Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]

whitedove · Post time 21-11-2008 05:16 PM

Beyonce, Kimutaku appear in Samantha Thavasa ads
Thursday 20th November, 10:08 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 21-11-2008 05:17 PM

DAIGO gets regular TV role
Thu, November 20, 2008 (2:21am EST)

Rising musician DAIGO has been given his first regular part in a television drama series. He will appear in TBS's "Love Shuffle," which was announced last week.

DAIGO plays a young businessman who has amassed a fortune through trading stocks. His character exhibits stalker-like behavior due to his lingering feelings for his ex-girlfriend, played by Karina.

DAIGO's only other television role was in a single episode of the 2003 series "Stand Up!!" where he played a musician.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 21-11-2008 05:22 PM

Tsutaya ranks 2008 rentals, sales
Thu, November 20, 2008 (3:13am EST)

Major media store Tsutaya has published its music rental and sales rankings for 2008, based on data from its more than 1,300 stores across Japan.

In album rentals, Hikaru Utada's "HEART STATION" ranked #1, followed by Kobukuro's "5296" and GReeeeN's "A, Domo. Ohisashiburi Desu." In sales, however, Namie Amuro topped the rankings with "BEST FICTION" while EXILE's "EXILE CATCHY BEST" was #2. GReeeeN's album was also #3 on the sales list.

Under single rentals, Thelma Aoyama was on top with "Soba ni Iru ne." GReeeeN's "Kiseki" was #2, ahead of "Niji" by Aqua Timez. On the sales list, "Soba ni Iru ne" was at #3 while "Kiseki" took the #1 seat, with Mr.Children's "HANABI" in between them.

In movie rentals, the "Koizora" DVD performed best out of all Japanese films.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 21-11-2008 05:23 PM

ELT's Mochida starting solo activities
Thu, November 20, 2008 (1:07am EST)

Kaori Mochida, the vocalist of Every Little Thing, will be launching a solo project next year. On January 28, she will release her first single, which is currently untitled. The single will include three songs.

Mochida just launched her official site under Avex on Thursday. She wrote on the site that she has been considering a solo project ever since Every Little Thing's 10th anniversary in 2006.

Mochida mentioned that she and Ichiro Ito will still continue on as Every Little Thing.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 21-11-2008 05:34 PM

TV Asahi betting big on "Keikan no Chi"
Thu, November 20, 2008 (1:57am EST)

In August, TV Asahi announced that it is producing a big budget drama special titled "Keikan no Chi," based on the acclaimed novel by Jo Sasaki. Further details have now been revealed, highlighting just how ambitious the project is.

It was already known that Yosuke Eguchi, Hidetaka Yoshioka, and Hideaki Ito would be starring in the drama, playing three generations in a family of cops. It turns out that the cast will be composed of over 150 people, including many top actors such as Koichi Sato, Katsunori Takahashi, Shinobu Terajima, Shigeru Izumiya, Masato Ibu, and Miyoko Asada.

Filming took place across the country for 3 months, wrapping up in early November. The production cost amounts to several hundred million yen, making it one of the most expensive dramas ever produced by the network. The finished work, clocking in at 5 hours long, will be broadcast this winter.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 21-11-2008 05:36 PM

Actor Takahashi Katsunori (43) was more than happy to strike a disco pose for reporters yesterday. The occasion was a post-production event for the big-screen adaptation of his popular TV Asahi late-night drama series "Tokumei Kakaricho - Tadano Hitoshi," held at the Differ Ariake hall in Tokyo. The venue, which houses the first ever arena purpose built for mixed martial arts, was also home to a famous bubble-era disco. Yesterday Takahashi posed for the cameras under the giant mirror ball that still hangs from the ceiling. The TV series, which has run since 2003, is adapted from a serial manga in the Gendai Shukan magazine. The Tadano Hitoshi character, whose talents are sex and karate, works as a fixer at an ad agency run by a yakuza. The drama is known for its love scenes (it has often featured porno actresses) and putting out for the movie version is doctor-turned-talento Nishikawa Ayako (37), who said yesterday with her usual confidence, "Of all his bed scenes, I was the best." Also at the event were DJ Ozma, who recorded the movie's theme song "Masurao," giant Korean kickboxer Choi Hong Man (28), and actressese Ebihara Yuri and Takizawa Saori (27). Asked for a comment on rumors of her romance with actor Watanabe Kunito (24), Takizawa insisted that they are just good friends. Directed by Ueda Hisashi, the movie is scheduled to open on December 6.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove · Post time 21-11-2008 05:43 PM

Updated MUCC tour dates NYC / Los Angeles

November 20, 2008 by J!-ENT

MUCC HEADLINES U.S. DATES Coming soon!!

12/7 (Sun) Irving Plaza/ NY

12/10 (Wed) House of Blues/ LA

Tickets information: www.ticketmaster.com

New album SHION in stores and itunes on 11/25.

More info: www.myspace.com/muccofficial

Hailing from Ibaraki, Japan, world renowned JROCK band, MUCC announces the release of their latest album 揝hion

whitedove · Post time 24-11-2008 04:54 PM

NHK casting for foreigners for drama
Friday 21st November, 06:30 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 24-11-2008 04:55 PM

Miki Mizuno and Masato win 'Fur of the Year' Contest
Friday 21st November, 03:31 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 24-11-2008 05:02 PM

Sowelu's "Material World" used as movie theme
Fri, November 21, 2008 (12:37am EST)

Singer Sowelu is coming out with a new song titled "MATERIAL WORLD." It will be used as the theme of "Tsumi Toka Batsu Toka," a comedy film directed by Keralino Sandorovich that stars Riko Narumi as an unsuccessful idol who tries to solve a crime.

"MATERIAL WORLD" was produced by Taku Takahashi of m-flo. The song will be sold as a single, but further details such as the release date won't be announced until next month. "Tsumi Toka Batsu Toka" opens in theaters next spring.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 24-11-2008 05:15 PM

Katsucon presents YMCK, Aural Vampire
Fri, November 21, 2008 (2:21am EST)

Katsucon has announced two musical guests for its 2009 convention. Electronic "8-bit" groupYMCK and synth-pop band Aural Vampire will be performing in concerts, in addition to autograph and Q&A sessions.

Katsucon 15 is being held on February 13-15 in Arlington, VA.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 24-11-2008 05:16 PM

Miliyah Kato creates keitai drama
Fri, November 21, 2008 (3:11am EST)

Singer Miliyah Kato is working on a cell phone drama, based on her new song "20-CRY-." The drama will consist of three independent episodes, each lasting 7 to 8 minutes, about the troubles of various women upon reaching the age of twenty.

The first episode stars actress Mina Fujii and model Haru, backed by director Hiroshi Usui. The casts of the other two episodes have not yet been revealed.

The episodes will be distributed freely to cell phones starting on December 1. The "20-CRY-" CD single goes on sale January 28.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 24-11-2008 05:24 PM

"Daremo Mamotte Kurenai" movie gets television twist
Fri, November 21, 2008 (1:33am EST)

Ryoichi Kimizuka's movie "Daremo Mamotte Kurenai" ("Nobody to Watch Over Me") is getting a television tie-in on Fuji TV. The film, which won Best Screenplay at the Montreal World Film Festival, makes its theatrical debut in Japan on January 24, and on the same day, Fuji TV will broadcast a drama special called "Daremo Mamorenai."

The movie tells the story of a cop (Koichi Sato) trying to simultaneously protect and interrogate a young girl (Mirai Shida) whose brother was arrested for suspected murder. The drama features the same cast and characters but emphasizes the other side of the story. While the movie centers on the suspect's family, the television version will focus on the cops (Sato and Ryuhei Matsuda) and the victim's family.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 24-11-2008 05:25 PM

JELLY disbands after drummer's arrest
Sun, November 23, 2008 (4:17pm EST)

Rock band JELLY? has decided to disband after last week's news of drummer Kohei Shimizu being arrested for forced indecency with a minor. The decision was made by the band's other members, and frontman Yafumi acknowledged that Shimizu's scandal is the primary reason for the breakup.

The band's lineup has not changed since its formation in 1995. The remaining members plan to continue their music careers separately.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 24-11-2008 05:28 PM

Miss Monday collaborates with Furuya, Moriyama, PES
Sun, November 23, 2008 (5:15pm EST)

Rapper Miss Monday has teamed up with Kenji Furuya (of Dragon Ash), Naotaro Moriyama, and PES (of RIP SLYME) to work on a new song titled "The Light."

The collaboration was born at the end of last year, when Miss Monday asked Furuya to produce a song for her. Furuya recruited Moriyama and PES to participate in the project, and roughly 8 months were spent on the song as it went through multiple revisions.

Miss Monday will release "The Light" as a single on January 28.

Source: www.tokyograph.com