News

Fat Joe returned as host of this year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards, where Megan Thee Stallion, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake dominated the nominations. Kendrick Lamar, capping off a historic year, received 11 nominations and eight awards, including hip-hop artist of the year. Future and Metro Boomin received the award for best duo as well as best collaboration.

21 Savage and rising New York drill rappers 41 received four nominations each, while A$AP Rocky, Common, Lil Wayne, Pete Rock, and Sexyy Red each received three nominations. Other nominated artists include Central Cee, Doja Cat,...

The Shonen genre has always been met with numerous criticisms for its portrayal of female characters. In many long-running Shonen series, female characters are often demoted to the roles of damsels in distress, love interests, or sources of fanservice. While series like One Piece and Naruto have their own iconic female characters, they are rarely given the same level of importance compared to their male counterparts. However, one of the notable series that defies this conventional notion is Kentaro Miura’s Berserk.

Casca in Berserk Manga | Credit: Viz Media

Despite its extreme gore and darkness, Berserk presents female characters who are not only vital to the story but also have rich personalities, complex motivations, and a significant impact on the world around them. Due to this aspect, Berserk is deemed to be superior to these other mainstream series.

Berserk: Female Characters with Genuine Depth and Complexity

The late Kentaro...

Megan Thee Stallion is the most nominated artist at the 2024 BET Hip-Hop Awards with 12 nominations. The Houston rapper is trailed only by Kendrick Lamar, who racked up 11 nominations, with his most nominated releases being “Not Like Us” and his featured verse on Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” Meanwhile, Drake — the target of those two songs — is nominated for eight awards at this year’s ceremony. The awards show will premiere on BET on Tuesday, October 15 at 8 p.m. Est.

Fat Joe will return as host of the show, which finds...

There was a palpable sense of relief surging through Eiff as it made its first fully-fledged return following a tough few years with the collapse of former parent charity the Centre for the Moving Image in 2022 threatening the future of one of the world’s longest-running festivals.

At a BBC Film drinks reception on the festival’s second night, the film funder’s director Eva Yates recalled standing on the same stage the previous year during programmer Kate Taylor’s scaled-back edition, with no one quite sure what the future held.

The consensus among the industry present in Edinburgh was...

The One Piece live-action series has been creating a lot of buzz since the release and successful performance of season 1. Season 2 has already been announced, and fans are busy speculating the cast of the new characters.

In the midst of the chaos, popular rapper Megan Thee Stallion posted promotional pictures of her next album while cosplaying as One Piece‘s Boa Hancock. Fans lost their minds, to say the least, resulting in a major jaw-dropping moment and a few misleading posts.

Did Netflix Cast Megan Thee Stallion as Boa Hancock in One Piece Live-Action?

Boa Hancock in One Piece | Crunchyroll

Recently, a rumor began spreading on X and other social media platforms that Megan Thee Stallion has been cast as Boa Hancock in Netflix’s One Piece live-action. However, it is a false rumor which is nothing but misleading.

Suggested“They’re all in love”: Eiichiro Oda on If...

Sm Entertainment is revealing their plans!

The K-pop entertainment agency shared the details of their artist roster’s planned comebacks for 2024 on Thursday (February 8), via Soompi.

Dubbed “Sm 3.0,” the new schedule includes some of the biggest names in the South Korean music industry. There are plans in the works for solo debuts, mini-albums and full studio albums, tours, fan-cons and more!

Keep reading to find out more…

February

Nct’s Ten‘s solo debut

Nct’s Taeyong second solo album

Nct Wish mini album

Super Junior-l.S.S.’s Asia tour

Taeyong’s first solo concert

Ten’s first fan-con in Asia

Smtown Live 2024 at Tokyo Dome

SHINee’s Japan tour finale

March

Red Velvet’s Wendy‘s second mini album

Nct Dream mini album

Taemin solo concert in Japan

2024 (Tbd)

Riize’s single and mini album

aespa’s first full-length album

BoA’s single

Exo’s Suho’s...

Singer-actress BoA, who’s surprise entry in the Park Min-young-starrer ‘Marry My Husband’ created a stir, has addressed comments about her appearance and acting skills. BoA plays an antagonist named Oh Yu Ra, posing threats to Min-young’s Kang Ji Won in the later episodes of the show.

However, there has been chatter about BoA’s appearance and acting skills in the drama, according to allkpop.com.

Several netizens found that BoA’s acting was awkward and cited her mouth area as very unnatural. Some even speculated that BoA had stiff philtrum due to excessive Botox.

Putting an end to every comment, BoA on a live stream directly addressed the comments..

She said: “Over-lip? Oh, actually, I have this habit. So, it seems like it spread around my lips back then. Many people are concerned about my lips, but they’re fine, right? You don’t need...

Johnny Lam just proved that he didn’t need the Married at First Sight experts to find his perfect match – and at this point, who does?

The Season 13 alum recently proposed to his girlfriend, Kayla Fisher, and in case you’re wondering, she said “yes” to the romantic gesture.

It’s been a rocky road to love for Johnny, who became one of the most hated cast members during his season after he was paired with Bao Huong Hoang.

The pair initially seemed to be a good fit, thanks to shared cultural backgrounds, but that’s where the similarities ended.

Johnny was not impressed with his new wife and had a lengthy complaint list about her each week.

His behavior garnered backlash from viewers, and eventually, Bao grew frustrated when her efforts to work on their marriage went unappreciated.

Eventually, Johnny wised up, but alas, it was too late. He...

On Thursday, Derek Hough, the Dancing with the Stars judge, disclosed that his wife, Hayley Erbert, had been admitted to the hospital after she experienced a cranial hematoma at their performance on the Symphony of Dance tour.

In an Instagram post, Hough explained the situation, “At the end of last night’s tour performance in Washington, D.C., my wife Hayley became disoriented and was taken to the hospital.”

He continued, “She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy. She is in stable condition.”

Hough extended his appreciation to the first responders and medical staff who diligently cared for Erbert, and asked for “prayers and positivity during this time.”

The incident has sparked curiosity and concern about the nature of Erbert’s condition.

A cranial hematoma refers to the accumulation of blood within the skull, which exerts pressure on the brain.

The Film

Browsing the shelves of Our Price in the 90s, I remember seeing anime for the first time. One of the few things I miss about VHS is the larger cases that allowed for some very cool artwork, and the Manga line of releases were like nothing I’d seen before. Over the years, I ended up seeing things like Streetfighter II: The Animated Movie, Akira and Ghost in the Shell, but one that has evaded me even up to this point is Golgo 13. Having no context for these films, I had no idea that the anime version I saw on those shelves of VHS tapes was pre-dated by a live action adaptation of the manga.

The UK VHS image from Unified Goods

The manga series the film is based on began in 1968, and still runs to this day, even after the death in 2021 of its creator Takao Saito.

Seoul, June 21 (Ians) Korean singer Choi Sung Bong is reported to have died by suicide and was found in the Yeoksam-dong district of Seoul at 9.41 a.m. on Tuesday morning (local time). He was 33 years old.

His death comes just two years after his lie about having multiple types of cancer was exposed when he had asked several fans to donate cash for his treatment. He later apologised for the deception and promised to return all of the donations.

According to Daily Mail, Police believe that he died by suicide due to a note he posted on his YouTube channel the day before his death in which he apologised for his “foolish mistakes”. In it, he thanked his fans for their support to his career, as he wrote: “From 2011 to the present, I have been receiving attention and love from so many people. I sincerely thank you and express my gratitude.

Korean singer Choi Sung-bong, who sprung to fame after placing second on Korea’s Got Talent, has died by suicide, Seoul police said Wednesday. He was 33.

Choi was found dead by police at his home in the Yeoksam-dong district in southern Seoul at 9:41 a.m. Tuesday, according to South Korea wire service Yonthap, which was the first to report the news.

Choi had an underprivileged upbringing and dropped out of music school because he couldn’t afford the tuition fees. After spending years supporting himself as a day laborer, his big break came in 2011 when he landed a spot on Korea’s Got Talent, broadcast by tvN. Choi’s operatic performance of Ennio Morricone’s “Nella Fantasia” wowed the show’s judges and he advanced to the finals, eventually coming in second place by just 280 votes. The YouTube clip of his performance on the show went viral and was viewed over 21 million times,...

Reed Hastings just made a bold claim: That Netflix is the “biggest builder of cross-European culture.”

Speaking at Netflix’s European headquarters in Amsterdam today, the streamer’s founder and Executive Chairman said an “unexpected” outcome of pushing into European originals was how series and films from one country had performed in others.

“The amazing thing has been [seeing] how many Germans or Italians watch Spanish series,” he said. “We didn’t set out to do that, but we’ve become biggest builder of cross-European culture in the EU. It’s partially because all the other networks are national networks who specialize in one language group. We specialize in connecting.”

He quipped it was “ironic it’s a U.S. company” that achieved that level of soft power. “Or a U.S. company that’s now a Dutch company,” he added.

Netflix has been deep in discussions with the EU over...

Halloween is coming to Montreal this summer, as the star-studded (both in front of and behind the camera) anthology horror film, Tales of Halloween, is scheduled to make its world premiere at the festival. JeruZalem, Turbo Kid, Deathgasm, and many more movies are also slated to screen:

Press Release -- "Montreal, May 6, 2015 – The 19th annual Fantasia International Film Festival is gearing up to rush Montreal with three weeks of cinematic inspiration and fantastical visions from across the world from July 14 until August 4, 2015.

Our complete lineup of programming and special events will be revealed in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, here’s an early First Wave Announcement of selected highlights and info to whet your appetite for the exciting things to come!

Unveiling Our 2015 Poster Art: Fantasia Continues Its Celebration Of Regional Folklore With The Wendigo

In recent editions, Fantasia has showcased poster art informed by various regional legends and myths,...

The Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, now in its 19th year, is one of our favorite festivals around and a fan favorite for Sound on Sight readers for several years now. This year’s festival runs July 14 to August 4, and the first wave of films on the lineup has just been revealed.

Marvel’s highly anticipated Ant-Man, with Paul Rudd, will be the opening night film, along with the Japanese animated film Miss Hokusai. Miss Hokusai comes from Production I.G., known for its other classics including A Letter to Momo and Giovanni’s Island.

Fantasia ’15 will also be home to several World Premieres, including Tales of Halloween, a collection of 10 short horror stories, and Jeruzalem, a horror film from Israeli directors and Tiff honorees Yoav and Doron Paz (Phobidilia).

The Canadian indie Turbo Kid, which we first caught up with at Sundance this year, will also be having its...

South Korean studio Cj E&M has announced English-language dance romance Make Your Move has sold to 54 countries for a total of $6.3m to date.

Territories include Russia-cis (West), Hong Kong (Sundream), Belgium (Beneluxe), UAE (Gulf Film) and Netherlands (Benelux Film Investments).

Starring K-pop diva BoA, the film is co-produced by Cj E&M, Sm Entertainment, and Robert Cort Productions.

With sales handled by Lionsgate, the film has already been released in 14 countries and will have its North American release handled by High Top on April 18. Cj E&M is set to release the film in Korea on April 17.

Directed by Duane Adler, the film features BoA as star-crossed lovers with Dancing With The Stars pro Derek Hough in New York’s underground club world.

“Winning attention from buyers around the world, particularly in Europe, which accounts for 70% of pre-sales to-date, we’re excited at the model of global collaboration Make Your Move provides to advance Korean...

Derek Hough moved from his small screen role as a pro dancer on Dancing With The Stars to the big screen with his new film Make Your Move, alongside Korean pop singer BoA. "I didn't know anything really about BoA when I first heard about her," Hough told Uinterview in an exclusive video interview. "How I was introduced to her was going to the Staples Center and going to a sold-out concert."

Hough has previously acted in roles on stage including the portrayal of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Ren in Footloose and made his Broadway debut in Burn the Floor.

The Dancing with the Stars' pro had to adjust his style while filming for the screen. "I definitely would find myself messing up or doing something and getting mad at myself," Hough told Uinterview. "And then having the director and people around me saying, 'Don't worry about it...

Can the world ever get enough of Derek Hough shirtless? No. Isn't that one of the big reasons you watch Dancing With the Stars? Well, now you can see the hottie show some skin in Make Your Move, an upcoming dance flick that marks his big screen debut. And only we have an exclusive photo of Hough dancing without his shirt on and dancing with his costar, K-Pop megastar BoA. In the movie (in theaters on April 18), a romance blossoms when Donny (Hough) sees Aya (BoA) performing with her hip-hop crew at an underground nightclub in New York City. But in a Romeo and Juliet twist, they find themselves at the center of a bitter rivalry between their brothers' dance clubs. Make...

Reese Witherspoon learned the hard way -- if you have to tell someone, "Do you know who I am?" ...  you're Not as famous as you think you are, this according to David Spade. Spade was leaving Boa Steakhouse in Hollywood last night when we asked if there's ever a good time for a star to drop the "I'm a really big deal" schtick ( a la Reese) ... and the "Rules of Engagement" star gave it to us straight.

I was toying with the idea of calling this list "Ephemeral Pleasures," but if there's anything I've learned in my decades of music fandom, it's that the silliest stuff can show surprising durability thanks to the tenaciousness of nostalgia. And "silly" certain describes three of these songs.

As will quickly become clear, I find Asian pop music more alluring than most of the cliched bombast on American radio. There were many catchy songs I omitted because they were also supremely annoying. I suppose to some people even some of my picks here are annoying, but that's the thing about catchy songs: there's a fine line between pleasure and -- after sufficient repetition -- pain.

Note that though I tried to avoid overlap between this list and my best albums list that will soon follow, I had to include the #1 song.

1. "She Walks the Night" by Matthew Sweet

There doesn't seem...

From left to right: Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Derek Hough and Mark Ballas

This week's players are all dancers on this season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Which of them would you...

Maksim Chmerkovskiy

A DWTS veteran since season 2, this Ukrainian dancer is currently paired with soccer player Hope Solo. Maksim also appeared in the Ukrainian version of The Bachelor.

Derek Hough

Derek was actually part of the winning pair in seasons 10 and 11 of DWTS. For season 13, he's paired with talk show host and Hairspray star Ricki Lake. Next year, he'll be starring in dance drama Cobu 3D with Korean singer BoA.

Mark Ballas

He's appeared on DWTS since season 5, and came in third place during the last two seasons. This year he was paired with “reality” star Kristin Cavallari. Near bit of trivia: he and Derek Hough were both extras in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Now that you've voted,...

The last woman we heard Derek Hough was dating was Cheryl Cole -- but that's not who he was kissing last night in Canada. The "Dancing with the Stars" pro was caught locking lips with 24-year-old Korean popstar BoA Kwon , Aka the Queen of K-Pop. The story behind the photos makes them much less scandalous though -- as the two were actually photographed on the set of their new movie, " Cobu 3D ." According to IMDb , the movie revolves around "A pair of star-crossed dancers in New York find themselves at the center of a bitter rivalry between their brothers' underground dance clubs." Check out the set shots above! Read more...

By Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith

HollywoodNews.com: Yes, there are a lot of “Dancing With the Stars” fans missing popular pro Derek Hough this season. However, “He is off to Canada to film a movie, ‘Cobu 3D.’ He’s starring. He’s dancing and acting,” notes Julie McDonald of the dance romance in which Hough’s leading lady is Asian star BoA. “He wants to do other things, and this is a wonderful opportunity for him.”

Hough is among the elite group of dance talents represented by McDonald’s Msa agency — so she knows. The former dancer (whose own career was cut short by injury) has more than 20 years’ experience in working with dancers, stage director and choreographers, including “So You Think You Can Dance” choreography faves Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo. Tabitha and Napoleon happen to be choreographing “Cobu,” in addition to assignments like Fox’s “Mobbed” and “The Kids Choice Awards,...

Dancing with the Stars celebrity dancer Derek Hough announced he would not be appearing in Season 12 of Dwts. Was there another reason he did not reveal? -- [Feb. 2] Dwts celebrity dancer Derek Hough revealed on Monday that he would not be returning to Dancing with the Stars for Season 12, and will not defend his championship, won in Season 11 with partner and star celeb Jennifer Grey. Dwts celebrity dancer Derek Hough revealed that he was not appearing in Season 12 of Dancing with the Stars in order to start filming in his new upcoming movie, Cobu 3D, alongside popular Japanese recording artist BoA. According to sources, Derek Hough and BoA will be playing street dancers in opposing street gangs, almost like Romeo and Juliet meets West Side Story. However, could there have been another reason that Dwts celebrity dancer Derek decided not to return for Season 12 of Dancing with the Stars? Season 11 of...

Derek Hough will not appear in the 12th season of Dwts? – [Feb. 1] Star celeb and dancer Derek Hough, the three-time Dwts champion, has confirmed that he will not be appearing in the 12th season of Dancing with the Stars. Derek Hough, who is the defending Dwts champion, leading star celeb Jennifer Grey to the win last season on Dancing With the Stars, is taking time off to star in the upcoming movie Cobu 3D, alongside Japanese singing sensation BoA. Derek Hough, who is the two-time defending champion on Dwts, leading Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger to the win in Season 10 of Dancing with the Stars, will be playing a street dancer in the film Cobu 3D, with a script being likened to a Romeo-Juliet theme. It is expected that three-time Dwts champion Derek Hough will return for Season 13. Julianne Hough, sister of dancer Derek Hough and current girlfriend of American Idol host Ryan Seacrest,...