Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Tunnels’ Kinashi Noritake Roof-Sitting Controversy: Rapper ACE Laments ‘I Miss the BIG3 Era’

    On the April 25 broadcast of ABEMA’s show “Kinashi Record,” Tunnels’ Kinashi Noritake climbed onto the roof of guest rapper SHO’s gold Mercedes-Benz, laughingly banging on the bodywork and saying, “Oh, this dents, doesn’t it?” On September 3, fellow rapper ACE weighed in on X, saying “both hip-hop and comedy have gotten so small-minded” and “this has become an era where I miss the BIG3,” sparking a wave of discussion. On 5ch, some pointed out that in the actual footage SHO himself had invited Kinashi over, saying “It’d look cool if you sat here” — leading to a split between those defending the incident (citing that repair costs and an appearance fee were covered) and those criticizing it as “Showa-era sensibilities that don’t fly anymore.”

    9/3 (Thu) 4:27 PM

    Rapper ACE posted on X on the 3rd, commenting on the controversy surrounding Tunnels’ Kinashi Noritake (64), who climbed onto the roof of fellow rapper SHO’s car during a joint TV appearance.

    The scene in question is from an episode of ABEMA’s “Kinashi Record,” streamed on April 25. Kinashi climbed onto the roof of the gorgeous gold Mercedes-Benz belonging to guest SHO, laughing as he thumped the bodywork with a dull thudding sound and said, “Ah, this dents, doesn’t it?” SHO, meanwhile, looked visibly tense, saying, “That might be a little dangerous…”

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

    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:22
    More importantly, what's going on with Ishibashi?
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:24
    If it happened to him, he'd probably lose it ten times harder.
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:24
    >In the actual show, SHO himself introduced his car to Kinashi and encouraged him to sit on it, saying, 'It looks cool if you sit here.'
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:25
    Impressive — he's rhyming "tagataga" with "gatagata."
    (a play on "takadaka… de gatagata" — roughly "don't kick up such a fuss over a mere car")
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:25
    He was just sitting there normally, then got told "climb up a bit more." Something about the vibe, so he climbed up, and then, "oh, this dents." In the end it's all about how it's edited, isn't it?
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:25
    It made me stop and think — is "don't kick up such a kada-kada over a mere car" deliberately swapping "gata-gata" (rattling/fussing) for "kada-kada" as a pun on "takadaka" (mere/just) and the "ka" in "car"?
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:26
    So rappers bow down to the powerful (big-name celebrities), huh.
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:27
    First off, it'd be good to clarify whether everyone commenting has actually watched the show.
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:27
    Sucking up to power — and even Sanma himself denounces this stuff nowadays.
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:27
    Hip-hoppers lining up one after another to cash in on the publicity.
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:31
    If some junior celebrity did that to his own Porsche, he wouldn't find it funny.
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:31
    Even if he had prior consent and the network promised to cover repairs or gift him a new car, wrecking someone else's car just isn't comedy anymore.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:33
    Re: #21
    The power-harassment generation will find this hilarious. ("gebageba" — a nod to old-school rowdy Showa-era TV comedy)
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:32
    Someone around him really needs to tell him Showa-era sensibilities don't fly anymore… Being such a big name, he's turned into the emperor with no clothes.
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:32
    Only throw stones if you'd be totally fine with someone stomping on something precious of yours just because you'd get paid for it.
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:33
    Re: #25
    If it were really precious to him, he wouldn't have invited someone to climb on it.
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:32
    Well, true — if you're a rapper, you'd want that "I can replace my car anytime" kind of swagger.
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:34
    Even back in the heyday of the Comedy BIG3, trashing some unknown rapper's car wouldn't have been funny.
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:34
    SHOwa-style laughs, going all in — here we go, HipHopper♪ (a pun on his name "SHO" and "Showa")
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:34
    Yeah, when it comes to bags, it's gotta be ACE. (a pun — ACE is also a famous Japanese luggage/bag brand)
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:35
    Every industry these days has gotten so small and buttoned-up.
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:36
    A rapper getting flustered over a car scratch is pretty uncool, true — though Kinashi did take it too far.
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:38
    So Kinashi's the victim now? People are piling on too hard — guess it's a generation that doesn't know the "Range Rover Golf" bit. (likely a reference to an old Tunnels comedy skit)
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:44
    https://imgur.com/Oe8NkWm.jpg
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:46
    https://imgur.com/NKTJ12O.jpg
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:47
    https://imgur.com/f2q2MpT.jpg
    https://imgur.com/RrEYSEY.jpg
    48AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:47
    He got paid an appearance fee on top of the repair costs — what's the problem?
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:49
    Re: #48
    So you're saying it's fine to break someone's bones as long as you pay medical bills plus consolation money?
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    If the real Takeshi did it, everyone would just shut up, right?
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:02
    Re: #51
    Takeshi and Sanma themselves have said that wrecking cars for laughs is outdated now.
    77AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:10
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GS6C7i4a4AAFb-j.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E6-r_VNX0AEg-Oa.jpg
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:11
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DxgvRlEUUAE1N70.jpg
    86AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:15
    The ACE I know is some flashy pretty-boy type — who the hell is this guy?
    89AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:21
    Re: #86
    Aren't you mixing him up with t-Ace?
    87AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:18
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HHjlNdcbsAAAj1u.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJQSH7eV4AEzB5B.jpg
    90AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:25
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HKfjDDkbkAArCBS.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ea2GpXGU0Acj04w.jpg
    96AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:30
    https://imgur.com/HDgmwam.jpg
    https://imgur.com/lOfpclU.jpg

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    “BIG3” is a nickname for the trio that has topped Japan’s comedy world since the late Showa era, and there’s a cultural backdrop in which rough, body-on-the-line horseplay was tolerated as a form of affectionate teasing (“kawaigari”). ACE’s comment reflects nostalgia for that era’s atmosphere, but as some in the thread pointed out, it’s easy to overlook that Takeshi and Sanma themselves have recently dismissed car-wrecking gags as outdated — meaning the “BIG3” image ACE idealizes doesn’t quite match how the people involved see things today. It’s also hard to tell from the article alone that, while the show aired in April, ACE’s comment and the resulting online debate only took off in September — nearly half a year later. Taken in isolation, the roof-climbing scene looks high-handed, but the fact that SHO himself encouraged Kinashi to get on the car is an important piece of context driving the split in opinion.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisokuho+) thread “Rapper ACE on Kinashi Noritake’s ‘Roof-Sitting’ Controversy: ‘Both hip-hop and comedy have gotten so small-minded,’ ‘I miss the BIG3 era’”.

  • Ex-NHK Announcer Anna Nakagawa Reports Groping on Train — Some Ask “Why Not Call the Police?”

    Anna Nakagawa (32), a former NHK announcer now working as a freelancer, updated her X (formerly Twitter) account on September 4th, revealing an unpleasant incident of physical contact she experienced on a train. She said a man sitting next to her pretended to be dozing off while letting his arm hang down and positioning his hand near the gap between her thighs, recalling how “it sent a chill down my spine” at the time. The post drew a wave of sympathy on a 5ch thread, but reactions were split — some argued she “should have reported it to the police before posting on social media,” while others suggested the close quarters of a packed train may have led to a misunderstanding.

    Fri, Sep 4, 3:15 PM

    Former NHK announcer, now freelance, Anna Nakagawa (32) updated her X (formerly Twitter) account on the 4th, writing about receiving inappropriate contact from a male passenger on a train and revealing that “it sent a chill down my spine.”

    Nakagawa explained the situation at the time: “The man sitting next to me on the train was asleep and kept nearly leaning against me a few times, but that part didn’t really bother me.” However, she said there was then “suspicious behavior” — “he suddenly let his arm go limp and positioned it so his hand ended up between his and my thighs.”

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

    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:47
    Sekiguchi: "Whether you believe it or not is up to you" (a nod to TV host Hiroshi Sekiguchi's famous catchphrase from the show 'Unbelievable!')
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:47
    Announcer Anna Nakagawa shares her theory on men's "eye movements": "I could tell he'd just been looking at my chest" — "Women always know exactly where they're being looked at"
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    Announcers shouldn't be riding trains — take a taxi. She's basically leaking her own personal info by doing that.
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    Groping someone's lower body requires bending down, doesn't it? Or are these gropers all just short guys?
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    A "dynamite honey" would be fine too, wouldn't it — wouldn't it — makes me dizzy just thinking about it ("dynamite honey" = old slang for a woman with a stunning figure)
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    This person only ever talks about stuff like this.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:49
    Once you're as good-looking as me, women sit right next to you even when there are other empty seats.
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:52
    Re: #27 As expected of Master Koyuzo (veteran rakugo comedian famous for racy jokes)
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:50
    This person's weapons are her English and her body.
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:51
    She's done a full lap through variety shows and now she's faded out — like an M-1 champion who can't handle unscripted talk (M-1 is Japan's top comedy competition).
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:51
    She's acting like she can't believe someone would actually do this, but that just shows how little she knows about the state of manners in Japan.
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:52
    Why post it on social media but not report it to the police?
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:52
    Even guys find it gross when a stranger touches them.
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:53
    Even NHK employees can't afford a car and have to ride the train? That's rough.
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:53
    Japan's a groping superpower — Rena Yamazaki said so herself, quite emphatically.
    71AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:12
    Didn't he just click his tongue after getting a look at her face?
    90AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:45
    Re: #71 Ah, nobody wanted to say it, but…
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:12
    Why not put together a team of a plainclothes policewoman and a couple of plainclothes male officers and send them undercover into the train cars known for heavy groping?

    If a groper touches the plainclothes policewoman's butt, she gives a signal, and the two plainclothes officers blending in with the other passengers box him in from front and back and arrest him on the spot.
    74AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:13
    Re: #72 They're already running sting operations like that.
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:14
    Works out fine for the perp, huh? (said in Tohoku dialect)
    82AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:27
    Re: #75 Sorry to disappoint, but I don't ride trains anyway (said in Tohoku dialect)

    Background and Points of Debate

    Public figures disclosing groping incidents on social media is nothing new these days, and the thread itself brought up Rena Yamazaki’s remarks as an example of similar experiences being shared elsewhere. Part of the backdrop here is that groping cases are notoriously hard to prosecute unless the offender is caught in the act, and reporting to police after the fact often fails to lead to identifying the culprit. Some in this case asked “why not go to the police,” but the original article never actually states whether she filed a report or not — so assuming she just suffered in silence simply because she spoke up on social media would be premature. At the same time, inferring intent from something as subjective as “the movement of his eyes” involves elements that are hard to treat as hard evidence, and that gap between the lived experience and how convincing it reads to outsiders is part of why posts like this tend to split opinion.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “Former NHK Announcer Anna Nakagawa’s Frightening Experience on a Train: “His Hand Ended Up Between My Thighs…” — Man Clicked His Tongue When She Tried to Change Cars, “It Sent a Chill Down My Spine”.”

  • Impressionist Katrina Yoko marries Guri of comedy trio “Big Small’n”

    Impressionist Katrina Yoko (28) announced on her Instagram on September 4 that she has married Guri (35) of the comedy trio “Big Small’n.” Katrina is well known for her impression of Momoe Yamaguchi. In the 5ch thread reacting to the news, more than the marriage itself, commenters were struck by “wait, I thought Big Small’n was a duo!” — with the thread’s focus centering on how the group came together and its recent success on YouTube.

    9/4 (Fri) 15:31

    Impressionist Katrina Yoko (28) announced on her Instagram on the 4th that she has married Guri (35) of the comedy trio “Big Small’n.”

    Katrina, known for her impression of Momoe Yamaguchi, posted an image of a statement on her Instagram. The statement, addressed “To everyone who supports us,” read: “We are writing to announce that we, Guri and Katrina Yoko of Big Small’n, have gotten married.”

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

    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    I thought Big Small'n was a duo
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    Re: #5
    Same here
    Who's the green guy?
    101AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:44
    Re: #5
    Wait, "Big" and "Small" — isn't that just two guys?! (that was the joke)

    Guess he actually joined back in 2019
    So it's three middle-aged guys: 49, 51, and 35
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    I thought Big Small'n was a comedy duo
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    Hold on, these guys have been on TV for like 20 years — there's no way one of them is only 35
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    Re: #7
    They started out as a duo, then a third member joined later to make it a trio
    The one who just got married is the one who joined later
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:08
    Re: #7
    They originally worked as a two-man act, then brought in a disciple as a member
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    Isn't Big Small'n a duo? When did they multiply?
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    So it's the "not actually Big Small'n" member of Big Small'n
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    I remember them as a duo called something like Gon and Chiro
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:05
    A rare case of a fan later becoming an official member
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:05
    Huh? I thought they were a duo… did they add someone?
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:06
    I figured Big Small'n were younger, but turns out they're a trio now and I don't even know this third guy
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:06
    Big or Small — which one is it?! And then it turns out there's a third guy too
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:06
    Big Small'n, quietly turned into a trio at some point
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    There's a guy in Big Small'n I've genuinely never seen before
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    He admired Big Small'n and tried to become their apprentice, and they basically said "just join us then" — and that's how they became a trio
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    So which is it, the big one or the small one?
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:08
    They were on "Bari Sugo Voiger 7," right? Sounds like the cast had a drinking party — not sure if Big Small'n was there, but there was a photo of a guy who looked like Kenken
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:09
    I did see Katrina Yoko on Chidori's "Oni Renchan" — makes you wonder what's going through Tamu-tamu's mind right now (nickname for comedian Atsushi Tamura)
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:10
    Looked it up, seems he's the small one

    Also turns out the big one is only 183cm (6'0") — not even that huge
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:10
    (ヽ´ん`) Shin-san…
    https://cdn.livepocket.jp/image/FxbwIaK7j7kEercNXFJTjPmPwFcaQ1tNIaSxzSTcpWYKkJComWfqkBEWkXKNy2TV.jpg
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:10
    Technically it's "Bari Sugo☆Voiger 7"
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:10
    Big Small'n… oh right, they exist
    Saying "Guri" means nothing to me, just tell me if it's the Big one or the Small one!
    But then it turns out there are two Smalls now…
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:11
    Katrina Yoko was on Downtown DX back in the day. Explaining how she got into impressions, she casually dropped a somewhat loaded backstory — something like "After I finished junior high I got a job at a diner, and then a customer…"
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:13
    They became YouTubers and are pulling in steady money now
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:13
    Big Small'n are basically millionaires these days
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:14
    Looked it up:
    Big Small'n's YouTube numbers
    Subscribers: over 2.5 million
    Total views: past 2.9 billion — by far #1 among comedian YouTubers
    90AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:34
    Re: #41
    Wait, when did these guys become YouTubers with that many subscribers? All I remember is some mismatched duo doing arm-balance tricks — I genuinely thought they'd quit comedy and disappeared ages ago
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:15
    Nobody even knows who they are
    the ages sound fake
    what's the target audience even supposed to be?
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:15
    I did an image search for "Guri"
    and a Pokémon trainer came up — is that actually him?
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:15
    A fan of Big Small'n joined as a new member
    but he pretty much only does assistant-level stuff
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:21
    Guri's just the new guy, isn't he
    don't go calling yourself Big Small'n
    54AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:22
    Re: #1
    He kind of looks like that charisma guy from one of the Sakamichi idol groups who does the fainting bit
    forgot his name though
    80AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:31
    YouTube's basically like a religion — gather enough devoted followers and you can rake it in within your own little niche, lol
    85AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:33
    Re: #80
    In their case it's less about Japanese devotees and more that they got discovered worldwide
    language-independent comedy bits are strong like that

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Big Small’n originally worked as a two-man comedy duo, but an enthusiastic fan became their apprentice and officially joined in 2019, turning the group into a trio. Guri, whose marriage was reported this time, is the member who joined later. On the forum, the dominant reactions were things like “I thought they were a duo” and “when did they become three?” — with more surprise directed at the group’s changing lineup than at the marriage itself. It was also noted that their YouTube channel has over 2.5 million subscribers and more than 2.9 billion total views, prompting further surprise that they’ve maintained such high name recognition despite a relatively low TV profile in recent years. Rather than commenting on Katrina’s marriage itself, the thread’s focus was largely on the group’s origins and career trajectory. It’s also known — from her own remarks on a TV program — that she started doing impressions after an experience she had working at a diner following her junior high graduation.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Impressionist Katrina Yoko (28) marries Guri (35) of comedy trio “Big Small’n”“.

  • Student Stops Attending School After Being Called ‘Gross’ and ‘Ugh’ During Cooking Class — 5ch: ‘Adults’ Vocabulary Is Just as Dead’

    A thread on 5ch’s News Speed+ board is buzzing over an article claiming a student stopped attending school after being hit with words like “gross,” “ugh,” and “it’s totally over” during a junior high cooking class. The original piece, distributed by news.livedoor.com, argues that children’s poor vocabulary is fueling emotional outbursts and interpersonal trouble. Commenters were split: some agreed that “kids don’t read, so their vocabulary is a disaster,” while others pushed back with “adults’ vocabulary is just as dead” and “this isn’t really about smartphones — it’s a class issue that predates them.” Several posters also chimed in with trivia noting that the word “yabai” (roughly “yikes”/”crazy”) itself dates all the way back to the Edo period.

    If children can’t put their feelings into words, the stress either explodes into an emotional outburst, or they give up, thinking “nobody understands me” or “there’s nothing I can do.” As a result, they can’t work through the problem in front of them and move forward.

    Kids today tend to describe everything with extreme words like “yabai” (yikes), “uzai” (annoying), “kimoi” (gross), and “egui” (brutal). But when trouble arises, just repeating “yikes, yikes” changes nothing. It doesn’t help them think through solutions, communicate their feelings, or understand others.

    “A breakdown in children’s language directly reflects a breakdown in their lives. Kids can’t understand each other, can’t express their own feelings, can’t consider others’ feelings, and can’t cooperate as a group. All of this stems from a breakdown in language.

    Source: news.livedoor.com / Read the original article here

    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:34
    Since people won't stop hitting you with it
    you've just got to toughen up and grow a thicker skin.
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:34
    Isn't this just about their everyday relationship?
    They've both got about the same level of vocabulary anyway.
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:34
    Talk to anyone around 20 and it's just "yikes, yikes" on repeat lol

    They don't read books, so their vocabulary is a disaster
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:40
    Re: #6
    That's rough, man
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:34
    If someone's gross, they're gross — can't be helped
    183AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:00
    Re: #7
    Scum with zero concept of ethics or manners
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:34
    She says the same stuff herself, but refuses to go to school when it's said to her — how gross is that
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:35
    Simmering the stem right in with it — now that's actually a disaster
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:35
    Another sob story, huh
    Adults' vocabulary is just as dead, honestly
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:35
    Blaming smartphones?
    Nah, that's not it
    There's always been plenty of this among 2ch/5ch posters too
    It's just a certain class of parent and kid
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:35
    Honestly my only takeaway is they're missing something more important than vocabulary
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:35
    The Japanese public's collective IQ is clearly dropping
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:36
    "3-Minute Cooking" and the prep still isn't done!
    ↓
    "Ugh" "It's totally over"
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:37
    "Yabai yo, yabai yo"
    is
    a classical Japanese phrase that's been around since the Edo period
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:37
    Having no vocabulary is pretty yikes
    Like, seriously yikes
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:40
    I was on a bus and this heavyset guy walking outside waved at a girl sitting on the bus, and she just tore into him — "gross," "I hate that" — brutal. Felt bad for the guy
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:44
    Re: #30
    Nah, that's honestly report-worthy behavior
    He should count himself lucky he only got insulted
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:40
    Saying that during cooking class takes some nerve
    There are literal weapons right there — that's insane
    If those words push someone over the edge and they snap, you're not avoiding a stabbing
    154AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:55
    Re: #32
    Honestly, lack of imagination is part of the problem too
    If you could picture what happens to you afterward, you wouldn't take shady "yami baito" gigs (illicit, often crime-linked part-time jobs) in the first place
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:40
    Bash the kids
    Bash the young adults
    Bash the middle-aged guys
    Same rotation every time
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:42
    Re: #35
    When it's kids, that's really a problem with the generation that raised them
    69AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:44
    People desperately venting their feelings over today's sob-story article
    73AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:45
    Re: #69
    It's becoming more common in real life too
    Leftists throw around "gross, gross" as well
    even though they're filthy old geezers themselves lol
    80AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:46
    Seems like a waste not to get damages for this
    Squeeze it out of them — the student who said it, the classmates who just stood by,
    and whoever was responsible for failing their duty of supervision
    100AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:49
    Re: #80
    Don't take these sob-story articles at face value
    93AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    When did "yabaa~" actually become popular, I wonder
    Sometime after 2000, maybe?
    102AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:49
    Re: #93
    It was already popular back when I was in elementary school in the '90s
    105AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:49
    Re: #93
    "Yaba" goes back to the Edo period
    210AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    Re: #93
    Edo period
    Edo's "yaba" (archery galleries where people shot arrows at targets for fun)
    became hangouts for delinquents,
    so sketchy types started being called "yabai" (yaba-i)
    and that's how the word stuck
    97AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    Yeah, there were always those people who could only say "gross" and "yikes"

    Still plenty of students like that even now
    110AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:49
    Re: #97
    Go to any small-to-mid-size company and it's basically wall-to-wall middle-aged women talking like that lol
    104AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:49
    Back in elementary school I told a girl she smelled bad, and from the next day she stopped coming to school. I still feel sorry about it to this day.
    But… I never saw that girl again, so was that actually—
    137AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:53
    Kids stress over stuff that really doesn't matter
    178AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:58
    Re: #137
    When you're a kid, your whole world tends to feel like just school, home, and the internet
    140AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:53
    In 100 years people will only be able to say "nyaa"
    146AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:54
    Re: #140
    Honestly, that sounds pretty peaceful
    166AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:57
    Re: #93
    Edo period

    "Kishoi" and "kimoi" are just people copying Kansai dialect
    177AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:58
    Re: #105
    Re: #166
    Huh, TIL

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    The original article, distributed by news.livedoor.com, argues that children’s poor vocabulary undermines their ability to express emotions and resolve conflicts — but it gives no specifics on which school this happened at or what exactly occurred, and no survey data backing up a causal link to school refusal. On the thread, laments over declining vocabulary among young people ran alongside pushback like “adults are just as bad” and “this is about family environment and class, not smartphones,” splitting opinion between those who blame generational or technological shifts and those who point to the educational environment. There was also plenty of trivia about the origins of the word “yabai” (including the Edo-period “yaba” archery galleries), with some noting that expressing emotion in strong language isn’t necessarily a uniquely modern phenomenon. At the same time, skepticism toward the original article’s lack of specifics — “don’t take sob-story articles at face value” — also surfaced, offering a counterpoint to taking the article’s claims at face value.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Student Stops Attending School After Being Called ‘Gross,’ ‘Ugh,’ ‘It’s Totally Over’ During Cooking Class… The Vocabulary Problem Among Children.”

  • Hana to Yume Accidentally Reprints Manga That Already Ran, Publisher Hakusensha Apologizes — 5ch: “How Do You Not Notice Until It’s Printed?”

    On September 4, publisher Hakusensha announced that the latest issue (No. 19) of the shojo manga magazine Hana to Yume had accidentally reprinted “Nekomata from America” by Konohana Takami with the exact same content as a previous issue, and apologized to readers and the author. The company cited an editorial mishap as the cause. On 5ch, threads filled with questions about how such an error could make it all the way to print, with reactions split between comparisons to past similar mistakes and debate over whether the editor in charge had actually checked the manuscript.

    Fri, Sep 4, 12:59 PM

    Hakusensha announced on its official website on the 4th that an error had occurred in issue No. 19 of the shojo manga magazine Hana to Yume, released that same day, in which a previously published work was mistakenly run again.

    The work in question is “Nekomata from America” by Konohana Takami. The editorial department explained that due to an editing mishap, the piece — already published once before — was printed a second time.

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

    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:14
    That Fullmetal Alchemist finale reprint was intentional though
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:17
    Re: #4
    Wasn't it because it kept selling out, so they ran the finale again the next month too?
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:20
    Re: #13
    It wasn't back-to-back — it was the July issue and the September issue
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:14
    So basically "the editor in charge didn't even read it" is what this comes down to?
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    Re: #5
    They probably did read the manga itself, they just never considered the submitted file could be wrong
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:15
    What do you even have to do to cause a screwup like this
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:16
    (ヽ´ん`) Samurai Troopers
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:16
    The reading of "既出" (kishutsu, "already posted") really does vary by generation, huh
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:25
    Re: #11
    I always say "gaishutsu" but apparently the correct reading is "kishutsu"
    Typed it into Simeji (a Japanese IME) and it corrected me to 既出 (correctly "kishutsu") lol
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:27
    Re: #11
    It's not about generation lol
    It's about whether you used to hang around on 2channel (not 5ch)
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:18
    Re: #1
    Is it really possible not to notice until it's already printed?
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:20
    So Fullmetal Alchemist and Samurai Troopers had similar incidents too? You guys really know your stuff
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:21
    Sounds like nobody in the editorial department actually reads their own magazine's manga
    Makes the author who busted their ass to hit deadline look like a fool
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:22
    This is rough
    Are editors really this careless?
    66AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:45
    Re: #24
    Maybe they lost it or something
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:23
    This is unforgivable. The editor-in-chief should take responsibility and resign
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:23
    Re: #1
    Has something like this happened before? There should be some kind of proof print from the printer, and if anyone from Hana to Yume actually read it, it'd be obvious at a glance, right? Don't tell me they just… never read it?
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:25
    Didn't something like this happen in Jump before too?
    Like "wait, haven't I seen this one already" — a story ran again
    Was that Kochikame maybe?
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:25
    How does literally nobody notice?
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:26
    Who's even buying shojo manga these days
    I've got a 4th-grade daughter and she's never once asked me to buy her a shojo manga
    Doesn't seem like she dislikes manga in general though
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:27
    Does literally no one look it over before it reaches readers' hands?
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:28
    This is like the Doraemon thing over at CoroCoro Comic — you'll get your next submission rejected at this rate
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:28
    Shogakukan: "Phew, not us this time!"
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:30
    Editor quality is really dropping these days
    Some publishers apparently won't hire you without connections now — but can a bunch of buddy-buddy insiders actually make good work?
    Sounds like it's headed the way of Fuji TV
    61AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:42
    Re: #43
    Apparently at manga magazines only a handful of editors are actual full-time staff — most are temps dispatched from editing production companies
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:30
    What even is "Nekomata from America" as a manga lol
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:30
    There's an anime out there that repeated the same episode for 8 weeks straight, so running one chapter twice should be fine
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:31
    They apologize but won't issue refunds?
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:31
    This is the kind of thing you'd catch with just a quick skim through the whole issue
    59AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:41
    The shojo manga I've read in 42 years on this earth:
    Marmalade Boy
    NANA
    Mikan Ehnikki (Mikan's Illustrated Diary)
    That's it
    You guys probably read way more lol
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:44
    Re: #59
    The big ones are Nodame Cantabile and Chihayafuru
    Also Doubutsu no Oisha-san (The Vet's Got a Secret)
    Guess I'm pretty mainstream about it
    67AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:45
    Hurry up and finish Glass Mask already (´・ω・`)
    84AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:58
    Re: #67
    Didn't that one move over to the spinoff/bekkan (special extra) magazine?
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:51
    I googled it but still can't tell — is this a serialized work or a one-shot?
    If it's a one-shot this doesn't seem like something worth apologizing over, so I'm guessing it's serialized?
    79AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:55
    Re: #70
    The author doesn't even have a proper Wikipedia page or collected volumes — google them and all that comes up is "Takami Sunao," a totally different name
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:53
    For Hana to Yume, about all I remember is Patalliro! and Glass Mask
    Oh, and more recently there's Please Save My Earth too — that's Hana to Yume, right?

    Background and Key Points

    Between submission and publication, magazines normally go through multiple checkpoints — color proofs and final proofs reviewed by the editor in charge and by copy editors. This error suggests that somewhere along that process, data from a past issue was reused or overlooked, though Hakusensha’s announcement doesn’t specify the exact cause. The “back-to-back reprinting” of Fullmetal Alchemist’s finale that came up in the thread was actually a deliberate rerun by the editorial staff after the issue sold out — a different situation in nature from today’s plain mistake, and one that’s easy to conflate with it. Meanwhile, the side chat about how to read “既出” (kishutsu, “already posted”) is an unrelated tangent that should be read separately from the article’s real subject: the problems with the magazine’s editorial checks. It’s also worth noting that a comment claiming Hana to Yume has a circulation of around 40,000 copies is just a reader’s guess, not an official figure.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “Latest issue of Hana to Yume reprints manga that already ran — Hakusensha editorial apologizes to readers and author, vows to prevent recurrence.”

  • Angerme’s Ise Concert to Go Ahead as Scheduled — 5ch: “No Way They’re Giving Up Their Ise Cash Cow”

    Following a fire at a shopping street in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, discussion has broken out on 5ch’s Hello! Project board over the fate of Angerme’s autumn tour stop in Ise, scheduled at the neighboring venue “Symphonia Technology Hibiki Hall Ise.” The venue is believed to have suspended normal operations until September 14 for recovery work, yet tickets for the tour are still on sale with no cancellation announced. Some thread posters point to scorch marks on the exterior wall and the extent of damage to the shopping street, while others argue the damage was limited to the exterior wall and won’t affect the show — opinions on the actual extent of the damage remain divided.

    Angerme

    @angerme_upfront

    ・Angerme 2026 Autumn Tour: Fūrinkazan, Part 2

    Source: t.pia.jp / original article here

    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:06
    If they announce a cancellation now, they'll get hit with cancellation fees
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:07
    The whole area's scorched earth now
    — fitting, since the tour's literally named 'Fūrinkazan' (Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain) 🤣
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:08
    Can Angerme's Ise show actually happen?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo2I4TR7zD4

    Just turn a conference room into a dressing room, problem solved!
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:08
    No way they're giving up their Ise cash cow
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:08
    The wall facing the burned-out shopping street is half charred black, you know?
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:10
    It's probably just a scheduled auto-post, so it could still get canceled later
    Ticket sales for the same venue's October, November, and January events are already listed as "postponed, under adjustment"

    https://www.ise-kanbun.jp/event/
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:18
    Re: #22
    That's because the hall is suspended until 9/14
    Ticket sales that were supposed to start before that date
    are just being postponed for now, regardless of whether the show itself actually happens
    66AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:54
    Re: #22
    But Angerme's tickets are still being sold, so…
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:11
    Good for you, Angerme wota (fan)
    Might as well snap a commemorative photo of the burnt-to-a-crisp shopping street while you're there
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:13
    Shouldn't they also organize some volunteer work while they're at it?
    As someone who owes Ise a lot, that's how I see it
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:16
    They need to put out a statement soon or the fans will be in trouble — there's hotel cancellation fees to think about too
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:18
    There are nuisance fans who keep blowing up the hall's phone lines with complaint calls (denotsu) — I'd recommend the venue log everything and pursue disclosure of the callers' identities
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:19
    Could they pull it off by renaming the tour and shelving 'Vanilla' from the setlist?
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:20
    [URGENT] Angerme's TikTok — only "that one video" has been deleted lmaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1788502613/
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:22
    Re: #32
    If that were the case they'd just write 'on sale the 15th' — it's more natural to think they've marked it 'under adjustment' because the recovery timeline is still unclear
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:26
    Window glass shattered and the dressing room's charred black

    https://x.com/ekicho56/status/2094921491741815163
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:55
    Re: #39
    This is just the exterior wall though
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:26
    Since it's only the evening show, I'll go help out with cleanup volunteering
    Though the shopping street might still be doing on-site inspections
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:27
    Seriously? I saw it on the Nagoya news
    and the shopping street took some serious damage…
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:53
    Re: #41
    'Serious damage' is an understatement — it's basically burned to the ground
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:30
    Sounds like Kamikokuryo and the others have had graduation talk going for about 2 years now, so maybe the Ise show is already set to be a graduation ceremony
    Being 23 already is pretty rough as it is
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:31
    Fan streamers will swarm in and run a negative smear campaign
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:33
    Angerme working hard for the recovery effort — so noble
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:41
    Just a simple question, but is this kind of involvement not a problem religiously?
    Ise Grand Shrine is, along with Izumo Taisha, literally like the 'Mecca' of Japanese Shinto
    Whatever kind of Japanese person never passes under a shrine torii gate, that'd be the same type of person tied to Ise, right?
    54AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:45
    Re: #51
    Japanese gods are big-hearted — they don't turn anyone away
    Doesn't matter what that person believes
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:57
    After getting info from what's apparently an Ise City official, they're saying the dressing room, rehearsal room, and machine room were all hit — so it must be true

    https://youtu.be/D1U9nEtaamA?t=450
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:59
    Re: #70
    Does this so-called 'Ise City official' actually exist?
    And even if they did, they shouldn't have been inside the building at that time
    76AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:06
    This is gonna make the news in the Tokai region
    79AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:11
    Re: #76
    Probably gonna stay super-local, like Mie TV only

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Symphonia Technology Hibiki Hall’s official website appears to show all reservations and usage information suspended until September 14, and ticket sales for another event scheduled at the venue around the same time are also listed as postponed or under adjustment. Meanwhile, as of September 4, no announcement of cancellation or postponement has been confirmed from the organizers regarding Angerme’s autumn tour stop in Ise — thread opinion was split between those who suspected it might just be an auto-scheduled post and those who took the continued ticket sales as confirmation the show would go on. Accounts of the fire damage also conflict, with some claiming it was limited to the exterior wall and others saying it reached the dressing room and rehearsal room; no official statement on the extent of the damage had been confirmed at the time of writing. This remains a case where an official announcement is still needed.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Shocking] Angerme’s Autumn Tour — Symphonia Technology Hibiki Hall Ise Show Will Go On As Scheduled lmaoooooooooooooooooooooooo.”

  • Which Actresses-Turned-Singers Scored Multiple Hits in Both Fields? 5ch Says ‘Miho Nakayama Might Be Unbeatable’

    A thread on 5ch asking “which female celebrities have had multiple hits both as singers and as actresses” took off. Alongside names like Hiroko Yakushimaru, Momoe Yamaguchi, Tomoyo Harada, Yuki Saito, and Kyoko Koizumi, posters brought up a wide range of generations, including Akina Nakamori, Momoko Kikuchi, Haruka Fukuhara, Yuki Uchida, Arisa Mizuki, Kou Shibasaki, Ryoko Shinohara, Yumiko Takahashi, and Noriko Sakai. Miho Nakayama, who boasts a track record of dramas averaging over 20% ratings and multiple million-selling singles, drew particular praise as “the strongest if you mean genuine success in both fields.” Meanwhile, opinions split over whether Arisa Mizuki’s and Yumiko Takahashi’s songs could really be called “hits,” making where to draw the line on what counts as a hit a central point of debate.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:57
    Fewer than you'd think
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:00
    That one actress with the "natural airhead" image (tennen) who had a hit duet song
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:01
    Hiroko Yakushimaru's the only one I don't really know
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:07
    Re: #7
    Did you forget the 'Chanrinshan' lady, grandpa?
    57AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:03
    Re: #7
    Etsuko Yakushimaru's mom
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:04
    The ".300 average / 30 homers / 30 steals" tier (baseball slang for an elite all-rounder)

    Ryoko Hirosue
    Shinji (Koyote)
    Cyndi Lauper
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:04
    Peer pressure is the worst! No wonder people become anti-fans lol
    I've supported all kinds of group idols before, but I've never experienced that kind of thing among fellow fans — quite the rare experience lol
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:08
    Feel like there's gotta be more but I can't think of any off the top of my head, so frustrating
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:10
    These days it's nothing but wannabe idols
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:13
    Guess that's a pretty rare feat in postwar entertainment history, huh
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:25
    My gut feeling is that people like that tend to show up a lot on 'Minasan no Okagedeshita' — that type meshes well with Tonneruzu
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:27
    Back in the day actresses used to be singers too
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:31
    Not many acting credits, but what about Akina Nakamori?
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:36
    If we're talking success in both fields, Miho Nakayama might be unbeatable
    Dramas averaging over 20% ratings
    Multiple million-selling singles
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:36
    Feels like Akina Nakamori is just "Sugao no Mama de" (her signature hit) and not much else
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:36
    Momoko Kikuchi
    Has starring films, dramas, and songs
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:45
    Re: #39
    Feels like she doesn't really have a hit as a lead actress though
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:39
    Nogizaka46 members show up in small roles in dramas sometimes, but they're bad at it and stick out like a sore thumb
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:45
    Ikuko Sakakibara's only hit drama was probably 'Nakki wa Tsumujikaze'
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:52
    Starring in the drama, singing the theme song, AND hitting a million in sales —

    Only a handful of people pulled that off in the TV era
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:53
    Haruka Fukuhara
    Acting: Mai Agare, Laid-Back Camp, Ano Hana ga Saku Oka de, Kimi to Mata Deaetara
    Singing: Kitchen wa My Stage, Nameko no Uta
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:53
    Aside from her debut work "Maido Osawagase Shimasu" and an NHK Taiga drama, Miho Nakayama (before she moved to France) starred in literally everything
    Even Kimutaku, who churned out lead-role hits himself, was only ever a supporting character in a Nakayama drama
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:54
    Re: #4
    For a second I thought you meant "Miku Miku" (Hatsune Miku) and got totally confused lol
    50AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:57
    Yuki Uchida
    Acting: 17-sai, Campus Note
    Singing: TENCA wo Torou! -Uchida no Yabou-, Shiawase ni Naritai
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:00
    Arisa Mizuki
    Acting: Houkago, Jajauma Narashi, Nurse no Oshigoto
    Singing: Densetsu no Shoujo, Happy wake up!
    59AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:05
    Re: #52
    Chou Shoujo REIK…
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:01
    Stop naming people who didn't even hit it big in either field, let alone both
    58AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:04
    Kou Shibasaki
    Acting: Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu, Onna Joushu Naotora
    Singing: Tsuki no Shizuku, Katachi Aru Mono
    60AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:05
    Re: #56
    That one hit was massive though!
    Honestly, her signature acting role isn't all that memorable…
    62AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:07
    Re: #60
    The whole point of this question is "multiple" hits
    If it's just one hit, there are plenty of candidates
    61AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:06
    Ryoko Shinohara had like 3 hit songs
    It's just that the one written by Shigesato Itoi sold way too well and overshadowed the rest
    63AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:08
    Yumiko Takahashi
    Acting: Minami-kun no Koibito, Saikou no Koibito, Okami Sandai Onna no Tatakai
    Singing: Tomodachi de Ii Kara, Step by Step, Fight!
    73AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:18
    Re: #63
    That's zero hits though
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:09
    Arisa Mizuki's songs never really hit it big
    66AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:11
    Re: #65
    "TOO SHY SHY BOY" is still famous even today
    67AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:12
    > Singing: Tomodachi de Ii Kara, Step by Step, Fight!

    Fired up!
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:14
    Noriko Sakai

    Hitotsu Yane no Shita, Hoshi no Kinka and its sequel
    Two theme songs for Hoshikin
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:16
    Miki Nakatani
    Acting: Densha Otoko, Keizoku, Ring
    Singing: MIND CIRCUS, Suna no Kajitsu
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:18
    Chiemi Hori has 'Stewardess Monogatari' but doesn't really have a smash-hit song
    Especially compared to Kyon-Kyon (Kyoko Koizumi)
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:19
    Top 3 female solo artists by total single sales (in 10,000s):
    229 Amuro, 206 Utada, 202 Shinohara
    Shinohara's 'Motto Motto' alone sold 620,000 copies

    Unfair / Last Cinderella averaged 15% ratings
    Haken no Hinkaku was surprisingly low, just under 13%
    79AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:20
    Re: #73
    Wait, you don't know Yumiko Takahashi?
    Those were all massive hits lol

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Hiroko Yakushimaru and Tomoyo Harada belong to a generation that was at the heart of the 1980s Kadokawa Films business model, in which a film’s leading actress would also sing its theme song — releasing the movie and the record as hits simultaneously was the standard star-making playbook of the era. Add in the common practice of casting actresses to sing TV drama theme songs, and it wasn’t unusual back then for an actress to also top the charts as a singer. Today, idol, actress, and singer careers have become far more specialized — the thread even saw comments about Nogizaka46 members sticking out awkwardly in acting roles — suggesting it’s grown harder to succeed at “double duty.” The debate split over where to draw the line on what counts as a “hit”: whether to weight hard numbers like viewership ratings and million-selling singles, or the broader name recognition of a signature song.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Female celebrities with multiple hits as both singer and actress — Hiroko Yakushimaru, Momoe Yamaguchi, Tomoyo Harada, Yuki Saito, Miho Nakayama, Kyoko Koizumi,“

  • Tomomi Itano: “Criticism and Slander Are Not the Same” — Fires Back at Baseless SNS Speculation

    Former AKB48 member Tomomi Itano updated her X (Twitter) account to share her feelings about a situation in which snippets of her posts have been taken out of context, fueling baseless speculation such as claims that she “lacks love for her daughter as a parent.” After explaining that her intent in sharing her worries and struggles was to help others feel “I wasn’t the only one,” she made clear that “criticism and slander are not the same thing.” On 5ch, some posters sympathized with her point, while others pushed back, arguing that she might be labeling any opinion she finds inconvenient as slander — leaving the thread divided over where exactly the line between criticism and slander should be drawn.

    Tomomi Itano (35), a former AKB48 member now working as a talent and entrepreneur, updated her X account on the 4th.

    She wrote about how snippets of her social media posts have been taken out of context, leading to baseless speculation such as claims that she “lacks love for her daughter as a parent.”

    Itano explained that by sharing her worries, struggles, and even personal details, she hopes people will feel “I wasn’t the only one,” and that she wants her account to be a place where people can share honest feelings and connect with one another. “Of course, I understand that there are all sorts of opinions and values out there,” she added.

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

    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:32
    Watching "Baakin-kun" on YouTube beats watching the Peace-kun mascot from Omiya Park any day.
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:35
    Forget what she actually said — she's just disliked, period.
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:45
    Re: #8
    Get it through your head, that's slander. You're way too clueless.
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:49
    Re: #8
    Before you post on 5ch again, go say that same line to your reflection in the mirror 1,000 times.
    You'll end up with a better life than you've got now.
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:40
    Simple fix: just don't post it where any random stranger can see it.
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:40
    The way she keeps sucking on that water bottle straw is probably a sign she's lonely.
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:41
    This is the same person who was visibly swooning for real back when Kimura "wall-slammed" her (kabe-don) on Bisuto SMAP.
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:41
    Wait, does she actually get paid based on video views or something?
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:41
    What even counts as "the truth" anyway?
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:42
    Looks like you guys are getting scolded again (´・ω・｀)
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:42
    SNS is full of attention-seekers with a strong need for approval — both the ones posting and the ones watching.
    Figuring out how to navigate that skillfully is probably the real challenge.
    I'm too much of a coward, so I just watch from a safe distance 😅
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:43
    They're just picking fights to blow off steam, so it's pointless saying anything to them.
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:43
    Your real, honest feelings
    are something you only say
    to the people around you that you actually trust.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:44
    She doesn't need to go putting herself out there in public like that, does she?
    I don't know the details, but her "business," whatever it is, seems to be going fine, right?
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:45
    This is probably about the thing where her daughter goes to an international school and speaks English as her first language, so she's not great at Japanese — but the parents themselves can't speak English, so they're the ones struggling.
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:45
    If you can't just brush it off the way Tsuji does, quit social media.
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:47
    For the ones who are clearly crossing the line, all you can do is quietly take them to court.
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:52
    As long as you're broadcasting publicly, criticism comes with the territory.
    If you don't want criticism, do it in a closed circle among friends instead.
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:53
    The people who spew slander are usually the ones most convinced they're just stating a fair opinion, so I doubt saying this will change anything.
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:01
    Re: #41
    That cuts both ways — the side that brands anything inconvenient to them as "slander" and refuses to listen is doing the exact same thing.

    "Criticism and slander are different" is true enough, but it means something very different if the actual rule is "what's convenient for me is opinion, what's inconvenient for me is slander."
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:04
    She's actually pretty level-headed, surprisingly.
    Miles better than Mariko Shinoda, at least.
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:04
    I doubt it, but… is there any chance she's actually just really disliked?
    Probably not, but still.
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:07
    Re: #52
    Did this person even have fans back in her AKB days to begin with? That's the level we're talking about.
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:18
    The video where the kid was babbling something and got shut down with "stop whining!" was kind of sad.
    The way the kid reached both arms out trying to run and hug its mom made it even more heartbreaking.

    Keiji Takahashi just scurried off ahead of them, and the kid was getting brushed off by him too, so that part was sad as well.
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:26
    Re: #68
    Other people's family business — who cares.
    71AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:20
    With a wife like that, the husband probably can't focus on baseball.
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:37
    Re: #71
    It's not just the wife — there's also the limit of his own talent.
    He's only surviving because Yakult runs things like a family-style team.
    At this rate he's basically guaranteed to get cut from the roster next year.
    Wouldn't even be shocking if it happened this year, but, well, it's Yakult.

    Background and Points of Contention

    Itano’s post comes against the backdrop of her social media — where she has long shared posts about parenting and her personal life — being “clipped” out of context and used to spread speculation that doesn’t match the facts. In recent years, the bar for filing disclosure requests to identify anonymous posters has dropped, and it’s become increasingly common for celebrities to pursue legal action over online slander, so it’s not unusual, in that light, for a public figure to spell out the line between “criticism” and “slander” herself. In the thread, while some posters sympathized with her point, others pushed back, arguing that “criticism and slander are different” might just be cover for labeling any opinion inconvenient to her as slander — and the debate never really settled on where that line actually falls. Note: the thread contained numerous unverified posts naming her ex-husband and past relationships in connection with alleged crimes; since these could not be confirmed, they have been excluded from this article. Ironically, those very posts were themselves live examples of the “slander” Itano was calling out.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “[Entertainment] Tomomi Itano addresses speculation about herself: “I feel like I can only give safe, non-controversial answers now” — warns against character attacks and slander: “Criticism and slander are different”“.

  • ANGERME TikTok Video Goes Unviewable — 5ch: “Even Their Shot at Going Viral Got Mowed Down by the Agency”

    A TikTok video posted by ANGERME, a Hello! Project group, suddenly became unviewable just as it was starting to go viral — sparking discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Thread posters offered testimony that the comment section had been flooded with sexual content, speculated that TikTok’s AI moderation may have taken it down, or that the agency itself may have quietly made it private, though no one could pin down the actual cause. Some also compared it to Juice=Juice, whose similarly choreography-focused video had racked up views in the past, making the contrast between the two groups’ fortunes a central point of discussion.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:16
    It was so close to going viral, too…
    2AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:17
    [URGENT] ANGERME's TikTok — only "that one video" is getting insane numbers of views lolololololololololololololololololol
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1788217886/
    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:17
    Can't they just close the comments or something?
    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:18
    Turns out ANGERME naturally gets fewer views than Rosy, huh.
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:18
    The video's been taken down lolololol
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:18
    What's even the point of ANGERME at this stage?
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:19
    Even their one shot at going viral gets mowed down by the agency — that's ANGERME for you.
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:20
    ANGERME got flagged as "selling sex appeal" and deleted
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:20
    Juice=Juice sold on sex appeal too, so why…?
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:20
    It's not like people go "amazing!" just because someone's shaking their butt.
    Their photo-op shots get lewd comments too, but there are plenty of other comments mixed in so it gets buried.
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:21
    Got flagged as harmful sexual content lolololol
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:21
    There are regular accounts out there selling way more sex appeal that are still up — why is that fine?
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:21
    Juice=Juice kept covering their crotch and rebranded it as the "leg-raise dance," but they stuck with it and grew their numbers anyway.
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:24
    Re: #21
    Honestly, morons like this are part of what makes this whole saga so entertaining lol
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:21
    If the agency deleted it themselves, well, they should've known the comments would turn out like this, so why post it in the first place — but if it was TikTok's own moderation that took it down, that's kind of funny.
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:22
    Apparently cleavage alone gets you banned, so a butt-shaking courtship dance is gonna be a tough sell.
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:25
    Re: #23
    Even birds do courtship dances
    So this is beneath birds now?
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:22
    What were the comments even like?
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:23
    Re: #24



    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:25
    Re: #27
    The fact that comments like these show up means the algorithm's pushing it out as an "ero" (sexual-content) video.
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:22
    Juice=Juice's leg-raise dance got featured on NHK, that's how big it got.
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:23
    I'm worried this might get to Hanana (a member's nickname) — the video was finally about to blow up and now it's gone.
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:23
    This is just how it always goes for ANGERME 😭
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:26
    Sometimes the AI just deletes stuff on its own
    and if the agency complains, it can come back.
    But if they took it down themselves, that's a yellow card.
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:26
    So Juice=Juice got a pass because the song actually sold, basically.
    82AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:35
    It wasn't just a few bad ones in there — most of the comments were straight-up lewd.
    And the ones that weren't were just people expressing confusion.
    111AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:39
    Re: #82
    Lol, the non-lewd comments were getting treated like they were being pretentious
    107AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:39
    This was literally the top comment
    117AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:41
    Photo-op moment roundup
    Dambara


    Inoue

    Kudo


    Matsunaga


    Arisawa


    Irie


    Ebata


    Ishiyama

    Endo


    Kawashima


    Hayashi
    126AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:42
    Couldn't they have just handled it by deleting the comments?
    133AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:44
    Re: #126
    If comments like that just keep piling up, someone has to keep watching it around the clock.

    Background and Key Points

    TikTok is known to automatically hide posts or comment sections it judges to be sexual in nature, and there are reported cases where such takedowns get reversed once the talent agency files a complaint. In this case, opinions in the thread are split on whether the video’s disappearance was due to TikTok’s own AI moderation or a voluntary takedown by the agency, and nothing in the thread definitively settles it either way. The discussion also draws a contrast with Juice=Juice’s “leg-raise dance,” which became popular enough to be featured on NHK, against this ANGERME video’s comment section reportedly being flooded with sexual content — framed as a tale of two groups’ contrasting fortunes. Worth noting, though: all of this comes from secondhand accounts on 5ch, and none of it has been confirmed by primary sources.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[URGENT] ANGERME’s TikTok — only “that one video” ends up getting deleted lolololololololololololololololololol.”

  • Tattoo Bans at Pools, Hot Springs, and Beaches in Japan Spark Mixed Reactions

    In Japan, it’s not unusual for people with tattoos to be turned away from pools, hot springs, and public bathhouses, and some beaches also restrict entry depending on the facility. On 5ch, this custom sparked discussion: against the claim that “tattoos are accepted as fashion overseas,” others countered that refusing entry over dress codes is common overseas too, and pointed to the historical background of tattoos once used to identify fishermen or Edo-era firefighters, or as a symbol of yakuza gang membership. Many comments found merit on both sides — those who ban tattoos and those who have them — making this a debate that doesn’t reduce to simple right and wrong.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:55
    What do you all think?
    2AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:55
    If you've got a tattoo, you'll often get turned away from public facilities
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:56
    "Overseas there's no discrimination — tattoos are respected as fashion and self-expression"
    apparently
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:05
    Re: #5
    Even overseas, places refuse entry over fashion (dress codes) all the time
    Japan's tattoo bans are basically the same thing
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:06
    Re: #5
    You see parents losing it over their kid getting a tattoo all the time though
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:12
    Re: #5
    Then just go overseas
    They're accepted there, aren't they
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:56
    Honestly, what do you all think?
    Apparently it's normal in America
    Even cops there have tattoos
    It's not like they're actually hurting anyone
    56AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:24
    Re: #6
    Cops aren't as noble a profession as you seem to think
    Especially in America
    63AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:26
    Re: #6
    Tattoos actually work pretty well as a way to identify a body after death
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:56
    When in Rome, do as the Romans do

    That's just common sense in any country
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:57
    I've never had a bad experience over it, so I don't really care
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:57
    I once saw a scary-looking old guy at the public bath with "monmon" (slang for tattoos) covering his whole back, and it made the whole place so tense I couldn't relax — honestly, please don't come
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:57
    Plenty of places have dress codes
    The "tattoos are just fashion" argument doesn't hold up
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:02
    Isn't beach swimming not actually banned?
    I've seen groups with full traditional wabori tattoos, let alone regular ones
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:04
    Re: #20
    Depends on the beach
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:07
    Re: #22
    Then again, plenty of hot springs and bathhouses do allow tattoos
    Actually, old-school public baths (not the fancy "spa-sen" type) are basically fine with tattoos by default
    95AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:57
    Re: #22
    Still, beaches don't really have any enforcement power
    They're not private property
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:07
    Historically in Japan, tattoos were basically only for fishermen (so drowned bodies could be identified) or yakuza ink
    So to ordinary people, they just come off as intimidating
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:09
    Re: #29
    Also, Edo-era firefighters had tattoos too
    Same reason as the fishermen — it made identifying bodies easier
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:13
    Japan's national swim team

    Bans tattoos under pool rules
    Dyed hair and piercings too
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:15
    Re: #38
    They should really allow dyed hair and piercings though
    You can hide hair color under a cap, and just take piercings out while swimming
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:16
    Re: #40
    Not sure about hair dye, but piercings are an infection risk
    There's a risk both of catching something and spreading it
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:16
    Re: #40
    If you've got time to worry about fashion, go practice
    You're funded by the government, after all
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:14
    Getting a tattoo is your freedom, but recognize other people's freedom to be averse to it too
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:16
    Re: #39
    This, completely
    If you're going to preach freedom, recognize the other side's freedom too
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:15
    Reminder: even overseas, tattoos still get plenty of side-eye
    48AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:18
    Re: #41
    In Hollywood movies tattoos are basically used as an easy visual shorthand for "this guy's a villain"
    50AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:21
    For a publicly-funded facility to refuse tattoos is honestly going too far
    By that same logic, beaches banning them doesn't make sense either
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:22
    Re: #50
    It's weird to get a tattoo knowing full well some places will turn you away, and still want to go there anyway
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:23
    Re: #50
    Oh, a rare constructive opinion for a tattoo thread
    67AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:30
    Re: #50
    "If it's publicly funded it has to accept absolutely everything" is a weird take too
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:27
    It's fine for the military or jobs with a risk of getting lost/stranded (as an ID method)
    Even then, plenty of places still ban them out of concern it undermines discipline
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:32
    Re: #65
    Even in the military, guys with obvious tattoos get mocked as meatheads
    90AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:52
    Yakuza guy: "I want people to fear me and not look down on me, but I also wanna go to the hot springs… I know! I'll cut off my pinky!"

    Apparently that actually happens
    93AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:54
    Re: #90
    Cutting off a finger is an act of apology for screwing up — meaning it marks you as someone whose screw-up was too big for just bowing your head, you know?
    100AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:58
    Getting a tattoo knowing all this and then complaining about it afterward is incredibly uncool and lame
    109AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:06
    Re: #100
    For example, it was only in 2014 that a beach in Zushi started banning tattoos and it became big news — that's a pretty recent development
    Plenty of people got their tattoos long before that
    This whole "don't complain after the fact" argument is just rubber-stamping the status quo, and it doesn't even seem to understand the history — makes no sense
    102AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:00
    I went to a famous day-trip hot spring in Hakone
    and was shocked tattoos were allowed
    There were more tattooed guys than regular customers
    Felt like I went there to see ink, not the scenery
    106AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:04
    Re: #102
    And then Japanese customers stop coming
    and at some point foreign tourists stop coming too, so the place is in trouble, it makes the news, and there's a nationwide "let's help them out" mood — and then their whole tattoo-friendly-hot-spring era gets exposed and it's "serves you right! go under, idiot!"? Is that how this plays out?
    110AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:07
    Re: #106
    Actually there were plenty of foreigners, but
    there were also plenty of guys who looked like your typical crude Japanese construction-worker type
    Well, that said, it's not like they were super intimidating or anything, but it still wasn't a great atmosphere
    so I figure regular customers will end up drifting away
    112AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:07
    Re: #106
    That's basically the same thing Kyoto City has been saying
    "Inbound tourism is great!" → "No one's here because of COVID, Japanese people please come" → "COVID's over, inbound tourism is great again!"

    Background and key points of this topic

    The custom in Japan of turning away tattooed people from pools, hot springs, and public bathhouses has its roots in the historical conflation of tattoos once used by fishermen and Edo-era firefighters for identification with the body art associated with yakuza gangs. One of the events that made “tattoo bans” at beaches widely known was in 2014, when a beach in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, made news for restricting entry to tattooed visitors and formalizing the rule — commenters note this is a relatively recent development. On the other hand, it’s often overlooked that beaches themselves are usually not private property and largely lack any real enforcement power, and that many old-fashioned public bathhouses still don’t make an issue of tattoos today. In the thread, the very premise that “tattoos are tolerated as fashion overseas” was pushed back on, with counterexamples such as dress-code-based entry refusals happening overseas too, and the fact that even in the military, visible tattoos aren’t looked upon favorably — revealing that this can’t be reduced to a simple Japan-versus-the-West divide. Concerns were also raised that lifting tattoo bans at hot springs in tourist areas could drive away local customers, adding a more practical point about balancing inbound tourism demand with consideration for existing regulars.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyō G, a general live-discussion board) thread “Japan: “People with tattoos are banned from pools, hot springs, and beaches too” ← this.”