Korean pop star BoA is taking a break from her American activities to release a Japanese single, Bump Bump, featuring Verbal from M-flo. Music video, and some black & white promotional pics further below…
Japanese actress Keiko Kitagawa is playing a swordswoman in her new movie After the Flowers, which is scheduled to show in March 2010. Don’t have much clue what the film is about; love its promotional pics for Keiko though…
Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has found himself a new job… as a voice actor for an upcoming live-action Ultraman movie.
The full title of the film is Giant Monster Battle: Ultra Galactic Legend The Movie, to be precise lol.
Koizumi will lend his voice as the Ultraman King, an ancient Legendary Hero in the Ultra family. The film will open in Japan on December 12.
Koizumi is one of the most of popular postwar Prime Ministers in Japan. He retired in 2006, and the political arena has been in chaos ever since. The current PM Yukio Hatoyama, amazingly, is Koizumi’s 4th successor in just over three years.
[via Animenewsnetwork and Japanprobe]
Japanese talent agency Avex is running an audition campaign in the US. The first confirmed venue is at Honolulu, Hawaii on November 14; the remainder of the schedule will be decided upon the responses from respective cities.
The online registration will expire on October 31. Japanese pop star wannabe… kindly check the official audition website for details.
Avex is one of the biggest entertainment agencies in Japan; boosting the likes of Ayumi Hamasaki, Namie Amuro, Kumi Koda, Ai Otsuka, BoA and Tohoshinki etc.
Also check out SM audition and JYPE audition, from two major Korean agencies which are hunting talents in Oct/Nov in US and Canada.
Yoshida Brothers are Japanese musicians famous for playing the shamisen (三味線, lit. three flavour strings), a traditional Japanese music instrument.
Kodo (鼓動) was released in 2004 in the Yoshida Brothers II album; a remix version of the song was used for Nintendo’s Wii commercial in 2006.
Chinese song by Taiwanese singer Wilber Pan & Korean diva Lee Hyori, another one from Chinese-Korean combo group Suju-M; Japanese song by Yuki Kimura; and a Korean song by Clazziquai…
Lee Hyori & Wilber Pan – As Long As I Love You
K-pop diva Lee Hyori singing in Chinese for Hyundai i30 commercial, featuring Taiwanese star Wilber Pan. The MV style seriously reminds me of the Anycall commercials; same production team perhaps. Weird accent, but decent song…
Chinese song by Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao; Japanese song by SMAP; and Korean songs by Drunken Tiger and Tiara.
Jam Hsiao – Princess
“Princess” (王妃; prince’s wife to be precise) by Jam Hsiao from his same-title album, released in July 2009. Not a bad song, love his voice as always…
Popular otaku celebrity Shoko Nakagawa, popularly known as Shokotan, will be performing at Anime Festival Asia (AFA) in Singapore on November 21-22, 2009.
AFA is one of the the biggest anime-comic-game conventions in South East Asia; first held in 2008, the event is back again in 2009 following last year’s success.
Besides Shokotan, other celebs that will be performing at the I Love Anisong concert are May’N, Aniki and Yoshiki Fukuyama. Other sections of AFA09 include cosplay, toys & games exhibits, and maid cafe etc.
The organisers held a press conference on September 1 to officiate the 2009 event; check out the coverage by blogger Darkmirage, Alafista and Double.
More details and updates on AFA09’s official website or Facebook.
Anime Festival Asia
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