reblog

Actress Keiko Kitagawa is the latest cover girl for the popular fashion magazine VoCE. A regular in the magazine, she last made the cover six months ago. Kitagawa is currently expecting a child with her husband DAIGO, this makes the issue of VoCE quite special as it will be her final magazine cover appearance until she gives birth.

The magazine will be available in two editions that feature two different covers. Both are close up shots with a fresh faced Kitagawa wearing a black dress in one, and a white dress on the other.

When consulting with the editorial team for her photoshoot, Kitagawa told them that she will not be hiding her belly in the photos, but at the same time won’t be overly emphasizing it. She wanted a natural appearance and feel for the photoshoot.

Back in January 2016 Kitagawa announced her marriage to DAIGO, the two are expected to welcome their baby in the fall!

Gakki steps into summer as the ambassador for a new sustainable fashion line.

As one of the nation’s most popular actresses, Yui Aragaki brings star power to everything she touches, and global fashion retail chain H&M is now hitching their wagon to her star for their upcoming collection.

“Gakki” as she’s fondly known, will be stepping into the role of brand ambassador for the chain’s “Let’s Change” campaign, which kicks off on 27 April, ahead of Golden Week, a string of public holidays that begins on 29 April this year.

The collection features items made from sustainable materials, which the 32-year-old can be seen modelling in a series of photos recently released by H&M Japan.

Earthy tones dominate the collection, which includes a top (1,799 yen) and matching skirt (2,499) made from recycled polyester.

Gakki’s fun, casual style is a perfect fit for jeans made from recycled cotton (4,999 yen), which come with a slit in the hem to create a bohemian look.

Gakki’s confident side shines through in this sleeveless jacket (3,999 yen) and matching shorts (2,999 yen) set, which are also made from recycled cotton.

▼ 100-percent organic cotton is used in this cardigan (2,499 yen), top (1,799 yen) and skirt (2,999 yen) ensemble.

▼ And this shirt dress, which is priced at 2,499 yen.

Speaking about her role as ambassador for the eco-friendly collection, Aragaki says:

By 2030, H&M says it aims to only sell items made with materials that are recycled or procured sustainably, and the company is already 65-percent of the way towards reaching that goal.

With Gakki on board to help promote the new collection, hopefully more retailers and customers will seek out sustainable fashion in future. Because eco-friendly alternatives aren’t just limited to store shopping bags.

Welcome back to Mooniversity, our column for all things “Sailor Moon.” The two-part Sailor Moon Cosmos movie has been released in Japan, and intriguingly, it sees the return of actress Keiko Kitagawa, who played Sailor Mars in the live-action series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (or PGSM for short) from 2003. That show is today’s topic, along with the stage musicals (aka Sera Myu) that have been performed regularly since 1993. I’ve written extensively before about my issues with the idea of adapting “Sailor Moon” into live-action, and part of the reason is PGSM, which I personally couldn’t get past the first episode of.

“Wait, what?!,” I hear some of you cry. “How can you write a ‘Sailor Moon’ column if you’ve only watched one episode of the live-action show?!”

Firstly, I’ve done the reading, so I know enough to discuss what’s interesting in a moment. Secondly, I think everyone has a right to pass on entries from a favorite series they dislike or are disinterested in; I love Transformers, but haven’t seen the last two Michael Bay films, and there are countless superhero projects I’ve sat out of, including a sadly increasing number of DCEU films, and the many film serials released in the 1940s (which is especially applicable in this case.) I’m not dismissing the show’s place in canon, or that it has admirers either, after all, the Star Wars prequels were bad, but it was still lovely to see their leads return in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and likewise it’s cool Kitagawa got to help conclude the reboot.

I do enjoy that PGSM offers an insight into how much leeway Naoko Takeuchi — who was reportedly more involved with the show than the anime — would allow with an adaptation. At only about 51 episodes, it solely uses characters from the comic/cartoon’s first arc, but it manages to repurpose many themes and ideas from subsequent ones for the original cast, among several other fascinating changes:

– Instead of Chibiusa/Sailor Chibi Moon, Luna gains a Sailor Guardian form called Sailor Luna (designed by Takeuchi, and portrayed by then 10-year old Rina Koike.) Similarly, while Chibiusa isn’t around to become Black Lady, Ami is brainwashed by Kunzite into becoming Dark Mercury.

– The fear of Sailor Saturn’s reawakening is substituted for with Princess Sailor Moon, a colder, ruthless incarnation of our hero, created when the original Serenity’s soul awakens in Usagi’s body. Unlike Usagi, the Princess does not give a damn what happens to Earth, as long as she regains her beloved Endymion.

– Like Uranus and Neptune, Mars and Venus become close, culminating in Rei being the first to learn, and having the most emotional reaction when Minako (gasp!) passes away from an unspecified illness. (Don’t worry, she gets better.) Makoto, meanwhile, concludes the series by getting engaged to arcade owner Motoki.

– All of Beryl’s generals, the Shitennou, survive the series, leading to them having more complex motivations and decisions; we’re even introduced to Kunzite as an amnesiac man named Shin. Kunzite resents Mamoru; he and Nephrite are both interested in Ami; and Zoisite allies with Minako to stop Usagi from remembering her past relationship with Mamoru, in the hopes it will prevent their deaths from happening again.

So on paper, it should be fun to watch a version of Sailor Moon that resembles the Hong Kong dramas I grew up watching with my family (plus Power Rangers), but I came away simply embarrassed for the actresses (who all probably grew up on the original show) who got roped into doing the most generic, cringe-inducing take on the source material imaginable. Usagi’s first battle with a (goopy, CG) monster-of-the-week takes place during the day, in a conspicuously empty hall, resembling a fan film instead of the genuine article, and Luna’s cat form… is portrayed by a plush doll. Even the failed American pilot portrayed her with a real cat. Generally, I feel it would be cool to watch people shoot even the cheapest, corniest movie or TV show, but this didn’t even pass that most basic of tests.

Japan is home to some of the most beautiful and hottest women. This country’s girls are mainly famous for their fair skin complexion, medium height, golden brown hair, and deep blue eyes. Some of the prettiest Japanese Models have gained popularity in a very short time, and revolutionized the fashion industry. On the other hand, Japanese Actresses are famous all over the world because of their talent, hard work, and dedication. Let us check out the list.

Kurara Chibana

This beauty diva from Japan is a renowned actress. Kurara Chibana began her career in the fashion industry, and represented her country in the Miss Universe 2006 contest.

Born in March, 1982, Chibana was the first runner-up of the beauty competition. With the passage of time, the doors of endless opportunities opened for her. She is native of Okinawa Prefecture, and can fluently speak Japanese and English languages. She is best known for her amazing costumes. For her perfect personality and graceful dresses, Kurara gives credit to the designer Yoshiyuki Ogata. During a recent interview, she said that she is very conscious about her outfits and never compromises on quality.

Miyako Miyazaki

We cannot complete our list without talking about Miyako Miyazaki. She is a beauty queen of Japan. She has represented her country in numerous competitions. Miyako first rose to prominence at the age of 15 when she won the Miss Universe title.

Born in February, 1978, she stands at 5'7". This gorgeous and one of the most beautiful Japanese modelswas the 4th runner up of the Miss World 2007. She received her graduation degree from the Kumamoto University. So far, this wonderful Japanese girl has modeled for "Renault", "Nina Ricci", and "Mikimoto".

Reon Kadena

Reon Kadena is a charming girl of Japan.

Her nicknames are Leon Kadena, and Minamo Kusano. She is one of the most successful actresses and models of Japan. Born in Osaka Prefecture, in February, 1986, Kadena first rose to the limelight when she appeared nude in Asahi Press’s "Naked Reon". In those days, she was only eighteen years old. During 2005, Reon made an appearance in a couple of videos by "Geneon Entertainment".

Her best work is the erotic drama "Piikan Fūfu". For this particular show, Kadena received a couple of awards. Later on, she became a part of "Secret Undercover Agent: Wild Cats in Strip Royale". She portrayed Alia in "Kamen Rider Ghost", and gained global recognition.

“I am a product that is no longer wanted”, began a blog post written by Ayumi Hamasaki. In light of her disastrous performance on yesterday’s episode of Music Station, she’s decided to call it quits on her career. It’s been reported that Avex begged Music Station’s producers to let her on yesterday’s three hour special, in an effort to boost her sagging career. That plan certainly backfired.

“I’d rather watch KPop than this!”, wrote one commenter on Girls Channel. “Why wasn’t Arashi on instead of this sad old lady?”, read one tweet. One 2ch user wrote, “I saw Ayumi perform 15 years ago, and it was the best concert I’ve ever been to! Last night’s performance was like a cheap Chinese knockoff of a luxury good!”

Ayu’s an avid user of social media, and she’s seen multiple comments like the ones above over the past day. It’s all taken a toll on her, too much of a toll. “These comments hurt more than the ones after I cried on NHK’s SONGS.”

Ayu wrote in her blog post that one of the reasons she sounded off last night was due to her deafness, something which has progressed over the years. “I was told to stop singing years ago, but singing is my life! I have to do this for my fans, because they are my heart”, she wrote.

Another reason for her off performance was the show’s performance order. She thought she would be closing the show, but she was second to last, preceding X JAPAN. Ayu said that it was right for AKB48 to precede her, referencing the 2011 incident where she skipped the show in protest due to her performing before AKB48, an incident which result in a temporary ban from Music Station. “Why should I not perform last? Have I not done enough to get this spot? I deserve it over the band (referring to X JAPAN), given how much of a legacy I have compared to theirs.”

What will Ayu do, now that she’s retired? Go back to Los Angeles, a place that she feels truly at home. “I am judged so much in my home country, but in America, I feel free. Free to be me, the real Ayumi Hamasaki, and not the product ‘Ayumi Hamasaki’.”

We may get a glimpse of Ayu during her retirement though. “My favorite restaurant in Los Angeles is Villa Blanca. I have become great friends with the owner, Lisa Vanderpump. She is on a television program in America called ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.’ I have even secretly appeared on the program before, in the background at a large party at her home. She asked me before to join the show’s cast, but I said it was not a good fit for me. But I am now at a new stage in my life, so perhaps now it is a good fit for me.”

Ayu is also looking for love still, after many public failures in love and marriage. She has one requirement though: he must be white. In the only English section of the blog post, Ayu wrote, “If he’s white, he’s alright!”

Ayu’s music recording career is effectively over, seeing as how she doesn’t plan to release a new album. She does, however, plan on having one final tour, a dome tour, her first since 2001. She will tour Japan’s five major domes at the end of this year and the beginning of next year, with the tour ending at Tokyo Dome on February 30. She will then return to Los Angeles on March 1, to begin the rest of her life as the retired Empress of JPop.