Aya Matsuura Profile

Name: Aya Matsuura (Matsuura Aya)
Japanese name: 松浦 亜弥
Chinese name: 松浦亚弥
Nickname: Ayaya
Birth date: June 25, 1986
Birth place: Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Height: 157cm
Blood type: B
Profession: Actress, model and singer

Aya Matsuura Biography

Aya Matsuura was signed by Hello! Project (named project but it’s actually a talent agency) in year 2000 and made her solo debut in 2001 with single “Doki Doki Love Mail.”

Known as Ayaya by her fans, Aya Matsuura has become one of Hello’s most successful artists since then. She has released dozens of singles, a few albums and starred in some movies and TV dramas.

Aya Matsuura also collaborated with some other Hello’s teen idols and released some joint singles, but none of the collaborations last long.

Frankly I can’t remember many of her songs, there weren’t any really great hits but her music videos are normally quite interesting. Some of her TV commercials are pretty cute too.

Ayaya’s popularity overseas is largely due to her photo-books in 2004/2005 which achieved quite phenomenal sales back then. A couple of her photo-books featured her in bikinis, but in a rather healthy and cute manner.

Ayaya’s entertainment career seemed to stall in 2006, as if it’s a curse that happened to all Hello! Project idols – popular at teen, but faded in 20s.

Aya is rumored to be quite a smoker, and it really spoilt the healthy image that she has been building for years. Her rumored relationship with pop idol Keita Tachibana also didn’t work in her favor; her boys-fans don’t like it, and Keita’s girls-fans hate it as well.

Aya Matsuura is still quite popular in Japan and some other Asia region; her visit to Taiwan in late 2006 was well received by Taiwanese fans, showing that Ayaya has great potential to succeed in the next level.

Ayaya’s career seemed to be recovering in 2007. Aya and Miki Fujimoto formed a duo group “GAM” (Great Aya and Miki) in 2006, which is doing well recently. GAM just held their first concert in Japan in May 2007.

Why I Like Aya Matsuura

She’s cute, that’s probably the only reason. I don’t think she sings that well, and I don’t think she is a good actress yet.

Ayaya is still young though, only 20 (21 soon) years of age but has plenty of experience. I believe she has great potential, that is if she is willing to improve herself continuously. Given enough chances, she could shine pretty well.

Aya Matsuura related Websites

Aya Matsuura at Asia Popular Forum

Ella Chen Profile

Name: Ella Chen Jia Hua
Chinese name: 陈嘉桦 (陳嘉樺)
Birth date: June 18, 1981
Birth place: Pingdong, Taiwan
Height: 163
Birth type: O
Family: Grandparents, parents, 2 elder sisters and a younger brother
Profession: Actress and singer

Hobbies: Playing basketball and PC games
Favorite actors: Meg Ryan and Robbie Williams
Favorite singers: Bon Jovi, Celine Dion, Karen Mok and Stephanie Sun

Ella Chen Biography

Ella Chen is a member of Taiwan girls group, “S.H.E” which is arguably the most popular girl group in the Chinese pop culture. S.H.E consists of 3 members… Selina Ren, Hebe Tian and Ella Chen.

In year 2000, the 3 girls took part in a talent quest organized by HIM International Records in Taiwan, namely “Universal 2000 Talent and Beauty Girl Contest.” Selina Ren was the eventual winner… and together with Hebe and Ella, they were selected to form a girls group, S.H.E.

S.H.E released their first album “Girls’ Dormitory” in 2001, which was a great hit and after they released their 2nd album “Youth Society” in 2002… their popularity are unstoppable.

The special thing about SHE is having 3 different girls that have totally different appearances and characteristics… Selina is sweet and gentle, Hebe is confident and naughty, and Ella is courageous and brave.

S.H.E also has to thank the various TV hosting jobs that earlier in their career that helped boost their fame and popularity. The popular TV shows that S.H.E hosted include “Guess, Guess, Guess” and “Happy Sunday.”

S.H.E also started acting later on with decent success. Ella is the one that is doing the best among the trio in acting.

My Thoughts on Ella Chen

To be honest, Ella is my least favorite among the 3 S.H.E girls… but since I have listed Selina and Hebe here, many S.H.E fans and readers have asked about the reasons of why Ella is not being listed… and the best way to answer the question (or stop answering it) is to add Ella’s profile as well lol.

Ella Chen and SHE Pictures, Photos and Videos

Galleries 1 — Videos 1 l 2

Ella Chen and SHE Related Websites

S.H.E Official Site
S.H.E Official Blog

Eva Huang Shengyi Profile

Name: Eva Huang Shengyi
Chinese name: 黄圣依
Birth date: February 11, 1983
Birth place: Shanghai, China
Height: 165cm
Blood type: A
Education: Beijing Film Academy (graduated 2001)
Profession: Actress and singer

Hobbies: Net surfing and travel
Favorite actresses: Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Marceau
Favorite movie: In the Mood for Love (花样年华)

Eva Huang Shengyi Biography

Eva Huang Shengyi was born in an educated family; her father is a university professor, while her mother a newspaper editor. Eva’s parents didn’t want her to pursue an entertainment career, but gave her full support after Eva insisted on choosing her path.

After graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 2001, Eva starred in a couple of low budget TV dramas.

Eva Huang got her breakthrough in 2003 when she was selected by superstar Stephen Chow (周星驰) to star as the leading actress in movie “Kungfu Hustle.”

Kungfu Hustle was showed in 2004 and was a huge box-office success. Eva however didn’t manage to show much of her talent in the movie, starring as a mute and appeared less than 10 minutes in the movie.

Eva Huang gained more press coverage later on when she was caught with the legal fight with Stephen’s agency. Eva was sued for accepting jobs on her own (thus breach of contract) but Eva defended her case citing that she was misled into signing her contract and was not properly taken care of.

Many had thought that it’s the end of Eva’s entertainment career, but she fought hard and getting more exposures in commercials and some TV dramas. Her bravery and independence has won the hearts of many of her fans, and she is regarded as one of the most popular China artist these days.

Eva’s legal case with her (former) agency was finally settled in early 2007 in Eva’s favor. Some reports have suggested that Eva had to pay 6 million RMB (~USD1-1.5 million) to settle the case, but it was denied by Eva.

Eva Huang has just inked her recording deal on her 24th birthday (Feb 11) and is expected to release her debut album in mid 2007.

It’s amazing to see a lady with not much profile achieving her popularity, and she can only get better and more popular.

Why I Like Eva Huang Shengyi

I first saw Eva Huang in Kungfu Hustle (who doesn’t?), and I actually thought that she’s very beautiful.

I didn’t expect to see her breaking up with her talent agency and thus lost the chance to continue working with Stephen Chow; but Eva has always managed to get good media exposure, and she showed great maturity in handling her legal case.

I haven’t really seen any special talent from Eva yet, but as said… I like her look, and I hope she will involve in more good productions in near future.

Eva Huang Shengyi Related Websites

Eva Huang Shengyi at Asia Popular – Asia Entertainment Forum

Selina Ren Profile

Name: Selina Ren Jia Xuan
Chinese name: 任家萱
Birth date: October 31, 1981
Birth place: Taipei, Taiwan
Height: 163cm
Blood type: A
Family: Parents and younger sister
Profession: Actress and singer

Hobbies: Shopping and singing
Pet: Pinky, a dog
Favorite animal: Rabbit
Favorite color: Pink
Favorite food: Baby food and seaweed
Favorite singers: A-Mei, Coco Lee, David Tao and Kit Chan

[Visit AsiaPopular forum for more Selina Ren discussions]

Selina Ren Biography

Selina Ren is a member of Taiwan girls group, “S.H.E” which is arguably the most popular girl group in the Chinese pop culture. S.H.E consists of 3 members… Selina Ren, Hebe Tian and Ella Chen.

In year 2000, the 3 girls took part in a talent quest organized by HIM International Records in Taiwan, namely “Universal 2000 Talent and Beauty Girl Contest.” Selina Ren was the eventual winner… and together with Hebe and Ella, they were selected to form a girls group, S.H.E.

S.H.E released their first album “Girls’ Dormitory” in 2001, which was a great hit and after they released their 2nd album “Youth Society” in 2002… their popularity are unstoppable.

The special thing about SHE is having 3 different girls that have totally different appearances and characteristics… Selina is sweet and gentle, Hebe is confident and naughty, and Ella is courage and brave.

S.H.E also has to thank the various TV hosting jobs that earlier in their career that helped boost their fame and popularity. The popular TV shows that S.H.E hosted include “Guess, Guess, Guess” and “Happy Sunday.”

S.H.E also started acting later on, their acting career however were not as successful as their singing (with the exception of Ella, who is doing ok in acting so far).

Why I like Selina Ren

Among the 3, my favorite is actually Hebe. This profile is actually by readers’ request (which I do entertain occasionally); but I do like Selina.

I think Selina has a unique and sweet voice, and she dance very well… obviously the most natural dancer among the 3 S.H.E girls.

Selina Ren and SHE pictures and photos

Galleries 1 — Videos 1 l 2

Selina Ren and SHE Related Websites

S.H.E Official Site
S.H.E Official Blog

Moon Geun-young Profile

Name: Moon Geun-young (Moon Geun-yeung, Mun Geun-yeong)
Korean name: 문근영
Chinese name: 文根英
Birth date: May 6, 1987
Birth place: Gwangju, South Korea
Height: 164cm
Blood type: B
Family: Parents and younger sister
Education: Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul
Profession: Actress

Join Asia Entertainment Forum for more Moon Geun-young discussions

Moon Geun-young Biography

Moon Geun-young started appearing on TV when she was 12. She was made famous later in popular TV drama “Autumn In My Heart” (2000) where she play the young version of the lead character (adult version was played by Song Hye-kyo).

The mature acting of Moon Geun-young touched everyone’s heart and landed her numerous acting roles after that.

After Autumn In My Heart, Moon Geun-young starred as supporting actress in TV drama “The Lost Empire” and popular movie “Lover’s Concerto.”

Moon Geun-young got another breakthrough with in 2003 horror movie, “Tale of Two Sisters” where she was the co-leading actress.

Moon Geun-young then landed leading roles in movies “Little Bride” (2004) and “Innocent Steps” (2005) and gradually become on of the most popular actresses in Korea.

Moon Geun-young is still in her teen-age, and has just enrolled into university. With her talent there’s plenty of future ahead.

Why I like Moon Geun-young

I think she is a really good actress, since her appearance in Autumn In My Heart. I felt that she had the best performance in the melodrama, even better than leading actress Song Hye-kyo.

I watched Little Bride and Innocent Steps as well, and she continued to perform well. What really impressed me is her young age but mature acting.

Moon Geun-young also has the like-ability factor, people just seems to like her.

Moon Geun-young Videos

Videos 1

Andy Lau Tak Wah Profile

Name: Andy Lau Tak Wah (Liu De Hua)
Chinese name: 刘德华 (劉德華)
Birth name: Lau Fuk Wing 劉福榮
Birth date: September 27, 1961
Birth place: Hong Kong
Height: 174cm
Blood type: AB
Family member: Parents, 3 elder sisters, a younger sister and a brother
Profession: Actor and singer

Hobbies: Singing, driving, acting, bowling and classic watch collection
Favorite color: Black, white and grey
Favorite food: Chicken wings, fruits and milk tea
Favorite actors: Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro
Favorite music: Classical and pop
Favorite singers: Michael Jackson and Boyz 2 Men

Andy Lau Tak Wah Biography

Andy Lau Tak Wah started his career in Hong Kong main TV production company, TVB.

After graduated from TVB acting school, Andy Lau was given chances in some supporting cast before landing his first major role in “Hunting” (1982).

Andy’s breakthrough came later in 1983 where he starred in the ever popular Wuxia drama, “The Return of the Condor Heroes.” Andy Lau instantly becomes an Asian superstar since then.

Andy Lau was also given chances on the big screen, and his first major success in movies came in 1985 with “Unwritten Law,” with another 2 sequels made. From then on Andy has made over 100 movies in his still running acting career.

There are good and bad in those 100+ films; especially when Andy Lau was young, lots of his movies are commercial basis and could be pretty lousy production. Only in recent years that Andy began to be pickier in movies, and the qualities are more guaranteed.

It was also in 1985 that Andy Lau released his first album, but it took him a few years to be recognized as an established singer.

In the 1990s, Andy Lau together with Jackie Cheung, Leon Lai and Aaron Kwok were crowned ’4 Heavenly Kings of Cantopop’, and dominated the Hong Kong music arena until late 90s.

Andy Lau has won many musical awards in his career, but his luck with movie awards is not as splendid. His first major acting award only came in 2000, as Best Actor in Hong Kong Film Festival with movie “Running Out of Time.”

Andy Lau has always been eager to prove himself as a good actor rather than a popular idol; and after a few years of disappointment, Andy Lau finally won the prestigious Golden Horse Award in 2004 for his performance in “Infernal Affairs 3.″

Andy Lau had previously invested in movies production in early 90s but met with failure; in the past couple of years he started his own production firm again to fund new Asian directors with their movie projects, and has achieved decent success so far.

Why I like Andy Lau Tak Wah

I think Andy Lau is one of the best role models in Asian entertainment world. I don’t think Andy is a talented artist, but he works hard all these years to become a good one.

Andy’s hardworking and professionalism has always been praised by the press, and he is always polite and well mannered in public appearance, while keeping a healthy lifestyle.

Andy Lau Related Websites

Offical Fansite (Chinese)
Andy Lau at Asia Popular Forum

Ariel Lin Yi Chen Profile

Name: Ariel Lin Yi Chen (Lin I Cheng, Lam Yi San)
Chinese name: 林依晨
Birth date: October 29, 1982
Birth place: Taiwan
Height: 160cm
Blood type: A
Education: National ChengChi University, NCCU (Korean study)
Profession: Actress and singer

Hobbies: Acting, swimming, reading, singing, music, food, and travel
Favorite colors: Black, silver, and white
Favorite foods: Mum’s cooking, chocolate, pasta, Mongolian BBQ, and fruits
Favorite fruits: Strawberries, mango, apple, and grapes
Favorite movies: LOTR trilogy, and Harry Porter series

Ariel Lin Yi Chen Biography

Ariel Lin was given major role since her debut in 2002 drama, “True Love.” Ariel continued to star in “Secret Garden” and “Seventh Grade,” and steadily building her fame and popularity.

Ariel Lin still continued her university study while making all the dramas and managed to graduate from NCCU.

Ariel Lin co-starred Mike He in “Love Contract” (2004) and with Joseph Zheng in “It Started With a Kiss” (2005). Both the melodramas were a hit, and Ariel become one of the most popular TV actresses in Taiwan.

Ariel Lin then starred in popular dramas “Fairy from Wonderland” and acclaimed drama “Tokyo Juliet” in 2006. Fairy from Wonderland was hugely popular in China and Ariel is getting more famous in Asia region.

Ariel Lin also starred in 2 movies and sang a few songs in the dramas’ OST, but her singing venture is not as successful as her TV acting career.

Ariel Lin is currently filming the sequel for for ISWAK; she is also supposed to be filming “The Legend of Condor Heroes” in China but the filming was postphoned because the leading actor (Hu Ge) is recovering from a car accident.

Why I like Ariel Lin Yi Chen

I think Ariel looks just ok, but I think she’s smart and her acting is pretty good… one of the best actresses in Taiwan at her age.

Ariel Lin Yi Chen Photos, Pictures and Videos

Galleries 1 — Videos 1

Ariel Lin Yi Chen related Websites

Official Website (Chinese)
Ariel Lin at Asia Popular Forum

Fiona Xie Wan Yu Profile

Name: Fiona Xie Wan Yu (Xie WangYu)
Chinese name: 谢宛谕
Birth date: January 24, 1982
Birth place: Singapore
Height: 165cm
Language spoken: English, Mandarin and some Cantonese
Profession: Actress and TV host

Fiona Xie Wan Yu Biography

Fiona Xie Wan Yu was spotted by talent scout at age of 15 and since then started modeling for numerous print and TV commercials in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Fiona Xie was given a chance to star in Singapore drama series “Growing Up” in 2000. Fiona’s performance made her a full time actress, signing for Media Corp in 2001 and made her leading debut in English drama “A War Diary,” and Mandarin sitcom “My Genie.”

With her beauty and nice body figure, Fiona was easily noticed by the TV viewers and rise rapidly in popularity. In the same year, she won the Best Newcomer and Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes at the Star Awards.

Fiona Xie continued to star in various TV dramas, and also co-hosted some TV shows, including the popular “City Beat.”

Fiona Xie was voted FHM Singapore’s Sexiest Woman of the Year in 2005.

Why I like Fiona Xie Wan Yu

I first saw Fiona in TV series My Genie, the sitcom was just ok, but the appearance of Fiona was easily noticeable because of her beauty.

I know many guys that like Fiona for her nice body figure, but I still like her face the most. I think she’s cute, and she has pretty eyes and nice lips.

Vivian Hsu Jo Hsuan Profile

Name: Vivian Hsu Jo Hsuan (Xu Ruo Xuan)
Chinese name: 徐若瑄
Japanese name: ビビアン・スー
Birth name: Hsu Shu Juan 徐淑娟
Birth date: March 19, 1975
Birthplace: Taichung, Taiwan
Height: 161cm
Blood type: A
Profession: Actress, model and singer

[Join Asia Entertainment Forum for more Vivian Hsu discussions]

Vivian Hsu Jo Hsuan Biography

Hsu Shu Juan started her entertainment career after she won a talent contest in 1990, and became a member of a female trio “Shao Nu Dui” （少女队 – which means Girls Team in Chinese). The group released their debut album in 1991, followed by another in 1992, but didn’t achieve much success and was disbanded.

Hsu Shu Juan then went into modeling and made her acting debut in 1994 with Taiwan movie “Shaolin Kid.”

Her breakthrough came in 1995, when she changed her name to Vivian Hsu Jo Hsuan and produced a nude book “Angel Heart.” Vivian also starred in 2 Taiwan movies “Evil Angel” and “Angel Hearts” with seducing and naked scenes.

Vivian Hsu produced another 2 nude books “Venus” and “Devil Angel” in 1996 before giving up on exposing herself for fame. By then she’s already one of Taiwan most sort after star and was getting famous in Japan.

Riding on her popularity, Vivian went back to singing. She released her first solo single in August 1995 in Taiwan, and later on released a single in Japan as well.

Vivian released her first album, “Angel Dreaming” in April 1996, and surprisingly released a Korean version of the album “Cheonsa Misonyeo” in October after learning Korean for just a week or two.

That’s Vivian’s only stunt in Korean though, she was getting more popular in Japan and spent more time expanding her career in Tokyo than her homeland Taiwan.

During 2001/2002, Vivian appeared in Japan variety shows program, formed Japanese bands and was pretty well received by Japanese fans. She also played as voice actress for a few popular Japanese anime series.

In 2003 Vivian started shifting back to Taiwan. Although famous, Vivian never actually achieved huge success in terms of albums sales and movies box office.

Other than her nude production, Vivian’s only movie hit was “Accidental Spy” in 2001, but most credits were given to action superstar Jackie Chan instead.

Little known though, Vivian was quite talented in lyrics writing, where she wrote some nice lyrics for herself and other singers. Vivian’s most noticeable lyric was for her buddy Jay Chou’s debut album; Jay is now one of Taiwan most influential singer.

Vivian Hsu is still busy with her entertainment career at both Taiwan and Japan currently, and has released her latest Chinese album “Vivi and…” in mid September 2006.

Vivian Hsu Jo Hsuan Related Websites

Official Site (Chinese)
Offical Blog (Chinese)

Why I like Vivian Hsu Jo Hsuan

Vivian Hsu is cute and hot. Ok she’s not as cute as she used to be, she’s already 31 anyway… but still one of Taiwan prettiest celebrity.

Despite debates on her nude history, I think that Vivian actually worked very hard to build her career… and she had the guts to expand her career in Japan when most Chinese stars were still remaining at their homeland. Brava for that.

Vivian is singing better nowadays, hope that she can make better music, star in some great movies and show the critics that she’s more than a pretty face and nice body.

Vivian Hsu Pictures and Photos

Galleries 1

Ayumi Hamasaki Profile

Name: Ayumi Hamasaki (Hamasaki Ayumi)
Japanese name: 濱崎 歩 (浜崎 あゆみ)
Chinese name: 滨崎步
Nickname: Ayu
Birth date: October 2, 1978
Birth place: Fukuoka, Japan
Blood type: A
Height: 156cm
Profession: Singer and lyricist

Hobbies: Piano playing, flowers arranging and drawing
Favorite food: Biscuits, cakes, chocolates and kimchee
Favorite actors/actress: Nicolas Cage, Rie Miyazawa
Favorite movies: The Bodyguard, Betty Blue, and Leaving Las Vegas
Favorite singers: Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Babyface, En Vogue, and Keiko (Globe)

Ayumi Hamasaki Biography

Ayumi Hamasaki was raised by her mother and grandmother, her father left them when she was 2. Ayumi started modeling when she was 7 to help raised money to support her family.

Ayumi Hamasaki later pursued full time modeling in Tokyo when she was 14. She also starred in a few low budget movies and TV dramas using the pseudonym Kurumi Hamazaki.

Ayumi’s modeling and acting career didn’t kick off because her height doesn’t meet the general trend of a supermodel. Ayu dropped out from high school and spent her days wandering the streets of Tokyo, shopping at Shibuya and dancing at clubs in Roppongi.

Ayumi Hamasaki however was given a chance in singing when she released her first album in December 1995, “Nothing From Nothing.” The rap album failed to hit the charts as there’s no promotion budget, and Ayumi was released by her talent agency back then.

Ayumi Hamasaki was later discovered by Masato Matsuura (better known as Max Matsuura) when she’s singing at a karaoke bar in Velfarre nightclub, owned by Avex Trax Label, the recording company that Max worked for.

Matsuura offered Ayumi a contract, and after some hesitation Ayu agreed to sign with Avex simply because she had nothing else to do that time.

Ayumi Hamasaki had to undergo vocal training in Tokyo but she’s not really interested with the teaching methods and began to skip classes. Matsuura had then decided to send Ayu to New York for vocal training, and that’s when Ayumi began to shape into a talented singer.

It’s also during her stay in New York that Ayumi was encouraged into writing, where she communicated with Matsuura by mail. When Ayu was back to Tokyo, Matsuura suggested her to write her own lyrics, and she did. (Ayu wrote most, if not all of her song lyrics.)

In 1998 Ayumi Hamasaki released her 1st single with Avex, “Poker Face” that debuted #22 on the ORICON chart. Ayumi’s got her first ORICON Top 10 with her 4th single “Depend on you.”

Ayumi Hamasaki finally got her first #1 spot on the ORICON charts with her debut album “A Song for XX,” released on January 1, 1999. During the same year her single “Love ~ Destiny” became the number 1 song for ORICON.

Ayumi Hamasaki never look back, she continue to release best selling singles and albums, winning numerous music awards and break records after records. Ayumi is probably the best selling female artist ever in Japan music history.

Ayumi’s rivalry with another pop diva Utada Hikaru was often the talk of the town, with both singers having similar success in terms of record sales and musical awards.

Other than her music, Ayumi is famous for her fashion sense. Ayu led the Japan fashion trends for years and even has her own brand of boutiques and clothing.

Ayumi released her 39th single in early 2006 and broke the record for most #1 singles in Japan for a solo female artist previously held by Seiko Matsuda.

Why I like Ayumi Hamasaki

I like Ayumi Hamasaki for simply for her music. Her pop style is a bit different from the West; it’s more like trance with the element of pop, vice versa… pretty cool.

I like Ayumi’s dressing taste, she has good clothing sense but I don’t really like her overall appearance. I felt that she has overdone her hair and makeup.

Overall, Ayumi is a great artist and I like her.

Ayumi Hamasaki Pictures and Photos

Galleries 1 l 2

Ayumi Hamasaki related Websites

Official Website
Ayumi Hamasaki at Asia Popular Forum