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「ユリ」 (Yuri)
“Lily”
Alright now we’re getting somewhere. Maybe not the somewhere I was suspecting (dreams do be fantasy more often than not), but at this stage I I’ll take whatever Assault Lily is offering. When you commit to a show for its entire run you commit no matter the results, and dammit I’m here to collect my reward. Anime masochism, not even once.
While I probably owe Assault Lily an apology for defying expectations and slyly building up the oncoming train of carnage since day one (in true anime fashion nothing mentioned was ignored in the end), that’s about as far as I can honestly swing any sort of deserved retribution. Yes, Riri’s rare skill actually has a narrative purpose beyond mere flavour material, yeah Yuyu’s former Schutzengel Misuzu wound up being more than simple background information—but damn Assault Lily, you definitely could’ve done a better job of building up to this point. It’s synthesis moments like these which really highlight how this show either needed more time to make use of the ridiculously sized cast, or needed to seriously trim down on who (and what) featured to maximize the emotions being played at. Yuyu’s past for example had been effectively sidelined until now, making its intended catharsis fall flat when its depth, from lack of time and focus, is largely an illusion. Couple it with Riri’s own situation and you quickly realize just how much potential existed to really go all-in on the atmosphere at play. Madoka or its offspring Assault Lily does not need to be, but darkness and suffering require more than simple acknowledgement to properly do their bit.
Part of my disappointment too extends from what is definitely coming next week: Yuri, or rather, one hell of a Misuzu-possessed, Huge controlling version. Yeah my bets are firmly on our supposedly dead new girl being behind the latest trouble, as you don’t focus so hard on her missing presence just to provide an entirely random reason for why Riri is now the only functioning Lily. Plus something something history repeating and Riri walking in Yuyu’s footsteps. Things naturally won’t play out as they did before considering who’s involved and their commitment to keeping the forbidden love dream alive (heh), but do expect a bit of struggle next week to make the inevitable happy ever after that much sweeter.
After all, it’s Christmas next week, and by hell I’m going to be enjoying myself no matter Assault Lily’s ending.
Preview
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End Card
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“Part of my disappointment too extends from what is definitely coming next week: Yuri, or rather, one hell of a Misuzu-possessed, Huge controlling version.”
That would be the biggest mistake this show has made. Think about it, even more important than defeating this Huge is for Yuyu to finally (this time for real) get over Mizusu, so this final conflict (and final episode) should be laser-focused on Yuyu and Mizusu. Bringing back Yuri would mess with that, stealing the focus from where it should be for the final to make any sense.
Oh trust me, I don’t want them to either, but I’m hard-pressed seeing the writers not doing so given how everything has been set up so far. We’ll just have to wait and see!
Regardless… I’m enjoying this cross between Strawberry Panic and Nanoha