Almost five minutes of behind-the-scenes footage from the live-action film adaptation of Nobuhiro Watsuki’s Rurouni Kenshin manga ran on Japanese television. The video features 22-year-old actor Takeru Satoh (Kamen Rider Den-O, Rookies, Beck, Ryōmaden) practicing his moves as the titular samurai.
The film will open in Japan on August 25.
Actresses Sasaki Nozomi, Nagasawa Masami, Takei Emi, and professional golfer Ishikawa Ryo will be starring in Lotte’s Mother’s Day campaign CM “Mother’s Day 2012“.
The CM is a part of Lotte’s annual “Mother’s Day Ghana” campaign that has been airing every year since 2003. With 8,000 red carnations in the background, Sasaki, Nagasawa, Takei, and Ishikawa will each express their feelings of gratitude toward their mothers with ‘Ghana Milk Chocolate’. The background music is ‘Taisetsu na Hito‘, provided by rock band Rake.
Ishikawa reflected on the CM shoot saying, “I challenged myself at the shoot imagining that my mom was really on the other side of the camera.” In the CM, he delivers a message to his mom saying, “Usually, I’m not able to say things honestly… so this year is this.”
Meanwhile, Takei says, “The times I laughed together with my mom. The times we cried together. They’re all my treasures. This…”
During an interview after the CM shoot, Takei recalled memories of her mom, sharing, “I’m from Nagoya, so when I came to Tokyo from Nagoya, I came with my mom and left my dad behind. At that time, my mom and younger sister came with me just for my work. It made me remember the time I cried with my mom in the shadows, saying ‘let’s do our best together’.”
Sasaki seemed embarrassed to express her feelings on camera and sent out a message in Akita dialect. Nagasawa expressed, “When I become a mother, I’m going to boast to my children. About mom.”
Lotte’s new Mother’s Day CMs will air nationwide starting April 22nd, but you can check them out on Lotte’s official website!
The poster for the live-action film, “Rurouni Kenshin“, has finally been revealed!
The black-and-white photo was taken by Kurigami Kazumi, a renowned photographer who has won many awards. It was taken to convey the ‘hidden madness’ of the protagonist ‘Kenshin’, a former assassin who vows not to kill anyone after experiencing a personal trauma.
“Rurouni Kenshin” will open in theaters on August 25th. It stars a gorgeous line-up of actors and actresses including Sato Takeru, Takei Emi, Aoi Yu, and Kikkawa Koji.
Additionally, the new series of “Rurouni Kenshin -Meiji Kenyaku Romantan-” will start its serialization in the June issue of manga magazine, “Jump Square”
On March 8th, TV Asahi finally revealed more details about the cast of the upcoming drama ‘Wo no Higeki‘, which stars young actress Takei Emi in a double role.
‘W no Higeki‘ is based on a mystery novel of the same name by Natsuki Shizuko, which sold over 2.5 million copies. The script is handled by Terada Toshio (“Koshonin”), who’ll make sure to create an all-new exciting viewing experience.
The drama along with the plot was already announced a couple of weeks ago. Takei plays the two roles of ‘Watsuji Mako‘, the daughter of a very wealthy and powerful zaibatsu, and ‘Kurasawa Satsuki‘, a show club dancer raised in an orphanage and with a desire of revenge burning inside her heart. Due to the fact that they both look absolutely identical, they decide to change places in order to experience each other’s completely different lives. Their little experiment is followed by various tragedies and other incidents.
For Takei this will be her first starring role, let alone double, in a prime time drama, but she’s not doing it alone. Fukuda Saki and Gouriki Ayame, who are both from the same agency as Takei, will appear alongside her. With further appearances by Kiritani Kenta, Matsushita Yuki, Wakamura Mayumi, Terada Minori, Nogiwa Yoko, Nakamura Shunsuke, Takahashi Issei, Takeda Kohei, and Kaneda Akio, she truly can rely on a wonderful cast.
Fukuda and Gouriki are going to play fellow dancers at the show club where Mako will have to work at instead of Satsuki. They both aren’t exactly nice towards her and bully her on every occasion. Gouriki’s character comes off as a kind girl at first glimpse, but she actually has a very malicious personality. Matsushita plays the owner of the club.
Kiritani is playing a clumsy and lonely detective who’s investigating a suspicious murder case that seems to be connected to Satsuki. However, before he knew what was happening he falls for her charms without knowing that she’s not the person he wanted to shadow in the first place. Terada plays the head of the Watsuji family. His wife and the grandmother of Mako is portrayed by Nogiwa, while Wakamura disguises herself as the mother of Mako. Nakamura will complete the Watsuji family by playing the only ‘normal’ man in the family and the third husband of Mako’s mother.
The producer commented, “We were able to surround our young and fresh heroine, played by Takei, with people who possess very strong and individual personalities.”
He continued, “The selling point of a show club are the great dancing skills of its dancers and I think the scenes that were filmed inside an actual club are going to be fantastic. With the intense battle that’s going on between the girls, there are going to be some truly flashy scenes!”
‘W no Higeki’ will air every Thursday at 9:00 pm.
Actresses Nagasawa Masami (24) and Takei Emi (18) have been chosen to once again star in Lotte’s Valentine’s Day commercial for “Ghana Milk Chocolate“!
The 2012 edition of the CM will see Nagasawa and Takei helping Watanabe Konomi (5) make her very own chocolate hearts. (In Japan, Valentine’s Day is an opportunity for a girl to express her feelings for a boy by giving him chocolates.)
After the shoot, Takei reflected on a past Valentine’s Day experience. “I called him to give him the chocolate I made, but I didn’t get a reply… so I ate it myself,” she said.
Hearing this, Nagasawa tutted, “I want to see the kind of person who didn’t accept your chocolates.”
Check out screenshots of the CM below! You can also watch the making-of segments as well as the actual CM here.
We are now leaving behind 2011. throughout the year, certain celebrities have been active in their respective fields, and who have contributed a lot of material this year for Japan.
Thus Oricon style recently revealed their chart of the “Faces of the year“, in which both men and women voted for Japan’s most popular celebrities from this year.
AKB48 took the No1 spot for their overwhelming media exposure and CD sales and the increased visibility into individual careers. Child actress Ashida Mana and Korean girl group KARA also made it into the list
Check out this year’s top ten:
1.AKB48
2.Ashida Mana
3.Nadeshiko Japan
4.Arashi
5.KARA
6. SMAP
7. Homare Sawa
8 Takei Emi
9. Kanjani 8
10. Suzuki Fuku
On December 25th, actress Takei Emi held her singing debut event, “Happy Christmas Party“, at Intercity Hotel in Tokyo. As this day also marked Takei’s 18th birthday, 1,000 fans sang “Happy Birthday” as the actress made her way onto the stage. She exclaimed, “I’m astonished!“, and said, “This is the first time celebrating my birthday with so many people. I’m very fortunate.” Although this was Takei’s first time singing in front of her fans, she showed no signs of anxiety. “I hope my feelings reach everyone,” she said, and sang her debut song, “Koi Suru Kimochi“, and the coupling track, “Ashita e“. Takei was also presented with a flower bouquet by ‘Doala’, the mascot of professional baseball team Chunichi Dragons. Being a big fan of the mascot, she showed her excitement with “Wow!“. At the end of the event, Takei gave a high five to the 1,000 fans and expressed, “I was able to spend a wonderful Christmas. This has also been an impressive birthday. I want to continue to do my best at full speed next year.”
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