Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE!

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The cast for "NANA 2" has finally been decided. Ichikawa Yui will replace Miyazaki Aoi as Komatsu Nana in the sequel of this movie while Kyou Nobuo will replace Matsuda Ryuhei as Ren. Other than that, Nakashima Mika and Tamayama Tetsuji will retain their roles as Osaki Nana and Ichinose Takumi while the rest of the cast including Narimiya Hiroki, Matsuyama Kenichi, Ito Yuna will remain.

According to the movie company Toho, the chages were made due to the clashes of schedules for the cast thus resulting in the delay of the production of this sequel. As Miyazaki has her filming for the NHK morning drama "Junjou Kirari" to finish, she is unable to take part in the movie. Ichikawa Yui was chosen by the director who also worked with her in the upcoming movie, "ROUGH". Filming for the movie will start in Sep. The movie will be shown from 9 Dec this year.

Official website: http://www.nana2-movie.com/

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Oda Yuji will be starring in the remake of Kurosawa Akira's famous movie, "Tsubaki Sanjuurou" which is due to be screened next year. The movie was an action period film which starred Mifune Toshiro in 1962 about a wandering samurai Sanjuurou who goes around helping the weak with his nine followers. As this is Oda's first period movie, he has started swordfighting practices since the beginning of this month in preparation for the filming which begins in Sep.

http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200607/gt2006071310.html

Official website: http://www.toho.co.jp/lineup/tsubaki/

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Matsushima Nanako and Osawa Takao will be starring in the movie, "BIZAN" based on the novel by singer-songwriter Sada Masashi. This is the third movie made from Sada's novels. The film is set in Tokushima Prefecture which talks about the love between a mother and her daughter. Matsushima and Osawa play lovers while Matsushima's mother is played by Miyamoto Nobuko. About 12,000 extras will be hired to act in the scene where they dance the Anami dance. The movie directed by Inudou Isshin will be screened next summer.

"BIZAN" talks about a daughter Sakiko (Matsushima) who returns to her hometown in Tokushima to tend to her dying mother (Miyamoto) and meets Terasawa (Osawa), doctor who supports her through this tough period. As Matsushima is now in the midst of the filming for "Inugamike no Ichizoku" which is going to be shown in Dec, she will start on "Bizan" once she finishes with "Inugami". As for Osawa, this is the second time he is acting in a Sada Masashi novel-turned-movie since "Gege". Filming for this movie begins from 16 Aug and will take about 5 days in Tokushima before returning to Tokyo.

http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200607/gt2006072102.html

Official website: http://www.toho.co.jp/lineup/bizan/

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1) Arashi - Aozora Pedal
2) GLAY feat. Kyosuke Himuro - Answer
3) Kumi Koda - 4 Hot Wave (I'll Be There/Ningyo Hime/Juicy/With Your Smile)
4) WaT - HAVA RAVA
5) Ai Otsuka - Yumekui
6) UverWORLD - sHAMROCK
7) KinKi Kids - Natsumoyou
8) Bank Band - To U
9) Aoi Teshima - Teru no Uta
10) Shunsuke Kiyokiba - Believe/Boku no Mainichi

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1) V6 - Very Best II
2) Bonnie Pink - Every Single Day -Complete Bonnie Pink (1995-2006)
3) Mai Kuraki - Diamond Wave
4) SMAP - 018 Pop Up! SMAP
5) Bennie K - The Bennie K Show -On The Floor Hen-
6) Various Artistes - Beautiful Songs -Kokoro de Kiku Uta-
7) m-flo - m-flo Inside-Works Best II-
8) Quruli - Best of Quruli/Tower of Music Lover
9) Megaryu - Garyusenpu
10) Various Artistes - Naruto Best Hits Collection 2

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Ichihara Hayato (from the TV series, "Water Boys 2" fame) is starring in the movie, "Niji no Megami Rainbow Song" produced by director Iwai Shunji due to be shown this autumn. This is the second time they have worked together since the 2001 movie "Lily Chow no Subete". The heroine for this new movie is Ueno Juri (the lead actress from the movie "Swing Girls"). Ichihara plays Tomoya and Ueno plays Aoi who are both members of a film-making club in university. After making a movie together, this marks the beginning of their love story and how it evolves after they graduate.

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/entertainment/n...-OHT1T00070.htm

Official website: http://www.toho.co.jp/lineup/rainbowsong/

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The song, "Nada Sousou" sung by Natsukawa Rimi (lyrics-Moriyama Yoko and melody-BEGIN) is made into a movie based on its lyrics. Tsumabuki Satoshi and Nagasawa Masami play siblings not related by blood and the story is set in Okinawa. The movie began filming in Okinawa at the end of September last year. Moriyama (the mother of Moriyama Naotaro) wrote the lyrics in remembrance of her elder brother who had passed away.

Yotaro (Tsumabuki) works hard in Naha, Okinawa so as to open a restaurant one day. His sister, Kaoru (Nagasawa) comes to live with him after qualifying for high school. The two who are not related by blood falls in love with each other but Yotaro falls ill and dies at the age of 25.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/geinou/jun/o20050626_30.htm

Official website: http://www.toho.co.jp/lineup/nadasousou/

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Nagasawa Masami is starring in another movie adaptation of Adachi Mitsuru's manga following her appearance in "Touch" which opened in cinemas during September last year. The new movie, "Rough" is based on swimming where Nagasawa plays the diving athlete Ninomiya Ami. This is one of the best works from Adachi among fans which was serialised during 1987-1989 in Shuukan Shone Sunday and has sold 15 million copies to date. In the story, Ninomiya Ami and another swimmer, Yamato Keisuke whose families operate Japanese dessert shops are at loggerheads with each other but gradually fall in love after a series of incidents. The actor playing Keisuke is Hayami Mokomichi (from the TV series, "Gokusen 2" fame). Filming began in March this year.

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"Nihon Chinbotsu"(Japan Submerged) will be shown at 200 cinemas in South Korea which makes it the No.1 Japanese film to be shown in the most cinemas there. In addition, the film is expected to be shown in 16 countries including Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. The movie has grossed about 2.9 billion yen and achieved cinema visits of at least 2.29 million as of 3 August.

The male lead, Kusanagi Tsuyoshi from pop supergroup SMAP also made a surprise appearance at Yurakuza with the director where they greeted the 400-strong audience with the news.

In addition, Kusanagi will be starring in the Korean movie, "Tenka no Yokozuna Madonna" to be shown in September which is the first time he is appearing in a Korean movie. He plays a Japanese language teacher in the movie but all his lines will be in Korean.

http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200608/gt2006080501.html

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Yagira Yuya (from the movie, "Nobody Knows" fame) and Sawajiri Erika (from the TV series, "One Litre of Tears") are starring together in the romance movie, "Sugar & Spice~Fuumi Zekka" where they will have a kissing scene. Yagira plays a 17-year-old senior high school who tastes the sweetness and bitterness of love for the first time in the movie which is adapted from the novel, "Fuumi Zekka" (Fabulous Taste) which was published in May 2005 and has sold 107,000 copies to date. The filming began in Jan this year and the theme song is expected to be sung by a foreign artist. Sawajiri's role is a girl who is undecided between her new love played by Yagira and her ex-boyfriend. The grandmother of Yagira is played by Natsuki Mari.

http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200512/gt2005120902.html

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The 3rd movie under the "Sukeban Deka" series is made 18 years since its last installment and features Matsuura Aya as the lead Asamiya Saki. The story is based on a comic by Wada Shinji where a young girl wears a sailor uniform and holds a red yoyo while trying to eliminate crime. Prior to this, there were 3 dramas and 2 movies made under this series. Ishikawa Rika from Biyuuden plays Asamiya's rival while fellow members Miyoshi Erika and Okada Yui play students bullied in school.

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1) Gedo Senki (anime) - voiced by Junichi Okada (V6), Bunta Sugawara, Aoi Teshima

2) Pirates of the Carribean - Dead Man's Chest

3) Nihon Chinbotsu (Nippon Submerged) - Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (SMAP), Kou Shibasaki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Mitsuhiro Oikawa

4) Gekijouban Kamen Rider Kabuto GOD SPEED LOVE (anime)

5) Pocket Monster (anime)

6) Gekijouban NARUTO (anime)

7) M:i:III

8) Mori no Little Gang

9) Tsuri Baka Nishi 17

10) Brave Story (anime) - voiced by Takako Matsu, Takako Tokiwa, Eiji Wentz (WaT), Yo Oizumi

Note: In blue are Japanese movies

[ Last edited by  whitedove at 10-8-2006 03:53 PM ]

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TOKIO's Matsuoka Masahiro will be starring in the TV Asahi adaptation of the novel, "Nobunaga no Kan", a historical mystery about the truth behind the death of Oda Nobunaga. The novel became popular after the Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro mentioned that he is a fan of the book. To date, the novel has sold 260,000 copies since its release in May this year.

Matsuoka plays Oda Nobunaga in the drama to be shown at the end of the year while veteran actor Matsumoto Koshiro plays his follower Ota Gyuuichi who tries to find out the truth behind his master's death. This is the first time that the two of them are acting together.

http://www.nikkansports.com/ente ... 20060809-72826.html

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Ito Misaki will be starring in the TV Asahi TV SP, "Mezon Ikkoku" based on the same titled comic by Takahashi Rumiko which will be shown next spring. She will play Otowa Kyoko, the widow who manages the apartment Ikkokukan where an university entrance exam repeat student Godai Yusuke falls for her. There will be an audition to look for guys from the age of 20 to 24 to play the role of Godai Yusuke. The audition will be held in Oct where the scriptwriter Okada Yoshikazu, director Motoki Katsuhide and Ito Misaki herself will be the judges.

http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200608/gt2006080701.html

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NTV will be making a real-life adaptation of its long-running anime, "Meitantei Conan" to be shown this autumn as part of the anime's 10th anniversary celebration. The story will be set before Conan drinks the medicine which transforms him from a senior high student to a primary school kid. Oguri Shun will play Conan i.e. Kudo Shinichi while his childhood friend Mori Ran is played by Kurokawa Tomoka. Ran's father who is a detective, Mori Kogoro will be played by Jinnai Takanori. The title of the SP will be "Kudo Shinichi e no Chousenjou~Sayonara made no Prologue" (A challenge to Kudo Shinichi - Prologue before the goodbye).

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/entertainment/n...-OHT1T00056.htm

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Popular manga 'Nodame Cantabile' to be made into TV drama



"Nodame Cantabile," a popular manga by Tomoko Ninomiya that follows the fictional lives of a group of classical music students, is set to be made into a TV drama, it was learned Thursday.The story, published by Kodansha, will be aired on Fuji Television Network from Oct. 16, with Juri Ueno of "Swing Girls" playing the main character Megumi Noda, otherwise known as "Nodame." She will be joined by Hiroshi Tamaki playing Noda's lover Shinichi Chiaki. An animated version of the story is also set to be broadcast from January 2007.

"Nodame Cantabile" humorously tells the story of Nodame, a brilliant pianist whose everyday life is a mess, and Shinichi, who is learning classical music. Shinichi's father is a famous musician. The 15-volume manga series has been hugely successful, with a total of about 11 million copies published. The screenplay for the drama was written by Rin Eto, who is known for "Tokyo Friends" and "Slow Dance." Auditions were held for the orchestra performing in the drama, and the orchestra musicians are set to release a debut CD.

Fuji TV producer Hiroki Wakamatsu said he wanted characters in the drama to show off their individuality. "I want to take on the world view of the original work in which conflict between each of the characters beautifully weaves a harmony, while depicting a cast with individuality," he said. (Mainichi)

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Johnny's Jimusho Kansai group, Kanjani8 hava now spread their newfound popularity into the manga world. They will have their official comic series in Betsusatsu Furendo, beginning in December issue, to be released in November 2006. The title is "Honma ni Kanjani8" (Truly Kanjani8), by top Kodansha artiste Saya Miyauchi.

http://www.kodansha.co.jp/betsufure/

credits to http://community.livejournal.com/kansha_ni_eight

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1) Southern All Stars - Dirty Old Man -Saraba Natsuyo-
2) Tackey&Tsubasa - Ho!Summer
3) ELLEGARDEN - Salamander
4) Kumi Koda - 4 Hot Wave (I'll Be There/Ningyo Hime/Juicy/With Your Smile)
5) GLAY feat. Kyosuke Himuro - Answer
6) YUKI - Fugai Naiya
7) BoA - Key of Heart/Dotch
8) Ai Otsuka - Yumekui
9) Kou Shibasaki - Invitation
10) Aoi Teshima - Teru no Uta

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1) Every Little Thing - Crispy Park
2) Shogo Hamada - The Best of Shogo Hamada Vol.2
3) Shogo Hamada - The Best of Shogo Hamada Vol.1
4) Bonnie Pink - Every Single Day -Complete Bonnie Pink (1995-2006)
5) Various Artistes - Beautiful Songs -Kokoro de Kiku Uta-
6) MONGOL800 - Daniel
7) Christina Aguilera - Back to Basic
8) Daniel Powter - Daniel Powter
9) Angela Aki - Home
10) V6 - Very Best II

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Johnny Depp has a rival in Hong Kong. Japanese movies don't tend to fare too well in that particular market, but the manga adaptation "Death Note" had an impressive opening day that was almost on a par with the latest in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. Starring popular young actor Fujiwara Tatsuya (24), it pulled in over a million Hong Kong dollars on August 10, far more than any Japanese movie of recent years. And on a per-screen basis it did even better than the Hollywood blockbuster. The success isn't so surprising in light of the fact that the original manga sold over 12 million copies, and the Chinese translation also did well in Hong Kong. Several companies are said to be sniffing around Nippon TV, producers of the project, and a Hollywood remake is definitely on the cards. The movie is the first of two parts, with the second scheduled to open in October.