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Voice actress Kana Hanazawa (37) appeared on Fuji TV’s “Pokapoka” on September 22 and revealed that the very first CD she ever bought was “Romance” by visual-kei band PENICILLIN. Released in 1998, the track is a 28-year-old hit often mentioned in the same breath as the equally popular Judy and Mary of that era. On 5ch, users reminisced with comments like “I bought it because Masaru-san was popular” — a reference to the anime “Sugoi yo!! Masaru-san,” whose theme song was “Romance” — and the thread turned into people trading stories about their own first CD purchases, with 90s names like SIAM SHADE, WANDS, and B’z coming up one after another. At the same time, some questioned why the theme song of a late-night mini-anime became such a massive hit, sparking discussion about the background of its success at the time.

Tue, Sep 22, 15:45

Voice actress Kana Hanazawa, popular for roles including Mitsuri Kanroji in “Demon Slayer,” made a live appearance on Fuji TV’s “Pokapoka” (airing from 11:47 am) on the 22nd. She revealed her first-ever CD purchase and even did an impression.

The episode, titled “Showa/Heisei Glitz Team vs. Reiwa Fresh-Faced Team: Pokapoka Generation Gap Quiz Special,” featured guests Yukiko Nonomura, Naenano, and idol group =LOVE members Kiara Saito, Hitomi Takamatsu, and Emiri Otani. During a segment about nostalgic songs, Hanazawa revealed, “The first CD I ever bought was a song called ‘Romance’ by PENICILLIN.”

Source: oricon.co.jp / Original article here

*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Kana Hanazawa (37): First CD She Ever Bought Was a ‘Visual-Kei Rock Band’ Hit from 28 Years Ago — “I Was Torn Between It and Judy and Mary…”.”

A studio live video ANGERME streamed to coincide with “ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2026” racked up 131,000 views in 24 hours. The performance ended up being sung completely live without microphones because, according to a member’s official blog, the studio mics kept cutting out. On 5ch’s Hello! Project thread, many compared this number to Juice=Juice’s “More! Mi Amore” (227,000) and BEYOOOOONDS’ “Hai to Diamond” (202,000). Opinions split between those who suspected the mic-free format was “a deliberate stunt” and those who took the official explanation at face value as “an unlucky technical glitch,” sparking debate.

*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[Breaking] ANGERME’s “ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2026” studio live stream hits 131,000 views in 24 hours!“.

On the September 21 broadcast of TV Asahi’s “Mimi no Ana Kappojitte Kike!”, comedian Tōru Hotarubara appeared on the “Poison Out Notebook” segment and spoke candidly about how he was treated by staff back when he was one half of the comedy duo Ame Agari Kesshitai. After his remark — “Even toward the ‘other guy’ comedian in a duo, staff should treat both partners equally, from greetings to meetings” — turned into a news article, a 5ch thread lit up with a mix of sympathetic takes (“he’d never have made it without Miyasako”) and blunt jabs at Hotarubara’s own talent and looks, with commenters also citing other comedians — like Higashi Bukuro and Iwai from the duo Harai Ichi — who’ve faced similar ‘other guy’ treatment.

Tue, 9/22, 4:14 PM

Comedian Tōru Hotarubara appeared on TV Asahi’s “Mimi no Ana Kappojitte Kike!” (Mondays, 1:55 AM) on the 21st, looking back on how he was treated by staff during his duo days.

That episode featured the segment “Poison Out Notebook.” Framing it as an “honest message to staff,” Hotarubara let it out: “Even toward the ‘other guy’ comedian in a duo, staff should treat both partners equally — greetings, meetings, all of it.”

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

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Tōru Hotarubara Reveals Past ‘Other Guy’ Treatment From Staff: ‘They Never Once Even Looked My Way…’ / ‘Only Greeted Miyasako’.”

Regarding the string of operational mishaps at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the organizing committee held a press briefing in Nagoya on September 22. Deputy Secretary-General Takaaki Osan said the issues were “mostly human error,” and pledged thorough countermeasures for each cause along with an apology. On the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread, reactions focused on who’s actually responsible, questions about why Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura, the committee’s chairman, hasn’t publicly explained anything himself, and the fact that some operational staff are being staffed through spot-work gig apps.

Tue 9/22, 5:51 PM

The organizing committee for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which has been plagued by operational trouble, held a press briefing in Nagoya on the 22nd to address the string of issues.

Deputy Secretary-General Takaaki Osan apologized, saying: “Most of it comes down to human error. We’ll work out countermeasures tailored to each cause and see them through thoroughly. We apologize for the lack of flexibility in our response, and want to move forward with putting the competition first.”

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

17AnonymousSep 22, 2026 18:02

《Example of "human error"》

Announcements just hand-written on a whiteboard

*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Asian Games] Organizers apologize over string of issues, say it’s “mostly human error” — press response on the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.”

The 1979 film “The Man Who Stole the Sun” is set to return to Japanese theaters nationwide on October 16 in a new 4K digital remaster, 47 years after its original release. The film follows a high school teacher who steals plutonium from a nuclear power plant and the detective who pursues him. It was the second film from director Kazuhiko Hasegawa, who first drew attention with his directorial debut “The Youth Killer,” and it would prove to be his final feature-length work before his death this past January. On 5ch’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board, users buzzed about the scene where the terrorist demands that a professional baseball broadcast be allowed to continue uninterrupted, the detective’s (played by Bunta Sugawara) iconic lines, and who would be right to star if the film were remade today.

September 22, 2026

“The Man Who Stole the Sun,” which opened on October 6, 1979 and swept that year’s film awards, has been digitally remastered in 4K and will open nationwide on October 16. To mark the 4K remaster, a new trailer has been released, built from footage remastered under the concept of “recreating the original as it was completed on film” at the time.

The film was the ambitious follow-up from director Kazuhiko Hasegawa, hailed as a rising star of Japanese cinema after his acclaimed directorial debut “The Youth Killer,” released exactly 50 years ago in 1976. Made with extraordinary passion, it stands as Hasegawa’s second theatrical film and, sadly, his final feature as director following his passing in January.

Source: crank-in.net / Original article here

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[Movie] Kenji Sawada’s ‘The Man Who Stole the Sun’ Revived for the Reiwa Era with a 4K Digital Remaster! October 16 Release Confirmed & New Trailer Unveiled.”