Beginner's Guide to Assault Lily
What is Assault Lily?[edit | edit source]
Assault Lily is a setting that was created in 2005 by Obanazawa Kenei, who was an amateur model dealer at the time, as a background story for the figures he was designing. In 2011, Obanazawa partnered with doll manufacturer Azone International to produce a series of 1/12 scale dolls based on Assault Lily, the first of which came out in 2013. Azone continues to design and sell new dolls in their Assault Lily line, including 1/6 and 1/3 scale models.
In 2015, the first of the Assault Lily novels came out, and in 2016, the first of the Assault Lily stage plays was performed in collaboration with the theater troupe Ludvico Private Girls' Academy.
The publisher Bushiroad acquired an interest in the franchise in 2016, with the intent of expanding it into a full-fledged media mix. This took the form of several new stage plays, beginning with Assault Lily: League of Gardens; an anime, Assault Lily: Bouquet, which was animated by Studio SHAFT and aired in late 2020; and a live service video game, Assault Lily: Last Bullet, which launched in early 2021.
Bushiroad withdrew from the Assault Lily project in 2022, and Assault Lily: Last Bullet is now jointly operated by Azone, Studio SHAFT, and Pokelabo (the game's developer.)
What's the world of Assault Lily like?[edit | edit source]
Assault Lily takes place in a world similar to our own, in the near future (the current year there is most likely 2052 AD, but it's complicated.)
Several decades before this, monstrous creatures of unknown origin suddenly appeared on the Earth. They became known as the Huge, as even the smallest ones rival humans in size, and many are much larger; visually, they have few other attributes in common with one another. The Huge nest in aquatic areas, where they reproduce rapidly. From there, they mount attacks on nearby population centers, seeking to consume other life forms. Though some Huge can be fought off with guns, larger and stronger varieties of Huge cannot be hurt by even the most potent conventional weaponry.
The Huge threatened to destroy civilization, but humankind managed to harness the energy called Magi, building weapons called CHARMs—"Counter Huge ARMS"—which could channel it into attacks that are deadly to Huge of all types. CHARMs are powered by crystal cores, which must resonate with their wielders in order for the CHARMs to activate and be effective as weapons. Teenage girls have by far the greatest aptitude for this; sometimes, people of other genders and ages are able to use a CHARM, but for no more than a brief moment.
This lead to the rise of Lilies—girls who wield CHARMs and fight the Huge in the defense of humanity.
Lilies are stationed at Gardens, military facilities which train and support them, and also protect the surrounding region. Gardens developed out of existing girls' schools, and still bear their names and trappings (they, of course, still serve as schools and provide the Lilies with a general education as well.) Most Lilies fight in groups called legions, which some Gardens allow them to form on their own, while others organize legions based on the staff's judgment or by allowing the Lily appointed captain to select legion members of their choice.
The majority of Lilies possess a Rare Skill, which is an expression of their Magi unique to the individual, as well as a potent ability that can turn the tide of battle. A number of different Rare Skills exist. Lilies with multiple Rare Skills are virtually unknown, but some also have subskills, weaker versions of Rare Skills that can still be highly effective in combat.
Most Assault Lily stories take place in Japan, particularly the Kamakura and Tokyo regions. However, Lilies and Gardens (and the Huge) exist worldwide, and a fair few of the Lilies fighting in Japan were born in other countries.
Where should I start with Assault Lily?[edit | edit source]
These are our recommendations for people seeking to experience Assault Lily for the first time.
- The anime, Assault Lily: Bouquet, is available on Blu-ray and streaming video with an English dub available. You can stream it on either Crunchyroll or Funimation.
- There is a second anime, Assault Lily: Fruits. It consists of 5 minute comedy episodes that may not be enjoyable unless you already know the characters. They are also not legally available in English.
- The story of the mobile game, Assault Lily: Last Bullet, has been partially subtitled on YouTube by GEHENA Subtitle Labs. You should start with the main story playlist.
- You can also play the global version of Assault Lily: Last Bullet, known as Assault Lily Last Bullet W.
- There is a manga series, Assault Lily: League of Gardens -full bloom-. It is not legally available in English, but you can find a scanlation easily enough.
- The novel Assault Lily Wunder has been fully fan translated into English and can be read on this wiki.
I know Japanese[edit | edit source]
You have all of the above options, and you can also:
- Play the original Japanese version of Assault Lily: Last Bullet.
- Read the first two novels, アサルトリリィ〜一柳隊、出撃します！〜 and アサルトリリィ アームズ.
- Watch the stage plays. You should start with either アサルトリリィ × 私立ルドビコ女学院vol.1『シュベスターの祈り』 or アサルトリリィ League of Gardens. Note that the manga is an adaptation of the latter play, thus the similar title.
I don't know Japanese, but I do know Chinese[edit | edit source]
A traditional Chinese version of Assault Lily: Last Bullet, under the name 突擊莉莉Last Bullet, existed for about six months in 2022-2023. It is no longer playable, but videos of the story should still exist on YouTube and other websites.
The currently operating Assault Lily Last Bullet W has simplified and traditional Chinese language options.
In addition, you may be able to find fan translations.