By JR Salazar (Bongaboi)
March 7, 2011
Tsumugi Kotobuki may pale in comparison to her more established Houkago Tea Time peers in Yui Hirasawa, Azusa Nakano and defending champion Mio Akiyama, but she put Konata Izumi and Astraea on notice on Day 4 of the 2011 International Saimoe League preliminaries.
In Group 10, Kotobuki upset Nagi Sanzen'in 3,159-3,002, putting her as a legit threat to win the group on Match Day 6. Mika Yuuki finished a distant third.
Eucliwood Hellscythe and Kanade Tachibana may as well be on their way to punching their tickets to their first-ever ISML. In Group 11, Hellscythe destroyed Yui Kotegawa and Tsurara Oikawa with 5,108 votes, while Tachibana sliced and diced Cecilia ALcott and Shina Amakusa with 5,997 votes, the largest amount for any one candidate on Day 4.
Group 9 favorite Yui Hirasawa wa all business, trouncing Kotomi Ichinose and Ushio Okazaki with 4,416 votes. Mikuru Asahina edged Laura Bodewig 3,532-3,212 as Kazari Uiharu finished third, and Victorique de Blois took down Lala Satalin Deviluke and Poplar Taneshima with 4,137 votes. Look for a fierce contest between Hirasawa and De Blois for the automatic spot from this group.
In Group 10, Astraea cruised by Rose and Alice with 3,213 votes and Izumi crushed Haruka Morishima and Yin with 4,090 votes. But with Kotobuki's impressive victory, things may not be so certain for these two.
C.C. and Tomoyo Sakagami may need a miracle to stop Hellscythe from raising hell as well as the dead. In the meantime, C.C. was on Easy Street against Sakura Kinomoto and Komoe Tsukuyomi with 4,040 votes and Sakagami pulverized Rika Furude and Ayumu Nishizawa with 4,249 votes in Group 11 action.
Aside from Tachibana, Yui of Angel Beats! is also flying the flag for the crew. In Group 12 play, she took out Saber and Chizuru Akaba with 4,055 votes. Seraphim defeated Homura Akemi and Hanyuu Furude with 3,656 votes and Holo edged by Haruna while annihilating Stocking with 3,634 votes.
In one of the most intriguing matches in Group 13, Mami Tomoe did just enough to beat Anri Sonohara and Madoka Kaname with 2,446 votes. But this group could go down to a Match Day 6 contest between newcomer Kirino Kousaka and veteran Kyou Fujibayashi. Kousaka whipped past Fate Testarossa and Kaori Kanzaki with 4,198 votes, while Fujibayashi laid the book on Hecate and Nessa with 4,316 votes.
Minatsu Shiina, Nagisa Furukawa and Kagami Hiiragi are set to settle it out for the automatic qualifier spot from Group 14. Shiina torched Asuka Langley Soryu with 3,828 votes, Furukawa edged Shiina 3,160-3,060 while pounding Suiseiseki, and Hiiragi rocked Louise Francoise Le Blanc de LA Valliere and Rena Ryuuguu with 3,468 votes.
Another intense Group 15 contest will involve Ruri GOkou, Mafuyu Shiina and Hitagi Senjougahara. Gokou blue past Rei Ayanami and Ryoki Okami with 4,609 votes, Shiina stomped Amu Hinamori and Souseiseki with 4,022 votes and Senjougahara handcuffed Fuuko Ibuki and Yuuki Kataoka with 4,542 votes.
In other Group 16 action, Nadeko Sengoku flattened Mio Isurugi and Manami Tamura with 4,231 votes and Rin Tosaka was all business against Kanon Nakagawa and Nino with 3,840 votes.
The first eight entrants to the 2011 International Saimoe League will be decided on Match Day 5, scheduled for tuesday, March 8. Vote online for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.
