In many ways, Shakugan no Shana's title character is the most dominant girl in ISML history. She's won more regular season matches (121) than any other girl in ISML history. She's on the second-longest regular season winning streak in history (54 wins), and the record (Suzumiya Haruhi's 68) is within reach. But she has one big knock against her; she was unable to turn her first-place finish in last year's regular season into a championship. To find someone who doesn't have that stigma, look no further than her opponent today, Fate Testarossa. Fate converted her first-place 2008 regular season finish into a Tiara, and after a strong 2009, she's looking to claim crown number two. Will she start 2010 with success, or will Shana continue her winning ways?

On annonce la couleur d'entrée de jeu: la saison ne sera pas facile et le tout premier match le prouve bien. Entre la grande lauréate de 2008 et la vice-championne de 2009, le combat s'annonce rude bien que Feito n'ait toujours pas retrouvé sa force habituelle. La Flame Haze, en revanche, semblait en pleine forme pendant les échauffements qui ont eu lieu pendant les Préliminaires. La mahou shoujo parviendra-t-elle à se surpasser ou Shana commencera-t-elle sa démonstration dès le premier jour?

Sakagami Tomoyo enters ISML 2010 as the defending Aquamarine necklace holder. She finished both the 2009 regular season and the double elimination tournament in third place and, considering how powerful CLANNAD was during qualifying, is considered a major threat to win it all this year. Her reward: opening the season against the defending champion. In 2008, Tomoyo beat Hayate no Gotoku's Hikagiku twice; once in the regular season and once in the playoffs. In 2009, Hinagiku returned the favor, scoring regular- and post-season victories over the Sakagami twin on her way to a championship. The question in this match may not be "which girl will win?" but rather "is this just a preview of a third playoff showdown?".

Les présidentes et membres du Conseil des Etudiants de leur école ont la cote comme on n'a pu le voir en fin d'année passée et lors des Préliminaires. En effet, en 2009, Tomoyo s'empare de la 3ème place alors qu'Hinagiku est sacrée championne ! Les revoir ainsi face à face lors de ce premier jour — alors qu'elles se sont évitées lors du tournoi final l'année passée — permettra de répondre à beaucoup de questions sur la suite e cette compétition. La fille aux combos de coup de pieds pourra-t-elle se passer d'un manque de nouveautés pour Clannad? Hina saura-t-elle gérer sa popularité, alors que la troisième saison de son anime n'est toujours pas annoncée?

How fitting is this; Senjōgahara Hitagi, a girl who thinks she's bigger than she is, finds that her first ISML match may be bigger than she could have ever imagined. Hitagi has become a staple of Bakemonogatari, and with her strong performance in qualifications, she has shown that she may quickly become a Saimoe staple as well. Her talents will be tested quickly, as her first match pits her against one of the ISML's elite, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsuu's data interface, Nagato Yuki. Yuki is as battle-tested as they come; nobody has been in more playoff matches (12) as she has, and only Katsura Hinagiku has as many playoff wins (8). However, Yuki finished last year's regular season with a shocking 4-5 mark in the final period, and she'll be looking for victory to wipe the taste of defeat out of her mouth. Will she get back to her winning ways, or will Hitagi's debut be a victorious one?

Spring has come, kicking off a new season. Sakurano Kurimu knows her council is set to face some powerful opponents this year, and as leader she doesn't want to disappoint them in the opening match. But in front of her today stands the White Devil — an ISML veteran, the winner of Saimoe 2005, and a fearsome member of the Bureau. The President is no pushover, though; she is one of the top qualifiers from the Nomination Period and has already defeated strong opponents in the preliminaries. Nanoha wishes to put her performance in last year's double-elimination tournament behind her, involving an early loss to the current bearer of the Aquamarine necklace, Sakagami Tomoyo. She aims to recover her lost glory, but can the White Devil successfully 'befriend' Kurimu, or will the young president deny Nanoha her stamp of approval?

Akiyama Mio and Sanzen'in Nagi both have talented voices. But Mio is a bass player and an ISML newcomer while Nagi is an otaku and a veteran. Mio has dominated most of her matches, beating Nagato Yuki and Aisaka Taiga in the seeding tournament. Her bass and moe moe kyun power are incredible, but she has not met an opponent quite like Nagi, who has the advantage of time, pop-culture knowledge, and a well-respected seiyuu. Who shall win? Mio with the powerful poses which otaku seek, or Nagi who more closely resembles their own lifestyle?

After a successful opening to their ISML 2010 campaign, Kurimu and Konata will now have the opportunity to measure each other in this matchup despite many physical similiarities. Having staved off a tough challenge from Chizuru, Konata will be looking forward to pull off a double against Hekiyou Academy Student Council's president. However, fresh from her victory over Takamachi Nanoha, Kurimu will not be an easy target when she takes on the responsibility of avenging Chizuru's loss as well as setting an example for her other council members to follow. With both characters' performance in the opening rounds being almost identical to each other, this is a match can go either way and the one with the most appeal wins. So will the president get the votes, similiar as to how she was elected for the council post? Or can the laid back otaku brag about her win to her MMORPG acquaintances?

The ISML season is still young, but both of these girls opened 2010 on the right foot. Nakano Azusa's ISML debut was a strong one, as she scored an impressive 553-vote victory over the experienced Ichinose Kotomi. Azu-nyan is looking to become one of the top rookies in 2010, and she doesn't have to look far for someone to emulate. Holo, one of last year's top rookie performers, continued to build upon her strong 2009 season by defeating Shiina Minatsu in a tough match. Holo's looking to make the leap from 'threat to make the playoffs' to 'threat to win it all,' and a victory today will go a long way towards achieving that goal. Can the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu continue to build momentum, or will it be yet another KO for K-ON!?

After beating veterans of ISML, both Yui and Nadeko seem be on the top right now. But they have to cross swords for the first time this year. Yui, the leader of Afterschool Tea Time will try her best to take on the snake after a fierce battle with the Geass-Holder. meanwhile, Nadeko came in with a surprise after beating the dango and wants more victory to please her "onii-chan" and prove that she is one of the major contenders of the League. Will the Curry over Rice emerge victorious, or will the Renai Circulation get the upset again?

Look at the standings. Everything is pretty much a surprise, so much that the only thing that hasn't changed is that girl who is still holding that #1 spot after six months of reprieve. But this is Aquamarine 2, and at this point, overall standings don't mean much except for bragging rights, and tonight, we are going to find out if K-ON!'s Hirasawa Ui, currently behind "that girl" in the Aquamarine standings at #2, can either prove that she's the real deal, or if she's going to be one and done. Her opponent is veteran Ichinose Kotomi, a violinist who knows a thing or two about making undefeated necklace runs, and despite her being virtually out of the Aquamarine Necklace, she is primed for the real prize that lies ahead. Will order start coming by to ISML 2010, or can Ui pull off an interesting upset?

The battle between two Kugitsuns is happening between Louise and Taiga. Both of them have all the support from the fans of their seiyuu but today they are divided between the Zero and the Tiger. Will the veteran Louise manage to teach her junior Taiga, or will Taiga manage to show that her way is better?

It wasn't very long ago when Negima and To Heart 2 were popular in Saimoe. This Round of 16 rematch of Korea Best Moe 2007 features two characters that were also in ISML 2008. In Korea, Tamaki won narrowly won to make the quarterfinals while in ISML, Nodoka won by receiving over 70% of the vote. Now that a few years have past, how loyal will their fans be? Tama-nee is looking for payback since their last meeting while Nodoka will be researching hard to defend her win.

Qualifying from a relatively easy group during the Preliminaries, Sengoku Nadeko has so far proved that she can hold her own fort by chalking consecutive wins over two Kyo-Ani contestants, namely Furukawa Nagisa and Hirasawa Yui. Despite that, Nadeko is not going to take her next match lightly as her past two matches were won by only 346 and 265 votes respectively, which are not enough to put her among the heavyweights yet. Facing off against her is Toradora!'s Diet Warrior, Kushieda Minori who managed a 374 vote advantage over Okazaki Ushio in the first round only to fall to an in-form Haruhi in the next. Thus, a win over an undefeated Nadeko would be the perfect match to redeem her previous loss. So will Nadeko prove that her wins are not flukes or will Minori celebrate by treating herself to a few extra calories?

Here's a little crash course on how a seven-match dash to the necklace works. Everyone is in it at the start, but after two matches, you start to get a clear idea of who the forerunners are, and with the low probability of the forerunners meeting each other, things start to quiet down, much so that an upset over a period-undefeated candidate could become the topic of conversation heading into Sunday's match. Tonight, currently ranked Izumi Konata should be on upset alert, and rightfully so. Konata's opponent in Illyasviel von Eiznbern has accumulated more votes for, less votes against, and a higher margin of victory than her, and despite the fact Illyasviel has never defeated Konata before, the past two matches have shown that past histories and performances between two candidates have meant very little. Will we head to Aquamarine 4 with one less undefeated, or will Konata pull off a three-in-a-row over Illyasviel?

Should Nodoka win today, to call it an upset would be quite the understatement. Nodocchi finished in last place in the pre-season seeding tournament, barely edged out by fellow Saki girl Fukuji Mihoko. She currently sits in 49th (barely ahead of Mihoko) and is looking for something to go her way. Shana, meanwhile, is 2-0 after winning her 56th consecutive regular season match. However, she enters this match as the #6 seed. It is not only the first time in 264 days that she doesn't enter a regular season match as the #1 overall seed, but this also marks her lowest ranking since 2008. This is (technically) the most vulnerable that the Flame Haze has been in a very long time. Can Nodoka somehow find a way to take advantage, or will Shana's departure from the top spot be a short one?

The veterans are quickly catching the pack. For both of them, victory in the last match was crucial for them. As now, two of the veterans must collide on the epic battle of cuteness. Furukawa Nagisa proved that with the weak body of her sickness, she defeated her opponent without mercy. In front of her, stands the commander of the SOS-Brigade, The God-Empress herself, who pulled a decisive victory against the Diet Warrior. The dango, who wants make a good example to her daughter who also enters the competiton, must won even she is not in good condition. But, The God empress herself, also need a strong victory to ensures she doesn't lose the grip of the core. This day, which one of the KyoAni female lead could take the win??

The Key Intelligence Officer from Clannad Republic, Ichinose Kotomi, and the Kugimiya Master from HnG Combine, Sanzen'in Nagi, both are wonderfully smart. In this galaxy war, strategy is everything. Because they are veterans, both Kotomi and Nagi has lost their first battle against newcomers due to underestimation. But they have learned from their mistakes and made up lost ground by winning their second battle. Strategically, they need to score more victories for their nations. Now, their minds are being tested to face each other at the third battle of Aquamarine by the fate. Who has the best strategy?

The match between these two have just turned into a game as both Mafuyu and C.C. strategically fought each other for a win. Mafuyu, a powerful newcomer in ISML and also a game addict have managed to get lots of votes thanks to her charm while C.C, a veteran of ISML have won lots of matches in the past and also be a powerful contender to many people thanks to the geass. Will Mafuyu defeats C.C and show that present strategy can be won through games or will C.C shows that Real-time Strategy can only be won through experience?

Both these girls seem quite different on paper. Tōsaka Rin is known for her powerful sorcery amongst those in the war of the Holy Grail, while on the other hand, Asahina Mikuru is infamous for her clumsiness and childish naïveté amongst the SOS Brigade. But what both girls do share in common is, that despite strong performances in Aquamarine 1, they were both soundly defeated by fellow CLANNAD colleagues, Fujibayashi Kyō and Sakagami Tomoyo respectively in the following round. Now both girls face the prospect of a tough road to reach the Aquamarine necklace, but a win here will be crucial for any hopes of getting there. One must beg the question now, will Rin conquer all with her magnificient rubies or will SOS-Dan's "bunny girl" Mikuru sweep past her opponent?

Look at the cast that has already been eliminated from the Aquamarine race: 2008 Tiara winner Fate Testarossa, defending Aquamarine winner Sakagami Tomoyo, two-time necklace winners Suzumiya Haruhi and Hiiragi Kagami, and a full cast of accomplished contestants with their own merits. And Sengoku Nadeko, a timid girl with no previous Saimoe experience, has a real shot at it, defeating veteran Furukawa Nagisa and 2009 Saimoe Japan runner-up Hirasawa Yui along the way. However, if Nadeko really is the real deal, she will have to pull off a win against Akiyama Mio, arguably the strongest K-ON! band member with a huge chip on her shoulder following a dissappointing run in Japan. With a 5791 vote differential, second only to the other Aquamarine winner still in the running, all Mio needs to do is avoid making any mistakes against a newcomer already on to a quick start. Will Mio continue to march forward to Aquamarine or will Nadeko prove that she is indeed the real deal?

Suzumiya Haruhi and Fate Testarossa were a combined 39-1 through the first 20 match days of 2009, and that one loss came in a match between the two. However, 2010 has shown to be a completely different year, and one needs not look any further than these two for proof. After a near-1500 vote whoopin' at the hands of Shana on Day 1, Fate Testarossa finds herself back over .500 thanks to hard-fought wins over Kawashima Ami and Shiina Minatsu. Haruhi Suzumiya is above .500 with wins over Kushieda Minori and Furukawa Nagisa, but not before suffering a mild upset at the hands of Saber on Opening Day. The fact that both Shana and Saber have shown to be among Aquamarine's elite is of little comfort to either the Enforcer or the Goddess. All that matters is this: the loser of this match will start the season with a very disappointing 2-2 mark.

543 votes. That's how many votes Mikoto received higher than Konata during the Seeding Tournament of ISML 2010. Although, seeding tournaments don't contribute towards the scores that both receive in the regular season, they may prove to be an indicator of what's to come for both girls. Now, both of them find themselves facing each other individually in a head-to-head clash in Aquamarine 4. So far, Mikoto has proven that she's a genuine threat for the Aquamarine necklace this year, after facing off against a relatively difficult schedule and claiming the #1 spot. Now, however, she faces the familar threat in her campaign in the form of Izumi Konata, who's out for revenge for not only herself after being defeated in the Seeding Tournament, but her good friend Hiiragi Kagami who Mikoto also defeated in the opening round of Aquamarine. Will Mikoto continue to hold strong on her route towards her very first necklace or can Konata pull off her much-desired revenge?

On October 19th, 2009, it was said that the Tomoyo/Kyō rivalry had all the potential to become a major same-series rivalry, perhaps on the same level as the legendary Yuki/Haruhi rivalry. That same day, Sakagami Tomoyo eliminated Fujibayashi Kyō from the race toward the Tiara - by only 20 votes. Now with the series at (2-1) to Tomoyo's favor, the newly coined "official" rivalry takes yet another major turning point. Kyō is only four wins away from winning a second necklace to her '08 Sapphire, but in order to get to that promised land, she will have to defeat the now-eliminated defending Aquamarine winner in the process, a student council president that has been the bane of her ISML existence, and that student council president has no reason to hold back. Can Kyō protect her undefeated run against her in-series rival, or could Tomoyo break Kyō's hopes again, and bring the number of Aquamarine Candidates to seven?

Despite being in her first International Saimoe, Nakano Azusa should already know how good Aisaka Taiga is; Taiga is the one who eliminated Azusa in the Group F Finals of '09 Japan, denying Azusa a top 8 finish en route to a dual-Saimoe championship. Now Azusa finds herself in a middle of a dual opportunity: a chance at earning the Aquamarine Necklace and a chance at getting her revenge. However, with Taiga having three-times the vote differential than that of Azusa, even with a slightly more difficult Aquamarine schedule, pulling of a victory will be that much more difficult than the last opportunity. Imagine the confidence boost, however, if Azusa could pull of the huge upset. Can Azusa really pull it off, or will the Palm-Top Tiger continue to roll?

Holo finished 2009 with a 342-vote loss to Hiiragi Kagami in the Losers' Round of 16, but it was her next-to-last match which nearly shook the ISML to its core. The Wise Wolf of Yoitsu, who entered the 16-girl Double-Elimination tournament as the #16 seed, came within 50 votes of winning her Opening Round match. That match wasn't against just anybody, but against a girl who entered the tournament as the unquestioned #1 seed, having won her previous 54 matches. That opponent was Shana. The Flame Haze enters this match as one of 10 undefeated girls in Aquamarine. Should she survive today, she might be three wins away from recapturing the Aquamarine necklace she held in 2008. Will Shana score her 58th straight regular season victory and remain in the necklace chase, or can Holo recapture some of her tournament magic and score the biggest win of her ISML career?

Yui, the runner-up of Japan Saimoe '09, has justified herself to be a valid contender in this year's ISML, after pulling solid numbers to defeat ISML veterans C.C. and Ibuki Fūko so far in Aquamarine. Now however, she faces a veteran that is arguably her strongest opponent yet, Saber. Saber could perhaps, be starting her own propaganda of defeating the female leads of the KyoAni Empire's series, such as CLANNAD's Nagisa Furukawa in the Preliminaries, Lucky Star's Hiiragi Kagami in the Seeding Tournament and the very Goddess herself Haruhi Suzumiya in the opening round of Aquamarine. Coincidentally, Aquamarine 4 may prove to be the perfect opportunity for Saber to claim her territory amongst all the KyoAni series, in form of K-ON's Hirasawa Yui. Can Saber pull off a 4-streak victory and escalate her position in the running for the Aquamarine necklace or will Yui put the Excalibur wielder in her place and join in the ranks of fellow K-ON members Nakano Azusa and Akiyama Mio?

The scheduling gods have not been kind to Tōsaka Rin in the early going. The last two matches have pitted the sorcerer against girls who made the playoffs in 2009; Fujibayashi Kyō (a loss) and Asahina Mikuru (a win). Today, Rin faces her third consecutive Double-Elimination qualifier, and it's a doozy. Katsura Hinagiku, the defending ISML champion, is looking for an Aquamarine necklace to go along with her Ruby one from last year. Her Opening Day victory over Sakagami Tomoyo, coupled with her strong wins since then, has her right in the hunt to do so. She knows that she'll have her hands full, as Rin will look to conjure up an upset.

Twin-tail tsundere have well-known reputation in all otaku generations. Today, we might see one of the best tsundere fights ever. The elder Hiiragi just managed to grasp victory against the secretary of the Student Council. She is now facing another counterpart of herself, the 3-million-dollar girl Sanzen'in Nagi, who managed a close victory over Ichinose Kotomi. This one might be violent and cruel, as the Legendary Kagamin could prevail ... or perhaps another victory will go to the Sanzen'in heir. Who is going to prove the best twin tail of all?

What do Mafuyu and Hitagi have in common? Both are newcomers, and both have the same record thus far. They are also powerful contenders thanks to the Senjōgahara and Seitokai fascination. But one will rise and the other will fall. So will Mafuyu manage to gather all the gamers and BL fans to help her, or will scissors and staple lovers triumph instead?

Furukawa Nagisa has not started off this Aquamarine period on the right note, losing to one of the hottest rookies so far this year in Sengoku Nadeko and one of the most feared names in the Saimoe circuit in Suzumiya Haruhi. However, her next opponent may be the hardest she will ever have to face, ISML or not. Perhaps the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree, as Okazaki Ushio has fared very similarly to her mother, her only win over Furude Hanyū having a slim margin of 100 votes. The first mother-daughter match in Saimoe history is of critical importance for both girls, as the tide needs to turn in one of their favors if they seek success in the matches to come. Will mother teach daughter a valuable lesson, or will a daughter's beginner's luck surprise even one of the people who knows her best?

Starting with Oyuki from Urusei Yatsura, the list of cooldere is long, and the latest ones to be enlisted are the two contestants we have today. Both like most coolderes are full of super powers. and they don't use much words in getting their points across. Also like most coolderes, they have a sad story to tell, a story which they haven't escaped from, yet. How they deal with the story is different, as Tabitha meets the reality straight on, while Hecate seems to display escapism. Hecate is shown to be naive and very dependent on others, while Tabitha is blase and very independent. Both of the girls are likely the 2nd most popular girl of their series, so which series will voters choose as having deeper moe roster?

우루세이 야츠라의 오유키가 시조가 된 쿨데레 계보에 최근 들어가게 된 두 인물이 오늘 시합에서 만나게 됩니다. 다른 쿨데레들처럼 둘다 많은 마법적인 능력을 가졌으며 말이 적고, 아직도 벗어나지 못한 슬픈 과거를 가지고 있습니다. 그렇지만 이들이 이런 슬픈 현실에 대처하는 것은 매우 다릅니다. 타비사는 현실을 직면하고 대처하지만 헤카테는 현실을 기피하려는 경향이 엿보입니다. 헤카테가 좀 순진하고 타인들에게 의존적이라면 타비사는 세상 물정에 익숙한 나머지 좀 지겨워 하며 매사에 독립적으로 행동합니다. 둘다 출신작에서 두세번째로 인기 많은 여성들로서 오늘 투표를 통해 어떤 작품이 더 두터운 모에인원층을 가졌는지 알 수 있을 것 같습니다.

We have a battle between two legends, who can both be called goddesses in their own ways. To male anime fans over 30 years old, Maetel may be considered to be "The Lady of Boys' Dream," the mystery of women that awaits young boys when they grow up. She is a mother, sister, caretaker, lover, and girlfriend all rolled into one mysterious package that has tantalized anime fans for decades. For boys and even girls who grew up watching her, she is someone you can't forget, and if you consider those boys to be the ones now working in animation studios, her importance would be difficult to understate ... were it not for her opponent today, Nausicaä. Nausicaä is probably the most important character Miyazaki Hayao has made, and her presence can still be felt in any Ghibli film as well as any of the Messianic heroines that have followed her. She was the undisputed #1 character for Animage magazine for several years and was considered to be the ideal female leader, a position that was sometimes formerly was given to Maetel. Both characters quickly gained international success, but they are as different as they are similar. Maetel is usually composed and soft-spoken, rarely resorting to physical means to solve a problem. Nausicaä is also composed but yet is quick to give orders and even jump into action before issuing them. Maetel represents the hope people might harbor alone in darkness, while Nausicaä represents salvation that raises people from despair and unifies them for the journey to a brighter future. Let us see which comforter of the souls people desire today.

이 둘은 저마다 여신과 같은 존재라 할 수 있습니다. 메텔은 전 세대의 남성 애니팬들에게 "환상의 연인"이라는 칭호가 붙은 인물로, 작품을 통해 만화/애니내에서의 여성의 외모뿐 아니라 여성의 지위나 입지를을 완전히 바꾸었다는 데서 중요한 의미를갖습니다. 메텔 이전의 여성 인물들은 주로 남자와 동등하거나 지배되는 성향이 강했는데, 메텔은 소년들의 스승이자 보호자로서 여성들에게 좀 더 윗사람의 역할을 주었다고 할 수 있습니다. 또, 메텔 이전 여자인물의 모형은 주로 통통하고 귀여운 모습으로 디자인되곤 했으나, 메텔 이후 가냘프고 긴 얼굴과 체형이 유행하기 시작합니다. 한편 긴 코트와 모자로 얼굴밖에 보이지 않아도 얼마나 관능적으로 다가올 수 있는가를 보여주고, 검은 옷에 창백한 피부, 어둡고 절제된 것 같은 모자에 금빛 찬란한 긴 강물처럼 흘러내리는 머리칼의 시각적 대립을 통해, 조화를 중요시하던 기존 미적 관념을 깨뜨린 인물이기도 합니다. 현재 애니를 만드는 사람들이 2,30년전에 메텔을 보며 자랐다는 것을 생각하면 그 영향의 크기를 상상할 수 있습니다. 그렇지만 나우시카도 무시할 수 없습니다. 미야자키 하야오가 만든 여주인공의 완성형이라 할 수 있는 나우시카는 그 이후 지브리 영화의 여주인공들 및, 다른 모든 애니의 구세주격 인물들의 원조라고 할 수 있습니다. 또, 등장한 후 여러 해 동안 아니메쥬 잡지의 인기 투표 1위를 독점하기도 했습니다. 메텔에서 시작한 이상적 여성 지도자의 유형을 완성시킨 인물이 바로 나우시카라 할 수 있으며, 이미 80년대에 국제적 진출을 성공했다는 것 역시 중요한 사실입니다. 이 두 명은 모두 80년대 애니의 '이상적 여성'이라는 공통점을 갖고 있지만, 그 성격은 크게 다릅니다. 메텔은 매우 침착하며, 조용히 말하며, 먼저 행동하기보다는 조언이나 보조 활동을 통해 주인공을 인도하는 유형이나, 나우시카는 침착하지만 재빠른 상황판단으로 필요한 명령을 명료하게 내리며, 우선 자신이 몸소 해결하려는 경향이 강합니다. 메텔이 어둠속에서 홀로 있는 사람들 옆으로 조용히 찾아가 위로해 주는 희망의 촛불이라 한다면, 나우시카는 절망속에서 밝은 미래로 향하는길고 힘든 여정을 위해 사람들이 뜻을 모아 일어나게끔 하는 구원의 높은 등대라 할 수 있습니다. 현대의 사람들은 어떤 영혼의 위로자를 더 원하고 있는가, 이 대결을 통하여 알 수 있을지도 모르겠습니다.

Akiyama Mio was hyped as one of the year's strongest newcomers, and thus far she has been as good as advertised. After taking care of fellow newcomer Sengoku Nadeko, the bassist is now 4-0 and could be headed towards a necklace in her first ISML period. However, she still has three obstacles to overcome to get that necklace, and the first will be no easy task. Even without Berzerker in her corner, Illyasviel von Einzbern has been a force to be reckoned with. Back-to-back wins over Izumi Konata and Hirasawa Ui has her sitting at 3-1, exactly where she was last year through four matches. And last year, all Ilya did in her fifth match was knock of Suiseiseki and score her biggest victory of the year. Will history repeat itself, or can Mio find a way to 5-0?

Both girls have shown a very similar pattern in their performance. Both characters have lost in Aquamarine 1 & 3 after facing relatively stronger contestants and have won their Aquamarine 2 & 4 matches against relatively easier opponents. Yet, both girls are known for different reasons in their respective series. Chizuru is known for her calm, but playful type of personality amongst her fellow Council members, whereas Nagisa is known for her shy, but friendly nature amongst her fellow classmates. Now, in Aquamarine 5, both girls will face off in a typical hotly-contested newcomer vs. veteran match. Will Chizuru be able to infatuate Nagisa with her cute sheep costume, or will Nagisa's Dango Daikazoku pull her through with a confident victory?

Mafuyu seems to have little difficulty attracting the attention of Kugimiya-voiced characters. In the first round of Aquamarine, she was paired up against Aisaka Taiga and four rounds later, she finds herself in the same arena as Louise Vallière. After having lost to Taiga earlier, another loss right now would have Mafuyu believing that she has been jinxed with a Kugimiya-curse that can only be broken by braving the dungeons of the Sanzenin estate. As for Louise, only one thing is on her mind right now, which is to win. So can Louise successfully cast the Kugimiya-curse or will Mafuyu find a way to defeat the pink-haired mage (and document it in her walkthrough wiki)?

It is a replay of the preliminaries all over again minus Izumi Konata as Takamachi Nanoha takes on C.C. in Round 5 of Aquamarine. During the preliminaries, Nanoha ended up losing to C.C. by 191 votes to settle for third place while Konata took the top spot in Group 9 but this time around, it will be a one on one match without any third party to pull away the votes. This is a perfect opportunity for the White Devil to exact payback and to show that their ISML 2009's match results still hold true. Preliminaries aside, both contestants' performance have not been smooth sailing so far with 2 wins and 2 losses each and it was only after hard-fought wins in the fourth round that both managed to pull themselves back up to the .500 mark. With a long and arduous journey ahead, neither will want to move into the next round with a 2-3 record and will be expected to go all out for a 3-2 outcome.

Sanzen'in Nagi has lost her second match this Period, but the hot-tempered girl won't admit defeat and hopes to dominate her next match to prove that nobody should underestimate her. Furude Hanyū has yet to win any match in this regular season, but she does not want to be counted out either. With a win over Holo in ISML 2009's Aquamarine Period, a surprise victory can occur at any time, perhaps in this match. Will Nagi be able to control her temper to avoid the trap and grasp another victory, or will Hanyū begin her potential comeback starting today?

In the second of 2 matchups between Seitokai no Ichizon and CLANNAD, both have been flying under the radar scoring victories against easier opponents. On the one hand, Kotomi with her shy personality has proven herself as a returning veteran just like in 2009. Minatsu on the other hand has to prove herself as a newcomer. Her take-no-prisoners attitude, ahtletic ability, and even a hint of romantic charm has helped out in keeping her matches with stronger opponents closer than expected. Will Kotomi put Minatsu to sleep with her trusty violin, or will Minatsu withstand her opponent's might and prove that she is a force to be reckoned with?

Would you believe that a girl who went (23-40) last year is now at the top of the Aquamarine standings? Would you believe that the same girl already took down a two-time necklace winner and a former Chinese Saimoe champion - by an average of 1000 votes? Would you believe that she is second in vote differential despite having the hardest schedule out of the undefeated contestants so far? Well, Misaka Mikoto is turning heads at lightning speed that the current ISML Tiara champion, the current dual Japan/Korea champion, and two former necklace winners are virtually dying for a chance to knock her out of the Aquamarine running, hoping to get it the final blind match set following tonight. However, Furukawa Nagisa cannot be taken lightly. As the primary female protagonist and the face of the CLANNAD franchise, Nagisa is still looking to correct her own mistakes after missing out of the '09 Tiara contest by one seed, and with her 500-point victory over Mikoto last year, Nagisa looks to utilize her extra year of experience to her advantage. Will we see what could be a huge upset tonight, or will Mikoto continue to roll toward the Aquamarine Necklace?

Saber has shown that the age of a series poses no issue in her performance in ISML. Unlike her fellow Fate/Stay Night comrades, Saber has been able to take down powerful opponents in Aquamarine, such as the likes of two-time necklace holder Suzumiya Haruhi and Japan Saimoe 09' runner up Hirasawa Yui and is now very much in contention of acquiring the Aquamarine necklace. Unfortunately, Saber will need to overcome a rather difficult obstacle today, Takamachi Nanoha, a former two-time ISML Top 16 finalist, an achievement which Saber has been unable to reach in her two years participating in ISML. Can Saber make it past the White Devil with her majestic swordsmanship, or will Nanoha revive some of the strength that got her into the Top 16 last year and finish off the loyal knight?

It is a battle of student council presidents, both past and present in this same-series matchup. Watching over the arena from atop the school's clock tower is ISML 2009's tiara bearer, Katsura Hinagiku while emerging from behind the walls of the Sanzenin manor is the legendary student of Hakuō Academy, Maria. Will the defending champion strike down all who stands in her way with both her intellect and sword skills or will the maid prodigy show that she still reigns both at the top of the school's elites as well as the Sanzenin household? In this the battle of beauty and brains spanning two different generations (despite being only a year apart in age as Maria would have wanted pointed out), there can be only one.

If there's anything to be said about Asahina Mikuru as of late, is that the Aquamarine scheduling gods have not been so kind to her. Despite her best efforts, all her losses to date have come in hands of other ISML 2009 Top 16 finalists, namely Sakigami Tomoyo, Tōsaka Rin and the eventual winner Katsura Hinagiku. In Aquamarine 6, she faces Fujibayashi Kyō, another 09' finalist whose only loss so far was to a fellow CLANNAD character. Kyō has beaten the time-traveller in all their previous encounters in ISML, so Mikuru will need all the strength and luck she can get to top her familar rival and revive her hopes of returning to the Top 16. Can Mikuru pull off a spectacular upset in this round, or will history again repeat itself in the Class Rep's favour?

The match between magic and music had never been better as for today, we have a match between a strong newcomer, Nakano Azusa of K-ON! against an experienced veteran, Louise of the Void. Louise had gone through a few matches like this but she mostly lost while Azusa, still fresh in the ISML, managed to get top four in Korean Saimoe. So will Louise manage to turn her fate and gather the Kugyuu fans to vote for their favorite seiyuu, or will K-ON show their true power of music?

On the left, we have Grell Sutcliff, the nervous butler whose personality is merely just a facade. His true identity is a shinigami, a cheerful sadist who possesses a powerful weapon that is capable of cutting through anything, even people's minds and souls. On the right, we have Badou Nails, the freelance journalist and photographer who is always in need of a smoke. Amazingly, his mood depends on his level of nicotine, so a few smokes and he can change into a tactless murderer. Who will win, or lose, this battle of sanity? Observe as the battlefield will be filled with bullets, carnage, and...tea.

Last year, all Sakagami Tomoyo needed to do to win the Aquamarine Necklace is to avoid losing her last match. This year, Misaka Mikoto finds herself in quite a tougher situation. Not only does she have to win this match, but she has to do it with quite a handful of style points and she has hope that her SDO doesn't turn its back on her. This may be the wrong time for her to run into '09 Dual Champion Aisaka Taiga, who is very close behind in the necklace standings. Taiga may have to have a little bit of help from another competitor if she wants the Aquamarine Necklace, but this may parlay to her advantage in this must-win situation; despite this being the first true necklace run for both combatants in this match, Mikoto is in full control of her destiny, and with the added pressure of having to win her match as quickly and accurately as possible, all Taiga would have to do is wait for her moment to strike in order to pull off a victory and increase her chances at Aquamarine. Don't be suprised if the eventual necklace bearer comes from this match. Can Taiga pull out a victory and cement her place in ISML history, or will Mikoto cap off her surprise headline with a necklace to call her own?

Just last year Taiga made quick work of Mikoto on her way to a top 16 appearance. This year they meet again with an opportunity to win a necklace for Aquamarine, but unlike like last year, with their short tempers this could turn out to be an old-fashioned cat fight. The one difference between these two is that Mikoto can use her calm, cool, and collective attitude to wait and see if Taiga will make the first mistake. Will history repeat itself and Taiga unleashes her claws again, or will the new and improved Mikoto shock Taiga and make a statement that she will be in the running for the Top 16?

Barring a complete SDO scramble, Akiyama Mio is the only one who can spoil the Mikoto/Taiga party, and her tiebreakers draw parallels to Mikoto's tiebreakers; she trails Mikoto by 93 in vote differential, meaning that she will need to barely perform better against her opponent than Mikoto will over Taiga. However, just because Mikoto is facing a dual-champion doesn't mean Mio is getting off easy. Her final opponent is '09 Topaz winner Nagato Yuki, an alien lifeform who can counter any attack before she even gets attacked. In fact, some can argue that Yuki is currently more of a tougher opponent than Taiga - with a higher vote differential, more points scored, and much more experience in this postition, Yuki could send the ISML newcomer back to a disheartening reality. With Mio facing the same pressure Mikoto is facing right now, Yuki could send the Aquamarine race spiraling into chaos with a victory. Will we see a rookie candidate win a necklace in her first attempt, or is Mio about to feel how painful a loss can be?

For Shana's fans, history can be one's friend. Two years ago, Shana scored victories over Katsura Hinagiku and Fujibayashi Kyō to claim the Aquamarine necklace, the first necklace in ISML history. Saber, meanwhile has never finished the Aquamarine period undefeated. However, Shana's fans should know that history can also be one's foe. The Flame Haze entered the final day of last year's Aquamarine period undefeated, but she suffered her only defeat of the year at the hands of Sakagami Tomoyo. Tomoyo would then go on to hand Suzumiya Haruhi her first loss of 2009. Saber handed Suzumiya Haruhi her first loss of 2010. It should also be noted that this match takes place exactly one year after Shana last lost in the regular season. Is this all a coincidence, or an omen?

When one thinks of Kyoto Animation outside of the world of Saimoe, one usually thinks of one of these two competitors. Suzumiya Haruhi and Izumi Konata have been the mascots apparent of KyoAni for the past few years, and that popularity has translated into ISML success... and a very intense rivalry. In 2008, Legendary Girl A pushed Haruhi into overtime in an eventual loss, then defeated the Brigade Leader by one vote in the Double Elimination tournament, ending Haruhi's season. Suzumiya got a measure of revenge last year, scoring a 377-vote win over Konata. But Konata has performed well this year, even in her defeats, and Haruhi has shown a bit more vulnerability than many expected. This one is certainly up for grabs.

Sakurano Kurimu may be a senior in high school and a student council president, but despite sharing that similarity with Katsura Hinagiku, Kurimu's maturity is rather on par with Sanzen'in Nagi's — that of a young girl entering her teen years. What is scary about this is that this is the same attitude that cost Nagi a berth at double-elimination two years ago; a Sapphire encounter with Hiiragi Tsukasa turned out to be the one match that decided the final bid, and Nagi lost that match by one point. Since then, while many other contenders to this point have had some kind of development that helped them mature for the better, Nagi has since remained her same old self, and while she comes into this match as a slight favorite over the first-year, with Kurimu's erratically-timed determination to represent her student council possibly driving her to a top 16 run, one careless slip-up could give Nagi a loss she could not get back. Can Nagi avoid all of that and claim victory or will Kurimu continue her solid run this season?