The latest spin-off from Fuji TV’s “Odoru Daisosasen” series sees Yashima Norito (35) land his first drama leading role. Known in English as “Bayside Shakedown”, the series first aired on Fuji in 1997 and was a big hit. But it was the huge box-office success of two follow-up movies in 1998 and 2003 that turned it into a major phenomenon and re-launched the career of its star Oda Yuji. But rather than rely only on Oda, two further movies have focused on side characters. May 2005 saw the release of “Negotiator: Mashita Masayoshi”, starring Yusuke Santa-Maria (35), and Yanagiba Toshiro (45) was “The Suspect: Muroi Shinji”, released in August of the same year. The latest spin-off is a TV series called “The Lawyer: Haijima Hideki”, which will air from October 28. Yashima has become popular in the last couple of years mainly through the Fuji variety shows “Trivia no Izumi” and “Miracle Type”.
• Actress Ueto Aya (22) was reduced to tears when talking about her role in the show “Taiyo no Fune”. A follow up to a 2004 production at the Nippon Budokan, the ¥1-billion show is directed by and tells the story of fashion designer Yamamoto Kansai (62). Ueto’s tears started when she talked about how moved she had been by the family bonds between the veteran showman and his daughter, actress Yamamoto Mirai, and her relationship with her husband, actor Shiina Teppei. The cast of 2,000 includes Matsuoka Masahiro (29) of the Johnny’s group Tokio as the young Kansai and such major names as former wrestler and politician Antonio Inoki (63) and actress Kudo Yuki (35). The show’s theme song is by Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi (49). The production will be held on January 13 &14 at Tokyo Dome.
• Beyonce was in Tokyo for her 24th birthday yesterday. She told a press conference at a city hotel that the choice of location and date to launch her new album “B’Day” was a thank you to Japanese fans who have supported her since her days with Destiny’s Child.
• The latest figures from Video Research show that the average TV audience for Yomiuri Giants night games hit another all-time low last month. Traditionally, Japan’s most popular team, its ratings managed only 6.8% in the Kanto region for August, a month which saw the Giants spend time at the bottom of the Central League.