It’s that time of the year again, the new years staple KOHAKU UTA GASSEN, here for its 73rd broadcast and this time hosted by Oizumi Yo and Kanna Hashimoto, with Maho Kuwako and Sho Sakurai on standby for “support!
As usual there were lots of sights and sounds to dig into, and here are a few “Highlights” which caught my eye and ear this year!
SixTONES - "Good Luck!" Opening the Festival with some catchy Johnny’s wackiness!
PS: Haha, Kanna looking like the group’s “center” LOL
Tendo Yoshimi - "Soran Matsuri Bushi” And speaking of Merry, they sure got the “Matsuri” segment of the show out of the way early! They used to save this for the halfway mark!
Ryokuoushoku Shakai - “Mela!" Now, THIS song sounds more like it should have been “paired” with Sixtones as the co-opening song! Very reminiscent of Rina Aiuchi!
Go Hiromi with a string of his hits…PS: love the Kanna mini duet!!!
Time to introduce the judges! Of course I expected to see Haruka Fukuhara here and MY does she look pretty, but I didn’t expect Jun Matsumoto! Gotta promote his upcoming Taiga drama Dousuru Ieyasu!
LOL at the ARASHI luv!
And ALWAYS a special warmth to see the mighty Tetsuko Kuroyanagi still making the rounds! An icon SO associated with the GREATS of yesteryear!
MAN, Shizuka still sounds so damn great! Such a powerful voice, for reals yo!!!
Ryoko: "Curly Curly Perm?"
Oizumi: "..." AHAHAHA
Naniwa Danshi - Latest Johnny’s act makes its Kouhaku Debut, looking like this generation’s Hey Say Jump….
Mizumori Kaori, Queen of the quick costume changes does her thing!
LE SSERAFIM- First of several K-pop acts to appear this year, this is a new Korean act I've never heard of before and a very SEXY one, at that! Makes me wonder when they’ll get BLACKPINK to appear….
Saucy Dog - "Cinderella Boy” …and then we have this year’s “Indie” act, kinda reminded me of Tamio Okuda? Very Beatlesy!
Yamauchi Keisuke and Hinatazaka46...Whaaa, BOTH of these acts had Fox themed songs???
This dude remind me of the guy in Lupin no Musume who would serenade Kyoko Fukada each episode. PS: watching Hinatazaka46 here reminds me that I’ve still yet to watch the Netflix mystery drama RE:MIND from a few years back!
Next: NiziU - "CLAP CLAP”
... I’ve mentioned before how much I like this energetic group!
VERY K-Poppy vibes!
Suzuki Masayuki - "Chigau, Soujanai” a JAZZY classic from waaay back in 1994!
BE:FIRST - "Shining One” -Boy Band from FIRST Audition Show.
Miura Daichi singing San San, the theme song from the asadora "Chimudondon”...and Yuino Kuroshima was on hand to help introduce it! (She looked so lovely, BTW)
IVE - "ELEVEN -Japanese ver.-“ Another K-Pop act I’ve never heard of but really dug!
Snow Man - "Brother Beat ~Kohaku Minna de Shea! SP~” Featuring Ren Meguro of “Silent” fame, causing me to think:
HEY, how can that guy sing? Isn’t he Deaf? LOL
THE LAST ROCKSTARS WOW,featuring Yoshiki (XJapan), Sugizo (Luna Sea) , Hyde ( l'arc en ciel) and Miyavi, this is truly a 90’s Rock “Supergroup”!!!
Aimer - "Zankyou Sanka”
Was hoping Aimer would perform her song "Deep Down" from Chainsaw Man but of course Demon Slayer was the more popular choice! No matter, this song was AWESOME!
Sakamoto Fuyumi - "Omatsuri Mambo ~Skapara SP~" HAHA, i thought they’d already taken care of it earlier, but Fuyumi is here to show us the REAL Matsuri segment with a decidedly FUN and SPIRITED song!!!
TWICE - “Celebrate” Seems like a while since I’ve seen TWICE performing and they sound as catchy and poppy good as ever!
And WOWOW, Tzuyu is looking SENSATIONAL!!! The group’s little sister is all grown up!
Next: milet × Aimer × Ikuta Lilas × Vaundy doing “Omokage” Holy toledo, I LOVED this!!! So catchy and full of the old Kohaku collab spirit!!
I think it's my FAVORITE performance of the Kohaku! (maybe you can tell by all the caps I made, LOL)
Back Number "I Love You” , the theme song for Mai Agare, of course introduced by the heroine herself Haruka Fukuhara! Also on hand was Ren Meguro who I guess is also in the asadora? Guy gets around!
Nogizaka46 - "Hadashi de Summer” Hmm, guess some members are retiring again!
From a group that yielded both Mai Fukagawa and Nanase Nishino, I’m always wondering who might be onstage right now that will someday be another fave actress of mine!
Kudo Shizuka - 35th anniversary SP medley! With her latest album being a “Self-Cover” Greatest hits of sorts, it only made sense for Shizuka to appear on the show doing a medley of her hits and I was eagerly anticipating this one! Too bad she only did two songs, but the Cocomi flute version of Kosa ni Fukarete was great!
Official HIGE DANdism - “Subtitle” Was hoping to see them perform “Mixed Nuts” from SPYxFAMILY, but of course their song from the uber-popular “Silent” trumped any other choice! Funny Meguro didn’t get pulled out to intro this one???
Aimyon performing Kimi wa Rock wo Kikanai” and “Heart”, the theme song from Kentaro Sakaguchi/Nana Seino’s drama “Konin Todoke ni Han wo Oshita dake desu ga” from a few years back...
The eccentric Fujii Kaze whom I must admit I still don’t "get”, here singing "Shinu no ga Iiwa”…
Shinohara Ryoko does"Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokorozuyosa to”, her all-time classic song which I always simply called “That Street Fighter Song”
I forgot that Oizumi Yo and Shinohara were in the terrific “Haken no Hinkaku" dramas together, a fact Kanna graciously pointed out, causing Ryoko to mischievously lean over and call Oizumi “Curly Curly Perm”, his nickname from the show! HAHAHA I was DYING laughing!!!!
PS: MAN, what a sexy performance!!! And while watching it, I thought, "hey, is that old dude Tetsuya Komuro??" Sure enough, it WAS, and Ryoko made sure to give him his props!
Kanjani8 - "T.W.L"
Hoshino Gen - “Kigeki" Glad to see the SPYxFAMILY represent, but BOY this was such a sombre and dour backdrop for such a fun anime! Frankly was underwhelmed.
Hikawa Kiyoshi - "Genkai Toppa x Survivor” Once more giving evidence that Kiyoshi is turning into ™ Revolution, LOL
Matsutoya Yumi with Arai Yumi - "Call me Back”- Song from Yuming’s BANZAI anthology album. On the DVD bonus, there was a segment where “Young” Yuming talked to “Today” Yumi, seems they continue this trick with the novel performance here!
KinKi Kids - "25th Anniversary Medley”One of Johnny’s biggest acts who somehow always never got the star treatment over at the Kouhaku. I mean, these guys hold the Guinness WORLD RECORD for consecutive number ones, ya woulda thought they would had the ARASHI treatment for their appearances. But I guess as far as Guiness Records go, Kohaku only cares about kendama records , LOL
Koji Tamaki onstage with his seminal group ANZEN CHITAI!
Tamaki gotta be one of the “realest” performers out there.
One of the first J-pop songs I knew was Anzen Chitai's "Kibou YELL"...would love to see them perform that some day...
Ishikawa Sayuri - an Orchestral version of her classic "Amagi Goe”...GOSH, she seems to be the last of the original ENKA women who regularly appear on the Kohaku each year.
Kuwata Keisuke feat. Sano Motoharu, Sera Masanori, Char, Noguchi Goro and more!
In a direct contrast to the earlier LAST ROCKSTARS collab, we have the 70’s ROCK N ROLL version!
Down to the two final acts, with MISIA doing "Kibou no Uta"
...and Fukuhara Masaharu closing it out with “Sakurazaka”...
Can you me a favor, and please sing this song at karaoke!
...and that's a wrap on this year's Kohaku Uta Gassen!!!
PS:
Just gotta mention how wonderful Kanna Hashimoto was this year! I know she gets some flak by some in the community, but I thought she just sparkled throughout the whole ceremony!
