As many of you already know, SKE48’s 7th single “Okie Dokie” will be released on November 9th. Recently, the short PV preview of “Okie Dokie” was revealed through their official YouTube channel, along with two other tracks “Bazooka-hou Hassha!” (in Type-A), and “Hohoemi no Positive Thinking” (in Type-B).
On October 4th, singer Nishino Kana has unveiled a short audio preview of her upcoming song, “Tatoe Donna Ni“. This is her first single in six months since her previous single, “Esperanza” and is scheduled for release on November 9th.
This single has also been revealed to be written for her CM for Sony Walkman’s new project “Play You.” as their new artist. This song has been described as a love ballad that describes about a girl who does not want to deny the existence of her previous relationships.
“Tatoe Donna Ni” will be released in two versions: Limited Edition and Regular Edition. The limited version of this single will include one of three Original Stickers and an application for the first-come, first-serve live event ‘Kanayan X’mas 2011‘ to be held at Pacifico Yokohama!
Now, without further ado, check out the preview below!
Singer Sugawara Sayuri announced that she is going to release a new single “Ashita ni Naru Mae ni” on December 7th.
“Ashita ni Naru Mae ni” is a wonderful love song that will perfectly fit into the Christmas season. It’s going to be Sugawara’s first single in one year and three months, and her first Christmas song since “Christmas Again” two years ago.
The title song was written by Kato Kanako, who also wrote lyrics for Jang Geun Suk’s Japanese debut “let me cry“. The second song on the single, “Basket Court“, was a collaboration with BENNIE K’s YUKI, while the third song, “ROCKSTAR“, was written by Sugawara herself.
On October 6th, Sugawara is also going to start her own regular radio show on bayfm.
It’s been announced that rock band SID will be releasing a new single in December! The band has also revealed that they will be holding a nationwide tour in 2012.
The single, currently untitled, will be their second release for 2011. The title and additional details will be revealed at a later date.
Furthermore, the dates for SID’s new tour will be announced during their tour in November, which will be held exclusively for fan club and mobile site members. Although these members will have the opportunity to know the details ahead of everyone else, SID will still share details with the public on their official website soon after.
On October 4th, visual kei band Angelo held a surprise live at Shinjuku Station Square.
They drew in a huge crowd that forced authorities to suspend their concert after their third song, “REBORN“, due to overcrowding. Even after Angelo had left the stage, 3,000 fans called out their name, which echoed throughout Shinjuku.
The surprise live was held to commemorate the release of Angelo’s new album, “BABEL“. This marked their first live since Karyu (ex. D’espairsRay) and Giru (ex. Vidoll) joined the band as the new guitarists. They showed a powerful performance as they sang “FEATHER” and “PLOSIVE“.
“BABEL”, which was released on October 5th, features a total of 11 songs, including the 3 songs that was performed at this live. It comes in three different versions: Limited Edition A (DVD+Photo book) , Limited Edition B (CD+DVD), and a Regular CD-Only Edition.
Additionally, Angelo will kick off their nationwide tour, titled “Angelo Tour 11-12 ‘CORNERSTONE OF THE FORBIDDEN TOWER’” on November 20th at Yokohama Bay Hall. The tour is scheduled to continue until February 5th, with a total of 22 performances in 17 locations.
As reported earlier, Tegomass will be releasing their new album, “Tegomass no Mahou” on October 19th. Recently, the full PV for “Mahou no Melody” which is one of the tracks on the upcoming album was revealed.
AKB48 sub-unit Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 has just announced that they will be releasing a new single on November 30th!
The single is currently untitled, and details remain scarce. However, it’s been revealed that the title song will have a tie-up with a popular anime.
It’s also known that the single will come in four different versions: Limited Editions A, B, and C, as well as a regular CD-only Edition. All versions will contain a participation ticket for their nationwide handshake event.
Visual kei band exist†trace will be releasing their new album, “THE LAST DAYBREAK“, on October 19th.
exist†trace is an all-female visual kei band that made their major debut in June with “TRUE“. “THE LAST DAYBREAK” is said to contain five tracks that pursues the band’s own unique sounds.
The CD will come in both limited and regular editions. The limited edition will come with a DVD which includes a video clip for the lead track, “Daybreak ~ 13 Tsuki no Shikisai ~“. It will also contain clips of four songs from their one-man live at SHIBUYA BOXX back in June.
A portion of the video clip for “Daybreak ~ 13 Tsuki no Shikisai ~” has been uploaded onto Tokuma Japan’s official YouTube channel. The video was shot with the morning glow in the background, and during the interlude, guitarists miko and Omi unfolds a dynamic guitar battle.
Additionally, the band will hold their one-man live at Daikanyama UNIT in Tokyo on November 9th.
AKB48 members Takahashi Minami, Watanabe Mayu, and Miyazawa Sae recently held a press conference after recording for their new radio program, “AKB Radio Drama Theater“.
Each week, the drama will focus on a theme that the girls could relate to, such as ‘first love’, ‘friendships’, ’stage’, and ‘rival’. Although AKB48 is prohibited from being in relationships, the first week’s theme will be ‘first love’. The three will appear in the drama’s pilot from October 3rd to the 6th, and other members are scheduled to star in later episodes.
Takahashi amped up everyone’s anticipations by saying, “Although we don’t have much experience, our power of imagination is amazing.” When asked what role she would want to take on next, she answered, “I want to try a risky love. Like a woman involved in a love affair. In reality, these kind of things are absolute.”
Takahashi later boasted about AKB48’s hectic schedule, “We found out we were doing this today. We looked through the script in the car on our way here. This is the AKB quality!” Miyazawa, who says she has prior radio experience with member Akimoto Sayaka, proudly said, “It was perfect to exaggerate my feelings as I acted. I think I did a great job for the first time.” She continued, “Voice acting is harder to manipulate than singing,” which made Takahashi blurt out, “Hey! Hey!“, pointing out the ‘problematic statement’.
Meanwhile, Watanabe smiled as she said, “I was really nervous, but I had assistance from the two, so I was able to enjoy it.”
Currently, “AKB48 All Night Nippon” is broadcasting on the same station, however, Watanabe commented, “I’m 17, so I’ve never appeared of ‘All Night Nippon’, but I’m happy this time is a recording. I want to be able to show fans my new charm.” She also expressed, “I want to try a comedy, as a strange character.”
“AKB Radio Drama Theater” will broadcast on 18 stations starting October 3rd, with Nippon Broadcast being its main station. It will air every week from Monday to Thursday at 11:50 pm for 10 minutes.
Mizushima Hiro is featured on the September 28th issue of “Numero TOKYO” as a female model.
This was a project proposed and produced by Mizushima himself, with the concept of “to transcend gender”. Mizushima can be seen in long blonde hair, wearing luxury brands.
The special project, titled “The foreigner named Mizushima Hiro“, is an 8-page spread that can be found in the 51st issue of “Numero TOKYO”. Mizushima is featured in dresses and suits from “FENDI“, “Yves Saint Laurent“, “Moschino“, and “Christian Dior“, topped off with eyeliner and lipstick. Regarding this project, Mizushima’s official website, “Hiro’s Field“, states, “Top creators gathered, and produced a new creation that detaches myself from stereotypes. This is a special project that can only be found in the international magazine, ‘Numero TOKYO’.”
Mizushima was born in Tokyo in 1984, and lived in Switzerland until graduation from elementary school. After starring in numerous dramas and movies, he left his agency in 2010. Mizushima then received the prestigious “Poplar Publishing Grand Prize for Fiction” award for his debut novel, “KAGEROU“, and in March 2011, he became the editor-in-chief for lifestyle magazine, “GLOBAL WORK“. Currently, he stars in the CM for “Mobage”, and has been writing scripts for short films.
On October 3rd, singer-songwriter Angela Aki held an in-store live in UNIQLO’s Ginza branch, called “UNIQLO Special Live ~ Angela Aki Waga Kokoro no Uta ~“.
Angela, who announced her pregnancy in September, revealed with a smile, “While I was singing, the baby kicked my stomach.” She also addressed the plans for her Nippon Budokan live, currently scheduled for December 26th. “I’m 8 months pregnant, so I’m consulting with my doctor. But I want to make it a powerful live with a four-handed performance on the piano,” she said.
As the new image character for the brand, Angela wore a red Merino sweater and sang the CM song, “Tsugaru-Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki“. She also sang “Hajimari no Ballad“, the theme song for the drama, “Namae wo Nakushita Megami“, and her debut song, “HOME“.
The CM song, “Tsugaru-Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki”, is a cover song of Ishikawa Sayuri’s 1977 hit song. Angela reflected upon her past and said, “My father liked this song, and he sang it to me as a lullaby, so I feel like I’ve matured with this song.” As she explained, “It’s a song I’ve always wanted to cover. I had this image that it was a song to sing with a four-handed piano performance. I made this with my own piano arrangement.”
It’s been awhile since Angela held an in-store live. She expressed, “It reminds me of the in-store lives I held nationwide when I made my debut. It’s nostalgic.” She continued, “I should have experience, but I’m nervous.”
AKB48’s sub-unit Not yet, consisting of four members Oshima Yuko, Sashihara Rino, Kitahara Rie, and Yokoyama Yui, announced that they are going to release their third single, “Pera Pera Perao” in November.
The song is going to convey the feelings of a young reticent boy who wishes to become more articulate in order to freely chat (‘perapera’) with a girl.
For the PV, the four girls are going to transform into cute waitresses. Further, it was announced that they are going to include the mic stand in their choreography, similar to some of AKB48’s most recent choreographies.
Oshima explained that they tried to make the PV as good as possible in order to properly convey the message of the lyrics. She said, “The quality of the PV had always been on our minds during the filming and we were often communicating with each other in order to assure a certain level. Whether you are going to learn something from the PV or not, I hope you will be able to enjoy it.”
“Pera Pera Perao” is slated for a release on November 16.
Arashi’s Matsumoto Jun has become the sweet endorsement model for Meiji Milk Chocolate, who will be celebrating their 85th anniversary this year. Matsumoto’s concept will transform him into a fresh-faced gentleman walking through a ‘chocolate world’.
To express the idea that Meiji Milk Chocolate has been a much-loved favorite for generations, Matsumoto talks to a little girl sitting on a bench. He muses, “Your mom, and your mom’s mom have eaten this same chocolate for many years“, while making a bar of chocolate magically appear in his hand. He continues, “Maybe your children will too..“, and the little girl wholeheartedly agrees, as she replies, “I’m gonna end up liking it too!“.
In order to deliver a convincing CM, Matsumoto practiced his little magic trick every chance he got. He commented, “Even if I could perform the magic trick well, I’m not sure if I can do it while saying my lines…“, but thanks to his dedication and focus, Matsumoto was able to produce a solid commercial. In fact, his magic skills impressed even the professional magician who accompanied Matsumoto on set.
Matsumoto also interacted with the little girl on set by talking to her and watching magic tricks together, which brought out a natural and cute smile from her.
This new commercial will begin airing on October 4th, but you check it out right now!
Korean group 2PM has released their video teaser for upcoming Japanese single “Ultra Lover“!
Although many singers use their Korean songs translated into Japanese for their Japanese songs, 2PM has a brand new one coming along. With soothing harmonies and a piano melody, the boys have taken a softer approach with this track.
Korean group SHINee’s whisking Shawols off their feet again with the return of their smash hit “Lucifer” in Japanese, and after releasing two video teasers these past few weeks, the group has unleashed the full music video to the public!
Similar to the original, the PV features the quintet in a dark setting with CG effects and an eerie aura. Check it out below!
Singer / voice actress Sakamoto Maaya has announced that she will be holding a one-man live in December.
Titled “Sakamoto Maaya LIVE 2011 ‘in the silence’“, the live will take place at Ginga Gekijou in Tokyo from December 13th to the 18th. This live will be slightly different from the others as Sakamoto is expected to sing every song from her three concept albums, “Driving in the silence“, “Easy Listening“, and “30minutes night flight“.
Tickets will be available for purchase through Play Guide starting November 26th. Pre-order tickets will be available for those who purchase her third concept album, “Driving in the silence”, which will be released on November 9th.
Additionally, Sakamoto’s regular radio program, “Sakamoto Maaya from everywhere“, will start this month on nine JFN stations.
BoA, who recently celebrated her 10th anniversary of her Japanese debut, excited fans with a recent post concerning her upcoming plans.
Earlier today, BoA tweeted, “Many ppl asking me when I’m gonna release my next single in Japan… I’m preparing my single now.. So you’ll be able to listen to it soon!” Within moments of her tweet, hundreds of eager fans bombarded the pop star with encouragement, showing everyone’s continued interest in her music.
BoA hasn’t released a new single since “Woo Weekend” in July 2010 (though she did release the digital single, “I See Me” as a promotional song for Audio Technica headphones on December 6th, 2010).
BoA has been sorely missed lately, it will be great to hear new music from her.
Hello! Project’s Mano Erina will be making a guest appearance in the movie, “Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze MOVIE Taisen MEGA MAX“!
Mano will play the role of the female Kamen Rider, “Kamen Rider Nadeshiko“, named after Japan’s world-famous women’s national soccer team, “Nadeshiko Japan”. She will tag-team with Kamen Rider Fourze to battle against their enemies.
“Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze MOVIE Taisen MEGA MAX” is the latest movie from the “Kamen Rider” and “MOVIE Taisen” series, and will feature appearances by both Kamen Rider Fourze and Kamen Rider Ozu/OOO. The story begins at Amanogawa High School, where a mysterious high school student (Mano) suddenly falls from the sky. The main character, ‘Kisaragi Gentaro’ (played by Fukushi Souta), just barely catches her, but finds that she isn’t able to speak very well.
Gentaro discovers that her name is ‘Misaki Nadeshiko’, and falls in love with her immediately. While all this is happening, the Zodiarts attack a student at the school, and Gentaro transforms into Kamen Rider Fourze for battle. Then, Nadeshiko takes out a transformation item that looks like the Fourze Driver, and transforms into Kamen Rider Nadeshiko. As she calls out, “Earth, I’m here,” she joins Fourze in the battle.
The “Kamen Rider” series has featured appearances by female Kamen Riders in the past. In “Kamen Rider Ryuki“, actress Kato Natsuki played Kamen Rider Femme, and in “Kamen Rider Blade“, actress Mitsuya Yoko served as Kamen Rider Larc.
“Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze MOVIE Taisen MEGA MAX” is scheduled to hit theatres on December 10th.
Last month singer Piko announced that he is releasing his fourth major single on October 5th. Back then the title of that single was unknown, but it’s been found out that the title track is called “Yume Hana“.
It will come with three different tracks plus 3 instrumentals. The limited edition will come with a DVD that includes two music videos and a live clip from his show at Osaka BIG CAT on June 10th.
Regular Edition < CD > 1. Yume Hana 2. Immoral 3. Kodoku no Hate 4. Yume Hana (Instrumental) 5. Immoral (Instrumental) 6. Kodoku no Hate (Instrumental)
Limited Edition < DVD > 1. Nisoku Hokou -music video- 2. Kodoku no Tiara -music video- 3. Sakurane (2011.6.10 Osaka BIG CAT)
Singer Sone Yukie has announced that she will release a new single on November 9th titled, “Kimi no Tonari ni“.
The song will be the ending theme song to TV Tokyo drama “Koko ga Uwasa no Elpalacio“. The song is said to be about persuading a woman’s mentality on love, a painful love song that women can understand. Sone said that if listening to a love song can develop a bond between girls then she’ll be happy, even if it’s only one person that feels the same way she’ll be happy.
The single will be part of a promotional campaign “Can I sing at your school?”. Sone will perform a live at one school somewhere in Japan. Teachers and students are encouraged to apply now.
Sone is also celebrating her 1st year anniversary on October 6th and will perform at “Koi Bana Koi Uta” at the YM Square in Harajuku. She will also participate in a love talk show with comedian Kaneda Satoshi.
Arashi’s Matsumoto Jun is the new image character for hair/aesthetics salon, “Hot Pepper Beauty“.
Jun filmed 20 different commercials for his endorsement, where he looks straight into the camera as if he were talking to ‘you’ directly, and complimenting you on your hair and nails.
Sandara Park releases an angelic CF for “Nikon”
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Nikon Imaging Korea has just released a jaw-dropping commercial with 2NE1‘s
Sandara Park.
The idol shed her quirky style and emerged as a gorgeous woman w...
On October 4th, singer Nishino Kana has unveiled a short audio preview of her upcoming song, “Tatoe Donna Ni“. This is her first single in six months since her previous single, “Esperanza” and is scheduled for release on November 9th.
“Tatoe Donna Ni” will be released in two versions: Limited Edition and Regular Edition. The limited version of this single will include one of three Original Stickers and an application for the first-come, first-serve live event ‘Kanayan X’mas 2011‘ to be held at Pacifico Yokohama!
Singer Sugawara Sayuri announced that she is going to release a new single “Ashita ni Naru Mae ni” on December 7th.
On October 4th, visual kei band Angelo held a surprise live at Shinjuku Station Square.
“BABEL”, which was released on October 5th, features a total of 11 songs, including the 3 songs that was performed at this live. It comes in three different versions: Limited Edition A (DVD+Photo book) , Limited Edition B (CD+DVD), and a Regular CD-Only Edition.
Visual kei band exist†trace will be releasing their new album, “THE LAST DAYBREAK“, on October 19th.
AKB48 members Takahashi Minami, Watanabe Mayu, and Miyazawa Sae recently held a press conference after recording for their new radio program, “AKB Radio Drama Theater“.
Takahashi later boasted about AKB48’s hectic schedule, “We found out we were doing this today. We looked through the script in the car on our way here. This is the AKB quality!” Miyazawa, who says she has prior radio experience with member Akimoto Sayaka, proudly said, “It was perfect to exaggerate my feelings as I acted. I think I did a great job for the first time.” She continued, “Voice acting is harder to manipulate than singing,” which made Takahashi blurt out, “Hey! Hey!“, pointing out the ‘problematic statement’.
Currently, “AKB48 All Night Nippon” is broadcasting on the same station, however, Watanabe commented, “I’m 17, so I’ve never appeared of ‘All Night Nippon’, but I’m happy this time is a recording. I want to be able to show fans my new charm.” She also expressed, “I want to try a comedy, as a strange character.”
On October 3rd, singer-songwriter Angela Aki held an in-store live in UNIQLO’s Ginza branch, called “UNIQLO Special Live ~ Angela Aki Waga Kokoro no Uta ~“.
The CM song, “Tsugaru-Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki”, is a cover song of Ishikawa Sayuri’s 1977 hit song. Angela reflected upon her past and said, “My father liked this song, and he sang it to me as a lullaby, so I feel like I’ve matured with this song.” As she explained, “It’s a song I’ve always wanted to cover. I had this image that it was a song to sing with a four-handed piano performance. I made this with my own piano arrangement.”
AKB48’s sub-unit Not yet, consisting of four members Oshima Yuko, Sashihara Rino, Kitahara Rie, and Yokoyama Yui, announced that they are going to release their third single, “Pera Pera Perao” in November.
Oshima explained that they tried to make the PV as good as possible in order to properly convey the message of the lyrics. She said, “The quality of the PV had always been on our minds during the filming and we were often communicating with each other in order to assure a certain level. Whether you are going to learn something from the PV or not, I hope you will be able to enjoy it.”
Singer / voice actress Sakamoto Maaya has announced that she will be holding a one-man live in December.
Last month singer Piko announced that he is releasing his fourth major single on October 5th. Back then the title of that single was unknown, but it’s been found out that the title track is called “Yume Hana“.
< CD >
< DVD >
Singer Sone Yukie has announced that she will release a new single on November 9th titled, “Kimi no Tonari ni“.
