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At a professional baseball game in Japan between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Orix Buffaloes, one fan had started the game quiet. As the drinks caught up with him, his voice got considerably louder — and he started delivering loud commentary on the plays in front of him. "Magnificent!!" when an opposing outfielder made a spectacular catch. "What a performance!!" for a rival pitcher's dominant inning. His entire drunk upgrade turned out to be one thing: booming, genuine praise for everyone on the field, no matter which team they played for.
When a nearby fan shared the story online, it struck a nerve. In Japan, people talk about the difference between a 光の酔っ払い ("drunk of the light" — cheerful, harmless, the kind that lifts the room) and the other kind. This man was definitively the former. Even when squeezing past his row to step out, he'd turn back and quietly (normal volume, this time) apologize to everyone around him. Several times over.
The replies filled up with people saying they wanted to be more like him.
Comments
The Hawks fan sitting in front of me was totally quiet at first, but once the drinks caught up with him his volume went way up. And what was he shouting? When Ryoto made a great catch: “Magnificent!!” (Watanabe Ryoto is an outfielder for the Orix Buffaloes, the Hawks’ opponents that night, known for his exceptional defense.) When Teranishi pitched a dominant inning: “What a performance!!” His whole drunk persona was just “loudly praise everyone.” This person’s character is too good. An absolute saint.
前に座ってたホークスファンの人最初静かだったのがお酒だいぶ飲んで声デカくなってたんだけど、デカい声で遼人のファインプレーも「素晴らしい！！」って褒めて寺西も「圧巻だ！！」って褒めてて、酔って気が大きくなってやる行動が「敵も味方もデカい声で褒める」なの人間性良過ぎて神だった
This is getting way more traction than I expected so I’ll add some context: yes, his voice was loud, but it was ALL praise for players from both teams plus “Let’s go! You got this!” for the Hawks. And every time he got up to step out he’d turn back and quietly — normal volume this time — say “Excuse me, so sorry, excuse me again” to everyone in his row. He really wasn’t bothering anyone. A true drunk of the light.
謎に伸びてるから補足すると声はデカくなってたけど両チームの選手への褒め言葉と贔屓への「いいぞー！頑張れー！」的な応援だけだったし、席外す時も「前すみません！何回もすみません！」って周りの人に丁寧に(これは普通のボリュームで)言ってたからマジで周囲に迷惑をかけない光の酔っ払いだった
Today’s Peace Award goes to this man.
今日の平和ダナー大賞
This is who I want to be.
こうありたい
This is the right way to get drunk 🥹 This is who I wanna be 🥺
これは良いタイプの酔い方🥹 こうありたい🥺
I love it when a drunk older dude is just loudly cheering everyone on.
酔ったおっちゃんがデカイ声で選手褒めるのめちゃくちゃ好き
People with good drunk behavior — I’m so jealous.
酒癖良い人羨ましい
Getting rowdy and unpleasant when drunk is basically the default for heavy drinkers… So I’m just relieved this one was one of the good ones ☺️
酔うと口が悪くなるのが呑んべの基本なのに…いい人でよかった☺️
They say alcohol reveals your true self — which means this man is, without question, a saint.
酒は人の本性を露わにすると言われてるので間違いなく聖人ですね。
More than the Hawks, more than the booze — baseball is what he loves most.
ホークスよりお酒より野球が一番好きなのよ。
A textbook example of what a sports fan should be.
スポーツマンシップを象徴する野球ファンの鑑ですね。
This is exactly the kind of fan I like to sit near.
こういう観戦の仕方好き
That’s actually how baseball is supposed to be enjoyed, right 😂
本来野球はそういう風に楽しむべきですよね😂
Feels like Hawks fans were like this back in the Nankai days too lol (The Nankai Hawks were the SoftBank Hawks’ predecessor franchise, active through 1988.)
南海時代からそうだった気がするｗ
I’m a BBA (internet slang for an older woman, used self-deprecatingly here) who cheers at live games. When I was young, I remember people clapping for great plays from both sides without distinction. Maybe it depends on the franchise? But at least in the Pacific League, it was all-in — cheer every good play, boo every error, no matter who did it.
現地観戦応援BBAです。 私が子供の頃は敵味方、分け隔てなく ファインプレーに関して拍手を送っていた記憶があります。…球団によりけり？ 少なくともパリーグでは、良いプレーを褒める、エラーを野次る、どちらも全力でした
Honestly this is me. “No way anyone was hitting that!” “Great grab, nice going!” It just naturally comes out for the other team too. Rooting for your team comes from loving the sport itself — and that part doesn’t change no matter who’s playing.
マジで俺こんなん。「今のは打てねえな！」「よく取ったなうまいなー！」みたいなの自然と相手選手にも出ちまう。 贔屓の応援の前提として、野球そのものが好きだっての根底にあるってスタンスだからね
Wait, would other Hawks fans actually hate this? Like, even if it’s the enemy I still want to shout “THAT WAS INSANE!!” 😭 There’s just too many incredible plays every single time… 👏
これ、ホークスファンからしたら嫌なのかなあ？わたしも敵でも選手褒めたいっていうか「すげー！！」ってしたい😭だってカッコいいプレー毎回毎回ありすぎるもん…👏
That must be the play from yesterday! Watanabe Ryoto is such a strong defender, so knowing a Hawks fan praised him too makes me genuinely happy ⚾️
昨日のこれですね！ 渡部遼人は守備がめちゃくちゃ良いので、それをホークスファンにも褒めてもらえて嬉しい⚾️
✓@PacificleagueTV — Official
Snatching a ball off his Keio University classmate! 👀 (Keio University is one of Japan’s most prestigious private universities; the batter attended during the same year as Ryoto.) Straight to the landing spot! 👏 What a play from Orix’s Watanabe Ryoto! ✨
慶応義塾大学同期の打球を掴み取る！👀 落下点まで一直線！👏 オリックス 渡部遼人 選手のファインプレー！✨
I want this person sitting next to me at every game.
隣になりたい人だこれは
Running into someone like this just lifts the whole mood around you. Those are the games you remember.
こういう方と居合わせると周りの雰囲気も良くてくれるからいい思い出になる
This reminds me of Wittenfeld from Legend of the Galactic Heroes. (A beloved Japanese space opera novel series later adapted into a landmark anime; Wittenfeld is one of its most colorful military commanders.) Wasn’t his thing something like “When you praise someone, say it loudly — and when you criticize them, say it even louder”?
銀河英雄伝説のビッテンフェルトを思い出した 「人を褒める時は大きな声で、悪く言う時はより大きな声で」だったか
I want to be a fan like this. Before I’m a fan of any one team, I want to be a fan of the sport itself.
こうゆうファンに私もなりたい 個別のファンである前に、そのスポーツのファンでありたい
I don’t drink at all personally, but watching this made me think: I want to be the kind of person who can get drunk like that. He was pretty far gone, so he probably doesn’t even remember — but I really think his big loud praise for everyone made every single person around him enjoy the game a little more.
私は全然お酒飲めない人間なんですけど、こういう綺麗な酔い方できる人間になりたいなと思ったし結構酔ってはったから本人は覚えてないだろうけど、あの人が声デカくどっちも褒めるから周りの人は皆良い気持ちで観戦出来たと思う
This is the standard every drinking sports fan at a live game should be held to.
酒飲みスポーツファンの現地観戦はこうでありたい
I want to be like this no matter how old I get. Easier said than done.
いくつになってもこうありたい ムズい
I love the rare light-type old guy you occasionally run into. (Light-type, or 光属性, comes from gaming and anime — it means a good-aligned, pure-hearted character. The opposite of a troublemaker.) I genuinely hope he wins the lottery or something.
たまーーにいる光属性おじさん好き、宝くじとか当たってほしい
The fact that he can pull this off while drinking. That’s the whole thing right there.
酒飲んでこれ出来る これがいいんだよ
My take
Alcohol that makes the people around you enjoy themselves too — that's what good drinking looks like. And somehow you can just tell: this person is probably exactly this warm every other day of the year as well.
Source & translation note
Comments loosely translated for tone. Reactions collected from Togetter and X threads.
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