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When it comes to the Philippine franchise of Idol, I've got to admit I'm a bit impatient with the audition weeks, especially since there's not much attitude from the thousands who go a long way to audition, which makes things a bit boring. Come on, it's true--we watch American Idol partly because of the hopefuls' reaction to the judges' verdict, since there's so much drama, anger, and comedy going around. But finally, the show has cut down the 179 picks from eight cities, and hopefully at this point, we'll see the local talents starting to shape up. Here's the list of the 24 boys and girls competing to get into the top 12!

Males:
Daryl Celis (Daryl Jett Celis)
Dio Paolo (Paulo Dio Maghari)
Elliot Andal (Eleuterio Andal)
JJ Jr. (Joselindo Pimpino Jr.)
Kid Camaya (Elizalde Camaya)
Ram Chaves (Ramon Chaves III)
Robby Navarro (Roberto Navarro Jr.)
Rye Estrada (Ryan Estrada)
Sherwin Marquez (Sherwin Bayangan)
Toffer Rei (Kristoffer Rei Tragico)
Walton Zerrudo
Warren Antig

Females:
Bev Ejercito (Beverly Ejercito)
Carol Leus (Carol Anne Leus)
Drizzle Muñiz (Drizzle Emerald Muñiz)
Gretchen Espina
Jayann Bautista (Jay Anne Bautista)
Jeni Rawolle (Jenifer Rawolle)
Mae Flores (Angeli Mae Flores)
Meryl David (Meryl Consulta David)
Penelope (Penelope Matanguihan)
Regene Ong
Sue Ellen (Sue Ellen Cubing)
Vren Villaflor (Vrenilyn Villaflor)

While it's still too early to pick a favorite--and to be honest nobody has displayed mind-blowing talent just yet to be considered a fave--have you set your heart into a semi-finalist already? Most of them are ballad crooners, so I have to say I'm pretty curious about how Toffer Rei (the only rocker that the judges have picked) will make his way through Idol, and see if he'll be as exciting as the rockers in American Idol. (Not too much wishful thinking, too, I hope!)

It's undeniably a particular Pinoy style to put so much drama in a reality show, but I really can't help wishing that the judges would have fun for once. The "suspenseful" weighing of the contestants' fate, while dramatic at first (especially with the way Ogie Alcasid delivers it), quickly fell flat halfway through the trimming of the 45 hopefuls. I mean, come on, Ogie does have comedic timing (why else would he still be ruling Bubble Gang with Michael V?), so some witty quips would surely come as a breath of fresh air.

Hosting issues aside, we look forward to next week, as we're finally getting to see the semi-finalists undergo makeovers and performance lessons. It would be great to get your dialing fingers in gear, too, as Idol opens the voting lines this weekend!

So, what do you think of the top 24 at this point? Do you already have bets for the top 12? Were you rooting for someone who was unfortunately booted out? And what are your thoughts on the judging and hosting style of this year's Idol cast?