FNS Kayousai 2010

The annual FNS Kayousai was a blast as expected, and as usual, most of the program was centered around teaming up different acts with each other for special one-time matchups, and though all of them were great in their own way, there were a few of them that really stuck out for me and really made me feel the special vibe that only the FNS show has:


Go Hiromi and AKB48

Looking like a befuddled English teacher leading his class on a field trip, Go Hiromi blazed through a medly of his super-catchy hits all accompanied by those extremely cute and genki Akihabara Girls!  They really gave Go Hiromi an added peppiness to his routine, and I even have to say that their voices strangely fit his style of songs pretty well!

Heck, they even made that “Goldfinger” song catchy!

This is the first time I’ve seen Atsuko Maeda since seeing her as Q10, and she’s quite  a looker onstage, which is something that surprised me as she has such a shy demeanor in that Takeru Sato drama!

Noriyuki Makihara and a Cast of Thousands

Makihara Noriyuki, Chemistry, and a beaming Chisa

Everybody’s favorite drunk uncle is back this time with great singing from Chemistry and others but what I found TOTALLY AWESOME was the very different ways the four pretty girls  onstage  were dressed-

Ito Yuna looks like she’s come from a Fancy Ballroom,

Chisa (soooo cute n sexy here) looks like she’s on her way to go clubbing at some high end Tokyo nightspot…

Chisa

 Kizuki Minami looks serenely like she’s come from attending her debut fine art-show,

Kizuki Minami

and  Singer Miwa (whom I’m  finally seeing perform for the first time) looks like she’s on her way to build a snowman outside after the performance! AHAHAHA

Miwa, Chisa in background

This was a great little medley of hits, and everyone sounded fantastic, but I have to say that Chisa was the one who really stole the show for me, SO cheerfully happy even in the backgrounds, she looks like she’s at the best party of her life! Hmm, maybe she was!

Chisa having time of her life

Funny,when my friend Car first saw GIRL NEXT DOOR years ago, she told me that I would like the lead singer because she was "my type" and that she was "So Pretty". When I finally saw them (on, I think, that year's Kohaku), I thought she was attractive, but that was about it.
I dunno why, maybe it's this new hairstyle, but NOW,  I think Chisa looks ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!


Ah, once AGAIN, Noriyuki Makihara's segment was the most FUNNEST part of the Kayousai!

Arashi and Matsushita Nao

Arashi and Matsushita Nao

And then of course we have one of two songs from Johnny’s wonderboys ARASHI. As Car pointed out, they had both a fun song to sing (Love Rainbow) as well as a “SMAP” styled ballad in "Hatenai Sora". Terrific and passionate singing from the boys accompanied by their soon-to-be KOHAKU cohost Matsushita Nao on Piano …such a beautiful, stripped down performance of this song!

Of course, this was all in the first act, and there was more, much more to come after! But it was these three performances that really moved me and even when the entire show was over, I had to go back and watch these segments over again!

Moritaka Chisato on the 2009 FNS Kayousai!

This year’s FNS Kayousai was really a treat for those like me who were really getting into J-pop music in the mid-to-late nineties! With Performances by LINDBERG, KOHMI HIROSE and NOKKO (among others!), it really was a nostalgic night, but for me, the highlight just HAS to be the appearance of one of my all-time favorite j-pop artists Chisato Moritaka (whom I’ve gushed about many times before!) in a cool medley with awesome fellow j-artist alumnus Noriyuki Makihara and featuring a whole slew of artists in for the ride!

Starting things off with a bang with Arashi performing Makihara’s “Fuyu Ga Hajimaru yo”, an AWESOME tune that just gets everyone in a genki mood, the boys themselves look like they’re enjoying it to the fullest!
Soon they’re joined onstage by Makihara himself, and he simply jumps in~ keeping up with the cool and swinging vibe! Watching they perform together, it strikes me how similar their styles are~ it looks like Noriyuki’s up there with younger versions of himself!

Once the song is over, Arashi bows out stage left and are replaced by two pretty vocallists in the form of JUJU and Aoyama Thelma, and they get together with Makihara to perform a ballad with the backing help of the girls in SPEED and the Hexagon All-Stars!!

As they sing, the camera pans out into the audience, and over Noriyuki’s shoulders we see petite Chisato Moritaka enjoying the song, and no sooner has the song ended when they start up with a fave Chisato song, the fun WATASHI GA OBASAN NI NATEMO!

It really was a treat to see the gals in SPEED taking turns singing this song, but the funniest part of the performance has to be when Noriyuki harmonizes with Hiroko, and they sing to each other: “When I’m an Old Lady, You’ll be an old man, too!” Then he pats his stomach as he harmonizes with Eriko singing the line “You won’t be so cool…and You’ll have a pot-belly!!” AHAHA!
Then Noriyuki departs to let the girls take over, and SPEED leads the chorus of gals in a rousing rendition of “Junanasai” before the princess herself, Ms. “Lovely Legs” Chisato Moritaka herself comes onstage to close the medley with one of her very best songs “Watarase Bashi”!!! WOW!!! What a Set!!!