Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Juice=Juice’s ‘Moreh! Mi Amore’ Reclaims No. 1 — View-Count Feud Erupts on the Hello! Project Board

    Juice=Juice’s new single “Moreh! Mi Amore” has reclaimed the top spot in the MV view-count trend index that fans keep an eye on, and the news sparked discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Some posters pointed to the group’s CDTV appearance and its collaboration with Pom Pom Purin as the reason for the view-count boost, while others got into a heated debate over how to read the momentum compared with Morning Musume。’26’s new song, released around the same time. It was also pointed out that the rankings can shift depending on how the numbers are tallied — hourly versus converted to a 24-hour basis — and replies went back and forth over which song is really gaining the most traction.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:41
    Phoenix
    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:42
    Days in the group as of 2026/09/14 (per Wikipedia listings)

    4,127 days — Uemura Akari
    3,367 days — Danbara Ruru (since 2017/06/26)
    3,194 days — Kanazawa Tomoko
    2,909 days — Takagi Sayuki
    2,845 days — Miyamoto Karin
    2,649 days — Kudo Yume / Matsunaga Riai (since 2019/06/14)
    2,357 days — Inoue Reon (since 2020/04/01)
    2,303 days — Miyazaki Yuka
    1,895 days — Arisawa Ichika / Irie Risa / Ebata Kisaki (since 2021/07/07)
    1,538 days — Ishiyama Sakura / Endo Sakari (since 2022/06/29)
    1,447 days — Inaba Manaka
    1,210 days — Kawashima Mifuu (since 2023/05/23)
    *,623 days — Yanagawa Nanami
    *,448 days — Hayashi Nia (since 2025/06/23)
    *,130 days — Otsuka Aina
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:44
    Re: #2
    Your math is always a day short.
    Tenure days are calculated "including the first day."
    Elapsed days are calculated "not including the first day."
    The tenure figures listed on Wikipedia are also calculated "not including the first day," so they come out a day short.
    You can't just copy the numbers as-is — you have to add a day to each one.
    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:44
    Re: #1
    Honestly, no big deal — I'd already been seeing it pop up here and there since the day before yesterday.
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:45
    Kind of like SMAP and Arashi, huh?
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:45
    Thanks to Pom Pom Purin and Ryo Asai.
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:51
    Re: #10
    The CDTV appearance probably helped too —
    other fandoms were tweeting about it a lot.
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:47
    Even with new members joining, Morning Musume。just isn't popular, huh.
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:49
    Re: #11
    Not gonna happen with a Tsunku song.
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:49
    Nothing beats Juice=Juice.
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:51
    Pom Pom Purin's getting hyped up like crazy by both the media and regular people.
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:53
    Only able to strut around victorious inside your own little bubble…
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:54
    NiziU and Furuppā fans are watching too (fandom nickname) — so are the Pom Pom Purin fans.
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:56
    Wait, didn't the "flagship" put out a new song too?
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:56
    Bragging about winning on the hourly numbers? That's trying way too hard.
    On the 24-hour numbers it's in 4th place.
    https://www.hello-milli.com/trending
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:57
    Re: #20
    Way too desperate. That's a music video from a year ago.
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:59
    The flagship's new song is losing momentum even to "Musume.," which put its song out a month earlier:

    Juice=Juice "BLOODY BULLET" (Music Video)
    Past 24 hours: +6,499

    Morning Musume。'26 "Lonely…But not Alone" Promotion Edit
    Past 24 hours: +6,774
    55AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:08
    Re: #28
    New song (that isn't actually new).
    57AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:11
    Re: #28
    I honestly can't tell anymore which one is being mocked as "the flagship" here.
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Guess the song was just good.
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:07
    As a Hello! Project fan I did wonder if it was okay to keep milking Moreh Mi this much, but
    people are saying it was great how other fandoms got so hyped over the CDTV appearance too,
    so I guess it's still fine to keep riding this wave.
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:08
    There's probably more still to come for Moreh Mi.
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:11
    Where did Musume。's new song go?
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:17
    Re: #58
    It's over because it's a Tsunku song.
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:13
    I wonder if people who've dedicated their whole lives to copypasta see copypasta flash before their eyes when they die too?
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    Um, um, what about Angerme, though…?
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:17
    Re: #55
    Both of them are new songs.
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:20
    Re: #61
    "BLOODY BULLET" has been out since last year,
    and the live footage still has more momentum than the MV even now.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The ranking battle over “Moreh! Mi Amore” centers on the MV view-count trend index compiled by hello-milli.com, an unofficial metric frequently cited on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Unlike official charts such as Oricon or Billboard, it’s a figure fans track independently based on how much a video’s view count grows over the past hour or 24 hours, which means the rankings can flip depending on which time window is used. Within the thread, results clashed between “who won on the hourly numbers” and “the 24-hour conversion,” and partway through there was confusion over whether the comparison was against “BLOODY BULLET” or Morning Musume。’26’s new song — the kind of mix-up that’s almost inevitable given how this metric works. The CDTV appearance and the Pom Pom Purin collaboration being cited as factors behind the view-count boost is one example of how TV exposure and social media buzz can pull in viewers from outside the core fandom. Note that the original thread contained several posts mocking the appearance of specific members, which have been excluded from this article.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[Shocking] Juice=Juice’s “Moreh! Mi Amore” Reclaims No. 1 Spot wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Fighters’ Hiroumi Itoh: ‘Seibu’s Third-Base Coach Makes a Telltale Move Depending on the Pitch’

    Nippon-Ham Fighters pitcher Hiroumi Itoh sparked debate on 5ch after remarking that Seibu’s third-base coach makes a specific, consistent movement only when a certain pitch type is coming. At issue is an NPB rule — agreed upon by all 12 teams — that bans runners or coaches from relaying pitch types to the batter. On the thread, opinions clashed between those saying “analyzing tells is fine, but relaying them on the field is a different matter” and those arguing “without proof, Seibu shouldn’t be suspected,” with many posters also drawing comparisons to past controversies involving Hanshin’s Kondo and the alleged sign-stealing between Hanshin and Yakult.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:12
    Is this actually against the rules?
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:14
    Probably just a coincidence.
    Don't disrespect Reyes.
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:16
    Oh, so the Fighters are just as bad, huh.
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:18
    That's ridiculous — just fix your tell.
    Also tell your provocation-loving manager to quit acting like he's SoftBank's rival.
    24AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:21
    Re: #17
    It's fine to call him out if he's actually doing it.
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:21
    But isn't it bad that the tell got spotted in the first place?
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:22
    If your tell's been spotted, fix it instead of complaining.
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:24
    Re: #26
    Sure, fix it — but whether the coach is allowed to relay it is a separate issue.
    People who mix up different points like this… are they a bit slow or something? ("girikei" — slang for someone barely passing as competent)
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:27
    Re: #23
    Re: #26
    It's the pitcher's fault if the tell gets noticed, but it's not the pitcher's fault if someone then relays it.
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:25
    Wasn't it always fine for anyone on the field to steal or relay signs?
    The idiot who gets his signs stolen is the one at fault.
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:26
    Re: #33
    By that logic, a runner on second can just openly steal signs all he wants?
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:27
    Re: #33
    Relaying itself was already against the rules to begin with.
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:26
    No proof, so he's not guilty.
    You Fighters fans who forced a defense of Reyes back then should cut Seibu the same slack.
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:28
    Re: #34
    Reyes wasn't doing it.
    Seibu is doing it.

    Can't you grasp something this simple?
    49AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:31
    Re: #34
    The point is you should avoid doing anything that looks suspicious, proof or not.
    Same as the Kondo incident.
    40AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:27
    Re: #29
    I thought it was pretty normal for the first-base coach to tip a runner off about a pitcher's pickoff tells to help him steal — is that not allowed either?
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:33
    Re: #40
    Relaying pitch info to the batter is what's not allowed.
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:37
    Re: #40
    Coaching a runner beforehand with something like "when he moves like this it's a breaking ball, so run" is of course fine.

    But relaying it live in the moment — "that's a breaking ball!" — is not.
    Passing pitch-type info from a "runner or coach" to a "batter or runner" is banned under an agreement among all 12 NPB teams.
    50AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:32
    The Fighters do it too, right?
    Probably better not to bring this up.
    57AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:35
    Re: #50
    It's not like it's fun, but why not just expose each other then.
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:40
    Re: #50
    From Itoh's perspective, just because his own team does it doesn't mean he's going to shrug it off when it happens to him on the mound.
    52AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:33
    Can you even see the signs from the third-base coach's box?
    The catcher would have to spread his legs pretty wide for that to work, no?
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:35
    Re: #52
    For a right-handed pitcher, you'd get a good view around the glove, wouldn't you?
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:39
    Re: #52
    It's not about seeing the sign — the grip and the tell are the same thing here.
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:35
    What kind of tell is even invisible to the batter but visible to the third-base coach in the first place?
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:36
    Re: #54
    Something like the right shoulder rising — you'd only notice that from the side, wouldn't you?
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:42
    Re: #54
    Batters can't exactly focus on every little detail of the pitcher's motion.
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:35
    Even if he's suspected, a mere third-base coach wouldn't normally blow up about it.
    His reaction was about as suspicious as someone shouting 'I'm not doing it, you idiot!'
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:41
    Re: #56
    For the record, Hanshin turned out clean.
    Yakult was apparently the guilty one.
    87AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:44
    Re: #78
    It was hilarious how the guy who said "that's no good" (a phrase of his that became a meme) suddenly couldn't hit at all once Wakatsuki started hopping around behind the plate.
    Probably because he was the one doing shady stuff himself, he got paranoid and started imagining things.
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:37
    So doesn't that mean your own team doesn't analyze opposing pitchers' tells either?
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:40
    Re: #61
    Analyzing is fine, relaying is not.
    90AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:44
    Re: #61
    The point is that once the offense finishes exchanging signs, the base coach should just stand still.
    If he keeps moving, there's no way to tell the difference between him actually relaying signals and just fidgeting.
    It's like the old saying: don't straighten your cap under a plum tree (i.e., avoid anything that looks suspicious, even if it's innocent).
    126AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:57
    Staring intently at the coach whose job is to relay strategy signals would itself look like sign-stealing, wouldn't it.
    Though honestly, instead of this pointless feud, I think he should just focus on his own pitching and the batter.
    130AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:59
    Re: #126
    What do you even mean???
    Are pitchers not allowed to look at the coach?
    Do you seriously think reading the opponent's signs is against the rules?
    134AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Re: #126
    That's not actually banned, is it?
    139AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:03
    Re: #126
    The coach should quit doing unnecessary things and just focus on the official signs and baserunning instructions.
    129AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:59
    Itoh's really talking too much here.

    Some fans (sarcastically dubbed the 'treasures') are happily piling on Kuroda for saying "they glared at me," but they don't seem to realize Kuroda's comment was actually the more mature response.
    136AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:02
    Re: #129
    I don't know exactly what was exchanged, but it's the offensive side that needs to avoid anything suspicious-looking, and the moment someone heads toward the mound, that's already pretty far from mature.
    147AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:05
    Re: #129
    It's an issue between the two parties involved.
    Ever since the "that's no good" incident, it's become like whoever complains first wins.
    If you just kick up a fuss on your own, it damages the other side's reputation, and gives you an excuse if you get hit too.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    In NPB, all 12 teams have agreed to ban runners or coaches from relaying pitch types to the batter, but analyzing tells in a pitcher’s delivery is not itself prohibited. The thread’s disagreement centered on exactly where that line falls: some argued it’s premature to assume relaying occurred just because the third-base coach moved, while others countered that the problem starts the moment a coach makes a suspicious-looking movement at all. Similar controversies have recurred before — including one involving Kondo and another suspicion surrounding a 2023 game against the Yakult Swallows — and this latest remark falls into that same pattern. A point readers commonly misunderstand is that simply reading signs isn’t against the rules; the real issue is whether that information gets relayed to the batter. The lack of hard evidence was also cited as grounds for skepticism toward the accusation.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Fighters’ Hiroumi Itoh: “The Seibu third-base coach makes one specific movement only when throwing a certain pitch type. He’s been doing it for a while.”“.

  • Yakult Cancels Hostess-Club Girl Event on Game Day, Citing ‘Various Circumstances’ — Fans Split

    On September 14, 2026, the Yakult Swallows announced just before their game against the Hiroshima Carp that they were cancelling the planned first-pitch event “Champagne Le Rêve Brillant Day,” citing “various circumstances.” The event had been set to feature a first pitch thrown by an influencer who also works as a current hostess-club hostess, but the same game was also a free-admission day for elementary and middle school students. On 5ch’s entertainment/sports news board (Geinou Supo Sokuhou+), speculation over the reason for the cancellation mixed with debate over the choice to feature a hostess-club hostess in the first place, along with comparisons to risqué promotions other teams have run in the past.

    Pro baseball’s Yakult Swallows announced on the 14th that they were cancelling the event “Champagne Le Rêve Brillant Day,” which had been planned for that day’s game against the Hiroshima Carp at Jingu Stadium.

    The team apologized on its official website, saying: “Regarding today’s planned ‘Champagne Le Rêve Brillant Day’ event, we have decided to cancel it due to various circumstances. We deeply apologize for the last-minute notice.”

    The game itself on the 14th will go ahead as scheduled.

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

    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:36
    Seriously, is this some yakuza connection or something?
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:38
    Re: #3
    Can't think of any other explanation.
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:36
    Hostess girls and idols are basically the same thing anyway.
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:37
    What, is this job discrimination now?
    Given this trend, I was hoping we'd get a first pitch from a popular adult-video actress too.
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:38
    Well yeah, obviously.

    Don't call a hostess girl — call a Yakult Lady instead (the door-to-door probiotic drink saleswomen the team's named after).
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:38
    I came to watch baseball, not stare at hostess girls.
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:45
    Re: #9
    People who go to the ballpark are basically there for the hostess-club vibe anyway lol
    Most of them are just lined up at the food stalls instead of watching the game.
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:47
    Re: #9
    You just want to look at the beer-vendor girls and the idol doing the first pitch, don't you?
    Even the YouTube view counts come from stuff involving women, not the actual plays.
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:38
    Re: #1
    The players and team staff were probably looking forward to the "after" once the game was over lol (a hostess-club term for going out with a customer after her shift)
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:40
    Re: #10
    The post-game "first-pitch ceremony" is cancelled too (a pun: 子宮式 "uterus ceremony" is a homophone of 始球式 "first-pitch ceremony")
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:38
    What's wrong with hostess girls?
    This is a human rights violation.
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:39
    Re: #1
    > The first pitch was set to be thrown by KIHO, a current hostess-club hostess who also works as an influencer and brand producer.

    Inviting someone like that to throw the first pitch —
    whoever planned this must be out of their mind lol
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:39
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/expert/articles/281f1116f5d01f89ac6c1f13f40cf561e10369ea

    "Vendor Girl Bar" to Open After Games at Nippon-Ham's Home Stadium Escon Field — Could It Violate the Adult Entertainment Business Law? [Updated]
    2023/7/25 (Tue) 8:35

    It's been reported that a "Vendor Girl Bar," featuring the stadium's top-selling concession vendors, will open after games at the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters' home stadium, Escon Field Hokkaido. The concern is how this relates to regulations under the Adult Entertainment Business Control Law.

    Nippon-Ham pulled a shady stunt and got slammed for it.
    In Japan, this kind of thing runs straight into legal trouble.
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:58
    Re: #16
    Nippon-Ham forced through problems with the stadium design too, so they probably just ignore the rules.
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:39
    Yakult keeps booking shady people, so whoever's in charge of event planning must be out of their mind.
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:46
    Re: #20
    You really have to wonder what's going on with compliance at Yakult HQ at this point.
    24AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:41
    It's the fact that the opponent is Hiroshima, though.
    If it were the Giants or Tigers, they never would have planned this.
    120AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:03
    Re: #24
    Yeah, that's exactly it.
    It really is always Hiroshima that gets this kind of treatment.
    125AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:05
    Re: #24
    Probably because tickets sell themselves for Giants or Tigers games without needing gimmicks like this lol
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:43
    Guess pro baseball really is run by the yakuza after all.
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:44
    Re: #29
    After all, they looked the other way when yakuza members forcibly took over the backstop seats right in front of the cameras during a Giants game.
    50AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:47
    By the way, today is Free Admission Day for elementary and middle schoolers
    https://www.yakult-swallows.co.jp/ticket/make_friends
    57AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:49
    Re: #50
    I see, so they nipped both sides' futures in the bud, huh.
    69AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:53
    Re: #50
    Amazing that they thought it'd be fine to have someone who works at a venue that bans minors throw the first pitch lol
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:48
    A hostess-club-themed event is just insulting to the fans, no matter how you slice it.
    There are plenty of female fans too.
    104AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Re: #53
    Seriously, exactly.
    Might as well call in a host-club guy too while they're at it.
    86AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:57
    Having a hostess girl throw the first pitch at a game with free admission for elementary schoolers is just nuts.
    92AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:58
    Re: #86

    Exactly this — wish they'd think about whether the event actually fits the audience back at the planning stage.
    106AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Yakult already pulled this kind of stunt before with Dan Mitsu's school-swimsuit first pitch.

    [Yakult] Dan Mitsu's Seductive First Pitch in a School Swimsuit
    [August 11, 2013, 9:25 PM]
    https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/f-bb-tp0-20130811-1171788.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksX_IIZvREI
    118AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:03
    Re: #106
    Hmm…
    That's not something you do somewhere with kids and women around.
    Whoever planned it clearly wasn't thinking.
    117AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:03
    Why cancel it?!
    Did the Yakult Ladies (the door-to-door probiotic drink saleswomen, affectionately called "Yakult aunties") push back?
    123AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:04
    Re: #117
    At this point, let's just invite a sex-industry worker too!

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    There’s precedent for this kind of controversy: back in 2023, the Nippon-Ham Fighters drew criticism over the “Vendor Girl Bar” at their home stadium Escon Field, which raised questions under the Adult Entertainment Business Control Law — showing that team-run events pairing hospitality-industry staffing with baseball tend to invite backlash. Yakult itself has form here too, having run a first-pitch event in 2013 featuring Dan Mitsu in a school swimsuit, so a risqué promotion is nothing new for the team. This time, the fact that the game in question overlapped with Free Admission Day for elementary and middle schoolers appears to be one reason the mismatch with the audience fueled so much criticism. The team has not disclosed any specific reason for the cancellation beyond “various circumstances,” and the real story remains unannounced.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou Supo Sokuhou+) thread “[Baseball] Yakult Abruptly Cancels “Champagne Le Rêve Brillant Day,” Which Was to Feature Hostess-Club Hostesses, Apologizes Citing “Various Circumstances” — Stirs Controversy Online.”

  • Hello! Project Taps Asahi Tazaki for New Single, Fans Question the Choice

    News that songwriter Asahi Tazaki will write and compose the title track for a Hello! Project idol group’s new single has split opinion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. The thread saw a wave of questions along the lines of “why hire her when she barely has a track record?”, with posters speculating it may simply be a discretionary pick by the agency’s chairman, and the discussion expanding into comparisons with other songwriters like Hoshibe, Takui, and Tsunku. On the other hand, some argued that as long as the song itself turns out good, the backstory behind her hiring shouldn’t matter — the real test should be the quality of the track itself.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:53
    The newly formed unit's been putting up solid results —
    why drag it down now?
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:58
    Poor Yuna Hanama, having this happen for her very first single
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:58
    It's basically become a chance for old men to lord favors over young women and get all giddy about it.
    Line distribution, composing, songwriting — it's a world where everything comes down to buttering up old men.
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:14
    Re: #4
    That honestly sounds plausible.
    Aoi Yamazaki's probably the same deal.
    But Yamazaki actually writes top-tier songs for Hello! in the 2020s, so fair enough.
    Come to think of it, hasn't Ameko Kodama been quiet lately?
    She's the type who's openly against that kind of old-man favoritism — did that end up putting distance between her and the old guard execs?
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:59
    And yet they never let her release her own songs back when she was in the group.
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:00
    They're already going easy on this group in that Hoshibe actually puts real effort into their songs — so this evens it out.
    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:03
    This agency always drops a terrible song right in the middle of a graduation rush.
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:05
    At least it's not cover-song hell, so it's fine.
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:06
    There was also that group stuck with Maro's lyrics and composition, remember…
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:08
    I guess a lot of BEYOOOOONDS fans (Beyo-ota) are Hoshibe loyalists.
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:11
    I'm a BEYOOOOONDS fan who's not big on Hoshibe, but honestly I'd rather he dig into some drawer he hasn't used yet and just write a good, straightforward song, rather than have Tazaki of all people get this.
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:12
    Seriously, read the room and quit already.
    Why is Up-Front still keeping her on the payroll?
    Are they planning to groom her as a songwriter the way they did with Hoshibe, Takui, and Eric, even though she never made it as a performer herself?
    She hasn't had a hit in something like 15 years, right?
    That's obviously because she just doesn't have the talent.
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:14
    Re: #13
    She's actually not with Up-Front anymore, though.
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:13
    If anything, Vitamin Sweet's self-written indie songs were great, but Hoshibe latched onto them the moment they went major.
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:13
    It's confusing — they wouldn't greenlight her own songs for Vitamin Sweet's own releases, but they'll approve them when she hands them off to other groups.
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:13
    Classic bad habit of this garbage agency:
    covers above all else,
    nothing but covers,
    covers even when they flop,
    and they just keep cranking out cover after cover after cover, no matter what.
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:14
    I'd welcome it if it were a good song, but it's just boring.
    Clearly no talent there.
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:19
    Ameko made it big, so maybe that's part of the reasoning too — sounds plausible.
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:19
    I heard Eric's back in the picture, so why not just have him write something good like "Fiesta Fiesta" again?
    Why Tazaki?
    Did the chairman just want to throw her some work?
    She's apparently doing underground idol festivals or something, and she can't have much of a following there.
    And weren't both the first and second M-line Music narrators from Vitamin Sweet too?
    Are they really that desperate to hand her work?
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:23
    Re: #22
    The narration used to rotate between two people, now it's down to just one.
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:23
    Re: #1
    Huh?
    Would a Checkers cover have been better?
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:26
    I think the chairman just handed her the job, plain and simple.
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:35
    Re: #30
    That's probably all there is to it.
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:27
    I think Takui should give up on his own performing career at this point, but he's decent enough as a songwriter, so it's fine if the chairman throws him work out of personal attachment.
    Even Tsunku acknowledges Takui's talent.
    But what does Tazaki actually bring to the table?
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:31
    It's probably just some agency exec being superstitious — reading the "saki" in her name as "Tatsusaki," which evokes "tatsu" (立つ, "to rise/succeed"), a lucky omen, and having Hello! Project people call her that.
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:35
    Re: #34
    Honestly, I think this is real too.
    That's just the kind of agency it is.
    Yumeha too, obviously.
    They still seem to run things with that Showa-era mindset, like how Ayaya Matsuura supposedly sailed through the paperwork screening just because she shared a birthday with the chairman.
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:32
    Otsubo roulette, hit.
    Tazaki roulette, hit.

    This is basically punishment, isn't it.
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:39
    If the BEYOOOOONDS girls sell 100,000 copies through handshake events,
    Asahi Tazaki walks away with several million yen in royalties.
    Basically, they're just supporting Tazaki financially.
    Same goes for Tsunku's and Takui's songs.
    The stupidity of the "it's all about the song" crowd is next level.
    45AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:41
    The BEYOOOOONDS members have to hustle their fans at handshake events just to cover Asahi's living expenses.
    48AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:43
    Hello! Project itself isn't even selling well, and yet they keep having Hello-ota foot the bill for all these peripheral talents like this — it's genuinely gross.
    Same with the Joujou Gundan crew, and wasn't there some enka singer who did a collab with Hello! members too?
    Well, bundling unrelated talent together like this has always been Up-Front's way of doing business.
    50AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:45
    Come to think of it, maybe Juice=Juice was smart to use covers to build connections with big names.
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:45
    If they want to secure a second Aoi Yamazaki, Marie Ueda is the only real choice.
    52AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:46
    Re: #1
    You never know, she might turn into the next Aoi Yamazaki.
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:49
    The really awful part is how the agency sat on Asahi's own songs for years and never let them see daylight.
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:50
    Up-Front's real business is real estate.
    Hello! Project is just something they keep running to support the staff.
    I've been saying this forever on Ore ga Ookami (a long-running Hello! Project fan forum).
    Idiots keep going on about "it's all business," but come on, this isn't even good business.
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:52
    It's a tax write-off, so it doesn't even need to sell.
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:54
    Honestly, she should've turned this down herself.
    They only get one single a year, and this will probably end up being the last single for one or two members, plus it's the crucial first title track featuring the new members — how could someone who hasn't had a hit in 15 years possibly think it was okay to take that on?

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Songwriting credits at Hello! Project aren’t decided through open calls or writers’ hit track records — they’re said to be left entirely to the agency’s discretion. In this thread too, posters repeatedly speculated that the reason for her hiring came down to “the chairman’s discretion” or “internal agency relationships,” but it’s worth noting none of this is an official explanation — it remains speculation on the part of posters. The debate largely splits into two camps: those who think hiring should be judged by track record, and those who say the circumstances behind the hiring don’t matter as long as the song itself turns out well. Asahi Tazaki’s actual career details and contract terms were only discussed in fragments within the thread, so a fair assessment will largely depend on hearing the finished song once it’s released.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Sorry, but why do we have to take a song from Asahi Tazaki when she has basically no track record?“.

  • Kanon Miyamoto to Speak at AI Event — 5ch: “Making More Money Than She Did as an Idol”

    It’s been announced that former Juice=Juice member Kanon Miyamoto will appear at an event hosted by Findy, a media platform for engineers. Set for October 29 starting at 7:00 PM, the event includes a panel discussion with Keishi Ito, and this isn’t the first time she’s spoken publicly about AI. On the Hello! Project board of 5ch, reactions were largely positive — “she’s ahead of the curve,” “making more than she did as an idol” — though some jumped straight to hoping she’ll marry an IT executive, while others questioned whether she’s even cut out to be a panelist. The debate has mostly centered on whether the idol-to-AI-commentator pivot makes sense.

    Findy @findy_code

    📣 Event page is live! ✨

    Thursday, 10/29, starting at 19:00

    Source: findy.connpass.com / original article here

    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:13
    This is blowing up
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:15
    I wonder what's waiting for her at the end of this road (´・ω・`)
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:15
    Back in the day this would've been the Reiko Chiba route (a former idol who reinvented herself as an IT entrepreneur)
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:17
    Thanks, Watanabe
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:17
    Well, she's basically got no shot at making it big as a regular idol anymore,
    so she might as well ride this as far as it'll take her (´・ω・`)
    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:17
    Probability that AI wipes out humanity… 10%
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:17
    Queen bee of the otaku circle (a girl who's the center of attention among a nerdy fanbase)
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:19
    42AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:22
    Re: #13
    Bye-bye, weak-tier otaku
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:19
    Schedule

    19:00–19:05 Opening
    19:05–19:55 Panel discussion — Kanon Miyamoto & Keishi Ito
    19:55–20:00 Closing remarks
    20:00–20:50 Networking reception
    ~21:00 Wrap-up
    55AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:27
    Re: #15
    Is this a solo event?
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:19
    Making more money now than she did as an active idol
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:20
    Kanon-chan's at prime marrying age
    This is basically a matchmaking mixer with rich IT guys
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:30
    Re: #27
    If anything, she's exactly the type that crowd would run from
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:20
    I could totally see her marrying an IT company president
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:21
    Singing, dancing, talking, acting, filming, running, jumping, swimming, throwing, hitting, kicking…

    It's hard to keep following someone unless they're doing something easy to understand like that
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:21
    Back in the day this would've been Haruko Momoi's spot (a singer known for bridging idol culture and otaku/tech circles)
    40AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:21
    She's ahead of the curve
    No other idol can touch her on this
    49AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:23
    Can't see where this is headed
    50AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:23
    Kanon Miyamoto looks like the android ERICA (a well-known Japanese humanoid robot)
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:23
    Kanon Miyamoto, familiar to everyone as a former Juice=Juice member
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:32
    She's not exactly a huge name,
    but as an ex-Hello! Project idol she's still got that clean, wholesome image.
    Sounds like a win-win partnership with this company.

    Still, impressive that she landed a sponsor purely on her own merits lol
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:33
    Kawabe got that through his agency, what are you even talking about
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:34
    < Can't be an idol forever, you know lol
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:36
    It actually started with her getting interested in Playground's system,
    and that's how her work in system development began.

    Talking to that solopreneur guy came later
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:39
    AI plus engineering is the hot topic right now, so it's not really "niche" in any social sense
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:41
    Good thing she had that column in a Mac magazine
    67AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:41
    Talking about AI is mainstream now, but AI's also got plenty of haters
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:44
    Re: #67
    She's actually doing the work instead of just hyping it up, so no issue here (unlike the so-called "surprise grifters" who just gush over AI for clicks)
    68AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:43
    Glad she found a new path
    A solo idol selling a "pure and wholesome" image only has so much runway age-wise anyway
    69AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:44
    Miyamoto's been popping up in news articles a lot lately
    71AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:46
    For people who show off amazing skills or spend ages crafting videos, AI's probably a massive headache — it either dulls people's amazement or gets everything written off as fake
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:52
    Kanon-chan seems like the type who'd say "forget the raise, just let me do more live shows"
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:55
    It's a marriage hunt, right
    Marrying an IT company president would be the perfect match for Kanon-chan's interest in the IT world too
    74AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:04
    A 16-year-old who looks like she'd fit right into S/mileage making fruit punch
    https://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv351386397
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:10
    It's probably a promo angle like "even an idol can master our AI dev tools — how about your company gives it a try too"
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:13
    Selling ¥5,000 chocolates to butter up her otaku fanbase is ancient embarrassing history at this point

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Kanon Miyamoto, formerly of Juice=Juice and Hello! Project, has continued speaking publicly about AI and IT since leaving the group, and the phrase “yet again” in the thread title suggests she’s fielded similar speaking invitations before. The host, Findy, runs a recruiting and tech media platform for engineers, and panel-style events like this often double as corporate hiring and PR efforts. Reactions on the thread were mixed: some praised her as “ahead of the curve” and “earning more than she did as an idol,” while others treated the event as a potential matchmaking opportunity and even questioned her looks-based qualifications for it. Underlying the discussion is a common concern among former Hello! Project idols — how to sustain a career once a wholesome, girl-next-door idol image reaches its natural age limit. There were also comments referencing criticism of AI-hype “surprise grifters,” with some giving her credit for engaging with AI as an actual practitioner rather than just a hype-monger. Overall, the discussion centered less on the specifics of the event itself and more on how it fits into her second career as a former idol.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Kanon Miyamoto’s got another job talking about AI, yet again!!!!!!!!“

  • Hello! Project Asks “Who Are You Compatible With?” — Irie Risa’s Answer Sets Off a Frenzy

    In Hello! Project’s official “Hello! Q&A” segment, members were asked, “What kind of person do you think you’re compatible with?” Dambara Ruru gave a specific answer, naming “someone who says things clearly,” which sparked buzz on 5ch with comments like “She’s the only one calling out an actual trait — feels genuine.” Irie Risa’s answer, “someone who’s a bit warm and gentle,” drew reactions like “the old guard’s about to fall for her all over again,” while fans praised Matsunaga Rira’s more abstract answer as “consistent with her character.” The thread lit up with fans speculating about each member’s personality.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:28
    260914 Hello! Q&A
    Q. What kind of person do you think you're compatible with?
    Dambara Ruru: Someone who says things clearly
    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:28
    She's the only one who named an actual trait like that — feels genuine
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:28
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:29
    Everyone's answering so seriously
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:30
    Matsunaga and Kawashima are probably compatible
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:31
    Nina's super half-assed answer
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:32
    Matsunaga Rira: Someone who can keep endlessly pondering things that have no answer!

    Is she basically the star resident of that thread debating whether Juice=Juice will make it onto Kohaku (NHK's New Year's Eve music special)? lol
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:32
    Ichisaku is precious (a fan-made ship name pairing two members)
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:32
    What even is this
    It's like a matchmaking counseling sheet
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:34
    Irie Risa: Someone who's a bit warm and gentle

    The old guys are gonna fall deeper into the pit over this one
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:35
    I'd rather be called "Risachi" than told I'm warm and gentle (Risachi = fan nickname for Irie Risa)
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:37
    Your bodies sure aren't warm and gentle, you lot
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:37
    Copypasta more precious than your own parents has arrived!!! (a stock meme phrase for must-share material)
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:39
    A single night beats a hundred rumors (a pun on the proverb "seeing once beats hearing a hundred times")
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:41
    Re: #20
    If we're doing that pun, then it's "one newspaper per household" (continuing the wordplay chain)
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:40
    Dambara: "'Wonderful,' you say? Don't say things you don't even mean."
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:47
    Out of all the people piling on fussy demands, if someone like Risachi's in the mix, you'd just pick her, right?
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:47
    I'm always thinking about thigh circumference
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:50
    Kawashima's just being Kawashima as usual, huh
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:50
    I want to marry Risachi
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:52
    "Lets you be free" ≈ "likes alone time"
    Ichisaku, so precious it hurts
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:59
    Somebody feed this into an AI and check everyone's compatibility
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:05
    Part of my body is starting to feel warm and gentle too
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:05
    Yep, Mippuru's really got that Kyoto "bubuzuke" blood in her (a nod to Kyoto's famously polite, indirect way of speaking)
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:06
    A 16-year-old high schooler who looks like she could've been in S/mileage makes fruit punch
    https://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv351386397
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:08
    Niina may act like that, but she's considerate of her fans deep down, so she's basically saying "come see me"
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:09
    Reirei laughs at everything, so Eba-chan really does seem like the type she'd click with
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:14
    Ichika's gone full visual-member now
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSBa9AwbwAABOk8.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSAH6Uva4AA6yWA.jpg
    74AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:29
    Re: #39
    The hair's kind of iffy though
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:18
    Why are you guys so happy about Irie's answer
    People who genuinely have a cozy, comforting aura are pretty rare
    If anything, that might be the toughest requirement on this whole list
    42AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:19
    Oops, I mixed up "cozy" and "warm and gentle"
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:25
    Make 5 compatible pairs out of these 11 members
    75AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:30
    This sounds more like the person she wants to become, honestly
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:36
    You never really know your compatibility until you try, right!

    Background and Talking Points

    “Hello! Q&A” is an occasional feature from Hello! Project that offers a glimpse behind the members’ public personas, and it reliably draws a strong response from longtime fans each time it runs. Few members named an actual person this time, so a direct callout like Dambara Ruru’s stood out as unusually “genuine.” The strong reaction to Irie Risa’s answer stems from fans’ existing image of her gentle, easygoing demeanor — worth noting this isn’t necessarily meant in a romantic sense. Keep in mind that reactions in the thread reflect individual fans’ own interpretations and may not accurately capture what the members themselves intended.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Q. “What kind of person do you think you’re compatible with?” — Arisawa Ichika: “Someone like Ishiyama Sakura”.”

  • Morning Musume’s Costumes Through the Years Get Their Own Gacha Capsule Toys — 5ch: ‘Guess I Have No Choice But to Go Spin It’

    It’s been revealed that a gacha capsule toy line themed around Morning Musume’s past costumes is set for release, sparking discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. The product appears to belong to the same series as the Mini Moni costume charms, with each capsule containing a charm modeled after a member’s outfit. While many in the thread welcomed the wave of nostalgia, opinions split over the fact that the featured costumes skew heavily toward the group’s peak around the year 2000, with nothing from current members, as well as how it stacks up against costume merchandise from other groups like AKB48.

    Well, guess there’s no choice but to go spin this!!!

    Source: gashapon.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:41
    Oh wow

    > Morning Musume's nostalgic old costumes are back as packaged charms!
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:42
    Oh, so it's the actual Morning Musume ones, huh
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:43
    Same line as the Mini Moni costume charms, so it's probably Bandai
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:44
    Gashapon apparently thinks: 'Nothing after Misu Mun counts as the golden era' (unclear exactly who/what this nickname refers to)
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:44
    Could've thrown in at least one recent costume
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:47
    Haru's got that bar-event costume, though (a bar-themed fan event)
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:48
    Being generic doesn't make it a knockoff — it's officially licensed, you know
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:50
    This isn't for Hello!-otaku, it's aimed at the 'Heisei girls' nostalgia crowd (women who were young girls during the Heisei era)
    49AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:37
    Re: #18
    Yeah, probably
    But while Mini Moni, Puchi Moni, or Ayaya (Aya Matsuura) would make sense, I wonder if there's even demand for mainline Morning Musume
    Kind of worried about it
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:50
    Well, if I spot one I'll probably give it a spin at least once
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:51
    Neither casual fans nor otaku really need this
    But if this were actually the golden era, it probably would've sold like crazy even at this quality
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:53
    Is it that they can't release actual member figures because of rights issues?
    24AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:54
    Wasn't there something similar at the Hello! Shop before?
    48AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:36
    Re: #24
    Yeah, there was
    Haven't seen anything like it lately, regardless of the unit
    They used to put out all sorts of stuff before
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:55
    Haru wore this at that bar event recently, so now I kind of want the 'Happy Summer' one (from "Happy Summer Wedding")
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:55
    Wow, current Morning Musume really has zero demand, huh
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:56
    Feels like there'll be a line of Vietnamese buyers before the shop even opens? (a nod to Vietnamese resellers known for buying up gacha in bulk)
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:57
    Sounds like this could get buzz as a gacha where there's no such thing as a dud pull
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:58
    I saw a gacha for AKB costumes recently too (referred to here by the derisive nickname 'Akekasu')
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:58
    I'd rather have those mini CD keychains, like the ones out now for Kenshi Yonezu
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:59
    Did this 25 years ago
    Got Kago
    Back then everyone used to mock Tsuji and Kago as 'Bratty Kid A' and 'Bratty Kid B,' so I remember thinking I'd pulled a dud lol
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:02
    Did the Mini Moni one back in the day, but the quality wasn't that great
    Since it's made for a blister pack, the backs are flat and unpainted
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:05
    AKB's had costume gacha for ages already — Hello! Project's really behind
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:07
    AKB's costume gacha feels a lot more detailed/realistic
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:07
    If they still have the actual costumes, a costume exhibition would generate decent buzz even with general audiences
    Even AKB got attention for that kind of thing
    Well, I guess there's no way Up-Front (their management company) would ever plan something like that
    52AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:39
    Re: #37
    Didn't they display the Mini Moni costumes at Hina Fes?
    Might be misremembering though
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:07
    Doesn't seem like there'll be a second run
    It's not gonna appeal to the general public anyway
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:09
    The Mini Moni gacha's had a ton of releases too, huh
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:15
    For the 30th anniversary, I want the current members to wear revival costumes too
    42AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:18
    Kind of sad that the official announcement uses a photo from '26 (i.e., a brand-new 2026 photo instead of matching the retro vibe)
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:20
    Even Miyu-myu, the gacha addict, would probably skip this one
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:33
    No 'CHANCE!' playing-card costume?
    I might want the 'Utakata' one (from "Utakata Saturday Night!")
    47AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:34
    The costumes only go up to the Morning Musume everyone actually knows
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:40
    If they did this with Juice=Juice costumes now, it'd probably sell better
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:43
    Still no 'Furari Ginza' costume gacha?
    55AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:46
    I love the red-white-black 'Chikibun' costume
    Put that one out already
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:47
    Couldn't The Peace's sailor costume broadly count as a WUC costume too?
    57AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:48
    There was a Juice=Juice merch vending machine up until recently, right

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    Hello! Project’s merchandise lineup has long been seen as lagging behind other idol groups like AKB48 when it comes to gacha-style costume items. Turning members themselves into dolls or figures requires the agency’s approval due to portrait rights and image-management concerns, which is no small hurdle to clear. This latest product appears to belong to the same line as the Mini Moni-era costume charms, and the costumes it features skew heavily toward the group’s peak around the year 2000. The thread split between people enjoying the nostalgia and a harsher view tying the absence of current members’ costumes to weaker popularity. That said, it’s worth noting that demand (or lack thereof) for current members isn’t backed by any actual data — it’s just an impression from an anonymous message board.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread ‘Morning Musume’s gacha capsule toy has finally arrived!!!.’

  • Reports Claim Huawei Founder’s Family Fled China — Authenticity Unconfirmed

    In September 2026, a post on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei and his daughter/CFO Meng Wanzhou’s family had fled China went viral, sparking discussion in a thread on 5ch’s “Live News G” board. The post also claimed that “military police are surrounding the outside of Huawei’s headquarters,” but there has been no official statement, and commenters in the thread were quick to say things like “isn’t this fake news?” Meng Wanzhou was detained in Canada in 2018 and returned to China in 2021, and this latest “fled the country” theory is widely being read as an extension of that history.

    Translated from Chinese

    Breaking news! Huawei’s Ren Zhengfei and Meng Wanzhou’s family have fled China!

    Still confirming the details. No wonder there are so many military police surrounding Huawei HQ.

    Source: x.com / original post here

    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:42
    Guess we can finally buy Huawei with a clear conscience now
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:42
    Replies are calling this total fake news, so which is it?
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:44
    Why would they even flee?
    Were they secretly a US double agent or something?
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:44
    This is exactly the kind of thing that happens when someone's trying to cling to power
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:44
    Go team up with Honor again and become the world's strongest phone maker
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:44
    If they really fled, they'd get nabbed at the airport or somewhere like that
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:45
    Faaaaaaar-
    68AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:26
    Reply to Re: #16: Huh, that's fewer than I'd have guessed
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:46
    So "Huawei" really went "far away," huh (pun: Huawei/ファーウェイ sounds like "far away" in Japanese)
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:29
    Reply to Re: #19: Heh, that got a little chuckle out of me
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:51
    Wait, is this the one about the Chinese AI that got caught cheating?
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:52
    Turns out a Chinese AI got caught just copy-pasting answers wholesale from a foreign AI
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:53
    A company that almost got crushed by the US and now might get crushed by China too — what even is this
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:53
    The Huawei phone I used to own was really solid
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:53
    Lol
    Banned from Android and watched by your own government — rough life all around
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:55
    Kind of impressive they built phones that good while getting hassled by both the US and China…
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:56
    So it really is true that once a company gets too big, it becomes a threat to the Chinese Communist Party and gets taken down
    Alibaba's Jack Ma fled the country too, after all
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:56
    Galaxy's basically the only real Android choice left now
    Well, poor folks can just settle for a Pixel I guess
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:23
    Reply to Re: #36: "Junk-droid," lol (pun on Android/おんぼろ, meaning "beat-up")
    Any decent executive would be on iPhone anyway
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:57
    Is this the one where they claimed they built their own domestic AI, but it turned out they just repurposed another company's AI as-is, and confidential info leaked out in the process?
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:01
    Reply to Re: #38: This is so ridiculous, lol
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:29
    Reply to Re: #38: People are still buying this fake news?
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:57
    Now why on earth would military police be there…
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:01
    Whatever happened to Jack Ma anyway
    I heard once he was put under house arrest he just stopped criticizing anything entirely
    47AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:02
    Reply to Re: #44: He's in Japan. Holds a professorship, but it's basically exile by another name
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:13
    Oh, so is Huawei finally moving into the US then?
    If you operate out of China the US just squeezes you for it
    So the argument goes: should've just set up shop in the US from the start
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:19
    Reply to Re: #51: But in the US you don't get access to near-free labor like you do in China
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:31
    Why didn't the government just keep backing Huawei as a national champion until it could go toe-to-toe with Apple and Samsung?
    Before anyone noticed, Xiaomi took over its spot, plus a bunch of other crazy high-spec Chinese brands nobody's even heard of showed up — now you barely hear "Huawei" at all
    107AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:55
    Reply to Re: #82: The original state-owned one was actually ZTE — Huawei has a history of moving overseas early specifically to escape that kind of situation 🤔
    83AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:32
    Commercial flight… no way the whole family gets through boarding
    Private jet… no way it's allowed to take off
    By sea to Taiwan… they wouldn't take them in, it'd just hand China an excuse
    By sea to the Philippines… China's influence there is too strong, they'd be sent straight back
    By sea to Japan… since they're under US sanctions, Japan hands them to the US, not China
    90AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:38
    Reply to Re: #83: There's still the overland route
    88AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:34
    They'll just get "disappeared" 😨
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:39
    Reply to Re: #88: They won't get rid of them
    They'll put them on display
    89AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:36
    It's a massive company though
    Is this even remotely plausible?
    91AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:38
    Reply to Re: #89: They've got plenty of motive to want out, but actually pulling it off is nearly impossible
    Especially getting the entire family out

    Background and key points of this story

    The source of this claim is an unverified post on X, and no official statement has been confirmed from either Huawei or Chinese authorities. Meng Wanzhou was detained in Canada in 2018 and, following extradition proceedings involving the US, returned to China in 2021 — a history that makes it easy for people to connect this “fled the country” theory to her past. In the thread, Alibaba’s Jack Ma also came up as an example of a founder of an overgrown Chinese company being reined in by the authorities, but Ma merely stepped back from public life — it was never confirmed that he fled the country. Also, the claim mentioned partway through, that “a Chinese AI reused another company’s AI’s answers,” is an unrelated rumor, and it gets shot down later in the thread. Readers should keep in mind this is fast-moving, unverified information.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (“Live News G”) thread “[🇨🇳Sad News] Huawei President’s Family Flees China wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww“.

  • New Fire Emblem Title ‘Bansei Sengo’ Lands at #7, Marvel’s Wolverine at #9

    On Amazon.com’s bestseller rankings, the new Fire Emblem title ‘Bansei Sengo’ (out September 17) sitting at #7 and Marvel’s new Wolverine game (out September 15) at #9 became a hot topic on 5ch’s console-wars board (Gehā). Posters were surprised to see a niche Nintendo SRPG series outranking Wolverine, backed by the far more widely recognized Marvel IP, and opinions split on why. Several factors were floated — differences in installed hardware base, increased exposure from a recent Nintendo Direct, and Wolverine’s souring pre-release buzz — and the thread kept debating whether it was even fair to call either side the ‘winner.’

    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:30
    Bansei Sengo — Out September 17
    Wolverine — Out September 15
    71AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:22
    Re: #3
    Wolverine should have the advantage here, so why?
    This is the homeland of Marvel.
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:31
    Can this even recoup the Marvel licensing fees?
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:32
    Same release conditions basically, and it's losing to what's like Nintendo's 3rd- or 4th-string series, FE?
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:33
    For a 20-hour linear action game, isn't this about the ceiling?
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:33
    Nah, the conditions aren't the same — the install base of the consoles is different.
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:33
    That's weird. They just had a Nintendo Direct, yet the console's own ranking slipped to #13? 🤔
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:35
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:35
    Overseas, everyone figured Wolverine would sell better no matter what, but after the Direct, Bansei Sengo suddenly blew up while Wolverine got exposed as trash. Makes you wonder if some people are crying right now because they can't cancel their preorder.
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:35
    Fire Emblem: Three Houses had sold approximately 4.12 million copies worldwide as of the end of December 2022, making it the best-selling title in series history.

    Sales breakdown:
    First-week domestic sales: approx. 143,000 units
    Cumulative domestic sales: approx. 580,000 units (as of end of March 2020, etc.)
    Cumulative worldwide sales: approx. 4.12 million units (as of end of December 2022)

    And this new one is technically a spinoff/related entry to a series that ranks lower in the global market anyway, right?
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:35
    Total pre-launch preorder counts on Amazon US:

    Ocarina of Time: approx. 100,000
    Spider-Man 2: approx. 80,000
    Wolverine: approx. 40,000
    GTA 6 PS5 (code-in-box edition): approx. 15,000

    Still, at half of Spider-Man 2's numbers, Wolverine's doing fine all things considered.
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:40
    That's odd. Even limited to North America, it should have an install base of around 25 million…

    Switch 2's North American install base is like 8 million, tops, even being generous.
    24AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:40
    Re: #23
    Then PS's numbers are even lower.
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:11
    Re: #23
    PS5's main battleground is the UK and Spain.
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:42
    Both are done for. Consoles are wiped out this generation.
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:43
    Re: #28
    Oh, it's fine if PS5 disappears lol. We can just release on Switch 2 lol
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:42
    I could get it if it were the latest 3D Mario, or a new Zelda, or a Pokémon wave. But this is FE we're talking about?
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:43
    Re: #31
    Three Houses sold around 4 million, so it's a decent-sized IP.
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:46
    If it doesn't sell in the home of American comics, that's game over, right? (´・ω・`)
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:50
    Re: #36
    I mean, would they even buy a game where some stumpy old dude is flailing around like a tantrum-throwing baby?
    40AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:50
    They kept saying 'Once the price hike hits in September, the "Buhitch" is finished!' (a derogatory nickname for the Switch, mocking its fans as "oinking" pigs) but it's straight-up outselling PS5 (´・ω・`) — Switch 2 is #13, PS5 is #16.
    47AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:56
    Re: #40
    If it's only a 3-spot gap on Amazon, NPD easily goes to PS5. Back in January–February, Switch 2 was single digits and PS5 was around #14, and PS still won on NPD.
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:59
    PS has a 95% digital download rate. Nobody's buying physical copies. Anyone buying physical isn't really a PS user.
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:02
    Re: #51
    Honestly, if they're going to phase out physical discs, they should at least lead by example and drop them for their own first-party titles first.
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:12
    Re: #51
    There's already data showing new releases split roughly 50/50, and publishers have already stated that for older titles, digital sells better.
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:15
    Is it really something to brag about, ranking barely better than a game everyone was calling trash with terrible pre-release buzz — Wolverine?
    74AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:25
    Re: #66
    Save that jab for when Wolverine's actually ranked higher.
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:03
    Re: #66
    Bansei Sengo also had bad pre-release buzz, so that excuse doesn't fly.
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:23
    I wonder how different the development budgets are.
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:26
    Re: #73
    Intelligent Systems has fewer than 200 employees, so even with heavy outsourcing, it's probably still a fraction of the budget.
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:29
    Honestly even FE itself is hard to predict — it wouldn't be surprising if it undersold Three Houses. But scoring even lower than that is pretty rough.
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:35
    Re: #82
    Probably somewhere between Engage and Three Houses.

    I'd guess around 3 million.
    88AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:45
    Re: #71
    People who buy physical copies are basically an endangered species these days — outside of Nintendo, anyway.
    92AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:00
    Re: #88
    I wonder. Sony disclosed in earnings that the average digital sale price is 3,500 yen, and publishers have said over half their revenue comes from physical copies. That suggests users are buying full-price new releases physically.
    96AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:11
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

    98AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:16
    Triple-A titles are expensive, take forever to develop, and by the time they ship the trends have shifted — nothing but downside. You basically need serious originality just to break even.
    100AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:17
    Re: #98
    And Wolverine really doesn't have much originality going for it…

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    It’s worth remembering that Amazon.com’s rankings — as opposed to Amazon.co.jp — are a reference indicator reflecting pre- and post-release preorder and purchase activity, not the same thing as actual sales figures from a tracking firm like NPD. As posters in the thread pointed out, PS5 is said to have a high digital download ratio, so a ranking based on Amazon’s physical-leaning distribution alone doesn’t necessarily capture real-world performance. It’s also worth noting that while Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the series’ high-water mark with roughly 4.12 million copies sold worldwide, the most recent entry reportedly underperformed, and thread posters didn’t agree on what baseline of expectations this new title should be measured against. Where opinion really split was over whether to read this result as ‘Nintendo’s popularity in North America’ or ‘a stumble for a Marvel-licensed title’ — with side discussions touching on cost structures like development scale and licensing fees. And with plenty still unsettled — post-price-hike sales trends, per-platform install bases, and so on — the thread never arrived at a firm conclusion.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Gehā)) thread “[Amazon US] FE’s Bansei Sengo at #7, Wolverine at #9.”

  • “3 Hours of Sleep in 4 Days”: Suspicions Mount That Streamer Daisuke Hori Was Secretly Napping

    Streamer Daisuke Hori, who runs a course teaching people to become “short sleepers,” announced live on stream that he had slept only 3 hours total over 4 days as the result of his sleep-restriction challenge. Since he had originally set a goal of “30 minutes of sleep per day,” 5ch users began debating whether his claims were genuine. Commenters pointed out roughly two hours during a massage session when the video and audio feed were cut, as well as the fact that he had removed his smart ring, raising suspicions that he may have had a staff member wear the ring in his place to make it look like he was still awake. The thread also brought up the fact that courses run by the association Hori heads reportedly start at 348,000 yen (about $2,300), drawing criticism of what some called an expensive money-making scheme.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:15
    Exaggerating it as "30 minutes of sleep every day" makes him sound like a liar, but what he's doing is genuinely impressive — aside from the fact his efficiency must be tanking.
    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:18
    What about all the blacked-out screens, the sunglasses, and that 2-hour gap? What's up with that?
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:22
    Well, he seems to be catching bits of sleep here and there, so he's not going to die. Apparently if you actually stayed awake for real you'd start hallucinating or losing your mind.
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:23
    Re: #9
    I once went 5 days without sleep and I kept seeing shadows flickering at the edge of my vision the whole time.
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:26
    3 hours of sleep a day would already be impressive enough — why the 30-minute restriction?
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:29
    Re: #14
    Because 3 hours doesn't have much impact.
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:32
    He's seriously underestimating how taxing it is to be livestreaming this whole time.
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:33
    Re: #29
    Even after a full night's sleep, staring at a fast-scrolling comment section makes you feel sick — I don't know how he's pulling this off.
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:34
    There was an episode of Tom and Jerry like this.
    75AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:48
    Re: #34
    The one where Tom can't sleep because of Jerry's noise, so he goes all the way to outer space just to sleep, and Jerry follows him and ruins it anyway?
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:42
    Fraud aside, wouldn't this count as a violation of the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (Japan's ad/labeling law)?
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:45
    Re: #53
    Where's the "premium" (prize/incentive) in this though?
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:43
    Just a few days into the challenge and he's already saying things that sound unhinged — really drives home how important proper sleep is.
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:44
    Re: #56
    Well, he's got an audience the size of a full Tokyo Dome watching him, so…
    57AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:44
    So during the 2-hour massage, his face was off-camera and the audio was muted, but that still counts as "not sleeping," huh?
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:46
    Re: #57
    And on top of that he'd taken the ring off. He probably had a staff member wear it so it would register as him being awake. Impressive that he'd go this far — all he's thinking about is how to sleep without getting caught.
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:45
    3 hours of sleep a day would already qualify as a proper short sleeper — why did he exaggerate the story?
    71AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:47
    Re: #63
    Probably because plenty of ordinary people already sleep that little, lol. Trump's supposedly like that too.
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:48
    Re: #63
    Nishino (the comedian-turned-entrepreneur) made the same claim with a 3-hour setup, so he might be trying to copy that.
    89AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:54
    Re: #63
    3 hours a day for a week is something basically anyone could pull off anyway.
    67AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:46
    The smart ring company sent over the logs, and there's already proof he's been sleeping properly.
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:47
    Re: #66
    Probably once the log in Re: #67 got sent to him, he realized he'd get caught, so that's why he had a staff member wear the ring during yesterday's massage.
    68AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:46
    Takasu: "Hori originally said naps were important, so I think he should take naps."

    Hori: (beaming) "Thank you!"

    ↓ The next day

    https://imgur.com/a/jaHJkBU.jpg
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:47
    Re: #68
    Suggesting "why not take a nap?" and then going "gotcha, fail!" lol, that's hilarious. Way too calculating.
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:49
    Re: #68
    This guy is having more fun toying with him than anyone.
    83AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:53
    Is this guy actually getting any more productive by only sleeping 30 minutes?
    90AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:54
    Re: #83
    He's raking in huge revenue and supporting his wife and kid as the breadwinner.
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:53
    105AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:59
    Re: #84
    Yeah, exactly. The moment this turns into some kind of sleep-deprivation endurance stunt, it's already gone off the rails.
    87AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:54
    According to past reports, the flagship "Short Sleeper Training Course" run by the Japan Short Sleeper Training Association, which Daisuke Hori heads, starts at 348,000 yen (roughly $2,300) for group lessons.
    92AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:55
    Re: #87
    So he's robbing people of their normal judgment by depriving them of sleep, then collecting money off them? That's downright vicious.
    91AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:55
    Honestly I think he's superhuman. A guy I really respect.
    95AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:55
    Re: #91
    Go buy his course then, he'd be thrilled.
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:55
    What kind of math is this? If you count the time he dozed off during the massage or all those "stream trouble" (lol) moments, he's slept way more than that.
    96AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:56
    Re: #93
    Well, he himself won't admit that counts as sleep.
    94AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:55
    It's scary how he suddenly collapses like someone flipped a switch on him. I guess that's some kind of built-in safety mechanism though.
    97AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:56
    Re: #94
    I really hope he doesn't drive a car or ride a bike. Trains are dangerous too without platform doors to stop him from falling.
    100AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:57
    Re: #95
    If it were 1,000 yen I'd actually buy it.
    108AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:00
    Re: #100
    Don't go calling it "respect" when your devotion only runs that deep 😡

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    The term “short sleeper” technically refers to an academic classification for people who, due to specific genetic mutations such as DEC2, are naturally able to function on very little sleep — there is little medical evidence supporting the claim that anyone can acquire this trait through training. Daisuke Hori markets this constitution as something “trainable,” running expensive courses around the idea, and this livestream challenge was positioned as a demonstration of that claim. Opinion in the thread split over whether the on-stream “napping suspicions” were just harmless showmanship or a lack of the verifiable proof that would justify the course fees. It’s also worth noting — something only touched on piecemeal in individual posts — that the smart ring’s sleep detection can be overridden depending on what the wearer self-reports, making it structurally difficult for outsiders to verify objectively.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Short sleeper Daisuke Hori slept only 3 hours in 4 days.”