Kago Ai vs Friday Magazine……again!!

It seems that Friday magazine is once again trying to dish the dirt about Kago Ai. The latest edition of the magazine which is notorious for outing idols in secret relationships with paparazzi photos to get them into into trouble with their management agency has a story of Kago finding romance with a 33 year old man, an actor called Hidejiro Mizumoto. They snapped her with him at a restaurant and going to his apartment. Both have been working on a new movie which comes out in the summer.

However, Kago has put the record straight in her blog by stating that the guy’s mother is a psychic and she’s been seeking her advice. When she isn’t available her son takes over so there isn’t any romance going on at all.

THE POSSIBLE – Shiawase no Katachi PV

Don’t ask me why but I haven’t taken any interest in TNX artists in the past. I’ve listened to some songs by Canary Club and Ami Tokito but they don’t appeal to me as much as Hello!Project. This song however perked up my interest in THE POSSIBLE. It’s been out for a couple of weeks in Japan and charted in the Top 10 but it was only 2 days ago that I heard it for the first time and I loved it straight away. This is the group’s 11th single and the track is used as the theme song for the PS2 game Hyakko. The only thing that annoys me slightly is the “yo’s” in the background but apart from that I really like this tune. Enjoy the PV below:

Japan Top 50 Singles – 25/1/09

Here’s CDTV’s latest Top 50 single chart rundown:

50 – Kumi Koda – Stay With Me
49 – Jero – Umiyuki
48 – Tohoshinki – Beautiful You
47 – Piyorabbie – Hikari No Kyanberu
46 – Kyunkyun Idoling!!! – Betana Shitsuren -Shibuyani Furuyuki-
45 – Honey L Days – Kimi no Phrase / Kimi no Tame ni Boku ga Tsuyoku Naru
44 – Hey! Say! Jump – Mayonaka No Shadow Boy
43 – GReeeeN – Tobira
42 – JUJU – Sunao Ni Naretara feat. Spontania
41 – Katsuyuki Mito – Northern Blood Funk Special
40 – Nakamura Mitsuko – Onna No Tabiji
39 – Ai Nonaka – Datte Anata Wa Anata Dakara
38 – The Possible – Shiawase No Katachi
37 – Kei – Vesperbell
36 – GreeeeN – Kiseki
35 – Arashi – One Love
34 – Fujioka Fujimaki & Nozomi Ohashi – Gake no Ue no Ponyo
33 – Kitajima Saburo – Haranbanjo
32 – Kobukuro – Toki No Ashioto
31 – Demon Kogure – Atsuku Nare
30 – Arashi – Beautiful Days
29 – Mizuta Ryuuko – Kaze no Yado
28 – Sphere – Kimi To Itai feat. Denda Mao
27 – Yajima Beauty Salon – Nihon no Mikata
26 – Base Ball Bear – Love Mathematics
25 – Begin With Ahonastars – Egao No Manma
24 – GO!GO!7188 – Futasika Tashika
23 – Shuchishin – Yowamushi Santa
22 – Arashi – Truth
21 – Ayumi Hamasaki – Days
20 – Hiroshi Itsuki – Itezuru
19 – Porno Graffitti – Koyoi, Tsuki ga Miezutomo
18 – Teriyaki Boyz – Work That feat. Pharrell & Chris Brown
17 – One Draft – Ai Wo Kudasai
16 – Fuyumi Sakamoto – Asia No Kaizoku
15 – Shonen Merikensack / Nerawareta Gakuen – New York Marathon / Mamotte Agetai
14 – Angela Aki – Tegami ~Haikei Juugo No Kimi E~
13 – Remioromen – Yume No Tsubomi
12 – Tacica – Penguin Elegy
11 – Ayaka Hirahara – Nocturne
10 – Monobright – Anata Magic
9 – Hideaki Takizawa – Ai Kakumei
8 – Straightener – Lightning
7 – Hey! Hey! Alright – SCHA DARA PARR feat. Kaela Kimura
6 – Buck-Tick – Galaxy
5 – AAA – Tabidachi No Uta
4 – Mai Satoda With Gohdakyodai – Bye Bye
3 – SID – 2 Dome No Kanojo
2 – Velonica – Aqua Timez
1 – Junko Akimoto – Ai No Mama De

The Very Best Of M.O.V.E

Throughout the past 12 months I’ve been listening more and more to this fantastic musical trio (Yuri on vocals, Motsu the rapper and T-Kimura the producer). I just love their style of music which blends rock, pop, dance, electronica and rap. The group has been around since 1997 and are well known for their music in 2 anime series: Initial D and Final Fantasy.  So far they’ve released 29 singles and 10 albums. If you’re new to this group you’re in luck as I’m about to give you 5 of what I think is their best songs. A PV for each song is included. Enjoy:

ROMANCING TRAIN

ANGEL EYES

WHITE FOX (this wasn’t released as a single. From their album GRID)

BLAST MY DESIRE

DOGFIGHT

Mari Yaguchi To Release Single In March

Reading through translations of Mari Yaguchi’s blog, she announced that she’ll be releasing a new single in March by teaming up with a group called Airband. It’s something to do with the TV quiz show Hexagon II. Mari has already been to the studio to record it. I can’t believe it’s been nearly 4 years since she’s dramatically quit as leader of Morning Musume and she’s hasn’t released anything since that time. I’m really happy about this news as Marippe was one of my favorites in Morning Musume for her loud genki behavior. Can’t wait to hear a preview of her song when it comes out. The single being associated with Hexagon II can only be a good thing for Mari – just look at the success that Shuchushin and Pabo have achieved. Oh and a belated happy 26th birthday to her too.

Mari Yaguchi

Japan Top 40 Singles – 18/1/09

This is CDTV’s Japan Top 40 singles chart. There seems to be an awful lot of enka music in the charts this week.

50 – Thelma Aoyama – Soba Ni Iru Ne Feat. Soulja
49 – Mr. Children – GIFT
48 – Rintoshite Shigure – Moment A Rhythm
47 – May’n – Macross Frontier : Sheryl no Uchu Kyoudaibune nado
46 – Kalafina – Fairytale
45 – Toba Ichiro – Dattankaikyou`
44 – Aladdin – Hi Wa, Mata Noboru
43 – Mika Shinno – Kiteki
42 – Sugimoto Masato – Ware mo Kou
41 – Ikimonogakari – Kimagure Romantic
40 – Mika Tachiki Zenkyokushuu – Zampamisaki
39 – Kaori Mizumori – Wajima Asaichi
38 – Dohatsuten – Rodo Calling
37 – Hey! Say! Jump – Mayonaka No Shadow Boy
36 – KAT-TUN – White X’mas
35 – Exile – Ti Amo (Chapter One)
34 – Kiyama Yusaku – Home
33 – Perfume – Dream Fighter
32 – Oka Yuko – Onna No Makoto
31 – GReeeeN – Tobira
30 – Jero – Umiyuki
29 – Tohoshinki – Beautiful You
28 – Onna No Tabiji – Nakamura Mitsuko
27 – JUJU – Sunao Ni Naretara feat. Spontania
26 – Kumi Koda – Stay With Me
25 – Shuchishin – Shuchishin
24 – Mizuta Ryuuko – Kaze no Yado
23 – Arashi – One Love
22 – GreeeeN – Kiseki
21 – Arashi – Truth
20 – Kobukuro – Toki No Ashioto
19 – Arashi – Beautiful Days
18 – Fujioka Fujimaki & Nozomi Ohashi – Gake no Ue no Ponyo
17 – Hiroshi Itsuki – Itezuru
16 – Tohoshinki – Doushite Kimi Wo Suki Ni Natte Shimattan Darou?
15 – Kitajima Saburo – Haranbanjo
14 – Yajima Beauty Salon – Nihon no Mikata
13 – Fuyumi Sakamoto – Asia No Kaizoku
12 – Porno Graffitti – Koyoi, Tsuki ga Miezutomo
11 – Ayumi Hamasaki – Days
10 – Begin With Ahonastars – Egao No Manma
9 – Shuchishin – Yowamushi Santa
8 – Angela Aki – Tegami ~Haikei Juugo No Kimi E~
7 – Kyunkyun Idoling!!! – Betana Shitsuren -Shibuyani Furuyuki-
6 – Base Ball Bear – Love Mathematics
5 – Ayaka Hirahara – Nocturne
4 – The Possible – Shiawase No Katachi
3 – Remioromen – Yume No Tsubomi
2 – Junko Akimoto – Ai No Mama De
1 – Hideaki Takizawa – Ai Kakumei

Japanese Movies I’d Like To See

These are trailers for 5 Japanese movies I’d like to see soon:

AFTER SCHOOL – a comedy about a man having an extra-marital affair and how things spiral out of control for him.

K-20 (LEGEND OF THE MASK) – a circus acrobat tries to clear his name by pursuing the master masked criminal K-20 who has set him up to be arrested and in the process save a young female heiress from becoming his next victim.

252: SIGNAL OF LIFE – a disaster movie about a gigantic earthquake and then a huge tidal wave created from a typhoon which strikes Tokyo and the rescue unit charged with finding the survivors in the aftermath. It also features one of my favorite Japanese actresses in Yu Kashii.

20TH CENTURY BOYS – live action adaptation of the popular manga series about a terrifying cult and it’s leader “Friend” who plans to destroy the world from a story created by a group of 4 friends during their childhood. This is only the first part of a trilogy. The 2nd part is supposed to come out in Japanese cinemas on the 31st January.

and finally we have

SHINJUKU INCIDENT – though not technically a Japanese production, this HK movie starring Jackie Chan is set in Tokyo. It’s not an action film but rather a serious drama with Chan as a Chinese immigrant arriving in Japan and getting involved with the yakuza.

Aya Matsuura – Chocolate Damashii (Radio Rip)

Here’s a radio rip on Youtube of Aya Matsuura’s last single as a member of Hello!Project called Chocolate Damashii. I’ve never been a fan of her ballads or her recent material so I’m happy to see her return to a style of up-tempo music which made her popular in the first place. The single is scheduled for release on the 11th February 2009 and as soon as the PV is uploaded I’ll post that here as well.

Kung Fu Chef Trailer – Kago Ai Movie

Last year Kago Ai went to Hong Kong to film a movie with the legendary Sammo Hung and now the trailer for the movie Kung Fu Chef is out. It’s a comedy martial arts movie which looks like fun so I’ll probably check it out when it’s released on DVD. It’s only near the end of the trailer that Kago appears although you can hear her voice, well I’m assuming it’s her childlike voice that’s throughout the trailer.

Anyway here’s the trailer for you all to see:

SWEET BLACK feat Maki Goto – Fly Away (Complete PV)

Last week I posted a preview of Gocchin’s new song and finally the full PV to accompany the song has now been posted. The more I listen to the song the more I think it’s similar to something that Koda Kumi would record which is never a bad thing.

EDIT: AVEX seems to have deleted all PV’s of Maki’s last 2 singles uploaded by other users except for their own so I’m afraid I can only give you a link to Youtube as embedding has been disabled. Sorry.