[KarenPang]

Arashi's starring movie 'PIKA☆NCHI' to get a spin-off

It was revealed that there will be a spin-off movie of "PIKA☆NCHI" series which stars all the Arashi members, 10 years after the previous release.

The spin-off will be titled "PIKA☆★☆NCHI LIFE IS HARD Tabun HAPPY" (read as "Pikanchi Half"), and this will mark the first time in 7 years for the members to star in a same movie together since "Kiiroi Namida", released in 2007.

The series' first movie titled "PIKA☆NCHI LIFE IS HARD Dakedo HAPPY" was Arashi's first starring film all together, and was released in October of 2002. It was about the youth of 5 high school students that lived in multi-unit apartments called Yashio Danchi.

3 years later in 2004, its sequel "PIKA☆☆NCHI LIFE IS HARD Dakara HAPPY" (read as "Pikanchi Double") was also released, and it featured the reunion of the 5 guys in their 20s.

For the spin-off episode, it will depict the 5 guys that are now in their 30s, and have a reunion after 10 years as they're running into problems with their family or work.

This spin-off will be placed as the series' "2.5th" work, as Matsumoto Jun explains, "If we placed it as the 3rd release, it would be too high of a hurdle. We want to enjoy it loosely from the '2.5th' position."

Though Arashi sang the theme songs for both previous films, they will not be singing for this spin-off as it's the "2.5th" work.

Reportedly, the plan for the spin-off was started in April. Ninomiya Kazunari also says the film will be "quite loose, since it suddenly started."

"PIKA☆★☆NCHI LIFE IS HARD Tabun HAPPY" will be screened limitedly at TOKYO DOME CITY HALL during August 1st to the 31st.

http://www.tokyohive.com/article/201...et-a-spin-off-