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  • FF7R Revelation: Pay +¥1,430 and Play the Whole Trilogy

    Square Enix has announced that pre-ordering “FF7 Revelation” — normally priced at ¥9,900 (tax included) — for an extra ¥1,430 (bringing the total to ¥11,330) gets you the entire trilogy. The previous two entries, “Remake” and “Rebirth,” become downloadable and playable as soon as you pre-order. On 5ch’s Hardware/Industry (“Geha”) board, the bonus itself was well received, but opinions split over concerns that Switch2 isn’t among the supported platforms, whether Switch2’s external storage (mostly 256GB models) could even hold all three games at once, and whether Revelation’s own ¥9,900 price tag is worth it.

    “FFVII Revelation” is normally priced at ¥9,900 (tax included), but pre-ordering nets you the entire trilogy for just ¥1,430 more — a total of ¥11,330 (tax included).

    The first two entries become downloadable and playable immediately after you pre-order.

    Source: jp.square-enix.com / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:17
    Switch2
    Not enough storage on the console for FF7 Remake's super cheap 3-game bundle
    Guess we're excluded
    https://gzo.ai/i/K2TI9cW.jpg
    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:17
    Supported platforms
    PlayStation®5 / XBOX Series X|S / XBOX on PC / Steam® / Epic Games Store

    A bold declaration of intent to squeeze Switch2 users dry
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:17
    This honestly looks pretty good
    Might actually make me want to buy it
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:18
    DLSS 5. The remaster cash-grab business is done for
    https://youtu.be/XTRmYO5WoEs?t=614
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:19
    Bet by the end of next year it'll be on sale as a trilogy bundle for ¥3,980 anyway
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:19
    The real question is whether Revelation is worth ¥9,900
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:20
    Do you seriously think Revelation is worth ¥9,900?
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:20
    Lol the Switch2 version got excluded
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:20
    Why doesn't Switch2 get the discounted trilogy set?
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:20
    Bet the punchline ends up being that a Steam sale bundle of all three is the cheapest option anyway
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:20
    What's even the point of excluding Switch2 here…
    Come on, is everything okay over there?
    79AnonymousSep 4, 2026 01:29
    Re: #17
    Then people just won't buy it
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:21
    Bound to get bored partway through
    More and more people are playing games at double speed these days
    A game with this much volume is just going to get avoided
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:22
    This is nuts lol
    What's gotten into Square Enix all of a sudden? lol
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:22
    As a product it's fine I guess, but unless they throw in some kind of light mode that lets you catch up on the first two games in about 10 hours, I'm not feeling it
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:23
    Re: #21
    They already added that official cheat-tier Boost Mode that lets you deal 9999 damage
    Honestly, if they're willing to go that far, I'd rather they just re-cut it into a movie…
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:30
    Re: #21
    Guess you've just gotta watch a video for the first two
    Actually, videos would be fine for all three
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:22
    They just put out the first two FF7R games on Switch2 recently, so they probably still want to sell those at full price
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:28
    Looked it up
    Remake: 90GB
    Rebirth: 102GB
    You'll have to delete one of these just to download Revelation

    If you've got other games downloaded too, you'll have to play through and delete one just to juggle the space, there's no way around it
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:33
    Re: #34
    Switch2 is now cursed with the same line Nintendo fanboys ('Nishi,' a derisive nickname for Switch loyalists) used to throw at Sony — 'a PS4 handheld is impossible because of storage limits!'
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:28
    https://www.jp.square-enix.com/ffvii_revelation/products/
    There's no info listed at all about a Switch2 digital version
    Can't even tell whether it gets the early access that other platforms have
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:30
    Re: #36
    So you need 130GB of free space? 🤮
    50AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:35
    Re: #36
    Switch2
    physical only
    Xbox and Epic
    digital only
    PS5/Steam
    both physical and digital

    What a strange way to split it up
    67AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:50
    Re: #36
    There is a product page on the eShop
    https://store-jp.nintendo.com/item/software/D70010000130409

    though you can't pre-order yet
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:30
    What's early access?

    First time I've heard that term, is it common with other games too?
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:35
    Re: #44
    If you don't know, just Google it
    60AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:40
    I can already picture a future where the trilogy set is on sale at GEO (a used game/media retailer) for ¥3,000
    63AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:44
    Re: #60
    Even FF7 Remake, which already went free via PS Plus ('furipu'), still sells for over ¥1,000 at GEO, so probably not
    74AnonymousSep 4, 2026 01:09
    I just bought FF7R for ¥1,300 in an Xbox sale not long ago
    Could've at least timed it together, Square Enix is such a dumbass lol
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 01:10
    Re: #74
    It's timed around a PlayStation event, so why would they care about some trash-can store (a jab at the Xbox Store) is probably the deal
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 01:24
    Re: #74
    If you're the type to buy on sale, just wait for Revelation to go on sale too!
    77AnonymousSep 4, 2026 01:24
    I think the reason Switch2 alone doesn't get the 3-game set is:
    Remake came out this January
    Rebirth came out this June
    and after finally releasing those, they didn't want to just bolt both onto Revelation for ¥1,430 next April 🤣
    91AnonymousSep 4, 2026 02:01
    Re: #77
    Didn't the Xbox and Switch2 versions release on the same day though?
    95AnonymousSep 4, 2026 02:30
    If you pre-order this, you can download and play through everything except Revelation before release day to catch up, right?
    97AnonymousSep 4, 2026 02:43
    Re: #95
    Playable from the moment you place the pre-order

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    “FF7 Revelation” is the final chapter of the trilogy that began with “Remake” in 2020 and continued with “Rebirth” in 2024, with a standalone price of ¥9,900 (tax included). This pre-order bonus lets players access the entire trilogy, including the first two games, for just ¥1,430 more, with the first two becoming playable immediately after pre-ordering if bought digitally. On the thread, while the bonus itself was received favorably, most of the doubts centered on the fact that only PS5, Xbox, and PC platforms are eligible, with Switch2 left out. This is likely due to the Switch2 versions of “Remake” and “Rebirth” having already been released this year, as well as a technical constraint: most Switch2 external storage cards top out at 256GB, which could be exceeded if all three games are installed at once. There was also persistent skepticism over whether the content justifies the ¥9,900 price tag, splitting the thread’s opinion between those welcoming the deal and those questioning the price and platform support.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, “Geha”) thread: [FF7R] A great bundle appears letting you play the previous two games right away for +¥1,430 on top of Revelation’s price! [Godlike move].

  • Even Kohmi Hirose Declares Herself a “Tako-chan” Fan — Juice=Juice’s Yua Kudo Wins Fans Across Generations

    Singer-songwriter Kohmi Hirose’s remark — “When it comes to Juice=Juice, I’m a fan of Yua Kudo, aka ‘Tako-chan’” — sparked discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Kudo joined Juice=Juice on June 14, 2019, and according to a fan-compiled tenure ranking, she’s one of the more senior members still active today. The thread was full of warm comments like “Tako-chan’s just a sweetheart, that’s why people love her,” though some pointed out that “she hasn’t really caught on with Gen Z,” leaving posters divided over the age makeup of her fanbase.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:23
    tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdvlaQoiAE&t=21m28s
    2AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:24
    Days in the group as of 2026/09/03

    4,127 days — Akari Uemura
    3,356 days — Ruru Danbara (since 2017/06/26)
    3,194 days — Tomoko Kanazawa
    2,909 days — Sayuki Takagi
    2,845 days — Karin Miyamoto
    2,638 days — Yua Kudo / Ria Matsunaga (since 2019/06/14)
    2,346 days — Reona Inoue (since 2020/04/01)
    2,303 days — Yuka Miyazaki
    1,884 days — Ichika Arisawa / Risa Irie / Hisaki Ebata (since 2021/07/07)
    1,527 days — Sakura Ishiyama / Sakari Endo (since 2022/06/29)
    1,447 days — Manaka Inaba
    1,199 days — Mifu Kawashima (since 2023/05/23)
    *,623 days — Nanami Yanagawa
    *,437 days — Nia Hayashi (since 2025/06/23)
    *,130 days — Aina Otsuka
    3AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:25
    She's massively unpopular with Gen Z, though
    4AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:26
    Even Nobuteru Ishihara was won over by her
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:30
    Tako-chan's popular with Aika Sawaguchi, Hello! Project's Nakatani, and plenty of other beauties
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:32
    I mean, Tako-chan's just a good kid
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:34
    Because she's cute
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:36
    Juice=Juice's strength is that they appeal to everyone — young and old, men and women
    11AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:39
    Guess once you get older, the pure, wholesome girls start to shine
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:40
    If anything, it's the young girls who go crazy for Yua-chan
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:01
    Well, Tako-chan is cute after all…
    Hirose's got a good eye
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:02
    Tako's a good kid
    Of course you'd fall for her
    40AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:09
    That's Tako-chan for you
    47AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:10
    "Tako-sama, God of Romance" (a pun on Hirose's hit song "Romance no Kamisama")
    49AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:25
    Can't get past how messy she is in her daily life
    52AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:35
    Re: #49
    Apparently she's finished tidying up her room now
    50AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:28
    Tako-chan's the type who grows on you the more you get to know her (like squid — the more you chew, the more flavor comes out)
    Can't be helped that she's not an instant hit with newcomers

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Yua Kudo joined Juice=Juice on June 14, 2019, and according to a fan-compiled tenure list, she has one of the longer track records among current members. Her nickname “Tako-chan” comes from her own personality, and this particular thread was sparked when singer-songwriter Kohmi Hirose named her as a personal favorite. Opinions in the thread split mainly over the age makeup of her fanbase: some praised her strong appeal among older fans (“ojisama and obasama,” i.e., middle-aged men and women), while others noted that “she hasn’t gained much traction with Gen Z,” revealing a generational gap in how she’s perceived. In compiling this article, exchanges that used derogatory terms for fan groups or attacked other posters rather than discussing the idol herself, as well as fragmentary comments unrelated to the topic, were excluded. For an accurate picture of Yua Kudo’s actual personality and career, it’s best to check primary sources from her own official channels — the thread’s reactions should be read simply as one sample of how 5ch users perceive her.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Kohmi Hirose: “When it comes to Juice=Juice, I’m a fan of ‘Tako-chan’ (Yua Kudo)! Team Tako all the way!” ← Yua Kudo really is a massive hit with the uncles and aunties, lol.”

  • NISA Fuels an Investment Boom Among Japan’s Youth — and a New Breed of “NISA-Poor”: 5ch Weighs In on “Everybody’s Mr. Passive Income”

    Fueled by the spread of NISA (Japan’s tax-free small-investment program) and a rising stock market, interest in personal investing has surged among young people in Japan. While “FIRE” — building enough wealth to retire early — is drawing attention, the term “NISA-poor” has also emerged to describe people who cut back on daily life just to keep investing, prompting experts to warn of the risks of getting too deeply invested. After the Yomiuri Shimbun profiled a woman who lives comfortably while making videos on the side, 5ch users split over whether investing is “gambling or solid asset-building” and whether FIRE is good for society. Some called long-term, dollar-cost-averaging investment “a gamble with great odds of winning,” while others took a cooler view, distinguishing between unrealized gains and locked-in profits and arguing that “most people actually end up losing in the end.”

    Against a backdrop of NISA’s spread and a rising stock market, interest in personal investing is climbing, especially among younger people. Investment amounts through NISA have also surged, and the “FIRE” lifestyle — building up assets to retire early — is drawing attention. At the same time, some people are getting too deeply invested, giving rise to the term “NISA-poor,” and experts are warning that an excessive focus on investing carries real risk. (By Kotaro Hirose)

    A Leisurely Lunch

    In the morning, she helps her eldest daughter get ready and sends her off to school, then works on the videos she streams. After a relaxed lunch in the early afternoon, she settles in to enjoy some reading.

    Source: yomiuri.co.jp / Read the original article here

    15AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:41
    There's a life-insurance saleswoman who visits my workplace, and she says the younger the client, the more likely she is to sign them up for investment products instead of life insurance.
    148AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:27
    Re: #15
    What's the deal with investment products from insurance companies anyway? Aren't the fees baked in like crazy?
    22AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:44
    Everybody's Mr. Investor
    Everybody's Mr. Bourgeois
    Everybody's Mr. Passive Income

    Graduating from the proletariat — what's wrong with that?
    183AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:37
    Re: #22
    Honestly, steady investing from a young age is the best way for an ordinary person with no special talent to escape the proletariat. Anyone can do it, and it's highly repeatable.
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:44
    Full FIRE with kids on 50 million yen seems impossible even living out in the countryside, doesn't it? I'm single with 65 million yen and I'm still nervous about FIRE.
    64AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:59
    Re: #24
    Yeah, with the 4% rule that's just not doable.
    33AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:50
    Can you actually FIRE using NISA? Isn't it just pocket change in the end?
    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:52
    Re: #33
    It's just a stepping stone.
    39AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:53
    Re: #33
    You max out your NISA allowance, then move to a taxable account.
    42AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:54
    "She also makes sure to keep earning several hundred thousand yen a month from video streaming and the like."

    That part is the real crazy thing here.
    44AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:54
    Re: #42
    That's just… running a business from home, isn't it?
    48AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:56
    Re: #42
    I wonder if she's properly filing her tax return.
    68AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:00
    Re: #42
    Ah, I see — so the video income is the main source, not investment returns.
    54AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:57
    Re: #1
    Retiring before 40 with a wife and kids on just 50 million yen — bold move.
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:58
    Re: #54
    However you look at it, that's too early.
    73AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:01
    This is basically a "locust harvest" (slang for luring small retail investors into a pump, like locusts to a field). Everyone's convinced that the S&P 500, All-Country index funds ("Orukan"), whatever — hold it long enough and it'll go up, up, up. At some point it'll crash hard. If there's a two-year downturn, I wonder how many people could actually keep their nerve.
    80AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:05
    Re: #73
    Forget two years — with NISA the investment horizon is more like 20 years.
    84AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:06
    Re: #80
    20 years from now, the US might be in decline though.
    90AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:07
    Re: #84
    Only God could predict that — same goes for exchange rates and stock prices.
    97AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:08
    Re: #84
    There are options — switching out of the US, or who knows if NISA itself will even still be around by then. Given the contribution caps, it's designed as a long-term thing, so even through economic crises the approach is basically to keep going on autopilot.
    92AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:08
    Re: #90
    So it's gambling, then.
    98AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:09
    Re: #92
    The world economy's upward trend hasn't broken since humanity began, so… yeah, it's a gamble, but one with ridiculously good odds of winning.
    100AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:10
    Re: #98
    There's no such thing as a gamble where every single participant wins. Think about it rationally — an unprecedented correction is coming at some point.
    106AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:12
    Re: #100
    That's just wishful thinking on your part lol. Well, if you're convinced everyone's headed for huge losses, just leave them to it.
    116AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:16
    Re: #106
    Even if people say they've grown their assets with NISA, it's just unrealized gains until they actually cash out. Sure, some people cash out and win the game of Old Maid (i.e., don't end up holding the bag), but the only reason winners exist is because so many others lose and get stuck holding it. In other words, the majority end up losing in the end — which is just obvious, really.
    119AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:17
    Re: #116
    Nearly 40% is already cashed-out profit lol. Even if there's a crash, I can easily buy more.
    124AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:19
    Re: #116
    No idea about margin traders, but most people doing cash investing are probably winning.
    120AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:18
    Why does everyone want to FIRE so badly? If more and more people start thinking 'a good life means not working,' national strength is going to decline. And once that happens, stock prices will stop rising too, so nobody will be able to FIRE anymore. FIRE should be for the small cream of the crop at the top — everyone below that still needs to work.
    132AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:21
    Re: #120
    If the cream of the crop can't or won't do work that actually contributes to society in the first place, that's a society in its death throes.
    162AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:30
    Re: #120
    People who think like this just don't understand capitalism, honestly. Switching from wage laborer to capitalist doesn't cause national strength to decline.
    154AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:28
    Re: #149
    They've already started steering the yen stronger — you sure that's fine?
    159AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:29
    Re: #154
    And? Stock price gains far outpace currency swings anyway. Talk data, not vibes. You just resent people wealthy enough to invest, don't you lmao
    169AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:32
    Re: #159
    Honestly, the mentality and character it takes to try to be the one who cashes out first in this whole 'Old Maid' game of investing just strikes me as ugly.
    171AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:33
    Genuine question, but isn't investing supposed to be done with money left over from everyday life? Why are people cutting back on living more than they need to?
    177AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:34
    Re: #171
    Because it's more efficient that way, obviously.
    179AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:36
    Re: #171
    If you can cut it, it was surplus to begin with.
    193AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:40
    This might sound harsh, but if you want to keep up with inflation just to maintain your standard of living, wage income alone will never be enough. So it's only natural that young people, whose pay relative to their labor is low, turn to investing.
    197AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:41
    Re: #193
    Starting young also means the compounding effect is huge.
    199AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:43
    Re: #193
    Then again, new grads these days get paid well, so they've got real firepower to invest with too.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    NISA was overhauled in 2024, expanding the tax-free holding limit to 18 million yen and making the investment framework permanent — a change that sits behind both the article and this thread, since it triggered a surge in account openings and contribution amounts among young people. FIRE is a concept that originated in the US, commonly using the “4% rule” — the idea that withdrawing 4% of assets annually shouldn’t meaningfully deplete the principal — as a rule of thumb; the thread itself raises the point that “the 4% rule makes it impossible,” and it’s easy to overlook how much the required asset amount varies depending on family situation and living standards. It’s also worth noting that “unrealized gains” and “realized profit” are different things — a rise in valuation during a long holding period doesn’t mean the gain is locked in. The thread’s central divide is between an optimistic view that sees regular investing as “the most reproducible way to build wealth” and a risk-focused view holding that “a major correction will eventually come” or “in the end, only the ones who sell out in time actually win” — both are commenters’ own market opinions, not something stated in the article itself.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “[FIRE in the Spotlight] Investment Fever Rising Among Young People, Some Eating Just One Meal a Day for “NISA Poverty”… A Reminder That Investing Always Carries Risk“.

  • Sexual Assaults Occur Almost Daily in Spain’s Migrant-Packed Enclave of Ceuta — 5ch: ‘This Is What “Coexistence” Really Looks Like’

    In Ceuta, Spain’s enclave on the northern tip of Africa, local prosecutors have revealed that 23 sexual assault cases have been recorded over the roughly one month since a mass influx of tens of thousands of migrants began in late July, with 9 of the victims being children. The chief prosecutor told the Spanish newspaper El País that this works out to almost one incident per day. On 5ch, threads on the topic mixed reactions blaming the situation on “accepting refugees en masse without screening” with views framing it in terms of migrants’ origin or religion, while discussion also expanded to cover Morocco’s handling of the situation, the Red Cross’s aid efforts, and comparisons with Japan’s low refugee acceptance numbers.

    Spanish prosecutors have revealed that a total of 23 sexual assault cases have been recorded in the roughly one month since tens of thousands of migrants flowed into Ceuta, Spain’s enclave on the northern tip of Africa, in late July. Nine of the victims were children.

    Ceuta’s chief prosecutor, Silvia Rojas, said this works out to roughly one incident occurring almost every day.

    Rojas told the Spanish newspaper El País that migrant girls in Ceuta are “in an especially vulnerable position because of their status as undocumented residents.”

    Source: bbc.com / Original article here

    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:12
    This is what 'coexistence' really looks like.
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:14
    Re: #17
    They just want slaves — they never had any real intention of coexisting.
    88AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:28
    Re: #17
    Even America, a nation built on immigration, has terrible public safety. No country has ever actually succeeded through immigration.
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:21
    This is what happens once you start letting in Muslims and Africans.
    66AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:24
    Re: #51
    It has nothing to do with being Muslim or African. This is just what happens when you accept refugees, period. Race has nothing to do with it at all.

    Refugees are accepted without any screening whatsoever — no check on criminal history, qualifications, skills, language ability, assets, or education. Of course this is what happens when you take in huge numbers of people like that.

    And there are plenty of people among Muslims and Africans who are far more capable than you or me.
    77AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:26
    Re: #66
    Oh right, because Japan's taken in tons of refugees, huh?
    86AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:27
    Re: #77
    Japan's refugee acceptance numbers are by far the lowest in the world. So low the UN gets angry about it.
    87AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:28
    Sounds like most went back, but a few thousand or so are apparently still hanging around. They're not immigrants to begin with — they're people who scaled the border fence and broke in on their own.
    96AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:30
    Re: #87
    Hardly any have gone back. Far from leaving, more keep arriving by boat — they're even ambushing and attacking the Spanish army.
    114AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:35
    Re: #87
    The Red Cross was handing out food, bedding, and tents to the "refugees." Fed-up Ceuta residents attacked them and the Red Cross pulled out. Now German Green Party activists are the ones distributing food and medicine.
    94AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:30
    This is what 'demographic invasion' looks like. Makes you wonder if Morocco did this on purpose.
    104AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:32
    Re: #94
    The news was reporting that they were organized and sent in deliberately to test Spain's response capability. In the end Spain handled it terribly, and apparently Spanish intelligence is getting criticized for failing to catch wind of it beforehand.
    118AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:36
    Re: #114
    That's irresponsible. Obviously if you keep feeding them, more are just going to keep coming.
    154AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:43
    Re: #118
    The International Red Cross is just like the United Church of Christ in Japan and its antics at Henoko (the contested US base relocation site in Okinawa) — they operate as if their own cause is absolute justice.
    165AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:47
    Re: #118
    It's in poor taste, but it reminds me of some old lady who keeps feeding stray cats and pigeons — meanwhile everyone around her is stuck dealing with the infestation she caused.
    189AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:54
    Why are migrants so aggressive like that?
    'I've arrived in a foreign country!' → 'Great, let's steal and rape!'

    I genuinely want someone to explain the thought process there… There's no upside to it.
    205AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:57
    Re: #189
    Honestly, I don't get why you don't get it. They're coming from lawless places back home where they can't even secure food, clothing, or shelter, and the government's useless — so to them it's 'There's food here! There's money here!' Naive, easygoing Japanese people just look like prey.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Ceuta is a Spanish territory that shares a land border with Morocco, known as a “land gateway” into EU territory, and it has repeatedly seen mass border crossings over fences or by sea. The figure of 23 cases here is a roughly one-month tally released by prosecutors, and it should be noted that this may be only the tip of the iceberg — it is not a finalized count of the full scope of the damage. Within the thread, opinions split between those attributing the incidents to “a structural problem with accepting refugees without screening” and those framing it as “an issue tied to a specific religion or region of origin,” with the latter view drawing pushback along the lines of “race and religion have nothing to do with it — it’s about whether there’s screening or not.” There were also comparisons drawn to Japan’s acceptance of foreign workers and its low refugee recognition numbers, but it’s worth being careful not to conflate the two, since the article itself doesn’t directly address the institutional distinction between screened, legal labor migration and unscreened refugee inflows.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread ‘Sexual Assaults Occur “Almost Daily” in Spain’s Enclave of Ceuta Amid Mass Migrant Influx, Say Prosecutors.’

  • MAFF: ‘Hard to Confirm a Rice Exodus’ — 5ch Fires Back: ‘It’s Expensive, Tastes Bad, and a Pain to Cook’

    On September 3, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) released an analysis of demand trends for domestically produced staple rice. While consumption of domestic rice has fallen amid the price spikes that followed the “Reiwa Rice Crisis,” the ministry suggested this may reflect a shift toward cheaper foreign rice rather than an overall drop in rice consumption, stating it is “hard to identify an overall declining trend in rice consumption.” The thread filled up with personal accounts of cooking rice at home less often, photo reports of last year’s rice sitting unsold at supermarkets even after price cuts, and pointed questions about the government buying up reserve rice at high prices — along with conflicting figures over whether the 2025 planted acreage actually increased, all feeding distrust in the government’s explanation itself.

    Thu, Sep 3, 15:56

    Kyodo News

    Have consumers really turned their backs on rice? By September 3, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries had released a new analysis of demand trends for domestically produced staple rice. While consumption of domestic rice declined amid price hikes following the “Reiwa Rice Crisis,” the ministry said this may reflect a shift toward cheaper foreign rice, concluding it is “hard to identify an overall declining trend in rice consumption.”

    Source: topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp / Original article here

    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:02
    A defective foodstuff — expensive, tastes bad, and takes forever to cook
    It'd at least have to be cheaper than pasta before I'd consider buying it
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:03
    Re: #6
    It's not bad at all, honestly
    Either you're eating some seriously awful rice or you grew up overseas, I don't know
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:03
    Apparently rice imports are climbing

    July 29, 2026
    <Japan's Rice> Rice demand hits record low — imports drag volume down 280,000 tons
    https://www.agrinews.co.jp/news/index/396733

    Foreign rice spreads into homes and restaurants, imports up 50x since the rice crisis — dark clouds over food security
    August 21, 2026 5:00 [Subscriber-only article]
    https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA217U70R20C26A7000000/
    82AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:17
    Re: #14
    If you tweak how you cook it, the base rice barely matters either way
    Add some umami and oil and pretty much any rice becomes decent enough to eat
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:03
    There's no 'rice exodus,' I just stopped cooking it at home
    Maybe once a month I'll grab an Onigiri Q at Sundai (a discount supermarket chain)
    I did quit eating out though
    111AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:23
    Re: #17
    Why does the first line start off talking about the big picture and then end up being just your personal story?
    22AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:05
    Just keep exporting it
    Sushiro's opening a branch in New York anyway
    32AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:07
    Re: #22
    Japanese rice exports are actually on the rise
    29AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:06
    Bread at the convenience store is cheap enough to buy,
    but onigiri are too expensive now
    A political failure
    43AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:08
    Re: #29
    Convenience store bread is basically candy at this point
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:06
    Re: #1

    Last year's rice crop
    Even at a fire-sale price under 2,000 yen, nobody's buying
    Piled up and unsold
    Nobody's buying

    Seiyu



    i.imgur.com/uHDr6q3.jpeg
    i.imgur.com/tzsZFQq.jpeg
    199AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:43
    Re: #30 
    And yet they want to get the government to buy it up at a premium
    Rice wholesalers are garbage — and so is MAFF
    35AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:07
    Re: #1

    Last year's Koshihikari
    Even under 2,000 yen, nobody's buying
    Piled up and unsold

    Japan Meat


    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:08
    I want tariffs scrapped entirely
    but at least don't put one on indica rice
    152AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:32
    Re: #36
    I'm all for zero tariffs on indica rice specifically
    It's not really competing with domestic rice anyway
    Everyone keeps saying it tastes bad, so what's the harm
    45AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:09
    Re: #1

    New-crop rice starts at 1,780 yen — how low will it go?


    New-crop rice wouldn't move at 1,999 yen, marked down to 1,850 — Don Quijote
    48AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:09
    If you've got rice, you can make alcohol
    And alcohol is fuel
    57AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:11
    Re: #48
    Some countries actually do that, but with a cost-performance gap of 10x or more, how would that even compete?
    63AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:13
    Re: #48
    Just turn it into sake instead
    You can export that, can't you
    53AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:11
    If people are increasingly switching to cheaper foreign rice,
    isn't that exactly what you'd call a 'rice exodus'?
    70AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:15
    Re: #53
    Beef bowl chains switched straight back to domestic rice the moment prices came back down to a reasonable range
    They never wanted to use foreign rice for any reason besides cost
    56AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:11
    It's not like people buy tons of rice just because it's cheap
    59AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:12
    Re: #56
    'Rice is Japan's staple food, so people have no choice but to buy it no matter how expensive it gets'

    …that's the delusion some idiot was banking on when they screwed this up
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:13
    I don't even eat rice anymore
    Especially sushi or convenience-store bento and onigiri — you have no idea what's going on behind the scenes these days
    Too many attention-seekers and 'part-timer terrorism' incidents (staff filming themselves messing with food) — no thanks, I'll get sick
    73AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:16
    Re: #62
    So you don't care what happens behind the scenes with wheat or potatoes then? (lol)
    80AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:17
    Re: #62
    By that logic you couldn't eat anything unless you were fully self-sufficient
    Good luck with that, you cynic
    81AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:17
    Wasn't there some murky explanation earlier about prices rising because foreign tourists were eating up all the rice? Don't tell me the tourists suddenly stopped eating rice? (lol)
    95AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:19
    Re: #81
    With the Expo going on, it was probably a convenient excuse for whoever was pulling the strings
    Look at the year-by-year production figures — it's nowhere near a bad enough harvest to double or triple prices, way too unnatural
    130AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:28
    If that's the case, then there's no need for the government to bother buying it up as reserve rice, is there?
    The logic just doesn't hold together
    140AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:29
    Re: #130
    Demand for domestic rice has stayed flat, but since it was selling at high prices, farmers ramped up production hard and now there's a glut

    MAFF actually tried to hold back the increase in anticipation of this, and got slammed for it…
    149AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:31
    Re: #140
    They didn't increase production at all — they were running the acreage-reduction policy until just recently
    163AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:36
    Re: #149
    The 2025 crop saw a major production increase (up 108,000 hectares year-over-year)
    176AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:38
    Re: #149
    Takaichi called a halt to the production increase, but farmers ramped up anyway, betting on high prices
    143AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:30
    Re: #1

    Middlemen skimming their cut, slurping it right up (a jab at intermediaries siphoning off profits)


    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    The “Reiwa Rice Crisis” refers to the turmoil in which domestic rice prices spiked amid harvest concerns from the extreme heat since 2024 and bottlenecks in distribution. MAFF’s latest analysis argues that even though consumption of domestic rice has fallen, that doesn’t necessarily mean people are abandoning “rice as a staple food” altogether — it may simply reflect a shift toward foreign rice. That distinction matters, since the headline alone is easy to misread as denying any decline in domestic rice consumption at all. In the thread, photo reports of domestic rice sitting unsold at supermarkets even after price cuts were set against cited news of a sharp rise in foreign rice imports, splitting opinion over whether MAFF’s explanation reflects reality or is just political cover. There was also back-and-forth citing specific figures over whether the 2025 planted acreage actually expanded, suggesting that even the interpretation of the government’s own statistics isn’t unanimous.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “[Rice] MAFF: “Hard to Confirm a Rice Exodus” — Analysis of Domestic Demand Trends, Possible Rise in Foreign Rice“.

  • ‘Dragon Ball Super: Beerus’ Premieres October 11 — Web Divided Over the ‘Enhanced Version’

    The “Enhanced Version” of Dragon Ball Super — rebuilt from the late Akira Toriyama’s original story with new cuts and a complete re-shoot — titled “Dragon Ball Super: Beerus,” begins airing on the Fuji TV network in the late-night slot starting October 11. Megatera Zero will perform the opening theme, and Vickeblanka the ending theme. Reactions on 5ch were split: some praised the late-night broadcast slot, while others voiced complaints like “it’s just a rehash of the same story” and “they should remake it faithful to the manga,” with plenty of comments also touching on voice-actor turnover and succession concerns.

    9/3 (Thu) 8:00

    It has been revealed that “Dragon Ball Super: Beerus,” a TV anime in the “Dragon Ball” series based on the late Akira Toriyama’s popular manga, will air on the Fuji TV network on October 11 at 11:15 PM. Thirty minutes after the broadcast ends, it will stream first on Prime Video and U-NEXT. “Dragon Ball Super: Beerus” is an “Enhanced Version” of “Dragon Ball Super.” “Enhanced” means “to elevate, strengthen, or improve.” The series adds a large number of new cuts, redraws existing ones, re-shoots every single cut, and reconstructs the story with new dubbing, including added score and sound effects.

    A key visual for Super’s opening has been released, showing the God of Destruction Beerus flashing a fearless smile as he sets his sights on taking over Earth, alongside Son Goku and Frieza. The opening trailer, built entirely from newly created footage, features Goku and Beerus along with Frieza, formidable new adversaries, and characters who hold the key to the story. It was also announced that singer-songwriter Megatera Zero will perform the opening theme “Onogami,” while singer-songwriter Vickeblanka will perform the ending theme “Kanpeki no Peki.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:10
    Honestly, I don't think that's a popular character.
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:12
    They should just drop the "Dragon Ball" from the title at this point lol
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:13
    So basically it's just a rerun. If they're going to do that, wouldn't remaking it from the very beginning — Goku's childhood — make today's kids happier?
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:14
    Re: #6
    I think the childhood arc is more fun, but maybe it's not popular because there's no fighting?
    57AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:12
    Re: #6
    I want to see the training under Master Roshi and the Tenkaichi Budokai tournament again.
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:14
    Feels like a filler episode just to kill time while waiting for the source material.
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:15
    Do the people watching "Dojin Ball" (i.e. "fan-fiction Dragon Ball" — a dig implying it's unofficial, low-effort quality) actually think it's good?
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:15
    No new voice recordings, huh? Honestly, I think it's about time they replaced the entire cast.
    11AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:16
    It's basically the same content but the title keeps flipping between Z, Super, whatever — I can't keep track anymore.
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:16
    Ah, so it's not a new story, it's just that kind of thing.
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:16
    Nobody wants these bolted-on extra bits — they should just remake the whole thing faithfully from the start through the Buu arc.
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:17
    The red-haired Super Saiyan God form has basically been erased from existence, huh.
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:21
    Who's doing the OP and ED anyway? At this point just give Kiina something flashy already.
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:22
    So it's just a rehash of the previous version? If they've got time for that, go get some manuscript pages from Toriyama instead.
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:25
    Ever since Fuji TV got a new president, both their dramas and anime have been clinging to old titles.
    22AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:26
    So it's become a franchise that'll be endlessly rehashed forever now, huh. Well, he did die suddenly without leaving any instructions behind. Anyway, I'm not watching any future installments.
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:26
    The one that aired recently had the characters looking weirdly shrunk/chibi, I just glanced at it and gave up watching.
    26AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:28
    Suddenly greenlighting some weird theme park in Saudi Arabia — they're doing whatever they want now that he's gone. Really shows how much Toriyama used to say no to.
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:28
    Just make an anime centered on the weaklings, like Yamcha. I want to see Yamcha fighting seriously for once.
    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:31
    Re: #27
    Buy a ton of the manga to show your support.
    32AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:30
    Re: #7
    The part when it was still an adventure manga, up through defeating King Piccolo, is the most fun. The Red Ribbon Army arc especially is excellent. I wish they'd remake it and just retcon the Saiyan arc out of existence.
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:30
    Re: #32
    Even so, that's a step too far.
    35AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:30
    Well, I'll give them credit for airing it late at night. I don't want to watch it in the morning or early evening — late at night right before bed is the way to go. Right after Sunday's "Mr. Sunday," I guess.
    37AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:35
    I already saw with DAIMA how bad Dragon Ball turns out when Toriyama isn't really involved. So I'm not watching this one.
    85AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:45
    Re: #37
    Toriyama was heavily involved with DAIMA though.
    40AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:37
    If it's a remake, does that mean Super Saiyan Blue and Ultra Instinct get erased too? Or is this some parallel world created using the Ring of Time?
    44AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:41
    Re: #40
    They're not changing the story though.
    46AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:43
    If they keep this up, they'll just keep mass-producing original forms that surpass Ultra Instinct — are they seriously still doing this?
    47AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:43
    Beerus, now of all times? Oh, I guess this is for overseas demand.
    52AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:51
    Re: #7
    I think opinions differ depending on whether you watched it live from the start or discovered it later. Dragon Ball originally started as a gag-filled adventure manga, and people who watched it in real time enjoyed it as such — but for people who started around the Saiyan arc onward, Dragon Ball is seen as a battle manga, so there's less room for them to accept the adventure/comedy side.
    53AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:54
    Re: #52
    Overseas fans only really like DBZ (starting from the Saiyan arc onward).
    58AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:13
    I think Super should just be retconned out of existence.
    63AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:17
    Re: #58
    DAIMA is the one that retconned it away.

    After the original manga ends, it branches into three:
    Original → Super
    Original → GT
    Original → DAIMA
    61AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:16
    The one where Vegeta plays host at a party?
    68AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:24
    Re: #61
    So we get to see "Fun Bingo!" again?
    75AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:36
    After Masako Nozawa retires, I hope they don't do something as cringe as having an impersonator comedian voice Goku.
    81AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:42
    Re: #75
    That impersonator's had throat problems for a while now, so they probably won't.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    The “Enhanced Version” isn’t a new story arc — it reconstructs the existing “Dragon Ball Super” by adding new cuts, re-shooting every cut, and redoing the sound, while the story itself remains unchanged. Akira Toriyama passed away suddenly in 2024, and the unease over new material continuing without the original creator is reflected in thread comments like “they should remake it faithful to the source material” and “it’s basically like fan-made content.” Also, without knowing the backstory of how the titles branched into “Z,” “Super,” “GT,” and “DAIMA,” a breakdown like comment #63 can be hard to follow. Note that the voice-actor turnover isn’t something stated in the article itself — it remains pure speculation within the thread.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread ““Dragon Ball Super: Beerus” Begins on Fuji TV October 11 — “Enhanced Version” TV Anime.”

  • Level-5 Announces ‘II Dream’ Livestream Event for Sept. 10 — Fans Fear More Delays

    Level-5 announced on its official X account that it will stream “LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II Dream” on YouTube starting at 9 PM (JST) on Thursday, September 10. The company has three titles slated for release by year’s end, but posters on the hardware/industry (Geha) board pointed out that 7 to 8 already-announced titles still have no release date, fueling speculation that the stream will focus more on follow-up updates and delay announcements than actual new information. Talk also centered on whether a Nintendo Direct might land the same day, on the nuance of the title “II Dream,” and on the fact that a similar stream called “Takumi” (“Craftsman”) was already held back in April.

    We’ll be streaming “LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II Dream”

    on YouTube starting at 21:00 on Thursday, September 10.

    This event will feature the reveal of a variety of the latest updates on Level-5 titles.

    Source: x.com / Original post here

    4AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:58
    'Dream,' huh… guess we'll be dreaming on yet another teaser with no release date in sight.
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:59
    It'd be pretty bad if there's no Nintendo Direct despite the overseas price hikes.
    Furukawa would seriously get called incompetent.
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:59
    Guess there's no Nintendo Direct on the 10th after all…
    Wasn't there something else going on that day too?
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:00
    It's gonna be another delay festival, guaranteed — just sit down, Hino.
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:03
    Nintendo Directs are always 10 or 11 PM anyway.
    And lately they've been doing just fine without any Level-5 titles.
    11AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:03
    Why hasn't Level-5 gone under?

    AI Overview

    The main reason Level-5 hasn't gone under is the massive profits it built up from past hit IPs like Yo-kai Watch and Inazuma Eleven, combined with the flexible management structure that comes from being a privately held company.
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:05
    Lol, they're acting all high and mighty banning mirrors/reuploads.
    15AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:06
    Good news — means I don't have to waste time on any Level-5 games.
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:06
    L5's supposedly got 3 titles releasing this year — are they actually gonna make it?
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:07
    So does that mean they didn't get invited to the Direct?
    19AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:09
    An announcement about a delay of a delay?
    Just go out of business already, this 'it's totally coming!' act is the most annoying thing ever.
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:11
    I want a Switch 2 edition of the last Musashi game.
    Also Yo-kai Watch 2: Shinuchi.
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:12
    How many delay announcements versus how many actual new reveals are we getting here?
    Is the pile of announced-but-unreleased titles just gonna grow even bigger?
    23AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:12
    2026 II Dream

    That title is way too lame.
    What kind of taste is that?
    89AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:03
    Re: #23
    There's a saying, 'a dream within a dream' — meaning something hopelessly out of reach.
    It's basically unattainable.
    So really they're already telling us it's getting delayed.
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:15
    'Everything we've announced so far was just a dream!'

    Are they seriously gonna try to write it all off like it never happened…
    25AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:16
    I'll laugh if they cram in yet another new announcement at this point.
    26AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:16
    Guess all those scattered announcements are finally taking shape.
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:18
    Honestly I'm more curious about this than the State of Play.
    29AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:18
    Hurry up and remake Yo-kai Watch 2 already.
    Summer vacation's already over.
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:20
    Konami, Capcom, and now L5…
    Are they even gonna do a Nintendo Direct at this rate?
    31AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:20
    Copy State of Play's format a bit too, instead of doing Direct-style shows all the time.
    54AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:32
    Re: #31
    It's this needlessly clever, borderline unreadable title — a pun mashing up the console name with 'PlayStation' and 'State of Play.'
    32AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:20
    'You can see me, right, nyan?' (a nod to Jibanyan's catchphrase and cat-speak from Yo-kai Watch)
    33AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:21
    Level-5, PlayStation, and Ubisoft all landing on the 10th like they coordinated it.
    So the Nintendo Direct's probably the night of the 9th or early morning of the 10th.
    40AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:25
    Is there some licensed IP tie-in involved or something?
    49AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:29
    Re: #40
    The Switch 2 version's pretty much confirmed already — maybe they'll do a cross-media announcement for Holy Horror Mansion or something?
    56AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:33
    Surely they'll at least drop a release date for Layton, right?
    65AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:41
    Re: #56
    Probably just an announcement that they'll announce the release date… eventually.
    61AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:38
    So you're saying there's no Level-5 title in the State of Play lineup?
    66AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:45
    Re: #61
    Deca-Polis might be there — it's the only one whose footage has shown PlayStation buttons.
    80AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:54
    Wait, is this actually the second one of these this year??
    85AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:58
    Re: #80
    Apparently they did 'LEVEL5 VISION 2026 Takumi' back in April.
    https://www.level5.co.jp/vision2026/

    Or so it seems.
    84AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:55
    Didn't even know they did that 'Takumi' thing in April.
    They could've called out the delayed titles back then.
    There are still 3 titles supposedly releasing this year!!
    So yeah, I'm betting all 3 get delayed.
    86AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:58
    Re: #84
    Nice try, hater. If they release one title a month starting in October, they'd actually make it in time.
    87AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:59
    The fact that fans now want follow-up updates more than new reveals says it all — it's over.
    88AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:01
    Re: #87
    Because all they ever do is announce stuff.
    92AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:05
    Re: #87
    They've got something like 7 or 8 titles that got announced but still have no release date, so of course it's come to this.
    91AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:03
    They might as well be banned from Nintendo Directs at this point — wouldn't change much from now anyway.
    94AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:06
    Re: #91
    Ban Bandai Namco if you want, but Level-5's putting out new Switch 2 titles, so…

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    Level-5 is a privately held company said to maintain its financial footing on profits from past hit IPs like Yo-kai Watch and Inazuma Eleven. In recent years it has kept rolling out new title announcements even as release timelines have increasingly slipped. As posters in the thread noted, a large number of announced titles still have no confirmed release date, and opinion was split on whether this stream would bring genuine new information or mainly serve as a venue for delay announcements on existing titles. Whether the timing overlaps with a Nintendo Direct or other companies’ events also drew attention, but as of September 10 no official announcement from Nintendo had been confirmed, so that remains speculation within the thread.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “LEVEL5 Direct 2026.9.10.”

  • Sony’s “State of Play” Flops — Only 300K Concurrent Viewers, Panned Abroad Too

    Sony’s new “State of Play” broadcast (nicknamed “Steple” by Japanese fans) aired, drawing criticism for its thin lineup and the almost total lack of buzz around the stream. Worldwide concurrent viewers topped out at roughly 300,000, and 5ch posters lined up to call it weaker than past editions of the show. Overseas outlet Eurogamer even wrote an article about how chaotic the stream’s chat got, making clear the tepid-to-hostile reaction wasn’t limited to Japan. What stood out most in the thread wasn’t the criticism itself, but posters’ unease that there wasn’t even enough energy left to properly dunk on it.

    1Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:31
    Sounds like an all-time low.
    2Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:31
    Heard the chat was a mess both in Japan and overseas.
    4Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:33
    Re: #3
    With trash-tier concurrent viewers and trending numbers like that? 😂😂😂😂😂
    5Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:33
    Honestly, I don't think it's even blowing up that much.
    Like, it's not even reaching the level where that would happen.
    That's actually pretty bad, for real.
    6Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:34
    Wait, what was even the point of doing a State of Play this time?
    7Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:34
    Worldwide concurrent viewers were only like 300K lmao
    8Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:35
    Heard the content itself was pretty rough, but what's scarier is you guys aren't even hyping it up much.
    Normally the haters would bring way more energy than this.
    70Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:54
    Re: #8
    Honestly, since this aired in prime time, I genuinely figured at least one streamer would do a watch-along.
    But nobody did, and it really hit me how little interest there is. Felt kind of sorry for it, actually.
    9Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:35
    Even in a trending list this quiet, 'Discard Play' couldn't take the top spot 🤣🌱*wheeze wheeze*

    Guess nobody really cares 🥹
    10Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:35
    Keep doing shows like this every time and the audience is only going to shrink further lol
    11Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:35
    Impressive that they aired it even though first-party had basically nothing ready.
    Felt like it overlapped with the Vita's dying days.
    28Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:39
    Re: #11
    Is that a dig at Softdai?
    12Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:35
    Isn't it lame every single time at this point?
    You get used to it.
    13Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:36
    The overseas chat was brutal lol
    Killing off discs is having a way bigger impact than expected.
    14Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:36
    In a way, it didn't betray expectations at all!
    15Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:36
    A funeral-quiet stream wouldn't surprise me, so why's the local (Japanese) version getting review-bombed too?
    16Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:36
    Getting review-bombed at all means people still had expectations — cut it some slack.
    17Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:36
    No 'Space Baldy' this time, lmao — guess they already knew viewership would be low.
    18Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:36
    Just rounding up Japanese third-parties and calling it a day — that alone tells you how bad it is.
    Part of it's the graphical baseline now being set by the Switch 2, but seriously — compare that Konami thing to the Switch 2's own showcase, it's rough.
    20Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:37
    Making a whole thread over something as minor as burping after a Coke?
    24Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:38
    Didn't watch it at all, but since there's no buzzing thread for any single title, I'm guessing there just wasn't anything worth talking about.
    26Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:38
    The ending kind of felt like NHK's 'Game Genome' wrapping up…
    27Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:39
    Sounds like it was chaotic enough that Eurogamer wrote an article about it.

    https://x.com/eurogamer/status/2095513978956882065
    69Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:53
    Re: #27
    There's a Japanese person mixed in there who's completely unbothered.
    29Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:40
    It's bad enough that Konami is pushing something on the level of a Furyu game.
    32Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:41
    Of course it's not blowing up — nobody was expecting anything from State of Play to begin with lol
    37Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:43
    Re: #32
    Yeah, at this point you'd have to be a fool to still expect anything.
    45Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:44
    Most of what they showed this time looks like it'll flop hard and not even earn back its budget.
    52Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:46
    Go search on X — it's seriously nothing but insults.
    57Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:48
    Re: #52
    Well, at least that's enough to get it trending.
    77Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:55
    Feel bad for the streamer who was doing a watch-along.
    82Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:56
    Re: #77
    "Huh? What is this, Resident Evil, looks like a movie lol…"

    "…it IS a movie"

    I kinda just want to watch that exact moment lol
    84Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:56
    If it's getting review-bombed, there's still hope.
    The truly scary thing is dead silence.
    It means people still care.
    It's gonna be fine, it's fine.
    85Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 00:58
    Re: #84
    Even on Geha it's barely getting bashed, so honestly it's already pretty dire lol
    87Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 01:00
    Didn't watch it — did something happen?
    88Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 01:00
    Re: #87
    It was basically an act of hostility toward the viewers.
    90Anonymous GamerSep 4, 2026 01:01
    Re: #87
    If there'd been any real surprises, dedicated threads would've popped up and blown up over them.
    Read between the lines.

    Background and key points

    “State of Play” is Sony’s irregularly-scheduled showcase for new titles and DLC — essentially Sony’s answer to Nintendo Direct. What made this round notable was the reaction to the concurrent viewer count cited in the thread (roughly 300,000): a widespread sense that there wasn’t even enough energy left to properly tear it apart. Normally a show like this draws a storm of criticism, but this time the dominant reaction was that even the haters lacked momentum — producing two competing takes: one holding that “the truly alarming thing is the dead silence,” and another countering that “getting review-bombed at all is proof people still care.” There was also frustration that the back half of the broadcast was given over to DLC reveals and voice-actor interviews, echoing complaints about similar pacing in past editions of the show. The fact that overseas outlet Eurogamer wrote about the chaos in the stream’s chat suggests the lukewarm-to-hostile mood wasn’t confined to Japanese 5ch reactions — it extended to overseas communities as well.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and summaries of the 5ch (Hardware/Industry — “Geha”) thread “[Major Tragedy] State of Play Is So Bad It’s Causing an Uproar wwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Owner Explodes After Customer Uses Plate as Ashtray, Snaps ‘Never Come Back’ — Is the Customer on the Hook?

    At an izakaya (Japanese pub), a customer reportedly used their plate as an ashtray after finishing their meal, and when the owner noticed, they exploded, telling the customer “never come back.” The incident, reported by Bengo4.com News, became a hot topic on 5channel’s News Speed+ board. Some pointed out that the shop allowed smoking but apparently hadn’t provided ashtrays, and others argued there’s no hygiene issue once the plate is washed — but plenty of posters strongly objected on principle regardless of washing, and the thread split over whether the customer bears any legal responsibility.

    9/3 (Thu) 10:50 JST

    Bengo4.com News

    A plate used to serve food at a restaurant became an “ashtray” after the meal was over.

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

    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:54
    Re: #1
    Should've made it non-smoking from the start!
    Might as well stop serving booze too!

    People get stupid once they're drunk ╮⁠(⁠╯⁠_⁠╰⁠)⁠╭
    191AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:17
    Re: #8
    Re: #57
    If you allow smoking at a place that also serves alcohol, this kind of thing happens — not great, but it's hardly rare
    Sounds like some corporate dropout who's never even worked a shift before opening this place
    If you're gonna get that mad about it, either go non-smoking or stop serving booze — but it's an izakaya, so really only the first option works
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:54
    I mean, the place allows smoking but doesn't even have ashtrays?
    76AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:16
    Re: #9
    This is exactly the type of person who'd stub cigarettes out in the dishware
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:55
    Shocking news for people in the Tokyo metro area

    Even national chain family restaurants allow smoking in Osaka
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:57
    Re: #13
    Nah, unfortunately Tokyo's got smoking-allowed family restaurants too
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:58
    Isn't it just an "ick factor" thing?
    Does cigarette residue actually stay on the plate even after it's washed?
    38AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:01
    Re: #24
    Who knows
    Genuinely curious about this
    Spoons and stuff have people's saliva on them too, and most places run on the logic of "we washed it, so it's fine"
    95AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:26
    Re: #24
    Given how aggressive anti-smoking zealots (kenen-chuu) can get, if it came out that a shop just washed the plate and reused it, wouldn't there be a massive backlash?
    From a risk-management standpoint, just tossing it would be the safer move
    140AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:59
    Re: #24
    It's an ick-factor thing
    But there was actually a court case where a guy rubbed his dick on someone's water bottle and got convicted of property damage over it
    42AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:02
    Nya did nothing wrong!! (a callback to a famous meme from streamer Syamu)
    46AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:04
    Re: #21
    Fukuoka seems to allow it too
    Big cities are more lax about this stuff
    My prefecture bans smoking outright in all restaurants
    Basically anywhere minors might go is off-limits
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:06
    Foreign staff member: "Here's your plate!"
    Bet that's really how it went down (note: "ashtray" is haizara in Japanese, which literally contains "sara" = plate — so maybe they just caught the "plate" part)
    57AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:08
    They serve booze AND allow smoking, and still have that short a fuse?
    Not cut out for customer service.
    Though they're not wrong about the principle of it.
    72AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:13
    Is there even any upside to broadcasting this story?
    Seems like it'd normally just scare customers off
    82AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:18
    Say they did reuse that plate — who's actually going to notice?
    Does someone out there have superhuman senses that can detect "this plate used to be an ashtray"?
    93AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:24
    Re: #82
    You could say the same thing about someone telling you a toilet bowl's clean enough to lick lol
    128AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:47
    Maybe back in the Showa era… but seriously, does anyone still do this?
    154AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:28
    Re: #128
    Yeah, now that you mention it, fair point
    The smoking population's halved too, so unless there was some precedent — like your old man doing this back in the day — you'd never even think to try it
    130AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:50
    Every kind of cleaning in this world is just dilution — once the residue drops below a certain level, it counts as "clean"
    You wash your underwear and then wear it clean, don't you?
    135AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:52
    Re: #130
    Even washed, wearing some stranger old guy's underwear is a bit…
    137AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:54
    Re: #130
    Would you actually wear someone else's underwear even if it's washed?
    131AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:51
    They accepted the ashtray but still stubbed it out in the dishware — weren't they just drunk? Sounds more like a booze problem than a smoking one
    141AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:00
    Re: #131
    If you drink but don't smoke, you don't need an ashtray at all — so it's a smoking problem lol
    150AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:18
    I get why the owner blew up, but realistically the plate's still usable, right? Restaurants are already on friendly terms with roaches ("G") and rats anyway
    160AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:36
    Re: #150
    Even if it were usable, you couldn't wash it alongside the regular dishes anymore — that's a massive hassle
    163AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:38
    So wait, was smoking actually allowed at this place? If so, they should've planned for stuff like this
    164AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:39
    Re: #163
    Just because a place lets you eat ramen there, does that mean it's fine to puke your ramen back into the bowl?
    165AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:41
    Re: #163
    You clearly didn't even read the article, why are you acting so high and mighty
    198AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:24
    Re: #163
    That's exactly why they provide ashtrays
    186AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:12
    Wasn't indoor smoking supposed to be banned? I thought places had to set up a designated smoking area
    190AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:16
    Re: #186
    It's fine as long as kids ("gaki") are barred from entering
    195AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:21
    Re: #190
    I see, thanks for clearing that up
    203AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:27
    Re: #190
    Re: #195
    It only applies if the place was operating before the law took effect and is under a certain floor size
    Even then, it just means anyone under 20 can't come in
    If it's been running since way back, this kind of thing isn't unusual — though is the owner losing it here maybe a second-generation owner, or someone who bought out the whole business?

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The story of “the plate used as an ashtray” ties directly into the legal requirements for the crime of property damage (kibutsu songai). Under Japanese law, this offense doesn’t require an object to be physically broken — it can also apply when an object’s intended use is ruined by inflicting lasting psychological revulsion that washing can’t undo. There’s precedent for this: a case where someone smeared bodily fluid on a water bottle resulted in a guilty verdict. That said, the claim that “it’s hygienically fine once washed” and the claim that “it’s psychologically unusable” carry different legal weight, and which one applies here depends on details the original article doesn’t fully spell out — which is why opinions in the thread stayed split. Also, as post #203 notes, restaurants that allow indoor smoking do so under transitional provisions of the revised Health Promotion Act: small establishments that were already operating before the law took effect can set up a designated smoking room if they meet certain requirements, but in exchange, anyone under 20 is barred from entering. It’s not clear from the article which category this particular restaurant falls under.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (News Speed+) thread “Izakaya owner furious, tells customer “never come back” — is there really no legal liability?.”

  • FF7 Remake ‘Complete Edition’ Priced at ¥77,777 — 5ch Reacts: “That’s Too Damn Expensive lol”

    Square Enix has announced that the “Complete Edition” of the Final Fantasy VII Remake series will go on sale on April 8, 2027, for ¥77,777. On 5ch’s hardware/industry board, the price sparked a wave of shocked reactions like “That’s too damn expensive lol” and “That’s got an extra digit on it.” Discussion centered on the price gap with the separately announced digital trilogy set (¥11,330), speculation that the bundled limited-edition card could resell for tens of thousands of yen on the secondary market, and inconsistencies with the company’s previous stance on DLC — all fueling debate over whether the price and sales approach are justified.

    Final Fantasy VII Remake Series

    Complete Edition

    Release Date: April 8, 2027 (Thu)

    Source: store.jp.square-enix.com / Original article here

    4AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:48
    Too damn expensive lol
    Cracking me up. It's not worth that much.
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:49
    Are the cards really going to be worth that much… are they?
    96AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:22
    Re: #5
    Could be scary high, honestly.
    The FF-collab MTG cards are pretty popular — setting aside outliers like the Chocobo cards with only a handful in existence worldwide, Cloud and Sephiroth cards easily go for around ¥50,000.
    This time it's new artwork, the art quality looks really good, and they probably won't print many.
    I'd guess it easily clears ¥100,000.
    Could even hit ¥1,000,000 if things get out of hand (´・ω・`)
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:50
    Even the diehard fans won't buy this. How full of themselves can they be?
    They genuinely seem to think they're a top-tier player in the industry.
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:51
    The least they could do is include the full soundtrack…
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:51
    You guys kept saying "there'll surely be a cheap 3-game set," so I waited for it — and THIS is what we get!?
    That's got an extra digit on it.
    11AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:51
    If that's really all that's included, this price is probably about right, no?
    Though who knows how well it'll actually sell.
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:52
    Oh, so it's a bundle with a PS5 console and the trilogy?

    …wait, it's not!?
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:52
    Well, it's marginally better than that bicycle from Wilds, I guess (a jab at Monster Hunter Wilds' criticized paid bicycle-mount DLC).
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:53
    LOL
    This company has genuinely turned into a joke.
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:53
    Everyone expected them to release a 3-game set, but these days in the gaming industry you also have to brace for them pulling something like re-releasing an upgraded edition of the still-unreleased third Remake game too.
    25AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:55
    Now that I think about it, there were quite a few people who said they'd buy it if a 3-game set came out.
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:56
    Re: #25
    I… I don't recall saying that… (the classic evasive "I have no memory of that" line)
    44AnonymousSep 3, 2026 23:59
    I want to give myself credit for thinking, "Even for a set of the older games, ¥7,777 seems too cheap."
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:01
    Re: #44
    Same, I misread it too. I thought, "Wait, a 3-game set for under ¥8,000? Is Square Enix okay?" Turns out I was wrong — these guys are NOT okay.
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:01
    Do the MTG cards only come with the expensive set?
    56AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:03
    Re: #49
    Nope, they come with the standard edition too.

    Which is also ¥10,000, by the way.
    https://store.jp.square-enix.com/estore/g/gPOT-P-ACNQA
    62AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:04
    /)  /)
      /  ⌒  ヽ   / ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄
      | ●_ ●  | < Since it flopped, now they want to squeeze us for cash?
     (〇 ~  〇 |  \_________
     /       |
     |     |_/
    64AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:05
    Re: #62
    You're one to talk — you buy two copies every single time.
    63AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:04
    The FF7 die-hards are basically being treated like walking ATMs.
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:05
    Re: #63
    And yet I didn't even buy Rebirth lol
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:06
    Come on, for the one that's almost ¥80,000 they could at least make it a full game card instead of a key card (a download-code-only card rather than one with the actual game data).
    107AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:27
    Re: #68
    If they used an actual 128GB game card, that alone would cost around ¥15,000.
    71AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:07
    They said the third game would ship complete with no DLC, and yet everything about this is garbage.
    That Zack figure is completely unnecessary too.
    80AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:11
    Re: #71
    Actually, more recently they've been talking about DLC for it too.
    74AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:08
    I just saw a headline saying "Complete Edition release confirmed" — was that referring to this price? Is there possibly no regular-priced Complete Edition at all?
    87AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:16
    Re: #74
    A plain digital 3-game set has been announced separately.
    It's ¥11,330.
    Since Revelations (the third game) alone is ¥9,900, this set effectively lets you get Remake and Rebirth for ¥1,430 combined.
    77AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:10
    It's over! 77777!
    82AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:12
    Re: #77
    Even the thread number is 77!
    85AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:13
    The turnaround from Rebirth to Revelations feels awfully fast.
    Fast enough that I'm starting to suspect they deliberately scaled back the content from what was originally planned because sales weren't good.
    90AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:17
    Re: #85
    They learned the hard way with Rebirth that the longer the gap between installments in a split-release model, the more sales drop off.
    Even the higher-ups probably rushed to get this one finished.
    88AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:16
    For a limited edition this expensive, you'd think they'd include the full soundtrack instead of a mini one.
    91AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:18
    Re: #88
    They'll probably sell the full soundtrack separately anyway… probably slapping some tagline on it like "Relive that emotion once again ────" lol
    89AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:17
    The fans who've stuck with and supported this series the longest are going to be the most let down by this lineup and pricing.

    If it had been something like a standard-edition triple pack for ¥15,000 — like the twin pack they did when Rebirth launched, aimed at getting as many people as possible to play — that would've been understandable.

    But this is just too ugly. This is probably going to sell like 10,000 copies in its first week.
    110AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:30
    Re: #89
    If you mean the digital twin pack they did for Rebirth, they're doing a digital triple pack for this one too.
    98AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:23
    Probably because if they packed in all the DLC, it wouldn't be ready in time for next year, and the disc version wouldn't sell.
    101AnonymousSep 4, 2026 00:25
    Re: #98
    Ah, so it's release the disc first and add DLC later. Still, going back on what they previously said about "no DLC" is something else… well, I wasn't planning to buy it anyway so whatever lol



    Hope it ends up stalled out like FF15 did ^^ (referencing FF15's famously scrapped post-launch story DLC)

    Background and Key Points of Debate

    This announcement comes as the Final Fantasy VII Remake series — following “Remake” in 2020 and “Rebirth” in 2024 — moves toward its concluding chapter. The “Complete Edition” in question is a premium limited version; a standard digital trilogy set (¥11,330) has also been announced separately, and the ¥77,777 price tag put the spotlight on how much the limited edition’s added extras are actually worth. Opinion on the thread was split mainly over how to value the included bonus card: some pointed to past FF-collaboration cards reselling for tens of thousands of yen on the secondary market and predicted this one could top ¥100,000, while many others simply dismissed the price as far too high. The discussion was also colored by lingering distrust of the split-release sales model and doubts about whether this squares with the company’s previously stated DLC policy.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “FF7 Remake Series Complete Edition Confirmed for ¥77,777!.”