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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]
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D'espairsRay adds North America to world tour
Fri, June 18, 2010 (10:06pm EDT)
D'espairsRay recently announced that they have added several North American dates to their upcoming world tour, which starts in Japan on July 20.
They will play 9 shows in the United States and Canada, starting with Los Angeles on August 3 and ending with Houston on August 17. The tour will take them to Russia and Europe after that. Complete tour dates can be found on the band's official website.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Kobukuro covers music for "Dohyo Girl"
Fri, June 18, 2010 (10:24pm EDT)
The popular duo Kobukuro will provide the theme song and insert songs for the TBS drama series "Dohyo Girl," which stars fashion model Nozomi Sasaki (22) in a story about sumo wrestling.
All of the songs are being taken from Kobukuro's cover album "ALL COVERS BEST" (on sale August 25). The theme song will be a version of Tetsuro Oda's "Itsumademo Kawaranu Ai wo," while the insert song will be different for each of the show's 10 episodes, starting with Yumi Matsutoya's "Sotsugyou Shashin." The other songs that are planned to be used include Yutaka Ozaki's "I LOVE YOU," Shogo Hamada's "Mou Hitotsu no Doyoubi," and Derek and the Dominos' "Layla."
"Dohyo Girl" premieres on July 13.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Takahiro Miura stars in "Gakkou wo Tsukurou"
Sat, June 19, 2010 (1:46am EDT)
Newcomer actor Takahiro Miura (24), the son of Tomokazu Miura (58) and Momoe Yamaguchi (51), has been given another starring movie role. He will play the lead in a picture titled "Gakkou wo Tsukurou," directed by Seijiro Koyama ("Hachiko Monogatari").
Earlier this month, it was announced that Miura is leading the "BADBOYS" manga-to-film adaptation that will be released next year, but "Gakkou wo Tsukurou" is slated for this fall, which means this will be his true first starring role.
Filming for "Gakkou wo Tsukurou" already finished on June 10. The story is set in the 19th century, during the start of the Meiji era just after the end of the Bakumatsu period. Miura will play Nagatane Soma, one of a small group of students sent to the United States to study Western academic disciplines. Along with Inajiro Tajiri, Tanetaro Megata, and Shigetada Komai, Nagatane founded Senshu University, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year.
Miura's supporting cast includes Tokio Emoto (20), Hana Konoe (30), Ichiro Hashimoto (24), and Ryo Hashizume (23). Like Miura, all of them are children of well-known celebrities. Tokio is the son of Akira Emoto (61), Hana is the daughter of Yuki Meguro (62) and Yuko Enatsu (62), Ichiro is the son of Koji Yakusho (54), and Ryo is the son of Isao Hashizume (68).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Omori, Matsushima play couple in "Inu no Eiga" sequel
Sat, June 19, 2010 (2:09am EDT)
The 2005 omnibus film "Inu no Eiga" is getting a sequel. Titled "Inu to Anata no Monogatari: Inu no Eiga," the movie comprises six stories about people's relationships with their dogs.
Nao Omori (38) and Nanako Matsushima (36) will play a married couple in one of the stories. Akira Nakao (67), Masaaki Uchino (41), Atsuko Takahata (55), Kie Kitano (19) will also appear in the film.
Several directors are involved in the project, including Shunichi Nagasaki, whose works include the 2008 movie "Nishi no Majo ga Shinda" ("The Witch of The West is Dead").
"Inu to Anata no Monogatari" is expected to open in theaters in 2011.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Mika Kaneda to become mother
Sat, June 19, 2010 (9:28pm EDT)
Talento Mika Kaneda (26) revealed on her blog that she is expecting her first child. She is currently six months pregnant and is expected to deliver in October.
In June of last year, Kaneda married soccer player Sota Nakazawa (27), who plays for Gamba Osaka. They held their wedding ceremony this past January.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Shunsuke Daito injured in traffic accident
Sat, June 19, 2010 (9:41pm EDT)
Young actor Shunsuke Daito (24) was recently injured in a motorcycle accident, it has been learned. While riding his motorcycle in Tokyo's Setagaya ward on June 18, he collided with a car, resulting in a compound fracture in his femur. It is said that Daito was not at fault in the accident.
Daito was taken to the hospital and underwent surgery on the 19th. He is expected to stay in the hospital for two weeks to recover.
Daito currently appears in the TBS drama series "Tumbling." He is scheduled to appear in TV Asahi's "Keishichou Keizoku Sousahan" starting on July 22, but his injury will likely have an impact on the role.
UPDATE: More details about the accident have been reported. Around 10:30pm on June 18, Daito was riding his moped in Setagaya. At the Wakabayashi intersection, he rode straight through, but a car coming from the opposite direction made a right turn, and the two collided. Police from a nearby police box called for an ambulance, and Daito was quickly taken to a hospital where he received surgery. Police are currently investigating the accident.
Filming for "Keishichou Keizoku Sousahan" is scheduled to start on the 28th. Because Daito will need some rehabilitation even after he leaves the hospital in two weeks, there is a strong possibility that he will be removed from the show's cast.
Filming for the NTV talk/variety show "Kokoro Yusabure! Senpai ROCK YOU" will also likely be affected.
For "Tumbling," part of the final episode (June 26 broadcast) is being shot on the 21st, so Daito will be absent. However, Daito is planned to star in a stage version this September that continues the story of "Tumbling" five years after the drama. He hopes to perform in that as planned.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Kumi Koda to release best live DVD
Sun, June 20, 2010 (5:27pm EDT)
This year is the 10th anniversary of the debut of pop star Kumi Koda (27). As a special project to celebrate the milestone, she is releasing her first "best live DVD" on July 17.
"KODA KUMI 10th Anniversary BEST LIVE DVD BOX" will include 30 minutes of concert footage of 15 songs, personally selected by Koda. The clips are taken from the six tours she performed between 2005 and this year. The DVD also contains other footage from her concerts, plus a 40-minute documentary of her 10-year career. The set is planned to retail for 1,260 yen.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Jin Akanishi adds more U.S. concerts
Sun, June 20, 2010 (4:53pm EDT)
KAT-TUN member Jin Akanishi (25) successfully performed his first U.S. solo concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on Saturday. The venue was reportedly full with a crowd of approximately 2,000 fans. According to the event's promoters, 20% of the crowd was from Japan.
Akanishi had scheduled three concerts at Club Nokia - one on Saturday and two on Sunday. During Saturday's concert, he announced that he will be performing several more concerts this September and October, covering seven cities across the U.S. Although details are still not known, he revealed that the tour will take him to Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Anaheim, and Houston.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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PR starts for DiCaprio-Watanabe film 'Inception'
Tuesday 22nd June, 03:42 AM JST
TOKYO —
The promotional poster for the upcoming Leonardo DiCaprio action film, “Inception,” will be very different for the Japanese release of the film. The film co-stars well-known Japanese actor Ken Watanabe who gets a prominent position on the poster along with DiCaprio and costars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“500 Days of Summer”) and Ellen Page (“Juno”).
The film marks one of the first times a well-known Japanese actor plays a major role in a large American-only production. Watanabe starred in successful films “The Last Samurai” and “Letters From Iwo Jima,” but these were created in collaboration with Japanese production companies.
“Inception,” directed by Christopher Nolan, cost a reported $160 million to produce, and tells the story of a secret agent (DiCaprio) who infiltrates the dreamscapes of others to steal valuable ideas. Watanabe plays the president of the mega-corporation that funds his missions.
“A door to a whole new dimension has opened. Experience it on the big screen this summer,” Watanabe told reporters during a promotional event for the film a few months ago.
“Inception,” which opens in the U.S. on July 16 and in Japan on July 23, was partially filmed in Tokyo.
DiCaprio, who was here in March to promote “Shutter Island,” will be coming back to do PR for the film with Watanabe in early July.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Melon Kinenbi's Otani stars in stage play
Mon, June 21, 2010 (9:33am EDT)
Former Melon Kinenbi member Masae Otani (28) is taking on the lead role in a stage play this September, produced by the ACTOR'S TRASH ASSH troupe. This will be Otani's first stage performance since Melon Kinenbi's breakup on May 3. It is also her first time starring in a stage performance under her own name.
The play is a revival of their "Kizame, Waga Hada ni Kimi no Ibuki wo," which they performed in April 2009. It is described as a love story, though it is rich with fantasy and mythology. Performances will be held on September 1-5 at the Theater Green in Ikebukuro.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Peaky SALT drummer leaving
Mon, June 21, 2010 (9:55am EDT)
Rock band Peaky SALT, which made its major label debut in 2008, is losing its drummer. The group announced on its official website that Suzan will be leaving after a concert on July 16 in Tokyo.
Suzan has been with the band for seven years, almost since the group's beginning. He explained that he has been blessed to be part of the band, but he eventually felt that he had been spoiled by that environment, so he now plans to become more serious about his life and find another path in life.
Peaky SALT's vocalist Yuu (who is the son of actor Tomokazu Miura and singer Momoe Yamaguchi) apologized on the group's blog for the sudden announcement. However, he said that the group has discussed the matter extensively, and Suzan finalized his decision after all four members of the band were in agreement.
Yuu also expressed optimism for the future of the band, stating that July will be the end of the current Peaky SALT, but it will also mark the beginning of a new Peaky SALT.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Nittelegenic 2010 members announced
Mon, June 21, 2010 (10:05am EDT)
NTV unveiled the newest generation of its annual Nittelegenic gravure idol project on Monday. Now in its 13th incarnation, the group has helped build the careers of stars such as Ai Kato, Kaori Manabe, Yuko Ogura, and Waka Inoue.
The Nittelegenic 2010 group has six members: Chise Nakamura (23), Yuki Asakura (22), Reiko Ito (21), Rio Uchida (18), Konomi Kimura (20), and Aya Takigawa (23).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Sugar Soul vocalist returns with new group
Mon, June 21, 2010 (11:09am EDT)
AIKO, once the vocalist of R&B/hip-hop group Sugar Soul, is making her official return to music after nearly ten years. Now going by the name AIKO SUN, she has formed a new unit called KAM, with a digital single set for release next month.
KAM reportedly takes its name from the Ainu word "kamui," meaning "spirit" or "nature." The group consists of AIKO SUN as the vocalist, former Sugar Soul sound producer ASAMOTO (Hirofumi Asamoto), and rapper MC CARDZ.
The trio will make their debut with the digital single "When the Sun Goes Down," available on July 21. It will be available one week earlier on July 14 through the iTunes store. The group's first live performance will be a release party for the single at Shibuya's Club Asia on July 21.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Susumu Terajima becomes a father
Mon, June 21, 2010 (6:52pm EDT)
46-year-old actor Susumu Terajima finally became a father, it was learned on Monday. His wife gave birth to their first daughter on June 7.
In November 2009, Terajima married a woman said to be 28 years old, whom he had been dating since 2007. Although not many details about the marriage were reported then, it is now known that she was pregnant at the time.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Choshinsung teams up with Tetsuya Komuro for next single
Mon, June 21, 2010 (7:08pm EDT)
Korean group Choshinsung will put out a new single on July 21, in collaboration with popular producer Tetsuya Komuro (51). Titled "Evidence of Luv," the song is an uptempo dance number composed by Komuro.
"Evidence of Luv" will be a double A-side. The other song is a cover of "Get Wild" by TM NETWORK (which is led by Komuro), though Choshinsung's version will have rap parts added in.
Choshinsung has been on the rise in Japan since their debut last September. In addition to "Evidence of Luv" in July, they have another release planned for August and a fan event in September to mark the one-year anniversary of their Japan debut.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Yumachi & Aina assemble Shibuya gal group
Mon, June 21, 2010 (7:30pm EDT)
The latest attempt to reproduce the success of idol group AKB48 is a new unit called Shibuya GAL'S. The unit is being produced and led by the gal (gyaru) duo Yumachi & Aina, and naturally it is being described as the "Shibuya gal version of AKB48."
Yumachi & Aina consists of Yuma Takahashi (21) and Aina Tanaka (21), who both model for the fashion magazine Egg. After topping the Recochoku club music charts last year, they made their major label debut earlier this year and are releasing their debut album "QUEEN" this week.
They began holding auditions for Shibuya GAL'S last month, aiming to create a large-scale unit like AKB48. They received applications from 4,000 girls across the country. On Monday, they selected 22 of the contestants, ranging in age from 14 to 20. Adding Yumachi and Aina themselves, the group has a total of 24 members.
Shibuya GAL'S will release their first digital single on August 4, titled "Ouenka! Agepoyo~." In addition to their music, the group will be active as fashion models. Yumachi & Aina reportedly aim to expand the group to 48 members this fall.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Aya Ueto, Masaaki Uchino reunite for romance drama
Mon, June 21, 2010 (6:32pm EDT)
Aya Ueto (24) will star in a short drama series this fall, titled "Juunen Saki mo Kimi ni Koishite." This will be her first time leading a series on NHK.
The show reunites her with actor Masaaki Uchino (41), whom she worked with in the 2004 tennis manga adaptation "Ace wo Nerae!" Back then, the two played the roles of a student and a tennis coach, but here they will be playing love interests.
The story focuses on 26-year-old Rika (Ueto), a single editor who is unskilled in love. The story starts when a man (Uchino) appears before her, telling her that he is her husband from 10 years in the future. He informs her that she will meet the young version of himself in a few days, but begs her not to marry him.
Both Ueto and Uchino will have double roles, playing their characters in the present and 10 years in the future.
The drama is an original story written by popular screenwriter Mika Omori. NHK will broadcast the series for six episodes on Tuesday nights at 10:00pm, starting on August 31.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Romero can't resist digging up the dead again
By James Hadfield
TOKYO —
“Three thousand people this year came out in Toronto for a zombie walk,” says George A Romero, speaking on the phone from his home in Canada. “Everyone got dressed up as zombies and they marched for 10 city blocks—it was like a major parade. That I don’t get. What is it? Is it some kind of punk thing? Are they saying, ‘Well, we’re all Deadheads anyway, so we might as well pretend to be dead’? I don’t know why it’s become faddish.”
It’s been over 40 years since Romero made “Night of the Living Dead,” the low-budget horror flick that established the template for the modern zombie movie. And though he’s tried his hand at other genres since then — check out 1981’s “Knightriders,” about motorbike jousters, or slasher flick “Bruiser” (2000) — the undead just keep coming back.
Romero’s latest film, “Survival of the Dead,” is the sixth in the series, and a sequel of sorts to 2007’s documentary-style “Diary of the Dead.”
“Because ‘Diary’ was made for so little money, even though it had a limited theatrical release, worldwide it made a ton of money on video,” he says. “So obviously everyone said, ‘Let’s go again.’”
The film catches up with a group of rogue National Guard troops who featured briefly in the previous movie, led by Sarge “Nicotine” Crockett (Alan van Sprang). When they head to a remote island to escape the apocalypse, they find themselves caught between two feuding Irish families who are at odds over whether to kill the zombies or try to cure them.
Er… Irish? “I wanted to hint at an age-old conflict,” Romero says. “I didn’t think, on an island off Delaware, that I could have an Arab and a Jew. I possibly could’ve had two senators, but… It’s one of those ideas that come to you in the shower.”
After having a relatively large budget for 2005’s “Land of the Dead,” the director is back to making films on a shoestring these days — and enjoying it, apparently. “The problem is that, when you work with that kind of money, the budget on everything goes up. I can’t decide: I can’t take the decision to not spend money where the studio wants to spend it. Dennis Hopper — bless him, he’s gone now — I think his cigar budget cost more than what Night of the ‘Living Dead’ cost, all-in.”
Budget constraints have forced some changes in the way Romero makes his films — not least the use of digital post-production for the gory bits. But while some may miss the ingenious prosthetic effects deployed by Tom Savini and Gregory Nicotero in earlier movies, going digital has also brought its benefits. One of the funniest moments in “Survival” comes when a Guardsman jams a fire extinguisher into a zombie’s mouth and literally foams its head off.
“Tom Savini could never pull off the fire extinguisher gag,” says Romero. “I can really do Looney Tunes gags, right out of [animator] Chuck Jones’ playbook, which I could never do mechanically before.”
If the movie does as well as its predecessor, there could be a couple more to come, each involving characters from “Diary.” However, Romero’s next project promises to be a change of pace — assuming it gets off the ground. The director has been attached to a 3D remake of “Deep Red,” the 1975 psycho-thriller by Italian horror maestro Dario Argento.
“I’ve been speaking with Dario’s brother, Claudio, about it,” he says, sounding a little coy on the subject. “I’ve seen a script that they wrote, and I’ve given notes on it, but I’ve said all along that if Dario doesn’t want this to happen, I won’t do it.”
Having seen some of his own films remade, including “Day of the Dead” and “The Crazies,” will he know what mistakes to avoid?
“You mean would I make a lousy movie?” he says, and laughs uproariously. “I would try not to make a bad film, let me put it that way. I like the idea, and I think it could be a new ‘Psycho’ or something. I think it could be really good.”
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Honesty a requirement for auditions: Nagasawa
Wednesday 23rd June, 03:19 AM JST
TOKYO —
Actresses Yasuko Sawaguchi, 45, Maki Mizuno, 40, Masami Nagasawa, 23, and others attended a press conference in Tokyo this week for the “Toho Cinderella” audition. Mizuno and Nagasawa—who are the “scouting chief” and “scouting manager”—recounted interesting tales from their own past auditions while a series of photographs from the time played on a large screen behind them.
Mizuno said she took her first audition after being spurned by a guy, as a type of “revenge.” Nagasawa said that on her CV under “special skills,” her mother had written “jazz dance,” but at one final audition when she was told to give a quick performance, she refused. “I thought, ‘I’m not confident, and this isn’t really a special skill at all,’” explained the actress, “Sometimes, it’s necessary to have that kind of honesty.”
Auditions will begin July 1, with a grand prix held in January of next year.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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