On December 31st, B’z appeared on the 75th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen, which was broadcast live from the NHK Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo. The surprise performance of the song has been met with a great response. Making their first appearance at the “Kohaku” 36 years after their debut, B’z performed “Illumination,” the theme song for the currently airing NHK drama series “Omusubi.” At first glance it seemed to be a recorded footage, but at the end of the VTR the two appeared to be walking from a special stage, and then appeared live on stage at NHK Hall. It was a complete surprise that even the hosts, Hiroiki Ariyoshi, Kanna Hashimoto, and Sari Ito, were unaware of. At NHK Hall, B’z performed their popular songs “Love Phantom” and “Ultra Soul” back to back. The excitement in the venue reached its peak. After the stage, Hashimoto looked shocked and held her head, saying excitedly, “It’s so great! What a surprise!” This caused a big stir online. The response has been overwhelming, with comments such as, “It was the best,” “It was the most exciting moment I’ve had this year,” and “I’m so jealous of the people who were there.” Furthermore, after the performance, announcer Naoko Suzuki announced, “There was a bit of equipment trouble with the microphones of the members of B’z just now,” but this still dominated trends on X with comments such as “We were so excited we couldn’t even tell,” “It was an amazing performance that didn’t make you feel the trouble,” and “It’s a happy New Year’s Eve to be able to see B’z on Kohaku.” [B’z] “Illumination” Theme song for the TV drama “Omusubi” [B’z] “Love Phantom” A big hit from 1995 [B’z] “Ultra Soul” The audience at NHK Hall stood up ★1: 2024/12/31 (Tue) 22:10:56.15.
>>9 I was watching it live and it was a real surprise. However, when B’z was performing, the stage was covered in black and the audience was excited, and then Kanna Hashimoto or Sari Ito? commented that they were performing from the studio, and the whole audience sighed.
Sano Hayato, a guest on the Red and White Song Battle in his 20s, said that the first time he joined a fan club and went to a live concert, it was B’z, and he was so excited.
If I think back, the last time ado performed that song he said it sounded like Ultra Soul, but who would have thought that a year later we would actually hear the real Ultra Soul at Kohaku.
>>21 The kids were like, “Why didn’t they just have B’z be the final act?” It’s like a completely different show, but the atmosphere might be the same as when Sabu-chan was the final act.
They get the cast to say uninspired comments like “It’s the best,” then have vendors post praising them online, and finally compile it into a kotatsu article in the sports paper. It’s a typical NHK style these days. They’re so desperate it’s off-putting.
I expected them to come to the venue. They’re the kind of people who care about live performances. But Matsumoto-san is already like a grandpa lol, he’s gotten too old. He’s turning into Tamo-san.
He was made fun of by the B’z gang and I thought he was over as an old guy, but he’s made a full comeback. Being impersonated brings him down, so why don’t you make him stop?
When I heard they were going to be on Kohaku, I thought, “It’s 25 years too late, isn’t it? What can an artist past their prime do?” but they stole the show. I’ve always thought Ultra Soul wasn’t a very exciting song, but seeing how the audience got excited made me think, “That’s not it.”
I’m not a fan at all, but when they were doing a separate recording of a song I’d never heard before, I thought they were being silly, but when the intro to “Let’s throw away everything we don’t need” came on, I was like, Whoaaaaaaaaaaa. And when “Let’s throw away everything we don’t need” came on, I was sure that “Ultra Soul! Yes!” was coming too, which got me even more excited. And I was glad that the guys at the venue were shouting “Yes!” properly.
Especially rock fans like this, who would probably turn down the offer to play familiar songs, but I was impressed by how they were so committed to the Ultra Soul Preservation Society.
>>45 “Preservation Society” sounds like a traditional festival lol But the fact that it’s so predictable and people get excited whether they like it or not, in a sense, it’s like a festival = I wonder if that song stimulates something engraved in the DNA of Japanese people.
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