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  • Actress Hiroe Igeta Admits to a “Serious Relationship” Three Years Ago — 5ch Reacts: “What Kind of Guy Isn’t ‘Reliable’?”

    Actress Hiroe Igeta (29) admitted to having had a serious relationship in 2023, after a fortune teller predicted during the late-night broadcast of Fuji TV’s “Totsuzen desu ga Uranatte mo Ii desu ka” (“Is It Okay If I Read Your Fortune?”) on the 13th that she “falls for unusual people.” Her co-star Kasumi Mori seemed surprised, saying of the man, “I had this image of him as steady and reliable,” while revealing, “In the end I heard that ‘work came first and things got put on the back burner, so it didn’t work out.’” On 5ch, reactions ranged from surprise at the gap with her steady image to speculation about who the man might be, though the thread also saw plenty of crude remarks about her looks and figure that dragged the discussion off-topic.

    Hiroe Igeta Admits to a “Serious Relationship” Three Years Ago: “Yes. I had a wonderful time.”

    Actress Hiroe Igeta (29) appeared on Fuji TV’s late-night show “Totsuzen desu ga Uranatte mo Ii desu ka” (Sundays at 12:55 a.m.), which aired on the 13th, and revealed that she had a serious relationship in 2023.

    After fortune teller Yayako predicted that she “falls for pretty unusual people,” her close friend and co-star Kasumi Mori remarked, “An unusual person, hmm. The person who was unusual… hmm. It’s less that he was unusual and more that, well, that’s just how Ige-chan is. I had this image of him as steady and reliable, so it’s surprising there’s a side of her that isn’t like that. But in the end I heard something like, ‘Work ended up coming first and it got put on the back burner, so it didn’t work out,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s how it goes.’ They ended up right back where they started — it heated up once, but then it cooled back down.”

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

    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:50
    Re: #2
    Well, if it's a "serious relationship," that's probably exactly what it means.
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:52
    What kind of person counts as "not reliable" anyway — a drifter, or maybe a "210"? ("210" is obscure net slang here; the exact meaning is unclear, likely a jab at some shady or unstable line of work)
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:54
    She's recognized more as a TV personality than as an actress.
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:54
    Re: #5
    Imada said recently his last relationship was when he was 48, so that doesn't line up.
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:56
    Re: #17
    Koji's just saying he wants a beautiful, pure romance — he just wants the two of them to laugh and cry together, that's all.
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:58
    Re: #23
    Things like consolation money, a payoff to end it cleanly, or maybe "that" never showing up… ("that" is a euphemism implying a pregnancy scare)
    107AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:35
    Re: #23
    Imada's stuck on "Not-Yet Romantic" (a pun on his name, 今田/Imada, which reads like "imada," meaning "still" or "not yet")
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:56
    An actress?
    These days just showing up in commercials gets you called an actress?
    86AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:21
    Re: #21
    That's just because you don't know — she's been in dramas, stage plays, and movies too.
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:58
    Sounds like the type both you guys and I would hate.
    96AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:26
    Re: #27
    I love Ige-chan from the bottom of my heart.
    Ige-chan really is the cutest girl in the whole world~
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:00
    Zero-One had a rough time too because of COVID. Izu ended up gaining weight even though she's supposed to be a robot.
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:00
    Wait, she's an actress?
    Thought she was just a TV personality.
    And (29) — huh, guess that checks out.
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:02
    Elite beauties really do go for dangerous guys, huh.
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:10
    Honestly, what's more surprising is that she's already 30.
    68AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:12
    Re: #62
    These days both men and women are hopeless with their childish, put-on mannerisms.
    74AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:14
    "Got no lingering feelings for the wife, but…" — Igeta (a riff on a classic enka lyric pattern, punning on her surname)
    79AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:17
    Re: #74

    You idiot!

    You just did a spit-take with your tea at your desk, didn't you!
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:17
    Never expected this girl to out-succeed Izu among the Rider cast.
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:19
    Re: #78
    Don't even know her name, but I figured the girl from [Kamen Rider] Drive was the one who'd make it big.
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:19
    Surprising that this one broke out while Wachi Minami, from the same high school, didn't.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    “Totsuzen desu ga Uranatte mo Ii desu ka” is a late-night show where a fortune teller reads guests’ fortunes while drawing out conversation; Igeta was told by the fortune teller that she “falls for unusual people,” which led into her admitting to a 2023 relationship. Igeta is known for roles including the heroine in Kamen Rider Zero-One, and what co-star Kasumi Mori described — that it “ended because work came first” — doesn’t touch on who the person was or the specific reason for the breakup. In the thread, comments expressing surprise at the gap with her steady image mingled with crude remarks unilaterally judging her looks and figure; the latter have been left out of this article. There were also speculative replies naming specific individuals, such as “the Okada guy she co-starred with on Zero-One [01],” but neither the show nor any reporting has confirmed anything — it should be noted these are strictly speculation from an anonymous message board.

    *This article was compiled by excerpting and summarizing the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Actress Hiroe Igeta Admits to a “Serious Relationship” Three Years Ago: “Yes. I had a wonderful time.”“.

  • Is Juice=Juice’s Breakout Being Steered by the Chairman? 5ch Buzzes With Claims It ‘Wasn’t Just Luck’

    A thread has appeared on 5ch’s Hello! Project board about Juice=Juice’s sudden surge in popularity. The debate centers on whether Naoki Yamazaki, who leads Hello! Project, was aware of and steering the group’s sudden jump in name recognition — sparked by the viral “Moremi” dance trend on TikTok (a heavily filtered, ‘glammed-up’ dance meme) and posts tied to Hana Kojima — or whether it was simply unplanned. Comments like “There’s no way this broke out on its own — they’re paying an agency for this” clashed repeatedly with counterarguments such as “Director Yamazaki was the one who set Juice=Juice’s Latin-music direction in the first place,” leaving posters split over just how much of the rise was the agency’s doing.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:53
    Pushing precious Morning Musume。 aside
    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:55
    Bet he's not thrilled about that
    Even his favorite, Kitagawa, left the group too
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:56
    Probably not just luck
    Sounds like he's the one behind stuff like Hayashi's glasses
    And Yama-chan handled the cover song too
    He clearly keeps a close eye on this group
    Kitagawa was Team Juice to begin with anyway
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:57
    They're paying an agency for this,
    so there's no way it just happened on its own
    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:57
    Re: #1
    Go do a little more research on Hello! Project and Up-Front, okay?
    If anything, it was Morning Musume。 that broke out on its own
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:58
    Exactly right!
    It was Musume。 that broke out on its own
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:59
    Maria Makino didn't jump on the Moremi trend
    That's your answer right there
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:59
    Isn't Reirei one of his favorites too?
    He must be thrilled the Latin song he pushed so hard finally hit
    Though now he's chasing a second stroke of luck with an 'India fit' (apparently an Indian-themed follow-up)
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:00
    And on top of that, Juice is an Up-Front idol group whose fan club is run through Hello! Project
    Back in the Aoyama days they'd have been under UFA
    Plus the de facto direction behind Juice's Latin songs
    is Director Yamazaki
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:01
    Honestly this just looks like the result of a very deliberate push
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:03
    My old Hello! Project fever is back, age be damned
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:03
    Enough nitpicking — once the Hello Pro Moremi thing blew up enough to look like a total win for Yama-chan, that's when the push really started
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:03
    Hana Kojima did the Moremi thing too, back at the end of last year, so it's basically confirmed her transfer was chairman-led as well
    https://www.tik
    tok.com/@kojimahana_official/video/7590009125107502343
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:03
    It's funny how Airi Suzuki's fans have this warped narrative — like "Airi got frozen out, but she hustled her own gigs and made it big herself"
    Fan perception really does get twisted, huh
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:05
    So what's the actual relationship between the Chairman and Musume。?
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:06
    Re: #19
    She's the firstborn, but more like an adopted daughter, I'd say
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:22
    Re: #19
    The birth parent is Naoki Yamazaki

    The babysitter is Tsunku

    Morning Musume。's success is why Yamazaki created Hello! Project
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:20
    Yama-chan decides everything in Hello! Project, so nothing happens on its own
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:22
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE91HR2aQAEDsbP.jpg
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:22
    Why would anyone think Yamazaki isn't involved with Juice=Juice?
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:23
    Re: #61
    Exactly this
    Hello! Project belongs to Naoki Yamazaki, after all
    68AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:26
    He's had hits in so many different directions that people compare him to Weekly Manga Action magazine (known for its eclectic, all-over-the-place lineup)

    Takahiko Horiuchi as an enka singer
    Chisato Moritaka
    Iwao Takayama
    KAN
    Sharan Q
    Morning Musume。
    Minimoni。
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:28
    Re: #68
    Honestly they all feel like the same direction
    Total Showa-era pop vibe
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:28
    Re: #68
    Nah, that's a stretch — they're all basically the same, there's zero real variety
    94AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:33
    Re: #68
    The more you look, the more it's really just one direction
    Re: #79
    No wait, it was Tsunku originally

    This old man's story is a complete mess
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:29
    That slightly goofy, countrified feel Hello! Project has is all Chairman Yamazaki's personal taste
    Once he's gone, I bet they'll try to get all stylish and it'll flop hard
    81AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:30
    Re: #77
    Naoki Yamazaki himself holds so much power that even the media go soft on him
    79AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:29
    Re: #73
    That's why genius Naoki Yamazaki gave Juice a young woman, Aoi Yamazaki, instead of Tsunku
    83AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:30
    Re: #79
    No, he actually gave them Tsunku
    Are you new here?
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:30
    Re: #76
    Just look at other agencies
    Their range is shockingly narrow by comparison
    85AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:31
    Re: #82
    Which "other agencies" are we even talking about
    There are like 50,000 of them in Japan
    86AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:31
    Re: #83
    Tsunku wasn't cutting it, so they made a change
    88AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:32
    Re: #86
    You change your story every single time someone calls you out
    Maybe apologize first
    87AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:32
    Re: #83
    Tsunku got fired, you know
    90AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:32
    Re: #87
    You change your story every single time someone calls you out
    Maybe apologize first
    102AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:40
    Re: #73
    That might actually be fine
    There's probably decent demand for it
    The world doesn't belong to young people alone, after all
    103AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:41
    Re: #102
    You've only got one card in your hand, lol

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Hello! Project is a brand launched by Naoki Yamazaki, who leads the Up-Front Group, following the success of Morning Musume。, and he is said to remain deeply involved in decision-making for the group as a whole. The “Moremi” trend discussed in the thread spread through altered-lyric dance videos on TikTok, with several Hello! Project members beyond Juice=Juice joining in. Where posters disagreed was over whether this rise in popularity was engineered by the agency or simply the result of individual members’ posts going viral on their own — the thread offers no material to settle that question definitively. Terms like “agency” and “Dentsu” also remain firmly in the realm of speculation and shouldn’t be taken as confirmed fact.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Did Chairman Yamazaki Forgive Juice=Juice for Breaking Out on Its Own?“

  • Showa-Era Hello! Project Let Fans Smoke in Their Seats — And Yamazaki Naoki’s Business Savvy Steals the Thread

    A thread on 5ch’s Hello! Project board turned nostalgic for the early days of Hello! Project back in the Showa era. Posters recalled that smoking at concert venues was simply the norm at the time, with ashtrays built right into the seats, while others dug into the backstory of Naoki Yamazaki — founder of parent company Up-Front Group — who rose through the ranks at talent agency Young Japan before climbing from managing director to president of Up-Front Agency, alongside his personal ties to the idol duo Wink. The thread ended up catching fire along two tracks: the smoking culture of the era, and the industry history behind it.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:58
    Did everyone actually buy records back then?
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Yeah, people used to smoke right there at the venue.
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:08
    One of the members had been on Petit Tomato (a kids' variety show).
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:09
    Showa, lol.
    So we're talking the Alice/Banba Hiroshi era?
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:09
    There was a month-long show at Nichigeki once a year —
    back in the "Kyūto" run you could smoke up on the 3rd floor and above, lol
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:11
    Bet there are Hello Project otaku in here who used to listen to Tanimura Shinji and Banba Hiroshi's Seishun Campus radio show, lol
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:11
    There was a hit song that ended with everyone singing "rai-ra-rai" in the outro
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:12
    Re: #17
    So "Moremi Amore" carried that tradition on, huh
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:14
    There were spring and autumn tours to entertain the troops at the front lines
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:21
    Wait, even "Watashi ga Obasan ni Nattemo" turns out to be a Heisei-era song?
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:22
    One of the members came up through School Mates.
    24AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:23
    The call-and-response chants were so complicated, they were a pain to memorize.
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:24
    So where did it actually start?
    I don't get how they managed to break away from Burning Productions.
    Yamazaki doesn't strike me as that high-up a guy.
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:27
    Re: #25
    Yamazaki rose through the ranks at Young Japan and was made managing director of Up-Front Agency.
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:54
    Re: #25
    Young Japan wasn't originally part of the Burning group, it was an outsider —
    Burning only cooperated because there was no overlap in talent.
    Young Japan succeeded, Yamazaki was made managing director of the newly formed Up-Front Agency, he eventually became president, and because he was so capable, Up-Front grew right along with him.
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:29
    At the end of the day, the most exciting event was Yantan Tokyo —
    a live public broadcast from Akasaka's TBS Hall late on Saturday nights.
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:30
    Re: #27
    This is where today's Up-Front got its start.
    If Naoki Yamazaki hadn't been so capable, there'd be no Up-Front — and no Chisato Moritaka or Morning Musume either.
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:38
    This is a thread where you can actually hear the precious voices of the old guys who show up in those bar-event videos.
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:40
    Wasn't Wink something different?
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:46
    Re: #31
    Wink was run by a company founded by one of Yamazaki's former subordinates.
    After they disbanded, Aida came over to Up-Front.
    50AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:15
    Re: #33
    Oh, is that what Upright Music was?
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:41
    Before they hit it big, Wink did a ton of local promo gigs in Kansai too — very Young Japan of them.
    Their producer was a former member of Jacks, after all.
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:55
    Looking back now, that Celebrity Swimming Tournament was a wild concept, lol
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:58
    Concert venues used to be filled with cigarette smoke.
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:59
    It was totally normal for people in the audience to heckle "Hey, ugly!"
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:02
    The guy's got enough clout in the industry that the moment Downtown's Hamada realized, "Oh, you're with that chairman's (Yamazaki's) agency?" his whole attitude shifted a bit.
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:03
    Most of the fans wore happi coats or special outfits, right? (happi = a traditional short festival coat)
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:04
    Which Hello Project member was it again who got into a fight with Hibari Misora?
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:08
    They probably wanted to lean on TV exposure.
    But they had a falling-out with Dentsu and got frozen out of the TV world.
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:11
    Re: #44
    The Moremi boom blew that whole theory out of the water though.
    45AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:09
    Seats came with ashtrays built in, so you could smoke.
    48AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:12
    They kept getting picked as the leading lady in Otoko wa Tsurai yo, didn't they?
    49AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:13
    Re: #46
    What are you even talking about?
    That was 20 years ago.
    Gramps, does time just not move for you?

    Dentsu's power has weakened
    ↑
    We are here
    52AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:17
    The Showa-born old-timers just never graduate and keep hanging around, which is exactly why the Ōkami fandom (a nickname for the Morning Musume fanbase) keeps declining.
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:18
    Re: #50
    That's right.
    Upright Music was founded by one of Naoki Yamazaki's former subordinates.
    That's why the names are similar.
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:18
    Re: #51
    Time for an update, gramps.

    Background and Talking Points

    Hello! Project’s parent company, Up-Front Group, traces its roots to Up-Front Agency, where Naoki Yamazaki — who came up through the talent agency Young Japan — served first as managing director and later as president. The thread featured plenty of posts pointing out that Wink’s agency shared the same Young Japan lineage, as well as testimonials capturing the era’s casual attitude toward smoking at concert venues. It’s worth noting these accounts are drawn from fans’ memories and secondhand stories rather than documented, official records. Toward the end, some posts also tied the idea of “management not dependent on TV exposure” to Morning Musume’s more recent struggles, and opinions were divided on just how well those old success factors still apply today.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “What was Hello! Project like back in the Showa era?“

  • BEYOOOOONDS FC Event Ticket Results Announced — 5ch Asks: ‘Did I Do Something Wrong?’

    The ticket results for BEYOOOOONDS’ fan club event “Christmas Battle ZIN” (Kurisumasu no Jin ZIN), set for December 4 at Nissho Hall in Minato Ward, Tokyo, have been announced, and 5ch’s results-report thread quickly filled up with replies. While some fans won tickets to both Part 1 and Part 2, others reported losing both, sparking confusion over the uneven results. The thread buzzed with reports from newer fans who won tickets, along with speculation about how the addition of new members might have affected venue capacity and competition ratios.

    BEYOOOOONDS FC Event 2026 ~Christmas Battle ZIN~

    ●Performers: BEYOOOOONDS

    ●Venue: Nissho Hall (Tokyo)

    Source: upfc.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:55
    BEYOOOOONDS Schedule (Simplified)
    09/15 (Tue) Satoyoshi bar event at Ueno
    09/25 (Fri) Maeda & Ono bar event guest appearance at Yurakucho
    10/16 (Fri) Stage play at Yoyogi
    10/17 (Sat) Stage play at Yoyogi
    10/18 (Sun) Stage play at Yoyogi
    10/19 (Mon) Stage play at Yoyogi
    10/20 (Tue) Stage play at Yoyogi
    10/21 (Wed) Stage play at Yoyogi
    10/22 (Thu) Stage play at Yoyogi
    10/23 (Fri) Stage play at Yoyogi
    10/24 (Sat) Stage play at Yoyogi
    10/25 (Sun) Stage play at Yoyogi
    10/29 (Thu) Okamura bar event at Yurakucho
    10/31 (Sat) Festival at Osaka
    11/11 (Wed) Nippon Budokan performance
    11/25 (Wed) Single release date
    11/26 (Thu) Autumn tour at Tokyo
    12/04 (Fri) Christmas event at Minato Ward👈
    12/07 (Mon) Autumn tour at Osaka
    01/30 (Sat) Kobayashi classical concert at Saitama
    01/31 (Sun) Kobayashi classical concert at Saitama
    Postponed: Festival at Aomi
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 11:55
    11/30 (Mon) Morning Musume。'26 Autumn tour at Zama
    11/30 (Mon) Tsubaki Factory two-man live with Takui Nakajima at Odaiba

    12/01 (Tue) Hello Pro Kenshuusei selected members – Miyamoto tour at Yokohama
    12/01 (Tue) M-line Miyamoto tour at Yokohama

    12/02 (Wed) ANGERME Autumn tour at Pia Arena
    12/02 (Wed) M-line Asakura calendar online event

    12/03 (Thu) Tsubaki Factory Christmas event at Minato Ward

    12/04 (Fri) BEYOOOOONDS Christmas event at Minato Ward👈

    12/06 (Sun) Juice=Juice Autumn tour at Taipei
    12/06 (Sun) Rosy Chronicle individual fan event at Shibuya
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:04
    Won both parts with room to spare
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:08
    Won both parts, payment done
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:13
    Saw people on X who lost both parts — something off?
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:16
    Re: #10
    They already lost in the early-access lottery, so this isn't really unusual
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:20
    Re: #10
    That person always loses, makes you wonder if they're on some kind of blacklist
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:15
    The way ANGERME's numbers keep growing feels unnatural
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:19
    BEYOOOOONDS' proper capacity is probably around 1200-1300
    They added new members but shrank the venue capacity, so of course people are losing out
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:20
    Lost both parts…
    Did I do something wrong? Don't think so
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:21
    Re: #14
    But they did say it's their first time
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:26
    Won both parts
    One would've been enough, honestly
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:26
    Since I've got BEYOOOOONDS set as my favorite group, even though this is my first time, I won both parts
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:27
    Lost Part 1, won Part 2
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:27
    If there are people winning both parts, I'm speechless
    49AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:29
    There was a chance I'd suddenly not be able to make Part 1 anyway, so I'll call this a win
    https://imgur.com/Qkm24eN.jpg
    52AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:34
    Seems like some people lost both parts
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:36
    Sorry for being new but I won both parts
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:06
    Re: #53
    Come on, tell us what got you into the group
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:36
    Do people who want two-shot photos apply so they win both parts?
    55AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:41
    Wasn't the two-shot photo session results not out yet?
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:49
    I only applied for Part 2 and lost
    But I won for Tsubaki Factory
    57AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:49
    The new members' popularity is insane
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:53
    Wait, BEYOOOOONDS has new fans now?
    Kojima?
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:54
    Rumor is Sugiyama is pulling in the DD crowd (fans who follow multiple idols/groups rather than oshi-ing just one)
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:05
    Is Kojima Hana's popularity finally about to explode?

    Background and Discussion Points

    Hello! Project fan club events are often held in a two-part, staggered-entry format, with tickets for each part drawn in separate lotteries. That’s why it’s not unusual for the same member to end up winning one part and losing the other, as happened here — the “maybe they’re on some kind of watch list” theory floated in the thread isn’t based on any confirmed information, just speculation. Likewise, the claim that “the venue seats around 1,200-1,300 people, and since capacity hasn’t grown even with new members joining, the competition ratio has gone up” is fan speculation rather than an official statement, and should be read with that in mind. Note that results for individual two-shot photo sessions are handled separately from this announcement — as one thread reply pointed out, those results weren’t out yet.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[12:00] BEYOOOOONDS FC Event 2026 ~Christmas Battle ZIN~ Results Report Thread.”

  • Nintendo’s New ‘Chameleon’ Hits #3 in Price Rankings — Debate Erupts Over Actual Sales Figures

    A new title on Nintendo Switch, ‘Chameleon,’ has caused a stir after landing at No. 3 on the revenue-based sales chart despite costing just 630 yen (about $4). Some in the thread praised it as ‘another Nintendo-born hit, following Minecraft, Suika Game, and Exit 8,’ while others pointed out that official figures put worldwide sales at only 100,000 units, sparking debate over whether it really deserves to be called a ‘massive viral hit.’ There were also posts that mixed up PC (Steam) numbers with Switch numbers, with bold claims of ‘1 million concurrent players’ quickly getting corrected.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 08:50
    This never would've caught on with a high-barrier platform like PlayStation or PC.
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 08:54
    This is the game Nintendo should've made.
    Why couldn't they get from Splatoon to a hide-and-seek concept?
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 08:56
    Re: #6
    Nintendo gets to skip the development effort and still rake in the profit — perfect for them.
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:29
    Re: #6
    Is this really a game Nintendo needed to make, though?
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:05
    You can play something similar for free on Roblox.
    52AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:47
    Re: #18
    So in the end we're stuck playing the knockoff version?
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:09
    'Trashstation' (a mocking nickname for PlayStation) really has nothing going for it, huh.
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:12
    Re: #22
    LOL, 'Chameleon' is basically made of prefab assets 🤪
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:10
    Minecraft, Suika Game, Exit 8, and Chameleon —
    Nintendo was the one who made all of them blow up, wasn't it?
    What does PlayStation even have?
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:13
    Re: #23
    They made a Zelda ripoff popular, though.


    Such shabby graphics lol
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:14
    Re: #30
    So blocky/pixelated lmaooo
    A game that isn't even 4K these days? My eyes are rotting.
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:11
    The Switch 2 game that actually gets the most use out of the mouse feature.
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:16
    Re: #25
    Go play some basketball outside for once. (5ch slang for 'go touch grass')
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:15
    There's been no sales report since day two.
    That says it all.
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:19
    The sales-tracker account ('Ryuutsu') is going off today more than usual.
    Did something happen?
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:38
    Re: #37
    I think we're past 'did something happen' and into 'something already happened'
    There's just too much bad news lately.
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:19
    Come to think of it, the Steam version's sales
    are about on par with Switch 2 console sales.
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:35
    Re: #38
    Well, compared to PC it's a pretty tiny market.
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:24
    This is pretty interesting.
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:48
    For something that supposedly went massively viral, it's not selling that well, is it?
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:52
    Re: #54
    Unlike the free-to-play charts, actual money's changing hands here, nice.
    No wonder the market's heating up and more people are ditching PlayStation.
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:59
    Re: #54
    Say what you will, but Switch 2 is starting to outsell now.
    The transition [to Switch 2] is going smoothly.
    55AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:50
    It's a revenue-based ranking, after all.
    If Elden Ring sold 20,000 downloads,
    then Chameleon sold 300,000 downloads.
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:51
    Re: #55
    But the official announcement caps worldwide sales at just 100,000.
    57AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:52
    Hitting No. 3 on the revenue chart at just 630 yen means it's selling like crazy.
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 09:59
    Re: #57
    It only hit No. 3 because nothing else is selling.
    Guess that just exposed how weak this sales chart really is.
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:01
    Re: #62
    Only 100,000 sold worldwide, though?
    How do you get to 1 million concurrent players from that?
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:02
    Re: #63
    You're seriously underestimating Nintendo.
    Can you even read the numbers?
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:08
    Re: #64
    That's the PC version.
    Here's the Switch version's numbers.
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:16
    Re: #65
    You can clearly tell the boom already died down.
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:19
    Re: #65
    Compared to PC, the Switch 2 market is pathetically tiny lol
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 10:45

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Switch software sales charts come in two types: unit-based and revenue (price)-based. This time it was the latter that sparked discussion. A low-priced title landing near the top of a revenue-based chart doesn’t necessarily mean explosive unit sales — there’s a structural quirk where rankings climb more easily during periods when few high-priced, major titles are competing. As one thread comment pointed out, ‘it only hit No. 3 because nothing else is selling,’ so chart position shouldn’t be conflated with actual sales volume or genuine buzz. Several posts also mixed up concurrent-player counts and sales figures between the PC (Steam) version and the Switch version — a common source of confusion worth keeping in mind whenever these ‘viral hit’ stories circulate across platforms.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, ‘Geha’) thread “Nintendo’s Chameleon is a massive hit! Surprisingly deep gameplay for just 500 yen“.

  • GTA6 Struggles on Japan’s PS Store Charts, Stuck in Double Digits

    A thread on 5ch’s “Live News G” board featured images comparing PS Store rankings across countries. In Japan, GTA6 failed to crack the top spots and sat stuck in double digits, while in the US it ranked near the top — sparking a debate among posters about “how Japanese gamers play.” The top of the Japanese chart was dominated by mobile-born titles like Zenless Zone Zero, alongside next year’s FF7 Remake Part 3 and Romancing SaGa 3 Remake, leading to a range of theories for GTA6’s poor showing: unfamiliarity with the American setting, the PS5’s price, and Japan’s own distinct gaming tastes.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:57
    Japan's the Only One Stuck in Double Digits on the PS Store Rankings
    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:57
    Current PS Store ranking comparison

    Japan
    https://ps-store-db.live/top-20/JP/card-2026-09-13.png


    USA
    https://ps-store-db.live/top-20/US/card-2026-09-13.png
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:59
    Re: #2
    Lmao, this is how Japanese people actually use their PS5 — mobile games
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:08
    Re: #2
    FF7 Remake Part 3
    Romancing SaGa 3 Remake

    The fact that these two, which aren't even out until next year, are charting shows GTA6 genuinely isn't popular here
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:58
    GTA6 is losing to THIS lineup?

    https://ps-store-db.live/top-20/JP/card-2026-09-13.png
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:00
    It's kind of depressing that Rockstar is sending sponsored GTA6 watch-along gigs to Japanese VTubers

    You guys have really fallen off
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:01
    Re: #14
    Still more honest than doing shady "suteple" gigs (slang for undisclosed sponsored playthrough streams)
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:01
    A game where you just laugh while beating up random citizens… feels like something only Japanese kids would even be into…
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:05
    Re: #16
    If you could run wild in a setting you actually recognize, it'd definitely be fun
    We just find it boring because we're not familiar with America
    Remember that AI video of an old lady going on a rampage, game-style, that went viral a while back?
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:06
    Re: #32
    That might be true
    The new Forza blew up in Japan partly because it's set somewhere familiar — Japan
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:08
    Re: #32
    Yeah, honestly American streets still feel like another world to me — it's too fictional-feeling, so I don't think I'm getting the full appeal of this game
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:03
    This is kind of surprising
    I figured Japanese people who buy a PS5 instead of a Switch were all Western-game nerds
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Re: #26
    It's just a weak choice these days
    Steam is the obvious pick now
    There's no real reason to go with a PS5
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:05
    Re: #26
    They're FF/Monster Hunter/Persona users, that's who
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Is this about to turn into another thread full of cringe VTuber roleplay bits?
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:05
    Re: #28
    No online mode
    No "Stogura" (GTA Online-style Japanese roleplay servers)

    So no VTuber skit-playing this time
    You just play through the story
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:06
    Re: #28
    Of course not
    It's only VTubers, the streamers around them, and their fans talking about it — barely anyone's actually playing GTA themselves
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:07
    If you want a game to sell in Japan
    You need anime-style character designs with cute, sexy girl characters, or it won't sell
    That's the iron rule
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:09
    Re: #41
    Meanwhile, Monster Hunter and FromSoftware exist
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:20
    Well, Japanese people don't have money anyway
    Probably can't even afford a PlayStation
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:25
    Re: #59
    It launched at 55,000 yen after all
    Even the cheapest model at 50,000 yen isn't going to catch on widely these days
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:26
    They do the same thing every time anyway
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:33
    Re: #66
    Isn't that a boomerang aimed right back at Japanese games too?
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:34
    Re: #66
    But Wilds did the exact same thing every time and sold like crazy, didn't it?
    Even though it's a huge downgrade compared to World/Rise
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:36
    #1 Zenless Zone Zero

    #2 NTE: Neverness to Everness

    lol
    81AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:38
    Re: #76
    At least let it be Honkai: Star Rail there
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:37
    Re: #72
    Zelda and Pokémon are the same every time too, aren't they?
    80AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:38
    Re: #77
    That's totally different…
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:39
    Re: #80
    Don't you know people already call Pokémon a "fossil" of a game — stuck in the past?
    89AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:43
    Re: #80
    Zelda and Pokémon are one-pattern games every single time though
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:41
    Whatever happened to "Korea shares Japan's values"?
    GTA's huge over there
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:46
    Re: #84
    There's always someone claiming Japan and Korea have similar tastes — what's that even about?
    99AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:52
    All-time game sales

    #1 Minecraft — 400 million copies
    #2 GTA5 — 230 million copies
    #3 RDR2 — 85 million copies
    107AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:56
    Re: #99
    The top two are just on a different level
    118AnonymousSep 14, 2026 16:05
    Re: #99
    GTA5's impressive, but not THAT impressive
    That number's padded a lot by giveaways, plus they kept releasing upgraded versions across every generation from PS3 to PS5

    RDR2 feels more impressive to me, honestly

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    GTA6 has drawn worldwide attention since before its release, and its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, has sold over 230 million copies since launching in 2013 — one of the best-selling games of all time. In this thread, posters floated several theories for why the sequel is underperforming on Japan’s PS Store charts: discomfort with its crime- and violence-focused world, unfamiliarity with an American urban setting, the country’s enduring preference for anime-style character-driven games like Pokémon, and the high price of PS5 hardware — with no single explanation winning out. The latest rankings are topped by mobile-born titles like Zenless Zone Zero, reflecting a broader trend in the Japanese market where the line between console and mobile gaming keeps blurring.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Live News G) thread “[Sad News] Japanese PlayStation Users Show Zero Interest in “GTA6” wwwww.”

  • Youth Detention Numbers Are Rising Again — Former Wardens Point to COVID-19’s Lingering Damage

    Bengo4.com News reports that after hitting a record low, the number of children entering juvenile detention centers has started climbing again, and former juvenile detention center wardens have weighed in on why. The article points to the possibility that pandemic-era financial hardship hit families directly, with abuse and poverty affecting children firsthand. On 5ch, alongside the view that COVID-era household strain is the cause, users debated a wide range of explanations — from how the Juvenile Law should work, to measures against reoffending, to social media inflating kids’ need for validation.

    Published Mon, Sep 14, 10:30 AM

    Bengo4.com News

    The number of children entering juvenile detention centers is rising again.

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

    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:35
    It's been forgotten already, but there's a whole segment of people who lost their basic financial footing to COVID and other disasters and never managed to get back on their feet.
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:42
    Re: #15
    Yeah, parents' poverty hits kids directly. Also, some kids who were barely scraping by because their parents were out of the house a lot ended up getting abused worse once the parents were stuck home all the time — so they ran away, and crime became their safety net.
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:35
    When I was in juvenile detention I got bullied plenty with the 'twist stick' and the 'parachute squad.' (slang for reform-school hazing rituals popularized by the manga Ashita no Joe)
    216AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:33
    Re: #18
    Ashita no Joe, that takes me back.
    Nishi was tough back in those days though.
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:36
    Apparently before 'nensho' (juvie slang for reform school) there's 'kanbee' (slang for the juvenile classification home). Hi-Heel Momoko used to joke about that all the time, but I haven't seen her around lately.
    69AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:46
    Re: #23
    The classification home is exactly what the name says — a place for 'classification.' Commissioned by the family court, they have kids do things like play in sand or draw, and use that to decide whether to send them to juvenile detention or put them on probation. That's why it's located near the family court. It's nothing like the brutal prison you see in manga.
    219AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:34
    Re: #23
    Before that there's 'jisou' (the child guidance center).
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:44
    Kids are declining but the numbers are still going up — so quality's gotten worse. This country's done for.
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:49
    Re: #60
    Feels like the gap is widening. The average's probably dropping.
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:44
    People who've never been parents, never shouldered a parent's responsibilities, love to lecture other people's parents about 'parental responsibility.'
    83AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:49
    Re: #62
    It's the parents' fault.
    Parents, quit making excuses.
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:46
    Guess it's because you won't starve either way — even kids these days think that way.
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:47
    Re: #70
    That's why welfare cases among young people keep climbing.
    74AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:47
    Because of social media, chasing validation has become everything for young people.
    Middle and high schoolers who can't get recognized through studying or sports turn bad.
    They want to look flashy and need money for it.
    Regular work won't cut it.

    This world is finished.
    79AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:48
    Re: #74
    Guess that's the biggest factor. What an ugly world we've become.
    85AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:49
    Can someone give me the short version of why this gets blamed on COVID?
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:52
    Re: #85
    'Idle hands do the devil's work' — as the old saying goes, a petty person left idle turns to no good.
    119AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:59
    Re: #93
    Ah, my law lecturer back in college used to say giving men free time never leads to anything good.
    88AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:51
    The article literally says it's less than half of what it was when the old-timers were young, and yet here they go again — 'kids these days,' 'parents these days,' same old song from the geezers. (lol)
    140AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:04
    Re: #88
    I wonder what it looks like as a share of the generation's population?
    101AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:54
    What's the reoffending rate like these days?
    I wish repeat offenders got life in prison or the death penalty.
    110AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:56
    Re: #101
    Life imprisonment costs too much, and the death penalty's hard to actually carry out. Just strip their human rights and make them 'crime slaves,' that'd do.
    108AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:56
    Middle and high schoolers these days are seriously out of control.
    You all better watch out for 'ojigari' (gangs mugging middle-aged men) and robbery-rape too.
    127AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:01
    Re: #108
    Seriously, these days when you walk past a spot where middle and high schoolers are hanging out, you'd better avoid eye contact or they'll pick a fight and surround you.
    118AnonymousSep 14, 2026 12:59
    Juvenile crime has risen for three straight years since 2022.
    School refusal is at a record high.
    Welfare cases among people in their 20s are up sevenfold.

    It really does come down to how kids are raised.
    Lack of perseverance comes from being spoiled too much.
    123AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:00
    Re: #118
    The parents' generation has clearly gone downhill, so of course the kids do too.
    146AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:06
    Purse-snatching incidents by high schoolers have been rising nationwide lately.
    Women and the elderly should watch out.
    151AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:07
    Re: #146
    Might be because their parents are from the low-income 'Employment Ice Age' generation.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    The number of new admissions to juvenile detention centers had been on a long decline, hitting a record low around 2021, but has since turned upward again. Former wardens point to the period of stay-at-home requests and school closures during the pandemic, when abuse and domestic violence inside the home became harder for outsiders to spot, and financial hardship hit children directly, as one contributing factor. On the thread, while comments citing worsening household finances stood out, opinions were split — some called for tougher enforcement of the Juvenile Law and stronger measures against reoffending, others pointed to social media inflating the need for validation as a driver of delinquency. It’s also worth keeping in mind, as one commenter noted, that ‘the number of children overall is shrinking even as the case count rises’ — meaning readers should look at the rate relative to the youth population, not just the raw numbers, to avoid misreading the actual trend.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (News Express+) thread ‘Why Are More “Children” Entering Juvenile Detention? Former Wardens Point to the Lingering Scars of “COVID-19” After a Record Low.’

  • ‘The Port Would Kill People’: Developer Explains Why There’s No Xbox Version — 5ch: ‘Makes Sense If It’s Tango’

    During a livestream, a game developer said of his studio’s title, “An Xbox port would be brutal — if we made one, people would die,” sparking discussion on 5ch’s hardware/industry (“Geha”) board. Speculation spread that the speaker was a former employee of Tango Gameworks (the Microsoft-owned studio behind Scalebound and Ghostwire: Tokyo), and the thread saw a string of corrections focused less on whether the remark itself was credible than on the timeline between his departure and the studio’s closure and layoffs. Whether the thread title’s “PlayStation exclusive” framing actually matches reality also became a point of debate.

    Q. Any chance of an Xbox release?

    A. None — because people would die if we made one.

    The porting work is just too brutal.

    Source: youtu.be / original video here

    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:18
    Cutting Kojima loose caused a firestorm last time
    so now they're trying this kind of disinformation play instead, huh
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:21
    Re: #9
    That's a video from two weeks ago though
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:22
    Coming from a Tango alum, that's pretty convincing
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:24
    Re: #15
    He actually quit well before the studio got cut, though…
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:26
    Re: #15
    No wonder — sounds like Ghostwire Tokyo was rough enough that he quit over it
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:30
    Well, MS suddenly laid them off, so of course they'd hate Xbox
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:30
    Re: #33
    This guy quit before that even happened
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:32
    Re: #33
    Ghostwire Tokyo shipped in 2022
    He left Tango in 2019
    He was already gone 3 years before it was even finished
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:34
    Why go out of your way to say something like this? 🤔
    Is it just 'please give us money, Microsoft'? 😥
    Don't need it — 'Director Kojima' is coming anyway 👋 (a recurring jab referencing Hideo Kojima)
    47AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:37
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:39
    It's pretty pathetic that people who've never developed a game are the ones claiming Sony's behind this
    Then how about you prove it yourself by doing an easy port
    Geha posters say Xbox is basically Windows, so it should be a breeze, right?
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:41
    Re: #53
    You haven't done a thing yourself, yet you say every day that a Switch port is impossible
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:52
    It's just misplaced resentment
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:53
    Re: #76
    I wonder what he thinks about the downgraded Bayonetta port
    80AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:55
    Re: #76
    Scalebound says it all, lol
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:58
    Re: #76
    Wasn't Scalebound cancelled by Microsoft because development was too slow?
    Is this seriously just sour grapes??
    81AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:55
    They've said it's coming to PS5 and Steam, so it's not actually exclusive. They also brought up Nintendo regarding the porting work, so maybe it'll come to Switch 2 later too?

    87AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:57
    Re: #81
    They hyped that Black Myth [Wukong] was impossible because the Series S would hold it back, but it came out anyway
    And Stellar Blade is hinting at a timed Xbox snub
    This kind of thing happens all the time
    103AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:02
    But didn't 'Chameleon' get totally snubbed on PS5?
    So much for 'porting is easy'
    104AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:03
    Re: #103
    Wasn't it said that indie games don't sell on PS or Xbox?
    107AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Re: #103
    That has nothing to do with Xbox
    122AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:08
    Re: #103
    It's actually answered in a Game*Spark interview.

    Mr. Remorion: Since it's the only console that supports mouse controls, we're bringing it to Switch 2. Plans for other platforms are undecided.
    108AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Saying stuff like this feels like it could sink the company — are they gonna be okay? This is going to come back to bite them later
    109AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:04
    Re: #108
    They'll be fine without releasing on Xbox
    113AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:05
    Re: #108
    Whether they release on Xbox or not isn't going to make or break the company
    131AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:13
    Wait, isn't a PC version coming out too?
    If so, an Xbox version should be doable without much extra hassle, you'd think
    135AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:15
    Re: #131
    Way easier than the Switch 2, honestly
    Though the Series S's memory limits will probably give them trouble
    138AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:16
    Re: #131
    If it's so easy to make, why are there so many games that come to Switch and PlayStation but skip Xbox?
    143AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:18
    Re: #131
    They just don't want to release it because it won't sell on Xbox anyway
    Do you need it spelled out that plainly to get it?
    Even GTA doesn't sell on it — no way other third-party games would

    Background and Key Points

    The thread title’s claim of a “PlayStation exclusive” isn’t quite accurate. Commenters pointed out that a Steam release is planned alongside PS5 (>>81), and the cited interview also mentions a Nintendo Switch 2 release, citing mouse-control support (>>122). In other words, what’s actually happening is a decision not to make an Xbox version specifically — not an exclusivity deal covering every other platform. Whether the speaker is really a Tango Gameworks alum was also repeatedly corrected throughout the thread, over the timing of his departure relative to the studio’s closure and layoffs — a good example of how speculation can take on a life of its own. It’s also worth noting that “people would die” isn’t a literal reference to a workplace accident; it’s industry shorthand exaggerating just how brutal the porting work would be.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, “Geha”) thread “Developer: ‘Porting to Xbox is brutal, it’ll kill our engineers. That’s why we’re PlayStation exclusive’”.

  • Wolverine’s Dev Budget Hits $300M (¥46.5B): “Where’s the Other 40 Billion Yen Even Going?”

    Reports that Insomniac Games’ upcoming Wolverine title has a development budget of roughly $300 million (about ¥46.5 billion) set off a firestorm on 5ch’s hardware board (Gehan). Posters expressed shock at a budget on par with the Avengers movie franchise, with some pointing to soaring labor costs and lengthy development cycles as the culprits. Others zeroed in on the game’s underwhelming graphics and scores, questioning where all that money could possibly have gone — and opinion split sharply on whether the game can ever earn it back.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:26
    If this doesn't sell as well as Spider-Man, things could get ugly.
    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:31
    Q: The dev budget is way too high, what do we do?


    A: Blame Nintendo.
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:31
    Why the hell did that cost so much money…
    67AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    Re: #3
    Wages have shot up with inflation, and if there's a lot of overtime it could easily double from there.
    On top of that, equipment costs, licensing fees, and who knows what else have probably gone up too.

    Insomniac's pay scale:
    $10,000 comes out to about ¥1.54M at current rates, so $100,000 is roughly ¥15.4M.

    Programmers (Engineers)
    Regular: $100K–$160K
    Senior: $120K–$190K

    Game Designers
    Regular: $95K–$155K
    Lead/Senior: $130K–$200K+

    Artists/Animators
    Regular: $85K–$140K
    Senior: $130K–$200K

    Intern/Associate (junior): $69K–$126K
    96AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:51
    Re: #3
    One thing's for sure — the dev cycle was way too long.
    105AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:18
    Re: #3
    Probably went into upgrading the arm-hair quality.
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:32
    Ten million units at full price — that's probably the break-even point. No way that's happening.
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:32
    Is that just the cost racked up after the leak? Nah, couldn't be.
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:33
    Well, they were that obsessed with the arm hair, so what do you expect.
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:34
    The bigger issue is even overseas reception is negative.
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:35
    Can't wait to see how it stacks up against FE, though there's a 5x gap in install base.
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:36
    This is probably also tied to a 10-million-unit contract with Marvel — they'll likely start discounting it early, which means the dev budget probably never gets recouped.
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:38
    You also have to factor in Marvel's licensing fees on top of that. Sinking $300M into this is way too risky.
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:40
    It would've been nice if they'd just scrapped it back when it leaked, but since it's a licensed property, they probably couldn't pull the plug.
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:41
    If they release a 'hair removal' DLC, I'm not buying it.
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:57
    Where's the other ¥40 billion even going? The graphics are mediocre, the gameplay's nothing special, and the Metascore's low too. I'm dumping my copy the second I'm done, bub. ("バリン" is forum slang riffing on Wolverine's Japanese name)
    107AnonymousSep 14, 2026 15:24
    Re: #44
    That's labor costs for you. Say this Wolverine game could get finished in one year with 100 staff, all working overtime every single day including weekends. Now say instead they threw 300 staff at it, everyone clocking out on time every day, and it took two years to finish — the labor cost balloons to six times as much. That's just what gets called "AAA."
    45AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:58
    Where did all this money actually go?
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:13
    Re: #45
    Sounds like there was a lot of back-and-forth, so they probably rebuilt it several times over.
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:11
    I'm actually fine with it. It's over in 15 hours. Burn through the assets and move on, that style works for me. An open world that eats 100 hours is just a waste of time — you get sick of it. I'd rather have a dense 15-hour experience.
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:13
    Re: #59
    Same, I'll buy it too. Persona 5 Royal blowing past 100 hours was genuinely pointless.
    71AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:19
    Re: #59
    It's a pretty straight linear path though, you sure you're okay with that?
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:11
    Here are Wolverine's PSStore rankings by country. Since GTA6 is taking the #1 spot pretty much everywhere, Wolverine landing where it is actually counts as a solid hit.
    https://imgur.com/a/zTjtxDB
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    Re: #61
    If people could cancel their preorders, a lot probably would. Future releases are only going to sell worse from here.
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:20
    Re: #61
    In that case it should outsell FE — Wolverine had a $300M budget on top of PlayStation's 100-million-unit install base after all.
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:14
    Just how bad this is: for a Marvel property, it's Avengers-movie-level territory 😅. Even in Hollywood, there aren't 10 movies that ever hit the $300M mark.

    Avengers: Age of Ultron — $365,000,000
    Avengers: Endgame — $356,000,000
    Avengers: Infinity War — $325,000,000
    68AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    Re: #64
    That's insane. What are PlayStation fanboys supposed to do with this?
    89AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:43
    Re: #64
    This… is genuinely bad.
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:14
    The dev cycle was pretty long, so it sounds like they were seriously floundering.
    75AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:21
    Re: #65
    Going by the reviews saying it's linear, has zero variety, and is over fast despite all that money — a lot of what's actually on screen looks like it was slapped together fairly recently.
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:21
    Wait, that garbage cost that much? It's such a lazy, on-rails excuse for a game. I don't get it… where did all that money go?
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:31
    Re: #76
    Did you know? When you work at a company, just sitting around waiting on another department still gets you paid, as long as it's during work hours. And if the employer isn't shady, you get proper overtime pay too if that waiting pushes you into overtime.
    90AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:45
    It's because they didn't put Deadpool in it.
    91AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:46
    Re: #90
    Even Deadpool couldn't save it on fighting spirit alone…
    94AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:49
    I get why Spider-Man costs a lot since it's open world, but what is this game even spending that kind of money on?
    98AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:59
    Re: #94
    If project management and scheduling go wrong, you end up with a lot of people just sitting idle, and that racks up extra cost regardless of quality. They probably spent that idle time upgrading the arm-hair rendering. So maybe a huge chunk of the budget went straight into the arm hair.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Wolverine is Insomniac Games’ upcoming title, also known for having suffered a data leak in the past. The reported $300 million figure appears to reflect industry-wide trends of rising labor costs and growing development scale, and posters in the thread pointed to engineer and designer salary levels to argue that a longer development cycle can double labor costs. That said, it remains unclear whether the announced $300 million represents pure development costs or also includes marketing and licensing fees. The figure is often compared to the budgets of Avengers films (around $350 million), but since movies and games differ in licensing arrangements and multi-platform release strategies, such a direct comparison should be treated with caution.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, “Gehan”) thread “Wolverine’s Dev Budget Is $300 Million (About ¥46.5 Billion) — What Are They Going to Do About This.”

  • Magical Girl Image Showdown Ignites 5ch Thread — ‘Ooh-Magic! 😆’

    In a freewheeling chat thread on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” (Anything-Goes Live-Commentary board), users kept posting images of magical girl characters from franchises like Madoka Magica, Yuki Yuna Is a Hero, and Pretty Cure, one after another. Along the way the conversation veered into a question about the age range of Chiikawa’s fanbase and a lighthearted debate over which Madoka Magica character would make the best mom — the topic hopping around at the breakneck pace typical of these chat threads. Then, right in the middle of it all, an official livestream announcement for the mobile game ‘Ame Nochi Hare Onna’ (roughly, ‘Rainy, Then Sunny Girl’) suddenly popped up, giving a real taste of the chaotic energy of a live-commentary thread in real time.

    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:46
    Magical Girl Madoka ☆ Magica
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:48
    Magical Girl Aya ☆ Magica
    https://mahoushoujyo-anime.com/magical_festa/images/mahoushoujo_ogp_1200_630.png
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:49
    Magical Girl Koyuki ☆ Magica
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:50
    Magical Girl Yuuna ☆ Magica
    https://yuyuyu.tv/season1/story/img/story_text.jpg
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:50
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gj4jt8MbsAAo5ZR.jpg
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:51
    Magical Girl Ai ☆ Magica
    https://img2.animatetimes.com/2020/10/5f7fbe668add9_30da9ccbdbe264fa172378257756152e.jpg
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:57
    Eat up, yu~ 🥺 (cutesy baby-talk)
    45AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Re: #39
    Ooh-magic! 😆
    42AnonymousSep 14, 2026 13:58
    Eat up, yuuu! ✊🥺
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00
    Re: #42
    That's Matsuya, isn't it 😏 (the beef-bowl chain)
    47AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:00


    Hurry up, there's only one left!
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:02
    Re: #47
    Who's even into this?
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:03
    Re: #47
    Smells like it'd be crap.
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:04
    《Official Livestream 'Hare Onna Club Meeting' Confirmed!》
    🎬 Mon, 9/14, 19:00 ~
    We'll bring you the full details on 'Ame Nochi Hare Onna,' live from the Weathernews studio!
    In the first half, the dev team covers the game's creation process and concept,
    and in the second half, the voice cast joins as guests to introduce the character profiles.
    There might even be some #TGS2026 news you'll want to hear…? Stay tuned!

    *This broadcast contains no information related to the 'Pokémon' series.

    ▼Watch here
    📌https://youtube.com/live/nh4MisfbXsQ

    #HareOnna #HareOnnaClub #GameFreak
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSJFWSba0AARxzY.jpg
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:05
    What age range makes up Chiikawa's massive fanbase, anyway?
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:06
    Re: #64
    Akua-ryuumii~ (nonsense riff on 'aquarium')
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:06
    Re: #64
    It's popular with everyone, young and old~ 🥺
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:09
    Who from Madoka Magica seems like she'd make the best mom?
    86AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:09
    Re: #84
    Akua-ryuumu (that 'aquarium' meme again)
    102AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:14
    A Premium Malt's tastes so good while watching Cure Arcana! 😎🍺
    108AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:15
    115AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:16
    Re: #108
    It's 'Tsunogaki' ('Horn-brat'), for the record
    119AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:16
    Mom 😍
    121AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:17
    Re: #119
    Ohhh~ 😍
    122AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:17
    128AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:18
    Re: #122
    Is this Sakura Kyoko?
    132AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:19
    Woohoo~
    135AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:19
    Re: #132
    Don't go ripping that off from Edge.
    147AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:22
    Nom nom~
    151AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:23
    Re: #147
    That's undercooked.
    You'll wreck your stomach.
    150AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:23
    153AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:24
    Re: #150
    Is this Luna?
    158AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:26
    Re: #150
    Probably an akua-ryuumu (that meme again)
    174AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:28
    I'm about to report this and get you in trouble.

    Stop replying already.
    180AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:29
    Re: #174
    Leave it to Loli! (pun on 'makasero,' i.e. 'leave it to me')
    181AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:29
    Re: #174
    Maka-Segawa Eiko (stretching the pun into the name of enka singer Eiko Segawa)
    194AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:33
    200AnonymousSep 14, 2026 14:34
    Re: #194
    Ohhh~ akua-ryuumimi~ 🥰

    Background and Talking Points

    “Nandemo Jikkyo G” is a board where casual chatter runs all day long and isn’t tied to commentary on any particular broadcast, and the thread title “Magical Girl Yamada” is just a fixed catchphrase regularly used on this board — it has no direct connection to the actual content of the posts. That’s why, as happened here, one person’s posted image tends to snowball into a chain of other characters’ images, with the conversation itself carrying little real continuity. What stands out this time is that an official livestream announcement for ‘Ame Nochi Hare Onna’ got dropped into the middle of the chatter, and the announcement went out of its way to state it contains “no information related to the Pokémon series” — suggesting the people behind it wanted to head off any confusion with the Pokémon-related buzz expected around the same period. Lighter topics, like the debate over which Madoka Magica character would make the best mom, stayed at the level of harmless commentary on the shows themselves, and no posts were found escalating into criticism of real people or the production staff.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (“Nandemo Jikkyo G”) thread “Magical Girl Yamada 🪄(・o・🍬)🏰.”