Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Shohei Ohtani Slammed as a “Part-Time Pitcher” — 5ch: “That’s Basically a Part-Time Auntie”

    Amid the MLB National League MVP debate, New York Post reporter Jon Heyman said on MLB Network that Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (24) has the edge over Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (32). Heyman described Ohtani as having “played half the season as a pitcher,” a remark that stirred controversy on social media. On 5ch, reactions split over the “part-time pitcher” label, with many mocking it by comparing Ohtani to a “part-time auntie” (a stock Japanese stereotype of a middle-aged woman working limited part-time hours).

    With the NL MVP race widely seen as leaning heavily toward the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong (24) — known as “PCA” — over the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (32), comments from veteran New York Post reporter Jon Heyman on MLB Network have stirred controversy.

    Heyman said, “Right now PCA is leading and he’s the most compelling story — he’s creating more ‘big moments.’” He went on: “He’s the best center fielder in the game. But Ohtani played half the season as a pitcher. I think that value — preventing runs — contributes far more than playing great center field for a full year.”

    The comment quickly rippled across social media, drawing intense backlash: “That’s dishonest — it goes without saying Pete beats him on offense and on the basepaths too.” “A full-time, 24-hour outfielder beats a part-time pitcher any day.” “Elite defense and baserunning are worth way more than half a season of pitching.” “Heyman’s a clown.” “Ohtani can’t be relied on at the plate or on the mound anymore, so there’s no reason to play him. PCA is incredible.” With criticism this fierce, the fallout risks alienating not just PCA but other center fielders too, and people are watching closely to see how it plays out.

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

    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:16
    Why do these guys always have such needlessly sharp wit lol
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:17
    Part-time auntie.
    Part-time pitcher.
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:17
    With reporters like this around, plus the Dodgers looking like division winners while the Cubs have zero shot at all — a unanimous MVP might be a tough ask.
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:18
    Re: #13
    Still going on about that lol
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:19
    "Pitched for half the season" (just April through June)…


    Isn't that only 3 months? 🤔
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:22
    Re: #17
    Pitching every 6th day for a fixed 6 innings is basically a part-time auntie clocking in 6 hours once a week lol
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:24
    Re: #17
    Don't you know a full season runs about half a year?
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:20
    The higher they hype you up, the harder/faster you crash back down lol
    69AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:36
    Re: #19
    Sounds like Kioxia's stock price (a famously volatile Japanese chipmaker).
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:20
    Fair enough, lol.
    Well, he can't pitch all year, and even when he starts he doesn't rack up innings, so honestly his value as a pitcher alone is shaky.
    With his bat slumping too right now, he's just turned into a mediocre player.
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:24
    Re: #22
    His career innings total is basically the same as a reliever's, so it's below "shaky," honestly.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:21
    To begin with, in 9 years he's only reached the qualifying-innings threshold once — and even then, barely, in his final start of the year. He starts 8 times out of 9 but still doesn't throw enough innings to qualify. So calling him a part-time auntie instead of a full-timer is just accurate.
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:25
    His body's a wreck, right? So why don't they send him down to the minors? Is it just business?
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:26
    Re: #39
    Because Ohtani doesn't listen to anyone — exactly the same as it was with the Angels.
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:28
    Re: #39
    Wouldn't NHK throw a fit? (NHK's Japan broadcasts lean heavily on Ohtani for ratings.)
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:29
    Re: #39
    He's stealing bases just fine, so injuries aren't an excuse.
    48AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:29
    Didn't know part-time aunties existed in America too.
    50AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:30
    Re: #48
    You don't know Stevie Wonder's song "Part-Time Lover"? It's about making a part-time auntie your girlfriend. (A joking misreading of the song.)
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:31
    Working two jobs' worth — amazing! No wonder his body's wrecked!


    But this is actually kind of weird —
    if he's really doing two people's jobs, his WAR is way too low.
    Combined it comes out to about 6, so that's only WAR 3 per "job."
    55AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:32
    Re: #53
    Honestly the whole "two-way player" label is misleading to begin with. Since he's DH-only, he's not playing defense at all — he's just pitching instead.
    56AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:32
    Re: #53
    Delete this, delete this, delete this.
    57AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:33
    Come to think of it, Ichiro was a monster. He was still playing at a normal level well past 40.
    60AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:34
    Re: #57
    Defense and "algae" aren't affected by slumps 🥺 (a pun — 走塁/baserunning and 藻類/algae are both pronounced "sourui")
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:40
    Re: #57
    He's not that impressive to begin with. It's like saying "my grades aren't great, but hey, I've never been late or absent."
    64AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:35
    There are countless players worldwide who've played multiple positions within the same sport. Heck, Kimutaku (actor Takuya Kimura, in a TV special) played all 8 non-pitcher positions — an "eight-way player," how ridiculous. Compared to genuine two-sport athletes like Bo Jackson (NFL and MLB) or Seiko Hashimoto (speed skating and keirin cycling), it just doesn't measure up.
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:35
    Re: #60
    Then Ohtani should just do that too…
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:37
    Re: #65
    He'll break… 🥺
    79AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:40
    He's a position player, but since he's DH-only with no defense, that's half a player. He's a pitcher, but he doesn't throw enough innings to qualify and only pitches half the season, so that's half a pitcher. 0.5 + 0.5 = 1. That's just a regular one-way player.
    93AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:47
    Re: #79
    Even when he does pitch, he usually only throws about half the innings of a normal starter, so honestly that math kind of checks out lol
    86AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:43
    Ohtani's already 32, huh.

    Kind of sad to think he's entering the phase where it's all about managing the decline from here.
    98AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:51
    Re: #86
    I thought he'd still be good at least through next year…
    94AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:47
    PCA is amazing — young, with a bright future, thriving as a real two-way threat on both offense and defense 😳 He's got everything Ohtani wishes he had 😳
    99AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:51
    Ohtani gets absolutely torn apart the second he's not at the very top — rough gig. Of course he's going to have his ups and downs.

    Background and Key Points

    MVP voting is supposed to reflect a player’s total “value” — batting, baserunning, defense, and pitching combined — but this dispute exposed just how much that calculus can vary by evaluator. Heyman weighted the rarity of preventing runs as a pitcher more heavily than the everyday contribution of playing center field. Critics argued Ohtani’s value should be discounted given how few days he actually takes the field, and on 5ch the “part-time pitcher” label snowballed into a running joke about his start schedule and usage pattern. Worth noting: this is just one American reporter’s opinion, not an actual MVP vote result. Some replies in the thread veered into personal attacks unrelated to the article and have been left out.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Livegalileo board) thread “[Sad News] Shohei Ohtani Gets Saddled With the Dishonorable Nickname “Part-Time Pitcher” in America wwwww.”

  • 5ch VIP’s AA Theater Blasts Off With ‘The Starship’ Saga

    A thread starring the kaomoji (´･ω･`) as its lead character went up in the AA (text-art) corner of 5channel’s Newssoku VIP board. This time the setup had (´･ω･`) playing captain of a spaceship called the “Starship,” ferrying a crew of 🗿(Moai statue), 🐘(elephant), and 🤖(robot). No matter how much the other posters ribbed the ship’s name — dubbing it the “Biker Gang Ship” or the “Mambo Ship” — or lobbed 💩 at the captain, (´･ω･`) dutifully corrected every single one with lines like “Nope, that’s not it,” “Take that back home with you,” and “…even though that’s not what’s happening,” and just kept on sailing. Gags nodding to Gundam and Toy Story flew back and forth throughout, and the whole thread stayed loose and silly from start to finish.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:42
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖 With my trusty crew
    holds out 🚀 — Now, off on our voyage through the galaxy!
    2AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:43
    ( ･᷄ὢ･᷅ ) Star… Bozes? (mangled mashup of "Star Wars" and bōzu, "monk")
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:44
    Re: #2
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Nope, that's not it
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:48
    Re: #5
    ( ･᷄ὢ･᷅ ) Then is it Gundam?
    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:43
    (´･ω･`) Oh! It's the Biker Gang Ship! (珍走団, mocking slang for reckless biker gangs)
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:45
    Re: #3
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — …even though we're treasure hunters roaming the galaxy
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:46
    ( ･᷄ὢ･᷅ ) Here, have Uncle's elephant!
    holds out 🐘
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:47
    Re: #11
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Be gone
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:47
    (´･ω･`) A total shift from last episode's crew-formation flashback! Off to the far reaches of space!
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:48
    Re: #14
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Unknown planets are calling out to us
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:50
    ( ･᷄ὢ･᷅ ) Good evening
    holds out 💩
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:50
    Re: #19
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Take that back home with you
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:50
    Λ_Λ
    ૮₍ ･᷇ ∀ ･᷆ ₎ა The sea of space is—
    holds out 🎤 — —my sea (nod to the famous Legend of the Galactic Heroes line)
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:51
    Re: #20
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Wonder what song that's from
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:51
    ､ i ,,
    　　　　　 .- * -←Re: #20
    　　　　　　."　＼
    　　　　　　　　　　　　　CLANG!


    　　　　
    　　／　　　 彡 ⌒ ミ
    　//　 　　 (＃　　　 )　　 ＼人_／
    (二二＝⊂（:::::::::::::::::）　　＜　　 ＞
    　　　　　　　 し—Ｊ　　　 ／Ｗ＼


    　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　⌒ ､丶＼　""''';;::::…..　…
    　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　／　　　　　　　..＼＼＼…..　''';;;.. ::.. ::… …. ..
    　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　／／　　　　　　…::. . ;　＼ ;GAH!'…;; .. . … ..
    　　　　　　　　　　　　　　／／／　　　　　　　　　　　　　''"ヽ""'''
    　　　　　　　　　　　　／　／　┏┓┛┛　　　　　　　　　　ノﾉ
    　　　　　　　(´⌒／／／／　 ┃┗┓　　　　　　　　　　 （ （
    　　　　(´⌒ ＿ 　 ＿ ⌒｀) 　 ┃┏┛┏┳┓　　　　　　　ヽヽ
    　　　　 　 ∠／∠／| ⌒｀） 　┗┛　 ┣┛┃　　　　　　　　）
    　　　从(´⌒从　 |／| 彡 ⌒ミ…￣||＼┗━┛　　　　　　＼从／ Re: #20
    　　(´⌒从 　　＠|／ （　　 　 ）　 ||　 |""""""""'''''''''''';;;;;;;;;;;;,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
    (´⌒　　从从　　从⌒/　　　つ_￣￣￣|　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　""""""'''''''''''
    　　(´⌒　从 　 　 从（__c＿,,_）　　　 　 |
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:52
    🚀💥👊👾🛸…What are you?! (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure reference)
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:53
    Re: #27
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — It's Inchiki-dō, the space pirate! (name puns on inchiki, "sham/fraud")
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:53
    Star Mambo Ship, GO!!!
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:54
    Re: #30
    (´･ω･`) Whoaaaaa!!
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:54
    Re: #30
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — …even though it's the Starship
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:55
    ✊(´・∀・｀) To infinity and beyond, let's go! 🚀
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:57
    Re: #33
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Oh! It's Leek Lightyear! (pun on Buzz Lightyear, negi meaning "leek")
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:56
    Uh oh! Not good! The Mambo Ship's about to blow!!!
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:57
    Re: #34
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — …even though it's not going to
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:56
    As always, it's gonna go KA-BOOM!!
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:58
    Re: #36
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — …and here you go being mean again
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:58
    Re: #38
    Gotta borrow Sunday's kaboom in advance
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:58
    Re: #40
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — …even though this marks the start of a legendary winning streak
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:58
    Re: #37
    (´・∀・｀) Wonder if it's the real deal → My name was supposed to be "Leek Lightyear," but someone beat me to it
    48AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:59
    Re: #43
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Fuahaha, fuahahaha
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:58
    (´･ω･`) I'm off tomorrow, so I'm having a drink!
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:59
    Re: #44
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Go experience zero gravity
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:59
    (◍•ᴗ•◍) I thought this was going to be a giant-bug movie…
    50AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:00
    Re: #45
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — What in the world is that
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:59
    But is the crew's weight really okay?
    Moai → stone, so heavy
    Elephant → obviously heavy
    Robot → metal, so heavy
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:00
    Re: #47
    Nobody's noticed they're way over the weight limit
    54AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:00
    Re: #47
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Don't you dare underestimate my beloved ship
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:00
    (´＠ᾥ＠｀) Loooook out!! A space storm!

    The crew's been swallowed whole
    A do-or-die crisis!

    W-h-a-t h-a-p-p-e-n-s n-e-x-t
    57AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:00
    Re: #52
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Fake previews aren't cool
    143AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:36
    Does the Starship happen to have a Warsman aboard? (Kinnikuman character, punning toward "Star Wars")
    146AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:37
    Re: #143
    ( `･Δ･´) If it combines with him
    it'll apparently turn into Star Wars
    147AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:37
    Re: #143
    (´･ω･`)🗿🐘🤖
    holds out 🚀 — Nope, he's not aboard

    Background and talking points

    This kind of AA thread is a staple of 5channel’s Newssoku VIP board: a kaomoji character like (´･ω･`) takes on a different role each time — a vehicle, a job, whatever the day calls for — and the fun lies in watching it stay perfectly, deadpan in-character no matter how much the other posters mess with it. This time it was cast as a spaceship captain, and it kept dutifully correcting every jab at the ship’s name, every 💩 handed to it, and every fake explosion, replying over and over with lines like “Nope, that’s not it” and “…even though that’s not what’s happening.” There’s no mention of any real person, group, or actual incident — it reads as just a lighthearted burst of internet-culture fun.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Newssoku VIP) thread “(´･ω･`) Launch! The Starship 🚀.”

  • L’Arc-en-Ciel vs. GLAY: Which Reigned Supreme in Their Heyday? 5ch Weighs In

    In the late 1990s, L’Arc-en-Ciel and GLAY were spoken of in the same breath as two of the most nationally beloved rock bands in Japan. A thread on 5ch titled “So which one was actually better, L’Arc-en-Ciel or GLAY?!” reignited the debate, with posters weighing in on peak-era concert attendance, sheer number of hit songs, the “visual-kei vs. mainstream pop” divide, and even the historical feud with talent agency Burning Production. Opinions split hard across more than 40 replies.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:31
    Gotta be L'Arc-en-Ciel, right?
    2AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:31
    6th grade… well, in the end life's all about luck.
    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:32
    GLAY doesn't even have a drummer, so they're not a real band.
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:44
    Re: #4
    There's no rule that says that.
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:33
    In the moment, GLAY.
    But long-term, I'd say L'Arc-en-Ciel.
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:34
    At their peak, GLAY was so dominant that every other band popular at the time basically admitted defeat.
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:34
    Feels like GLAY had broader mainstream appeal.
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:36
    Nobody sings L'Arc-en-Ciel at karaoke.
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:37
    Them headlining Summer Sonic this year (Japan's biggest summer music festival) proved it's L'Arc-en-Ciel.
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:37
    "Confused, I learn, breaking a sweat" ← lyrics that don't even sound visual-kei
    L'Arc-en-Ciel had more of an underground vibe — they were more of an otaku thing.
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:38
    GLAY's the more rock one — they took Burning Production (their old talent agency) to court and won.
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:38
    GLAY, easily.
    Honestly the gap was so big it's a stretch to even call them rivals.
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:41
    GLAY were never visual-kei, they were J-pop singers.
    That's why they had wider support.
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:41
    L'Arc-en-Ciel —
    flower
    HONEY
    NEO UNIVERSE
    Classics, every one.
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:43
    GLAY definitely had the mass appeal, but since TAKURO was the only one writing the hits, their musical range was narrow.
    If I'm gonna listen to GLAY, I might as well just listen to the Beatles or BOØWY.
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:45
    L'Arc-en-Ciel wins hands down on looks and music.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:46
    I think GLAY sold more, but L'Arc-en-Ciel's songs hold up better over time.
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:47
    GLAY at their peak.
    Now it's about even, maybe a slight edge to L'Arc-en-Ciel.
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:48
    GLAY's got two absolutely massive hits —
    "the more I think of you, ooh-ooh"
    and "pouring out this endless love"
    (seriously blanking on the actual song titles)
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:52
    GLAY —

    HOWEVER
    winter, again
    Yuwaku (Seduction)
    Kuchibiru (Lips)

    L'Arc-en-Ciel —

    HONEY
    NIJI (Rainbow)
    DRIVER'S HIGH
    READY STEADY GO
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:52
    Every L'Arc-en-Ciel song sold well, but they never had one true nationwide smash hit.
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:53
    If you asked everyone here to name their top 3 songs,
    the L'Arc-en-Ciel picks would overlap a ton,
    but the GLAY picks would probably be all over the place.
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:54
    GLAY → BELOVED
    L'Arc-en-Ciel → NEO UNIVERSE

    Just my favorites.
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:00
    Re: #34
    Also gonna add — I liked GLAY's SURVIVAL too.
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:56
    Comparing vocalists, L'Arc-en-Ciel wins by a mile.
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:57
    Re: #35
    TERU (GLAY's vocalist) is naturally cute, okay?
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:56
    Real fans go for L'Arc-en-Ciel, bandwagoners go for GLAY.
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:57
    GLAY → Maria Makino

    L'Arc-en-Ciel → Juju Asakura, Rin Kawana
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:58
    Re: #38
    Wait, Keronnu's into L'Arc-en-Ciel?
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:00
    Up until around 2000 it was GLAY.
    After that, L'Arc-en-Ciel pulled ahead thanks to anime theme songs.
    Right now L'Arc-en-Ciel's members are on bad terms with each other while GLAY's all buddy-buddy, so GLAY's on top.
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:06
    Re: #44
    Back then it really was overwhelmingly GLAY's era, yeah.
    54AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:06
    GLAY has a signature song. L'Arc-en-Ciel doesn't.
    55AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:07
    Re: #54
    I mean, HONEY and NIJI are basically their signature songs.
    63AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:15
    GLAY's hidden gem, "Sen no Knife ga Mune wo Sasu" (A Thousand Knives Pierce My Chest).
    64AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:17
    Re: #63
    That song's got kind of a corny intro, but the lyrics are so heartbreakingly good it's incredible.

    Background and key points of the debate

    L’Arc-en-Ciel and GLAY both rose to prominence in the mid-1990s, leading the wave of J-rock bands that defined the era, and have long been discussed as peers of the same generation. GLAY is often cited as the symbol of mass popularity thanks to their two-day open-air concert at Makuhari Seaside Park in 1999, which drew a massive crowd, while L’Arc-en-Ciel, despite its visual-kei roots, has broadened its fanbase across generations since the 2000s through anime theme-song tie-ins. GLAY’s lawsuit against their talent agency, Burning Production, is another historical episode frequently brought up when comparing the two. The thread kept coming back to a “mainstream GLAY” versus “L’Arc-en-Ciel for connoisseurs” framing, but opinions diverged depending on whether the yardstick was sales, concert turnout, or personal taste in songs — and readers should note that posters never actually agreed on what “better” even meant.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello Project board) thread “So which one was actually better, L’Arc-en-Ciel or GLAY?!.”

  • PS’s disc-elimination plan — 5ch: “Wasn’t DVD already fully cracked?”

    A boycott movement dubbed “NO DISC NO BUY” has sprung up over PlayStation’s plan to drop discs from its next-generation console. As a countermeasure, a proposal surfaced on 5ch’s hardware/industry (Geha) board for a “key disc” scheme: keep the actual game data as a download, but burn just a cheap startup key onto a DVD for distribution. The thread split over whether this would really stop piracy given that DVDs are supposedly already fully cracked, and whether Sony actually wants to eliminate disc drives altogether — the debate never converged.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 09:58
    With a DVD key disc, manufacturing costs wouldn't be as steep as Blu-ray.
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:07
    Wasn't DVD already completely cracked?
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:10
    Re: #6
    Does "cracked or not" even matter for something that's just a key?
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:21
    Re: #7
    What happens when the key itself gets copied?
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:31
    Re: #7
    There were people in other threads too who think a key disc can't be cracked — how do you even end up thinking that?
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:18
    PC games use DVD key discs, so isn't DVD the cheapest option?
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:24
    Re: #10
    Sony used to press its own CDs/DVDs/BDs in-house. Going forward they're apparently dropping pressing altogether, so continuing would mean relying on outside contractors — and moving from in-house to outsourced naturally drives costs up.
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:21
    It looks like the most reasonable option, but the fact that Sony isn't doing it suggests they want to use this as a chance to wipe out the used-game market.
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:24
    Re: #11
    Though killing off physical stores has zero upside.
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:29
    So they're putting a disc drive in just to read a disc that doesn't even hold the game data? (lol)

    That's just dumb lol
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:32
    Re: #18
    It would also let you use your old PS4 and PS5 discs.
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:39
    Re: #21
    If you're putting in an expensive BD drive anyway, why not just put the games on BD too? I don't get what they're going for.
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:46
    Re: #21
    Even if old discs work, there's no benefit to Sony in the first place.
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:37
    Why is PlayStation dropping discs anyway?
    Did they weigh the benefits of going download-only against the backlash it'd cause, and decide the former wins?
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:40
    Re: #22
    Management decided based only on profit from digital content sales, since physical brings in less. Sony shows zero user-first thinking in its other businesses either — they look at everything purely through efficiency.
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:41
    Re: #24
    It can be made cheaper than Blu-ray, so if they were ever going to reverse the decision, this is basically the only way left — the factories have already been repurposed.
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:45
    Re: #26
    That contradicts the "BD drives aren't sustainable" argument. Sure, there's a real cost gap between pressing DVD and BD, but that's a trade-off against copy protection.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:42
    If they're going to bother putting in a DVD drive at all, I think a USB key card would work just as well.
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:42
    Re: #27
    That wouldn't let you use PS4 and PS5 games though.
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:47
    Re: #28
    I don't see why that would make them unusable — both PS4 and PS5 have USB ports.
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:49
    Re: #28
    DVD wouldn't work with PS4/PS5 in the first place anyway, would it?
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:54
    I completely don't get the logic that switching to a USB dongle would make existing discs unusable. Just plug the dongle into USB and let the drive handle reading the disc — that's all there is to it.
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:57
    Re: #40
    There's no way they'd include a drive if there's no key disc — this is about the future, including the next-gen console.
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:57
    Re: #40
    The whole point of a dongle is not needing a drive. If you're putting in a drive anyway, there's no dongle cheaper than a disc, so it's pointless.
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:03
    Re: #43-44
    So USB dongles and discs are unrelated then. Whether a disc can be read comes down to whether there's a drive, which has nothing to do with whether there's a USB dongle.
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:11
    Re: #47
    What is Sony even saying here? Did they say they're releasing a USB dongle? Never heard of that.
    50AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:15
    At this point Sony doesn't even want to make drives, let alone discs.
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:18
    Re: #50
    Exactly. People need to first understand that dropping discs = wanting to eliminate drives too.
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:19
    Re: #50
    The OP just doesn't get this, that's all.
    60AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:24
    Re: #49
    And Re: #1 is arguing that even outsourced, DVD could be made at a cost equal to or cheaper than pressing BD in-house.

    So what's the point of proposing a pricier USB dongle here?

    Isn't that only reasonable if you actually buy Sony's claim that drives and pressing plants will vanish from the earth within a year or two?
    62AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:25
    Re: #60
    Why are you flatly asserting a USB dongle is high-cost? What's your basis? What would it actually run?
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:38
    Re: #62
    Obviously a brand-new little gadget with a fresh mold, plastic, and an electronic chip is going to cost more.
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:42
    Re: #67
    Huh? That's literally what Re: #62 just said, isn't it?
    80AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:14
    You don't put the key on the disc — you put the lock on the disc. The server holds the key, and if it can open the lock on the disc's side, it releases the data. Since the key stays server-side, it can't leak unless the server itself gets hacked. Putting the key on the disc would be terrible security.
    81AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:21
    Re: #80
    So what does that mean? That a key DVD could actually be made pretty secure?
    92AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:53
    Re: #80
    But then that's just an annoying download version tied to your account, nothing more.
    96AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:10
    Actually, what Re: #80 is describing is the scheme Microsoft once proposed that SIE (Sony) killed. Buying a disc and booting it up links it to your account (you obtain a private key). Once linked, even if the disc is later sold used, nobody else can boot it.* The idea was for publishers to get a cut of the fee charged for issuing a new private key whenever a used disc changed hands.

    *Each disc carries a unique serial number, and numbers already in use get rejected during server authentication. DVDs don't have this unique number, which is why the original proposal (Re: #1) would be hard to pull off.
    97AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:12
    Then why can Switch 2 do it?
    98AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:14
    Re: #97
    What do you think it can do? You can't even boot it without inserting the key card.
    99AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:31
    Re: #97
    Because, just like the name says, it's a card that literally holds the key.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    This debate is set against the backdrop of Sony reportedly scaling back its own disc-pressing operations, which would push outsourcing costs up. There were two main points of contention: (1) whether the disc material (DVD vs. BD) is actually tied to resistance against piracy, and (2) whether a scheme that hands over only startup rights — without the actual game data — would be accepted at all. In reality, for this kind of “key disc,” it’s the server-side authentication method, not the disc material, that determines security; a different material doesn’t directly translate into stronger or weaker copy protection. It’s also worth noting that Nintendo’s Switch 2 already uses “Game-Key Cards” that omit the game data for some titles, making this proposal a similar concept. As for the claim raised in the thread that “Sony once blocked a used-sales-linked authentication scheme proposed by Microsoft” — that’s one poster’s interpretation, not an officially confirmed account, so it should be taken with a grain of salt.

    *This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [Geha]) thread “The ultimate countermeasure to PlayStation’s “NO DISC NO BUY” movement has to be a DVD-based key disc — this solves everything.”

  • MS Adds Playtime Limits to Xbox Cloud Gaming — 5ch: “Gaming PC Owners Won’t Even Notice”

    It’s come to light that Microsoft has placed a cap on usage time for “Xbox Cloud Gaming,” the cloud streaming feature of Xbox Game Pass, sparking discussion on 5ch’s Hardware/Industry board (Geha). Previously, subscribers could play without worrying about the clock, but the terms have reportedly been revised to impose a monthly usage limit. In the thread, some pointed out that this hits hardest for people relying solely on the cloud version via a Fire TV Stick or laptop, while those who already own a PC or Xbox console won’t be affected; others read it as a cost-cutting measure meant to avoid a price hike. The discussion also drew comparisons to usage limits on competing cloud services.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:26
    It's a real struggle pretending I didn't notice this.
    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:27
    Gaming PC crowd: "Not a problem!"
    Xbox console crowd: "Not a problem!"

    Oh no… ((((;゚Д゚)))) (kaomoji for a shocked, blood-drained face)
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:35
    Re: #3
    The Xcloud version is built on the console version's specs, so no matter how small the screen, the image quality just isn't something gaming PC folks would accept.
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:30
    Wait, does this time limit also apply to streaming games you actually own on the cloud?
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:31
    Re: #10
    No mention of that.
    It's strictly the usage time tied to the subscription perk.
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:33
    People who've been playing on a Fire Stick or laptop must be devastated. If you already own the hardware, it's not much of a hit.
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:34
    Re: #15
    Guess this is the perfect excuse to finally buy a gaming PC.
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:33
    As a Game Pass member, less money wasted elsewhere means Game Pass itself gets even better

    so no problem here.
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:50
    It's kind of wild how hard people are defending a downgrade like this.
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:07
    Honestly I own both an Xbox and a gaming PC, but downloading games is a hassle and eats up storage, so I'd bet the more hardcore Game Pass users actually rely on cloud streaming the most.
    100AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:49
    Re: #31
    Yeah, it's about using the right tool for the job.
    Xcloud is plenty for something like a JRPG, and I don't want to eat up storage on the console.
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:18
    Just a year ago it was all "this is XBOX" and calling anyone who didn't get MS's cloud strategy a "goki" (slur for PlayStation fans, lit. "cockroach"),
    but the second Phil [Spencer] and Sarah Bond got pushed out and MS gave up on cloud, they started saying only PS fanboys use cloud gaming.
    At the end of the day, these people just unconditionally agree with whatever MS leadership says at any given moment — there's no real thought behind any of it.
    50AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:23
    It was supposed to be a perk exclusive to Ultimate members, but letting PC and even Essential-tier members use it unlimited to begin with was just an insane policy.
    Going back to Ultimate-only, or charging extra for it, is the normal move here.
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:24
    Re: #50
    At the end of the day it just comes down to: what was Sarah Bond even trying to do?
    54AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:26
    Re: #50
    PC Game Pass shouldn't even have cloud access to begin with.
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:25
    Even when they raised the price, the pace of Game Pass additions didn't change — but if they'd lowered the price, the additions would've dropped for sure.
    A downgrade doesn't make something else better; a downgrade just means the next downgrade is already lined up.
    I know Xbox fanboys will lose it and scream "PS fanboy!" if I leave it at that, so I'll add:
    PS Plus is the same story — raising the price didn't improve the lineup either, and in Japan you still can't play it on PC.
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:26
    Re: #52
    It's overflowing with day-one releases every time though? Do some research before you post, it's embarrassing.
    57AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:28
    Re: #1
    Thought this was a joke but it's already been changed for real, lmaoooooooo
    https://www.xbox.com/ja-JP/xbox-game-pass
    79AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    Re: #57
    MS really doesn't waste any time, huh.
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:41
    Re: #53 You're the one who should do some research.
    I've been an Ultimate subscriber continuously since '22, and I have a pretty good sense of how the pace of additions has changed over time — that's exactly why I'm saying it's dropped.
    69AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:46
    Re: #65
    Impressive how you're emphasizing "since '22" just to flex your credentials.
    That's basically starting a thread with zero sources.
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:49
    If I remember right, GeForce Now's cheaper plans have time limits too.
    In other words, unless you're on the priciest plan, unlimited cloud gaming just isn't a thing.
    73AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:55
    Re: #70 The cheapest plan — or rather, the free plan — caps each session at 1 hour, but there's no monthly cap.
    Even the top plan caps each session at 8 hours, but again, no monthly cap.
    With GeForce Now you can just log back in and start a fresh session.
    80AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:08
    Paying ¥1,650 a month and only getting 15 hours of cloud play? That's just done.
    84AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:24
    Re: #80
    You think that whole price tag is just for the cloud feature?
    98AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:46
    Re: #80
    It's ¥1,550, you clearly haven't even played ("airplay"/eapure — slang for talking about a game you've never touched).
    88AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:29
    Re: #86 Thanks to that? Did you forget CoD got pulled?
    89AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:31
    As long as it doesn't mess with my point-farming ("poikatsu" — earning reward points/gift cards through subscriptions and services), I honestly don't care.
    92AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:38
    Re: #89
    The current situation is just untenable, honestly.
    They'll probably walk it back before long.
    Best to keep a low profile about it.
    99AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:48
    Re: #92
    Sorry, it went up because of the recent app rollout.
    With Ultimate plus console/PC/smartphone, I consistently clear 16,500 points a month [about ¥1,800 in Amazon gift cards].
    101AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:50
    Re: #99
    Maybe subtract the ¥1,200 worth you can get for free?

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Xbox Cloud Gaming is a feature bundled with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and its main selling point was letting people play without owning a console or gaming PC, streaming everything over the cloud instead. In the thread, it’s easy to miss that this new time limit applies only to cloud usage granted as a subscription perk — there’s no mention of it affecting cloud streaming of titles you’ve actually purchased (comments 10 and 12). It’s also worth noting that rival cloud services like NVIDIA’s GeForce Now already impose per-plan usage caps of their own (comments 70 and 73), so Xbox isn’t uniquely singling itself out with an unusual restriction. Opinions in the thread are split between reading this as an anti-abuse measure and as a cost-cutting move, and since Microsoft hasn’t offered a clear explanation, that’s something this article itself can’t confirm.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “[Sad News] MS: “We’re Adding Xbox Cloud Time Limits” — Isn’t This Only a Problem for Certain People? lol“.

  • Education Minister Blasts Videos Mocking Fukushima University — 5ch Claps Back: ‘It’s the Idiots Who Won’t Shut Up About Hensachi’

    Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Yohei Matsumoto criticized online videos that mock Fukushima University over its low “hensachi” (a standardized deviation score used in Japan to rank how hard it is to get into a given university), saying at a September 4 post-cabinet press conference that “judging research capability by hensachi alone is inappropriate,” according to the Mainichi Shimbun. The comment comes amid a growing wave of video content that ranks and stirs controversy over universities based on hensachi. On 5ch, users debated the tendency to conflate hensachi with research strength, the responsibility of the people who make such videos, the business model of cram schools that fuel the ranking frenzy, and what actual research-output data say about universities.

    Education Minister criticizes videos mocking Fukushima University: “Judging research strength by hensachi is inappropriate” | Mainichi Shimbun

    September 4, 2026, 12:43 PM (last updated 9/4, 12:44 PM)

    Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Yohei Matsumoto at a post-cabinet press conference, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, 10:50 a.m., September 4, 2026. Photo by Kanami Igawa.

    Source: mainichi.jp / Original article here

    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:30
    Well, if you actually went to university properly, you'd know that ranking universities as research institutions by hensachi alone is just plain stupid.

    But people who "merely attended" a university don't get that, so it can't be helped.
    180AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:33
    Re: #6
    The fake Hezuma is literally "the guy who only attended Kyoto University (but never actually graduated)" lol (Hezuma Ryu is a notorious Japanese troll YouTuber.)
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:36
    Cram schools, which invented hensachi in the first place, are seriously the guilty party here.

    They're the ones who created hensachi-obsessed idiots.
    103AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:45
    Re: #12
    ○ (as usually said): "They created hensachi-obsessed idiots"
    ◎ (more accurate): "It's the idiots who won't shut up about hensachi"
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:37
    Why are you getting into a serious argument with a guy whose highest completed education is high school after dropping out of university, lol
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:40
    With so many people getting in through recommendation admissions these days, people are still going on about hensachi.
    Private universities don't even publish the hensachi of their enrolled students.
    Maybe that's exactly why people cling to hensachi — because they're desperate for something, anything, to point to as evidence?
    However you get in, if you graduate without repeating a year, that makes you a student at that university's level.
    Someone who stays enrolled for six years, only manages to advance twice, and then drops out — that's not really a "student."
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:47
    Re: #24
    For Takeda Juku (a major cram school chain), a student who gets in via recommendation and quits the school in the fall is less profitable than one who takes the general entrance exam and stays enrolled through March.
    So they just keep hyping "take the general exam, not recommendation" because it makes them more money.
    The hensachi-baiting is probably the same story.
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:51
    Re: #31
    Makes sense.
    It's all about money after all.
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:41
    The opinion that you don't want low-achieving people handling super important issues isn't a problem in itself.
    Not something the minister needs to make a fuss about.
    82AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:24
    Re: #25
    Japan got completely wrecked by people who were merely academically high-achieving, though…
    Over 30 years of negative growth — that's a more miserable result than some countries in the middle of a civil war, lol

    What do you think about the fact that this "academic ability" you keep citing isn't even a valid yardstick?
    Though I bet you'll just come back with more sophistry, lol
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:50
    Whether it's Miiyama or Wakatte (YouTube creators known for provocative content that ranks and mocks universities by hensachi), I personally think content like that is fine to exist — but the people involved and the viewers shouldn't try to socially justify it.
    Harmful content should be treated as harmful; the people making it and watching it should put it out there and consume it without hiding behind self-justification, that's how it should be.
    56AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:00
    Re: #39
    There are way too many people who do something socially harmful and then scramble to cover themselves.
    Stuff like that is supposed to be enjoyed with the understanding that it's harmful content in the first place.
    58AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:03
    Re: #56
    So should Hezuma Ryu also be enjoyed as "harmful content" then?
    That's different, isn't it?
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:21
    Re: #58
    Hezuma and Tachibana are on a different level, since they incite harassment and attacks against specific individuals.
    That's not just tasteless, harmful content anymore — it crosses into legal territory.
    63AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:12
    Getting seriously worked up over what's just some YouTuber's bit.
    Engaging with it at all means you've already lost, yet it's nothing but idiots doing it.
    80AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:22
    Re: #63
    Exactly this.
    With all this fuss being made, they must be thrilled.
    Since the early days of the internet, the rule has always been: ignore the trolls.
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:14
    Education Minister Matsumoto (a Keio alum):
    "Tch! Some Waseda Education Department nobody, talking back to Kyoto University Econ?! ♪ Keio, King of the Land~!" (a line from Keio University's famous fight song)
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:17
    Re: #68
    Well, sorry to say it, but Kyoto University Econ > Keio Econ.
    …and there I go putting on my own smug "well, actually" face too, lol
    69AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:15
    So, don't these flame-bait channels usually pull one last big stunt and then vanish? Doesn't seem like it leads anywhere — wonder what they're planning to do next.
    76AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:20
    Re: #69
    Controversy-farming for views by saying extreme things eventually crosses a line, draws backlash from a huge number of people, and turns you into public enemy number one.
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:16
    No, that should be proportional — otherwise you have to ask what kind of system is even going on here.
    97AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:40
    Re: #70
    There's stuff like specializing in a particular field, or having strong ties with companies, and so on.
    73AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:17
    Well, but Japan's research capability is in shambles, you know.

    Nature Index 2026
    (World ranking of research institutions)
    #1: Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (China) 3,655.10
    #2: Zhejiang University (ZJU) (China) 1,276.85
    #3: Harvard University (USA) 1,259.01
    #4: Tsinghua University (China) 1,213.59
    #5: Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) (China) 1,191.47
    #6: University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) (China) 1,128.58
    #7: Peking University (PKU) (China) 1,066.49
    #8: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) (China) 1,055.67
    #9: Nanjing University (NJU) (China) 952.65
    #10: Sichuan University (SCU) (China) 880.93

    China has 9 of the top 10.
    Japan doesn't get its 9th entry until #209 (Kyushu University).
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:20
    Re: #73
    When it comes to research capability, Waseda and Keio are beyond beyond out of the running.
    Waseda and Keio aren't universities — they're just glorified job-hunting prep schools.
    129AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:01
    Re: #73
    What about the size of the university (number of professors)?
    92AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:38
    This is exactly why I think Japan is done for.
    Globally, credential inflation has advanced to the point where you can't even claim to be elite without at least a master's degree.
    But Japan still has this whole dynamic of deciding social rank based on which university you got into.
    109AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:48
    Re: #92
    Well, that's because the employment system is different.
    151AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:10
    X (Twitter) users are shocked at how low the hensachi of regional national universities has fallen.
    Even I was surprised it had dropped this far.
    We shouldn't look away from the reality that the academic ability of regional university students is rapidly declining.
    153AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:12
    Re: #151
    It's not really about being "regional" — the weaker national universities ("zakoku," slang for low-tier national schools) have always been at this level.
    THE definition of overrated.
    179AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:33
    Re: #151
    Your opinion here would probably change once you actually look at the Common Test (Japan's standardized university entrance exam) percentage scores, lol
    155AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:14
    It's not really about it being Fukushima specifically — the hensachi-based treatment is no different from when it was Fukui University. That said, making content that mocks people based on academic background is trash to begin with, so I don't feel sorry for them.

    157AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:16
    Re: #155
    Just like you're free to choose Watami (a restaurant chain infamous in Japan for grueling "black company" working conditions) as your employer,
    choosing Fukushima University as where to go to school was that person's own decision.

    If it's fair game to make fun of Watami, isn't it also fair game to make fun of Fukushima University?
    159AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:18
    Re: #155
    Fukushima is a taboo subject for Tokyo, you know.
    Tokyo can't just stay quiet when Fukushima gets dissed over the nuclear plant issue.
    183AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:35
    Japanese universities in the Nature Index 2026
    University of Tokyo: #26
    Kyoto University: #60
    Osaka University: #117
    Tohoku University: #125
    Institute of Science Tokyo: #168
    RIKEN: #169
    Nagoya University: #185
    NIMS (National Institute for Materials Science): #203
    Kyushu University: #209
    Hokkaido University: #212
    University of Tsukuba: #428
    AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology): #449
    Keio University: #472

    The list only went up to #500, but Japan had the 13 institutions listed above.
    China had 198 institutions in the top 500!
    189AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:40
    Re: #183
    Correction: University of Tokyo is actually #27, not #26.
    193AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:43
    Re: #183
    The Nature Index is essentially just a ranking of the medicine/physiology field.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    It’s unusual for Japan’s Ministry of Education to comment on a specific online video, and the remarks come against the backdrop of a growing wave of YouTube-style content that ranks universities by hensachi to stir controversy. Hensachi, strictly speaking, measures how difficult it is to be admitted to a school — fundamentally different from “research capability,” which is measured by things like paper citation counts — but the two are easily conflated in public perception. Within the thread, there was broad agreement in criticizing the tendency to judge universities by hensachi alone, but opinions diverged over who bears more responsibility (video creators or viewers), whether the cram-school industry’s marketing tactics fuel the hensachi-baiting, and how to interpret actual university rankings like the Nature Index. It’s also worth noting that the Nature Index cited in the thread is a metric centered mainly on paper data from the medicine and physiology fields, and is not a figure that reflects a university’s overall strength.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News Plus) thread “Education Minister criticizes videos mocking Fukushima University: “Judging research strength by hensachi is inappropriate”.”

  • JoJo’s Final Boss Fights: Were Parts 4 and 6 the Only Ones That Actually Made Sense? 5channers Debate

    Final boss battles in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure are often criticized part-by-part for relying on convenient plot developments, but a thread on 5ch’s “Nanidemo Jikkyo G” board sparked a broader debate after someone claimed “only Parts 4 and 6 had a boss fight that actually made sense.” Posters pointed out that Part 1 never truly defeats DIO, Part 2 wins mainly thanks to the power of nature, and Part 3’s sudden ability for a Stand to stop time feels like it comes out of nowhere — while many praised Part 6’s structure, where Emporio, who inherits Pucci’s fate, is the one who finally settles things. The thread also drifted into side debates about how Joseph is rated and how Stand awakening actually works, which kept the replies coming.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:37
    Talking about Parts 1 through 6:
    Part 1: Never actually defeated him
    Part 2: Won by luck
    2AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:39
    Honestly, they're all convenient plot developments though.
    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:45
    Re: #2
    I think Part 6 beats the final boss within the actual rules of the Stand's power. Though it's still a fair question how Emporio managed to insert the disc, since fate is supposedly fixed and can't be changed.
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:48
    Re: #3
    Pucci's side had some pretty wild convenient developments of its own, honestly.
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:01
    Re: #3
    Wasn't Pucci the only one who could actually change fate? He's the one who had the disc inserted into him.
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:54
    Kira introducing himself by name in Part 4 has to be the single most convenient plot moment.
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:56
    Re: #13
    He got too hyped up and let his real self slip out — he figured he'd basically already won.
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:16
    Re: #13
    Maybe that scene is just the best outcome after trying it over and over outside the main story (fans theorize it's a reset loop).
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:57
    I love how Emporio, who carries on the Joestars' will, is the one who defeats Pucci, who carries on DIO's will.
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:01
    Re: #17
    Exactly. I think it's a beautiful ending — the DIO-vs-Jonathan feud that started back in Part 1 finally gets settled not by blood relatives, but by two unrelated people who each inherited someone else's will.
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:03
    Re: #14
    That's as sloppy a plot hole as Light's victory speech in Death Note.
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:05
    Re: #22
    With Death Note's Light, though, it was established early on that his personality is to taunt back whenever he's taunted — like how he provoked L in a way only L would understand, right as L was dying.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:06
    Part 1 actually did beat him properly — DIO just conveniently came back to life afterward. Part 2 also basically won using the power of nature since they couldn't win otherwise, and Joseph wasn't even planning to survive.
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:09
    Re: #27
    Well, Kars is genuinely immortal, so that was really the only option.
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:10
    The strongest enemies are really Kars and his group. With Stands, beating the user's body is usually enough — but these guys can't even be beaten by Stand abilities in the first place. Their bodies are fine even if dynamite explodes inside their stomach.
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:12
    Re: #29
    A Stand is sometimes called a "ghostly Ripple" (a spin-off of Hamon/Ripple energy), so maybe it would actually work on them.
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:20
    Being weak to Ripple energy and sunlight is actually a pretty serious weakness.
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:28
    Re: #36
    The part where Straizo breathes his last using Ripple technique and kills himself is great.
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:24
    When it's not just a simple slugfest but an ability-battle series, writing a satisfying final boss really is tough.
    48AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:29
    Re: #41
    There are just too many "invincible-type" ability users to begin with — a lot of them feel like, if you cleverly get around their limits and conditions and set the right trap, you could beat them one-on-one, whether it's Sensui, Raizen, or even final-form Kars.
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:26
    Is Part 3 really that much of a convenient plot development? Kakyoin and the old man [Joseph] actually go through steps to figure out and reveal the enemy's true ability.
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:30
    Re: #44
    But from there, Jotaro being able to move within stopped time and eventually stop time himself — that part's definitely convenient.
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:28
    Stand users from Part 3 onward are physically just regular people, right? They never trained by climbing an oil-covered pillar or anything.
    58AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:32
    Re: #46
    Climbing the oil-covered pillar wasn't for building physical strength, it was Ripple training. People who can produce a Stand naturally from birth (or via the bow and arrow) don't need that kind of training.
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:29
    Fine, The World stopping time is broken but whatever — so why did Star Platinum end up able to stop time too?
    62AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:34
    Re: #49
    There was that line about them being "the same type of Stand!" which I guess counts as foreshadowing, though I thought that just meant close-range types. Also, I wasn't a fan of how Jotaro could move in DIO's stopped world but it never worked the other way around — DIO just stayed frozen.
    63AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:34
    Re: #49
    It's said Stand abilities are determined by the body (DNA), and that stopping time is an ability that manifests (sometimes) specifically in the Joestar bloodline.
    55AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:32
    Re: #14
    Always going for the 3rd-place trophy shows he could never fully hide his need for recognition.
    64AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:34
    Re: #55
    That's part of what makes Kira so human, even though he's a serial killer.
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:35
    Re: #63
    The Joestar family's Stand is that crappy weak crane-looking thing, right?
    73AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:42
    Re: #65
    Joseph used Ripple constantly from a young age, so it's said his Stand manifested as a materialization of that Ripple energy. Maybe, actually, someone who knows nothing about Ripple at all is more likely to manifest a powerful Stand shaped by their own tastes, desires, and subconscious?

    Someone desperate to win at gambling gets a gambling-specialized Stand, a guy who loves guns gets a gun Stand, and someone who secretly fears the Joestar family as an arch-enemy gets an unbeatable, combat-specialized Stand.
    77AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:43
    Re: #73
    So Joseph was secretly a peeping-Tom pervert who hid it well…? 🤔
    81AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:44
    Re: #73
    Holly's Stand (even though she couldn't control it) was also that crane, and DIO manifested the crane too — that one's really Jonathan's Stand.
    82AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:45
    A power where you have to break a camera to do spirit photography — what a lame ability. Sounds like it must've been useless until he figured out how to actually use it.
    91AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:49
    Re: #82
    Given Joseph's personality, wasn't it probably that he lashed out emotionally at something and just happened to produce spirit photography by accident? He must've been freaked out the first time his Stand activated.
    94AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:50
    Re: #82
    At some point he could suddenly project live footage from inside a body or draw maps with it. In Part 4 he even tried using it to search for a boulder — it does way too much for how lame it seemed at first.
    88AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:47
    But if it weren't for convenient plot developments, the manga probably wouldn't be as fun.
    89AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:48
    Re: #88
    Part 6, which was basically a pile of convenient developments, was boring as hell, so it evens out.
    90AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:48
    Re: #88
    Fair enough — I'm not saying convenient plot developments are inherently bad.
    107AnonymousSep 4, 2026 19:01
    Why is Joseph so underrated despite everything he actually accomplished? If anything, Lisa Lisa — who acted like such a big deal the whole time, never beat a single enemy, and even dragged her allies down — is somehow overrated instead.
    110AnonymousSep 4, 2026 19:03
    Re: #107
    I wish we'd gotten more actual fight scenes from Lisa Lisa — it felt too little, too late when she finally took on Wired Beck or whatever his name was.
    116AnonymousSep 4, 2026 19:07
    Re: #107
    But I think a lot of people do like Part 2 Joseph.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure began serialization in 1987 and is known for swapping out its protagonist and ability system with each new part. Final boss fights in shonen manga are an easy target for criticism over “last-minute convenient plot developments,” and this thread follows that pattern. Opinions were especially split over Parts 3 and 4: some argued Part 3 isn’t really “convenient” since Kakyoin and Avdol work step by step to uncover the enemy’s true identity, while others questioned how Jotaro’s Stand ability to stop time came about in the first place. Kira’s declaration of his own name in Part 4 also drew mixed readings — some called it “a slip caused by overconfidence,” others saw it as “the best outcome of repeated attempts outside the main story.” Note that the explanations of Stand-awakening mechanics discussed here aren’t confirmed by the original work — they’re fan theories and speculation.

    *This article was compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nanidemo Jikkyo G) thread “Honestly, weren’t Parts 4 and 6 the only ones with a final boss beaten in a way that actually made sense in JoJo?.”

  • Alphard used car prices tumble, inventory quintuples — 5ch: “They’ll still nail you on the residual loan”

    TV Asahi-affiliated news reported that used-car prices for the Toyota Alphard are falling even as inventory has swollen to more than five times last year’s level. The report’s central question is why used prices would drop in a market where new-car sales are said to be strong. On 5ch, this sparked concrete discussion of how residual-value loans (“zan-kure”) work and the conditions under which extra fees kick in when the car is returned. Opinions also split on the Alphard’s design, its reputation as an “image-driven car,” and just who actually drives one.

    Used Alphard prices fall, inventory more than quintuples — why, in a booming market?

    9/4 (Fri) 12:18 JST

    TV Asahi Network (ANN)

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

    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:45
    Well, it's good news for people who need a car right away after flood damage — easier to get one now
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:46
    Re: #14
    What are you even gonna do with a flood car that can't drive?
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:51
    Re: #14
    Imagine buying it and it turns out to be a flood-damaged one, that'd be a bad laugh
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:46
    Hiace
    Prius
    Alphard

    Cars swept away by their own image
    69AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:53
    Re: #19
    In the countryside it's the Crown
    The "Prius rocket"
    The residual-loan Alphard

    They're all Toyotas lol
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:48
    So what happens with the residual loan? Is it gonna be an extra-charge festival?
    90AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:55
    Re: #33
    They'll probably find some excuse to squeeze even more money out of you
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:49
    The Fairlady Z NISMO dropped too — was around 8 million yen last year, now it's down in the low 6 millions
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:50
    Re: #39
    The Z is nice, I'd want one as a second car
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:49
    Everyone buys new on a residual loan and dumps it after 3 years
    76AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:54
    Re: #40
    They're not selling it — they're giving up and returning it
    59AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:52
    So does that mean, like, the trade-in was set at 3 million but it's dropped to 2 million by the time you return it? Is that how it works??
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:54
    Re: #59
    No — the residual-loan contract guarantees the trade-in price upfront. So even if the market price after 3 years is lower than agreed, it's the dealer who eats the loss, not you
    60AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:52
    You just hand the car back and get hit with an extra 2 million yen at return time, right?

    Just take out a loan
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:53
    Re: #60
    They take your car and now I gotta open a "Lawson" too? (pun on rōn/"loan" and the Lawson convenience-store chain) That's the worst
    67AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:53
    Re: #46
    Only the NISMO trim has dropped, the other grades haven't budged. The price gap with the lower grade used to be over 3 million yen and now it's down to about 500,000 — so is the NISMO… trash?
    86AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:55
    Re: #67
    With the minor update, the NISMO finally got a manual transmission, and the front brakes now match the GT-R's. Guess rich guys will trade up for it?
    84AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:55
    Cars you actually see driving around town these days
    Alphard
    Prius
    N-BOX
    111AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:57
    Re: #84
    I see a lot of Lapins too for some reason
    99AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:56
    Re: #78
    They'll point out scratches, dirt, whatever, and lowball you on the price
    139AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:00
    Re: #99
    They don't pull sketchy rental-car-company moves, it's a proper dealer. And honestly, small scratches only knock off about 10,000 yen per spot — the rule of thumb is basically "deep enough to catch your fingernail on"
    108AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:57
    Re: #86
    Automatic transmission
    Manual transmission

    They're both "transmissions," you know
    153AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:02
    Re: #108
    6-speed transmission

    Happy now?
    126AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:58
    Seems like everyone and their dog drives an Alphard
    The ownership rate among "yankees" (delinquent/biker-gang subculture types) is oddly high
    207AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:07
    Re: #126
    They're heavily used as executive cars in banking and finance. When you're waiting around at meeting venues, including chartered hire cars, it's roughly 60% Alphard, 40% Crown. Very occasionally you'll spot a Vellfire too
    129AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:58
    Build quality feels cheap but the price is way too high.
    I'd rather have a Hiace or a Delica.
    135AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:59
    Re: #129
    Are you dissing Nissan?
    150AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:00
    Re: #135
    Can't help it, the Caravan is trash
    159AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:02
    Re: #150
    Not the "space police" one — the one that came out recently. Forgot the name
    157AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:02
    Isn't the Alphard just kind of tacky though? That ridiculous "tower-condo" grille, the nonsensical chrome trim on the B-pillar, plus that skirt on the rear end — it's like an overdone old lady, reeks of try-hard
    180AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:04
    Re: #157
    You'd get it if you actually drove one — for that body size, it drives so normally it makes the first-gen Odyssey look outdated by comparison. The suspension isn't floaty and bouncy like a Cedric/Gloria or Crown. The fact that it drives like a completely ordinary car is honestly impressive in its own way
    196AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:06
    Re: #157
    It's less about tacky-or-not and more that it was a genuinely fresh design built around "sheer convenience." Minivans were already popular with families, but a big van is also extremely handy for corporate use (including for presidents and executives). Because that format is so practical, other automakers kept rolling out similar designs, so the Alphard's rarity value has eroded relative to the rest of the field

    Background and key points of this discussion

    A residual-value loan (“zan-kure”) is structured so that when the car is returned after, say, three years, the dealer — not the customer — generally absorbs the difference if the market price has fallen below the pre-agreed residual value. The thread includes a correcting reply noting that “it’s the dealer who takes the loss, not the customer,” so the assumption that falling prices automatically mean the user gets hit with extra charges isn’t quite accurate. That said, it’s worth noting as fact that reduced valuations for scratches or dirt are a separate matter and can genuinely occur. As for why used inventory has swollen fivefold, possible factors include a batch of residual-loan contracts from a few years back reaching their return date, or the model’s initial rarity fading after a redesign — but the article itself doesn’t state this explicitly, so it remains speculation from the thread. The debate over the Alphard’s design and who actually drives one is likewise just impression and opinion, not backed by any statistics.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Breaking News Plus) thread “[Automobiles] Used Alphard prices fall, inventory more than quintuples — why, in a booming market?“

  • Blood Donations from People in Their 20s Have Halved in 15 Years — Why Won’t Young People Donate?

    According to Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data, the number of blood donors in their 20s fell from roughly 1.13 million in fiscal 2009 to about 660,000 in fiscal 2024. A Nippon Foundation survey found that fewer than 10% of people in their teens and 20s have ever donated blood. On 5ch’s “Live News (Anything Goes)” board — a general live-commentary board — this figure sparked a thread with over 40 replies debating why young people won’t donate, from the point that being on regular medication disqualifies you, to frustration with a system that leans on unpaid “goodwill,” to calls for paid donations or tax breaks.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:20
    According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of blood donors in their 20s fell from about 1.13 million in fiscal 2009 to about 660,000 in fiscal 2024.
    A Nippon Foundation survey found that fewer than 10% of people aged 10 to 29 have ever donated blood, even once.
    Recent statistics show about 210,000 donors aged 16-19, about 660,000 in their 20s, and about 700,000 in their 30s — the younger the age group, the fewer the donors.
    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:20
    Sounds like the main donor base is old geezers in their 40s
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:22
    It's because they reject you instantly if you're on any medication at all

    I can't donate anymore since I can't go without my meds
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:23
    Re: #9
    If it's just a little medication, quit it before you get dependent, dumbass
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:23
    I'm not getting paid, so I have zero interest in helping anyone else
    Cracks me up thinking some idiot might die because I didn't donate
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:24
    Re: #19
    Bet you'll remember this post while you're dying in an accident because there wasn't enough blood for your transfusion
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:24
    Working folks already carry a huge burden, and now they want to squeeze blood out of them too — rough being young these days
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:27
    Re: #22
    The ones getting squeezed are the geezers in their 40s
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:24
    No way I'm giving away my blood for free, you'd better pay me a fair price for it
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:25
    Re: #24
    Back when selling blood was legal, a lot of people pushed themselves too hard selling it and died
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:25
    It's on you guys for spreading hepatitis and HIV around with blood products and reused needles
    There's no point doing something that carries risk with zero upside
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:26
    Re: #27
    It was America that made the HIV-tainted blood products
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:29
    Might as well let supply run short
    They should build a system that can sustain itself without relying on people's goodwill
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:31
    Re: #39
    You're the one who'll die from lack of blood when you get in an accident
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:31
    Re: #39
    That's actually a fair point
    There's even a theory going around lately that the intestines produce blood (a fringe pseudo-science claim)
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:32
    In the end this problem would be solved instantly if we stopped pouring resources into extending old folks' lives
    58AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:34
    Re: #46
    Is there actual data backing that up?
    48AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:32
    It's because what you get for donating has gotten so cheap
    Also give out way more detailed test results
    Do that and I'll consider it
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:33
    Re: #48
    It's already way more detailed than a regular health checkup, that should be plenty
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:33
    Why are they trying to get someone else's precious blood for next to nothing?
    That's basically begging
    55AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:34
    Re: #53
    Back in the day it was called bloodletting — they paid you to have your blood drawn and thrown away
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:40
    Old folks have more free time on their hands, so just have them donate instead
    Why don't they do that?
    77AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:41
    Re: #75
    Can't — their blood pressure's too high
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:41
    Re: #75
    Old folks probably have chronic conditions and are on medication
    88AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:45
    Heard most of it ends up being used to keep old people alive longer
    91AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:47
    Re: #88
    Do old people really run that short on blood? Why?
    92AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:47
    I'd like to donate but I don't have the time and I hate needles
    Also I don't know my own blood type so I probably can't anyway
    94AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:48
    Re: #92
    They check your blood type every time
    They take about a millimeter of blood from your fingertip right before
    93AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:48
    Give me your blood for free! Though if there's extra I'll just go sell it myself lol
    97AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:49
    Re: #93
    It's basically like recycling collection
    100AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:51
    If cash rewards are a no-go, why not just hand over a solid amount of necessities like food or hygiene products as compensation instead? Blood's a huge money-maker anyway, right?
    104AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:52
    Re: #100
    With prices this high, something like that might actually help
    109AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:55
    Re: #100
    The Red Cross's blood donation program basically runs at a loss
    Who told you it's a huge money-maker?
    102AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:51
    Calling it "goodwill" — are you trying to say people who don't donate are "evil"?
    How rude of you
    106AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:53
    Re: #102
    You'll do as today's target, I guess
    108AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:54
    If direct cash payments are off the table, they could at least track it through the My Number system and give a resident-tax discount for every donation
    116AnonymousSep 4, 2026 20:57
    Re: #108
    A tax break for donors sounds reasonable
    Though honestly, taxes are too high even without that — they should just scrap the consumption tax

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    Japan’s blood supply shifted entirely to unpaid, volunteer donation in 1964, after an incident in which the U.S. ambassador to Japan was stabbed and the poor quality of “purchased blood” used in his transfusion became a public scandal — ever since, “voluntary, unpaid donation” has been national policy. The 1980s also saw the drug-induced HIV scandal, in which unheated blood products imported from overseas spread HIV infections; the exchange in replies #27 and #31 is a reference to that history. Elderly people often fail to meet donation eligibility criteria because of high blood pressure or regular medication, which is part of why the burden of supplying blood falls disproportionately on the working-age population — feeding young people’s sense of being unfairly squeezed. Calls for paid donation remain persistent, but the Japanese Red Cross Society’s blood donation program itself reportedly runs at a loss, which is why some in the thread proposed alternatives like tax breaks instead.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (“Live News (Anything Goes)” board) thread “[Mystery] Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: “Young people these days don’t donate blood at all. Makes no sense”.”

  • ‘Legal High’ Starts Streaming on FOD — Fans React to Discovering Ai Yoshikawa’s Child Actor Role

    With the drama “Legal High” now streaming on Fuji TV’s “FOD” service, discussion on 5ch’s Geinou/Sports News+ board turned to praise for the show itself, starring Masato Sakai and Yui Aragaki, as well as the discovery that popular actress Ai Yoshikawa had appeared as a child actor. Yoshikawa went on to appear in acclaimed works like “Gonzo,” “Antarctica: A Chef’s Tale,” and “Suzuki Sensei,” before later breaking through as the lead in an NHK morning drama. The thread drew a wide range of reactions looking back on the show, including comments from people who signed up for the ¥100 first-month campaign, complaints about the FOD app running slowly, and regret that a sequel was never made.

    September 1, 2026

    “It’s streaming now so I watched it again for the first time in a while — genuinely still great.”

    “Nice one, Fuji TV!”

    Source: news.livedoor.com / Original article here

    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:49
    I wish it were on Amazon Prime
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:00
    Re: #4
    Same, Netflix would've worked too
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:49
    Ai Yoshikawa's in it too, you know (´・ω・`)
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:50
    Shame there's no season 3
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:55
    Re: #8
    Is it because Taguchi was in it?
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:52
    Ai Yoshikawa shows up in it too, back when she was a child actor
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:53
    Re: #12
    That role was really great, wasn't it
    She was basically the definition of a child prodigy actor
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:52
    Sakai and Gakki were great, but would I actually pay to watch it again? That's the question
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:56
    Fuji TV's old dramas were great, but paying for them now is a different story
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:57
    This is the legendary drama that cemented Yui Aragaki's popularity with male fans
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:57
    Only rich people subscribe to such a niche service
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:59
    Re: #20
    It was ¥100 last month
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:58
    Didn't know anyone ('yashi' — old-school 2ch slang for 'guy') actually subscribed to FOD
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 17:59
    I signed up for FOD right when it was ¥100/month, same as Amazon Prime, so I might watch it before it runs out
    I was in it for Galileo, but once they recast the partner role it got kind of meh
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:02
    This kind of vibe is unbearably cringe, I dropped it after episode 1
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:02
    Karin Ono was in it too?
    Wonder if that was before or after Antarctica: A Chef's Tale
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:19
    Re: #27
    Also, in order:

    Gonzo (2008)
    Antarctica: A Chef's Tale (2009)
    Suzuki Sensei (2011)
    Legal High Special (2013)
    That's the sequence, and besides those she's kept appearing in pretty famous dramas and movies every year since her child-actor debut
    95AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:54
    Re: #51
    Oh, the kid from 'Is There Love There?'
    99AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:59
    Re: #51
    Oh, that's her all grown up
    I've seen every episode but never noticed
    Guess I'll rewatch
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:03
    I remember it was still watchable on Amazon Prime for a while even after Taguchi got arrested
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:03
    There were a ton of wooden-acting actors playing the rival lawyers, which just made Masato Sakai stand out more and Gakki's cuteness really pop.
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:06
    So the ¥100 first-month campaign was running until September 2nd
    You could've told me sooner
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:06
    There are quite a few people who reluctantly signed up for FOD this year just to watch F1
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:06
    Karin Ono was in Antarctica: A Chef's Tale too, right?
    That movie got re-released recently and she made a surprise appearance at an event for it
    58AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:26
    Re: #33
    That brings back memories — I watched Antarctica: A Chef's Tale on opening day at a Shinjuku theater hosting an event, right after pulling an all-nighter for work
    Couldn't catch the stage greeting though
    Wasn't expecting much, but the movie was so good I ended up wishing I'd seen the event afterward
    Glad I got to see footage of it recently lol
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:12
    Signed up thinking I could watch Legal High for ¥100, but FOD is a pain to use
    On top of that, it just spins and spins at night and won't play at all
    No other service does this
    This is exactly why Fuji TV gets mocked
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:15
    Re: #38
    U-NEXT buffers a lot too
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:14
    I've got discs I rented and painstakingly burned back in the day
    Wonder if my player still works
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:16
    Re: #41
    You should just convert them all to mp4
    55AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:24
    FOD recently started streaming 'No Money!' too, so I was tempted to subscribe
    56AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:25
    Re: #55
    And it was ¥100 just a few days ago
    57AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:26
    This drama should've gotten a follow-up, but Fuji never managed it — typical incompetence
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:33
    Re: #57
    But that's how we got Confidence Man JP instead
    You could say they made money off the box office and by selling the overseas remake rights
    And it let them make the anime Great Pretender too
    60AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:29
    Masato Sakai's intensity in this show was incredible
    The chemical plant episode was the best
    62AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:31
    Re: #60
    The part where he rile up the old man, I could watch that on repeat
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:34
    I want to watch it, but where's part 2?
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 18:35
    Re: #68
    All the specials are up too

    Background and Discussion Points

    FOD often runs limited-time campaigns, such as a ¥100 first month, when it begins streaming existing titles, and it seems many people in this thread signed up specifically because of that. The main focus wasn’t so much the show’s content as the discovery that Ai Yoshikawa had appeared in it as a child actor — replies went on to trace her subsequent roles in acclaimed works like “Gonzo,” “Antarctica: A Chef’s Tale,” and “Suzuki Sensei,” turning the thread into a rediscovery of her career before she broke through in an NHK morning drama. At the same time, several commenters flagged the FOD app’s sluggish performance, making complaints about the viewing experience more prominent than complaints about the show itself — a notable feature of the thread. There were also plenty of comments looking back on the series itself, including reassessments of Masato Sakai and Yui Aragaki’s performances at the time and speculation on why a sequel was never made, giving the thread more depth than a simple nostalgia trip.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Drama “Legal High” Starts Streaming on Fuji TV’s “FOD” — The Popular Morning-Drama Heroine Who Actually Appeared as a ‘Junior High Student’ Before Her Breakthrough.”