TV Tokyo announced on Thursday that this fall, it will broadcast its first daytime drama series in the 44 years since the network was born. According to the network, the move is part of a push to increase overall ratings.

In the past, TV Tokyo has generally aired reruns of its jidaigeki dramas or classic foreign films. Now it will compete with the likes of TBS and Fuji TV in offering original dramas in an early afternoon time slot, which is primarily targeted at housewives. However, the network mentioned that they plan to do something a bit different.

The first drama will begin in October. The story and the cast are still undecided so far.

Comedian Yuichi Kimura (45) and talento Emiri Henmi (31) announced to the media on Friday that they have decided to divorce. They submitted the divorce papers earlier that day. This is the end of Kimura's third marriage.

The couple started dating in October 2005, which led to a quick marriage in January 2006. They never had any children, however.

Kodansha's free digital manga site MiChao! (part of its larger MouRa content site) launched a few new titles on Friday, including a new work by Kaiji Kawaguchi and another called "AKB48 Sprout."

The "AKB48 Sprout" manga highlights Team B of the theater idol group AKB48, depicting events from the members' debuts and other behind-the-scenes incidents. It is written by the group's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, and illustrated by Natsuo Kume. The first chapter, which is now available, focuses on Mayu Watanabe.

GLAY's new song "STARLESS NIGHT" will be used as the image song for NTV's soccer programming, including the regularly scheduled "Soccer Earth Monthly" and the network's coverage of major soccer matches.

The band has a history with soccer, as both TERU and TAKURO were part of the soccer team in middle school and high school, and all four band members are big fans of the sport.

"STARLESS NIGHT" is being recorded as the coupling song on GLAY's next single, "VERB," which goes on sale June 11. The single also comes with a cover of U2's "With or Without You."

Actor Keisuke Koide has landed the starring role in his first theater performance, a production of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" directed by Yukio Ninagawa. Koide will play the part of Benedick.

The play is the 20th production in the "Sai-no-Kuni Shakespeare Series." Like three of the previous ones, this version employs only male actors for the cast. The rest of the cast features Issei Takahashi as Beatrice, Hiroki Hasegawa as Claudio, and Yuki Tsukikawa as Hero.

Koide first met with the director during filming for the movie "Kisaragi." His co-star Shun Oguri had previously worked with Ninagawa, and Oguri arranged for the two to meet. After Ninagawa watched the film, he became interested in working with Koide, and he finally offered the actor the lead in "Much Ado About Nothing."

Performances will be held at the Sai-no-Kuni Saitama Arts Theater from October 7 to 23. Additional performances are scheduled for Niigata, Nagoya, and Osaka.

Fuji TV has already started filming for a drama series that will air this fall. The show is titled "Kaze no Garden" and is written by acclaimed screenwriter Sou Kuramoto. Like two of his previous works, "Kita no Kuni Kara" and "Yasashii Jikan," the series is set in the city of Furano, Hokkaido. The story revolves around an anesthesiologist with terminal cancer (Kiichi Nakai) and his family.

"Kaze no Garden" will air on Thursdays at 10:00pm, starting in October.

On Thursday, public broadcaster NHK revealed the title of its 80th Asadora, set to start its run in spring 2009. Titled "Tsubasa," the series is set mainly in the city of Kawagoe, Saitama. This is the first time that an Asadora has been set in that prefecture, and Saitama is the only one of Japan's 47 prefectures that has not been used as a setting before.

The heroine of the story is Tsubasa, the daughter of a family that runs a long-standing confectionery. She begins working at a community radio station, through which she effects change in her area.

The script is being written by Masashi Todayama ("Kasouken no Onna," the movie "Udon"). The lead role will be decided through audition in June and July.

AnimeNEXT has announced that the band RENTRER EN SOI will be performing at this year's convention. They are being brought to the event in cooperation with Jhouse-Rock ENT. The band will hold a concert on the Friday of the convention, then will be available on Saturday for signings and photo opportunities.

AnimeNEXT 2008 is taking place on June 20-22 at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey.