Bedlam on Baltic Avenue

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview: Group E

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview

Group E

Shinku (Reiner Rubin)

How she got here:

1^st Round: Defeated Athena Glory 898-437

2^nd Round: Defeated Nodoka Miyazaki 818-539

3^rd Round: Defeated Takako Itsukishima 1461-1089

Shinku is the fifth Rozen Maiden doll and the first to appear in the series. She embodies the traditional Victorian aristocrat. She is extremely demanding and can seem unappreciative of others, even though this is often not the case. Her favorite words are "tea", "servant" and "What?"; she takes pride in lecturing, slapping, and generally abusing Jun, her medium, at every opportunity. No matter how strong the emotion, Shinku rarely lets her sadness, joy, or fear show through. Shinku may seem cold, but she is highly protective of and cares deeply for her sisters and for Jun. She can be relied on for the occasional bit of parent-like wisdom. Despite her aristocratic quirks, Shinku is the most level-headed doll living in Jun's house.

Shinku does not use honorific suffixes such as "-chan," "-san," or "-kun," except when she refers to "Father." Despite her relative youth amongst the Rozen Maidens, the other dolls look up to her as an older sister, and a worthy challenger in the Alice Game. Shinku does have a cute side, which is evident in her intense, almost obsessive, admiration for the puppet detective Kun Kun. Jun was once able to win her over during an argument by using a Kun Kun doll. Shinku hates cats because one almost ate her wind-up key in the past.

Along with being the central doll in the series, Shinku seems to hold a special place in "Father"'s heart; he had given her a special brooch with his image when she was created, which Suigintou destroyed out of jealousy. Shinku desires to become "Alice," but she refuses to use deadly force against her sisters and believes that there must be a way to become Alice without taking part in the Alice Game as told to her by "Father".

In combat, Shinku fights with rose petal-based attacks, making her one of the strongest dolls in battle. The rose petals are extremely versatile; Shinku can direct them to spread out for wide-ranging attacks, or group them together to use as a shield. Her other weapon is a cane, which she skillfully wields like a sword. Shinku has other special powers, such as restoring broken objects, typically Jun's bedroom windows after Suiseiseki and Souseiseki show up, with a form of time-reversing magic.

* Medium: Jun/Sarah (Ouvertüre OVA)

* Artificial Spirit: Hollie (ホーリエ, Hōrie?) (Also called Hollier (Tokyopop translation))

Shinku, along with Suiseiseki and Suigintou, form the Power Trio among the Saimoe favorites from Rozen Maiden. An all-around fighter in the Alice Games, Shinku’s fetish for KunKun, and her level-headed mentality, places her as a stalwart, and formidable foe in this tournament. It seems that Jun can never escape her wrath. What Shinku wants, Shinku gets. Sort of.

Fancy her coming back to the Sweet 16. More tea, Lady Shinku?

Ayumu Nishizawa

How she got here:

1^st Round: Defeated Akira Kogami 785-450

2^nd Round: Defeated Teana Lanster 830-767

3^rd Round: Defeated Tamao Suzumi 931-888

(from Wikipedia)

* Age: 16

* Height: 162cm

* Weight: 47kg

* Blood type: A

* Birthday: May 15

Ayumu Nishizawa is a girl from Hayate's school before he became a butler. She always had feelings for Hayate and is happy when he pays his old school a visit. She violently lashes out at anyone who badmouths her and Hayate, including a teacher who called Hayate a dropout because his parents had refunded all his school fees the day Hayate was sold. She confesses her feelings to Hayate, but Hayate rejects them after getting a vision of Nagi.

Undeterred, she tries to talk to Hayate when she sees him a week later, but she runs into Nagi and is shocked that in terms of metaphoric strength that Nagi is represented by a dragon while she is represented by a hamster. Nishizawa retreats, vowing next time to bring a stronger hamster. She later challenges Nagi to karaoke, only to lose.

In the anime, it is a running gag that most of the time she is shown eating something.

Talk about rivalry. In Hayate the Combat Butler, the rivalry between Hinagiku Katsura and Nagi Sanzenin is strong, but a stronger rivalry is that between Nagi and Ayumu, both of who are in the Sweet 16. This is the result of mixing a long-lost love, a compulsive appetitive, and a key member of that harem that poor (or is it pure luck?) Hayate Hermione Ayasaki put himself in. And some.

Impressively, Ayumu was able to outlast most of the other members from Hayate the Combat Butler, including Hinagiku, who was upended in the second round. Whether or not her charm and character will be enough against one of the top gun from Rozen Maiden remains to be seen.

What to expect:

A one-sided contest. Ayumu was impressive enough to make it this far. But barring a shocker of the biggest kind, Shinku will be three victories away from being Saimoe, though after this win, a couple of familiar sister will be looming.

BoBA predicts:

Shinku by 400 votes. At least.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview: Group D

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview

Group D

Yuno

How she got here:

1^st Round: Defeated Yumi Fukuzawa 765-351

2^nd Round: Defeated Barasuishou 784-500

3^rd Round: Defeated Hayate Yagami 1155-1104

Yuno, sometimes called Yunotchi by Miyako, is a young playful girl and main protagonist in Hidamari Sketch. She lives in the Hidamari apartments, along with her close friends and neighbors Miyako, Hiro, and Sae. Her friends think of her as a very nice person. Yuno dreams of being a great artist someday. Although she is a skilled artist overall, she considers painting and drawing her specialties.

Having great ambitions is something Yuno believes in doing. A talented artist, and a specialist in drawing and painting, being a great Saimoe candidate to go with being creatively gifted isn’t too dang shabby. And you should that Yuno knows it!

Yuno already toppled a couple of heavy hitters from Rozen Maiden and Nanoha StrikerS in Barasuishou and Hayate. She faces her toughest competition yet in this group of death in Rena.

And speaking of Rena…

Rena Ryuuguu

How she got here:

1^st Round: Defeated Iroha Miyamoto 992-327

2^nd Round: Defeated Shiori Misaka 825-583

3^rd Round: Defeated Kagami Hiiragi 1901-1768

Rena is a girl who returned from Ibaraki to Hinamizawa one year ago, and is in same grade-level as Keiichi. She has an obsession with things she perceives as cute — generally, these things are not considered cute by others. Every now and then, she goes treasure hunting in the town's trash heap, searching for 'cute' things to collect, and upon finding something "cute", it's difficult to stop her. She has a habit of repeating words at the ends of sentences, most famously kana ("I wonder") and when finding something cute, she states that she wants to take it home. According to Mion, while Rena might seem cute herself, people should be careful not to anger her as she becomes quite scary when angered. She is especially sensitive about the topic of Oyashiro-sama; in Tsumihoroboshi-hen, her delusions about the god's true nature go so far as to make her take the school hostage, trying to unreasonably force a police investigation into the matter. When she needs a weapon, she uses a large cleaver that she found at the trash heap.

Oh, if looks could KILL! They would not only kill, but make fake voters pay for trying to have their opponents cut it close. Rena was not tested until the third, but when the truth found out that Kagami Hiiragi was accused of having fake votes, it turned a close race into another win for the Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni flagship yanderekko.

Rena’s the type of person you don’t want mess with, as well as a person you would love to be with…if you treat her right. She makes professional hitmen look like overpaid amateurs, and serial killers look like they haven’t committed enough homicides to catch up with her. In short…she deserves to come back to the round of 16.

What to expect:

It’s a battle of franchise characters. Yuno from Hidamari vs. Rena from Higurashi is a delicious contest that will solely be in the hands of the voters. I see Rena coming with this one.

BoBA Prediction:

Rena by more than 100 votes.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview: Group C

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview

Group C

Nanoha Takamachi

How she got here:

1st Round: Defeated Yutaka Kobayakawa 960-952
2nd Round: Defeated Chika Ito 942-574
3rd Round: Defeated Lunar Edomae 1746-1702

Age 19
Title Time-Space Administration Bureau (TSAB) Armed Forces Tactical Instructor
rank Captain
Home world Earth
Affiliations TSAB

Nanoha Takamachi has a strong aptitude in magic, a rarity for those born on Earth, amongst these numbered few are Gil Graham, Hayate Yagami, and possibly her own father. She is a quick learner in the magical arts and exceeds expectations consistently throughout the series. In Nanoha, instead of having a familiar of her own creation, she is partnered with another mage named Yūno Scrya from Mid-childa, who can shapeshift into a ferret. Her weapon is an artificially intelligent staff called Raising Heart.

Nanoha is the primary Combat Instructor for the 6th Mobile Division of Time-Space Administration Bureau's Special Management, and also the commander of record for the "Stars" squad in the field.

Forcing her magical ability to increase at an accelerated rate via intensive self-training, in addition to the strain resulting from repeatedly channeling the additional magical energy from the cartridge system added to Raising Heart in A's, eventually resulted in Nanoha's body suffering severe internal damage that revealed itself during the near-fatal incident depicted in the manga. Nanoha was hospitalized for some time as a result, and her doctors originally feared she would never be able to even walk again. Eventually, however, she did recover enough to resume active duty with the TSAB. As a result of this, she has intentionally designed the 6th Mobile's training regimen to ensure the same thing will not happen to the members of the Stars and Lightning squads.

Sandwiched between two tough victories for Nanoha (Yutaka and Lunar) is a comfortable win. Already battle-tested, Nanoha, also known as “The White Devil” for her gentle nature, yet powerful attacks as a mage, is looking to advance to the round of 8, after Fate Testarossa (now Fate T. Harlaown) halted her progress.

Vita

How she got here:

1st Round: Defeated Aono Morimiya 783-600
2nd Round: Defeated Matsuri Shiho 778-760
3rd Round: Defeated Miyako 1121-1096

Age: Apparently 8, actual creation date unknown
Magic system: Belka
Weapon: Graf Eisen
Master: Hayate Yagami

Vita is one of the Wolkenritter, a creation of the Book of Darkness. She is the most devoted of the four to Hayate Yagami, their mistress. Vita's weapon is a mallet called Graf Eisen, and as a magical creation, she has no familiar.

Vita has not aged, considering her nature as a computer program, and still lives with the other Wolkenritter and Hayate, posing as a relative.

Second Lieutenant Vita is sub-commander of the Stars Squad in the TSAB, working directly under Nanoha, who, in turn, obeys Hayate. She and the other Wolkenritter were kept close to Hayate and each other-- Shamal and Zafira are support, Signum is with the Lightning Squad-- because they work most effectively as a team.

Vita is also battle-tested, with close victories in the second and third rounds. Since she does not age, she is popular with those who have a fetish for everything loli, and it is because of that, combined with the punch of Graf Eisen, that has landed her in this group final.

What to expect:

Insanity! This, like Group A, will be a final that divides voter lines. Vita has some old scores to settle for not being able to lift a finger to Nanoha in her recent battles with her, though she was able to succeed once, to an extent. Meanwhile, Nanoha look for redemption, after being halted by Fate. Will it be déjà vu all over again? Or will Nanoha the White Devil prevail once more.
I predict that it will come down to the wire, but Vita gets it done. There’s a chance that I will be proven wrong, though, as Nanoha’s voters will attest.

BoBA predicts:
Vita by less than 80 votes

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview : Group B

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview

Group B

Konata Izumi

How she got here:

1st Round: Defeated Euphemia Li Brittania 982-460
2nd Round: Defeated Nayuki Minase 824-674
3rd Round: Defeated Isumi Saginomiya 937-803

(from Wikipedia)

• Age: 17
• Birthday: May 28
• Zodiac Sign: Gemini
• Residence: Saitama Prefecture
• Blood type: A
• Strong Subjects: PE (However, it is not her favorite subject)
• Disliked Subjects: Math, Science
• Favorite Food: Chocolate Cornet Bread
• Hair Color: Blue
• Eye Color: Green
• Height: 142 cm (4' 8")
• Online Name: Konakona

Konata Izumi is, more by default than anything else, the "leader" of the main characters. Nicknamed "Kona-chan" by her friends, she gets bored easily when something doesn't interest her. She can be smart, but she hates studying, thus her grades are a bit uneasy. However, she is an expert in pulling an "all-nighter". In contrast to her studying habits, she loves video games, to the extent that she can compete against Kagami Hiiragi on trivia games. In addition, she loves anime, which is also due to her father, Sōjirō Izumi's influence, along with the games. He buys ero-games for himself, so she is able to play and enjoy them. In fact, when she became eighteen, Konata was overjoyed, since she could now go buy and play ero-games legally. In the anime, Konata constantly refers to or parodies several popular games, anime, and manga (much to the annoyance of Kagami), but her favorite franchise seems to be the Haruhi series, as she has many Haruhi figurines and decorations that makes her room, and even once went to the Suzumiya Haruhi no Gekisō with her friends. Interestingly enough, her voice actress for the animated version, Aya Hirano, is in fact the same person who voiced Haruhi Suzumiya in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya anime; other voice actors from the same series make guest appearances during the course of Lucky ☆ Star.
Since she spends quite a large sum of money on video games and dōjinshi, Konata was lucky enough to get a part-time job at a cosplay cafe. Continuing with her theme of playing video games, Konata plays the role of a male character in an online game and is married in that world. Her significant other in the game is ironically a male gamer using a female character. She often plays late into the night, hence why she tends to fall asleep in class, which makes her a frequent victim to her homeroom teacher, Nanako Kuroi.
Her physique is smaller than average when compared to her peers, which she claims hasn't changed, since she was in the sixth grade. She is ambidextrous, in contrast to the mostly left-handed main cast. She has long, blue hair which comes down to her calves with a large ahoge, sleepy eyes and a beauty mark under her left eye, just like her father. Her mother, Kanata Izumi, died when she was an infant, and she has lived alone with her father since. In her third year of high school, however, her cousin, Yutaka Kobayakawa, came to live at her house, giving a total of three people in the Izumi residence.

Konata is regarded as the flagship character of Lucky Star, and while her results haven’t been landslides as many of the other heavy hitters in the last 16, victories are victories, any way you slice it. Riding on the heels of perhaps Haruhi Suzumiya’s success (Konata’s seiyuu is, of course, the world-famous Aya Hirano), Konata is looking to stun the competition, and make more headway into the final rounds of this competition. Her savvy, her ahoge, and that catlike smile have mesmerized many an otaku, and every attribute has warranted her presence thus far in the tournament.

Konoka Konoe

How she got here:
1st Round: Defeated Kanata Izumi 805-632
2nd Round: Defeated Mika Inamori 543-537
3rd Round: Defeated C.C. 837-819

Aliases Ojou-sama, Dean's grand-daughter
Age 13/14
Gender Female
Date of birth March 18, 1989(1989-03-18)
Height 152cm (5')
Measurements 73cm - 54cm - 76cm
(29" - 21" - 30")
Blood type AB
Hair color Brown
Eye color Brown

The 13th student in Japanese alphabetical order of class 2/3-A, she is the cheerful, helpful and slightly dizzy roommate of Asuna Kagurazaka (and likewise her teacher Negi Springfield). From birth, Konoka was tied to several powerful magical organizations (her father was a member of Nagi Springfield's "Crimson Wings" for a period, her grandfather is the dean of Mahora Academy), yet she was sent away kept in the dark about her heritage of magic. Only after a trip to her home in Kyoto does Konoka finally discover the power locked away and allies with Negi in order to release it to her fullest potential. She is also extremely notable for a close relationship with her classmate/guardian Setsuna Sakurazaki.
Though attempting through several other characters and designs, the character that is Konoka was developed as the exact opposite of Asuna in many different means. As Asuna was a combative, tomboy female without any nurturing nature and a forgotten past, Konoka was created as the caring, motherly female of the duo, immediately connected to the magical world yet hidden away from her by her family for her own safety. With Negi being forced to live with the duo from the beginning, Konoka's character is used as the motherly, assisting female to make up for the deficiencies held by Asuna.

Because of her magical background and her place connected with both Negi's stay and to the group his father formerly lead, Konoka eventually finds her way into the story as the "healer" of his own developing group. Although remaining oblivious and cheerful with her new position in the story, she is forced with greater responsibilities with her own awakening magical potential. Similarly planned and explored is her relation with Setsuna, established even before their part in the story as the only two members of the class from Kyoto and thus drawing on each other for the character development as master and guardian. Yet even with the growing threat and troubles, Konoka remains with her sweet, happy-go-lucky personality who believes everything will be all right in the end.

The lucky number 13 seems to be working in Konoka’s favor, as Konoe pulled off not one, not two, but three close victories, including victories over Mika Inamori and C.C. of Code Geass. The only remaining candidate from Negima remaining, she has the whole of Mahora pulling behind her. She is seen as a longshot to win it all.

What to expect:
Konata will be looking to avenge the defeat of her mother in the first round by Konoka. Alternatively Konoka is looking to be the first to take down both mother and daughter in this final. The buck will stop here for Konoka, as Konata should be able to take it from here.

BoBA’s prediction:
Konata by at least 200 votes.

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview: Group A

Saimoe 2007 Group Finals Preview

Group A

Shana

How she got here:
1st Round: Tied with Evangeline A.K. McDowell, 754-754
2nd Round: Defeated McDowell 975-811
3rd Round: Defeated Izumi Segawa 1152-644

(from Wikipedia)
Initially, Shana is concentrated solely on her duty as a Flame Haze, going as far as to not bearing even a name. She sees Yuji only as a Torch, an object, marginally interesting because of his status as a Mystes. However, she slowly opens up to Yuji, coming to think of him as a person, despite being a Torch, and eventually comes to love him.

Until she met Yuji, she was identified by only her Flame Haze title "Slayer with Flaming Hair and Blazing Eyes," or her katana, Nietono no Shana (贄殿遮那, Nietono no Shana? "Vairocana of the Offering Room"). Yuji, in his need to humanize her, chose to name her "Shana" after her katana. Shana has a habit of saying "Urusai!" ("Shut up!") three times in a row whenever Yuji asks her questions or makes remarks that disturb her original worldview. But in reality they really care for each other. She has a great fondness for melon bread.

Shana later comes to the startling conclusion that she loves Yuji, and even confesses it to him in the last episode of the first anime series when she thought she was going to die. Shana is continually torn between her mission to protect the balance, and her love for Yuji. Due to a decision she made near the end of the first season of the anime version, the closeness they once had began to erode as Yuji kept a distance from her because of it. However, it seems that Shana and Yuji have repaired the damage their previous relationship.

After a successful Saimoe 2006 run, losing to Fate Testarossa in the semifinals, Shana is back in the round of 16, and will be looking to make a return to the semis. With the second season of Shakugan no Shana coinciding with the Group A final, the timing couldn’t be any better for a candidate who has her very own imageboard named after her, among other things.

Nagi Sanzenin

1st Round: Defeated Mei Etoh, 1180-394
2nd Round: Deafeated Ayano Minegishi 994-267
3rd Round: Defeated Tomoe Kawashiba 1073-553

(from Wikipedia)

* Age: 13

* Height: 138cm
* Weight: 29kg

* Blood type: AB

* Birthday: December 3

Nagi Sanzen'in is the only heir to the Sanzen'in fortune. She is a tomboy and has an otaku hobby with manga and anime, and draws her own manga called Millennium Legend: Magical Destroy. She is good at finance and likes to learn. She has a crush on Hayate, and has misunderstood that Hayate loves her since they first met. Nagi is afraid of dark places and has absolutely no sense of direction, and her only surviving family is her grandfather, whom she doesn't like. She regards Maria as a mother or older sister figure, and warns Hayate not to touch Maria in any indecent way or she will never forgive him. She totally lacks experience for cooking and accordingly is prone to making mistakes (such as mistaking dish-washing detergent for cooking oil) when she attempts to cook. She has a pet tiger, Tama, whom she refers to as a cat. Her mother is shown in Volume 12 of the manga.
Nagi spent most of her younger years living outside Japan. Because of her family's wealth, she became the prime target of the Sicilian Mafia and other criminal organizations. Nagi disliked being a target and spent most of her days inside playing video games and watching TV slowly becoming a hikikomori. Hayate, Maria, and Klaus worry about her well-being because she likes to play games until late at night and skip school so they encourage her to leave the house or invite guests for a party. She begins to go to school more often after Hayate transfers to her school. Nagi skipped grades and is currently in the first year of high school and in the same class as Hayate.
"Nagi(凪)" means "windless, calm", which seems to be the contrast to Hayate.

Nagi has had an easy trip to the Group A final, not facing much stiff competition from her opponents. Three landslide victories have put Milady in her most challenging battle yet: a duel with Shana. Positive factors regarding Nagi include her otaku tendencies, her lolicon potential, and her antics with everyone in the series, especially Hayate and Ayumu Nishizawa (who also is in the round of 16.) Interestingly, the seiyuu for both Shana and Nagi is the ever-versatile, unflappable, unbelievably Rie Kugimiya.

What to expect:

A fierce battle that will divide voter lines quite bitterly. It’s a toss-up as to which of the two will advance.

BoBA’s prediction:

Nagi by less than 100 votes

Saimoe 2007 Third Round Part 8

Saimoe 2007 Third Round Part 8

We wrap up the third round of Saimoe 2007 on the Bedlam with some victories for the Rozen Maiden team and a Higurashi sacrifice.

100% precincts reporting

Round G3-2

Mion Sonozaki- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 571
Rika Furude- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 932

Winner – Rika Furude. She will face Sayuri Kurata in the Group G Final.

Round H3-1

Suigintou -Rozen Maiden 1226
Alicia Florence -ARIA The NATURAL 736

Winner – Suigintou. She will face Louise De La Valliere in the Group H Final.

And that wraps up the third round from Saimoe 2007. The Group finals are next, starting October 16. Stay tuned for a capsule of all 16 competitors still alive on the Bedlam.

Now that’s what I call…a rally.

Just when I thought Friday was going to go down south in a hurry, I get a reprieve. I don’t know if it was me destroying the video tape (that originally had the Angels’ last World Series victory) or if it was the soul of Colt Brennan coming back from its trap and going into its body which had an imposter soul, or the fact that I had mellowed down considerably.

Whatever the case, Friday was the night of the comeback kids. In San Jose, the Spartans were leading the Hawaii Warrior 35-21, and were in control of ending Hawaii’s winning streak. Colt Brennan came right back to throw another touchdown to make it 35-28 late in the fourth quarter. However, as San Jose State was about to run down the clock, a man by the name of Blaze Soares stripped SJSU tailback James T. Callier of the ball, and Adam Leonard recovered the ball. Brennan, on the next possession, took it in to tie the score.

In overtime, Brennan hooked up on a 9-yard pass to Jason Rivers to give Hawaii the lead back. An interception by Myron Newberry sealed the deal, eliciting elation back in the islands, while eliciting frustration and broken hearts wearing blue in Spartan Stadium.

Top that, King Xerxes the First.

Meanwhile, down in Stockton (not too far from San Jose), Long Beach State’s women’s volleyball team pulled off a rally of their own. Down two games, I tuned into the game late on longbeachstate.com and on CSTV’s GameTracker. The 49ers, as if I was bringing some type of divine inspiration, won the next three games, 32-30, 30-22, and 15-13. It was only proper that Alexis Crimes seal the game off. On match point, Alexis crushed the mother lode into the Pacific court. Sorry, Charlie (Wade).

On a night where Melbourne Victory and the Long Beach State ice hockey teams dropped stinkers, the comeback kids were having a great night out in Stockton and San Jose. Joe Montana send help.

Saimoe 2007 Third Round Part 7

Continuing with the third round…

100% precincts reporting

Round G3-1

Eruru (Elulu)-Utawarerumono 757
Sayuri Kurata- Kanon 827

Winner - Sayuri Kurata. She will face Suigintou or Alicia Florence next.

Round H3-2

Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere - Zero no Tsukaima 1013
Eri Sawachika - School Rumble 630

Winner - Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere. She will be facing either Rika Furude or Mion Sonozaki next.

Two more Sweet 16 spots are up for grabs at Saimoe 2007. Vote, vote, vote…but vote only once per day.

Saimoe 2007 Third Round Part 6

The returns keep coming, and the beat ain’t stopping…on BoBA.

100% precincts reporting

Round E3-2

Tamao Suzumi- Strawberry Panic 888
Ayumu Nishizawa - Hayate no Gotoku 931

Winner – Ayumu Nishizawa. The unsung moekko from Hayate the Combat Butler is now in the Group of 16. Ayumu vs. Shinku in the Group E final.

Round F3-1

Arurū – Utawarerumono 876
Suiseiseki- Rozen Maiden 1154

Winner – Suiseiseki. The otaku say Yes to Desu again. Suiseiseki vs. Tsukasa Hiiragi in the Group F final.

Four more spots to be decided at Saimoe ’07! This is getting good.

Saimoe 2007 Third Round Part 5

The returns keep coming, and the beat ain’t stopping…on BoBA.

100% precincts reporting

Round E3-1

Shinku-Rozen Maiden 1461
Takako Itsukushima- Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru 1089

Winner – Shinku. As expected. She will face either Tamao Suzumi or Ayumu Nishizawa next.

Round F3-2

San Seto- Seto no Hanayome 1448
Tsukasa Hiiragi - Lucky Star 1519

Winner – Tsukasa Hiiragi. Lucky Star’s voters were smart enough to avoid another fake vote meltdown. Tsukasa will face either Aruru or Suiseiseki next.

More to come from Saimoe 2007 on BoBA. Remember, vote only once. Fake votes are the death of many a candidate.

Saimoe 2007 Third Round Part 4

And so we roll on with more returns.

100% precincts reporting

Round C 3-2

Miyako -Hidamari Sketch 1096
Vita - Nanoha Strikers 1121

Winner – Vita. Looks like some old scores are to be settled. It’s Nanoha vs. Vita in the Group C final.

Round D 3-1

Yuno - Hidamari Sketch 1155
Hayate Yagami -Nanoha Strikers 1104

Winner – Yuno. The franchise character from Hidamari Sketch is still alive. It’s Yuno vs. Rena in the Group D final.

More to come from Saimoe 2007 on BoBA.

Saimoe 2007 Third Round Part 3

The high turnouts are the big story of the day at Saimoe 2007. Here’s the latest returns.

100% precincts reporting

Round C3-1

Luna Edomae -Seto no Hanayome 1702
Nanoha Takamachi- Nanoha Strikers 1746

Winner – Nanoha Takamachi by 44 votes. The White Devil will square off against Vita or Miyako next in the Group C final.

Round D3-2

Rena Ryuuguu -Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 1901
Kagami Hiiragi-Lucky Star 1768

Winner – Rena Ryuuguu. We at the Bedlam knew that Kagami was facing yet another tough opponent, and the results stands witness to the truth. Rena will face Yuno or Hayate Yagami next in the Group D final.

Saimoe 2007 Third Round Part 2

Some more results from Saimoe 2007…

Round A3-2

Tomoe Kashiwaba-Rozen Maiden 553
Nagi Sanzen’in-Hayate no Gotoku 1073

Winner – Nagi in a landslide. This sets up a Shana vs. Nagi Group A Final. Yummy.

Round B3-1

Isumi Saginomiya – Hayate the Combat Butler 803
Konata Izumi - Lucky Star 937

Winner – Konata Izumi, as expected. This sets up a Group B final between Konoka Konoe and Konata Izumi. Will Konoka pull off a third miracle win? Or will the flagship moekko from Lucky Star move on to the round of 8? Stay tuned…

Another brutal weekend of all sorts

This was another brutal weekend of all sorts. First, we will go to what made this weekend brutal for the local teams.

Start with the Angels. They are done. Boston swept L.A., 3-0 with a 9-1 win. Next, the local university football teams. Ugh. USC, what happened? The Trojans lost to a Stanford team that was coached by Jim Harbaugh, a rising sensation, who helped San Diego to winning some nice hardware. And no, I am not talking about the Chargers, I am talking about the Torero football team, who are still continuing on their merry little way under successor Ron Caragher. Harbaugh’s Cardinal pulled off the upset special at the Coliseum.

Meanwhile, Charlie Weis’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish are increasing their prospects of leaving the ESPN Bottom 10 with a victory over UCLA. As if things weren’t bad enough for Karl Dorrell after losing to Utah weeks earlier…it gets even worse.

Also, the Kings and Ducks choked again. The Stanley Cup hangover from hell rolls on. And Marion Jones admitted of her shortcomings. Take her medals away, Lord.

But, there were some good things that happened. In spite of Colt Brennan aggravating his injury, Tyler Graunke takes over and leads the Hawaii Warriors to a 52-37 victory over Utah State. I can see YouTube member ajscoll steaming over this. This guy shut his mouth weeks ago after laying on the smack. I know that if we lose next week, or the week after, or in a few, he will pop his ugly head and enter another troll remark. Warrior ohana on the Tube, that’s what the thumbs-down icon is for. Just in case.

Also, Long Beach State’s men’s water polo, women’s soccer, ice hockey, and women’s volleyball teams roll on to victories, with the women’s tennis team still going on. I guess I was expecting a bit too much from sophomore Derek Wiebe-Bailey, but I will not lay any sympathy out because he’s an underclassman. He will be the one that takes over for Steve McKenzie, so I was a bit perturbed that MIT cut it close in a 9-5 victory for us. He’ll improve. He has to. Otherwise, I reserve the right to ask myself…what is he doing here?

That’s the thing. Even when you win, there is always room to improve. I know those players on those teams know that they didn’t play their best game, and they’ll need to turn it up a notch for next week’s action. They must.

And finally, the Galaxy still are clinging to hope that they will enter the playoffs. They defeated Houston, 2-1. They are now on a tear. Toronto FC is next for them. If they are able to make the playoffs, my jaw is going to drop for a while.

Saimoe 2007 Third Round Part 1

And here we go again with the results…

Round A3-1-

Shana -Shakugan no shana 1152
Segawa Izumi- Hayate no Gotoku 644

Winner – Shana. An easy victory. She will face Nagi Sanzenin or Tomoe Kashiwaba next.

Round B3-2

Konoka Konoe-Negima!? 837
C.C-Code Geass 819

Winner – Konoka. The cardiac chick of legend. She continues her run, and will face either Isumi Saginomiya or Konata Izumi next.

Hard to Handle?

It’s a tradition for me to go to one Lakewood High School home football game, and one St. Anthony High School home football game every fall. It’s a sort of ritual for me, as Lakewood is my alma mater, and St. Anthony is my Catholic prep school of choice to follow. I already did the former, and last night, I decided to do the latter.

I had to make some sacrifices though. Cashing all the pennies I had, combined with trading in my NCAA Football 2008 game for the PS2. In the end, I was having too many problems with the game, and I decided then and there that it was time for someone else to go through the same hell I went through. So I had enough for a meal at Carl’s Jr, and some money for the game and a program.

The Saints were facing the Grizzlies of Downey Calvary Chapel, and up to now, Calvary Chapel were not winning impressively, with close wins. Meanwhile, Austin Muhleka was performing very well as the signal-caller, with a 3-1 record at that time. However, I knew that it was a new game, and the last thing I wanted to watch was a massacre a la the match against the Dolphins of Chadwick. Also, the match was the last game before opening Santa Fe League play against Salesian, so it was a time to impress.

The sun began to set as the Saints went through their stretches. St. Anthony’s football field, Clark Field it was called, looked as if it didn’t miss a single beat. After so many years of use, it looked like the same St. Anthony field when I first watch my very first game at this place: rusted metal, the paint chipping off the wooden bleachers, the scoreboard still looking the same, the years indicating St. Anthony’s 12 league championships, the grass pitch, and the dirt track that surrounded the field. To the north was the Touchdown Club Snack Shack, the only concession stand in the stadium, and Guesno Field, the home to the Saints baseball team. And to the far north lay the Lakewood Center Mall. Far to the south was Long Beach City College, and to the southeast was Lakewood High School. The Lancers were in my neck of the woods, and they were facing the Cabrillo Jaguars that night.

The stadium looked like it was out of a time warp, with the wide goal posts to accommodate kickers of all skills and sizes, but that was the charm of Clark Avenue Field. It was an old lady among the football field of Long Beach, but one that never got old. The sun began to set, giving way to the cool October night as the home team, decked in their purple tops and white bottoms, went through their preliminaries.

A guy by the name of Chris came over to ask some people in the stands to help move the chains. After a small pause, I decided to go ahead and help them for the course of the game. I was decked in my purple yarn scarf, with a purple St. Anthony polo shirt, my Long Beach State rugby sweater and trademark black Beach Pride hat. Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” was blaring through the speakers. This was one of those small-school cozy-feely types of games. It was a good time to see if the Saints were in form to begin league play on the right foot. Last week, they escaped Brethren Christian, 29-26.

Also, I was still recovering from my cold, and my throat was still scratchy. I still owe it to my friend Chris. He prevented me from losing my voice a night ahead of the Beach’s volleyball match with Northridge. The lights went on. Time stood still. I closed my eyes, chain marker in hand. I recalled the days I was on the sidelines, covering junior college football games the past two seasons. I had seen it before. It was nothing new to me. But moving the chains was.

Sometimes, I would not know where to go, but as I went up and down, stretching the chains, I heard the coaches and players confer with each other. I could hear the yelling, the frustration, the elation, and the roller coaster of emotions that came from being on the sidelines. One time, I even showed my disgust at a trick play by Muhleka that went awry in a hurry.

At halftime, a young kid was wearing a Long Beach Pop Warner football jersey. “Love the LB on that sleeve,” I said.

“You do?” he said, beaming.

“Yeah.”

“Hey, it’s you, Super Fan!”

“That’s me.” I said, with my wink and salute. “Are you enjoying the game?”

“Yeah!”

“All right. Enjoy the rest of the game.” And he scurried off to sit down with his parents.

I joked with Chris midway through the fourth quarter on a key Saints drive, “By now, Lakewood should have already crushed Cabrillo right now.” I talked with him and my partner Reno about my team during my senior year, that 1-8 year from hell. Sure enough, as I went on the bus back to the Westside, I walked by Hill and Santa Fe. All quiet. I thought to myself, “The Lancers must have crushed the Jaguars, as I thought.”

I was right. Lakewood won, 48-14. But the Saints made it look like I was watching Lakewood vs. Tesoro all over again. St. Anthony was stuffed in the second half, losing to Calvary Chapel, 20-14. In retrospect, I can’t deny that it wasn’t six dollars wasted. But the prospects of Brian Walsh’s Saints to break out of their 11+ year hoodoo aren’t looking too bright right now.

The Rundown: Saimoe 2007 Third Round

As of 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time, there are less than 8 hours remaining until the polls reopen, but here is a heads-up on who will face who, and when.

To cut to the chase, as I am still reeling from another delicious episode cocktail of Murder Princes mixed with Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei splashed with Lovely Complex and Gurren Lagann and some live-action Bambino on the side, all chased down with some Red Hot Chili Peppers mash-ups, we are now down to 32 candidates for the title of Saimoe 2007 champion (in the female division, the male division defending champ currently is Itsuki Koizumi and voting for that won’t start until next year), and the heat is turned up several degrees centigrade.

The schedule:

October 6:

Group A

Shana (Shakugan no Shana) vs. Izumi Segawa (Hayate the Combat Butler)

Group B

Konoka Konoe (Negima!?) vs. CC (Code Geass)

October 7:

Group A

Tomoe Kawashiba (Rozen Maiden Ouverture) vs. Nagi Sanzenin (Hayate the Combat Butler)

Group B

Isumi Saginomiya (Hayate the Combat Butler) vs. Konata Izumi (Lucky Star)

October 8:

Group C

Lunar Edomae (Seto no Hanayome) vs. Nanoha Takamachi (Nanoha StrikerS)

Group D

Yuno (Hidamari Sketch) vs. Hayate Yagami (Nanoha StrikerS)

October 9:

Group C

Miyako (Hidamari Sketch) vs. Vita (Nanoha Strikers)

Group D

Rena Ryuuguu (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni) vs. Kagami Hiiragi (Lucky Star)

October 10:

Group E

Shinku (Rozen Maiden Ouverture) vs. Takako Itsukushima (Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru)

Group F

Sun Seto (Seto no Hanayome) vs. Tsukasa Hiiragi (Lucky Star)

October 11:

Group E

Tamao Suzumi (Strawberry Panic) vs. Ayumu Nishizawa (Hayate the Combat Butler)

Group F

Aruru (Utawarerumono) vs. Suiseiseki (Rozen Maiden Traumend)

October 12:

Group G

Suigintou (Rozen Maiden Ouverture) vs. Alicia Florence (ARIA the Natural)

Group H

Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere (Zero no Tsukaima) vs. Eri Sawachika (School Rumble 2^nd Term)

October 13:

Group G

Eruru (Utawarerumono) vs. Sayuri Kurata (Kanon)

Group H

Mion Sonozaki (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni) vs. Rika Furude (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni)

A week of voting continues, and the Bedlam will continue to provide you coverage of the results as they happen. Starting from this point forward, coverage of the next few rounds will come day by day. We hope you point your browser to arinaholic.blogspot.com for all the details of this tournament. It has been a great edition, with upsets and surprised aplenty, but there’s more to come. And once again, you make the call.

Just point your browser to

http://animemoe2007.hp.infoseek.co.jp/

and vote on the forums to make your decision!

Mission and Vision of the Beach

I would like to take this time to go ahead and take a breather from the insanity and bedlam and activity thereof on this blog, and give you a special announcement from my university's president. Enjoy.

Dear CSULB Students:

I am pleased to share with you the result of a year-long collaborative effort to revise our campus statements of mission, vision and values to better reflect our current self-conception of CSULB as a university of rising excellence with a global perspective, as a destination of choice for talented students, and as a source of highly-valued degrees.

This revision is the product of last fall’s Academic Senate retreat that focused on mission, vision and values. That lively event, with terrific student participation, yielded many exciting ideas about how to portray our rising excellence.

An experienced committee representing all four University divisions and including the Senate Chair sifted through those exciting ideas. That committee shared drafts and solicited further ideas from the full Academic Senate twice during the spring 2007 semester. The University Vice Presidents, working with the Senate Chair, Staff Council Chair and myself, put finishing touches on the statements over the summer.

Our prior mission statement, written in the early 1980s, was a lengthy two-page document and contained long lists of generic ideas. With our emerging University excellence and our new comprehensive (fund-raising) campaign, we needed to develop more concise statements of our mission, vision and values. The new statements are included in this email message and can be found on our campus website:

CSULB continues to be a vibrant engine of economic and social mobility for many students. The access and excellence that we provide make essential educational opportunities available to thousands of students each year. Thus, I am particularly excited about highlighting the fact that our University is a place that is “changing lives for a changing world.”

Each and every member of our campus community has contributed to the rising excellence of our University. Any statement of our mission or vision for the future is really a tribute to the hard work and dedication of faculty and staff to make CSULB a center of excellence and a gateway to educational opportunity. I hope you like our new, more concise language to portray the excellence that you have helped create over the years.

Warmly,

F. King Alexander
President

Mission Statement

California State University, Long Beach is a diverse, student-centered, globally-engaged public university committed to providing highly-valued undergraduate and graduate educational opportunities through superior teaching, research, creative activity and service for the people of California and the world.

Vision Statement

California State University, Long Beach envisions changing lives by expanding educational opportunities, championing creativity, and preparing leaders for a changing world.

Values

Educational Opportunity
Excellence
Diversity
Integrity
Service

Academic Purpose

Our academic purpose is to graduate students with highly-valued degrees.

Envisioned Future

CSULB is committed to being an outstanding teaching-intensive, research-driven university that emphasizes student engagement, scholarly and creative achievement, civic participation, and global perspectives.

Teaching-Intensive, Research-Driven University

CSULB students have many opportunities in their studies to gain a love of ideas; an appreciation of artistic expression, science, and technology; and an understanding of varied cultures.
CSULB faculty members fully integrate the results of their research and creative activities into their teaching, invigorating and enhancing student learning.
Students receive the advising and mentoring they need to realize their dreams because of the student-centered philosophy of CSULB's faculty and staff.
CSULB faculty members are widely recognized for their outstanding teaching, research, and creative activities.
The University has the highest average graduation rate and the lowest average time to graduation among the public master's-degree-granting universities in the West.
The University continues to enhance the highly collegial climate that enables broad and deep collaboration in research, creative activities, and teaching.
CSULB graduates have the necessary skills for successful careers in various fields and disciplines.
CSULB is recognized for the rich diversity of its student body and the accomplishments of its students will demonstrate that it is both possible and essential to offer broad access to high quality education.

Student Engagement

CSULB is widely recognized for its high quality of services, activities and programs for students.
CSULB has strong partnerships with faculty, staff, student and community groups so that we may serve as primary advocates to meet the needs of our diverse student population.
CSULB embraces a culture of evidence that strives for continued quality improvement in our programs and services.
CSULB invests in our human and technological resources so that we may optimally respond in a dynamic environment.
CSULB makes a positive contribution to the greater society by developing responsible citizens, with highly valued degrees, for the 21st century.
CSULB students graduate as skilled problem-solvers and practitioners of their disciplines through participation in research projects, creative endeavors, community service learning, and internships.
"Beach pride" is pervasive not just among current faculty, staff, and students, but among graduates and friends of the campus, and most alumni will retain significant ties to campus programs, return to campus often, and support the campus financially.
Other universities look to CSULB as the source of best practices in student engagement, instructional innovations, academic technologies, and student services.
Each CSULB student has the opportunity to enhance his or her educational experience through co-curricular activities that include student-to-student relationship-building in clubs, cultural activities sponsored by departments and colleges, and international programs and events.
CSULB faculty receive adequate and appropriate recognition and reward for engaging in pedagogical practices such as community service learning that prepare students for responsible civic participation.
CSULB is recognized as an "engaged campus," where students, faculty, and staff are actively involved in campus life and activities.

Scholarly and Creative Achievement

The expertise and research interests of CSULB faculty are recognized and valued nationally and internationally for their advancement of knowledge.
CSULB faculty members receive both internal and external support for their research and creative activities.
CSULB faculty researchers make significant contributions to resolving community and regional problems and planning for future needs of our region and the nation.
Research/technology parks in the Greater Long Beach area include a high proportion of small companies spun off from campus-originated faculty-staff-student research projects.

Community Engagement

CSULB faculty, staff, and students are intensely involved in community service and partnerships with community agencies and non-profits, schools, and local government agencies.
One of the fastest growing areas of campus activity is the business and technology "incubator" program, whereby faculty-staff-student research teams work together to bring ideas developed through external funding into the marketplace.
All students have the opportunity and necessary financial support to earn credit toward degree through internships with area companies and community organizations.

Global Perspectives

The variety and scope of the University's international curricular offerings are continuously broadened and deepened.
Through a wide variety of curricular and extracurricular stratagems, all CSULB students are significantly exposed to a global perspective and many will develop multi-lingual abilities.
Faculty and staff are significantly supported in internationally-related teaching and research.
The international strengths of the University are promoted and communicated, both internally and externally.

Services and Support

CSULB is widely recognized as providing the best services in the CSU System.
CSULB provides facilitative, quality, customer-oriented services.
CSULB provides the campus community with a flexible physical environment and user friendly services.
CSULB provides logistical, financial, and technological support to the campus community.
CSULB maintains and enhances the University’s infrastructure.
CSULB provides an inviting environment that promotes respect and collaboration.

-Dr. F. King Alexander
President, California State University Long Beach

In memory of Elisa Gigliotti..

Collision anniversary - News

Your spirit's alive...

Saimoe Second Round: Groups G and H

The Bedlam completes its second round coverage with results from Groups G and H.

Group G:

Round G1.

Ayu Tsukimiya -Kanon 1117
Chigusa Sakai-Shakugan no Shana 255
Eruru (Elulu)-Utawarerumono 1156

Winner – Eruru. Biggest turnout of votes in this second round in Group G.

Round G2-

Alice Carroll- Aria the Natural 349
Sayuri Kurata- Kanon 599
Akari Mizunashi -Aria the Natural 283

Winner – Sayuri Kurata. A Kanon heavy hitter dismissing two ARIA hopefuls…not very happy times down in Neo-Venezia.

Round G3-

Gretel- Otogi-Jūshi Akazukin 440
Mion Sonozaki- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 723
Ayane- Nagasarete Airantou 319

Results- Mion Sonozaki

Round G4-

Nono Ichinose- Hitohira 287
Matsuri Sakuragi- Ichigo Mashimaro 180
Rika Furude- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 714

Winner – Rika Furude.

It’s a Higurashi 3^rd round showdown in Group G. Take your pick.

Group H:

Round H1

Satoko Hojo -Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 305
Suigintou -Rozen Maiden 1790
Fate T. Harlaown -Nanoha Strikers 1624

Winner – Suigintou. Biggest turnout in Group H. And the Rozen Maiden Party gets a huge boost, while the Nanoha party is dealt a critical blow to their campaign.

Round H2

Misaki Nakahara -Welcome to the N.H.K. 259
Shamal -Nanoha Strikers 356
Alicia Florence -ARIA The NATURAL 597

Winner – Alicia Florence. The only ARIA undine remaining in the tournament.

With the first and second rounds under our belts, we now get to the good stuff. The third round is next.

Round H3

Mai Kawasumi- Kanon 795
Louise Francois Le Blanc De La Valliere- Zero no Tsukaima 797
Ringo Kinoshita- Otogi-Jūshi Akazukin 148

Winner – Louise De La Valliere. By two votes. The closest race in the second round, by far.

Round H-4

Miyo Takano- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 339
Ibarahime- Otogi-Jūshi Akazukin 288
Eri Sawachika - School Rumble 541

Winner – Eri Sawachika. She will face Louise De La Valliere for a spot in the Group H final.

Now we get to the good stuff. The third round, the group semifinals, is underway. Vote now.

Wake me up when September ends.

It’s great to see the underdog triumph, because it proves that on any given day, a top team can be felled, and it reinforces that timeless adage: You have to play the game. So I have see some top teams fall from their perch on September 29, 2007. West Virginia lost to South Florida, 21-13. Oklahoma was edged by a Colorado field goal, 27-24. Auburn also booted a field goal to drain Florida’s swamp, 20-17. Texas was given a Kansas State-style lynching, 41-21. Rutgers was routed by Maryland, 34-24. Clemson got shacked by Georgia Tech, 13-3. Illinois outlasted Penn State, 27-20. And Florida State squeaked by Alabama, 21-14.

However, calling this Saturday “Insanity Saturday” is just Pat Forde’s shyster way of stretching the impact of this weekend’s results to make it look like the end of the world. It’s not being fair to the top teams who are still alive, specifically the top two teams. USC and LSU are still on track to be in the show. The Trojans defeated Washington, 27-24. The Tigers, after a shaky start, defeated Tulane, 34-9. Cal and Ohio State are still in the running, too. The Golden Bears dismissed Oregon, 31-24, while Ohio State continued on its merry way, 30-7. Wisconsin, Boston College, and Kentucky also survived, so they are the latest contenders. And the only difference between the interceptions that Hawaii and Idaho made was that the Warriors were able to convert them into points (48-20 Hawaii).

Keep in mind that App State was not involved, either. The Mountaineers, after being upset themselves by Wofford, got back to business, dismissing Elon, 49-32.

Meanwhile, the USA gutted themselves of any hope to salvage 3^rd place, starting Brianna “The Hag” Scurry against Norway. I predict that the Norwegians got this one in the bag. The world will have ended if the USA wins this one. The world will be saved if the USA finishes 4^th, and Greg “I am Hope Solo’s worst enemy, and will be lynched for my faggotry” Ryan is sacked.

In other news, my Anaheim Ducks are feeling London Burning right now. Hey Randy Carlyle, call 99999 already! Punk. On the other side of the world, the Angels continue their warm-ups, felling the Athletics, 3-2. In Canada, the President’s Cup is all but going to go to the Yanks, as they are 7-up on the rest of the world.

And the Cubans will be crushed tomorrow in Valdivia, Chile. You may have our number in baseball, Fidel Castro, but these soon-to-be defectors are due to roll over and die come Sunday Bloody Sunday. It’s their duty.

St. Jimmy and Jesus of Suburbia, send help. And bring some Novocain with you while you’re rolling down this boulevard of broken dreams, bruised egos, and American idiots. This is a request from the Bedlam.

Saimoe 2007 Second Round: Groups E and F

And the Bedlam continues its coverage of Saimoe 2007 with results from the second round in Groups E and F.

Group E

Round E1-

Sion(Shion) Jujo -Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru. 201
Shinku-Rozen Maiden 818
Nodoka Miyazaki -Negima!? 539

Winner – Shinku

Round E2-

Ginga Nakajima -Nanoha Strikers 448
Takako Itsukushima- Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru 573
Shimako Tōdō -Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA 269

Winner - Takako Itsukushima

Takako and Shinku will square off in the third round.

Round E3-

Saki Kijima-Hayate no Gotoku 445
Henrietta-Zero no Tsukaima 575
Tamao Suzumi-Strawberry Panic 675

Winner - Tamao Suzumi. The only player from Strawberry Panic remaining, she continues to hold her ground.

Round E4-

Ayumu Nishizawa - Hayate no Gotoku 830
Asa Shigure- Shuffle Memories 161
Teana Lanster - Nanoha Strikers 767

Winner – Ayumu Nishizawa. It will be Tamao vs. Ayumu for a spot in the Group E final.

Group F

Round F1-

Yoshino Shimazu-Maria-sama ga Miteru 243
Arurū -Utawarerumono 661
Rein-Fushigiboshi no Futagohime Gyu! 438

Winner – Arurū

Round F2-

Asuna Kagurazaka-Negima 462
Suiseiseki-Rozen Maiden 888
Momoko Kuzuryū -Sumomo mo Momo mo ~Chijō Saikyō no Yome~ 122

Winner – Suiseiseki desu. The defender continues her march towards protecting her crown desu. It’s Suiseiseki vs. Arurū for a spot in the group final. Desu.

Round F3-

Miyuki Takara -Lucky Star 318
Souseiseki- Rozen Maiden 706
Sun Seto- Seto no Hanayome 982

Winner – Sun Seto. Great news for the Hanayome party, but not very good news for the Lucky Star and Rozen Maiden nations: both franchise characters from Seto no Hanayome are still alive.

Round F4-

Aika S. Granzchesta - ARIA The NATURAL 415
Kaede Fuyou - Shuffle! Memories 287
Tsukasa Hiiragi - Lucky Star 1048

Winner – Tsukasa Hiiragi. Three out of four ain’t too dang shabby.

She will face her toughest test yet: a date with Suiseiseki for a spot in the Group F final. Will she be able to topple the defending champ? Stay tuned.

We will wrap our second round coverage with results from Groups G and H on the Bedlam.

Moore of the same. And the city waits...

So, the Lakewood Lancers choked again against Poly, 13-6. I’m not going to buy into any talk from Poly saying that this was a bad game for them. A win is a win. Whether or not Compton will have to m.o. to beat the Jackrabbits remains to be seen. The Tarbabes won’t face the stiffs from Atlantic and PCH until November 2.

Meanwhile, I am seeing police cars roll right past me. It’s Friday night, and they are laying a crackdown on the offenders. Babylon in action. The 49er hockey team opened the season defeating Arizona State 3-2, and the women’s volleyball team swept Riverside, but our women’s soccer team was not ready for USC, getting shut out 3-0. If our ladies can beat the Galaxy, then USC’s Women of Troy will make the game look like a farce by halftime.

Finally, Melbourne Victory…actually got a victory, defeating the Queensland Roar, 2-0. I guess tuning in to SEN 1116 for the first time in a while has its benefits. Meanwhile, Greg Ryan lost his mind by tampering with the lineup, and the WNT dropped a 4-0 decision to Brazil. That won’t be the only thing he will lose. I guarantee you. And it’s easy as putting the pieces together. (Hint: Hope Solo will be vindicated for spilling out the cold truth.)