2021 was an exciting year for JAV. We saw plenty of new and exciting actresses make their debut like Karen Yuzuriha, Mina Kitano, and Reona Tomiyasu. Some new trends took root as well like the reverse bunnysuit craze. And while Covid was still running its course throughout the yea the JAV industry kept chugging along. However, it did leave its mark. One such way was the increase in utilizing fake cum. Those issues aside it was still a solid year of JAV and as such, I'll be taking a look at some of my favorite and least favorite actresses from the year. I'll also be going over five honorable mentions that just barely missed my top 20 list. Without further ado, let's begin!

Winners

Hana Himesaki

If you haven't read my 2021 star of the year post yet then I recommend giving it a read as I personally think Hana Himesaki was the best JAV actress of the entire year. Her sheer output for the year was unrivaled by anyone else. Within the first month alone she released approximately 20 new films and kept this breakneck pace up throughout most of the year. Now yes the quality was sometimes a bit hit-or-miss but the variety was remarkable as she explored many different plots, themes, and genres. Not only that but she collaborated with a nice range of actresses too like Ruka Inaba, Miu Arioka, and Eimi Fukada. Hana has cemented herself as a top-tier actress now and hopefully will continue to dominate in 2022.

Maria Nagai

She's a real love her or hate her type of actress given her admittedly ridiculous figure. But for those that indeed love her, I think most would agree that 2021 was a good year for her. She spent the majority of the year as an exclusive for Kira Kira which is a great fit for honestly. Many of those releases took full advantage of her over-the-top body showcasing it at every opportunity with lots of booty-focused themes. She even attempted anal for the first time although it didn't fare too well. And while it seems like her sales in Japan aren't the best, she's a big hit overseas as her new films continuously top the sales charts on R18. You can't deny that she's very polarizing overall if nothing else.

Shiori Tsukada

It may be a bit of a surprise to see her here but honestly, I think she had a very nice rebound in 2021. Her recent years have been somewhat stagnant shooting for lesser-known studios or starring in multi-actress films. And while she did still have some films with those type of studios, she saw several releases with bigger names like Moodyz and Fitch. Not only that but I feel like she's gotten better both physically and as a performer. Her figure has never looked better and her acting saw a nice improvement. She's still not gonna blow you away, but she's more engaging and energetic at least. I was worried she was gonna fade away but I'm very pleased to see she's making great strides now in her career.

Aka Asuka

Aka Asuka was someone I was sorta into for a good while but never thought anything much of. But about halfway through the year she released some real standout films and started to settle into her own as a performer. SSIS-139 and SSIS-175 were the two most notable releases where she truly shined with her acting. In addition, she had a real nice paizuri focused film near the of the year with SSIS-264. She also had a VR film that was super solid as well. This success can be measured in her sales as she's been consistently charting in the top 25 according to DMM. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing her go freelance and shoot for the likes of Oppai or Fitch. But regardless she had a fine year and hopefully, there's more to come!

Yuria Yoshine

Yuria Yoshine was someone that really grabbed my attention this year. Her output was just incredible from the start of the year to the end. The utter variety from her was fantastic. For starters, she shot with a wide range of studios like Rocket, Oppai, and even Moodyz. Not just that but she starred alongside a nice array of actresses such as Shiori Tsukada, Ai Sayama, and Nanami Matsumoto. Couple this with her exploring some new genres like anal, gokkun, and interracial. Her 2021 always had something fresh and interesting to check out. She even managed to chart within the top 25 for sales a few times. Let's hope she continues this trend into the new year!

Favorite Debuts

Alice Kisaki

Alice Kisaki is perhaps the best busty debut of 2021. She got her start as a five-month double exclusive for both E-Body and Oppai studios in July. She also shot a VR film for the two of them along with shooting a softcore release with REbecca in November. At the time of this writing, she seems to be a freelancer now as she just released a new film with Fitch. It seems so far that she hasn't gained much traction in terms of sales as she's never cracked the top 25 yet. Alice Kisaki's key asset is no doubt her amazing natural tits. She's also got a nice ass too. However, she's a very lackluster performer and not exactly super pretty. I have some doubts that she'll ever become a huge star but I'd love to be proven wrong. 

Mina Kitano

Mina Kitano has been very impressive since her debut striking a nice balance between her face, body, and performance ability. She got her start with E-Body as a five-month exclusive. Afterwards, she was set free and became a freelancer. She's been receiving work from all types of studios like Moodyz, Venus, Oppai, and even Marrion. She's showed no signs of slowing down either as she's rocketed into the sales charts to end the year placing in the top 10 a few times and even number one in September. It's easy to see why with her modest "modifications" that aren't too over the top. Her fake tits can look a little wonky at times but other than that I'm a huge fan. The sky is the limit for Mina Kitano.

Karen Yuzuriha

Out of all the debuts on my list, I believe Karen has the most potential to rise to the top and be a superstar. I can see her becoming the next Eimi Fukada. Karen would make her JAV debut with Oppai studio back in February. She's remained tied with Oppai ever since releasing a new film with them every month. However, she's also shot with a couple of other studios like E-Body, Moodyz, and Premium which is likely her new home for a while. She's been a mainstay on the top 25 sales charts since her debut even managing to crack the top 10 in September. It's easy to see why given her terrific figure and pretty face. Plus, she's been a surprisingly fantastic performer in just a short time. Karen is poised to take the JAV world by storm.

Reona Tomiyasu

Reona has only been around for a couple of months but has already made a big splash and is on her way to becoming a huge star. She got her start with E-Body in a film that marketed her as a sportscaster. How much truth there is to that is anyone's guess. Afterward, she would go on to become a freelancer shooting for the likes of Oppai, Moodyz, Kira Kira, and Fitch just to name a few. She's received many types of roles too from a lewd schoolgirl to a sexy OL boss. Reona has a nice tight body with a solid pair of fake tits that suit her nicely and she's ridiculously cute with gorgeous eyes. In just her 2nd month she managed to crack the top 25 and has remained there ever since. The future is very bright for her.

Konan Koyoi

S1 debuts a lot of new actresses every year. I don't normally follow them too closely but one caught my eye with Konan Koyoi. She made her AV debut back in May 2021 and ever since has remained consistent with releasing a new film every month. She is of course an exclusive with S1 although she did shoot a softcore video with REbecca back in July. She has a lot of things going for her. Her figure overall is simply stunning as she boasts a slim waist, a great set of natural tits, and a solid booty. Not to mention she's incredibly pretty with a nice smile. It's a little puzzling as to why she still has yet to break into the top 25 sales chart yet as I think she has very widespread appeal. Hopefully, she can turn into one of S1's superstars and dominate 2022.

Losers

Kurea Hasumi

Talk about whiplash. Kurea Hasumi went from being my top actress of 2020 to being at the bottom for me personally. It was such a steep dropoff. Now I will say she did have a few great films like one that you'll see make my best of 2021 list later on. But beyond a few notable releases, her output was terrible. Her new films suffered from two different fates. One is that they were massively disappointing like MIAA-379 or BF-631. Or they were multi-cast films with actresses that I personally don't like such as Eimi Fukada. Even the great films from this year were pretty niche as they centered around pegging. Kurea Hasumi certainly has the potential to get back on track for 2022 so I'm not too worried. But it's still a step down in a major way.

Honoka Mihara

This one hurts maybe the most out of all my picks. She has such potential but ultimately it's been squandered. Especially now since she recently announced her retirement date on Jan 30th. Even since her debut she's been mostly relegated to fetish genre films and ones with darker themes. Plus, even a few subjects that I can't mention here. I was always hoping she'd get a chance to star in some mainstream films but besides WAAA-061, her output was either just VR films or multi-actress shoots with studios such as "IE NERGY" and Hunter. Her career has been such a colossal letdown. I wish her nothing but the best but you can't help but wonder what could have been.

Hitomi

It pains me to have to include her in this section but besides just a few notable releases that did actually make my list, her 2021 was largely underwhelming. Many of the films felt generic, vanilla, and lacked any real originality. And while they were still enjoyable, they didn't leave any lasting impression and probably won't be remembered too much. The other issue is that her performances felt a little flat. She was missing that key "spark" to her acting. At times it really just feels like she's going through the motions and doesn't seem to be too motivated to really push herself. Hopefully, in 2022 she will return to her former glory...

2021 Honorable Mentions

MIAA-537

"A Sex Club Apartment Complex Filled With Voluptuous Ladies"

Two great pairs for the price of one? Sign me up! There were plenty of collaborations in 2021 and while many were average this one managed to stand out from the crowd. The plot is admittedly one of the weakest aspects as it's super simple with the pair playing housewives who work in the delivery health business from within their apartment. That slight negative aside this film excels in almost every way. It provides lots of juicy eye candy goodness and satisfying threesome action. Not only that but their performances are pretty great and there's some nice interaction between the pair. Couple this with some solid production values and you've got a magnificent meaty video that doesn't disappoint.

BLK-532

"She'll Eat Men Up As She Bares Her Super Carnivorous Sexual Instinct To Prey On Cocks! Let's Cum With Queen Maria!"

I wasn't feeling too hyped about this film initially but after giving it a shot, I was very pleasantly surprised. The plot centers around Maria having sex with supposedly amateur actors in a hotel room. They are most likely season vets but that's not a big deal. It basically just boils down to Maria fucking a few guys senseless in a more intimate setting. It excels pretty well thanks to her superb performance as she boasts exceptional energy and engagement. Now unfortunately there is a lot of fake cum here but the sex scenes themselves help to make for it with a good variety of positions and lots of facesitting. And the lighting is sublime with its more subdued approach. A surefire standout film from Maria Nagai.

MIDV-020

"In The Countryside Where Her Husband Was Transferred... Bored And Bored, She Seduced A Man In The Neighborhood, Straddled Him Without Permission"

That's one hell of a nice cover. Even better is that the film lives up to it. The general premise here revolves around Fumika playing a horny and lonely married woman living in the countryside who turns her sights onto some local neighborhood men as she seduces them. It's a nicely executed plot and it's made even better thanks to Fumika's amazing performance. She's incredibly energetic which combined with her bubbly personality and great facial expressions makes for a captivating watch. The film is well lit with excellent camerawork capturing some nice full-body shots and close-up angles. And overall the sex scenes boast some nice intensity and position variety. Fumika certainly ended her 2021 with a bang.

PPPD-946

"One Load Every Five Minutes: Full-Auto Limitless Load Soapland"

I had very low expectations going into this as the cover seemed rather basic and I'm not too fond of soapland films. But this one really surprised me. At its core, it features a pretty simple concept revolving around Yuria working at a soapland specializing in paizuri and multiple cumshots. Now that aspect here is a little suspicious as some cumshots look genuine while others look fake. If nothing else they all look really nice. This leads me to the production values that are all top-notch. The lighting in particular is excellent across the board. It's not too bright or harsh and helps to accent her lovely curves with soft shading. Her wardrobe is stellar with some super sexy outfits and lingerie as well.

The pacing is a little bogged down with the typical soapland fluff but it's too terrible. Her performance is a real standout here as it's one of the best I've ever seen from her. She's super engaging and expressive which is most apparent in her paizuri technique. I must say that she's brilliant at it too. Maybe even deserving of a paizuri report analysis. And the action all around is superb with plenty of tittyfucking of course and two full sex scenes that feature a satisfying position variety. The fake cum may be a turn-off to some but it's not too egregious and the rest of the film more than makes up for it. The end result is one of her best films to date.

MMKS-016

"A Healing Big Butt Soapland Princess"

I may loathe soapland themed films but this series from Marrion always makes for a good time. The setup is extremely simple as it's your typical soapland style film with all the fluff you've come to expect. However, Marrion always puts the booty as the centerpiece which helps make the scenes way more enjoyable. The camerawork and lighting all help to accentuate her big ass going for a nice soft approach without being too harsh. The action is great too with a few sex scenes but also lots of outercourse and facesitting. June backs all this up with a solid performance as well. The pacing does drag a bit at times but it's nothing too egregious. For any avid booty lover out there, this is a must-watch.

Stay tuned next week for the first half of my top 20 videos of 2021!