SMAP member Kimura Takuya (34) felt the warm greetings from over a 1,000 fans who came to greet him when he arrived at an airport in Korea.

Kimura arrived in “HERO” related business and would be meeting  with Korean actor Byunghun (36) who will play a lawyer in the film.

“HERO” is a film based on a popular drama.   Kohei Kuryu, played by Takuya Kimura, is a former juvenile delinquent that drops out of junior high and goes on to earn a high school equivalency diploma. After passing the law board exams, Kuryu becomes a prosecutor. Not your typical prosecutor, which is quickly seen through the clothes that he wears, Kuryu possesses quick instincts and a kind of cleverness that only someone raised on the streets could have. 

Kimura will be heading to Pusan for filming.

More 

One of the video game industry’s most celebrated franchises is officially hotter than ever. Within just five days of availability, more than 1 million copies of Pokémon® Diamond and Pokémon Pearl for the portable Nintendo DS™ have sold in the United States since Sunday’s launch; a faster rate than any previous Pokémon games since the franchise’s U.S. introduction, almost a decade ago. To date, more than 155 million copies of Pokémon games have sold worldwide.

Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl are poised to become two of the top-selling games of 2007 in the United States. More than one half million people pre-ordered the games before launch. Additionally, thousands of people attended the kickoff launch event in New York, and demand for the games continues to be off the charts. These latest versions of Pokémon games were introduced in Japan on Sept. 28, 2006, and have already been purchased by more than 5 million video gamers there.

The two games include a number of features that make them particularly attractive to gamers, including:

• More than 100 new Pokémon.
• A 3-D look that makes Pokémon jump off the screen.
• Worldwide wireless battling and trading using Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection.
• Voice chat functions that let players talk wirelessly with their friends.

Later this year, these two titles will also help expand the Pokémon universe for the first time to Wii™, Nintendo’s new home video game system. Diamond and Pearl owners will be able to use their DS hardware units as controllers for Pokémon Battle Revolution (launching June 25), the first Pokémon game available for Wii. Players also will be able to export characters to the Wii game.

For more information about Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl, visit www.Pokemon-Games.com.

Nintendo Co., Ltd., today reported final consolidated fiscal year revenues of 966.5 billion yen and operating profits of 226.0 billion yen for the year ending March 31, 2007, an increase of 90 percent and 150 percent, respectively, over the same period one year ago. Both numbers are record highs for the company.The results are due largely to full-year sales of more than 23 million portable Nintendo DS™ systems globally, along with 123 million Nintendo DS games. Since introduction, the Nintendo DS has now eclipsed lifetime sales of 40 million systems.

In addition, in less than five months since introduction, the company sold 5.84 million of its new Wii™ home video game systems globally, virtually every one snapped up immediately by consumers, along with nearly 29 million Wii games. Wii has taken a step toward becoming a cultural phenomenon, appealing widely to both avid and previously disinterested game-playing audiences.

For the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2007, Nintendo projects sales of 14 million Wii systems and 55 million games worldwide. The company projects sales of 22 million Nintendo DS hardware unit sales and 130 million software units sales. Nintendo forecasts consolidated sales increasing nearly 18 percent to 1.14 trillion yen, and operating profits growing nearly 20 percent to 270 billion yen.

All financial projections are based on an anticipated ratio of 115 yen to the U.S. dollar, and 150 yen to the euro. Using this estimate, recurring and net profits for the year are projected to be flat in anticipation of a foreign currency reevaluation loss.

For more information about Nintendo, please visit Nintendo.com.

KETCHUP MANIA TO MAKE USA DEBUT AT A-KON 2007

April 26, 2007 – Las Vegas, NV - Japanese punk rockers ketchup mania will play their first-ever American performance at A-Kon 2007 in Dallas, TX.

The band will perform a special concert June 1, 2007 at the convention’s opening-night event.

ketchup mania has been one of JapanFiles.com’s best-selling bands in 2007, and was voted Best Punk Group in Shojo Beat magazine’s 2007 Music Awards. They will appear in the USA just weeks after the official release of their new Toy’s Factory release ” U.R.G.E.”

ketchup mania’s song “Your World” is used as the theme to the Japanese anime “Idaten Jump.”

Tickets to the show are available at http://a-kon.com
ketchup mania music is available at http://www.japanfiles.com  <http://www.japanfiles.com/>

ketchup mania appears by special arrangement with JapanFiles.com, in cooperation with ark music, ltd. and Toy’s Factory.

The top 10 selling video games according to MediaCreate for April 9-15 are:

1. Gyakuten Saiban 4 - DS / 250,186
2. Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 Mini Mini Daikojin - DS / 92,017
3. Wii Sports - Wii / 41,035
4. YOSHI’S ISLAND - DS / 40,974
5. Hajimete no Wii Pack - Wii / 28,394
6. Layton Kyouju no Fushigi na Machi - DS
7. Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training Motto Eigo Duke - DS
8. Musou Orochi - PS2
9. Professional Baseball Spirits 4 - PS2
10. Watashi no Relaxuma -DS

Anime Veteran Peter Tatara Joins Reed Exhibitions

Norwalk, CT, April 25, 2007:  The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced anime industry veteran Peter Tatara has joined the show as its Programming Manager.  Tatara will be responsible for crafting the first NYAF’s look, feel, programming, and marketing.  A former Marketing Manager at anime distributor Central Park Media and manga publisher Be Beautiful Manga, Tatara comes to NYAF with a background in both the anime industry and anime community as a whole.  He recently served as Anime Programming Manager at New York Comic Con 2007 and will now be channeling his efforts into the inaugural NYAF.

The New York Anime Festival takes place December 7-9, 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan and is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creators of New York Comic Con.  The New York Anime Festival will showcase the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, and anime-influenced comics, animation, and films from around the world. The festival will feature exclusive and extensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the some of the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia, and America, and explore the Japanese cultural experience with displays of both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese apparel, cuisine, and life.

“We’re tremendously excited to have Peter working with us,” John McGeary, NYAF’s Show Manager stated.  “Peter offers a great combination of talent, dedication, and instinct.  His huge knowledge of the anime community combines terrifically with our own expertise in running events.  I know Peter will have a lot to contribute, not just to our launch in December, but for many years to come as NYAF establishes itself as a preeminent event for the anime fan.”

Further information and tickets can be found at the temporary www.newyorkanimefestival.com.  The full New York Anime Festival website — with guests, panels, screenings, and special event information — is launching this summer.

The New York Anime Festival is sponsored by ADV Films, Anime Insider Magazine, Anime Network, Anime News Network, AnimeNEXT, Book Expo, Diamond Book Distributors, ICv2, New York Comic Con, Newtype USA Magazine, Publishers Weekly, and TOKYOPOP.

Exhibitors include ADV Films, Central Park Media, Comcast’s Anime Selects, Del Rey Manga, Diamond Book Distributors, FUNimation, Go! Comi, TOKYOPOP, and Vertical, Inc.

For any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding NYAF sessions, screenings, and guests, Peter Tatara can be reached at (203) 840-5334 or ptatara@reedexpo.com.

It’s Wednesday and it’s new releases day.  Which album fared well on the Oricon Charts? NOTE: Actress Shibasaki Kou continues to do well as a singer, while Ne-Yo and Avril Lavigne take the #2-#3 positions.  Avril digging the manga is releasing her own animated digital manga in the US.  Otsuka Ai continues to stay in the top 10 and tribute album to Yellow Magic Orchestra’s Haruomi Hosono makes it to the top 10.

1. Shibasaki Kou - Kiki
2. Ne-Yo - Because of You
3. Avril Lavigne - Best Damn Thing
4. KAT-TUN - cartoon KAT-TUN II You
5. Matsu Takako - Cherish You
6. YUI - CAN’T BUY MY LOVE
7. Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion Sound Episode 1
8. Otsuka Ai - Ai am BEST
9. Radio CD utawareru mono Radio Vol. 2
10. Tribute to Haruomi Hosono - Various Artists

It’s Wednesday and it’s new releases in Japan.  How did the new CD singles fare?

NOTE: For the third straight week, Johnny’s Jimusho groups have once again grabbed the #1 position and KinKi Kids increases its Guinness Book of World Records “most consecutive #1″ debut.

1. KinKi Kids - BRAND NEW SONG
2. Morning Musume - Kanashimi Twilight
3. ORANGE RANGE - Ika SUMMER
4. Eiji Wentz/Teppei Koike- Awaking Emotion 8/5/my brand new way
5. BoA - Sweet Impact
6. The Cro-magnons - Kami Hikoki
7. CHEMISTRY - Sora no Kiseki
8. Oda Kazumasa - Dayjob
9. DJ OZMA - Shippu Jinrai Inochi OM-BA-YE
10. Koyama Tsuyoshi - Shin Utawareru mono no Theme

Greetings everyone,

Our coverage of the NANA PREMIUM LIVE ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi’ NANA (BLACK STONES) and OLIVIA inspi’ REIRA (TRAPNEST) is up.

By Sugino Yoko, Misty Creech, Hiroshi Tagawa and Dennis A. Amith
Photography by Noda Masayuki

Click here!

Former Morning Musume (and former W, Mini Moni) member Tsuji Nozomi (19) joins speed eating queen Gyaru Sone (21) and singer Tokito Ami (19) to form the new unit Gyaruru.

The new look is an extreme departure of Tsuji Nozomi’s image  but embraces the ganguro image that many young girls are wearing in Tokyo.

The new unit is produced by Tsunku (who produces Morning Musume and Hello! Project groups) and is supposed to be a para para/Eurobeat trio.  Their first song is titled “Boom Boom Mecha Macho” (to be released in June).

More Gyaruru

Photo courtesy of Sankei Sports