This year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen was filled with sights and wonders to behold, featuring artists both old and new, and I thought I’d take the time to jot down some of the acts that really made the program for me!
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| Nana Mizuki |
Among the many guests debuting this evening were the old-skool-jpop sounding tunes of Nana Mizuki and the first appearance of Johnny’s group NYC, whom most people saw and said “Who the heck ARE these guys?” With all the great Johnny’s groups still to appear on the Red and White, it’s odd that they chose this NEW act to come on!
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| NYC |
Although I’d seen enka queen Fuyumi Sakamoto in “regular” clothes before (in Music Station clips featuring old group HIS, for example), this was the first time she’d come onto the Kohaku singing her songs without her traditional kimono and hairdo. She was lookin’ FINE!
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| Sakamoto Fuyumi |
Backed up with Fuyumi was the ever stoic Takashi Hosokawa, this time belting out his awesome classic “Bokyo Jonkara”, the song I once dubbed “That song with the Fifty million Shamisens”, LOL. Truly EPIC to watch!
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| Hosokawa Takashi |
Techno band Girl Next Door debuted last year, but this was the first time I noticed how fricking sexy and CUTE lead singer Chisa was! I thought it was great to see her looking so girlishly bouncy and giddy, doing moves with her fellow dancers like gals in a pep rally! Contrarily, my friend Car expressed disappointment that the cool rocker from last year had turned into this “idol”.LOL
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| Chisa, Girl Next Door |
AKB48 had been slowly gaining a foothold into the “big-ass-girl-group” j-pop demographic for some time now, and it was with their kick ass song RIVER that I think they finally made it! After this year, they’d not only take over the “giant girl group” spot Morning Musume once held, but make fun and varied appearance throughout the entire show!
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| AKB48 |
One group appearing this year for the first time that I kind of liked was the very Def Tech sounding “Funky Monkey Babys” and their uplifting song “Hero”, such a great tune, I HAD to go look for it after the show!
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| Funky Monkey Babys |
Next Yusuke came out, doing a catchy little tune called “Himawari” while looking like Fun Boy Three’s illegitimate Japanese Brother. Really a great song, but sure a stretch from his SHUCHISHIN days!
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| Yusuke |
Arguably the most anticipated act this year (it sure was at OUR household!), was the debut appearance of immensely popular Johnny’s group ARASHI. This has been a long time in coming, and they set it up real nice, with a cool little introduction clip before the boys came out to perform their first medley for the Red and White, performing their first single A-RA-SHI, Love So Sweet, Happiness, and Believe!
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| Arashi |
…And then God came down and proclaimed Arashi as the new overexposed act of the new year…LOL
Besides loving Koda Kumi performing her rockin’ new single “Lick Me”, it got even BETTER when her little sister MISONO came out to duet with Kumi on their song “It’s All Love”! Loved watching the two try to out-sass each other!
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| Misono x Koda Kumi |
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| TOKIO |
Ayaka came out to do a touching performance of “Minna Sora No Shita” which brought not a few eyes to tears! Funny how much she looks like an older Nattchi Abe to me.
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| Ayaka |
The closing acts of the night fell to veteran “Chairman Of The Board” Saburo Kitajima for the White Team doing ‘Matsuri” and the impeccable DREAMS COME TRUE belting out an awesome “Sono Saki E”! Miwa looked great and Masato was beaming as usual, looking like the happiest bass player in the world…
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| Dreams Come True |
