Tu_triky wrote:

Karina, Hitomi Kuroki to star in "Real Clothes" drama .

intresting hope its good
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Japanese Box Office, August 2–3: Ponyo's 3rd Week at #1
posted on 2008-08-11 01:21 EDT

Pokémon stays at #2, Naruto opens at #3, Sky Crawlers debuts at #7

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, Hayao Miyazaki's first feature film in nearly four years, remained perched on top for a third time at the Japanese box office during the August 2–3 weekend. 602,000 people watched the film that weekend to add 780 million yen (about US$7 million) to its total. That is 96% of the movie's take in the previous weekend. In the movie's first 16 days at the box office, 4,359,000 people spent 5.26 billion yen (US$48 million) to see it. That is 82% of the box office that Miyazaki's Spirited Away earned in the same time span during that movie's 2001 theatrical release.

Kunihiko Yuyama's Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl: Giratina to Sora no Hanataba Shaymin, the Pokémon franchise's 11th feature film, stayed at #2. Hajime Kamegaki's Naruto Shippūden: Kizuna (pictured at right), the fifth feature movie in the Naruto ninja franchise, opened at #3. It earned 218,855,700 yen (US$1,992,000) on 252 screens with 198,054 viewers.

Boys Over Flowers Final (Hana Yori Dango Final), Yasuharu Ishii's live-action film finale based on Yoko Kamio's Boys Over Flowers (Hana Yori Dango) romantic comedy manga, fell from #4 to #5 in its sixth weekend. It has now earned at least 6 billion yen (US$55 million). The Sky Crawlers, Mamoru Oshii's first fully animated work since 2004's Ghost in the Shell sequel Innocence, opened at #7.

Gegege no Kitaro: Sennen Noroi Uta (Gegege no Kitaro: The Thousand-Year-Curse Song), the live-action film sequel based on Shigeru Mizuki's supernatural manga, dropped from #8 to #10 in its fourth week.

source: ANN
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Oricon: favorite video game characters
Mon, August 11, 2008 (1:53am EDT)

Oricon took a look at video game characters in a survey conducted last month. The company asked a thousand men and women to name their favorite character, and it was no surprise that Nintendo's iconic plumber Mario ranked #1.

Cloud, the protagonist of popular RPG Final Fantasy VII, was voted #2, finding popularity among both men and women. Mario's dinosaur friend Yoshi was #3.

Three characters tied at #4: Pikachu, Solid Snake, and the "cute" Slime from the Dragon Quest series. The Chocobo from the Final Fantasy series was right behind them at #7.

Doraemon tied for 8th with the Mario Kart version of Toad. At #10 was another three-way tie, with Professor Layton (of the Professor Layton puzzle series) matching the popularity of Yuna (Final Fantasy X) and Squall (Final Fantasy VIII).

source: tokyograph

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Mario is definitely a classic in video game history!! *reminisces childhood days*
how cute!! even supporting characters such as Yoshi and the chocobo managed to be on top..
Cloud is a totally cool character!! love him in FFVII Advent Children..too bad i didn't get to play FFVII in PS..
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Manami Konishi to star in "Nonchan Noriben"
Mon, August 11, 2008 (1:18am EDT)

Actress Manami Konishi has been chosen as the star of Akira Ogata's new film "Nonchan Noriben." The film marks her first time playing the role of a mother.

The movie is based on the manga of the same name by Kiwa Irie, which was published in the latter half of the 1990s and became the basis of a TBS afternoon drama that ran for two seasons.

In the film, Konishi plays the heroine Komaki Nagai, a woman in her early thirties who finally gets fed up with her husband, who has no job because of his desire to become a writer. She divorces him and moves to the Kyojima area of Tokyo, taking their young daughter Non-chan with her. Unsuccessfully struggling to make ends meet, she suddenly decides to try opening her own bento shop.

Filming is already under way. Theatrical release is scheduled for 2009.

source: tokyograph
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Stan Lee's Pow Develops Quartz with Gonzo's Parent GDH
posted on 2008-08-10 12:31 EDT

Animated television series is Lee's third Japanese project in development

Pow! Entertainment, the production company of American comic book pioneer Stan Lee, has revealed on its website that it is developing an animated television series named Quartz with GDH, the corporate parent of the Gonzo anime studio. Lee co-created many of Marvel Comics' flagship franchises, such as Spider-Man, X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Iron Man. For over 15 years, Gonzo has been producing anime including Afro Samurai, Blue Submarine No. 6, Vandread, and Witchblade.

Pow! Entertainment and Lee have already been working with manga creator Hiroyuki Takei (Shaman King), Shueisha's Jump Square magazine, Viz Media's Shonen Jump magazine, and the Sony Music Entertainment subsidiary Dream Ranch on a project called Ultimo. This action title about two super-powered rivals will be previewed in the September issue of Shonen Jump in North America.

Lee is also developing the Hero Man animated television series with the anime studio BONES (Fullmetal Alchemist, Soul Eater, Wolf's Rain) and Wowmax Media! in Los Angeles. Director Hitoshi Nanba (Baki the Grappler), designer Shigeto Koyama (Eureka Seven), and animator Toshihiro Kawamoto (Cowboy Bebop) are working on the project. Hero Man's story is tentatively set on America's west coast, where a boy discovers a toy robot that turn into a giant robot.

Lee revealed at Comic-Con International in California last month that he was working on a third, unannounced project in Japan, but did not mention the project's title or production partner at the time.

source: ANN
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meoinkie2 wrote:

Manami Konishi to star in "Nonchan Noriben" Mon, August 11, 2008 (1:18am EDT) Actress Manami Konishi has been chosen as the star of Akira Ogata's new film "Nonchan Noriben." The film marks her first time playing the role of a mother. The movie is based on the manga of the same name by Kiwa Irie, which was published in the latter half of the 1990s and became the basis of a TBS afternoon drama that ran for two seasons. In the film, Konishi plays the heroine Komaki Nagai, a woman in her early thirties who finally gets fed up with her husband, who has no job because of his desire to become a writer. She divorces him and moves to the Kyojima area of Tokyo, taking their young daughter Non-chan with her. Unsuccessfully struggling to make ends meet, she suddenly decides to try opening her own bento shop. Filming is already under way. Theatrical release is scheduled for 2009. source: tokyograph

Geez, I hope this is an improvement on Manami-chan's recent works

Anime Dad wrote:

Geez, I hope this is an improvement on Manami-chan's recent works

Ashita Kita no Yoshio was good, but Manami wasn't. Has anybody seen Sweet Rain ?http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1067086/

Charts: Amuro #1 for third straight week
Wed, August 20, 2008 (2:30am EDT)

Namie Amuro has firmly re-established herself as one of the top pop queens, achieving her third consecutive week at #1 on the album charts. Her "BEST FICTION" collection debuted with the highest opening sales so far this year, and with another 153,000 copies sold this past week, the album has become her 5th million-seller. Her last album to reach that mark was "181920" in 1998. This also gives Amuro the distinction of being the only artist to have a million-seller during her teens, 20s, and 30s.

Hideaki Tokunaga's "SINGLES BEST" entered the charts at #2 with 87,000 in sales. CRAZY KEN BAND picked up the #5 spot with their latest, "ZERO," while a B-side collection by SID ranked #10.

On the singles side of the charts, there was no surprise that SMAP's "Kono Toki, Kitto Yume Janai" claimed the #1 seat, selling 90,000 copies. This is their 10th consecutive chart-topper, and their 21st overall. It also marks their 43rd top ten appearance (all of their singles have been in the top ten), which ties them again with Southern All Stars for the all-time record. Southern All Stars enjoyed their lead for only a week, while they saw their newest single, "I AM YOUR SINGER," bumped down to #2.

A few other new singles made their way into the Top 10 this week. Rock band FLOW found their "WORLD END" at #4. Spontania's new song came up at #7, followed by Nana Tanimura at #8 and Garnet Crow at #10.

source: tokyograph
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"Ponyo" crosses 10 billion, carries Ghibli DVD sales
Wed, August 20, 2008 (2:54am EDT)

On Tuesday, distributor Toho announced that Hayao Miyazaki's "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" has raked in over 10 billion yen at the box office in the month since its release. More than 8.4 million people have watched the film in theaters.

The last Japanese film to gross 10 billion yen was the 2004 animated feature "Howl's Moving Castle," also directed by Miyazaki. "Ponyo" took only 31 days to so, compared to 33 for "Howl," suggesting that it may eventually surpass the 19.6 billion yen gross of the latter. However, it didn't quite meet the pace of "Spirited Away," which reached 10 billion in 25 days and went on to make 30.4 billion.

According to Oricon's DVD rankings for the week, the success of "Ponyo" has revived interest in older Studio Ghibli works. "My Neighbor Totoro," originally released in 2001, jumped from #22 last week to #8 on the overall DVD rankings, its first top 10 appearance in close to 7 years. Other titles saw similar leaps:

* "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" (#58 -> #31)
* "Kiki's Delivery Service" (#65 -> #35)
* "Princess Mononoke" (#77 -> #44)
* "Spirited Away" (#84 -> #45)
* "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" (#90 -> #58)
* "Porco Rosso" (#109 -> #83)

source: tokyograph
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Hiroko Hatano, Keita Suzuki to tie the knot
Wed, August 20, 2008 (2:06am EDT)

Actress and model Hiroko Hatano (32) will soon be the wife of soccer star Keita Suzuki (27), a midfielder for the Urawa Red Diamonds and a member of the national team. According to a source close to the couple, the pair plan to formally register their marriage within the next few days.

The two were reportedly introduced through a friend about a year ago, and they quickly started going out. They have been spotted together before at an interior design shop, and Hatano has frequently been seen attending Suzuki's soccer matches.

This will be the second marriage for Hatano, who got hitched to actor Takashi Kashiwabara in June 2004. She retired from show business shortly after that, but she chose to make a comeback following their divorce two years later.

source: tokyograph
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SPEED gets back together
Wed, August 20, 2008 (1:32am EDT)

The 4-member girl group SPEED will soon be reuniting again. They will officially resume activity with an appearance on NTV's charity telethon "24 Hour Television" at the end of this month.

The group debuted in 1996 but broke up in 2000, at the height of their popularity, in order to pursue solo careers. They had two short-lived reunions in 2001 and in 2003. However, this time is said to be a complete return, with plans extending beyond 2009.

The decision to reunite started with this year's "24 Hour Television." SPEED previously hosted the program back in 1999, when they first met a young girl named Yui Nojiri who was battling spinal muscular atrophy. Last year, Nojiri reached her 20th birthday, and NTV producers decided to bring her and SPEED back for this year's show.

After learning about the idea, SPEED member Eriko Imai revealed that her own 3-year-old son is having hearing problems. Motivated to reach her son through song and to provide inspiration for other young children, she asked the other SPEED members to join her.

For "24 Hour Television," the group is scheduled to perform a 25-minute set at the Nippon Budokan on the afternoon of August 31. They plan to stay together for the time being, aiming to keep SPEED alive for at least 2009.

source: tokyograph
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"Galileo" gets SP on same day as film's release
Fri, August 22, 2008 (12:59am EDT)

Fans of the drama series "Galileo" have one more thing to look forward to. Anticipation is already high for the "Yougisha x no Kenshin" movie, opening in theaters on October 4. Now, Fuji TV is turning it into a double dose: a one-shot special titled "Galileo: Episode Zero" will be aired on the same day as the film's release.

The special is set 3 years prior to the drama series, with the story being related to a murder case that was referenced in the original show. Detective Kusanagi (Kazuki Kitamura) is looking to solve a murder mystery, and he gets back in touch with his former badminton teammate, the brilliant professor Manabu Yukawa (Masaharu Fukuyama).

The special will also portray an incident from Yukawa's college days. Popular teen actor Haruma Miura plays the young Yukawa.

Other cast members include Masami Nagasawa as a student lab assistant and Karina as a mysterious woman tied to the murder case. Fuji TV will broadcast the drama at 9:00pm on October 4.

source: tokyograph
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meoinkie2 wrote:

Manami Konishi to star in "Nonchan Noriben" Mon, August 11, 2008 (1:18am EDT) Actress Manami Konishi has been chosen as the star of Akira Ogata's new film "Nonchan Noriben." The film marks her first time playing the role of a mother. The movie is based on the manga of the same name by Kiwa Irie, which was published in the latter half of the 1990s and became the basis of a TBS afternoon drama that ran for two seasons. In the film, Konishi plays the heroine Komaki Nagai, a woman in her early thirties who finally gets fed up with her husband, who has no job because of his desire to become a writer. She divorces him and moves to the Kyojima area of Tokyo, taking their young daughter Non-chan with her. Unsuccessfully struggling to make ends meet, she suddenly decides to try opening her own bento shop. Filming is already under way. Theatrical release is scheduled for 2009. source: tokyograph

Konishi playing a mom, I got to see that movie.

meoinkie2 wrote:

Popular teen actor Haruma Miura plays the young Yukawa.

A fangirls ratings winner.

Quote:

Other cast members include Masami Nagasawa as a student lab assistant

Hmm, let's see if Masami can make people forget about her performance in Last Friends....

EDIT: Dang, no Shibasaki Kou?

bmwracer wrote:

EDIT: Dang, no Shibasaki Kou?

That's what I was thinking. It would be like having GTO without Nanako. Wait a minute, the GTO movie DIDN'T have Nanako, and it sucked.

Sawajiri Erika and Takashiro Tsuyoshi return to Tokyo from Okinawa

an old pic of the couple

Despite all the hoo-ha in the press about her, I still think she's freaking pretty. Anyway. It has been reported that Sawajiri Erika (22) has returned to Tokyo with her powerful hyper-media-creator boyfriend, Takashiro Tsuyoshi (44) on 19th August 2008.

Both had boarded the same plane from Okinawa to Haneda Airport but had apparently taken different exits from the airport. Paparazzi managed to get two shots of Takashiro leaving the airport, and it was said that Sawajiri ignored shouts from reporters by pretending to (or not) talk on the phone, leaving no comments.

Takashiro's birthday was on the 18th of August; it was also reported that Sawajiri had attended his birthday party in Tokyo on the 17th, one day prior to their departure for Okinawa. Photos of them enjoying a luxurious holiday at a high-class resort at Okinawa were also rumoured to have been taken.

source: sanspo
translations: myfirstgossipblog
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Ebi-chan graduating from CanCam
Fri, August 22, 2008 (1:51am EDT)

Highly popular model Yuri Ebihara (better known as Ebi-chan) will be changing fashion magazines later this year. Ebihara is currently affiliated with Shogakukan's CanCam publication, which is aimed at women in their late teens to early twenties. She will be "graduating" to CanCam's sister magazine AneCan, targeting women in their mid to late twenties.

AneCan began publication in March 2007. One of the first models to switch over to AneCan was Moe Oshikiri, who was previously part of a well-known CanCam trio with Ebihara and Yu Yamada.

Ebihara's last appearance in CanCam will be the December issue, which goes on sale in late October.

source: tokyograph
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bmwracer wrote:

Hmm, let's see if Masami can make people forget about her performance in Last Friends.... EDIT: Dang, no Shibasaki Kou?

haha lets see indeed
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Miyazaki Predicts Next Work at Least 3 Years from Now
posted on 2008-09-01 08:51 EDT

Ponyo director speaks at Venice Film Fest about work with young animators

Director Hayao Miyazaki spoke briefly to reporters after a Sunday press-only showing of his latest movie, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, at the Venice International Film Festival. In his remarks, Miyazaki came out strongly in support of traditional animation without the aid of computers. "I think animation is something that needs the pencil, needs man's drawing hand, and that is why I decided to do this work in this way�c. I will continue to use my pencil as long as I can," he stated.

The 67-year-old Miyazaki also indicated that he has no plans of retiring, but added that for whatever his next project will be, he plans on utilizing the skills and talent of a younger generation of animators to help him. He has no specific plans for the future, but thinks that the next anime he will oversee is at least three more years in the future, when he will be over 70.

Ponyo is one of two anime films from acclaimed directors competing at this year's festival �\ the second one being Mamoru Oshii's The Sky Crawlers. The Venice festival has already honored Miyazaki once in 2005, when it gave him a Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion award. Ponyo is scheduled to open in the United Kingdom next April.

source: ANN
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meoinkie2 wrote:

Miyazaki Predicts Next Work at Least 3 Years from Now posted on 2008-09-01 08:51 EDT [

talk about thinking ahead of time
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