UlasanAnime.com – The author recounts their long-standing involvement in an annual anime character contest held on the Megatokyo forums. Although they initially intended not to run the contest this year, they found themselves in charge once again.
The contest involves forum users voting for their favorite characters in a bracket-style tournament. The author details the types of prizes awarded to winners, which have historically included DVDs, CDs, figures, books, and stationery, often sourced from CD Japan. They also mention contributing to shipping costs in past years, sometimes sending prizes as far as Romania or other Latin American countries.
As the current contest nears its final round, the competition has narrowed down to Kuroneko and Homura. The author notes that Kuroneko is also a prominent contender in Japanator’s “saimoe” contest, which sees a similar number of voters. This suggests Kuroneko’s strong popularity within the anime fan community.
The author speculates on how other major anime character polls, such as the one run by 2ch, might unfold. They anticipate that Homura and Kuroneko will be top contenders, with Kanade also expected to perform well. They briefly mention the AnimeSuki poll and express a dislike for the International Saimoe League (ISML) due to its lengthy duration and extensive bookkeeping requirements.
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On a personal note, the author expresses that Ruri Gokou might be the first “pure otaku” type character they have genuinely liked since Hikaru Amano. This is a significant statement, as they admit to being largely immune to the charms of female characters from series like Genshiken and generally disliking otaku archetypes. They humorously suggest that perhaps Ruri Gokou’s appeal lies in the skillful execution of her “snarky” personality.
