'Top Twenty Faves' countdown for 2021: Position #17, the glittering Mai Shinuchi!

 

**** Did an edit to the title on December 20th. What I did was to make this part of the fave's list countdown as the seventeenth position would have been done right around when this post was.

 This is her ninth post of the year and who ever thought something like that would happen?! Obviously that's because she's such a massive fave of mine, perhaps not my #1 Nogi member ever but not too far off. However can't say Mai is a huge fave of many other Nogi fans as her posts have drawn the fewest views of any member and guess I sort of expected that. If you are a Nogi fan you know the said news which is that Mai announced her graduation eleven days ago on her 'All Night Nippon' radio show. Wasn't unexpected but thought she would wait until next year to announce it as two first generation members are leaving in December. No official date has been set but it'll be happening in February, that's after her January 22nd birthday and she'll be the first Nogi gal to hit the age of thirty. 

 Hard to be too sad as it's rare for an Idol in a group to hit the age of thirty. Least Mai made her first ever appearance on the yearly faves list, she finished 17th but with more newer pics in 2021 she easily could have been fifth or so. There will be at least two more posts before her departure and am thinking more along the lines of three. Mai has been the long time host of the 'All Night Nippon' radio show but that's a Nogi show so she may have to give them up but really hope not. She'll remain modeling for the Oggi magazine and she does have a college degree so she's someone you don't need to worry too much about after graduating which hasn't been the case for most ex-Nogi members. Nogi has a 'Greatest Hits' album coming out in 2 1/2 weeks, she'll have her first ever solo song on it plus there will be a video for it but that hasn't been released yet.

 Will always say she has the best legs of any Idol. Mai's posts this year have all been superb but I'm kind of biased saying that as she's someone I truly adore but will admit wish the posts had been larger. No solo spreads since March nor has she appeared at any events but expect the former to be changing very soon and will say why later on. Have a little bit of many things, probably won't be an X-Mas post for her so why not a few pics for the holiday and its a shame she wouldn't fit in my stocking....

 As I've mentioned often the second generation members are my fave ones from Nogi, began to follow the group a few months after they joined. Back in January there were eight members left, what a horrible year it's been if you're a 2G fan as we're now down to four. And that will dwindle down to three once Mai leaves so that's not nearly enough members for a farewell concert.

 Those above are what's left for 2G and am wondering now about her sendoff. For nine years Nogi has held their 'Birthday Concerts' towards the end of February, usually 3-4 shows and many members in the past have graduated at one of them. But in 2022 their tenth 'Birthday Concerts' will be held in May so when will her final concert be? Nogi's management hasn't treated the second generation members fairly enough but they do give the gals a proper sendoff so I would expect some sort of special show for Mai, she deserves it and sure it'll happen. Few Instagram pics from the past month, could be the last pics we see of her with the member in the top and bottom pics.

 As mentioned no new mag spreads so will go back in time for one and it's a terrific set I had forgotten about. It came out exactly three years ago and is from the November 30,2018 issue of Flash. They made for such a superb looking team and wish they had been in more mags together.

 Did say that Nogi does give their members a proper sendoff, now the new tradition is having a graduation photobook. That'll be happening with Mai and the book will be coming out on January 25th which is three days after her 30th birthday. The news just came out last week and so far these advance pics have been released and would think there would be a few mag spreads promoting it. More about the PB in her upcoming posts and how about that bottom pic!

 Mai's first photobook came out in November 2017, I thought it was a stupendous set of pics though there could have been a few more gravure ones. That only sold ~25,000 copies when it came out but wouldn't be shocked if this graduation book sold over 40,000 copies. She's done a few CM's in the past for Asahi beer, here's a brand new one with two other members: Asahi CM

 We've hit the end and when there's no new mag spreads usually leave you with some extraordinary pics from the Oggi site. Mai has been a model for them since 2019 and hope she stays with them after leaving Nogi, she rarely appears in their mags but always has many pics at their site. It's not subbed but after the pics is a shortish video from the ANN show where she announced her graduation, Mai was trying to hold back the tears....