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· Ines Shin
Spotify study explains why BTS’ ‘Dynamite’ is one of the most popular songs to fall asleep to
A study of nearly 1,000 sleep playlists on Spotify has found that songs by BTS and Billie Eilish are among the most popular for listeners to fall asleep to. Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark conducted a study on the characteristics of music associated with sleep by…
· Bryan Ke
Rebel Wilson slammed online for Dubai trip months after coming out
Several Instagram users heavily criticized actor Rebel Wilson for taking her fiancée on a trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), months after coming out as a member of the LGBTQ-plus community. Wilson, 42, and her fiancée, Ramona Agruma, were among the many celebrities who…
· Ryan General
Fans celebrate reports that BLACKPINK’s Lisa offered $81 million to leave YG Entertainment
Before you read: YG Entertainment shuts down claims BLACKPINK moving to subsidiary label With BLACKPINK’s contract with YG Entertainment set to expire in August, the topic of whether the group members will renew their agreement with the talent agency has been the subject of much…
· Ryan General
Japan PM aide apologizes for ‘shameful’ act of having hands in pockets on US trip
A Japanese official has apologized after being filmed with his hands in his pockets during an official trip to Washington, D.C. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara, who serves as an aide to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, received heavy criticism online for a…
· Carl Samson
Rifle, hundreds of ammo rounds found in Monterey Park shooter’s home; jealousy raised as possible motive
A .308 caliber rifle and hundreds of rounds of loose ammunition have been discovered in the home of Huu Can Tran, the lone suspect in Saturday’s mass shooting in Monterey Park, California. Tran, 72, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a white cargo van hours…
· Carl Samson
Ohio man claiming to be ‘president of Tokyo’ arrested for shooting at Asian grocery
A Cincinnati man has been arrested and charged after allegedly firing multiple shots at an Asian grocery store in Evendale, Ohio, on Sunday. Daniel Beckjord, 33, is accused of firing into the front windows of Tokyo Foods at around 6:30 p.m. While shooting, he allegedly claimed…
· Bryan Ke
Muay Thai or Kun Khmer? Cambodia, Thailand spar over sport’s name ahead of 2023 SEA Games
Thailand has threatened a boycott of the upcoming 2023 Southeast Asian Games after Cambodia announced that the games will use the name “Kun Khmer” instead of “Muay Thai.” Vath Chamroeun, secretary-general of the Cambodian SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC) and the National…
· William Yuk
Listen: Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ album recreated using ‘Super Mario 64’
A recent mashup of the 2007 Radiohead album “In Rainbows” and the soundtrack of the 1996 video game “Super Mario 64” transports listeners back to the dawn of a new millennium. On Jan. 14, YouTuber On4word uploaded a video titled “In Rainbow Roads (Radiohead – In Rainbows / Mario…
· Ryan General
Taiwan officially recognizes same-sex marriages of transnational couples
Before you read: Taiwan Becomes the First Country in Asia to Legalize Gay Marriage Taiwan Just Proved Once Again It’s the Most Progressive East Asian LGBTQ Country Taiwanese Military to Highlight Same-Sex Marriages at Annual Mass Wedding Taiwanese authorities have officially…
· Iris Jung
Pentagon preparing for Kevin McCarthy to visit Taiwan against China’s wishes: report
Before you read: House Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan lasted less than a day but will have long-term impact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives in Taiwan; China suspends imports and deploys warships to Strait Taiwan conducts air defense drills amid China’s threats against Nancy…
· Isa Peralta
Man surprises his mom with luxurious Singapore Airlines Suites cabin upgrade in viral TikTok
An Indonesian man went viral this month for upgrading his mother’s business class seat to a Singapore Airlines Suites cabin. On Jan. 5, TikTok user Adriel (@adrieltjokro) posted a 39-second video showing his mother reacting to the special upgrade.
· Iris Jung
‘Vo Sinh Dai Chien’: Film touted as the Vietnamese ‘Karate Kid’ headed to Netflix
Martial arts film “Vo Sinh Dai Chien” (“The Battle of Pupils”), which has been touted as the “Vietnamese ‘The Karate Kid,’” is coming to Netflix. Directed by Thai Ba Dung and produced by Ba Cuong, the action film stars Tien Hoang, a U.K.-based martial artist who has performed…
· Michelle De Pacina
Chinese woman claims to be detained by police in secret location after Beijing protest
Before you read: Twitter users find porn after searching about COVID protests in China Physics equations, white papers, alpacas: a guide to the symbols of China’s COVID protests A video of a Chinese woman, who says she is being detained by police in a secret location after…
· Michelle De Pacina
Malaysian woman praised for defending hawker against machete-wielding men
A Malaysian woman received praise online after a video of her defending a male hawker against two machete-wielding men went viral on social media. On Tuesday, two armed men, aged 44 and 47, raided a hawker center at Taman Segar Perdana in Cheras, Malaysia, at around 9 p.m. local…
· Iris Jung
Sen. Mazie Hirono holds roundtable on needs of Native Hawaiian survivors of gender-based violence
Before you read: Senate passes bill to support Native Hawaiian survivors of sexual violence Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) held a roundtable discussion to address and support Native Hawaiian survivors of gender-based violence.
· Ryan General
Judge rules no jail time for University of Kansas researcher accused of secret China work
Before you read: Study: Half of US-based Chinese scientists express fear of racial profiling and surveillance by feds Increasing number of Chinese researchers leaving the US out of fear, study says Tennessee professor accused of spying for China is acquitted by federal judge…
· Ines Shin
RNC chair candidate says her Sikh faith is being targeted with ‘bigoted attacks’ by her opponents
Harmeet Dhillon persists in the race for Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman despite facing opposition regarding her Sikh faith. The 54-year-old former California Republican Party co-chair and Indian American attorney’s law firm represents former President Donald…
· Bryan Ke
Olivia Munn garners both praise and backlash after taking son to his first Asian market
Olivia Munn and her partner, John Mulaney, recently took their 13-month-old son, Malcolm, to his first Asian market during a wholesome family trip. Munn, 42, documented the trip on Instagram over the weekend.
· Iris Jung
Comedian Uncle Roger slams Gordon Ramsay’s Thai papaya salad in new video
Malaysian British comedian Nigel Ng, better known by his viral persona Uncle Roger, gave a brutal review of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s Thai papaya salad. Uploaded on Sunday, Roger (@mrnigelng) took time to jokingly review the multi-Michelin starred chef’s version of green…
· Ryan General
Activist criticized for questioning Chinese players at Australian Open about Peng Shuai’s whereabouts
Before you read: #WhereIsPengShuai: Tennis star now missing after her Me Too accusations against ex-CCP official Peng Shuai says her sexual assault allegations were a ‘huge misunderstanding’ in rare interview Skepticism over Peng Shuai’s freedom voiced by WTA chief, journalist…
Answer
BTS connects to HYBE, Weverse, memberships, merch, and tickets.
People & Works
Open
Person · Screen
Anna Sawai
Her 'Shogun' win cracked a category that had never gone to an Asian actor in 76 years of the Emmys — a ceiling break that arrived only once the industry let an Asian-led epic play in its own language.
Culture surface · Beauty
Beauty retail
Beauty retail is a culture-first entry point into the listed company behind it.
Person · Music
Dimash Qudaibergen
A Kazakh singer with a freakish multi-octave range conquered China's living rooms overnight and became Central Asia's most improbable soft-power export — a diaspora-of-one proving fandom now flows East before West.
IP · Anime
Haikyu!! films
Haikyu!! is the rare franchise that peaked commercially after its manga ended — the 2024 film cleared $100M worldwide and back-catalog sales grew ~50% post-conclusion, evidence that a well-timed theatrical event can reactivate a completed IP rather than merely close it out.
Platform · Platforms
Kakao Entertainment
Kakao Entertainment connects to Kakao and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kling AI
Kling AI connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kuaishou
Kuaishou connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kwai
Kwai connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Retail
Lifestyle retail
Lifestyle retail connects to Miniso and the broader retail story around it.
Results
Culture · brand
Uniqlo
Uniqlo connects to Fast Retailing, the company behind the stores, basics, and repeat buying habit.
Culture · routine / beauty brands
K-beauty
K-beauty connects to companies built around skincare routines, hero products, and travel retail.
Culture · platform
Weverse
Weverse connects to HYBE, the platform where memberships, merch, content, and fandom access keep moving after the song.
Company · Japan · TYO:7832
Bandai Namco Holdings
Bandai Namco sits behind toys, anime IP, games, and licensing that turn fandom into everyday consumer products.
Company · China · HKEX:1024
Kuaishou
Kuaishou is China's number-two short-video platform, where livestream selling turned everyday creators into a shopping channel and rewired how goods get sold.
Company · India · NSE:ZEEL
Zee Entertainment
Zee is one of India's largest media networks — the TV channels and ZEE5 streaming that carry Bollywood and regional-language entertainment to a billion viewers and the diaspora.
Company · Japan · TYO:9983
Fast Retailing
Fast Retailing matters because Uniqlo is an everyday consumer habit, not just a stock story.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:035900
JYP Entertainment
JYP is tied to groups that drive albums, tours, subscriptions, merch, and international fan activity.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:041510
SM Entertainment
SM is tied to idol groups, tours, fan clubs, and the long-running system behind some of K-pop's most recognizable acts.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:122870
YG Entertainment
YG connects global K-pop attention to touring, brand deals, fan demand, and artist-centered entertainment revenue.
Company · China · NYSE:BABA
Alibaba
Alibaba is China's commerce-and-entertainment backbone — Taobao and Tmall shopping habits fund Youku streaming and Alibaba Pictures, tying online spending to what China watches.
Alibaba · Platforms · NYSE:BABA
The Grammys created an award for Asian pop. BTS said no.
Alibaba is China's commerce-and-entertainment backbone — Taobao and Tmall shopping habits fund Youku streaming and Alibaba Pictures, tying online spending to what China watches.
Fast Retailing · Fashion · TYO:9983
Your Uniqlo basics keep you coming back.
This shows up when you go back to Uniqlo for another pack of basics instead of treating the brand like a one-time fashion buy.
NetEase · Streaming · HKEX:9999
Your playlist depends on deals you never see.
NetEase helps explain gaming, music streaming, and online entertainment habits in Chinese consumer culture.
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.
Explainer · Sanrio
Hello Kitty is not just something you buy anymore. Sanrio wants you to play inside the world.
Sanrio shows how character fandom becomes retail, licensing, collabs, parks, and global consumer demand.
Explainer · Amorepacific
K-beauty won the Amazon cart. The real prize is your second bottle.
The first sale matters less than the repeat routine. If a product sticks, the brand can keep winning on replenishment, retail placement, and cross-market demand.