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  • VTuber Laplus Darkness Sparks Backlash After Calling Sexual Harassers ‘Gross’ and ‘Males’ — 5ch: ‘Well, They Are Males’

    Hololive VTuber Laplus Darkness called out sexually charged comments from viewers using words like “gross” (kimoi) and “males” (osu), but the harshness of her language itself drew criticism and sparked a backlash. On 5ch’s Nandemo Jikkyo board, opinions split over whether the blame lies with those who sent the harassing comments or with her choice of words in calling them out. The thread also debated whether calling viewers “males” amounts to reverse sexism, and whether light-hearted trash talk between streamers can fairly be equated with harassment directed at listeners.

    4AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:16
    The moment people admit what she's saying is actually reasonable, the argument's already over.
    14AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:30
    Re: #4
    It's less an opinion and more just her feelings, and sure, those aren't wrong, but isn't what she's saying kind of off?
    10AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:24
    But she switches between the fictional persona and her real self, so that's kind of unavoidable.
    19AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:32
    Re: #10
    Showing the "real person" behind the character is the trend for VTubers these days.
    23AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:34
    Male VTubers get pissed off at sexual harassment from female fans too, so this is just how it goes.

    Gotta be considerate and gentle with the girls 😘
    27AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:34
    Re: #23
    "Women's sexual desire is pure, so it's fine" 👈 there are people out there who actually believe this.
    24AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:34
    "It's genuinely gross when some stranger sends me sexual harassment comments."
    ↑ Why is saying this blowing up into a controversy?
    31AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:35
    Re: #24
    She didn't have to put it in a tweet though.
    Everyone already knows it's gross without being told.
    33AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:36
    Re: #24
    If anything, isn't the "males" comment the bigger issue?
    41AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:39
    Re: #24
    It's because the language was so strong.
    If she'd said it more mildly, it wouldn't have blown up like this.
    25AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:34
    Imagine being a VTuber — basically a hostess club built exclusively for otaku — and still turning your own otaku customers against you.
    29AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:35
    Re: #25
    Hey, don't lump creepy harassment-guys in with introverted otaku, please 😓
    36AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:37
    If you tweeted "that's gross" every single time something gross happened, there'd be no end to it.
    Even if you think a homeless person smells, you don't go tweet about it every time, right?
    38AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:38
    Re: #36
    No, sexual harassment IS gross though.
    If some lady kept needling you about being short, you'd snap too 😓
    43AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:39
    If she'd framed it more like "Being sexually harassed hurts, please stop" 😢,

    everyone would've rushed to comfort her. She just handled it badly.
    44AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:40
    Re: #43
    Probably her pride wouldn't let her do that — it'd feel like losing 😓
    45AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:41
    Re: #43
    If you're going to do it, the move is to expose it:
    "I got this awful comment: XX!" and lock in the victim position.
    This time she went on the offensive instead, which looks bad, and outsiders have no idea what kind of harassment she actually got.
    48AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:41
    Re: #43
    It's not that she can't do that —
    she's just the type who wants to say "I told them off good"
    instead.
    52AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:42
    Re: #41
    "I posted a creepy comment, but she scolded me with strong language! How dare she!"
    Sorry, that just made even less sense to me.
    65AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:47
    Re: #52
    The thing is, they don't even realize their own comments are creepy.
    So when they suddenly get stabbed with harsh words, they snap.
    55AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:43
    Doesn't Hololive have any compliance standards to begin with?
    Calling your own viewers "males" should normally be a no-go…
    56AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:44
    Re: #55
    "Male" is just a fact though.
    Now if she said "shitty male," sure, that'd read as an insult, but 😓
    61AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:46
    Re: #55
    Isn't this just her character concept and the way she's marketed, though?
    72AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:55
    Whoa



    77AnonymousOct 19, 2026 05:57
    This isn't really about the harassment itself — it's the "males"/"gross" remarks that are actually what's blowing up.
    86AnonymousOct 19, 2026 06:03
    Re: #77
    Even so, the harassment is what triggered this in the first place.
    Brushing that aside and just pushing the "her wording was bad" angle doesn't fly.
    84AnonymousOct 19, 2026 06:01
    Wait, isn't the whole point of VTubers that it feels like talking to a girl friend?! 🤯🤢
    102AnonymousOct 19, 2026 06:17
    Re: #84
    Do you sexually harass your girl friends?
    89AnonymousOct 19, 2026 06:06
    Streamers trash-talking each other is just pro-wrestling-style banter.
    Dragging that up to say "you did the same thing" is one thing, but that doesn't mean the listeners' harassment gets a free pass either.
    103AnonymousOct 19, 2026 06:17
    Re: #89
    "You do it too" obviously doesn't hold up as an excuse,
    but I don't think "it's just wrestling banter" holds up either.
    93AnonymousOct 19, 2026 06:08
    Lol ("草"/kusa, forum slang for laughing)

    100AnonymousOct 19, 2026 06:16
    Me (a girl) sexually harassing males is a legitimate right.
    But you lot (mere males) sexually harassing girls is unacceptable.
    Basically: know your place in the gender hierarchy.


    108AnonymousOct 19, 2026 06:23
    The idea that "it's fine because of such-and-such" is itself the justification that enables harassment —
    and here we've got two sides fighting who both don't get that.
    Truly ridiculous.
    110AnonymousOct 19, 2026 06:25
    Re: #108
    It's not really that the streamer herself is justifying anything —
    the weird part is people taking it that seriously in the first place.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Sexual comments from listeners have long been an issue in VTuber streams, but it’s rare for a streamer to push back with a blunt word like “gross” (kimoi) herself, and this time it was the sheer force of her language that split opinion. The debate boils down to two main points. First: is the problem the people sending the harassing comments, or her choice of words in calling them out? Second: her use of “males” (osu) was read by some as a reverse-sexist slur, prompting questions about Hololive’s compliance stance. Meanwhile, criticism of the notion that “women’s sexual desire is pure, so it’s fine” has also been prominent, turning the existence of a gender-based double standard into its own point of contention. Note that the thread also saw baseless speculation about her real identity (such as her voice or nationality), but since that amounts to unsubstantiated personal attacks, this article does not cover it.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo board) thread “[Bad News] VTuber Laplus Darkness Sparks Backlash After Calling Harassment “Gross” and Viewers “Males”.”

  • Ami Tanimoto’s TikTok Live Floods 5ch with Comments — “Once You Hear Water Running, She’s Definitely in the Bathroom”

    Tsubaki Factory’s official X (formerly Twitter) account announced that Ami Tanimoto would go live on her personal TikTok account starting around 9:30 PM. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, a running commentary thread kicked off the moment the stream began — but the reactions focused less on the broadcast itself than on the viewing experience: an “HTTP ERROR 403” that blocked anyone trying to open TikTok in a browser, an odd-looking filter effect, and the sound of running water that had commenters wondering aloud, “Is she streaming from the bathroom?” There were also comments noting that her usual Instagram Live audience is always the same familiar faces, with some hoping TikTok might bring in new fans.

    Tsubaki Factory @tsubakifac_uf

    Today‼️ Starting around 9:30 PM, #AmiTanimoto will go live on TikTok on her personal account!

    If you don’t have TikTok yet, download it, follow her, and be ready to watch! 🫶🏻🫶🏻

    Source: tiktok.com / Original post here

    2AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:25
    Tsubaki's promo push is really ramping up
    3AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:27
    Tsubaki, queen of asking fans for favors
    4AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:28
    Where otaku-to-otaku connections end up
    7AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:29
    Everyone's working so hard, gotta respect it
    8AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:30
    Just push it all the way to a sellout
    9AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:30
    Wait, isn't this Tsubaki's own channel?
    10AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:31
    "Come back and stream again!?"
    Man, it's rough every single time
    11AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:32
    Too slow.
    Already unfollowed.
    12AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:35
    Oh wait, hold on, I messed that up—
    14AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:36
    She flashed it in the earlier live too
    15AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:36
    Access to www.tiktok.com was denied.
    You don't have permission to view this page.
    HTTP ERROR 403
    25AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:39
    Re: #15
    Exactly this
    Guess you can't even watch on PC without an account anymore?
    22AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:38
    Did Tsubaki have something going on today?
    23AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:39
    Glug glug glug
    24AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:39
    Once you hear the water running, she's definitely in the bathroom
    26AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:40
    I am never making a TikTok account, no way
    27AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:40
    Re: #25
    Even with an account you can't watch on PC,
    so I'm watching on my phone
    30AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:41
    I gave up and made an account on my phone
    now I can watch fine on PC too
    31AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:42
    That's our leader for you
    32AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:43
    TikTok might actually have more viewers
    35AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:44
    Sometimes it lets you in on PC without blocking you
    36AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:44
    Showing up in TikTok's "For You" recommendations…
    just like Rio Fujii
    37AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:44
    TikTok's better since even people who don't know her will watch
    43AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:46
    Tsubaki's Instagram Live gets like 400 viewers but it's always the exact same accounts
    Go get 'em on TikTok ✊‼
    44AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:46
    She really seems like the type her hairdresser would never stop chatting with
    53AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:48
    Is it taboo to say Yuumi looks cuter without makeup?
    54AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:48
    Fans prefer the bare-faced look anyway
    77AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:01
    Guess the young ones are staying up late too
    78AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:02
    Sounds rough, rehearsal running past 9 PM too
    79AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:06
    How many livestreams has Tsubaki done today already?

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Trying to watch TikTok in a PC browser while not logged in can trigger a 403 error, which means only people who have an account set up on their phone can reliably watch a stream. The repeated “can’t watch it” and “made an account on my phone” comments in the thread stem directly from this technical limitation. It’s also worth noting that more Hello! Project members have been running personal TikTok accounts in recent years, and comments comparing viewer counts with Instagram Live, or pointing out differences in video quality and filters between streams, reflect a fan pattern of focusing on peripheral details — which app, and how it looks — rather than the content of the stream itself. What actually divided the thread wasn’t how exciting the stream was, but rather frustration over the inconvenient viewing experience and the observation that her regular Instagram Live audience is “always the same faces” — neither of which was really a judgment on the quality of the broadcast itself.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “■ From around 9:30 PM ■ Tsubaki Factory’s Ami Tanimoto TikTok Live ■.”

  • Hasunosora Anime Only 7 Episodes Total? 5ch: ‘This Is Straight-Up Garbage lol’

    A thread announcing the anime adaptation of the new brand “Hasunosora Girls’ School Idol Club” went up on 5ch’s Love Live! board. The broadcast is said to run April through June, but reports indicate the main story will be just 7 episodes total — contradicting the thread title’s claim of “4 cours total” — prompting a string of replies pointing out that it actually falls short of even a single cour. Some see the cause as the mobile game Linkura (“Link! Like! Love Live!”) ending its service earlier than originally planned. The thread’s discussion ended up spreading into comparisons of revenue and reputation with other Love Live! spin-off series like Nijigasaki High School Idol Club and Superstar!!.

    1AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:10
    So they're doing 4 cours and there's even a movie, huh…
    3AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:12
    Unfortunately, it's only 7 episodes total — less than a single cour.
    6AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:15
    Re: #3
    Wait, seriously? That's straight-up garbage lol
    8AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:17
    Re: #3
    I mean, that's still basically 2 cours worth though
    11AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:19
    Even though Superstar!! (a Love Live spin-off, aka "Hoshi") had such garbage content, it still got a 3rd season,
    but Hasunosora only gets 7 episodes and that's it? Unacceptable.
    Stop pulling this "everything past episode 7 moves to another medium" nonsense.
    13AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:21
    Re: #11
    They're hemorrhaging money left and right — "acceptable" doesn't even enter into it.
    14AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:21
    Re: #11
    Hint:

    Official statement from the producers:
    "Even after the anime ends, Hasunosora will continue."
    23AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:34
    Re: #11
    They're already running a trash anime and a trash life-support movie, so they'll probably squeeze out a few cours at least.
    26AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:35
    It's not just locked to April–June, and Mion doesn't even show up yet, so at least 2+ cours are basically confirmed.
    28AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:37
    Re: #26
    That's just wishful thinking.
    It's far more likely they just do a quick 7-episode cash grab and bail.
    29AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:38
    Re: #28
    Even if they wanted to do that, the 4 earlier Love Live series are dead or dying, so they've got no choice but to keep Hasunosora on life support…
    32AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:40
    Re: #29
    Hasunosora, which has probably bled money like crazy itself, has no business talking.
    You guys are the biggest dead weight of all.
    34AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:45
    Re: #29
    Guess "Ikizulive" suits you guys just fine then (a pun mocking "Love Live" with ikizurai, "hard to survive")
    33AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:43
    Re: #32
    The losses were only on Odd Number's (the production company's) side though.
    Even SukuSuta (the mobile game) ran at a deficit, but Nijigasaki's still going strong.
    36AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:45
    Re: #33
    Apparently Bandai Namco took over the rights and is the one handling Linkura's refunds now, so the Love Live team must be sitting on pins and needles internally.
    39AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:47
    Re: #36
    That amount can't be that much, come on.
    40AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:48
    Re: #39
    Lol, saying "can't be that much" after causing real damage to the company.
    Why would they expect to still get investment after that?
    42AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:50
    Re: #40
    The money people spent on in-game purchases isn't that big a deal.
    You think they're seriously shouldering Odd Number's debt or something?
    43AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:50
    Isn't Superstar!! the one actually causing damage, what with their half-empty live shows?
    45AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:52
    Re: #43
    Lives turn a profit from merch sales, you know?
    Ticket revenue alone is basically break-even.
    49AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:54
    Re: #43
    Still not as bad as Nijigasaki, whose mobile game and movie both flopped hard.
    50AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:58
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HU6br4_bsAABG4v.jpg

    Hmm…
    52AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:59
    Re: #50
    Juria's great though…
    51AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:58
    Anime flopped, live shows are half-empty, the merch lineup is so thin it's almost insulting to even compare it to Nijigasaki's, the online lottery (kuji) is just a resale with zero new items, they can't even cash in on pilgrimage-site tourism, they dumped Kozushima and Harajuku, and they rig the paid voting events.
    Comparing Superstar!!, which doesn't have a single redeeming quality, to the other series is just disrespectful.
    56AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:02
    Re: #51
    It's Nijigasaki that blew up in controversy, tanked Love Live's reputation, and now has only its diehard fans making noise — it's disrespectful for it to even call itself "Love Live" in the first place.
    Dead weight content that keeps screwing up, cast included.
    67AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:10
    Re: #51
    Nijigasaki fanboys should come back and act tough after they actually beat Superstar!! in sales and attendance numbers.
    59AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:03
    Everyone in here clearly hasn't actually followed Hasunosora, so let me set the record straight.
    The plan was always 7 episodes of actual anime, with the rest covered by activity-record footage (lives, streams, etc.).
    Then Linkura's service ending earlier than even the producers expected threw the whole thing out of whack.

    There's no way they're doing more anime for a 2nd cour after this.
    64AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:08
    Re: #59
    So what, you're saying Mion was never scheduled to appear in the anime at all from the start?
    68AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:11
    Even hinting at a "final," you 8500-concurrent-viewers believers should just disappear.
    We're talking about Hasunosora here.
    71AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:13
    Re: #68
    Translation: "I can't stand losing to Nijigasaki in the numbers, so pleeeease stooooop!!!" 🤣
    73AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:20
    Both Nijigasaki and Hasunosora are seriously botching their exit timing.
    75AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:22
    Re: #73
    Honestly, μ's might be the only one who nailed their exit — but then right after the final there was the "black nipple" scandal, remember?
    74AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:21
    Superstar!! is the one getting it most wrong.
    They've just been dragging it out for 2 years with no anime at all.
    μ's had their FINAL the year right after their movie wrapped, and Aqours would've had a dome tour finale too if COVID hadn't happened, no?
    77AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:23
    The voice actors themselves already announced it's 7 episodes total, so if you're still saying "4 cours" — did you just not watch the livestream?
    82AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:25
    Re: #77
    There's no way they'd end it without even getting one character on screen.
    83AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:26
    Re: #77
    It's probably just that since it's "April to June," people are mentally converting that into "so July through March must be anime too!" on their own.
    Barely anyone on Edge (a fan forum) or X is actually that clueless.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The Love Live! franchise runs several brands in parallel, including “Hasunosora Girls’ School Idol Club,” and its anime adaptations typically run around 2 cours. That’s what makes a total of 7 episodes so unusually short, and the mismatch between that figure and the thread title’s claim of “4 cours total” is what kicked off the debate. Commenters speculate that the mobile game Linkura (“Link! Like! Love Live!”), which served as Hasunosora’s core platform, ending its service earlier than planned derailed what was originally meant to be a split between anime episodes and activity-record content (lives, streams, etc.). This is purely speculation from 5ch users — no official breakdown of the episode structure had been given by the production side as of this thread. There’s also lively comparison with sister brands Nijigasaki High School Idol Club and Superstar!! over sales and buzz, but those comparisons are likewise driven by individual impressions rather than cited figures.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Love Live!) thread “Hasunosora Anime’s First Cour Is April–June! 4 Cours Total!“

  • Taiga Drama ‘Toyotomi Brothers’: Asahi Weds Ieyasu — Divorce Scene Sparks Script Debate and Casting Trivia

    NHK’s Taiga drama “Toyotomi Brothers!” aired episode 40, “Asahi’s Marriage,” on October 18, depicting Asahi (Kurasawa Anna) divorcing Soeda Yoshinari (Maehara Mizuki) and marrying into the Tokugawa house as the wife of Ieyasu (Matsushita Kohei). Reactions on 5ch went well beyond simple praise — some viewers objected to dialogue that over-explained the characters’ feelings, others felt the portrayal of Ishikawa Kazumasa’s defection fell flat as historical interpretation, and still others dug into trivia about the actress playing Asahi or compared her role across past Taiga dramas.

    Sports Nippon [Oct 18, 2026, 20:45]

    NHK’s Taiga drama “Toyotomi Brothers!” (Sundays, 8:00 PM), starring actor Nakano Taiga (33), aired episode 40, “Asahi’s Marriage,” on the 18th, depicting the divorce of Asahi (Kurasawa Anna) from Soeda Yoshinari (Maehara Mizuki) and her marriage to Tokugawa Ieyasu (Matsushita Kohei). Here’s a look back at the scenes that got people talking.

    <*Spoilers follow>

    Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here

    9AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:52
    Take her mom along too while you're at it
    she's going to be a hostage anyway
    15AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:56
    Seriously, this is such a lazy 'kotatsu article' (one knocked out from the couch with zero actual reporting)
    52AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:37
    Re: #15
    Yeah, the article was clearly written before the episode even aired
    16AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:56
    Is this really something worth digging that deep into?
    21AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:58
    Re: #16
    It's practically mandatory for a Toyotomi Taiga drama, right?
    Izumi Pinko, Hosokawa Naomi, Shimizu Michiko…
    18AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:58
    I figured the actress playing Asahi was just some typical supporting-role face, but turns out she's a raw gem picked from 5,000 hopefuls


    Kurasawa Anna

    In 2022, she was chosen from roughly 5,000 applicants in talent agency Repro Entertainment's 30th-anniversary 'Lead Role Audition' project, kicking off her acting career.[2][3]
    78AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:20
    Re: #18
    Isn't she the daughter of Kurasawa Atsumi from the idol duo Warabe!?
    79AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:31
    Re: #18
    Oh, it's NOT Ito Asako?
    Just found that out today
    19AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:58
    That sneaky little entrance at the end was a huge letdown
    then Asahi starts rambling her feelings out loud too
    anyone watching can already tell both of them sacrificed themselves for the other
    spelling it out like that is exactly what makes it garbage
    is the screenwriter writing for little kids or something?
    32AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:06
    Re: #19
    The real historical climax is handing their beloved mother over to the Tokugawa, the tearful parent-child reunion, and clearing up the suspicion that she was an impostor — digging deeper into that part specifically would actually be a bad move
    20AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:58
    Asahi
    was cute
    the addictive kind of cute lol
    24AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:02
    There was an actress who looked like a young Ito Asako
    25AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:02
    So are they cutting the part where, a month before Asahi marries into the Tokugawa, Otomo Sorin — about to be wiped out by the Shimazu in Kyushu — travels all the way to Osaka to beg Hideyoshi for help?
    26AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:03
    The real Asahi really was such a pitiable figure
    this version's Asahi actress was good too, somehow
    55AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:39
    Re: #26
    I did an image search and ended up becoming a fan
    28AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:04
    Isn't this turning into more and more of a wild story?
    34AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:09
    All that's left now is the Hojo campaign and Koichiro's (Hidenaga's) death
    before he dies there's the whole scandal where a relative's indiscretion forces someone into seppuku
    plus the falling-out with Hideyoshi
    it's basically a bad ending, so how are they gonna dress that up nicely?
    39AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:17
    Re: #34
    Even though Hidenaga was a major hero in the real historical conquest of the Shimazu in Kyushu, apparently they're just skipping that
    65AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:00
    Re: #34
    I bet it just wraps up with 'We crushed the Hojo and achieved the unification of the realm Nobunaga once dreamed of,' the end
    36AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:15
    The lead character Hidenaga is basically a blank — is that really okay?
    43AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:21
    Re: #36
    If they'd stuck with the original plot and kept Hideyoshi the psychopath he was meant to be, the two brothers could've actually been told apart
    but Hideyoshi and Hidenaga end up feeling so similar that it's turned into 'well, guess we only needed Hideyoshi after all'
    37AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:16
    The 'defects → becomes a monk' pipeline cracked me up lol
    Asahi went down in history as Tokugawa Ieyasu's legal wife, so I'd call her pretty lucky
    47AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:31
    Re: #37
    Divorced from her husband and shipped off, losing her appetite — that's a scene you see all the time in Tokugawa-themed Taiga dramas
    38AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:16
    The best Taiga-drama Soeda Jinbei was Noguchi Goro
    68AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:04
    Re: #38
    And Princess Asahi was played by Matsumoto Akiko, right?
    46AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:31
    Not interested
    not interested in next week's episode either
    48AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:32
    Re: #46
    Then why are you even watching it?
    51AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:36
    Re: #48
    Obviously to drag the ratings down
    82AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:39
    Re: #51
    Do you have a ratings meter installed in your house or something?
    That's completely irrelevant
    50AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:36
    The girl playing Asahi kind of looks like Rui Rui's wife — there's something sultry about her
    53AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:38
    Re: #50
    She looks like Oden-kun (the claymation mascot character) — cute
    58AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:47
    I got the impression Princess Asahi died pretty abruptly, almost anticlimactically
    83AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:41
    Re: #58
    That's just because Ieyasu lived so long
    she'd simply reached the end of her natural lifespan
    59AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:49
    Re: #56
    Did the Tokugawa even have that kind of power back then?
    Attacking the Kanpaku would make you an enemy of the Imperial Court, after all
    60AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:51
    Re: #59
    Why's that?
    The Kanpaku isn't the Shogun, so isn't that beside the point?
    Isn't 'Kanpaku' just another term for whoever's the lord of Osaka Castle?
    61AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:54
    Re: #60
    If you're seriously saying that in real life, that's way too embarrassing
    64AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:58
    Re: #60
    The Kanpaku is the Emperor's chief aide, the highest-ranking vassal of the Emperor
    the position that governs in the Emperor's place

    Background and Key Talking Points

    Asahi’s marriage to Tokugawa Ieyasu (the historical Princess Asahi) is a well-known episode in which Hideyoshi used a political marriage to bring Ieyasu to heel, and her former husband Soeda Yoshinari (Jinbei), whom she was forced to divorce, is likewise grounded in the historical record. What divided the thread wasn’t so much whether the scene was moving as how it was handled — many objected to dialogue that over-explained the characters’ feelings, and to the show sticking with the conventional take on Ishikawa Kazumasa’s reasons for defecting. Casting trivia, on the other hand — Kurasawa Anna’s audition background, comparisons with actresses who’ve played the same role in past Taiga dramas — drew a largely warm response, showing how reactions to the drama itself and interest in casting/behind-the-scenes trivia built up as two separate strands of discussion. Note that historical particulars like the exact year of Princess Asahi’s death allow for some latitude in interpretation between the drama and the historical record, so comments in the thread don’t necessarily line up precisely with established history.

    *This article was compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geino/Sports News Flash+) thread “‘Toyotomi Brothers’ Asahi & Jinbei’s ‘Tearful Divorce’ — Deliberate Harsh Words, ‘Four Happy Years,’ Being Called ‘Tokichiro’ — Net Sobs Over Married Love“.

  • Goldman Sachs Exec Rakes In ¥79 Billion Bonus — 5ch Reacts: ‘Capitalism Has Gone Too Far’

    A Nikkei report that senior executives at Goldman Sachs are pulling in bonuses on the scale of $500 million (roughly ¥79 billion) became a hot topic on 5ch. Against the backdrop of the sharp sell-off in AI semiconductor stocks and moves to fund data-center firm CoreWeave, attention turned to how the firm itself makes its money. In the thread, opinions clashed head-on — some saw the payout as fair compensation for brutal workloads, others as runaway capitalism fueling inequality — showing how the same facts can be read in opposite ways.

    Why Goldman Sachs handed out a ¥79 billion bonus — a London x Tokyo conversation

    AI semiconductor stocks sold off, sending Japan’s stock market into turmoil. Attention also turned to the finances of U.S. data-center operator CoreWeave. Looking back at the U.S. financial institutions backing CoreWeave’s funding and their earnings reports, we also dig into the strategy behind Goldman Sachs, where executives are receiving bonuses of $500 million (roughly ¥79 billion).

    Continued 2026/10/16

    Source: nikkei.com / Original article here

    5AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:41
    Capitalism really has gone too far.
    We need to actually fix wealth redistribution.
    23AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:53
    Re: #5
    These are people who've been grinding nonstop for decades, working late into the night every single day.
    Why should any of that get redistributed to useless, lazy people?
    56AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:17
    Re: #5
    Capitalism is a system that creates a gap between rich and poor, then works people to the bone using the desire to get rich and the fear of falling into poverty.
    Setting aside how happy the people inside it actually are, this system is the optimal solution for driving scientific and technological progress.
    That said, how big you make that rich-poor gap is debatable — but personally, ¥79 billion or so seems… fine?
    162AnonymousOct 19, 2026 00:45
    Re: #5
    Idiot. Under meritocracy, this is exactly how it's supposed to work.
    7AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:43
    If someone in Japan got paid this much, wouldn't around ¥50 billion of it get eaten up by taxes?
    18AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:50
    Re: #7
    Even taking home ¥30 billion a year, you're not exactly going to struggle.
    9AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:43
    What do you even spend this much money on?
    A personal jet or something?
    36AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:00
    Re: #9
    Buying up a few castles, probably.
    11AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:46
    Everyone who's quit this place says they never want to go back — but getting paid that much, what's so brutal about it?
    16AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:49
    Re: #11
    The company and its investors must be making even more than what they pay out in compensation.
    In other words, they're being worked insanely hard.
    15AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:48
    So basically, 'here's the money, now go land even more deals'?
    92AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:44
    Re: #15
    Exactly right.
    The deals they bring in are trillion-yen scale.
    They live in a completely different world.
    Flying around the globe on a weekly basis, closing deals without fail.
    22AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:53
    I don't really care how much other people earn in general, but…

    Entire nations scramble over these guys' earnings,

    and meanwhile ordinary people are stuck suffering through inflation.
    35AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:59
    Re: #22
    This, exactly.
    They're not out there working for the good of humanity.
    25AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:54
    This is honestly a ridiculous story.
    31AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:57
    Re: #25
    Why's that?
    Talented people get rewarded.
    I think that's a wonderful thing.
    34AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:59
    Re: #31
    If someone pours talented ability into pure self-interest and ends up throwing society into chaos, that's nothing but harmful.
    182AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:41
    Re: #31
    Even so, that's way too lopsided.
    41AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:03
    Re: #36
    Castles, huh — I wonder if Japan's castles will end up getting bought up too eventually.
    Though it sounds like there aren't any privately-owned castles left in Japan.
    46AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:05
    Re: #41
    Let's get him to buy the Imperial Palace.
    47AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:05
    Can't be helped.
    That's just what capitalism is.
    51AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:09
    Re: #47
    It absolutely can be helped.
    Public funds were pumped in during the Lehman Shock, remember.
    70AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:25
    Re: #47
    No, that's wrong.
    That's neoliberalism.
    53AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:12
    If it were me, I'd quit the company after just one year.
    54AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:14
    Re: #53
    Total idiot.
    It's stock options (lol).
    61AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:18
    With about ¥1 billion, you could coast and live comfortably for the rest of your life.
    63AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:19
    Re: #61
    Not really, not at U.S. price levels.
    65AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:23
    Re: #61
    What's the minimum wage at the bottom end, anyway?
    67AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:24
    Re: #23
    Because the world doesn't run on rich people alone.
    100AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:55
    Re: #67
    You clearly don't get it.
    93AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:45
    Bet there's about to be a flood of young people wanting to join Goldman Sachs now.
    175AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:44
    Re: #93
    Even for elite graduates with top academic records and the physical and mental toughness to match, it's brutal enough that only 1 in 100 survives.
    138AnonymousOct 18, 2026 23:31
    Is Goldman Sachs kind of like Japan's Rakuten?
    140AnonymousOct 18, 2026 23:33
    Re: #138
    The only thing they share is the 'Golden' in the Golden Eagles (Rakuten's baseball team) (lol).
    156AnonymousOct 19, 2026 00:31
    Re: #138
    Rakuten actually builds infrastructure and runs a baseball team, so if anything it's the more legitimate company.

    Background and key points of this debate

    Bonuses at investment banks like Goldman Sachs are often tied not to base salary but to the scale of deals closed, and for senior executives a large chunk is paid out as stock options rather than cash. The thread’s point about ‘bringing in trillion-yen-scale deals’ reflects this kind of compensation structure. On the other hand, some pointed to how major financial institutions were bailed out with public funds during the 2008 financial crisis, arguing this isn’t money earned purely through self-reliant effort — so the debate doesn’t boil down to a simple ‘hard work vs. laziness’ split. Differences in tax burdens and price levels between Japan and the U.S. also mean people have very different intuitions about how much of that sum would actually end up as take-home pay, which likely contributed to the split in opinions on the thread.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “U.S. Goldman Sachs execs receive ¥79 billion bonuses.”

  • Hanshin’s Morishita Shota Gears Up for MLB Move — 5ch: ‘Already Signed With an Agent’

    It emerged on October 17 that Hanshin Tigers outfielder Shota Morishita has already signed with an agent in preparation for a future posting-system move to MLB. The report broke just after Morishita homered for a fourth straight year since his 2023 rookie season and became the first player in franchise history to homer in consecutive at-bats during the Climax Series. On the forums, opinions split on timing, with some saying “this offseason is too soon” and others saying “the year after next would make more sense.” Debate also centered on how this plays against Teruaki Sato, whose MLB move after his 6th-year offseason is already seen as a done deal, and on how to weigh the pay gap between NPB and MLB.

    Hanshin’s Morishita preparing for MLB move, already signed with an agent — “I do want to compete at the highest level” — intentions may be conveyed to the club as early as this offseason

    It was learned on the 17th that Hanshin Tigers outfielder Shota Morishita (26) has already signed with an agent and is making preparations for a future MLB challenge via the posting system.

    Starting for the first time in two games that day, he homered in the Climax Series for the fourth consecutive year since his 2023 rookie season, and also became the first player in franchise history to go deep in consecutive at-bats.

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

    3AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:14
    Being a Tigers fan must be incredibly stressful.
    4AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:16
    Once they let Sato-Teru go after year 6, they'll have to let Morishita go after his 6th-year offseason too.
    So that's only 2 more seasons with the Tigers, huh.
    Why didn't they lock Sato-Teru into 7 seasons like Okamoto and Murakami did?
    7AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:21
    "I can't keep playing for such a weak team in such a weak league — I want out right now."
    9AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:23
    Just one more pitch!! Just one more pitch!! Just one more pitch!! (a classic baseball-meme chant for a win that slips away at the last moment)
    10AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:24
    Draft a guy, he gets a little good, then says he wants to go to MLB.

    Feels like you're better off drafting a mediocre prospect at this point, no?
    12AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:24
    "The highest level" — does he mean baseball-wise, or money-wise?
    14AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:31
    Personality-wise he does seem like an MLB type.
    Though I'd be shocked if he fit in as fast as Murakami did in year one.
    15AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:31
    Morishita's slow on the bases and pretty average outside of hitting,
    so I think he'd just end up a watered-down Seiya.
    And Seiya basically had to bulk up to the point of risking a heart attack
    just to finally make it work over there.
    16AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:31
    The question is how his size gets evaluated over there.
    Anyway, I'd like to see him hit 40 homers next year first.
    17AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:34
    NPB's basically become the league of leftovers at this point.
    18AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:35
    Surely not this year though —
    he's only in his 4th season.
    Next offseason could get messy.
    The year after that, it'd probably go smoothly.
    19AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:37
    NPB: average salary ¥50 million, top salary ¥600 million
    MLB: average salary ¥800 million, top salary ¥11 billion

    Yeah, of course everyone wants to go to MLB.
    26AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:44
    Re: #19
    Even without succeeding over there, landing a decent contract would still pay more than staying successful in Japan.
    31AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:52
    Re: #19
    Something that costs ¥500 in Japan costs about ¥6000 in the US.
    Adjusting for that:
    NPB: average salary ¥600 million, top salary ¥7.2 billion
    MLB: average salary ¥800 million, top salary ¥11 billion

    Plus, even if you earn ¥1 billion in the US, you can't just bring all of it back to Japan.
    20AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:38
    More and more players can't wait around for international free agency anymore.
    Honestly it'd be healthier for players to aim for MLB straight away instead of going through NPB first.
    21AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:39
    Even past 25, if you haven't logged 6 years of service you start on a minor-league deal, so there's no upside.
    24AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:43
    Because teams need time to actually build a roster around their players.
    25AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:43
    The salaries are literally orders of magnitude apart.
    Guess a declining country with the world's 6th-largest GDP has no choice but to quietly hand its talent over.
    34AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:03
    Re: #31
    About 20-30% of the salary in big MLB contracts is usually deferred.
    So that 20-30% can just be used in Japan as-is.
    36AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:10
    Re: #34
    If you try to bring money earned in the US back to Japan, federal tax takes half of it.
    35AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:05
    I've got a feeling Morishita's contract renewal is going to land right on January 31st next year.
    37AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:10
    Let him go, let him go.
    That's what I'd like to say, but losing Sato and Morishita at the same time locks in a losing season for sure, so hold off until they've restocked the roster by poaching domestic free agents.
    38AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:12
    Teru this year, Saiki next year, Morishita the year after — that's probably how it plays out.
    39AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:15
    It's fine as long as senpai Oyama's still going strong,
    but what happens once Sato and Morishita are gone and senpai starts declining too?
    Will they develop or sign another slugger by then?
    I doubt things work out that conveniently.
    64AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:49
    If there's a chance, everyone should go try MLB.
    Succeed and you're clearing over ¥1 billion a year; even if you fail, some NPB team will buy you back for a few hundred million.
    Low risk, high reward.
    68AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:55
    Re: #64
    It'll probably end up like soccer.
    And that's entirely because NPB never did anything about it.
    67AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:54
    The second-tier league's level really is low, huh.
    69AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:56
    Re: #67
    In the Pacific League too, it's basically just SoftBank.
    72AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:21
    I'm a DeNA fan. If Sato and Saiki both head to America next season, Yokohama's going to win the league in 2027 and we won't get to pull off our signature underdog upset anymore. Please stop them from going to America.
    75AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:24
    Re: #72
    Nah, Maki's heading to MLB too, so Yokohama's finishing last lol
    74AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:23
    That just shows how little appeal the Tigers have left these days.
    Hey Fujikawa, what nerve do you have staying on as manager after this.
    76AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:25
    Re: #74
    It's the Giants' fault.
    They got abandoned for MLB back-to-back, first by Matsui and now by Okamoto.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    The posting system requires not just the player’s own wish but the club’s approval, making it a separate mechanism from domestic free agency (roughly 8 years of service for players who joined out of high school, 7 years for those who joined from college or corporate leagues). Teruaki Sato, the comparison point in the thread, is already widely seen as set to move after his 6th-year offseason, while Morishita is only in his 4th year, so the view that “this offseason is too soon” dominated the discussion. The salary figures tossed around for comparison were impressionistic numbers from the thread; as some replies themselves pointed out, big-money US contracts are often paid out in deferred installments and the tax treatment differs between Japan and the US, which makes a simple yen-conversion comparison unreliable. It’s also easy to misread the headline phrase “intentions may be conveyed as early as this offseason” as confirmation of a move — it actually just reports that Morishita is at the stage of signaling his wishes to the club, not that a transfer is settled.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku+) thread “[Baseball] Hanshin’s Morishita Shota preparing for MLB, already signed with an agent — “I do want to compete at the highest level” — intentions may be conveyed to the club as early as this offseason.”

  • Kubo Takefusa nets long-awaited first goal of the season vs. Malaga — a golazo in first start in 7 matches

    Real Sociedad’s Kubo Takefusa finally scored his first goal of the season in the Matchday 9 La Liga clash against Malaga on October 18 (local time). Starting as a right-sided midfielder for the first time in seven matches, he unleashed a stunning left-footed strike from outside the penalty area for a priceless goal. On the 5ch forums, reactions ranged from praise for the goal’s beauty to skepticism (“didn’t that just go in off a defender?”), debate over his playing time and the emphasis on his left foot, to talk of teammate Oyarzabal, who also scored his first goal of the season on the same day.

    In Matchday 9 of La Liga, held locally on October 18, Kubo Takefusa’s Real Sociedad took on Malaga away from home.

    [Video] A left-footed stunner from outside the box! Kubo Takefusa’s golazo explodes

    In this match, Kubo — starting as a right-sided midfielder for the first time in seven games — scored his long-awaited first goal of the season.

    Source: video.twimg.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:31
    Watching Osaka night-skyline video channels on YouTube beats watching the Peace-kun mascot at Omiya Park any day.
    6AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:32
    Tonight's a feast!!!!!
    Guess that makes me dessert?!?!?!
    GAAAH 😭😭😭
    10AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:34
    Yeah, a winger's gotta curl it, not just dribble around forever — that's the way. Never go near-post again with all that fiddling.
    12AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:35
    Even Mai-chan (Kubo's wife) is all smiles about this.
    13AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:36
    This is what having a wife is like, huh
    Way too cute 🥺
    https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2029506085342851073/vid/avc1/720×1280/4NP0QEK9B0OIPxs9.mp4?tag=21
    53AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:52
    Re: #13
    Mai-chan is so cuuuuute
    daaaaamn it
    14AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:36
    Congrats.
    Catching up to Lee Kang-in won't be easy, but it's good to aim high.
    15AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:36
    Re: #1

    Soccer players

    sure do marry celebrities a lot, huh
    18AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:37
    If he hadn't delivered in this match against the bottom-of-the-table team, things would've gotten pretty rough for him.
    20AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:40
    That went in off a defender.
    50AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:51
    Re: #20
    Exactly
    isn't that basically a lucky own goal?
    21AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:40
    One lucky strike and he's treated like a superstar
    meanwhile Ohtani's hit 30 homers and still gets trashed
    are we amateurs or what
    22AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:41
    A deflection from that spot is really just pure luck.
    23AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:41
    The haters are losing it lmaooooooooooooo
    24AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:41
    They left a huge gap there
    against Take, that's basically an open invitation.
    25AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:42
    If benching him means he stops missing shots
    then playing him once in a while is apparently the right call lol
    26AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:42
    Hey, this is the move he was drilling with the national team
    that shooting practice really paid off
    everyone inspires each other, and it all connects like this
    27AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:44
    Yeah, the wing suits him better than through the middle
    he's finally getting his form back since returning from injury
    29AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:46
    That's against Malaga, dead last with zero wins.
    30AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:46
    Ridiculously good goal
    must be the newlywed effect
    33AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:47
    Oyarzabal

    THEEEEERE IT ISSSSS
    41AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:49
    He might grab Man of the Match today with a goal and an assist
    60AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:55
    He'd been frozen out of the new manager's plans ever since the change
    even the local media said it made no sense — and yeah, it really didn't lol
    63AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:56
    Re: #60


    The main reason Kubo Takefusa struggled to find form this season is that the left knee injury from the opening match of the World Cup (against the Netherlands) lingered and set him well behind schedule. Even before the national team break, manager Matarazzo had said "Take isn't at his best," so it was clear his condition hadn't fully recovered.

    Given the poor form carrying over from the end of last season, there were concerns from the start of this season that securing a regular starting spot wouldn't be easy. Matarazzo's preferred 4-2-3-1 only has four attacking slots.

    With Oyarzabal and Gedes locked in as key players, the remaining two spots are being contested by Barrenetxea, Oskarsson, Sucic, Oching (promoted to the first team this season), Pablo Marin (returning from injury), and Zakharyan (who's gradually winning back the manager's trust).



    Congrats.
    75AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:05
    This is exactly what Kubo was missing
    these past few years, once defenders started respecting his left foot, he kept bailing out to his right foot for crosses and shots
    but the moment defenders got Kubo onto his right foot, they'd already won
    because it was never going to turn into a goal or an assist, so it was never actually scary
    Kubo really needs that left foot
    80AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:08
    Re: #75
    He's hit his ceiling on the right wing, so they should use him as a shadow striker
    if they won't use him there, he should just transfer to the J.League — it's a waste of time otherwise
    78AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:07
    Wait, Oyarzabal also scored his first one?
    that's surprising too
    85AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:11
    Re: #78
    no off-season after winning the World Cup, that's why
    81AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:08
    He got an assist too, didn't he
    87AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:11
    Re: #81
    Oyarzabal just smashed in a long-range shot himself — that was just a simple pass across, nothing more
    95AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:18
    The level of play feels worse than the J.League
    especially the defense — Sociedad's gutted by players getting poached, and Malaga's dead last
    106AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:23
    Re: #95
    how many Japanese players are actually thriving in La Liga
    if the J.League were really the higher level, more Japanese players would be succeeding in La Liga
    96AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:18
    From watching the sports-entertainment coverage I figured Lee Kang-in was tearing it up, but with 2 goals and 1 assist he's basically on par with Kubo lol
    102AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:21
    Re: #96
    Korean players are in such a slump right now that Koreans are betting everything on Lee Kang-in
    no wonder the hype level is different
    105AnonymousOct 19, 2026 03:22
    Re: #96
    can't help but laugh that he's on the same level as a Kubo who was out of form

    Background and talking points

    Kubo Takefusa’s underwhelming first half of the season traces back to a lingering left knee injury suffered in the World Cup’s opening match against the Netherlands. As manager Matarazzo openly said, Kubo “wasn’t at his best,” and with Sociedad’s 4-2-3-1 formation offering only four attacking slots, he found himself competing for the remaining spots against players like Barrenetxea and Zakharyan, alongside locked-in starters Oyarzabal and Gedes. Because this goal came in his first start after seven matches on the bench, the thread split between those who read it fondly as the “newlywed effect” and those who dismissed it as a “lucky deflection off a defender.” There was also technical discussion arguing that finishing with his left foot instead of bailing out to his right showed off his real strength — addressing a long-standing criticism that Kubo becomes far less threatening once defenders force him onto his right side. Many felt this goal proved the left foot was the key all along. The fact that teammate Oyarzabal also scored an equalizer and his own first goal of the season on the same day was discussed in the context of the short off-season following their World Cup win.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports Breaking News+) thread “[Soccer] Japan national team MF Kubo Takefusa (Sociedad) finally scores his first goal of the season! Starts for the first time in 7 matches, stunning golazo against Malaga!“

  • Shohei Ohtani Gets an ‘F’ from Local Paper’s Report Card — 5ch Asks: ‘Why Does the League’s #2 Hitter Get an F?’

    In October 2026, the Dodgers were swept 0-4 by the Brewers in the NL Championship Series (NLCS), ending their bid for a third straight World Series title. Right after, the US local paper “California Post” published a report card grading every player, giving Shohei Ohtani the only “F” grade among the batters. The fact that this was lower than Kyle Tucker’s grade and the lightly-used Kim Hye-seong’s “D” grade caused a stir. On 5ch threads, pushback emerged noting that Ohtani was actually near the top of the team in home runs and on-base percentage, along with pointers that the grade reflected only his postseason slump — with plenty of voices questioning the grading criteria itself.

    Shohei Ohtani Given the “Lowest Grade” on the Dodgers — Local Paper’s Harsh Review… Why He Ranked Below a Fielder Who Barely Played in the Majors

    After the Dodgers were swept 0-4 by the Brewers in the NL Championship Series (NLCS), missing out on a third straight World Series title, the US local paper “California Post” published a report card grading every player this season on the 17th (18th JST).

    Pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani was given the only “F” grade among the batters. So what’s behind it?

    Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article here

    4AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:43
    If he goes back to focusing purely on hitting next season and bounces back, I wonder what they'll write then.
    7AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:44
    Re: #4
    These types just keep bashing him until things go their way.
    Ichiro dealt with the same kind of thing.
    74AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:41
    Re: #4
    When you're bad you get ripped, when you perform you get praised — that's just how sports works.
    8AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:45
    Re: #1
    Come on, that's pinning way too much blame on him lol
    9AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:46
    His numbers have been sliding ever since he parted ways with Ippei Mizuhara.

    Ippei was right.
    10AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:46
    It wasn't just Ohtani-san — the whole lineup went cold.
    And whenever the pitchers got a lead, it got taken right back.
    11AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:46
    Well, he's the highest-paid guy on the team, so tough grading comes with the territory.
    13AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:50
    This year's Dodgers just didn't have any edge overall, huh.
    Everyone seemed checked out.
    66AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:34
    Re: #13
    It's like they were just… unfocused, no fighting spirit, all 'eh, we'll be fine~'
    Basically, they got complacent.
    15AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:50
    So what grade does Roberts get, huh (´・ω・`)
    17AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:51
    Keep it up and he might just walk — lose a global superstar like him and nobody's gonna care about the Dodgers anymore.
    18AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:53
    By the way, Ohtani has the second-highest OPS on the team, right behind Tucker.
    20AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:55
    Guess Kim Hye-seong's the better player, then.
    22AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:55
    He only got that home run in the final game because an old teammate ignored the catcher's signs to cut him a break lol
    Forget being the team's biggest liability, that's next-level messed up lol
    37AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:06
    Re: #22
    Guess that means he's loved in his own way.
    23AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:56
    That's just the kind of rag it is — controversy sells better.
    But honestly, fair enough, there was a vibe like he was wrecking the team.
    25AnonymousOct 19, 2026 01:59
    Re: #1
    That's Jack Harris, the Ohtani hater, lol
    He's working under the NY Post now, right?
    28AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:00
    Wait, is this 'Category F'???
    Oniisan!! (seems to be riffing on Japan's slang 'F-rank' for bottom-tier schools)
    29AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:01
    Re: #1
    Hey, come on lol
    Why's this an F?
    Freeman had a lower batting average in the playoffs too

    The article itself even says: 'Let's be clear — this two-way star was the second-best player in the National League this season.'
    30AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:02
    Does baseball not fire managers as casually as soccer does?
    48AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:16
    Re: #30
    The MLB record is a guy who got fired after just one game.
    31AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:03
    Against the Brewers — went hitless in Game 2, but otherwise reached base twice, reached base three times, and hit a 3-run homer. He did his job just fine.
    33AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:03
    Soto's stats weren't as bad as people make out either. Guerrero Jr. was the one who was actually awful.
    At the end of the day, articles like this are just written out of jealousy. It's basically defamation, slander.
    34AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:05
    Guess the first half of the season just never happened, huh lol
    35AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:06
    Eh, it's probably their version of Tokyo Sports (a Japanese tabloid known for sensational, unreliable stories).
    36AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:06
    The stats exposed that he can't come through in the clutch.
    Meanwhile the pitching numbers were built on plenty of rest, dodging tough opponents, and even pushing his turn back in the rotation.
    38AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:08
    The way he celebrated that last home run so hard just looked like a show for the media.
    Like, 'See, I hit one! Just use this clip, okay!'
    41AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:11
    I mean, getting paid 100 billion yen
    and putting up stats like that — that's basically fraud.
    42AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:12
    Why does the NL's #2 hitter get an F grade?
    49AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:17
    Re: #1
    Ohtani's batting stats this year, and this is an F.

    Team rankings
    Batting average: .275 (2nd 🥈)
    Hits: 144 (2nd 🥈)
    Home runs: 30 (1st 🥇)
    RBI: 81 (2nd 🥈)
    Runs: 89 (2nd 🥈)
    Walks: 81 (1st 🥇)
    Intentional walks: 16 (1st 🥇)
    Extra-base hits: 60 (1st 🥇)
    Total bases: 268 (1st 🥇)
    On-base %: .377 (1st 🥇)
    Slugging %: .512 (1st 🥇)
    OPS: .889 (1st 🥇)
    *Numbers in parentheses are team rank
    52AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:22
    Re: #49
    I genuinely don't remember when he hit any of those — zero impression at all.
    That's wild, Ohtani really is a genius.
    62AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:30
    Re: #49
    The F is a postseason-only grade.
    50AnonymousOct 19, 2026 02:18
    Hogging the DH spot and putting up numbers like that — yeah, fair enough.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    The “California Post” runs an annual feature grading every player report-card style after the season ends — a publication that tends to factor in not just stats but also expectations and contract size. Since Ohtani is on a 10-year, $700 million contract, the bar tends to be set higher for him than for other players. As pointed out in the thread, the F grade appears to reflect mainly his postseason batting slump (during the NLCS elimination) rather than the season as a whole — his regular-season numbers (30 home runs, an .889 OPS, and so on) actually ranked near the top of the team. Conflating the two can easily lead to the misreading that “Ohtani struggled all season.” The thread also floated speculation that the article’s writer is critical of Ohtani, but that’s speculation from 5ch, not a fact confirmed within the article itself.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku+) thread “[MLB] Shohei Ohtani Given the Dodgers’ Lowest Grade of ‘F’ — Local Paper’s Harsh Review… Why He Ranked Below Kyle Tucker and Kim Hye-seong’s ‘D’ Grade.”

  • Giants’ New Manager Announcement Possibly Monday — 5ch: “There Are Just Too Few Candidates Willing to Take the Job”

    The Yomiuri Giants entered October 18 still under an acting-manager setup, and the thread buzzed with speculation that a new manager could be announced as early as Monday. Some posters pointed out how few realistic candidates remain, while others argued the team shouldn’t limit itself to homegrown star players. Meanwhile, other posts fondly recalled legendary managers like Hirooka and Mori from the Giants’ “V9” dynasty era (nine consecutive Japan Series titles, 1965–1973). The same day also brought talk of the Giants’ farm team beating the Chunichi Dragons 3-0 in the Phoenix League, with Makoto Kadowaki and Ruki Mitsuzuka each hitting solo home runs.

    1Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 14:58:21.80
    Previous thread:
    Giants Acting Manager Thread #180
    20Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 17:19:54.43
    It's Kudo's fault for giving up the hit when he was one strike away.
    22Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 17:25:18.23
    Re: #20
    The real blame goes to Fujikawa for leaving him in across innings, and Fushimi's monotonous pitch-calling didn't help either.
    25Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 17:31:46.42
    @
    Kakegawa Nishi 7-6 Aikodai Meiden

    Kakegawa Nishi held on for the win, scoring 7 runs on 10 hits.
    Trailing by 2 in the bottom of the 9th, Aikodai Meiden had a sac bunt from no-out first, a groundout that advanced the runner, and a timely hit to close within one — but couldn't finish the comeback.

    Aichi high school baseball is just too intense right now.
    29Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 17:46:07.47
    Re: #25
    Well, that's Meiden for you.
    42Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 18:29:53.82
    Phoenix League
    Oct 18 (Sun) 12:30, Ikime No. 2 Stadium
    Giants 3-0 Dragons

    Home runs:
    Makoto Kadowaki — solo
    Ruki Mitsuzuka — solo
    66Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 19:03:13.95
    Re: #42
    [Giants] Kadowaki and Mitsuzuka homer — six pitchers combine on a shutout relay starting with Kanya Kinoshita… Phoenix League game vs. Chunichi
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/67ae7fa5cc00d800418c8e2b182bd01f793e051a
    46Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 18:40:20.01
    I don't blame Kudo at all. If anything, I want to thank him for the laughs — that was funnier than King of Conte (note: a popular Japanese TV comedy competition).
    49Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 18:41:45.34
    Has any team ever gone into Draft Day without a manager in place before? If they've already decided, I don't get why they're not announcing it.
    50Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 18:43:17.83
    Tomorrow's Monday — looks like there could be announcements from across all 12 NPB teams. The Giants' manager is obviously the headline, though. No doubt it'll scroll across the breaking-news ticker on NHK General.
    67Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 19:31:40.15
    Re: #50
    Especially since I live in the Kansai area, I really hope Teru's posting-system press conference (note: the posting system lets an NPB player negotiate a move to MLB) doesn't clash with the Giants' new manager announcement.
    51Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 18:46:34.33
    Since they cut Kori, they'll probably draft at least one catcher.
    52Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 18:48:11.94
    Re: #51
    Ryusuke Kita too — the one on the development roster (note: ikusei, NPB's lower minor-league-only contract tier).
    69Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 19:36:59.72
    At 0-2 he could've wasted a pitch outside the zone, but since it was framed as 'one more strike,' he probably went for the kill and left it too fat.
    71Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 19:39:08.46
    Re: #69
    To be fair, it was technically a dangling breaking ball off the plate — normally that doesn't get hit.
    89Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 20:25:02.04
    It's over once the only excitement left is talking about other teams.
    126Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 21:24:08.85
    Re: #89
    The fate of every comedy thread!
    105Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 20:53:32.42
    Aren't there just way too few people willing to take the job? Panda's about the only one.
    108Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 20:55:09.37
    Re: #105
    Exactly why they should just drop this 'must be a homegrown star' rule.
    109Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 20:57:16.11
    Panda's fine by me, but he should step down after 3 years.
    112Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 20:57:51.51
    Re: #109
    Watching a statue for 3 whole years would be rough (note: 'jizo,' a stone statue, is slang for a passive, do-nothing manager).
    115Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 21:01:40.09
    The rest of the Central League is so bad that even Panda would be fine.
    120Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 21:18:53.22
    Re: #115
    Agreed. Even the Tigers (note: '珍,' a common nickname for the Hanshin Tigers) got weaker faster than expected. At this rate the Central League is basically 0 strong teams and 6 weak ones.
    125Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 21:23:38.15
    A manager isn't going to change things that much. Nobody actually wants to run this Giants team right now.
    128Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 21:26:16.83
    Re: #125
    What did you think watching the Tigers this year?
    127Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 21:26:16.83
    This is just a hangout thread for nostalgic old men.
    130Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 21:28:20.46
    Re: #127
    Ah, the hot dogs at Korakuen Stadium were so good… (note: the Giants' home ballpark before Tokyo Dome, demolished in 1988)
    137Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 21:34:31.88
    Just make someone who can carry on V9-era baseball the manager!!
    142Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 21:45:54.10
    Re: #137
    Hirooka, Mori, Oh, Horiuchi, Takada — is that about the whole list?
    138Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 21:35:38.74
    Times have changed — in NPB these days it's 'Benki' or nothing (note: a derogatory nickname, literally 'toilet bowl,' for a team or figure not identified further in the thread).
    151Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 22:06:59.05
    Re: #138
    Underestimate the momentum of 'dirty-tricks' Yokohama (note: likely a nickname for the DeNA BayStars) and even Benki can't beat them.
    201Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 22:53:08.10
    Is there any point drafting someone like Ota? What's the Tigers doing stockpiling veteran catchers?
    204Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 22:54:04.47
    Re: #201
    Fujikawa rated guys like Fushimi back in his Orix days. For whatever reason he likes veteran catchers, so if they dangle Kobayashi they'd probably get something decent back.
    212Anonymous2026/10/18 (Sun) 22:59:11.44
    Re: #201
    A dedicated bullpen catcher — not even on the active 70-man roster or the development roster. They need a catcher.

    Background and Discussion Points

    The Phoenix League is an official fall league played at stadiums in Miyazaki Prefecture, giving young players with limited playing time and players recovering from injury a chance to get game reps. The Giants’ farm team turned in a 3-0 shutout relay against Chunichi that day, which some posters contrasted with the first team’s disappointing performance during the regular season. Separately, NPB managerial announcements tend to cluster around the Draft Meeting for many teams, and the thread’s references to a “homegrown star” hiring standard point to the Giants’ traditional personnel philosophy — but it’s worth noting that no specific successor candidate was named anywhere in the thread, so this remains purely speculative.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and summaries of the 5ch thread “Giants Acting Manager Thread #181.”

  • Behind the surge in unauthorized access: the rise of Chinese-made LLMs — 5ch says, “It’s rarer to find someone whose info HASN’T leaked”

    Behind the recent surge in unauthorized access is a new reality: AI now handles reconnaissance, intrusion, and data theft automatically, and high-performance Chinese-made LLMs (large language models) are circulating for free. An article reporting on this became a hot topic on 5ch. In the thread, many pointed out that high-performance open-source LLMs that run even on low-spec PCs are being released for free, lowering the barrier to learning cyberattack techniques. At the same time, pushback emerged against the simplistic framing of “China is the mastermind,” with some arguing that “they’re just using another country’s LLM as a stepping stone — the people doing it aren’t necessarily Chinese.” The gap between the technical reality and the oversimplified interpretation became the central point of debate.

    Behind the surge in unauthorized access, the rise of “Chinese-made LLMs” — AI automatically handles reconnaissance → intrusion → data theft. “It’s rarer to find someone whose info hasn’t leaked” — experts sound the alarm. What can be done?

    Sun, Oct 18, 17:00

    TV Kochi

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

    7AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:41
    Qwen doesn't even have internet access to begin with — it just doesn't have that feature. Though you could probably pull it off using the paid API.

    By the way, all the big-name American LLMs have that turned on by default.
    84AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:19
    Re: #7
    Ugh… I want to comment but I'll hold back lol
    28AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:49
    Just cut off access from China and it's solved
    30AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:50
    Re: #28
    You can easily route around that though
    31AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:51
    Just an amateur's take, but couldn't we have that Chinese model find the vulnerable spots first?
    Why isn't anyone doing that?
    33AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:53
    Re: #31
    Because nobody takes any responsibility even when data leaks from a breach
    47AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:58
    Chinese AI doesn't care about right or wrong — it's the worst kind of criminal AI
    Which basically means the CCP doesn't care either lol
    67AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:08
    Re: #47
    Nah, they've got tight restrictions on that, don't they?
    Otherwise the government would shut it down in an instant
    53AnonymousOct 18, 2026 20:59
    Re: #30
    Exactly
    Cutting the line with China isn't that simple
    You'd have to sever China's connections with every other country too — that's the only way it'd work
    68AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:08
    Re: #53,30
    But wouldn't that choke the bandwidth?
    57AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:02
    That just goes to show how high-performance it is
    Japanese LLMs don't even come up in the conversation
    Pretty sad, honestly
    61AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:05
    Re: #57
    Well, Japan doesn't do distillation using American LLMs, does it
    59AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:04
    Japan is seriously in trouble if most people have such poor literacy that they hear "Chinese LLM is the backdrop" and translate that straight into "China is the mastermind"
    Though, well, a good chunk of hacker groups probably are Chinese anyway
    64AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:06
    Re: #59
    The real issue is China's own lack of literacy — using other countries' LLMs as a stepping stone
    88AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:21
    Re: #67
    What kind of restriction are you even talking about?
    Banning open source?
    167AnonymousOct 18, 2026 22:15
    Re: #88
    Open source?
    Is the LLM in this article actually about local, offline setups?
    95AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:24
    If they don't properly sort out and clearly report what a "local LLM" even is, who's building and releasing them, and what the actual problem is,
    misunderstandings are going to spread again, weird regulations will get slapped on, and Japan will end up falling behind all on its own.
    106AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:29
    Re: #95
    > What a "local LLM" is
    No internet connection. I think it's fair to understand it as AI that can be fully downloaded and run locally.

    > Who's making and releasing them
    All kinds of players release them — even Google puts some out. The high-scoring ones that run on low-spec hardware tend to be Chinese-made.

    > What the actual problem is
    The learning cost for people doing the hacking has dropped. The real problem is that hacking tools can now be built far more easily.
    96AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:25
    Can a GPU that an average person can actually afford (24-48GB) really run an LLM that high-performance?
    Wouldn't you need an enterprise-grade GPU server to even pull that off?
    102AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:28
    Re: #96
    Lately main memory can be used much more efficiently, so fairly smart large models run fine even on an ordinary PC
    112AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:32
    Re: #96
    I think it has plenty of performance.
    Being able to monopolize the resources is especially powerful, I'd say.
    111AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:31
    Chinese-made AI really is absurdly cheap.
    114AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:33
    Re: #111
    It's free because it's a local AI, lol
    115AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:33
    Re: #111
    "Cheap" doesn't even cover it — it's handed out for free
    All that's left is training it yourself for hacking purposes
    117AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:34
    No experts criticized the Digital Agency's statement, did they
    Why do you think that is
    Because everyone's looking out for their own skin
    125AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:39
    Re: #117
    "Stop reusing passwords,"
    "Use multi-factor authentication,"
    and "Watch out for suspicious emails" —
    the Digital Minister just stated three perfectly correct countermeasures and still got bashed for it. Poor guy.
    128AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:41
    Re: #125
    Lol, those are literally the first three things an AI tells you if you ask it
    143AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:52
    Re: #125
    No matter how much individuals protect themselves, it's pointless if companies keep leaking the data anyway
    At that point you might as well say "just don't register your personal info anywhere"
    120AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:35
    What scale of LLM are we even talking about, if a local AI can pull off that kind of performance?
    123AnonymousOct 18, 2026 21:38
    Re: #120
    I don't think it's doing anything that sophisticated.
    It's just brute-forcing its way to finding vulnerabilities and then exploiting them.

    So it's not like it can hack the Department of Defense's computers.
    It's not hacking into a bank's core accounting systems either.

    It's just finding the vulnerable company among the millions out there.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    What this report points to is the fact that open-weight large language models released for free by Chinese companies can be downloaded and used by anyone. As the thread pointed out, the nationality of the model’s creators and the nationality of the person using it to attack are separate matters — jumping straight from “Chinese-made LLM” to “this is the Chinese government’s doing” risks being a hasty conclusion. That said, the fact that AI can now take over brute-force vulnerability hunting and the building of hacking tools — meaning even low-skill attackers can target huge numbers of companies — should be taken seriously as a real threat, just as the experts warn. The countermeasures the Digital Minister cited in the article, like “stop reusing passwords,” are correct at the individual level, but as the thread also noted, much of the data leakage stems from vulnerabilities on the corporate side — leaving a structural problem that individual precautions alone can’t fully solve.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “[Unauthorized Access] Behind the surge, the rise of “Chinese-made LLMs” — AI automatically handles reconnaissance → intrusion → data theft. “It’s rarer to find someone whose info hasn’t leaked”.”