Every metal guitar wants a powerful amplifier. Yang Mal-bok is delightfully animated in Lee Yu-jin’s Manok, a film where zest is absolutely mandatory. Shortly after the first frame’s bright rainbow flag passes us by, we meet the titular Manok, a lively and impulsive bar owner who hosts LGBTQIA+ parade parties in Seoul. In a bold…
Tag: review
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – “Some Nights I Feel Like Walking” Review
Petersen Vargas draws us into a night of endless possibility in Some Nights I Feel Like Walking, a sensory experience set in the beating heart of Manila. Vibrant lights and a subtly hypnotic ambience immerse us into the thrilling hustle life of four boys, which is slowly unpeeled to its merciless core. We never see…
Brigiding Opens Up About Drag Race Philippines, House of Ding, and the Art of Drag
When Drag Race Philippines season one was announced, fans were more than excited to finally see what the Asian queens could bring to the stage. The show’s success opened doors for future seasons and the recently announced Drag Race Slayasian, where Asian queens from international franchises will compete together in an All-Stars format – a…
Jooyoung’s Pitch-Perfect Live Performance in London – Show Review
R&B has always thrived on emotional depth and a deep sense of intimacy. While its roots lie in African American musical traditions, the genre has found compelling voices in South Korea, where artists have beautifully incorporated its soulful sound with their own cultural and musical styles. Artists such as Colde, Hoody, Dean, Jooyoung, Crush, Babylon,…
ONE OR EIGHT to Release New Single “DSTM” on March 19
J-pop continues to impress many in the West. One group that exemplifies the genre’s power and global appeal is ONE OR EIGHT. This eight-member boy group, consisting of MIZUKI, NEO, REIA, RYOTA, SOUMA, TAKERU, TSUBASA, and YUGA, has mastered the art of mixing hip-hop and pop while staying true to the essence of Japanese culture….
ONE PACT: The Rising K-Pop Group You Need to Know – Exclusive Interview
ONE PACT, a South Korean boy group under Armada Entertainment, has quickly established itself as one of the most exciting rookie groups in the K-pop scene. Comprising Jongwoo, Jay Chang, Seongmin, TAG, and Yedam, the group’s formation is the result of experienced artists with diverse backgrounds coming together to create something fresh and powerful. They…
75th Berlin International Film Festival: “How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World” Review
Much like the greyscale outlook of those with depressive disorders, sometimes cinema is so uninspired it seems like the entire industry has been lost to shareholders. But on one’s first watch of Florian Pochlatko’s How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World, it’s like trying fudge after a lifetime of eating cardboard….
75th Berlin International Film Festival: “The Message” Review
Screened in Competition at this year’s Berlinale and winner of the Silver Bear Jury Prize, Iván Fund’s The Message is an unconventional coming-of-age story that balances the ethereal with the tangible, creating a narrative about family, perception, and connection. At its core, The Message captures the defining moment when a child gains the awareness that…
75th Berlin International Film Festival: “Hysteria” Review
A study in humanity might be one good way of summarising Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay’s 2025 film Hysteria. Where is the line between a righteous act and a performative spectacle? Büyükatalay attempts to answer the question when a dishonourable burning of a Quran for a shoot sparks conflict between parties, and Hysteria becomes a meta film…
“Cottontail” Review: A Masterful Directorial Debut
The recently bereaved Kenzaburo (Lily Franky), travels to the UK in order to scatter his late wife’s ashes in Lake Windermere accompanied by his son, Toshi (Ryo Nishikido), his wife, Satsuki (Rin Takanashi) and their daughter. Once in London, the fractious relationship between father and son intensifies leading to Kenzaburo deciding to fulfill his wife’s…
Lee Youngji Mesmerises Fans at Her First Solo London Show – Concert Review
From the early days of hip-hop, women have been integral to shaping the culture, yet they have often had to fight twice as hard for recognition. Legends like MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Bahamadia, Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes, Lauryn Hill, and Missy Elliott laid the foundation for future generations, proving that women could hold their own…
For CIX, Groove Comes Naturally: “THUNDER FEVER” Review
Quite like wrapped chocolate, with CIX, you know what you’re going to get. The well-rounded four piece make good use of what they have. Their voices sit nicely next to each other like siblings on a bench in a family photo; there is no standout timbre, but rather always a comfortableness to their sound. Cinema…
XLOV: Breaking Norms, Building Dreams – Exclusive Interview
The four new pillars of avant-garde in K-Pop strutted out in pearls and elegance. Above them, the jumbotron in the figurative stadium of current K-Pop social media buzz illuminated their names in shimmering lights: Wumuti, Rui, Hyun, and Haru. One or two of those might sound familiar to you, and if Boys Planet sounds even…
Colde Set to Bring His 2025 BLUE PRINT Tour to Europe This February and March
Colde, a South Korean singer-songwriter, is bringing his BLUE PRINT tour, presenting both his latest work and classic hits. If you’re a music enthusiast who enjoys a blend of various genres, Colde’s performances are not to be missed. The tour launches in Milan on February 19, 2025, before weaving through a series of major European…
