By JR Salazar (Bongaboi)
September 21, 2010
There will be a new International Saimoe League champion. The question is: who will it be?
Shana might have a strong case to be the one. The Crimson Flame Haze herself torched defending champion Hinagiku Katsura 3806-3659 to end her title defense.
"It was a good run while it lasted," Katsura said amid the cries of despair and sniffles of sadness at Hakuoh Academy. "But I do have one more battle to fight and I hope to end my year with a victory. Shana proved just too much for me to handle."
"This is a win that will definitely boost my morale," Shana said, eating her 350th melon bread loaf. "I told everyone of my intentions to stop Hinagiku from defending her crown, and I did it. But my job's far from done."
Eastern Europe was divided 50-50 in this battle, but huge victories in China (61%), Latin America (64.3%), Western Europe (52.7%) and Hong Kong (52.7%) proved to be Katsura's undoing. Katsura's strongest region was Africa with 87.5% of the vote, and she also performed well in South Korea, Japan and Thailand, but close victories in North America, Oceania and Taiwan took votes away from her overall margin.
Shana will take on Azusa Nakano, who finally defeated Taiga Aisaka to the tune of 3889-3671.
"I can't believe that I won," a tearfully happy Nakano said after the win when it was announced at Sakuragaoka High School Auditorium. "I'm going to finish no worse than fourth place now. I can't believe it. Oh my god, it's a dream come true."
Aisaka was unavailable for comment.
Nakano carried every region with the exceptions of Eastern Europe (56% in favor of Aisaka), Africa (62.5% in favor of Aisaka), China (53.3% in favor of Aisaka), Thailand (51.1% in favor of Aisaka) and Japan (51.6% in favor of Aisaka). It was a close race, but it will set up another classic showdown between Shana and Azusa Nakano with the loser finishing fourth place in the tournament.
Aisaka and Katsura will battle each other for fifth place on September 26.
As a matter of fact, it was a clean sweep for K-ON!, as Yui Hirasawa defeated Saber 3961-3619. China and Africa were divided 50-50, but victories in the Americas, Western Europe, Japan, Oceania, West Asia, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong and a strong performance in the Philippines (with 68.9% of the vote) saw Hirasawa defeat Saber, also known as Arthuria Pendragon.
Russia was Saber's strongest region, with 62.2% of the vote. She also won in Thailand and Eastern Europe but failed to pick up pretty much everywhere else.
Tiara Match Day 7 was one of those rare instances in which Katsura lost...but Nagi Sanzen'in won. In a literal about-face of predictability regarding the Hayate the Combat Butler characters, Sanzen'in took out Tomoyo Sakagami 3857-3686 on the day Katsura gave up the crown.
"I feel a bit bad for Katsura because she lost to a very good opponent in Shana," Sanzen'in said after her win. "Wait a minute...let me correct myself. I don't because I knew she had to bring out her A-game on Sunday, and she didn't, and look what happened! She gave up the crown to that fire-happy b***h. As for me, I'm gonna get the hell out of this season by shutting that retard up."
Sanzen'in's key to victory was Asia and Africa. Africa voted 75% in favor of Sanzen'in, and the only Asian region to not vote in favor of her was South Korea, who voted 62.1% in favor of Sakagami. Russia was Sakagami's strongest region, with 65.1% of the vote.
Hirasawa and Sanzen'in will take on each other for 9th place, while Saber and Sakagami will clash for 11th place.
As with all ISML Tiara matches, there were special exhibitions galore.
Lala Satalin Deviluke won every region except for 50-50 Africa in her 4828-2238 thumping of Haruna Sairenji. South Korea was Deviluke's strongest region, with 76.5% of the vote. In all the regions that voted for Deviluke, the lowest percentage was 61.4% and that was in Russia.
Another one-side encounter was Keena Soga and Chise Umenomori. The cool cat from Mayoi Neko Overrun ran away with this one, 4617-2647. Umenomori carried every region with the exception of Eastern Europe, which voted 50.7% in favor of Soga. Indonesia was Umenomori's strongest region, with 73.1% of the vote.
Shoko Kirishima of Baka to Test to Shokanju may have cemented her case to be in the International Saimoe League next season with her 6040-1423 thumping of Noel Kannagi. Kirishima took every region in this laugher, with Taiwan leading the charge at 88.2%. The closest Kannagi came to picking up a region was in Russia, who voted 54.1% in favor of Kirishima.
Haruka Nogizaka's hopes of finally qualifying for the ISML got a boost with her 4526-2892 victory over Yakumo Tsukamoto. Nogizaka got massive help from the Americas, Africa, West Asia, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, the latter voting 73.1% in favor of Nogizaka. Russia was Tsukamoto's strongest region, with 60.7% of the vote.
Moka Akashiya trounced Karin Maaka in another laugher, 5288-1594. Akashiya won every region in this one-sided affair. Africa voted 100% in favor of Akashiya, with South Korea trailing behind at 85.4%.
Lum Invader, after all these years, is still a household name, and a memorable personality in her own right. In her match with Lupin III's Clarisse, she proved to be too much, winning 4012-1081. Invader invaded every region successfull, with Eastern Europe leading the charge at a blistering 92%.
Tiara Match Day 8, the Winner's Bracket 3rd Round/Championship of the International Saimoe League Tiara phase, is right around the corner. On Tuesday, September 21, 2010, will Mio Akiyama move one step closer to the crown? Or will the Railgun, Mikoto Misaka, hang the Dangerous Queen out to fry?
Vote online and join the debate at your home for the world's premier anime character competition, InternationalSaimoe.com!
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