YAMASHITA TOMOHISA in "ASHITA no JOE"

It has now been confirmed that the classic boxing manga "Ashita no Joe" will be turned into a live-action film, starring NEWS member Tomohisa Yamashita (24) as the protagonist Joe Yabuki. The movie is being directed by Fumihiko Sori ("Ping Pong," "ICHI") and is scheduled for release in early 2011.

The original manga, written by Asao Takamori and illustrated by Tetsuya Chiba, was published between 1968 and 1973. The manga's volumes have sold more than 20 million copies combined, and the story has been turned into two animated television series (1970-1971, 1980-1981), two animated films (1980, 1981), and a live-action film (1970) starring Shoji Ishibashi.

Yamashita was offered the role about a year ago. He has been a boxing fan for a long time, and has even trained on his own at a boxing gym in the past. He will soon begin serious training to prepare for the role, as filming is set to start in early April.

Actor Teruyuki Kagawa (44) has been cast as Danpei Tange, the former boxer who becomes Joe's mentor. Kagawa himself is a boxing aficionado - he used to write regularly for the monthly Boxing Magazine and has served as commentator for WOWOW's televised boxing matches.

The rest of the cast has not yet been revealed. A newspaper recently reported that the manga is also being turned into a drama series on TBS with actress (and Yamashita's rumored girlfriend) Keiko Kitagawa (23) playing the heroine role. However, TBS denied both claims, stating that Kitagawa doesn't even have a role in the movie.

Hidarime Tantei Eye (Drama Special)

Format: DVD
Number of discs (or other units): 2
Release Date: 2010/03/17
Price: 3800yen (3990yen Tax incl.)
Item weight: 230 g













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Running Time	92 minutes
Format	NTSC Format
Region Code	2 (Japan, Europe, Middle East, and South Africa only)
Subtitles	None
Audio Track	Japanese: Dolby Digital Stereo
Layers	single-sided/dual-layered
Aspect Ratio(s)	16:9
Color	Color
Encoding	MPEG-2

Description

DVD release from the special TV drama "Hidarime Tantei Eye" starring Ryosuke Yamada (Hey! Say! JUMP), You Yokoyama (KANJANI8), and Satomi Ishihara. A suspenseful story of an adolescent who has gained a mysterious power after receiving the cornea transplant, and fights against an evil entity led by a genius crime organizer.

Special Features: making-of, off shots, and more (subject to change)
sticker

(All product details, including availability, images, language(s), special features, and bonus extras, are subject to change without prior notice. Actual item weight may be different from the one indicated above.)

"Hidarime Tantei EYE" Original Soundtrack

TV Original Soundtrack

Format: CD
Number of discs (or other units): 1
Release Date: 2010/02/24
Price: 2381yen (2500yen Tax incl.)
Item weight: 120 g





Description

Original soundtrack release to TV drama "Hidarime Tantei EYE."

日本テレビ系 土曜ドラマ『左目探偵EYE』のオリジナル・サウンドトラック。

Tracklisting

1.	LEFT-EYE	LEFT-EYE
2.	MALICIOUS PARTY	MALICIOUS PARTY
3.	帰れる場所
4.	ダメって言われるとつい・・・
5.	DONOR/RECIPIENT	DONOR/RECIPIENT
6.	CONFRONTATION	CONFRONTATION
7.	OPTICAL ILLUSION	OPTICAL ILLUSION
8.	刑事魂
9.	LEFT-EYE	LEFT-EYE
10.	先生はお買い物中毒
11.	CORNEA	CORNEA
12.	凶行
13.	GENIUS OF THE EVIL	GENIUS OF THE EVIL
14.	DONOR/RECIPIENT	DONOR/RECIPIENT
15.	約束
16.	POLICE SUPERINTENDENT	POLICE SUPERINTENDENT
17.	LEFT-EYE	LEFT-EYE
18.	DONOR/RECIPIENT	DONOR/RECIPIENT
19.	CRIME PLANNER	CRIME PLANNER
20.	PAPER ROUND	PAPER ROUND
21.	AFTERIMAGE OF BROTHER	AFTERIMAGE OF BROTHER
22.	DONOR/RECIPIENT	DONOR/RECIPIENT
23.	刑事魂 弐
24.	SCHOOL NURSE'S OFFICE	SCHOOL NURSE'S OFFICE
25.	INFERENCE	INFERENCE
26.	LEFT-EYE	LEFT-EYE
27.	HOPE	HOPE

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Erika Sawajiri

Young actress Erika Sawajiri (23) is once again set to make a comeback. A notice sent to the media on Wednesday revealed that she has established her own private management office in Spain, where she currently resides with her husband, media creator Tsuyoshi Takashiro (45).

According to Sawajiri's agent in Japan, the actress has agents in various countries, and she is aiming to expand her career even further than before. Around the end of last year, she began using her personal connections to set up her return. As a result, her first new work is a commercial for the Takano Yuri Beauty Clinic, which will start airing nationwide this month.

On March 16, Sawajiri will launch a new official website. Next month, she plans to release a photobook shot by a British photographer who is friends with Takashiro.

As an actress, Sawajiri has reportedly received four or five offers for movie roles in Japan and overseas. With an agent in Los Angeles, she is also looking at making her Hollywood debut in the future. For now, she plans to remain in Madrid while receiving offers through her agents, and she will personally be deciding on the roles she accepts.

Sawajiri's career has been on the rocks since 2007, when she caused a media disaster with her unprofessional attitude at a PR event for the movie "Closed Note." She was expected to make her comeback when she was chosen to co-star with Takuya Kimura (37) in the upcoming live-action film adaptation of "Space Battleship Yamato," but due to a "breach of contract," her agency Stardust Promotion terminated her contract last September and she lost the role.

Hey Say 7

Fuji TV will be covering the 41st Spring National High School Volleyball Tournament, which starts on March 20. The network announced on Sunday that this year's "supporters" will be Hey Say 7, continuing the trend of the past two years.

Hey Say 7 consists of the five younger members of idol group Hey Say JUMP- Yamada Ryosuke, Chinen Yuri, Morimoto Ryutaro, Nakajima Yuto and Okamoto Keito. In 2008 and 2009, all ten members of Hey! Say! JUMP served as supporters. For the Hey Say 7 team, this will be their third year in a row.

Hey Say 7 will lend their voices for the tournament's image song, titled "Ganba Let's Go!" (a combination of "ganbare" and "let's go"). No release date has been announced for the song yet.
Ganbare Let's go!

CHARTS

Ringo Shiina's band Tokyo Jihen is back on top of the album charts after four years. Their new album "Sports" sold 107,000 copies, capturing the #1 spot for the week.

Tokyo Jihen's last album was "Variety" in 2007, which charted at #2 in its first week. Their album before that, the 2006 release "Adult," was their last #1.

A best album for THE BLUE HEARTS ranked #3. Others in the top ten this week were mihimaru GT, CHEMISTRY, Toshinobu Kubota, and Crazy Ken Band.

Meanwhile, Hey Say JUMP topped the single charts with 202,000 copies of "Hitomi no Screen." This is their fifth single since their debut, and all five have been number-ones.

Tsubasa Imai's new solo single charted at #2, with Kana Nishino right behind him at #3. Actress Kei Kitano achieved #7 with her debut single, followed by Minori Chihara, Shinsengumi Lien, and Erina Mano.

NYC FULL-FLEDGED GROUP

Johnny Jimusho appears to be betting big on a trio of young stars. 16-year-olds Yuma Nakayama, Yamada Ryosuke and Chinen Yuri have been rising in popularity through their music and television activities, but now they will be debuting in their own unit, called NYC due to their initials.

The three boys have been getting a lot of exposure in the media in the past couple years. Yamada and Chinen are members of Hey! Say! JUMP, while Nakayama is the leader of the unit Yuma Nakayama with B.I.Shadow. Last year, they formed the core of the temporary 7-member group "NYC boys" (which included the four members of B.I.Shadow), and they even performed at the Kohaku Uta Gassen.

According to the agency, NYC boys will still continue for now, but Nakayama, Yamada, and Chinen will also be active as NYC, without the B.I.Shadow members.

On April 7, NYC will release their first major-label single, a version of the well-known "Yuuki 100%." Originally sung by Hikaru Genji in 1993, it has always been used as the opening theme of the long-running anime series "Nintama Rantaro." Since then, other Johnny's Jimusho groups have taken over singing the same song, including Hey! Say! JUMP last year.

Starting with the March 29 episode of "Nintama Rintaro," NYC's version will be used as the opening theme. NYC will also be providing the show's ending theme, titled "Yume no Tane." That song will be included on the upcoming single.