POPULAR K-pop girl group T-ara has finally released its highly anticipated eight-track fifth mini album Funky Town, reports soompi.com.
It comprises two new songs — the title track Lovey Dovey, a club remix version and We Were In Love (a collaboration with pop-ballad duo Davichi), and tracks from its fourth mini album Black Eyes, that was released in November.
Lovey Dovey is the sequel to the 15-minute Cry Cry music video from the Black Eyes album, that was shot in the form of a mini movie, featuring actors Cha Seung Won and Ji Chang Wook. Fans can look forward to watching five (drama, Tokyo, Zombies, Dance and Club) versions of the title track.
The first to be released is the 20.32 minutes long drama version. Find out what happened to the protagonists at www.youtube.com/user/LOENENT, which achieved one million views in just two days after its release.
BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS
ALL her hard work has paid off for Kim Yoo Jin, better known by her stage name Uee, a member of K-pop girl group After School.
She recently snagged the Newcomer Actress Award for Ojakgyo Brothers at the year-end 2011 KBS Drama Awards, reports allkpop.com.
This drama (airing now on Astro Channel 391, Saturday and Sunday, at 7.53pm), recently extended its run by eight more episodes due to its massive popularity.
Uee plays college student Baek Ja Eun, who goes to live with the Hwang family, in this drama which revolves around the four Hwang brothers in Ojakgyo farm.
In an interview with The Chosun Ilbo, she said that it was difficult trying to juggle between singing and acting because of the tight schedule. So, she’d rather cut down on sleep than be “a nuisance to After School and the TV crew”.
Romancing Liu
CHINESE actress Liu Shi Shi will romance Taiwanese actor Ming Dao in Hunan TV’s new drama series Angel’s Happiness a.k.a. Happiness Of An Angel, reports cfensi.
dramaddicts.com.
Xiao Han (Liu) is a single mother with a young daughter while Ming Dao plays a doctor (An Jie Luo). To stay together, they have to overcome various challenges, including An’s mum who doesn’t think Xiao is good enough for her son.
Director and his muse
HONG KONG actress Michelle Ye will once again work with Louis Koo and award-winning director Johnnie To in the latter’s new gangster film Drug War, reports www.michelle-ye.com.
No details have been released, except that it will have a budget of US$15.8 million (RM49 million).
Ye has previously worked with To in Motorway (2011), Vengeance (2009) and with Koo in Accident (2009). (The last two movies were produced by To). She also paired with Koo in the 2011 crime thriller Overheard 2.
To said: “Ye is a very flexible and strong actress. Her acting is natural and she is talented.”
YAMADA THE STATESMAN
RYOSUKE Yamada of J-pop boy band Hey! Say! Jump, will play the young Akiyoshi Yamada in TBS’s 2013 New Year historical drama special Shirarezaru Bakumatsu No Shishi: Yamada Akiyoshi Monogatari, reports tokyohive.com.
Set after the Meiji Restoration, it’s about the early life of Akiyoshi Yamada (1844-1892), a military officer and statesman who helped develop the legal code and founded Koten Kokyusho (Research Institute for the Japanese Classics, the predecessor of Kokugakuin University) in 1882 and the Nihon Law School (now Nihon University) in 1889.
The older Yamada will be played by Tetsuya Watari.
Back to Kirin High
HYORIN, the leader of K-pop girl group Sistar, has joined the cast of Dream High 2 as one of the leads, reports soompi.com. This sequel to KBS’s mega hit teen drama Dream High revolves around the students of Kirin High School of Art.
Nana (Hyorin) and the rest of HershE, a popular three-member girl group, are new transfer students at Kirin High. A talented singer with strong vocals, Nana, the group leader, nurses a dark secret.
Second chance
MASAHIRO Matsuoka, the drummer of J-pop boy band Tokio, will helm TV Asahi’s new drama series 13-sai No Hello Work, reports tokyograph.
This is an adaptation of Ryu Murakami’s children’s novel of the same name that was first published in 2003 as a guidebook for junior high school students, to acquaint them with over 500 types of occupations.
The drama revolves around policeman Teppei Ogure (Matsuoka) who is dissatisfied with life because his ambition to join the First Investigation Division remains unfulfilled.
One day, he somehow slips back in time to 22 years earlier, and encounters his 13-year-old self (played by Taketo Tanaka).
Presented with such an opportunity, he decides to start all over again by having his younger self try out various jobs.
HEALING ECHO
Underrated singer Lee Hyun, the leader of K-pop ballad group 8Eight, has finally released his debut solo studio album The Healing Echo, reports allkpop.com.
The title track Because It’s You is about the protagonist who’s nursing a broken heart and who vows not to fall into the relationship trap, finding love again.
Lee debuted with his group after it won MBC’s Show Survival, the Korean version of American Idol in 2007.
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