Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Inaba Manaka’s “9 Faces I Like” Post Sparks Debate — 5ch: “This Ain’t Okay”

    Inaba Manaka jumped on the “#9 Favorite Faces Among Japanese Female Idols” hashtag trend on her X (formerly Twitter) account, naming nine idols whose looks she’s drawn to. The list included names like Hiromoto, Ogawa Nanako, and Ebamifu — but notably left out Ruru-chan (Suzuka) and any members of Tsubaki Factory. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, replies split over both the pattern behind her picks and what Inaba might have been going for.

    Inaba Manaka

    @inabamanaka_

    #9FavoriteFacesAmongJapaneseFemaleIdols

    Source: x.com / original post here

    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:41
    This ain't okay…
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    This is——
    Re: #3
    Yeah, this is bad on more than one level
    5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:41
    There's gotta be something else here worth calling out
    7AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:41
    Don't throw Hiromoto in there just to camouflage the real picks
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    If you didn't like Marin's face to begin with, there's no way you'd have stayed a fan of her
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    Women pick girls less cute than themselves — that's just how it is, not Manakan's fault, it's DNA doing its thing
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    Because she can't pick Chii-chan or Rito Kame (a nickname) either
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    She even threw in Ogawa Nanako, who's a dead ringer for Hiromoto, so she must genuinely be into that Hiromoto-type face
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    After all that "Marin, Marin" talk, and yet…
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:43
    The way she just casually slips Ebamifu in like it's a given, though
    20AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    I thought Manaka knew where the line was…
    Farewell…
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    She's dead serious about this
    Stuff like this needs to feel more like a joke
    22AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    Who on earth is center pick Ogawa Nanako
    26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    Doing something like this just makes her look extra shady, lol
    27AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    Everyone's going "cute, cute" over this
    Where's Ruru-chan though?
    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    Re: #27
    Fukuda and Danbara's appeal isn't about their faces…
    36AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    Re: #27
    If she did this for real, she'd get cut instantly
    28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    The top-left one's off
    That photo's actually Ishii
    29AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    Disappointing that she'd hop on such a creepy trend
    This is more off-putting than the Hello Project face-sort thing
    33AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    Now that Yagi Marin isn't usable anymore, she's just moved on to the trending Ebamifu
    35AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    For some reason O-Cha (Ocha Norma) made the cut but Tsubaki Factory wasn't even an option, apparently
    37AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:46
    She's been really active on Twitter lately
    Wonder what's going on
    38AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:46
    So she left Tsubaki out because nobody knows them??
    Disappointed in Manakan
    39AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:46
    I mean, nobody wants Ruru-chan's face, do they
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:47
    So she's slipping Ebamifu in right now, just like that
    Was that really the deal?
    50AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:47
    She's never once mentioned Ebamifu's name before this
    67AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:50
    Re: #50
    Inaba Manaka: "With Ebamifu, I've got this feeling bubbling up inside me — like she might bring back a bit of that Yagi Marin vibe again."
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1781386261/
    59AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:48
    Doing this in the first place is a bad move
    Especially for a public figure
    69AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:50
    Re: #59
    Yeah, this just isn't okay
    You'd think she'd realize that
    75AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:52
    Danbara's graduation is coming up soon and everyone knows her popularity's about to tank, so people have stopped sucking up to her
    83AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:54
    Re: #75
    So by the time Danbara graduates, Kawanishi, Fukuda, and Yokaze will have graduated too?
    80AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:53
    If you're picking 9 people, pick one from each of Hello Project's 7 groups
    Leaving out Morning Musume and Angerme? Better be ready to get frozen out of Hello Village
    85AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:55
    Re: #80
    Can't help it if their faces just aren't her type
    84AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:55
    Manaka's a civilian now, so it can't be helped
    87AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:55
    Re: #84
    Maybe that's just how she thinks these days
    She wouldn't have posted something like this back when she was active
    105AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:59
    @
    Ruru-chan… isn't there…?!
    111AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:00
    Re: #105
    No way she'd be included
    Read the room

    Background and Points of Debate

    The “◯ Faces I Like” format is a familiar Twitter trend where people list out figures whose looks match their taste. The hashtag gets used broadly by celebrities and everyday users alike, so the act itself isn’t unusual. Inaba Manaka is a former member of Morning Musume。’17 and currently holds OG status within Hello! Project. What split opinion in the thread wasn’t the trend itself, but the pattern in who got picked. Comments zeroed in on small inconsistencies — the list leaning toward certain groups, or members she’d praised by name before being left off this time — reflecting the Hello Project board’s particular fan culture, which is highly attuned to individual popularity and the balance between groups. At the same time, some replies expressed unease at an OG publicly ranking the faces of active members at all, showing that reactions went beyond simple takes on the trend itself. Note that “likes” and “not chosen” in this piece reflect Inaba’s personal preference alone and don’t imply any ranking or evaluation.

    ※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Sad News] Inaba Manaka apparently isn’t a fan of Rito Kame’s “face”…“.

  • Is 157cm the Ideal Height for Female Idols? Hello! Project’s Average Height Data Sparks Debate

    A thread kicked off with the post “I think around 157cm is the best height for a female idol,” and 5ch users dove into a debate over their preferred heights. The discussion soon moved from opinions to hard numbers, with posters naming specific members and even posting average height data for each Hello! Project subgroup. Juice=Juice, at 162.05cm the tallest group on average, was pointed out to also be one of the most popular — a fact that shook the very premise that “shorter is better.” Opinions split between those rooting for a height “you just want to protect” and those who felt that, for a professional performer, such heights are simply too short.

    1AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:00
    Not too tall, not too short — that's the sweet spot in the end
    2AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:01
    That's short.
    For a celebrity, 160cm should be the bare minimum.
    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:01
    Re: #1
    Says the short old dude who's only 160cm himself lmaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:05
    Nonaka's fudging her numbers, she's not even 157.
    It's probably more like Yasuda, Gotou, Irie, Kasai, or Yonemura level
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:06
    Re: #9
    Kasai's probably more like 152cm
    18AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:09
    Guys really do go for the size that makes them think 'I want to protect her.'
    The female fans demanding tall idols are just way too loud about it.
    26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:12
    Re: #18
    What are you, Kurochan? (a Japanese comedian frequently the butt of looks-based jokes)
    36AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:18
    Re: #28
    There are no short guys at KISS OF LIFE or HI-KEY shows
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:21
    Re: #36
    K-pop fandoms are mostly female fans to begin with — guys are already a minority there.
    So that just proves it's the women who want tall idols.
    37AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:18
    In reality, most idols fall between 155-160cm, with the top-tier ones around 155cm or even shorter.
    39AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:20
    Re: #37
    But Dambara, the most popular member in Hello! Project right now, is 164.5cm
    45AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:23
    Re: #43
    Being short gets you passed over — both as an idol and as a biological matter.
    51AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:23
    Re: #45
    There it is, moving the goalposts.
    I win.
    53AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:25
    Loses at online arguments too, this short old dude lol
    55AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:25
    Re: #53
    Come on, leave him alone lmaooooo
    63AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:31
    Hello! Project average heights
    Juice=Juice 162.05cm
    BEYOOOOONDS 160.76cm
    OCHA NORMA 159.81cm
    Morning Musume。'26 158.85cm
    ANGERME 157.12cm
    Tsubaki Factory 156.32cm
    Rosy Chronicle 153.06cm
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HLvzfSZawAA_5MR.jpg
    66AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:32
    Re: #63
    Rosy Chronicle's short lol
    75AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:37
    Re: #63
    So in reality, the group that's actually selling — Juice=Juice — has the highest average height.
    65AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:32
    Re: #28
    Scientifically, low-income, short men tend to prefer short women or the petite 'loli' type.
    Conversely, high-income, tall men tend to prefer women with a great figure.
    73AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:36
    Re: #65
    I honestly think that's true.
    69AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:35
    Apparently the reason Dutch people are so tall is that Dutch women historically preferred tall men.
    76AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:38
    Re: #69
    That place is on another level.
    There was a foreign YouTuber who's 193cm and he was still below average there lol
    There were women who were 195cm lol
    77AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:38
    I think Hong Kong's ideal height was about that too.
    Go above or below that range and it's genuinely a minus there.
    79AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:39
    Re: #77
    Same old story — you're short and so is Hong Kong, apparently.
    Though maybe you actually are from Hong Kong.
    80AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:39
    https://images.keizai.biz/hirosaki_keizai/headline/1593347184_photo.jpg
    88AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:42
    Re: #80
    Ringo Musume are huge lol (a local idol group from Hirosaki known for its apple-themed image)
    82AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:41
    Juice=Juice's gotten so ridiculously tall they're barely idols anymore
    85AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:41
    Re: #82
    Where exactly are they big?
    Unless you're an unusually tall guy yourself, you wouldn't think Juice is tall.
    100AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:48
    Eba's still growing taller, right?
    107AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:50
    Re: #100
    I think she's around 159cm now.
    I recall she narrowly lost to Mifu-chan in height lol
    114AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:51
    Re: #107
    That's because Mifu was lying about her height
    106AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:50
    Itou Momoka's 157cm


    Yeah, I get it
    108AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:50
    Yuuchami's 174cm
    113AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:51
    Re: #108
    Pretty sure Yuuchami's actually 176cm

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The average heights cited in the thread for each Hello! Project subgroup largely reflect the groups’ official profile figures, with Juice=Juice’s 162.05cm the tallest and Rosy Chronicle’s 153.06cm the shortest. That gap is the foundation of the split between the ‘shorter is more protectable’ camp and those who see being too short as a disadvantage for a professional performer. One thing worth flagging: the thread’s claims that ‘female fans prefer taller idols’ and ‘male fans prefer petite ones’ aren’t backed by any actual survey of fan demographics — they’re purely anecdotal impressions. Likewise, the theory about Dutch mate-selection driving height and the references to overseas rating charts aren’t supported by any verifiable source; they’re presented here simply as talking points that came up in the thread.

    *This article was compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “I think around 157cm is the best height for a female idol.”

  • “Today Too, We All Got Up Early” — Juice=Juice’s Post Sparks a Wave of Salary Speculation

    Idol group Juice=Juice member Risa Irie posted on her blog on September 25, 2026, writing, “Today we all did our best to get up early.” Her morning activity — coming in the middle of a packed schedule with a live show in Kyoto the day before and one in Fukuoka the next day — became a hot topic on 5ch, sparking a wave of salary speculation such as “She’s probably making seven figures a month (in yen)” and “On top of a base salary, there’s a bonus too.” Rumors even surfaced that bonuses are handed out in cash-stuffed envelopes, and the thread stayed lively with the truth left unconfirmed.

    A Fulfilling Day — Risa Irie

    2026-09-25 20:07:58

    Today we all did our best to get up early 🐢

    Source: ameblo.jp / Original post here

    2AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:13
    She had a live show in Kyoto yesterday and one in Fukuoka tomorrow — so did she skip going back to Tokyo and stay somewhere else instead?
    4AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:15
    She's probably making seven figures a month (in yen)
    25AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:29
    Re: #4
    Maybe when they show up at the dressing room in the morning, there's a fat envelope stuffed with cash just sitting there waiting for everyone?
    51AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:22
    Re: #4
    Hello! Project idols aren't in it for the money
    8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:16
    The whole group gets along and works so hard together, so this must be a reward from the gods
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:16
    I don't think it's seven figures a month
    Probably just a bit more than what a regular office worker makes
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:22
    Re: #9
    It's been confirmed they're on a base-salary system plus bonuses, so with as much work as Juice=Juice puts in, they're definitely pulling a solid bonus
    20AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:28
    Well, if they're working this much, I'd at least want them to be getting a decent bonus
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:28
    Re: #1
    Right — "Offshore = Company," matching the X=X format of their own name, if you catch my drift (a joking dig implying the agency's money disappears offshore)
    37AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:53
    Kyoto yesterday, Fukuoka tomorrow — so she actually went back to Tokyo in between?
    44AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:05
    Re: #37
    Maybe she was doing an on-location shoot in Kyoto?
    38AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:55
    Even if "Moremi" (a viral clip/nickname) went viral, that's just a YouTube video passing 10 million views — it probably won't bump her salary all that much.

    Beyond that she's picked up more terrestrial TV spots, magazine covers, and radio work, but how much would that really add to her commission-based pay?


    I'd guess Reirei, who landed the seasonal model gig for earth music&ecology, is probably earning the most out of all of them.
    39AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:57
    There's even a jealousy thread about this now.

    I'm genuinely worried about Juice=Juice being overworked. Could they hand off some of the workload to Tsubaki Factory?
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1790336719/
    41AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:59
    Apparently there are cash payouts too — a former employee wrote about it in a review on a job-change website.
    Supposedly, whenever they land a hit song or sell out a big venue, the chairman hands out brown envelopes stuffed with cash to staff and talent alike, beaming with pride as he thanks and cheers them on.
    48AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:12
    Re: #41
    Not sure why, but that sounds like a scary world lol
    42AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:01
    A schedule where a radio show airing on 9/24 gets recorded back on 9/4
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:01
    The chairman is 77 years old too — pretty energetic for his age
    45AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:05
    So it's work for all of them? Wonder what it is. The agency wouldn't schedule stuff in the middle of a tour, so it's probably outside work.
    56AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:41
    Re: #45
    For Hello! Project, people say "agency," not "management" — it's not like the AKB48 Group
    46AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:07
    But Risachi's bar event still hasn't sold out, you know.
    Risachi, it kills me.
    50AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:21
    Is it like Angerme wakes up and it's suddenly already nighttime?

    Background and Discussion Points on This Topic

    Idol salary structures aren’t disclosed by talent agencies, so the thread’s talk of “seven figures a month” or “cash bonus envelopes” doesn’t go beyond hearsay and speculation sourced from things like anonymous job-review sites. The group’s side has explained in the past that the contract combines a base salary with commission-based bonuses, but the actual breakdown of amounts has never been revealed. The heavy workload that became a topic this time reflects a packed travel schedule — a Kyoto show, morning activity in Tokyo, and a Fukuoka show the day after — which isn’t an unusual way of working for a group idol act. What readers should be careful not to misread is that the salary figures and comparisons with other groups floating around in the thread are all unverified rumor, not facts stated by the agency or the members themselves.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[Breaking] Juice=Juice members at it again — working from the morning, all of them wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Chinese Media: ‘Japan’s Win Was Skill, Not Luck’ — Analysis After Uruguay Match

    On September 24, in an international friendly at Q&A Stadium Miyagi, Japan’s national team faced Uruguay and won 3-1. Kuryu Matsuki, making his senior debut, opened the scoring, and late in the match Kento Shiogai and Ayase Ueda struck the go-ahead and clinching goals. Following the result, Chinese media assessed that “Uruguay just waited for Japan’s mistakes — Japan’s win was a product of skill, not luck.” On 5ch, some welcomed the analysis warmly, while others pointed to the self-deprecating streak in Chinese soccer coverage and noted that Uruguay wasn’t at its best after a long-haul flight, broadening the discussion.

    In the international friendly held on September 24, Japan’s national team, led by manager Hajime Moriyasu, faced South American powerhouse Uruguay at Q&A Stadium Miyagi.

    In the opening match of the third Moriyasu era following the North/Central American World Cup, Japan took the lead in the 11th minute. Kuryu Matsuki, playing his senior debut, fired home a sharp left-footed strike from distance. But in the 42nd minute, a passing mistake in their own half let Maxi Araújo equalize.

    Still, in the 90+1st minute, Kento Shiogai converted a final pass from Ayase Ueda to retake the lead. Five minutes later, Ueda broke through on a perfectly weighted through ball from Junya Ito to seal the win, and Japan claimed a 3-1 victory.

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

    7AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:32
    There's no way you're in peak shape after a 12-hour flight — just staying upright out there deserves some credit.
    19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:51
    Re: #7
    Same goes for Japan, honestly 😅
    8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:33
    China probably has to shell out serious cash just to schedule matches against strong nations.
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:34
    China should have more confidence — in baseball they're basically a world powerhouse lol
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:35
    China's got no business acting high and mighty here.
    What were you guys even doing during the last World Cup? Cutting grass?
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:38
    China loves soccer, so their eye for the game is pretty sharp.
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:40
    What they're saying is correct —
    Japan's still missing something before it can win the World Cup.
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:41
    Re: #1

    ×××
    Today's match, Japan vs Uruguay —
    attendance at Q Stadium was
    44,070!

    That's more than the population (36,000) of Rifu, the Miyagi town the stadium is in…

    And it was a weekday lol

    https://dec.2chan.net/up2/src/fu7312602.jpeg
    16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:44
    Re: #14
    Kirin must be thrilled (the beverage company that sponsors these Japan friendlies is cashing in)
    15AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:42
    For some reason soccer is the one sport where they consistently talk Japan up.
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:49
    Chinese soccer media >>> Chinese fans >>>>>> Chinese soccer players
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:53
    China really does love soccer…
    so why are they in such a sorry state?
    23AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:56
    Re: #21
    They always say loving something and being good at it are two different things.
    25AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:58
    Re: #21
    Shanghai sports bars (better at watching than playing, in other words)
    26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:01
    China's opponents for September–October are the Maldives, NZ, Palestine, and Tajikistan…

    I get New Zealand (they made the World Cup) and Palestine (knocked out in Asian third-round qualifying),
    but come on, book someone a bit stronger.
    29AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:06
    Re: #26
    They should've just called up Cape Verde.
    39AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:25
    The decent journalists in China go into sports —
    you can't write freely about politics,
    so sports is the one beat where you actually can.
    75AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:37
    Re: #39
    Running down your own country is usually taboo — wonder why self-deprecation is only allowed in sports.
    40AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:27
    If you had Samurai Japan (the national baseball team) play soccer for a year, I bet they'd blow out the actual soccer team —
    that's how big the gap in athleticism is.
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:29
    Re: #40
    Those pigs wouldn't last 10 minutes lmaooooo
    47AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:32
    Re: #40
    No chance, they're below high school girls' level

    A Tohoku Rakuten (baseball) player was gassed doing stadium-stair sprints, while the Tokiwagi Gakuen High School girls' soccer players running alongside him looked completely unfazed…
    https://x.com/kahoku_shimpo/status/1857002617081098243
    74AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:36
    Re: #40
    Honestly though, I'd like to see rugby players try it instead.
    41AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:28
    Chinese people sure are quick to trash-talk themselves over soccer.
    49AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:34
    Re: #1
    'China's hopeless at team sports lolll'



    People say this sometimes, but they've actually picked up plenty of Olympic golds in team events.
    How do they explain that one?
    52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:42
    Re: #49
    The team events China wins are things like gymnastics —
    that's really just a bunch of individual routines bundled together.
    57AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:52
    Baseball World Rankings (as of March 26, 2026)

    1. Japan
    2. Taiwan
    3. USA
    4. South Korea
    >
    >
    >
    17. Germany
    18. China
    19. Canada


    China can be a world baseball power basically fielding amateurs lol
    shows just how niche 'bat-swinging' (a dismissive nickname for baseball) is worldwide lol
    59AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:59
    Re: #57
    Team Mexico was on the bench
    eating Donbei cup noodles
    60AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:02
    Why have Chinese sports papers always been so reasonable?
    63AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:04
    Popular sports in Asia:

    1. Soccer
    2. Badminton
    3. Swimming
    4. Basketball
    5. Cycling
    6. Volleyball
    7. Cricket
    8. Table tennis
    9. Tennis
    10. Boxing
    http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/samuraigoal/imgs/a/c/ac7ab344.png


    Soccer's huge in China, but baseball's unpopular there — written off as a dead zone nobody cares about lol
    68AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:12
    When it comes to soccer, Chinese commentary is surprisingly level-headed.
    81AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:43
    Re: #68
    What China calls 'level-headed' reads more like government-spokesperson talk — this one's actually 'grovelling.'

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    This match was the opening game of the newly reorganized Moriyasu Japan following the North/Central American World Cup, with attention on Kuryu Matsuki, who scored on his first senior call-up. The attendance of 44,070 also became a talking point on the thread, since it exceeded the population (roughly 36,000) of Rifu, the Miyagi town where the stadium is located. On the Chinese media’s assessment, commenters on the thread noted that soccer seems to be the one area where criticizing the home team is tolerated — reflecting how, in China, where political reporting leaves little room for open criticism, sports coverage has become a relatively independent space for commentary. Several also pointed out that Uruguay was at a disadvantage after a long-haul flight right before kickoff, so the result can’t be read as purely one-sided. There’s also a persistent gap between China’s actual national-team strength and the sport’s popularity there, a disconnect that came up repeatedly in the thread.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread ‘[Soccer] Chinese Media: “Uruguay Just Waited for Japan’s Mistakes — Japan’s Win Was a Product of Skill, Not Luck; We Don’t Even Have the Element of Luck”.’

  • Why Are There So Many ‘Underground Idols’? 5ch: ‘Basically Hostess Club Girls Who Sing and Dance’

    A thread titled “Why have underground idols multiplied like this?” popped up on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. It started with a poster’s question after watching the streaming show “Idol Battle Alive,” comparing underground idols’ merch sales and cheki (Polaroid photo session) business model to hostess clubs and the sex trade. Commenters argued that the meet-and-greet and bonus-item sales model popularized by AKB48 lowered the barrier to entry, and pointed to the economics of it: a group can sustain itself with as few as around 100 regular fans. At the same time, some argued that certain groups, like RINWAN and Kinoho., rival Hello! Project in dance and songwriting skill, sparking debate over “why they haven’t broken into the mainstream.”

    1AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:15
    They're probably just idols who couldn't cut it in the mainstream, but is it because merch sales and cheki (Polaroid photo sessions) make it a viable business?
    Aren't concept-cafe girls and other nightlife hostesses basically the same as underground idols?
    At the end of the day, are underground idols just sex workers?
    2AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:17
    Basically hostess club girls who sing and dance
    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:17
    There's no such thing as an idol who
    doesn't do meet-and-greets
    and sell bonus-item merch
    4AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:18
    It's because there's demand.
    Not otaku demand for underground idols,
    but demand from young women who want to become idols
    5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:19
    Bonus-item sales are fine,
    but cheki (Polaroid photos) are bad?
    That distinction makes no sense
    6AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:19
    Re: #1
    Who cares if there are more of them?
    It's not hurting you any
    7AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:20
    They probably want to create some kind of standard idol award show, like M-1 is for comedians,

    but pitting idols against each other in competition is pointless to begin with, right?
    8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:20
    There really are a ton of them
    It's impressive the business even works
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:21
    The business practices of self-proclaimed 'mainstream' idols are pretty rough too
    like the ones at Stardust Promotion
    38AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:39
    Re: #9
    Honestly Hello! Project has been running on nothing but underground-tier activity for ages
    these days they have zero name recognition with the public, they tour the boonies, they don't spend money on staging, and splitting shows into two sessions is standard
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:21
    Isn't it just because AKB48 made the meet-and-greet business model mainstream?

    setting aside whether it's good or bad that anyone can be an idol now
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:22
    AKB's business model got called out as a problem,
    but K-pop's business model never gets criticized at all — what's with that?
    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:32
    Re: #12
    What do you mean, 'K-pop's business model'?
    15AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:23
    Apparently underground idols can survive with around 100 fans buying merch
    and if about 5 of those are big spenders, they're set
    24AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:27
    Re: #15
    If the average spend is 10,000 yen across 100 people, that's already 1 million yen
    even at 5,000 yen that's 500,000 yen
    might actually be a pretty sweet business
    16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:23
    If you've got a certain number of fans,
    you can just post online and cash in on merch sales
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:24
    Not trying to stir things up, but there's really no difference in value between idols and hostess club girls anymore

    and there's only so long you can keep coasting on the prestige the word 'idol' carried back when idols were real stars
    18AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:24
    They haven't actually increased since 10 years ago
    it's just that huge numbers are forming and disappearing all the time
    20AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:26
    There are so many underground idols now that mainstream idols are the ones who feel out of place
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:27
    Re: #20
    Where exactly are these 'mainstream idols'?
    25AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:27
    Re: #20
    That's not happening
    36AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:36
    The last few years the underground scene has leaned skill-focused, and singing/dancing get judged harshly
    the top tier can go toe-to-toe with groups like Juice=Juice or BEYOOOOONDS
    it's not just about meet-and-greets
    40AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    Re: #36
    Groups like RINWAN, Kinoho., aibeck, and Neo Japo — their members write and compose their own songs and even do their own choreography
    honestly, a lot of underground idols have way more talent and looks than Hello! Project
    45AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:46
    Re: #40
    Then why can't they break into the mainstream? lol

    nobody's asking idols to write their own songs anyway, are they? lol
    49AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:48
    Re: #45
    What are you even talking about — Hello! Project has barely been on network TV in over 25 years
    the only ones who get constant mainstream airtime are the ones with agency connections and backroom deals, are you seriously that clueless?
    47AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:46
    Back in the Showa-era idol swimming competitions,
    there were unknown idols who only got to shine in events like that
    there weren't male idols doing it, but
    for female idols it was actually normal for even the famous ones to be terrible athletes
    51AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:49
    Re: #47
    These days it's not like they're all such low-level acts
    57AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:58
    Why would RINWAN even go on a show this trashy
    there's nothing to gain from it
    66AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:05
    Re: #57
    If anything, isn't just appearing a win precisely because this show is so low-budget?
    They'd probably gotten offers from Playt and others too, but since Appare didn't perform well, they didn't send out En or Parepare either
    63AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:03
    What are idols themselves even thinking when they do this?

    Because they like singing and dancing?
    Because they want to make fans smile?
    Because they just want attention, whatever it takes?

    If they were teenagers, fine,
    but as a job for adults in their 20s, isn't that kind of childish?
    65AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:05
    Re: #63
    It basically comes down to money
    if you can do what you love and get paid for it, there's nothing to complain about
    67AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:06
    If you approach underground idols with the spending habits of a Hello! Project fan,
    it's dirt cheap and you can genuinely connect with them, so if a Hello! otaku gets hooked they can become a top oshi (TO) almost instantly
    but Hello! fans are probably in it for the performances too, so they wouldn't even glance at underground idols
    73AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:12
    Re: #67
    The skill level in the underground scene is rising right now
    once RINWAN beats Rosy and it becomes clear Hello! Project is weak in both meet-and-greets and actual skill, Hello! fans will flood over in droves
    there are still a few more groups underground on RINWAN's level
    68AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:07
    Juice=Juice fans getting worked up every day trashing other groups, huh
    75AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:16
    Hello! Project is called the 'skills' group, but some underground groups come straight out of dance training schools, so Hello! can't always compete on dance
    well, since they're built entirely around dance numbers, whether you can even call them 'idols' is another question
    79AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:18
    Re: #75
    Someone like that belongs over with the Zairu crowd (a different idol subgenre)
    they're out of place here

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    The merch-sales and bonus-item business model used by underground idols is said to trace back to around 2010, when the AKB48 group popularized it on a massive scale through handshake events and cheki (Polaroid photo) sessions. Because entry costs are relatively low, this creates a structure in which new groups with no chance of network TV exposure can easily proliferate. Some in the thread argued that “K-pop’s business model never gets criticized the same way,” but this overlooks the fact that K-pop’s model mainly drives mass CD purchases through bonus items, a different mechanism from the meet-and-greet model. There are also many posts that lump all underground idols together in terms of skill, but in reality, more and more groups have started handling their own choreography and songwriting in recent years, meaning they aren’t necessarily a notch below “mainstream” idols.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Why Have Underground Idols Multiplied Like This? A Thought After Watching Idol Battle Alive.”

  • BEYOOOOONDS to guest on BS Asahi music show — 5ch: “They’re making it biiiig!!!”

    It was announced on the official X account that BEYOOOOONDS will be the October guest on “Toshihiko Takamizawa’s Delicious Music, Beautiful Meals.” The show is a regular BS Asahi program hosted by THE ALFEE’s Toshihiko Takamizawa, built around pairing music guests with food. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, there was a brief mix-up over whether the broadcast was terrestrial TV or BS Asahi, along with calls for Angerme and Tsubaki Factory to get similar opportunities, and lively chatter tying the appearance to past collaborations with THE ALFEE’s Kōnosuke Sakazaki and Masaru Sakurai.

    “Toshihiko Takamizawa’s Delicious Music, Beautiful Meals”

    October guest lineup announced! 🎸

    BEYOOOOONDS’

    Source: x.com / Original post here

    2AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:42
    Give Morning Musume and Angerme some TV time too
    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:43
    Isn't that just Satomoka?
    Satomoka's about 80,000 times the artist Beyo(oooonds) is
    4AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:43
    Is a Yume Group live show next? (Yume Group: a company notorious for cheesy nostalgia-concert infomercials aimed at older viewers)
    5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:43
    They're making it biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    6AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:45
    Well, Beyo-chan's finally getting her due
    Guess we can call it a wrap now?
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:46
    Re: #6
    This is just the start of a real wave of TV appearances
    8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:45
    That's the power of Kojima Hana
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:46
    So Nishida's the one handling TV bookings for Beyo, huh
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:46
    Give Tsubaki Factory some TV appearances too, please
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:48
    This'll probably get people talking about how Momohi's hairstyle looks like Takamizawa's ("Momohi" is a fan nickname for one of the members)
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:49
    Re: #1
    Which TV station is it?
    15AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:50
    It's on terrestrial TV Asahi, let's gooo
    16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:51
    It's BS Asahi
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:52
    Production staff, can you please stop tying food into absolutely everything
    19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:00
    This is their shot at getting Takamii to write them a song
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:04
    Didn't Sakazaki's "Odaiba Folk Village" have Danbara Rurun and Taisei on recently?
    22AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:09
    So if they can perform with sunglasses-guy Sakurai next, that's a full ALFEE sweep
    26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:12
    Re: #22
    Well, Sakurai doesn't have a show of his own though
    23AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:10
    Keep building those ALFEE connections lol
    24AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:10
    Wait, it's not even a music performance show?
    Get them on CDTV instead
    25AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:11
    Now that I think about it, Sakurai's the only one I barely ever see on TV solo
    27AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:12
    This is the kind of slot where the agency has to go beg for it
    28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:12
    Hello! Project should make a member who makes you go "wait, YOU'RE the one singing?!"
    29AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:14
    Today's guest is DJ KOO, huh
    65AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:15
    More info on Sakurai's radio show, please ("kwsk" = 5ch slang for "give details")
    66AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:22
    What's Yume Group?
    Does it have anything to do with Up-Front (their management agency)?

    Background and key points of this topic

    “Toshihiko Takamizawa’s Delicious Music, Beautiful Meals” is a regular BS Asahi program hosted by THE ALFEE’s Toshihiko Takamizawa that has consistently paired music guests with food segments. Kōnosuke Sakazaki’s “Odaiba Folk Village,” which came up in the thread, is a similar music program in the same vein, and Hello! Project members have appeared on it before. Since Masaru Sakurai currently has no regular show of his own, fans tend to treat him as the last piece needed to complete a full set of THE ALFEE collaborations. One post briefly claimed the broadcast was on “terrestrial TV Asahi,” but that was a mix-up between BS Asahi and the TV Asahi terrestrial network — the actual broadcast is BS Asahi only. The amount of TV exposure each Hello! Project group gets tends to be read as a barometer of popularity, so an appearance announcement for one group often draws reactions from fans of the other groups as well.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “BEYOOOOONDS TV Appearance Confirmed ｷﾀ━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━!! (“It’s here!!”)“.

  • ‘Chiikawa’ Anime Puts New Episodes on Hold — Rerun Marathon Runs from October, New Episodes Return in January

    Fuji TV’s anime series *Chiikawa*, which airs within the “Mezamashi TV” program, has announced that it will pause new episodes starting October 2 and switch to rerunning fan-favorite episodes instead. The rerun block runs for 25 installments through December 25, combining broadcast TV with streaming (FOD, TVer, YouTube), and new episodes are set to resume in January 2027. On 5ch, threads buzzed with speculation about the gap between the anime and the source manga, the production setup, and the voice actors growing up.

    Fri, Sep 25, 6:00 AM

    The TV anime *Chiikawa* (airing Tuesdays and Fridays on Fuji TV’s “Mezamashi TV”) has announced that starting October 2, it will pause new episodes and instead rerun story arcs that got a huge response from viewers. This time the show combines broadcast and streaming in a new format that lets fans enjoy popular story arcs back-to-back, with the rerun run planned for 25 episodes total through December 25. New episodes are set to resume in January 2027.

    October 2 will air an early fan-favorite episode (Episode 6). Starting the week of October 6, popular story arcs — including the “Nanto-kavania” arc (a fan nickname for one story arc) — will air on weekly rotation. On broadcast TV, only the opening episode of each arc will air, as usual on Tuesdays and Fridays, while every Friday a special video compiling that entire arc from start to finish will stream for one week only on the official “Mezamashi TV” YouTube channel, FOD, and TVer.

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

    2AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:30
    I'd rather watch Showa-era retro exploration videos on YouTube than that Peace-kun mascot at Omiya Park anyway.
    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:30
    Cutting the show right after Hachiware's chimera transformation arc… do these people even have hearts?
    4AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:31
    "Revival broadcast" lololol

    In other words, lazy reruns lolololol
    59AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:30
    Re: #4
    Toward the end of the old Doraemon, they were rerunning the second half of episodes too.
    I figured a production setup like that made the "New Doraemon" reboot inevitable…

    Then I found out that ever since the '80s, the second half of every Doraemon episode had actually been a rerun from three years earlier the whole time.
    https://hanaballoon.com/dorachan/data/anime/ooyama/30min/index.html
    6AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:33
    It's already more than two years behind the manga, so I don't get the point of pausing it. Each episode's only about 2 minutes long anyway.
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:36
    Re: #6
    Probably renewed some contract.
    60AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:32
    Re: #6
    The manga doesn't even update every day, so if they kept airing new anime episodes daily, they'd catch up to the source material in no time.
    63AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:53
    Re: #6
    Studio DOGA KOBO's swamped with other work, that's why.
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:35
    They should just pad it out like Dragon Ball Z did.
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:35
    Hachiware's probably going to end up with an even gruffer voice.
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:36
    The "Chiikawa is secretly the strongest" theory
    15AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:37
    Maybe the voice actor's got entrance exams?
    16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:38
    Re: #15
    Because they're about to catch up to the source manga.
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:39
    Might be a voice actor recast coming, apparently — for Hachiware.
    22AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:41
    Re: #17
    Their voice already changed a while back, so unless the actor themselves doesn't want to keep going, I doubt there'll be a recast.
    19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:40
    Fine by me — I only got into Chiikawa recently so I never saw the old episodes. Guess I'll get to hear the pre-voice-change version too.
    20AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:40
    Guess it's finally time for a Hachiware recast — they must be at their limit.
    24AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:41
    Re: #20
    The creator's been praising the voice actor, so I doubt there's a recast coming.
    25AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:45
    Re: #24
    Their natural voice, which got talked about recently, is already on the higher side for a high schooler — wonder if it won't drop any further.
    28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:48
    Re: #25
    Apparently a lot of teens these days have fairly high voices (even the boys), so there's a real chance it stays as is.
    29AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:49
    Voice actor swap for Hachiware, maybe? The current one's fine, but they might be hitting their limit.
    35AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:53
    Re: #29
    Forcing that tone artificially would be rough on them, and at that age, their friends would probably tease them about it too.
    31AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:49
    So the voice-change thing really is the big issue — the voice has clearly gotten deeper.
    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:50
    How much manga material do they actually have banked? I also saw people complaining about the anime-style stickers, so it sounds like this fanbase wouldn't accept anime-original episodes anyway.
    36AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:54
    Re: #32
    If they do anime-original episodes, it'll end up like old-school Dragon Ball.
    33AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:51
    Kind of like Demon Slayer, giving new fans a recap to catch them up.
    38AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:55
    If the movie burned through a year's worth of source material, and the anime's chewing through 4 chapters a week, a hiatus was bound to happen. And they're definitely not doing anime-original episodes.
    45AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:00
    Re: #38
    Anime-original episodes just aren't happening — I can't picture anyone else nailing that particular vibe.
    39AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:56
    Isn't this basically the main draw of Mezamashi TV at this point?
    61AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:42
    Re: #39
    I think Mezamashi TV's real strength is having both the "Today's Horoscope Countdown" and "Dog of the Day" segments.
    Even people who claim they never watch Fuji TV still tune in just for those, lol.
    53AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:10
    They've actually got a ton of manga material banked — so it's probably not a Dragon-Ball-style reason.
    54AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:12
    Re: #53
    There's talk that they just want to give the production staff a break for a while — between the anime, the movie, and all the merch, it must've been brutal.
    56AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:17
    Re: #54
    Wait, isn't the TV anime made by a different studio than the movie?
    57AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:19
    Re: #56
    Oh really? Then maybe it's simply for a renewal.
    70AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:08
    So they don't actually have much manga material banked? I've been rewatching old episodes on streaming whenever I have free time, but I want new ones.
    72AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:12
    Re: #70
    Might also be that Hachiware's voice actor has high school entrance exams coming up.
    75AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:31
    Just air it somewhere that isn't Fuji TV.

    Background and Key Points

    The hiatus comes down to a structural issue: new-episode production catching up with the source manga. *Chiikawa* is a short-form anime running just a few minutes per episode, airing twice a week, while the source manga updates irregularly — so keeping up that pace would quickly burn through the available material. Long-running shows like *Doraemon* have faced the same problem by inserting original episodes or reruns, and commenters in the thread drew that comparison. The voice actor “voice change” and recast rumors that dominated the thread were not part of the official announcement and remain pure fan speculation. Theories that the production staff need a break, or that this is for some kind of renewal, are likewise unconfirmed — the only reason Fuji TV has officially given is to “rerun story arcs that got a big response from viewers.”

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Chiikawa New Anime on Hiatus — Returns January, Rerun Broadcast Starts in October.”

  • Japan vs Uruguay Friendly Draws 4.1%→9.1% Rating, Asian Games Table Tennis Team Event Hits 8.4%→9.9%

    According to viewer ratings data released by Video Research on the 25th, the friendly match between the Japan national soccer team and Uruguay, broadcast on the Fuji TV network, drew a household average rating of 4.1% in its first 20 minutes and 9.1% from 7:05 p.m. onward. That same day, the 24th, the table tennis team event (men’s and women’s) at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games also aired on terrestrial TV, with ratings climbing from 8.4% to 9.9%. On 5ch forums, comments piled up questioning soccer’s popularity with lines like “lost to table tennis,” while others pushed back with “not bad for a friendly” and “the competing timeslot didn’t help,” touching off a full-blown ratings comparison war that dragged in baseball and volleyball numbers too.

    9/25 (Fri) 19:28 — Nikkan Sports

    Viewer ratings for the Japan national soccer team’s international friendly against Uruguay and for the 24th’s Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games broadcasts were revealed on the 25th in a Video Research survey.

    The Uruguay match, aired on the Fuji TV network starting at 6:45 p.m., posted a household average rating of 4.1% in the first 20 minutes of the broadcast, and 9.1% from 7:05 p.m. through to the end.

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

    2AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:41
    Because watching Showa-era retro exploration videos on YouTube is more fun than watching Peace-kun, the mascot from Omiya Park.
    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:41
    WBC ratings topped 30%.

    Japan is a baseball kingdom.

    Case closed.
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:59
    Re: #3
    Every single game topped 40%.
    47AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:00
    Re: #3
    Wasn't this year's tournament not even on terrestrial TV because no sponsor could outbid Netflix?
    7AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    Probably more people watching via TVer (Japan's free catch-up streaming service) than on regular broadcast, no?
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:46
    Never imagined it'd lose to table tennis.
    Times have changed.
    Re: #7
    Table tennis was under the same conditions though.
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:47
    Re: #7
    Going by plenty of past examples, there's basically no way streaming numbers beat broadcast.
    If it's on terrestrial or BS, most people are watching that instead.
    8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    That table tennis match was the final, right?
    74AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:07
    Re: #8
    When you think about it, that's a solid number for a soccer friendly.
    75AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:08
    Re: #8
    Was that their first gold medal?
    Great effort.
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    The Asian Games baseball match against South Korea is on right now, but terrestrial TV is prioritizing the Nadeshiko (Japan women's soccer) B-team instead.
    Baseball's done for lol.
    15AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:50
    Re: #9
    The baseball team isn't even a B-team, it's amateurs out there.
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:47
    The reason ball-kicking (lol, i.e. soccer) is boring is that the players have no direct hand in scoring.

    Soccer (lol) scores when the ball goes into the goal
    → Only the goal and the ball are actually involved

    Baseball scores when a player steps on the base
    → The player is the one directly involved in scoring

    https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/23856497/
    Former pro baseball player Lee Jong-beom, who also played for the Chunichi Dragons, pushed back, saying: "Of all sports, baseball is the only one where a person directly scores by stepping on home plate. It's soccer, where you're just chasing a ball around, that's the simplistic one."
    65AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:05
    Re: #12
    Is soccer and 'yakyuu' (a mocking term for baseball) really all there is in the world?
    84AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:14
    Re: #12
    And yet baseball has zero popularity worldwide (T_T)
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:47
    Reminder: the J.League has been losing to table tennis for a while now.
    16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:51
    Was the Asian Games Japan baseball team's rating around 10%?
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:51
    Table tennis is simply way more fun to watch
    than soccer.
    One side is a breathless exchange of ultra-fast rallies from start to finish, the other's just boring ball-kicking that drags out wasted time.
    23AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:53
    Re: #17
    Hmm, I think it comes down to how dominant a sport is, how strong it is.
    This men's table tennis team is basically the literal world's best.
    26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:55
    Baseball > horse racing > volleyball > table tennis > soccer
    Guess that much is settled.
    Now the question is where basketball fits in.
    55AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:02
    Re: #26
    Sumo's not even on that list, and it's a ratings monster.
    48AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:00
    Table tennis only pulled single digits even with a gold medal.
    If it weren't up against a soccer friendly, it would've hit double digits.
    69AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:06
    Re: #48
    Might've hit 15%.
    52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:01
    Realistically, among yesterday's national team soccer players, isn't Kubo about the only one more famous than Harimoto (table tennis star Tomokazu Harimoto)?
    58AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:02
    Re: #52
    Kubo wasn't even playing, it was a bunch of scrubs, so I skipped it.
    If he'd played I would've watched.
    67AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:05


    Soccer topped its timeslot thanks to two late goals.
    73AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:07
    Re: #67
    It drops off sharply at halftime.
    85AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:14
    Re: #67
    Looking at this, table tennis's gold medal decider got totally crushed by soccer.
    91AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:17
    Re: #67
    Huh? By this chart soccer's clearly higher no matter how you look at it.
    What kind of numbers magic is this?
    81AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:11
    So it lost to table tennis, huh.
    86AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:14
    Re: #81
    You should be lamenting the fact that the table tennis match — beating China for the first time and winning it all for the first time in 60 years — ended up no different from a soccer friendly starting a B-team lineup.
    83AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:13
    Lost to table tennis…
    87AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:15
    Re: #83

    By TVAL (ratings including time-shifted viewing), soccer's actually higher than table tennis.
    https://imgur.com/a/WfMZ0Mm
    88AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:15
    This is the moment a star was born.
    Even at the Asian Games, it's basically the same as being world's best.
    And now there's a new one coming up in Matsushima, while Harimoto's been top-tier at the front line for a long time already.
    At this point he's probably more famous than any Japanese soccer player.
    It's the difference of whether you have a star or not.
    Even in table tennis, the numbers follow if you've got the skill.
    92AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:20
    Re: #88
    Soccer just doesn't have a star right now.
    94AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:20
    Adorable Filipina player crying after losing to Japan's young Nadeshiko squad, on TBS right now (2026/09/25 21:20:06)
    96AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:21
    Re: #94
    Switching IDs and trying hard, huh. So, thoughts on losing to table tennis?

    Background and Talking Points

    TV ratings are easily swayed by competing timeslots and broadcast schedules, so comparing popularity by the numbers alone calls for caution. As pointed out in the thread, the table tennis team event was up against a Nadeshiko Japan (women’s national soccer) match and an amateur baseball broadcast in the same slot, so the gap doesn’t necessarily reflect a straightforward difference in each sport’s popularity. Ratings also come in multiple flavors beyond the household rating, including TVAL (which factors in time-shifted viewing), and as one poster’s screenshot showed, the rankings can flip depending on which measure you use. The table tennis event in question carries the context of beating China for the first time in 60 years to take the title, and the presence of a high-profile player like Tomokazu Harimoto may have boosted the numbers — while it’s worth keeping in mind that the soccer match was a friendly missing many of the team’s regular starters.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “[TV] Japan national soccer team vs. Uruguay draws 4.1%→9.1% rating, Asian Games table tennis team event (men’s/women’s) draws 8.4%→9.9%.”

  • Fire Emblem: Banshi Senkou Feels So Smooth It’s Going Viral — Some Say ‘This Is Nintendo Going All In’

    Nintendo’s new release Fire Emblem: Banshi Senkou has been drawing a wave of positive comments on 5ch’s Hardware/Industry (“Geha”) board. Users who bought the game after seeing the exploration segments shown in a Nintendo Direct praised the short load times, the smoothness of fast travel, and the depth of character development. At the same time, some pointed out that while the game is rated highly overseas, opinion in Japan is more divided, and the thread saw discussion of how differently longtime simulation-RPG fans and newcomers are responding to the new map-exploration feature.

    1AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:39
    Saw the exploration part shown in the Nintendo Direct, thought it looked fun, and bought it — the quality is insanely high.
    None of the usual issues you get with this genre, like long load times or half-baked fast travel between towns — movement feels great.
    The characters are charming and training them is fun, and exploring the field to train them is fun too. Time just melts away.
    2AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:40
    By the way, I've only cleared Part 1, the Theodora route, so far — there are still 3 more routes to play. The amount of content is insane too.
    5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:43
    As for loading, going from the middle layer to the upper or lower layer is quick, but going back to the middle layer is a bit longer lol
    8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:44
    Re: #5
    Even so it's not annoying at all, that's impressive.
    Nintendo prioritizing load times even while staying at 30fps is impressive.
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:44
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:45
    Re: #9
    The manipulated reviews ("kousaku") will probably get filtered out eventually and it'll settle around 4.4 anyway.
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:46
    Re: #9
    One of these doesn't belong…

    Metascore: 8.9
    User score: 8.9
    Amazon reviews: mostly ☆5
    Amazon reviews: mostly ☆1

    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:46
    At first → super tedious and boring
    Now → Part 1, Chapter 12… huh? This is actually kind of fun

    (Same thing happened with) Derby Stallion 2 → wait, this is a masterpiece

    Seriously don't have enough time for this
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:50
    Re: #12
    I've been hooked on it until 3am every night lol
    26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:55
    Re: #14
    Is 4 stars the least common because the reception is genuinely good there? Or is it being deliberately spread out across 3→4→5 stars evenly to disguise review manipulation ("kousaku")?
    34AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:03
    Re: #26
    The fact that ☆2 is the third most common is probably the result of manipulated reviews ("kousaku"), right? Wolverine had a lot of 9-point scores too, for the same reason.
    56AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:19
    I wish fast travel let you get outside of town in one go. Also, there are way too many recruitable characters to scout — it's a hassle.
    61AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:24
    Re: #56
    You can get outside using the + button.
    66AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:27
    Re: #56
    You can get out though.
    80AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:41
    Re: #56
    There are 4 routes, so you don't need to recruit everyone at once — and even if you had everyone, you couldn't train them all anyway. Training resources are limited.
    79AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:41
    For some reason it's rated highly overseas,
    but Japanese users seem split on it.
    81AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    Re: #79
    That's because a lot of longtime fans weren't asking for the map exploration the OP is talking about.
    82AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    Re: #79
    Though most of the people criticizing it haven't even put in 50 hours — they're just talking without actually playing ("eapure").
    83AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    Re: #79
    It comes down to playstyle.
    If you enjoy trial and error, it's fun.
    If you're chasing completion or efficiency, it's a drag.
    88AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:51
    It's a very un-Nintendo-like game in a lot of ways.
    Which, conversely, means it might click with people who normally don't get along with Nintendo's games.
    89AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:53
    Re: #88
    Doesn't make sense.
    It's a pretty Nintendo-like game with few of those cheap, unfair-feeling deaths ("kanku").
    91AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:54
    Re: #88
    That's because it's a game that feels like it's spilling out at the seams in every direction.
    You could say it still has that passion you used to see from Japanese third-party studios back in the PS1 era.
    94AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:57
    I think this is a pretty bold, experimental game.
    I'm enjoying it, but in an era dominated by kids chasing instant dopamine hits ("dopa-gaki"), it's probably not going to get the recognition it deserves.
    98AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:01
    Re: #94
    Compared to Persona, which has a similar structure, this has a longer tutorial-like stretch, which is probably a weak point for reaching that younger audience.
    Though these days even Persona feels too "middle-aged" to kids and they won't touch it either.
    That's probably also a side effect of the series having shut itself up in a hardware base with a mostly middle-aged audience.
    102AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:07
    Re: #94
    But dopamine-chasing kids ("dopa-gaki") go nuts when rare weapons or rare materials drop while exploring, don't they?

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    This installment stands out for adding a major new layer to the series’ traditional simulation-RPG formula: exploring your base and its surroundings to train your characters. Praise in the thread was concentrated on how smooth movement feels and how much content there is to play through. At the same time, user scores on review sites tend to show a “polarized” distribution with lots of both high and low scores at once — a pattern commonly seen when a long-running series makes a major change to its formula — and nothing in the thread actually proves that either end of that distribution is the result of manipulated reviews. The view that gained the most traction in the thread was that the split between overseas and domestic reception comes down to whether players embraced the new exploration element or were expecting the series’ traditional command-battle-focused gameplay.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, “Geha”) thread “Fire Emblem: Banshi Senkou is unbelievably fun — Nintendo is amazing for making this.”

  • Japan Ranks #1 in the World for Tourism Development — 5ch: “Guess We’re Basically a Developing Country Now, LOL”

    On September 25, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released its 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index covering 110 countries and regions, showing Japan climbing from 3rd place in the 2024 edition to 1st overall. Japan was praised for maintaining world-class rankings in cultural resources like World Heritage sites, “non-leisure” assets such as cities and universities, and transport infrastructure, as well as for major improvements in the sustainability and openness of tourism demand. On 5ch, while plenty of posters welcomed the news, just as many pushed back, calling it “proof of becoming a developing country if tourism is all you can earn from” or lamenting “the decline of Japan, once an export powerhouse” — sparking a running debate over whether a strong tourism industry is really compatible with being a developed nation.

    Japan took the top spot in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index, released on the 25th. Tourism sustainability and related metrics improved as visitors were drawn out to regional areas.

    The report said Japan is “further cementing its position as one of the world’s leading tourism nations.”

    The survey covered 110 countries and regions, with Japan rising from 3rd place in the previous 2024 edition. The country kept its world-class standing in “cultural resources” such as World Heritage sites and “non-leisure resources” like cities and universities, and in transport infrastructure, while scores for the sustainability and openness of tourism demand improved significantly.

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

    4AnonymousSep 25, 2026 17:57
    Yep, we're basically a developing country now

    Prostitution, souvenirs, and seafood rice bowls
    109AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:03
    Re: #4
    It's actually developed countries that tend to be strong in tourism

    Before the Abe administration, Japan was by far the weakest developed country when it came to tourism
    Even now it's still on the weaker side among developed nations, if we're honest

    Both inbound tourism's share of the economy and the investment poured into it were way behind every other developed country
    8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 17:58
    A country that can't make anything anymore
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 17:59
    Re: #8
    Outside of China, no other country has this kind of broad, high-level manufacturing capability
    35AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:12
    Re: #8
    We can still cook up food for tourists, at least
    71AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:31
    Re: #8
    We may not make finished products anymore, but we hold a dominant share of the components and machine tools that go into them
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:00
    Tourism is a developing-country industry.
    Japan used to be a developed nation exporting high-quality electronics to the whole world — now there's barely a trace of that left.
    111AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:06
    Re: #12
    It's actually the opposite

    Strong tourism is basically a developed-country trait
    Compared to other developed nations, Japan's investment was an order of magnitude smaller, and inbound tourism used to be way smaller too
    It's only recently started catching up to other developed countries' level
    27AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:07
    Tourism and food service are about all we've got left now
    I think we're heading toward becoming like Thailand 30 years ago
    89AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:37
    Re: #27
    So what happened to that Thailand since then?
    Did it regress all the way back to the Stone Age?
    36AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:13
    Wow, way to go Japan…
    Guess we're not so bad after all, seen from outside…
    45AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:17
    Re: #36
    And yet more than 80% of Japanese citizens — myself included — don't even have a passport lol
    46AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:17
    Re: #36
    Tourists don't actually work at Japanese companies,
    so all they ever see is Japan's good side
    37AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:14
    It's kind of sad, honestly — tourism is a field even developing countries can cash in on
    It's rough if that's basically the only thing we've got that can compete globally lol. Maybe anime too.
    48AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:18
    Re: #45
    Japanese people don't even have money for domestic trips, so who needs it
    52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:19
    Re: #48
    My job doubles as travel — I'm a truck driver, lolol
    64AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:27
    To all our foreign tourists out there
    Japan is a truly fascinating country, so it'd help us out if you came to visit at least once in your lifetime lol
    95AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:42
    Popular on social media overseas
    96AnonymousSep 25, 2026 18:42

    113AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:07
    Re: #111
    Public safety got worse because of it though, lol
    118AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:09
    Re: #113

    Actually, the number of crimes by foreigners has plunged to a third of its peak in the mid-Heisei era.

    (From the FY2024 "White Paper on Crime")
    https://hakusyo1.moj.go.jp/jp/71/nfm/images/full/h4-9-2-1.jpg

    And on top of that,
    it dropped in near-perfect inverse proportion to the surge in foreign workers and foreign tourists.
    125AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:12
    Re: #118
    They just don't make arrests, lol
    It's mostly non-prosecutions, so the numbers are meaningless lol
    176AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:34
    Re: #118

    Around the year 2000, there was a stretch when police, after arresting a single foreign theft suspect, would tally up hundreds of that person's alleged additional offenses as separate cleared cases.

    As a result, the statistics made it look like foreign crime was surging during that period, and even though actual crime hadn't really increased, foreigners got branded as criminals over it.

    They later stopped counting those additional offenses, which was a good move — but that meant the statistics then made it look like foreign crime had dropped compared to the earlier inflated period.

    Trends in arrests/number of people arrested for foreign nationals' penal code offenses (White Paper on Crime)
    https://hakusyo1.moj.go.jp/jp/72/nfm/images/full/h4-9-2-1.jpg

    So if you separate theft — where those padded "additional offenses" showed up — from other crimes, theft has dropped sharply, while assault, battery, fraud, and non-consensual indecent acts have kept climbing.

    Trends in arrests of foreign visitors to Japan for penal code offenses, by offense type
    https://hakusyo1.moj.go.jp/jp/72/nfm/images/full/h4-9-2-3.jpg

    All of this is data published every year in the Justice Ministry's White Paper on Crime.
    202AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:09
    Re: #196
    I'm renting out a whole house for 60,000 yen right now, planning to bump it to 80,000. Only have the one property so far, but I'm going to add a second and third — if it goes well, I figure I'll be laughing all the way to the bank.
    204AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:11
    Re: #202
    An old house in the city?
    Or an old house out in the countryside?
    205AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:12
    Re: #204
    Somewhere with a view of Mt. Fuji
    212AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:22
    Re: #205
    A Mt. Fuji view? That's just cheating!
    213AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:23
    Re: #205
    With that view, you'd probably get guests even at like 150,000 yen

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    The WEF’s Travel & Tourism Development Index isn’t a simple popularity contest — it’s a composite ranking that factors in cultural resources, transport infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and the openness of a country’s reception systems, not just the scale of tourism revenue. Some in the thread claimed that “relying on tourism is a sign of being a developing country,” but in reality, most of the top countries for inbound tourism — France and the United States among them — are developed nations, so tourism strength and level of economic development aren’t necessarily inversely linked. Since its “tourism-oriented nation” policy push in the 2000s, Japan has gradually ramped up inbound-related investment and reception infrastructure, and the reality is closer to Japan finally catching up in an area where it had long lagged behind other developed countries. Note that the back-and-forth over crime statistics concerns a completely separate set of metrics from this tourism index, and reading the two as connected is likely to lead to misunderstanding.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “[Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026] Japan Ranks No. 1 — “Further Cementing Its Position as One of the World’s Leading Tourism Nations” by Drawing Visitors to Regional Areas.”