Bedlam on Baltic Avenue

"I have plans for Sayaka Miki": Homura Akemi

"I have plans for Sayaka Miki": Homura Akemi

By Jo-Ryan Salazar
The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue
October 22, 2014

If elected as Saimoe Prime Minister, District L Representative-Elect Homura Akemi of the Puella Magi Party has decided to reach out to her personal rival, Sayaka Miki, who is the representative-elect of District F. This is her way of resolving the tension that came from her decision to rewrite the rules and keep the entire party available for the races this autumn against their primary rival, the bigger and better-funded Saki Party, the current Official Opposition unless a Saki Party member wins the office in November.

"I have plans for Sayaka Miki. I don't dislike Sayaka because I think she is understanding the bigger picture and has been an advocate for me and Madoka," Akemi said at Puella Magi Party Headquarters in Mitakihara Town, Japan. "The reason I chose Sayaka and not Madoka is that I don't want her to be burdened with so much work and effort after her year being the figurehead. I can trust Sayaka to be, in a way, my right-hand person when it comes to getting our message out.

"If Sayaka ends up winning the race, however, I do not have any intentions of being the deputy for a second straight session. I think highly of myself because I have years of experience. I've been a figurehead in Saimoe in Korea for one year and a figurehead in China for two go-arounds, so I already have something to stand on."

One of the pet projects that Akemi is advocating is the use of Clara Dolls as a personal assistant, similar to a house pet or a maid.

"I own a number of Clara Dolls as my assistants and I think they have been useful in simplifying the work I have to do around the house," Akemi said. "When I become Saimoe Prime Minister, I will be an advocate to having every family own a Clara Doll. They may be mischievous at first, but with proper training and time, they will be a better companion that any house pet or personal assistant will ever be. I plan to set up manufacturing plants across the country so that they can be sent all over."

Strengthening ties with Korea and China is another part of Akemi's plans as Saimoe Prime Minister.

"I want to implore the Prime Minister and his staff to reduce the number of visits to Yasukuni and urge the Diet to renounce all ownership of disputed islands across East Asia," Akemi said. "East Asia Strong is the program I want to put in place, which emphasizes sovereignty, respect, and a non-aggressive approach to resolving differences between ourselves, Korea and China. When we are each other's best allies, we become East Asia Strong and that can be the most empowering thing to come to this country for many generations.

"We have to issue apologies to those we have wronged. We have to mend fences and build bridges. We need them to help us and for us to help them so that this region can rise as one of the best in the world. The power of East Asian Strength is a fascinating phenomenon, and as Saimoe Prime Minister with Sayaka at my side, we can get it done, and we will."

As for Madoka, what role will she play?

"She will be my First Lady, of course," Akemi said with a sly grin.

This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now

Soldier soldier

We signed our lives away

Complete surrender

The only weapon we know

Soldier soldier

We knew the world would never be the same

Soldier this is where you can reach me now

We come from an ancient place

Beyond what we can see

We’ve come to colonise your night

And steal your poetry

Old man knows that I never listen

So how could I have something to say

Old man knows how to cheat ambition

You don’t lose if you don’t play

1, 2, 3, 4, was enough

Soldier soldier

We signed our lives away

Complete surrender

The only weapon we know

Soldier soldier

We knew the world would never be the same

Soldier this is where you can reach me now

On a double decker bus

Into College Square

If you won’t let us in your world

Your world just isn’t there

Old men says that we never listen

We shout about what we don’t know

We’re taking the path of most resistance

The only way for us to go

hup, 2, 3, 4, was enough

Soldier soldier

We signed our lives away

Complete surrender

The only weapon we know

Soldier soldier

We knew the world would never be the same

Soldier this is where you can reach me now

This is the site

This is the season

This is where you can reach me now

This is the time

This is the number

This is where you can reach me now.

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Third Round Results, Match Day 11

Qブロック代表暫定結果
1位　159票　原村和＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　101票　天江衣＠咲-Saki- 全国編

Wブロック代表暫定結果
1位　116票　西木野真姫＠ラブライブ!
2位　72票　橘佳奈＠極黒のブリュンヒルデ

Auf Achse

You see her, you can't touch her

You hear her, you can't hold her

You want her, you can't have her

You want to, but she won't let you

You see her, you can't touch her

You hear her, you can't hold her

You want her, you can't have her

You want to, but she won't let you

She's not so special so look what you've done, boy

She's not so special so look what you've done

Now you wish she'd never come back here again

Oh, never come back here again

You see her, you can't touch her

You hear her, you can't hold her

You want her, you can't have her

You want to, but she won't let you

You see her, you can't touch her

You hear her, you can't hold her

You want her, you can't have her

You want to, but she won't let you

She's not so special so look what you've done, boy

She's not so special so look what you've done

Now I'm nailed above you

Gushing from my side

It's with your sins that you have killed me

Thinking of your sins I die

Thinking how you'd let them touch you

How you'd never realise

That I'm ripped and hang forsaken

Knowing never will I rise

Again

You still see her

Oh, you hear her

You want her

Oh, you want to

You see her

You still hear her

You want her

You still want to...

California. There Is No End To Love.

Bar-Bar-Barbara, Santa Barbara

Bar-Bar-Barbara, Santa Barbara...

California

Then we sail into the shiny sea

The weight that drags your heart down

Well, that's what took me where I need to be

Which is here, out on Zuma

Watching you cry like a baby

California

At the dawn you thought would never come

But it did

Like it always does

Whoa, oh, all I know

And all I need to know is

There is no, yeah,

There is no end to love

I didn't call you

Words can scare a thought away

Everyone's a star in our town

It's just your light gets dimmer if you have to stay

In your bedroom, in a mirror

Watching yourself cry like a baby

California

The blood orange sunset brings you to your knees

I've seen for myself, there's no end to grief

That's how I know

Whoa, that's how I know

And why I need to know

That there is no, yeah,

There is no end to love

Whoa, oh, all I know

And all I need to know is

There is no, yeah,

There is no end to love

Whoa, oh, all I know

And all I need to know is

There is no, yeah,

There is no end to love

Whoa, we come and go

With stolen days you don't get back

Stolen days are just enough.

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Third Round Results, Match Day 10

Pブロック代表暫定結果
1位　116票　シャロ（桐間紗路）＠ご注文はうさぎですか?
2位　73票　遠坂凛＠ Fate/kaleid liner プリズマ☆イリヤ

Vブロック代表暫定結果
1位　122票　巴マミ＠劇場版魔法少女まどか☆マギカ[新編]叛逆の物語
2位　75票　松実宥＠咲-Saki- 全国編

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Third Round Results, Match Day 9

Oブロック代表暫定結果
1位　192票　新子憧＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　65票　雪ノ下雪乃＠やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている。

Uブロック代表暫定結果
1位　184票　大星淡＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　66票　白井黒子＠とある科学の超電磁砲S

We Make History.

To me, South Korea is at the center of the gaming universe. They have professional teams that treat online gaming as a sport, and late last night, I saw that put to work in the form of a team of Koreans named Samsung White, who schooled the Star Horn Royal Club in the League Of Legends World Championship Final at Seoul World Cup Stadium before a crowd of 40,000, Imagine Dragons and all. What I like about Korean gamers is their pace and high difficulty level. Their matches are quick, no-nonsense precision games similar to the hurry-up offense in football or the direct football you see at soccer matches.

It's the uptempo, high-paced style of Samsung White that has made them the kings of League of Legends, although to be honest, it's a game that I don't like to play, since I have another online game that I invest more of my money on: Pangya. Hours after Samsung White delivered another all-world performance in Seoul, I had made my own personal history by becoming a World Pro in Pangya, reaching the World Pro E rank after one year, three months and 19 days in.

For me, this was a bright spot in what had been a difficult week of everything not going according to plan. I reserve the right not to go into the details, but it was rough and this was one of a few things that did go right for me. I remember my old friend, MS_Aries, who used to be a part of the game before she left the game a few months ago. I spent the last 80 days playing games against my alternate account, got a lot of caddies trained and now I am closing in on fully training another caddie, the Big Red Papel.

I think this is a point in my Pangya journey where I can hit cruise control. Now that I have reached what I feel is one of the most prestigious of ranks (although entering the Master ranks would also be nice), I can spend the next year walking up the World Pro ranks because most of the heavy lifting is pretty much done. But there may be a part of me that decides to make a quiet push for the Master ranks. I'm not gonna worry about that at this point.

In any case, I, like the boys from Samsung White, made history and hit a milestone as an online gamer. Things can only get better from here.

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Third Round Results, Match Day 8

Nブロック代表暫定結果
1位　155票　辻垣内智葉＠咲-Saki- 全国編 '
2位　79票　比企谷小町＠やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている。

Tブロック代表暫定結果
1位　149票　御坂美琴＠とある科学の超電磁砲S
2位　89票　結城明日奈（アスナ）＠ソードアート・オンライン Extra Edition

Every Breaking Wave

Every breaking wave on the shore
Tells the next one "there'll be one more"
Every gambler knows that to lose
Is what you're really there for

Summer I was fearless
Now I speak into an answerphone
Like every fallen leaf on the breeze
Winter wouldn't leave it alone, alone

Every sailor knows that the sea
Is a friend made enemy
Every shipwrecked soul knows what it is
To live without intimacy

I thought I heard the captain's voice
But it's hard to listen while you preach
Like every broken wave on the shore
This is as far as I could reach

If you go
If you go your way and I go mine
Are we so
Are we so helpless against the tide?
Baby, every dog on the street
Knows that we're in love with defeat
Are we ready to be swept off our feet
And stop chasing every breaking wave?

The sea knows where all the rocks
Are drowning is an ocean
You know where my heart is
The same place that yours has been
We know that we fear the wind
And it's all we have before we begin
Before we begin

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Is Mikoto Misaka the real deal?

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Is Mikoto Misaka the real deal?

By Jo-Ryan Salazar
The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue
October 18, 2014

Mikoto Misaka is no stranger to success in the Saimoe circuit. Already a previous Saimoe Leader of the Free World after winning the International Saimoe League Heavenly Tiara years ago, Misaka has built a strong following in China and is aiming to secure a double of sorts by upsetting the Saki and Madoka Magica block to win the Saimoe Prime Minister's office.

"I have created an informational site: whynotoneesama.jp," said Kuroko Shirai, Mikoto self-professed younger sister and love interest. "I may not be contending in the race for the prize with Awai [Oohoshi] in the way, but what I can tell you is that onee-sama has a chance to make history and bring back the fire that this tournament has been lacking the past few years. It's possible.

"Voters need to believe in alternatives to the same old politics that have slowed Japan down. I want Academy City to be the center of the Saimoe universe. It's happened before with onee-sama being the Leader Of The Free World. It can happen again with onee-sama being named the next Saimoe Prime Minister. It can happen again."

"Personally, I don't pay much attention to the race for this office because the same two parties are running up the results," said Touma Kamijou, a close confidante of Misaka. "But I do think Biribiri has a great chance to give the cause a new sense of purpose, a new sense of belonging. A victory for Biribiri is a complete game-changer for Japan, and I won't be surprised if she shocks the nation this year."

As for Misaka herself, she tunes out all the different forms of hype and pomp that comes with being a candidate not of the Saki or Madoka Magica Parties.

"I will be targeted by voters of those two parties, no question," Misaka said in an interview at lunch. "However, I have faith that people will realize that Saki and Madoka aren't the be-all, end-all to all of Japan's problems. People remember me for my victory over Homura Akemi a number of years ago and I know that if I face her, it's going to be a battle.

"My mission is to take on the best and give them a good fight because as an outsider, you are knocking on the door and you want to beat it down the best you can. I have plans to help improve my country but I want to convince the voters that I do have a case."

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Third Round Results, Match Day 7

Mブロック代表暫定結果
1位　194票　松実玄＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　83票　蒼星石＠ローゼンメイデン

Sブロック代表暫定結果
1位　215票　清水谷竜華＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　60票　小泉花陽＠ラブライブ!

Kotori Itsuka: Seventh Saimoe Leader Of The Free World

Saimoe Leader Of The Free World. That is the honor bestowed on she who wears this crown that I wear today, the International Saimoe League Tiara. I've heard about the role a leader must take to galvanize the power, the energy, the drive of all the nations, all the persuasions, all the nationalities, all the differences...all towards a common goal. Testarossa. Katsura. Akiyama. Misaka. Tachibana. Gokou. Those are the ones who came before me who earned the right to be the world's choice to lead the way. Now, it is my turn.

To all my supporters, there is only one word that sums up my emotions after winning the Tiara and the rights to being the Saimoe Leader of the Free World: FINALLY! After so many months in thw wilderness, so many months of being left to wonder why the Date A Live Party has been ignored as a beacon of hope for the world, the time has come for the message to be sent out.

It is our time. We matter. We are here to help you. And we are here to be by your side every step of the way.

Like many campaigns for new aspiring faces, our campaign started from scratch. We had teams of people spread our message of change and reform to the Saimoe movement across all platforms: from email to social media to internet forms like the ISML forums and Animesuki. Over time, our cause grew and grew and people started to believe in us.

But every movement is going to have its share of doubters and detractors and unsavory people who want to discredit our stance of how we see the world. We never won a necklace, and I was not a Division winner. But I was never a qutter and I believe in fighting to the end. You never gave up on me. So when the time came for you to decide whether to repeat history and go back to the same old politics from two years ago, you decided enough was enough.

I had the pleasure of meeting many Kurdish rebels who are sacrificing their lives against the forces of evil that plunder though their land. I saw the smile on their faces and it gave them the drive to fight the good fight, just like you did on Election Day.

I had the pleasure of holding talks with many foreign leaders about the best ways to approach foreign policy and how to build bridges, not destroy them.

I had the pleasure of networking with many valiant competitors in the race to be the Saimoe Leader Of The Free World. I've learned a lot about them, and my respect for their legacy and their contributions to the Saimoe Movement are irreproachable.

I've climbed mountains, walked over valleys, attended a football match or two, trekked through deserts, motorbiked through jungles, visited every corner of the world when I could because I am a spirit that can be anywhere, anytime, so long as I have the energy and desire to be there. I've been to locations that cannot be accessed by the common man due to repression and oppression.

And as I gradually accepted the world and its faults, I accept the burden, the responsibility of being the Saimoe Leader Of The Free World and the Champion of the International Saimoe League. This is a role I have trained my mind and body for, ever since I took lead of Ratatoskr. I'm not here to just be a spokesperson or to be the solution to all of the problems the world faces. I am here to help in any way I can and to assure you that the Date A Live Party means well in promoting love and solidarity as the answer.

I believe that in order to heal the world's problems, its people must learn to love and tolerate those who do not share with their ideals and their aspirations and their ways to live. Love. Tolerance. Acceptance. No one should be excluded because they do not fit the profile. Exclusion and elitism are not the driving forces behind our party and our interpretation of the Saimoe movement.

The love you have for the people you support, whether it's me or Tohka Yatogami or Kurumi Tokisaki or Yoshino or Origami Tobiiichi or even someone outside of our party is important. But what's more important is the love you have for those that are not dearest to you. If you make that strong as well, you will have captured their demons and purified them to that they are yours to love and cherish. We don't play favorites in our party. Because of this, people from around the world have joined in the chorus and chanted our party name, "DATE A LIVE! DATE A LIVE!" all over.

There are many people I want to thank for their love and dedication to what we stand for. I want to thank Kurumi, Touka, Yoshino and Origami for a great campaign and for their support.

And I want to thank Shidou for his dedication to our cause and for vouching all of us. Shidou, to me, is my rock and the best ally I could ever have. He is my big brother, and has been a great advisor in how I should lead all the nations from this point on until a new Saimoe Leader Of The Free World is chosen. So thank you, Shidou Itsuka.

Most importantly, this victory is for you, and I want to thank you all for being with me on this journey. You spread the message, you embraced it and used it as your wings to fly into the world and share what we hope to be a lasting legacy in Saimoe. Sure, there are those who I have not won their vote, but I extend both my hands to them because I believe in humble in victory, and Mashiro Shiina ran a fantastic race. I consider her my equal, and it would not surprise me if she won the next election.

The road ahead is going to be tough. Every other party will be aiming for us, waiting for us to falter and fail in our mission to encourage love, tolerance, and acceptance. We've already been through a tough road before. This time, we will be more resilient, more vigilent than ever, because this year, in this election we made history.

We made history. We got over the hump. And we're going to do it all over against next year so look out for us. Thank you, world! Thank you, everyone! Thank you, ISML! Have a wonderful afternoon and evening! Take care of yourselves! Date A Live FOREVER!!!

-Kotori Itsuka
7th Saimoe Leader Of The Free World
2014 International Saimoe League Champion
Raizen High School
7 October 2014

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Third Round Results, Match Day 6

Fブロック代表暫定結果
1位　131票　美樹さやか＠劇場版魔法少女まどか☆マギカ[新編]叛逆の物語
2位　46票　千石撫子＠〈物語〉シリーズセカンドシーズン

Lブロック代表暫定結果
1位　138票　暁美ほむら＠劇場版魔法少女まどか☆マギカ[新編]叛逆の物語
2位　39票　園田優＠桜Trick

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Third Round Results, Match Day 5

Eブロック代表暫定結果
1位　191票　愛宕絹恵＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　125票　東條希＠ラブライブ!

Kブロック代表暫定結果
1位　212票　佐倉杏子＠劇場版魔法少女まどか☆マギカ[新編]叛逆の物語
2位　113票　チノ（香風智乃）＠ご注文はうさぎですか?

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Third Round Results, Match Day 4

Dブロック代表暫定結果
1位　195票　末原恭子＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　162票　由比ヶ浜結衣＠やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている。

Jブロック代表暫定結果
1位　196票　愛宕洋榎＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　110票　竹井久＠咲-Saki- 全国編

Caddie Training Can Piss Me Off Sometimes.

Two weeks into the new season of Pangya, and I am proud to say that I have successfully trained in full (in this order) Pippin, Quma, Lolo, Cadie, Tiki, Mingti, Papel, Dolfini and Titan Boo, the last of who was responsible for a massive spike in my O.B. shots. Stupid Ventus bear. Sometimes the best thing to do is to shut up and let the golfer do her work.

The golfer in question: the new Hana, who has more than 150 games under her belt, like the new Nuri. I use Hana (R) as my main golfer now because she has been equipped with two important NPC cards: Cayman (SR) and Luka (R). The latter gives me a significant pang bonus following a game, while the former is extremely important in that it adds a massive EXP bonus following a game. Combined with the Puff mascot that I recharged a few days ago, I estimate that I will reach the coveted World Pro ranks by early November, if not by the end of the month, assuming I play nothing by 18 hole VS matches with my alt account.

My main account is a National Pro A, while my alt account is a Semi-Pro D. I ended up nerfing a lot of achievement points and six months ago I was a Memorial Level 4. Since I created the alt account, I am now a Memorial Level 22. I was lucky enough to get the Gacha set I wanted on the money that FanSided gave me two weeks ago. That allowed me to complete purchasing the wardrobe of Nuri (R) and Hana (R). I also ended up receiving my first-ever set of Gacha wings through the Memorial Shop, the White Guardian Wings for Hana, after I received a glut of Scratchy Cards.

I kicked them off to Hana (R) along with the Dolfini Headset but what I wasn't happy about was the lack of a fly animation for Hana (R). Not only do I want my main to spread her wings, but I also want to take snaps of the upskirt that ensues because you know me: I'm all for fanservice. As for Nuri (R), who is now my new secondary character, I changed the hair color to be consistent with the classic version (read: black) and now he looks like a member of a Korean boy band, a la TVXQ.

I think that ever since the new Tiki's Magic Ball feature arrived, I ended up nerfing a ton of achievements to the point of abusing the process for the sake of getting those achievement points. The only achievement that need to be cleared in full regarding TIki are the Lucky Day and Material Collector achievements. Once I cleared the milestones for recycling Pang, points and rare items X amount of times, I really didn't have much incentive to use the feature, and only I had cleared the achievements for Charactery Mastery, I really didn't have a lot of incentive to use the feature.

After a run in which I make an achievement nearly every day, it's good to hit a plateau and not be within range of the next one. However, there are a few more that are close to being met, and now I am walking into reaching Memorial Level 23. It's nice to know that I am moving towards being eligible for receiving all but the last 13 Gacha updates, but there are so many rares that I don't have and there are so many caddies and clubs that I don't have either.

Speaking of caddies, I know that a new caddie named Cien is going to be up on the next Gacha update here. I am mulling giving this a shot but I don't want to spend possibly 50 and realize that I got nothing but useless common items that can help me gain pang and EXP but not much after that. If I do end up getting Cien, that's going to preempt my training of the Big Papel Trio. Big Red Papel, Big Black Papel and Big Papel are the only caddies in my arsenal yet to be fully trained. I am in no rush to fully train these three as I don't believe I gain any incentive to do so in terms of achievements. I will have to train Cien first because I want Nuri to have a love rival to Hana. I like love triangles. Makes for good moneymaking.

So I'll keep slugging away at this, but I am proud to say that I am inching closer to reaching the World Pro ranks. I didn't cut any corners, I played by the rules, I had my highs, I had my lows, but all in all, I kept my faith in this game. Pangya is the gold standard of golf sims, and I am mighty proud to be a loyal Pangyateer.