Kou Shibasaki

Kou Shibasaki
柴咲 コウ
Birth name Yukie Yamamura (山村幸恵?)
Born August 5, 1981 (1981-08-05) (age 30)
Origin Toshima, Tokyo, Japan
Genres Japanese pop
Occupations Singer and actress
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1998–present
Labels Universal Music Group Japan
Associated acts Masaharu Fukuyama, galaxias![1]
Website Official Kou Shibasaki Universal Music site

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

Contents

Music career

Shibasaki made her debut in the music industry in 2002 with her first single Trust My Feelings, but she became recognized for her second single Tsuki no shizuku which was used for the movie Yomigaeri. The song was one of the most successful J-Pop hits of 2003. Her first album peaked at number 2 and spent 68 weeks on the Oricon charts. Her second album was considered to be a commercial disappointment, in comparison to her first album, lasting 9 weeks and reaching a peak position of #5.[2]

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 April 25, 2007, Shibasaki's third album Kiki♥ was released and went straight to number one. On August 3 and 5, Shibasaki held her first concerts - "Kou Shibasaki Premium Live" in Osaka and Tokyo. 2400 participants of the concert were selected from over 30,000 applicants for the tickets (which accompanied the KiKi album).

In April 2008, the singer released two greatest hits 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 (mainstream) music on her own, Kou Shibasaki writes the lyrics for most of her songs. Many of her singles have become theme songs for various films, dramas, and commercials. Her latest single "ラバソー~lover soul~" is the ending theme song for the live action drama Otomen.

She has two units: KOH+ (with Masaharu Fukuyama) and the recently formed galaxias! (with DECO*27 and TeddyLoid).[1]

Acting career

She was discovered at the age of 14 by an agent and has worked in numerous television shows, movies 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 the controversial 2000 film, Battle Royale, where she portrayed the cold-hearted and ruthless Mitsuko Souma; her acting career took off with this movie and also raised her international profile particularly in East Asia. Shibasaki also won acclaim for her role in 2001 film, Go, which earned her several awards, among which the Best Supporting Actress Award of Japanese Academy, the Hōchi Movie Award, the Kinema Junpō Award.

In 2002, Shibasaki took a supporting role as Yuki Mazashita in the television mystery drama, Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi, where she co-starred with Takuya Kimura earning her an award as "Best Supporting Actress" while the show was named Best Drama at the 33rd Television Drama Academy Awards (Japan). She also starred in both seasons of Fuji TV drama, Dr. Koto Shinryojo, which aired in 2003 and 2006 respectively. The show was awarded Best Drama at the 38th Television Drama Academy Awards for its first season. In 2003, she re-unites with her former co-star Takuya Kimura in a television drama about an airline pilot (Takuya Kimura) called Good Luck!!. The story revolves around an up-and-coming pilot, Hajime Shinkai and Kou plays his love-interest as an airline mechanic with a fear of flying.

She had also been slated to play the part of Yuki Yubari, the twin sister of Gogo Yubari, in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. She dropped out of the project due to commitments in Japan, and the character was eventually erased from the script altogether.

In 2005, Shibasaki appeared in the independent Japanese film, Maison de Himiko. In this film, she plays Saori, an unhappy young woman whose father is gay. In 2006, she took the title role in Dororo, working with Satoshi Tsumabuki (her co-star from the 2004 television drama, Orange Days). The film topped the Japanese box office for nearly six weeks. Shibasaki participated in two more movies, Maiko Haaaan!!! (2007) and Shaolin Girl (2008).

Shibasaki returned to television in 2007 in the dorama Galileo as the female lead co-starring with Masaharu Fukuyama. Highly rated among viewers (it finished its 10 episode run with an average viewership rating of 22%), the role continued her winning run in the medium when she won "Best Supporting Actress" at the 55th Television Drama Academy Awards. The show also won 5 other awards, including "Best Drama". It was followed by a film sequel, Suspect X, which was the 3rd best-selling film of 2008 in Japan.

In March 2011, it was announced that Shibasaki would make her "Hollywood debut" in a Keanu Reeves-led adaptation of the famous Chushingura story. A story of samurai loyalty and revenge and titled "47 Ronin," it is billed as the first ever English-language adaptation of the legend based on historical events in the early 18th century.[3]

CM

Junkisei (2002-2003)
Fasio (2002-2004)
Salon Style (2003-2005)
Esprique Select (2005-2006)
Lipyua (2002)
Freixenet (2006-2009)
Lipton Limone (2010-current)
Wo (2003)
Volvic Water(2005)
Let's Quiq! Pasta (2003)
Let's Quiq! Risotto (2004)
Pocky (2003-2005)
Mousse Pocky (2004)
Mousse Pocky Royal (2004-2005)
Posca (2008)
Colorio (2003)
Dreamio (2003-2005)
Offirio (2003-2006)
Corolla Run X (2004)
Prius (2010-current)

Selected filmography

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 Reiko Abe
2007 Dororo Dororo
2007 Maiko Haaaan!!! Fujiko Osawa
2008 Shaolin Girl Rin
2008 Suspect X Kaoru Utsumi
2010 Shokudo Katatsumuri Rinko
2010 Ōoku Tokugawa Yoshimune
2012 47 Ronin Mika

Television

Year Program Name Character Name
2000 Face ~ Mishiranu Koibito~ Mako Okuno
2001 Let's Go - Nagata-cho
2002 Yume no California Kotomi Oba
2002 Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi Yuki Mizashita
2003 Good Luck!! Ayumi Ogawa
2003 Dr. Koto Shinryoujo Ayaka Hoshino
2004 Orange Days Sae Hagio
2006 Dr. Koto Shinryoujo (second season) Ayaka Hoshino
2007 Galileo Detective Kaoru Utsumi
2010 Wagaya No Rekishi Yame Masako

Discography

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

Original albums

  1. Mitsu (?) – February 11, 2004 #2 (440,540 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. Love Paranoia – November 18, 2009 #2 (91,103 copies sold)

Compilation albums

  1. Single Best – March 12, 2008 #1 (558,523 copies sold)
  2. The Back Best – March 12, 2008 #3 (68,897 copies sold)
  3. Love & Ballad Selection – June 30, 2010 #9 (40,585 copies sold)

Singles

  1. "Trust My Feelings" – Released July 24, 2002
  2. "Tsuki no Shizuku" (月のしずく?) (as Rui) – January 15, 2003
  3. "Nemurenai Yoru wa Nemuranai Yume o" (眠レナイ夜ハ眠ラナイ夢ヲ?) – June 4, 2003
  4. "Omoide Dake de wa 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" (?) – 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 Masaharu Fukuyama) – November 21, 2007
  16. "Yoku Aru Hanashi (Mofuku no Onna Hen)" (よくある話~喪服の女編~?) – June 4, 2008
  17. "Saiai" (最愛?) (as Koh+) – October 1, 2008
  18. "Kimi no Koe" (digital single) – September 13, 2008
  19. "Taisetsu ni Suru yo" (大切にするよ?) – March 4, 2009
  20. "Lover Soul" (ラバソー~lover soul~?) – September 16, 2009 #3 (24,338 copies sold)
  21. "Honto Da yo" (ホントだよ?) – April 14, 2010
  22. "Euphoria" – November 10, 2010[5] (collaboration with Androp)

DVDs

  1. "Kou Shibasaki Single Clips" – February 11, 2004
  2. "Kou Shibasaki Invitation Live" – October 31, 2007
  3. "Live Tour 2008 -1st- DVD" November 26, 2008

References

External links