I am not lonely, so I don't have to sing "Happy Birthday to Me", but I am singing this today because I want to congratulate myself for getting here ... where I am at this point of my life. I think we forget to appreciate and congratulate ourselves sometimes for the work we have done in our life and if we are only to measure our achievements by the material goods that we own, then I think we are grossly undervalued. Of course there are many things that I don't have ... mostly material ... but I have many other wonders and miracles that money can't buy. I have my wonderful and loving family, lover, relatives, and friends, many of whom I am so thankful for, because of your grand acceptance of me, just for who I am.
For official purposes, I turn 34 today. Many of my friends lament that no one celebrates their birthdays after they turn 30 (or they just stop counting) but on the contrary, I love myself even more now than I was in any other time of my life. Sure I still have my insecurities, but I can comfortably say that I am happier than I have ever been. No longer do I feel like I have to impress or prove to someone, and I am comfortable in my own skin. There is still a long journey to walk upon, but the impressions are deeper.
Birthdays are also a time for gratitude and appreciation. So, I would like to thank my mother for bearing 17 hours or so of labour pains to bring me to this world and for everyone in my life, here and gone, that have taught me the valuable lesson of love and the joys of giving. I am richer everyday because of the life lessons I have learnt and I am still doing so everyday.
The other most important person I want to thank is my best friend who is also my partner, John, who is constantly testing and renewing my faith in love and I am constantly amazed by my ability to love, even when it hurts. Thank you for everything and I am looking forward to more in the future ...
Life is beautiful because there is always two sides to a story ... and I am thankful that I am able to walk on the sunny path and be thankful for all that I have in my life. Thank you to all lof you, my dearest for adding so many wonderful colours to my life journey ...
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
An Akinary Christmas!
I love X'Mas for all its reasons. All the sharing, the giving and the loving ... where for at least once a year, we think of someone else and what we can give to thank them for the year of friendship, support and love.
I have officially finished working for the rest of the year and was feeling rather tired tonight until I chanced upon this email that was sent from Danny Bunny, sharing this Akina X'Mas medley video which was sent from a fellow Akina fan to the VAMP site. Thank you so much!
I am a fan of Christmas carols but only if they reflect the good Christmas cheer and especially if they are the traditional Christmas songs. My favourite Christmas album of all time is "Christmas Portrait" (1978) from The Carpenters, which you will probably hear in most malls during X'Mas. It is the definitive Christmas album and Karen's voice brings out the warmth of a cheerful time and the loneliness some of us feel when we don't have anyone close to share this special season with.
I am not a big fan of Japanese X'Mas albums, especially when they attempt the standards, but I have only listened to mostly Seiko's Christmas albums, which are forgettable and her voice a little too saccharine for these classics. Therefore, it was with utmost surprise that I played this video and was totally refreshed by Akina's cheerful and effortless performance.
I don't usually associate the term "kawai (cute)" with Akina because she is usually more "kakoii (cool) than "kawai", but she is so cute in this video (which I believe was filmed in 1984?). She attempts the Christmas classics "Jingle Bells", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer" and "I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus", and she does it with such style. Her live performance is so much more energetic than all those Japanese studio Christmas recordings and has renewed the Christmas cheer for me. I love the way she stretches the end note of one of the verses of "Jingle Bells" with "Woo ..." and her voice, is so lovely and surprisingly suitable for these songs.
http://gazo05.chbox.jp/idol-classic/src/1133270703591.wmv
So, if you would like to share in my Christmas cheer, join us fans having a very Merry Akinary Christmas. It's a great way to start off the festive season and lastly, Thank you all for the wonderful joy you bring to my life ...
I have officially finished working for the rest of the year and was feeling rather tired tonight until I chanced upon this email that was sent from Danny Bunny, sharing this Akina X'Mas medley video which was sent from a fellow Akina fan to the VAMP site. Thank you so much!
I am a fan of Christmas carols but only if they reflect the good Christmas cheer and especially if they are the traditional Christmas songs. My favourite Christmas album of all time is "Christmas Portrait" (1978) from The Carpenters, which you will probably hear in most malls during X'Mas. It is the definitive Christmas album and Karen's voice brings out the warmth of a cheerful time and the loneliness some of us feel when we don't have anyone close to share this special season with.
I am not a big fan of Japanese X'Mas albums, especially when they attempt the standards, but I have only listened to mostly Seiko's Christmas albums, which are forgettable and her voice a little too saccharine for these classics. Therefore, it was with utmost surprise that I played this video and was totally refreshed by Akina's cheerful and effortless performance.
I don't usually associate the term "kawai (cute)" with Akina because she is usually more "kakoii (cool) than "kawai", but she is so cute in this video (which I believe was filmed in 1984?). She attempts the Christmas classics "Jingle Bells", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer" and "I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus", and she does it with such style. Her live performance is so much more energetic than all those Japanese studio Christmas recordings and has renewed the Christmas cheer for me. I love the way she stretches the end note of one of the verses of "Jingle Bells" with "Woo ..." and her voice, is so lovely and surprisingly suitable for these songs.
http://gazo05.chbox.jp/idol-classic/src/1133270703591.wmv
So, if you would like to share in my Christmas cheer, join us fans having a very Merry Akinary Christmas. It's a great way to start off the festive season and lastly, Thank you all for the wonderful joy you bring to my life ...
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Akina Bazaar in Singapore
Lelong ... Lelong ... (Note: Not Garanguni)
To show my support for the Akina Bazaar that was held by my fellow Akina VAMPires, 乱火, Dani & Kenji, I am promoting it on my blog to anyone who is in Singapore to go ahead and visit them!!
They are doing a great job in recreating Akina "awareness, recall, recognition and positive attitude creation" through this project and it would be fun for anyone who has ever listened to JPop, to immerse themselves again in a wave of nostalgia.
For a full report of the past weekend, please read this enthusiatic report from our Usagi chan, Dani! Since I am not able to go there personally, I wanted to be there in spirit and judging from the photos (courtesy of Dani), they have done a fantastic job! Well done, guys! Akina will be so proud of all of you!
Please kindly introduce yourself as James' friends and hopefully, they will take good care of you. They are a really kind and fun lot, so please go there and enjoy yourself! Hopefully, I will get a report from some of you who were there ...
To show my support for the Akina Bazaar that was held by my fellow Akina VAMPires, 乱火, Dani & Kenji, I am promoting it on my blog to anyone who is in Singapore to go ahead and visit them!!
They are doing a great job in recreating Akina "awareness, recall, recognition and positive attitude creation" through this project and it would be fun for anyone who has ever listened to JPop, to immerse themselves again in a wave of nostalgia.
For a full report of the past weekend, please read this enthusiatic report from our Usagi chan, Dani! Since I am not able to go there personally, I wanted to be there in spirit and judging from the photos (courtesy of Dani), they have done a fantastic job! Well done, guys! Akina will be so proud of all of you!
Please kindly introduce yourself as James' friends and hopefully, they will take good care of you. They are a really kind and fun lot, so please go there and enjoy yourself! Hopefully, I will get a report from some of you who were there ...
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Akina In The House!
初めて出逢った日のように ...
The screaming occurred the moment the images of Dani, Kenji and 乱火 appeared on MSN . Just like the first day I met Dani ... there was screaming all around when he realised that Leslie was my friend, and just like the first time I linked up with these guys and Hamu, it was friends at the first sight ...
It was my first trans-atlantic Akina listening party for her newest single 「落花流水」(click on the link for a preview), in fact my first listening party period. I have not seen them since July when we all attended Akina's concert in Tokyo and then another gathering back in Singapore when I first met Kenji, but we have become fast friends and definitely an Akina family club.
Since I have not received the single yet from Japan, 乱火 was very kind to rip it into an mp3 file, so that we could play it simultaneously at both ends of the world via webcam ... and the end result was exhilarating. The moment the first strings hit, there was so much screaming I had to turn down the volume of the speakers from the webcam. It was so good to be able to share these emotions with them all, watching them imitate previous Akina dance movements from 「月華」 and screaming "Omigod! I can't believe it. It's so good.", I was laughing so hard I could hardly concentrate fully on the song. Unconsciously, I was bopping around to the song and caught Dani's attention, which attracted more laughter all around. As the music flowed and Akina's vocals enthralled, we were all caught in mesmerised states of ecstasy. Akina's definitely back in the house!!
It is her first exciting single in many years and many Japanese Akina fans have been generally raving about the new single, describing it to be similar to her previous ethnic songs like 「AL-MAUJ」 and 「原始、女は太陽だった」. Unfortunately, these songs are not one of my favourites of Akina, so I was hoping for something different and more refreshing, and thankfully, I was not disappointed.
It is "exotic" like 「二人静 「天河伝説殺人事件」より」 and 「月華」 but is more exciting due to the uptempo beat of the song. Akina also sounds more assuring and powerful than she has done for quite some time, injecting much strength and refreshment into the song. It is definitely fitting to the period drama 「天下騒乱 徳川三代の陰謀」 that it is the theme song for, and hopefully, it will be featured heavily during the broadcast to attract more buyers. Bring back the old and generate new fans!
The couping song, which is a 2005 revival of her mega hit 「Desire」 follows closely to the arrangement of the original but is given a rockish revamp, and seems tailored for a Kokahu performance that never materialised. Still, it is a good sign that with this new single, Akina has given us fans a breath of fresh air to face the new year with her!
For a more energetic review, please read Dani's review on VAMP, which we are so proud of (Thanks for your very generous compliments on me as well), which if you have not visited for months, is a good time for another revival because it is filled with lots of Akina goodies, including past performances (video), Akina song mixes, gossips and facts that you never knew about Akina. Please also visit my very dear other Akina family websites, like Hamu, 乱火, Dani, Kenji and new friends DJ Suzy and CJ, where you will be able to find out more about Akina!
On another note, I have just received a very early birthday card from Akina (courtesy of Faithway):
It's so nice to think that Akina might know her birthday greetings reaches all the way to Australia now!
Akina has also revealed her song list for her new Best Collection due out on 11th Jan 「BEST FINGER～25TH ANNIVERSARY SELECTION」 and they are as follows:
1 落花流水
2 スローモーション
3 DESIRE-情熱-
4 少女A
5 初めて出逢った日のように
6 北ウイング
7 十戒（1984）
8 Days
9 ミ・アモーレ[Meu amore...]
10 TATTOO
11 1／2の神話
12 難破船
13 赤い花
14 The Heat〜musica fiesta〜
15 TANGO NOIR
16 飾りじゃないのよ涙は
17 華-HANA- (coupling song for 「Days」)
She has assembled many of her past No. 1 hits and it follows the trendof her past "vocal remixes" that she only selects songs from her Warner Glory Years. Nothing from the mid-late 90s, which could be indicative of a period that Akina was at one of her lowest points of her life and would rather forget about them.
Lastly, Hamu found this interesting note on a website, which links 3 members of our Akina family site to an "Akina Ring", even though none of us had actually signed up for it. Interesting to know that anonymous Akina fans could be accessing my blog right now.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Australia's Favourite Film
Australia has chosen their favourite films of all time. One of my "must-see" TV programs on ABC (Australian Broadcasting Centre), "At the Movies" asked its viewers to go onto their website two months ago to choose their favourite film and the results were revealed yesterday night, and here are the Top 10 results:
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
2. Amelie
3. Blade Runner
4. The Shawshank Redemption
5. Donnie Darko
6. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
7. Pulp Fiction
8. The Princess Bride
9. Gone With The Wind
10. Fight Club
Here are the results for the Top 100 list (actually Top 102 because the top film is a trilogy).
I counted the movies and had watched a total of 66 movies from the list. I have to stress again that this is a viewer's poll, not a critics poll. Still, I am very surprised that "The Princess Bride" made it to the Top 10. My personal choice was "The Sound Of Music", a purely sentimental choice that came in at No. 11, just missing out on the Top 10. It was the first movie I ever watched, and my Mum, who did not understand much Engish, loved this movie for the beautiful songs. I have since watched it countless times, and though it was very difficult to choose a No. 1, I surprised many people who know me with my choice. However, if I had to select a Best Hollywood Film based on artistic merit, my choice would have to be "Casablanca".
The forum had quite a few people choosing their Top 10 films of all time, and I found that task impossible. I did however find plenty of joy tabulating my favourite Top 10 foreign movies and in no particular order, they are:
(1) Tokyo Monogatari 東京物語 (Tokyo Story) - dir. Yasujro Ozu (1953) - I have reviewed this extraordinary film before in August.
(2) Hotaru no Haka 火垂るの墓 (Grave Of The Fireflies) - Isao Takahata (Studio Ghibli) (1988) - This movie changed the face of anime. In perceiving that animation can only be used to depict fantasy and happy scenes, this depressing World War II movie drew many tears of sorrow from its fans (including me) and offers people a view of what Japan was like during the War.
(3) Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi 千と千尋の神隠し (Spirited Away) (- dir Miyazaki Hayao (Studio Ghibli) (2002) - The first anime from Studio Ghibli that I ever watched, and Iwas hooked from that moment on. This Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature combines "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Wizard of Oz" and transports every viewer back into their childhood fantasies. Priceless!
(4) Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amélie) - dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet - There are only a few rare films in life that makes you feel like life is beautiful and that helping others is a virtue that should be practised every day. This is one magical ride ...
(5) Vozvrashcheniye (The Return) - dir. Andrei Zvyagintsev (2002) - A stark and haunting film about a father's return after a 14 year absence and the fishing trip the two young sons take with their father, which explores deep into every man's relationship with their father. Startling!
(6) Diarios de motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries) - dir. Walter Salles (2004) - A biographical account of young Che Guvera and his experiences while travelling with his buddy on a motorcycle trip. The trip changes his outlook in life forever and he finds the role he's meant to live in life. Inspirational!
(7) Hsi Yen - 囍宴 - (The Wedding Banquet) - dir. Ang Lee (1993) - My first Ang Lee movie is this unforgettable tale of a gay man tries to hide his homosexuality by marrying this woman, and things start getting more complicated in the process. Hilarious and real! It could happen to anyone and probably still is ...
(8) Ikiru 生きる (To Live) - dir. Akira Kurosawa (1952) - Akira Kurosawa's human drama about an old salaryman coming to terms with his terminal illness, and realising that he has not lived life to the fullest. A depiction of the Japanese society then but still resonates in today's world.
(9) Fa Yeung Nin Wa 花樣年華 (In the Mood For Love) - dir. Wong Kar Wai (2002) - I wasn't a fan of Wong Kar Wai till this beautiful movie starring two of my favourite actors. Who could forget the love between these two neighbours suspecting their partners of extra marital affairs while forming a special bond between themselves.
(10) La Vita è bella (Life is Beautiful) - dir. Roberto Benigni (1997) - For me, this movie is most poignant at the end where shock is quickly transformed into tears of sorrow at the great sacrific that one can have for love. It is one of those rare movies that can transform a serious and tragic story into one of love, humour and triumph!
So, what are some of your favourite movies and did they end up in the Top 100? What did you think of Australian's choice?
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
2. Amelie
3. Blade Runner
4. The Shawshank Redemption
5. Donnie Darko
6. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
7. Pulp Fiction
8. The Princess Bride
9. Gone With The Wind
10. Fight Club
Here are the results for the Top 100 list (actually Top 102 because the top film is a trilogy).
I counted the movies and had watched a total of 66 movies from the list. I have to stress again that this is a viewer's poll, not a critics poll. Still, I am very surprised that "The Princess Bride" made it to the Top 10. My personal choice was "The Sound Of Music", a purely sentimental choice that came in at No. 11, just missing out on the Top 10. It was the first movie I ever watched, and my Mum, who did not understand much Engish, loved this movie for the beautiful songs. I have since watched it countless times, and though it was very difficult to choose a No. 1, I surprised many people who know me with my choice. However, if I had to select a Best Hollywood Film based on artistic merit, my choice would have to be "Casablanca".
The forum had quite a few people choosing their Top 10 films of all time, and I found that task impossible. I did however find plenty of joy tabulating my favourite Top 10 foreign movies and in no particular order, they are:
(1) Tokyo Monogatari 東京物語 (Tokyo Story) - dir. Yasujro Ozu (1953) - I have reviewed this extraordinary film before in August.
(2) Hotaru no Haka 火垂るの墓 (Grave Of The Fireflies) - Isao Takahata (Studio Ghibli) (1988) - This movie changed the face of anime. In perceiving that animation can only be used to depict fantasy and happy scenes, this depressing World War II movie drew many tears of sorrow from its fans (including me) and offers people a view of what Japan was like during the War.
(3) Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi 千と千尋の神隠し (Spirited Away) (- dir Miyazaki Hayao (Studio Ghibli) (2002) - The first anime from Studio Ghibli that I ever watched, and Iwas hooked from that moment on. This Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature combines "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Wizard of Oz" and transports every viewer back into their childhood fantasies. Priceless!
(4) Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amélie) - dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet - There are only a few rare films in life that makes you feel like life is beautiful and that helping others is a virtue that should be practised every day. This is one magical ride ...
(5) Vozvrashcheniye (The Return) - dir. Andrei Zvyagintsev (2002) - A stark and haunting film about a father's return after a 14 year absence and the fishing trip the two young sons take with their father, which explores deep into every man's relationship with their father. Startling!
(6) Diarios de motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries) - dir. Walter Salles (2004) - A biographical account of young Che Guvera and his experiences while travelling with his buddy on a motorcycle trip. The trip changes his outlook in life forever and he finds the role he's meant to live in life. Inspirational!
(7) Hsi Yen - 囍宴 - (The Wedding Banquet) - dir. Ang Lee (1993) - My first Ang Lee movie is this unforgettable tale of a gay man tries to hide his homosexuality by marrying this woman, and things start getting more complicated in the process. Hilarious and real! It could happen to anyone and probably still is ...
(8) Ikiru 生きる (To Live) - dir. Akira Kurosawa (1952) - Akira Kurosawa's human drama about an old salaryman coming to terms with his terminal illness, and realising that he has not lived life to the fullest. A depiction of the Japanese society then but still resonates in today's world.
(9) Fa Yeung Nin Wa 花樣年華 (In the Mood For Love) - dir. Wong Kar Wai (2002) - I wasn't a fan of Wong Kar Wai till this beautiful movie starring two of my favourite actors. Who could forget the love between these two neighbours suspecting their partners of extra marital affairs while forming a special bond between themselves.
(10) La Vita è bella (Life is Beautiful) - dir. Roberto Benigni (1997) - For me, this movie is most poignant at the end where shock is quickly transformed into tears of sorrow at the great sacrific that one can have for love. It is one of those rare movies that can transform a serious and tragic story into one of love, humour and triumph!
So, what are some of your favourite movies and did they end up in the Top 100? What did you think of Australian's choice?
Friday, December 02, 2005
Consolation for Akina Fans Worldwide
The only consolation at the moment for us Akina fans is that Universal Japan, which is still technically Akina's record company has just updated her website at Universal. And I love this photo:
It is quite a surpise considering that Avex is the company that is releasing her DVD next year and there are rumours that she is changing record companies, that Universal would spend the money to update her website. Nonetheless, the updates are great and makes for much better viewing.
Universal is also releasing her new best collection on the same date as the DVD next year, oddly named "Best Finger - 25th Anniversary Selection". Akina fans have generally "condemned" the name "Best Finger?" but I think she was making a reference to the fact that she selected the songs that includes all her Universal J singles 2005 renewals of some of her old hits like 「北ウイング」「Desire ～情熱～」「少女A」「十戒」「1/2の神話」. The song list is yet to be confirmed but it is anticipated to contain 15-16 tracks.
Well, it looks like Akina will hopefully have a busier next year starting off with her new single「落花流水」 out next week on 7th December and more TV appearances please!
(Official Cover Art)
It is quite a surpise considering that Avex is the company that is releasing her DVD next year and there are rumours that she is changing record companies, that Universal would spend the money to update her website. Nonetheless, the updates are great and makes for much better viewing.
Universal is also releasing her new best collection on the same date as the DVD next year, oddly named "Best Finger - 25th Anniversary Selection". Akina fans have generally "condemned" the name "Best Finger?" but I think she was making a reference to the fact that she selected the songs that includes all her Universal J singles 2005 renewals of some of her old hits like 「北ウイング」「Desire ～情熱～」「少女A」「十戒」「1/2の神話」. The song list is yet to be confirmed but it is anticipated to contain 15-16 tracks.
Well, it looks like Akina will hopefully have a busier next year starting off with her new single「落花流水」 out next week on 7th December and more TV appearances please!
(Official Cover Art)
Thursday, December 01, 2005
第56回 NHK紅白歌合戦」の出場歌手 (Updated)
残念です. (Disappointing).
After all the huppla, Akina has once again not been invited this year. Although I held some hope that she might be fortunate enough, there was always the incidents at the 2002 紅白 that left an impression that she will not be invited ... maybe ever again. It was also speculated that it was because she does not officially belong to any record company and record companies usually get to select who they want to send up to 紅白.
This is the list as follows:
紅組
A I （初）
ａｉｋｏ （4）
石 川 さ ゆ り （28）
伊 藤 由 奈 （初）
大 塚 愛 （2）
川 中 美 幸 （18）
倉 木 麻 衣 （3）
香 西 か お り （13）
倖 田 來 未 （初）
小 林 幸 子 （27）
ゴ リ エ （初）
坂 本 冬 美 （17）
島 谷 ひ と み （4）
鈴 木 亜 美 （3）
天 童 よ し み （10）
DREAMS COME TRUE （10）
中 島 美 嘉 （4）
長 山 洋 子 （12）
夏 川 り み （4）
浜 崎 あ ゆ み （7）
一 青 窈 （3）
平 原 綾 香 （2）
藤 あ や 子 （14）
Ｂ ｏ Ａ （4）
松 浦 亜 弥 & DEF.DIVA （5）（初）
松任谷由実with Friends Of Love The Earth （初）
水 森 か お り （3）
モ ー ニ ン グ 娘 。 （8）
森 山 良 子 （10）
渡 辺 美 里 （初）
白組
ア リ ス （2）
五 木 ひ ろ し （35）
ｗ－ｉｎｄｓ． （4）
m-flo Akiko Wada （初）（29）
氣 志 團 （2）
北 島 三 郎 （42）
北 山 た け し （初）
グ ル ー プ 魂 （初）
C H E M I S T R Y （5）
ゴ ス ペ ラ ー ズ （5）
コ ブ ク ロ （初）
さ だ ま さ し （17）
ス キ マ ス イ ッ チ （初）
S M A P （13）
T.M. Revolution （3）
Ｄ － ５ １ （初）
Ｄｅｆ Ｔｅｃｈ （初）
Ｔ Ｏ Ｋ Ｉ Ｏ （12）
鳥 羽 一 郎 （18）
氷 川 き よ し （6）
布 施 明 （21）
細 川 た か し （31）
ポルノグラフィティ （4）
前 川 清 （15）
美 川 憲 一 （22）
森 進 一 （38）
森 山 直 太 朗 （2）
山 川 豊 （11）
山 崎 ま さ よ し （初）
W a T （初）
There are a few surprises on the list. Other than Wada Akiko (和田アキ子) performing for the White Team this year, there are surprisingly lesser 歌謡曲＆演歌. A few other singers that surprised everyone by not appearing on the list are: ORANGE RANGE、平井堅、Gackt、EXILE, especially 平井堅 who is so popular currently. The other surpise is that 松任谷由実 has finally decided to make an appearance but it will be via satellite with her friends, including Dick Lee, making him the first Singaporean to appear in the program. The other singer that I look forward to seeing is 渡 辺 美 里, who was selected because she was rather active this year.
（１）今年のヒット曲［シングル・アルバム・DVD等の売り上げ］
（２）スキウタ・アンケートの結果
（３）のど自慢の予選で多くうたわれた曲目および歌手
Looking from the list, the main criteria is still the hits of this year and if the singer they selected did not have a hit this year, then it would be a singer they view with pride. As Terence and many others pointed out, the poll results does not have any effect on them because there is no significant female (or even male) representative from the 70s and 80s.
Even though Misato (渡 辺 美 里) is from the 80s, she was mainly selected because she was active this year and did achieve quite good charting and sales results. If NHK really wanted to listen to the fans, then they would have invited more singers from the Top 100 list. If they believe that it is the young audience they are attracting to watch because they have included so many younger singers, they will be proven wrong, because it is the older audience (30-50 years old) that still remember 紅白 fondly and want to see singers that we are familiar with. The newer singers can be seen on any new music program and it doesn't make it essential viewing. Now that they have lost us and the younger audience probably want to go out partying than watching 紅白 (which is the old tradition), I will not be surprised if the viewership falls again this year.
I wonder how this will have an impact because I am sure many fans will protest that all the voting was for nothing. Even if they do have the poll again next year, I doubt I will be as interested.
So, the suspense is over and I am relieved, regardless of the results. I guess Akina will have to work harder next year and she should hold a Countdown concert like Seiko does at the end of the year, and decline to ever appear on 紅白 again.
After all the huppla, Akina has once again not been invited this year. Although I held some hope that she might be fortunate enough, there was always the incidents at the 2002 紅白 that left an impression that she will not be invited ... maybe ever again. It was also speculated that it was because she does not officially belong to any record company and record companies usually get to select who they want to send up to 紅白.
This is the list as follows:
紅組
A I （初）
ａｉｋｏ （4）
石 川 さ ゆ り （28）
伊 藤 由 奈 （初）
大 塚 愛 （2）
川 中 美 幸 （18）
倉 木 麻 衣 （3）
香 西 か お り （13）
倖 田 來 未 （初）
小 林 幸 子 （27）
ゴ リ エ （初）
坂 本 冬 美 （17）
島 谷 ひ と み （4）
鈴 木 亜 美 （3）
天 童 よ し み （10）
DREAMS COME TRUE （10）
中 島 美 嘉 （4）
長 山 洋 子 （12）
夏 川 り み （4）
浜 崎 あ ゆ み （7）
一 青 窈 （3）
平 原 綾 香 （2）
藤 あ や 子 （14）
Ｂ ｏ Ａ （4）
松 浦 亜 弥 & DEF.DIVA （5）（初）
松任谷由実with Friends Of Love The Earth （初）
水 森 か お り （3）
モ ー ニ ン グ 娘 。 （8）
森 山 良 子 （10）
渡 辺 美 里 （初）
白組
ア リ ス （2）
五 木 ひ ろ し （35）
ｗ－ｉｎｄｓ． （4）
m-flo Akiko Wada （初）（29）
氣 志 團 （2）
北 島 三 郎 （42）
北 山 た け し （初）
グ ル ー プ 魂 （初）
C H E M I S T R Y （5）
ゴ ス ペ ラ ー ズ （5）
コ ブ ク ロ （初）
さ だ ま さ し （17）
ス キ マ ス イ ッ チ （初）
S M A P （13）
T.M. Revolution （3）
Ｄ － ５ １ （初）
Ｄｅｆ Ｔｅｃｈ （初）
Ｔ Ｏ Ｋ Ｉ Ｏ （12）
鳥 羽 一 郎 （18）
氷 川 き よ し （6）
布 施 明 （21）
細 川 た か し （31）
ポルノグラフィティ （4）
前 川 清 （15）
美 川 憲 一 （22）
森 進 一 （38）
森 山 直 太 朗 （2）
山 川 豊 （11）
山 崎 ま さ よ し （初）
W a T （初）
There are a few surprises on the list. Other than Wada Akiko (和田アキ子) performing for the White Team this year, there are surprisingly lesser 歌謡曲＆演歌. A few other singers that surprised everyone by not appearing on the list are: ORANGE RANGE、平井堅、Gackt、EXILE, especially 平井堅 who is so popular currently. The other surpise is that 松任谷由実 has finally decided to make an appearance but it will be via satellite with her friends, including Dick Lee, making him the first Singaporean to appear in the program. The other singer that I look forward to seeing is 渡 辺 美 里, who was selected because she was rather active this year.
Update:
This was the selection criteria for this year's selection.
NHKによると今年の紅白の選考基準は…（１）今年のヒット曲［シングル・アルバム・DVD等の売り上げ］
（２）スキウタ・アンケートの結果
（３）のど自慢の予選で多くうたわれた曲目および歌手
Looking from the list, the main criteria is still the hits of this year and if the singer they selected did not have a hit this year, then it would be a singer they view with pride. As Terence and many others pointed out, the poll results does not have any effect on them because there is no significant female (or even male) representative from the 70s and 80s.
Even though Misato (渡 辺 美 里) is from the 80s, she was mainly selected because she was active this year and did achieve quite good charting and sales results. If NHK really wanted to listen to the fans, then they would have invited more singers from the Top 100 list. If they believe that it is the young audience they are attracting to watch because they have included so many younger singers, they will be proven wrong, because it is the older audience (30-50 years old) that still remember 紅白 fondly and want to see singers that we are familiar with. The newer singers can be seen on any new music program and it doesn't make it essential viewing. Now that they have lost us and the younger audience probably want to go out partying than watching 紅白 (which is the old tradition), I will not be surprised if the viewership falls again this year.
I wonder how this will have an impact because I am sure many fans will protest that all the voting was for nothing. Even if they do have the poll again next year, I doubt I will be as interested.
So, the suspense is over and I am relieved, regardless of the results. I guess Akina will have to work harder next year and she should hold a Countdown concert like Seiko does at the end of the year, and decline to ever appear on 紅白 again.
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