Hara shares hardships of Jiyoung

KARA‘s Hara recently talked about the hardships of being a celebrity and also shared her appreciation for Jiyoung, the group’s youngest member, who joined KARA when she was only 15.

On Star Interview, Hara shared, “It’s a time when you shouldn't know much and just laugh and hang out with friends, but Jiyoung started her career as a celebrity at that age.”

She continued, “Even when you’re having a hard time, you can’t express it and have to force yourself to like it. And I also debuted when I was 18 years old and went through a lot of hate comments. But Jiyoung had to experience that at an even earlier age. So whenever I see her, I just feel sorry for her and I’m also thankful that she came this far.”

In addition, Hara thought for a bit after being asked of her thoughts about the group's five year exixtence. Then she answered,“Entertainment shows are hard. I think I have no choice but to stick it out, with a hard-core spirit.”

Leeteuk finally cuts his hair short

Super Junior‘s Leeteuk had hinted that he had cut his hair on the 27th with his tweet, and he has finally been spotted with his newly cut hair. He recently tweeted, “My look wasn’t just based on my hair… It wasn’t.. kekekekekekekekekeke", and fans guessed that he was either satisfied with his new cut or was telling himself to be satisfied with it.

Photos of his hair hadn't been seen, leaving fans curious of how he looked with his new army cut. The leader of Super Junior was finally seen with his new hair, and fans were relieved to see that his short hair wasn't nearly as bad as they might have expected.

In fact, Leeteuk seemed to have left the top of his hair a little longer than the traditional buzz cut, leaving fans to wonder if he was taking the transformation in steps.

ALLKPOP

Show and Rainie's dating rumors resurface

They were once said to be lovers when they filmed Taiwanese idol series Hi My Sweetheart in 2010. Dating rumours between Show Luo and Rainie Yang made headlines once again after the two Taiwanese artists shot a commercial together.

Said to be in a four-month-long relationship, rumour sparks flew between the two again when they played a couple for the commercial shoot. According to reports, the couple displayed no sign of awkwardness and readily hammed it up for the cameras when the director requested for them to be affectionate. Sources revealed the two singers-actors decided to keep their relationship under wraps and away from the media eye due to their "idol" status.

After Show and Rainie's turn as an adorable couple in Hi My Sweetheart, they were suspected to be a real-life couple due to their good onscreen and off-camera chemistry. Seen as a publicity stunt by some fans, reps from both artistes denied the claims and emphasized that they are very close friends. Rainie and Show were romantically linked with different partners a couple of months later.

Netizens commented “I ship them so much”, “It is just a beautiful rumor”, “Perhaps they are really just good friends”, etc.

Asian Fanatics

Sandara misses Philippines

2ne1's dorky member Sandara Park recently updated her me2day account and shared, "I remember three years ago when we were filming 2ne1 tv in the Philippines. It's already been that long? We went jet skiing in Subic. I can remember those moments, I was cautious but now I’m ready to exercise.”

The eldest beauty also attached the photos below, showing her usual dork self dancing to their hit songs Fire and I am Best.

Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati are in a relationship

Richard Gutierrez has reportedly said it: he and Sarah Lahbati are in a relationship. The admission came via his recent interview with PEP, though the heartthrob idol begged off from divulging how long they've been officially together. He did relate that their romance bloomed on the set of the defunct drama series Makapiling Kang Muli, as rumors had it.

Some may find Richard's openness on his relationship with Sarah quite refreshing, as he had preferred to keep his love life in the past private. The 28-year-old TV host-actor shared “It's good to be open. Now I can be fully happy."

He has apparently met a good match in Sarah, whom he finds kind and very sweet. Her outgoing personality as well as their similarities have also endeared the 19-year-old Filipino-Moroccan actress to him. "It feels so comfortable with her. We enjoy. We can travel, we can walk. We can do whatever together," he said.

Speaking of travel, Richard said his 12-day European vacation became all the more memorable because he was with Sarah. One of the places they toured was Geneva, Switzerland, where the latter was born. Prior to his confirmation, he and Sarah let their respective Instagram posts express their affection for each other. Their movie project, The Affair, will apparently allow for more bonding moments for the lovebirds.

Manila Bulletin

Pangako Sa ‘Yo to be localized in Cambodia; Lobo to air in Thailand

The Philippines’ most successfully distributed canned TV series worldwide, Pangako Sa ’Yo (The Promise), will soon be localized in Cambodia after Cambodian Television Network (CTN) bought its format from ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ leading and largest multimedia conglomerate.

Pangako sa’Yo, produced by ABS-CBN in 2000, is one of the network’s top-raters of all time, headlined by premiere Filipino actors Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa. The main characters will soon have their Cambodian counterparts as CTN targets to start production by the first quarter of 2013. This adaptation in Cambodia marks a milestone in Philippine broadcasting history, particularly for ABS-CBN that is known as the Philippine leader in producing world-class TV drama series. ABS-CBN now joins the ranks of the world’s most competitive content suppliers with this format buy.

The landmark deal between ABS-CBN and CTN was made possible by ABS-CBN’s International Distribution Division, which to date has sold over 30,000 hours of content, making it available to over 50 territories worldwide. ABS-CBN’s canned programs have successfully penetrated territories in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Its most recent addition is Thailand where one of its top-rating drama series, Lobo (She Wolf: the Last Sentinel) will soon debut as the first Philippine TV program to air on Thai television.

ABS-CBN International Distribution head Leng Raymundo said Philippine TV series, particularly ABS-CBN’s drama series, have been widely received and distinctively known for their cast’s international appeal, series length that adapts well to programmers’ needs, and content with a universal appeal that people can relate to. “The global viewers recognize and demand for ABS-CBN programs as they remain true to local cultural sensitivities. It has a definite global appeal, heart warming relatable stories that have high production values, and good-looking actors that cross borders,” she said.

ABS-CBN programs, mostly in drama formats, have been dubbed in English, Khmer, Mandarin, Bahasa Melayu, Vietnamese, Turkish, Russian, and French. They have also been subtitled in Bahasa Melayu and Romanian. Tayong Dalawa (The Two of Us) also made history as the first Filipino program in Singapore’s telenovela belt while Sana’y Wala ng Wakas (Timeless), which is also topbilled by Rosales and Hermosa, was so well received by viewers in Malaysia. Among French-speaking territories, ABS-CBN’s Magkaribal (Rivals) dubbed in French is steadily gaining viewers. ABS-CBN International Distribution was also the first to distribute content in Myanmar.

With its growing recognition in the global media distributionlandscape, ABS-CBN International Distribution further expands its line-up of high-caliber programs and movies and offers them to more territories in the world.

Starmometer (edited)

Baifern Pimchanok joins Mario Maurer as Penshoppe endorser

Baifern Pimchanok, popularly known as Nam in the hit Thai romantic movie Crazy Little Thing Called Love, is now the latest Penshoppe muse. Penshoppe announced on its official twitter account @PENSHOPPE that their campaigns this month of October will feature Asia’s most popular love team – Mario & Baifern.

If you’ve been living under a rock, Baifern is Mario Maurer‘s leading lady in monster hit Thai movie Crazy Little Thing Called Love which took a number of Asian countries by storm. In the Philippines, the tagalized version of the movie was aired by ABS-CBN on a Sunday morning block and it garnered an unusually high rating that it was shown several times. And since Baifern is also Maurer’s friend, and since the former has been a member of Penshoppe All Stars since 2011, the local apparel brand has announced on Twitter that they will feature the couple in their newest campaigns.

Baifern, by the way, had a guest role in Mario Maurer‘s first Filipino movie Suddenly It’s Magic which is produced by Star Cinema. The movie which pairs Maurer with our very own Erich Gonzales is set to open in theaters on October 31. So we can expect Baifern to visit Manila later this month to help promote her kababayan’s movie and of course, to honor her Penshoppe endorsement deal.

Starmometer (edited)

Selina Jen reveals arm scars

Taiwanese pop singer Selina Jen was seen on Sunday enjoying a badminton game with fellow S.H.E member Ella Chen and their respective husbands. Selina, who was dressed in grey tank top, removed her pressure garment, revealing the scars on her arms for the first time.

In response to the sight of her scars, Selina commented through her management company, "The doctor has advised me to cut down on my reliance on the pressure garment. Nowadays, I'll only wear it when I'm out, as the new skin is still vulnerable."

Netizens commented “Good to know she is finally confident enough to just display herself and have fun”, “Other people might not even dare to show their face, this shows how resilient she is right now”, etc.

AsianFanatics

INFINITE releases OST for a new sitcom

INFINITE, known for their addictive melodies and disciplined choreography, has recently participated in their first OST after debut. The boys lent their voices and recorded a track for the new sitcom, What Is Mom.

The famed group released She’s A Fantasy which features quite a cheerful melody. In addition, the song is in fact another work of hit producer Sweetune who also worked with their past hits like The Chaser and Be Mine.

Woollim Entertainment revealed, “‘What Is Mom’ production crew sent a love call for this OST to INFINITE who has won the triple crown with Chaser and held the record of five sold out summer concerts, ‘That Year’s Summer,’ to show a new side.”

dkpopnews

YT: LOENENT

Mario Maurer all set to capture the hearts of Pinoy fans

Thailand's hottest heartthrob Mario Maurer is set to capture to hearts of Pinoy moviegoers thsi year via his first-ever Philippine produced film titled Suddenly It's Magic.

His upcoming romantic flick under Star Cinema, where he is co-starred with one of Philippines’ finest drama princesses, Erich Gonzales, is directed by highly acclaimed Filipino director Rory B. Quintos and is slated to hit theaters nationwide on October 31, 2012. The movie shares a feel-good new-age fairy tale of a Thai superstar named Marcus (played by Mario) who flies to the Philippines to escape from his busy career. In a foreign land, Marcus suddenly crossed paths with Joey (portrayed by Erich), a romantically jaded Filipina baker who is bound to spark ‘magic’ in the boring life of the Thai celebrity.

Popularly known among his Asian fans as Shone in the hit Thai movie, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Mario fondly shared how ‘happy’ he was to be paired with her leading lady, Erich. “Erich is very funny. When we talk, she has so many characters. She’s very playful, that’s why I’m happy to be with her. She can rap, she can do beatbox, and she tries to make me sing for her, and I just wouldn’t!”

Mario enjoyed Filipino food like Pork Barbeque and Adobo which Erich cooked during his stay in the Philippines. Shot in two major locations namely Ilocos, Philippines and Bangkok, Thailand, Mario studied the Filipino language especially for the film.

Suddenly It’s Magic is set to hit theatres nationwide in October 31, 2012. It will also be shown in Thailand this year.

Kris Bernal and Aljur Abrenica for Coffee Prince remake

Fall in love all over again with the all-time favorite Koreanovela Coffee Prince as GMA Network brings to primetime TV the Pinoy remake of the well-loved drama series. Coffee Prince became one of network’s highest-rating Koreanovelas in 2008 and captivated the hearts of Filipino viewers for its engaging storyline, witty dialogues and endearing characters. And to reprise the immensely popular characters of Arthur and Andy in the Pinoy adaptation is the hottest and sought-after loveteam of Aljur Abrenica and Kris Bernal. The two Kapuso artists are both primed to star in this romantic-comedy series with their excellent onscreen chemistry and natural acting skills.

It tells the story of Andy, a hardworking young woman who supports her mother and sister after the death of their father. To sustain their daily needs, she earns a living as a tricycle driver. Arthur, on the other hand, is a happy-go-lucky and wealthy bachelor whose family owns the biggest coffee factory in the country. His grandmother constantly pressures him to settle down but Arthur is not yet ready to tie the knot. In order to avoid the dates arranged by his grandmother, Arthur hires Andy to pretend to be his gay lover. He doesn't know that Andy is just pretending to be a guy to keep her job in Arthur’s coffee shop. Desperate to payoff her family’s debt, Andy is left with no choice but to agree with Arthur’s plan and to continue with her charade.

Things get complicated when Andy starts to fall in love with Arthur. He is likewise unable to control his feelings for Andy and he starts questioning his sexuality. How will Arthur deal with his romantic feelings for Andy? If Arthur finds out about Andy’s real identity and lies, will the truth sabotage their romance and relationship? Will the love story of Arthur and Andy have a happy ending despite the complications and interventions of Errol and Arlene in their lives?

Coffee Prince finds its way back into the hearts of Filipino viewers beginning Monday, October 8.

Ariel Lin denies third-party rumors

New love, new buzz. Taiwan A-list actress Ariel Lin is rumored to being the cause of split between new boyfriend Charles Lin and his ex-girlfriend Kay. The actress has been acquaintances with Charles for the past 10 years until they met again at a friend's wedding in December. They began dating in August this year.

However, things appear to be unresolved between Charles and his ex-girlfriend Kay as the latter apparently called Ariel and told her that her relationship with Charles was not over.  She claimed that she and Charles were preparing to get married this year, until Ariel appeared. Kay also revealed that Ariel insisted on wanting to give the new relationship a try and that she had gotten together with Charles after the breakup.

Ariel has reportedly denied the accusations, stating that she started to date Charles after he told her that he had broken up with his girlfriend. She also added that she has absolute trust in him. The actress also thinks that Kay might have mistaken her as the third party as she started dating Charles shortly after he broke up with Kay.