Sunday, October 30, 2011

步步惊心MV: A Season of Waiting for You by Liu Shi Shi



Lyrics to “A Season of Waiting”
Waiting for Summer, waiting for Autumn
Waiting for the next season
I have to wait until the moon is full again
Before you will return to my side
Shall we meet again?
Can’t help it but missing you
Suddenly want to see your face
That familiar face
Holding hands is unnecessary
As we walk slowly through the snow and drift
Unable to see each other
And we still pine inside for each other
I only want you to know
I am doing just fine
A love for a lifetime, a passion for an eternity
I will wait for you until I grow old
I only want you to know
I can’t let it go and I can’t forget it
Your smile and your care
Is my warm support

步步惊心MV: Three Feet of Heaven by Ivy Yen

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011): Episode 31 & 32 (Final)

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011) > Episode 31 & 32 (Final)
 Xiaoyi waits for SuSu at their arranged spot, but Xiapwei turns up instead. She threatens Xiaoyi with SuSu unless he kills her again, and he has no choice but to comply. For SuSu's sake he captures a man and throws him into Xiaowei's room. Just as he is about to leave, the dead man's body is thrown out and is seen by guards on patrol. The guards seeing Xiaoyi and the dead man's body start to attack, and Xiaoyi kills some guards. He is about to make his escape when Xiaowei sucks his energy, weakening him an reverting him to his demon form.

SuSu is waiting for Xiaoyi when she learns that the heart killer had killed 13 guards the night before. She agrees to help Wang Sheng nab Xiaoyi. She sends him a message to meet her at the lake. Xia Bing suggests using a demon trap to capture Xiaoyi, but Pang Yong objects; annoying her in the process. Afraid that Gao Xiang will be rash (as Xiaoyi had killed his wife, Lin Lin), Wang Sheng sends him away. Xiaowei uses SuSu's case to sow discord between Wang Sheng and Peirong.

Xiaoyi turns up at the lake and tells SuSu that he was forced to kill again. Xiaowei makes him notice Wang Sheng's men laying in ambush. Feeling betrayed by SuSu, Xiaoyi knocks SuSu unconscious. Pang Yong and Xia Bing try to subdue Xiaoyi, but his demon powers are heightened due to the 'betrayal'. SuSu regains consciousness and begs Wang Sheng not to kill Xiaoyi.

When SuSu falls into the lake, Xiaoyi jumps into the lake and attempts to save her, despite of his
aversion to water. He is moved when a dying SuSu tells him that she does not mind that he is a demon, she likes him all the same.

Devastated by SuSu's death, Peirong blames Wang Sheng, and Xiaowei realizes that she has yet to meet a man who does not mind that she is a demon. After cooling down, Peirong apologizes to Wang Sheng. When Xiaowei kneels down on her knees to beg Peirong to let her become Wang Sheng's concubine, Wang Sheng asserts that there will only be one Mrs Wang. Peirong is moved.

Wang Sheng looks for Xiaowei and learns that she has left. He is unaware that she is testing him. When Xiaoyi attacks Wang Sheng, Xiaowei comes to his rescue. She tells him that she does not mind any status as long as she gets to be with him. He stops her from undressing and leaves the room. However, Peirong misreads the situation and finally gives in to Xiaowei's request.

Not long after a heart is found in Wang Sheng's house, and Pang Yong starts to suspect Xiaowei. To make Xiaowei spare Wang Sheng and the rest of Taiyuan, Peirong agrees to take poison to turn herself into a demon, as per Xiaowei's request. Pang Yong stops Xia Bing from confronting Xiaowei at SuSu's funeral. Everyone is shocked when Peirong recovers miraculously after being bitten by a crow.

Having seen Xiaowei's true demon (fox) form, Xiahou Xiang is enchanted by a spell and starts to attack Pang Yong. Before he breathes his last, he tells Pang Yong that Xiaowei is a demon and he hopes that Pang Yong will take good care of Xia Bing. Both Pang Yong and Xia Bing vow to avenge Xiahou Xiang's death. Upon hearing that Pang Yong has killed Xiahou Xiang, Wang Sheng runs out just as Xiaowei is serving him soup.

After consuming the poison, Peirong finds her hair and skin turning white. Xiaowei forces her to leave as she threatens Peirong by tearing out Gao Xiang's heart. Wang Sheng is misinformed that Peirong had killed Gao Xiang, he refuses to believe she is a demon despite her insistence that she is one. Pang Yong takes her away before the people of Taiyuan kill her, while Xia Bing pretends to be Peirong and lures the people away.

Xia Bing finally confronts Xiaowei (Xu Xu), who admits to accidentally killing Xia Bing's grandfather, but still regards Xia Bing as her little sister. Xiaowei runs away when Xia Bing discovers that her blood can subdue demons. Xia Bing and Pang Yong hope to kill Xiaowei, so as to destroy the spell cast on Peirong by Xiaowei (Xu Xu).

Even when Peirong admits to all the kills, Wang Sheng refuses to believe her and insists that he will always love her. She kills herself as she knows that he is unable to. At this juncture, Pang Yong attacks Xiaowei, but he fails to do so. However, it is now revealed that she is the demon that they have been looking for. Xiaoyi comes to Xiaowei's rescue.

Wang Sheng begs Xiaowei to spare Peirong and kills himself when she tells him that she will only do so when he dies. Xia Bing uses her blood to deal with Xiaoyi. Xiaoyi possesses Pang Yong and attacks Xia Bing viciously. He tells her to kill him quickly, but she is unable to do so. He ends up stabbing himself, and tells her to take care of herself and find a way to revive Peirong.

Just as Xiaoyi is about to kill Xia Bing, he is stopped by Xu Xu. Realizing that she had the love she was craving for all this time (with Xia Bing), and  that she was mistaken, Xu Xu sacrifices herself to revive all the people who died. Xu Xu mends her relationship with Xia Bing and reveals to Xiaoyi that she had lied to him about SuSu. Xiaoyi commits suicide by diving into the lake to be with SuSu.

Peirong and Wang Sheng are reunited. Xu Xu insists that Xia Bing be the one to subdue her and parts with her sadly, having realized her mistake. Unwilling to do so, Xia Bing is forced by Xu Xu to subdue her with the demon rod. Xu Xu tells her that now, no one will doubt Xia Bing's capabilities as a demon slayer as she subdued her. The series ends with Xia Bing and Pang Yong deciding to become wanderers together. They set off on their horses out of Taiyuan and begin their journey. Midway, they stop by a rest stop, whose owner does not take payment for the drinks and food he serves travelers, but accepts a good story instead. So Xia Bing begins to narrate to him animatedly what they had gone through......

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011): Episode 29 & 30

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011) > Episode 29 &30

Wang Sheng suspects that SuSu's friend is also a 'demon', and has her monitored. Peirong panics when she discovers that her father has gone missing. Xia Bing manages to find Peirong's father dancing in the rain, holding a statue. 
Xiaowei (Xu Xu) soon finds out that Peirong's father is just pretending to be insane. So when Peirong's father sneaks out to meet Pang Yong, Xiaowei makes him hang himself. When his body is found, Peirong is devastate. She knows that Xiaowei is somehow responsible but she has no proof whatsoever.

The statue that Peirong's father always carries with him is found by Wang Sheng. He discovers a strange gadget within the statue, which resembles a weather forecasting device. Xiahou Xiang figures that it is a device used to predict rainfall. Xia Bing remembers that her grandfather had told her that some demons are afraid of water. So the group deduces that one of the demons, most likely SuSu's friends is that 'demon'. They continue their survaliance of SuSu.

Xiaoyi (the lizard demon) kills two gangsters who tried to molest SuSu. He finally manages to become (look) like a human and is delighted. Xiaowei reminds him to return before the sun sets. He rushes off to meet SuSu, unaware that Wang Sheng is keeping an eye on them. Xiaoyi meets SuSu at her shoe stall, and they spend a happy day together. When the sun sets, Xiaoyi begins to feel unwell. He becomes invisible before Wang Sheng can capture him.

Xiaoyi tells SuSu that he is an orphan and that he was the one that killed the two men who had tried to molest her. He accompanies her to Peirong's cosmetic shop and is worried when he sees Xiaowei glaring at him. Xiaoyi is moved that SuSu does not mind his background or what he did, but Xiaowei is jealous at his happiness.

Wang Sheng tells SuSu that Xiaoyi is the heart killer. Xiaoyi promises not to kill again and arranges to run away with SuSu. However, Xiaowei is angry that Xiaoyi refuses to kill people for their heart for her anymore. Xia Bing sees SuSu running away.


Coco Lee marries in an extravagant Jewish wedding

The singer had not sign any pre-nuptial agreement with hubby. 36-year-old Coco Lee wedded her 52-year-old Canadian boyfriend, Bruce Rockowitz yesterday after an eight year courtship.

The wedding was held at Hong Kong's Sky 100 and reportedly cost millions of dollars. It was conducted in traditional Jewish ritual and the venue was decorated with various white flowers to symbolise purity.

Coco's guests included many popular Western singers and Taiwanese artistes like Elva Hsiao, Bowie Tseng and A-Ya. Elva, in particular, drew much attention while clad in a sexy red dress.

At 5.45pm, the band played Coco's famous tune "Moonlight Lovers" to signify the start of the ceremony. Bruce entered with his 2 daughters from a previous marriage while Coco walked down the aisle with her mother.

Dressed in a wedding gown that was embellished with S$160,000 worth of pearls and jewellery, Coco was all smiles beside her groom. As Bruce is a Jew, he wore a traditional white Kipa.

After the exchange of wedding bands, a glass was broken in accordance to the Jewish belief that the sound of glass shattering signifies the beginning of a blissful married life.

The newlyweds shared a kiss when the ceremony ended. A luxurious wedding banquet was then held at Ritz Carlton that night with 200 invited guests, where singers Jennifer Lopez and Bruno Mars took to the stage as guest performers at the wedding.

Speaking to the press later that night, the bride, who was dressed in a lovely golden evening gown, and clad in jewellery worth S$1.28 million, gushed, "During the ceremony, my heart was beating so fast and I almost cried. But I had to stop myself from crying by thinking of my dog at home, since a wedding is supposed to be a joyous occasion."

When asked if Coco and Bruce had signed any pre-nuptial agreements, the couple shared that they will be sharing everything with each other, including all of their assets.  Additionally, the newlyweds will be treating some 800 guests to their post-wedding party at Hong Kong's Shaw Studios tonight.

XinMSN

S.H.E.’s Selina released new music video

Written by: imeisee @ CpopAccess.com

Three more days before the wedding of S.H.E’s Selina and H.I.M. surprised the fans with a song and a music video from Selina called “Thank you for loving me”.

The music video contains messages and pictures of Selina as she undergoes her treatment. The lyrics of the song are touching as the song expresses the gratitude of Selina to the people who supported her during these times.

SHINee To Perform At London Korean Film Festival

The Korean Cultural Center located in England has announced that the popular idol group SHINee will be performing at the London Korean Film Festival. The group has been recognized as England's top k-pop act. In fact, they were the first Asian group to perform at Abbey Road Studios before, having garnered a positive response.

The festival will take place from November 3-24th, taking place in London, Cambridge, Sheffield, and Newcastle. 740,000 people are expected to be in attendance.

Source: KBS Global

Price of Fame in The Korean Entertainment Industry: Is it worth it?

  No comments    
categories: ,
The Korean wave, particularly Kpop, seems to be unstopping transcending across language and continents, from Asia (Taiwan, China Singapore, Malaysia etc…) to Europe (Paris etc..). To produce artistes that are versatile, the Korean entertainment industry has developed a “fool-proof” way to nurture talent to become world-class performers. 

All Korean artistes require going through a training phase which consists of intense singing lessons, dance training, and language lessons amongst other lessons. Many of these artistes may remain as trainees until they officially debut. For example, Jokwon from the ballad group 2AM was a JYP trainee for 8 years before he debuted, while G-Dragon and Taeyang of Big Bang have been with YG Entertainment since their pre-teen days. The training ensures that artistes that debut are strong in both their vocal and dancing skills. 

For those that survive and shine through the training and debut, they have to contend with others in a highly competitive and evolving industry; they either shine or fizzle out after their debut depending on their popularity.

However, despite the success, glitz and glamour, there is an interesting “dark” side to this formula. As it takes money and time investing in training potential artistes, entertainment companies such as SM Entertainment, have had issues with “slave contracts” where deemed unfair to the artiste (e.g. 13 year length and unfair distribution of album sale profits)...Read more>>

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011): Episode 27 & 28

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011) > Episode 27 & 28

Xiaowei (Xu Xu) sends Xiaoyi (the lizard spirit) to kill the 'original' Xiaowei's sister-in-law, before she can identify her. Wang Sheng arranges to meet Peirong, hoping to mend and improve their relationship. However, Xiaowei turns up in his stead and apologizes on his behalf, which causes the meeting to end bitterly.

When Ling'er, the witness that Xia Bing had (and the sister-in-law of the 'original' Xiaowei) is killed, Xia Bing accuses Xiaowei (Xu Xu) of the killing. Even when Pang Yong attests to this, Wang Sheng refuses to believe them and even vouches for Xiaowei's innocence. Wang Sheng finds out that it was Peirong who had asked Xia Bing to check up on Xiaowei, so he admonishes her and tells her not to pick on Xiaowei anymore.

Despite Xia Bing insistence that Xiaowei is a demon, only Peirong believes her. Xiahou Xiang finds in strange that his toads are not able to find a single fly in the house (eaten by Xiaoyi). No one believes that Xiaowei is a demon as she did not go out during the time of the killing. Peirong confides in her father who tells her that there will be sunshine after rain.

Xiaoyi is delighted  that Xiaowei will treat SuSu eyes and return her sight if he kills one more man for her. So he kills a drunkard and takes his  heart, offering it to Xiaowei. Wang Sheng asks Pang Yong for assistance in the investigation, and he agrees. Meanwhile, Xia Bing leves Taiyuan as she had promised., but returns soon after as she had not promised that she would not return. Pang Yong does not believe Xiahou Xiang that his divination shows that there is more than one demon in Taiyuan.

Jealous of SuSu, Xiaowei suggests that she take SuSu skin, but Xiaoyi begs her not to harm SuSu. So Xiaowei tells Xiaoyi to find a pair of eyes that are suitable for SuSu, and he ends up killing girls who are known for their beautiful eyes. As promised, Xiaowei treats SuSu's eyes and she is able to see again.
Susu regains her sight and is eager to meet Xiaoyi, so she heads to Peirong's shop and asks about the Master Lin (Xiaoyi) she had been chatting with. When she goes to the Lin's residence to look for Xiaoyi, she learns that Master Lin has been dead for 4 years. Peirong tells her that perhaps Master Lin (Xiaoyi) had his reasons for keeping his real identity from her.

Wilber Pan: To be criticised is a good thing

The Taiwanese actor's win at the Golden Bell Awards attracted negative criticisms. Taiwanese singer-actor Wilber Pan's Best Actor win at the Golden Bell Awards last week, surprised many. This led to much negativity from the public, including criticisms like "the judges were blind" and "on what grounds [did he win]".  However, Wilber took it in his stride and remained optimistic, causing friends to call him "the male version of Lin Chi-ling" because of his high EQ.

During an interview on Oct 23, Wilber spoke of the criticisms thrown towards him. The actor let on that during filming, he could not cry due to the lack of experience. Then, the director chided him, saying that he could only be an idol. "I'm not afraid of being chided or tormented. This is a good thing; they motivate me towards my goal," he expressed.

Wilber added optimistically, "Those who criticised me probably never had the chance to watch Endless Love. Maybe this [win] will encourage them to watch how bad I acted in it. Maybe after they finished watching it, they'd think 'It wasn't that bad'. It's a gain for me if people watch my dramas."

In Endless Love, Wilber played a young man, who is looked down upon because of his humble origins. His character bore many similarities to his road to stardom.

"From the time I entered showbiz, I've been verbally put down. When I was a VJ, the director told me off. During Happy Campus, I was yelled at because I didn't know how to position myself. When I released my first album, people laughed and asked, 'Is the record label crazy?' During a screening for Happy Campus, reporters even asked, 'Why am I even here?' It's painful to hear that, but I've accepted it," the actor said.

Happy Campus producer Ke Yiqin, who had watched Wilber's performances over the years, came to the actor's defense, "His performance in Endless Love was natural and in character. Maybe the drama didn't stand out enough, causing many to question his acting. This doesn't mean he's not good."

Wilber had returned to Taiwan from China, and would be throwing a party to celebrate his win. The celebration is said to cost NT$200,000 (S$8,400). In addition, he will also be treating the production crew to a karaoke session.

XinMSN

Zhou Xun And Vicki Zhao Head To Tibet

takungpao.com
With 550 workers and 120 days in production, the original team of PAINTED SKIN (HUA PI) Zhou Xun, Vicki Zhao Wei and Chen Kun starred PAINTED SKIN II has already been completed three shoots in Beijing, Hebei and on the plains of Inner Mongolia. Currently the location shoot has partially moved to Tibet; over 300 workers and 40 vehicles that transported costumes already arrived on the 15th for the 20 day shoot.

Shooting in Tibet, photography director Arthur Wong Ngok Tai said, "We found an extremely peaceful vacant feeling. To the PAINTED SKIN II creative team, Tibet has a sapphire blue sky and all white
buildings that feel incredibly pristine and symbolize the purity and the nobility of love. Everything coordinate well with the movie's subject. Thus, the 4,500 meters of extreme beauty on the roof of the world will appear for the first time in an Eastern fantasy epic."

Aside from the intense production, the film PAINTED SKIN II's promotion is also heating up. The first concept poster and trailer will be unveiled in early November.

http://hktopten.blogspot.com

Singer Hwanhee To Enter The Military October 27Th

K-pop is losing another talented male...for at least two years.

Hwanhee, former member of Fly To The Sky, will be starting up his mandatory military service at 1 PM on October 27th. He will check into the training facility in Nonsan of South Chungcheong Province for a four week session. He will then serve as a public service worker for the next two years. He was sentenced with this physically less demanding duty because of a regularly dislocated shoulder. Wanting to serve as an active duty soldier, he had continued to receive treatment for his shoulder, but in the end end, he was no eligible.

Hwanhee's agency revealed that the singer-turned-actor will be holding a brief meeting with his fans and the press on this day before check-in.

On a side note, the male idol group that Hwanhee had been training for the past two years will be debuting on his military entrance date. His already-shot upcoming movie "Star" will also premier sometime next year.

Source: KBS Global

Coco Lee Composes Her Own Wedding March

Singer Coco Lee will be getting married in Hong Kong this coming Thursday (Oct 27).

Not only is she busy with the preparations of her lavish wedding, Coco had even took the time to compose her own wedding march 'I just wanna marry you' and the song was recently leaked to the public.

It is said that Coco personally penned the lyrics to this song, which describes her feelings for her Canadian fiancé Bruce. The self-composed song was meant to be a surprise gift to Bruce and Coco's happiness was evident from the line, "one love, one dream, one simple song about you & me (sic)". The Hong Kong-born singer's wedding march for her fiancé was leaked to the public

The song was initially written in English; however, the singer's friends and family later felt that the song should be distributed to the media, so that other couples could also experience the same bliss and happiness in the song. The bilingual artiste heeded the advice of others and decided to pen the Chinese lyrics herself.

"The entire production process went on smoothly. Maybe because the wedding day is drawing near, so I feel that there is not enough time. Luckily, [everything] is completed and I'm satisfied [with the song]," said Coco.

The singer will also make a special music video for the song, after her wedding and a short break. This will be her first job after her marriage and the music video will not only include snippets of the couple's happy moments, but will also have photos provided by netizens.

When asked if she will continue to work after marriage, Coco emphasised that she "will" continue working because she is passionate about whatever she is doing now.

XinMSN

Monday, October 24, 2011

Jerry Yan's visit to Hong Kong for his future movie

Jerry Yan, Taiwan's super idol arrived in Hong Kong on October 23 after he had received CETV's 2011 Annual Asia Popularity Award in Dalian. The purpose of his trip to Hong Kong has purported to be for the preparation for his big screen project later this year.

He arrived at around 6 pm dressed casually with facial mask and cap. He was accompanied by his assistants. Upon his arrival,  there were close to hundred fans waiting to welcome him outside the restricted area. Jerry had earlier  injured his right hand during a basketball game in Taiwan, so his fingers were stilled bandaged. As he passed through the crowd, Jerry's fans were handing him gifts with care not to further injure his hand.

It took some time  for Jerry and his entourage to find the parking lot, indicating that they were not too familiar with Hong Kong. Jerry indicated that he was intending to stay for 2 or 3 days to discuss his future project.

In addition, Jerry said he is looking forward to the premiere of “My Wonderful Life" in Shanghai on 22 November 2011as his character is different from his previous ones. He also mentioned that he is eager to watch his new MTV for the theme song of "My Wonderful Life" which debuted recently on the internet.

When asked about Lin Chi Ling's reported new relationship, he replied that they were simply just friends.

Source: et.21cn.com

My Wonderful Life MTV


 

My Wonderful Life Trailer

Kim Sun Ah wins Top 10 Hottest Asia Award in China

Actress Kim Sun Ah is to receive the Top 10 Hottest Asia Award at CETV (China Entertainment Television) on the 22nd.

2011 Top 10 Hottest Asia Award is a big ceremony in which 2,500 to 30,000 people attend at the audience. The winner of the Top 10 Hottest Asia Award is selected through the Internet and mobile network by viewers of CETV.

A representative of CETV says, “Actress Kim Sun Ah, who is dearly loved by many Asian fans through her series My Name Is Kim Sam Soon, City Hall, Scent Of A Woman, will be receiving the Top 10 Hottest Asia Award. Her positive energy, sophisticated appearance, and great acting skills contribute to her popularity.”

“Fans are very expectant of her visit to China. The queen of romantic comedy and a Korean Wave star, Kim Sun Ah, is expected to have a meaningful meeting with her fans through 2011 Top 10 Hottest Asia Award.”

Kim leaves for China on the 22nd for the awards ceremony, and her series Scent Of A Woman is to be broadcasted all parts of Asia.

Source: TV Report
translation: en.korea.com

Song Hye-kyo Returns with New Movie

After vanishing from the public's view for the last three years, actress Song Hye-kyo has returned to the silver screen with "A Reason to Live," a story about a woman who forgives a boy for killing her fiancéé.  The movie was directed by another long-term absentee, Lee Jeong-hyang, who got back behind the camera nine years after pumping out hits such as "Art Museum by the Zoo" and "The Way Home."

Song has hardly been seen in Korea since her movie "Hwang Jin-yi" screened four years ago but she has been anything but idle. The 30-year-old, who rose to fame in domestic soaps such as "Full House" (2004) with superstar Rain, has more recently been sharpening her skills and busying herself overseas.

She had a collection of photographs taken in foreign countries, completed shooting an American independent film "Fetish," as well as the omnibus movie "Camellia," and has for two years been working on Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai's "The Grand Master." This has seen her shuttle back and forth between Korea and China since December 2009.

"I was so tempted by both 'Fetish' and 'Camellia' because the subjects were very unusual in both cases and the scenarios were so interesting," Song said. "And I wanted to take on new challenges. If you want to do something new, you have to show something that people haven't seen from you before." She added that she plans to return to China to further her career.

Although Song is no spring chicken anymore, her appearance doesn't show the passing of time. But she said with a smile, "Now I am aware that I got older."

Asked about the aftereffects of her two romantic relationships that caught the public's attention, she said, "I think the time when I felt uncomfortable about living under a microscope has gone. I'm no longer afraid of such things. What I did was typical of any woman my age. In fact, I haven't had any time to feel lonely" since breaking up with her last boyfriend, heartthrob Hyun Bin who currently serves in the Marine Corps.

"A Reason to Live" is a movie about forgiveness and Song acquits herself well in the role, pulling out heart-rending performances as a broken-hearted woman who has lost the love of her life.

"It feels great to be on the receiving end of so many compliments about my acting, and hearing that I've matured," she said. "Now I feel that my acting skill before was not so refined. Maybe no actors are ever really satisfied with their performances. That's certainly true in my case."

Source: Chosun

Moon Geun Young Posts Selca and Updates of Her Life in NYC



Source: A Koala's Playground

Moon Geun Young has been studying abroad in New York City for the past month, simply learning English and living the ordinary life of an exchange student in a bustling city. I’m thrilled that she posted a detailed update on her Cyworld account a few days ago, complete with those two selcas above. Geun Young is as candid and sweet as ever, explaining her experience of living alone in a foreign city for the past month, and her hopes for the remainder of her stay. I know she’s going to fully appreciate and absorb this experience, whether personally or professionally for her acting career. Looking forward to my cutie returning to Korea and settling on a sure to be much anticipated next project.

This is Geun Young’s message for her fans posted on her Cyworld account, which I have translated into English: "Took a selca! Hahahaha…..oh, so embarrassing….. The number of selcas I took this month, including this one, amounts to four. For the remainder of the month, I vow to take ten selcas, hehe. This past month has been very very lonely and fearful, and very difficult. Humans….really do have the innate ability to adapt, to get used to new environments. Hee, now there is no fear or anxiety, just living life well. My fear of speaking English has also greatly dissipated, doing my best to keep trying. Even though I’m still lonely and have lots of longing, there are so many many people I’m missing. Even so I continue to adapt and go forward. I’m not sure if what I will learn will reach my initial expectations, but I grasp what is before me and learn it. I’m not sure if I’ll accomplish what I had set out to do in the remaining month, but I will continue to try my best. Regardless, I want to spend the rest of the time being happy, healthy, and enjoying it all before going home. Wishing everyone (i.e., her fans) is happy and healthy…..though it appears that without me everyone is doing just fine….not sure I like that…..heh heh, y’all know I’m cool with that. For you all, I want to become an actress you can all be proud of, and not embarrass you. I will continue to press forward. I really miss you….really….so wait for me!"

[Credit: Moon Geun Young Cyworld]

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Wilber shocked, called Rainie and cried

Written by: imeisee @ CpopAccess.com

Last night Wilber Pan performed in Zhengzhou, China and watched the Annual Golden Bell Awards via the internet where it was 10 seconds slower than Taiwan's broadcast. When he confirmed that he won, he felt dizzy, from happy to crying.

He received more than 300 congratulatory text message and 700 message through his Weibo. His entertainment friends Jolin, Show Luo, Elva, also congratulated him.

Netizens described the winning of Wilber as the most surprised, the most dumbfounded, the most upsetting award of the night, and some even said “He felt he don’t stand a chance therefore missed the ceremony," Wilber explained that he already agreed to attend the event in China and could not cancel therefore he was not able to attend the ceremony, and it is not what most think.

Wilber immediately called his father to share the happiness the former felt, he also personally call the two most important women in his drama career, Zhang Rong Rong and Rainie Yang, who were also touched and cried. When Rainie received a phone call from Wilber, he was in his serious tone and Rainie was shocked because he is different from the usual Wilber, who loves to joke around. Wilber said Rainie gave him a lot of tips when they were shooting for “Miss No Good”.

Wilber is very grateful to the recognition of the judges, but also felt sorry for the other finalists. He also admitted that the pressure will be greater in future, and hope that people will give him a chance to prove that he deserved the award.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011): Episode 25 & 26

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011) > Episode 25 & 26

Pang Yong finds out that it was Peirong who asked Xia Bing to help him kick his alcohol addiction. Xia Bing invites Pang Yong to go demon catching with her. Xiaoyi tells Xiaowei that he is not Pang Yong's match.

SuSu cooks food for Xiaoyi (the lizard spirit), but he feels ill soon after he eats the (human) food. SuSu takes care of him. Wang Sheng turns up when Xiaoyi is making straw shoes with SuSu. Xiaoyi quickly hides himself. In his invisible state, Xiaoyi whispers to SuSu. Wang Sheng who has been keeping an eye on SuSu senses that SuSu seems to be talking to someone.

When SuSu goes to Peirong's shop to buy the same type of rouge Xiaoyi (stolen) had given her, a suspicious Peirong informs Wang Sheng. Yunyun, a employee and good friend of Peirong reminds Peirong to doll herself up and mend her relationship with Wang Sheng. However, Wang Sheng ignores Peirong. He also disregards Pang Yong's warning that the killer is nearby.

Xiaowei pretends to console Wang Sheng when he confides in her about Peirong and their estranged relationship. Xia Bing reminds Pang Yong that it is impossible for him to be with Peirong and that he should not harbor any such thought.

Peirong decides to move back to her parents' house for a while. On her way to her parent's house, she learns that someone is looking for Xiaowei and has posted a missing person poster. Peirong hands this poster to Xiahou Xiang as Pang Yong is not around. Xia Bing sets out to the 'original' Xiaowei's village.

Xiaowei is surprised that Peirong has returned so soon, especially after she said that she would be gone for a few days. Yunyun unwittingly tells Xiaowei that Peirong is still wary of her.

It is the water festival and SuSu happily splashes water on Xiaoyi, not knowing that water is is weakness. Although he is injured, Xiaoyi feels happy. He wants SuSu to regain her sight, so he promises Xiaowei that he will kill Peirong for her, on the condition that Xiaowei help SuSu regain her sight.

Pang Yong returns and reads the note that Xia Bing had left him, he also sees the missing persons' poster of a person that looks like Xiaowei. In the 'original' Xiaowei's village, Xia Bing learns that Xiaowei's skin had been taken away. She asks the sister-in-law to go back with her to Taiyuan to be her witness.

Lee Seung Gi stands out among idols for…

Lee Kyung Shil was raving about Lee Seung Gi's modesty.


Lee Kyung Shil was on the October 18th episode of SBS’s ‘Strong Heart’ and she precisely pointed out Lee Seung Gil’s humble attitude and could not be more fired up about it, joining the ranks of people who have been raving about Lee Seung Gi’s many talents lately. Lee Kyung Shil mentioned, “He came over to greet each and every one of the guests before filming ‘Strong Heart’. It’s really an aspect that shows he has the attitude of a great MC”.

Lee Kyung Shil continued to compliment Lee Seung Gi stating, “The reason why Lee Seung Gi was able to climb to where he is today is because of his humble attitude”. Lee Seung Gi seemed a little embarrassed but still expressed his gratitude.

With Kara‘s stories of hoobaes not saying hello to sunbaes (Goo Hara’s feelings hurt, “They won’t even say hi”), the studio had already been heated up and with the opposite, the ever-modest though super-talented Lee Seung Gil, it was totally on fire.

Netizens also raved about the much loved Lee Seung Gi if the following comments are to reflect:
“That’s Lee Seung Gi!”

“A little modesty goes a long way.”

“If Lee kyung Shil is complimenting him, he must be a really great guy.”

“It’s not easy to become and MC at that young age”

Image: SBS ‘Strong Heart’
Source: Newsen via Nate / kpopfever

Lee Da-hae on escort service website

Fans were outraged with a call-girl website when it was revealed that the British-owned site were using photos of actresses Kim Tae-hee and Lee Da-hae to advertise their service. 

According to kpopfever website, the website in question is an escort service website specialising in Asian women. The website used Kim Tae-hee's past images for a Hong Kong prostitute who goes by the name of Shatoya. 

Meanwhile, photos of "Miss Ripley" actress Lee Da-hae were used for a 24-year-old call-girl with the same profile but different name. The website also used images of famous female entertainers from China and Japan as well. 

Lee Da-hae's management company stated, "We've experienced something similar in China in the past, but things were resolved in a satisfactory manner after talking to the entertainers association of China. Now that we are aware of this issue, we will promptly deal with it."

CNBlue gathers a crowd of 7000 in Guerrilla Concert in Japan

The main street of Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, was totally packed with fans during C.NBlues’s guerilla concert, this despite the fact that there was no notice on the location of the concert. There were approximately 7000 people. The sudden rush of people forced C.NBlue to wrap up the concert in 5 minutes due to safety reasons; the police suspended their concert.


Vicki Zhao Stirs Up Golden Rooster Fever

The 20th China Golden Rooster Hundred Flower Film Festival opens today in Hefei. As the festival image ambassador, Vicki Zhao Wei on the 18th afternoon appeared at a Hefei cinema for a Zhao Wei film exhibit opening ceremony. Zhao Wei revealed that after completing PAINTED SKIN 2 (Hua Pi2) she will begin work on her debut as a director.

This year's film festival will have opening ceremony, new national film introduction and screening, Hong Kong and Taiwan special topic film exhibit and other activities. The 19th Chinese Golden Rooster Hundred Flower Best Actress Zhao Wei would appear twice, on the 18th for her film exhibit and on the 19th for the opening ceremony. She might perform the film festival theme song DREAMS COME TRUE.

From the nominations, this year's Golden Rooster Award competition would be fierce. Best Actress nominees included Golden Horse Best Actresses Xu Fan and Lu Liping, who have been nominated with AFTER SHOCK and CITY MONKEY respectively. Also nominated are THE PIANO IN A FACTORY's Qin Hailu, CLOSE TO ME's Yan Bingyan, MOTHER's Na Renhua, and SUI SUI QING MING's Qian Peiyi.

As for Best Actor, LOVE FOR LIFE's AIDS patient Aaron Kwok Fu Sing would compete with THE PIANO IN A FACTORY's Tokyo International Film Festival Best Actor and Shanghai International Film Festival Media Award Best Actor Wang Qianyuan and the Huabiao Award winning film SHEN ZHOU 11's Liu Zhibing, veteran actor Zhu Xu and others.

http://hktopten.blogspot.com

Friday, October 21, 2011

Sneak Peek at “Ranma 1/2″ Filming




Boy Saotome Ranma
Girl Ranma

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011): Episode 23 & 24

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011) > Episode 23 & 24

Xia Bing is insistent that they (she, Pang Yong m and Xiahou Xiang) on subduing Xiaowei (Xu Xu), but Pang Yong emphasizes that they need to have evidence first before they can do any subduing. Xia Bing learns that Xiahou Xiang has a toad, when he takes her to his workroom.
When Pang Yong wants to buy some wine, but has no money with him, Peirong offers to pay for him, but he refuses. She then tells him that Xiaowei was the one who killed her chef.

Although Peirong's father is muddle-headed, he does realize that they is something wrong between his daughter and Wang Sheng. A celebration is held for Peirong's father for his birthday, Xia Bing wanting to quickly subdue Xu Xu (Xiaowei) sneaks into the celebration together with Xiahou Xiang. They want to spike Xiaowei's drink in order for her to reveal her demon self.

Xiaowei attempts to harm Peirong's father but is interrupted. So she aggravates Pang Yong by telling him that Wang Sheng will soon be hers. He ends up drinking the wine meant for Xiaowei (to reveal her demon self), and lashes out at everyone in his drunken stupor.

Peirong hopes that Xia Bing would be able to help Pang Yong overcome his alcohol addiction. She tells Xia Bing how heroic and confident Pang Yong was. A far cry from his current self. Xia Bing agrees to help Pang Yong with his alcohol addiction. 
However, in her attempt to stop Pang Yong from drinking, she gets drunk instead. Seeing how hard Xia Bing is trying to help him, Pang Yong finally makes up his mind to stop drinking. Xia Bing enlists Pang Yong's help to make demon traps.

Xiaoyi (the lizard demon) is caught in a demon trap when he steals some rouge to give to SuSu. Upset that Pang Yong is drinking from his bottle, Xia Bing snatches the bottle and realizes that it is only water, not wine. Pang Yong and Xia Bing attack Xiaoyi. Pang Yong manages to injure Xiaoyi, impressing Xia Bing. She suspects that Pang Yong is the capable man that her grandfather had previously mentioned before his passing. Xia Bong starts to take a liking to Pang Yong.

Meanwhile, an injured Xiaoyi is happy when SuSu tends to his wounds and cooks for him...

Big Bang’s Daesung to make a comeback in December!


YG Entertainment is scheduled to hold large-scale concerts in both Korea and Japan for approximately 200,000 fans in December of this year and early 2012. What will be most exciting for the fans, however, is that Big Bang‘s Daesung will be making his comeback, performing on stage at these concerts.

YG Entertainment stated on the 19th, “We will be performing a YG Family Concert in celebration of our 15th anniversary. We will hold three concerts for about 40,000 guests per show at the Olympic Hall in Seoul on December 3rd & 4th, then on January 7th and 8th, perform two shows for about 80,000 guests per concert at the Osaka Colosseum, and finally 2 shows at the Saitama Super Arena on January 21st & 22nd for about 80,000 guests each show.”

‘YG Family Concert’ is an event that has taken place regularly since YG Entertainment was established in 1997. Each of the label’s artists put on individual performance to express their unique talents and skills, and also collaborate to put on a colorful show for their fans. The concert is one in which both the audience and the artists can truly enjoy themselves.

This year is a an especially noteworthy milestone for YG, as they celebrate their 15th anniversary and thus, this year’s YG Family Concert should be that much more phenomenal, filled with new and exciting performances for their fans.

YG Entertainment has also established a new company ‘YGEX‘ in collaboration with Japanese agency AVEX, and this is the first time since their ten-year anniversary in 2006 that they are performing a YG Family Concert overseas.

Artists that will be performing at the Family Concert include YG’s eldest hyung Se7en, the talented Gummy, the unique and charismatic 2NE1, and Hallyu idol icons Big Bang who made their debut performance at the 10th anniversary YG Family Concert in 2006. G-Dragon’s concert attendance, however, is still TBD.

There will be some new faces at the concert this year as well. Singer Psy who was a guest at the annual concert last year has now become an official YG Entertainment artist and will be performing on stage as a YG family member along with Epik High‘s Tablo, who has also recently signed a record deal with YG Entertainment and released his first solo album.

Big Bang’s Daesung who has been taking a long break since his unexpected car accident in May will be making his comeback performance at the concert, and it will be a joyous one for fans who have been awaiting this very moment.

Ticket sales for the concert begin on October 27th.

Source & Image : OSEN via Nate
Credit: Allkpop

Donnie Yen'S Son Surprises Him

Donnie Yen Chi Tan recently accepted a CNN program TALK ASIA interview and discussed his road to success, action film changes over the years and the possibility of IP MAN 3 with host Kristie Lu Stout. Chi Tan even admitted that his family was his pillar and motivation. The program will air in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei simultaneously.

Chi Tan since his first film at age 19 has made over 50 films. This 48 year old actor has already become one of the most prominent ace superstar in the Asian film industry, in particular his performance in IP MAN received rave reviews. Chi Tan analyzed the film's success. "Several decades ago when we watched Bruce Lee action films, they were focused on showing masculinity. Yet recently they tended to focus on gentle men who put family first. He was a very passive person, which I thought attracted many female viewers. This was also the reason that this film performed so ideally and exceeded past kung fu films." As for the possibility of IP MAN 3, Chi Tan said, "In the next two years I have to explore and thoroughly utilize every opportunity and try different characters to see how far I can go, then I may possibly consider making IP MAN 3!"

Chi Tan since age four has studied martial art with his mother, but currently he has not instructed his children. Yet when he saw his four year old son James' natural martial art talent he still could not hide his joy inside. He said, "James could punch and kick all day, I don't know where he learned it from. He never watches my movies, but he indeed has natural talent in this area. He can pretend to kick like he has been studying martial art since he was born." In order to spend more time with his family, Chi Tan decided not to make any movie for half a year. Only recently has he returned to work on movies and his schedule has already been jam packed. Chi Tan said, "I have to thank different directors and investors for giving me so many opportunities, but due to limited schedules I have to make sacrifices. Now my schedule has already been filled until the end of next year."

Chi Tan once was the action director or actor on many Hollywood films. He said that in Hollywood he coordinated the action then let the directors and photographers adjust camera positions, but this way was not too desirable. In Hong Kong, stunt coordinator would also serve as action director. He had complete control and could alone or with his team coordinate the action and put the cameras in where he thought the result would be the best. In addition, Chi Tan won Best Actor with THE LOST BLADESMAN (GUAN WONG CHEUNG) at the International Filmmaker Film Festival in Scotland.

http://hktopten.blogspot.com

Girls' Generation Ticketing Details Out

With an estimated production cost of S$1.8 million, the concert sets the record for being the most expensive production among all the K-Pop concerts held here. Super Junior and SHINee's concerts here were produced at a cost of S$1.5 million.

A total of 5,500 tickets will be available for sale with more than 2,000 tickets allocated to the three standing mosh pit areas and tickets to the 2011 Girls' Generation Tour in Singapore are priced at S$218 (Terrace/Mosh pit) and S$168 (Balcony/Partially-restricted).

Ticket sales will begin on Nov 1 (Tue) through SISTIC online, counter and phone bookings. Priority ticket bookings for OCBC and Samsung customers will begin on Oct 29 (Sat), via SISTIC online, phone and counter bookings. All customers are limited to 6 tickets per transaction.

The 2011 Girls' Generation Tour in Singapore -- to be held on Dec 9, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium -- will showcase a three-hour visual treat of sexy dance choreography, with a display of special effects including laser beams, LED screens, trapezes and elevated platforms.

"Based on the feedback received on Facebook and Twitter, along with the dozens of calls and emails we receive every day, we expect sales of the tickets to move swiftly," Beatrice Chia-Richmond, the managing director and creative director of Running Into The Sun, said.

The 2011 Girls' Generation Tour is jointly organised by Running Into The Sun and Conceptual.

2011 Girls' Generation TourDate: Dec 9, 2011 (Friday)Venue: Singapore Indoor StadiumTickets: S$168 & S$218 (excluding S$3 SISTIC fee)


Barbie Hsu substitutes Dee Hsu on Kang Xi Lai Le

Source: UDN
Written by: fufu @ CpopAccess.com

It’s been two years since Barbie Hsu has hosted any shows; she secretly arrived on the set of “Kang Xi Lai Le” yesterday as a substitute host and special guest Makiyo commented, “She’s even more fierce than Dee,” while Shen Yu-Lin praised, “I thought she would be rusty, but it surpassed my expectations.” He then added that Dee is more witty while Barbie is more mature and makes a great combo with co-host Kevin Tsai.

Since Dee Hsu will be on maternity leave soon, the production team immediately turned to Barbie for help. Currenly, the sisters arrive to the set together; Barbie records the first show while Dee does the second, so that they can accumulate enough episodes to broadcast when Dee is off.

In order to help Barbie ease into hosting, the production team decided discuss Barbie's favorite topic, "shoes", for the first show. Barbie revealed that she and veteran entertainer Serina Liu were both crazy for shoes; they’ve even fought over the same pair of shoes and earrings in the past. Now whenever Barbie sees a new pair of shoes at the store, she would first ask the salesperson, “Has Miss Liu bought this pair yet?”

Barbie’s husband, Wang Xiao-Fei, wrote words of encouragement on his micro-blog, “My wife, press on!”

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

"Love Sick" Chinese Movie Premeire and Fanmeeting

Source: Longhoo News

The idol movie “Love Sick”, which stars Chen Bolin and Ariel Lin will be aired in Nanjing on 14 Oct 2011. The day before the movie was aired (Oct. 13), the film’s director, Chen Bolin and Ariel Lin toured all big theaters in Nanjing. The star appeal of popular idols, Ariel and Bolin was evident as every fan meeting was packed. 30 lucky fans were invited to a free showing of the movie at  Longjiang international cinema, the last stop in the film's group Nanjing tour. The 30 lucky fans has the opportunity to also get close to the stars.

Although it was raining heavily (on 13 Oct), turning Nanjing's atmosphere cold and damp, the fans enthusiasm was not to be dampened. The venue was not empty nor deserted as expected due to the weather, instead all of the seats were occupied, with even the two sides of the theater being filled with people.

Throughout the movie, which had a duration of 91 minutes, the audiences was laughing throughout the movie for at least 50 minutes. In the movie, Bolin plays a young and handsome doctor who is has a  good heart. While Ariel is Liang Ruoqing, a broken-hearted, girl who is slightly neurotic, it seems like Ariel’s strange character added color to the movie.

When the show ended, the cast was invited by the host to go on stage, but Ariel seemed to have disappeared. She emerged a few minutes later and explained her absence. "I sneaked in to watch the last 25 minutes of the movies with the audience, and ended up ruining my makeup from crying. I had to touch up the ruined makeup. I hope everyone would forgive me."

In the Q & A session that followed, the audience's excitement was even higher. When asked about his favorite scene in the movie, Bolin said: “It was towards the end of the movie, when Ariel rushed to the airport to catch me. But after going through all those difficulties, she was speechless when she finally saw me.” In that scene, just as Bolin's character was waiting for Ariel's character to confess her feelings, another female doctor told him to hurry up as everyone’s waiting for them to board. Without turning around at all, Bolin's character shouted: “Than let them wait!” Bolin laughed and said he liked this scene the most and added, “If we had to act that scene out again, I would have picked her up in my arms and we would have boarded the plane together.”

During the fan meeting, one very loyal Bolin fan got the chance to ask a question, and receive a poster. She said she likes Bolin very much. When the fan meeting concluded, she was still very excited and expressed her thanks again to Longhoo for giving her this opportunity to speak to Bolin.

Selina Jen unveils her dream-like wedding gown

Selina Jen is counting down to her big day. The singer will be tying the knot with fiancee Richard Chang on Oct 31. With 17 days to go, the couple had started to hand out wedding invitations, to fill the 88 tables during the banquet. Guests who made it to Selina and Richard's invite list included Kevin Tsai, Matilda Tao, Li Li-ren, Wilber Pan, Huang Zi-jiao, Chan Han-tien, Blackie Chen, Christine Fan, Zhang Xiao Yan, Bowie Tseng, A-mei, Jolin Tsai, Harlem Yu, Lee Hom, John Yuan, Patty Hou, Barbie and Dee Hsu, Peggy Wu, Aya, Fish Leong, Jody Chiang, Mayday, Jackie Wu and Lin Chi-ling.

The list included past rumoured couples, such as A-Mei and Lee Hom, as well as Bowie and Zi-jiao. However, Selina's rumoured ex-lover Show Luo was not in the list.  When contacted, Show's manager said, "We still give her our well wishes, regardless we receive her invitation or not."

Many speculated that the list seemed to contain a hidden meaning. For example, model Lin Chi-ling was invited, but her rumored beau Jerry Yan was not. Singer Jolin was invited to the wedding, but her boyfriend Vivian Dawson was not.

When asked if Vivian will accompany Jolin to the banquet, Jolin's manager said, "She should be bringing me along." He added that Jolin will "definitely" greet Patty Hou -- her former love-rival -- if she sees her.

Selina also announced the names of her bridesmaids, which included her younger sister Kirsten, band mates Hebe Tien and Ella Chen, hairstylist Jasmin and Selina's classmate from university. Richard's group of best men is made up of his good friends and colleagues. The total number of bridesmaids and best men will be 10, which symbolizes perfection.

Variety hosts Ken Lin and Natto Lin will host the wedding, while Hebe and Ella will be drinking on Selina's behalf. However, due to Hebe and Ella's busy schedule, it is said that the pair had yet to try out their bridesmaid gowns.


XinMSN

 

Monday, October 17, 2011

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011): Episode 22

Painted Skin Drama Series (2011) > Episode 22

Xia Bing's toad delivers a message to Pang Yong asking for help to release her from prison, but he refuses to help. In the end, Xia Bing manages to escape from prison with the help of a mysterious person, whom she later learns was Peirong.  She tells Peirong that she must exorcise the demon (Xiaowei/Xu Xu) before she leaves Taiuan.

Seeing Xiaoyi's (the lizard spirits) new straw shoes (made by SuSu), Xiaowei sneers at him, but he continues to see XuXu. 

One day, Gao Xiang escorts Peirong home from the temple and Wang Sheng questions her about Xia Bing's escape from prison. She is peeved when he asks her. Meanwhile, Pang Yong listens to Xiahou Xiang's narration of the missing hearts, but does not see the correlation between the murders and their missing hearts with the doing of demons.

When Peirong realizes that she had unwittingly revealed that she had asked the chef to help her save Xia Bing from the prison, she tries to save the chef from Xiaowei, but it is in vain.

While happily chatting with SuSu, Xiaoyi is summoned by Xiaowei.On his way to meet Xiaowei, Xiaoyi gets into a fight with Wang Sheng and leaves fragments of his straw shoe (made for him by SuSu).

Pang Yong and Xiahou Xiang investigate a cave with claw marks onthe cave walls. Pang Yong starts to believe Xia Bing's theory about demons...

Friday, October 14, 2011

Late Anita Mui’s jewelry auctioned off to pay mother’s living expenses, Brother Mui crashes auction and threatens to call the police

Source: Oriental Daily |Translation: llwy12@ http://asianfanatics.net

Last week, 43 pieces of jewelry belonging to late Cantopop Queen Anita Mui were auctioned off by the executors of Anita’s estate, bringing in a total of 6 million HKD. During the auction, Anita’s brother Mui Kai Ming unexpectedly showed up at the location and expressed that all of the auction items were Anita’s ‘cherished possessions’ and also threatened to call the police and ‘seek justice’ from those responsible.

Prior to her death from cervical cancer in 2003, Anita Mui had established a trust fund to manage her assets and estate. Last week, the trust fund commissioned a third party company to auction off a collection of Anita’s jewelries and watches on their behalf. Amongst the 43 items auctioned, the item that sold for the highest price was a necklace and earring set that Anita had worn during her 2003 farewell concert – that item alone sold for 1.58 million HKD. In all, the entire collection sold for a cumulative amount of 6.81 million HKD -- the proceeds from the auction will be used by the trust fund to pay the living expenses for Anita’s mother Mrs. Mui (Tam Mei Kam) in accordance with Anita’s will.

Sneak Peek at Nicky Wu and Wallace Huo for Xing Ming Shi Ye (刑名师爷)

After watching and liking Wallace Huo's performance in Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei, as well as Nicky Wu in Bu Bu Jing Xin (步步惊心), it piqued my interest that the two of them are going to be in Xing Ming Shi Ye (刑名师爷).

Xing Ming Shi Ye (刑名师爷) the drama is adapted from the novel of the same name, and has Nicky playing Duan Ping (段平), a discreet, smart, and bold crime solver.While Wallace plays his partner in crime, oops I mean solving crimes. The drama involves the solving of crimes by the two main leads (Nicky and Wallace), and how they use their different approaches to solve the crimes together: one methodical and analytical, while the other is more of a hands on and scientific crime solver.

Going by the photos I'm guessing that Nicky will be the serious crime solving using analysis and methodology, while Wallace will be the more scientific hands on crime solver. The drama should be interesting because if going by the characters, it is most likely that they will be crime solvers who are reluctant working with other, bickering on who is right or wrong. If Wallace and Nicky have great chemistry, this drama should be lots of fun to watch.

Although Wallace's outfit for a period drama is a little.. out of place perhaps? It really looks like he's going for the Jack Sparrow pirate look. Don't what the background of Wallace character will be. Perhaps a foreign pirate of sorts? Maybe I'll know if I were to read the novel, if I were to read.

Anyways, the drama just started filming, so it’ll probably get a mid-to-late 2012 release date. I can't wait!


Thursday, October 13, 2011

Wu Chun gets Surprise Desert Birthday Party

October 10th was Wu Chun's 32nd birthday. Currently working on the film SAVING GENERAL YANG (JUNG LIT YEUNG GA JEUNG) in Beijing, he had a tight schedule. The team could not free Wu Chun to celebrate with his family in Brunei, so he spent his birthday at work.

The film shot a boulder attack on the Yangs. On Wu Chun's birthday, also on the set were Adam Chau Siu Chau, Dior Cheng Yi Kin, Raymond Lam Fung, Vic Chou Yu Man, Yu Bo, Li Chen and Fu Xinbo. Although many on the team knew that it was Wu Chun's birthday, the producer asked everyone to prevent that they did not know and even banned him from wishing Wu Chun Happy Birthday. The goal was a surprise party for Wu Chun.

Because the location was a remote desert that was several hours by car from Beijing, the team asked workers to pick up the cake before sunrise in hopes of being able to reach the set before lunch to celebrate with Wu Chun. At Wu Chun's final close up before lunch, Chau Guoon and the other six sons unusually went to eat without waiting for Wu Chun. Only Wu Chun was left with other workers to continue the shoot. Actually they prepared a cake and waited outside the studio to wait for Wu Chun to finish. As soon as Wu Chun stepped out of the gates Chau Guoon and the six sons of Yang already gathered and sang the birthday song while presenting the super large cake. Wu Chun was both surprised and moved.

Wu Chun said that he usually took time off on his birthday to go home and keep his father company. Although this year he had to spend his birthday on the set, he truly never thought about everyone celebrating with him. As soon as he sang his on screen brothers and father singing the birthday song, he truly felt super warm and touched. It was the first time that he celebrated with so many brothers. Ekin and Lam Fung said that after months of working together the seven brothers were very close. The hardest part was keeping themselves from talking to Wu Chun. Yet when they saw how happy he was with the birthday cake, they knew that their plan was a success.

http://hktopten.blogspot.com/

Wonder Girls Brace for Clash with Other Girl Bands

Korean girl group Wonder Girls will return home from the U.S. this weekend to prepare for a much-awaited performance. The band recently wrapped up shooting the made-for-TV film "Wonder Girls at the Apollo," which is slated to air next year.

An official at their agency JYP Entertainment said, "The Wonder Girls have been very busy with various commitments including the TV film. If everything goes as planned, they will arrive in Korea this weekend to get ready to meet their Korean fans again."

Competition in the local K-pop scene looks set to become heated next month as Girls' Generation, Orange Caramel and T-ara are also planning to promote their new albums.

Chosun Ilbo

Jay Chou caught on a date with Hannah Quinlivan in Tokyo

The pair was reportedly seen on a date in Tokyo, Japan

Singer Jay Chou's relationship with 18-year-old Hannah Quinlivan came to light when the pair was photographed touring Europe together earlier in August.

Although both parties have since denied rumours of romance, Jay had recently hinted on his intentions to get hitched. Similarly, Hannah had reportedly taken to Christianity and had been baptized in a bid to please Jay's mother, who was a staunch believer of the faith.

It was reported yesterday that a photo of Jay and his mother strolling along the streets of Harajuku, Tokyo, had surfaced on the Internet. In the picture that was believed to be uploaded by a netizen, only the back view of Jay and his mother could be seen.

"How much of a coincidence will it be to bump into Mrs. Chou, Jay Chou and Hannah Quinlivan at Harajuku at the same time. I was afraid that Jay would be angry, so I did not ask for a photo," the netizen wrote.

The netizen also added that Jay had kept his distance from Hannah and walked close to his mother. "Aren't they (Hannah and Jay) tired of not being able to walk together?" responded a fellow Internet user.

Coincidentally, it was also a photograph of Jay Chou and former-lover Patty Hou in Japan six years ago that revealed the romance between the two. When asked about the Tokyo trip, Hannah's manager admitted that she had indeed gone on a trip. "It was just a bunch of friends going for a holiday," her manager said.

On the other hand, Jay's recording company, JVR Music has refused to respond on the photo that had surfaced.

XinMSN

Jerry Yan to Lead Big Screen Version of “The Fierce Wife”

Source: China Times

October 12, 2011 - credit translation to Shernice@www.yanchengxu.net

Following the success at the Golden Bell with 13 nominations, the crew of TV drama “The Fierce Wife” is now ready to bring the drama to the big screen. It is said that Producer Pei-Hua Wang has invited Jerry Yan to team up with Sonia Sui . She confirmed yesterday she had a very promising conversation with Jerry Yan and is looking forward to work with proficient actor like Jerry. However, there is not a detailed plan yet Jerry’s agency commented that the plan is possible if Jerry’s schedule permits.

Jerry Yan has been pursued by many movie production teams. Director Zero Chou is planning to team up Jerry Yan with Michelle Chen and Ivy Chen in her latest movie “Scarlet”. Jerry Yan has been waiting for a movie that can advance himself to the next level of film art as his returning debut. “Scarlet” will provide him the opportunity to get out of his familiar role of a handsome heartthrob by portraying a chivalrous pirate who encountered two geishas in an ancient setting. It is said that Jerry Yan will start martial and training prior to the start of the filming this fall. The shooting locations will be in Kinmen and Matsu. A pirate ship film set will be built in the budget of TWD100 million.

Pei-Hua Wang has kept the new movie project “The Fierce Wife” under a tight cover. She has confirmed that the initial draft is finished and the pre production phase is almost complete. She regards Jerry as a successful proficient actor. She is looking forward to work with Jerry and creating new role for him. According to Jerry’s agency, his schedule is full until early next year. “The Fierce Wife” is a very good project that Jerry would like to work on if his schedules permits.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

"No more time-travel drama", authority says it disrespects history

From QQ/ChinaHush:
Now there’s an interesting trend in China’s film and television industry: there is an influx of time-travel themed dramas being made and aired. In these time-travel based dramas, the protagonist is often than not from the modern time, and for some reasons and/orv circumstances ends up traveling through time all the way to ancient China where he/ or he will constantly experience "culture shock", but eventually get accustomed the life in ancient times, even developing romance(s) in that era.

Although it is obvious that this type of genre has found its niche amongst the Chinese audience and is gaining popularity, the country’s authority -General Bureau of Radio, Film and Television, is not happy about this trend and is calling for a halt to the production such dramas.

From the end of last year, time-travel themed dramas have become increasing popular, with most of the dramas being based on the actual history of ancient China, but with twists and turns of exaggerated elements to make it funny and more attractive. Anything goes in the time-travel genre. While some find it hilarious, others think the exaggeration and even ridiculous elements added into the story is a real source of annoyance and is disrespectful towards history.

Hence, the authority’s decision was made on the Television Director Committee Meeting on April 1st., "Time-travel dramas are becoming a hot theme for TV and films, but its content and the exaggerated performance style are questionable. Most of the stories are totally made-up for novelty's sake. The producers and writers are treating serious history in a frivolous way, which should by no means be encouraged anymore."
Shen Hua (Myth) is the country’s first time-travel TV play and a successful one. The play depicts how a young man travels through time to the China of 2000 years ago and becomes the sworn brother with Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, (both prominent military leaders and political figures during the late Qin Dynasty period). He eventually ends up being an army general leading troops of thousands of soldiers. At the same time in the modern world, his brother and family ends up fighting with a mystery man in their bid to find him.

Although Shen Hua(Myth) was a success in terms of box office, a large portion of fiction was intertwined with the actual historical events and persons, which would lead to controversies. There were also viewers who complained that there were too many mistakes on the historical facts, making it unbearable to watch.
Photo from Gong, another popular time-travel drama
Besides over-exaggerated time-travel dramas, the bureau is also making it clear that no more new films or television series of the Four Great Classical Novels should be produced and aired on the screen in the near future. Since 2010, dramas of the Four Great Classical Novels were respectively remade within one year. As there were too many remakes in a year of the same story, the original story would have to have slight amendments each time it was remade to the original story, causing viewer to have mixed feelings towards these remakes as the original (4 years ago) is deemed a classic and not easily surpassed.

I think overdoing it would cause an adverse effect on such themed dramas, but if done correctly and released in moderation, is pretty interesting to watch. Bu Bu Jing Xin (步步惊心) is one such show that I did enjoy, except for the open "sad" ending.