Sunday, January 31, 2010

JIN's movie version not confirmed

Although there were newspaper reports of an upcoming JIN movie in 2011, TBS has released a statement on 29 January 09 on JIN's website where the producer denied the report. Even though they did not rule out the possibility of having a sequel (be it in a drama, SP or movie form), they said that they are still in discussion over future plans.

So all this means that the news was fake? Did Nikkansports cook up the story? Or did someone from TBS leak this before the TV station could make their own announcement?

Anyway, what this all means is that we won't be seeing JIN again soon. I prefer them to have a full drama sequel as compared to a movie because it could take months before overseas fans can watch it. Even a SP would be better than a movie. However, knowing the TV stations' style of doing things, movies are probably going to bring in more money for them so they will head to wherever the money is. Since the manga is still continuing, I doubt that they will have enough fresh material for a full drama unless they wait for some time.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Top 10 most anticipated young actresses (Oricon)

1) Yoshitaka Yuriko

2) Kawashima Umika

3) Kitagawa Keiko

4) Kitano Kii

5) Shida Mirai

6) Kaho

7) Sasaki Nozomi

8) Tabe Mikako

9) Tanimura Mitsuki

10) Oomasa Ayane

Friday, January 29, 2010

JIN's movie version to be screened in 2011

JIN will be made into a movie as announced by TBS on 28 January 2010. The filming will begin this summer and the movie is scheduled to be screened in 2011. TBS received a lot of requests for a movie after the drama ended in December 2009 thus the decision was made in accordance with viewers' wishes. The cast for the movie will be the same as the drama.

Source: Nikkansports

____________________________________________________________

I'm happy to see JIN's movie but I really dislike TBS for treating viewers like fools. If they didn't come up with that ambiguous ending, who would ask for a continuation? To think that they denied so strongly that they were planning for a movie... Liars! It leaves a bad taste in the mouth when I think of how we have been taken for a ride. I just hope that the movie does not end on a cliffhanger again. Sometimes, it's best to know when to stop.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Top 10 most anticipated young actors (Oricon)

1) Okada Masaki

2) Miura Haruma

3) Kato Seishiro

4) Sato Takeru

5) Mukai Osamu

6) Mizobata Junpei

7) Seto Koji

8) Hayashi Kento

9) Daito Shunsuke

10) Yamamoto Yusuke

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Ueno Juri to star in 2011 Taiga Drama "Gou ~ Himetachi no Sengoku" 江~姫たちの戦国

Ueno Juri will be playing the lead role in 2011's NHK Taiga drama, "Gou ~ Himetachi no Sengoku" (Gou ~ The Warring Times of the Princesses). This makes her the 10th female lead in Taiga's 50-year history. Coincidentally, Ueno is also from the same agency as Fukuyama Masaharu who plays the lead role in this year's Taiga. This is the first time that actors from the same agency are playing the lead roles in consecutive years.

Ueno's role will be Gou, the third daughter of Azai Nagamasa and Oda Nobunaga's younger sister. Gou lost her parents during a war and she became known as one of the famous three sisters during the Warring Times. Her eldest sister Yodo became the wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi while her second sister Hatsu married into a famous family. Gou later became the 1st wife of the Tokugawa Hidetada after two earlier marriages. She was to become the mother of Tokugawa Iemitsu later and created the Ooku in Edo City.


Sources: Nikkansports, Sports Hochi, Sponichi

Top 10 movies ranking (24 Jan 10)

1) Avatar

2) Oceans

3) Surrogates

4) The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

5) Sayonara Itsuka

6) Gekijouban Yu-Gi-Oh Sora wo Koeta Kizuna

7) Nodame Cantabile Saishugakusho Zenhen

8) Where The Wild Things Are

9) BANDAGE

10) UP

Monday, January 25, 2010

JIN DVD Box Set

Title: JIN DVD Box Set
Date of release: 17 March 2010
Produced by: TBS
Distributed by: Kadokawa Films
Region coding: 2
Total number of discs: 6
Free gift: Specially-made JIN Chopsticks set
First-press premium: Booklet
Visual premiums: Production press conference footage / End-of-filming videos / Promotional SP / CMs / Trailers
For more details, please go to TBS ishop.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Review of JIN (Autumn 2009)

This review should have been done much earlier but I have just finished watching this series last week so this explains why the post is up now. Being the first review which I'm writing for this year, I hope that things get off to a good start and I'll be able to keep up with the momentum and post at least 2 reviews per month. During the autumn drama season, I was pretty much caught up with work and studies so I didn't have the time to sit through this. After hearing so much about this No.1 drama from last season, I finally have a chance to see if it is as good as what others have said.

I'm glad to say that this is pretty good. Despite some flaws and a hurried ending, I feel that this was one of the most gratifying dramas which I've seen in recent years. Although it is still not considered a classic in my opinion, this is definitely better than most of the drama offerings these days.

First, let's get started on the good points. One of the main reasons why I was very excited about this drama pre-season was the combination of Osawa Takao and Nakatani Miki. The two of them have been largely involved in movies only for a long time so it is indeed good news to see them in a drama. I have been wanting to see their move "Shichigatsu Nijuuyokka no Christmas" for ages but haven't been able to find it. I eagerly anticipated their collaboration this time because they both happen to be among my favourite actors and actresses. Years ago when I was watching Hoshi no Kinka (Heaven's Coins), it was Osawa who caught my eye rather than Takenouchi Yutaka (although I grew to like the latter over the years). As for Nakatani, her performances in dramas like Keizoku, Jou-i and Renai Hensachi were simply stunning. The last movie I saw her in was Kiraware Matsuko no Issho which was 4 years ago. As such, it feels as if I'm reuniting with long-lost friends when I watch this drama.

True to my expectations, these two did very well in the drama and showed what they are capable of. Through the character Minakata Jin, Osawa displayed the internal struggles of Jin to the fullest. On one hand, Jin wants to go back to the modern era and see his fiancee Miki (Nakatani) again. On the other hand, he starts to feel worried about the effects it will have on Bakumatsu-period Edo if he is gone. There is a growing emotional attachment to Edo although he did not feel it consciously in the beginning. Another highlight in his performance was when Jin faced a difficult decision as to whether he should save Nokaze (Nakatani). Osawa really conveyed a strong message of "it's human nature to think of ourselves" through his acting. i really like his farewell scene with Nokaze at the end. It was simply emotional, touching and had a lot of impact. Besides the emotionally-heavy developments, light-hearted humour e.g. through his interaction with Sakamoto Ryoma (Uchino Masaaki) gives a more well-rounded potrayal of Jin rather than showing him to be in a dilemma and thinking about serious issues all the time.

As for Nakatani Miki, her appearance was largely restricted in the first few episodes because her character Miki was still in a coma while Nokaze had yet to be featured prominently in the storyline. However, she was indeed eye-catching whenever she appeared. Most of the time, Nokaze was cynical and showed a tough side but she started to show the softer side to her character as she came into contact with Jin. On the other hand, although the character Miki always appeared in flashbacks, we do get a pretty clear picture of who she was i.e. her vivacious and never-give-up character. Although I thought the makeup for Nokaze was kinda overboard at times, I feel that Nakatani did well to show the differences between her two characters. Her chemistry on screen with Osawa whenever their characters met were very intense. Look out for the scene where Nokaze tried to offer herself to Jin before she gets redeemed by a rich man. That is solid proof of their acting skills.

Other than the leads who ignited my interest in the drama, the supporting cast was also brilliant. In fact, it is rare to find a drama these days filled with people who can really act. They also played a pivotal role in JIN's success.

First up, Ayase Haruka. After the very disappointing Mr.Brain, she finally showed her mettle again like how she impressed me during Byakuyakou. I love her performance as Saki. Although I thought that her character might suffer from neglect due to the star-studded cast, she stood firmly against the veterans and made Saki a character who is unforgettable. It was good that the feelings she had for Jin were not depicted in such a manner that made Saki look like a total bimbo. Coupled with the fact that Saki's strong character permeates through the plot, she became one of my most favourite characters. I tend to like female characters in dramas who can think on their own and have the strength to overcome problems so it is very obvious that I can't stand characters who only sit around to wait for Prince Charming to do everything for them. Luckily, Saki wasn't one of this type.

Another character who I really like is Ogata Kouan played by Takeda Tetsuya. Although his character died in the middle of the series, Ogata was indeed a charismatic leader who would not find it a disgrace to learn from Jin who was way younger than him. His humble attitude and steadfast attitude towards medicine were admirable. He had very good chemistry with Osawa Takao as well and I especially liked the scene when Ogata was asking Jin about his origins before he passed away. The dialogue showed that Ogata and Jin truly admired each other for their knowledge, skills and mindsets towards curing people. Although the men didn't sob in a exaggerated manner, the emotion was touching enough to bring people to tears.

Last but not least, Sakamoto Ryoma played by Uchino Masaaki is another outstanding character to be highlighted for mention. I am not too familiar with Sakamoto's background other than the facts that he played a pivotal role in the modernisation of Japan, he was assasinated at a young age, he was well-known for thinking out of the box. When I watched Uchino's past roles, he was usually quite serious but he was really good as Sakamoto. It is hard for anyone to dislike Uchino's potrayal of Sakamoto unless you want to find fault with the fact that he behaves like a mad man at times. My interpretation of that is when someone is behaving in an unconventional way, we usually categorise that as crazy behaviour. When you look at Sakamoto's mindset from the eyes of our modern era, we can safely say that if not for people who dare to dream, society would never evolve. As Uchino has enjoyed a lot of accolades for his performance, this would no doubt place additional pressure on Fukuyama Masaharu who plays the same character in this year's Taiga. Then again, many people have played Sakamoto before so it will probably be difficult to judge who is better. The unfortunate timing is probably what will cause the continuous comparison between Uchino and Fukuyama since the Taiga drama Ryomaden followed hot on the heels of JIN's success.

Of course, the rest of the supporting cast were also good in their own ways. However, if I were to go into detail for everyone, this post would probably stretch to such a length that most readers would not be patient enough to finish reading.

Coming to the story, this is where views will likely be divided. Frankly speaking, the story began with a bang. In fact, a BIG bang! Although the first episode was supposed to be a 2-hour SP, time flew by so quickly and before you knew it, it was over. There were lots of background filling typical in debut episodes but they managed to cram some humour and a lot of tense scenes to build up the suspense. That part where Jin was trying to make do with limited tools to perform a brain surgery was simply superb. As the story progressed, I was enthralled by the medical developments in Edo during that turbulent period and very touched by the relationships between some of the characters. The dialogue was straight to the point but also retained the subtleness in the spoken language of people in that era. As such, understanding the story wasn't that difficult even though there were lots of medical-related information to digest.

However, the story ending was a total letdown. After building up so much expectation, the finale fizzled. There were at least four main issues which were not explained and I'm sure everyone will feel bewildered by the lack of answers:
1) What was the significance of the foetus tumour?
2) Who was the injured man in the modern era?
3) How and why did Jin go back to the Edo era?
4) Was there a link between Nokaze and Miki?
5) Where did Jin and Miki's photo go? Why were there changes in the photo everytime something happened to Nokaze?
I assume that the lack of a conclusive ending has much to do with the manga which is still in progress so there is a likelihood that we may see a SP or movie. However, TBS had denied that there is something being planned. It's too early to say if TBS will go back on its word but I think most of us would feel very dissatisfied with how the drama ended.

Another point to note is that JIN ended in a similar fashion like Maou so I'm quite concerned whether TBS is intending to do the same thing again. Maou had some material to add in its DVD box thus it means that those who don't buy the DVD don't get to see the complete ending. I certainly hope that they don't spoil JIN's reputation with such a marketing gimmick.

With regards to the theme song by MISIA, I think it's quite good but the problem is whenever she gets to the chorus, it startles me at times. I literally jump when she starts singing "ima aitai ~ ". :-p Maybe the song is like this originally (the climax portion is supposed to be much louder than the rest of the song) but I suspect that the sound engineer may not have fine-tuned the volume balance so it's extremely jarring to the ears at the ending credits section.

In conclusion, this drama is a pretty good offering from TBS in a very long time. Although there are flaws, I feel that it is still worth watching, at least for the good acting and strong story (minus the hazy ending). Maybe the TV station should avoid using unfinished novels or manga in future to avoid such a problem. And we can then have a perfect and complete ending.

And my ratings for this drama...
Story: 9.5 out of 10 (It could have been a perfect 10 if the ending was complete)
Acting: 9 out of 10 (Everyone did well especially Osawa, Nakatani, Ayase, Uchino and Takeda. Even Koide Keisuke who had a small role did pretty OK. I'm still trying to reconcile the fact that Kyoutaro and Masumi-chan in Nodame Cantabile are played by the same person. Goes to show how versatile he can be.)
Theme song: 7.5 out of 10 (It's been a long time since I heard a MISIA song. And I think the message of the song seems to relate to Jin's feelings of longing to see Miki again.)
Visual effects / Scenery: 8 out of 10 (Not so much of visual effects but rather I like the nostalgic feel of Edo and the serene atmosphere for some of the scenes.)
Teamwork / Chemistry: 9 out of 10 (This is for the following pairings - Jin x Nokaze, Jin x Miki, Jin x Saki, Ryoma x Nokaze, Jin x Ogata, Hatsune x Kyoutaro and Jin x Ryoma. Watching these groupings talk is enjoyable especially the Jin x Ogata and Nokaze x Ryoma combinations.)

Total: 43 out of 50 - It's been ages since I rated a drama so highly i.e. above 40 marks. I can't remember when I last did that.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Top 10 movies ranking (17 Jan 10)

1) Avatar

2) Nodame Cantabile Saishugakusho Zenhen

3) Where the Wild Things Are

4) BANDAGE

5) UP

6) ONE PIECE FILM STRONG WORLD

7) Kondo wa Aisaika

8) Tsuri Baka Nisshi 20 Final

9) THIS IS IT

10) Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider W & Decade MOVIE Daisakusen 2010

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Top 10 movies ranking (10 Jan 10)

1) Avatar

2) Nodame Cantabile Saishugakusho Zenhen

3) UP

4) ONE PIECE FILM STRONG WORLD

5) Tsuri Baka Nisshi 20 Final

6) Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider W & Decade Movie Daisakusen 2010

7) THIS IS IT

8) 2012

9) Higanjima

10) A Tale of Ululu's Wonderful Forest

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Winter 2010 Preview: Angel Bank Tenshoku Dairinin エンゼルバンク転職代理人

Title: Angel Bank Tenshoshoku Dairinin (Angel Bank - The Job Switch Agent)
Official website: here
O.A. Start Date: 14 January 2010
Timeslot: Thursdays, 9pm
Original Comic: Angel Bank Dragonzakura Gaiten
Cast: Hasegawa Kyoko, Wentz Eiji, Murakami Tomoko, Nakamura Yu, Nishioka Takuma, Omi Toshinori, Namase Katsuhisa

Winter 2010 Preview: Tokujou Kabachi 特上カバチ


Title: Tokujou Kabachi
Official website: here
O.A. Start Date: 17 January 2010
Timeslot: Sundays, 9pm
Cast: Sakurai Sho, Horikita Maki, Endo Kenichi, Watanabe Ikkei, Tamaru Maki, Asano Yuuko, Takahashi Katsumi, Nakamura Masatoshi
Theme song: Troublemaker by Arashi

Remarks: Much as I have no confidence in Horikita Maki anymore, I am prepared to watch at least a few episodes of this drama for the sake of Sakurai Sho. I don't really think that this will surpass its predecessor Kabachitare which starred Tokiwa Takako and Fukatsu Eri though. That was a great drama. Using the same comic doesn't equal same quality.
The problem with Horikita Maki is that her acting standard is erratic these days. Or should I say the projects she chose tend to be of varying levels of quality. Going by this trend, I'm kinda worried about this drama as well especially when you look at the dramas she starred in recent years. I certainly hope that I would be proven wrong this time.

Nobuta wo Produce (hit but more so for the guys) --> Kurosagi (it was more of a hit for Yamashita Tomohisa) --> Teppan Shoujo Akane!! (first flop in her career) --> Seitou Shokun (flop) --> Hanazakari no Kimi tachi e (hit but the guys got more attention) --> Atsuhime (hit - partly due to her supposed onscreen rivalry with Miyazaki Aoi who played her mother-in-law) --> Innocent Love (flop) --> Atashinchi no Danshi (hit - at least the ratings were OK) --> Tokujou Kabachi!! (???)

Monday, January 11, 2010

Winter 2010 Preview - Magerarenai Onna 曲げられない女

Title: Magerarenai Onna (The Inflexible Woman)
Official website: here
O.A. Start Date: 13 January 2010
Timeslot: Wednesdays, 10pm
Showing via: NTV
Cast: Kanno Miho, Tanihara Shosuke, Tsukamoto Takashi, Ichikawa Tomohiro, Nose Anna, Nishioka Tokuma, Nagasaku Hiromi
Theme song: Title undecided yet / by aiko

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Top 10 most anticipated dramas of Winter 2010 (Oricon)

1) Code Blue Doctor Heli Kinkyuu Kyuumei 2nd Season (FujiTV)

2) Bloody Monday (TBS)

3) Tokujo Kabachi (TBS)

4) Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge (TBS)

5) Magerarenai Onna (NTV)

6) Hidarime Tantei EYE (NTV)

7) Massugu na Otoko (FujiTV)

8) Hanchou (TBS)

9) Nakanai to Kimeta Hi (FujiTV)

10) Angel Bank Tenshoku Dairinin (TV Asahi)

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Top 10 movies ranking (3 Jan 10)

1) Avatar

2) Nodame Cantabile Saishugakusho Zenhen

3) UP

4) ONE PIECE FILM STRONG WORLD

5) Tsuri Baka Nisshi 20 Final

6) Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider W x Decade MOVIE Daisen 2010

7) 2012

8) A Tale of Ululu's Wonderful Forest

9) The Eternal Diva

10) Michael Jackson This Is It

Friday, January 08, 2010

Top 10 most popular young male celebrities (CREA)

1) Miura Haruma

2) Okada Masaki

3) Sato Takeru

4) Ishikawa Ryo

5) Mizobata Junpei

6) Ikuta Toma

7) Kamiki Ryuunosuke

8) Tanaka Kei

9) Nakayama Yuma

10) Yamada Ryosuke

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Top 10 favourite male celebrities above 40 (CREA)

1) Sawamura Ikki

2) Sato Koichi

3) Abe Hiroshi

4) Tachi Hiroshi

5) Richard Gere

6) Ishida Junichi

7) Tsutsumi Shinichi

8) Takada Junji

9) Oosugi Ren

10) Watari Tetsuya

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Top 10 male celebrities women want to be hugged by (CREA)

1) Fukuyama Masaharu

2) Kimura Takuya

3) Okada Junichi

4) Oguri Shun

5) Kaneshiro Takeshi

6) Yamashita Tomohisa

7) Sato Koichi

8) Odagiri Jo

9) Mukai Satoshi

10) GACKT

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Top 10 male celebrities whom women want to marry (CREA)

This post marks the first of a 4-part survey conducted by CREA on women with regards to the type of male celebrities they like. The results are published in the February 2010 issue. First up is the Top 10 list of men whom women want to marry:

1) Sakai Masato / Fukuyama Masaharu

3) Tsumabuki Satoshi

4) Kimura Takuya

5) Mizushima Hiro

6) Eguchi Yosuke

7) Odagiri Jo

8) Karasawa Toshiaki

9) Nakamura Toru

10) Tsuruno Takeshi

Monday, January 04, 2010

Winter 2010 Preview - Nakanai to Kimeta Hi (The Day I Decided Not To Cry)

Title: Nakanai to Kimeta Hi 泣かないと決めた日
Official website: here
Broadcast by: FujiTV
O.A. Start Date: 26 January 2010
Timeslot: Tuesdays 9pm
Cast: Eikura Nana, Fujiki Naohito, Kaname Jun, An, Katase Nana, Konno Mahiru, Hasegawa Jun, Danta Yasunori, Kimura Yoshino

Sunday, January 03, 2010

Top 10 movies ranking (27 Dec 09)

1) Avatar

2) Nodame Cantabile Saishugakusho Zenhen

3) ONE PIECE FILM STRONG WORLD

4) UP

5) Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider W & Decade Movie Daisen 2010

6) Tsuri Baka Nisshi 20 Final

7) 2012

8) THE ETERNAL DIVA

9) Daikaijuu Battle Ultra Ginga Densetsu THE MOVIE

10) The 4th Kind

Saturday, January 02, 2010

Top 10 bestselling DVDs of 2009

1) Kake no Ue no Ponyo (841,203)

2) 5x10 All the Best! CLIPS 1999 - 2009 by Arashi (590,642)

3) ARASHI AROUND ASIA 2008 in TOKYO by Arashi(428,256)

4) Hana Yori Dango Final (358,172)

5) EXILE LIVE TOUR "EXILE PERFECT LIVE 2008" by Exile (339,495)

6) EXILE LIVE TOUR "THE MONSTER" by Exile (288,742)

7) SMAP 2008 super.modern.artistic.performance tour by SMAP (269,021)

8) namie amuro BEST FICTION TOUR 2008 - 2009 by Amuro Namie (257,365)

9) TOUR 2009 PUZZLE by Kanjani 8 (249,884)

10) Okuribito (232,758)

Friday, January 01, 2010

Recap of 2009 & Happy New Year!

It's this time of the year where we say goodbye to the past year and welcome a fresh beginning. Things have been very slow on this blog for the past few months because of my studies and work. I won't promise that I will pick up the momentum very quickly and maintain the same consistency in terms of how frequent the blog gets updated. Apologies to all of you who have been following this blog. I hope to post at least one review every two weeks and hopefully, I will be able to meet this target at my own pace.

This year has been really eventful and it's not really in a good sense. The greatest shocker would probably be Sakai Noriko's case. From someone who was assumed to be a victim, she became a fugitive. I guess this is something which we won't forget anytime soon. Of course, there are some good news in the entertainment circle with more people getting married or having babies.

To recap what has happened in this past year, here are some of the most significant happenings which I've listed below. Please note that this list is not exhaustive:

People nabbed for consuming drugs
1) Kohinata Minako
2) Oshio Manabu (given a suspended sentence / facing fresh charges for not saving his female companion who died after consuming Ecstasy)
3) Sakai Noriko (given a suspended sentence / in the midst of a messy divorce from her husband)
4) Akasaka Akira (ex-Hikaru Genji member / arrested while he was still in the midst of his suspended sentence, may have to go to prison this time)

People who caught H1N1 or the usual influenza
1) Kimura Ryo
2) Berry Koubou's 6 members
3) Sato Takeru
4) Oodori's 2 members
5) Shirota Yu
6) Oikawa Nao
7) Kinoshita Yukina
8) EXILE's AKIRA
9) Tsubaki Haruna
10) Harisenbon's Minowa Haruka
11) Nishikido Ryo
12) Yamashita Tomohisa

Scandals
1) Kusanagi Tsuyoshi nabbed for causing a din in the buff
2) Sawajiri Erika fired by her agency
3) Kato Natsuki suing her ex-manager cum ex-boyfriend

Divorces and breakups
1) Adachi Yumi & Itoda Jun
2) Fujiwara Norika & Jinnai Tomonori
3) Asano Tadanobu & Chara
4) Tamaki Koji & Ishihara Mariko
5) Inoue Waka & Totsugi Shigeyuki
6) Oshikiri Moe
7) Enari Kazuki
8) Kuroki Meisa

Marriages, Dating Couples (confirmed ones only - rumours not included)
1) Ichikawa Ebizo & Kobayashi Mao
2) Ishida Junichi & Higashio Riko
3) Ebihara Yuri & RIP SLYME's ILMARI
4) Shirota Yu & Yasuda Misako
5) Kinoshita Yukina & Fujimoto Toshifumi
6) Higashiyama Noriyuki & Kimura Yoshino
7) Bibiru Daiki & Sakai Wakana
8) Horiuchi Ken (Neptune)
9) Gekidan Hitori & Oosawa Akane
10) Nakamura Kantaro & Maeda Ai
11) Ito Misaki
12) Sawajiri Erika
13) Tokiwa Takako & Nagazuka Keishi
14) Sakai Maki
15) Terashima Susumu
16) Mizushima Hiro & ayaka
17) Hara Chiaki
18) Tamaki Hiroshi & Yoshitaka Yuriko
19) Yagira Yuuya & Toyoda Eri
20) Yamada Yu & Oguri Shun
21) Kane Kosugi
22) Kamikawa Takaya
23) Jouji Tomoharu & Fujimoto Miki

Those who had babies or are expecting
1) Matsumoto Hitoshi & Ihara Rin
2) Inohara Yoshihiko (V6) & Seto Asaka
3) Sato Ryuuta
4) Matsuda Ryuhei & Ota Rina
5) Miyazawa Rie
6) Okina Megumi
7) Bessho Tetsuya
8) MEGUMI
9) Nagasaku Hiromi
10) Hajime Chitose
11) Esumi Makiko
12) Maki Youko
13) Shinagawa Hiroshi
14) Suzuki Sarina
15) Hasegawa Kyoko
16) Nishida Hikaru
17) Tsuchiya Anna
18) Yaida Hitomi
19) Takahashi Katsunori
20) Tamaki Chiharu (Kiroro)
21) Sakai Miki

A very happy new year to everyone! 明けましておめでとうございます!よろしくお願いします!