Matsuyama Kenichi

Matsuyama Kenichi Turns to Death Metal

 

Kenichi Matsuyama (松山 ケンイチ Matsuyama Ken'ichi?) (born March 5, 1985) is a Japanese actor.

He is known for his affinity for strange character roles, and he is best known internationally for playing L in the 2006 films Death Note, Death Note: The Last Name and L: Change the World in 2008, as well as voicing Gelus in the Death Note animated adaptation. He was cast to play lead character Toru Watanabe in the movie adaptation of Haruki Murakami's novel Norwegian Wood, which was released in December 2010. His real given name written in kanji as "研一". On April 1st 2011 he married Kato Koyuki who co-starred with him in Kamui Gaiden (The Mainichi Daily News, 20, April, 2011).

Filmography

Film

• Winning Pass (2003)
• Bright Future (2003)
• Gūzen nimo Saiaku na Shōnen (2003)
• The Locker 2 (2004) as Yosuke Shinohara
• Kamachi (2004)
• The Taste of Tea (2004)
• Linda Linda Linda (2005) as Makihara
• Nana (2005) as Shin (Shinichi Okazaki)
• Furyō Shōnen no Yume (2005)
• Custom Made 10.30 (2005)
• Otoko-tachi no Yamato (2005) as Katsumi Kamio (15 years old)
• Oyayubi sagashi (2006)
• Death Note (2006) as L
• Death Note: The Last Name (2006) as L
• Sexy Voice and Robo (2006) as Robo
• Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea (2007) as Juchi
• Ten Nights of Dreams (2007)
• Shindo (2007) as Wao
• South Bound (2007) as Officer Niigaki
• Tsubaki Sanjuro (2007) as Iori Isaka
• Dolphin Blue: Fuji, mō Ichido Sora e (2007)
• L: Change the World (2008) as L
• Don't Laugh at My Romance (2007–2008) as Mirume
• Detroit Metal City (DMC) (2008) as Johannes Krauser II and Souichi Negishi
• Kamui Gaiden as Kamui (2009)
• Kaiji (2009) as Sahara
• Ultra Miracle Love Story Yojin (2009)
• Norwegian Wood as Toru Watanabe (2010)
• Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac (2010) as Yuji Miwa
• Gantz as Masaru Katō (2011)
• Gantz: Perfect Answer as Masaru Katō (2011)
• My Back Page (2011)
• Usagi Drop as Daikichi (2011)

Drama

• Gokusen (2002)
• Kids War 5 (2003)
• 1 Litre of Tears (2005) as Kawamoto-senpai
• Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi (2006), Episode 2 as Shingo (Taro-san)
• Sono 5 fun mae (2006) as Yuka Takashi (Mini-Drama)
• Sexy Voice and Robo (2007) as Robo
• Nana (2007)
• Zeni Geba as Gamagōri Fūtarō (2009)
• Love of 99 Years: Japanese Americans (2010) as Hiramatsu Jirō
• Taira no Kiyomori (2012) as Taira no Kiyomori

Awards

• 2006 Hochi Film Awards - Best New Actor (Death Note)
• 2007 Yokohama Film Festival - Best New Talent (Death Note)
• 2007 Japanese Academy Awards - Best New Actor (Death Note & Yamato)
• 2007 Elan D' or Awards for Rookie of the Year (won)
• 2008 2nd Asia Pacific Producer's Network Award - Best Actor (Death Note)
• 2008 1st Egaishan Taisho Movie Theatre Award (won)
• 2009 32nd Japanese Academy Awards- Most Popular Actor (Detroit Metal City)
• 2009 60th Television Drama Academy Awards - Best Actor (Zeni Geba)
• 2010 64th Mainichi Film Awards - Best Actor (Ultra Miracle Love story)
• 2010 Takasaki Film Festival - Best Actor (ultra Miracle Love story)

Most people outside Japan know Matsuyama Kenichi as the enigmatic genius L is the "Death Note" movies. Well, prepare for a whole new "MatsuKen"! The 22-year-old actor will take on the role of vocalist in a death metal band in the movie adaptation of gag manga "Detroit Metal City". Written by Wakasugi Kiminori, it has run in the comic "Young Animal" since 2005. Matsuyama will play Negishi Souichi, who leaves his family's farm in Oita Prefecture for the bright lights of Tokyo. There he swaps his taste in Swedish pop for the totally out-of-character death metal, taking on the role of vocalist in the trio Death Metal City and adopting the name Johannes Krauser II. The story arc leads up to a climactic showdown with the hell-raising American kings of black metal, Jack ill Dark (whose signature tune is "Fuckingham Palace"!). Matsuyama is currently learning the guitar and "death voice" stylings to pull off the performance. Filming is scheduled to start at the end of February. The movie is expected to feature cameos from prominent musicians, though no names have been announced.


• Who are Japan's most popular celebrity bloggers? Well, according to CyberAgent's free Ameba service, which hosts thousands of blogs, the No.1 spot continues to belong to talento Wakatsuki Chinatsu (23). But young actress/singer Aragaki Yui (19) has stormed up to No.2 just a week after starting her site. Actress Tomosaka Rie (28) says she's somewhat embarrassed to be ranked 3rd.


• The multi-talented Kitano "Beat" Takeshi (60) has his actor hat on again, playing his first TV drama leading role in five years. He will star as a 1950s detective in "Ten to Sen", the third time he has appeared in an adaptation of a novel by Matsumoto Seichou (1909-1992). The novel, published in 1958, tells of a murder case in the city of Hakata in Kyushu. This meant Takeshi having to master the region's distinctive dialect for the role. The two-part drama will air on November 24-25 and is part of TV Asahi's 50th anniversary. Takeshi's veteran cop is supported by the always solid Takahashi Katsunori (42) and the cast also includes Uchiyama Rina (26) and Yanagiba Toshirou (46).


• Actress Kawashima Naomi (47) is getting married. She has yet to make a formal announcement, but is expected to get engaged to patissier Yoroizuka Toshihiko (42) before the end of the year. The pair met on a TV show about two years ago and have been dating for the last six months.