Sat, April 25, 2009 (11:00pm EDT)
Earlier this year, Oricon asked 600 men ranging from their teens to their forties, "Which male celebrity's face would you want to have?" Naturally, men considered popularity with women as the main factor, leading to Masaharu Fukuyama topping the list. Takuya Kimura ranked #2, followed by Hiro Mizushima.
- Masaharu Fukuyama
- Takuya Kimura
- Hiro Mizushima
- Satoshi Tsumabuki
- Teppei Koike
- Junichi Okada
- Masahiro Motoki
- Tomohisa Yamashita
- Mocomichi Hayami
- Koshi Inaba
- Hiroki Narimiya
Sat, April 25, 2009 (10:35pm EDT)
On Wednesday, NHK announced that its 82nd Asadora will be "Gegege no Nyoubou," based on a 2008 autobiography by Nunoe Mura, the wife of "Gegege no Kitaro" mangaka Shigeru Mizuki. The story revolves around the life of the married couple, told from the perspective of Mura.
In 1961, Nunoe had an omiai with the then-unknown manga artist Shigeru Mura (Mizuki's real name), and the two married shortly after. They lived poorly and overcame many obstacles as Mizuki worked to gain recognition with "Gegege no Kitaro."
The drama will start with Nunoe at 29 years old. The cast has not yet been chosen, though the female lead will be decided this summer.
The last Asadora based on the life of a real person was "Imotako Nankin" in 2006, which was adapted from the autobiography of writer Seiko Tanabe.
"Gegege no Nyoubou" will start on March 29, 2010. The story is also being turned into a theatrical film, directed by Takuji Suzuki. The movie will start filming this fall and will open in the early summer of 2010.
In 1961, Nunoe had an omiai with the then-unknown manga artist Shigeru Mura (Mizuki's real name), and the two married shortly after. They lived poorly and overcame many obstacles as Mizuki worked to gain recognition with "Gegege no Kitaro."
The drama will start with Nunoe at 29 years old. The cast has not yet been chosen, though the female lead will be decided this summer.
The last Asadora based on the life of a real person was "Imotako Nankin" in 2006, which was adapted from the autobiography of writer Seiko Tanabe.
"Gegege no Nyoubou" will start on March 29, 2010. The story is also being turned into a theatrical film, directed by Takuji Suzuki. The movie will start filming this fall and will open in the early summer of 2010.
Sat, April 25, 2009 (9:51pm EDT)
Veteran actor Tetsuya Watari is teaming up with actress Aya Ueto as co-stars in a TV Asahi drama special called "Kekkon." The drama comes from screenwriter Sugako Hashida and producer Fukuko Ishii, who have previously worked together on the TBS series "Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari."
As the title suggests, the show is a family dama revolving around the topic of marriage. Ueto plays the only child of Watari and his wife (played by Keiko Takahashi). Satoshi Tokushige takes on the role of Ueto's prospective partner, the only son of another couple (Teruhiko Saigo and Ayako Wakao).
This is actually Watari's third time as lead actor in a drama special by the screenwriter-producer combo of Hashida and Ishii. The first two - "Omoide Kakurenbo" in 2000 and "Fuufu" in 2006 - both had over 20% ratings.
TV Asahi has not yet determined a broadcast date for "Kekkon," but the network has said that they plan to air it before the end of this year.
As the title suggests, the show is a family dama revolving around the topic of marriage. Ueto plays the only child of Watari and his wife (played by Keiko Takahashi). Satoshi Tokushige takes on the role of Ueto's prospective partner, the only son of another couple (Teruhiko Saigo and Ayako Wakao).
This is actually Watari's third time as lead actor in a drama special by the screenwriter-producer combo of Hashida and Ishii. The first two - "Omoide Kakurenbo" in 2000 and "Fuufu" in 2006 - both had over 20% ratings.
TV Asahi has not yet determined a broadcast date for "Kekkon," but the network has said that they plan to air it before the end of this year.
Sat, April 25, 2009 (9:16pm EDT)
The big-budget film "Shizumanu Taiyo," directed by Setsuro Wakamatsu ("Whiteout"), had its main cast recently revealed. The movie was initially announced in December, with actor Ken Watanabe as the star.
The movie is based on Toyoko Yamasaki's novel about the chair of an airline labor union (Watanabe) and his battle against the company. The story is modeled after real-life events during the 1980s.
Tomokazu Miura is co-starring as Watanabe's main antagonist. Oher cast members include Yasuko Matsuyuki as a cabin crew member, Kyoka Suzuki as Watanabe's wife, and Koji Ishizaka as the airline president.
Filming took place overseas for about a month, and the rest of the movie is now being shot in Japan. It is expected to wrap up in June, and the final cut is scheduled for theatrical release on October 24. Expectations are high for the movie, as its budget is roughly 2 billion yen for a 3-hour picture.
The movie is based on Toyoko Yamasaki's novel about the chair of an airline labor union (Watanabe) and his battle against the company. The story is modeled after real-life events during the 1980s.
Tomokazu Miura is co-starring as Watanabe's main antagonist. Oher cast members include Yasuko Matsuyuki as a cabin crew member, Kyoka Suzuki as Watanabe's wife, and Koji Ishizaka as the airline president.
Filming took place overseas for about a month, and the rest of the movie is now being shot in Japan. It is expected to wrap up in June, and the final cut is scheduled for theatrical release on October 24. Expectations are high for the movie, as its budget is roughly 2 billion yen for a 3-hour picture.
