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If you're starting a pop group in Japan, where giant rosters and virtual superstars are par for the course, how do you stand out? By tying yourself to something trendy -- and in 2018, that means cryptocurrency. Meet Kasotsuka Shojo (Virtual Currency Girls), a J-pop group where each of the eight girls represents one of the larger digital monetary formats. Yes, you're supposed to cheer for bitcoin or swoon over ethereum (what, no litecoin?). The group played its first concert on January 12th, and naturally you had to pay in cryptocurrency to be one of the few members of the general public to get in. The group's first single, "The Moon and Virtual Currencies and Me," warns listeners about the perils of fraud and extols the virtues of good online security. And yes, there's a reason for the exceptionally timely theme. Katsosuka Shojo is promoting the idea that cryptocurrency isn't a "tool of speculation," but rather a means of creating a "...

Apple has been ordering original shows at a breakneck pace , and now it's branching out beyond big-name dramas . Deadline has learned that the tech giant has ordered a 10-episode documentary from Time Inc. and Matthew Weaver (shown at left), the producer known for his work on the musical Rock of Ages and Jiro Dreams of Sushi . The series, simply titled Home , will take viewers inside "extraordinary" houses and discuss the designers that created them. It's not clear who will narrate the series or when it's expected to premiere. This is the first documentary Apple has ordered since it tapped influential Hollywood execs Jamie Erlicht and Zack Amburg to lead its video programming division , and it gives a clearer picture of the programming diversity Apple is shooting for. Drama may be the centerpiece, but it won't be your only choice. There are still many unknowns, though. While Apple is believed to have a $1 billion war chest for original programming, we...