Sun, March 2, 2008 (10:37pm EST)
This June marks the 30th anniversary of the debut of Southern All Stars, but its members have recently been busy with separate projects. Last year, Keisuke Kuwata resumed his solo activities while Yuko Hara teamed up with Fumido to create the special unit Harafumi. Now, drummer Hiroshi Matsuda and bassist Kazuyuki Sekiguchi have both announced new solo albums, set to go on sale the same day.
Matsuda is transforming himself into Boogie Matsuda, a master of disco. He is currently recording the six-song mini-album "GOOD CELEBRATION," collaborating with six artists collectively referred to as FUNKY FREAKS: Thelma Aoyama, MCU, Skoop On Somebody, Toi Hitomi, Full of Harmony, and VOICE. This is Matsuda's first new work in five and a half years.
Meanwhile, Sekiguchi is working on "Kuchibue to Ukulele 2," a sequel to his last album seven and half years ago. Actor Naoto Takenaka returns to provide his whistling, along with new addition Kimiko Wakiyama, a woman who an international whistling competition last year. The album contains 8 tracks, featuring unique arrangements of hit songs such as Shocking Blue's "Venus" and The Rolling Stones' "As Tears Go By."
Both Matsuda and Sekiguchi are releasing their albums on April 23.
Matsuda is transforming himself into Boogie Matsuda, a master of disco. He is currently recording the six-song mini-album "GOOD CELEBRATION," collaborating with six artists collectively referred to as FUNKY FREAKS: Thelma Aoyama, MCU, Skoop On Somebody, Toi Hitomi, Full of Harmony, and VOICE. This is Matsuda's first new work in five and a half years.
Meanwhile, Sekiguchi is working on "Kuchibue to Ukulele 2," a sequel to his last album seven and half years ago. Actor Naoto Takenaka returns to provide his whistling, along with new addition Kimiko Wakiyama, a woman who an international whistling competition last year. The album contains 8 tracks, featuring unique arrangements of hit songs such as Shocking Blue's "Venus" and The Rolling Stones' "As Tears Go By."
Both Matsuda and Sekiguchi are releasing their albums on April 23.
Sun, March 2, 2008 (10:36pm EST)
Actress Sei Ashina has been cast in the lead role of the BS Fuji drama series "Je t'aime." This is her first time starring in a television drama.
Ashina plays a woman who suddenly begins working part-time as a call girl. The show is said to feature the actress in very revealing scenes.
Written by Toshio Kamata, the series will last 7 episodes. Broadcast begins on April 10 in BS Fuji's Thursday 11:30pm time slot.
Ashina plays a woman who suddenly begins working part-time as a call girl. The show is said to feature the actress in very revealing scenes.
Written by Toshio Kamata, the series will last 7 episodes. Broadcast begins on April 10 in BS Fuji's Thursday 11:30pm time slot.
Sun, March 2, 2008 (6:52pm EST)
Singer hitomi will make her first appearance in a television drama this month. She is playing a part in the NTV special "24 Jikan Atatamemasu ka? Shippu Doto Konbini-den," which stars 8 Yoshimoto Kogyo comedians.
Announced last month, the drama comprises four stories set in a convenience store. hitomi will appear in the last segment as a woman who goes to the store trying to find anything to commit suicide with.
hitomi's first acting experience was a minor role in the 2003 movie "Life Is Journey," directed by actor Seiichi Tanabe. She then co-starred with Ryuhei Matsuda in last year's "Nightmare Detective" and also performed in a stage play.
"24 Jikan Atatamemasu ka?" airs on March 15.
Announced last month, the drama comprises four stories set in a convenience store. hitomi will appear in the last segment as a woman who goes to the store trying to find anything to commit suicide with.
hitomi's first acting experience was a minor role in the 2003 movie "Life Is Journey," directed by actor Seiichi Tanabe. She then co-starred with Ryuhei Matsuda in last year's "Nightmare Detective" and also performed in a stage play.
"24 Jikan Atatamemasu ka?" airs on March 15.
Sun, March 2, 2008 (5:59pm EST)
According to an announcement on the Hello! Project website, Erina Mano is preparing to become a solo artist.
Mano officially graduated from Ongaku Gatas on March 2 after a concert in Osaka. On March 29, she will make her last appearance as a Hello! Project Egg during a concert at Yokohama Blitz.
The date of her solo debut has not yet been announced.
Mano officially graduated from Ongaku Gatas on March 2 after a concert in Osaka. On March 29, she will make her last appearance as a Hello! Project Egg during a concert at Yokohama Blitz.
The date of her solo debut has not yet been announced.
Sun, March 2, 2008 (4:16pm EST)
The trilogy of "20th Century Boys" live-action films (directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi) is set to be one of the biggest undertakings ever in the Japanese movie industry. The project not only has a budget of 6 billion yen, but it was revealed on Sunday that it will feature a cast of 300 people.
The movies are adapted from Naoki Urasawa's sci-fi manga of the same name about a man and his friends who try to save the world from destruction by a mysterious organization. An earlier announcement revealed that Toshiaki Karasawa is starring as the protagonist Kenji, while Etsushi Toyokawa and Takako Tokiwa play two of his friends, Otcho and Yukiji.
Because the story spans a period from the 1960s to the 2010s, many of the characters are being played by 3 people at different ages (elementary school, middle school to high school, adulthood). Counting only cast members with spoken lines, a cast of 300 actors and actresses are being assembled for the three films. Approximately 200 of them will appear in the first installment.
34 more names have been announced as part of the cast including Teruyuki Kagawa (as Yoshitsune) and Hitomi Kuroki (as Kenji's sister Kiriko). The full list can be found in the forums.
The movies are adapted from Naoki Urasawa's sci-fi manga of the same name about a man and his friends who try to save the world from destruction by a mysterious organization. An earlier announcement revealed that Toshiaki Karasawa is starring as the protagonist Kenji, while Etsushi Toyokawa and Takako Tokiwa play two of his friends, Otcho and Yukiji.
Because the story spans a period from the 1960s to the 2010s, many of the characters are being played by 3 people at different ages (elementary school, middle school to high school, adulthood). Counting only cast members with spoken lines, a cast of 300 actors and actresses are being assembled for the three films. Approximately 200 of them will appear in the first installment.
34 more names have been announced as part of the cast including Teruyuki Kagawa (as Yoshitsune) and Hitomi Kuroki (as Kenji's sister Kiriko). The full list can be found in the forums.
