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  • Palworld Card Bid Tops $10,000 — 5ch Users Smell a Fake

    A post by an overseas collector claiming a PSA10-graded gold “Kattiva” card from the Palworld TCG (Trading Card Game) had received a $10,350 bid went viral. The post declared that “a card only 34 days old just beat out Charizard, which carries 10 years of history,” but reactions on 5ch were largely skeptical. Users pointed out that the same card’s Japanese version was still sitting unsold on Mercari at 130,000 yen, and that the auction hadn’t actually closed at the time. Comments questioning the story followed, like “Nobody’s actually bought it” and “Isn’t that just a typo for $1,000?” Meanwhile, data suggesting Palworld’s own popularity is fading also drew attention, feeding a broader debate over the card’s price tag versus the game’s momentum.

    A card that’s only 34 days old just beat out Charizard, which carries 10 years of nostalgia.

    Rarity doesn’t need history. It just needs everyone to agree “this is the one.”

    Palworld’s Gold Kattiva card broke $10,000 just 34 days after the TCG’s release.

    Source: x.com / original post here

    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:42
    Turns out someone's just listing it at that price — looks like nobody's actually buying it.
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:51
    Re: #5
    Same pattern as that wobbly 'Atashinchi' balance game (a Jenga-like toy used as slang for something shaky about to collapse)?
    43AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:01
    Re: #5
    Isn't this just one of those fat-finger order mistakes you sometimes see on the stock market?
    90AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:54
    Re: #5
    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 🤣🌱 lololololol
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:50
    The Japanese version's still sitting at 130,000 yen on Mercari, though.
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:52
    Re: #21
    Is anyone actually buying it?
    26AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:51
    If something really sells for $10,000, listing it for 130,000 yen on Mercari should sell instantly, right? (Note: it hasn't sold.)
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:52
    Re: #26
    Wait, this one hasn't sold either? lol
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:53
    Re: #26
    Stop it, that's basically 'the crime of stating an inconvenient fact' (a joking meme term).
    86AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:48
    Re: #26
    Different language market, though.
    31AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:54
    That 🐷 guy's Palworld inferiority complex just won't quit, huh
    53AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:08
    Re: #31
    If anything, this article's the one flaunting a Pokémon complex — where'd Charizard even come from, lol
    41AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:59
    It's already washed up, so just give up.

    Google Trends

    Steam concurrent players
    42AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:00
    Re: #41
    Guess it's back down to about the same level as before the 1.00 release, huh.
    63AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:13
    Re: #41
    There's a sudden spike around August 15 — did something happen then?
    49AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:03
    Looks like the 🐷 guy can't read the English in the original source.
    50AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:06
    Re: #49
    It literally says 'auction' right in Re: #1, so he probably doesn't even know what an auction is.
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:07
    That's the whole point — it's PSA10. That alone can make it worth more than 10x a raw copy. Guess a pig wouldn't understand PSA grading, lol
    59AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:11
    The ID's been changing over and over — scalpers sneaking around in here, lolololol

    If you want to talk about a crazy market like this, take it to a TCG thread, not the console-war board (Geha)?
    On Geha, it's long been settled that stuff like this has zero value, lol
    64AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:13
    Re: #59
    Haha, the 🐷 guy's getting all worked up
    Is it bugging you that there are already 61 bids? lol
    79AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:40
    Here's the current state on eBay — the one that's actually getting bids is the ¥420,000 listing below.
    82AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:44
    🐷: Paaal, Paaal, Paaaal! 💢💢💢 (mocking cry of frustration)
    87AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:49
    Re: #82
    Saying that in a Palworld thread is just… painfully sad.
    83AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:45
    Nah, that's small potatoes — a rare Pokémon card sold for $16 million (about 2.5 billion yen).
    88AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:53
    Re: #83
    At card shops, stuff like Umbreon and Espeon actually goes for quite a bit too.
    91AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:57
    One PSA 10 copy briefly had a $10,350 bid placed on it. That said, at that point the auction hadn't ended or been settled yet.

    So the bidding's still ongoing, then?
    106AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:23
    Re: #91
    If it's 'temporary,' does that mean it can be withdrawn?
    93AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:02
    [Sad News] Palworld TCG launch day: a flop start at #17 on Amazon's bestseller ranking 😭
    https://krsw.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/ghard/1785394164/


    Threads tracking 'current rank: #whatever' used to pop up regularly after that one, but they stopped once it dropped off the charts entirely.
    94AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:04
    Re: #93
    On Amazon now you can only get it from scalpers — guess you were too slow, lol
    95AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:10
    Word is someone probably typo'd $1,000 and added an extra digit by mistake.
    Sounds like it'll get treated as a cancellation and fall through.
    98AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:13
    Re: #95
    There they go again with another dumb lie.
    Just look at the bid count, it's obviously real — there's 61 of them. Not too bright, are you.
    101AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:17
    Re: #95
    Re: #96
    Replying to your own 'lie' within a minute — that's a pretty transparent bit of sockpuppeting.
    105AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:19
    Just a little while ago everyone was making a huge fuss about how there's no way Palworld cards would sell, total flop 🤪
    Are the Geha trash losing again? 🙄
    Is there anything these old guys can actually win at? 👴
    108AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:25
    Re: #105
    Nothing's changed, it's still the same — there's no way this actually sells, you idiot, lol

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    The original source is a post on X by overseas TCG collector Jared K. Tartre, claiming that a PSA10-graded gold “Kattiva” card from the Palworld TCG had received a $10,350 bid. However, posters in the thread noted that “the auction hadn’t ended or been settled at that point,” so it’s worth remembering that a bid isn’t the same as a final sale price. In fact, the same card’s Japanese version is listed on Mercari for 130,000 yen and remains unsold, and other eBay listings haven’t drawn much bidding action either. On 5ch, some floated the theory that it was a data-entry error (“maybe they meant $1,000 and added a zero”), while others pushed back, citing a bid history of 61 entries — leaving the truth of the matter unresolved as the discussion went on. In the background is data suggesting the Palworld TCG has slid out of Amazon’s sales rankings after debuting at #17 right after launch, alongside Steam and Google Trends figures showing interest has dropped back to pre-launch levels — meaning the debate has partly turned into a muddled argument that conflates one card’s price tag with the game’s overall momentum.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “Palworld card hits $10,000 in 34 days! Overseas expert says ‘It beat Charizard! Rarity doesn’t need history!’“.

  • Kura Sushi’s Non-Sale Freebies Allegedly Hit Mercari for Resale Before Handout Even Starts

    Kura Sushi’s not-for-sale promotional merchandise, given away based on how much a customer spends, was found listed on the flea-market app Mercari before distribution had even begun — sparking a stir on a 5channel livestream-commentary board. Opinion in the thread split: some suspected store staff of pocketing the freebies and reselling them on the side, while others figured customers or resellers who’d already secured the items were simply listing them early using the “no-stock listing” trick. While some flagged the Mercari terms-of-service violation itself as the real issue, others pointed out that pinning all the blame on Kura Sushi’s management would be unfair.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:37
    Distribution of the tea cups doesn't even start until tomorrow.
    So why's it already up on Mercari?
    2AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:37
    If they just checked stock at every store today, they'd find the culprit right away.
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:38
    "We investigated (or, well, we're just saying we did) and found no wrongdoing."
    That's probably how this ends.
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:38
    Once staff start reselling this stuff, that's the end of any workplace ethics.
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:39
    Shipping's probably scheduled for tomorrow.
    This kind of thing happens all the time with popular items.
    31AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:45
    Re: #7
    Re: #17
    Wait, what do you mean? Like tomorrow they're gonna pig out, spam the "Bikkura-Pon" prize draws (Kura Sushi's plate-triggered capsule-toy game), complete the set, and then ship it out?
    39AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:47
    Re: #31
    Yep, they list it before they've even got it, planning to secure it later.
    Shady resellers pull this all the time.
    44AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:50
    Re: #31
    This one's not a gacha draw — spend a set amount and you're guaranteed to get it.
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:39
    Might as well flood the head office with inquiries about it.
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:39
    And it's a full "complete the set" item too?
    They're bound to get caught at this rate.
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:40
    Honestly they should just make it "guaranteed once you spend ¥X" instead of a gacha format.
    With bad luck you could spend forever and never pull the figure.
    Though I'm sure Kura Sushi's definitely mixed up in this.
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:40
    Kind of a rush imagining customers drawing from a lottery that's already had the winning tickets pulled out.
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:40
    It's just a no-stock listing.
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:40
    Honestly there's a real chance this isn't staff at all, just a no-stock listing, so we can't say for sure.
    19AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:40
    This is basically the same as a convenience store clerk pocketing the lottery prizes, right?
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:41
    A part-timer who can make some pocket money off it probably wouldn't care even if they got fired for it.
    23AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:41
    Food service work is basically an exploitative "black" part-time job these days anyway, so honestly a perk like this seems fair enough.
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:42
    Well, they really did it, lol.
    Not setting foot in there again.
    Not that I was going there for the freebies in the first place.
    29AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:44
    Kura Sushi's ad guy is Hamada? Say no more (a nod to the comedian's own history of controversy).
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:44
    How desperate is this country that people go this far for five thousand yen?
    35AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:46
    Did they finish building a time machine already?
    45AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:50
    Re: #35
    Because the goal is dragging Japan's food culture back to prewar times.
    40AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:48
    Is this even a problem? They just secured it in advance, that's all.
    48AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:51
    Re: #40
    It's a Mercari terms-of-service violation, so that part is the problem.
    Blaming Kura Sushi for it doesn't add up.
    46AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:50
    They say there's no smoke without fire.
    Guess that explains why you can drop ¥10,000 and still not get a figure.
    47AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:50
    Re: #44
    Oh really? How much do you have to spend to complete the set?
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:51
    Re: #47
    ¥3,000 gets you one.
    50AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:51
    They're even selling the non-sale ones.

    100AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:19
    Re: #50
    Lol, that's insane.
    60AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:53
    Re: #51
    So that's ¥12,000 for all four types.
    So the idea is: stuff yourself with ¥12,000 worth of sushi, then sell the figures for a few thousand yen and come out ahead?
    74AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:01
    Re: #60
    Even without turning a profit, a few college students going together and stuffing themselves cheap would be plenty satisfying.
    Though that's apparently not what happened here.
    68AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:57
    Kappa Sushi is the only one you can trust anymore.
    Can't trust Sushiro or Kura Sushi at this point.
    72AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:00
    Re: #68
    You got summoned in another thread!
    79AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:02
    Isn't this just the usual move where resellers trade among themselves first to jack the price up?
    88AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:12
    Re: #79
    Honestly, we live in an age where playing it straight just makes you the sucker.
    Cheating or not, whoever moves first comes out ahead.
    105AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:22
    Isn't selling something that hasn't even been released — and presumably doesn't physically exist yet — supposed to get you banned?
    Though I doubt Mercari will actually do anything about it.
    106AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:23
    Re: #105
    Honestly, they'd probably just freeze the account that reported it and call it "trolling."

    Background and points of discussion

    On Mercari, listing an item before actually having it in stock — then securing and shipping it only after a sale goes through — is called “no-stock listing” and violates the platform’s terms of service. Since this particular promotion guarantees the item once a customer spends a set amount, the culprit could just as easily be a customer or reseller who moved first, not necessarily a staff member skimming stock — and the thread itself never reached a consensus on “who’s actually responsible.” The thread also included replies mocking an image posted by someone claiming to be a “store manager,” but since that risked identifying a private individual, it has been left out of this article. This isn’t unique to Kura Sushi — pre-release or pre-distribution listings of limited-edition merchandise are a recurring problem, and it’s worth being careful not to conflate a company’s lax oversight with an individual’s violation of platform rules.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] Kura Sushi Is Done For.”

  • John Lennon’s Grandson Born, Sean Lennon Announces — 5ch: “Famous From the Moment He Was Born”

    Musician Sean Lennon (50), son of John Lennon, has announced on social media the birth of his first child — a baby boy named Aurelius — with his partner Charlotte Kemp Muhl. This marks John Lennon’s first grandchild. On 5ch forum threads, discussion ranged from how much the baby resembles his half-brother Julian Lennon, to his lineage from the Yasuda zaibatsu (his grandmother Yoko Ono’s family), to opinions on Sean’s own music career — all mixed in with congratulations and casual chatter.

    A grandchild of John Lennon has been born. Sean Ono Lennon (50), son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, has announced the birth of his first child with his partner Charlotte Kemp Muhl (39). It’s a boy, named Aurelius.

    Sean posted the following on social media:

    “So… Charlotte and I have an announcement for everyone. We just had a new Human Bean (his playful spin on ‘human being’)! His name is Aurelius! Thank you!”

    Source: amass.jp / Original article here

    4AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:09
    Hope the talent skips a generation and lands on the grandson.
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:11
    Who? A reincarnation of Ahn Jung-hwan (the Korean footballer)?
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:21
    Julian looked like John, but Sean never really did, right?
    41AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:14
    Re: #10
    He looks just like him, however you slice it.
    John's X-chromosome genes are strong.
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:28
    The size of his face looks way off — is this photo edited?
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:31
    He's Yoko Ono's son?
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:36
    Re: #14
    He's also got Yasuda zaibatsu blood in him (Yoko Ono's family, one of Japan's old business dynasties).
    68AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:45
    Re: #14
    Not that side.

    But his partner? Her name sounds like "Nitchiro'" (a Japanese comedian known for his Ichiro Suzuki impression)…
    Is that her real name, or is she doing a bit?
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:33
    Let's get Billy Joel to write him a history song for the grandkid.
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:37
    John, Sean, Jo-Sean (a mashup of the two names).
    22AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:37
    Re: #1
    A baby after 19 years together!
    They seem like a great couple.
    Congrats.
    25AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:39
    Famous from the moment he was born.
    Only child, no inheritance squabbles, going to be doted on like crazy.
    I want to be reincarnated and live in the Dakota!
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:52
    Re: #25
    He should get Ringo to sing "Good Night" to his son — his old man would be happy too.
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:47
    Hooray for girl power!
    29AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:51
    Sean the "少年" (shounen, meaning "boy" — a pun on his name) is 50 now, huh.
    33AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:03
    Yoko Ono and Yayoi Kusama both really made it in that era's art world, huh.
    Not quite to Kusama's level, but Yoko Ono does get a mention in Western art history too.

    The art world back then was centered on white men.
    In the '80s the Guerrilla Girls called out how women had to be nude to get into art museums,
    and even among women, Pindell said
    "it was centered on white women, and women of color weren't factored in" — that's the era it was.
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:03
    So he's a quarter — 1/4 Japanese.
    37AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:07
    Re: #34
    And yet in this photo he looks fully Japanese.
    42AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:14
    Beautifoo…
    Beautifoo…
    Beautifoo…
    Beautifoo Gaaal~ (playing on John Lennon's song "Beautiful Boy")
    45AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:15
    Congrats!
    So "Beautiful Boy" Taro-kun (a joking generic Japanese nickname for the half-Japanese Sean) is a dad now, huh.
    And Julian's become an uncle.
    47AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:19
    Guess late-in-life births are normal overseas too.
    Still, that baby looks totally Japanese.
    His wife's a beauty.
    48AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:19
    Big brother Julian even congratulated little brother Sean on the baby on his Instagram!
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:20
    Whatever happened to Sean K? (a Japanese TV personality, unrelated but same name)
    54AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:23
    Re: #51
    Heard he's doing well on the radio these days.
    52AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:21
    Is his wife Charlotte Gainsbourg?
    Like "Impertinent Charlotte"? (referencing the French actress and her film "Charlotte for Ever")
    53AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:22
    Good for them — now they've got an heir to that massive fortune.
    57AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:25
    When Yoko Ono moved to the US, it was Yayoi Kusama — who passed away recently — who copied her performance art.
    58AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:26
    Sean's music is actually pretty interesting.
    Guess having some Ono blood in him shows — it feels like it strays a bit from your typical Western pop.
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:30
    How about "Shobo-n Lennon"? (shobon is Japanese net slang for a dejected, disappointed face — a pun on Sean's name)
    63AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:36
    Sean never really made it big, huh.
    Well, can't help it when your dad's such a legend.
    75AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:58
    None of the Beatles' kids really made a splash.
    Even Zak, who seems the most active, is just a journeyman drummer bouncing between bands.
    78AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:03
    Re: #75
    Zak's done plenty well for himself.

    Background and talking points

    Sean Lennon is a musician born in 1975 — notably on John’s 55th birthday. His mother is Yoko Ono, and he’s descended from the Yasuda zaibatsu, a prominent Japanese business dynasty. His music drew some praise on 5ch (“actually pretty interesting”), though his father’s towering legacy also drew harsher comments like “never really made it big.” His first child with partner Charlotte Kemp Muhl arrives after 19 years together. Thread commenters were split on whether the baby takes after his father’s or mother’s side, and comparisons were drawn with his half-brother Julian Lennon (John’s son with his first wife, Cynthia). Julian has no children, making Aurelius John Lennon’s first grandchild.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Sokuho+) thread “Sean Lennon announces birth of his son, John Lennon’s grandchild.”

  • Ijuin Hikaru showers praise on Okada Keisuke — 5ch: “Isn’t he a genius?”

    On the September 1 broadcast of TV Tokyo’s “Ijuin Hikaru & Sakuma Nobuyuki’s Unauthorized TV Tokyo Review,” Ijuin Hikaru’s glowing praise of Okada Keisuke (of the comedy duo Masuda Okada), host of “Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan” (“Fortune’s Turn! Appraisal Panel”), calling him “a genius,” became a hot topic. Reactions on 5ch were largely in agreement, with many commenters citing specific hosting techniques as proof of Okada’s skill — like his subtle way of holding down contestants’ appraisal-value flip cards so they can’t be raised early before the cue. On the other hand, some pushed back by pointing to his hosting on the baseball talk show “Dugout,” arguing he “lacks knowledge” and is “bad at moderating,” leaving opinions split over Ijuin’s assessment.

    Sep 2 (Wed) 14:27

    Talent Ijuin Hikaru (58) appeared on TV Tokyo’s “Ijuin Hikaru & Sakuma Nobuyuki’s Unauthorized TV Tokyo Review” (Tuesdays, 1:30am), which aired on the 1st. He named, by name, a popular comedian he considers a “can-do-anything” genius.

    In the “Unauthorized TV Tokyo Timetable Review” segment, Ijuin brought up his own recent appearance on the network’s long-running hit show “Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan,” saying, “I got to appear on ‘Kanteidan’ again after a while.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:35
    Because watching an Osaka night-view video channel on YouTube is more fun than watching Peace-kun over at Omiya Park.
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:36
    This kind of insider praise (industry people hyping up their own) isn't bad, honestly.
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:36
    The Nobel Prize guy.
    70AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:27
    Re: #8
    Yeah lol
    Okada being where he is today is definitely thanks to that show lol
    He honed his craft on that show lol
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:37
    I get it. I've felt that for a while too.
    If he were with Yoshimoto (the big Osaka talent agency), he'd definitely have made it to the top by now.
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:38
    Nakayama Hide gives off the same vibe.
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:39
    Re: #10
    Wasn't it Ijuin who also brought up how this guy handled things with Erika Sawajiri before?
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:19
    Re: #10
    But Nakayama Hideyuki is Nippon TV only, though.
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:40
    Isn't Yoshimura from Nobukobu (comedy duo) this type too?
    15AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:40
    If Ijuin Hikaru says so, it must be true.
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:40
    He's one of the two pillars holding up Matsutake (talent agency) right now.
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:41
    When Ijuin talks,
    his left thumb is constantly twisting and rubbing away, right?
    Is that some aftereffect of an illness or something?
    It bugs me so much that none of what he's saying actually sinks in…
    46AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:00
    Re: #17
    Apparently that's him hitting the brakes on his own brain.
    He's got this mode where his brain feels like it could talk forever once it kicks in,
    and when that happens he completely ignores the show's time limit and the other guests and just can't stop talking.
    So supposedly, spinning his thumb diverts just enough attention to keep that runaway talking in check.
    23AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:45
    They never let Matsutake (talent agency) win M-1 early on, huh.
    76AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:32
    Re: #23
    Masuda Okada's first M-1 appearance wasn't good at all.
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:45
    Okada goes full throttle right from the start,
    so on a long broadcast, the second half gets rough.
    26AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:46
    Remarried and having kids in his 50s —
    that's a bit unusual.
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:46
    Whether or not that's true of Okada specifically, there really are people who make a show more entertaining just by being there, even if they're not especially funny themselves.
    For me, guys like Tokoro George and Itsumi Masataka were like that.
    31AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:48
    Saw him on the subway once when I was young — he was alone but smiling the whole time, no disguise or anything.
    32AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:48
    His humor's a bit too cheap, so he might work for specials, but I don't want him on prime-time comedy shows.
    33AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:48
    We all know Okada's funny.
    Spelling out every little detail is just unnecessary.
    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:49
    For a while Okada was on a show with Masuda Akemi,
    and people joked he'd swapped partners for that other Masuda (his own duo partner is also named Masuda).
    37AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:50
    I think it was a Hinatazaka46 show — watching him handle the rookies on it, I thought he was really impressive.
    39AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:53
    He might be good at turning amateurish guests into decent laughs.
    41AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:54
    I get this.
    When he was on Bakushou Mondai's "Carboy" (radio show), I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
    45AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:00
    Okada of Masuda Okada really made it big.

    Back in the Kansai late-night show "Libido no Ran,"
    he was just nodding along to Kitano Makoto's dumb chatter.

    That was a show where Kitano Makoto's hosting was just painfully unfunny.
    59AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:15
    Even among M-1 champions, people say Masuda Okada and Black Mayonnaise are on a different level.
    77AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:33
    Re: #59
    Different level in what sense?
    63AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:19
    Re: #1
    I don't get what this bit about the flip card means.
    78AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:35
    Re: #63
    Assuming you've seen the "on-location appraisal" segments —
    you know how contestants hold the flip card with the appraisal price face-down, then raise it high on the host's "Jaga-jan!" cue?
    Apparently some contestants can't help but raise it early, before the cue.
    To stop that, the host has a technique of pressing down on the bottom of the flip card,
    and the point is that Okada is incredibly good at making that "holding it down" look completely natural, seamlessly leading into the "Jaga-jan!" cue so no one notices why he's doing it.

    Background and key points of this topic

    Okada Keisuke has a track record as the M-1 Grand Prix 2004 champion as part of the duo Masuda Okada, and in recent years has hosted “Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan.” The “technique for holding down the flip card” that came up in the thread is a practical trick for keeping contestants from raising the appraisal-price card before the cue — something easy to miss unless you watch the show regularly. On the other hand, his hosting on the baseball talk show “Dugout” has drawn criticism for “lacking knowledge” and being “bad at moderating,” showing that opinions of Okada genuinely differ depending on the type of show. It’s worth noting that Ijuin’s “genius” comment was specifically about his hosting skill on Kanteidan, not an overall verdict on Okada’s comedic style as a whole — an easy point to misread.

    *This article was compiled by excerpting and summarizing the 5ch (Sports/Entertainment News+) thread “Ijuin Hikaru showers praise on Masuda Okada’s Okada Keisuke: “Isn’t he a genius? The show gets more fun just by him being there”.”

  • Juice=Juice × Harami-chan Team Up for “Moré! Mi Amore” Livestream — Fan Reactions Are All Over the Map

    Juice=Juice’s Danbara Ruru, Inoue Rein, and Arisawa Ichika are teaming up with street pianist Harami-chan — known for her 47-prefecture tour — for a special livestream performance of “Moré! Mi Amore.” Harami-chan herself gushed about the collaboration on social media, calling them “an absolute monster group” and urging fans to spread the word. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, the announcement drew plenty of excited reactions like “I’m too excited to sleep,” but also some cooler takes such as “that trend’s already cooled off” and “no buzz at all,” highlighting a divide in enthusiasm over the collab.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:40
    Juice=Juice × Harami-chan: Special "Moré! Mi Amore" Livestream Announced
    3AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:42
    https://ogre.natalie.mu/media/news/music/2026/0903/Haramichan_jkt202609_juicejuice.jpg
    4AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:43
    This is the kind of news that's so exciting I'll only be able to sleep… at night (playing on the cliché "too excited to sleep even at night")
    11AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:44
    Harami-chan🍖🎹47-Prefecture Tour! @harami_piano
    Juice=Juice is seriously such a monster group lolololol they're amazing so please spread the word lolololololol

    🎹🎻🎤 "Moré! Mi Amore"
    https://x.com/harami_piano/status/2037120081835286678
    https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/2037118754803638272/img/11hYeYgFs0_XAJuX.jpg
    https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2037118754803638272/vid/avc1/3840×2160/o66xLJ299XuM4O_1.mp4
    31AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:46
    Nice, nice! (Kansai dialect for "that's great")
    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:47
    Urami-chan (a pun on "grudge")
    Tsurami-chan (another yakiniku cut, like harami)
    40AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:48
    47AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:49
    Stuff like this is probably more fun done as a one-take performance
    49AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:51
    Unfortunately this trend's already cooled off
    bit late to jump on the bandwagon now
    50AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:52
    Yep, this one's a non-event too
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:53
    Turned on notification alerts for Harami-chan's X and YouTube, done
    65AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:56
    Nice to see this connection come together
    66AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:56
    【Image】Tomorrow's broadcast "Hamada Kayo Sai ★ Ookami Shounen (TBS)" — promo image of Juice=Juice's Danbara Ruru & Inoue Rein is here! キタ━━━━(゚∀゚)━━━━!!
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1788425741/

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Harami-chan is a street pianist known nationwide for her 47-prefecture tour, and she’s continued to release collaboration livestreams covering existing songs and teaming up with popular artists. “Moré! Mi Amore” is one of Juice=Juice’s own songs, and idol groups collaborating with pianists isn’t an unusual promotional approach within the Hello! Project scene. While the thread saw plenty of genuine excitement, there were also more tepid reactions like “that’s already cooled off” and “no buzz,” splitting opinion on whether the timing and draw of the collab still had impact. Differences in taste over performance style were also discussed, with the main point of debate less about the collaboration itself and more about “whether this particular pairing still has meaning right now.” Note that posts amounting to personal attacks or irrelevant flame-baiting have been excluded from this piece.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Juice=Juice’s Danbara Ruru, Inoue Rein & Arisawa Ichika × Harami-chan: Special “Moré! Mi Amore” Livestream Announced.”

  • Japanese Version of ‘The Blood of Dawnwalker’ Gets Blood and Gore Cut for Censorship

    It’s become a hot topic on 5ch’s hardware/industry (Geha) board that the Japanese version of the action RPG ‘The Blood of Dawnwalker’ has had its blood and gore effects cut. The game had been drawing attention ahead of release as a new title from staff behind the ‘Witcher’ series, but the thread turned heated after it emerged that not just the console version but even the PC (Steam) version is censored for Japan. Alongside criticism that even overseas digital purchases only offer the Japanese version if the account region is set to Japan, posters also shared a workaround — editing the launch options to display the uncensored version in Japanese — while others voiced jaded takes on the genre itself, saying they’re ‘sick of these games where you just swing a sword around in a dark screen.’

    4AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:35
    That's rough.
    Bandai Namco never changes, huh.
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:35
    Re: #1
    Watched a playthrough video — this is a crap game.
    Crap game regardless of the blood.
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:36
    These games where you swing swords around in a dark screen, dodging and parrying —
    the market's so saturated there's barely any demand left, yet people still buy them.
    31AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:25
    Re: #6
    Future generations will probably remember this as the Reiwa-era Atari Shock (the infamous 1983 video game market crash).
    90AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:17
    Re: #6
    And with Western games the pacing is clearly bad.
    Chinese and Korean games rip off Japanese ones, but at least they keep a proper sense of speed, so they're fun.
    102AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:09
    Re: #6
    Even Onimusha is apparently selling worse than that on Steam.
    Sword-fighting games in general are getting old.
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:37
    Censorship is just how vested-interest groups make their living.
    It's pure evil.
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:40
    If this were just the console version, whatever, but the PC version is censored too. Bandai Namco and Capcom are garbage publishers that censor even their PC releases.
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:41
    Isn't it just a mistake to expect to play a foreign game on PS5 without running into CERO censorship in the first place?
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:42
    Features and restrictions: Language: Japanese only (cannot be changed to another language)
    Account: Only usable with a PlayStation Network account whose country/region is set to 'Japan'
    Store access: Only the Japanese PlayStation Store is accessible
    Price: A discounted model, cheaper than the standard one

    This is exactly the trap for anyone who bought the Japan-locked PS5 lol
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:45
    Whoa, the Xbox version is rated Z (18+) too. If they can't re-add the uncensored version later, that's the worst.
    Also the price is steep — even AA Western titles are routinely near 10,000 yen now.
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:04
    Re: #14
    Let us know if it works.
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:51
    Is this set in 14th-century Europe? Is the protagonist Chinese or something?
    19AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:07
    For PC, the only option is buying the overseas version from a key reseller. Truly garbage.
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:09
    Wasn't Japanese language support stripped from the overseas Xbox version too?
    33AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:33
    Re: #20
    Checked the overseas Xbox store listing — it does show Japanese support, aside from voice dubbing.
    75AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:45
    Re: #20
    I'm just playing the uncensored version with Japanese text normally — is something wrong with my setup?
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:13
    Steam has the censored version too.
    And GOG has region-locked Japan out entirely.
    Bandai Namco really are idiots.
    22AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:13
    Meanwhile, it seems pirates are enjoying the uncensored version with Japanese text.
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:18
    Bandai Namco's about to release DLC for Code Vein 2, so maybe they wanted to crush the competition first?
    29AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:22
    No blood at all…

    Are they hitting each other with wooden swords or what lol
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:25
    The word 'Blood' is literally in the title and there's no blood? Is this a joke?
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:35
    Re: #30
    If anything, the protagonist is a half-vampire.
    32AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:30
    You used to be able to play uncensored by buying the overseas disc version, but once everything goes download-only, that option disappears too.
    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:37
    Had to laugh that even Steam is censored. Looks like PC is entering its own downgrade era now.
    38AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:38
    Re: #36
    By the way, Capcom is one of the rare garbage companies that censors even the PC version too. Makes you wonder what the point of censoring PC even is.
    45AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:48
    Elden Ring is drenched in blood, though.
    Why the difference?
    54AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:01
    Re: #45
    A developer launching a brand-new IP
    doesn't have the resources to fine-tune content for a specific country's regulations (like Japan's),
    so they tend to just take the easy route and cut everything.
    48AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:53
    Isn't the Japanese version of Wolverine going to get its blood cut too?
    50AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:56
    Re: #48
    It'd be pretty funny if the blood spraying everywhere that they showed off at the SIEJ-invited Japan early-access preview ends up getting cut lol
    69AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:34
    Sigh…

    84AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:59
    Re: #70
    So you're saying the MS Store version, not Steam, might actually work?
    85AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:05
    Re: #84
    It's not 'might work' — it does work.
    Just download the overseas version and add culture=ja to the launch options.
    87AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:12
    But you guys were hyping this up like crazy just because it's made by ex-Witcher staff.
    88AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:14
    Re: #87
    Oh really.
    No wonder it's boring.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Under Japan’s CERO rating system, sexual and violent content that exceeds a certain threshold results in a ‘Z (18 and up)’ rating, and major publishers often respond by trimming content from the overseas version to pass review. ‘The Blood of Dawnwalker,’ the title at the center of this discussion, is a vampire-themed action game from Rebel Wolves, a studio founded by former CD Projekt Red staff. The thread zeroed in on the fact that the blood effects — an element tied directly to the game’s own title — have been almost entirely removed in the Japanese version. One common misconception is that censorship only applies to the console version; in reality, even the overseas release only offers the Japanese version through digital-only storefronts if the account is set to Japan, and the same restrictions extend to the PC (Steam) version as well, regardless of platform. At the same time, posters discussed workarounds such as changing the language setting via launch options or personally importing the overseas package, which raised further questions about how effective the censorship really is. It’s also worth noting that titles like Elden Ring have managed to release with blood effects intact, showing that whether censorship happens can come down to the developer’s resources and how negotiations with CERO play out.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread ‘[Sad News] ‘The Blood of Dawnwalker’ Japanese Version Ends Up Absolutely Gutted by Censorship wwwwwwwwww‘.

  • Speed Wagon’s Idota: Duo With Ozawa Is Back, But ‘The Offers Just Aren’t Coming’

    Jun Idota (53) of the comedy duo Speed Wagon appeared at a Nihon Ham product launch event on September 3 and revealed that, even though his partner Kazutaka Ozawa has resumed his entertainment career, offers for the duo have been “unbelievably” nonexistent. Ozawa had been on hiatus after being named in Bunshun’s reporting on Hitoshi Matsumoto as the person who introduced women to him, but he returned to work earlier this year. On 5ch, threads buzzed with claims that the duo was never that popular to begin with, alongside anecdotes about Ozawa’s relationship with Matsumoto that triggered the hiatus — sparking a mix of sympathy and “you brought this on yourself” takes.

    Sep 3 (Thu) 3:25 PM

    Jun Idota (53) of the comedy duo Speed Wagon attended the “Nihon Ham Wiener ‘Hojun’ Brand New Promotion Announcement & Tasting Event” held in Tokyo on the 3rd.

    Idota appeared as “Wiener Master,” the trainer of the mysterious masked wrestler “Juicy Hou,” to help boost awareness and eating occasions for the coarse-ground wiener brand “Hojun.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:54
    Feels like the duo wasn't that popular to begin with
    37AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:10
    Re: #2
    I liked their radio show — good friends like Bananaman used to come on as guests a lot
    3AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:54
    Because, quite simply, there's no demand for them
    4AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:55
    It's because he never actually took responsibility and explained himself
    His thinking is way too soft
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:55
    Pulled a stunt like that and he can still make a comeback, huh
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:55
    The man who can identify Tochu (a Nagoya sports newspaper) by smell alone
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:56
    Idota's character is strong enough that he doesn't really need a partner
    Worst case, he can still make a living as a local Aichi Prefecture comedian
    107AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:53
    Re: #9
    CBC (the Nagoya TV station) seems like the type to pick that up
    11AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:57
    Bringing back the 'Amaaai!' (his old catchphrase, meaning "sweet!") manzai routine at this point isn't gonna cut it…
    105AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:51
    Re: #11
    Hamburger Sensei
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:58
    Weren't the two of them not even working together before the scandal anyway?
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:59
    Oh, Ozawa's the guy who was hooking Matsumoto up with women? Completely forgot he existed
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:59
    He had all that work because he was talented, and like with Watanabe (another scandal-hit comedian), there's probably a part of them wanting to keep using him on the cheap — but this is the phase where they're first testing how much backlash it'll bring
    15AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:59
    Wasn't there no demand for him to begin with, and he only got work by supplying Matsumoto with women?
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:59
    Huh?
    The way he's using "unbelievably" is off
    It should be "of course there are no offers"
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:00
    Everyone's too scared to open that Pandora's box
    19AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:00
    Well… yeah, obviously lol
    First he needs to spill everything at a press conference and grovel in apology, right?
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:00
    It was actually Ozawa who came up with the Hamburger Sensei character, you know
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:01
    Not even Downtown Plus will take him?
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:03
    Re: #24
    Apparently he told this story afterward — he expected Matsumoto to call and say something like "sorry for dragging you into this" or "let's keep at it," but instead got screamed at with "you introduced me to some crazy woman!" lol
    They're completely done with each other now
    32AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:07
    Re: #28
    Matsumoto holds a grudge once he's angry
    He won't even meet with Miyasako (another scandal-hit comedian) either
    65AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:23
    Re: #28
    I get how Matsumoto feels, but Ozawa's just too pitiful lol
    33AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:07
    These days you barely even see Idota solo, huh
    47AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:16
    Re: #33
    Idota's from Aichi, so he appears a lot on local Nagoya shows
    43AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:13
    Ozawa: "I will continue my activities as before, because there is nothing whatsoever for me to be ashamed of."
    Matsumoto: "The allegations are baseless, so I will fight this."
    Nakai: "I've been able to continue my entertainment activities going forward without any issues."

    Why do these guys claim it's all baseless and then just vanish without ever explaining anything?
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:22
    Re: #43
    Ozawa didn't actually do anything wrong, he just got caught up in Matsumoto's mess
    69AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:24
    Re: #62
    Ozawa's basically like someone who did a "yami baito" (a shady gig-work scam job) — even doing shady work without knowing what it really was can get you arrested
    73AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:25
    Re: #62
    Then why did Kenkoba warn people not to get close to Ozawa?
    58AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:20
    He'll just have to grind it out on The Second (a manzai contest for veteran duos)
    Though with audience judging, it's basically hopeless
    63AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:22
    Re: #58
    The judges are comedy nerds
    Plenty of Matsumoto devotees among them, so compliance concerns probably mean nothing to them
    Even if they win their round, not sure they'd actually make the finals though
    85AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:33
    Matsumoto's fans say "it'd be a nice heartwarming story if Ozawa showed up on Downtown Plus" — but sadly, that's never happening.
    The "suite-room mixer" reported by Bunshun was something Ozawa himself had arranged.
    The night Ozawa, feeling responsible, decided to go on hiatus, he got a call from Matsumoto.
    He expected to hear something like "Sorry for dragging you into this too."
    But what came through the phone instead was Matsumoto screaming at him:
    "What the hell is going on?! That woman you brought is out of her mind! What are you gonna do about this?!"
    Given all that, there's no way Ozawa is ever appearing on Downtown Plus.

    This is from some magazine reporter's tweet, but personally I'm obsessed with it.
    94AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:39
    Re: #85
    He initially said he had nothing to be ashamed of, and then suddenly went on hiatus — that's probably pressure from Yoshimoto (or really, from Matsumoto)
    95AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:39
    Re: #85
    Ozawa apparently complained about getting screamed at to people all over the place, which is probably how it reached the magazine reporter too
    86AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:36
    Hamburger Sensei is such a nice guy and good at hosting too, he should just go solo
    89AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:37
    Re: #86
    Nice guy?
    The fact that he's still working with Ozawa at all makes him look shady… lol
    93AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:39
    Re: #86
    He could always fall back on being a Dragons-themed comedian too lol

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Idota and Ozawa’s duo Speed Wagon has a history of hiatus: when Bunshun reported on Hitoshi Matsumoto’s alleged sexual misconduct in 2023, Ozawa’s name came up as the person who had introduced Matsumoto to the women involved, and he stepped back from entertainment work. Matsumoto denied the allegations and sued Bunshun, but he withdrew the lawsuit at the end of 2024, meaning the allegations themselves were never legally resolved. In the thread, opinions split between those arguing the duo lacked notable achievements even before the hiatus, and those who saw the hiatus itself as the direct cause of the drop in offers since Ozawa’s return. It’s worth noting that the anecdote about Matsumoto furiously berating Ozawa comes from a magazine reporter’s tweet, not an official account from either party.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Sports/Entertainment News+) thread “Speed Wagon’s Jun Idota: Duo Reunites With Kazutaka Ozawa’s Return, But “Unbelievably, There Are No Offers”“.

  • Sakanaction’s Ichiro Yamaguchi on AI Lyrics: “Smart But Boring,” “No Scent to Them”

    On the September 1 broadcast of All Night Nippon, Sakanaction’s Ichiro Yamaguchi described AI-generated lyrics as “the kind that are smart but not interesting” and said they “have no scent — no color, you could say,” adding that good lyrics are born when they exceed his own imagination. Reactions on 5ch were split: many argued AI and human lyrics should be compared in a blind test, or pointed out that the sense of “AI-ness” is just a preconception on the listener’s part, while others agreed with Yamaguchi’s take, citing the flat contours of AI vocals and the uniformity of AI lyrics.

    Sakanaction’s Ichiro Yamaguchi appeared on the September 1 broadcast of “Sakanaction Ichiro Yamaguchi’s All Night Nippon” (Nippon Broadcasting System), answering a listener’s question about what matters most in writing good lyrics.

    Yamaguchi explained that what matters most in writing good lyrics is “exceeding your own imagination.” “Even if you write intending to phrase something a certain way, or wanting to write about a certain theme, you don’t end up surprising yourself,” he said.

    He considers a lyric complete when it reaches the point of “Huh? That’s not even what I meant to say, but it turned out beautiful” or “Did I really write this?”

    Source: sirabee.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:40
    But that's just a ripoff of "Shake Hip," right?
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:42
    If you can tell human from AI in a double-blind test, you win.
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:44
    This guy sounds pretty frustrated tbh
    Sounds perfectly listenable to me
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:45
    Re: #6
    Exactly

    Re: #1 is just coping (a "moral victory" mindset)
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:44
    Time to time-slip back and crash the Man'yōshū (Japan's oldest poetry anthology)
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:45
    I wonder
    If you lined up a bunch of lyrics
    could you really pick out the AI ones every single time?

    It's a radio show — I'd love to see them actually try it
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:47
    Like those AI songs made from Harabo Nishi's gags (a comedian known for absurd bits)
    The lyrics are completely nonsensical and hilarious
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:47
    That's a ripoff of Kome Kome Club
    I thought it was the Drifters' "Baban Baban Ban Ban Ban"
    15AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:49
    Same kind of thing as saying Utada Hikaru's lyrics lack humanity?
    45AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:19
    Re: #15
    The one that was the News Zero ending theme had good lyrics though
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:50
    Plenty of humans out there stitching together lines they picked up from somewhere too, and it's cringe
    67AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:53
    Re: #16
    It's all been done already
    Twist it and it just turns edgy/try-hard
    Same goes for the music, not just the lyrics
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:50
    Hearing it's basically just a pile of predictive text makes it sound less impressive somehow
    Feels like AI's losing steam lately too, I wonder how that'll go
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:50
    Seeing the name in print, it overlaps with Ryoichi Yamaguchi.
    I like them both — funny, good talkers
    19AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:51
    Saw a Yajuu Senpai song on my YouTube recommendations (an internet meme figure)
    Fully AI, MV too, but the quality blew me away
    Made me realize how far this stuff has come
    22AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:53
    Logical correctness doesn't even matter
    as long as it feels vaguely affirming, you're fine
    Just grab a word people don't normally use but that clicks the second you hear it — "oh, that one" — with a sideways, unexpected twist, and you win

    Honestly, lyric writing looks like exactly the field AI would be best at
    23AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:53
    Humanity fought shogi software with everything it had but eventually admitted total defeat
    now it's been embraced and put to good use
    music's world is still resisting, huh
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:53
    It's like how AI illustrations never quite grab you
    things with too little irregularity just don't pull people in
    66AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:53
    Re: #24
    Yeah, it's boring
    26AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:54
    Well, that's just the impression the word "AI" gives, isn't it
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:55
    > Smashing separate drafts together ("gacchanko")

    "Gacchanko" is totally Gemini's catchphrase lol

    The big AI models have a sheer volume of knowledge beyond any single person
    No human could ever compete on that front
    so he's surely using AI heavily
    It's just that he's not leaving it entirely up to AI, that's all
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:55
    Feels like poetry, where the usable vocabulary is more limited, is actually closer to being in trouble

    Poetry might end up being more about the "poet's brand" than the actual content
    29AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:57
    AI does tend to line up words that just sound pleasant
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:57
    > "It feels smart but not interesting" "To me it just has no scent — no color, I guess"

    That's nothing but a preconception based on already knowing it was written by AI
    Run a blind test and you won't be able to tell the difference
    31AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:57
    Sounds like "you're smart but not interesting" yourself
    32AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:59
    Re: #1
    They should do a New Year's special guessing which lyrics are Yamaguchi's and which are AI's

    If he gets it wrong, no point airing it

    Bonus points if Daigo guesses wrong and Gackt yells at him (referencing a variety-show bit)
    33AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:00
    My kettle broke so I went looking for a new one
    almost went with stainless but got enamel instead
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:02
    There are a lot of YouTube channels having AI sing lately, and sometimes it's better than the original — pretty impressive
    dunno about the lyrics side of things though
    35AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:05
    Wonder if he actually knows anything about stainless steel when he says that…
    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:06
    I want to believe AI still can't pull off suddenly shifting tone to catch the listener off guard
    if it can do that, then you probably can't tell them apart anymore
    37AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:06
    You guys sounded pretty mechanical/inorganic back when you started too
    like "Aruku Around" or "Native Dancer"
    though I don't know about the lyrics
    39AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:09
    It's because the prompt given for writing lyrics isn't good enough
    Just tell ChatGPT ("Chappy") to write a prompt that gives it "scent" and makes it gel-like
    52AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:27
    Bet you couldn't tell in a blind test lol
    65AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:50
    Re: #52
    I think a professional musician could spot it easily
    Though you couldn't
    I can easily spot it in videos and images too
    56AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:34
    AI vocals sound like clean straight lines, kind of jagged and angular
    I guess with humans the edges feel rounded off, huh
    58AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:36
    Re: #56
    It's still just mid-evolution
    74AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:06
    If you've actually used it, you'd know getting rid of AI's quirks is nowhere near easy
    I use AI 12 hours a day so I'd know
    75AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:12
    Re: #74
    "I made this with AI! Amazing!" — there's a flood of ridiculous output out there that somehow got the OK looking like that
    At this stage, it's a tool that only someone who can actually tell what's wrong with AI output can really use well

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Yamaguchi’s remark originally came up as an example within a broader discussion of “what makes good lyrics,” not as a blanket condemnation of AI technology itself. On the thread, opinion split between those who read the comment as a claim that “AI loses to humans” and pushed back, and those who agreed with Yamaguchi’s sense of it. Some pointed to the precedent of shogi software, which humans resisted before eventually embracing and putting to use, suggesting music may follow the same path; others held firm that, for now, you can still sense a difference in texture from human work, citing the flat contours of AI vocals and the “lack of irregularity” in AI illustrations. It’s worth noting that whether people could actually tell the difference in a blind test was never verified on the broadcast — it remained at the level of “I’d love to see them try it.”

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Ichiro Yamaguchi on the something-missing feeling from AI-made lyrics: “Smart but not interesting” “No scent — like stainless steel”.”

  • Yen Rockets to 1-Month High of ¥156 — Up ¥3 in a Single Day as Traders Bet on End of Weak-Yen Era

    On the 3rd, the yen surged in Tokyo trading, briefly touching the ¥156 range against the dollar — its strongest level in about a month, since August 7. That’s roughly a ¥3 move in 24 hours from around ¥159.70 the previous evening, with the yen-buying pinned on growing expectations of a BOJ rate hike and remarks from U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent. On 5ch, opinions split over whether a stronger yen will actually ease prices and daily life, with pessimists insisting “companies won’t cut prices” clashing against optimists hoping “imports will get cheaper.” The thread also debated long-term interest rates and expansionary fiscal policy.

    In Tokyo foreign exchange trading on the 3rd, the yen briefly climbed into the ¥156 range against the dollar — the first time it’s hit that level in about a month, since August 7. Alongside growing expectations that the Bank of Japan will accelerate rate hikes, remarks from U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent fueled speculation about a correction to the weak yen, driving a wave of yen buying.

    As of 5pm on the 2nd, the rate was hovering around ¥159.70. In New York trading that same day it strengthened to around ¥158.21 at one point, and it strengthened further still in Tokyo trading on the 3rd. …(437 characters remaining in the paid version)

    Nikkei, September 3, 2026, 11:38 (updated 16:02, September 3, 2026)

    Source: nikkei.com / Original article here

    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:15
    Next up: the mystery phenomenon of "strong yen, high prices."
    Big corporations have zero intention of lowering prices — they'll just whine about shrinking profits from the strong yen and use it as an excuse to jack up prices even more.
    Nothing changes until someone smashes big business's special privileges.
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:16
    Re: #24
    Well yeah, obviously.
    Nobody's honest enough to actually lower prices just because the yen got stronger.
    61AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:21
    Re: #24
    There might be the odd sale here and there, but that's basically how it'll go.
    Maybe there's an outside chance of a de facto price cut though.
    72AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:23
    Re: #24
    And when that happens, what excuse will the bottom-feeders who wanted a strong yen come up with next?
    43AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:19
    Are they seriously going to keep hiking rates forever lol
    JGB yields are headed to 5%.
    200AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:36
    Re: #43
    Actually, 10-year bond yields are falling, not rising, as inflation worries ease.
    321AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:46
    Re: #43
    You clearly don't get it — long-term bond yields are rising precisely BECAUSE they're not hiking rates lol
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:21
    America really is something else — one comment and the whole market reacts.
    69AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:23
    Re: #62
    Since last year, the joint operations command for the Self-Defense Forces and U.S. Forces Japan has been based at the Akasaka Press Center, you know? 🤣🤣🤣
    85AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:24
    Re: #69
    That's wrong.
    104AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:26
    Re: #69
    JJOC is in Ichigaya.

    If you don't even know what JJOC is, you're not even in the conversation.
    109AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:27
    You guys should just quit NISA (Japan's tax-free investment account) and stick to plain savings at this point.
    124AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:28
    Re: #109
    Shouldn't you be buying while the yen's still a bit stronger?
    126AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:28
    Re: #109
    You can snag Orikan (the popular "All Country" world-index fund) on the cheap right now.
    136AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:29
    Re: #109
    Here's my situation as a 57-year-old unmarried corporate slave:
    Regular savings: ¥3 million
    Time deposits: ¥7 million
    Pension insurance: ¥5 million
    Stocks: worth about ¥25 million
    Land and buildings: worth about ¥30 million
    That's just how it is 🤣🤣🤣
    131AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:29
    No matter how much they talk it down or intervene, if Takaichi goes all-in on expansionary fiscal policy and floods the market with JGB issuance, it'll definitely snap right back.
    What's actually needed is fixing the underlying fundamentals that have lost the market's trust.
    Until that happens, downward pressure on the yen is guaranteed to continue.
    143AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:30
    Re: #131
    The U.S. is issuing way more debt than Japan, so it can only end in dollar weakness.
    163AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:33
    Re: #143
    How much debt gets issued has nothing to do with exchange rates.
    138AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:30
    When Bessent talks about "appropriate policy," he probably means a consumption tax cut, not a rate hike.
    157AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:32
    Re: #138
    They say the truly rich are snapping up hard assets.
    In the U.S., apparently they're hedging with farmland and the like.
    170AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:34
    Re: #157
    Hard to say. What used to be panic-driven moves now really feels like it's turned into pure indecision.
    247AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:40
    Re: #157
    I think they want Japan to boost domestic demand so we end up buying more American products.
    141AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:30
    Once the yen strengthens, domestic companies' earnings will slump, so we're probably in for a wave of layoffs.
    155AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:32
    Re: #141
    Cheaper imports should actually help a lot of companies recover too.
    148AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:31
    https://imgur.com/Kq9t5hh.jpg
    https://imgur.com/Hjgdi3b.jpg
    164AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:33
    165AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:33
    Re: #155
    Based on experience, I don't think so.

    That's coming from someone who's lived through Showa (the bubble era), Heisei, and now Reiwa.
    189AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:35
    Re: #165
    What about oil and energy, for starters?
    Actually, what kind of "experience" are you even talking about?
    202AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:36
    Re: #189
    Does oil just spring up domestically when the yen gets strong or something?
    277AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:43
    Re: #189
    For goods with a high share of imported raw materials that aren't processed much — like gasoline — sure, prices drop.
    But goods that rely heavily on imported materials yet still go through processing barely move.
    And services? They don't budge at all.
    Japan, with its service-heavy economy, is a country where exchange-rate swings have relatively little effect on overall prices.
    169AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:33
    Re: #155
    Then why did the "Lost 30 Years" even happen, lol.
    Back when it was ¥80 to the dollar, there was a massive labor surplus.
    213AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:37
    Re: #169
    That just means things stayed as manageable as they did because imports were cheap.
    The Lost 30 Years happened because the Japanese government let the shortfall in domestic demand go unaddressed.
    Go learn the basics.
    190AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:35
    Who are the people here actually rooting for a weak yen?
    198AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:36
    Re: #190
    People like me who just want to flee the country?
    224AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:38
    Re: #190
    People who get off on ordinary folks suffering.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    As the phrase “correction to the weak yen” suggests, today’s surge is being attributed to two overlapping factors: expectations of a BOJ rate hike and remarks from U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent. Where the thread split was over whether a stronger yen actually benefits household budgets. Whether companies pass falling input costs on as lower prices varies a lot by industry — goods like gasoline, which rely heavily on imported raw materials and undergo little processing, are highly sensitive to exchange-rate moves, while for Japan’s overall price level, dominated as it is by services, the effect of a stronger yen is seen as limited. On long-term interest rates too, opinions clashed between the intuitive view that “rate hikes push bond yields up” and the counter-view that “yields are rising precisely because the BOJ isn’t hiking, due to inflation concerns” — a reminder that this can’t be explained by a simple formula. Some also pointed out that whether the yen’s rebound actually translates into a better standard of living depends on how companies handle pricing going forward.

    *This article was compiled by excerpting and summarizing the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “[Forex] Yen Surges to ¥156 Range for First Time in a Month — Up ¥3 in 24 Hours Amid Bets on Weak-Yen Correction.”

  • The ‘Sakamoto Ryoma Did Nothing’ Theory: 5ch Users Fire Back With Primary Sources

    A debate broke out on 5ch’s “Whatever Live” board (なんでも実況G) over the theory that “Sakamoto Ryoma actually did nothing.” According to one post in the thread, the theory traces back to 2017, when media outlets conflated a research group’s proposal to streamline textbook terminology with a historian’s book published around the same time, mistakenly reporting that “Ryoma will disappear from textbooks.” In response, users cited historical records — including his signature on the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance and his role in arms imports — and the thread largely concluded that “saying he did nothing” is an overstatement. Still, some argued he wasn’t really at the center of the Meiji Restoration, leaving opinions divided.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:04
    If anything, he did nothing.
    2AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:05
    What's Takeda Tetsuya gonna do about this? (actor/musician famous for his Ryoma fandom)
    3AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:05
    Re: #2
    He's got "the kanji for 'person' is two strokes leaning on each other…" going for him, so he's unfazed (referencing Takeda Tetsuya's famous line from Kinpachi-sensei)
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:07
    A business genius who traded with Glover & Co. — a subsidiary of Jardine Matheson, which was backed by the Rothschild family — importing surplus weapons from the American Civil War for next to nothing, talking Glover into extending massive credit by promising there was demand to repay it, buying up huge quantities of arms, and ultimately driving Glover into bankruptcy.
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:07
    That's the downside of Takeda Tetsuya's manga 'Oi! Ryoma' (a romanticized Ryoma biopic manga).
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:09
    Glover, bankrupted because of Sakamoto Ryoma, couldn't return to his home country and stayed in Japan, where the Mitsubishi zaibatsu ended up taking care of him.
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:10
    Wasn't the general consensus that nobody really knew what he did, he was just the guy who showed up everywhere?
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:16
    So in 2017 the Council for the Promotion of Cooperation between High Schools and Universities in History Education proposed splitting history textbook terms into "basic" and "advanced" categories because there was just too much to memorize.
    Under that proposal, figures like Sakamoto Ryoma, Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshimichi, Kido Takayoshi, and Iwakura Tomomi got moved to the "advanced" side.
    Then, coincidentally that same year, historical writer (not an actual researcher) Kozo Kaku published a book arguing "Ryoma wasn't really a big deal."
    The book was basically just a fun, casual read, but the media combined these two things and reported "Sakamoto Ryoma didn't do much, so he's being cut from textbooks."
    That report went viral, and it seems some people took it at face value.
    In the end, the council's chairman came out and said "We never said that, the reporting is wrong," which put the story to rest — and Ryoma was never actually removed from textbooks.
    But apparently the misunderstanding still lingers.


    Or so I heard.
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:33
    He bought up tons of guns and warships under the Satsuma domain's name on behalf of the Choshu domain, right?
    Sakamoto Ryoma was basically an arms dealer.
    74AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:42
    Re: #51
    It's solid historical fact that his trading company Kameyama Shachu contributed to the arms-and-rice trade between Satsuma and Choshu and helped broker their relationship.
    Fiction just added extra embellishment on top of that — embellishment doesn't mean the whole thing is a lie.
    60AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:35
    I mean, if he really did nothing, why would anyone bother assassinating him?
    72AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:41
    Re: #60
    Honestly the only one with a real motive to kill him is Glover, who he bankrupted.
    78AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:47
    I saw somewhere that when it came to figuring out how to get Glover & Co.'s weapons to Choshu, it would've been tough without Sakamoto Ryoma.
    84AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:50
    Re: #78
    Back then no one else had a ship they could move around freely.
    But if the rifles hadn't gotten through, they probably couldn't have repelled the Second Choshu Expedition, so that might've been his single best move.
    82AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:50
    There are historical records showing he was present at the signing of the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance and even signed it himself — if that's "doing nothing" then that's hilarious.
    Some guy who supposedly did nothing just shows up out of nowhere and signs off on it? That's terrifying.
    86AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:54
    Re: #82
    Wasn't it that Katsura Kogoro of the Choshu domain asked him afterward to endorse it in writing?
    I recall reading that he just headed straight back to the Teradaya inn in Fushimi once he'd witnessed the alliance get signed.
    And that's when he ran into the Teradaya Incident — the Fushimi magistrate's office raided the place and he fled to the Satsuma domain residence.
    94AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:58
    Re: #82
    Though there's also a theory that the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance was basically already settled before that, and he just showed up for the after-party.
    Well, he was known for being good at winning people over, at least.
    87AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:55
    He's not counted among the "Three Great Nobles" or "Ten Great Men" of the Restoration. His posthumous court rank, Junior Fourth Rank, was handed out to dozens of people — so in baseball terms, he's not quite Nagashima, Oh, Ichiro, or Otani tier, more like a Hara or Kiyohara-level patriot, one notch below the very best.
    89AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:56
    Re: #87
    Part of that is because he was from Tosa.
    Choshu and Satsuma hogged all the credit.
    And on top of that, he was a masterless ronin who'd abandoned his domain.
    88AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:55
    Threads about the "Ryoma did nothing" theory sometimes go the way this one did, correcting course with "no wait, he actually did this stuff" — but other times they just end with "Ryoma sucked, dude was nobody, lol."
    93AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:58
    Re: #88
    Even among posters on this board (なんG), literacy levels vary.
    96AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:59
    Re: #88
    There's just too much of a paper trail for "he did nothing" to hold up.
    He may not have been in as important a position as people claim, sure.
    Nakaoka (Shintaro) was actually more involved in the Restoration itself.
    95AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:58
    I read a biography once — it was mostly just him tagging along with important people and somehow winning them over. Whether he actually did anything wasn't really clear.
    Though my memory's fuzzy on it.
    100AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:01
    Re: #95
    He's the rare type who's on good terms with everyone, so just having him around smooths things over.
    98AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:00
    Where there's smoke, there's fire.
    The records prove he showed up at historical moments all over the place, so saying he did nothing is an overstatement.
    The weapons he bought from Glover surely helped topple the shogunate too.
    109AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:05
    Re: #98
    "Helped" is an understatement — that was basically the spark that lit the whole Restoration.
    Non-samurai militia wielding serious firepower changed everything.
    If they hadn't been able to counter the Second Choshu Expedition, the whole framework of the Restoration might've turned out differently.
    99AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:00
    If you take Ryoma away from Kochi, all that's left is bonito.
    102AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:01
    Re: #99
    There's still Kyuji Fujikawa (the pro baseball pitcher).
    101AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:01
    "I wish to wash Japan clean" — he actually said that.
    104AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:03
    Re: #101
    Though apparently that was just an empty prayer, not something he actually did.
    108AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:05
    Besides, they put up a statue of him back in the early Showa era — that alone means he can't have done nothing.
    112AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:06
    Re: #108
    He was famous enough that they even used a propaganda story about him appearing in the Empress's dream.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    The “Sakamoto Ryoma did nothing” theory reportedly originated in 2017, when the Council for the Promotion of Cooperation between High Schools and Universities in History Education proposed streamlining textbook terminology around the same time that historical writer Kozo Kaku happened to publish a general-audience book arguing that “Ryoma didn’t really do much.” The media conflated the two and reported that he would “disappear from textbooks.” The council’s chairman later denied this, saying “we never said any such thing,” and in fact Ryoma’s entry was never removed from textbooks. In the thread, users cited action after action backed by primary historical sources — his presence and signature at the signing of the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance, his involvement in arms imports to the Choshu domain through his trading company Kameyama Shachu — and the prevailing view was that “he did nothing” is an overstatement. At the same time, some pointed out that Ryoma isn’t counted among the “Ten Great Men” or “Three Great Nobles” of the Restoration and wasn’t as central to politics as his later image suggests, so opinions didn’t fully converge.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (“Whatever Live” board) thread “[Sad News] Sakamoto Ryoma Never Actually Said “The Dawn of Japan, Ze Yo” (a famous line attributed to him in Tosa dialect).”