On March 5th, Shinhwa (神話) held a press conference titled, 'Shinhwa 14th Anniversary Comeback Press Conference' in Seoul after a four-year hiatus. A special live broadcast of this press con was streamed live to 200 countries, proving their strong international status.
Jang Geun Suk (Jang Geun Seok, Jang Keun Suk, JKS, 張根碩) is the ambassador for Thailand Confectionery brand OLE Beauty
Jang Geun Suk speaks as OLE Beauty Winky Eye ambassador in a promo clip below
Jang Geun Suk flew to Thailand to attend OLE Beauty promotional activities as ambassador of their product Winky Eye.
Jang Geun Suk - OLE Beauty Winky Eye @ TV POOL
Jang Keun Suk - OLE Beauty Winky Eye@Nine Entertain Weekend
Jang Geun Suk caught on FanCam @ OLE Beauty Winky Eye event in Thailand
Thai fans are so lucky! I wish he would endorse some Singapore brand and come back to Singapore again, like what he did last year, when he attended Singapore fanmeeting for the Asia Tour on 24 April 2010 (Saturday). Oh... when is he coming back? I really wanna see him!
Jang Geun Suk's video msg for Singapore Fanmeeting
In October, actor Hiro Mizushima (水嶋 ヒロ, 26) （齋藤智裕）was chosen as the winner of the 5th Poplar Publishing Grand Prize for Fiction for his debut work "KAGEROU" (第5回ポプラ社小説大賞受賞作), and he later revealed that it will be published as a book on December 15. According to news reports today, there are already more than 400,000 pre-orders for the book, based on information from stores across the country.
One source from the publishing industry said that in the current market, a book that won a New Writer Award would normally only get 4,000 to 5,000 copies printed for a first edition. At 400,000 pre-orders, "KAGEROU" is already poised to become a bestseller.
A few details about the story have also been revealed. The main character in "KAGEROU" is a 41-year-old man, burdened with debt and laid off from his job. Planning to end his life, he climbs over the fence of a department store rooftop in order to jump. However, he is stopped by a mysterious man in black clothes and ends up bound by contract to a secret organization. While continuing to live in suffering, he confronts the question of "What is life?"
In November, Hiro Mizushima (Tokyo Dogs, Kamen Rider Kabuto, Gokusen 2) under his real name, Saito Tomohiro who just won the Poplar Publishing Grand Prize for Fiction with his first novel, KAGEROU.
Last November 1, Hiro Mizushima made his appearance on a press conference. This would be his first public appearance after two months of not showing up.
水嶋ヒロ 処女作が大賞受賞
“I feel obliged to receive this honorable award. I’m grateful that my very first work was chosen as grand prize among many entries, especially since it was evaluated without recognizing ‘Mizushima Hiro’s name," Mizushima said.
The winner of the Poplar Publishing Grand Prize for Fiction receives a prize amount of 20 million yen, however, according to his new management agency, A stAtion, Mizushima declined the prize. The reason for his declination, is that he wants them to use the money to assist new talented writers.
Hiro Mizushima also talked about the rumor of him being kicked out from Kenon (his previous agency), because he got married with Ayaka without telling the agency. He emphasized that he was the one who left the agency, and the relationship with the agency is still good. According to him, he will start creating things related to ‘life’, which is the most important theme to everybody.
A preview screening for the "Norwegian Wood" movie adaptation, which opens in Japan tomorrow on December 11, was held on Wednesday at the Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo. During the talk portion of the event with actor Kenichi Matsuyama and director Tran Anh Hung, it was announced that the movie will be released in 50 countries and territories.
Kenichi Matsuyama (松山 ケンイチ; Matsuyama Ken'ichi; 松山健一), born March 5, 1985, is a Japanese actor. He is known for his affinity for strange character roles, and he is best known internationally for playing L in the 2006 films Death Note, Death Note: The Last Name and L: Change the World in 2008, as well as voicing Gelus in the Death Note animated adaptation. This time, he has been cast to play lead character Toru Watanabe in the movie adaptation of Haruki Murakami's novel Norwegian Wood.
It is rare for a Japanese live-action film to secure distribution in that many countries before it has even opened in Japan, but the movie is based on Haruki Murakami's international bestseller of the same name. The book has sold nearly 11 million copies in Japan since its publication in 1987, and it has been translated into 36 languages worldwide.
Norwegian Wood (ノルウェイの森 Noruwei no Mori) is a 1987 novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami (村上春樹, Murakami Haruki, born January 12, 1949). The novel is a nostalgic story of loss and sexuality. The story's protagonist and narrator is Toru Watanabe, who looks back on his days as a freshman university student living in Tokyo. Through Toru's reminiscences we see him develop relationships with two very different women — the beautiful yet emotionally troubled Naoko, and the outgoing, lively Midori.
The novel is set in Tokyo during the late 1960s, a time when Japanese students, like those of many other nations, were protesting against the established order. While it serves as the backdrop against which the events of the novel unfold, Murakami (through the eyes of Toru and Midori) portrays the student movement as largely weak-willed and hypocritical.
Murakami adapted the first section of the novel from an earlier short story, "Firefly". The story was subsequently included in the collection Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.
Norwegian Wood was hugely popular with Japanese youth and made Murakami somewhat of a superstar in his native country (apparently much to his dismay at the time).
The official website for Anh Hung Tran’ film adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s 1987 novel Norwegian Wood has been updated with a brief teaser. Yes, it’s finally here! The first teaser for Tran Anh Hung’s Norwegian Wood, complete with the original recording of the Beatles’ song of the same name. Bask in the glory of scenery and top billing credits. Or check out 10 seconds of additional footage on a news segment. [MOVIELICIOUS! via Wildgrounds]
[Video] 1st Teaser
[Video] Full Trailer HQ
[Video] 村上春樹-映画「ノルウェイの森」ヴェネツィア国際映画祭公式上映
(67th Venice International Film Festival/La Biennale di Venezia)
All I can say is thank god Director Tran Anh Hung has managed to secure the rights to the original Beatles recording of “Norwegian Wood” for his upcoming film of the same title. The song is instrumental to the novel on which the film is based, and author Haruki Murakami had previously settled on using a cover, wanting to incorporate the song but thinking that the rights would be too difficult to obtain. Nothing is worse than having to use a cover of a song that’s completely integral to your plot. Yeah, I’m lookin’ at you, Golden Slumber.
According to the current Japanese blurb, the film begins with 37-year-old Toru Watanabe on a plane bound for Germany. He listens to the Beatles song “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” and begins to think about his youth.
Back in high school, Toru (Kenichi Matsuyama) was best friends with Kizuki, who was dating Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi). After Kizuki suddenly commits suicide, Toru tries to escape his feelings of loss by going to a Tokyo university. However, while in Tokyo he’s reunited with Naoko.
“Norwegian Wood” will be released in Japan tomorrow, December 11, 2010.
The highly anticipated upcoming movie, "SPACE BATTLESHIP Yamato" (SPACE BATTLESHIP ヤマト; Supēsu Batorushippu Yamato; 宇宙戰艦大和號), starring 木村拓哉 Kimura Takuya (SMAP), will be released soon on December 1st, and there was a countdown event at Akasaka Sacas on November 28th.
This movie is a film adaptation of the original Space Battleship Yamato anime TV series. The plot goes like this:
The year is 2199, and the Earth has been under radioactive siege from extraterrestrials known as the Gamilas for five years. The Earth's surviving population has moved underground to escape the bombardment, but the contamination is slowly penetrating to reach them. The last space battleship of the exhausted Earth Defense Forces, Yamato, sets out on a journey of to Iscandar, a planet located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, to acquire a device that can heal the ravaged Earth before it is too late.
Watch Theatrical Trailer below (with English subtitles)
The main cast of characters has been changed from that of the original anime TV series. Yuki will now have a more active fighting role, and two of the original anime main male characters - Aihara and Dr. Sado - will be female in the live-action version.
Kimura who plays the main character, Kodai Susumu, made appearance at the movie countdown event as a secret guest, and 8,500 fans welcomed him with big cheers and clapping. At Akasaka Sacas, there is a 1/14 sized replica of the battleship Yamato, and Kimura said, "It looks very powerful, but the Yamato on the screen will be a little more powerful. I was excited during each scene, so I can’t wait until its release."
Singer Sasaki Isao (ささき いさお; 佐々木功; Sasaki Isao; born May 16, 1942), who has been singing the theme songs for the anime version of “Yamato” for 36 years, also showed up and performed the songs in a live. Sasaki plays the role of narrator for the live action flick.
The Japanese media continuously delivered the news that star Korean groups Big Bang and Kara would appear on NHK’s 61st White vs. Red Fest. Sports-Nippon reported the news on November 21 with a caption saying, “Big Bang and Kara to Have Hallyu Competition in the White vs. Red Fest,” and it delivered the news that Big Bang had already decided to appear in the festival, and that Kara was finalizing conditions for appearing on the program.
Despite these earlier speculation from the Japanese media hyping the participation of KARA, Big Bang and SNSD in Japan's annual music ceremony, the official NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen line-up was released today and it is confirmed that Big Bang, KARA and SNSD are not invited this year. Korean media reported that Big Bang would officially be attending but that was proven to be false.
Well... there’s always next year! The full line-up as below.
The popular group Arashi (嵐) will be in charge of the White Team, while actress and pianist Nao Matsushita (松下奈緒, 25) will be in charge of the Red Team. This shall be the first time for either of them to serve as a Kohaku host. A total of 44 artists have been invited, with an even split of 22 on the Red Team and 22 on the White Team. 5 of them will be making their first appearance on the show.
News- Announcement of NHK 61st Kouhaku Uta Gassen list of participants
速报-第６１回紅白歌合戦出場者
Singer Brian Joo of the band Fly To The Sky (FTTS) arrives at "The Warrior's Way" screening held at CGV Cinemas on November 19, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Hollywood fantasy action movie stars Jang Dong Gun in a leading role.
And of course, the main actors Jang Dong Gun, Kate Bosworth and Danny Huston too!
Brian Joo Interview at "The Warrior's Way" Los Angeles Screening
Watch the English language trailer of "The Warrior's Way"
Credit: Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America
