Mon, May 18, 2009 (3:42am EDT)
Singer Kazuyoshi Saito has been tapped to do the theme song for the upcoming NHK drama series "Limit: Keiji no Genba 2." Titled "Ai no Hi," it will be Saito's first theme for a television series in his 16-year career.
"Limit" is the sequel to the detective show "Keiji no Genba" that aired last year. Actor Mirai Moriyama plays the lead, with Tetsuya Takeda and Ai Kato in the supporting cast. The series will begin on July 11 in NHK's Saturday 9:00pm time slot.
"Limit" is the sequel to the detective show "Keiji no Genba" that aired last year. Actor Mirai Moriyama plays the lead, with Tetsuya Takeda and Ai Kato in the supporting cast. The series will begin on July 11 in NHK's Saturday 9:00pm time slot.
Mon, May 18, 2009 (2:59am EDT)
It was confirmed on Saturday that Hikaru Utada will be providing another theme song for the "Neon Genesis Evangelion" franchise.
In 2007, she sang "Beautiful World" for the first "Evangelion" movie. Now, she will also lend her voice for the second movie, "Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance," which opens on June 27. The title of the new song has not yet been announced.
In 2007, she sang "Beautiful World" for the first "Evangelion" movie. Now, she will also lend her voice for the second movie, "Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance," which opens on June 27. The title of the new song has not yet been announced.
Mon, May 18, 2009 (1:42am EDT)
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox International is in negotiations to produce a live-action film based on Ai Yazawa's fashion-focused josei manga "Paradise Kiss." Fox plans to make the movie in Japanese, making it their second Japanese-language film after their remake of "Sideways."
The five-volume "Paradise Kiss" revolves around a high school girl who becomes pulled into the world of fashion modeling. It was turned into an anime series in 2005.
Fox has reportedly set a target budget of $3 to $4 million. They are looking to work with Japanese production house IMJ Entertainment, which also handled the popular movie versions of Yazawa's "NANA."
The five-volume "Paradise Kiss" revolves around a high school girl who becomes pulled into the world of fashion modeling. It was turned into an anime series in 2005.
Fox has reportedly set a target budget of $3 to $4 million. They are looking to work with Japanese production house IMJ Entertainment, which also handled the popular movie versions of Yazawa's "NANA."
Mon, May 18, 2009 (1:15am EDT)
TBS has revealed that it plans to broadcast a drama adaptation of the Ryo Kurashina manga "Teio." The show will star actor Takashi Tsukamoto (26), playing his first lead role in a series on a major commercial network.
The "Teoi" manga was serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits magazine. The main character is a young man (Tsukamoto) whose girlfriend is taken away by the #1 host of a club. With his strong beliefs and power of friendship, he winds up also becoming a host, looking to challenge the title of #1.
Kurashina has already had three other mangas about the host club industry turned into live-action dramas: "Yaoh" (2005), "Jyouou" (2005), and "Jotei" (2007).
Tsukamoto has already appeared in dozens of dramas, and last year he landed his first starring role in a series with "Kansahoujin" on the public broadcaster NHK. However, this will be his first lead part in a series on commercial television.
"Teio" will air late at night on Wednesdays (12:29am), starting on July 15.
The "Teoi" manga was serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits magazine. The main character is a young man (Tsukamoto) whose girlfriend is taken away by the #1 host of a club. With his strong beliefs and power of friendship, he winds up also becoming a host, looking to challenge the title of #1.
Kurashina has already had three other mangas about the host club industry turned into live-action dramas: "Yaoh" (2005), "Jyouou" (2005), and "Jotei" (2007).
Tsukamoto has already appeared in dozens of dramas, and last year he landed his first starring role in a series with "Kansahoujin" on the public broadcaster NHK. However, this will be his first lead part in a series on commercial television.
"Teio" will air late at night on Wednesdays (12:29am), starting on July 15.
Mon, May 18, 2009 (12:27am EDT)
Celebrated rocker Kiyoshiro Imawano, who died of cancer earlier this month, will have a single released posthumously on June 17. The single is titled "Oh! RADIO," which was his last recorded song before his death.
"Oh! RADIO" was written and composed by Imawano for use as the spring campaign song of Osaka radio station FM802. It was originally meant to be sung by a collaborative unit called RADIO SOUL 20, consisting of Mao Abe, HY, Shigeru Kishida (Quruli), Suga Shikao, BONNIE PINK, Daisuke Yamamori (ROCK'A'TRENCH), and Sho Wada (TRICERATOPS).
In February, Imawano recorded a demo version in his private studio, handling all of the vocals and instruments himself. However, the recording was never made public until his funeral service on May 9, when it was played during the procession. After a flood of inquiries, it was decided that the song would be released as a CD single. Further details will be announced in the near future.
"Oh! RADIO" was written and composed by Imawano for use as the spring campaign song of Osaka radio station FM802. It was originally meant to be sung by a collaborative unit called RADIO SOUL 20, consisting of Mao Abe, HY, Shigeru Kishida (Quruli), Suga Shikao, BONNIE PINK, Daisuke Yamamori (ROCK'A'TRENCH), and Sho Wada (TRICERATOPS).
In February, Imawano recorded a demo version in his private studio, handling all of the vocals and instruments himself. However, the recording was never made public until his funeral service on May 9, when it was played during the procession. After a flood of inquiries, it was decided that the song would be released as a CD single. Further details will be announced in the near future.
Mon, May 18, 2009 (12:26am EDT)
The big screen adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's "MW," starring Hiroshi Tamaki and Takayuki Yamada, is scheduled for a July 4 release. But a few days before the opening, NTV will broadcast an original "MW" television drama special as well.
The drama is titled "MW Chapter 0: Akuma no Game" and is set several months before the actual story in Tezuka's manga. The main character is man named Takashi Morioka, who has lost his job and his home due to a recession. He ends up falling into a trap set by the diabolical Michio Yuuki (Tamaki), and in order to protect the things important to him, he is forced to stain his hands in evil.
Rising actor Takeru Sato, who is best known for fighting on the side of good in "Kamen Rider Den-O," will be taking on the role of Morioka. Like the movie, the drama will be directed by Hitoshi Iwamoto.
The "MW" drama is scheduled to air on NTV on June 30 at 9:00pm.
The drama is titled "MW Chapter 0: Akuma no Game" and is set several months before the actual story in Tezuka's manga. The main character is man named Takashi Morioka, who has lost his job and his home due to a recession. He ends up falling into a trap set by the diabolical Michio Yuuki (Tamaki), and in order to protect the things important to him, he is forced to stain his hands in evil.
Rising actor Takeru Sato, who is best known for fighting on the side of good in "Kamen Rider Den-O," will be taking on the role of Morioka. Like the movie, the drama will be directed by Hitoshi Iwamoto.
The "MW" drama is scheduled to air on NTV on June 30 at 9:00pm.
