May Pang's Asian Media Internet News

It's that time of year again! New York Anime Festival (NYAF) has come around and this time it doesn't fail to please! Unfortunately, this is the last of this young convention we will be seeing. At least I had the opportunity to attend this wonderful convention this year. But don't worry! At least New York Comic Con (NYCC) will be making it's return next year. [hidepost]

All NYAF woes aside, the convention was a huge success! I've been to this convention once before. It was pretty large considering how new it was then but this year, it was even larger! There were a tremendous amount of aisles and places to buy all sorts of merchandise from a sushi maker, corsets, kimonos, posters, and of course manga and anime. At every convention, I try to save my money up during these hard times. Unfortunately, there's always something for everyone to buy. Although this was an anime convention, I saw Korean CD's from Big Bang to SNSD being sold! Like I said, something for everyone.

But the booths weren't the only attractions. This convention showed many panels and booths featuring the hit anime and manga, Soul Eater! The American cast of Soul Eater showed up at the convention speaking with fans and signing autographs. Even illustrator and cartoonist, Eric Maruscak, made an amazing chalk mural of the main cast of Soul Eater. It was definitely one of the main attractions of the convention as many people came to watch as Maruscak completed his illustration.

Of course that wasn't the only attraction! There were so many guests, it was difficult to choose where to go! To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam, Yoshiyuki Tomino was invited to NYAF. His most famous work is Mobile Suit Gundam, which was first aired in 1979. This was considered a major part of animation history since it was the first realistic portrayal of robots in an animation series. Of course with the success of the first series, there have been many spin-offs of the series including Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam 00. Of course, this wasn't Tomino's only ground breaking work. Tomino's first work in the animation field started with Mushi Productions where he scripted and storyboarded the original Astro Boy! In honor of the new Astro Boy movie being released soon, Astro Boy himself had been walking about and taking pictures with the con-goers as well.

With all this excitement, we haven't even gotten through everything! Musical guests this year included one of Japan's most famous girl groups AKB48! This girl group was created in 2005 by Yasushi Akimoto with a phenomenal 48 members! Of course with so many members, they are split up into several sub-groups. This year at NYAF, a select few members of the group were here to make their first US performance!

Our good friends and dance group ichiP! were also musical guests at this convention! They taught and performed several popular anime dances including "Hare Hare Yukai" and the dance from the infamous Legend of Zelda commercial (which they also performed at AnimeNext 2009 with us)! Unfortunately, I wasn't around to see them but I heard great things from their panels at NYAF! We're always cheering for all four of you here at AMIN!

There were many demonstrations and performances that were simply amazing including a demonstration from the Byakokan Dojo! They taught everyone how to really use a sword by showing the Toyama Ryu Batto Jutsu style. Of course a cardboard sword made to look like Ichigo's oversized zanpakuto isn't exactly going to protect oneself but this is definitely an eye opener for those who are interested in studying an art of swordsmanship.

I also had the pleasure of attending a panel called Japanese Music in the US Market: Opportunities and Obstacles. This panel touched on the many different aspects of the music market. Music artists such as BoA and Utada Hikaru were discussed as they both had made attempts in breaking into the US music market. Also, Sony Music Japan has made a new approach into the music market. Singer and songwriter BECCA has already made her Japan debut in which she released her single "Perfect Me," which was used for the Japanese TV show "Damages." Now, BECCA has just released her EP today titled "Kickin’ & Screamin’," which includes her song "I'm ALIVE!," the ending theme for the popular anime series "Kuroshitsuji." Her album "ALIVE!!" is preparing for it's US release in 2010!

This convention was definitely worth going to this year. Unfortunately, there will be no New York Anime Festival next year but there will be another New York Comic Con. As a regular con-goer, it's a shame to see such an amazing convention come to an end but I do expect great things from New York Comic Con next year.

Check out the photos from the New York Anime Festival! [/hidepost]

TV icon Oprah Winfery had a fabulous show today. [hidepost] She talked with the "Oprah of China" via satellite. Her name is Chen Luyu and she has 140 million viewers a day. While Oprah has only 42 million viewers a week. She has been on Chinese television for 7 years. Chen makes no bones about the fact she got the idea for her show after seeing Oprah on a business visit to America. She spoke beautiful English.

Her next guests were Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, the most famous couple in the world as they sit down for their first TV interview together! They are the most in-demand actors in Bollywood. They have 5 billion fans!

Her last guest has been called the Brad Pitt of polo. But if you ask Ignacio "Nacho" Figueras, he'd sooner liken himself to Tiger Woods as a superstar athlete at the top of his game. Vanity Fair readers voted Nacho one of the most handsome men in the world—second only to Twilight star Robert Pattinson this past June. Looking at Nacho, I don't understand how he came in 2nd!

Oprah even mentioned the Japanese version of The Beatles... SMAP.  Good show, Oprah.[/hidepost]

All I can say is thank goodness for DVR! [hidepost] I knew that Brian Tee was going to beam himself into millions of homes all across America September 24 at 9pm on an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on CBS. I stepped away from the TV for a few moments and I came back to the screen and up pops Brian Tee, CSI already in progress. But no worries, I had it set to record.

Brian Tee played Denny Ocampo, son of a big time casino owner in town and boyfriend of popular actress, Olivia Hamilton who was murdered in a car crash. You can view the preview online here:

I am a new fan of the Starz Crash series. I didn't miss one episode of season one. I tuned in, because it looked like a fresh, raw drama that was based off the 2005 movie Crash. [hidepost] I also watched it, because I was thrilled to be able to see the actor Brian Tee from the movies: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee, and Deadland.  I remember at the end of season 2, Starz showed the previews for the second season. Brian Tee and actor Kelvin Han Yee would play main characters in the series as they had with the first season. I have subscribed through my mobile carrier monthly to be able to view the series Crash since I do not have it on TV. But I received word from Kelvin that the entire Asian story line from Crash has been cut out. In protest I will no longer subscribe to Starz until the Asian storyline returns.

San Kyu Kim wrote some of the Asian storyline for this series. Megan Lee, the little girl that Brian saved on one episode, told Kelvin that, "she was devastated to learn we would not return." Kelvin also told me that, "It's a shame to lose one of the few Asian regular story lines on TV. It's not only an employment issue, it's about representation, it's about stories where diverse people are in the center of the story, not just walk-ons. I believe America wants to see a world that is diverse and reflects our own country."[/hidepost]

Advertisements are indeed put up for a reason and they seem to get my attention. Everywhere on the trains in Tokyo there is a poster or two for the artist Superfly and her latest album "Box Emotion." [hidepost] Superfly (Shiho Ochi) has a rock and blues feel to her music, which is definitely different from the main stream J-pop that seems to be over take the Oricon charts most of the time. On September 2nd, "Box Emotions" debuted at #1 on the charts. Even now the album is sitting comfortably on the top 10 list next to AI and Arashi.

Check out the music videos for  "Alright!!"  and  "Yashashii Kimochi de," both hot singles from the new album!

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What is happening with Korea's entertainment agencies? [hidepost] First SM Entertainment, then JYP Entertainment and now YG Entertainment is in trouble... YG Entertainment could be facing lawsuits from Sony ATV Music Publishing on the grounds that four of their recently released hits are plagiarized.

There have been rumors about G-Dragon's "Heartbreaker" and "Butterfly" on the internet since their release, but now Sony is saying that "With U", a new song by Big Bang unveiled in Japan, and hit "I Don't Care" by 2NE1, are plagiarized from Joe's "Ride With You" and Lionel Ritchie's "Just Go".

The allegations came after Sony asked music experts to analyze the songs, and results said they sounded a bit too much like the originals. The company has contacted YG and sent warning letters, but so far there has been no response. They have also said YG is not allowed to promote the songs in question, something that YG currently seems to be avoiding as commercials featuring 2NE1 and "I Don't Care" still abound.

Though, it doesn't necessarily take an expert to hear similarities in the songs. The some of the melodies are similar, while there are some differences in the beats and obviously the lyrics. Even the vocal style in one is eerily similar to the original singer.

It's always a little disappointing to see your favorite artists go through these allegations, though sadly, it's been happening for years. Nothing is truly original nowadays, and even Flo Rida's "Right Round" is based off a song from the 1980's called "You Spin Me Round."

So, who knows if it was intentional or unintentional? I, for one, am not passing judgment until I hear something official from all of the parties involved. Though, I have a feeling that someone's head at YG will roll on this one (don't worry. It won't be G-Dragon).

*Note: This writer does not promote plagiarism; however she is of the opinion that the new versions sound better than the originals... and will keep "Heartbreaker" as her ringtone.

Check out the songs that are accused of plagiarism. What do you think?


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I've been seeing John Cho all over the place lately. [hidepost] The man knows how to play his cards right. I've seen him in movies such as American Pie, Harold and Kumar I & II, Star Trek, and Better Luck Tomorrow to name a few. He's been able to play many different roles and I'm sure he has more in store for us displaying the many talents that he has to audiences all over. He has grown on me and now when I see his name in a movie or t.v. show I make sure I watch it.

On September 24, John Cho will be playing as Special Agent Demetri Noh on ABC's new series FlashForward. He's the youngest agent and more often than not acts before thinking. Be sure to tune in to ABC this Thursday night.

Korean actor, Daniel Henney, will be gracing the screen not on a Korean drama, not on a movie based on Marvel comic characters, but on the television October 4, 9pm EST on CBS's new medical drama Three Rivers. [hidepost] It looks like a promising series that will shed some new light on the medical field. He will be playing Dr. David Lee, a heartthrob (but of course!) surgical resident.

Check out the interviews with the cast of "Three Rivers!"
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Thousands of fans from all over Asia flocked to Seoul, South Korea this weekend for the chance to catch their favorite pop acts on stage at World Cup Stadium for the 6th Asia Song Festival hosted by the Korean ministry of culture and tourism and with top names from all over including Show Luo, Big Bang and Super Junior, it definitely was a non-stop, star-packed parade. [hidepost]
The night got off to fast start with the “Rain of Taiwan” Show Luo, who gave just about every girl in the stadium a reason to go visit Taiwan with his smooth dance moves and catchy songs. He was followed by Vietnamese pop princess Ho Ngoc Ha, Hong Kong star Ekin Cheng, Chinese cutie Chris Lee and Japanese power duo Mihimaru GT. But the scene stealers from the first act were definitely Korean group 2NE1, Japanese Johnny’s group V6 and Thai boy band K-OTIC.
2NE1 entered the stage to an eruption of screams from the thousands of fans. Though they only performed two songs, they brought their renown energy and cool attitudes while performing “I Don’t Care” and “Fire.” They were also honored with the ASF award of “Best New Asian Artist”.
After them was K-OTIC, a new band from Thailand with multicultural members from Thailand, Japan and Korea. Their Thai-infused pop music and break dancing was fresh and set them apart from all the other groups, especially their impressive opening mixing a fire theme and traditional Thai dance with a heavy Thai beat.
And it doesn’t matter where you are, Johnnys are sure to bring screaming girls to their knees. V6 was the last performance of the first act and they certainly pleased the audience from the Korean school girls to the Chinese and Japanese tourists. Even the Korean ahjummas were clapping and bouncing with the beat.
The second half started off with a flashy performance by Ukraine’s Ruslana, who is not only a pop princess but a politician lobbying for the rights of Korean immigrants in Russia as well as the Orange Revolution, a democratic movement in Ukraine. I don’t think the Korean audience had quite seen anything like her before with her long-haired, male back-up dancers or her red dress that wasn’t quite all there.
Of course, crowd favorites Big Bang, Girl’s Generation and Super Junior brought the thousands of Korean school girls to tears. (Or at least the girls sitting next to me.) The representative fan clubs were there in full force, setting lose balloons at the end of each performance. Big Bang put on a good show, despite missing Dae-sung, who is still recovering from his car accident and almost no one noticed Kang In missing from the Super Junior line-up. He’s probably missing as punishment from his latest exploits in a bar fight.
However, the two show stoppers for the entire evening were Indonesian singer Agnes Monica and Japanese rocker Gackt.
Monica, who appeared in the festival for the second year in a row, won over the crowd with her bubbly personality, amazing vocals and hot dance moves. Adding a touching moment to the show, she got the crowd to sing along with “Heal the World” in memory of Michael Jackson. She also showed fans what crowd participation is made of by getting everyone to stomp along with her and her back-up dancers.
And finally, veteran Gackt showed the youngins what a show is all about. He erupted onto the stage in a blaze of flames and robotic dance moves with his hit “Ghost.” His band appeared almost from nowhere as the main screen on stage split in half and separated. Everyone was on their feet screaming for the entire performance.
Another Asia Song Festival has come and gone… can’t wait to see what next year’s show brings.

Watch the press conference of the Asia Song Festival!
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Another drama remake is being made! This time it's the hit Japanese drama Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend). [hidepost] The Korean drama will be directed by PD Kim Min-shik who directed Queen of Housewives and Before and After: Plastic Surgery.

Actress Jeon Ji-hyun of My Sassy Girl and Windstruck fame is considered for the main role. The casting had even considered U-Know of the popular boyband TVXQ for the male lead role as well but instead he moved on to another drama currently being filmed, Heading to the Ground. Honestly, I would've loved to have seen him in this drama instead! The Japanese drama starred Hayami Mokomichi as the leading male, Night Tenjo and Aibu Saki starred as the leading female Riiko Izawa. Mizushima Hiro also co-starred as Soshi Asamoto.

The original story is based off of a Japanese manga by Yuu Watase (mangaka of the famous Fushigi Yugi). It begins with a girl named Riiko Izawa. Riiko has never had a boyfriend and it constantly rejected. After a fateful encounter with a salesman, she expresses her wish to have a boyfriend. The salesman, Gaku Namikiri, redirects her to his company's website, Kronos Heaven. When Riiko visits the site, she begins to fill out a survey of her "absolute boyfriend." Within a day, a large package arrives at her home containing a naked man inside! By following the manual that came with the body, she realizes that this man is a robot and must be activated by a kiss. The robot is then activated and Riiko names him "Night." A few days later, Gaku arrives and tells Riiko that she must pay the 100,000,000 yen for Night. Both of them negotiate and instead Riiko must help Gaku collect information on how to perfect the "absolute boyfriend." Of course with every drama, there is a love triangle. While Riiko is trying to keep Night's secret of being a robot, Soshi, Riiko's childhood friend, declares his love for her out of fear of losing her. Now Riiko must choose between her "absolute boyfriend" and her childhood friend.

The Korean version of the drama will have a slightly different plot surrounding a 30-year-old woman who is a stylist at a beauty salon. Unfortunately, her salon is a bit difficult and does not have many clients. Her first love then betrays her and becomes and overnight movie star. Due to the betrayal and the pain, she decides to order her "absolute boyfriend."

Being an avid shojo manga reader, I've read this series many times and have seen the original Japanese drama. I'm not so sure if I'm ready for the Korean version but I will give it a try. This story will definitely make those with a soft heart tear up!

Watch the ending theme to the Japanese drama "Zettai Kareshi!"

Video Credit: Egsthefreak123[/hidepost]