ISML 2009 Emerald Period - Featured Matches and Maps





Emerald.

It is a silent radiance. It is a warm feeling of security. It is the source of life for all beings on the planet in which we walk on. It is like a tree in the middle of a forest, constantly swaying in the winds wherever it goes. However, the gift it gives is taken for granted. None ever notice that a small flower or a stem that can someday grow into a tree is the one reason that we live today. Moreover, many are so absorbed in their greed for money or resources that they are willing to sacrifice a critical percentage of their life to do so. To be like Emerald is to be able to grow away from a personality that takes things for granted, and understand that everything in this world is there for a reason. None could go through a road to destiny without knowing where it leads. To become Emerald is to mature, like a flower transforming to a tree, and become a lifegiver to the unaware.






Emerald - Round 1



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No featured matches on this day.

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Emerald - Round 2



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Emerald - Round 3



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Istanbul, Turkey

#1 Suzumiya Haruhi (38-0) vs. #9 Takamachi Nanoha (32-6)

1700     ←     1316


Buenos Aires, Argentina

Furude Rika (28-10) vs. #5 Fujibayashi Kyō (35-3)

1175     →     1512


Seoul, South Korea

#8 Suigintou (32-6) vs. #15 Katsura Hinagiku (30-8)

1553     ←     1455


Mexico City, Mexico

Furukawa Nagisa (29-9) vs. Ichinose Kotomi (27-11)

1379     ←     1356

Ichinose Kotomi has had a bumpy season lately, experiencing shocking defeats and nearly upsetting stronger contestants amongst comfortable victories. This inconsistency has left her in 20th place in the standings and 2 wins behind the top 16. If Kotomi is to climb back into the top 16 she needs back-to-back wins, and what better place to start than against fellow CLANNAD contestant Furukawa Nagisa? However, 17th-ranked Nagisa is knocking on the top 16 door and knows this is a match she cannot afford to lose. Add onto this the fact that in the 4 necklace periods completed so far, Nagisa has finished in a higher place than Kotomi, and statistics conclude that Nagisa has the slight advantage going into this match. Nevertheless, with so much at stake both competitors will be giving their all. One of these two will be stepping closer to the Emerald necklace and the top 16, but who will it be?

Thanks to ilkaid for contributing match descriptions.

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Emerald - Round 4



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Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

#3 Sakagami Tomoyo (37-2) vs. #9 Aisaka Taiga (33-6)

1680     ←     1421

Aisaka Taiga is having an impressive season thus far, ranking 9th in the standings. Her current performance is the best at of all the contestants who entered via the preliminaries. All Taiga has left to prove is that she can defeat a top tier character, an endeavour which she has tried, and failed, four times thus far. Now she has her fifth chance facing off against Sakagami Tomoyo. Tomoyo, however, is no easy prospect, currently ranked 3rd in the standings. Tomoyo is also still eligible for the Emerald Necklace unlike Taiga, who will only be fighting to prove herself. With statistics backing Tomoyo, Taiga is definitely the underdog in this match. Will Tomoyo press on towards the Emerald necklace or will Taiga pull of an upset?

Sydney, Australia

#13 Asahina Mikuru (31-8) vs. Ichinose Kotomi (27-12)

1574     ←     1487


Dhaka, Bangladesh

Ibuki Fūko (24-15) vs. #14 Izumi Konata (31-8)

1246     →     1403


Tehran, Iran

Hiiragi Tsukasa (26-13) vs. Konjiki no Yami (22-17)

1462     →     1524


Thanks to ilkaid for contributing a match description.

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Emerald - Round 5



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Emerald - Round 6



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Emerald - Round 7



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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (via Tehran)

#11 Asahina Mikuru (34-8) vs. #4 Fujibayashi Kyō (39-3)

1425     →     1801

(The ISML Staff has elected to relocate away from Tehran until further notice.)
Time is quickly running out. Two-thirds of the season have already elapsed, and the vision regarding this year's top 16 candidates are now taking shape. But with only 18 candidates having a realistic chance in making the top 16, the focus has shitfted from the race to the top 16 and into a foreshadowing of what is to come in the double-elimination contest. With three inter-top 16 matches taking place today, each candidate is taking her matches one at a time, looking for that critical win that will ultimately affect the initial seeding of the final phase of this contest. Despite this, one match stands out above the rest in this match set. Tonight, Asahina Mikuru and Fujibayashi Kyō square off in a critical match that can decide not only seeding in the long run, but also an open pathway to what could be the Emerald Necklace at the end, and with both candidates in the top 5 in the Emerald standings undefeated, this match can and will go either way. Will Mikuru pull off the upset against someone currently in the top 5 overall, or will she fall into a dangerous zone that could lead to a top 16 ousting?

Jakarta, Indonesia

#8 Suigintou (36-6) vs. #10 Aisaka Taiga (35-7)

1748     ←     1428

With 66% of the regular season complete, only one candidate who entered from the preliminary rounds remains in contention for the tiara. Aisaka Taiga has lived up to the hype of being a huge contender this year, and it seems that she is currently between two states for the moment. She's close to locking herself into the double-elimination rounds, yet she is still a handful of losses away from falling out of the top 16 entirely. Given that she hasn't shown any evidence that she can do more than average performance in critical matches, this may be a bad time for Taiga to run into Suigintou, who has been on quite an upswing since Amethyst 1. In fact, Suigintou has only lost once since the start of Amethyst, with her only loss being against a candidate that she has never won against in her entire Saimoe career after so many matches. Come to think of it, that candidate could be considered an alternate version of Taiga herself, so perhaps the Palm-Top Tiger could have a chance to defeat the Mercury Lamp. This match can go either way, but just which one will pull of a win in Jakarta?

Mumbai, India

Sanzen'in Nagi (26-16) vs Furude Hanyū (26-16)

1735     ←     1374

These girls stand in the same place. Both have had an average season. Both have the same record (26-16). They even have the same Emerald record so far (4-2). However, Nagi has the upper hand; she has had the harder schedule of the two girls, making her the favorite to win. Hanyū hasn't done anything amazing as of yet, but anything can happen. Is Nagi predestined to win? Or will Hanyu be able to change her fate?

Thanks to minhtam1638 and Cecaniah for contributing match descriptions.

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Emerald - Round 8



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Emerald - Round 9



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Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

#1 Suzumiya Haruhi (44-0) vs. #3 Sakagami Tomoyo (42-2)

1412     →     1853

With postseason seeds on the line, this may be the biggest matchup of the season for both girls. For Haruhi Suzumiya, this matchup is also about revenge. It was just under a year ago when she lost to Tomoyo in the Emerald round, and only three months ago when she finished second to Tomoyo for the Aquamarine necklace. Even with her eyes on a much bigger prize, you can bet she doesn't want to let another loss at the hands of Tomoyo. On the other side of this epic clash stands the deceptively strong Tomoyo Sakagami. She has powered her way through most of her competition, but has struggled against her fellow Kyoto Animation stablemates as six of Tomoyo's seven career ISML losses have come at the hands of KyoAni girls. The student council president will be looking to change that pattern, and ending Haruhi's run at a perfect season would do so in a big way. Can Tomoyo be the thorn in Haruhi's side for the third time, or will the brigade leader score another victory and continue her march to perfection?

Tōkyō, Japan

#5 Fate Testarossa (40-4) vs. #2 Shana (43-1)

1401     →     1879

Fifty-four votes. That's all that has separated Shana and Fate Testarossa during their previous matchups. In the 2008 regular season, Shana eeked out a win by just ninteen votes. Fate would have the last laugh, however, as a seventy-three vote victory in their postseason rematch would help propel her to the Tiara. Even with both girls comfortably in the double-elimination round, don't think that either can afford a loss here. Shana is only one loss behind current #1 Haruhi Suzumiya and will have a chance to catch her as long as she doesn't lose ground today. A win over Fate keeps the Flame Haze in the hunt for the overall top spot, which is where Fate was when she won the Tiara. Fate, on the other hand, knows the #1 seed is not to be this season. With about 1/3 of the season remaining, the Enforcer has already surpassed her loss total of last season and is four losses out of first. She needs to start building momentum to carry her through the Tiara bracket, and a win over Shana would go a long way to building that momentum.

Thanks to amdrag for contributing match descriptions.

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Emerald Overtime + Bonus Exhibition


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Tōkyō, Japan

Mizunashi Akari (4-40-1) vs. Remilia Scarlet (8-36-1)

1404     →     1820

These two girls came into ISML with a below-average performance, disgracing their proposed strength. Akari qualified for ISML via Korea with her 6th-place ranking. Remilia qualified for ISML via the 2009 Preliminaries. Both of these girls seemed to have a good future awaiting them. However, things have not swayed in their favor, as both girls are performing far below expected. Akari had a total record of 4-32 when Emerald started, already putting her below the .500 line for the season. Remilia, however, had a slightly brighter future, with a total record of 7-29, still on the positive side of the .500 line. At Emerald 2, Remilia was thought to have the upper hand, but an unexpected turn of events changed that. Akari and Remilia tied with 989 votes each. Now, these two will face each other once more to decide the true winner. Will Akari realize her mistakes and correct them? Or will Remilia make sure her opponent doesn't come back?



Manila, Philippines

Akiyama Mio vs. Nakano Azusa

1881     ←     1151

You could break down and debate both this match and the Yui vs. Ui match until the cows come home. The real story of these battles is that even with the ISML field shrinking from 64 to 50 qualifiers next year, there's a chance that all four of the K-ON girls would face each other in the 2010 regular season. The mere possibility of all four qualifiying serves as proof that when it comes to moe, the KyoAni Empire doesn't rebuild; they reload.

Jakarta, Indonesia

Miyanaga Saki vs. Haramura Nodoka

818     →     1284

Don't be surprised if we're analyzing this match during ISML 2010. While it won't count in the long run, don't think for a second that either girl won't go all-out for a win. While Saki's biggest strength is analyzing her opponents, Nodoka's talent is to ignore them and focus on the task at hand. This contrast of styles is sure to make for an epic encounter. Will Miyanaga tank her opponent's score with an incredible hand, or will Haramura steal the precious victory?

London, United Kingdom

Sanya V. Litvyak vs. Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen

1415     ←     871

In another match that could be a prelude to a showdown in ISML 2010, comrades Sanya and Eila square off. Like a cat, Litvyak is at her best when she can use her advanced stealth abilities to beat her opponents. She won't be able to do that here, as she will receive 100% of the foxy Juutilainen's attention. As well as these two know each other, this is shaping up to be the most intense dogfight either girl has ever experienced.

Tehran, Iran

Shishidō Akiha vs. Kannagi Itsuki

1012     ←     886

This is the first time these girls will face each other in any major moe tournament. Their first individual appearances were in the first round of Korea Best Moe, and unfortunately they did not perform as well as they had hoped. Itsuki ranked 12th in her group with a total of 93 votes, edging out the last ranked contestant by only 8 votes. Akiha did only slightly better, coming in 10th place with a total of 110 votes in her group. If either girl is to continue her saimoe career, she must perform much better, and the ISML stage here is a great new chance. Will Akiha be able to convince Itsuki to let her go? Or will Itsuki be able to see through her efforts and defeat Akiha?

Istanbul, Turkey

Okazaki Ushio vs. Kyon no Imōto

1565     ←     1432

This is Ushio's first year exposed to the fierceness of Saimoe, but Kyon's sister on the other hand is a little more experienced. Imōto-chan was welcomed into ISML 2008 by placing 16th in Korea Best Moe of 2006, but did not fare so well with a 15-48 record. However in 2009, she made quite a lot of appearances (or perhaps... endless appearances) in the second season of Suzumiya Haruhi no Yūutsu, so her popularity could have a boost. Ushio will enjoy the strength of the current CLANNAD contestants, whose lowest-ranked member has an over-50% winning record. Will she follow the footsteps of her fellow CLANNAD contestants? Don't be fooled, because this match between Ushio and Kyon's sister will be a bit more heated than a friendly, cutesy contest.

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kyon vs. Lelouch Lamperouge

1280     →     1883

Kyon is currently the top-ranked male character in the prestigious Newtype rankings, narrowly edging Lelouch for the top spot. Lelouch has the advantage of being the reigning 4-time champion of the Animage Anime Grand Prix, while Kyon finished tied for third this year. Kyon was the champion of the Korean Best Moe: Male Division in 2007, but Lelouch was crowned champion in 2008. The two fought recently in Korean Super Best Moe 2008, which Lelouch the victor by over 2000 votes. Now on the ISML stage, Lelouch may seem to have the upper hand, but Kyon is receiving renewed support from the airing of new Suzumiya Haruhi episodes. Will he succeed in his revenge? Or will Lelouch outsmart Kyon once more?

Milano, Italy

Suō Tamaki vs. Okazaki Tomoya

875     →     1682

Okazaki Tomoya has a history of hanging tough, even when he's not 100%. Tomoya took this battle without hesitation, even with a bad shoulder. He's hoping that a win on the ISML battlefield would inspire his close partner Nagisa to make a final push to close out the regular season (she is currently tied with Hinagiku Katsura for the final spot in the double-elimination tournament). To get that win, he will have to go through Suō Tamaki. The self-proclaimed king is at his best when he's leading his group of merry men (well, mostly men) to success, but he will be all on his lonesome here. Will he fall to the motivated family man, or will the Bishonen from Bunkyo find a way to win?

Thanks to Cecaniah, amdrag, and KholdStare for contributing match descriptions.

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