of this episode, it’s becoming clear that even though Riri is definitely raw, she’s also got leadership potential for sure.

When the Huge starts giving them trouble, she’s the first to jump into action, which isn’t necessarily the brightest move, but is a very Riri thing to do. Yuyu follows her in, and the two of them are shocked to see the Huge has a charm inside its center. It raises a lot of questions, which the show seems to try to breeze by with a flashback from Yuyu that seems to indicate that the Huge and the Lilies might be one and the same, except for the fact that the Lilies kept their hearts. It’s a little silly — the Huge are obviously pretty metallic while the Lilies are flesh and blood — but there’s no denying that it’s strange to see a Huge wielding a weapon that ties back to Miss Yuyu. I’m sure this won’t be the last we hear about this down the line, as I bet Miss Moyu will love to do some experimental theorizing work on the subject.

Speaking of experimental, the legion tries something they’ve never done before: the Neunwelt tactic that uses a special bullet that’s passed around to everyone in the group, gaining powers and becoming a magi sphere as it goes. Despite being told it’s a difficult procedure to complete, Riri’s legion does it flawlessly, which feels a little forced, but also a little right. As the student council president says, they may be new, but they’re also a bunch of eccentrics, which means nobody knows exactly what they’re capable of doing once they put their minds to it.

The episode also has one of the most heartfelt moments yet in Riri and Yuyu’s heart to heart, which was definitely needed. Riri still seems to be a bit blind in her obsession with Yuyu, but now I think she realizes a bit more clearly just what the older Lily has done and how she struggles with her self image. Next week is sure to be a doozy, as the legion is gaining confidence and is primed for a setback.