Preliminary Group 15

Tooru's relatively good performance in a very weak group wasn't surprising, and as expected Rose proceeded to do poorly but not as poorly as some expected, but there was one big surprise: Laura of Infinite Stratos came in 7th. This is a miserable humiliation and Infinite Stratos characters not named Charlotte no longer deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Today we'll finally get an interesting preliminary match: Madoka versus Menma. Index and Houki will be busy getting thrown under the bus while two of the most prominent and popular (in Japan, that is) characters of the year test their strengths. Menma is a largely unknown quantity. Ano Hana's previous performance indicates she'll be strong, but it's not yet clear whether she's a championship contender, "merely" a threat to make the top 8, or a ghost whose time will never come. Will Madoka be able to unleash Homu-level firepower, or will she need to rely on this year's record holder for protection? Prediction: Madoka completes the 5/5 Main Magi Sweep.