LAND OF NEW MOVIES

Attention Japanese and Korean TV drama fans! Starred by Japanese well-liked actress Kyoko Fukada and Korean heartthrob Won Bin, "Friends" is definitely your choice of the day! With the story set in the beautiful city, Hong Kong, this lighthearted love story will surely touch your heart. ~from yesasia~

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Arashi's Ninomiya Kazunari and Sakurai Sho star in the TBS drama Yamada Taro Monogatari! Based on Ai Morinaga's popular manga, Yamada Taro Monogatari revolves around the hilarious misadventures of a poor, but princely high school student. The story was previously adapted into a Taiwanese drama in 2001 with F4's Vic Chou in the starring role, and now it finally comes to Japanese television. Lead Ninomiya Kazunari has been gaining a lot of attention for his acting in recent years, and he brings his down-to-earth charm to this fun and heartwarming series. Other than the Arashi boys, the drama also features SOPHIA vocalist Matsuoka Mitsuru as Taro's father and Kikuchi Momoko, taking her first drama role in 13 years, as the mother.

A student at the elite Ichinomiya High School, Yamada Taro (Ninomiya Kazunari) is handsome, smart, and athletic, and seems to effortlessly exude a princely air. Naturally, everyone assumes that he must come from a wealthy, privileged background. In reality, Taro is the oldest son in a very poor family. He lives in a small, rundown house with six siblings and a flighty mother (Kikuchi Momoko) who is completely clueless about money. Everyday, Taro has to work hard and stretch his mind to earn money to support the family, leading to many comedic situations. Luckily, his wealthy friend Takuya (Sakurai Sho) is always willing to help him out. ~from yesasia~

Top J-pop idol group Arashi's hit variety shows come to DVD for the first time!

Since 2002, Arashi has been entertaining the Japanese audience with their late night variety shows. Full of hilarious moments and insightful segments, Arashi's shows have gone through various incarnations, but are always audience favorites. In C no Arashi ("Claiming Arashi"), aired from July 2002 to June 2003, the boys go to various companies to handle different claims. In D no Arashi ("Documentary Arashi"), aired from fall 2004 to August 2005, the boys divide into competing teams to accomplish different tasks. In G no Arashi ("Ganbare Arashi"), which just finished its broadcast run in September, Arashi assists people from different sectors of society. A new show titled Arashi no Syukudai kun ("Homework for Arashi") hits small screens in October, but those feeling nostalgic for classic Arashi are in for a treat with C x D x G no Arashi.

Divided into two volumes, C x D x G no Arashi contains episodes from C no Arashi, D no Arashi, and G no Arashi. In addition, this newly edited director's cut release contains unreleased footage from the shows! C x D x G no Arashi is a collector's must-have for Arashi and Japanese television fans alike. ~from yesasia~

Kamio Yoko's romance manga series Hana Yori Dango, a.k.a. Boys Over Flowers, has made it to screens in various incarnations since the mid-90s, most notably as a long-running anime series and as the immensely popular Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden. In 2005, TBS adapted the comic for television once more, and hit ratings gold. Produced by Setoguchi Katsuaki (Good Luck!!), the series features a fresh young cast led by Arashi's Matsumoto Jun and rising star Inoue Mao. Inoue, who plays the drama's spunky heroine, won the Best Actress Award at the 47th Television Drama Academy Awards for her performance, while Matsumoto picked up the Best Supporting Actor Award. Hana Yori Dango was so popular, the cast returned for a highly anticipated sequel which began broadcast in January 2007.

The tough, hardworking Makino Tsukushi (Inoue Mao) attends an exclusive school. She finds her shallow, privileged classmates unbearable, especially the notorious F4. Rich, handsome, and arrogant, Domyoji Tsukasa (Matsumoto Jun), Hanazawa Rui (Oguri Shun, The Neighbor No. 13), Mimasaka Akira (Abe Tsuyoshi, Rough), and Nishikado Sojiro (Matsuda Shota, A Cheerful Gang Turns the Earth) are the kings of the school and no one, not even the teachers, dare challenge them. No one, that is, except Tsukushi. Angry at their rudeness, Tsukushi tells off the members of F4, bringing a world of trouble upon herself. The proud and persistent Tsukasa falls hard for the feisty Tsukushi, but she shares a connection with the quiet and sensitive Rui. Caught between the two friends, who will Tsukushi choose?