Mon, July 21, 2008 (3:18am EDT)
Kankuro Kudo's 2004 stage play "Donju" is being turned into a movie. The play, which won the Kunio Kishida Drama Award (said to be the theatrical world's equivalent of the Akutagawa Prize), is the first one of his to be adapted to film.
Kudo originally wrote the suspense-comedy for acting trio Katsuhisa Namase, Narushi Ikeda, and Arata Furuta. The story revolves around the mystery behind a young writer named Dekogawa (Ikeda), who has been "killed" multiple times, but somehow keeps reappearing.
In the film version, for which Kudo adjusted the script, Tadanobu Asano stars in the role of Dekogawa. CM director Hideaki Hosono will be calling the shots, making his debut as a movie director. Shooting is scheduled to start on August 1, and theatrical release will be in 2009.
Kudo originally wrote the suspense-comedy for acting trio Katsuhisa Namase, Narushi Ikeda, and Arata Furuta. The story revolves around the mystery behind a young writer named Dekogawa (Ikeda), who has been "killed" multiple times, but somehow keeps reappearing.
In the film version, for which Kudo adjusted the script, Tadanobu Asano stars in the role of Dekogawa. CM director Hideaki Hosono will be calling the shots, making his debut as a movie director. Shooting is scheduled to start on August 1, and theatrical release will be in 2009.
Mon, July 21, 2008 (2:43am EDT)
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra has officially lost alto saxophonist Tatsuyuki Hiyamuta. An announcement on the band's website on Thursday stated that Hiyamuta is leaving to focus on receiving treatment for a leg injury.
The injury happened in a car accident in 1996 when the band performed in Thailand, and he has been going through rehabilitation ever since. However, he has now decided that the injury has been too much of a hindrance for the group's live performances. His words indicated that he hopes to resume his music career after he fully recovers.
The remaining 9 members of the band will continue their activities.
The injury happened in a car accident in 1996 when the band performed in Thailand, and he has been going through rehabilitation ever since. However, he has now decided that the injury has been too much of a hindrance for the group's live performances. His words indicated that he hopes to resume his music career after he fully recovers.
The remaining 9 members of the band will continue their activities.
Mon, July 21, 2008 (1:49am EDT)
The TBS variety show "Gakkou e Ikou! MAX" will be coming to an end this September. The program has been running since 1997 (originally under the name "Gakkou e Ikou!"), hosted by Minomonta and featuring V6 as part of the regular cast.
Ratings for the popular show have recently dropped to single-digit levels, prompting the network to revamp its Tuesday night lineup starting in October. Along with those changes, V6 will be placed in charge of a different variety show in another time slot, but complete details are yet to be revealed.
The last two episodes of "Gakkou e Ikou!" will be 2-hour specials.
Ratings for the popular show have recently dropped to single-digit levels, prompting the network to revamp its Tuesday night lineup starting in October. Along with those changes, V6 will be placed in charge of a different variety show in another time slot, but complete details are yet to be revealed.
The last two episodes of "Gakkou e Ikou!" will be 2-hour specials.
Mon, July 21, 2008 (1:32am EDT)
29-year-old actress Akane Oda is now a wife. She and her husband, a 37-year-old airline employee, updated their family register on Sunday.
The couple met two summers ago through a mutual acquaintance, though they didn't start dating seriously until last summer. They are said to already be living together.
The couple met two summers ago through a mutual acquaintance, though they didn't start dating seriously until last summer. They are said to already be living together.
