Well, I did not think that I would cover Saimoe this year, and I still do not intend to. But I thought a look at the start of the tournament, which begins tomorrow from the time this post is done, may be a good idea considering how, after looking at the entire grouping in the actual tournament past the preliminaries, two of my wives made it in. Not that they have a chance of survival past the first round, but whatever. Since Group A starts on the 4th, while the other groups start later, I shall take a look group by group in the first looks, meaning a total of 8 posts for all first looks.

After the first looks, whether or not I will bother with Saimoe depends on the results. It will be interesting but too tiring to bother keeping up with them all, so I will only do it if the results interest me or make me want to post on them. Otherwise you can also follow me on Twitter to know how I feel about the results daily.

Here are the group matchings for the entire Group A, split into two images. Click to enlarge. Note that I will only touch on characters I actually know, and my predictions are probably going to be wholly inaccurate and subject to bias.
 

A1-1

Knowns: Isara Gunther (Valkyria Chronicles), Minami Chiaki (Minami-ke)
Prediction: Minami Chiaki

Basically, since there are 5 characters in this grouping, it might be expected to be a hot matchup, but I doubt it. It all boils down to if Chiaki can repeat the Minami-ke rage from last year, where all three sisters moved to the third round before being ceremoniously eliminated. Isara might have

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going for her, but I doubt she can beat Chiaki at this. Still, I might be surprised if there is any Minami-ke leftover rage from last year’s results where Kana pulled off a surprising one (I forgot who and I am too lazy to bother finding out, I believe the results are in my blog’s Saimoe 2008 posts somewhere), so we will see. I still think Chiaki will win.
 

A1-2

Knowns: Ikaruga Ibuki (Asu no Yoichi!)
Prediction: Sonou Mori (Melancholy of Suzumiya Harubinhi)

I have no basis at all for this prediction. All I know is Ibuki is up against lolies. That is never good for big-boobed mature characters, even if Ibuki did have one episode based on her being a 4-year-old in a 17-year-old body. Poor Ibuki. She might have had a chance. But even if she won and my prediction is also correct for A1-1, Chiaki would still kick her ass in popularity.
 

A1-4

Knowns: Ikaruga Ayame (Asu no Yoichi!)
Prediction: Asakura Ryouko (Melancholy of Suzumiya Harubinhi)

I would have liked tsundere Ayame to win this, but there is the matter of Ryouko. I am wondering if Endless Eight hate will actually troll the shit out of Saimoe so that all of Haruhi gets eliminated in the first round, but lol, maybe not. One can still hope though.
 

A1-6

Knowns: Maka Albarn (Soul Eater), Kuchiki Rukia (Bleach)
Prediction: Maka Albarn

Excuse me but WTF is Maka doing past the prelims? That being said, considering her current group, unless the girl from Strike Witches has any form of popularity, she might actually win this, seeing as to how Rukia is now old and useless, overused in fact. How she manages to get into Saimoe’s first round every year still baffles me. It has been 5 years since Bleach first aired.
 

A2-1

Knowns: Fatina (Tower of Druaga)
Prediction: Kousaka Tamaki (To Heart 2)

I am sorry Fatina. You somehow made it in again only to have your heart broken by a character from To Heart 2. :(
 

A2-2

Knowns: Sugino Ayumu (Saki)
Prediction: Either Clannad or Lucky Star

Yea what, side character in Saki? Against the giants of Clannad and Lucky Star? Nothxbye.
 

A2-3

Knowns: Kataoka Yuuki (Saki)
Prediction: Kataoka Yuuki

Despite me not knowing any of the other characters, Yuuki is either a very annoying character or a very likeable character depending on which side you stand, and seeing how the Japanese are always opposite me in regards to such characters, and the fact that she is voiced by Kugimiya Rie, she might actually win this little grouping.
 

A2-4

Knowns: Kawai Honoka (Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo), Sumeragi Kaguya (Code Geass)
Prediction: Kawai Honoka

Now despite the love for Code Geass still flying around, I believe Sorakake and especially Honoka has more in terms of popularity, especially since it is also more recent. Plus, the release of picture drama 3 showing Honoka’s tits probably did her a lot of good as a vote garnering tactic, even if that was not Sunrise’s original intention.
 

A2-5

Knowns: Shishidou Sakura (Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo), Nunnally vi Britannia (Code Geass), Suou Mikoto (School Rumble)
Prediction: Nunnally

I would have very much liked Sakura to advance just so we can get past the whole Geass fangasm thing, but it is quite likely Nunnally still wins in terms of popularity, since Sakura, even as a loli, does not get enough screentime.
 

A2-6

Knowns: Houjou Kuniko (Shangri-La)
Prediction: I have no fscking idea, seriously

This group is way too unknown for me despite me knowing Kuniko…and I doubt she will win either.
 

That is it for Group A, and it is difficult for me to say who will actually win the entire group either, so I shall refrain from making that prediction so far ahead of time. Group B probably up in two days.

Related posts:

1. Saimoe 2009 Group C
2. Saimoe 2009 Group B
3. Saimoe 2009 Group E
4. Saimoe 2009 Group F
5. Saimoe 2009 Group H