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Sonzaishoumei (SINGLE+DVD) (First Press Limited Edition) (Japan Version)
KID PHENOMENON from EXILE TRIBE
LDH debuted three new EXILE TRIBE groups in one fell sweep in August this year - KID PHENOMENON, THE JET BOYZ and WOLF HOWL HARMONY - and the first of the Gen Z groups to return with a second single is KID PHENOMENON. Sonzaishoumei ("Existence") continues the young, fresh and energetic vibes of their major debut single Wheelie, but with an added soulful edge of determination. "Existence" draws you in with a silky medium-tempo melody in the verses and an exuberant uptempo chorus that embodies the courageous spirit of "running through the darkness." The song's rousing message of shaking off doubts and worries and forging ahead on one's own path is ever appropriate as the ending theme of... [read more]
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aespa Mini Album Vol. 4 - Drama (Drama Version)
aespa
Half a year after MY WORLD, aespa returns with their fourth mini-album Drama, bringing listeners some dynamic and empowering songs to jam to. Since they've put aside their "ae" and "KWANGYA" metaverse concept, we are now able to appreciate and focus more on the group's musicality. The girls bring all the drama in the hip-hop dance lead single Drama (Track 1)! Winter and Ningning slay with their on-point high notes, while Karina and Giselle also portray interesting vocal acting in their verses. Though Drama is not as addictive as their last comeback title Spicy, it's definitely a song that recalls the strong and dark vibe of their debut era. "Now you see me. Now you don't." With a powerful... [read more]
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Moonlight Chicken (2023) (DVD) (Ep. 1-8) (End) (Gift Boxset) (English Subtitled) (Thailand Version)
Earth Pirapat Watthanasetsiri (Actor)
| Mix Sahaphap Wongratch (Actor)
| Khaotung Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan (Actor)
| Papang Phromphiriya Thongputtaruk (Actor)
In 2021, writer-director Aof Noppharnach Chaiyahwimhon took GMMTV's idol BL dramas in a new direction by leaving campus romance behind for a more mature story and rural setting in A Tale of Thousand Stars. This year, Aof and stars Earth Pirapat and Mix Sahaphap again bring something different with the warm human drama Moonlight Chicken. The original series is centered around a Hainanese chicken rice diner in Pattaya. Earth plays Uncle Jim who keeps the friendly neighborhood diner open till late, and offers all-you-can-eat chicken after midnight even though he barely makes enough to pay the bills. Mix is Wen, a designer who frequents the diner one drunken night and clicks immediately with... [read more]
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ONF Mini Album Vol. 7 - Love Effect (Random Version)
ONF
"Lights On, hearts connected. Our LOVE stronger than ever." Almost two years after Goosebumps, ONF finally returns from the military and comes back in a full-member lineup for their seventh mini-album LOVE EFFECT! Producer Hwang Hyun again took charge of the production of LOVE EFFECT, an album that gathers the members' thoughts and sentiments while they were away from fans for one and a half years. Hyo Jin, E-TION, J-US, Wyatt, MK and U first unfold a new chapter with Be Here Now (Track 1) by showing their gratitude to fans who have waited for them: "The road that no one took, I've decided to go, because I have you who trust me. Let's sing all night now. Let's scream and dance together. Our... [read more]
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The Narrow Road (2022) (DVD) (Taiwan Version)
Louis Cheung (Actor)
| Angela Yuen (Actor)
| Chu Pak Him (Actor)
| Tommy Chu (Actor)
There's a Chinese saying that enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road. While there are no concrete enemies in Lam Sum's 2022 film The Narrow Road, there are many tangible troubles that are clearly coming and yet can't be avoided when all of life itself is a narrow road for those living hand to mouth. Set during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the poignant yet low-key drama offers a realistic look into the daily lives and struggles of Hong Kong's low-wage working class. Louis Cheung is excellent as Chak, a decent hardworking everyman who runs a small one-man cleaning company. While it may seem like pandemic is great business for cleaners, he is barely getting by with limited help... [read more]
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Lost Love (2022) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Sammi Cheng (Actor)
| Alan Luk (Actor)
| Hedwig Tam (Actor)
| Ka Sing Fung (Director, Writer)
Sammi Cheng's award-winning performanceSammi Cheng was nominated for Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards eight times previously before finally winning the prize this year with her performance in Lost Love. Different from the lovable, quirky romantic heroine roles she's best known for, Sammi Cheng's character Mei in Lost Love is a normal, slightly gloomy woman carrying an unspeakable pain. When we first meet Mei, she seems like a typically jaded, irritable and resourceful working Hong Konger who takes up foster parenting at least partially for the foster care allowance. We gradually learn that Mei and her husband Bun (Alan Luk) lost their son when he was three-years-old, and she has never really come out of the grief. Mei's... [read more]
September 30, 2023 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
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RIIZE Single Album Vol. 1 - Get A Guitar (Rise Version)
RIIZE
RIIZE officially becomes the first idol group to debut under SM Entertainment following the agency's contentious launching of the "SM 3.0" strategic plan earlier this year. Shotaro and Sung Chan left NCT to join RIIZE alongside SM Rookies' Eun Seok and Seung Han, Won Bin, So Hee and Anton. The rookies aspire to "rise" and "realize" their dreams while sharing their music and growing up with their fans BRIIZE. The boys express their emotions, inspirations and memories through two songs in their first single album Get A Guitar. Accompanied with addictively funky guitar rhythms and retro synth sounds, titular track Get A Guitar (Track 1) gives off a stylish and playful ambience while telling... [read more]
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Infinite Mini Album Vol. 7 - 13egin (COME Version)
Infinite
After four years of group hiatus, Infinite finally comes back again in a full-member lineup with their long-awaited seventh mini-album! The album is named 13egin to mark a new beginning for the group as they celebrate the 13th anniversary of their debut. Known for their powerful tunes and synchronized dancing, Infinite shows us mature New Emotions this time in the new album. Opening with Intro: 13 (Track 1) that signifies their start, 13egins sets off in a stylish mood with the title track New Emotions (Track 2). Produced by Ryan Jhun and Cory Enemy, New Emotions captures how a man feels "brand new emotions" as he falls helplessly in love with his crush: "You make me / Lose my mind / More... [read more]
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Kamen Rider Black Sun (Blu-ray) (Japan Version)
Nishijima Hidetoshi
| Nakamura Tomoya
| Shiraishi Kazuya (Director)
| Nakamura Aoi
Director: Shiraishi Kazuya. Cast: Nishijima Hidetoshi and Nakamura Tomoya. Released on: Amazon Prime Video. Rating: 18+. Kamen Rider Black Sun is clearly not your usual kid-friendly Kamen Rider for network television. Produced to mark the iconic tokusatsu franchise's 50th anniversary, the 2022 Kamen Rider Black Sun series is a reboot of 1987's Kamen Rider Black. The Showa-era classic is one of the most famous titles of the franchise, and its hero Minami Kotaro is perhaps the most quintessential image of the lone-wolf, motorcycle-riding, angular-posing Kamen Rider. Targeted for adult audiences, Kamen Rider Black Sun digs deep into the dark and disturbing aspects of the Kamen Rider Black... [read more]
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The Lines That Define Me (Blu-ray) (Deluxe Edition) (Japan Version)
Eguchi Yosuke (Actor)
| Yokohama Ryusei (Actor)
| Miura Tomokazu (Actor)
| Kiyohara Kaya (Actor)
From 2016 to 2018, writer-director Koizumi Norihiro adapted the manga Chihayafuru into a three-part film about the coming-of-age journey of a group of teens who play the traditional game of competitive karuta. Koizumi and the production team of Chihayafuru bring another traditional art form to screen in the 2022 film The Lines That Define Me. Based on Togami Hiromasa's novel Sen wa, Boku wo Egaku, The Lines That Define Me begins with a youth's chance discovery of ink wash painting, or "suibokuga" in Japanese. Yokohama Ryusei portrays Aoyama Sosuke, a college student who has quietly lost his light in life since his parents' passing. Like many young people, Sosuke is studying a subject he... [read more]
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EXO Vol. 7 - EXIST (Photobook Version) (Random Version)
EXO
There has been a lot of drama with EXO this year, but that doesn't stop them from gifting EXO-Ls their first group comeback in a while. Two years after DON'T FIGHT THE FEELING, the EXO members gather again to prove that they're still strong in the K-pop game with their seventh full-length album EXIST. EXO returns with the pop dance title track Cream Soda (Track 1), which portrays an irresistible seduction to fall for, even knowing it could be risky and harmful. The song gives off a sexy ambience like the group's 2018 hit Love Shot. With its high notes and pitches, Cream Soda is the best song to show off the members' outstanding vocal skills. Chen, Baek Hyun, D.O., Suho and Xiumin's delivery... [read more]
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Sync Of Summer (Japan Version)
Yamashita Tatsuro
Yamashita Tatsuro's Sync of Summer isn't the type of summer jam that you blast out loud or dance along to. Rather, it's the summer song that you listen to while staring peacefully at the sea and thinking of summers past. With just a few lines over a mellow city pop melody, Yamashita Tatsuro's evocative lyrics conjure the sensory imagery of summer that endures in our minds – drops of sweat, the color of iced tea, the chill of ice cubes, the smell of sand. The underlying rhythm of the song begins to beat harder, faster and louder before breaking out into a joyous yet wistful chorus for that "forever summertime." Reveling in the pure feeling of summer, Sync of Summer is an ode to the fleeting... [read more]
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KISS OF LIFE Mini Album Vol. 1 - KISS OF LIFE
KISS OF LIFE
It's girl group domination in K-pop! Rookie group KISS OF LIFE from S2 Entertainment, founded by former Cube Entertainment chairman Hong Seung Sung, gathers four strong members – dancer Natty (from SIXTEEN and Idol School), main vocalist Belle (one of the songwriters of LE SSERAFIM's UNFORGIVEN), rapper Julie (former trainee of THEBLACKLABEL and Swing Entertainment), and lead vocalist Ha Neul. The girls show their versatility, skills and stage presence through their first mini-album KISS OF LIFE. In their self-titled debut release, KISS OF LIFE sets out to search for freedom as well as their true selves. They first reveal their group identity with the lead single Shhh (Track 1), which... [read more]
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Oshi no Ko Vol.1 (Blu-ray) (Japan Version)
Otsuka Takeo
| Akasaka Aka
| Igata Kurou
Aired from April to June 2023, the first season of the Oshi no Ko anime series has been a breakout hit – and the success starts with its epic first episode. Produced by Doga Kobo studio, Oshi no Ko is based on Akasaka Aka's same-titled manga set in the bright lights and dark shadows of the idol entertainment industry. There's a Japanese joke about being reborn as an idol's child, and that's exactly what happens to the protagonist of Oshi no Ko. Obstetrician Amamiya Goro is a superfan of an underground teen idol named Hoshino Ai, who shows up pregnant at his hospital one day. She is cheerily determined to become a single mother and also continue being an idol. On the night he's supposed to... [read more]
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We Are Dancing In The Dark
WHIZZ (Singer)
Almost two years after releasing their debut album, Hong Kong indie girl band WHIZZ delivers again with soft, dreamy and groovy pop band sounds with a retro touch in We Are Dancing in The Dark. Unlike their previous record, this second album connects more with relatable stories about our inner souls written in Cantonese by lyricists Cheng Man, Chung Suet and the members. The rhythmical "Incurable…" (Track 1) conveys the struggling thoughts of hiding one's true self, while the lighthearted "Say Anything" (Track 2) carries a sweet love confession. Following the laid-back interlude Private Zone (feat. Meter Mak) (Track 3), WHIZZ shifts to a slightly edgy ambience for "Guilty of... [read more]
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![Start over! [Type A] (SINGLE+BLU-RAY) (Japan Version)](https://d3tvwjfge35btc.cloudfront.net/Assets/85/497/S_p0195649785.jpg)
Start over! [Type A] (SINGLE+BLU-RAY) (Japan Version)
Sakurazaka46
From the start, Sakurazaka46 has always been the anomaly of the 48/46 Group. Turning perky bubblegum idol pop on its head, the Japanese girl group's songs unleashed teen angst, frustration and rebellion while wallowing in dark tones and quirky aesthetics. Since rebranding, Sakurazaka46 has softened some of those rough and eccentric edges as the group grows and evolves. Sakurazaka46's latest single Start over! is both a return to their angst-laden start and a representation of their growing maturity. After all, it's not just teens who feel lost, listless and powerless in society – so do adults. Start over! grabs you right away with an epic intro intertwining a striking bassline and steady... [read more]
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Haru no Oto (Normal Edition) (Japan Version)
miwa
I've always felt that miwa's voice and music style embodies spring: bright, pure and warm with a tinge of melancholy. Her latest single Haru no Oto totally exemplifies this. Written and composed by miwa, Haru no Oto can be heard as the ending theme for the second season of the high school baseball anime Mix: Meisei Story based on Adachi Mitsuru's manga. True to the anime's coming-of-age themes, the song evokes the sound and scenes of youth in its gentle yet vibrant blend of guitar and piano. Looking back while wondering about the future, the lyrics recall the sweet and bittersweet emotions of ambiguous young love that stays in your memories. The new B-side song Misoushin continues the story... [read more]
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LE SSERAFIM Vol. 1 - UNFORGIVEN (Random Version)
LE SSERAFIM
"I'm never going back. Burn the bridge, burn it all. We don't have to be forgiven. We are unforgiven." Following FEARLESS and ANTIFRAGILE, LE SSERAFIM continues to unleash their unique strong presence with powerful dancing and stylish sounds in their first full-length studio album UNFORGIVEN. Though there are 13 tracks in the album, the first six tracks are not new songs. UNFORGIVEN includes the five-member versions of The World Is My Oyster (Track 1), FEARLESS (Track 2) and Blue Flame (Track 3) from debut EP FEARLESS, in addition to three songs from second mini-album ANTIFRAGILE – The Hydra (Track 4), ANTIFRAGILE (Track 5) and Impurities (Track 6). Like with their previous two records, LE... [read more]
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BTOB Mini Album Vol. 12 - Wind and Wish (Wish Version)
BTOB
Spring is the season of blossoming, flowering and new beginnings. Before officially welcoming summer, BTOB leads us to embark on a journey searching for hope, happiness and healing moments in late spring with their 12th mini-album Wind and Wish. BTOB sends well wishes to loved ones in the lead single Wind And Wish (Track 1). Produced by Hyun Sik and MosPick's Son Young Jin, the dance ballad is filled with heartwarming lyrics that go perfectly with breezy spring days: "Woo-Ah Woah, deliver my heart, so that I can reach you far away. Woo-Ah Woah, when my wind passes by, you can feel the love." Different from their signature spring hit "Remember That," Wind And Wish feels more like the spring... [read more]
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Alienoid (2022) (Blu-ray) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Kim Tae Ri (Actor)
| Kim Woo Bin (Actor)
| Ryu Jun Yeol (Actor)
| Honey Lee (Actor)
If there's one thing you can count on from Choi Dong Hun, it's a rollicking good time at the movies. The blockbuster Korean director has applied his formula of star power, sleek production and tight action to a whirlwind of genres, from gambling (Tazza) and costume fantasy (Jeon Woo Chi) to heist (The Thieves) and period espionage (Assassination). Continuing the tour of genres, Choi Dong Hun takes on sci-fi in his latest Alienoid, an ambitious if scattershot action-packed spectacle that has many things going on to entertain you. As signaled in the title, aliens are among us and have been for years. Not only that, aliens beam their worst criminals to Earth and imprison them in the human... [read more]
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