Geinoujin Kakuzuke CHECK! This is the real first-class product! 2017 New Year’s Day Special

Broadcasting on January 1 2017 (Sun)　6:00 p.m. ~ 9:00 p.m.!

MC: Hamada Masatoshi ・Ito Shiro ・Hirodo Ayumi (ABC announcer)

Guests: Team Ogosho: Mita Yoshiko, Takahashi Hideki
Team HoriPro: Wada Akiko, Yamase Mami
Team Nakayoshi: Nakayama Miho, Wentz Eiji
Team GACKT: GACKT, Horie Takafumi
Team Nippon no Maeda (Japan’s Maeda’s): Maeda Gin, Maeda Kenta
Team Qualifying Celebrities: Qualifying celebrities
Team Nogizaka: Shiraishi Mai (Nogizaka46), Akimoto Manatsu (Nogizaka46),
Takayama Kazumi (Nogizaka46), Matsumura Sayuri (Nogizaka46)

Program overview
「Geinoujin Kakuzuke CHECK (Celebrity Rating Check)」, where celebrities put their pride and honour of being first-class on the line to take on 6 checks, will be broadcast on 2017 New Year’s Day!!
To make sure that they 「won’t be put to shame from New Year’s Day onwards!」, big name celebrities will risk their honour and compete in earnest!
This time, GACKT, who tasted indignity when he fell to the rank of a “normal celebrity” last year, will be taking part with Takafumi Horie, a.k.a. Horiemon, as a team!
How much further can he bring his unprecedented personal rating (kakuzuke) check winning streak of 42…!?

In the 「Taste Check」, for the first time on the program, there will be a special rule which introduces 3 choices!
In addition to the usual 2 choices, if someone picks the unmistakable 『absolutely worthless ingredient』, they will drop by 2 ranks!!

And following the success of this rule, could it be that 「Not worthy to be shown on screen」 teams appear one after another…!? Don’t miss the last of the most shocking event in the history of this show!!

Rating checks

Check 1 「Wine」
For the annual wine tasting and comparison, we have a super rare vintage of 「Château Haut-Brion」 from Bordeaux, France! 「Château Haut-Brion」 is a superior red wine that comes from one of Bordeaux’s top 5 chateaus. It is known as the oldest and most historical chateau, characterised by a unique noble fragrance. Furthermore, this year’s vintage wine was bottled in 1928, making it almost 90 years old. A wine from 1928 is extremely difficult to find, thus increasing its rarity value a little more. If it is had in a top-class hotel, this rare gem will cost at least 1 million yen. This will be compared against a 5,000 yen bottle of table wine from France.

Check 2 「Musicality」
Next is the 「Musicality」 check, where they listen to the sounds of a violin and cello trio. The first violin is the famous instrument 「Stradivarius Marca」, which was made in 1708 during Stradivarius’ finest golden age. The second violin is the famous Stradivarius instrument nicknamed 「Guarneri del Gesù」, which is used by the Russian world-class violinist Repin. This a precious violin that is one of only 60 in the world. And the cello is one that possess a strong tone that even surpasses a Stradivarius, the 「David Tecchler」. This check requires them to pick up on the sound of these 3 pieces which are valued at 2.8 billion yen.

They will be compared with a violin and cello trio used by beginners (valued at 800,000 yen).

Check 3 「Taste」
The next check is on 「Taste」. Here, they will taste the flavours of food made from the finest ingredients and cooked with top-notch techniques by the famous Michelin-list regulars that serve Japanese, French, Chinese and other cuisines. Another one of the highlights of the program is where teams debate their opinions among themselves when their choices conflict each others’. Although the quality of the ingredients differ vastly, this is a tough check that many a first-class celebrity have struggled with. This time, there will be three options; A, B, and C, a first in the history of the program. In addition to the usual two options, a third, which is the 『absolutely worthless ingredient』 for which there is 「no way that anyone can get it wrong」 is included. If that option is picked, the team will fall by two ranks. Compared to the 『luxury food』, the 『absolutely worthless ingredient』 is completely made up of ingredients like pudding instead of sea urchin, carassius instead of sea bream, vermicelli instead of shark’s fin, and other ingredients that cannot be mistaken for the real thing.

Check 4 「Jazz Band」
Listen and distinguish between the professional jazz band 「Tsunoda Kenichi Big Band」 and the amateur jazz band circle 「Waseda University High Society Orchestra」. Started in 1990, 「Tsunoda Kenichi Big Band」 is one of the best jazz bands in the country that continues to be a spectacular success, including winning the Cultural Affairs Art Festival Excellence Award. On the other hand, 「Waseda University High Society Orchestra」 is a circle that is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year, and has always had the ability to be top in competitions. Thus far, they have won the nationwide jazz contest more than 10 times.

Check 5 「Bonsai」
Visually compare a candy bonsai made with mochi and red beans, with the piece 「Unryuu (Dynasty)」 (100 million yen), which was created by Kobayashi Kunio-san, an award winning bonsai artist who represents Japan and has won awards such as the Prime Minister’s Award. Guest may eagerly say that 「It’s common sense to know the difference between candy and a bonsai!」, but with the realism in this time’s candy bonsai, this will become an exceptionally difficult check!

Final Check 「Beef」
Matsusaka beef, one of Japan’s top 3 wagyu beef. This time, they will be served a fillet of Matsusaka beef that is found in an area close to the cow’s tail, the 「Fillet Mignon」 which accounts for only 600 grams of a whole cow. With exceptional softness and the finest flavours condensed in it, it is said that it’s taste surpasses that of a Chateaubriand steak. Using this ultimate fillet, the ultimate steak from famous restaurant 「Teppanyaki　Hanezu」 will be served! Comparing with the extremely luxurious steak that is priced at an unbelievable 18,000 yen per 100 grams, is American beef (900 yen per 100 grams) from the supermarket.

Sure enough, as the final check concludes, how will the celebrities’ rankings change!? Also, will GACKT be able to add on to his unprecedented 42 win streak!?

Source: asahi.co.jp/kakuzuke/

Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team

Translation © GACKT ITALIA