Ashida Mana becomes the youngest lead star in Japanese drama history

At six years of age, popular child actress Ashida Mana will be a lead star in upcoming special drama, “Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien” (NTV), which will be broadcasted in March. As a result, Ashida will be the youngest lead star in Japanese drama history.

The drama will be about five kids who are about to graduate from the kindergarten, and it’s described as a “Kindergarten version of ‘Stand By Me’“. The title of the drama was named after a song which has been sung by kids at the graduation ceremony at kindergartens, and at the end of the drama, the kindergarteners will sing the chorus to the song

For the special drama, the same staff from NTV’s drama, “Mother“, which is the show that made Ashida Mana popular, will unite again. Ashida, who will be entering into elementary school this spring (in her real life), commented, “I have very few opportunities to co-star with people in my age group, so I’m looking forward to staying with them.”

The special drama is projected to be yet another touching drama on the resume of Ashida.

source: tokyohive

Yamashita Tomohisa starts his first solo Asia tour

NEWS member Yamashita Tomohisa just started his solo Asia tour, “TOMOHISA YAMASHITA ASIA TOUR 2011 Super Good Super Bad“, at HITEC Star Hall in Hong Kong.

Yamashita appeared on stage, receiving enthusiastic “Yamapi!” calls, and he performed “Daite Senorita“, “Fever to Future“, and “Seishun Amigo” as the opening songs, and grabbed the hearts of 4,000 fans. When Yamashita performed “Seishun Amigo” on the stage, while being surrounded by the audience on all side, almost all of those in attendance were dancing to the song with Yamashita.


A total 25 songs were performed during the live concert, and Yamashita said to the fans, “I knew you guys (fans in Hong Kong) were very powerful, but it was just way beyond my expectations. I will study the language more, and I want to sing Hong Kong songs next time!”

Although he has held a live concert with NEWS in Taiwan back in 2007, this was his first solo concert overseas. During the concert, Yamashita gave handshakes on his own accord, and he even went down to the auditorium.

The live concerts in Hong Kong were held on January 29th and the 30th, so Yamashita said that he watched the Japan’s performance in the Asian Cup Final at the hotel room after the concert. Since he is in good contact with one of the Japanese team’s player, Nagatomo Yuto, who had the game winning assist, Yamashita gave congratulations to his friend, saying, “Nagatomo was amazing. He encouraged me. Congratulations.”

It’s been a whole nine years since any Johnny’s Entertainment artist has held a live concert in Hong Kong, however, it seems like the popularity of JE boys, including Yamashita, is still quite high. Since the tickets for the two live concerts in Hong Kong were sold out in an hour, there were two more additional stages. Thus, Yamashita held four stages in total in two days.

With this Asia tour, Yamashita will also visit Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand, apart from the five locations in Japan. He said, “I would like to dwindle the distances in this world. I would hope I could make people in other countries think, ‘Idols in Japan are pretty fun.’”





source: tokyohive

Girl group Passpo to make major label debut + embark on world tour

Ten member girl group Passpo announced that they would be making their major debut and going on a worldwide tour!

The group cheerfully introduced themselves in front of 1,000 fans on January 30th with a cute “Attention please! We’re Passpo!”, then showed off their major debut song “Shoujo Hikou,” presenting its “air travel” theme and flight attendant-inspired costumes. It was also revealed at the event that member Wakatsuki Chinatsu was responsible for the costume design and “rolling bag” dance for their debut single.


The group will be releasing their major label debut single, “Shoujo Hikou,” on April 6th after releasing four indie singles and an album. The average age of all the members is 17.4 years old, and finds much of their inspiration in popular Korean girl group Shoujo Jidai, their labelmate under Universal Music Japan. When asked about SNSD, Passpo replied excitedly, “We’d love to stand on the same stage as them someday.”

The girls seemed to have high expectations of their major label debut. “Even though we’re making our major debut, we want to give it our all just like the (indies) Passpo,” said the leader, Negishi Ai. She then added, “We want to stand at the top. We have our eye on Oricon’s number one spot!”

Passpo also announced at the event that they would be going on a worldwide tour by the end of the year, featuring stops in America and across Asia.

Check out Passpo’s performance at the Tokyo Idol Festival 2010 below. Do you think the girls have what it takes to make a successful major label debut?

Passpo – Let It Go!! + La La Love Train (Tokyo Idol Festival 2010)




source: tokyohive

Kim In Ae – Abercrombie Hoodie

source: reallycuteasians

Lee Jong Suk makes an appearance on ‘Strong Heart’

Actor Lee Jong Suk will be a guest on the variety program, ‘Strong Heart!’

Lee Jong Suk, who is well known for his chic role as the genius composer Sun in the SBS drama, ‘Secret Garden,’ will appear on SBS’s ‘Strong Heart’ and reveal his audition experience.

Additionally, the actor will also talk about behind-the-scenes episodes he experienced with fellow cast member Yoon Sang Hyun, and show his true cute personality apart from the chic image shown in the drama. At one point, the actor also surprised MC Kang Ho Dong by reenacting one of Sun’s classic lines, “Get out!”, further revealing his various charismatic charms.

Meanwhile, this hilarious and highly anticipated episode of ‘Strong Heart’ will be aired on February 8th.


source: allkpop

Kang Seung Yoon features in photoshoot and video for clothing brand

“Superstar K2” Top 4 candidate, and more recently a YG trainee, Kang Seung Yoon, recently participated in a photoshoot for a casual clothing brand.

Utilizing a concept of the singer enjoying a date with his fans, the photo spread shows a casual and laid back image of Kang Seung Yoon as he advertises printed t-shirts and hats.


The inclusive interactive advertisement can be watched through a smart phone and on their website, and it’s filmed in a way that the viewer can feel like they’re on a personal date with Kang Seung Yoon himself.

Many fans anticipated the video when a sketch photo was first revealed through Kang Seung Yoon’s minihompy at the beginning of January. The singer showed a bright and happy image for the video shooting, even in the cold winter weather, earning praise from the staff on set.

In addition, Kang Seung Yoon also sang a song for the advertisement video, titled “Have You Ever Fallen in Love”. A representative stated, “Seung Yoon’s voice is more charming the more you listen to it. We’re anticipating whether he will receive more love for this new song after his hit cover of “Instinctively.”


source: allkpop

2PM’s Nichkhun’s “It’s Skin” CF teaser

On January 30th, a short teaser of 2PM’s Nichkhun’s CF for “It’s Skin” was released.

The teaser starts out with the saying, “Don’t believe her”, and then the video goes to several shots of Nichkhun and the ‘mystery girl’ – in what seems to be a kiss scene! At the end, the CF teaser states, “If you are curious about Nichkhun’s kiss: February 1st – TV CF on air.”

Fans showed mixed reactions to Nichkhun’s possible kiss scene, “Can’t say anything because I feel faint…”, “ki ki kissssss!! Noooooooooooooooo”, and “I love this!!”

Check out the teaser of Nichkhun’s kiss below!



source: allkpop

Super Junior wants the world to see Super Show 4

The Super Junior members were in Singapore this past weekend for the Singapore leg of their Super Show 3 concert tour and it finished off successfully with 20,000 fans going home delighted.

Before the second concert in Singapore yesterday, the members had a press conference with the local media where they expressed their desire to bring the next edition, Super Show 4, to cities outside of Asia. Since the beginning of their Super Show concert tour begun back in 2008, the extravaganza has been confined to mainly east and southeastern countries in Asia.

“The prolific group has plans to bring a brand new Super Show 4 showcase to the rest of the world after the release of their fifth album this year“, so says band leader Leeteuk, 27, when asked to share the group’s plans and goals for 2011.

“We won’t restrict it [Super Show 4] to only Asia“, he smilingly adds, during an interview with Xin MSN yesterday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.


Leeteuk and Heechul were also asked about the minor accident they got into. “As long as my fans are fine, we are fine,” Heechul coolly replied, grinning from ear to ear. Leeteuk chimed in, “In the future, for security reasons, we want fans to be careful and take care of themselves too.”


The Super Junior boys will regroup again next month for the Japan leg of their Super Show 3 concert tour from February 18 – 20th, and they will also head to the Philippines, Taiwan, and Malaysia in the coming months before ending in Vietnam on May 7th.


source: allkpop

Park Jin Young releases “If” for “Dream High” OST

Park Jin Young’s track for the “Dream High“ OST has finally been revealed!

Titled “If“, the song is a gorgeous ballad that utilizes piano and orchestra to give that heavy and dramatic feel.

The emotional lyrics express the sorrow of one man’s lost love, and demonstrate the producer’s ability in not only being able to write and compose, but also pen lyrics as well.

Check it out below!



source: allkpop

Crystal Kay apologizes to fans on her blog

Previously, tokyohive reported that singer, Crystal Kay had canceled her tour due to acute nephritis. On January 29th, Crystal made a new entry on her official blog, and apologized to her fans for the cancellation.


She wrote, “I’m sorry for making all of you worried. My body seems a little bit tired, but I’m fine!! It’s not that serious. The doctor told me that it will be better if I get some rest, so you don’t have to worry!! Since I have never cancelled my tour even once, I’m really really frustrated. I wanted to show you guys a great show. I cried reading your comments. Thank you so much. By reading these comments, it gives me the feeling of ‘Alright! I’m gonna cure it, and power-up!!!’ I will take a rest and cure it, and I promise I will try hard to make you guys better songs, so please wait for me. Thank you so much and I will see you guys soon. <3 U ALL.”



source : tokyohive

“Heroes” PD assures fans that Nicole is not leaving the show

We previously reported about how KARA’s Nicole would not be at the film set of SBS’s “Heroes” on January 31st. After hearing the news, fan began to worry about whether or not Nicole would actually continue with the show.

On the 30th, PD Park Sung Hoon assured fans through an interiew with Money Today that, “As everyone knows, Nicole was involved in many issues and was unable to film with us on the 31st. This, however, does not mean that Nicole will leave the program.”


Fans were relieved to hear that Nicole will eventually return to the program, pending the resolution of the dispute with DSP Media.

After the second round of negotiations, KARA decided to continue together as a five-membered group. They’re hoping to continue with their schedules as planned.


source: allkpop

TVXQ wins Inkigayo Mutizen triple crown + other

SBS’s Inkigayo is back once again, and this week’s show was full of amazing and fun performances from the top participating K-pop artists!

The ‘Take 7′ nominees were Seungri (“What Can I Do“), TVXQ (“Keep Your Head Down“), SECRET (“Shy Boy“), Gavy NJ (“Cup of Latte“), MBLAQ (“Stay“), Seungri (“VVIP“), and Dal Shabet (“Supa Dupa Diva“). Dal Shabet was not present today.
























source: allkpop

SeeYa says goodbye on Inkigayo

Much-loved ballad trio SeeYa greeted their fans with a final farewell and formally disbanded after their performance on the January 30th episode of SBS’s “Inkigayo.”

The group first debuted in 2006 and have been loved for their outstanding and impressive vocal talent for the five years they were active. Their hit songs, such as “Woman’s Scent,” “Love’s Greeting,” and “Shall We Get Married“, managed to gather a fanbase larger than what most idols are capable of.


The group has certainly experienced a fair share of highs and lows, and the members will be going their separate paths on an amicable note, especially after Nam Gyuri rejoined the group for this final album promotion, having left earlier under acrimonious circumstances.

SeeYa’s original trio stated, “We pledged to not look sad in front of our fans, to not cry, to not look weak, and to confidently do our best until the very end before we went up on stage. It’s so sad thinking that this is SeeYa’s final goodbye stage, but we only want to show fans our smiling side. I honestly thought I’d cry, but I tried to remember the happy moments I had with SeeYa in order to avoid crying.”

Core Contents Media commented, “This March, their contracts will expire. There’s a slim chance that the girls will be returning after they finish their activities for their goodbye album, depending on how they feel. The issue won’t be dragged on for long, and a decision on what will happen will be made soon.”

SBS’s representative also raised the anticipation for their final stage by commenting, “We’ve prepared a stage that is worthy enough for all three members to cherish.”







source: allkpop

GD&TOP perform ‘Don’t Go Home’ on Inkigayo

Having gone on hiatus for other activities since concluding their ‘High High‘ promotions, GD&TOP have finally reunited for their follow-up promotions, starting with this week’s SBS’s Inkigayo.


Unlike their debut title tracks, the duo takes to a romantic concept for their performance of ‘Don’t Go Home‘, where they caught the attention of their fans with their dynamic musical stage.

Check out their performance below!




source: allkpop

Nakagawa Shoko appears as character in manga!

It is well-known that Nakagawa Shoko is a huge fan of anime and manga, but she probably never expected to be a character in one!

The idol posted some photos of a manga she had been reading, where Nakagawa is depicted as being slightly off-kilter, saying only nonsense. Nakagawa found it so hilarious that the remainder of her blog post consisted of repeating her only lines in the manga and deploring her overly-realistic upper lip.

Check out Shocotan’s photos of the manga below!








source: tokyohive

w-inds. performs “Be As One” on Happy Music

Nihon TV’s music program, Happy Music, welcomed w-inds. as a guest on its January 29th broadcasting.

w-inds. performed their latest song, “Be As One“, which was just released on January 26th.

Check out their performance below!




source: tokyohive

SeeYa says goodbye on Music Core

Having announced their disbandment last month, SeeYa embarked on the final journey of their promotions for their farewell album on this week’s MBC’s Music Core.

Since debuting in 2006, the group has experienced highs and lows, and the members will be going their separate paths on an amicable note, especially after Nam Gyuri rejoined the group for this final album promotion, having left earlier under acrimonious circumstances.


SeeYa’s original trio stated, “We pledged to not look sad in front of our fans, to not cry, to not look weak, and to confidently do our best until the very end before we went up on stage. We’ll be making this pledge for our remaining stage as well.”

They concluded, “It’s so sad thinking that this is SeeYa’s final goodbye stage, but we only want to show fans our smiling side. I honestly thought I’d cry, but I tried to remember the happy moments I had with SeeYa in order to avoid crying. We’ve rehearsed a lot to make sure we present the best possible stage, so please look forward to our goodbye stage.”







source: allkpop

Girl’s Day’s Minah to make her acting debut on “Roller Coaster”

Girl’s Day’s Minah will be making her first attempt at acting.

On tvN’s “Roller Coaster,” she will be appearing in the new corner, “Frustrated, but Let’s Stick Together.”

Minah, who has shown her various talents, will be playing the role of a younger sister who fights with her sibling over a brand-name purse, a girlfriend who is fighting with her boyfriend, and fighting with her friend at school, as her character will change in each episode and show off her charms through various scenarios.


The staff of “Roller Coaster” said, “Her reactions and talents are overflowing, so she’s completed her roles very well for her first time in acting.” Not only that, but she is receiving the love of the staff as a whole for always showing her cute and lovely charms on set.

“Frustrated, but Let’s Stick Together” will first be broadcasted with Minah appearing as the sister of Lee Hae In, as the two will fight over a purse. The episode will air on January 29th.






source: allkpop

Footage from the recording of Orange Caramel’s “Still…”

Earlier today, Pledis Entertainment released a mini music video for Orange Caramel’s ballad “Not Yet…”

Pledis Entertainment had tweeted a link to the video, and wrote:

“A song that shows off Orange Caramel’s outstanding singing ability! At the recording of ‘Still…’!“


In the video, the members of Orange Caramel are seen passionately singing to Raina’s lyrics. While these girls are best known for their bubble-gum pop songs such as “Magic Girl” and “A~ing,” this ballad track gives them an aura of maturity.

Check out the video below!




source: allkpop

Footage from the recording of Orange Caramel’s “Still…”

Earlier today, Pledis Entertainment released a mini music video for Orange Caramel’s ballad “Not Yet…”

Pledis Entertainment had tweeted a link to the video, and wrote:

“A song that shows off Orange Caramel’s outstanding singing ability! At the recording of ‘Still…’!“


In the video, the members of Orange Caramel are seen passionately singing to Raina’s lyrics. While these girls are best known for their bubble-gum pop songs such as “Magic Girl” and “A~ing,” this ballad track gives them an aura of maturity.

Check out the video below!




source: allkpop

“Music Core” performances from January 29th!

MBC’s Music Core is back once again with yet another fun and exciting show!

This week, girl group veterans Jewelry made a comeback with their two new members, while SeeYa began their goodbye promotions with former member, Nam Gyuri.

Other performers for the January 29th episode included TVXQ, SECRET, Seungri, MBLAQ, Park Jung Min, G.NA, Orange Caramel, Han Groo, Gavy NJ, INFINITE, Teen Top, Can, Piggy Dolls, Navi, Mighty Mouth, Beige, Dal Shabet, and Kan Jong Wook.


Check out the videos below!




















source: allkpop

SCANDAL’s full PV for “CUTE!” released on Sanrio’s YouTube!

Just moments ago, the Sanrio Japan Official YouTube Channel released the full PV for SCANDAL’s “CUTE!“, which is also the “CINNAMON Collaboration Song“.

The track is the coupling song off of SCANDAL’s first single of 2011, “PRIDE“, due out for release on February 9th.

Check out the “cute” PV from the quartet below!




source: tokyohive

Ayase Haruka is a Valentine Queen who is still looking for a King

On January 27th, actress Ayase Haruka attended an event in Tokyo to receive her “Valentine Queen Award 2011“.

Oricon Style recently did a survey related to Valentine’s Day, and Ayase won in two categories: “The Most Shining Actress Right Now” and “Favorite Actress”.

She looked back at her Valentine’s Day memories and said, “During my school days, my friends and I only made chocolate to exchange it within our group.”

Additionally, she revealed that she is still looking for her Valentine. She was careful not to say anything wrong, as people easily tend to create love rumors out of nothing. “There is nobody I could give my chocolate. I would immediately give it if there was a person that would make me feel like it, but that person hasn’t appeared yet.”

Seems like the Queen is lonely and needs a King, any volunteers?

source: tokyohive

Sawajiri Erika’s husband, Takashiro, signs divorce papers

Today it has been revealed that Sawajiri Erika’s husband, Takashiro Tsuyoshi, has signed and handed over the official divorce papers. He spoke about the matter in an exclusive interview with NTV’s morning news program “news every,” that aired around 5am.

One of the reporters of the show is said to be a good friend of Takashiro and when he asked him about the details of the divorce, he stated, “Everything has been handled sloppily until now, therefore we have to gain back trust in each other. It’s important not to lie, not to have any secrets. Everything should be dealt with openly. Only under those conditions I was willingly able to sign the papers and hand them over to her.”


The two of them have been discussing their divorce for more than three months now. On the 23rd, Sawajiri already revealed in an interview that they have come to an agreement, without telling Takashiro or her staff beforehand that she was going to disclose it to the public that soon. He commented, “Those one-sided words again… It still takes two for a marriage and a divorce. I think it would have been better to explain it to our parents prior to making it public.”

Right now Sawajiri is in Malaysia on a “beauty trip” and is supposed to return back to Japan on the 29th. After that, the two are going to advance towards their final negotiations.


source: tokyohive

More details on Kanjani8’s new song for “Crayon Shinchan”

As we reported back in December, Kanjani8’s new song titled, “T.W.L” which will be released this spring, will be used as the new theme song for ongoing anime “Crayon Shin-chan.” Today, it was revealed that “T.W.L” will start airing on February 4th, and the song was made by popular duo, Yuzu’s Kitagawa Yujin. This is the first time for Kitagawa to make a song for other artist.


This song is said be a “strong collaboration” due to the parties involved. Kanjani8 will also take the lead in the anime series theatrical movie, “Crayon Shinchan, Arashi wo yobu Ougon no Spy Daisakusen” (scheduled to be released on April 16th).


source: tokyohived

Meisa Kuroki breaks into Oricon top 5, new single rumored to be in the works

Singer, model and actress Meisa Kuroki has seemingly created a niche for herself in the pop world, as the singer’s new album “MAGAZINE“, which went on sale on the 26th, has moved up to #5 on the Oricon for its second day on the charts.

Having released three physical singles and two mini-albums since her debut back in 2008, the busy 22 year old is currently promoting her new album, which is her first full length studio effort. Kuroki, who has been tweeting regularly about the album’s progress since the end of last year, is pulling out all the stops, promoting new songs such as “Bye Bye My Friend” on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ. The album also has another unique advantage: its packaging. The entire album has been formatted to look exactly as its title suggests – a magazine.

While the album is having success on the charts, Kuroki isn’t slowing down her musical work anytime soon. Word on the street is that the singer will be releasing a new single titled ”One More Drama” for April 13th.

Please check back with tokyohive for more details as the release becomes finalized, and look forward to Meisa’s performance of “LOL!” on tomorrow’s episode of “Music Station”!

A very special thank you to niiwa for the tip.


source: tokyohive

Han Ga Eun – Leather Jacket

source: reallycuteasians

SeeYa says goodbye on Music Bank

Having announced their disbandment last month, SeeYa embarked on their final journey with their promotions for their farewell album on this week’s KBS’s Music Bank.

Since debuting in 2006, the group has experienced highs and lows, and the members will be going their separate paths on an amicable note, especially after Nam Gyuri rejoined the group for this final album promotion, having left earlier under acrimonious circumstances.


SeeYa’s original trio stated, “We pledged to not look sad in front of our fans, to not cry, to not look weak, and to confidently do our best until the very end before we went up on stage. We’ll be making this pledge for our remaining stage as well.”

They concluded, “It’s so sad thinking that this is SeeYa’s final goodbye stage, but we only want to show fans our smiling side. I honestly thought I’d cry, but I tried to remember the happy moments I had with SeeYa in order to avoid crying. We’ve rehearsed a lot to make sure we present the best possible stage, so please look forward to our goodbye stage.”






source : allkpop

Jewelry ‘Back It Up’ for Music Bank comeback

Having performed on M! Countdown yesterday, the four girls continued with their comeback stage on this week’s KBS’s Music Bank.

More than a year has gone by since Park Jung Ah and Seo In Young left the group to pursue their solo careers, and it has been one long wait for fans as Star Empire patiently scouted replacement members to join Ha Joo Yeon and Kim Eun Jung.


Superstar K Top 10 finalist, Park Se Mi, joined the group 6 months ago, and Kim Ye Won rounded out the quartet, having just been unveiled earlier this month.

After months of preparation, the new Jewelry makes its return with a brand new power ‘locking’ hip hop dance style and b-girls concept for their comeback single, ‘Back It Up‘.

Check out their performance below!




source: allkpop

[Spoiler: Dream High] Dream High’s very own “Nichkhun and Juliet”?

2PM’s Nichkhun is set to make a cameo appearance in “Dream High” as none other than a modern day Romeo.

In the storyline, Nichkhun will be partnered up with Yoon Young Ah’s character to film a commercial. However, their relationship deepens when the pair gets the opportunity to perform as “Romeo & Juliet” in the showcase. Through playing the star-crossed lovers and becoming a knight in shining armor both onstage and off, Nichkhun will help to rebuild the self confidence of Yoon’s character.


The staff reports that although it was a short scene, Nichkhun’s presence was enough to stir up excitement and positive energy on the set. Based on the photos alone, it’s easy to imagine how our knight and dashing prince had the female staff in quite a flutter.

Ladies, be sure to guard your hearts, because this Romeo is sure to melt it!

The episode will air on January 31st.





source: allkpop