Up Close with Liliruca Arde

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Yes, we are back to DanMachi (Is It Wrong to Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon) with another of Bell’s companions. This time our focus is on Lily, his supporter in every sense of the word. Previously I’ve looked at Hestia and sooner or later I’m going to have to turn my full attention to Welf who is a seriously overlooked character in the franchise, but given the second season is about to look very closely at little Lily and one of Welf’s truly amazing moments may not come out this season depending on how far along they get, I kind of felt it was appropriate to check Lily out first.

Lily’s first appearance in DanMachi sent up red flags for literally everyone that wasn’t Bell. She approached a solo adventurer and offered her services as a supporter in the dungeon seemingly out of the blue and Hestia, Lyu and Eina all had concerns about Lily’s sudden appearance and motives, yet all kept it to themselves rather than raising it specifically with Bell.

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Because Bell, right from the first moment, trusted Lily implicitly. He happily handed over half his earnings to her, praised her for her work, and thanked her genuinely when her actions protected him against the dangers of the dungeon. Alright, Bell’s a bit of an airhead sometimes, but maybe he just knew Lily’s true character (or maybe he really is just an idiot but an incredibly lucky one).

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And ultimately, it is Bell’s kindness, his refusal to doubt Lily even when she so clearly betrayed him and left him for dead, and his selfless actions in racing to her aid despite having been left for dead, that ensure Lily’s absolute loyalty from that point forward. After that experience in the dungeon you genuinely cannot believe that Lily would ever do anything to harm Bell ever again.

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Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 1 (light novel)

Sparks fly regularly between Lily and Hestia though as Hestia is fiercely protective of her child. Still, even Hestia has to admit that Lily will stand by Bell and that Bell really needs someone like Lily near him.

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Unlike Bell, Lily does not see the world as all sunshine and roses. She’s a cynic and has a deep distrust of adventurer’s and their motives by default. Where Bell is inclined to take everyone at their word, Lily is always looking for the other angle and as a result can steer Bell away from too many hassles or at the least can watch his back as he steps into trouble.

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The chemistry between Lily and Welf is fantastic and as the supporting characters to Bell they make for a charming trio as they go about their adventure’s in the dungeon.

However, despite the fact that it seems as though Lily is with Hestia and Bell entirely, she is still not a member of Hestia’s familia. Her original family still has a hold on her and that is about to play out in the second season of the anime. I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of Lily this season and watching her grow as a character.

All and all, Lily is an amazing character and an essential ingredient in making Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon work.


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Karandi James