Bedlam on Baltic Avenue: 2007

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BoBA 2007 Bowl Preview: Week 1

Bedlam on Baltic Avenue
2007 Bowl Preview:
Week 1

In this first part of the Bedlam on Baltic Avenue 2007 Bowl Preview, I will take the time to preview the first week of action in the bowl season. After a turbulent football season which saw upsets, a battle royale for the best team in America, and one team going through the paces unscathed...we now enter the postseason.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA

Utah vs. Navy
San Diego
Thursday, Dec. 20 (ESPN, 9 ET)

This is a tantalizing way to start the college bowl season. The Mountain West runner-ups against an option system led by Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada.

From the AP...

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Utah coach Kyle Whittingham knows all about wild December games in San Diego, having played in the first four Holiday Bowls with BYU.
Now he'll be bringing his Utah Utes to town to play Navy on Dec. 20 in the Poinsettia Bowl, which will kick off the bowl season with a matchup of 8-4 teams at Qualcomm Stadium.
"We're elated. We can't wait," Whittingham said Sunday. "It should be a great matchup."
The Midshipmen clinched a berth in the bowl by virtue of their sixth win back on Nov. 10, when they beat North Texas 74-62 in the highest-scoring game in major-college history.
Navy, a natural to play in a bowl game in a Navy town, played in the inaugural Poinsettia Bowl in 2005, beating Colorado State 51-30 as the teams combined for what was then a bowl-record 1,183 yards.
"San Diego's a great Navy city," Midshipmen coach Paul Johnson said. "We couldn't ask for a better destination. Everybody's excited."
The Midshipmen routed Army 38-3 on Saturday, their unprecedented sixth straight win in the big rivalry. Earlier this season, Navy beat Notre Dame for the first time in 44 years, 46-44 win in three overtimes.
"To have two teams with 8-4 records, both of which are having exciting seasons, we couldn't be happier," said Bruce Binkowski, executive director of both the Poinsettia and Holiday bowls.
"The interesting thing here is Utah has a very strong defense and Navy has an amazing offense, so I think we're really going to see a great matchup," Binkowski said.
Binkowski hopes the Poinsettia Bowl can mirror the Holiday Bowl's history of crazy finishes.
While Navy has played some wild games this year, Johnson isn't so sure.
"You can never tell," he said. "We played our best defensive game of the year Saturday. Our last two efforts on defense were our best two, and our last two offensively might not have been."
The Utes, of the Mountain West Conference, will be making their fifth straight bowl appearance. They have won their last six bowl games dating to 1999, the second-longest postseason winning streak in the country.
While this will be Utah's first bowl game in San Diego, Whittingham needs no introduction. He returned a kickoff 16 yards and had one carry for three yards in BYU's 23-16 loss to Navy in the first Holiday Bowl in 1978, then played as a linebacker in the next three games.
He had 16 tackles in 1980, when Jim McMahon rallied the Cougars to a memorable 46-45 win over SMU.
"I was tackling Eric Dickerson, but 10 of the 16 were probably 20 yards downfield," Whittingham said.
Whittingham said Navy's option offense is similar to the one run by Air Force, one of Utah's conference rivals.
"The best way to defend an option offense is to keep it on the sideline," Whittingham said.
The Utes won seven straight games before losing its regular-season finale to MWC champion BYU.

I believe that Navy is going to wear down Utah, pounding and grinding their way to the win.

BoBA predicts: Navy 28, Utah 14

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS

Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic
New Orleans
Friday, Dec. 21 (ESPN2, 8 ET)

Howard Schnellenberger has been in big games before...with the Miami Hurricanes.
This should not be any different, as Florida Atlantic, once a semifinalist in the Division I-AA (FCS) playoffs, now are the Sun Belt Champions, and face off against the Memphis Tigers in the first of three postseason games to be held at the Louisiana Superdome।

Florida Atlantic didn't even start playing football until 2001. Now, the Owls are going to a bowl after winning a share of the Sun Belt title. Veteran coach Howard Schnellenberger has brought this program along quicker than anyone could have imagined. Memphis started out 2-4 and went through the tragic shooting death on campus of one of its players, Taylor Bradford. But the Tigers rebounded to win five of their last six games.
-- Chris Low

Rusty Smith and Charles Pierre have their work cut out for them, but should have enough firepower against Memphis. Not even the spirit of Taylor Bradford can stop the Owls.

BoBA predicts: Florida Atlantic 31, Memphis 21

PAPAJOHNS.COM

Southern Miss vs. Cincinnati
Birmingham, Ala.
Saturday, Dec. 22 (ESPN2, 1 ET)

Southern Miss is in a state of flux, after head coach Jeff Bower resigned. Not good news for the Eagles, who will face a Cincinnati side looking to make a statement.

You probably could find Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly's name on the short list of just about every athletic director out there. It's not a question of "if" he's going to get a big job, but rather of "when." Southern Miss is looking for a coach after parting ways with Jeff Bower. Doubt Brett Favre will be tuning in. Word is he's not real happy with his alma mater for pushing Bower out the door.
-- Chris Low

The Bearcats will blast the Eagles out of the water here. No pizza for you, Seymour d'Campus.

BoBA predicts: Cincinnati 49, Southern Miss 24

NEW MEXICO

Nevada vs. New Mexico
Albuquerque, N.M.
Saturday, Dec. 22 (ESPN, 4:30 ET)

Is this the year Rocky Long's Lobos break through and get their first bowl victory in over four decades? BoBA thinks so.

The Lobos went 5-1 in Albuquerque this season, with two of those victories coming by three points apiece. Kicker John Sullivan has been automatic (26-of-29), which is doubly impressive because he has no ACL in his plant leg. Nevada's fortune turned on injury. Freshman quarterback Colin Kaepernick went 4-3 as a starter, with the three losses coming by a total of seven points.
-- Ivan Maisel

Who needs an ACL anyway to be on the money? What matters for UNM is a WIN.

BoBA predicts: New Mexico 42, Nevada 35

PIONEER LAS VEGAS

UCLA vs. BYU
Las Vegas
Saturday, Dec. 22 (ESPN, 8 ET)

There comes a day where one wishes he never left the school he originally signed with.
For UCLA's Ben Olson, that day couldn't have come any sooner, with Karl Dorrell being sacked. BYU should be licking their chops in an opportunity to exact payback.

BYU's nine-game winning streak is the second-longest in the nation, and UCLA went 6-6, but there's little chance the Cougars will overlook the Bruins. UCLA defeated BYU, 27-17, in the second week of the season. Sophomore Cougars quarterback Max Hall has been a revelation, and the defense hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher all season.
-- Ivan Maisel

They say it's tough to beat a good team twice. Brigham Young looks to make that adage true. Max power, Max Hall.

BoBA predicts: BYU 31, UCLA 10

SHERATON HAWAII

Boise State vs. East Carolina
Honolulu
Sunday, Dec. 23 (ESPN, 8 ET)

Boise State decided to snub the Humanitarian Bowl for a shot at getting payback for being ambushed by the Warriors in a matchup with East Carolina.

Boise returns to the Big Island, where a 39-27 loss to Hawaii on Nov. 23 ended the Broncos' hopes of a second straight BCS bowl game berth. Boise State still has a high-powered offense, with quarterback Taylor Tharp and tailback Ian Johnson. The Pirates lost to two ranked teams in the regular season: 17-7 at Virginia Tech and 48-7 at West Virginia.
-- Mark Schlabach

Thank God the Broncos won't be facing the Warriors on the gridiron until next year's meeting in Boise.

BoBA predicts: Boise State 42, East Carolina 34

MOTOR CITY

Purdue vs. Central Michigan
Detroit
Wednesday, Dec. 26 (ESPN, 7:30 ET)

The Chippewas can't be feeling any more chipper that being at the Motor City Bowl once again in Detroit. They take on a Purdue side that is looking to go out on a high note.

The Chippewas won four of their last five games and beat Miami (Ohio) 35-10 in the MAC championship game. Quarterback Dan LeFevour is a dual threat, with 3,360 passing yards and 1,008 rushing. The Boilermakers lost their last three games, after an impressive 5-0 start, and finished 3-5 in Big Ten play.
-- Mark Schlabach

Shouldn't be any surprise that Joe Tiller will be on the hot seat next season. Unless he isn't.

BoBA predicts: Central Michigan 48, Purdue 20

PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY

Arizona State vs. Texas
San Diego
Thursday, Dec. 27 (ESPN, 8 ET)

Here is one of the more tantalizing matchups for this week.
Rudy Carpenter faces off against Colt. But not the Colt he faced last year. This Colt's last name is McCoy, and Texas is looking to finish off looking like the Real McCoy.

Dust off the Longhorns-in-San-Diego jokes. Texas played in this game three times in four years (2000-01, 2003) before the magic of Vince Young swept them into national contention. All-Big 12 tailback Jamaal Charles became the Longhorns' most consistent weapon this season, as sophomore quarterback Colt McCoy had a bad case of the picks (co-leading the league with 18). Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter will enjoy watching the Texas defense, which allowed 275.5 passing yards per game.
-- Ivan Maisel

If at first you don't succeed against Colt, try and try again. That's what the Sun Devils will be keen to do.

BoBA predicts: Arizona State 52, Texas 49 (OT)

Saimoe 2007 Final: Rika Furude claims the title

Saimoe 2007 Final

The votes are in, and after a bitter, hotly-contested race...we have a winner at Anime Saimoe 2007.

100% precincts reporting

Nagi Sanzenin 1499

Rika Furude 1521

Rika Furude
Saimoe 2007 Champion

TOKYO, Japan - Rika Furude was sworn in as Saimoe 2007 champion, and chairwoman-elect of Alpha Nu Iota anime girls' sorority for the 2008 year. The victory brought elation and joy to the citizens of Hinamizawa City, the home town of Rika, and to those who worked at the Furude shrine in the city, bringing hugs, tears, and fireworks that blasted into the early morning.

"For me, this is a great honor to be the best in all of Japan," an emotional Furude said at a campaign rally in Hinamizawa. "I thank everyone who has helped me this campaign: Mion, Shion, Satoko, Rena, whose defeat I was able to avenge, Jun, Hanyu, and everyone else who has worked hard to get me to where I am. It's not just me: it's the entire team that has put it all together.

"For all your efforts in voting me in as Saimoe 2007 champion...free sake will be on the house for the next two weeks! Drink up! Arigato Gozaimasu!"

The people raised their sake (rice wine) cups, and shot it down, reveling in the Drunken Master's victory.

Nagi Sanzenin was gracious in defeat.

"We must not let this defeat kill us all," she said, pounding the podium at a rally at the Sanzenin mansion in Tokyo. "Furude ran a good race, and in the end, she deserved this victory. This has been a great run, and I would like to thank every one of you for getting me to where I am right now."

"You're still our number one, Ojousama (Milady)!" a tearful Hayate Ayasaki, dressed in a blue cat costume, said. The congregation agreed, to a standing ovation.

Furude will be formally sworn in as Saimoe 2007 champion during the Kohaku Uta Gassen on December 31, live on NHK., and sworn in as ANI chairwoman at midnight, January 1, at the Meiji shrine in Tokyo.

Analysis:

This is the year of drunkenness. The year of drunken masters getting their freak on. The year of mikos who are so underage that it would be a crime not to do some things that would be too graphic to say this blog. This is the year when it's June 1983 all over again, and again, and again.

I warned all you readers on this blog that conventional wisdom be a lie and a jinx, and it showed here. A close race from start to finish, but after some vote cleaning and a strong finish in the closing hours of the polls, Rika Furude, carrying the banner for When They Cry, avenged a Rena Ryuuguu loss to Nagi Sanzenin, and Suiseiseki has passed the torch to the new order.

This tournament has been unforgettable, and one that will live in the memory of those who have taken part in it. We will see you next year at Saimoe 2008, where BoBA will resume its coverage of Japan's premier anime moe competition.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more blogging from the Bedlam.

Saimoe 2007 Semifinal 2

Saimoe 2007 Semifinals 2

Ladies and gentlemen...our Saimoe 2007 final is set.

100% precincts reporting

Rika Furude 1372

Shinku 1367

Rika Furude advances to the Saimoe 2007 final, where she will face Nagi Sanzenin.

Analysis:

A close, hard fought semifinal, but Rika was able to muster enough votes at the end. This year's Saimoe 2007 final will pit a tsundere troublemaker in Nagi Sanzenin against a level five fighter in Rika Furude. It will be a great finale in this Saimoe 2007 tournament. You don't want to miss it.

Voting begins at 12:00 Japan time on November 3, and November at 8:00 a.m. PST, 11:00 a.m. EST, and 4:00 p.m. GMT. Vote at http://animemoe.hp.infoseek.co.jp.

Saimoe 2007 Semifinal 1

We now get to the penultimate rounds of this epic Saimoe 2007 competition. Upsets, voter fraud, and close finishes to go with early blowouts have been the main story of this competition. But now we wrap up the first of two semifinals.

The results are in.

100% precincts reporting

Rena Ryuuguu 1209

Nagi Sanzenin 1301

Nagi Sanzenin advances to the Saimoe 2007 Final

Analysis:

From this point on, this tournament is Nagi's to lose. She can claim the honor of defeating Shana, Konata Izumi, and now Rena Ryuuguu in succession. This is a quality moekko, and in spite of her shortcomings, a renaissance girl. She is a mangaka. An artist. A cosplayer. An experienced gamer. A devoted lover. A debutante. A wealthy, yet humble rich girl. Nagi is someone who can read between the lines so easily, and so quickly, that it's second nature for her.

Obviously the voters did not want an all-Higurashi final, but one would think that some Rena sympathizers would ride on Rika Furude's ticket as she faces Shinku. But, we have seen stranger things happen throughout this tournament, and the madness isn't over just yet. While conventional wisdom would make this tournament Nagi's to lose, conventional wisdom can also be seen as a lie and, perhaps a jinx.

One of Nagi's rivals and Saimoe 2007 participant, Hinagiku Katsura, who was eliminated in the second round, won the Korean version of the competition this year (there is also a Thai version, and other regional competitions similar to Saimoe). A victory in the November 3 final will make it a successful coup d'etat for Kenjiro Hata and the Hayate campaign.

Saimoe 2007 Quarterfinal 4

And then there were four...

Shinku 1697

Tsukasa Hiiragi 1639

Shinku advances to the Saimoe 2007 semifinals, and will face Rika Furude.

Analysis:

Believe it or not, the Rozen Maiden cause is still alive. But it isn't Suiseiseki that is delivering the goods. It's the Reiner Rubin, Shinku, who is flying the flag for the dolls, dismissing Lucky Star's best to also-rans.

This year's Saimoe 2007 contest will go down as one that was marred by proxy votes, also known as "fake votes." Vote fraud from all corners of the globe claimed the fates of many a competitor at Saimoe. Three of the semifinalists, Rika Furude, Rena Ryuuguu, and now Shinku, have benefited from the adjustments that followed. Personally, I do not know if I had played a part in it, but this adds to the mystique of Saimoe 2007. And we're not even done yet!

This is why you follow the rules when voting. Nothing is certain. Conventional wisdom can be thrown out the window. And cheaters will never prosper, so winning at all costs can be thrown out the you-know-what as well.

So now we have our semifinal rounds set.

October 31
Rena Ryuuguu vs. Nagi Sanzenin

November 1
Rika Furude vs. Shinku

Saimoe 2007 Quarterfinal 3

The results are in, and the prospects of a one-series final are looking very good.

100% precincts reporting

Rika Furude 1473

Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere 1191

Rika Furude advances to the Saimoe 2007 semifinals

Analysis:

The chances of the Saimoe 2007 final being a one-series showdown between Rena and Rika are looking very, very good. In Rika's way will be either Tsukasa Hiiragi or Shinku in the semifinal on All Saints Day.

We're down to five, with one spot to be determined. Vote now, because you make the call.

Saimoe 2007 Quarterfinal 2

The results are in for this epic quarterfinal...

100% precincts reporting

Konata Izumi 1272

Nagi Sanzenin 1334

Nagi Sanzenin advances to the Saimoe 2007 semifinals, and will face Rena Ryuuguu.

Analysis:

If you are going to have separation, you'd better hang on to it, or it can disappear in a hurry. Luckily for the flagship character from Hayate the Combat Butler, that never happened.

Rena Ryuuguu's going to be feeling the pressure in the semifinal that will be held in a few days. She is facing Nagi Sanzenin, one of the big stories of this tournament. With victories over Shana and now Konata Izumi, can the Level 5 Fighter with the cleaver slash her way into the November 3rd final? Or will Milady take it from here? You make the call.

Two more semifinal spots to be determined...

Saimoe 2007 Quarterfinal 1

And here we go again with the results from the quarterfinals…

100% precincts reporting

Rena Ryuuguu 1474

Nanoha Takamachi 1436

Rena Ryuuguu advances to the Saimoe 2007 semifinals

Analysis:

And the flagship yanderekko from Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni continues her march toward the Saimoe title in a close race between veterans to kick off the quarters. She will face either Konata Izumi or Nagi Sanzenin.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group H

Would you believe it; we are done with the group finals! Here are the results from this group. A nice way to close out the round of 16.

100% precincts reporting

Suigintou 1638

Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere 1663

Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere advances to the Saimoe 2007 quarterfinals

Analysis:

This has to be another huge blow for the Rozen Maiden cause. I thought that Suigintou was going to be a huge threat to Suiseiseki, but it's clear that the voters were keen to avoid giving a victory to Mercury Lampe. This was another surprising result, and the closest of the group finals.

In the waning hours of the vote, Suigintou was actually leading Louise, but when you have strong separation early, you will have to make up the margin very quickly. Here, Louise just had enough to win this group. By 25 votes. If this were a match of The Contender, we're looking at a narrow split decision.

It's onward to the Saimoe 2007 quarterfinals! Keep tuning in to BoBA for continuing coverage of this event.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group G

The results are in in this matchup...

100% precincts reporting

Sayuri Kurata 789

Rika Furude 939

Rika Furude advances to the Saimoe 2007 quarterfinals

Analysis:

I seemed to have underestimated the other Higurashi candidate still alive in this tournament. Kanon's last girl standing didn't stand a chance in this matinee of a matchup. A 150-vote victory for Rika puts her in the quarters.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group F

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group F

The results are in. And it is the end of an era.

100 % precincts reporting

Suiseiseki 1559

Tsukasa Hiiragi 1741

Tsukasa Hiiragi advances to the Saimoe 2007 quarterfinals

Analysis:

There is not even a semblance joy in the Desu Nation, for mighty Suiseiseki, the Jade Stern, has been toppled. There will be a new Saimoe champion. This opens the door wide open for the likes of Suigintou and everyone else. But even Mercury Lampe will need to look over her shoulder...Tsukasa Hiiragi might pull off a Rozen Maiden sweep.

This was defying all odds. There will be a new champion.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group E

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group E

The votes are in in Group E...

100% precincts reporting

Shinku 1249

Ayumu Nishizawa 942

Shinku advances to the Saimoe 2007 quarterfinals.

Analysis

Well, it wasn't 400 votes, but that was still getting the job done. The Hamster's courageous run at the Saimoe 2007 crown fell at the hands of the Reiner Rubin, Shinku, who took a businesslike approach to this tournament, and is now three victories away from taking the title.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group D

And here we go again with the results...

100% precincts reporting

Yuno 1047

Rena Ryuuguu 1183

Rena Ryuuguu advances to the Saimoe 2007 quarterfinals

Analysis:

I forgot to add a BoBA Prediction in this one, which was going to be Rena by 100 votes. My bad. Anyway, a 100+ point victory for the flagship yanderekko of Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni sees Rena off to the quarterfinals to slash some more cleaver-style!

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group C

The results are in at Saimoe 2007 in this battle between Nanoha and Vita...

Nanoha Takamachi 797

Vita 673

Nanoha Takamachi will advance to the Saimoe 2007 quarterfinals.

Analysis:

This one took me by surprise. I expected a close vote, with Vita pulling off the win. I assume that Nanoha's name and the fact that Fate isn't there to swing some votes around were the reasons why the White Devil is moving on. Again, a big surprise.

With three finals already done, five more quarterfinal spots await.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group B

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group B

The results are in...

Konata Izumi 1166

Konoka Konoe 793

Konata Izumi advances to the Saimoe 2007 quarterfinals.

Analysis:

This wasn't even close. For most of the voting, Konata never trailed in the voting. This was the very first time she saw some separation, unlike her previous rounds. Konoka never stood a chance against the Legendary Girl A. I called for a win by at least 200 votes, and again it was right on the money: Konata won by 373 votes.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals: Group A

The votes are in at the Group A Final of Saimoe 2007.

100% precincts reporting:

Shana 1068

Nagi Sanzenin 1086

Nagi wins Group A, and will advance to the quarterfinals of Saimoe 2007.

Analysis:

As expected, this was a battle that would divide voter lines, and I called for Nagi to win by less than 100. And that's what happened. In the final hours, Nagi finally had enough separation to edge Shana. Both competitors put up a great fight, but the franchise heroine from Hayate the Combat Butler wasn't going to be denied her victory over an opponent who had reached higher ground than this.

Next Up: Konata Izumi vs. Konoka Konoe.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview: Group H

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview

Group H

Suigintou (Mercury Lampe)

How she got here:

1st Round: Defeated Koyori Ishizuki 924-286
2nd Round: Defeated Fate T. Harlaown 1790-1624
3rd Round: Defeated Alicia Florence 1226-736

(from Wikipedia)

The first doll of the Rozen Maiden collection. Her desire to win the Alice Game is the strongest of all the dolls, and is primarily driven by her wish to gain the attention of "Father". Sadistic, spiteful, and arrogant (thanks to her major inferiority complex), Suigintou has no inhibitions when it comes to the Alice Game and will use any method possible, regardless of how brutal, to win. She particularly hates Shinku, and can approximate how many hours and minutes since their last battle. However, upon meeting Megu, her medium, Suigintou's attitude and motivations begin to shift; her softer side emerges, and she even hopes to use another doll's Rosa Mystica to heal Megu of her heart ailment.

Suigintou has a number of strange traits and flaws. In the anime, she is missing her torso; Shinku explains at one point that before Suigintou was completed, her design was erased, but gives no further explanation as to why or how. Curiously, after Suigintou is destroyed in battle by Shinku partly she is restored mid-way through Rozen Maiden Träumend. She was restored by her current medium, Megu. In the Rozen Maiden Träumend finale, she tells Shinku that even with her flawed body, "Father" told her that she was entitled to become Alice. Later in the episode, Rozen is seen lovingly fixing her neck ribbon. It may be that he fixed her torso, as he grips her around the waist afterwards.

In the manga, her wings (she is the only Rozen Maiden with them) have ravaged her back with cracks. Despite these flaws, her love for "Father" and willpower is so strong that she can use her powers independently of a medium. Initially, Suigintou's will to exist was so strong that she was able to move without actually possessing a Rosa Mystica. She resists a medium because of her strong sense of independence and disdain towards humanity. Suigintou has uniquely been defeated and revived three times.

In Rozen Maiden Ouvertüre, her complete past is revealed. Her intense hatred for Shinku stems from the very moment of Suigintou's awakening, when she notices Rozen affixing a brooch with his image on Shinku's bow. Nevertheless, they still managed to be friends as Suigintou was ignorant of the Rozen Maidens' true purpose--destruction of one another through the Alice Game--when they meet in 19th century London. Suigintou stumbles through a mirror in the room of Shinku's medium, wailing hysterically for "Father". Shinku takes Suigintou in after determining that she is not a threat. Shinku not only teaches her how to walk, but also treats her as an equal. One day, she follows Shinku into an Alice Game battle with Souseiseki, and is cut in half by Souseiseki's shears. This reveals her incomplete body, and she vanishes into a watery N-Field where "Father" gives her a Rosa Mystica of her own at last, thus, making Suigintou a true Rozen Maiden. Not long after, Shinku admits that she only felt pity for the "poor, unfinished doll" that certainly couldn't become Alice and insinuates that Suigintou could not possibly be a Rozen Maiden because she is flawed and different from all the others. This angers Suigintou, and she releases her black wings for the first time, beginning an Alice Game battle with Shinku. She eventually pulls Rozen's brooch from Shinku's ribbon and crushes it in front of her eyes. As Suigintou laughs arrogantly at Shinku's anguish, Shinku calls her "junk". The fight between the two becomes even more intense, but Laplace no Ma ends the battle, stating that the Alice Game of that era has ended.

Along with her artificial spirit, Meimei, Suigintou's weapons are her ragged black wings. With their arrow-like feathers, she can conjure up a shield, a large sword, or even twin black dragons. Suigintou can also create destructive blue flames as a last resort. The variety in Suigintou's abilities, particularly when combined with her savagely cunning nature, make her a strong player in the Alice Game.

* Medium: None (First Season) / Megu (Second Season)
* Artificial Spirit: Meimei (メイメイ, Meimei)

Is it sympathy for the devil? Or is it sympathy for Suigintou?

Whatever the case, what could be seen as the biggest threat to Suiseiseki’s Saimoe defense is now in the Group H final. She was able to do what the defending champion was able to do last year: defeat Fate Testarossa, this time in the second round.

Suigintou may have an inferiority complex, but don’t tell that to those who support someone who uses feathers as multi-purpose weapons and a shield, or burn the house down when everything is on the line. They will tell you that Suigintou, whose seiyuu is Rie Tanaka (of Chobits [Chii], Azumange Daioh [Koyomi Mizuhara] and Hayate the Combat Butler [Maria] fame, among others), has a superiority complex that not even the Desu nation could topple.
Of course, coming to the aide of someone who needs that healing touch won’t hurt Suigintou’s cause, either.

This brings up the question: will that inferiority-turned-superiority complex result pay off against Louise?
You make the call.

Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere

How she got here:

1st Round: Defeated Otoha Sakurano 922-590
2nd Round: Defeated Mai Kawasumi 797-795
3rd Round: Defeated Eri Sawachika 1013-630

* Familiar: Saito Hiraga
* Age: 16
* Height: 153 cm (5')
* Three Sizes: 76/53/75
* Favorite Food: Cookberry Pie
* Hobbies: Knitting (Though she is terrible at it.)
* Special Skills: Horseback Riding
* Hates: Frogs and Kirche
* Full Name: Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière
* Runic Name: Louise the Zero (zero no ruizu)
* Magical Affinity: Void

Louise is the main female character. She is a second year student at the Tristain Academy of Magic and a terrible mage who is often scorned by her fellow classmates because every spell she casts fails, she is nicknamed "Louise the Zero" after her zero success rate and zero attributes. This has led her to be very bitter and in the way she treats her future familiar Saito to a cruel extent. She is the third daughter of the noble family La Vallière who owns the north-eastern territory of Tristain.

She always treats Saito like a dog throughout the series, whipping him, making him lie on a straw bed, and even getting naked in front of him thus showing him as being less than human to care. She also makes him dress her and wash all of her clothes (including her underwear). Typically of Rie Kugimiya's voice roles as tsundere type characters, Louise at first hates Saito, but because of various situations, grows fond of him, even having notions of love at the end of the second season even though she beats him with a whip every chance she gets without fail even at the end of the series when he mentions a fairy with big breasts saved him. In one instance she beat him for hours until he had wounds all over his body. This character is best said to be "The typical female anime character" who uses the fact she has feelings for the male lead to justify what she does to him in times of jealousy or misunderstanding without repercussions. It should be stated that she is under no one's control or being forced by any means to hurt Saito. She does this willingly and in most cases is shown to actually like hurting him physically. (Smiling being the indicator along with never feeling a shred of regret after every one of them.)

Later is revealed that Louise's failure in perform magic of any of the four basic attributes is because in fact her magical affinity is with the rare and powerful Void element, hence being known as the Void Wizard since then. This at first relies on the cooperation of Saito's ability to trigger it, even through the way she treats him.

She is named after Louise Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc, duchesse de La Vallière, a French courtesan who was mistress to Louis XIV of France from 1661 to 1667.

When I think of the young lady who puts the “Zero” in Zero no Tsukaima, I think of this phrase: Jeez Louise, you’re quite a tease!

Actually, Louise almost wasn’t in the Group H final: she had to sweat out a tenacious 2nd round match with Mai Kawasumi of Kanon before winning by only two votes. After that matchup, it was an easy cruise to the group final, with a trouncing of Eri Sawachika of School Rumble 2nd Semester.

Heralded as the “New Shax” (although this title is disputed by those who believe Nagi is the “New Shax” or those Shanaists who belive that the Old Shax and New Shax are one and the same…confusing, isn’t it?), Louise has all you can ask for in a moekko: youth, shortcomings in performing, a Lolita complexion, and so on. Her seiyuu is Nagi Sanzenin’s and Shana’s seiyuu, the ubiquitous Rie Kugimiya. She will be facing her biggest test yet, the ever fearsome Suigintou from Rozen Maiden. Can she pull it off? You make the call.

What to expect:

The group finals conclude with a huge finale. I am calling for Suigintou to pull off another close match, with high turnouts from all corners of the world.

BoBA predicts:

Suigintou by less than 100 votes