Matches 5 and 6 of Preliminary Phase I yielded some close calls that for many were upsets. Elucia de Lute Irma defeated Iwasawa Asami by 12 votes, which puts Elsie in 2nd place overall in the group, also helping Merry Nightmare take 3rd place. Izumi Konata defeated Kotobuki Tsumugi by a mere 3 votes, placing herself on top of her group. Even if Elsie and Konata doesn’t end up winning their groups, getting 2nd place would seed them a higher seed and a head start in Phase II.
***
Prelims I-5 Results
| 1 | Akiyama Mio: | 6291 | 2 | Merry Nightmare: | 3661 | |
| Itsuwa: | 1483 | Busujima Saeko: | 3058 | |||
| Haramura Nodoka: | 1044 | Yamamoto Nanako: | 1310 | |||
| 3 | Elucia de Lute Irma: | 3526 | 4 | Last Order: | 3722 | |
| Iwasawa Asami: | 3514 | Ikaros: | 3372 | |||
| Ayatsuji Tsukasa: | 1554 | Saginomiya Isumi: | 1662 | |||
| 5 | Misaka Mikoto: | 5975 | 6 | Tainaka Ritsu: | 4023 | |
| Ayuzawa Misaki: | 1786 | Sendō Erika: | 2248 | |||
| Chrome Dokuro: | 1078 | Yūno Arashiko: | 2071 | |||
| 7 | Saten Ruiko: | 3500 | 8 | Shinonono Hōki: | 3450 | |
| Himeji Mizuki: | 3277 | Aragaki Ayase: | 3346 | |||
| Erza Scarlet: | 1730 | Yagami Hayate: | 1766 | |||
| 9 | Shana: | 6128 | 10 | Nakano Azusa: | 4534 | |
| Ryōgi Shiki: | 1664 | Charlotte Dunois: | 3665 | |||
| Yuno: | 779 | Segawa Izumi: | 847 | |||
| 11 | Nymph: | 3878 | 12 | Takamachi Nanoha: | 3551 | |
| Kawashima Ami: | 3166 | Suigintō: | 1947 | |||
| Amae Koromo: | 1148 | Shinku: | 1944 | |||
| 13 | Sakurano Kurimu: | 3695 | 14 | Katsura Hinagiku: | 4924 | |
| Shiomiya Shiori: | 2805 | Kiriya Nozomi: | 2315 | |||
| Celty Sturluson: | 1588 | Amano Tōko: | 1124 | |||
| 15 | Ika-Musume: | 3640 | 16 | Hirasawa Ui: | 3674 | |
| Oshino Shinobu: | 2822 | Hiiragi Tsukasa: | 2738 | |||
| Hoshina Utau: | 1595 | Nanasaki Ai: | 2192 | |||
| 17 | Huang Lingyin: | 3614 | 18 | Aisaka Taiga: | 5046 | |
| Shirai Kuroko: | 3232 | Konjiki no Yami: | 2718 | |||
| Hanato Kobato: | 1718 | Amatsume Akira: | 853 | |||
| 19 | Nagato Yuki: | 5841 | 20 | Kasugano Sora: | 3333 | |
| Kushieda Minori: | 1885 | Kirishima Shōko: | 3019 | |||
| Kamio Misuzu: | 1038 | Serizawa Fumino: | 1681 | |||
| 21 | Illyasviel von Einzbern: | 4405 | 22 | Nakamura Yuri: | 5480 | |
| Kuronuma Sawako: | 1954 | Maria: | 2417 | |||
| Enma Ai: | 1513 | Inami Mahiru: | 867 | |||
| 23 | Suzumiya Haruhi: | 6960 | 24 | Index L Prohibitorum: | 3869 | |
| Haibara Ai: | 1205 | Kuroi Mato: | 3687 | |||
| Mōri Ran: | 508 | Lucy Heartfilia: | 1138 |
Pretty much everything as expected here with a few close upsets. Some consider Elsie beating Iwasawa an upset after Iwasawa beat Merry and other Kami Nomi characters not doing very well at all. Nevertheless, if Elsie manages to get 2nd place, then she will face a 3rd place from another group in Phase II, which would greatly increase her chances of making it. If she gets 3rd place, then she will face a 2nd place from another group instead.
As a brief mention, Merry barely beating Saeko doesn’t bode well at all for Merry.
Charlotte got within 900 votes of Azusa. Some say this was surprising, but consider Charlotte popularity (IS in general), I’d say it’s about right. Since Azusa is pretty much Top 3 strength, this almost guarantees Charlotte making it to the Top 16 unless something really unusual happens.
Nanoha beat Suigintou and Shinku easily as expected with split votes.
Some expected Black Rock Shooter to beat Index due to how well BRS has been doing, but I guess Index still gets her now-airing boost. I sincerely hope she gets a major role in her own anime.
Last Order continues her surprising win streak by beating Ikaros. Considering that Nymph beat Nanoha comfortably, Last Order may be pretty powerful later on, especially since she will play a role in future Index arcs.
***
Prelims I-6 Results
| 1 | Victorique de Blois: | 4414 | 2 | Asahina Mikuru: | 3639 | |
| Okazaki Ushio: | 2445 | Ichinose Kotomi: | 3077 | |||
| Uiharu Kazari: | 1968 | Lala Satalin Deviluke: | 2171 | |||
| 3 | Hirasawa Yui: | 4773 | 4 | Sanzen’in Nagi: | 4126 | |
| Laura Bodewig: | 3125 | Astraea: | 2828 | |||
| Taneshima Poplar: | 1106 | Yin: | 1750 | |||
| 5 | Yūki Mikan: | 3102 | 6 | Izumi Konata: | 3689 | |
| Rose: | 2675 | Kotobuki Tsumugi: | 3686 | |||
| Morishima Haruka: | 2181 | Alice: | 1519 | |||
| 7 | C.C.: | 4764 | 8 | Eucliwood Hellscythe: | 5394 | |
| Nishizawa Ayumu: | 2051 | Furude Rika: | 1936 | |||
| Oikawa Tsurara: | 1597 | Tsukuyomi Komoe: | 1416 | |||
| 9 | Sakagami Tomoyo: | 4346 | 10 | Holo: | 3731 | |
| Kinomoto Sakura: | 2368 | Seraphim: | 3001 | |||
| Kotegawa Yui: | 1955 | Akaba Chizuru: | 1854 | |||
| 11 | Yui: | 5730 | 12 | Saber: | 4140 | |
| Akemi Homura: | 2256 | Haruna: | 3234 | |||
| Stocking: | 795 | Furude Hanyū: | 1452 | |||
| 13 | Kōsaka Kirino: | 5908 | 14 | Kanzaki Kaori: | 2914 | |
| Tomoe Mami: | 2022 | Hecate: | 2833 | |||
| Nessa: | 666 | Kaname Madoka: | 2615 | |||
| 15 | Fujibayashi Kyō: | 3783 | 16 | Louise Vallière: | 3760 | |
| Fate Testarossa: | 3349 | Shiina: | 3581 | |||
| Sonohara Anri: | 1402 | Yamada Aoi: | 1295 | |||
| 17 | Hiiragi Kagami: | 4410 | 18 | Furukawa Nagisa: | 3649 | |
| Suiseiseki: | 2314 | Shiina Minatsu: | 2981 | |||
| Sōryū Asuka Langley: | 1681 | Ryūgū Rena: | 1689 | |||
| 19 | Senjōgahara Hitagi: | 4891 | 20 | Shiina Mafuyu: | 3999 | |
| Ayanami Rei: | 1916 | Ōkami Ryōko: | 2979 | |||
| Hinamori Amu: | 1778 | Kataoka Yūki: | 923 | |||
| 21 | Gokō Ruri (Kuroneko): | 5318 | 22 | Tachibana Kanade: | 6622 | |
| Ibuki Fūko: | 2472 | Isurugi Mio: | 1505 | |||
| Sōseiseki: | 991 | Nino: | 801 | |||
| 23 | Sengoku Nadeko: | 4648 | 24 | Tōsaka Rin: | 4009 | |
| Nakagawa Kanon: | 2168 | Cecilia Alcott: | 2744 | |||
| Amakusa Shino: | 1560 | Tamura Manami: | 1901 |
Everyone expected Tsumugi to win here since Tsumugi got a huge win against Nagi in I-4. However, I wouldn’t be so quick to say Konata > Nagi. This was just maybe a massive case of hate/revenge voting.
Speaking of Lucky Star, Kagami almost doubled up on Suiseiseki. Rozen Maiden isn’t anything special anymore, but that still shows Kagami isn’t completely dead yet. In any case, Kagami isn’t going to make the Top 16 this year and Lucky Star will crumble. Sadface.
Yui-nyan pulled the 3rd highest win % and votes and remains to be shockingly impressive. There’s just no way that Kanade voters are carrying Yui and; Yui must have her own following. Note how Kirino got the second highest votes and Kirino and Yui were both facing Madoka Magica characters. Do people really hate that show?
Louise beat Shiina, so an Angel Beats side character (barely) falls two matches in a row, with emphasis on side.
Kyou beat Fate like expected, although the small margin of votes mean Fate will probably stay above the 0.500 mark this season.
Tenshi got the highest vote. Anyone surprised?
***
Well, at this some close calls will set up I-7 and I-8 nicely, where the rage really begins. Also, time graphs are now available on ISML, underneath the globes for country maps. Interesting, no?
frustra
KholdStare88
LuniazKun
chaosprophet
Elsie survived!!! But Madoka disappointed me.
Will we see any of Madoka girls in regular season? I really hope the recent developments will provide the much needed boost for them in the remaining matches in preliminary round.
I also want to express my deepest condolence to the people of Japan and those who have lost loved ones. My heart goes out to those who are trying to contact their friends and family members.
Fortunately, my friend and my sister’s future sister-in-law are both safe, so I can relax now…