Search

ai

Articles

· Daniel Anderson

Netflix drops trailer for ‘Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area Part 2’

Netflix has released a teaser trailer for “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area Part 2.” The trailer sees the heist team plotting their means of escape from the Korea Unified Mint, with the Professor (Yoo Ji-tae) saying they will use the ensuing chaos to their advantage, and…

· Daniel Anderson

Ash Ketchum finally becomes the greatest Pokémon trainer in the world

Character Ash Ketchum has made “Pokémon” history in the “Pokémon Journeys” anime by defeating the undefeated Galar champion Leon in a full six-on-six battle, making Ash the No. 1 ranked trainer in the world. Both trainers were in the Masters 8 tournament, which consisted of the…

· Bryan Ke

Dwight Howard will make over $1 million annually playing in Taiwan league

Former Los Angeles Lakers player Dwight Howard has moved from the NBA to Taiwan’s T-1 League to play for the Taoyuan Leopards. The Leopards is one of the league’s six teams. The other teams include the Kaohsiung Aquas, the New Taipei CTBC DEA, the Taichung Suns, the Tainan TSG…

· Carl Samson

Viral video captures moment 5-year-old is slapped out of his chair by classmate’s father in China

A 5-year-old kindergartener in Nanjing, China, suffered a bruised and swollen face after being slapped by the father of his classmate on Saturday. A now-viral video, which has amassed over 400 million views on Weibo, shows the moment the man, identified only as Lu, smacked the…

· Khier Casino

Jason Momoa shakes his ass in traditional Hawaiian malo on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’

Jason Momoa stripped down to his traditional Hawaiian malo during an interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to promote his new Netflix film “Slumberland.” The actor has been wearing the traditional garb on the set of the upcoming Apple TV Plus series set in the 18th century “Chief of…

· Michelle De Pacina

Popeyes returns to S. Korea for round 2 against Korean fried chicken

U.S. fried chicken chain Popeyes will be returning to South Korea next month after a nearly two-year hiatus. The company is set to open its first new location by Gangnam Station in southern Seoul in December. The store will begin its employee training on Monday next week.…

· Michelle De Pacina

Journalist jailed for waving British-Hong Kong flag during China national anthem

Paula Leung, a 42-year-old Hong Kong journalist, was jailed after waving a British-Hong Kong flag when China’s national anthem was played at an Olympic award ceremony in July 2021. On Thursday, the Kwun Tong magistrates’ court sent Leung to prison for three months. The…

· Khier Casino

Keanu Reeves faces off against Donnie Yen in New ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ trailer

In the trailer, Wick is given a chance to break free from the bounty placed on him by a group of criminal leaders known as the High Table. He must face Bill Skarsgård’s villain character Marquis de Gramont in one-on-one combat to win his freedom. The film also sees Reeves go up…

· Carl Samson

Here’s what it’s like staying inside the ‘sleep pods’ at a Tokyo train station

Small, private rooms that come with lounge chairs, coffee and Wi-Fi at a Japanese train station provide commuters with a safe and quiet space for rest or work. Japanese YouTuber Travelgeek featured the so-called “sleep pods” in a recent video, sharing their experience in two of…

· Michelle De Pacina

Thai woman faces up to 5 years in prison for eating bat soup in viral video

A Thai woman was arrested after she posted a video of herself eating bat soup to her Facebook page on Monday. Phonchanok Srisunaklua, who identified herself as Khru (teacher) Jui in her video, is facing up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to 500,000 baht…

· Bryan Ke

Trans influencer Nikita Dragun released after being held in men’s jail for Miami incident

Nikita Dragun, 26, has been released on her own recognizance after being arrested in Miami on battery and disorderly conduct charges. The social media influencer left The Goodtime Hotel in handcuffs on Monday after allegedly wandering around naked in the pool area, playing loud…

· Michelle De Pacina

Passenger demands water, threatens Singapore Airlines cabin crew in viral video

In a viral TikTok video, a passenger can be seen demanding water and shouting vulgarities at a Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew member on Nov. 8. As the flight attendant tries to de-escalate the situation, the passenger reacts by mimicking him in a mocking tone. An auxiliary…

· Iris Jung

American volunteer soldier Paul Lee Kim dies in Ukraine

Cpt. Paul Kim, an American military volunteer in Ukraine, died while liberating Mykolaiv from the Russian invasion. Born in Houston, Kim was a foreign legionnaire who served for 12 years in the U.S. Army. He was also an infantry officer, an 82nd Airborne paratrooper, and a…

· Michelle De Pacina

Remains of missing Bay Area woman Alexis Gabe found

On Thursday afternoon, a Plymouth, California, resident notified the Amador County Sheriff’s Office after discovering human remains near Jackson Road. The partial remains were identified as those of Alexis Gabe, who was reported missing in late January. Gabe, 24, is believed to…

· Iris Jung

First Taiwanese combatant dies in Russia-Ukraine war

Tseng Sheng-Kung, a 25-year-old volunteer, is the first Taiwanese soldier to die in combat in Ukraine. A volunteer soldier from Ji’an Township in Hualien County, Tseng traveled to Ukraine in June to fight against the ongoing Russian invasion of the country. While serving in a…

· Michelle De Pacina

Navy sailor pleads guilty to murdering wife in San Diego-area home

A man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Wednesday for fatally stabbing his 30-year-old wife Rhona Fantone in their Lemon Grove, California, home in April 2021. Jay Barcelon faces 16 years to life in state prison and is expected to be sentenced in December. Fantone, who…

· Ryan General

81-year-old Japanese man confesses to pushing wheelchair-bound wife into sea

Japanese authorities in Kanagawa Prefecture have arrested an 81-year-old man who confessed to killing his wheelchair-bound wife by pushing her into the sea. Hiroshi Fujiwara told investigators that he had grown tired of taking care of his 79-year-old wife, Teruko, who lost the…

· Chandler Treon

Woman filmed berating Philippines airport employee after her flight is cancelled due to typhoons

A video of a woman in the Philippines berating an airport employee after typhoons in the country caused numerous flights to be canceled went viral on TikTok. In the now-deleted video filmed and posted by TikTok user @jackie_solo_traveller, the woman can be seen yelling at a Cebu…

· Michelle De Pacina

‘Whites and Asians need not apply’: Election mailers show fake hiring ad

Election mailers distributed by the nonprofit organization America First Legal Foundation, which was founded by Donald Trump’s former senior adviser Stephen Miller, claim racial discrimination against Asian and white job applicants. The fake hiring ad's "requirements" say…

· Michelle De Pacina

‘The View’ co-host blasts affirmative action as ‘downright racist’ against Asian Americans

In light of the landmark affirmative action cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, the hosts of talk show “The View” argued over whether the race-conscious student admissions policies of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are unlawful. The…

Answer

BTS connects to HYBE, Weverse, memberships, merch, and tickets.

People & Works

person

Ami Nakai

Open the culture page.
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.

Open the culture page.
Open

Culture surface · Beauty

Beauty retail

Beauty retail is a culture-first entry point into the listed company behind it.

Open the culture page.
Open

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.

Open the culture page.
Open

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.

Company: Toho
Open

Platform · Platforms

Kakao Entertainment

Kakao Entertainment connects to Kakao and the broader platforms story around it.

Company: Kakao
Open

Culture surface · Platforms

Kling AI

Kling AI connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.

Company: Kuaishou
Open

Culture surface · Platforms

Kuaishou

Kuaishou connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.

Company: Kuaishou
Open

Culture surface · Platforms

Kwai

Kwai connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.

Company: Kuaishou
Open

Culture surface · Retail

Lifestyle retail

Lifestyle retail connects to Miniso and the broader retail story around it.

Company: Miniso
Open

Results

Culture · brand

Uniqlo

Uniqlo connects to Fast Retailing, the company behind the stores, basics, and repeat buying habit.

Companies: Fast Retailing
Basics, routines, travel, repeat buys.
Open

Culture · routine / beauty brands

K-beauty

K-beauty connects to companies built around skincare routines, hero products, and travel retail.

Companies: Amorepacific / Shiseido
Skincare routines, hero products, travel retail.
Open

Culture · platform

Weverse

Weverse connects to HYBE, the platform where memberships, merch, content, and fandom access keep moving after the song.

Companies: HYBE
Memberships, merch, paid content, fan app.
Open

Company · Japan · TYO:7832

Bandai Namco Holdings

Bandai Namco sits behind toys, anime IP, games, and licensing that turn fandom into everyday consumer products.

Known for: Gundam · Pac-Man · Tekken
Anime
Open

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.

Known for: Kuaishou · Kwai · Kling AI
Platforms
Open

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.

Known for: ZEE5 · Zee TV · Zee Studios
Entertainment
Open

Company · Japan · TYO:9983

Fast Retailing

Fast Retailing matters because Uniqlo is an everyday consumer habit, not just a stock story.

Known for: Uniqlo · GU · Theory
Fashion
Open

Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:035900

JYP Entertainment

JYP is tied to groups that drive albums, tours, subscriptions, merch, and international fan activity.

Known for: TWICE · Stray Kids · ITZY
K-pop
Open

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.

Known for: aespa · NCT · RIIZE
K-pop
Open

Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:122870

YG Entertainment

YG connects global K-pop attention to touring, brand deals, fan demand, and artist-centered entertainment revenue.

Known for: BLACKPINK · BABYMONSTER · TREASURE
K-pop
Open

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.

Known for: Taobao · Tmall · Youku
Platforms
Open

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.

Source: AP News
Published signal
Read

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.

Source: Fast Retailing
+22.4% revenue growth
Read

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.

Source: NetEase
Multi-year UMG license agreement
Read

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.

Source: CJ ENM
Global Warner deal
Read

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.

Source: Sanrio
Read

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.

Source: Amorepacific
Read