Culture · artist
BTS
BTS connects to HYBE, the company behind BTS, Weverse, albums, merch, memberships, tickets, and concerts.
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· Thy Nguyen
BTS Scalpers Sell Merchandise for Hundreds of Dollars, One McNugget Sold for $100K
BTS fans are scalping all types of merchandise online for hundreds of dollars and making money off of their idols. Scalping the merchandise: K-pop fans, especially ones in the BTS ARMY, are notorious for buying and selling collectibles to show their support for their favorite…
· 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.
· Editorial Staff
The 400-year-old legends behind ‘lucky cats’
For many Asians around the world, “lucky cats” are a symbol of good fortune and wealth and can be seen in Chinatowns or East Asian businesses. Called “maneki-neko,” or “beckoning cat,” their origin dates back to Japan’s Edo period (1603 – 1867).
· Daniel Anderson
Gotta wear ’em all: Pokémon and Amazon team up to launch T-shirt subscription box
Amazon has listed an official Pokémon T-shirt subscription box collaboration on their site, offering subscribers different Pokémon-themed cotton shirts delivered each month. The subscription, which, according to Amazon, is “created and curated by Pokémon,” is being offered at…
· Rebecca Moon
Tokyo’s National Museum of Nature and Science to display Pokémon fossils and skeletons in special exhibit
The National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, Japan, opened a special exhibit on Tuesday that displays Pokémon skeletons and fossils. A promotional video of the Pokémon Fossil Museum was uploaded to the official Japanese Pokémon Twitter page, giving viewers a glimpse into…
· Ryan General
Burglar pulls off $250,000 Pokémon heist of Minnesota shop after smashing through a wall
A burglar broke into a collectibles shop in Forest Lake, Minnesota, and stole about $250,000 worth of Pokémon cards. The intruder first broke into a neighboring vacant store and then punched a hole through the wall to get into Punch-Out Gaming, a store co-owned by brothers Mike…
· Bryan Ke
San Diego names street after Asian American trailblazer ahead of his 95th birthday
The San Diego City Council officially unveiled Honorary Tom Hom Avenue, named after the city’s first person of color elected to the City Council in 1963. Hom, who will turn 95 on Tuesday, was born to immigrant parents and was the only Asian City Councilmember before Mayor Todd…
· Rebecca Moon
Fans of Beijing Olympics’ mega-popular panda mascot disappointed after hearing its ‘disgusting’ voice
After the Olympic mascot’s voice was revealed on a CCTV program, fans of Bing Dwen Dwen have been expressing their disappointment at seeing the beloved panda in a new light. During an interview between Bing Dwen Dwen and Chinese freeskier Yang Shuorui, the cute mascot was…
· Editorial Staff
Video of Black racist caricature doll sold on Chinese retail site goes viral
A TikTok user has shared a promotional video of a plush doll that many online have criticized for being racist on Chinese retail site AliExpress. Many viewers found it jarring to see the woman in the video treat the doll as a harmless toy despite its offensive and exaggerated…
· Michelle De Pacina
‘China sent us COVID’: Dr. Oz says he’s not ‘China’s friend’ in Pennsylvania senate ad targeting opponent
Mehmet Oz, better known as the television personality Dr. Oz, has released an ad targeting Pennsylvania Republican Senate primary opponent David McCormick’s hedge fund investments in China. The commercial video narrates: “First, China sent us COVID. Then David McCormick’s hedge…
· Carl Samson
‘No one is just one thing’: Michelle Li doubles down against racism, launches Very Asian Foundation to amplify AAPI voices
Michelle Li, a news anchor with KSDK in St. Louis, received a call on New Year’s Day from a viewer who complained about her mentioning dumpling soup. The viewer called Li “very Asian,” a phrase that quickly morphed into a movement as politicians, journalists, celebrities,…
· Sarah Yukiko
China calls for boycott of KFC due to customers’ ‘irrational and excessive’ purchases
Following a successful meal toy promotion with the Chinese toy company Pop Mart, KFC is facing backlash and calls for a boycott in China. Reports suggested some consumers bought hundreds of dollars’ worth of the meals to acquire the limited-edition collectibles but threw away…
· Carl Samson
Billionaire DoorDash founder Tony Xu joins Meta’s board of directors
Following Facebook’s rebrand in October, Tony Xu has joined Meta’s board of directors. Tony Xu, 37, co-founded DoorDash as an MBA student in Stanford in 2013. He was the highest-paid CEO in the Bay Area in 2020, earning $413 in compensation. Meta Platforms, Facebook’s…
· Ryan General
‘Heartbreaking and enraging’: Gemma Chan calls for official UK apology to Chinese seamen
British Asian actor Gemma Chan recently penned an essay about her father’s life as a Chinese seaman working for the British merchant navy. The 39-year-old actor touched on the hardships her father experienced, drawing comparisons to the abuse other Chinese seafarers endured…
· Sarah Yukiko
Boba liberals: The meaning of the term used to describe the Asian Americans everyone loves to hate
The term “boba liberal” has become a commonplace pejorative, but its original definition critiqued and questioned the heart of Asian American identity. Every so often, a new bubble tea shop opens up in New York City, usually the first branch of a Taiwanese cafe making its…
· Bryan Ke
60-year-old livestreamer sells over $730,000 worth of Gucci in less than 2 hours
A 60-year-old stage performer-turned-online seafood vendor managed to sell 1 million Singaporean dollars’ (approximately $733,000) worth of Gucci products within two hours while visiting an outlet in Paris. What happened: Wang Lei, also known online as “fish-selling brother,”…
· Ryan General
Decades-old San Francisco Chinatown jewelry store faces closure after losing $250,000 in burglary
A 38-year-old jewelry store in San Francisco’s Chinatown is on the brink of permanent closure after losing $250,000 worth of goods from burglars two weeks ago. The burglary: On Nov. 16, thieves broke into Long Boat Jewelry on Grant Avenue at around 4:20 a.m. and stole $250,000…
· Ryan General
‘She was ours’: How Hello Kitty went from being popular with Asian Americans in the ’70s to being a global icon
Her name is Kitty White. And she’s not a cat but a “happy girl with a heart of gold,” read the character’s official profile on Japanese company Sanrio. Hello Kitty may be one of the most recognizable and enduring cartoon characters in the world, but even for her most ardent…
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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.