Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ Gets Stage Adaptation by Royal Shakespeare Company

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentJapan’s Tokyo Broadcasting System network is partnering with Naver Webtoon, South Korea’s leading digital comics platform, and Tokyo-based manga production house Shine Partners to launch a new webtoon company. Called Studio TooN and based in South Korea, the joint venture will plan and make webtoons with Japanese and Korean creators for the global market. One of TBS’s aim in launching the company, its first such venture in Korea, is to produce TV dramas, anime and other content from the webtoons.  Studio TooN will begin operations in June of this year with Shine Partners president Keita Iwamoto serving as CEO.     “When webtoon works are visualized, there is a synergy effect as the number of readers increases,” said Naver Webtoon CEO Kim Junkoo.

Japanese Breakfast is set to make her Saturday Night Live debut next week, appearing as the musical guest on the show’s season 47 finale.The singer-songwriter, aka Michelle Zauner, released new album ‘Jubilee’ last year, will appear on the May 21 edition of the long-running show, with Russian Doll and Orange Is The New Black star Natasha Lyonne on board to host.“Help!!!!!!!!” Japanese Breakfast simply wrote on Twitter to announce her performance. Last month in an interview backstage at Coachella, Zauner told NME: “This year is about enjoying myself.

Selome Hailu Natasha Lyonne is set to host the season finale of “Saturday Night Live” on May 21 with Japanese Breakfast performing as the musical guest.The episode will mark the “Saturday Night Live” debut for Lyonne, who is the co-creator, executive producer, director and star of the comedy-drama series “Russian Doll,” which debuted its second season on Netflix on April 20. Season 1 follows Nadia (Lyonne) as she mysteriously finds herself stuck in a time loop and must find her way out with the help of a stranger named Alan (Charlie Barnett) who she realizes in the same situation.

Sorry, Pete Davidson! You’re not the only one honoring their love in permanent ink these days!

Nintendo’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa, has confirmed in a recent Japanese investor Q&A that the slightly controversial Nintendo Switch Online service would continue to expand its content offerings throughout the year.The Q&A was transcribed by VGC, where Furukawa states, “the total subscribers of Nintendo Switch Online has not been updated from the 32 million subscribers we disclosed last September, but it is gradually increasing as the sales of Nintendo Switches increases.”Furukawa continues; “of course, there are customers who allow their subscribership to expire, and then they don’t renew, so we believe it is important to continue releasing software that allows players to continue enjoying, not only online play, but also enhances their overall experience.” He concluded his statement by confirming “we will continue to expand our services and create new content for our customers throughout this year.”When questioned about more expansions and DLC being added, Nintendo’s president is reluctant to give a straight answer, claiming, “we will continue to consider the convenience for our customers as well as how well it would tie in with individual software. We will provide the best possible solution for each title.”The content mentioned remains unspecified, but there are a few possibilities.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has admitted the company is concerned about moving on from the Nintendo Switch.It comes after the Wii sold over 100 million units while its followup, the WiiU, managed just 13.5 million. Similarly the Nintendo DS shifted 154 million units while the 3DS sold under half of that.Speaking during a Japanese investor call (and translated by VGC), Furukawa responded to a question about the future of the Switch.“We have already announced a portion of our software roadmap releasing up to next spring.

LE SSERAFIM’s Kim Chae-won has opened up about reuniting with former IZ*ONE bandmate Miyawaki Sakura for the new girl group.In a new interview with Weverse Magazine, Kim spoke about joining Source Music as a member of LE SSERAFIM and working with fellow ex-IZ*ONE bandmate Sakura again. She revealed that the pair had not been particularly close during their time in IZ*ONE, adding that it was “amazing” how they got to know each other after moving to the new agency.Back in 2018, Kim had joined the Mnet reality TV competition Produce 48 as trainee under Woollim Entertainment, while Sakura participated as a member of Japanese girl group HKT48.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have announced details of two upcoming gigs in New York and L.A. as well as confirming new music is due in the fall.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorEarly 21 st century New York rockers the Yeah Yeah Yeahs — singer Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Jay Chase — have announced new music and tour dates in the summer and fall. The group, which recently signed with indie powerhouse Secretly Canadian, say they will have new music in the fall.The group will play a brace of dates in Europe and Australia in the summer before hitting North America, with dates at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium and the Hollywood Bowl in October, where they will be joined by high school punk rockers the Linda Lindas on both dates and (in Los Angeles) by Japanese Breakfast.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs appear to have shared a snippet of new music while announcing headline shows in New York and Los Angeles.After teasing the gigs over the weekend, the Karen O-led trio have confirmed they’ll take to the stage at NYC’s Forest Hills Stadium on October 1 before visiting the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California on October 6.The Linda Lindas will open for the band on both dates, with Japanese Breakfast also appearing as a special guest in LA. An additional support act for the New York concert is still to be announced.It’ll mark the first time be the first time Yeah Yeah Yeahs have played headline shows in New York and Los Angeles since 2017 and 2018 respectively.Tickets go on general sale at 10am local time this Friday (May 6) – buy yours here.

Manori Ravindran International EditorA four-part documentary series from “Tindler Swindler” producers AGC Television will delve into the world of renowned chef and hotelier Nobu Matsuhisa.Titled “Nobu,” the series is co-produced with Gianni Nunnari’s Hollywood Gang and Altimeter, and is in pre-production. It will be directed by documentarian Matt Tyrnauer (“Valentino: The Last Emperor,” “Studio 54”).Matsuhisa is a pioneering restauranteur and businessman with 47 restaurants and 27 hotels bearing the ‘Nobu’ name.

Download Festival Japan has revealed the first wave of artists for its 2022 line-up, led by Dream Theater and Bullet For My Valentine.They will be joined by Mastodon, Steel Panther, At The Gates and The Halo Effect on August 14 at the Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Center in Chiba, with more acts yet to be announced.This will mark the first edition of Download Japan since it debuted in the country in 2019. View the announcement below.A post shared by Download Festival Japan (@downloadfestjp)Ticket prices have also been announced for the festival, with general ticket prices set at 18,000 yen and VIP tickets at 35,000 yen.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefPeter Luo’s Stars Collective has optioned the rights to acclaimed Chinese novelist and screenwriter Tong Hua’s best-selling sci-fi fantasy novel series “The Memory Lost in Space” and will adapt the story into both an English language television series and feature film.A story told over four book installments, the first of which debuted in 2017, “The Memory Lost in Space” is set in the distant future, with humans forced into an exodus to the edge of the galaxy after the depletion and destruction of Earth’s energy and habitat. Humans resort to genetic modification to stay strong but this creates new diseases and conflict between pure-breeds and those modified.

Netflix has signed a multi-picture partnership with Japan’s Studio Colorido, including the previously-announced feature Drifting Home, which will debut on the service September 16.

Famed Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi has partnered with the U.K.’s Royal Shakespeare Company to create a stage version of Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 hand-drawn classic My Neighbour Totoro, a beloved film that follows the adventures of two young sisters who move from Tokyo city to the countryside.