Right after his performance at the Saitama Super Arena, SID announced a new single, “cosmetic” to be released on September 29 and his first performance at the Tokyo Dome on December 11. This will be his first new single since “Rain,” which was the third and final opening for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The announcement was made during the encore performance at Saitama Super Arena, where 32,000 fans erupted into cheers. First set of tickets will be sold on October 30, while the second will be sold on November 20, both for ¥6300 each.
[Source: Natalie]
Rina Aiuchi, who has performed themes for anime such as Detective Conan and for games like Megaman X7, just announced her retirement after a fan club-only concert. Before her final farewell, she will release one more album, “LAST SCENE” and hold two more concerts – one in Saitama and Hyogo on September 18 and 26. This news is quite sudden, considering that she is only 30. More after the jump.
[Source: Sankei Sports via Tokyograph]
It’s a shame this wasn’t announced before Anime Expo 2010, but AKB48 members Mayu Watanabe, Yuki Kashiwagi, Rie Kitahara, and Rino Sashihara will take turns drawing manga for Weekly Young Jump. Each one will reflect the often wonky personality traits of the members; the titles roughly translate to Mayuyu: Mangaka Debut Project, Yukirin’s THE Idol Quest, Kitarie’s Path of a Fantasy Literature Girl, and Sasshi Beautiful Girl Transformation Project. Kitahara and Sashihara were present at Anime Expo 2010, which would have made this a great topic of discussion. The first issue will go on sale August 19. Pictures of said members included for reference in case readers need it, considering there are more than 48 of these girls.
[Source: Natalie via Tokyograph]
UVERworld, famed in the anime world for opening themes for the likes of Bleach and Gundam 00, is announcing their own café in Shibuya, Japan. “UVERcafe” will feature special recipes and drinks concocted by band members. Whether or not these will be handcrafted by the band members is not known at the moment. Tickets for the café go on sale July 31 and are ¥2000 each. It will be a limited run from August 8 to August 20. If you’re in Japan, be sure to check it out! Two UVERworld videos embedded after the jump for anyone who was wondering the songs they've done.
[Source: JpopAsia]
CNNGo.com, the international portal for CNN.com, just compiled a list of the top 20 people to watch out for in the Japanese entertainment industry. Surprisingly enough, Erika Sawajiri topped the list over other artists such as Exile and AKB48. The list hit across all genres of entertainment, including television and sports, including the likes of DJ Mademoiselle Yulia and Soccer player Keisuke Honda. For more about Sawajiri, hit the jump.
[Source: CNNGo.com]
Legendary J-Rock band Dir en Grey has just announced a tour of North America starting in Toronto, Canada and ending in Seattle, Washington. In addition, the band will be joined by Apocalyptica, a Finnish rock band famed for using classical instruments. The tour will start in August 23 and run to September 12. Fans can pre-order the tickets now here, while the general public may purchase them in a week. Full schedule after the jump.
Originally released in Japan on March 31, 2010, Sony Music has announced on Tuesday that L'Arc-en-Ciel's adaptation of the popular American classic "I Love Rock'n Roll" is now available for purchase on iTunes in the United States. The song has been featured in a PEPSI commercial in Japan which we have included inside.
Home Made Kazoku will make their U.S. debut at Otakon this year. The hip-hop group composing of Micro and Kuro, vocalists, and U-Ichi, DJ, are known for their upbeat music featured in anime titles Bleach, Psalms of Planets Eureka Seven, and Naruto. Don't miss this chance to see their first U.S. performance live on Sunday, August 1st at Otakon 2010, which will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center from July 30th to August 1st. Press release inside.
AnimeNEXT announced on Monday that STEREOPONY will be performing as the musical guest of honor this year. Aimi on vocals and guitar, Nohana on bass, and Shiho on drums formed the all-girl rock band. The band gained their popularity with their theme song performances for the anime titles Bleach and Mobile Suit Gundam 00. AnimeNEXT 2010 will take place at the Garden State Expo Center from June 18th - 20th. Press release inside.
While X Japan appeared in southern California less than a year ago to film a music video, they will be returning from August 6 - 8 in Chicago for Lollapalooza. This marks the first time the band will play live for U.S. audiences, which will surely be a treat for American fans who haven't traveled to see the group live. For tickets or more information, check out Lollapalooza's official website here.More...
Hip hop producer Jun Seba, also known as Nujabes died on Thursday, February 26, 2010 due to an automobile accident in Tokyo. Emergency medical technicians in Tokyo rushed him to Tokyo's Shibuya ward and attempted to resuscitate him, but it proved unsuccessful. Nujabes first came onto the scene back in 2003 with the album First Collections and later released his first solo album, Metaphorical Music. He has worked with many vocalist in Japan, including Shing02. Nujabes is undoubtedly most famous for his work on the hit anime series Samurai Champloo. He composed music for the series, including the opening theme song “Battlecry.” Jun Seba will forever be missed; his music has made a significant impact on hip hop culture.
Hip hop fusion enka singer, Jero will be launching his first official American tour at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on March 28, 2010. Jero, Jerome White, Jr., has become a huge hit in Japan as one of the first African American ekna singer winning him the Best New Artist Award at the 50th Japan Record Awards in 2008. He has also appeared at the 59th and 60th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, Japan's most watched national New Year's Eve concert show. Jero will also make another appearance on March 31, 2010 in Los Angeles.
More information including ticketing can be found here and here.
In an interesting twist, DWANGO has announced that the largest anime themed concert, Animelo Summer Live will be going overseas to Shanghai China in late November. The yearly event held at the Saitama Super Arena will still be held on August 28 and 29 titled Animelo Summer Live 2010 -evolution-. May'n, Nana Mizuki, Halko Momoi, and JAM Project have all been announced to return. Kirsten Dunst's Akihabara Music Video Released
Written by Theodore Mak
Last year in August, shoppers of Japan's otaku shopping district, Akihabara, reported that actress Kirsten Dunst, probably best recognized for her role as Mary Jane in recent Spiderman films, was spotted wearing a magical girl sailor outfit. It was later revealed that she was working on a music video titled Akihabara Majokko Princess with director McG who worked on 2009's Terminator Salvation. Almost half a year later, the video has finally been released online. The four minute video portraits various locations in Japan and Dunst's apparent love for the otaku culture, "...I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so."
Update: Got reports from some users the video is missing from the original site. Included the video inside. Let us know if it stops working.