Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Nagano Mei’s Drama Won’t Feature Best Friend Imada Mio After All — Ito Kentaro Cast as Her Co-Star Instead

    It’s been revealed that Nagano Mei’s close friend Imada Mio will not be co-starring in the DMM TV drama “Himachi no Joou” (a pun blending “hostess” and “queen”), where Nagano serves as both lead actress and, for the first time, producer. Ito Kentaro has been cast as her co-star instead.

    On 5channel, users made sarcastic jabs tying the news to Ito’s past traffic accident and Nagano’s reported romance, while others pointed to scheduling issues on Imada’s side.

    8/26/2026

    “When I was asked, ‘Why not try being a producer?’, I felt both surprise and a growing excitement for a new challenge — getting to be involved in making the show from a different position than before.”

    On August 17th, it was announced that Nagano Mei would star in the DMM TV drama “Himachi no Joou,” streaming this winter, while also taking on producing duties for the first time. She shared these comments about her excitement for the new challenge.

    Source: jprime.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:24
    Such a shame they couldn't cast Tanaka Kei for this.
    3AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:24
    Framing it as her being 'turned down' is just malicious wording.
    4AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:24
    Wonder how much synergy you get combining an affair scandal with a hit-and-run.
    8AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:25
    Ito Kentaro, huh.
    Well, I guess they can just commiserate over each other's scandals together.
    12AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:26
    Deguchi Natsuki said she wanted to be in it too.
    13AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:26
    Turned down by her own best friend… (´・ω・`) (a sad kaomoji face)
    14AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:27
    It's probably a call made by Imada's talent agency too.
    15AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:27
    Wait, what?!
    Is it really okay to use the Manga One source material?
    17AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:28
    Imada Mio's genuinely in high demand — her schedule's packed with network TV and film work, so it can't be helped.
    19AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:28
    Both Imada herself and her agency probably declined.

    If they start marketing it as a 'besties co-starring' hook, Imada's side is the only one who loses out.
    20AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:28
    😭
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GS5iPnFa0AAXaLA.jpg
    21AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:28
    >Due to scheduling reasons
    　
    hiding that part to bait people into a misleading thread title —
    what do you think you're doing, mods?
    23AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:29
    Ito Kentaro's stuck with this image of being dumped by Yamamoto Maika.
    Nobody would complain if he ended up with Mei.
    26AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:29
    They were basically on equal footing as morning-drama actresses, but he dropped a rank after causing that incident. Whatever he himself thinks, the agency surely doesn't want them co-starring.
    27AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:29
    There's no way his agency would ever give the okay.
    29AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:29
    There's no upside for someone as in-demand as Imada Mio to play a hostess-club role on Netflix in the first place.
    63AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:35
    Re: #29
    Netflix is a different project.
    It was DMM TV that offered the role to Imada Mio lol
    32AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:30
    Was it more like Imada going 'haha, you're joking, right? LOL'?
    35AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:30
    Make it FANZA, not DMM, please. (FANZA is DMM's adult-content brand — that's the joke)
    36AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:30
    Well yeah, it's DMM after all —
    Imada's got way too many major ad campaigns for that.
    38AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:30
    Just cast Tanaka Kei already
    — this is the perfect chance.
    42AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:31
    Even a bit part would be fine, but I want Becky in this too.
    45AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:32
    Invite Nakai-kun too, won't you.
    60AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:34
    Re: #45
    Throw in Sato Jiro, Matsumoto Hitoshi, and Kokubun Taichi too and you'd really round out the range.
    89AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:39
    Re: #60
    Jungle Pocket's Saito: 'I'll bring baumkuchen as a gift, so count me in.'
    50AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:33
    Appearing in something this cheap-looking would be career suicide.
    51AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:33
    How about an all-star cast of people who used to be big names but for various reasons you don't see around anymore?
    54AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:33
    Re: #1
    No way that's true lol
    dying laughing lol
    55AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:34
    Then bring in the 'outlet guy' too (´・ω・｀) (referencing an actor's past scandal involving an electrical outlet)
    56AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:34
    She's the only one who could play live-action Mii-chan.
    Who needs an anime —
    hurry up and get the drama version on Netflix.
    62AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:35
    Re: #56
    Mii-chan's just glorified — it was retconned later that she's actually supposed to be plain-looking, so it wouldn't work.
    57AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:34
    Ito: 'If you'll sleep with me, I guess I'll do the drama.'

    Nagano: '(without missing a beat) Sure.'
    58AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:34
    Of course she'd refuse —
    it's such an obvious 'drag someone down with you' move.
    86AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:39

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5channel (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Best friend Imada Mio turns down co-starring role in Nagano Mei’s starring & producing DMM TV drama “Himachi no Joou” — Ito Kentaro cast as co-star in his comeback project [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★].”

  • Square Enix Reportedly Mulling Pachinko Versions of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy — 5ch Split on the Idea

    On 5ch’s Hardware & Industry (Geha) board, a rumor that Square Enix might license out Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy for pachinko and pachislot machines became a hot topic. Some posters argued that the story about Akira Toriyama hating pachinko is just an urban legend, while others pointed to the different treatment Dragon Ball gets under Shueisha’s management, or brought up Yuji Horii’s well-known love of gambling. One comment drew widespread agreement: “Both the DQ and FF generations are hitting the age where games get physically tiring, but pachinko can keep squeezing money out of you well past 70.”

    10AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:42
    Toriyama hated pachinko, so Dragon Quest is a no-go.
    14AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:43
    Re: #10
    Put another way, doesn't that mean it's fair game now?
    18AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:44
    Re: #14
    You know what licensing rights are, right?
    23AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:47
    Re: #18
    Don't tell me that — tell whoever got the trademark approved.
    134AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:02
    Re: #18
    He's already passed away, so maybe his wishes no longer apply, which is why the trademark got filed. Or did you seriously open this thread without even knowing he'd died?
    17AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:44
    The whole 'Toriyama hated pachinko' thing is just an urban legend.
    24AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:47
    Re: #17
    But if they actually go through with it here, that'd lend some credibility to the story.
    22AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:46
    I've just been assuming FF might happen but Dragon Quest wouldn't. If Dragon Quest gets one, then you'd have to ask 'what about Dragon Ball?'
    26AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:48
    Re: #22
    Shueisha would block that. Turning their flagship boys' magazine property into a gambling product would be career-ending, even in name only.
    28AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:51
    As for going 'downmarket' (into pachinko) — these days it's actually rarer to find a Capcom game, which outranks Square Enix titles, that HASN'T been turned into pachinko or pachislot. And there are still people out there who believe the Toriyama story; that mindset is stuck 20 years in the past.
    35AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:55
    Re: #28
    No, plenty of creators say no to gambling tie-ins. And it's not even about whether they personally like or dislike gambling, or have gripes with the pachinko industry — many creators pour their own philosophy and soul into their work, wearing themselves down to create it. It's not like most commercial works are just 'use it for anything as long as it makes money.' That's simply how it is, and it has nothing to do with the era.
    32AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:53
    It's funny that you can tell it's Garo (a tokusatsu hero franchise) even with the mosaic censoring. Wonder if they'll do something like 'Thrust in the Sword of Roto!'
    33AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:54
    Re: #32
    That's Battle Road! I played that as a kid.
    51AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:05
    Both the DQ and FF generations are reaching the age where playing games gets physically tough. But with pachinko, they can keep squeezing money out of you even past 70!
    98AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:35
    Re: #51
    Skimmed through the thread, and this comment nails it best. It might honestly be the most fitting path for Dragon Quest and FF as they head straight toward becoming a 'dying fandom' (an aging fanbase with no new blood). As someone right in that generation myself, it's kind of sad though…
    108AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:38
    Re: #51
    Whether the machines see more play or less, Square Enix's revenue doesn't change either way. At most they can charge the manufacturer a hefty upfront licensing fee. That's the difference between them and companies like Sega, Capcom, or Konami.
    52AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:06
    If you asked me to name one thing I dislike about DQ11, I'd say the realistic slot-machine minigame right off the bat. The casino itself still falls within fantasy territory for now, but those slots feel way too real, lol.
    56AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:10
    Re: #52
    The 3DS team finished development early, and while waiting around they used the extra time to add the time-traveling Yotta content. Then they forced extra/exclusive content into the PS5 version too…
    58AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:10
    Didn't Fist of the North Star leave Shueisha's management over 20 years ago when it moved to Bunch magazine? City Hunter has also had reprints put out by publishers other than Shueisha, right?

    For example, if you look at the rights notice for the game Hokuto ga Gotoku:

    The copyright credit reads "©SEGA ©Buronson・Tetsuo Hara/NSP 1983, License No. GA-217"

    So it looks like it's credited to the original creators. Meaning as long as they're not using anime footage, it's probably a matter that sits with the original creators' side, not Shueisha.

    But I could be wrong.
    63AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:12
    Re: #58
    There are plenty of cases where Shueisha holds the rights and it still got turned into pachinko.
    59AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:11
    These days, maybe because of how the business model works, it's not unusual anymore for anime to end up in pachinko. Is Square Enix — which keeps outsourcing development — heading toward a similar situation?
    68AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:19
    Re: #59
    It's not solely pachinko money's fault, but a bunch of factors have combined into a slow-acting poison for the anime industry. If they don't preserve the environment and relationships that let creators make what they truly want to make and pour their souls into it, the industry is finished.

    Kind of similar to how mobile-gacha addicts and the flood of 'Narou-style' web-novel isekai have caused their own set of problems, lol.
    64AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:13
    How much can you actually win in a day playing pachinko or smart-slot machines?


    From now on, you can't call yourself a true believer unless you've completed both of the big two, lol.
    69AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:19
    Fist of the North Star, Evangelion, Gundam, Monster Hunter — those were basically proof an IP had made it to the top tier. Anything bigger than that is really just Dragon Ball, Mario, and Pokémon territory. One Piece and Demon Slayer are strong, but still a notch below Evangelion or Gundam.
    72AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:22
    Re: #69
    These days pachinko parlors are basically being carried by Tokyo Ghoul, pushing all those older franchises aside.

    Also, Attack on Titan seems like it could stand alongside Fist of the North Star in scale — though turning it into pachinko seems like it'd be tough.
    83AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:28
    Well, once you start hearing the Dragon Quest level-up chime or the FF victory fanfare coming out of a pachinko parlor, the IP will definitely feel a notch more 'tainted.'
    87AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:30
    They're already making mobile gacha games worse than pachinko, so this is nothing new at this point.
    97AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:35
    Re: #87
    A rip-off gacha game that just drains your wallet and actual gambling like pachinko are surely on a different level.
    106AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:38
    Re: #87
    They're different in kind, but I get what you're saying.

    You could argue pachinko is actually more honest, since it doesn't pretend to be 'just a game' — but then again, that world is its own black box full of shady stuff too, lol.
    89AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:31
    Wasn't there something like 'Road [something]' and Million Arthur that got turned into pachinko/pachislot machines?
    94AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:33
    Re: #89
    https://p-town.dmm.com/machines/3324
    https://p-town.dmm.com/machines/2978

    Yeah, nobody remembers those, lol.
    92AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:33
    By the way, when it comes to video-game-themed pachislot, I'm a fan of the Tekken series machines. Bandai Namco, please put out a Pachislot Tekken Collection.
    99AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:35
    Re: #92
    Looked it up, and there are only a handful of paid one-time-purchase smartphone apps too. But if you're going to beg anyone for it, it's probably Yamasa (the pachislot maker), not Bandai Namco.
    132AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:00
    They're already running gacha in mobile games that's worse than pachinko, so maybe this really is nothing new at this point.
    135AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:02
    Re: #132
    Both are trash, but at least gacha pulls leave you with something (items, account data), right? Most pachinko addicts don't even end up with that much.
    140AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:05
    Re: #132
    With mobile games you can just tap to pay for gacha while lying in bed. That's clearly more harmful in practice than pachinko.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware & Industry / Geha) thread “[Good News] Square Enix Reportedly Bringing Pachinko/Pachislot Versions of Dragon Quest and FF!?“.

  • Hometown Tax Donations Post Over ¥260 Billion in ‘Losses’ — 5ch Asks: ‘This Was Supposed to Be a Sure Win, So Why the Deficit?’

    In fiscal year 2025, Tokyo and 18 other prefectures saw tax revenue outflows exceed what they took in through Japan’s “hometown tax” donation program (furusato nozei), with total losses topping ¥260 billion. On 5ch, the discussion split between users questioning a system that bleeds money through intermediary fees, and those defending it as working exactly as intended — shifting tax revenue from cities to rural areas.

    Hometown Tax Donations: 19 Prefectures in the Red — Tokyo’s Losses Hit ¥225.5 Billion in FY2025

    An independent calculation of FY2025 hometown tax donation figures — receipts minus the cost of reward gifts and the tax deductions residents claim — found that 19 prefectures saw more revenue flow out than in, putting them in the red. Tokyo’s shortfall alone reached ¥225.5 billion. The outflow, concentrated in urban areas, has once again exposed the strains built into the system.

    Source: asahi.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:32
    On top of everything, hometown tax donations eat up valuable work hours from civil servants.
    They're already busy enough — having to handle all this paperwork on top of it, I actually feel bad for them.
    58AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:59
    Re: #2
    Public servants are basically slaves, so who cares.
    6AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:34
    It's a system designed to redistribute money that's concentrated in cities out to rural areas — of course the cities end up in the red. That's just how it's supposed to work.
    8AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:35
    Re: #6
    Isn't the whole country ending up in the negative too though?
    11AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:37
    Re: #6
    So we're spending ¥260 billion just to redistribute money to rural areas…?
    7AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:35
    I do it because you lose out if you don't, but honestly I think this system mostly just benefits the middlemen.
    63AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:00
    Re: #7
    There's a cap on how much you can donate, sure, but everyone living in Tokyo is piling into hometown tax donations to send money to rural areas — of course the cities end up in the red.
    I mean, that's literally the point of the system.
    9AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:35
    How do you even manage to run a system that was supposed to be a guaranteed win and end up ¥260 billion in the red overall?
    10AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:36
    There's no way the total was ever going to be in the black, however you look at it.
    14AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:39
    There's a whole glut of hometown tax donation portal sites now — "Furu-whatever," Rakuten, you name it. Those things wouldn't exist unless someone was making money off them, so it's not just a simple lateral shift of tax revenue.
    48AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:53
    Re: #14
    Well, it's basically a government-sanctioned skimming system that ordinary citizens get to participate in.
    It's the ultimate "dumb it down for the masses" policy.
    16AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:39
    Wait, I just thought of something — if the goal is redistribution, couldn't the national government just… allocate money to local governments directly?! 😲💡
    24AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:41
    Re: #16
    Exactly. It just talks a good game on the surface — what's actually happening is pure vested interests.
    19AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:40
    If somewhere's in the black, it means money's flowing out of somewhere else — isn't that just obvious?
    22AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:41
    Re: #19
    By that logic, shouldn't it all net out to zero overall?
    28AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:43
    Can you actually make a hometown tax donation to the place you already live in?
    30AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:43
    Re: #28
    I mean, you can still make the donation itself, right?
    29AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:43
    Re: #22
    The deficit's from the portal sites' fees — isn't this a system that was never going to turn a profit in the first place?
    32AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:44
    Re: #29
    That's exactly one of the points people criticize it for.
    36AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:46
    The whole system got broken because of the reward gifts.
    Whoever started that needs to answer for it.
    37AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:47
    Re: #36
    Well, but without the gifts, who'd even bother using it? There's that too.
    40AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:47
    Wasn't it around ¥130 billion in intermediary fees last year?
    That's roughly how much tax revenue just evaporates.
    43AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:50
    Re: #40
    As long as that money becomes income for those companies, isn't that fine?
    44AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:51
    Re: #43
    If you can say that about every middleman skimming a cut, then sure, I guess it's fine.
    65AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:02
    Re: #44
    Well, that money does end up as someone's income too, in the end.
    79AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:22
    As a system, this is about as bad as it gets.
    Roughly 20% of hometown tax donations go straight to companies as site operating costs.
    Amazon's jumped in on this too now — money that should be going to the government as tax revenue is instead flowing out to foreign companies. However you slice it, that's a net loss for the country.
    83AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:25
    Re: #79
    If something benefits you, it's best not to overthink it and just use it.
    Our elected representatives have kept this system running for years, so I guess that's the will of the people.
    82AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:25
    Rural areas making a bit more while cities lose tax revenue — that was the whole point from the start, so isn't this a success?
    86AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:28
    Re: #82
    That was the whole point to begin with — this system was created by Yoshihide Suga back when he was Minister of Internal Affairs. The "hometown" in the name, and all that talk about "giving back to the hometown you moved away from," is just window dressing.
    91AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:34
    My resident tax has gone way down, I'll tell you that.
    93AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:35
    Re: #91
    You're just paying it upfront instead, that's all.
    97AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:37
    I'm honestly shocked how many people in this thread don't understand how this works…

    Looked at nationally, it's simple:
    – total tax revenue stays the same
    – whatever gets spent on the reward gifts just becomes the deficit
    That's literally all this is.
    107AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:48
    Re: #97
    Re: #98
    Oh look at you, thinking on a national scale. Good for you.
    But honestly — rural areas are getting poorer and the government wants to help them out, except there's no budget for it. And you can't exactly just tell cities "hand over your tax money to the countryside." So in the end, isn't this whole hometown tax donation thing just a way to move money from cities to rural areas without anyone complaining?
    Though people are starting to complain now anyway.
    98AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:38
    Apparently overall tax revenue is shrinking because of this. Is there even a point?
    103AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:44
    Kids who grow up and finish school in rural areas all go off to universities in Tokyo, get jobs at Tokyo companies, and pay their taxes in Tokyo — of course rural areas are going to say "don't just suck us dry and give nothing back."
    109AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:49
    Re: #103
    Then they should only let you donate to places you've actually lived, no?
    121AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:17
    It's called a "hometown" tax donation, so obviously that's how it's supposed to work.
    123AnonymousAug 26, 2026 16:20
    Re: #121
    Except, apparently, you can donate to places that aren't your hometown too.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nanademo Jikkyo G) thread “[Major Bad News] Hometown Tax Donation Losses Top ¥260 Billion… Isn’t Everyone Just Ending Up Miserable Because of This System?”.

  • Seibu’s Kuriyama Takumi Hit in the Head by Pitch, Collapses Days Before His Retirement Game

    Ahead of his retirement game scheduled for August 30, Seibu’s Takumi Kuriyama went down after being hit in the head by a pitch during a farm-team (2nd-team) game against Rakuten on the 26th. Following reports that “it sounded like his helmet cracked,” 5ch’s Entertainment & Sports Express+ board lit up with discussion over whether he’ll still be able to play in his retirement game, how the scheduling works, and reactions toward the opposing pitcher.

    8/26 (Wed) 14:19 JST

    Nikkan Sports

    <Farm League Interleague Game: Seibu vs. Rakuten> ◇August 26◇ Kaminiku Field

    Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:06
    Rest up for a week, okay~
    6AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:07
    If it's a concussion, could that rule him out of the retirement game?
    10AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:10
    So is this a retirement with no retirement ceremony?
    21AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:15
    Re: #10
    They can probably still hold the ceremony, but he might not get to actually take the field and show off his game one last time.
    47AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:22
    Re: #21
    They're still in the pennant hunt and want to lock up at least 2nd place, so it's an awkward time for this.
    11AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:10
    42 years old, that's impressive
    50AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:25
    Re: #11
    Then again, his stats aren't like Yamasaki Takeshi, who was still smashing hits well past 40 — realistically he's like 5 years overdue for retirement. And now this beanball on top of it lol
    12AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:11
    Isn't the level of baseball kind of low these days?
    Beanballs to the head used to be pretty rare, right?
    Maybe pitchers' lower-body mechanics have gotten weaker.
    They're just getting velocity from weight training — the actual skill level is seriously low.
    18AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:14
    Re: #12
    It's because batters stopped bailing out of the way.
    13AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:12
    And of all teams, the retirement game opponent is Rakuten too
    28AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:16
    Re: #13
    Wasn't his former teammate Kishi supposed to pitch in that one?
    15AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:13
    Come on, at least let the guy get his timing down, it's just a farm game.
    Even if he gets hit hard, they'd cut him some slack given the circumstances.
    16AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:13
    > Bottom of the 3rd, 2 outs, Rakuten's Koga's fastball hits Kuriyama square in the head.
    > Bottom of the 3rd, 2 outs, Rakuten's Koga's fastball hits Kuriyama square in the head.
    > Bottom of the 3rd, 2 outs, Rakuten's Koga's fastball hits Kuriyama square in the head.


    The way this is written makes it sound like he got hit and died.
    17AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:13
    Well, worst case they could just postpone the retirement game, no?
    24AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:15
    Re: #17
    They're drawing fans in specifically for Kuriyama's retirement game — a rainout is one thing, but a game where the man himself doesn't play would basically be false advertising lol
    22AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:15
    A no-control pitcher whose only redeeming quality is velocity is a menace!
    25AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:16
    Nobody saw this coming — the moment he finally 'awakens'
    27AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:16
    [Photo] A young Kuriyama Takumi posing for a commemorative photo with his father and mother back when he first joined the team

    He was full of energy back then…
    29AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:16
    Who threw that?! Was it Fujinami?! Fujinami Shintaro pitched that one?! (a nod to Fujinami's infamous wildness)
    32AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:17
    I could understand it if it were a breaking ball that slipped out of his hand, but it was a fastball…
    33AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:17
    Checked the schedule —
    the retirement game is a first-team (top-league) game.
    Well, of course it is.
    34AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:17
    Kind of sad for the Pacific League honestly —
    a guy nobody's even heard of has 2,150 career hits
    36AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:19
    Got 2,000 hits and he's still this unflashy
    39AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:20
    Re: #36
    Getting 2,000 hits is genuinely hard, you know
    But yeah, unflashy
    37AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:19
    This is tough love saying 'I'm not letting you retire just yet'
    45AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:21
    Kuriyama and Chunichi's Oshima are both so unflashy you'd never guess either one has 2,000 hits
    57AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:26
    Re: #45
    Even glove-first guys like Araki Masahiro, Miyamoto Shinya, and Tanishige Motonobu got their 2,000 hits too
    52AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:25
    Re: #28
    I saw an article saying it'd be nice if he got to pitch, but it comes down to whether Rakuten's side is willing to make a classy gesture.
    65AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:29
    Re: #52
    They're already locked into last place, so maybe Yoshii will just let it be a friendly, low-stakes game
    53AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:25
    In MLB a beanball to the head means an automatic trip to the IL — how does NPB handle it?
    No pension once you retire either, tough being in a declining league.
    60AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:28
    Re: #53
    Unlike the J.League, both revenue and attendance here keep climbing though
    63AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:29
    Re: #60
    So, did the pension come back?
    76AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:34
    Re: #60
    Apparently the J.League's attendance and revenue are climbing too despite all that
    The JFA running a deficit is just because it's not structured as a stock company
    75AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:34
    Why put a player whose retirement is already set in stone into a farm-team game?
    Wouldn't it make more sense to give the young guys the reps instead?
    80AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:38
    Re: #75
    He's a franchise legend so they want to give him a top-team retirement game, but Seibu's sitting in 2nd place and can't afford to ease off.
    So he went out to a farm game just to get some timing work in — and took a pitch to the head for it.
    81AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:41
    Re: #47
    Guess it's next year's preseason then
    89AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:46
    Re: #81
    Honestly that'd be better
    They're already locked into a Climax Series spot this year anyway

    *This article is compiled and summarized from excerpts of the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports Express+) thread “[Seibu] Kuriyama Takumi, set for his retirement game on the 30th, hit in the head by a pitch — sound like a cracking helmet as he collapses, farm game.”

  • New ‘Genso Suikoden’ Mobile Game: 5ch Users Wait Out Maintenance, Ask ‘Can I Still Enjoy It Starting Now?’

    A chat thread popped up on Newsspeed VIP as users waited for maintenance to end on the new mobile game ‘Genso Suikoden: Star Leap’.

    Regulars fielded questions about app size, gacha rates, and whether it’s still worth starting now.

    1AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:33
    (っ´ω`c) Thread for waiting out the maintenance
    2AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:35
    (っ´ω`c) Maintenance won't end 😭 ugh…
    4AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:37
    Re: #2
    (っ´ω`c) I believe it'll end at 6 PM
    9AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:40
    How big's the install?
    I got wrecked on Star Rail (Honkai: Star Rail) gacha, so I'll try this if it's lightweight
    13AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:41
    Re: #9
    (っ´ω`c) The app was about 3GB
    10AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:40
    Haven't played since day-one login
    Is it any good?
    14AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:42
    Re: #10
    (っ´ω`c) It's a good time
    18AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:46
    (ꐦ·᷅ὢ·᷄ꐦ ) Is a crappy event about to start?
    20AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:49
    Re: #18
    (っ´ω`c) It's not confirmed to be crappy yet
    22AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:50
    (ꐦ·᷅ὢ·᷄ꐦ ) Does the gacha update weekly?
    23AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:51
    Re: #22
    (っ´ω`c) Sounds like new characters are coming 4 weeks in a row
    24AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:51
    Can I still enjoy it if I start now?
    25AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:52
    Re: #24
    (っ´ω`c) Yeah, you can enjoy it just fine — it's not a game where you're competing against other players
    26AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:52
    Re: #25
    Thanks
    I'll give it a shot when I get home
    29AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:56
    Re: #25
    (ꐦ·᷅ὢ·᷄ꐦ ) That kind of depends on the event, doesn't it?
    There's already some kind of ranking system in place at this stage anyway

    Feels like they're gonna do ranked events too
    Not sure about this particular one, but they've already built in stuff like 'war' that's clearly headed that direction
    27AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:53
    Ryza Chat's rating dropped to 2.2
    Well yeah, it's built around spending money so that tracks
    There's seriously nothing you can do for free in that thing
    32AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:01
    Re: #27
    (っ´ω`c) It's basically an online hostess club (an app designed to milk you for cash like a cabaret club)
    28AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:56
    Show me some of the cute characters that are already in the game
    34AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:01
    Re: #28
    (っ´ω`c) Can't show you, it's still under maintenance — Lotte-chan is cute though
    30AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:59
    (´･ω･`) Have you played Atelier Ryza AI?
    37AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:02
    Re: #30
    (っ´ω`c) Nope, haven't played it
    33AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:01
    Depending on the gacha, am I retiring today? pomi
    38AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:03
    Re: #33
    (っ´ω`c) You're not gonna pull it anyway
    35AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:01
    (´･ω･`) Is the Steam version not out yet?
    39AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:03
    Re: #35
    (っ´ω`c) Not yet
    42AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:07
    In the mood for some fried sweet shrimp
    That stuff is way too good
    46AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:11
    Re: #42
    (っ´ω`c) Really?
    43AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:07
    Re: #38
    Are you gonna pull today!? Or wait for the 4th banner!?
    47AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:12
    Re: #43
    (っ´ω`c) Can't pull, I'm out of gems (gacha currency)
    53AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:20
    I had a similarly brutal bust during the Fate collab in Mahjong Soul
    Did like 70 pulls and got zero collab characters, barely even got 'near-miss' pulls (same-rarity but non-featured characters) — worst luck ever
    That one had me half-convinced the '5% rate' had to be a lie
    When the RNG screws you that hard, you start suspecting the odds are rigged
    55AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:22
    Re: #53
    (っ´ω`c) If the collab character pickup rate is only around 1%, that's honestly plausible
    59AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:24
    All I ever max-dupe is old guys and dogs 😔
    60AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:25
    Re: #59
    (っ´ω`c) Well, if the old guy and dog are actually useful, maxing them out isn't so bad
    61AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:26
    (´･ω･`) What even is 'Genso Suikoden'? Isn't that different from the actual Water Margin?
    64AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:28
    Re: #61
    (っ´ω`c) I mean, they added fantasy elements to Water Margin, so it's the 'Illusory' Water Margin, right? Not really sure though
    63AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:27
    Re: #55
    Nah, I think there are 4 pickup characters at around 0.7% each, so if you don't care which one, the odds of a near-miss are actually lower
    66AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:29
    Re: #63
    (っ´ω`c) Ah, I see, fair enough
    116AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:02
    (´･ω･`) Yikes

    119AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:05
    Re: #116
    (っ´ω`c) Do you eat it sandwiched between something?

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Newsspeed VIP) thread “(っ´ω`c) Genso Suikoden: Star Leap Thread“.

  • Apple’s Cloth: New Model Drops to ¥1,580 — 5ch: ‘It’s Just a Cloth’

    Apple has released a new model of its screen-cleaning polishing cloth for ¥1,580 — nearly half the price of the previous model — sparking plenty of discussion online. On 5ch, while some posters welcomed the price cut, many others took the chance to mock the whole idea of paying money for “just a cloth.”

    Apple’s “Cloth” Nearly Half Price — New Model Goes on Sale for ¥1,580, What’s Changed – ITmedia NEWS

    August 26, 2026, 11:44 AM

    Author: Yuya Hayashi

    Source: itmedia.co.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousAug 26, 2026 11:56
    The faithful, making their offerings (お布施 = a temple donation — i.e., Apple fans paying tribute)
    157AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:28
    Re: #2
    Kind of reminds me of a fukusa (a silk cloth used to wrap ceremonial gifts)
    3AnonymousAug 26, 2026 11:56
    Watching an android go for a walk on YouTube beats watching Peace-kun at Omiya Park (a local peacock with his own livestream).
    42AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:13
    This is clearly made for the faithful.
    46AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:17
    Can't afford the actual device, so I'll settle for the cloth instead 😣
    48AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:18
    It's just a cloth.
    51AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:19
    How generous — Apple really does look out for its customers.
    54AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:22
    I bet a wet wipe would get it cleaner.
    57AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:23
    Re: #54
    Never would've thought of a wet wipe. What are you, Mii-chan?
    65AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:25
    Apple's gone full luxury brand these days! Then again, I don't want to buy Android either.
    183AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:25
    Re: #65
    It's not branding, it's turned into a religion, lol
    79AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:32
    People in Tokyo can't tell 'Macintosh' and 'McDonald's' apart, can they? (both get shortened to 'Makku' there, unlike Osaka's 'Makudo')
    84AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:33
    Re: #79
    Macintosh also covers both computers and audio gear.
    86AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:33
    Re: #79
    Macintosh — a variety of apple. McDonald's — Donald's son.
    82AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:33
    What is this? For wiping the screen?
    89AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:35
    Re: #82
    For wiping this screen
    ↓
    >The Nano-texture etched into the glass at the nanometer level scatters light and further minimizes reflectivity. Choosing this option makes the display remarkably easier to see even in environments where light is hard to control, like strong sunlight.
    90AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:36
    No Apple logo on it — must be a knockoff.
    97AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:40
    Re: #90
    That's because your mind's eye hasn't opened yet. Go buy a MacBook Pro.
    96AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:40
    Just dampen the sock you're wearing and wipe the display — comes out spotless.
    123AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:03
    Re: #96
    Sounds like something a lonely old man in a run-down apartment would do.
    142AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:18
    I bet if you buy this and pray to it a few times a day, you'll get a boyfriend or girlfriend, win the lottery — all kinds of divine blessings, surely.
    147AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:20
    Re: #142
    Then maybe it could've warded off Taira no Masakado's curse too (a legendary vengeful samurai spirit tied to a Tokyo shrine), and that guy wouldn't have fallen from some weird place.
    160AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:33
    A cloth's a lot more reasonable than one of those overpriced 'spiritual' vases (a classic cult scam item in Japan).
    166AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:43
    Re: #160
    A vase might actually gain value in a thousand years, but a cloth won't even last that long.
    168AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:44
    Like, 'if I'm gonna buy an Elecom or Buffalo one, I might as well get this instead.'
    171AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:49
    Re: #168
    Sounds like something 'Applo' (mocking nickname for Apple) would totally sell.
    172AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:49
    Back in the day they even sold an iPhone with a scrap of Jobs's jeans glued on, so something like this — the faithful will buy it by the thousand, minimum.
    175AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:52
    Re: #172
    Stuff tied to Jobs has this rare-item feel somehow — like the limited-edition Mac signed by Steve Wozniak, or the NeXT computers that famously didn't sell at all.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “Apple’s “Cloth” Nearly Half Price — New Model Goes on Sale for ¥1,580, What’s Changed.”

  • Harsh Criticism Over PS5’s Shrinking Lineup of Exclusive Titles

    Sony has long championed the “Only On PS5” slogan, but on 5ch, posters are increasingly pointing out how few exclusive titles the console actually has. Only a handful of games were named — Demon’s Souls Remake, Astro Bot, Ghost of Yōtei — and with multiplayer titles increasingly getting PC ports too, many posts questioned what the point of even owning a PS5 is anymore. Partway through, the thread veered into a heated argument over digital game ownership rights.

    Glad I didn’t buy a PS5.

    Stop locking titles to specific hardware.

    Selling PC versions only of the multiplayer games that need a big player count — doesn’t that basically admit the PS5 as a platform has already lost to gaming PCs?

    Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:11
    Because nobody owns one.
    5AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:12
    Re: #3
    ❌ Don't own one
    ⭕ No need to buy one
    6AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:13
    It's got nothing but masterpieces on it — this is just Nintendo fanboys' jealousy talking ("Nishi-kun," a derogatory nickname for Nintendo fans).
    7AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:14
    Re: #6
    Concord exclusive!!!

    What a masterpiece lol (Concord, Sony's infamous flop shooter)
    16AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:17
    Re: #6
    What's there to be jealous of, when the guy hyping up this hardware doesn't even own the console — let alone any of those "masterpieces"? Total armchair fan ("eapure" — talking big without ever actually playing) lol
    23AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:20
    Re: #6
    If you can convince yourself people are jealous of THIS lineup, you're unstoppable.
    Sony should just keep cranking out more Concords for the fanboys then.
    26AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:24
    The weak exclusive lineup right now is basically the result of Jim Ryan pouring money into the failed live-service business.
    Everyone who used to hype Jim up has vanished — are you people satisfied with this pathetic lineup now?

    With the roughly ¥500 billion spent buying Bungie and the tens of billions poured into Concord and the like, how many great blockbuster games could they have made instead?
    31AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:26
    Re: #26
    All that would've gotten us is more single-player-only trash like The Last of Us Part II.
    33AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:28
    Re: #26
    Honestly, the lineup was weak to begin with.
    Play them yourself and you'll see — they're mostly mediocre games that only look good.
    It was still better back when SCEJ (Sony Computer Entertainment Japan) was still around.
    86AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:43
    Re: #26
    Isn't it the other way around? Single-player games don't make much money, so they pivoted to live-service titles.
    Single-player games don't even require a PSN account to begin with, so they never fit with Sony wanting to profit off PSN anyway.
    36AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:30
    Sony threw Toro (the PlayStation mascot cat) away themselves — isn't this just karma?
    48AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:40
    Re: #36
    Yeah, they worked hard at it for years, purely out of a drive to crush the Japan branch's influence.
    43AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:37
    Just hand Toro over to Nintendo — they'd put him to a thousand times better use than SIE ever would.
    111AnonymousAug 26, 2026 15:18
    Re: #43
    Honestly, same here.
    If it weren't Sony, there'd be new Toro games by now.
    46AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:40
    The exclusive title count is so garbage people are saying Switch 2 already overtook it in just one year, lol
    63AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:06
    Re: #46
    Xbox ("crap box") and Switch ("Buhitch," a mocking mashup of "oink" and Switch aimed at Nintendo fans) both have plenty of gaps in their own libraries to begin with.
    Didn't you know these are effectively exclusives too? You guys can't even play Nioh, Rise of the Ronin, or Infinity yourselves lol
    50AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:43
    PS5 fully exclusive titles:
    Demon's Souls Remake
    Destruction AllStars (service already ended)
    Astro Bot
    Ghost of Yōtei
    Saros
    Wolverine
    GOW: Laufey
    Intergalactic
    56AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:57
    Re: #50
    Way too few lol
    That's about what Nintendo puts out in a year and a half.
    59AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:00
    Re: #50
    Exclude the ones whose service has ended or that are no longer sold.
    And exclude the ones that haven't even released yet, too.
    This console is in its sixth year and has way too few exclusives… no wonder it's turned into one of those uniquely-Sony consoles that somehow sells well despite having nothing going for it in games.

    PS5 fully exclusive titles:
    Demon's Souls Remake
    Astro Bot
    Ghost of Yōtei
    Saros
    60AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:03
    Re: #50
    And that's after digging up titles whose service already ended or that came out way back at launch…

    That's really all you've got?

    And it's nothing but trash too lmaooo

    There's zero reason to buy a PS5!!!!
    52AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:49
    Guess dropping first-party games on PC didn't sell that well after all, huh?
    62AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:06
    Re: #52
    They seriously bombed.
    Since the "our fans just don't have buying power" excuse doesn't fly against Steam, that's a pretty brutal result.
    64AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:09
    > Stop locking titles to specific hardware.
    Come on, that's a stretch. That's basically rejecting the whole concept of consoles.
    69AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:13
    Re: #64
    That's about third-party titles.
    Sony's tactics are just dirty.
    67AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:11
    Wait, for cross-play games, hasn't the PS5's player count already fallen below everyone else's a while back?
    81AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:37
    Re: #67
    There's no multiplayer title left that can beat Steam's numbers across the board.
    82AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:37
    Shutting down first-party studios left and right while still going on about exclusives…
    Makes absolutely no sense — just a half-baked idea.
    84AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:39
    Re: #82
    Because the real goal is mutual destruction.
    93AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:52
    Expecting them to "just sell more" when it's only about 10% of total sales?
    Publishers are for-profit companies, so that's just not realistic.
    If you wanted them to keep selling it, you should've bought more PC copies yourselves.
    Same story with them dropping disc versions.
    96AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:53
    Re: #93
    That's a totally separate issue from Sony officially telling you that you don't actually own your games lol
    98AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:56
    I was thinking "oh right, Destruction AllStars" but that one's about to end service, isn't it.

    ■ Schedule until online service ends
    Announcement of online service and sales discontinuation (this notice)
    May 26, 2026 (Tue), 11:00 PM
    End of sales for all Destruction AllStars-related products, including "Destruction Points" (effective same time as this notice)
    May 26, 2026 (Tue), 11:00 PM
    *Any "Destruction Points" you currently hold can still be used in single-player mode until the online service ends.
    End of Destruction AllStars online service and end of "Destruction Points" usability
    November 26, 2026 (Thu), 12:00 AM


    99AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:56
    Re: #96
    That argument again?
    Do you seriously think Sony's the only one whose digital versions work differently, and that Nintendo or Steam give you full ownership with playability guaranteed forever?
    No matter how many times it's explained, people just can't seem to grasp that digital licensing terms are basically the same everywhere.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [Geha]) thread “[Sad News] Only On PS5 — Harsh Criticism.”

  • New ‘Sgt. Frog’ Game Skips PS5 — Fans’ ‘Exclusive’ Hopes Backfire

    A new Sgt. Frog (Keroro Gunso) game, “Sgt. Frog ☆ Wacky TV Show — Operation: Get the Prize Money, Sir!”, has been announced, but it turns out the PS5 isn’t among the supported platforms.

    On the forum, users who’d hoped it would be a “PS5 exclusive” came in for mockery, and the discussion spun off into debates over the physical release and the Steam version’s performance.

    Sgt. Frog ☆ Wacky TV Show

    — Operation: Get the Prize Money, Sir! —

    Supported Platforms

    Source: kerohacha.com / Original article here

    4AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:25
    Sounds like just the kind of game the Switch crowd (orig. "Shou-chan," a slur mocking Switch owners) would love.
    6AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:26
    Did the Nintendo fanboys ("Nishi-kun") really want to play Keroro that bad?
    9AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:26
    Re: #6
    It was the Switch crowd who wanted it, wasn't it 😄
    10AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:26
    Re: #6
    Sounds like they're just putting on a brave face.
    7AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:26
    This is hilarious lol
    71AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:58
    Re: #7
    Say that to the Switch fanboy who started this thread:

    "First new Keroro game since the PS2! 'Operation: Get the Prize Money, Sir!' announced! Is the hardware PS5?!"
    https://krsw.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/ghard/1787713041/
    8AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:26
    Not much point releasing it on hardware that's dropped discs and doesn't even sit on store shelves.
    60AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:47
    Re: #8
    Physical sales matter most for the elementary/middle-school crowd, though…
    13AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:27
    Is this even a game worth making a fuss about?
    14AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:27
    Guess they've got so few games to play they're begging even for this one 😭
    15AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:27
    It's Steam, dominated by low-spec machines.
    Feels like they're only releasing it there out of pity.
    22AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:30
    Re: #15
    Guess even the pity release didn't stretch to PS5 😭
    19AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:28
    If it were at least coming to PS5 too, fine — but getting skipped entirely is hilarious.
    20AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:29
    Did the Switch crowd really want to play Keroro that badly?
    25AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:30
    This is what happens when the Switch crowd doesn't buy games.
    27AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:32
    Keroro's not a AAA title, so of course it's not coming to PS5.
    Be glad, honestly — if it had come out, people would've called it "a kids' game," just like you always say about Switch, right?
    28AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:32
    The Nintendo fanboys ("Boo-chan") singing their happy chorus again today.
    36AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:35
    Re: #28
    Today of all days, "PS5 is handicapped" (a pun on the Switch-fan slur "Shou-chan," meaning "handicap") is spreading among the general public.

    Of course they're in a good mood.
    29AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:32
    But seriously, it'll probably launch sometime next year, by which point PS5 will have already dropped physical media — so there's no point releasing it there anyway.
    30AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:32
    You can't trip over your own hype and then yell "don't laugh at me!"
    31AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:33
    Even for a game like this, they were dreaming of a PlayStation exclusive?
    That's a little too desperate, don't you think.
    32AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:33
    The Switch crowd begged for it, and now that it's not happening they're desperately badmouthing it — hilarious.
    Sour grapes, much?
    34AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:34
    Tell that to your buddy who excitedly started a PS5 thread going "You really want this?" lol
    35AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:34
    First new Keroro since the PS2! Is it a PS5 exclusive?!

    lolololol
    37AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:35
    Wait, didn't Keroro games come out on DS and stuff before?
    I actually kind of liked the Tales-style one.
    45AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:38
    PS5 has so little to play that people were begging even for Keroro,
    and on top of that, the begging didn't even pay off.
    47AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:39
    Re: #45
    Sad in two different ways 😭
    49AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:40
    They could've just made a PS5 version alongside the Switch one,
    but apparently even that cost isn't worth recouping.
    50AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:41
    Re: #49
    If it's next year, physical discs will already be gone by then, so it's completely out of the question…
    58AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:44
    Re: #49
    It'd be one thing if they just didn't buy it — but they go around shouting "Nintendo has crappy graphics!" and actively sabotage sales.
    You can't just half-heartedly throw them a bone like that.
    How many times have they repaid kindness with betrayal already?
    70AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:57
    No wait…
    nobody needs Keroro anyway…
    84AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:07
    Re: #70
    No wait…
    it's the PS5 nobody needs…
    76AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:02
    This just proves they were dying of jealousy over kids' games all along, doesn't it.
    80AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:06
    Re: #76
    Not some slapped-together cash-in like this — if it were a real Keroro RPG in the lineage of the ones the Tales team developed, I'd genuinely want to play it.
    78AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:03
    Is PlayStation getting treated like Xbox even for Japan-focused games now?
    Is the Japanese user base just dead?
    79AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:05
    Re: #78
    Dropping physical media was probably the final blow.
    It's genuinely fallen to about the same status as Xbox now.
    91AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:17
    Re: #1
    Forget that — the sales for Orbitals, the Switch 2 third-party exclusive, look like they're in real trouble.
    98AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:41
    "Vinegared rice," I guess (likely a typo — meaning unclear).
    One look at the Gamescom lineup and it's obvious nobody needs garbage like this.

    Getting snubbed has sent the Nintendo fanboys into a meltdown.
    99AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:41
    Re: #98
    Unfortunately…

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch Hardware/Industry (Console Wars) board thread “Switch fanboy fantasizes “Keroro is a PS5 exclusive!” — turns out it’s the ONLY platform it’s NOT coming to 😆.”

  • Tokyo’s AC Usage Tops the World: 14 Hours 12 Minutes a Day Across 12 Major Cities

    A survey of 12 cities worldwide conducted by air conditioner manufacturer Daikin Industries found that Tokyo’s average daily air conditioner usage time was 14 hours and 12 minutes — the longest of any city surveyed. With the finding that 30% of households run their AC “almost all day,” the thread lit up with personal anecdotes that leaving the AC on all the time is actually cheaper, debates over home insulation performance, and comparisons with France’s notably low AC adoption rate.

    8/26 (Wed) 13:21 JST

    Yomiuri Shimbun Online

    According to a survey on air conditioner usage across 12 cities worldwide conducted by major air conditioning manufacturer Daikin Industries, the average daily at-home usage time during the hottest period was longest in Tokyo, at 14 hours and 12 minutes.

    Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article here

    6AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:17
    Tokyo's bad for the environment, man.
    It's not like you're running factories — show some restraint.
    16AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:19
    Re: #6
    Lots of buildings and "tamamans" around. Buildings and tamamans throw off huge amounts of heat from their outdoor AC units.
    22AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:21
    Re: #16
    That's not "tamaman," it's "tawaman" (tower mansion / high-rise condo), lol
    7AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:17
    Tokyo's been cool enough these past few years that you barely even need AC, though?
    182AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:44
    Re: #7
    Okutama folks, sit down and shut up. (Okutama is Tokyo's rural, mountainous — and much cooler — western edge)
    237AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:50
    Re: #7
    Well, it's true that when people from western Japan come to Tokyo, they think 'huh, maybe I could actually get by without AC here?'
    The humidity and sunlight are just that different.
    305AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:56
    Re: #7
    That's just this year though…
    10AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:18
    Wasn't leaving it on 24/7 supposed to be the most cost-effective option?
    15AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:19
    Re: #10
    Not turning it on at all for 24 hours is the most cost-effective, lol!
    49AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:26
    Re: #10
    It's just that if you're only turning it off for 30 minutes, you're better off leaving it running.
    12AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:18
    France's household AC installation rate is only around 20%
    An abnormally low number
    32AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:24
    Re: #12
    Guess that's what you'd expect from an environmental leader, huh
    38AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:24
    Re: #12
    If eco-terrorists spot your outdoor unit, they'll smash it
    54AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:27
    Modern AC auto mode is pretty smart, honestly.
    If you set it to 28°C, once it hits 28°C it basically goes silent
    and barely uses any power — isn't that how it works?
    Once the room hits 28°C, it'll just idle there for 10 or even 15 hours.

    Back in the Showa era (roughly 1926–1989), it'd just blast cold air forever trying to reach 28°C,
    overcooling the room and wasting tons of electricity.
    If a Showa-era AC saw today's auto mode doing nothing, it'd say "If you're not gonna do anything, get out!"
    65AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:28
    Re: #54
    I guess that's because inverter ACs are just standard now?
    Though the era when that was a selling point was ages ago
    82AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:30
    Re: #54
    Exactly, that's why I just leave mine running all the time now
    93AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:31
    Re: #54
    I've got two units — one stops exactly at the set temp and runs quietly, but the other one cools down to 25°C even when I set the max of 30°C, and it's driving me nuts
    58AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:27
    But AC doesn't work very well in traditional Japanese-style houses
    because they're not very airtight
    70AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:29
    Re: #58
    That was true for a lot of houses up through the Showa era, but new builds have high insulation now, so they actually cool efficiently
    189AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:44
    Re: #58
    It's not about airtightness

    Insulation performance is what matters
    Airtightness is basically garbage-tier by comparison
    80AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:30
    Re: #12
    Because it's not that hot there
    100AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:32
    Re: #80
    Yeah right, that's a lie—

    134AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:37
    Re: #100
    June…? That's freak weather… it's not normally that hot
    206AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:46
    Re: #100
    Go check today's temperature
    122AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:35
    Electricity isn't cheap anywhere in the world, so Tokyo must be rolling in money
    140AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:38
    Re: #122
    I heard new detached houses in Tokyo are now required to install solar power systems
    Hearing that, I actually got solar installed myself this past February, lol
    144AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:39
    Re: #122
    Sure, electricity's expensive, but if you look at your August bill, about 10% is knocked off thanks to government subsidies
    126AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:36
    If people don't state where they live and their preferred set temperature,
    this just turns into a classic 5ch thread where everyone argues past each other
    based on their own personal standards
    129AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:36
    Re: #126
    But that's the whole charm of 5ch, isn't it
    300AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:56
    Re: #126
    Same story on any social media, honestly
    150AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:40
    So the waste heat from all these ACs just fuels more warming,
    and now we're in a full-blown feedback loop
    It's over for planet Earth
    156AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:41
    Re: #150
    I kind of want them to build even more data centers in the Kanto region and make it even more hellish (lol)
    160AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:41
    Re: #150
    Just splash water on your outdoor unit

    #keep it rain-level so it doesn't break
    170AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:42
    Re: #150
    Honestly, I think this is exactly it
    Also, the asphalt
    209AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:47
    Wait, 'running all day' — does that mean it's on even while you're out of the house?
    216AnonymousAug 26, 2026 14:48
    Re: #209
    Apparently there are cases where leaving it running costs less than switching it on and off constantly. The AC uses the most power right when you first turn it on in the heat

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “[Survey] Tokyo’s AC Usage Longest Among 12 World Cities at 14 Hours 12 Minutes… 30% Run It Almost All Day”.

  • Japan Merges ‘Mynaportal App’ Into New ‘Myna App’ — 5ch Asks: ‘Wait, Can I Just Uninstall the Old One?’

    On August 25, Japan’s Digital Agency merged the “Mynaportal App” and the “Digital Authentication App” into one, renaming it the “Myna App.” On 5ch, users traded a wide range of opinions on the update’s usability, its development costs, and why integration with driver’s licenses still hasn’t happened.

    On the 25th, the Digital Agency updated the “Mynaportal App” and relaunched it as the “Myna App.” By folding the functions of the “Digital Authentication App” into the Mynaportal App, the agency is aiming for a more user-friendly experience.

    By merging the Mynaportal App and the Digital Authentication App, the new “Myna App” makes it possible to complete My Number card identity verification entirely within a single app. Along with the merger, the app has been renamed “Myna App,” and its icon and screen design have also been refreshed.

    The app is available for both iOS and Android and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. Anyone who already has the Mynaportal App installed will get it auto-updated.

    Source: watch.impress.co.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousAug 25, 2026 14:23
    Is it okay to just uninstall the 'Digital Authentication App' now?
    3AnonymousAug 25, 2026 14:38
    But isn't it still true that most stores don't support it anyway, so you end up using the physical card regardless?
    4AnonymousAug 25, 2026 14:49
    I'm curious how much of the budget got skimmed off the top before it ever reached actual development. If the real dev cost turns out to be like a tenth of the budget, this thing's gonna be riddled with bugs.
    5AnonymousAug 25, 2026 14:51
    Personal data is guaranteed to leak eventually — at minimum, separate the medical ID from the tax ID. And honestly, if the government can't even manage running two separate IDs independently, they should scrap the My Number card entirely. Private security firms routinely manage 10, even 100, independent IDs per person without breaking a sweat.
    6AnonymousAug 25, 2026 14:54
    Checked my phone — it had already updated.
    7AnonymousAug 25, 2026 14:55
    Wow, look how much more convenient this got!!!
    8AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:05
    AI: 'Next up, your face.'
    9AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:06
    The Rakuten Hand doesn't support Mynaportal, though…
    10AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:11
    Hurry up and get driver's licenses onto smartphones already. You already linked the license to the My Number card, so just get on with it.
    16AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:14
    Re: #10
    Why would they? The vested interests involved are completely different, so it's not that simple. Society still treats the driver's license as the de facto standard ID — that's not changing anytime soon. The police's vested interests are that huge.
    11AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:15
    This app is such a pain to use. Just let me operate it on instinct already.
    26AnonymousAug 25, 2026 18:25
    Re: #11
    Yeah, it really is a pain. I get needing to scan the My Number card during initial setup, but after that it makes you scan the card again every single time you log in. I only set it up for the My Number reward points in the first place, never opened the app again since, decided I didn't need it, and uninstalled it the other day — before I even heard this news, before the auto-update could hit.
    12AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:40
    Just installed it. It's nice that the screens aren't buried in the usual wall of bureaucratic fine print — it's clean and minimal (you can tell they put in effort) — but could they at least make it look a bit cooler?
    18AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:16
    Re: #12
    'Cool' is subjective, differs person to person. As long as the functionality actually works properly, that matters more.
    13AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:48
    Talking iPhone here — you don't delete the old "Mynaportal App" and reinstall; you just overwrite it with "Myna App" from the App Store. After that, the icon switches from Portal to "Myna App."
    15AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:13
    Re: #13
    That explanation is confusing.

    I think what you're trying to say is:
    you just install Myna App from the App Store,
    it overwrites the old app,
    and the name changes to Myna App too —

    right?

    The way it's phrased walks through the timeline backwards, which makes it hard to follow.

    Couldn't you also just delete it first and then install? If NOT deleting it is mandatory, you'd need to write something like "Do not delete Myna App."

    But what you seem to be saying is more like "you don't need to delete it," right?

    So wouldn't it also be fine TO delete it? That's how it reads to me.

    I'm writing this without knowing the full picture — just noting what occurred to me reading your post.
    14AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:08
    Re: #1
    Bureaucrat-speak is always an escape hatch.
    'Aiming to make a more user-friendly app.'
    We're AIMING for it!
    Never said we'd actually pull it off!

    And that's how the money keeps flowing.
    17AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:15
    Re: #15
    x: 'the way the MEANING is worded walks through the timeline backwards, which makes it hard to follow'
    o: 'the way YOU worded it walks through the timeline backwards, which makes it hard to follow'
    19AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:25
    Looks and naming don't matter at all. The whole unique value of this app/system is that it lets you register your My Number card in the iPhone Wallet — that's it. Welcome the integration with the Digital Authentication App.
    20AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:51
    So it still kicks you out to the browser from the app, huh?
    22AnonymousAug 25, 2026 17:16
    'Access is currently congested; processing is taking longer than usual' lol
    23AnonymousAug 25, 2026 17:22
    Is this the thing you can do through the iPhone Wallet?
    24AnonymousAug 25, 2026 17:23
    Re: #16
    Licenses fall under the National Public Safety Commission, right?
    28AnonymousAug 25, 2026 18:53
    Re: #24
    Isn't that actually the abbreviation for the Public Employment Security Office (Hello Work)? (joke — same abbreviation, different agency)
    25AnonymousAug 25, 2026 17:23
    Make it so this can also be used to log into brokerage websites and the like.
    27AnonymousAug 25, 2026 18:32
    How much did this cost?
    29AnonymousAug 25, 2026 18:55
    Stops working the moment you switch phones.
    30AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:32
    Why didn't they just adopt India's system instead? This one's just hemorrhaging budget money.
    31AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:50
    Why not just use Iraq's system?
    32AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:26
    So it just changed its name?
    33AnonymousAug 26, 2026 00:29
    Is there even a timeline for Android?
    34AnonymousAug 26, 2026 01:10
    Knockoffs aren't even on my radar.
    35AnonymousAug 26, 2026 01:34
    Re: #1
    Here we go again with their signature 'meteor fall' move (slang for a sudden, last-minute spec change dropped with no warning).
    36AnonymousAug 26, 2026 11:19
    Whenever something's missing, the answer is always 'make another app.'
    37AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:01
    So the apps multiplied again, huh?
    38AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:09
    They keep tossing security out the window, lol. Whatever happened to the original explanation?
    39AnonymousAug 26, 2026 12:13
    I can't even tell what changed.
    40AnonymousAug 26, 2026 13:48
    Re: #39
    Same motion as picking an e-money option — the My Number card just pops up.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Business News+) thread “[IT] New ‘Myna App’ Released — Identity Verification with Just Mynaportal + Smartphone.”