I Became the Chef of the Dragon King is a combination of colorful art, cute character and mascot designs, an inevitable romance and lots of delicious-looking food. It won’t rock your world or anything, but it’s harmless fluff that is great for passing the time. I just wish there were more chapters.
Summary (from Mangadex): Cheong Shim threw herself into the sea of Indangsu! What will happen when she wakes up in a lazy dragon’s dungeon? Meet many cute monsters while living a delicious, symbiotic life!
As you can see from the cover art, Cheong Shim has a very cutesy design, and a cute, super ditzy personality to match. The reason she threw herself into the sea is not to commit suicide but so her ailing father could receive 300 bags of rice and eventually receive healing from Buddha. From that alone you can see how naive she is.
But it’s not the annoying kind of naive. She doesn’t go overboard being all cheerful and Pollyanna. She seems a little down at times, she suffers setbacks, she doesn’t want to get eaten by the dragon, and she pushes back reasonably enough when the dragon makes illogical demands.
All this to say that the main appeal of I Became the Chef of the Dragon King is the charming main character. Yes, Cheong Shim is very much a Mary Sue, but in a manageable, believable way. She didn’t win the Dragon King over completely in a day, and even her food isn’t that wonderful. One of her dishes was so salty it was almost inedible. Just like the meatballs I had last night… =_=
So since she’s sweet and hardworking, but not completely perfect, it’s easy to root for Cheong Shim as she tries to make a peaceful life for herself in the dragon’s abode. That’s the main reason why I’m following the series.
Although the series will supposedly be about winning the Dragon King over with food, only 7 chapters are out so far (as of early May 2020). In those chapters, Cheong Shim has only made two dishes, so if you’re here for delicious food pics and recipes, you have a long wait ahead.
If you’re reading it for romance, you’re out of luck again. So far the (admittedly cute) Dragon King only finds her to be a somewhat intriguing annoyance. And he himself is a bit grumpy and whiny, so it’s hard to ship them together. Though I suppose one would be grumpy if a noisy squatter suddenly moved into your house.
All in all, I Became the Chef of the Dragon King has made a very promising start. I’m looking forward to seeing more tasty-looking meals once Cheong Shim gets a set of cooking tools together. I’d also like to see the cute mascots on the cover being introduced. And of course, mustn’t forget the romance! I’ll update this post when the series is complete/much further along. Until then!
Arranged Marriage with My Beloved Wife is NOT a good manhua. I thought it would be because it sounded a bit fluffy from the blurb, but boy was I wrong.
Blurb: She was forced to marry a crippled president for the sake of her family. Reluctant to accept the marriage at first, she kept a distance with her nominal husband. But his love and respect slowly unsealed her heart…
You will? Oh boy!
Why it’s so disappointing
Aight, the blurb didn’t lie. She was forced to marry him and he does treat her well and they do slowly fall in love. If that was all there was to it, I would be ecstatic. You know how rare it is to find a Chinese romance “in love with a CEO” manhua that doesn’t start with rape? Nigh impossible, that’s what. So impossible, in fact, that Arranged Marriage with My Beloved Wife isn’t one of those rare exceptions.
Indeed, the only reason why Lin Chulian has to marry Li Haonan is because her half-sister and scum fiance drug her and she ends up in his bed. So far so typical, now we know how she ended up there. But what’s HIS excuse? A woman just shows up unconscious in your bed and you don’t call the police or the doctor, instead you sleep with her? What was he even doing in her house in the first place?
The matter is never explained, so no matter how good Haonan is to her or how much they start to like each other, the issue is always there in my mind like an elephant in the room. “He’s a rapist, he’s a rapist, why isn’t she asking anything?” It’s even stranger because there were many ways to explain the incident to at least mitigate the rapeyness of it. E.g. He was very drunk and it was very dark (a.k.a. the Jacob excuse), or he was drugged with an aphrodisiac – another ridiculously common trope in Chinese manhua. It doesn’t make it any better, but at least it’s an excuse to make him seem like less of a monster.
But no, he was just randomly in her house, randomly did the deed, then decided to take responsibility… even though he’s powerful enough to wipe out the whole Lin family for tricking him. Which means they didn’t trick him and he was fully aware? Dammit Li Haonan, I’m trying to like you but you’re a rapist, dammit! It’s a shame because he’s much more decent and less abusive than some of the crazy MLs you find in other manhua. Except for, you know, the whole rapist thing. Which is really a deal breaker, seriously.
Looking on the bright side?
Okay, how about we look past that massive obstacle and focus on the rest of Arranged Marriage With My Beloved Wife? The art is pretty poor and cheaply drawn, but I’ve seen worse. The plot is junk, though. It’s yet another series where the main character has the IQ of a brick and keeps talking to and hanging out with people who clearly mean her harm.
How many times is she going to run over to her Dad’s house when she knows he clearly favors her sister? Why does she keep working with a clearly vengeful coworker who almost killed her? Why would she follow that obviously evil coworker to a hotel room without letting others know? The list of Lin Chunian’s stupidities are endless. Just when it seems like she’s starting to wise up, the manhua ends abruptly. That’s right, all that frustration and annoyance and then it ends before it gets good. =_=
The other good things about this manhua: As I said, the ML is decent apart from… you know. They have a good relationship without too much bickering or arguing. Misunderstandings are quickly resolved. At least one member of his family is decent. Li Haonan protects Lin Chulian all the time but backs off and lets her handle it when she insists. If only it wasn’t for… you know. *sigh*
Arranged Marriage with My Beloved Wife is licensed in English, so you can read it at Mangatoon, but I don’t recommend it. Not only because of the problems I’ve stated above, but also because although it says “Complete,” it’s not really complete. It just ends abruptly after 80 chapters with a bunch of unanswered questions. Unless there’s a season 2 announced, I wouldn’t waste my time. I’m really disappointed.
Welcome back to another rundown! This time it’s the 62nd edition of NHK Kohaku Utagassen, which took place on December 31st 2011. That means I still have 7 more editions to watch to catch up to the current series, not to mention the next one is happening in just over a month! There were a few good performances that stuck with me in the last one I watched so I have high hopes for this one too.
The presenters are Mao Inoue and Arashi (ugh, again). I don’t know the former and I don’t like the latter so I won’t be focusing too much on them. Instead let’s ignore the boring introduction and get right on with the performances! Oh, the Nadesiko Japan football team was trotted out to say a few words. I’d forgotten about them, but they seem to be doing pretty well since.
1. Ayumi Hamasaki “progress” (13) 浜崎あゆみ
What a horrible night to have a curse… which is listening to Ayumi Hamasaki’s live singing to start a concert. Horrible singing, horrible song, boring outfit, pointless, confusing backup dancing. And at one point she even got slightly ahead of the backing track. Absolutely terrible in every way.
Yeah, punch out the lights so I don’t have to watch this.
2. NYC “100% Yuuki NYC” (3) 100%勇気NYC
They haven’t impressed me in their previous appearances. I don’t think that will change, but we’ll see. I’m really hoping the decline of Johnny’s talent agency will lead to more fresh faces on my Kohaku screen next time I watch it. Come to think of it, this is the last Kohaku I watched instead of merely downloading it for future watching. I can see why I stopped watching the program.
I like the colorful outfits, but the cringey dancing and obvious lip-syncing does nothing for me. Not to mention their own song “Yumetamago” was rubbish and Yuuki 100% is a Hikaru Genji cover. Gimme the original then.
3. Angela Aki “One Family” (6) アンジェラ・アキ
She cut her hair >_< Argh, I’m so jealous of people who can cut and grow their hair at will. I’ve long given up on getting anything past shoulder length. As long as its healthy, right?
Angela Aki was 9 months pregnant at the time of the show, and according to Wikipedia she had a boy in February 2012. The song itself is John Lennon-type “imagine all the people living life in peace” type bland pap. The stuff people clap politely to, but if you really asked them to open their borders to all and sundry, Japan would be the first to revolt. That’s reality.
4. flumpool “Akashi” (3) 証
Since the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake disaster occurred that year, expect more weepy, melodramatic footage of stars touring the scene to show how caring and compassionate they are. I’m not just saying that because I am a soulless scumbag – although I am – but because I really don’t see how showing off on these tours or writing encouraging songs helps the people on the ground. Though I wouldn’t know, having never been in their place. And never wanting to be there either.
ANYWAY, the song was used for the NHK high school choral contest and the backing vocals are from a choir from Tokushima prefecture. It actually sounds like he’s interrupting their nice singing, lol. The song is weepy glurge. Doesn’t stick in my head.
Geh. And of course they have to talk about how often they went to the disaster zone to cheer people up with their songs. Well, as long as it works. Those fluttery skirts are coming off, aren’t they? Yup. And were discreetly collected by the lower peons.
This Kohaku Utagassen introduced a feature where they write messages from the public on the bottom of the screen. They’ve done this in the form of verbal announcements by the announcers in the past, and that wasn’t so bad. The red and white messages are distracting and hard to read unless I pause. I hope they’ll reconsider that in future editions. I’m going to ignore them from now on.
Introduction of the guest judges. Ah so. Koshino Junko is fancy. The guy next to her refused to even bow and barely smiled. What’s his name? Wah, Kotoshogiku. I used to watch him on NHK during the sumo tournaments.
Mana Ashida, Fuku Suzuki “Maru Maru Mori Mori!” (New) ディズニーの仲間たち・芦田愛菜・鈴木福・紅白有志／ディズニー・スペシャル・メドレー
I remember seeing this duo on all the Japanese variety shows back when the song first came out. Stupidly catchy stuff, even now I find myself singing “maru maru mori mori” sometimes. So cute. I even clapped a little at the end.
Of course they trotted out some children from Tohoku for the usual forced feels, but we’ll ignore that. In fact I think I’ll stop commenting on that aspect of the show. To be fair, it would be weirder if the prestigious annual show ignored the great disaster altogether, but trotting people out from the area like monkeys at the zoo feels kind of pointless. Nevertheless, it is what it is.
Then there’s a Disney special which is like, okay. TBH, this Mickey is so manic he actually scares me a little. And Arashi? Srsly. No. It’s too soon. This is supposed to be a children’s special. Pointless comments from SMAP… I’m always baffled by how young they looked back then.
So far I haven’t found anything super amazing, but apart from the first two performances, I haven’t heard anything horrible either. Ooh, nice camera angle. I can see the wings and the loitering staff. This performance seemed a bit short.
7. Nishino Kana “Tatoe Donna ni” (2) 西野カナ たとえ どんなに…
I like her dress and the chandelier but the song is meh. Yeah, more and more I’m understanding why I stopped watching Kohaku and following the J-music scene.
8. AAA “CALL” (2)
I made any comments I had to about AAA in their debut performance last year. Unimpressive singing and dancing and music, not helped by the baffling camera angles and frumpy outfits. Next!
9. Miyuki Kawanaka “Nirinsō” (24) 川中美幸 二輪草
This song again. I like it but… y’know? I guess you can think of it as a New Year’s tradition or something. And I didn’t care to see AKB48 again, especially not so soon. Their dance is supposed to show “an age gap” which is why they are dancing with these older guys. TBH I don’t know what they’re trying to say… Actually no, I do know. They’re pandering to AKB48’s fanbase of much older guys, letting them live out a fantasy on stage. CREEEEEEPY. GET OUTTTTTTT.
10. Ken Hirai “Itoshiki Hibi yo” (7) 平井堅 いとしき日々よ
So glad that’s over. I like Ken Hirai’s music but he only knows one way to perform. Sticking his hand up in the air, bringing it down, up, down, up, down. Decent song, but not crazy about it.
Fuji Ayako-samaaaaa <3 She’s so pretty. Hey, isn’t that Tokio? Interesting performance introducing the various festivals of Japan, though the song is unexciting. Also did I mention she’s pretty?
12. Takashi Hosokawa “Nebuta” (35) 細川たかし ねぶた
I thought Hosokawa Takashi had been banned from Kohaku by this point. Hey, hey, AKB48 again? Get out! For some reason, this feels like a very “noisy” song, maybe because there’s so much going on, even more than with Ayako’s segment. Nebuta refers to the Aomori Nebuta Festival IIRC.
13. Nana Mizuki “POP MASTER” (3) 水樹奈々
Meh. Actually I went “meh” before even hearing the song, which wasn’t fair. So I’ll save any other comments till the performance is over… Yeah, meh. At least she’s lip-syncing so she doesn’t sound as screechy as usual. I can’t believe she’s become a fixture of Kohaku Utagassen. She must have a powerful agency backing her.
14. Porno Graffiti “One More Time” (10) ポルノグラフィティ ワンモアタイム
Do you really want… what? The sentence needs an object. Very so-so rock song. I like the lead singer’s outfit but that’s about it.
15. Inawashirokos “I love you & I need you Fukushima” (New) 猪苗代湖ズ I love you & I need you ふくしま
A band that happens to come from Fukushima. Coincidence? I don’t care. Just hope the song is nice. Apparently they held some concerts together with Fukuyama Masaharu, making yet another appearance by live feed. Meh.
…I like the song already. It reminds me of some of the older Rock bands like R.C. Succession. It’s the style that I like more than the song itself, but at least I’m enjoying it more than most of the other songs I’ve heard today. Interesting, it’s not “Fukushima” or “Hukushima” but a sound between F and H. Japanese pronunciation is easier than most, but it does have a few tricks to it.
Aha! When the vocalist started screaming, I remembered him at once. The lead singer of Sambomaster. I still remember the “love and peace!!!” screaming from the end of “Sekai wa Sore o Ai to Yobundaze.” Ouendan 2, good times.
16. Natsuko Godai “Kinmokusei” (18) 伍代夏子 金木犀
An ikebana-themed stage. I like it. And love her kimono. Familiar enka song with the usual tune. I like it though. And a calming song is refreshing after all the noise before.
17. L’Arc-en-Ciel “CHASE” (5)
Their 20th Anniversary that year. I was a huge Laruku fan some years ago, still am on a certain level but not as much. They went on a World Tour in 2012? I wouldn’t mind seeing them live sometime. I’m not familiar with this song, though. Let’s see… I rather like it. I would listen to it a few more times at least. Yeah, I’m biased towards Laruku, bite me. Hyde’s wiggling dance is kinda funny. Like a furry black caterpillar, lol.
Inspired by a particular prefecture/hometown which was just mentioned but I don’t remember. But that’s where the coach of Nadeshiko Japan was from, so he’s happy about it. I’m just happy it’s not Tohoku this time. Not sure how to feel about this performance. It’s so generic “enka song” and even Kaori Mizumori looks and dresses the same as always. Meh.
19. Shinichi Mori “Minato Machi Blues” (44) 森進一 港町ブルース
His 44th consecutive performance. And it’s a song I don’t know, not Ofukuro-san. Ureshii. Heavy foundation, lip gloss, hair dye. They all do it, but it’s so obvious on him. I like this song, Might even listen to it again sometime.
I’ve heard her name several times before, now I get to see the real thing. Hmmm… That chandelier is still up there? Just because I said it was nice? :-p Oya? There was something under the dress? Huh. Well whatever. I’m not impressed by either song. Why is she getting so much play time? It’s boring. The fake teary look got boring with the first song as well. Next.
Rimi Natsukawa (6), Masafumi Akikawa (4) “Asu to Iu Hi ga” 夏川りみ ・ 秋川雅史 あすという日が
Mao Inoue looks a bit breathless from changing so quickly lol. Anyway, this is the end of the first half of the show, so there’s a minute for voting and an interlude and stuff. I got tired of the music after the first 30 seconds. Rimi Natsukawa is like Ken Hirai, only one furitsuke. The background and Natsukawa are drowning Akikawa a bit, but it works so it’s okay. And who doesn’t like cute babies and maudlin stories?
Just wish there wasn’t so much Mao Inoue in it, ‘cos, like, the babies are way cuter. Why do I have to listen to a whole song about Mao Inoue playing with babies?
WHAT. Red team is winning? Oh yeah, they did win this year didn’t they? Meh. It doesn’t mean anything anyway.
21. KARA “KARA 2011 Special Medley” (New) KARA 2011スペシャルメドレ
KARA’s first appearance on Kohaku… Hahaha, Tendo Yoshimi and Akko and Miyuki Kawanaka. I giggled slightly, though perhaps that reveals the ageist bias within me. And within the Japanese. Boring performance like most idol groups. I know that “Mister” song, one of the few Korean songs I can recognize. And what’s the point of a booty-shaking performance when you don’t have a booty to shake?
22. Hideaki Tokunaga “Jidai” (6) 徳永英明 時代
Korokke says he has come up with a new joke where enka singers like Kitajima Saburo sing AKB48 songs. It might be funny, but I won’t look for it.
Hideaki Tokunaga continuing his career of scoring hits from covers of female singers. This one is “Jidai” a cover of Nakajima Miyuki, one of my favorite singers. So naturally I prefer the harsh and ironic tones of the original. Tokunaga has a softer voice, so his version is more soothing and comforting, which works in a way but nahhh. I like the stringy things in the background, btw.
23. Perfume “Laser Beam” (4) レーザービーム
I wonder who designs their costumes. Too screechy, had to reduce the volume. Boring song, boring dance, only the outfits are interesting. And at my age I only feel sympathy for people who have to dance vigorously in high heels…
24. TOKIO “Miageta Ryusei” (18) 見上げた流星
Kokubun seems to be playing the piano for reals, okay? Oh, it’s the alcoholic pedophile member whose name I can’t remember. What’s going on with Tokio these days? I’ll miss them from my Kohaku even though this song is totally forgettable.
25. Girls’ Generation “GENIE” (New) 少女時代
If they were going to perform, they should have sung “Gee” instead. I like that one. And hate it at the same time. It’s the second K-pop song I know. Dunno which of the girls did the introduction, but her Japanese is really good. So this was when the Hallyu wave hit Japan. Ordinary song, but better than KARA’s.
26. Hiromi Go “Go Smile Japan” (24) 郷ひろみ
Eh. I guess I like the message of “You don’t have to work that hard.” This old man. He’s really energetic for a 51-year old guy. I’ll have to up my game so I can hop around when I’m that age too. Nice dentures too. 2 oku 4 sen man is one his classics. I like it actually. Yay!
27. aiko “Koi no Superball” (10) 恋のスーパーボール
Aiko keeps showing up, but I just can’t get into her songs. Will this be the one that does it for me? … … It’s okay but not blowing me away. That’s the best I can get from her.
28. Yuzu “Hey Wa” (4) ゆず Hey和
The comments from the guest judges aren’t really needed IMO, but this was a bit amusing.
This is the most boring Kohaku Utagassen I’ve ever watched. Enough talking, start singing. Buying time for the staff to set up eh? This had better be worth it… but it wasn’t. So-so song.
29. Koda Kumi “Ai wo Tomenaide” (7) 倖田來未 愛を止めないで
Bad song, doesn’t work with her voice, and the dress is unimaginative. And it’s the same motions for all her songs. Next please.
30. Tohoshinki “Why? (Keep Your Head Down)” (3) 東方神起
Otherwise you’ll get shot? :-p That’s why they’re hopping around all over the stage? What is this I don’t even… Actually I liked the seizure-dancing better than the song. Next! Phew, it finally ended.
And now for a brief interlude of Arashi torture with a piano rescued from the ruins of the Tohoku earthquake. Blahhhh.
J-dramas are so crappy. The acting is so horrible. The skits are pathetic too. Wow, I really hate this show. Why am I still watching? I just wanted some musical performances, not J-drama promotion.
The song is blah, and every shot is people crying and crying. Horrible. Next next next next next!!!
32. Masao Sen “Kitaguni no Haru” (16) 千昌夫 北国の春
I don’t know Masao Sen, so I guess I learned something new. You can read more about him here. I want this show to be over already. Kitaguni no Haru is supposed to be his signature tune, let’s see if I’ll get something download-worthy this time. Hmm, I think I’ve heard it before.
I’ve had enough of this sucky show. Gonna take a break first and come back later. Messages of encouragement from people all over the world. BOOOOOORIIIIIIING. Ohay, it’s Jackie Chan. Fast forward to the next performance.
Or not… Actually I took a whole week off from watching this show because it was so boring. I watched Zeta Gundam instead, which I will totally post about one of these days. It started slow but got better once Kamille stopped being such a… jerk. Yes, jerk is the most polite thing I can call him. And I liked seeing Amuro again.
33. Sachiko Kobayashi “Onna no Sakaba” (33) 小林幸子 おんなの酒場
That outfit must have cost thousands and taken months to construct. The song itself is just a normal enka song. Whoa! I took my eyes off her for a second and this giant dragon swallowed her! Last boss-sama! Whoooaa. This is pretty cool! But again, the song is just normal. It would have been fun to watch live, though.
34. Toshiyuki Nishida “Ano Machi ni Umarete” (4) 西田敏行 あの街に生まれて
He is from Tokushima. Hence the song meaning “I was born in that city.” They’re showing a local program that goes on several times a day, means to cheer the people up. Bread and circuses.
Wow, I like his voice. It’s soothing. Wow, I really like this song, 75% becauase of the voice and 25% because it’s very soothing and pleasant to my stressed ears. Rewind and listen again before moving on…
35. Ayaka “Minna Sora no Shita” (5) 絢香 みんな空の下
Boring song. I’m not going to waste a lot of words on dull performances from now on.
36. Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi “Hitotsu” (3) 長渕剛 ひとつ
Ooh, I like Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi. He’s so “trying hard to look cool” all the time, lol. But I’m not familiar with this song. …and I’ll hear it eventually, once he’s done talking for 10 years… It’s so-so. It’s cheap of the camera to go round the crowds looking for people crying, like, a little privacy please? Another boring, overwrought performance, TBH.
37. Akiko Wada “Ano Kane wo Narasu no wa Anata” (35) 和田アキ子 あの鐘を鳴らすのはあなた
One of her famous songs. Oh, I like her dress. And the chandelier keeps getting bigger and fancier. It will take over Japan at this rate. Man, I really like her dress. I like this song, but I have it on mp3 so I’ve heard it tons of times before. I enjoyed the passionate performance, though. And I like her raspier voice these days.
38. Arashi “2011 Kohaku Special Medley” (3) 嵐 2011紅白スペシャルメドレー
Tch. Arashi. I hear they’re calling it quits after 2020. Unlike SMAP I will not miss them.
What a hideous dress. It was made from public suggestions, and it shows. Don’t take the public so seriously. Well well, the song without much ado. Hmm… It’s okay. Though the girl just walking in a grim cityscape is kind of depressing TBH. I need to find more synonyms apart from “okay” and “so-so.” Average. Unforgettable. Meh. Looked up and the girl was walking with animals. Ah so.
40. Hiroshi Itsuki “Furusato” (41) 五木ひろし ふるさと
Hai, enough talking. Gimme Itsuki, I like him. Maybe they’re killing time while he’s setting up? Phew, at last. Itsuki Hiroshi, singing this song at Kohaku for the first time in 38 years. Ooh, I like the colorful background, and it’s not as pixelly as it was two years ago. Still a bit blurry though. Where did my favorite chandelier go? I like the song. Maybe it’s because it’s so old, it feels really nostalgic.
41. Seiko Matsuda (16), Sayaka Kanda (New) “Ue wo Muite Arukou” 松田聖子 / 神田沙也加 上を向いて歩こう
Seiko trying to give a boost to her daughter’s career. Doesn’t seem to have worked, since I haven’t heard of Sayaka Kanda becoming a major star by 2019. Let’s see… according to wikipedia she was able to land the dub voice of Anna in Frozen… and that’s it for major achievements. But enough jealousy and trash-talking, how’s the song?
Well it’s Kyu Sakamoto’s classic so I know it already. I think this rendition is too drawn out for a song that is supposed to be upbeat and peppy and sung with conviction. This is more like someone who is trying to talk themselves into feeling good but failing. Too realistic, lol.
BTW I need the number of Seiko-san’s plastic surgeon. Call me, doc, I need you! ^_~
42. Kiyoshi Hikawa “Jounetsu no Mariachi” (12) 氷川きよし 情熱のマリアッチ
This time his theme is Mexico? Omoshiroi. Wahhh, dat outfit. I LOVE IT. I think? The song is boring and the backup dancers are stiff and fake. Kiyoshi, I am disappoint.
I like this song a lot too. Used to have the mp3 but must have lost it. And no distracting background singers. Lovely performance, really like it Bueno.
44. Masaharu Fukuyama “Kazoku ni Narou yo” (4) 福山雅治 家族になろうよ
Whoa, what a crowd. Even with the blacked out sections, that’s a huge crowd. So is this guy ever going to show up on the Kohaku stage or will he always be singing via live feed? Welp, he has a few songs I like but I’m not that crazy about him. I take the songs on a case by case basis. And this one is… Unmemorable. Unimpressive. His singing voice isn’t anything special either. Next.
Yumin! I like some of her songs, and “Haru yo, Koi” is pretty much her signature tune. Oh I see, everyone’s going to sing together. Her hair style makes her look old and doddering, because it’s too ‘young’. Don’t do this hairstyle again. Ooh, I love Fuji Ayako’s pink dress. I’m singing along since everyone’s supposed to sing too.
46. Exile “Rising Sun” (7)
Exile-san-tachi, you guys are looking a bit… up there in years. But fit, man. I can’t dance like that. Of course, the two guys who just sing and never dance are the two main leaders. Actually I enjoy watching Exile-ojisan-tachi perform even though their music is boring, because the dances are so over the top. I hope they don’t disband. Where else would I get jumping ojisan-tachi to watch? Man, if I danced like this, I would be so… dead. But fit. *clap clap clap* I can’t do it so I applaud.
47. Yoshimi Tendō “Ai Sansan” (16) 天童よしみ 愛燦燦
Phew, the hideous pink dress is gone. Why is Mao so breathless? I love “Ai Sansan” though the original performance is best. Tendo Yoshimi doesn’t have a voice powerful or unique enough to pull this one off. She sounds like me at karaoke. Come to think of it, I liked the “duet” with Ogura Kei from a couple of years ago.
48. Saburō Kitajima “Kaerokana” (48) 北島三郎 帰ろかな
Un, kaerou. I like this song, but this whole show has been pathetic apart from a few highlights. But as I said, I like this song, and I’m enjoying this performance. The dramatic choir makes it seem like a song from a movie, haha. Just that the lighting makes Sabu-chan look pale and washed out, so they need to fix that. Great performance. Have I ever mentioned that Sabu-chan looks like my cousin?
Enough with the self-patting on the back. It’s all fake anyway. One of Ishikawa Sayuri’s staple songs, the other one being Amagigoe. I like the song so this is a good way to close the show for me. I wonder how she does that “aaaa-a” sound.
50. SMAP “SMAP AID Kohaku SP” (19)
Kyaa, SMAP-SAMAAAA. NOT! My opinion of them hasn’t really changed, but now that the band has broken up (until the inevitable reunion concert) I’m actually feeling nostalgic watching them. So affected, ojisan-tachi. No more Nakai-san’s vocals. Such bad singing. Much wow.
I thought for sure they would sing “Sekai ni Hitotsu no Hana” after this. I don’t know this “Original Smile” song but whatever. They should try to hide the syncing a little better.
Finally over. IIRC the Red team won that year. Yup, they won by over 10,000 votes. Dunno why. I bet it was a pity vote because they’d lost for so many years in a row.
Overview
Largely a boring program with many mediocre and forgettable performances. It’s no wonder ratings for the show are declining. And no wonder I stopped watching. But I still found a few likeable gems here and there (esp. Nishida Toshiyuki), and as always I was impressed by the production values and the smoothness of the flow. So I’ll probably watch the next edition, but no telling when. Until then, it’s back to learning Korean for me.
It’s been a while since I reviewed a Chinese manga, a.k.a manhua. When I first started this blog I hadn’t read much Korean or Chinese stuff, nor did I intend to. But I’m on an isekai kick lately and eventually I ran out of Japanese stuff to read. Not to mention most Japanese isekai manga only release once a month, which is torture to wait for. So I had no choice but to go foraging for other series. I found some good ones, too, which I will introduce on this blog as and when I get the time. Today: Peerless Alchemist.
Blurb: A nameless 24th century cultivator is thrown back in time after being struck by a missile. Yes, Truck-kun was busy so he sent a subordinate. She takes possession of the body of the late Ji Fengyan, a much bullied and mistreated young lady of the Ji family and goes on to become the head of Ji City. And to all those who used to mess with her, beware! There’s something different about this new Fengyan…
And by something different, I mean she is one tough cookie who is a ton of fun to read about. I’ve been reading a lot of isekais with female main characters and they’re usually very good, but the main characters tend to be soft-hearted little flowers who go about sparing enemies, trying to hide their powers and being flustered whenever a male character shows the least bit of interest.
None of that for our Ji Fengyan. She doesn’t go out looking for trouble, but if it comes knocking at her doorstep, whoo boy, get ready to see the fur fly. My favorite part is when an enemy threatens to spill her misdeeds to the emperor and she answers, “How can you tell him anything… if you’re dead?” And she wasn’t kidding either, though she did end up sparing them because they wisely struck a deal.
But it’s not just her ruthlessness that makes Peerless Alchemist such a good read. I don’t know about others, but I really enjoy the Superman/Clark Kent dynamic Fengyan has going on with the male lead Xiao Liu Huo. She picked him up from the side of the road and decided, hey, you’re mine now. And that was fine, but it turns out Xiao Liu Huo has another form… Hidden behind a very thin disguise that absolutely no one but the readers can see through!
It’s better explained in the novels where Xiao Liu Huo is a teenager who is even younger than her while his other persona, the State Master, is much older. But in the manhua, apart from different eye colors, a different face mark and a much larger physique, they’re practically identical. It’s hilarious seeing Fengyan going “Squee, Xiao Liu Huo!” one second and “That damn state master!” the next second without knowing the truth. 😀 She’s going to find out eventually but until then, it’s just too funny.
Though truth be told, I think the State Master is better looking… And even Fengyan agreed, until he made an unwarranted pass at her… Chapter 54, nevar forget!
You might be wondering if there’s much of a story behind Peerless Alchemist beyond Ji Fengyan beating up the haters and being lovey-dovey with Xiao Liu Huo. For the first 70 chapters, that’s pretty much it. She moves from beating one dumb enemy to the next without a break in the middle. No real story, no rhyme or rhythm. It’s only now after 70 chapters that things are starting to move, in the form of a relic known as the Destroyer Armor left to Fengyan by “her” late father.
Everyone wants to get their hands on it. It’s the Empire’s trump card against the evil demons, and yet… Why does Xiao Liu Huo make her promise never to use it? Why is he determined to get the Armor off her? Why are all the bodies of past destroyers missing? The latest raw chapters have Fengyan going to the Imperial Academy for Destroyers, so maybe we will finally get some answers there.
Wait, the latest raw chapters? Yes, the latest raw chapters. I like the series so much that I started reading the raws online. I’m up to chapter 80 now. With my intermediate Cantonese skills, the Japanese kanji I recognize and the little Mandarin I learned back in college, I can get the gist of most chapters. Ideally I would do some hardcore Mandarin studying and be able to read the original novel by the end of the year, but I like the manhua so much better because the art is great. Reading the manhua is good practice too, because the pictures make things easy to follow.
This isn’t the last I’ll be posting of Peerless Alchemist, not while we still have at least another 200 chapters to go (the original novel is over 1200 chapters long). In the meantime, go check it out. You’ll like it if you enjoy: Powerful main characters who aren’t afraid to show it, great art and good-looking guys, bad guys who get what they deserve, a romance where characters don’t hide their feelings. Apart from that, it’s not that different from other xianxia manhua out there, so if you’re sick of the same old formula… well, try it anyway!
This time I didn’t let a year elapse between rundown editions. I think a round of applause is in order.
(pause for applause)
Thank you, you’re too kind. Welp, time for me to rewatch the 61st Kohaku Utagassen (第61回NHK紅白歌合戦). I know I’ve seen it at least once because looking at the titles reminds me of several performances. That’s usually a good sign, but you never know. I think the next one (62nd) was the last one I saw before I quit watching Kohaku. Anyway, let’s get started!
Ugh, Arashi and some woman I don’t recognize. What’s her name? Doesn’t matter. They called out Ishikawa Ryo to introduce the program. He’s the young golfer the Japanese media was making such a big fuss about a few years ago. Whatever happened to him? Googly googly… Hmm, he was doing okay up to 2016, nothing remarkable since.
Introduction of all the performers and then plenty of talking. I don’t like Arashi or Nao Matsushita whoever she is, so I’ll be ignoring most of their banter. Sue me. The two mascots are Kohaku Utagassen mascots, U and Ta. If they really wanted mascots to sell merchandise they should have made them a lot cuter.
1.Ayumi Hamasaki 浜崎あゆみ (12) “Virgin Road” [Note: the number in brackets represents the number of times the person has appeared on Kohaku.]
Really like the dress and the nails, but her hair is so fuzzy and messy. The song was a bit boring at first, but it sort of grew on me by the end. And of course we’ll be nice and not ask “She’s on husband number what now?” In any case I don’t believe singers must live up to what they sing. It’s just another payday in the end. As long as they don’t actually claim to be living what they sing, that is.
2. Exile (6) “I Wish For You”
Have they performed this before? I knew the song already before they heard it. It’s only Exile song I know offhand and can even say I… kinda like? It was a fun performance, actually, and they seem to have added two more people to their frontline? Never seen those two before but they got a chance to lipsync too so they must be major. Good luck, guys.
“Kamikyoku” should mean “famous songs” but the only song I recognize is Heavy Rotation. On the plus side this is the first AKB48 batch so I actually know a few of their names. Hope they enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame while it lasted. The performance itself wasn’t bad. They must have worked really hard to pull of the choreography well, and the slight perfections are all part of the charm. Huh, I’m in a charitable mood today aren’t I?
Introduction of the guest judges. Noguchi Souichi has been a judge recently, hasn’t he? A few years ago. I like Nakama Yukie’s colorful modern kimono.
They performed the year before and didn’t make an impression on me. It’s the same this year. I even forgot what they sang already. I remember the “100% no Yuuki” they sang afterwards, but not the main song. And TBH it’s a little embarrassing watching them wriggling and writhing around on the stage like that. Next please.
5. Angela Aki (5) アンジェラ・アキ “Kagayaku Hito” 輝く人
Gosh, what an affected show of faux affability. Was this whole emotional meet-and-greet with middle schoolers necessary? Whatevs, how is this year’s song? The song itself is mediocre, but after all the fuss of the last two performances there’s something cleansing about one woman, one guitar, one great voice. So in that sense it was good.
6. AAA (debut) “Aitai Riyū”逢いたい理由
Whoa, what’s with the tacky gold outfits? You’re hurting my eyes. I hadn’t heard of AAA before. Apparently they’re still active now, minus two female members. And they spent a long time as backup dancers and singers so now it’s their turn to shine. Will they? …Nope. That was bad.
Exile’s “I Wish” is still ringing through my head. I wish, I wish, I wish for you~ Mitsuko Nakamura seemingly has only one song, which she has sung in the past few years so I’m not interested in hearing it. No, it doesn’t matter how many mascots you use or how many times you trot Tokio out.
8. Flumpool (2) “Kimi ni Todoke” 君に届け
That reminds me, I’ve been meaning to watch the Kimi ni Todoke anime for a long time. Not related to this song though, AFAIK. Three of the members have been buddies since nursery school. Amazing. But doesn’t highlighting that make the fourth member feel like even more of an outsider? I saw the staff member collecting the mic! Anyway, the song. Not particularly good.
9. Ayaka Hirahara (7)平原綾香 “Voyagers”
Matsushita pronounced the song title like “Boyjas” so I didn’t know what it was until I actually saw “Voyagers” on the screen. The song was used as the theme song for a nature program, Darwin’s something or the other, hence all the animal videos in the background. How someone can look at the variety and complexity of nature and say it all just exploded from nothingness and magically ‘evolved’ into what we see now is beyond me. But man will believe anything rather than accept God so it’s no surprise. The song is forgettable. I know that because I’ve already forgotten it. Hai, tsugi.
10. Yusuke 遊助 (2) “Hito” ひと
A lot of returnees from last year’s edition. Yusuke’s father started a band 10 years ago with the goal of making it to Kohaku Utagassen. Would be funny if he ever made it. Yusuke wrote this song for a friend of his who was getting married. It’s all “We’ll always be buddies” kind of song. Just okay. Lots of frozen smiles on the backup dancers.
Special program: “Character Kohaku Utagassen” 企画「キャラクター紅白歌合戦」
1: Okaasan to Issho “Doko no ko no kinoko” おかあさんといっしょ「ドコノコノキノコ」
Oh, that was surprisingly catchy. A bit of a Slavic influence and all, very catchy. I can imagine liking this as a kid.
So that’s where Ohno has been for the past little while. I so don’t like his face. I don’t suppose he would like mine instead. I remember all the promotion for this movie. …That wasn’t bad either. But the characters are all annoying.
3: Nana Mizuki and Atsuko Maeda and Tomomi Itano (AKB48) “Alright! Heart Catch Precure!” 水樹奈々&前田敦子・大島優子・板野友美（AKB48）「Alright! ハートキャッチプリキュア!」
I saw you guys filing in. I couldn’t get into Precure so it doesn’t matter what they sing. I hope it’s catchy… It actually is. And Nana Mizuki is lipsyncing so she’s not screeching into my ear like last year. Not bad at all.
4: Kazuo Kumakura “Gegege no Kitarou” 熊倉一雄「ゲゲゲの鬼太郎」
Huh. A relatively understated performance, but very creepy and atmospheric, just right for the theme. If I had to pick a winner I’d pick this one, actually. The voice and the footage and the lighting all fit great. Brr.
Welp, that’s finally over. Which side do the “judges” U and Ta prefer? They all did well, TBH. A draw! Yup, that’s fair. Now get off my screen, Ohno.
The guest judge is the Nunoe Mura, widow of the author of Gegege no Kitaro (and a mangaka herself) so she remembers her husband being excited about the anime song when it first came out 40 years ago. That’s sweet. What’s not sweet is the time-wasting involving the cast of Gegege no Nyobo (Gegege’s Wife), a drama based on Nunoe Mura’s autobiography. Fake, forced banter and laughing at nothing.
11. Natsuko Godai 伍代夏子 (17) “Hitori Zake” ひとり酒
The lady with the beautiful smile. Absolutely gorgeous kimono, and I like the song too. It’s the standard enka stuff, but the “chibiri chibiri” part is nice. And look, it’s Minami Minegishi with a full head of hair! Nyeh heh heh. Actually I saw her on Downtown DX not too long ago with hair on her head, but I couldn’t resist one little dig.
12. Takashi Hosokawa 細川たかし (34) “Naniwabushi da yo Jinsei wa” 浪花節だよ人生は
That’s quite the glittery hakama he’s got on there. And the top is shiny too? Sugoi. He didn’t forget the lyrics this time. So pointless having AKB48 in every performance. This is what the J-netizens called gorioshi – forcing a celebrity down the audience’s throat until they become popular. It certainly worked for AKB48.
Ah, now I see why Matsushita Nao was wasting so much time talking. She was buying time for Arashi to change. And now they’re buying time for her. Hello there, young-looking Kusanagi-kun. The mascot is for getting everyone to switch from analog to digital television. Japan has a mascot for virtually everything. We’ll just ignore Shingo by his side.
13. Porno Graffiti (9) “Kimi wa 100%”君は100%
The lead singer Akihito likes to climb towers so he’s looking forward to the opening of the Tokyo Skytree. Oh, the stage background changed a bit too. Just a bit. The song isn’t one Porno Graffiti’s better ones. It wasn’t funny when he fluffed the lyrics too, ‘cos he just plain fluffed them. It’s only funny if the singer makes an error because he was ogling pretty girls like Takashi Hosokawa or because Downtown was needling him like T. M. Revolution.
14. Kana Nishino 西野カナ (debut) “Best Friend”
I know I’ve heard her name somewhere, but… turns out I know her face too. What I don’t know is her voice and her music. Nice red dress BTW. It would look nice on me. My address is… j/k. I was worried when the camera zoomed in for an upskirt shot (whyyy?) but luckily she’s wearing red bloomers. The song is the kind of thing I might have liked at 15, listening to it with my “best friends” who I don’t even know where they are these days.
15. Funky Monkey Babys (2) “Ato Hitotsu”あとひとつ
The height difference between Tanaka and Sabu-chan is something else, haha. Generic “do your best” Japanese pop song. I can’t even remember the tune now.
16. Miyuki Kawanaka 川中美幸 (23) “Nirinsou” 二輪草
This song agaaaain? I like it but agaaain? The people who came to cheer her on are her co-stars from a TV show called Teppan. Never seen it. The kimono is a bit busy. Not as busy as the backup dancers though. What’s with 90% of performances having 20 people hopping around in the background? Maji uzai.
17. HY (debut) “Toki wo Koe”時をこえ
The obligatory “No more war” section of Kohaku Utagassen. HY is a group from Okinawa with a song based on stories told by the lead singer’s grandmother, who was 12 years old at the end of World War II. Commendable message but I can’t remember the song any more. Yes, already.
18. Kumiko クミコ (debut) “Inori” INORI〜祈り〜
Haunting, haunting song. I remember this one stayed with me for a long time after I watched it all those years ago. I get tears in my eyes just thinking about Sadako terrified of death, folding those cranes day after day hoping they could save her. If only someone had been able to share the gospel with her.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
If you’re reading this and you’re afraid to die, you don’t have to be. Jesus Christ has conquered death and the grave through His death on the cross. John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” I hope you do.
I have NO idea what W Colon is talking about. None at all. Mizumori with another long dress hiding her platform heels and another generic enka song. I actually enjoyed the song more when I took my eyes off the screen and just listened. The gymnasts behind her are just too distracting.
20. Hideaki Tokunaga 徳永英明 (5) “Toki no Nagare ni Mi wo Makase” 時の流れに身をまかせ
A cover of Teresa Teng’s classic song. Tokunaga released a cover album of songs by female artists and he’s been living pretty off that ever since, but TBH I like his own songs better. Not to mention Teresa Teng is a tough act to follow.
21. Nana Mizuki 水樹奈々 (2) “Phantom Minds”
Sounds like the theme song from an anime I would drop after one episode, lol. Her singing (syncing?) has improved from last year so it wasn’t a bad experience.
22. L’Arc-en-Ciel (4) “Bless”
“Bless” was the NHK theme song for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver that year. Eeee, it’s L’Arc en Ciel~~~ …is how I would have reacted 10 to 15 years ago when I used to buy all their albums. I still have them actually but I only listen to a few songs now. It’s good to see them on the stage though ^_^ Hyde, you’re syncing aren’t you? No way you’re hitting those notes so clearly with your smoked-out voice these days. Oh, he’s burning the higher notes a bit, haha. Just as expected. Okay song, but I was really happy to see Laruku.
23. Yoshimi Tendo 天童よしみ (15) “Jinsei Michizure” 人生みちづれ
Hmm, I see what Ayanokouji Kimimaro did there, but it wasn’t that funny. The audience seems to agree. It’s just a typical enka song, but somehow I really enjoyed this one. Even the little “rurururururu” at the end was great. I think my charitable mood from earlier is back.
24. Shinichi Mori 森進一 (43) “Erimo Misaki” 襟裳岬
Erimo Misaki! I like this song! It was written by folk singer Takuro Yoshida, who doesn’t appear on Kohaku himself because of reasons (possibly involving a fight with Akira Fuse). I know all this because I’m a huge fan of Takuro Yoshida. I used to own several of his albums too, until they were stolen or misplaced. That said, Shinichi Mori’s version of Erimo Misaki is just perfect, his voice and singing style just nail the lyrics perfectly. This should be good… And it was. Though his lipstick and too-young hairstyle were a little distracting. And the background chorus was unnecessary.
The white team won the first half, which is just about right IMO.
Group performance of Kohaku Theme Song “Uta no Chikara” 紅白テーマソング「歌の力」合唱
The opening act for the second half. Same unimpressive stuff as last year. They’re doing their best, but this song just isn’t growing on me. The piecemeal singing style doesn’t help either.
25. Hiromi Go 郷ひろみ (23) “Go!Go!Year Kōhaku Special Medley” GO!GO!イヤー紅白スペシャルメドレー
He turned 55 that year, and 5 is go in Japanese, hence “Go Go.” I like it when Japanese does stuff like that, though it can be a pain to translate. This was fun to watch. I don’t know any of his songs, but I liked Aishiteru, and the dancing for Dangan Groove was very lively.
Ugh, 6 hosts mean 6 times the fake smiles and fake laughs. Now I’m remember why I got so tired of Kohaku Utagassen so quickly. Sakana-kun again. Ugh. You can read more about the story behind the Kunimasu salmon he rediscovered here.
26. aiko (9) “Mukai Awase” 向かいあわせ
Another bland and forgettable song from aiko. The background sets are a little fancier this year than last year. They’re not zooming in on the background either so no glaring pixels. C’est bon.
27. Perfume (3) “Nee” ねぇ
Nee, nee, nee, nee. This title is just calculated to become an earworm. It doesn’t work on me with just one listen, but I can imagine hearing this everywhere in Japan for weeks, it would definitely get stuck in your head! The outfits are interesting, the background is cool, the choreography is great. The song is meh. Nee?
28. Tokio (17) “Advance”
Ah, the usual photo makes its usual appearance. Kind of fell flat this year, but I for one was happy to see it. How is the music? Seeing as Tokio isn’t really known for music these days. Nice song, but extremely generic-sounding. Calculated to be an inoffensive opening song to some shounen anime or TV show somewhere, I can just smell it. Random observance: isn’t Nagase’s hair suspiciously black for his age? 😉
29. Kumi Koda 倖田來未 (6) “KODA KUMI 2010 Special Medley”
I like her rose dress, but it’s obviously coming off in a few seconds, isn’t it? Ah. The hosts confirmed it. Come on, don’t give it away. We all know it, but that doesn’t mean you have to say it! Gyahaha, they almost pulled Ku-chan off the stage along with her dress. Nice recovery there, girl. No good songs in that medley but it was aight.
His 40th year since his debut. That’s cool. This song was written by his past composer who passed away so he’s singing it to honor him. Itsuki has songs I really like such as “Furimukeba Nihonkai” and “Shiodoki” but this won’t be joining those ranks. It’s so generic I started spacing out after the first verse. I appreciate the no-frills performance though. Really like the butterfly lapel pin too.
Unwanted and unneeded musical interlude from Arashi
Blah blah, Arashi, Japan, hometown. I told you I don’t like Arashi. Don’t make me repeat myself. You guys are just reading off a teleprompter, you don’t mean any of these things, stop putting on airs.
31. Akiko Wada 和田アキ子 (34) Akkoii! Kōhaku 2010 Special “AKKOィィッ!紅白2010スペシャル”
Her voice has really changed from her debut days. I know because I’ve listened to “Waratte Yurushite” and “Furui Nikki” a lot. But I still enjoyed watching and listening to this. All right! The AKB48 girls are just flapping their lips in the background. What are all those women there for anyway?
Ooh, accidental bad shot. Come to think of it, I’ve seen very few staff members this year. Was it last year or the year before when they were scurrying around everywhere like cockroaches? That was fun to watch.
Why so many medleys this year? The Wakadaisho series was a series of movies Yuzo Kayama starred in, is what Wikipedia told me just now. Anyway, that was brilliant! I loved both songs. I didn’t know any of his music before, but this Japanese-style country music is really easy to listen to and the lyrics are clean and heartwarming. It was great!
33. Masaharu Fukuyama 福山雅治 (3) “Michishirube” 道標
Beamed in from another location just like last year. What a crowd. He’s cutting his hair live on stage to say good-bye to his Ryomaden role. And he wants the producer to do it. Okay, this is beyond creepy. Like, waay beyond. I’mma skip the cutting parts. NHK is really set on pushing that Ryomaden thing, seeing how much time they wasted on it both last year and this year. The song is okay.
34. Sachiko Kobayashi 小林幸子 (32) “Kaachan no Hitorigoto” 母ちゃんのひとり言
The last year before they dropped Sachiko Kobayashi from the program? I’m really happy they got rid of Kenichi Mikawa but I was sad when I heard Last Boss had stopped appearing too. Let’s enjoy her while she’s here. Actually she hasn’t repeated a song in all the time I’ve been watching Kohaku Uta Gassen.
Wahh, that was great. I so remember that goofy-looking bird. I mean it’s an amazing piece of stagecraft when it stands still, but it moves so jerkily it looks like a vulture instead of a crane. I enjoyed watching it flap around, though. Grand spectacles are fun to watch too!
35. Kobukuro コブクロ(6) “Ryūsei” 流星
Lots of talking from the guests to buy Kobayashi time to exit the stage. I always think Kobukuro songs are just okay. How’s this one? Yeah. Same opinion. I can see how it would be the perfect J-drama song though, especially if they play it at overly emotional moments like they always do. Come to think of it, I haven’t watched a J-drama in at least 10 years.
36. Kana Uemura 植村花菜 (debut) “Toilet no Kamisama” トイレの神様
I remember this hit song of the year being hideously boring. Was I right? Whoa, it’s even more boring than I’d remembered. UGH. And so fake. From the lyrics basically she was selfish and mean to her family until her grandma died then made up stories about her grandma to get some money. I can’t believe Kohaku spent so much time on this tripe. Tch.
37. Arashi 嵐(2) “2010 Kōhaku Original Medley” 2010紅白オリジナルメドレー
They’re singing again. Haven’t they punished me enough? I think reading too many tabloid articles has filled me with a revulsion for Arashi that I don’t feel for most other J-boy bands. Not that I follow any of them, but either way it’s quite unfortunate. Not as unfortunate as the stalkerish lyrics to “Monster” but definitely up there.
Wow, those scenes from Gegege no Nyoubou… Such terrible acting. Every time I try to watch a J-drama, there’s always a hope that they’ve become less wooden and artificial in their acting but they never have. Especially when I compare them to other Asian dramas, the overacting is just too much. Anyway, that’s just by-the-by.
Hmph, I can play the piano too. And I can do without a long CM of my latest movie playing in the background. Nah, kidding. I appreciate the amount of work that goes into such a performance.
38. Ikimono-gakari いきものがかり (3) “Arigatō” ありがとう
I really like the thin gold bracelet and the thin gold ring on the singer’s hand. Looks like something easily stolen though, just swipe swipe swipe. The song itself is nice but they already made us listen to it 5 minutes ago so it’s like a rehash. Nice enough performance, very simple.
Special performance: Keisuke Kuwata “Sore yuke Baby!!” “Honto wa Kowai Ai to Romance” 特別出演：桑田佳祐「それ行けベイビー!!」「本当は怖い愛とロマンス」
This was the year after Kuwata’s return from cancer surgery. Glad he’s back and doing okay. But wow, he has really bad teeth. Smoker? I really like Southern All Stars when their lyrics aren’t too risque. I’ve been a big fan ever since I heard one of their songs as the ending to the Ooku drama. I couldn’t understand a word of the Japanese-only drama back then, but man did I fall crazy in love with the ED theme. But enough about me, how’s the music?
For some reason I remember “Sore yuke Baby” very clearly. Guess I liked it back then. And I like it too now. But I like “Hontou wa Kowai Ai to Romance” even more. Kowaaaaaiaiaiaai Ai to Roomance! I like it, it’s seriously catchy. The bunny girls look a bit uncomfortable though. Perhaps Kuwata’s reputation as a lech is not completely unfounded? Lol at him introducing the next performance at the end.
39. Sayuri Ishikawa 石川さゆり (33) “Amagi Goe” 天城越え
Again? I love Amagi Goe, but again? I’d like to hear some of her other enka songs next time if possible. First let’s rewind and watch Keisuke Kuwata again… Thus fortified, on, on we go.
This time the excuse is that the lyricist for the song passed away so she’s singing to honor him. Okay, I’ll buy that. Beautiful kimono. The song is the same as ever, but I really like what they did with the stage effects, especially the ground gradually filling with red from below. Very theatrical.
Brilliant! This is the song Sabu-chan performed on the first Kohaku I watched, and I clearly remember him getting some of the pieces of “snow” in his mouth, lol. Seems he avoided that fate this time. Nice song, but it probably wouldn’t work without the effects or something similar.
41. Fuyumi Sakamoto 坂本冬美 (22) “Mata Kimi ni Koishiteru” また君に恋してる
Ah, I was waiting for this. She sang it early on last year’s program and got such a good response that she was invited back to be last-but-one batter for the red team. As I said back then, I prefer the soothing tones of the original but somehow Sakamoto’s high-pitched voice makes it work as well. Good stuff.
42. Kiyoshi Hikawa 氷川きよし (11) “Nijiiro no Baiyon” 虹色のバイヨン
Huh, I was wondering where he had gone. I wonder if he’s still on Kohaku these days or whether his time is past. I’ll find out in another 10 years at the rate I’m going. The theme this year is “Arabian Prince.” Maybe Persian? It’s… colorful. The song is ordinary.
42. Dreams Come True “Ikite Yuku no Desu♡” feat. The Kohaku Special Brass Band 生きてゆくのです♡ feat. ザ紅白スペシャルブラスバンド
I’ve always wondered if Dreams Come True is really that popular in Japan, seeing how late they appear on the program in every Kohaku. I guess they are? Not a bad song, though my attention was caught more by Miwa’s lacy kimono. Surely I could have a good seamstress copy that… She’s energetic, I’ll give her that, but her voice sounds hoarse. Still the song grew on me the more I listened to it. AAAAI SHITERU tte motto itte~.
43. SMAP (18) “This is Love ’10 SP Medley” SPメドレー
The final performance at last! SMAP! Kusanagi has been popping up in my Youtube feed recently with his cooking videos, but I know if I watch one Youtube will start spamming me with SMAP vids so I don’t dare.
I’ve been thinking this for a while, but doesn’t Ohno have surprisingly few lines and close ups for the alleged leader of Arashi? Not that I care though. As for SMAP’s performance, somehow I feel more charitable towards them now they’re gone. It even feels nostalgic to see them. Nakai out of step with everyone, Goro looking so old and stern, Katori with his faux-goofy act… They really look like middle-aged businessmen in those suits lol. Also the “This is Love” song is horrible. I’m not lovin’ it. “Triangle” is a bit better, but not by much. And what a waste of good feathers.
Results
I think the White Team has it, TBH. I loved more of their performances, especially Keisuke Kuwata, Shinichi Mori and Yuzo Kayama. And even Exile. Let’s see if the rest of Japan agrees. The hall seems to be on the White side. I don’t envy the production guys whose job it was to create that medley over the course of the program. Yes! White Team won! It was close, though. Time for the traditional singing of Hotaru no Hikari (Auld Lang Syne) and yay, it’s over! See you next time!
