What's New in V6?
1/13/2004
Back number news

Johnnys Fan Kanshasai chooses V6's Okada as MVP!  (10/13/2003)
About 55,000 fans gathered at Tokyo Dome this weekend for "Johnnys Fan Kanshasai 2003" (Johnny's Fan Appreciation Festival) held by the the male idols producing 
organization, composed of Tokio, Kinki Kids, V6, Arashi, Takky & Tsubasa, KAT-TUN, the new group NewS, and other Johnny's Jrs. About 750,000 of the fans in the fan club sent in their request to join the event, but only 55,000 lucky fans were selected at random. In the "Kansha Festival" 106 of the members were divided into "J-Red" and "J-White" playing baseball, relays, mini-soccer and other sports. As the most active player in the mini soccer event, V6's Okada Junichi (22) received the MVP. In the first round of the mini soccer, V6's Morita Go (24) lead the White A team to win with a score of 4-3. In the second round, V6's Okada Junichi (22) lead his Red B team to win the game with a score of 2-1, breaking the goal point. Okada commented, "Last year, I didn't win anything, so I'm trying my best this year. This is my 8th time having been out in this sports festival, but I am really happy to receive the MVP for the first time." The entire 6 hours event is composed of 3 parts. The first part is show time. The second part is made up of the Sports event and show time. The first opening is lead by Takky & Tsubasa with their songs followed by KAT-TUN "harukana yakusoku" and NewS's debut song "NEWS Nippon". The second part of the show time is held by Arashi, Tokio, V6, Kinki Kids' live. The last part is the finale where all members of J-Friends sang "ashita ga kikoeru". http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200310/gt2003101310.html 

V6's Okada's first movie  (10/9/2003)
V6's Okada Junichi's (22) first solo leading movie "Kisarazu Cat's Eye Japan series" (directed by Kaneko Fuminori) was presented during a product completion preview event at Shibuya Cinema Rise. Last year, the drama was broadcasted on TV with the story describing a young man's notification that his life would only last for half a year (starring Okada). Other casts include Arashi's Sakurai Sho (21), one of the 5 members of their baseball gang and the heroine, Sakai Wakana (23). Okada said, "they used CGs in the movie, so it's more scale-up than the drama." Sakurai also commented on the teary emotion of the staff when they saw the preview. The movie will start showing on 11-1 in Chiba's Kisarazu Toei, and then it will be publicly shown starting 11-15.   http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200310/gt2003100912.html 

V6's "Hard Luck Hero" pilot preview session  (9/29/2003)
Popular group V6's first leading movie "Hard Luck Hero" (directed by SABU) held a preview event in 5 major cities in Japan with about 10,000 people attended the previews. The 6 members showed up at the preview event in Tokyo. It was announced that the movie has been chosen to be the special invitation movie selected at the Tokyo International Film Festival (starts 11-1). The same movie will officially be selected to enter the Kamayama International Film Festival on 10-2. The preview event in Tokyo is held at the Showa Jyoushi University. About 4000 people were invited to view the preview in a 250 meters room, while 6000 people were invited but not be able to view the film. Members arrived in two open car while passing by lots of shouts and screams welcoming them. The movie will be released as video and DVD on 11-27. Member Inohara Yoshihiko (27) promoted, "there will be times when you don't get what's going on after watching 2 or 3 times, you can get the DVD and watch the details to make sure." Member Okada Junichi (22) said, "there are many "running scenes" in director SABU's flim and car actions, so please take a look at those." 
http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200309/gt2003092911.html 

Morita Go act in "Machine nikki"  (8/5/2003)
V6's Morita Go (24) is currently leading in the drama "Machine nikki", which is a play written by a popular theatrical writer Matsuo Suzuki being dramatized.  The story involves love and hatred between brothers and husband/wife. When rehearsal ended, Morita commented, "in my whole life as an actor, this role is the hardest to play." http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200308/gt2003080506.html 

V6's first leading movie showing 9-28 only (7/28/2003)
Popular group V6's first leading movie "Hard Luck Hero" (directed by SABU) will have a premier show shown at the same time on 9-28 in 5 major cities 
in the country. These ciites include Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka. They will also invite their 10,000 randomly selected customers 
who bought their new album "oo Infinity~Love & Life~" (on sale 8-6) to the show. The content of the movie is extremely secretive. Some clips were 
inserted in V6's 5-28 released single "Darling" PV as well as in the 7-2 released single "Cosmic Rescue/tsuyokunare" PV. Members Nagano Hiroshi 
(30) and Morita Go (24) both promoted the movie as a product that is humorous with speed and action. The story is set in a kick boxing arena where the 
heat of the enthusiasms reached to its highest peak. When the bell rang, Inohara Yoshihiko and Okada Junichi appeared in the ring. Sakamoto Masayuki 
and Nagano Hiroshi were along the sides of some Yakuza gang members. Then, bullets would exchange in the air while punches were also exchanged among 
the crowd. The six men escaped by three cars with "hard luck". http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200307/gt2003072809.html 

V6's Okada's first leading movie "What a thing to say about this movie!"  (7/15/2003)
On 7-14, V6's member Okada Junichi's (22) cranked up his first movie in Kisarazu City, Chiba for his first leading movie "Kisarazu Cat's Eye Japan Series" (opens this Fall, directed by Kaneko Fuminori). Last year from January to March, the TV drama series showed the drama and because of its good rating, it was made into a movie. The story is about the main character (played by Okada Junichi) who among his fellow baseball team members, contracted an illness and was reported to have only half a year to live. The movie cranked in in the middle of June, which was supposed to be a bad season because of weather conditions. However, the rain stopped for them and the staff were all together in one spirit, so they finished the movie on time.  Supporting cast Sakurai Sho of Arashi (21) was disappointed that the movie finished one month earlier than scheduled because he wanted to shoot more. On the other hand, Okada confidently said, "I have a feeling that this is a movie that you have no doubt about it."  http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200307/gt2003071520.html 

Coming Century's SF movie "enters the world" at convention  (7/9/2003)
Popular group V6's Morita Go, Miyake Ken, and Okada Junichi (Coming Century) will be leading in their first movie "Cosmic Rescue", and they attended the product completion premier to announce that their movie will be "exposed to the world". The movie has been selected to enter the Canada Toronto Film Festival on 9-4-2003. As a SF, this is the first Japanese film created using outerspace as the theme. Although the movie is mostly created using CGs, Coming Century members thought confidently that even the Japanese could do this. Member Miyake Ken thought, "my dream is to enter the Hollywood, so it would be nice if we can use this chance to enter the U.S." At the premier, other V6 members also visited their younger "brothers" and they all sang the movie's theme song, "Cosmic Rescue". About 250 fans were there.  The movie will be shown at Shinagawa Prince Hotel's IMAX theatre in Tokyo.   http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200307/gt2003070914.html 

V6's "Cosmic Rescue" wins #1 on Oricon for their 13th single  (7/8/2003)
Pop group, V6's "Cosmic Rescue" ranked #1 for the first time on the Oricon Singles Chart. This is their 13th single to ever rank #1 on the Oricon Chart.
http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200307/gt2003070809.html 

V6's Sakamoto and former Hikaru Genji's Akasaka perform together  (6/30/2003)
Popular groups' members, V6's Sakamoto Masayuki (31) and former Hikaru Genji's Akasaka Akira (30) will be performing together for the first time in a musical "Blood Brothers" starting 10-4 at Tokyo's Aoyama Theatre. This tragic story is about a set of twin brothers "Mickey" (Sakamoto) and Eddy (Akasaka) who were separated. The older brother was raised in a poor family while the younger brother was raised by an affluent family. The same story was first played in England in 1983 and it has since been a long hit. It is also a popular story shown in Broadway of New York, Germany, and Australia.In June, Sakamoto personally visited London to check out the environment there. Other casts include Shinohara Tomoe, Maeda Minari?, Shimada Kae?, and others.   http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200306/gt2003063013.html 

V6's Okada feels "exhausted" from leading movie  (6/24/2003)
V6's member Okada Junichi (22) attended a production announcement at Chiba's Kisarazu City's hotel for his first solo leading movie "Kisarazu Cat's Eye Series", which opens this Fall. Okada said, "I feel half way exhausted from time to time for this whole new movie". The movie is derived from a TV drama series in January 2002. The drama's average rating from viewers was 10.1%. In addition, the 5 DVD-set box sold over 25,000 sets in sale. Other than Okada, other casts include Arashi's Sakurai Sho (21), Okada Yoshitoku (26), Sato Ryuta (23), Tsukamoto Takashi (20) and others. The boys act as a mysterious group of thieves known as Cat's Eye. Similar to the drama, the movie will star Okada as the main hero in their former high school's baseball team who was announced to only have half a year to live.  http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200306/gt2003062418.html

Tonisen's national tour sings solo  (6/6/2003)
Popular group V6's subunit, 20th Century (aka "Tonisen") consists of Sakamoto Masayuki (31), Nagano Hiroshi (30), and Inohara Yoshihiko (27) conducted their national tour in Tokyo at Shibuya's NHK Hall since two years. Each member sang their own solo song where Inohara sang "Taro The Third!!", Sakamoto sang "gurume wa meguru", and Nagano sang "I'm so happy and High!" Inohara wrote and composed all three songs, so for Nagano and Sakamoto, they call Inohara their "teacher." Inohara shyly laughed and joked, "I'm at the same level as Tsunku". Other than the three solos, they also sang their new song "chigireta tsubasa" (no release date set) totaling 15 songs. In addition, starting on 8-14, all members of V6 will start their 16 shows in 12 days at Yoyogi Kokuritsu Competition Gym No.1, where their total production fee reached 1.5 billion yen. http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200306/gt2003060617.html

V6's Okada Junichi's first time playing the musical with Ootake Shinobu  (6/4/2003)
V6's Okada Junichi (22) will be in a stage show for the first time with actress Ootake Shinobu (45) called "Electra", according to a production 
announcement at Shibuya's Bunkamura, Tokyo. The story is a Greek tragedy where a pair of siblings (older sister and younger brother) planned a revenge on the assasin's mother for their assassinated father. As part of their plan, they will act as incest. Ootake as the sister "Electra" said, "Although our age makes us more of like a parent to a child, but on the advertisement paper, I was surprised that we look like brother and sister." Okada as the younger brother "Olestes" said, "I've like you ever since before".  Ootake replied, "it's all lies!" The play will be playing in Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon from 9/6~30. Picture of V6's Okada (not shown due to copyright) and Ootake Shinobu: http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200306/gt2003060313.html, http://www.nikkansports.com/ns/entertainment/f-et-tp0-030602-0017.html 

V6, summer lives production cost will be at least 1.5 billion yen  (6/1/2003)
Pop male idol group, V6 will start their summer tour beginning on 8-14 at Tokyo's Kokuritsu Yoyogi Competition First Gym, and they will perform 16 concerts within 12 days. This time, they plan to set up two main stages, which is the first time in history for such to be tried. The cost is at least 1.5 billion yen in production but more closer to 2 billion yen.  Last summer, they performed 11 concerts within 8 days at Yoyogi. This year, they plan to set up "V Program" and "VV Program" as their two patters for the concert. They will interactively start the concert. One setting will look like a near future Earth, and the other one will be a planet going towards its future. A city is set in the middle of a desert while seeing Earth bounded by the gravitational forces within the space. There will also be a waterfall set up as well. The main theme of the story is based on "love" and the "preciousness of life". The theme songs for the general concert will be arranged by Inohara Yoshihiko (27). In the middle there will be a hint, and then the last will contain a shocking content. Together with the two programs, each concert will last over 4 hours. This year, 
the concert tour is a bit different in that they only have this at Yoyogi.  In addition, fans will be selected to be involved in the concert. Members said that they want to get closer to their fans. Leader Sakamoto (31) said, "This year's hot summer is finally here in Tokyo! This time, we are doing a concert which consists of two different settings and story for the first time. The fun above will be more than ever before, please anticipate it. Let's spend the best summer ever!" Member Miyake Ken (23) commented, "You'll get a totally different and interesting taste (to these concerts) because there are two patterns. We're excited to find out which stage are we (members) going to be on. We're going to have to put forth all our strength and power up at the concert. For sure, I hope everyone will enjoy it as well." 
http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200306/gt2003060202.html

Coming Century's first movie, stage set in space--a sci-fi work  (5/22/2003)
Coming Century is charging into the space!! V6's younger team Coming Century (Kamisen) attended a production announcement event for their first movie "Cosmic Rescue" (directed by Sato Nobusuke) on 5-21. The stage of the story is set in space, the first sci-fi movie in Japan. In addition, all Kamisen members, Morita Go (24), Miyake Ken (23), Okada Junichi (22) will be wearing space suits that cost 1 million yen each. Being in a sci-fi movie for the first time, all three expressed that they are "shocked." Miyake loves sci-fi movies, so he was really happy to be in the movie. With confidence, Morita said that the climax of the movie is the explosion scene, so hopefully (you'll) pay attention to that. Another challenge that faces the three are the wires. Morita said that when he was wearing the helmet, it makes him very hot. He must bring the fan along. Okada on the other hand does not seem be bothered by the wire. Okada said, "it's different from the acrobats done on stage. But, we often have to be hung by the wire during concerts, so we're already used to it." The offiical opening date for the movie is 7-11 at Shinagawa IMAX Theatre, then starting 8-15 in Osaka's Festival Recital Hall. The theme song will be V6's "Cosmic Rescue".  http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200305/gt2003052204.html

*  All the information provided above are either from other links, magazines, mailing list, TV shows, and my friends.