RedBall Round One Recap
by Ran Aoga

Well, after an exciting first round of the inaugural tourney for this year in the SDL, the contestants for the Red Ball open got off to a great start! I must say, in my experiences with the SDL, I have to say that there was a tangible energy to the fights. I was certainly excited, and to prove my theory, I went and asked random spectators for what they thought on various duels.

Here goes, and and I do think we're going to get some great feedback!.:

Fight 1 - Sara vs Luna

Ran: Excuse me, young miss, can I ask you for your thoughts on the fight?
Asamiya Asami (AA): Um.... which one was that one again?
Ran: That was the fight we wer-
AA: OH WAIT I RMEMBER NOW!!! It's the one with the mute lady and that huge claw ninja lady!
Ran: Err...yes.... huge... ninja-claw lady....
AA: That one was awesome! They were all SWISH KER CLANG DOKAN! I couldn't read what the mute lady wrote, but whatever she did made that ninja lady have some funny expressions! Come to think of it ninjas are supposed to remain calm aren't they...?
Ran: Erm.... moving on, so what was the best part about that battle?
AA: Ah! It has to be the time that ninja lady was coughing after biting her own claws. :Lesson: never open your big mouth big and wide when handling poison!

Fight 2 - Vince vs Aimi

This fight seemed certainly entertaining, however, some concerns about Vince's performance during the match did raise a few eyebrows apparently. So, in order to just clarify a few things regarding Vince's change in style for this match, I was able to secure a statement with the G-G's own Kusanagi.

Kusanagi: It would seem that Vince was affected by something that interacted in his system. However it was introduced, it did seem to alter his performance, and increased his output. As for how it got there? I have no idea....

Fight 3 - Kimura Miyuu vs Lyra

Writer's note: for this, and I apologize, we needed to obtain the services of a translator for Grace who's name is Yakka Blackthane.

Ran: Can you tell me what you thought the highlight of the match was for you?
Grace (GR): When pirate girl smacked other with hammer in face! Great strike, that make up for standing on people's head... very bad for view, you know?
Ran: Erm... so you me
GR: Was all boring! Running about! YATTERING! Then FACE BREAKING! YESH!!

Writer's note: Unfortunately I was not able to secure more of an interview due to the translator jumping away and running, well hobbled quickly, in circle while yelling. The screaming resulted in a group of children that were brought to the event to watch to panic and start screaming themselves. As order was being restored I realized, that due to the tranlsator's consciousness being in question, the interview had to come to a close....

Fight 4 - Hanabi vs Aexi

Well, if this isn't a surprise, we managed to secure expert commentary from the one and only, the adorable Pinoko!

Ran: Pinoko-chan, can I ask how you thought Hanabi's fight went?
Pinoko (Pin): Hanabi-chibi-nee nan?
Ran: Yes, that's right.
Pin: Achishi to onaji se nan?
Ran: If you wouldn't mind...
Pin: Nde nde, tatakai omorokattan.
Ran: I didn't notice that, interesting...
Pin: Demo kenkaba waruu gozansu!
Ran: Are you imply-
Pin: Obahan tsuyoshi!
Ran: Unbelievable...-
Pin: Njama ken, nanka baka ni saretouta ki ga shitajaken

And there you have it people, expertly spoken by the ever adorable Pinoko!


Fight 5 - Madoka vs Capucine

Well, this was I think one of the highlights most gossiped about fights today, and, well, let's see what the other people thought..

Ran: Excuse me sir, I was-
Sasha (SS): Madoka's fight was amazing!!!!
Ran: I didn't even ge-
SS: Spectacular! Awesome! Amazing even!!!!
Ran: But I was
SS: Did I say amazing already..?
Ran: Erm, I was wondering if you were willing to give some commentary on the fi-
SS: Anyway, I think the most exciting part was when Capucine looked like she was down for the count, "I felt bad for the poor girl, but she did better than I would have in her situatoin, THAT's for sure. Madoka's a force to be reckoned with... she almost reminds me of my second aunt, thice removed on my father's side. Simetimes I wondered if that woman was human.. but.. oh sorry! I'm rambling aren't I
Ran: A little b-
SS: And suddenly... BOOM!!! I almost jumped a mile! Such a sneaky tactic from such an adorable kid, who'da thunk?
Ran: I can only imagine....
SS: After thjat, most of the fight happened in the smoke, so I couldn't really... see it. Sorry, but yeah, Madoka's win was well-earned for sure! I hope all the matches in redball will be this interesting!
Ran: Thank you for you-
SS: Is it possible that my uncle twice removed might have married an ogre?
Ran: ....

Fight 6 - Kasim vs Isabella

Ah, this was one of the match I heard alot of buzz throughout the section of seating I was in. I also have the pleasure of getting the master swordsman Gou Kibu to give his thoughts on the fight.

Ran: Thank you for your time on this.
Gou Kibu (GK): Sure.
Ran: So, any particular thoughts on the fight?
GK: I was surprised to see that one of hte contestants had decided to fight without weapons.
Ran: Really?
GK: Was also surprised to see that he won the fight without injuring himself, or his opponent too badly.
Ran: That did get quite the response from the audience. Anything else that you wuold like to go on record saying?
GK: It was an exciting fight, I also enjoyed his finisher: The headband spin of doom.

There you have it, a nice concise summary.

Fight 7 - Yan Qian vs Hiroshi

This fight was certainly an interesting one to watch unfold. Two of the younger competitors being forced to face off against each other during the first round. One, the innocent Yan Qian, and the other, the dedicated Hiroshi. We were able to get some commentary from one of Yan Qian's friends who was supporting her from the sidelines, Kiba Karasu.

Ran: So, did you have any thoughts on how the fight played out?
Kiba Karasu (KK): Well, I thought it was certainly an interesting dance done for both.
Ran: ... Dance?
KK: Yes, the way they moved back and forth, it was certainly a wonder to watch. Hiro did quite impressive against her, but unfortunately I think he was defeated by the lack of some experience.
Ran: And how did you feel your friend did?
KK: Yan Qian, as always, impressed me with how she managed to handle herself in the ring. I think this journey is going to be good for her.
Ran: Journey?
KK: Heh, don't mind me,w as just thinking out loud! I think the way she chose to finish the fight was quite respectable, and I am looking forward to seeing her go far in this competition.
Ran: Do you think she has a chance at winning it?
KK: All of the eight remaining people have a chance at winning it. I can just simply comment on the match that I had a pleasure seeing. I expect that we are going to be seeing more from all of the contenders, simply assuming that this is all that they have would be disrespectful to all.

With that, Karasu-san excused himself, as he explained, there was a victory party to cater for the RedBall round one victors.


Fight 8 - Logan and Ru

Ran: Okay, moving onto the final fight... excuse me mi... wait, didn't I interview you already?
Asamiya Asami (AA): Uhm... maybe...?
Ran: ... Nevermind. Ok! How did you find the battle between Logan and Ru?
AA: Who? =O
Ran: *sigh* The raven blonde guy and the long blue-haired guy with the scar.
AA: AHAHA~! That one~! ......................
Ran: ......
AA: ........I like the birdy. :3
Ran: The what?
AA: That raven.
Ran: I see... but I'm asking about the duel itself.
AA: Oh....it was nice and bloody and all...but pretty short. Plus that sudden punch at the end was pretty...sudden.
Ran: Ok....
AA: Can I have some sweets? :3
Ran: I don't have any.
AA: Oh, nya nya!

And there you have it people, the genuine feedback of the spectators. Stay tuned for more on this, and other topics, and also, a candid interview with the top seeded contender: Vince!

Below are the links for the character profiles

Asamiya Asami - [link]
Grace - [link]
Sachabarelle (Sasha) - [link]
"Kusanagi" - [link]
Pinoko - [link]
Gou Kibu - [link]
Kiba Karasu - [link]



Check It

SDL

The Colosseum