I’m a male member.

I’m Saito, a column writer ♪ Since they also have a salon, I think their aim is to cover everything from the high-end to the casual side of the market. Universe is the industry leader and seems to cater to all kinds of needs. Was the annual membership fee 6 million yen? I can’t remember. Sorry if I’m mistaken. At places like that, I imagine the allowance would be far more than a couple hundred thousand yen.

I’m Dai, a male member. It all comes down to the diversity of people answering. Is there really anything wrong with a man wanting to give more than 100,000 yen? Personally, I give an allowance with the idea that it should provide women with a little extra luxury on top of what they earn from their regular day jobs. For example, if someone starts casually receiving 500,000 yen a month, her finances could fall apart if that man eventually leaves. This may be none of my business, but I don’t believe that kind of situation leads to a woman’s happiness. There are also people like me among those answering questions.

I’m Flag Maker, a columnist. I think the current market is fine as it is, where male members who are the triple-A type—attractive older men, good personalities, and generous allowances—come out on top. Besides, I don’t think there’s any way to decide the allowance other than discussing it and agreeing together. **P.S.** I’m more like a remora tagging along with the “loser” guys. I also like aiming for a position as a secondary papa with average allowances and good value for money—basically, the second- or third-choice guy among the women dating one of those “loser” men. Just like in the ocean, coexistence is possible. Male members aren’t necessarily enemies competing to win or lose; you could also say we’re colleagues who complement one another.

I’m Kamihikōki, a male member. Some men and women prefer higher allowances, while others are fine with lower amounts. Everyone has different preferences. Either way, and regardless of what people prioritize, it’s a good thing that more people are joining. I’m part of the same group as you, so there are definitely both men and women who value quality over quantity and prioritize intimacy over the allowance amount while maintaining a good relationship. Mr. Make-Do: > Women at the Platinum or Black level who are willing to meet for an allowance of 5 That’s me, actually. If someone says they want 7, I immediately lose interest. Mr. Maezawa: > You should just quit the site already. Ouch— that feels like it was directed at me, and it really hits home... Still, Universe really is amazing in that it offers the chance to meet such wonderful women that even the men—not just the women—might feel ready to leave the site. I mean that seriously. I hope you meet a wonderful woman too.

I’m Maezawa from the President’s Office, and I’ll answer as well. You’re misunderstanding something. First of all, dating clubs themselves are considered upscale. (笑) (Though I’m not entirely sure what exactly is “upscale” about them.) The point is that, among dating clubs, Universe Club is not a luxury club—it’s an ordinary, standard dating club. So please don’t arbitrarily downgrade Universe. I don’t know what kind of activities you’re involved in, but I want Universe to be a place where both men and women think, “Dating clubs are great. I’m glad I registered.” That’s why, even though Universe is a standard dating club, the allowance still needs to be at a certain level. And yet, you’re trying to lower the allowance, aren’t you? You may think you’ll benefit by lowering it, but that’s only because you assume you’ll still be able to meet the same women as before. If the allowance at Universe becomes too low, women will have no reason to register there. An app would be enough. There may even be people on apps who offer an allowance of 100,000 yen or more. If that happens, women simply won’t come to Universe anymore. If that were the case, would you still want to register with a Universe where there are no women? Would you want to make offers? Please consider that your insistence on paying low allowances will drive quality women away from registering. It’s simple if you think about why women register in the first place. They don’t come to Universe because they want to meet men offering cheap allowances. If a low allowance is all you’re looking for, you can find plenty of people by registering on an app. You’ll probably receive messages from more than ten men every day. Women go out of their way to register with Universe because they want to meet genuinely good men. Why is it so hard to understand that they won’t come if all they’ll find are men offering low allowances? Honestly, I’m tempted to create a dating club specifically committed to proper allowances, separate from men who insist on paying little. I’d like it to be a club without men like you. The reason good women gather at Universe in the first place is thanks to the handful of men who have paid generous allowances over the years. Because some women have been able to meet those men, many more quality women come to Universe. Universe has many good men. That’s why many women come. And that’s why quality women come too. To make that happen, allowances should be generous. What exactly is wrong with that? Please offer allowances that will actually satisfy the women. Trying to haggle is completely out of the question. Let me repeat: it’s precisely because some people have paid generous allowances up to now that women offering low allowances like you can still get dates. And yet you’re bringing up arguments suggesting that increasing allowances is somehow a bad thing. That shows you fundamentally don’t understand how this works. If you can’t understand that, then please withdraw your membership.

I’m the “loser guy” among the male members. I’m the one who said I wanted to raise the going rate for allowances. When it comes to allowances, I have a double standard. Personally, I’m more than happy to see other male members compete for Platinum- or Black-tier women with offers of only ¥50,000 or so. It makes the competition among us guys easier. In fact, it’s a breeze for me right now, since I always offer ¥100,000 or more. So in a sense, I welcome the going rate being low. On the other hand, I’ve heard from almost every woman that the lower-paying male members tend to make higher demands and have more arrogant attitudes. That’s the exact opposite of what you’re saying. I said I wanted to raise the going rate because if more men like that join, they’ll give the club a bad reputation and women may stop signing up. That said, this is only my personal opinion and has nothing to do with Universe. I’m sure my stance differs from that of the other respondents as well. I’ve also heard women talk about male members who show them a thick wad of cash and say, “I’ll pay you this if you let me have sex with you without protection and finish inside,” as well as women who gave in because of the high allowance, only to be treated like objects and end up crying during sex. I hear that all of them are regular VIP customers of the club. They may even be the same people the questioner heard about from women.

I’m Kazu, a male member. It should be obvious that the opinions expressed by respondents don’t necessarily reflect the club’s policies. I don’t understand why anyone would interpret this as meaning that “Universe wants to become a high-end club.” Also, does being a high-end club automatically mean the allowances are higher? I believe being a high-end club and offering higher allowances are two separate matters.