Despite Mishaps, Inauguration goes forward
Nation swears in first Magician president
According to sources, more than 3 million people gathered in the capital as Marisa Kirisame, the first magician to be elected president, was sworn into office. Also in attendance were leading rival Gertrude Barkhorn and her running mate Francesca Lucchini, and the outgoing President Tenshi Hinanai and Vice President Mystia Lorelei.
The ceremony started with introductions by Mad House press secretary Yuyuko Saigyouji, but things hit a snag when she ate the microphone and podium. Luckily, the staff, familiar with Saigyouji's habits, had spares on hand.
In her speech, President Hinanai was optimistic, stating that "I firmly believe that Marisa will do a good job as president and will help fix the problems that face our nation." Hinanai came under considerable criticism when she was perceived as acting too slowly in the wake of a massive earthquake in the eastern mountains that leveled the Hakurei shrine. Transcripts are not yet available for Vice President Lorelei's speech, as most members of the audience were confused by the speech. It has also been reported that later that evening, there were an unusually high number of car accidents caused by night blindness. A link between the speech and the accidents is being investigated.
The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Shikieiki Yamaxanadu. President Kirisame's accent and mispronunciation of certain words in the oath caused Yamaxanadu to go into a rant in which she lectured the incoming president on the importance of proper pronunciation, threatening that she would go to hell. The confusion caused by this allowed Saigyouji to eat the copy of Strange and Bright Nature Deity that was being used to administer the oath. As a result, the oath had to be delayed until a replacement copy was found.
After being sworn in, Kirisame delivered her inaugural address, in which she stressed to need to stand united, telling the audience, "We are not loli characters or tsundere characters or meganekko characters; we are anime characters, one and all."
At the inaugural ball held later that evening, the famed Prismriver Sisters performed, with Merlin Prismriver wisely going last. The only real sour notes of the ball came when Saigyouji ate several caterers, and the performance by Lunasa Prismriver, which some guests considered to be unnecessarily depressing.
Despite the setbacks, the ceremony was largely considered a success by political commentators and the public. According to Konata Izumi, a political analyst with the moe think tank Kyoto Group, "the ceremony and its various mishaps helped Kirisame endear herself to the public even more. It's a textbook example of skilled use of the dojikko factor." Researcher Haruhi Suzumiya, also of the Kyoto Group, agreed, telling reporters, "did you see Saigyouji eat the book while Yamaxanadu was ranting at Kirisame? That, my friend, was pure, epic, moe!"
Commemorative items relating to the inauguration are expected to flood the internet and fetch extremely high prices on various auction and trading sites.
Aya Shameimaru of the Bunbunmaru Newspaper contributed to this report.