A new season of Call Me By Fire is upon us! 32 Brothers compete to form a new boy band! In this In the Know episodes, Karen and Cathy are excited to discuss the brothers, their history in the Chinese speaking entertainment industry, and the ones we are most familiar with! We have Jimmy Lin, Nicholas Teo, Tiger Hu, Cai Guo Qing and so many more!
In our latest In the Know episode, Karen and Cathy discuss the top 3 Drama and Theater Academies that have shaped the Chinese entertainment industry. Alumni from these schools have since become household names and major stars. Listen to hear about what each school is known for and why so many apply to these elite schools!
Do you know what Xian Yan Bao means, what about Tai Ku La, YYDS, u1s1? Listen to our latest In the know episode on the trending Chinese phrases and slang that's taking over Chinese pop culture this year! Be on the lookout for these phrases in interviews and reality shows and perhaps you'll spot them!
In this episode, we explain to you what the term “Oily” or 油腻 in Chinese media means. The reason why 油腻 or Oily is so topical is because poor Yang Yang has been blasted as 油 or greasy for his portrayal as Song Yan in Fireworks of my Heart or 我的人间烟火. Some go so far as to call him the new Oil King. Listen to our latest episode on the origins of this phrase and how it's currently used in Chinese pop culture
We’re solidly in the middle of summer and we’ve had plenty of Chinese dramas air already that were hoping to be that breakout hit of the summer. But, there has been a single person who has exploded this summer.
Who is this person? It is Wei Da Xun! He skyrocketed to popularity based his guest appearance as Meng Yan Chen in Fireworks of My Heart which stars Yang Yang and Wang Chu Ran. Listen to our latest podcast episode to find out why!
*Note: This podcast episode contains discussions on suicide, depression and other mental health related issues. Please skip this episode if this is content that might be triggering for you.
Acclaimed singer and performer Coco Lee passed away suddenly on July 5th. It was a shock to the Chinese entertainment industry and perhaps a bigger shock to everyone when the death was ruled a suicide. Coco Lee paved a path for Asian artists over the past 30 years of her career. In this episode we discuss her career and the current aftermath of her death.
There's been a flurry of scandals these past two weeks. Pop Idol Cai Xu Kun was exposed with having slept with a fan and ordering her to get an abortion. In Taiwan, multiple celebrities including former Fahrenheit boy band member Aaron Yan have been accused of sexual assault or harassment. The 28th Chinese Television Magnolia Awards were held last week and fans were rather discontent with the winners. Listen to our latest podcast episode for the latest tea!
In our latest In the Know podcast, we discuss the events that led up to the blacklist of actor Zhang Zhe Han in 2021. Fresh off his success in Word of Honor, the future was looking bright for the actor. However, photos of him visiting a Japanese shrine were uncovered in the summer of 2021. The backlash online and the government was swift and severe. He was quickly blacklisted from the Chinese entertainment industry. Listen to our latest podcast to hear the whole story.
As we round out our discussion on The Story of Yanxi Palace, did you know that it, along with RuYi's Love in the Palace are both actually unavailable to stream in China? Both dramas were removed and may never be available for Chinese audiences. We discuss theories on why these dramas were removed as well as a few other dramas that are still available abroad but have either been edited or removed in China.
