Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Nintendo’s New ‘Chameleon’ Hits #3 in Price Rankings — Debate Erupts Over Actual Sales Figures

    A new title on Nintendo Switch, ‘Chameleon,’ has caused a stir after landing at No. 3 on the revenue-based sales chart despite costing just 630 yen (about $4). Some in the thread praised it as ‘another Nintendo-born hit, following Minecraft, Suika Game, and Exit 8,’ while others pointed out that official figures put worldwide sales at only 100,000 units, sparking debate over whether it really deserves to be called a ‘massive viral hit.’ There were also posts that mixed up PC (Steam) numbers with Switch numbers, with bold claims of ‘1 million concurrent players’ quickly getting corrected.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 08:50
    This never would've caught on with a high-barrier platform like PlayStation or PC.
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 08:54
    This is the game Nintendo should've made.
    Why couldn't they get from Splatoon to a hide-and-seek concept?
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 08:56
    Re: #6
    Nintendo gets to skip the development effort and still rake in the profit — perfect for them.
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:29
    Re: #6
    Is this really a game Nintendo needed to make, though?
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:05
    You can play something similar for free on Roblox.
    52AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:47
    Re: #18
    So in the end we're stuck playing the knockoff version?
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:09
    'Trashstation' (a mocking nickname for PlayStation) really has nothing going for it, huh.
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:12
    Re: #22
    LOL, 'Chameleon' is basically made of prefab assets 🤪
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:10
    Minecraft, Suika Game, Exit 8, and Chameleon —
    Nintendo was the one who made all of them blow up, wasn't it?
    What does PlayStation even have?
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:13
    Re: #23
    They made a Zelda ripoff popular, though.


    Such shabby graphics lol
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:14
    Re: #30
    So blocky/pixelated lmaooo
    A game that isn't even 4K these days? My eyes are rotting.
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:11
    The Switch 2 game that actually gets the most use out of the mouse feature.
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:16
    Re: #25
    Go play some basketball outside for once. (5ch slang for 'go touch grass')
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:15
    There's been no sales report since day two.
    That says it all.
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:19
    The sales-tracker account ('Ryuutsu') is going off today more than usual.
    Did something happen?
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:38
    Re: #37
    I think we're past 'did something happen' and into 'something already happened'
    There's just too much bad news lately.
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:19
    Come to think of it, the Steam version's sales
    are about on par with Switch 2 console sales.
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:35
    Re: #38
    Well, compared to PC it's a pretty tiny market.
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:24
    This is pretty interesting.
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:48
    For something that supposedly went massively viral, it's not selling that well, is it?
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:52
    Re: #54
    Unlike the free-to-play charts, actual money's changing hands here, nice.
    No wonder the market's heating up and more people are ditching PlayStation.
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:59
    Re: #54
    Say what you will, but Switch 2 is starting to outsell now.
    The transition [to Switch 2] is going smoothly.
    55AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:50
    It's a revenue-based ranking, after all.
    If Elden Ring sold 20,000 downloads,
    then Chameleon sold 300,000 downloads.
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:51
    Re: #55
    But the official announcement caps worldwide sales at just 100,000.
    57AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:52
    Hitting No. 3 on the revenue chart at just 630 yen means it's selling like crazy.
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:59
    Re: #57
    It only hit No. 3 because nothing else is selling.
    Guess that just exposed how weak this sales chart really is.
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:01
    Re: #62
    Only 100,000 sold worldwide, though?
    How do you get to 1 million concurrent players from that?
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:02
    Re: #63
    You're seriously underestimating Nintendo.
    Can you even read the numbers?
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:08
    Re: #64
    That's the PC version.
    Here's the Switch version's numbers.
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:16
    Re: #65
    You can clearly tell the boom already died down.
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:19
    Re: #65
    Compared to PC, the Switch 2 market is pathetically tiny lol
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:45

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Switch software sales charts come in two types: unit-based and revenue (price)-based. This time it was the latter that sparked discussion. A low-priced title landing near the top of a revenue-based chart doesn’t necessarily mean explosive unit sales — there’s a structural quirk where rankings climb more easily during periods when few high-priced, major titles are competing. As one thread comment pointed out, ‘it only hit No. 3 because nothing else is selling,’ so chart position shouldn’t be conflated with actual sales volume or genuine buzz. Several posts also mixed up concurrent-player counts and sales figures between the PC (Steam) version and the Switch version — a common source of confusion worth keeping in mind whenever these ‘viral hit’ stories circulate across platforms.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, ‘Geha’) thread “Nintendo’s Chameleon is a massive hit! Surprisingly deep gameplay for just 500 yen“.

  • GTA6 Struggles on Japan’s PS Store Charts, Stuck in Double Digits

    A thread on 5ch’s “Live News G” board featured images comparing PS Store rankings across countries. In Japan, GTA6 failed to crack the top spots and sat stuck in double digits, while in the US it ranked near the top — sparking a debate among posters about “how Japanese gamers play.” The top of the Japanese chart was dominated by mobile-born titles like Zenless Zone Zero, alongside next year’s FF7 Remake Part 3 and Romancing SaGa 3 Remake, leading to a range of theories for GTA6’s poor showing: unfamiliarity with the American setting, the PS5’s price, and Japan’s own distinct gaming tastes.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:57
    Japan's the Only One Stuck in Double Digits on the PS Store Rankings
    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:57
    Current PS Store ranking comparison

    Japan
    https://ps-store-db.live/top-20/JP/card-2026-09-13.png


    USA
    https://ps-store-db.live/top-20/US/card-2026-09-13.png
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:59
    Re: #2
    Lmao, this is how Japanese people actually use their PS5 — mobile games
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:08
    Re: #2
    FF7 Remake Part 3
    Romancing SaGa 3 Remake

    The fact that these two, which aren't even out until next year, are charting shows GTA6 genuinely isn't popular here
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:58
    GTA6 is losing to THIS lineup?

    https://ps-store-db.live/top-20/JP/card-2026-09-13.png
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:00
    It's kind of depressing that Rockstar is sending sponsored GTA6 watch-along gigs to Japanese VTubers

    You guys have really fallen off
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:01
    Re: #14
    Still more honest than doing shady "suteple" gigs (slang for undisclosed sponsored playthrough streams)
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:01
    A game where you just laugh while beating up random citizens… feels like something only Japanese kids would even be into…
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:05
    Re: #16
    If you could run wild in a setting you actually recognize, it'd definitely be fun
    We just find it boring because we're not familiar with America
    Remember that AI video of an old lady going on a rampage, game-style, that went viral a while back?
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:06
    Re: #32
    That might be true
    The new Forza blew up in Japan partly because it's set somewhere familiar — Japan
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:08
    Re: #32
    Yeah, honestly American streets still feel like another world to me — it's too fictional-feeling, so I don't think I'm getting the full appeal of this game
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:03
    This is kind of surprising
    I figured Japanese people who buy a PS5 instead of a Switch were all Western-game nerds
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Re: #26
    It's just a weak choice these days
    Steam is the obvious pick now
    There's no real reason to go with a PS5
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:05
    Re: #26
    They're FF/Monster Hunter/Persona users, that's who
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Is this about to turn into another thread full of cringe VTuber roleplay bits?
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:05
    Re: #28
    No online mode
    No "Stogura" (GTA Online-style Japanese roleplay servers)

    So no VTuber skit-playing this time
    You just play through the story
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:06
    Re: #28
    Of course not
    It's only VTubers, the streamers around them, and their fans talking about it — barely anyone's actually playing GTA themselves
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:07
    If you want a game to sell in Japan
    You need anime-style character designs with cute, sexy girl characters, or it won't sell
    That's the iron rule
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:09
    Re: #41
    Meanwhile, Monster Hunter and FromSoftware exist
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:20
    Well, Japanese people don't have money anyway
    Probably can't even afford a PlayStation
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:25
    Re: #59
    It launched at 55,000 yen after all
    Even the cheapest model at 50,000 yen isn't going to catch on widely these days
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:26
    They do the same thing every time anyway
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:33
    Re: #66
    Isn't that a boomerang aimed right back at Japanese games too?
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:34
    Re: #66
    But Wilds did the exact same thing every time and sold like crazy, didn't it?
    Even though it's a huge downgrade compared to World/Rise
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:36
    #1 Zenless Zone Zero

    #2 NTE: Neverness to Everness

    lol
    81AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:38
    Re: #76
    At least let it be Honkai: Star Rail there
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:37
    Re: #72
    Zelda and Pokémon are the same every time too, aren't they?
    80AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:38
    Re: #77
    That's totally different…
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:39
    Re: #80
    Don't you know people already call Pokémon a "fossil" of a game — stuck in the past?
    89AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:43
    Re: #80
    Zelda and Pokémon are one-pattern games every single time though
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:41
    Whatever happened to "Korea shares Japan's values"?
    GTA's huge over there
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:46
    Re: #84
    There's always someone claiming Japan and Korea have similar tastes — what's that even about?
    99AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:52
    All-time game sales

    #1 Minecraft — 400 million copies
    #2 GTA5 — 230 million copies
    #3 RDR2 — 85 million copies
    107AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:56
    Re: #99
    The top two are just on a different level
    118AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:05
    Re: #99
    GTA5's impressive, but not THAT impressive
    That number's padded a lot by giveaways, plus they kept releasing upgraded versions across every generation from PS3 to PS5

    RDR2 feels more impressive to me, honestly

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    GTA6 has drawn worldwide attention since before its release, and its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, has sold over 230 million copies since launching in 2013 — one of the best-selling games of all time. In this thread, posters floated several theories for why the sequel is underperforming on Japan’s PS Store charts: discomfort with its crime- and violence-focused world, unfamiliarity with an American urban setting, the country’s enduring preference for anime-style character-driven games like Pokémon, and the high price of PS5 hardware — with no single explanation winning out. The latest rankings are topped by mobile-born titles like Zenless Zone Zero, reflecting a broader trend in the Japanese market where the line between console and mobile gaming keeps blurring.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Live News G) thread “[Sad News] Japanese PlayStation Users Show Zero Interest in “GTA6” wwwww.”

  • Youth Detention Numbers Are Rising Again — Former Wardens Point to COVID-19’s Lingering Damage

    Bengo4.com News reports that after hitting a record low, the number of children entering juvenile detention centers has started climbing again, and former juvenile detention center wardens have weighed in on why. The article points to the possibility that pandemic-era financial hardship hit families directly, with abuse and poverty affecting children firsthand. On 5ch, alongside the view that COVID-era household strain is the cause, users debated a wide range of explanations — from how the Juvenile Law should work, to measures against reoffending, to social media inflating kids’ need for validation.

    Published Mon, Sep 14, 10:30 AM

    Bengo4.com News

    The number of children entering juvenile detention centers is rising again.

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

    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:35
    It's been forgotten already, but there's a whole segment of people who lost their basic financial footing to COVID and other disasters and never managed to get back on their feet.
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:42
    Re: #15
    Yeah, parents' poverty hits kids directly. Also, some kids who were barely scraping by because their parents were out of the house a lot ended up getting abused worse once the parents were stuck home all the time — so they ran away, and crime became their safety net.
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:35
    When I was in juvenile detention I got bullied plenty with the 'twist stick' and the 'parachute squad.' (slang for reform-school hazing rituals popularized by the manga Ashita no Joe)
    216AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:33
    Re: #18
    Ashita no Joe, that takes me back.
    Nishi was tough back in those days though.
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:36
    Apparently before 'nensho' (juvie slang for reform school) there's 'kanbee' (slang for the juvenile classification home). Hi-Heel Momoko used to joke about that all the time, but I haven't seen her around lately.
    69AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:46
    Re: #23
    The classification home is exactly what the name says — a place for 'classification.' Commissioned by the family court, they have kids do things like play in sand or draw, and use that to decide whether to send them to juvenile detention or put them on probation. That's why it's located near the family court. It's nothing like the brutal prison you see in manga.
    219AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:34
    Re: #23
    Before that there's 'jisou' (the child guidance center).
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:44
    Kids are declining but the numbers are still going up — so quality's gotten worse. This country's done for.
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:49
    Re: #60
    Feels like the gap is widening. The average's probably dropping.
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:44
    People who've never been parents, never shouldered a parent's responsibilities, love to lecture other people's parents about 'parental responsibility.'
    83AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:49
    Re: #62
    It's the parents' fault.
    Parents, quit making excuses.
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:46
    Guess it's because you won't starve either way — even kids these days think that way.
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:47
    Re: #70
    That's why welfare cases among young people keep climbing.
    74AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:47
    Because of social media, chasing validation has become everything for young people.
    Middle and high schoolers who can't get recognized through studying or sports turn bad.
    They want to look flashy and need money for it.
    Regular work won't cut it.

    This world is finished.
    79AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:48
    Re: #74
    Guess that's the biggest factor. What an ugly world we've become.
    85AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:49
    Can someone give me the short version of why this gets blamed on COVID?
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:52
    Re: #85
    'Idle hands do the devil's work' — as the old saying goes, a petty person left idle turns to no good.
    119AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:59
    Re: #93
    Ah, my law lecturer back in college used to say giving men free time never leads to anything good.
    88AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:51
    The article literally says it's less than half of what it was when the old-timers were young, and yet here they go again — 'kids these days,' 'parents these days,' same old song from the geezers. (lol)
    140AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:04
    Re: #88
    I wonder what it looks like as a share of the generation's population?
    101AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:54
    What's the reoffending rate like these days?
    I wish repeat offenders got life in prison or the death penalty.
    110AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:56
    Re: #101
    Life imprisonment costs too much, and the death penalty's hard to actually carry out. Just strip their human rights and make them 'crime slaves,' that'd do.
    108AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:56
    Middle and high schoolers these days are seriously out of control.
    You all better watch out for 'ojigari' (gangs mugging middle-aged men) and robbery-rape too.
    127AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:01
    Re: #108
    Seriously, these days when you walk past a spot where middle and high schoolers are hanging out, you'd better avoid eye contact or they'll pick a fight and surround you.
    118AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:59
    Juvenile crime has risen for three straight years since 2022.
    School refusal is at a record high.
    Welfare cases among people in their 20s are up sevenfold.

    It really does come down to how kids are raised.
    Lack of perseverance comes from being spoiled too much.
    123AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:00
    Re: #118
    The parents' generation has clearly gone downhill, so of course the kids do too.
    146AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:06
    Purse-snatching incidents by high schoolers have been rising nationwide lately.
    Women and the elderly should watch out.
    151AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:07
    Re: #146
    Might be because their parents are from the low-income 'Employment Ice Age' generation.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    The number of new admissions to juvenile detention centers had been on a long decline, hitting a record low around 2021, but has since turned upward again. Former wardens point to the period of stay-at-home requests and school closures during the pandemic, when abuse and domestic violence inside the home became harder for outsiders to spot, and financial hardship hit children directly, as one contributing factor. On the thread, while comments citing worsening household finances stood out, opinions were split — some called for tougher enforcement of the Juvenile Law and stronger measures against reoffending, others pointed to social media inflating the need for validation as a driver of delinquency. It’s also worth keeping in mind, as one commenter noted, that ‘the number of children overall is shrinking even as the case count rises’ — meaning readers should look at the rate relative to the youth population, not just the raw numbers, to avoid misreading the actual trend.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (News Express+) thread ‘Why Are More “Children” Entering Juvenile Detention? Former Wardens Point to the Lingering Scars of “COVID-19” After a Record Low.’

  • ‘The Port Would Kill People’: Developer Explains Why There’s No Xbox Version — 5ch: ‘Makes Sense If It’s Tango’

    During a livestream, a game developer said of his studio’s title, “An Xbox port would be brutal — if we made one, people would die,” sparking discussion on 5ch’s hardware/industry (“Geha”) board. Speculation spread that the speaker was a former employee of Tango Gameworks (the Microsoft-owned studio behind Scalebound and Ghostwire: Tokyo), and the thread saw a string of corrections focused less on whether the remark itself was credible than on the timeline between his departure and the studio’s closure and layoffs. Whether the thread title’s “PlayStation exclusive” framing actually matches reality also became a point of debate.

    Q. Any chance of an Xbox release?

    A. None — because people would die if we made one.

    The porting work is just too brutal.

    Source: youtu.be / original video here

    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:18
    Cutting Kojima loose caused a firestorm last time
    so now they're trying this kind of disinformation play instead, huh
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:21
    Re: #9
    That's a video from two weeks ago though
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:22
    Coming from a Tango alum, that's pretty convincing
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:24
    Re: #15
    He actually quit well before the studio got cut, though…
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:26
    Re: #15
    No wonder — sounds like Ghostwire Tokyo was rough enough that he quit over it
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:30
    Well, MS suddenly laid them off, so of course they'd hate Xbox
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:30
    Re: #33
    This guy quit before that even happened
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:32
    Re: #33
    Ghostwire Tokyo shipped in 2022
    He left Tango in 2019
    He was already gone 3 years before it was even finished
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:34
    Why go out of your way to say something like this? 🤔
    Is it just 'please give us money, Microsoft'? 😥
    Don't need it — 'Director Kojima' is coming anyway 👋 (a recurring jab referencing Hideo Kojima)
    47AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:37
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:39
    It's pretty pathetic that people who've never developed a game are the ones claiming Sony's behind this
    Then how about you prove it yourself by doing an easy port
    Geha posters say Xbox is basically Windows, so it should be a breeze, right?
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:41
    Re: #53
    You haven't done a thing yourself, yet you say every day that a Switch port is impossible
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:52
    It's just misplaced resentment
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:53
    Re: #76
    I wonder what he thinks about the downgraded Bayonetta port
    80AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:55
    Re: #76
    Scalebound says it all, lol
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:58
    Re: #76
    Wasn't Scalebound cancelled by Microsoft because development was too slow?
    Is this seriously just sour grapes??
    81AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:55
    They've said it's coming to PS5 and Steam, so it's not actually exclusive. They also brought up Nintendo regarding the porting work, so maybe it'll come to Switch 2 later too?

    87AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:57
    Re: #81
    They hyped that Black Myth [Wukong] was impossible because the Series S would hold it back, but it came out anyway
    And Stellar Blade is hinting at a timed Xbox snub
    This kind of thing happens all the time
    103AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:02
    But didn't 'Chameleon' get totally snubbed on PS5?
    So much for 'porting is easy'
    104AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:03
    Re: #103
    Wasn't it said that indie games don't sell on PS or Xbox?
    107AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Re: #103
    That has nothing to do with Xbox
    122AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:08
    Re: #103
    It's actually answered in a Game*Spark interview.

    Mr. Remorion: Since it's the only console that supports mouse controls, we're bringing it to Switch 2. Plans for other platforms are undecided.
    108AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Saying stuff like this feels like it could sink the company — are they gonna be okay? This is going to come back to bite them later
    109AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Re: #108
    They'll be fine without releasing on Xbox
    113AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:05
    Re: #108
    Whether they release on Xbox or not isn't going to make or break the company
    131AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:13
    Wait, isn't a PC version coming out too?
    If so, an Xbox version should be doable without much extra hassle, you'd think
    135AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:15
    Re: #131
    Way easier than the Switch 2, honestly
    Though the Series S's memory limits will probably give them trouble
    138AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:16
    Re: #131
    If it's so easy to make, why are there so many games that come to Switch and PlayStation but skip Xbox?
    143AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:18
    Re: #131
    They just don't want to release it because it won't sell on Xbox anyway
    Do you need it spelled out that plainly to get it?
    Even GTA doesn't sell on it — no way other third-party games would

    Background and Key Points

    The thread title’s claim of a “PlayStation exclusive” isn’t quite accurate. Commenters pointed out that a Steam release is planned alongside PS5 (>>81), and the cited interview also mentions a Nintendo Switch 2 release, citing mouse-control support (>>122). In other words, what’s actually happening is a decision not to make an Xbox version specifically — not an exclusivity deal covering every other platform. Whether the speaker is really a Tango Gameworks alum was also repeatedly corrected throughout the thread, over the timing of his departure relative to the studio’s closure and layoffs — a good example of how speculation can take on a life of its own. It’s also worth noting that “people would die” isn’t a literal reference to a workplace accident; it’s industry shorthand exaggerating just how brutal the porting work would be.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, “Geha”) thread “Developer: ‘Porting to Xbox is brutal, it’ll kill our engineers. That’s why we’re PlayStation exclusive’”.

  • Wolverine’s Dev Budget Hits $300M (¥46.5B): “Where’s the Other 40 Billion Yen Even Going?”

    Reports that Insomniac Games’ upcoming Wolverine title has a development budget of roughly $300 million (about ¥46.5 billion) set off a firestorm on 5ch’s hardware board (Gehan). Posters expressed shock at a budget on par with the Avengers movie franchise, with some pointing to soaring labor costs and lengthy development cycles as the culprits. Others zeroed in on the game’s underwhelming graphics and scores, questioning where all that money could possibly have gone — and opinion split sharply on whether the game can ever earn it back.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:26
    If this doesn't sell as well as Spider-Man, things could get ugly.
    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:31
    Q: The dev budget is way too high, what do we do?


    A: Blame Nintendo.
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:31
    Why the hell did that cost so much money…
    67AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    Re: #3
    Wages have shot up with inflation, and if there's a lot of overtime it could easily double from there.
    On top of that, equipment costs, licensing fees, and who knows what else have probably gone up too.

    Insomniac's pay scale:
    $10,000 comes out to about ¥1.54M at current rates, so $100,000 is roughly ¥15.4M.

    Programmers (Engineers)
    Regular: $100K–$160K
    Senior: $120K–$190K

    Game Designers
    Regular: $95K–$155K
    Lead/Senior: $130K–$200K+

    Artists/Animators
    Regular: $85K–$140K
    Senior: $130K–$200K

    Intern/Associate (junior): $69K–$126K
    96AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:51
    Re: #3
    One thing's for sure — the dev cycle was way too long.
    105AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:18
    Re: #3
    Probably went into upgrading the arm-hair quality.
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:32
    Ten million units at full price — that's probably the break-even point. No way that's happening.
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:32
    Is that just the cost racked up after the leak? Nah, couldn't be.
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:33
    Well, they were that obsessed with the arm hair, so what do you expect.
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:34
    The bigger issue is even overseas reception is negative.
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:35
    Can't wait to see how it stacks up against FE, though there's a 5x gap in install base.
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:36
    This is probably also tied to a 10-million-unit contract with Marvel — they'll likely start discounting it early, which means the dev budget probably never gets recouped.
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:38
    You also have to factor in Marvel's licensing fees on top of that. Sinking $300M into this is way too risky.
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:40
    It would've been nice if they'd just scrapped it back when it leaked, but since it's a licensed property, they probably couldn't pull the plug.
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:41
    If they release a 'hair removal' DLC, I'm not buying it.
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:57
    Where's the other ¥40 billion even going? The graphics are mediocre, the gameplay's nothing special, and the Metascore's low too. I'm dumping my copy the second I'm done, bub. ("バリン" is forum slang riffing on Wolverine's Japanese name)
    107AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:24
    Re: #44
    That's labor costs for you. Say this Wolverine game could get finished in one year with 100 staff, all working overtime every single day including weekends. Now say instead they threw 300 staff at it, everyone clocking out on time every day, and it took two years to finish — the labor cost balloons to six times as much. That's just what gets called "AAA."
    45AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:58
    Where did all this money actually go?
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:13
    Re: #45
    Sounds like there was a lot of back-and-forth, so they probably rebuilt it several times over.
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:11
    I'm actually fine with it. It's over in 15 hours. Burn through the assets and move on, that style works for me. An open world that eats 100 hours is just a waste of time — you get sick of it. I'd rather have a dense 15-hour experience.
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:13
    Re: #59
    Same, I'll buy it too. Persona 5 Royal blowing past 100 hours was genuinely pointless.
    71AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:19
    Re: #59
    It's a pretty straight linear path though, you sure you're okay with that?
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:11
    Here are Wolverine's PSStore rankings by country. Since GTA6 is taking the #1 spot pretty much everywhere, Wolverine landing where it is actually counts as a solid hit.
    https://imgur.com/a/zTjtxDB
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    Re: #61
    If people could cancel their preorders, a lot probably would. Future releases are only going to sell worse from here.
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:20
    Re: #61
    In that case it should outsell FE — Wolverine had a $300M budget on top of PlayStation's 100-million-unit install base after all.
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:14
    Just how bad this is: for a Marvel property, it's Avengers-movie-level territory 😅. Even in Hollywood, there aren't 10 movies that ever hit the $300M mark.

    Avengers: Age of Ultron — $365,000,000
    Avengers: Endgame — $356,000,000
    Avengers: Infinity War — $325,000,000
    68AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    Re: #64
    That's insane. What are PlayStation fanboys supposed to do with this?
    89AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:43
    Re: #64
    This… is genuinely bad.
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:14
    The dev cycle was pretty long, so it sounds like they were seriously floundering.
    75AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:21
    Re: #65
    Going by the reviews saying it's linear, has zero variety, and is over fast despite all that money — a lot of what's actually on screen looks like it was slapped together fairly recently.
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:21
    Wait, that garbage cost that much? It's such a lazy, on-rails excuse for a game. I don't get it… where did all that money go?
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:31
    Re: #76
    Did you know? When you work at a company, just sitting around waiting on another department still gets you paid, as long as it's during work hours. And if the employer isn't shady, you get proper overtime pay too if that waiting pushes you into overtime.
    90AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:45
    It's because they didn't put Deadpool in it.
    91AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:46
    Re: #90
    Even Deadpool couldn't save it on fighting spirit alone…
    94AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:49
    I get why Spider-Man costs a lot since it's open world, but what is this game even spending that kind of money on?
    98AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:59
    Re: #94
    If project management and scheduling go wrong, you end up with a lot of people just sitting idle, and that racks up extra cost regardless of quality. They probably spent that idle time upgrading the arm-hair rendering. So maybe a huge chunk of the budget went straight into the arm hair.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Wolverine is Insomniac Games’ upcoming title, also known for having suffered a data leak in the past. The reported $300 million figure appears to reflect industry-wide trends of rising labor costs and growing development scale, and posters in the thread pointed to engineer and designer salary levels to argue that a longer development cycle can double labor costs. That said, it remains unclear whether the announced $300 million represents pure development costs or also includes marketing and licensing fees. The figure is often compared to the budgets of Avengers films (around $350 million), but since movies and games differ in licensing arrangements and multi-platform release strategies, such a direct comparison should be treated with caution.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, “Gehan”) thread “Wolverine’s Dev Budget Is $300 Million (About ¥46.5 Billion) — What Are They Going to Do About This.”

  • Magical Girl Image Showdown Ignites 5ch Thread — ‘Ooh-Magic! 😆’

    In a freewheeling chat thread on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” (Anything-Goes Live-Commentary board), users kept posting images of magical girl characters from franchises like Madoka Magica, Yuki Yuna Is a Hero, and Pretty Cure, one after another. Along the way the conversation veered into a question about the age range of Chiikawa’s fanbase and a lighthearted debate over which Madoka Magica character would make the best mom — the topic hopping around at the breakneck pace typical of these chat threads. Then, right in the middle of it all, an official livestream announcement for the mobile game ‘Ame Nochi Hare Onna’ (roughly, ‘Rainy, Then Sunny Girl’) suddenly popped up, giving a real taste of the chaotic energy of a live-commentary thread in real time.

    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:46
    Magical Girl Madoka ☆ Magica
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:48
    Magical Girl Aya ☆ Magica
    https://mahoushoujyo-anime.com/magical_festa/images/mahoushoujo_ogp_1200_630.png
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:49
    Magical Girl Koyuki ☆ Magica
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:50
    Magical Girl Yuuna ☆ Magica
    https://yuyuyu.tv/season1/story/img/story_text.jpg
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:50
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gj4jt8MbsAAo5ZR.jpg
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:51
    Magical Girl Ai ☆ Magica
    https://img2.animatetimes.com/2020/10/5f7fbe668add9_30da9ccbdbe264fa172378257756152e.jpg
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:57
    Eat up, yu~ 🥺 (cutesy baby-talk)
    45AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Re: #39
    Ooh-magic! 😆
    42AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:58
    Eat up, yuuu! ✊🥺
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Re: #42
    That's Matsuya, isn't it 😏 (the beef-bowl chain)
    47AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00


    Hurry up, there's only one left!
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:02
    Re: #47
    Who's even into this?
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:03
    Re: #47
    Smells like it'd be crap.
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:04
    《Official Livestream 'Hare Onna Club Meeting' Confirmed!》
    🎬 Mon, 9/14, 19:00 ~
    We'll bring you the full details on 'Ame Nochi Hare Onna,' live from the Weathernews studio!
    In the first half, the dev team covers the game's creation process and concept,
    and in the second half, the voice cast joins as guests to introduce the character profiles.
    There might even be some #TGS2026 news you'll want to hear…? Stay tuned!

    *This broadcast contains no information related to the 'Pokémon' series.

    ▼Watch here
    📌https://youtube.com/live/nh4MisfbXsQ

    #HareOnna #HareOnnaClub #GameFreak
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSJFWSba0AARxzY.jpg
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:05
    What age range makes up Chiikawa's massive fanbase, anyway?
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:06
    Re: #64
    Akua-ryuumii~ (nonsense riff on 'aquarium')
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:06
    Re: #64
    It's popular with everyone, young and old~ 🥺
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:09
    Who from Madoka Magica seems like she'd make the best mom?
    86AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:09
    Re: #84
    Akua-ryuumu (that 'aquarium' meme again)
    102AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:14
    A Premium Malt's tastes so good while watching Cure Arcana! 😎🍺
    108AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    115AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:16
    Re: #108
    It's 'Tsunogaki' ('Horn-brat'), for the record
    119AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:16
    Mom 😍
    121AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:17
    Re: #119
    Ohhh~ 😍
    122AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:17
    128AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:18
    Re: #122
    Is this Sakura Kyoko?
    132AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:19
    Woohoo~
    135AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:19
    Re: #132
    Don't go ripping that off from Edge.
    147AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:22
    Nom nom~
    151AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:23
    Re: #147
    That's undercooked.
    You'll wreck your stomach.
    150AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:23
    153AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:24
    Re: #150
    Is this Luna?
    158AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:26
    Re: #150
    Probably an akua-ryuumu (that meme again)
    174AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:28
    I'm about to report this and get you in trouble.

    Stop replying already.
    180AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:29
    Re: #174
    Leave it to Loli! (pun on 'makasero,' i.e. 'leave it to me')
    181AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:29
    Re: #174
    Maka-Segawa Eiko (stretching the pun into the name of enka singer Eiko Segawa)
    194AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:33
    200AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:34
    Re: #194
    Ohhh~ akua-ryuumimi~ 🥰

    Background and Talking Points

    “Nandemo Jikkyo G” is a board where casual chatter runs all day long and isn’t tied to commentary on any particular broadcast, and the thread title “Magical Girl Yamada” is just a fixed catchphrase regularly used on this board — it has no direct connection to the actual content of the posts. That’s why, as happened here, one person’s posted image tends to snowball into a chain of other characters’ images, with the conversation itself carrying little real continuity. What stands out this time is that an official livestream announcement for ‘Ame Nochi Hare Onna’ got dropped into the middle of the chatter, and the announcement went out of its way to state it contains “no information related to the Pokémon series” — suggesting the people behind it wanted to head off any confusion with the Pokémon-related buzz expected around the same period. Lighter topics, like the debate over which Madoka Magica character would make the best mom, stayed at the level of harmless commentary on the shows themselves, and no posts were found escalating into criticism of real people or the production staff.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (“Nandemo Jikkyo G”) thread “Magical Girl Yamada 🪄(・o・🍬)🏰.”

  • Yuki Kuroda’s Hated Villain Role in ‘Ningen Shikkaku’ Still Defines His Career — 5ch: ‘He Was Genuinely Pitiable’

    Yuki Kuroda (44) looked back on the 1994 TV drama “Ningen Shikkaku” (“Human Disqualified”), in which he appeared as a sixth-grader, recalling that people still sometimes call him by the show’s title instead of his name. The drama also featured KinKi Kids’ Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto before their debut, and Kuroda shared how he was picked by screenwriter Shinji Nojima at the audition, along with fond memories of being doted on by the pair on set. On 5ch, this story sparked a discussion about what became of other actors who played hated villain roles in Nojima’s works, with opinions split over why some actors stayed stuck with that image for years while others managed to shake it off.

    “People still sometimes call me ‘the guy from Ningen Shikkaku’ — not by my name or my character’s name, but by the title of the show itself. So many people watched it and came to know who Yuki Kuroda is, so now I make a point of joking back, ‘No, I passed as a human being!’” (a pun on the title, which literally means “Disqualified as a Human”)

    So says Yuki Kuroda (44). He says he was still just a sixth-grader in elementary school when he appeared in the show.

    “At the audition, I was lined up next to the two KinKi Kids members, and Mr. Nojima (Shinji) picked me, saying, ‘This one.’ The two Kinki guys were older than me and so kind to me. Koichi was the disciplined type, so he often practiced lines with me, and Tsuyoshi used to plop me in a chair with wheels and go tearing full-speed down the TBS hallways with me — he really played around with me.”

    Source: jisin.jp / Original article here

    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:55
    Isn't his face crazy narrow in that photo? Total goat-face.
    Might be partly because the other two have wider faces though
    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:55
    These days he's known as 'the women's marathon guy'
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:59
    Back when Yuki Kuroda was, for some reason, called a bishonen (pretty boy)
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:59
    Wasn't this the one where 'Aniki' gets his revenge?
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    In the end the Ningen Shikkaku image was so strong that none of the villains ever really made it big, huh
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:03
    Re: #12
    Yosuke Saito did make it big though
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Funny thing is, Tsuyoshi and Kuroda later played brothers in a drama called 'Second Chance'

    That show was great in its own right
    A warm family drama, the total opposite of this one
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:08
    Re: #14
    I guess even the industry figured they owed Kuroda one after that
    Well, I was just a junior high kid back then, but the way people hated on Yuki Kuroda was genuinely pitiable. I still remember it clearly
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Pretty much everyone who got stuck playing a villain in a Nojima drama ended up ruined
    They just can't shake the bad image
    24AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:07
    Re: #15
    David Ito is the prime example of this
    Before that he was just a funny middle-aged guy on shows like Nama Dara
    But after 'Seija no Koushin' ('March of the Saints') he only ever got cast as scumbag roles in dramas
    Total opposite of Yosuke Saito, who got welcomed right back in on SMAP×SMAP
    52AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:25
    Re: #15
    Masaki Kyomoto turned out fine though
    Even after a role like that lol
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:04
    Kuroda, Shiro Sano, and Shunsuke Kazama probably struggled for a long time
    Their acting was that intense
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:04
    Kind of a clickbait thread title lol
    Well, I mean if you actually read it, it's not quite that
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:09
    Wasn't he playing the Muto kid? He was a 12-year-old elementary schooler at the time lol
    The Simon & Garfunkel song fit perfectly, but it's a shame the DVD release swapped in a different song
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:09
    Good roles, bad roles, doesn't matter
    There's always a certain number of creatures out there who can't tell fiction from reality
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:11
    Re: #24
    Debi got recognized as a real actor because of this though. He still gets cast in good roles even now.
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:12
    This is a seriously misleading title lol
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:12
    Re: #25
    Yeah, Kuroda really did get a raw deal
    Like it was some kind of apology, his character in Second Chance was such a good kid lol
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:13
    The impression from this drama was so strong that nothing he did afterward could shake it
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    Ningen Shikkaku is still trauma-inducing to this day
    42AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:17
    Re: #39
    Looking back, did the Johnny's fangirls really not complain at all about roles like that back then?

    I'd have expected them to mix up fiction and reality and kick up a fuss about their guy being bullied like that, poor thing
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:19
    Re: #42
    They were still pre-debut at that point — I think this is actually what got them popular
    40AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    If Tsuyoshi Domoto's character killed himself, what happened to the story after that? Wasn't he the main character?
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:16
    Re: #40
    Wasn't it more about Koichi's anguish after that?
    Plus Akai's revenge
    47AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:21
    Re: #40
    The main character is Hidekazu Akai — he's the one who gets revenge
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:19
    When Christel Takigawa showed up I thought they were siblings
    Then once that impression faded, I somehow ended up thinking she was Yuki Meguro's daughter or something
    45AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:20
    I'd love to watch this drama again
    C'mon Amazon Prime, put it up
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:27
    Re: #45
    If you want to watch it, renting the video is basically your only option
    I used a mail-order rental service, but it was always checked out, so it took forever to get through all the volumes
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:21
    Re: #43
    Ah I see, so this was way before Kindaichi and all that? Right, so this is where Kinki's popularity took off
    48AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:21
    All I remember is Yosuke Saito getting smashed with a delivery box by Hidekazu Akai and sinking dead into the pool (the box is an okamochi, the wooden case noodle-delivery guys carry)
    49AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:23
    I cracked up at him drowning the guy in the pool and then shoving him butt-first into the drain
    50AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:24
    Even though Tsuyoshi's character saved him from being bullied, he got jealous that Tsuyoshi topped the whole grade without even going to cram school
    Then the moment the bullying target switched to Tsuyoshi, he became the ringleader and ended up killing him — that's the role we're talking about
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:33
    He's changed way too much
    https://hochi.news/images/2024/05/08/20240508-OHT1I51131-L.jpg
    74AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:41
    Re: #62
    Is that Nappa after going Super Saiyan?
    87AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:48
    Tsuyoshi Domoto's big breakthrough was Kindaichi, right
    For Ningen Shikkaku, it's Yuki Kuroda who left the stronger impression

    Background and Talking Points

    “Ningen Shikkaku — Tatoeba Boku ga Shindara” (“Human Disqualified: If, For Example, I Were to Die”) was a TBS drama that aired in 1994, written by Shinji Nojima, a screenwriter known for works dealing with bullying and revenge. KinKi Kids’ Koichi and Tsuyoshi Domoto appeared in it before their debut, while Yuki Kuroda, still an elementary schooler at the time, fully committed to the despised role of the bullying ringleader. In the thread, commenters raised numerous cases of actors who played hated villains in Nojima’s works and then struggled with that image afterward, contrasting cases like David Ito, who couldn’t shake it for years, with cases like Yosuke Saito and Masaki Kyomoto, who came through unscathed — and opinions split on why some escaped the image while others didn’t. Worth noting: the quoted portion of the original article is mainly Kuroda’s own recollections, and the details behind the thread title’s claim that things “became a police matter” don’t actually appear in the article text.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] ‘He was making girls cry’ — Yuki Kuroda reveals the past co-starring with Tsuyoshi & Koichi Domoto, where he was hated so much it became a police matter [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★].”

  • “The Bear Came Right at My Car” — 1.5m Bear Rams Passenger Vehicle in Matsumoto, Nagano; Driver Unhurt

    On the night of the 13th, a bear roughly 1.5 meters long rammed into a moving passenger car on a prefectural road in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, and ended up sprawled across the hood. The driver, a man in his 30s, was uninjured. On 5channel’s Breaking News+ thread, the “1.5-meter body length” figure sparked debate — some argued that’s “about the size of an elementary schooler,” while others countered that “a bear’s length on all fours and its height when standing up are two different things.” The discussion also branched into concerns about a growing number of bears no longer fearing cars, and what drivers should do if one charges at them.

    9/14 (Mon) 4:58

    SBC Shin-etsu Broadcasting

    On the night of the 13th, a bear rammed into a passenger car on a prefectural road in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, damaging part of the vehicle.

    Source: topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp / Original article here

    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:21
    Bears are fine even after getting run over by a truck
    https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1895940628263157762/pu/vid/avc1/476×350/k8JLiSP4eZ94t9W2.mp4
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:23
    Re: #7
    A bear attacking a car
    https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1784859059931295744/pu/vid/avc1/1280×720/WXZfsFxbKucG2QtE.mp4
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:28
    Re: #7
    Bear vs. Self-Defense Force soldier
    https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1405934308120924161/pu/vid/1280×720/7h16oeWDVoLXOd_1.mp4
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:29
    Re: #7
    Bear startled by a human voice
    https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1297900645861728261/pu/vid/720×720/TD-HTLVaf7cNNyXX.mp4
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:22
    1.5m? That's tiny, basically elementary-school-kid size lol
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:23
    Re: #11
    You don't even know what 'body length' means, do you?
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:26
    At 1.5m it's probably around 100kg. I'm 155cm and 110kg myself — I bet I'm stronger.
    178AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:21
    Re: #18
    Sure, if you could keep running at 40km/h and had a skeleton and hide as tough as a bear's, it'd be a fair fight.
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:39
    Weird that there are no bears in Kyushu.
    181AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:34
    Re: #36
    Maybe they've quietly figured out it's a 'land of savages' already lol (a joking nickname for Kyushu, known for its rough reputation)
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:39
    It was probably just a cub playfully bumping into it, people are overreacting.
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:44
    Re: #37
    This was a full-grown adult male (around 100kg).
    42AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:46
    Know your place, bear… feel the power of my Alphard. (Toyota's flagship minivan)
    55AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:59
    Re: #42
    To a tiny 1.5m bear, an Alphard probably looks like a black rhino. A puny car like a Jimny gets no respect and invites an attack, but with an Alphard the bear would probably get scared and run off.
    150AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:05
    Re: #42
    The power of financing it on a residual-value car loan lol
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:58
    1.5m in human terms is like someone 150cm tall — basically elementary school size, right? A grown man could beat an Asian black bear that size if he went all out to kill it. A brown bear's too big to handle, but isn't it pathetic to be scared of a bear this small? Maybe it feels scary if you've never done any martial arts, but if you do karate, a bear like this is just a chance to make a name for yourself.
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:04
    Re: #53
    A four-legged animal's 'body length' is like a human's head-plus-torso length. Once it stands up, it easily tops 2 meters.
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:06
    Apparently when a bear eats a human corpse, the large intestine is often left behind — probably because it's full of waste. Leftover bits like the legs, arms, and buttocks get lightly buried in the dirt as stored food, aged into meat it comes back to devour (゚Д゚)yum~.
    The head is often left mostly intact too, but some Asian black bears skillfully peel away just the skull to neatly devour only the brain and eyeballs (゚Д゚)yum~.
    71AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:11
    Re: #65
    Nice bears would never do that! No offense meant!!
    80AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:14
    Did the airbag deploy?
    88AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:17
    Re: #80
    If it deployed, the car's undrivable now. JAF (Japan's roadside assistance) probably won't come out this far, so you'd have to call a private towing service. Wonder if you can even find one by searching online.
    94AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:26
    Re: #88 In another thread they said a 'Tokuryu' (a loosely organized crime crew recruited online for one-off jobs) showed up and charged a 300,000-yen 'inconvenience fee.'
    85AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:16
    Matsumoto City, Nagano — what a big city.
    92AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:25
    Re: #85
    Kamikochi and the east side of Mt. Yari are technically part of Matsumoto City too.
    101AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:34
    Re: #85
    This was originally a mountain village near Kiso that got absorbed into Matsumoto City through municipal mergers — not remotely urban… Because of all these mergers, Matsumoto City's outline looks pretty distorted on a map.
    106AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:42
    A bear's 150cm 'body length' is measured from butt to head while standing on all fours. Once it stands up, its legs add to the height, so it tops 2m.

    You're 180cm tall, so you think you'd win because you're 'smaller' than it? Subtract your leg and thigh length and your 'body length' is only about 100cm — and you're skinnier than the bear too. You'd just get eaten.
    111AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:45
    Re: #106
    The scary thing about bears: they can stand up on two legs like a human and claw at your head, which is way up high. Just hearing about it is terrifying.
    107AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:42
    Somebody go get Willie Williams! (a bear-fighting wrestler character from the manga Kinnikuman)
    118AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:05
    Re: #107 Totally showing your age there. That guy used to trash cars too, apparently (source: a Shonen Magazine cover feature)
    113AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:48
    So even inside a car, it still sizes you up as 'this is a weak animal' and disrespects you, huh.
    189AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:59
    Re: #113
    More like there are more and more bears that just aren't scared of cars anymore. In Akita there was a mother bear and cub crunching on fallen walnuts right next to a patrol car — siren blaring, lights flashing — completely unbothered.
    141AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:56
    In a situation like this, is it a crime to just floor it and ram straight into the bear? With a person, you slam the brakes, but if a bear comes at you, full acceleration — is that not allowed? I'd like to ask the police.
    176AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:19
    Re: #141 You wouldn't deliberately run over a monkey, a masked palm civet, or a raccoon dog, right? I doubt anyone deliberately rams a deer or a bear either. Though on Tokyo roads, plenty of cats do end up dead.
    191AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:10
    Re: #141
    If you rammed it full force, chances are your car would be the one that ends up undrivable while the bear walks away fine. And if it's angry now 😡, you'd be stuck unable to get out of the car, scared out of your mind.
    197AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:41
    A bear's 'body length' is measured from the tip of the nose to the rear, not including leg length — so when it stands up, it looks like this ↓
    https://www.env.go.jp/nature/nationalparks/about/bear/images/bear_about_picture.png
    203AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:06
    Re: #197
    And it's fast on top of that — there's no way you're winning that fight, hahaha

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    As Ministry of the Environment materials note, a bear’s “body length” refers to the distance from nose tip to tail while standing on all fours — a different measurement standard than its height when reared up on its hind legs. The thread reaction that “1.5m is elementary-school-kid size” stems from not accounting for this difference in measurement standards. Meanwhile, there are indications that more bears are behaving without fear of people or vehicles in recent years, which matches a trend the Ministry of the Environment and local governments have repeatedly warned about. The thread reached no consensus on the legal treatment of intentionally hitting an animal while driving — this touches on issues involving the Road Traffic Act and the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals, and there’s no simple answer. It’s also worth noting that Matsumoto City absorbed a large amount of mountainous terrain through municipal mergers, so there’s a gap between its “big city” image and its actual geography.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5channel (Breaking News+) thread “[(・(ｪ)・)] “The Bear Came Right at My Car” — 1.5m Bear Rams Vehicle, Sprawls Across Hood, 30-Something Male Driver Uninjured, Nagano.”

  • Tattooed DJ Furious After Toyota Mechanic Asks “You’re Not Yakuza, Right?” — 5channel Divided

    A story about a tattooed DJ who flew into a rage after a mechanic at a Toyota-affiliated dealership asked him to confirm he wasn’t a member of an “antisocial force” (a euphemism for organized crime/yakuza) has become a hot topic on 5channel. At many companies, contracts include an “anti-organized-crime clause” mandated by local yakuza exclusion ordinances, and confirming that a business partner isn’t connected to organized crime is considered standard compliance practice. In the thread, most commenters argued the check was simply routine business procedure, while others pushed back that it’s unfair for people with tattoos to be singled out for suspicion — sparking a debate over the rights and wrongs of this compliance practice.

    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:30
    Mechanics are kind of like antisocial forces themselves, aren't they?
    Guess the closer you are to something, the more you want to draw a line between yourself and it.
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:31
    Isn't that just part of the deal when you get inked?
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:32
    A dealership can't go servicing cars for organized crime, so of course they're going to ask.
    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:32
    If you get tattoos, you should know that kind of hassle comes with the territory.
    Every time this kind of story blows up, it just proves that famous tattoo artist (who warns people about this) was right again.
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:33
    Whether you weren't in organized crime before doesn't matter.

    They have to confirm you're not currently connected to organized crime right now —
    because if you lie about it, they can cancel the contract.
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:33
    Didn't you get the tattoo knowing full well this kind of thing could happen?
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:33
    These days you never know where they're hiding, so of course you're going to get asked.
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:42
    Running an anti-organized-crime check with every contract is just common sense, isn't it?
    It's like checking someone's age.
    The bigger problem for the company is that the previous rep's checks seem to have gotten lax.
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:46
    Re: #29
    Replacing every old contract that didn't have the anti-organized-crime clause was such a pain.
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:43
    If you actually asked a real member of organized crime this, do you think they'd just say 'yep, that's me'?
    40AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:45
    Re: #35
    They need to get it on record.
    It's about confirming whether the person lied to do business with them.
    50AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:51
    Re: #35
    What matters is that if it comes out later, lying about who you are makes the penalty heavier.
    69AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:01
    Re: #35
    The important part is building the alibi: 'Our company had no idea they were connected to organized crime — and of course, we did confirm they weren't.'
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:52
    Gets the tattoo himself, then complains when he's asked about it.
    Nothing here but reasons to not want to deal with the guy.
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:02
    Re: #51
    Putting the anti-organized-crime clause in contracts is standard practice to begin with, so you'd get asked at contract time regardless of whether you have tattoos or not.
    A society that's tougher on organized crime is a good thing, so there's no need to overreact.
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:59
    If you do business with organized crime, the contractor themselves can end up facing penalties too — of course they're going to ask.
    67AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Re: #63
    The fact that he can't even think this through is the real problem.
    It's on the same level as getting furious at someone for properly stopping at a stop sign.
    125AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:27
    Sounds like a solid shop that does its due diligence properly.
    That's Toyota for you.
    129AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:30
    Re: #125
    Standard reminder: dealerships aren't actually Toyota-owned.
    131AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:34
    They call it a 'required check,' but what happens if they sell to someone without realizing?
    There must be cases where you can't tell just by looking, and it's not like they're confirming with literally everyone.
    135AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:37
    Re: #131
    It's a required check at the time of contract, so basically there's no case where you wouldn't be asked.
    No idea what happens to a contract where the check gets skipped, though.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    The “anti-organized-crime clause,” which excludes dealings with organized crime, is common boilerplate language required in many contracts under local yakuza exclusion ordinances, and confirming this at the time of contract is standard practice regardless of whether someone has tattoos. As mentioned in the thread, if a business partner later turns out to be connected to organized crime, the contract can be voided and penalties may apply — so this confirmation step is largely a way for companies to manage their own risk. Opinions split over whether to view this check as “a routine part of doing business” or “a response rooted in prejudice against tattoos.” Note that this article excludes posts that generalize or mock the appearance or character of tattooed people, focusing instead on the exchange about compliance practices.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Live Newsflash G) thread “[Sad News] Tattooed DJ Asked by Toyota Mechanic ‘You’re Not Yakuza, Right?’ — Goes Absolutely Berserk lol”.

  • New Gundam ‘Alex Zero’ Set for April 2027 Broadcast, Design Sparks Mixed Reactions

    The new ‘Gundam’ anime, ‘Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO’ (nicknamed ‘Alex Zero’), has announced it will begin airing on TV in April 2027, with new scene stills released alongside the announcement. On 5ch’s general live-chat board, while many cheered the news of a TV broadcast, the revealed mobile suit design drew a wave of comments like “it looks too skinny,” “kind of Getter Robo-ish,” and “looks just like 00 (Gundam 00).” Reactions split between those welcoming a departure from the traditional ‘orthodox’ Gundam look and those calling for a return to the series’ roots.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:23
    New details have been announced for the 'Gundam' series' latest anime, 'Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO' (Alex Zero), confirming it will begin airing on TV in April 2027. New scene stills were also unveiled alongside the news.
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:23
    So cool!

    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:29
    Re: #3


    This kinda looks like this guy, doesn't it
    71AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:49
    Re: #3
    It looks emaciated
    107AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:32
    Re: #3
    Take the helmet off and the face underneath is a dead ringer for 00 (Gundam 00)
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:24
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:27
    Re: #5
    How is this thing even staying seated without collapsing?
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:47
    Re: #5
    Massive Getter Robo vibes
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:24
    Nobody even expects anything from new Gundam shows anymore, do they
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:25
    Impressive that they managed to make something even lamer-looking than Gquuuuuux
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:25
    Well, it'll probably beat Gquuuuuux at least
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:59
    Re: #12
    You say that every single time
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:26
    Iron-Blooded Orphans, Witch from Mercury, Gquuuuuux, Alex Zero…
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:26
    Let's just shorten it to 'Are-Zero'
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:30
    Re: #15
    I'd hold off on that — it'll probably just end up getting called "Are" (Japanese for "that thing"), and that's not a great look
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:27
    If it's Kamiyama directing, I might actually watch it
    The last Ghost in the Shell was rough, so if this one hits, it'll be a nice moment for reevaluating SAC (Stand Alone Complex)
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:27
    Ghost in the Shell is basically his only real track record
    Can't expect much
    24AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:28
    Is there some trend now of getting big-name directors to make Gundam shows?
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:28
    It's so skinny you'd think a Studio Khara (the Evangelion studio) designer did it again
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:28
    Bet this Gundam ends up pointing at the sky and spouting some spiritual nonsense too
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:28
    Would be great if it's got that Stand Alone Complex kind of vibe
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:29
    Are they gonna shove an idol's name into this one too?
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:29
    Looking at recent entries, it's been nothing but designs straying from the classic 'orthodox' Gundam look
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:30
    The Gundam's face is way too horse-like, genuinely ugly
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:31
    Skinny again, huh
    Put some Chobham armor on it
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:37
    As long as the anime itself is good, I guess
    But with such a drastic shift from the last two entries, it might just flop hard
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:39
    Re: #53
    Probably only middle-aged sci-fi nerds are gonna watch this lol
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:49
    My gut, which skipped Iron-Blooded Orphans, Witch from Mercury, and Gquuuuuux, is telling me this one's gonna be good
    It's definitely going to be a masterpiece
    80AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:57
    Re: #72
    How many of you guys are there lol
    86AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Re: #72
    So does that mean you actually enjoyed the other ones?
    87AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:02
    Re: #72
    Sounds like it's shaping up to be one of those quiet, buried gems that only contrarian nostalgia guys end up praising
    94AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:12
    This whole design style is lame, wish they'd cut it out
    96AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:16
    Re: #94
    Even the original looked lame, so who cares
    What matters is whether it's actually good
    98AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:18
    Re: #94
    You can tell the design was made purely with toy sales in mind, and that's kind of a turn-off
    102AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:25
    So it's getting a TV run, good news
    But the game tie-in part is the only thing worrying me
    It's just giving off that classic Bandai Namco shovelware vibe
    106AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:27
    Re: #102
    So it's like a Monster Hunter-style game but with Gundam?
    108AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:33
    AGE, G-Reco, Iron-Blooded Orphans, Witch from Mercury, Gquuuuuux
    Narrative, Twilight Axis, Cucuruz Doan's Island, Hathaway
    Lucky you — your predecessors lowered the bar so much that even something on the level of Requiem for Vengeance would get rave reviews!
    109AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:33
    Re: #108
    Build Divers Re:RISE: "I already jacked that bar way up, just so you know"

    Background and Key Points

    In recent years, the Gundam franchise has kept producing entries — like ‘Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans’ and ‘Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury’ — that depart from the series’ traditional ‘orthodox’ design and setting conventions, and much of the thread’s comparisons and jabs reflected that ongoing trend. The new series is also reportedly set to tie in with a game, and given Bandai Namco’s spotty track record with past tie-in titles, some commenters voiced more worry about the game than about the anime itself. The broadcast start is still more than half a year away, in April 2027, and details on cast, staff, and story have not been revealed in this announcement.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nanjyo/G) thread “[Breaking] Mobile Suit Gundam Alex Zero to Begin Broadcasting April 2027 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwww” (the repeated “w” is Japanese internet shorthand for laughter, like “lol”).