[JAPAN] FANTASTIC PLASTIC MACHINE BEST ALBUM PRE-RELEASE EVENT

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To commemorate the upcoming “Fantastic Plastic Machine” best album, FPF will be having a pre-release event, Fantastic Plastic Machine Presents GRAND TOURISME

2/2/07 at Club Yellow

Guest DJ NUMANOID aka DJTSUYOSHI (JOUJOUKA)
Support DJ (MUSICAANOSSA/Cafe Apres-midi)
KANBE (SHOP IS NO NAME from NAGOYA)

Click here for info.

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[KOREA] S. KOREAN POP CULTURE TRICKLING INTO NORTH KOREA

According to a recent article in Chosun, North Korean defectors in South Korea say that S. Korea music and dramas have made it into North Korea.

According to the article, “According to a survey of 30 North Korean defectors who settled in South Korea, popular songs and dramas from the South are not only all the rage in Pyongyang; they have also found their way to border regions like Kaesong, Nampo and North Hamgyeong Province. South Korean actors like Bae Yong-joon and Jang Dong-gun have many fans there. North Koreans buy South Korean videotapes and CDs from people who frequently travel across the Chinese border, the survey shows. Nor is the trend confined to dramas and movies. North Koreans also reportedly copy South Korean hairstyles and fashions. The survey was conducted by the Ministry of Unification and Hanawon, a state-run helping North Korean defectors adapt to life in the South. ”

Click here for full article

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[TAIWAN] PRINCE OF LOVE SONGS, JEFF CHANG INVOLVED IN CAR ACCIDENT

 

CRIEnglish.com reports that Prince of Love Songs, Jeff Chang got into a car accident on Tuesday.

According to CRIEnglish.com, “Taiwan’s prince of love songs, Jeff Chang, sustained minor injuries when the car he was traveling in hit the protective fence on the Chengdu-Chongqing Highway around 5pm on Tuesday afternoon.”

Click here for full article

Photo courtesy of ent.sina.com.cn/CRIEnglish.com

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[JAPAN] DEFSTAR ARTISTS AKB48 DO A GUERILLA LIVE

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14 members of the female idol grup AKB48 (Akihabara 48) did a guerilla live performance in front of 500 people at the parking lot of Tokyo Shibuya 109 on the 31st.   The idol group on the DefStar label produced by Akimoto Yasuchi recently released the CD single “Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru” which debuted on the Oricon Charts at #4.

Currently there are 36 members in the group but for certain CD single releases only a few are spotlighted.  In the case of their latest CD single, 14 are spotlighted.  The group will begin its nationwide tour on March 10th (4 city, 7 performances).

Click here for original article

Photo courtesy of Sankei Sports

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[JAPAN] SCIENTIST SAYS THAT KTV DISTORTED NATTO COMMENTS

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Kansai TV post-natto trouble continues.   After a television show had been caught for fabricating data (claiming natto led to weight loss), the latest news is that a foreign scientist came out in regards to the “natto” situation and how they tried to use him for their data that natto did lead to weight loss.

According to a recent article on Daily Yomiuri, “A foreign scientist has complained his remarks were distorted on an installment of Kansai Telecasting Corp.’s “Hakkutsu! Aru Aru Daijiten II” (Encyclopedia of Living), which focused on the rejuvenating effects of natto, it has been learned.”

“The researcher told The Yomiuri Shimbun he was manipulated into using the word “natto” on the TV program that aired July 30, although he had no knowledge of the food item. The researcher said the TV production firm seemed intent on promoting natto sales.”

Click here for full article

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[PR] SWEETY VOLUME 2 AND NININ GA SHINOBUDEN VOLUME 2 ON BOOKSTORE SHELVES NOW!

INFINITY STUDIOS, LLC ANNOUNCES:
SWEETY VOLUME 2 AND
NININ GA SHINOBUDEN VOLUME 2 ON BOOKSTORE SHELVES NOW!

Free Shipping Also Available For All Online Purchases!

RICHMOND, CA – January 31, 2007 – Infinity Studios, LLC ships SWEETY Vol. 2
(by Jae-Sung Park and Ju-Ri Kim) and Ryoichi Koga’s hilarious hit NININ GA
SHINOBUDEN Vol. 2. More information can be found on the company’s website at
www.infinitystudios.com.

Myung-Ho is seriously going in over his head in SWEETY Volume 2!  Both the
daughter of a local mafia boss and a cute younger sister-like neighbor are
both after his love.  Myung-Ho must make a quick decision while his heart
breaks as he must choose between both girls.  What a dilemma!

Also, get ready for even more special ninja techniques, cursed items,
nightmarish monsters and of course … plenty more of Onsokumaru in the 2nd
installment of the hilarious hit that launched an anime of the same
name-NININ GA SHINOBUDEN Volume 2!  Our heroine, Shinobu-a female ninja in
training, learns how to identify poisonous mushrooms and watches ninjas play
baseball.  See what happens when Shinobu’s master, Onsokumaru, clones
himself and the antics, parodies and laughs will be non-stop!

Both titles include beautifully drawn art and a stunning dust jacket!
SWEETY Vol. 2 is available for a suggested retail price of $9.95 and is
rated 13+. NININ GA SHINOBUDEN  Vol. 2 is available for a suggested retail
price of $10.95 and is rated 13+.  Both titles as well as all other book
titles currently receive free USPS shipping on all online orders placed at
www.infinitystudios.com <http://www.infinitystudios.com> .

Discussions on the SWEETY or NININ GA SHINOBUDEN series and/or other
fantastic Infinity Studios, LLC titles and products can be found on the
internet in the forum area of the Infinity Studios, LLC website located at
www.infinitystudios.com <http://www.infinitystudios.com> .

About Infinity Studios, LLC

Headquartered in Richmond, California, Infinity Studios, LLC is a leading
worldwide developer and publisher of Asian Graphic Novels.  Founded in 2004,
Infinity Studios, LLC maintains operations in the U.S., Japan and Korea.
More information about Infinity Studios, LLC and its products can be found
on the company’s World Wide Web site, which is located at
www.infinitystudios.com <http://www.infinitystudios.com/> .

The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are
“forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and
uncertainties. The Company cautions readers of this press release that a
number of important factors could cause Infinity Studio, LLC’s actual future
results to differ materially from those expressed in any such
forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation,
product delays, retail acceptance of our products, industry competition,
rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of
proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, vendors
and third-party developers, international economic and political conditions,
integration of recently acquired subsidiaries and identification of suitable
future acquisition opportunities. The Company may change its intention,
belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon any
changes in such factors, in the Company’s assumptions or otherwise. The
Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date
hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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[JAPAN] NEWCOMER MYSPACE vs. MIXI – THE BATTLE OF THE SNS

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In Japan, the largest Social Network Service) has been Mixi, but US-based MySpace has their eyes set on Japan.

According to the Daily Yomiuri, Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Paul Jackson writes, “MySpace, the Web site that millions of musicians across the globe have been using to promote themselves, lays claim to being the world’s leading social networking service (SNS), with 140 million users. But here in Japan, MySpace is still a mere newcomer and has a huge task ahead of itself if it is to overcome Japan’s biggest SNS, Mixi, which currently has 6.6 million users.”

“Mixi (or mixi as the SNS prefers to render itself) launched in February 2004 within a month of MySpace’s original start in the United States and clearly has a huge advantage of momentum over its new competitor, MySpace Japan, which only came into being on Nov. 7 under the wing of SoftBank and News Corp.”

“So is the challenge of overtaking Mixi for MySpace Japan already an impossible one?”

Click here for the full article

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[JAPAN] KUNISHIGE TOMOMI “EEKANJI”

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Artist Kunishige Tomomi is catching attention with her art by combining kanji and English together.

According to Mainichi Shimbun,  “She does so most noticeably by using English letters instead of mere brush strokes to form her kanji. She calls her work “Eekanji,” which has the double meaning of being “English Kanji” and also the Kansai dialect phrase meaning “pretty good.”

Click here for full article

Photo courtesy of Mainichi Shimbun

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[PR] EAGLE ONE MEDIA TO PRODUCE SET OF VOLTRON DVD BASED ON COMICS

EAGLE ONE MEDIA TO PRODUCE SET OF VOLTRON DVD BASED ON COMICS

January 30, 2007, Macomb, MI. Eagle One Media, Inc. is proud to announce it
has acquired the licensing rights from World Events Productions to produce a
set of DVD adventures based on the Voltron: Defender of the Universe
property for the retail market. The proposed DVDs will utilize the published
content from the popular Voltron comic books as produced by Devil’s Due
Publishing and will be presented in the form of an Eagle One Media animated
digital comic production.

An Eagle One Media animated digital comic production utilizes the actual
artwork and story content from a series of comic books, generally 5 to 7
issues in length, and with the addition of animation, motion-style
techniques, character voice-over, music, and special effects, creates a
fact-paced, entertaining “feature film” that can be watched on any video
device. Each animated digital comic production has a run time of 75 to 100
minutes and can be found at your local DVD retailer.

“Voltron fans worldwide are sure to enjoy these unique adventures,”
commented Eric Reichert, President of Eagle One Media, Inc.  “These DVDs
will have more animation and action then our previous releases and each DVD
will contain two versions of the adapted comic book story for fans to enjoy.
One version will show the traditional word balloons on screen as the dialog
is spoken during the video play much like a comic, while the other version
will have the word balloons removed so fans can see more of the action and
more of the wonderfully drawn and animated scenes on the screen.”

The first action-packed Voltron DVD, titled Voltron: Defender of the
Universe – Revelations, will be released in June 2007 with a suggested
retail price of $19.99. To secure the widest retail release for the DVDs,
Eagle One Media anticipates securing an agreement with an established
animation DVD distributor in the near future.

Released in 1984, Voltron: Defender of the Universe quickly skyrocketed to
be the number one children’s program in the United States and around the
world.  Merchandising rapidly followed with more than 100 different Voltron
products on store shelves around the world.

With the renewed interest worldwide and recent success of resurrected
superheroes from the 1980’s, Voltron has launched its global return.  A
Voltron comic book is on shelves as well as a collectible toy line, an
apparel line, and a DVD collection.  The show also airs daily on Cartoon
Network, a move that is sure to please fans and kids alike.  In addition,
World Event Productions is working on a new interactive Voltron series, the
release of the first-ever Voltron OVA, and a Voltron movie is soon to be
announced.

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[VIDEO GAMES] DIDDY KONG RACING (DS) – FEBRUARY 7TH RELEASE – KEY INFORMATION

The following are details and photo are courtesy of Nintendo on Diddy Kong Racing for the DS to be released on February 7th:

KEY INFORMATION
A bloated space pig has taken control of Diddy Kong’s island paradise, and only you can stop his nefarious plot. Players take on the racing challenge of a lifetime as they drive, hover and fly their way across the massive island. This remastered take on a Nintendo® 64 classic is sure to rev the engines of adventure racing fans everywhere.

• Diddy Kong Racing DS is the first hand-held adventure racing game, a genre that lets players visit new locations, talk to interesting characters, advance the storyline and search for hidden secrets – all while engaging other drivers in a series of racing challenges to see who is king of the road.
• Drivers can use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to go online and race against up to five other players from around the world. Diddy Kong Racing DS also features eight-player single-card download play as well as multicard local wireless play.
• Wish Race mode gives players complete freedom to design, build and race on the tracks of their dreams. Touch-screen control makes building the courses a snap, and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection compatibility lets players share their works of genius with everyone.
• Diddy Kong Racing DS is a completely updated version of the N64® classic Diddy Kong® Racing – and it boasts too many new features to list. Retextured and remixed tracks, new characters and racing challenges, new levels, improved vehicle control, touch-screen controls, gamer tag designs and more make this an experience that both newcomers and seasoned vets will love.

Game storyline: After living in peace and harmony for years, the inhabitants of Timber’s Island are invaded by the evil Wizpig. Receiving a frantic plea for help, Diddy Kong assembles members of the Kong family and rushes to the rescue. Can he save the island in time, or will Wizpig hog all the glory for himself?

How to progress through the game: Diddy Kong Racing DS is unique among racing games because it’s more than just a series of cups and challenges – it’s a full-fledged adventure. The game starts in a hub zone (a portion of the island that serves as an access point for all other areas), but where players go after that is up to them. They can drive over bridges, through oceans and around volcanoes as they enter races in a quest for balloons that let them unlock different portions of the island. And when they’re not racing, they can explore their surroundings and try to discover the many hidden secrets of Timber’s Island. But don’t think this is a leisurely Sunday drive – players have to speed through a huge variety of racing challenges if they want to complete the adventure and save their friends from Wizpig’s nefarious schemes.

Characters: Diddy Kong, Pipsy, TipTup, Bumper, Timber, Crunch, Dixie Kong™ and Tiny Kong™ are all playable characters. Unlockable racers include Drumstick, TT, Taj and Wizpig himself.

Special powers/weapons/moves/features: The game has 38 unique tracks, including four new tracks that were not in the N64 version. The tracks are contained in themed worlds such as Dino Domain, Snowflake Mountain and Future Fun Land. In the beginning, players will be able to race only on a couple of open tracks. To reach the others, they must explore the island, win races and uncover secrets that allow them to open doors and progress deeper into the game.

Diddy Kong Racing DS features three different vehicle types: cars, hovercrafts and planes. And if players don’t like their current ride, they can now upgrade. In a new twist, Diddy Kong Racing DS allows players to upgrade their vehicles in the categories of speed, durability and appearance.

No adventure racing game would be complete without a way to destroy foes, and Diddy Kong Racing DS gives players a massive arsenal at their disposal. Oil slicks, gas clouds, land mines, super shields, speed boosts, homing missiles, magnets … if players can’t work their enemies over, they aren’t trying.

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