Mon, August 25, 2008 (2:19am EDT)
A New York Times article has reported that comic book publisher Marvel Entertainment is collaborating with animation studio Madhouse to create four separate anime series that are based on Marvel superheroes but re-imagined for the Japanese market. The shows are scheduled to air in Spring 2010, and there are also plans for comic versions.
It is not yet clear which franchises are being adapted, though it was hinted that "Iron Man" will be one of them. In the past, several comic book characters have already been transformed into manga, including adaptations of "Spider-Man" and "X-Men" by Ryoichi Ikegami.
It is not yet clear which franchises are being adapted, though it was hinted that "Iron Man" will be one of them. In the past, several comic book characters have already been transformed into manga, including adaptations of "Spider-Man" and "X-Men" by Ryoichi Ikegami.
Mon, August 25, 2008 (1:54am EDT)
Owarai duo Tunnels is pairing up with DJ OZMA to form a temporary group. The project was announced on Thursday's episode of "Tunnels no Minasan no Okage Deshita."
The unit's name has not yet been decided, but they confirmed that they will release a CD through Avex. They also have lined up a tie-in with a Lotte chewing gum product, and they will appear in a commercial alongside actress Masami Nagasawa starting at the end of September.
The unit's name has not yet been decided, but they confirmed that they will release a CD through Avex. They also have lined up a tie-in with a Lotte chewing gum product, and they will appear in a commercial alongside actress Masami Nagasawa starting at the end of September.
Mon, August 25, 2008 (1:13am EDT)
SMAP has announced a nationwide tour starting in late September, kicking off with a historic series of 6 performances at the Tokyo Dome. No other Japanese artist has performed that many times at the Dome in a single tour. The only musicians who have surpassed that mark are The Rolling Stones (10 shows) and Michael Jackson (9 shows).
The group will also be releasing their first album in two years, titled "super.modern.artistic.performance." It will go on sale on September 24, the same day their tour starts. The 19-track album will include arrangements in various genres such as jazz and classical, and overseas artists like Burt Bacharach and Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am are collaborating on it.
The group will also be releasing their first album in two years, titled "super.modern.artistic.performance." It will go on sale on September 24, the same day their tour starts. The 19-track album will include arrangements in various genres such as jazz and classical, and overseas artists like Burt Bacharach and Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am are collaborating on it.
Mon, August 25, 2008 (12:47am EDT)
"Team Batista no Eikou," the best-selling novel that was turned into a live-action film starring Yuko Takeuchi and Hiroshi Abe, is now getting a television adaptation. The drama series will air on Fuji TV this fall, with Atsushi Ito playing the lead.
The story, which won the Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! Awards in 2005, centers around a hospital with a skilled team of doctors known for their success with the Batista procedure, a type of heart surgery. After a series of failed operations that resulted in death, an internal investigation begins, led by a doctor named Taguchi and an eccentric government official.
In the original novel, Taguchi was a male character, but Yuko Takeuchi played it as a female character in the movie version. For the drama, Taguchi is a man, and Atsushi Ito has been given the role. Toru Nakamura is replacing Hiroshi Abe as the government official.
Rising R&B artist Thelma Aoyama will be doing her first drama theme song for "Team Batista."
The show will air in Fuji TV's Tuesday 10:00pm time slot, starting on October 14.
The story, which won the Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! Awards in 2005, centers around a hospital with a skilled team of doctors known for their success with the Batista procedure, a type of heart surgery. After a series of failed operations that resulted in death, an internal investigation begins, led by a doctor named Taguchi and an eccentric government official.
In the original novel, Taguchi was a male character, but Yuko Takeuchi played it as a female character in the movie version. For the drama, Taguchi is a man, and Atsushi Ito has been given the role. Toru Nakamura is replacing Hiroshi Abe as the government official.
Rising R&B artist Thelma Aoyama will be doing her first drama theme song for "Team Batista."
The show will air in Fuji TV's Tuesday 10:00pm time slot, starting on October 14.
