The rumor of a live-action "Negima!" series has apparently been confirmed. Mangaka Ken Akamatsu wrote an entry on his blog announcing the news, and he mentions that the full story will see print in magazines next week.

Akamatsu recognizes that a lot of people won't like the idea of a live-action version, but he says they should hold their judgment until after they've seen the cast for the 31 female students, which is expected to be revealed soon.

Veteran actress Toki Shiozawa, often recognized for her unusual hairstyles, died of stomach cancer on Thursday. She was 78.

Shiozawa had battled cancer three times earlier, each time undergoing surgery. The first was when she was diagnosed with tongue cancer at the age of 30. She later dealt with cancer in each breast, once at age 56 and again at age 76.

The latest issue of FRIDAY reports that talento Masami Hisamoto may be in a relationship. Her alleged partner is more than ten years younger than her (she's 46), and is the son of a distinguished business family. He was a high school classmate of Yoshitaka Nojiri, the wedding company president who recently married model Ryoko Tanami.

According to the tabloid, the man has been seen spending the night at Hisamoto's apartment, and even seems to have an extra key. Hisamoto says that he's a good friend, but her comments also suggest there may be something more.