Hayami in a new drama

Shingo's "Kochikame" Character Promotes Police Campaign
Thu, June 18, 2009 (3:52am EDT)

SMAP's Shingo Katori will be appearing on police posters starting next month. The work is in connection with his starring role in TBS's upcoming drama series "Kochira Katsushikaku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo," also known as "Kochikame."

Based on a long-running comedy manga by Osamu Akimoto, "Kochikame" stars Katori as a police officer named Kankichi Ryotsu.

Katori appears in uniform as Kankichi on the police poster, which promotes the prevention of traffic accidents involving children during summer vacation. Posters will be put up at various police stations throughout Tokyo starting on July 1. Katori is also scheduled to make public appearances as Kankichi at police-sponsored events.

Incidentally, TBS also announced some of the cast members for "Kochikame," which premieres in August. Karina and Mocomichi Hayami will both be playing police officers working with Kankichi. Karina will be the talented beauty Reiko Catherine Akimoto, while Mocomichi has been cast as the wealthy Keiichi Nakagawa. LaSalle Ishii, who voiced Kankichi in the anime series and played him in the stage version, will appear on the show as Kankichi's father.

source: tokyograph

Top-Selling Animation/Manga DVDs in Japan, 1st Half of 2009

The following chart covers sales from November 8, 2008 to June 7, 2009:

RANK-TITLE-ESTIMATED COPIES-RELEASE DATE-MAKER
2 - Hana Yori Dango Final - 346,721 - 12/19/08 - TBS


14 - Biohazard: Degeneration - 121,373 - 12/26/08 - Sony Pictures
22 - 20th Century Boys Part I: Owari no Hajimari - 95,971 - 01/30/09 - VAP
29 - Wall-E - 79,855 - 04/22/09 - Walt Disney Studio Home Entertainment
35 - Wall-E Limited Initial 2-Disc Special Edition - 64,129 - 04/22/09 - Walt Disney Studio Home Entertainment
38 - Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl: Giratina to Sora no Hanataba Shaymin - 61,271 - 12/19/08 - Shogakukan
39 - Kara no Kyoukai - the Garden of sinners Garan no Dou (Complete Limited Pressing) - 61,138 - 12/17/08 - Aniplex
40 - Kara no Kyoukai - the Garden of sinners Mujun Rasen (Complete Limited Pressing) - 60,719 - 01/28/09 - Aniplex
47 - Kung Fu Panda Special Edition - 53,766 - 12/05/08 - Kadokawa Entertainment
49 - pieces of love Vol. 1 "Tsumiki no Ie" ( "La Maison en Petits Cubes") - 52,331 - 10/24/08 - Toshiba Video

ANN

GYAO - June 2009

Men's Joker Mag

TRIVIA: He loves to wear blue in every pictorial he did.

Hayami in Kimono

traditional Kimono

Regatta 2

row... row... row... your boat....

Regatta

Havent seen this drama, i think i have to start watching this
Hayami and Matsuda Shota starred here..pretty interesting to see them both.

Whose looking better? then & now

Mizushima Hiro leads live-action "Beck" movie

"Beck," the popular music manga by Harold Sakuishi, is being adapted as a live-action film. Director Yukihiko Tsutsumi ("20th Century Boys") will be in charge of the project, with actor Hiro Mizushima in the leading role.

The manga, which was originally serialized from 2000 to 2008, tells the story of five young men who form a rock band called Beck. The protagonist in the manga was the guitarist/vocalist Yukio "Koyuki" Tanaka, but the film will instead revolve around the band's main guitarist and leader, Ryusuke Minami.

Mizushima has been cast as Ryusuke, while Takeru Sato will play the part of Koyuki. The two previously played brothers in the drama series "Mei-chan no Shitsuji." Playing the other members of Beck are Kenta Kiritani as the rapper Chiba, Osamu Mukai as the bassist Taira, and Aoi Nakamura as the drummer Saku.

30 original songs are being written, which will be performed by the actors themselves with real instruments. Mizushima and the others are currently undergoing special training for about a month. The movie's climax is said to be a large-scale concert scene with the band playing on stage.

Shooting is scheduled to start in early July, with a theatrical release expected in fall 2010.

Charts: Arashi all the way

Arashi's newest single, "Ashita no Kioku / Crazy Moon," easily topped the charts this past week, selling more than 502,000 copies. This marks their 15th consecutive number-one single and 22nd overall. It is also their second single in a row to sell over 500,000 in the first week, a feat that has not been achieved since Keisuke Kuwata in 2001.

GReeeeN's "Haruka" picked up the #2 spot at 63,000 in sales, and Ringo Shiina's newest landed at #3. Ikimono Gakari (#7), SPEED (#8), and Yui Aragaki (#10) also had new releases in the top ten.

Meanwhile, news was also made with the latest posthumous release from ZARD, "Sunao ni Ienakute." Ranked 5th on the charts, it became ZARD's 43rd top-ten single, tying her for the current record with Southern All Stars, SMAP, and Ayumi Hamasaki. Originally released as a B-side on her second single back in 1991, "Sunao ni Ienakute" has been recorded as a new version with singer Mai Kuraki featured in the song's chorus.

On the album charts, the #1 spot was taken by "Trash We'd Love" from The HIATUS, a new band formed by ELLEGARDEN's Takeshi Hosomi. It sold 80,000 copies, beating out Ken Hirai's new album, "Ken's Bar II." Other artists in the top ten were May J. (#4), Yoko Kanno & The Seatbelts (#6), Yuna Ito (#7), and MEG (#10).

source: tokyograph

Shun Oguri directs a movie

Popular actor Shun Oguri (26) is taking on his first directing job. While actors becoming directors is nothing new, this is said to be the first case for a star still in his twenties. The movie's official title is still unknown, but those close to the project are apparently calling it "Surely Someday."

Oguri, who is currently overseas for work, plans to start shooting this summer. Details are sparse, but the film is said to be a story of adolescence that will feature a cast of handsome actors.

Oguri has wanted to try directing for a long time. He was able to get this project rolling with the help of producer Mataichiro Yamamoto, who heads Oguri's management agency Tristone, and his father, stage director Tetsuya Oguri. The actor has already done a little directing, working on the short "manner CM" that played in theaters for "Crows ZERO II."

"Surely Someday" is expected to open in theaters next year.

sourec: tokyograph