Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Posts: 10291 Location: Matsuhama-cho, Ashiya-shi, Hyogo-ken, Japan Country:
Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:56 pm Post subject:
dochira wrote:
Hmm, I should try to find this game in the Japanese rental store. Interesting that the stadium was empty. You would find that sort of thing in really fanatical soccer countries.
I'd like to see Japan kick the sh*t out of Korea as well! Will check up on that at the video store next Wed. _________________
Orange Range, one of the hottest bands in the country right now, are having to use a replacement drummer following an injury to member Katchan (21). He is said to have an inflammation of a tendon in his left hand and is resting in his hometown of Okinawa. He is expected to need two to three months to recover.
• Rock band Janne Da Arc have a new tactic to get to the top of the charts - use a granny. The band used 80-year old Asami Chiyoko in the video for their latest single "Diamond Virgin." Asami has become popular as the character that contestants on a popular variety show have to kiss if they lose various games. In the band's video, she appears in a schoolgirl's sailor uniform. The single, taken from the new album "Joker," entered at No.3 on the Oricon charts.
• TV Asahi scored with its recent coverage of the Japan-North Korea soccer game. With Japan clinching a place at next year's World Cup, the network got a staggeringly high 58% rating. That represents 73 million people tuned in. Even the average for the whole game was a respectable 43.2%, the third-highest figure ever recorded by the network. By contrast, the struggling Yomiuri Giants baseball team had an all-time low of just 6.1% for their game the same night.
The world premier of "War of the Worlds" will be held under the strict security of a war zone. Attendees will have to go through search and identification checks and will only be alowed to bring valuables into the screening. Even cigarette lighters and mobile phones will have to be checked in. The 900 or so guests will be surrounded by 400 security personnel and will have to pass through metal detectors and show photo ID. Among the very few people likely to be able to avoid all the hassle will be director Steven Spielberg and stars Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning, who arrived at Narita Airport yesterday. The security measures are to prevent any pirating of the \14-billion blockbuster such as that which happened prior to the recent release of the final "Star Wars" movie. The event will be held tonight at the Ropongi Hills complex in central Tokyo instead of the 7,000 seater Nippon Budokan as had been planned. The worldwide official release date for the movie is June 29.
• The movie "Koshonin Mashita Masayoshi" (Negotiator, Mashita Masayoshi) looks to be the kind of success you'd expect from its pedigree. A spinoff from the hugely successful "Odoru Daisosasen" (Bayside Shakedown) movies, it's set to become a series in its own right starring Yusuke Santamaria (photo, 34) and Mizuno Miki (30). As with yet another spinoff, "Yogisha Muroi Shinji" (Suspect, Muroi Shinji), scheduled to open in August, all the movies are produced by Fuji TV and set in the same Odaiba Tokyo bayside location as the company's famous headquarters. The two "Odoru" movies are among the biggest ever domestic box office hits.
Kick The Can Crew member Little (photo, 29) is surprisingly releasing his debut solo album a week ahead of schedule. It's surprising because all three singles he has released since the hip hop unit decided to take an extended break last June have come out about a month late. He's been working late nights in the studio to get the album out early, as the group only wanted the break to last a year. Little will support the new album with 4 live shows across the country in July.
• SMAP members Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (30) and Katori Shingo (28) are to be the main presenters of this year's 28th 24-hour TV marathon on TV Asahi. The show will air from the evening of August 28. It's their first time for SMAP members to take part since 1995. Katori has designed the official logo t-shirts for the show.
• Comedy duo Cream Stew are to appear in TV commercials for the upcoming release of the remake of the Disney classic "The Love Bug" about a Volkswagen Beetle with a life of its own. The new version, "Herbie," is scheduled for release on July 30. The original was the biggest US box-office money maker in 1969.
NTV's late-night show "Uta-Sta!!" has chosen its next music star. The audition show chose Kamita Mika (22) from over 4,000 hopefuls looking to break into the professional music business. Kamita will release her debut single "Kirei ni Naru Watshi" on the Pony Canyon label in the near future. The show teamed up with a major karaoke service to allow singers across the country to audition from their local karaoke box. Kamita appeared on the show on April 25 and performed Matsu Takako's song "Koishii Hito" in front of the panel of five songwriters. She chose Komorita Minoru (46), who has penned such hits as SMAP's "Lionheart," to write her debut song. He was very taken with her strong and slightly husky voice, comparing it with that of veteran star Takeuchi Mariya. A strong athlete in her school days in Nagasaki Prefecture, Kamita came to Tokyo after graduating high school. She has worked in a variety of part-time jobs while trying to make a name for herself as a singer. she hopes to emulate the success of Dream Comes True vocalist Yoshida Miwa.
• Actress Kuga Yoko (31) is to leave for Korea today to get married. Her fiancee is described as in his 30s, and not involved in showbusiness. Kuga became the first Japanese actress to play the lead in a Korean movie in 2003 's "Venus." She has done filming on Chejudo, Korea's largest island, and liked it so much she decided she wanted to get married there. She was romantically linked with singer Noguchi Goro back in 1999.
• Rock star Yazawa Eikichi (photo, 55) lost his case against a pachinko machine maker at the Tokyo District Court. Yazawa claimed that a character used on Heiwa's machines was a rip off of his image and demanded a published apology. The machine's LCD display shows a rock star with a towel over his shoulders and striking a pose with the mikestand, but doesn't use Yazawa's name.
Actor Kubozuka Yousuke (26) is showing no signs of fear on the location of his latest movie project, "Onaji Tsuki wo Miteiru" (Looking at the Same Moon). Following a fall last June from the balcony of his 9th-floor apartment (earlier story), he could be forgiven for thinking twice about doing dangerous stunts. But the eternal optimist does all his own stunts, including one where he rescues a child from a burning building, saying, "I approach it as if I've already died once." This despite the fact that physically, he says he has only recovered about 60% from his horrendous injuries. "I was scared when I left the hospital, but not anymore. I can play with my kid on the veranda now!" The new movie, scheduled for release in November, is directed by Fukasaku Kenta and is currently filming near Lake Kawaguchi.
• Rize, one of Japan's best hard rock bands, are making a comeback. They appeared at a Tokyo hotel yesterday to present a 40-minute video based on their upcoming new album, their first original release in over two years (they put out a hits album "Fuck'n Best" in March). The 4-piece never quite achieved real stardom, despite their breakthrough with the excellent single "Music" in January 2001, and put the band on ice two years ago. They have high hopes for the new album "Spit & Yell," which they are releasing on their own newly-formed label. Mohican-haired guitarist/vocalist Jesse (24) had a go at what he sees as a lack of craftsmanship in the music being churned out by other artists in Japan. He has the support of labelmates Def Tech, the duo who first appeared on the 2003 Rize single "Vibration" and had this year's first million-seller.
In spite of his fame and recent success in Hollywood, actor Watanabe Ken (45) has never had the starring role in a movie. That's finally about to change. He's been chosen as the lead in the movie adaptation of the book "Ashita no Kioku" (Memories of Tomorrow), in which he will play a man stricken with early-onset Alzheimer Disease who battles the disease with the support of his wife, to be played by Higuchi Kanako (46). The project is being directed by , who was the man behind such recent TV drama hits as "Trick" and "Sekai no Chushin de, Ai wo Sakebu." Filming is set to begin on June 20, and the movie is scheduled for release next year. Watanabe was to play the lead in Kadokawa Haruki's "Ten to Chi to" (Heaven and Earth, 1990) but while on location in Canada, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He overcame the disease with the support of his wife Yumiko (45), whom he recently divorced.
• Actress Ayase Haruka (20) continues her role as the image character for Pocari Sweat. The young actress, who made her breakthrough in the above-mentioned drama series, "Sekai no Chushin...," sheds her high school girl sailor uniform from the last commercial and takes to the crystal waters of Hawaii.
• Also having a change of clothing is actor Matsudaira Ken (51). He has turned in the glittering gold kimono of last year's mega-hit "Matsuken Samba" for a pirate's outfit in a TV commercial for glasses maker Megane Top. And the music to go with the new image? Over the next few months prepare to be inundated with the "Matsuken Mambo"! The commercial airs from June 21.
Actress Okina Megumi (photo, 25) has denied rumors of a split with her new husband. She married Fujita Susumu (32), the president of IT company Cyber Agent, last year but there have been media rumors that the marriage may be on the rocks already. Appearing at a PR event for visiting Taiwanese theatre group, she said their relationship is just fine.
• The modest movie "Mura no Shashinshu" (Village Photo Album) and its lead actor Fuji Tatsuya (63) have taken the major awards at the 10th Shanghai International Film Festival. Directed by Mihara Mitsuhiro (41), the movie tells of a mountain village which is to be lost as part of a dam project, a story familiar to many in China.
• This is the time of year when companies nationwide hold their annual shareholder meetings. And showbusiness is no exception. Hori Pro, one of the biggest talent agencies, held its meeting yesterday in Tokyo. It was followed by an event hosted by comedy duo Summers and talento Hirayama Aya (21), attended by about a quarter of the over 4,000 shareholders together with family and friends.
• Oricon is the first music business-related company in Japan to offer free access to blogs written by famous stars and industry insiders. The new service is launched today: Oricon Blog site
Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Posts: 700 Location: Hawaii! Country:
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:10 am Post subject:
bmwracer wrote:
• Actress Ayase Haruka (20) continues her role as the image character for Pocari Sweat. The young actress, who made her breakthrough in the above-mentioned drama series, "Sekai no Chushin...," sheds her high school girl sailor uniform from the last commercial and takes to the crystal waters of Hawaii.
dang. i supposed i missed this as well, but 20's too young for me.
The Kume Hiroshi-hosted NTV variety show "A" is on the rocks. The veteran newscaster made his comeback on this show in the spring after last year's departure from the popular News Station, which he anchored for 18 years. But the Asian-themed show came at the wrong time, with relations between Japan and its closest neighbors, South Korea, North Korea and China all being at a low ebb. The Sunday evening show has had very poor ratings, only barely breaking 10% once in its first ten editions. Kume (photo, 60) is still popular enough that he can and should do much better, so he and the show's sponsors have decided to call it quits. The show will go off the air at the end of this month.
• "Ima Ai ni Yukimasu," last year's hit love story that sparked a real-life romance between its stars, is to have a Hollywood makeover. "Daredevil" and "Alias" star Jennifer Garner (33) is to play the role portrayed by Takeuchi Yuko (25) in the original. She is said to have enjoyed the January screening in LA of a subtitled version so much that she approached Warner Brothers with the idea of a remake. No mention yet of who will direct the project or take the Nakamura Shido (32) male lead, but Garner's fiance Ben Affleck has to be considered a candidate. Nakamura and Takeuchi announced their engagement in May and were to register their marriage this month. Meanwhile, the DVD version of the Japanese original goes on sale this week.
• Korean actor Bae Yong Joon (32) was hospitalized on June 19, right afterhe finished filming on his latest movie. Hugely popular in Japan, where he is known simply as "Yon-sama," the star is said to have given his all on the last day on the set of "April Snow". He collapsed from exhaustion shortly after returning to his home and was taken to a Seoul hospital.
Popular duo Kinki Kids have released their 21st single, and guess what? Yes, it's yet another No.1. "Bilodo no Yami" (Velvet Darkness) makes 21 out of 21 since their debut, extending their existing Guinness world record. It also ties them for 5th in terms of total No.1's with pop diva Nakamori Akina (39). As the Johnny's Jimusho duo, Domoto Koichi and Domoto Tsuyoshi (no relation), are both still only 26, they should be setting records for some time to come.
• In a related story, a ground-breaking collaboration between Fuji TV and Disney was announced yesterday. In a world first for Disney, they will jointly produce a live-action TV show with Fuji. "Hoshi ni Negai wo" (Wish Upon a Star) will air on August 26, and will star Domoto Tsuyoshi as Ohira Takayuki (35), the engineer who developed the Mega Star mobile planitarium for home use. Other names lined up for the project include Yuka (24), Osgugi Ren (53) and Japan's first astronaut, Mori Mamoru (57). The project has been 3 years in the making and a Fuji producer described it as like a fantasy version of the Touchstone movie "Pretty Woman." Disney gave Fuji permission to use any songs from its extensive lineup of animation soundtracks. Filming starts on June 27.
• Meanwhile, on top of the album chart is another record breaker. Oda Kazumasa (57) is the oldest artist to top the Oricon chart, beating his own record set with the 2002 release of a greatest hits album. With "Soukana" he's also the first artist over 50 to reach No.1 with an original album.
• Comedian Golgo Matsumoto (38) of the duo TIM is planning to marry a 37-year old aromatherapist. Named only as Y-san, she is an old high school classmate and the couple met for the first time in 18 years at a school reunion last summer. They hope to get married this summer, or by the end of the year at the latest.
• NHK recently held a PR event for next year's "taiga" period drama. The leading roles in the yearlong "Koumyo ga Tsuji" will be played by Nakama Yukie (25), who has helped several TV series reach the top of the rankings, and Kamikawa Takaya (40). No doubt, NHK are hoping her popularity will help rescue its floundering viewer numbers. As usual, the tired cast formula also includes the odd comedian, sports star and other attempts to draw fans of all types. Oh, and one or two people who can actually act, too.
Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 8550 Location: California Country:
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 2:12 am Post subject:
bmwracer wrote:
As usual, the tired cast formula also includes the odd comedian, sports star and other attempts to draw fans of all types. Oh, and one or two people who can actually act, too.
Trying to please everyone at the same time, huh? I haven't identified the sports star in Yoshitsune, yet.
Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 8550 Location: California Country:
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 2:19 am Post subject:
bmwracer wrote:
Betsy-chan pointed out the baseball player in Musashi: pitcher Kazuhiro Sasaki.
Yes, I remember that. Helped that he played in the Majors, so at least I recognized the name. I don't think I would know the sports star here, unless he is a sumo wrestler.
Yes, I remember that. Helped that he played in the Majors, so at least I recognized the name. I don't think I would know the sports star here, unless he is a sumo wrestler.
Akebono will be Shanao's/Yoshitsune's new love interest.
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