Japan Reacts

Category: News

  • Inaba Manaka’s “9 Faces I Like” Post Sparks Debate — 5ch: “This Ain’t Okay”

    Inaba Manaka jumped on the “#9 Favorite Faces Among Japanese Female Idols” hashtag trend on her X (formerly Twitter) account, naming nine idols whose looks she’s drawn to. The list included names like Hiromoto, Ogawa Nanako, and Ebamifu — but notably left out Ruru-chan (Suzuka) and any members of Tsubaki Factory. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, replies split over both the pattern behind her picks and what Inaba might have been going for.

    Inaba Manaka

    @inabamanaka_

    #9FavoriteFacesAmongJapaneseFemaleIdols

    Source: x.com / original post here

    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:41
    This ain't okay…
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    This is——
    Re: #3
    Yeah, this is bad on more than one level
    5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:41
    There's gotta be something else here worth calling out
    7AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:41
    Don't throw Hiromoto in there just to camouflage the real picks
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    If you didn't like Marin's face to begin with, there's no way you'd have stayed a fan of her
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    Women pick girls less cute than themselves — that's just how it is, not Manakan's fault, it's DNA doing its thing
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    Because she can't pick Chii-chan or Rito Kame (a nickname) either
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    She even threw in Ogawa Nanako, who's a dead ringer for Hiromoto, so she must genuinely be into that Hiromoto-type face
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:42
    After all that "Marin, Marin" talk, and yet…
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:43
    The way she just casually slips Ebamifu in like it's a given, though
    20AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    I thought Manaka knew where the line was…
    Farewell…
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    She's dead serious about this
    Stuff like this needs to feel more like a joke
    22AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    Who on earth is center pick Ogawa Nanako
    26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    Doing something like this just makes her look extra shady, lol
    27AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:44
    Everyone's going "cute, cute" over this
    Where's Ruru-chan though?
    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    Re: #27
    Fukuda and Danbara's appeal isn't about their faces…
    36AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    Re: #27
    If she did this for real, she'd get cut instantly
    28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    The top-left one's off
    That photo's actually Ishii
    29AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    Disappointing that she'd hop on such a creepy trend
    This is more off-putting than the Hello Project face-sort thing
    33AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    Now that Yagi Marin isn't usable anymore, she's just moved on to the trending Ebamifu
    35AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:45
    For some reason O-Cha (Ocha Norma) made the cut but Tsubaki Factory wasn't even an option, apparently
    37AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:46
    She's been really active on Twitter lately
    Wonder what's going on
    38AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:46
    So she left Tsubaki out because nobody knows them??
    Disappointed in Manakan
    39AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:46
    I mean, nobody wants Ruru-chan's face, do they
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:47
    So she's slipping Ebamifu in right now, just like that
    Was that really the deal?
    50AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:47
    She's never once mentioned Ebamifu's name before this
    67AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:50
    Re: #50
    Inaba Manaka: "With Ebamifu, I've got this feeling bubbling up inside me — like she might bring back a bit of that Yagi Marin vibe again."
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1781386261/
    59AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:48
    Doing this in the first place is a bad move
    Especially for a public figure
    69AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:50
    Re: #59
    Yeah, this just isn't okay
    You'd think she'd realize that
    75AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:52
    Danbara's graduation is coming up soon and everyone knows her popularity's about to tank, so people have stopped sucking up to her
    83AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:54
    Re: #75
    So by the time Danbara graduates, Kawanishi, Fukuda, and Yokaze will have graduated too?
    80AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:53
    If you're picking 9 people, pick one from each of Hello Project's 7 groups
    Leaving out Morning Musume and Angerme? Better be ready to get frozen out of Hello Village
    85AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:55
    Re: #80
    Can't help it if their faces just aren't her type
    84AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:55
    Manaka's a civilian now, so it can't be helped
    87AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:55
    Re: #84
    Maybe that's just how she thinks these days
    She wouldn't have posted something like this back when she was active
    105AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:59
    @
    Ruru-chan… isn't there…?!
    111AnonymousSep 25, 2026 21:00
    Re: #105
    No way she'd be included
    Read the room

    Background and Points of Debate

    The “◯ Faces I Like” format is a familiar Twitter trend where people list out figures whose looks match their taste. The hashtag gets used broadly by celebrities and everyday users alike, so the act itself isn’t unusual. Inaba Manaka is a former member of Morning Musume。’17 and currently holds OG status within Hello! Project. What split opinion in the thread wasn’t the trend itself, but the pattern in who got picked. Comments zeroed in on small inconsistencies — the list leaning toward certain groups, or members she’d praised by name before being left off this time — reflecting the Hello Project board’s particular fan culture, which is highly attuned to individual popularity and the balance between groups. At the same time, some replies expressed unease at an OG publicly ranking the faces of active members at all, showing that reactions went beyond simple takes on the trend itself. Note that “likes” and “not chosen” in this piece reflect Inaba’s personal preference alone and don’t imply any ranking or evaluation.

    ※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Sad News] Inaba Manaka apparently isn’t a fan of Rito Kame’s “face”…“.

  • Alcohol’s Fine, Weed Isn’t: 5ch Debates Why

    5ch users debated the age-old question of “why is booze okay but weed isn’t?” The thread touched on cannabis’s history in Japanese Shinto rituals and textile use, as well as how postwar regulation began under GHQ occupation. Also discussed was Thailand’s temporary de facto decriminalization of cannabis, which is now facing renewed restrictions after a change in government. Posters traded personal takes on whether alcohol or cannabis is more dangerous, but no consensus was reached.

    1AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:19
    Vested interests?
    4AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:20
    Yeah, that's part of it,
    and honestly alcohol probably should be banned too,
    but humanity's been living alongside alcohol throughout history,
    so it's just too late to ban it at this point.
    One of humanity's design flaws, really.
    8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:22
    Re: #4
    Cannabis actually has a longer history in Japan than alcohol does.
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:22
    The drugs the politicians who write the laws happen to use are fine; the ones they don't use aren't.
    That's Japan for you.
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:23
    Re: #9
    Which politician is doing drugs, exactly?
    16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:25
    Re: #9
    And so old grudges drive the elderly to start wars, and the young die without ever understanding why. Then the young who pile up through that become old themselves, and the old start another war. That repetition is human history.
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:23
    Religion is tied to alcohol in a lot of places, but I wonder how that works with cannabis?
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:24
    Re: #10
    Muslims are a flat no on it, generally.
    Even in horror movies it's treated as not really a good thing.
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:27
    Re: #10
    Japanese Shinto is linked to cannabis, but not for smoking — it's about using hemp fiber.
    Even today, hemp fiber is woven into cloth, paper, and rope for use in Shinto rituals.
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:25
    Actor Kochi Haruma: "I've done weed, meth, and booze — alcohol's the worst of the three"
    18AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:26
    Re: #14
    That guy's definitely never actually tried it, I guarantee it (エアプ, lit. "air play" — net slang for talking big without real experience).
    15AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:25
    Re: #8
    Nah, cannabis really isn't as deeply tied to human history as that.
    Even in Heian-era texts, alcohol always comes up without fail.
    No matter the country, humans and alcohol are inseparable.
    22AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:28
    Re: #15
    Just look at how much cannabis gets used in Shinto rituals and you'll see.
    Back in the day they'd throw huge amounts of it into ritual bonfires and everyone would gather around and smoke it.
    Up until the Meiji era, "tobacco" basically meant cannabis.
    23AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:28
    It's just something that's always been around.
    Cannabis was around too, but for various reasons it ended up banned, and since it's not exactly essential, the attitude became "fine, we don't need it" — so it's banned outside of medical use.
    28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:30
    Re: #23
    Cannabis was banned by GHQ after the war.
    It's a pretty well-known fact that before that, it was perfectly legal in Japan too.
    24AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:29
    Re: #18
    Yeah, but he got arrested for possession of meth and weed, though…
    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:31
    Re: #24
    That guy's either mixing it with alcohol or already had a tolerance built up.
    29AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:30
    Should we ban alcohol too, then?
    52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:37
    Re: #29
    Even without banning it outright, I think the penalties for causing incidents while drunk should be a lot harsher.
    Right now if you just cause a scene, you spend one night in custody and go home.
    Maybe a three-strikes system — cause trouble three times and it's forced hospitalization — or a points system where going over a certain threshold means prison time or forced treatment.
    61AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:39
    Re: #29
    Prohibition was such a disaster that nobody's going to try that again.
    30AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:30
    Nothing is scarier than the feeling of drugs other than alcohol.
    Time genuinely feels like it's crawling,
    you can't think straight, your consciousness gets foggy,
    and you keep muttering "wait, I'm forgetting, this is scary" on loop for an hour while blacking out and coming back over and over — it's hell, a total bad trip.
    34AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:31
    Re: #30
    You've probably only ever tried the old-school "legal highs" (synthetic drugs briefly sold legally in Japan before being banned), man.
    35AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:32
    It comes down to whether it's actually enforceable.
    Anyone can brew alcohol at home, so there's no way to actually regulate it.
    40AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:33
    Re: #35
    Making alcohol at home is illegal, you know.
    46AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:35
    Re: #40
    Just chuck pine needles, sugar, and water together and you've got booze.
    Apparently it tastes like Sprite.
    49AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:36
    Re: #40
    Right, and the reason that law even sort of works is that you can just go out and buy good-quality alcohol instead.
    39AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:33
    Watch any "Police 24/7"-style show and you'll see the weed guys are ten times worse than the drunk idiots — of course it's banned.
    44AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:34
    Re: #39
    Speaking as someone who's done it, it's not something you should do — it's pure terror.
    Though I do think a tiny enough amount can be relaxing.
    41AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:33
    Go to Khao San Road in Thailand and street stalls sell it right there.
    Gets you completely baked.
    47AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:35
    Re: #41
    Is it still there?
    They legalized weed and then brought the restrictions back, didn't they?
    51AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:36
    Re: #47
    I went this month and it's still there, no problem.
    You can smoke right on the street.
    57AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:38
    Re: #47
    The government that was going to re-regulate it got replaced again by the one that legalized it.
    So it probably won't get re-restricted at this point.
    42AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:33
    If alcohol didn't exist, a huge number of accidents and crimes would disappear.
    Would banning it wreck the economy, though?
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:34
    Re: #42
    Alcohol is something even amateurs can easily make themselves.
    Ban it and it'll just end up circulating on the black market.
    50AnonymousSep 25, 2026 19:36
    Re: #42
    Without something to indulge in, people would go crazy from the pent-up stress instead,
    and that would just mean more people snapping and causing incidents anyway.
    113AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:20
    I feel like cannabis is a "last 100 years or so" kind of image.
    Were people smoking it back in the Edo period or earlier too?
    116AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:21
    Re: #113
    That would've been shredded tobacco (kizami-tabako), not weed.
    119AnonymousSep 25, 2026 20:23
    Re: #113
    It's got roughly 1,000 years of history as an anesthetic, technically, but it's only been used recreationally since the 19th century.
    So its history as a recreational thing is shorter than tobacco's.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    Japan’s Cannabis Control Act was enacted in 1948, its origins tangled up with postwar GHQ occupation policy and international narcotics-control treaties — a layered history that can’t be reduced to a simple conspiracy theory. At the same time, it’s true that cannabis (as hemp fiber) has long been used for shimenawa ropes and hemp cloth in Shinto rituals, making it, alongside alcohol, a traditional Japanese resource in its own right. Posters in the thread disagreed over which is more dangerous, alcohol or cannabis, but comparing dependency and accident risk is really something that should be argued from statistics and medical data rather than personal anecdotes — a point where misunderstandings easily creep in. Thailand’s cannabis policy tells a similar cautionary tale: after being effectively decriminalized in 2022, a change of government has since brought renewed moves toward re-regulation, so it can’t simply be filed away as a “legal country.”

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] The Reason Alcohol’s OK But Weed Isn’t Wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Daisuke Hori’s New Course Costs ¥160,000 a Month — 5ch Reacts: ‘Anyone Dumb Enough to Fall for This Is Beyond Saving’

    Daisuke Hori has long been known as an advocate for the “short sleeper” method, coaching people to function on minimal sleep — but this time he’s done a complete about-face, rolling out a ¥160,000-a-month “quality sleep” improvement program. Reaction on 5ch was swift distrust toward a system charging steep fees without any scientific backing, with many pointing out it’s overpriced compared to hiring a professional personal trainer or gym membership. There’s also been no update on the previously mentioned investigations by the government and police, and concerns about refund policies became a talking point too.

    4AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:06
    Just exercise moderately, eat until you're about 80% full, cut out the alcohol, and go to sleep — isn't that enough?
    5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:06
    Guess the whole 'short sleeper' thing never happened
    6AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:06
    His 'short sleeper' title has quietly disappeared
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:10
    Anyone dumb enough to fall for this is beyond saving
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:11
    Re: #1
    Why'd he pivot away from the short-sleep thing? And this program launching in October already has a ton of glowing testimonials somehow
    15AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:11
    Just send them camping out in the wilderness for like 3 days — they'll pass out on their own
    16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:11
    'A ton of glowing testimonials'?

    Sorry, but is this actually a case for JARO? (Japan's ad watchdog)
    19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:12
    Sleep probably does feel amazing after a week of nonstop livestreaming
    20AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:13
    His whole method is just 'stretch, lift some weights, set up your bedroom properly, watch what you eat' — generic advice you'd find in any random self-help book. If you're going to pay ¥160,000 a month, you'd be better off just spending it on a gym membership, a personal trainer, decent bedding, and food.
    23AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:14
    No way he's ever issuing refunds. Also, you'd think some YouTuber would've signed up just to file a complaint on camera by now, but nobody's done it
    47AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:28
    Re: #23
    Everyone just wants to sleep
    26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:14
    No scientific basis whatsoever, just personal anecdotes, and people still sign up for this
    30AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:15
    Gotta admit he did seem to fall asleep fast. Not many people knock out that quickly from a massage
    31AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:15
    If people are still falling for this, they're probably just fans, and if they genuinely think it works, something's wrong with their head — either way, fine by me
    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:16
    People are seriously dropping over ¥160,000 just to sleep?
    76AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:51
    Re: #32
    You'd be better off spending that money on high-end bedding
    33AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:17
    I want them to send in Professor Yanagisawa and Mikiya Takasu to check this out (a sleep researcher and a cosmetic-surgeon YouTuber, both known for fact-checking dubious health claims)
    34AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:18
    Won't a bunch of YouTubers show up just to farm content off this?
    35AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:19
    Apparently the selling point is doing strength training and stretching together with him. You'd honestly be way better off just going to a proper personal-training gym
    40AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:22
    Re: #35
    Apparently his rate is the same as legendary bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi's personal training, lol. That's straight-up disrespectful
    36AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:19
    You'd be better off just asking Lasker Award-winning Professor Yanagisawa instead of this guy
    37AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:20
    Sounds like an undercover reporter has already made contact with him. Bet some interesting stuff comes out of this
    42AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:23
    He'll probably turn around and claim refund requests need proof that nothing improved
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:26
    In his sit-down with Mikiya Takasu before the challenge, he was irritable the whole time — which just ended up highlighting how professionally Takasu handled it as a YouTuber
    57AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:40
    Re: #43
    Hori did a complete 180 into attack mode right after the livestream, lol
    44AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:26
    Push yourself to the absolute limit of staying awake, and blissful sleep will follow — what a genius, noticing something nobody else ever thought of
    50AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:31
    Re: #44
    There's actually data showing you sleep more soundly if you stay up later — like, going to bed after midnight beats forcing yourself to sleep at 9pm when you can't
    78AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:53
    Even checking the official site, I have zero idea what this program actually involves. People actually pay money for this?
    83AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:56
    Re: #78
    There are videos from people who took his course 5 to 7 years ago describing what it actually involved
    98AnonymousSep 25, 2026 17:16
    Whatever happened to that whole 'government and police are investigating' thing he was talking about?
    99AnonymousSep 25, 2026 17:17
    Re: #98
    That's some real 'Asakura Miku' behavior (a slang nod to a public figure known for making bold claims that fizzle out)

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    Daisuke Hori previously built a following as an instructor for the “short sleeper” method (training people to get by on very little sleep), a practice that repeatedly drew skepticism over its effectiveness and lack of evidence. The “quality sleep” program now making waves reads almost like the opposite approach, offering standard lifestyle-improvement guidance — stretching, diet management, optimizing your bedroom environment — for a steep monthly fee. The thread’s focus centered on comparing the ¥160,000 price tag to what a professional bodybuilder charges for personal training, alongside skepticism toward guidance based on anecdotal testimonials rather than scientific verification. That said, some commenters admitted the massage techniques themselves seemed to have some real effect, so opinions were mixed. Worth noting: the earlier claims about a “government and police investigation” have no confirmed follow-up here, so they remain an unverified rumor.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] Daisuke Hori Hasn’t Learned His Lesson At All“.

  • Unemployed man’s day-of-the-week mix-up gets 5ch nodding along: ‘Every day should be Monday’

    In a chat thread on 5ch’s Newssoku VIP board, a post mistaking Friday for Saturday touched off a wave of sympathy from unemployed and shut-in (hikikomori) posters whose sense of the days had gone completely haywire. As usual, the thread ran in its familiar format, with the recurring ASCII-art character ‘Pomi-kun’ firing back replies throughout using the emoticon (っ´ω`c). The rambling, disconnected chatter ranged from griping about stingy Google reward points, to complaints about the mobile game ‘Mahjong Soul,’ to talk of the original ‘Castlevania’ app being handed out for free. Above all, the post declaring ‘a weekday alone at home is when I feel most at ease’ drew the strongest wave of sympathy, sparking an outpouring of honest feelings about days off.

    1AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:57
    (っ´ω`c) Thought it was Saturday… that kind of thread
    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:57
    When you're a shut-in you totally lose track of what day it is
    I feel that
    6AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:59
    Re: #3
    (っ´ω`c) Oh, you're a shut-in too, huh
    5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:59
    (´･ω･`) My Google reward points this week were only 5
    8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:59
    Re: #5
    (っ´ω`c) Mine was 56
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:03
    (´･ω･`) Guess Platinum status really does make a difference
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:04
    Re: #10
    (っ´ω`c) Would be nice to get this much every week
    18AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:10
    What's up, Pomi-kun
    Do you look up to Gay-kun or something?
    19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:11
    Re: #18
    (っ´ω`c) You seem pretty close with Gay-kun
    23AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:13
    Whoa! That's creepy! I'm being watched!!!
    26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:15
    Re: #23
    (っ´ω`c) Obsessively checking who's replying is just standard practice (a nod to '必死チェック,' 5ch slang for stalking someone's post history in a thread)
    28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:16
    That's terrifying, I can't reply to Pomi-kun's threads anymore 😭
    30AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:18
    Re: #28
    (っ´ω`c) As long as you always post things you wouldn't mind a stranger seeing, you should be fine
    29AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:17
    (´・ω・｀) Hey, look at this, fatty

    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:20
    Re: #29
    (っ´ω`c) Ooh, nice, congrats
    I want a Rachana Mama too
    34AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:20
    I don't really mind if people see it, but going out of your way to check is stalker-ish and creepy
    38AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:22
    Re: #34
    (っ´ω`c) ……
    36AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:21
    (´･ω･`) They're giving away Castlevania
    41AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:25
    Re: #36
    (っ´ω`c) Huh? What do you mean
    40AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:23
    It's already Friday… Derby Stallion 2 looks fun, so even though I'm not into horse racing I'm kind of curious
    42AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:25
    Re: #40
    (っ´ω`c) You get curious about it even though you don't bet on horses?
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:26
    (´･ω･`) The mobile app version of Castlevania (the original Famicom game) is free
    45AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:27
    Re: #43
    (っ´ω`c) Whoa, is it any good?
    48AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:29
    Pomi-kun 💓 are you treating Stallion well?
    50AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:31
    Re: #48
    (っ´ω`c) Yep ♥ I run Stallion as my main on my Wind team a lot ♥ he's strong 😤
    51AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:31
    So Pomi-kun does the obsessive reply-checking thing, huh
    kinda creepy lol
    52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:31
    Re: #51
    (っ´ω`c) Huh. Huh. Huh.
    56AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:34
    (´･ω･`) Stunned by how small the screen is
    60AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:37
    Re: #56
    (っ´ω`c) Man, I'd love to play this on a tablet
    58AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:35
    Good 💓 please treat mine well too 💓
    The Touken Ranbu puzzle game came out yesterday and I've gotten even busier, so I haven't even had time to go see Stallion…
    63AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:41
    Re: #58
    (っ´ω`c) Stallion will always be waiting for you── just play whenever you get the time──

    Puzu-Giri, huh── enjoying it so far──? Sounds like Fit Boxing's coming out too──
    62AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:39
    Long time no see, Pomi-kun!
    It's kind of weird that today's Friday
    This is NEET-me, who thinks every day should be Monday
    64AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:42
    Re: #62
    (っ´ω`c) Been a while. Being unemployed really scrambles your sense of the days, huh. Every day should be Monday? Not Sunday or anything — I wonder why
    65AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:43
    Re: #64
    I love my family, but a weekday alone at home is when I'm most at ease 🥺🥺🥺🥺 I still technically know what day it is, at least
    66AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:44
    Re: #65
    (っ´ω`c) Being home alone is nice since you can do whatever you want… what do you end up doing when you're home by yourself?
    72AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:48
    Re: #65
    I totally get that
    I wish they'd go out on weekends
    74AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:48
    I don't want them home during Silver Week either, on top of weekends
    77AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:49
    Re: #74
    (っ´ω`c) What do you end up doing once you're home alone?
    83AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:53
    Re: #74
    (ꐦ·᷅ὢ·᷄ꐦ ) Wouldn't it just be solved if you went to work on your days off?
    95AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:57
    (´･ω･`) It's Zakku
    103AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:01
    Re: #95
    (っ´ω`c) Oh, I've seen that one before

    Background and talking points

    This thread follows the familiar format seen on 5ch’s Newssoku VIP board, where the recurring character ‘Pomi-kun’ fires back reply after reply using the emoticon (っ´ω`c) — less a news story than a slice-of-life glimpse into how the unemployed and shut-in crowd experience their days. The ‘Mahjong Soul’ game mentioned in the thread is an online mahjong title tied to a Chinese company; while some posts in the thread griped about opponents, this article has left out posts that singled out and mocked specific nationalities. ‘Stallion,’ meanwhile, appears to be a character from a mobile game Pomi-kun plays, though the thread gives no further explanation and its origin remains unclear. Posts mistaking Friday for Saturday, or expressing a preference for weekday solitude, offer a glimpse into the disrupted daily rhythm common among the unemployed and those who rarely leave home.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Newssoku VIP) thread “(っ´ω`c) Huh. It’s Friday today.”

  • Maria Makino’s Cheering Called “Annoying” — 5ch Users: “I Fully Support Her”

    Maria Makino (formerly of Morning Musume。’14) has drawn criticism from some fans over her eye-catching cheering style at Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters games, with complaints like “she’s annoying” and “she just wants attention.” Amid the backlash, Yasushi Kawasaki, who heads the “Jagaimon” (Potato-mon) project in Shihoro, Hokkaido, and Takuo Yoshihiro, deputy mayor of Japan’s second-smallest town, posted messages of support on social media in quick succession. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, reactions split between users welcoming the show of support and more measured voices arguing that fan passion and public annoyance are separate issues, making for a mixed bag of opinions.

    1AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:48
    Yasushi Kawasaki (Shihoro, Hokkaido / Head of the Jagaimon Project) @yasu0826
    As a fellow Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters fan, I fully support Maria Makino.
    She's a genuine Fighters fan.
    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:50
    The Jagaimon Project??
    Is that some kind of Hello! Project thing?
    5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:52
    Being a die-hard fan and being annoyingly conspicuous are two completely different things
    7AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:52
    Calling it "annoying" is harsh — she's just doing it within the rules
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:53
    She's got ties to the team president, so criticism from small-fry fans is just jealousy
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:54
    She's not exactly a regular civilian (she's a celebrity), so complaining won't get you anywhere
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:54
    If you'd actually been a fan for a long time, you wouldn't be reacting to Makino at this point
    15AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:56
    It's not an idol putting on an act of being a Fighters fan —
    a genuine Fighters fan just happened to become an idol
    16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:56
    Takuo Yoshihiro | Deputy Mayor of Japan's Second-Smallest Town
    @TakuoYoshihiro
    I got to appear alongside Maria Makino on the shoot for HBC Hokkaido Broadcasting's "Kitakoi"!

    She's a Fighters fan overflowing with love for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters ⚾ She talked about her love for the team on the show, and her passion came through so strongly that even I — a Hawks fan of over 20 years — genuinely found myself thinking "I want to cheer for the Fighters" and "I want to go to ES CON Field." That's how fired-up a Fighters fan she is.

    Maria is a sincere, hardworking, wonderful person ⚾
    #MariaMakino
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HS-53-haMAAfizm.jpg:orig#.jpg
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:56
    A bandwagon fan who can't name a single song from Makino's time in the group
    18AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:56
    Re: #1
    With a project name like that, isn't he actually a fan of Nagano instead? (referring to fellow Hello! Project member Nagano Momoka)
    19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:56
    Both Angerme and Hane should be taking notes from this guy (referring to other Hello! Project acts)
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:57
    If random people keep butting in like this and it turns into a bigger scandal, she might end up unable to stay with the agency
    37AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:06
    Re: #21
    More like the agency will protect her precisely because of shady connections
    23AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:57
    Don't mistake "been a fan longer" for "more important"
    24AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:58
    Maria is amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing!!!!!!!
    25AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:58
    Wasn't Jagaimon actually Ogawa's thing?
    29AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:59
    I thought the problem was that it's fans doing the trolling, not unrelated outsiders
    30AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:01
    Same as always —
    Makino acts out, her fans force a defense, and both Makino and her fans end up hated
    31AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:03
    She wasn't bashed this much before leaving the group — why did the antis multiply after she graduated?
    33AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:03
    Her mom's got serious pull in fan circles too, so of course insiders come out to back her up
    34AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:04
    Isn't Jagaimon a show hosted by Makoto Ogawa and Seiko Ito?
    35AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:04
    Well, it's a small industry run by idiots, so of course she gets piled on by everyone else
    38AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:06
    A solid backer's shown up
    Typical of "Shao" (a nickname playing on Ogawa's name)
    39AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:06
    This isn't about her love for the Fighters — it's about not busting out huge dance moves in the stands, no?
    40AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:06
    Is she really getting that much criticism?
    Guess she won't be able to do that anymore
    Poor thing
    41AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:07
    Next I want her to dance in something a bit more revealing
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:08
    I don't get the standard where drumming is fine but dancing isn't
    51AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:13
    She kept saying "I'm just doing what I like, leave me alone" back in her Musume days too, so she must've been quite the nuisance even then
    52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:13
    So I guess that means I, a 30-plus-year Hanshin Tigers fan overflowing with Tigers love, get a pass to chant "Drop dead, Yomiuri" too, huh
    56AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:15
    She gets picked up by the cameras even during MLB broadcasts
    Being cute is a crime
    72AnonymousSep 25, 2026 16:26
    Re: #56
    That was a Japanese camera crew, though

    Background and Key Points

    Maria Makino has been known as a devoted Nippon-Ham Fighters fan since her Hello! Project days, and her conspicuous cheering style at the ballpark has repeatedly made headlines. Opinions in the thread were split, with some arguing that “fan enthusiasm” and “discomfort with attention-grabbing behavior” are separate issues, and others speculating about who was actually behind the criticism. Notably, Kawasaki and Yoshihiro, who spoke up in her defense, both posted under their real names as local figures who know her personally — a different footing from anonymous criticism online. That said, exactly what behavior is being criticized and how seriously remains murky even within the thread itself, and no primary sources such as news reports have confirmed the details. Some speculation tried to pin the criticism on specific individuals, but since that amounts to unsubstantiated claims, it has not been included in this article.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Amid criticism from Fighters fans calling Maria Makino “annoying” and saying she “just wants attention,” a powerful ally steps in to defend her.”

  • Bear Won’t Go Down to 9mm Pistol Fire — 5ch: “.45 Caliber Superiority Was Just a Myth”

    A video showing a bear that kept charging even after being shot with a 9mm pistol — and was only stopped by a shotgun loaded with less-lethal rounds — sparked a debate on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” board over whether the common wisdom that “guns can’t stop a bear” is actually true. Posters were split on whether caliber/penetration or raw damage is more effective at stopping a large animal like a bear, and the discussion even expanded to the stopping power of AK-47s used by elephant poachers in Africa.

    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:24
    This is exactly why otaku shoot up schools in America
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:24
    Wasn't it supposed to be "guns can't stop a bear"?
    22AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:27
    Re: #10
    Aren't you getting that mixed up with the tranquilizer-gun story — like it didn't penetrate because of molting fur or something lol (also, nice one turning "mix-up" into a "condom" pun there)
    23AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:27
    Re: #10
    What are you supposed to do if the gun doesn't stop it?
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:24
    If it'd been Japan's New Nambu revolver (the standard-issue sidearm for Japanese police), that bear would be dead for sure
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:24
    No way.
    There was a video before where a bear kept lunging even after taking a full mag from a handgun.
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:26
    Re: #12
    It's probably a size issue.
    18AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:26
    Re: #12
    A hit to the torso gets blocked by the thick fur and fat.
    But a direct hit to the eyes, ears, or brow will drop it in one shot.
    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:34
    Re: #12
    If it's an adult bear, it'll keep coming even after a shotgun blast takes its head off.
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:24
    As if a wimpy gun like that could kill it instantly 😭
    37AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:38
    But seriously, even a gun like what Japanese police carry wouldn't cut it
    since it barely even kills humans.
    62AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:58
    Re: #37
    No chance.
    A gun with that short a barrel and that tiny a round wouldn't even kill a rabbit.
    41AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:42
    Why'd they switch to a shotgun?
    50AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:51
    Re: #41
    Because it's a shotgun loaded with less-lethal rounds. In the original video you can see "less-lethal" printed right on the shotgun.
    105AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:31
    Re: #41
    Probably because it's a pump-action, right? Can't fire rapidly with that.
    49AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:50
    A weak gun just doesn't work
    54AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:53
    Re: #49
    It's got enough power to stop a charge, though.
    55AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:54
    Re: #49
    That looks like it worked great, though.
    52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:52
    ".45 caliber worship" was just a fantasy all along
    74AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:07
    Re: #52
    There are still cops out there who believe the .45 myth and carry one, so I guess it gives them a sense of security.
    63AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:58
    Pistols are one of those things — think they're weak and they're not, think they're strong and they're not as strong as you thought.
    Guess it comes down to the round.
    72AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:04
    Re: #63
    Placement matters too.
    67AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:01
    So what happened to "police can't beat a bear"?
    73AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:06
    Re: #67
    .38 Special and 9mm Parabellum pack pretty different amounts of power.
    78AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:08
    And yet African elephants get brutally slaughtered by poachers with AKs…
    83AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:11
    Re: #78
    Well, the AK's round alone packs seriously high power, so you probably shouldn't lump it in with your average gun. That's exactly why it's still in service today.
    81AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:10
    Penetration or damage —
    which one's actually better, I wonder?
    84AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:13
    Re: #81
    Are you dumb? Penetration, obviously. Leaving the bullet inside doesn't kill it (５６す is leetspeak for "kill," used to dodge word filters), it just makes treatment harder.
    90AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:19
    Re: #87
    W-w-wait, an assault wwwwwwwww rifle wwwwwwwwww?!
    Using an assault wwwwwwwww rifle wwwwwwwwww to cull bears?! wwwwwwwww?!?! wwwwwwwwwwww ("www" is Japanese internet laughter, like a string of "lol"s)
    94AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:21
    So what was that thing from Golden Kamuy about bear skulls being too thick to penetrate?
    102AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:29
    Re: #94
    I think it was about the skull being so hard and thick that bullets ricochet off it.
    109AnonymousSep 25, 2026 15:33
    Re: #94
    Even with humans, there are cases where a bad hit sends the bullet skating around the skull and out the other side instead of penetrating, so it's not that unusual.

    Background and key points of this debate

    Less-lethal rounds are designed not to kill but to stop an animal’s movement through pain and blunt impact; because they spread their impact over a wider area and concentrate kinetic energy at the surface, they can be more effective at halting a large animal’s charge than a penetrating pistol round. Pistol rounds, by contrast, tend to disperse their impact even when they do penetrate, often making them insufficient to stop the charging force of a bear weighing over 100kg. The idea that “.45 caliber hits harder than 9mm” was long believed within the U.S. military and police organizations, but recent ballistic research mostly holds that there’s no significant difference in stopping power between the two — meaning the thread’s claim that “the .45 caliber myth is just a fantasy” is close to the truth. This difference in energy transfer is also why shotguns and bear spray, rather than handguns, are generally recommended for bear defense.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Bear-san vs. 9mm Handgun wwwwwwwww wwwwwwwww wwwwwwwww wwwwwwwww.”

  • Lifetime singlehood rate tops 30% — 5ch: “Doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman, being single means you’re done for”

    News that Japan’s lifetime singlehood rate has finally topped 30% sparked a reaction thread on 5ch’s Nanjaku (Livegalileo) board. Pushback against the “it’s your own fault for not having 3 kids” argument pointed to countries with even lower birthrates than Japan’s, like Taiwan (0.69), Singapore (0.87), and South Korea (0.89), setting off a clash between those who blame declining births on personal choice and those who blame social structures. Opinions also split over marriage-agency experiences and the everyday question of whether living alone or living with a partner is more cost-effective, turning the thread into a debate over familiar numbers close to home.

    1AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:51
    Damn, that's rough
    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:53
    Forget the guys — women need to get married
    4AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:53
    Re: #3
    Doesn't matter if you're a man or woman, being single means you're done for
    9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:55
    Re: #3
    It's basically 1:1, though
    6AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:55
    No wonder we're headed for extinction with this birthrate
    Population will be 8 million by 2200, extinct by 2500

    Why didn't you guys get married and have 3 kids?
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:57
    Re: #6
    How many kids do you have?
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:55
    In the end, it's your blame-everyone-else mindset that paved the road to extinction
    If you'd taken initiative, gotten married, and had 3 kids, this country wouldn't be in decline
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:59
    Re: #10
    Go ahead and go enlighten Taiwan (0.69), Singapore (0.87), and South Korea (0.89) — the countries with the worst total fertility rates
    86AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:39
    Re: #10
    I've got 2 kids — how about you?
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:55
    That's really reassuring
    Being single makes life hard, after all
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:57
    Re: #11
    No matter how many single people there are, that's not reassuring in the slightest
    19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:59
    Re: #11
    Life's incredibly easy, actually
    34AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:14
    It's kind of telling that it's always the ones who can't handle being alone who end up single
    37AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:16
    Re: #34
    Married people are the weak ones, if anything
    42AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:19
    When you stop and think "would a kid really be happy being born into this Japan?" it gets complicated
    47AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:22
    Re: #42
    At this rate we'll be extinct in a few hundred years, you know?
    Not enough sense of urgency
    51AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:23
    Re: #42
    This hits way too close to home
    A country where becoming a civil servant is the "safest" option — no dreams, no hope
    68AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:31
    Honestly, I think living alone is tougher money-wise
    Even leaving out the cost of kids, two incomes together is just too strong
    75AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:34
    Re: #68
    For someone who doesn't mind pinching pennies, living alone is way more cost-effective
    To put it in split-the-bill terms: even if you order just the cheapest single item on the menu and drink nothing but water, if your partner orders a bottle of wine and a full course, splitting it evenly ends up costing you a fortune — the whole point of saving is lost
    Since spendthrifts tend to be men more often, women who can enjoy being frugal keep their costs down more by living alone
    79AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:36
    Re: #75
    I don't want a life like that, always scrimping
    With two incomes, having your partner's whole paycheck coming in too is just huge
    87AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:40
    Re: #75
    You can cut costs that way, but I don't think it's actually good value
    Is a life of scrimping alone, eating meals without talking to anyone, really fun?
    As a couple, even when money's tight you can still find ways to enjoy it
    126AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:08
    If you guys had enough money to support 10 people for life, you wouldn't be talking cheap like this — you'd just get married
    Being untalented really is cruel
    127AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:09
    Re: #126
    Right, why were talentless, worthless "weak men" that nobody likes even born in the first place, huh?
    134AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:12
    Re: #126
    There are also ugly guys who can't get married no matter how much money they have
    132AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:11
    It's simply that once people have so many options they can feel fulfilled on their own, they stop having kids
    Even in Africa, birthrates drop once people move to the cities
    No country has ever solved this
    137AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:16
    Re: #132
    Israel's the only exception, and that's a special case
    140AnonymousSep 25, 2026 14:18
    Re: #132
    A lot of people don't realize it's basically a kind of "luxury disease"
    Trying to just "increase the numbers" instead of changing the social model is way off base

    Background and key points of this discussion

    The lifetime singlehood rate (the share of people who have never married by age 50) is a figure calculated from the national census and updated every five years. In the thread, the “it’s your own fault for not getting married and having 3 kids” argument drew pushback citing countries with even lower birthrates than Japan’s — Taiwan (0.69), Singapore (0.87), and South Korea (0.89) — splitting opinion between those who blame declining births on personal choice and those who blame social structures. It was also pointed out that the lifetime singlehood rate and the divorce rate are separate statistics: since the lifetime singlehood rate only tracks whether someone has ever married, it doesn’t capture the rising number of people who are single again after divorce. Differing everyday impressions of whether living alone or living with a partner is more cost-effective was another point where opinions diverged.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nanjaku/Livegalileo board) thread “[Sad News] Lifetime singlehood rate goes and tops 30%wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Pachinko Ban Lasted Just 4 Days — 5ch: ‘That Money’s Basically Teetering on the Edge of a Pitfall’

    In a thread titled “(´;ω;`) I’m drinking from morning till night” on 5ch’s Newsspeed VIP board, an anonymous poster live-blogged their day, starting the morning with sake and avocado as a snack. Despite having declared a month-long break from pachinko, they reversed course just four days later, announcing “starting today, I’m back at it” — drawing plenty of ribbing from other posters. Photos of meals kept coming, including hamburger steak, pork tonteki, and seared bonito, along with a celebratory toast after work. The down-to-earth, blow-by-blow narration mixed lingering pachinko cravings with back-and-forth over how much the poster was drinking, and the thread’s readers ended up reacting most to the poster’s quirky character.

    1AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:34
    (´;ω;`) Gonna sip slowly with avocado as my snack
    2AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:35
    You'll want to go again anyway, admit it (o´罒`o)
    5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:36
    Re: #2
    (´;ω;`) I'm definitely not going today
    8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:38
    (´・ω・`) Let's go punch the old geezer next door
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:38
    Re: #8
    (´;ω;`) If I did that, it wouldn't stop at just pounding on the wall… (a common way to complain about noisy neighbors)
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:40
    Re: #10
    (´・ω・`) Then let's hit the pachinko parlor — Silver Week's over, so places should start paying out again (Silver Week: a cluster of holidays in late September)
    19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:41
    Re: #14
    (´;ω;`) I lost yesterday, though
    20AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:41
    A month-long pachinko ban and you cave after 4 days lol
    23AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:42
    Re: #20
    (´;ω;`) It's just starting again today, that's all
    24AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:42
    Re: #19
    (´・ω・`) Today's a sure thing — the Friday right after Silver Week is always strong every year
    26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:46
    Re: #24
    (´;ω;`) Nah, no good
    28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:47
    Re: #26
    (´・ω・`) So you're the type who won't pick up money lying on the ground?
    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:53
    Re: #28
    (´;ω;`) With pachinko, that money's lying right at the edge of a pitfall
    29AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:51
    Heading out after work today to play a pachislot machine that needs precise reel-stopping skill
    33AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:54
    Re: #29
    (´;ω;`) Disc Up?
    55AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:05
    Isn't being an alcoholic supposed to be like, your hands shake if you don't drink?
    56AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:06
    Re: #55
    (´;ω;`) Not quite that bad — my hands just shake right when I start drinking
    101AnonymousSep 25, 2026 11:17
    (´;ω;`) Check out this hamburger steak

    https://gzo.ai/i/HBvYgqd.jpg
    112AnonymousSep 25, 2026 11:31
    Ketchup's the way to go with hamburger steak, right? (´・ω・｀)
    118AnonymousSep 25, 2026 11:39
    Re: #112
    (´;ω;`) I put a thick brown sauce on it

    https://gzo.ai/i/AI0VWv5.jpg
    131AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:10
    (´;ω;`) Eating tonteki (grilled pork steak)

    https://gzo.ai/i/S2bYWeT.jpg
    136AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:20
    (◍•ᴗ•◍) Seeing yesterday's thread made me want to eat bonito
    137AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:21
    Re: #136
    (´;ω;`) Seared bonito's the best — cheap and delicious! Grab some nipu too
    138AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:21
    Re: #136
    Are you putting mayo on it?
    154AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:54
    Let's toast!
    156AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:58
    Re: #154
    (´;ω;`) kp~ (short for kanpai, i.e. cheers)

    https://gzo.ai/i/YCTE6Hd.jpg

    Background and Discussion Points

    This kind of live-blog thread is a VIP board staple, with the poster adopting an emotive kaomoji as their persona and narrating their day in real time. What stands out here is that the poster’s declared “one-month break from pachinko” got walked back after just four days — the universal theme of how long a vow of abstinence actually lasts is what makes it land as comedy. The remark about hands shaking at the start of a drinking session should also be read as part of the running narration rather than a serious confession; this isn’t a thread about a genuine addiction crisis, so it shouldn’t be mistaken for one. The thread also featured plenty of back-and-forth teasing about sexual orientation, but this is the kind of formulaic joking common to the VIP board rather than genuine discriminatory remarks, so those exchanges have been left out of this article. Readers should keep in mind that the actual thread is considerably coarser and cruder than what’s presented here.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Newsspeed VIP) thread “(´;ω;`) I’m drinking from morning till night.”

  • Favorite Yakuza Slang, First Come First Served — 5ch Thread: “So What of It?!”

    A thread on 5ch’s “Live Anything” board (Nandemo Jikkyo G) invited posters to list every “yakuza term” they could think of, first come first served. Contributions ranged from movie-and-manga staples like “ojiki” (a respectful term for a senior gangster) and “nanbo no monjai” (“so what of it?!”) to words describing real organizational structure and discipline, such as “second- and third-tier affiliate groups” or “hamon/zetsuen” (formal excommunication) — fiction and reality piled up together as the list grew. Partway through, someone called out participants for posting long movie catchphrases instead of actual “terms,” and the thread ended up mixing genuine vocabulary with dramatic film quotes.

    1AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:08
    Ojiki (a respectful term for a senior gang member, literally "uncle")
    3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:09
    Responsible expansionary fiscal policy
    6AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:10
    Nanbo no monjai! (Kansai dialect for "So what of it?!")
    7AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:10
    Whaddya trying to say?
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:10
    Osae nasutte 🫱 (a formal greeting used when a yakuza member introduces himself)
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:11
    Ero sunmahen (Kansai dialect for "terribly sorry")
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:12
    A challenge to democracy
    14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:12
    Isshuku ippan no giri (the debt owed for one night's lodging and one meal)
    17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:12
    Still nobody's said "teppodama" (a disposable hitman)
    18AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:12
    Show me some sincerity!
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:13
    Gottsui nou (Kansai dialect for "that's heavy, huh")
    28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:16
    Ane-san ("big sister," a respectful term for a boss's wife)
    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:17
    I'll shove my hand up your ass and rattle your back teeth for you!
    33AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:17
    Sakazuki (the ritual sake-cup exchange)
    Jingi wo kiru (the formal self-introduction ritual)
    34AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:17
    What's the meaning of this?
    38AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:19
    Still nobody's said "chaka" (slang for a gun)
    40AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:19
    Re: #38
    Isn't it "hajiki"? (another slang word for a gun)
    39AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:19
    I'll take your life, ya hear
    41AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:20
    Let's make flowers bloom on a withered tree (a poetic line about reviving one's fortunes)
    42AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:21
    I'll thrash you, you hear me!
    43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:21
    Goes off quick
    Dig in
    44AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:21
    This is the kind of accountability my brother likes. Show me you're a man.
    45AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:21
    Mekureru (the big reveal, in dice gambling)
    Yama wo kaesu (turning over the pile, a gambling term)
    49AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:22
    A proper, by-the-book refill
    50AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:24
    Second-tier, third-tier, and fourth-tier affiliate organizations
    53AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:25
    Still want more?
    54AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:26
    "Tsutome" (a stretch in prison)
    55AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:26
    Get a good cup going and bring it here
    56AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:27
    If you wanna arrest me, bring a warrant!
    58AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:28
    Full members and quasi-members
    59AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:28
    Hiroshima gangsters might be country bumpkins, but we've never once bowed to outsiders passing through
    60AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:30
    Geso wo tsukeru (criminal slang for leaving footprints or evidence at a scene)
    61AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:30
    Don't give me that "public nuisance" or "Hello Work" nonsense!
    66AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:33
    Re: #61
    What about Town Work then? 🥺 (another Japanese job-listing service)
    64AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:31
    Expulsion, dismissal, excommunication (hamon), and total severance (zetsuen)
    65AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:32
    That's enough, Kimura. Let's go home.
    68AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:33
    Re: #19
    A "shibu-roku" (40-60) sworn-brothers' sake cup — sealing an unequal-status bond
    74AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:42
    Which do you think is stronger, a "chaka" (gun) or a "danbira" (long blade)?
    87AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:46
    The thread says "terms," so why do people keep posting whole movie lines?
    101AnonymousSep 25, 2026 13:04
    In a yakuza fight, the blade always wins

    Background and key points of this topic

    Words like “hamon,” “zetsuen,” and “second-tier, third-tier affiliate groups” are terms actually used to describe the organizational structure and expulsion procedures of designated crime syndicates, and they turn up in news coverage too. Lines like “I’ll shove my hand up your ass…”, on the other hand, are said to originate from exaggerated dialogue in yakuza films and manga, and are a world away from real conversation. This thread never drew a clear line between the two: at post 87, someone pointed out, “The thread says ‘terms,’ so why do people keep posting whole movie lines?” — showing how the original intent of listing vocabulary got tangled up with people dropping long dramatic catchphrases. A question about whether a “chaka” (gun) or a “danbira” (blade) is stronger also drew the answer “the blade wins,” spinning off into a purely hypothetical debate with no real-world stakes about which weapon is tougher. What readers can easily misread is that none of this refers to real incidents or specific organizations — it’s wordplay, with posters trading catchphrases that have simply become fixtures of movie and manga culture.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Naming Your Favorite Yakuza Terms, First Come First Served.”

  • AI Images Slammed as ‘Just Swapped Characters’ Draw Pushback — 5ch: ‘Humans Are the Same, Just Swapped Genes’

    A casual chat thread on 5ch’s “Anything Goes Live” board turned into a lively debate over how to judge AI-generated images. One poster claimed “AI images are all the same, they just swap out the character,” prompting pushback like “Humans are the same too, just with different genes” and “Even with the same look, motivation changes completely depending on the character.” The thread eventually settled on the take that “that criticism might’ve held up three years ago, but the technology has moved on since then.” The conversation also drifted through plenty of other trivial banter — a poster bragging about his girlfriend’s looks, jokes about a caution label written in Kansai dialect, and confusion over why the thread doesn’t display poster IDs — building into the kind of scattershot buzz typical of the board.

    1AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:15
    Double Punch 👊😅👊 vs 🙅 Cross Chop's 🏡
    https://nova.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/livegalileo/1790282380/ VIPQ2_EXTDAT: none:none:1000:512:: EXT was configured
    10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:18
    1000 Anonymous (Still Kicking) 2026/09/25(Fri) 12:17:20.55
    👊😅👊
    12AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:18
    Re: #10
    Koru koru koru lol (a jokey laugh sound, like saying "lol" over and over)
    13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:18
    Re: #10
    This is amazing‼
    11AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:18
    A field?
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HJxzA6_boAA8JOR.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HJyV1L1bcAAmW50.jpg
    16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:19
    Her looks are just too good
    19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:19
    Re: #16
    That's my girlfriend, y'know?
    Cut it out.
    18AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:19
    AI porn images are all the same, they just swap out the character
    22AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:20
    Re: #18
    Humans are the same too, just with different genes though
    27AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:21
    Re: #18
    And yet how motivated you get totally depends on the character
    48AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:25
    Well, if we're talking about AI art from like three years ago, Re: #18's take is fair enough, but the times have moved on already
    21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:20
    24AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:20
    Re: #21
    What is this, lmao
    28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:21
    "Caution: risk of low-temperature burns" — wait, why's that written in Kansai dialect? (pun: "yakedo" means both "burn" and, in Kansai dialect, "but")
    32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:22
    Re: #28
    '"Caution: risk of low-temperature burns — why's that in Kansai dialect?" — why's THAT in Kansai dialect too?'
    35AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:23
    36AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:24
    Re: #35
    What's even funny about this?
    52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:25
    Why doesn't this board show IDs?
    56AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:26
    Re: #52
    Because everyone's been on their best behavior
    57AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:26
    Re: #52
    There is one though?
    Wait, you can't see it?
    59AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:26
    Re: #52
    Because some coward started the thread
    64AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:28
    Ta-daaa~
    90AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:34
    Guess I'll run it again then

    128AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:40
    Lunch

    Background and Talking Points

    Boards like “Anything Goes Live” (nandemo jikkyo) aren’t built around a single topic — they’re defined by a chain of off-the-cuff posts, and this thread is a textbook example. The exchange about AI-generated images is easier to follow once you consider how rapidly image-generation quality and expressiveness have improved over the past few years. AI art used to be criticized as “mass-produced,” with similar compositions and faces even when the prompt changed, but as models have improved, they now reflect prompt differences much more faithfully — which is likely what’s behind the comment referencing “how it looked three years ago.” On the other hand, these live-discussion threads tend to drop the context between posts, making it hard for readers to follow why an image was suddenly posted or how a spat got started. Since this thread also included some personal insults and baseless assumptions, those exchanges have been left out of this article.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “You Guys Look Like You’d Eat 🍜😅🍚.”