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  • Yuriko Ishida Installs Lifelike Statue Recreating Her Dog Who Died in July, at Home

    Actress Yuriko Ishida (56) updated her pet-dedicated Instagram on August 30, revealing that she had installed a statue recreating the likeness of her dog Yuki, who died in July, in her room. Yuki was a golden retriever about to turn 12 who had been battling a malignant tumor called hemangiosarcoma since around March this year. Ishida commented, “I pet it every day and treasure it.” On a thread on 5ch’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board, opinions split over the propriety of this way of mourning. Some expressed surprise that she chose a statue rather than taxidermy, comparing it to a Buddhist altar or memorial tablet, while other posts focused on concern over visible cracks in the statue.

    Yuriko Ishida reports installing a statue recreating the likeness of the beloved dog she lost in July: “I pet it every day and treasure it”

    Actress Yuriko Ishida (56) updated the Instagram account she set up specifically for her pets on the 30th, reporting that she had installed a statue recreating the likeness of the dog she lost in July.

    On July 28, Ishida announced the death of her golden retriever Yuki, who was about to turn 12. Yuki had been battling a form of cancer called hemangiosarcoma since around March this year.

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

    2AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:05
    Just get another dog that looks similar, no?
    49AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:37
    Re: #2
    Thinking it, sure — but you don't actually say that out loud in real life.
    86AnonymousAug 31, 2026 02:19
    Re: #2
    Re: #10
    At 56 she could still raise a new one.

    Small dogs average 16 years, so that'd take her to 72.
    4AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:05
    She should've just had it taxidermied instead.
    11AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:10
    Re: #4
    The face ends up looking a bit different with taxidermy though.
    107AnonymousAug 31, 2026 03:40
    Re: #4
    That's the thing from Jarinko Chie (classic manga/anime) lol
    10AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:10
    People who can get all teary-eyed over a pet dying are the lucky ones. Unhappy people don't have time for that lol
    14AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:11
    Re: #10
    Unhappy people can't afford to keep a pet in the first place anyway.
    16AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:14
    I really don't get people like this.
    Even when a family member or close friend dies, you wouldn't taxidermy them and put them on display, right? So her sense of 'pet' is actually stronger than people who treat pets like family.
    But her love for the pet is also stronger than your average dog lover's — normal people just don't taxidermy their pets.
    That lack of 'balance' is what's unsettling.
    126AnonymousAug 31, 2026 04:28
    Re: #16
    You wouldn't make a statue, but you'd keep a memento, right? I think it's the same idea.
    17AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:14
    Is it okay that it's cracked? Something about that bugs me.
    172AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:05
    Re: #17
    Don't you know wood cracks as it dries and shrinks? Not sure if this particular statue has it, but there's a technique called 'seawari' — a deliberate relief cut in one spot — so it doesn't crack randomly all over.
    176AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:20
    Re: #172
    But this statue is cracked all over the surface.
    178AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:32
    Re: #172
    Furniture and Buddhist statues don't usually crack like this, so the material must be low-grade. That said, if it's cheaper because of that, or it's eco-friendly reclaimed wood, and the client's fine with it, that's okay. But if the workshop doesn't disclose that upfront, some customers are going to think twice about buying from them.
    26AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:19
    I want to marry Yuriko.
    75AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:59
    Re: #26
    Re: #31
    Wouldn't you just end up as the next statue?
    34AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:25
    You wouldn't do this when an actual human family member dies though.
    35AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:27
    Re: #34
    A Buddhist altar or a gravestone is kind of similar though.
    179AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:34
    Re: #34
    At my parents' house they wipe down the memorial tablet every day and offer freshly cooked rice and water while praying to it, so isn't it much the same?
    54AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:40
    Yuriko's getting close to 60 now, and yeah, she's lost a bit of her shine.
    She was at her most radiant around 40.
    58AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:46
    Re: #54
    More than in her younger days, yeah.
    65AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:50
    Re: #58
    She wasn't that striking when she was young. She started out as a campaign girl and had kind of a dull image, like from that Hidekazu Akai film 'Dotsuitarunen.' Her younger sister Hikari Ishida was the more popular idol-actress with the general public back then. Yuriko really started blossoming with a clean, sultry allure from her late 30s onward, and that's carried through to today.
    91AnonymousAug 31, 2026 02:33
    Re: #65
    'Kanashii Iro Yanen' (a classic Kansai-dialect pop hit — riffing on the same 'yanen' phrasing)
    74AnonymousAug 31, 2026 01:59
    Didn't she used to have several pets?
    97AnonymousAug 31, 2026 02:44
    Re: #74
    I remember her having a bunch of cats.
    110AnonymousAug 31, 2026 03:55
    Being single is sad.
    From now on maybe AI will be the one who understands her.
    If she'd had a bit of foresight and initiative when she was young, things could've gone any way she wanted.
    116AnonymousAug 31, 2026 04:02
    Re: #110
    Even if she'd gotten married, there's no guarantee the marriage would've gone well — don't just assume being single is sad.
    119AnonymousAug 31, 2026 04:04
    Once you've been through pet loss and you're past 50, you start thinking you might die before the pet does, so you can't get one with a long lifespan anymore.
    125AnonymousAug 31, 2026 04:22
    Re: #119
    People like that probably look for retired breeding dogs or retired guide dogs instead.
    131AnonymousAug 31, 2026 05:02
    If my cat died, I don't think I could go on living.
    133AnonymousAug 31, 2026 05:05
    Re: #131
    Mochimaru's owner (the famous cat-influencer account) probably says the same thing.
    136AnonymousAug 31, 2026 05:11
    This is why I always say it — don't get your pet neutered or spayed just because their heat cycle annoys you, that's pure owner ego. If you let them have puppies, you'll still have their kids around when your dog eventually dies, and that'll be a comfort.
    142AnonymousAug 31, 2026 05:18
    Re: #136
    Well, she's rich, so she could probably take care of as many as she wants. Though without the time and energy to spare, she'd need to hire help.
    149AnonymousAug 31, 2026 05:51
    Wasn't she the one who posted on social media after that plane accident, saying they should let animals into the cabin?
    151AnonymousAug 31, 2026 05:58
    Re: #149
    That's just common sense. Anyone against it better never bring up 'discrimination' again.

    Background and Talking Points

    Hemangiosarcoma, cited as the cause of death for Ishida’s dog Yuki, is a malignant tumor that forms in the blood vessels of the spleen or heart — a canine cancer known for progressing quickly, often already at an advanced stage by the time it’s discovered. Golden retrievers typically live to around 10-13 years old, and Yuki was battling the disease at “almost 12.” On the thread, opinions split between those who viewed it positively as a “form of mourning” similar to a memorial photo or Buddhist altar, and those who felt uneasy about preserving the dog’s actual likeness so directly. There were also comments about her choosing a statue over taxidermy, and about cracks in what appears to be a wooden material, drawing interest not just in shared grief but in the craftsmanship itself. Note that posts mocking her political views or dating/marriage history, as well as posts containing discriminatory language, have been excluded from this article as only tangentially related to the main topic.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Yuriko Ishida installs statue recreating the likeness of her dog, who died in July, in her room: “I pet it every day and treasure it”.”

  • ‘The Halloween Game’ PS5 Version Pulled From Japan — 5ch Reacts: ‘CERO Is Garbage’

    The developer of the horror game “Halloween: The Game,” originally slated for a September 9 release, has announced that the PS5 version will not be released in Japan after all. The reason given is that the title could not obtain a Japanese CERO rating — bringing it into compliance, the developer said, would have seriously damaged both the atmosphere of the original film and the gameplay itself. The Xbox and PC versions will still launch as planned, and anyone who pre-ordered the PS5 version will be refunded. On 5ch’s hardware/industry (Geha) board, discussion centered on why only the PS5 version was affected, with many commenters pointing to a difference in platform review policy: PlayStation software is required to obtain a CERO rating, while Xbox and Steam only need to meet the international IARC rating standard.

    Regarding “Halloween: The Game,” originally scheduled for release on Wednesday, September 9: because we were unable to obtain a domestic Japanese rating from CERO, we have decided to cancel the release of the PS5 version in Japan.

    We determined that restricting the game’s content in order to meet the rating requirements would significantly damage the atmosphere of the original film, and would also prevent us from delivering the gameplay experience players expect.

    Those who have already pre-ordered the PS5 version will be refunded by the platform holder; please contact them directly for further details.

    Source: x.com / original post here

    6AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:59
    CERO's basically garbage on the level of NHK (Japan's public broadcaster, another frequent punching bag for being a bloated, unaccountable institution)
    85AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:04
    Re: #6
    Well, even if it's become a hollow formality, it's still necessary — otherwise the industry turns lawless.

    Otherwise it'll get slapped with actual legal regulation real quick.
    10AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:01
    Stuff like this — up until now the Xbox version would just get quietly cancelled too, with zero explanation.
    15AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:03
    Re: #10
    That's totally different from this case — that was just an 'ongi block' (obscure 5ch slang, apparently some kind of licensing/region block).
    13AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:02
    If Xbox and PC can pull it off, isn't this just a PlayStation problem?
    17AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:04
    Re: #13
    Going through CERO is a hassle so they're just not bothering — can't be helped.
    And the punchline is Xbox and PC go through a different ratings body, so they get to release it.
    30AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:12
    Re: #13
    For Japanese Xbox, a download-only title can release even as 18+ as long as it gets an IARC rating.
    Japanese PlayStation basically works the same way — download-only software can release with just an IARC rating.
    But for 18+ titles specifically, PlayStation requires a CERO rating on top of IARC.
    So a download-only Xbox title can release in Japan even without CERO,
    but a PS version can't release in Japan unless it passes CERO.
    18AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:06
    Wait, why does only the PS version fail CERO anyway? The content's the same, right? Is SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment) just enforcing its own stricter internal standard?
    21AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:08
    Re: #18
    Both Xbox and PS only skip CERO because there's no physical release — that's literally all this is.
    23AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:10
    Re: #18
    Sony's policy is to require CERO for PS regardless of whether there's a physical release or not.
    For Xbox, if there's no physical release, meeting the international IARC standard alone is enough.

    So if it doesn't pass CERO, it simply can't be released on Japanese PS.
    26AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:11
    Re: #18
    CERO is mandatory for PS. Microsoft and Steam accept other ratings too — come on, actually read the thread.
    35AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:15
    That's exactly why everyone's been saying there's no way Wolverine ships with the overseas trailer's content intact.
    If it somehow does release exactly as shown in that trailer, third-party publishers jumping ship is a lock.
    37AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:18
    Re: #35
    That trailer is insanely gory, there's no way it gets through uncensored.
    If there were no restrictions I'd honestly be put off.
    39AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:22
    Honestly, PlayStation hardware has never really been suited for fighting games or Western games in general.
    42AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:24
    Re: #39
    It's mostly free-to-play games anyway.
    54AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:41
    Crapbox (derisive 5ch nickname for Xbox) doesn't even get the buzzy new game Ananta (whose name means 'infinite') — a trash console the Japanese will never accept, period.
    57AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:43
    Re: #54
    Wait, seriously? I figured a game like that would obviously come out on it… nope, it really doesn't, lol.
    It's no substitute for a PS5 🙄
    64AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:47
    Home-friendly, censored versions of shooters where heads don't explode are just at a disadvantage — or rather, just less fun to play.
    No satisfying impact, and you can't even tell if you landed a hit or a kill.
    80AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:59
    Re: #64
    Gears of War 2 on the Xbox 360 was like that.
    Fine, I'll let the no-exploding-heads thing slide,
    but there wasn't even a headshot sound effect, so you couldn't tell if you'd actually killed the guy or not.
    83AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:02
    Microsoft needs to think about why country-specific ratings systems exist in the first place.
    If you're selling in Japan, going through CERO is the proper way to do it.
    That said, CERO itself is just a private industry body's
    self-regulation with no legal force behind it.
    The whole point of that self-regulation was to keep the government from
    stepping in with actual laws — but if the manufacturers that matter most
    just ignore it, the whole effort is meaningless.
    89AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:05
    Re: #83
    The rating system exists in the first place so games can actually be stocked on shelves at local game shops, you know.
    114AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:26
    Re: #83
    Also, what's with all those random line breaks? You typing this on a flip phone (garakei/feature phone) or something?
    100AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:16
    Truth is, CERO's just trash.
    Xbox only dodges this because it sells so poorly in Japan that it's already pulled out of physical releases entirely.
    104AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:18
    Re: #100
    This game was never planned to get a physical release in the first place.
    And when PS drops physical releases in 2028, is it actually switching to IARC-only? There's been no announcement of that either.
    106AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:19
    Re: #100
    PlayStation is pulling out of physical releases too, so this isn't even an issue, right?
    165AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:09
    Asymmetric multiplayer games tend to turn into 'survivors who outnumber the hunter gang up and stomp them' simulators…
    Texas Chainsaw Massacre especially had survivors so overpowered the killer side could barely do anything — on top of which it was a genuinely nasty game where you'd repeatedly stab the wheelchair-bound old man who serves as the killer team's home base.
    166AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:12
    Re: #165
    That's partly because the killer side wasn't really designed to function as a team to begin with.
    Unless you level up skills enough, the Cook's hearing-based skill doesn't even get shared with teammates.
    167AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:12
    Re: #165
    I guess it's inevitable the design ends up pandering to whichever side has more players.
    But it's frustrating they don't even seem to try giving the minority side a way to feel a sense of accomplishment.
    174AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:16
    Honestly, deep down I just want to see mutilated corpses, guts, and nudity (said with the shameless, unapologetic energy of Momonga from Overlord), but… can I really say that out loud?
    175AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:20
    Re: #174
    The whole point of this thread is
    'PlayStation might not be able to play overseas games anymore,'

    right? Why'd you suddenly derail it into 'I just want to see mutilated corpses, guts, and nudity'?
    177AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:22
    Re: #174
    Going forward, any game with gore or fan-service content could end up in the exact same situation.
    This isn't something you can brush off as just 'ooh, guts and stuff.'
    189AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:41
    Re: #174
    Personally I don't care much either way about the cutscenes, but from a game-system standpoint — especially in PvP — that stuff is a visual cue for debuffs/incapacitation, so it really needs to stay consistent across versions.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Distribution of game software within Japan has, in practice, made age-rating review by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) all but mandatory. It is a self-regulatory framework run by an industry body with no legal enforcement power, but its existence is precisely what has, historically, kept the government from stepping in with actual legislation. The point of contention in the thread was “why is only the PS5 version affected” — even for download-only titles with no physical release, PlayStation software is said to require a CERO rating, whereas Xbox and Steam only need to satisfy the international IARC rating standard, a difference in review policy between platforms that was cited as the technical explanation. While some dismissed CERO as a “hollowed-out, useless formality,” others defended its value, arguing that if industry self-regulation broke down, it could lead to actual government regulation. Commenters also pointed out that similar content-restriction risks could affect other overseas titles due for release in the future, suggesting this may not be an isolated case.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch Hardware/Industry (Geha) board thread “[Sad News] “Halloween: The Game” PS5 Version Cancelled in Japan — Xbox/PC Versions to Release as Planned.”

  • Juice=Juice’s ‘Ebamifu’ Duo to Cover Wink’s “Sabishii Nettaigyo” on Uta Con

    It’s been announced that “Ebamifu” — the unit formed by Juice=Juice’s Kisaki Ebata and Mifuu Kawashima — will perform Wink’s “Sabishii Nettaigyo” (“Lonely Tropical Fish”) on tomorrow’s broadcast of NHK General’s “Uta Con.” With actor Yo Oizumi also set to sing multiple songs in the same episode, discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board buzzed both over how much airtime he’s getting and a bit of confusion about whether “Sabishii Nettaigyo” is a cover of a Western song or an original.

    Setlist (artists in Japanese syllabary order)

    “Mushi Ryojo” — Shin Aoyama

    “Hero (Holding Out for a Hero)” — Miki Asakura

    Source: nhk.jp / Original article here

    4AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:34
    Sounds like they might end up as backup dancers for "DOWN TOWN" too
    7AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:35
    Basically the Reiwa-era "W" (Wink were often nicknamed for being a two-member duo, like a human "W")
    168AnonymousAug 31, 2026 12:07
    Re: #7
    Came here to post the exact same thing
    171AnonymousAug 31, 2026 12:07
    Re: #7
    Don't jinx it by bringing up that name!
    9AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:35
    Wait, isn't the Imokin Trio (a beloved '80s idol/comedy trio) supposed to be the real headliner here?
    Oizumi overload strikes again
    14AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:35
    I was hoping for Ushiroyubi Sasarare Gumi too, but I guess the classic pick, Wink, makes sense
    15AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:36
    No "DOWN TOWN" collab then?
    19AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:36
    Wasn't there someone who wrote they could die happy after seeing Ebamifu do a "Wink"? (playing on both the group's name and an actual wink)
    23AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:37
    Guess "Ai ga Tomaranai" is off the table then, shame
    But as an old-school hardcore Wink fan, I'm still happy
    24AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:38
    DOWN TOWN / Juice=Juice
    If I Could Play the Piano / Akane Haga
    Silhouette Romance / Rika Shimakura
    27AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:38
    Is this making up for Eba's mic being turned down too low?
    28AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:39
    Wait, EPO's on the show too lol
    Didn't peg her as someone who'd do this kind of thing lol
    29AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:39
    Surprisingly tricky song
    No wonder Eba's been practicing like crazy
    30AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:39
    2019.07.09 I Can Probably Live Alone
    2020.05.12 Pop Music
    2021.05.18 DOWN TOWN
    2026.07.21 Glam It Up! Mi Amore (a nod to Kondo Masahiko's 1985 hit "Mi Amore")
    31AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:39
    They'll probably also pop up as backup dancers somewhere else in the show too
    38AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:41
    "If I Could Play the Piano" —
    Tanimoto's version left way too strong an impression lol
    42AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:43
    🤤 Go get 'em, Ebamifu!
    43AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:44
    This is going to put Runo in a bad mood again
    44AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:44
    Hold on, is the actual Imokin Trio
    appearing in person?
    I haven't seen any of the three in ages
    60AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:51
    I always figured "Sabishii Nettaigyo" was a Western cover too — guess not?
    63AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:53
    Re: #60
    This one's an original
    161AnonymousAug 31, 2026 12:05
    Re: #60
    That's a common misconception, but it's 100% homegrown Japanese
    97AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:58
    Re: #1
    So Juice=Juice as a full group isn't performing?
    107AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:59
    Re: #97
    What's the point of playing dumb lol
    156AnonymousAug 31, 2026 12:04
    They said they'd sing "Plastic Love" and now Kunio whiffs again?
    174AnonymousAug 31, 2026 12:08
    Re: #156
    Because they were just faking like they knew
    164AnonymousAug 31, 2026 12:05
    Risachi wasn't in yesterday's TikTok — is she okay?
    176AnonymousAug 31, 2026 12:09
    Re: #164
    She's probably just not keeping up with the setlist log

    Background and Talking Points

    “Sabishii Nettaigyo” (“Lonely Tropical Fish”) is Wink’s ninth single, released in 1990, and — unusually for a duo best known for covering Western hits — it’s actually an original song. Several posts in the thread assumed it was a Western cover, a misunderstanding that kept getting corrected and appears to stem from Wink’s overall image as a covers act. “Uta Con” regularly runs segments where newer singers cover old hits, and it’s not unusual for actors or other guest talent to perform multiple songs in one episode. This time Yo Oizumi is slated to sing several songs in the same episode, and fans were split on how they felt about him taking up so much of the runtime. Since this is based on an advance program listing, it’s worth noting that the song order or performance format could still change on the actual broadcast day.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[Breaking] Juice=Juice’s Kisaki Ebata & Mifuu Kawashima’s “Ebamifu” to sing “Sabishii Nettaigyo” (Wink) on tomorrow’s “Uta Con” (NHK General)!“

  • Imperial Palace joggers spark debate online — “Who does the sidewalk belong to?”

    A video of runners circling Tokyo’s Imperial Palace became a hot topic on 5ch’s “Live News G” (Nandemo Jikkyo) board. The clip, posted with the caption “and this is supposed to be a sidewalk,” showed runners spread out across the entire width of the footpath, drawing 41 replies. The thread kicked off with an innocent question — “where do Imperial Palace runners even come from, and where do they change?” — before spiraling into a practical standoff over whether pedestrians or runners should yield the right of way, and even concerns about covert filming. Some posters cited the legal definition of a “sidewalk,” while others simply dismissed the whole debate with “just go to a gym.” No consensus was reached.

    And this is supposed to be a sidewalk 😭

    Source: video.twimg.com / original clip here

    10AnonymousAug 31, 2026 06:38
    Wait, do Imperial Palace runners actually take the train there? What do they do about post-run sweat on the way home?
    51AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:00
    Re: #10
    There's apparently a whole business around lockers and shower rooms for that.
    61AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:04
    Re: #10
    Just run there and run back instead of taking the train lol… is what I keep thinking.
    120AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:31
    Re: #10
    Most runners are probably coming straight from work.
    12AnonymousAug 31, 2026 06:39
    They probably change at a "run station" (a paid locker/shower facility for runners).
    17AnonymousAug 31, 2026 06:40
    Re: #12
    Then just run home too lol
    22AnonymousAug 31, 2026 06:41
    Re: #12
    Huh, didn't know rental facilities like that existed. Feels like it'd just be easier to go to a gym though.
    14AnonymousAug 31, 2026 06:40
    Are people out there running all day long?
    37AnonymousAug 31, 2026 06:53
    Re: #14
    Not so much in the middle of the day during peak summer heat, obviously. But foreign tourists run there too, and there's always someone out running from early morning till night.
    38AnonymousAug 31, 2026 06:54
    Re: #14
    The crowd and headcount vary by time of day, but no matter when you pass by, someone's running.
    32AnonymousAug 31, 2026 06:48
    Running clearly isn't the only thing going on here 😭
    https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2090965175138668544/vid/avc1/2160×3840/yYoi4zdA18S43pjn.mp4

    34AnonymousAug 31, 2026 06:52
    Re: #32
    Why's only one person's face blurred out?
    44AnonymousAug 31, 2026 06:57
    I live out in the countryside so I wouldn't know, but does Tokyo really not have anywhere else to run?
    66AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:08
    Re: #44
    Unless you've got a decently sized park nearby, there really aren't many places to run. Running on regular sidewalks means people popping out of shops and apartment buildings, so it's dangerous and you have to stay on guard.
    67AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:08
    Re: #44
    It's the only spot downtown with open sky like that.
    71AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:09
    You could run as much as you want at a gym lol
    79AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:13
    Re: #71
    Nah, you really can't — 3km tops if you're lucky. Meanwhile two laps around the Imperial Palace (10km) is nothing.
    138AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:39
    Re: #71
    It's for hooking up with people, isn't it?
    135AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:37
    "Sidewalk" (hodo) is just the term used in contrast to the roadway — it doesn't mean the space is exclusively for walking. Pedestrians twisting the meaning to suit themselves is way out of line. Are they saying runners are basically cars or something?
    140AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:39
    Re: #135
    A sidewalk is a section of road set aside so pedestrians can travel safely.
    143AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:40
    Re: #140
    Where does it say running is prohibited?
    163AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:47
    Re: #140
    >"Sidewalk: a section of road demarcated for pedestrian use by curbstones, fences, or similar structures."

    That's not even what it says, liar.
    146AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:41

    Runners at Expo Park
    147AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:42
    I think it's unreasonable that only runners are expected to dodge out of the way.

    A collision is something both parties are involved in, yet somehow pedestrians never move and only the runner is forced to swerve.
    157AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:45
    Re: #147
    The legal principle is that whoever's moving faster bears more responsibility for being careful.
    159AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:45
    Re: #147
    Say that louder — the more that spreads, the sooner "runners are trash" becomes the accepted public opinion.
    190AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:56
    Re: #1
    So what, run in the road instead? Getting secretly filmed without consent is the worst part of this.
    197AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:57
    Re: #190
    What if they got permission first?
    201AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:58
    Re: #190
    If you're filming the Imperial Palace, people are bound to wander into frame.
    196AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:57
    Lately there's a real uptick in self-righteous pedestrians who refuse to budge at all and just walk straight down the middle.

    Why is it always the runners who have to move out of the way? Pedestrians and runners are both using the same sidewalk — they should be equals.
    208AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:59
    Re: #196
    If it bothers you that much, just don't dodge and let yourself collide with them.
    216AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:01
    Re: #196
    Why don't you become the "collision guy" yourself and clear out the pedestrians who are in your way.
    221AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:03
    Re: #196
    Honestly it's probably social media's fault. All it takes is stepping 10cm to the side to avoid a collision, but people have started getting drunk on the idea that "I'm the one in the right," and that's how we ended up here.
    217AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:01
    Re: #211
    There were way more incidents back in the day, no question. There was even an era of clockwise-vs-counterclockwise turf wars.
    220AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:02
    Re: #217
    That's exactly why people have been saying this for ages.
    227AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:08
    Re: #220
    People used to complain about it constantly, but you don't hear it as much these days.
    233AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:10
    Re: #227
    It just means people are still complaining even though the numbers went down. So nothing about that is contradictory.
    225AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:06
    I'm into running myself, but I want to minimize any time spent on stuff other than the actual running, so I can't really relate to the mindset of taking a train all the way out somewhere just to go for a run.
    I always figured the people running there were the ones for whom the Imperial Palace happens to be the closest decent running spot to where they live.
    226AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:07
    Re: #225
    80% of them are probably running after work or something.
    234AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:10
    Re: #225
    Running the same route over and over would get boring, wouldn't it?

    Background and key points of the debate

    The area around the Imperial Palace is known as one of the few signal-free loop courses in central Tokyo, and its roughly 5km route circling the old Edo Castle grounds draws large numbers of runners from early morning until night. The “run station” mentioned in the thread refers to paid facilities offering changing rooms and showers, pointing to a whole segment of runners who treat their commute-by-train as an extension of their workout. The debate split along two lines: the traffic-safety principle that “whoever is moving faster should exercise more caution,” versus the more rigid stance that “sidewalks exist for pedestrians.” Some posters even cited the Road Traffic Act’s legal definition of a sidewalk — a section of road demarcated for pedestrian use. That provision, however, doesn’t explicitly ban runners from using sidewalks; the restriction is really a matter of custom and etiquette, a nuance that’s easy to miss. Several posters also suggested that the spread of social media has eroded people’s willingness to give an inch for one another — which suggests this is less a legal dispute than everyday friction over manners.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Live News G) thread “[Video] Imperial Palace runners are WAY too annoying WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.”

  • Kenshiro Rescued Yuria… But She Was Actually a Doll — 5ch: “How Was Such an Elaborate Doll Even Made?”

    A twist from early in “Fist of the North Star” is once again making the rounds on 5ch: the near-death Kenshiro rescues Yuria, only for her to turn out to be an elaborately crafted decoy doll planted by the enemy. Reactions split along generational lines — those who read it in real time during the original run versus those encountering it for the first time in the Reiwa era. Many said things like “I always read it as a gag manga” and “it was treated as a joke even back then,” while the thread also branched into side discussions about just how many men died over Yuria, and the family ties among brothers like Raoh and Toki.

    1AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:11
    Wonder what people who read this in real time actually thought.
    I just read this manga for the first time today and burst out laughing, but it's not supposed to be that kind of manga, right?
    2AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:11
    It's a gag manga, dude.
    6AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:12
    Re: #2
    Was it treated that way even back then?
    8AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:13
    Re: #6
    The moment the protagonist has eyebrows like strips of seaweed, you should've known.
    171AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:52
    Re: #6
    In the otaku magazine *OUT*, it was treated purely as a gag manga.
    For some reason there was a popular parody series where Goggle Yellow (the yellow ranger from the Sentai show Goggle Five) went around killing good guys while quoting Kenshiro's lines.
    5AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:12
    But hey, turns out she was alive after all — and a member of the Nanto school on top of that.
    7AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:12
    Can't be helped.
    Honestly, for a story that's made up as it goes along,
    this is actually one of the more sensible bits.
    15AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:16
    Re: #7
    I think it's a manga that's interesting in all sorts of ways.
    18AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:18

    Yeah, this manga's hilarious.
    33AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:25
    Re: #18
    Is this the inspiration for that scene in Rurouni Kenshin?
    110AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:04
    Re: #18
    The era is the end of the century…
    "How was such an elaborate doll even made?"
    20AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:20
    You don't really see that trope anymore either — the bratty kid who idolizes the protagonist and tags along on their journey.
    27AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:24
    Re: #20
    Yeah, the cocky Bat-type boy sidekick has become rarer.
    You still get Rin-type girls treated as half-pets sometimes, though.
    173AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:54
    Re: #20
    Having a kid around lets the story move forward through the kid doing something shortsighted, or lets the world get explained to the audience via exposition aimed at the kid.
    These days the protagonist himself is often a kid, so that role isn't needed anymore.
    54AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:37
    Kindaichi Case Files had this trope too, but the moment there's someone who doesn't notice "it was a doll!", it's a gag manga.
    73AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:47
    Re: #54
    They're a pain to make, you know.

    57AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:38
    "I can't fit any more in!" (fits more in anyway)
    60AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:38
    Re: #57
    If it's Hokuto Shinken, you'd think he could just stick to the ceiling or something.
    67AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:41
    Re: #57
    There was an old hag who used the Nanto Shelter Fist and tried to kill either Toki or Kenshiro.
    88AnonymousAug 30, 2026 16:54
    Looks strong.
    108AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:03
    On Twitter you'll periodically see people crop out just the panel of Raoh saying, "Enough! I don't care who you love or how sullied you become! Just stay by my side in the end!" and mistake him for some magnanimous guy.
    In reality he's the kind of man who says he'll kill Yuria if she doesn't become his, while also fathering a secret child with a different woman.
    111AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:05
    Re: #108
    Who even is Ryu's mother, anyway?
    112AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:05
    Re: #108
    Raoh saying that is basically just a pathetic virgin putting on a brave face.
    117AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:06
    Raoh is the second of four siblings, you know.
    125AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:09
    Re: #117
    Wait, isn't it three brothers?
    128AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:10
    Re: #125
    There's a younger sister named Sayaka.
    126AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:10
    Re: #125
    Kim, Raoh, Kaioh, Toki.
    131AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:11
    Re: #126
    Who's Kim…?
    134AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:12
    Re: #131
    What? You're talking about Hokuto and you don't know Kim…?
    137AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:13
    Re: #131
    He's Kenshiro's senior fellow disciple who couldn't endure the training and got expelled by Ryuken.
    152AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:19
    Raoh: "Speak! Tell me the name of your general!"

    Juza: "Wh… why would I ever tell you?! If I knew, I'd become like a gale and race straight to my general's side! The one thing you, who has seized the very heavens, want most in the end… is my general!"
    155AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:21
    Re: #152
    Even I, who was excited wondering "who's this Nanto general even greater than Souther?", went "…oh" at that line.
    156AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:22
    Re: #152
    He'd just been hit with the Kaiamonteichou pressure point (forces the victim to blurt out the truth) — can't be helped!
    162AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:41
    Re: #152
    This is a scene depicting the pressure point taking effect, right?
    160AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:38
    In the end, so many men fought and died over Yuria, but she died young of illness without ever bearing Kenshiro's child.
    Seriously, how many guys died over this woman?
    163AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:42
    Re: #160
    Yuria's basically the textbook example of a "circle crusher" (a woman whose presence wrecks a friend group's harmony).
    168AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:48
    Re: #160
    She's the ultimate "sage-man" (slang for a woman said to bring bad luck to the men around her).
    172AnonymousAug 30, 2026 17:53
    Re: #160
    The Hokuto-Nanto friend group, destroyed by one princess.

    Background and Talking Points

    “Fist of the North Star,” written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara, ran in Weekly Shonen Jump starting in 1983, and the doll swap involving Yuria appears early in the series’ run. The thread’s reactions suggest that even among Jump readers at the time, both readings — “serious tragedy” and “made-up-as-it-goes gag” — coexisted. Some commenters compared it to the doll trick in “The Kindaichi Case Files,” suggesting that “doll swaps” were something of a standard device in boys’ manga of that era. That said, posters’ accounts of Raoh’s siblings and the character “Kim” contradicted each other, a reminder that this is casual chat relying on memory and not always accurate.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] Yuria, Whom Kenshiro Rescued, Was Actually a Doll.”

  • Angerme’s Autumn Tour Draws Even Fewer Fans Than Spring — 5ch: “They Have No Absolute Center”

    On a 5ch thread frequented by Hello! Project fans, a discussion broke out after a poster pointed out that idol group Angerme’s autumn tour ticket sales are struggling even more than the spring tour. Some in the thread argued that the group has “no absolute center” since Kamiko’s graduation, and others noted that the NHK Osaka venue looked only about half full, while others pushed back that “tickets only went on sale the day before, so it’s too early to judge” — opinions split over the reasons for the slump and what it means going forward.

    1AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:04
    Losing even more trust.
    6AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:11
    Any amateur could've predicted this would happen.
    Is everyone at Up-Front management as dim as Inoue Kazuki? (a soccer figure whose name is slang for "clueless")
    7AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:12
    Re: #6
    They're only doing this to shut the otaku up about suddenly dropping hall tours — it switches to livehouse tours next year anyway.
    10AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:13
    Juice=Juice rebuilt their trust brick by brick after it once hit rock bottom, so by the time they blossomed it was rock solid.
    25AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:55
    Re: #10
    Juice's trust never actually fell.
    They bounced right back after all the original members left.
    There were just a lot of members with health issues.
    Their current standing is the fair one.
    50AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:17
    Re: #10
    Speaking from experience — I gave up on Juice in 2022, switched to Angerme, then went back to Juice in 2024. From that, I'd say the fatal flaw with today's Angerme is having no absolute center. There's no upside left.
    13AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:25
    It's Juice that'll be grinding through regional livehouses next year.
    Angerme is protected by their agency, so hall tours are guaranteed forever.
    16AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:33
    Re: #13
    Protected by the agency and they still don't get invited to the TV Asahi festival, lol ("Ankasu" — a mocking nickname for Angerme). Ocha Norma's going in their place.
    27AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:58
    Juice is amazing right now because they've got Danbara and Inoue, but
    once those two are gone, there's a good chance they'll fall below an Angerme that's lost Take, Kamiko, Rikako, and Kawamura.
    That's how big the gap is between Reiru and everyone else.
    31AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:01
    Re: #27
    Even Reiru wasn't at top speed right away.
    Still, it's a lineup you can hold out hope for.
    32AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:01
    Re: #27
    Arisawa alone could beat all of today's Angerme combined.
    34AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:02
    Re: #27
    JJ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Angerme

    would just become

    JJ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Angerme

    That's all that'd change.
    And honestly, Angerme's members in their 20s will probably quit before Danbara and Inoue do anyway, so by the time those two leave, it won't even matter.
    35AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:03
    They banked on the spring tour rebuilding trust and bumped up total venue capacity for autumn — and now that bigger capacity is just being used as the excuse for why seats aren't filling. Up-Front's probably reeling too.
    38AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:05
    Re: #35
    Not the agency, not the members, not the fans — nobody has any idea how to turn this around or get people interested again. That's where things stand.
    39AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:07
    At first I was curious how things would go after Kamiko left — wondering if the group would rise to the occasion and really level up.
    46AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:12
    Re: #39
    Watching Vanilla, you can feel that even the people who thought that back in spring have given up by autumn.
    40AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:07
    Angerme fans are the ones most worried.
    There was a time they had enough momentum to overtake Momusu for the top spot, but…
    it really does come down to members and songs.
    44AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:09
    Re: #40
    The singing itself is reasonably solid, but the moment Kamiko left, the charm of the vocal trade-offs vanished completely.
    42AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:09
    It's really something.
    No growth from the members, ticket sales struggling, and now they've even given up on new songs and gone back to Smileage-era stuff.
    51AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:22
    Re: #42
    Maybe someone asked to go all out on Smileage songs before graduating.
    It's hard to fit that kind of setlist into a regular tour.
    45AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:10
    The tour was booked at such an ambitious scale that I figured there'd be a new member or a graduation announcement.
    Never imagined they'd just… have no plan at all.
    47AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:14
    Re: #45
    They need to at least keep up appearances.
    If the scale shrinks, even the otaku who are still around will gradually start drifting away.
    I bet the Budokan show is happening for that reason alone.
    140AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:43
    Only half-filling NHK Osaka is pretty shocking on its own, but for the haters, the real test is Fukuoka and Forest Hall.
    151AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:51
    Isn't it a lost opportunity if they leave tickets unsold and the venue ends up being a livehouse?
    157AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:53
    Well, give it another five years or so — once Goto and Nagano become the core, they'll probably bounce back.
    You've got to take the long view.
    162AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:57
    Re: #157
    So this keeps going like this for another five years…?
    158AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:53
    Re: #155
    Pretty sure you're the one who's been bashing Juice, lol
    165AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:59
    Re: #158
    Juice has been an elite squad since the original lineup, so there's never been a reason to bash them, then or now. Why are you so touchy about who supposedly bashed whom and when?
    172AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:10
    Isn't today's Angerme basically like a version of Juice with Danbara, Inoue, Kudo, Matsunaga, Arisawa, Irie, Ebata, Ishiyama, Endo, Kawashima, and Hayashi all gone?

    Of course nobody's interested.
    183AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:37
    Calling it "empty" over a single open seat is crazy, but calling it "selling well" when only half the seats are filled is just as crazy.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    It’s worth noting that the claims in this thread are based on individual attendees’ impressions and visual estimates of how full the seats looked, not on officially released attendance or sales figures. Just as the claim that NHK Osaka was “only half full” was met with the counterargument that “tickets only went on sale the day before, so it’s premature to judge,” some feel it’s too hasty to conclude anything about the tour’s overall popularity from conditions right before a single show. The thread also repeatedly brought up comparisons with Juice=Juice; this likely reflects the board’s characteristic rivalry, stemming from the fact that both groups are active around the same period within Hello! Project and share part of their fan base. The thread title’s theory — that fans who kept coming out of sentimental attachment have finally given up as of spring — is ultimately just one poster’s personal speculation, and no concrete figures backing up that theory were presented in the thread.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Angerme’s autumn tour struggling even more than spring basically means the fans who were coming out of sentimental loyalty through spring have finally given up and stopped showing.”

  • The Big 3 Visual Novels: What Joins Higurashi and Steins;Gate? 5ch Says ‘Umineko Gets Rave Reviews Overseas’

    A thread on the Game/Hardware board set out to pick a third pillar to stand alongside “Higurashi” and “Steins;Gate” as the Big 3 visual novels. Candidates poured in one after another — Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Kamaitachi no Yoru, YU-NO, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim — and one point that drew particular attention was that while Umineko ranks highly on overseas streamers’ rankings, opinion in Japan is split due to the controversy surrounding its anime adaptation. The thread also branched into debate over the very definition of a “visual novel” and discussion of why the genre rarely sees new hits these days, growing into something bigger than a simple popularity poll.

    1AnonymousAug 29, 2026 11:55
    Guess it's gonna be Umineko after all
    9AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:02
    Foreign streamers often make tier lists of Japanese ADV (adventure/visual novel) games, and Umineko's usually ranked S-tier.
    Meanwhile in Japan it's controversial because of the whole backlash.
    18AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:12
    Re: #9
    The manga version works.
    Either the editor busted their ass or someone fixed up what was otherwise a garbage, dropped-plot-thread mess.
    23AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:20
    Re: #18
    That's because the artist loved Umineko and begged Ryukishi07 (the writer) to let them adapt it.
    Because of that though, the print volumes of Ep8 from vol. 6 onward now go for a premium.
    152AnonymousAug 29, 2026 21:11
    Re: #18
    Read it a while back — so in the end was it all just a dream/delusion story?
    12AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:05
    If it's the manga version's ending, Umineko deserves S-tier.
    17AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:12
    Re: #12
    What bugs the people who dislike it is: in EP3, only the mastermind should know '07151127' — so why did Ikuko Yashiro know it too?
    21AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:17
    Otogirisou
    Double Cast
    Kidou Senkan Gundog (mecha sim game)
    24AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:21
    Re: #21
    Double Cast is a masterpiece, but can you really call that a 'visual novel' game lol
    27AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:26
    For Higurashi and Umineko, the parts where you're closing in on the truth and things get intense are great, but the everyday-life scenes feel like padding.
    Especially since there's a lot of repetitive description and phrasing that makes it needlessly long.
    Personally, I can't leave out Kamaitachi no Yoru (The Night of the Kamaitachi).
    32AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:30
    Re: #27
    Especially with Higurashi — the daily-life parts are boring and a lot of people drop off there, but it turns out some of those scenes are actually duplicates.
    31AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:30
    So much for 'Reiwa-era recommended visual novels' —

    all anyone's recommending is old, dusty games.
    40AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:36
    Re: #31
    Well, it's a genre that's barely benefited from hardware upgrades for over a decade.
    Even compared to old titles, about the only things that have improved are the UI and resolution.
    53AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:51
    Just put Kamaitachi no Yoru in the Hall of Fame already.

    Re: #31
    As for recent hits, I'd say Raging Loop, Paranormasight, Gnosia, and Urban Myth Dissolution Center.
    35AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:31
    If Higurashi is the first one on your list, the other two have gotta be Kizuato and Tsukihime.
    37AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:33
    Re: #35
    If we're talking the 2000s, Key (the visual novel studio) is a lock to be in there.
    39AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:36
    I played about half of Umineko, it was so underwhelming I just looked up the rest as spoilers.
    Turned out even more underwhelming, so quitting partway was the right call.
    161AnonymousAug 29, 2026 22:37
    Re: #39
    The Switch version of Umineko has gotten stupidly expensive.
    Should've bought it back when it was cheap.
    43AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:39
    Most people here probably don't know this, but otome games are basically all visual novels where the scenario is everything, so a lot of them are actually really good.
    Even the Three Houses scenario writer — not that they wrote all of it — I believe came from Koei Tecmo's otome game team.
    46AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:41
    Re: #43
    Isn't it true that romance stories are never actually interesting?
    You need at least one dismemberment murder or you'll get bored.
    45AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:41
    Personally, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is #1 by a landslide.
    56AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:52
    I played Raging Loop with the voices off — guess you do get used to it.

    Re: #45
    I've only done two playthroughs so I didn't quite get it, but after watching an analysis video it all clicked perfectly.
    Though for an idiot like me, I can't fully understand it without someone explaining it lol
    52AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:50
    Raging Loop was fun at first but fell apart partway through.
    Also I just couldn't get emotionally invested in the protagonist and main heroine.
    55AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:52
    Re: #52
    Well, the protagonist and heroine are both psychopaths, so…
    Making a psychopath duo the leads of a Werewolf (Mafia-style) game is quite a choice.
    58AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:54
    Re: #52
    Haru-chan should just be the main heroine, right?
    Chiemi and Rikako are way too problematic.
    59AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:55
    I was blown away by how brilliant Stellar Code is — a game the old-timers on the console-war (Geha) board have almost certainly never touched.
    61AnonymousAug 29, 2026 12:56
    Re: #59
    It wasn't brilliant at all — the previous game, Ihanashi no Majo, was way more polished.
    64AnonymousAug 29, 2026 13:02
    Cross Tantei Monogatari on the Sega Saturn
    The real, uncensored 18+ version of YU-NO
    Kamaitachi no Yoru

    Compared to these, Steins;Gate is honestly third-rate.

    If you got hooked on AVGs (adventure games) through Steins;Gate, you owe it to yourself to experience YU-NO before you die.
    I'll say it flat out: no AVG will ever top it.

    The remake is a different beast entirely, so there's no need to bother with that one.
    71AnonymousAug 29, 2026 13:07
    Re: #64
    With YU-NO, the fact that there's a gap in awareness between the player and the protagonist regarding the timeline changes is just unacceptable.
    Steins;Gate is contrived too, but at least it makes the effort to reconcile that gap.
    89AnonymousAug 29, 2026 14:09
    Re: #64
    YU-NO's opening drags on forever, it's rough.
    119AnonymousAug 29, 2026 16:44
    Re: #24
    Steins;Gate barely has any narrative prose either, yet people still call it a visual novel.
    I'd say as long as it's in text format, it counts.
    139AnonymousAug 29, 2026 19:12
    Re: #64
    The YU-NO remake's no good? But that's the only version you can actually play properly on modern hardware…

    Re: #119
    Yeah, honestly even some of the titles named here make you go 'is this really a novel?' — I'd personally categorize Yarudora in particular as more of a 'playable anime'…
    Though I guess since the protagonist's thoughts are all text, that makes it a novel lol
    68AnonymousAug 29, 2026 13:06
    Coming from the Ever17/Steins;Gate generation, YU-NO and EVE felt boring and tedious to me.
    Systems get optimized to fit the times, so I think it's only natural that going back to play old titles now feels rough.
    84AnonymousAug 29, 2026 13:24
    Re: #68
    Ever17 and Steins;Gate being 'the same generation' feels off to me somehow.
    81AnonymousAug 29, 2026 13:22
    Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (Rumbling Hearts)

    A visual novel where nobody dies.
    97AnonymousAug 29, 2026 14:39
    Re: #81
    Winter Sonata ripped that off.
    113AnonymousAug 29, 2026 16:07
    Umineko definitely leaves you feeling unsatisfied if you only play the game itself.
    It's only after you go Google the truth afterward (basically checking your own theories against the answer) that you finally go 'well played!'

    That said, looking back, I think it's asking a lot to expect people to enjoy it from the first half through the middle of the second half.
    There are some genuinely interesting, appealing scenes scattered throughout at a small scale, but the big picture stays murky, and the question of 'where is this story actually going?' never really goes away.
    Personally, what got me through it was my trust in Ryukishi07 and the attachment I developed to the characters.
    Hard to recommend to today's short-attention-span kids.

    But once you reach the truth, all those scenes that left you confused suddenly make sense, and you'll be impressed they managed to pull off a setup like that at all.
    115AnonymousAug 29, 2026 16:23
    Re: #113
    The mastermind has way too many titles/aliases going on.
    Turning those blank two years into a 'Schrödinger's cat box' and saying 'go theorize about it yourself' is bound to get criticized — and that part only exists in the manga version anyway.
    Though I guess it is technically Beatrice.
    136AnonymousAug 29, 2026 18:55
    Re: #113
    Though the Geha (console war) board is nothing but impatient old geezers.
    140AnonymousAug 29, 2026 19:19
    In Umineko Ep7, I finally thought I'd get the answers to all the past incidents, and then—

    'Illusions return to illusions… A corpse that cannot return to the earth returns to illusion instead.'

    ???…huh?

    That's the memory I'm left with.
    157AnonymousAug 29, 2026 22:04
    Re: #140
    Even that part is easier to follow in the manga version than the original.
    158AnonymousAug 29, 2026 22:10
    Re: #140
    If I recall, that one was Sayo, by the way.
    Otherwise it contradicts Kanon still being alive up to the boiler scene.
    Also, by the way, the Eva couple had already been bought off.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The term “visual novel” refers to a format that tells its story through text and branching choices rather than gameplay, but because Steins;Gate itself is written in an unusual style with very little narrative prose, the thread was divided over the very definition of what counts as a “novel” game. Umineko no Naku Koro ni is a mystery originally created by Ryukishi07 as a doujin work, and its structure — which leaves the interpretation of its foreshadowing up to the reader — has long been divisive, especially given how its anime adaptation sparked backlash in Japan. On the other hand, the point that it’s rated highly by overseas streamers is one example of a gap between its reputation in Japan and how it’s received abroad. Meanwhile, the fact that 90s titles like YU-NO and Kamaitachi no Yoru keep coming up reflects a structural issue in the genre: it rarely benefits from hardware improvements, which also helps explain why recent hits have been so limited.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “Let’s pick the Big 3 Visual Novels like we did the Big 3 RPGs — ‘Higurashi’ and ‘Steins;Gate’ are locks, so what’s the third?“.

  • Kunihiko Mitamura’s “Otona Tabi Aruki Tabi” Ends October 3 — 5ch: “The Way He Never Gets Drunk on Sake Is Amazing”

    TV Osaka’s travel program “Otona Tabi Aruki Tabi” (Adult Travel, Walking Journey) will end with its October 3 broadcast. Actor Kunihiko Mitamura, 72, has hosted the long-running show since January 2009 — 17 years and 9 months — touring around western Japan, and TV Osaka has given only “scheduling reasons” as the explanation for its end. On 5ch, reactions ranged from people who never even knew the show existed, to surprise that 72-year-old Mitamura drinks plenty of sake without ever seeming drunk, to speculation that sponsor JR West might be pulling out.

    It was learned on the 31st that TV Osaka’s long-running program “Otona Tabi Aruki Tabi” (Saturdays, 6:30 p.m.), hosted by actor Kunihiko Mitamura (72) and centered on travels through western Japan, will end with its October 3 broadcast.

    The popular show launched in January 2009 and is now closing the book on its history after 17 years and 9 months. The station has disclosed no reason for ending it beyond citing “scheduling reasons.”

    Speaking to this paper, Mitamura offered his thanks, saying, “Thank you for watching for 18 years.” Reflecting on the many people he met while filming on location, he added, “There really were so many wonderful encounters, and I enjoyed myself the whole way through.” Looking ahead, he closed with, “I believe my ties with the people of Osaka will keep going, so I hope for your continued support.”

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

    3AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:30
    Dad's just a one-hit-wonder newscaster.
    9AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:33
    Re: #3
    It's Hide-san from Hissatsu, right?(the assassin character Mitamura played in the classic drama "Hissatsu Shigotonin")
    14AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:35
    Re: #3
    Mom's the idol, right?
    153AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:08
    Re: #3
    He's just a one-hit-wonder actor (72), idiot.
    6AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:32
    This is the show that used to get shoved aside whenever the Tagawa-Hiruko bus trip specials aired.
    10AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:34
    Re: #6
    They should at least make it with the same energy as Fukuoka's TV Q, which practically wipes out the bus trip and other Saturday specials altogether.
    17AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:37
    Re: #6
    TV Osaka, a TV Tokyo affiliate, doesn't simulcast TV Tokyo's shows from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays — but independent stations like TV Wakayama, Nara TV, and Biwako Broadcasting do simulcast TV Tokyo programming starting at 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
    114AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:53
    Re: #6
    TV Osaka runs its own programming past 7 p.m. too, so even with Mitamura's show ending, they still won't switch to simulcasting TV Tokyo.
    8AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:33
    Didn't even know about this one.
    I like Hide(-san), so I wish I'd watched it.
    28AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:43
    Re: #8
    You can watch it on YouTube.
    12AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:35
    I once saw them filming on location during a school trip — on TV he looks like just an ordinary middle-aged guy, but in person he was tall and lean, clearly built differently from an average man. Made me think, "wow, actors really are something."
    37AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:47
    Re: #12
    Come on, even on TV Mitamura clearly looks like a lean, well-built actor lol
    154AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:12
    Re: #12
    Shinji Yamashita, who I often see at the driving range, also has an amazing build and looks sharp, so of course Mitamura would too.
    20AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:38
    Re: #1
    The use of "meen" (an old-fashioned spelling of "main") really gives away the reporter's age.
    27AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:41
    Re: #20
    Was this handwritten?
    These days you'd think an IME or editor would flag that.
    25AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:40
    There was an episode where he traveled together with Goro Ibuki.
    60AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:00
    Re: #25
    Wasn't that Kaku-san?(referencing Ibuki's role as Kakusan in the samurai drama "Mito Komon")
    95AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:31
    Re: #25
    Wasn't he the one who napped alongside him in the dressing room?
    99AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:36
    Re: #25
    Mito, Owari, and Kii, maybe?(a nod to the Tokugawa "Gosanke" branch families from "Mito Komon")
    33AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:46
    I only catch it occasionally, but sometimes I feel like his drinking has gone down compared to before.
    Hope it's not a health issue.
    53AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:56
    Re: #33
    He still knocks back that first cup with plenty of gusto, drinks a lot.
    Knowing Mitamura's personality, if there were personal circumstances I think he'd let us know in a comment.
    71AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:10
    Re: #53
    Every episode my wife and I watch and talk about how many minutes in he takes his first cup.
    On fast days he's drinking it right in the opening.
    100AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:36
    Re: #53
    Ah, good to hear.
    Guess I just happened to catch an episode where he was drinking less.
    45AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:52
    Honestly, I had no idea this show had even been running for 18 years.

    Well, doing location travel shoots at 72 must be rough though.
    49AnonymousAug 31, 2026 07:54
    Re: #45
    He probably can't take on much other work with this schedule.
    61AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:01
    Re: #45
    It's actually a popular show —
    you don't keep something running for 18 years on vested interests alone.
    88AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:27
    I used to watch this show — Mitamura drinks a ridiculous amount of sake but never seems drunk, it's amazing.
    107AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:46
    Re: #88
    He's an old-school career actor, so he's probably just got a strong tolerance for alcohol.
    121AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:06
    Re: #88
    People from Niigata have a reputation for holding their liquor well.
    128AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:21
    Wouldn't be surprising if his son, who never really made it big, ends up taking over as host of a successor show.

    129AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:22
    Re: #128
    Wait, this is his son?
    Damn, he's good-looking.
    149AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:55
    I wonder if JR is going to keep sponsoring this slot.
    Is the show ending because JR is pulling out, or not?
    157AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:20
    Re: #149
    The 7 p.m. "Ossanpo" and one other show in that slot are both popular, so I don't think they'll get swapped out.
    If there's no replacement, they could just expand Ossanpo to start at 18:30 instead.
    Not saying it's impossible, but I think things stay as they are for now.
    If TV Tokyo forced a change to the local slot there's a slim chance, but they probably don't have that kind of leverage.
    161AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:26
    Re: #149
    It's a Kansai UHF channel —
    this is TV Osaka we're talking about.
    You think they've got the budget for that?
    163AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:27
    Re: #149
    The show's probably ending because JR is dropping sponsorship — the ratings themselves haven't been bad.
    159AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:23
    Googled it on YouTube and it turns out they only ever go to Kansai and points south, even though he was born in Niigata.
    Looks like they barely make it as far as Kanazawa — basically nothing in eastern Japan.
    162AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:27
    Messed up my reply link.
    Re: #159
    166AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:32
    Re: #159
    That's because the show's sponsor is JR West.
    So even in places that are easier to reach via Kintetsu or Nankai lines, the on-screen map gives directions via JR West.
    Though lately they've started including private-rail routes too.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    “Otona Tabi Aruki Tabi” is a local program produced by TV Osaka, a TV Tokyo affiliate. Thread posters point out that while fellow affiliates TV Wakayama, Nara TV, and Biwako Broadcasting all simulcast TV Tokyo’s programming in the same Saturday 6:30 p.m. slot, TV Osaka alone has kept running its own independent lineup. The fact that the show’s on-screen maps directed viewers via JR West stations even in places closer to Kintetsu or Nankai lines was because JR West had long been the sponsor — which has fed the theory that “maybe it’s ending because JR is dropping sponsorship.” However, TV Osaka has only cited “scheduling reasons” for the end, and the official announcement gives no indication of whether the sponsor’s withdrawal was the direct cause. Some posters also noted that ratings hadn’t been bad, so the concrete reasons behind the show’s ending remain unclear.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “[Kansai] Kunihiko Mitamura’s long-running travel show ends October 3 — closing the book after 18 years with “the wonderful encounters were fun”.”

  • “Eating Salmon First Is Heresy,” Man Lectures Stranger at Conveyor-Belt Sushi — 5ch Fires Back: “Uh, That’s a White Fish”

    FORZA STYLE’s column “Women’s Case Files” featured the story of a 33-year-old office worker who was lectured by a middle-aged man sitting next to her at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant: “Eating salmon or fatty tuna first is heresy — the proper way to eat sushi is to start with white fish.” On 5ch, commenters immediately questioned the premise of this “etiquette” itself, with many pointing out that salmon is classified as a white fish regardless of the color of its flesh. The thread also poked fun at the idea of invoking traditional sushi etiquette at a conveyor-belt chain, along with the article’s odd habit of switching the narrator’s identity partway through, making for a lively, gossipy discussion.

    “Eating Salmon First Is Heresy” — A Middle-Aged Man Struck Up Conversation at a Lunchtime Conveyor-Belt Sushi Spot. The “Unexpected Line” a 33-Year-Old Office Worker Fired Back With [Expert Advice] | FORZA STYLE

    2026.8.31

    As a wife, a mother, a woman navigating society with a calm smile — what real frustrations and overflowing worries lie beneath the surface? Drawing on expert commentary, this series digs into real-life incidents. That’s “Women’s Case Files.”

    Source: forzastyle.com / Read the original article here

    2AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:41
    Should've just told him "get lost, old fart"
    42AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:47
    No need to actually read the article
    There's no "unexpected line" in it
    Punchline is they just ended up bickering at each other
    46AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:47
    Come back, salmon (nod to the old "Come Back Salmon" river-restoration campaign)
    55AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:48
    Re: #42
    Before long they'll probably turn a chat with an AI into an article too
    6AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:41
    Salmon's heresy, sure
    Honestly conveyor-belt sushi itself is heresy
    And you, lecturing people at a place like that, are the biggest heresy of all
    24AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:44
    Re: #6
    Eating farmed salmon as sushi is the real heresy
    Eating wild salmon as sushi is the pinnacle
    22AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:44
    Maybe he's just a guy who ate white fish first at the very first sushi restaurant he ever visited
    52AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:47
    Re: #22
    Salmon is a white fish
    26AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:44
    Should we just go ahead and get into the origins of sushi?
    28AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:45
    Watch any video of foreigners eating sushi and it's basically all salmon
    Those guys really love salmon
    97AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:53
    Re: #28
    They like straightforward, easy-to-understand flavors
    Tuna mayo and stuff lol
    But the longer they live in Japan, their food taste gradually drifts toward old-man territory lol
    44AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:47
    This salmon
    is fake
    I can't eat it
    108AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:54
    Re: #44
    Ohh, is that so — then go ahead and show me some real salmon
    45AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:47
    Why would a guy who lectures about sushi etiquette even go to a conveyor-belt sushi place?
    66AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:49
    Re: #45
    Because he's a weirdo who loves lecturing strangers, that's exactly why he goes to conveyor-belt places
    Even sushi connoisseurs go to conveyor-belt sushi — you won't find tuna-mayo rolls at a regular sushi restaurant
    50AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:47
    What kind of "news" is this, dragging on forever like this
    59AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:48
    Re: #50
    It's for the manuscript fee, just bear with it lol
    70AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:50
    So what's the "proper way" to do conveyor-belt sushi then
    Start with the ramen first or something?
    84AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:51
    Re: #70
    Nigiri should be tuna and squid only
    Basically stick to gunkan and rolls
    87AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:51
    Re: #70
    Isn't it that powdered tea (the free matcha powder for making tea at the table)?
    75AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:50
    Is 33 really "middle-aged" now
    That would've fit back in the Showa era
    These days it still feels pretty young
    93AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:52
    Re: #75
    The 33-year-old is the one who got talked to — she's not the "middle-aged" person in the thread title
    105AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:54
    Well, it is technically a thing in sushi etiquette lol
    If she didn't know, she should just take it as a lesson learned lol
    111AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:54
    Re: #105
    Sure, but that's different if it's your boss or someone you know
    Nobody wants to get lectured by "some random old guy" lol
    145AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:01
    Re: #105
    That'd be one thing at a high-end sushi restaurant
    But being told about "proper etiquette" at a conveyor-belt place that serves hamburger-steak sushi? Come on
    120AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:56
    People who obsess over other people's behavior and manners have a sickness lololol
    There are tons of them online
    Though they'd never realize it about themselves
    127AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:57
    Re: #120
    Same with clothes and belongings
    Why are you watching other people that closely, it's creepy lol
    138AnonymousAug 31, 2026 10:59
    'As a wife, a mother, a woman'

    How do you even get from that opening line to salmon?
    150AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:02
    Re: #138
    It's basically "common sense" as imagined by an out-of-touch old man — or rather, forced together from "unconscious bias"
    It feels like a stretch to connect the two

    At the very least, let a woman tell the story instead of a male office worker lol
    143AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:01
    Conveyor-belt sushi itself is heresy to begin with
    156AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:03
    Re: #143
    Sushi restaurants come in all kinds of forms, like standing-eat counters
    and there's a whole culture of enjoying different types of sushi restaurants
    so conveyor-belt sushi isn't "heresy" at all
    172AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:05
    Re: #143
    Sounds like you're under the sway of "unconscious bias" too
    It's not heresy, it's just a different path
    No need to trash-talk one or the other
    185AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:05
    Re: #143
    If we're doing first-principles arguments, then even putting toppings on vinegared rice is "heresy"
    Sushi originally referred to fish preserved through fermentation
    171AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:05
    For what it's worth, salmon is classified as a white fish regardless of the color of its flesh.
    210AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:09
    Re: #171
    Yeah, that's true actually

    So if the rule is "white fish first," salmon would technically qualify just fine
    184AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:05
    Most conveyor-belt sushi places have partitioned seating, so you can't even see what the person next to you is eating
    What kind of place is this writer going to?
    And even if you could see it, it's none of your business
    If it were me I'd yell, "You want a fight? I'll give you one — step outside!"
    207AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:08
    Re: #184
    The place I go to most is Triton, and there's no partition at the counter seats there
    213AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:09
    Re: #1
    >At first they were each apparently eating in silence, but once he seemed satisfied, the middle-aged man sitting next to her stopped eating, looked at the "fatty tuna" and "salmon" that Ms. D had ordered right off the bat, and slowly opened his mouth.

    >"'Kid (lit. "big brother"), sushi is something you eat starting with the mild white fish, then the shiny silver-skinned fish… that's the proper order. Greasy stuff like that comes last. Heresy. You just don't get it.' (omitted)

    She's supposed to be a woman, so why "kid/big brother" (お兄ちゃん, normally used for a boy)?
    If you're going to write fiction, at least proofread it
    232AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:11
    Re: #213
    You clearly skimmed it lol

    It starts out talking about a woman, but then somehow
    >Ms./Mr. D, in their 30s. A male office worker who says, "Living out in the countryside, unconscious bias is nothing unusual at all."
    From that point on it turns into a conversation between two middle-aged men
    238AnonymousAug 31, 2026 11:12
    Re: #213
    Now I can tell you didn't read the whole thing
    Partway through, the subject switches to a man in his 30s

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    The original article ran as part of FORZA STYLE’s column “Women’s Case Files,” a series covering everyday troubles faced by working women, with this installment centered on an incident at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant. What drew the most reaction on the thread was the premise itself — that “salmon has a rich flavor, so it should come later” — since salmon is actually classified as a white fish regardless of the color of its flesh, making the man’s supposed rule of “eat white fish first” fall apart on its own terms. Commenters also pointed to the strain of comparing traditional Edo-style sushi etiquette with the casual food culture of conveyor-belt sushi, which serves things like tuna-mayo rolls and hamburger-steak sushi alongside everything else. The piece was also called out for shifting the narrator’s point of view and gender partway through, with the sloppiness of the writing drawing as much criticism as the actual content.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News Plus) thread “‘Eating Salmon First Is Heresy’ — A Middle-Aged Man Struck Up Conversation at a Lunchtime Conveyor-Belt Sushi Spot. The ‘Unexpected Line’ a 33-Year-Old Office Worker Fired Back With — Expert Advice.”

  • Afraid to Even Talk to People? 1 in 50 Experience ‘Social Anxiety Disorder’ — How Is It Different from Just Being ‘Bad at Socializing’?

    “Social anxiety disorder” causes intense anxiety and fear in social situations, disrupting everyday life. ABEMA Prime reports that roughly 1 in 50 people in Japan experience it, often with onset during adolescence. As the term “komyu-sho” (slang for being socially awkward) has spread, many sufferers reportedly never realize it’s a medical condition and instead assume it’s just a flaw in their own personality. Reactions on a 5ch thread ranged widely — from people relating to being hopeless on the phone, to questions like “I read the article and still can’t tell how this differs from just being bad at socializing,” to outright skepticism toward psychiatric diagnosis itself.

    Published 8/29 (Sat) 11:00 — ABEMA TIMES

    “Social anxiety disorder” causes intense anxiety and fear when interacting with others or being the center of attention, disrupting everyday life. It’s said to affect roughly 1 in 50 people in Japan, often with onset in adolescence. But as the term “komyu-sho” (slang for being socially awkward) has become commonplace, many sufferers don’t realize it’s a medical condition and instead chalk it up to their own personality.

    On “ABEMA Prime,” sufferers and specialists discussed “social anxiety disorder,” which is distinct from simply being “bad at communication.”

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

    2AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:21
    I-I-I'm not a virgin, okay?!
    7AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:24
    Re: #1
    Turning everything into a "disorder" is basically a psychiatrist's whole job.
    91AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:11
    Re: #7
    The problem with psychiatry is they just slap a diagnosis on you without actually curing you, unlike internal medicine or surgery.
    They act like the job's basically done once you've got a label.
    It's all just copy-pasting whatever the American medical associations came up with.
    94AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:13
    Re: #91
    Plenty of internal medicine and surgery cases drag on forever without a full cure too.
    People really need to drop this idea that walking into a hospital and talking to a doctor magically fixes everything.
    103AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:17
    Re: #91
    They should really back it up with hard numbers.
    Feels like they don't even check your heart rate.
    8AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:25
    I can talk fine face-to-face, but phone calls with people outside the company are brutal for me.
    Even now I end up saying the weirdest, most nonsensical stuff.
    183AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:52
    Re: #8
    For me it's the opposite – I can talk to random strangers I just met since we'll never see each other again anyway.
    But coworkers are the hard part.
    Knowing I'll have to deal with this person long-term makes me freeze up over how to act.
    10AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:27
    Read the whole article and I still can't tell how this is different from just being bad at socializing.
    21AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:35
    Re: #10
    Right?
    If it's disrupting your life and medication doesn't just fix it quick, that basically makes it a disorder.
    13AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:29
    I go out of my way to talk to people all the time – what's the type that ends up hated for it?
    20AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:34
    Re: #13
    That's you, lol.

    With a shallow mindset like that, sorting everyone into neat little boxes, you're never gonna get it – just give up.
    24AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:37
    There are people who suddenly snap mid-conversation, like "Huh? What'd you just say to me?!"
    I bet that leaves some people traumatized.
    46AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:48
    Re: #24
    Honestly the ones who suddenly snap and get aggressive are the ones with the real problem.
    25AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:37
    Everything gets labeled a disorder these days.
    Some of this stuff could just be part of who you are.
    35AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:43
    Re: #25
    If it's rough every single day and you can't fix it on your own, isn't it better to see a specialist?
    Nobody calls athlete's foot "part of their personality" – if it's treatable, treat it.
    53AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:50
    Re: #25
    It's not just "part of who you are" – plenty of people out there will straight-up attack you for it.
    In the end it's not about individuality, it's a pathology of human society where people go after anyone who doesn't fit the mold.
    This board's crawling with them too.
    31AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:39
    If you're not even bad at communicating, why aren't you guys at work?
    33AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:40
    Re: #31
    Because I'm loaded 🥹 (an "okuri-bito" – slang for someone who's made ¥100 million+ investing)
    51AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:49
    "Communication Anxiety Disorder," or "komyu-sho" for short.
    Not the slangy "komyu-sho" (コミュ障, meaning "bad at socializing") – the clinical "komyu-sho" (コミュ症, using the kanji for "condition"). Same pronunciation, different thing.
    55AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:50
    Might be me too.

    I have zero interest in what people are saying, but for some reason people talk to me all the time. My biggest concern is just when it's going to end.
    58AnonymousAug 31, 2026 08:51
    Re: #55
    So you're basically everyone's convenient little puppet.
    81AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:03
    Well yeah, when everyone around you is just a phone-zombie barreling forward like an emotionless rocket, it's terrifying.
    Even the ones who act nice – once you realize that's what they're all like when nobody they know is around, you stop wanting to deal with people at all.
    86AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:08
    Re: #81
    A genuinely good person and someone just acting like a good person might look the same, but they're worlds apart.
    97AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:15
    Re: #81
    Phone-walkers are so annoying.
    Honestly that's its own kind of disorder, and I think it's already too late for them.
    96AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:14
    Way too quick to call everything a disorder these days.
    At this rate 80% of the country's going to end up diagnosed with a developmental disorder lol.
    98AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:15
    Re: #96
    Pretty sure we're already there.
    138AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:32
    Re: #96
    They'll just scale the diagnosis rate to however many doctors are available.
    Can't diagnose what you don't have the staff to see, lol.
    104AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:17
    Re: #1
    That's just being self-conscious.
    Nobody's even thinking about you.
    110AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:21
    Re: #104
    Easy to say, but the big data's already there, and plenty of people subjectively decide someone's "weird" and use exposing or bullying them online as social lubricant.
    In reality it's people like you, spouting programmed template lines just to shut others up.
    And guys like this love thinking they've won the second they yell "that's just emotional reasoning."
    125AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:25
    Re: #104
    Meanwhile Japanese people especially love backstabbing, nasty bullying, and gossip.
    The moment someone seems a little off, everyone starts whispering.
    105AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:18
    Who cares what other people think of you anyway.
    I used to be the type obsessed with what everyone around me thought back in school, but once I became a working adult I realized other people's opinions genuinely don't matter.
    My relationship stress dropped a ton after that.
    111AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:21
    Re: #100
    Sounds like something a 70-something old man would say.

    It's actually the opposite.
    Showa-era sports clubs from half a century ago are nothing like Heisei/Reiwa-era ones, especially post-2000s.
    Now you're actually forced to hone real skills, so tons of people drop out.
    Same goes for work.
    118AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:23
    Re: #105
    If it were that easy, nobody would struggle.
    Re: #111
    No, I don't think that's entirely wrong.
    A lot of people from sports-club backgrounds really are tough and capable.
    144AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:33
    Re: #118
    Even inside those supposedly tough sports-club organizations, there's bullying, and people end up killing themselves over it.
    Not just sports teams either – the military, the police, same story.
    107AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:18
    Been feeling great since I started seeing a doctor. Should've gone way sooner.
    109AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:20
    Re: #107
    Thank you for your medication! (a sarcastic 5ch stock phrase implying someone sounds like they need meds)
    112AnonymousAug 31, 2026 09:21
    Re: #107
    Got tested and turns out I have ASD too. Always figured I was neurotypical, but I actually had social anxiety and Asperger's this whole time.
    So THIS is what's been making life so hard for me…
    Re: #109
    When the meds kick in I feel like I've turned neurotypical, lol – it's genuinely shocking, like "wait, is THIS the kind of ease you guys have had all along?"

    Background and Key Points

    Social anxiety disorder is one of the anxiety disorders listed in the DSM-5, and is academically distinct from “komyu-sho” (コミュ障), which is generally treated as just a personality trait. It’s diagnosed when intense, persistent anxiety or fear disrupts daily life, and treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and medication are reasonably well established. Opinions in the thread split over trust in psychiatric diagnosis itself, with skeptics who felt “everything gets labeled a disorder” clashing with people speaking from lived experience who said treatment and medication genuinely helped. What readers tend to misunderstand is that “komyu-sho” (being bad at socializing) is more of a slang term for a personality trait, whereas “social anxiety disorder” is a medical condition assessed by the intensity of the anxiety and how much it disrupts daily life – and this blurry line was at the center of the debate in both the article and the responses.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “Afraid to talk to people… What is ‘social anxiety disorder,’ which 1 in 50 people experience? Sufferers troubled by being confused with ‘bad at communication’ say: ‘It’s a legitimate disorder’.”