Laufey’s “Madwoman” Music Video is a Wasian Celebration

April 13, 2026April 13, 2026 Michael Lee

Hot off her Coachella performance and A Matter of Time: The Final Hour deluxe edition release, Laufey, the Chinese-Icelandic genre-defying Grammy award winner, has revealed the music video for “Madwoman.” Framed through a dreamy 1960s bossa nova-inspired aesthetic, the video feels like more than just a visual flex. It is a deliberate gathering of Wasian talent across music, film, television, and sports, turning a buzzy release into a larger statement about visibility.

Animation, Books, Interview

Randy Ribay on Returning to Write the Last of the ‘Roku’ Duology

December 30, 2025December 30, 2025 Lauren Lola

Avatar Roku is back in The Awakening of Roku. It is the latter half of his respective duology, as part of the Chronicles of the Avatar series — the young adult fiction series set within the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Interview, Television, Theatre

‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Star Vincent Rodriguez III is First Talent to Sign with Tremendous

November 4, 2025 Rissa Lavilla

Tremendous has a mission to help spotlight marginalized voices in media and entertainment from AAPI and LGBTQ+ to other multi-cultural audiences and beyond. In the dynamic landscape of media and entertainment, the company stand’s as a beacon of authenticity, passionately advocating for truthful representation on and off the screen.

Animation, Crowdfunding, Movies

Reflections on Watching Shorts at the Hawai’i International Film Festival as a New Filmmaker

October 24, 2025October 22, 2025 Lauren Lola

I’ve been covering the Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF) for several years for The Nerds of Color, yet haven’t attended its festival in-person since 2019. When I obtained many ticket vouchers from serving on the screening committee for its 45^th iteration, I realized before me I had a really good excuse to actually travel back to Honolulu this year to attend it. Little did I expect at the time of starting in the committee back in March that by the time I flew out to O’ahu, I would also be attending this year’s festival as a new filmmaker.

Animation, Movies

‘In Your Dreams’ Director Alex Woo on Family, Fantasy, and Nightmares

September 25, 2025September 25, 2025 Michael Lee

“So dreams are where you can break the rules, but the story still has to feel true.” That’s how director Alex Woo sums up the delicate balance at the heart of Netflix’s In Your Dreams.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Breaking the Frame: Two Solo Shows on Art and Identity’

August 22, 2025September 10, 2025 Edward Hong

For four performances only, the Japanese American National Museum‘s Democracy Center is presenting two Asian American solo performance shows that complement each other in their commentary on how their identity affects their art during these current times.

Interview, Streaming, Television

‘Butterfly’ Star Daniel Dae Kim on Avoiding Challenges of Previous Korean/American Collabs

August 12, 2025August 12, 2025 Laura Sirikul

Daniel Dae Kim has seen a lot of changes in Hollywood after more than three decades as an actor. When he initially started in Hollywood in the early ‘90s, he played a variety of Asian characters and ethnicities. It was during the height of the Hong Kong cinema craze, with Jackie Chan and the growing popularity of Wong Kar Wai films in America. Though it was an exciting time for Asians, Asian American actors fell through the cracks.

Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: ‘Freakier Friday’ is a Fun, Chaotic Nostalgic Charmer

August 7, 2025August 7, 2025 Mike Manalo

From The Parent Trap to Mean Girls, Lindsay Lohan’s dominance in pop culture through the late ‘90s/early ‘00s was inescapable. And with good cause, because some of those films went on to become true classics, with many getting a second life with either musical remakes (Mean Girls) or in the case of Freaky Friday, legacy sequels. Surprisingly, that’s actually a great thing, because with Freakier Friday, the movies aren’t the only things getting a second life. Welcome back, Lohan!

Animation, Opinion, Television

Recasting Zuko for ‘The Legend of Aang’ is Unnecessary at Best, Tasteless at Worst

August 6, 2025August 5, 2025 Lauren Lola

It’s the 20th anniversary year for Avatar: The Last Airbender, and both fans as well as the cast and creators of the show came together to celebrate at the most recent San Diego Comic-Con. From an anniversary panel to announcements about what’s to come in the future for the franchise, there was a lot to go around.

Movies, Video Games

The ‘Mortal Kombat II’ Trailer Replaces Cole for Cage

July 17, 2025July 20, 2025 Mike Manalo

As huge fans of Johnny Cage and all of his action films, we were thrilled yesterday when we got a mysterious package with a DVD of Cage’s latest movie, Uncaged Fury. Little did we know that Cage himself went missing … Continue reading The ‘Mortal Kombat II’ Trailer Replaces Cole for Cage

Interview, Martial Arts, Movies

Ben Wang is Ready to Kick Stereotypes and Tropes in ‘Karate Kid: Legends’

May 30, 2025May 30, 2025 Laura Sirikul

Ben Wang was just six years old when he moved from Beijing to a small rural town in Minnesota. He recalls having to start all over and figure out his place in this new life and city. It’s one of the reasons he feels closely connected to his character, Li Fong, in the new Karate Kid: Legends.

Interview, Movies, Streaming

Lana Condor and Ross Butler Talk ‘Worth the Wait’ and Their Favorite Cheesy Tropes

May 19, 2025May 13, 2025 Kelly Martinez

Spring is in the air, and so is love. So, what better way to close out AAPI Heritage Month than with a swoon-worthy romcom starring Lana Condor and Ross Butler?

Movies, Star Wars, Television2 Comments

‘Andor’ and the Asian Soul Within ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Rogue One’

May 19, 2025September 18, 2025 Dominic Mah

The final episodes of Andor Season 2 no doubt will lead many to rewatch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, because Andor adds so much meaning and context to its 2016 predecessor. Rogue One’s story begins a matter of days after Andor S2 concludes. Those in full completist binge mode may then feel compelled to watch Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (a.k.a. The First One), because its story starts about five minutes after the end of Rogue One.

Conventions, Movies

LAAPFF 2025 Presents Heartfelt Parenting-Based Shorts Program

May 6, 2025May 6, 2025 Laura Sirikul

When it comes to Asian American Pacific Islander (or diaspora) stories, relationships with immigrant parents and dealing with generational trauma (typically) go together hand-in-hand. It makes all Asians — East, Southeast, South, Southwest — and Pacific Islanders feel connected somehow.

Art, Comics

Jerry Ma and Friends Bring The Monkey King Back to Chinatown

April 29, 2025August 25, 2025 Keith Chow

Five years ago in the before times, my Secret Identities partner-in-crime Jerry Ma exhibited a solo art show called A Chinatown Odyssey about a modern interpretation of The Monkey King and his adventures throughout New York’s Chinatown. Well, for this AAPI Heritage Month, Jerry and the Monkey King are back at Pearl River Mart, but this time he’s brought along some legendary comics artist pals for the ride.

Interview, Movies

‘The Wedding Banquet’ is Andrew Ahn’s Love Letter to Queer Asian American Family

April 21, 2025April 21, 2025 Michael Lee

Andrew Ahn isn’t just remaking The Wedding Banquet — he’s reimagining it. In our interview, the director delves into how he transformed Ang Lee’s 1993 classic into a modern queer Asian American narrative by finding the delicate balance of humor and drama, the evolution of storytelling in 2025, and the cultural nuances that shape his characters.

Horror, Reviews

Winnie Cheung Creates an Unforgettable Creature Thriller with ‘Last Call’

March 10, 2025March 10, 2025 Edward Hong

I’m a huge fan of horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, and if there’s one area of North American filmmaking I hardly see many talents of Asian descent in, it’s in genre. But with the creature body thriller Last Call now just having its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Midnight Short Program on Sunday, March 9, writer & director Winnie Cheung created one hell of a mark as a visionary filmmaker to look out for with this incredible short film that is an homage to David Cronenberg, David Lynch, and Wong Kar-wai while creating an indelible unique stamp of her own.

Movies

Jon M. Chu Knows How to Direct Scenes About Being Seen

February 27, 2025February 27, 2025 Lauren Lola

The 97^th Academy Awards are just around the corner, and the film adaptation of Wicked is in the running with 10 nominations; including Best Actress for Cynthia Erivo, Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Grande, and Best Picture.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Cambodian Rock Band’

February 22, 2025March 22, 2025 Edward Hong

Ever since the world premiere of Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band at the South Coast Repertory back in 2018, there have been nothing but hype and rave reviews as it quickly became an immensely successful and popular production that had many others take place around the United States, with its most significant ones being at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Signature Theatre in New York.

Martial Arts, Streaming

The Final Verdict on Asian Representation in ‘Cobra Kai’

February 19, 2025February 20, 2025 Lauren Lola

Nearly seven years after its debut, Cobra Kai has come to an end. The third and final batch of episodes from its sixth and final season dropped on Netflix last Thursday, bringing with it some of the best writing and acting to come out of the entire series, all the while wrapping up loose ends. Did any of it have to do with the show’s dodgy efforts at Asian and Asian American representation? Not at all!

Movies, Trailers

True OC Abduction Case ‘The Accidental Getaway Driver’ Gets Limited Theatrical Release

February 18, 2025February 18, 2025 Laura Sirikul

Stories based on or inspired by true events — that center Asians — are often ignored or given whitewashed treatment, as in the 2008 film 21. It takes an independent studio and team to tell these kinds of stories fully, like Justin Lin’s 2002 film Better Luck Tomorrow and now – Sing J. Lee’s The Accidental Getaway Driver.

Books, Interview1 Comment

Vicky Nguyen on Telling Her Family’s Story with ‘Boat Baby’

February 12, 2025February 12, 2025 Sophia Soto

NBC News anchor and correspondent Vicky Nguyen is sharing the story of her family’s escape from communist Vietnam and her journey from refugee to reporter in her new memoir, Boat Baby. I had the opportunity to ask the author about her childhood, advice for fellow journalists, the conversations she wants to inspire, what she admires most about her parents, and much more.

Horror, Movies, Reviews12 Comments

NOC Review: ‘Presence’ Weaves a Very Familiar Ghost Story

January 23, 2025January 23, 2025 Mike Manalo

The idea of seeing things from the perspective of those who have passed is not a new or innovative concept. From movies like David Lowery’s A Ghost Story to Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Lovely Bones, we’ve experienced narratives of tragedy told from the POV of the ghosts acting as protagonists in these stories. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that despite its attempts to liven up the trope, a lot of the notes that director Steven Soderbergh and writer David Koepp hit in Presence are ones that are well trodden.