Hana Yori Dango Final television premiere

The following broadcast schedule has been decided for the movie 'Hana Yori Dango Final'~!!

24th December 2009 (Thursday) 7:55~11:18
The Best Christmas Eve Ever
Special TV Premiere 'Hana Yori Dango Final' Movie

Finally it goes on air, the complete uncut version and not only that, famous scenes from the drama series will also be aired!
Furthermore, Mao and Jun will give a beautiful Christmas message!!
Make sure you don't miss it.

Source: asianfanatics

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Gong Yoo set to be released from military duties

Another upcoming army release! Get ready to welcome back Coffee Prince actor Gong Yoo — while fellow actor Chun Jung-myung was released today, Gong Yoo will be discharged on December 8. Both enlisted at the height of their popularity last year, and the fan love is still going strong as they prepare for the their returns.

Gong Yoo enlisted on January 2, 2008, when he was still riding high from the high praise he received for his role in Coffee Prince. While he’d had lead roles before, that was the one that garnered him a solid reputation as a strong actor. Already he is being targeted with “love calls” (calls of interest for possible projects) for his comeback project from as diverse genres as romantic comedies and thrillers.

As we have seen time and time again, there’s always a high level of interest in the first projects taken on by returning actors. Some jump right back into the fray, while others like Won Bin and Go Soo have taken their time. We’ll have to see if Gong Yoo falls into the former category or the latter.

source: OSEN,Dramabeans

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No chance for 'Game On' glasses! Inoue Mao more in work mode than love mode?

The awards ceremony for the 22nd Japan Best Dressed Eyes Awards was held at Tokyo's Big Sight on 27th October. Actress Inoue Mao, actor Karasawa Toshiaki and Suzanne were among the 6 who were up on stage to receive the award.

Inoue who won in the Showbiz Field wore a black one-piece dress she chose together with the stylist to match her glasses. During her childhood, she used glasses regularly for about 10 years. "Putting on glasses feels like going back to my former self. Showing myself with glasses on in front of so many people is embarrassing."

The reporters asked if she liked men in glasses. "When someone who does not usually wear glasses puts them on, it makes my heart flutter," she replied. "When I go on a date, I choose fashionable glasses," she said, revealing the existence of her 'Game On' glasses. "Lately, I haven't had the chance to use those glasses though,"she added, a little disappointment in the romance department perhaps. Inoue, who has a starring role in a recently-opened movie, is looking increasingly radiant these days. It seems that rather than love, she will continue in work mode for a while.

On the other hand, Karasawa Toshiaki who won in the Sunglasses Field said of his unexpected win,"I don't see myself having the image of having sunglasses on but I think it's because I had them on all the time in the movie '20th Century Boys'."

Every year, well-known people from various fields who look good in glasses are chosen and given awards in different categories. The other prize-winners this year are Nagatsuma Akira in the Political Field, Yanai Tadashi in the Economic Field, Ishizaka Koji in the Cultural Field and Suzanne for the Special Prize.

unleashthegeek

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Celebrity Sightings: Volume 216

★ Matsumoto Jun & Inoue Mao @ Ikebukuro
I saw Matsumoto Jun and Inoue Mao-chan! They looked like they were on very good terms and enjoying themselves. Female,34


★ Yamamoto Yusuke @ Roppongi
He was walking with an older woman. Yusuke-kun looked tipsy and the woman was mad at him. He's a blond now! Female,23

★ Mizobata Junpei @ Koichi
I saw Mizobata Junpei-kun filming for a movie. During break time, he was still giving handshakes, he's so kind. During filming, his attitude was serious. He gave a good impression. Female,16

★ Mizushima Hiro & Oguri Shun @ Fuji City, Shizuoka
Mizushima Hiro and Oguri Shun came to my hometown to film for the new Monday at 9 drama. They came to a local soba shop. Female,26

★ Aiba Masaki @ Roppongi
I met Aiba-kun at Roponggi. I told him,"I went to the National Concert in the rain." He looked apologetic and said,"Thank you very much." Such a nice guy! Female,47

★ Aoi Yu @ cafe in Aoyama
I saw Aoi Yu at a cafe in Aoyama. She's really like an angel. She was eating a huge parfait by herself. Female,26

★ Ichihara Hayato & others @ Hanno Ginza street
I saw Ichihara Hayato-kun filming Saru Lock in my hometown. He's so cool~ Female,34

★ Nakajima Yuto & Ohgo Suzuka @ Harajuku
I saw Nakajima Yuto-kun and Ohgo Suzuka-chan enjoying themselves shopping! Yuto is so tall and his face is so small!! Female,14

★ Kikuchi Fuma @ Shinjuku Station
I saw Kikuchi Fuma from B.I Shadow walking at Shinjuku Station with a friend. He had a beige cardigan on. His back is unexpectedly broad but his face is really small. Female,15

★ Kimura Kaela @ Komazawa Park
I saw her jogging at Komazawa Park with her manager(!?). They looked like they were enjoying running. Female,12

★ Crystal Kay @ Kyoto Station
Crystal Kay-san was at Kyoto Station talking on the phone. No one else noticed her. Female,18

★ Domoto Koichi @ Suzuka Circuit
I saw Domoto Koichi-kun at the F1 Grand Prix in Suzuka Circuit. He was politely greeting the officials. Female,31

★ Nakama Junta @ Mint Kobe
I saw Nakama Junta-kun at Mint Kobe today. He was with a girl but they took different lines midway. Female,26

★ Nakayama Yuma & Uchi Hiroki @ Kyocera Dome
They were sitting at the specially reserved seats on the last day of Arashi's Osaka concert. They looked embarrassed when the MC introduced them. Female,24

★ Nishikido Ryo @ America Mura in Osaka
I saw Nishikido Ryo-san around Amemura in Osaka! He's surprisingly small. When I went to talk to him and it turned out to really be him, I was surprised! Female,14

★ Yabu Kouta & Inoo Kei @ LaQua
I dropped by LaQua and met JUMP's Inoo-kun and Yabu-kun. We shook hands. Both have such small faces and are so tall they stand out. Female,29

★ Okamoto Keito @ Hanzomon Kudanshita Station
He was in uniform and sleeping! Beside him was a friend☆. Female,14

★ Karube Shin-ichi @ Ikebukuro
My friend saw Karube Shinichi-san at Ikebukuro. She said he looked just like a normal old man, unlike on TV... Female,15

★ Sakura & Inoue Waka @ yakiniku shop in Sasazuka
Sakura-san and Inoue Waka-san came to eat at a yakuniku shop at Sasazuka!! Both of them looked so good!! They seemed to be good friends. Female,25

★ Yokoyama Yu @ Umeda Osaka
I saw Yokoyama-kun! He was with a tall girl who gives off the feeling of an 'Asian Beauty'. Female,26

Source: unleashthegeek

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Josh Hartnett overshadowed by Japanese actor Kimura

BUSAN, South Korea : Josh Hartnett isn't having things all his own way at Asia's largest film festival. Every time the Hollywood star appears in public, the loudest screams are being directed at his co-star.

Hartnett is here at the 14th Pusan International Film Festival to promote his latest film, the thriller "I Come with the Rain", alongside fellow cast members Lee Byung-hun, of South Korea, and Japan's Takuya Kimura.

And Saturday during an appearance before 5,000 fans who had camped out all day at the city's famous Haeundae beach the fans cheered when Hartnett appeared. But they went ballistic as soon as they saw Kimura.

It was the same at a press conference for the film Friday and on the red carpet during Thursday night's opening ceremony.

"It's okay," said Hartnett. "He's a good-looking guy. And I know the ladies love him."

Kimura, a member of boyband SMAP, has become an idol throughout Asia thanks to his roles in Japanese television series including the wildly successful "Hero" where he played a cop who bends the rules.

In recent years he has worked alongside art-house movie directors Wong Kar-wai, for "2046", and Yoji Yamada on "Love and Honor".

For his part, Kimura said acting alongside Hartnett had been an "honour" and that he had been surprised to find the American just a "very good guy."

Haeundae is often described as the world's most crowded beach during the summer months, when it attracts up to 100,000 people along its narrow 1.5 kilometre (one mile) stretch.

And it looked a little like that Saturday, with thousands crowding the sand and sitting in the autumn sunshine waiting for a chance to see the stars -- and even have their questions answered during an "open talk" session.

Hartnett was again gracious when his first questioner ask how he rated local actors compared to those he worked with in Hollywood.

"It's always a pleasure to work with great actors and it is very difficult to compare Hollywood actors with Asian actors," he said.

"All I can say is that they are extremely dedicated to their craft."

"I Come with the Rain" is an atmospheric thriller from the celebrated Paris-raised Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung, who won the Camera d'Or at the 1993 Cannes festival for "The Scent of Green Papaya" and the Golden Lion in Venice for "Cyclo" in 1995.

Hartnett said shooting the film had been a unique experience as it had taken him to the Philippines and Hong Kong, and had mixed the styles of all the international filmmakers involved.

"The reception from the fans has been great and it is nice to see so many people support a poetic film like this," he said. "These types of films don't get released in Hollywood too often these days and that's a shame."

For his part, director Tran had earlier said shooting the film was a "nightmare" due to the locations he had chosen but he was proud of the end product and in particular of his three leading men.

"When I am casting a role the most important thing is the humanity that comes with the actor and I think you can see that with these three guys," he said.

Source : Channel News Asia

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Nodame Cantabile Side Story Manga to Launch in Japan

This year's 20th issue of Kodansha's biweekly Kiss magazine has announced on Saturday that a side story manga series based on Tomoko Ninomiya's Nodame Cantabile manga will launch in the 24th issue. The regular Nodame Cantabile manga series just ended in the same 20th issue on Saturday. The story centers on two music prodigies who find themselves on parallel paths in Japan and later Europe.

The first of two live action Nodame Cantabile Saishū Gakushō (Nodame Cantabile: The Final Movement) films will open in Japan on December 19, and the final television anime series will premiere in January.

Tsunami Umino (Kohkyu, tsunamix) and Yumiko Suzuki will launch their new manga Shokōjo and Fumetsu no Akko-chan, respectively, in the 21st issue of Kiss on October 24.

Source: Anime News Network

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"Easy Fortune Happy Life" filming ends, Joe Chen and Roy Chiu flies to China

Roy Chiu (left) did not win Joe Chen in the series, but it might not be so in real life.

"Easy Fortune Happy Life" is ending its run but it seems unlikely that the relationship between Roy Chiu and Joe Chen will end with the series. Filming for the series ended yesterday and Roy Chiu is heading for Hengdian today for the filming of Mainland series "Strange Tales Of Liao Zhai 3". Following that, Joe Chen will go to Shanghai or Chong Qing to film a mainland series "Jia Qi Ru Meng".

"Autumn's Concerto", starring Ady An and Vanness Wu, will start airing on 4th October and "Easy Fortune Happy Life" has already ended filming. Following the typical story ending, female lead Joe Chen ended up with Blue Lan. As for Roy Chiu, who has always been there for her by her side, although he lost in the series, he won the lady's heart outside the series.

However, Joe Chan once said that she was the kind of person who will have to think through long and hard regardless of it being a (decision to) get together or break up. It took her n times to truly break up with her caucasian boyfriend Michael. Although she quite get along quite well with Roy Chiu, there was still a lot of tests to overcome. Previously, there was a scene in "Easy Fortune Happy Life" where ROy Chiu had to piggyback Joe Chen, who was blabbering under the influence of alcohol. She was talking and crying at the same time. Roy Chiu hooked her lefs to prevent her from slipping downwards and hurting herself. In the end, there was a red mark on his neck (from the pressure of her arms) and he nearly couldn't breathe.

Joe Chen kept apologising, "My hand just kept pressing at his neck, I'm really sorry." Roy Chiu, who carried the heavy chested girl, didn't feel that it was heavy at all. Instead, he said, "She is actually quite light." Today, he will depart for Hengdian to film "Strange Tales Of Liao Zhai 3". What's coincidental is that his ex-girlfriend Rainie Yang has also acted in a chapter of "Strange Tales Of Liao Zhai 1".

Source : udn.com
Translated by karened @ http://asianfanatics.net

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Ninomiya's Nodame Cantabile Manga to End on October 10

This year's 19th issue of Kodansha's Kiss magazine has announced on Friday that Tomoko Ninomiya's Nodame Cantabile manga will end in the next issue on October 10. The story centers around two music prodigies who find themselves on parallel paths in Japan and later Europe.

The first of two live-action Nodame Cantabile Saishū Gakushō (Nodame Cantabile: The Final Movement) movies based on the manga will open on December 19, and the second film will open next spring. The third anime series will premiere in Japan next January.

30 million copies of the original manga's 22 compiled book volumes have been published so far. Ninomiya had confirmed on her personal blog on June 21 that she would resume her Nodame Cantabile romantic comedy manga in Kodansha's biweekly Kiss magazine on July 25, after putting the manga on hold in June due to acute appendicitis. She added on July 7 that she planned to draw new manga installments in the next three issues. She had previously written that she will end the manga soon.

Source: Anime News Network

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Shin Hyeon-joon beats up his agent?

Actor Shin Hyeon-joon has been arrested for harrassing his agent!

Shin is currently being sued for the violence commited to his agent.

More interrogation and specifics about this is being proceeded by the Seoul police.

Not much information is being told so we must wait and see what the real story is. It is known that the agent who sued Shin has turned off his phone and is rejecting all contacts.

Source: hancinema and nate

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Relationship rumours about Joe Chen circulate; Ming Dao: 'Isn't the male lead Blue Lan?'

Ming Dao has been filming in Mainland China for some time, unaware that good friend Joe Chen had broken up with her foreigner boyfriend. Yesterday he returned to Taiwan to promote his new drama "Happy & Love Forever" 幸福一定強 and when he heard that Joe Chen's new relationship rumours were with Roy Chiu, he had an expression of shock, "Isn't she filming with Blue Lan though? This change is too fast!"

Ming Dao has achieved a lot in China; his earnings have already risen to $90,000 RMB per episode (almost $40,000 TWD). Although he earns the most among the cast members, he has been paired with newcomers in his several dramas and almost every scene relies on his "teaching". When he was filming "Happy & Love Forever", it was previously reported that he claimed teaching newcomers was very tiring, asking producer Luo Fa Ping, "Next drama, look for a #1 (experienced) girl and I'll be willing to act for a lower price."

He is most satisfied with his collaboration with Joe Chen but having not returned to Taiwan for a long time, he wasn't even aware that Joe Chen had broken up with her boyfriend. Yesterday as soon as he heard about the recent situation of the relationship, he looked very surprised, "No way! They were together for so long!" He expressed that travelling all around China, he just didn't have the time to contact his good friend. Then hearing about Joe Chen and Roy Chiu being ambiguous towards each other, he almost didn't drop his jaw, "Isn't the drama's male lead Blue Lan?"

Currently Ming Dao is everywhere in China, as long as his name is on it, even before the drama starts filming, its copyright can be sold. Like "Happy & Love Forever" had a broadcasting channel before a production crew was found and filming could begin, working backwards. Yesterday Ming Dao revealed that it is scheduled to broadcast in April next year. The drama's spokesperson Chen Yan Ping revealed that originally when Ming Dao was cast for "Happy & Love Forever", there were concerns of people's popularity, that relationship rumours would circulate but in the end, no such thing happened. Ming Dao is never late and never leaves early, he's even willing to teach the newcomers how to act.

Ming Dao also said, "Who said I would try to pick up the female lead in every drama, the rumours aren't true, I haven't done that to Annie Chen!" This made Director Yang Guan Yu argue back, "That's because Annie is too young so you can't." The director praised Ming Dao's acting, "Previously I always thought he couldn't act. I apologise to him for them, his acting really surprised me."

Source: UDN
Translated by catalie @ http://asianfanatics.net

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