Sun, June 7, 2009 (4:26am EDT)
Fuji TV's popular variety show "Renai Kansatsu Variety Ainori," popularly known just as "Ainori," is finally coming to DVD. The show came to an end in March 2009 after almost ten years on the air, during which it averaged an impressive 15.3% rating in a late-night Monday time slot.
The show was known by its iconic "love wagon," a pink bus that transported a group of seven men and women through various countries. Each participant was a young single, hoping to find love with one of the others. At any time, participants could take the risk of confessing their love to someone, returning to Japan either happy (along with their new partner) or heartbroken.
Pony Canyon has decided to release the show as a 6-disc box set on August 19 for a retail price of 12,800 yen. It appears that the set will focus on a segment of the show's second journey, starting in Malawi in 2004 and ending in Romania in 2006. During this time, the love wagon visited 14 countries and featured the show's most famous participant, Hide, who was on "Ainori" longer than any other person in the show's history.
In addition to the DVD box set, there will also be a compilation album of the show's theme songs released on July 29, and an official "graduation album" book will go on sale in August.
The show was known by its iconic "love wagon," a pink bus that transported a group of seven men and women through various countries. Each participant was a young single, hoping to find love with one of the others. At any time, participants could take the risk of confessing their love to someone, returning to Japan either happy (along with their new partner) or heartbroken.
Pony Canyon has decided to release the show as a 6-disc box set on August 19 for a retail price of 12,800 yen. It appears that the set will focus on a segment of the show's second journey, starting in Malawi in 2004 and ending in Romania in 2006. During this time, the love wagon visited 14 countries and featured the show's most famous participant, Hide, who was on "Ainori" longer than any other person in the show's history.
In addition to the DVD box set, there will also be a compilation album of the show's theme songs released on July 29, and an official "graduation album" book will go on sale in August.
Sun, June 7, 2009 (2:47am EDT)
Katsutoshi Kawai's manga series "Tomehane! Suzuri Koukou Shodoubu" is apparently being adapted as a live-action television drama. The show has not been formally announced, but a hiring ad for extras reveals that filming is taking place this month.
The comic originally started publication in Weekly Young Sunday in 2007, but after that magazine ended last year, the series was moved to Big Comic Spirits and is still running.
The story follows a young girl named Yukari Oe, who returns to Japan from Canada as she enters high school. She winds up joining the calligraphy club, which is in danger of being abolished due to a lack of members.
Scenes with the extras are being filmed on June 16 and 19, suggesting that the drama may air this summer. However, no details about the cast or broadcast schedule are available yet.
The comic originally started publication in Weekly Young Sunday in 2007, but after that magazine ended last year, the series was moved to Big Comic Spirits and is still running.
The story follows a young girl named Yukari Oe, who returns to Japan from Canada as she enters high school. She winds up joining the calligraphy club, which is in danger of being abolished due to a lack of members.
Scenes with the extras are being filmed on June 16 and 19, suggesting that the drama may air this summer. However, no details about the cast or broadcast schedule are available yet.
