International Saimoe League 2009

[Ithekro]

Keeping with the comment "All fire to Osaka" trend.

As for Sakuya and Rie Tanaka...Sure in this episode she remained in full miedo mode...but I know she can go into a very dark mode...and deliciously dark mode. Throwing knives and Gin's voice.....it fits perfectly in my mind even though I don't know this character.

[Mushi]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

As for Sakuya and Rie Tanaka...Sure in this episode she remained in full miedo mode...but I know she can go into a very dark mode...and deliciously dark mode. Throwing knives and Gin's voice.....it fits perfectly in my mind even though I don't know this character.

"Deliciously dark." You know how to get my attention. And yes, I gathered that from more of what I've seen.

Spoiler for Since Ithekro made it OT:

I would soooo love to see that character developed in the anime. Just to see what Rie could do with her, if nothing else.

[cicido]

Bold = Vote; Italic = Prediction
Group A: Hayate Anya
Group B: Shinku Shinku
Group C: Yin Mei
Group D: Osaka Makoto

Also, you guys make Sakuya seem like a yangire

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by Ahasuerus

I agonized over the same exact choice

But I figured that Matsuri, being more familiar to voters from last year, might get more votes than Yuuko who's pretty much a new girl.

I voted for Mats 47/63 times last year though, so I <3 her and hope she gets in... my feeling(s) for Yuuko are a bit more intense however

Well, from a strategic perspective you kind of have to balance the longer times have to be exposed to Matsuri over the fact that Yuuko is probably fresher in people's minds.

And I understand your dilemma completely. Even among anime girls Matsuri's charming mannerisms are impeccable, but Yuuko has much stronger victimization moe.

[Mushi]

Originally Posted by cicido

Also, you guys make Sakuya seem like a yangire

Whatever she is... I'm just imagining the potential for a cross between Maria and Suigintou and thinking, "Ohgodyes!"

[Ithekro]

Whatever she is... I'm just imagining the potential for a cross between Maria and Suigintou and thinking, "Ohgodyes!"

This is basically my reaction as well.

Reminds me I'll need to rethink my top 20(ish) list once all entries are in. There will be a few changes (since my number two Tessa is out..)

[minhtam1638]

The Regular Season Schedule has been re-updated with the right matches. In other words, the former half of the schedule has been literally jumbled. The First Period will be Aquamarine, and the highlight of the season opener will be Yuki vs. Mai and Rika vs. Mikuru along with their respective match set.

[wontaek]

Originally Posted by minhtam2448

The Regular Season Schedule has been re-updated with the right matches. In other words, the former half of the schedule has been literally jumbled. The First Period will be Aquamarine, and the highlight of the season opener will be Yuki vs. Mai and Rika vs. Mikuru along with their respective match set.

Does this mean we have to try to make Mizunashi Akari start with perfect 9 - 0 record? Still

Aquamarine Necklace for Aquamarine!!!!

[minhtam1638]

Originally Posted by wontaek

Does this mean we have to try to make Mizunashi Akari start with perfect 9 - 0 record? Still

Aquamarine Necklace for Aquamarine!!!!

Yeah. The Aquamarine set of matches are the most affected by the decision to revert to a fixed and consistent necklace schedule, so instead of having to have a run just about midway into the period, you now have to have a huge start in order to get the Aquamarine Necklace.

[Team Rocket Elite]

Group A
Voting for: Vita
Second choice: Anya Alstreim

Group B
Voting for: Misaka Shiori
Second choice: Minami Chiaki

Group C
Voting for: Kamio Misuzu
Second choice: Sunohara Mei

Group D
Voting for: Makoto
Second choice: Miyako

My predictions for group winners:

Group A: Anya Alstreim
Group B: Shinku
Group C: Sunohara Mei
Group D: Sawatari Makoto

Anya faltered a bit in Round 2 and Osaka beat her by 1 vote. Nagi on the other hand managed to outrank Shinku and came close to beating Makoto. If Shinku has another low showing and Nagi brings her Round 2 power, Nagi can take the win. I have doubts that will happen, though. Seto San had an abysmal Round 2 showing compared to Round 1. If she can get her game back on, she has a shot at winning as well. The next 2 characters that have a shot are Hayate and Shiki. Hayate looked mostly unfazed by Vita last round. If she can repeat that while the characters above her faulter, the Mistress of the Night Sky can win. Vita did poorly in Round 1 and got killed by split votes in Round 2. Round 3 doesn't look much better for her. Miyamura Miyako is the only character left to never beat anyone. Vita is going to make her work for her last place this time.

As I mentioned before, Shinku fell a bit from Round 1 to Round 2. She is still packing a lot of power. Fortunately her opponents aren't too tough. Even at her Round 2 strength she would likely win this match. Her top competiton is Chii and Kallen. Shinku solidly defeated Kallen last round, but Shinku has already lost once to a character she directly beat. Chii has decent strength but Shinku should be stronger. After that would be Kagura if Kagura can return to her Round 1 strength. This will be the first time with see Shiori with full Key support. I'm not expecting a win, but she should improve a fair bit.

Mei just can't get away from the other Key characters. Misuzu's luck isn't much better. Individually either one of them could take this Group with ease. The split vote gives the other characters a chance. The one most likely to take advantage of it is Katagiri Yuuhi. Mei and Misuzu nearly split votes 50-50 last round. Mei came out on top so I expect her to do so again. Minori was strong enough to take advantage of the 3 way Key vote split to take the win. Yuuhi is much weaker and only has a 2 way split. Also Key voters will be more likely to try and game the system and vote for Mei over Misuzu. I'm expecting Mei to be able to hold onto first. After Yuuhi, Misaka Mikoto is strongest followed by Yin. Ranka looked good last round but Sheryl being her wrecks Ranka's chances.

Makoto didn't boost as much as I had hoped after getting away from the Key split votes last round. Makoto has still put up very soild performances. Het top oppostion is Osaka and Illyasviel. Osaka boosted quite in bit in Round 2 to defeat Anya Alstreim. If Osaka can pull that off again, she is a very real threat to Makoto. Illya isn't bad and her Round 2 performace was solid. However, Illya just hasn't shown to be on Makoto's level yet. Index and Alice are the next largest threats. Yuno and Miyako kill each other with split votes again.

The departure of the Touhou characters has made the divisions a bit harder to predict. I have to stop and think rather than hand half the divisions to Touhou. For the characters that radically changed in strength from Round 1 to Round 2, it'll be interesting to see if they stick to their Round 2 strength, go back to Round 1 strength or do something entirely different.

BTW what did Vita and Miyako do to the admins to deserve getting split voted into last place again. <_<

[melange]

Originally Posted by Team Rocket Elite

Hayate looked mostly unfazed by Vita last round. If she can repeat that while the characters above her faulter, the Mistress of the Night Sky can win. Vita did poorly in Round 1 and got killed by split votes in Round 2. Round 3 doesn't look much better for her.

Vita is valiantly sacrificing for her mistress T_T

[minhtam1638]

Originally Posted by Team Rocket Elite

BTW what did Vita and Miyako do to the admins to deserve getting split voted into last place again. <_<

All they did was pick up eight-tres.

[Ahasuerus]

Mei just can't get away from the other Key characters. Misuzu's luck isn't much better. Individually either one of them could take this Group with ease. The split vote gives the other characters a chance. The one most likely to take advantage of it is Katagiri Yuuhi. Mei and Misuzu nearly split votes 50-50 last round. Mei came out on top so I expect her to do so again. Minori was strong enough to take advantage of the 3 way Key vote split to take the win. Yuuhi is much weaker and only has a 2 way split. Also Key voters will be more likely to try and game the system and vote for Mei over Misuzu. I'm expecting Mei to be able to hold onto first. After Yuuhi, Misaka Mikoto is strongest followed by Yin. Ranka looked good last round but Sheryl being her wrecks Ranka's chances.

Some food for thought:

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MoeTo...-3-groups.html

I doubt that "Key Voters" really are conspiring to vote ONLY for Misuzu or Mei. I would hope that most voters will choose among other girls rather than narrow-mindedly constraining themselves to just vote stupidly according to what studio made the anime. I don't put too much stock into "split-votes" as meaning too much.

Let us pray LOL

[Juice[Lemon]]

Originally Posted by Team Rocket Elite

[. . .]
BTW what did Vita and Miyako do to the admins to deserve getting split voted into last place again. <_<

We avoided grouping pairings of characters that had been together in the previous two rounds.

If we moved Vita to separate the Nanoha series, Zange (Kannagi) gets into A. If we move Miyako to separate ef, we get Tsugumi (Kannagi) in. This is a problem as Nagi (Kannagi) is in A. These were the only characters we could move and still maintain seeded groupings and non-repeats from the previous two rounds.

Since these were the groupings that emerged from chance after ensuring no threepeats, we kept as is.

[Psieye]

Originally Posted by wontaek

Welcome back, Psieye. We really missed you. About the week thing, although I understand the reason, the physic major in me twitches whenever the connection between metal and diamond is made.

I'll be letting this thread fall off my radar very easily this year, and outright skipping bits I'm not interested in.

Oh, Metal and Diamond? Ice is Metal in the Chinese system, which makes it very easy to connect to Diamond. Lightning is also Metal btw.

Originally Posted by cicido

Also, you guys make Sakuya seem like a yangire

There is a lot of speculation on what exactly Sakuya's past is, with many doujins being produced on the topic (is anyone looking for suggestions?). Just about all of them agree on Sakuya's darkness in her past though, whatever other details they put in. I mean, when some of her spellcards are named ominously like 幻葬「夜霧の幻影殺人鬼」 (Burial Illusion "Phantomic Killer in Night Mist"), it gives a lot to think about.

[FlareKnight]

Group A: Vita - Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha
Group B: Sakihata Rimi - ChäoS;HEAd
Group C: Misaka Mikoto - To Aru Majutsu no Index
Group D: Isayama Yomi - Ga-Rei Zero

Have to say group A was a nightmare to choose in . Way too many I'd like to vote for at once in there. Oh well will just have to go with the gut. Besides have stuck behind Vita in plenty of situations so might as well.

[Cytrus]

Monday's group D seems awfully rigged to me .

+ Another bio.

Spoiler for Aya bio:

As the fastest being in your world, capable of trashing one's opponents accidentally when only meaning to harass them, what does one do after having lived for a thousand years?

One starts a newspaper, apparently.

Information monopoly was never as silly as in the hands of Shameimaru Aya. Constantly on the lookout for new scoops, the crow tengu reporter sniffs out the slightest hint of a brewing scandal and infallibly delivers whole issues of gossip of questionable veracity to the unsuspecting inhabitants of Gensokyo.

When Aya learns that the local shrine's donation box got stolen, she has an article covering the incident written and printed suspiciously soon. But theft is always only half the story and it takes Aya no time at all to volunteer to become a member of the investigation team.

Aya does things at her own pace, which is simply too fast for others. She is forever cheerful and bursting with energy. Her lighthearted attitude gives pause to all her acquaintances. When she says she'll be back in five seconds, she whips out a spellcard and keeps her word. When she wants to persuade Kirisame Marisa to join her in the search, she resorts to blackmail without hesitation. She is an intractable bundle of activity, doing what she wants, where she wants and when she wants.

Just pray she's on your side when she drops in for a visit.

[Crisu]

Thanks, Cytrus. Bio is online.

Only a Reimu and Aya so far right? (Making sure I didn't miss one.)

[Marina]

Started a group: http://forums.animesuki.com/group.php?groupid=230 since it seems that it had yet to be done

[Eater of All]

Originally Posted by Marina

Started a group: http://forums.animesuki.com/group.php?groupid=230 since it seems that it had yet to be done

Should have seen this coming, though I had expected an ISML club to be founded on MAL first. Now that I think about it, there is an anti-Touhou-in-ISML club yet there aren't even any proper ISML dedicated club in MAL.