ISML 2015 Rules and Guidelines

ISML Rules and Guidelines - FAQ

International Saimoe League is governed by a Constitution and supported by Annual Charters. Please read both documents for a full understanding of our processes, but if you are short on time, the highlights are summarized in a brief, convenient FAQ below.
Last updated: 15 November 2015

What is ISML and how do I participate?

ISML hopes to find the most moe among anime girls, and it's up to you to decide by casting your vote!
Voting is free of charge; you are not required to register an account.
Join the forum to discuss ISML with fellow fans. Subscribe to the news blog for tournament updates.
Your participation means that you agree to our rules and policies.

What has changed since 2014?

A third Division featuring male characters has been added.
Nominations will begin in March instead of January.
The Preliminary Period will be updated for 2015.

What is the schedule of 2015?

The calendar at right highlights all the scheduled match days.
The 2015 calendar will be available soon. The first event is the Nomination Period, beginning March 1 and lasting two weeks.
Matches start at 1500 GMT on the scheduled day and last for 24 hours.
Results will be released 12 hours after a match ends.
The schedule is tenative and may change in the future, but we'll keep you updated on the news blog.

Where do I vote?

Our voting page is http://www.internationalsaimoe.com/voting/.
Please check our event calendar to confirm when matches are running.
You may submit only one ballot per voting round.

How does the Postseason work?

The top 16 ranked Contestants from each Division are seeded into a single-elimination tournament.
For male Contestants, the winner of the tournament wins the Champion's Scepter.
For female Contestants, the winner of this first tournament wins the Sapphire Circlet (Nova) and the Diamond Circlet (Stella). The top 8 Contestants from each division are seeded together into a second single-elimination tournament.
The winner of this tournament wins the Heavenly Tiara.
Exhibition matches will be present in Phase II. Consolation matches will be held for ranking purposes.

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Are nominations important?

Yes! Extremely! Who you nominate at the beginning of the year will be the ones competing throughout the year for the Tiara. No characters will be added to the tournament in the middle of the year.
If you want to see new faces in ISML, please send in your nominations and let all your friends and contacts know.
After the girls pass nominations, you will have to vote for them during prelims so they make it to the regular season.

How should I format my nominations?

Any language is acceptable, but we highly prefer you write them in romaji (English).
Name order does not matter. "Katsura Hinagiku" is the same as "Hinagiku Katsura."
Please give the full name and series of the character, so we know exactly who you're nominating.
You do not have to use macrons over the vowels (e.g. ō and ū); "ou" and "uu" are sufficient.

How do Preliminaries work?

Candidates are shuffled in various groups in each Round.
Rounds typically last two voting days because of the number of Candidates involved.
In Round 1, you can choose up to 3 characters per group.
For Rounds after that, you can choose up to 2 characters.
Candidates get eliminated in Rounds 1 and 2.
Contestants begin to be admitted to the Regular Season in Round 3 and afterwards.
Side note - The Winter Seasonal Tournament will take place at the same time as Prelims.

How does the Regular Season work?

Each of our 72 female Contestants faces the other 35 girls in her Division, one opponent per round.
Each of our 36 male Contestants faces the other 35 in the Division, one opponent per round.
Vote for the more moe Contestant of the two, or abstain if you just can't decide.
The 16 Contestants in each Division with the most points at the end of the Regular Season advance to the Postseason. Points are awarded based on match performance.
The season is divided into 5 Periods, each with a Necklace or Pendant as a prize for the best performance during the Period. These prizes don't count towards Postseason eligibility, but they're still nice status symbols.
The Necklace Showdown (Round 8) is a free-for-all match with the Top 7 female Contestants of the Period, consisting of 3 Stella, 3 Nova, and 1 wild card from either Division. The Pendant Showdown takes the Top 7 male Contestants of the Period. A Necklace and Pendant Score is calculated from the results of that round and the strength of schedule during the Period to determine the winner. Having the most votes in the match itself is only part of the scoring.
Each day will feature exhibition matches. These matches are not related to any Division or the main tournament. It's mostly for fun -- a chance for brand new characters or characters from Preliminaries to appear on the voting ballot. In 2015, we are holding seasonal tournaments for new characters appearing in the latest anime; check out the exhibition arenas for these matchups!