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BTS
BTS connects to HYBE, the company behind BTS, Weverse, albums, merch, memberships, tickets, and concerts.
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· Carl Samson
Obsessive K-Pop Fangirl Makes Her Dad Cry on TV After Spending Over $10,000 on Merchandise
A Korean student who repeatedly skipped school and splurged thousands of bucks in her obsession with a K-Pop group has her father bawling on national TV. Yuna, a middle schooler, is a fan of SEVENTEEN, a 13-member boy group from Pledis Entertainment.
· Bryan Ke
Official ‘Gundam’ Collaboration Sneakers are Now Going For $47
What a great time to be alive, is probably what a “Gundam” and sneakerhead would say after hearing that the official mobile suit collaboration sneakers with Chinese company 361 Degrees are now available for purchase, Kotaku reported. The new line of sneakers, which were launched…
· Bryan Ke
You Can Now Buy Pikachu, Jigglypuff High Boots For $524
You can now buy a very fashionable pair of high boots that looks like Pikachu or Jigglypuff from the hit franchise “Pokemon.” The boots, launched by the Italian fashion brand GCDS last September as part of its 2019 Spring Collection, is perfect for people who are looking to…
· Bryan Ke
‘Sailor Moon’ Monopoly Board Game is Now Here to Destroy Friendships for $40
If you are an avid fan of the hit ‘90s anime “Sailor Moon,” or just a die-hard collector of anything related to the show, then you are in luck as a Monopoly board game based on the show is now available for purchase online. The “Sailor Moon” Monopoly game, created by The OP…
· Bryan Ke
First Ever Sign-Language Starbucks Opens Up in China
Starbucks China has opened up its first-ever signing store in Guangzhou, Guangdong province that is dedicated to offering employment and career advancement opportunities for the deaf and hard of hearing community. The Starbucks branch opened its doors at the Oriental Wende Plaza…
· Jin Hyun
20 Things About Andrew Yang That Will Have You Cheating on Other Democrats
Presidential hopeful and world’s coolest Asian dad, Andrew Yang, has been beating all expectations by rising from being the underdog of the 2020 Presidential Election to the leader of the #YangGang. From attending Comic Con to getting boozy with his supporters by serving…
· Ryan General
Naruto’s Hidden Leaf Village is Now a Theme Park in Japan
Most of us who grew up watching or reading “Naruto” have once dreamt of becoming a “Hokage,” much like the ninja protagonist of the popular manga/anime franchise. But while the chances of becoming the strongest shinobi in the entire Hidden Leaf Village may be highly far-fetched,…
· Carl Samson
You Can Now Pretend to Be Crazy Rich for as Little as $1
Being “rich” just got way less expensive in China. A number of online services are now reportedly offering stock, first-person videos that flaunt wealth, which people can buy to post as their own on social media.
· Bryan Ke
Japanese ‘Race Queen’ Model Crowdfunds To Compete Against Professional Drifters
Meet Awano Kisaragi, a motorsports model who became a professional drifter who launched a campaign to help crowdfund her race entries, maintenance for her car and travel expenses.
· Carl Samson
Shiba Inu Marshmallows are a Thing in Japan and Can Be Yours For $12
Shiba Inu marshmallows are the latest treats from Japan that you’ll probably feel bad for eating. The soft and sweet confectionery comes from Felissimo, which makes them by hand with careful attention to replicating the Japanese dog’s likeliness.
· Elliot Sang
Tired of Wearing Uniqlo? Here are 9 Asian-Owned Clothing Brands to Check Out in 2019
Let’s face it: flexing your Uniqlo fits is getting harder and harder now that every Asian seems to be wearing the brand. But don’t worry; your friends at NextShark have you covered. The following nine brands address a wide amount of price ranges with different styles, from…
· Carl Samson
Japanese Idols Are Selling Their Used Bathwater for $900 a Bottle
In a bizarre new take on the business of idol merchandise, two Japanese idols of a J-pop girl group sold their leftover bathwater last month. Tenka no Chanyuki and Asuka Rei from The Banana Monkeys soaked in a tub that had turned purple from bath powder, which their label…
· Ryan General
Ariana Grande Responds to Cultural Appropriation Accusations Over Her Japanese Tattoo
When Ariana Grande unveiled her unfortunate Japanese tattoo last week, the internet’s immediate reaction was mostly of ridicule. This is because instead of reading “7 Rings” in Kanji — in reference to her song of the same name — her ink translated more closely to shichirin, a…
· Jin Hyun
Buzzfeed is Being Accused of Laying Off Mostly POC and LGBT Employees
Editor’s Note: This article was updated with a response from Buzzfeed. Last week, Buzzfeed announced that they would be laying off 15% of their staff — over 200 employees — to help the company turn a profit. The process was staggered over a period of several days, causing panic…
· Ryan General
South Korea to Debut First Indian K-Pop Idols in New ‘International Groups’
A South Korean entertainment company has launched the world’s first international “K-Pop group” with members chosen from different parts of Asia. Z-POP Dream, set up by Zenith Media Contents CEO Jun Kang, revealed its two project groups, Z-Girls and Z-Boys, on Thursday.
· Jin Hyun
From Boba to K-Pop: Why ‘We Bare Bears’ is So Relatable to Asians
When it comes to entertainment, I believe we’re all subconsciously searching for characters or plot lines we can relate to — something you can watch and say to yourself, “that’s so me.” Whether I was explicitly aware of this or not at the time, I was craving this relatability…
· Ryan General
Japan’s ‘#1 Cosplayer’ Reveals She Made Over $277K in 2018
Whenever Japanese cosplayer Enako makes an appearance at an event, an insane number of fans flock around her to buy her merchandise.
· Ryan General
Singapore is Getting a Pusheen Café
Singapore is set to be the site of the world’s first Pusheen-themed café. Pusheen, created by American couple Claire Belton and Andrew Duff in 2010, has become a widely recognized feline character in Asia due to its adorable design.
· Elliot Sang
Her Mother was Vietnam’s Legendary Queen of Soul, Now It’s Her Turn
Certain artists live their whole lives dreaming to shine on stages: not Trace. She’d already seen the life firsthand as the daughter of legendary Vietnamese singer Carol Kim. She’s maintained a good relationship with her mother, but was always going down a different path.
· Carl Samson
Kim Jong-un ‘Nuke’ Beauty Masks are Selling Like Hotcakes in South Korea
South Korean cosmetics firm 5149 sparked controversy after launching beauty masks packaged with Kim Jong-un’s face and propaganda-style slogans. According to the company, it has sold more than 25,000 “Unification Moisture Nuclear Masks” since June, with each priced 4,000 won…
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BTS connects to HYBE, Weverse, memberships, merch, and tickets.
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Culture · platform
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll connects to Sony, the company behind the anime streaming app, plus the music, merch, and licensing around it.
Culture · franchise / licensing
One Piece
One Piece connects to Toei Animation and Bandai Namco through episodes, games, licensing, events, and collector products.
Culture · platform
Weverse
Weverse connects to HYBE, the platform where memberships, merch, content, and fandom access keep moving after the song.
Culture · destination / travel behavior
Tokyo Disney
Tokyo Disney connects to Oriental Land, the company that runs the resort and the spending around it.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:035900
JYP Entertainment
JYP is tied to groups that drive albums, tours, subscriptions, merch, and international fan activity.
Company · China · NYSE:MNSO
Miniso
Miniso turned character-IP collabs and blind-box impulse buys into a global store network — Sanrio, Disney, and Chiikawa merch you didn't plan to buy, plus its own TOP TOY chain.
Company · Japan · TYO:7974
Nintendo
Nintendo turns beloved game worlds into hardware, software, parks, merch, and repeat family spending.
Company · Korea · KRX:352820
HYBE
One of the layers behind BTS, SEVENTEEN, TXT.
Sanrio · Consumer · TYO:8136
Sanrio wants Hello Kitty to be more than merch.
If Hello Kitty already shows up in what you wear, gift, or collect, Sanrio now wants the same characters showing up in your next Switch play session too.
HYBE · K-pop · KRX:352820
A BTS comeback is not just songs. It’s albums, merch, tickets, and Weverse.
A BTS comeback can start with one stream on your phone, then turn into a fan-club sign-up, merch order, livestream ticket, and more time spent inside Weverse.
CJ ENM · Entertainment · KOSDAQ:035760
Before the first song drops, H//PE Princess already has a global Warner deal.
A debut deal matters less than whether the group turns into repeat listening, touring, merch, and fandom across markets.