Tetsuji Tamayama and Charlotte Kate Fox to star in NHK's morning drama Massan

NHK has announced that they have cast American actress Charlotte Kate Fox (28) and Tetsuji Tamayama (33) as the couple to play the lead in the upcoming morning drama Massan which will begin in autumn. The drama is based on the story of the "Father of Japanese Whiskey" Masataka Taketsuru and his British wife Rita (named Ellie in the drama). Charlotte passed the auditions and won the right to be NHK's first ever foreign lead for their morning drama.

This morning drama will be NHK's 91st and will be shown after Yuriko Yoshitaka's Hanako to Anne, which will begin on the 31st of this month.

Daisuke Habara, winner of the exceptional screenplay award at the Japanese Academy Awards for the movie Pacchigi!, and the best screenplay award from the same award-giving body for the movie Hula Girl is in charge of the screenplay. The names of the people and the companies will be modified from the original.

Source: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140304-00000311-oric-ent 

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Ayumi Hamasaki officially announces that she has gotten married

1: 三毛猫φ ★ 2014/03/03 18:33:37

Singer Ayumi Hamasaki (35) has gotten married to the American 10 years younger than her on March 3. She announced this on her official fanclub site Team Ayu with an entry titled "Just married☆" and a short message that reads: "Today starts my married life. To all my beloved TA members ^^".

According to her agency, the couple was married by court at the end of February in Los Angeles. Her marriage certificate was also submitted to her local registry in Japan at 4:30 pm on March 3 on her behalf by her mother.

Source: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140303-00000326-oric-ent


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Jessica Michibata and F1 driver Jenson Button are engaged

1: ＴＨＥ　ＦＵＲＹφ ★ 2014/02/22 00:29:08

Jenson Button will be marrying Jennifer Michibata as team McLaren broke the news on Twitter on the 21st.

Huge congrats to @JensonButton and @jessybondgirl on their engagement! #attaboy pic.twitter.com/hQRCJ1ieMO
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) February 21, 2014

The couple have been dating since 2009. They reportedly split up in 2010 but reconciled soon after. She has been hugely acknowledged as Button's girlfriend, as she's been spotted numerous times at the pit during major competitions. Button's father passed away this January.

Source: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140222-00000001-rcg-moto

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Is Karina going to get married soon?

1: パニックスイッチφ ★ 2014/02/19 14:32:32

(Partial translation)
Popular model and actress Karina (29) is reportedly in a serious relationship with a younger Taiwanese man (non-celebrity) who attends a language school in Hawaii's Oahu. Karina herself has been going to Hawaii in between her projects since last year for short-term lessons, where she met Mr. A who was a classmate of hers. He's in his late 20s, and has the looks of an idol. A common friend of the two says, "I think they'll be getting married soon".

The friend continues: "I saw Karina-san at the school just this January. She was attending classes together with Mr. A.". Karina also cooked for Mr. A and his friends at his home.

This Mr. A "looks like Arashi's Kazunari Ninomiya, a fresh and pleasant-looking ikemen, and his family is very rich. Mr. A brags to his friends that he gets to date a popular Japanese actress. He would also send me text messages like, 'Do you have any idea how sad I am when I don't get to be with her!?'."

Karina has been previously romantically linked to actors Kei Tanaka (29), Takayuki Yamada (30), and EXILE's TAKAHIRO (29). She has been going back and forth from Tokyo to Hawaii despite her busy schedule, as the common friend comments, "Both of them have marriage in their sights. Maybe that time will come soon.".

Source: http://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/entertainment/news/CK2014021902000184.html

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Ayumi Hamasaki to get married to an American medical student

1： ぷちとまとφ ★ 2013/12/13(金) 17:30:49.54 ID:???0

Ayumi Hamasaki (35) announced through her fansite "Team Ayu" on Dec. 13 that she will be marrying an American medical student (25) from UCLA. According to representatives, Hamasaki headed to L.A. on the 12th and proceeded to settle their engagement. Hamasaki met the man during the New Year break early this year, and they started dating around springtime. This will be her second marriage.  

Hamasaki previously married Austrian actor Manuel Schwarz on January 1, 2011 in Las Vegas, but got divorced on Jan. 16, 2012. News that she was actually registered as single broke out during her "divorce" as she did not officially submit her marriage registry to California and Japan. She also announced her relationship with backup dancer Maroka Uchiyama (29) in November 2012, but broke up with him in January this year due to Uchiyama not having formally divorced his previous wife.

Source: http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/gossip/2013/12/13/0006569310.shtml

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So who should be cast in the live action adaptation of Shingeki no Kyojin?

1： 禿の月φ ★ 2013/12/04(水) 19:13:56.69 ID:???P

(Related post HERE)

Following the announcement of the live action adaptation of Shingeki no Kyojin, the Internet was abuzz as everyone had their opinions as to who they wanted to see portray which character.

For Eren Yeager, some people named Tori Matsuzaka, Takeru Sato, and his seiyuu from the anime series Yuki Kaji. For Mikasa Ackerman, some have been voicing out Kiko Mizuhara and Rina Ohta, while others are calling for Ayame Gouriki. Machiyama, one of the scriptwriters, was recommending Ai Hashimoto for the role on Twitter (which has been deleted).

The voice to use a foreign cast apart from Mikasa, who is the last known living Asian, is also pretty strong as people have been saying, "Can you really make Japanese people play the parts of the commanders, the soldiers, and Jean!?", and "Make foreigners play the part but dub their voices over with the anime seiyuus!"

There are also a lot of people predicting that some talents from Johnny's or AKB will be used as well.

The anime which started airing in April of 2013 has created a huge sensation, even leading to Linked Horizon, who provided the main theme song, joining the lineup of this year's Kouhaku Uta Gassen. Fans of the series have been steadily increasing, as more people are following this news closely than it was first announced two years ago.

Source: http://www.j-cast.com/2013/12/04190838.html?p=all

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NHK to hold auditions for a "foreigner heroine" for next year's autumn morning drama "Massan"

1： 三毛猫φ ★ 2013/11/18(月) 14:27:00.67 ID:???0

NHK has announced some details concerning their morning drama for the autumn-winter season next year. The title will be Massan.

It will be based on the lives of Masataka Taketsuru and his wife Rita Cowan. Taketsuru supported Sapporo Olympic's "Hinomaru Air Group", and founded Japan's whiskey industry. The drama will revolve around this non-Japanese heroine who endures the hardships of life with her husband, as they express the "beautiful, never-say-die spirit of the Japanese people".

Similar to Amachan which paved the way for Rena Nounen, this drama will be holding auditions for the heroine beginning January of next year, and will finalize their choice around February to March. The screenplay will be written by Daisuke Habara, winner of the exceptional screenplay award at the Japanese Academy Awards for the movie Pacchigi!, and the best screenplay award from the same award-giving body for the movie Hula Girl.

Source: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20131118-00000308-oric-ent

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