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2NE1 Currently Filming For Their First Title Song, “Go Away”

31 August, 2010 | tags 2ne1 go away single

While the girl group 2NE1 has confirmed their title song, they’re speeding up their comeback, by currently filming the music video.

2NE1 is announcing their first official single on the 9th of September. There will be a total of 12 songs on this album.

It is 2NE1’s first time announcing a new album with new songs, since 1 year and 2 months ago, when they released their first mini album in July last year, with “I Don’t Care” as their title song. As this album is their first official single album released ever since 2NE1 stepped in the K-Pop scenes in May last year, it is garnering more interest than ever.

2NE1, who is preparing their comeback with people’s and fans’ much interests, is filming their music video of “Go Away”, one of their title songs of their official single from the 30th.

2NE1 has exclusively chosen three songs from their single album as their title songs, and has recently confirmed one of these song’s title as “Go Away”.

On the afternoon of this day, YG Entertainment, 2NE1’s agency company, said “this is the first time announcing that one of 2NE1’s title songs’ title is ‘Go Away’ and said “the music video of ‘Go Away’, which is currently being filmed, is by the famous director Cha Eun Taek and will be continuing to be filmed until tomorrow (31st).

Then, CL, the leader, said “I’m exclusively transforming into a female car racer in the music video of ‘Go Away’,” and said “it will be a unique joy for the fans to see a new side of CL”.

YG also said, “there are three title songs for 2NE1’s first single, and the music videos for two other songs will be directed by another famous director, Seo Hyun Seung.”

Aya Ueto Yearns For Marriage

31 August, 2010 | tags aya ueto marriage

Actress Ueto Aya, 24, will star in NHK’s time-traveling drama “Still Love You in 10 Years” (starts Tues Aug 31, 10 p.m.). Ueto plays a lovelorn heroine who is visited by her husband from 10 years into the future, a man she has never met.

Ueto appeared at a press conference with her costar Masaaki Uchino, 41, with whom she worked once before in 2004 in “Aim for the Ace!” IN that film, Uchino played her merciless tennis coach.

Ueto acknowledged that she had come of marrying age. “Naturally I could empathize with my character since I am now 24. And yes, I’m thinking about marriage,” she said wistfully.

V6 Talk About Heartbreak In Their New Single (interview)

31 August, 2010 | tags v6 new single only dreaming/catch september

Celebrating their 15th anniversary this year, V6 sat down with Oricon Star to talk about their new single “only dreaming/Catch” (to be released September 1) and Yoshihiko Inohara’s (34) upcoming drama “警視庁捜査一課９係 (Keishicho Sousa Ikka 9-gakari)”.

Oricon Star: You’re about to release your first single in a year. ”only dreaming”, which is the theme song to “警視庁捜査一課９係 (Keishicho Sousa Ikka 9-gakari)”, has a sorrowful melody and I was thinking it was mirroring the emotions that arise at the end of a police drama when the criminal finally gets nabbed.
Nagano: Oh I see, that’s another way of thinking about it.
—–
Oricon Star: When did you record the song?
Morita: Record it? It was a while ago.
Inohara: It was during our tour so around April?
Sakamoto: What, April? Was the tour that long ago?
Miyake: We started it on April 3 and finished on June 13, remember!
—–
Oricon Star: When a group records a song, it’s normal for everyone to record their part individually and it’s not until the group appears on music shows that they sing the song together. Does this mean you haven’t sung the song as a group yet?
Inohara: No, we sung it at our last concert. When we all went for sushi the day before we were saying “tomorrow’s the last day so let’s do something. Maybe we should sing the new song?” Our Avex staff member brought along their laptop and we heard who was singing what for the first time. My falsetto made everyone laugh so much. They were like “kawaii~”.
(everyone laughs)
Inohara: Then we contacted the (concert) staff and told them we’d be doing this tomorrow…
Nagano: We rehearsed it the next day. It was our first performance of a song that didn’t have any dance moves yet.
Inohara: The staff were really amazing with the lighting
Sakamoto: There was no information about it at the concert so the crowd looked confused. When we said “this is our new single” they all screamed. But it’s a medium-tempo song so even though we wanted to get the crowd going, we sort of couldn’t (laughs).
Nagano: It was like they were thinking “well, we’ve just got to listen to it” (laughs). It was before the drama had begun too.
—–
Oricon Star: When you first heard this song, what was your first impression?
Morita: It was a break up song, and I thought it had girly lyrics (laughs). I thought men are so weak. It made me wonder what girls might make of it.
Sakamoto: To me, the lyrics stood out. None of our singles up to now had a straightforward break up message. But I kept thinking “what does breaking up have to do with Inohara’s drama?”
Nagano: The lyrics are sorrowful. It made me think “ohh, there’s no way to forget about…”
Inohara: You say it like you’ve experienced it Nagano-kun (laughs).
Miyake: (laughs) He is a popstar. But if you’re a man who has been in love, I think you would have experienced heartbreak like this at least once. To the point where the person you broke up with appears in your dreams every night…
Morita: I took it straightforward at first. I had heard it was a song for Inocchi’s drama, but it was a breakup song. ”Huh, this is so 9pm drama…maybe Inocchi’s going to do a different drama where he goes through a breakup” (laughs).
Miyake: I thought that when we did “GUILTY”. I was wondering whether (Tsunehiko) Watase-san was having an affair (in the drama). ”Is it going to spin off somewhere when I least expect it?” (laughs).
Inohara: I know what you mean. When you think of a 9pm drama series, you always picture Watase-san’s face (laughs).
—–
Oricon Star: The drama is an investigator themed story but in the music video it shows each of you expressing the sadness of heartbreak through singing. When did you film it?
Sakamoto: Sometime in July…
Inohara: It was a really humid day.
—–
Oricon Star: What did you think of the finished product?
Morita: We shot our individual scenes one by one so I had no idea what everyone else had done. When I saw the finished video I was surprised to see that some of members were crying (laughs). I couldn’t cry (laughs).
—–
Oricon Star: Were you asked to cry as well, Morita-san?
Sakamoto and Inohara: Eh, were you asked to?
Morita: Yes!
Miyake: I thought everyone was crying in their shot, but then I was like “hey, you’re not crying!”
Morita: It’s not my fault! I couldn’t get teary!! (laughs)
Inohara: I got asked to “suffer in agony” (laughs).
Miyake: Oh, so that’s why you looked like you were in agony! I thought they had made you take poison or something (laughs).
Inohara: But that was the shot they wanted. The director told me I did a good job afterwards.
—–
Oricon Star: So who got asked to cry in their shot?
Morita, Miyake, Okada: (all raise their hands) Me.
Nagano: I got asked to “imagine that the woman I love had died, and be sad enough to be on the brink of crying”. I got told everyone was being asked the same thing so I just went “oh, okay then”.
Sakamoto: I didn’t get asked anything specific. Just “think about the person you care about” and…thought……….
Inohara: It came out! Because Sakamoto-kun carries around so much sorrow (laughs).

TVXQ’s JaeJoong To Appear In Ayumi Hamasaki’s PV

29 August, 2010 | tags jaejoong ayumi hamasaki blossom pv

Ayumi Hamasaki’s PR team recently revealed on August 28th that JaeJoong, of Tohoshinki (TVXQ) and J.Y.J. fame, will star in a PV for her single, ‘blossom‘.

Working under the same agency, AVEX, Ayumi and JaeJoong are now colleagues. Yet, despite the difference in seniority, they are known to have a close friendship.

JaeJoong commented, “Ayumi Hamasaki is a big senior in my record label, so when I received the offer to appear in her PV, I was really happy. Although I feel a lot of pressure, I’ll try to do it perfectly!” With 84 music videos under her belt, ‘blossom’ shall be the first in which Ayu will not appear in the PV. Ayu said about that decision, “If I appear in the music video by myself, I might be ‘talking’ way too much.”

The music video is reported to be quite emotional, and the producers believe that JaeJoong’s realistic acting will invoke tearful reactions from the fans.

‘blossom’ was released previously in July, but the PV is to be included in the CD+DVD package for Ayumi’s newest single, ‘crossroad’, set to be released in the fall. With JaeJoong’s help, Ayu hopes to shatter the record for the most #1 singles sold on the Oricon chart. The title is currently held by Matsuda Seiko with 24 #1 singles.

Kato Rosa, Tamaki Hiroshi An Item Again?

28 August, 2010 | tags kato rosa tamaki hiroshi relationship

Seems like romance is back on again between Tamaki Hiroshi (30) and Kato Rosa (25), according to this week's issue of the gossip magazine "Friday." The magazine even reported that they were seen in the company of Kato's mother, so you know it must be serious! The two actors were first reported as a couple back in the autumn of 2004 but split up in 2007. They both got involved in other relationships, Kato with Johnny's Jimusho heart throb Akanishi Jin (26) and Tamaki most recently with young actress Yoshitaka Yuriko (21). But in July and this month they were spotted driving around town together again. Management for the actress insist that the two are just good friends, while Tamaki's agency refused to comment.

【_Vani;lla】disbands

28 August, 2010 | tags vanilla disbands

It was announced that 【_Vani;lla】will be disbanding. Their last live will be held on December 22nd at Shibuya O-WEST.
Here is what was stated on their OHP:

Because the members have differences in the direction of the band, it came to this result.
Thank you for all of your assistances and apologies for the sudden announcement.
Please continue to support the band for their remaining lives.
[_Vani;lla]

BoA's Allergic Reaction To Cake Prank!!!

28 August, 2010 | tags boa cake prank allergic reaction

It is known that BoA has had an allergic reaction from the cake that was thrown onto her face by SHINee member Minho. BoA performed at the SM TOWN LIVE ’10 WORLDTOUR in Seoul on the 21st of August. The concert also marked a celebration for BoA’s 10th year since debut. The other singers under the same management company also congratulated her on her 10th year anniversary.

SHINee member MinHo jokingly squashed the cake in BoA’s face, surprising the fans. However, this has caused controversy after the concert as a video was passed around amongst the fans.

BoA updated her twitter on the morning of the 23rd and said “My skin has turned inside out because of the cake massage, I need to sleep early. My last performance is next week, I’ll meet you with my following tracks.”

She asked her fans about the skin allergy saying “is there anything good for allergic reactions of the skin? It’s itchy, inflammatory and hurts too. If there’s a good cure for this, please tell me.”

BoA gave a live update of her skin condition by saying that her skin was very dry and that her face felt like it was going to explode.

Fans who visited BoA’s twitter showed their concern by saying “how can he cream your face with such an oily cake” “It was just for fun, didn’t know it would cause such a reaction” and “next week is your last performance, what’s going to happen?”

Watch the incident in the video below:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=485CZj6sL8c&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Amuro Namie Tops “Small Face Queen” Ranking!

28 August, 2010 | tags exile 10th anniversary single i wish for you

Giant pop group, EXILE, is releasing their second 10th anniversary single on October 6th, titled, “I Wish For You“. They released their first celebratory single, “Motto Tsuyoku,” on September 18th.

“I Wish For You” will include the tracks, “Choo Choo TRAIN,” ”Ginga Tetsudou 999,” and “Someday.” All of these are hit songs that are powerful dance tunes, and they serve as a stark contrast to the ballad sound of “Motto Tsuyoku”.

The coupling tracks will all be old hit songs, but they will be doing house remixes of them to freshen them up for fans. For people who have not experienced EXILE’s music before, the new singles will aim to give them a taste of their world.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkGZJbXEhAM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Yutaka Takenouchi, Aya Ueto Co-star In Fuji TV's Drama...

23 August, 2010 | tags yutaka takenouchi aya ueto fuji tv drama

Fuji TV's Monday night drama series this fall will star Yutaka Takenouchi (39) and Aya Ueto (24), it has been learned. The show does not yet have an official title.

Takenouchi has been in several "Getsu 9" dramas before, including the 1997 show "Beach Boys." His last time starring in one was with Ryoko Hirosue (30) in the 2001 series "Dekichatta Kekkon." Ueto, on the other hand, was most recently in last year's "Konkatsu!"

In the new series, Takenouchi plays an aquarium employee named Kengo, who seems ordinary at first glance but actually possesses a secret that he would sacrifice everything in order to protect. Meanwhile, Ueto plays Risa, a young woman working in the sex trade in order to pay off her brother's debt, though her situation has led her to contemplate suicide. These two characters, both full of despair, meet each other and end up entering a contract marriage purely for its benefits. However, as they overcome various troubles, their relationship begins turning into true love.

Shota Matsuda (24) and Kie Kitano (19) have also been confirmed as cast members. The series will begin in October, airing every Monday at 9:00pm.

Arashi’s Sakurai Sho Interviews Mikhail Gorbachev

23 August, 2010 | tags sakurai sho interviews mikhail gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev, who was the last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was interviewed by Arashi member, Sakurai Sho.

Sho visited Moscow during the end of July, and they held 30 minutes of serious discussion about nuclear disarmament, and poverty.

Mr. Gorbachev told Sho, “I’m glad to see a surefooted young person like you.”

Sho’s interview will be broadcasted on the 29th on 24-hours Television.

L'Arc~en~Ciel 2011 20th L'Anniversary

22 August, 2010 | tags larcenciel live concert l'a happy new year

Popular rock band L’Arc~en~Ciel will hold live concert titled “L’A HAPPY NEW YEAR!” on the New Year’s Day 2011.

Next year will be their 20th anniversary, and they are expected to pull about 20,000 people to Makuhari Messe.

L’Arc has not had any live concerts since 2008, and they have made their comeback in 2011 as they had previously promised to fans.

It seems like they will be extremely active in 2011, as they will release new song, and also plan to hold a live tour which may be as big as their world tour in 2008.

Big Bang Pumps It Up With “Somebody To Luv” Teaser

22 August, 2010 | tags bigbang somebody to luv teaser fifth japanese single

The pop group’s fifth Japanese single Beautiful Hangover is set to drop next Wednesday, August 25 in limited and regular edition, and will include two new songs: the title track Beautiful Hangover and Somebody to Luv. Like Beautiful Hangover, Somebody to Luv is an upbeat, autotune-tastic track that will get listeners up and dancing with its infectious tune. Check out the thirty-second teaser below!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HhCYEAIvP4&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

LIVE! NEWS DOME PARTY 2010

22 August, 2010 | tags news dome party 2010

Tokyohive previously announced that NEWS will be holding their live concerts soon, but additional concert stages have recently been announced.

Below is the newest schedule of “LIVE! LIVE! LIVE! NEWS DOME PARTY 2010“.

@Kyocera Dome In Osaka

9/18 18:00 (New)

9/19 18:00

9/20 16:00

@Tokyo Dome

9/25 18:30

9/26 18:30

9/27 18:30

9/28 18:30 (New)

'Male AKB48' Naked Boyz Group Debuts With 44 Members

21 August, 2010 | tags akb48 naked boyz debuts 44 members

Naked Boyz, Japan's largest ikemen (handsome male) performance unit, debuted in a Tokyo event on Thursday. The self-described "male AKB48" group has 44 members and plans to perform several times a year from their "base" at the Live Hall Face in western Tokyo's Shinjuku ward. (By comparison, the all-female AKB48 idol group is situated in eastern Tokyo's Akihabara otaku shopping district.) The official website and blog will provide more information.

The members of Naked Boyz range in age from 16 to 30 years old. They will take part in 24-Hour Television, NTV's live annual charity marathon, on August 28, and they will also appear on the Mache-Vari variety program in September. 38-year-old transsexual singer and talent Ai Haruna participated in Naked Boyz' debut event and joked that she wanted to date the entire Naked Boyz group — one member every day.

Some of the members have appeared in television, film, and stage productions such as Motoki Ochiai (Last Quarter, Gantz, Gokusen the Movie 2), Tatsuya Kishida (Samurai High School), Kazuki Shimizu (Gokusen the Movie), Yūta Takahashi (Hana Zakari no Kimitachi e : Ikemen Paradise), Kenshi Takemoto (20th Century Boys), Yūto Tsujimoto (Inazuma Eleven), Hiroyuki Nakahara (Basara, Itazura na Kiss), Daigo Fujisawa (Golden Boy), Yūki Matsuoka (Moyashimon, live-action Perfect Blue, The Prince of Tennis), Yūki Murakami (Samurai High School), Win Morisaki (Gokusen Sotsugyō Special '09), Kōichi Yoshino (La Corda D'Oro Stella Musical), Shūto Yoshihara (La Corda D'Oro Stella Musical), and Keita Yonamine (Boys Be...).

SNSD Reveals Teaser For Japanese Version Of Genie

21 August, 2010 | tags snsd tell me your wish (genie) japanese version

The 9 ladies of SNSD have a busy schedule in the coming days, starting off fresh with 3 different showcases in one day.

Wait no longer, Universal Music Japan recently uploaded the music video teaser for Tell Me Your Wish (Genie), and the setting has definitely changed from their ever so popular military outfits to a carnival-like theme.

SM Entertainment also made use of flow-mo technology once again, as seen in music videos for BoA and SHINee, making the visual effects more enticing.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j17Iri-Mdj8&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Dio's Mikaru Returns With A New Band

21 August, 2010 | tags dio mikaru digras new band

Following drastic changes in the band, former vocalist of Dio - distraught overlord, Mikaru, has set up new band, called DIGRAS.

The band's first live will be held at Shibuya O-East on September 13th. DIGRAS already has a website but further details, including other band members, have not yet been announced. However, it is known that four other members will be joining Mikaru.

Following guitarist Erina's departure earlier this year, the remaining band members announced that they would not return as Dio, but rather as a new band with a different name. However, they stated that their lineup would remain the same. It is currently unconfirmed whether the rest of Dio's lineup will be a part of DIGRAS

Horikita Maki To Visit Hong Kong

18 August, 2010 | tags horikita maki visit hong kong

Actress Horikita Maki will be making her first visit to Hong Kong this Sunday to promote the film Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac along with actor Matsuyama Kenichi, NEWS member Tegoshi Yuya, and actor Anton Yelchin. The cast will be spending three days in Hong Kong. According to reports, Horikita will be visiting a Japanese store in Kwun Tong on Monday afternoon. Later at night, she will attend the premiere of the movie at The Grand Cinema located inside Elements at Kowloon Station. 'Memoirs' follows the lead character, played by Horikita, who is a student at an international school. As a result of an accident, she loses four years of her memory and only remembers having kissed someone prior to her accident.

The film has already been released in Japan in March. It will officially hit theaters in Hong Kong September 16th.

Erika Toda, Ryo Kase Star In "Keizoku" Sequel

18 August, 2010 | tags erika toda ryo kase keizoku

Erika Toda (21) and Ryo Kase (35) will co-star in a TBS drama series this fall. The show, titled "SPEC," is described as a sequel to the 1999 series "Keizoku," which starred Miki Nakatani (34) and Atsuro Watabe (42).

The full title of the new series is "Keizoku 2: SPEC ~ Keishichou Kouanbu Kouan Daigoka Mishou Jiken Tokubetsu Taisakugakari Jikenbo." Like the original series, "SPEC" will revolve around a pair of police detectives as part of a special division solving difficult cases. Toda plays the part of Touma, a woman with an IQ of 201 with a touch of sadism and an inability to "read the atmosphere" ("kuuki ga yomenai") in social situations. Her character uses little makeup, has poor posture, and is always pulling around a small suitcase with wheels. Due to a previous case, her left arm is in a sling.

Meanwhile, Kase had to shave his head for his role as Touma's partner, a fellow detective who considers her unreliable. This will be his first time in a lead role on a television series.

Other cast members include 70-year-old veteran Raita Ryu (who also appeared in "Keizoku"), Saki Fukuda (19), Yu Shirota (24), and Ryunosuke Kamiki (17). The show will be directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi, who also handled the original series.

TBS will air "SPEC" on Friday nights at 10:00pm, starting in October.

2NE1 Is Working With Will.I.Am For Their American Debut!

18 August, 2010 | tags 2ne1 american debut will.i.am

Just 1 year into their debut, girlgroup 2NE1 will be working with Will.I.Am. music producer and the leader of group Black Eyed Peas for their American music market debut.

Yang HyunSeok revealed on 17th August, 2NE1 has been working with music producer Will.I.Am for the past few months. Through a close acquaintance, we were given the chance to show Will.I.Am 2NE1′s MV and after seeing the MV, Will.I.Am said he wanted to do music production for 2NE1 for their American debut.”

“2NE1 and Will.I.Am has been working on the music production on 3 windows for about 3 weeks in cities like L.A and London and currently they have finished recording about 10 songs.”

It was also revealed that all the 10 songs were recorded in English and since 3 members from 2NE1 is fluent in English, the recording was completed earlier than expected.
And about the girls’ debuting in America, YG said, “As to the concrete plans and time period the girls will debut in the States, we have not decided on them yet. But since Will.I.Am will be busy for his concert tour and Black Eyed Pea’s upcoming new album, it will most probably not happen within this year.”

“Plans for 2NE1′s American debut, we will be consulting Will.I.Am on plans and decisions, since he will be the key for their debut in the States. But we will stay away from the idea of 2NE1 promoting long term and staying in the States. Since the girls have received great love from fans in Korea, we will not have them neglect their activities in Korea. Furthermore, they will also be debuting in Japan early next year. Hence we will need to come up with a plan for the girls to be able to promote at the same time in 3 countries.”

NEWS’ New Album “LIVE”, Track List Revealed

16 August, 2010 | tags news album live

The release of the new album will be on September 15th, and now the track list has been revealed.

<Limited Edition>

-CD
1. Koi no ABO
2. LIVE
3. Umareshi Kimi he
4. Supernatural
5. Aki no Sora
6. 2ri/130000000 no Kiseki
7. Dancin in the Secret
8. Wonder Land
9. Sakura Girl
10. BE FUNKY!
11. D.T.F
12. Naiyou no nai Tegami
13. Endless・Summer

-DVD (about 30 minutes long)
Unplugged LIVE – Sakura Girl/SUMMER TIME/Aki no Sora/ Snow Express)
Unplugged LIVE Making

<Regular Edition>

-CD (order unknown yet)
1. Koi no ABO
2. LIVE
3. Umareshi Kimi he
4. Supernatural
5. Aki no Sora
6. 2ri/130000000 no Kiseki
7. Dancin in the Secret
8. Wonder Land
9. Sakura Girl
10. BE FUNKY!
11. D.T.F
12. Naiyou no nai Tegami
13. Endless・Summer
14. Share
15. Forever (Unplugged Ver.)

Ayumi Hamasaki To Release Two Singles In A Row

16 August, 2010 | tags ayumi hamasaki release l single crossroad

Pop starlet Ayumi Hamasaki, has already announced the release of her new single “crossroad” for September 22nd, but now it seems she will follow it up with another single titled “L“, just one week later.

“L” will mark the 50th single release for Ayumi Hamasaki and with the speedy release of the song, it seems that she is just as excited as fans are to celebrate it. The last time she released a Maxi single like this was in 2003 with “&” so it will also mark the first Maxi single release of Ayu’s in about seven years. Fans eager to pick up the single have their pick of four different versions; Jacket A (CD + DVD), Jacket B (CD + DVD), Jacket C, and Jacket D. Jacket A and B will come with six tracks (two versions each of the three songs) and Jackets C and D will contain four tracks (three main songs plus an orchestra version of a “crossroad” track). The CD + DVD versions will come with a DVD that contains the “L” PV and making of and the limited editions will also come with a numbered access card that will give the purchaser a download of the acapella version of the song on Chaku-Uta. Fans who buy “Moon/blossom,” “crossroad,” and “L” will also get a special gift of downloadables.

With the release of these singles, Ayumi Hamasaki will be challenging the long standing record set by Matsuuda Seiko, for 24 consecutive number one singles. Although this has been causing some friction in the Japanese pop world as Koda Kumi is also set to release her new single on the same day as “crossroads.” Ayu will definitely be taking on quite the challenge with her single releases, but fans will be sure to cheer for her in her record setting endeavor.

UVERworld & THE BACK HORN To Perform At A Special Event For Gundam Movie

13 August, 2010 | tags jpop gundam the back horn uverworld jrock

Popular rock groups UVERworld and THE BACK HORN will be attending and performing at the premiere screening for the movie “Gekijyouban Kidou Senshi Gundam00.” The event is titled “Gundam00 Supporter’s Gathering 2010 – A trailer for the trailblazerII-” and will be held at the Makuhari Messe event hall on August 29th.

UVERworld will be performing the theme song of the movie which will be released on September 15th (the title of the song has not been released yet) and THE BACK HORN will be performing “Tozasareta Sekai” which was released on August 4th, this track will also be used in the movie.

Event Information:

Gundam00 Supporter’s Gathering 2010
-A trailer for the trailblazer II-

08/29/2010（Sun） Chiba Makuhari Messe Event Hall
First Show ：OPEN 4:00PM / START 5:00PM
Second Show：OPEN 7:00PM / START 7:30PM

＜Performers＞
Casts：Miyano Mamoru / Miki Shinichiro / Yoshino Hiroyuki / Kamiya Hiroshi / Irino Miyu / Nakamura Yuichi
Artists：UVERworld / THE BACK HORN

Tokyo Shitei Disbanding

13 August, 2010 | tags tokyo shitei visual kei jrock

On August 10th, blossoming visual-kei indies band Tokyo Shitei had been holding their special presented live "-WARNING-" at Shibuya RUIDO K2. The tickets of that day had sold out and yet, among the many rushed fans, Tokyo Shitei announced their disbanding on stage.

Still, there are no more information on the official site, yet, further announcements are to be expected soon. Also, vocalist Shibuya also announced it in his blog.

"Honestly, thank you to all the fans who had been coming today. As I said during the live, we will be disbanding with the live at Takadanobaba AREA on October 10th, yet I hope you all support us with a smile until the very end.

I won't cry until October 13th either, and although the remaining lives are few, I want to do my best for a great concert as a token of my appreciation!"

CHEMISTRY To Sing A Theme Song For New Movie In Korean

13 August, 2010 | tags jpop kpop chemistry a better tomorrow

It has been announced that the male duo CHEMISTRY will sing the theme song for the upcoming movie “A Better Tomorrow” in Korean. “A Better Tomorrow” was released in 1986, and was directed by John Woo, and it will come back as remake in Korea. Since it is a Korean movie, they will sing the whole song in Korean. The theme song, “a better tomorrow“, will not only be used in Korea, but also as world release.

“A Better Tomorrow” will be released in September in Korea.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okcbzTxjtYI&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Eru To Comeback With His 4th Album

11 August, 2010 | tags eru kpop got to be

Last May, solo singer Eru returned from the army after he enlisted two years ago.

Recently via Hanteo, it has been revealed that Eru will make his comeback with his 4th album titled Got To Be!

The tracklist for his album is as followed:

1. Time (feat. Shorry J of Mighty Mouth)
2. 하얀 눈물 / White Tear
3. 고백 / Confession
4. 늦은 후회 / After Being Late
5. 사랑 멜로디 (KBS 2TV 솔약국집 아들들 OST) / Love Melody (KBS2TV Sons of Sol Pharmacy OST)
6. 다시 사랑한다 말해도 / Even If I Say I Love You Again
7. If Only..
8. 생각해봐요 (With 주희 of 8Eight) / Think About It (With Joohee of 8Eight)
9. 내가 밉다 / I Hate You
10. 이별마저 사랑해줄게 / Love Me Even If We Separate
11. 사랑을 믿어요 (KBS 2TV 솔약국집 아들들 OST) / I Believe In Love (KBS2TV Sons of Sol Pharmacy OST)
12. 하얀 눈물 (Inst.) / White Tear (Inst.)

The title track White Tear will be the after-story from his previous hit track Black Glasses. It is a relationship breakup story of something along the lines of, “having white tears after taking off the black glasses.” This title track is composed by Yoon Myung Sun who in the past composed songs such as Jang Yoon Jung’s Oh My, Eru’s Black Glasses and Super Junior T’s Rokkugo.

The rest of the tracks in his album also include an electronic pop song Time, I Hate You that has an acoustic atmosphere, love confessing song Confession, as well as Think About It in which Eru has a duet with 8Eight’s Joohee.

Eru’s comeback album is reportedly expected to be release on the 19th

Yui Aragaki Releases New Photobook To Debut New Image

11 August, 2010 | tags yui aragaki new photobook

After debuting at the young age of 17, actress and singer Yui Aragaki has gained a large following due to her cute looks and matter of fact personality. However, now a 22-year-old young woman, she wishes to use the ‘Gekkan Aragaki Yui Special’ photobook to sculpt a new image for herself.

Affectionately known by fans as ‘Gakky’, Yui said of the photobook, “I hope you are going to enjoy the new Aragaki Yui just as much as the old one.”

Ayumi Hamasaki To Team Up With Komuro Tetsuya And Release New Single "L"

11 August, 2010 | tags ayumi hamasaki komuro tetsuya l new single

Hamasaki Ayumi will release two new singles in two consecutive weeks, and one of the songs, “crossroad“, was composed by Komuro Tetsuya. This is the first time Komuro Tetsuya has made a song just for Ayu, although she had sung one of his songs before with KEIKO. Komuro will also make a follow up song of “crossroad”, but the title is yet to be determined.

According to Oricon style, “crossroad” is a ballad song and was already been recorded at the beginning of July.

“crossroad” will be released on September 22nd, and one week later, Ayu will also release “L” on September 29th. “L” will include 3 songs, but the details about it have not been revealed yet.

Perfume Surprises Fans With Presents In ‘VOICE’

11 August, 2010 | tags jpop electro pop perfume

Electro-pop group Perfume is due to release their new single, VOICE, tomorrow, and they have finally announced the details and the cover art for the rare limited version of the single.

This first print limited edition will have a special ticket on the back of it that can be cut out and sent in as an application. All fans who mail it in will be entered in a lottery to win a special diamond panel that is a photograph from the VOICE music video. All three members of Perfume will personally sign the panel to the fan, with the winning fan’s name on it.

Also, from the lottery entrants, they will choose 100 fans to win original Perfume goods not available anywhere else. Further instructions on how to enter this special lottery will be available in the limited edition.

Jay Park And Brave Brothers Unleash ‘I Want To Cry’

11 August, 2010 | tags jay park brave brothers i want to cry

Jay Park has teamed up with one of Korea’s top producers, Kang Dong Cheol aka Brave Brothers, for a track titled I want to Cry. This track is off of Brave Brothers’ first full length, titled The Classic, and was released a few hours ago on the various Korean music portals.

Brave Brothers’ reps said, “Jay Park wanted to personally work with Brave Brothers, so when he was in Korea for Hype Nation, he did this recording in secret. Brave Brothers was impressed by Jay Park.”

You can check out the teaser for the MV featuring Sung Yuri here.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIxEvMEvslE[/youtube]

Four Members Of Ayabie Leave The Band

09 August, 2010 | tags ayabie jrock visuel-kei

It has been announced on their official site that 4 members of Ayabie will leave the band. Ayabie is a visual-kei band, consisting of 5 members, Aoi (Vo.), Yumehito (G), Takehito (G), Intetsu (B), and Kenzo (Dr.), but all the members, with exception of Aoi, will leave the group and make a new band.

Yumehito told fans, “I understand what fans are thinking after hearing this news, I can feel your pain. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to keep disguising my real feeling.”

Hikaru Utada Goes On Hiatus

09 August, 2010 | tags hikaru utada hikki jpop

Japanese pop icon Hikaru Utada announced on her blog today that she will finally be releasing a new best album titled “Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION VOL.2.” This happy announcement came with a bit of heavier news as well; the singer will be going on hiatus.

The best album will collect the past six years worth of music from the singer, such as “dareka no negai ga kanaukoro,” “Be My Last,” and “Beautiful World.” There will also be some new tracks from Hikaru Utada on the album, so it will be quite the exhaustive collection of her work for the past several years of her career.

Hikaru Utada explained the reason for her haitus on her blog:

I have been working as an artist since I was 15 years old ,and because of that, a part of me has stopped growing. But as a human being, it is an important part.

So after years of working solely as an artist, the singer has decided that it is time to spend some time being Hikaru Utada the person. The date of her return to music is unknown, but she continued on her blog to say, “If I can grow as a person, then I think people will want to listen to my music!” She followed it up with a positive, “I don’t know if I’ll be gone for two years or five years, but I will come back bigger than ever.”

JunJun, LinLin, And Kamei To Graduate From Morning Musume

09 August, 2010 | tags jpop idol morning musume japan junjun linlin kamei

Tsunku, the founder and producer of idol pop group Morning Musume, has updated his blog with tremendous news for fans: Kamei Eri, JunJun, and LinLin will be graduating from Morning Musume, and a 9th generation audition will be held to fill their spots.

The producer went on to explain the reasons behind their departures. Kamei Eri has apparently been suffering from a skin condition called atopic dermatitis ever since she joined the idol industry. It is a type of eczema that causes discoloration of the skin, which she usually hides with large amount of makeup when she goes on stage, and she takes medication because of it. However, it is hard for her to fully recover from the condition due to the makeup, copious costume changes, and sweating from exercise and performances. Tsunku states that the condition could possibly move to an internal level, and even more so, has begun to affect Kamei on a mental level. She has therefore decided to leave Morning Musume to get her condition properly treated. It is unsure whether Kamei will rejoin the entertainment industry after her treatment.

The two Chinese members of Morning Musume, JunJun and LinLin, are leaving for different reasons. Tsunku stated that they have grown as both singers and Japanese speakers, and are now women who are capable of standing on their own two feet. They will be graduating and returning to China to continue their entertainment careers there.

All three graduations will take place at the same time, during the final show of the Hello!Project 2010 fall tour.

While announcing the graduations of three of the members of Morning Musume, Tsunku also announced an audition for the 9th generation of the group. On his blog, he stated that he is looking for a girl that is between 10-17 years old, is healthy, wants to be number one in the entertainment world, and loves Morning Musume. Although he seems to imply that he is only looking for one new member, Tsunku has been known in the past to change the number of accepted members on a whim.

The official audition application site is now online, and can be visited here: http://www.musume-audition.com/

Matsumoto Jun Interviews Angelina Jolie

08 August, 2010 | tags matsumoto jun interviews angelina jolie salt movie

Matsumoto Jun interviewed Angelina Jolie on “Arashi ni Shiyagare”!

Famous translator, Toda Natsuko taught Matsumoto Jun how to interview Hollywood stars and he accepted the challenge to interview Angelina Jolie, who visited Japan to promote her movie “Salt”.

Check out the interview below (starts at 6:00):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqqeLxWKfE4&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

WaT To Release A New Single On September 8th

08 August, 2010 | tags wat teppei wentz new single september 2010

Male duo, WaT, will release a new single “24/7 ~Mouichido~” on September 8th. The PV for the new single will be more mature and more "daring", in which both Teppei and Wentz bared their chests.

Track list:

<Limited Edition> + DVD of PV “24/7 ~Mouichido~”

1. 24/7 ~Mouichido~

2. Kimi to iraretara

<Regular Edition> only CD

1. 24/7 ~Mouichido~

2. Kimi to iraretara

Aragaki Yui & Ikuta Toma As Surprise Guests

07 August, 2010 | tags aragaki ikuta toma hanamizuki

A private showing of upcoming movie “Hanamizuki“, in which Aragaki Yui and Ikuta Toma star in, was held on the 6th, and both Yui and Toma showed up at the showing. The appearance of Yui and Toma was not informed to the audience, so when they showed up, the full house audience of 470 were screaming with joy.

“Hanamizuki” will be released on August 21st at theaters.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGotcZ2BlK0&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Nishikido Ryo’s Movie “Chonmage Pudding” Is A Big Hit!

07 August, 2010 | tags nishikido ryo movie chonmage pudding

Nishikido Ryo’s (NEWS/Kanjani 8) first movie with him as a lead star, “Chonmage Pudding“, was released on July 31st, and it pulled in an audience of 34,056 in 2 days. Moreover, the audience numbers at the Ebisu garden cinema and Umeda garden cinema broke records, as they had the highest numbers among all Japanese movies.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xjq1epi0fM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Top Avex Artists Sing First A-nation Theme Song

07 August, 2010 | tags avex annual outdoor music festival thx a lot 2010

Avex's annual outdoor music festival a-nation will have its first official theme song this year, sung by 11 of the label's top acts. The song, titled "THX A LOT," was written by producer Tetsuya Komuro (51).

Held every year since 2002, a-nation is a nationwide outdoor concert tour featuring Avex artists. This year, the participants include Ayumi Hamasaki, TRF, hitomi, Every Little Thing, Do As Infinity, Kumi Koda, Ai Otsuka, Ami Suzuki, AAA, GIRL NEXT DOOR, and ICONIQ. (A complete list can be found on the a-nation website.) Those 11 artists will unite under the name "a-nation's party" to sing the "THX A LOT" theme song.

Although "THX A LOT" will be heard at each of the six concerts (starting with Ehime on August 7), the song will be performed live by all of the artists only at the Tokyo concerts on August 28-29. It will be available as a chaku-uta download starting on August 7, and it is planned for inclusion on Komuro's solo album this fall.

In other Avex-related news, it has been learned that Komuro's group globe will be restarting activities. August 9 marks the group's 15th anniversary, and they will commemorate it with a special release on September 29.

Meanwhile, Kumi Koda has been chosen to sing the new theme song for the "Crayon Shin-chan" anime series. Starting with Friday's episode, her song "Hey baby!" will be heard during the show's opening sequence. No release date for the song has been announced yet.

New Koda Kumi Single!

07 August, 2010 | tags koda kumi new single september 2010

Japanese pop star Koda Kumi has just announced her next single, which will be titled “Sukide, Sukide, Sukide./Anata Dake ga.” The single will be released on September 22nd.

The release comes a short time after her “Gossip Candy” single, which was released at the beginning of July. The single will include the title tracks of “Sukide, Sukide, Sukide.” and “Anata Dake ga,” but will also include a newly recorded version of the song “walk” from her first album “affection.”

The special edition release of the single will come with a video clip DVD, and the DVD will contain videos for all three of the main tracks. This is the first time that ‘walk’ will be getting a video, and it will tie into the other two tracks. All three of the videos will combine together to make one complete story.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxbdf_AYdTc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Rainbow Reveals Their Comeback Concept Photo

04 August, 2010 | tags rainbow new concept single photo

The seven girls of Rainbow are back!

Today, a picture of all seven girls was released by their company. This is actually one of the many photos from their upcoming single album.

They seem more mature and graceful in this photo, but what caught everybody’s attention is the eye makeup, as the eyeshadow colors are the colors of the rainbow.

NEWS To Release New Album In September

04 August, 2010 | tags news new album september releaase

On the radio show, “K-chan NEWS” (personality: Koyama Keiichiro), which was broadcasted on August 2nd, it was announced that NEWS will be releasing a new album entitled “LIVE” in September.

It will include their singles, “Koi no ABO“, “Sakura Girl” and “BE FUNKY!”. “BE FUNKY!” is the theme song for drama “trouble man”, in which NEWS member, Kato Shigeaki stars in. Moreover, there will be a song made by GReeeeN for this album.

It has been almost 2 years since their last album “color”, so fans’ wait will finally be over!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhHeRdMFiGM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Toma Ikuta To Star In "The Tale Of Genji"

03 August, 2010 | tags toma ikuta tale of genji

Actor Toma Ikuta has been chosen to star as Hikaru Genji in a new movie adaptation of "The Tale of Genji." The film, tentatively titled "Genji Monogatari," is being directed by Yasuo Tsuruhashi ("Ai no Rukeichi") and reportedly has a budget of more than 1 billion yen.

"The Tale of Genji," generally believed to have been writtern by noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu during the 11th century, is considered a classic piece of Japanese literature. The story has appeared in countless forms throughout the centuries, including theater, opera, and film.

Ikuta was reportedly chosen for the role by executive producer Tsuguhiko Kadokawa while filming was in progress for "Ningen Shikkaku," which opened in February. Actors who have previously played the role on the big screen include Kazuo Hasegawa in 1951 and Raizo Ichikawa in 1961. On television, the part has also been played by singer Kenji Sawada (62) and Shonentai's Noriyuki Higashiyama (43).

"Genji Monogatari" is scheduled for release in 2011.

Se7en And SHINee’s Songs Get Banned

03 August, 2010 | tags se7en shinee song band

MBC has banned songs by singers Se7en and SHINee.

These said songs are Se7en’s Money Can’t Buy Me Love and SHINee’s Love Still Goes On. The reason for their banning are because of the mentioning of brand names and a website.

Se7en’s song includes well-known brand names Prada, Guess, and Gucci. In SHINee’s song lyrics, the social networking site Facebook is mentioned.

The MBC panel concluded that the songs were indirectly advertising the brands, resulting in this decision. The artists have requested a retrial after modifications of the said songs.

MBC recently banned Big Bang member T.O.P’s Turn It Up for the same reasons. T.O.P’s song lyrics contained brand names Louis Vuitton and Dolce and Gabbana amongst others.

New Single For UVERworld

01 August, 2010 | tags uverworld jrock

Rock group UVERworld has announced a new single for September 15th. The title is still to be determined, but they have announced that it will act as the theme to the new anime movie “Mobile Suit Gundam 00 – Awakening of Trailblazer,” which will release in theaters on September 18th. The group is definitely using the release to lead up to their “LAST tour 2010″ that will take them to the Tokyo Dome for the first time ever.

The mysterious single will be released in three different versions. All the versions of the CD will have the theme to the recent Gundam PSP game, “Rasutorankaa,” as the coupling track. The single will be available in CD, CD + DVD, and Gundam editions.

The group will also formally open their Cafe in Shibuya on August 8th. It will feature original menus and recipes along with drinks created by the members of UVERworld. There will also be a gallery attached to the cafe that will exhibit the entire major label career of the rock group. Tickets for the cafe go on sale tomorrow and the event only lasts until August 20th, so fans should be sure to buy their tickets as soon as possible.

Koichi Domoto's "Endless SHOCK" Aims For U.S.

01 August, 2010 | tags jpop koichi domoto kinki kids

KinKi Kids member Koichi Domoto (31) has been performing his musical "SHOCK" (currently titled "Endless SHOCK") since 2000. On Saturday, after the musical's 751st performance, it was announced by Johnny's Jimusho president Johnny Kitagawa that there are plans to bring the production to the United States by as early as 2012.

Saturday marked the final performance of "Endless SHOCK" for this year. 2010 was a milestone for the musical, as an anniversary year and as the first year that it was performed 100 times.

The central story of "SHOCK" is about a small, unknown group of actors in New York who get a chance to produce a big show for a Broadway theater. Because of its story and its long-running success so far, Kitagawa feels that American audiences can also enjoy the musical. Currently, he is aiming to have it performed in major entertainment cities such as New York and Las Vegas, though more specific planning will be done later this year.

The United States will not be the only new location for the musical. Up until now, all of the performances have been held at the Imperial Garden Theater in Tokyo, but in 2012, Kitagawa plans to do shows in other major cities in Japan, including Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, and Fukuoka. The U.S. performances, if they happen, would be in addition to those new venues.

It was also announced on Saturday that Domoto will release a new solo album titled "BPM" on September 1, his first in four years. Starting on September 11, he will launch a solo tour consisting of 25 concerts at 9 venues.

Miyavi To StreamEntire Tokyo Tour Live!

01 August, 2010 | tags miyavi jpop jrock

Good news for Miyavi fans oversea! All 12 shows of his his current 2010 Tour, called "Streaming Out from TOKYO", will be webcasted LIVE worldwide on ustream.tv!

08/01/10 HARAJYUKU ASTRO HALL
08/05/10 SHIMOKITAZAWA SHELTER
08/13/10 SHIBUYA Lush
08/14/10 SHINJYUKU LOFT
08/16/10 SHIBUYA O-nest
08/17/10 SHIMOKITAZAWA BASEMENT BAR
08/18/10 AOYAMA TSUKIMIRU KIMI OMOFU
08/23/10 SHIBUYA LIVE STAGE GUILTY
08/24/10 SHIBUYA CHELSEA HOTEL
08/25/10 ROPPONGI morph-tokyo
08/27/10 LIVE labo YOYOGI
08/31/10 SHINDAITA LIVE HOUSE FEVER

open 19:00 / start 20:00 (JAPAN TIME)

To make it easier for you guys to follow the show, search for your country/city and log in in time to enjoy the show:

L.A. am4:00 (JAPAN TIME -16hours)
N.Y. am7:00 (-13hours)
Toronto am7:00 (-13hours)
Vancouver am4:00 (-16hours)
London pm12:00 (-8hours)
France pm1:00 (-7hours)
Germany pm1:00 (-7hours)
Brazil am8:00 (-12hours)
Mexico am5:00 (-15hours)
San Tiago am7:00 (-13hours)
Sydney pm10:00 (+2hours)
Barcelona pm1:00 (-7hours)
Moscow pm3:00 (-6hours)
Shanghai pm7:00 (-1hours)

Rina Aiuchi Announces Retirement

01 August, 2010 | tags rina aiuchi jpop

Singer Rina Aiuchi (30) unexpectedly announced on Friday that she is going to retire from entertainment. She delivered the news during a fan club-only concert at Osaka's Namba Hatch, prompting surprise and sadness from her fans.

Aiuchi debuted in 2000, and she has had several hits in the past ten years. But now that she has turned 30 on July 31, she has decided to "reset" her mind and body. Part of the reason is her health, which has been a problem in the past. She reveals suffering from thyroid problems and mentions symptoms of dizziness, internal bleeding, hyperpnea. After talking with her doctor and her staff, she felt that retiring was her best option.

Aiuchi has a second concert at Namba Hatch (open to non-fan club members as well), and she plans to announce the news on stage once again.

It has already been decided that her last album will be "LAST SCENE" on September 15, and her final concerts will be in Saitama on September 18 and in Hyogo on September 26.

[NEW SINGLE] BUMP OF CHICKEN, October Release