Saturday, October 1, 2011

Character: Sendou Emi

"Which one is the real one? The Aichi that's here now, or the Aichi I know?"
"I ride Top Idol, Riviere!"

Sendou Emi/先導エミ
Age: 11/12 (Approximately) 1
Voice Actors: Enomoto Atsuko(Japanese)2
Aichi's younger sister, who attends a girls' private school, Miyaji Academy. Initially Emi lacks interest in Vanguard, but after seeing his personal growth when facing the boys that used to bully him, she starts to come and watch his fights at Card Capital. Emi proves to be instrumental in holding Team Q4 together, and after a practice match with Morikawa, eventually becomes a skilled fighter in her own right.

In ride 15 Emi mentions the possibility of bringing a friend to Card Capital; this eventually does take place in ride 51, calling all the way back to her friend from ride 3, Mai.

Spoiler warning: Season 1 details follow.
After Misaki quits Q4, Aichi returns home in a depressed state. Taking note of this, but unaware of what took place the preceding day, Emi goes to Card Capital to investigate. Being invited by the manager to try out Card Capital's new constructed decks, Emi enters into her second cardfight, this time with Misaki.

During their fight Misaki is reminded of why her parents chose to run the shop in the first place; it's Emi who, having fun despite her loss, unknowingly convinces Tokura that she was deliberately trapping herself in the past and ignoring the friends she has now.

Emi accompanies Q4 to the regional and national competitions, as well as their training camp with Team Caesar. Though reduced to a bit role for much of season 1, Emi is nonetheless a powerful emotional support for Aichi and his friends, and takes part in several shop tournaments, even defeating Katsuragi Kamui while serving as a member of Team Overthrow. Late in the season as her brother is gradually devoured by PSY Qualia, Emi is pushed aside and made distant from her sibling, forcing her to worry alone over his strange behavior.

Spoilers end here.

For the duration of the Asia Circuit, Emi is projected to be left behind at Card Capital, as she is not a Q4 team member and thus cannot take part in the international league.

Decks And Play Style
During her practice fight with Morikawa, Emi borrows Misaki's deck to learn the game, and focuses her strategy toward the units she finds the cutest.

Ride 15: Perfect Cherry Blossom 32/50 cards 
Grade 0
x2 Lozenge Magus HT
x2 Oracle Guardian, Nike CT
x3 Dream Eater DT
x2 Miracle Kid DT
x2 Psychic Bird CT
Grade 1
x2 Battle Sister Cocoa
x2 Battle Sister Chocolat
x2 Oracle Guardian Gemini
x2 Weather Girl, Milk (BT01/055)
x1 Weather Girl, Milk (TD04/009)
x2 Luck Bird
Grade 2
x2 Silent Tom
x2 Maiden of Libra
x2 Oracle Guardian, Wiseman
Grade 3
x1 CEO Amaterasu
x2 Oracle Guardian Apollon
x1 Oracle Guardian Hermes

In her match with Misaki, Emi uses a constructed Oracle Think Tank deck. Emi's strategy here is focused on the Goddess of Flower Divination, Sakuya, whom returns cards to the hand in order to rearrange their formation, reuse skills, and gain hand advantage. As support the deck contains Dark Cat and Oracle Guardian, Apollon whose draw skills cycle through the deck quickly, and Meteobreak Wizard who counterblasts to gain extra power.

After her fight, Shin gives Emi the constructed deck free of charge. The cards in it go on to back her later deckbuilding.

Ride 25: Cherry Blossom Princess Maiden (20/50 cards)
Grade 0
x1 Victory Maker DT
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3

In the second shop tournament Emi takes part as "Princess Maiden" of Team Overthrow, using a Bermuda Triangle-Oracle Think Tank mix deck primarily based on the constructed deck she received earlier in the series.

Ride 37: Princess Maiden (16/50 cards)
Grade 0
x3 Bermuda Triangle Cadet Caravel
x2 Lozenge Magus HT
x2 Oracle Guardian, Nike CT
Grade 1
x1 Blazer Pleasures
x1 Oracle Guardian, Gemini
x2 Dark Cat
x1 Battle Sister, Chocolat
Grade 2
 x1 Oracle Guardian, Wiseman
Grade 3
x1 Top Idol, Flores
x2 Goddess of Flower Divination, Sakuya

The third shop tournament is where Emi brings together what she's learned. Exchanging Caravel for Riviere, Emi dedicates her deck to an evolving ride line and brings in Top Idol, Pacifica as a finishing megablast to swarm the field with. Meanwhile Top Idol, Salem is an easy 20000-power attacker that forces her opponent to expend more cards to guard, which is supported by grade 3 Riviere's rearguard-empowering skill. Emi is a highly offensive cardfighter, skilled at backing her opponents to the wall.

Rides 51-Current: Drowning Your World (28/50 cards)
Grade 0
x1 Bermuda Triangle Cadet, Riviere (FVG)
x2 Drive Quartet, Flows HT
x2 Drive Quartet, Ressac ST
x2 Drive Quartet, Shuplu CT
x2 Drive Quartet, Bubblin DT
Grade 1
x1 Mermaid Idol, Ellie
x2 Mermaid Idol, Felucca
x2 Mermaid Idol, Sedna
x2 Mermaid Idol, Riviere
x1 Pearl Sisters, Perle
Grade 2
x1 Pearl Sisters, Perla
x2 Mermaid Idol, Flute
x1 Super Idol, Riviere
Grade 3
x1 Top Idol, Pacifica
x3 Super Idol, Salem
x1 Top Idol, Riviere

Citations and External Links
1. "先導エミ." KeroKero Ace Vol. 45 1 Sept. 2011: 18-19. Print.
2. Cardfight!! Vanguard Ride 52. Crunchyroll, 2011. Web. 16 Mar. 2012.