Japan Reacts

Category: Idols

  • Cooking Show Host Can’t Take His Eyes Off Juice=Juice’s Ishiyama Sakura in AKB48 Crossover Episode — 5ch: ‘She’s Stunningly Beautiful’

    When Juice=Juice’s Ishiyama Sakura and an AKB48 member appeared together on TV Tokyo’s cooking show “Pekomogu Kitchen,” the male chef hosting the segment seemed visibly distracted by Ishiyama the whole time — and it became a hot topic on 5ch’s Hello! Project board after the broadcast. While plenty of posters chalked it up to “well, she’s beautiful, so what can you do,” others dug up footage of Ishiyama’s 2022 appearance on “Hello! Kitchen.” There was also plenty of back-and-forth comparing the AKB48 member’s variety-show chops and Hello! Project-style looks against Ishiyama’s, with posters pitting the two against each other throughout.

    Pekomogu Kitchen

    #TVer

    Source: tver.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:41
    Well yeah, she's gorgeous.
    3AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:42
    I mean, Sakagawa isn't exactly AKB's designated 'pretty one' anyway, so that comparison's not really fair.
    5AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:43
    The second it started, you could already tell how this was gonna go.
    6AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:44
    Compare those two side by side and yeah, that's exactly what happens.
    10AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:45
    Come to think of it, didn't something like this happen back when she first joined too, on Hello! Kitchen…?
    37AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:53
    Re: #10
    "Hello! Kitchen": Juice=Juice new member Ishiyama Sakura appears! Taking on cream pasta!
    [Hello! Sta. #448] Week 1 (10/12/2022)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HUgvIRql0&t=864s
    [Hello! Sta. #449] Week 2 (10/19/2022)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSGbsg-BoOg&t=997s
    [Hello! Sta. #450] Week 3 (10/26/2022)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMnFpV6YLWA&t=810s
    14AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:46
    She's got the looks, she's considerate, and she's got that homey side too — can't really blame the guy.
    16AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:48
    She's stunningly beautiful, honestly.
    Tall too.
    17AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:48
    She was supposed to be billed as the 'acts a little off' one, but it was the AKB girl who ended up moving the way Ishiyama normally does.
    19AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:48
    He's got a wife, you know, and a kid who's about middle-school age too.
    20AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:49
    Isn't this the show suspect Kokubun used to host?
    Danshi Gohan (Guy's Meal).
    21AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:49
    Did the Kitagawa-senpai and Ishiyama collab ever actually happen?
    39AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:53
    Re: #21
    Ignored it on the blog too.
    22AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:49
    His surname's Kurihara — wonder if that's a nod to Kurihara Harumi (the famous Japanese cooking celebrity)?
    25AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:50
    If anything, the AKB girl's got more of a Hello! Project face.
    27AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:51
    Ishiyama might've been nervous — her expression looked kind of scary at times.
    30AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:51
    The AKB girl's probably the variety-show specialist, so Ishiyama's got no chance in a talk battle.
    32AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:52
    The chef was totally smitten and fawning over her while 'helping,' and Kitagawa called him out for breaking the rules.
    41AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:53
    If he gets too touchy-feely he's gonna blow up online like that old guy did on the Chidori show.
    55AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:55
    Announcer Kitagawa posted a two-shot with her.
    60AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:55
    Watching the AKB girl, I thought: even just leaving a 'scar' on variety TV is hard work.
    67AnonymousSep 21, 2026 10:57
    Why would you leave a 'scar'? You mean leave your mark — it's 'claw marks,' not scars.
    75AnonymousSep 21, 2026 11:00
    Yeah, actually the AKB girl did have a lot of scars now that you mention it —
    like on her ears.
    76AnonymousSep 21, 2026 11:01
    Total 'face type hostess-club girls dream of having' energy.
    77AnonymousSep 21, 2026 11:03
    She looks like she'd fit right into fripSide (the anime theme-song duo), yet she's stuck on variety duty.

    Background and Points of Debate

    Ishiyama Sakura joined Juice=Juice as a new member in October 2022, and back then she also appeared in a segment on “Hello! Kitchen” trying her hand at cooking — which is why posters in this thread dug up footage from that earlier appearance. Where opinions split was over which of the two, Ishiyama or the AKB48 member, had the more “Hello! Project-style” look, with support running about even on both sides. The thread also contains a number of mentions of another announcer, Kitagawa, who appears to have had some role in the broadcast, but since the thread posts alone don’t clarify exactly what that role was, this article focuses mainly on the crossover episode between Ishiyama and the AKB48 member. One point worth flagging for readers: the 5ch reactions are strictly viewers’ subjective impressions — the chef himself never made any official comment.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Watched Juice=Juice’s Ishiyama Sakura and an AKB48 member on TV Tokyo’s ‘Pekomogu Kitchen’ and the male chef fell for Ishiyama harder than the AKB girl.”

  • Typhoon-threatened festival: OCHA NORMA pulls out too — 5ch: “Nearly 60 acts have canceled”

    OCHA NORMA, a Hello! Project group, has announced it is withdrawing from the music festival “SPARK 2026 in YAMANAKAKO,” which was set to take place on September 21 at Lake Yamanaka in Yamanashi Prefecture. The withdrawal appears to be due to an approaching typhoon, and the thread lit up after users compiled a list showing that other Hello! Project groups — including Morning Musume。’26 and ANGERME — were also forced into Osaka show cancellations and schedule changes around the same time. On 5ch, comments crossed several lines: criticism of how slow the festival staff were to respond (the announcement didn’t come until after midnight, spilling into the next calendar day), questions about the festival’s policy of pressing ahead with the event despite the approaching typhoon, and praise for the ticket refund handling when compared with other festivals.

    OCHA NORMA@ocha_norma

    [Notice of Withdrawal from Performance]

    Regarding the event scheduled for September 21 (Mon, holiday)…

    Source: x.com / original post here

    2AnonymousSep 21, 2026 00:55
    At this rate the only major-agency act left is @onefive
    5AnonymousSep 21, 2026 00:55
    Props to the staff who agonized over it until 12:45 AM
    7AnonymousSep 21, 2026 00:57
    Were they just stalling to stage a "the last big name has fallen" moment?
    9AnonymousSep 21, 2026 00:58
    The saddest part is the fans sleeping soundly, no idea it's been canceled
    13AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:00
    Re: #9
    Go ride a swan boat on Lake Yamanaka and clear your head
    10AnonymousSep 21, 2026 00:58
    It was a chance to earn some goodwill, but…
    is the management really that bad?
    11AnonymousSep 21, 2026 00:58
    This might be the first time I've ever heard of a Hello! Project group withdrawing from a show
    14AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:00
    Don't worry, Yumeha's still on the bill
    She'll deliver the best performance for you
    15AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:00
    9/20→9/21→9/22→9/23

    ■Morning Musume。'26
    No plans→Osaka→(no event)→Aichi

    ■ANGERME
    Osaka→(canceled)→Aichi→(no event)

    ■Juice=Juice
    Kanagawa→(no event)→Hiroshima→(no event)

    ■Tsubaki Factory
    Hokkaido→Aichi→●Yamanashi→Osaka

    ■BEYOOOOONDS
    (no event)→(no event)→(no event)→(no event)

    ■OCHA NORMA
    Hokkaido→(withdrew)→Miyagi→(no event)

    ■Rosy Chronicle
    ●Chiba→Tokyo→●Yamanashi→Saitama
    17AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:03
    Re: #15
    Juice=Juice's appearance at the "Ebaringo" Game Show got canceled too
    18AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:04
    Where's Ocha (OCHA NORMA) right now? Still in Sapporo?
    19AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:04
    If performers are pulling out because of the weather, doesn't the event itself get canceled?
    23AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:05
    I saw somewhere else that said they'd withdrawn too
    27AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:09
    Fans planning to go tomorrow are probably already asleep
    28AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:09
    Picture them bleary-eyed at a highway rest stop, spotting the wolf and despairing lol
    29AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:10
    At least I hope they see the notice when they wake up in the morning
    30AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:10
    There's a chance even the members themselves are sound asleep
    32AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:10
    They announced at 7 PM that the show would go on despite the typhoon, and one by one the idol groups on the bill started announcing they were pulling out
    37AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:12
    Feels like there'll be fans who show up on-site without ever hearing it was canceled, left totally clueless
    38AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:12
    So they're holding the event but refunds are also an option, right?
    39AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:13
    Yeah, and it's Sendai the next day, so travel is brutal either way
    40AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:13
    They must be worn out from Hokkaido, no need to push it
    41AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:13
    Actually, don't flights out of Hokkaido probably aren't even flying?
    42AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:13
    If you get in without knowing, do you not get a refund?
    44AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:14
    Wait, are they doing it at Lake Yamanaka again?
    Didn't the venue move somewhere else in the Kanto area at some point?
    Never been either way, though
    45AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:15
    The members are probably already back in Tokyo by the 20th
    Hokkaido, Yamanashi, Sendai — all same-day round trips
    46AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:16
    Just the fact that they're doing refunds makes them seem pretty legit
    especially compared to this year's Summer Sonic
    47AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:17
    Turns out there's also a group called "Kimi to Miru Sora" (The Sky I See With You) — similar name to "The Blue Sky I Wanted to See"
    48AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:17
    About 60 of the roughly 150 acts have canceled — pretty much the only big-agency acts left are Amuse, Platinum, and Yumeha
    49AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:18
    If they end up paying a cancellation penalty for withdrawing, that's a win by attrition for the organizers
    50AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:19
    People rip on it constantly, but Rock in Japan is honestly the most solidly run festival in the country
    51AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:20
    They were mid-flight from Sapporo back to Tokyo, so it's understandable they couldn't respond right away
    53AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:20
    Fans already fast asleep on the overnight bus…
    56AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:23
    Re: #53
    Small mercy that the members are probably in the same boat
    64AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:27
    Slow to make the call
    classic Up-Front (their agency)
    even with this many withdrawals, they're still going ahead with the event
    is there not a single group with decent management?
    68AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:28
    Re: #64
    There's also a theory that SPARK was slow to approve the withdrawal
    just because they requested to pull out doesn't mean they can announce it right away
    73AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:32
    I don't get why they packed the schedule this tight in the first place
    just consolidate the Hello! Project dates
    76AnonymousSep 21, 2026 01:35
    Re: #73
    just look a bit further up the thread

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    “SPARK 2026 in YAMANAKAKO” was an event that chose to go ahead despite an approaching typhoon, after which several of the idol groups scheduled to appear announced their withdrawals one after another. The figure cited in the thread — “about 60 of roughly 150 acts canceled” — comes from one anonymous poster’s impression and is not an officially confirmed tally, so it should be treated with caution. The discussion split mainly into two threads: one questioning whether it was right for organizers to leave the cancel-or-continue call to individual performers instead of calling off the event themselves given the bad weather, and another praising the festival’s refund handling by comparison with other festivals. OCHA NORMA had a Hokkaido show the day before, and the resulting travel burden is speculated as part of the reason behind the withdrawal — but no official explanation was given even within the thread, so this remains speculation based only on the publicly stated reason of the approaching typhoon.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “OCHA NORMA Announces Withdrawal from “SPARK 2026 in YAMANAKAKO”.”

  • ANGERME’s Suzuran Ise Pleads With Fans to Show Up as Osaka Show Ticket Sales Stall

    Suzuran Ise, who serves as leader of the Hello! Project idol group ANGERME, called on fans to attend the remaining two Osaka shows in a post on her own blog, writing that she’d “be happy if a few more different people came” and that she “just really wants people to come, no matter what.” The plea hints that ticket sales have been sluggish, and opinion split on 5ch’s Hello! Project board over how she framed the request. Some criticized it as counterproductive to just tell fans to come without giving them any reason to be excited, while others defended her by pointing to blog posts from other members showing similar resolve. The discussion also broadened into a structural critique about a mismatch between venue capacity and the group’s actual drawing power.

    For the remaining 2 dates in Osaka,

    I’d be happy if a few more different people could come…

    I really want you all to see us, but how do I get people to come see us~~! 🥲‎ I just really, really want you to come. ○

    Source: ameblo.jp / Original post here

    2AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:25
    So instead of actually showing off what's appealing about the show, it's just 'come no matter what'…
    5AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:25
    Being told to just 'come' makes me not want to go
    8AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:26
    She should at least say something like 'come even if you're a new Moremi fan' (Moremi — a fellow member's fan nickname)
    11AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:26
    Show us something that actually makes people want to go — you're charging money for this
    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:27
    What's with 'a few more different people' lol Way to make it sound like it's always the same people showing up
    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:27
    Nobody's ever gotten popular just by saying 'come see me' — the ones who get popular are the ones who show you something that makes you want to see them
    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:28
    She must've been shocked to see the crowd was all 'omaitsu' (the same regulars who turn up to every single show)
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:28
    Guess it really is nothing but the same fixed fans who go to everything now
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:28
    It's not that the ANGERME members are bad or anything, the venue capacity just doesn't match their drawing power
    20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:29
    Guess Ise's going to end up putting out a 2nd (release) since nobody else will
    22AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:29
    She can show her resolve, right?

    >Nishizaki Miku
    "And I also felt like, if there's even something small I could contribute to OCHA NORMA, I wanted to do it. That feeling helped me firm up my resolve!

    So if there's anyone out there who feels the same way I did,

    I'd want you to think at least, 'If there's a chance, I'm going to grab it!!' 'It's important to listen to others too, but first I'm going to do what I want to do!'"
    27AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:30
    Re: #22
    Okay, that actually makes me want to go
    31AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:31
    Unless they land a surprise transfer-in reinforcement on the level of Kojima Hana, this isn't happening
    33AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:32
    She'd be better off showing how hard she's trying — adversity is a chance, and if you keep at it there'll be people who support you. It just comes across as lacking motivation. Did everyone even update their blog today? Ise and Matsumoto are putting in the effort, Kawana and Nagano are about average for other groups, but the rest of the members… eh, not so much
    34AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:32
    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20260920/21/angerme-new/9f/35/j/o1080143915823883238.jpg
    35AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:32
    At the OCHA NORMA autumn tour, Saito Madopi called out: "Anyone here from Hokkaido? Anyone seeing OCHA NORMA for the first time? Any new fans of Moremi?"
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1789912913/
    70AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:38
    Sorry for not being one of the 'various people,' Rerapi (nickname, presumably for Ise)
    86AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:39
    Re: #70
    Kinda thought the same. I get what she's trying to say, but Ise is way too blunt/impulsive about it
    85AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:39
    Kubota Nanami's cuteness has actually surpassed Goto Hana's
    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20260821/22/ocha-norma/d3/58/j/o1080081015814513850.jpg?caw=800
    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20260914/21/angerme-new/37/51/j/o1080144015822073480.jpg
    99AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:40
    On the flip side, why the hell is Tamenaga slacking off on her blog in a situation like this
    103AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:41
    Re: #99
    She's already confirmed to be quitting, isn't she
    110AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:43
    Don't just say 'come no matter what' — show us something that actually makes us want to go
    115AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:44
    Re: #110
    Yeah, that's the thing — there isn't one
    124AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:45
    Leader Ise's Catchphrase Collection:
    – Just play the 'Vanilla' MV no matter what
    – Just comment on the MV no matter what
    – Just come to the concert no matter what ←New!
    133AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:47
    Re: #124
    The fact that there's zero payoff for doing it is kind of heartbreaking
    128AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:47
    The otaku who actually show up at the venues don't seem to have much energy either
    143AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:49
    Re: #128
    Guess all that's left now are otaku whose whole goal is just going to the venue itself
    172AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:53
    Total throwback to the Wada era. Wada used to pull this all the time. And when that didn't get results,

    Tamenaga would tell everyone to invite their friends and start saying 'buy 5 to 10 tickets each,'

    and then you guys would snap 'Like we even have friends, idiot!' — that was always the whole set
    176AnonymousSep 20, 2026 23:53
    Re: #172
    LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    In the idol world, a mismatch between venue capacity and actual drawing power is a common structural problem, and the thread itself had comments like “it’s not that the ANGERME members are bad, the capacity just doesn’t match up.” What sparked debate this time was the substance of Ise’s appeal — the fact that she kept repeating “just please come” without giving any concrete highlight or reason, which drew comparisons to blog posts from other members who had expressed their resolve around past shows, and opinion split. One thing readers can easily misread is treating this as purely a matter of Ise’s personal character, when it’s really also a snapshot of a broader issue that’s been raised across Hello! Project as a whole — dependence on a fixed base of repeat fans (so-called “omaitsu”) and stalled growth among new fans. Some posters in the thread brought up similar appeals from other members in the past, suggesting this isn’t a phenomenon unique to this one case.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Good News] ANGERME Leader Suzuran Ise Issues Heartfelt Statement as Osaka Show Tickets Just Won’t Sell.”

  • Homeward Bound from Million Live’s 14th Live, Shibuya Station Floods — 5ch: ‘My Shoes Were Soaked’

    To coincide with the second day of the 14th Live for “THE iDOLM@STER Million Live! Theater Days,” fans on 5ch’s Newsspeed VIP board started a thread for live commentary and chat. Posts from people attending in person mixed with those following along from home, and the huge cheers that went up when an SSR card was announced mid-show became a hot topic. After the concert, though, the area around Shibuya Station turned into a crush, with flooded walkways leaving people’s shoes soaked through. Plenty of posters also voiced regret that they should have used Meiji-jingumae or Yoyogi-koen Station instead of Shibuya.

    1AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:28
    Here as always, yaine~ (dialect sentence-ending 'yaine,' a running gag mimicking an idol character's catchphrase)
    5AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:33
    A message only the Tsumu-chans will get! Squee~

    https://x.com/matchakingyo/status/2101586324428124528
    25AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:56
    Finished it, hmph~
    27AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:56
    Re: #25
    Me! Poka poka~
    26AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:56
    I did it, hmph~
    28AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:56
    Re: #26
    Me! Poka poka~
    29AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:57
    Kaori handled the bump and thread-starting duties 😊
    30AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:57
    Re: #29
    Get to work! Poka poka~
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 17:57
    🦾😔 couldn't get anything done
    34AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:09
    AI could probably handle just starting and bumping threads
    Actually, if we set that up, we could keep meetup threads going forever, right~
    36AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:10
    37AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:16
    A thread made by AI has no warmth to it! Poka~
    38AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:16
    Bandai Namco only cares about costs, so they'll probably roll out some 'AIdolmaster' project pushing AI front and center — and get torn apart for it, right~
    40AnonymousSep 20, 2026 18:19
    Actually, if it got to the point where you could produce your own idol who evolves through AI, that'd be pretty interesting though
    — Momoko, just putting that out there
    47AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:09
    "Present" is an English word meaning "gift," "the present (time)," and so on.
    51AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:17
    Apparently 'mesugaki' (a bratty, sassy-girl anime archetype) has become a universal language now
    55AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:22
    Tana-chan's off-mic "Tanakake" voice…! (likely a pun on her name)
    58AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:29
    It kinda bugged me when it changed from a solo headline show to a twin headline show…

    But there's a new duo song too
    so is it okay if I do a total 180 (lit. 'palm-flip,' jokingly spelled here in pseudo-English as 'Handlet Gauntlet')?
    61AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:36
    Hasn't Kona-chan basically been on a date with her Producer this whole time?
    65AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:47
    When I was there in person yesterday, during the announcements segment
    the cheers when Koto-chan's SSR got revealed were so loud it cracked me up, right~
    Seriously, Koto-chan, what's with that scene straight out of a fanart illustration?
    68AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:59
    Mina-chan and Maka-chan are together forever
    72AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:10
    Congrats on the meetup too, right~
    79AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:21
    Re: #72
    74AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:11
    Get ready for MiliDere, the 15th Live, and Theater Days' 10th anniversary
    75AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:14
    If they're doing a Theater Days 10th anniversary,
    that means the game's guaranteed to run at least that long, huh
    76AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:17
    Any Tsumu-fans who want to stick with me all the way to Theater Days' 10th anniversary, land on this finger☝ (a playground rhyme for grouping up)
    77AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:18
    ＼Tee-hee lol／
    ＼Somebody go with her already lol／
    ＼No way lol／
    ＼I—I can hear you, y'know lol／
    81AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:23
    Where should we hold the Tsumugi meetup's 10th anniversary?
    82AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:23
    When I think about how something like 'Edge' turned out,
    it's amazing this thread's still going strong on Newsspeed VIP, right~ (likely a reference to another old imageboard/service that's since died out)
    85AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:28
    Who even are these guys, right~
    95AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:44
    🦾😊
    6:00 AM
    Snooze: 1 min, unlimited
    Repeat: Every day

    The alarm will go off in 9 hours and 16 minutes.
    100AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:55
    Re: #95
    That's kinda funny, right~
    121AnonymousSep 20, 2026 21:36
    Re: #95
    Poka poka~
    110AnonymousSep 20, 2026 21:08
    111AnonymousSep 20, 2026 21:14
    113AnonymousSep 20, 2026 21:18

    Is this really a happy ending, right~?
    116AnonymousSep 20, 2026 21:28
    It was packed all the way to the pedestrian overpass, but there was basically nobody on the Tokyo Metro side 🍶 got home nice and comfortably, right~
    127AnonymousSep 20, 2026 21:57
    Re: #116
    Knew it! Poka~
    Since I take the Fukutoshin Line, I kept thinking I really should've boarded at Meiji-jingumae — and there I was, sniffling away in Shibuya! Poka~
    Going home via Shibuya is basically an act of charity at this point! Poka~
    The stairs were soaked, I slipped and bruised my butt,
    it's just one thing after another, sniff…
    139AnonymousSep 20, 2026 22:10
    When I headed toward Shibuya Station too, I ended up with my shoes flooded in a massive puddle by the gate — that's how it ended for me
    On top of taking the long way around, the sidewalk toward Shibuya ended up jammed too, so I missed the limited express I wanted and had to catch a later one
    Honestly, I should've just ignored the crowds and gone to the nearest station — Harajuku or Meiji-jingumae — right~
    The only people who'd bother going all the way to Shibuya are hotel guests with time to kill, city folk who live within an hour who don't mind it, or country bumpkins like me who don't know Tokyo's trains, sniff
    I'm never following the staff's crowd-avoidance announcements again, sniff

    Re: #116,127
    I also wanted to take the Chiyoda Line yesterday, and to dodge the crowds I specifically walked one extra stop to Yoyogi-koen Station,
    but almost nobody got on from Meiji-jingumae, so that was a bit of a letdown, right~……
    120AnonymousSep 20, 2026 21:33
    The lemonade was good, right~

    Background and Talking Points

    At major “THE iDOLM@STER Million Live!” concerts, it’s become a tradition for the top-rarity “SSR” in-game card to be announced during the show itself, and the loud cheers this triggered were part of what got discussed in the thread. Phrases in the thread like “uchi” (a dialect first-person pronoun) and “poka poka” are running gags that mimic the speech patterns of a specific character in the series, and since the thread offers no explanation, the context can be hard to follow for first-time readers. The other major topic — congestion around Shibuya Station — is a recurring post-show rush at the station nearest these big concerts; some attendees choose to spread out via Meiji-jingumae or Yoyogi-koen stations instead, but even so, many this time still reported flooded walkways and missed trains. The thread mixes posts from people attending in person with those following along from home, blending firsthand accounts with casual chatter.

    ※This article is compiled from excerpts and summaries of the 5ch (Newsspeed VIP) thread “14th Live, Day 2 — THE iDOLM@STER Million Live! Theater Days / IM@S / MiliMas / GreeMas / MiliSta Thread”.

  • Morning Musume’s Yuko Nakazawa (53) Belts Out ‘Moré! Mi Amore’ — Fans Say ‘The Intensity Is Unreal’

    A video of Morning Musume’s original leader Yuko Nakazawa (53) performing “Moré! Mi Amore” was posted on 5ch’s Hello! Project board, sparking a wave of reactions. The clip came from the Chinese video platform Bilibili, and plenty of replies focused on viewing conditions. The thread buzzed with talk of Nakazawa reportedly singing and dancing non-stop for 90 minutes at her solo live this year, and with the sheer intensity she’s bringing ahead of Morning Musume’s 30th anniversary next year, drawing comments like “the intensity is insane” and “that’s pure Showa-era passion exploding.” At the same time, much of the discussion centered on the fact that the video had come by way of Bilibili, and on whether it would even play depending on one’s phone model or browser.

    If I’d been there in the venue, the power of it would’ve been so intense

    I think I’d have taken a step back

    Source: bilibili.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:15
    She said she'd be dancing for the 30th anniversary, but no way it's on this level
    4AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:16
    Her vocal range sounds like it's really being pushed, but that passion is real
    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:27
    Re: #4
    Um… I know she might be a Morning Musume senpai, but this has nothing to do with Juice=Juice, please don't drag them into it
    5AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:17
    Sounds like she sang and danced nonstop for about 90 minutes at this year's solo live, so maybe she's spent the whole year clawing her form back
    6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:17
    Bilibili, of all places (lol)
    7AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:18
    Whenever Nakazawa performs, the song suddenly turns into this explosion of Showa-era passion
    8AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:18
    She's bound to get work offers after this, better start warming up those shoulders now
    9AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:20
    It's been 3 days and still nobody's re-uploaded this to YouTube, X, or TikTok (lol)
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:21
    I'm about her actual age myself at this point, and she's still killing it
    11AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:21
    "Moré-mi" (the song's nickname) is still buzzing with the public, so Nakazawa's version of it needs to get out there fast too
    12AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:21
    Sounds like she's going to bring an absolutely polished performance for the 30th anniversary, sis. You can really feel the determination
    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:24
    What surprised me was Nakazawa's fanbase — they're all probably in their 40s to 60s, yet they clearly know "Moré! Mi Amore" pretty well (lol)
    14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:25
    I really don't want to have to download Bilibili just for this
    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:27
    If you're on a phone you don't need to download the app — just switch your phone's browser to desktop-site mode and you can watch it fine
    17AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:32
    Re: #15
    Can't view it on Chrome though
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:38
    Wait, her leg goes up that high?
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:41
    Re: #17
    Huh, weird. For me, opening it in Chrome and switching to desktop mode made it viewable…
    59AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:12
    Re: #19
    Fixed it — finally got it to play
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:43
    Haven't seen a thread sourced from Bilibili in a while
    57AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:10
    Re: #32
    The Android Bilibili app just got official Japanese-language support, so you'll be seeing more of these — there's a ton of Hello! Project videos on there
    51AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:48
    Can't even watch it in the browser version on an iPhone 7 anymore. Works fine on Android though
    54AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:56
    Re: #51
    Ah, I see — so it worked for me because I'm on Android
    55AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:07
    Re: #51
    On iPhone SE3 it played once I switched to desktop browser mode
    52AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:52
    I just used the Hello! Project mega subscription-unlock playlist as the setlist for a bar event as-is, but "Moré-mi" and "Tekka Happy" are the only ones that feel out of place
    53AnonymousSep 20, 2026 19:55
    Wait, she did "Tekka Happy" too?? (lol) Someone upload it please
    56AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:08
    Watching this, I guess it's a song you can still pull off even after becoming a BBA (slang for "old lady")
    58AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:10
    Didn't know she had this kind of mood-kayo (retro mood-ballad) style singing in her — though I don't actually know what "mood kayo" even is
    60AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:14
    Would've loved to hear this live at the venue. Bar-event streams and DVDs often have such a weird balance between vocals and instrumentals, and they lose that raw live feel — sometimes it ends up sounding like a thousand times worse than being there in person
    61AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:20
    Your eyes are a filter — Yuko!!
    62AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:22
    Sis, did she actually do the "shutter chance" pose?
    65AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:28
    Re: #62
    Check out Re: #1 starting around the 1:05 mark
    63AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:23
    Sounds like she went through a seriously bad breakup (that line really lands)
    64AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:27
    As expected of Yu-Yu-tan! Incredible power!
    The "shutter chance" pose and the "bad aftertaste" line really suit her!

    Guess the kick move is asking a bit much at this point though
    69AnonymousSep 20, 2026 20:32
    Wow, now that's something else — glad I got to see this! That's our Nakazawa-neesan for you

    Background and Key Points

    Yuko Nakazawa has been active as Morning Musume’s original leader since the group’s formation in 1997, and is now 53. The group is set to mark its 30th anniversary in 2027, and the thread carried a sense of anticipation about the “finishing touches” she seems to be putting in ahead of next year. The clip in question was posted to the Chinese video platform Bilibili, and a large share of the replies focused less on reactions to the performance itself and more on whether it could even be viewed depending on one’s phone model or browser. Posters also noted that Bilibili’s app has recently added official Japanese-language support, hinting that Chinese platforms are increasingly becoming an established route for Hello! Project fans to spread information. A few comments pushing back against comparisons to other groups also surfaced, suggesting an undercurrent of generational rivalry between groups.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Morning Musume’s original leader Yuko Nakazawa (53) brings insane intensity to ‘Moré! Mi Amore’!“.

  • Juice=Juice’s Ichika Arisawa Hits the Runway — 5ch: “That’s Our Ichika”

    Idol group Juice=Juice’s Ichika Arisawa appeared on the runway at a fashion show, sparking discussion on the Hello! Project board. The thread quickly filled with images of Arisawa alongside photos of other Hello! Project members, as posters weighed in on how the outfits compared to their usual stage costumes. Alongside positive comments like “That’s our Ichika” and “Reirei is stunning,” some posts noted the style didn’t suit everyone equally, splitting opinion among the board’s regulars.

    9AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:26
    Kinda looks like Mama.
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:27
    A-tan





    11AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:27
    Yafuzou





    12AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:27
    Eba





    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:27
    Ruru





    14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Sakurachi






    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Tako






    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Ichika






    17AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Mippuru






    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Risachi






    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Nina






    20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Looks like a pro wrestling ring entrance.
    21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:28
    Reirei






    47AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:33
    They've all got that sad look like they'd rather be in normal clothes…
    50AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:33
    That's our Ichika.
    56AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:34
    Furuppa's outfit was the best.
    58AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:38
    Really reminds me how gorgeous Reirei is.
    60AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:39
    Lol, they just had her wear her usual Hello! Project stage outfit.
    63AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:47
    I still can't quite get into the whole vibe, but
    if the Juice members are happy doing this kind of work, that's good enough for me.

    Background and Key Points

    It’s not unusual for Hello! Project members to take part in events outside the stage, and this fashion show appearance appears to be part of that trend. The names used in the thread — “A-tan,” “Ruru,” “Reirei,” and so on — are the members’ everyday nicknames; the post itself doesn’t specify their real names, the full lineup of participants, or details like the event’s organizer or date, so that should be kept in mind. Opinions split mainly over whether the mode-style outfits, so different from the members’ usual stage costumes, suited each of them. Positive comments like “That’s our Ichika” and “Reirei is stunning” appeared alongside harsher remarks touching on whether the style matched each member’s build, dividing opinion even among regular fans. Judging their look in a context so different from the stage is the kind of topic that naturally splits fans down the middle.

    ※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Images] Juice=Juice’s Ichika Arisawa hits the fashion show runway! She pulls it off surprisingly well wwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Juice=Juice Members Rock Wacky Fashion Show Outfits, Fans Say ‘Still Too Gorgeous’

    Members of Juice=Juice walked a fashion show runway done up in eccentric outfits and makeup far removed from their usual stage costumes, sparking a buzz on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Thread posters had fun nicknaming members after their costume motifs — “the octopus,” “the fruit zipper” — while many chimed in that even the wildest getups couldn’t hide how good the members naturally look. Some were surprised by the avant-garde staging at what appeared to be TGC, saying they’d assumed the event only did “magazine-style trendy fashion,” while others pointed out differences in costume quality and how outfits were assigned among members.

    1AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:19
    tps://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSo2Fxfa0AAaqZY.jpg:orig
    tps://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSo2GSBbUAE89xW.jpg:orig
    tps://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSo2G0UaQAAL5gU.jpg:orig
    3AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:20
    Nina messed up her glasses choice, didn't she
    4AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:20
    Going all out, aren't you…
    5AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:21
    Mippuru's got a handsome face after all
    6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:21
    The octopus (costume) has the best vibe of them all
    7AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:22
    Could you not go messing around with my Nina, please
    8AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:22
    Nina ended up way funnier than intended
    9AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:22
    lol she's getting played with
    Tako-chan and Eba-chan look great though
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:23
    She can even pull off comedy — a true all-rounder
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:23
    "Nin nin" lol (ninja pose callout)
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:24
    That's so JoJo, I love it
    20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:24
    Endo's just being her usual self, but this suits her way too well
    23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:24
    Looks like a female comedian who got roped into modeling
    30AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:25
    Yikes
    It's so embarrassing to watch my chest actually hurts
    36AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:25
    Well, somebody's gotta do it
    Guess it falls to the newest member
    37AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:25
    The octopus one's really got good material to work with
    41AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:26
    This is a good octopus
    42AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:26
    "Can pull off comedy too" — no wonder the copy-paste trolls are jealous
    52AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:26
    A-tan's looking good
    53AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:27
    Funniest Moments, Top 3
    Nina wearing glasses

    Ichika with her mouth hanging open

    Yafuzo looking cute
    54AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:27
    Was Eba's neck always this long?
    55AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:27
    Everyone's so young their skin's glowing
    Even pretty people often show signs of aging, but not here
    56AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:27
    No word on who the designer is?
    If it's Stella McCartney, there'd almost be a connection to Paul McCartney
    57AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:28
    That's a pretty common style of glasses
    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20140829/11/ilove819murkie-yome/3d/5d/j/o0350026913049837489.jpg
    58AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:28
    What is Ishiyama even wearing?
    59AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:28
    Didn't know TGC did shows this avant-garde
    Thought they only did magazine-style trendy fashion
    63AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:31
    Ebata's looks are too good
    It's not just "cute" — she's got that refined, on-trend face
    77AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:33
    Rei Rei's broad shoulders look great
    Wait, wasn't she really sloped-shouldered back in her Kobushi Factory days?
    90AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:34
    Such a wacky outfit… (ヽ´ω`)
    97AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:35
    Makes you wonder if this wasn't what the members signed up for
    It's a mystery why they're even doing this in the first place???
    99AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:35
    Is this some event where they mock the sponsors for laughs?
    103AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:36
    "Octopus Inoue" had me cracking up
    The first fruit-zipper outfit was honestly the most normal one
    104AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:37
    Kudo looks more beautiful than usual
    109AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:43
    Wonder if the usual event TikTok is going up in these outfits
    111AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:44
    Well, still better than the group whose festival got canceled
    114AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:47
    I feel like Yume-chan actually pulls this off in her own way
    115AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:47
    Ruru-chan's got the highest "defense stat" of them all
    Guess as leader she takes the front line to shield everyone
    118AnonymousSep 20, 2026 15:52
    Honest reaction: there's a real gap in costume quality between members
    121AnonymousSep 20, 2026 16:02
    Matsunaga's bow and Arisawa's bag cracked me up

    Background and Talking Points

    The fashion show being discussed appears to be TGC (Tokyo Girls Collection). In post #59, one commenter expressed surprise, writing, “I thought they only did magazine-style trendy fashion.” TGC is generally known as a major event that showcases trendy clothing ordinary attendees can actually wear, so the eccentric costumes and makeup on display this time apparently caught participants off guard. Within the thread, joking nicknames for the outfits based on their motifs — “the octopus,” “the fruit zipper” — ran alongside praise for how the members’ good looks still shone through even in the offbeat getups. Discussion mostly centered on “the quality of the costumes and differences in how they were assigned among members” (see post #118, among others). That said, it’s worth noting that framing the disparity in costumes or roles as a “gap” reflects participants’ subjective impressions — the talent agency’s actual intent isn’t known. Comments about individual members were all favorable remarks about appearance, not insults or unfounded accusations.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Images] Juice=Juice Shows Top-Idol Charisma, Looking Stunning Even in Wacky Runway Costumes and Makeup.”

  • Hasunosora’s Popularity Was Just ‘Hanamiya’? 5ch Debates the Post-Festival Slump

    A post on 5ch’s Love Live! board argued that Hasunosora Girls’ School Idol Club — which was supposed to have picked up new fans thanks to the “Different Dimension Festival” — hasn’t grown its numbers nearly as much afterward as Superstar!! (aka Liella!, nicknamed “Star” by fans). Replies argued that the popularity boost was driven not by Hasunosora as a whole, but by the character Hanamiya Hatsuna specifically, and the discussion expanded into comparing the “peak eras” of various groups — including Aqours and Nijigasaki — with opinions split.

    1AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:26
    The mobile game already flopped, and the shows are half-empty.
    Why?
    2AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:26
    That's a stretch, Liella fanboy.
    3AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:27
    Simple, right?
    It's because you didn't spend any money on it.
    4AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:31
    I'm not going today, so somebody make a home bootleg recording for me.
    I could still make it if I wanted to, but I'd rather stay home and see how the newest Love Live fans are reacting.
    5AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:32
    I've done what I could, so at this point I just want to see if anyone still shows up.
    6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:36
    That's such a fittingly 'Love Live board' ending.
    7AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:38
    Honestly, I think Hasunosora has fallen the hardest from its peak.
    9AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:41
    Re: #7
    If we're comparing peak eras, isn't that Aqours around the Yohane period?
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:43
    Re: #7
    If we're talking peak eras, I'd say Aqours is the one that's declined.
    21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:02
    Re: #7
    They peaked way too early and stayed clustered there.
    8AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:40
    If they can climb back from scorched earth, that would be impressive, but it looks rough.
    11AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:46
    Though Liella's peak was actually the lowest of them all.
    12AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:54
    It's true they got discovered.
    And it's also true that when I actually tried Link! Like! Love Live!, I was like, 'what is this?'
    14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:57
    At the end of the day, it's niche otaku content.
    Of course it loses to Liella, which reached a much broader audience — families, casual viewers, everyone.
    Well, if we're just talking otaku appeal, it did grow more than Nijigasaki, so that's something.
    Though it's still stuck at the level of otaku waving fan-boards at concerts.
    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:57
    Somebody make a home bootleg recording of Seishun Soda for me!
    Please!
    I like recording it myself, but I also love listening to other people's home bootlegs, whether from the venue or from home.
    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:57
    Where was Liella's peak, exactly?
    Did it even have one?
    17AnonymousSep 20, 2026 13:59
    The one who got told off yesterday looked annoyed and just said, 'please stop!'
    If it's your first time meeting someone, polite language matters!
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:00
    For real though, it might be more accurate to say Hanamiya got discovered, not Hasunosora as a group.
    Right after the festival, Hanamiya's popularity got an extra boost.
    20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:01
    Re: #18
    For what it's worth, I left proof in another thread yesterday too.
    Well, I did it at Poplar as well, though.
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:00
    It's not that he stopped because he got called out — he's the Miyano-specialist type, so once there were no more songs for that, he just stopped doing it.
    22AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:03
    Even in surveys, a lot of people said they first learned about Hanamiya Hatsuna through the Different Dimension Festival.
    23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:09
    Let's set Liella aside for now, honestly —
    so in the end, Hasunosora really was just Hanamiya carrying the group, huh.
    24AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:11
    Re: #23
    A lot of people apparently couldn't even hear it.
    The energy wasn't really there, and it wasn't dead silent, but the volume was way too low, so it couldn't be helped.
    25AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:11
    Since they can't win by taking it out on Tori, now they're taking it out on Nijigasaki and Hasunosora instead.
    Is this what a self-proclaimed Superstar looks like?
    26AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:14
    Can't somebody just bury this thread already?
    27AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:15
    I kind of want to go today too, but I've already heard every song, and I'm not confident about the evening weather, so nah.
    If there's no bootleg recording (🐯), I'll have to rethink how I do things from here on out.
    A swaggering Love Liver ought to be able to pull it off.
    I believe in you.
    28AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:16
    Looks like Hasunosora is about to lose out to Tori too.
    29AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:18
    Re: #28
    I'd say Hasunosora's still ahead of them, honestly.
    Though Liella is even further ahead.
    41AnonymousSep 20, 2026 14:19
    Fundamental >>>>> Blue Moment (Ginko solo) >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Seishun Soda

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The “Different Dimension Festival” is a live event in the Love Live! series that brings multiple idol groups together on one stage, and Hasunosora Girls’ School Idol Club is said to have gained an influx of new fans as a result. However, the “sales” and “popularity” comparisons raised in the thread aren’t official figures — they’re based on individual users’ personal impressions, not a rigorous comparison of attendance numbers or mobile game performance. The point of contention was whether the popularity boost was driven by the group as a whole or by the character Hanamiya individually, and the discussion expanded into “peak era” comparisons with Superstar!!, Aqours, and Nijigasaki — but since the outcome depends heavily on which time period you choose for comparison, it’s impossible to say definitively which group has declined the most. Readers should keep in mind that these are impressions from an anonymous message board, not official announcements.

    ※This article is composed as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Love Live!) thread “Wasn’t Hasunosora supposed to have been discovered through the Different Dimension Festival? Yet it’s selling worse than Superstar!!“.

  • Love Live! Fans Split Over Live Show Equipment and Budget Across Units

    We’re covering a topic that had 5ch buzzing about stage production in the Love Live! franchise. One unit’s concert drew praise for having “the best camera work and stage direction in series history,” but fans disagreed over whether the effects gear used was an actual drone or a wire-rigged light-up unit. The thread then snowballed into comparisons of production scale and budget across units like Nijigasaki, Hasunosora, and Liella!, eventually turning into a debate over which unit puts the most effort into its live shows.

    1AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:36
    Best live show quality in the series
    Great camera work and stage set design
    3AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:38
    The Nijigasaki movie was a total waste of time
    If they'd just gotten the Ikizurai-Live anime (a fan nickname punning on 生きづらい, "hard to live/awkward") going sooner, it might not have flopped so hard
    35AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:45
    Re: #3
    What's "Nijigazaki"? (mocking the typo in the post above)
    6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:42
    The only real downside is the overall look, more or less
    7AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:46
    Me walking into the venue: "There's nothing on this stage… this isn't just simple, it's *empty*. Did they have less budget than SupaSta (fan shorthand for the Love Live! Superstar!! tour) or something?"

    Me partway through: "Wait, it's a moving stage and set pieces keep popping up from below… and they've got ten different cart variations, one per member…"

    Me watching Silent Stella: "Is that… a drone? They're doing the effects with drones… so THAT'S why they couldn't put anything on the stage…"

    Me after the show: "Okay, that clearly cost a fortune…"
    85AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:10
    Re: #7
    Wait, seriously?
    They actually went for it
    Barely any recent Love Live show has gone this hard
    9AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:48
    That drone effect was insane…
    Though it looks like it majorly restricts where the performer can move, so it's probably solo-only
    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:54
    Re: #9
    They didn't use drones at all?
    If you mean the effect from Silent Stella, you could clearly see the cable hanging it from above on the screen
    17AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:58
    Re: #13
    That's a drone that moves up and down on a wire — each one's an independent light-up unit. It's the same tech Ultraman stage shows only recently started using.

    Also, there are drones with four legs or tank treads, so "propeller aircraft = drone" isn't even accurate
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:02
    Re: #13
    Your knowledge is ancient, pikaere… ("pikaere" — a mocking put-down thrown at posters seen as clueless)
    12AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:53
    Thinking about it more, the show leaned heavily on staging and the crowd
    The performers themselves aren't that impressive on their own
    Crowd aside, can they really keep the staging at this quality every single time?
    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:55
    Re: #12
    Honestly they're already above Liella! and close to Niji/Hasu level at making characters feel real, so it should be fine
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:22
    Watching Ikizurai-Live makes me think they should just drop the tour format
    Putting everything into a 2-day show would probably make for better staging and performances
    33AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:29
    Re: #32
    For Liella!, don't they kind of have to tour since that's how the cast stays employed? Unlike Ikizurai-Live, there's no voice-acting work tied to the characters
    49AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:50
    Liella! is seriously doing her own thing way too hard, nobody can keep up
    51AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:53
    Re: #49
    With the fan club, putting the cast in media, leaning on pilgrimage-site tie-ins — going by how they market it, they're basically supposed to be Aqours' successor…
    128AnonymousSep 20, 2026 12:09
    Re: #49
    Well, it'd be nice to have at least one group that can keep pace with them
    There's no real rivalry within the franchise, and having no good rival is bad for Liella! too
    If they never have to compete outside, even Liella! risks getting complacent eventually
    52AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:54
    I'm a Nijigasaki fan, but Ikizurai-Live doesn't even have flashy staging like Niji does, and I still got completely pulled into the song production — it was great
    57AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:55
    Re: #52
    Can't hide that pikaere energy in this post lol
    58AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:56
    Re: #52
    My read: Nijigasaki, the loaded rich-kid school, goes all out on the stage set, while L Academy, the digital school, goes all out on the effects instead
    63AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:58
    Did you not know Nijigasaki and Ikizurai-Live share the same production staff?
    66AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:59
    Re: #63
    Probably just doesn't know, pikaere
    69AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:01
    Also, I liked that Ikizurai-Live gives each member her own center song
    Honestly it kind of bugged me that Ayumu is always the fixed center for Niji's group songs
    70AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:02
    Re: #69
    That's just Niji being lazy — every other unit in the franchise actually rotates the center depending on the song
    71AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:02
    Nijigasaki's whole concept is that the protagonist is you (Yuu) and Ayumu is the main heroine, so isn't that just how it's designed? That's the concept
    73AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:04
    Re: #70
    Re: #71
    Why do pikaere always have such a shallow take compared to people who actually get it? That's exactly why nobody relates to them
    90AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:13
    Lately Love Live shows have barely had anything beyond the usual cart bit to cue the member-stage/center-stage moments
    The last time they really went big on staging was probably that lift-up circular center stage from the Yohane show
    93AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:14
    Re: #90
    Hasunosora uses a three-tier version of that lift-up stage
    96AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:16
    Here

    97AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:17
    Isn't Hasunosora's LTTF curtain-screen effect pretty flashy too?
    Also, Nijigasaki used that bizarre LED staircase stage that slides side to side for "Mamimume Motor Girl"
    134AnonymousSep 20, 2026 12:18
    Re: #97
    There's no way just fitting panels into a staircase costs that much money…
    98AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:17
    My bad
    Drone rental isn't actually that expensive
    The laser lighting Niji uses so much of costs about double what the drones do
    101AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:19
    Re: #98
    Ikizurai-Live went hard on lasers too though

    I mean, at the end of the day, isn't the reality just that Niji, Hasu, and Ikizurai all built stages with a real budget, and Liella! is somehow the only one with no money?
    120AnonymousSep 20, 2026 12:04
    Re: #98
    Guess Niji really is a money pit after all
    104AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:25
    Yesterday Oyuki's costume had those long frills and she was spinning around, but Liella!'s frills never open up that nicely even when they spin — the fabric's too thin to catch air…
    Same "Osare Company" (fan nickname, roughly "Fashion Inc.," for the production house) roots, but the budget gap between Liella! and everyone else has got to be more than double
    106AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:29
    Re: #104
    That's why Nagi-chan twists her hips backward once before the spin, using the momentum to make the skirt and frills flare out
    But that only works because of Nagi-chan's physical ability — the other ten can't do it, so theirs doesn't open, and on top of that it turns into an ugly-looking spin, which isn't pretty from a performance standpoint… it's honestly kind of a mess
    Still, an open skirt beats a flat one, so it's the right call even if it's messy

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The Love Live! franchise runs live tours in parallel across multiple units, including Nijigasaki School Idol Club, Hasunosora Girls’ School Idol Club, and Liella! (Link! Like! Love Live!), and the scale of staging and budget reportedly varies a lot between them. The thread’s disagreement centered on two main points: first, a technical dispute over whether the stage equipment used was genuinely a “drone” or a wire-suspended light-up unit; second, a comparative debate over which unit spends the most on production. It’s worth noting that none of these production details have been officially confirmed — they’re based purely on what attendees saw or felt in the moment. It’s also worth explaining that nicknames like “Ikizurai-Live” and “Ikizurai-bu” are fan shorthand — wordplay on 生きづらい (“hard to live,” i.e. socially awkward) — used within the community and may not be familiar to readers unfamiliar with the franchise.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Love Live!) thread “Ikizurai-bu is becoming the dominant force in the Love Live! franchise.”

  • Why Is ANGERME Always the One Getting Bashed on Hello! Project’s 5ch ‘Ōkami’ Board?

    A thread titled “Why does the ‘Ōkami’ (Wolf) board have so many anti-fans who treat ANGERME as public enemy number one?” popped up on 5ch’s “Ōkami” board — the gathering place for Hello! Project group fans — and drew 41 replies. Many posters argued it’s blowback from ANGERME fans (known as “Anjuwota”) having attacked other groups themselves in the past, while others suggested the group is simply being scapegoated now that its popularity has slipped. Some brought up “Ankasu,” the nickname for Juice=Juice fans, and others compared the situation to the old Berryz Kobo vs. °C-ute fan rivalry, with opinions split over the board’s internal power dynamics.

    1AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:34
    Why though?
    4AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:36
    Probably because they're always seen as a threat.
    5AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:38
    Probably because Anjuwota have been attacking everyone in every direction up until now
    6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:39
    Well, you don't get bashed unless people see you as a threat
    8AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:39
    Re: #6
    So basically Juice=Juice is a massive threat then, huh
    7AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:39
    We've had to watch Anjuwota bash other groups for so long that nobody wants to activate the mutual-aid squad for them
    Nobody's going out of their way to bash them either
    9AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:39
    "It's only Anjuwota bashing Juice!"
    That's probably just what they want to believe
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:40
    Re: #9
    Honestly I don't care who bashes us — we're insanely popular in exchange
    If anything, it's fans of declining groups who tend to want to pin the blame on just one scapegoat
    But if you're only hated by one group, that means you're popular to begin with
    11AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:40
    ANGERME's "RED LINE is coming, it's coming!" hype scam just isn't catching fire lolololololololololololololol
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1789817681/
    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:42
    It's basically just the usual obsessive old geezer who won't let it go, isn't it
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:44
    Re: #13
    The burnout who pastes sales numbers around without sleeping
    14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:43
    Berryz Kobo fans and °C-ute fans
    went at each other for years — for anyone who watched that, this is just an everyday sight
    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:43
    Re: #14
    And it's funny how the structure where Morning Musume fans lorded over all of it
    collapsed in 2026
    15AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:43
    I don't think it's about being an anti-fan
    People are just evaluating the current group with a cool head
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:44
    What's funny is there are people saying ANGERME is the only one getting bashed on X (Twitter) too
    25AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:47
    Re: #18
    Getting bashed? lol Bashed by who, outside the Ōkami board? lol
    60AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:30
    Re: #18
    Copy-paste trolling and bashing other groups all get pinned on Anjuwota,
    so a lot of them gave up on the Ōkami board in despair and left
    and now they probably can't help tweeting on X with the same victim mentality and Ōkami-style attitude

    But the fact that the main ANGERME thread just quietly died out with no sign of reviving
    means this lopsided situation is bound to bring trouble to the whole Ōkami board eventually
    20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:45
    Juice=Juice will fall from grace eventually too, you know
    21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:45
    Re: #20
    You mean ANGERME already fell and just stayed down?
    23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:47
    The writing style and content are basically the same every time, so it's obvious
    26AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:48
    Re: #23
    Apparently they think nobody's noticed
    28AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:48
    Re: #21
    ANGERME never even rose in the first place
    30AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:49
    Call it karma
    We Juice fans haven't forgotten how the Ankasu crowd was whooping it up when they skipped playing Budokan a few years back
    33AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:49
    Re: #30
    Confessing that it's Juice fans doing the bashing doesn't really help your case…
    31AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:49
    Why do Ankasu keep bashing Juice so relentlessly — is it because it stings?
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:49
    Because "Ankasu" is basically code for "Juice Geezers" (an insult implying Juice=Juice's fanbase skews old)
    35AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:50
    They're not anti-fans, they're just disliked, no?
    37AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:51
    Probably because they keep getting pushed hard by management despite not delivering results?
    39AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:51
    You see fans here and there who look down on everyone, like that notorious Hashisako fan crowd — isn't that just why they're disliked?
    41AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:53
    Anjuwota had no guts though, so they ran away
    42AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:55
    It's because Anjuwota are the ones throwing the first stone, that's why
    44AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:57
    It's not "Don't bash ANGERME!" — it's "Anjuwota, don't bash other groups!"
    46AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:00
    More importantly, go check Osaka — the venue's completely empty
    49AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:01
    It's Takeo's fault, isn't it
    It's coming back around as a boomerang right about now
    53AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:15
    They were bashing Haito, yet sneakily tried to make RED LINE go viral too — but it fell completely flat
    Subscriber numbers didn't budge an inch
    55AnonymousSep 20, 2026 11:16
    Ankasu's ROCK IN JAPAN FES slot getting cancelled is just sad lol

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    “Ōkami” (Wolf) is the nickname for the 5ch board where threads for Hello! Project-affiliated groups congregate, home to fans of Morning Musume, ANGERME, Juice=Juice, and more, all under one roof. Because of the popularity gaps between groups and old grudges, the board’s structure makes clashes between fans easy to spark, and the past rivalry between Berryz Kobo and °C-ute fans gets cited as one example of that. In this thread too, opinions split between those who framed the attacks on ANGERME as “poetic justice for Anjuwota having bashed other groups in the past” and those who said it’s “simply that a group whose popularity has dropped becomes an easy scapegoat” — both are just posters’ personal opinions, and there’s no objective evidence in the thread showing which view is actually the majority. The frequent use of derogatory nicknames like “Ankasu” for fan groups also hints at how deep the rivalry runs.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Why ‘Ōkami’ Has So Many Anti-Fans Who Treat ANGERME as Public Enemy Number One.”