The 74th Red and White Song Festival promises a lot of things, but I have a feeling it will ultimately go down as "the year without any Johnny's acts", a detail that can't be missed when you consider how much they've come to be almost synonymous with the show (especially ARASHI and its members)...
This year's host duties are set by Hiroiki Ariyoshi, Kanna Hashimoto, Minami Hamabe, and Kozo Takase, and promises a "New Year's Eve That Transcends and Connects"!! WELL...I don't know about THAT, but let's check it out!
This year's Players and participants:
Ceremony Opening Acts:
Atarashii Gakko! “Otona Blue”
I was introduced to Atarashii Gakko! from the strangest of places-
Captain Disillusion's Youtube Channel where the videos effects tech made a few PVs for the energetic girls! Who knew they'd be opening the show this year!
JO1 “Newsmile”
Suzuki Masayuki “Megumi no Hito”
Perfume “Fake it”
Stray Kids “Case 143”
Tendo Yoshimi “Dotonbori Ninjo”
Strawberry Prince “Sukisuki Seijin”
Ryokuoushoku Shakai “Character"
Kitani Tatsuya “Where Our Blue Is”
Sakurazaka46 “Start Over!”
Jyunretsu “Datte Meguri Aetanda”
Ano “Chu Tayosei”
Be:First “Boom Boom Back”
Juju “Toki no Nagare ni Mi o Makase”
NiziU “Make You Happy”
Le Sserafim “Unforgiven”
These sexy gals make me wonder, when are they EVER going to get BLACKPINK to appear here????
Yamauchi Keisuke “Koisuru Machikado”
Nogizaka46 “Ohitorisama Tengoku”
Go Hiromi "2 Oku 4 Sen Man no Hitomi"
Hey guys...remember when breaking was a fad? LOL
Milet / Man With A Mission “Koi Kogare”
Mizumori Kaori “Hyuga Misaki”
Seventeen “Fallin’ Flower”
Mrs. Green Apple "Dancehall"
A new group that I really dug!!!
Sakamoto Fuyumi "Yozakura Oshichi"
Fuyumi doing THE Kohaku song of hers.
Oizumi Yo “Ano Sora ni Tatsu Tō no Yō ni"
I was surprised TWICE didn't make it to this year's show, then found out that a new subunit comprised on TWICE's Japanese members Mina, Sana and Momo called MiSaMo was gonna represent!
Full disclosure Sana and Momo BOTH my TWICE double biases!!!
NewJeans "OMG", "ETA", and "Ditto" medley
When they first announced the guests for this year, I was excited to see NewJeans on the preliminary list- then they disappeared from lsitings for awhile...good to see they still made it!
DISNEY SPECIAL MEDLEY
The halftime show centered around Disney celebrating 100 years, but all I could think was, "That Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse goes into Public Domain tomorrow!"
Then, on to part TWO....
Offiial Hige Dandism “Chessboard”
Sheena Ringo “Marunoichu Sadistic”
Yuzu “Beautiful”
QUEEN with Adam Lambert , obviously NOT appearing on-site.
Miyama Hiroshi “Donka Zaka”
Superfly “Tamashii Revolition”
Gen Hoshino “Life”
Ito Ran “Candies 50th Anniversary medley”
Was looking forward to this one! Ran singing classic CANDIES hits against the backdrop of vintage Candies footage!
Must say Ms. Ito looking FINE as heck!
Yoshiki “Endless Rain”, “Rusty Nail”
Yoshiki back with another "All-Star" rock band, doing the classic X tunes....
A real soft spot for "Rusty Nail" !
Pocket Biscuits/Black Biscuits “Yellow Yellow Happy”, “”Timing”
If I may say, this is the performance I was MOST interested in seeing, mostly because I was dying to see what Vivian Hsu was up to! Always LOVED "Timing" and was the highlight of the show for me!
Yakushimaru Hiroko “Sailor Fuku to Kikanju”
Terao Akira “Ruby no Yubiwa”
Ado “Show”
Aimyon “Ai No Hana”
Elephant Kashimashi “Oretachi no Ashita”
Sada Masashi “Cosmos”
Ishikawa Sayuri “Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki”
Fujii Fumiya “True Love”, “Shiroi Kumo no yo ni”
YOASOBI “Idol”
Gotta say, this performance coulda been the show's closer, VERY festive touch!!!
Fukuyama Masaharu “Hello~Sobo” Kohaku Special Medley
Though "HELLO" was the very first song I ever knew from Masaharu Fukuyama, this is the first time I'm realizing it's sort of a signature song of his?? Cool!
Misia Kohaku Special 2023
And once again we have MISIA closing the activities.
With the new format of the Kohku, somehow I was half expecting them to do away with the "Girls VS Boys" aspect of the show, yet they still had the polling and the eventual "victor" of the festivities...
I love how tiny Minami is, she looks photoshopped into most scenes, LOL
And that wraps 2023!!!
See U all on the Flipside!
