July 27, 2008
Saimoe - first prelim wrap-up
The first preliminary round is over (after a month...) and the winners are in. It's REALLY unlikely that characters from the second preliminary have much of a chance at the tourney, either, so the characters that are in are the ones to watch.
So, who's riding high? Here's a run-down...
Several of last year's series are back for another hurrah - Saimoe puts its cutoff in the summer, so 26-episode spring series get two bites at the apple. Lucky Star is still riding quite high, qualifying the whole main cast, Kuroi-sensei, and all of the friends introduced in the second half of the season. Oh, and Konata's mom...
Nanoha Strikers qualified a good chunk of characters, though nothing like last season's pile, and the vote total isn't nearly as dominating in the prelims. Fate and Nanoha themselves are still popular, and there's enough of a fan base to get a lot of the secondary characters into the top nine, but I wouldn't expect a whole lot from the others. One exception - Vivio, who hadn't really been introduced for last year's voting, but ought to be formidable this year.
Higurashi is still doing well, as is Minami-ke; pretty much all of those characters pose a threat.
The Hayate girls are doing even better than they were last year; well, that's what having 52 episodes (and more coming!) gets for you. Voting was concentrated on the main cast, though, with only the Hamster squeaking in from the secondary characters.
Plenty of characters from Aria and Code Geass qualified as well, though the track record for both shows isn't that great. Figure that most of those girls will be eliminated in the early rounds of the tourney.
Familiar of Zero didn't do nearly as well as in times past, with only Louise, Henrietta, Siesta, and the elf chick garnering enough votes to qualify. Vary the formula, guys!
New this year is Clannad, which really tore up the rankings (no shock there). Any of the main cast could end up going quite far, though I myself prefer Tomoyo and Kyou. ;p Bamboo Blade is another new show with a good number of female entrants and a good fan base behind it, as is Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, though not as strongly.
Some of the other oddball qualifiers are Dokuro-chan, Yin from Darker Than Black, Chihiro from ef, the two Ninomiya girls, the Hidamari bunch, Fubuki from Maid Guy (but not the female lead! Gotta be the maids...), Ranka from Mac F, Nena from Gundam 00 (what?), a whole passel of characters from Shana and Seto no Hanayome, Horo from Spice and Wolf (first place, too), and Potemayo. (The lack of Guchuko indicates that the Japanese really don't know what moe is...)
Thanks to Aya Reiko from the Asuki forums for compiling the whole list. Four days off, then second prelims, which will be (mercifully) shorter...
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So, who's riding high? Here's a run-down...
Several of last year's series are back for another hurrah - Saimoe puts its cutoff in the summer, so 26-episode spring series get two bites at the apple. Lucky Star is still riding quite high, qualifying the whole main cast, Kuroi-sensei, and all of the friends introduced in the second half of the season. Oh, and Konata's mom...
Nanoha Strikers qualified a good chunk of characters, though nothing like last season's pile, and the vote total isn't nearly as dominating in the prelims. Fate and Nanoha themselves are still popular, and there's enough of a fan base to get a lot of the secondary characters into the top nine, but I wouldn't expect a whole lot from the others. One exception - Vivio, who hadn't really been introduced for last year's voting, but ought to be formidable this year.
Higurashi is still doing well, as is Minami-ke; pretty much all of those characters pose a threat.
The Hayate girls are doing even better than they were last year; well, that's what having 52 episodes (and more coming!) gets for you. Voting was concentrated on the main cast, though, with only the Hamster squeaking in from the secondary characters.
Plenty of characters from Aria and Code Geass qualified as well, though the track record for both shows isn't that great. Figure that most of those girls will be eliminated in the early rounds of the tourney.
Familiar of Zero didn't do nearly as well as in times past, with only Louise, Henrietta, Siesta, and the elf chick garnering enough votes to qualify. Vary the formula, guys!
New this year is Clannad, which really tore up the rankings (no shock there). Any of the main cast could end up going quite far, though I myself prefer Tomoyo and Kyou. ;p Bamboo Blade is another new show with a good number of female entrants and a good fan base behind it, as is Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, though not as strongly.
Some of the other oddball qualifiers are Dokuro-chan, Yin from Darker Than Black, Chihiro from ef, the two Ninomiya girls, the Hidamari bunch, Fubuki from Maid Guy (but not the female lead! Gotta be the maids...), Ranka from Mac F, Nena from Gundam 00 (what?), a whole passel of characters from Shana and Seto no Hanayome, Horo from Spice and Wolf (first place, too), and Potemayo. (The lack of Guchuko indicates that the Japanese really don't know what moe is...)
Thanks to Aya Reiko from the Asuki forums for compiling the whole list. Four days off, then second prelims, which will be (mercifully) shorter...
Posted by: Avatar_exADV at
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1
Looks like Guchuko missed qualifying by one spot, so there's hope for her yet.
I find myself wishing they would tighten up the eligibility rules a little bit so as to prevent some of the more absurd entrants from qualifying. Seriously, Suzumiya Haruhi gets in based on her 15 second commercial appearance in Lucky Star? And Hatsune Miku from Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei?
In terms of the number of high finishes, Clannad, Hayate, Higurashi, Lucky Star, and Nanoha seem to be the strongest blocs. Aria, Geass, Hidamari, Minami-ke, and Zetsubou-sensei and probably a few more that I missed look to make up the second tier.
Finally, I note with fiendish delight that Kotonoha from School Days finished second in her round. Add that to the strong showing for Higurashi, and it's looking like this may be the year of the yandere...
I find myself wishing they would tighten up the eligibility rules a little bit so as to prevent some of the more absurd entrants from qualifying. Seriously, Suzumiya Haruhi gets in based on her 15 second commercial appearance in Lucky Star? And Hatsune Miku from Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei?
In terms of the number of high finishes, Clannad, Hayate, Higurashi, Lucky Star, and Nanoha seem to be the strongest blocs. Aria, Geass, Hidamari, Minami-ke, and Zetsubou-sensei and probably a few more that I missed look to make up the second tier.
Finally, I note with fiendish delight that Kotonoha from School Days finished second in her round. Add that to the strong showing for Higurashi, and it's looking like this may be the year of the yandere...
Posted by: Andrew F. at July 28, 2008 05:33 PM (KxF0D)
2
No one from Umisho, eh? I guess it really was a trash series.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at July 28, 2008 07:15 PM (+rSRq)
3
I don't recall if Umisho was eligible or not. Probably was, but yeah, no high finishers there. Heh.
I'm okay with Hatsune (no anime of her own, after all). The Haruhi-from-Lucky-Star is a cheap shot, yeah. But the purpose of having the all-inclusive preliminary rounds is to drive up the number of hits... (cough cough) I'm sorry, to make sure that nobody gets left out. If you're human(oid) and female (even briefly), you qualify...
I just don't see the Nanoha crowd going the distance this year. Nanoha's popular as ever, Fate's popular as ever, but that's basically it. Maybe the upcoming movie will drum up a little support... but if it's really a retelling of the first season, then most of the Nanoha characters won't even be -in- it. ;p
I'm okay with Hatsune (no anime of her own, after all). The Haruhi-from-Lucky-Star is a cheap shot, yeah. But the purpose of having the all-inclusive preliminary rounds is to drive up the number of hits... (cough cough) I'm sorry, to make sure that nobody gets left out. If you're human(oid) and female (even briefly), you qualify...
I just don't see the Nanoha crowd going the distance this year. Nanoha's popular as ever, Fate's popular as ever, but that's basically it. Maybe the upcoming movie will drum up a little support... but if it's really a retelling of the first season, then most of the Nanoha characters won't even be -in- it. ;p
Posted by: Avatar_exADV at July 29, 2008 12:31 AM (pfysU)
4
Umisho was July-September 2007.
The problem for Nanoha-Strikers is that Nanoha and Fate aren't lolis any more. (ahem)
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at July 29, 2008 02:28 PM (+rSRq)
5
There are 25 Nanoha characters still alive, more than any other series (though Lucky Star is close with 24). So there's a pretty powerful voting bloc there, even if none of the characters have the strength to go the distance.
Of course, Nanoha also came out on top with 46 characters nominated, so the above figure might not be so meaningful. Beats going 0-for-33 (Claymore), though.
Of course, Nanoha also came out on top with 46 characters nominated, so the above figure might not be so meaningful. Beats going 0-for-33 (Claymore), though.
Posted by: Andrew F. at July 29, 2008 06:16 PM (KxF0D)
6
A lot of the second string of Nanoha characters are clearly no-hopers, though - either assorted Numbers, who didn't get nearly enough character development to develop a fan base individually, or the kind of background characters that get nominated just because someone's going through shows and nominating everything female.
Indeed, Nanoha and Fate not being lolis anymore will (did!) hurts its appeal in Japan. On the other hand, it's not like the new designs are unpopular. It's just that the show itself wasn't that great... some bad ideas not executed well. Ah well...
No surprise that Claymore didn't qualify. I don't know if I can define moe exactly, but turning into horrific monsters and having your limbs ripped off is -not- it.
Indeed, Nanoha and Fate not being lolis anymore will (did!) hurts its appeal in Japan. On the other hand, it's not like the new designs are unpopular. It's just that the show itself wasn't that great... some bad ideas not executed well. Ah well...
No surprise that Claymore didn't qualify. I don't know if I can define moe exactly, but turning into horrific monsters and having your limbs ripped off is -not- it.
Posted by: Avatar_exADV at July 30, 2008 10:14 AM (pfysU)
Posted by: Dayton Micro at August 05, 2008 07:17 AM (qADR7)
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