I got nine of the Top 15 correct, a mild improvement from last year where I only got eight. I'm surprised that this year, they focused mostly on Latinas and Asians, as eight were Latina and five Asians, only one slot each for a European and African. It's a contrast to last year as there were only four Latin Americans and one Asian who made it through, adding five Europeans, two delegates from Oceania, one North American, one black Caribbean, and one African. Last year featured three blondes including the winner, but this year there was only one blonde and she's not representing a European country.
15TH PLACE: GREECE - Zoi Asoumanaki. She emerged as the sole European standing this year, and I don't mind as she's undeniably gorgeous with a voluptuous sex appeal. She has been running 3r in the popular vote polls for her region (Europe / Africa) and she did show she is more fluent in English than a typical delegate from her country, and that probably helped her secure her slot. I have a feeling going into the Top 15 she actually out-ranked COTE D'IVOIRE, the popular vote winner from her region, but the judges during the final night felt that the latter didn't sparkle in the semifinal round so they let her officially take the rear in this group.
14TH PLACE: COTE D'IVOIRE - Nassita Diako. I did peg her in my Final Seven in my "Fearful" Forecsst, but not because I personally liked her, but because she is likely going to be the sole African represented, and that the panel would be diversity-conscious and rate her highly. This year, they are not in that kind of mood (perhaps to compensate for the near shut-out of Asians last year) so this lady only squeaked by thanks to winning the popular vote for her region. I would've preferred to see ANGOLA, NIGERIA, or ZIMBABWE in her place, as those have better stage presence than this lady. Her lacy purple evening gown underwhelmed, in my opinion.
13TH PLACE: PUERTO RICO - Amanda Solis. I believed in her as I found her gorgeous (there are some angles where I think she has a passing resemblance to Miss Universe 2001 Denise Quiñones) and she has great charisma, stage presence, and communication skills to boot. I thought she would be knocking on the Final Seven's door, but it seems the judges favored certain Asians over her instead. At least she made a great impression in the Fitness round as she place 4th. I still maintain she deserved to rank higher than this placement.
12TH PLACE: MALAYSIA - Cassandra Yap. I only pegged her in my "Striking Distance" list, but it seems the insiders and judges found her effusive personality utterly charming that they ranked her high. Her choice of gown for the final was actually dazzling with an abundance of fringes, and perhaps that was how she got to outrank the formidable PUERTO RICO. Anyway, it's very refreshing that this country made it after a 58-year drought, and she is only the third from her country to advance to the semifinals in this pageant.
11TH PLACE: PANAMA - Linette Clément. Now, she's what I call a sleeper hit. She's well regarded but not heavily buzzed about, so I placed her in my "Bubbling Under" list. But it turns out the insiders and judges took a liking to her, and it seems she clinched the deal during the final with her dazzling evening gown (she placed 5th), and with solid showing in other categories (probably including interview as she seems to be a good communicator), she earned her Top 15 slot.
10TH PLACE: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Yamilex Hernández. I was expecting her to make the Final Seven and make the winners' circle, but it turns out the judges and insiders on hand prefer a couple of other Latinas over her, so she missed the Final Seven. Though her choice of a baseball uniform as her national costume actually has more cultural significance to her country as her country is famous for its Major League baseball players, I have a feeling she was marked down by the judges as it's underwhelming in their eyes. I also speculate that when she was called into the TOp 15, she was actually ranked in 8th place, but the white gowns paraded by HONG KONG and VIETNAM were just too impactful to the judges compared to her simple pink mermaid-style gown that she ended up falling a couple of notches to this placement.
9TH PLACE: VIETNAM - Nguyễn Phương Nhi. Her inclusion was not that surprising as I pegged her as a "Bubbling Under" choice. Though she didn't make Top Seven in Evening Gown, her billowy white evening gown was one of the standouts.that she probably bubbled under that Top Seven, and that was her ticket for outrankng the heady likes of PUERTO RICO and DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. She's also the winner of the popular vote for Asia / Pacific, and based on her ranking, she probably didn't need the poll win to secure her slot.
8TH PLACE: HONG KONG - Verna Leung. I have to hand it to her that she does exude more K-Idol charisma than KOREA. But I'm a bit shocked how high she ranked as I only placed her in my "Striking Distance" list. I thought her figure was too skinny, but well I realize the judging panel is predominantly Japanese and they tend to like their East Asian beauties to be this slender. This explains why she ranked 3rd in the Fitness round. I think she also was bubbling under the Top Seven in Evening Gown as her white gown with a gossamer shawl was another well-designed gown standout.
I got four of the Final Seven correct. As COTE D'IVOIRE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, and most especially NEW ZEALAND fell by the wayside, this paved the way for three Latinas to surge forward.
7TH PLACE: MEXICO - Itzia García. I was checking the polls and know she was leading the poll for the Americas, so I was convinced she would secure this slot via that path. But I thought she would be at the bottom of the Top 15 and not make the Final Seven, especially with the presence of DOMINICAN REPUBLIC and PUERTO RICO. But it turns out the predominantly Japanese judges and the insiders took a liking to her, and actually placed 4th in Fitness. I think she also did well during the Evening Gown round as her blue gown was very striking and impactful. Her gown performance might have secured her ticket to the Final Seven.
For the final Q&A, she was asked this question: "You have been here in Japan for nearly two weeks. What valuable lesson have you learned during your stay here in Japan?" Her response: "Since I arrived here to Japan, I noticed the welcoming people and the kindness that they have. That is one thing that I will want to bring to Mexico and also how they love their culture. I want to invite all of you to come to Japan and see the beauty in this place. I think it’s amazing how all of you like and care about every single one of us that came here." It's a solid answer, but not as strong or deep as the others as you would see, so her 7th place finish was just.
6TH PLACE: THAILAND - Supaporn Ritthipruek. I found her charisma undeniable even form the get-go that indeed I picked her to finish in the Final Seven, and indeed that was what happened. She seemed to cover all the bases, and indeed was stellar all throughout though she only made the Top Seven in one category--7th in Fitness. I bet she scored high in interview, and bubbled under in National Costume and Evening Gown (I actually love her white architectural gown) and hence secured her showing.
For the Q&A, she was asked: "Share with us two things about your country that you want the people around the world to know about, and what have you done to promote it?" Her answer: "In Thailand, we have many interesting thing. We have delicious food, we have many beautiful places, and especially, in Thailand, people are very kind and friendly and respectful. I have done a lot to promote Thailand many thing. I also gave Ya Dom inhaler to many contestants here because it’s very famous in Thailand. And also, I want to invite you to Thailand because I’m sure that you will love Thailand as I love and Thailand welcome you like your second home." It's a sincere and effusive answer, I thought, and believed she would make the winners' circle. But it turns out the judges have a stronger liking for a certain Latina that I have way underrated.
Time to discuss the ladies in the winners' circle. I got three of the five correct, with one very much in my radar and another a major surprise.
4TH RUNNER-UP: BOLIVIA - Vanessa Hayes. I think I was distracted by the design of her black swimsuit she wore during the preliminary "evaluation" that I didn't rate her highly even if she was good looking and has a lissome lean figure. I also didn't notice she's actually the tallest delegate in this batch. The judges took a strong liking to her as she placed 2nd in Fitness and 6th in Evening Gown. I have to say her gold-fringed evening gown was blingtastic and dazzling, and I can see why she would rank very high, and even believe she deserved higher than her 6th place ranking in that category (I arguably would've ranked her 1st and take away INDONESIA's win).
This was her question for the Q&A: "With more than 60 years of history, what do you think is the most significant contribution of the Miss International beauty pageant and why?" Her response: "I believe that Miss International in the past 60 years has not only cultivated culture and the beauty of women. Instead, they have cultivated the essence of women, their traditions, and culture. I also believe that Miss International is more than a beauty pageant because they changed their life completely. Because Miss International improves the life of women who are in this beauty pageant." It's a solid, but again shallow answer like MEXICO's, that if I had my way I would've have her switch places with THAILAND to join this circle. But I have to concede that overall impact probably prevailed and that was why she's here.
3RD RUNNER-UP: PHILIPPINES - Nicole Borromeo. When she won Binibining Pilipinas last year, I thought she would end up going as far as the Final Seven at most and not make the winners' circle, as in Q&A she came off as an empowered modern feminist in the mold of our 2019 finalist Patch Magtanong, and we have since realized that the older-skewing Japanese panel are not that progressive. But after more than a full year of preparation, I've noticed as she prepared to depart to Japan that she now has a very different demeanor than when she won the national title, as she exuded a more deferential vibe. So I became bullish on her prospects of finishing within the winners' circle, as I know of her superb communication skills. Indeed, in the footage of the interview round, she was acing it, especially in contrast to INDONESIA. I think it probably helped her score a decent showing in swimsuit, and we learned that with her modern baby-blue long-sleeved gown with exposed shoulders, she was ranked 2nd in the Evening Gown round. Now, I have a bone to pick with her national costume--I was watching the livestream with my mother, and when she saw her national costume, she was aghast at the sight. It was this avant-garde green and brown frock that made her look like a croquembouche (a French pastry dessert composed of balls of choux pastry piled up in a pyramid, laced with spun sugar). I didn't understand why that was chosen as her national costume, until soon after she appeared I saw a Facebook post explaining the costume--it was inspired by uni or sea urchin, a delicacy highly prized in Japan and our shores and the costume is supposedly a tribute to a connection with both countries' culinary traditions. I have a feeling because Japanese fashion designer Junko Koshino was in the panel, she wasn't penalized for this monstrosity as she could have been.
Needless to say, as she was called to the Final Seven, she was golden. She was given this question: "The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs by the United Nations have targets that are set to be achieved by 2030. What have you done so far in terms of SDGs‘ initiatives?" She delivered this answer: "As someone who experienced the wrath of natural disasters, home is everything. I’ve worked tirelessly with Habitat for Humanity under the SDG goal of number 11, sustainable cities and communities. It is through this volunteer work that I could see in the face of the children how much they wanted to help, how much they wanted to be a part of the future. Because when it comes to sustainability, we must keep in mind that it’s not only for the next generation, but to include them in the process." If we base it solely on her answer alone, I would've placed her as 1st runner-up, but the judges probably simply have a stronger liking to the ladies who eventually ranked above her that this was as high as she could go.
2ND RUNNER-UP: PERU - Camila Díaz. She's the only blonde who made it through in this batch, and she's among the shortest delegates. But her breezy "Brazilian" beach vibe charisma and classic doll-like prettiness combined with her superb communication skills made her an indispensible choice for the Top 15--I thought her height is probably her sole hindrance from making my forecasted Final Seven, but with COTE D'IVOIRE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, and NEW ZEALAND out of the way, I knew that would make room for her to rank this high. Interestingly though, I noticed she didn't make Top Seven in the three disclosed categories--I have a feeling she simply bubbled under and in the end made the Top 15 overall. I have a feeling interview held the most weight, and she aced that.
For the Q&A she was asked: "Women empowerment has been a global movement for several years. What do you think is empowering about joining beauty pageants?" She delivered thusly: "I think beauty pageants empower women in many ways. They give us a platform, a voice, to inspire other who think we represent them. It also helps us break stereotypes between intelligence and beauty, and we can have a voice and share some positive messages, ideas, many issues, and we can help the world and create a better environment. Even standing here in front of all of you is so empowering. Thank you so much for this experience." Though I thought the PHILIPPINES gave a better answer, this answer was top-notch and brilliant, and believe her 2nd runner-up placement was well-deserved.
1ST RUNNER-UP: COLOMBIA - Sofía Osío. She was my choice to win this pageant, as her gorgeous beauty was just that undeniable, and I so wanted this country to break out of a seven-way tie for third place with three wins alongside AMERICAN BEAUTY/U S A, AUSTRALIA, BRITAIN/ENGLAND/UNITED KINGDOM, GERMANY, POLAND. and SPAIN. She probably also aced the interview and charmed the insiders that even if she only figured in the Top Seven in Evening Gown (placing 4th), she probably garnered strong-enough showings in other categories to secure her slot in the Top 15 and later Final Seven.
For the final Q&A, her question was: "Beauty pageants have been evolving with time. What is one thing about Miss International that you do not want to be changed and why?" She answered: "I believe the most important thing that Miss International pageant should preserve is its essence, its values, and its mission to keep advocating for cultural independence, for cultural integration, for peace. And I believe, coming from a national pageant in Colombia, it’s very important to promote our culture. That is something that Miss International organization has done from its beginning. I believe Miss International is an advocate for peace, for happiness, for love, for friendship, and this is what it should maintain. I believe Miss International is an inspiration to every woman, to every dreamer, and it promotes our social development." It's a strong answer, but I was more impressed with the answers delivered by PHILIPPINES and PERU, and felt based on the answer alone, she should've swapped places with PHILIPPINES. However, her charisma and gorgeousness could not be denied, and maybe the judges were impressed enough with her answer that they granted her this lofty position.
MISS INTERNATIONAL 2023: VENEZUELA - Andrea Rubio. She was always neck-to-neck with COLOMBIA for the crown, in my reckoning, so I was shocked when she didn't figure in the Top Seven in any of the disclosed competitive categories, but I have a feeling she bubbled under high enough in those categories and she might have been the top performer in interview. If you ask me, in Evening Gown, she deserved to place 2nd or 3rd behind BOLIVIA, as in her elegant evening gown performance, she channeled a legendary goddess--Carolina Iszak, Miss Universe 1992 4th placer (and for many fans and pundits, shoulda-been-winner). With her hair tied up and pulled back, she exuded Carolina's ethereal beauty--it doesn't matter that she's a more human-scaled 5'9" instead of Carolina's legendary statuesque 6' height. She probably also won over the insiders with her effort to learn Japanese and take in the culture enthusiastically, which came in handy in the final Q&A.
She sealed the deal with her final Q&A. Her question was: "Five years from now, how do you see yourself in terms of professional or career advancement, and what are you doing to achieve it?| She opened her speech by addressing the crowd in Japanese: "Nihon no minna-san, komban wa [Everyone in Japan, good evening]." and proceeded with her answer: "In five years, I see myself as an independent woman who works with her communication skills. Being here, Miss International is going to allow me to get this platform and to show all women they can deserve what they dream. I’ve been working with the SDG number 5, in equality of genders and empowerment of girls. That’s what I want to do to spread the message of Miss International and to keep a little bit of Japan and to show it to the whole world." She closed her speech with another Japanese phrase: "Kokoro kara kanchosu to imasu [From the bottom of my heart, thank you]." She delivered strong content and added that little deferential Japanese flair, and she delivered a convincing victory, giving her country an unprecedented 9th Miss International crown.
I actually like the way Miss International attempted to streamline the program, and for most part it worked.. With a few further tweaks (basically time allotted to the guest performers and how the delegates appeared in national costume twice), we could probably be able to stage the best Miss International pageant ever. I think the question for the next edition would be if the concentration towards Latinas and Asians would continue, or would there be more diversity next time? For now, all I can say is congratulations to all the winners!
JUST ME!
JOSEPH
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