Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]

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Yuki Amami returns for "BOSS" sequel
Thu, January 27, 2011 (7:20pm EST)



It is now confirmed that Fuji TV will broadcast a sequel to the 2009 drama series "BOSS" this spring. Starring Yuki Amami (43) as the head of a team of detectives, the show averaged 17.0% ratings with a peak of 20.7%, and many fans have been hoping for another season.

The story this time will continue from the final scene of the first series, with Amami's character Eriko receiving a sudden phone call as she is about to leave Japan, leading her to once again take the reins of the special detective unit. The main supporting cast will be returning, including Yutaka Takenouchi, Erika Toda, Junpei Mizobata, Michiko Kichise, Kendo Kobayashi, Yoichi Nukumizu, and Tetsuji Tamayama.

The sequel will air in the same Thursday 10:00pm time slot, starting in April.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Hiroyuki Miyasako having affair with young idol?
Thu, January 27, 2011 (8:26pm EST)



This week's issue of photo tabloid FRIDAY reports that comedian Hiroyuki Miyasako (40) may be having an affair. According to the magazine, Miyasako was seen spending the night at the apartment of a young former idol (22).

FRIDAY identifies the idol as "M-san," and it is said that she once appeared on the Fuji TV variety/reality show "Ainori" and was later part of the Yoshimoto Kogyo gravure idol unit YGA.

The woman fitting that description is Mami Kimura, who was known by the nickname "Maamin" during her time on "Ainori" in 2008-2009. Kimura joined YGA as a 3rd generation member in 2009 but left the group in May 2010.

FRIDAY says that late one night in early December, Kimura returned to her apartment by taxi. Ten minutes later, Miyasako arrived at the same building in a separate taxi, wearing a hat and mask, and he did not leave until the next morning. Since then, he has continued his visits, sometimes as often as twice a week.

The magazine says that when it asked Miyasako for comment, he denied that he is having an affair.

Miyasako is part of the duo Ameagari Kesshitai, which is also managed by Yoshimoto Kogyo.


Source: www.tokyograph.com

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X Japan signs 3-year contract with EMI Music North America
Thu, January 27, 2011 (7:50pm EST)



Rock band X Japan has signed a 3-year exclusive agreement with EMI Music for production and distribution of their music in North America. Their first release through EMI is the single "Jade," scheduled for March 15. This will be the band's first single in North America, and their first CD single anywhere since "THE LAST SONG" in 1998.

X Japan successfully completed their first U.S. tour last summer, which included their debut U.S. performance at the rock festival Lollapalooza.

Leader Yoshiki said that they have plans for an album this summer, with about half of it being new songs. Naturally, they are also aiming to do a tour for the album before the end of the year.

Yoshiki also stated that the band is currently negotiating for releases in other countries, particularly Europe and other parts of Asia.

In addition, Yoshiki announced that he is getting his own regular radio show, called "YOSHIKI RADIO," on the U.S.-based satellite radio service Sirius XM. The show is currently planned as a one-hour broadcast once a month, starting in February.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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All’s fair in blood and gore for special effects maestro Yoshihiro Nishimura

By Kevin Mcgue



TOKYO —

A few blocks from the Ground Self Defense Force camp in Nerima, we are met by a man sporting a neatly trimmed goatee, well-worn work boots and black mechanic’s overalls. “It’s just through here,” he says, leading us under a garage door. We enter a room lined with steel shelves filled with body parts—a rack of human heads, a box of severed feet. Glancing up, we notice entire bodies hanging from the rafters.

But we aren’t scared in the slightest. Our host is not a deranged serial killer, but Japan’s most sought-after special effects artist.

Entering Yoshihiro Nishimura’s workshop is like stepping into one man’s nightmare—or should we say, his fantasy land. Miniature arms grow out of human heads, pointing space pistols in all directions. Amputated limbs segue into chainsaws and machine guns. Human flesh merges with machine.

This private world is becoming increasingly public as Nishimura’s films gain a devoted international following. Love them or hate them, Japanese “action gore” movies, the genre Nishimura helped found, are becoming one of Japan’s hottest exports.

A brief scene from Nishimura’s 2008 directorial debut, “Tokyo Gore Police,” offers a glimpse into the twisted world of his movies. A beautiful undercover policewoman (former Benetton model Eihi Shiina) is riding a packed Tokyo commuter train dressed in a kimono-print blouse and leather shorts. When a chikan fondles her rear, she grabs his wrists and drags him from the train to a secluded area as he whimpers his apologies. She coldly informs him that he has committed a crime, draws a samurai sword, and chops off the offending hands, shielding herself from the spray of blood with a traditional Japanese parasol.

The scene is horrific, to be sure, but it is also carefully framed and abstractly beautiful, and even becomes humorous due to the sheer volume of obviously fake blood. (Like everyone in Nishimura’s films, the train molester seems to have extremely high blood pressure.) The arterial spray effect, achieved with a German-made pump originally designed for washing cars, has become a signature of sorts for Nishimura, prompting one YouTube user to comment on the trailer: “How much blood does this man think is in a human body, anyway?”

“Tokyo Gore Police” is actually a remake of Nishimura’s very first work, “Anatomia Extinction,” a short film made with a volunteer cast and crew in 1995. “At that time, Japanese train and telephone companies were all undergoing privatization,” Nishimura recalls, as he settles in for our interview in his work studio. “I wondered what would happen if the police also became a privatized company, doing their work with financial interests in mind. That idea served as the basis for the story.” The no-budget film won a special jury prize at the Yubari Fantastic Film Festival, which started as a project to revitalize a sleepy Hokkaido mining town but quickly became an internationally recognized barometer of the film world, and destination for high-profile visitors such as Quentin Tarantino.

Nishimura, who was mainly interested in becoming a director, handled the effects on his first film simply for economic reasons. But after the success of the short, he found himself deluged with requests from other filmmakers, including “Suicide Club” director Sion Sono. “At that time, there was no information or knowledge about these techniques in Japan,” Nishimura says. “I ordered Fangoria magazine and books by Tom Savini from overseas and would try to do what I could with the materials I could find in Japan.” Today Nishimura is called “the Tom Savini of Japan,” a reference to the man who created Jason Voorhees and George Romero’s zombies. He couldn’t be prouder of the nickname.

Reached a turning point in 2005

After acting as special effects supervisor on a long string of films, Nishimura reached a turning point in 2005. While many Japanese filmmakers struggle to find overseas distribution for their work, New York-based company Media Blasters approached Nishimura and frequent collaborator Noboru Iguchi and practically begged them to make a movie. “They told us that we could make whatever kind of story we wanted, just as long as we didn’t show the killing of children or animals. No Japanese filmmakers have ever had that kind of freedom, so we took advantage of it and I think we changed the course of Japanese film to some degree.”

The result was “The Machine Girl,” the story of a high school student hunting down the bullies who killed her brother, replacing the arm she loses along the way with a high-powered machine gun. The film enjoyed instant cult success in the US, and Media Blasters soon offered Nishimura the chance to direct, leading to “Tokyo Gore Police,” a low-budget but ambitious sci-fi thriller set in a dystopian near-future Japan. This was followed by “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl,” the tale of a high school love triangle whose plot is pretty much summed up by the title. Nishimura’s latest directorial effort is “Helldriver,” an apocalyptic thriller that involves half of Japan’s population turning into zombies who are kept behind a wall, and a young woman on a mission to the other side.

Special effects are an essential element in Nishimura’s films. “Vampire Girl,” for example, clocks in at under 90 minutes, but features over 320 separate effects shots. Yet the director has also developed a knack for handling actors thanks to observing so many other directors at work. “Helldriver” stars fashion model and “Tokyo Girls Collection” regular Yumiko Hara. “Of course, just walking down a runway and acting in a movie scene are very different,” the first-time actress says. “Nishimura was very aware of that and helped me understand my scenes.”

The director has also acquired a reputation for working fast and cheap. Despite having hundreds of zombie extras, Helldriver was shot in a scant two weeks for a budget of around $200,000—less than 1% of what it cost to make the 2004 American film “Dawn of the Dead.”

“I draw every single shot in every film,” Nishimura explains. “I did over 6,500 drawings for this film, so when we go to the set, we know exactly what we have to get in the can that day. Because of our limited budgets, there are things that they do in Hollywood that we can never do. But on the other hand, we think of ways of doing things that would never occur to them.”

Although his audience is growing both at home and overseas, Nishimura is aware that not everyone is a fan. “After serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki was caught and slasher films found in his house in the late ’80s, it became fashionable for authority figures to say that watching horror movies causes fans to go out and kill people,” he explains with a sigh. “But I have been to showings of my films overseas with 2,000 people in the audience. If you gather them together after the movie and say, ‘Let’s all go out and kill someone,’ there is no way they would go along with you. They know it is only entertainment. You would be more likely to find a violent crowd at a sporting event.”

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Japan Flix to distribute never-before-released Japanese films in U.S.

Saturday 29th January, 03:34 AM JST



NEW YORK —

Production company TK Digital on Friday launched Japan Flix, a new digital distribution venture that makes never-before-released Japanese films available for the first time in the United States.

“There are so many great films made each year in Japan, that never get a chance to find an audience abroad. Our goal is to provide a new platform to introduce these films to an audience who otherwise would not have access to them,” says Teru Takayama, founder and president of TK Digital/Japan Flix.

Partnering with various Japanese distribution companies, Japan Flix offers a highly convenient distribution method for these otherwise hidden gems, as each of their releases will be available to download through the iTunes Store (in HD when available.)  At www.japanflix.com, viewers can browse an easy-to-navigate online catalog that includes information and trailers for each film, and from there select a film to view. From there, simply clicking the link to BUY takes you to the iTunes store, where you can choose to either purchase or rent the film.

Japan Flix will launch with an initial wave of titles, which will be followed by subsequent new releases every month. The catalog will feature an ever-expanding roster of films that span a wide range of genres – drama, horror, action, romance comedy, cult, yakuza, and more.

Among the first films to be released will be the hit horror film “Teke Teke,” which stars Yuko Oshima, a member of the popular idol group AKB48, as well as the latest installment of the horrific and popular Tomie franchise, “Tomie vs. Tomie.”

Fans can preview films at www.japanflix.com, and stay up-to-date on Japan Flix through Facebook (www.facebook.com/japanflix) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/japanflix).

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Ayase, Masuwaka launch new Valentine 'tomo-choco' campaign

Monday 31st January, 03:00 AM JST



TOKYO —

Romance has very little to do with Valentine’s Day in Japan. On Feb 14, girls usually give “giri-choco (obligation chocolate) to their male colleagues who are supposed to return the favor with chocolates on White Day (March 14).

However, this year, some chocolate companies are launching “tomo-choco,” an economy-boosting plan to promote the exchange of chocolates between female friends on Valentine’s Day.

Actress Haruka Ayase, 25, and fashion model Tsubasa Masuwaka, 25, are promoting the campaign. “When I was at school, we used to make our own confectionery for Valentine’s Day,” said Ayase. “Once I tried it, I got hooked and started baking cakes.”  

When asked who she would like to give chocolates to this year, she responded, “I’d like to give them to all the people who’ve looked after me and helped me over the years, regardless of whether they’re a man or a woman.”

Masuwaka, said: “I’m trying to think of something that will really please my husband and son. Asked to whom she would give “tomo-choco,” she responded with the name of fellow model and TV personality, Jun Komori. “I have a feeling she’ll say she doesn’t want them, though” she joked.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Sawajiri returns to Japan from Malaysia trip with more info on divorce

Monday 31st January, 02:00 PM JST



TOKYO —

Erika Sawajiri, 24, arrived back in Japan Sunday after taking a trip to Malaysia to escape from the intense media scrutiny of her marital troubles with husband Tsuyoshi Takashiro. The singer and actress is currently in the middle of divorce proceedings after spending time in Spain attempting to reconcile her differences with her filmmaker husband.

Upon her return to Narita airport, she was besieged by the press with questions about the divorce proceedings. “The divorce papers are in the hands of a trusted Spanish law office,” she said. “We have agreed on a timetable. If the deadline is not met, I will file the papers myself.”

Asked if the divorce was for professional reasons, Sawajiri replied, “To be honest, it was for myself, not for my job.” When asked what she had to say in response to Takashiro’s comments in the press about “divorce conditions,” she said, “Yes, I saw that on TV. There are no such conditions.”

Source: www.japantoday.com

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'Berubara' cartoonist holds vocal recital at Palace of Versailles

Tuesday 01st February, 03:39 AM JST



ANGOULEME, France —

Riyoko Ikeda, the author of popular Japanese comic book series ‘‘The Rose of Versailles,’’ held a vocal recital Monday at the Palace of Versailles where her comic book stories are set on the outskirts of Paris.

Wearing a costume like a woman in the palace at the peak of its flourishing days, Ikeda entertained the audience of some 80 invited guests with her songs, including a piece written by Queen Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI and a key character in the comic series, at a theater inside the palace.

‘‘I can’t describe enough in words how joyful I am to perform on this stage,’’ said Ikeda, who studied singing after entering a music college in her 40s.

‘‘I thought I was not brave enough to sing Marie Antoinette’s song in French in front of a French audience, ‘’ she added, drawing laughter from the crowd.

She also sang ‘‘The Marriage of Figaro,’’ a famous opera by Mozart, as well as some Japanese songs, and performed a duet with Japanese baritone singer Yoshitaka Murata at the end of the recital.

The concert was planned by the organizer of an international comic book festival held in Angouleme, southwestern France, which she was invited to attend, and the organizer negotiated with the palace side to hold the event at the theater.

Ikeda’s historical comic book series, which is known in Japan as ‘‘Berusaiyu no Bara,’’ or ‘‘Berubara’’ in short, is popular in Europe where its TV ‘‘anime’’ adaptation, Lady Oscar, aired in the 1980s and 1990s.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Becky and GReeeeN record theme song for Universal Studios Japan

Tuesday 01st February, 10:00 AM JST



TOKYO —

Television personality Becky, 26, took the stage on Monday to promote the 10th anniversary of the opening of Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. The bubbly TV regular, who has been named the ambassador of USJ’s 10th anniversary celebrations, performed the official theme song that is to accompany celebrations this year.

The track, which is named “Good lucky!!!!!”, was written by and co-recorded with mystery band GReeeeN. It is to be released as a single on March 2 under the band name “Gukki,” an amalgamation of the Japanese pronunciations of GReeeeN and Becky. The song will be played over loudspeakers throughout the park in the run-up to the commemoration day.

Becky is also set to kick off her live tour with a performance at USJ on April 3.

GReeeeN, whose identities are still unknown, as their faces have never been made public, said in a statement that they were happy to work with Becky.

Becky said, “I’m so pleased I could jump for joy. I’m happy just to be able to make music with those guys. Thank you so much!”

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Michiko Kichise reprises teacher role in 'Hagane no Onna'

Wednesday 02nd February, 03:57 AM JST



TOKYO —

Actress Michiko Kichise will reprise her role as a primary school teacher in the TV Asahi drama, “Hagane no Onna,” which will air in April. The drama is Kichise’s first role since getting married in December.

The drama, to be aired on Friday nights, follows Kichise’s character, a 35-year-old single teacher. The previous entry in the series was especially popular with women in their 30s and 40s and tied for 6th in all-time viewership. The new season is notable in following the original after an exceedingly short period of time.

Though happily married in real life, Kichise’s character on the show struggles with lost love after her husband-to-be cancels their wedding at the last minute.

The story deals with a variety of themes, and will reportedly feature several non-Japanese in the cast, with some scenes being filmed in the Philippines.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Rookies Actor Gets Hitched
       
January 31, 2011



Actor Kawamura Yosuke (27) announced on his blog yesterday that he got married at the weekend. He and a former middle school classmate (26) tied the knot on Saturday, and she is expecting a baby in June. The couple, who were reunited at a school reunion, are already living together in Tokyo but have set no date for a wedding ceremony or reception. They chose Saturday to register their marriage as it was the fifth anniversary of the death from cancer of Kawamura's mother.

Kawamura has been a professional actor since 2001 but got his big breakthrough in 2008 in the hugely popular TBS baseball drama series "Rookies." A movie adaptation of the series was a major hit the following year. Kawamura has landed roles in two drama series this year: Fuji TV's "Tokyo Control," hyped as the world's first 3D TV drama, started last week; and "Nankyoku Tairiku," on the TBS network and starring Kimura Takuya (38), will air in the autumn.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Japanese-Korean Ikemen Collaboration



Yesterday saw the launch of a new collaboration between young Japanese singer-actors and a Korean dance-vocal unit. D?Date is a pop offshoot of the D-Boys group of Japanese "ikemen" (handsome) actors, while Choshinsei is a six-member K-pop boy band also known by their translated name of Supernova. The two groups will face off at a special live performance at Universal Studios Japan on March 21 and recording projects are in the works. Media reports say the groups just "hit it off" when they met by chance at a Tokyo record company last month, but there's little doubt that the collaboration is manufactured. D?Date debuted in December, with the single "Ato 3cm no Mirai" entering the Oricon chart at No.7, and are scheduled to release a follow up single in the spring. Member Seto Koji (22) is currently appearing in this year's NHK taiga historical drama series "Go."

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Kuwata Keisuke, Musicman
       
February 02, 2011



Southern All Stars vocalist Kuwata Keisuke (54) delighted fans with a surprise live performance yesterday. The hugely popular singer, who spent much of last year battling esophageal cancer, appeared at an event for 800 fans at the Zepp Fukuoka live house to promote his upcoming album "Musicman." The audience had been expecting just a "shichokai" (listening party), a sneak preview of the new album, but as the intro played to the single "Ashita Harerukana" a spotlight revealed Kuwata walking on stage. He went on to do a powerful 30-minute set that convinced the audience that he has made a full recovery. Though he performed by satellite on the NHK "Kohaku Uta Gassen" concert on New Year's Eve, this was his first time to sing in front of fans since he made a guest appearance at a solo show by his wife, Hara Yuko (54), last July.

In addition to the live performance, fans got to hear the the whole 70-minute, 17-track album. They also got the first look at videos for the songs "Soreike Baby!" and "Gekko no Seijatachi (Mister Moonlight)." Promoters Amuse said that there would be a total of seven similar events across the country, but refused to say whether Kuwata would be appearing again. "Musicman" is his first solo album in nine years and is sure to be one of the year's biggest hits. It was originally scheduled for an October 2010 release, but now goes on sale February 23.

Talking about his hospitalization and surgery last year, Kuwata told fans, "Your origami cranes and lucky talismans gave me a real boost. I'm here today thanks to your prayers and warm words of support. Thank you so much!"

http://www.japan-zone.com/news/2 ... suke_musicman.shtml

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Morning Musume OG members announce "dream" team, album, 2 tours
Fri, January 28, 2011 (10:48am EST)



Ten of Morning Musume's OG members held an event on Friday to reveal that they have launched a new group called Dream Morning Musume. The participating members are Yuko Nakazawa (37), Kaori Iida (29), Natsumi Abe (29), Kei Yasuda (30), Mari Yaguchi (28), Rika Ishikawa (26), Hitomi Yoshizawa (25), Makoto Ogawa (23), Miki Fujimoto (25), and Koharu Kusumi (18).

Originally, Nozomi Tsuji (23) was also planned to be a part of the group, but she just gave birth to her second child in December so she will be focusing on raising her children for now.

The new unit will hold a spring concert tour, titled "Dream Morning Musume Concert Tour 2011: Haru no Mai ~Sotsugyousei DE Saikessei~." The tour will start on April 23 in Aichi and continue for a total of 16 concerts in 7 locations, including Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo, Kanagawa, and Hiroshima.

They have a second, longer tour planned for the fall, with a similar "Aki no Mai" title. That one will take them to 20 venues for a total of 40 concerts.

Dream Morning Musume will release their first album on April 20, titled "DoriMusu 1." The album's track list will mainly consist of remakes of Morning Musume songs, but 2 new songs are also planned.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Yuki Yamamoto, Riki Miura celebrate first child
Fri, January 28, 2011 (11:45am EST)



Fashion model Yuki Yamamoto (23) and "Juken Sentai Gekiranger" actor Riki Miura (27) have just become parents. Yamamoto updated her blog on Friday to announce that she gave birth to a daughter that morning.

Yamamoto said that her labor pains started at around 11:00pm the night before, and she safely delivered the child at 6:49am. The baby girl weighed 2,926 grams at birth.

Last September, Yamamoto announced her marriage to Miura after it was learned that she was pregnant. The pair had started dating at the end of 2009.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Kamen Riders Hiroshi Fujioka, Takeshi Sasaki, Hiroshi Miyauchi reunite
Fri, January 28, 2011 (9:26pm EST)

More information about the "OOO Den-O All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Rider" movie has been released. The film will bring together actors Hiroshi Fujioka (64), Takeshi Sasaki (63), and Hiroshi Miyauchi (63) for the first time in 37 years, though they will only be lending their voices.

Fujioka, Sasaki, and Miyauchi played the characters of Kamen Rider #1, Kamen Rider #2, and Kamen Rider V3 during the first two "Kamen Rider" series in the early 1970s. Their last appearance together was in the 1974 movie "Kamen Rider X: Five Riders Vs. King Dark."

The upcoming movie, revealed last month, marks a milestone for the franchise as this is its 40th anniversary. All of the Kamen Riders up until now are expected to appear, though the main characters will be Kamen Rider OOO and Kamen Rider New Den-O. With the help of Kamen Rider V3, they will face off against Kamen Rider #1 and Kamen Rider #2, who have joined the side of the evil Shocker organization.

"OOO Den-O All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Rider" opens on April 1.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Piano prodigy Aimi Kobayashi makes acting debut in "Sleep"
Fri, January 28, 2011 (10:40pm EST)



15-year-old pianist Aimi Kobayashi is making her acting debut in a film called "Nemuri Yusurika" by director Katsumi Sakaguchi. The film is scheduled to open in Japan this November, but it will first be screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam that is currently running from January 26 to February 6.

The movie is being shown in the festival's Spectrum section. Also known under the English title "Sleep," the movie's synopsis says:

At the age of 15, Kotono was raped. Natsume was born as a consequence. Seventeen years later, Kotono, her crippled father Kai and her daughter live a nomadic life in a van. Kotono, who no longer speaks, works as a masseuse. Natsume is present at each appointment, even if Kotono is hired for sex. With the money she earns, the three family members hire detectives to find the rapist. When they finally track him down, it turns out he is dying.

Kobayashi, who plays the difficult role of the young daughter Natsume, was chosen for the part by Sakaguchi because it required a piano performance scene.

As a pianist, Kobayashi became the youngest winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia in 2004, when she was 9 years old. She has performed with various orchestras, and last year she released her debut album under EMI Music's classical division. This April, she will hold a recital at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York, under the direction of conductor Seiji Ozawa.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Maximum the Hormone to perform at HELLFEST
Sat, January 29, 2011 (8:41am EST)



Metal band Maximum the Hormone announced on Friday that they will perform at this year's HELLFEST music festival in Clisson, France, which is being held on June 17-19.

The festival launched in 2006 and has featured many well-known metal and heavy rock bands. This year's lineup includes Iggy and the Stooges, Rob Zombie, The Cult, Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, and Mr. Big on the first main stage, spread out over the three days. Maximum the Hormone will be playing on the second main stage on Friday, June 17.

More details about the lineup can be found on the festival's official website.

This will be Maximum the Hormone's second trip to France. They last played there during their Europe tour in 2008.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-7380

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AYABIE acts in, does music for "Enishi" film
Sat, January 29, 2011 (1:39pm EST)



The 4-member band AYABIE revealed several projects on Saturday, including an announcement that they are serving as the music directors of a movie being released during Golden Week of this year. Directed by Kiyohide Matsumura, the film is titled "Enishi" and includes all four members of AYABIE in its cast.



"Enishi" stars voice actors Kisho Taniyama and Daisuke Namikawa, actress Mao Miyaji, and AYABIE members Yumehito and KENZO. The other two members of AYABIE, Takehito and Intetsu, have guest roles.

The story revolves around various people known as "shibito," a term referring to those who have been legally declared dead after being missing for seven years. These "shibito" continue their lives in the shadows of society, each with different purposes that lead them into conflict.

AYABIE is providing the movie's theme song "Melody," which will be released on February 23 as their first single since forming as a new band. In late April, they also plan to release a soundtrack for "Enishi."

To celebrate their single, they are holding several events in record stores between February 22 and March 20. They have also scheduled several concerts in those two months.

In addition, AYABIE will release a live DVD on March 23 that contains their concert on January 6 at Akasaka BLITZ, which was the final show of their "Virgin Snow Color 2nd season" tour.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Ryu Si-won enters fatherhood
Sat, January 29, 2011 (1:55pm EST)



Korean singer Ryu Si-won (38) became a father this past week. His wife gave birth to their first daughter on the afternoon of January 27, earlier than the anticipated due date.

Ryu got married last October to a younger woman. At that time, news reports had said that his wife was expected to give birth in the spring.

Ryu recently changed labels from Tokuma Japan to Avex, and he is scheduled to release his next Japanese single "Aishitai Kimi wo Aishitai" on March 16.

Source: www.tokyograph.com