Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • 5ch Piles on Juice=Juice’s Future Predictions: ‘Talk to Us Once It Actually Happens’

    In a Hello! Project thread, a pattern kept repeating: whenever someone predicted Juice=Juice’s future, other posters fired back with “no, say that once it actually happens.” It started with wishful thinking like “I bet they’ll still be buzzing next year,” which prompted pushback from posters armed with tables comparing member tenure and data on Morning Musume’s popularity trends. The debate went beyond simple ribbing, splitting opinion over whether it’s fair to map Morning Musume’s slump around 2017 onto Juice=Juice’s current standing — with some replies even citing tour ticket sales figures as evidence.

    1AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:15
    If all it takes is wishful delusion, I guess that's the 'freedom' spirit, huh?
    2AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:20
    It's been a year since Juice=Juice's hype took off… and come to think of it, 'Moremi' (a nickname, possibly playing on 盛れる, "photos edited to look flattering") has already passed the one-year mark too!!
    3AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:20
    Why did Oyaki-jiji ("Grandpa Oyaki," a poster's nickname) stop posting the member-tenure copypasta?
    7AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:22
    If all you can do is nitpick with wishes and delusions, that just means there's nothing to actually complain about right now.
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:22
    Days in the group as of 2026/09/18 (per Wikipedia)

    4,127 days – 植村あかり
    3,371 days – 段原瑠々 (since 2017/06/26)
    3,194 days – 金澤朋子
    2,909 days – 高木紗友希
    2,845 days – 宮本佳林
    2,653 days – 工藤由愛・松永里愛 (since 2019/06/14)
    2,361 days – 井上玲音 (since 2020/04/01)
    2,303 days – 宮崎由加
    1,899 days – 有澤一華・入江里咲・江端妃咲 (since 2021/07/07)
    1,542 days – 石山咲良・遠藤彩加里 (since 2022/06/29)
    1,447 days – 稲場愛香
    1,214 days – 川嶋美楓 (since 2023/05/23)
    623 days – 梁川奈々美
    452 days – 林仁愛 (since 2025/06/23)
    130 days – 大塚愛菜
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:23
    Re: #11
    Yep, confirmed Oyaki-jiji. Nice work, lol (乙 = sarcastic "good job")
    13AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:24
    I think they'll still be buzzing next year

    Is this one no good either?
    14AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:25
    Re: #13
    No good — that's just delusion.
    Say it once it actually happens.
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:26
    Guess that stung, huh, Mr. Dentsu-shill? wwwww (電通汁 — meme jab implying the poster is an ad-agency plant)
    16AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:26
    Juice=Juice fans' comments actually have some evidence behind them, so those are fine.
    17AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:26
    Juice=Juice will probably be gone by next year
    Is this one no good?
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:26
    Their next single will be a miracle hit too, probably.
    19AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:27
    The next single will be a hit on the level of 'Burabare' (fan shorthand for a specific past hit song).
    20AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:34
    You've gotta argue with actual facts.

    April 2023 April 2028

    譜久 26  段原 26
    石田 26  井上 26
    生田 25  有澤 24
    小田 24  石山 24
    野中 23  工藤 23
    牧野 22  松永 22
    横山 22  入江 22
    羽賀 21  江端 21
    北川 19  川嶋 20
    岡村 17  遠藤 19
    山﨑 17  林  16
    櫻井 17

    That's the period when Morning Musume was jammed with "obasan" (older) members and everything was in chaos.
    Juice=Juice's lineup is about to look basically the same soon.
    21AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:35
    Re: #20
    The problem with Morning Musume wasn't that it was full of "old" members — it's that it wasn't selling and wasn't interesting, and the younger members got dragged down along with them.
    33AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:53
    Re: #20
    2027 is Hello! Project's 30th anniversary, so nobody's leaving around then. If by that point either Inoue or Arisawa has announced graduation, that'd actually count as the better-case scenario.
    37AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:56
    Re: #20
    Claiming this whole lineup won't even exist and that 3 or 4 members will have quit by then — that's the delusional part.
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:42
    That's literally going to be Juice=Juice's situation in two years.
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:44
    Re: #22
    Morning Musume, which had been on a steady decline ever since "Wonfour" (a specific past tour/release), and Juice=Juice, which is now at its absolute peak after a slow build finally exploding — the situations a few years before each group's peak were completely different, no?
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:47
    Re: #24
    Don't waste effort seriously arguing with Juice=Juice haters.
    30AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:51
    Re: #24
    Morning Musume's audience turnout peaked in '17.
    23AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:43
    Actually, Juice=Juice already has "become" that… (a callback to the thread's running joke, "say it once it happens")
    26AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:49
    By April 2028 it'll probably be like, "Oh yeah, they were buzzing a while back, right? I think I saw some so-so-looking girl belting out a song."
    27AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:49
    Re: #26
    Say that once it actually happens.
    28AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:50
    They'll probably break out again in April 2026 and blow up, boom.
    31AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:52
    Re: #28
    Say that once it actually happens.
    29AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:51
    ANGERME is the one group where predicting something bad actually comes true lol
    36AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:54
    Re: #30
    That's the Kudo Haruka graduation bump for you.
    38AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:56
    Re: #36
    The spring tour was already completely sold out before Kudo's graduation was even announced.
    39AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:58
    Re: #38
    Some shows didn't even go on sale through ticket agencies until after the graduation announcement, so that's physically impossible.
    40AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:58
    Back in fall 2017, Morning Musume played Budokan practically half-asleep partway through that tour too ("鼻ホジ" — doing it effortlessly). The tour itself ran dozens of hall shows, every seat sold out.
    42AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:58
    Re: #40
    Well obviously — that fall was Kudo Haruka's graduation tour.
    44AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:01
    Even if washed-up Juice=Juice ("オワコン" — slang for "over/finished") runs someone's graduation tour two years from now, the halls won't all sell out. You need solid baseline group popularity for that, otherwise it's just not happening.
    46AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:03
    Re: #44
    That's exactly why there are unsold tickets for Oda's graduation tour.
    49AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:11
    Re: #44
    Even now, if Morning Musume ran a tour at their old scale it wouldn't sell out. The spring tour was already small-scale, and the Hokkaido date sat unsold for ages.
    51AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:16
    In the real world, Danbara and Inoue won't even be around in two years.
    54AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:21
    Re: #51
    Say that once they're actually gone.
    53AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:21
    Re: #49
    Since it sold out in the end anyway, the Hitaru show (likely a venue reference) should fill up easily too, no?
    63AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:09
    Re: #53
    Say that once it's actually done.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Juice=Juice is a Hello! Project group whose popularity has been climbing in recent years — as the thread’s tenure chart shows, its core is built around members like Danbara Ruru and Inoue Reon, who’ve now been in the group for six to nine years. The comparison group, Morning Musume, went through a stretch around 2017 when it had been “on a steady decline ever since Wonfour,” before clawing back its audience numbers, helped along by the boost from Kudo Haruka’s graduation. The fact that 2027 marks Hello! Project’s 30th anniversary was also raised as a reason to expect fewer departures or graduations around that time.

    Where the thread split was over whether it’s fair to simply map Morning Musume’s slump onto Juice=Juice’s current situation. One camp argued that “Morning Musume back then and Juice=Juice now are in totally different positions,” while the other took the more pessimistic view that “they’ll eventually walk the same path.” “Say that once it actually happens” is a classic 5ch comeback aimed at baseless predictions about the future — less mockery, more a pointed reminder that “the prophecy hasn’t come true yet.” Some posts backed their claims with hard numbers like tour ticket sales, which is worth flagging for readers, since it’s easy for opinion and fact to blur together in threads like this.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread ““Juice=Juice will probably become ~ in the future” 👈 No, say that once it actually happens lol.”

  • BOJ Hikes Rates to 1.25% as Two Board Members Dissent — 5ch: ‘Variable-Rate Mortgages Aren’t Doomed Instantly, Come On’

    On September 18, the Bank of Japan’s Monetary Policy Meeting decided to raise its policy rate by 0.25 points to 1.25%. It’s the first hike in three months since the June meeting, and the roughly twice-a-year pace that had held since March 2024 is now accelerating. The nine-member Policy Board was split, with two members — Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato — voting against. On 5ch, threads grew around the impact on variable-rate mortgages, why the yen keeps weakening even as rates rise, and the backgrounds of the two dissenting board members.

    BOJ decides to raise rate to 1.25%, two members dissent — Nikkei

    September 18, 2026, 11:55

    At its Monetary Policy Meeting held on the 18th, the Bank of Japan decided to raise its policy rate by 0.25 points to 1.25%. It marks the first additional hike in three months since the June meeting, accelerating the pace of increases that had run roughly every six months since March 2024. The move aims to curb the risk of prices overshooting due to factors like rising oil prices and yen weakness.

    Source: nikkei.com / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:06
    People who picked variable rate 5 years ago probably made the wrong call.
    Should've gone with fixed back when it was still 1.5%.

    Can't believe we ended up here after listening to the "experts'" bad advice.
    40AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:09
    Re: #3
    There were people pushing fixed-rate even back then — those are the real experts.
    198AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:20
    Re: #3
    Low rates were never going to last forever. A 50-year mortgage was out of the question to begin with.
    269AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:23
    Re: #3
    At 1.5% variable is still way cheaper, and rates going up doesn't mean variable rates jump immediately. If hikes keep going at this pace, variable might hit 1.5-2% in about 3 years or so.

    That's basically how it works, so why does everyone think "variable = instant bankruptcy"?
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:07
    > Board members Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato voted against.

    Guess there are still some decent people who don't sell out for money, huh.
    152AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:17
    Re: #11
    So Ueda voted in favor, lol.
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:08
    Why is the yen still weakening
    Whyyyyyyyyy
    314AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:26
    Re: #12
    Until the interest rate gap with the US closes, the yen won't stop weakening. That's the root cause right there.
    392AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:32
    Re: #12
    We rely on imported energy and food, and every purchase means selling yen to buy dollars. NISA investing and IT service payments are structurally yen-selling too.
    446AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:34
    Re: #12
    The part of the rally that was pricing in a surprise 1.5% hike just unwound. Maybe they'll push it to 1.5% in October?
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:08
    Tough times for mortgage holders.
    They say rents will go up too, but worst case for renters you can just downgrade to a cheaper place.
    45AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Re: #18
    Still bonus time! Globally, rates easily top 5%.
    54AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:11
    Re: #18
    It's not that simple though. Families with kids can't just move into a studio. Worst case, the family ends up splitting apart.
    41AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Feels like such small increments.
    2% would be a cleaner round number.
    Is there some downside to going bigger?
    Like for mortgages or something?
    115AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:15
    Re: #41
    Probably because it's not just mortgages — it also hits companies with loans and people with student loans.
    167AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:18
    Re: #41
    Apparently 0.25-point moves are the number that causes the least disruption to society. The US also does small 0.25-point adjustments.
    43AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Selling yen out of disappointment makes sense, but how will Bessent react?
    57AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:11
    Re: #43
    Huh? He's the house running the table.
    320AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:27
    Re: #43
    He's never going to agree to coordinated intervention again.
    47AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Inflation hasn't changed but rates just went up. Worst of both worlds.
    49AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Property prices were already up, so now it's loan hell. Forget houses, you can't even get a car loan.
    53AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:11
    Re: #47
    So what if rates go up? Does that mean fewer jobs?
    66AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:11
    Re: #53
    It just means you guys suffer under your loans.
    70AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    Re: #49
    What happens if you can't get a loan? Does that mean fewer jobs?

    Re: #66
    So? Does that mean fewer jobs?
    84AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    So, will there be another hike before the year's out?
    94AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:14
    Re: #84
    Word is it'll hit 1.5% in three months.
    112AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:15
    Re: #84
    Market forecasts have hikes at every meeting through next summer.
    119AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:15
    Re: #84
    A December hike is basically a done deal.
    136AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:16
    【Dealer's Voice】BOJ decides on additional hike to 1.25%, Asada and Sato dissent

    Board Member Asada: keeping rates unchanged would have been preferable
    Board Member Sato: a hike at this timing is inappropriate

    —
    Reflationist members sent into the BOJ
    Toichiro Asada (Professor Emeritus, Chuo University): took office April 1, succeeding Akira Noguchi.
    Ayano Sato (Professor, Aoyama Gakuin University): took office June 30, succeeding Junko Nakagawa.
    172AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:18
    The FOMC hiked 0.25 yesterday and is even hinting at one more hike before year-end.
    In a situation like that, of course the yen keeps weakening even if the BOJ only hikes 0.25.

    I wonder which side the dissenters are actually on — did they want 0.5, or did they want no hike at all?
    196AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:20
    Re: #172
    Apparently they're reflationists sent in by the Takaichi administration, which is thrilled about the weak yen, so it's probably the "don't hike" camp.
    257AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:23
    Re: #172
    It's written in Re: #136.
    363AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:30
    Re: #172
    It's meaningless unless the gap with US rates narrows, so of course the yen keeps weakening. If you want yen strength, the US needs to cut rates.
    233AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:22
    What's a couple in their 20s with a zero-down, full 50-year mortgage supposed to do now?
    254AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:23
    Re: #233
    Stretch it out to a 70-year loan.
    263AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:23
    Re: #233
    Just work hard and pay it off. And if you get sick and can't work anymore, there's mortgage life insurance (dan-shin) that reduces or waives the balance.
    285AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:24
    Re: #233
    Just make extra principal payments. Skip NISA investing and put all of that toward paying down the loan early instead.
    455AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:35
    Working-age people just die under their mortgages.
    Only civil servants and retirees living off government-bond-funded handouts are sitting pretty.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Since lifting negative rates in March 2024, the BOJ had kept hikes at roughly a six-month pace, but this time the gap was just three months since the June meeting — shorter than before. A rate hike doesn’t get passed straight through to variable-rate mortgage rates at the same size immediately, since there’s a lag before each bank revises its base rate — so the “instant bankruptcy” take seen in the thread isn’t entirely accurate. It was also widely noted in the thread that since the US FOMC keeps hiking too, pressure on the yen to weaken will persist as long as the US-Japan rate gap doesn’t narrow. The two dissenting board members took office in April and June 2026, respectively, and appear to have voted against out of a preference for continued monetary easing — but it’s worth keeping in mind that this was part of the Policy Board’s normal voting process, and doesn’t amount to a rejection of the rate hike itself.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “BOJ decides to raise rate to 1.25%, two members dissent.”

  • BOJ Hikes Rates 0.25% With Only 2 Dissents — Yen Weakens Anyway, Confounding the Market

    The Bank of Japan has decided to raise its policy rate by 0.25%, with reportedly only two board members dissenting. Rate hikes are generally seen as yen-bullish, but the currency market moved the opposite way — the yen weakened, with the dollar trading in the ¥156 range, catching many market watchers off guard. On 5ch, threads buzzed with takes that the hike was “already priced in” and speculation about pressure from the US side to raise rates, while the conversation also drifted into the impact on people with variable-rate mortgages and a mysterious episode where the yen-pegged stablecoin JPYC briefly traded far off its ¥1 peg — taking the discussion from currency markets to home loans to crypto.

    1AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:04
    Why though 😭
    6AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:06
    Japan's high prices are driven by overseas factors anyway, so it's not like anything the BOJ does will fix it
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    Re: #6
    Japan's interest rates are just abnormally low compared to everywhere else, they probably don't even realize it lol
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:11
    Why do they keep hiking rates right after I bought my house 😭
    21AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    Re: #18
    And property values are gonna crash because of the rate hikes too, you know
    39AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:16
    Re: #18
    I bought mine 10 years ago, just watching from the sidelines with popcorn
    19AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    I got all excited thinking it hit ¥200 (to the dollar)
    but nope, still basically yen-strong as ever
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    Re: #19
    No way it's gonna move that much lol
    The whole country would drop dead from shock lol
    38AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:16
    Re: #19
    Pretty sure you're the only one calling 156 yen "yen-strong"
    23AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    Guess we'll see what kind of remarks Ueda puts out looking at this exchange rate chart
    Seems like he won't be able to sound dovish anymore
    33AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:15
    Re: #23
    He'll just mumble something vague either way
    26AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    Re: #24
    Which country's citizens are you even talking about?
    Japanese people are the ones screaming over this sudden yen strength
    37AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:15
    Re: #20
    Fixed rates these days are basically only for rich people
    Over 3% is just insane
    47AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:17
    Re: #37
    When I bought mine, fixed was like 1.8%
    well, variable was around 0.4% back then
    never imagined inflation would get this bad and the policy rate would actually end up rising this much
    53AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:19
    Doesn't matter how much you guys kick up a fuss
    even if all of you moved at once it wouldn't shift the market by even 1%
    63AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:22
    Re: #53
    Fishing for someone to say "wow, that's actually impressive"?
    57AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:19
    Re: #25
    Of course consumption is cooling in Japan
    rate hikes cool down spending, you know
    go ahead and explain why cooling spending even further while it's already cooling is the right call
    66AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:22
    Re: #57
    If they were only gonna hike 0.25%, wasn't there an option to just not hike at all and do nothing?
    64AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:22
    "Already priced in" — what a convenient phrase
    72AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:25
    Market-wise, after all that pressure from Bessent, they've probably given up in disbelief that it was only a 0.25% hike
    78AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:26
    Re: #72
    Going by how the market moved, it's more like: "We were bracing for maybe a 0.5% hike since Bessent was pushing so hard, but guess it didn't happen after all — phew, relief" (Bessent = US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent)
    74AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:25
    Rate hikes are pointless to begin with — they just mean bigger interest payments on government bonds
    80AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:27
    Re: #74
    That's not really the point
    83AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:28

    There was a chance to buy at ¥57 to the dollar yesterday, right?
    Anyone miss out on riding that yen-strength wave?
    84AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:28
    Re: #83
    What is this?
    89AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:32
    Re: #84
    JPYC is supposed to be issued at ¥1, but for a while it was trading at around ¥3 per JPYC (JPYC = a yen-pegged stablecoin)
    92AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:33
    Re: #89
    Hmm, not sure
    I don't trade FX or anything
    maybe there was some kind of glitch
    97AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:34
    Today's the settlement date for switching ¥7 million of my DC pension holdings into the S&P 500 — did I mess up the timing?
    105AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:39
    Re: #97
    If it settles today, the FX rate used is from around 9:55am, so it won't reflect what's in the thread title
    well, semiconductor stocks bounced back yesterday, so you're buying in a bit higher because of that anyway

    Background and Key Points

    Since 2024, the Bank of Japan has been gradually normalizing policy after years of zero and negative interest rates, and the fact that only two board members dissented from this 0.25% hike suggests support for tightening has grown considerably within the board. Textbook theory holds that rate hikes should strengthen a currency, but the yen weakening instead was a major point of debate in the thread. Behind this lies a mix of factors: the view that the hike was “already priced in” and thus a non-event for markets, pressure from the US side (references to Treasury Secretary Bessent) to raise rates further, and speculation around comments from figures like Kevin Warsh, seen as a potential future Fed chair — all part of the interplay between US and Japanese monetary policy expectations. One point readers may get wrong: the rate hike doesn’t affect all mortgage holders equally — as the thread notes, it’s borrowers on variable-rate loans who feel the direct impact, while those on fixed rates are largely insulated. As for JPYC, it’s a yen-pegged stablecoin normally issued at parity with the yen (¥1), and the episode where it briefly traded as high as ¥3 was left unexplained in the thread — the cause remains unconfirmed.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “BOJ: “We’re hiking 0.25%! Only 2 people were against it!” Investors: “Guess we’re selling yen then~” → Yen crashes hard.”

  • Vanilla Switch Version of ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms 14’ Beats Out PS5 Version — Famitsu Top 30 Sparks Buzz

    On 5ch’s Hardware/Industry (Geha) board, the update to Famitsu’s game software sales ranking Top 30 became a hot topic. The focus was the multiplatform showdown for ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms 14’ — despite there being no Switch 2 version of the game, the original Switch version outsold the PS5 version. Other points raised included how the Switch port of ‘Metal Gear’ (including older entries) has outsold the PS5 version in cumulative totals, and the discussion kept circling back — as it does almost every week — to PS5 software underperforming.

    6AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:04
    Only 3 PlayStation titles, huh
    And one of them's barely hanging on at #30, the other's a total flop
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:05
    Re: #6
    Next week two will probably drop off and two new ones will come in, so we'll be back to 27-3 again
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:08
    Wait, the PS5 version of Seifuku Kanojo 3 didn't even chart in its debut week? Checked it out and turns out this entry just got completely snubbed on PS5 lol
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:12
    Re: #15
    Well, Entergram has basically pulled out of PlayStation at this point
    20AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:10
    But they still put out Seifuku Kanojo 2 on it, you know? lol
    78AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:11
    Re: #20
    Apparently that second one got burned pretty badly — the art book bundled with the limited edition was 'missing' from just the PS4 version
    They ended up doing this weird thing where it shipped in separate boxes, like some three-part delivery method
    Not clear whether Sony even nitpicks what goes inside limited editions
    27AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:15
    Re: #22
    Ah, this is about an eroge (adult game) port
    42AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:34
    Re: #27
    Actually, doesn't Giga not do ports anymore?
    The ones doing ports these days are Domiru's 'Ares' and… what was the other one again…
    HOOK also recently set up their own in-house porting label
    33AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:27
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms 14 multiplatform showdown
    Switch wins
    Somehow blew right past the handicap of not even having a Switch 2 version
    38AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:32
    Re: #33
    Honestly, that's kind of hilarious
    PS5 just keeps limbo-ing under a bar that's already on the floor
    36AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:31
    How big was the gap between the Metal Gear Switch 1+2 version and the PS5 version again?
    39AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:33
    Re: #36
    PS5: 15,732 units
    Switch 1+2: 17,662 units (didn't chart this week; figure's through last week)
    44AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:35
    Giga as a company is already kind of… it's rough that there's nothing to fill the gap left by the Baldr series
    99AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:31
    Re: #44
    If action is all you need, I'd recommend 'Totsu Raba,' which sold like crazy this year
    The writer's a light novel author so it's got that kind of vibe

    If you want robots though, that's tough
    Horror, fantasy, and pure-love titles come out steadily, but robot games are basically nonexistent
    45AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:38
    So the Three Kingdoms multiplatform battle goes to Switch, huh
    'Trash-tation' (a mocking nickname for PlayStation) just can't sell software
    70AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:06
    Re: #45
    Switch has 38 million units out there in the wild and it can still only sell this much?
    47AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:39
    What's even fun about checking the physical sales charts every single week just to say 'PS doesn't sell'?
    56AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:45
    Re: #47
    Then why do you keep showing up here every week?
    49AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:41
    Re: #47
    Can't help it, it's just the truth lol
    50AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:42
    Re: #49
    Yeah, I get checking once every six months and going 'yep, still not selling,' but I don't get what saying the same thing every single week accomplishes
    54AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:44
    Re: #50
    Must be rough having reality pointed out to you week after week lol
    95AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:23
    Re: #50
    Isn't the real problem that it's not selling every single week, though?
    61AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:50
    PlayStation's domestic market has shrunk smaller than the Vita's at this point
    Honestly it should just fully withdraw the way Vita already did
    62AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:57
    Re: #61
    What first-party titles are even left besides 'Space Baldy'? Was there anything else?
    71AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:06
    Re: #70
    Saros: 'Yeah, fair'
    73AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:09
    Re: #71
    That's selling worse than Saros, which only moved 4,400 units despite a 7-million-unit install base
    75AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Re: #73
    Toukon: 'True that'
    84AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:15
    Honestly, if you start playing BotW or TotK now, for some people that alone could carry them through the entire Switch 2 lifespan
    87AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:17
    Re: #84
    There's no map expansions like Genshin keeps getting, so that's just not happening lol
    85AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:16
    People are celebrating that Toukon and Saros outsold Three Kingdoms, but are those really numbers worth celebrating? 🤔
    89AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:17
    Re: #85
    Given the licensing costs and development scale it's clearly running at a loss, but hey, I'm happy about it anyway!
    92AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:18
    Re: #85
    Wouldn't you still be happy to win even against a third-party 'complete edition' title?
    93AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:21
    Starting with Wolverine, the killer titles are coming
    From here on out, it's PlayStation's turn
    94AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:21
    Re: #93
    You always say that, but… starting when, exactly?
    105AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:40
    Elden Ring's doing nothing at all
    So is nobody actually buying it after all?
    107AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:42
    Re: #105
    Stock shortage
    This is exactly why missed sales opportunities suck
    Looking back later, you can't tell if it was really a shortage or not — it just ends up looking like a game with a front-loaded launch

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Famitsu’s software sales ranking is based on physical sell-through figures compiled from POS data at major retailers nationwide, and does not include digital download sales. Because of this, platforms with a higher proportion of digital sales tend to show smaller numbers on the ranking than their actual total sales. It’s also worth noting that the case discussed in the thread — where the Switch versions of ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms 14’ and ‘Metal Gear’ outsold their PS5 counterparts — is based on cumulative totals including older releases, not a figure reflecting the new title’s momentum on its own. On the Hardware/Industry (Geha) board, debates over which platform comes out on top using this weekly ranking as ammunition have become a regular fixture, and this thread followed that same familiar pattern.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “[10/18] Famitsu Top 30 Update.”

  • Thai Team Stuck Without Hotel Rooms at Aichi Asian Games Draws Backlash, 5ch Jeers: ‘So Much for “Omotenashi”‘

    At the Asian Games currently underway in Aichi and Nagoya, a video showing Thailand’s national sepak takraw team spending the night sleeping on a lobby floor after failing to secure hotel rooms went viral on X (formerly Twitter), drawing criticism from abroad. Reports also say the team’s meals were meager. On 5ch, users piled on about a hotel shortage driven by surging inbound tourism and organizers’ slow response, with some questioning the responsibility of Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura, while others pointed back to the cardboard-bed controversy at the Tokyo Olympics, arguing “this isn’t a one-off.”

    @

    🚨 Thailand’s National Sepak Takraw Team Left Stranded With No Accommodation at the Asian Games

    Thailand’s national sepak takraw team arrived in Nagoya for #AsianGames2026, only to find…

    Source: video.twimg.com / original post here

    2AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:09
    O・mo・te・na・shi (mocking Japan's famous 2013 Olympic-bid speech about Japanese "hospitality")
    3AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Responsibility? Not taking any, got a problem with that?
    4AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Nagoya just sucks
    No hotels whatsoever, they had no business hosting this
    40AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:28
    Re: #4
    Nah, Japan's hosting jobs have been a mess across the board lately
    5AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    It was fine back at the Olympics though…
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    Wasn't there a single staffer willing to say "I'll take the floor"?
    Really shows how nasty the people running this in Nagoya are
    13AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    There wasn't even a major earthquake, so how did this happen
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    Poor Thai athletes — can't even get a room because of all the inbound tourists
    17AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    A typhoon's coming next week too, this is about to get even messier
    20AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    Re: #17
    Guess we're getting flooded again
    19AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    Japan's a terrible country, please just stop coming here
    21AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    Japan's basically a "developed-but-backwards" country now, so this checks out
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:15
    I was actually looking for a hotel around Nagoya myself not long ago — not just Nagoya, Aichi, Gifu, and Hamamatsu were all wiped out too
    Even finding a room for 30,000 yen would count as super lucky
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:16
    Nobody outside the countries actually competing cares about the Asian Games anyway
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:17
    Wasn't arranging this the traveling country's own job to begin with?
    They probably figured something would get sorted once they arrived
    27AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:18
    Did they even have a reservation in the first place?
    Or did they just show up and go "wait, where's our hotel?"
    29AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:18
    That's clearly not a ship's lobby by any stretch
    Probably somewhere around Aichi Sky Expo
    30AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:19
    This whole thing is being run by Governor Omura
    Direct your complaints to the Aichi governor
    32AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:20
    @
    Aichi's Asian Games. It's a disaster.
    Stories keep pouring in of blunders inconveniencing athletes from every direction.
    They say a country's social functions collapse before the country itself does. Japan can't even keep up appearances at an international event anymore.
    34AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:22
    Let this be a lesson — never host one of these in Japan again
    For residents it's all downside, zero upside
    36AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:22
    Come on, Nagoya
    Get your act together!
    37AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:23
    Isn't it because Nagoya's underwater?
    41AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:30
    Why does something like this even happen?
    The participating countries tell Japan how many rooms they need, and Japan just has to provide that many — right?
    Did a bunch of unrelated people flood in too?
    44AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:33
    Re: #41
    And on top of that the response was slow with zero flexibility
    They could've just booked another hotel, that's all it would've taken
    42AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:31
    The cardboard beds at the Olympics got plenty of backlash too
    47AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:33
    Zero respect for athletes
    They wheel out Johnny's (talent agency) idols and other amateurs — just stick to actual experts
    49AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:35
    Sounds like they arranged hotels and temporary housing for 15,000 people but 17,000 showed up, so they're completely swamped
    56AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:37
    Re: #49
    There's no way you can conjure up lodging for 2,000 extra people out of nowhere
    Use your head
    52AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:35
    This was supposed to be the governor's pet project — so how did it come to this…
    54AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:36
    Apparently they gave up building extra lodging because construction material costs shot up
    57AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:37
    Aichi can't get anything right
    And they're the ones who wanted to host so badly — that's on them
    58AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:38
    Well, if you've seen the shelters in disaster zones, this isn't surprising
    This is just the real state of Japan
    59AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:38
    Aichi's never had any real ambition to become a proper city
    64AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:40
    This country's turned into one where 40% of people are "quiet quitting"
    Everyone clocks out right on time, so don't expect any flexibility
    65AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:42
    The actual event operations get farmed out to contractors by the local government or organizing committee through bidding or sole-source deals
    It's not like the local government runs it directly
    67AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:45
    But just because it went out to bid doesn't mean the local government's off the hook

    Background and Key Points on This Story

    Aichi Prefecture, including Nagoya, has been dealing with a chronic hotel shortage driven by surging inbound tourism, and thread commenters noted that vacancies are scarce even in neighboring Gifu and Hamamatsu. Lodging for international events is normally arranged in advance, with the host coordinating room counts with each country’s delegation ahead of time, so a last-minute accommodation failure like this points to overly optimistic planning by the organizers. The 2021 Tokyo Olympics faced similar criticism when cardboard beds in the athletes’ village were slammed as disrespectful to competitors, and this incident is likewise feeding distrust in how Japan manages major international events. The thread features both calls to hold the governor accountable and comments pointing to the structure in which operations are outsourced to contractors via bidding, so it’s worth noting that no single cause has been pinned down at this stage.

    *This article is composed from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Japan, huh — Thai team left sleeping on the lobby floor with no lodging and skimpy food at the Aichi/Nagoya Asian Games, draws worldwide criticism lol.”

  • Man loses ¥30,000 at pachinko, drinks from morning till night — 5ch: ‘Cheap booze isn’t about taste, it’s about getting buzzed on the cheap’

    A thread on 5ch’s “Newsspeed VIP” board blew up after a poster said they’d started drinking first thing in the morning with salmon as a snack. The poster revealed they’d lost about ¥30,000 at pachinko this month, and admitted they were too drunk to even remember what they’d played. As they kept posting photos of sashimi, extra-thick sausages, hamburger steak, and other drinking snacks, a lighthearted back-and-forth with other users unfolded. Their stance — “you don’t drink cheap booze for the taste, it’s about getting a good buzz on the cheap” — drew pushback from posters who said they wanted booze that was both cheap and good, sparking a bit of a debate over how to approach drinking.

    1AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:52
    (´;ω;`) Starting off nice and slow with some salmon as a snack
    4AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:02
    I'll pay you some attention once you quit pachinko
    6AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:03
    Re: #4
    (´;ω;`) I'm not going again this month… I was so drunk I don't even remember what I played, and I was shocked to find I'd lost about ¥30,000
    7AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:03
    ( ・᷇ὢ・᷆ ) …Yeah, I've been drinking since morning
    9AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:03
    Re: #7
    (´;ω;`) I can't get through the day without drinking
    10AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:03
    (´・ω・`) Sashimi tastes great if you dip it in booze — fancy restaurants rinse it first, then soak it
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    Re: #10
    (´;ω;`) Never tried that, doesn't it end up reeking of alcohol?
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    Win at pachinko and buy yourself a keyboard
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    Re: #12
    (´;ω;`) I'd been saving up for one all month and then it all went up in smoke yesterday… I'm genuinely gutted
    13AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    (´・ω・`) Can't be helped… go on, show me your backside
    17AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:05
    Re: #13
    (´;ω;`) No gays allowed!!!
    14AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    ( ・᷄ὢ・᷅ ) So today's an "Ando cheat day" where booze is allowed? (riffing on fitness influencer Ando's cheat-day posts)
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:05
    Re: #14
    (´;ω;`) Yep, first drink in two weeks and it feels amazing
    16AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:05
    A whole cup of soy sauce……
    what a cheerful breakfast
    19AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:06
    Re: #16
    (´;ω;`) What's in the cup is shochu mixed with cola — even I'd draw the line at that much soy sauce
    21AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:08
    Hey, if anyone's in Osaka let's go drink 🥺
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:09
    Re: #21
    (´;ω;`) Not anymore, I headed back to Kyoto last night
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:08
    (´・ω・`) An avocado, seriously? Come on (riffing on an old "are you kidding me" meme format)
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:09
    Re: #22
    (´;ω;`) Ha, "a banana, seriously?" — now that takes me back
    23AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:08
    (´;ω;`) Tastes great with mayo on it too ♡

    https://gzo.ai/i/YDyNA6o.jpg
    34AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:25
    At least you've still got money to spend, that's something 🥺
    36AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:28
    Re: #34
    (´;ω;`) I guess so… but I'm definitely not rich… the fact that a pachinko addict like me is moaning over just ¥30,000 should tell you everything
    40AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:29
    Whereabouts in Kyoto?
    I'm a Takatsuki resident
    42AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:30
    Re: #40
    (´;ω;`) I'm obviously not going to say… Takatsuki's basically Osaka anyway
    44AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:32
    (´;ω;`) Ta-da, extra-thick sausage

    https://gzo.ai/i/U3BwJQZ.jpg
    45AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:32
    (◍•ᴗ•◍) Yo~
    I lost too, the day before yesterday, it's rough
    47AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:33
    Re: #45
    (´;ω;`) What machine did you play?
    76AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:54
    (´;ω;`) This one

    https://gzo.ai/i/LEQYvYg.jpg
    78AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:55
    Re: #76
    Is it any good? 🥺
    84AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:00
    Re: #82
    (´;ω;`) Honestly, nobody drinks cheap booze for the taste, right? It's about how cheaply you can get buzzed and forget everything that sucks
    90AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:02
    Re: #84
    So any old thing'll do, huh? No way 🥺
    I want booze that's cheap AND good 🥺
    94AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:05
    Re: #90
    (´;ω;`) Nah, I'm straight (callback to the earlier gay joke)… it's really not bad, the Kikukawa shochu is decent… probably not that different from the cheap ¥1,300-for-2L barley stuff… though next to proper single-distilled (otsu-rui) shochu it does taste kind of plain
    98AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:07
    Re: #90
    (◍•ᴗ•◍) How about a cheap wine like Alpaca (a popular budget Chilean wine brand in Japan)?
    It's fun once you find a wine that suits you
    107AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:11
    (´;ω;`) Time to eat this seriously sexy hamburger steak

    https://gzo.ai/i/oJKsmSH.jpg
    108AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:12
    Re: #107
    Explain logically exactly what's so sexy about it 🥺
    143AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:59
    (´;ω;`) Forgot to post the photo

    https://gzo.ai/i/gQ1nQDx.jpg
    146AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:02
    (´;ω;`) Forgot the photo again

    https://gzo.ai/i/JpZx4lw.jpg

    Background and Key Points

    This thread is one of the “live-commentary style” chat threads 5ch’s VIP board is known for — rather than centering on a specific incident or policy issue, it’s built around one poster’s day of drinking and pachinko losses. Where opinions split was over the “value of cheap booze”: the poster argued that cheap alcohol isn’t about taste but about getting drunk cheaply, while other users pushed back, saying they wanted booze that was both cheap and good — a real difference in attitudes toward drinking. It’s worth noting that the amount lost at pachinko and which machine was played come solely from the poster’s own account and can’t be independently verified.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Newsspeed VIP) thread “(´;ω;`) Drinking from morning till night!!!“

  • iPhone 18 Pro Launches: 50-Person Line at Ginza Flagship Store, Camera Performance Divides Opinion

    Apple launched its new “iPhone 18 Pro” lineup in Japan on September 18. About 50 customers with reservations lined up at the Ginza flagship store, with the man at the front reportedly having rushed there on the first train of the day. The headline feature this time is enhanced camera performance, including a new function that adjusts how much light is captured, which drew attention in stores. On 5channel threads, comments ranged from surprise at the price topping 200,000 yen and jaded remarks like “isn’t camera performance good enough already?” to observations that most people in line had already pre-ordered and were simply there for pickup, plus comparisons with Android rivals like Xiaomi — reactions to this now-routine launch-day scene were split.

    iPhone 18 Pro Launches, Camera Performance Draws Attention: 50-Person Line Forms at Ginza Flagship Store – Nikkei

    September 18, 2026, 11:30

    U.S.-based Apple launched its new “iPhone 18 Pro” smartphone and other models in Japan on the 18th. About 50 customers who had pre-ordered the new products lined up at Apple’s flagship store in Tokyo. Camera performance, including a new feature that adjusts the amount of light captured in photos, drew attention.

    Source: nikkei.com / Original article here

    5AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:00
    A phone that costs over 200,000 yen? Too rich for my blood, I couldn't dare carry one.
    10AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:02
    Wait, the first train is enough now?
    It used to mean camping out overnight.
    iPhone's really fallen on hard times.
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:02
    Apparently the 'Big Wave' guy's first move was to call his grandma.
    Extra points for doing something you wouldn't expect from his look. ("Big Wave" is a nickname for a distinctive-looking internet personality/meme.)
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:03
    Sounds like a target for an "iPhone hunter" mugging. (slang for muggers who target people carrying brand-new iPhones)
    17AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:03
    Do the staff still greet customers with high-fives?
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:03
    Wouldn't buying a separate camera be better value for money?
    38AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:07
    Re: #18
    Better value, sure, but isn't it a hassle to deal with no matter what you're doing?
    71AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:14
    Re: #18
    Sure, specialists make the best gear — but some people just don't want to lug around a bunch of separate gadgets.
    27AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:05
    I do wonder what the point of a camera that good even is.
    30AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:05
    Do you really need that high a spec camera?
    32AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:06
    Lining up at the flagship store on the first train — how out of touch can you get?
    It's barely changed from before.
    Sounds like their mind's still stuck in the Windows 95 / original iPhone / old Akihabara era.
    What a dork.
    41AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:07
    Re: #32
    It's just a ritual.
    Everyone lining up here already has a reservation, so it's just pickup and done.
    It's basically a launch-day tradition at this point.
    33AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:06
    Is the 'Big Wave' guy still around?
    34AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:06
    Related thread
    [Japan Smartphone Market] Android Devices Grow to 54% Share — Are Price Hikes Driving People Away from iPhone? ★4 [Nominoichi★]
    36AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:06
    I remember lining up at Sofmap to buy Dragon Quest IV.
    40AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:07
    No matter how hard iPhone tries, it's never beating Xiaomi on camera.
    42AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:07
    I'm planning to buy the iPhone 20th-anniversary model next year (?), but skipping this year's.
    43AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:07
    If you're the type who posts photos on social media every day,
    lining up for this probably makes sense.
    44AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:08
    Line up at the flagship store on launch day and you're guaranteed to get on the news,
    so it's perfect if you've got some reason to want your face out there.
    45AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:08
    The latest Xperia is also around 200,000 yen — which one's better?
    46AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:08
    It was great when a 50,000-60,000 yen iPhone could take photos like a real camera — but bragging about the camera on a 200,000 yen one just doesn't hit the same.
    47AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:08
    Most Japanese people don't need a high-performance camera anyway.
    48AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:08
    There's not even enough of an upgrade anymore to actually notice.
    49AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:09
    A phone that's 2-3 years old is plenty, honestly.
    52AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:09
    So they've given up bragging about being "world's fastest" and it's just the camera now?
    53AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    As long as it can call and browse the internet I'm fine, so this whole scene is baffling to me lol
    54AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Guess camera performance is about the only thing left to change.
    55AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Camera performance is already more than good enough at this point.
    Why do they keep pushing the camera every single time?
    56AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Is this Pro-only?
    I'm worried that if the regular iPhone doesn't come out, we won't get a budget 'e' series model using that same body.
    61AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    Re: #56
    For now it's just the Pro and the foldable this year, right?
    58AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:11
    If the first train is all it takes, that's really not much of a big deal, is it?
    59AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:11
    Sorry to say, but you won't be able to resell this for a profit.
    60AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    I don't get why you'd buy this when the next model — barely different in specs — has already been announced.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    iPhone prices in Japan have kept climbing in recent years, and Pro models have settled into the 200,000-yen-plus range. Meanwhile, some market surveys show Android’s share of the domestic smartphone market growing, with the price hikes seen as one factor behind users drifting away from iPhone. On the thread, commenters pointed out that lining up in-store is really just a “pickup ritual” for people who already pre-ordered, not a fight among overnight campers — a distinction that tends to get lost against the media’s “long line” framing. There’s also a split between “there’s no longer a noticeable difference” and “it matters if you’re doing professional-level work” when it comes to camera improvements, and that gap between the spec race and what ordinary users actually feel is at the heart of this discussion.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “iPhone 18 Pro Launches, Camera Performance Draws Attention: 50-Person Line Forms in Front of Ginza Flagship Store… The Man Waiting at the Front Rushed There on the First Train“.

  • Female keirin racer called “too beautiful” sparks buzz — 5ch: “Look at those thighs and still…”

    A photo of a female keirin (track cycling) racer who’s drawing attention for her looks was posted on 5ch’s “Live Commentary G” board, sparking a huge reaction. While the thread was flooded with comments praising her appearance, there was also debate over her racing style — some argued she “doesn’t attempt risky moves as long as she can finish in the top 3.” The conversation spread to keirin as a whole, with posters explaining the forced-retirement system known as “taisha” (attrition), which weeds out underperforming racers, and the benchmark racing-score of 70 points. Some posts nostalgically brought up legendary female racers like Kanako Kase, turning the thread into more than just a discussion about looks.

    8AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:26
    This girl races nothing but by-the-book, safe races, so bettors who aren't fans of her personally can't stand her
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:32
    Re: #8
    What do you mean by "by-the-book races"?
    20AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:33
    Re: #8
    Except for a handful of top girls, Girls Keirin is basically all beggars who can't win on their own legs
    28AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:38
    Even with thighs like that, guys like Re: #8 still exist, huh
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:29
    Faces like this are only cute when they're young
    108AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:26
    Re: #11
    When she gets older she'll probably end up like Kazue Ito (actress) these days — that's fine by me
    21AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:34
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:34
    Re: #18
    She's the type of racer who doesn't go for the win as long as she can lock in a top-3 finish — no aggressive moves
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:35
    Re: #22
    If you already know that about her, there's a betting strategy right there
    76AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:06
    Re: #22
    Is that actually a bad thing?
    46AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:49
    I don't really know keirin, but do the women race against the men, like in boat racing?
    52AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:52
    Re: #46
    No
    Even the top female racer is only about on par with the lowest tier of men, plus the bikes are built differently
    57AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:53
    Re: #47
    Probably that — I'll look it up. Thanks!
    61AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:58
    Re: #57
    She won me about 100,000 yen once
    68AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:02
    Kanako Kase is the cutest, no contest
    79AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:07
    Re: #68
    Even tomboyish, she's still cute
    69AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:03
    Sorry, figured there'd be a lot of keirin fans here so let me ask — a friend of mine turned pro keirin racer about 5 years ago and has been stuck in the lowest rank the whole time. Is this guy gonna be okay? Won't he get cut?
    74AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:04
    Re: #69
    There's a system called "taisha" — if your results are bad enough, you get forced into retirement
    78AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:07
    Re: #69
    Class 117 or maybe 119?
    I feel like that group has a lot of strong racers
    99AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:20
    Re: #69
    As long as he keeps his racing score at 70 or above, he can keep going as a "salaryman racer" until 60
    70AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:03
    Lol, she's built like a character I made in Dragon's Dogma 2
    73AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:04
    Re: #70
    Haha, so true
    71AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:03
    Kanako Kase
    Kobariko
    Satomina
    Makibii

    Those are about the only strong female racers I can name
    Can't really remember more than that
    77AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:06
    Re: #71
    Racers like Makibee just don't come along anymore
    89AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:13
    Is Koichi Nakano the only keirin racer regular people would actually recognize?
    Even current SS-class racers have basically zero name recognition, right?
    91AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:14
    Re: #89

    A regular person being interviewed about Aeon
    98AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:20
    Re: #91
    Looked it up and apparently he's called "the Monster of the Heisei Era," lol
    Sorry, but I've genuinely never heard of him lol
    105AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:24
    Re: #99
    Looking at it, she's kept at least around 70-something points as a minimum
    Does that fluctuate based on placing or something? Not totally sure how it works
    110AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:29
    Re: #105
    That's her 3-term total, so as long as she doesn't rack up a string of 7th-place finishes, she's young and should be fine for a while
    If she switches to a closer/late-charge racing style soon and keeps grabbing mid-pack finishes, she could stay a racer for a long time
    112AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:29
    Re: #105
    Basically, as long as you keep your score at 70 or above, there's no forced retirement
    If you stay below that and fall into the bottom 30, you get forced into retirement every half-term evaluation
    115AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:30
    This one's my type

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Female keirin racers (Girls Keirin) compete in a separate category from men rather than racing against them, and even top female racers are said to have leg strength roughly on par with the lowest tier of male racers. The “taisha” system that came up in this thread forces racers into retirement once their racing score falls below and stays under a certain threshold (around 70 points as a benchmark) and they drop into the bottom ranks — many posts highlighted just how strict this merit-based system is. While the thread was mostly focused on praising her looks, opinions were split on her tactic of “only going for finishes that let her advance,” showing that discussion of the sport went beyond just appearance-based popularity. Posters also brought up past standout female racers like Kanako Kase, worth noting since female keirin racers are talked about for their results as well as their looks.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Live Commentary G) thread “[Image] “Too beautiful” keirin racer becomes a huge sensation wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Illusion of Gaia Remaster Set for January 14, 2027 — Standard Edition ¥5,478, Limited Edition Up to ¥19,580

    On September 17, 2026, Clear River Games announced that it will release multi-platform versions of “Illusion of Gaia,” the action RPG originally released for the Super Famicom in 1993, on January 14, 2027. The game will be available on PC, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and Xbox One. Physical pricing is set at ¥4,980 (before tax) for the standard edition, ¥7,000 for the SteelBook Edition, and ¥17,800 for the top-tier Gaia Edition. On 5ch’s Hardware/Industry (Geha) board, posters called the price steep for a remaster of an old SFC title, questioned the pricing compared to Konami’s revival titles, and debated the bulkiness of the limited edition’s bundled items and whether the port is emulation-based.

    Clear River Games announced today (September 17, 2026) that it will release the action RPG “Illusion of Gaia” (PC / Switch 2 / PS5 / Xbox Series X|S / Switch / Xbox One) on January 14, 2027.

    Pricing for the digital version has not yet been decided. The physical version will be available for Switch 2 and PS5, with the standard edition priced at ¥4,980 (before tax), the SteelBook Edition at ¥7,000 (before tax), and the Gaia Edition at ¥17,800 (before tax).

    Pre-orders will be rolling out at retailers starting today.

    Source: 4gamer.net / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:03
    Ugh, the soundtrack doesn't include all the tracks again?
    4AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:07
    Music boxes, figures, whatever—
    why do they only bundle stuff that makes the package needlessly huge?
    Do they seriously think bigger = happier?
    5AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:08
    Is this really the only way left for them to feel superior?
    7AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:12
    Well, at least physical PS5 releases are still a thing come next January.
    9AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:14
    It's not even a remake, so this price is way too high — are they taking us for fools?
    10AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:19
    After seeing the pricing for Goemon and Bomberman, this really stands out.
    Classic pattern: hype at the announcement, everyone cools off once the price drops, and by release day it's completely forgotten and nobody's talking about it.
    31AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:43
    Re: #10
    Konami's being incredibly reasonable here.
    Square Enix doesn't seem to care at all whether kids can actually afford this.
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:20
    Is it because of Edia (a Japanese publisher known for cheap retro re-releases) that reviving retro games turned into this easy-money trend?
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:22
    Just get the Romancing SaGa team to make them do a proper remake instead.
    13AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:23
    It's basically still the SFC game inside, yet they're pricing it so boldly — but I bet people will buy it anyway.
    14AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:24
    The digital version will probably end up priced around the same as Torneko (Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer's cousin series).
    16AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:24
    No physical release for the original Switch either, huh.
    I wanted to buy it as a game card.
    34AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:48
    Re: #16
    The Switch 2 version IS on a game card.
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:27
    Ditching Nintendo, lmaooooo ("datsunin" — slang for a game going multiplatform off Nintendo)
    20AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:30
    Re: #18
    That's just a malicious thread title.
    Honestly "Switch, Switch 2, and others" would've been a better title.

    Anyway, ¥5,000 feels off. Isn't that basically the same as full price back in the day?
    I did want it, but full price is a bit much…
    48AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:14
    Re: #20
    Full price back then was over ¥10,000.
    Also, this thread's way too late —
    the limited editions were already sold out by 11am yesterday.
    19AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:29
    The price is such an own-goal that it overshadows the good news of a release date — someone should just redo the thread with "Switch 2, etc." as the title.
    27AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:37
    Re: #19
    On the usual Geha board this thread would just be titled "Switch 2"
    with something like "Bad news: Switch 2's Illusion of Gaia is a rip-off."
    23AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:32
    It's a gem that really deserved a proper remake for this era.
    If it were an actual remake, I'd have bought it without hesitation.
    28AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:37
    Re: #23
    Though there's the dilemma that I'd at least prefer Square Enix not be the one doing it.
    30AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:42
    If it's Square Enix, I can safely skip it with total peace of mind.
    33AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:46
    Re: #30
    This one's being developed and published by an overseas company, like what happened with Front Mission.
    35AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:48
    It's just a plain remaster with no real added content, right?
    Illusion of Gaia's a great game, but there's no way I'm buying this.
    45AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:07
    Re: #35
    Isn't making it more playable itself an added feature?
    37AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:50
    Re: #34
    Seriously?! Leave it to an overseas publisher.
    40AnonymousSep 18, 2026 06:57
    Re: #37
    Of course, it's playable on the original Switch too.
    41AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:02
    Re: #33
    If it follows the Front Mission model, that means if you wait, the digital version might even drop 90% in a sale.
    47AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:09
    Re: #41
    Different publisher, so there's no telling what the sale discount rate would be.
    51AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:26
    With the Arcade Archives line, the buyer's personal taste and experience really factor in heavily—
    like, people who don't get old games like "Kaitei Takara Sagashi" (an obscure retro arcade title) just won't buy them.
    56AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:31
    Re: #51
    That's exactly why I'm saying a price like ¥800 won't cut it.
    58AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:35
    Seriously, the limited edition stock is way too small.
    Barely any brick-and-mortar stores are even carrying it, so it's going to end up pretty rare.
    Basically, I can't even buy one.
    59AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:38
    Re: #58
    Kamui Fujiwara (the game's character designer) said production hasn't even started yet and that he wants to do something about it, so hopefully there'll be a reorder.
    61AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:39
    I mean, it's still basically the SFC game underneath, right?
    I'll probably just consider buying it if it goes on sale.
    63AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:41
    Re: #61
    At least read the article before posting…
    74AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:13
    "This port is based on the original while adding a number of modern conveniences. The new 'Arrange Mode' includes boosted magic damage, a minimap to track exploration and progress, and save/load anywhere."

    Personally I'd have liked a Hard Mode.
    The original's back-half balancing was pretty loose.
    85AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:47
    Re: #74
    So this is basically emulation under the hood, isn't it?

    Thought so, and sure enough the screenshots in the article clearly look like emulation.
    If they'd gone full "3D Classics"-level remake, you couldn't tell — but I doubt they put in that much effort.
    79AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:24
    Square Enix has finally reached the point where they can't even do remakes anymore —
    welcome to the remaster hell arc.
    94AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:14
    "The Nintendo Switch 2 version can also be enjoyed on the Nintendo Switch console."

    So the Switch 2 cartridge actually works when inserted into a Switch 1?
    96AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:43
    Re: #94
    That's rough, way too sloppy…
    Guess that tells you all you need to know about the quality inside too.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    “Illusion of Gaia” is an action RPG developed by Quintet and released for the Super Famicom in 1993, with the original package back then priced at over ¥10,000 including tax. The publisher behind this new release, Clear River Games, appears to be an overseas company handling the license rather than Square Enix itself, and the thread saw some confusion and correction over that point. On pricing, many commenters compared it to Konami’s recently announced revival titles, and there was also dissatisfaction with the tendency for limited edition bonus items, like music boxes, to bloat the package size. Whether the port is based on emulation of the original ROM can’t be determined from the article alone, and how far the Arrange Mode’s minimap and save-anywhere features go will likely shape how the release is ultimately received.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [Geha]) thread “PS5 and Others: “Illusion of Gaia” Release Date Set for January 14! Standard Edition ¥5,478, Limited Editions ¥7,700 and ¥19,580.”

  • Even Angerme’s Hashisako Graduation News Gets No Reaction From Haters — 5ch: ‘At Least Bash Us a Little’

    A thread about Angerme popped up on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Despite the announcement that Hashisako Kurumi is graduating, even the haters showed barely any reaction, and the group’s own lack of buzz became the real talking point instead. Opinions in the thread were split — some worried that Hashisako’s graduation would strip the group of its identity, while others argued the impact would be limited. Discussion also touched on how new members should be brought in and the popularity gap with other Hello! Project groups.

    1AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:10
    If this is what makes people lose interest, what were we even supposed to do to get noticed in the first place?
    At least bash us a little.
    2AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:12
    Feels like they're just fantasizing about some rivalry with Juice=Juice that doesn't even exist.
    3AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:12
    Re: #1
    Trying to make 'Great Angerme' catch on as a nickname but getting zero response? Frustrating, huh?
    4AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:14
    Re: #3
    A lame metaphor for a group nobody cares about — no way that's catching on.
    5AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:15
    You need to actually care quite a bit to even be a hater in the first place.
    8AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:16
    Getting bashed is a hassle, so honestly, not being noticed at all is fine by me.
    10AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:18
    A 17-year-old high schooler (JK) who looks like she could've been in Smileage goes for a casual stroll
    https://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv351410799
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:21
    Getting sighed at and ignored, getting irritated, and starting threads like this — such a classic internet move.
    13AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:23
    The haters get zero engagement, so every thread ends up being kept alive by the OP bumping their own posts, tears and all.
    14AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:24
    Nobody cares about Angerme stuff, so this thread probably won't even crack 100 replies.
    17AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:26
    Reminder: the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference.
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:26
    He's already an old-timer, so nobody's gonna hire him now.
    20AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:28
    Honestly, everyday stuff like 'Ebamifu' (a fan nickname combining two members' names) racking up 10,000+ likes gets way more attention than this.
    It's on the agency for never getting 'Hanamomo' (another combined fan nickname) any real recognition.
    34AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:04
    Re: #20
    Hana? Goto? (lol)
    33AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:03
    Even for Matsumoto's bar event, half the members are ignoring it — Angerme's in real trouble.
    Hirayama especially is bad.
    35AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:04
    Re: #33
    Hirayama barely mentioning the bar event isn't exactly a new development.
    48AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:15
    There's always some idiot screaming 'bring in a new member who's an instant asset,' but reminder: talent like that isn't just gonna walk into Hello! Project.
    49AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:16
    Re: #48
    They funnel all that kind of talent into Juice=Juice, so groups other than Juice=Juice never see any of it.
    51AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:17
    Re: #48
    The best 'instant asset' talent in recent years was probably Nagano, and she's already in Angerme.
    The question now is whether they'll take in a mid-career transfer like Kojima.
    50AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:16
    Ideally I'd want one instant-asset type, but I'd also like a couple of young members who are worth developing from scratch.
    54AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:18
    Re: #50
    Instant asset: Nagano
    Worth developing from scratch: Goto and Moimoi
    53AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:17
    Who's actually turned out to be an 'instant asset' Hello! Project member so far, anyway?
    59AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:19
    Re: #53
    In recent years, members like Motchi and Ritokyame (fan nicknames) come to mind — they got popular pretty much right after joining.
    58AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:19
    Ise and Hashisako are essential if you're gonna call yourselves Angerme, so losing Hashisako is seriously bad news.
    Angerme's otaku numbers will crash overnight, and at that point it might as well not be Angerme anymore — disbanding is the only option.
    60AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:20
    Re: #58
    They probably won't disband, but I get the feeling that losing Hashisako really would strip away what makes Angerme feel like Angerme.
    63AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:21
    Re: #58
    Having to imagine an Angerme without Hashisako all the way until spring is rough.
    62AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:21
    'Up through Ise and Hashisako counts as real Angerme' — that's way too much just your own arbitrary line to draw.
    74AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:25
    Re: #62
    It's not about who 'counts' — it's that there's a certain Angerme concept.
    The rest of the members either fit in fine anywhere or just cause trouble wherever they go.
    I rate Nagano, but she'd be totally fine outside Angerme too — she just doesn't have that Angerme-ness.
    77AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:26
    Tame-chan will rebuild Angerme with her unbreakable iron heart.
    81AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:28
    Re: #77
    The agency's probably actually thinking that for real.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Angerme is a long-running group under Hello! Project, and in recent years fans have observed that ‘instant-asset’ new members tend to get funneled toward Juice=Juice. It’s worth noting that labels like ‘instant asset’ and ‘worth developing’ tossed around in the thread aren’t based on any official announcement — they’re just individual posters’ impressions. Also, the line ‘the opposite of love is indifference’ is a well-worn saying in idol fan circles, used to argue that even criticism is proof of passion; this thread flips that logic on its head, mixing self-deprecating jabs with taunts along the lines of ‘not even the haters care anymore.’ Opinions on Hashisako Kurumi’s graduation were far from unanimous — some worried the group would lose its identity, while others argued the impact would be limited. Comments about members’ health or the agency’s intentions remain pure speculation on the posters’ part, and should be read with that in mind.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Sad News] Not even haters care about Great Angerme anymore — even Hashisako’s graduation is already old news.”