Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Central League Pennant Race Reaches Final Stretch — Giants Fan Thread: ‘Whoever Wins the Hanshin Game Might Just Take the Pennant’

    On September 30, 2026, as the Central League pennant race entered its final stretch, a 5ch thread packed with Giants fans buzzed with chatter about how the Hanshin game would play out. Meanwhile, news broke that catcher Shiro Nogami (19), who had joined Orix as a 7th-round draft pick, had suddenly passed away, sending shockwaves through the thread. Talk also turned to reports that Masumi Kuwata had suddenly emerged as the frontrunner to become Chunichi’s next manager, along with news of roster cuts from the Giants, DeNA, and Lotte — blending pennant-race tension with wider news from the baseball world.

    1AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:58
    Previous thread
    Giants Acting-Manager Thread 156
    3AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:03
    [Orix] Catcher Shiro Nogami, a 7th-round draft pick, dies suddenly at 19 — team announces; had played 32 games in the farm system this season
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/e761e681eb8537df077d033365f9543243b7db57
    4AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:07
    Damn, Hanshin's winning.
    6AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:08
    Re: #4
    Actually, I've got a feeling that whichever team wins this one is going to be the one that takes the pennant for our team ("our team" = OP's affectionate nickname for the Giants).
    5AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:08
    We're not stringing hits together, so this is going to be tough unless the other side hands us their mistakes.
    10AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:09
    Announced starters for Thu 10/1:
    (T-G) Shoki Murakami vs. Kazuyuki Takemaru
    (C-D) Hiroki Tokoda vs. Yudai Ohno
    (E-H) Ryota Takinaka vs. Naoyuki Uwasawa
    (M-F) Long vs. Koki Kitayama
    11AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:09
    [Giants] Fateful head-to-head showdown — starter is first-round pick Kazuyuki Takemaru: "I want to pitch in a way that lets the team win." He's 3-1 against Hanshin, a favorable matchup, and leads the team with 11 wins.
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/f91ef045c9c0b907266406cebac1b7ba30dbe6d9
    12AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:10
    Central League pennant scenarios (as of Sept 29)
    13AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:11
    Is our team's "scouting squad" in the stands today? (5ch slang for fans who go watch a game live to report back to the thread)
    19AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:12
    [Roster Cuts Announced on the 30th] Three teams hand the cold notice to 15 players total — the Giants release 9 development-contract players, DeNA cuts 5 including Shinichi Onuki, and Lotte lets go veteran Shogo Nakamura
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/7ea84f9802847ae14c9d4081a245af6a32de7c03

    ◆ Giants
    ☆ P Yugo Bando
    ☆ P Ryu Tomita
    ☆ P Hayate Matsui
    ☆ P Hayato Ishida
    ☆ P Yusaho Yoshimura
    ☆ P Tessei Morimoto
    ☆ C Ryusuke Kita
    ☆ IF Yuya Tagami
    ☆ IF Rune Kitamura

    ◆ DeNA
    ★ P Shinichi Onuki
    ★ P Tatsuya Hashimoto
    ★ C Kyosuke Mashiko
    ★ C Junpei Tozuma
    ★ OF Shonosuke Hama

    ◆ Lotte
    IF Shogo Nakamura

    (☆ = development-contract player; ★ = expected to move to a development contract)
    34AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:17
    Re: #19
    Kita…
    Guess it didn't work out for him.
    22AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:13
    A 19-year-old Orix Buffaloes rookie has died under mysterious circumstances
    http://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1790761762/
    24AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:14
    Toshio Kurosawa (Giants, 33) — June 23, '47, typhoid fever
    Minoru Nishikura (Takahashi, 26) — Dec 19, '55, cause still unknown
    Takeshi Kato (Chunichi, 20) — Jan 4, '65, car accident
    Osamu Tsuchihashi (Hanshin, 22) — Dec 21, '66, car accident
    Kazuo Usami (Nishitetsu, 18) — Mar 14, '69, struck in the left chest by a batted ball
    Jackson (Atoms, 33) — May 27, '69, cancer
    Toshihiko Yuguchi (Giants, 20) — Mar 22, '73, cardiac arrest
    Mineo Itazawa (Seibu, 19) — Dec 3, '80, acute heart failure
    Yuji Kubodera (Nankai, 26) — Jan 4, '85, acute heart failure
    Masao Fujii (Daiei, 31) — Oct 13, 2000, cancer
    Del Toro (Seibu, 29) — Oct 6, 2001, car accident
    Hiroyuki Kose (Orix, 24) — Feb 5, 2010, fatal fall
    Yusuke Kinoshita (Chunichi, 27) — Aug 3, 2021, fulminant myocarditis
    26AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:15
    Re: #24
    Is this Kurosawa guy's number retired?
    30AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:16
    Re: #24
    Guess Tsuda's left off since he wasn't an active player.
    25AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:14
    Re: #20
    And here our team's got both a coach and players in that same boat.
    28AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:15
    Hanshin — a bit sloppy? Baserunning blunders stand out: Shota Morishita, who drove in an insurance run with a clutch hit, gets thrown out on the bases; he was also picked off and thrown out on the bases in the first inning
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/843f467be81d219ad4bbdde1d16b3abab63faf12
    32AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:17
    Honestly, with a farm-team-level lineup that's even worse than the Giants', Yakult clearly isn't even trying to win.
    At least use Nagaoka and Uchiyama.
    43AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:21
    Re: #32
    Hiroshima was about the same, lol.
    33AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:17
    Hanshin's lineup from the 5-hole down is genuinely garbage.
    And it's not like their defense is any good either.
    36AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:19
    Re: #33
    Once Sato's gone, next year's our chance.
    Morishita's the only one who can hit.
    Ohyama barely hits against the Giants anyway.
    35AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:18
    It's just disrespectful to the fans who came out to watch.
    37AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:19
    [Exclusive Scoop] Frontrunner to replace Chunichi manager Kazuki Inoue suddenly emerges: "Masumi Kuwata is the clear favorite" — with a plan reportedly in the works to bring in Kazuyoshi Tatsunami and Kazuhiro Kiyohara as coaches…
    https://www.asagei.com/excerpt/349750

    "The clear frontrunner at this point is former Giants farm-team manager Masumi Kuwata. With the Dragons plunging into a serious dark age, further decline can't be tolerated. Owner Uichiro Oshima and team GM Kensuke Asada are reportedly willing to stake their own positions on bringing in outside blood, with a plan taking shape to entrust the rebuild to Kuwata. There's even talk of bringing in fellow PL Gakuen alumni (a famed high school baseball powerhouse) like Kazuyoshi Tatsunami, Kazuhiro Kiyohara, and Hideaki Matsuyama as coaches."
    48AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:22
    Re: #37
    Why not just go with Tao? Is he too old now? Guess the front office hates him too much for that, lol
    39AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:20
    Well, even our team's first-stringers are farm-team level anyway.
    41AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:20
    Hanshin's looking rattled (a derisive 5ch nickname pokes fun at the Tigers here).
    We'd win this if it were anyone but Yakult (another mocking nickname aimed at the Swallows), lol
    50AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:23
    Getting swept three times really hurt.
    Even if each of those sweeps had gone 1-2 instead of 0-3, the Giants would've clinched, right?
    52AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:24
    Hanshin's young hitters aren't developing at all either — once Sato and Saiki leave, won't they just end up relying on imports?
    53AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:26
    Hanshin's starting rotation is all good-looking guys, huh.
    54AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:27
    Wasn't Oda sent to Chunichi as compensation when Noguchi came over via free agency?
    55AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:28
    So Yakult's going to field a full-strength lineup for the Giants' next game at Jingu, huh — how sly.
    56AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:28
    Wait, the guy doing commentary, Noguchi — he's a pitcher?
    Thought he was a catcher.
    Guess it's Yakult-Hanshin, so that tracks.
    61AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:31
    Orix's Shiro Nogami, 19, passes away… team GM holds emergency press conference — a first-year pro straight out of high school, he'd played in a farm-team game just on the 27th
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/aed678ad9c96d3e5d1a7339159dc3e9381ef00f8
    64AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:33
    The Giants had a first-round pick die too, way back — apparently he roomed with Awaguchi.
    66AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:34
    Didn't realize Yakult's Masuda is 3rd in the batting average rankings.
    He's doing great.
    81AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:36
    The reason Nishi chose Hanshin in free agency:

    "Because it's close by."
    95AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:41
    Re: #81
    The reason Maru chose the Giants in free agency:

    "Dreams and admiration."

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    Shiro Nogami had appeared in 32 farm-team games for Orix this season and had just played in a minor-league game on the 27th, which made the team’s sudden decision to call an emergency press conference with its GM all the more striking. The circumstances of his sudden death had not been disclosed as of this report, and it’s worth noting that the thread was buzzing with speculation even without any confirmed details. Separately, the report naming Masumi Kuwata as the frontrunner for Chunichi’s next managerial post comes from an observational piece by Asagei Plus, not an official team announcement. The Central League pennant race is heading into its final stretch with Hanshin, the Giants, and Yakult all still in contention, and a sense of tension over how head-to-head results could shift the standings ran through much of the thread. Some posts mocking specific teams or individuals also appeared, but comments that couldn’t be factually verified or that amounted to personal attacks have been excluded from this article.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (“Hello! Project” board) thread “Giants Acting-Manager Thread 157.”

  • Yasei Bakudan’s Cookie!: “If There Are 100 People, Making 5 of Them Laugh Is Enough” — Comedy Philosophy Sparks Debate

    Cookie! of Yasei Bakudan made a guest appearance at the “TikTok Creator Summit Japan 2026,” held in Tokyo on September 30, where he opened up about his personal philosophy on comedy. Asked how he balances public demand with his own artistic commitments, he answered, “If there are 100 people, I figure it’s fine if I make 5 of them laugh.” On 5channel, the remark split opinion — critics called it “low ambition” and argued “a pro should satisfy all 100,” while defenders countered that “comedy that cuts deep with a narrow slice of people is exactly what makes it a niche business” and that “he ends up getting the whole venue roaring anyway.”

    Yasei Bakudan’s Cookie! Reveals His Comedy Philosophy: “If There Are 100 People, I Think It’s Fine to Make 5 of Them Laugh”

    Cookie! of the comedy duo “Yasei Bakudan” appeared as a special guest at the “TikTok Creator Summit Japan 2026,” held in Tokyo on the 30th.

    When the MC asked how he balances public demand with his own artistic commitments, he looked back and said, “When I first became a comedian, I did nothing but super niche, hyper-specific material.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:13
    Those 5 people probably laugh at literally anything, even chopsticks falling on the floor (a Japanese idiom for someone who's easily amused)
    6AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:14
    That's the same business model as a YouTuber or a cult — only caters to the people already hooked
    10AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:17
    Rossy deserves credit for keeping a guy like this in check (Rossy is his comedy partner in Yasei Bakudan)
    11AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:17
    Yeah, that's the kind of act people are gonna either love or hate
    14AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:18
    But he probably makes like 50 times what we do…
    16AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:18
    His ambitions are way too low
    no wonder he's not funny
    19AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:21
    He's getting laughs off drama roles these days

    Katsushika Hokusai in Berabou (playing him as an eccentric weirdo)
    Kōza of the Chain Ball in Kakusei Hunter Omega Horn (a throwaway mook character)

    Basically become a "weirdo character actor" lol
    25AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:24
    He probably thinks this makes him sound cool
    26AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:24
    My pee balls are bursting (a nod to one of his signature nonsense bits)
    27AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:24
    He's a genuinely popular comedian now
    Getting 5% of the room to laugh really is impressive when you put it that way
    28AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:27
    At least he's still trying to make people laugh
    There are plenty of comedians who've lost even that much
    30AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:28
    Liar, he was totally playing to the Tokyo crowd there
    31AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:29
    But if that's really his mindset, back in the day it was probably 0 or 1 out of 100 lol
    33AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:30
    He's just a genius, on a level even Hitoshi Matsumoto can't touch. Well, let him live how he wants lol
    34AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:30
    That bar is low
    Yeah, honestly he's just smirking around, not funny at all
    35AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:30
    His material makes zero sense and isn't funny, but I don't hate that he refuses to pander
    36AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:31
    With that attitude, actually getting all 100 out of 100 to laugh in Kansai is the real feat
    Cookie is the pride and charisma of Kansai. Every single Kansai person is obsessed with him
    37AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:31
    His parody-song bit on Suiyoubi no Downtown (a TV variety show) fell flat
    38AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:31
    Nice work out there on Shushutto (a TV show he appeared on)
    41AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:36
    Re: #38
    What a title. Packed with hidden meaning too lol
    I honestly think it was him and Zakoshi Show who lit the spark for Becky's comeback
    40AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:35
    When he was a guest on Shushutto, during the neighborhood-walk segment for the Football Hour episode, he and Zakoshi Show kept letting out farts back to back
    It's baffling how the two of them nail that timing every time
    42AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:40
    Don't make excuses for being unfunny
    and if you know you're unfunny, just get off TV
    43AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:41
    People calling him unfunny — what do you actually laugh at, then?
    I want to laugh too, so give me a recommendation
    48AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:46
    Re: #43
    Something that only makes 5 out of 100 people laugh can't possibly be funny
    70AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:05
    Re: #43
    Sandwichman (the comedy duo)
    44AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:41
    Is he not doing World Channeling anymore? (one of his old bits/segments)
    45AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:42
    I wonder who's the bigger genius, Robert Akiyama or Cookie
    46AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:45
    In his case, I doubt even 5 out of 100 people actually like him
    47AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:45
    As for this guy's comedy, all I've ever seen him do is face impressions?
    58AnonymousSep 30, 2026 18:52
    The skit I saw on All That Manzai about 20 years ago was mind-blowing
    65AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:01
    Re: #58
    It's not "I wear shoes" — it's the concept of "I am graciously permitted to wear shoes"
    77AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:16
    Re: #1
    Is that really okay for a professional comedian?
    Making 5 out of 100 laugh is something any reasonably funny person off the street could pull off
    81AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:18
    Re: #77
    But nobody else is even aiming for that
    So comedians who try to make a minority laugh end up standing out precisely because it's a niche
    and Yasei Bakudan slotted right into that gap
    85AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:24
    Taking this literally is exactly why some people start saying he's just like a YouTuber
    Mentally he's aiming to make a small slice laugh, and his comedy does pick and choose who accepts it — but in practice he gets most of the room laughing anyway
    That's why he's ended up on TV so much; even aiming for a niche, he still brings the whole venue down
    89AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:26
    Re: #85
    It's great that he can actually mesh with people outside Yoshimoto too.
    Way better than Yoshimoto comedians who can only do buddy-buddy bits among themselves lol

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Cookie’s remark can be read as putting into words his commitment to material that resonates deeply with a specific segment rather than chasing universal appeal. The split reaction on 5channel comes from a clash between the view that a professional comedian should satisfy the entire audience, and the view that cutting deep with even a narrow slice of people is enough. What’s notable is that while he talks about targeting a narrow audience, he has actually been expanding his exposure year after year — appearing in NHK period dramas, tokusatsu shows, and TikTok-related events — creating a gap between what he says and what he’s actually doing. Note also that the “5 people” figure is purely a figure of speech, not a number drawn from actual audience turnout or ratings data. Treating it as a statistical fact would be a misreading.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports Hōchi+) thread “[Entertainment] Yasei Bakudan’s Cookie! Reveals His Comedy Philosophy: “If There Are 100 People, I Think It’s Fine to Make 5 of Them Laugh”.”

  • Only 57% of Drivers Stop at Japan’s Signal-Free Crosswalks — 5ch: ‘Huge Regional Differences’

    The article, published in Newsweek Japan, contrasted England, where cars often stop for pedestrians, with Japan, where cars rarely stop at crosswalks that have no traffic lights. On 5ch’s Breaking News+ thread, many users shared personal experiences like, “As a kid I had no choice but to find a gap in traffic and dash across myself, but more cars have started stopping over the last decade.” Others pointed out that “Japan’s average stop rate is 57%, and the regional gap is huge,” while some questioned why England was chosen as the point of comparison. One user described a pedestrian’s self-defense tactic: “I only cross after making eye contact with drivers from both directions.” Overall, attention focused less on the rule itself than on how unevenly it’s actually followed.

    Cars Are Pedestrian-Friendly in England, But Japan Is a “Crosswalk Backwater” | Newsweek Japan

    Edge of Europe

    Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 7:15 PM

    Source: newsweekjapan.jp / Read the original article here

    5AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:31
    Cars have gotten a little better about it lately, but even now, few cars in Japan actually stop at crosswalks without traffic lights.
    Ever since I was a kid, as the pedestrian, I've had to spot a gap in traffic and dash across myself.
    102AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:00
    Re: #5
    The regional gap is huge.
    Japan's average is 57% of cars stopping, so if you think that's "really low," it's probably just that drivers in your area have bad manners.
    Apparently the top-ranked region hits 88%.
    9AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:32
    I do think more cars in Japan have started stopping when someone's waiting at a crosswalk over the last decade.
    Just stating the obvious baseline here though.
    23AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:35
    Re: #9
    The rules for signal-free crosswalks have gotten more media coverage here and there, so things have shifted a bit.
    Even so, cars that actually stop are still the minority, and in some places a crosswalk might as well not exist.
    112AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:04
    Re: #9
    More cars do stop now, yeah.
    When I was in elementary school, basically nothing stopped for you at a crosswalk without a signal.
    In the end you just had to dash across the moment there was a gap in traffic from both sides.
    18AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:34
    More than that, I wish someone would do something about grown adults riding bicycles in the city.
    Adults drive cars. That's just normal, isn't it.
    27AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:36
    Re: #18
    Bikes that cost about as much as a car — that's a world poor people just wouldn't get.
    31AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:38
    Re: #1
    The world's most famous British crosswalk
    50AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:44
    You can't trust other people, so it's better to just wait until the cars are gone before crossing.
    59AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:47
    Re: #50
    Exactly this.
    Cars, bikes, people staring at their phones while walking — they're all hazards.
    I just wait for them all to clear out.
    64AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:48
    Re: #50
    True that.
    Especially never trust a Prius or a minivan/station wagon.
    73AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:51
    There are people who stand at the crosswalk without actually crossing, you know.
    80AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:53
    Re: #73
    This really should be publicized as a nuisance behavior.
    95AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:59
    Re: #73
    Whenever it's finally my turn, that's exactly when they suddenly start crossing.
    176AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:24
    Way too many cars don't stop even when a pedestrian is clearly waiting at the crosswalk. Older women drivers ("obachan") especially never stop.
    180AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:26
    Re: #176
    Maybe it depends on the area. Around where I live, it's rare for a car NOT to stop.
    207AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:39
    Re: #176
    Even as a pedestrian, when I cross a signal-free crosswalk, I never cross until cars from both directions have actually stopped.
    Even if the near-side driver stops, the far lane often doesn't. Sorry to the near-side drivers who stop early and end up waiting longer because of that.

    I've told my kids too: "Never cross until you've made eye contact with drivers in both lanes and they've actually stopped."
    202AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:37
    Let me tell you something good.
    Rules exist to be followed.
    Ignoring them just shows a lack of elegance — in other words, it's simply "crude."
    204AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:38
    Re: #202
    Rules don't exist just to be followed.
    If you seriously believe that, you're an idiot.
    208AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:39
    Re: #204
    Rules exist to be broken, don't they.
    215AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:42
    Re: #204
    Love the way you took the bait!
    Go ahead and be a proper "gotcha bear" about it (old 2ch/5ch slang for someone who good-naturedly admits they fell for a troll).
    218AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:45
    Well, coming from England, which is only two-thirds the size of Japan's land area…
    221AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:46
    Re: #218
    That's Britain you mean — England alone is even smaller than that.
    228AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:52
    Re: #218
    Japan is mostly mountains, you know.
    Gut feeling is they've got way more of the kind of open suburban roads where reckless "Nagoya/Osaka-style" drivers (a Japanese stereotype for aggressive driving) would crash.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    In Japan, drivers are legally required to come to a stop for pedestrians even at crosswalks without traffic lights, but according to the annual survey published by JAF (Japan Automobile Federation), this stop rate was once strikingly low and is said to have only genuinely improved in recent years. The figure raised in the thread — “57% average, with big regional differences” — appears to be drawn from this kind of survey data. In the UK, meanwhile, the Highway Code likewise clearly requires drivers to stop at zebra crossings where pedestrians are waiting, so the rule itself isn’t hugely different from Japan’s — but there’s said to be a real gap in how thoroughly the habit is drilled into drivers through training and culture. The thread also raised the question of “why compare with England specifically,” but that’s an easy point to misread: the article was written by a British journalist reporting on the difference between their own country and Japan — it wasn’t Japan holding England up as a comparison on its own.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “Cars Are Pedestrian-Friendly in England, But Japan Is a “Crosswalk Backwater”.”

  • 2026 Fall Anime Season Swells to Nearly 100 Titles — 5ch: ‘Who’s Actually Watching All This? lol’

    Animatetimes published its lineup of anime premiering in October 2026, and on 5ch’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board, users reacted to a rundown spanning new titles and reruns. Some shared what they’re planning to watch — Blue Box, The Apothecary Diaries, the To Aru (“A Certain…”) series — while others were stunned that the list swells to nearly 100 titles once reruns are included, asking “who’s actually watching all this?” Others vented over the Medalist rerun, demanding “just hurry up and give us new episodes already.” The thread also filled in extra details along the way, like confirmation that The Fable Season 2 starts in January 2027.

    Aikatsu! Encore Broadcast

    Ao Ashi Season 2

    Aoki Densetsu: Welsh & Scheder

    Source: animatetimes.com / original article here

    3AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:40
    You guys always trash-talk Japanese dramas and movies, but you're watching this stuff lol
    13AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:47
    Tank Chair looks interesting
    Gives off Dorohedoro vibes
    14AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:47
    Tell me which summer anime were actually worth watching
    15AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:47
    There's a ton of reincarnation/isekai shows lined up
    Is this actually on the low end compared to usual seasons?
    20AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:52
    Nostalgic! Didn't know Genso Suikoden was getting an anime
    I remember playing the original on the first PlayStation
    21AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:52
    For now I'm planning to watch Ao Ashi, The Apothecary Diaries, and To Aru
    Romelia Senki has my interest but I couldn't watch it since it was a streaming exclusive
    22AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:53
    With this many shows on the list, Sasaki and Peeps is the only one I've actually read as a manga
    23AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:54
    I've read the source material for Hotaru so I'll probably watch it
    25AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:55
    Didn't know Kamen Rider Meiss was getting an anime too
    27AnonymousSep 30, 2026 19:57
    Oh nice, they're doing A Certain Scientific Railgun
    33AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:03
    Re: #1
    Here's a roundup of PVs for the ones that look most interesting out of this lineup
    https://youtu.be/gNX-cn49y_4

    https://youtu.be/4UGOafhGQeU
    36AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:05
    Re: #33
    That top one is the Frieren video that got announced two days ago

    *Note: that's not a fall anime, don't get fooled
    34AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:03
    Looking forward to tomorrow's FX Warrior Kurumi-chan!
    First anime I'll have watched since Chiikawa
    35AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:04
    Don't know any of these

    Wait, is this SIREN based on the game?
    78AnonymousSep 30, 2026 21:00
    Re: #35
    It's based on a manga that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump a long time ago
    37AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:09
    Nearly 100 shows once you count reruns
    Who's actually watching all this lol
    39AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:11
    Ace of the Diamond is basically the only normal-looking anime on this list
    40AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:11
    Wonder how Keroro (Sgt. Frog) will be with the全 new cast
    What were you all even doing 20 years ago?
    42AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:16
    Kurumi-chan's probably the only one I'll watch
    44AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:18
    Watching:
    Romelia
    Blue Box
    Ranma
    Tank Chair
    Blue Box and Ranma are safe bets — curious whether Tank Chair and Romelia turn into sleeper hits
    45AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:19
    Terrifying number of titles, gonna have to drop half of them after episode one
    No way anyone can keep up with checking all of these
    47AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:20
    Girls und Panzer: More Love Love Operation!
    Is this a new one?
    49AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:21
    What are us Kirara-starved fans supposed to do
    50AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:23
    Re: #49
    Tetsudou Musume kind of has that Kirara vibe
    51AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:24
    Shirotan
    The Tanuki and the Fox
    Nice and wholesome.
    53AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:26
    My dark horse pick is Dark Summoner
    That one's a solid ecchi comedy
    54AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:27
    I'm here for Kinnikuman
    I'm here for Rurouni Kenshin
    63AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:40
    Genso Suikoden's about the only one I'm planning to watch
    When's the Fable sequel finally coming
    64AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:42
    Re: #63

    >TV anime The Fable Season 2 is scheduled to begin airing on Nippon TV in January 2027
    65AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:43
    Re: #63
    Fable Season 2 starts next January
    69AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:46
    Feels like the Hotaru no Yomeiri manga just keeps getting less interesting
    Let's get Nezumi no Hatsukoi (A Rat's First Love) adapted instead
    76AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:56
    Re: #69
    I mean, it's already finished anyway
    77AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:56
    A Medalist rerun? Are they kidding? Hurry up with new episodes already, how many years are they gonna make us wait
    84AnonymousSep 30, 2026 21:11
    Re: #77
    There's a movie coming out in February, so there's a spinoff planned for the January season

    Background and Points of Discussion

    This roundup is based on the broadcast list that major anime news site animatetimes publishes every season, which by tradition includes not just new titles but reruns and spinoffs of past works as well. That’s why the Medalist rerun might look like a halfhearted move, but as the thread itself points out, it’s actually tied to a spinoff rollout timed with the theatrical film releasing in February — not simply filler. It’s also easy to overlook that shows like “Kamen Rider Meiss,” a tokusatsu series, get slotted into the anime programming block, blurring the line between genres. In recent years the number of titles airing in a single broadcast season (cour) has been trending upward, and the growing burden on viewers to decide what to actually keep up with underlies a lot of the reaction in the thread.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[Anime] 2026 Fall Anime Roundup | Shows Premiering in October — New and Rerun Anime Info / 2026-09-29 edition.”

  • Airi Yamazaki Guests on Marin Fukuda’s Radio Show — 5ch Lights Up Over the ‘Healing Panda’ Nickname

    On the September 30 broadcast of RNB Nankai Broadcasting’s (Matsuyama, 91.7MHz) “Tsubaki Factory’s Marin Fukuda — Our Days for You,” episode 76, fellow Tsubaki Factory member Airi Yamazaki appeared as a guest. Over on 5ch’s Hello! Project board, fans lit up over the nickname “Panda” used for Yamazaki, with the conversation running on through the two members’ age gap and the topic of Yamazaki not knowing what jingisukan (a mutton barbecue dish) is. Some also chimed in about how long the show’s promo segment ran.

    RNB Nankai Broadcasting (Matsuyama, 91.7MHz)

    (A segment within “Sugisaku Jitaro’s Funny Night”)

    Now accepting email submissions

    Source: radiko.jp / Original article here

    7AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:20
    Hint-dropping ("niowase" — teasing posts that hint at something)
    tiktok.com/@tsubakifactory_uf/video/7691271507082824981
    8AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:28
    A-I-U-E-OHHHH IT'S HEEEERE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    9AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:28
    Teasing it through a video — that's a fresh move
    13AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:32
    G'evenin'-bee~
    16AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:32
    Just got here!
    Mei-chi's the guest, huh
    17AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:32
    Meee~ichaaa~n
    18AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:33
    So Panda-san's turned blue now, huh
    19AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:33
    ■ radiko Time Free
    Tsubaki Factory's Marin Fukuda — Our Days for You
    (A segment within "Sugisaku Jitaro's Funny Night")
    RNB Nankai Broadcasting | Wed, 2026/09/30 20:00-21:00
    Featuring: Marin Fukuda, Airi Yamazaki (around 00:30:00)
    https://radiko.jp/share/?sid=RNB&t=20260930203000
    20AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:33
    The guest was Mei
    What about Homa?
    21AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:33
    Oh, it's just Panda, huh
    22AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:33
    The healing-type panda
    23AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:33
    Panda-san, safe!
    24AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:33
    Panda-san's got a sharp look in her eyes
    25AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:33
    Which one's older?
    32AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:35
    Re: #25
    Panda's one year younger
    26AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:33
    Panda-san, total snack lover
    37AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:36
    C'mon, let's dig into something juicier
    39AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:37
    "The air tastes so good"

    Pretty sure Ma-chan or Zukki said that one before
    47AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:39
    Marin-san, who's also been turned into a red panda before
    48AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:39
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GLG5tDcbAAApNtZ.jpg:orig#.jpg
    53AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:40
    Never watched basketball or soccer before?
    58AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:41
    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20260920/20/tsubaki-factory/08/f1/j/o1080144015823868589.jpg
    59AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:41
    Jingisukan (mutton BBQ) party at home
    61AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:41
    Wait, does Marin not know what jingisukan is?
    65AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:42
    Guess you can't get jingisukan at the airport, huh
    66AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:43
    Boring, but the chat's lively anyway
    67AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:43
    Lonely…But not Alone
    76AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:46
    https://livedoor.blogimg.jp/okamitalk/imgs/e/8/e8019b3e-s.jpg
    80AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:49
    They always say the catering at Kagayaki Fes is amazing
    91AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:53
    Isn't the promo part kinda long?
    93AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:54
    Re: #91
    That's just how this show is
    98AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:55
    Ready, set, bye-bee~
    Bye-byeee, Mei-chan
    99AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:55
    i.imgur.com/UXAngqV
    100AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:55
    i.imgur.com/tiwl1GG
    102AnonymousSep 30, 2026 20:57
    The meat at the beer garden always ends up like it was frozen, right?

    Background and Talking Points

    “Our Days for You” is a corner hosted by Marin Fukuda within the variety show “Sugisaku Jitaro’s Funny Night,” broadcast in a format built around reader email submissions and featuring guests. It’s worth noting that the origin of the nickname “Panda” for guest Airi Yamazaki isn’t explained anywhere in the thread — posters simply carried over a nickname already established among Hello! Project fans. Likewise, the topic of Yamazaki not knowing what jingisukan is wasn’t meant as any pointed criticism of her; it spread as lighthearted ribbing sparked by the on-air banter, with no serious critical intent behind it.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “¡ •Ÿ“c^—Ô ƒQƒXƒg:H ¡ ‚‚΂«ƒtƒ@ƒNƒgƒŠ[ •Ÿ“c^—Ô‚Ì Our Days for You ¡ ‘æ76‰ñ ¡ 20:30 – RNB“ìŠC•ú‘—(¼ŽR 91.7MHz) ¡.”

  • “We Gave in to Temptation”: Sex Inside Facility Gets Nara Police Officers Disciplined

    On September 30, Nara Prefectural Police announced that it had disciplined a female officer in her 20s and a 19-year-old male officer for having sex inside a police facility while off duty. The two reportedly explained that they “gave in to their urges.” On 5channel threads, some argued the punishment was only natural since the facility was a public building built with taxpayer money, while others questioned how harsh it was, asking “Is this really serious enough to warrant resignation?” Many also raised the simple question of why they didn’t just use a love hotel or some other location instead.

    “We Gave in to Our Urges”: Nara Police Discipline Male and Female Officers Over Sex at Police Facility

    Wed, Sep 30, 18:39 JST

    Mainichi Shimbun

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

    22AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:20
    Just let it go.
    If it's not affecting their work, leave them alone.
    181AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:42
    Re: #22
    It IS a problem, that's the whole point…
    28AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:22
    Sync your days off and go to a love hotel.
    They got caught because they were too cheap to pay for a hotel and did it in the police box break room instead.
    39AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:24
    Wait, you're not allowed to do it off duty?
    53AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:26
    Re: #39
    On duty or off duty doesn't matter — a police facility is a public building built with citizens' tax money.
    It's not a love hotel.
    46AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:25
    They must've busted their ass at the police academy, and now this — too dumb for words.
    118AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:32
    Can someone explain in simple terms what exactly they did wrong here?
    131AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:34
    Re: #118
    The problem is public servants used a public facility — built with Japanese taxpayers' money — as a substitute for a love hotel.
    Even an ordinary citizen having sex in a public library bathroom would get the police called on them.
    136AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:34
    Re: #118
    Off-duty use of the facility for something other than its intended purpose

    That technically counts as trespassing.
    119AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:32
    I mean, if they'd each been off doing their own solo business that'd be one thing, but they're in their teens and twenties — of course they're gonna have sex. They probably got swept up in the moment and forgot where they were.
    Wouldn't a "don't do it again" warning be enough?
    159AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:38
    Re: #119
    That's literally already how it was handled.
    121AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:33
    Couldn't a reprimand from their superior have been enough? Did they really have to resign?
    139AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:34
    Re: #121
    It's a "voluntary" resignation — that's just the police's own peculiar custom.
    124AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:33
    Cut them some slack for having sex on the job.
    The birth rate's low enough as it is.
    270AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:55
    Re: #124
    Public servants are expected to set an example in their conduct even off the clock.
    Police officers used to have restrictions on things like owning a personal car, taking on debt, or even who they could date as a potential spouse.
    And a public servant on duty becomes a public figure — something a moron like you probably doesn't even know.
    140AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:34
    It's really not that big a deal.
    They shouldn't have had to resign over it.
    141AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:35
    Re: #140
    They should've just gone to a love hotel.
    226AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:48
    Re: #140
    They probably couldn't bear to stick around after this — they'd be known forever as "the one who did it at the police station."
    143AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:35
    Re: #131
    If it was off duty, they should've just done it at his place (or her place) to begin with.
    Both of them just aren't very bright.
    154AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:37
    Re: #143
    Exactly.
    They skimped on the love hotel fee and went at it hard in the station's nap room, so some virgin coworker ratted them out.
    153AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:37
    Why deliberately do it there when you're off duty, though?
    161AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:38
    Re: #153
    Gotta be the thrill of it, right?
    204AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:46
    Re: #1
    Female officer (29)
    Male officer (19)
    290AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:00
    Release their names and faces.
    That's the best deterrent against this happening again.
    293AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:01
    Re: #290
    Those guys go easy on their own, as usual.
    305AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:04
    So if you do it at your workplace after hours, you get fired?
    306AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:06
    Re: #305
    Public facility
    Private facility
    That's the huge difference right there.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Public servants — police officers especially — are expected to uphold social norms even outside working hours, and using a facility for purposes other than intended can be treated as conduct that undermines public trust under Japan’s Local Public Service Act, making it grounds for disciplinary action. What stands out in this case is that the officers were pushed toward what’s called “voluntary resignation.” This is a practice unique to Japan’s police organizations in which, rather than a formal dismissal, the departure is framed as the employee’s own choice — though in practice the person is often left with little real option but to quit. Also worth noting: although the male officer is 19, Japan’s 2022 revision to the Civil Code lowered the age of adulthood to 18, so he is legally an adult, meaning this case does not involve a minor. The thread shows a clash between a norm-based view (“it’s unacceptable because it’s a public facility”) and a more lenient view (“it’s a private matter, not that big a deal”), highlighting the underlying difficulty of drawing the line on how much personal freedom public servants should be allowed in their private lives.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Newsplus) thread “[Nara Prefectural Police] “We Gave in to Our Urges”: Officers in Their 20s (F) and Teens (M) Disciplined for Sex at Police Facility.”

  • Ex-Hello! Project’s Mizuki Murota in Her Prime — 5ch: “If She Were in Angerme Now, She’d Be Unstoppable”

    A thread on 5ch’s Hello! Project board looked back at the in-her-prime performances of former Hello! Project member Mizuki Murota. Citing her prominent vocal parts on her debut single, her synergy with Akari Takeuchi and Rikako Sasaki, and her knack for livening up talk segments, posters lamented her underrated talent with comments like “If she were in Angerme now, she’d be unstoppable” and “She beat Hana Goto in every single ability,” while others debated why she stayed so low-key and never quite broke through.

    1AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:13
    Looking back, she had a lot of standout vocal parts right from the start
    2AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:16
    Landing that vocal part on the debut single "Taiki Bansei" was huge
    That's as big a surprise promotion as Oda getting "HELP ME!!"
    5AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:22
    I think she'd be dominating if she were in Angerme now
    6AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:23
    She had way more variety-show talent than someone like Goto
    10AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:25
    Back on Nama Tamago (a Hello Pro Kenshuusei stage show), trainee-era Danbaran (Ruru Dambara's nickname) once sang Muro's part from "Taiki Bansei" and totally outdid the original
    I remember thinking, "uh-oh, this isn't good"
    11AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:25
    Muro's the type who scores above average at literally anything you throw at her
    12AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:25
    Synergy with Sasaki
    Synergy with Takeuchi
    She's a "synergy member" — shines when paired with someone she clicks with
    13AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:26
    Back in her trainee days she was picked as a backup dancer for "Rarara no Pipipi"
    17AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:28
    She's the craftsman type, so her skill never got the credit it deserved
    24AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:30
    Matsumoto's version of "Taiki Bansei" is unlistenable
    25AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:30
    Even in the current Angerme lineup, she'd probably land somewhere in the middle of the popularity ranking
    26AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:30
    She was a model trainee, but I wonder how she was once she actually debuted
    27AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:30
    Charitably: an all-rounder
    Uncharitably: just average across the board
    29AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:31
    If she'd stayed in the group, she'd probably be deified by now
    31AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:32
    In today's Angerme, she'd be the cleanup hitter playing shortstop (i.e., the team's best all-around player)
    32AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:32
    Current Angerme is just too rough right now
    I want her back
    34AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:33
    She's great at livening up talk segments too — truly all-around talent
    35AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:33
    If she couldn't pair up with Takeuchi or Sasaki, her value probably would've dropped too
    36AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:35
    The agency probably wanted to make her the ace
    But she never really had that one standout quality, so she ended up fading into the background, is the impression I got
    37AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:35
    Feels like the gap Muro left was filled by Maopin
    38AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:36
    The Makiko Ogawa type, if we're talking Morning Musume
    Though personality-wise she was the total opposite — more of a cynical type
    39AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:36
    Yeah, I get why she was low-key
    She lacked that certain sparkle
    40AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:37
    She's the member who got the "Hello! Project ace" torch passed to her personally by Airi, you know
    41AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:38
    My impression is she outclassed Hana Goto in every single ability
    43AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:38
    Gives off "the Karin behind the scenes" vibe
    back in her trainee days, I mean
    44AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:39
    I liked Muro quite a bit, but I was bummed when her juicy part in "Nanakorobi Yaoki" got taken away from her
    45AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:39
    Muro's got this kind of sultry, sexy charm to her
    46AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:40
    Watching her solo MC moments occasionally at joint concerts these days, you can really tell how much she was influenced by Airi
    47AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:40
    She's the type whose every ability ranks upper-middle
    Like Kengo Misaki from Baki
    48AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:40
    When she got promoted, it felt like the agency was trying to groom her into the team's ace, but it wasn't long before everyone realized, "nah, it's not her"
    49AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:41
    Speaking of "normal," she's the type who'd be popular on the marriage-hunting scene
    "Normal" in the sense of being secretly high-spec
    64AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:04
    After Takahashi and Airi, she was expected to be the next Hello! Project ace
    71AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:29
    Re: #64
    So she's part of the "quiet ace" lineage, huh

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Members seen as “ace candidates” within Angerme or Hello! Project who never quite broke out before graduating tend to get revisited like this again and again. In this thread, comments praising her substance — vocal parts, singing ability — sit alongside the view that surface factors like a low-key presence or darker skin tone kept her from connecting with fans. Worth noting: both are just individual posters’ subjective impressions, not arguments backed by hard numbers like CD sales or attendance figures. Comparisons to current members like “Hana Goto” are likewise based purely on fans’ gut feelings, not any official side-by-side assessment of their actual abilities. And as the phrase “quiet ace” suggests, framing a talented-but-overlooked member within that lineage is a familiar go-to narrative among Hello! Project fans.

    *This article is composed as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “On Mizuki Murota’s performances during her active years.”

  • Miyu Yasuda: “I Want to Stand at Tokyo Dome” — Morning Musume ’26’s Four New Members Share Their Goals

    At their first release event, the four new 18th-generation members of Morning Musume。’26 — Ishikawa, Yasuda, Suzuki, and Sugihara — each shared their personal goals. Ishikawa said, “I want to stand on a big stage,” 14-year-old Miyu Yasuda said, “I want to stand at Tokyo Dome,” Suzuki said, “I want to stand at the center of the formation,” and Sugihara said, “I want to see many different sights.” The remarks sparked discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board, splitting posters between those who welcomed the members voicing big dreams and those who were skeptical, given that no Hello! Project group has yet pulled off a solo Tokyo Dome concert.

    Model Press@modelpress

    The four 18th-generation members of Morning Musume。’26

    make their case at their first release event🔥

    Source: mdpr.jp / Original article here

    4AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:46
    What even counts as a "big stage," though?
    Why does she want to stand on a big stage anyway?
    8AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:47
    Well, if she's a Nogizaka46 fan, of course she'd want to stand there.
    9AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:47
    It's a good thing to say it out loud.
    Even Juice=Juice's big sister, the flagship group herself, says the same thing.
    10AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:48
    How is someone who calls fans "scenery" supposed to be some kind of model student?
    12AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:49
    People who assume "many different sights" means travel or fan-related stuff clearly have zero reading comprehension.
    13AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:49
    If it were Juice=Juice, they could actually pull it off, though.
    14AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:50
    The current lineup can't show her a view like that.
    And that's not changing anytime soon either.
    19AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:53
    Sugihara and Ishikawa's goals sound like something a skill-focused member would say.
    Yasuda and Suzuki's goals sound like things that'd just be fun for them personally.
    20AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:54
    Yasuda's benchmark for success is Nogizaka46.
    31AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:58
    Re: #20
    She's safe — at least she's not running her mouth about wanting to stand at Jingu Stadium.
    23AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:55
    She could probably stand at the Dome if it's just some event appearance, no?
    26AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:57
    Re: #23
    Standing on someone else's mikoshi (i.e., just guesting on another group's stage) doesn't count.
    24AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:56
    Tokyo Dome is for major acts churning out anime theme songs nonstop and mega-popular idols — not for them.
    28AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:58
    With Oda and Makino graduating, who knows if we'll get to see the Rock in Japan Festival or ES CON Field views again, but I'd love for the 18th gen to get a taste of them too.
    ES CON might be doable somehow with Aisei-chan, maybe.
    39AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:02
    Re: #28
    ES CON Field's easy — even no-name idols get to play there.
    29AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:58
    Since it ended up as the headline, saying something big was clearly the right call.

    Morning Musume。'26's 14-year-old Miyu Yasuda: "I want to stand at Tokyo Dome someday" — Four 18th-gen members hold first release commemoration event
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2d7ee9c88a1aa4c195fd10a9e6cefdb7fee91b54

    Morning Musume。'26's four 18th-gen members make their pitch at first release event — Goal: "Tokyo Dome"
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/5d8f6876e849471da8adee03a104b081963cea81
    33AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:59
    Re: #29
    The one about Sugihara getting to hold the release event at the place she'd always admired did make it into a headline, at least.
    30AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:58
    She could probably stand at a city hall, at least…
    36AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:00
    The most reckless goal here might honestly be "I want my own terrestrial TV show!"
    41AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:02
    Re: #36
    They've never done a Dome, but they have had their own show before — so that one's probably more realistic.
    37AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:01
    Kitagawa's dreams were huge at first too. It ended up just being about holding steady, in the end.
    40AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:02
    Re: #37
    She figured out her own strengths — that getting out of here and becoming a TV announcer suited her better.
    42AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:02
    Miyu-Myu should focus on building up her actual skills first.
    43AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:03
    First, the four of them need to show some real resolve.
    46AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:07
    Re: #43
    Seriously, exactly this.
    44AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:04
    For the Dome, doing it just once — enough to create the fact that "they stood at the Dome" — would be plenty.
    45AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:06
    You guys trashed Rosie for having "low ambition" when her goal was just Budokan — and now this?
    People who sneer at others' dreams are the real losers here.
    47AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:07
    So Moa-chan's got her sights set on being the ace, huh.
    48AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:08
    Yasuda Miyu-Myu probably knows that two years ago, Kawashima Omifu made the exact same remark in the exact same spot and got laughed at for it.
    And she probably also knows what's become of Juice=Juice now.
    I'm looking forward to Morning Musume。two years from now.
    Will Homamei become the next Reiruru? (member nicknames)
    52AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:10
    Re: #48
    When's Juice=Juice actually doing Tokyo Dome, then?
    49AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:09
    I only just found out four new members even joined.
    53AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:11
    That Suzuki girl seems like she could grow into an ace-level member down the road.
    58AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:23
    Re: #53
    Her visuals and voice quality are both good, so if she builds up skill and stamina, she could get there.
    57AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:19
    They'll probably come to know reality soon enough.
    Once this round of solo meet-and-greets wraps up, reality's probably going to hit everyone.
    Like, "why does the same guy keep showing up every single time."
    59AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:24
    Re: #57
    Even in that situation, Kawashima still held onto the dream of doing a Dome.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Morning Musume。has a tradition of newly joined members stating big goals at events, and a fair number of thread posters took that in stride as a positive thing. At the same time, a recurring point in the discussion is the fact that no Hello! Project group has ever pulled off a solo Tokyo Dome concert, with some posters in the thread noting that “not even during the golden era could they do it.” Other members have made similar statements in the past that became talking points, and Yasuda’s remark this time is being read by some as an extension of that pattern. One thing readers may easily misread is that the thread’s reaction wasn’t uniformly mocking — plenty of comments also praised the act of voicing a big dream in the first place.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Ishikawa: “I want to stand on a big stage” / Yasuda: “I want to stand at Tokyo Dome” / Suzuki: “I want to stand at the center of the formation” / Sugihara: “I want to see many different sights”.”

  • Manager Moriyasu Wins Two Straight—But the Unease Over His ‘Six-Month’ Contract Extension Won’t Go Away

    Japan national team manager Hajime Moriyasu has won back-to-back matches since the World Cup—3-1 over Uruguay and 2-1 over Venezuela—yet he’s only been kept on under an unusual “six-month limited” extension. Sportiva raised the question of why a manager who reportedly won’t be in charge at the next World Cup in four years is still leading the national team, and 5ch reacted. Threads floated the theory that this is just a “stopgap” until the schedules of the Asian Cup and manager Tsuyoshi Oiwa’s younger-generation squad stop overlapping, alongside gripes about lopsided player selection—showing that two wins alone haven’t dispelled the unease over his management.

    The backlash against Moriyasu’s “six-month limited” extension is fierce.

    And this is despite calling up new faces for their first national team appearances and winning back-to-back matches—3-1 over Uruguay in the first game after the World Cup, followed by a 2-1 win over Venezuela.

    Opinions on why the extension is a bad idea vary, but the main one is likely the discomfort of seeing a manager who’s already known not to be in charge at the World Cup four years from now still leading the national team.

    Source: sportiva.shueisha.co.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:18
    Makes you wonder what you're even living for.
    4AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:18
    If they blow the Asian Cup after this, it'll be an absolute joke.
    5AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:18
    Where'd Hong Myung-bo go, lol
    6AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:19
    As always, the baffling team selections are in peak form.
    14AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:21
    Seriously, is there any other manager who makes you go 'why though?' this much?
    15AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:21
    Thinking about the future, this is nothing but a wasted stretch of time.
    17AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:24
    Re: #1
    Saying the 'backlash is fierce'—are you only feeling the wind blowing around yourself?
    20AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:25
    That's because it's a runway period to pass the baton to Oiwa.
    Moriyasu, acting for his successor's benefit instead of showing off, is honestly admirable.
    21AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:26
    Probably Sugiyama, Asada, or Komiya.
    Sportiva is exhausting to read because every article has some soccer writer with no playing experience spouting armchair theories.
    They all seem to have the exact same perspective.
    22AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:26
    I don't get the point of downplaying the Asian Cup.
    24AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:27
    This is setup for an 'Oiwa struggles → Moriyasu returns' storyline, I bet.
    34AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:29
    Re: #24
    Exactly that.
    It's basically a threat that he'll keep pulling strings from behind the scenes whenever he wants (like a retired emperor still running the show).
    25AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:27
    Six months wasted.
    Win or lose, it'd be better to just let a new manager handle it.
    Round of 32, lol lol—extending his contract by a few months over that is pointless.
    26AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:28
    Is this just a bridge until Oiwa, who's managing the younger squad, takes over?
    27AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:28
    Probably because the Asian Games and the international match window overlapped.
    29AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:28
    Iguchi was fuming, saying 'don't rain on the parade,' but that's probably the JFA's real feelings too.
    30AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:28
    'For what purpose'—it's a bridge because Oiwa's busy with the Asian Games.
    They can't just skip the national team matches, after all.
    31AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:29
    It's because Oiwa can't take over right away.
    In that case they could just look for someone other than Oiwa, but for some reason the association won't budge on that.
    32AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:29
    The timing of the Asian Cup is just really bad.
    33AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:29
    Well, his successor is an even more clueless tactician anyway.
    35AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:29
    They're calling up young players this time, but the Asian Cup isn't soft enough to let you juggle it with developing youngsters at the same time—especially since Moriyasu has zero Asian titles to his name.
    36AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:30
    He draws a clear line between his favorites and everyone else, doesn't he.
    Makes you wonder why the guys called up for the 'B team' even bother trying hard.
    42AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:31
    You can't hand the Asian Cup to a guy who's terrible in tournaments.
    43AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:32
    Just because the referee looked like Trossard,
    Toda kept insisting on calling him 'Referee Trossard' during commentary, and the broadcast just didn't get it and ignored him.
    That was honestly the most memorable moment of the whole World Cup for me…
    44AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:32
    Seriously, I have no idea what he's trying to do.
    47AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:33
    Re: #44
    Right or wrong aside, you can at least tell what he's trying to do.
    45AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:32
    If they actually win the Asian Cup, it'll ironically make it harder for Oiwa to put his own stamp on the team.
    He won't be able to easily cut the players who contributed to the title.
    51AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:35
    I think the JFA also has a strong desire to see Moriyasu win a major title.
    81AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:55
    Re: #51
    He'll probably learn nothing and just start his favorites again, and the team will run out of gas in the tournament.
    62AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:43
    The biggest mistake in Japanese soccer history:
    Handing the best squad ever assembled to someone like Moriyasu.
    76AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:52
    Re: #62
    Even calling it the 'best ever,' it still falls way short of the goals they've set.
    If you can't keep surpassing your own best, that means there's no future.
    Though with the birth rate about to crash, they might genuinely stop being able to top it.
    88AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:03
    Re: #62
    Letting him go 8 years with zero real targets is unbelievable.
    And in all that time, he couldn't even win a major title in Asia.
    83AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:57
    We'll never catch up to baseball in this lifetime, lol
    92AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:05
    Re: #83
    Who's even considered a great manager in baseball?

    Background and Key Points of Debate

    Moriyasu has continued in the role he’s held since 2022, now leading the team on an interim basis even after the World Cup. Meanwhile, manager Tsuyoshi Oiwa leads a separate, younger-generation squad apart from the senior national team, and the fact that the Asian Cup’s schedule overlaps with Oiwa’s commitments is believed to be the background behind this “six-month limited” extension. Opinion in the thread split on one point: whether to view this arrangement positively as “a smooth handover to Oiwa,” or to criticize it as “the association putting off deciding on a successor.” Even with two wins on the board, the underlying unease over continuing to employ a manager who is already known not to be in charge at the World Cup four years from now hasn’t been resolved, and the next focal point will be how the transition to Oiwa unfolds depending on the Asian Cup results. Note that comments tied to unverifiable claims about individual players’ personal conduct have been excluded from this article.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “[Soccer] What Did Manager Hajime Moriyasu Get Extended For? The Unease Over His Management Two Wins Can’t Erase.”

  • BRAHMAN’s TOSHI-LOW Reveals Sigmoid Colon Cancer Diagnosis, Surgery Imminent — 5ch Reacts: ‘Colon Cancer Again?’

    On September 30, TOSHI-LOW, vocalist of the rock band BRAHMAN, revealed that he has sigmoid colon cancer (a type of colorectal cancer). He is set to undergo removal surgery shortly and will take time off to recover, pulling out of two shows scheduled for October. On the 5ch Entertainment/Sports News+ thread, comments ranged from concern over his lifestyle — citing other celebrities who’ve battled colorectal cancer — to reflections on how his on-stage talk changed after the 2011 earthquake, while plenty of posts poked fun at his well-known love of booze and ramen.

    BRAHMAN’s TOSHI-LOW Reveals Sigmoid Colon Cancer, Removal Surgery Imminent, Will Take Time to Recover

    Wed, Sep 30, 9:00 PM

    Pulling out of two October shows

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

    4AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:45
    "Sigmoid colon cancer (a type of colorectal cancer)"…

    yeah, he's done for.
    5AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:46
    His whole vibe suddenly changed around the time of the earthquake.
    Same with Hi-STANDARD — they're both washed up now.
    Coke Head Hipsters are the only ones who still deliver.
    9AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:49
    Re: #5
    He used to do shows with just the songs, no MC chatter, but after the earthquake he started lecturing the crowd near the end of every set.
    6AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:46
    Colon cancer again?
    Almost every celebrity cancer lately has been colon cancer.
    15AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:51
    He should've gotten Mad Capsule Markets back together while he was still healthy.
    29AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:00
    Re: #15
    Apparently they broke up in a really ugly way, so that's not happening.
    16AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:52
    Is Ryo gonna end up a widow!? (Ryo, his actress wife)
    20AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:53
    Between this guy and Matsu-chan (comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto), maybe it's the protein powder that's the problem?
    31AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:00
    Re: #20
    Probably the booze.
    The guy's a heavy drinker.
    21AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:54
    Colon cancer again? What is going on?
    22AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:55
    Serious health problems start showing up right after you turn 40 — life's way too short.
    23AnonymousSep 30, 2026 22:55
    Colon cancer's the kind where they just cut it out and you're fine right away, right? (・へ・)
    32AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:02
    Colon cancer cases have really gone up.
    Plenty of non-drinkers get it too.
    Maybe it's the rice?
    36AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:04
    Loves ramen, loves booze — guess they're gonna brand this 'the unhealthy-lifestyle band.'
    38AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:07
    Re: #30
    You can read a hundred books and live clean, but you can't fight genetics.
    39AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:07
    Hi-STANDARD
    Coke Head Hipsters
    Sherbet
    Husking Bee
    BRAHMAN
    COCOBAT
    Garlic Boys
    Nunchaku
    Super Stupid

    Man, that's my whole youth lol
    40AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:07
    BUCK-TICK's Sakurai and Chiba Yusuke both loved to drink too — alcohol really does eat away at your body eventually.
    43AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:08
    If he loves ramen and loves booze, it's clearly the late-night ramen that's the real culprit.
    47AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:13
    Eh, I can't stand this guy anyway so I don't really care.
    50AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:14
    Guess Toshiharu (TOSHI-LOW's real name) is taking a break too.
    Meanwhile Kiyoharu, who never gets checkups and seems like the least healthy of the bunch, is somehow fine — how does that work?
    51AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:14
    Does COVID wreck your immune system?
    Guess catching it really is bad news after all.
    54AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:17
    Make sure you're actually getting your colonoscopy, people.
    59AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:28
    Mattsun: 'No idea who this guy is, but sounds rough.'
    62AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:28
    It all comes down to whether the surgery gets every last cancer cell out — if it comes back, things move fast, so tell them to cut it all out and go big. Good luck.
    63AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:30
    That festival-chaos vibe — Number Girl totally ripped that off, right?
    65AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:30
    Haven't seen much of Ryo lately, but now that she'll need to earn more, maybe she'll start popping up in tons of dramas and movies.
    66AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:31
    No joke, shredded cabbage is apparently the best prevention out there.
    69AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:36
    Oh, this is the band known for that tune high school baseball brass bands always play, right?
    72AnonymousSep 30, 2026 23:39
    Is it grilled meat and booze behind all these celebrity cases?

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    The sigmoid colon is the section near the end of the large intestine, and it’s one of the more common sites for colorectal cancer to develop. When caught early and removed surgically, the prognosis tends to be relatively good, and the details TOSHI-LOW has shared suggest this case is being handled with surgery for exactly that reason. Some thread comments jumped straight to pessimistic takes like ‘yeah, he’s done for,’ but that’s premature at a stage when details like the cancer’s severity haven’t been disclosed — the name ‘sigmoid colon cancer’ on its own doesn’t automatically mean a severe condition. Where opinions diverged was over the cause: many posters pointed to his own lifestyle, like drinking and ramen, but genetics also play a major role in cancer, so lifestyle alone doesn’t explain it. Some also noted that since the 2011 earthquake, TOSHI-LOW has taken to delivering socially conscious messages near the end of his live sets — a bit of band history that may need explaining to readers unfamiliar with BRAHMAN’s career.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread ‘[Music] BRAHMAN’s TOSHI-LOW Reveals Sigmoid Colon Cancer, Removal Surgery Imminent, Will Take Time to Recover.’