Panking's 2023 JAV Retrospective: Notable Winners, Losers, Favorite Debuts and Honorable Mentions
With another year in the books, it's time to kick off my annual retrospective as I highlight a few actresses who had the best and worst year. In addition, I'll highlight some of my favorite new debuts and kick off my top 25 films of the year by going through a handful of honorable mentions. With that out of the way, let's dive on in.
Winners
I don't think this pick will surprise anyone. Setting aside my own personal bias, I still think she had a really great year all things considered. She continued her red-hot actress of the year campaign from 2022 and plowed full steam ahead into 2023 with a feverish pace. Every month saw a smorgasbord of new videos from a wide range of studios including many of the heavy hitters such as Moodyz, Honnaka, Oppai, and Fitch to name a few. She also co-starred with plenty of different actresses like Chitose Saegusa, Mao Hamasaki, and Mizuki Yayoi. Many of these resulted in some of my best-of-the-year picks. She was also able to release a new photobook this year which was of the utmost quality having purchased it myself. Let's hope she continues dominating in 2024.
Yuria Yoshine
If there was one word to describe Yuria Yoshine's 2023 it would be solid. Just great stuff across the board with a very constant output. From the beginning of the year to the end she remained very steady. We got to see a healthy range as she worked with many of the big-shot studios but also the lesser-knowns as well which often ended up being pretty enjoyable films. Perhaps best of all was the endless amount of collabs she did. Pick any busty freelancer and chances are she shot with them. One of which may be a contender for my top 10 of the year. Personally, I also feel that her acting has gotten better too this year and physically she's in impeccable shape. I absolutely love the shorter haircut she's rocking now. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for 2024.
Jun Suehiro
I'd only recently discovered Jun Suehiro back in July of 2023 with my first impressions post but I was immediately smitten by her becoming one of my favorite actresses of the entire year. Her lesbian release with Non Ohana got me hooked and I haven't looked back since. Like the other winners on my post here she too saw a nice diverse array of films taking full advantage of her freelancer status. In addition, she charted pretty well this year managing to place in the top 10 several times throughout the summer. I also just really love her body. Her short and petite figure combined with that phat ass is just too good. Now her output did take a small hit near the end of the year but let's hope she can get back on track with some banger releases.
Nagi Hikaru
If I had a reward for the best "glow up" from 2023, Nagi would take the prize easily. Nagi Hikaru/Shion/Aka Asuka took a temporary hiatus in October of 2022 and made her triumphant return in March sporting a new toned-up body and improved face. I was never that big on her physically as she always had this "frumpy" type of appearance. But now she's an absolute stunner. I'm aware there's no doubt that she had some work done on her face but the results look spectacular. I'd even go as far as to say she's one of the prettiest actresses around right now especially with that bob-cut hairstyle that accents her face extremely well. She backed all this up with some banger releases too even including a satisfying collab with fellow busty S1 star, Mei Washio. Speaking of which...
Losers
Nagi Hikaru's partner in crime from SSIS-950 finds herself on the wrong end of my best of 2023 list. I really wish S1 would just set free. They already got enough big titty monsters, more than they know what to do with honestly. It's so painful to watch her career just sputter in place and be wasted. I adore her body and obviously her boobs are among the very best. But that can only carry her so far as it's just a myriad of mundane and bland titty-focused films over and over. Things improved a bit in the last quarter of the year with a little more diversity but that doesn't forgive the rest of the year which resulted in some of the most creatively bankrupt releases I've ever seen from S1. Her boobs are of course amazing but I'm craving something more. Just please let her go freelance already.
Shiori Tsukada
I was eager to what was in store for Shiori Tsukada after she had a solid outing in 2022. But unfortunately, her 2023 was nothing short of disappointing. She did manage to release about 20 or so new releases give or take but barely any of them were worth watching at all. Most were with lower-tier studios with mediocre production values as well as constantly being typecasted as a busty milf or married woman. It became so painfully repetitive. She had one decent release with BHG-051 but that's it. Oh, but she did have a VR collab with Maki Kyoko at least...except they both wear those ridiculous gimp masks ruining the entire experience. Let's hope better days are ahead for her.
Nanami Matsumoto
Sigh. This one hurts as I really felt like Nanami was perhaps on the cusp of a true resurgence after having a solid rebound in the latter half of 2022 leading into the new year. She starred in a couple of nice collabs and even got to shoot for some big names again like Moodyz and Wanz Factory. But her output just dropped off a cliff for about two-thirds of the year seeing only a small handful of new films. None of these were notable at all with half being VR titles. Even worse is the fact that it seems her career may be heading towards its end as she has an AV-related announcement to make coming up in March. It could be nothing but I think the writing is on the wall. I'd be sad to see her go out but she has a solid career at least. Just wish she'd go out with a bang instead of a whimper.
IR Genre
The state of the IR(interracial) genre right now is dire. It's basically on life support. Gone are the days when you'd have major studios getting in on the action such as Fitch, Wanz Factory, Honnaka and even S1 believe it or not. Now it's a barren wasteland where all the heavy hitters are missing and in its place are a bunch of no-names offering up extremely mediocre production values on top of rehashing the same not-so-pleasant themes over and over. Not to mention many of the big-name actors left such as Magnum leaving us with scraps. I want to say brighter days are ahead of us but I think the outlook is rather bleak at the moment.
Favorite Debuts
Move over Rara Anzai, there's a new big titty monster in town. Haru Minato is one of S1's newest busty debuts and is certainly generating a lot of buzz as she's already reached the top 10 for sales following the month of her debut. One look at her and you'll understand what all the hype is about. Her all-natural K-Cup sized breasts are some of the very best JAV has to offer right now. They're about as perfect as you can hope for. Not only that but she's fairly pretty too(fitting right in with S1) and has a nice body to boot with a healthy amount of meat on her. She's even showing some signs of acting ability at times giving me hope for a bright career. I absolute got my eyes on her and expect big things going into 2024.
Noa Haruna
Noa Haruna may just be my overall favorite debut of the entire year. Yes I know she's not the most prettiest actress around nor she is the best performer. But that rack is otherworldly as if it was crafted by the gods. It's a serious contender for the very best tits ever in JAV. A top-10 pair for sure. Her content so far is definitely on the hit-or-miss side of things. She's a freelancer which is nice but is often relegated to multi-actress films or starring in more budget studio releases such as with "Mousou Zoku". These releases can still be satisfying but don't really strive for anything beyond just simple eyecandy. I hope she can get more prominent work going into 2024 as that chest is too good to go waste.
The S1 hype train rolls on with another favorite debut of mine in Miyuu Kiyohara. She immediately earned a spot on my monthly watchlist after checking her out in one of my first impressions posts. She's a busty little cutie sporting a great set of H-Cup size breasts. She also really reminds me of Ruka Inaba. Similar face, cup size, and figure with a nice amount of meat on her. I'm still waiting on a truly amazing video from her as so far we've had some good releases but nothing yet that's truly blown me away. I think she's got potential though. Let's just hope S1 can properly utilize her going forward.
Now these are some serious jugs. Momoka Kagura was yet another busty debut from S1 who seems to be mass-producing them at a feverish pace. That said, I'm really enjoying her so far. Performance wise I can't say too much yet as she's still very new. But physically she's a stunning specimen. She sports a whopping K-cup on a slim figure with nice hips to boot. Her overall body reminds me a bit of Hitomi Tanaka in regards to her tits-to-waist ratio. Her face also gives off a more mature vibe often invoking memories of Nana Aoyama from years past. I definitely got my eye on her and am eager to how her career progresses into the new year.
Honorable Mentions(in no particular order)
SSIS-668
Perfect Onanie Assist
Starring Nagi Hikaru
Nagi Hikaru's transformation in 2023 has been nothing short of amazing. This one does a fantastic job of showcasing her magnificent chest. SSIS-668 is relatively light on plot as it basically just centers around the theme of masturbation assistance with Nagi frequently looking into the camera with a mix of POV. The other caveat here is that it's all shot entirely in 4K and features some heavy fisheye lens. I know some are turned off by extensive fisheye lens but I personally don't mind it all as long as it's not too obnoxious. This all leads me to what is probably my favorite aspect of the entire video which is the eyecandy factor. Nagi looks absolutely stunning here. Her boobs are incredible and her newly slimmed-down physique really shines and accents her tits extremely well. Big titty lovers will be in heaven here. Bolstering all this is the excellent production values.
She wears a few nice outfits such as a corset and a light OL uniform. The lighting is brilliant as it perfectly accentuates her chest and never feels too harsh. Now admittedly, her performance isn't that great as she's pretty subpar for the most part. But I think most of you already expected that. You definitely aren't watching Nagi for some out-of-this-world performance. Rounding all this out is some stellar action consisting of three sex scenes and two paizuri scenes. Her huge tits are always the main focus which is great to see and most of the cumshots appear to be real. And to top it off there's a fair amount of variety regarding the positions used. Besides her mediocre performance, I really don't have any issues here. If you've never tried watching her before, this is a great place to start at least if you just want to experience some grade-A titty eyecandy.
PPPE-112
I Want To Get Titty Fucked By Such Big Tits…
Starring Karen Yuzuriha
Karen Yuzuriha had some very solid releases in 2023 and it was rather difficult narrowing them down to my favorite one. But I ultimately decided on this for a few reasons. This one is all about various male fantasies involving Karen and paizuri. Some examples include her playing an interrogator, nurse, masseuse, and sexy office president. The variety here is refreshing as each scene presents a distinct setup that really keeps things from getting stale. It also helps that we get a nice dose of POV throughout which lends itself well to the theme. This leads me to the production values which are mostly on-point. Again, the range of settings and outfits across the film is indeed great. And that extends to the lighting too but I will say it's a little too bright in the first few scenes.
Next up I gotta talk about the action which is another bright spot. It consists of three sex scenes and two paizuri scenes. One of the best aspects is the fact that all the cumshots appear real which is great to see especially from a tittyfuck-focused film. The quality of the paizuri itself is decent as Karen does deliver an excellent performance for the most part despite the fact that her bolt-on chest isn't the most adapted for it. She at least maintains good eye contact and enthusiasm throughout which is always a key component. As a fan of huge fan of paizuri, I definitely approve of this one. The variety overall is fantastic coupled with an excellent performance and terrific action.
MIAA-904
Unable To Resist My Stepsister’s Tight, Big Butt Temptation, I Creampied Her Over And Over
Starring Jun Suehiro
Out of all the newer actresses that I've checked out this year, Jun Suehiro has been one of the most impressive as I've already touched upon earlier. She's a fantastic performer with a phat ass to boot and this film perfectly encapsulates both of those aspects. The plot centers around a guy who is staying with his bro and sister-in-law, played by Jun of course. He can't resist her juicy ass and soon helps himself to her in typical JAV fashion. Eventually, she ends up enjoying it as the two go at it over and over. I'm always a big fan of this type of theme and it's handled pretty well here for the most part. Now what is easily one of the best asspects of this film is the eyecandy factor thanks to Jun's stunning booty. Her ass looks fantasstic here and it's showcased brilliantly thanks to the expertly handled lighting and camerawork. The last scene in particular is the standout with her all oiled up and the light reflecting off her body.
The camerawork does a brilliant job at making sure her booty is front and center in nearly every shot. The settings and her wardrobe are all pretty varied too. The action is pretty great too besides one minor annoyance. Overall it consists of two sex scenes and two assjob scenes. My one gripe is that during one of the assjob scenes they make a cut where the guy slips on this fake dick sleeve over the top of his actual dick. It's jarring as one moment his dick is one tone and in the next shot, it's a completely different color. It's ridiculous but the rest of the action is enjoyable thankfully and to top it all off her performance is remarkable. She does a fine job at playing the submissive and resistant role to start before gradually starting to let herself go and loosen up. Her facial expressions really help to convey that as well. Jun Suehiro had many quality films throughout the year but this one is easily among the very best.
SSIS-756
Elegant Dominant Woman
Starring Tsukasa Aoi
I won't lie. If you would've told me that a femdom-focused Tsukasa Aoi film would crack my top 25, I would've called you a filthy liar. But to my surprise it far exceeded my expectations. So at its core, it's just a straightforward femdom-style film with Tsukasa taking the lead as she fucks these guys senseless while they're being restrained. A key component to femdom films is acting and Tsukasa actually does a solid job. She ramps up her enthusiasm to a fitting level and her facial expressions are a step up too showing real emotion at times. She's not entirely perfect though as she'll often sport this disinterested look on her face but in a way, it kind of fits the femdom theme.
The action delivers just as well consisting of three sex scenes and a blowjob/handjob scene. It boasts a nice intensity overall and the pacing is balanced without any scenes feeling too long or drawn out. A little more position variety would've been nice as it's mainly just cowgirl but it at least allows Tsukasa to take control with ease. The production values are rock solid too with very little to complain about. The settings are decently varied, her wardrobe is sexy, and the lighting is brilliant with no glaring flaws. Besides a few minor issues, I really loved this one. I had very little hopes for this one initially but it certainly makes for a satisfying watch thanks to her solid performance, good action, and stunning eyecandy.
MIAA-997
Caught Cheating On My Busty Girlfriend… I Was Made To Creampie
Starring Nene Tanaka & Yuria Yoshine
I won't lie, this film is more of a guilty pleasure but a damn good one at that. Nene Tanaka and Yuria Yoshine have become my favorite duo right now in JAV. It doesn't get much better or meatier than this. The plot isn't super important here but I believe it centers around a guy getting busted cheating on his girlfriend, Nene. This ultimately results in the pair fucking him silly inside a love hotel room. The setup mainly just feels like an afterthought and is purely just a way to get the two together. It's hardly an integral part of the film. But thankfully the action helps to make up for that consisting of three sex scenes and paizuri scene. I'll admit that the paizuri scene leaves a little something to be desired but the other scenes more than make up for it.
All the sex scenes are quite good with each actress getting an equal amount of screen time in each with a nice rotation between them. I could do without the fake creampies but that's just how the industry is nowadays. Moving onto the production values which are quite good. The lighting here is generally on point going for a softer approach which highlights their curves very nicely. And physically the two of them look amazing. Plus the camerawork is great mixing in some nice POV at times. And rounding all this out is their terrific chemistry together. While there may not be a ton of direct interaction between them, they get along extremely well and complement each other nicely. All in all, a fun watch sure to please any fans of these two juicy actresses.
By Fried Chikan @ March 17th, 2023
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