Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that its streaming service Max will launch in the Philippines and six (6) Southeast Asian countries this November 19. In their announcement, they listed Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Just like Disney+, HBO Max offers titles like HBO, Harry Potter, the DC Universe, Cartoon Network, Max Originals, and the best of Hollywood movies, as well as programming from Discovery, TLC, AFN, Food Network, ID and HGTV.
As of this time, no pricing have been announce but HBO Max will be available in 3 pricing plans;
Mobile
Stream on 1 mobile device at once
Standard HD video resolution
Watch only on mobile phone and tablet
15 downloads to watch on the go
Note: The Mobile plan is available in Indonesia, Philippines, and via select providers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.
Standard
Stream on 2 devices at once
Full HD video resolution
Watch on more devices, including TVs
30 downloads to watch on the go
Ultimate
Stream on 4 devices at once
4K UHD and Dolby Atmos as available
Watch on more devices, including TVs
100 downloads to watch on the go (limits apply)
The launching of HBO Max is a big late, since all top video streaming services like Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video and Netflix are already available in the country.
Netflix just announced that the sequel of their hit series Squid Game will be available on the platform on the 26th of December. The announcement was made on the company’s social media account with the caption “Get back in the game, Squid Game returns DECEMBER 26.” and a 3-and-a-half minutes trailer of the series (embedded below).
In an article posted on Tudum, “Season 2 explores how Gi-hun follows through on his words after leaving the airport,” says Hwang below in a new behind-the-scenes featurette that revisits Season 1. “Gi-hun’s endeavor to find out who these people are and why they do what they do is the core story of Season 2.”
Lee adds: “In Season 1, there was room to show glimpses of Gi-hun’s various personalities, such as his optimistic nature and positive energy. This time, the focus was on his determination.”
Squid Game Season 2 Poster
Here’s the synopsis of Squid Game Season 2;
Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, will return as the Director of Season 2, he made history at the 74th Primetime Emmys, becoming the first Asian to win Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, once again helms the series as director, writer, and producer.
Returning casts from Season 1 are Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo, and the new cast members will include Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Jo Yu-ri, and Won Ji-an.
You can rewatch Squid Game Season 1 only on Netflix.
Eiichiro Oda, the legendary Japanese manga artist and the creator of the series One Piece just posted an update regarding the production of the live-action One Piece adaptation. The update includes the arcs that will be covered by the second season, as well as new characters that will be introduced this coming season. Oda also mentioned the “verbal pledge” that the show will not be release until Eiichiro Oda satisfied.
News Coo just delivered something special from Oda-Sensei and it’s filled with excitement and anticipation for Season 2! 🗞️😆 Big reveals are on the horizon, Straw Hats. Brace yourselves for the journey ahead! 🌊🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/NcywD1sMI3
— ONE PIECE(ワンピース) Netflix (@onepiecenetflix) August 20, 2024
Yes, the live-action One Piece is currently in production, with filming well underway. The story will cover Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island! Think about it. Imagine how much it’ll cost! Lol. But whether it’s the script or the cast, I continue to insist on this or that, which makes Matt the Showrunner go “Aaarrgh!” and Netflix go “Noooo!” and Tomorrow Studios go “Whaaaat” as they all pull their hairs out. All that, even though we grew so close making season 1.
But it’s because we all share the same passion for this show! Just as with last season, they’ve gone out of their way to promise that they won’t put the show out until I’m satisfied. This isn’t in the contract, you know. It’s a verbal pledge. I hope you can appreciate how amazing and determined they are for keeping their word. And they’ve certainly proven their ability to bring this world to the screen. I just can’t wait to see it!
Meanwhile, the previously announced cast is compiled on the official X account, so go check it out. The Grand Line is an even more expansive “World”. You may wonder, what was the inspiration behind that kingdom? How would it connect to the real world? Naturally, the distinctive cast members have been assembled from around the world, and I can’t help but get excited thinking about how the adventure has already begun!
Among those yet to be announced, what about Vivi? And Miss All Sunday? What’re they doing with Chopper? We can’t announce everyone all at once, but starting tomorrow, we’ll be announcing more cast members over three days: August 21, 22 and 23.
Look out for those, and stay tuned for more exciting updates to come!
Season 1 of live-action One Piece Season is now available on Netflix, all of the Straw Hat Pirates namely Iñaki Godoy (Luffy), Mackenyu (Roronoa Zoro), Emily Rudd (Nami), Jacob Romero Gibson (Usopp) and Taz Skylar (Sanji) will also be reprising their roles.
You can now listen to an Apple Podcast on the web. Apple just launch Apple Podcast on the web, this allows podcast listners to stream full Apple podcast using any modern web browser, using any device, in more than 170 countries.
Apple Podcasts on the web offers a full streaming experience for listeners with its dedicated interface that includes personalization, recommendations, and notifications.
Listeners can sign in with their Apple Account to access their Library, Up Next queue, and subscriptions. The responsive design ensures a consistent experience across all devices. Sharing shows and episodes is easier than ever, and playback will appear as a download in your hosting provider’s dashboard.
Apple Podcasts is not the only web-based podcast players, since music streaming giants YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify have been offering web version of their service for a long time, as well as start-ups and indie podcasts players.
The introduction of Apple Podcasts on the web could be Apple’s way of growing its userbase and offering its service to other platforms like Android, Linux or any device with a browser.
Netflix just announced that the anime film – The First Slam Dunk, will be available for streaming in 75 countries from August 25. The film have been streaming exclusively in Japan since June 10th. The addition of “The First Slam Dunk” movie is an ongoing effort by the streaming giant to expand its anime library.
The First Slam Dunk is an Japanese animated sports film written and directed by Takehiko Inoue, produced by Toei Animation and DandeLion Animation Studio. It is based on the legendary manga by Takehiko Inoue about a high school basketball team, serialized in Shueisha’s shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1990 to June 1996.
The First Slam Dunk is the “origin story” of Ryota Miyagi, the point guard of Shohoku High School’s basketball team, and on how his older brother Sota, inspired his love for basketball. In 2023, the film won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year and grossed $279 million worldwide, becoming the fifth highest-grossing anime film of all time.
Together with the discontinuation of the Chromecast, Google announced the new Google TV Streamer as the Chromecast’s replacement and a smart home hub for your Google Home and Matter devices.
Google did not provide much information on the device’s specifications, but we know it supports “up to 4K HDR @60 fps” videos with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. It will have Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4 GHz/ 5GHz) connectivity with Bluetooth® 5.1. It will have 4GB of RAM but only 32GB of storage, which is surprising considering it’s a streaming device.
Google TV Streamer PortsThe device will have a USB-C port for power/data, HDMI 2.1 (Type A), and ethernet for a more stable and reliable connection. Unlike the Chromecast, the new Google TV Streamer will be powered by the Android TV OS.
As a smart home hub, Google TV Streamer supports Matter and has a built-in Thread border router, enabling quick and secure connections for smart home devices like locks and motion sensors. Google TV Streamer is available in two neutral colors: Porcelain and Hazel (exclusively available on the U.S. Google Store). Its low-profile design allows it to fit neatly between your TV and media console, while still providing access to the handy ethernet port.
Beyond hardware, the new Google TV Streamer is AI-powered to personalize and curate content across all your subscriptions in one place. The device can also access your Google Photos to create unique screensaver art using generative AI.
Google TV Streamer is available for pre-order today, August 6, and will be available on September 24 for $99.99 from the Google Store and other third-party retailers.
Google, in a blogpost, announced that the company will be ending the production of Chromecast after 11 years and more than 110 million devices sold. The company explained that when they first launched the Chromecast, most, if not all, TVs were not as smart or integrated as today’s models, and they had few to no apps. The connectivity of these TVs was also limited.
Despite discontinuing production, Google said that Chromecast will still be available while supplies last. The search giant will also continue to provide software and security updates for the newer Chromecast models.
I still own the 2nd-gen Google Chromecast, and it still works perfectly. It’s the best, easiest, and most affordable way to convert a “dumb” TV into a smart TV and connect it to a smartphone.
Current Model: Google Chromecast with Google TV (HD)
When we launched Chromecast, most TVs had few (if any) apps, streaming was unreliable and complicated and connecting your TV to your phone, tablet or laptop was clunky and hard. Chromecast was our answer to this problem, a simple and affordable way to cast your favorite online content right on your TV screen. It was as easy as plugging in the device and hitting play. Chromecast’s small dongle form factor made it easy to hide behind a TV, and the affordable price made it accessible to millions and the perfect gift for many.
Since then, technology has evolved dramatically. Streaming and smart TVs abound. We invested heavily in embedding Google Cast technology into millions of TV devices, including Android TV. Android TV has expanded to 220 million devices worldwide and we are continuing to bring Google Cast to other TV devices, like LG TVs. Thousands of apps support casting, making it easier than ever to watch your content from your phone and tablet on the big screen. So we are taking the next step in evolving how streaming TV devices can add even more capabilities to your smart TV, built on top of the same Chromecast technology.
Watch the trailer of Terminator Zero, an 8-episode anime series from Netflix, set in the “Terminator universe.” The series follows Eiko, a resistance fighter sent back in time to stop Malcolm from launching an AI system that is designed to compete with Skynet’s war against humanity.
Trailer
2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity.
Caught between the future and this past is a soldier sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity. As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he’s hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future, which forever alters the fate of his three children.
Series Poster
Terminator Zero Poster
Terminator Zero is produced by Skydance, Japan animation studio Production I.G., and creator Mattson Tomlin. Tomlin, also serve as the showrunner and writer for the series. Terminator Zero will feature the voices of Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, André Holland, Sonoya Mizuno, and Ann Dowd. Terminator Zero will premiere on Netflix this August 29th.
There’s a charm to anime that can’t be transferred over to other formats. One tragic example of this would be the 2009 Dragon Ball Evolution . People criticized the film for its confusing plot, the bad dialogue, bad acting, and a lot more. The movie was so bad, the director issued an apology for the film.
Artists have liberty to portray character’s expressions in a multitude of ways in anime. While there are actors who portray facial expressions with ease, it’s not easy to imitate one from a fictional character. This is where the transition from anime to film breaks.
Official poster of Dragon Ball Evolution, for the live action adaptation for Dragon Ball.
While the trend with live action adaptation is staying close to the source material, most adaptations still fall flat. Aside from the more animated facial expressions, we can attribute the difficulty in emulating fiction to the fantastical nature of anime.
In this case, it’s the directors’ and writers’ job to custom fit a plot to ensure it’s appropriate for a live action adaptation. How the creators of Parasyte The Grey wrote it is an example of a custom fit.
Policewoman Choi Joon Kyung showing a demo of the custom-fit helmet to contain a parasite host.
It’s worth noting that this Netflix live action series isn’t the first to adapt the Parasyte anime. However, what sets it apart from the previous films is its entirely new plot. While the main plot device still focuses on the parasites, the series differs in that the main focus is not of a singular character.
In the original source material, Shinichi’s conflicts drive the plot forward. He has to come to terms with the fact that he is something more than a high school student. Shinichi has to survive by eliminating other parasites. In this new spin-off, the plot focuses on how the parasites systematically take over humanity in the form of an organization. This central conflict affects multiple characters, and the series does a good job in magnifying individual conflicts in the larger frame of the story.
A congregation of murderous parasites paints a darker picture of organized religion.
While the series may not be a frame-by-frame adaptation, Parasyte the Grey still pays homage to how exposition is used in anime. Spoiler alert: There’s this one scene where the main character explains something about transportation methods reducing combat potential. And this one scene was done just right. Not excessive, but in passing.
Director Yeon Sang-ho did a good job with the series. Parasyte the Grey’s themes show influence from his past work, The Fake(2013), where the plot revolves around organized religion. Sang-ho’s audience tends to lean towards adults, hence the lack of excessive slasher-action cutscenes in the adaptation.
What the 2024 series did was develop an entirely new plot while staying thematically similar to the original source material. The anime did show lots of visceral fights, and the upfront violence of the murderous aliens. The show did a good job of reflecting this and includes how humanity is similarly capable of such violence.
The stark contrast of the supermarket’s slow pace prior to the car chase following it makes for effective portrayal of the theme of violence.
Building on thematic similarities may be the best step forward in terms of live anime adaptations. There are other techniques that make an adaptation successful. An example would be the 2017 Ghost in the Shell’s world building and environment. The setting was a successful recreation of the original’s dystopian sci-fi theme.
Recreating the dystopian sci-fi environment helped Ghost in the Shell stand out from a long list of anime adaptations.
In short, Parasyte the Grey’s success may have been a combination of the right director, the right plot devices, a perfect casting, and overall, a well-written piece of fiction. Our suggestion? Go watch the series now.
Main casts of Parasyte – The Grey via asianwiki.com: Jeon So-nee / Koo Kyo-hwan / Lee Jung Hyun
You can stream season 1 of the Parasyte – The Grey on Netflix.
Despite some of the negative reviews of Netflix’s live action adaption of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the streaming giant just announced that they’re renewing the series for two more seasons.
The Avatar will return!! Seasons 2 & 3 of AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER are coming! pic.twitter.com/NDxSDP7kZE
The announcement was both made by the company’s social media account and also by Daniel Dae Kim in a recent video meeting with the rest of the cast.
Whether you like the series or not, it appears that enough people love the show for Netflix to renew it for two more seasons.
Here are some numbers about the show that the Netflix released with their announcement.
Since it premiered two weeks ago, Avatar: The Last Airbender has been the No. 1 English-language TV show, amassing 41.1 million views in just the first 11 days. Additionally, the show was No. 1 in 76 countries and in the Top 10 in 92.
Netflix’s live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, which is based on animated series released by Nickelodeon. AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Season 1 is now available for streaming on Netflix.
Netflix just released the official trailer for the live action adaptation of the famous manga/anime Parasyte.
This film adaptation however does not have Shinichi as the main character. The film may possibly explore other characters from the manga.
The trailer shows a female lead, starred by Jeon So-Nee, as she attempts to survive in a world ravaged by parasite-infested humans. The premise does have similarities to how Shinichi co-exists with his parasyte Migi.
Other cast members are new-ish faces in Netflix, but with rather diverse performance portfolios. Koo Kyo-Hwan takes on the role of Seol Kang-woo. The trailer doesn’t reveal much of his role but it looks like he will be a major supporting character. Singer-actress Lee Jung-hyun will act as part of a police force that will combat the onslaught of deadly parasites.
The trailer doesn’t reveal too much info, and this will be good news for would-be fans of the Netflix show.
This is not the manga’s first live-action adaptation. The 2014 film Parasyte: Part 1, directed by Takashi Yamazaki, was followed shortly by Parasyte: Part 2 the following year.
In comparison to the first two films, this adaptation seems to be more visceral and has a darker undertone due to an urban setting and more mature characters.
Parasyte: The Grey will stream on Netflix starting April 6 this year.
Netflix just released the full animated film Nimona on its channel four days ago. The story centers on Ballister and his shapeshifting sidekick, Nimona.
Nimona was Blue Sky Studio’s last project before shutting down. Blue Sky Studios is the team behind the widely successful Ice Age series, Rio, and Spies in Disguise.
Due to economic uncertainty, Blue Sky Studios had to shut down before they got the chance to finish the project. However, previous employees at Blue Sky Studios still worked on the project to bring it to life.
The film had been in the works since 2015, and the release date originally scheduled for a 2022 release. Disney also rejected the film, stating that it contained LGBT themes, as revealed by an interview by three former Blue Sky Studios employees.
In a fortunate turn of events, Annapurna Animation picked up the project and brought it back from development limbo. The voice cast for Nimona includes Chloe-Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Frances Conroy, and Eugene Lee Yang.
The film received positive reception by the audience, scoring a high 7.5 in IMDb.
Watch the full film below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4CFWTYFRlw
The live action adaption of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is scheduled to be available tomorrow Feb 22, 2024 on Netflix, to help promote the series in the region, Netflix Philippines taps the services of Melai Cantiveros for their Appa Air video promo.
In a 3 mins video (embedded below), Melai who plays as the flight attendant of Appa Air provided a brief explainer of the coming series mixed with her comedic chops. It even featured the Philippines and a couple of its tourist spots like the Coron, Palawan for WATER, Chocolate Hills for EARTH, Mayon Volcano to represent Fire and the Bangui Wind Mills for AIR.
Mabuhay! Momshie Melai welcomes you aboard Appa Air. Now fasten your seatbelts and get ready for mindbending thrills and excitement in Avatar: The Last Airbender, ETA: tomorrow, only on Netflix ! ⬇️
Avatar: The Last Airbender will consist of eight episodes and will premier on Netflix tomorrow, Feb. 22th.
Marvel finally release the trailer the much awaited X-men 97 the animated series and the release date will be on March 20th on Disney+.
The trailer is started with final moment of Professor Charles Xavier, then the trailer quickly switched to what appears to be the opening theme of the series, then on the last 15 seconds of the video, Magneto appeared claiming that everything that Professor Charles have created “now belongs” to him.
You can watch the trailer below;
The series created by Beau DeMayo for the streaming service Disney+, it is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team X-Men. Produced by Marvel Studios Animation, with DeMayo serving as head writer and Jake Castorena as supervising director. A number of the original voice cast will reprise their role including Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Catherine Disher, Chris Potter, Alison Sealy-Smith, Adrian Hough, Christopher Britton, Alyson Court, Lawrence Bayne, and Ron Rubin.
X-Men ’97 is scheduled to premiere on March 20, 2024, and its first season will beten episodes. A second season is already in development.
Netflix just release the official trailer of Damsel, the streaming giant’s fantasy film featuring Millie Bobby Brown for the lead role.
The premise of the film may have already spoiled the film but what the trailer (embedded below) shows us is that it’ll be filled with action sequences, sword fights and lots of special effects, not to mentions all those beautiful scenery.
A dutiful damsel agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. Thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon, she must rely on her wits and will to survive. Millie Bobby Brown stars in Damsel.
Damsel Film Poster
Damsel is directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and written by Dan Mazeau.
Below are the casts of the film;
Millie Bobby Brown as Princess Elodie
Angela Bassett as Lady Bayford, Elodie’s stepmother
Robin Wright as Queen Isabelle
Ray Winstone as the King
Nick Robinson as Prince Henry
Brooke Carter as Floria, Henry’s younger sister
Shohreh Aghdashloo
the “Dragon”
Damsel will be premiere on Netflix this 8th of March.
Paramount has announced the Knuckles Limited Series on Paramount Plus. When Knuckles the Echidna’s first appeared in the Sonic film franchise, it didn’t indicate a separate series. However, fans will be happy to know that the red echidna will be getting his own series on Paramount Plus by April 26th of this year.
In contrast to Sonic’s hero archetype and Tails’ more peaceful composure, Knuckles’ warrior instincts will entertain the audience with superpowered fistfights and flashy action. Knuckles was first introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), after aiding Dr. Robotnik escapes the mushroom planet as they go in search of Sonic.
Series poster; Knuckles series poster
After Knuckles’ change of heart and the following conversation with Sonic, the characters’ lines about “finding a family” did suggest a fate befitting the red echidna. Knuckleswill be exploring this scenario. The timeline for Knuckles is set between the second and upcoming 3rd Sonic film this December 2024.
Idris Elba will be voicing Knuckles the Echidna. Knuckles Limited series will have 6 episodes and will start streaming on Paramount+ on April 26th.
Watch the trailer below:
The new live-action series will follow Knuckles (Idris Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior. The series takes place between the films SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 and SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3.
Megamind is returning after more than a decade. The eccentric, blue-skinned villain Megamind will be facing new enemies… in the form of old friends?
In the trailer, the supervillain-turned-hero will need to pick up his old villain mantle. As an evil group returns to his past, he will pick up some old habits to try to appease their villainous sides.
Here’s the trailer:
Dreamworks Animation Studios produced the first Megamind animation film which received positive ratings. Will Ferrel voiced the protagonist, while Brad Pitt voiced Metro Man. Tina Fey and Jonah Hill voiced Roxanne the news reporter, and Hal Steward, her assistant.
Aside from missing a number of characters, Megamind and Roxanne Ritchi will have a different voice actor, to the dismay of fans. Voice actor Keith Ferguson will take on Ferrel’s role, while Laura Post is cast as the voice of Roxanne Ritchi, Megamind’s love interest, Tina Fey was the voice of Roxanne from the original film.
Below are the rest of the voice-cast;
Keith Ferguson as Megamind
Laura Post as Roxanne Ritchi
Josh Brener as Ol’ Chum/Minion
Maya Aoki Tuttle as Keiko Morita
Emily Tunon as Lady Doppler
Talon Warburton as Lord Nighty-Knight
Scott Adsit as Pierre Pressure
Chris Sullivan as Behemoth
Tony Hale as Mel/Mr. Donut
Jeanine Mason as Christino Christo
Adam Lambert as Machiavillain
Film Poster;
In addition, Michael Beattie, Eric Fogel, Todd Haberkorn, Eric Murphy, Joey Rudman and Roger Craig Smith have been cast in undisclosed roles.
The Megamind sequel titled “Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate” is available for streaming on Peacock on March 1, 2024.
Netflix just announced that second part of Rebel Moon – The Scargiver will be out this 19th of April. The teaser trailer of Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon: Part 2 – The Scargiver is included in the recently release trailer by Netflix for its upcoming titles this 2024, which also includes the new season of Squid Game Season, among others.
The announcement was also made using the social media account of the film and Netflix, which featured the new look of Sofia Boutella as Kora holding two pistols, with her shirt covered in blood. The short hair hints that the image could be from a flash back when Kora as an Imperium officer.
A brand new look at Sofia Boutella as Kora in Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver. April 19. pic.twitter.com/NspkgM0p5y
Here’s the official trailer of Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, which was release on Christmas day;
REBEL MOON – PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER continues the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld. On the eve of their battle the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made.
From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, REBEL MOON is a 2-part movie event decades in the making.
Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire is available for streaming on Netflix.
Ninjas have fascinated the world with their mysterious and fearsome physical abilities… but what if they were still hiding in modern Japan?
Watch an all-original story about the last ninja family — one that abandoned its identity in the wake of a past mission — facing a crisis that shakes the nation.
The Netflix series “House of Ninjas” starts streaming from Thursday, 15 February, only on Netflix!
An interesting take on Japan’s invisible warriors, specially in this modern day and age!
The series is
Based on a Story: Kento Kaku, Yoshiaki Murao, Takafumi Imai
Director: Dave Boyle
Writer: Dave Boyle, Masahiro Yamaura, Kota Oura, Kanna Kimura
Executive Producer: Yoshihiro Sato (Netflix)
Producer: Kanbe Akira
Production: TOHO Studio
This the premise of the series;
Ninjas were a fixture of milestones in Japanese history, and even now they’re taking on secret missions behind the curtain of Japanese society. Set in modern Japan, this series tells the story of the Tawara family, the last ninja family that had abandoned its roots after a certain incident in the past, who must take on the greatest crisis in Japanese history that threatens to shake the nation to its core.
Sofa Vergara’s new Netflix Series Griselda follows the story of a Colombian woman who comes to the United States as she leads her double life as the Godmother of Cocaine and a mother to three kids.
Sounds cliche? The big twist is that this series is based on a much darker story. Griselda Blanco did exist, and her family still lives
Griselda Blanco’s journey from Colombia wasn’t easy – she grew up in an extremely abusive household. There are accounts of her by an outdated Britannica. The encyclopedia purportedly showed that she helped in a kidnapping when she was just 11 years old.
The big screen has featured the infamous Colombian drug leader before. Catherine-Zeta Jones’ portrayal in the movie Cocaine Godmother (2017) received praise amidst a rushed plot and a few factual inconsistencies.
In the exclusive interview with Sofia Vergara by Entertainment Tonight, the actress spoke about snorting fake cocaine, aside from her unrecognizable transformation.
The Blanco family has filed legal action to stop the release of the series, to which the director responded “lightheartedly”.
Netflix’s new and upcoming series Avatar The Last Airbender will premiere on February 22 this year.
The new Avatar of the four elements will be played by half-French, half-Filipino Canadian actor Gordon Cormier (Lost in Space). Anne with an E actress Kiawentiio Tarbell will be playing Katara, while Ian Ousley plays her brother Sokka. Dallas Liu will be playing Aang’s archnemesis (for the first few seasons, at least), and Elizabeth Yu will act as the power-crazed firebender Azula.
The trailer for the series will differ from the M. Night Shyamalan movie released in 2010, with the main difference being the coverage of the events. The 2010 movie showed select scenes in the first season of the animated series. The highlights of the film were Episodes 19 and 20, The Siege of the North.
This time, however, fans of the much-beloved children’s show will see all important characters and events from Episode 1 until 20 of Book 1:Water.
A great news for One Piece fans to start the year, Netflix just announced that they will add two One Piece arc in the streaming platform this January 2024. First is the addition of “One Piece: Marineford” arc then by 13th of January, the “One Piece: Egghead” Arc be available, at least in the Philippines.
One Piece: Marineford arc is one of the two story arc of the 14th season of One Piece, which mainly adapts the 56th to 59th volumes of the material from the One Piece manga by Eiichiro Oda. The second arc is called the ”Post-War”, from the 59th to 61st volumes of the manga. 14th season of One Piece have 60 episodes.
Best news to end the first week of January: ONE PIECE: Egghead Arc is coming to Netflix on January 13 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/QpAhmpygkG
The “One Piece: Egghead” Arc on the other hand is the 21st and latest season of the One Piece anime television series, it adapts material from the “Egghead” arc, from the rest of the 105th volume onwards of the manga by Eiichiro Oda. The “One Piece: Egghead” Arc is also known as the Future Island Arc.
Considering where Ahsoka season 1 concluded, we can assume that the cast of the 1st season will return to reprise their role; Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka Tano), Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Sabine Wren), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Hera Syndulla), Ivanna Sakhno (Shin Hati), Eman Esfandi (Ezra Bridger), Genevieve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma) and Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn. We can also expect some cameo by Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader.
Arcane is based on the popular multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends, was developed and released by Riot Games in 2009.
The Arcane season 1 was constructed by co-creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee and was produced by the French animation studio Fortiche in partnership with Riot Games. Both Fortiche Studios and Riot Games will remain as the producer of the series. Voice Actors of season 1 will be returning; Hailee Steinfeld as Vi, Ella Purnell as Jinx, Katie Leung as Caitlyn, and probably a rest of the voice-cast.
Set in Edo-period Japan, Blue Eye Samurai follows Mizu (Maya Erskine), a mixed-race master samurai who is in disguise seeking revenge to the what happened to her.
Created by Amber Noizumi, Michael Green, who are also the executive produce the series with Erwin Stoff. It’s unclear if all the voice cast will return for season 2 but from where the series left off, it’s safe to say that Maya Erskine (Mizu), Masi Oka (Ringo), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (The Swordmaker), Brenda Song (Akemi), Darren Barnet (Taigen), Ming-Na Wen (Madame Kaji) and Harry Shum Jr. (Takayoshi) should be back to reprise their role.
Season 1 of Blue Eye Samurai is now streaming only on Netflix.
In a surprising announcement, Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch has announced that it will shut down operations in South Korea effective February 27, 2024. The company cited a “prohibitively expensive” operating costs and network fees as the primary reasons for this decision.
Twitch has been operating in Korea for several years, but it has faced ongoing challenges due to the country’s high network usage fees. These fees, which are significantly higher than in other countries, have made it difficult for Twitch to operate profitably in the country.
In an effort to reduce costs, the company experimented with peer-to-peer streaming and also limiting stream quality to 720p, but Twitch’s financial burden of operating in Korea is still 10 times more expensive than in most other countries.
This decision is a significant blow to the Korean gaming community, which has relied on Twitch as a platform for streaming and watching esports competitions. Twitch has also been a valuable source of income for many Korean streamers, who will now need to find alternative platforms to broadcast their content.
The shutdown of Twitch in Korea is a reminder of the challenges faced by global technology companies operating in countries with high network usage fees. It also highlights the importance of Korea’s internet service providers in ensuring that the country remains an attractive destination for technology companies.
I wanted to quickly send my thoughts out to the Korean streamers that are impacted by the decision we have announced today. As I stated in the blog and in the live stream, this was a very difficult decision that we delayed for some time. I just wanted to send out my thoughts to…
The closure of Twitch in Korea is expected to have a significant impact on the country’s gaming community. Twitch has been a popular platform for Korean gamers to stream their gameplay and watch esports competitions. With Twitch gone, Korean gamers will need to find alternative platforms to watch and participate in the gaming community.
There are several alternative streaming platforms exist for Korean gamers, including YouTube Gaming, AfreecaTV, and Kakao TV. However, these platforms do not have the same global reach as Twitch, and they may not be as popular among Korean gamers.
It is unclear what will be the future of Twitch in Korea. The company has not ruled out the possibility of returning to Korea in the future, but it is unclear when or if this will happen.
In the meantime, Korean gamers will need to adapt to a new streaming landscape without Twitch. It is possible that the closure of Twitch could lead to increased popularity for other streaming platforms in Korea. However, it is also possible that Korean gamers will simply watch and participate in the gaming community less often.
It’s that time of the year again where consumer companies are releases some major stats regarding their projects and Spotify is no stranger to this. The company recently release the latest number for their services and the result are not that surprising.
First, let take a look at the top lists for the Philippines.
Top 5 Most Streamed Song in the Philippines
Pasilyo by SunKissed Lola
Uhaw (Tayong Lahat) by Dilaw
Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift
Kill Bill by SZA
Snooze by SZA
It’s surprising that no K-POP artists made it to the top 5, considering how big K-POP is in the country.
As for the top Global Artists is led by Taylor Swift with Bad Bunny then followed by The Weeknd and Drake.
Here the complete list for the Top 10 Global Artists as listed by Spotify;
Taylow Swift
Bad Bunny
The Weeknd
Drake
Peso PLuma
Feid
Travis Scott
SZA
KAROL G
Lana Del Rey
And for the top songs, we have ‘Flowers’ by Miley Cyrus, followed by ‘Kill Bill’ by SZA, then ‘As it Was’ by Harry Styles and ‘Seven (feat. Latto) by Jung Kook.
Here’s the 10 of most streamed songs on Spotify;
‘Flowers’ by Miley Cyrus
‘Kill Bill’ by SZA
‘As it Was’ by Harry Styles
‘Seven (feat. Latto) by Jung Kook
‘Ella Baila Sola’ by Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma
‘Cruel Summer’ by Taylor Swift
‘Creepin’ by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage
‘Calm Down’ by Rema, Selena Gomez
‘Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53’ by Bizarrap, Shakira
‘Anti-Hero’ by Taylor Swift
Spotify also list down the top global albums that listeners searched and played, as well as the top podcast in the platform this year. For the full list of the top songs, artists, podcasts, and other listening trends of 2023, you can checkout this article from Spotify.
If you were not able to catch Kathryn Bernardo and Dolly de Leon’s ‘A Very Good Girl’ in cinema, you will be able to stream it on Netflix starting this 27th of December, the film’s theatrical release was on September 27, 2023. The announcement was made on Netflix Philippines Social media account.
A Very Good Girl is a dark comedy film directed by Petersen Vargas, and written by Marionne Dominique Mancol, Daniel Saniana, and Jumbo Albano, based on a story by Mancol. It stars Kathryn Bernardo and Dolly de Leon, with the supporting cast includes Kaori Oinuma, Jake Ejercito, and Angel Aquino.
Produced and released by Star Cinema, the film was theatrically released nationwide in the Philippines on September 27, 2023.
The film is based on a story by Mancol, which follows Philomena Angeles on how she exact revenge against retail mogul, Mother Molly and destroys her empire.
During Netflix’s Geeked Week, the streaming company release the first trailer of the live action adaptation of ‘YuYu Hakusho,’ that is scheduled debut on December 14th.
Fans of the anime series will recognize some of scene in the trailer; the death of Yusuke Urameshi after being hit by a truck while saving a young child, then there’s recruitment of Urameshi by Koenma. We can also see Kurama, Hiei and Kuwabara battling a number of ‘demons’ from the spirit world. Then we see one of the most popular villain of the series the Toguro Brothers and Bui, with Sakyo. Finally, we find Yusuke Urameshi doing his signature attack the ‘Reigun.’
Based on the manga : Yoshihiro Togashi “Yu Yu Hakusho” (Shueisha Jump Comics)
Director: Sho Tsukikawa
Cast: Takumi Kitamura, Jun Shison, Kanata Hongo, Shuhei Uesugi
Screenplay: Tatsuro Mishima
VFX Supervisor: Ryo Sakaguchi (Scanline VFX)
Executive Producer: Kaata Sakamoto (Netflix)
Producer: Akira Morii
In Association with：THE SEVEN
Production: ROBOT
Produced by: Netflix
