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Pokémon Scarlet & Violet now play a lot better with the Switch 2 release. But the new console hasn't fixed the series' lacking graphics yet.
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Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Mott 32's Chinese Cuisine Shines in the Dark in Hong Kong: Review
In a foodie city, it's tough to pick the restaurant — the one that holds a global reputation, that tourists flock to and that industry execs associate with Hong Kong. I might start a firestorm by saying this, but perhaps the one that comes closest is Mott 32. Founded in 2014 at the height of Hong Kong's boom times, the restaurant — located in a former bank vault and designed by Joyce Wang — has retained its magic. It's since become a culinary ambassador for Hong Kong, expanding to eight other locations as far afield as Dubai, Las Vegas and Toronto, and riding a wave of awards and accolades. It's not hard to see why: The food is familiar, delicious Chinese fare but with a unique twist; the service is prompt and well-oiled; and the interior design is immersive — a mix between a film noir set and restaurant.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Lazarus' Creator Shinichirō Watanabe On Modernizing His Action Anime Series & Teases Upcoming 'Ghost Story'
In Adult Swim's Lazarus, the latest anime action series from Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichirō Watanabe, one man aims to free the world of pain at a catastrophic price. The year is 2052 when an era of peace and unbridled indulgence reigns supreme. The reason for this? Humankind has been freed from sickness and pain after a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist, Dr. Skinner, invented a miracle cure-all drug with no apparent side effects called Hapuna. However, after society grows an unhealthy dependence on the pills, Dr. Skinner vanishes. Three years later, Dr. Skinner returns only to bring a message of doom. He announces that Hapuna, while vital to those hooked on it, has a short half-life, and everyone who has taken it will die in approximately thirty days since its release. A group of ragtag individuals forms a task force to locate Dr. Skinner and persuade him to develop a vaccine at the risk of humanity's impending global extinction. More from Deadline 'Legend of Mecha Scholars' Gets Global Distribution In Ad Astra, DRock Cultural Exchange Initiative 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 'Big Mouth' Creator Nick Kroll On Animating Puberty & Destigmatizing The Experience: "It's All Weird And It's All Normal" Here, Watanabe speaks to Deadline about the creation of the series. DEADLINE: SHINICHIRŌ WATANABE: I always wanted to make an anime like 007 or Mission: Impossible. The reason our project kicked off was because I got an offer from Cartoon Network. The inspiration for Lazarus specifically came from watching foreign news, where the topic often revolved around the opioid crisis. I thought that this isn't something that's really covered or touched upon in action movies. So, I thought it would be a great topic. Opioids are not illegal; you can get a legal prescription for some of them, but people will still get addicted to them, and people do die from them. I thought that maybe you could make a drug that would be similar in the way that it would be like an opioid but also designed to kill people in a certain amount of years. Whenever I talk about this, people ask if this is a metaphor for the opioid crisis, but it is not really like that. This is just media and entertainment, and it's set in the future, so it's nothing like that. DEADLINE: John Wick WATANABE: It's been a while since I've made an action anime—about roughly 20 years, to be exact. So, I can't just make the same type of action anime I made before. I needed to modernize. So, the best person to reach was Chad. DEADLINE: WATANABE: In the past, anime production budgets were very low, so there wasn't much wiggle room for what we could actually make. There was no way we would have been able to call on Chad's team in the past due to budget constraints. Now, while the budgets are bigger, there's a lot more we can do, and there's a lot of work that needs to be done, but there aren't enough people in the industry to get the work done. We can't just add more people willy-nilly; the animators are artisans and craftspeople, so they take a long time to train. That's the reason we have a shortage now. This goes to directors, too. They take a lot of time to train and a lot of skills and experience to have a good director direct a series. DEADLINE:Lazarus? WATANABE: There are a lot of themes. But the biggest one is pain. Dr. Skinner does say in the beginning that not feeling pain is the same as dying, and for him, it's a question of whether pain should be moved completely, both physically and mentally. DEADLINE: WATANABE: I'd like to make a series based on a ghost story in the future. I've been consuming a lot of ghost-related media lately—specifically, movies where evil ghosts make an appearance. Oh, and I recently watched The Exorcist. [This interview was conducted through an interpreter add has been edited for length and clarity.] Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg The 25 Highest-Grossing Animated Films Of All Time At The Global Box Office The Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Global Box Office
Gizmodo
3 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Can Labubu Endure Collectible Hype?
The latest drop from Pop Mart's the Monsters collection might be its most ambitious yet: putting the blind-box darling Labubu into a funky foodie product line that might turn off existing fans. With the Monsters: Wacky Mart, Kasing Lung's original intention with the mischievous creature shines in a way that might appeal more to vinyl art collectors. Here they give Gremlins energy as they get into munchy mayhem in milk cartons or tempura shrimp. It's a distinct move that leans into Labubus being more than just the keychain trend they're now known for, but will fad chasers follow behind? Labubu has been carving its niche in a very interesting way since going viral all over the world. You'd think the plush keychain fashion craze would have a rapidly expiring shelf life, but it's seemingly as strong as ever. Cher was seen rocking one at a recent film festival appearance, and a designer special edition inspired by zeitgeist tastemaker Pharrell Williams just set a record—$31,250, according to Hype Beast—for the highest-selling Labubu plush at auction. View this post on InstagramMany hold the opinion that they're destined for the same fate as the Beanie Babies: that the scarcity arms race and money making releases will eventually burn out. However, there are a few elements at play that might prove their longevity. It brings me no pleasure to bring up Minions, those ugly yellow big-eyed, overalls-wearing slaves to evil that just won't die. Their gibberish haunts me when I visit Universal Studios theme parks and I bless the days my child goes without discovering them. I'm well aware they're numbered. When they were introduced in the Despicable Me franchise from Universal and Illumination in 2010, their toys and merch sold like crazy for years. They outshone the film's main characters as initially they were just side characters who you'd think would have just faded away as one of the most cursed things to happen to animation. No, we're five movies and two theme park rides deep now, with a new one on the way with the Minions at the center. We have lived through collectibles and streetwear merch collabs for kids, adults, and pets. Hell, Pop Mart even has their own Minions line. They're not going anywhere. But Labubu doesn't come from a movie, right? In the ever-evolving landscape of pop culture phenomena, the Labubu has shared a similar trajectory as the Minions. Labubu and the other Monsters bring out that same cuteness aggression—though I disagree about the Minions being cute—and Lung's lore around Labubu is ripe for expanded storytelling. It could very well spin off into any sort of entertainment medium for fantasy animation fans (like us here). And honestly they deserve it more than the 'banana-this-and-banana-that' gaggle of goggle-wearing idiots. Another example is Trolls. Those neon-haired, alien-looking, gem-belly-buttoned dolls were the blueprint before Beanie Babies of popular collector madness that transcended their niche. And they eventually became a hit movie franchise for Universal as well, though their toys never reached the same height of fandom as they did at the end of the last century. In theory, Labubu could see the same opportunities. The plush keychain fad has hit its global fever pitch. At this point we'll be seeing if it can endure. Finding a Labubu is just as hard as ever. I finally got my hands on a new one for my collection thanks to my husband using his San Diego Comic-Con Hall H overnight line skillset to make the opening of a local Pop Mart in our area. But in other places such as Japan, the fad is not anything new, especially in one of the world's biggest Gachapon capitals. Pop Mart is set to open more locations there soon to see if it catches on. As of now, peak Labubu popularity remains in the larger markets of China, the U.S., and the UK. Even if you visit the Pop Mart theme park Popland in China, you'll be hard-pressed to find any product but can at least enjoy the live entertainment featuring Labubu and the rest of the characters in the Monsters universe. We don't have any opportunity to meet any Labubus stateside yet (though a Lafufu knock-off did make an iconic appearance at LA's 'No Kings' protest), but the keychains have hit their 'cringe tacky promotional stunt' era, as seen in a recent social media post showing the cast of F1 unboxing Labubu blind boxes. In the U.K., Labubus are back on sale after a pause due to brawls breaking out in lines between collectors and flippers. Yet challenges remain because of that aspect; market dynamics are shifting because flippers hoard so much product at exorbitant prices. The new rules for the U.K. sales involve getting one through a random lottery, which is as not-fun as it sounds. So either Pop Mart makes more product, undermining the very scarcity game that makes it a luxury accessory, or finds better solutions. With the new Wacky Mart release, is the brand hitting oversaturation with a collection that might not appeal to the masses mad at the plushes dripping out at a slow pace through its retailers? Maybe. In the long run it might not matter to the franchise, which can easily find ways to extend its virality into a core fandom through other mediums. It's a future that fantasy creature fans can hope for, especially if they've felt left out of having a new character to embrace. For myself, Labubu came along when I was looking for something to be into while I began my journey as a parent and that's a core experience that makes the character feel timeless to me. Whether its a fleeting fashion moment or a promising start to a new universe in Pop Culture, Kasing Lung's elf creatures might just mischief their way to being more. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
