Thu, November 5, 2009 (2:58am EST)
Rumors of the band GReeeeN breaking up were laid to rest on Thursday. One member, HIDE (29), wrote an angry post on his blog in response to false newspaper reports that the group was disbanding after the release of their best album later this month.
The four members of GReeeeN made their major label debut in 2007 while they were dentistry students, and since then three of them have passed the national dentistry exam. According to the false news reports, the group was breaking up so that the members could focus on their careers as dentists.
On his blog, HIDE angrily denounced the media, while reassuring fans that the group is not breaking up. The post was later replaced by an official statement from the group's record label.
HIDE's post also seemed to indicate that the members' faces may remain unseen by the public forever. The mysterious group originally planned to reveal their faces after all four members passed the national exam, but now that some of them are actual dentists, they don't want their success as musicians to interfere with their work.
The four members of GReeeeN made their major label debut in 2007 while they were dentistry students, and since then three of them have passed the national dentistry exam. According to the false news reports, the group was breaking up so that the members could focus on their careers as dentists.
On his blog, HIDE angrily denounced the media, while reassuring fans that the group is not breaking up. The post was later replaced by an official statement from the group's record label.
HIDE's post also seemed to indicate that the members' faces may remain unseen by the public forever. The mysterious group originally planned to reveal their faces after all four members passed the national exam, but now that some of them are actual dentists, they don't want their success as musicians to interfere with their work.
Thu, November 5, 2009 (2:19am EST)
Satoshi Tsumabuki (28) has landed the starring role in "Akunin," a new film by director Sang-il Lee ("Hula Girls"). The movie is based on a novel by prize-winning author Shuichi Yoshida.
Although Tsumabuki has generally played likable characters in the past, here he has been cast as an antihero. Tsumabuki plays a man named Yuichi, whose dark deeds include killing a woman he meets through a dating website and forcibly taking a woman to a love hotel. However, the story examines the causes behind his character's actions, as well as the painful romance that develops between him and a woman he encounters.
The female lead will be played by Eri Fukatsu (36). She and Tsumabuki previously co-starred in the drama series "Slow Dance."
"Akunin" is scheduled for a fall 2010 release.
Although Tsumabuki has generally played likable characters in the past, here he has been cast as an antihero. Tsumabuki plays a man named Yuichi, whose dark deeds include killing a woman he meets through a dating website and forcibly taking a woman to a love hotel. However, the story examines the causes behind his character's actions, as well as the painful romance that develops between him and a woman he encounters.
The female lead will be played by Eri Fukatsu (36). She and Tsumabuki previously co-starred in the drama series "Slow Dance."
"Akunin" is scheduled for a fall 2010 release.
Thu, November 5, 2009 (12:32am EST)
Acid Black Cherry, the solo project of Janne Da Arc vocalist yasu, has announced a temporary hiatus for medical treatment. He will be undergoing surgery to remove a vocal cord cyst.
The cyst was discovered during preparations for his recent tour, which ended on November 2 at the Nippon Budokan. He managed to complete the tour despite the cyst, but he has finally decided to have it removed.
Because of the necessary recovery period, yasu has canceled a concert at the Osaka-jo Hall on December 24. He is also postponing a special event organized for the fans who purchased his new album, "Q.E.D."
The cyst was discovered during preparations for his recent tour, which ended on November 2 at the Nippon Budokan. He managed to complete the tour despite the cyst, but he has finally decided to have it removed.
Because of the necessary recovery period, yasu has canceled a concert at the Osaka-jo Hall on December 24. He is also postponing a special event organized for the fans who purchased his new album, "Q.E.D."
Thu, November 5, 2009 (12:30am EST)
Actor Baijaku Nakamura (53) has his first starring role in a drama series next season. He will play the lead in "Akakabu Kenji Kyoto-hen," scheduled to air on TBS starting in January.
The drama is based on Shunzo Waku's "Akakabu Kenji" novel series about a kind public prosecutor named Shigeru Hiiragi, known for his Nagoya dialect and his love of red turnips. The novels have previously been adapted multiple times on television since 1980, with Frankie Sakai as the original star. Later adaptations had Isao Hashizume (68) playing the role of Hiiragi. Nakamura became the third actor to play the part in a two-hour drama special this past May.
The drama is based on Shunzo Waku's "Akakabu Kenji" novel series about a kind public prosecutor named Shigeru Hiiragi, known for his Nagoya dialect and his love of red turnips. The novels have previously been adapted multiple times on television since 1980, with Frankie Sakai as the original star. Later adaptations had Isao Hashizume (68) playing the role of Hiiragi. Nakamura became the third actor to play the part in a two-hour drama special this past May.
Thu, November 5, 2009 (12:19am EST)
NHK announcer Toko Takeuchi (44) is currently pregnant with twins, it was learned on Wednesday. She is expected to give birth around April of next year.
Takeuchi previously gave birth to a daughter in 2004. Hoping for a second child, she had been undergoing fertility treatment before successfully conceiving.
Takeuchi previously gave birth to a daughter in 2004. Hoping for a second child, she had been undergoing fertility treatment before successfully conceiving.
Thu, November 5, 2009 (12:17am EST)
Gackt has been given the lead role in a theatrical version of the jidaigeki story "Nemuri Kyoshiro." This will be his first performance in a stage play.
Originally a series of novels by Renzaburo Shibata, "Nemuri Kyoshiro" has been the basis of more than a dozen films and several television dramas. The story revolves around a sleepy-eyed swordsman born from a Japanese mother and a foreign father.
Performances are scheduled to begin at the Nissay Theatre in Tokyo next May.
Originally a series of novels by Renzaburo Shibata, "Nemuri Kyoshiro" has been the basis of more than a dozen films and several television dramas. The story revolves around a sleepy-eyed swordsman born from a Japanese mother and a foreign father.
Performances are scheduled to begin at the Nissay Theatre in Tokyo next May.
Thu, November 5, 2009 (12:16am EST)
"Ayaka's History 2006-2009," the first best album by singer-songwriter Ayaka (21), has just reached a million copies shipped, about a month and a half after its release.
Released on September 23, the album started strong with almost 350,000 sales in its first week, the highest for a female artist this year. It ranked #1 on the charts for two consecutive weeks and was #4 this past week. So far, it is the only album by a solo artist to break the million mark this year.
Ayaka announced in April that she is putting her career on hold to undergo treatment for Graves' disease. She also revealed at that time that she and actor Hiro Mizushima (25) had married.
Released on September 23, the album started strong with almost 350,000 sales in its first week, the highest for a female artist this year. It ranked #1 on the charts for two consecutive weeks and was #4 this past week. So far, it is the only album by a solo artist to break the million mark this year.
Ayaka announced in April that she is putting her career on hold to undergo treatment for Graves' disease. She also revealed at that time that she and actor Hiro Mizushima (25) had married.
