Softbank Mobile's TV commercial family, the Shiratos, now have a new member. Director Quentin Tarantino will play an uncle to actress Aya Ueto in the wacky "White Family" that appears in the mobile phone provider's TV commercials and posters.
Tarantino, 46, plays "Tara-chan," Ueto's Sakamoto Ryoma-loving uncle. The actress said of filming the commercial, which Tarantino did while he was in Japan last week to promote "Inglourious Basterds," that "he ad-libbed his whole samurai persona and was so enthusiastic. His energy was really surprising."
Ueto joked around about pestering her new-found uncle for a movie role. "He's a really kind director... maybe I'll ask him to make a Hollywood movie about the Shirato family."
In the ads, Ueto and American actor Dante Carver are siblings, while Kanako Higuchi is the mother and a white dog is the father of the family.
Meanwhile, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son used the occasion to announce that Softbank Mobile will add to its lineup its first phone using Google Inc's Android operating system in the spring. He added that the phone would feature an OLED screen.
© Wire reports
37 Comments
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blvtzpk
Tarantino the Uncle, huh? He'll be good as the spooky, weird, single uncle who wants you to sit on his lap. When you're 23.
spudman
gaijins in advertisements is cute but why does Softbank have a different buying scheme for non Japanese and non Korean descent zainichi? Softbank still sucks.
stirfry
i'll bet he's thrilled
pawatan
Whoa, Android phone? Cool, much better than an iPhone (I hope).
bilbobaggins
wow this random z list celeb black dude is defs gonna tell everyone "i worked with tarantino" for the rest of his life now.
thepro
Why would you not use a picture of Tarantino in this article?
Moderator: Because the commercial hasn't been finished yet.
flammenwerfer
how much did Tarantino accepted to sink to the Softbank level I wonder.
thomyorke
Tarantino used to live in Japan, and apparantly he was quite obsessed with anime/manga. Then he woke up one morning and said, "what the **** am I doing here?" and headed back to the States and being a famous director. So he indeed understands the vicissitudes of the gaijin life. I think he enjoys playing the samurai-loving, totally geeked out gaijin.
thepro
Never heard that before...
eigonosensei
"Why would you not use a picture of Tarantino in this article?"
Moderator: Because the commercial hasn't been finished yet.
The commercial doesn't need to be finished in order to show (any) photo of Tarantino.
Moderator: Well, then, since we already used a photo of him in the previous Entertainment story this morning (with Brad Pitt), we thought it would be better to use a different photo for this story.
PepinGalarga
i hope they bring the Moto Droid. Heard some great things about it.
pawatan
Oh, and Ms Ueto is looking charming in this photo as always. Is there anyone famous in Japan who's more naturally lovely?
Junnama
Kumi Koda or Ayumi Hamasaki?
farhaan
Softbank's TV commercials are one of the most stupid ads I have seen. I hate all these dog family CMs of softbank.
Legit
White Family.... hmmm
WilliB
I only like Kai (the dog).
Aizo Yurei
Junnama: "NATURALLY" lovely! Not shot in the brightest of light and caked with make-up or plastic surgery. Hamasaki looks like a surprised bird and Koda looks like a trashy alley girl.
Can't wait to see the commercial. I love the Softbank CM's!
Sarge
"I hate all these dog family CMs"
Everyone else loves 'em!
The Softbank CM with Brad Pitt lifting Musashimaru is a good one.
Yumiyoshi
the white dog should be Souichirou-san, as in Maison ikkoku..
gogogo
Foreigners think Japanese shows and CM's are really creative and funny but fail to realize that Japanese are actually trying to make serious shows and CM's
usaexpat
Note to Softbank "White Family" is a stupid name especially if it inlcudes foreign celbrities of other races (Dante Culver pictured above for instance) How about "Gaijin Family"
LFRAgain
Ummmmm... No.
The Softbank commercials are actually pretty creative and pretty funny. As they were intended to be. Adding Tarantino to the mix should make for an interesting twist.
chuckers
Dante Carver. The article has it misspelled as well in the 4th paragraph. Or, it did at the time of this writing.
GJDailleult
Myself, I think Japanese commercials are often creative and funny, and Japanese shows are (obviously) not. And I know a Japanese TV producer who has the same opinion.
PepinGalarga
Tarantino also directed? They didn't really specify. If he did, then i will be sure not to miss it. I hope it's something like Dusk to Dawn, but without the gore.
5SpeedRacer5
I guess everyone has a funny uncle.
almondjoy
I like the softbank CM's but most of the other crap is just annoying and retarded.
GJDailleult:
You haven't seen Maid Detective!!?? Come on now, Maid plus Detective epic example of creative possibilites.
but seriously people.... POCKY CM'S make me wanna break things
LFRAgain
Yeah, the Pocky commercials can be annoying. Personally, I have a special hatred reserved for those ridiculous Watering Kiss candy commercials with the young 20-something slobering all over herself while trying to talk tough with one of the aformentioned candies in her mouth.
dragonash81
I forgot tarantino is such a genius, hey maybe better than hitchcock?! don't people understand he has lifted everything,oh! and what was his new film?...a remake.It really annoys me that in Japan if america says something is cool then that's it japan media jumps on board in a weird shameful way. why can't they just stick using real talent like abe hiroshi.
eigonosensei
"Why would you not use a picture of Tarantino in this article?"
Moderator: Because the commercial hasn't been finished yet.
The commercial doesn't need to be finished in order to show (any) photo of Tarantino.
Moderator: Well, then, since we already used a photo of him in the previous Entertainment story this morning (with Brad Pitt), we thought it would be better to use a different photo for this story.
How about cut out the lower half of Ueto and Dante's photo and then have Tarantino's big smiling mug below theirs? Then you would have all three.
dragonash81
I lived in Japan for 8 years when every I see these kind of guys in ads & think what the hell have they got to do with anything?maybe they should use me drinking boss coffee in my pants cross eyed for a cm.I know ads are terrible anyway but no need to double the pain.
gogogo
LFRAgain: ummmmmm no, you obviously don't speak Japanese too well or have lived in Japan for any extended period of time.
LoveUSA
Dante is very nice in the photo, what a style.
LFRAgain
gogogo,
Hmmm... You must be right. My Japanese co-workers, Japanese students, and Japanese wife must all be simply wrong, and are mistakenly finding the Softbank White Family commercials to be amusing. I suppose the All Japan Radio and Television Commercial Federation was wrong, too, when it mistakenly found the commercials to be amusing enough to deserve the grand prize in last year's awards competition. Whew! Thanks for setting the record straight, gogogo.
(Now, how do we go about letting all these Japanese who seem to laugh out loud at these commercials to understand that their Japanese comprehension is just abysmal?)
seeker1
I think this series of commercials is great, but I wonder if Tarantino is Kai's brother, or his wife's brother. Should have used Brad Pitt as the black sheep cousin, the beard he's sporting now would be perfect.
LoveUSA
I prefer Dante than Brad Pitt cause Dante is more handsome and has a better dressing style.