KARA’s popularity in Japan soars despite recent controversy

Ever since KARA returned to Japan as all five this week, the Japanese media has been hot on their trail.

The girls were bombarded by media attention immediately upon their arrival and followed them throughout their drama schedule for “URAKARA,” as well as their third single jacket album photoshoot.

Fuji TV even went as far as to follow the girls to their “URAKARA” film set, which is exceptional in itself since the drama is broadcast by their rival network, TV Tokyo.  The network risked giving media exposure to the other network in order to report on their day-to-day activities as well as minor details like their plane seating list.

One news program nicknamed the arrival of KARA and the attention they’ve garnered as the “KARA Phenomenon,” which is a term that hasn’t been used since the legendary Hallyu star, Bae Yong Joon.

On the “URAKARA” episode broadcast on February 4th, the girls gave a short message for their fans stating, “We’ll be promoting in Japan into the future, so please look forward to us.”

Meanwhile, it was found that Seungyeon and Jiyoung’s parents accompanied the girls on their trip, and although they were revealed to be monitoring the girls’ activities, DSP Media added that they were not going on set with the girls.

Source + Photos: Newsen, Star News via Daum (1) (2), Asia Economy via Naver

‘Paradise Ranch’ to hit Japanese airwaves in May

Changmin’s debut drama, ”Paradise Ranch“, will cross overseas to hit airwaves in Japan!

According to TVXQ’s official Japanese website, “Paradise Ranch” will air its first episode in May through the satellite broadcast network, SkyPerfectTV ‘DATV’.

With the help of TVXQ’s extraordinary popularity in Japan, SBS hopes to reach a wider audience and thus expand their influence in the Hallyu wave.

Before it airs, however, “Paradise Ranch” will hold their production conference and cast interviews over the months of February, March, and April.

Source: Star News via Daum

After School will begin activities in Japan by the end of March

Girl group After School will be advancing to Japan in March.

On January 27th, Pledis revealed to Money Today that, “After School has signed a contract with Japan’s best record label and will start activities in Japan at the end of March. We are planning on creating a new Japanese song or using After School’s current albums. After School will focus on promoting both in Korea and Japan.”

The Korean music industry representatives believe that because of the disagreement between KARAand DSP Media, Korean artists are having a hard time advancing overseas.

In reply to this, Pledis answered, “It is true that because of the Dong Bang Shin Ki and KARA issue, there has been a lot of unpleasant rumors about the Korean Wave. After School will do their best so that overseas fans will get the correct image of the Korean Wave.”

Currently, After School members are studying hard to learn Japanese. Along with their advancement to Japan, After School is planning on restarting their activities in Korea at the same time, thus creating a tight schedule for members to participate in both Japanese and Korean activities.

On the other hand, last January, After School won the “K-pop New Artist of the Year” award at the Billboard Japan Music Awards. Because of their slim S-line body and powerful performances, After School is receiving a lot of interest from their Japanese fans.

Credits: allkpop

B2ST tops album pre-order charts in Japan!

It’s a ‘beastly’ indication of their impending success in Japan - B2ST’s Japanese debut single, ‘SHOCK’, has topped the album pre-order charts from Tower Records Japan!

On January 25th, fans noted that B2ST had locked down the top two spots on the chart with their “SHOCK [CD + DVD] Limited Edition C” at #1, and “Limited Edition B” at #2.

But it’s not just their CDs that are carving niches – B2ST’s first DVD, ‘SO, BEAST – THE CLIPS’ placed 5th on the chart.

Considering how the group managed to land 50% of the slots in the ‘top 10′, many are commenting on the level of anticipation for B2ST’s powerful debut.

A representative from the Japanese music industry mused, “It’s rare to see a debut album take over half the charts. B2ST will be a top candidate in sweeping Japan as a new boy group.”

They continued, “It’s anticipated that B2ST will create another sensation in Japan, considering how they have a solid level of popularity in Korea as well.”

Last year in November, B2ST successfully held their first Japanese showcase with 10,000 fans in attendance.

Be sure to check back with allkpop for updates on B2ST’s upcoming Japanese single!

Additional details revealed on KARA’s ‘TBC’ promotions in Japan

Despite the controversy surrounding their team, KARA’s popularity in Japan is still riding strong.

allkpop had previously reported about how the girls were selected to be the new models for the Japanese aesthetics company, “TBC.” Japanese fans will be able to see the girls on various advertisements such as television, transportation ads, and magazines starting February 1st.

In their TV advertisement, the girls will be using the pronunciation of their own name, which means ‘because’ in Japanese, to deliver phrases such as “Because everyone can become pretty” and“Because everyone can become cool.”

Their Japanese advertisement company commented, “KARA’s healthy and shining image and outstanding promotions were what led us to choose the girls as our model. Due to issues surrounding KARA’s future, they’ve been receiving widespread attention in Japan, and we felt that this was the appropriate timing to start this campaign.”

They continued, “Not only Korea, but Japan is very worried about KARA’s future as well. We have decided to add another segment to their campaign in support of the group.”

KARA’s new CF for TBC to air as scheduled this February

A new Japanese CF featuring all five members of KARA will be broadcast as planned.

According to a report by Sankei Sports on January 26th, KARA was chosen as the new models for one of Japan’s biggest aesthetic companies, ‘Aesthetic TBC‘. The girls recorded a CF for the company, but due to their current controversy, the company debated over whether or not to air it.

Sankei Sports revealed, “With the five-membered Korean girl group KARA going through a dispute, news of their contract with Aesthetic TBC has been revealed on the 25th. CFs will run from February 1st, followed by the airing of their television CFs on the 2nd. All five members will be appearing.”

They continued, “The recording took place before the controversy broke out, leading many to wonder whether the CF would go on as planned, but representatives of Aesthetic TBC revealed, ‘In consideration of KARA’s future, now is the time to support KARA,’ which led to their decision.”

In support of KARA, Aesthetic TBC will be putting up advertisements with an additional statement, “Find strength, KARA!” in 200 different locations in seven cities.

Lee Eun Mi, better known to her fans as “The Barefoot Diva”, recently returned to the U.S. with Powerhouse Live for a three-city tour this month. With stops in Orange County, New York City, and Washington D.C., Lee Eun Mi consistently delivered a powerful performance that definitively showcased her renown vocal abilities and commanding stage presence. The amazing thing about “The Barefoot Diva” is that she truly embodies the power of great music. Her concert brought together entire families which spanned across generations, as grandparents to grandchildren sat back to allow Lee Eun Mi’s seasoned musicality to wash over them. By the end of the night, all those who attended were equally enthralled by her diverse talent and unbelievable passion for the stage. Lee Eun Mi has rightfully earned her respect amongst fans and fellow Korean artists alike as a living legend. She’s set a high standard of vocal prowess and a spirited stage dynamic that leaves audiences craving for more. Considering how many of today’s younger K-pop stars have cited Lee Eun Mi as their personal idol, we have no doubt that we’ll see an even greater level of well-crafted talent from them in the near future. It was allkpop’s honor and privilege to catch this amazing diva live, and we certainly hope that she’ll make plans to come back to the States for another tour. Check out the rest of our photos from the event here! Photography by: Alex Gao & Terence Lee Video by: Matt Marasigan

After releasing the highly successful “Why? (Keep Your Head Down)” in their native South Korea, theTVXQ duo of Changmin and Yunho has just released the Japanese version in the land of the rising sun.

To commemorate this release, Avex has just unleashed the official (non leaked) Japanese MV on their official youtube page, check out the MV below and you can support them by purchasing the music.

Credits: allkpop

What could Korean entertainment agencies learn from their Japanese counterparts?

The increasingly contentious ’slave contract’ issue has grown to such proportions that even international companies are sitting up to take notice. After observing the cases of JYJ-SM Entertainment andKARA-DSP Media, many Japanese entertainment agencies have been voicing their confusion over why contract terminations are imploding into such a controversial issue.

Contract terminations are rarely seen in the Japanese music industry. Case-in-point, the idol groupSMAP, who debuted back in 1991, are still going strong even after 20 years as one of the most popular groups in the idol industry.

Japanese agency representatives believe that the key ingredient to their idol group’s longevity is the fair and reasonable conditions of the contracts signed. “In TVXQ’s case, the main problem stems from the 13 year contract deal, whereas in Japan, a one or two year contract is the norm,” stated a representative of a magazine company affiliated with five major media companies in Japan.

In other words, the Japanese agencies utilize a system based off personal incentives – if a group attains popularity and earns a solid profit during their contract period, that group will receive a higher salary for the following year. Other methods include enforcing a monthly pay schedule, which in turn allows for less-popular celebrities to pay for their living expenses, and thus strengthen their loyalty with the company.

A special characteristic about Japanese entertainment agencies are the humane relationships shared between the company and their artists. An seasoned representative of Japanese celebrity management companies said, “It’s not about dealing with celebrities as ‘items’; it’s about managing them with an equal understanding and relationship as human beings.”

There was a case back in 2009 when a Japanese actress/model’s contract impressed all those who read its details. “We do not tolerate the emotional and physical pain of labor force,” it said. “Schedules must always be adjusted in order to develop the greatest skills of our models and actresses.”

The CEO of this small agency, Sasaki Masumi, stated, “It’s part of the entertainment business to run into difficulties in managing celebrities as they are our ‘products’, but it’s not just about simply managing a celebrity; I also focus on helping them develop as an actor by instilling in them a deeper knowledge of their craft.”

However, that’s not to say that the Japanese music industry doesn’t see artists leaving their companies due to complications or differences in opinion. Although the majority of artists leave a company because they couldn’t attain as much popularity as they wanted, there are also many cases where the celebrities earn even more fame for leaving a company, like ex-idol actor Masahiro Motoki (2009 Academy Award winner for Okuribio). For JYJ’s case, however, this is the first time a group has been blocked from public music programs by the force of their powerful ex-agency for fleeing the company.

Netizens made comments such as, “The principle of someone becoming a betrayer just because they left after been taken care of doesn’t many any sense. The agency is blocking their activities and making a hindrance… Was it even right for them to take care of them in the first place. I’m a bit skeptical, but they definitely should give back the amount they’ve grown and give them the right of choice” and “I believe there is a lot to learn from these foreign cases.”

Credits: allkpop

Performance lineup for ‘MTV Daum Music Fest’ to be decided by netizens

With the upcoming ‘MTV Daum Music Fest’ drawing near, it was recently revealed that the singers who will stand on stage to perform will be entirely in the hands of the netizens.

MTV and Daum Communication will be holding a poll from January 25th till February 8th on their respective home pages, where netizens will be able to pick their favorite artists for the festival’s lineup. The artists have been divided into a total of ten categories to match the concept of the concert, some of which include, “Dynamic”, “Sexy”, and “Trendy“.

From red carpets to the main show, the festival is currently in the works to bring out a variety of performances and large stages to match with the global festival. To further the festivities of Asian music, MTV will be broadcasting performances live from nine countries, including Japan, China, and Taiwan.

“Having the performance lineup be directly decided by the netizens, along with the fact that our representative Hallyu singers will be introduced through broadcast in other countries, we believe this will be a meaningful concert. MTV Korea will continue to take the lead role in exposing our culture and Hallyu music to the world with these colorful music festivals,” stated MTV production director Kim Chang Woo.

The ‘MTV Daum Music Fest’ will take place on February 19th at 8 PM at the Korea University Gymnasium in Seoul.

Credits: allkpo