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news: dorama/manga
"Aibou" goes from drama to manga
Fri, December 7, 2007 (9:12pm EST)
The popular detective series "Aibou" (starring Yutaka Mizutani) will become one of the few television dramas to be adapted as a manga.
The comic, drawn by Tamayo Koyasu, begins serialization in the next issue of Big Comic Superior, which goes on sale on the 14th. The story will be based on selected cases from the drama's third season and earlier.
"Aibou" will also see its second novel go on sale on January 11, and a movie is scheduled to be released in the spring.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: asadora (morning dorama)
ManaKana to star in 79th Asadora
Fri, December 7, 2007 (5:46am EST)
NHK has announced that its 79th Asadora is titled "Dandan," starring twin celebrities ManaKana. They previously appeared together in the 1996-1997 series "Futarikko," playing the young versions of the two female leads. This will be the first time that an actress has played an Asadora heroine twice.
The drama is written by Kyoko Moriwaki. The two women portray sisters separated at birth, unaware that the other exists. Mana plays a high schooler in the Shimane Prefecture who loves to sing, while Kana plays an apprentice geisha in Kyoto. One day, they meet again at the Izumo Taisha, and they eventually decide to become a singing duo.
"Dandan" will start at the end of September 2008.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: singer
[JAPAN] Takahashi Yuya indicted for drugs
Mainichi Daily News reported, 揝inger Yuya Takahashi has been indicted for possessing and using stimulants, prosecutors said. |
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news: dorama SP
Yasuko Sawaguchi stars in Seicho Matsumoto adaptation
Fri, December 7, 2007 (9:43pm EST)
TBS will broadcast a drama adaptation of Seicho Matsumoto's novel "Nurareta Hon" on December 17 at 9:00pm. Many of Matsumoto's other works have been adapted to drama or film, but this is the first time for "Nurareta Hon."
Yasuko Sawaguchi stars as the manager of a small publishing firm struggling to strike a deal for a manuscript from a popular author. However, she soon runs into a series of troubles, including being suspected by the police for the mysterious death of her lover, and as a result she turns to more desperate measures.
Other cast members include Masanobu Katsumura, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Mayuko Iwasa, Takehiko Ono, and Hirotaro Honda.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artiste
ZARD's Kohaku "debut"
Fri, December 7, 2007 (10:15pm EST)
NHK announced on Thursday that the late ZARD vocalist Izumi Sakai will be making her Kohaku Uta Gassen "debut" this year. Like the memorial concerts earlier this year, the performance will combine live musicians with videos of her singing.
In September, memorial concerts for the singer were held in Tokyo and Osaka, and it was recently announced that the show would go on tour. A special performance will take place at the NHK Osaka Hall on New Year's Eve, and it will be shown live as part of Kohaku Uta Gassen.
It was also announced that a two-disc album titled "ZARD Request Best ~beautiful memory~" will be released on January 23. The 30 songs on the album received the most votes out of approximately 500,000 requests made via mail and ZARD's official website. More details will be announced later this month.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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survey
Oricon: who would you want nursing you?
Sat, December 8, 2007 (4:12am EST)
Now that the weather has turned cold, Oricon conducted a survey asking a thousand men and women which celebrity they would want to be nursed by if they were sick.
Women ranked Masaharu Fukuyama as #1, followed by Teppei Koike and Tsuyoshi Domoto. Kenji Sakaguchi tied with Shingo Katori for #4.
Men, on the other hand, preferred Masami Nagasawa, though Yui Aragaki was the second most popular choice. Aki Hoshino and Satomi Ishihara tied for #3, while Hitomi Kuroki, Haruka Ayase, and Maki Horikita all tied for #5.
Who would you want nursing you? (among male):
1) Masaharu Fukuyama
2) Teppei Koike (WaT)
3) Tsuyoshi Dohmoto (KInKi Kids)
4) Kenji Sakaguchi
4) Shingo Katori (SMAP) (tie)
Who would you want nursing you? (among female):
1) Masami Nagasawa
2) Yui Aragaki
3) Aki Hoshino
3) Satomi Ishihara (tie)
5) Hitomi Kuroki
5) Haruka Ayase (tie)
5) Maki Horikita (tie)
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: movie awards
Kaneto Shindo Awards, SARVH Award presented
Sat, December 8, 2007 (7:00pm EST)
On Friday, the Kaneto Shindo Awards and the SARVH Award were presented. 95-year-old director Kaneto Shindo was absent from the ceremony for the first time in the award's 12-year history. His second son, director Jiro Shindo, explained that Kaneto has been working on a new film and is being mindful of his health.
This year, the Gold Award was given to director Yoshihiro Nakamura ("Ahiru to Kamo no Coin Locker") while the Silver Award went to director Yuichi Sato ("Kisaragi"). The SARVH Award, which honors producers, was won by Shoji Masui for his work on Masayuki Suo's "Soredemo Boku wa Yattenai."
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: movie
[Madhouse, Studio 4癈, Production I.G. animating Batman
Sat, December 8, 2007 (10:43pm EST)
Wizard Magazine has revealed that a new Batman project is in the works - a DVD containing six animated shorts, titled "Batman: Gotham Knight." The stories are created by American writers, but the animation will be handled by three major Japanese studios: Madhouse, Studio 4癈, and Production I.G.
Bruce Timm is the only director officially announced for the project so far, but it appears that Satoshi Kon is very likely to be involved as well.
The DVD is scheduled for release next summer, before Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" opens in U.S. theaters on July 18.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artiste
DA PUMP's Yukinari in divorce talks
Sat, December 8, 2007 (3:57pm EST)
Yukinari Tamaki of DA PUMP is reportedly headed for divorce with his wife Miho, who is also known as a former celebrity under the stage name Natsu Nishida.
Yukinari and Miho married in 2004 and had a daughter later that year, but differences in the couple's personalities have apparently led to a rift in their relationship. The two are said to be seeking divorce arbitration in a family court.
One source also says that Miho once left their home due to domestic violence committed by Yukinari.
Yukinari's agency said it is unable to comment since the matter is private.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artiste
Talento Moriguchi Hiroko (39) gave a mini concert in Tokyo yesterday to promote her new CD, "Mo Hitotsu no Mirai - Starry Spirits". It includes the main theme and ending song for the latest "SD Gundam G Generation Spirits" game for the Sony PlayStation 2. Moriguchi made her smash hit debut as an idol singer in 1985 with the ending theme for the "Gundam Z" anime, but never made much of an impression after that as a singer. Instead she established herself as a general chatterbox talento on the variety show circuit. Indeed, it was her success that led to the coining of the term "baradol", a combination of "baraeti" (variety) and "idol". Yesterday she denied that a nude shower movie that has been circulating on the Net is really her, joking that she looks a lot worse in the flesh.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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news: dorama
Ai Takabe gets first drama lead in "Guren Onna"
Mon, December 10, 2007 (12:51am EST)
Ai Takabe will star in a television drama for the first time this winter, in TV Tokyo's comedy series "Cosplay Yurei Guren Onna."
The drama is based on the novel of the same name by Nobuyuki Joko. Takabe plays a high school teacher who has no friends due to her gloomy personality. Trying to find a reason for living, she spends her nights dressing up as the "guren-onna," a fictional ghost, and terrifying other people. However, she begins running into actual ghosts.
Takabe's makeup for the part of the "guren-onna" is said to take four hours to apply.
The series premieres on January 11, airing every Friday night at 12:12am.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: actress
Rina Uchiyama wins Kimono Award
Mon, December 10, 2007 (1:47am EST)
Actress Rina Uchiyama was presented with the 5th annual Kimono Award on Sunday. The prize is sponsored by Kimono Seikatsu Network.
Previous winners are Tamao Nakamura, Ryuji Harada, Pinko Izumi, and Ryoko Yonekura.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: movie
Arata Furuta lands first starring movie role
Mon, December 10, 2007 (4:00pm EST)
Actor Arata Furuta is starring a film titled "Komori Kachou no Yuuga na Hibi," directed by Ikki Katashima. Although Furuta has appeared in many supporting roles throughout his 24-year career, this is his first time taking the lead in a movie.
The film is adapted from the 2004 novel of the same name by Hikaru Murozumi. The humorous story follows a man (Furuta) who takes justice into his own hands by killing wrongdoers, but as a result, others begin worshiping him as a religious figure.
Furuta is the latest in a string of established supporting actors to finally be given a starring role. Sadao Abe starred in "Maiko Haaaan!!!" earlier this year, while Yoichi Nukumizu is starring in Masatoshi Akihara's "Ito no Hanashi," to be released in April. Fumiyo Kohinata was also given his first lead role in next season's drama series "A#a no Kita Yoshio."
The supporting cast of "Komori Kachou no Yuuga na Hibi" includes Chiaki Kuriyama, Shugo Oshinari, Narimi Arimori, Shiro Sano, and Kosuke Toyohara. The movie is scheduled for release in fall 2008.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: dorama/music
Superfly to provide first drama theme song
Mon, December 10, 2007 (5:09pm EST)
New rock unit Superfly is doing its first theme song for a television drama. Titled "Ai wo Komete Hanataba wo," it will be used in TBS's "Edison no Haha," which stars Misaki Ito.
The song was originally written while guitarist Koichi Tabo (who has left the group) was still in his teens, but it was completed in 2005 when Superfly moved to Tokyo to pursue a professional career. They have regularly performed it during their live shows during the past year. However, the song's arrangement will apparently be redone for the drama, and the new version will be released as a single in February.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: dorama
Minamisawa, Maeda to star in Morohoshi adaptation
Mon, December 10, 2007 (5:23pm EST)
 
Actress Nao Minamisawa and AKB48 member Atsuko Maeda are co-starring in an NTV drama series this winter.
"Shiori to Shimiko no Kaiki Jikenbo" is based on the "Shiori to Shimiko" manga series by popular writer Daijiro Morohoshi. Described as a "surreal horror comedy," the story follows two girls named Shiori (Minamisawa) and Shimiko (Maeda) who become involved in strange incidents in their town.
The series will air late on Saturday nights, at 12:50am. The first episode will be broadcast on January 5.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artiste
[JAPAN] Interview with Hirano Aya - Singer and Seiyuu
Recently, Daily Yomiuri抯 Fukuda Makoto interviewed Hirano Aya.
In an excerpt of the interview, Fukuda wrote, 揤oice actress Aya Hirano, 20, is the top star of Japan抯 anime world. She holds concerts, hosts a radio show and appears in books of pinups like a pop idol. But Hirano says she would rather focus on her activities as a voice actor. Hirano talked about her feelings toward the job and anime in a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun. |
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news: artiste
[CHINA] Angie Chiu, Gackt and Lee Jun Ki among the artists who won at the 2007 China Fashion Awards
CRIEnglish.com reported, 揊ashion trendsetters of the screen and stage reigned over the 2007 China Fashion Awards, held on Sunday in Shanghai. |
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survey
Oricon: who would you play video games with?
Tue, December 11, 2007 (4:32am EST)
Oricon conducted a survey of a thousand men and women, asking them which celebrity they would want to play video games with. Otaku (and gamer) idol Shoko Nakagawa easily topped the survey, ranking #1 among male respondents and #2 among females.
#2 overall was Shinya Arino of comedy duo Yoiko, who hosts the gaming show "Game Center CX" on Fuji TV. He was followed in the rankings by Shingo Katori and Becky, neither of whom are known for playing video games but were both chosen mainly for their cheerful personalities.
Pop star Hikaru Utada, who is also known as a Tetris fanatic, ranked 5th, though she was the #1 choice among those in their twenties. The rest of the top ten were Sanma Akashiya (#6), Masaharu Fukuyama, Koichi Domoto, and Aya Ueto (all tied for #7), and Kaori Manabe and Kazunari Ninomiya (tied for #10).
Who would you play video games with?
1) Shoko Nakagawa
2) Shinya Arino (Yoiko)
3) Shingo Katori (SMAP)
4) Becky
5) Hikaru Utada
6) Sanma Akashiya
7) Masaharu Fukuyama
7) Koichi Dohmoto (KinKi Kids) (tie)
7) Aya Ueto (tie)
10) Kaori Manabe
10) Kazunari Ninomiya (Arashi) (tie)
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: actors
YouTube being used for D-BOYS audition
Tue, December 11, 2007 (3:55pm EST)
Watanabe Entertainment is preparing to launch its next audition to recruit new members for acting group D-BOYS. Unlike typical talent searches, the audition is making use of video website YouTube to reach applicants all across Japan.
This will be the group's 5th audition. The first two auditions took applications only by mail. When Watanabe Entertainment began allowing photo applications through cell phones for the third audition in 2006, the number of contestants grew by more than 4,000. With the addition of YouTube as a means of applying, it is likely that the number will again significantly increase.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Post time 13-12-2007 05:35 PM
