And yet another climactic round comes to pass. SaiMoe is very much a tournament of dreams, not because to outsiders it seems like a bunch of people verbally fapping to imaginary characters, but because it really is an example where sometimes, anything seems possible.
We’ve seen the legendary upturned. The close fights that send a bracket on its head. And we’ve also seen the utter annihilation that a popular character can bring to the table, the 1000-200 no-contest matches.
But which was it yesterday? Shugo Chara and Hidamari Sketch were standing at the edge of the cliff, with two absurdly powerful beasts facing them. Were they able to fight back in time and stun the world?
Or did they fall to join the growing pile of the could-nots in SaiMoe?
C3-1 Results:
Show ▼
Kagami (Lucky Star) defeats
Amu (Shugo Chara) 1086-678
Well, pretty much, yeah.
The combined power of Amu fans, closet lolicons, and Rena (Kyou, etc) strategic-voters gave Amu a respectable total. Certainly, although the gap was huge, you can say we fought.
They call it a miracle because it has a chance of happening, true … but that chance didn’t come up this time. I think it’s better to save your miracles, in this case, for something like winning the lottery, because it was probably more likely.
Oh well.
And as for Hidamari Sketch’s fate, Higurashi fans have two words for you…
D3-2 Results:
Show ▼
Miyako (Hidamari Sketch) defeats
Rena (Higurashi) 933-853
“USO DA!!!!!!!!!!!”
Well, first I thought “Yay, an upset,” since, as the local Overdramatic Guy, I like dramatic turns of events and things like unexpected upsets tend to cause things like that. But then, I started to wonder… had I just taken out Kagami’s biggest contender?
“I cursed them…
Because I cursed them…
They really died…”
“When I wish it…
they really,
they really die!!”
“It can’t be…
I didn’t wish for it…
For this…”
Yes, I like upsets. Yes, I was pretty neutral on Rena – the yandere about canceled the taking people home. But … well … she was a better choice than certain characters I -really- didn’t care about.
That’s twice I’ve forsaken Higurashi fans now. I really worry I’ll have my intestines separated from me before the end of the third round.
I will say though, props to Hidamari fans for banding together. Unless it was all Kagamin strategic votes…
Next:
C3-2: Kyou (Clannad) vs. Kana (Minami-ke)
Show ▼
Backstory:
Well, Minami-ke did some cool things in the first and second rounds, but against Clannad characters, they’re pretty dead in the water.
Haruka didn’t quite stand up to Fuuko, and while Kyou may be a bit weaker, Kana is equally the least of the three Minami girls. She doesn’t have the banchou appeal of Haruka nor the loli sarcastic appeal of Chiaki.
Although, her semi-spacey, always-ridiculous attitude is still enjoyable to people like me, it’ll take another curse on Kyou to take her down. Even if she’s not as inexplicably popular as Fuuko, she still can ride on a high Western popularity and probably very good Eastern popularity as well, from the thighs – I mean, tsundere.
I’ll vote for Kana like I voted for Amu, but I’ll save my hopes for the other match in this set…
Prediction:
Kyou, like it or not.
D3-1: Tomoyo (Clannad) vs. Konata (Lucky Star)
Show ▼
Backstory:
Now -this- is a fight.
One of the giants of Clannad vs. one of the trinity of Lucky Star. Who will emerge victories.
In the blue-haired corner, we’ve got Konata Izumi, flat chest loli-appearance otaku extraordinaire. Certainly, these traits have granted her a great deal of power, and those combined with anti-Key / pro-KyoAni (strange as that might be) votes have powered her quite well this year. However, her weak point lies in the fact that she is a flat chest loli-appearance otaku extraordinaire, and by extension of definition -completely pandering-.
Yes, anime features a lot of pandering girls, but I don’t need this “oh look I’m just like you except with breasts (presumably) and a vagina (let’s not go there)”. Not at all.
Therefore I am placing my hopes that this sort of mentality will give Tomoyo the edge. Maybe a bit less in explicit moe, Tomoyo won’t be the top Clannad character, but with an OVA and a strong character on her side, fans should be flocking to Tomoyo’s aid. Certainly, her storyline is quite rewarding in a sense, as the soft side of Tomoyo feels realistic compared to the back-and-forth snapping of tsunderes.
“In front of me, the girl who likes me stood.”
Isn’t that enough for you to believe?
Predictions:
Tomoyo should have an edge thanks to anti-pandering voters … please …
-CCY
Tagged as Fanstuff, SaiMoe + Categorized as Fanstuff, SaiMoe
I doubt Clannad is going to lose too easily, especially Tomoyo and Kyou, but still, Konata is a tough opponent. I’m looking forward to this one ;P
Holy Jesus, if Kyou doesn’t win I’ll…
Oh, I almost forgot, I make a point of not getting involved in these things. Nothing to see here, move on to the next comment!
@Eternal: I doubt Clannad is going to lose.
They have the possibility to put four through to the final eight (Nagisa, Kyou, Tomoyo, Fuuko) and that’s a scary thought in itself. It seems pretty smooth sailing so far, but it really depends on how the hate votes come out. Clannad seems to benefit from a cast with wider general appeal than that of previous Key works (although none of them are quite Shiori-class).
@Pontifus: Pah. You are one of those Kyou people, huh?
Well, I’ll give her credit, I suppose. I don’t like her character too much (good points but all the Nagisa cockblocking got frustrating) but she is pretty moe, and episode 17 will be legendary for a time to come.
Anyway, for one serious point in this comment, I think getting involved in stuff like this is fine, as long as you have a good attitude. I wax poetic and all, but in the end, I take it lightly. I think that is the most important.
As much as I like Tomoyo, my vote goes to Konata. Flat chest loli-appearance otaku extraordinaire FTW! XD
I am a huge Key fanboy but even I’ll admit that there’s too much Key presence in Saimoe this year. As sacrilege as it is, I guess I’ll root for the underdogs to win.