RYO, a member of the popular group ORANGE RANGE, announced on the band's official website that he has been married since February. The 22-year-old vocalist also revealed that he is already a father, as his wife gave birth to their first daughter last month.

Two of last year's top film stars will be co-starring in Satoshi Miki's new film, a comedy titled "Instant Numa." The lead will be played by Kumiko Aso, who picked up multiple Best Actress awards last year for her part in "Yunagi no Machi, Sakura no Kuni." Opposite her will be Ryo Kase, who won even more awards than Aso did for his performance in "Soredemo Boku wa Yattenai."

In "Instant Numa," Aso plays the curiously-named Haname Jinchoge, an OL who leaves a publishing office after her magazine "Hatena" is discontinued. Gradually sinking into poverty, she tries to turn her life around by opening an antique shop. Kase plays Gasu (or Gus), who is trying to support the troubled Haname.

Aso previously worked with director Satoshi Miki in the comical detective series "Jikou Keisatsu." She also worked with Kase several years ago when they played lovers in the movie "Bombyx Mori," but the film was never completed.

"Instant Numa" is slated for a spring 2009 release.

This fall, WOWOW will broadcast a drama special titled "Tengoku no Soup," based on a book by writer Michiko Matsuda. Matsuda, who generally writes nonfiction, is also known as the first wife of the late actor Yusaku Matsuda.

"Tengoku no Soup" follows an OL (Ryoko Kuninaka) who has to take care of her sick mother, but every day she visits restaurants seeking out a certain soup. Her only clue is a drawing left by her sister (Haruka Igawa). One day during her search, she encounters a chef (Saburo Tokito) who has lost his wife and son, and a relationship between them unfolds.

WOWOW plans to air the drama in October, but no exact date has been announced yet.