Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • New ‘Onimusha’ Draws Rave Reviews on 5ch: ‘It’s Like SEKIRO with a Capcom Flavor’

    A thread praising Capcom’s new action game “Onimusha” popped up on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” (Anything Goes Live-Commentary) board. Opinions on the sword-clashing parry system split, with some saying “It feels like SEKIRO with a Capcom flavor,” while others pushed back, arguing that parry-style systems existed in the original Onimusha long before SEKIRO. On difficulty, some claimed “If you can clear this, you can call yourself good at games,” while others reported the opposite experience — struggling with Monster Hunter and Dark Souls but breezing through this one. Opinions also diverged over whether the 20-to-70-hour playtime and ¥9,000 price tag delivered enough content for the money.

    1AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    A new era for sword-fighting action games right here.
    5AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:04
    Feels like SEKIRO with a Capcom flavor.
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:05
    Re: #5
    They just modernized it for today's standards — it's basically a totally different game. Parry-style systems have been in Onimusha since way before SEKIRO existed.
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:09
    Re: #5
    SEKIRO — or really, FromSoftware in general — rips off ideas from all over the world.
    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:07
    Speaking of Onimusha, the goofy enemy characters were always a thing — what kind do we get this time?
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:09
    Re: #13
    There's a pair of brothers who are dumb but good-hearted.
    14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:07
    Onimusha is a game that uses celebrity faces, throws in comedy-skit-like events, and tries to fool you with muddy, pitch-black graphics you can barely even see — don't fall for it if you don't know better. This board is crawling with Capcom fanboys posting under multiple accounts (jien, i.e. sockpuppeting).
    27AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:11
    Re: #14
    The fact that you can't say anything about the core action system makes it obvious you haven't even played it.
    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:08
    If you can clear this, you've earned the right to call yourself good at games.
    22AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:11
    Re: #16
    Is Yukihime really that tough of a benchmark?
    I cleared it just fine, but I could never get anywhere with Monster Hunter or Dark Souls.
    29AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:12
    Is it really that good?
    Is the Switch 2 version fine too?
    36AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:14
    Re: #29
    Seems like there's no issue.
    I played it on PS, though.
    30AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:12
    Re: #27
    You can tell from the motion-capture screenshots — it looks cheap.
    33AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:13
    Re: #30
    You're about the only person calling Onimusha's motion capture cheap.
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:12
    Re: #20
    You haven't even properly watched the gameplay videos.
    There's no other game out there this obsessed with getting the action right.
    37AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:14
    Re: #32
    That's just your opinion — it doesn't actually have that kind of reputation.
    38AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:14
    For someone bad at games like me, SEKIRO's combat was brutal, but Onimusha is a bit more forgiving, so I could keep retrying and actually enjoy getting better at it.
    41AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:15
    I dropped SEKIRO early on too —
    maybe I can handle this one
    Re: #38
    45AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:16
    Re: #37
    Go watch some YouTube reviews or whatever.
    You're the only one saying that.
    48AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:17
    Re: #45
    People leaving comments on YouTube are either fanboys or hired hate-brigaders trying to sink it.
    If you can't even tell that much, no wonder — that's just how it is with Capcom games.
    47AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:17
    Capcom games:
    Code: Veronica — released 2000, remake already announced
    Onimusha — released 2001, remake released this year
    Next up must be an Ever Blue remake
    The only other candidate left is basically Resident Evil 0
    51AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:20
    Re: #47
    Isn't this new Onimusha a totally original entry?
    Or is there also a remake of the first game coming separately?
    60AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:24
    The back half does feel a bit like a 'death game' (soulslike), but unlike other games in the genre, it actually gives you room to properly learn blocking, parrying, and deflecting — that balance is really well done.
    63AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:26
    Re: #60
    There aren't many enemy types, so the regular stages get tedious, but the boss fights were genuinely a blast.
    67AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:28
    I'm getting Wolverine instead, so I'll pass on this.
    Quit with the blatant astroturfing (stealth marketing), it's lame.
    Wolverine's an AAA title anyway.
    70AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:31
    Re: #67
    This is an Onimusha thread — saying that here makes YOU look like the one astroturfing.
    89AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:45
    Re: #67
    It's got a Metascore 10 points higher than Wolverine, by the way.
    73AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:33
    Ranking bosses by how many times I died: Rashōgan, Yoshitsune, and Ōnue, I think — the delinquent brothers were relatively easy by comparison.
    It's fun because even when you die, you can feel yourself improving with every attempt.
    75AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:35
    Re: #73
    For me, it was probably my third try against Ganryu that wrecked me the most — I'm really bad against him.
    As for Ōnue, Monster Hunter players would probably do fine once they switch their brain into 'Monster Hunter mode.'
    76AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:35
    This wraps up in like 20 hours, right?
    I'm currently playing Metaphor, which is giving me 100 hours for ¥3,000 — compared to that, ¥9,000 for this much content feels a bit steep.
    78AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:37
    Re: #76
    Capcom action games are generally built around doing multiple playthroughs.
    That's exactly why this game's thin new-game-plus content makes it feel a bit overpriced — can't really blame people for thinking that.
    79AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:38
    Re: #76
    20 hours is only if you're really skilled and rush straight through.
    If you actually do the side quests and upgrades properly, it'll take 40-50 hours.
    And if you're going for the platinum trophy, you'll also need to clear the highest difficulty afterward, so figure 60-70 hours as a rough benchmark.
    85AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:42
    Re: #76
    I cleared both and enjoyed them, but a decent chunk of Metaphor's playtime was just grinding busywork.
    81AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:39
    Up until now, it was always the enemy talking tough during battle while our character stayed silent — so it was pretty striking that in Onimusha, the enemy actually says something like 'Is that all you've got?'
    You get what I mean, right?
    92AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:46
    Re: #81
    Musashi: 'Is that all you've got!?'
    Me: 'No, that was actually pretty close just now…'

    Background and Key Points of Debate

    Onimusha is an action series Capcom first released in 2001, and this thread is discussing the newest installment, released this year. Capcom has also already announced a remake of “Resident Evil – Code: Veronica,” so this fits into an ongoing trend of the company digging up its older titles. The thread’s disagreement centered on two main points. The first is how to view the parry-focused combat system: some see it as “SEKIRO-style,” while others argue it’s a feature Onimusha itself already had — with some also pointing out that FromSoftware’s own games draw influence from titles in other countries. The second is whether the reported 20-to-70-hour playtime and ¥9,000 price tag are reasonable for a Capcom action game built around repeat playthroughs, or whether they amount to overcharging. Note that later in the thread there were also baseless accusations of “sockpuppeting” and “astroturfing,” along with personal attacks calling other posters things like “broke” or “sick in the head” — these have been excluded from this article.

    *This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Good News] New Onimusha Is Seriously, Genuinely Fun.”

  • “Japan’s Biggest Imoni (Taro Stew) Party”: Excavator Stirs 3.2 Tons of Taro in a Giant Pot — Yamagata City

    Yamagata City’s annual “Japan’s No. 1 Imoni Party” was held on the riverbank, where about 30,000 servings of imoni (a taro stew) were made in “Nabe Taro III,” a giant pot 6.5 meters in diameter. The ingredients included 3.2 tons of Yamagata-grown taro, 1.2 tons of beef, and 3,500 negi (long green onions), plus equally massive amounts of seasonings — 700 liters of soy sauce, 200 kg of sugar, and more. What caught fire on the forum thread was the hygiene of the large excavator used to stir the pot, with posters offering conflicting claims like “the bucket is custom-made, unpainted stainless steel,” sparking debate. The thread also branched into a regional comparison of imoni recipes — Yamagata’s version uses soy sauce and beef, while Miyagi’s is closer to a miso-based pork soup — with each Tohoku prefecture having its own take.

    An event called “Japan’s No. 1 Imoni Party,” where the Yamagata regional dish “imoni” (taro stew) is cooked in a massive pot, was held on the riverbank in Yamagata City and drew large crowds.

    “Japan’s No. 1 Imoni Party” is an autumn tradition in Yamagata, held every year on the riverbank in Yamagata City, where imoni is cooked in a giant pot 6.5 meters in diameter named “Nabe Taro III.”

    On the 20th, to make about 30,000 servings of imoni, organizers prepared 3.2 tons of Yamagata-grown taro, 1.2 tons of beef, and 3,500 long green onions, along with seasonings including 700 liters of soy sauce and 200 kg of sugar.

    Source: news.web.nhk / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:51
    I'm a bit worried about the hygiene here.
    8AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:52
    Re: #1
    Stirring it with industrially painted equipment is gross.
    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:56
    Re: #3
    So are you also going to complain about the Self-Defense Force's field-kitchen shovels?
    107AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:21
    Re: #3
    They wash the brand-new excavator with dish soap and coat it with cooking oil before using it for the stew.
    189AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:58
    Re: #3
    Re: #8
    Saw this on TikTok yesterday — they disassemble and clean a brand-new one,
    and use margarine instead of grease.
    5AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:51
    I'd rather have tonjiru (pork miso soup)
    Or failing that, chicken-salt chankonabe

    Plain vegetables alone sounds rough.
    113AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:24
    Re: #5
    Taro's the whole point, though
    You don't put taro in tonjiru
    There's something nice about really savoring taro on its own.
    171AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:48
    Re: #5
    The Yamagata version has beef in it, you know.
    243AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:21
    Re: #5
    There's meat in it.
    23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:57
    Hmm…
    Aren't they injecting grease into the moving parts?
    28AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:59
    Re: #23
    Of course — butter and cooking oil for that part.
    29AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:59
    Re: #23
    I think I saw somewhere before that they use salad oil.
    43AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:02
    Re: #23
    Actually, they use cooking oil.
    The excavator used is brand new, and afterward it gets auctioned off, selling for a premium as a lucky charm.
    31AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:59
    Never had authentic imoni before
    Is it sweet?
    But it looks tasty with all that green onion in it.
    72AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:12
    Re: #31
    When I lived in Yamagata, I got invited to an imoni party thrown by friends, not the official event — it was delicious.

    Actually, apparently every Tohoku prefecture has similar events, each with its own character, and they're all supposed to be good.
    83AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:15
    Re: #31
    Is this the season Tohoku folks get restless?

    Yamagata's is beef with a soy-sauce base, a little sweet.
    Miyagi's is closer to tonjiru (though locals get mad if you call it that).

    But there's also something great about making it outdoors on a nice day and eating it together while chatting.
    37AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:00
    Tohoku food seems like it'd be pretty salty.
    45AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:03
    Re: #37
    It's the soy sauce that's different.
    Kansai people often say Kanto soy sauce is salty, but Tohoku's is even saltier.
    68AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:10
    Re: #45
    When I moved to Kagoshima, the supermarket had something like 30 kinds of soy sauce, but every single one was sweet — I was in agony. Eventually found
    a Noda-made soy sauce (Noda being Kikkoman's hometown) at a 7-Eleven and was saved.
    98AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:18
    Re: #45
    Depending on where you are, Kanto soy sauce can actually be way saltier. Kanagawa's is a good example.
    82AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:15
    We scrubbed the giant pot with a deck brush
    87AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:16
    The moment they put industrial paint on the bucket, it's a no-go.
    103AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:20
    Re: #87 Is this bucket custom-made? It's not in any catalog, and it's thin stainless steel.
    105AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:20
    Re: #87
    The bucket is a custom, all-stainless-steel piece.
    No paint on it at all.
    108AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:22
    Re: #103
    Re: #105
    They really thought this through!
    247AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:23
    Re: #103
    Their approach to imoni is almost too clean.
    111AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:23
    Never tried it, but what's it close to — tonjiru with the pork swapped for beef?
    120AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:25
    Re: #111
    Same here, never had it, but I'd guess it's closer to kenchinjiru.
    Actually, is kenchinjiru even a regional dish?
    175AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:50
    Re: #120
    Oh, it's soy sauce-based!
    Then I guess it's like kenchinjiru with beef.
    174AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:49
    If there's food to spare, feed it to the athletes stuck with that garbage-tier meal at the Asian Games, Japan
    203AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:05
    Re: #174
    Giving people from Asia a taste of Kanto food… (trails off, implying it's bad)
    184AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:52
    They should invite welfare recipients from across the country for free
    Transportation costs included, of course.
    199AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:02
    Re: #184
    Feeding Kanto food to people west of Kanto would basically be abuse.
    211AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:08
    Re: #184
    Please donate 700 yen per bowl of imoni as a sponsorship fee.
    Reserved seating is 4,500 yen for all-you-can-eat imoni.
    Kids are 2,200 yen.
    196AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:00
    214AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:09
    Nice



    222AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:12
    Re: #214
    Is the competition really just about pot size?
    I'd rather they competed on flavor.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    “Japan’s No. 1 Imoni Party” is an annual autumn tradition held on the banks of the Mamigasaki River in Yamagata City, famous for the spectacle of a giant excavator stirring a massive 6.5-meter-diameter pot called “Nabe Taro III.” The biggest point of disagreement on the thread was the hygiene of the excavator’s bucket: some worried that “stirring with an industrially painted bucket is gross,” while multiple replies countered that “the bucket is custom-made, unpainted stainless steel” and that “a brand-new machine is cleaned and coated in cooking oil.” The article alone doesn’t settle which account is accurate, but the event isn’t a one-off — it’s run annually for years with no reported history of food-poisoning issues. Another thread of discussion compared regional versions of the dish across Tohoku — Yamagata’s soy-sauce-and-beef version versus Miyagi’s miso-based, pork-soup-like version — with each prefecture having its own take on ingredients and seasoning. That’s a separate topic from the safety of the imoni itself, and it grew into a casual side conversation about regional food culture.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread ““Japan’s No. 1 Imoni Party” Preps 3.2 Tons of Taro — Excavator Also Makes an Appearance — Yamagata City.”

  • Audrey’s Wakabayashi to Leave ‘School Kakumei!’ at End of September, Kasuga Staying On

    Audrey’s Masayasu Wakabayashi announced on the September 20 broadcast of Nippon TV’s “School Kakumei!” that he will leave the show at the end of September. Near the end of the program, prompted by Mitsuyoshi Uchimura, he made the announcement himself, touching on throat trouble as one reason. His comedy partner, Toshihiko Kasuga, will continue on the show. On 5channel threads, reactions split between those taking the announcement at face value, those speculating he’s shifting his focus toward his recent writing career, and others lamenting the turnover among the show’s regular cast.

    9/20 (Sun) 1:54 PM

    Masayasu Wakabayashi (47), of the comedy duo Audrey, appeared on Nippon TV’s “School Kakumei!” (Sundays, 11:45 AM) on the 20th and announced he will leave the show at the end of September.

    Near the end of the show, as the cast lined up together, Mitsuyoshi Uchimura turned to Wakabayashi and said, “Now, there’s an announcement from the show.” Wakabayashi reported, “I’ll be graduating from ‘School Kakumei!’ as of September. Thank you very much!”

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

    6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:01
    He's nearly 50 now — maybe he's making room for a younger talent from the same talent agency.
    9AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:03
    Sandwichman, Bananaman, and now Audrey too — all dropping out.
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:03
    Stepping down over throat trouble? Are the other regulars going to quit too?
    56AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:58
    Re: #10
    Is there any show besides this one where he's still expected to act like a comedian? That's exactly it — this guy's already stopped being a comedian.
    11AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:04
    I've always wondered — with Uchimura already there, is Wakabayashi even necessary? Kasuga's fine since he plays a different role, though.
    24AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:14
    Re: #11
    He used to be the one managing Kasuga back in the days when Kasuga was a total loose cannon, but that's not needed anymore.
    12AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:04
    I watch it for Meruru and Hikaru Takahashi.
    76AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:43
    Re: #12
    Sei-chan stopped showing up at some point without me noticing, so now I only catch it occasionally.
    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:04
    Same as with 'Iitomo,' 'Seven Rules,' and 'Hirunandesu' — he just up and quits these shows.
    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:05
    Meruru's edges have softened and she's gotten incredibly cute.
    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:05
    So this was her first regular gig? I thought it was a Hinatazaka46 show.
    17AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:07
    It's a show only idol-fan otaku watch anyway. Audrey, who only pushes Sakamichi-group (Nogizaka/Hinatazaka) idols, is probably just in the way there.
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:12
    Your late 40s is when your body and mind stop letting you push through — overdo it and you end up like Himura or Nainai's Okamura, dealing with depression or a breakdown.
    21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:12
    17 years — Ucchan's shows just keep running forever.
    25AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:16
    This means his reigning radio show (Audrey's All Night Nippon) is on its way out too.
    31AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:25
    He doesn't seem to get basic loyalty and human decency to begin with — makes you wonder if things are okay at home.
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:26
    Wakabayashi's been acting more like a self-styled pundit lately. Well, as long as Kasuga's doing fine, that's what really matters.
    34AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:33
    Please, whatever happens, don't end 'Achikochi Audrey.'
    38AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:36
    It's because he's got the morning drama (asadora) coming up.
    58AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:01
    Re: #38
    Isn't that Bakarhythm you're thinking of?
    41AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:40
    I don't think duos even get panel-show lineup spots together anymore.
    48AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:46
    Meruru's really mellowed out.
    57AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:00
    Re: #48
    Somehow that's not the Meruru I remember from about three years ago.
    54AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:56
    He's probably getting serious about writing because he was stung by his novel getting trashed.
    64AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:06
    Re: #54
    That's not going to work out. If your debut novel flops — the one with the most time, motivation, and marketing strategy behind it — that's a bad sign.
    72AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:37
    Basically he's cutting back on TV work because he's making money online, right?
    73AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:39
    Re: #72
    The guy who calls people who comment on his social media 'gnats' is making money online?
    78AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:45
    Re: #73
    Apparently he writes essays on note (a Japanese blogging platform) and makes as much as 10 million yen a month from that alone.
    81AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:10
    Re: #78
    Huh. Haven't heard anything about Seiten's sales lately, but good for him if he's making money writing. If I pulled in that kind of monthly income, I wouldn't bother working anywhere else either lol

    Background and Points of Discussion

    “School Kakumei!” is a long-running Sunday morning variety show on Nippon TV, also known for featuring members from Nogizaka46 and Hinatazaka46. This time, the only reason Wakabayashi himself gave for leaving was throat trouble, with no further details made public. Opinions on 5channel split between those accepting this explanation at face value and those who believe he’s shifting his focus toward his recent book and essay-writing on note; the latter view, however, is speculation based on past reporting and his social media behavior, and no evidence has been presented directly linking it to his departure. It’s also worth noting that comedians in their late 40s scaling back regular TV commitments isn’t unique to Wakabayashi — it’s described as a trend seen among other comedians of his generation as well.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Audrey’s Wakabayashi Leaving ‘School Kakumei!’ at End of September, Cites ‘Throat Trouble…’ — Kasuga Continues.”

  • Giants Notch 3rd Straight Win, Take Provisional Lead — Edge Out Yakult, But ‘Jampire’ Calls Spark Outrage

    In Central League play on September 20, the Yomiuri Giants edged the Tokyo Yakult Swallows 3-2 for their third consecutive win, moving into a share of first place. Tied going into the 6th, they retook the lead that inning and tacked on an insurance run in the 7th to close it out. While many thread posts praised the team’s strength, a questionable call in the top of the 7th set off a wave of “Jampire” jokes (slang blending “Giants” and “umpire,” implying the umps favor the team) along with complaints about the officiating. Posts also speculated on the fate of Hanshin’s magic number and how the contenders might stack up in the Japan Series, giving the thread the charged feel of a tightening pennant race.

    Yakult 0 0 0  1 0 1  0 0 0 |2

    Giants 0 0 0  0 0 1  2 0 X |3

    [Battery]

    Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here

    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:12
    Shortened to 'Kora, Pakuru Na' (hey, quit copying!)

    Giants win again today — hey~ quit copying~ (o^∀^o)
    11AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:12
    Did Hanshin's magic number just disappear?
    17AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:13
    Re: #11
    Nope — the 'reverse magic number' keeps ticking down
    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:12
    This kind of win is exactly what a strong team looks like, it's impressive
    Still showing they've got plenty left in the tank this late in the season
    14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:13
    This just makes tonight's Hanshin game even more exciting to watch
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:14
    Giants win again today, and Joa tastes so good (o^∀^o) (Joa, a Yakult probiotic drink — needling the losing team with their own product)
    118AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:31
    Re: #19,26
    Hey, quit copying!
    23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:14
    Yakult needs to chug a lot more Gungun-yogurt if they want to turn this around (playing on Yakult's real 'Gungun' kids' drink plus 'yogurt')
    26AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:15
    Giants win again today, and Pirukuru tastes so good (o^∀^o) (another real Yakult probiotic drink)
    29AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:15
    'Jampire' is unreal

    Called dead-center pitches balls over and over in the 7th
    31AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:16
    Premature celebration from the Giant-trash (a common slur for Giants fans)
    Yokohama's (DeNA) comeback pennant win is a lock
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:16
    With the Giants in trouble in the top of the 7th,
    a pitch that was clearly low got the strike call
    'Jampire' exploding all over again today
    Are you seriously happy winning it on bad umpiring?
    That's like a shoplifter savoring the stolen food going 'mmm, delicious'
    44AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:18
    Re: #32
    Morishita already told you — if you self-judge it, it's a strike, remember?
    35AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:16
    [Hanshin] Second-place Giants win first — if Hanshin loses to DeNA, they drop out of first and their magic number resets. Please… Hiroto Saiki
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/e8544b2b9231fb104d9b0d49375d8f297bbd44fc
    36AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:17
    Re: #1

    Pitchers of record
    Winning pitcher: Giants — Nakagawa (3-1, 0 SV)
    Losing pitcher: Yakult — Sakaguchi (0-1, 0 SV)
    Save: Giants — Martinez (5-4, 40 SV)
    37AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:17
    The data backs it up — bottom of the 7th was straight-up 'Jampire' lol
    39AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:17
    Anyway, why do baseball players grab each other's butts regardless of whether it's Japan or the US?
    57AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:20
    Re: #39
    In American football they grope all the way down to the groin, so it's probably testosterone doing that
    40AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:17
    Well, a team that pulls off the miracle of getting its own manager arrested for misconduct mid-season is bound to be riding some divine luck

    Truly a 'Make Arrest' kind of year (riff on 'make a miracle')
    41AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:17
    I wonder how much lands in Sakaguchi's bank account after the long weekend?
    42AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:18
    'Jampire' lmaoooooooooooooooooo

    Called dead-center pitches balls over and over in the bottom of the 7th
    48AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:19
    If Izumiguchi hadn't taken a batted ball to the face, he might've posted better numbers than last year
    53AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:19
    Finally in the provisional lead, lol
    Turns out that Bay Stars series the other day was just DeNA being on an absurd hot streak
    DeNA is the strongest team in the Central League right now
    Compared to Hanshin, the Giants are in way better form this late in the year
    62AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:20
    Re: #53
    Whether it's Hanshin or the Giants, they'll probably get swept in the Japan Series either way
    72AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:22
    Re: #62
    Honestly, DeNA's the only team with any real shot against SoftBank
    once they get rolling they can ride the wave all the way — they've got the track record to prove it
    83AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:23
    Re: #62
    But with DeNA, who really knows
    68AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:22
    Giants fans still hold a grudge against Yakult from getting in the way of the '86 pennant race
    (the one where Makihara gave up the hit to Brohard)
    78AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:22
    Re: #68
    Ha, 'Furo Hard' [bath hard] — that pun on Brohard's name brings back memories
    75AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:22
    Tomomi Itano's husband
    really battled out there
    honestly thought the Giants were going to lose
    91AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:25
    No idea about this team, but can they even beat the Hawks? (゚Д゚)
    95AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:26
    Re: #91
    No way they're beating them
    97AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:26
    Congrats on the amazing comeback pennant win 🎊
    The players have really come together as one
    108AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:29
    Re: #97
    Maybe the players are only 'united' because someone dangled a carrot like 'we'll only make Hashigami the full-time manager next season if you win the pennant,' lol
    If it's really 'Hashigami stays if we win, Abe comes back if we don't,' the players would get seriously desperate, lol
    99AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:27
    Even if the Giants make the Japan Series, they'll probably get swept 4 straight
    103AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:28
    Re: #99
    Whoever ends up facing the Hawks, it's just gonna be a letdown
    120AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:32
    They just lost 7 straight head-to-head against Hanshin, yet somehow they're in the provisional lead now — makes no sense
    132AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:36
    Re: #120
    Isn't that just on the manager, going all-out only against the Giants but not winning much against anyone else, lol
    Hashigami's strategy is to not force it in the tough Hanshin matchups and instead rack up more wins everywhere else

    Background and Talking Points

    This game unfolds against the backdrop of a tight late-season pennant race involving the Giants, Hanshin, and DeNA. The “magic number” is the figure showing how many more wins (or opponent losses) a team needs to clinch the pennant; the “reverse magic number” mentioned in the thread is slang for the flip side — the point at which a team loses any chance of winning it outright on its own. The word “Jampire,” thrown around over the call in the top of the 7th, is a standard 5ch jab implying that close calls tend to break the Giants’ way — worth noting this isn’t a one-off for this game, but an expression that gets trotted out almost every year. Within the thread, comments praising the team’s strength appeared right alongside complaints about the officiating; rather than the reactions splitting along one axis, it’s notable that “satisfaction with how the win was earned” and “distrust in the umpiring” were being discussed as two separate threads. A few posts also touched on the manager’s status and past misconduct, but since the thread alone doesn’t give enough detail to confirm the full story, those points shouldn’t be taken as established fact.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Baseball] Central League: G 3-2 S [9/20] — Giants win 3rd straight, Yoshikawa’s go-ahead RBI double, Yakult drop another”.

  • Aichi Asian Games: National Anthem Skipped Again at Women’s Handball Match — All Events Suspend Anthem Playback

    At the Asian Games currently underway in Aichi and Nagoya, the national anthems of both teams were not played before the women’s handball match between South Korea and Hong Kong on the 19th. This came after a mistake the previous day, the 18th, during the men’s hockey match, when North Korea’s anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea’s, forcing the organizing committee to apologize to the South Korean delegation. The host, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), reportedly suspended anthem performances across all events temporarily while it sorted out its operational setup. Players were given no advance explanation, and South Korea’s coach expressed bewilderment, saying, “I’ve never seen anything like this at an international competition.” Reactions on 5ch were split between those who saw it as mere confusion from staff shortages and those who suspected deliberate sabotage or political motives.

    1AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:45
    At the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the national anthems of both teams were not played before the women's handball match between South Korea and Hong Kong held on the 19th. According to South Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo and others, this followed a mistake the previous day in the men's hockey match, where North Korea's anthem was played instead of South Korea's by error, prompting the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to temporarily suspend anthem performances across all events while it got its operational setup in order.
    According to reports, in the South Korea-Hong Kong match on the 19th, the match began after player introductions without the usual anthem performance. There was no advance explanation, and players from both teams reportedly appeared confused. South Korea's coach, Lee Gye-cheon, said, "I've never seen anything like this at an international competition." The men's handball match between Kuwait and Iran also went ahead without anthems.
    In the men's hockey match on the 18th, North Korea's anthem played during the moment meant for South Korea's anthem, prompting South Korea to lodge a protest with the games' organizing committee. The committee had apologized to the South Korean delegation.
    6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:48
    Japan has become a third-rate country…
    7AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:48
    Don't pin the blame on some underpaid temp staffer.
    8AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:49
    Did they even set a proper run-of-show and rehearse it?
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:50
    This has gotta be deliberate.
    33AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    Re: #10
    Well, suspending it across the board is deliberate by definition.
    Though not explaining why might be the real problem.
    12AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:50
    At this point you'd almost have to suspect some kind of influence operation.
    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:52
    Playing North Korea's anthem for South Korea is way too dark a joke.
    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:52
    They mixed up South Korea's and North Korea's anthems, so…

    We're cancelling anthem playback for ALL events!!


    What kind of operation is this…
    17AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:53
    I thought the anthem was only played at the medal ceremony.
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:53
    Okay seriously, isn't there a spy planted in there somewhere?
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:54
    First South Korea's shuttle bus never showed up,
    and now it's always South Korea running into problems… weird lol
    20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:54
    Mixing up anthems happens all the time, doesn't it?
    No need to make such a big deal out of it.
    21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:54
    The shipping-container dorms might be a budget or staffing issue,
    but not playing the anthem or not running the buses is just sloppiness.
    Are Nagoya City or the operator just hiring gig workers off Timee (a same-day temp-staffing app) to run this thing?
    23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:55
    I heard the operator is a French company.
    They also worked on the Osaka Expo, so they should have the know-how by now.
    24AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:55
    There aren't many sporting events that play anthems,
    but what they have in common is that they're funded by taxes, not event revenue.
    25AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:56
    Organizing committee: "We'd like everyone to understand that playing the anthem isn't the main point of this event."
    26AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:57
    If it's just going to draw complaints, best not to play it at all.
    27AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:57
    Is this also because of that sudden increase of 2,000 people?
    28AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:58
    This event keeps screwing up with South Korea specifically.
    How many times is that now?
    30AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:59
    Playing the anthem before a match is weird to begin with — that's supposed to be reserved for gold medalists.
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    Figures — this is the same Aichi that failed to win an Olympic bid and didn't even get to host a match at the 2002 World Cup.
    34AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    If they suspend it, every country's going to complain.
    Classic dumb Japanese-style decision-making.
    35AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    Isn't this starting to look like the Free Planets Alliance in its final days from Legend of the Galactic Heroes?

    Is this what happens when the population shrinks faster than it did during wartime, even without an actual war?
    36AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    Guess the "yutori" generation (raised under Japan's relaxed, pressure-free education policy) is really showing its effects.
    37AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:02
    Spending 370 billion yen just to keep embarrassing themselves, huh.
    38AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:02
    One match, sure, but I've never heard of an international event suspending the anthem across every single sport.
    Seriously, what's happened to this country if it can't even play a national anthem properly?
    42AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:05
    Can't even play a national anthem properly — are they just booking gig workers off Timee for this?
    45AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:06
    Dentsu: "See? Now you get why you need us, lol" (Dentsu, Japan's dominant ad/events agency, often blamed for taking over event operations)
    46AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:07
    Who's actually running this thing?
    Name and shame.
    49AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:10
    They probably didn't rehearse a single thing.
    50AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:13
    This reeks of a deliberate Japan-bashing narrative lol
    65AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:28
    They probably skimmed so much off the top there's no budget left for real staff, so they're stuck hiring gig workers off Timee.
    This country's gotten shoddy at everything.
    70AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:30
    Re: #65
    They were definitely hiring a ton of short-term part-timers, but that was for stuff like venue guidance.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    At this year’s Games, the men’s hockey match on the 18th saw North Korea’s anthem mistakenly played instead of South Korea’s, leading South Korea to protest and the organizing committee to apologize. The following day, the host, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), took the unusual step of temporarily suspending anthem performances across all events to prevent a repeat. It’s rare for a major international multi-sport event to halt anthem performances outside the opening ceremony across every discipline, and the apparent lack of advance notice to athletes seems to be what fueled much of the confusion. Reactions on 5ch split between those chalking the disruption up to simple staffing and preparation shortfalls, and those suspecting deliberate interference or political motives. That said, the original reporting frames the suspension strictly as an administrative precaution by the organizers, not something the committee has officially cast as a political statement. It’s also worth noting that broader grievances about the Games’ operations — staffing costs, temp hiring, cost-effectiveness — are being aired under cover of the anthem story, points this article alone doesn’t substantiate.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “[Aichi/Nagoya] National Anthem Skipped Again at Women’s Handball Match — Asian Games May Suspend Performances Across All Events.”

  • Juice=Juice’s Ichika Arisawa Hits the Runway — 5ch: “That’s Our Ichika”

    Idol group Juice=Juice’s Ichika Arisawa appeared on the runway at a fashion show, sparking discussion on the Hello! Project board. The thread quickly filled with images of Arisawa alongside photos of other Hello! Project members, as posters weighed in on how the outfits compared to their usual stage costumes. Alongside positive comments like “That’s our Ichika” and “Reirei is stunning,” some posts noted the style didn’t suit everyone equally, splitting opinion among the board’s regulars.

    9AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:26
    Kinda looks like Mama.
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:27
    A-tan





    11AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:27
    Yafuzou





    12AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:27
    Eba





    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:27
    Ruru





    14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Sakurachi






    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Tako






    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Ichika






    17AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Mippuru






    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Risachi






    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Nina






    20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Looks like a pro wrestling ring entrance.
    21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Reirei






    47AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:33
    They've all got that sad look like they'd rather be in normal clothes…
    50AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:33
    That's our Ichika.
    56AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:34
    Furuppa's outfit was the best.
    58AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:38
    Really reminds me how gorgeous Reirei is.
    60AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:39
    Lol, they just had her wear her usual Hello! Project stage outfit.
    63AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:47
    I still can't quite get into the whole vibe, but
    if the Juice members are happy doing this kind of work, that's good enough for me.

    Background and Key Points

    It’s not unusual for Hello! Project members to take part in events outside the stage, and this fashion show appearance appears to be part of that trend. The names used in the thread — “A-tan,” “Ruru,” “Reirei,” and so on — are the members’ everyday nicknames; the post itself doesn’t specify their real names, the full lineup of participants, or details like the event’s organizer or date, so that should be kept in mind. Opinions split mainly over whether the mode-style outfits, so different from the members’ usual stage costumes, suited each of them. Positive comments like “That’s our Ichika” and “Reirei is stunning” appeared alongside harsher remarks touching on whether the style matched each member’s build, dividing opinion even among regular fans. Judging their look in a context so different from the stage is the kind of topic that naturally splits fans down the middle.

    ※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Images] Juice=Juice’s Ichika Arisawa hits the fashion show runway! She pulls it off surprisingly well wwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games: South Korea’s Bus Never Showed, Practice Canceled — “Was It Deliberate?” Sparks Controversy

    Ahead of the men’s basketball final between Japan and South Korea at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the shuttle bus for the South Korean national team failed to show up with no explanation, forcing the team to cancel its final tune-up practice. South Korea’s sports channel SPOTV reported that this may have been deliberate sabotage to give host nation Japan — which had reached the final for the first time in 64 years — a boost, and the story has rippled through Japanese media. On 5channel threads, users traded claims about the operating company’s track record, along with reports that Thailand’s and India’s delegations had also suffered lodging and transport mishaps, leaving posters split over whether this was “deliberate discrimination” or simply “sloppy management.”

    Ahead of the Japan-South Korea clash in the men’s basketball final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games (held on the 20th at IG Arena), the South Korean team’s bus failed to show up without any notice, forcing the cancellation of their final tune-up session — and the incident has caused a huge stir.

    An unthinkable accident struck just before the fateful Japan-South Korea match. South Korean broadcaster SPOTV reported: “Their opponent in the final is Japan, the ‘old rival’ they beat in the group stage. That day, the national team was scheduled to head to a different gymnasium in the morning for shooting drills to loosen up ahead of the final. But that practice was canceled. The reason: the bus never showed up. The vehicle arranged for sometime after 10 a.m. never appeared, with no explanation given, forcing the team to scrap the session.” According to the report, not only did the bus fail to arrive due to an organizing error, but the organizers never even gave notice, leaving the team with no way to arrange an alternative — and their crucial final tune-up was abruptly scrapped as a result.

    The broadcaster went on to denounce the incident: “Incidents and mishaps that defy common sense have piled up at the Nagoya Asian Games, but given that this bus issue disrupted practice right before the final against Japan, it’s impossible not to grow suspicious. After all, this marks the first time in a full 64 years that Japan’s basketball team has reached the final. That’s exactly why people suspect this was deliberate.” The report argued that organizers may have intentionally sabotaged South Korea’s practice in order to help host nation Japan capture gold.

    Source: tokyo-sports.co.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:44
    Japan's really going downhill fast, huh
    14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:47
    Re: #3
    Events like this that put it all out in the open really drive the point home.
    It's usually hard to see otherwise.
    6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:45
    Japan was supposed to be the country that stayed fair even on home turf.
    What an embarrassment.
    7AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:45
    The moment you've created a situation where winning gold wouldn't even feel out of place next to the complaints, you've already lost.
    Feel bad for the Japanese athletes too.
    12AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:47
    Feel bad for South Korea's basketball team — they're real gentlemen about it.
    And they even bothered coming for exhibition matches.
    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:47
    This is the latest face of Reiwa-era Japan.
    From "omotenashi" hospitality (Japan's famous hospitality slogan) to just leaving people hanging.
    17AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:48
    What a shambles of a tournament.
    All we hear about is one blunder after another — mix-ups, oversights, mistakes.
    The whole organizing staff seems borderline incompetent.
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:49
    It's probably worse than Manila or Jakarta.
    Well, guess that's just how it is.
    20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:49
    Apparently the number of participants suddenly jumped by 2,000 and things are chaos on the ground.
    Still, of all the countries to do this to, this one's a bad idea.
    28AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:51
    Re: #4
    S-s-sloppy… (stumbling over the word "杜撰"/zusan, "shoddy," as if it's hard to get out)
    132AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:10
    Re: #28
    …forms the great duo with Li Bai. (a pun: the "杜" in 杜撰/"shoddy" is the same character as in Du Fu, who together with Li Bai forms China's legendary pair of Tang-era poets)
    42AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:54
    So which company's running this thing?
    50AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:57
    Re: #42
    GL events is a general event-management company headquartered in Lyon, France, contracted for 63 billion yen to build and run the competition venues for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and Asian Para Games.
    57AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:59
    Why does it keep happening to South Korea specifically?
    Soccer → drove the South Korean team to a baseball stadium
    Field hockey → played North Korea's national anthem for the South Korean team
    Basketball → cramped rooms for tall players, bus never came, practice canceled

    This is way too much.
    At this rate Japan's going to have to apologize forever.
    67AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    Re: #57
    Harry's already dead.
    58AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:59
    >Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men's basketball final (20th, IG Arena)

    Go ahead and search the term "IG Arena."

    You'll find out what that 370 billion yen actually went toward.
    68AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    Re: #58
    IG Arena's got nothing to do with this.
    That was just a rebuild due to an aging facility.
    64AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:00
    Does winning gold in basketball also get you out of military service?
    71AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    Re: #64
    Every Asian Games gold does.
    66AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    Somebody clearly wants to drag Japan's reputation through the mud.
    75AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:02
    Re: #66
    If it keeps happening this much, the truth's bound to slip out eventually.
    If there's really nothing behind it, then it's just a mistake, right?
    83AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:04
    Re: #1

    Thailand's team had no lodging and had to sleep rough on the lobby floor


    India's team waited 14 hours for their rooms to be ready


    India's team:
    "Our room wasn't ready"
    "There was no breakfast"
    "The team bus never came"
    "No nutrition food or fruit either"
    i.imgur.com/MGgsNwz.jpeg
    91AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:05
    Media, do your job properly — this is what happens when you hand operations over to a foreign company.

    "The result of cutting Dentsu out is that the know-how wasn't passed down, and things are a mess on the ground."
    109AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:07
    Re: #91
    So Dentsu got cut out here.
    Wish they'd get cut out of MLB coverage too.
    All they ever show is Sasaki and Yamamoto, Dentsu's pet projects.
    96AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:05
    Re: #1

    Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games: bus carrying South Korea's soccer team heads to a "baseball stadium"
    https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/32337718/


    Turns out there was also harassment involving the soccer team's bus being sent to a baseball stadium.
    117AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:08
    Re: #96
    I can only think this is being done on purpose to embarrass Japan.
    The governor didn't even push to host this, did they.
    100AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:06
    Governor Omura: "Did I even ask for this?"
    103AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:06
    Wait, operations are outsourced to a foreign company?
    114AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:08
    Re: #103
    Operations: France
    Broadcast footage: China
    The one footing the bill and hosting: Japan
    104AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:06
    Re: #1
    Japan's gotten to the point where even the regions can't properly run a tournament anymore lol
    118AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:08
    Re: #104
    Probably on the same level as that shoddy "Lake Biwa Three-City Simultaneous Fireworks Festival" that ended up getting canceled.
    125AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:09
    This is what happens when you outsource to a foreign company — the result of you all constantly bashing Dentsu.
    133AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:10
    Re: #125
    The fact that the only alternative to Dentsu is a foreign company is just pathetically incompetent, Japan…

    Background and key points of this story

    Organizational mishaps have been reported repeatedly at the Nagoya Asian Games, not just in this one incident. This bus problem involved South Korea’s national team, but posters in the thread also shared accounts of Thailand’s delegation spending a night in the lobby and India’s team waiting 14 hours for their rooms to be ready — leaving little basis to conclude South Korea alone was being targeted. Venue construction and operations are reportedly contracted out for 63 billion yen to GL events, a company headquartered in France, and some in the thread speculated that sidelining Dentsu, which had long handled this role, may be part of what’s causing the confusion. It’s worth noting that the “deliberate sabotage” theory stems from speculation in a report by South Korean outlet SPOTV, and the games’ organizing committee has not acknowledged any intent.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5channel (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “[Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games] South Korea’s bus never showed up before the Japan-Korea basketball match… practice canceled, sparking uproar with claims of “sabotage” and “deliberate action”.”

  • Giants Pull Away to Provisional First Place — 5ch: “Fans of All 11 Other Teams Are Rooting for Them”

    On the Nandemo Jikkyo G (Live Sports Coverage) board, a thread buzzed about the Yomiuri Giants climbing into provisional first place, with their magic number race against the Hanshin Tigers dragging on as the pennant chase gets messier by the day. Some posters questioned how the Giants could stay in title contention despite losing key players — Kazuma Okamoto traded away, and pitchers Shosei Togo, Iori Yamazaki, and closer Taisei all frequently sidelined — while others pointed to mounting resentment toward Hanshin manager Kyuji Fujikawa, with comments spreading that “fans of all 11 other teams are rooting for the Giants.” The thread was split on whether the Giants’ surge comes down to real strength or Hanshin simply fading.

    1AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:36
    Fans of all 11 other teams are rooting for them
    2AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:37
    Hell yeeeeaaahhh!!!!!!!!
    3AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:37
    Nice nice nice nice! Hell yeeeeeeaaahhh!!!!!!!
    14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:40
    Meanwhile, Hanshin played a rookie out of position last night and promptly keeled over
    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:40
    That Yakult pitcher is absolute garbage, man (post mockingly writes "Yakult" with the kanji for "dog")
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:41
    Yeah, saw this coming — the schedule was clearly stacked against Hanshin no matter how you slice it
    21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:42
    They're probably gonna call it the "Reiwa-era Make Miracle" (riffing on Hanshin's old '80s comeback slogan)
    23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:42
    If the Giants win the pennant, their real MVP should honestly be Fujikawa
    Talent-wise, Hanshin should be winning this thing by a mile
    And the guy who closed that gap is definitely Fujikawa
    26AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:42
    Re: #23
    Gotta be Abe's daughter…
    27AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:43
    Re: #23
    Gotta be Abe's daughter, with Raimaru a close second
    24AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:42
    For what it's worth I'm a Giants fan, but honestly I don't even get why we're in the title race
    I'm cheering them on and all, but if I had to guess, it's just that everyone's clutch
    28AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:43
    They only start playing for real once Shinnosuke Ogasawara leaves the mound
    30AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:43
    With so few head-to-head games left, obviously it comes down to who's got more patsy teams to feast on — that's just common sense, right?
    41AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:45
    Re: #30
    It's the "One Outs" theory (from the baseball manga/anime about exploiting weak spots)
    Rather than being the strongest team with a slight edge over everyone, it's better to farm one specific patsy hard — that's how you actually win pennants
    33AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:44
    Wonder if they'll finally add Nittele G+ (Nippon TV's Giants channel) next year
    53AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:53
    Re: #33
    Honestly they could just put the Giants TV app on smart TVs and call it a day
    G+ is straight-up trash
    42AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:46
    Okamoto traded away
    Togo barely around
    Yamazaki barely around
    Taisei barely around

    That's normally a bottom-half ("B-class") season right there
    43AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:46
    Re: #42
    And no manager either
    108AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:13
    Re: #42
    The new foreign pitcher they signed keeps getting hurt too, and given they finished 3rd last year, this should normally be a B-class season
    46AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:47
    Who's gonna be manager next year, I wonder?
    Honestly, just keep Hashigami
    49AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:49
    Re: #46
    It'd be brutal if they end up B-class next season
    No one's gonna want the job after that
    56AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:54
    57AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:55






    66AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:57
    I'm a Hanshin fan, but
    are Giants fans actually happy winning the pennant by beating scrubs like the Yokohama BayStars, Yakult, Chunichi, and Hiroshima?
    That's just farming weaklings
    82AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:02
    Re: #66
    Then why can't you guys even manage to farm the weak teams?
    77AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:00
    The Giants front office is probably the most panicked of anyone here
    They were probably planning to coast along with Hashigami as a stopgap manager, bring back Yoshinobu Takahashi or Tatsunori Hara next year as another stopgap, and just wait for Sakamoto to retire
    81AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:01
    If Fujikawa had just properly apologized when his pitchers plunked Ohshiro back-to-back, people would've let it slide as "guess he hates hit-by-pitches as a former pitcher himself"
    But instead it's: when Hanshin gets hit, it's an evil beanball
    When Hanshin does the hitting, it's a righteous beanball that needs no apology — total double-standard guy
    83AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:03
    Re: #81
    Getting mad when it happens to your own team is fine, but hinting at intentional retaliation is the worst part
    You should never say something like that
    84AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:04
    Re: #81
    Guys like Hara, Ochiai, and Okada would throw some snarky jabs in situations like this too, but they never turned into the villain the way Fujikawa has

    He's just really bad at using the media to needle people as a manager
    113AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:14
    Fujikawa's drawn so, so much hate at this point
    that fans of all 11 other teams are rooting for the Giants
    Never seen a manager this hated by other teams' fans before
    118AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:14
    Re: #113
    I bet even some Hanshin fans dislike Fujikawa
    He's hated by fans of all 12 teams
    114AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:14
    So right now the Giants are in provisional first
    and 2nd-place Hanshin still has their magic number hanging over them, huh
    122AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:17
    Re: #114
    If they lose tonight, that number's gone
    119AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:15
    It's just bizarre that Hanshin is this competitive given the talent gap with the Giants
    The Giants are basically a bunch of scrubs thrown together
    Who's actually to blame on Hanshin's side here?
    121AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:17
    Re: #119
    They've got the pitching quadruple crown, and their batters hold 1st AND 2nd in the triple-crown categories

    That's overwhelming talent for you~

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The Yomiuri Giants have positioned themselves to contend for the pennant against Hanshin this season, despite losing star slugger Kazuma Okamoto to a trade and frequently being without pitchers Shosei Togo, Iori Yamazaki, and closer Taisei. Hanshin manager Kyuji Fujikawa, whose name came up repeatedly in the thread, has drawn criticism over his handling of hit-by-pitch incidents — accused of a double standard where pitches that hit Hanshin batters are treated as malicious while pitches thrown by Hanshin are treated as justified. This appears to have fueled resentment among fans of other teams, feeding into the sentiment that “fans of all 11 other teams are rooting for the Giants.” Meanwhile, opinion in the thread was split on whether the Giants’ surge reflects genuine strength or simply Hanshin fading, and there was also unease about next season’s managerial situation, with some fans hoping coach Hideki Hashigami stays on. The rare spectacle of a title race being fought while missing so many key players has stirred up heated debate among both teams’ fans.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “The Yomiuri Giants Are Seriously Going For The Pennant.”

  • World’s Largest Beer Festival Kicks Off in Munich — 5ch Reacts: ‘I Can’t Drink a Full Liter Anymore’

    The world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, kicked off in Munich, Germany, on September 19. What began in 1810 as a celebration of a Bavarian prince’s wedding has grown into an event drawing more than 6 million visitors every year. On 5ch, threads lit up with trivia-style chatter — how expensive the beer is on-site, why the festival’s name doesn’t match when it’s actually held, and the different customs around whether beer should be served chilled — with some users also bringing up similar events held in Japan, like the one in Nagoya.

    The world’s largest beer festival, “Oktoberfest,” has begun in the southern German city of Munich.

    Oktoberfest is a beer festival drawing more than 6 million visitors, said to have started in 1810 to mark the wedding of a prince of the Kingdom of Bavaria at the time.

    On opening day, September 19, the mayor of Munich tapped a keg of specially brewed beer in time with the countdown, loudly declaring the festival open.

    Source: news.web.nhk / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:15
    Japan has access to great tap water, so alcoholic water isn't necessary
    127AnonymousSep 20, 2026 12:12
    Re: #3

    (°∀°) Booze isn't for acting tough, it's to enrich your life

    (°∀°)つ chicken cutlet
    (°~°) *nom nom*
    6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:19
    These days Japanese-made beer and whisky are actually the better ones
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:33
    Re: #6
    Is this what happens to a brain that's watched too many 'Japan is amazing' videos?
    111AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:57
    Re: #6
    Like they say, 'a frog in a well knows nothing of the ocean' (i.e. you don't know what you're missing)
    11AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:24
    I'm an old man now, so I can't drink a full liter anymore
    21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:34
    Re: #11
    I used to love beer so much I'd knock back like 4 tall cans a day, but lately I just have one and switch to highballs the rest of the night
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:32
    270 yen for 100ml? That's way too pricey
    134AnonymousSep 20, 2026 12:32
    Re: #18
    Well now, that's one loooong beer (drawn-out, slurred delivery in the original)
    26AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:37
    In Japan too, a medium draft at an izakaya runs 700 yen
    That's about 1400 yen per liter
    Factor in the weak yen (double that), and it's 2800 yen
    44AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:47
    Re: #26
    A medium draft isn't even 500ml though
    28AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:38
    What's the deal with the girl whose apron bow is tied in the middle?
    https://www.oktober-fest.jp/images/uniq/img-costume-02.png
    74AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:01
    Re: #28
    Going by that classification (the dirndl bow-position code), I'd guess middle means underage, or if she's an adult, a virgin looking for a partner?
    75AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:02
    Re: #28
    Amazing, this should really catch on in Japan too
    33AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:39
    Who even goes to these things?
    You can't drink that much anyway, it's not even all-you-can-drink
    and on top of that it's expensive
    36AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:41
    Re: #33
    Have you never been? It's packed out in every major city, no matter where
    46AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:47
    It's still September though
    48AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:48
    Re: #46
    I always wondered about that myself, apparently this is why
    I figured it might be some old-calendar thing but…
    https://omatsurijapan.com/blog/oktoberfest-trivia/
    70AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:56
    Re: #46
    Forget September — they even hold one somewhere in Japan in spring.
    55AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:50
    German beer's great, I drink a lot of Heineken and Hoegaarden
    78AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:06
    Re: #55
    Walking right into it, huh
    Heineken (brewed by Kirin) Hoegaarden (brewed in Korea)
    167AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:20
    Re: #55
    Hoegaarden hasn't tasted the same since production moved to Korea…
    62AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:53
    Is it really true that beer over there is served room temperature?
    66AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:56
    Re: #62
    In Germany, beer is a hot drink
    They often warm it up like heated sake
    It's a cold country after all (said jokingly)
    88AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:12
    Re: #62
    Dunno about Germany specifically, but there are tons of beer styles out there
    In Japan 99.9% of what's sold is just one fizzy, foamy type of beer
    so that's the only image Japanese people have of what beer even is
    90AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:14
    Re: #62
    At least at the Munich Oktoberfest, every beer served is cold.
    100AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:42
    I refuse to accept Japan's knockoff Oktoberfests where no woman dresses like this
    110AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:55
    Re: #100
    The Nagoya one has women dressed like that
    101AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:43
    Beer over there isn't served ice-cold like in Japan, it's a bit warmer, right?
    Is that mostly down to the climate difference?
    113AnonymousSep 20, 2026 12:01
    Re: #101
    If you travel around Asia you'll notice that in places hotter than Japan, beer tends to be lighter-bodied with ice-cold serving as the priority
    European beers tend to be heavier-flavored, and plenty aren't served chilled at all
    Japan sits somewhere in the middle
    156AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:10
    Re: #101
    And here we go again…

    Top-fermented beer (ale): fine chilled or unchilled
    A brewing method that predates refrigeration
    i.e. one with roughly 4,000 years of history
    People who deliberately choose this style usually drink it at room temperature

    Bottom-fermented beer (lager): has to be served cold
    A method that spread alongside the rise of refrigeration
    Fermentation proceeds slowly, making the flavor easier to fine-tune
    For that reason, big manufacturers wanting to avoid flavor inconsistency mostly go with this style
    119AnonymousSep 20, 2026 12:05
    I still haven't tried this 'Akaboshi' (Sapporo's classic Red Star lager) everyone goes on about
    Is that beer actually better than Asahi Super Dry?
    122AnonymousSep 20, 2026 12:07
    Re: #119
    You mean this one?
    https://tblg.k-img.com/restaurant/images/Rvw/365263/640x640_rect_f48402850bed6f0beef21472c23a82ae.jpg
    126AnonymousSep 20, 2026 12:09
    Re: #122
    Yeah, that's the one — none of the places I go to actually carry it though

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Despite its name, Oktoberfest has, since the mid-19th century, actually been shifted earlier to run from late September through early October. The change was made so the festival could be held outdoors in mild autumn weather, and that practice continues today. The ‘chilled or not’ debate that came up in the thread isn’t just about climate — it also comes down to differences in brewing method, namely top-fermentation versus bottom-fermentation — so it’s not quite accurate to simply say ‘Germany is cold, so the beer is room temperature.’ There were also posts about the manufacturing and ownership ties behind brands like Heineken and Hoegaarden, but since corporate ownership structures and production sites can shift over time, that information shouldn’t be taken as definitive as posted. On pricing, it’s worth noting the local standard unit is the 1-liter mug, which can look pricier when compared directly to the several-hundred-ml medium draft served at Japanese izakayas.

    ※This article is an excerpt/summary compiled from the 5ch (News Bulletin+) thread “World’s Largest Beer Festival ‘Oktoberfest’ Kicks Off — Germany“.

  • Marvel’s Wolverine PS5 Sales Estimated at 1.9 Million — 5ch: “Wait, This Isn’t Even Official?”

    An estimate claiming that the PS5 version of “Marvel’s Wolverine” has sold 1.9 million copies worldwide became a hot topic in a 5ch gaming thread. However, the figure wasn’t officially announced by Sony or any other official source — it came from an estimate by the overseas market analysis firm Alinea Analytics, prompting a wave of skepticism in the thread along the lines of “Wait, this isn’t even an official announcement?” Comparisons were drawn to actual sales figures for the Spider-Man series, Death Stranding 2, and Fire Emblem Engage, with opinions split on whether 1.9 million was a solid showing or a disappointing one. The thread also spun off into a cultural debate over how the comparison image ordered the titles (whether to read left-to-right or right-to-left).

    6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:55
    Fabricating data with a company's name attached is a straight-up crime, seriously.
    7AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:55
    Re: #6
    It's not fabricated —
    https://doope.jp/2026/09170941.html
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:56
    Re: #7
    The source… this isn't even an official announcement, is it? lol
    11AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:57
    Re: #7
    It's just an estimate.
    That image is probably AI-generated.
    8AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:55
    Why is the only data out there an estimate from some sketchy site?
    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:58
    Re: #8
    Alinea Analytics is probably the most reliable firm out there for this kind of thing.
    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:58
    blog.esuteru.com/archives/10569024.html

    This source has the image, check it out.
    27AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:01
    Re: #16
    Who even reads Hachima (a gaming blog known for clickbait)? Trash site.
    23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:00
    Quit the "PS5 version" framing like there's some other version out there. This is a first-party title riding Marvel's IP — numbers like this worldwide aren't anything to brag about.
    25AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:00
    Re: #23
    But that's basically the same as Spider-Man's numbers?
    30AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:04
    https://imgu.jp/i/69ef6915sO.jpeg
    People who've actually played it are rating it highly — this could be a GOTY contender.
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:05
    Re: #30
    Normally you'd arrange these in release order — Spider-Man on the left, Wolverine on the far right, right?
    33AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:06
    Re: #32
    Are you maybe not Japanese?
    Japan has a right-to-left reading culture, you know.
    36AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:07
    Re: #33
    When you sort manga or documents in numerical order, do you actually arrange them right to left?
    44AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:11
    Re: #33
    If it's supposed to be read right to left, then the scores and titles should've been edited to read right to left too.
    54AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:18
    "Worldwide," huh lol
    55AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:19
    Re: #54
    FE 3±○・(I doubt it actually sold 1.9 million worldwide lol)
    64AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:22
    Re: #55
    Why are you even comparing it to FE?
    Wolverine's a $300 million AAA title, isn't it?
    57AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:19
    Re: #1
    Slapping an "ONLY ON" label on a garbage game like this is hilarious 🤣🤣🤣

    Bet it stung that PHYSINT — the culmination of the legendary Kojima's career — got hit with "ONLY ON XBOX," huh? lmaooo
    59AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:20
    Re: #57
    Death Stranding 2 only sold 1.8 million, but PHYSINT's gonna sell 1.9 million in 3 days? lol
    67AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:24
    This is a total mess.
    What would it even take to get this done right?
    71AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:26
    Re: #67
    Expecting "Old Man Distribution" (a poster notorious for obsessing over shipment numbers) to actually learn anything is a waste of time.
    68AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:25
    Re: #59
    Did you actually buy Wolverine?
    Be honest.
    75AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Re: #68
    https://imgu.jp/i/028c4915sO.jpeg
    89AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:31
    Re: #75
    Does this actually prove you bought it?
    I don't know the first thing about PlayStation stuff, so I can't tell if it's fake.
    69AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:25
    Actually, at a glance, dozens of new user scores just came in — all straight 10s for Wolverine.
    Though 9s are starting to show up more now too.
    74AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Re: #69
    After the last "10-point purge," more people are dodging it by shaving off just 1-2 points instead.
    73AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Thought they'd finally announced real numbers, but nope — it's just some other company's estimate, not Sony's own, lmao

    Classic Sony. Same company that let a firm estimate 22 million PS Vita units sold, then quietly revised it down to 5 million after pulling the console from the market.
    77AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Re: #73
    Similar stuff's happening overseas too, so this really does feel off.
    81AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Can the Fire Emblem that Nintendo fanboys ("buu-chan") love to brag about even sell 2 million?
    83AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:29
    Re: #81
    Even Engage sold about that much, so it should be fine.
    111AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:39
    Even if it's true, a console that's supposedly sold 90 million units is satisfied with 2 million for an all-out first-party AAA title?
    112AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:39
    Re: #111
    Lifetime sales will easily clear 6 million, you know.
    115AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:40
    Re: #112
    Still pretty pathetic though, lol
    135AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:48
    Re: #112
    Easily in the red, lol

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    In recent years, Sony has often declined to officially announce individual sales figures even for its flagship titles, and this time’s “1.9 million” figure — sourced from an overseas market analysis firm rather than Sony itself — became the main point of contention in the thread. Since analysis firms estimate sales based on public data and retail sales trends, there’s inherent room for calculation error or agenda, and the distrust in the thread was fueled by a past example that came up repeatedly: Sony’s initial estimate of 22 million PS Vita units sold, which was quietly revised down to 5 million after the console was discontinued. The comparisons to Spider-Man and Death Stranding 2 are also estimate-versus-estimate matchups, and it’s worth noting that none of these figures can be treated as official proof of sales. The debate over the left-right ordering in the comparison image stemmed from the cultural difference between Japanese manga’s right-to-left reading direction and the Western convention of arranging things left to right — a topic that heated up independently of the actual sales numbers themselves.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “[BREAKING] “Marvel’s Wolverine” PS5 Version Reportedly Sells 1.9 Million Units.”