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· Daniel Anderson
HYBE expected to net $87 million after selling all of its SM Entertainment shares
K-pop company HYBE announced its intention to sell its entire 15.8% stake in rival talent agency SM Entertainment to South Korean internet giant Kakao following their failed takeover. HYBE, which houses the likes of BTS, SEVENTEEN, NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM and more, announced on…
· Ines Shin
Business as usual: Japanese man climbs Malaysia’s highest mountain in full suit and tie
A Japanese tailor has gone viral on TikTok for climbing Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia in full business attire, complete with dress shoes and a briefcase. On Wednesday, 49-year-old Nobutaka Sada climbed Malaysia’s tallest peak, 4,095 meters above sea level, in his own brand’s “order…
· Iris Jung
‘Pokémon Horizons: The Series’ trailer sees two new trainers in place of Ash Ketchum
With Ash Ketchum and Pikachu now in the rearview mirror, the Pokémon Company released the trailer for upcoming show “Pokémon Horizons: The Series” on Friday. Ash and Pikachu’s final appearance in the last episode of “Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series” on Friday marked the…
· Carl Samson
Chinese official ‘corrects’ foreign reporter: ‘no such thing as Taiwanese president’
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin denied the existence of a Taiwanese president on Thursday, reiterating Beijing’s position that Taiwan is an “inalienable” part of China. Wang made the claim to “correct” a foreign reporter at a regular press briefing in Beijing.…
· Daniel Anderson
Benedict Wong, Callina Liang join English-language remake of hit Thai film ‘Bad Genius’
Benedict Wong and Callina Liang will star in the English-language remake of the hit Thai film “Bad Genius.” “Bad Genius,” which is known in Thailand as “Chalard Games Goeng,” is a heist thriller film directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya. It was released in 2017 and became Thailand’s…
· Daniel Anderson
‘Sakra’: US trailer released for Donnie Yen’s big-budget film adaptation of classic wuxia novel
The official U.S. trailer for Donnie Yen’s big-budget martial arts fantasy “Sakra” was released on Thursday. Produced by and starring Yen, “Sakra” is an adaptation of the classic wuxia novel “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” by Louis Cha.
· Bryan Ke
Japanese woman claims her husband played sex tape of her and ex-husband at stepdaughter’s wedding
A 37-year-old Japanese man who learned his wife was having an affair with her ex-husband allegedly took revenge by playing their sex video during his stepdaughter’s wedding. The story, shared by the 41-year-old woman under the pseudonym Hiroko to Japanese magazine An An on March…
· Bryan Ke
S. Korean prosecutors seek Do Kwon’s extradition after Montenegro airport arrest
South Korean prosecutors are working with Montenegro authorities to extradite Do Kwon to South Korea, but the United States is also chasing after the crypto fugitive. Kwon, whose real name is Kwon Do-hyung, was arrested at Podgorica Airport in Montenegro on Thursday after he and…
· Carl Samson
‘Chinese Zodiac Killer’ who claimed to eat his victims hit with new weapons charges
A New York man accused of mailing threatening letters in which he claimed to murder and eat his victims has been charged with weapons counts this week. Jesse Bartlett, 45, was arraigned on Wednesday on third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal…
· Ryan General
Woman’s AI-generated itinerary for 12-day solo Vietnam trip goes viral on TikTok
A Singaporean woman has gone viral on TikTok for using artificial intelligence (AI) to plan her 12-day solo trip to Hanoi, Vietnam. The woman, known as Mel, fed the details of her preferred places to visit and her chosen arrival and return dates to the Notion AI writing…
· Iris Jung
‘Power Rangers’ reunion special trailer reveals fate of original Yellow Ranger Trini
The cast of the original 1993 “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” reunite in the trailer for their 30th anniversary special. Titled “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always,” the upcoming installment of the superhero franchise is set 30 years after the team’s original debut.…
· Michelle De Pacina
Singapore and Taiwan rank among happiest countries in Asia
Singapore and Taiwan are among the happiest countries in East Asia, according to the 2023 World Happiness Report released by the United Nations (U.N.) Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Released on Monday, the report was compiled based on global survey data from people…
· Ines Shin
Thai man goes viral for traveling with his 11 cats in a sidecar motorcycle
Choowong Thepkoh, a 65-year-old man from Thailand, recently embarked on a nearly five-hour journey with his 11 cats using a sidecar motorcycle. On Friday, “Kingdom of Tigers,” a popular Thai cat Facebook page, asked its followers to donate cat food to Thepkoh, affectionately…
· Iris Jung
Father punishes son by forcing him to play video games for 17 hours straight
A Chinese father punished his son, 11, by purportedly forcing him to play video games for 17 hours without any sleep. Located in Shenzhen, China, the punishment began after the father — known as Huang — found his son still on his phone in the middle of the night.
· Carl Samson
Asian families warned of targeted burglaries in Maine
Police in Portland, Maine, issued a warning Friday about a group of men involved in a series of burglaries that have targeted Asian families in the city. The suspects, described to be a group of Hispanic males, would sometimes pose as food delivery drivers to scope out their…
· Michelle De Pacina
Thai woman accused of fatal hit-and-run of Michigan student receives $1 million bond
The Thai woman who fled to Bangkok after allegedly hitting a Michigan State University student with her car and leaving him for dead has received a $1 million bond. On March 17, Judge Lisa Asadorian ordered the $1 million bond for Tubtim “Sue” Howson, 57, during an arraignment…
· Carl Samson
‘She panicked’: Woman arraigned after extradition from Thailand for Michigan hit-and-run
Tubtim “Sue” Howson, the 57-year-old woman who fled to Thailand after allegedly killing a university student in a Michigan hit-and-run, has been charged with one count of failure to stop at the scene of a fatal crash. The felony charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five…
· Ines Shin
Stunning new species of Japanese orchid discovered hiding in plain sight
Japanese researchers have identified a new orchid species near Hachijo Island, giving it the name Spiranthes hachijoensis. Over a decade ago, Kenji Suetsugu, a professor in Kobe University’s Division of Biodiversity, discovered a new orchid species during fieldwork near Hachijo…
· Ana Yoo
Mỹ Lai massacre: 55 years since one of the US Army’s worst atrocities of the 20th century
On March 16, 1968, more than 500 unarmed civilians were brutally killed in a mass murder committed by U.S. troops in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Victims of the Mỹ Lai massacre included men, women, children, infants and animals. Some women and children were gang-raped…
· Daniel Anderson
Kelly Clarkson earns praise for her sincere effort to pronounce TWICE members’ names
Singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson is receiving praise for her attempts to correctly pronounce the names of TWICE’s members. The K-pop girl group made their in-person U.S. talk show interview debut on March 14 on the “Kelly Clarkson Show.” They have performed virtually on…
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.