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Han Hyo Joo, a popular actress in South Korea, said she hoped to star in Japanese dramas and films while visiting the country recently to promote her smash-hit drama ‘‘Brilliant Legacy.’‘

‘‘I play a woman who is positive, hardly gives up and overcomes various difficulties. I hope that people in Japan can also feel hope and happiness in life’’ through this drama, Han said. She plays a woman who beats adversity after facing turmoil over an inheritance in the series, which currently airs on Japan’s Fuji Television Network after logging a 47.1% viewer rating in South Korea last year.

Actress Aoi Yu will lend her voice for a new character in the movie Nodame Cantabile Saishu Gakusho ~ Kouhen. The movie will be release in Japan on the 17th next month. Her character is named Jadwi and is Hungarian. As the movie progresses, Nodame will quit playing the piano. Jadwi’s character becomes crucial to the storyline as she is the one who makes Nodame realize the importance of music. Actress Ueno Juri said: “Jadwi’s character is really bright and is very similar to Aoi.” When the production team was looking for a candidate to take on the voice role, they didn’t have to think twice about approaching Aoi. This will be the third time the two actresses have worked together.

Japanese pop group Arashi will be releasing their new single “Troublemaker” in Korea today, according to agency SM Entertainment on Wednesday.

SM said in a press release that “Troublemaker” will be released in Korea in two versions; a regular CD and a limited edition composed of a CD and DVD.

The DVD will contain the music video for “Troublemaker” as well as making-the-video footage while the CD will feature an additional track titled “One More Step.”

Rock band Mr.Children will release their upcoming live DVD Mr.Children DOME TOUR 2009 ~SUPERMARKET FANTASY~ IN TOKYO DOME on May 10th.

Mr.Children have established themselves as one of the most successful rock groups within Japan since their beginnings in 1989. Over the course of their career, they have collectively sold over 50,000,000 copies of their singles and albums.

Actress and model Misaki Ito (32) is going to be a mother soon. It was learned on Monday that she is currently six months pregnant and is expected to give birth to her first child this summer.

Ito has been married since November to Yoshinori Enomoto (41), the head of pachinko machine maker Kyoraku Sangyo. They had been dating for about a year before that. They held their wedding in Hawaii, where they first met in November 2008 at the wedding of a friend.

TV Asahi recently announced a new television drama time slot: the “Nichiyo Night Drama” will occupy Sunday nights at 11:00pm. The network has now revealed that the first show lined up for the time slot is “Jotei Kaoruko,” featuring model Mirei Kiritani (20) in her first starring role for a TV series.

Sakurai Sho (28) of Arashi is starring in the TBS drama “Tokujo Kabachi!!” (Sundays at 9PM) and will be joined by Leader Ohno Satoshi (29) in the last episode (airing the 21st). In between filming takes on their regular program the other day, Ohno was dilligently practicing his lines with his close friend, Ninomiya Kazunari (26). The first round of practices went fine. It pretty much became an “Arashi friend performance”*