‘Heading to the Ground’ OST (Japan Version) To Be Released on August 25th

Starring Tohoshinki’s Yunho in his first acting role, Korean Drama “No Limit ~Heading to the Ground~” whose DVD topped the Oricon charts, will be releasing its OST on 25 August!
Please check out the Mu-mo original premiums!
“No Limit ~Heading to the Ground~” Original Soundtrack
8/25 Release
￥3,360 (Tax Inclusive)
CD
(Tracklist omitted)
DVD (Actual and Making of Music Video)
01. Let’s Go! / Mic Pink (Drama Music Video)
02. Motion / SNSD (Making of Drama Music Video)
03. Clips from the 26 June (Tokyo) & 7 July (Kobe) Events

1) 8-Page Mini Photobook with Yunho’s hand-written message printed inside.

2) 1 lucky person will receive a Life Size panel of Yunho with his signature.
Preorder Period
22 June 2010 16:00 – 1 August 2010 12:00
mu-mo shop: http://sp.mu-mo.net/shop/r/1006yunho/
T/N: The tracklist for this OST will be the same as the Korean OST.
Source: [Tohoshinki Official Site]
Translation Credits: ssunsett@tohosomnia.net
Shared by: tohosomnia.net
Please do not add on/remove credits

The Story Of Friendship From Twitter To Be Released On DVD 100625

The youth drama “Sunao Ni Narenakute” (Fuji TV) is a story about 5 young men and women who met through twitter, and subsequently developed a true friendship. With the airing of the final episode yesterday, an announcement was made for the DVD-release of the drama.

The screenplay for “Sunao Ni Narenkute” was written by Eriko Kitagawa, and boasts a cast of Eita, Ueno Juri, Jejung (Tohoshinki), Seki Megumi, Tamayama Tetsuji, Igawa Haruka, Fubuki Jun, Kikawa Koji and big names.
Eita plays the role of Nakaji, a photographer who has a complex relationship with his father. Ueno Juri is Haru, a temporary teacher in a private high school who wants to stand for her own beliefs. Jejung is Doctor, a sales man who does not perform well and suffers under a lot of pressure. Seki Megumi plays the role of Haru’s close friend Peach, who has an affair with her superior. And Tamayama Tetsuji is Linda, who seems like he as a glamorous job in big publishing firm, but actually suffers from the problem of ED.
These 5 people publish messages about their feelings and whereabouts within 140 characters, onto twitter, and eventually meet. The topics revolve around Ueno Juri and the other cast members, and is a story that many people can empathize with.
“Sunao Ni Narenakute” DVD BOX will be released on 22 September, with 6 discs and special footages.
Source: [Cinema Today]
Translation Credits: ssunsett@tohosomnia.net
Shared by: tohosomnia.net
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Sunao Ni Narenakute Final Episode Sypnosis

Nakaji heard from the news company that his father is interested to go to a place that is currently in the midst of a war for research work.
Meanwhile, Nakaji apologized to the editor of ‘Best Magazine’ for ruining the important photo shoot task which was recommended by her. He had left halfway through the shoot due to Linda.
On the other hand, Haru met up with her principal who had recommended her for the examination, bringing along with her the official transcript of her enlistment as a private school teacher. Just then, Doctor hopes that she can start considering their marriage…
Source: BaiduTVXQ + MazeJae
Translation: sshutingg @ OneTVXQ.com
Credits: OneTVXQ.com { One World. One Red Ocean. One TVXQ! }

!2NE1 invited at MTV World Stage VMAJ 2010

“MTV WORLD STAGE VMAJ 2010” is an international scale music ceremony hosted by the world’s largest class of music & entertainment brand “MTV” at Japan. It is a music festival that happens once in  a year whereas the highest music video awards in different sections are decided by everyone’s vote.

2NE1 is included in the MTV World Stage VMAJ 2010 List of Attendees or Award Host. This event will be held on May 29, 2010 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan. The celebrity guests comprise of artists who are not only active in music industry but also in various circles. The guest appearance can be seen closely during the red carpet and presentation of an award.

Isn’t this great that 2NE1 are invited at such event when they haven’t formally debuted at Japan yet?

By the way, their brother Big Bang will also attend the event as nominees in 3 categories: Best New Artist Video, Best  Pop Video and GD for Best Collaboration Video with W-inds. All the best for Big Bang! =)

Source: http://www.mtvjapan.com/vmaj
Thanks to qazxc@soompi for the tip. Posted by Lyna@LetsPlay2NE1.

![JPOP]Hello ICONIQ?

Last year, many netizens got the shock of their lives when one of their own KPop idols reemerged as Japanese singer ICONIQ. Who is this singer anyways?

ICONIQ who enjoys moderate popular in the Japanese music industry is in fact not stranger to the land of the rising sun, while being Korean in ethnicity, she actually grew up in Japan until her departure to her native South Korea to become an idol singer — she is in fact no other than Ayumi of now defunct KPop girl group Sugar. After the group disbanded in 2006. She changed agencies to SM Entertainment around 2007, and not much has been heard from her since aside from participating in an SMTown album that same year.

Singer INOCIQ will be making a special cameo appearance in the movie Sayonara itsuka. While auditioning for the role the production team had no idea that this was the same Lee Ayumi that enjoyed fame when she was still a member of the said KPop girl group. Some parts of the filming took place in Korea which ICONIQ enjoyed seeing as she hasn’t been there in a while. The movie is scheduled to be released at the end of the year.

Credits: Arama They Didn’t

[J-Drama]Something Hard to Say

An upcoming drama is in the works in Japan, is gaining popularity due to the high profiled cast. The said jdorama entitled Sunao Ni Narenakute / 素直になれなくて / Hard to Say I Love You is a short series in renzoku format.

Revolving around the blossoming friendship that occurs after five young people meet in Shibuya, Tokyo… through the popular microblogging site Twitter. The drama is set to have Nodame Cantabile star Ueno Juri as a “Haru” a temporary teacher at private highschool who shares a one sided love with “Nakaji” (Nodame Cantabile costar Eita), a photographer. The series also stars Megumi Seki and Tetsuji Tamayama in supporting roles.
DBSK’s Jaejoong can be also seen as a Korean doctor who moves to Tokyo with his sister.
At the heart of the drama is the social networking and micro-blogging service Twitter, which has quickly risen in popularity worldwide and is starting to catch on in Japan. The story is set in Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s centers of youth culture, where five men and women meet through Twitter. Through their interactions, they overcome their individual problems and create a true friendship.

Source: Tokyograph
shared by: http://blossompop.com

!BoA’s skinship scandal with Japanese idol Akanishi Jin? “They are just friends”

With news of scandal between singer BoA and Japanese idol Akanishi Jin brewing, BoA’s company has came out to clarify, “They are just friends.”
An article was posted up on a Japanese magazine on 6th April reporting that, “BoA and popular idol KAT-TUN member Akanishi Jin were seen in intimate behaviour and even hugging at a party in a club last month on the 23rd in Tokyo.”

The article wrote, “BoA had a good time with Akanishi Jin in the club lounge VIP seat during the party. And they hugged on several occasions.” With that, her company revealed through a phone conversation, “BoA was just enjoying herself with a few of her friends. And Jin was just one of her friends.”

Netizens’ response to BoA’s skinship scandal are “Absurd”, “You mean she cannot enjoy herself with friends at a club?”, “Seems like unreliable news source”, “Speculations from the media gone overboard” etc.

S:Newsen / c:k bites

!Ayumi makes a cameo in a Japanese movie… with hair?

Former Sugar member, Ayumi made her debut under the name ICONIQ in Japan several months ago. She returned with a whole new look and style of music, going from cute and pretty to bold and bald. But recent pictures contradict her ICONIQ look. Is she already back with hair?

On the 29th, CJ Entertainment stated, “Ayumi made a surprise cameo on Sayoonara Itsuka.” For those of you who don’t know, Sayoonara Itsuka (otherwise known as Saying Good-bye, One Day) is a Japanese movie about a typical love story that could have been. In the movie, Ayumi played the role of a rocker’s girlfriend with long hair.
It was also revealed that the shooting/auditioning crew did not realize she was Sugar’s Ayumi  just until they began filming as she auditioned under her Japanese name.
Sayoonara Itsuka was released last January in Japan but is set to be released in Korea April 14th.

s: allkpop

![News] J-pop group Arashi releases new single in Korea today

Japanese pop group Arashi will be releasing their new single "Troublemaker" in Korea today, according to agency SM Entertainment on Wednesday.

SM said in a press release that "Troublemaker" will be released in Korea in two versions; a regular CD and a limited edition composed of a CD and DVD.

The DVD will contain the music video for "Troublemaker" as well as making-the-video footage while the CD will feature an additional track titled "One More Step."

"Troublemaker", the group's latest single released in Japan earlier this month, sold over 540,000 copies in its first week to top Oricon's weekly single chart.

The pop track was also featured in popular Japanese television series, "Tokujo Kobachi!!", which starred one of the group's member Sakurai Sho.

Another track on the record will be "Shake It Now", which was used as the theme song for several Japanese television programs as well as for the recent 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

Arashi -- composed of members Masaki Aiba, Jun Matsumoto, Kazunari Ninomiya, Satoshi Ohno and Sho Sakurai -- made their debut in November 1999 with the eponymous single "Arashi", which became an instant hit and sold over half a million copies in the first week alone of its release.

The boy band has released eight studio albums, three compilation albums and 29 singles to date, of which 25 have reached No. 1 on the Oricon singles chart.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>
Credits:Asiae.co.kr

[K-News] Epik High’s label MapTheSoul merges with Woollim Ent, comeback album set for March

Credit: kbites

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Hip hop group Epik High will work with their ex-management company again.
According to Woollim Entertainment on 25th January, Epik High’s independent label MapTheSoul has recently decided do merger with the company.
Woollim’s side said, “MapTheSoul’s music and producing capabilities together with Woollim’s marketing management planning together will give a good synergy effect. Currently, Tablo and Mithra are directing the album for the debut of new 7-member boy group Infinite.”

The Woollim rep continued, “It is rare for singers to join back their management company after they have parted. Epik High has all this while maintained a family-like relationship with Woollim.”
Woollim Ent is known to have produced great artistes like Epik High, Nell and JiSun etc.
Meanwhile, Epik High is set to comeback with a special album early March.
S: StarNews

Japanese superstar Utada Hikaru finds her way in the U.S.

Source:Seattle Times

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Utada Hikaru may not be a household name.

But she was hailed as the Japanese Britney Spears for her record-selling prowess — more than 52 million worldwide. Her concerts in the states have been selling out, too.

The singer-songwriter plays one such show Thursday at Showbox at the Market. Born to parents in the music business — a producer and a ballad singer — Hikaru is from New York but was raised in Tokyo. At 26, her career has spanned more than a decade and several genres, most notably pop. Her influences stretch from Metallica to Mariah Carey.

Hikaru talked by phone recently from Los Angeles about her tour, her American fans and her success so far.

Q: Would it have been different if you had started your music career in the states instead?

A: I don't think I would be anywhere near where I am if started in the states. I can't imagine what I would be like, or where my music would have gone. ... There aren't as many genre boundaries in Japan ... so I have complete freedom in what music I make, without worrying about if this is going to be on urban radio stations, or Top 40 radio stations.

Q: You've tried the American market before — you even worked with Timbaland for your 2004 album. How is this time different?

A: This time I'm a little bit more at ease. ... Last time was my first American album and there was this weird hype, like, "She's the Japanese Madonna, or Japanese Britney Spears," and none of these comparisons really were on point at all.

Q: Who would be a better comparison?

A: I heard someone say Kate Bush (an eclectic English singer-songwriter), but it's not exactly Kate Bush either. I don't think there's one person I could compare myself to. I'm not so much of a show-type of person, than I am more of a musician-type person.

Q: Your latest performances are more stripped down, is that what you're going for now?

A: I just want the focus to be more on song writing and singing and the music itself, rather than having like a big, flashy Lady Gaga-type thing. The tour we chose really small venues on purpose.

Q: What are the shows like that you do in Japan?

A: I don't have half-naked male dancers or anything like that. I wear big costumes. The last tour, which was a while ago, 2006, was huge, a whole big visual setup. The whole stage had LED panels underneath. I've never really done a tour with small venues, but I've been wanting to, ever since I debuted.

Q: Was your current single, "Come Back To Me," about a girl cheating, autobiographical?

A: It's something that I've done and I'm sure a lot of girls have done.

Q: Are you in a relationship right now? Do you have time for that?

A: Yeah, I find time. I think there should be something at least. It makes you work harder at your work and it makes your life a little more comfortable.