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1-50 of 134
- Actress
- Composer
- Director
With over 400 million plays across streaming services, and her critically acclaimed debut album 'Sawayama' ranking on over 50 album of the year lists in 2020, Japanese-British pop superstar Rina Sawayama is set to make her feature film acting debut in the highly anticipated next entry in the John Wick franchise. Born in Japan and raised in North London, Sawayama ascended to pop stardom via an unusual trajectory at Cambridge University studying politics, psychology and sociology, and funding her early music with modeling before signing a record deal. Bolstered by eclectic, attention-grabbing singles including "XS," an Elton John collaboration "Chosen Family", and recent single "This Hell" - which Sawayama performed live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. With no genre off-limits for the daring singer/songwriter/producer, Sawayama has been hailed as the "future of pop," joining the upper-echelon of left-field pop's premier league. Now adding acting to her resume, Sawayama's next album "Hold The Girl" arrives September 2022.- Actor
- Producer
Soji has gained global attention for his role as Mozasu in Apple TV+'s Pachinko based on Min Jin Lee's worldwide best-selling novel.
Soji Arai was born in Niigata, Japan. He is the son of second generation Korean-Japanese (Zainichi) parents. After graduating from Waseda University, he made a major impact on the Tokyo theater world with his starring role of Max in Bent directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Soji also starred in many other plays including the multi-theater-awarded production of Angels in America, Desire Under the Elms, Three Sisters, Blood Wedding, Balm in Gilead and the world premieres of Strangers on a Train and Tennessee Williams's The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone. In 2009 he was introduced to worldwide audiences as Toshi, Brittany Murphy's love interest in The Ramen Girl.
Soji's incredible talent has allowed him to work alongside some of the biggest names in the industry, including Oscar winner Rachel Weisz in Amazon Prime Video's Dead Ringers, Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung in Apple TV+'s Pachinko, and Oscar nominated Rinko Kikuchi in HBO Max's Tokyo Vice.- Kumi Mizuno was born on New Years Day of 1937 as Maya Igarashi in Nigata, Japan. After she graduated from acting school in 1957, her screen debut was in the Minoru Shibuya film Crazy Society. By the time her second film Futari dake no hashi (1958) came out, she changed her name to "Kumi Mizuno." Her attractive looks and pleasant demeanor made her a favorite of director Ishirô Honda. Thus, she was cast in a host of drama, comedy and sci-fi films from Toho Studios. She became one of Japan's most popular actresses in their "Golden Age" of cinema, appearing with actor Nick Adams in Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965) and Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965). They were claimed to be romantically linked during the filming of these two films, but they denied the claims as gossip. Kumi's role as Daiyo in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) was one of her most memorable performances. This film was originally written to star King Kong, hence the love relationship between Godzilla and Kumi--a love relationship more associated with King Kong.
Even though she has few specific memories of her work on sci-fi films during the 1960s, she does reminisce those films fondly. Evidently, she became a Godzilla legend, as she returned to appear in two of the six Godzilla films from the "Millennium" series in 2002 and 2004. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Reika Kirishima was born on 5 August 1972 in Niigata, Japan. She is an actress, known for Drive My Car (2021), Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) and Zettai reido: Tokushu hanzai sennyû sôsa (2011).- Daisuke Hirakawa was born on 4 June 1973 in Niigata, Japan. He is an actor, known for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven (2015), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train (2020) and Transformers: Galaxy Force (2005).
- Animation Department
- Director
- Art Department
Yoshifumi Kondô was born on 31 March 1950 in Niigata, Japan. He was a director, known for Princess Mononoke (1997), Whisper of the Heart (1995) and Only Yesterday (1991). He died on 21 January 1998 in Tokyo, Japan.- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Katsuhito Ishii was born on 31 December 1966 in Niigata, Japan. He is a director and writer, known for The Taste of Tea (2004), Naisu no mori: The First Contact (2005) and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003).- Writer
- Animation Department
- Art Department
Takahashi was born on October 10, 1957 in Niigata, Japan. She displayed no special talent or interest for manga (Japanese comics) while attending Niigata Chuo High School, but while attending Japan Women's University, she enrolled in Gekiga Sonjuku, a manga school founded by Kazuo Koike (artist and writer of the mangas Lone Wolf and Cub, Crying Freeman and Lady Snowblood). His influence in her work is considerable. He stressed the importance of interesting characters in one's manga series. Takahashi took his lessons to heart: her characters often break the stereotypes inhabiting manga at the time. Takahashi takes care to portray her women to be as tough and as intelligent as her men. Almost none of them can be called an out-and-out villain. They often have different motivations and goals which puts them at odds with each other, and from this arises the dramatic tension of her stories, and quite often, the comedy as well.
In 1976 she started publishing short manga. At this point, she needed to make an important decision, continue as a manga artist or make rounds interviewing for a regular job as a Japanese salary person. If she failed in manga, she would have difficulty getting work because companies would often prefer young, fresh graduates. Despite her parents' advice to take the more cautious path, she decided to press on.
Her first manga series was Urusei Yatsura in 1978, published in Weekly Shonen Sunday. It concerns an alien invasion of earth that can only be stopped if the horniest boy in the world manages to catch an alien girl. It eventually became a cultural phenomenon, lasting nine years and spawning a long-running television series, Urusei yatsura (1981). Urusei yatsura (1981)was partly directed by Mamoru Oshii (_"Kôkaku kidôtai" (1995)_, aka Ghost in the Shell). Oshii first rose in prominence thanks to his work in Urusei Yatsura.
Her second manga hit was Maison Ikkoku (1980 to 1987 in Big Comic Spirits). Here, her experiences as a young adult making the rounds of job interviews, plus living in a small apartment while working for a living, became inspiration for her manga. Maison Ikkoku doesn't have any aliens, demons or martial-arts experts, instead it is a simple love triangle between a college student, Godai, his beautiful apartment manager, the young and recently widowed Mrs. Kyoko Otanashi and the rich, handsome tennis coach Shun Mitaka.
Mitaka could have been a typical love rival, rich, handsome but self-centered. Instead, Takahashi actually makes him sympathetic; his love for Kyoko is as sincere as Godai, and he is also a nice guy. In fact it becomes one of the themes of Maison Ikkoku: if all things are equal, if both suitors have good characters and both sincerely loves the woman, then should Kyoko pick the richer suitor? The manga series charts Godai's maturation from callow youth ruled by hormones to a successful, responsible adult.
The complex webs of relationships in Urusei and Maison are her secret recipe for generating endless configurations of conflict and humor. They keep readers waiting eagerly for the next installment at the same time gently remind them that that's how life is like with regards to romance, a tangled free-for-all that, despite its seemingly frightful messiness, Takahashi magically keeps clear and coherent for her readers.
Maison Ikkoku also became the successful anime, Maison Ikkoku (1986). In 1987, Not only did she end her two successful manga, Urusei and Maison, she also did short manga (Mermaid Saga and One-Pound Gospel), and started her third long-run manga series, Ranma 1/2.
In 1987, the manga field was full of martial arts stories, so Takahashi was interested in trying her version of a martial arts manga, however, with a few innovations of her own. Ranma is a martial artist betrothed to a tomboy martial artist, Miss Akane Tendo, and when they marry they will inherit the dojo and the tradition of "Anything Goes" Martial Arts. The big twist is, when Ranma gets wet, he turns into a busty, red-headed girl. Takahashi pokes fun at (and gives homage to) martial arts, boy-girl relationships and other bizarre permutations that can arise from a web formed by a boy/girl, a tomboy girl as well as a menagerie of quirky supporting characters.
Like Urusei and Maison, Ranma became an anime series,Ranma ½ (1989), which lasted from 1989 to 1992. She ended the manga in 1996, and then started her fourth major manga series, Inuyasha.
Inuyasha is set in medieval Japan. A modern schoolgirl, Kagome, is magically transported to the past, and she must help the half-demon Inuyasha collect shards of the powerful Shikon jewel. In this series, the tone is darker and less comedic than her other works. Characters and bystanders often die here and the major characters themselves are frequently in danger. Takahashi also introduces her first purely evil villain, the demon Naraku. Naraku is a kind of Iago to Inuyasha's Othello, letting others do the dirty work for him. Inuyasha became an anime in 2000 (Inuyasha (2000)), lasting until 2004. It has already spawned several films, with the last one released in December, 2004.
In terms of material rewards, Takahashi consistently makes the list of top ten Japanese tax payers from the manga community, an indication of the royalties she receives for her work, both old and new. Her fan base has spilled out of Japan, where she is virtually ubiquitous. She now has devoted followers from Europe, the United States and many fellow Asian nations. Her old work, from Urusei Yatsura up to her short manga up to the anime versions, have been reprinted and translated, finding their way to newer generations of readers and viewers.
However, Takahashi continually keeps busy, meeting her deadlines, creating new manga. She admits she has little time to spend her money, devoting most of her time in her studio drawing and plotting the next installments of her manga, for the sake of her legions of fans worldwide.- Fumika is known for her single-minded focus. When she was ten years old she became a member of a theatre troupe called Apricot and stayed, and was coached there, until the age of fifteen. At fourteen she was scouted on the street in Niigata Prefecture by the local Niigata Bishoojo Zukan paper and began modelling. At first she was dubious of the scout who was snapping photographs of her on a mobile telephone. Her dream then was to become an actress. She cited actress Nikaido Fumi as an inspiration and not just because their names are similar. While at high school in 2014 she starred in Puzzle which was her debut starring role. She appeared in the music video for singer and songwriter Hazzie in 2016. Fumika has an older sister with whom she is close. She likes to listen to music, go to karaoke, shop and claims to be a morning person. She is also trained in ballet. Fumika is represented by Name Management.
- Asami Ogawa was born on 31 October 1955 in Niigata, Japan. She is an actress, known for Attacked! (1978), Yumeno Kyusaku's Girl Hell (1977) and Erotic Diary of an Office Lady (1977).
- Kanako Higuchi was born on 13 December 1958 in Niigata, Japan. She is an actress, known for Ronin Gai (1990), Casshern (2004) and Amida-dô dayori (2002). She has been married to Shigesato Itoi since 1993.
- Writer
- Animation Department
One was born on 29 October 1986 in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. One is a writer, known for Mob Psycho 100 (2018), One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100 (2016).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Keiko Yokozawa was born on 2 September 1952 in Chûô-ku, Niigata City, Niigata, Japan. She is an actress, known for Castle in the Sky (1986), Mega Man Legends 2 (2000) and Namco X Capcom (2005).- Writer
- Animation Department
- Art Department
Takeshi Obata was born on 11 February 1969 in Niigata City, Niigata, Japan. She is a writer, known for Death Note (2017), Death Note (2006) and Death Note: The Last Name (2006).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Sang-il Lee was born on 6 January 1974 in Niigata, Japan. He is a director and writer, known for Villain (2010), Rage (2016) and Hura gâru (2006).- Animation Department
- Director
- Writer
Kazuto Nakazawa was born on 4 March 1968 in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Kazuto is a director and writer, known for Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), B: The Beginning (2018) and Genius Party Beyond (2008).- Writer
- Producer
Shuichi Shigeno was born on 8 March 1958 in Tôkamachi, Niigata, Japan. He is a writer and producer, known for Initial D (2005), Initial D: First Stage (1998) and Initial D: Fourth Stage (2004).- Koharu Kusumi was born on 15 July 1992 in Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan. She is an actress, known for Lady in White (2018), Shell and Joint (2019) and Doctor X (2012).
- Thunder Sugiyama was born on 23 July 1940 in Itoigawa, Niigata, Japan. He was an actor, known for Mad Mission 3: Our Man from Bond Street (1984), Irresistable Angel: Suck It All Up (2003) and Message from Space (1978). He died on 22 November 2002 in Nagoya, Japan.
- Shiori Satô was born on 27 July 1990 in Niigata, Japan. She is an actress, known for Tokyo MER (2021), Pichimo de dorama: Watashi ga moderu ni nareta wake (2005) and Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! (2017).
- Yûtarô Watanabe was born on 14 March 1994 in Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan. He is an actor, known for Alice in Borderland (2020), Oshi ga jôshi ni narimasite (2023) and Flightless Bird and Merry-Go-Round (2015).
- Naomi Oka was born on 12 June 1952 in Niigata, Japan. She is an actress, known for Virgin Rope Makeover (1979), Sex Report from a Female Private Detective: Housewife Prostitution (1973) and Rape! 13th Hour (1977).
- Rin Takahashi was born on 9 August 1990 in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. She is an actress, known for Ideal Boyfriend (2022), Tokyo Swindlers (2024) and Chaser Game (2022).
- Actress
- Music Department
Yôko Sômi was born on 31 May 1962 in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. She is an actress, known for Porco Rosso (1992), Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) and Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (2003). She was previously married to Akio Ôtsuka.- Kikujirô Honda was born in 1965 in Niigata, Japan. He is an actor, known for Hakui to hitozuma: shitagaru aniyome (1998) and Nôpan hisho: Monzetsu shachôshitsu (2003).