Fans of Fuji TV's reality show "Ainori" may have been disappointed on Tuesday after hearing that one of the show's success stories has come to an end.

The show follows seven young singles as they travel around the world together, where their goal is to eventually find love with one of the other participants.

One of the more popular participants, nicknamed Seki-chan, was successful and got married in 2002. However, he recently revealed that he got divorced three years later.

Seki-chan appeared on TV Asahi's variety show "Kusano Kid" on Tuesday, where the theme was the difference between the ideal and the reality of marriage. When asked about his marriage, Seki-chan publicly admitted for the first time that he and his wife split up in 2005. However, he did not explain the reasons for the divorce.

Seki-chan also revealed that as a result of the divorce, his weight dropped from 110kg to his current weight of 70kg. He jokingly declared that he should publish a book about a "divorce diet."

Warner Bros. is turning Katsuhiro Otomo's classic manga "Akira" into two live-action films. The studio previously held the adaptation rights years ago, but had to reacquire them in a seven-figure deal with Kodansha after they lapsed.

This will be the first feature film directed by Ireland's Ruairi Robinson, who is known for his work in short films and commercials. Gary Whitta ("Book of Eli") is writing the script. Andrew Lazar of Mad Chance is producing the film along with Leonardio DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson of Appian Way, DiCaprio's production company.

Each film will span three of the manga's six volumes, and the story will be set in "New Manhattan" instead of Neo-Tokyo. The first movie has been slated for summer 2009. No cast details have been announced.

EINSOF Marketing Group has acquired additional tickets to the X Japan reunion concerts, this time for the March 30 show. Last week, the organization announced an international ticket sale for the March 29 concert.

The new tickets are on sale now until the 22nd at the EINSOF website.

Actress and gravure idol Yuriko Shiratori revealed on Sunday that her blog has reached 9 million hits. However, it was accompanied by the news that she is no longer with her agency, A-Team. It appears that she may have been dropped by the company, though the reason for the dismissal was not revealed.

Shiratori played the heroine on "Kamen Rider Den-O," but she had to be replaced last July due to health problems which were said to be caused by overwork. She was also absent from the premiere of the show's first movie, "Kamen Rider Den-O: Ore, Tanjo!"

On her blog, Shiratori hinted at some conflict with her agency. "If I understood the workings of the world of show business a bit more, I might have been able to walk a different path," she wrote.

She stated that she has not yet decided on her future plans, though she hopes to eventually make her return to show business.

This spring, TV Asahi will broadcast a 5th series of "Shichinin no Onna Bengoshi." Like the last series, which aired in 2006, Yumiko Shaku plays the lead role among a group of seven female lawyers.

Returning cast members include Yoko Nogiwa, Sachie Hara, and Masaru Nagai. Chizuru Azuma, Tomoko Nakajima (Othello), Rieko Miura, and Saori Takizawa are new additions.

The series starts in April and will air on Thursdays at 9:00pm.

Not long after the announcement of a new solo single, Miki Fujimoto is now starring in her first play. Directed by Masamichi Sugita, it is a revival of playwright Kensuke Yokouchi's "HAKANA." It was previously performed in 2002 with Haruka Igawa in the lead role, a performance that earned her a Golden Arrow Award.

The story revolves around Hakana, a beautiful woman born from a baby's soul placed inside a body made from corpses. She becomes an oiran (courtesan) who has mastered the art of making men happy, but she is unable to have intimate relationships or else her body will melt away.

The play will run at the Meijiza in Tokyo on April 18-27.

Motoro Mase's manga series "Ikigami" is being adapted as a live-action movie, starring popular young actor Shota Matsuda. The comic is serialized in Weekly Young Sunday, and the four released tankoubon have so far sold more than 1 million copies.

In the manga, the Japanese government establishes a new measure meant to encourage citizens to lead productive lives. People are randomly selected for death, and are issued "ikigami" (death notices) informing them that they have only 24 hours left to live. The story examines not only the lives of the chosen victims, but also that of a young man (Matsuda) whose job is to deliver the ikigami.

Of the 53 companies that reportedly bid for the rights to adapt the manga, TBS' movie division came out as the winner. Tomoyuki Takimoto has signed on as director.

Filming will last about two months, starting on March 4, and theatrical release has been scheduled for the end of September.

Singer Masayoshi Yamazaki, who does the theme song of the Fuji TV drama series "Ashita no Kita Yoshio," will make a guest appearance on the show. During the 8th episode (February 26), Yamazaki will be seen on screen, though he will not interact with lead actor Fumiyo Kohinata.

However, Kohinata will also appear in the music video for the theme song, "Mayonaka no Boon Boon," which is being released as a single on March 12. In the video, he and Yamazaki meet and spend time together at a batting cage. This is Kohinata's first time appearing in a PV.

The latest creation from Fuji TV's "mudra" ("music + drama") project stars actress Erika Toda. Produced in collaboration with FUJIPACIFIC MUSIC, "mudra" are short dramas based on songs that are then distributed online.

Toda's drama is based on the song "Lily," which was released by the band Monkey Majik while they were still on an independent label. Directed by Fuji TV's Michio Mitsuno and written by Yumiko Inoue, the comical story depicts a young woman (Toda) sending a video letter to her ex-boyfriend (Yoshihiko Hosoda).

The drama consists of 3 episodes, each roughly 5-7 minutes in length. The episodes will be sold for 210 yen apiece, available for mobile phones through NTT DoCoMo's iMovie Gate site starting on the 20th, and through Fuji TV's Fuji Melo site starting on March 3.

"Kurobe no Taiyou," a 1968 film directed by Kei Kumai that starred Yujiro Ishihara and Toshiro Mifune, is being adapted as a stage play. The movie has not been seen by the public in 40 years, as Ishihara requested that it never be broadcast on television or released on video or DVD.

The original movie was one of the biggest successes of its time. The story recounted the construction of the largest dam in Japan, the Kurobe dam in the Toyama Prefecture. The movie's climax was a flood scene which resulted in Ishihara fracturing a thumb during filming. For the stage version, a 20,000-liter water tank is being prepared to reenact the scene.

Shido Nakamura is replacing Ishihara as the star in the production, which will be the first play handled by film director Kiyoshi Sasabe. Mifune's successor has not yet been cast.

The play will open at the Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka on October 5.

Tora-Con 2008 has announced that pop/rock duo unicorn table will be attending the convention as a musical guest. They will perform live during the one-day event, which is being held on April 26 at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York.

AOI, the 35-year-old guitarist of rock band SHAZNA, got married on January 3. His wife is 27-year-old Akira Morimoto, an actress and lyricist. The couple had been dating for a year and a half, and Morimoto is now expecting their first child in June.