Off-Topic@Heyuri

History and Origin
Heyuri is an English-language imageboard that was founded by an individual known online as lolico in early 2019. Initially, it wasn't even an imageboard - it began as a personal project on the heyuri.cf domain meant for peer-to-peer file sharing. However, on November 24, 2019, lolico relaunched Heyuri in its current form as an imageboard, marking that date as its official "(re)launch". The early days saw rapid changes: within months, Heyuri moved to the heyuri.net domain (February 2020) and introduced new boards and features like a textboard (/ascii/) and a polling system. By May 2020, the site underwent a major overhaul ("Heyuri 2.0") with a new imageboard script (a fork of the Futaba Channel software) and appointed a second admin, kuz, to help run the growing community.

In mid-2020, Heyuri experienced its first significant drama. After a period the site calls the "golden age," tension grew between the two administrators. Leaked arguments between lolico and kuz spilled into public forums, souring the community. In July 2020, this culminated in lolico taking the site offline "indefinitely," leading many users to fear Heyuri's end. During the downtime, kuz launched a short-lived replacement site called StrawberryHeaven in September 2020. StrawberryHeaven mimicked Heyuri's style but never attracted the same activity. By early December 2020, the issues were (at least temporarily) resolved - lolico handed the heyuri.net domain to kuz, and Heyuri was triumphantly revived with promises that past conflicts were "rooted out and disposed of." Both admins claimed to have reconciled and re-opened the site with fanfare, effectively "time traveling" Heyuri's content back to its state before the shutdown.

Under kuz's stewardship in 2021, Heyuri became part of KolymaNET (kuz's broader network of websites), which led to some friction. Users felt the imageboard was being overly Kolymized - for instance, Kolyma branding and infrastructure were being imposed on Heyuri's software and design. In July 2021, kuz publicly apologized for "forcing too many 'KolymaNET' things" onto Heyuri and pledged to keep Heyuri's identity separate from his other projects. Despite these bumps, development continued. Kuz and a small team began coding a custom imageboard engine called Kokonotsuba, a fork of Futaba intended to add features and improve stability. Kokonotsuba was deployed in early 2021 and later open-sourced in January 2023, with attribution to Heyuri.

A major transition happened in April 2022. Kuz stepped down as administrator and passed the torch to a new admin, kaguya. The community widely supported this change - users believed kaguya was better suited to lead - and kaguya had already been a key contributor (bringing in a volunteer moderator named anonwaha to help). Under kaguya's leadership, Heyuri entered a period of growth and revitalization. By the one-year anniversary of the new administration (April 2023), the site's activity had more than tripled - Off-Topic board posts rose from ~18,000 to ~50,000 in that year. Kaguya actively promoted Heyuri in various communities, and several influxes of new users arrived. One notable wave came from VidLii (a retro YouTube clone) in mid-2022, where a Heyuri promotional video was featured and attracted many curious (often first-time imageboard) users. Another surge occurred around New Year's 2023 when enthusiastic fans spammed Heyuri's links across sites like 4chan, briefly quadrupling Heyuri's post volume. Throughout 2023 and 2024, Heyuri continued to expand its offerings (re-introducing boards that had been removed, and hosting special events), while remaining a comparatively small imageboard by global standards. As of early 2025, Heyuri is an active community with a dedicated userbase, but it intentionally aims for a modest scale. The admin has stated that reaching a speed akin to "4chan in 2004" (around 100-150 posts per hour) would be ideal, rather than the massive traffic of modern 4chan. In fact, by April 2024 Heyuri celebrated just 100,000 total posts on its Off-Topic board - a milestone that underscores its niche size compared to giant imageboards.

Purpose and Key Features
Heyuri's explicit purpose is to recreate the feel of the early-mid 2000s Internet imageboard culture within a modern context. The founder set three main goals for the site: "to be a true 'Futaba clone', to encourage the creation of original content, and to provide a taste of older imageboard culture." In other words, Heyuri is heavily inspired by the Japanese Futaba Channel (2chan) style and the ethos of early English imageboards like mid-2000s 4chan, but it also tries to avoid being just a shallow nostalgia act. One user explained that while Heyuri undeniably has an "old internet" nostalgic vibe, it wasn't simply emulating old 4chan - beyond being an English-language Futaba-style board with anime and internet humor focus. The community strives to create fresh original content (OC) rather than endlessly reposting the same old memes. As an admin (kuz) put it, "We are NOT an oldfag circlejerk... In our eyes it is better to create something yourself that everyone can laugh at, than rehash a joke" from 15+ years ago. This captures Heyuri's guiding philosophy: preserve the spirit of classic imageboards (both in look and tone) while fostering creativity and new humor.

Heyuri's front page interface reflects its old-school design philosophy. The site uses a simple text-heavy layout reminiscent of Futaba Channel, complete with optional frames mode and era-appropriate jokes like the "Intel Inside" slogan banner.

In terms of features, Heyuri deliberately keeps a retro aesthetic and structure. The site's interface is minimal and loosely modeled on Futaba/2chan - for example, it offers a frames view (sidebar menu with boards on the left, threads on the right) like classic Japanese imageboards. Many boards use brief one-letter or two-letter names (e.g. /a/ for Anime & Manga, /b/ for Off-Topic, etc.), and Heyuri maintains dedicated boards for niche otaku interests that harken back to a bygone era of imageboards. Some currently active boards include: /a/ (Anime/Manga), /b/ (Off-Topic "random"), /c/ (2D Cute images), /h/ (2D adult "ero" content), /l/ (2D Lolikon), /jp/ (Japanese language), /f/ (Flash animations), /o/ (Oekaki - a drawboard), and /s/ (3D Girls, for real-life Japanese gravure/idol content). This mix of boards is very similar to the boards one might find on mid-2000s 4chan or 2chan - even including a dedicated oekaki art board and a Flash board for sharing Flash animations, which have long vanished from most mainstream sites.

Beyond the imageboards, one of Heyuri's standout features is its suite of interactive scripts and games dubbed "Heyuri?CGI." In July 2023, Heyuri launched a sister site (cgi.heyuri.net) hosting a collection of classic Japanese web CGIs and textboard-style games, translated to English. This was an effort by the community to resurrect quirky novelties from the old Japanese web. For example, @Party II (an online multiplayer dungeon crawler game) was introduced in summer 2023 and quickly became popular among users. Another was Hakoniwa Islands 2, a sandbox "mini-nations" simulation where users cultivate virtual islands - it grew so intense that factions of players formed and engaged in "wars" within the game. Other mini-games like Chinsouki? (added Christmas 2023) and Yumemiru Gambler (a lottery/horse-race betting game added during a festival in late 2024) provided a unique, nostalgia-rich pastime for the community. These games and utilities (like a chat room, a dating sim parody, web shiritori word-chain, etc.) aren't typically found on bigger imageboards and set Heyuri apart as a multifaceted platform. Additionally, Heyuri has creative community features such as an Uploader for sharing files, a Museum archiving notable posts/OC, and even periodic Cytube streaming events (where users watch anime together). All these elements serve the site's purpose of being a "time capsule" of early internet culture - not just in look and slang, but in interactive experience as well.

Community Culture and Norms
One of Heyuri's defining traits is its tight-knit community culture. Because the userbase has remained relatively small and the site's rules cultivate a very specific atmosphere, Heyuri is filled with inside jokes, memes, and original creations that might seem bewildering to outsiders. For example, "Wormhole-kun" is an inside-joke name for a mysterious technical bug that randomly shuffled posts around - a glitch that frustrated the admins but became a beloved joke among users. The community has even personified the website itself: "Heyuri-tan," a cute green-haired anime maid character, serves as the unofficial mascot of Heyuri (born from an art contest in 2020). Users frequently draw lewd and non-lewd fanart of Heyuri-tan, and she represents the playful spirit of the site. Original content (OC) creation is highly encouraged - it's common to see users posting their own pixel art, drawings, animations, ASCII art (AA), and even custom Flash games. Some notable OCs have become part of site lore (for instance, a spooky walking simulator game called "Little Alice" was made by a user and spurred ongoing discussions). This creativity feeds a positive feedback loop: the more unique content and jokes the users produce, the stronger the sense of community identity gets.

Newcomers on Heyuri are encouraged to jump right in and start posting rather than overthinking things. While some imageboards emphasize "lurk moar" (observing before participating), Heyuri's culture leans more toward "lurk less, post moar" - users prefer activity and engagement over passive lurking. However, this doesn't mean newcomers are completely free from expectations. The community still values originality, humor, and fitting into the site's unique style. Those who bring in habits from modern mainstream imageboards (like Wojak posting or greentext stories) may get pushback or even a ban if they repeatedly disrupt the board culture. Long-time users generally welcome new posters as long as they contribute in a way that aligns with Heyuri's playful and creative atmosphere.

Overall, the tone on Heyuri is light-hearted, humor-centric, and somewhat otaku-nostalgic. Threads often feature absurdist humor, parody Engrish (intentionally broken English reminiscent of early Internet memes), and callbacks to classic meme culture (users still say things like "WINRAR" when someone creates original content, for example). At the same time, the community tries not to dwell purely in old memes - there's an ethos of "make new fun content for everyone to enjoy, rather than just recycling 15-year-old jokes." Users who contribute original funny posts, detailed discussions, or creative works tend to gain respect. This creates a culture where being witty or creative is the best way to earn admiration.

Rules and Moderation Policies
Heyuri's unique culture is upheld by a strict set of rules and active moderation. The administration explicitly states that "Heyuri is not about 'free speech'" - users are not entitled to say anything they want, and mods will prune content aggressively to maintain the desired atmosphere. In practice, this means Heyuri's rules are stricter (in certain ways) than those of larger imageboards. The global rules cover typical matters like no spamming, no malware, and obeying the law (with a tongue-in-cheek reference to the "law of Atlantis," which in effect just means no actual child pornography or illicit drug trading). But the most defining policies are Rule 7 and Rule 8, which directly shape what conversations and memes are acceptable on Heyuri.

Rule 8 is often cited as the cornerstone of Heyuri's culture. It forbids "content that is not in line with site culture" - essentially a ban on many elements associated with "nu-4chan" or broader internet toxicity. For example, Wojak and Pepe images (and any variants) are outright disallowed. So are "*oomer" memes (e.g. boomer, zoomer, coomer), and overused buzzwords like "seethe, cope, dilate, janny, based" or "cringe." Even greentext storytelling (the >impersonation of quote format to tell a story) is considered misuse of the quote feature and banned. In short, the kind of memes and lingo that dominate mainstream imageboards today are purged from Heyuri. The spirit of Rule 8 is to encourage more original and good-humored posting - it even extends to attitude, as needlessly angry or trollish posts "without even having the decency to provide LOLs" are deleted for dragging down the mood. This policy was introduced by kuz in mid-2020 and proved popular with Heyuri's userbase, who credit Rule 8 with attracting them to the site and keeping it fun. As one announcement put it, Heyuri wants to be a "reasonably maintained garden" rather than an "untamed jungle" - weeding out the worst content so that interesting discussions and humor can flourish. The result is a board where you won't see the ubiquitous Pepe/Wojak edits or flame-war catchphrases that are everywhere else; instead the humor skews more toward anime images, ASCII art, and original drawings, much like the mid-2000s era it emulates.

Rule 7 is another notable policy: it deals with potentially inflammatory real-world topics. According to the posted rules, "Discussions about current news or of political nature are allowed, just do not overdo it." In other words, casual or occasional debate is okay, but turning the boards into endless serious arguments is discouraged (Heyuri prefers to keep things entertaining over argumentative). There is one explicit exception: anything related to transgender topics is altogether banned. This blanket ban was put in place because "the internet is full of those discussions" and they tend to become vitriolic and politicized. Heyuri's staff decided they "don't want it to spill to Heyuri" at all. In April 2023, kaguya reinforced that Rule 7 would be strictly enforced regarding this subject, meaning any threads or posts about transgender issues (whether for or against) are promptly removed. The only leniency is if the topic comes up in a fictional context (like discussing the gender of an anime character), but even then it's handled carefully. This policy underscores that Heyuri's goal is to steer clear of divisive "hot-button" discourse that could derail the lighthearted tone.

In addition to Rules 7 and 8, Heyuri's moderation has some other distinctive quirks:
- No Generals / Repeating Threads: The rules explicitly ban generic recurring threads like "#10000000 waifu thread" or "/something General/" threads. The intent is to avoid the static, repetitive content found on larger boards (where the same general threads can linger forever). Heyuri prefers spontaneous, novel thread topics.
- Board Topicality and Quality: Users are expected to post things in the appropriate board (e.g. keep meta discussion in /q/ (Site Discussion), keep random real-life pics off the 2D boards, etc.). Some boards have specialized rules: for example, the /jp/ board allows only Japanese language (English posts get a pass only if they're about Japan) and forbids any posts disrespecting Japan or its culture. The /l/ (Lolikon) board allows only Japanese-style drawn art (no western cartoon loli or 3D) and explicitly prohibits any pro-"MAP" (pro-contact pedophilia) commentary - a clear line drawn between fantasy art versus real-life advocacy. These rules show how moderation curates content tightly to match the site's anime/otaku focus and ethical boundaries.
- Age Restriction (Rule 0): Interestingly, for its first few years Heyuri did not strongly enforce an age limit, but in early 2024 the admin introduced Rule 0: "You must leave this site immediately if you are under 18 years old." This came after a surge of underage users from a site called SpaceHey caused problems. Now, Heyuri clearly labels itself 18+ and will ban known minors for liability reasons. The staff enacted this with some regret, as the community historically had a mix of teens and adults, but it became necessary to comply with laws and avoid unwanted attention.

Moderation on Heyuri is active and often publicly visible - threads that break these rules are pruned quickly, sometimes with a moderator comment or a humorous ban message. New users are frequently reminded (both by mods and veteran users) to read the rules and "lurk" so they don't get themselves banned over a cultural faux pas. The administration believes this strictness is what "has kept Heyuri so clean" and unique. While some might see it as heavy-handed, the regulars appreciate the controlled chaos. In summary, Heyuri's moderation style is community-first: anything that detracts from the community's enjoyment or identity is fair game to be removed. This is a deliberate contrast to imageboards that prioritize maximal freedom at the cost of signal-to-noise ratio - on Heyuri, quality trumps absolute free speech. As a result, the site has a distinctly curated vibe more akin to a small club with in-jokes, rather than the wild free-for-all of larger anonymous forums.

Community Culture vs. Other Imageboards
Heyuri vs. 4chan: At first glance, Heyuri might remind one of 4chan's early days - and indeed, 4chan itself was originally created in 2003 as an English clone of Japan's Futaba Channel. However, over the years 4chan grew into a massive, mainstream imageboard with dozens of boards and a constantly shifting userbase (incorporating many "Gen-Z" internet memes and trends). Heyuri consciously differentiates itself from modern 4chan. One admin explicitly stated he doesn't aspire for Heyuri to reach "4chan-sized speeds" and that a 2004-era level of activity would be ideal, implying that bigger is not better for their purposes. In terms of content, Heyuri is almost a reaction against what 4chan has become - for example, where 4chan's /b/ today is often flooded with Wojaks, Pepes, and cynical trolling, Heyuri's Off-Topic (/b/) bans those very things to cultivate a more lighthearted, old-school otaku atmosphere. One Heyuri user's quote contrasted the two by saying boards that allow total "free speech" often devolve into "spamming the same crappy pepe/wojak edits over and over" and endless bickering, whereas Heyuri's restrictions have been a boon, allowing a unique culture to thrive. In essence, Heyuri tries to capture what many fondly recall about early 4chan (niche anime humor, weird experiments, collaborative meme-making) while filtering out what they dislike about present-day 4chan. The smaller size of Heyuri also means the community feels more intimate - users tend to recognize each other (at least as "that anon who draws X" or uses a certain writing style), something largely lost on the huge anonymous sea of 4chan. That said, Heyuri owes a debt to 4chan's legacy and acknowledges it; many Heyuri users are former or concurrent 4chan users who simply wanted a cozier corner of the internet that feels like 4chan did in the mid-2000s.

Heyuri vs. Futaba Channel (2chan): Since Heyuri bills itself as a "true Futaba clone", it is perhaps even closer in spirit to Futaba Channel (the original Japanese imageboard) than to modern 4chan. Futaba Channel - also known as 2chan - is an imageboard founded in Japan in 2001 with boards focused on anime, manga, and otaku hobbies. Heyuri emulates Futaba's layout and many of its conventions. For example, Heyuri's board naming conventions, certain features like Tegaki and quote hovering, use of frames, and simple HTML-based board script mirror Futaba's straightforward design. Heyuri's boards like /a/, /o/ (oekaki), /f/ (Flash), etc., have direct analogues in Futaba's board list. In content, Heyuri embraces the "otaku culture" ethos that Futaba had - where topics like anime screenshots, fanart, and niche hobbies are the norm, and meme posts are often image-based and context-specific rather than image macro memes. One difference is language and audience: Heyuri is an English-language community (with a global userbase, though many are Western), so it's essentially a bridge between the Japanese BBS culture and the English BBS culture. Early 4chan played this role too, but as 4chan's culture diverged, Heyuri now positions itself to carry that torch. Additionally, Heyuri's community often references Japanese internet tropes directly (including using Japanese phrases or nostalgically referencing things like 2ch AA art), which is something more common on Futaba or old 4chan than on today's English boards. In summary, Heyuri can be seen as Futaba Channel's ethos transplanted to an English context - even the development of its software (forked from Futaba scripts) shows a dedication to authenticity.

Beyond 4chan and 2chan, Heyuri can be compared to other imageboard projects:
- It differs from the likes of 8chan/8kun or other "free speech" spinoffs in that Heyuri explicitly rejects the idea of being a refuge for unlimited speech. Many alternative imageboards formed in the 2010s were reactions against moderation (seeking more unfiltered content), whereas Heyuri is a reaction for moderation (seeking a cleaner, retro environment). As a result, the user demographics also differ: Heyuri tends to attract people who want rules and structure to maintain a certain nostalgia or quality, rather than those fleeing moderation.
- Compared to smaller niche boards (like those on the webring of textboard/imageboard communities, or boards like Kissu and 4chon), Heyuri is notable for its interactive community events and development. The site isn't just a message board; it hosts game servers and ancient CGI scripts, coordinates watch parties, and has a wiki documenting its own history. This level of community organization is somewhat unique and goes beyond what most small imageboards do. In that sense, Heyuri's community can feel more club-like or even like a tiny social network for imageboard enthusiasts, rather than just another anonymous bulletin board.
- One could also compare Heyuri to other "old internet" revival communities (for instance, some users came from VidLii or SpaceHey, which revive old YouTube and MySpace respectively). They all share a nostalgia factor, but Heyuri's focus is specifically on imageboard culture. So while SpaceHey users relive early social media and VidLii users relive early YouTube, Heyuri users relive (and reinvent) the early 2000s 4chan/2chan experience. In fact, cross-promotion between these nostalgia communities occurred - which is how waves of new users discovered Heyuri.

In summary, Heyuri occupies a unique niche among imageboards. It's neither as anarchic as 4chan's /b/ nor as dead-serious as some "free speech" boards; it's not exclusively Japanese like 2chan, but it strives to be like an English 2chan. You could say Heyuri is to 4chan what a carefully curated retro fan server is to a modern mainstream MMO - smaller, quirkier, and intentionally frozen in a certain cultural moment for the enjoyment of its community.

Notable Events and Controversies
Despite (or perhaps because of) its small size, Heyuri has seen its fair share of drama and notable events that have shaped its trajectory:

- 2020 Admin Feud and Shutdown: The first major controversy was the internal conflict between Heyuri's two admins, lolico and kuz, in mid-2020. Tensions between them erupted after the site's rapid growth and changes (kuz had been brought on to help, but differences in vision and personality emerged). The fight spilled over onto Discord ("Dicksword," as Heyuri users mockingly called it) and even leaked onto other boards like 3chan. Users were shocked to see the people running their beloved site "argue like two clucking hens" in public. Many were disappointed in the unprofessional display - some taking lolico's side, others thinking both acted childishly. The situation deteriorated to the point that in August 2020, lolico shut down Heyuri entirely, posting a message that it would remain down indefinitely. This sudden shutdown (often referred to in the community with a bit of memery as the "TEH CRASH") was a huge blow to users. In response, kuz tried to salvage the community by launching a new imageboard, StrawberryHeaven, as a temporary refuge. StrawberryHeaven went live in late September 2020 and featured a simpler, Perl-based imageboard script (chosen to thwart an aggressive spammer who had targeted Heyuri during the chaos). While some Heyuri regulars moved there, many others drifted away or went on hiatus - activity on StrawberryHeaven was noticeably lower than Heyuri's had been. For a few months, it seemed Heyuri might be gone for good; kuz even told users to "get over Heyuri and enjoy StrawberryHeaven" if they could. This period is remembered somewhat bitterly as a dark time. Fortunately, by early December 2020, behind-the-scenes reconciliation happened. Lolico and kuz apparently resolved their issues (or a scapegoat for their troubles was found and "disposed of") . Kuz received control of the heyuri.net domain, shut down StrawberryHeaven, and relaunched Heyuri to "much fanfare" on December 4, 2020. The revival was greeted with relief and celebration in the community. However, the relationship between lolico and kuz was never the same - lolico quietly faded from active administration (eventually leaving entirely), and kuz became the sole leader until his 2022 departure. The 2020 feud left a lasting mark: it gave rise to many in-jokes (users still reference the melodrama humorously) and also taught the community the fragility of their site, perhaps reinforcing their loyalty when it returned.

- Kuz and KolymaNET Controversies: During kuz's tenure (2020-2022), a series of smaller controversies occurred largely stemming from his management style and outside ventures. Kuz integrated Heyuri into his KolymaNET network - a collection of sites and services he ran - which led to concerns about data and independence. For example, at one point Heyuri's post content was being served via a Kolyma content delivery network and its user notifications through a Kolyma Discord bot. Some users accused kuz of using Heyuri to promote or support his other projects, diluting Heyuri's identity. In mid-2021, as mentioned, kuz apologized and performed a limited "de-Kolyma-ization" - removing some Kolyma branding. However, there remained a lingering distrust among some veteran users toward kuz. This boiled over in early 2023 when it came to light that kuz was still involved in Heyuri's hosting even after stepping down. During the huge New Year's 2023 influx, some returning old users asked if kuz was truly gone; kaguya initially claimed he wasn't involved, but it turned out kuz was quietly helping in the background (for instance, Heyuri was still on servers controlled by him). An argument ensued between anonwaha (the moderator known for criticizing "kuz/kolyma crap") and kuz, causing some community drama until a private talk settled it in February 2023. Then, in March 2023, kuz tried to push a proprietary update to Heyuri's software (a kolymized fork of Kokonotsuba with extra features) without community consent, which kaguya and others quickly reverted. These incidents reinforced a narrative in the community of "kuz can't let go" and some resentment, but ultimately by mid-2023, kuz's influence waned as KolymaNET and Heyuri fully separated. Today, even the FAQ notes "Kuz is the previous administrator... He isn't involved in Heyuri anymore." Despite the past friction, both kuz and lolico are now fondly regarded as part of Heyuri's history and meme canon (with users making jokes about their antics), even if neither holds power there.

- SpaceHey "Loli Trio" Incident (Underage Users and Rule 0): One bizarre episode in late 2023 highlighted the perils of a growing community. Some Heyuri users began promoting the site on SpaceHey, a popular MySpace clone. This led to an influx of very young users (pre-teens and young teens, reportedly 11-15 years old, mostly girls) joining Heyuri between December 2023 and February 2024. Dubbed the "Loli Trio" (among other nicknames) by Heyuri users, a few of these underage newcomers started posting selfies and even nude photographs of themselves on /b/. This naturally set off alarm bells. Parts of the community - in typical fashion - reacted with crude humor and weren't entirely dissatisfied to see teenage girls posting; other users were very uncomfortable and called for them to be banned immediately. For a short time, it became a controversial spectacle with threads debating it. Realizing the legal and ethical ramifications, kaguya and the staff painfully decided to enforce an age restriction. On February 26, 2024, they introduced Rule 0 - explicitly requiring anyone under 18 to leave the site. This was done "with regretful agreement from staff and users alike", implying that while it was unfortunate (some lamented the loss of younger contributors or the "edgy" freedom of old internet days), it was necessary. After Rule 0's implementation, any self-identified minors or obvious underage posts have been removed. The incident stands out as an example of how a well-meaning promotion can backfire and force a community to change policy. It's also worth noting this is somewhat ironic given the presence of a lolicon board - but the line was drawn at real minors participating.

- Technical Challenges and Downtimes: Heyuri has also faced technical controversies, notably dealing with harassment and hosting issues. In its early days, a notorious troll named Akima repeatedly "crapflooded" (spam-attacked) the site, even taking down kuz's attempted revivals in 2020. This was one reason for switching software at times. More recently, on New Year's Day 2024, Heyuri suffered a sudden DDoS attack that not only knocked it offline but spooked its hosting provider. According to kaguya, the DDoS was aimed at a different site on the same server (kereste.moe), but the collateral damage led their data center (Terrahost) to terminate service, citing vague "continued copyright complaints" and "unlawful activity" (though none had been communicated to Heyuri). The Heyuri team felt the provider simply didn't want to deal with the DDoS and used an excuse to boot them. The termination was abrupt - in the middle of holiday vacation - and gave the admins only 24 hours to migrate over 20 TB of data, which was an "impossible task" in that timeframe. This incident caused an unexpected multi-day downtime and forced Heyuri to relocate to new servers hastily in January 2024. It was a tense moment as users wondered if data would be lost or if the site would be down longer. Fortunately, the staff retrieved what they could and got Heyuri running again on a new host shortly after. The episode highlights how fringe communities can be fragile in the face of infrastructure issues - and it also exemplifies Heyuri's resilience and commitment to keeping the community alive despite setbacks.

- Community Events: On a more positive note (and not exactly controversies), Heyuri has fostered some notable events that mark its timeline. For example, the community held its first ever "Bunkasai (Cultural Festival)" on November 4, 2023. Modeled after the concept of a Japanese school festival, this online event invited users to participate in organized threads and activities - such as a live quest thread, a drama club reenacting funny scenes, a trivia contest, a music club, a scanlation club, collaborative drawing sessions, and even users drawing their own mini-manga. The Bunkasai was a huge success, temporarily quadrupling the site's usual activity and generating lots of new OC (which was archived for posterity). It's significant because it shows the level of community engagement on Heyuri - the users aren't just posting threads, they're staging events together, something one rarely sees on anonymous boards. Another recurring event is the Townhall - occasional IRC/Gikopoi meetups where the admin discusses site matters with users (one in 2023 led directly to planning the Bunkasai). These events, while not controversies, are notable in that they strengthen the culture and have become part of Heyuri's lore.

In summary, Heyuri's journey hasn't been without turbulence. Internal strife, attacks, rogue users, and external pressure have all tested the community. However, each challenge also became a part of Heyuri's story - often humorously incorporated into its culture (e.g., jokes about the admin feud, or memes like "Rule 0er" for underage lurkers). Far from derailing the site, these incidents seem to have galvanized the userbase's loyalty and given them new material for in-jokes.

Current Status and Popularity
As of 2025, Heyuri remains an active but niche imageboard community. It is led by admin kaguya (with a small team of moderators/janitors) and continues to uphold the philosophy and rules described above. In terms of popularity, Heyuri is tiny compared to giants like 4chan - its userbase likely numbers in the low hundreds of active posters. For example, in late 2022 the Off-Topic board saw on the order of 1,600 posts per month, spiking to about 6,400 posts in January 2023 during a promotion blitz. In early 2024, the admin indicated the site averaged around 21 posts per hour across boards (which is about 500 posts per day) - a slow pace by big-board standards, but not bad for a tight-knit community. The site's growth has been mostly organic through word of mouth, occasional advertising on related niche platforms, and the draw of its unique culture. Key traffic drivers were the VidLii and SpaceHey crossovers, as well as periodic mentions on 4chan and other imageboard forums. While these influxes brought new blood, Heyuri's moderation ensures that newcomers integrate or ship out, thereby keeping the core community relatively consistent and devoted.

Heyuri's content volume is modest but steady. By April 2024, the /b/ board reached its 100,000th post, and the total posts across all boards are likely a few hundred thousand (for comparison, a single popular board on 4chan can generate millions of posts per year). Clearly, Heyuri isn't aiming to rival the traffic of larger imageboards. Instead, success for Heyuri is measured in community engagement and cultural output. On that front, it does well - many threads result in collaborative humor or original art, and the active users tend to know the ongoing memes and personalities on the boards. The quality of discussion is often cited as higher than on anonymous boards where anyone wanders in; Heyuri's threads can feel more like a forum of friends sharing jokes (albeit anonymously) than the wild free-for-all of /b/.

The present-day Heyuri community skews towards anime/manga and retro internet enthusiasts. Popular thread topics include classic anime and game nostalgia, modern anime discussion (with an old-school flavor), sharing art and projects, and general chit-chat in a whimsical style. Thanks to the addition of new boards like /s/ (3D Japanese girls) in late 2024, the content spectrum has widened a bit to include Japanese pop culture beyond just 2D otaku material. However, Heyuri consciously avoids branching into too many unrelated topics - for instance, you won't find a dedicated politics board or a sports board, as those would be off-mission. The focus remains on a slice of internet culture revolving around anime, tech, and internet humor. The Overboard feature (which aggregates posts from all boards) was re-introduced in mid-2024, making it easier for users to catch active threads at a glance, something that helped increase cross-board participation.

It's also notable that Heyuri has a historical awareness of itself. The community actively documents its own history and culture on the Heyuri Historical Society Wiki (wiki.heyuri.net), which has dozens of articles on everything from site events to memes to biographies of notable users. This meta aspect indicates that Heyuri, despite being an anonymous board, has a stable identity worth cataloguing. Not many small boards have this level of self-curation.

In terms of reputation, outside of its user circles Heyuri is not widely known. It doesn't attract media attention (unlike 4chan which is regularly in the news) and stays under the radar - which is likely how the users prefer it. Those in the broader imageboard community who do know of Heyuri often regard it as a quirky throwback or a haven for oldfags (veteran imageboard users) wanting respite from mainstream boards. It has occasionally been mentioned on other boards like 4chan's /qa/ or /jp/ as an alternative site, typically in a positive light for its strict culture or in a joking light for its insularity. Because Heyuri allows certain fringe content (like lolicon artwork and guro) that larger platforms ban, it also quietly serves as a home for those niche interests within a controlled environment - but it's careful not to cross into truly illegal territory (and enforces that line).

Overall, the current status of Heyuri is that of a healthy small community. The site is online and sees daily activity. Regular events like monthly anime streams, occasional contests, and annual festivals continue to engage users. There is little turnover in leadership - kaguya is firmly established as admin and has even been seeking to expand the mod team as activity grows. As with any community, challenges remain (e.g. keeping the culture inviting to new contributors without diluting it, and ensuring server stability/security), but Heyuri has shown resilience. It has carved out a unique corner of the internet, and for the users who call it home, Heyuri's blend of nostalgic charm and creative camaraderie truly makes it "the place to be!"