Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]

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Classic "Glass Mask" manga to resume
Fri, June 27, 2008 (11:00am EDT)



Anime News Network reports that the classic shojo manga series "Glass Mask" ("Garasu no Kamen") will be resuming in Hakusensha's Bessatsu Hana to Yume magazine this summer. Written by Suzue Miuchi, the comic originally started its serialization in Hana to Yume in 1976 and was collected in 42 volumes over the years. The story will apparently continue from the end of the original run.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Model Anne to be "character" of Japan's CoFesta
Fri, June 27, 2008 (11:15am EDT)



Fashion model Anne will serve as the "main character" of this year's CoFesta (Japan International Contents Festival), which is taking place from September 30 to October 28. Now in its second year, the festival consists of a wide range of media events, including Tokyo Game Show, Tokyo International Film Festival, and Tokyo Asia Music Market.

Anne, who is the daughter of Ken Watanabe, will help promote the festival through advertising and PR events. Last year's representative was renowned actor Koji Yakusho. Anne has also been successful internationally as a model, and recently she was given her first starring role as an actress in a French film called "Fashion Week," directed by Claude Junior Zidi.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Sharam Q's Taisei has a child
Sat, June 28, 2008 (4:59pm EDT)



Sharam Q keyboardist Taisei announced on his blog that he has now become a father. His wife gave birth to a baby girl on Tuesday.

Taisei, 38, is in his 10th year of marriage.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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AKB48's Kasai does voice acting for "Antique"
Sun, June 29, 2008 (3:39am EDT)



Tomomi Kasai of AKB48 has her first voice acting job in this summer's anime version of Fumi Yoshinaga's "Antique" manga. Also known by the title "Antique Bakery," the comic focuses on a group of four men who run a bakery.

Kasai will be a minor character, playing the daughter of Chikage Kobayakawa, one of the men running the shop.

The series starts on Fuji TV on July 3.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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WOWOW drama stars Takashi Tsukamoto, Yoko Maki
Sun, June 29, 2008 (4:08am EDT)

In September, WOWOW is broadcasting a drama special called "6 Jikango ni Kimi wa Shinu." The suspense story is based on a novel of the same name by author Kazuaki Takano. Takano himself created the drama's screenplay, and also participated as co-director.



Takashi Tsukamoto stars as a young man with the power to predict unusual events in people's futures. One day, he comes across a woman (Yoko Maki) and foresees her imminent death. The drama follows the pair as they attempt to change the woman's fate.

Tsukamoto and Maki both recently got their first starring drama roles. Tsukamoto leads NHK's short series "Kansahoujin," which premiered last weekend, while Maki was the central actress in the recently-finished "Shukan Maki Yoko" on TV Tokyo.

Filming for "6 Jikango ni Kimi wa Shinu" started on Thursday and will run through mid-July. The drama is scheduled to air on September 28 at 10:00pm.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Kago returns to TV on "Sanma no Manma"
Sun, June 29, 2008 (12:21pm EDT)



On Friday, Ai Kago posted an entry on her blog saying that she will make an appearance on Fuji TV's popular talk/variety show "Sanma no Manma." This is her first true television part since restarting her career in April. The episode will air late at night (1:50am) on July 4.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Tsurube Shofukutei to star in Miwa Nishikawa's next
Sun, June 29, 2008 (12:47pm EDT)



Comedian and rakugo artist Tsurube Shofukutei will have the lead role in a movie for the first time in his 37-year career. The film is the next project by "Yureru" director Miwa Nishikawa, a human drama titled "Dear Doctor."

Shofukutei plays a gentle, middle-aged doctor running the only clinic in a sparsely-populated area. The villagers all rely on him, but an encounter with a widow (Kaoru Yachigusa) leads to the discovery of a secret from his past.



As this is his first doctor role, Shofukutei is currently preparing for it by studying at a hospital. Filming will start in late July. The movie is scheduled for release in 2009, with a possible premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Avex to produce musical "Kokoro no Kakera"
Sat, June 28, 2008 (7:27pm EDT)

Music label Avex has announced that it is producing a musical this September, titled "Kokoro no Kakera." The soundtrack is said to feature 21 songs, chosen from the company's hits over the past two decades. This is the first time that a record company has put together a musical based on songs by several of its artists.



The story, set in a fantasy world, centers around a wounded OL who roams a futuristic city searching for mysterious "heart fragments." Avex talents such as Takahiro Nishijima (AAA) and Hiroki Aiba have been cast. Playwright Tsuyoshi Kida wrote the script, and Shunichi Okamura is directing.

Some of the songs being used are Namie Amuro's "Can You Celebrate?," Ayumi Hamasaki's "SEASONS," and Kumi Koda's "Koi no Tsubomi."

The musical will be performed at Tokyo's Aoyama Theatre from September 15 to September 29.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Nakanomori Band announces breakup
Mon, June 30, 2008 (1:06am EDT)



The four-girl Nakanomori Band suddenly announced on their blog on Sunday that they are disbanding at the end of this month. Based on discussions among the members and the staff since the start of this year, it was eventually decided that the individual members will be going their separate ways.

The band has been partially on hiatus since April due to vocalist AYAKO undergoing throat surgery.

Nakanomori Band initially formed in May 2004 and released their first single, "Raspberry Pie," in February 2005. They have released 7 more singles and 3 albums since then.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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[J-ENT] Biyuden holds farewell concert



Japantoday.com reported, 揟he female singing trio Biyuden on Sunday held their farewell concert in Tokyo after 3 years and 9 months together. Biyuden was formed by ex-Morning Musume member Rika Ishikawa, 23, together with Yui Okada, 20, and Erika Miyoshi, 23, in 2004. The group became popular and famous for its sexy costumes and dances.

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[J-ENT] Hamasaki completes 10th Anniversary nationwide tour



Japantoday.com reported, 揝inger Ayumi Hamasaki, 29, on Sunday night finished her nationwide tour marking the 10th anniversary of her debut in Tokyo. She held 17 concerts in 10 cities since April, attracting 230,000 fans.

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Japanese game shows coming to America

LOS ANGELES

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For Japanese female hip-hop duo HALCALI, the world is their stage

By Natsuki Oka



NEW YORK

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Aya Ueto and Jin Akanishi introduce 'Speed Racer'
Tuesday 01st July, 10:53 AM JST



TOKYO

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Jero's first album ranked 5th on Oricon chart
Tuesday 01st July, 10:56 AM JST



TOKYO

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Seiko Matsuda starts annual nationwide tour
Tuesday 01st July, 04:50 AM JST



SAITAMA

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Morning Musume's Takahashi, Niigaki to play Pink Lady in drama special
Tue, July 1, 2008 (12:52am EDT)



Morning Musume members Ai Takahashi and Risa Niigaki will be taking on the role of the '70s pop duo Pink Lady in a special television drama next month. They will appear in NTV's "Yu Aku Monogatari," based on the life of famed lyricist Yu Aku.

The drama focuses on Aku's involvement in the music audition show "Star Tanjou!," which launched the careers of many early idols, including the highly successful Pink Lady. Takahashi and Niigaki will play Mii and Kei, respectively, and will sing the Pink Lady hit "Pepper Keibu" while dressed in the fashion of that era.

NTV plans to broadcast "Yu Aku Monogatari" on August 1.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Best-seller "Sono Hi no Mae ni" gets film version
Tue, July 1, 2008 (2:08am EDT)



The 2005 bestseller "Sono Hi no Mae ni" has just been adapted to the big screen. Comedian Kiyotaka Nanbara (of Uchan Nanchan) co-stars with actress Hiromi Nagasaku, while the veteran Nobuhiko Obayashi directs and Shinichi Ichikawa handles the script.

The original novel was written by Naoki Prize-winning author Kiyoshi Shigematsu. Nanbara and Nagasaku play a married couple in their forties. One day, Nagasaku is unexpectedly diagnosed with a terminal illness, but together with her husband and son, she is determined to live her life to the fullest until that final day comes. Over the course of filming, which ended on June 13, Nagasaku shedded 4 kilograms and cut 30 centimeters off her hair to stay in character as the gradually dying wife.

Nanbara has worked with the director Obayashi before, previously starring in "Shichinin no Otaku" and "Nattu Odoru! Ninja Densetsu."

"Sono Hi no Mae ni" is expected to open in theaters this November.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Miki Maya to marry ballet dancer
Tue, July 1, 2008 (1:11am EDT)



The Sports Nippon newspaper reports that actress Miki Maya, 44, has plans to marry. She is now engaged to 36-year-old Kazuhiro Nishijima, a ballet dancer and actor.

The couple met in 2002 when they co-starred in the stage production "Stardust in Shanghai," based on a work by writer Kenzo Kitakata. They didn't start dating until they met again by chance last summer, but their relationship quickly progressed. Nishijima proposed in March, and they are expected to tie the knot as early as the New Year's holidays.

Nishijima was born into a family of dancers in the Miyazaki prefecture, where he began training in classical ballet at the age of 3 at a school established by his grandmother. He went to France in 1990, and the following year he won in an international competition. Upon returning to Japan, he began an acting career. His roles include a part in the popular 2000 drama series "Ikebukuro West Gate Park."

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"Gokusen" ends with 22.8% average
Tue, July 1, 2008 (11:08am EDT)



The third season of the "Gokusen" drama series came to an end on Saturday. According to data from Video Research Ltd., the finale averaged a 23.6% rating, bouncing back from a decline in viewers over the second half of the season. The show had started out at 26.4% but dipped as low as 17.6% for episode 9.

Overall, the series averaged 22.8%, the highest out of all the spring dramas. For broadcaster NTV, this is the fourth-highest rating since the start of the Heisei era (1989).

Source: www.tokyograph.com