Aisaka Taiga (Toradora!) vs. Aragaki Ayase (Ore no Imōto)Dwarfed by the arch around the blue-washed stage, the Palmtop Tiger glares at yet another fashionable icon of modern beauty. As if Ami weren't enough of an influence in her life, the doll-like tsundere is now up against another blue-haired model,
OreImo's Ayase. Despite her short stature and adorable features, Taiga is not about to let anyone threaten the position of the school idol that is her friend, no matter how love-hate their relationship may be. Baka-chi' is her Baka-chi'! But Ayase isn't any normal clueless newcomer; she knows this is her chance. Sapphire is the period of blue, and Taiga's Topaz is long past—not to mention the ease with which her friend Ruri already won against the sharp-tongued fighter, her words twisting past Taiga's impatient temper. The only thing this rising star requires is pure honesty, and her moral, if a bit biased, view of the world cannot be warped. Duality infuriates this normally easy-going girl, and the apparent duality of Taiga and her closest friends is too much for her to take. It
must be addressed. Still, there's one little issue Ayase didn't take into consideration: while Kirino is off playing eroge as usual, Taiga's friends have all banded together to support her. Will the shy, upright schoolgirl be able to keep her moral high ground? Or, will the Angel of Love be able to convince her that there's more than one way to view the world?
Tōsaka Rin (Fate/stay night) vs. Saber (Fate/stay night)The once-mighty magus staggers, falling to her knees. Expended jewels fall from her now-weak hand, mockingly winking at her as they lose themselves in the earth. The years have not been kind to the learnt Master. Once, she was as strong as the Servant whose sword her Archer faces, but now, her power has dwindled. Time and again she has dodged the final blow from the ageless Saber, but the War has run its course, and no more can Rin and Shirō avoid the inevitable confrontation. The stubborn King, ruthless in battle, stares at the girl who once saved her very life, her sword poised to kill. Both know there can be only one victor; both have known from the very start, but against their better judgment, they became necessary allies, and against their flawless strategies, they've become friends. A whispered apology. A near-certain end. Excalibur flashes. Lights flare from Rin's hidden hand. A blinding dome of light envelops the dueler, a tornado of debris forced into existence by the raw energy emanating from their magic. As the light fades and the dust settles, only one will remain standing.
Furukawa Nagisa (CLANNAD) vs. Kōsaka Kirino (Ore no Imōto)A character obsessing over some materialistic item is undoubtedly popular in anime. This brings us to today's match-up where the Dango Daikazoku fanatic, Furukawa Nagisa, prepares for a battle against the eroge-loving otaku, Kōsaka Kirino. A weak body has plagued Nagisa ever since she caught a life-threatening fever as a child. Despite this, she works extremely hard in order to reach her dreams—whether it is representing the theater club at the school festival or working as the secretary in the ISML Seitokai. Kirino, on the other hand, has always excelled in all areas of life. From academic excellence to a perfect body, Kirino has it all. On top of her responsibilities as a middle school student, she is still able to handle a part-time modeling job, showing her superb time management skills. With each girl supporting her own interests, which one of them will you side with? Will Nagisa and the Dango Daikazoku draw you in, or will the temptation of Kirino's imōto eroge be too much for you to resist?
Misaka Mikoto (Toaru Majutsu no Index) vs. Last Order (Toaru Majutsu no Index)Naiveté can often be associated with young age. Unaware of adults’ capability for slyness, Misaka Mikoto consented to the mapping of her DNA genome when she was still a child, under the pretext of curing neuronal diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Thus, the whole Misaka Clone network was born, with the main purpose to level shift the strongest level five esper in Gakuen City into uncharted territory: evolving Accelerator into level six. Twenty thousand imōto were created as substitutes for the 128 Railguns that were needed for the project, with Last Order as the fail-safe mechanism. Burdened with her feelings of resentment and despair, Railgun was about to sacrifice herself to Accelerator and prove that the Tree Diagram calculations could be wrong. The Electromaster was saved, as a certain level zero boy did the unthinkable by beating the level six esper. Ironically, Accelerator later met Last Order and learnt to care for others, even with his hands already stained with the blood of 10031 of the sister clones. With the level Shift project scraped, which girl will gain more happiness, Misaka Mikoto for saving the lives of the remaining 9969 clones, or Last Order for being able to finally leave the lab, and stay with Accelerator?
Katsura Hinagiku (Hayate no Gotoku!) vs. Laura Bodewig (IS <Infinite Stratos>)Winning. That is the one thing that Laura Bodewig has yet to experience during this year's ISML. Currently owning the only winless record among the fifty Regular Season contestants, Laura has struggled exceptionally despite having an easier schedule than many of girls who are above her in the standings. Coupled with the weak staying power of her series, this year in the ISML may well be her last. On the bright side, the feat of making it into the Regular Season is something Laura should be proud of. Standing across from her today is Katsura Hinagiku, the current ISML Seitokai president. Unlike Laura, Hina has been in the ISML since 2008, never failing to make it into the Postseason. Despite the slowly decreasing popularity of the
Hayate no Gotoku! series, she is still holding onto a Postseason spot at 13th. As these two ladies square off, will Hina be able to extend Laura's losing streak, or will her opponent pull off a huge upset?
Nagato Yuki (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yūutsu) vs. Shiina Mafuyu (Seitokai no Ichizon)A bibliophile against an avid gamer, that’s what we can say about this match pitting Nagato Yuki against Shiina Mafuyu. Kūdere in nature, Yuki immerses herself in books, and rarely interacts with the SOS Brigade members. This artificial human, created by the Integrated Data Entity, silently observes her surroundings, making others wonder what is actually inside her mind. With world-bending powers at her disposal, she silently trudges the path of the silent observer. A swaying bishōjo in appearance, Mafuyu rarely leaves her home without her handheld PSP and BL novels. Even though she has some difficulties with boys that make her look like an easy target for affection, her wild fantasies often leave the club members stunned. Sugisaki Ken was forced to reassess his early assumption of her as being the easiest girl to capture. Will books lead Nagato Yuki towards another victory in the Sapphire period, or will Shiina Mafuyu's PSP help her obtain her first win in this phase over her imposing opponent?
Nakano Asuza (K-ON!) vs. Sanzen'in Nagi (Hayate no Gotoku!)As the dust settles, Fujibayashi Kyō walks away with her head held high after vanquishing Sanzen'in Nagi in Sapphire Round 2. After picking herself back up, Nagi shuts herself in her room, wondering what went wrong. However, there is no time to dwell upon the past as today's challenger quickly advances towards the Sanzen'in mansion. Looking out the window, Nagi spots Nakano Azusa, one of the ISML's elite. Despite Azusa’s innocent and cute looks, Nagi knows that she is capable of obliterating anyone who gets in her way, with her current 21-2 record proving this. Nonetheless, Nagi readies herself for this tough battle ahead, knowing full well that, although it will be difficult, she still has a chance to emerge victorious if she fights. Upon exiting her room and descending the stairs, Nagi hears the front door closing. Her eyes lock onto the small figure standing in the entrance. At this, the two twin-tails charge menacingly towards each other, with the desire to win burning deep inside both of their hearts.
Shinonono Hōki (IS <Infinite Stratos>) vs. Sengoku Nadeko (Bakemonogatari)This match-up squares off two maidens of contrasting personalities. Shinonono Hōki is a beautiful girl, but don’t let her features mislead you into believing that she is all about physical beauty. Properly trained in kendo, she has the physical prowess to match her undoubted charm. Her headstrong mentality means that she will try her best to grab what she wants in her life. On the other hand, Sengoku Nadeko can be categorised as a cute, young girl, both mentally and physically. Her small stature, coupled with her shy behaviour, makes the people around her want to embrace and protect her. Not physically imposing, she accepts her fate and writhes alone instead of retaliating back against the curses afflicted upon her by the people who resent her. While both of the contestants’ approaches to the world differ, their ultimate goals remain the same—to lead happy lives with the people they care about the most. With such asymmetrical attributes, which traits will the voters prefer?
Hirasawa Yui (K-ON!) vs. Kasugano Sora (Yosuga no Sora)Today, a veteran and a newcomer with different personalities will battle against each other. Hōkago Tea Time's lead guitarist, Hirasawa Yui, is an energetic and clumsy girl who loves sweet and cute things around her. Despite not being able to read sheet music, Yui tried her hardest to learn how to play the guitar with the help of her friends at school. Her opponent today has already defeated her sister, Hirasawa Ui, 3836-3790 on Day 4 of Preliminary Phase II, and Yui does not want the same thing to happen to her. Although her personality is troublesome and her health is poor, Kasugano Sora still lives on. After the tragic loss of her parents, the only person who she could depend on was her twin brother. As the angelic-looking Sora faces the older Hirasawa sister, will Yui’s electric guitar, Heritage Cherry Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard, alias “Gita,” help to avenge her sister's loss? Or will Sora complete her sweep of the Hirasawa sisters?
Kuroi Mato (Black ★ Rock Shooter) vs. Louise Vallière (Zero no Tsukaima)Faction matches are rife across ISML, and with the strongest of the strong having faced off last period, what better time is there for the weaker challengers to meet than now? Seiyū battles are in hot debate near the top of the board, but when it comes down the ranks, the effects don't seem nearly half as strong. With the rest of the Order of the Lotus being shy, quiet kūdere types, Mato marks Hanazawa Kana in a new role: an active, bubbly child, who goes out to make friends, rather than the other way around. With just a short, 50-minute OVA behind her, the black rock shooter sometimes gets overlooked by voters—even with the soothing voice of HanaKana—and stands a good way behind the rest of the Order with a likely chance of losing to the older, but slightly weaker Kugyu fanbase. Likewise, Louise, even with three full seasons, falls short of her high school tsundere counterpart of a single season, Taiga. But Louise has proven the world wrong once before for underestimating her, showing everyone a magic far stronger than the likes of which anyone had ever imagined, and she's more than ready to do it again, starting with the first step of the Kana ladder. In another blue versus pink battle, will Mato finally join the ranks of recognition with her HanaKana sisters? Or will Louise prove the strength of the tsundere twins and pull the Kugyu pack closer together?
Fujibayashi Kyō (CLANNAD) vs. Shana (Shakugan no Shana)Two veterans, who have been part of ISML since its inception, look to continue their campaign to claim the Heavenly Tiara. Shana was born and raised to fight in order to protect herself and the rest of humanity from harm. Each time she goes into battle, she only sees the enemy in front of her and shows no fear. Upon meeting a human who was a shadow of his former self, she began to realize that there is more to life than just fighting. Her opponent’s responsibilities are not as big, but she, too, has a shorter temper. Fujibayashi Kyō is responsible for maintaining order in her class and will personally punish those who cause trouble. Only her friends know that she has a caring side and will not hesitate to help others out. Shana has won the past two Sapphire necklaces and has a total of five necklaces in her overall ISML career, but Kyō claims the first Sapphire necklace win in 2008. Both challengers are looking to return to the Postseason for a 4th year in a row. Will the Flame Haze continue her domination over her opponent, or will the class representative finally get her first win against her rival and prove that she still has some fight left in her?
Chii (Chobits) vs. Kagura (Gintama)Chii stands in the middle of a grassy plane, alone with the wind against her. Does Chii remember such a calm place? The setting seems very nostalgic for her, but she does not understand why. As she continues to walk aimlessly in the never-ending sea of grass, she sees a shady figure walking towards her. Relieved that she is not alone in this world, Chii mistakenly runs up to the figure. Bullets fire at her, purposefully missing her feet. Chii is scared; is it another person who wishes to capture her for her uniqueness? She tries to run away, but her clothes are not suited for any aerobic activity. The silhouette walks closer to Chii, revealing itself as a young woman with a stunning Chinese dress and notable orange hair, fashioned with accessories. She points her umbrella at Chii's face, confusing her. She is just an innocent girl, who knows nothing about Earth, and is trying her best to learn how to go through life with her master. However, Chii can see that her hunter's hands are shaking. The strange girl does not seem to wish to kill, and Chii can see that she must have been forced to undertake such measures. She is glad that her hunter has such a kind heart and stands up, frightening her adversary for a moment. If Chii wishes to leave this situation alive, she has no other choice but to stand her ground.
