Japan’s most successful movie franchise is back! Fuji TV said yesterday that they are planning a third installment in the “Odoru Daisosasen” (Bayside Shakedown) series. The announcement came at the opening of a real life Tokyo Bayside Police Station in the Oumi district of Koto Ward, the area that has been the location for the previous movies. Based on a popular 1997 Fuji TV drama series starring Oda Yuji (40), the first movie was a big hit the following year. A sequel in 2003 remains the most successful Japanese live action movie ever, making more than ¥17 billion at the box office. Two spinoff movies were released in 2005 featuring side characters in leading roles. The new movie is likely to once again be scripted by Kimizuka Ryouichi and directed by Motohiro Katsuyuki, and of course Oda will be back as detective Aoshima Shunsaku in his familiar green parka coat. Other principal cast members such as Yanagiba Toshiro (47) and Fukatsu Eri (35) will also return, but a replacement for the late Ikariya Chosuke has yet to be decided. Oda is said to already have a full schedule this year, so the movie is not expected to be released until next year.
• Hamasaki Ayumi is the first queen of karaoke. She was named as the most popular artist chosen by users of the DAM karaoke system over the last 15 years. The company announced its first ever rankings based on data from 1994, when it was established. Since her debut in 1998, Ayu has released more than 200 songs on karaoke, of which “Seasons” has been the most popular. Filling out the Top 3 most sung artists are Glay and Mr. Children. The most popular song was the Okinawan ballad “Nada Sousou” by Natsukawa Rimi.
• Koumoto Junichi (31) of the Yoshimoto comedy duo Jicho Kacho suffered a broken rib during a recent TBS variety show. The show featured comedians doing sumo against pro wrestlers, the obvious disadvantage being somewhat balanced by both “wrestlers” and the “dohyo” being doused in lotion. Koumoto, who managed to beat the towering “Captain Hustle” Ogawa Naoya (40), is said to require about four weeks to recover.
• Today’s issue of women’s weekly magazine “Shuukan Josei” revealed that actress Mano Azusa (50) has been divorced for the last two and a half years. She married a computer company employee on Christmas Day, 1989 after a ten-year relationship. But she filed for divorce on her wedding anniversary in 2005.
• The Yomiuri Giants really are having a terrible start to the season. For decades known as Japan’s most popular baseball team, they have seen a steady decline in TV ratings in recent years. And they not only were swept by crosstown rivals the Yakult Swallows in their opening 3-game series, but the ratings for their opening game on Friday reached an all-time low at just 11%. That’s two percentage points lower than last year’s record low.