Earlier today, TV Tokyo aired this year’s edition of its annual mid-year music special, “TV Tokyo Music Festival 2021.” The show was hosted by TOKIO’s Kokubun Taichi for the eighth consecutive year. He was joined by Hirosue Ryoko, who co-hosted for the third consecutive year.
Performers on the shows included the likes of Snow Man, JO1, Koda Kumi, hitomi, Nogizaka46, LUNA SEA, V6, DA PUMP, AKB48, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Momoiro Clover Z, and Suzuki Airi. Check out the show below!
On July 21, King & Prince will release their third album, “Re:Sense.” This album comes almost a year after their previous one, last September’s “L&.”
“Re:Sense” will include the previously released singles “I promise”, “Magic Touch”, and “Beating Hearts.” It will also include the new English language song “Namae Oshiete”, which King & Prince recorded in Los Angeles in 2019 with 12-time Grammy winner Babyface. King & Prince recorded the song over the course of ten hours at Babyface’s private studio.
Another new song on “Re:Sense” is “Bokura no Great Journey.” This song was written by C&K and composed by them along with Carlos K. The music video for the song, which has been described as refreshing and youthful, was recently released. Check it out below, along with more information on the new album and the “Namae Oshiete” teaser!
On July 7, anan will release its annual “Ai to SEX” issue, and this year’s coverboy is Sexy Zone‘s Nakajima Kento!
The gravure photoshoot for this issue has a title that translates as “Neverending Dream”, with the theme of “impusle of love.” A nude Kento appears in the shoot as the male lover in a couple’s secret, sensual story.
Of the photoshoot, Kento said that he was enthusiastic and wanted to make a shocking work that would be looked at for decades to come. He also wanted to show the “Human Nakajima Kento” as opposed to the usual “Idol Nakajima Kento.” He nakedly exposed his true expression. He worked on his body in a stoic manner, even rushing off to the gym to workout after performing.
The editor of anan said now was a good time for Kento to do the “Ai to SEX” issue because of Sexy Zone’s 10th anniversary and his leading role in the new Fuji TV drama “Kanojo wa Kirei datta.”
Check out Kento’s cover below, along with a bonus photo of him in the shower!
This week’s guests were Ryokuoushoku Shakai, HYDE, Kanjani8, AI, ¥ellow Bucks, SUPER BEAVER, Eir Aoi, SHISHAMO, Maruri to Ryuga, Hentai Shinshi Club, THE ORAL CIGARETTES, and Miyamoto Hiroji.
Ryokuoushoku Shakai – Zutto Zutto Zutto
HYDE – NOSTALGIC
Kanjani8 – Hitori ni Shinai yo
AI – THE MOMENT feat. ¥ellow Bucks
SUPER BEAVER – Namae wo Yobuyo
Eir Aoi – Kodou
SHISHAMO – Chuudoku
Maruri to Ryuga – Linaria / Sunny
Hentai Shinshi Club – YOKAZE
THE ORAL CIGARETTES – Red Criminal
Miyamoto Hiroji – sha・la・la・la
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Anime Expo, like last year’s, will not be an in-person event. Like last year’s event, this year’s event will be virtual, dubbed Anime Expo Lite. It will be a two day, livestream convention running Saturday, July 3 & Sunday, July 4.
Anime Expo Lite 2021 is teaming up with the anime music media outlet LisAni! to present “Anime Expo Lite x LisAni!LIVE L.A.”, a very special live online concert featuring performances by ASCA, BURNOUT SYNDROMES, JO☆STARS, Liella! (Love Live! Superstars!!) and Morfonica (BanG Dream!). “Anime Expo Lite x LisAni!LIVE L.A.!” takes place July 3, 3 PM – 5 PM PST. The concert will be accessible to audiences worldwide.
Japanese doramas have been famous for down-to-earth stories about plucky heroines and unlikely heroes, who try to make it in all kinds of workplaces. This nearly two-decade-long trend may finally see its demise due to unlikely replacement — romance. The genre had its peak in the 90s, before fizzling out in the next century. Even the rare success stories could be chalked up to Johnny’s idols’ involvement. Finally, the stories themselves were focused on cheating or terminal illnesses, with the older generation taking the spotlight. Today’s trend is the complete opposite: a pure romance between attractive young actors.
Recently, we’ve had Satomi Ishihara and Go Ayano starring in “Koi wa Deep ni” (NTV), “Rikokatsu” (TBS) with Eita and Keiko Kitagawa, and the Haruna Kawaguchi and Ryusei Yokohama-fronted “Kikazaru Koi ni ha Riyuu ga Atte” (also TBS).
TBS was mentioned twice for a good reason. The station used to follow the trend of producing predominately work-related dramas until a rom-com, “Please Love Me!”. became a surprising hit in January 2016. Since then, the station has slowly switched focus to romantic series. The decision quickly proved to be a correct one: Aragaki Yui and Hoshino Gen’s “We Married as a Job” aired in October 2016 and became a cultural phenomenon, crossing the 20% mark in its last episode. In the following years, TBS stuck to their guns and made stars out of Sho Hirano (“Boys Over Flowers: Season 2”) and Ryusei Yokohama (“A Story to Read When You First Fall in Love”).
TBS made it clear they’ve been aiming for a female audience. In between romance dramas they had aired Ayase Haruka’s family drama, “Stepmother and Daughter’s Blues” (2018), and “No Working After Hours!”(2019) with Yuriko Yoshitaka playing the role of a career woman who challenges Japan‘s labor standards.
However, the last two years indicate even these dramas may get replaced by the romance boom. Tuesdays in 2020 were all about love and 2021 seems to follow suit. Coming off the heels of “Oh! My Boss” and “Kikazaru Koi ni ha Riyuu ga Atte”, TBS is planning to air Fumi Nikaido’s “Promise Cinderella.” The story, based on an ongoing manga, stars Nikaido as a young divorcee who gets involved with a rich high schooler.
It was announced that the latest adaptation of the “Mogura no Uta” series based on Takahashi Noboru’ s original work, “Mogura no Uta FINAL” will be released on November 19th. Ikuta Toma will reprise his role and Takashi Miike returns as the director.
“Mogura no Uta’s” story begins when the main character, Kikukawa Reiji, is sent as an undercover agent to a yakuza organization to eradicate drugs from Japan. Serialized in the weekly Big Comic Spirits, the first movie “The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji” was released in 2014, and the second movie “Mogura no Uta: Hong Kong Kyosokyoku” was released in 2016.
The final episode of “Dragon Zakura 2″ starring Abe Hiroshi and Nagasawa Masami aired on Sunday and earned a rating of 20.4% (13.1% individual rating)! The drama is based on the manga series of the same name by Mita Norifusa published in 2018 and is a sequel set 15 years after the highly popular drama “Dragon Zakura” aired in 2005. It exceeded “Tengoku to Jigoku: Psychona Futari’s” 20.1% finale episode rating last winter season and is so far the highest rated episode drama this year.
Ratings for the teen audience category (13-19 years old) rating is also at a high 10.0%.