J-Canuck's Fantasy Kohaku Utagassen II: The WHITE Team

A few hours ago, I completed my "Fantasy Kohaku Utagassen II: Red Team" list...a shorter list, to be sure. Now, let me go on to the White team of male performers.

1. Masayuki Suzuki -- Love Romantic

I'm confessing this, but Martin has actually shown up on the first Fantasy Kohaku. However, when I learned that he was not going to appear on this year's real Kohaku next Tuesday with "Love Romantic", I was pretty disappointed, and that was the catalyst triggering me to come up with the Fantasy Kohaku Utagassen II lists. Man, I would have wanted him to be up on the stage. To be honest, it doesn't happen all that often that an anison for a show on one of the commercial networks would get its due on NHK, but still, this is one cool song manned by one cool dude in his sixties who just emanates charisma in his performances.

2. Kazumasa Oda -- Love Story wa Totsuzen ni

As with Masayuki Suzuki（鈴木雅之）, this is perhaps another hedge because Kazumasa Oda's（小田和正）old band, Off-Course（オフコース）, has also been mentioned in the first White team list back in 2015. However, I've always thought that Oda's solo work and the works of Off-Course were always different. So, using that loophole, why not have him come to Shibuya to perform that theme song from that Japanese drama? It would truly be a special moment since Oda has never been the most comfortable fellow on television.

3. Daishiro Masuiyama -- Yuko no O-Mise

The enka/Mood Kayo contributions have been difficult. Many of the singers have pretty much permanent resident status when it comes to the Kohaku. I mean, some of the legends possess double-digit status well into the 30s regarding the number of their appearances and what they have sung. Saburo Kitajima（北島三郎）even hit 50 appearances. So how am I ever gonna be able to follow my own rules here?

Well, interestingly enough, a sumo wrestler-turned-enka/Mood Kayo singer that I've been seeing in recent years on the regular NHK programs, Daishiro Masuiyama（増位山太志郎）, apparently has yet to get his invitation to the Kohaku. I'm surprised since I've cottoned on to his songs over the years and had thought he already had a few appearances under his belt (...or mawashi?).

4. Original Love -- Primal

I don't think Takao Tajima（田島貴男）has ever appeared on the Kohaku so I believe I'm safe here. It would be nice to have a ballad after the above uptempo songs. "Primal" is one lush love song, too. If Tajima ever plays this, I want those full strings behind him as they were on the CD single that I bought years ago.

5. AB'S -- In The City Night

Perhaps Van Paugam and Rocket Brown would like my choice here. I guess that I gotta have my White team City Pop entry along with the one that I have on the Red team. AB'S can take the baton smoothly from Takako Mamiya（間宮貴子）when she goes off-stage and still perform in front of that skyscraper background. There's nothing like having more of that slap bass in a Kohaku performance.

6. Kirinji -- Aliens

If I had the full lineup of performers on my Kohaku, I would probably place Kirinji（キリンジ）on after a whole spate of uptempo performers. "Aliens" is one of those songs that would make for a fine breather ballad to simply listen and appreciate. Y'know, the Horigome brothers have never been on the show, perhaps from NHK not giving out the invitation or maybe they have even politely declined the opportunity, but I think they would make for a fine addition to the team nonetheless.

7. Shinji Harada -- Candy

I guess once in every Kohaku generation, there will be that whimsical White team entertainer with a certain je ne sais pas pop flair. Recently, it's been Gen Hoshino（星野源）, some 30 years previously it was probably KAN and then even earlier in the 1970s, it was Shinji Harada（原田真二）. I'm still getting to know this boy wonder through his music, and he actually did perform "Time Travel" at the 1978 show. However, that was the only time he's been invited, and I wouldn't mind him coming through time to perform "Candy".

Good heavens! I got the lists done before midnight. You can also have a look at the much larger 2015 list for the White team.