Tue, October 7, 2008 (2:34am EDT)
Internationally known star Ken Watanabe will be back on the small screen next year, playing the lead in a drama special titled "Keiji Ichidai: Hiratsuka Hachibe no Showa Jikenshi." This will be his first drama appearance in two years.
Watanabe portrays Hachibe Hiratsuka (1913-1979), a real-life detective who was involved in numerous high-profile cases during the postwar era. It is said that many police dramas have been modeled after him.
TV Asahi is producing the drama to help commemorate the network's 50th anniversary. Filming began last month in Ibaraki. The show will air sometime in 2009, though the date is still to be decided.
Watanabe portrays Hachibe Hiratsuka (1913-1979), a real-life detective who was involved in numerous high-profile cases during the postwar era. It is said that many police dramas have been modeled after him.
TV Asahi is producing the drama to help commemorate the network's 50th anniversary. Filming began last month in Ibaraki. The show will air sometime in 2009, though the date is still to be decided.
Tue, October 7, 2008 (2:21am EDT)
This weekend, Fuji TV aired the special drama episode "Galileo: Episode Zero" on the same day as the release of the movie "Yougisha x no Kenshin." Viewership data for the special has now been released, indicating that the special had ratings of 20.8% in the Kanto area.
The "Galileo" TV series, which aired last fall, averaged 21.9% ratings over its 10-episode run.
Box office reports also indicate that "Yougisha x no Kenshin" had the #1 attendance at theaters this weekend, outperforming the new "Kamen Rider" movie.
The "Galileo" TV series, which aired last fall, averaged 21.9% ratings over its 10-episode run.
Box office reports also indicate that "Yougisha x no Kenshin" had the #1 attendance at theaters this weekend, outperforming the new "Kamen Rider" movie.
Tue, October 7, 2008 (2:14am EDT)
TBS has announced that it is suing American broadcaster ABC, claiming that the show "Wipeout" infringes on the copyrights of several Japanese programs. TBS is seeking an end to the show along with monetary damages, though a specific amount is still to be determined.
ABC premiered "Wipeout" in June, and its success in the ratings has earned it a renewal for another season. The show puts contestants through a challenging obstacle course, similar to TBS shows such as "Takeshi's Castle" in the '80s and the still-running "SASUKE."
Indeed, TBS claims that the show is too similar, citing infringement in several aspects, including specific obstacles, the show's format, scene setups, and dialogue. The lawsuit also accuses ABC of capitalizing on search terms such as "MXC," which is Spike TV's licensed version of "Takeshi's Castle."
TBS is reportedly in the process of filing a separate lawsuit against Endemol USA, the production company behind "Wipeout."
ABC premiered "Wipeout" in June, and its success in the ratings has earned it a renewal for another season. The show puts contestants through a challenging obstacle course, similar to TBS shows such as "Takeshi's Castle" in the '80s and the still-running "SASUKE."
Indeed, TBS claims that the show is too similar, citing infringement in several aspects, including specific obstacles, the show's format, scene setups, and dialogue. The lawsuit also accuses ABC of capitalizing on search terms such as "MXC," which is Spike TV's licensed version of "Takeshi's Castle."
TBS is reportedly in the process of filing a separate lawsuit against Endemol USA, the production company behind "Wipeout."
Tue, October 7, 2008 (1:52am EDT)
SMAP member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi is starring in a period film titled "Ballad: Namonaki Koi no Uta." The movie revolves around a love story between a Sengoku-era general (Kusanagi) and a princess (Yui Aragaki), directed by Takashi Yamazaki of "Always: Sanchome no Yuhi" fame.
The story is actually based on the plot of the 2002 animated movie "Crayon Shin-chan: Arashi wo Yobu Appare! Sengoku Daikassen." That film won many awards, including the grand prize in the animation division of the Japan Media Arts Festival.
In "Ballad," Kusanagi plays a general of a small state. The princess, played by Aragaki, is offered a political marriage with a daimyo of a neighboring state, and war ensues when she turns down the offer. A key character in the plot is a young boy named Shinichi (originally Shin-chan), who comes from the future. 11-year-old Akashi Takei plays the role of Shinichi.
The film, which will heavily use CG for its battle scenes, is apparently budgeted at 2 billion yen. The supporting cast includes Michitaka Tsutsui, Yui Natsukawa, Atsuo Nakamura, and Takao Osawa. Filming started late last month and is expected to finish in January. The movie's tentative release date is in September 2009.
The story is actually based on the plot of the 2002 animated movie "Crayon Shin-chan: Arashi wo Yobu Appare! Sengoku Daikassen." That film won many awards, including the grand prize in the animation division of the Japan Media Arts Festival.
In "Ballad," Kusanagi plays a general of a small state. The princess, played by Aragaki, is offered a political marriage with a daimyo of a neighboring state, and war ensues when she turns down the offer. A key character in the plot is a young boy named Shinichi (originally Shin-chan), who comes from the future. 11-year-old Akashi Takei plays the role of Shinichi.
The film, which will heavily use CG for its battle scenes, is apparently budgeted at 2 billion yen. The supporting cast includes Michitaka Tsutsui, Yui Natsukawa, Atsuo Nakamura, and Takao Osawa. Filming started late last month and is expected to finish in January. The movie's tentative release date is in September 2009.
Tue, October 7, 2008 (1:17am EDT)
Celebrated actor Ken Ogata suddenly passed away on Sunday, it has been revealed. The cause of death has not been publicly announced yet. Ogata, whose real first name was Akinobu, turned 71 this past July.
A veteran of film, stage, and television, Ogata had been acting for 50 years. He joined the Shinkokugeki theater troupe in 1958, becoming an apprentice of actor Ryutaro Tatsumi, and he made his film debut two years later. In 1965, he rose to fame when he starred as Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the NHK taiga drama "Taikouki." His lengthy filmography includes Yoshitaro Nomura's "Kichiku" ("The Demon") in 1978, Shohei Imamura's "The Ballad of Narayama" in 1983, and Paul Schrader's "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters" in 1985. In 2000, he was awarded the Shiju Hosho.
Most recently, Ogata barely finished filming for Fuji TV's drama "Kaze no Garden" on September 28. The show begins airing on the 9th.
Ogata is survived by his wife, actress Norie Takakura, and his two sons, Kanta and Naoto, who are both actors.
A veteran of film, stage, and television, Ogata had been acting for 50 years. He joined the Shinkokugeki theater troupe in 1958, becoming an apprentice of actor Ryutaro Tatsumi, and he made his film debut two years later. In 1965, he rose to fame when he starred as Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the NHK taiga drama "Taikouki." His lengthy filmography includes Yoshitaro Nomura's "Kichiku" ("The Demon") in 1978, Shohei Imamura's "The Ballad of Narayama" in 1983, and Paul Schrader's "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters" in 1985. In 2000, he was awarded the Shiju Hosho.
Most recently, Ogata barely finished filming for Fuji TV's drama "Kaze no Garden" on September 28. The show begins airing on the 9th.
Ogata is survived by his wife, actress Norie Takakura, and his two sons, Kanta and Naoto, who are both actors.
