Takeno and Karasawa
in ‘Fumo Chitai (Waste Land)’ drama.
Fuji TV drama which will gonna broadcast for 6-months; from October 2009 to March 2010. Thursday 10 PM slot. The filming will be start in the middle of this July… and filming location will include snowy field at New Zealand. This is a special FujiTV 50th Anniversary Drama. The production cost = 1,800,000,000 yen.
Karasawa Toshiaki will be the lead. Wakui Emi’s role as his wife. Yanagiba Toshiro as his bestfriend. Koyuki as Karasawa’s lover. Takeno (Yutaka Takenouchi) as a supporting actor here… together with Amami Yuki, Ito Shiro, Abe Sadao, Furuta Arata, Sasaki Kuranosuke etc.
The story is based on all-time-bestselling novel by Yamazaki Toyoko (who also wrote Shiroi Kyoto and Karei-naru Ichizoku). The main reason why this novel become popular is because the novel was describing bribery much much similar to the actual Lockheed Scandal… even though Yamazaki-san wrote the book before the scandal became public.
The plot: During WWII, Iki (Karasawa) was a staff officer who was recruited by a big trading firm in 1959. At that time, they were in the middle of severe competition with other companies to get the contract and get chosen by Defence Department for the next fighter. Trying to sell their fighter, Iki paid bribes to one of the officer from the Defence Dept; just to obtain the rival company’s estimate sheet.
Somehow, before Fuji TV decided to produce this, TBS station was already produced the same series in year 1979 – the same year I was born. hehe. Oh, one of the director is Hirano Shin [Esumi Makiko's husband].
Shingo and Koki Mitani
in ‘Talk Like Singing’ Broadway musical play.
Upcoming this November, Shingo and his beloved ‘father’, Koki Mitani will fly to New York… to perform a musical play titled “TALK LIKE SINGING”. FYI, this is an original Japanese musical play written by Mitani Koki. The play will be at Skirball Center, New York University on 12-22 November 2009 for total 13 shows. And put in mind, this is THE FIRST in Japanese theatrical play history! It’s Broadway ya’know.. Broadway is a Broadway! *ureshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii*
the dialogues will be 50-50; English-Japanese. But Mitani-san is so confident to say that people will still laugh even they don’t understand the language. So this considered to be Shingo’s solo foreign debut in stageplay. oh, Matsumoto Koshiro-san also did “King and I” Broadway play long ago.. but it was in fully English. Koshiro-san (Matsu’s father) must be happy to know this.. At last, Shingo could fulfill his promise to Koshiro Papa in SmaStation 2005.
The plot: The story of a young man named Taro (Shingo) with an unusual illness. There’s a ‘musical band’ inside his brain. As a result, he has difficulty to speak normally. Instead he expresses his thoughts and words through song. He winds up seeking help from a psycholinguistics doctor (Keiko Horiuchi) and a psychiatrist (Jay Kabira), who hatch up a plan to cure Taro by killing off the members of the band inside his brain.
*haha, such interesting story.^^ Btw, music will be directed by ex-Pizzicato Five member Yasuharu Konishi. I keep dreaming matsu will go to Broadway like her father.. but shingo got this first?! yatta, wish comes true. haha, when it comes to mitani koki… shingo will do ANYTHING for him!
such a good son XD
Matsu and Tadanobu
in ‘Villon’s Wife’ movie.
This is one of Dazai’s finest short stories. It is about a wife (Matsu) of a poet (Tadanobu), who virtually abandoned her. The setting was in the dark years of the early postwar era. The Wife was finding the meaning of her life by taking a job for a tavern keeper (restaurant’s owner) whom her husband has stolen money. Her determination of survival was tested by hardships, rape and her husband’s self-delusion. But still The Wife’s will was not broken. What a pain story.
Demo ne.. Aaa, everyone. Listen. Demo ne.. despite to whatever obstacles The Wife received, she still has such a strong and cheerful character towards him. The Husband also showing his care towards his wife and family, in whatever his own way of style. Aaa, romantic ka.^^ Kind of dramatic movie. Matsu and Tadanobu were having press conference this morning. And she gave a very, very, very interesting comment about her role. Haha, whatever that means. Because of this… Zettai, I’m looking forward to this! The movie gonna release on 10.10.2009.
the kakkoi-ness of takakura aka sorimachi takashi.
before this, Sorimachi acted in jidaigeki dramas as supporting only which include a role as Oda Nobunaga in the 2002 taiga series “Toshiie to Matsu”, next to Karasawa, Nanako, Takeno and Amami.