Considering Tokyo Sonata’s focus is on a seemingly typical and mundane nuclear family, it would be an understatement to say that Kiyoshi’s Kurosawa’s most recent film is a departure from his modus operandi. Being aware—more than anyone—of his repertoire of J-horror, Kurosawa openly acknowledges his shift in genre, storytelling, style and ambiance: I am hoping that Tokyo Sonata will be received by the audience as a film unlike any of my previous works. More »

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Hey guys! FAM has brought you another video! This time we talk about our awesome time at the 2009 JYP tour in NYC. We had an awesome time at the concert which included the Wonder Girls, J-Lim and 2PM. We’ve also got an update on the fun part of the night… THE AFTER PARTY! More »

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Big news for Asian American Jpop singer Yuna Ito this week — her new single “Trust You” was released on March 4 and has charted Top 5 on the Oricon charts in Japan! “Trust You” was picked as the ending theme song for anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Second Season. (Yes, Mobile Suit Gundam is still alive and kicking!)

I’ve personally got the second track “Brand New World” on heavy rotation. It’s a fantastic pop energy trance track that works great on the dancefloor or a karoke car ride down the interstate. Check out the preview below! More »

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New York City was the last stop for the JYP family as they ended the 2009 JYP Tour. The venue was the biggest of the three, and probably had the biggest crowd. Once again as expected, everything from the stage, costumes, and set list were exactly the same as the previous two concerts. I’m going to keep this short, because really, there isn’t very much to say about the concert that hasn’t already been said before.

The only noticeable difference between this concert and the previous two is that G-Soul was missing for some mysterious reason. Instead, J.Lim opened the show by herself, which was nothing special. It’s not that she was bad, it’s just that it’s been four years since “Music Is My Life” came out, and apparently it’s the only song she ever sings. More »

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Well, I wouldn’t really say MiChi’s changing anything, but nevertheless, she’s a refreshing edition to the mainstream Jpop scene. The British-born vocalist doesn’t write any of her own music—surprise—but she dons her image well. You can tell the marketing team is trying to milk her British roots by playing up the pseudo-punk image, along with a dash of Pantone’d American Apparel love. But beyond her image, what matters most is that she knows how to tone down the nasal register so prevalent in Jpop (sing with your diaphragms, for the love of all things green and good). More »

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Last month the Discovery channel premiered their documentary about Korean star Jung Ji-Hoon (aka Rain) throughout Asia. Hip Korea’s “Seoul Vibes” segment had a special impact during its South Korean airing as it focused on the serious issues the star faced throughout his meteoric rise. Hip Korea delves into the celebrity’s past through having him trace throughout the neighborhoods where he grew up, and the segment also features interviews people Rain has worked with. The singer proudly reminisces about what has taken him this far. Also, starring in this documentary is producer J.Y. Park (JYP), founder of JYPE music. Park speaks about what made him choose Ji-Hoon when he first auditioned, as well the kind of new career issues that Ji-Hoon will face in the future. More »

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Filipino “Master Rapper,” former breaker and acclaimed photographer Francis Magalona passed away a few days ago after a year-long battle with leukemia. Along with being at the forefront of the country’s rap scene, Magalona is also a national emblem as his music dealt with Filipino life and culture. He is survived by his wife and eight children, two of whom are also in entertainment. More »

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Last but not least, the final concert of the US JYP Tour is now up. Our very own David Hou flew all the way back from the West just to attend and bring you these fab photos.

Again we still have more content left to present you so please be patient as we process it. Thanks for staying with us this entire time as we connect the JYPE family with their fans. More »

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According to CurrentTV an official government license to build submarines has been awarded to 68-year-old Li Yuming. Hailing from Hanyang in Hubei Province, Li possesses only an elementary-level education, but spends all his free time inventing things. The retired shoemaker has built seven submarines and can now build recreational water vehicles, such as submarines and fishing boats—legally. It was Li’s fifth submarine that had a successful voyage: underwater, the three-meter-long steel submersible can carry two adult passengers and one child. This homemade construction can dive to a depth of 65 feet, and Li’s new creation, which is an unmanned submarine, can dive up to 100 feet. More »

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I’m back from following the JYP Tour from Coast-to-Coast and, wow, I’ve been missing some drama on Ningin!

I’ve read all your comments. First, I understand Team Platinum Heart’s disappointment about not dancing all together on stage with Wonder Girls. I was at the LA show (actually I was at all the shows!) and I know that there was a lot of confusion backstage. I know PH didn’t get to meet 2pm and JYP, but I assure you it was not intentional. In order to make up for it, PH got to hang with WG three times backstage — including in the dressing room with WG while JYP was on stage. It was the best that could be done under the circumstances. In the end, JYP Ent had to put on a show for thousands of people and that had to take priority number one. More »

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For those of you who are too impatient to wait for the album, Avex has posted 30 second previews to BoA’s “Best and USA” and “BoA The First Album” online.

While they are only previews, I have high hopes for the Asian pop star. She’s definitely stepped up her game, and she shows she has what it takes to make it in the US. Out of the entire album, my favorites are “Obsessed” and “Energetic.”

If you haven’t already, be sure to support BoA and preorder her album. Not only can you get some awesome giveaways from Ningin, but you can also attend our prerelease party in NYC. More »

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If you’ve ever wanted to experience an acid trip in anime form, Satoshi Kon’s sci-fi/murder mystery Paprika (2006) is your answer. Paprika follows a group of research psychologists who have developed the “DC Mini,” a device used to enter patients’ dreams for psychotherapeutic use. Vivid dream imagery throughout the film shifts seamlessly between scenes leaving the viewer rather disoriented. The feeling of disorientation can be likened to being on acid. Not that I’ve ever done acid, there just aren’t too many disorienting experiences one can use to describe Paprika. More »

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Ok, so the bitches who were part of Edison Chen’s dirty photo collection are now coming out in droves to bitch about that prick. First it was the fiery Cecilia Cheung who granted an exclusive interview with Hong Kong’s main cable channel I-Cable and now it was the innocent and frail Gillian Chung who did the same with Hong Kong’s main TV station, TVB. More »

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You’ve heard of Walt Disney, the visionary animator whose tales of princes and princesses (and bestiality) adorned our childhood with fond memories. You’ve heard of Miyazaki Hayao, whose limitless imagination gave us the catbus, makkuro kurosuke plushies, and a proper non-Spanish usage of the word “Laputa”. You’ve heard of them, but have you heard of Makoto Shinkai, whose film Beyond the Clouds is featured at this year’s event? More »

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Hope you guys enjoyed yourselves as the JYP tour comes to an end. We still have more coverage coming up, so stay tuned.

It’s definitely been a long week as we enter the month of March, but there’s a lot to look forward to this month. Not only did we get to see JYP Entertainment here in the US, but we also get BoA and Utada’s US debut albums. Wewt.

Enjoi! More »

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It’s true. BoA’s debut album drops only 9 days from now and Ningin is on it!

We brought you an exclusive interview with the massive Asian pop star back in December and now we’re back with more BoA in 2009! We redesigned her Ningin page just for her. In return, BoA was sweet enough to write a letter herself to her fans.

Remember! Her album gets its official American release in a few days but you can preorder the album today and win some awesome giveaways from Ningin. Our giveaway supply is limited so do it now or never! More »

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The melodic and modern Japanese trio M.O.V.E will be stateside this spring as they are slated to perform at The Kamikazecon Convention in Houston, Texas. Their sound is an infectious blend of Vivaldi-like violins, metal ripping guitars, and techno. With the distinct female vocals of the beautiful Yuri Masuda and the hard, in depth rapping skill of Segawa Mototaka (Motsu), they style is uniquely their own. This creative one-of-a-kind sound is even represented in the title of their first album entitled Electrock. More »

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Kingdom Hearts is one game series I couldn’t care less about. When I played the first one, I had fun with it, but I never bothered to complete it. For the next game, I bought the Greatest Hits version, but it sits in the box and collects dust. I will play it eventually. After all, I bought it purely for the fact of Captain Jack Sparrow being in the game.

Aside from that quirky info, I am an odd gamer. Instead of liking the actual game, there are games I find myself liking the soundtrack more than anything else. Kingdom Hearts happens to fall under that category. The music from that series amuses me greatly, and since it’s composed by Shimomura Yoko, that makes it even better. It’s even better when a piano arranged album is in the works. More »

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Moving from Los Angeles to San Francisco this year, The International Secret Agents Concert returns in 2009! This year’s lineup leads with Jin the MC back from Hong Kong, Wong Fu Productions, and the Far East Movement. The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco will host the event on March 20. And check out the poster! It’s super cool and can be yours along with Far East Movement’s new album Animal and a DVD from Wong Fu productions — all autographed, of course! More »

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Gallery photos of the Orange County concert are now up! Our very own David Hou flew all the way to the OC from NYC so he could bring you these amazing photos along with Jinra Illustrisimo who recapped the events.

If you haven’t already, also check out the gallery photos from the LA concert here.

There’s still more content to come so check back! More »

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