Japan Reacts

Latest from Japan

From our other sites

JapanTroveJapan travel & shopping
Hoppy: Tokyo’s Retro Shochu-and-Soda Drink and Where to Try ItJapanese Men’s Grooming & Skincare: Uno, Kate Men, and Where to Shop in Japan
海外ChOverseas reactions (JP)
AI製レトロゲーム移植「ポートスロップ」に賛否「今の子はAIで脳が腐る」投稿に昔の思い出合戦　海外で盛り上がる
即まとchJapanese 5ch threads
【海外の反応】クリスマス商戦で子供向け「トニー」が高騰、海外では自作で対抗する動きもなぜ今、パン屋チェーンまで投資ファンドに買収されるのか

  • Nostalgic Childhood Fad Toys: 5ch Thread Marvels, ‘Kites Actually Fly That High?’

    On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, a thread about “toys that were all the rage in childhood” sparked a wave of nostalgia. Names poured in one after another — classics like Supercar erasers, Rubik’s Cubes, and Barcode Battler, along with Bead-man marble shooters, the milk-cap flipping game “Gyu-pon,” and Nintendo’s Ultra Scope. One especially memorable story stood out: a poster’s first time flying a Gayla kite, which ended with them borrowing their father’s sea-fishing rod and reel to really send it up — only for the line to snap high in the sky where it met the kite, sending it sailing off forever. Alongside the nostalgia came comments like “it hurts more knowing you can never get it back,” striking a chord across generations.

    1AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:25
    Anything else that was big back then?
    3AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:27
    Supercars
    4AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:28
    Rubik's Cube
    5AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:29
    Supercar erasers
    6AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:29
    McDonald's kendama (ball-and-paddle toy)
    10AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:30
    Those rubber-band-launched fighter jets
    13AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:31
    Ding-dong-ditch (ringing doorbells and running, aka "pinpon dash")
    14AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:32
    Barcode Battler
    15AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:32
    Tomy's Water Game
    17AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:32
    Doing a full 360 on the playground swings
    18AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:33
    The "kindness kamishibai" picture-book thread (kamishibai = picture-card storytelling)
    19AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:33
    Torpedo battle game
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:33
    The Game of Life
    Tabletop baseball game (Yakyuban)
    22AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:34
    Bam-bam ball (the elastic-string paddle-ball toy)
    24AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:34
    That spring thing that goes boing-boing-boing-boing-boing-boing
    25AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:35
    Bead-man marble shooters
    Used to play with them in the hallway at home — the marbles kept chipping and leaving little shards all over the floor
    Used to practice 'tight shots' and stuff too
    26AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:35
    Neru Neru Nerune (the fizzy mix-it-yourself candy)
    28AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:35
    Nintendo's Ultra Scope
    29AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:35
    Gold Lightan
    37AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:36
    There was a toy called the "Radisco 7" — its whole selling point was packing 7 functions including a radio
    Seems like it was a fairly mainstream toy, so I think it sold pretty well
    That was the era when every boy loved stuff like multi-sided pencil cases too
    https://imgur.com/52qc8aF.jpg
    40AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:37
    Not really a 'boom,' but TRPGs
    Dragon Quest battle pencils
    48AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:39
    The game where you flip milk-bottle caps over
    75AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:50
    Re: #48
    That's "Gyu-pon" — brings back memories
    49AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:39
    Something like this
    https://otonanokagaku.net/products/kit/newpac150/img/hl1_img08.jpg
    55AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:41
    Setting fire to a huge bundle of steel wool in the science room
    60AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:43
    You all were shining so bright back then
    67AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:44
    Re: #60
    Back then I thought the future was infinite
    62AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:43
    Both Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh started right when I was born
    63AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:43
    Even though I had a Famicom, I was obsessed with reading gamebooks
    You know, the ones where the choices send you flipping all over to different pages
    65AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:44
    Saint Seiya dress-up figures
    73AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:49
    I guess not knowing something is what makes it look so shiny
    74AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:49
    Kicking your shoe off while swinging
    and in the end it turns into a contest of how far you yourself can fly off
    77AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:50
    The first time I flew a Gayla kite I was amazed — 'kites actually go up this high?'
    The string that came with it was only like 30m, so I used my dad's sea-fishing rod and reel to let it out further
    It went up ridiculously high, but the joint between the kite and the fishing line apparently couldn't take the wind pressure
    and it snapped way up in the sky and flew off
    79AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:51
    Beyblade, Yu-Gi-Oh, Duel Masters, Pokémon
    88AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:58
    It hurts because you know you can never get it back
    94AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:02
    Air guns like the SS9000 or the Thunderbolt
    95AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:02
    Winter vinyl jump ropes hurt like hell
    96AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:02
    That black thing you light on fire and it turns into a snake (black snake fireworks)
    99AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:04
    Tracing a Mobile Suit onto shrink plastic (puraban) and baking it in a toaster oven to make an accessory
    100AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:05
    Why does stargazing with friends always feel so special?

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    The toys named in the thread span wildly different release periods and generations. Supercar erasers were a fad in the late 1970s, Barcode Battler was released by Epoch in 1991, and Bead-man launched from Takara in the mid-1990s. The Gayla kite was a vinyl kite imported in the 1970s, popular because it flew higher than the washi-paper kites that were standard at the time. Because these toys’ heydays are a decade or more apart, the replies never converge on a single generation’s story — instead, memories from different eras keep merging together one after another. As one comment in the thread put it, “not knowing something is what makes it look so shiny” — each poster is simply bringing their own childhood experience to the table rather than arguing over a shared subject. That’s what sets this thread apart from other chat threads, which tend to spark disagreement.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Toys that were all the rage in childhood games: beigoma spinning tops, menko cards, Gayla kites, yo-yos, RC cars, Mini 4WD, card games, BB pellets, eraser-flicking.”

  • Kaori Manabe Floats a ‘Self-Checkout Psychology’ Theory on Suspect Sugiyama’s Shoplifting — 5ch: ‘Guess You Really Do Get Caught for Cheating’

    Yuji Sugiyama of the comedy trio “Waga Ya” was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of theft after allegedly shoplifting groceries from a supermarket in Meguro Ward, Tokyo. Reacting to the news on Fuji TV’s “Toretate!” on the 14th, Kaori Manabe brought up the psychology of self-checkout — suggesting some people might think, “maybe I’ll just slip it into the already-paid bag” when a barcode won’t scan — and remarked, “It is shoplifting, but psychologically it might feel like a notch lower.” On 5ch, a wave of pushback followed, with posts like “that thought would never even cross my mind,” and the discussion expanded into the broader reality of shoplifting prevention, touching on self-checkout surveillance and how overseas customers handle payment.

    Kaori Manabe shares her take on self-checkout amid “theft allegation” against Waga Ya’s Yuji Sugiyama: “It’s shoplifting, but…” “Psychologically…”

    TV personality Kaori Manabe appeared on “Toretate!” (weekdays, 1:50 PM), the Fuji TV network’s live information program produced by Osaka’s Kantele, broadcast on the 14th.

    She commented on the news that the Metropolitan Police Department had referred Yuji Sugiyama of comedy trio “Waga Ya” to prosecutors on the 14th on suspicion of theft, over allegedly shoplifting groceries from a supermarket in Meguro Ward, Tokyo.

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

    4AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:44
    I don't understand a single word of what she's saying
    5AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:45
    Stealing a watch is way harder to pull off, though
    6AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:46
    Come to think of it, this girl's a die-hard fan of "Tokedoro" (5ch nickname, literally "watch thief," referencing a past scandal figure)
    7AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:46
    Same as those unmanned gyoza stalls
    They just create criminals
    12AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:49
    Seriously? Wrong is wrong, no excuses
    13AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:51
    Oh look, she's covering for him
    She's done
    14AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:52
    Celebrities just say whatever
    In reality, most people pay properly — for store operators, it's basically a way to see how honest customers are. That's exactly why they can keep running it as a kind of community service
    15AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:52
    Uh, no I wouldn't?
    Do all you celebrities think like criminals?
    16AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:53
    I'm honestly impressed anyone tries it with how heavily they're monitored
    I use self-checkout a lot, and I'm desperate not to make any move that looks suspicious
    20AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:55
    Re: #1
    It never even occurred to me to just bag it without scanning just because it won't beep
    That mindset is seriously messed up, that's criminal-in-training territory
    21AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:55
    Guess you really do get caught for cheating at self-checkout
    Good to know
    Was he caught in the act, or did they nab him on a later visit?
    31AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:59
    Re: #21
    Sounds like they checked the footage right away, so maybe they're cross-referencing people's movements with register scans in real time
    They could well be using AI for video-linked monitoring and alerts these days
    22AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:56
    If you're gonna shoplift, you don't even need to carry it to the register in the first place
    26AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:57
    When you think about it, isn't it scary that forgetting to scan one or two items by accident could get you arrested?
    40AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:02
    Re: #26
    At the store I go to, the self-checkout always announces the price when you scan a barcode, so I don't think you'd really forget
    Though scanning the same item twice by mistake happens a lot
    27AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:57
    If you so much as shift your bag a little, it flashes "please wait for staff" and I panic
    28AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:58
    Maybe check your own show's sponsors before saying that
    48AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:08
    When self-checkout first rolled out at Aeon, for the tempura buffet there was no button for the big chicken tempura (150 yen) — the one item priced differently — and when I asked staff, they just told me to hit "tempura buffet, 78 yen"
    They didn't add the item for about a year after that, so it was a nice little loophole to get cheap chicken tempura
    58AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:15
    Re: #48
    Doing nothing about it for a whole year — what a bunch of useless staff
    74AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:27
    Sounds like the kind of thing an impatient efficiency-obsessed guy ("taipa," slang for time-performance types) would pull
    And the excuse would definitely be "the machine's fault, blah blah"
    79AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:39
    Re: #74
    If it's Re: #8, that's less "impatient" and more sociopath
    And honestly, just entertaining the thought that "yeah, people like that exist" feels completely unnecessary…
    90AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:47
    The staff who watch self-checkout to prevent shoplifting really come off as unpleasant
    I get it, it's because shoplifters exist, but it feels like I'm being suspected and I hate it
    When there's a regular staffed register available, I always use that instead
    94AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:50
    Re: #90
    Just standing there watching really is unpleasant. Makes me want to say "help me out instead"
    92AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:48
    For the supermarket, I go to stores without self-checkout
    Though for places like Daiso where you only buy a few items, self-checkout is fine
    96AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:54
    Re: #92
    Full self-checkout is a pain when you're buying a lot of items
    So when I have a lot: semi-self-checkout (staff scans, I pay)
    When I have just a little: full self-checkout
    I switch between the two depending

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    “Scan-skipping” at self-checkout has long been considered one of the retail industry’s main shoplifting methods, which is part of why fraud-detection systems linking security cameras with POS data have increasingly been adopted. Suspect Sugiyama has only been referred to prosecutors on paper so far — whether he is actually indicted depends on prosecutors’ future judgment, and the allegation itself doesn’t mean guilt. Where opinions split in the thread was over how to take Manabe’s comment that shoplifting is “psychologically a notch lower” — reactions of “that thought would never even cross my mind” far outnumbered any sympathetic responses. As of this writing, neither Sugiyama himself nor his agency has issued any statement.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku Sokuhou+) thread “[Entertainment] Kaori Manabe shares her take on self-checkout amid Waga Ya’s Yuji Sugiyama’s theft allegation: “It’s shoplifting, but psychologically it might feel like a notch lower, I think”“.

  • Ohtani’s Injuries: Roberts Says ‘Neither Upper Body Nor Knee Is Perfect’ — But Ohtani Wants to Play

    On October 13 (October 14 in Japan), Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, speaking ahead of Game 3 of the NL Championship Series, revealed that Shohei Ohtani’s condition is “everything — neither the upper body nor the knee is perfect.” While he denied things have gotten worse, Ohtani himself is reportedly eager to play despite the admission of injury. On 5channel’s Geinou/Sports Breaking News+ board, reactions were all over the map: worry about him pushing through injury, skepticism toward a condition-management approach that leans on self-reporting, and a mix of praise and criticism for his determination to keep playing hurt.

    Manager Roberts explains Ohtani’s injury status: “Neither the upper body nor the knee is perfect” — but denies it’s gotten worse

    [October 13, 2026 (October 14 Japan time) — day-before workout for NLCS Game 3 @ Dodger Stadium]

    Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed Shohei Ohtani’s current physical condition at the pre-game press conference ahead of Game 3 of the NL Championship Series on the 13th (14th Japan time).

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

    2AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:19
    He'll be the first one thrown on the bonfire if they lose.
    Just let the man rest already.
    4AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:21
    Say 'knee' (hiza) ten times fast.

    So why's Ohtani in a slump?

    …Pizza! (riffing on the classic word-association prank where repeating "hiza" primes you to blurt out "pizza")
    5AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:22
    Go Ohtani! He's the only star Japan's got!
    6AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:22
    > "I'm ready to battle"

    Still saying that line, huh…
    7AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:23
    The injury is self-reported.
    Him saying he's good to go is also self-reported.
    Real convenient kind of injury.
    10AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:24
    If he's that banged up they have to rest him.
    There's always next year.
    11AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:25
    Why do they so stubbornly refuse to give details on the injury?
    I don't think there's another player who hides it this hard.
    13AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:25
    It's all about the contract.
    That's the deal he signed, so take your complaints to the GM or team president.
    15AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:27
    Ohtani's like a manga protagonist.
    Meanwhile the "ball-kickers" (a dismissive nickname for soccer players) cry "ow ow" over the tiniest knock and sub themselves right out.
    17AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:30
    Re: #15
    Pretty sure Ohtani's the guy who was screaming in pain from just a light jog or a kick.
    16AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:29
    If they go hitless now, I guess that's all on Ohtani.
    Sounds like he's ready to get booed to hell.
    18AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:30
    Ohtani's self-reports just aren't reliable, honestly.
    19AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:31
    Both his upper body AND his knee are hurt and "Tanishi" (a snarky nickname for Ohtani, punning on "tanishi," a pond snail) still wants to play?
    What's he thinking?
    20AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:32
    Re: #17
    Sure he yelled, but right after he'd steal a base, hit a homer, or strike guys out on the mound.
    Not quite the same as the type who just rolls around on the grass clutching their leg.
    22AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:33
    Guess two-way is done for — too much strain on the body at this point.
    23AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:34
    Might as well just switch over to DePaula already.
    25AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:34
    Feel bad for Roberts, honestly.
    Unless Ohtani himself says he can't go,
    sponsor pressure means they have no choice but to play him.
    27AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:36
    Same bad habit that used to give Kuriyama headaches —
    doesn't listen to his manager.
    29AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:36
    It's an info war so keeping the injury details vague is fine, but Roberts really is kind of a slapdash guy.
    The back-to-back titles were thanks to the elite players, not him.
    33AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:42
    They should've just rested him the whole month of September.
    Not sitting out when you're hurt is unprofessional too.
    35AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:43
    Lol, Roberts is getting blamed for everything.
    40AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:46
    Only Ohtani-san could take the field with his entire body falling apart.
    41AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:47
    Re: #1
    Manager Roberts explained: "It's everything. Neither the upper body nor the knee is in perfect shape."

    Wild — a manager openly admitting he can't manage this guy.
    48AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:50
    Re: #41
    Can't be helped — Ohtani's the one with the real leverage here.
    If he says he's playing, Roberts doesn't actually get a say.
    42AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:47
    Marriage and having a kid changed everything.
    Lost that hungry edge.
    44AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:49
    Re: #42
    Also lost his manservant, Mizuhara (Ippei Mizuhara, his former interpreter).
    43AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:48
    Today's crunch time.
    Calling it now.
    46AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:49
    Turns out the real problem is whatever's in the head of a guy who can't manage his own condition but keeps insisting "I'll play, I'll play."
    47AnonymousOct 15, 2026 01:50
    Keep running Ohtani out there and did they just give up on winning the series?
    72AnonymousOct 15, 2026 02:10
    Does Ohtani think he's some kind of emperor?
    No wait, even an emperor wouldn't pick a reckless fight like this.
    What is with this guy.
    So annoying.
    82AnonymousOct 15, 2026 02:15
    Re: #72
    France's emperor Napoleon invaded Russia and that failed too.

    Background and key points of the debate

    Ohtani’s injury isn’t breaking news — the knee issue was already disclosed back in June and the upper-body condition in August, so Roberts’ comments just reconfirmed that existing timeline in his own words. Since he keeps playing both ways as a two-way player, managing his workload depends heavily on his own self-reporting, and the thread’s doubts centered squarely on how reliable that is and on the team’s handling of it. At the same time, plenty of posters praised his sheer will to keep delivering results despite the injuries, so opinion stayed split throughout. The short-series stakes of the NL Championship Series only sharpened the debate over resting him versus pushing through.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “[MLB] Manager Roberts explains Ohtani’s injury status: “It’s everything — upper body and knee.” Ohtani wants to play: “He says he’s ready to battle”.”

  • Fuyu’s “Monark” Drops from ¥8,470 to ¥500 — 5ch: “If Price Is Your Reason to Buy, Don’t”

    Fuyu has kicked off a one-coin sale (a sale priced at a single ¥500 coin) for the Nintendo Switch version of Monark, cutting the standard edition from ¥8,470 to ¥500 (94% off). The PS5/PS4 versions get the same deal starting October 21. The sale is billed as a celebration of the game passing 150,000 units sold, though that milestone came well after launch, and some posters note that first-week sales were underwhelming. The thread mixed harsh verdicts (“a hollow, SRPG-ish dud”) with defenses (“worth it at ¥500”), while others pointed to the company’s earlier Caligula series and worried that repeated fire sales could cheapen the brand.

    1Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 19:55:01.14
    Fuyu has launched a one-coin sale for the Nintendo Switch version of Monark. The PS5/PS4 sale will run starting October 21, 2026.
    The standard edition is ¥8,470 → ¥500 (94% off), the Digital Art Book Edition is ¥10,890 → ¥1,000 (90% off), and the Ultimate Edition is ¥12,870 → ¥1,500 (88% off). The Ultimate Edition bundles costume DLC featuring the characters' outfits together with the Digital Art Book Edition.
    The game is an RPG where you fight alongside four "buddies" in a school connected to another world. Wielding the demonic power "Vanity's Authority" — fueled by your own ego and madness — you battle to resolve the strange events at the school. You pick one of four buddies you meet there, and each leads to a different ending.
    3Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 19:58:12.80
    Never heard of it — is it actually any good?
    65Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 21:11:37.73
    Re: #3
    A hollow, SRPG-ish dud of a game.
    9Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:03:43.36
    150,000 units…
    did they even break even on that?
    11Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:04:07.14
    If you want to put yourself through an ordeal for ¥500, go right ahead and buy it.
    12Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:04:27.43
    I bought Caligula for ¥500 in a similar sale before, and it's still sitting on my shelf unplayed.
    16Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:05:56.96
    Re: #12
    Oh, it was Caligula they ran that sale on before, huh.
    13Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:04:29.17
    The Switch version runs heavy, I think, so I wouldn't recommend it.
    14Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:04:29.62
    If price is the reason you're hesitating, buy it. If price is the reason you're buying, don't.
    15Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:05:35.94
    Didn't they run a one-coin sale before too? Was that a different title?
    17Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:06:18.15
    There are no regular enemies along the way, so you can't grind levels as you go — instead you call someone from a safe spot and grind inside the 'otherworld' (no exploration, just straight into battle). That design is going to be hit-or-miss depending on the player.
    18Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:10:11.97
    ¥500 is cheap, given it's probably got 5+ hours of content.
    20Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:12:19.72
    The old 'if price is your reason to buy, don't' line, right on schedule.
    21Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:12:30.66
    I'll buy new games once I've cleared my backlog.
    22Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:12:40.57
    Isn't it most people's instinct to want to play an ¥8,000 masterpiece rather than a ¥500 dud?
    24Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:13:33.11
    Re: #22
    Well, I'll probably buy it and let it sit — if only I had the time…
    25Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:13:36.38
    Same as back when Level-5 used to spam one-coin sales — at this rate nobody's going to buy Fuyu games on launch day anymore.
    26Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:14:30.77
    Caligula 2 wasn't bad and worked for me, so I bought this one next — and it was trash, so I dropped it.
    54Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:44:57.08
    Re: #26
    That's literally me, lol. There was a time I thought 'it's not as bad as people say.'
    28Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:17:12.85
    If anything, Fuyu should be the one humbly begging people to play it — even paying them to — because even if it's free, players are still spending their time on it.
    30Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:19:42.46
    Fuyu's getting dogpiled, lol. Do console-war posters treat this company the same way as Square Enix?
    38Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:24:12.27
    Re: #30
    The music and story are more satisfying than Square Enix's, so I still trust them somewhat. And above all, there's no stealth marketing, so expectations stay low and it's easier on the nerves.
    51Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:41:21.81
    Re: #30
    Even from Fuyu, the card games are often genuinely fun. Well, this one's an RPG though.
    53Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:43:48.79
    Re: #30
    Still, they're better than Square Enix at least.
    31Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:19:56.55
    Probably around 50 hours to reach the normal ending.
    32Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:21:03.53
    Wouldn't something like ¥1,500 have been better, actually? At ¥500 it screams 'dud landmine game' too much.
    33Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:21:44.80
    I wouldn't recommend spending 50 hours on this, lol.
    42Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:30:11.97
    There used to be a game called 'Lord Monarch' back in the day.
    44Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:32:06.11
    Re: #42
    That's Dragon Slayer 6 — though no dragons or dragon slayers actually show up in it.
    46Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:34:07.93
    C'mon, take a page from Capcom and put ALL your games on sale at once.
    47Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 20:35:45.70
    Re: #46
    If you run sales constantly like Capcom, people just end up thinking 'I'll buy it later.'
    79Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 22:03:10.01
    Is this the game where the enemies are all skeletons?
    82Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 22:10:08.16
    Re: #79
    Yep, this is it — if you fill your party with Kindred (the demonic allies you recruit), both allies and enemies end up being nothing but bones!
    83Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 22:11:01.78
    Still, I'm surprised it sold as many as 150,000 units — I remember launch-week sales being dismal on both platforms.
    84Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 22:15:13.71
    Re: #83
    Well, they've had discounts before — not ¥500, but I ended up buying it before this ¥500 sale too.
    91Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 22:22:57.78
    Fuyu's golden age was when they released Legend of Legacy and The Alliance Alive on 3DS.
    92Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 22:29:04.40
    Re: #91
    Oh yeah, I bought those.
    94Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 22:33:32.91
    Re: #91
    I bought them in a later sale but never actually played them.
    95Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 22:50:28.80
    This is one I'd had my eye on…

    well, I guess the reception speaks for itself.
    102Anonymous2026/10/14 (Wed) 23:24:32.38
    Re: #95
    I played it all the way through and it was reasonably fun. It was a bit of a pain that you have to clear all four characters' routes before you can reach the final chapter, though.

    Background and talking points

    Monark is an occult-themed RPG Fuyu released in 2021, and first-week sales reportedly fell flat. This sale looks like an attempt to turn that around — what’s easy to miss is that it initially covers only the Nintendo Switch version, with an identical sale for the PS5/PS4 versions starting separately on October 21. The thread brought up Fuyu’s earlier Caligula series, which saw similar one-coin sales, raising concern that frequent discounting could cheapen how new releases are perceived. Others contrasted this with Capcom, which runs near-constant sales, splitting opinion on whether a discount-heavy strategy is wise. Views on the game itself were likewise split — some dismissed it as a “hollow, SRPG-ish” dud, while others said it’s plenty worth it at ¥500 — with no simple consensus emerging either way.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [“Geha,” the site’s console-war discussion board]) thread “Fuyu’s RPG Monark Gets a Massive 94%-Off Sale, ¥8,470 → ¥500, to Celebrate Passing 150,000 Units Sold!“

  • Finished off a whole can of BBQ Pringles despite it being awful — 5ch thread replies: ‘Any questions?’

    Late at night on October 14, 2026, a post appeared in a chat thread on 5ch’s “Live Commentary G” board reporting that someone had eaten an entire can of BBQ-flavored Pringles even though it tasted “awful” — and replies poured in asking “Any questions?” The same thread veered through a grab-bag of tangents: a throwaway comment about spotting a Hololive member (“holomem”) while watching the movie Alien, a quiz about Rinoa’s famous line from FF8, and grumbling about how much longer the swimsuit gacha in a new game would keep running. It wasn’t building toward any single point — just everyone tossing out whatever came to mind and laughing along, the loose, anything-goes chatter typical of the live-commentary board.

    4AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:26
    37AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:33
    Re: #4
    Who'd you come to the park with?
    6AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:27
    https://yushadearu.jp/nogiwakaba/sp/common/img/character/change_koori.png
    16AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:28
    What even is this place lol 👊😅👊
    20AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:28
    Re: #16
    THE GOD HAS ARRIVEEEEED
    22AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:28
    Re: #16
    Evening, god of investing
    23AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:29
    Was watching the movie Alien and a Hololive member ("holomem") showed up
    24AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:29
    Re: #23
    🤣🤣🤣
    26AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:29
    Re: #23
    What do you mean — like the alien WAS a holomem?
    31AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:30
    Re: #15
    41AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:35
    Hey! Ui-mama's stream already started — hurry up and tell me, damn it!
    49AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:37
    54AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:39
    Speaking of FF8, what's Rinoa's most famous line?
    61AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:40
    Re: #54
    59AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:40
    I bet the second Fu-tan gets a boyfriend she'll turn into a total handful and leave Subaru exasperated 😏 (Fu-tan = Hololive's Shirakami Fubuki; Subaru = fellow talent Oozora Subaru)
    63AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:41
    Re: #59
    But Subaru would go along with it anyway, going "ugh, again?" while clearly not minding one bit 😚
    71AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:43
    So I bought the BBQ-flavor Pringles — tasted like garbage, but I ate the whole can anyway. Got any questions?
    75AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:43
    Re: #71
    Barley tea or green tea, which do you prefer?
    76AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:43
    Re: #71
    Nobody cares about you, but tell me why you thought anyone would have questions?
    74AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:43
    Re: #68
    That's gotten me through at least 20 times, so what?
    83AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:45
    Re: #74
    Well I've got the recording of the "wardrobe malfunction" episode 😏
    87AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:45
    Re: #83
    Not even jealous lol
    89AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:46
    New Mimi pic just dropped🐰
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FMv62hraQAgCwqO.jpg
    90AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:46
    What's that supposed to mean?
    91AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:46
    Re: #15
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DMo7OtwUQAUkSzd.jpg
    96AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:47
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HTDfFg8bUAA-92f.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HTMZZQSaIAE8jSv?format=jpg&name=medium
    105AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:48
    Re: #96
    How long is this garbage game gonna keep running swimsuit gacha?
    138AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:57

    Got my "red papers" (gacha slang borrowed from the old WWII draft notice — means getting pulled/called up, i.e. hit with a big bill)
    139AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:57

    Background and key points of this topic

    “Live Commentary G” is a board for real-time chatter keyed to whatever broadcast or event is happening, not tied to any single topic, and this thread is a typical example. Every few dozen seconds the conversation shifts — movie impressions, gaming memories, images, gripes about gacha — without ever settling into a debate over one single issue. The complaint about the swimsuit gacha is a familiar refrain about mobile games that keep rolling out limited-time characters in skimpy outfits every season, and this thread raises it in that same vein. Meanwhile, the remark about spotting a “holomem” in a movie is a small sign of how much the fanbase of the VTuber group Hololive overlaps with users of the live-commentary board — something that might seem random without that context. This article excludes posts that disparage real individuals over their appearance, keeping only the harmless, lighthearted bits.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Live Commentary G) thread “🏡Tofu-ska Paradise Orchestra🎷🎺🎹🥁🪇“.

  • Over 30,000 Vote in ‘Most Popular Japanese Actresses’ Ranking — 5ch: ‘This Survey Reeks of Fake’

    A “Most Popular Japanese Actresses” ranking, tallied as of October 14, 2026 by the user-voting site “Minna no Ranking” (Everyone’s Ranking), became a hot topic on 5ch’s Entertainment & Sports News+ board. In the poll, which drew 30,566 voters and 191,145 votes, Ayase Haruka came in 3rd and Kitagawa Keiko 2nd, with replies in the thread indicating Aragaki Yui took 1st place. But since Aragaki Yui has appeared in relatively few works in recent years, many questioned whether she “really” deserved the top spot, and the thread split over how reliable the tallying method was and who exactly was doing the voting.

    2026.10.14

    “Minna no Ranking” is a user-participation ranking site run by Infonia (Minato Ward, Tokyo). The site is currently collecting votes for a “Most Popular Japanese Actresses” ranking covering every actress who has ever been active in Japan. Here is the ranking as of October 14, 2026, based on 191,145 votes cast by 30,566 people.

    Coming in 3rd was actress Ayase Haruka. Voters wrote in with comments like “I love how natural and unpretentious she is, with that pure, wholesome (seiso) feel,” “She has amazing transparency and radiates cleanliness — such a lovely actress,” and “Her acting is excellent, she has a great personality, a beautiful figure, and even her ditzy side is cute.”

    Source: otonanswer.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:45
    This survey reeks of BS
    50AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:22
    Re: #2
    Then go make a ranking that doesn't reek of BS.
    64AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:32
    Re: #50
    Just rank by actual sales numbers.
    We don't need rankings with a limited voter pool.
    TV ratings stats are sketchy too.
    3AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:45
    Hasn't the #1 person not worked in like 5 years?
    71AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:48
    Re: #3
    She was in Ikoku Nikki (lit. "Diary of a Foreign Country"), so it's not 5 years — she was working at least 2 years ago.
    4AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:46
    Honestly, I feel like we should just go back to calling them 'actress' (joyuu) instead of 'female actor' (josei haiyuu).
    7AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:49
    Kitagawa Keiko usually tops these rankings lol, what happened?
    Guess it's because she's been all over the media lately — some favoritism?
    12AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:51
    Considering how long she's been active and how consistent she's been, I'd say Nagasawa Masami.
    13AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:52
    No way.
    Aragaki at #1 when the only recent work she's had is Ikoku Nikki?
    Imada, Hirose, or Kawaguchi are definitely above her.
    Either they only surveyed old folks who only watch TV, or the ranking was just made up from the start.
    32AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:03
    Re: #13
    If they only asked old folks, I'd expect Yoshinaga Sayuri to be on the list too.
    14AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:52
    Worked nonstop without even getting the chance to marry and have kids, and still loses to Gakki — if I were Ayase I'd be devastated. ("Gakki" = Aragaki Yui's nickname)
    16AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:53
    They made another lame ranking, ugh.
    17AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:53
    Oh, I see —
    if it's cumulative votes over the past 10 years or so, that could explain it.
    That would put younger actresses at a disadvantage though.
    18AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:54
    There are a bunch of people on here you barely see working anymore — what kind of favoritism is this?
    19AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:55
    Gakki had a baby, huh.
    She just keeps getting happier.
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:57
    Too bad Yoshine Kyoko couldn't make the ranking.
    22AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:58
    No Kuroki Haru on here?
    This survey's totally useless.
    23AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:58
    A trash ranking from people who haven't even watched Kokuho or Hirayasumi (both acclaimed recent dramas/works).
    25AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:58
    No complaints about the lineup overall, but I wish Matsuoka Mayu and Araki Yuko had made it in.
    26AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:59
    They can't make decent productions anymore, so they can't really push actresses properly — feels like they've just turned into commercial talent instead.
    27AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:00
    I can't get along with people who call actresses "haiyuu" instead of "joyuu".
    28AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:01
    What's with "female actor"?
    Just call them actresses already.
    29AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:02
    Pocky (ad campaign)
    Sailor Mars (her role in live-action Sailor Moon)
    Oppai Volleyball (lit. "Breast Volleyball," a 2009 film) — all career highlights of the actress in question.
    31AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:03
    What an annoying era, with "female actor" and "female nurse" and all that.
    What's wrong with just saying actress or nurse (joyuu, kangofu)?
    33AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:03
    A writer who churns out these lazy "kotatsu" articles revealed on the NHK show Nehorin Pahorin that rankings like this close as soon as they hit their target vote count, first-come-first-served.
    34AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:04
    Well, when it comes to universally appealing looks, Gakki's definitely #1.
    36AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:05
    Having writers churn out these rankings to steer public opinion…
    seriously, how long are people gonna keep dancing to this tune.
    40AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:09
    Re: #1
    Imada Mio just had a drama air, but it bombed both in the ratings and on the thread.
    If she really had enough popularity to be #9, the numbers would be better and the thread would be livelier.
    48AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:21
    I'm Team Angora Village Chief 😊 (a quirky Japanese tarento/comedian)

    49AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:21
    Isn't it crazy that the top 5 are still all from the '85-'87 generation?
    That age group had an unusually deep bench of young actresses.
    88AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:08
    Re: #49
    Feels like the '85-'88 group, born at the tail end of the Showa era, was the last big wave.
    One generation below them you've got people like Arimura Kasumi and Yoshioka Riho, but compared to the names above, there's an undeniable sense they're a bit smaller-scale.
    Though that might also come down to whether they came up during TV's peak or after it.
    60AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:29
    Seems like none of the top 4 have ever even been in an asadora (NHK morning drama)?
    83AnonymousOct 15, 2026 00:01
    Re: #60
    Kitagawa Keiko was in one — Bakebake, I think.
    Though it was kind of an unglamorous role.
    70AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:46
    Re: #32
    If they only watch TV, I'd think Yoshinaga Sayuri would be a blind spot.
    74AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:52
    Re: #70
    If you watch TV, "Sayuri" makes you think of "Sayuringo" (her famous apple-juice commercial nickname).

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Sites like “Minna no Ranking” don’t use random sampling — rankings are determined by tallying votes from whoever voluntarily chooses to vote, so veteran actresses who’ve been active for years, or those who made headlines in the past, tend to stay near the top. In the thread, repeated comments pointed out that the apparent #1, Aragaki Yui, “hasn’t worked much recently,” sparking doubts about the age range of respondents and who exactly made up the voting pool. In fact, like TV ratings surveys, this type of ranking often doesn’t disclose its sampling methodology, so it’s worth keeping in mind that it may not reflect current popularity. A notable feature of this discussion was also how many commenters took issue with the term “female actor” (josei haiyuu) itself, sparking a side debate over terminology that was separate from the ranking’s actual content.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “Over 30,000 People Vote on ‘Most Popular Japanese Actresses’ Ranking — 3rd Place ‘Ayase Haruka,’ 2nd Place ‘Kitagawa Keiko’… Who’s #1?.”

  • Classic Shooting Games Debated: 5ch Says ‘No Game Has Topped Xevious Yet’

    A thread on 5ch’s “Hello! Project” board looking back at groundbreaking shoot-’em-ups (STGs) took off. It started with a post naming Space Invaders, Xevious, TwinBee, Gradius, Bungeling Bay, Star Soldier, R-Type, and DoDonPachi, and from there posters kept piling on memories of older titles like Galaga, Galaxian, Time Pilot, Bosconian, and Scramble. By the end, opinion split on whether Xevious was truly “groundbreaking” or just the “original” of its kind — some praised the novelty of its ever-shifting vertical-scrolling scenery and the idea of targeting air and ground enemies separately, while others countered that the real achievement was the technical skill needed to actually pull the idea off.

    1AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:45
    Invaders – the original shooter
    Xevious – the definitive vertical shooter
    TwinBee – 2-player co-op
    5AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:51
    Swap out Star Soldier for the original — Star Force.
    7AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:53
    Personally I like Galaga, but Galaxian, where your main ship merges into a powered-up form, deserves way more credit than it gets.
    8AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:53
    Tiger-Heli → Twin Cobra (JP title: Kyukyoku Tiger) → Bomber
    13AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:58
    The original 360-degree shooter has gotta be Time Pilot.
    14AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:59
    Isn't it Bosconian?
    25AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:08
    Re: #14
    I always wondered what "Arai! Arai!" was even supposed to mean. (The English voice sample actually says "Alert! Alert!" — it just sounds like that to Japanese ears.)
    45AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:20
    Re: #14
    Bosconian's 8-directional, though.
    15AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:00
    I guess whichever game first introduced a bomb weapon would be the ancestor of the whole bullet-hell genre?
    18AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:03
    Rather than Xevious or TwinBee, which split your fire between air and ground targets, it was the Star Force lineage — where one shot hits both — that really caught on. That frees up a spare button for a bomb (see Tiger-Heli).
    23AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:05
    Phoenix (it even has a final boss stage)
    26AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:08
    I still fire up Galaga every now and then — the enemy flight patterns are just beautiful.
    27AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:09
    Re: #25
    I always figured "Arai" meant something like "abunai" (dangerous) — turns out I wasn't far off.
    28AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:09
    Philosoma was the first to bring diagonal movement into a genre that had only ever been strictly vertical or horizontal.
    30AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:10
    Moon Cresta, Galaga, Gaplus — I love how each one has its own distinct enemy-death sound.
    34AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:12
    There's this rundown little cafe in Tsubame, Niigata, run by an old couple — basically a pilgrimage site for retro-cafe fans. They've still got a working Galaga '88 and an Invaders cabinet.
    https://imgur.com/dF8ykNs.jpg
    https://imgur.com/Gd9qJhl.jpg
    https://imgur.com/I30g8Tj.jpg
    38AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:14
    Sky Kid — forced scrolling to the left.
    40AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:15
    These days it seems "shooting game" doesn't mean this kind of plane-bombing game anymore — it means shooting strangers online with guns.
    48AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:21
    Re: #40
    That's an FPS, not an STG.
    42AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:17
    Mr. Heli's Great Adventure — the player's ship is basically a knockoff of Omoroid.
    43AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:17
    Dezaemon — you could make all the graphics and music yourself.
    44AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:19
    Otocky — a landmark title that paved the way for later rhythm games.
    46AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:20
    No Darius or Space Harrier on here? Unacceptable.
    47AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:21
    I honestly have no idea what's supposed to be so groundbreaking about Xevious.
    49AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:23
    No Atari's Star Wars?

    Start over.
    50AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:24
    No, the real original 360-degree shooter is Asteroids Belt.
    51AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:25
    Games with a 3D perspective feel like a different category to me.
    52AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:25
    Being the "original"
    doesn't automatically make it "groundbreaking."
    57AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:29
    Re: #52

    Well, OP's the one who called it the "original" in the first place.
    53AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:25
    What made Xevious new was its vertically scrolling stages with constantly shifting scenery, plus the concept of targeting air enemies and ground enemies separately.
    56AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:29
    Re: #53
    Was that really groundbreaking, though?
    Isn't it more that the technical skill to actually realize the idea was the impressive part??
    54AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:27
    I was just a kid in the Atari Star Wars and Space Harrier era, but I remember watching wide-eyed, thinking the future had arrived.
    55AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:28
    > the concept of targeting air enemies and ground enemies separately

    Scramble did that first.
    58AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:31
    Re: #55
    Nobody even remembers Scramble these days.
    60AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:33
    No game has topped Xevious yet.
    61AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:35
    Isn't Front Line a shooter too?
    69AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:45
    Re: #61
    Same logic as saying Guerrilla War isn't an STG.
    64AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:37
    R-Type
    A groundbreaking horizontal shooter packed with ideas.
    The PC Engine port was also a faithful, excellent conversion.
    67AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:44
    Re: #64
    Funny how the arcade version slows down but the PC Engine port doesn't.
    74AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:54
    Re: #64
    You could even credit it with establishing the whole "game ends after two loops" convention.
    65AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:40
    Xevious also had fun hidden stuff, like the 1-up flag and those ground objects that would sprout up out of nowhere.
    It was also great that if you dropped in a 100-yen coin and immediately kept firing bombs, the word "NAMCO" would appear on screen.
    Same with the copier-like enemy, Zevios — keep shooting it and that company's name would show up on screen too.

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    Xevious (1983, Namco) has long been praised as “groundbreaking” for splitting the player’s weapons between dedicated air and ground attacks, and for packing its scrolling backgrounds with hidden items and ruin-like motifs. Scramble (1981, Konami), raised in the thread as a rival contender, actually predates Xevious — it has players manage fuel while bombing ground bases and separately intercepting airborne enemies. Opinions in the thread split over what counts as the “original” versus what counts as “groundbreaking.” The distinction comes down to two different yardsticks — which game existed first, versus which game influenced later titles more — and these “who-did-it-first” debates often end up conflating the two. Not mentioned in the thread: Star Force’s design, which let a single shot hit both air and ground enemies, freed up a spare button for a bomb — a convention later adopted by games like Tiger-Heli. That’s arguably just as important a turning point in how STGs split up their control schemes.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Groundbreaking STGs: Space Invaders, Xevious, TwinBee, Gradius, Bungeling Bay, Star Soldier, R-Type, DoDonPachi.”

  • Ayumu Hirano chops off his dreadlocks — 5ch: “Much cleaner now”

    Snowboard halfpipe star Ayumu Hirano (gold medalist at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, sponsored by TOKIO Inkarami — a haircare brand) revealed on Instagram on the 14th that he’d cut off his dreadlocks for a short new look, Daily Sports reports. On 5ch’s Entertainment & Sports News+ board, reactions were largely positive — “Insanely cool,” “Much cleaner now” — though plenty of posters also zeroed in on how rough dreadlocks are to maintain, with comments like “Isn’t he going bald?” and “His scalp must be in bad shape.” On top of that, the original article listed his age as “22,” prompting a string of corrections insisting he’s actually 27 — leaving the thread split over the facts.

    “Huh?!” Snowboarder Ayumu Hirano chops off his dreadlocks! Fans stunned — “Short hair!” “Insanely cool!” / Sports / Daily Sports

    October 14, 2026

    Ayumu Hirano (22), gold medalist in men’s snowboard halfpipe at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and sponsored by TOKIO Inkarami, updated his Instagram on the 14th, debuting a new hairstyle.

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

    8AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:56
    Re: #1
    Couldn't they find a better photo?
    Thought it was the "I'm so sorry~" guy for a second (a scandal-prone celebrity's running apology catchphrase), but nope, different person.
    9AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:56
    Don't like him, too flashy.
    12AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:57
    Isn't this guy going bald? Or does it just look that way?
    46AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:19
    Re: #12
    He'll probably go bald eventually.
    53AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:26
    Re: #12
    Yeah, seriously
    the follicles around his hairline took a real beating
    it was basically a lost cause already
    Japanese hair just isn't built for dreadlocks.
    14AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:58
    This guy hasn't actually done anything wrong, yet he's catching some serious reputational damage.
    16AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:59
    Is he related to the guy from King & Prince (the J-pop idol group)? They've got the same face.
    17AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:00
    Still only 22, huh
    Wonder if there's more to expect from him
    hope he starts getting results soon.
    22AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:04
    Re: #17
    He's turning 28 this year.
    20AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:03
    Always figured braiding it that tight puts serious strain on the scalp and leads to balding
    also shampooing and blow-drying must be such a hassle.
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:03
    Real Rastas don't cut their dreadlocks until the day they die.
    24AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:04
    Sometimes you can just tell from how taut the scalp looks and the wrinkles on the forehead.
    25AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:05
    Still only 22?
    The calm way he carries himself and how solidly he answers questions, I figured he was close to 30.
    27AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:07
    Can't even tell if he looks cool from that photo lol
    29AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:08
    Keep the dreadlocks going long enough and he probably started having nightmares about going bald.
    35AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:12
    Washing it must be such a pain
    back in my day, during job hunting as a student, they told me "cut those dreadlocks and we'll hire you," so I did.
    36AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:13
    Everyone goes short once their hair starts thinning, huh.
    38AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:13
    Dreadlocks seem like they'd trap all kinds of dirt and little bugs in there.
    39AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:14
    Give us a normal photo, come on
    he looks like some musician in his 50s.
    40AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:14
    Oh, not the "I'm so sorry" guy — just a regular champion after all.
    41AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:15
    Was he really this young?
    Wasn't he like 27 or something?
    43AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:16
    It never suited him anyway, so this is an improvement.
    45AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:19
    Thought "huh, he's young," looked it up, and turns out he's 27, born in '98.
    47AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:19
    Same deal with afros — you can't rest your head on the headrest on a bullet train or plane, it'll get crushed out of shape.
    Surprisingly rough, actually.
    49AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:21
    With a shaved head, you take a lot more impact to the skull if you fall.
    52AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:26
    With dreadlocks you can't even shampoo for the first few weeks, and it gets smelly — scalp must really suffer.
    55AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:28
    Probably got itchy.
    Can't wash it properly, so it's unhygienic.
    56AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:29
    I think he'd just hit his limit.
    Stopping was the right call.

    66AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:47
    Re: #56
    And he's only 22… rough.
    75AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:05
    Re: #56
    Looks like Shoji from the comedy duo Shinagawa Shoji.
    59AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:34
    Dreadlocks make your head unhygienic, right?
    When your scalp itches it's such a pain, can't say I'd ever want to try it.
    61AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:36
    Gives off King Gnu vibes (the Japanese rock band).
    64AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:45
    Listening to Hirano talk makes me sleepy lol
    67AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:48
    Much cleaner now
    you can't wash every corner of your scalp with dreads, so it's gotta be pretty filthy.
    74AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:02
    Forget the hair, I'm more shocked he's still 22 lol
    77AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:10
    Re: #74
    No, Re: #1 has it wrong
    he's 27
    the linked article correctly says (27)
    he turns 28 next month on his birthday.
    86AnonymousOct 14, 2026 23:26

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Ayumu Hirano is the gold medalist in men’s snowboard halfpipe at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, long known for his trademark dreadlocks. The short new haircut he revealed in his Instagram update drew reactions not just to the change in looks itself, but also a wave of firsthand comments from people familiar with the burdens of maintaining dreadlocks — the strain tight braiding puts on the scalp, the difficulty of washing it. The other point of contention was his age: the original article listed him as “22,” but since he was born in 1998 he should actually be 27, as several commenters in the thread pointed out. Age mistakes like this in entertainment and sports reporting aren’t rare, and the back-and-forth in this thread is a good reminder that it can pay to check a public figure’s birth year rather than just trusting the number quoted in the source article.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “Snowboarder Ayumu Hirano chops off his dreadlocks! Fans stunned — “Short hair!” “Insanely cool!”.”

  • Montedio Yamagata Team Bus Arrival Turns Into Dangerous Crowd Crush — 5ch: “Ban Them for Life”

    On October 13, Montedio Yamagata announced that a dangerous situation caused by excessive crowding occurred before the match against Vegalta Sendai on the 11th, when the team bus arrived. The club said some attendees who tried to display a banner ended up making forceful contact with other attendees, and that intimidating behavior toward people nearby was also confirmed; the club has apologized to everyone who attended. While no injuries have been reported, 5ch saw a wave of comments calling for bans and punishment of those involved, along with criticism of the J.League’s operations and security arrangements.

    On the 13th, Montedio Yamagata announced that before the Meiji Yasuda J2 League Matchday 10 match against Vegalta Sendai, held on the 11th at ND Soft Stadium Yamagata, a dangerous situation caused by excessive crowding occurred when the team bus arrived ahead of kickoff.

    According to the club, when the bus arrived, some attendees trying to display a banner were seen making forceful contact that swept up other attendees, along with behavior that was excessively intimidating toward people nearby. As of now, there have been no reports of injuries.

    The club apologized, saying: “To the customers who were caught up in the contact, and to everyone who came to the stadium, we sincerely apologize for the great anxiety and concern this has caused.”

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

    3AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:33
    People who do that should be banned for life.
    5AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:37
    As always, the garbage mass media won't report a word about baseball's dangerous behavior.
    Nobody takes the old media seriously anymore.
    45AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:25
    Re: #5
    "Yaki-buta" (derogatory slang for baseball fans) incidents are fan-on-fan.

    Hooligans go after the players.

    Hooligans are the ones who need to be stamped out.
    74AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:48
    Re: #5
    Must be really inconvenient for you, huh.
    9AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:39
    Even though they hosted the National Sports Festival there, is Es Con Field really okay with access that awful?
    11AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:40
    Still playing ultras (hardcore European-style fan groups), huh?
    J.League supporters are probably past the point of rehabilitation at this stage, so instead of half-heartedly banning everything,
    why not just run it like the Danjiri Festival (a famous festival where injuries, even deaths, are par for the course)?
    Might even draw in more fans who come just to watch supporters brawl.
    Though it'd probably chase away a lot more families with kids than that.
    13AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:42
    Are soccer fans just wired wrong or something?
    14AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:43
    Just another day in the J.League.
    Supporters like this need to be rooted out completely.
    19AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:46
    Where'd Kyutaro go?
    Thought some cap (tripcode) I don't recognize had started a soccer thread, and it's just stuff like this.
    20AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:46
    Oh, that's the banner guy — shoved his way past a mom and her elementary-school-age son who were waiting for the bus, no warning, just forced his way through?
    There were people actually defending this, which creeped me out — probably Yamagata supporters, knowing them.
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:46
    If they're going to pull something that bad, why not just arrest them?
    22AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:46
    Keep brawling, Yamagata (pun: "monde-te-yo" echoes "Montedio").
    24AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:50
    Re: #22
    Not brawling at all! (pun: "Monde nai yo" plays on "Montedio")
    23AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:47
    https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2109452413103161344/vid/avc1/720×886/zLsnv0J3sV3yNvOI.mp4

    The J.League, famous for its "kids, stay out of the old folks' playground" vibe.
    36AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:12
    Re: #35
    Apparently, before the Meiji Yasuda J2 League Matchday 10 match against Vegalta Sendai held on the 11th at ND Soft Stadium Yamagata, "a very dangerous situation arose due to excessive crowding" when Montedio Yamagata's team bus arrived.
    After attendees flagged it, the club looked into what happened at the time and stated: "We confirmed scenes where some customers trying to display a banner when the bus arrived made forceful contact that swept up other customers, as well as behavior that was excessively intimidating toward those nearby."


    The video of a kid getting elbowed out of the way during this is in Re: #23.
    44AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:23
    Re: #23
    The four of them should be easy enough to identify, so a lifetime ban seems fair.
    51AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:27
    Re: #23
    It's scary that someone could do this and think there's nothing wrong with it.
    29AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:59
    They should've made that area off-limits from the start.
    33AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:10
    As usual, people are piling on Yamagata and Tohoku, but honestly, supporters from clubs all over the country cause trouble regardless of region.
    35AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:10
    The article doesn't even say which team's bus it was, so it's hard to make sense of.
    37AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:13
    Re: #35
    Another article clearly stated it was Yamagata's own team bus.
    38AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:14
    Re: #36-37
    Oh, so it's not even a case of Yamagata supporters going off on Sendai's bus?
    That's not interesting in the slightest.
    41AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:21
    Re: #38
    Huh, so it's just the usual scene then.
    40AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:20
    And meanwhile there are core supporters out there who don't even have enough hands to surround the bus, so they call out to other fan groups for help.
    43AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:22
    The fact that this is treated as normal is what's messed up.
    48AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:26
    I thought they'd thrown tamakonnyaku (a Yamagata specialty konjac snack) at the bus.
    49AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:26
    Instead of idolizing mediocre J.League players,
    you should be putting in the effort to get better yourself.
    50AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:27
    And apparently they're very, very firmly asking the victims not to go to the police lol
    53AnonymousOct 14, 2026 22:27
    Re: #50
    Who's Mishima?

    Background and Key Points

    Greeting the team bus has become an established part of J.League fan culture, but this incident was triggered by the forceful behavior of a few attendees trying to display a banner. Early reports didn’t specify which team’s bus was involved, and on 5ch that led to a mix-up with both Yamagata and Sendai getting piled on before later information clarified it was Yamagata’s own bus. While no injuries have been reported, footage also circulated showing an attendee with a child being shoved aside without warning, fueling calls for punishment and lifetime bans. Some comments also criticized the J.League’s security arrangements and the chairman’s stated policy of prioritizing “passionate supporters.”

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Soccer] Montedio Yamagata confirms dangerous conduct at team bus arrival before Vegalta Sendai match: “Violence and intimidation are absolutely unacceptable”“.

  • Giants’ batting coach Lee Seung-yeop steps down — fans already buzzing about who’ll be the next manager

    In the 5ch thread “Giants Acting Manager 175,” talk during the Climax Series swirled around the Giants. The team announced that batting coach Lee Seung-yeop had stepped down, and fans looked back at how manager Abe Shinnosuke (appointed October 6, 2023) and his predecessor Takahashi Yoshito (appointed October 26, 2015) each got the job, speculating about who might be next in line. News also broke of the death of Matsumoto Masashi, a former Hankyu pitcher who’d been part of the Toyodai Himeji team that won the national high school championship, and reactions poured in over the result of Game 1 of the Hanshin–DeNA Final Stage.

    1AnonymousOct 13, 2026 18:38
    Previous thread
    Giants Acting Manager 174
    17AnonymousOct 13, 2026 19:47
    Abe Shinnosuke's appointment press conference: 10/06/2023
    Takahashi Yoshito's appointment press conference: 10/26/2015

    So when's the next one?
    18AnonymousOct 13, 2026 19:59
    Re: #17
    For Abe it was right after the pennant race ended
    For Yoshito it was right after the draft

    Both natural breakpoints
    21AnonymousOct 13, 2026 20:04
    Re: #17
    Right, in 2023 they finished 4th so the season just ended before the Climax Series even started
    40AnonymousOct 13, 2026 21:05
    104AnonymousOct 13, 2026 23:01


    126AnonymousOct 14, 2026 06:55
    128AnonymousOct 14, 2026 07:18
    142AnonymousOct 14, 2026 08:10
    Re: #121
    Isn't it Abe's own fault for making this guy a coach in the first place
    143AnonymousOct 14, 2026 08:12
    Re: #142
    Lord Hashigami (a pun combining coach Hashigami's name with 'god') really busted his ass out there…
    245AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:27
    Re: #142
    Is Hochi Shimbun saying in a roundabout way that it's Abe's fault?
    153AnonymousOct 14, 2026 08:40
    156AnonymousOct 14, 2026 08:41
    Re: #153
    So it's decided — Hashigami's staying on as coach?
    177AnonymousOct 14, 2026 09:28
    Re: #153
    (the usual recurring pic)
    187AnonymousOct 14, 2026 11:29
    Re: #153
    Alright then, let's go show 'em
    194AnonymousOct 14, 2026 12:03
    [Giants] Coach Lee Seung-yeop steps down — Asia's slugger, who'd just returned this season after 16 years away… team makes announcement
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/02c392d28a60c859ba52281613371d9c8988df30
    201AnonymousOct 14, 2026 12:26
    Re: #194
    Hope he goes to Lotte and develops the next Yamaguchi
    217AnonymousOct 14, 2026 13:01
    Re: #194
    So the 'national blank cannon' is quitting, huh (a pun on his nickname as a 'national cannon/slugger' — implying he mostly fired blanks)
    195AnonymousOct 14, 2026 12:12
    Seems like only the Pacific League side gets the 2-win advantage, with the series going up to 7 games and first to 5 wins taking it —
    does that 2-win advantage even mean anything then?
    198AnonymousOct 14, 2026 12:22
    Re: #195
    It means there's a chance to play more games
    203AnonymousOct 14, 2026 12:34
    Re: #195
    It's to secure more gate revenue/game opportunities
    204AnonymousOct 14, 2026 12:44
    Former Hankyu pitcher Matsumoto Masashi passes away — led Toyodai Himeji to a national high school title… Orix announcement, age 67
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/7c48beb765bdfd16913402f35c1b5816154a6949
    256AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:50
    Re: #204
    Orix is the rightful successor to Hankyu
    The head of the Orix alumni association is former Hankyu ace Yamada Hisashi

    Kintetsu has no successor team
    The Kintetsu alumni association already disbanded
    For a Kintetsu player, unless you were a truly famous name,
    news like this probably wouldn't even get reported
    259AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:52
    Re: #204
    Given his age I feel like I should remember him, but I just don't…
    210AnonymousOct 14, 2026 12:54
    Seung-yeop as manager wouldn't be bad either — he's popular in Korea too
    219AnonymousOct 14, 2026 13:06
    Re: #210
    He did manage the Doosan Bears once, but I'm pretty sure he got fired in the end
    242AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:17
    Re: #210
    Lotte would be the perfect fit for him though
    238AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:12
    MLB's homegrown 'Four Cannons'

    The Four Cannons with Oh Sadaharu
    398AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:14
    Both sides get runners on with nobody out and then just let the batter swing away with no plan, racking up outs for nothing —
    bunting really is the correct play after all
    399AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:14
    Re: #398
    Let's just make do with Diaz on our side
    400AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:17
    Re: #398
    So bunting really was the righteous path all along…
    493AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:55
    Hanshin's lineup is genuinely garbage from the 6-spot on down
    494AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:56
    Re: #493
    Our team's garbage all the way down through the 9-spot though
    495AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:56
    Re: #493
    That's exactly why the gap never widened any further
    497AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:57
    Re: #493
    Can't help it
    They do hit once in a while lol
    597AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:37
    Please keep playing baseball even after the Japan Series, pretty-Clemens (a pun blending 'kuremasen' — 'won't you please' — with the name Clemens)
    599AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:37
    Re: #597
    There's still the Asia Pro Baseball Championship
    600AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:38
    Re: #597
    Here, have a "World Baseball Classic" (offering it up like a consolation prize)
    787AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:35
    Super: Otsubo Mano
    https://ameblo.jp/beyooooonds-blog/entry-12981556366.html


    Today's Game 1 of the Final Stage, DeNA vs. Hanshin! 🌟

    We won!! 📣(ˊᗜˋ*)و⚑"
    Too happy right now!!



    790AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:39
    Re: #787
    Way too early lol

    Background and talking points

    The Giants-related thread title featuring “Acting Manager” is just a convenient series name — in reality, current manager Abe Shinnosuke was appointed on October 6, 2023, and his predecessor Takahashi Yoshito was appointed on October 26, 2015, both taking the job at natural turning points in the calendar. The batting coach at the center of this discussion, Lee Seung-yeop, is known as a national slugger in South Korea; he had left the Giants once before returning to coach, and the article doesn’t specify why he’s now stepping down. The Climax Series’ 2-win advantage granted to the Pacific League side is a system given to the top regular-season finisher, with securing extra gate/game opportunities cited as one of its purposes. Opinions in the thread were divided over how to judge the Abe regime, whether coach Hashigami should stay on, and whether Lee Seung-yeop should become a manager, while the discussion also broadened to include the death of a team alumnus and the result of the Hanshin–DeNA Final Stage.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Giants Acting Manager 175.”