Risa Watanabe: Her magnificent yet sadly not too joyous.... '𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 28𝒕𝒉 𝑩𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚!' post....

 

 Had about five different scenarios on how I would begin off this post but will use none and just adlib everything you will be reading for today. There's so many things I want to say about the never to be seen again(?) Risa 😍 but really everything has already been said in her previous five or so posts. Sadly Risa may be gone for good as she's made zero announcements about herself since late November 2024 and we've seen no new photos of her since late January 2025. In that November announcement Risa did say she would be leaving her agency on February 28, 2025 and that's Keya's management so she had been with them for 9 1/2 years. She also said her fan club would be closing on that date but gave no details on why or what her future plans would be, that was the last time we've heard from her.

 At first that news was a shocker but so many other actresses and ex-Idols switch agencies, I was thinking Risa 😍 just needed a long break and that's also common. But then at the end of January 2025 she left the Non-no magazine and she had been modeling with them for close to eight years. Then Risa closed down her IG page in June, shortly after her X/Twitter page so by then of course we fans knew something was not right but wonder what that not right is or was? For Risa still never gave an announcement about her 'retirement' but had apologized for the quickness of leaving her agency and ending her fan club in that November 2024 announcement. So here we are eighteen months since her last bit of activity and appears as though that 'retirement' will be a permanent one. That's happened quite a few times with others I've posted about but all had given reasons why they were leaving show biz, Risa didn't say one word about her departure. It's not that she owes us an explanation but she had a largish fan base for nine years and kind of surprised she wouldn't have thanked everyone and given us some idea on why she left the entertainment industry.

 On Keya's older variety show 'Keyakitte' Risa had a few solo segments that took place outside of the studio. In two of them she did open up to the audience about how shy she was and tended to avoid being in crowds or just going out having a good time. She was usually quiet during most episodes but perhaps having such a large support group such as the other members, helped Risa through her rough patches but when she left Keya in May 2022 she no longer had that support. That may have taken Risa some courage to open up about her problems which is more common than you would think in J-Pop Idol groups. Not positive but that could be the biggest reason for Risa's departure/retirement as her solo career had been going well for the first two years since leaving Keya. I doubt if she just sits at home everyday and wouldn't surprise me if she went back to school, she had talked a few times on the 'Keyakitte' show about being a designer and how at one time that was her goal before joining the group. That used to be such a good show but none of the first generation members are with the group so seldom watch it these days but it is good to view some older episodes as you can learn much about most of the members.

 Sometimes my intros to posts can be a bit long winded but in this case I deserve a pass for it's Risa 😍 we're talking about! I wouldn't have written the above for just anyone and if Risa hadn't 'retired' she'd still be my #1 woman of all time!!!! On the second 'Top Twenty Faves of All Time' list that was completed in September 2022 Risa had the top spot and no one else was really that close to her. Seeing as how I postponed the third list to next Spring no one has taken that number one position away from her so for at least another eight months Risa 😍 will retain that honor of being my number one woman of all time! As of now she'd be in the third spot in that next list, if it is done next Spring that'll mean over two years without hearing a peep from her which I hope doesn't happen and it'd be nice if she was reading this right now....

 Final intro section and Risa was never #1 on a yearly list though should have been in 2019. But she did make the top six on the list for six consecutive years and was also in the eighth spot once so that's a streak which may never be duplicated. You readers are very mixed in Risa, in 2019 her posts had the highest average of views but the next year she tumbled down to 14th. But in 2021 she jumped back to fifth but since then she's never made the top ten as far as popularity goes with you viewers and to me lack of new gravure photos was a major reason, no Idol had more posts than Risa from 2018-23. Of course there's been no new pictures or news for eighteen months so much of what you see today has been in prior posts but have close to 25 photos that are new for here. But seeing as her Risa's popularity has only been so-so since 2021 bet many of you have never seen the pics that will be in this post or if you have seen them sure most have been forgotten about.

 Eight years ago who would have thought those two would have become my all time top two women, they were somewhat close while in Keya(Sakura) and wonder if they still keep in touch? Have a nice variety of things for today and seeing as how the posts have become so infrequent for Risa may go all out and make this the largest post of the year! No new birthday photos and there hasn't been for a few years so will go back in time with these and some are a bit ancient.

 From October to December 2023 Risa was in the drama "Black Familia" which was close to being my top show of the year. It was an intense murder/mystery where Risa had such a large and important part, it was her last role and wonder why Risa didn't continue on with acting? Above were some older Keya cards and have even more for their 'Keya Kisa' web game which to me are the best card series of any '46' group'. The cards that feature a pair of members are new for here, joining Risa in those six cards were Shiori and Neru.

 Okay, will have one more batch of Keya cards and that's because five of these hadn't been posted before. This mini set are for Risa's Keya graduation that took place in May 2022, the bottom ones feature Aoi and the pair were very good friends while in the group, she had her graduation concert three weeks after the pair for Risa. Have a feeling there's a few more of these cards that haven't been posted and some of these feature her wearing older Keya uniforms.

 Keya's group blog is called 'Diary' and that's also the name of Hina's. Even though most members have IG pages these days they still post those photos at the group blog. This small set are ones of Risa from 2017-19 and these too had never been posted here. Didn't her looks change to much over the years(?) and they got to the point where I think she's the most attractive woman of all time but wouldn't say she's number one in any category.

 Hope this changes but to date Risa's last public appearance was at the 2024 Spring 'Girls Award' show that took place on May 3rd of that year. To keep the spirit of Risa 😍 alive perhaps a few themed posts would help such as her at fashion shows such as this one for no Idol glowed as brightly as Risa did at these shows!

 Not 100% positive but think Risa's first ever solo magazine spread was for the June 2016 issue of Brody, she had appeared in a few magazines before this but they had been with other members.

 That above spread is 121 months old(!), to date Risa's final magazine spread was this one for the December 6, 2023 issue of Weekly Shonen. Risa had to be their cover girl at least ten times and like all of her mag spreads there never was a video from any of the photo shoots.

 Actually Risa did appear in few issues of the Non-no magazine but the above set was her final spread for any other magazine. Did mention how a few themed posts may be a good idea to keep the spirit of Risa 😍 alive with you viewers and one featuring modeling photos from Non-no could be the best of any idea! She was with Non-no from March 2017 until January 20, 2025 and that was the last time we've ever seen any new photos of Risa. Here's some ultra super duper Non-no modeling photos and they truly are sizzling in their own way, Risa looks so perfect to me no matter how she's dressed. At the bottom of the post have her final video for the magazine and the problem with viewing such terrific videos is that it reminds me of how much I miss Risa.....

 Will end off with a dazzling batch of Risa 😍 photos and they do show why she's been my number one woman for many years though Risa's reign as my #1 Queen may be ending next Spring when the third 'Top Twenty Faves of All Time' list is done.