News

Rika Tachibana Cast as Ena Banshōya in Assault Lily Bouquet Anime

The official website for the Assault Lily mixed-media franchise revealed on Monday that Rika Tachibana is joining the cast as Ena Banshōya in the Assault Lily Bouquet television anime.

The anime delayed its premiere date to October to prioritize the safety of its cast and staff during the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The anime was originally slated to premiere in July.

The Assault Lily Project is a mixed-media franchise based on 1/12-scale action doll figures conceived by the doll maker AZONE International and the creative group acus in 2013. The tagline on the anime's website reads, "A rhapsody of petals dancing on the frontline." The theme of the project centers around battles waged by beautiful girls with weapons.

The project's website describes its story:

On Earth in the near future, humanity faced imminent destruction from mysterious giant creatures known as "Huge." The entire world unites against the Huge, and successfully develops weaponry known as "CHARM" (Counter Huge Arms) by combining science and magic. CHARM exhibits high rates of synchronization with teenaged girls, and the girls who use CHARM are viewed as heroes called "Lilies." Throughout the world, "Garden" military academies are established to train Lilies to face the Huge and to serve as bases to protect and guide people. This is a story about fighting girls who aim to become Lilies at one such Garden.

The anime also stars:

• Hikaru Akao as Riri Hitotsuyanagi
• Yūko Natsuyoshi as Yuyu Shirai
• Mikako Izawa as Kaede Johan Nouvel
• Rimi Nishimoto as Fumi Futagawa
• Risa Tsumugi as Tazusa Andō
• Haruki Iwata as Thi Mai Yoshimura
• Sana Hoshimori as Kuo Shenlin
• Hikaru Tohno as Wang Yujia
• Karin Takahashi as Miliam Hildegard von Guropius
• Rie Takahashi as Shiori Rokkaku
• Minami Tsuda as Soraha Amano
• Sayaka Harada as Kusumi Egawa
• Juri Nagatsuma as Shinobu Izue

The stage play's main cast members are reprising their roles in the anime. The original Assault Lily: League of Gardens stage play, which ran at Tokyo's Shinjuku Face venue from January 9-15, is getting digital distribution both in late July and early August. The second stage play, Assault Lily: The Fateful Gift, will run at in Tokyo from September 3-13 with five performances.

Shouji Saeki (He Is My Master, Mahoromatic: Summer Special, Medaka Box) is directing the anime at SHAFT, with Mieko Hosoi (Aiura, Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions, Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū) as the character designer. Keita Nagahara is the assistant director. Kazuya Shiotsuki (Gourmet Girl Graffiti) is the sub-character designer, and is also serving as chief animation director alongside Sōta Suwa (Sakura Quest, Karakai Jōzu no Takagi-san 2).

Sources: Assault Lily's website, Comic Natalie