Tue, August 5, 2008 (2:53am EDT)
Tomoko Murakami of the comedy trio Morisanchu and Naoki Nokubo of the "baka" trio Shuchishin will be starring in a drama together. They will play a newlywed couple in TBS's afternoon series "Panda ga Machi ni Yatte Kuru."
This is Murakami's second time in a lead drama role. She last appeared in Fuji TV's 2006 comedy "Busu no Hitomi ni Koishiteru," opposite SMAP's Goro Inagaki.
In "Panda," Murakami plays a former child star who winds up as a mediocre talento, appearing as a costumed character on a kids' show. She ties the knot with a younger patissier (Nokubo), but their marriage is soon full of constant troubles. Coincidentally, Murakami is a newlywed in real life as well, as she just got married this past March.
TBS will broadcast the drama on weekdays at 1:30pm, starting on November 3.
This is Murakami's second time in a lead drama role. She last appeared in Fuji TV's 2006 comedy "Busu no Hitomi ni Koishiteru," opposite SMAP's Goro Inagaki.
In "Panda," Murakami plays a former child star who winds up as a mediocre talento, appearing as a costumed character on a kids' show. She ties the knot with a younger patissier (Nokubo), but their marriage is soon full of constant troubles. Coincidentally, Murakami is a newlywed in real life as well, as she just got married this past March.
TBS will broadcast the drama on weekdays at 1:30pm, starting on November 3.
Tue, August 5, 2008 (2:25am EDT)
Veteran actor Tetsuya Watari has been cast as a doctor for the first time in his 43-year career. He will star in TV Asahi's "Kokuchi Sezu," a drama special expected to air sometime this year. Hideaki Takizawa and Atsuko Takahata will co-star.
Watari plays a surgeon who constantly deals with cancer patients. His personal philosophy is to openly inform those patients of their illness and to fight with them until the end, but he finds himself wavering when the patient is his own wife (Takahata). Takizawa plays the couple's son.
Watari himself is familiar with facing cancer. When he was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 1991, he publicly announced it, and fortunately he underwent a successful operation.
Director Kiyoshi Sasabe started filming for the drama last month, and it is expected to wrap up before September.
Watari plays a surgeon who constantly deals with cancer patients. His personal philosophy is to openly inform those patients of their illness and to fight with them until the end, but he finds himself wavering when the patient is his own wife (Takahata). Takizawa plays the couple's son.
Watari himself is familiar with facing cancer. When he was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 1991, he publicly announced it, and fortunately he underwent a successful operation.
Director Kiyoshi Sasabe started filming for the drama last month, and it is expected to wrap up before September.
Tue, August 5, 2008 (2:02am EDT)
Manami, the vocalist of pop band Jyukai, is officially starting solo activities under the name of Aimmy (derived from a variation on the reading of her name). She plans to release her first single, currently untitled, at the end of September.
The single will include the song "Kaze no Kioku ~to the end of the world~," which she sang as the ending theme to the "World Destruction" anime series that started last month.
The single will include the song "Kaze no Kioku ~to the end of the world~," which she sang as the ending theme to the "World Destruction" anime series that started last month.
Tue, August 5, 2008 (1:38am EDT)
Metal band SEX MACHINEGUNS has just lost a guitarist. Iberico Moja Malmsteen, also called MOJAMARU, suddenly left the band last week.
According to the announcement posted Saturday on the group's official site, MOJAMARU left due to family reasons. After passing the audition to join the band last October, he came to Tokyo to pursue his dream of someday performing at the Nippon Budokan. But to do so, he had left his wife and child back in Okinawa, and the situation with his family has apparently become problematic, though no specific details were mentioned.
The remaining three members said they will still proceed with their scheduled performances.
According to the announcement posted Saturday on the group's official site, MOJAMARU left due to family reasons. After passing the audition to join the band last October, he came to Tokyo to pursue his dream of someday performing at the Nippon Budokan. But to do so, he had left his wife and child back in Okinawa, and the situation with his family has apparently become problematic, though no specific details were mentioned.
The remaining three members said they will still proceed with their scheduled performances.
Tue, August 5, 2008 (1:20am EDT)
Vocalist Fumio Ito has announced that he is starting a solo project. Ito is better known as a former member of the ska-punk band Kemuri, which broke up at the end of last year.
Ito is currently working on an album, but it will feature more than just him. He has decided to take open applications from musicians who would like to participate on the album. According to Ito, anyone can apply, with the only requirement being that the artist has a "positive mental attitude." The submission deadline is September 30, though no date has been announced yet for the album's release.
Ito is currently working on an album, but it will feature more than just him. He has decided to take open applications from musicians who would like to participate on the album. According to Ito, anyone can apply, with the only requirement being that the artist has a "positive mental attitude." The submission deadline is September 30, though no date has been announced yet for the album's release.
