Mizuki Nana releases “Scarlet Knight” PV!

Back in January, voice actress and singer Mizuki Nana announced that her first release of 2011 will be a simultaneous release. At the time, the title singles were not released, but now they are, as Mizuki will be releasing “Scarlet Knight” and “Pop Master” on April 13th.

Both singles will be sold at ¥777 in reference to the singer’s name.

“Scarlet Knight” was written by Mizuki Nana herself and is the theme opening theme song to anime, “DOG DAYS“. It will also be the ending theme song to TV Asahi’s “Onegai! Ranking!“ and Ehime Asahi’s “Love Chu! Chu!“. The track was composed and arranged by Elements Gardens‘ Hitoshi Fujima.

The coupling song, “HIGH-STEPPER“, will be the ending theme song to “Ousama no Brunch” for the month of April and May.

Mizuki also just released the “Scarlet Knight” PV, and you can check it out below!


Mizuki also wrote the lyrics to her second single, “Pop Master”. The coupling song, “Unbreakable“, will be the opening theme song to the Nintendo 3DS/PSP game, “Unchained Blades Rexx“.



source: tokyohive

Hello! Project reveals new round of “Hello! Cover”

Hello! Project has just revealed its newest additions to the “Hello! Cover” series!

The most recent round features Natsuyaki Miyabi, Tsugunaga Momoko and Sugaya Risako of Berryz Koubou, Suzuki Airi and Okai Chisato from C-ute, and Morning Musume leader Takahashi Ai as they cover some of Hello! Project’s most memorable songs.

Check out the list of new tracks below!


Berryz Koubou

“Akai Nikkichou” (Original: Akairo 5) – Sugaya Risako
“Egao ni Namida ~THANK YOU MY DEAR FRIENDS~” (Original: Matsuura Aya) – Sugaya Risako
“Egao ni Namida ~THANK YOU MY DEAR FRIENDS~” – Tsugunaga Momoko
“Koi wo Shichaimashita!” (Original: Tanpopo) - Natsuyaki Miyabi
“Koi wo Shichaimashita!” – Tsugunaga Momoko
“Kousui” (Original: Melon Kinenbi) – Tsugunaga Momoko
“LOVE Namida Iro” (Original: Matsuura Aya) – Natsuyaki Miyabi
“LOVE Namida Iro” – Sugaya Risako
C-ute

“Akai Nikkichou” – Suzuki Airi
“Furusato” (Original: Morning Musume) – Okai Chisato
Takahashi Ai

“Akai Nikkchou”
“dearest.” (Original: Matsuura Aya)
“Furusato”

source: tokyohive

Yamamoto Maika becomes the 14th “Rehouse Girl”

Mitsui Real Estate has just announced its fourteenth “Rehouse Girl“!

“Mitsui no Rehouse” CMs, which are quickly becoming a newcoming actress’s gateway to success, have previously starred famous actresses such as Miyazawa Rie, Aoi Yuu, Kawaguchi Haruna, and many others since appointing their first Rehouse Girl in 1987.


The fourteenth Rehouse Girl is a thirteen-year-old model named Yamamoto Maika, whose hometown is in Tottori Prefecture. Yamamoto is a middle school student who loves sports – especially softball – and is currently a first-level black belt in karate.

Yamamoto will begin appearing on the firm’s home page and shop-front posters in April.


source: tokyohive

AKB48 Research Students to release a single

16 AKB48 Research Students have been chosen to do the theme song for the 14th season of NHK’s “Ojarumaru” program. The group’s name will be called “Ojarumaru Sisters“.

The single is set to drop on April 13th, and the tracklist is as follows:

01. Hatsukoi wa Minoranai

02. Title Pending

03. Hatsukoi wa Minoranai (Original Karaoke)

4. Title Pending (Original Karaoke)

Check back with tokyohive for more updates on this interesting new release!

akihabarachannel48 on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

source: tokyohive

New Girl Kang Ji Yu

source: reallycuteasians

Choi Yu Jung in Black

source: reallycuteasians

Ne-Yo lists the K-pop artists he wants to work with

March 30th, he revealed through his Twitter that he wanted to work with a few Korean artists.

A fan had asked him, “What [sic] are some Asian artists you would like to collaborate with?”

Ne-yo replied, tweeting, “JYP, 2PM, 2AM, RAIN, Jay Park…”

The singer had already met up with Jay Park, since the latter was a special guest for his March 30th concert in Seoul. They also got to hang out together as role models for children who dreamed of becoming musicians.

Who’s ready for a collaboration?


source: allkpop

Jay Park delivers a hot opening stage for Ne-Yo

Jay Park recently opened for Ne-Yo’s stage at the “2011 Hyundai Mall 40th Anniversary Concert“.

Jay expressed that the experience was quite formidable for him, especially because he was the only opener for the American singer.

He commented, “It’s an honor to open for Ne-Yo, who I’ve been a fan of and respected as a musician. I’ll work hard to show a more awesome side of myself on the concert’s opening stage.”

You can check out videos of Jay Park’s performance below:








source: allkpop

KARA records 1 million copies in album sales

KARA has recorded over 1 million copies in album sales, after only eight months in the Japanese music industry!

According to information revealed by Universal Music Japan on March 31st, KARA’s five albums – “Mister“, “Jumping“, “Girl’s Talk“, “Best Clips“, “KARA Best 2007-2010” – have sold a total of 1,080,000 copies in all.


“Girl’s Talk,” which was released last November, sold 430k copies so far and even ranked at the top of Oricon’s music chart for nine consecutive weeks after its release. “KARA Best Clip” DVD (released last February) and “KARA Best 2007-2010″ (released last September) sold 200k copies respectively. Meanwhile, “KARA Best Clip” managed to rank at the top of the weekly charts for two months in a row as well. As for the girls’ singles – “Mister,” and “Jumping” – they each sold 130k and 110k.

Im Jin Mo, a pop culture critic, commented, “After BoA and TVXQ, KARA is the first to surpass 1 million copies. As rookies who debuted only eight months in Japan, this is an astounding feat. I think the fact that they’ve created a position for themselves as Korean idols in Japan’s idol culture is a bigger achievement.”


source: allkpop

SHINee’s Key hints at a new album?

SHINee’s Key recently appeared on the March 29th broadcast of Love Chaser, where he dropped some surprising news – SHINee is in the midst of producing a new album!

He created a short video message for his grandmother, speaking in his native Daegu dialect. The devoted grandson cheered, “Grandmother, SHINee is preparing our new album now, so you have to critique it again. I love you!”


Check out the subbed clip below!




source: allkpop

Sandara Park’s CF for Nikon released

2NE1’s ‘4D Twitter personality’ and sel-ca queen, Sandara Park, has just released a CF as part of the YG Family’s endorsement of Nikon. They made a fantastic choice with regards to their spokesperson, as Sandara Park’s sel-ca skills are quite formidable!


Her CF differs from traditional CFs in that holds a one-on-one encounter with a celebrity. Through her conversation (or rather, monologue) with the camera, she drives a celebrity-to-consumer appeal. Thanks to Sandara’s bubbly charms, the CF doesn’t feel stilted, awkward, or overly-edited.

In her monologue, Sandara begins, “Everyone, the digital camera I’ve been waiting for has come out!” She then goes on to talk about its features: “Because I took a picture with the bright lens, the colors came out so prettily!” Posing for a couple of sel-cas, she continues, “I really love the pretty pictures – they came out just the way I wanted! And one more thing! If you look at the design, you’ll see it’s got a hot design that’s really popular these days. It has the retro analogue style.” She flashes a thumbs up and says, “Chego! (The best!)”

She finishes off by taking a sel-ca while saying, “From now on, I’ll probably be taking pictures all the time.”




source: allkpop

MBC allows fans to pick the name of Yonghwa’s new drama

MBC’s upcoming drama (working title: “Festival“) is pioneering an interesting new strategy to generate buzz – they’re allowing fans to pick the title of the drama!

The drama is already gaining some interest because the lead roles were revealed to be CNBLUE’s Jung Yonghwa and actress Park Shin Hye. The two were a much-loved couple on “You’re Beautiful“, and fans were excited to see them reunite.


The best submissions will win prizes, and up for grabs are Park Shin Hye’s sunglasses, Jung Yonghwa’s backpack, and signed copies of CNBLUE’s new album, “First Step“.

Unfortunately for international fans, the page is entirely in Korean, and you’ll have to be a registered member of iMBC in order to vote.


source: allkpop

Jacket covers for 2PM’s Japanese single revealed!

Recently, Sony Music Japan experienced a slip-up by prematurely posting the cover art for 2PM’s Japanese single, “Take Off“!

Though the album art has since been removed from the site, some quick-thinking Hottests saved the pictures. They will be retailing three separate versions of “Take Off”, all of which will feature a grand total of four tracks:

01. Take off
02. Heartbeat (Japanese ver.)
03. Take off (without main vocal)
04. Heartbeat (Japanese ver. without main vocal)

Check out the covers for all three versions below!


< Cover: Limited A >



< Cover: Limited B >



< Cover: Limited Regular >



source: allkpop

Matsushita Yuya releases “Naturally” music video!

It was revealed earlier that Matsushita Yuya’s upcoming single, “Naturally“, is the official song for the ‘NATURAL BEAUTY BASIC‘ CM, and fans were able to hear a snippet of it through the commercial.

The single will officially be released on May 4th, but fans can now hear the song in it’s entirety, as Yuya has just released the official music video.

Check it out below!




source: tokyohive

Preview F.T. ISLAND’s new PV, “Satisfaction”

Earlier, we reported that F.T. Island was gearing up to drop their new Japanese single, “SATISFACTION“, for April 20th. Well, it looks like fans won’t have to wait four weeks to hear their new work, thanks to a newly-released preview of their music video!


The 30-second teaser promises a motivating track. To emphasize the new style, the director delivers a slow-motion shot of the boys running, and uses the color orange to bring in a sense of energy.

Check out the preview below!




source: tokyohive

Get a sneak peek at Dream Morning Musume’s upcoming song, “Atto Odoroku Mirai ga Yatte Kuru!”

One of the new tracks from Dream Morning Musume’s upcoming album, “Dori Musu 1″, has just been leaked on the internet for fans to enjoy!

The song, titled “Atto Odoroku Mirai ga Yatte Kuru!”, is one of only two new tracks that will be featured on the group’s “debut” album, which mostly features covers of past Morning Musume songs.


The girls are currently preparing for the release of “Dori Musu 1″ on April 20th, and the start of their nationwide tour, “Dream Morning Musume. Concert Tour 2011 Haru no Mai~Sotsugyousei DE Saikessei~“, on April 23rd.

Check out the full version of “Atto Odoroku Mirai ga Yatte Kuru!”, as well as small shots of the covers for the album below!




source: tokyohive

miss A’s Suzy and Jia show off their BFF love

These besties can’t seem to put the camera down!

miss A’s Suzy and Jia snapped more photos of themselves, this time from the practice room. Jia wrote, “We practiced way too much~ We haven’t forgotten how to act pretty in photos! Hoo… We have no energy! Break! Break!”


The two are lounging on a couch, but you can tell that they’re pretty worn out. Could it be that they were preparing something for their eventual comeback?

Fans wrote, “They look so close and friendly,” “Suzy unnie, you look so pretty right now,” and “I have a fond smile on my face right now.”

source: allkpop

Kim Jung Min cried during the Yongseo couple’s final scene

Singer Kim Jung Min expressed his sadness about the Yongseo couple’s final filming.

On March 30th, he tweeted,

“Finished filming for ‘We Got Married 2‘. Nichkhun and Victoria’s sweet episode. Also, today I cried in my heart twice. Once was during Yongseo’s separation scene,

2nd was when Seohyun personally came to the studio to thank the panel. Multi-vitamins and a heartfelt letter! Ah I’m so moved!“


CNBLUE’s Jung Yonghwa and SNSD’s Seohyun worked together as the ’sweet potato couple’ for one year. They began in March 2010, and recorded their final episode on March 30th, 2011.

Netizens commented, “So sad regarding Yongseo couple’s ending” and “Seohyun’s heart is so pretty”

Meanwhile, it’s been announced that the couple to replace them will be T-ara’s Ham Eunjung and actor Lee Jang Woo.

source: allkpop

Eunjung’s husband for “We Got Married” revealed!

Ever since we announced that T-ara’s Ham Eunjung was picked up to be the new ‘wife’ for MBC’s “We Got Married“, the site has been buzzing over who her lucky husband would be. Unfortunately for all you “Dream High” fans, it’s not her former co-star, Kim Soo Hyun.

In fact, Eunjung’s husband will be none other than actor Lee Jang Woo (25)!

Lee Jang Woo debuted as an actor back in 2006, and is currently starring in the KBS2TV daily drama, “Smile Donghae“. He was also a member of a 2009 SM project group called 24/7, whose members included Hyun Woo (a current ‘Music Bank‘ MC) and actor Noh Min Woo.

Interestingly enough, Lee Jang Woo is a cousin to singer/actor Hwanhee, who had participated in previous seasons for ”We Got Married”.

The new couple began filming on the afternoon of March 30th, and their first episode will be aired sometime in April.

source: allkpop

T-ara’s Eunjung hints at what kind of husband she needs

Recently, allkpop reported that T-ara’s Eunjung was confirmed as the new ‘wife’ on MBC’s “We Got Married“.

Since the identity of her ‘husband’ has yet to be revealed, Eunjung posted a cheeky tweet about her preferences for her spouse. She wrote, “I need a person who can give me strength. If I give him strength, then I need a person who can give me more strength.*”


With her first broadcast scheduled for the 30th, it is only a matter of hours until she will find out if her ‘other half’ fulfills her needs! Stay tuned on updates about this new couple!

source: dailymail

Son Yeon Jae and T.O.P for ‘FILA’

Rhythm gymnist Son Yeon Jae and Big Bang’s T.O.P paired up for a cute sneakers pictorial.

The pair had a photoshoot for sports brand ‘FILA’, which sponsors both athletes and models. Son Yeon Jae exhibited her sweetness with her pink sneakers, while T.O.P looked chic in green.

A representative from FILA expressed, “After revealing the Son Yeon Jae and Big Bang cuts, there has been an increase in consumer inquiry and interest. Son Yeon Jae and Big Bang’s popularities were realized once again.”


source: allkpop

4minute’s charming album jacket photos revealed

On March 30th, 4minute unveiled their album jacket photos from their new EP “Heart to Heart” through the Naver Music website.

Judging by the two sets of photos, the girls seem to represent a ‘day-and-night’ concept. In the first set, 4minute used metallic dresses and shining mirror items to perfect a chic, trendy look. In the second set, the girls were snapped preparing for a night out in their luxurious black outfits.

Fans have been drawn to the impressive individual shots of HyunA, Jiyoon, Sohyun, Gayoon and Nam Ji Hyun. Many felt that to date, it’s the most expressive set of pictures the girls have taken so far.

Check out the shots below!







source: allkpop

U-KISS unleashes gorgeous MV for “0330″

Yesterday, U-KISS dropped a teaser for their “0330” music video, and now the full version has arrived!

“0330″ stands for 3:30AM – a time of restlessness for those who have yet to fall asleep. It tells the story of a man who is unable to sleep after breaking up with his girlfriend. His grieving heart is expressed soulfully through the song’s soft lyrics and melody.


As for the music video, it delivers bright shots that reflect the fragile Spring season, which meld perfectly with the nature of the song.

The video ushers in a new era for U-KISS, and we can’t wait to see their performances later on. In the meantime, check out the MV below:



source: allkpop

Badminton player Lee Yong Dae and f(x)’s Sulli to appear on ‘We Got Married’

Korea’s representative badminton player Lee Yong Dae and f(x)’s Sulli will be making a surprise appearance on MBC’s “We Got Married“.

On March 29th, judo athlete Wang Ki Chun tweeted,

“Came to the “We Got Married” filming. They say Victoria and Nichkhun are coming… They say Sulli is coming too ㅜㅜ I’m jealous of Yong Dae”

Eyewitness accounts of the ‘Khuntoria‘ couple have spurred interest in the upcoming episode.

According to one netizen, 2PM’s Nichkhun, f(x)’s Victoria, Lee Yong Dae, and Sulli filmed at Dongdaemun. They rode a amusement ride called ‘Disco Pang Pang’ and had a joyous time together.

The episode is expected to air at the end of April.


source: allkpop