Previously linked with Matsumoto Jun, Kimura Ryo, baseball player Saito Yuki, Miyao Shuntarou and Yamashita Tomohisa, Kitagawa Keiko is currently rumoured to be dating actor Hosoda Yoshihiko, one year her junior. Both actors belong to the same management company and had roles in last season's TBS drama, LADY ~ Saigo no Hanzai Profile.
The latest edition of Josei Seven reports that both actors went out for a meal together at a popular yakiniku restaurant before returning to Kitagawa's apartment for the night. According to eyewitness accounts, the actors were joined by Hosoda's friends, who he introduced to Kitagawa. It seemed like he was the one who made the reservation at the restaurant, as he was attentive in ordering food for the group.
Their management company says that it's not uncommon for actors to go out for meals together, but insists they are not dating. The company also clarified that Kitagawa had friends over at her house that night and there were four of them altogether. However, Hosoda did not leave Kitagawa's apartment till 11:30 p.m. the following day. In other words, he was over there for 24 hours. Josei Seven has taken the opportunity to label Kitagawa as a nikushoku joshi (carnivore women).
Kitagawa Keiko Rumoured to be Dating Hosoda Yoshihiko
Excerpt from: Infoseek
Translated by: sparkles_n15 @ asianfanatics.net
Keiko Kitagawa (24) is set to star in a new drama series on TBS, which will be her first time as the sole lead in a prime time show. The drama is tentatively titled "LADY ~Saigo no Profiling~" and will feature Kitagawa as a former FBI agent.
"LADY" focuses on a team of profilers in the CPS, a fictional police division that deals with analyzing criminal behavior. Kitagawa plays the part of Shoko, a gifted profiler who returns to Japan after working with the FBI in the United States. Her character is described as a "crime maniac," as she is overly knowledgeable about past crimes, while also being unskilled in matters of romance.
Tae Kimura (39) will play the chief profiler in the CPS, and other profilers will be played by Yuta Hiraoka (26), Jun Kaname (29), and Risa Sudo (34). Yusuke Santamaria (39) has been cast as a police detective, while Yukiyoshi Ozawa (36) plays another detective who is always at odds with the CPS.
As this is a new kind of role for Kitagawa, she has reportedly been preparing by watching the American drama "Criminal Minds" and reading books on profiling.
Each episode is said to be one complete case. The show will air on Fridays at 10:00pm, starting in January 2011.
tokyograph
Actress Keiko Kitagawa, 23, takes on a serious role when she plays a woman who loses her boyfriend in a car accident in the melodrama “Matataki.” Traumatized by the event, she becomes unable to recall memories of their final moments together. The film, which opens on June 19, is based on the novel by Ren Kawahara.
Kitagawa and co-star Masaki Okada, 23, were joined at the recent Japan premiere by 120 fans invited to attend via the social networking site Twitter. Kitagawa—who said that she lost many friends her age in the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake—told the audience that the message of the film is that “we should make every moment of our life count because it can be lost in an instant.”
The busy Kitagawa can also be currently seen in the Fuji TV drama “Tsuki no Koibito - Moon Lovers.”
Japan Today
Okada Masaki and Kitagawa Keiko made an appearance in Tokyo on Wednesday to promote their new film Matataki. There were 5,000 fans in attendance at the event. The two lead actors were asked to write down their pledges of love on heart-shaped cards to wish for box office success. However, on Okada's card he wrote, "I promise to overcome my fear of bugs", which caused the entire audience to laugh.
As for the film Kokuhaku, which pairs Okada alongside actress Matsu Takako, it has earned over 200 million yen the past two days at the box office, successfully clinching the top spot.
Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: sparkles_n15 @ asianfanatics.net
(Gossip) This spring Fuji TV is going to air the new dorama "Tsuki no Koibito" starring Kimura Takuya (37) Mondays at 9pm. At his side he is going to have three big actresses, Lin Chi-ling (35), Shinohara Ryoko (36) and Kitagawa Keiko (23). Lin is going to make her first appearance in a Japanese dorama and also helps Kimura to raise his popularity in Asia outside of Japan. Shinohara is making her big comeback to the dorama world and what would be better than a dorama with Kimura.
Now what about Kitagawa? There doesn't seem to be any particular reason for her to be in this dorama, especially not just as the third actress. The tabloid Shukan Bunshun, however, claims that her casting might be the aftermath of Sawajiri Erika's sudden discharge from her agency last year.
A media insider explained the situation: "Kitagawa has been in the talks for a starring role in a Fuji TV dorama this spring, but suddenly it was decided for her to appear in a supporting role next to Kimutaku. Her popularity is already high enough and she doesn't have to rely on someone like him to get good ratings, yet she has been casted as just the third actress in line for this dorama. She is said to be very dissatisfied with this decision."
Kimura and his staff usually are able to choose their favorite cast for his projects, but this time there might have been more bargaining going on than usual.
"It isn't just Kimutaku who does the casting, the relationship between his and other agencies have a big influence on the decisions as well. Johnny's are known for being very close with Stardust Promotions, that's why he already had actresses like Takeuchi Yuuko or Shibasaki Kou acting at his side. Kitagawa is from the same agency, but that's no reason to miss out a starring role for her just to get her in a Kimutaku dorama…," an industry official told the tabloid.
It might have all started with the casting for Kimura's "Space Battleship Yamato" last year. His side only made an unofficial offer, but it was obvious that they wanted Stardust's Sawajiri for the female lead. Unfortunately they decided to terminate her contract for all the trouble she has caused them and so he hurriedly had to choose Kuroki Meisa as her substitute.
"Everything would have worked out for Kimura Takuya with Sawajiri Erika at his side. The fact that her agency made a one-sided decision without caring about his project, they've allowed to become indebted to him. The two agencies might be close with each other, but it's an unwritten rule in the industry that you have to clear your debts. The result is that they had to pay it back by having their most popular young actress, Kitagawa Keiko perform in his new dorama no matter what big of a role," another industry official explained.
Do you think it is a waste for Kitagawa to be the third in line in a Kimutaku dorama or might she still gain something from his never-ceasing popularity?
kawaii-joyuu
Saito Rie’s best-seller “Hitsudan Hostess” (Hostess who communicates in writing) about a how she became the No.1 hostess in whole Ginza despite her handicap of not being able to hear anything will be turned into a dorama by TBS. It will start airing in January and feature actress Kitagawa Keiko in the starring role. This might be Kitagawa’s most difficult so far, after all she has to play a character with hardly any spoken lines. However, she is said to have obtained amazing calligraphy skills in her childhood and now she finally has the chance to put them to use by portraying Saito’s interesting life so far.
The book only got released in May this year, but it already sold over 115,000 copies. Her life became a big topic in the publishing world and even already spawned a manga as well as another book related to her story. Born in Aomori, Saito lost her ability to hear at the age of 1. Her parents have been very strict and during junior high school she eventually became a juvenile delinquent and ran away from home several times. She started working in a local club and many customers were charmed by her unique way of communicating. Later she moved to a bigger club in Ginza, Tokyo and become one of the most popular hostesses in that area.
Kitagawa read the book as well and was very touched. “I’ll study everything about how you have to live as a deaf person, from your way of communicating, your facial expressions to all other kinds of habits. I’ll put my everything into this role.” During her childhood she made calligraphy and writing in general to one of her specialties. “I’m very familiar with expressing yourself through letters and the way you write them.” About being able to play as Saito very soon, she commented, “We are living in a world with really plenty of people, but there will always be someone who feels lonely. That’s the time we live in these days, so I’d like everyone who ever experienced such loneliness to watch this dorama.”
Tanaka Yoshiko will play the role of Saito’s mother.
88news.net
