Gentlemen, I present to you the bishoujo of 2009. May your index finger be steady and resolve hardened as we enter these most brutal of days...

The votes have been tallied, brackets adjusted and winners selected for the Saimoe 2009 Quarter Finals. One of these 8 characters will move on to be crowned Saimoe 2009 Champion and enter the eternal halls of internet glory.

　 　 ┏━ <<　Taiga Aisaka @ Toradora!　>>
　 ┏┫
　 ┃┗━ <<>>
┏┫┏━ <<　Nodoka Haramura @ Saki　>>
┃┗┫
┫　 ┗━ <<　Louise @ Zero no Tsukaima　>>
┃　 ┏━ <<　Yuuki Kataoka (Tacos)　@ Saki　>>
┃┏┫
┗┫┗━ <<　Mihoko Fukuji (Captain) @ Saki >>
　 ┃┏━ <<>>
　 ┗┫
　 　 ┗━ <<>>

Disregarding the fact that advancement in Saimoe is entirely dependent on voting totals and general popularity, the odds of victory are heavily weighed in favor of the mahjong anime Saki. While it is certainly true Yuuki, Koromo, Nodoka, and Mihoko each have the possibility of falling through the cracks, its simply unlikely they all will. A 50% chance of a Saki character becoming Saimoe Champion is one that even Akagi wouldn't bet against.

That being said, it's still very much in the air. No one really expected Louise to make it as far as this, so who's to say that she shouldn't be capable of another surprise? All the Saki characters are fairly even, Mihoko and Nodoka probably being the two strongest contenders among their peers. Yui and Taiga's appeal is certainly well-known but will they really be able to stand up to the Saki Vote Machine? And amongst all this mayhem, Isumi has been slowly edging up on the competition. Everyone may have their pick, but the game is still far, far from over.