Alastor's Reflection

The 2009 International Saimoe League

Ξ March 11th, 2009 | → 6 Comments | ∇ The Anime Annals |

International Saimoe League 2009 Logo

For those Visitors to whom Anime is a way of life: On Monday, March 16 2009, the new season of the International Saimoe League tournament will begin with its first matches. Last year’s epic tourney concluded on November 4th with Fate Testarossa being declared the winner of the coveted Tiara. Who will win it all this year? Now’s the chance to get involved from the start and support your favorite anime girl (considering that she’s actually moe of course)!

The overview and introduction at the official site will get you started and explain the proceedings, along with the roster of 64 contestants including the 27 who were nominated over the first few months of this year. (Their little pics contain links to biographical and tournament histories as well.) It was a long and hard-fought nominations process; some new-to-ISML girls I favored and nominated with votes made it (Misuzu from Air, Kanon‘s Makoto, and Chii from Chobits), while others didn’t (most notably ef‘s Yuuko and Chihiro). Inevitably, there is a lot of heartbreak and despair to deal with throughout the year…

FUN!

Each girl will face off against another contestant once over the course of the year’s 63 regular matches, advancing (hopefully) to the double elimination period, and then on to the semi-finals and and finally the finals. There’s also a fair amount of finality involved, as you can see. It gets pretty ugly.

Last year I kept a spreadsheet, courtesy of one of the administrators, and so kept tally of the girls I voted for most often. The top twelve vote getters were:
(1) Rika Furude (from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) who I voted for in every match, thus 63 times
(2) Ayu Tsukimiya (Kanon): 62 times
(3) Nagisa Furukawa (Clannad) 61
(4) Hanyuu Furude (HnNKn) 60

(clockwise from front: Hanyuu, Rika, Mion, Rena, and Satoko

(5) Kotomi Ichinose (Clannad) 58

(Kotomi Ichinose and friend)

(6) Shiori Misaka (Kanon) 56
(7) Rena Ryuguu (HnNKn) 54
(8) Shinku (Rozen Maiden) 54

(Shinku, the fifth Rozen Maiden doll, with Detective Kun Kun)

(9) Suiseiseki (Rozen Maiden) 54
(10) Shana (Shakugan no Shana) 53
(11) Nayuki Minase (Kanon) 53
(12) Mai Kawasumi (Kanon) 52

(The Kanon girls, from left: Mai, Makoto, Nayuki, Ayu, and Shiori)

As some of you might surmise from the above, I do fancy the Key/Kyoto Animation girls over most of the others for some odd reason. Whatever it is, the rationale lies solely in how these girls affect me in relation to moe, and NOT popularity. This is not a popularity contest, at least to purists like myself. I vote only on that vague and ephemeral definition of moe. Many other voters let a series’ popularity affect their judgement, and I guess that can’t be helped. But I prefer to simply weigh one girl’s moe against her opponent’s, and vote accordingly. Many, many times it is a difficult and heart-rending decision, as in when Ayu faced Rika; Ayu is one of my Most Favored Girls, but her substantial moe pales in comparison to Rika’s). But to abstain is not an option for me (though it is available to you). YMileageMV, and YMoeMV

So, go forth and vote! And visit the site’s Forum for interaction, questions, and a whole lot of campaigning

In fact, I’ll kick off my own campaign for my Number One Girl, Misuzu, right now:

(Misuzu and Yukito, with bento on bench)

And, when you feel that your girl has no chance, and in the deepest depths of despair, just remember: YES, WE CAN!

Unless it’s Code Geass’ Kallen or C.C., who have the combined moe of Misuzu’s left pinkie. In which case you can’t. Please.

Also: Prime Directive Number One: Your Moe Is Not Necessarily My Moe.

’nuff said