"TEPPEN: The Highest Level Piano Showdown in History! A New Star Will Be Born Tonight!? SP," a heated battle for the title of the number one pianist in the entertainment industry, will air on Fuji TV's "Saturday Premium" slot (Saturdays at 9 PM) on March 28th. The comedy trio "Neptune" will serve as MCs.
For its 32nd installment, the show will feature eight "ultimate musical elites," including Yomi, the reigning champion who claimed the top spot in the summer 2024 broadcast; Shiori Nozawa, who is also active as an actor and model; Haru, a middle school student known as a "classical music prodigy"; and Vicky, who is attending graduate school at Tokyo University of the Arts.
The first stage is a serious one-on-one battle. It's a "chorus-only mistouch battle" where contestants compete to see who can play four assigned songs with increasing difficulty and tempo with each song without making any mistakes. In the first round, Yomi and Kumamoto Marina, making her first appearance on the show, will face off against assigned songs such as Snow Man's "Charisma Max" and Mrs. Green Apple "Lilac". Furthermore, Nozawa, who is aiming for her long-awaited first TEPPEN on her sixth attempt, will compete against cosplay piano YouTuber Mokaron Piano.
In the final stage, players compete by performing piano arrangements of songs they excel at. Many famous songs were showcased with masterful arrangements, including Official Hige Dandism's "Cry Baby" and Miyuki Nakajima's "Ito," prompting judge Masataka Matsutoya to praise them, saying, "Everyone has leveled up, and the newcomers are also very talented."
The performers are as follows (in alphabetical order, titles omitted):
<Piano Contestants> Marina Kumamoto (Niji no Conquistador)▽Shiori Nozawa▽Anwa Nojima▽Haru▽Vicky▽Yota Ajimoto▽Mokaron Piano▽Yomii <Judges> Yuya Asaoka▽Mayu Kijima▽Sakiko Matsui▽Masataka Matsutoya▽Haruhi Ryoga <Guests> Maria Tani ▽ Kohei Matsushita
