Entertainment
With high-tech glasses, Japanese ALS patient makes the beat go on
The music booms and lights flash as Masatane Muto, a wheelchair-bound disc jockey, uses is eyes to put on a show at a recent Tokyo music festival. Muto, who lost the use of his hands to Lou Gehrig's Disease, wears a pair of high-tech glasses connected to an app that… Read
Netflix says it will not join Apple TV service
Netflix Inc, the world's dominant streaming service, will not make its TV shows and movies available through Apple Inc's upcoming video offering, Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings said on Monday. "We prefer to let our customers watch our content on our service," Hastings told reporters at the company's offices in… Read
Horror manga master Junji Ito to publish first artbook; exhibition to be held in Tokyo
The acclaimed mangaka Junji Ito has carved out a place for himself in the hearts of horror fans both at home and abroad, based not only on the merits of his manga but also because his works, such as "Uzumaki" and "Tomie," have inspired live-action films and anime (the "Junji Ito Collection") and have… Read
Warner Bros chief Tsujihara steps down after reported affair with actress
Warner Bros. chief Kevin Tsujihara, one of the highest ranking Hollywood executives to be felled by sexual misconduct allegations, stepped down from the studio Monday following claims that he promised roles to an actress with whom he was having an affair. WarnerMedia chief executive John Stankey announced Tsujihara's exit as… Read
Japanese rock singer, actor Yuya Uchida dies at 79
Japanese rock singer and actor Yuya Uchida, who performed as an opening act for the Beatles' concerts in Tokyo in 1966, has died of pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital, his management office said Monday. He was 79. The native of Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, was regarded as a key figure… Read
Dick Dale, King of Surf Guitar, 'Miserlou' composer, is dead
Dick Dale, whose pounding, blaringly loud power-chord instrumentals on songs like "Miserlou" and "Let's Go Trippin'" earned him the title King of the Surf Guitar, has died at age 83. His former bassist Sam Bolle says Dick Dale passed away Saturday night. No other details were available. Dale liked to… Read
Japan's Netflix contender bets on youth-driven viral hits
On a Friday night at a downtown Tokyo television studio, 12 teen models with cutesy nicknames like Ayamin and Kyokyo are waiting nervously to find out who has won coveted spots on the cover of Popteen magazine, a Japanese fashion bible. The girls, sporting a range of trendy styles, are… Read
Otaku nearing death can have anime collections appraised by Japanese company before they pass on
Otaku are, by nature, collectors. All of those Blu-ray box sets, limited edition figures, and event-exclusive pieces of merchandise are specifically designed to be things they’ll open their wallets for because they want them on their shelves forever. But sadly, while anime may be a lifelong passion for hardcore fans, life itself… Read
In movies and TV, plus-size actresses finally assume leading roles
Long relegated to providing comic relief or playing supporting parts, plus-size actresses are finally getting their due with juicy front-and-center roles in a sign of shifting attitudes towards diverse body types. New Hulu series "Shrill," which debuted Friday and is adapted from the best-selling autobiography of Lindy West, is the… Read
Riding the wave: Surfers grow up in touching documentary
The day surfing lost one of its most beloved rabble-rousers was the day it rediscovered its soul. That's one of the many takeaways from "Momentum Generation," a beautifully melancholy documentary that is, at its core, about surfers, but speaks every bit as fluently about friendship, loyalty and the price people… Read
