As requested per mail, here now an older Golden Eggs feature about young actress Kawashima Umika. I hope that person who requested it will see it on here! ^^

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Golden Eggs Vol. 40 (2008)
Kawashima Umika

Kawashima Umika, she's an active junior high school student who had her dorama debut with her role in the TBS dorama "Dare Yorimo Mama wo Ai su" back in 2006. In 2008 she enthusiastically played the younger sister of actor Miura Haruma in "Bloody Monday" (TBS) and right now you can see her in the Spring dorama "Aishiteru". What is this person that even already released her 2nd photo book really like...?

Profile
- Name: Kawashima Umika
- Born: 1994-03-03
- Birthplace: Saitama
- Height: 152cm
- Bloodtype: O
- Hobbies/Skills: Piano

Character
"Usually it's me who gets taken advantage of..."

In 'Bloody Monday' she played the younger sister Haruka of the protagonist Fujimaru , a senior high school student with incredible hacking skills. She got kidnapped by terrorists and even got a timebomb wrapped around herself by them.

"That was tough (laughs). I fainted and didn't have to say anything, but I had to be tied throughout the whole filming, because the chains were too difficult to take off. I wasn't able to move for 3 hours and got stiff shoulders the next day (laughs)."

She played the younger sister that was all loved by her older brother Fujimaru, but that role was actually difficult for her to play. "It was difficult, because I had to behave like a spoiled child for the first time. I have a younger brother and a younger sister, so it's me who usually gets taken advantage of." Umika-chan is basically a short and lovely person, but she's also calm and strong, all the charms of an eldest daughter.

By the way, Haruka's strong point were here cooking skills, but in Umika-chan's case.. "I can't cook at all," she admits with a bitter smile. "I can light the stove, though (laughs). I once tried to cook with instructions from a book, but when I finished, all I got asked was 'What's this? What did you make?' (laughs)" However, it still was fun for her to try it out.

She also already released her 2nd photo book in 2008. Parts of the photos were done in Amami Ooshima. "The stars were so beautiful at night and I looked out for any shooting stars with a certain wish in mind, but couldn't find any..." Umika-chan really has a problem with her shortness and follows a lot of rules in order to grow taller and that wish she talked about, it actually was nothing more but the wish to grow taller.

Umika-chan got scouted in primary school long before she got interested in the world of show business. Now she already has been a regular in 2-3 doramas. "At first I didn't think I would be able to overcome my shyness, but I gradually was able to change myself in a very big way." This year she became a senior high school student, too. She had very innocent thoughts about that step like, "After school I'd like to go to places like Shibuya with my friends and have a meal with them", but she's also full of sincere ambitions. "At work and in my private life, I can't let my growth come to an halt and because of that I would like to absorb lots of various things."

Breakpoint
"Usually I hold back all my emotions and explode quietly (laughs)"

"Of course there have been a lot of difficult things ever since I started to work, but there also have been a lot of enjoyable things. However, when I appeared in a movie for the first time, I once again experienced all the difficulties of acting." With this she brought up her first and so far only movie role in the 2007 movie 'Life - Tengoku de Kimi ni Aetara'.

Based on a true story, the movie follows the life of 38 years-old Iijima Natsuki, a windsurfer from Japan, as he battles and ultimately loses his life to liver cancer. Umika-chan played the daughter of Iijima. Her role holds a lot of grudge against her father who always used to put the surfer contests above his family. The terrible diagnosis of her father doesn't make her instantly become more obedient either. "Fun, sad, angry... it was really difficult to express all those different emotions."

There is one especially impressive scene where she's windsurfing and falling down. Umika-chan herself wasn't able to practice it a lot, "I was too afraid of falling down." This then develops into a scene where her father comes to help her with the surfing and her feelings simply explode. "Usually I hold down all my feelings and explode quietly, so I had to try really hard to show my emotions in a big way."

As mentioned above, the story of that film is based on a true story and so they even had the chance to meet the real Iijima Natsuki. He gave her a lot of pressure with his words, 'You have to make sure to do it right.' - "It was just 1 line, but it really made me think about my way of speaking, I even had to ask the director for advice... my mind simply went BANG (laughs)."

However, as time passed she was able to calm down herself again by telling herself that 'she should just go out and act.' "I don't think that it has to be absolutely truthful to the original. Is that even possible? I performed with those thoughts in mind. It completely changed my way of thinking when acting (laughs)."

It's a typical movie about 'life and death' and such movies are usually even able to change your own way of living. "I started to realize that you should spend your time carefully. The time I spend in bed during my days off decreased (laughs). It might be an effect of this movie."

Written by: jyoyu.blogspot.com
Please don't post this translation anywhere else!

~ The column on Oricon that features the youngsters of 2009 ~

Okamoto Anri

In 2004 she debuted as elementary school student, this year she became an exclusive model for the magazine "SEVENTEEN" and since the 7th you can see her as part of the main cast in the movie "Yatterman", Okamoto Anri. We will show you everything, from her ordinary eating habits to the tears of the 14-years-old girl who decided "to live in the world of show business."

Profile

• Name: Okamoto Anri
• Born: 1994-07-01
• Birthplace: Tokyo
• Heigth: 165cm
• Bloodtype: A
• Hobbies: collecting commodity samples, collecting stones, going to science museums
• Special skills: trampoline, volleyball, dancing

Character
Left her team with "tears" !?

On her blog Anri writes a lot about food. Her favorite food are dried plums. "I even receive dried plums as present on Christmas and my birthday. (laughs) I also like cheese, I put it on dried plums and grill it. It's really good, I love it! However, noone ever wants to try it. (laughs)"

She's very tall and really a beauty, when she speaks she always smiles. She's also an A-type, but - "I'm not good at cleaning, even my bag is crumpled. (laughs)" Anri might be cleaning up her room, but she can't throw anything away. "Even when doing a big spring cleaning, I wouldn't be able to throw away more than what fits in a supermarket plastic bag. My mother disposed of a pen case, porch and a purse I didn't use at all recently with the words, 'You certainly don't need those.' (laughs)"

Both her parents and her older brother are playing volleyball. With the first year in elementary school, she also tried to start playing it professional, but when she went to Harajuku for the first time to watch a volleyball match in her 3rd year, she got scouted by a talent agency. "I thought that I would always play volleyball and had no interest in the world of show business at all. (laughs) I even went to the interview just for fun and still succeeded."

However, despite her age you could say that it already was the decision of her life, because she really started to enjoy to work as an actress and a model. During her 4th year she left her volleyball team with "tears". She gained so much attention through doramas and commercials, that she eventually got selected for one of the key roles in the life action movie "Yatterman".

"One time when we retreat I hang onto Yatterone and get smashed right into the ocean, another time I run up some stairs, get hit and kicked, and tumble down." It's been the first time that it really got physical for her. Afterwards she even had bruises on her legs, but she really enjoyed the filming. "I was able to come out of my shell, it was an incredible feeling. (laughs)"

Breakpoint
The movie "Smile - A Christmas Miracle"

In 6th grade she appeared in a movie for the first time, its name was "Smile - A Christmas Miracle". It was about the first love between the ace from an ice hockey team and a figure skating girl. Anri was the one who played that girl.

Back than the figure skating was a bigger problem than the acting itself. "I had never been on the ice before." She had 3 months to learn figure skating to 1 song. "They told me that we could use a double, but I didn't like that idea. However, in the beginning I couldn't even let go off the railing. Every single day I fell down on my butt and hurt myself. 'There's no way I can do that', is what I thought whenever I fell."

She still kept on practicing - "It was fun and so I didn't let it put me down." - and in the end she was even able to do jumps and spins. There was another difficulty during the filming in Hokkaido for her.

"I had to play a girl that falls ill. I've never had really been ill myself and worried about how I should play this part." Obviously Anri didn't have a lot of acting experience and in one crying scene she also had problems to cry just like that. In the end it took them about 2 months to film the movie. "On the final day, the director came to me and thanked me for my big efforts until then. I was really surprised and cried a lot when he did that."

There's one thing she learned during that movie, something that will help her to gradually improve herself. "You might be inexperienced, but that's no excuse for not doing a role properly."

Written by: jyoyu.blogspot.com / Source: Oricon
Please link back when posting those news anywhere else.

Just hatched and already leaving the nest?!
~ The youngsters of 2009 ~
Golden Eggs - Vol. 44

Yamamoto Hikaru

Yamamoto Hikaru made her entry into the world of show business with her second place in Amuse's first "O-himesama Audition" (Princess Audition). Slowly more and more people started to notice her refreshing smile that lead to main roles in the movies "Violent Edition: Elite Yankee Saburo", "BABY BABY BABY!" and "Umi no ue no kimi wa, itsumo egao" (On the sea, you are always smiling) that are all going to get released this year.

Profile

• Name: Yamamoto Hikaru
• Born: 1991-02-28
• Birthplace: Osaka
• Height: 160cm
• Shoe size: 24cm
• Bloodtype: O
• Hobbies: peeling apples, basketball
• Special skills: computer, reading

Character
Encouraged by her parents' words: "We have no expectations in you at all." !?

It's the "always adding a punch line when she talks (laughs)" Hikaru-chan born in Osaka. She has such an easy-going character that her friends call her 'slow pacer'. Ever since she was little she wanted to become famous and in her 3rd year in junior high she decided to become an actress when she watched the dorama 'Ooku'. "It might be a bit too far-fetched to call her the trigger (laughs), but I really admired Matsushita Yuki. Her variety and how she can switch over to a serious expression is simply amazing."

Attracted by the word 'princess' she went to Amuse's 'Princess Audition' and came in 2nd. Her parents didn't really have any expectations in her, but Yamamoto is someone who hates to loose. "I thought, 'now I have to absolutely try my best all the more'." In the movie version of "Elite Yankee Saburo" there is one scene where she's completely absorbed into a beat'-em-up game and in reality she also loves games. "When the music starts I completely isolate me from any other sounds and become really serious. I totally hate to leave with a defeat (laughs)."

One of her specials skills is to 'peel apples'. "I can peel it off from the top to the bottom in one go. During my first year in junior year we got a lot of apples from the countryside and I was able to practice a lot. Recently I tried the same with kiwi fruits! It's difficult because of the hairs, but I mastered it (laughs)"

The movie is going to come out on her 18th birthday and as of spring she's going to be a college student. "I want to come back to the school's café! That wouldn't really be adult-like, though (laughs). However, I won't be able to outgrow anytime soon from collecting stuff of my favorite bear character anyway (laughs)." Yamamoto is going to grow from a girl into an adult while showing us all her different expressions.

Breakpoint
Her first love scene!!

Right after her audition she was already selected for a main role in the movie version of "Elite Yankee Saburo". She's going to play the role of Asai Haruna, a girl who is attracted by the main character Ookochi Saburo. The main sale point of the movie is its "stupidity", but her role isn't just that of the typical pretty girl. "The difference is that she only pretends to be ignorant. She also quite a chaotic character, but that's what makes her so charming (laughs). Maybe I also forgot that I was being called by somebody just now and should be somewhere totally else (laughs)."

In one scene she had to loose her temper and showed us a new face of hers. "Usually I don't get angry a lot, but I tingled with excitement (laughs)." It was also her first time doing action or CG sequences. "I'm fascinated by how you are able to make impossible things happen, like when I fling away my older brother Nadagi. It was difficult to do, but I imagined it like when you shoot fire out of your hands in those arcade games."

"In another scene with Nadagi he made such weird gestures that I almost started laughing." All the yankees were really scary at first, but she enjoyed the filming. "I was really frightened when I saw them and thought, 'I have to play among them?', but then during the outdoor filming they said that I am cool. They've all been really kind to me."

One scene that left the biggest impression is the kiss scene with Saburo. "It kinda was my first love scene. I was totally embarrassed and my mind was all blank. However, you can see a lot of love scenes lately and therefore I wanted to do it, too. A pure love story next time would be great (laughs)."

Written by: jyoyu.blogspot.com / Source: Oricon
Please link back when posting those news anywhere else.

I decided to translate Oricon's "Golden Eggs" corner in where they introduce and interview some of the most promising young acting talents. The corner started in January 2008 and over the year it featured talents like...

Tanimura Mitsuki, Minamisawa Nao, Kobayashi Ryoko, Konno Narumi, Koike Rina, Kojima Fujiko, Nako Mizusawa, Fujii Mina, Takabe Ai, Ishibashi Anna, Maeda Atsuko, Takahata Mitsuki, Ono Erena, Adachi Rika, Tanaka Asami, Minegishi Minami, Kurose Manami, Nakabeppu Aoi, Arisue Mayuko, Aizawa Rina, Akiyama Nana, Takei Emi, Omasa Aya, Kutsuna Shiori, Miura Yui, Kawashima Umika, Yamashita Rio and Okamoto Rei.

They all are somewhat active in the entertainment world, either as idol, singer or supporting actress. Some even managed to get a leading role and others are still working hard to make a breakthrough soon. You might not have heard their names before, but if you are into doramas, then I promise you that you probably have already seen more than a handful of those mentioned above.

Now with Vol. 43 and the most recent Vol. 44 the columne arrived in 2009 and began its mission to show us those talents that could make it big in 2009 or the following years. That's enough of introduction to this corner, here comes Vol.43, soon to be followed by Vol. 44 and the future publications.


Just hatched and already leaving the nest?!
~ The youngsters of 2009 ~
Golden Eggs - Vol. 43

Kanazawa Miho

Her screen debut in the movie "Suspect X" (movie version of the dorama "Galileo") as the daughter of a role played by actress Matsuyuki Yasuko was the first time that she really caught the attention of many. The expectations for this youthful 14 years old girl are huge now that she's even going to have a starring role in the movie "Hajimete no Iede" that came out in February! Outside of her work she's a simple honor student and has a very natural honesty.

Profile

• Name: Kanazawa Miho
• Born: 1994-10-17
• Birthplace: Kanagawa
• Height: 157cm
• Shoe size: 23cm
• Weight: 43kg
• Bloodtype: A
• Hobbies: Collecting jewelry and local kewpie dolls
• Special skills: tennis and swimming

Character
"I think that now is a great time."

The first movie with her in the starring role is came out not too long ago as mentined above. How's her ordinary student life? "When we have a break we always play a game of tag. I'm great when it comes to running away (laughs)." Kanazawa seems to be a very cheerful and charming junior high school student, but she's definitely no morning person. "During school time I'm supposed to come down from my room at 8am, but usually don't wake up before 8:10 (laughs). When I really can't get out of my futon, my mom calls me on my mobile phone from the lower floor to wake me up (laughs)."

When she was six, she read about the Avex Audition in a magazine and applied for it. Actually she was yearning to become a singer, but ever since she was selected for the big hit "Suspect X" she got more roles in movies and doramas. In the movie "Hajimete no Iede" she played a strong-willed and positive thinking girl. "She's a girl who speaks her mind openly. I'm not that kind of person, but I think that I adopted her positiveness and now even became able to state my opinion among my group of friends."

By the way, the release date of that movie was on Valentine's Day. She didn't give her chocolate to anyone this year, but - "I love sports and played tennis or went swimming before, therefore I think that people who are active members in a sports club are really cool."

As of April she will be in her 3rd year of junior high and after that she's soon going to be very busy. "When I become a senior high school student, I'll loose a lot of friends I have right now and because of that I'd like to spend time by myself either doing nothing, studying for a test, having a lot of projects at work... (laughs)." However, until that days she's going to enjoy every day to the fullest. "I think that now is a great time."

Breakpoint
Director: "Talk with your back!"

Kanazawa's first role in a movie was in the movie version of the popular dorama "Galileo". Her violent father got killed and she plays one of the key roles in this case. Director Nishitani held auditions after auditions to find the right "cute girl with a smile that appeals to the masses". In the end he selected Kanazawa for the role, by that time the only acting experience she had was a role in a noon dorama. "I was totally lost at the actual spot of the filming and there were only huge and well-known stars in the cast. I became really worried, was totally nervous and extremely perplexed. I simply stood in a corner until somebody finally told me that it would be okay to sit down in that chair."

The actually filming wasn't an easy job either. "It was very strict. From the first shoot of a scene to the rehearsal, doing one take over and over again, crying over and over again (laughs). I was always so mortified when the director got angry and I really shed a lot of tears during the filming."

One time the director gave her a very odd and difficult instruction, 'Talk with your back.' "How are you supposed to do that? Anyway, I tried the best I could do and stooped with my head upside-down." There is one person she made progress with during the filming, Matsuyuki Yasuko who is playing her mother in the movie. "When I had nobody to eath with, she came over and had her meal together with me. She's been really kind to me."

She also learned something out of the movie. "When I have a quarrel with my parents, I will immediately make up with them again instead of brooding over it (laughs)." The role also made her be ambitious about her career as an actress. "I'd like to broaden my acting horizon and do gloomy as well as bright scenes. I was able to do such a big project right in the beginning and I would like to use it as a solid base for the things to come."


Vol. 44 will follow tomorrow or the days after.
Feel free to comment, if you like those "Golden Eggs" translations.

Written by: jyoyu.blogspot.com / Source: Oricon
Please link back when posting those news anywhere else.