Saimoe Japan 2012 – MetaMoe Introduction
Find out how you can win a free copy of Knights in the Nightmare + OST, details inside.
Main Website (in Japanese) – English Fan Site
Hey everyone! As you may or may not know, the annual Saimoe tournament began last month and since then the preliminary rounds have ended and the second preliminaries are nearing a close. As a simple introduction, Saimoe is a tournament run by Japanese anime fans for Japanese anime fans, however we outside of Japan can still enjoy the tournament’s drama and intense showdowns, and if you feel like putting in a little work you can even vote by following these instructions. Saimoe is a test of character popularity more than anything, but the more moe they are the better their chances! Rooting for your favorite characters, watching factions battle it out in the main bracket, and pridefully cheering as that one character you’ve always loved makes it to the finals are all but a few reasons Saimoe is such fun to follow. It might not be for everyone, but hey, the dedication is worth it!
So, how is Saimoe different then ISML? ISML is a much grander tournament then Saimoe, partially because of the larger population of international voters, and the larger roster of competitors. However, grander doesn’t always equal better. Saimoe only allows characters who have appeared in an anime within the last year to compete, including OVAs and movies. Now I’m not all too familiar with ISML, or am I a big fan of it, but what I noticed in that tournament was that a lot of the same players were shuffled through year after year, not allowing for too much diversity. Saimoe on the other hand I believe has been able to keep the game fun and diverse by limiting the characters to a single year, allowing new characters to shine through. That doesn’t mean the veterans don’t get to come out and play every now and then, just look at Saki!
Saimoe has a history dating all the way back to 2002, and over the years has crowned 10 winners from the original Saimoe queen, Sakura Kinomoto, to the romcom princess, Taiga Aisaka, and more recently the beloved Mami Tomoe. Many factions have risen to try and crown their favorites, but only few have succeeded as they battle each other for the most numbers. The Madoka Magica fans from last year’s tournament, despite many enemies, might be one of the most successful! They managed to take four characters into the final bracket and ended with a goodhearted match of Kyouko vs. Mami. That’s not to say they were perfect, Homura was sniped in her very first match! It’s these type of conflicts that make Saimoe such a joy. What new factions will rise this year? Will a popular independent character like Ika Musume fight her way to the top again? And will another dark horse like Erica Hartmann squeeze her way through countless battles? We’ll just have to wait and see!
The first part of this Metanorn-Saimoe experience is the coverage. Over the next couple months or so I, along with other Meta writers who want to share their thoughts, will be posting occasional update posts. The first will be after the final two second preliminary rounds, and then after that probably every 2-4 rounds. We’d love to hear your thoughts as well, as longtime followers of the tournament or even as new ones! Hey, maybe these posts will even get you as addicted as I am?
What you can expect. Quick details as for who won/lost. I want to keep that short since the website in the link underneath the introduction headline does an awesome job keeping tabs of the results. They even keep track of past tournament results and graphics, so feel free to check that out! Other then that you can expect our personal thoughts on the matches and characters. These thoughts will be opinion based, so in the comments feel free to add on, argue, and/or share your own thoughts, that’s one of the biggest factors that make Saimoe so fun. Lastly, we’ll be keeping updates on the Meta-Moe Challenge, more details coming up next.
Preliminary Results – Second Preliminary Results
What is the MetaMoe Challenge? The challenge is a competition that will be hosted right here on Metanorn alongside the coverage. The winner of the competition will not only have bragging rights around Meta, but they will also win a free copy of Knights in the Nightmare for the DS and the original game soundtrack, by Atlus. Please, if you want to play read the following section carefully!
How do you play? The challenge is simple, pick five of your favorite characters who are competing in this years Saimoe tournament and paste your list in descending order of favorite to least favorite in the comments section below this post. If one of the characters in your list wins the Saimoe tournament you will be eligible to win the prize. PLEASE POST YOUR REGION UNDERNEATH THE LIST.
Rules. [PLEASE READ]
- You may use the links below the “meta moe challenge” headline to find out which characters are in the running to win. The only restriction when it comes to picking characters is that you may NOT pick more then 1 character who has won a first preliminary round. (for example, you cannot have both Akari and Poplar in your list, only one or the other) Second placers and below are fair game. Characters who won their second preliminary round are free for picking, Himeji and Remon for example.
- When your choices are posted I will go into GIMP and create for you a personal banner with your five characters, similar to the ones below made for some Metanorn writers. (They will be much smaller though, because I might have to make a lot of them depending on participation level.)
- The banners I made will then be put into every post following this one as part of the MetaMoe Challenge. When a character you chose is eliminated I will cross them off from your banner. If all five of your characters are eliminated you will be taken out of the competition. Basically, after your list is posted all you are required to do is follow along with the Saimoe posts, but we encourage you to comment in the future and even check out the rest of the site!
- ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. (We’ll know if you’re making multiple accounts.)
- DEADLINE: August 9th at 6PM EST!
- Unfortunately, at this time I do not know if I will be able to ship the game outside of the US and Canada. (… I’ve never shipped anything out of the country before and I’m ignorant to the prices at this time, but I’ll keep you updated. I’m a college student so I can’t afford anything too expensive here.)
- If more then one person has the Saimoe champion in their list, the prize will be given to the person who placed the character highest in their list. If again that results in a tie an RNG will decide the winner.
- AGAIN, entering the contest and winning does NOT guarantee that you’ll receive the prize, especially if you live outside of the US and Canada. I will do some research to check prices on international shipping. If at some point I’m hit by a school bus or crushed by a tree for example, you may not get your prize.
- Some of us writers at Metanorn are also playing, but we’re not eligible to win the prize. It’s only open for you all!
- Knights in the Nightmare (for the Nintendo DS) is an intense strategy game with a lot of gameplay elements to keep you busy all the time and a dark story line. The game sports some anime-like character designs and beautiful graphics. The OST, “Symphony of Souls” has 39 tracks.
- The game is opened from it’s original package, but was only played once and is in impeccable condition. The OST remains sealed as it was received.
Akari Akaza – G16 [1st], Chihaya Kisaragi – G5 [7th], Cure March – G15 [6th], Stealth Momo – G13 [2nd], Mio Kitahara – G6 [9th]
Cure Peace – G4 [2nd], Ika Musume – G2 [2nd], Katou Marika – G8 [3rd], Kyouno Madoka – G8 [4th], Nyarlathotep – G9 [1st]
More in the Spoiler Below!
PLAYER BANNERS
This is where we will display the banners of everyone who joins the MetaMoe challenge!~
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IMAGE SOURCES
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Just noticed that the other banners of the Meta team were hidden.
High five to Jrow, Hina fans unite! I’ll forgive you for putting Hina second, because Suzuha is pretty awesome.
POWUH: 1000-1099 and Pirate King with 1048 comments
*high fives*
Hina could be a force to be reckoned with in Saimoe! I debated the 1-2 thing, and in the end yeah, Suzuha was really cool and I felt compelled to put her in the 1 slot.
POWUH: iLurker with 2 comments
Region is Finland, but I don’t need the prize even if I happen to win.
1. Eru Chitanda (Hyouka)
2. Karuta Roromiya (Inu X Boku SS)
3. Kurisu Makise (Steins;Gate)
4. Yayoi Kise (Smile Precure)
5. Shinobu Oshino (Bakemonogatari)
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
Welcome to MetaMoe, and nice choices! Your banner will be up shortly. ^^
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Hm, I’ve always wondered, what is Smile Precure? I always see it connected with pedos. Is it some Sailor Moon for kids (implying that Sailor Moon wasn’t for kids, haha)?
I was going to vote for Katura, because her eating snacks is too adorable. But Miki won me over by a small margin.
POWUH: iLurker with 2 comments
Pretty Cure (or precure for short) is a mahou shoujo-franchise popular with both children and adults. Smile Precure is its latest series. But it’s not made for adult men (like some mahou shoujo -series), it’s purely for kids.
Anyway, Smile Precure is cute and energetic anime (though not very original, it seems like every show about magical girls borrows many things from Sailor Moon).
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I see. You mentioned it’s purely for kids, then why do you also mention it’s popular with adults?
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
Magical girl shows have always been popular with fans of all ages and gender, just look at Sailor Moon, Nanoha or Madoka Magica. Whether or not it’s directed at kids doesn’t mean the genre can’t be enjoyed by older fans as well. ^^
I personally enjoy Smile Precure because of the characters, they’re a lot of fun to watch even if the show itself isn’t exactly meant for mature audiences. Kanemoto Hisako voicing one of the characters is a bonus too!
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Hmm, reply fail. The above comment was semi-directed at anemorj.
This is the second time, I think the newer version of the site doesn’t play well with me blocking all scripts.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Oky I have chosen.
1)Makise Kurisu
2)Rise Kujikawa
3)Amane Suzuha
4)Irisviel von Einzbern
5)Yuka Hanaki
Malaysia is the region. So difficult, so many girls….
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
Some nice choices there, D-LaN! Your banner is now up and you’re officially in the game, best of luck!