Japan Reacts

Category: Idols

  • Hello! Project Graduates’ “I Never Wanted a Showbiz Career” Remarks Spark Debate — Post-Graduation Paths Become Hot Topic

    A Hello! Project member’s comment — “I didn’t want to break into showbiz, I just wanted to be active in Hello! Project, so I’m retiring from the entertainment industry the moment I graduate” — became a hot topic on 5ch. The thread was full of views like “no offers coming in, so it can’t be helped” and “staying in the industry is tough,” alongside candid takes on members leaving the "Hello! Project village," plus comments suggesting marriage is the best post-graduation path. Opinions split over whether it’s wiser to return to ordinary life early or stick it out in the industry.

    1AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:45
    What do you think?
    4AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:47
    Hope you stay happy and healthy even after quitting the idol life
    5AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:48
    She's just retiring because she can't hack it in showbiz
    7AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:49
    Surviving in the entertainment industry long-term really is tough, huh
    8AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:50
    Hm? Is this about Yamaki-san?
    9AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:50
    Graduating and retiring is the move for a girl who's thinking ahead —
    she knows sticking with a going-nowhere entertainment career is a bad play
    14AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:54
    It's not that I can't forgive it exactly, but
    a path like Ogata's just feels kind of off to me
    15AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:55
    They all just end up getting stripped down for gravure after graduating anyway (a cynical jab at ex-idols turning to gravure/adult work)
    16AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:56
    Fine by me, but don't go getting jealous if Juice=Juice blows up because of it, lol
    You were raised nice and cozy in the Hello! Project village after all
    so don't drag down the girls leaving the village
    17AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:57
    I mean, what's wrong with that?
    Whether she clings to showbiz forever or retires is fine either way
    it's her own call
    18AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:58
    Still comes off better than Yamaki, who didn't even want to join Hello! Project in the first place
    20AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:59
    "No work outside the village, so I'm quitting"
    — that's probably the most common reason
    21AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:59
    Better to quit while you're ahead and start your second life
    23AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:00
    Girls who fully retire young and stay out of the public eye probably just have a realistic head on their shoulders
    30AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:03
    That's a pretty standard Hello! Project storyline, isn't it
    — say you admire someone and get hyped up as the popular one
    31AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:05
    This is exactly how a Hello! Project member should be
    The agency should also lean harder into second-life support and openly position itself as an elite finishing school for future employment
    32AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:05
    Just my own guess, but I bet the number of members retiring keeps climbing from here
    There are just too many Hello! Project members now, so it's probably hard to even picture a career after graduating
    34AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:06
    I think it's fine for people like that to exist too
    especially girls who aren't great singers — continuing would be tough for them
    36AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:06
    The village's solo-act slots are about to hit their cap too
    37AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:07
    M-line's full up too
    46AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:11
    Ma-chan thought of Morning Musume as basically just an extracurricular hobby up until 2016
    51AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:13
    Re: #46
    Kago-chan used to call it a practice hall, as I recall
    54AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:15
    Is it not okay to say "I'll take what I learned in Hello! Project and put it to work in other entertainment jobs"?
    57AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:16
    Re: #54
    Probably not, I'd guess
    58AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:16
    Re: #54
    Probably just not enough time
    Anyone who manages to pull that off must just be talented
    63AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:18
    How'd it go for Akiyama again?
    76AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:22
    Re: #63
    No word on a hiatus or her stopping activities
    75AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:21
    Pretty much none of the current Hello! Project members could actually survive in the entertainment industry
    Even the village's money-making gigs get rough once you're past 30, so going back to normal life is the more realistic call
    86AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:27
    Re: #75
    Not just Hello! Project members — some people just can't handle it once the fawning attention disappears after even a taste of showbiz
    Like the senpai before them, the best path is probably small-scale work on the side while getting married
    80AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:23
    After doing this for years you'd figure out exactly where you stand
    and realize that even staying in the industry after graduating wouldn't bring much work anyway
    85AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:27
    Re: #80
    It's the Sakamichi groups' golden age right now
    Competition is already brutal just within the Sakamichi groups, so if you're in one of Hello! Project's lower-tier groups, you'd give up
    88AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:29
    It's different for members who live at home in the Kanto area versus members from the countryside
    89AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:29
    Re: #88
    Members from the countryside should just head back home
    A retreat from the capital (a classic case of falling from the big city)

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Hello! Project leaves post-graduation career choices up to each member’s own wishes, and many members — Morning Musume。included — have continued their entertainment careers within a fixed fan base known as the “Hello! Project village.” In recent years, competition across the entertainment industry has intensified with the rise of groups like the Sakamichi series, and it’s said to be difficult to land offers from outside the village. The thread split between the view that “she’s retiring simply because there are no offers” and the view that “it’s wiser to draw a line early and return to ordinary life.” Increasingly, though, choosing to leave the entertainment industry right after graduating is framed not as a negative outcome, but as a forward-looking decision to lock in a stable life early.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Hello! Project member: “I never wanted to break into showbiz, I just wanted to be part of Hello! Project, so I’m retiring from the industry the moment I graduate” ← lolololol.”

  • Why Did Juice=Juice Break Out? Debate Rages Over Whether ‘Moré Mi’ Was Just the Spark

    Juice=Juice, a group under Hello! Project, saw its profile shoot up in 2024 thanks to the hit song “Moré! Mi Amore.” On the relevant 5ch thread, posters took it as a given that this song was the “spark” behind the group’s breakout, but debated what the real “reason” was for the support that followed. Opinions split between arguments centered on the group’s own strength — high-level singing, persuasive live performances, and a stable lineup lining up with the right song — and arguments pointing to external factors, like an industry atmosphere that had grown tired of the cutesy-idol formula.

    1AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:36
    Spark = "the event that led to something happening or becoming the case"
    Reason = "the underlying grounds or circumstances for why something happens or is the case"
    3AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:39
    Isn't it just the skill they'd already built up? Juice was already known as one of the best singing groups in Hello! Project to begin with.
    4AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:41
    Momoko Tsuganai: "Show business is all luck. But whether you can deliver results when your luck comes around depends on the effort you've put in up to that point."
    12AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:48
    Re: #4
    Tsuganai was talking about this on the radio even before her TV work picked up — like what her counter-strategy would be if she ever got called onto a variety show.
    5AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:42
    Talent met effort, met practice, met a stroke of luck, and it all clicked.
    6AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:42
    Goebbels: "Tell a lie a hundred times and it becomes the truth."
    7AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:43
    It's almost like an antithesis to the whole "look how cute I am" idol scene — I think it was the powerful vocals, led by Danbara, that really landed.
    8AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:45
    Given that cute, wholesome songs and idols are what's trending right now, maybe that's exactly why a totally different lane like Juice's was able to muscle in.
    9AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:46
    People started thinking, "This isn't idol-tier — this is the real deal."
    10AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:46
    What happens to Morning Musume fans once Juice locks down a Kohaku spot (NHK's big New Year's Eve music special)?
    https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm38400982
    13AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:50
    There just wasn't another notable full-on dance-vocal group around this year, so they ended up filling that slot. This used to be Avex's specialty too, you know.
    15AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:52
    The good song genuinely landed right when the group was at its absolute peak. In the past, even when a promising song came along, it'd get undercut by "the ace is about to graduate" or "half the lineup is still little kids" — but Juice had 11 members who could stand anywhere without embarrassment.
    16AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:52
    Unlike a group like HANA that leans into a "we're not really idols" image, Juice stuck to being idols while still pushing a skilled-performer angle — maybe that's the differentiation that worked.
    19AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:55
    It's having Rei and Ruru. Both of them bring a compelling personal story and performances persuasive enough to back it up.
    20AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:56
    There aren't many idols you can actually enjoy sung live. Might stir things up to say it, but even within Hello! Project there are a few groups that are shaky live.
    21AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:58
    They slotted into a position nobody else was occupying.
    24AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:00
    Probably because people got sick of the AKB-descended idol formula where it's fine to be a bad singer as long as you're cute. TV always wants impact and novelty, and the timing lined up perfectly for Juice. Look at the reactions from outside the fandom — it's mostly the vocal skill and the live performances that left a strong impression.
    53AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:26
    Re: #24
    But if you actually listen closely, Furuppa and Kyusuto (other idol groups) can all sing solidly too — it's not like Juice is THAT far ahead of everyone else.
    36AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:07
    The single biggest reason Juice=Juice took off is that their fans are down-to-earth — even the so-called "wolves" (a nickname for a certain breed of overzealous fan) don't stoop to spamming copypasta to derail the thread.
    45AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:14
    Summer 2024 — by this point they were in a state where it was fine for the wider world to discover them. Basically, they were ready to be handed off to new fans as a finished "product," so to speak. I think they'd already reached a level where they could hold their own against anyone else — the only thing left was how to actually get people to notice them.
    https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1845779363280957440/pu/vid/avc1/1920×1080/284AXb2QU2PpAeGe.mp4?tag=14

    Every group has a window like that, and it lasts around two years, but then the cycle of graduations tends to start up again. So it really comes down to how much luck is on your side during those two years — whether you get blessed with good material and the agency actually puts its weight behind pushing you. If that all lines up, any group has a shot.

    Personally, I think Angerme also had a window to break out when Kamiko, Sasaki, and Take were all in the lineup together, and for Morning Musume, there was a window while Sato was still around. Luck, timing, how things line up — it really is tricky to pin down.
    49AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:16
    Re: #49
    Angerme actually dropped big swing songs like "Ai no Kedamono" and "Bibitaru Ichigeki" right around that time, but they never took off.
    52AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:25
    Re: #49
    Speaking of recent eras, I think Angerme around this period was ready, even though it was during COVID. Timing-wise, it really was an "it's happening!" moment.
    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20220617/22/angerme-ss-shin/fc/cc/j/o1080081015134406554.jpg

    With clip videos from that time, you'd often see people who had no idea who the group was asking things like, "who's this, that three-way vocal break with Rika, Miko, and Take is so cool" — you don't really see that kind of reaction anymore…

    Every group has that "it's happening right now!" moment, and all you can do is hope a great song comes along during that fleeting window.
    68AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:32
    Isn't Moré Mi both the spark AND the reason?
    79AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:37
    Re: #68
    The song landing was also the moment people got to see the group's actual skill — it made the CDTV staff want more people to know about this group.
    71AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:33
    At the end of the day, even with an opportunity, if people don't walk away thinking "that was good, I'm curious now," it doesn't lead anywhere and the fanbase doesn't grow. Moré Mi was the spark, but Juice's real win was having already built up the substance to carry that momentum forward.
    86AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:42
    Re: #71
    Hear buzz about Moré Mi
    ↓
    Watch the MV ("huh, so it's like this")
    ↓
    Watch the Budokan live too since it's right there ("wait, isn't this actually amazing?")
    ↓
    Watch the Fiesta Budokan live ("this group is insaneee")
    ↓
    Fully hooked

    That's the pipeline for me, a Moré Mi newcomer.
    73AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:34
    Visuals approved by a top-tier beauty magazine



    76AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:36
    They weren't trending upward at all before Moré Mi. Back during "Bourei" people were saying they were done for.
    82AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:41
    Re: #76
    But if you actually watched their lives, the group was doing perfectly fine.

    That final "Babyboon" was fantastic.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSsRK088f3E

    Basically, if they'd been blessed with the right song and the promotion and timing had lined up, the group itself was already in good shape. So I think a lot of people were kind of let down by the agency's approach around that time — betting everything on a cover song.
    81AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:39
    I think the biggest factor is that Moré Mi got people's "interest" pointed their way. What the group does hasn't really changed, but how it comes across flips 180 degrees depending on how favorably viewers are already disposed. Honestly, I'm not even sure why Moré Mi struck a chord — musically it's pretty average, run-of-the-mill stuff. Maybe viewers who'd grown tired of the whole "cute, cute" thing with bleepy-bloopy melodies and arrangements got drawn in by a slightly more kayokyoku-style melody paired with the Latin arrangement that Japanese audiences love so much.
    84AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:41
    Re: #81
    In the end I guess a Latin-style song just happened to suit the current Juice lineup well. The city pop direction they'd been milking for so long was a miss.
    92AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:46
    Re: #82
    As for the live performances, like people keep saying, Juice hasn't really changed from the old days — if anything, they sang better back when the original members were still around.
    102AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:54
    Re: #92
    That's true, but it also matters that the cycle of losing a member every year finally stopped. Without a stable stretch of two or three years without departures, it's hard to really push the group — you can't properly hand out your "business card," because then people go, "wait, that's not who was on the card." From Yanamin's graduation in 2019 all the way up through Uemura, Juice lost someone almost every single year.

    A graduation isn't just losing one member — it means losing someone with nine or ten years of accumulated skill and experience. If the group's lineup and new additions aren't properly balanced, the group's overall strength takes a real hit.
    100AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:53
    For Angerme, there was a stretch when Take, Rikako, Kamiko, Kawamura, Funaki, and Kasahara were all in the lineup together. That's genuinely strong — they really had enough momentum to close in on Morning Musume.
    107AnonymousSep 13, 2026 16:55
    Re: #100
    Well, Angerme from that era probably had better vocals and performances than JJ (Juice=Juice) does now.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Juice=Juice is a Hello! Project group formed in 2013 that has been known for its strong vocals from the start. Their 2024 song “Moré! Mi Amore” is considered the track that spread thanks to exposure on shows like CDTV and boosted the group’s overall profile. Where the thread split was on whether to treat the “spark” that triggered the hit separately from the “reason” support has continued since — some pointed to substance, like vocal skill and a stable member lineup, while others pointed to external circumstances, like other groups stalling out and viewers growing tired of the “cute” idol formula. That said, this kind of after-the-fact popularity analysis tends to lean on impression rather than proof, and nothing in the thread actually verifies how much each factor really contributed.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Juice=Juice’s hit was sparked by “Moré! Mi Amore” blowing up — but what’s the actual “reason” Juice=Juice got popular?“

  • New Idolmaster Title Confirmed in Development for Switch 2 — 5ch Cheers: ‘Glad It’s a One-Time Purchase’

    News broke on social media that a new title in the Idolmaster series is in development, sparking a thread on 5ch’s Hardware & Industry board (Geha). Some posters speculated that “the announcement was made independently rather than during a Nintendo Direct because development has only just started.” Given the persistent demand for handheld consoles in the otome game market, many in the thread argued there’s “no real option besides Switch/Switch 2,” while others were more skeptical, saying things like “only the flagship titles actually sell” and “it’s always the minor titles that get dumped on Switch” — a mix of anticipation and doubt.

    [Game Info]

    ☆┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈☆

    🎊 Breaking News! 🎊

    Source: x.com / Original post here

    5AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:06
    Weird that they didn't announce this at a Nintendo Direct
    10AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:08
    Re: #5
    Maybe it's just a 'development has started' notice, so it's too early to save for a Direct?
    9AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:08
    Well if it's aimed at women, Switch is really the only option
    12AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:09
    Lots of tweets saying they're happy it's a one-time purchase, not some gacha cash grab
    14AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:10
    Switch has plenty of female users and otome game fans, so this should sell
    16AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:10
    Otome games pop up near the top of the digital sales charts pretty often, so there's clearly demand
    19AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:12
    Yeah, if it's an otome game, Switch 2 is really the only choice
    20AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:12
    Guess even Bandai Namco doesn't feel obligated to otome games anymore
    Though they'll probably still put out a mobile version
    21AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:12
    Wish they'd hurry up and port the older Idolmaster games to Switch already
    23AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:12
    Wait, that's a guy
    Are they messing with us?
    63AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:25
    Re: #23-24
    The reasons SideM gets hate: (1) the character designs are mediocre (wish they'd had a female artist do them), (2) the voice acting for the elementary-school-age group 'Mofumofuen' is lackluster (would've preferred female voice actors), and (3) it keeps crossing over with the female-idol side of Idolmaster (if they're going to do crossovers, keep them within SideM).
    25AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:13
    Back in the day Vita was the ultimate otome game console
    But dumbass Sony abandoned its customers, so Nintendo swooped in and scooped them all up
    83AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:33
    Re: #25
    Wonder why the 3DS never became the go-to console for otome games
    26AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:13
    Just do the usual thing, right? The rhythm game ("ongee," likely shorthand for onge/音ゲー)?
    39AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:17
    Even compared to otome-adjacent titles like Touken Ranbu or Tokimeki Memorial, this is way too late
    There was never any option besides Switch
    Guess 'Kutaragi Jr.'s' influence (a jab at Sony/PlayStation leadership) is fading
    105AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:53
    Re: #39
    The fact that it's not being developed by Bandai Namco Studios suggests they're still deferring to SIE (Sony)
    55AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:20
    Re: #10
    Not really any different from Persona 6 though
    109AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:57
    Re: #55
    It's not exactly on Persona's level though…
    66AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:27
    Re: #43
    Every D3 Publisher title releasing from September onward is on Switch 1/2 except Earth Defense Force 6.2
    71AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:29
    Re: #66
    Oh, so they're not even an ally anymore
    If anything, they're the enemy now
    76AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:31
    Vita used to be the home for these kinds of games
    Guess now that role belongs to Switch and Switch 2
    77AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:32
    Re: #76
    There weren't really any users for it, so it was never a 'home' for anything
    86AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:34
    So it's coming out on Switch 2
    I figured games like this would keep releasing only on the old hardware for a while even after the next-gen console launched
    90AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:36
    Re: #86
    Because they can't stay on the original Switch forever — they need to make the transition
    88AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:35
    Haven't heard the Idolmaster name in a while
    96AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:45
    Re: #88
    The previous title was a multiplatform PS4/Steam release in 2021
    First week sales were 15,597 units
    94AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:41
    Here we go again — only the titles that don't sell get dumped on Switch
    100AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:48
    Re: #94
    All anyone actually wants is Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage (Deresute) though
    97AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:46
    Handhelds are valued for games aimed at women because you can play without family members seeing the screen
    102AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:50
    Re: #97
    Same goes for gal games (dating sims aimed at men), honestly
    108AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:56
    Re: #106
    I heard male characters vary too much in build, which makes it hard to design shared outfits for them
    114AnonymousSep 13, 2026 23:09
    Re: #108
    That's just as true for the female idols too — they range from like 130cm to 180cm

    Background and Key Points

    What was reported this time appears to be an announcement that development has begun, not a confirmed release — details on the release date and supported hardware were not yet finalized as of this thread. In the otome game market, handheld consoles have historically been preferred because players don’t want people around them seeing the screen; PS Vita used to fill that role, and several posters in the thread argued that since Vita’s discontinuation, the Nintendo Switch family has taken over that position. The Idolmaster franchise also has a main series centered on female idols and a spin-off series centered on male idols, and fan expectations are divided depending on which direction this new title ends up taking.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware & Industry (Geha)) thread “[Breaking] Idolmaster’s Newest Title Confirmed for Release on Switch 2.”

  • Nagano: “We Need to Sort Out the Line Between Idols and Comedians” — Comedian Takes Aim at STARTO’s Variety Show Takeover

    Comedian Nagano put forward a proposal to improve television on TBS’s “Weekly Sanma and Matsuko,” which aired on the 13th, arguing that STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (formerly Johnny’s Entertainment) appears too often on variety shows and that the roles of idols and comedians should be sorted out. On the same program, Matsuko Deluxe also voiced frustration with “comedians who get laughs by teasing idols.”

    On 5channel, the discussion focused less on whether people agreed with the proposal itself and more on the fact that Nagano has close ties to former Johnny’s talent, including co-starring with them in films, along with comments looking back at the power dynamics between the TV industry and Johnny’s since SMAP’s heyday.

    Nagano Speaks Out on TV: “STARTO ENTERTAINMENT Is Doing Too Much Variety”

    Comedian Nagano appeared on TBS’s “Weekly Sanma and Matsuko,” aired on the 13th, where he spoke out about the state of variety programming.

    Under the theme of making TV better, Nagano submitted a “TV improvement proposal,” saying, “I want to sort out the line between idols and comedians.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:06
    Guess I'll crack open a beer while watching Peace-kun, the world's most famous capybara, from Omiya Zoo, on YouTube.
    3AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:06
    This complaint is like 20 years out of date already.
    How many times has this been said?
    4AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:07
    Sort out the comedians sitting in the commentator seats spouting nonsense too, while you're at it.
    5AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:09
    Re: #1
    Improv skills.

    Especially their talk skills.

    I think they're better and easier to use than comedians.
    6AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:09
    At the end of the day, it's because a lot of people want to watch them.
    It's about likability and fan enthusiasm.
    8AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:09
    Isn't Nagano the guy Jinnai used to smack around?
    61AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:20
    Re: #8
    Jinnai's scary.
    Not even funny.
    9AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:09
    So variety shows where idols are the main draw should have idols as MCs too?
    13AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:10
    Re: #9
    That'd be boring though lol
    19AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:11
    Re: #13
    But the viewers are watching for the idols anyway, so maybe that's fine?
    20AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:11
    Nagano always looks like he's ready to drop everything and walk away at any moment, so he's not much of a target for the public's urge to drag someone down.
    34AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:14
    Re: #20
    It's his all-or-nothing comedy style — maybe that's why he doesn't get bashed, same as Egashira (Egashira 2:50, a comedian famous for extreme stunts).
    38AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:15
    Nagano Movie Channel (April 5, 2026 – , BS-TBS) – Cinemanist [46][47]

    Wait, what?
    45AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:17
    Re: #38
    It's actually pretty well-regarded among movie buffs.
    54AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:19
    The way other celebrities desperately hype up Johnny's talent is really something.
    63AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:21
    Re: #54
    The funny thing is, the ones hyping them up most are Yoshimoto comedians, who throw their own weight around just as much in the industry.
    Are there really that many guys who are huge Arashi fans?
    62AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:20
    He's right about Johnny's — and Yoshimoto's overrepresented too.
    If Nagano can call that out as well, then he's the real deal.
    68AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:22
    Re: #62
    Unfortunately he works with Johnny's talent all the time, and even cast an A.B.C-Z member in his own movie 'Mad Mask' — he's benefited a lot from Johnny's connections.
    73AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:23
    They say SMAP was incredibly edgy in the early '90s.
    After Hikaru Genji ended and Johnny's went into rapid decline,
    SMAP got treated like a nuisance everywhere they went.
    In dramas, actors looked down on them,
    on variety shows comedians hurled abuse saying they weren't funny,
    on music shows artists gave them cold stares,
    and even TV stations and staff treated them carelessly.
    Everyone was basically an enemy, so SMAP got aggressive too.
    96AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:29
    Re: #73
    And once they made it big themselves, they turned around and started treating everyone else carelessly.
    119AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:36
    Re: #73
    Kimutaku got lightly mocked by Kiyoto Hagiwara lol
    81AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:25
    TV got boring once they started putting Johnny's talent on variety shows.
    Johnny's morning, noon, and night.
    105AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:32
    Re: #81
    Blame SMAP for that.
    86AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:26
    If more comedians are only at the level of talking trash, of course idols become an acceptable substitute.

    Viewers have lost interest in comedy too.
    89AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:27
    Re: #86
    That's just you, man.
    90AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:27
    Johnny's, Watanabe, Burning — these agencies are the root cause of TV getting boring.
    92AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:28
    Re: #90
    Yeah, honestly, that.
    95AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:29
    What do you mean 'just you'? The TV ratings speak for themselves.
    The only people still watching TV are the ones who think trash-talking is funny.
    124AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:36
    Re: #95
    It's just you.
    Only someone that twisted up about it would think that.
    126AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:38
    So that's how Nagano is.
    That attitude he had, cursing after getting dropped into a hole on the Tunnels show,
    totally failing to read the room —

    I remember watching that and thinking, 'ah, this guy's no good.'

    Guess he's actually pretty capable these days,
    enough to say something like this.
    135AnonymousSep 13, 2026 22:40
    Re: #126
    He's always been edgy, so he hasn't wavered.
    Even a guy like Nagano has only just now become able to complain about Johnny's.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    STARTO ENTERTAINMENT is the successor organization formed when the former Johnny’s Entertainment changed its name in 2023 following the sexual abuse scandal — without knowing that background, the context of this story can be hard to grasp. Opinions in the thread split along two lines, both framed as structural issues with Japanese TV: one holding that casting idols, who more easily draw ratings and sponsors, is simply market logic, and the other arguing that comedians have come to rely so heavily on insults and teasing that they’re no longer chosen on merit. At the same time, many commenters pointed out a possible contradiction in Nagano’s stance, since he himself has appeared alongside former Johnny’s talent, including in his own independently produced films. The discussion also branched into anecdotes about how SMAP was given the cold shoulder by the entire TV industry during their slump years — background that’s easy to miss from the comments alone, since the thread reads less as a reaction to this single remark and more within the long-running context of the shifting power balance between TV and Johnny’s/STARTO.

    *This article is compiled by excerpting and summarizing the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Nagano Speaks Out on TV: “STARTO ENTERTAINMENT Is Doing Too Much Variety” / “We Need to Sort Out the Line Between Idols and Comedians”.”

  • Angerme to Perform at Pia Arena MM — 5ch: ‘The Acoustics There Are Great’

    It’s come to light that Angerme, an idol group under Hello! Project, will perform at Pia Arena MM, the live-music-dedicated arena in Ariake, Tokyo — and the news set off a buzz on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. In the thread, users compared the announcement to fellow Hello! Project act Juice=Juice’s past shows at the same venue and at Nippon Budokan, sparking debate over capacity and venue prestige. Figures suggesting a fully-seated capacity of around 10,000 were floated, with comparisons to Budokan becoming the main focus of the discussion.

    1AnonymousSep 13, 2026 19:59
    474 ◆yNtawPFFuh8s 2026/09/13(Sun) 19:53:43.85 0
    Tour finale
    Fūrinkazan – Extreme
    7AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:01
    Whatever happened to the rule that you can't play other venues unless you sell out Budokan with zero graduations?
    11AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:02
    Re: #7
    That was just something staff made up to talk the members into it.
    13AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:03
    These guys are always just following in someone else's footsteps.
    19AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:04
    Re: #13
    Angerme had this scheduled first anyway lol
    16AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:03
    Angerme fans used to keep chanting that Juice=Juice got 'demoted' to Pia Arena and banned from Budokan because they couldn't fill it.
    36AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:06
    Re: #16
    Yeah, they sure did.
    23AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:05
    As a live venue, Pia Arena is overwhelmingly higher-ranked than Budokan.
    32AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:06
    Re: #23
    Wasn't 'Panda' wanting to play Pia Arena too? (fan nickname for a member/group)
    26AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:05
    You don't have to force yourself to compete with Juice, you know.
    116AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:16
    Re: #26
    If you're gonna compete, do a 2-day run lol
    27AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:05
    So they're throwing in a big venue because of Hashisako's graduation, huh?
    37AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:06
    Re: #27
    Her graduation isn't until next spring, so that has nothing to do with it.
    29AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:05
    Since it's the same venue, comparisons on turnout are inevitable.
    At the very least, the baseline should be selling out without needing a fan-club second round of tickets.
    90AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:13
    Re: #29
    Antis kept insisting Juice only pulled 3,500 at Pia Arena, so I'm curious what number Angerme will draw. By that same logic, they'd probably come in under 1,000 lol
    44AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:07
    Budokan isn't all that usable as a venue, is it — even the 24-Hour TV charity show can't use it.
    51AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:09
    Re: #44
    24-Hour TV switched to holding it at the Kokugikan (Sumo Hall) now.
    73AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:11
    Re: #44
    It's not that they can't use it, it's that they choose not to — apparently the backstage area is too cramped for production needs.
    46AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:07
    Juice=Juice originally had just a 1-day show scheduled at Pia Arena this spring, but added another date after a flood of ticket-lottery losers. Will Angerme's stay a 1-day show?
    As for Juice=Juice, they also sold out first-round tickets for both Budokan and Pia Arena in the fall amid a wave of lottery losses, so the excuse of 'e-tickets weren't around back then' doesn't hold up.
    52AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:09
    Re: #46
    Of course it'll stay 1-day. That's a pointless jab.
    47AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:08
    Comparing them to Juice, who got pushed relentlessly by the agency, doesn't mean much at this point.
    115AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:16
    Re: #47
    You're using 'agency push' (gori-oshi) wrong.
    53AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:09
    LaLa Arena and Toyota Arena are both multi-purpose arenas built with basketball in mind,
    but Pia Arena is a concert-dedicated venue — it's not needlessly tall, so sightlines are great.
    62AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:10
    Re: #53
    And above all, the acoustics are great.
    58AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:09
    This might be what Gotō actually wanted to announce, but it seems to have been mistaken for Hashisako's graduation.
    88AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:13
    Re: #58
    Must've been an awkward day for her yesterday.
    61AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:10
    Full seated capacity: 10,057 people
    72AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:11
    Re: #61
    That's bigger than Budokan.
    Biyoooonzu lolololololololol (a bouncy fan-chant meme tied to Angerme)
    85AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:13
    Re: #61
    That's the number when the whole arena floor is packed with chairs — aren't they building a sub-stage?
    66AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:10
    So it's confirmed — the agency pecking order really is:
    Morning Musume。> Angerme >>> Juice
    75AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:11
    Re: #66
    Exactly this.
    Juice ('shiru,' a mocking pun on the name) is stuck at Budokan, lololololol
    79AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:11
    With big venues lining up and every group holding Christmas events around the same time,
    DDs (fans who follow multiple groups rather than just one) probably can't spend their paid leave on Angerme since there's no graduation to draw them in.
    82AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:12
    Re: #79
    They'll probably bring out Takeuchi and Sasaki as guests.
    81AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:12
    Honestly, if you're watching from family seating, Budokan beats Pia Arena.
    87AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:13
    Re: #81
    Dry your tears, Biyo-wota (Angerme fan nickname).
    95AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:14
    Even with a hanamichi runway and center stage built, it won't kill 1,000 seats,
    so they should be able to fit 9,000–9,500 people.
    111AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:16
    Re: #95
    Wasn't Juice's spring show sold out at around 8,000?
    Don't remember exactly, but I think the announced total was 16,000 over two days.
    100AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:14
    Well, if it's smaller than Budokan, there'd be fewer empty seats and less damage to the optics, I guess.
    Dunno though.
    121AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:17
    Re: #100
    Same as with 'Forest' — closing off sections actually makes the real numbers obvious.
    114AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:16
    Is this the first time a Hello! Project act has used this venue?
    124AnonymousSep 13, 2026 20:17
    Re: #114
    Juice has already played there.

    Background and Points of Debate

    Pia Arena MM is a live-music-focused arena that opened in 2020; unlike multi-purpose arenas built with sports in mind, it’s often praised for its acoustics and sightlines. In recent years, more Hello! Project groups have used this venue as a step up from Nippon Budokan, and fans tend to compare attendance figures as a barometer of a group’s momentum. Note that the ‘10,000-plus’ figures raised in the thread are fan estimates and eyeball calculations, not official capacity numbers announced by the organizers. The comparison with Juice=Juice is also a recurring topic on 5ch’s Hello! Project board, rooted in the rivalry between groups under the same talent agency, and this thread followed that familiar pattern.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[BREAKING] Angerme’s Pia Arena MM Show Confirmed ｷﾀ━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━!!.”

  • Novelist Ryo Asai’s Dance Cover of Juice=Juice’s ‘Moreru! Mi Amore’ Goes Viral on X

    Naoki Prize-winning author Ryo Asai has stirred up a huge reaction after posting a video of himself dancing to Juice=Juice’s song “Moreru! Mi Amore” on X. Asai wrote the original novel “Budokan,” believed to be based on Morning Musume, and has long been known as an outspoken Hello! Project fan. He reportedly brought up the video himself on a TBS info/variety show that same day, and on 5ch’s Hello! Project board, posts poured in about Asai’s college-era dance club background and how the drama adaptation of “Budokan” was effectively shelved after cast scandals.

    Yumu Mochizuki | Idol Critic

    @you_your_yumu

    Ryo Asai — In the Megachurch — Moreru Mi (short for the song title)

    Source: x.com / View original post

    3AnonymousSep 13, 2026 17:55
    He got absolutely trashed by Hello! Project fans over "Budokan," and yet here he is doing this — much appreciated.
    5AnonymousSep 13, 2026 17:56
    This guy was originally a dancer, you know.
    Did people not know that?
    16AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:00
    Re: #5
    So what?
    The point is he's dancing to a Juice=Juice song that got absolutely trashed by fans.
    57AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:42
    Re: #5
    He's not a dancer.
    He just belonged to a dance club in college.
    6AnonymousSep 13, 2026 17:56
    The Budokan drama got shelved anyway, so this much is fine, isn't it.
    9AnonymousSep 13, 2026 17:57
    What's a big-shot Naoki Prize winner doing with this?
    10AnonymousSep 13, 2026 17:57
    Asai was today's guest on TBS's Sunday show "Nichiten" and used this as material.
    11AnonymousSep 13, 2026 17:58
    The live-thread commentary for Budokan got hype every single week lol
    19AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:01
    For some reason
    I keep having the illusion that Jiro Sato was in Budokan
    for some reason.
    20AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:01
    Didn't watch it myself, but apparently NHK's "Asaichi" brought it up as a topic on Friday too.
    21AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:03
    He's been a Hello! Project fan from the start, so he probably has an extra-strong attachment to Juice=Juice's original lineup.
    22AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:04
    That said, he's a hardcore Oda (Sakura) fan through and through.
    48AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:29
    Re: #22
    Re: #38
    Morning Musume。'26 doesn't have any pull right now, so let's just dance to Moreru Mi instead.
    23AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:05
    Budokan really was a miracle of casting lol
    Every single one of the main male cast members ended up causing a scandal.
    28AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:07
    Re: #23
    And yet Ryo Yoshizawa alone went on to become a huge Reiwa-era star actor lol
    24AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:05
    The eccentric weirdo who dyed his hair lavender ahead of Oda Sakura's graduation
    29AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:08
    Re: #28
    Guess the whole "peeing in someone else's house" thing just got swept under the rug lol
    34AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:11
    Re: #29
    Funnily enough, he pulled off a total Copernican-style turnaround with Kokuho (National Treasure) and Moreru Mi lol
    31AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:09
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HPXXZUQacAAMDsG.jpg
    33AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:10
    Moreru Mi isn't cute-idol style or sexy-idol style, so its strength is that grown men can reference it as a joke without it being weird.
    52AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:33
    Re: #33
    Plus he gets to show off, none too subtly, how flexible he is with that high kick.
    38AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:15
    This guy was a Tsunku devotee, wasn't he.
    46AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:26
    Thought Asai would fade into obscurity, but he's still hanging in there.
    54AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:36
    Re: #46
    Saying Ryo Asai would 'fade away' shows some seriously bad taste lol
    51AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:32
    'Mirai no NEXT YOU' had Funaki in it, so they can't reunite for that one.
    53AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:35
    Re: #51
    It's been over 10 years now, so the current Juice=Juice lineup could probably pull it off somehow.
    63AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:46
    Don't act like the Budokan drama is nothing but a dark chapter.
    It's not that bad — Hoka Kinoshita, Keisuke Koide, and Yuta Takahata just happened to all be in it at the same time.

    …okay, that is a lot.
    66AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:48
    Re: #63
    Karin was seriously on edge during that period lol
    Even her live MC talk got weirdly sharp and prickly.
    72AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:52
    Re: #63
    When Ryo Yoshizawa's scandal broke, people dug the "Budokan curse" thing right back up lol
    68AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:51
    I don't like this guy.
    He won an award as a student, made it big, could easily live off writing alone, but still took a short stint at a regular job just to "experience society" before quitting — and on top of that he's good-looking and a smooth talker. It's infuriating.
    81AnonymousSep 13, 2026 19:01
    Re: #68
    That's just jealousy talking.
    71AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:52
    Isn't Yuzuki the one who used a Tsunku lyric as a book title?
    74AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:53
    Re: #71
    Not Tsunku — Hoshibe.
    79AnonymousSep 13, 2026 18:58
    https://www.shinchosha.co.jp/special/aitame/assets/img/ogp2.png
    80AnonymousSep 13, 2026 19:00
    Just write a 'Budokan 2' for the current Juice=Juice members already.
    85AnonymousSep 13, 2026 19:02
    Re: #80
    The epilogue of the original Budokan novel is plenty.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Ryo Asai is the author of the novel “Budokan” (published 2015), said to be modeled on Morning Musume, and has long publicly identified as a Hello! Project fan. The novel was adapted into a TV drama in 2022, but its broadcast and streaming were halted after a string of scandal reports involving the cast — this is the “curse” referenced in the thread. Meanwhile, “Moreru! Mi Amore” is a Juice=Juice song that has reportedly drawn harsh criticism from some fans over its choreography and concept. Opinions in the thread split over two points: the actual substance of Asai’s background as a “dancer” (whether he has any professional experience), and how to read a celebrity dancing to a song that’s often panned. This article excludes posts touching on past scandal reports involving the real actors, as well as jabs at appearance or voice and crude jokes, and instead focuses on posts that illuminate Asai’s identity as a Hello! Project fan and the background behind the original novel and its drama adaptation.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[SHOCKING] Novelist Ryo Asai’s Video Dancing to “Moreru! Mi Amore (Juice=Juice)” Is Blowing Up on X Right Now wwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Juice=Juice’s Growing Variety Show Presence Sparks Buzz on 5ch

    On the Hello! Project board, it became a hot topic that Juice=Juice members are increasingly appearing on variety shows across Japan’s commercial networks. While some in the thread said it felt like “the momentum of Morning Musume’s golden age,” opinions were divided over who is actually cut out for variety TV, with members known by nicknames like “Ishiyama,” “Sakurachi,” and “Endo” all getting debated for their aptitude. Some pointed out that Angerme used to be seen as the group carrying the variety-show torch, making for a thread that captured how these roles shift between groups over time.

    1AnonymousSep 13, 2026 13:44
    It's starting to feel like Morning Musume's golden age again…
    2AnonymousSep 13, 2026 13:45
    This board (nicknamed "Ookami"/Wolf, the old name for the Hello!Project board) is basically made up of Juice=Juice otaku ("汁ヲタ" – a pun on 汁/"juice").
    3AnonymousSep 13, 2026 13:46
    If you've got time for variety shows, get back to farm work.
    4AnonymousSep 13, 2026 13:46
    So it's finally Ishiyama's turn, huh?
    5AnonymousSep 13, 2026 13:48
    I'd love to see Arisawa Ichika on Banana Sand, right? (a TV Tokyo variety show hosted by the comedy duo Bananaman)
    8AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:11
    Re: #5
    You think she's actually suited for it?
    6AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:11
    Is "Ariyoshiiii" not happening yet? (a variety show hosted by comedian Hiroiki Ariyoshi)
    45AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:42
    Re: #6
    Ebata or Endo might be a better fit, maybe?
    7AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:11
    Angerme used to be THE variety-show group, but now…
    11AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:20
    Re: #7
    She wasn't really on that much though.
    10AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:16
    Irie's gonna end up big on the world stage, I bet.
    12AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:21
    It's because leader Ise has that cynical, deadpan vibe…
    18AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:23
    Guess I'll become an =LOVE otaku and lord it over Juice=Juice fans.
    26AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:24
    Relieved it's not Endo.
    Ishiyama can switch into variety mode and she's a fun talker too.
    46AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:44
    Re: #26
    Such a persistent Endo hater.
    47AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:55
    Endo's not really cut out for variety-show banter, is she?
    48AnonymousSep 13, 2026 14:58
    Sakurachi did location work for Burando, and back then she seemed standoffish and a bit shaky, so it made sense she wasn't trusted with solo jobs – but I bet she's grown since.
    There'll be other guests there too, and cooking's her strong suit, so hopefully she can hold her own talking.
    54AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:10
    Akaringo was great in that "Intern" thing,
    so maybe put her on a slightly more serious show.
    Everyone's got their own fit, right?
    74AnonymousSep 13, 2026 15:13
    Sakurachi could be the successor to Mai Satoda – glamorous good looks but can pull off the ditzy-character act too.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Within Hello! Project, fans often discuss how variety-show roles get divided up among the different groups, and this thread was no exception – comments like “Angerme used to be the variety-show group” show how the leading members and groups have shifted over time. This time, Juice=Juice members are said to be getting more opportunities to appear on such shows, and fan opinion split over who’s best suited to the talk-show format. It’s worth noting, though, that no specific show names or confirmed appearances were given in the thread – this is discussion built on fan hopes and expectations rather than confirmed facts. The thread also leans on members’ nicknames and past location-shoot anecdotes, reflecting the kind of insider context familiar only to longtime fans, which may be hard to follow for first-time readers.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello!Project board) thread “Juice=Juice Is Seriously, Genuinely Making a Full-On Push into Variety Shows on Japan’s Major Commercial Networks LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.”

  • CDTV Fes Autographed T-Shirt Resells for ¥100,000 on Mercari — 5ch: “Don’t Let Scalpers Profit”

    At “CDTV Fes,” a music festival hosted by the TBS music program “CDTV live! live!,” T-shirts bearing handwritten messages from members of Juice=Juice were given away to the audience. One of these shirts was later found listed on the flea-market app Mercari for a whopping ¥100,000, sparking discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. The poster who started the thread urged others not to buy it and to spread the word, writing “Please do not buy this under any circumstances.” But replies soon diverged: some questioned whether the winner was even a genuine Juice=Juice fan, noting that since the festival draws non-fans as well, a fan of another group may have simply lucked into it and resold it; others pushed back with the view that reselling itself is fine, and the thread turned into a broader debate.

    1AnonymousSep 13, 2026 11:53
    @
    The Juice=Juice message T-shirt from CDTV Fes is being resold on Mercari for an outrageous ¥100,000… I really can't forgive this!
    This is precious merch filled with the members' feelings. Please do NOT buy it, so we don't let scalpers profit! Please help spread the word!
    2AnonymousSep 13, 2026 11:53
    Why'd it end up in a scalper's hands?
    6AnonymousSep 13, 2026 11:55
    The one Arisawa threw apparently did go to an actual fan.
    8AnonymousSep 13, 2026 11:55
    If 100 fans chipped in ¥1,000 each, they could just buy it back themselves
    10AnonymousSep 13, 2026 11:56
    It's a big festival, so it probably ended up with someone who isn't even a fan of the group
    11AnonymousSep 13, 2026 11:57
    @
    If you look at the scalper's other listings, it's obvious which group's fan they are. Do they not realize they're dragging their own favorite member's name through the mud?
    It was such a great event, which makes this all the more disappointing. If fans from both sides reported it all at once, they could probably get it taken down (but still, don't buy it!)

    #JuiceJuice #Furuppa #CDTVLiveLive
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSCG7hdaMAADgMW.jpg:orig#.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSCG7hWbwAAnR3l.jpg:orig#.jpg
    42AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:29
    Re: #11
    Wow, they sure win a lot lol
    Must have really good luck?
    12AnonymousSep 13, 2026 11:57
    Sounds like the Atsugi show tickets are going for around ¥50,000 too
    13AnonymousSep 13, 2026 11:58
    Just goes to show they're the top dog group right now 😃🎵
    14AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:00
    I'd buy it for ¥500, sure
    17AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:09
    If a non-fan wins something like that, of course they're gonna sell it
    19AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:10
    "Unused signed ball" — so I guess that means they never even played catch with it, huh
    22AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:14
    How the recipient chooses to dispose of something they received is entirely up to them.
    Case closed.
    23AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:15
    Is it really worth ¥100,000? Personally, I'd rather put that toward Radiohead's first Japan tour in 19 years
    And even the most expensive seat for that only runs about ¥60,000
    25AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:17
    They'll probably just drop the price if it doesn't sell at ¥100,000
    27AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:19
    Can't even find the listing anymore when I search, what happened to it?
    30AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:21
    Might've been fine if they'd just offered to sell it for around ¥10,000 instead
    31AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:22
    Wasn't there a similar incident at OCHA NORMA's fan club event too?
    That one's worse, since the culprit there was actually a fan club member
    35AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:23
    This is exactly why they should just toss out unsigned towels instead of stuff like this
    44AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:31
    Hello! Project fans have more restraint than that — they wouldn't pay big money for anything except an idol's actual personal belongings
    55AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:38
    Re: #44
    Also, if you bought something like this, it'd be obvious you got it off Mercari, so you couldn't even display it
    45AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:32
    "Let's all make music together" is a line Matsunaga says a lot
    46AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:34
    Oh, this is the one they were all fighting over?
    47AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:34
    But honestly, getting merch from a group you're not into is a hassle to deal with
    I might sell it on Mercari too, not gonna lie

    Though maybe pricing it at like ¥5,000, first-come-first-served, wouldn't get you criticized?
    52AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:37
    Re: #47
    A truly kind-hearted person would just hand it to a nearby fan of that group
    48AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:35
    If it had every member's signature on it, I bet people would actually buy it
    49AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:36
    Is there even a clear rule here explicitly banning resale?
    Did winners have to sign some kind of pledge?
    56AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:39
    If they'd just given it to a fan standing nearby, it would've made the group look good
    61AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:43
    Re: #56
    Exactly, the person who got it would probably post something like "a fan of [group] gave this to me," so it'd be win-win for everyone
    It's sad that the mindset these days is just "don't need it, might as well sell it"
    57AnonymousSep 13, 2026 12:39
    Re: #52
    Or that
    If there'd been a female fan nearby, they might've just handed it to her lol

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    CDTV Fes is a multi-artist music festival hosted by the TBS program “CDTV live! live!,” and tossing autographed merchandise from the stage into the crowd is a staple seen at other idol events too. Because merchandise handed out to an unspecified crowd doesn’t necessarily land with a fan of that particular group, this setup naturally invites resale and the spread of unverified claims. On the thread, the emotional stance that “reselling is unforgivable” sits alongside the more principled view that “what you do with something you received is your own business,” with no resolution reached. It’s worth noting that comments about the seller’s identity remain pure speculation, and it hasn’t been confirmed whether there was actually a clear rule prohibiting resale.

    *This article is a summary compiled from excerpts of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “The Juice=Juice autographed message T-shirt given out at CDTV Fes gets resold on Mercari for ¥100,000 lolololololololololol.”

  • AKB Member’s TikTok-Viral ‘Isolation’ Dance: 5ch Says ‘Good Call Skipping It’

    A video posted by an AKB member on TikTok, featuring an “isolation” (a dance technique where only one part of the body moves) built around big neck movements, went viral and sparked a thread on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Some viewers reacted with amazement — “Isn’t this incredible?” and “That’s not humanly possible” — while others with dance experience gave a cooler assessment: “You’ll find tons of people who can do this at any dance school” and “It’s just an ordinary isolation.” The thread expanded into comparisons of dance skill between Hello! Project and AKB, differences in ability among other members, and explanations of the term “isolation.”

    Is there anyone else who can even do this? lol

    Source: t;iktok.com / Original post here

    4AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:55
    Getting a strong 'not worth watching' vibe from this
    6AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:56
    Re: #4
    Good call skipping it
    Just an ordinary isolation
    5AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:56
    Re: #3
    This level of skill is everywhere at dance schools
    no wonder it shouldn't be going viral
    31AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:16
    Re: #5
    Re: #13
    >18
    They've done collabs with dozens of people
    but nobody else pulls it off like this girl, huh?
    7AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:57
    Isn't this incredible
    I don't know a thing about AKB but I've watched every version of this lol
    8AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:57
    Is the AKB board ('AKB-kasu' board — a mocking nickname) so clogged with copy-paste spam that it's not working, so people are coming over here instead?
    10AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:58
    If there's someone in Hello! Project who can do this, I want them to do this AKB song on TikTok
    13AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:03
    Rain Tree's Mio Suzuno did the same thing on TikTok too
    so can't pretty much anyone do this?
    18AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:06
    Not that impressive, waste of my time
    I guess it just looked novel to people
    do a little more homework before posting a video like this
    21AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:09
    Re: #1
    Only Saki Kondo up front is on a totally different level
    even LDH admitted she's good
    25AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:10
    I want someone from Hello! Project to try this lol There's no way they haven't seen the TikTok, so everyone must already know about it, right?
    29AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:13
    When did AKB turn into a group that's nothing but cute girls?
    32AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:17
    Re: #29
    Thought the same thing
    this girl's cute
    33AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:18
    Yui Hasegawa is already famous, what are you even talking about at this point
    46AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:34
    Re: #33
    For someone that famous her follower count is way too low lol
    34AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:19
    More importantly, the girls in the back can't do it at all
    38AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:21
    Re: #34
    Hey
    all kinds of idols and artists, guys and girls, from Japan and overseas have done collabs with them
    and none of them can pull it off either, right?
    36AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:20
    These days AKB's dancing is actually more in sync than Angerme's
    39AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:22
    Re: #36
    Delusions are free, I guess
    but maybe AKB should stop lip-syncing first lol
    37AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:20
    Tsubaki Factory — delusions are free, I guess
    40AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:28
    Wish Hello! Project would do a collab too
    wonder if there are a few people in Hello! Project who could pull it off
    43AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:33
    There are girls who can do it, but overdoing it with the neck is dangerous, so instructors probably just don't let them
    54AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:40
    So moving your neck like that is called an 'isolation'
    56AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:42
    Re: #54
    It's 'isolation'
    and it's not just about the neck

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    “Isolation” is a dance term for the technique of moving a single part of the body independently — the neck, shoulders, and hips are the classic examples — and it’s commonly taught as basic training at dance schools. What sparked this thread was an AKB member’s neck isolation: to an untrained eye it looks astonishing, but dancers with experience see it as just one basic technique, which is why reactions split so sharply. It’s also worth noting the thread appeared on a board that’s normally home to Hello! Project idol fans, so the AKB member’s skill level prompted comparisons with Hello! Project’s own dancing ability, along with a bit of rival needling like “Hello! Project should take notes too.” Comparing dance skill between idol groups is a perennial 5ch topic, and this thread is very much in that tradition.

    *This article was compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “AKB’s insane isolation dance is going viral on TikTok — isn’t this amazing? That’s not humanly possible.”

  • Yahoo News: “Angerme’s Suzu Hashisako to Graduate” → Yahoo Comments: “Who?” “Who?” “Who?”

    A thread went up on 5ch’s “Hello! Project” board about a Yahoo! News article reporting the graduation of Angerme member Suzu Hashisako. It started because the article’s Yahoo comments section filled up with a flood of “Who?” posts, which thread members pointed out is a “standard reaction” seen not just for Hello! Project news but also for Hinatazaka46 and Sakurazaka46 stories. Meanwhile, other replies dug into the effort and psychology behind bothering to type “Who?” on an article about an idol you’ve never heard of, and opinions split over whether it’s just mockery or a reflection of the idol’s lack of name recognition.

    1AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:19
    ps://i.imgur.com/AESbctr.jpeg
    This is the Promotion Edit for "Kuyashii wa," from Angerme's new single "Kuyashii wa / Piece of Peace ~Shiawase no Puzzle~," released October 19, 2022.
    Lyrics & Composition: Takui Nakajima
    2AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:26
    5AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:30
    Well, of course they would.
    9AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:39
    Re: #5
    Same thing's going to happen with Morning Musume once Oda graduates, you know.
    6AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:32
    Is typing "Who?" really a bigger priority than just running a quick search?
    7AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:36
    People with way too much time on their hands, bothering to comment "Who?"
    8AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:38
    These same people say "Who?" for Hinatazaka and Sakurazaka too, you know.
    11AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:41
    For Morning Musume it's the usual
    "Wait, is Morning Musume even still a thing?"
    13AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:43
    It's pretty different from the Oda case though
    Might call it a difference of degree, but it's an extreme difference in degree.
    14AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:43
    If you actually recognized her, that'd basically be outing yourself as a Hello! Project otaku.
    15AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:45
    But hey, she made it to Yahoo's top page, so that's a win, right?
    29AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:10
    Re: #15
    Forcing an unknown onto the top page is exactly why you get a flood of "Who?"
    And since nobody even remembers it afterward, it doesn't work as publicity anyway.
    16AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:48
    Well, if you don't know who someone is, "Who?" really is the only thing you can write.
    There's plenty of news where I think "Who?" myself.
    Of course, I don't actually bother typing it out.
    17AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:49
    Yahoo comments are way more lawless than the "Ookami" board ever was (a notoriously rowdy 5ch idol-discussion board).
    26AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:07
    Re: #17
    It's tied to your phone number and it's still that bad?
    18AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:55
    It's just a bunch of "hmm"s.
    These people are just out of touch with the world, that's all.
    20AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:58
    I only recently joined the fan club because of "Moremi" (likely a fan nickname), and even I'm at the level of not knowing who this is.
    21AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:59
    Hello! Project fans have done plenty of this to us before.
    Guess you'd call it karma coming back around.
    23AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:01
    Plenty of TV Tokyo viewers don't even know announcer Kitagawa is a former Morning Musume member, let alone about her secret-account scandal.
    30AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:11
    Re: #23
    Well, of course nobody knows she's a former Morning Musume member.
    33AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:13
    You need at least some baseline name recognition to end up on Yahoo's top page.
    34AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:13
    This is the first time I've seen this Hashisako girl's face, but I do like short-haired girls.
    35AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:14
    That said,
    spending the effort to open an article about someone you don't know just to write "Who?" is also kind of much.
    38AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:17
    Re: #35
    It's also a form of criticism, basically saying "Who? You don't need to write articles about nobodies."
    36AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:16
    Only members from Morning Musume's peak era and AKB's peak era are really known to the general public.
    Even Nogizaka's Shiraishi or Nishino aren't all that well known.
    37AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:17
    That's because Nogizaka doesn't have a nationwide hit song.
    39AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:19
    I don't know celebrities or soccer players at all either, so I always think "Who?" too, but I don't actually write it in comments.
    Still, I'll at least open the article to see what kind of person they are.
    40AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:21
    You should recognize that trying to shut out news that has no value to you personally is a risky habit.
    People like that probably can't properly read a newspaper either.
    They probably don't understand the value of an article to begin with.
    41AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:21
    Re: #38
    Even if she's a nobody to you, she's famous to someone else, you know.
    42AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:22
    I only know Morning Musume and Juice=Juice myself, so I'm in "Who?" mode too lol
    43AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:26
    This happens with the Sakamichi groups too, same "Who? Who?" thing.
    Yahoo commenters really are attention-seekers, huh.
    55AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:34
    Re: #43
    I think it'd be exactly the same even if a thread went up on Geinou/Sports Plus.
    49AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:29
    The ones writing "don't know her" are actually antis.
    They actually know more than the fans do.
    66AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:59
    Re: #49
    That's true when it's otaku from other groups.
    On Yahoo's top page, it's genuinely regular people who really don't know her.
    59AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:42
    Guess no thread went up on Geisports after all.
    60AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:44
    Re: #59
    Whether a thread goes up or not just depends on the whim of whoever starts it, right?

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Yahoo comments require phone-number verification, leaning toward real-name use, yet commenters in the thread pointed out that it’s even more brutal there than on anonymous forums. Part of the reason is that even top-tier members from groups outside Hello! Project — like Nogizaka46’s Mai Shiraishi or Nanase Nishino — have only limited recognition among the general public. Morning Musume went through a similar “Wait, are they still around?” reaction when Sakura Oda graduated, and many in the thread saw this as a repeat of that pattern. The point of contention was whether to read the “Who?” comments as proof of low name recognition or just idle mockery — and opinions in the thread never fully converged.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Yahoo News: “Angerme’s Suzu Hashisako to Graduate” → Yahoo Comments: “Who?” “Who?” “Who?”.”