Japan Reacts

Category: News

  • New FF7 Title’s Tifa Sparks Face Model Debate — Some Call It ‘Mass-Produced Plastic Surgery Face’

    The facial graphics of female characters like Tifa, Aerith, and Yuffie in FF7’s new title became a hot topic on a 5ch live-commentary thread. Users posted image after image comparing them to past remake versions, with comments likening them to voice actors and celebrities, such as “the recent one looks like Emitsun (voice actress Ami Koshimizu)” and “she looks Caucasian but there’s a hint of Akiko Hinagata.” Meanwhile, harsh assessments calling the new face graphics a “mass-produced plastic-surgery look” also emerged, splitting opinion against those favoring the Remake’s Aerith.

    1AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:43
    Pretty good, right?
    4AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:45
    Thing is, you can't get graphics like this out in the field.
    Even if it's PC-only, at least make it richer.
    6AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:45
    Never really did it for me, honestly — personally I feel Aerith improved more.
    7AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:45
    Is Tifa the most fapped-to game character in the world?
    Any other contenders?
    18AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:49
    Re: #7
    It was the big three: Tifa, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka.
    8AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:46
    https://cache-jp.finalfantasy.com/assets/web/title/finalfantasy7/character02-e9ed6186a56413d16babe5ec4344ca6bd2e7900772c2ad0de056bf6e1f8f9b02.jpg
    11AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:47
    Used to be team Yuffie, but Rebirth's Yuffie is oddly hard to stomach for me.
    Not sure if it's that she talks more in the story now so her annoying side stands out, or if I just don't like the face.
    12AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:47
    A bit different from how I pictured her from the original art.
    16AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:48
    Re: #12
    The recent one kind of looks like Emitsun (voice actress Ami Koshimizu).
    37AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:00
    〈Reference: Aerith across the Remake series〉










    43AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:02
    Re: #37
    In the Remake, Aerith actually got cuter.
    61AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:19
    Re: #37
    Looks Caucasian but there's this weird hint of Akiko Hinagata to her.
    40AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:01
    This illustration is my favorite.
    Couldn't they have gone with this vibe?
    46AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:04
    Irina's the cutest.
    52AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:10
    Re: #46




    107AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:42
    Re: #52
    Honestly thought Irina was a guy until I played the Remake.
    57AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:16
    The girl from the general store is the cutest.
    63AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:20
    Re: #57
    This girl?

    58AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:16
    No reference images for Scarlet, huh.
    62AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:20
    Re: #58



    74AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:22
    Re: #62
    Hey, that's way fewer reference pics than everyone else got — put in some real effort.
    73AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:22
    76AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:23
    〈Reference: Priscilla〉


    86AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:27
    Re: #76
    Wait, this is totally fine — let's recruit her, wasn't she the one who let you summon Bahamut?
    78AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:24
    〈Reference: Esto〉



    95AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:31
    〈Reference〉












    96AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:31
    Re: #95
    Reference for what, exactly?
    105AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:41
    She's got that gravure-idol-cosplaying-as-Tifa vibe.
    115AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:49
    Re: #105
    Speaking of cosplay, this is what comes to mind.

    110AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:45
    Can't get into FF because the character models creep me out.
    111AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:46
    Re: #110
    Name me an RPG that's the opposite, if you'd be so kind.
    114AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:49
    Watched the latest trailer and yep, still that same mass-produced plastic-surgery face.
    Feel completely scammed.
    Not buying this.
    116AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:51
    But I did like this Aerith.
    119AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:52
    Re: #116
    That's basically Akiko Hinagata.

    Background and Key Points

    Ever since the original 1997 release, FF7’s character designs have been updated with every remake or port, and the more photorealistic 3D models of recent years tend to spark debate due to the gap with the old sprite- and polygon-era look. In this thread too, posts comparing images of lead heroines Tifa, Aerith, and Yuffie across the series’ history piled up one after another, with opinions split between “Aerith looks cuter in the Remake” and criticism calling the new faces a “mass-produced plastic-surgery look.” Note that whether “Revelation,” as it appears in the thread title, is actually the series’ official subtitle cannot be confirmed from the thread content alone, and this article does not assert it as fact. The discussion centers strictly on evaluating the characters’ facial graphic design, with no details given about release timing or development status.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “FF7 Revelation’s Tifa wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Morning Musume’s Hana Ishikawa Leaves Even Her Groupmates Saying ‘We Have No Idea What She’s Talking About’

    On a broadcast, Morning Musume 18th-generation members Zama Mesa, Miyu, and Moa said of their fellow 18th-gen member Hana Ishikawa that they “have absolutely no idea what she’s talking about” and that she’s “the most unusual one,” sparking discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. The thread highlighted her quirky remarks, offbeat grammar, and exchanges about her “funny faces,” with some users voicing concern that communication with her doesn’t quite connect, while others said they enjoy that as part of her individuality. Reactions from her original debut/introduction video and praise for her dancing were also brought up, and the discussion gradually settled toward simply accepting it all as part of her character.

    1AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:58
    Morning Musume has always had plenty of oddballs, so Hana "Nonnon" Ishikawa fits right in.
    4AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:03
    Yesterday's MC segment made it pretty clear she's not great with Japanese either lol. It's like looking in a mirror. She's the type where the conversation only works if the other person has enough imagination and the ability to read between the lines.
    5AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:04
    Miyu-Miyu: "You make funny faces a lot too, right? lol"
    Hana-Nonnon: "I don't!" "Huh? I don't."

    That whole exchange was baffling too.
    16AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:09
    Re: #5
    If Hana-Nonnon really wasn't making any funny faces, that's kind of sad for her lol
    6AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:05
    I don't know if it's okay to laugh at this. If she's genuinely an oddball who can't communicate and ends up isolated, that's actually worrying.
    8AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:06
    If it's just an act for a "character," I wish she'd stop.
    10AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:07
    Re: #8
    If it's a put-on character, the cracks will show soon enough.
    11AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:07
    We've all got plenty of practice reading between the lines thanks to Ma-chan (a member famous for hard-to-parse speech).
    14AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:08
    Anyway, her MC talk really did seem like a genuine, natural struggle with Japanese. If the agency has been having a bunch of new members put on weird characters up until now, that would actually be kind of sad.
    17AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:10
    Is her Hiroshima dialect even stronger than Danbara's? Even so, I guess you can kind of understand it.
    18AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:12
    Her way of thinking is unique in every little way, and on top of that her grammar seems all over the place too.

    This is exactly what people have told me my whole life, from childhood right up until now as a full-grown adult.
    20AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:13
    I know my own grammar is a mess too. Even this post I'm writing right now is kind of hard to read.
    22AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:15
    Re: #20 Having people close to her around who get it — like Re: #20 (yeah, this sentence came out a little garbled too, matching the thread's joke) — probably makes it a comfortable place for her.
    21AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:14
    She's got the skills, so I think it's better not to have her talk too much.
    23AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:16
    Her skills are insane, so Nonnon is a genuine genius type.
    25AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:17
    She was already pretty unusual in the joint debut video with Cher too. Looking back now, her expressions and reactions all click into place.
    27AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:19
    In the 18th-gen meet-and-greet video too, Nonnon's replies to Mesa's comments were odd every single time.
    29AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:20
    Re: #22 I can't understand your Japanese either.
    32AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:22
    Re: #29 See, this is exactly it — unless the other person has tremendous imagination and an amazing ability to read your feelings, you end up causing this kind of misunderstanding and the conversation just doesn't work, even in real life lol
    31AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:21
    Miyu and Moa might actually be the type to drop unconsciously savage comments — that's started to show over the last two days. Still not 100% sure though.
    34AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:23
    Morning Musume fans are already used to this thanks to Ma-chan, so we welcome it.
    36AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:25
    No idea if other agencies' groups have a member like this, but Hello! Project has seen all kinds of types before, so it'll be fine, fine.
    37AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:26
    Looking at Hello! Project's history, the spacey/ditzy ones tend to get left out, don't they.
    39AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:28
    What was she like as a trainee? Mesa did say right after she joined that she was an interesting kid.
    40AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:30
    She's the "possessed by the performance" type, so I get Ma-chan vibes from her.
    41AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:31
    It's great how she turns into a different person once the performance starts.
    44AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:32
    That classic moment when Cher was talking to her and she just made this "huh~?" face with her mouth open and a big grin was iconic too.
    45AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:33
    She said something like she wants to watch over Hiroshima's growth (going off fuzzy memory on the exact wording) lol
    47AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:33
    Is Nonnon the youngest member in the current Morning Musume lineup?
    48AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:34
    You can tell Meinon and Hana-Moa get along, but Miyu and Hana don't interact that much. Well, more like Miyu teases Hana way too much lol
    49AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:34
    Yeah, I guess it's true — Hana Goto, Hana Kojima, Hana Ishikawa — every "Hana" is out there on another level.
    55AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:39
    Re: #49 Is Kojima really out there though? I always pictured her as the long-suffering type getting dragged around by the troublemakers in her generation lol
    50AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:35
    Even looking back now, I still can't tell if Maria's character was genuine or an act.
    51AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:36
    Right, right lol Miyu really teases her a lot lol. The whole 18th generation has quite a bit of quirk and bite to them, it's fun — very Morning Musume.
    53AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:36
    She might be like this, but she looks so cool when she dances. The way she flashes that relaxed little smirk reminds me of Sato, so I have a feeling she's going to pick up some female fans.
    64AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:44
    Re: #53 In fact, her "Lonely" dance clip is already going viral.
    73AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:53
    Suzuki: Sometimes I can't tell what she's saying.

    Yasuda: She'll suddenly start doing some weird dance out of nowhere and I'm like, "wait, now?"

    Sugihara: She sent me a LINE message saying "thank you," and even that was somehow wrong.
    76AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:55
    Re: #73 Ah, that comment from Mesa was wild too. Didn't she also say that all four characters of "arigatou" (thank you) were somehow garbled? That really is close to Ma-chan level.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    In Hello! Project groups like Morning Musume, a new member’s individual traits tend to get gradually put into words through back-and-forth banter with senior members and existing fans, and Hana Ishikawa is now going through that same process just after her debut. The thread repeatedly raised the point that “you can’t tell what she means,” but most posts leaned toward curiosity and affection rather than genuine confusion, with plenty of comments also praising her dancing and the way she transforms during performances. At the same time, a handful of posts poked fun at her distinctive way of speaking and her expressions by linking them to a real person’s looks; since that kind of remark risks being inconsiderate toward her, it isn’t covered in this article. One thing readers might misread is that this sort of “characterization” is a common phenomenon across idol culture, not just Hello! Project, and isn’t necessarily meant to mock — it often functions as a way for fans to talk through and deepen their understanding of a member.

    ※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Zama Mesa & Miyu & Moa: ‘We have absolutely no idea what Hana Ishikawa is talking about. She’s the most unusual one.’“

  • Is the Zoo Just a ‘Prison for Animals’? 5ch Debates: ‘Isn’t Modern Society a Prison for Humans, Too?’

    A debate has broken out on 5ch over whether zoos are actually happy places for animals. One trigger was an Asahi Shimbun report that three lions died in August at the Tama Zoological Park in Hino, Tokyo, apparently due to heat-related health problems. In the thread, opinions clashed between those who called zoos “a prison for animals — and a life sentence at that” and those who argued that the wild is far harsher, and that zoos are actually safer since animals don’t have to worry about predators or starvation. Some pointed out that keeping pets is essentially the same kind of “confinement,” broadening the discussion into how humans relate to animals in general, and the thread ran to 41 replies.

    1AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:55
    It's literally a prison for animals — and a life sentence too.
    Captured somewhere, forcibly torn away from their parents, siblings, and friends, dragged here, and put on display in a cramped cage until they die.
    If you're taking your kids to see one, at least teach them how selfish humans are being.
    3AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:56
    Zoos are the best, honestly.
    You get fed without any effort at all.
    And no predators to worry about.
    5AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:58
    Isn't modern society just a prison for humans too?
    9AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:00
    That's the thinking of someone who has no idea how brutal the wild actually is.
    It's not just predators — eating or drinking almost anything risks parasites or infection.
    And if you do nothing, you starve. That's what the wild really is.
    10AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:00
    Keeping a pet is basically the same thing, isn't it?
    Confinement, abuse even.
    12AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:02
    I get the argument, honestly.
    Some animals do look bored stuck in small enclosures, and the stress of being stared at by people all day seems rough.
    Though maybe simpler creatures don't feel that as strongly?
    13AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:03
    Hamsters and rabbits, though — I've got the impression they can literally die of stress.
    14AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:03
    When I went to that aquarium in Osaka with the whale sharks,
    I remember thinking it was sad, locking something that huge in such a small tank.
    15AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:03
    There's no way we can actually know what animals feel.
    "Pitiful" or "comfortable" — either way, it's just us Homo sapiens projecting our own fantasies.
    16AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:03
    Heat to blame? Three lions die, others fall ill at Tama Zoological Park, Tokyo

    The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced on the 3rd that three lions kept at the Tama Zoological Park (Hino, Tokyo) died in succession.
    The deaths are believed to be linked to the heat.
    The park says it will suspend its lion exhibit for the time being and step up measures against the heat in its animal facilities.

    Asahi Shimbun Digital, August 3, 2026, 4:56 PM
    https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASV832HK6V83OXIE031M.html
    22AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:05
    Re: #16
    That's straight-up abuse, lol
    17AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:03
    Old-school zoos like Ueno Zoo have such cramped cages, it's pretty sad.
    18AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:04
    Apparently when visitor numbers cratered during COVID, the animals lost their energy too.
    20AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:05
    Honestly, pets kept indoors have it worse than zoo animals.
    21AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:05
    Animals aren't that smart anyway.
    As long as they're fed and not getting attacked, they probably don't think twice about it.
    23AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:06
    If it's genuinely for species conservation, fine, but bringing animals over from overseas just to put them on display as a spectacle seems questionable.
    24AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:06
    Pets and livestock do seem more lively in more natural environments (though that observation is probably colored by human bias too).
    We can't know for certain what animals actually feel,
    but we do have some empirical sense of what keeps them healthy and living longer.
    26AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:07
    Wild lions reportedly lose about half their cubs before age two.

    That's the reality.
    27AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:07
    If we're shutting things down, horse racing should go before zoos.
    29AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:08
    The wild is the harsher environment, though.
    30AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:09
    Dying in the wild is fine because it's natural.
    37AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:12
    Re: #30
    It's not "natural" — they get eaten alive, lol
    31AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:10
    Those animals exist to entertain us humans.
    Just stay locked up.
    33AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:11
    Well, people who keep pets are ultimately just doing it to feed their own ego anyway.
    34AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:11
    Isn't enjoying animals the more grown-up take?
    Feeling sorry for them is more of a "chuuni" (edgy teenager, delusions-of-grandeur type) phase thing.
    35AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:12
    I bet even the bears don't want to die.
    36AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:12
    In the short to medium term, all we Homo sapiens can really do is cherish the lives already here.
    It's not like we can send them back to their original habitats at this point.
    Long term… I honestly don't know what the answer is.
    38AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:12
    When you watch a documentary and see animal parents devotedly raising their young,
    doesn't it make you not want to kill them anymore?
    40AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:13
    Dogs especially have been domesticated for so long that surviving in the wild at this point would be rough for them.
    41AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:13
    Whatever nice-sounding things you say about animals, it all comes down to human ego anyway.
    So we might as well just make use of them.
    42AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:14
    In a zoo, at least you don't have to worry about being hunted down by predators
    or starving to death from lack of food.
    43AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:14
    There's also a chance the animals are actually happy to live somewhere safe.
    44AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:15
    Do they even enjoy being alive, I wonder?
    45AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:15
    We're out here killing and eating tons of pigs and cows, and keeping animals in enclosures is the part that's supposed to be sad?
    47AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:15
    The main purpose of zoos is species conservation, you know.
    51AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:16
    Not sure if it's in Taiwan or China, but I want to go to one of those places with tons of monkeys.
    I want to feed them weird stuff and startle them.
    56AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:18
    Re: #51
    There are places like that in Japan too, you know.
    81AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:28
    Most of these animals would go extinct without human protection.
    83AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:30
    Re: #81
    That's just the law of nature — getting weeded out and selected.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    The worldwide argument over whether captive animals are truly happy has never been scientifically settled. Since there’s no way for humans to directly verify an animal’s subjective experience, both sides of the debate ultimately rest on speculation. Zoos aren’t purely about putting animals on display — their stated missions also include breeding and protecting endangered species (species conservation) and education. And as the thread noted, the wild really is harsh: nearly half of lion cubs die before age two in the wild. At the same time, the deaths of the three lions at Tama Zoological Park, reportedly tied to inadequate heat management in their enclosure, showed that zoos don’t always succeed in protecting the animals in their care either. The thread never reached a consensus, remaining split between the view that captivity is inherently unhappy and the view that a safe environment is what’s actually best for the animals.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “People who say they still like zoos as adults clearly lack real kindness or imagination — finding it too sad to watch is the normal adult reaction.”

  • Satō Teruaki’s Triple Crown Pace Sparks Debate Over Weak Numbers — Comparisons to Ochiai Emerge

    Hanshin’s Teruaki Satō is closing in on the Triple Crown — leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBIs simultaneously — in the 2026 season, but the relatively modest level of his numbers has become a hot topic on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” (Live Sports Chat) board. Compared to the stats of past Triple Crown winners like Sadaharu Oh, Hiromitsu Ochiai, and Nobuhiko Matsunaka, harsh voices have called it a “low-level Triple Crown,” while defenders counter that “Ochiai’s numbers were about the same when he won his first Triple Crown” and “by wRC+ he’s still an absolute monster,” splitting opinion. The thread also touched on the “Japanese record” labeling of his home run total and the presence of teammate Morishita, who sits in second place.

    1AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:36
    Triple Crown winners throughout history (excluding Nakajima's shortened season)
    Nomura 320 42 110
    Oh Oh 355 51 114
    3AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:37
    Ochiai really is amazing.
    5AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:38
    Re: #3
    Ochiai posted almost identical numbers to this two years in a row.
    And yeah, that's two straight Triple Crowns.
    119AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:56
    Re: #3
    Re: #5
    Actually, Ochiai's is the lowest-level Triple Crown of all time.
    6AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:39
    Ochiai ('82): .325, 32 HR, 99 RBI

    What about this one?
    14AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:47
    Re: #6
    We're talking about the player, not a single season.
    That year was weak, but his '85 and '86 numbers were absolutely insane, so it's fine.
    7AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:39
    People say batting average doesn't matter, but power hitters who draw a lot of walks tend to see their average climb over time.
    120AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:57
    Re: #7
    Hitters with power tend to have their average go up too.
    8AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:39
    These numbers in this era are seriously impressive.
    It's worth something like a .350 average with 45 homers.
    15AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:48
    Re: #8
    No way. By that logic, Murakami's 2022 season would translate to like .400, 70 HR, 200 RBI.
    77AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:27
    Re: #8
    It's not that offense is down league-wide — everyone's just at a lower level. Nakano's been hitting .280 the whole time, so it's not like the balls just aren't carrying.
    9AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:41
    Murakami, Okamoto, Suzuki — if any one of them were still around, this would've been impossible.
    122AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:57
    Re: #9
    Those guys all lost to Satoteru (Satō Teruaki) last year.
    11AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:43
    Yasumitsu Toyoda: "A Triple Crown with numbers this low has no value."
    Hiromitsu Ochiai: "I don't want to hear that from someone who's never won a Triple Crown."
    35AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:56
    Re: #11
    "Win one yourself before you talk" — that's a strong comeback.
    16AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:48
    Who cares, honestly.
    He's heading to the majors next year, so this is his last gift to the fans.
    39AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:58
    Re: #16
    He's not going to the majors until after the '28 season.
    Satoteru's aiming for a third straight title with Hanshin next year too.
    17AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:49
    Unlike Murakami going all out, this isn't generating any hype at all lol
    20AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:51
    Re: #17
    Last time, Murakami's big story was breaking the all-time home run record — the Triple Crown was just a bonus.
    21AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:52
    Re: #17
    Comparing this to a Triple Crown that also broke the Japanese home run record seems unfair. Especially since it's Hanshin.
    19AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:50
    Honestly, aside from RBIs, nothing's settled yet. Batting average can swing fast, and home runs can flip the lead quickly too. Though it'd be best if they end up tied.
    29AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:54
    Re: #19
    His own teammate Morishita is in second, so he's got room to spare.
    80AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:29
    Re: #19
    Morishita, who's in second, just hasn't been in good form.
    22AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:52
    Re: #20
    Well, that "all-time record" is only among Japanese players anyway.
    23AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:53
    Re: #22
    Actually, it's not even a franchise record.
    25AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:54
    When Ochiai won his first Triple Crown too, he hit .325 with 32 homers and 99 RBIs — and got slammed as a "low-level Triple Crown" back then.
    45AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:00
    Re: #25
    Then by that logic, Satō won't be accepted unless he eventually hits something like .350, 50 HR, 130 RBI.
    123AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:58
    Re: #25
    Besides, Ochiai padded his stats in the minors (ni-gun), so he's not even a fair comparison to begin with.
    31AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:54
    The most low-key Triple Crown ever belongs to Matsunaka — it had been about 20 years since the last one, and the majors still stole all the attention.
    33AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:55
    Re: #31
    People also had a lot to say about him sharing the home run title with Seguignol.
    34AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:56
    Re: #31
    Well, everyone figured the batting title would've been impossible if Ichiro were still in Japan.
    40AnonymousSep 7, 2026 18:58
    His wRC+ is just monstrous lol. The only people complaining about Satō are old-timers.
    52AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:04
    Re: #40
    That's because it's a weak league with Murakami, Okamoto, Suzuki, Ohtani, and Yoshida all absent.
    44AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:00
    Matsunaka's Triple Crown owed a lot to the Olympics (thinner competition that year), so this one's still better.
    51AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:03
    Re: #44
    There have only been three Triple Crowns ever with a .350 average, 40 home runs, and 120 RBIs together, so the numbers really are impressive.
    47AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:01
    Satoteru really is great.

    Which is exactly why I wish he'd won the Triple Crown while actually competing against Murakami, Okamoto, and Seiya Suzuki.
    48AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:02
    Re: #47
    If Murakami were around this year, he'd probably have hit another 50 homers.
    115AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:53
    "Broke the Japanese record with 56 home runs" makes no sense — Oh was Taiwanese, wasn't he?
    118AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:56
    Re: #115
    In NPB's rules, if you graduated from a Japanese school, you count as Japanese.
    129AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:03
    Re: #115
    Strictly speaking, it's a "Japanese-registered player record" — meaning a record among players not registered as foreign players.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    The Triple Crown is a record for leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBIs in the same season — in NPB history, only a handful of players, including Sadaharu Oh, Hiromitsu Ochiai, and Nobuhiko Matsunaka, have ever achieved it. What split the thread was whether to judge by “absolute numbers” or by “relative dominance within the league.” When Ochiai won his first Triple Crown in 1982 with a .325 average, 32 home runs, and 99 RBIs, he too was criticized at the time as “low-level,” but he went on to post overwhelming numbers for the next two seasons, cementing his reputation — a reminder that a player’s historical standing isn’t decided by his first year’s stats alone. As for the “Japanese record” label on Oh’s home run total, Oh held Taiwanese citizenship but graduated from a Japanese school, which under NPB’s record-keeping rules classifies him as a “Japanese player” — a distinction between nationality and record category that’s easy to misunderstand. It isn’t clear from the thread’s comments alone, but knowing this institutional background makes the premise of the debate easier to follow.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (“Nandemo Jikkyo G”) thread “Satō Teruaki Is on Track to Become the Worst Triple Crown Winner in History.”

  • 5ch Piles On Suzuki Airi’s ‘Famous Quotes’ Callout With ‘I Devour the Earth!’ and Other Gems

    After idol Suzuki Airi (formerly of ℃-ute and Buono!)’s official manager posted a form on her official X account calling for “Suzuki Airi’s famous quotes,” fans on 5ch’s Hello! Project board piled on with a flood of replies. Rather than genuine quotes, the thread filled up mostly with parody-style “legendary lines” written in her voice, alongside nostalgic callbacks to her Buono! and ℃-ute days — though some posts also brought up unconfirmed rumors, like the smoking allegations swirling around Sakamichi groups, prompting another user to step in and correct them: “That’s a fabrication that came out of the Wolf board.” Talk of a day-by-day calendar marking her 25th anniversary in the industry added to the buzz as well.

    Suzuki Airi Manager 【Official】

    @airimania_staff

    ＼📢 Calling for your favorite #SuzukiAiri quotes!／

    Source: docs.google.com / Original post here

    2AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:17
    Re: #1
    Suzuki Airi: "It gave me all warm and fuzzy feels!"
    3AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:18
    Re: #1
    Suzuki Airi: "I get cheated on so easily."
    5AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:18
    The Kohaku one, the 'savings' one, the 'scenery' one…
    6AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:18
    "Someday I want to be big enough that everyone just naturally goes, 'Wait, Suzuki Airi didn't make Kohaku? Seriously?!'"
    7AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:20
    Suzuki Airi: "Join in the kite-flying, or don't."
    8AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:20
    The Insane-Scenery Peddler (running gag nickname)
    9AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:20
    This one's a must, honestly:

    – I know about the insane scenery
    – I want people going 'Wait, Suzuki Airi missed Kohaku?! Seriously?!'
    – I want to be on music shows too, y'know! I'm not a god!
    10AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:20
    Re: #1
    Suzuki Airi: "Being with Reikurei makes my life feel full."
    11AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:20
    "Do you know who 'Suzuki Airi' is?"
    13AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:20
    The 'Idol King,' maybe?
    15AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:21
    Suzuki Airi: "If gas prices are too high for you, just buy a hybrid."
    18AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:25
    Me, an Airi stan:
    Even thinking hard about it, I can't come up with a single one.
    19AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:26
    So today!!! I got to hang out with Shogo-san!! ヾ(＠^▽^＠)ﾉ Ugh, like, how do I even put it… being with Shogo-san is just so much fun!!! When we're talking I just can't stop laughing the whole time!! It was so fun that my chest went all… like, fluttery~~~. (sniff) (I wonder if this feeling is even coming across!! lol)
    20AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:26
    25AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:28
    1st place: "Fuga-fuga" (cutesy mumbling sounds)
    2nd place: "Fugaffuga"
    3rd place: "Fugaa-fuga"
    26AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:28
    Suzuki Airi: "I shall devour the Earth!" (she read 食す — normally pronounced "shokusu" — as "kusu," a cute mispronunciation)
    28AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:28
    Seared kalbi, seared kalbi, seared kalbi
    29AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:29
    "Buono Man! Buono Man! Bo-Bo-Bo-Bo-Buono Man!"

    "Nakano, nn, Nakano~, Nakano Sun Plaza~"

    lol they just recycled the same rhythm for both
    31AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:30
    Why are you soliciting our dark history?
    You know you're gonna publish it, right?
    46AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:41
    "Momo! Miya! I was really happy we got to do Buono! together." (from THE FIRST TAKE)
    47AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:41
    "Put your soul into every note," maybe.
    Things started going downhill right around when she started saying that.
    Sure, the sound's nice, but pay more attention to the lyrics — the whole vibe just isn't coming through, y'know?
    55AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:48
    [Suzuki Airi] To celebrate her 25th anniversary in the industry, her first-ever 365-day tear-off calendar is coming!
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1788754465/
    56AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:49
    [Sad News] Turns out Suzuki Airi is a user of "sumanko"
    https://kizuna.5ch.net/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1744254847/ (a cutesy-sounding word that comically hides a crude term inside it)
    58AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:50
    Compared to the legendary lines that came out of her secret account,
    all of these are pretty lame.
    60AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:51
    No way they're filling up all 365 days of that calendar lol
    61AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:52
    If you actually submit one, pretty much anything you remember Airi herself actually saying will probably get picked.
    62AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:52
    Let's just rip off Maimai's line
    Something like 'We're comrades who came here for the same beef bowl.'
    64AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:55
    Even thinking back hard, hardly any ℃-ute member lines come to mind.
    66AnonymousSep 7, 2026 19:58
    拍車がかかる (to pick up speed) → 滑車がかかる ("a pulley kicks in")
    食す (to eat) mispronounced as "kusu"
    備蓄 (stockpile) → 貯蓄 ("savings")
    MUSIC FAIR → MUSIL FAIR (her verbal slip-ups)
    69AnonymousSep 7, 2026 20:03
    Join in the kite-flying, or don't.

    Background and Discussion Points

    Suzuki Airi is a veteran idol singer with 25 years in the industry, having come up through ℃-ute and Buono!, and as the thread notes, a 365-day tear-off calendar has been announced as a commemorative item. The quote-collecting campaign itself is official fan service run by her manager, but on the 5ch side, the dominant mood leaned less toward actual recorded quotes and more toward playful phrases mimicking her speaking style, plus references to old songs posted as “famous quotes.” Where opinions split was over posts that resurfaced old, unsourced rumors — like the smoking allegations surrounding Sakamichi groups — as though they were established fact; another user pushed back, pointing out it was “a fabrication that originated on 5ch’s ‘Wolf’ board,” and the claim got corrected. It’s worth noting for readers that unverified information that’s circulated online for years tends to resurface and spread again in piling-on threads like this one.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Calling for Suzuki Airi’s Famous Quotes! Tell Us the “Suzuki Airi Words” That Have Stuck With You!.”

  • Q: “If You Gave Yourself a Foreign-Sounding Name?” — Endo Ayakari Says “The ENDO”

    Hello! Project’s official social media runs a daily segment called “Hello! Q&A,” where members answer that day’s question. The topic for September 7 was “If you gave yourself a foreign-sounding name, what would it be?” and members’ answers rolled in one after another, starting with Danbara Ruru’s “Lucy.” The thread lit up especially over Endo Ayakari’s answer, “The ENDO” — commenters kept pointing out that the spelling closely echoes THE END, the boss character from Metal Gear Solid 3. Old logs from the same segment back in 2021 were also dug up and quoted, with people comparing this year’s answers to the ones from back then.

    1AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:34
    260907 Hello! Q&A
    Q. If you gave yourself a foreign-sounding name?
    Danbara Ruru Lucy
    2AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:34
    Gotta respect the effort to make it interesting
    5AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:36
    Nodame Ichika-chan
    7AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:37
    Sounds like she'd photosynthesize while sniping you
    8AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:37
    Ringo's not bad lol
    9AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:38
    Aina The Endo
    10AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:39
    There are only a few of these left, don't waste one on a lousy question
    11AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:39
    If Niina's going with katakana, she should've gone Chinese-style instead — something like "Lin Ren'ai"
    12AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:39
    Danba Ralulu
    13AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:40
    She's here to end Juice=Juice
    14AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:43
    Feel like this question's come up before
    15AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:43
    Ringo The Endo
    16AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:45
    211122 Hello! Q&A
    Q. If you were to give yourself a foreign-sounding name?

    Kanazawa Tomoko Isabella
    This just kind of popped into my head (lol)

    Uemura Akari Caroline

    Inaba Manaka Manakan Dawson
    Because I love Titanic…♡

    Inoue Rion Sarina

    Danbara Ruru I think I'll just stick with Ruru.

    Kudo Yume Harpon Uude Tarko

    Matsunaga Ria Charlotte.
    Because I'm planning to name the cat I'll live with someday Charlotte.

    Arisawa Ichika Ichi-Cutter

    Irie Risa Elizabeth

    Ebata Hisaki Katherine Evangelista (lol)
    24AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:59
    Re: #16
    Wait, isn't an octopus's 8 things called legs, not arms lol
    that's also worth poking fun at
    30AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:08
    Re: #24
    Actually, those octopus things aren't legs, they're arms
    17AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:45
    This is basically a comedy-answer round, and yet
    some members are answering totally seriously, what's with that
    18AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:45
    Endo Michiro (a real Japanese punk musician's name)
    19AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:49
    The octopus one's answers are funny every single time lol
    20AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:50
    Is Hello! Mobile even still a thing?
    21AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:53
    It's ending at the end of this month
    22AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:54
    Tako-chan's answer was more elaborate last time lol
    23AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:57
    The Endo
    28AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:06
    Kanatomo went with Rose Quartz
    33AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:12
    Talk about an unexpected twist… Kudo Yume
    https://ameblo.jp/juicejuice-official/entry-12494688130.html
    2019-07-16 16:39:25

    Today's photo♪
    I couldn't eat the octopus, but I could take a photo with it ♡
    Snapshot with the octopus!

    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20190716/16/juicejuice-official/b3/88/j/o0810108014504097581.jpg

    My true feelings were…

    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20190716/16/juicejuice-official/ee/a1/j/o0810108014504097588.jpg

    A sample of octopus arm………

    I didn't eat it!! It's okay^^*
    I really didn't eat it!!
    Really (´ε｀；)

    Come to think of it…
    Octopuses don't have legs!!!
    Those eight things on an octopus are all arms! Every single one (o^^o)

    So for me, "octopus arms" feels more natural to say than "octopus legs" (✿˘艸˘✿)
    34AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:13
    "Jin'ai" is just "Nina," right? (kanji written to spell out the name Nina)
    35AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:15
    Arms, seriously?
    Had no idea
    36AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:17
    Wait, really? Nobody told me that
    38AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:28
    "The End" shows good taste
    40AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:32
    Chinese- or Korean-style names work too, y'know
    42AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:53
    Gives off real final-boss vibes
    43AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:56
    Speaking of "codename The End," the most famous bearer of that name
    is The ENDO, the boss character from the stealth action game
    Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (MGS3)
    and its remake, METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER.

    Background and Talking Points

    “Hello! Q&A” is a regular daily segment run by Hello! Project’s official social media, and because it simply lines up each member’s individual answer as-is, the differences in personality tend to stand out. The thread also quoted a log of the same segment from November 22, 2021, with plenty of posts enjoying the comparison between past answers — like Kanazawa Tomoko’s “Isabella” and Inaba Manaka’s “Manakan Dawson” — and this year’s crop. The centerpiece of the discussion, Endo Ayakari’s “The ENDO,” evoked THE END, the boss character from Metal Gear Solid 3, thanks to the close spelling, and reactions from game fans helped fuel the thread. In the exchange around Kudo Yume (nicknamed “Tako,” or Octopus), a bit of trivia — “an octopus’s 8 limbs are arms, not legs” — got reinforced by quoting her own 2019 blog post, which highlights something not obvious from the main text alone: how long-past official posts keep getting dug up and referenced by fans.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Q: “If You Gave Yourself a Foreign-Sounding Name?” — Endo Ayakari Says “The ENDO”.”

  • Backlash Erupts Over Tomomi Itano’s Changing-Room Filming — 5ch: “They Never Got Permission From the Other Guests, She’s Cooked”

    A vlog-style video posted by former AKB48 member Tomomi Itano, filmed on location at a hotel, is causing controversy after it turned out to include a scene apparently shot inside a changing room. The video carried a caption stating, “We filmed this with special permission from the hotel,” but when contacted, the hotel denied ever authorizing filming inside the changing room. On 5ch, opinions split over whether permission to film on the premises can be equated with permission to film in a semi-private space like a changing room, with the discrepancy between the two accounts becoming the focus of debate.

    “We apologize for the misleading impression this may have given. This particular scene was filmed with special permission from the hotel. We’d also like to note that the Ritz-Carlton kindly cooperated with the filming of this video overall.”

    [Photo] The changing-room scene in question, which she claims had “special filming permission”

    Tomomi Itano’s vlog sparks major backlash

    Source: news.livedoor.com / Original article here

    4AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:15
    Why'd she lie?
    8AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:16
    Re: #4
    I'm not lyyying~
    We had permission to film throughout the whole building, so I just filmed~
    It's a misunderstanding~
    Just a difference in perspective between us~
    28AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:23
    Re: #8
    They never got permission from the other guests though — she's cooked
    39AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:27
    Re: #8
    Guess she's got no choice but to bulldoze through with this excuse
    The hotel probably never dreamed anyone would film in the changing room, so I guess it's no surprise Itano doesn't have much common sense either
    5AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:15
    So what's her lawyer gonna do now?


    14AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:18
    The lawyer who got cocky and started throwing around threats is way worse than this
    68AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:34
    Re: #14
    Same with that game company Square Enix — they just casually threaten people through regular DMs too
    It's wild these days, shady companies straight out of a sci-fi dystopia are everywhere
    20AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:21
    What did she even need to film in there so bad that she had to show it off?
    51AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:29
    Re: #20
    The whole "sparkling career woman who has it all" image — female CEO, athlete's wife, and doting mom to her only daughter
    35AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:26
    Wait, they DID give filming permission though? Saying afterward "we didn't think they'd film in the changing room" is way too convenient
    49AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:29
    Re: #35
    It's like someone saying "My stomach really hurts, please let me poop at your place!!" and you go "well, guess it can't be helped…" and let them in — and then they poop on your bed instead
    It's a "wait, isn't that obviously not okay??" situation, they just didn't think it through
    90AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:39
    Re: #35
    Oh sure, so you're supposed to anticipate they'll break the law and secretly film you, is that it, sure, sure
    43AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:28
    Hmm? The way this is phrased, it's unclear whether they explicitly said "no filming in the changing room"
    Feels like they're just saying "you should've figured that out yourself, are you dumb?"
    53AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:29
    Re: #43
    They probably said something like "just don't get other guests in the shot," but Itano's side probably figured "no one's around, so it's fine"
    99AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:41
    Re: #43
    No, that (no filming) is posted in every changing room, everywhere
    55AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:30
    A reputable hotel won't hand out filming permission unless the place is booked out exclusively
    If other guests end up in the shot, it becomes a trust issue
    A guest staying there might even be telling their family they're "on a business trip" today
    60AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:32
    Re: #55
    They'd give permission just fine normally…
    it's just assumed they'd naturally know the line between what's okay and not okay to film
    132AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:49
    Re: #55
    Wow, you know everything, don't you
    111AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:45
    Is lacking common sense really enough to warrant this much pile-on?
    118AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:47
    Re: #111
    That's just the hellscape we live in now — the social media era
    129AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:49
    Re: #111
    If you're gonna make money off social media, you'd better have that much awareness at least
    151AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:56
    Because of Tomomi Itano, the reviews are now…

    185AnonymousSep 7, 2026 15:04
    Re: #151
    Her whole business runs on her image, so she really needs to watch out for stuff like this
    152AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:56
    TV shows sometimes film in big public baths and regular customers end up in shot — why is that okay?
    157AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:58
    Re: #152
    They often blur the other customers' junk, but I bet they properly get everyone's permission
    162AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:58
    Re: #152
    With TV, they properly get permission from everyone who appears on camera
    174AnonymousSep 7, 2026 15:01
    Re: #152
    Isn't it announced beforehand that a film crew is coming?
    And some customers do get their faces blurred out

    Background and Key Points of the Controversy

    When a hotel grants filming permission, it’s generally on the condition that “no other guests appear in the shot,” and semi-private spaces like changing rooms are typically considered off-limits. Even in TV location shoots, it’s standard practice to get individual consent from any guests who appear on camera and to blur out those who can’t be filmed — and on the thread, many voices compared this industry norm to Itano’s explanation and questioned it. On the other hand, exactly what the hotel actually conveyed verbally remains unclear for now, with both sides’ accounts still conflicting and no way for a third party to verify. The ambiguous line between “permission to film on the premises” and “permission to film in the changing room” is at the heart of this controversy.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Bad News] Tomomi Itano Is Cooked… Hotel Says “We Never Gave Permission to Film in the Changing Room”“.

  • Parent Slammed for Giving Kid a Non-Alcoholic Drink, 5ch Split Down the Middle

    A social media post about giving a child a non-alcoholic drink drew a wave of criticism, sparking discussion on a 5ch thread. Under Japan’s Liquor Tax Act, “non-alcoholic” beverages with under 1% alcohol content aren’t classified as alcohol, and most domestic products are labeled 0.00%. The “not recommended for under 20” notice isn’t a legal age restriction either — it’s just a voluntary industry standard. The thread split between skeptics asking “is there any reason besides showing off?” and defenders arguing “it’s basically juice, so getting mad about it is the weird part,” with plenty of posts turning to psychoanalyze the critics themselves.

    4AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:57
    Not breaking any rules.
    Just idiots whose lives aren't going well looking for a target to rage at online.
    30AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:10
    Re: #4
    Exactly this.
    People whose lives aren't going well just find someone to hate on.

    They can only parent in their fantasies,
    so unless it matches their shallow idea of "my perfect parenting," you're a "toxic parent."

    You even get people on social media going "if you're a real parent, make your crying kid stop crying NOW!! Look like you're sorry!!"
    But fantasy parenting is like inputting a command and the kid stops crying — reality doesn't work that way.
    Most parents, the second their kid starts crying, at least bow their head once like "ah… sorry…"

    Watching idiots like this,
    you can tell REAL clearly
    that people whose lives aren't going well are attacking out of pure 'jealousy' —
    "in my fantasy parenting I'd do it better, so why does that guy get praised and not me?"


    These people are sick.
    6AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:58
    So what's the actual deal here?
    96AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:54
    Re: #6
    Even "non-alcoholic" can contain under 1% alcohol, so it's safer not to give it to kids.
    8AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:58
    Non-alcoholic or not, you're still giving a kid booze.
    16AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:05
    Re: #8
    Non-alcoholic isn't alcohol though, is it?
    11AnonymousSep 7, 2026 13:59
    Is there any reason to give a kid non-alcoholic beer besides showing off?
    99AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:56
    Re: #11
    When I was in 1st grade I told my uncle I wanted to try that fizzy drink he was having.
    I had no idea what beer even was — to me it was just a pretty-colored juice, nothing more.
    13AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:02
    Doesn't non-alcoholic still have some alcohol in it?
    34AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:12
    Re: #13
    It's usually lower in alcohol than your average fruit drink.

    Less alcohol than kids' Shanmeri (the sparkling non-alcoholic "champagne" sold for children).
    18AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:05
    There was also that blowup over someone drinking non-alc at work.

    As long as it's not against the law, it should be fine, right?
    19AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:06
    Re: #18
    By that logic, drinking actual alcohol at work wouldn't be illegal either.
    22AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:06
    Re: #18
    Non-alc at the office is just asking for confusion though.
    25AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:08
    Re: #22
    Man, what a hard world we live in now.
    28AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:09
    Re: #25
    You can't even tell non-alc beer apart from the real thing.
    Just pour a non-alc lemon sour into a random water bottle and drink it that way.
    26AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:08
    Doesn't "non-alcoholic" actually contain alcohol?
    It just means you're allowed to call it that if you're under the threshold.
    I guess that means it's fine for kids to drink then?
    27AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:09
    Re: #26
    Japanese products are mostly labeled 0.00%.
    29AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:09
    What's even fun about living a life where you rage at total strangers' behavior?
    Same with celebrity affairs or politician scandals — I don't get it at all.
    37AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:13
    Re: #29
    Exactly. Most people don't even care, but if a handful of people rage about it, it gets treated like "public opinion." That's messed up.
    There needs to be a proper line drawn.
    35AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:12
    If we're talking about a "gateway effect," adults drinking real alcohol in front of kids and looking like they're enjoying it seems like a way bigger bad influence.
    38AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:13
    Re: #35
    Seeing someone get pathetically drunk would put you off wanting to drink, wouldn't it?
    40AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:15
    I wanted to hit back with "lol it's non-alcoholic though 😅" but apparently even non-alc is "recommended for 20+ only" too? lol
    41AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:16
    Re: #40
    It's just a recommendation, that's all.
    46AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:18
    It's crazy how big a blowup happened just because someone pulled the figures out of Kura Sushi's prize machine and resold them.
    Honestly that's just a perk of the job.
    Cut them some slack for that much at least.
    52AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:23
    Re: #46
    Yeah, I get cutting some slack for a perk.

    But that's different from a Chiikawa fan who wants one taking just one for themselves —
    cleaning out the whole batch to resell is pretty gross.

    Though honestly, even "I just took one" would probably blow up just as much these days.
    63AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:35
    Honestly I don't get the point of non-alcoholic drinks existing.
    Just drink juice.
    76AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:40
    Re: #63
    This, seriously.
    67AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:37
    Depending on how it's made, non-alc isn't always truly 0% alcohol.
    Anything under the 1% threshold is allowed to be sold as "non-alcoholic."
    73AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:40
    Re: #67
    These days it's 0.00%.
    68AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:37
    It's fine, isn't it?
    We all got to have a taste of actual alcohol every once in a while as kids too.
    70AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:39
    Re: #68
    Yeah, most of us have had that one time we got a little sip.
    82AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:45
    But I wonder what would happen if the original poster reacted like
    "ugh, who cares?"
    87AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:50
    Re: #82
    It'd snowball into a whole thing on its own.
    86AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:49
    I don't think there's anything wrong with giving it to them, but do people not realize posting it online is asking for trouble?
    88AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:50
    Re: #86
    Sure it becomes a hassle, but
    the ones actually causing the hassle are the complainers.
    97AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:54
    Wait, do whiskey bonbons actually have alcohol in them? Now that you mention it…
    101AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:57
    Re: #97
    Bacchus and Rummy (chocolate liqueur candies) have it too.
    102AnonymousSep 7, 2026 14:57
    Re: #97
    Of course, it's properly in there.
    Classic childhood moment: getting a chocolate from your parents and it turns out to be a whiskey bonbon!
    104AnonymousSep 7, 2026 15:01
    Apparently non-alc consumption peaks on weekday afternoons…
    106AnonymousSep 7, 2026 15:02
    Re: #104
    Truck drivers drinking it.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Under Japan’s Liquor Tax Act, a drink only needs to be under 1% alcohol to be labeled “non-alcoholic” — since it’s considered non-intoxicating, it isn’t classified as alcohol. Most major domestic brands list 0.00% on the label, but some candies like whiskey bonbons and certain other drinks do contain trace amounts of alcohol, and the thread often conflated the two. There’s also a common misunderstanding that the “not recommended for under 20” warning is a legal age restriction — it’s actually just a voluntary industry guideline, not something set by the Liquor Tax Act. What really divided the thread wasn’t the act itself but the motives of the critics: some saw the backlash as driven by “jealousy” or people with too much time on their hands, while others took the cooler view that posting online invites exactly this kind of reaction. Some posters brought up the Kura Sushi prize-reselling controversy for comparison, hinting at a broader fatigue with how easily things blow up online these days.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch “Nanademo Jikkyo G” (Whatever’s Happening General) board thread “[Sad News] We’ve Entered an Era Where You Get Dragged Just for Giving Your Own Kid a Non-Alcoholic Drink lolololololololol.”

  • One Piece’s Current State Divides Fans: 5ch Users Say ‘Demon Slayer Is the Better Manga’

    On 5ch’s “Nanidemo Jikkyou G” board, a discussion about the current state of One Piece heated up. It started with talk of sluggish volume sales — someone noted the convenience store shelves weren’t moving — and spiraled into comparisons involving One Piece’s Guinness World Record for total print run and its return-rate versus Demon Slayer and Dragon Ball. From there, complaints piled up about the changing art style, pacing, and plot direction, with some accusing the characters of having become slaves to the plot. Meanwhile, readers who’d recently binge-read the series to catch up pushed back, saying it’s “genuinely still good” — exposing a split between longtime fans and newer readers.

    11AnonymousSep 7, 2026 10:48
    Do the diehard fans actually enjoy reading this?
    Be honest for once.
    15AnonymousSep 7, 2026 10:50
    Re: #11
    Even the diehards turned into haters after the whole "Domi Reversi" thing (a fan nickname for a specific plot twist).
    16AnonymousSep 7, 2026 10:51
    That's right.

    19AnonymousSep 7, 2026 10:53
    The convenience store shelf isn't moving at all —
    it's just wasting a whole row, fading in the sun.
    20AnonymousSep 7, 2026 10:55
    Re: #19
    Apparently it's gunning to have more copies printed than the Bible or Mao's Little Red Book.
    21AnonymousSep 7, 2026 10:56
    It holds the Guinness World Record for total copies printed, you know.

    22AnonymousSep 7, 2026 10:58
    I mean, if that makes it the best-selling one, fine by me —
    though it'd make more sense if they compared actual "sales" numbers against Dragon Ball and Demon Slayer specifically.
    26AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:07
    Re: #22
    Lately about half the copies are getting returned unsold, aren't they.
    29AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:09
    Re: #26
    Not trying to be a contrarian or stir things up, but there's no way it's stopping at just half.
    30AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:13
    Re: #26
    What's the return rate for Dragon Ball or Demon Slayer, then?
    31AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:14
    Give me back these days 😭
    34AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:16
    Re: #31
    Makes you wonder what Oda from back then would say if he read today's chapters.
    41AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:22
    Re: #31
    These days he'd probably just be screaming with his eyeballs popping out 👀.
    37AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:17
    Honestly Weekly Shonen Jump as a whole has been off lately.
    62AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:43
    Re: #37
    The shortage of flagship series is getting serious.
    38AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:18
    Re: #30
    No idea about Dragon Ball, but isn't Demon Slayer's return rate low?
    40AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:21
    Re: #30
    Both of them sold out their first print runs.
    45AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:28
    Re: #38
    Both Dragon Ball and Demon Slayer ended before their peak popularity wore off, so they never really built up returns. Demon Slayer's the easy example since it literally went out of stock, but Dragon Ball's the same story — every volume from #40 onward came out in '95 and all got reprinted within that same year.
    75AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:56
    Re: #38
    Re: #40
    I see…
    But surely once it's not popular anymore,
    that kind of trick stops working, right?
    46AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:28
    Is this manga trying to appeal to America or something?
    49AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:30
    Re: #46
    I doubt even America has manga this shoddy.
    68AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:50
    Re: #49
    Well, once it started ripping off Tom and Jerry, I just figured…
    57AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:39
    Let's be blunt, Oda — Demon Slayer is simply the better manga.
    77AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:59
    Re: #57
    But isn't Akaza basically just Katakuri?
    76AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:58

    At least fight seriously like you did back in this era.
    149AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:36
    Re: #76
    Haki (the series' aura-based power system) ruined it.
    81AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:04
    Ever since the series became plot-first, the characters turned into Oda's puppets — it's done for as a story.

    Usopp just gets heart-eyes, drooling over his dream destination Elbaf, and lectures Imu and Gaban.
    Chopper ditches his job as the crew's doctor to go translate for an owl in the middle of a battlefield.
    Brook gets a pointless, dragged-out flashback arc that's supposed to lead into rescuing Gunko, except the Straw Hats can't even break the ice themselves — in the end it's Loki's hammer flying in out of nowhere that smashes it.

    It's stopped being "characters act, and the story emerges" — now it's "characters act just to make the story work."
    85AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:06
    Re: #81
    Honestly it's about time they killed off at least Usopp.
    And then give me that classic "Luffy laughs on the outside, cries on the inside" moment.
    87AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:07
    Re: #81
    The story doesn't even hold together as it is —
    I have zero clue how they're going to land the ending in Elbaf.
    82AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:05
    But the diehard fans love this stuff, right?
    88AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:09
    Re: #82
    Honestly it's hard to admit these days, so I've been pretending to be a hater, but I actually love it. I genuinely don't get why it's getting bashed so much.
    I think it's because I recently binge-read to catch up — the story's genuinely gotten more epic in step with the characters' growth, and it's fun.

    The haters never binge-read it in the first place, so they drifted away from One Piece at some point, and now that their own enthusiasm's cooled off, it just looks like they're bashing it for fun with no real reason behind it.
    I don't think people actively reading it week to week have many complaints at all.
    93AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:11
    Re: #88
    I get that some people still like One Piece as it is now, but if you genuinely think it hasn't declined compared to before volume 60, something's off with your eye for criticism.
    Go read the blog post "Why One Piece Stopped Being Interesting" a hundred times.
    101AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:19
    Re: #88
    Guess it makes sense that the longer someone's been reading, the more disappointed they are by how much the characters and direction have changed.
    100AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:17
    On the flip side, do you actually want to watch fights against enemies weaker than Kaido now that he's already been beaten?
    I genuinely can't tell if you're serious.
    111AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:27
    Re: #100
    Forget the fights, just show us them actually going to get the One Piece already.
    121AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:28
    Re: #100
    Wait, what??
    No way, Imu is obviously way stronger than Kaido.
    106AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:23
    Seriously, how does death even work in this world?
    How does anyone actually die in this story? Why did some guy named Ace die from that? It's driving me insane.
    107AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:24
    Re: #106
    I mean, some people die just falling down stairs.
    118AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:28
    Re: #106
    Loki, Hyldin, and that old geezer all took serious wounds and it just got brushed off.
    Lately there's even a guy who didn't die after getting his brain skewered.
    Honestly, Ace is the only one who was too weak to survive.
    120AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:28
    https://digimon.net/cimages/digimon/numemon.jpg

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    One Piece is a series with a total print run so massive it’s earned a Guinness World Record — its sheer print numbers stand out even within the industry. The “about half returned unsold” figure that came up in the thread isn’t an official statistic; it’s an anonymous post based on bookstore impressions and guesswork, not a verified number, so it should be taken with caution. The comparisons to Demon Slayer and Dragon Ball are also simple print-run comparisons against works that wrapped up or went on hiatus while still at the height of their popularity — a different situation from a series still being serialized. Where opinions in the thread split was along generational and reading-style lines: longtime readers tend to be disappointed by the changes in characters and direction, while readers who recently binge-read to catch up are enjoying it at face value. This kind of split in how a long-running series gets evaluated, based on when a reader started following it, isn’t unique to One Piece — it’s a structural point worth keeping in mind when reading any critique of a long-running work.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (“Nanidemo Jikkyou G”) thread “[Sad News] One Piece Strikes Again: Luffy Charges In with Yet Another Eye-Popping Face…“.

  • Giant “Mii-chan and Yamada-san” Poster Now Up at Shinjuku Station Too

    A giant poster announcing the anime adaptation of the manga “Mii-chan and Yamada-san” has gone up at Shinjuku Station, following one already displayed at Sendai Station, sparking discussion in a thread on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” board. The posted photos showed a large ad prominently displayed inside the station, prompting surprised reactions from users seeing it for the first time, such as “this is the season’s top dog” and “that must’ve cost a fortune.” At the same time, some voiced skepticism over the gap between the original’s content and the poster’s wholesome look, the lack of information released ahead of the anime’s premiere, and whether the buzz would hold up until it actually airs.

    1AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:06
    Shinjuku Station
    2AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:07
    Sendai Station
    3AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:07
    Different angle
    7AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:08
    So no details on the anime until right before it airs, huh
    10AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:09
    Why was the author following voice actress Kana Hanazawa?
    13AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:09
    Quit trying to make this sound like some heartwarming story
    16AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:10
    The anime's definitely getting changed somehow — question is how much they'll mess with it
    19AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:10
    Isn't Mii-chan a little too cute here?
    She's clearly not seeing reality
    22AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:11
    Re: #19
    Yamada isn't seeing it either
    21AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:11
    Lol, imagine someone seeing this, thinking it's a cute moe manga, and getting tricked into buying it
    108AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:02
    Re: #21
    Just think of it as K-On!
    24AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:11
    The words "anime adaptation" have vanished from both the tankobon obi and the wall ads
    27AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:12
    That must've cost a fortune
    https://dec.2chan.net/up2/src/fu7229159.jpeg
    29AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:13
    The manga where the heroine gets buried in the mountains by her own mother at the end
    30AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:13
    Well, the fans went and advertised it for free themselves…
    31AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:13
    Who's even reading that garbage food manga "Tenchou"?
    38AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:15
    Re: #31
    It's basically a ripoff of Hanchou anyway
    113AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:07
    Re: #31
    No way a brothel manager just casually grabs a bite after work like that
    40AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:16
    Anyone who sees this poster will think "such a wholesome design, the story must be wholesome too, let's give it a read…" and then get totally blindsided once they see what it's actually about
    41AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:16
    They've already placed all these orders, so there's no stopping it now
    47AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:20
    This is gonna be the season's top dog
    I can tell because Uma Musume ran ads like this too
    50AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:22
    The episode where Muu-chan loses her virginity is straight-up traumatic
    Mii-chan's trash and Muu-chan's just too pitiful
    52AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:24
    If people actually read it, they'll be floored — it's just a bunch of ugly people fighting
    63AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:27
    Doesn't seem like they've got the budget Demon Slayer had for pre-air hype, so isn't this anime headed for flop territory?
    69AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:30
    Re: #63
    Anime adaptations live or die on merch sales anyway
    Do people even want Mii-Yama towels and keychains?
    73AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:30
    By the way, the author apparently seems fully fired up to draw a new series
    Source: Fantia
    78AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:34
    Re: #73
    Well, the series just ended, so of course they'd move on to the next project
    79AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:34
    This sold because it was popular with women, right?
    Then it's no surprise people are getting tired of it
    81AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:36
    Re: #79
    The ones bashing it are also women from Girls Channel (a Japanese women's forum)
    97AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:52
    All those Mii-chan-obsessed haters over on Iyaken (a notoriously cynical anti-hype board) were going after it hard, so how did it still…?
    100AnonymousSep 7, 2026 11:53
    Re: #97
    That's because the Mii-chan-obsessed Mii-Yama stans worked hard for it
    109AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:03
    Read episode 1 of Tenchou, it was way too awful
    111AnonymousSep 7, 2026 12:04
    Re: #109
    Makes you wonder why they even drew that manga
    No way that manager character could ever pull off a beloved-figure arc like Otsuki

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    “Mii-chan and Yamada-san” is a manga known for its shocking ending, in which the protagonist is buried in the mountains by her own mother, and many comments on this anime-adaptation announcement pointed out the gap between the poster’s wholesome look and the original’s extreme content. The Shinjuku Station ad follows one already up at Sendai Station, and since in-station transit advertising signals that the production committee is investing a sizable budget, the thread saw hopeful comments like “this is the season’s top dog” and “that must’ve cost a fortune.” At the same time, other users doubted that the TV anime could avoid content changes, or questioned whether the buzz would last until it actually airs, resulting in a mix of anticipation and skepticism. The author’s other work, “Tenchou,” was also brought up, once again highlighting how divisive their style can be.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Breaking] Giant “Mii-chan and Yamada-san” Poster Now Up at Shinjuku Station Too!!!“