Shirota Yu attends press conference for musical, “Romeo and Juliet”

On July 7th, a press conference was held for the upcoming musical “Romeo and Juliet“, starring Shirota Yu and Yamazaki Ikusaburou.

For the Japanese version of the famous musical, rookies Kon Natsumi and Frank Rina were selected for the role of Juliet through a public audition. Kon’s voice trembled as she said, “I am happy to be in such a wonderful production.” Frank also commented, “It’s like a dream.”

When Shirota was asked about his impression of the two, he shared that he was able to call them by their nicknames – “Kon-chan” and “Rina” – just ten minutes after meeting them. He also commented, “If I were gazed at with those sparkly, pure eyes, I’d fall in love in an instant.”

Yamazaki also revealed a funny story about the two Juliets. “When the role of the Juliets were determined, we talked about going drinking,” said Yamazaki of Kon and Frank. “But they’re underage, so we decided to go to McDonald’s instead.”

“Romeo & Juliet” will open at Akasaka ACT Theater beginning on September 7th.

source : tokyohive

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After School holds their first fan signing for “The Saem”

On July 7th, After School attended their first fan signing as models for “The Saem” cosmetics in Daegu!

In celebration of the brand’s latest line of ‘S-special’ products, “The Saem” decided to repay the love they’ve been receiving from their customers with a special fan meet with their new models. After School’s Kahi, UEE, Lizzy, and Nana met up with fans for the 90-minute long event at the store.

Lines were said to have formed hours before the girls arrived, and hundreds gathered outside of the store to catch glimpses of the gorgeous ladies.

UEE said, “We’re so grateful to the fans who came to see us here today. We’ll pay back your love by promoting in singing and acting. Please give your attention to ‘The Saem’, as we will be working hard as models of the brand.”





source : allkpop

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SECRET’s showcase in Japan to be broadcast live online!

Last week, we reported that SECRET would be departing for Japan to perform their debut showcase there.

On July 5th, TS Entertainment tweeted,

“Secret’s Japanese showcase which will be held tomorrow (July 6th) at 7:30pm, and will be broadcast live on the internet. We hope to have many viewers :D“

Included in the post was a link to SECRET’s Premium Debut LIVE in JAPAN — Ustream link.

Make sure to tune in on July 6th at 7:30PM JST!


source: allkpop

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f(x)’s Krystal and Victoria attend ‘HAZZYS 2011 F/W Collection’ launch

On June 23rd, f(x)’s Krystal and Victoria attended the 2011 F/W collection launch event for HAZZYS Accessories at the LG Fashion West Building.

This particular collection was headed by creative director Roberto Franco, whose talents have been recognized by superstar fashion designers like Paul Smith and Marc Jacobs.

Check out photos from the event below!








source: allkpop

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IU to release new album in September + holds first fan meeting!

Singer IU commemorated her 1004th day since her debut with her first fan meeting.

On June 18th, IU opened her fan meeting “It’s a ‘Good Day’ with IU” at the AX Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. IU confessed,

“Because it is my first time meeting my fans upclose, it is true that I am worrying… When they first started talking about a fan meeting at work, I got really worried. The reason is that in a short time I have to show a different side of me. I heard there were 1090 seats of totally my fans, my side, I’m nervous and happy because it is my first time being with [only] people who like me.“


When IU was asked with regards to it being her 1004th day, she said,

“I don’t know what to say… There were hard times and there were happy times. Overall it was quite comfortable and I’m glad that I spent the last 1004 days without any big complications.“

IU debuted in 2008 and was noted for her vocal talent and musical sensitivity. At the same time, her cute appearance made her one of the nation’s little sisters.

IU expressed her gratitude and regretful heart to her fans that she met up-close for the first time. She said,

“I am so thankful when fans remember my anniversary’s that even I can’t remember. Also, I was moved by the songbook and scrapbooks I’ve received of my activities thus far. Because I am a solo singer, there is much less fandom than for a group. So when I go to a venue with a lot of singers, I feel sorry when my fans only get a few tickets. I often think that I need to work harder to get my fans more seats at these concerts.“


She also revealed details regarding her next album saying,

“My new album will be a full-length album. It may take a while because I’m planning to include some of my own songs. I think I will be able to meet with you all with a new album in September.“

As this was IU’s first fan meeting, there were a variety of events prepared for ther 1,000 fans. Also, all profits from the fan meeting is planned to be donated, making this event have a more meaningful.


source: allkpop

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SNSD’s Tiffany represents SME at the “2011 SM TOWN in Paris Writers & Publishers Conference”

Paris was not host to the “SM TOWN Live in Paris” concerts, but also the “2011 SM TOWN in Paris Writers & Publishers Conference”, which was held on June 11th at the Marriot Rive Gauch hotel.

The event saw the attendance of Kim Young Min, Lee Soo Man, SNSD’s Tiffany, Teddy Riley, and approximately 50 other European composers. Tiffany represented her SM labelmates and gave a special presentation on the training and debut process of the SME system in English.


The conference itself was specially set up by SM Entertainment to coincide with the “SM Town Live in Paris” tour. It aimed to showcase not only the music and performance style of SM artists, but also to raise awareness of their musical style to the rest of the world and encourage active communication.











source: allkpop

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2PM celebrates Coca Cola’s 125th anniversary

On June 8th, 2PM participated in Coca Cola’s 125th anniversary event, held at the Canon Plex Gallery in Apgujung, Seoul.

To commemorate the milestone, Coca Cola opened an exhibition with their logo collector’s items and consumer products at the Gallery.


Since they’re popular endorsement models for the brand, 2PM were invited to the event and even presented a Coca Cola bottle that they had designed themselves. A giant cake also wowed the crowd with its unique design featuring 125 special bottles and Coca Cola’s limited-edition NRGB bottle.

The ‘Coca Cola Collection’ will be open to the public from June 9th through the 19th from 11AM – 8PM.


source: allkpop

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Voice cast for new Pokémon movie includes Ishihara Satomi, Takahashi Hideki, and more!

The 14th Pokémon movie will open in Japan this summer, and today, the prominent guest line-up of voice actors for the special characters came together with a public recording at the Avaco Creative Studio in Tokyo.

The special voice cast is made up of Takahashi Hideki, Tanihara Shosuke, Ishihara Satomi, Yamadera Koichi, Nakagawa Shoko, and Daichi Mao.

The new movie will be released in two versions, “Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! The Movie: Victini and the Black Hero: Zekrom” and “[...] White Hero: Reshiram“. It is the first time in history that an anime is going to open in theaters in two different versions at the same day.


Both movies will be about Dread, the descendant of the People of the Earth, that once ruled over the land, who seeks revenge for the fall of his people with the help of the Sword of the Earth in the city of Eindoke, and our three heroes – Satoshi, Iris and Dent – who must stop him at all costs. However, similar to the video games,each movie will feature different Pokémon, many different scenes and lines, and different techniques used by the Pokémon.

Ishihara lent her voice to Carlita, the younger sister of Dread. She commented, “It’s a huge honor for me to participate in a Pokémon movie, since it’s such an immensely popular series worldwide. I received some strict coaching this time and learned a lot of new things.”

The mother of Carlita was voiced by Daichi, who never dubbed an anime before. She clearly enjoyed the new challenge, “I’m already having a certain affinity to my character who belongs to the People of the Earth (Daichi no Tami), since she has the same surname as me. It was a lot of fun playing the role of a mother with guts.”

For Takahashi, who voiced Zekrom, it was also the first time to work on an anime. He stated, “I was happy that I was able to challenge myself as a voice actor for the first time in my 40-year-long career as an actor. All the kids of my foreign friends are engrossed into Pokémon, so now I have something I can boast about.” Life-sized Pokémon characters were present during the special dubbing session for the press, and the veteran surprised everyone with his innocent remark, “Aren’t they cute! I want to take them home with me!”

The double-dose of Pokémon action will open in Japan on July 16th.





source: tokyohive

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15 talents from Up-Front Agency head to charity baseball event!

On May 28th, 15 talents from Up-Front Agency went to the disaster stricken area from the Great Tohoku Earthquake as part of their “Ganbarou Nippon Ai wa Katsu Project”.

The talents paid a vist to Kleenex Stadium Miyagi, home of pro-baseball team Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Before the game between Tohoku Rakuten and Hanshin, the group held a charity handshake event, fundraising activities, and sang “Ai wa Katsu” (Love Wins) together with the 20,000 people in the stands.


The members participating were: the author behind the charity song “Ai wa Katsu” that is on sale digitally and will be released on CD on June 22nd; KAN (48), Kato Noriko (38), Dream Morning Musume’s Nakazawa Yuko (37) , Yasuda Kei (30), Iida Kaori (29), Ishikawa Rika (26), Yoshizawa Hitomi (26) and Kusumi Koharu (18), Morning Musume’s Niigaki Risa (22), soloist Matsuura Aya (24), Berryz Koubou’s Shimizu Saki (19), Tokunaga Chinami (19), Kumai Yurina (17) and Sugaya Risako (17), and rookie Kikkawa Yuu (19) who just debuted this year.

Before singing, Kato and Nakazawa greeted everyone, “We hope that today brings everyone just a bit more power. The 15 of us came here to sing with all of you. We’ve been thinking about what we can do through songs. Currently we’re seeing everyone’s smiles today and we’ve also learned the importance of a smile. Let’s all do our best together so that there can be more smiles”.

Matsuura also sent a message to everyone, “I think there are still many more people who are troubled than we can imagine. All of Japan is doing their best, so let’s try to endure for a little longer”.




source: tokyohive

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KAT-TUN postpones their dome tour + cancels upcoming live event

KAT-TUN announced to fans that they will be postponing their upcoming nationwide dome tour, in addition to cancelling their open-air live event in July.

The five concert dome tour will be rescheduled to next year because the times KAT-TUN planned to use the domes coincided with several professional baseball games this fall, making the domes unavailable during those times.


According to sources close to KAT-TUN, their live event in July was cancelled due to the fact that the location is still specified as a refugee shelter for those who lost their homes during the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake.

“We want to do lives constantly, but we’re still figuring out how we can do that through trial and error,” said Kamenashi Kazuya in his apology to fans.


source: tokyohive

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Yoon Eun Hye & Kang Ji Hwan attend SBS’s “Lie to Me” press conference

On May 27th, the cast of SBS’s “Lie to Me” got together to attend the drama’s press conference at Ilsan, Kyungki-do.

Lead actor Kang Ji Hwan shared a little info about some of the scenes in the drama, such as a ‘cola kiss’. He explained, “The script writer isn’t married, but I think she likes kiss scenes. Yoon Eun Hye and I promised each other that we’d try our best before beginning the kiss scene. The first time we did it, we were surprised to see how sexual it looked when we were monitoring it.”



He continued, “The second kiss scene is a new one that I don’t think has been tried before. It’s been nicknamed the ‘cola kiss’. The kiss scene for the sixth episode took place in the early morning, and I remember using a whole bottle of mouthwash without even eating breakfast.”

Speaking on his teamwork with Yoon Eun Hye, he revealed, “We work very well together. A lot of the aspects in a romantic comedy will really begin to liven up towards the middle of the drama, so please look forward to it.”


Yoon Eun Hye also talked about her marriage plans by stating, “I don’t think age matters in marriage. I’ve wanted to get married since I was 22 years old. Ever since I was little, my father always told me that 21 was gold, 22 was silver, and 23 was bronze. I debuted at a young age, so I always have a fantasy of going on all the dates I want after getting married.”

Focusing on her character, she explained, “Ah Jung is a woman who is wounded by having her first love stolen by ‘Soran’. The lies she makes grow bigger and bigger until it eventually leads to her marriage.”




source: dailymail

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2PM, Jang Geun Suk, and Kim Sa Rang attend ‘Lotte Duty Free Grand Re-opening’

On May 25th, Lotte Duty Free held a grand re-opening event at the Gimpo Airport which was attended by a top line-up of stars including Kim Sa Rang, Jang Geun Suk, and 2PM.

Because Gimpo Airport operates flights to cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Shanghai (as well as Beijing later on this year), Lotte Duty Free will encounter an influx of tourists from Japan and China.

The re-opening event was a great success, as its efforts were supported by some of the greatest Hallyu stars, as well as by officials from the Korea Airports Corporation.






source: allkpop

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Sasaki Nozomi and Mizobata Junpei attend non-no’s “Charity non Colle” event

Fashion magazine non-no recently held a charity event, called “Charity non Colle“, on May 21st.

It was a combination event that mixed the magazine’s 40th anniversary and the relief fund for the Tohoku charity. Models Mizobata Junpei of D☆DATE and Sasaki Nozomi made an appearance at the event to encourage people to contribute.


About 40 non-no male models were there as well, and they did a walk and talk in front of fans. As soon as they made their appearance, about 5000 fans ran to them from noon to evening.


When Sasaki and Mizobata appeared though, the audience went absolutely bananas for them. Mizubata, who wore a suit when he made his entrance, took a rose out of his chest pocket and threw it into the audience.

Mizobata confessed that he called Sasaki for the first time to ask for her help in planning the whole “throwing the rose into the audience” thing, and she was more than happy to help him out.

In the end, the models did a final walk and were holding collection boxes to raise money for the earthquake victims.

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Overall, it was a smoothly executed event that will hopefully help generate further revenue for the heavily affected regions and survivors.

source: tokyohive

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Eunjung talks about ghosts and girl groups during press conference for “White”

She stated, “Members frequently check each other’s activities and feel jealousy. In the movie, we had to act as idols so the jealousy part was exaggerated a bit. Girl groups really do weigh themselves as soon as they get up in the morning and check to see if the members have eaten dinner or not. The scenes had all of that.”

Eunjung also didn’t forget to talk about her ‘husband’, Lee Jang Woo. She said, “June 1st is his birthday and we are having a VIP film screening of ‘White’ on that day. He will come and cheer me on.”


Moving on, the busy star commented on the brightest moment in her life, which was when T-ara won first place on a music program and they all cried together.

As the press conference began to wrap up, a reporter asked her which she preferred – acting or singing? Eunjung replied, “I like both acting and music so it’s hard to say which is more important. I want to do well in both.”











source: allkpop

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Victoria, Sulli, G.NA and Cha Ye Ryun attend ‘NINE WEST’ 10th anniversary launch event

On May 19th, a multitude of stars attended the 10th anniversary Korean launch event for global shoe brand ‘NINE WEST‘ at the Horim Art Center in Shinsa-dong, Seoul.

Stars in attendance included f(x)’s Victoria and Sulli, G.NA and actress Cha Ye Ryun.

NINE WEST’s creative director Fred Allard visited Korea for the first time and revealed that his attendance was to introduce NINE WEST’s 2011 F/W collection in Korea.


Check out the photos from the event below!









source: allkpop

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