Kazunari Ninomiya
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kazunari Ninomiya 二宮和也 |
|
|---|---|
| Also known as | Nino |
| Born | June 17, 1983 |
| Origin | Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter, actor, radio host, seiyū |
| Instruments | Guitar, piano, bass, drums, harmonica |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | Pony Canyon (1999–2001) J Storm (2002–present) |
| Associated acts | Arashi |
Kazunari Ninomiya (二宮 和也 Ninomiya Kazunari, born June 17, 1983), often called Nino, is a Japanese idol, singer, songwriter, actor, television personality, seiyū and radio host. Along with Masaki Aiba, Jun Matsumoto, Satoshi Ohno and Sho Sakurai, he is a member of the Japanese boy band Arashi, who is under the management of Johnny & Associates. He is best known to movie audiences for his portrayal as Private Saigo in the 2006 Clint Eastwood war film Letters from Iwo Jima.
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[edit] Biography
Ninomiya was born in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan as the youngest child in his family.[1] His father and mother were both working as chefs when they met.[2] However, his father left the family early in his life when his parents divorced.[3] Ninomiya's dream was to become a professional baseball player, but his cousin sent in an application to Johnny & Associates without his knowledge when he was 12 years old.[1] Although he received an invitation to audition in the mail, he only went to the auditions because his mother promised to give him money if he did.[4] He passed and joined the agency in June 1996 at the age of 13.[5]
During Arashi's early years, Johnny's appointed Ninomiya as the "Performance Leader".[6] He plays the guitar, bass, piano, drums and harmonica, composes songs and writes lyrics.
[edit] Recording career
[edit] Johnny's Jr.
When Ninomiya joined Johnny & Associates, he was a member of temporary Johnny's Jr. units such as M.A.I.N. and B.B.B. with future Arashi members Matsumoto and Aiba and Johnny's Jr. member Toma Ikuta, and B.A.D. with Aiba before the formation of Arashi in 1999.
[edit] Arashi
On September 15, 1999 aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, it was announced that a new Johnny's group named Arashi, the Japanese word for storm, would make their debut on November 3, 1999. Their debut single, "Arashi", was used as the image song for the 8th World Cup of Volleyball hosted by Japan in 1999 and the group served as special supporters for the competition.[7] The single went on to become a major hit, selling 557,430 copies in its first week[8] and almost a million copies by the end of its chart run.
2004 saw the first official release of a song Ninomiya penned and composed himself. Titled "Kako" (痕跡 The Past),[9] the performance can be seen in Arashi's Iza, Now DVD. Although the group's fifth studio album One was the first of their albums to feature solo songs of each member, Ninomiya did not provide lyrics or music for official release until the Time album almost two years later. In 2007, the group's eighteenth single "Love So Sweet" was released with the limited edition containing a bonus song entitled "Fight Song", which was written by Arashi and composed by Ninomiya in 2006 for their variety show G no Arashi. On July 11, 2007, the Time album was released with the limited edition containing solo song of each member. Ninomiya wrote the lyrics to his solo song entitled "Niji" (虹 Rainbow) and played the piano portion of the song throughout Arashi's summer tour (and later reprised the performance throughout Arashi's second Asia Tour in 2008).
In 2008, Ninomiya composed, co-arranged and penned the lyrics for his latest solo "Gimmick Game," which took on a different style compared to his past solos. The song can be found in the album Dream "A" Live, the group's third highest selling album to date.[10]
[edit] Acting career
Ninomiya began acting in 1997 on a stageplay based on an American coming of age film called Stand by Me with the other members of M.A.I.N.[11][12] In 1998, he made his television debut as a 15-year-old runaway in the TBS made-for-television movie Amagi Goe.[12] Almost every year since then, he has been appearing in numerous productions. In 1999, because Arashi were image characters for the 8th World Cup of Volleyball, all five members starring together for the first time in the volleyball-centered short drama V no Arashi.
In 2002, he made his motion picture debut in Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy (ピカ☆ンチ Life is HardだけどHappy Pikanchi Life is Hard But Happy), in which he acted with the rest of Arashi.[12] Ninomiya starred in his second movie in 2003 called Ao no Honō playing a high school student who has an abusive stepfather living at home. In 2004, Arashi came together again to reprise their respective roles for the sequel of Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy called Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakara Happy (ピカ☆☆ンチ Life is HardだからHappy Pikanchi Life is Hard Therefore Happy).
2006 proved to be a productive year for Ninomiya as he became the first artist from Johnny's & Associates to debut in Hollywood. After taking up the main role in the special drama Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana (少しは、恩返しができたかな Have I Returned a Bit of My Gratitude?), which was based on the true story of young man diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, he played a reluctant soldier named Saigo in Clint Eastwood's Academy Award-nominated Letters from Iwo Jima with Academy Award-nominated actor Ken Watanabe. His performance was praised by many film critics, some of which include RogerEbert.com editor Jim Emerson ("thoroughly winning"),[13] Claudia Puig of USA Today ("also superb"),[14] James Berardinelli ("another performer worth singling out")[15] and Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter ("who is just terrific").[16] On January 7, 2007, New York Times film critic A.O. Scott listed Ninomiya as an ideal Oscar candidate for Best Supporting Actor.[17] On October 24, 2006, a couple months after returning from filming Letters from Iwo Jima in the United States, he debuted as a seiyū, lending his voice to main character Kuro in the Michael Arias animated film Tekkon Kinkreet.[18]
In 2007, all the members of Arashi starred in their third movie together called Kiiroi Namida (黄色い涙 Yellow Tears) with Ninomiya playing the main role of an aspiring manga artist. During the summer of the same year, he and fellow Arashi bandmate Sakurai starred together in the manga-based comedy drama Yamada Tarō Monogatari. Soon after—whilst juggling rehearsals for Arashi's upcoming concerts—he acted as the lead in the special drama Marathon, which was based on the true story of an autistic young man training to become a marathon runner.[19]
After a year without any acting roles, other than a small guest appearance in bandmate Ohno's first lead drama called Maō, Ninomiya finally took up the main role in the drama Ryūsei no Kizuna with junior Ryo Nishikido and Erika Toda acting as his younger siblings. The three played the children of parents who were murdered long ago by an nameless man. Readers, reporters and critics of the 59th Television Drama Academy Awards panel recognized his role as the oldest vengeful sibling and awarded him Best Actor.[20]
In spring 2009, Ninomiya starred as the lead in the third and final of TBS's kandō (感動 moving) drama trilogy (the first and second being Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana and Marathon respectively) called Door to Door. The special drama was based on the true story of Bill Porter, an American door-to-door salesman who achieved the highest sales for his company despite suffering from cerebral palsy.[21] His roles in Door to Door and Ryūsei no Kizuna won him the Individual Award in the television category of the 46th Galaxy Awards, a first for a Johnny's talent.[22]
[edit] Other ventures
Ninomiya has his own radio show called Bay Storm since October 4, 2002.[23] The show is currently airing every Sunday on Japan's BayFM, in which he often plays his own renditions of Arashi's songs as well as songs by other artists.
[edit] Filmography
| Dramas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1998 | Amagi Goe | Takichi Nishinōra (child) | Television special |
| Nijuroku ya Mairi | |||
| Akimahende | Taiki Aoki | ||
| 1999 | Abunai Houkago | Katsuyuki Natsuki | Lead role |
| Kowai Nichiyoubi | |||
| V no Arashi | Kazunari Ninomiya | ||
| 2000 | Namida o Fuite | Kenta Fuchigami | |
| 2001 | Handoku | Nobu Sakaguchi | |
| 2003 | Netsuretsu Teki Chūka Hanten | Kenta Nanami | |
| Stand Up!! | Shōhei Asai | Lead role | |
| 2004 | Minami-kun no Koibito | Susumu Minami | |
| 2005 | Yasashii Jikan | Takuro Wakui | |
| 2006 | Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana | Kazunori Kitahara | Television special, lead role |
| 2007 | Haikei, Chichiue-sama | Ippei Tahara | Lead role |
| Marathon | Shōtaro Miyata | Television special, lead role | |
| Yamada Tarō Monogatari | Taro Yamada | Lead role | |
| 2008 | Maō | Masayoshi Kumada | Episode 1 guest appearance |
| Ryūsei no Kizuna | Kōichi Ariake | Lead role | |
| 2009 | Door to Door | Hideo Kurasawa | Television special, lead role |
| Tengoku de Kimi ni Aetara | Junichi Nonogami | Television special, lead role | |
| 2010 | Saigo no Yakusoku[24][25] | Television special | |
| Movies | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Pikanchi Life is Hard Dakedo Happy | Takuma Onda | |
| 2003 | Ao no Honō | Shuichi Kushimori | Lead role |
| 2004 | Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakara Happy | Takuma Onda | |
| 2006 | Letters from Iwo Jima | Saigo | Hollywood debut |
| Tekkon Kinkreet | Black | Voice, lead role | |
| 2007 | Kiiroi Namida | Eisuke Muraoka | Lead role |
| 2009 | Heaven's Door | Host | Guest |
| 2011 | Gantz[26][27] | Kei Kurono | Lead role with Kenichi Matsuyama |
| Stageplays | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | Stand By Me | Chris | |
| 2004 | Shibuya Kara Tooku Hanarete | Naoya | Lead role |
| 2005 | Rebel Without a Cause | Jim Stark | Lead role |
| 2009 | Strangers On a Train | Charles Bruno | Lead role |
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 10th Rendora 110Award | Best Actor | Stand Up!! | Won |
| 2005 | 8th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Winter) | Best Supprting Actor | Yasashii Jikan | Nominated |
| 16th Rendora 110Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won | ||
| 2007 | 15th Hashida Awards | Hashida Award | Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana | Won[28] |
| 10th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Winter) | Best Actor | Haikei, Chichiue-sama | Won[29] | |
| 52nd Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | Nominated[30] | ||
| 11th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Summer) | Best Actor | Yamada Taro Monogatari | Won[31] | |
| 54th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | Nominated[32] | ||
| Monthly Galaxy Awards (September) | Galaxy Award | Marathon | Won[33] | |
| 62nd Cultural Affairs Award | Hōsō Kojin Award | Won[34] | ||
| 2008 | 12th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Fall) | Best Actor | Ryūsei no Kizuna | Won[35] |
| 59th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Actor | Won[20] | ||
| 49th Monte-Carlo Television Festival | Outstanding Actor (Drama) | Nominated[36][37] | ||
| 2009 | 46th Galaxy Awards | Individual Award | Ryūsei no Kizuna, Door to Door | Won[38] |
[edit] References
- ^ a b (Japanese) Jōnetsu Tairiku. Mainichi Broadcasting System. 2007-05-06.
- ^ (Japanese) Ninomiya, Kazunari. Interview with Hitomi Okamura. Channel Rock. 2008-11-01. Retrieved on 2009-12-05.
- ^ (Japanese) Ninomiya, Kazunari. Interview with Shōfukutei Tsurube. Tsurube no Main Cast. 2008-10-03. Retrieved on 2009-12-05.
- ^ (Japanese) Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ. NTV. 2004-02-23.
- ^ (Japanese) Shōnen Club Premium. NHK. 2009-01-18.
- ^ (Japanese) Arashi no Shukudai-kun. NTV. 2008-12-08.
- ^ "Sho Sakurai appointed as Volleyball World Cup caster". Tokyograph. 2008-10-03. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-1827. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- ^ (Japanese) "1999年11月第3週の邦楽シングルランキング情報". Oricon. http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=js&types=rnk&year=1999&month=11&week=3&submit4.x=23&submit4.y=6. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
- ^ Baystorm. 2005-05-29.
- ^ (Japanese) "Arashi Album Ranking". Oricon. http://www.oricon.co.jp/artists/a/253626/. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ (Japanese) Shōnen Club Premium. NHK. 2009-07-19.
- ^ a b c Wallace, Bruce (2007-01-28). "The story is written on this actor's face". Los Angeles Times. http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-ca-nino28jan28,0,3448987.story. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- ^ Emerson, Jim (2007-01-12). "Reviews: Letters from Iwo Jima". RogerEbert.com. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070111/REVIEWS/701110301/1023. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
- ^ "Searing 'Letters From Iwo Jima". USA Today. 2006-12-19. http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2006-12-19-iwo-jima-review_x.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
- ^ "Letter from Iwo Jima". http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=912. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ "Letters from Iwo Jima". Hollywood Reporter. 2006-12-08. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=8510. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
- ^ "THE OSCARS; And the Nominees Should Be". The New York Times. 2007-01-07. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E7DD1730F934A35752C0A9619C8B63. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- ^ "Arashi's Ninomiya makes debut as seiyuu". Tokyograph. 2006-10-24. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-202. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
- ^ "Ninomiya stars in 'Marathon' remake". Tokyograph. 2007-04-16. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-908. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- ^ a b (Japanese) "ザテレビジョン ドラマアカデミー賞: 【第59回 主演男優賞】二宮和也". Television Drama Academy Awards. 2009-02-18. http://blog.television.co.jp/drama/academy/2009/02/post_321.html. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
- ^ "Ninomiya goes 'Door to Door'". Tokyograph. 2009-02-01. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-4372. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- ^ "Ninomiya earns Galaxy Award". Tokyograph. 2009-04-28. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-4718. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
- ^ (Japanese) "Arashi Biography 2002". Johnny's net. http://www.johnnys-net.jp/j/artists/arashi/bio/bio02.html. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ^ (Japanese) "嵐が10年ぶりにメンバー5人全員でドラマ出演！ フジ新春ドラマ『最後の約束』". Oricon. 2009-11-11. http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/movie/70541/. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
- ^ (Japanese) "新春スペシャルドラマ『最後の約束』". Fuji Television News. 2009-11-11. http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/fujitv/news/pub_2009/091111varashi.html. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
- ^ (Japanese) "二宮和也＆松山ケンイチ映画でダブル主演". Nikkan Sports. 2009-10-08. http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/cinema/news/f-et-tp1-20091008-553089.html. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ "Nino, MatsuKen star in live-action "Gantz" movies". Tokyograph. 2009-10-08. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5344. Retrieved 2009-10-12.
- ^ "Shida becomes youngest winner of Hashida newcomer award". Tokyograph. 2007-02-13. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-466. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ^ "Winners of 10th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix". Tokyograph. 2007-05-05. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-989. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ^ (Japanese) "主演男優賞". Television Drama Academy Awards. 2007-05-02. http://blog.television.co.jp/drama/academy/2007/05/post_2.html. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
- ^ (Japanese) "第11回日刊スポーツ・ドラマグランプリ". Nikkan Sports. http://www6.nikkansports.com/entertainment/drama/2007/result-drama11-2.html. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- ^ (Japanese) "主演男優賞". Television Drama Academy Awards. 2007-10-24. http://blog.television.co.jp/drama/academy/2007/10/post_283.html. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
- ^ (Japanese) "二宮和也の感動ドラマ、視聴率はイマイチでも専門家は大絶賛". Livedoor. 2009-04-07. http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/4097970/. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- ^ (Japanese) "二宮和也、文化庁芸術祭賞で放送個人賞を受賞！". TBS. 2007-12-21. http://www.tbs.co.jp/drama-marathon/#geisho. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- ^ "Drama Grand Prix: "Ryusei no Kizuna" dominates". Tokyograph. 2009-01-20. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-4313. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
- ^ "Competition: Nominees - Actors". 49th Monte-Carlo Television Festival. http://www.tvfestival.net/content/Competition/competitionUK.php?menu=smenu1&ttt=nom&typeN=1&prix=td&search=&nbreg=15&page=2. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- ^ "49th Monte-Carlo Television Festival - Official Selection - 'Drama' TV Series". Biosstars. http://www.biosstars.us/festival/monte-carlo-television-festival.html. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- ^ "Ninomiya earns Galaxy Award". Tokyograph. 2009-04-28. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-4718. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
[edit] External links
- DramaWiki
- Johnny's Entertainment Official Site
- Jounetsu Tairiku (情熱大陸) Documentary Program on Kazunari Ninomiya (originally broadcasted on May 6, 2007)
- Kazunari Ninomiya at the Internet Movie Database
