Hello fans, it's that time of the year to pick your member that made the most impact. Runner up and honorable mentions are welcome. Please state your reasons although not required. Unfortunately, I've haven't been following the group as much this past year to submit my choice. Mod, please include past years here if possible.
I'd pick Endo as my member of the year, she's really step up and take her chances. Runner-up Yamashita with her acting gigs. Honourable mention, Asuka, Ikuta, and Miona.
For sheer entertainment value, Hazuki, who would also have been my pick last year for the same reason. She's just endlessly funny without TRYING to be, and I generally lean towards the funny/variety oriented members of these groups than just going for the visuals. But, my pick for best all-rounder? Kaki Haruka. She's cute, she's endearing, sweet, creative, funny, a great singer. . . yeah. There's a LOT to her. And she filled some of the giant gaping wound Nanase's graduation left in my heart, so. . .
Member of the Year: Kaki Haruka - She's really just an all-around amazing member in every way and even though Sakura was center I feel like Kakki has made the most impact from 4th gen which is a feat in itself since 4th gen is full of amazing members. Runner Up: Yamashita Mizuki - Really proving to be one of Nogi's A-List members. I would be really surprised if she doesn't get a center spot next year. Honorable mentions: Tsutsui Ayame, Endou Sakura, Ikuta Erika, Saito Asuka
Yamashita Mizuki. She's always had a lot of good traits going for her, plus, especially this year, she's made a lot of achievements like Video Girl Mai and the photobook.
Member(s) of the Year Endo Sakura and Kaki Haruka. If you asked me in the early part of the year to find something good about 4th Gen, I would be hard pressed to find anything to say. I am not a strong advocate of 4th Gen, and I was highly skeptical of the new members. There wasn't one who could be as good as my beloved 3rd Gen. And yet, here we are at the end of the year and I'm singling out two of them for Member of the Year. How'd that happen? It was tough to split the two. Where Kaki was full press coverage all through the summer. Endo was center for most all 4th Gen things and for the 24th single. Arguably, Kaki should have the edge, because of her overall popularity throughout the fandom and members, but centering a Nogi single is really special. Kaki. Endo. Is this how Nogi works with their dual aces dueling for the center? I don't know, but I can't deny that 4th Gen really has come on well as exemplified by these two members. Runner Up Yamashita Mizuki would've run away with the title this year, but she skipped 'Sing Out!' because she was acting in 'Video Girl Mai.' (and getting her teeth fixed). Missing out only barely slowed her progress though, as she returned for the summer tour. Towards the end of the year, she announced her first photobook, and almost every day since she keeps winning twitter and insta as she's really marketing the heck out of it. I think the last 20 likes from my twitter feed feature her. You can not beat Yamashita in the Godzilla cosplay on the announcement tweet pinned to her timeline. Just her giggles alone kill me. Also, we got long-haired Mizuki and that was good. She really captured my gaze all through Nanase's graduation concert, and I love Nanase. Re-watch Shitsuren Osoujinin or Jibun ja nai kanji. Honorable Mention(s) Ikuta Erika - that photobook and how she's truly a musical actress. I think she transcends the idol moniker.
member of the year for me, Kaki Haruka. its easy for me to pick someone like Maiyan or Ikuchan or Hori or even Zukki, but really, they're all already big members to begin with so its no surprise if they're all did what they did in 2019. So that's why i think member of the year should go to a 4 ki. and that's why i pick Kakki, this girl can do and have done everything. great singer, incredibly pretty, amazing public speaking ability with a unique and very soothing voice, she's funny when she needs to be funny, and possibly the best artist the group has until this point. she basically fill a lot of big holes made by the graduating members from the past few years, some of the best singer in the group graduated (Karin, Rotti, Misa) Kakki can fill the gap, someone who is good at public speaking and radio graduated (Karin, Misa, Himetan) Kakki can fill the gap, almost all of the best artist in the group graduated (Nanase, Marika, Waka, Maimai) guess what, Kakki is probably better than all of them (and i say almost all because RENACHI IS STILL IN THE GROUP). so yeah, that's why i think Kaki Haruka is Nogi's member of the year, incredibly talented and can fill the holes left by her graduated senpai
I am so proud to see more Kakki fans. Glad to see how much of an impact she has had Much like everyone else here: my picks will be the Oshimen and the Oshi pair of Yamashita Mizuki and Kaki Haruka (can we please have them W-center a single this year?) Maiyan, Ikuchan and Ashu has had a great year too. But deep down inside, I have the feeling that we won't have this trio together by end of 2020...
I thought hard about this for a few days now, but I can't pick a single member that has been my member of the year. Therefore, I am just going to name more. First of all, the 4th gen. I have been a believer since the beginning, but I am happy to see they proved to be another strong generation. There really isn't a single member that doesn't interest me in some way. At first glance, I wasn't that big a fan of Kakehashi Sayaka but she proved me wrong eventually. That's impressive, since I am a stubborn person. I also want to name Shiraishi Mai. She just doesn't stop to impress me. Everytime she seems to hit her peak, but then she becomes even more beautiful, more funny, more lovely, more kind. A true beauty on both inside and outside. This was also a good year for Yamashita Mizuki. She is not someone I gravitate to, but seeing where she was at the beginning of 2019 and at the end of it, there is no denying she is going places. Nishino Nanase. I know she wasn't a member anymore in 2019, but she did her graduation concert in 2019 so I am going to name her anyway. Mostly because I crushed hard on her while watching Anaban. A great drama and I hope to see Naachan in many more. Lastly, I want to say Higuchi Hina. Because she truly makes my life better. I love her. In a very unique way, not in the way I love a friend, a lover or a family member. Hell, she doesn't even know I exists, but that's okay because she gives me so much anyway and I wish I could return the favor but that's nearly impossible when you live on the other side of the planet. She grew a lot in 2019, on a professional but also on a personal level. She is happier.
Member of the year: Yamazaki Rena She grows a lot and got many solo jobs, which is an almost impossible thing to turn into reality when I saw her couple of years ago. I hope she will enter 25th Senbatsu, but I think mngmnt will choose Denchan/Renka over her. Runner Up: 4th gen members All of them have proven to be worth Nogizaka members. They have interesting characters and personalities. They are also beautiful.
Yamazaki Rena. She got a lot of jobs this year. I think she has like 4 or 5 regular TV and radio shows. I can say that she has the most regular shows among Nogizaka members. Also, she just graduated from university this year, which is quite an amazing achievement for an idol.