Haneda Catalina Mei

Haneda Catalina Mei (羽田・カタリナ・芽衣) is a first-year Lily who attends Ludvico Private Girls' Academy. She is the Schwester of Sano Matilda Kokoro, and a member of the Garden's Top Legion, the Temple Legion, notably being the final Lily appointed to integrate it by the Garden's original administration. Mei is a recurring character in the Ludvico series of stage plays, playing a relatively major role in White Resistance ~The Promise's Path~.

Personality

Mei is a highly energetic and positive individual, often sharing the excitement of those around her, particularly when in the company of her friends Saeki Julia Karen and Hasegawa Gabriella Tsugumi, or her Schwester, Kokoro. As such, she'll usually follow along in their endeavors, even when she feels uneasy doing so. Mei is shown to be very impressionable, following orders from her superiors or people she admires without any question, and consequently, she can become very distraught when her trust is broken.

A notable quirk of Mei's personality is her admiration for the ninjas of legend. Because of it, she speaks in a stereotypically archaic tone, referring to herself with the first person pronoun sessha (拙者), and often ending her sentences with de gozaru (でござる). Mei's admiration for ninjas caused her to be greatly impressed by the second year Kokoro, whose Rare Skill Shukuchi and Subskill Stealth allows her to become virtually undetectable.

History

Mei hails from Japan's countryside, being the daughter of a family of wealthy landowners. However, she decided to leave her hometown in order to become a Lily.

Stage plays

This information is specific to the stage play continuity.

Schwester's Prayer

Main article: Assault Lily: Schwester's Prayer

Mei, along with Karen and Tsugumi, joined the same class as Kishimoto Lucia Raimu and Amamiya Sophia Seren, being one of the first to greet the pair upon their arrival. Much like her friends, Mei was in complete awe of Seren, who had passed the entrance exams at the very top of their class. During their first training session, Mei trained under Kokoro's supervision, being scolded by the senior for only running away from the dummy Huge.

Mei joins her classmates in their easter egg hunt during Ludvico's Easter Festival, though only finding eggs left by Instructor Kosaka Anastasia Ryoko. When a Cave is announced to have appeared near Maria's Hill, Ludvico's cemetery, Mei joins Tsugumi and Karen in searching for Raimu, who had gone to Maria's Hill in order to find Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie's egg. Ryoko attempts to stop them, inviting the trio to join her Cheering Squad, but Karen refuses to follow her, wishing to aid the Temple Legion in their battle. Karen leaves for the battlefield, and Mei promptly follows her.

Karen and Mei end up lost, however, finding themselves deep into the woods and far away from the Garden. They're met by Tsugumi, who had been searching for them, and she scolds the pair for going out into battle by themselves. Tsugumi, however, does not remember the way back to Ludvico either, leaving the trio to blindly attempt making their way to the Garden.

Schwester's Secret

Main article: Assault Lily: Schwester's Secret

As Mei, Tsugumi and Karen tried to return to Ludvico, they encountered Huge stragglers from the previous Cave, which they began fighting off. After Karen's CHARM malfunctions, Mei insists that they flee, but Karen refuses to do so. The trio are found by Kokoro, Seto Veronica Ichika and Matsunaga Brigitta Kayo. Under Ichika's orders, Tsugumi leaves ahead in order to call them backup, while the remaining Lilies face off against multiple Large-class Huge.

Due to the influence of her Lunatic Trancer, Kayo fights in an exceedingly erratic manner, disrupting the other Lilies as they attempt to fight. Ichika tells Karen and Mei to leave, but Karen once again refuses. When Kayo causes her Heliosphere to come undone, Ichika is injured by a stray attack, causing Kayo to fall in a panic. Karen attempts to take the lead in fighting the Huge in Ichika's stead, but she fails to take it down, and as the Huge closes in on her, Ichika uses her body to shield Karen from the incoming attack, causing her to be severely injured. Kokoro manages to destroy the Huge, while Karen and Mei carry the unconscious Ichika back to the Garden.

When Ludvico is alerted to Cave at a later date, Karen, Mei and Tsugumi are approached by Instructor Kosaka Anastasia Ryoko, who attempts to convince them to join the Cheering Squad. Karen once again refuses to turn away from battle, and with the other two in agreement, the trio leaves to the battlefield together. As they fight, Tsugumi is appointed to join the Temple Legion, but while Karen and Mei are impressed, Tsugumi is worried about leaving the two of them behind, remembering what had happened previously. The pair assure Tsugumi they'll be fine, and urge her to go and join the others.

Five days later, Mei approaches Kokoro, impressed by the second year's ability to completely erase her presence in and out of combat due to her Subskill Stealth. Wishing to learn from Kokoro, Mei asks that she take her in as her pupil. Kokoro is unsure, as having Mei join her would mean she would need to share the payment she receives for her investigations, but Mei is eventually able to convince her after mentioning that she comes from a wealthy family, while also arguing that together, they'd be able to form an Idol unit, as becoming an idol is one of Kokoro's dreams.

Tsugumi is once again selected to integrate the Temple Legion, but she is still insecure about joining them, telling her classmates of how she believes her reserved fighting style is not up to the standards of the other members, and that she might be holding back even her fellow first years. Karen and Mei, as well as Nagase Marta Nonoka and Hanaoka Angela Moe once again encourage her, deciding to join Ryoko's Cheering Squad in order to motivate her during battle.

White Resistance ~The Promise's Path~

Main article: Assault Lily: White Resistance ~The Promise's Path~

After the sudden departure of Instructor Izumi Rosa Rina, the first years begin training under the supervision of Instructors Kaido Beatrice Chiharu and Makabe Melania Sayoko. Mei once again is paired with Kokoro, but still performs poorly, and is further discouraged when watching Tsugumi properly supporting Kayo, now her Schwester, during training. After being encouraged by Tsugumi, Mei decides to ask Kokoro to give her extra lessons, while the other first years agree to practice by themselves after classes.

Later, Mei spots Kokoro and Kayo as the pair secretly investigate Rina's mysterious disappearance from the Garden. While following them, however, she is spotted by Sayoko, causing Kokoro and Kayo to be found out. While the Instructor allows the Lilies to leave, Mei is saddened that in trying to help Kokoro, she instead only caused her master trouble, though Kokoro tries to assure her that she is not bothered by this.

After Sachie declares her intentions to leave the Temple Legion and form her own Legion, Raimu attempts to invite her fellow first years to join them, asking that Mei and Karen think it over. Tsugumi assures the pair that they would make useful Legion members, particularly noting that Mei had been "training every single day". At a later time, Mei is approached by Sayoko, who offers her a way to become useful to her master, giving her a key and instructing the Lily to deliver it to Instructor Chiharu, who also had been investigating Rina's disappearance.

After giving Chiharu the key, Mei brings Kokoro to Rina's old room, telling her that she had found clues that would aid her master's investigation. Upon arriving there, however, they encounter a bloodied Chiharu moments before the Instructor dies, leaving Mei in utter shock. The pair is found by Instructor Ryoko, who, ascertaining that the wounds in Chiharu's body were caused by a CHARM, urges the pair to leave the place and keep everything they witnessed a secret. The Cave alarm goes off, and with orders for the Temple Legion to deploy, Kokoro takes the tearful Mei with her, moving out into combat.

Despite Kokoro urging Mei to focus on fighting the Huge, Mei is still paralyzed by the trauma and is unable to fight, lamenting that her desire to become useful to Kokoro had led to Chiharu's death. Annoyed, Kokoro declares that she disowns Mei as her pupil, but instead proposes that they take the Schwester's Oath, telling the first year that she had long recognized her talents, but was unsure of when would be the best time to propose to her, apologizing to Mei for causing her to be anxious. The pair exchange their Medalhas, with Kokoro in awe of the diamond-covered necklace given to her by Mei. Kokoro then brings Mei along as she reunites with the Temple Legion, with the first year providing them support as they perform the Neunwelt Tactic together with Legion Ironside.

White Resistance ~The Blade of Truth~

Main article: Assault Lily: White Resistance ~The Blade of Truth~

After taking the Schwester's Oath, Mei formally joins Kokoro in her investigations within the Garden. The pair is approached by Seren and Raimu, who wish to learn more about the possible involvement of Raimu's father, Professor Kishimoto, in the death of Seren's mother. With the approval of Sachie and Kuroki Francisca Yuria, Seren's Schwester, the pair set off to look for information within the Garden, accompanied by Kayo.

The trio enters one of Ludvico's secret rooms, and as they begin to search for information within the Garden's databases, they are interrupted by Sayoko, who immediately begins fighting the Lilies, notably injuring Kokoro's leg in order to prevent her from using her Rare Skill Shukuchi. Sayoko is able to easily overpower both Kayo and Mei, and as she moves in to kill Kokoro, Mei stops her, awakening to the Rare Skill Zenon Paradoxa. While briefly able to push back against the Instructor, Mei is eventually overpowered, but before Sayoko can kill her, Instructor Ryoko intervenes, forcing Sayoko to leave the room. Ryoko uses her Rare Skill Z to undo Kokoko's wound, she asks that the Lilies stop looking into the Garden's secrets.

The Cave alarm goes off, and when deploying for battle, the trio meets Tsugumi, who congratulates Mei on awakening her Rare Skill. She tells her of how Zenon Paradoxa greatly amplifies the user's speed, making it a perfect match to Kokoro's Shukuchi. The four of them are then approached byTachibana Theresia Nagisa and Hojo Monica Asahi, who tell them of how Raimu and Seren had previously left Ludvico's premises. The group then moves to search for Sachie's group together, in hopes they were able to regroup with the two first years. Converging with the rest of the Temple Legion, they agree to hold off against the incessant outpour of Huge in order to allow Legion Ironside to reach Raimu and Seren, who had been ambushed by a Cave.

After their successful rescue, Raimu and Seren bring Mei, Kokoro and Kayo a journal they found in Professor Kishimoto's old belongings. But though it confirms that he had no involvement in the murder of Seren's mother. The group is then approached by Instructor Ryoko, who wishes to join them in their investigations in order to prove Instructor Rina's innocence, as she had been blamed for the murder of Instructor Chiharu. On Ryoko's request, the five of them return to Rina's room, where they once again meet Sayoko. As the Instructor fights the Lilies, Kokoro, Kayo and Mei are selected to integrate the Temple Legion as a Gigant-class is reported to have appeared near Ludvico. Sayoko allows them to leave, and Mei and Kokoro move out to the battlefield, while Kayo, Seren and Raimu stay and continue fighting Sayoko.

The pair converge with the Temple Legion and Ironside, telling them of Raimu, Seren and Kayo's predicament. After Sachie, Yuria, Tsugumi and Karen leave to rescue them, the Temple Legion and Ironside perform a joint Neunwelt Tactic against the Gigant-class. However, they ultimately fail, as their Magisphere is stolen by a resurrected Nosaka Jacqueline Kazane, Ichika's late Schwester. Ichika and Nagisa stay behind and fight the undead Kazane, and as Kokoro leaves to retrieve a second Neunwelt Bullet, the two Legions set off in pursuit of the now fleeing Gigant-class.

After reuniting with Sachie's group, Kokoro returns with the bullet, and the Legions begin a second Neunwelt Tactic. Before they are able to finish it, however, the Lilies are ambushed by Instructors Sayoko and Toride Suzanne Reika, who purposefully intended for the Lilies to be drained of their Magie. After both Legions refuse to comply with their demands, the Instructors disable the protective barrier surrounding Ludvico, causing a Great Cave to form atop the Garden and allowing the Huge to attack the campus directly. And so, Mei, together with Kokoko and most of the Temple Legion, decides to return to Ludvico in order to help in the evacuation of the Garden's Lilies.

Combat Style

While wishing to become a full-fledged Lily like her peers, Mei is descibed to be rather cowardly during combat, often avoiding direct confrontation with the Huge and relying on her teammates' protection. However, Mei is noted to be very quick on her feet, a skill she actively used to her advantage even before awakening to Zenon Paradoxa, which also provides its users with a speed boost.

Trivia

• Mei's confirmation name, "Catalina", is likely in reference to the Catholic Saint Catalina of Palma, better known in English as Saint Catherine.
• Mei's character precedes her appearance in the Assault Lily universe. A character named "Haneda Mei" appears in other plays by Ludvico Private Girls' Academy dating back to 2017, where she was performed by Natsume Aimi.
• Mei is absent from the original versions of Schwester's Prayer and Schwester's Secret, with her current role being filled by Lilies Suzushiro Catarina Miyabi and Yagami Catalina Mahiro, respectively. Mei would first appear in the recap performance Schwester's Oath, and later be fully integrated into the Ludvico series in the stage play revivals.
• Mei's favorite food is onigiri (rice balls).

Gallery

Designs

• 
  Mei's original design, by Hotaru

Stage

• 
  As portrayed by Yuda Himawari
• 
  As portrayed by Udagawa Momoka
• 
  As portrayed by Shibata Mari
• 
  As portrayed by Toono Hikaru
• 
  As portrayed by Natsume Aimi

Navigation

Temple Legion Members Ichinomiya Michaela Himari  ·  Tachibana Theresia Nagisa  ·  Hanaoka Angela Moe  ·  Narumi Clara Yuko  ·  Hojo Monica Asahi  ·  Sano Matilda Kokoro  ·  Hanaoka Angela Moe  ·  Haneda Catalina Mei Former members Izumi Rosa Rina  ·  Kishimoto Maria Mirai  ·  Nosaka Jacqueline Kazane  ·  Takatori Natalie Towa  ·  Li Christina Susu  ·  Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie  ·  Kishimoto Lucia Raimu  ·  Amamiya Sophia Seren  ·  Kuroki Francisca Yuria  ·  Seto Veronica Ichika  ·  Matsunaga Brigitta Kayo  ·  Hasegawa Gabriella Tsugumi Related people Makabe Melania Sayoko  ·  Nagase Marta Nonoka