Yu Yamada stars in Japan's own "200 Pounds Beauty"

[Tokyograph News]

Actress Yu Yamada has landed her first starring role in a movie, titled "Kanna-san, Daiseikou Desu!" Directed by Koichi Inoue, the film draws from the same source as last year's Korean hit comedy "200 Pounds Beauty," which starred Kim Ah-jung.

"Kanna-san, Daiseikou Desu!" is originally a manga by Yumiko Suzuki. It tells the story of an unattractive woman named Kanna who undergoes plastic surgery and becomes a pop star. Yamada, who plays Kanna, is said to be a fan of the comic.

While the Korean adaptation was a romantic comedy, the Japanese version will stay truer to the manga and focus more on Kanna's relationship with her friend Kabako, played by comedian Shizu-chan of Nankai Candies.

The idea for an adaptation came up three years ago. The story will be animated up until Kanna's plastic surgery, after which the film changes entirely to live-action. Filming started this past October and wrapped up about a month later. Theatrical release is scheduled for fall 2008.

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