Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • “Happy Birthday-yai-ne, Fu-chan!”: Idolmaster Fans Flood Birthday Thread with Fan Art

    A thread celebrating the birthday of “Fu-chan,” a character from the Idolmaster series, popped up on 5ch’s News VIP board. From the thread title down to every single reply, posters kept up the character’s signature verbal tic “~yai ne,” posting fan art one after another. Talk also touched on practical info — collecting the full set of official “chibi plush” goods runs about 18,000 yen — along with comments on various artists’ drawing styles, all unfolding in the usual celebratory mood of a birthday thread.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:48
    Happy birthday-yai-ne, Fu-chan!
    3AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:49
    5AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:49
    6AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:49
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:50
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:50
    Totally going for that convention-appeal look! *bonk*
    9AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:51
    If Tsumu draws it, it's all about chasing convention appeal.
    13AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:51
    Natural Love → Natural Love (katakana ver.) → Bald-Patch Love — nooooooo!! (a joke about the phrase mutating step by step)
    15AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:52
    Flustered! (oro oro)
    25AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:58
    For now, baboo~ (baby talk)
    27AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:59
    29AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:00
    32AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:02
    Re: #29
    I kind of want to snatch away her blanket and snacks (for her own good).
    30AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:01

    31AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:02
    61AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:17
    Her face, nyan!!!
    67AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:19
    Thought it was a total bishoujo, but it's her!
    73AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:24
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRNMbRXagAAcw07.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRNMc7UbIAA1z1Y.jpg
    75AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:25
    78AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:28
    Nothing but hope for the future!
    79AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:29
    Re: #78
    Why does this artist always draw her a little cross-eyed?
    87AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:37
    Hands.
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRNTvRKa8AAAbxt.jpg
    97AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:50
    117AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:55
    lol
    120AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:57
    Re: #117
    Wait, is this maybe what got the last chibi plush design picked?
    125AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:59
    That's me!
    134AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:06
    135AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:08
    That's Fuu-tan, isn't it~ (an even cuter nickname for Fu-chan)
    144AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:19
    Re: #135
    Just staring at this Tsumu piece, totally smitten.
    139AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:12
    Want the whole chibi plush set, but it's 18,000 yen, ugh.
    142AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:14
    Re: #139
    Compared to a 60-pull gacha, that's actually cheap.
    143AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:17
    The "go wild!" towel (novelty merch)
    145AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:22
    Mako-rin's adorable
    146AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:28
    Want it!
    149AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:33
    Thanks!
    152AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:40
    Thanks!
    157AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:54
    159AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:54
    Re: #157
    That got a weird noise out of me! *bonk*

    Background and Talking Points

    Calling her “Fu-chan” and tacking “~yai ne” onto the end of every sentence is a familiar pattern for birthday threads on the VIP board — posters mimic the character’s own speech quirks to celebrate her special day. Imas, MiliMas, GreeMas, and MiliShita are all abbreviations for different titles within the same Idolmaster franchise (the mobile version, an older entry, the GREE version, and Million Live! Theater Days, respectively) — a distinction that can be hard to follow for readers unfamiliar with the series. There were no notable disputes in the thread; discussion mostly centered on reactions to the fan art and light banter using fandom jargon like “going for convention appeal” (art styles aimed at impressing at doujin events), along with practical info-sharing, such as the fact that collecting a full set of the official “chibi plush” goods costs 18,000 yen. A few replies brought up the real-life age and birthday of the voice actress behind the character, but since that involves private information that could identify her, we’ve left those details out of this article. Overall, the thread stayed free of hostile or discriminatory remarks, unfolding in a warm, celebratory mood among fans.

    This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News VIP) thread “Happy Birthday-yai-ne, Fu-chan! Idolmaster / Million Live! Theater Days / Imas / MiliMas / GreeMas / MiliShita Thread — Love You For Now.”

  • Mito HollyHock’s Shinta Watanabe Nets All 4 Goals as Mito Stuns Kashima in J1’s First-Ever Ibaraki Derby

    In the Ibaraki Derby held on September 2, 2026 as part of J1 League Matchday 5, Mito HollyHock defeated Kashima Antlers 4-2. It was the first-ever meeting between the two clubs in the J1 league, and captain and forward Shinta Watanabe delivered a stunning performance, scoring all four goals himself, including a first-half penalty. Rather than the match itself, discussion on 5ch threads centered on side topics — the location and name recognition of Kashima’s home city, GK Tomoki Hayakawa’s slump, and the rarity of Ibaraki Prefecture producing two J1 clubs.

    Mito HollyHock faced Kashima Antlers on September 2 in J1 League Matchday 5. In the first-ever Ibaraki Derby played in the J1 league, Mito scored four goals to beat the reigning champions Kashima 4-2. Captain and No. 10 forward Shinta Watanabe scored a stunning four goals all by himself.

    [Photo] “Too cool” “Badass” — the G-Wagen the Mito captain cruises around in

    In the 5th minute, Mito’s Watanabe latched onto a long ball from GK Konosuke Nishikawa, broke through, and drew a foul from Kashima GK Tomoki Hayakawa to win a penalty. He converted it in the 8th minute to open the scoring, then added a second goal in the 21st minute, meeting a cross from the right flank.

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

    4AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:12
    Pretty much every single person in Japan was rooting for little Mito in this match
    6AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:12
    If Kashima's playing like this, Machida's probably taking the title
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:13
    Level's way too low
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:13
    Kashima really doesn't give off any 'Ibaraki' vibe at all
    32AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:19
    Re: #8
    That's because the Kashima area counts as 'Chibaraki' (the Chiba–Ibaraki border zone)
    10AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:14
    Guess we can't casually call them 'little Mito' anymore
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:14
    Think he could step up to Europe?
    14AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:14
    It's honestly wild that Ibaraki has two J1 clubs to begin with — most of the other historic J-League clubs are big-city outfits, and even Shizuoka's been in a slump lately, so the league's basically all about the big cities these days
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:15
    The national team goalkeeper and J.League MVP, Hayakawa (lol)
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:16
    Feels like Hayakawa's magic touch has vanished somewhere
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:16
    Well, they can't want to go back to being J2's gatekeeper — they only just got promoted
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:16
    Ugh, I forgot there was a free stream today and went out for a run instead
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:21
    Only people with 'header brain' watch this ball-kicking sport anyway (slang mocking soccer fans as brain-damaged from heading the ball)
    69AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:35
    Bueno isn't a player worth spending 400 million yen on — maybe worth just under 100 million tops.
    He's good at spraying passes around and shielding the ball, but

    he holds it needlessly, loses it, and it costs goals
    His play speed is slow too
    Slow to turn and face forward
    Shots don't hit the frame

    He doesn't function without a ball-winner type paired with him, like Uno
    75AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:40
    Re: #69
    A second Leo Silva just hasn't shown up
    Though that's partly because Leo Silva was on a completely different level at both ends of the pitch
    70AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:35
    So this is the prestige of being the prefectural capital, huh

    Come to think of it, if it weren't for the J.League, even most Ibaraki residents probably wouldn't know where Kashima is
    80AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:42
    Didn't Kashima kill Hayakawa's transfer talks? Bet that's why his motivation's tanked

    Re: #70
    They've got Kashima Shrine though, so that's not it
    104AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:54
    Re: #70
    I mean, you do learn about it in school as the Kashima Coastal Industrial Zone
    73AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:40
    Ibaraki sending two teams to J1 is actually kind of insane when you think about it
    99AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:52
    Re: #73
    Ibaraki is a legit soccer powerhouse
    Last year alone they swept J1, J2, university, and youth titles
    Only came up runner-up in the national high school championship
    Not an exaggeration to call it the strongest soccer prefecture around
    79AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:41
    Mito's out here putting in the work, and meanwhile little Chiba is… (´・ω・｀)
    95AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:51
    Re: #79
    Can't be helped — dogs have a homing instinct, so they get homesick for J2 (joking that Chiba can't stay away from the second division)
    90AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:47
    Why base the club in a backwater like Kashima instead of Tsukuba or Tsuchiura in the first place?
    No wonder they can't compete with Mito, the biggest city in the prefecture
    111AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:58
    Re: #90
    Mito's downtown has been declining ever since the prefectural government moved out of the old Mito Castle site
    94AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:51
    Speaking of Ibaraki, the Expo
    122AnonymousSep 2, 2026 22:03
    Re: #94
    I mean, Tsukuba's population has already overtaken Mito's
    And since the Tsukuba Express extension to Mito fell through, there's no coming back now
    103AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:54
    Y'all better quit gettin' so cocky, hear me now! (written in thick Ibaraki dialect)
    110AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:57
    Re: #103
    'Hear me now'? It's 'hear me NOW-a!' (correcting the dialect)
    114AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:59
    Re: #103
    Was driving, thought something smelled bad, rolled the window down — smelled even worse, I tell ya (more Ibaraki dialect ribbing)
    106AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:55
    Shibasaki and Misakan have clearly lost a step, but they keep starting them
    Would've been better to invest in just one of the two instead of bringing both back
    108AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:56
    Re: #106
    Shibasaki was actually good up through last match
    107AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:55
    Meanwhile, they lost to a university team and got knocked out in the first round of the Emperor's Cup
    116AnonymousSep 2, 2026 22:00
    Re: #107
    No need to go all-out for the Emperor's Cup, the prize money's pathetic anyway
    127AnonymousSep 2, 2026 22:06
    Re: #107
    At Mito's level, better to just lose early and get it over with

    Background and Talking Points

    Mito HollyHock and Kashima Antlers are both Ibaraki Prefecture clubs, but they occupy very different positions: Kashima is a storied club that has racked up results since the league’s founding, while Mito is a club that has only in recent years pushed to establish itself in J1. This was the first-ever meeting between the two in the J1 league, and Shinta Watanabe’s four-goal haul came to symbolize that historic clash. Where the thread split was over the standing of Kashima, the city that hosts the club — some asked why it was chosen as a base when it’s so out of the way, while others countered that it’s plenty well known thanks to Kashima Shrine. Many also flagged GK Tomoki Hayakawa’s slump, sparking discussion about how even national-team-caliber players hit rough patches. Worth noting for context: Ibaraki is one of the very few prefectures with two clubs — Mito and Kashima — in J1, a rare setup in today’s J.League, where big-city clubs otherwise dominate.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Soccer] Mito HollyHock’s Shinta Watanabe scores a stunning 4 goals as J1’s first Ibaraki Derby champions beat Kashima Antlers.”

  • Emiri Kato, Bashed Over Her Kyubey Role in Madoka Magica: 5ch Says ‘Genuinely Feel Bad for Her’

    The story of Emiri Kato, who voiced Kyubey in Puella Magi Madoka Magica, being bashed since the show’s original broadcast simply because fans hated the character has resurfaced on 5ch. The thread brought up examples like voice actors who played Gundam villains, and Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and faced abuse from overseas fans, sparking debate over whether confusing a character with the actor who plays them is a uniquely Japanese phenomenon. Posters also argued over whether Japan or other countries have a bigger problem with people mistaking fake images and fake videos for real ones and sending abuse based on them.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:29
    The character and the voice actor are supposed to be two different things…
    2AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:30
    There's this whole narrative that Japanese people can tell fiction from reality
    Yeah they clearly can't lol
    17AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:38
    Re: #2
    Harassing drama actors over their roles is basically a Japanese tradition going back to the days of Oshin
    53AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:00
    Re: #2
    Is that even a real thing?
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:32
    The voice actors for Gaelio and Rustal got bashed too for some reason
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:39
    Re: #7
    Yeah, Jasley's voice actor got bashed too
    65AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:05
    Re: #7
    Good thing the actor who played Rustal wasn't on social media
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:33
    Apparently Emiri Kato caught all kinds of flak and bashing back when Madoka first aired live 15 years ago too, so I genuinely feel for her
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:36
    Re: #8
    Reminds me of how the actor who played Malfoy got abuse from all over the world just for 'playing a hated character in a hit franchise'
    Guess Japanese people aren't so different after all
    33AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:48
    Re: #12
    Meanwhile in Japan he was hugely popular, and it made him love Japan
    34AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:49
    Re: #12
    Actresses playing hateful roles in dramas and getting absolutely trashed in real life — that's been happening forever
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:38
    Feels like you could make one of those 'Amazing Japan Welcomes Malfoy' reaction videos out of this
    88AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:18
    Re: #16
    Malfoy
    Will Smith
    Queen

    stuff like that, huh
    Then maybe stop trashing celebrities from your own country who haven't done anything wrong, every single day
    19AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:40
    Any chance they're mixing her up with Sari Kato?
    49AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:56
    Re: #19
    She was on TV for a while and then just vanished
    24AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:43

    Weird how this other character she voiced is way more evil, yet nobody ever brings it up
    28AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:45
    Re: #24
    That one's just a subordinate of Ainz, though…
    69AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:06
    Re: #24
    Unlike QB (Kyubey), she's just a straightforward villain
    91AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:19
    Re: #24
    Re: #69
    Because she's just one exec in an evil organization
    30AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:46

    I love this one
    37AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:50
    Re: #30
    Eiko Kano: 'Yep, fake news!'
    41AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:52
    Re: #30
    Apparently an actress from Breaking Bad in the US got bashed too, so it happens everywhere
    62AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:03
    Re: #30
    There are Japanese people out there sending abuse because they believe the tons of reposted fake overseas videos on YouTube are real…?
    And if you check the original source, the foreign commenters clearly know it's fake
    42AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:53

    After hearing about the Malfoy thing, hearing about the Emiri Kato thing makes you think this
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:55
    Re: #42
    Wasabi Mizuta (Doraemon's voice) probably feels the same way
    66AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:05
    Re: #62
    Honestly foreigners don't get it as much as people claim either
    Though yeah, it's true Japanese people don't get it
    83AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:15
    Re: #66
    Foreign commenters spam 'AI,' 'Fake,' and 'Actor' nonstop
    A good chunk of them do it, and those comments get plenty of likes

    In Japan almost everyone falls for it, so it's hopeless
    89AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:19
    Re: #83
    Japan has plenty of those comments too and they rise to the top, and there are plenty of overseas comments from people who don't notice either
    Though YouTube's full of bot comments, so you have to account for that
    74AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:11
    What's with people who take obvious jokes seriously?
    76AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:11
    Re: #74
    Emiri Kato got absolutely torn apart by otaku at the time
    81AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:14
    Re: #74
    Because the person on the receiving end was getting unfairly attacked
    102AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:36
    Why does the hate never go to the writers instead of the actor?
    106AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:41
    Re: #102
    Sugako Hashida (the famed scriptwriter) said something similar — apparently back in the day people didn't even understand the concept and thought actors made up their own lines
    Even now the hate mostly lands on the director first, so not much has really changed
    108AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:43
    Re: #102
    This is still baffling even today

    Background and Key Points

    Emiri Kato, who voiced Kyubey, is a well-known case of dislike for a character during the original broadcast turning directly into abuse toward the actor herself. Similar things have happened abroad too — Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter, and actresses who played ‘the mean woman’ in Japanese morning dramas and faced real-life harassment from viewers, are both examples of fans confusing a role with the person playing it, showing this isn’t limited to Japan. The thread pointed out a gap between the self-image that ‘Japanese people can tell fiction from reality’ and the reality on the ground, while others pushed back, arguing that people overseas are more wary of AI and fake videos and better at spotting them — leaving it unclear which side actually has the bigger problem. It’s also worth noting that the underlying structure, where resentment tends to land on the individual performer rather than the writers or director, doesn’t seem to have changed much even now, so this isn’t simply a case of a ‘uniquely Japanese’ problem.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] Emiri Kato Reportedly Got a Sympathetic Statement from Eiko Kano Because of Madoka Magica lol“.

  • Riho Sayashi’s Same-Sex Kiss Scene in New Drama Sparks 5ch Reaction: ‘She’s Not an Idol Anymore…’

    A steamy kiss scene between former Morning Musume。’14 member Riho Sayashi and co-star Sakurako Konishi in the late-night drama “Would It Be Okay If I Went Out With You?” has become a hot topic on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. The show is based on a manga featuring same-sex romance, and the buzz kicked off after the official account posted a clip ahead of broadcast. Reactions in the thread were split — from doubts that the image was faked (‘is this photoshopped?’) to fans shrugging it off with ‘she’s not an idol anymore,’ to comments noting the show’s viewing reservations lag behind other dramas. Word of Sayashi’s newly announced 7th live tour, revealed around the same time, also came up in the discussion.

    2AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:58
    Would It Be Okay If I Went Out With You? [Official Drama] @tsukikana_mbs
    ❏ #DramaTsukikana Countdown ❏

    9 days until broadcast 🐩🐒🎸.ᐟ.ᐟ
    (From #SaeMiwa, on a boba tea date)

    TVer show page here
    ▶︎▶︎https://tver.jp/series/srjrmf6pdr

    #RihoSayashi
    #SakurakoKonishi
    #WouldItBeOkayIfIWentOutWithYou
    #HowDoWeRelationship

    https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2094746917548986368/vid/avc1/1080×1920/1S62bh70eBuQHUoS.mp4
    8:19 PM · Sep 1, 2026
    https://x.com/tsukikana_mbs/status/2094747007898513509
    3AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:59
    This is what happens when you sign on for a lesbian drama.
    5AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:59
    Saw something similar at Sayu's graduation concert.
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:59
    Why'd she even take a role in a drama based on a manga with lesbian sex scenes in it?
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:01
    Wait, isn't this just a photoshopped fake?
    11AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:02
    Re: #8
    Apparently that's really Sayashi, from a scene in the lesbian drama.
    26AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:14
    Re: #8
    She's not an idol anymore, so…
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:02
    There's not a man alive who hates lesbians.
    14AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:04
    If she really had her way though, she'd rather be doing it with Fuku-chan (nickname for fellow member Mizuki Fukumura).
    15AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:05
    Ma-chan would flip out if she saw this.
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:05
    24AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:09
    Re: #16
    This would cause a huge stir if it happened today, huh.
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:25
    Re: #16
    Knew it was coming.
    57AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:56
    Re: #16
    And right after this she does a smug double peace sign.
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:06
    There are way too many same-sex romance dramas lately, for both men and women.
    48AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:44
    Re: #18
    Kudo's currently in a BL (boys' love) drama too.
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:07
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRNB1lzbUAArTEw.jpg
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:08
    That Michishige who once kissed Sayashi.
    23AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:09
    Someone ask her in an interview, 'Have you ever kissed a woman?'
    25AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:10
    Re: #24
    Rino Sashihara actually had to apologize for doing the same thing in the past.
    If Sayumi Michishige hadn't retired, she'd probably be stuck having to apologize for her past too.
    33AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:21
    Still trailing behind Ikuta's drama in bookmark counts.
    Is this lesbian drama gonna be okay?
    35AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:24
    Isn't it just staying faithful to the source material?
    36AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:24
    The manga has some pretty explicit scenes though — how are they going to handle that?
    42AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:36
    Riho Sayashi Staff [Official]
    @sayashi_staff
    ＼ 7th Tour Announced! ／

    We're thrilled to announce "RIHO SAYASHI 7th Live Tour 2026 -OWN-"! ✨

    Fan club presale tickets open today 🎫

    ▼Details here

    https://rihosayashi.jp/news/news-3012/

    #RihoSayashi
    43AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:38
    Wish I'd been an Ulfer (die-hard Morning Musume fan, from 狼/"wolf") back during the 9th gen's peak.
    Regretting why I ever looked down on the wolves.
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:43
    That was probably her first kiss, right?
    50AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:45
    Re: #46
    That'd be Sayu, wouldn't it?
    54AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:51

    Background and Key Points

    “Would It Be Okay If I Went Out With You?” is a late-night live-action adaptation of a manga featuring same-sex romance, starring Riho Sayashi and Sakurako Konishi. Sayashi graduated from Morning Musume。’14 in 2014 and has since been building a career as an actress. The thread’s split opinions centered on how to read the kiss scene between the two women: some praised it as strong acting, while others pointed out that the show’s viewing reservations trail those of dramas on other networks, and debate also broke out over costuming that faithfully recreated the manga’s hairstyles. The backdrop includes a recent wave of dramas centered on same-sex relationships, with posters drawing comparisons to BL (boys’ love) works featuring other Hello! Project alumni. Details outside the thread itself, such as the official broadcaster or ratings, are not included in the material for this article.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Riho Sayashi’s Steamy Kiss Scene Leaks.”

  • Shonen Magazine Gravure Photo Sparks ‘Looks Like Six Fingers’ Claims — Publisher Explains and Shares Corrected Image

    A gravure photo of Hinatazaka46’s Emi Ono, published in issue 40 of Weekly Shonen Magazine, drew a wave of “it looks like she has six fingers” claims on social media. On September 2, the magazine explained the situation on its official X account and posted a corrected version of the photo. On 5ch, opinions split between those who argued it was simply the blurred boundary where her overlapping right and left hands had been retouched — creating a webbed-finger illusion — and those who suspected automated AI editing was to blame.

    Weekly Shonen Magazine issues statement after “six fingers?” claims flood social media over gravure photo: “Some images did not turn out as intended” — publisher explains and posts corrected photo on official X

    ORICON NEWS, Wed 9/2, 19:04

    On the 2nd, Weekly Shonen Magazine released a statement regarding a gravure photo of idol group Hinatazaka46 member Emi Ono, published in that same day’s issue 40 of Weekly Shonen Magazine (Kodansha). The magazine explained the circumstances behind social media claims that “it looks like she has six fingers.”

    Source: oricon.co.jp / Original article here

    5AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:29
    Good thing it wasn't four fingers — in a different era that would've caused real trouble (an old, discriminatory dig referencing missing/short fingers).
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:30
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:31
    The Four Requests (a nod to the 1969 hit song of the same name)
    86AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:24
    Re: #8
    Knowing who Chiaki Naomi is makes you 50+, huh (she's a veteran enka singer from that era)
    9AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:31
    Is this AI-generated?
    94AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:28
    Re: #9
    Probably.
    A finger or two extra or missing is nothing.
    I've seen AI turn an acrobatic pose into a girl with two upper bodies before.
    10AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:32
    Kibayashi: "A SUPER BUG IS BORN!!" (referencing the conspiracy-theorist character from the manga MMR)
    14AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:34
    The re-touched version still looks a little off, but I guess it beats the original.
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:37
    They over-edited it so much the original shape is gone — that's probably why nobody caught it.
    17AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:37
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRMXH8XXMAAgTrc.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRMXH8QWAAQHADs.jpg
    Really?
    Isn't that just the backs of her hands overlapping?
    23AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:40
    Re: #17
    Maybe they mistook the line where the right and left hands meet for a wrinkle and edited it out?
    60AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:02
    Re: #17
    What's even going on here? If the hand underneath is the right hand, shouldn't the thumb be the one poking out? lol
    73AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:17
    Re: #17
    Anyway, this girl's way cuter when she's actually moving.
    Being cuter in motion than in photos is kind of a death sentence for the photographer.
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:37
    It probably turned into six fingers after AI retouching.
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:38
    Did they just carelessly run it through AI editing again?
    21AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:39
    Probably cut corners on retouching, handed it to AI, and this is what came out.
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:40
    So is it not just edited, but flat-out AI-generated?
    Or did they let AI touch it up and never even check the result?
    24AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:41
    I was only looking at the close-up of the hand — that's clearly the right hand.
    So the punchline is the people complaining just weren't looking closely?
    25AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:42
    Anyway, her right big toe and left big toe look like they belong to two completely different people. Why do even the nails look different?
    26AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:43
    The editing blurred out the boundary between her right and left hands, that's why it looks that way.
    28AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:45
    Don't they do surgery on babies born with extra fingers?
    29AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:46
    The "the shadow along the outline got lighter" excuse doesn't hold up. That's literally the back of a hand there.
    30AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:48
    Re: #17
    Yeah, you'd think that at first glance, right? But look closely — the line where the overlapping right and left hands meet is blurry, and it forms something that looks like webbing.
    31AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:48
    Probably because they whitened the skin so much the boundary just disappeared lol
    32AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:48
    I don't see six fingers no matter how I look at it. Not an issue.
    34AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:50
    They over-edited it so heavily that the overlap between her hands got erased entirely.
    49AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:56
    Re: #34
    That makes it clear.
    35AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:50
    This isn't the only case — plenty of stuff gets touched up in DTP layout work.
    36AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:51
    Todd Rundgren's album cover had a six-fingered hand, but the Japanese release had it retouched down to five fingers.
    Makes no sense.
    37AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:51
    Guess the AI editing fused her hands together.
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:51
    Oh, the McDonald's girl — so she's from a Sakamichi group (the Nogizaka/Sakurazaka/Hinatazaka idol franchise).
    39AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:51
    They keep doing rushed, slapdash edits, that's why nobody notices this stuff.
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:54
    They whitened the skin so much that the boundary between her right and left hands vanished.
    50AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:58
    Re: #46
    Exactly that.
    While trying to erase skin wrinkles, they accidentally erased the line between her right and left hands too.
    64AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:07
    Having six fingers would be fine, wouldn't it?
    81AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:22
    Re: #64
    But for some reason four fingers is the one that's not okay.
    Even though mice and frogs only have four…
    84AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:23
    Thought she looked familiar — it's her.
    https://www.thefirsttimes.jp/admin/wp-content/uploads/5026/08/20260812-ha-142701.jpg

    Background and Key Points

    Digital retouching in gravure magazines is nothing new, and cases where smoothing out wrinkles and shadows flattens skin texture to the point that contours disappear have been pointed out before. This time too, the thread split between two camps: those speculating it was “AI-generated,” and those pointing out that “it’s just the blurred boundary where the overlapping right and left hands created a webbed-finger illusion.” The magazine’s own explanation leans toward the latter, stating that lightening the shadow made the boundary between the hands unclear. Because it’s become widely known in recent years that automated AI editing tends to get finger counts wrong, readers should be wary of jumping to “it must be AI” without confirming the actual cause. Magazine retouching can drastically change how a photo reads, and as this case shows, when the intent behind an edit doesn’t match the result, it can create misunderstandings that have nothing to do with the subject’s actual appearance.

    *This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Weekly Shonen Magazine issues statement after “six fingers?” claims flood social media over gravure photo: “Some images did not turn out as intended” — explains circumstances & posts corrected photo.”

  • Author of ‘Mii-chan and Yamada-san’ Allegedly Doxxed — Real Name and Face Photo Leaked; 5ch’s ‘Are You Brain-Dead Like Mii-chan?’ Jab Becomes a Fixture

    “Mii-chan and Yamada-san,” a hit manga with over 3 million copies in print and a 2027 anime adaptation already confirmed, has long been controversial for its provocative storylines and for past remarks by people connected to the series — controversial enough that a social welfare organization once issued a formal statement of concern. Now the series’ creator, known by the pen name Nene Atsuki, is at the center of a fresh uproar: online “identification squads” have exposed what they claim is the author’s real name, face photo, and even family details. A Sankei-affiliated outlet has reported on the dangers of this kind of internet vigilantism. On 5ch, some users criticized the doxxing itself, while others argued over the manga’s portrayal of the hostess/nightlife industry and raised questions about the publisher’s volume-count labeling on the digital edition.

    “Mii-chan and Yamada-san” is a smash hit with over 3 million copies in circulation, and a 2027 anime adaptation has already been confirmed. Amid controversy over the series’ provocative content and past remarks by people connected to it — controversy serious enough that a social welfare organization issued a formal statement — a new storm has broken out: personal information purportedly showing the “real name” and “face photo” of the creator, known by the pen name Nene Atsuki, has leaked online. We take a closer look at the runaway escalation of these “identification squads” and the dangers they pose.

    ~

    However, there’s no certainty that the information these “identification squads” have dug up is actually true — and even if it were, leaking the real name and face photo of someone working under a pen name amounts to “private punishment,” vigilante justice outside any legal process. What’s more, if the information turns out to be wrong, there’s a real risk that a completely unrelated person could end up being branded as “Nene Atsuki.”

    Source: iza.ne.jp / Original article here

    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:31
    What's hitting people so hard about this?
    The whole family can only work shady nightlife jobs
    I honestly thought it was drawn pretty realistically
    50AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:33
    Re: #45
    Yeah, exactly
    I read it thinking 'ah, that feels totally plausible'
    97AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:51
    Re: #45
    The line 'are you brain-dead like Mii-chan?' has basically become a fixture online now
    72AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:41
    Ah, so this is the person who's been drawing nightlife-industry manga on social media trying to make people less squeamish about that line of work
    This is basically a pimp ring, isn't it
    More women going into nightlife work means more money for scouts, and if they get hooked on host clubs, they're perfect marks
    88AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:47
    Right on cue

    Re: #72
    One-and-done poster (i.e., a suspected shill account) — what exactly do you have against Mii-chan/Atsuki?
    134AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:16
    Re: #72
    Why don't you go read it on one of those free-preview sites first?
    Just doing that
    would show you that everything you're ranting and slandering about
    is completely off-base
    In the story, that's the ending where she gets killed doing nightlife work
    133AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:14
    Just occurred to me — if the main characters in this manga were guys instead, would this have blown up this much? I kind of doubt it…
    136AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:17
    Re: #133
    No publisher would've touched this in the first place lol
    138AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:17
    Re: #133
    Being a hostess takes serious people skills, no way Mii-kun could pull that off (´・ω・｀)
    164AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:23
    Re: #127
    It gave people the misconception that nightlife work is done by people with intellectual issues
    When in reality, hostess clubs are a high-end job only sharp, good-looking women can actually manage
    168AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:24
    Re: #164
    Nah, it's nothing but airheads
    Pitiful girls being backed by hangure (loosely organized street-gang types), that sort of thing
    184AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:33
    Re: #168
    Barely any of that happens these days
    Top hostesses pull in tens of millions of yen a year and even start their own businesses
    They're dealing with upper-class men, so you genuinely need serious ability to survive in that world
    188AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:34
    Re: #184
    That's true for the cream of the crop, but it's also true there's no bottom to how low it can go if you look further down
    207AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:39
    Re: #184
    The 'top' tier is basically just the cream skimmed off, and lately a huge chunk of their earnings comes from kickbacks tied to the cosmetic-medicine industry anyway
    There's no way everyone can be top-tier, and honestly it's a world that climbs by preying on new girls who dream of getting into nightlife work
    199AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:37
    On the obi band of the latest volume, right next to the '3 million copies' claim, it says in small print 'including digital edition'

    https://manga.line.me/book/product_list?product_id=E870106&t=1788231317599

    It's only 7 volumes in print, but the digital version splits it into 37 volumes

    That's a scam
    210AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:40
    Re: #199
    Lol
    Kodansha's being way too cheap about this lmao
    214AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:44
    Re: #199
    If you use apps like Magazine Pocket you'd know that's totally normal
    It's sold by chapter, not by whole volume
    Though it's cheaper per unit because of that
    217AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:44
    Re: #199
    So realistically that's more like 600,000–700,000 copies
    Works out to roughly 100,000 people buying it

    Background and Key Points

    “Mii-chan and Yamada-san” is a hit manga with more than 3 million copies in print, with a 2027 anime adaptation on the way. It’s a series that has already drawn concern from social welfare organizations and others over its content and past remarks by people involved with it. What’s at issue this time isn’t anything the author has said or done — it’s that online users known as “identification squads,” working from information of unverified accuracy, have spread the author’s alleged real name, face photo, and even family details. As the source article points out, there’s no guarantee the person identified is actually the creator, and there’s a real risk that information about a completely unrelated person could spread by mistake. On 5ch, some users criticized the doxxing itself, but discussion also ran in parallel over the merits of the manga’s content and questions about the publisher’s practice of listing different volume counts for the print and digital editions — so no single conclusion has emerged.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “[Ripples] Face Photo and Real Name of ‘Mii-chan and Yamada-san’ Creator Nene Atsuki Allegedly Leaked — Extraordinary Situation Escalates to Exposing Family Information.”

  • Orix’s Tomoya Mori Out for the Season After Left Wrist Surgery — 5ch: “His Peak Was Really Back in His Seibu Days”

    It was reported on September 2 that Orix Buffaloes catcher Tomoya Mori has undergone synovectomy surgery on his left wrist, making a return this season effectively hopeless. Since exercising his free-agency rights to leave Seibu for Orix on a four-year, ¥1.8 billion contract, Mori has been plagued by recurring injuries. On a 5ch Geisports Sokuho+ thread, opinions were split: some mourned the loss of the batting talent he’d shown since his Osaka Toin High School days, while others argued his “peak was really back in his Seibu days” or that his small frame simply had its limits — sparking comparisons with fellow Seibu departures Yamakawa, Asamura, and Akiyama.

    Published 9/2 (Wed) 18:00

    AERA DIGITAL

    Orix Buffaloes catcher Tomoya Mori (31) has undergone “arthroscopic synovectomy surgery on his left wrist,” making a return this season effectively hopeless.

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

    6AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:15
    His talent was on a whole other level, but yakyu (playful 2ch spelling for baseball) is rough when you're small — there's only so far that gets you.
    63AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:04
    Re: #6
    Even Mori's coach at Osaka Toin gave him the ultimate stamp of approval: "Of all the players I've ever coached, his hitting is hands-down the best."

    That means better than Takeya Nakamura, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Sho Nakata, and Hideto Asamura.

    And it's true — his farm-team stats in his first year out of high school blew every one of theirs out of the water.
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:16
    Man, if only they'd signed Kondo in free agency instead…
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:16
    I think he did well overcoming his size disadvantage, honestly.
    9AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:16
    Every guy who anchored that "Bandit Lineup" is washed up now.
    55AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:53
    Re: #9
    It's always a one-way trip out of Seibu — guys leave, but they never really thrive wherever they land.
    10AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:16
    Osaka Toin guys peak in high school. Same story with Fujinami.
    11AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:17
    Don't worry, Chunichi will scoop him up for 2 years/¥600 million.
    15AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:20
    If he's already pocketed ¥1.8 billion, he could just retire now and be fine.
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:20
    This might actually turn into a trade for Minei.
    25AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:24
    The guy whose name pops up as an autocomplete suggestion when you search for the Moritomo Gakuen scandal.
    37AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:35
    Lately I keep thinking, if only they'd landed Kondo… Mori and Nishikawa have both been pretty mediocre.
    44AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:39
    Re: #37
    No eye for when it mattered — they backed off Kondo over salary-balance concerns.
    61AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:03
    Re: #37
    Nishikawa's performed about as expected, no?

    Re: #40
    Nah, having a career OPS comfortably north of .800 is genuinely impressive.
    40AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:37
    Even back in his Seibu days he wasn't that great, honestly.
    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:40
    It was a ¥400 million, 4-year deal, but he was only worth it that first year they won the pennant.
    No matter how good a hitting catcher he is, it's useless if he's hurt every single year.
    My guess: after this season Orix offers him a massive pay cut beyond the allowed limit, he turns it down, and he ends up released.
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:43
    Re: #45
    Wasn't it a 4-year, ¥1.8 billion total deal?
    48AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:46
    Re: #46
    He's been hurt nonstop and hasn't played enough games — he's probably not getting the full amount.
    56AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:55
    Re: #48
    Not sure what the incentive clauses say, but if it's an injury, shouldn't that count as a paid work injury regardless?

    "We're not paying because you didn't put up the numbers" — that sounds like something a two-bit thug would say.
    50AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:48
    Osaka Toin guys just don't pan out in the pros, huh.
    64AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:06
    Re: #50
    "Okawari" (Nakamura's nickname) never left the Lions and still made it big. 10th all-time in home runs, and by far the top active player on that list. Beautiful wife, happy life.
    77AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:18
    Re: #50
    Do you even know how many batting titles "Okawari" alone has won? Are you new here or something?
    54AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:52
    Yamakawa, Mori, Asamura, Akiyama — every single guy who left has turned into a bad investment.
    82AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:21
    Re: #54
    Asamura's been plenty worth it at Rakuten though — he won the home run title twice after the move.
    59AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:57
    ¥1.8 billion is wild. Kai got ¥1.5 billion over 5 years, and Norimoto's ¥1.3 billion over 3 years is huge too, but still.
    68AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:09
    Re: #65
    If you have to reach back that far for a comparison, it's just not realistic anymore. Different era, grandpa.
    78AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:18
    Re: #68
    There's a guy named Kao Takizawa, one of the smallest infielders ever, and he's amazing.
    72AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:11
    What happens once his post-FA contract runs out — does he become a free agent again?
    79AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:18
    Re: #72
    They go into contract talks — based on how he's performed these past 4 years, Orix offers a salary for next year. If he accepts, he stays with Orix. If he's not satisfied, it can go to arbitration, or he could end up released.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    After graduating from Osaka Toin High School, Mori helped lead Seibu to a league championship before exercising his free-agency rights to move to Orix. Catching is a position that puts heavy daily strain on the body from throwing and receiving, and this latest synovectomy surgery on his left wrist is seen as the cumulative result of that toll. The thread was split between the view that “his small frame was always going to be his limit” and the assessment that “his batting talent, evident since his Osaka Toin days, was the real deal.” That said, whether his salary actually drops next season or whether he ends up released is just speculation from some users — Orix has made no official announcement on the matter.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “[Baseball] Was Tomoya Mori’s Peak Really Back in His Seibu Days? As His “4-Year, ¥1.8 Billion” Orix Contract Winds Down, a Pay Cut Next Season Looks Inevitable.”

  • K Dub Shine Slams Noritake Kinashi’s ‘Mercedes Stomping’: ‘Do You Even Respect Hip-Hop?’

    On the April 25 broadcast of ABEMA’s “Kinashi Record,” Noritake Kinashi climbed onto the roof of guest rapper SHO’s gold Mercedes and dented it while bouncing around on top of it — footage that has been drawing renewed criticism online over the past few days. In response, rapper K Dub Shine criticized Kinashi, asking “Noritake, do you even respect hip-hop?” — a remark that made news in its own right. On 5channel’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board, though, reactions focused less on slamming Kinashi and more on the timing and standing behind K Dub Shine’s comment. A lot of the back-and-forth also boiled down to onlookers debating who outranks whom between Kinashi and K Dub Shine.

    Sept 2 (Wed), 5:30 PM

    Noritake Kinashi of the comedy duo Tunnels has faced a wave of criticism these past few days over an “incident” from a show that aired on ABEMA roughly four months ago. On social media, the backlash still hasn’t died down at all.

    “The scene causing controversy is from the April 25 episode of ABEMA’s ‘Kinashi Record.’ Rapper SHO appeared as a guest, and during the show Kinashi climbed onto the roof of SHO’s gold Mercedes. Ignoring SHO’s worried protests of ‘this might be dangerous,’ Kinashi bounced up and down on top of the car and ended up denting the roof.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:48
    The boss of the rap game, apparently lol
    13AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:50
    Re: #2
    That one's a slow burn, gets funnier the more you sit with it
    3AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:48
    Kinashi's scary business, honestly
    Keep criticizing him too much and apparently his wife's "organization" comes for you
    5AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:48
    Re: #1
    "K Dub Jain"?? (typo for K Dub Shine)

    What kind of name is that lmao
    Is hip-hop just full of idiots?
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:48
    Pretty much everybody disrespects hip-hop lol
    10AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:49
    Only speaking up now that he's seen the public pile on Kinashi
    If the public hadn't already turned on Kinashi, he never would've said a word about it lol
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:50
    Ugh, this reeks of a fake pro-wrestling-style beef between buddies
    14AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:51
    Both Tunnels and Downtown have fallen off, and somehow the Unnan guys are the ones still standing.
    33AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:53
    Re: #14
    There was a whole stretch where they had zero work at all
    17AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:51
    In a world where hip-hop actually gets respect
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:51
    This has nothing to do with hip-hop
    He's disrespecting the car manufacturer lol
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:52
    Isn't this the same guy who trashed Kj from Dragon Ash?
    70AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:58
    Re: #22
    Yeah.
    That totally deflated Kj afterward
    23AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:52
    Ah man, he got cocky and picked a fight with Kinashi…

    He has no idea what he's in for
    24AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:52
    Re: #1
    What's with old man K Dub acting like some big shot?
    His sales and turnout numbers aren't exactly impressive either, right?
    28AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:53
    Nobody disrespects hip-hop — everyone just disrespects K Dub
    36AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:54
    Uh oh, they've gone and made Dub Shine angry
    Kinashi's done for
    37AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:54
    Calling a senior by name with no honorific — isn't that disrespectful in itself?
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:54
    Small fry should stay out of it
    It's not funny otherwise
    This kind of stunt only worked because it was [comedy legends] Sanma and Takeshi doing it
    43AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:55
    What's this guy's signature song, anyway? How many copies did it even sell?
    44AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:55
    Haven't seen a celebrity this nosy in a while ("naicchokami" — Kansai slang for someone who butts into everything)
    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:55
    Kinashi disrespects everybody equally, so what are you gonna do
    He's a survivor from an era when being a screwup was allowed
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:55
    This doesn't really have much to do with hip-hop, does it?
    48AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:55
    Trampling on something precious to someone else with your own feet — that mindset is just not okay
    49AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:55
    Just a one-hit wonder whose only claim to fame is agreeing with BOY-KEN
    50AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:55
    He knew the public was already ripping into Kinashi, then jumped in acting tough — so lame lol


    Then again, that lameness is pretty on-brand for a rapper lol
    79AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:59
    Re: #50
    Yeah, it's pretty uncool honestly

    Four months later he probably thought,
    "If I talk tough now, I can score points with my fans!"
    lol
    96AnonymousSep 2, 2026 21:01
    Re: #50
    This guy's famous for being gutless
    Everyone's just laughing at K Dub over this lol
    51AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:55
    The guy it actually happened to is fine with it, so what's even the problem?
    54AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:56
    Since K Dub says so, Kinashi disrespecting rap must be some kind of conspiracy (sarcasm)
    55AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:56
    This'll all come down to which side Zeebra takes
    57AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:56
    Isn't Kinashi technically the senior when it comes to rap?
    I mean, say what you want, but Tunnels did have a million-selling single
    58AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:56
    This comment dropped right after he'd already been booked to appear on Kinashi's YouTube channel
    59AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:56
    I agree with him too
    Though if we met in person we'd hash out our differences
    60AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:56
    Says the rapper who disrespects the entire world
    61AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:56
    If he's being serious about this, he'd better not underestimate Kinashi

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    The controversy traces back to roughly four months ago, when Noritake Kinashi climbed onto rapper SHO’s gold Mercedes on ABEMA’s “Kinashi Record” and dented its roof. It barely registered when the episode first aired — the backlash on social media only flared up again in the past few days. What stands out this time is that it wasn’t SHO himself but his senior in the scene, K Dub Shine, who spoke up, asking “Do you even respect hip-hop?” on SHO’s behalf. Opinions in the thread were split: some took a cynical view of the timing, calling it “jumping on the bandwagon now to act tough,” while others sided with K Dub Shine, arguing that “wrecking someone else’s prized car is the real problem, regardless of hip-hop.” Several posts also pointed out that the core issue is really the damaged car itself, not hip-hop — a reminder to be wary of framing this purely as a “Kinashi vs. rap” showdown.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Major Rapper K Dub Shine Reacts Angrily to Noritake Kinashi’s ‘Mercedes Stomping’: ‘Noritake, Do You Even Respect Hip-Hop?’.”

  • How Long Will People Keep Wearing Masks? 5ch Weighs In: “Forever, As Long As There Are Spit-Sprayers Out There”

    A thread titled “How long are you going to keep wearing a mask?” on 5ch’s “Morning Coffee” board turned into a lively exchange of opinions on mask-wearing. Even now, well after COVID-19 was reclassified as a Category 5 infectious disease in Japan, opinions remain split over whether restaurant staff, hospitals, and train passengers should still be masking up. Some posters keep wearing masks for health reasons like hay fever or chronic sinusitis, while others called continued mask use just leftover habit from the pandemic, and still others defended it by pointing to the current flu season. Between manners, hygiene concerns, and personal freedom, the thread made clear that everyone draws the line differently.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:50
    Are the people still wearing masks now going to wear them until they die?
    Are store clerks going to keep wearing them until they retire?
    3AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:52
    Forever, as long as there are filthy people out there spraying spit everywhere.
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:53
    I'm sensitive to smells, so I wear one whenever I'm face-to-face with someone (for both our sakes) — it helps block odors.
    9AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:53
    There are actually hospitals now that say you don't have to wear one.
    15AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:54
    Re: #9
    I wouldn't want to go to a hospital like that.
    10AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:54
    I've got chronic sinusitis, so wearing one versus not makes a huge difference for me.
    11AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:54
    COVID deaths are still way too high.
    And on top of that, the flu death toll.
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:54
    There are still hospitals that won't even let you in without a mask.
    13AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:54
    I work in food service and I stopped wearing a mask.
    It's hard to talk through, and the company never told us we had to wear one anyway.
    Every once in a while some complainer writes in on a survey like "There was a staff member not wearing a mask!" but I just ignore it.
    14AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:54
    Forget masks, there are still idiot supermarkets hanging cheap plastic sheeting at the registers.
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:56
    I don't think supermarket cashiers need those plastic gloves anymore.
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:58
    Not until the pollen's gone, damn it!!!
    21AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:58
    Flu's already starting to spread nationwide, you know.
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:59
    The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare itself said masks don't prevent the flu.
    23AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:00
    Shaving's a pain, so I just shave my sideburns and neck and cover the rest with a mask.
    24AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:01
    Re: #1, if you ever need surgery, just ask the doctor and nurses to take their masks off then.
    25AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:01
    The mask rate among the senior office ladies at my workplace is really high ("o-tsubone" types). Wonder if there's some benefit to it.
    26AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:02
    Re: #25
    They probably don't want people seeing their aging face. And honestly, I don't want to see it either — win-win.
    28AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:06
    As long as you're not doing intense exercise, it's really not that uncomfortable.
    29AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:06
    I was already a year-round mask wearer because of pollen allergies, so I'm glad there are so many more designs to choose from since COVID.
    30AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:10
    Might just be my imagination, but it feels like the people who don't wear masks are always the ones coughing.
    31AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:11
    I'm from the countryside, but the mask rate at supermarkets here is still really high.
    33AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:14
    Restaurant staff should honestly keep wearing masks forever, but they were the first ones to ditch them.
    34AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:15
    The flu's going around, you know.
    36AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:17
    Whether someone wears a mask or not is their own business.
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:18
    Re: #32
    Wait, you WANT the mask kept on during surgery? Why?
    39AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:20
    I wear a mask when I go to nursing homes or medical facilities, even though I don't think it does much.
    40AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:21
    The world's just too filthy — I can't go without a mask.
    42AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:21
    People on-site recognize me as "the guy in the mask," so I actually like it — makes things easy.
    44AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:22
    It's always the ones hacking up a lung on the train who aren't wearing masks.
    Sometimes they even take the mask off just to cough.
    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:23
    Re: #44
    What is with that, seriously?
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:24
    They probably just hate how the inside of the mask gets all soggy with saliva.
    47AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:30
    Isn't the flu supposed to be a winter thing?
    48AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:34
    The news said it's already starting to spread.
    Apparently if you get your flu shot too early, the effect wears off by the February peak.

    Background and Talking Points

    Mask-wearing became a matter of personal choice in Japan in May 2023, when COVID-19 was reclassified as a Category 5 disease under the Infectious Diseases Control Law. More than two years later, practices still vary widely across restaurants, hospitals, and public transit, depending on the industry and each person’s health or personal values. The thread revealed a mix of motivations — wearing masks for health reasons like hay fever or chronic sinusitis, wearing them as infection prevention, and views dismissing continued use as “peer pressure” or sheer habit — making clear there’s no single standard for when to mask up. Some comments also touched on flu season timing and vaccine effectiveness, but it’s worth noting these reflect individual posters’ personal experience or hearsay rather than confirmed medical fact.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “How Long Are You Going to Keep Wearing a Mask?“

  • Hello! Project’s Otoki Nishimura Gets Bangs, Fans Flood In With ‘She’s So Cute Now’

    Hello! Project idol Otoki Nishimura switched to a hairstyle with bangs, and reactions flooded a 5ch Hello! Project thread with comments like “she got so much cuter” and “might even be cuter than Sayashi back in her day.” She had previously performed with her forehead bared, but the mood of the thread shifted completely once photos were posted. Still, some posters offered a cooler take, pointing out that “her bangs didn’t literally grow in, she just styled them that way,” while others questioned whose call it had been to have her bare her forehead in the first place — leaving reactions to her new look split.

    2AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:10
    Got a gal (gyaru) kind of vibe going, nice
    4AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:13
    Baring her forehead actually made her stand out more
    With bangs she kind of blends in
    6AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:14
    https://www.girlsnews.tv/reimage/y2026/m08/w1000/img260527_26.08.27_tsubaki_4.jpg
    https://www.girlsnews.tv/reimage/y2026/m08/w1000/img260527_26.08.27_tsubaki_1.jpg





    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20260829/22/tsubaki-factory-new/8c/b5/j/o1080144015816981430.jpg
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:19
    Re: #6
    Aw, she's cute
    Might even be cuter than Sayashi back in the day
    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:41
    Re: #6
    Whoa, I think I'm in love
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:16
    They didn't literally grow in lol
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:16
    If she's gonna get complaints either way, might as well get bangs and look cuter
    9AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:17
    Is it really okay to fall for her this fast…
    Just a few strands of bangs and I've totally done a 180…
    10AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:18
    So whose call was it to have her bare her forehead in the first place?
    Did she herself even like that look?
    11AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:18
    Has anyone made an AI image of her with full eye makeup yet?
    Feels like that'd take her polish up another notch
    13AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:19

    ↓

    ↓
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:25
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:41
    Re: #20
    No wonder she didn't stand out if she started out looking like this
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:26


    26AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:30
    Murata-chan's cute, so I'm sticking with Murata-chan.
    29AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:33
    If King becomes a lead vocalist and goes head-to-head with Runo-chan and Yumi-san, the future's looking bright 😍
    32AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:35
    https://imgur.com/KKc9oI4.jpeg
    33AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:35
    Torn between making Doi-chan or King my number one bias
    34AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:35
    You guys are so late to this
    I noticed how cute King was from the start
    37AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:37
    Guess I'll just root for both equally then
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:37
    Like that girl who suddenly gets pretty once second semester starts after summer break
    40AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:38
    Never in a million years thought she'd glow up this much lol
    43AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:40
    If she picks up a smile as good as Doi-chan's, she'll level up in cuteness even more
    44AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:41
    🐥🐥🐥👑 <We're not Saniko's punching bags 💢
    Bring on the inter-generation rivalry too
    61AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:13
    Top 3 idols whose popularity exploded because of bangs:
    Sato Masaki, Yanagawa Nanami, Nishimura Otoki
    62AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:15
    Better to be cute than to stand out for the wrong reasons
    67AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:27
    I want her to keep these eyebrows but bring back the old bangs
    69AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:34
    Tomorrow afternoon's birthday event lottery results are probably gonna be another rejection fest too
    70AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:36
    Sugihara — Sagittarius
    Yasuda — Aries
    Suzuki — Aries
    Ishikawa — Virgo

    That's Aiolos, Mu, and Shaka! (Saint Seiya Gold Saints)
    Batch 18 is stacked!!!
    71AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:36
    Sorry, wrong thread

    Background and Talking Points

    Among Hello! Project fans, the “bangs effect” — where a member’s whole impression shifts depending on whether she has bangs and how they’re styled — is a recurring topic. The thread title’s claim that her “bangs grew in” is an exaggeration that’s easy to misread: her hair didn’t literally grow in overnight, she just changed her styling. Even within the thread, one poster calmly corrected the record with “they didn’t literally grow in lol.” Others questioned whether baring her forehead had been her own choice or something she was told to do by management or the production side — a reminder that an idol’s look isn’t always decided by the idol herself, an industry reality that’s easy for non-fans to miss. The thread was also full of comparisons to other members (referred to by nicknames like Doi-chan, King, and Murata-chan), reflecting the close-knit feel unique to the Hello! Project fan community. That said, the thread doesn’t directly grapple with how much appearance-based opinions can shape an idol’s popularity and treatment.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[Congrats] Otoki Nishimura’s bangs grow in and she’s suddenly a total knockout wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww“.