2channel Anime Saimoe 2013: Job almost done for Mitakihara's best Sakura, Kaname, Tomoe, Miki to 2channel AST quarters By Jo-Ryan Salazar November 13, 2013
The scenes at Mitakihara Middle School were that of jubilation and relief. On the P.A., AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" was playing loud and clear and at the school auditorium, students, parents and local residents were looking at returns all week of the Round of 16 in the 2013 2channel Anime Saimoe Tournament. Despite allegations of improprieties by the event organizers, the finest moe from Mitakihara Town were on their way to the quarterfinals.
Kyouko Sakura, Madoka Kaname, Mami Tomoe and Sayaka Miki scored decisive victories over Sawa Okita, Ayase Aragaki, Miho Nishizumi and Yoshino, respectively. The victory for Kaname was significant for two reasons: she is widely tipped by many people in the city as the next Saimoe Prime Minister, and she had avenged her defeat to Aragaki in the second round proper of voting.
The scenes of jubilation weren't restricted to the school. Buildings and congregation halls were awash in red, blue, gold and pink. Tall banners of the four remaining Puella Magi were unveiled, and fans were quickly picking sides. Sales of Puella Magi Madoka Magica merchandise were through the roof, and the names of the four representatives of the city were trending nationwide on Twitter.
"I have a feeling that this will be Madoka's year," said Homura Akemi, a longtime partner, confidante and lover of Madoka Kaname. "I can sense that she has what it takes to lead the country next year and be an example for every young woman to follow. She gives me the energy I need to keep living the life I love, even if it may hurt. The reason I love everything in this world is because of her. I want Madoka to win it all. I know she will. I hope she will."
"My vote has to go to Sayaka because she has that certain sense of morals that we can all relate to," said violinist prodigy Kyousuke Kamijou. "I've composed a few opus pieces in her name, and I support her dedication to the happiness of me, Hitomi (Shizuki), her friends, and others that she is close to. She is a battle-hardened warrior and she has my vote."
"I wouldn't mind going back to the final this November," said Kyouko Sakura, eating a massive hamburger that was as big as her face. "No, I think I'm facing the odds if I get to the semis. Tsukiko [Tsutsukakushi], however, is not a pushover. I do have something planned for her, especially since she put up an impressive total this round. I'll be fine just making the semis this year."
"I would love to be a winner again, but to be honest with you, I'm only playing for fun," said 2011 Saimoe Prime Minister Mami Tomoe. "Being reelected is not going to leave much of an impact. I really want someone else to represent the interests of us magical girls. But if the voters want to give me another crack at the office, I have no choice but to take it."
"I don't know about this race," said 10-year old Nagisa Momoe. "This is really Madoka Magica against the world. I would like Mami-san to win, but I think someone else will win the crown. Kuroneko [Ruri Gokou], for example, is still alive in this competition and could win a double, which hasn't happened for three years. But I don't think she's going to win, either."
As for Gokou, she was confident that a "shock-the-world" result would happen on Saturday in Japan.
"I've already won the ISML crown, but I would like to add to it this year," Gokou said at a press conference in Akihabara. "Everyone is telling me that Saimoe is dead this, Saimoe is dead that, especially with the increased vote restrictions. I'm still alive in this tournament. A lot of people I know are talking about me getting run over by Madoka.
"Listen, we all know she is the favorite. She is a goddess for a reason, and her level of purity is unmatched, that is a fact. However, if you look at how I performed in the ISML, Japan has also been behind me through everyone that has happened. I believe that I am the best option that Japan has if they don't want to bring in another of the Puella Magi.
"I bring a winning spirit, I bring results, and I will not disappoint you. However, I come into this match as the underdog, and I like that. That said, I am ready to shock the nation and move one step closer to immortality."
As for Madoka Kaname herself, she chose to downplay the importance of the occasion. Kaname had the most votes of all the round winners, with 272 votes.
"I'm not going to kick myself or feel sorry for myself if I don't fulfill the expectations of all the pundits out there," Kaname said at Mitakihara Middle School via phone interview. "At the end of the day, I'm just a girl enjoying my second chance at living a life I always wanted to value but never did. But if you look at how everything turned out for me and my friends in this round, I think this is a trend that will continue to keep going.
"I may not be the person watching over everything in this world, but I want to be the one that listens to what my country needs. I want to make a difference in people's lives because I believe in the future of Japan. I have never been more hopeful, more confident, more excited for the future of what I feel is the greatest nation on the face of the earth."
Most of their current players were not born the last time the New York Cosmos won a championship 31 years ago.
The names of the club’s cavalcade of international stars of yesteryear are merely names to the current generation. A glorious history that is both stirring and an impossible act to follow.
But Saturday night before a crowd of 7,211 in Atlanta, a collection of players wearing the green and white of the Cosmos set about writing their own story in a new North American Soccer League. The Cosmos, the league’s fall champion, defeated the Atlanta Silverbacks, the spring champion, to win Soccer Bowl ’13, 1-0, on stunning a goal by the former Spanish international Marcos Senna.
“It’s an exciting day for sure,” Cosmos Coach Giovanni Savarese said after the game. “The New York Cosmos are back, we worked very hard this season to play in the N.A.S.L. We had to come in in the second part, the fall season, so we didn’t have that much time to work. We are very proud, very proud of the players, because they accomplished great things. Week in, week out they were able to do very well, and tonight to bring a championship back to New York, something that hasn’t happened since 1982 is a proud moment for us.”
Savarese and the rebooted Cosmos, playing in the second tier on the soccer pyramid in the United States, built a roster around Senna, who was clearly the class of the team, and of the league. The team (10-1-4) lost only one game during the fall season and imposed its will on the Silverbacks on Saturday night, controlling possession and the tempo of the match.
The Cosmos were in control the first half, but failed to finish a handful of chances. They broke the scoreless deadlock in the 50th minute.
Ayoze, 27, a left wing from Spain who had a strong game, took a free kick from 25 yards out that was cleared by the Atlanta defense. Senna lurked just outside the penalty area. He calmly controlled the ball with his thigh before gently stroking a dipping shot that found the top corner inside the far post.
“It’s difficult for me to say exactly the way the goal went in, " Senna said. “What I can say is that it was a moment of happiness.”
The championship is the sixth N.A.S.L. title in the history of the club, but the first since the Cosmos defeated the Seattle Sounders, 1-0, in Soccer Bowl ’82 in San Diego. The current incarnation of the N.A.S.L. began play in 2011.
Next up for the Cosmos will be a trip to Spain to play in Senna’s testimonial match against his old club team, Villarreal, on Wednesday. The club is also planning a postseason trip to Bermuda and a preseason excursion to the United Arab Emirates for a tournament (Emirates airlines is the club’s jersey sponsor).
Main Character @ Mankind Has Declined: <<わたし＠人類は衰退しました>> EVEN
Azusa Azuki @ Hentai Ouji To Warawanai Neko: <<小豆梓＠変態王子と笑わない猫。>> 9-1 Prediction: Main Character by >=50 Over/Under: 350 Over
Ayase Aragaki @ Ore No Imouto Ga Konna Ni Kawaii Wake Ga Nai: <<新垣あやせ＠俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない。>> 10-1
Madoka Kaname @ Puella Magi Madoka Magica: <<鹿目まどか＠劇場版 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ[前編]始まりの物語／[後編]永遠の物語>> EVEN
Prediction: Madoka Kaname by >=50 Over/Under: 400 Over
Kobato Hasegawa @ Boku Wa Tomodachi Ga Sukunai: <<羽瀬川小鳩＠僕は友達が少ないNEXT>> 7-1
Tsukiko Tsutsukakushi @ Hentai Ouji To Warawanai Neko: <<;筒隠月子＠変態王子と笑わない猫。>> 3-1 Prediction: Tsukiko Tsutsukakushi by >=50 Over/Under: 300 Over
