From our other sites
The story
On November 13, NHK announced the lineup for the Kōhaku Uta Gassen (Red vs. White Song Battle), confirming first-time appearances by EBiDAN, Monaki, Ayumu Imazu, Aぇ! group, and CUTIE STREET. For EBiDAN, this marks their first Kōhaku appearance in the 15th year since the group’s formation.
On 5ch’s Entertainment & Sports News+ board, many posters admitted they didn’t recognize the faces or names of these new groups, while others pointed out that slots for former Johnny’s & Associates-affiliated acts had noticeably shrunk. Talk also centered on Ryoko Moriyama’s 11th Kōhaku appearance — her first in 21 years — and acts reportedly left off the list, like JuiceJuice, with users closely dissecting who made the cut and who didn’t.
Daily Sports
11.13
EBiDAN, Monaki, and Ayumu Imazu Make Their Kōhaku Debut! Lineup Announced on the 13th — EBiDAN Says ‘Yes!’ to Their 15th Anniversary
Source: daily.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
They're blowing up on TikTok
Plus the sub-groups inside EBiDAN have gotten popular too, so event lottery tickets are hard to win now
Even the free events got so packed they had to cancel them
EBiDAN
Takanori Nishikawa
Monaki
Aぇ! group
Ryoko Moriyama
CUTIE STREET
That excuse doesn't fly when EBiDAN and MILK are already on the lineup
https://hayabusa9.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/mnewsplus/1794517462/
They sure like keeping us waiting
Even an old geezer's gotta know CUTIE STREET at least
Maybe they should rename it the 'Red vs. White Kids' Dance Recital'
This year's Kōhaku counter-programming:
NTV — TBD
TV Asahi — Zawatsuku! Ōmisoka
TBS — TBD
TV Tokyo — Solitary Gourmet (tentative)
Fuji TV — Tsukkomi Comedian No. 1 Championship: Tsukkomi Star
They just run endless Kōhaku promos, then toss in a token 'Meanwhile, our station will be airing XX, please tune in' as an afterthought
Please use responsibly
CUTIE STREET
Who?
I think you oughta at least know CUTIE STREET — you hear about them a lot even if you're not an idol otaku
Like that 'Mia Amore' type thing
JuiceJuice
This one and Equal Love are pretty much locks
It's read 'Ee Group' (like the Kansai word for 'good')
Background and Key Points
In recent years, NHK’s Kōhaku has leaned toward booking younger-skewing groups that built their fanbase on social platforms like TikTok before gaining mainstream TV recognition, and this year’s first-time appearances by EBiDAN, Aぇ! group, and CUTIE STREET fit that pattern. The thread split along two lines: plain ‘I don’t know who these people are’ reactions, and comments flagging the generational shift as slots for former Johnny’s-affiliated acts noticeably shrank — both reactions leaning more toward simple surprise than outright approval or backlash. One point worth clarifying for readers: the term ‘Johnny’s’ can be misleading, since the former Johnny’s & Associates agency was dissolved following the 2023 sexual abuse scandal, and its talent have since moved on to new agencies including STARTO ENTERTAINMENT. The name used in the thread is just shorthand, not the name of any agency that still exists today.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “[Kōhaku] EBIDAN, Monaki, Ayumu Imazu, Aぇ! group, and CUTIE STREET Make Their Kōhaku Debut! Lineup Announced on the 13th.”
Leave a Reply