Tue, September 23, 2008 (10:53am EDT)
Hello! Project's official website has announced that Morning Musume leader Ai Takahashi will be starring in a drama series next year. The drama is an adaptation of the detective manga "Q.E.D. ~Shomei Shuryo~" by Motohiro Kato.
Takahashi stars as Kana, a cheerful and energetic high schooler. She meets Toma (played by actor Aoi Nakamura), a young prodigy who graduated from a prestigious American university at the age of 15. Together, they solve various mysteries.
The cast also includes Ken Ishiguro. 10 episodes are planned, airing from January 8 to March 12 in NHK's Thursday 8:00pm time slot. The series will also air on BS-hi at 6:00pm.
Takahashi stars as Kana, a cheerful and energetic high schooler. She meets Toma (played by actor Aoi Nakamura), a young prodigy who graduated from a prestigious American university at the age of 15. Together, they solve various mysteries.
The cast also includes Ken Ishiguro. 10 episodes are planned, airing from January 8 to March 12 in NHK's Thursday 8:00pm time slot. The series will also air on BS-hi at 6:00pm.
Tue, September 23, 2008 (3:06am EDT)
Twin singing duo The Peanuts made their debut in 1959, and to celebrate their upcoming 50th anniversary, a new album is being released on November 26. The CD will contain several previously unpublished songs that they had recorded with the late composer Hiroshi Miyagawa.
The Peanuts, made up of sisters Emi and Yumi Ito, were very successful in the '60s and '70s. Their early career was launched by a string of covers and renditions of Japanese folk songs, but under the guidance of Miyagawa, they began releasing original hits.
From 1961 to 1965, they were well known for a morning radio program on the Nippon Broadcasting System. The new album, called "Nippon Housou da yo: Peanuts!!," features only songs that they sang on the popular "Kongetsu no Uta" segment of that show. While 8 of the 18 songs on the album are tunes that are already famous, the rest are previously unpublished works, whose recordings were apparently discovered only recently.
King Records is reportedly planning at least one more release for The Peanuts' 50th anniversary.
The Peanuts, made up of sisters Emi and Yumi Ito, were very successful in the '60s and '70s. Their early career was launched by a string of covers and renditions of Japanese folk songs, but under the guidance of Miyagawa, they began releasing original hits.
From 1961 to 1965, they were well known for a morning radio program on the Nippon Broadcasting System. The new album, called "Nippon Housou da yo: Peanuts!!," features only songs that they sang on the popular "Kongetsu no Uta" segment of that show. While 8 of the 18 songs on the album are tunes that are already famous, the rest are previously unpublished works, whose recordings were apparently discovered only recently.
King Records is reportedly planning at least one more release for The Peanuts' 50th anniversary.
Tue, September 23, 2008 (2:13am EDT)
The newest issue of women's fashion magazine anan has the results of its annual survey asking readers to name their favorite male celebrity. For the 15th year in a row, SMAP member Takuya Kimura led the list, taking the largest chunk of the more than 17,000 votes sent in by mail and the internet.
Kimura also repeated last year's feat of ranking highest in four other categories: Man I'd Most Like to Sleep With, Man I'd Most Want as a Boyfriend, Sexiest Man, and Most Stylish Man.
The four other members of SMAP all ranked within the top 12. Out of the top 30, 18 of the men are affiliated with Johnny's Jimusho.
Kimura also repeated last year's feat of ranking highest in four other categories: Man I'd Most Like to Sleep With, Man I'd Most Want as a Boyfriend, Sexiest Man, and Most Stylish Man.
The four other members of SMAP all ranked within the top 12. Out of the top 30, 18 of the men are affiliated with Johnny's Jimusho.
Tue, September 23, 2008 (1:30am EDT)
Singer Mika Nakashima is taking on her first acting role in a television drama series since "Shiritsu Tantei Hama Mike" in 2002. She has been cast in TBS's "Ryusei no Kizuna," which features young stars Kazunari Ninomiya, Ryo Nishikido, and Erika Toda.
The drama, based on a mystery novel by popular writer Keigo Higashino, was first announced in July. The story follows three siblings who lose their parents to a murderer and subsequently become a team of swindlers to get revenge against the killer.
Nakashima plays a character that was not in the original story - a mysterious woman who is a regular customer at the restaurant where the oldest brother (Ninomiya) works. Her first appearance is in the show's second episode.
Nakashima is also providing a ballad called "ORION," to be used as an insert song in the drama. "ORION" will be released as a single on November 12.
"Ryusei no Kizuna" premieres on October 17.
The drama, based on a mystery novel by popular writer Keigo Higashino, was first announced in July. The story follows three siblings who lose their parents to a murderer and subsequently become a team of swindlers to get revenge against the killer.
Nakashima plays a character that was not in the original story - a mysterious woman who is a regular customer at the restaurant where the oldest brother (Ninomiya) works. Her first appearance is in the show's second episode.
Nakashima is also providing a ballad called "ORION," to be used as an insert song in the drama. "ORION" will be released as a single on November 12.
"Ryusei no Kizuna" premieres on October 17.
