Love Live Christmas Girl: Muse Edition

Hello everyone and welcome back to Tiro Finale for our coverage of this season's School Idol Festival election. Here at Tiro Finale, we take our elections very seriously especially since it is a recent addition to the Worldwide server of the game. With the Summer and Halloween elections done and dusted, we know welcome the coming Winter season with the Christmas Girl Election. While Christmas may still be quite far away, that has not stopped KLab from staying one step ahead of the curve.

We had Takuya cover the Aqours side of the election with his not at all biased take on this season's election. Meanwhile, I will be taking the reins to cover Muse's side of the election seeing just exactly what each member has to offer. Christmas, in particular, is a very important celebration for Muse as their groups rise to fame is very much connected to the holiday and arguably one of their greatest songs, Snow-halation. As such, it will be a tight and very meaningful race to see who will be this years Christmas Girl for Muse as decided by you, the fans. 

Starting with the outspoken and charismatic leader of Muse, Kousaka Honoka. She may be Muse's center but, Christmas falls a little short of being her season. While she does mention the age-old tradition of gifting in Christmas, the message itself feels a little too generic, lacking Honoka's special touch. That is not to say that Honoka does not possess Winter-charms of her own but, in this tight race, her efforts do seem to fall behind the front-row candidates. 

Speaking of front-row candidates, you would not have to look far to find one in the form of Muse's always dependable, Ayase Eli. With both the looks and personality to match, Eli oozes confidence with her signature wink and a personal message straight to the heart of fans. Tying in traditional Christmas carols/hymns with Muse's vocal talent, Eli's message is one that lies close to the heart. Add in her Russian ancestry and you have one very convincing and deserving candidate for this year's Christmas Girl. 

With her ashen brown hair and an adorable winter hood, Minami Kotori is not just a songbird of the south but, one that is able to withstand the harsh cold of winter too. In order to stay warm, she will need your help though as she cleverly conveys in her message. Undoubtedly a front-runner in this election, Kotori's already popular status is elevated further with a sweet message and the perfect outfit. It is no surprise she is Muse's costume designer as she easily wears the Christmas outfit best among all the nine members of Muse. 

Umi's traditional Japanese-roots and demeanor can be both a boost and crutch when it comes to the seasonal elections. Not unlike the Halloween election, Umi may seem a little out of place as the Christmas Girl with her typically reserved and stern personality. Where Christmas is generally depicted as the season of joyous celebration, Umi presents the flip side of the coin, the cold, quiet beauty of a snowing winter's night.

The thing I love most about Rin is that throughout the past three elections, she has never made an active effort to outright go for the win. Rin is just her usual active self regardless of the seasons or celebration where all she wants to do is laugh, play and have fun. It is for that exact reason, I believe Rin took the top spot and became our very first Muse Summer Girl. Now that Winter is approaching, Rin remains as active as ever!

I may have named Kotori and Eli as the two front-runners for this season's election but, I am not about to forget another clear favorite, Nishikino Maki. Muse's first year princess, Maki, has a long and meaningful relationship with Christmas. After all, she still believes in the existence of Santa Claus and that belief is reaffirmed by her speech for this year's election too! With her outward maturity far belying her age, this is one of the rare moments where her inner child shines through. 

As one of the three centers for Snow-halation, Nozomi has always had a special place in the history of Muse and the winter season. Winter is the final season of the year and signifies great change both physically in terms of the weather and mentally as one looks back at all they have achieved in the past year. Change is something Nozomi has had to deal with in much of her schooling life, moving from one town to the other before finally deciding to remain put in Otonokizaka for her high school. It was there where she first met Eli and, subsequently, the seven other members of Muse. For that reason, all Nozomi really desires is the company of those closest to her. 

In the realms of School Idol Festival, Hanayo has one the most beautiful Christmas cards in the form of her UR card (as seen above). Then there is the other association we often overlook when it comes to Christmas, food. Where there is delicious food, you can certainly bet there will be Hanayo trying to pair it with her beloved white race. With a pure soul and heart, Hanayo is like Muse's own little angel. 

You did not think we would have forgotten about Nico have you? Where the other members may represent the joyous celebration of Christmas, Nico carries the significance of cherishing your loved ones in a season to remember them by. Nico tirelessly watches over her younger siblings and caring for them the best they can and with Christmas just around the corner, Nico will make sure they get the best possible celebration too. Of course behind all of that, Nico's message also hints at someone special though, we probably already know who that is. 

Slim as the odds may be, I still decided to put my vote down for Nozomi this year's Christmas Girl Election. Not a clear favorite anymore like in the previous (Halloween) election, I still believe Nozomi holds a very strong connection to Christmas. What about you? Who did you vote for in this season's election?

Thus far, the interim results do confirm my prediction with the three front runners taking the top three spots. Ultimately, I think it will be a close battle between Eli and Kotori for the top spot. But, I will not be surprised to see Maki mount an upset. I am genuinely surprised to see Nozomi and Umi doing so well with their respective positions though! Perhaps Umi might still have what it takes to be the dark horse that wins it all? What do you think? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below! 

Until the next time, this has been our coverage of this year's Chrismas Girl Election. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day ahead!