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Funimation to Stream Assault Lily Bouquet Anime
posted on by Alex Mateo
Funimation announced on Wednesday that it will begin streaming the Assault Lily Bouquet television anime on Thursday as part of the fall 2020 season. The company began streaming an announcement by Yūko Natsuyoshi, voice actress of Yuyu Shirai, on Twitter:
We've got a special message from Japanese voice actress Yuko Natsuyoshi!Assault Lily BOUQUET premieres tomorrow, October 1st! Fire(@FUNimation)September 30
The anime will premiere on TBS on the night of Thursday at 1:28 a.m. (effectively, Friday). The series will then debut on BS-TBS on Saturday at 2:00 a.m. (effectively, Sunday). The anime will also begin exclusively streaming on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, though the listing does not specify if the exclusivity is only in Japan or worldwide.
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 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.
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).
RAISE A SUILEN are performing the anime's opening theme song "Sacred world," and Hikaru Akao is performing the ending theme song "Edel Lilie" as her character.