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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]
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Motorcycle manga “Kirin” races to the big screen
Posted on May 9, 2011 by tokyograph
Harumoto Shohei’s motorcycle racing manga “Kirin” is being adapted as a live-action movie, directed by Otsuru Gitan (“Maebashi Visual-kei”). The film will star 38-year-old Maki Kurodo, also known by the name Claude Maki and as hip-hop artist AKTION.
The movie will cover the manga’s first arc, “POINT OF NO RETURN!,” which was originally serialized from 1987 to 1990. The manga told the story of a 38-year-old salaryman named Kirin who is also a street racer. Described as the “motorcycle rider’s bible,” it was previously deemed impossible to turn into a movie.
“Kirin” is currently expected for release this fall. More details will be revealed in the manga’s magazine, Young King.
The manga’s current arc, “Kirin: The Happy Ridder Speedway,” had its first tankoubon volume released on May 9.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Eita, Mitsushima Hikari co-star in “Soredemo, Ikite Yuku”
Posted on May 9, 2011 by tokyograph
Eita (28) will be starring in a new Fuji TV drama series this summer, with Mitsushima Hikari (25) playing the heroine of the story. The two just played a married couple in Miike Takashi’s upcoming movie “Ichimei” – a remake of the classic film “Seppuku” which will be competing at the Cannes Film Festival this month.
The drama series, titled “Soredemo, Ikite Yuku,” revolves around a man (Eita) whose younger sister was killed by a friend, who meets the friend’s sister (Mitsushima) 15 years after the incident. Both of their families have been burdened with grief, but through their meeting they struggle to find a brighter tomorrow.
This is Eita’s first drama series since his father passed away in February. However, he indicated his desire with this role to express his own struggle of starting from sadness and despair and working to find hope.
“Soredemo, Ikite Yuku” will air on Thursdays at 10:00pm, starting in July. Oda Kazumasa (63) will provide the theme song, “Tokyo no Sora,” while pianist Tsujii Nobuyuki (22) will be handling the show’s background music.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Perfume’s “Polyrhythm” included in “Cars 2" soundtrack worldwide
Posted on May 9, 2011 by tokyograph
Perfume’s hit song “Polyrhythm” will make its world debut this summer. The song will be used in all versions of Disney and Pixar’s upcoming movie “Cars 2,” the sequel to the 2006 animated film “Cars.” In addition, “Polyrhythm” will also be included on the movie’s CD soundtrack that will be released worldwide in June.
Like the first movie, “Cars 2? features anthropomorphic cars in a story revolving around racing. “Polyrhythm” will play during a scene at a party the night before the World Grand Prix race in Japan.
The movie’s staff had been searching for music by a Japanese artist to use in that scene, and a Perfume fan on staff suggested the song to director John Lasseter. When they tried it out alongside the neon signs and other bright visuals in the scene, they found the cute pop tune to be a perfect match.
“Cars 2" opens in the United States on June 24. In Japan, it will hit theaters on July 30.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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DiCaprio, other stars call for donations, encourage Japan's disaster victims
Wednesday 11th May, 01:32 AM JST
NEW YORK —
Japanese actor Ken Watanabe has brought together a group of celebrities to create videos calling for donations to help Japan recover from its March 11 disaster and express solidarity with the victims. One video posted on the kizuna311.com website features 35 actors, directors, musicians and other celebrities, including U.S. actor Leonardo DiCaprio, holding handwritten messages of support for the victims of the disasters.
Japanese major leaguer Hideki Matsui and American singer Katy Perry are also among those featured in the video, set to Jake Shimabukuro’s ukulele rendition of ‘‘Amazing Grace.’‘
In another video, U.S. actors Johnny Depp, Ben Affleck, Jamie Lee Curtis and others talk about the suffering caused by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster and urge viewers to donate.
The video promotes Watanabe’s ‘‘Unite For Japan’’ website soliciting donations to the Red Cross, Global Giving and Japan Society relief funds.
The Unite For Japan website has raised over $300,000 for relief efforts. Plans to hold an online charity auction involving celebrities are in the works.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Mizuno Miki, Kawahara Masahiko dating
Posted on May 9, 2011 by tokyograph
The latest issue of Shukan Josei reports that actress Mizuno Miki (36) is currently in a relationship with actor-director-screenwriter Kawahara Masahiko (41), the former husband of actress Tomosaka Rie (31).
On May 4, Mizuno returned to her Tokyo home from volunteer work in the earthquake-affected areas. About 30 minutes later, she had changed clothes and left her home, taking a taxi to Kawahara’s home, where he was waiting at the entrance. A reporter for the magazine snapped a picture of the two holding hands as they entered the building. Mizuno left the next morning.
Kawahara was married to Tomosaka from 2003 to 2008, and they had a son together in 2004.
Mizuno and Kawahara first worked together in the summer of 2006 in a stage play. At that time, Mizuno was dating actor Kitamura Yukiya (37), but by April 2007 it was learned that they had broken up. That same year, Mizuno and Kawahara again acted together in another play, bringing them closer together. It appears that the two started dating around 2009.
The Sankei Sports newspaper contacted both of their agencies, but both offered no comment.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Kanda Uno to become a mother
Posted on May 10, 2011 by tokyograph
Talento Kanda Uno (36) announced on her official blog that she is pregnant with her first child. According to her agency, she is currently in her fifth month of pregnancy, so the child is likely to be born in the second half of October.
Kanda has been married for three and a half years. She got married in October 2007 to Nishimura Takuro, the head of the leisure company Nittaku Group. Since then, the extravagant couple have held seven more weddings around the world, in Guam, Hawaii, Saipan, Paris, Maldives, Cairns, and New Caledonia.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Morning Musume’s Mitsui Aika suffers ankle fracture
Posted on May 10, 2011 by tokyograph
It was reported on Tuesday that Morning Musume member Mitsui Aika (18) suffered an injury during the group’s concert at the Nakano Sun Plaza on May 8. She complained of discomfort in her left ankle after the show, and she was taken to the hospital the next day to have it examined. She was diagnosed with a stress fracture in the ankle’s talus bone, requiring 8 weeks of rest and treatment for it to fully heal.
Mitsui will still participate in Morning Musume’s scheduled events and concerts, though she will refrain from any intense dancing.
The group has two upcoming performances in Osaka on May 14-15, followed by several events and shows in June.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Dreams Come True to release best album for charity
Posted on May 10, 2011 by tokyograph
DREAMS COME TRUE plans to release a best album in order to raise funds for earthquake relief efforts. This is the latest charity contribution by the duo, who previously distributed their song “Nando Demo” for free and participated in the charity compilation album “Ai no Uta.”
The best album, titled “THE SOUL FOR THE PEOPLE ~Higashi Nihon Daishinsai Shien Best Album~,” will be released on June 29 in both a physical CD form and a digital package for iTunes and other sites. 12 songs are included in the album:
a little prayer
Nando Demo
TRUE, BABY TRUE.
Sono Saki e
MERRY-LIFE-GOES-ROUND
Nee
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
Sora wo Yomu
Asa ga Mata Kuru
Aisuru Kokoro
IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE
a little waltz
All of the money that DREAMS COME TRUE receives from the album, including their royalties, will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross. The CD version is being listed at a price of 2,300 yen, while the price of the digital version has not yet been revealed.
In addition, the duo announced that they will appear on the NHK show “SONGS” on May 25 to perform songs from the album, marking their first appearance on the program in roughly 4 years.
When DREAMS COME TRUE made the full chaku-uta version of their song “Nando Demo” available for free for a month in the aftermath of the earthquake, it was downloaded 143,944 times, equivalent to 57,577,600 yen.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Footage of Japan's reconstruction to be aired at Cannes festival
Thursday 12th May, 05:52 AM JST
TOKYO —
Footage featuring images of Japan’s reconstruction following the massive March 11 earthquake and tsunami will be shown during the 64th Cannes International Film Festival that opens Wednesday and will last through May 22, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
The footage, which lasts 30 seconds and will be screened on monitors set up at the festival venue, starts with a message of thanks to the world for its support, introduces relief activities and conveys the image of a resurgent Japan through scenery of the Tohoku region.
It will also be introduced at a reception for foreign diplomats later in the day in Tokyo to express Japan’s gratitude for their support and also to draw tourists to disaster-hit areas to help revive their economy, according to the ministry.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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'Talent' Miyu Uehara dead after apparently hanging herself at home
Thursday 12th May, 11:36 AM JST
TOKYO —
“Talent” Miyui Uehara, 24, died after apparently hanging herself at her apartment in Tokyo’s Meguro Ward early Thursday morning, police said. An acquaintance found her by a door with a scarf and belt around her neck at about 2 a.m. and called emergency services. Uehara was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Uehara, who was the youngest of 10 siblings, came from Kagoshima Prefecture. She was “discovered” while working as a hostess in a Tokyo bar when she was 18. She made her name as a gravure model for men’s magazines and later as a race queen.
Uehara last made an entry on her blog at about 8 a.m. on Tuesday in which she lamented that she had not been able to find true love.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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New Japanese Pop Group Supercell Releases First Single “THE WORLD IS MINE feat. Hatsune Miku” In U.S.
May 11, 2011 by J!-ENT
New York, NY, May 11, 2011 – Sony Music Direct (Japan) Inc., a division of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. has announced the U.S. release of the first single – “THE WORLD IS MINE feat. Hatsune Miku” – by the Japanese pop group Supercell. The track is available now on Amazon® (www.Amazon.com <http://www.Amazon.com> ) and iTunes® (www.iTunes.com <http://www.iTunes.com> ). Supercell is composed of a group of innovative multimedia creators for the 21st Century that blends catchy pop sensibilities, technology-inspired vocals, and captivating anime-influenced imagery. For the new single, “THE WORLD IS MINE,” the group employs the electronic vocals of Hatsune Miku, the world’s first virtual pop idol. Hatsune Miku, whose name means, “first sound of the future,” is a digital female avatar and the most popular of the Vocaloid Character Series software originally created by Crypton Future Media using Yamaha’s Vocaloid 2 engine to create synthesized vocal tracks. In Japan, the popularity of Hatsune Miku has become a national phenomenon. She has appeared in several video games and music videos and has also performed several sellout “concerts,” where she appeared on stage as a 3D hologram, backed by a live band. Most recently she also appears in a new commercial for the U.S. market for the 2011 Toyota Corolla. The spot is also available on YouTube <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E15PE7iGT0U&feature=player_embedded> , and since its debut on May 4th, the segment has received more than 700,000 hits. Supercell is a league of creators led by composer/lyricist Ryo, who produces the music and writes the lyrics. Ryo tapped other creators to provide an array of vivid illustrations, animation, design, and photography for album booklets, CD cases and music videos. On “THE WORLD IS MINE,” artwork features illustrations by Redjuice, a member of the league. Led by composer Ryo, Supercell’s songs were initially posted on the Nico Nico Douga video sharing service in Japan and quickly garnered more than 20 million views, feeding a frenzied interest in the group that is now spreading to new overseas markets. The self entitled album, supercell, debuted in Japan from Sony Music Direct in 2009, selling more than 150,000 copies. Same year, the group performed the ending theme song for the 2009 anime series Bakemonogatari. In March 2010, Supercell received the award for “The Best 5 New Artists” at the 2010 Japan Gold Disc Awards, a major record industry awards event. The Supercell track, “Kocchi Muite Baby,” created by Ryo and featuring vocals by Hatsune Miku, peaked at No. 11 on Billboard Japan’s Hot Singles Chart last July. About Sony Music Direct Sony Music Direct (Japan) Inc., a division of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and manufactures and distributes the music of both Japanese recording artists and the legacy catalogs of other top international artists across a variety of genres.
Source: www.nt2099.com/J-ENT |
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Matsuda Shota, Fujiki Naohito, and others join Matsuyama Kenichi, Tamaki Hiroshi in “Taira no Kiyomori”
Posted on May 11, 2011 by tokyograph
At a press conference on Wednesday, the primary male cast of next year’s NHK taiga drama “Taira no Kiyomori” was revealed. It was already known since November that the series stars Matsuyama Kenichi as the 12th century general Taira no Kiyomori, while Tamaki Hiroshi plays his rival Minamoto no Yoshimoto. The newly announced members include other popular actors, including Matsuda Shota and Fujiki Naohito.
A total of 15 actors are now officially confirmed to be part of the cast. Besides Matsuyama and Tamaki, the casting is as follows:
Matsuda Shota (Go-Shirakawa-tennou)
Fujiki Naohito (Saigyo / Sato Norikiyo)
Nakai Kiichi (Taira no Tadamori)
Kohinata Fumiyo (Minamoto no Tameyoshi)
Mikami Hiroshi (Toba Joko)
ARATA (Sutoku-tennou)
Kunimura Jun (Fujiwara no Tadazane)
Yamamoto Koji (Fujiwara no Yorinaga)
Abe Sadao (Shinzei / Fujiwara no Michinori)
Nakamura Baijaku (Taira no Iesada)
Kamikawa Takaya (Taira no Morikuni)
Fujimoto Takahiro (Fujiwara no Tadakiyo)
Daito Shunsuke (Taira no Iemori)
Filming is planned to start this August. The series will run for 50 episodes, starting in January 2012.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Charts: Passpo, Amuro Namie, Akanishi Jin
Posted on May 11, 2011 by tokyograph
The cabin attendant-themed idol group PASSPO released their first major label single last week, titled “Shoujo Hikou.” It managed to take the #1 position with nearly 43,000 copies sold, making them the first female group (not counting sub-units of an existing group) in Oricon history to achieve #1 with a major label debut single in the first week.
Pop duo Kiroro reached #1 with their debut single “Nagai Aida” in 1998, but it took them two months to do it. Before PASSPO?, the highest that a debut single from a female group ranked in the first week was at #2, achieved by Kigurumi’s “Tarako Tarako Tarako” in 2006.
Including solo female artists (except those who were previously part of a debuted group), PASSPO is only the third act to debut at #1. The last was Takahashi Hitomi with “Bokutachi no Yukue” in 2005, and before that was Uchida Yuki with “TENCA wo Torou! -Uchida no Yabou-” in 1994.
1. PASSPO – Shoujo Hikou – 42,706
2. MBLAQ – Your Luv – 40,281
3. THE ALFEE – Let It Go – 23,018
4. Jang Keun-Suk – Let me cry – 22,707
5. Shoujo Jidai – Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run – 20,623
6. The fevers – Dai-kyu no Ben-san – 20,441
7. Hirai Ken – Itoshiki Hibi Yo – 13,766
8. Kanjani8 – T.W.L / Yellow Pansy Street – 10,338
9. Matsushita Yuya – Naturally – 10,257
10. Kobukuro – Ano Taiyou ga, Kono Sekai wo Terashitsuzukeru You ni – 9,485
On the album rankings, Amuro Namie remained at #1 for her second straight week, with “Checkmate!” moving an additional 83,000 units. Her last album to go back-to-back on top of the charts was “BEST FICTION” in 2008.
1. Amuro Namie – Checkmate! – 83,114
2. Various Artists – Songs For Japan – 40,725
3. Tokunaga Hideaki – VOCALIST & BALLADE BEST – 39,058
4. TVXQ – Keep Your Head Down – 38,189
5. Oda Kazumasa – Doumo – 29,990
6. Koda Kumi – Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 3 – 16,763
7. Avril Lavigne – Goodbye Lullaby – 9,235
8. EXILE – Negai no Tou – 8,856
9. TETSUYA KOMURO – Digitalian is eating breakfast 2 – 7,549
10. Fudanjuku & Nakano Fujo Sisters – Friends – 6,997
In DVDs, Akanishi Jin’s “Yellow Gold Tour 3011” sold approximately 81,000 copies to top the list. He is already the third male solo artist this year to rank #1 on the overall charts.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Hada Michiko ties the knot
Posted on May 11, 2011 by tokyograph
Actress Hada Michiko (42) is now married, it has just been reported by her agency. Her husband is diver and underwater photographer Hirobe Toshiaki (46), and they officially registered their marriage on May 5th.
Hada and Hirobe met each other through work about 10 years ago, but their relationship did not become romantic until about 2 years ago.
As an actress, Hada got her big break in the 1994 film “RAMPO,” for which she received multiple awards. She has appeared in dozens of films and television dramas, including the “Salaryman Kintaro” series.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Impulse’s Tsutsumishita Atsushi marries dancer
Posted on May 11, 2011 by tokyograph
Comedian Tsutsumishita Atsushi (33), one half of the duo Impulse, got married earlier this year.
Tsutsumishita’s wife is a dancer who is one year older than him. The two first met through Fuji TV’s “Haneru no Tobira” in December 2009, as the woman served as a dance instructor for the popular “YaYa Arashi” segment. Last December, he publicly proposed during the recording of an episode of “Haneru no Tobira” by training in classical ballet and re-enacting a scene from “Swan Lake.”
During the show’s episode this week (May 11), it was announced that the two registered their marriage on March 3 of this year, and they are already living together in Tokyo. Tsutsumishita plans to hold a wedding ceremony this fall in Yokohama, where he is originally from.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Tokyo American Club to stage concert to raise funds for quake victims
Friday 13th May, 04:01 AM JST
TOKYO —
Stars from the worlds of hip-hop and opera will take the stage of Tokyo American Club on May 20 as part of a musical extravaganza to raise funds for victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Jammin’ for Japan, emceed by Lisle Wilkerson, will feature the rapper Speech, from American hip-hop act Arrested Development. “It’s exciting to be back in Japan, and to be part of such an important event makes the trip that much more endearing to me,” says the rapper, who has performed on such hits as “Mr Wendal” and “Tennessee.”
The evening will also feature Japanese-American tenor John Ken Nuzzo, an award-winning opera singer based in Tokyo. “I am so glad I can be a part of this event at TAC,” he says
Also performing will be Steve Gardner and the Jericho Road Show with Nashville’s Bill Steber, the Mike Price Jazz Band with song stylists Harvey Thompson & Andrea Hopkins, and Mori Yasumasa, better known as J’Elvis.
Attendees at the philanthropic evening will enjoy an exquisite dinner, an outstanding lineup of artists, a fantastic array of auction and raffle prizes and the chance to meet the performers at a VIP reception before the concert, which will be staged in the New York Ballroom of the Club’s new facility in Azabudai.
Tickets for club members cost 20,000 yen (VIP reception: 25,000 yen) and for non-members, 22,000 yen (VIP reception: 30,000 yen). For more information on Jammin’ for Japan, e-mailwg@tac-club.org
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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AKB48 research students Yamaguchi, Ushikobu to quit
Posted on May 12, 2011 by tokyograph
The AKB48 staff blog has announced that research students Yamaguchi Nau (17) and Ushikobu Sara (16) are leaving the group. According to the blog entry, both Yamaguchi and Ushikobu decided to withdraw on their own, though their reasons were not disclosed.
Yamaguchi and Ushikobu passed the research student audition in 2010. Their last event as AKB48 members will be on June 19. They will not participate in the upcoming Senbatsu election for AKB48's 22nd single, which takes place on June 9.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Tanimura Mitsuki stars in first action film
Posted on May 12, 2011 by tokyograph
Actress Tanimura Mitsuki (20) will take on her first true action role in the upcoming movie “Kaitou Maisu” (tentative title). Unveiled during a press conference on Thursday, the movie is being handled by tokusatsu director Tasaki Ryuta, who has worked on several “Kamen Rider” series and other works.
Tanimura plays Maisu, a thief on the side of justice. She teams up with another character named Mio, played by the young karate fighter Nagano Juria in her first movie appearance. Producer Nishi Fuyuhiko (“Shaolin Shoujo”) chose Nishino from among 600 candidates for the part.
It is also reported that one of Tanimura’s opponents in the movie will be played by a top karate fighter from England who stands at a height of 190 centimeters and weighs 100 kilograms.
Hiroshima Home TV is producing. Filming starts on May 13 and will include more than 10 famous sightseeing spots in Hiroshima. The movie is planned for release this coming fall.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Ono Mayumi finds new love
Posted on May 12, 2011 by tokyograph
This week’s issue of FRIDAY has revealed that talento Ono Mayumi (30) has a new boyfriend. The magazine published photos of her with a 28-year-old artist working at a studio for a clothing brand in Daikanyama, Tokyo.
In the middle of April, Ono was seen taking the man to the studio by car. Later that month, they were spotted eating yakitori in a shopping street in the city, and drinking tea at a cafe on a separate occasion.
Sankei Sports confirmed the relationship with Ono’s agency, which stated that it is leaving her personal matters alone. However, the company did reveal that she has been dating the man for about half a year, and they are not currently living together.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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AKB48's Maeda Atsuko stars in new “Hana Kimi” drama series (Updated)
Posted on May 12, 2011 by tokyograph
Fuji TV announced today that the 2007 drama series “Hanazakari no Kimitachi e ~ Ikemen Paradise” is coming back this summer, but with an entirely new cast. Instead of the original lead actress Horikita Maki, the new series will be led by AKB48’s Maeda Atsuko.
Based on the popular manga series by Nakajo Hisaya, “Hanazakari no Kimitachi e” (abbreviated as “Hana Kimi”) tells the story of a girl named Ashiya Mizuki who lives in the United States. She falls in love with a young high jumper named Sano Izumi after seeing him on television, but when he suddenly quits the sport, she decides to take action. In order to get close to Sano and help him return to high jumping, she moves to Japan and disguises herself as a boy to enroll in Sano’s all-boys high school.
In the first drama series, the male leads were played by Oguri Shun and Ikuta Toma, though the show also featured other popular actors like Mizushima Hiro and Okada Masaki. The new show will reportedly have a fresh cast, and the setting and story will also be changed. Rather than being a sequel to the first series, Fuji TV’s announcement suggests that this will be a new retelling of the story. However, plot details are being kept secret for now.
The original series averaged 17.3% ratings over its 12-episode run, and the finale reached 21.0%.
Naturally, AKB48 will be in charge of the new show’s theme song, to be released in August, likely as the group’s 22nd single. The center member and other participants will be decided in AKB48's Senbatsu election, which starts on June 9.
The drama series will start in July and air on Sundays at 9:00pm.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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