Can a meal make you besties? ‘K-foodie meets J-foodie' says yes.
That's the premise behind '
In its premiere, 'K-foodie meets J-foodie' follows Sung and Matsushige as they tackle spicy Chinese food in Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood and devour decadent cheesecakes in the seaside city of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. They swap food takes, trade tidbits on their respective culinary cultures, and even share the word for 'crazy' — as in,
this soup is crazy good
— in both Japanese and Korean. But beyond the meals, the show offers something sweeter: The chance for these two food-obsessed entertainers to actually become friends.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kyodo News
an hour ago
- Kyodo News
Animate Kuala Lumpur to Open in October, Bringing Anime Culture to Malaysia!
Great news for anime fans in Malaysia! The "Animate Malaysia LaLaport BBCC Pop-up Store" is set to become a permanent fixture, officially opening in October 2025 on the L2 floor of LaLaport BBCC. With this exciting development, the store will be rebranded as "Animate Kuala Lumpur." For those unfamiliar, Animate is a leading specialty store for anime, comics, and games, boasting 125 locations across Japan. Their reach extends beyond Japanese borders, with stores operating in Taipei, Taichung, Bangkok, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and now, Kuala Lumpur! "Animate Kuala Lumpur" promises to offer an even more extensive range of products from both Japanese and international franchises. Fans can look forward to not only character merchandise but also comics, art books, and much more. Keep an eye out for regular promotional events and fairs that are sure to delight enthusiasts! But that's not all! The space previously occupied by the pop-up store will be transformed into an exclusive "only shop," featuring limited-edition items. Additionally, a new themed café is slated to open on the LG1 floor. This café will regularly rotate its themes, so be sure to check back often to see which anime series takes the spotlight next! To top it off, the former pop-up store space will be renovated into an exclusive shop, and a brand-new themed café will make its debut on the LG1 floor. The café will feature rotating themes, so stay tuned to see which anime series will be showcased next! Animate is committed to bringing even more joy to Malaysian fans than ever before. Whether you're a long-time otaku or new to the anime scene, there's never been a better time to dive into this colorful world. So mark your calendars and get ready to experience the ultimate anime shopping destination in Kuala Lumpur! Store Details animate Kuala Lumpur Opening Date: October 2025 Address: MFBBCC RETAIL MALL SDN BHD 2016010188969 (1189832-W) G-47 MITSUI SHOPPING PARK LALAPORT BUKIT BINTANG CITY CENTRE No. 2 Jalan Hang Tuah, 55100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Operating Hours: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM Related Links animate Homepage （The site is available in Japanese only.） "animate Hub global" X "animate Kuala Lumpur" Official Facebook page for animate Malaysia *Please note that the content may be subject to change, postponement, or cancellation due to various circumstances. We appreciate your understanding. (C)Kazuhiko Shimamoto･MOVIC Illustration: Kazuhiko Shimamoto *Some parts of this text have been translated using machine translation
Japan Today
2 hours ago
- Japan Today
How 'KPop Demon Hunters' became the surprise hit of the summer
By MARIA SHERMAN, KARENA PHAN and JUWON PARK In the colorful, animated, musical world of 'KPop Demon Hunters,' everyone is a fan. The general public rocks T-shirts supporting their favorite idols. They hold light sticks and stare starry-eyed at stadium stages; they scream, they cry, they cheer, they buy the merch. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, then, that the Sony Pictures/ Netflix film itself has inspired similar fanfare, having topped the streamer's global rankings. Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which follows the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X as they fight demons. And it's not just the film that's a summer hit. The 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack has topped the charts — debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Soundtracks chart and No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Here's how 'KPop Demon Hunters' became the year's surprising success story. Musical tradition — and K-pop — are honored The 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack utilizes some of the best and brightest in the genre. That included a partnership with K-pop company The Black Label, co-founded by super producer Teddy Park, known for his work with YG, Blackpink and 2NE1 — empowered girl groups used as references for the film's protagonists, the trio HUNTR/X. It's one of the many reasons the musical film's soundtrack stands on its own. Filmmakers 'really did their homework,' says Jeff Benjamin, a music journalist who specializes in K-pop. Indeed, they did a lot of research. One of the film's directors, Maggie Kang, said that her team prioritized 'representing the fandom and the idols in a very specific way,' as to not disappoint K-pop fans. They pulled from a treasure trove of influences heard at every corner: The fictional, rival boy band Saja Boys' hit song 'Soda Pop,' for example, references the '90s K-pop group H.O.T. And it has worked. 'KPop Demon Hunters' is the highest charting soundtrack of 2025, with eight of its songs landing on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200. To put that in perspective: Lorde's 'Virgin' and Justin Bieber's 'Swag' did the same. In some ways, it recalls Disney's 'Encanto,' which topped the Billboard 200 and produced a No. 1 hit, 'We Don't Talk About Bruno ' in 2022. Similarly, 'KPop Demon Hunters' embraces 'the original soundtrack, which is a lost art form,' adds Benjamin. Tamar Herman, a music journalist and author of the 'Notes on K-pop' newsletter, says the movie succeeds because it embraces animated musical tradition and authentic K-pop music production styles in equal measure. She considers 'Kpop Demon Hunters' to be 'a musical with songs inspired by K-pop,' not unlike a Jukebox musical, where the songs of ABBA are reimagined for 'Mamma Mia.' Audiences hunger for something new The novelty of the film, too, seems to be resonating. Where many animated films rely on adapting existing intellectual property, 'KPop Demon Hunters' is original. And it comes from an original perspective. 'It's not completely Korean, it's not completely Western and it's kind of right in that middle,' says Kang. 'It's like not pulled from one side; it's kind of flavors of both. So, I think that's what makes the movie feels a little different.' And 'the core story is what's drawing everybody in,' says Kang. San Francisco-based cosplayer and content creator Nanci Alcántar, who goes by Naanny Lee online agrees. 'It's not only a K-pop group, but it also tells a story of their journey, of how they transform into powerful warriors,' said Alcántar in Spanish. For her, it goes beyond K-pop — it's about the narrative. Kang's approach to cultural authenticity, too, may have contributed to the film's crossover appeal. Rather than explaining Korean elements like HUNTR/X's visit to a traditional medicine clinic or translating K-pop light stick culture for Western audiences, she opted for full immersion. 'We just wanted everybody to just accept that they were in Korea,' Kang said. The director said this method of 'throwing people into the deep end of a culture' breaks down barriers better than heavy-handed explanation. 'We just wanted to keep everything feeling normal,' she explained. 'If you don't shine a light on it, it just becomes more easily accepted.' Inventive animation connects Zabrinah Santiago, a San Diego-based longtime K-pop fan and freelance illustrator who goes by ItmeZ online, was so inspired by the animation style of the movie that she raced to make fan art. She sold illustrated fan cards of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys at her booth at the Los Angeles Anime Expo, held in July, two weeks after the movie was released on Netflix. And she wasn't the only one. A search of #kpopdemonhunters on Instagram yields thousands of fan illustrations of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys. Japan-based Youtuber Emily Sim, also known as Emirichu online, says the character designs and original plot drew her to the movie. Sim, with more than 3.5 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a 35-minute video about the movie. In a week-and-a-half, it garnered nearly 450,000 views. 'I love seeing all the fan art and just the ways that this movie has creatively inspired people,' Sim said. Kang says for 'KPop Demon Hunters,' her team wanted to bring together demons and Jeoseung Saja — the grim reaper in Korean mythology — for a film that could look both very traditional and modernized — what she says is common in K-dramas but not in animation. Herman compares the movie to another Sony animation: 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,' which also attracted a broad audience with its creative animation. 'And it's a fun, animated musical, which we haven't had in a while,' she says. 'It's campy, it's engaging, it's universal.' And K-pop fans see themselves represented Santiago was initially skeptical of the title 'KPop Demon Hunters.' 'I feel like with big companies they kind of like to use K-pop as a bait. They kind of like to take advantage of K-pop fans' sincerity,' said Santiago. 'But I felt like with this one, it was such like kind of a love letter to K-pop fans.' Indeed — if the film wasn't authentic to K-pop fans' experience, or mocked them, it is unlikely to have become so popular, says Benjamin. Instead, there are Easter eggs for the dedicated K-pop listener. Herman agrees, and says that the film has in-jokes for K-pop fans, not unlike a children's movie that features some humor meant to appeal specifically to parents. 'Figuring out what makes K-pop tick in a way that resonates with musical fans was really important to this movie,' said Herman. For Kang, that was always at the heart of the project. 'Fandom plays a huge part in the world being saved at the end of the movie,' she said. 'So, we were really confident that we were doing that justice.' Karena Phan reported from Los Angeles. Juwon Park reported from Seoul. © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
5 hours ago
Japanese Singer, Actor Tsunehiko Kamijo Dies at 85
News from Japan Society Culture Aug 1, 2025 13:54 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese singer and actor Tsunehiko Kamijo died of old age at a hospital in the central Japan prefecture of Nagano on July 22. He was 85. A Nagano native, Kamijo started his singing career in 1962 and won the grand prix at an international song festival in 1971 with "Tabidachi no Uta" (song for departure). "Dareka ga Kaze no Naka de" (somebody in the wind), the theme song he sang for television period drama "Kogarashi Monjiro" became a hit in 1972. In that year, Kamijo appeared in "Kohaku Uta Gassen," a year-end music show broadcast by Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK. Kamijo was also active as an actor. He appeared in the musicals "Man of La Mancha," "Fiddler on the Roof and "My Fair Lady." In Man of La Mancha, he played the role of a leader of prisoners and innkeeper more than 900 times, supporting Matsumoto Hakuo, who played the main character. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
