Notes on Kohaku Uta Gassen 2013

Arashi and Ayase Haruka at the 2013 Kohaku Uta Gassen

 This Year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen rolled around with Johnny’s Entertainment superboys ARASHI once again taking the helm, this time along with the highly adorable yet hopelessly spacey actress Ayase Haruka, who began the production with her famous ‘Deer in the Headlights” face, a blank expression she would be making throughout the show, LOL!

Aiba Masaki and a Cutely Befuddled Ayase Haruka

Have to say I haven’t been quite keeping up with all the latest acts and songs in K-popland this year, and I don’t know the difference between much of the AKB48 type groups, but I gotta say one of the first acts I liked was NMB48 with a VERY Ushirogami Hikaritai flavoured “Kamone Gix”

NMB48

Another group I always look forward to with interest is AAA, and though I long for the days when they did more the fun and catchy songs, it was reassuring to hear they’ve retained the sound that I know so well! And wow, Misako and Chiaki are looking as fine as ever!

AAA

AAA's Uno Misako and Ito Chiaki

Speaking of fine, so I’m sitting there enjoying Ayako Fuji’s powerful “Akai Ito” and think to myself, hey, that exotic dancer behind Ayako looks like DAN MITSU! And so it was! Man, having only seen her in her more salacious turns, it was surprising to realize what a “classic” beauty she really is!!

Dan Mitsu and Fuji Ayako

A group I’d heard of but never heard before called “Sakanaction” really grabbed me with their throwback to the dreamy synth-pop sound of the 90’s with their song“Music”, wow, does ALL of this group’s songs sound like this? Catchy!

Sakanaction

And just to show you how out of it I’ve been on J-pop this year, I didn’t even realize that the song that cute MIWA was going to sing was none other than the sweet song “Hikari E” from the Oguri Shun/Ishihara Satomi drama “Rich Man Poor Woman”, but once she started singing, I was all like Awww YEAH!!! SO many good memories!

Miwa

I already raved about the terrific collaboration artists TM Revolution and Nana  Mizuki performed for the FNS Kayousai, and once again they teamed up to give another fine performance, this time with songs"Preserved Roses” and “Kakumei Dualism”...

TM Revolution and Mizuki Nana

Okay, I am wiping tears away even as I type this after watching Ayase Haruka and ensemble’s reprisal of the Recovery Support song Hana Wa Saku (Flowers Will Bloom), MAN, Ayase Haruka just broke my heart watching this!!! Very sweet and moving performance!!!

Ayase Haruka "Hana Wa Saku"

Well, after all that melancholy seriousness, it was time to get back to the celebrating, and what better way than with the original “jumping around with bicycle helmets” girls themselves, Momoiro Clover Z, providing the exuberant nuttiness we’ve come to expect from the girls! Thought they’d be paired with the equally nutty Kanjani8, but come to find out Golden Bomber filled the bill just as well!

Momoiro Clover Z

Another surprise to realize it’s been 10 years since TOKIO first came on with their awesome song “Love You Only”, Arashi tooka bit of time to reminisce the years with them, and BOY it didn’t seem that long ago til I looked at those clips of Nagase who looked so YOUNG!!!

TOKIO

The boys did their biggest song “Ambitious Japan” which rocked as usual…would’ve been interesting if they’d done an updated Love You Only!

Speaking of reminiscing, I gotta say how much of a THRILL it was to see Kyoko Koizumi again after all these years! She’s still looking as great as ever, singing her song (As Amachan’s Haruka Amano) Shiosai No Memory in that quirky, shaky vocal style of hers, LOL!

Koizumi Kyoko

Just Like Miwa’s Rich Man Poor Woman song, I was equally shocked when Kanjani8 came out to do their new song and I realized it was the theme for that cute Emi Takei drama “Otenki Oneesan”, I was like, hey, I KNOW this song!!! Heh, seems like through dramas I know a LOT more songs than I thought!

Kanjani8

As for the rest of the show, well, it was OK, but nothing out of the ordinary. It was nice to see Dreams Come True again, but like Fukuyama Masaharu and Matsuda Seiko, they weren’t even at the venue and had their performances beamed in via satellite. I was hoping SMAP would do Shareotsu (theme song for that awesome Kitagawa Keiko drama Dokushin Kizoku) but they opted for their prior two singles. Oh well, at least they had Kitajima Saburo close the show, which gave this year’s Kohaku the solid ending it needed!

Udo Yumiko

PS: Lots of pretty and sexy gals on this year’s show, but special mention must be made for gorgeous announcer Udo Yumiko, who had me on the lookout throughout the entire show- with her commanding aura and elegant features, she had me totally under her spell!

Til Next Year...
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com