Kou Shibasaki

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Kou Shibasaki
柴咲 コウ
Birth name Yukie Yamamura (山村幸恵?)[1] [2]
Born August 5, 1981 (1981-08-05) (age 26)
Origin Flag of Japan Toshima, Tokyo, Japan
Genre(s) Japanese pop
Occupation(s) Singer and actress
Instrument(s) Vocals
Years active 2000–present
Label(s) Universal Music Group Japan
Website Official Kou Shibasaki Universal Music site

Kou Shibasaki (柴咲 コウ Shibasaki Kō?), born on August 5, 1981 in Toshima, Tokyo, is a Japanese singer and actress.

Contents

[edit] Music Career

In 2002, she started her singer career with her first single Trust My Feelings, but her singing skills were first recognized with her second single Tsuki no shizuku (used for the movie Yomigaeri), which was one of the most successful J-Pop hits of 2003. Many of her singles have become theme songs for various films, dramas, and commercials.

Her highly anticipated second album turned out to be quite a flop compared to her first album. It lasted only 9 weeks and had a peak position of #5 while her first album earned a peak position of #2 and spent 68 weeks on the Oricon charts.[1] On the 25th of April 2007, Shibasaki's third album Kiki♥ was released and went straight to number one.

Shibasaki's first Christmas song, "Actuality", was released in December 2006. "At Home" was released later on February 21, 2007. Both failed to reach the top 10 on the Oricon charts. "Hito Koi Meguri", released on March 28, 2007, reached number 8 on the charts. It became her first single to reach the top 10 since "Invitation". On August 3rd and 5th, Kou Shibasaki held her first concerts - "Kou Shibasaki Premium Live" in Osaka and Tokyo. 2400 participants of the concert were selected from over 30,000 of the submitters of the tickets (which accompanied the KiKi album).

In April 2008, the singer released her first best albums, entitled The Single Best and The Back Best, each contained various tracks from the past. The Single Best topped the Oricon while The Back Best kept third, this broke Shibasaki's own record for it was her first time to reach top 1 on the weekly chart. In addition to that, she broke the record of Ayumi Hamasaki for maintaining both albums in top 3.

Though unable to compose music, Kou Shibasaki writes the lyrics for most of her songs.

[edit] Acting Career

She was discovered at fourteen by a star agent and worked in many TV shows and commercials. Her stage name is taken from the main character of Junko Kawakami's manga Golden Delicious Apple Sherbet.

She became famous outside Japan for her role in Battle Royale (2000), where she performed the cold-hearted Mitsuko Souma; her acting career took off with this movie, and now she is well known in East Asia.

Her performance in the movie Go earned her several awards, among which the Best Supporting Actress Award of Japanese Academy, the Hōchi Movie Award, the Kinema Junpō Award.

In 2005, Shibasaki appeared in the independent Japanese film, Mazon Do Himiko. In this film, she plays Saori, an unhappy young woman whose father is gay. Saori meets her father's boyfriend who urges her to come and meet her dying father at a place called Maison Do Himiko where several aging gay men live together. Still angry that her father abandoned her mother and her when she was young, Saori hesitates, but agrees on the condition she will be paid handsomely working as a maid. The film opened in various Asian markets earning critical acclaim.[citation needed]

In 2006, the young actress took the role as Dororo in the Japanese film, Dororo along with Satoshi Tsumabuki (her co-actor from the drama Orange Days). The film made a sensation in Japan, and topped the box office for nearly six weeks. Shibasaki participated in two more movies in 2007: Maiko Haaaan!!! and Shaolin Girl, scheduled to be screened in 2008.

Currently, Shibasaki is filming the Fuji television drama Detective Galileo, co-starring Masaharu Fukuyama.

[edit] Other Endeavors

Other than acting and singing, Shibasaki has advertised numerous products such as Epson printers, Glico Pocky's, Daihatsu vehicles, as well as Volvic mineral water from France.

[edit] Selected filmography

[edit] Movies

Year Film Name Character Name
2000 Battle Royale Mitsuko Souma
2001 Kakashi Izumi Miyamori
2001 Go Tsubaki Sakurai
2002 Soundtrack Misa
2003 Yomigaeri RUI
2004 Chakushin Ari Yumi Nakamura
2004 Sekai no Chūshin de, Ai wo Sakebu Ritsuko Fujimura
2005 Maison de Himiko Saori
2006 Hokuto no Ken: Raoh Gaiden Junai no Shō Reina
2006 Kenchō no Hoshi Aki Ninomiya
2006 Nihon Chinbotsu Akiko Abe
2007 Dororo Dororo
2007 Maiko Haaaan!!! Fujiko Osawa
2008 Shaolin Girl Rin
2008 Winter Kadee (Wife)
2008 Dororo II Dororo
2008 Yōgisya X no Kenshin Kaoru Utsumi

[edit] Television

Year Program Name Character Name
2000 Face ~ Mishiranu Koibito~ Mako Okuno
2002 Yume no California Kotomi Oba
2002 Good Luck!! Ayumi Ogawa
2003 Dr. Koto Shinryoujo Ayaka Hoshino
2004 Orange Days Sae Hagio
2004 Dr. Koto Shinryoujo Ayaka Hoshino
2006 Dr. Koto Shinryoujo 2006 Ayaka Hoshino
2007 Detective Galileo Kaoru Utsumi

[edit] Discography

Shibasaki's third studio album, "Kiki♥" released April 2007.
Shibasaki's third studio album, "Kiki♥" released April 2007.

Kou Shibasaki has sold over 4 million singles combined.[2]

[edit] Albums

  1. Mitsu (蜜?) – February 11, 2004 #2 (409,647 copies sold)
  2. Hitori Asobi (ひとりあそび?) – December 14, 2005 #4 (113,063 copies sold)
  3. Kiki♥ (嬉々♥?) – April 25, 2007 #3 (119,975 copies sold)
  4. "Single Best" – March 12, 2008 #1 (519,055 copies sold)
  5. "The Back Best" – March 12, 2008 #3 (67,879 copies sold)

[edit] Singles

  1. "Trust My Feelings" – July 24, 2002
  2. "Tsuki no Shizuku" (月のしずく?) (as Rui) – January 15, 2003
  3. "Nemurenai Yoru wa Nemuranai Yume wo" (眠レナイ夜ハ眠ラナイ夢ヲ?) – June 4, 2003
  4. "Omoide Dake dewa Tsurasugiru" (思い出だけではつらすぎる?) – September 3, 2003
  5. "Ikutsuka no Sora" (いくつかの空?) – January 14, 2004
  6. "Katachi Aru Mono" (かたちあるもの?) – August 11, 2004
  7. "Glitter" – February 16, 2005
  8. "Sweet Mom" – October 5, 2005
  9. "Kage" (影?) – February 15, 2006
  10. "Invitation" – August 9, 2006
  11. "Actuality" – December 6, 2006
  12. "At Home" – February 21, 2007
  13. "Hitokoi Meguri" (ひと恋めぐり?) – March 28, 2007
  14. "Prism" (プリズム?) – May 30, 2007
  15. "KISS Shite" (KISSして?) (as KOH+; collaboration with Fukuyama Masaharu) – November 21, 2007
  16. "Yoku Aru Hanashi - Mofuku no Onna Hen" (よくある話～喪服の女編～?) – June 4, 2008

[edit] DVD's

  1. "Kou Shibasaki Single Clips" – February 11, 2004
  2. "Kou Shibasaki Invitation Live" – October 31, 2007

[edit] References

  1. ^ The information regarding Kou Shibasaki's singing career sourced from Wiki.ThePPN
  2. ^ Japan Zone - Entertainment News from Japan: Meet the New Boss

[edit] External links