Japanese Bug Fights

• sapien
  January 4th, 2008 at 11:54 am

  Don’t mean to sound like a killjoy but I think that beetle is slowly becoming endangered due to overuse in Japan as a pet - I think kids use them for fights like this. Living pogs!

• sapien
  January 4th, 2008 at 12:16 pm

  Here’s a link about - not making this up… yes it’s on a video game news site:

  http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/11/japanese-arcade-game-driving-beetle- extinction/

• jack.wh
  January 4th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

  They may be bugs, but I still think this is a tad cruel…

• Markus
  January 4th, 2008 at 12:33 pm

  I’ve looked one for curiosity’s sake.

  But to really watch, or organize, things like that for entertainment is quite sick. Don’t these people have better things to do … ? Morons.

• gimpy_leg
  January 4th, 2008 at 12:34 pm

  At first I found it entertaining but was quickly steered to mild disgust after seeing some of these bugs just trying to get away while they are being killed… too bad.

• Ian
  January 4th, 2008 at 12:46 pm

  Rule #4 - No one talks about Bug Fight Club

• Acris
  January 4th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

  What a shame.

• yum
  January 4th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

  I’m thinking baby back ribs tonight.

• johnk
  January 4th, 2008 at 2:11 pm

  This is awesome.

  I want to see that big hornet get beat. He is undefeated from what I saw.

• kid icarus
  January 4th, 2008 at 2:12 pm

  if they aren’t as cute as dogs does it still count as cruelty?

  very sick.

• Steve H.
  January 4th, 2008 at 2:39 pm

  Yeah. Not a fan of bugs, but this is pretty messed up.

• Steve H.
  January 4th, 2008 at 2:40 pm

  Also, far from neat. Sorry, Neatorama.

• VonSkippy
  January 4th, 2008 at 2:41 pm

  According to entsoc.org there’s over 10 quintillion insects in the world - so don’t shed too many tears over a few killed for the amusement of creatures higher up the evolutionary ladder.

  I was more amused by the announcer, who apparently went to the Hitler school of public screeching.

• Cassie
  January 4th, 2008 at 3:29 pm

  Hehe @ Ian

  Rule #5: You do NOT. Talk. About. Bug Fight Club.

• Amber
  January 4th, 2008 at 4:28 pm

  Killing sentient beings for entertainment is never “neat.” This is the equivalent to pulling wings off flies. Please remove this link. =/

• Amber
  January 4th, 2008 at 4:32 pm

  Heartbreaking to see a bug trying to get escape its inevitable death…. FAR from entertaining. Just because there’s a lot of bugs in the world doesn’t mean it’s ok to torture them for entertainment.

• Fitz
  January 4th, 2008 at 5:29 pm

  I have to say that links to animal cruelty videos is very uncool. I’m disappointed.

• cuimhne
  January 4th, 2008 at 5:40 pm

  This is just disgusting animal cruelty. NOT neat and this is the first time I’ve ever said that THIS LINK SHOULD BE REMOVED.

• Andrew32
  January 4th, 2008 at 5:43 pm

  Eh, I don’t see the big deal.

  Kinda cool.

• Andrew32
  January 4th, 2008 at 5:47 pm

  p.s. brings back memories from the movie Jarhead.

• Matt
  January 4th, 2008 at 6:05 pm

  I’m disappointed that Neatorama’s editors take interest in the site to which this post links. It’s my opinion that pitting any animals against each other for entertainment is disgusting. This is no different than dogfighting.

• fz
  January 4th, 2008 at 6:07 pm

  cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooool

• bugs_suck
  January 4th, 2008 at 6:13 pm

  For all the boo-hoo whiney crybabies:

  #1: Bugs kill each other every day. It’s bad here because… someone is filming it? Be sure to write the Discovery Channel or National Geographic and tell them to never film wild animals or insects killing and eating each other, because it’s not “politically correct” (or whatever your point is…)

  #2: If I saw any of these things in my house, I would smash it with my shoe. If anyone tries to tell me that they would “capture and release” a FREAKING SCORPION or other poisonous insect, only to give it another opportunity to re-enter your home, I would say they are lying.

  #3: Insects: it’s us or them. Survival of the fittest. Would you be so kind to every locust in a swarm that is destroying your crops, or would you bust out a flamethrower?

  #4: In closing: Japanese Bugfight is awesome, get over yourselves.

• McNally
  January 4th, 2008 at 6:31 pm

  This is by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Whiners.

• Anthony
  January 4th, 2008 at 6:42 pm

  Anyone who has ever killed a bug, eaten meat, or watched a boxing or wrestling match isn’t allow to complain about bugfight.

  Oh wait, that’s everyone in the entire world?

• Paul
  January 4th, 2008 at 6:49 pm

  “Killing sentient beings for entertainment is never “neat.” This is the equivalent to pulling wings off flies. Please remove this link. =/”

  It’s a good thing that bugs aren’t sentient then right?

• mark
  January 4th, 2008 at 6:52 pm

  Yeah, it’s extremely cruel. But it makes up for it by being even more bad-ass. For those who say that this isn’t “neat”, your are correct. This SURPASSES neat, on into the realms of extraordinary…

• Fitz
  January 4th, 2008 at 6:59 pm

  bugs_suck:

  It’s bad here because humans are facilitating these fights. WIthout them, chances are good that none of these bugs would have come in contact with one another. Bugs fighting for survival in the wild is a natural part of life, while this is not.

• Alex
  January 4th, 2008 at 7:08 pm

  I’ll stand up for Miss Cellania’s post - it may not be “neat” to you, but it’s definitely interesting. I don’t think this post should be removed.

• adam unknown
  January 4th, 2008 at 7:29 pm

  this is pretty sick neatorama -
  fight #24 esp made my stomach churn…poor guy

• cuimhne
  January 4th, 2008 at 7:29 pm

  I wouldn’t say interesting, this actually made me feel sick. It is just as bad as dog fighting. Just because you don’t think bugs are cute doesn’t make it neat or interesting. Considering Neatorama’s love of animals in the past (such as cats) it’s shocking to me to see you promoting this as something entertaining. I guess if they were cats then it wouldn’t have been posted.

• Alex
  January 4th, 2008 at 7:36 pm

  Neatorama’s authors have a wide latitude in determining what they’d like to post on the website. I may not agree with all of their picks, but I’ll stand behind their choices.

  There had been many posts on the blog that are distinctly “not neat” (The first one was the Elephant Hanging that also set off a storm of controversy in the comment).

  I’ll reiterate my support for having this post stay on Neatorama.

• cuimhne
  January 4th, 2008 at 7:45 pm

  Ah controversy. This is the first time that a post on neatorama has upset me at all let alone upset me enough to say something. Not everything on neatorama is ‘neat’. But it should be of interest. The hanging Elephant story was of some historical signifigance.

  This is not nature as some people have tried to claim. In the wild animals will usually flee rather than face a fight. Animals fighting for entertainment purposes is wrong. However, it would seem to some people that this only counts when the animals are furry (or even feathered!).

  Alex - it is your prerogative to ultimately decide what gets put on Neatorama. By all means let it stay if you feel that this post has merit. You know how I feel on the subject.

• x
  January 4th, 2008 at 7:46 pm

  i can’t even bring myself to click on the link, incase the pageviews encourage this even more. the comments are enough. this is devastating.

• Dr. Jew
  January 4th, 2008 at 9:20 pm

  Don’t worry, X, I refreshed unnecessarily a few times so it’s like you visited anyway. Also I sent them an e-mail saying “Hello Bug-fight-san, honorable gaijin X write to you to say Ganbare! I am like site for fight of bugs! Arigato!” so now you support BUGS! MURDERING! EACHOTHER!

  MURDERER haw haw haw

• hanglight
  January 4th, 2008 at 9:58 pm

  Dear Large Hornet,
  Your natural aggressive behavior is quite compelling. But I find that your ringmaster has parred you with sub-par opponents. DIE FUCKER!

• Jesus
  January 4th, 2008 at 10:24 pm

  ““Killing sentient beings for entertainment is never “neat.” This is the equivalent to pulling wings off flies. Please remove this link. =/”

  It’s a good thing that bugs aren’t sentient then right?”

  Actually, bugs are indeed sentient. Note the definition of sentient: Sentience refers to utilization of sensory organs or organelles, the ability to feel or perceive subjectively, not necessarily including the faculty of self-awareness.

  If a bug is able to perceive pain and threat to its life enough to attempt to flee and/or fight to protect it’s life then I’d consider that sentient.

  Killing should never be done for entertainment. It is a fact of life and in some cases a necessity (eek a spider in my shoe!) it should never be done to obtain perverse pleasure from it.

• Frankie
  January 4th, 2008 at 10:30 pm

  The argument that there are lots of bugs and they kill eachother all the time does not hold water. It’s the same as saying, “We have millions of dogs and cats euthanised each year due to overpopulation. Why don’t we just lock them in a little room until they kill eachother? Saves money and so entertaining!”

• kevin
  January 4th, 2008 at 11:03 pm

  before i watched it, i thought it would be cool, as a kid, who hasnt thought of which bug could beat another, they seem to be built for killing

  but after seeing some of them desperately trying to crawl up the glass half dead, the cruelty does set in,
  there should be a tap-out

• Ellie
  January 4th, 2008 at 11:40 pm

  Cruelty. No question.

  Like us they want to live and strive to live.

  And I’m a vegetarian who rescues bugs so I get to say that, okay? (Not that other people don’t, in my book. It’s just that some here have said that if you eat meat you can’t object to the cruelty…)

• bugs_suck
  January 5th, 2008 at 12:55 am

  I suppose all you people claiming that bugs are special little sentient beings with feelings would just let the termites eat your 6-figure houses, then… right?

  OMGz Terminix = BUG MURDERERS!!!111!!!
  Black Flag = The New Charles Manson!!!

  It’s pretty easy to anthropomorphize bugs when they’re not destroying your property, I guess. And I’m assuming you think it’s OK for your favorite restaurant to stop spraying for cockroaches and maggots because they are just struggling to live like the rest of us sentient beings? (They should just catch them one by one and send them to that “farm” in the “country” where your childhood pets live!) One nice big juicy roach in your soup and you’ll be tap dancing to a different tune…. Somehow I can’t picture you fishing it out and naming it.

  Again, I don’t see any huge distinction here between someone enjoying the entertainment value of bugs dying on Japanese Bug Fight vs. the entertainment value of bugs dying on Discovery Channel or National Geographic. Please, put your moth-infested thinking cap on and come up with an explanation that doesn’t involve giving insects human characteristics that they don’t possess…

• matt
  January 5th, 2008 at 6:18 am

  majority of those bugs dont live in the wild anyway. they were probably bred for that one purpose to fight. plus the rarest ones always seem to win.

  but, for the endangered part… yeah thats the only thing buggin me. japanese are notorious for hunting/killing endangered speices with out giving a damn. like the yearly dolphin massacre.

  some of the fights also were unfair… i mean a jerusalem beatle going against a prayingmantis? thats just not fair at all. should have been a jerusalem beatle against a camel spider. NOW that would be an even match.
  and since both those bugs qualify as pests it would be no problem then wouldnt it?

  I felt sad for the lil buggers that were about to go but, hey its life, better be killed by a fellow insect than by some grubby kid plucking each limb off slowly. they got the warriors death lawlz

• Willo the Wisp
  January 5th, 2008 at 9:19 am

  There’s a difference between exterminating termites that are threatening your property and locking some in a box full of nerve gas and watching them sizzle, while you video it for YouTube.

• mark
  January 5th, 2008 at 11:39 am

  Why is the world so pc nowadays…

  This is awesome, where else are you going to see such a thing?

  And if anyone is going to play the cruelty card, thats sad. So very sad. Its instinctive for these bugs to try and run away, they dont want to be in a cage but i mean really, since when did people with peace rule the world?

  I like the idea of various bugs fighting and i can watch. As do, apparently, hundreds of other people, why should we be voided of our fun because you forgot your an alpha species?

  To put it lightly, your “teddy bears and candy bars” entertainment gives me a limp penis, and I am offended by that. Fight On my tiny friends.

  Sorry, if I have offended anyone. I just dont think this is hurting anyone, in fact its rather peaceful as everyone in the world can enjoy this.

• TheMadLeper
  January 5th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

  I second what mark (44) said. Really, quit bitching about this. Are you really gonna cry because some bugs were killed? Well if you REALLY have a problem with it, your are either ignorant or a hypocrite. I’m gonna ignore the thousands of bugs and animals killed so that you may have a house, food, and clothing. Forget about all that for a second, the very computer you are reading this on has contributed to a basic genocide of insects and animals. How do you think this stuff is made?

  A factory is built. Killing millions of insects and animals. That factory gets parts from hundreds of other factories who kill the same amount if not more animals. Then the factory destroys the area around it, ruining the homes of whatever insects and animals managed to survive for miles around.

  SO…

  If you think this is evil and disgusting, you are a hypocrite and even more disgusting then people who support this site. At least they don’t LIE about who they are.

• Andy
  January 5th, 2008 at 2:45 pm

  This is fucking awesome for you people who are bitching

  leave BUG FIGHTS FOR THE MOTHERFUCKING WIN

• Fitz
  January 5th, 2008 at 3:37 pm

  Agree with Willo (43). How do you guys not understand that killing bugs for safety/property protection is WAY different from killing bugs for someone’s idea of entertainment? Most of you have no problem with the idea of slaughtering a cow to feed people…but that doesn’t mean you’d be okay with torturing a cow just to watch it suffer, does it?

• Elmer
  January 5th, 2008 at 3:56 pm

  I find it frightening that there appears to be many people who see no difference between killing for entertainment and killing for necessity (or even convenience.) It is sick to gain pleasure from watching another living being suffer. I think I understand now how the battles of the Roman Coliseum, dog fighting, bull baiting, and all the other blood “sports” came to be.

  I’m really disappointed not only by Neatorama supporting this perverse activity, but also the support of many for it.

• PeachieKeen
  January 5th, 2008 at 4:02 pm

  So sad that the world if full of people who gain joy from torturing and killing in any form.

  There is a huge difference between killing a cockroach and capturing a cockroach and pulling all its legs off and then slowly squishing it until it succumbs to death. Then posting this wonderful footage on Youtube.

  If you lack this basic moral compass then your parents sucked.

• VonSkippy
  January 5th, 2008 at 6:23 pm

  Maybe all this fuss is just a language problem.

  Remember - in Japan - it’s not “slaughter” it’s “scientific research”.

• bugs_suck
  January 5th, 2008 at 7:54 pm

  I didn’t watch every single clip, but I didn’t see anyone “pulling all (the bugs’) legs off and then slowly squishing it until it succumbs to death” OR “locking some in a box full of nerve gas and watching them sizzle”…

  Please point out which clips show these things happening.

  All I saw was the same kind of bug death you see on Discovery Channel or National Geographic, but without the so-called “educational” commentary. So please tell me why one kind of bug death is OK while the other isn’t. They are both shown for entertainment purposes.

  Also, it’s interesting that some people are against Japanese Bug Fight, but OK with the wholesale slaughter of termites and cockroaches because IT ISN’T BEING FILMED and shown on a website. Way to stick your heads in the sand!! #45 TheMadLeper is right on the money. People like to ignore the big picture while fetishing over the little details.

  How about we all give a flying fuck about our fellow humans instead of some stupid bugs? Go to Darfur for a few weeks and then let me know how you feel about a centipede and a wasp duking it out in Japan.

  Or, just sit in your silk robe drinking imported tea sprayed with pesticides with honey made from enslaved bees and bitch about some stupid shit on the internet…

• Larfin Jackarse
  January 5th, 2008 at 8:37 pm

  #50 Touché. Sums it up well. It surprises me to find so many here people thinking it is ok. Def` not ‘Neat’.

  Where I live, small dogs get dognapped off the streets. Some are for resale as they are sought after breeds, some for ransom back to the owner and some (could be urban myth I know) as an entree for dogfights out in the sticks. Basically throw a cute fluffy poodle in with a pitbull as a sort of ‘pre-match’ entertainment for laughs.

  My question to the people who like the bugs fighting is; would you watch and enjoy this sort of thing?

• Justin
  January 15th, 2008 at 10:14 am

  Y’all stupid motherfuckers saying that it’s okay for bugs to fight for survival but cruel to fight bugs for entertainment… who’s to say the winner doesn’t get to eat the loser? They very well COULD be fighting for survival. So just shut the fuck up… I bet you never scolded a kid for feeding a pet spider grasshoppers for food… at least these bugs get to put up a fight.

• Masked Bandit
  January 16th, 2008 at 5:21 pm

  … and these are the people that brought you Pokemon.

• Jockamo
  January 16th, 2008 at 11:30 pm

  I’d feel better if like donations were taken from the site to benefit AIDS or something…

• DMX
  January 18th, 2008 at 7:04 pm

  “It’s a good thing that bugs aren’t sentient then right?”

  We don’t actually know that. They might have limited sentience. Actually philosophers of the mind will point out we don’t even know if ANY animal is sentient. But they almost certainly are. .

  I watched a couple of these things ,and man, its quite clearly some of ol’ hornet’s victims are pretty distressed (Ie the scorpion trying to get the hell out of there)

• Gizzle
  January 19th, 2008 at 12:11 am

  I find this not to be animal cruelty, seeing as how foten many animals like this die in the wild.

  However, the hfact that Japanses kids use them as fighting pets or so I have read is cruel, especially in lage #s.

• Gizzle
  January 19th, 2008 at 12:12 am

  sorry for gramatical errors by the way lol

• PikachuManson
  January 23rd, 2008 at 1:40 pm

  Japanese Bug Fights = 100% awesomeness

• KillBuG
  May 24th, 2008 at 1:23 am

  There is no difference between this and killing a fly or stepping on a spider. You are all a bunch of hypocrites to pretend like you have never killed a bug or an animal. It doesn’t even show that all the bugs die. Also many of these bugs are natural predators so don’t worry about it. I bet you moan over the pain cows receive while being milked too huh>? babies…

• Havok
  June 7th, 2008 at 5:37 am

  In my opinion humans have been on earth a long time. It’s in our blood to be violent. We have massive wars that have been going on for centuries,arenas where people fight to the death, and now we have football,boxing,hockey where we see the same human torture on a daily basis. Your meaning to tell me that you feel more sorry for some little bug then some quarterback that is about to get broken into 8 pieces by some linebacker. UFC fights where guys are getting knocked out in one punch. Hippies will never rule the world because they dont have an iron fist. I hate all bugs . I wish every single one would die. They can kill you, eat your house, cause you pain, germs, bacteria, so fuck em. They dont care if they hurt you so why should we care putting a few of them in a caged fight.

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