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news: CM
Erika Sawajiri in new Fran CM
Tue, August 21, 2007 (4:42am EDT)
Actress Erika Sawajiri appears in a new commercial for Meiji Seika's Fran Aromatier chocolate product. The ad, which features Sawajiri sporting seven different looks, began airing on Tuesday. Both versions can be seen on the product website.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: movie
Takuya Kimura cast in Tran Anh Hung film
Tue, August 21, 2007 (5:11am EDT)
 
Reports have come in that Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung is working on a new film titled "I Come With the Rain." Josh Hartnett stars as a private detective hired to find a young man in Hong Kong. The cast is said to include Takuya Kimura, Lee Byung-Hun, Shawn Yue, and Tran Nu Yen-Khe. Filming is taking place mostly in Hong Kong, but other locations include the Philippines and Los Angeles.
UPDATE: Sankei Sports has confirmed the cast with some role details. Hartnett is a former L.A. cop who is now a private detective. A wealthy man hires Hartnett to find his son (Kimura), and the detective teams up with his former colleague, a Hong Kong policeman (Yue). He also encounters a local gangster (Lee) and his mistress (Tran). During the investigation, he recalls the painful memory of a serial killer, whose murders were the reason he resigned from the police force.
The movie is being spoken entirely in English. The film is scheduled to open in fall 2008, and there are hopes for a screening at next year's Cannes Film Festival.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: celebrities
Sarina Suzuki, TELA-C to marry
Tue, August 21, 2007 (5:36pm EDT)
 
Actress Sarina Suzuki is reportedly getting married to TELA-C of reggae group INFINITY16 next spring. The two are already said to be living together for almost two years.
Suzuki has been active as a reggae singer for the last few years under the name MUNEHIRO (her real last name). She and TELA-C met at various events, and their relationship developed into romance.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: movie
Kagawa, Aoi to star in Bong Joon-ho short
Tue, August 21, 2007 (6:31pm EDT)
 
It was revealed on Tuesday that Teruyuki Kagawa and Yu Aoi will co-star in a short movie by Korean director Bong Joon-ho ("The Host"). The 30-minute film, titled "Shaking Tokyo," is one part of the triptych "Tokyo!" French directors Michel Gondry and Leos Carax are directing the other two segments.
Kagawa plays a man who has been living as a shut-in for the past 11 years, until he ends up falling in love with a pizza delivery girl (Aoi). He finally builds up the courage to join the outside world, only to discover that most of Tokyo has become withdrawn.
Filming begins in Tokyo on the 22nd.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: movie
Live-action "Grave of the Fireflies" planned for '08
Tue, August 21, 2007 (8:05pm EDT)
Animation World Network reports on a ScreenDaily article mentioning plans for a live-action "Grave of the Fireflies" movie. It will be based on the same novel by Akiyuki Nosaka that was adapted by Studio Ghibli in 1988, and later turned into a drama special in 2005.
Pal Entertainment is producing, and Taro Hyugaji ("Portrait of the Wind") is directing. Kazuo Kuroki was originally named as director, but his death last year led to the project's delay. Production is scheduled to begin next month, with theatrical release targeted for summer 2008.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: idol
Akiba-kei idol to make major debut
Tue, August 21, 2007 (10:55pm EDT)
Akiba-kei idol Himeko Sakuragawa is set to make her major label debut this November. While working in a maid cafe, she has had multiple releases on an independent label and frequently performs live. Some of her songs have been featured in games and commercials, and she has also had regular appearances on television shows.
Sakuragawa made the release announcement on Monday at Maid in Japan, the Akihabara cafe where she works. On November 28, she will re-release her single "Akiba ni Ikunon!" which first came out in August 2005. The new edition will be distributed through Experience Records, which is part of Victor Entertainment.
Source: www.tokyograph.cpm |
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news: dorama SP
"Obasan Deka" to end in September
Wed, August 22, 2007 (4:41am EDT)
The Fuji TV drama "Obasan Deka Sakura Otome no Jikencho" is scheduled to air its last episode on September 28, in the "Kinyo Prestige" time slot (Friday 9:00pm).
The drama, which stars Etsuko Ichihara as a detective, began in September 1994. It has averaged slightly more than one episode per year, with next month's broadcast being the 15th and final installment.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: dorama SP
Tegoshi stars in Fuji TV jidaigeki
Wed, August 22, 2007 (4:30pm EDT)
Yuya Tegoshi (NEWS) will star in his first television drama this fall. He has been given the lead in the Fuji TV jidaigeki special, "Shabake," based on Megumi Hatakenaka's novel of the same name. In 2001, it won the Excellence Award in the Japan Fantasy Novel Awards, and it was adapted twice as a radio drama.
Tegoshi plays a young man with weak health who has the power to see ghosts. Since the age of five, he has become friends with them, and works with them to solve mysterious incidents.
Filming has begun in Kyoto. Tegoshi appears in traditional costume, including a kimono and a chonmage hairstyle.
Shosuke Tanihara, Ko Takasugi, Hiroyuki Miyasako, Taichi Saotome, Hanako Yamada, and Yukiyo Toake will play the various ghosts. Other cast members include Taro Shigaki, Miki Maya, Ittoku Kishibe, and Yoshinori Okada. A broadcast date has not yet been announced.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: CM
NEWS promotes RUSS-K
Wed, August 22, 2007 (4:46pm EDT)
The six current members of NEWS will appear in new commercials for surf brand RUSS-K. Six versions were filmed in a single day last month. The ads begin airing on Friday.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: dorama
Miho Kanno leads in "Hataraki Man" drama
Wed, August 22, 2007 (5:43pm EDT)
Moyoco Anno's popular manga "Hataraki Man" is being adapted as a drama series on NTV, starring Miho Kanno.
The story revolves around Hiroko Matsukata (Kanno), an editor of a weekly magazine. Hiroko is so focused on her work that she has no time for romance, and others refer to her by the nickname "hataraki man" ("working man").
NTV will broadcast the series on Wednesdays at 10:00pm this fall.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: movie
Makoto Ayukawa co-stars in "Jersey no Futari"
Wed, August 22, 2007 (6:25pm EDT)
Makoto Ayukawa, leader of rock band Sheena & The Rokkets, is taking on his first lead movie role. The film is "Jersey no Futari," an adaptation of a novel by Akutagawa Prize-winning author Yu Nagashima. Ayukawa co-stars with Masato Sakai in this depiction of the slow-paced life of a father and son at a villa in Kita-Karuizawa.
Filming begins at the end of this month, with a target release date during next summer. Yoshihiro Nakamura has signed on to direct the picture.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: movie
With a major domestic film about to be released in a few weeks, SMAP's Kimura Takuya (34) had some other big news this week. In what will be his first appearance in an English-language movie, he has been named to an all-star international cast for the latest project by renowned Vietnamese-French director Anh Hung Tran (44). "I Come With the Rain", Tran's first movie in eight years, stars Josh Hartnett (29) as former L.A. cop turned private eye, Kline. Hired to find $hitao (Kimura), the son of a Chinese billionaire, he travels to Hong Kong where he teams up with an old friend and local cop (Shawn Yue). His search leads him to the gangster Su Dongpo (Korean star Lee Byung Hun) and his druggie mistress (Tran's wife, actress Tran Nu Yen Khe). But he is haunted by memories of the serial killer Hasford (Elias ****as) whose crimes almost drove him insane and made him quit the LAPD. The movie is scheduled to open in the autumn of 2008, with a possible screening at next year's Cannes Film Festival. Director Tran is best known for 1993's Academy Award nominee "The Scent of Green Papaya". Meanwhile Kimura's "Hero", the movie version of Fuji TV's most successful ever drama, hits the big screens on September 8. He is joined by co-star Matsu Takako (30) and a host of major names.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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news: artiste
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[KOREA] Tamaki Hiroshi Interview (in English) - 揝leeping Forest |
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August 29, 2007
'Cantabile,' 'Suspect' earn three Seoul nods
By Mark Russell
SEOUL -- Japanese miniseries "Nodame Cantabile" was the big winner Tuesday night at the second annual Seoul Drama Awards, picking up three awards, including nods for best miniseries, director and music director.
Also earning three awards was the U.K.'s "Prime Suspect 7," which took kudos for best short series and screenplay along with a nod for lead actress Helen Mirren.
China's "Great Revival" won best drama series and best cinematography for Shi Luan.
Other winners saw Japan's Kimura Takuya take best actor for his work on "The Family" and Korea's Lee Cheol-ho earn the art director nod for "Hwang Jin-yi." Best juvenile series went to Australia's "Mortified."
The Seoul Drama Awards are the only international television awards in Asia and, despite their youth, have attracted much attention from television broadcasters and producers around the region.
Created by Group 8 and hosted by the Korean Broadcasters Assn., the SDA are designed to honor outstanding achievements in television drama production from around the world.
Group 8 also is the main organizer behind the BCWW television conference and trade market, one of the biggest in Asia, which runs Wednesday-Friday in Seoul.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com ... 4cf1ba576f6dabed753 |
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news: film festival
Venice Film Festival creates award in honor of Kitano
Thu, August 23, 2007 (5:20pm EDT)
This year's Venice Film Festival (August 29 - September 8) is introducing a new award for directors. The prize is named after Takeshi Kitano's latest movie, "Kantoku Banzai!," whose English title is "Glory to the Filmmaker!" It has also been revealed that the first recipient of the Glory to the Filmmaker! Award is Kitano himself.
Kitano has made his mark at Venice multiple times, having won the Golden Lion for "HANA-BI" in 1997 and the Silver Lion for "Zatoichi" in 2003. This year will be his fifth trip to the festival.
A ceremony for the award will take place at the festival on the 30th at 4:30pm (local time).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: actor
Tanihara becomes the face of Men's Club magazine
Thu, August 23, 2007 (8:10pm EDT)
Actor Shosuke Tanihara has been appointed as the new "main character" of monthly fashion magazine Men's Club. In the publication's 53-year history, that role has been served by many well-known celebrities, starting with model-turned-actor Bunta Sugawara.
Tanihara will appear on the cover of every issue for a year, starting with the October issue (on sale next month).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: models
Miss Seventeen winners announced
Thu, August 23, 2007 (8:31pm EDT)
Teen fashion magazine SEVENTEEN revealed the winners of its Miss Seventeen 2007 model competition on Thursday. 15-year-old Mayuko Arisue and 14-year-old Asami Tanaka were selected from a total of 5,238 applicants.
 
Actresses Nana Eikura and Erika Toda made guest appearances at the announcement, presenting the two winners with bouquets.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: movie
U.S. pop duo sings theme for Kenta Fukasaku's "XX"
Thu, August 23, 2007 (9:06pm EDT)
Kenta Fukasaku's new horror film "XX" (also known as "Ekusu Kurosu" or "X-Cross") will have its theme song sung by American pop duo Aly & AJ.
The two teenage sisters have been a big hit in the U.S. since their 2005 debut album "Into the Rush," which recently went platinum. "XX" will use their single "Potential Breakup Song" from their second album, "Insomniatic."
The movie, based on Noboyuki Joko's novel "Sono Keitai wa XX de," stars Nao Matsu$hita and Ami Suzuki. It opens in Japan on December 1.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: idol
Maki Goto on leave for health reasons
Fri, August 24, 2007 (4:09am EDT)
It was announced on Friday that Maki Goto is currently suffering from illness. On the 8th, she missed an event due to acute pharyngitis. Since then, she has been feeling unwell. On Thursday, she was diagnosed with superficial gastritis, and has been advised to rest for a week.
Goto is a member of Morning Musume Tanjou 10 Nen Kinentai, which is currently on tour. She will not appear in the last four shows of this month, and it is not yet clear if she will recover in time for the tour's final concert on September 1. There are also concerns about whether she can perform her solo tour that is scheduled to begin on September 15.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Post time 27-8-2007 06:00 PM
