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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]
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news: artistes
Fukumimi tapped for TV Asahi's Koshien song
Thu, June 12, 2008 (1:57am EDT)
The collaborative unit Fukumimi has been chosen to provide the theme song for TV Asahi's broadcasts of this year's summer Koshien tournament. The song, titled "Natsu wa Korekara da!," is being released on July 16 on the "DANCE BABY DANCE" single.
This year marks the 90th instance of the summer baseball tournament, and it also happens to be the 10th anniversary of Fukumimi, which consists of artists signed with Office Augusta. Led by Suga Shikao, Masayoshi Yamazaki, and Kyoko, the group has grown to a total of 16 individuals, including Chitose Hajime, COIL, Sukima Switch, Yuko Araki, Motohiro Hata, Tomoyuki Nagasawa, and MICRON'STUFF.
"Natsu wa Korekara da!" will be used in all of TV Asahi's Koshien-related programming, including the coverage of the tournament itself.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: actress
Yui Aragaki announces end of blog on 20th birthday
Thu, June 12, 2008 (2:17am EDT)
On Wednesday, popular actress Yui Aragaki celebrated her 20th birthday. Close to midnight, she posted on her official blog to announce that she is putting an end to the site.
She said that this is like a "graduation" to mark the end of her teenage years. She thanked her many fans for the tremendous support that pushed her blog to the top of the Ameblo popularity rankings. In fact, when the site opened last November, it had been planned as a limited-time project lasting only until New Year's Day. But with fans leaving thousands of comments on every post, the blog was kept open for several more months.
Aragaki's journal on her official mobile site will still be updated weekly as usual.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: comedian
Comedian Osamu Wakai getting married
Thu, June 12, 2008 (11:02am EDT)
35-year-old comedian Osamu Wakai is getting married soon. His fiancee is a 28-year-old working for a department store. He and the woman met three years ago at a party organized by fellow comedian Wolf (of Gokuaku Rengo).
Wakai is best known for his costumed impersonations of "Gundam" character Amuro Ray. He was originally planning to get married on July 7, but in honor of the Gundam model RX-78, the date has been pushed back a day to July 8.
Even Wakai's proposal was Gundam-themed. Just before going on stage for a performance last month, he presented her with a ring in a similar fashion to the character Sleggar Law. In the anime series, Sleggar gives the ring he inherited from his mother to the woman he loves right before he leaves on his final sortie.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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survey
Oricon: ideal father
Thu, June 12, 2008 (11:14am EDT)
At the end of last month, Oricon polled 1,000 people to find out which music artists they consider to be their ideal father.
Southern All Stars member Keisuke Kuwata was the most popular choice, ranked highest by both men and women. Masaharu Fukuyama was #2, followed by George Tokoro, Kazutoshi Sakurai (Mr.Children), and Koshi Inaba (B'z).
Kazumasa Oda led the bottom half of the top 10. Fumiya Fujii was #7, and Eikichi Yazawa tied with L'Arc~en~Ciel's hyde for #8. Masatoshi Nakamura rounded out the list at #10.
Ideal father:
1) Keisuke Kuwata (Southern All Stars)
2) Masaharu Fukuyama
3) Geoge Tokoro
4) Kazutoshi Sakurai (Mr. Children)
5) Koshi Inaba (B'z)
6) Kazumasa Oda
7) Fumiya Fujii
8) Eikichi Yazawa
8) hyde (L'Arc~en~Ciel)
10) Masatoshi Nakamura
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: director
Director Kitano Takeshi (61) is to receive a special award at the upcoming 30th Moscow International Film Festival. Although he's in the middle of making his latest feature film, he plans to attend the festival's opening event on June 19, where he will be presented with a "life-time achievement award for the outstanding contribution to film arts." Six of his films are to be screened over the nine-day festival. Though a regular at festivals such as Cannes and Venice, it will be his first time to take part in Moscow. "I had heard rumors (of my reputation in Russia) such as that "Dolls" ran for over two years in Moscow, but to be invited to receive a major award like this is very gratifying. I look forward to seeing with my own eyes how Russian audiences react to my films." Kitano's latest work is "Akiresu to kame" (Achilles and the Tortoise). Also receiving an invitational screening at Moscow will be "Hana wa Chiredomo," the latest film from veteran director Shindo Kaneto (96), which opens here in September.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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news: singer/movie
A song by young singer-songwriter Ayaka (20) has been chosen as the theme tune for the latest feature from top anime director Oshii Mamoru (56). "Konya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete" was used in the trailer for "The Sky Crawlers" but, in a rare move, Oshii liked the song so much he decided to redo the ending credit sequence to incorporate the song as the main theme. Though Oshii is on record as saying he doesn't like to use pre-recorded songs in his features for fear of "destroying the movie's image," he said "This song adds a new kind of strength to the movie." The song is the final track on Ayaka's upcoming album "Sing to the Sky," to be released on June 25. The Sky Crawlers opens on August 2.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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news: actor
[J-ENT] Harrison Ford on 揝mapxSmap擺/b]
In a column by Chris Betros for Japanfiles.com, Betros writes, 揇id anyone see Harrison Ford being wined and dined by pop group SMAP on Fuji TV last Monday night? During the popular program, 揝MAP x SMAP, |
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news: movie
Stardust expands its film production operations
Fri, June 13, 2008 (12:46am EDT)
Major talent agency Stardust Promotion is taking a serious next step into the film production business. The company will be handling everything from production to distribution for their new work, a movie called "Yomei" done by television director Jiro Shono. Yasuko Matsuyuki and Kippei Shiina are set to star.
 
Matsuyuki plays a female doctor who has been married for 10 years to Shiina. She finally conceives a child, but immediately afterwards she learns that her breast cancer has relapsed, forcing her to make a decision between her unborn child and medical treatment for her illness.
Stardust's film production division, Stardust Pictures, is taking on the additional role of distributor for the film. In the past, the division has helped create several big hits, such as "Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu" and "Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu," which were both distributed by Toho.
"Yomei" isn't scheduled for release until next spring, but Stardust Pictures already started promoting it at the film market during Cannes last month. They reported that they have already received international distribution offers from several countries.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artistes
Kurodo Maki and family form a trio
Fri, June 13, 2008 (1:08am EDT)
Actor and singer Kurodo Maki is recording a new song with the help of his father and his son, bringing together three generations of the Maki family. The song, named "30 Nen Mae no Ore," will be included on Kurodo's first major-label album "WHITE BOOK," which Pony Canyon is releasing on July 16.
Kurodo's dad is actor and folk singer Mike Maki, who sang the original version of the song around 20 years ago. The remake is a hip-hop version released under Kurodo's artist name, AKTION. The song will also feature Lil Prophet, an alias for Kurodo's 14-year-old son Noah.
The three men are planning to perform together at outdoor music festivals this summer.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artiste
SHAZNA guitarist becomes a daddy
Fri, June 13, 2008 (1:14am EDT)
SHAZNA guitarist AOI just became a father. His wife, actress Akira Morimoto, gave birth to their first daughter last Friday.
The couple began dating in 2006 and had a shotgun wedding this past January.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: dorama SP
Life of lyricist Yu Aku to be dramatized for TV
Fri, June 13, 2008 (1:54am EDT)
The life of late lyricist Yu Aku, known for writing many of Japan's biggest hits of the past few decades, is being turned into a television drama special on NTV. The "Yu Aku Monogatari" will be aired on the night of August 1, the first anniversary of Aku's death.
The drama will cover the songwriter's entire life, from his birth on Awaji Island in 1937 to his death from ureter cancer last year, though the central focus will be the music audition show "Star Tanjou!" from the '70s, which Aku was involved with as a planner and judge. The show was a key part of the "golden age" of music idols, as it served as the starting point for artists like Masako Mori and Pink Lady.
Seiichi Tanabe is starring as Aku, while "Death Note" director Shusuke Kaneko is handling the project.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artistes/music
Cyndi Lauper tribute album features Puffy, Chara, others
Fri, June 13, 2008 (2:32am EDT)
In September, '80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper is returning to Japan for her first Nippon Budokan concert in 12 years. As part of the promotional efforts behind Lauper's revival, Sony is releasing a tribute album titled "We Love Cyndi" on July 23.
10 tracks have been lined up for the album, ranging from Puffy doing Lauper's major-label debut "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" to Chara and Hanaregumi teaming up for "Time After Time." The other participating artists are Tommy february6, Sowelu, DOUBLE, Nana Kitade, BECCA, BENNIE K, Asako Toki, and Chitose Hajime.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: dorama
"Last Friends" breaks 20%
Fri, June 13, 2008 (11:02am EDT)
Thursday's episode of the Fuji TV drama series "Last Friends" registered a 20.7% audience rating, placing it not far behind this season's leader, "Gokusen 3." Boasting a cast of popular young stars, "Last Friends" has steadily been gaining steam since the 13.9% ratings of its premiere episode in April.
Despite its heavy themes such as domestic violence and sexual identity issues, the show has proven to be very successful, and is one of the few series this season to show a trend of improvement in the ratings. It is now less than a point behind "Gokusen," which has fallen about five percentage points since its strong 26.4% start. "Last Friends" also surpassed this week's episode of "CHANGE," which has scored less than 20% for two consecutive weeks despite starring the super-popular Takuya Kimura.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artistes/concert
Glay's U.S. concerts confirmed
Sat, June 14, 2008 (8:40pm EDT)
The rumors of GLAY performing in the U.S. have finally been confirmed. The four-member rock band will hold 3 concerts in August, all in California. These will be the first American shows of their 20-year history.
GLAY will first travel to San Francisco to play at The Fillmore on August 12, then will head to Los Angeles for back-to-back shows at the House of Blues Sunset Strip in Hollywood on August 15-16. Unfortunately, there are said to be no plans for a U.S. CD release.
GLAY's last overseas concert was in Beijing in 2002.
It was also announced that GLAY is doing the theme song for the Korean film "Sookmyeong" ("Fate"), directed by Kim Hae-gon. The song's title has not yet been revealed.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: dorama
TV Tokyo announces new season of "Shikaku Ukeoinin"
Sat, June 14, 2008 (9:29pm EDT)
Last summer's jidaigeki drama series "Shikaku Ukeoinin" is returning to TV Tokyo for another season. Hiroaki Murakami once again stars a ronin who becomes a contract assassin in Edo, dealing with those involved with the city's underworld.
The show will air on Friday nights at 8:00pm, starting on July 18.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: dorama
"Sono Otoko, Fukushocho" returns
Sat, June 14, 2008 (9:41pm EDT)
TV Asahi is bringing back the police mystery series "Sono Otoko, Fukushocho," which first aired last summer. The show was the first series to star actor Eiichiro Funakoshi, who is still mainly known for his many past roles in two-hour drama specials.
The returning cast includes Misato Tanaka, Takashi Ukaji, Koji Matoba, and Hisako Manda. TV Asahi will premiere the series on July 3, and it will continue to run in the network's Thursday 8:00pm time slot.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artistes
Othello's Matsushima to marry Marsas Sound Machine vocalist
Sat, June 14, 2008 (9:03pm EDT)
Comedienne Nahomi Matsushima of the duo Othello has reportedly gotten engaged to Toshihiro Hisada, the vocalist of rock band Marsas Sound Machine. She is expected to make a public announcement on Monday's live broadcast of the variety show "Kirakira Afro" (TV Tokyo) and will hold a press conference afterwards.
"Kirakira Afro" is normally pre-recorded, but sources say that Matsushima requested a live episode so that she could share the news. When asked about the details of the press conference, representatives simply said they could not respond to the inquiries.
Matsushima and Hisada are both affiliated with Shochiku Geino, and in 2006, Matsushima started a rock band called KILLERS, with guidance from Hisada. In early 2007 their relationship was discovered by weekly magazine FLASH. However, their relationship has been a long-distance one, with Matshushima active in Tokyo while Marsas Sound Machine is based in Osaka.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: idols
Arashi announces Asia concert tour
Sun, June 15, 2008 (5:09pm EDT)
During Arashi's performance at the Tokyo Dome on Sunday, the group announced that they will be holding a short Asia concert tour later this year. They completed their first Asia tour in 2006, but this one will include two significant milestones: a concert in Shanghai and a concert at Tokyo's National Stadium.
The tour starts on September 5 at the National Stadium, which has a capacity of nearly 60,000. Only two other artists have held a solo show at that venue - SMAP performed there in 2005 and 2006, and Dreams Come True played there last year.
The whole tour will travel to 4 cities for a total of 8 concerts, with an expected overall attendance of 173,000 people. The finale is taking place on November 15 in Shanghai, where no other Johnny's artist has performed in the main competition.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artistes/dorama
Fujii, Zaitsu collaborate for "Cooking Papa" song
Mon, June 16, 2008 (2:11am EDT)
 
Singers Fumiya Fujii and Kazuo Zaitsu are collaborating for the theme song of Fuji TV's "Cooking Papa" drama series, which starts on August 29. With the show set in Fukuoka, producers decided to recruit the two musicians, who both hail from that prefecture. Zaitsu handled the lyrics and composition, while Fujii is lending his voice to the song.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Post time 17-6-2008 05:44 PM
![[MBC/viu 2024] Undercover High School - Seo Kang Joon, Jin Ki Joo, Kim Shin Rok (Mulai 21 Feb 2025)](https://uf.cari.com.my/forumx/mforum/forum/202502/04/124719vsmymoyiss1jyssc.jpeg)
