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What’s the deal with the debate? 🎭When won the Tony Award for Best Musical in June, it was a landmark win for the Asi...
13/08/2025

What’s the deal with the debate? 🎭

When won the Tony Award for Best Musical in June, it was a landmark win for the Asian American theater community. But two weeks ago, the production announced a recast, replacing Darren Criss with a white actor. While the musical’s creators said the role was never intended to be Asian, it felt like a slap in the face to many in the community, who felt like they were being used for marketing and awards season purposes only.

The decision has received much backlash from Asian American actors who felt betrayed by the decision. Asians have always been underrepresented in theater, and “Maybe Happy Ending” felt like a bright spot. But now we don’t even have that.

Writer Kayti Burt () gave us a full recap on the controversy, including what prominent actors like and have said about it. Link in bio for her full thoughts on the issue.

This unforgettable memoir is just one way that Native Hawaiians are telling their own stories 🌊“Kuleana,” meaning respon...
11/08/2025

This unforgettable memoir is just one way that Native Hawaiians are telling their own stories 🌊

“Kuleana,” meaning responsibility, is a vivid memoir by journalist Sara Kehaulani Goo that details her uphill battle against modern U.S. imperialism and capitalism to save a sliver of her heritage: the land itself. Her family received land from the legendary King Kamehameha III under the historic Mahele, a law that bequeathed land to people, but American occupation has slowly taken away these lands and given them to foreigners, mostly white men.

The extremely wealthy, like Mark Zuckerberg and Oprah Winfrey, have been displacing Native Hawaiians for years, and they’re also the ones who have been controlling the stories being told. Now, with “Kuleana,” .author is taking back control and revealing the truth for change.

Mixed Asian Media writer Rohan Zhou-Lee () spoke with Sara about this one-of-a-kind memoir and how Hawaii deserves its rightful place in history. Link in bio for the full read!

📸: Marvin Joseph

There’s no better time to visit Japan for us Ohtani fans 🌾Every year, some rice fields across Japan will display gloriou...
30/07/2025

There’s no better time to visit Japan for us Ohtani fans 🌾

Every year, some rice fields across Japan will display glorious murals. This is accomplished when different rice varieties are meticulously planted in specific areas to create a bigger picture when looked at from afar.

In Oshu City’s Esashi Ward, people can witness a giant rice mural of Japanese baseball player of the Los Angeles and his pup, Decoy. Over 150 locals came together to plant the rice and honor their hometown hero 🥹

So happy to see his community continuing to root for him!

K-drama writers still have some work to do… ✏️One of this year’s most popular K-dramas, “Our Unwritten Seoul,” boasts si...
29/07/2025

K-drama writers still have some work to do… ✏️

One of this year’s most popular K-dramas, “Our Unwritten Seoul,” boasts six disabled characters, but it doesn’t seem like much thought was put into fleshing them out whatsoever. One character, Lee Ho-Su is deaf in one ear, but at different stages throughout the show is portrayed to have varying levels of impairment in both ears.

The show also falls prey to the common problem of removing or forgetting a character’s disability so that they can find love. This trope is also in 2020’s “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.”

With the recent release of “Our Unwritten Seoul,” writer Geoffrey Bunting wanted to look at the other ways that K-dramas treat disabilities. He examines how shows like “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” “Moving,” “The Atypical Family,” and more treat their disabled characters. While some get it right, others are simply using disability as a means to incite drama and sympathy (mostly for able-bodied characters). Read Geoffrey’s full thoughts on this topic through our link in bio.

He’s a legend of Hong Kong cinema 🎬Just five years into his 46-year-long career, Tsui Hark thought about giving up on fi...
25/07/2025

He’s a legend of Hong Kong cinema 🎬

Just five years into his 46-year-long career, Tsui Hark thought about giving up on filmmaking. But then he made “Shanghai Blues,” a screwball romantic comedy filled with slapstick humor and acrobatic comic set pieces. It’s a classic, and it’s a testament to the golden age for film in Hong Kong.

Now, 41 years after the film’s debut, Tsui Hark spoke with JoySauce writer Andy Crump () about . He discusses whether a film like it could be made today, how the industry has changed, and what people must do to keep filmmaking alive. Link in bio!

Photos by Filmworkshop, stills from “Shanghai Blues”

is back and more honest than ever 🤍Jackson Wang has spent more than a decade forging his own path in an industry obsess...
08/07/2025

is back and more honest than ever 🤍

Jackson Wang has spent more than a decade forging his own path in an industry obsessed with perfection. From being a K-pop idol in the widely popular group, .with.igot7, to his rise as a global solo force, his journey has often looked glossy from the outside. But underneath the artistic journey, world tours, and relentless expectations, there’s a man quietly wrestling with the same messy, complicated emotions most of us are.

In his upcoming album, Jackson opens up with rare honesty and strips away the polished façade to confront the loneliness, doubt, and restless ache that shadow relentless ambition. After stepping away for a year to reflect and reconnect with himself, Jackson turns his inner turmoil into .

Writer Monica Yadav () caught up with Jackson about the upcoming album and confronting the version of himself the world expects. From his surprise collaboration with to processing grief, identity, and taking charge of his own visuals, Wang opened up about everything that’s been weighing on his heart. Link in bio!

First in TOP GUN, and now in F1 😑Back in 2022, all of Manny Jacinto’s lines were cut from “Top Gun: Maverick.” He only...
03/07/2025

First in TOP GUN, and now in F1 😑

Back in 2022, all of Manny Jacinto’s lines were cut from “Top Gun: Maverick.” He only appeared in the final cut for a few brief moments, despite undergoing real fighter jet training for the role.

Now in 2025, star Simone Ashley was almost cut out entirely from the “F1” film. No speaking lines, no meaningful arc, just a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo and some red carpet photos.

Both films were directed by Joseph Kosinski, and he did say that cutting these roles had nothing to do with the actors themselves and were simply due to the typical filmmaking process. But it does show an interesting pattern of BIPOC actors being used for casting announcements, paparazzi shots, and press tours before being dropped in the end. That’s not representation. That’s tokenism with a PR budget.

Writer Daniel Anderson () expressed his frustrations with this pattern and being robbed of getting a little more and on our screens. Link in bio.

Photo by Fred Duval

is one with nature 🌿Through her latest album, “Let Me Be Water,” Madame Gandhi blends songs, speeches, and meditations ...
02/07/2025

is one with nature 🌿

Through her latest album, “Let Me Be Water,” Madame Gandhi blends songs, speeches, and meditations into something that feels less like a traditional album and more like a guided journey. She brings a gentle but powerful presence to each track, often repeating short, mantra-like lyrics that invite the listener to slow down, breathe, and reconnect.

And her songs are infused with real sounds from the Earth. On a trip to Antarctica, she used tools like underwater microphones to sample and take raw field recordings from the natural world and turn them into a deeply grounding album. To top it all off, she partnered with , a London-based music climate organization, on the lead single to direct a portion of music streaming royalties back to planetary conservation.

Writer Anjana Pawa () spoke with about the making of her album, working with M.I.A., and what it means to use Mother Earth as a collaborator. Link in bio for the full read 🍃

Photos by Lindsey Byrnes

is a Tony nominee ‼️‼️You might recognize Conrad Ricamora from , , or . But it’s his latest role as Abraham Lincoln in ...
07/06/2025

is a Tony nominee ‼️‼️

You might recognize Conrad Ricamora from , , or . But it’s his latest role as Abraham Lincoln in that has earned him a nomination for Best Featured Actor.

Conrad recently spoke with writer Bri Ng Schwartz (.ng.schwartz) of about this role and why “Oh, Mary!” has resonated so strongly with audiences. He shared how the play has shaped the way he thinks about identity and gender. (Highly, highly recommend watching if you can!!) Link in bio to read Conrad Ricamora’s full interview!

📸: Alex Valdez

Who’s tuning into this Sunday? 🏆This weekend, the 78th Annual Tony Awards (hosted by ) will take place, and we’re stoke...
06/06/2025

Who’s tuning into this Sunday? 🏆

This weekend, the 78th Annual Tony Awards (hosted by ) will take place, and we’re stoked to see some victories for our community. Of all the nominees this year, six are of Asian descent, and they’re all being nominated for the very first time.

These six include , , , , , and . Our fingers are crossed for y’all!!

If you need a recap of these six incredible nominees, writer Lauren Perez Silva () gave us a quick guide on what roles and categories they’re all nominated for. Link in bio!!

05/06/2025

How is it June already ⁉️⁉️

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