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BTS
BTS connects to HYBE, the company behind BTS, Weverse, albums, merch, memberships, tickets, and concerts.
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· Bryan Ke
Japanese Manga Artist’s Shiba Inu Money Design Sparks Adorable Merchandise
A Japanese illustrator and manga artist has gone viral after posting his illustrations of banknotes featuring the Shiba Inu. Ponkichi first shared his creation of a Shiba Inu banknote back in April 2019 with a 1,000 yen bill showing a Shiba Inu, which is considered Japan’s icon…
· Ryan General
Kelly Marie Tran Snubbed From ‘Star Wars’ Merchandise
Rose Tico, a major character in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”, has been silently removed from Star Wars merchandise for the next film in the franchise. The character, played by actress Kelly Marie Tran, was the first woman of color in the Star Wars universe when she was introduced…
· 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.
· Carl Samson
‘I’m Not Your Moodboard!’: Balenciaga Accused of Appropriating Vietnamese Designer’s Work
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include a statement from Balenciaga to NextShark. An emerging Vietnamese fashion designer in Germany has accused Balenciaga of stealing, appropriating and profiting from her idea of female motorbike riders in Vietnam.
· Carl Samson
Japanese App Uses AI to Grade the Quality of Your Tuna
A Japanese app is now serving a local sushi chain by grading the quality of the tuna it serves to customers. Tuna Scope, developed by advertising giant Dentsu and other companies, uses artificial intelligence to perform “tuna examination,” a vital artisanal skill that may soon…
· Ryan General
Carrying Your Own Studio Ghibli Character on Your Shoulder Can Now Be Good for the Environment
Studio Ghibli’s official merch store in Japan has a special treat for eco-friendly fans. Donguri Republic (Donguri Kyowakoku), which has created a variety of merchandise based on characters from the famed animation studio, has released some adorable Studio Ghibli tote bags.
· Bryan Ke
Meet the Black American ‘Buffalo Soldier’ Who Defected After Connecting With Filipinos Against Racism
David Fagen was an African American soldier who defected to the Filipino Liberation Army during the U.S.-Philippine War of 1899–1902.
· Bryan Ke
Japanese Hotel is Now Offering Naruto-Themed Villas
The GRAND CHARIOT Hokuto Shichisei 135° resort is now offering Naruto-themed villas for those who want to experience “glamping” with the characters of the popular manga and anime. The villas come with Naruto-style decor inside, including throw pillows carrying the insignia of…
· Carl Samson
Derek Chauvin’s Wife Files for Divorce After His Arrest Over Killing of George Floyd
The wife of the former police officer charged for the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has filed for divorce through the help of a divorce lawyer. In a statement through her attorney, Kellie Chauvin, who has been married to Derek Chauvin for a decade, said that they have no…
· Maina Chen
New Black Panthers ‘Fight’ Racism by Targeting Chinese Restaurants, Get Disowned by OG Black Panthers
An extremist hate group called the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) has returned to headlines for launching a nationwide boycott of “Chinese merchants,” one such protest targetted two local Chinese restaurants in Washington, D.C. The protest was sighted by Mother Jones writer,…
· Maina Chen
Asian Community Volunteers Deliver Over 150 Meals A Day FOR FREE in NYC
Local NYC grocer Patrick Mock has been spearheading an initiative to provide free food to the elderly, homeless, frontline and essential workers in need of a meal. Operating out of 46 Mott Bakery since April 20, Mock, 26, has one to three volunteers coming every day to help,…
· Carl Samson
NYC Chinatown Market Workers Arrested Over Fight for Asking Customers to Wear Masks
Two Chinese employees were arrested after getting into a violent brawl with two shoppers who arrived at a seafood market in New York’s Chinatown without wearing face masks. The incident, which reportedly led to four assault charges, occurred at C.T. Seafood Marts in 249 Grand…
· Carl Samson
Supreme and Takashi Murakami are Releasing a COVID-19 Shirt for Charity
Supreme has tapped Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami to help design its new Box Logo Tee which will benefit youth and families facing homelessness amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Relief Box Logo Tee, which features original artwork by Murakami, will retail…
· Kimberly Nguyen
#HateIsAVirus Creators Talk About Tackling Racism and Hate Against Asian Americans
As Asians and Asian Americans are targeted by racism and xenophobia around the world, one campaign is calling out the hate and raising more than $1 million to support small Asian-owned businesses. The social media campaign making #HateIsAVirus trend is encouraging people from…
· Ernestine Siu
5 Asian American Fitness Accounts to Follow and Avoid that ‘Quarantine 15’
With the COVID-19 pandemic, closed gyms and at-home quarantines, it is more important than ever to take care of your health and fitness. For those of us who are able to self-isolate at home during this time, it can be easy to put on that quarantine fifteen if you know what I…
· Carl Samson
Man Causes $10,000 in Damages at Walmart Spraying Lysol to ‘Fight’ Coronavirus
A young man who sprayed Lysol on products at a Walmart in Joliet, Illinois “to protect customers from the coronavirus” is now wanted by authorities. The man, believed to be in his 20s, entered the store on the 1400 block of Route 59 after 4 p.m. on Sunday wearing a yellow…
· Editorial Staff
ONE Championship Releases Limited Edition Chinese New Year 2020 T-Shirts
Chinese New Year is fast-approaching, with its familiar red and gold colors making their 2020 debut in early January. In the same vein, Singapore-based martial arts organization ONE Championship has just announced it has released limited edition Chinese New Year merchandise. The…
· Bryan Ke
Snakes, Wolf Puppies and Rats Sold at Market Where Coronavirus Originated
A menu filled with a variety of exotic wild animals was reportedly sold at a market in Wuhan, Hubei province, China where the coronavirus originated. Some of the wild animal meat mentioned on the price list of a vendor at the Huanan Seafood Market includes live foxes,…
· Ryan General
BTS and Starbucks Are Partnering to Help Needy Children in Korea
Starbucks Korea is teaming up with K-pop supergroup BTS for a good cause. The “Be The Brightest Stars” campaign will feature exclusive Starbucks x BTS items, including limited-edition beverages, food and merchandise.
· Carl Samson
Signed Andrew Yang Sweatshirts Sell for $1,000 With New Creative Director Donald Glover
Andrew Yang managed to pull in some cash at his fundraiser with Donald Glover hours before the sixth Democratic presidential debate in Los Angeles on Thursday night. Located on Fairfax Avenue, the pop-up store — which also marked Glover’s official endorsement of the Asian…
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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.