If you've been around the internet since the Niconico era, chances are you've heard of "Beast Senpai." This iconic character hails from "Midsummer Night's Lewd Dream" (真夏の夜の淫夢), a male-on-male adult film from the 2000s that exploded into a massive meme phenomenon, widely adopted by netizens across the web.
Every year on August 10th, fans celebrate "Beast Day," gathering in Tokyo's Shimokitazawa district, Setagaya Ward, for an annual pilgrimage to the "Beast Residence." This year, however, the turnout was larger than ever, leading to excessive noise and inappropriate behavior that infuriated local residents and ignited a firestorm of online discussion.
▼ The incident even became a top trending topic on X today.
Given that Shimokitazawa is predominantly a residential area, the throngs of "Beast" fans freely making noise in the streets caused immense distress for locals. With even more attendees than previous years, the situation spiraled further out of control. Similar incidents in the past have required police intervention, and this year was no different, sparking widespread disgust among netizens.
Early this morning, massive crowds converged at the station, their enthusiasm undimmed even by the rain, as they marched towards their pilgrimage site.
Singing along the way:
And plenty of shouting like this...
This kind of spectacle left many locals feeling deeply uncomfortable, deeming the behavior a nuisance that even required police intervention. A local council member even posted on X, stating that this has become a genuine societal issue. "A crowd making noise in a residential area isn't a 'holy pilgrimage'," they wrote, "it's simply 'disturbing the peace'."
Even many self-proclaimed "Inmu fans" (devotees of the Midsummer Night's Lewd Dream meme) found the behavior completely unacceptable, calling it an utter disgrace that only sparks resentment. "It's truly shameful," they lamented.
While the act of pilgrimage itself isn't inherently problematic, such disruptive behavior is undeniably inappropriate. Perhaps future "Beast Day" events will require proper planning to prevent these chaotic scenes from recurring.