How Will 2025 Score? Manaka Kanda Crunches the Numbers on Her Year
[Serial No. 104] Me, Pink, and Sometimes New York
Illustration by Kanda
Was it a perfect 100 points?
The year flew by in the blink of an eye. I managed to go on my beloved overseas trips seven times, and my total appearances on TV programs reached 344—ranking seventh among female celebrities. In this world, where you can’t work unless you’re asked, I feel incredibly grateful to have spent such fulfilling days. So, at first glance, it might seem that my 2025 was a perfect 100 points.
But actually, there were plenty of deduction points. Ironically, the two things I declared as goals for this year in this column couldn’t be fully accomplished. One was to study English well enough to converse with anyone. The other was to discover new restaurants each month and take turns going out with my husband.
For English, I started attending classes in January and went at least six times a month—things were going smoothly in the first half of the year. But in July, my favorite teacher went back to the U.S. temporarily. It was only three weeks, but I slacked off and didn’t take classes with any other teacher. That habit of attending completely fell away, and five months passed leading to today.
After slacking off this long, even simple greetings don’t come out naturally, and starting from the same page in the textbook is impossible. To resume, I’d have to prepare myself mentally and it feels so heavy that I might never get back on track.
Dining out with my husband could have continued, but starting this autumn, he got his first new project, leaving no free time. That situation continued until year-end, making it impossible to maintain the plan.
So, failing to achieve these two goals means a deduction of 10 points each, totaling 20 points. At this stage, my 2025 score is 80.
Next, relationships. This was also a very challenging year. I struggled to communicate with younger people, wondering every night what words to say or actions to take to build trust sometimes even to the point of tears.
Also, misunderstandings arose with long-time acquaintances, creating a distance in my heart that may never be bridged. I tried to improve things, acknowledging my own faults, but because it involves another person, I couldn’t overcome it alone. These caused significant damage—15 points each, totaling 30 points deduction. That brings my score to 50.
What!? Only 50 points for my year!? That’s far too low, making me sad and killing my motivation for 2026. So, let’s look for some special bonus points!
New Bonds Felt in the Extraordinary
Just the other day, I had a job interviewing a very prominent politician. I was so nervous that I couldn’t stay calm, so I read through a huge amount of materials in advance and even made my own script for the day. In the end, while I was on edge, it was incredibly fun, and the politician also seemed to enjoy themselves. They stayed 15 minutes longer than scheduled, and everyone was smiling. This doesn’t happen every year—so I’m giving myself 15 special points.
At that time, my new manager, who had just joined, stayed close to me right up until the interview began. In an unfamiliar setting, with production staff in black suits and the politician’s security present, the heavy atmosphere almost swallowed me.
But because my manager—who represents my normal life—gave me a reassuring presence, I was able to grasp that everyday feeling and avoid being overwhelmed. Maybe it was just coincidence, but it felt like they could sense my feelings!? That teamwork made me really happy, so I’m adding 10 more special points.
That brings my score to 75. Hmm, by calculation, that’s the number, but my actual feeling is higher. I faced tough situations with all my time and energy. Could I have done more? No, I think not. Whatever the outcome, I can honestly say I gave everything my best. So, 25 extra points! Despite everything, my 2025 is truly 100 points!!
I hope 2026 will feel the same. To that end, I plan to take a proper break over the New Year holidays and enjoy traveling. And on January 5, I look forward to seeing everyone again, lively and cheerful, on Fuji TV’s live show Pokapoka.
Aika Kanda – Born 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated from the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University. Joined NHK as an announcer in 2003, left NHK in 2012, and became a freelance announcer. Since then, she has mainly appeared on variety shows and is currently the main MC of the daytime show Pokapoka (Fuji TV).
★ Her first book compiling this series, “Where Does the Royal Road Lead?”, is now on sale and receiving great reviews!
From “FRIDAY”, Combined Issue Jan 2, 9, 16, 2026
Illustrations and text： Aika Kanda