2015

I love the new year because it gives me the opportunity to write my New Year resolutions (note the plural) that nobody care to know and that I don’t bother to try achieve.

So what are my resolutions this year? I actually don’t have any.

The End.

There’s something about the 65th Annual Red-White Songfest (hereafter Kohaku) that I would like to comment on though. For the past four New Year Eves, I had been watching the Red-White Songfest even though many people were more glued to ガキの使いやあらへんで!! 笑ってはいけない (hereafter Gakizuka), the famous show where comedians get whacked in the butt if they laugh. However, this year, I was on Gakizuka throughout the entire night and never watched a single bit of Kohaku. Reason being that I saw the Kohaku performance list.

浜崎あゆみ (Hamasaki Ayumi) used to open the annual event followed by several powerhouse vocalists, best-selling artistes, and revered Enka singers. This year, there still were many great musicians and while I wasn’t too impressed by the overkill of the AKB franchise with all AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, and HKT48 appearing, I wasn’t overly bothered by it. But when I saw the order of performance with HKT48 opening the show, I gave up watching it altogether. I’m not much of a performer myself but I think any show should open strong and finish strong. While I think HKT48 has the most number of good-looking girls in the franchise, I don’t think opening with them was the best choice. If opening on a high and energetic note is desired, E-girls would’ve been a better choice anytime with stronger vocals and professional dance skills.

After the recent disappointing top 20 annual CD singles sales ranking 2014, the 65th Kohaku was a shocking follow-up.

But that is after all my personal opinion, and I didn’t watch it. I wouldn’t deny the possibility of me liking the whole idea If I had watched it. In any case, I didn’t regret it as Gakizuka was hilarious.