Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • GTA6 Leak Scandal Escalates Into Official Take-Two Lawsuit — Leaked Footage’s Graphics Leave Fans Disappointed

    Take-Two has filed suit in New York federal court against “CyberLeek,” the alleged leaker of an unreleased GTA6 build, and has issued subpoenas to Microsoft and Discord in an effort to identify them. On the thread, it emerged that the leaked footage was from the PC version rather than the PS5 version, sparking a wave of disappointment (“if this is the PC version, doesn’t that mean the main game’s graphics are worse than RDR2?”) and spinning off into debate over how many copies the game would need to sell to recoup its development costs.

    🚨 The manhunt over Take-Two’s cyber leak is escalating 🚨

    The full court filing has leaked, and this has moved from a simple takedown notice into all-out legal warfare.

    Take-Two has officially filed suit in New York federal court and slapped subpoenas on Microsoft and Discord in an effort to unmask CyberLeek’s true identity. ⚖

    Source: twitter.com / original post here

    4AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:19
    If that's really genuine, it's pretty disappointing honestly
    6AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:21
    Re: #4
    If you set user expectations at 100, this is more like a 60-70
    7AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:22
    So that footage is confirmed real, huh
    It really wasn't great
    Is it because it's the PS5 version — is the PC version prettier?
    33AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:35
    Re: #7
    No, it's the PC version — they're running the build on PC
    10AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:24
    🚨 CYBERLEEK sends ROCKSTAR another message 🚨

    CyberLeek is reportedly claiming the following:

    • They have an active GTA 6 build in their possession
    • Copies of that build have already been distributed worldwide
    • The public release has to be manually "canceled" every single day
    This means that if anything happens to CyberLeek, the build in question could go public automatically. 😱
    If this is true, Rockstar and Take-Two may be facing a far more serious problem than anyone realized.
    14AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:26
    Re: #10
    That's insane
    If they get arrested, does that mean the whole world gets a pirated copy instantly?
    15AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:26
    Re: #10
    Is the culprit demanding money or something?
    22AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:31
    Re: #10
    Making threats on top of it just piles on more charges
    16AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:27
    It'll sell decently, but I doubt it'll be a blockbuster explosion
    Feels more like it'll open okay and then sell steadily over time
    49AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:43
    Moving quietly behind the scenes without provoking the guy and going for an arrest would've been the right call
    Feels too late for that now though

    Re: #16
    PS5 is about the platform least suited to slow steady sales, so that's not happening
    If it doesn't move at launch, it won't move again until the discount rate climbs during a sale
    18AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:28
    This isn't the scale where 'decent' or 'steady' sales are enough to recoup development costs, is it
    23AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:31
    Re: #18
    How much do they actually need to sell to recoup development costs
    Something like 20 million copies?
    19AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:29
    The stuff the leaker's spreading around is the PC version, right?
    If the PC version gets released early (for free), the damage would be insane
    What are they gonna do about this
    24AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:32
    Re: #19
    There's no PC version yet
    They're just running the PS5 build on a PC
    25AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:33
    Re: #24
    Come on, it definitely exists
    They're just releasing later — it's being developed in parallel
    35AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:36
    Re: #25
    That's the "Witcher method" they've openly said they're prioritizing consoles for
    First they master up the lead platform, PS5, then optimize a PC version with improved graphics on top of that
    26AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:33
    It's less a leaker and more a hacker at this point
    28AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:34
    Re: #26
    Probably a former employee, so calling them a leaker isn't wrong either
    37AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:37
    Remember the naysayers ("shou-chan", 5ch slang for anti-fan doubters) going, "it's some obscure old indie game, there's no way GTA6 would actually have graphics this bad!"?

    Whatever happened to that guy, lol
    39AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:37
    Re: #37
    Lol
    Yeah, they were arguing that pretty hard back then
    41AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:38
    Wait, that footage is the PC version?
    I figured it looked rough because it was PS5, but if PC looks like that too…
    53AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:45
    Re: #41
    No way, that can't be right
    If that's the PC version, the PS5's graphics would be below RDR2's level
    If they've spent 13 years on something that runs at 30fps and looks worse than RDR2, that's bad
    45AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:40
    I could still buy it if it were super gorgeous visuals at 30fps, but that at 30fps looks worse than Wolverine or something, doesn't it?
    46AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:41
    Re: #45
    At least Insomniac, who's making Wolverine, is a studio that's not that bad visually
    51AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:44
    Re: #45
    Exactly
    Low frame rate on top of so-so visuals
    62AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:54
    Re: #45
    Wolverine's a linear, on-rails game though
    55AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:45
    Either they hacked in and pulled the data, or a former employee walked off with it — one or the other
    57AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:47
    Re: #55
    Could even be a current employee, honestly
    56AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:47
    🚨🔥 Tense standoff: the GTA 6 leaker throws down their most dangerous challenge yet — claiming to have a complete build of the game, and to be holding a "dead man's switch" that publishes it if anything happens to them.

    Cyberleek asserts they've already distributed copies of the build to servers and drives worldwide, and that they manually cancel its release every single day.

    If they're arrested or otherwise stop doing this, they claim the cancellation lifts automatically and the entire game could leak in full within days. This is an unverified claim on their part, but it comes from someone who has already proven access to a playable build.
    73AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:07
    If they get identified, is this the kind of thing where the damages ruin someone's whole life?
    Wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be another employee's relative
    75AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:11
    Re: #73
    Sounds like they've already set something up like Re: #56
    59AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:50
    Some people get confused, but there's a big difference between developing the console version on a dev-kit PC that just looks like it's running on PC, versus actually building a PC version
    60AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:52
    Re: #59
    Well, the footage quality won't change either way, so being disappointed is a given at this point
    63AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:54
    Where did this even leak from, I wonder
    Wasn't the whole point of it being download-only that there'd be no early copies or advance info leaks?
    65AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:56
    Re: #63
    No more early copies, and no more everything-gets-datamined-from-an-early-copy either
    But a leak is a separate issue from that
    70AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:03
    Re: #63
    This isn't that kind of leak — sounds more like the game data itself got ripped straight out
    76AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:12
    I looked into why this whole thing started and the most surprising part is that it's over demanding a reversal of the PS5 disc drive discontinuation
    Shouldn't that be a complaint aimed at Sony? Why Rockstar?
    78AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:17
    But leaking it out half-baked is basically just free promotion, isn't it
    80AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:18
    Re: #78
    I mean, does that quality even work as promotion…?

    Same with Wolverine — if the trailer doesn't make you want to buy it, it's not doing its job as promo
    81AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:20
    Re: #80
    Well, if it's not the finished version, nobody really benefits from it
    90AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:31
    Re: #81
    The official answer will come out when they reveal info exclusively through Netflix, right
    If the trailer doesn't show gameplay footage, that's the cue to steer clear of what might be a dud
    Doubt the overseas crowd will manage that kind of restraint though

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “Production company goes ballistic and sues the GTA6 leaker → so it really was real after all, becomes a hot topic lol“.

  • Cancer Survivor Chiaki Hara Blasts Health Ministry Tie-In With Kawaguchi Haruna Film as ‘Lacking Consideration’

    Actress Chiaki Hara took to X to point out that the title of the film “Mama ga Mou Kono Sekai ni Inakutemo” (“Even If Mom Is No Longer in This World”), which was running a tie-in campaign with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, may lack consideration for AYA-generation cancer patients. The Ministry has reportedly already pulled the tie-in announcement and is asking hospitals to take down posters that had already been put up.

    Opinion on the forum thread was split, with pushback like “if it doesn’t evoke death, people won’t bother getting cancer screenings” and “isn’t this just nitpicking?” mixed in with supportive takes like “they should stop displaying it in hospitals.”

    Mon, Aug 24, 2:23 PM

    Actress Chiaki Hara updated her X (formerly Twitter) account on the 24th, sharing her personal views on the tie-in between the film “Mama ga Mou Kono Sekai ni Inakutemo,” starring actress Haruna Kawaguchi, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

    On the 19th of this month, the Ministry announced the tie-in with the film “Mama ga Mou Kono Sekai ni Inakutemo” on its official X account. The goal was to raise awareness of support available to young cancer patients and their families, and the post read: “#MamaGaMouKonoSekaiNiInakutemo x Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — To spread awareness of the support and services available to AYA-generation (ages 15-39) cancer patients and their families, we’re partnering with the film #Mamaseka (@mamaseka_movie). Please make use of the pamphlet summarizing the programs and consultation services on offer.”

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

    4AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:41
    I liked her back when she was hosting Wonderful (a TV variety show)
    5AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:42
    Yeah, I thought it was a terrible title too
    The cheap motive behind it is obvious
    But with stuff like this, it's always the person who speaks up who gets bashed
    Personally I think it's worse than the Mii-chan thing (a reference to an earlier, similar controversy)
    15AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:46
    If people won't get cancer screenings unless it makes them think of death, well, can't be helped, right?
    20AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:48
    Re: #15
    These posters are hung up in hospitals, so isn't the audience mostly already patients?
    22AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:49
    Enough with the 'be considerate' this, 'be considerate' that, it's exhausting

    If that's the standard, then let's ban words like 'none,' 'hair,' 'thinning,' 'dazzling,' and 'shiny' too

    (all common euphemisms used to tease bald people)

    Let's outlaw those words while we're at it
    29AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:53
    Re: #22
    Guess baldness jokes are still fair game though
    30AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:53
    Re: #22
    Guess baldness jokes are still fair game though
    33AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:53
    Why does the term 'AYA generation' only ever show up when it's about cancer?

    I don't recall ever seeing 'AYA generation' used outside of a cancer context.
    111AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:25
    Re: #33
    Had to look it up, first time I'd heard the term
    Made me think of the adult video actress named AYA
    53AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:02
    People who are going to die are going to die no matter how hard they struggle
    54AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:03
    Re: #53
    I mean, to begin with
    there's no such thing as a person who doesn't die
    56AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:04
    There are tons of movies and dramas out there that lean on the 'you're gonna die' angle
    Chiaki Hara herself played a leukemia patient in a film before
    Classic case of going easy on herself while being harsh on everyone else
    60AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:05
    Re: #56
    Nobody's saying don't make the film — they're saying don't have the Health Ministry tie in with it
    Feels like you're not even listening
    59AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:05
    Re: #1
    If a title alone is disqualifying, then movies like 'Papa Who Can't Go to Heaven' could never air on TV again either…
    125AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:32
    Re: #59
    The point is just to stop displaying it in hospitals where cancer patients are admitted
    69AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:08
    I can already see how this ends — Health Ministry pulls it
    73AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:10
    Re: #69
    They already pulled it
    74AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:11
    Re: #69
    Apparently the Ministry admitted it lacked consideration and is now asking hospitals that already put up the posters to take them down
    89AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:16
    Isn't it just that the person receiving the message has a twisted mindset?
    Just because a title makes you think of death doesn't mean you despair over your own life
    94AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:18
    Re: #89
    No — this poster is meant to be seen by cancer patients and people who are about to become bereaved family members
    95AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:19
    They should just change the movie title
    That's it — just swap it out right away
    96AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:20
    Re: #95
    The movie itself is fine as is. The ministry just needs to change who it partners with
    98AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:20
    'Bring on the cancer! Bring on remission!!'
    That would've been safe, right? …guess not
    106AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:23
    Re: #98
    Would 'Great' or 'The Best' have worked instead?
    I guess in this day and age
    the title was just too heavy
    101AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:21
    Doesn't seem like content that disrespects life — this really does seem like nitpicking
    117AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:28
    Re: #101
    The film itself is already finished
    Maybe the title was just too heavy
    They just need to change the title
    It'll be a scramble for the PR team to change it
    They should get a writer with expertise to come up with something milder
    121AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:31
    Meanwhile the Ministry of Justice is totally fine with 'Love, Bring It On' (riffing on the 'bring it on' phrasing from the comment above)
    128AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:33
    Re: #121
    Maybe Japanese people's expressive ability is declining
    126AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:33
    People nitpick over everything these days, seriously
    132AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:35
    Re: #126
    Honestly, whatever happened to freedom of expression
    134AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:39
    Re: #132
    The problem is the government ordering hospitals to put up the poster

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Actress Chiaki Hara, in her 30s and a cancer survivor, asks ‘Isn’t this lacking consideration?’ — points out that the Kawaguchi Haruna film x Health Ministry tie-in title evokes death.”

  • Voice Actors’ “Real Popularity Ranking” Sparks Heated Debate — Venue Capacity Also a Hot Topic

    In a 5ch thread ranking voice actors’ popularity, fans clashed over how popular various Liella! members really are. Venue capacities, event lottery results, and rumors surrounding an Okinawa concert were all thrown into the mix, fueling a heated debate. Specific venue sizes were cited for Nako Misaki’s solo tour — 1,146 seats in Nagoya, 1,417 in Osaka, and 2,021 in Hachioji.

    1AnonymousAug 23, 2026 18:34
    Definitely popular: sy ly ng nn km
    Somewhat: sk yi
    Average: nk yb
    2AnonymousAug 23, 2026 18:41
    Heard ly's audience numbers have dropped quite a bit though
    4AnonymousAug 23, 2026 18:42
    Nosedived. nn
    5AnonymousAug 23, 2026 18:48
    Re: #4
    I'll beat you senseless, hater!
    Don't insult Liella!'s leader!
    33AnonymousAug 23, 2026 22:01
    Re: #3
    Re: #4
    Makes no sense.
    They're both popular.
    7AnonymousAug 23, 2026 18:54
    uism outshines all of them — she's the strongest
    9AnonymousAug 23, 2026 18:56
    sy

    nn nk sk

    ng Li

    yb km

    py

    yin em


    Was really torn on where to rank yb, km, and py
    Top spot is sy, runner-up nn — the bottom two being yin and em is a lock
    10AnonymousAug 23, 2026 19:02
    Real ranking

    sy sk

    nn nk ng

    yb Li

    py

    yin em

    nn got knocked down a rank over the Okinawa incident
    The "boyfriend rumor" crew is mid-tier (kareba = a boyfriend rumor getting exposed)
    The unpopular bottom two are locked in as yin and em
    18AnonymousAug 23, 2026 20:07
    Most of the star voice actors these days pull in about 500-1000 people anyway, so it's not gonna change much
    emoyu might drop off though
    Did nobody go to nako's Hachioji show?
    36AnonymousAug 23, 2026 22:11
    Re: #18
    I went to J:COM Hall Hachioji
    It was honestly over 90% full
    19AnonymousAug 23, 2026 20:34
    44AnonymousAug 23, 2026 22:42
    Re: #19
    delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete
    24AnonymousAug 23, 2026 20:50
    I can't trust nn anymore after the Okinawa thing
    Even 5 of her top fans have "died" (fan slang for quitting)
    35AnonymousAug 23, 2026 22:04
    Re: #24
    Stop spreading baseless delusions
    There's no such fact anywhere
    She's a consistently popular figure
    29AnonymousAug 23, 2026 21:06
    🐻
    39AnonymousAug 23, 2026 22:21
    Even Paupau is leaving empty seats these days, so it's on tmr
    45AnonymousAug 23, 2026 22:43
    Re: #39
    Pupu's 24 now too
    Her voice troubles are still the same as ever, so following her solo work is rough
    At this rate she's hit her ceiling
    43AnonymousAug 23, 2026 22:35
    If the 90% Hachioji figure is true, then nako's on top
    Yuina's been overseas so much she's only made it to the "Sign Rough" and "Mada-con" events (fan nicknames for specific events), but she nailed the cheerful-girl role at Sign Rough, and did well at Mada-con too — pulled some odd moves during the greeting and got called out by Ishida for it
    Murder-mystery events aren't really her thing though
    47AnonymousAug 23, 2026 23:16
    Re: #43
    Capacity of 2000, huh
    Ah, but they might not have used the 3rd floor and up
    I was up front so I don't really remember
    46AnonymousAug 23, 2026 22:53
    Seriously, all anyone talks about here is voice actors
    What's even good about voice actors anyway?
    49AnonymousAug 23, 2026 23:43
    Re: #46
    Because anything else gets covered on Shitaraba (a separate forum site)
    I'd want to do one for Ren too, but that'd basically be a Hanamiya monopoly
    52AnonymousAug 24, 2026 00:38
    I think sk is a close second to sy
    Didn't nn's bar-event capacity get cut in half from last year? Is her popularity dropping?
    53AnonymousAug 24, 2026 03:04
    Re: #52
    Not at all
    It's because her usual venue wasn't available
    Her popularity just keeps growing
    57AnonymousAug 24, 2026 07:00
    Re: #52
    Heard they couldn't book their usual spot (Nissho Hall)
    Well, venues that size are the perfect fit, so they're probably in high demand
    55AnonymousAug 24, 2026 06:45
    With Pay's radio thing too, people first said it was just the Love Live board making noise, but it actually ended up affecting the numbers
    So you can't say for sure Non's Okinawa thing has nothing to do with the capacity getting cut in half either
    56AnonymousAug 24, 2026 06:48
    Re: #55
    All that's left now are clueless newcomers and foreign fans, plus a handful of weirdos
    59AnonymousAug 24, 2026 08:53
    Missing out on an event lottery — especially something special like a birthday event — can send a fan straight from "didn't win a ticket" to quitting for good, but does management have zero awareness of that?
    Remember all the uproar over sy's letter?
    Hii's probably a good example of it right now
    60AnonymousAug 24, 2026 08:54
    Birthdays have a fixed date anyway — if you look around the Tokyo area there are other events to go to
    Says a lot about how much people expect from Non
    65AnonymousAug 24, 2026 10:03
    Re: #60
    Re: #61
    Don't underestimate Apollo Bay
    Suzuhara Nozomi is the agency's ace
    Letting your top earner earn is just capitalism 101
    63AnonymousAug 24, 2026 09:43
    Nako Misaki 2nd Live Tour Reflection

    2026
    Apr 18 (Sat)
    Niterra Nihon Tokushu Togyo Civic Hall Village Hall — 1,146

    May 6 (Wed, holiday)
    NHK Osaka Hall — 1,417

    May 23 (Sat)
    J:COM Hall Hachioji — 2,021

    When it comes to live capacity, nako's the strongest, no doubt — though who knows if the seats are actually filled
    80AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:06
    Re: #63
    Osaka's 2nd floor wasn't full, but
    the rest were reasonably packed
    64AnonymousAug 24, 2026 09:58
    Wait, people are already applying for May? Nobody can know that far ahead — including whether a boyfriend scandal breaks (kareba = a dating rumor getting exposed)
    68AnonymousAug 24, 2026 10:55
    Re: #59
    Sakurai's done the same thing two years running. I heard even this month's fan club event had a lot of lottery losers — do they not realize what'll happen if they cut capacity even more than that?
    69AnonymousAug 24, 2026 10:58
    Re: #68
    Don't talk down to people like you know it all
    Sometimes you just can't book a venue
    Don't stoop to being a pathetic hater who does nothing but complain
    72AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:27
    Re: #69
    Look who's talking — someone who barely even goes to events

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Love Live!) thread 「💫Voice Actors’ Real Popularity Ranking」.

  • CDs Are Cool Again Among British Youth — Searches Up 96%, 5ch: “Wired Headphones Are a Style Statement”

    The UK’s Guardian newspaper reports that young people are making CDs cool again. According to department store chain John Lewis, searches for CD players have jumped 96% since July, partly driven by students buying them for their dorm rooms ahead of starting university.

    On 5ch, the story sparked a wave of nostalgia, with posters swapping stories about lending cassette tapes, DAT Walkmans, and Discmans. The thread also lit up with a wired-vs-wireless earphone debate and a finer point of generational nitpicking: whether CDs count as “Showa retro” or “Heisei retro.”

    CDs are apparently making a comeback among young people in the UK. The British newspaper The Guardian ran a feature titled “How young people are making CDs cool again,” digging into the reasons why.

    According to a report from British department store chain John Lewis, searches for CD players in the UK have risen 96% since July. One likely factor is that students headed to university are buying CD players for their dorm rooms.

    (Omitted)

    Source: amass.jp / Original article here

    7AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:50
    The era of lugging around giant boomboxes is coming back
    46AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:58
    Re: #7
    Will the tiger wrestling mask boom make a comeback too? (a reference to the retro pro-wrestling "Tiger Mask" fad)
    11AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:51
    Carrying a record player on your shoulder DJ-style is the coolest look there is
    19AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:53
    Re: #11
    If it's a ladybug-shaped turntable, you could carry two at once
    12AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:52
    Recording your favorite songs onto a cassette and lending/borrowing tapes with friends was so much fun
    And when a girl you liked actually listened to one, that was the best feeling ever
    18AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:53
    Re: #12
    I wonder if anyone did the same thing but with burned CDs instead
    26AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:55
    Re: #12
    Back when MP3 players still had tiny storage, I used to swap out the songs every week
    65AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:01
    Re: #12
    When couples broke up, they'd each pour their feelings into a song and send it to the other
    13AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:52
    Wireless means charging it up,
    and that's a hassle
    Sometimes wired is just better since the battery never dies
    21AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:53
    Re: #13
    What's so hard about just setting it down to charge before bed?
    Once you've gone wireless, wired cables just feel like an annoying tangle — there's no going back
    14AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:52
    For some reason I picture every single British person listening to The Smiths
    57AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:00
    Re: #14
    Well, even the next Prime Minister's bound to listen to them…
    20AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:53
    A few years back, apparently used electric "Cobra Top" hair curlers were being fought over by Japanese middle and high schoolers too
    Supposedly ones in good condition were going for over 300,000 yen
    62AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:01
    Re: #20
    Just looked it up and couldn't find any Cobra Top curlers going for a price that crazy
    Wonder when this was even supposed to have happened
    22AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:53
    29AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:55
    I'm pretty sure there's a DAT Walkman sitting at my parents' place
    Maybe it'll be worth a fortune someday
    99AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:09
    Re: #29
    A DAT Walkman, nice
    Couldn't afford one back then, they were way too expensive
    Take good care of it
    35AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:56
    I'm exactly the kind of old guy who loved wired headphones and portable players back in his youth, but at this point there's no going back to the smartphone-and-wireless world for me
    Back then you barely even knew the song titles half the time
    40AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:57
    Re: #35
    That came out as confusing Japanese
    What I meant is: there's no going back from today's smartphone-and-wireless-headphone setup to the old wired-headphones-and-CD-player era
    51AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:59
    Panasonic's shockproof "Shock Wave" CD players are going to be trendy again!
    58AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:00
    Re: #51
    Too nostalgic, I actually teared up
    76AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:05
    "Look at me, I listen to records, how cool" → "!!Look at me, I listen to CDs, how cool!!"
    Guess that's how it'll shift as the times change lol
    79AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:06
    Re: #76
    In America they're saying vinyl LPs are already outselling CDs
    89AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:08
    Re: #76
    Even after the CD era took over, "vinyl is cool" never really went away, right?
    There are still musicians who insist on putting out LPs to this day
    80AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:06
    For shopping it's still Daiei, right?

    The Daiei Empire (a once-dominant Japanese supermarket chain)
    93AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:08
    Re: #80
    Dom Dom Burger's actually been opening more locations lately
    83AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:06
    The PC Engine's HuCards were groundbreaking — still impressive even now — but if you tried to fit CD-quality audio onto one, how many minutes would it hold?
    95AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:08
    Re: #83
    A 650MB CD holds 74 minutes, so
    a 2.5MB HuCard would hold about 17 seconds
    96AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:08
    Re: #83
    Max capacity was 2.5MB
    You couldn't even fit one whole song
    85AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:06
    You guys are old enough to remember the Discman, right?
    98AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:09
    Re: #85
    Sorry, never heard of it
    Thought you meant the Walkman
    92AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:08
    There's always a crowd in every era that thinks old stuff is cool
    After vinyl, CDs are bound to become collector's items next
    Better buy them all up cheap at Book Off while you still can
    130AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:15
    Re: #92
    Unlike vinyl, the problem with CDs is they degrade over time
    104AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:09
    CD players and wired headphones are selling well again in Japan too
    Is this just an extension of the disposable "Utsurundesu" film camera trend?
    107AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:10
    Re: #104
    Showa retro, huh
    Polaroid cameras will probably make a comeback next
    114AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:12
    I'd say CDs are more "Heisei retro" than "Showa retro"
    They weren't even that widespread yet by the end of the Showa era
    126AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:14
    Re: #114
    Yeah, true
    Vinyl was still hanging on in late Showa, and plenty of people were saying stuff like "CDs sound thin and flat"
    131AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:15
    Re: #114
    I doubt Gen Z, who throw around "Showa retro" these days, can even tell the difference
    Though it's kind of funny how the TV personalities milking bubble-era nostalgia only experienced the actual bubble as little kids at best — they're part of the "Ice Age" generation (Japan's lost-generation cohort hit hardest by the post-bubble job crunch)
    118AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:13
    SONY
    https://preview.redd.it/in-1988-sony-released-the-d-88-discman-a-portable-cd-player-v0-abgidrs1djad1.jpeg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=90fb21f69950d69b99736181646ebe2b33b6de1e
    122AnonymousAug 24, 2026 15:13
    Re: #118
    It's sticking out!
    That's gonna get scratched to hell

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “CDs Are Back Among British Youth: ‘Wearing a Portable CD Player with Wired Headphones Is a Way to Show Off Your Sense of Style’”.

  • Kazlaser Questions Shinto Ritual That Spins Babies Three Times: “Why Make Them Cry?”

    On his radio show, Maple Chogokin’s Kazlaser raised questions about “Kamikorogashi,” a ritual held at Yaizu Shrine in Shizuoka. The custom involves spinning infants aged 0 to 2 three times, with the belief that the louder they cry, the sturdier they’ll grow up to be. On 5ch, reactions ranged from speculation that it was once a way to check a baby’s health, to pushback against criticizing tradition.

    Kazlaser of the comedy duo Maple Chogokin appeared on the radio program “Weekly! Shaberaser” (SBS Radio) on the 21st, where he questioned the “Kamikorogashi” ritual held at Yaizu Shrine in Yaizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

    Kamikorogashi is performed to pray for children’s healthy growth. Two shrine representatives work in pairs, spinning infants aged 0 to 2 three times while chanting “An-etton.”

    It’s said that the louder the baby cries, the sturdier they’ll grow up to be.

    Source: sirabee.com / Original article here

    3AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:55
    Culture and history don't earn you a single yen, after all.
    7AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:55
    Guess he'd probably slam Namahage too, huh? (Namahage: the demon-costume tradition from Akita where men scare children into behaving)
    22AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:00
    Re: #7
    That still traumatizes me. The guy inside the costume was drunk and it was terrifying.
    8AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:56
    Back in the day, that was probably the only way to tell if a baby was healthy. Not that I'd know.
    10AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:57
    Re: #1
    If you're not tough enough, this guy'll come after you — better watch out if you're weak lol
    12AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:58
    The more they cry, the more stamina and lung capacity they build. Even adults wear themselves out from a good hard cry.
    14AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:58
    Wasn't it originally a way to spot disabilities in kids?
    15AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:58
    Didn't know about this one — so they make the babies cry here too, huh.
    16AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:58
    Stuff that seems pointless now — maybe it was done for babies who were slow to roll over?
    18AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:59
    Same with the "issho-mochi" thing where they strap a rice cake on the baby's back — the kids all cry during that one too. (issho-mochi: a first-birthday tradition where the baby carries a roughly 2kg rice cake)
    20AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:59
    Vaccinations. Boom, argument over!
    26AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:03
    Re: #20
    That one actually makes sense.
    21AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:00
    He said Shichi-Go-San is unnecessary too — maybe he's not even Japanese. (Shichi-Go-San: the coming-of-age festival for kids turning 3, 5, and 7)
    24AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:02
    Re: #21
    Shichi-Go-San happens way too often. It costs a ton of money, and if you skip it your kid might feel unloved — it's rough.
    68AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:22
    Re: #21
    He also said Tanabata is unnecessary, because it doesn't boost the economy like Valentine's or Halloween. (Tanabata: the Star Festival)
    23AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:01
    Rituals like "please let the child grow up safely," born from an era of high infant mortality, probably make no sense by today's standards. Shichi-Go-San might be the exception — "you made it this far, well done" is easy enough to understand.
    25AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:03
    Re: #1
    Inducing fear actually activates the brainstem's survival response.
    28AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:03
    If you start questioning that, omikuji fortune slips are done for too — why would drawing "daikichi" actually boost your luck? It's all just for good-luck vibes anyway. (omikuji: fortune-telling paper slips at shrines; daikichi is the best possible result)
    29AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:03
    This guy's been doing nothing but this lately. He used to come across as knowledgeable, not just trivia-dropping for cheap points.
    31AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:05
    Re: #22
    Sounds like it's a lot milder these days though.
    100AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:00
    Re: #31
    Do it the old-fashioned way nowadays and you'd get a burglar dressed as Namahage showing up at your door — the "yami baito" kind. (yami baito, or "dark part-time job," refers to Japan's recent spate of crimes recruited through shady gig ads)
    36AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:06
    Maybe back when babies died easily, rituals like this were a way to gauge their life force.
    43AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:10
    Getting my head bitten by the shishimai lion was terrifying. Still remember it lol (shishimai: the traditional lion dance performed at festivals)
    110AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:11
    Re: #43
    Well, thanks to that you grew up healthy, so it worked out, didn't it? Worth being scared for.
    50AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:13
    The whole "the more you cry, the tougher you get" idea feels like some old-school Showa-era sports-team mentality, but it's a religious ritual — don't overthink it with a serious response…
    51AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:14
    They're probably just observing the body's reaction. Might be wisdom built up from experience over generations.
    69AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:22
    Re: #51
    If a baby showed zero crying and zero distress, that'd actually be more worrying.
    78AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:32
    Lots of people slamming Kazlaser, but none of you have actually done Kamikorogashi either. Folks out in the countryside have time on their hands, so they do all sorts of things.
    94AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:50
    He's really turned into someone who only makes cheap negative comments. Behind that easy criticism he tosses out to fill airtime, there are people who make their living from this and people trying to keep the tradition alive.
    96AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:56
    Re: #94
    The Japanese people making a living off it would be the Shinto priests, so Kazlaser better be ready for what's coming.

    *This article was compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Kazlaser questions the Japanese Shinto ritual of spinning infants three times, “Kamikorogashi”: “Why make them cry? I wouldn’t do that to my own kid.”

  • Man Who FIRE’d with ¥150 Million Gets Called Out in Daughter’s Picture Diary: ‘Dad Just Lounges Around All Day’

    Daisuke Nomura (pseudonym, 46), who worked as a systems engineer at a foreign-owned IT company and reached an annual salary of ¥14 million, achieved FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) at 45 with ¥150 million in assets. However, his fourth-grade daughter’s summer vacation picture diary reportedly read, “Dad just lounges around in the living room all day looking at his phone.” On 5ch, opinions flew back and forth — “What’s the point of FIRE-ing with no goal?” and “If you’ve got a wife and kids, at least do the housework if you’re going to FIRE” — while plenty of others pointed out the sheer formula of how these asset-flex puff pieces keep getting churned out.

    “Dad just lounges around in the living room on his phone all day. He only goes for a walk once in a while.”

    Daisuke Nomura (46, pseudonym), who lives in a condominium in Tokyo, was left speechless after peeking at the picture diary of his only daughter, 10-year-old Misaki (pseudonym), a fourth-grader. The page, submitted as summer homework, contained an honest, merciless dose of “contempt” for her father.

    Daisuke worked grueling hours as a systems engineer at a foreign-owned IT firm, with his annual salary peaking at ¥14 million. Starting in his early 30s, he built up his savings through relentless frugality and investing. At 45, once his managed assets hit ¥150 million, he retired and finally achieved his long-cherished goal of FIRE.

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

    7AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:39
    So women have been one-upping each other over other people's jobs since they were kids?
    11AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:40
    Re: #7
    Even among guys, a parent's job can be a reason for bullying too.
    What's this guy's deal?
    8AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:39
    Retiring early (FIRE) with no goal in mind — isn't that just dumb?
    15AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:41
    Re: #8
    Maybe FIRE itself was the goal.
    9AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:39
    Today's 'salty singles' thread
    90AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:38
    Re: #9
    Don't you mean the 'salty unemployed guys' thread?
    10AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:40
    AI-written filler articles are getting more polished these days, huh.
    12AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:40
    His wife pulling in ¥6 million a year is broken.
    13AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:40
    Whoa, seriously — forget FIRE, guess I'll just keep working.
    14AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:41
    Lol people get genuinely furious every time even though it's clearly a made-up story.
    17AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:42
    Back in elementary school we had this class where everyone announced their parents' jobs, and there was a kid who said 'both my parents are unemployed' — it was so awkward I couldn't stand it.
    18AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:42
    Last time it was a guy with ¥120 million — they just keep cranking these out one after another.
    19AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:42
    Quiz: how many times does the word 'pseudonym' show up?
    20AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:43
    FIRE is inconvenient for the ruling class, so they keep trying to push out nothing but negative stories about it.
    21AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:43
    I really want to block Gold Online and Financial World (finance sites notorious for these clickbait wealth-flex stories).
    22AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:43
    If his wife were a stay-at-home mom, fine, but if she's working, he should be doing the housework once he's FIRE'd.
    28AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:44
    Re: #22
    Isn't that basically just a stay-at-home dad at that point?
    23AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:43
    I want to make things a bit easier on my wife.
    27AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:44
    They do this every single time — churning out articles like they're mass-producing gag threads from old-school 2channel.
    33AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:47
    In the end it's probably self-satisfying for him, but to everyone else a guy who's home all day just looks like a NEET (not in education, employment, or training), so of course he gets looked down on. Honestly, he'd have more to brag about doing parking-lot traffic duty at a supermarket.
    37AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:49
    Re: #33
    That's not true. Go to central Tokyo and you'll see rich people strolling around in the middle of the day, walking their dogs or relaxing in cafes.
    39AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:51
    Re: #37
    Could just be their day off, though.
    43AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:51
    Re: #37
    Put another way, he only gets looked down on because he stays inside the house — if he relaxed outside instead, wouldn't that fix it?
    42AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:51
    Kids grow up watching their father's back, you know. What happens to a kid who grows up watching an unemployed dad? Quitting your job before your kid's independent is basically abuse.
    49AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:54
    Re: #42
    It's a question of whether she follows her parent's example and aims to become a 'certified NEET' — aka a housewife — or not.
    45AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:51
    Who FIREs with a wife and kids? Only single guys living the bachelor life should get to FIRE.
    47AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:53
    Re: #45
    Uh, I'm a married-with-kids FIRE guy myself, though?
    50AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:54
    If you're just gonna stay inside the house, there was no point FIRE-ing in the first place. If I FIRE'd, I'd want to be outside all the time.
    52AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:55
    Re: #50
    Those young guys riding road bikes in the middle of a weekday afternoon are probably this type.
    56AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:59
    Re: #52
    Plenty of jobs have weekdays off, you know.
    60AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:00
    Re: #56
    There's a whole bunch of them riding together in a group, though.
    71AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:12
    There's no way you can pull this off with a kid on just this amount of money.
    76AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:27
    Re: #71
    His wife's bringing in ¥6 million, so the household income is effectively ¥12 million — which makes it even more like, 'at least do the housework, dude.'
    77AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:27
    Funny how it's always 'just over ¥100 million' in every single one of these.
    86AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:34
    Re: #77
    Well, if it were ¥1 billion, the family couldn't even complain. You need to set the number at something that sounds risky enough that a screwup would actually hurt, or you don't get that on-edge tension.
    88AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:36
    If you FIRE and actually spend the time on hobbies, fine, but 'being a NEET at home' — this was probably written by someone who's never worked a day in their life. Being stuck at home all the time with your family around would be torture.
    104AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:06
    Re: #88
    The pattern where someone FIREs, has no hobbies, feels empty, and goes back to work — that's already been done to death in the 'graduating from FIRE' stories.
    93AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:47
    Such a waste to FIRE and then keep living in the city. If it were me, I'd live on some remote island or deep in the mountains, fishing, growing vegetables, living like it's a camping trip every single day.
    94AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:53
    Re: #93
    Can't be helped if you've got kids — the education gap between Tokyo and the countryside is brutal.
    95AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:54
    Re: #93
    I want to do that too~ I'd love to hop between a different campsite every day.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nanademo Jikkyo G) thread “Man Who FIRE’d with ¥150 Million Gets Called Out in Daughter’s Summer Diary: ‘Dad Just Lounges Around at Home’.”

  • Surge in Grave Closures Sparks Monk’s Complaint: “Too Poisoned by Capitalism” — 5ch Weighs In

    A video of a Buddhist monk lamenting that the growing number of Japanese people closing down their family graves are “too poisoned by capitalism” went viral on 5ch. The thread saw a wide range of opinions fly back and forth — from complaints about posthumous-name fees and temple-severance fees, to questions about how flush temples and monks themselves seem to be, to arguments that cremation alone is enough and graves aren’t even necessary.

    [Grave Closures Are Surging] The Result Capitalism Brought Us

    Source: youtube.com / Original video here

    7AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:46
    Honestly, we don't even need funerals.
    Just cremate me and call it done.
    17AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:49
    Re: #7
    Just do a subsidized cremation-only send-off.
    Leave the ashes with the funeral home and forget about them — they'll end up in some communal grave eventually anyway.
    10AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:47
    A lot of Kyoto monks cruise around in Lexuses — what's that about?
    138AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:26
    Re: #10
    Even yakuza want to get their hands on temples, so yeah, that's basically it.
    12AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:48
    That's because you people keep bleeding them dry with posthumous-name fees, memorial-anniversary fees, Obon, Higan, and whatever else.
    15AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:49
    Re: #12
    So true.
    They call it a "heartfelt donation, pay what you feel," but then get pissed if it's too little and phone in the service — makes no sense.
    13AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:49
    I visit the grave, and I pray at the family altar every day.
    Though it all ends with me.
    34AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:51
    Re: #13
    You don't have kids?
    60AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:59
    Re: #13
    Yo, last of the line lmaooo
    14AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:49
    Why don't you guys just buy a grave?
    193AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:55
    Re: #14
    Don't need one.
    I'm fine with a tree burial.
    22AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:50
    Isn't it fine to just keep the memorial tablet at home and pray to it?
    32AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:51
    Re: #22
    Apparently once you've got too many of those piled up over the generations, you can thin them out.
    A Shinto priest told me that.
    41AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:53
    Went back to my parents' place for Obon for the first time in a while and stopped by the grave — saw someone scrubbing it down with a handheld pressure washer, kind of hilarious.
    46AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:55
    Re: #41
    Honestly it's super convenient.
    You still wipe it down by hand afterward, of course.
    44AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:54
    That's you, you crappy monk.
    The monk in my neighborhood is cruising around in a brand-new S-Class too.
    67AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:00
    Re: #44
    I really hate how lavishly Kyoto's crappy monks live it up.
    Back when I worked as a floor manager at a host club, monks would just show up wasted and hassle the girls.
    I remember thinking, this guy's a walking bundle of worldly desires.
    78AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:04
    Honestly, a big part of why Japanese people's religious faith has faded is because of stuff like this.
    89AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:06
    Re: #78
    I think that's a huge factor, honestly.
    91AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:08
    Not like the monk world has much room to talk — when they run out of money they just sell off their temple's corporate religious status to Chinese buyers at a premium.
    93AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:08
    Re: #91
    Truly the Age of Dharma Decline we're living in. (mappō — the Buddhist doctrine that the teachings are in terminal decline)
    110AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:16
    Closing down a grave just means getting fleeced for nothing, so I'll leave it be.
    It'll end up an abandoned grave once I'm gone anyway.
    111AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:17
    Re: #110
    Yeah, it really did cost a lot.
    129AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:23
    Re: #110
    Disposing of the grave itself costs money, but a lot of temples also slap you with this absurd "temple-severance fee" on top.
    113AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:18
    When I die I just want to be tossed straight into the Kamo River.
    120AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:19
    Re: #113
    That riverbank's gonna end up looking like the Heian period.
    139AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:26
    To begin with, the reason cremation is even an issue in this country is that the furnaces are calibrated to burn slowly and leave bones behind, just to suit Buddhist practice.
    Buddhism's the one causing the trouble here.
    157AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:34
    Re: #139
    Wait, seriously???
    143AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:28
    Over on the grave-closure thread on Edge, people were saying closing a grave costs money too, so just leaving it alone is the best option.
    156AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:33
    Re: #143
    Can't you just renounce the inheritance?
    154AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:33
    Monks were never really "clergy" to begin with.
    Why do you think Musashibō Benkei went around armed?
    Spreading a religion wasn't about winning converts through preaching — it was about crushing rival religions by force and scooping up the believers who'd lost their faith's home.
    That's why Benkei carried weapons.

    And where does the gambling happen in period dramas?
    At temples.
    The bookies running the gambling dens were temple monks — they were also the moneylenders of the era, and they used yakuza to collect debts.
    They'd let the yakuza run the gambling den, then lend money to the losers.
    That's actually where the word "terasen" (the house's cut of gambling winnings) comes from — "tera" means temple.
    158AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:34
    Re: #154
    The bell Benkei looted from Mount Hiei is actually on display at Onjō-ji Temple.
    Fun fact, both are in Ōtsu, right next door to Kyoto.
    And Mount Hiei, of course, is the place Nobunaga burned to the ground.
    172AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:42
    Re: #154
    Lol.
    No wonder ordinary people were so eager to join the anti-Buddhist purges back in the day.
    Should we do it again?
    194AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:55
    You can say all that, but are you really okay with never attaining Buddhahood?
    208AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:02
    Re: #194
    Nobody even knows whether there's a Buddhahood to attain in the first place.
    239AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:09
    Re: #194
    What, are you anti-Buddha now?
    211AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:02
    Every time there's a memorial service, the monks' gear gets flashier.
    Lately they're clanging these cymbal-looking things nonstop — so damn loud.
    214AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:03
    Re: #211
    Sounds like a heavy spender (like a whale in a gacha game).
    220AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:04
    Re: #211
    That's just how Nichiren Buddhism does things.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] Monk Snaps at Japanese People Who Keep Closing Down Their Graves: “Too Poisoned by Capitalism””.

  • AI-Generated Doujinshi Found Slipped Into Comiket, Opinions Split Over Whether It’s a Problem

    It emerged that a doujinshi apparently generated with AI had slipped into the Comic Market, sparking an ongoing debate on 5ch’s hardware/industry (Geha) board over “why exactly is AI generation bad?” Some argued there’s no problem as long as buyers can’t tell the difference, while others raised copyright concerns — and plenty of posters pointed out that the game industry already relies heavily on AI. Criticism was widespread for creators who falsely marketed their work as hand-drawn, but opinions on the use of AI itself stayed divided right to the end.

    3AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:10
    If you can't tell the difference, isn't that fine? 🥺
    13AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:20
    Re: #3
    It's not like people are inspecting the art before buying, so it can't be helped.
    52AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:50
    Games, anime, and manga fans are all anti-AI, right?
    Doujin culture is done for — if using AI counts as copyright infringement.
    56AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:52
    Re: #52
    Hand-drawn or not, the moment you go beyond prints and start selling digital copies or merch,
    it's basically a crime lol. Well, it's only prosecuted if someone files a complaint.
    58AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:52
    Re: #52
    The game industry is anti-AI?
    When they're already using it everywhere????
    55AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:51
    "Passion" is just a nice-sounding excuse — at the end of the day they're ripping stuff off to make money.
    The only ones allowed to complain are original creators whose characters get used without permission.
    79AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:58
    Re: #55
    The scary part is that those complaints are exactly what's coming.
    59AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:52
    I doubt the original creators are drawing the line at "manual copying is fine but AI is not" lol
    61AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:54
    Re: #59
    For some reason the doujin side seems to think it's fine as long as it's hand-drawn.
    75AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:58
    Re: #59
    AI's production speed is on a totally different level, so I bet people want to draw a distinction there.
    Well, there's no real way to tell the difference, so nothing can be done about it.
    60AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:53
    Re: #58
    That's dumb.
    There's basically no other industry that has to nervously explain its AI use to customers like this lol
    62AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:54
    Re: #60
    Nervously?
    What are you talking about?
    68AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:55
    Re: #62
    Honestly, game developers probably don't even understand why customers are angry.
    I don't get why people are this mad about AI either.
    70AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:56
    Re: #68
    What are you talking about, they use AI like crazy during development???
    What decade do you think this is?
    71AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:56
    Re: #68
    Even the people who are angry don't actually know why they're angry.
    81AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:01
    Re: #77
    Go ask about other industries too lol.
    You'll see how hard it is to explain things when the customers are clueless.
    84AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:02
    Re: #81
    Every industry uses AI these days…
    Did you seriously just time-travel here from the past?
    86AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:03
    Re: #81
    I figure they're training it on customers' personal data
    and using it to pummel any customer they don't like.
    Can't have decent intentions behind that.

    That's the lens I view that whole "controversy emblem" thing through —
    maybe I'm just being fooled though.
    98AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:10
    Re: #92
    Feels like programmers are actually the ones who'll be affected more, honestly.

    Well, but craftsmen losing work to automation has always happened —
    this time it just happens to include illustrators too.
    99AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:11
    Re: #98
    Simple software can already be built with zero programming knowledge these days…
    101AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:13
    Re: #99
    With AI manga, the art itself looks good since it's AI-made, but it comes off unnatural
    because the creator has no knowledge of manga storytelling technique.

    That's the common pattern right now.
    So truly zero knowledge doesn't really work.
    Once you're able to make something good, you're no longer at zero knowledge anyway.
    104AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:15
    Re: #101
    We're in an era where you can build an app without writing a single line of code, and you're still going on about "programming" lol
    112AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:20
    Re: #101
    Those manga storytelling conventions will get learned by AI too eventually.
    105AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:16
    Re: #104
    But you can't even give AI proper instructions unless you understand the general mechanics of how it works.
    111AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:19
    Re: #105
    Old man, you're way behind the times.
    You can make it without knowing any of that.
    There are literally cases of a woman with zero experience beyond office admin work single-handedly pulling off a company's digital transformation.
    115AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:22
    Re: #111
    No way.
    What you're describing is only possible in some wild future where AI senses human desires on its own and prepares things without even being asked.
    121AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:25
    Re: #120
    I don't get what you're saying.
    122AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:26
    Re: #121
    115 Anonymous-Trying-Way-Too-Hard 2026/08/24 (Mon) 13:22:28.96 ID:91HsHl1L0
    Re: #111
    No way.
    What you're describing is only possible in some wild future where AI senses human desires on its own and prepares things without even being asked.
    119AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:24
    It's easier to give orders to an AI
    than to a person, after all.
    120AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:25
    Re: #119
    By your own logic, if you're the one placing the order, doesn't that mean it's not really the AI doing it? lol
    123AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:26
    Re: #119
    I've hired illustrators advertising for work online a few times before — honestly they blow deadlines and don't even understand revision requests. It was a real headache.
    132AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:33
    If you just say upfront that it's an AI-generated illustration book, nothing happens.
    It's only the idiots faking hand-drawn art who are getting exposed.

    You could avoid all the risk just by labeling it properly, but for some reason they don't and get flamed instead — honestly, there's no word for that but stupid.
    135AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:35
    Re: #132
    Isn't it kind of crazy to say you should have to spell that out just to appease a handful of unhinged people?
    140AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:36
    Re: #132
    There's probably some kind of admiration for people who can actually draw by hand.
    161AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:50
    Publishers need illustrators and animators,
    but they don't need "AI masters" (a mocking term for people who just prompt AI instead of creating).
    164AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:52
    Re: #161
    In the future, won't the people with that kind of knowledge be the ones in demand?
    171AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:55
    Re: #164
    If you mean knowing how to write effective, efficient prompts,
    that skill will become unnecessary too once AI advances further.
    181AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:03
    Re: #177
    No, checking work and catching mistakes is exactly the kind of thing AI is good at.

    Going back to Re: #164:
    > "In the future, won't the people with that kind of knowledge be the ones in demand?"
    If anything, that's a skill in demand only right now — the kind of role that AI itself will replace down the line.
    172AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:56
    Re: #171
    Using AI is fine, but human error from people who can't use it properly is happening everywhere right now.
    174AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:59
    Re: #172
    That's because people are trying to use an unfinished tool out in the field lol

    Is this the final form of AI? No, right?
    I'm not saying transitional-period knowledge is worthless, but it's not something to cling to forever either.
    176AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:00
    Re: #174
    Training data has basically run dry already, so this is close to the final form.
    177AnonymousAug 24, 2026 14:01
    Re: #174
    No, the AI itself is doing its job fine — it's human error, sloppy usage and careless checking, that's the real problem.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “[Sad News] AI-Generated Books Were Mixed In at Comiket 😡 ← Why Is This Even Bad? 🥺 [30k Likes].”

  • Anti-Prostitution Law Review Panel’s Draft Report: Majority Say Buyers Should Face Penalties Too — Justice Ministry

    A Justice Ministry expert panel presented a draft report on revising the Anti-Prostitution Law on the 24th. It emerged that a majority of the panel favored introducing penalties for buyers, sparking debate on 5ch over the fact that prostitution itself isn’t currently a punishable offense, the potential impact on existing sex industry businesses like soaplands, and whether such a change would be consistent with the Constitution.

    Anti-Prostitution Law Review Panel’s Draft Report: Majority Say Buyers Should Face Penalties Too — Justice Ministry (NTV NEWS NNN) – Yahoo! News

    8/24 (Mon) 11:14 JST

    On the 24th, a Justice Ministry panel of experts — set up in response to soliciting for prostitution becoming a social problem on the streets of Tokyo’s Shinjuku and elsewhere — presented a draft report summarizing its discussions to date.

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

    7AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:43
    Prostitution itself isn't even a crime to begin with
    31AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:48
    Re: #7
    >Prostitution itself isn't even a crime to begin with

    That's just because current law doesn't classify prostitution itself as a crime — the panel has actually floated making prostitution itself a criminal offense.
    63AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:53
    Re: #31
    Prostitution is illegal — penalties only apply to managed prostitution (pimping) and solicitation.

    Constitutionally, prostitution can't be legalized. Since the Constitution bans discrimination based on lineage, status, and sex, prostitution that exploits sex can only be treated as illegal.
    It's just that simple prostitution — where the person doesn't solicit — carries no penalty, out of consideration for protecting women.
    17AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:46
    Women turn to prostitution way too easily these days.
    Schools should teach against it from a young age, like anti-smoking education.
    30AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:48
    Re: #17
    Teaching kids about prostitution from a young age? That's monstrous.
    25AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:47
    Wait, isn't it the buyer who gets arrested right now? Isn't that backwards?
    48AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:50
    Re: #25
    That's only when they buy a minor.
    28AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:47
    I doubt casinos can function without prostitution on the side.
    67AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:54
    Re: #28
    Honestly agree with this one. Sure, copy America on the tax side, but stuff like loan collection would need to ignore the law entirely to work — no idea which mafia ends up moving in.
    38AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:49
    Might as well punish shoplifting victims too, then.
    And murder victims should get penalized as well.
    49AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:51
    Re: #38
    We're talking about buying and selling here (it takes two).
    43AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:50
    Just shut down host clubs, sex work, pachinko, and hostess clubs while you're at it.
    90AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:57
    Re: #43
    That would make us no different from America or China.
    What makes Japan a standout among developed nations is that entertainment here is kept within a certain order.
    100AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:58
    Re: #90
    Private gambling dens and managed-prostitution establishments are both clearly illegal, though.
    242AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:26
    Re: #90
    Japan isn't even a developed country anymore.
    61AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:53
    It's illegal under the law, so buyers shouldn't complain about being punished too.
    They're probably dragging their feet on penalties because there are powerful people among the buyers.
    75AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:55
    Re: #61
    Most people struggling under this cost-of-living crunch don't have money to buy women anyway. Meanwhile, the powerful and wealthy have plenty of cash, so the ones with raging libidos might actually be in trouble if this gets regulated.
    62AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:53
    Just regulate both buyers and sellers, and make sure names get reported even for minors.
    65AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:53
    Re: #62
    For kids, just make it so the parents get arrested instead.
    77AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:55
    Re: #63
    There's no constitutional basis for discriminatory enforcement under the banner of "protecting women." The Justice Ministry probably can't even read the Constitution's Japanese.
    92AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:58
    Re: #77
    When the Constitution was drafted, prostitution for survival was pretty common…
    Even after it was enacted, there were "akasen" (red-line districts, areas where prostitution was tacitly tolerated).
    101AnonymousAug 24, 2026 11:59
    More important than any of that pointless stuff —
    will the women selling be okay financially?

    Are the judges going to help support them out of their own pockets?
    106AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:00
    Re: #101
    Judges are out of touch with the real world, so they'll say "just go on welfare" with a straight face.
    109AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:00
    Re: #92
    The concept of "protecting women" and the current Constitution are about as compatible as oil and water — basically not at all.
    112AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:01
    It's laughable to ban prostitution while also busting soaplands for managed prostitution.

    If they're going to do that, they should try wiping out soaplands entirely. Between the brothel-style shops and the delivery-health (call-out) services, what they're doing is plenty enough to count as prostitution already. The "we don't insert the penis" pretext lets anything go — they can openly advertise anal as an option, and nobody thinks that's insane? lol

    Even with some garbage law revision, everyone knows the police can't actually do their job properly.
    129AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:05
    Re: #112
    Actually, the direction is to phase out soaplands.

    Dating-app sugar-daddy arrangements ("papa-katsu") are juicier turf for police interests. Since all the data stays on record, they can crack down whenever they want a trophy case, and the amakudari (retired-bureaucrat) landing spot becomes "self-proclaimed IT company advisor."

    More appealing than the small change soaplands used to kick back.
    115AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:02
    Regulating both buying and selling should reduce the total number of women who end up miserable, so I say go for it.
    That said, I also think it'll push things further underground and increase the number of women who end up even worse off than now.
    138AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:06
    Re: #115
    So the number went up in the end, huh.
    136AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:06
    If you told the police that soaplands nationwide are doing prostitution, would they actually act on it? lol
    What a joke.
    144AnonymousAug 24, 2026 12:07
    Re: #136
    That's because a foreign employee snitched.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News Plus) thread “Anti-Prostitution Law Review Panel’s Draft Report: Majority Say Buyers Should Face Penalties Too — Justice Ministry.”

  • Cat Enjoying Sparkling Water Photo Sparks ‘Feels So Good’ Buzz in 5ch Chat Thread

    In a chat thread on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” board, users kept posting photos of a cat drinking sparkling water alongside pictures from Suma Aqualife Park. AI-generated images of the mascot Funassyi and exchanges about “Tentako” (a nod to 天体観測, “stargazing”) also flew back and forth, with regulars each chiming in with their own reactions.

    13AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:05
    24AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:08
    Re: #13
    What's this cat doing?
    29AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:08
    33AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:09
    Re: #29
    SQUISH SQUISH SQUISH
    36AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:09
    Re: #29
    It stings! It stings! It stings!❗❗❗
    39AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:09
    Re: #29
    Post more😳
    53AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:11
    Suma Aquarium was awesome
    57AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:12
    Re: #53
    You're such a tab-hoarder (obscure slang, exact meaning unclear)
    59AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:12
    Re: #53
    Anything but the turtle🐢, please
    65AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:13
    Re: #53
    That's from back when they still had the turtle
    56AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:12
    Re: #39

    63AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:12
    Re: #56
    So cute😍
    61AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:12
    90AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:14
    Re: #61
    Giving a cat sparkling water feels so good!👴🏿
    68AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:13
    Funasshoi! (Funassyi's signature battle cry)
    75AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:13
    Re: #68
    What's even the point of generating and posting a boring image like that?
    114AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:17
    From here on it's like a local TV station just looping reruns until nightfall
    124AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:20
    Re: #114
    Honestly they could just loop reruns of Tagawa and Ebisu's Local Line Bus Journey (a long-running Japanese travel show) forever, that'd be fine
    137AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:26
    140AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:27
    Re: #137
    Looks tasty~👴🏿
    147AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:29
    Re: #137
    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
    150AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:31
    Re: #137
    Aahh, that feels good~
    139AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:27
    Glad the princess looks like she's enjoying it.
    145AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:29
    Re: #139
    The one pouring the water is cute😍
    171AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:35
    Gonna give Nekomata Okayu (a VTuber) some sparkling water, nora🍬
    174AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:36
    Re: #171
    Alright, sentenced to the stabbity-stab treatment
    187AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:40
    Re: #174
    Got a pic of Nekomata Okayu actually being made to drink sparkling water?
    172AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:35
    Just a peek

    173AnonymousAug 24, 2026 13:36
    Re: #172
    Handsome dude, lol

    *This article excerpts and summarizes the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “『Tentako Watch』 Take care of me now, nora aaaa.ᐟ.ᐟ✨(・o・🍬)🏰.”