Korean movie “Secret Sunshine” (밀양; Milyang) is the biggest winner with 3 major awards (complete list). Below are some pics from the event…

Hong Kong actor Tony Leung (best actor) and Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon (best actress)

Hong Kong based pop duo 2R

Taiwanese actor Chang Chen and Korean actress Song Hye-kyo

Hong Kong artists Kate Tsui and Miriam Yeung

Taiwanese actress Shu Qi and Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun

Chinese actress Joan Chen (best supporting actress)

Japanese actress Mika Nakatani and Korean actor Song Kang-ho

(Image via Dayoo, K-popped, Qq and Sohu)

Contrary to most of the fashion shows which only invite celebrity guests, TGC is opened to public with an affordable fee (¥3,000-10,000; ~USD30-100). [Hat tip to KN]

Make no mistake though, despite the cheap entrance fee, the show is still as glamourous as other top fashion shows, albeit more casual, with participation of top brands & models, and performances by popular artists (TVXQ, Leah Dizon, DJ Ozma etc).

The crowd and models at TGC 2008 Spring/Summer (Image via GW)

The first song is “Sweet Dream” by Korean girls group Redsox; and the second song is “If U Wanna” by another girls group Kara [Hat tip to Hopeisnear@Youtube].

If you are patient enough, you would spot Korean actor Jang Dong-gun in one of the picture with some stewardess. Korean actresses Han Ga-in and Nam Sang-mi also feature in the video too, as spokespersons for Asiana and Jeju respectively.

A Coming-of-Age ceremony (成人式; Seijin shiki) is normally held in the morning at local city offices where politicians and academicians will give speeches reminding the new adults of their social responsibilities.

The young adults would often visit a shrine after the ceremony to make their wishes before started partying (with plenty of drinks I guess).

Ladies coming-of-age are often seen wearing furisode (a style of kimono) on the day, which makes it a special day for otaku photographers as well…

Photographers’ paradise (Image courtesy of MyMapOfJapan)

(Image courtesy of Arditpg and Papageno2236)

Peace peace… (Image courtesy of Akumach)

Young adults in Kobe (Image courtesy of Japannavigator)

S.E.S made their public debut in Nov 1997 and was arguably the most popular Korean girls group in late 90s and early 2000s. The group was however disbanded (albeit unofficially) in late 2002 with all the 3 members (Bada, Eugene and Shoo) pursuing their solo career instead.

S.E.S 10th anniversary reunion… Bada, Eugene and Shoo (L-R)

(Image courtesy of Newsen)

Below are some photos of showgirls in the 5th China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition, the last grand automobile exhibition in China for 2007, which kicked off on Nov 20.

Showgirls at 5th China (Guangzhou) Int’l Automobile Exhibition

(Images courtesy of Dayoo)

Their visit in Korea didn’t seem to create much hype, but the girls were very well received in Taiwan. Below is a video of Morning Musume in Korea and some pictures of them in Taiwan…

Press conference in Taipei on Oct 30 (Images courtesy of Eastday)

Lee, famous for her play in TV drama “My Girl”, is recording a clip to promote the 2007 Mnet Korean Music Festival (MKMF) which she is co-hosting with comedian Shin Dong-yup on November 7. Lee sings the famous rock song “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” in the video clip. [K-popped]

Lee Da-hae the rock girl

Picture of Kim Tae-hee

Kim Tae-hee Profile

Name: Kim Tae-hee
Korean name: 김태희
DOB: March 29, 1980
Birth place: Ulsan, South Korea
Height: 165cm
Blood type: O
Profession: Actress

(Also known as Kim Tae-hui)

Kim Tae-hee Biography

Kim Tae-hee made her entertainment debut as a model in late 90s, before started acting in some cameo roles.

Kim’s breakthrough came in 2003 with popular drama “Stairway to Heaven”, co-starring Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Ji-woo. Kim played the bad character in the drama, but her appearance and acting has won her many fans.

Kim Tae-hee then landed a leading role in “Forbidden Love” before starring in “Love Story in Harvard” (LSIH) alongside Kim Rae-won in 2005. LSIH was a great hit in Korea and some Asian countries, and Kim becomes a regional superstar.

LSIH is Kim’s last drama to date; she starred in movie “The Restless” in 2006… a huge budget movie that ended in disappointment. Her latest movie is “Quarrel” (Ssawoom) which is premiering in December 2007.

Kim Tae-hee has been featuring in lots of commercial films; lots of her CF are well received by fans and consumers, but there are critics arguing that she should spend more time on acting in real dramas and movies instead of all the commercials.

One undeniable fact though, Kim Tae-hee still remains as one of the most popular Korean actresses in Asia.

Kim Tae-hee Related Websites

Official Website ll Kim Tae-hee Forum

Picture of Jolin Tsai

Jolin Tsai Profile

Name: Tsai Yi Lin, Jolin
Chinese name: 蔡依林
DOB: September 15, 1980
Birth place: Hsinchuang, Taipei, Taiwan
Height: 158-161cm (various sources)
Blood type: A
Profession: Singer

(Also known as Tsai I Lin, Cai Yilin)

Jolin Tsai Biography

Jolin Tsai inked a recording deal with Universal Music after winning a singing contest when she was 18. She released her first single in July 1999, and debut album “Jolin 1019″ in September. Her debut was a great success, making her an instant star in Taiwan.

Branded as the Teenage Boy Killer, Jolin released her 2nd album “Don’t Stop” in 2000, also with great success. Her 3rd and 4th album achieved decent sales, but didn’t perform as well as her previous albums. Furthermore, some contract dispute had led to her hiatus for more than a year in 2001-2002.

Jolin didn’t renew her contract with Universal and signed for Sony BMG in 2002. She released her comeback (5th) album “Magic” in 2003, and rose back to fame. Jolin shed her old image and turn into a more mature and sexy lady instead.

Jolin worked with famous pop star Jay Chou in Magic; and soon after both were rumoured to have a romance relationship. The rumoured relationship ‘lasted’ for almost 2 years before Jay was linked to another girl; both Jay and Jolin have never admitted to their relationship though.

Jolin released another 2 best-selling albums “Castle” and “J-Games” in 2004 and 2005 respectively, making her one of the top Chinese female singers.

Jolin signed for a new company, Capitol EMI in 2006. She released album “Dancing Diva” in May 2006, which becomes her best selling album thus far. Besides making breakthroughs in her music style, the album also branded her a dance diva, which she showed that she is worth the title in many occasions from her concerts and shows.

Jolin’s performance in Dancing Diva also landed her the prestigious Best Female Singer awards at the 18th Annual Golden Melody Awards in 2007.

Jolin has just released her latest album, “Agent J” in September 2007.

Jolin Tsai Related Websites

EMI ll Jolin Tsai Forum

Miss Korea 2006, Honey Lee

Honey represents Korea at the Miss Universe 2007 in Mexico City. I thought she had bright chance to win the event, but she didn’t perform too well at the Q&A section (the translator should take part of the blame) and finished as the 3rd-runner-up instead.

Anyway, Honey became a popular celebrity back in Korea. She landed a hosting position at Real Time TV Entertainment and is now involved in modelling. Considering her popularity… Honey is likely to star in some dramas/movies soon; she will have a bright future in the entertainment world.

Honey Lee modelling for Hilfiger Denim

Picture of Rainie Yang

Rainie Yang Profile

Name: Yang Cheng Lin, Rainie
Chinese name: 杨丞琳 (楊丞琳)
DOB: June 4, 1984
Birth place: Taipei, Taiwan
Height: 162cm
Blood type: AB
Profession: Actress and singer

Rainie Yang Biography

Rainie started her entertainment career when she was 14, appearing in commercials in Hong Kong.

When she was 15 she went for an audition in Taiwan, and was selected to be a member of girls group “Fall In Love” along with another 3 girls. It was then that she got her stage name Rainie (previously Lily).

Fall In Love released 2 albums with decent success, before being disbanded in 2002 due to various reasons. Rainie was already quite famous on her own back then, after starring in popular TV drama “Meteor Garden” in 2001.

Rainie then starred in another hit drama “Tomorrow” in 2002, and gradually becoming an established actress. It was also in 2002 that she landed the hosting job in popular variety show “Guess, Guess, Guess”.

Rainie continues to star in various TV series, but she had to wait until 2005 for her next breakthrough, after starring in popular drama “Devil Beside You” with Mike He. The success of the drama also helps Rainie to re-launch her music career; she released her debut solo album “My Intuition” in September 2005 with great success.

Rainie released her 2nd album, “Meeting Love” in March 2006, which is again a hit.

Rainie starred in acclaimed movie “Spider Lilies” alongside Isabella Leong in 2007. The movie won an award in the Berlin Film Festival.

Rainie Yang Related Websites

Sony BMG (Chinese) l Rainie Yang Forum

There is a new business in Tokyo, aiming at Otaku (anime and manga fan) who love 2D girls but can’t stand the face of real girls – satsueikai (photo session) of hybrid models called Anigao which means ‘anime face’.

Cute or freaky? (Image courtesy of Anigao)

From Danny Choo…

Anigao Girls offer you the exciting chance to pay a measly 10,000 yen to take photos of an Anigao Girl for one whole hour. The session is 1 on 1 and you get to choose what costume you want her to wear.

It costs 1,000 yen per extra costume and if you bring your own costume for her to wear then it’s going to cost you an extra 1,500 yen. If you want her to wear a bikini then it’s an extra 2,500 yen. (1,000 yen ~ USD8.30)

Below are some videos of the Anigao Girls in action…

This got to be one of the freakiest business idea I have ever seen, but I bet there are going to make some good money. One thing though, I wonder how the girls will look without the mask.

Picture of Ariel Lin

Ariel Lin Profile

Name: Lin I Chen, Ariel
Chinese name: 林依晨
DOB: October 29, 1982
Birth place: Taiwan
Height: 160cm
Blood type: A
Profession: Actress

(Also known as Lin Yi Chen, Lin Yichen)

Ariel Lin Biography

Ariel Lin started acting in 2002, as the main actress in her debut drama “True Love”. She then starred in other dramas like “Secret Garden”, “Seventh Grade” and “Love Contract”, and gradually becoming a popular young actress in Taiwan.

Ariel’s breakthrough was in 2005 with TV drama “It Started with a Kiss” (ISWAK), co-starring Joe Cheng, which was a hit in Taiwan as well as other Asian region. Ariel has become increasingly popular in other Asian countries.

Ariel’s following series “Fairy from Wonderland” and “Tokyo Juliet” were quite popular as well. Her latest projects are the sequel for ISWAK (“They Kiss Again”) and “The Legend of Condor Heroes”.

Ariel also sang some theme songs for her dramas, but has not release any albums to date.

Ariel Lin Related Websites

Official Website (Chinese) ll Ariel Lin Forum ll Buy Ariel’s dramas

Picture of Li Yuchun

Li Yuchun Profile

Name: Li Yuchun, Chris
Chinese name: 李宇春
DOB: March 10, 1984
Birth place: Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Height: 174cm
Blood type: A
Profession: Singer

(Also known as Yuchun Li, Chris Lee, Li Yu Chun)

Li Yuchun Biography

Chris Li Yuchun become a superstar China after winning the ‘Super Voice Girls’ singing competition in 2005. The finale of the reality-contest show (similar to ‘American Idol’) drew the largest audiences in China’s TV history, with the winner decided by nation-wide voting.

Shortly after her victory Yuchun was featured at Time Asia magazine as one of the Asia’s Heroes; her debut single “Sweetheart, I Love You” was also released not long after that.

Yuchun held her first solo concert in her hometown of Chengdu on March 10, 2006 (on her 22nd birthday). The amazing thing was that she hadn’t release a full album yet when she held the concert, but still managed to draw a huge crowd.

Yuchun released her debut album, “The Queen and the Dreams” in September 2006.

Yuchun remains as one of the most popular Chinese singers currently.

Li Yuchun Related Websites

Official Blog (Chinese) ll Li Yuchun Forum ll Buy Li’s albums

Picture of Crystal Liu

Crystal Liu Profile

Name: Liu Yifei, Crystal
Chinese name: 刘亦菲 (劉亦菲, 刘茜美子, 劉茜美子)
Birth name: An Feng (安风)
Nickname: Xixi (茜茜), Baozi (包子)
DOB: August 25, 1987
Birth place: Wuhan, China
Height: 170cm
Blood type: B
Profession: Actress and singer

(Also known as Yifei Liu, Liu Yi Fei, Liu Xi Meizi)

Crystal Liu Biography

Crystal was born in China, but moved to USA in 1998 with her mother (her parents divorced when she was 7). She came back to China when she was 15 to study at the prestigious Beijing Film Academy.

Shortly after her admittance to the academy, Crystal was offered her debut role in TV drama “The Story of a Noble Family”. Her performance in the drama gained some notice and soon landed her role in another drama, “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils”, which established her as a rising star in China.

Crystal starred in a couple of movies in 2004 (”The Love Winner” and “Love of May”), and also in popular TV drama “The Legend of Sword and Fairy” (also known as “Chinese Paladin”).

Her major breakthrough came in 2006 with her leading role in TV drama “The Return of the Condor Heroes” which makes her a superstar in Asia region.

Subsequent with her fame she also inked a record deal and released her debut album, “Mayonaka no Door” (oddly enough, a Japanese album) in July 2006. She released her first Chinese album in September 2006.

Crystal has finished filming Forbidden Kingdom (also known as “King of Kungfu) in late 2007. The movie is scheduled to release in April 2008 and could possibly boost her fame in Hollywood… another Zhang Ziyi in making perhaps?

Crystal Liu Related Websites

Crystal Liu Forum ll Buy Crystal’s dramas & movies ll Buy Crystal’s albums