Returning Champions

K-ON!!, and 2010 Saimoe winner Azusa, will be back this year. How have returning champions fared in previous tournaments?

-2003 winner Riku Harada lost in round 1 in 2004.
-2005 winner Nanoha lost to fellow Nanoha character Fate in round 4, and Fate took second place in 2006. Nanoha reached the quarterfinals in 2007, and round 3 in 2008 and 2010.
-2006 winner Suiseiseki reached round 4 and showmate Shinku became a quarterfinalist in 2007.
-2007 winner Rika Furude got to round 2 in 2008, and fellow Higurashi character Hanyuu made it to round 4.
-2008 winner Kagami was shut down in round 1 in 2009.

There's a tendency for voters to turn against returning champions, with three of the five failing to survive the first two rounds. However, the Nanoha and Rozen Maiden factions overcame this. Considering K-ON's immense popularity, it could follow Nanoha's example. Look for Yui, Azusa, and Mio to be formidable competitors, but expect a different show to win the championship.