As mentioned here, actress Miyazaki Aoi is going to play the guitar and try herself at singing in her next movie called "Solanin" and now movie distributor Asmik Ace released the first photo of Miyazaki playing the guitar.

The movie is based on a manga of the same name by mangaka Asano Inio that has been serialized in Shukan Young Sunday. It's about Meiko (Miyazaki) who quit her boring office job during her 2nd year and her boyfriend Taneda (Koura Kengo) who works part-time and aimlessly pursues his dream of music. Overall it's a love story about youth and their restless struggle for happiness. They filmed it from April 25 until May 31.

About 1 week before the end of the filming, Miyazaki had to face a live scene in a live music bar in Tokyo that is going to be one of the highlights in the movie. Together with their band, Meiko and Taneda take up the challenge of performing live. They both are enthusiastically singing their song "Solanin" that is packed with their feelings, with Meiko doing both the vocals and the guitar. It's an absolutely incredible stage performance with perfectly clear and comfortable voices, gorgeous postures and a feel-good rhythm. More than 150 extras have been used for the audience and together with the other band members played by Kiritani Kenta and Kondou Youichi (of Sambomaster) they really set the roof on fire, like they say.

People from the production explained that Miyazaki hasn't really been listening to rock music before the filming, but she went through some extra hard training to learn how to play the guitar and to improve her singing. Only the guitar had to be dubbed for that take, but the singing and everything else has been left completely untouched. It's also the first full-length movie for director Miki Takahiro, but he definitely is a "music-pro" and an expert when it comes to bringing music alive in videos as he already did many music videos for artists like ORANGE RANGE or YUI, and so it's good to hear that he clearly approves of Miyazaki's skills. "Miyazaki has an exceptional strong singing voice, I even got goosebumps. Due to the tight schedule we unfortunately haven't been able to record her playing the guitar, but she's definitely rocking it as well. She's a person with a really great intuition."

Miyazaki refrained from doing interviews during the filming to completely concentrate on her role, but after they finished she finally gave some comments again. "It was a really big thing for me to end the filming with a live scene. In that scene we had to play every single tune from the beginning to the end of the performance, it was also very tough for the whole staff and extras, we've worked together until the end and I'm glad that we've been able to do a satisfying finish. Everyone worked really hard, we all wanted to make sure to create a really cool scene and I hope that you will look forward to it." She said with a lot of self-confidence.

During the movie, Miyazaki's band is going to perform "Solanin" and 2 other songs, "each of them being original songs, written and composed by leadings musicians", as the production company says. About a possible CD-Debut of Miyazaki herself they only said, "We don't know". Is it even possible not to make a CD, if even a pro is lost in and captivated by Miyazaki's voice!? We'll see.

The movie "Solanin" will be coming out in 2010.

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Written by: jyoyu.blogspot.com
Source: CinemaToday.jp
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I'll post a few rankings from sites like Oricon that got published over the past few weeks. I won't go into too much details and simply post the rankings with maybe 1 short comment from one of the people who took the survey (if available). Enjoy! (or not..) ^^

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By which celebrity would you like to get woken up?
[456 unmarried men and women between 20 and 40]

- 01 - Nakama Yukie
- 02 - Aragaki Yui
- 02 - Ueto Aya
- 02 - Ayase Haruka
- 02 - Horikita Maki (yes, they really all are on 2nd place)
- 06 - Wada Akiko
[Wada Akiko only got voted, because people would have no choice but to wake up.. she might even scream at you!]

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Whose female celebrity hairdo would you like to copy?
[500 women from senior high school students to women in their 40's]

- 01 - Ueto Aya
["Medium-length hair is so pretty. I want the same one as her!"]
- 02 - Kimura Kaela
["It's always creative, stylish and pretty."]
- 03 - Horikita Maki
["Short hair suits her a lot, it's easy and pretty."]
- 04 - Amuro Namie
["It's always easy and not easy to copy, I'd really like to have the same hairdo as her."]
- 05 - Toda Erika
["It's casual and adult-like, fluffy and very pretty."]
- 06 - YOU
["Her hair is always fluffy and has this natural volume, it's simply beautiful."]
- 07 - Yonekura Ryoko
["It's adult-like and very elegant."]
- 08 - Miyazaki Aoi
["I want to have a fluffy and soft athmosphere like Aoi-chan!"]
- 09 - Shibasaki Kou
["Her suits everything! I personally like dyed hair."]
- 10 - Hamasaki Ayumi
["She's stylish and pretty! I want to have the same charisma as her."]

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Top 10 of "black hair beauties"
[1000 men and women from senior high school students to people in their 40's]

- 01 - Nakama Yukie
["I'm envious of her always glossy and long black hair!"]
- 02 - Kuroki Meisa
["She looks so noble, black hair and a small face is a perfect match."]
- 03 - Koyuki
["She looks pretty with her snow-white skin and black hair."]
- 04 - Kuroki Hitomi
["Her deep black hair is so beautiful and she always looks so youthful."]
- 05 - Aragaki Yui
["She always looks so pretty when she waves her black hair."]
- 06 - Kuriyama Chiaki
["Her unique bangs and silky black hair suit her perfectly."]
- 07 - Kashii Yuu
["She seems like a woman who perfectly displays the feminine virtues of old Japan."]
- 08 - Miyazaki Aoi
["It's only my impression from 'Atsuhime', but black hair suits her a lot."]
- 09 - Aoi Yuu
["She's like the representative of the typical beautiful Japanese person."]
- 10 - Nakashima Mika
["Her black her is pretty and it supports her image."]

-

"Gold-Ratio Faces," the perfectly balanced faces
[1033 men and women who are in their 20's or 30's.]

---Overall (Men&Woman votes combined)
- 01 - Kashii Yuu
- 02 - Fujiwara Norika
- 03 - Matsushima Nanako
- 04 - Aragaki Yui
- 05 - Shibasaki Kou

---Men voters only
- 01 - Aragaki Yui
- 02 - Ueto Aya
- 03 - Fujiwara Norika
- 04 - Hirosue Ryoko
- 05 - Horikita Maki

---Women voters only
- 01 - Kashii Yuu
- 02 - Fujiwara Norika
- 03 - Shibasaki Kou
- 04 - Matsushima Nanako
- 05 - Miyazawa Rie

---
Written by: jyoyu.blogspot.com
Source: Oricon.. and others
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Actress Miyazakoi Aoi has been appointed as the narrator for the Japanese version of Disneynature's first movie with the English title "The Crimson Wing – Mystery of the Flamingos" (in Japanese something like "A Secret of Earth Hidden in Flamingos").

This movie is the first shot of the film label Disneynature that got created in 2008. They previously already distributed the highly popular documentary "Earth", but only in the US. Outside of the US it got distributed by BBC Worldwide and in Japan by GAGA Communications.

About "The Crimson Wing":
In a remote and forgotten wilderness, one of nature's last great mysteries unfolds: the birth, life and death of a million crimson-winged flamingos. Against a dramatic backdrop of never-before filmed landscapes, these secretive birds struggle to survive and prevail over danger and fate. This inspiring story, set in the extraordinary 'otherworld' of Lake Natron in northern Tanzania, the cradle of humankind, reminds us: here on earth is a universe waiting to be discovered. (imdb)

Miyazaki about the movie:
"There haven't really been any detailed movies about Flamingos so far and there have been a lot of dramas among the Flamingos. I was very touched by the fact that the parents care about their kids just like we humans and how they protect them from enemies. However, I also almost cried when I saw the severity of nature, for example when they simply left a too tiny child behind to die. Still, the movie warms your heart and has a lot of happy scenes as well. All the pictures are incredibly beautiful, too. Who could have imagined that there are would be souch beautiful sceneries in this world. I hope that a lot of people will watch this movie."

The movie will come out in Japan in August.


---
Written by: jyoyu.blogspot.com
Source: CinemaToday.jp
Please link back when

Nikkan Sports has finished announcing the winners of its 12th annual reader-chosen Drama Grand Prix. The awards cover the period from April 2008 to March 2009, with the final nominees consisting of the top five from each season.

The TBS thriller "Maou" was voted Best Drama. Arashi leader Ohno Satoshi picked up the title of Best Actor, impressing fans with his acting in that series. Meanwhile, Best Actress was won by a wide margin by Miyazaki Aoi, who starred in the hit taiga drama "Atsuhime."

NEWS and Kanjani8 member Nishikido Ryo was the top choice for Best Supporting Actor, having played the violent and possessive boyfriend in Fuji TV's "Last Friends." Ueno Juri also picked up Best Supporting Actress for the same drama series.

Copied from Tokyograph

In the early dawn of Tuesday, actor Takaoka Shousuke (27) appeared on a radio program and denied any rumors about a possible divorce with actress Miyazaki Aoi (23). Rumors about an upcoming divorce started, when Takaoka was accused of adultery with a former 19 years-old gravure idol. On the program he also completey denied the reports of his supposed adultery. "I apologize to my wife about my careless actions, we are both getting along really well with each other and have a happy marriage", he revealed. Takoka spoke very fondly of their relationship and talked about their holiday plans.

Takaoka appeared on the radio program called "Shirota Yuu's All-Night Nippon" and made a few things clear that circulated in the press. He talked about their holidays plans and made an unexpected 'public apology' to his wife.

"We won't be able to go on a big trip, but I would at least like to go watch a stage play together with my wife." He also adressed that he has always been faithful to her. "I caused her a lot of trouble. It's a fact that my thoughtless actions caused some misunderstandings. I'd like to apologize for that. I already spoke with my wife and told her, 'Excuse me for my actions (that got misunderstood as adultery)'. We are getting along in perfect harmony and enjoy our life as married couple."

Rumors about a possible divorce sparked in February this year. A female magazine reported how he held hands with a former gravure idol on his birthday party, accompanied her to her home and stood there with her for about 3 hours. The agency of that idol then explained that all she did was looking after him, since he got really drunk. Apparently all she did was giving him some water to drink.

In an interview for the movie "ROOKIES" he got asked about the matter, but he refused to talk in order not to disturb his co-actors that attended the event with him. Now finally spoke about those rumors for the first time to Shirota Yuu, who appeared together with him in the above mentioned movie.

"There have been divorce and even DV (domestic violence) rumors. I thought I finally had to deny those. There have been no acts whatsoever related to adultery at all. I'm very sorry for all the trouble it caused for that other person." He commented in a sincere manner.

Takaoka and Miyazaki have been friends for almost 7 years and eventually married the year before last. Since then their eternal love has never changed, despite all the actual changes in their surroundings. On the program he also revealed a cute little story about Miyazaki and the bentos (lunch boxes) she once made for him.

"Is it okay to talk about our love life? At the time when I took a break from work and did daily employment like unloading things, my wife made me bentos. She did it completely out of her own. She put it into Hello Kitty tupperware boxes and made it so pretty, that alone made me so incredible happy."

It really seems that they are living a happy life. Takaoka finally talked about all the rumors that caused him and his wife a lot of trouble. I personally still think that this story with that gravure idol is a bit fishy, especially when you look at a few more facts that got triggered by this 'rumor'. For the sake of Miyazaki, let's just hope he says the truth and that he really has been faithful to her all the time.

Written by: jyoyu.blogspot.com
Source: Sankei MSN
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In a recent Oricon survey, Koike Teppei ranked #1 as the male celebrity that people would want as a younger brother. The same survey also asked about younger sisters, finding that talento Becky was the most popular choice as a sibling.

Becky's cheerful and lively image was a strong factor in her popularity, though some women focused on her fashion sense, commenting that they would really want to go shopping with her.

The cute smile of actress Aragaki Yui fueled her to the #2 spot, just ahead of 9-year-old Ohashi Nozomi, who got her big break with Miyazaki Hayao's animated picture "Gake no Ue no Ponyo."

1. Becky
2. Aragaki Yui
3. Ohashi Nozomi
4. Ueto Aya
5. Shida Mirai
6. Horikita Maki
7. Nagasawa Masami
8. Miyazaki Aoi
9. misono
10. Ayase Haruka

All pictures in this post are scanned by calledinvain for Kawaii Joyuu.
Check out the Maki Daily livejournal for scans with Horikita Maki!!
Please don't post them anywhere else, just tell everyone where to find them.. ^^
Thanks!

Kuroki Meisa in "Tarzan" magazine
I posted two web previews here.





CM Now

Kaho special




Various (Kitano Kie, Kaho, Aibu Saki, Aragaki Yui, Kitagawa Keiko, Shida Mirai, Sakuraba Nanami, Ueto Aya, Miyazaki Aoi)