Anime Saimoe Tournament 2011 (Japan)

[Malkuth]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

@malkuth there is no Clamp in any of the three shows ppaaccoojrf mention.

Stupid me... DNAngel != Angelic Layer

[broken270]

1. Riku - the only girl whom I saw had the greatest character development along with having "moe" qualities.
2. Sakura - self-explanatory
3. Azusa - Nyaa~. Also, character development.
4. Rika - Nipah~. Also, backstory.
5. Nanoha - Quite neutral about.
6. Kagami - A blob of moe with nothing much to back it up on.
7. Taiga - Ending saved me from my original dislike of her.
8. Mami - Stopped liking her when she went insane after knowing the truth.
9. Rosemary - She is quite the odd one for me.
10. Suiseiseki - I simply do not like her. Sorry.

[BaKaBaKaOtaKu]

@broken270:
XDDD i had it reversed. When Mami went psycho, i thought it was damn hot. it made me like her more, kinda like shizuru. lol but that's just me and my psycho gurl fetish. XDD

[Kyuu]

And instead of looking back (perhaps to some of the good ole' days)

===

Now to the future. Future Saimoe prospects based off the current year so far and later on.

I've just started Idolmaster. In just one episode, they don't leave too much of an impression on me. They will have some numbers; but yea, I'm not impressed with them character-wise.

Iroha will be back; but they're dead in the water. Same goes to any Stein's Gate characters.

Squid Girl will vow revenge, although her performance this year isn't all that disappointing anyways.

For the Penguindrum, will Himari and the Penguin Queen be treated separately? All hail the Penguin Queen! Anyone else in the series... meh.

Type-Moon will be out in full force. Especially with Carnival Phantasm. Are voters gonna be sick of them by this point? Or has Fate-Zero been leaving an impressive mark so far? (I haven't started this series yet).

Working!! Needs moar Poplar. And seeing Yamada this time around -- her character in this second season is justifying her final 8 spot a couple years back; she's actually quite funny, rather than just annoying.

A portion of Saki will be back via a spin-off series, of which I intend to watch ASAP. Considering that boobies won this year, how much of an asset will Nodoka's boobies be next time?

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai. Only seen the OVA, but the two main girls here: Sena and Yozora. They're leaving a mark right now.

This is just a start. And more speculation later, with a flood of new characters mixed with some very distant old ones.

Oh, and I forgot about Shana... lol.

[Aya Reiko]

Originally Posted by Kyuu

And instead of looking back (perhaps to some of the good ole' days)

===

Now to the future. Future Saimoe prospects based off the current year so far and later on.

I've just started Idolmaster. In just one episode, they don't leave too much of an impression on me. They will have some numbers; but yea, I'm not impressed with them character-wise.

Iroha will be back; but they're dead in the water. Same goes to any Stein's Gate characters.

Squid Girl will vow revenge, although her performance this year isn't all that disappointing anyways.

For the Penguindrum, will Himari and the Penguin Queen be treated separately? All hail the Penguin Queen! Anyone else in the series... meh.

Type-Moon will be out in full force. Especially with Carnival Phantasm. Are voters gonna be sick of them by this point? Or has Fate-Zero been leaving an impressive mark so far? (I haven't started this series yet).

Working!! Needs moar Poplar. And seeing Yamada this time around -- her character in this second season is justifying her final 8 spot a couple years back; she's actually quite funny, rather than just annoying.

A portion of Saki will be back via a spin-off series, of which I intend to watch ASAP. Considering that boobies won this year, how much of an asset will Nodoka's boobies be next time?

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai. Only seen the OVA, but the two main girls here: Sena and Yozora. They're leaving a mark right now.

This is just a start. And more speculation later, with a flood of new characters mixed with some very distant old ones.

Oh, and I forgot about Shana... lol.

Team Type-Moon will be lucky, very lucky, to survive beyond the prelims.
Veteren characters to the Japanese voters are like... visiting relatives. They're nice to have around at first, but after awhile you just can't wait for them to leave.

Saimoe 2012 is up in the air right now. No one really is making a buzz right now. It probably won't be 'til 2012 before anything buzzworthy hits.

[klare]

in the 2012 tournament, watch out for a girl call Yuno from Mirai Nikki

[BaKaBaKaOtaKu]

i want Nodoka's bewbz to do well next year. I hope MAmi's win will give more way to the 'healthy' characters next year. XDD

winter 2012 might be explosive.

[anisu]

For 2012, Akarin~!

Even though she's supposed to have a weak presence, she's been getting a ton of positive attention from saimoe fans. She comes from a show that's popular but not mainstream enough to catch much backlash, and she has a meme factor that even Mami's doesn't stand head and shoulders above. Plus, she's cute as heck.

Idolmaster will obviously be the attention grabbers. That's what idols are for. Yayoi is #1, but much like Saki, it's a balanced cast with broad strength. The big question is whether the fans will show the kind of teamwork we saw from Saki and Madoka, or whether they'll fight amongst themselves. If they're not disciplined we'll get a bloodbath.

I have high hopes for Saki. Even if it's all new character material and the original cast is relegated to cameo roles, Ritz makes character design look easy. Her name is probably the second scariest thing a nutbladder can hear, after Ume. God help us if those two ever collaborate.

Ika should go deep again. I don't see her losing much strength. The other 2011 girls don't look very promising next year.

Working should do very well barring unlucky draws. BokuTomo/Haganai could be next year's OreImo. Penguins will probably be mid-low tier. RoKyuBu could do better than expected, but not top tier.

Fate/Zero is a great show, but it's not terribly moe. The hardcore fans will throw a few votes at it, but this one would be better suited to SaiGar. Carnival Phantasm isn't likely to pull in non-hardcore supporters, either.

The Hayate fans will spice things up as usual, but will never win. Ha ha. Sorry, that was mean.

The swarm of Rie tsunderes (along with any past champions) will probably cause a lot of commotion and then get tarred and feathered for being too same-old.

[RJ TAYLER]

LOOKING FORWARD.......LOOKING BACK

As another year, the tenth year of the tournament draws itself to a conclusion now is a good time for me to look back upon the past ten years. I Don't rank according to a mere top ten list but in brackets of threes.

2002-2004 Shoujo Superstars
The first winner Sakura Kinomoto, is in no uncertain terms as much THE GUV'NOR (as Sir Sean Connery and William Hartnell are to James Bond and Doctor Who respectfully) as she provides the yardstick to which all future entrants will be judged against.

The Second winner, Riku Harada provides us with that recurring family dynamic that propels many a future top eight finisher as well as that tomboyish edge that added to her charm.

Our Third and final Shoujo Superstar is still the only antagonist to win the crown. Rosemary Applefield, who owes as much to "Dyansty's" Alexis Carrington as any historical bad-girl gives another slant to the story of moe as it is her actions that give the protagonist and runner-up Nadjia the final impetus to her decision during the anime's dénouement.

2005-2007 Magical and Mechanical
The fourth winner had the grace to charm an international audience. Nahona Takamachi was and still is the perfect blend of a moe ascetic with all the GAR attitude, to this day she remains highly regarded by a core of fans. A point of note is that she gave Yukari Tamura the first of a unique double victory.

Someone who needs little or no introduction, at least for those denizens of a certain imageboard, is our Fifth champion; that hetrochromia honey, who is a genuine doll, the third sister in SaiMoe's most successful set of siblings Suiseiseki. Her verbal tic is as legendary as it is as dangerous to use in a drinking contest.

Yukari Tamura provides us with the bookend as our 2007 champion, one magical miko herself, that dogged survivor of the reset button and sharer of said verbal tic, Rika Furdue. It was during this time that we 'foreigners' were cast out of the kingdom, so to speak, as a result of the wash-up from the final.

THE TSUNDERE TRIFECTA 2008-2010

I have mentioned already how family plays it's part in a SaiMoe champion well no more than so in 2008's winner Kagami ("SHiN's waifu") Hiiragi; quite appropriate for a year that saw CLANNAD dominate the placings in the top eight. Her 'hot and cold' exterior gave her the edge over her younger twin Tsukasa, and provided the template that we found ourselves with during the preceding three years.

"One Hit to the body" could sum up the next winner, that tsundere wonder herself Taiga Aisaka, in a year that featured a plethora of Saki talent and some competition from her own VA (to this day Rie Kugimiya's only victory in 50+ attempts) in earnest, it was this sub five foot powerhouse from broken-privilege that made it through in the competition's equivalent of a hole in one.

Azusa Nakano, no stranger to a musician's mood-swings, upset both her own cast-mates and a former finalist to pick up the title last year. It is still too early for me to gauge the impact of this result on my mind(it needs another year of distance for me to give more than a cursory assessment).

2011 and beyond

The Tenth champion broke a few barriers in terms of looks and appeal. With a screen-time to rival that of Dame Judi Dench in Shakespeare In Love, that "Dolly Parton" type figure and like the first on this long list a "Magical Miss" in her own right Mami Tomoe, what other types she brings to the victors honour roll we await to see.

I am looking forward to seeing the return of a whole lot of favourites and some new friends in the 2012 competition, the retuns of past champions Nahona and Rika as well as Taiga and Azura, the inevitable Rie K onslaught with her expanding into another type or two'. Speaking of type, the return of type-moon to the list of 'possibles and probables' fills me with intense glee as this should bring a expanded fan-base along for the ride, something that was lacking in 2011 sadly. I am still a somewhat 1970s optimistic kid at heart and look forward to seeing a new archetype emerge and to see how the tournament changes over time.

[Wanderer]

Originally Posted by RJ TAYLER

LOOKING FORWARD.......LOOKING BACK...

A great post to end on. The cast of 2012 is truly looking to be something else. I just hope that the tournament management comes through to realize it's potential.

With mixed feelings about this year, but great hope for the next,

Goodbye, Saimoe 2011.

[Liddo-kun]

Originally Posted by Wanderer

Oh. Oh. This is fun. Let's rank Saimoe winners. I'll skip Riku and Rosemarry since I haven't seen their series, but here's mine:

1. Kagami (Waifu material)
2. Sakura
3. DESU (DESU)
4. Mami
5. Rika (Not my favorite from the series, but glad Higurashi won one)
6. Taiga
7. Azusa (She's cute, nyah, but never liked how she usurped Mio's role)
8. Nanoha

1. Rika - I like her life story.
2. Suiseiseki - memorable character. Even my dentist friend who is not an anime fan think Suiseiseki is pretty (after I showed her pics from Saimoe 2006).
3. Sakura
4. Kagami
5. Mami
6. Azusa
7. Riku
8. Taiga
9. Nanoha

Not adding Rosemary to the list because I haven't watched the anime that she is in.

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

more like desu will steal her cake while Mami isn't looking.

That's a possibility too!
But I still like Suiseiseki despite her personality.

Ok, not much more to say except it's a bit sad that Homura won't be able to come back next year. She didn't get much chance to shine compared to the other puella magi because of being eliminated early.

Spoiler for Homura:

[BaKaBaKaOtaKu]

homerun T_T it's just too bad she had to say goodbye very early. if only, she could have been the winner. But Mami winning it all makes up for it. =D

2012, hoping another favorite of mine would win it all. =D

[abc0716]

Homura couldn't score a 'home-run' and received early 'strikeout' instead, this was indeed one of the most disappointing fact on AST 2011. She (may) deserves more credits than other Megucas.

About next year, I can't imagine how many participant slots will be 'eaten' by some series (Saki spinoff, Idolmasters, and *ugh* AKB48 animated series ), that most likely will be another 'not-so quality' year in my opinion.

[sa547]

Had Homura was paired off against a lesser opponent at the early stages, it would been an easy move upward, but much to our misfortunes, she had to confront a very powerful adversary who defeated her by a narrow margin.

Still, even though onscreen Mami was then the first one to go (back in January 20), nevertheless she is now the only one to grab the gold on November 6. I'll never forget this day among many.

[Coldlight]

And so ends another year's tournament of moe, love, hate, hope, despair, glory, rage, disappointment and accomplishment. This is the magic of Saimoe that keeps me coming back year after year.

Again, congratulations to all Mami fans out there, cherish your victory. Saimoe 2011 will forever be remembered as your year. Props to Kyouko and her fans for making it as far as she did and for putting up a good fight. Either way, the champion brought home the trophy and the glory for the Puella Magi. All for one, and one for all.

Spoiler for good work, both of you:

I used up my entire stock of cardboard again for this year, so it's time for me to restock in preparation for next year's upsets and losses.
To all the good people I've met and encountered in this year's thread, thanks and see you all again next year for Saimoe 2012!

[Triple_R]

I want to thank Coldlight for getting me involved in this (although it was, somewhat ironically, Demi. getting me into ISML, that made it easy for me to transition into Saimoe).

Saimoe 2011 was honestly a blast for me, with all the pomp and circumstance and gregarious fun of a good pro wrestling event, appropriately enough.

I'll have fond memories of Madoka Magica doing well here, and I'm also glad Kuroneko reached the quarterfinals at least.

I do have slight regret that neither Sayaka nor Madoka reached the finals, but I'm content with Mami winning it all. I myself very much liked the entire main cast of PMMM, so this was a good ending to me, one made a bit sweeter by how it showed that a girl can both be very moe and well-endowed.

The discussions/debates here were honestly pretty good, and interesting. Good chance I'll be back for Saimoe 2012. I look forward to it.


So thank s to all the good people on this thread (even the ones I disagreed passionately with on PMMM domination ), and hope to see you all again next year for Saimoe 2012.

[chaosprophet]

My ranking for the previous moe titans:

1 - Rika << One of my all time favorites. A pity I wasn't around to BANZAI that year.
2 - Azusa << A level below Rika, but still worthy tons of moe.
3 - Nanoha << No way to say with a few words how great this character is.
4 - Sakura << The first one, definitely deserves being the very first Saimoe winner.
5 - Kagami << 2007 don't seems to have been a good year, but at least had a pretty moe final winner.
6 - Taiga << Sad she took Yui's place, but the girl deserved it. Didn't like her much at first but she developed a lot through the series, and the result was indeed very moe.
7 - Mami << The short while she was on screen wasn't enough to make much of an impression on me.
8 - Suiseiseki << desu NO XD I liked RM but Sui was on the verge of annoying to me.

The other two I don't know.

Next year comes with a new Saimoe... and more suffering as I see Negima characters doing even worse than previous year.

[zato_1one]

Next year?

My first choice is SenjougaharaTore-sama, of course. Second may be loli-Ilya. Both of them won't do well as expect. But hell like I care... LOL

Sena (Meat) is an interesting choice too. She should see Mami as a role model.

For the previous winners, I only like Desu and Azusa.

[BaKaBaKaOtaKu]

sa547:
..but homura lost to a powerful fraud strength. DX it was never real. but i think if not for that,the cheaters could've been still free 'supporting' their character,making her win. good thing that didn't continue to happen =D

i guess when i get Pain(homerun losing); i get Pleasure (Mami winning) =D

thanks for such a year full of rage, butthurt, delicious tears,trash-talking, arguments, whinings and great wins. Thanks to you guys as well.

[Ithekro]

Homura's remaining chance this year is Best Moe.

Next year she may have a shot at ISML.

And wasn't there some rumor to a SoL version of Madoka coming out, or is that only the CD audio series?