Popular visual-kei rock band Luna Sea are to get back together for a one-off concert, the first since the Christmas of 2000. The “God Bless You – One Night Dejavu” show is scheduled for December 24 at Tokyo Dome. That’s the venue where seven years ago almost to the day they announced that they had come to the end of the road. The fact that they were at the peak of their success at the time only added to their legendary status and ensured that their “Slave” fan club has kept going strong to this day. Sources say the five members have no plans to continue performing together after the Christmas show. They have all pursued careers as solo artists or producers, with vocalist Kawamura Ryuichi (37) being the most successful. The band, made up of Ryuichi, Sugizo and Inoran on guitars, J on bass and drummer Shinya, formed in 1989 and made their major-label debut in 1992. They had their first No.1 single in 1994 with “True Blue”. They had two million-selling albums and, with their well-regarded musical skills, were considered the leaders of the visual kei scene. One of their most famous episodes was when they went ahead with an outdoor show for 100,000 fans just two days after the stage had been destroyed by a typhoon. The breakup in 2000 came as less of a surprise due to the fact that the band had previously taken all of 1997 off to rest and pursue solo projects. Today’s timing for the official announcement of their reunion show is due to the fact that Japan will be enjoying a lunar eclipse tonight.
• A trio of top actors appeared at a PR event yesterday for TV Asahi’s remake of Kurosawa Akira‘s classic movie “Tengoku to Jigoku”. Known in English as “High and Low”, the 1963 thriller is regarded as one of the master’s best works. For the TV drama version, due to be broadcast on September 8, the setting has been changed from Yokohama to modern-day Otaru in Hokkaido. Sato Koji (46) will take on the lead role of business executive Gondo, played by the late, great Mifune Toshiro. The cast also includes Abe Hiroshi (43) and Suzuki Kyoka (39). The drama is in the capable hands of veteran director Tsuruhashi Yasuo (67).