Vocaloid, the vocal synthesizer software that features virtual idol Hatsune Miku, is getting a new edition next month with a more familiar face. Called Gackpoid, this version is based on the voice of musician Gackt.

Among other new features, the software is expanding its capabilities to allow up to 16 voices.

The software is scheduled to go on sale in mid-June. A press release (in Japanese) can be read at this site, which also has an audio sample.

BoA is releasing her first "concept single" on June 4. The project is titled "Vivid -Kissing you, Sparkling, Joyful Smile-," and as the name indicates, the theme for the music, artwork, and music videos is "vivid."

Three songs are included on the single: "Kissing you," the theme song to the drama series "Shichinin no Onna Bengoshi"; "Sparkling," a commercial song for Zespri Kiwifruit; and "Joyful Smile."

The first press of the CD will include some offshot pictures from the photo shoot for the jacket and a digest version of the "Kissing you" and "Sparkling" music videos, which appear in full on the DVD edition. The first press of the DVD will contain bonus footage of the making of the videos and a segment called "BoA TV 2nd Season."

Madonna's latest album, "Hard Candy," topped the Oricon charts this past week with 55,000 in sales. Her last #1 in Japan was the 1990 release "I'm Breathless." The 17-year-11-month gap between the two chart-toppers is a record for a solo artist. One of the songs on the new album, "Miles Away," is being used as the theme song for the Takuya Kimura-starring drama series "CHANGE," which premieres on Fuji TV next Monday.

The soundtrack to the "Sushi Ouji!" was the only other new release in the Top 10, and it barely made the cut. Last week's #1, "Dream "A" live" by Arashi, fell to #5 while BENNIE K and Perfume kept their spots at #2 and #3, respectively.

Speaking of "Sushi Ouji!," the singles chart was led by that movie's theme song, "No more" by Koichi Domoto (released under the name of his character, Tsukasa Maizu). It sold near 111,000 copies.

Shuchishin was able to hang on at #2 for the 4th consecutive week, outselling new releases by the new Hello! Project unit Milky Way (#3), mihimaru GT (#4), TUBE (#5), and The Possible (#10).

In the music DVD ranking, Hey! Say! JUMP sold 70,000 copies of their first DVD, making them the youngest group in history at the top of the chart.

39-year-old actor Ryuichi Oura (often written as Ohura) has been divorced since last July, it was learned on Tuesday. He and his wife, a 30-year-old former office worker, had been married since November 2000.

According to Oura's agency, the divorce was the result of an accumulation of minor differences in the couple's values. It was an amicable split, as no consolation money will be paid by either side. While Oura officially has parental custody of their 4-year-old son, they have agreed to have the young child live with the mother for now.

The supporting cast for the movie adaptation of "Ikigami" has been announced. The film, based on a manga by Motoro Mase, was announced in February starring Shota Matsuda. Tomoyuki Takimoto is directing.

The dystopian story is set in a Japan where the government attempts to encourage productivity by randomly selecting citizens for death. Matsuda plays a young man employed to deliver "ikigami," messages informing their recipients that they only have 24 hours to live.

Takashi Tsukamoto appears as a former musician whose friend receives an ikigami. Takayuki Yamada plays another young man chosen for death, while Riko Narumi plays his blind sister. Other cast members include Jun Fubuki, Akira Emoto, Hitori Gekidan, and Takashi Sasano.

The movie finished shooting last month and is set for release in September.

Last week, Toei announced that the Thursday opening of the "Aibou" movie surpassed that of the studio's biggest hit, "YAMATO." Now, with box office numbers to show for the whole weekend, the movie looks like it may be able to eventually claim that top spot.

Thanks to the Golden Week holidays, "Aibou" had a five-day weekend (May 1-5), over which it grossed more than 1.2 billion yen. This is already close to 25% of the 5.11 billion yen that "YAMATO" earned over its entire run. On release day, it drew roughly 202,500 in attendance (about 150% of "YAMATO"'s opening) and grossed 248 million yen. Both numbers are records for Toei in the period since the year 2000.

Male "baka" trio Shuchishin is hoping to be more than a one-hit wonder in their music career. They have just announced that they will release a second single, though no details have been revealed yet.

Their first single, the self-titled "Shuchishin," charted at #2 in sales for three weeks in a row, almost beating out Ayumi Hamasaki in its initial week. According to Oricon's numbers, "Shuchishin" in fact had the highest total sales for the month of April, with 217,000 copies compared to Hamasaki's 166,000 of "Mirrorcle World" and B'z's 142,000 of "Burn -Fumetsu no Face-" (which was released one week later).

According to the latest Oricon weekly sales charts, Thelma Aoyama's "Soba ni Iru ne" has reached an estimated total of more than 424,000 copies sold. This makes it the best selling single of 2008 so far, surpassing KAT-TUN's "LIPS."

"Soba ni Iru ne" charted in the Top 10 for its first 12 weeks. It also claimed the #1 spot on Recochoku's chaku-uta and chaku-uta full rankings for 3 months in a row, which had never before been done.

Model and actress Yu Yamada is the latest celebrity rumored to be in a relationship with popular actor Shun Oguri. According to the scoop by the Sports Nippon newspaper, the pair started dating just a couple months ago after co-starring in the NTV drama series "Binbou Danshi."

Oguri was previously dating model Miho Tanaka, while Yamada was linked to actor Hideaki Ito. Both couples reportedly broke up around last summer. Oguri was later rumored to be in a relationship with Yu Kashii, but it was proven false after Kashii announced her engagement to Joe Odagiri in December.

Oguri and Yamada worked together in late 2007 for the Japanese dub of the computer-animated film "Surf's Up." But it wasn't until they played romantic interests in last season's "Binbou Danshi" that a real romance started. They apparently began dating in mid-March after filming ended. People close to the two say that it is a serious relationship.

The rumor has not yet been confirmed or denied by either side.