Nao's top ten Faves for 2024: The wrap-up post plus some other musings....

 

                                   

Previous Positions

#10, Iori .... #9, Miyuki .... #8, Mio M .... #7, Konoka .... #6, Yui K

#5, Kasumi .... #4, Miku K .... #3, Nene .... #2, Akari .... #1, Miku T

 Above are the links to this year's top ten faves, a shorter than usual list but the top five were as strong as ever. So in this post will talk a bit about the women who did or didn't make the list plus some thoughts about why they finished where they did. Also a bit about what to expect in the future but actually nothing too different for now but will soon get back to doing reviews for dramas and movies. I was so burnt out from doing about 400 of them in a two year stretch so haven't done any in ten weeks, plus the keyboard on my old laptop wasn't working so well but now that I have a spiffy new one those reviews should be so much easier to write up. At the end of this post will discuss something I have never have done before and though I won't be doing it often will talk about it more in the future. Which is of checking out some other dramas besides ones from Japan and Korea, those shows I was getting a bit tired of and a huge change of pace is needed now and again.

EDIT: Forgot to include a few oddball stats, one is the average age which was exactly 27 and that may be a record, the youngest was #4 who was 22.4 in age while the oldest was #2 who was 33 and two months old. The shortest woman on the list was #1 who had a height of 150 cm and almost all were 160 cam and above, the tallest was #3 with a height of 167 cm.

 But not always and will start off with a change that has puzzled me to no end. Which is what has become of Kyoko who I adore more than almost anyone else and what a fave she is of mine. For the last thirteen months or since November 2023 Kyoko has done so little and why did she disappear? In that stretch of time she's only had two mini magazine spreads, stopped modeling for ar, hasn't appeared at any events and as most know graduated from Hina. I was hoping for a photobook but sadly that wasn't to be so in the last year all Kyoko has really done is to co-host a weekly talk show, done dubbing for an anime movie and very little else, she also appeared at only one event. But did just check and Kyoko will be in a drama beginning in two weeks so hope it means she's coming back full time and wonder if taking such a long semi-hiatus has made many fans forget about her? I haven't and she had become a fixture on the list finishing in the sixth, fourth and fourth again positions the last three years.

 I usually begin off these posts with mainly negative things but as we go along the mood does become positive. One other favorite who has pulled a 'Houdini Act' is Hinako and she's even a bigger fave of mine than Kyoko!!!! Hinako has done so little since the beginning of 2023, she was busy for the first seven months after her April 2022 departure from Nogi but after that so little. Many times in the past have wondered why Idols leave their groups if they're not going to stay busy, least remaining with Nogi 

meant a steady salary and other fringe benefits. Then again perhaps it's not her fault for not being busier as the entertainment field is so over saturated with semi-popular Idols.

 Two long streaks ended this year, both had different reasons but in a way they were also both the same. Rika holds the record for making the fave's list for seven consecutive years from 2017-23 but this year didn't even qualify for she had only four posts. Wonder if age has anything to do with it as she did turn 36 in October, yesterday was trying to do a post for her which hasn't worked out but should have one for Rika within the next two weeks.

 The other streak coming to an end involved Risa who had made the list six consecutive years. She was eligible as she had over six posts but in all honesty they weren't at the high level they were years ago so she didn't make the top ten, that would have been the case for the above fave too had she qualified. Since May the only activity Risa has done is modeling pics for Non-no, she hasn't been at an event for seven months. So what a shocker it was to hear the news last week that Risa would be leaving Non-no and her last spread will be for their March issue!!!! Man o man, I have no clue what's going on with her or the above faves, will try to do a post for Risa soon with hopefully news of any future plans and if she retires from show biz then is it time for me also.....

 Things aren't all gloomy as her mate Yui now is the leader for consecutive years making the list as she's up to five and did finish in the sixth position. Though the list is for my yearly faves the past does come into play at times and seeing as how Yui is my all time #1 woman 😍 did give her a break this year. But won't for 2025 as she needs to up her activities and the sooner the better for as mentioned often the public is a bit fickle and a person can only remain out of the spotlight for so long.

 Right on her tail as far as years making the list goes is Nene who is up to four and no one has had more posts since December 2020 when she was first introduced. She's been in the top five the last three years and was in the third spot for 2024 but have a feeling Nene may never hit the top spot for a year which isn't the worst thing ever.

 Ooooh, almost forgot to mention her third photobook is coming out on Valentine's Day so I wouldn't be shocked if the top three are the same next year. For my #2 fave for the year and number one for 2023 Akari has her second photobook coming out five days after that one and she's probably been my top woman for the past two years though not number one of all time.... yet! As a matter of fact my top five or perhaps six women of all time are so far ahead of any others and seems with each passing year the gap grows larger.

 That wraps up the musings about this year's faves, not as long as past years but there wasn't as much to be discussed nor can really think of any major future changes. But did mention in the beginning and also in other posts how I have been taking a break from viewing Japan and Korean dramas though have been watching a fair amount of those country's movies that I have on DVD. One thing I had rarely ever done was to watch any American shows, the only one I did watch most of was the "X-Files" but didn't begin on that until five years after it's run ended. Most other episodes of shows I have viewed were quite horrid but those were mainly newer ones so got to thinking out of all the thousands of shows over the last seventy years there has to be a few that would appeal to me. **** One other reason for taking  a break from J/K dramas is that I got into such a bad rut with them meaning I was watching dramas just because they were from those countries. That's a bad habit which is why the shows didn't interest me as much, when I take a long break from something it seems to reenergize my batteries so a hiatus is what I am taking from Asian shows though of course will be returning to them soon enough.

 It won't be any kind of regular series of posts but on occasion will talk about what American shows I'm currently viewing, won't recap any episodes. Have found large DVD boxsets of TV shows are often such a bargain and while they may seem expensive at first you get so much bang for your buck!!!! So over the last five months have spoiled myself with buying ten complete series and going in had never even seen one episode of any show! To top it off for a few had no clue what the series was about and who the stars were, the second part is so key as I despise those overpaid and untalented Hollywood actors.

 Will briefly mention two shows I'm currently watching and it's kind of odd how I'm up to the 68th episode for both which wasn't planned. The pics above and below are from the "Supernatural" series and bet many viewers are aware of it, I had never heard of the show until I purchased the DVD boxset! Which is such a large one as the drama ran for fifteen seasons, from 2005 until 2020 and had 327 episodes. So while $125 for the set seems expensive it really isn't at all as it will take me over a year to view the whole thing. What's nice is that it features no Idols(!) and the pair of lead actors are just so charismatic together. You can easily check out what the show is about as there is so much info out there about it and it was the longest running American fantasy/horror/sci-fi show of all time. It's not a ghost story but one that deals with hunting down demons and the other supernatural creatures, I highly recommend this series and for a newish show am surprised at how much I'm enjoying it. The two main demon hunters are the pair of brothers in the pics who are Dean and Sam Winchester, out of all places Lawrence, Kansas! In that first pic Sam is on the left, Dean on the right while in the middle is their father John who did die but on occasion has made a return to help them fight off demons from Hell!

 Right above is what the box set looks like and at over eighty discs it truly was worth $125!!!! Was going to discuss a second series which as mentioned I've also seen 68 episodes of but let me wait a few more days on that. May want to spend a bit more time talking about it plus I need to work on some other posts as I have nothing planned after this one is completed save for two other lists for 2024. Back to "Supernatural" and tonight will continue on with the fourth season. That car above is a 1967 Chevy Impala which was one souped up muscle car and so far there's been a pair of features on it, bet that was one gas guzzler.

 Will end off with one someone who I hadn't thought about for a while who is Mai and she was once a fixture on every kind of list. Mai also finished very high on most of them but back in the Spring of 2022 decided to stop posting about her. Thought she may have gotten a swelled head as she had become so popular but time does heal wounds and was looking at my the photo folder I still have of her. I do miss posting about women such as her so my goal is to have a post very soon for her, not tomorrow but hopefully within the next week and do hope there's been many activities to make it more than one or two comeback posts. Hmmm, haven't noticed Mai doing many things such as appearing in magazines or doing modeling so hope there is enough for even one post! Do know that Mai hasn't been at any of those large fashion shows for about four years but has been in quite a few dramas. EDIT: After the pics have a "Supernatural" video and there are quite a few on YT. The one I chose was a shorter one which makes it easier to view and it shows most of the monsters/demons from the first season, the two main characters of Dean and Sam are really a pair of likable guys.