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· Carl Samson
Amid anti-Asian and anti-white claims, Pfizer amends fellowship to allow applicants ‘regardless’ of race
Pfizer reportedly amended its criteria for a coveted fellowship program accused of discriminating against Asian and white applicants. The “quiet” change, which was reported by Do No Harm this week, comes as the Virginia-based nonprofit moves to appeal a federal court’s rejection…
· Daniel Anderson
HYBE publishes open letter upon completed acquisition of SM Entertainment
HYBE CEO Park Ji-won has published an open letter discussing his company’s completed acquisition of the majority stake in its competitor, SM Entertainment. The letter was posted on HYBE’s official social media accounts on Tuesday in Korean, Japanese and English.
· Michelle De Pacina
Suicide of pink-haired Chinese woman sparks campaign to combat cyberbullying
The death of a pink-haired Chinese woman has sparked a campaign to combat cyberbullying across China. Zheng Linghua, 23, became a victim of cyberbullying in July 2022 after she posted photos and videos of herself proudly sharing her acceptance letter to graduate school with her…
· Daniel Anderson
‘Past Lives’: Celine Song’s critically acclaimed A24 debut gets a trailer
A24 has released the official trailer for “Past Lives,” writer Celine Song’s directorial debut starring Greta Lee. The romantic drama film centers around a relationship over the course of decades. Lee, 39, who is best known for her role as Maxine in “Russian Doll,” plays Nora.…
· Bryan Ke
Most Americans remain opposed to affirmative action, new poll reveals
The majority of respondents in a recent public opinion poll revealed that they do not agree with affirmative action. The results of the poll, conducted by Reuters/Ipsos from Feb. 6-13, show that 62% of 4,408 American adult respondents believe that race should not be a…
· Ryan General
Meet the ‘anti-woke’ Indian American millionaire planning to run for president in 2024
Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian American Republican dubbed by New Yorker magazine as the “CEO of Anti-Woke Inc.,” is reportedly considering running for president of the United States in 2024. Ramaswamy, who was born to Indian immigrant parents in Cincinnati, received his education at…
· Michelle De Pacina
Diversity activist who claimed to be Latino, Arab, South Asian outed as white by her mother
Muslim activist Raquel Evita Saraswati, who claimed to be a woman of color, was outed by her mother who said she is “white as the driven snow.” Saraswati, 39, is the chief equity, inclusion and culture officer of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker…
· Michelle De Pacina
Japan proposes raising age of sexual consent from 13 to 16
The Japanese Justice Ministry has proposed raising the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16. The proposal comes as part of an overhaul of the country’s sex crime legislation after multiple rape acquittals in 2019 caused public outrage.
· Ryan General
Small change discovered in latest ‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ trailer excites fans
The latest “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” trailer is creating some buzz online for a small yet significant change in how Mario performs his iconic “wahoo” shout. The change appears to be in response to fans who have taken issue with actor Chris Pratt’s previous delivery of the…
· Daniel Anderson
Witches and wizards abound in Crunchyroll trailer for ‘Mashle: Muscles and Magic’
Crunchyroll has dropped a new trailer for its upcoming fantasy anime, “Mashle: Muscles and Magic.” The series is based on the manga of the same name, which was written and illustrated by Hajime Komoto and serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump.
· Daniel Anderson
SM Entertainment report reveals forthcoming albums from Taeyeon, aespa, SHINee and more
South Korean entertainment company SM Entertainment has announced its upcoming music projects for the first half of the year. The company shared its line-up of comebacks and slated concerts in its latest earnings report for the fourth quarter of 2022. SM Entertainment’s report…
· Bryan Ke
Chinese railway system launches trains with carriages devoted to studying
A railway system in southwest China has just launched several trains equipped with chairs and desks so that students of all ages can study as they travel. The new features were highlighted in a series of videos and pictures released by railway operators on Weibo and Chinese…
· Editorial Staff
‘Just stare back’: Woman applies full face of makeup while on moving train in viral TikTok
A Singaporean woman has gone viral for applying a full face of makeup while on a moving train. On Sunday, TikTok user @unbiden posted the video taken during her commute to Jurong in western Singapore.
· Daniel Anderson
Disney Plus drops ‘Chang Can Dunk’ trailer starring Bloom Li
Disney Plus has released the trailer for “Chang Can Dunk,” an Asian-led coming-of-age sports film starring Bloom Li and directed by Jingyi Shao. Li plays Chang, an unpopular high school student who loves basketball and Pokémon. After making a bet with his school’s all-star…
· Bryan Ke
SM Entertainment CFO warns HYBE’s ‘hostile takeover’ will hurt K-pop fans
South Korean entertainment company SM Entertainment has released a new statement video addressing what it describes as a “hostile takeover” from competitor HYBE after the latter became the label’s largest stakeholder. The video, uploaded on SM Entertainment’s YouTube channel on…
· Ryan General
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ co-creator shares how a Hayao Miyazaki rule influenced the show
Legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s commitment to creating stunning hand-drawn animations in his Studio Ghibli films influenced the creators of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Avatar Studios co-head Bryan Konietzko shared in a recent interview how Japanese animation inspired the…
· Carl Samson
CNN chairman slams anchor Don Lemon’s sexist jab at Nikki Haley
CNN Chairman Chris Licht has reportedly rebuked anchor Don Lemon over his controversial remarks against Nikki Haley, describing them as a “huge distraction” to the media company. Lemon, 56, who co-hosts “CNN This Morning,” drew backlash after Thursday’s episode for stating that…
· Daniel Anderson
SM Entertainment CEO releases video accusing uncle and company founder of tax evasion
SM Entertainment CEO Chris Lee has released a scathing video accusing the company’s founder of tax evasion and delaying Aespa’s comeback album. Chris Lee, born Lee Sung-su, goes on the offensive against his own uncle, Lee Soo-man, in a 30-minute video uploaded to his YouTube…
· Michelle De Pacina
Billionaire tech banker Bao Fan is latest executive to go missing in China
Shares of investment bank China Renaissance Holdings have plummeted after its chairman and CEO Bao Fan was reported missing. In a Thursday filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange, the renowned billionaire tech banker was reported unreachable by his company.
· Carl Samson
Hawaii, Washington move to ban octopus farms
Hawaii and Washington state are looking to shut down or outright ban octopus farms, with the former recently ordering the closure of a controversial facility. Kanaloa Octopus Farm, located at the Big Island’s village of Kailua-Kona, has come under fire over its handling of day…
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.