Craving the beloved fried chicken in its boneless form? Gather the gang now and get your boneless chicken fix from Gang Gang Chicken!
What started as a cloud kitchen in 2020 has endured the test of the long pandemic and is now operating with 9 physical stores in Metro Manila. Since its conception, Gang Gang Chicken has taken pride in its tasty chicken that just doesn’t rely on sauces to deliver real taste to customers. Of course, the brand doesn’t compromise in their sauces as well, offering a rich roster of flavors that will take your chicken feast to the next level!
Capturing curiosity and cravings are the Empi Boneless Chicken which is “drunk” in Emperador Light, and the Takoyaki Boneless Chicken which combines the crispy protein with the popular Japanese snack.
EmpiTakoyakiPhotos from the Gang Gang Chicken website
Meanwhile, for a zesty bite with a kick of cracked pepper, customers can pick the Lemon Pepper Boneless Chicken. If you want it sweet, you can also choose their Honey Miso Butter Boneless Chicken with a hint of umami. Another must-try is their Salted Egg Boneless Chicken, which fuses the tasty chicken with the Pinoy favorite!
Honey Miso ButterLemon Pepper
Salted Egg (Photos from Gang Gang Chicken)
Want a kiss of cheese? Or maybe loads of them! Their Cheesy Jalapeño Boneless Chicken is coated in cheese with a kick of jalapeño while the Creamy Garlic Parmesan Boneless Chicken is slathered with a creamy heap of parmesan made more flavorful by that garlicky punch!
Cheesy JalapeñoCreamy Garlic Parmesan
If you search for more savory offerings, you can order the Gangyeom Korean Chicken with a hint of spice; indulge in the smoky grilled goodness of the Chipotle BBQBoneless Chicken; and enjoy the sharp tang of Sriracha Mansi!
Gangyeom Korean ChickenChipotle BBQ
Sriracha Mansi (Photo from Gang Gang Chicken)
Aside from these flavored selections, customers can opt for the real taste of their Original Chicken with G-Gravy and the spicy Hot StyleBoneless Chicken.
OriginalHot StylePhotos from the Gang Gang Chicken website
Gang Gang Chicken’s regular flavors: Gangyeom, Hot Style, and Empi are priced P229 for 7 pieces and P429 for 14 pieces. Their premium flavors: Takoyaki, Lemon Pepper, Honey Miso Butter, Salted Egg, Cheesy Jalapeno, Creamy Garlic Parmesan, Chipotle BBQ, and Sriracha Mansi are available for P249 for 7 pieces and P459 for a 14-piecebox. Meanwhile, the Original Chicken is available for P209 for 7 pieces and P409 for 14 pieces.
Photo from Gang Gang Chicken
Gang Gang Chicken’s Online Sabong
As Gang Gang Chicken continues to reap recognition for their sumptuous food further propelled by their playful social media presence, the fried chicken joint is also holding their Online Sabong Challenge for more people to discover their products. This online challenge invites chicken lovers to assess if Gang Gang Chicken really has the real taste they claim to have.
“Many chicken lovers are stuck with the same choices all the time because they are hesitant to try new things,” says owner Joey Marcelo. “They tend to stick with the familiar. All we’re saying is that there’s a chance they might be missing out. What if there’s something else out there that’s actually better than what you’re used to?
“With our Online Sabong Challenge, we’re giving them a chance to validate their preference. Try Gang Gang Chicken. If it tastes better than what you usually order then it’s great news because you’ve discovered your true preference. If it doesn’t then it’s still good news because you’ve validated your taste preference as well. Many of those who’ve joined the challenge have posted about their experience on their Tiktok and Instagram Reels and we like how it’s evolving.”
Now it’s your turn to go give Gang Gang Chicken a try! You can order online at ganggangchicken.com, or by visiting one of their branches in Mandaluyong, Marikina, Quezon City, and Pasig City. Gang Gang Chicken is also available on Grabfood and foodpanda.
For most of us, video games mean fun and entertainment, but since the rise of indie games, more and more titles have started to explore stories that can communicate with the players on a very emotional level. Some of these games touch on serious themes about mental health such as loss, grief, and depression, making them relatable to the players who are under the same circumstances while giving those who have not experienced them a glimpse and understanding of these feelings.
If you want to give such games a try, then we’ve got the list for you! Below are some video games that will put you in the shoes of characters searching for a way out of their internal struggles.
Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, & iOS
GRIS is a beautiful platformer that’s free of danger, frustration, or death. Presented in a mesmerizing watercolor style for its graphics, this puzzle adventure takes the player to the crumbling world of a young girl who is dealing with a painful experience in her life. While there are no dialogues, Gris uses its captivating visuals to tell an emotional story that can still be picked up by the players even without the use of words.
Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox
Spiritfarer is a management simulator where you farm, mine, fish, harvest, cook, and craft your way across mystical seas. But what makes this game stand out from similar titles from the genre is its rich stories that will surely leave a mark on you. You play as Stella, who is the ferry master for the deceased. As you sail the seas, expanding your boat as you progress, you also have the opportunity to get to know your passenger spirits before you say farewell and release them into the afterlife.
Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS
To The Moon is a story-driven top-down RPG that explores the life of a man on his death bed. It follows Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts whose job is to give people another chance to live, even if only in their heads before their deaths. In this particular story, the two doctors must traverse an old man’s past to find out the reason for his final wish, and make it come true. His dying wish? To go to the moon. This indie game offers a brilliant story sprinkled with surprising twists, humor, and very heartwarming moments that have left many players in tears.
This immersive, narrative-driven game delivers a heartwrenching yet beautiful tale that’s based on a true story. A video game developer’s love letter to his young son, Joel, That Dragon, Cancer takes players on a poetic retelling of Joel’s 4-year fight against cancer. It delivers a personal memoir with audio taken from home videos, spoken word poetry, and touching themes of faith, hope, despair, helplessness, and love.
Omori takes players on an adventure that is vibrant and grim, and bizarre and surreal at the same time. While it looks like an out-of-this-world journey at the surface, this title is actually a psychological horror game that depicts a young hikikomori– people who lock themselves up in their bedrooms, isolated from the world. As Omori explores his world helping others, he wonders why his friends would still want to be with him, and tries to recall an important someone who he seems to have forgotten.
Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android
Florence offers an interactive story that puts players in the shoes of the titular character and her life experiences that are so rooted in reality, many would easily relate and feel the girl’s joys and pains even with the lack of in-game text. At the age of 25, Florence feels stuck in an endless loop of work, sleep, and scrolling through social media. Everything changes when she falls in love with the cellist Krish, who gives color to her life. The players then join Florence and Krish in the journey of their relationship, as they grow together, and soon grow apart. With a story that lasts in just 30 minutes, Florence is short but it definitely succeeds in giving players an intimate and heartfelt experience.
Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, & PlayStation Vita
This game bares a dark and bleak story with themes of depression and suicide that may not be suitable to players sensitive to such topics. The game makes players live the life Evan Winter, an overweight, lonely, and depressed young professional. As Evan struggles with his career, family, and love, he is also searching for his purpose in life. As the negatives pile up, the protagonist’s hopes of pressing on with life continues to dwindle. Delivered almost entirely in text, Actual Sunlight offers a very story-driven experience with little gaming mechanics.
Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and iOS
Night in the Woods is a colorful adventure game about exploration that features anthropomorphic animals with human problems. The game follows the college dropout Mae Borowski, who returns to the her hometown Possum Springs to resume her former life and reconnect with friends. But Mae would find that the people she knew have all grown and changed– and there’s something hidden in the woods. Dive deep into the rich stories of this game’s characters and let their lives connect with yours in this emotional rollercoaster of a game.
“I am vengeance.” The first time that Robert Pattinson uttered these words in The Batman trailer, fans knew that we’re in for quite a different ride in Matt Reeves’ iteration of the Caped Crusader.
That trailer was a year ago. Now, we’re just a day away from seeing the film in all its glory on the big screen! This March 2, we’ll see the Dark Knight as the world’s greatest detective who must track down a masked killer targeting Gotham’s elites. With the killer called the Riddler fond of using deadly contraptions and leaving behind riddles and ciphers for the Batman, the budding hero of Gotham is sought to crack the case and put a stop to the killings with the help of his newfound allies, James Gordon and Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman.
Before the official release of the film, members of the Philippine press were given the chance to attend the film’s global press conference virtually, which was joined by director Matt Reeves, producer Dylan Clark, its cast members Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, and more! Below are a few things you need to know about The Batman, according to its creators and cast.
When the Knight is young
There have been different takes on Batman on the big screen, but what sets this new movie apart from the past adaptations? For one, The Batman is set just over a year after Bruce Wayne decided to put on the cowl. This means that just like everybody else going into a new job, he is still learning the ropes. This also gives the viewers a glimpse of his early dynamics with Gordon and Selina.
“I knew that I wanted to take this iteration of a younger Batman who was early in his arc– that there was room for growth, room for an awakening, and put him at the center of this mystery that would pull us into the path of all of these characters,” explained director Matt Reeves who also worked on the script.
Director Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson in the Batman suit. (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Robert Pattinson also said that it makes up for a more interesting Batman for him to play.
“Normally for Batman, he goes away, trains, and he comes back fully realized. He’s confident that his abilities have changed, he’s confident and he’s heroic. In this [film], I love all the kinds of frailties he has– like when he was using the cape for the first time. Batman has always been fallible, he’s just a man in an armored suit, but this really embraces that. It makes it more interesting to play,” said Pattinson.
Of course, behind the mask, this Batman is also quite different from being the admired billionaire of Gotham. The Bruce Wayne in this film is a total recluse who is far more focused on being the Batman, rather than putting on the facade of a socialite.
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne. (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Cat’s chemistry with the Bat
As mentioned, The Batman gives us a look at the Dark Knight’s relationships in its earlier days. In the case of Batman and Selina Kyle, the film already bares some romantic chemistry between the two as questions about a city-wide conspiracy put them both on the same path.
Zoë Kravitz who plays Selina Kyle talked about the chemistry between the two characters, saying that slipping into it was very easy.
“Me and Rob had been friends for a long time and I think a lot of [the chemistry] was on the page,” said Kravitz. “It’s really what Matt wrote, the emotional states of both of these characters were so clear and the connection that they find in each other and why they connect was so clear, so I feel like it was kind of built-in.
“These people, they’ve both felt alone their entire lives, and to meet somebody who has a similar way of thinking, and that grabs you the way that they grab each other, I think it really is in the heart of the story and it’s really a big deal for both of these characters to feel this way. So if you’re attached to your character emotionally, it’s really easy to play that part of it.”
Zoë Kravitz’ Selina Kyle and Pattinson’s Batman. (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Partners in fighting crime
Meanwhile, the dynamic between Batman and James Gordon– who is still a police lieutenant in this film– also stands out in this film. Asked why and how this team-up came to be, James Gordon’s actor Jeffrey Wright believes that the partnership stems from the police officer’s desperation.
“Two isolated characters in a sea of mistrust that is Gotham,” Wright began. “For Batman, there’s something within the core of the character that we’ve come to know that he’s honorable– troubled, and all of that– but there’s something honorable there. I think perhaps he recognizes that maybe there’s a strand of that within Gordon despite the company that he keeps.
“But I think for Gordon, ‘there’s something very useful about this guy, I’m not quite sure what it is.’ Again it’s early days in the relationship, but when he has so few tools of his own and so few partners of his own that he can trust, it’s really out of a sense of desperation that he says, ‘well, bring him on board.’”
Jeffrey Wright’s James Gordon investigates alongside Batman. (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Riddler and a city riddled with crime & corruption
The Riddler also gets a revamp in the film– far from the image of an energetic Jim Carrey in green spandex or Frank Gorshin clad in a green suit. In this film, we get a merciless manhunter in a creepy leather mask and a grungy green jacket.
Paul Dano plays this film’s Riddler which director Reeves actually based on the real serial killer known as the Zodiac, who is infamous for not being caught and taunting the authorities with ciphers and phone calls.
Paul Dano suited up as the Riddler. (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Asked how he brought the Gotham villain to life, Dano said “I spent a lot of time thinking about the Batman.
“I love the idea that you can’t really have Batman without his rogues’ gallery, but I love that you can have this Riddler, without the Batman. I think that the dynamic between them, [in] the storytelling and with the camera, there is some boundary there that I think is beautifully explored.
“There’s more murkiness to the morality, it’s less just hero and villain, and black and white. There’s not just protecting the status quo, there is something wrong in the city, and it’s really complicated to have a villain who– some of his ideas are not wrong, but the execution is a little off. But I found that to be really complicated and compelling. It’s Batman, it’s Gotham, there are these incredible archetypes at work in its history. But I think the contact with reality in this character, [it comes] from an as emotional and psychological place as possible, but the contact with reality is also what makes it, I think, potentially really scary,” explained the actor.
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
Inspirations from pages and films
During the press conference, director Matt Reeves also mentioned the many comics and films that inspired The Batman.
“In the comics front, I did a deep-dive and read so many comics. I would say that tonally, [Batman: Year One]. There was something in the tone of that. It was grounded in a way and also felt cinematic in a way that reminded me of an American 70s movie[…] And then Ego by Darwyn Cooke was really important because it was really dealing with the psychology of being Batman, the idea of the beast within and [his] internal struggle, which I thought was really captivating. And I would say The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, that was super important because it was this idea of a serial killer who has a series of crimes and the idea of Batman getting caught up as the world’s greatest detective. Drawing from those, I think the comic book front was really important.
“As for the movies that were so inspirational, to me, there’s a way in which Gordon and Batman in this movie are Woodward and Bernstein, with all the corruption and how high does it go. And so it’s kind of like All The President’s Men, and there’s a bit of French Connection, and there’s a bit of Taxi Driver. You know, it’s neo-noir, it’s like Alan Pakula’s Klute– the relationship between Klute and Bree Daniels very much informs the relationship between Batman and Selina. So there are a lot of 70s movies that were, to me, are the movies that really inspired me to make movies in the first place,” Reeves explained.
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Batman also stars Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jayme Lawson. Distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, this film opens in Philippine theaters this March 2. Tickets are now available.
Guns. Murders. Power. When the stakes are high, the dangers rise, and for us watching these things unfold from the screen, we can’t help but somehow enjoy the thrilling ride. If you’re a fan of TV shows that mainly focus on the rise and fall of criminals, mobsters, and other wrongdoers, then this list is for you! We’ve rounded up some thrilling crime dramas that are worth checking out the next time you’re picking a title to binge-watch!
On The Job
Erik Matti’s On The Job film and its sequel, On The Job: The Missing Eight, has been turned into a series on HBO GO. The first part of the series tells the story of prisoners Mario and Daniel, who are secretly being freed by corrupt authorities to serve as untraceable guns-for-hire. The second part follows the corrupt reporter Sisoy as he searches for the truth behind the disappearance of his best friend and colleagues in the newspaper business.
Here’s a period crime drama starring Cillian Murphy, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Tom Hardy. Set in Birmingham, England just several months after the first World War, Peaky Blinders is about the Peaky Blinders gang and their cunning boss Tommy Shelby. The story begins when the gang gets in conflict with Major Chester Campbell, a detective chief inspector sent by Winston Churchill to eradicate the likes of them.
Narcos gives viewers a closer look at the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, who gained billions through the production and distribution of cocaine in Colombia. The story is told from the point of view of American DEA agent Steve Murphy, and depicts how Escobar started by moving illegal goods into Colombia, got involved in the cocaine trade, and became a drug kingpin that would be etched in history.
Dexter Morgan is a blood pattern analyst from the Miami Metro Police Department who lives a double life as a serial killer. While being a murderer, Dexter follows a certain “code” in picking his victims. Being a part of the investigations at the homicide division, Dexter tracks down the murderers who have escaped the justice system and kills them to satisfy his own thirst for blood.
Hannibal
Here’s another serial killer on TV that’s worth checking out. Hannibal is based on the titular cannibal from Thomas Harris’ novels made even more popular by their film adaptations, particularly The Silence of the Lambs. The story begins with the FBI profiler Will Graham who is put under the supervision of the forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Unbeknownst to the people around him, Lecter is really a cannibalistic murderer who uses his influence on the FBI to cover his tracks.
Mindhunter
Set in the 70s, this crime thriller focuses on two FBI agents’ quest to discover more about the minds of serial killers. Agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench team up with psychologist Wendy Carr to launch a research project where they interview the most notorious killers in prison in the hopes of solving ongoing cases. Some of the killers portrayed in the series are Edmund Kemper, Montie Rissell, and Jerry Brudos.
This Korean drama tells the story of Oh Ji-soo who is a model high school student. To financially support his studies, Ji-soo makes a mistake and finds himself strewn in the criminal underworld. Soon, things become more complicated when he is forced to let a classmate from a wealthy family join him, while another classmate in the same business gets caught by the authorities.
Created by former police officer David Simon, The Wire centers on the narcotics scene in Baltimore, as seen through the eyes of the law enforcers, the drug dealers, as well as the users. The series begins with the introduction of two major forces in the city, the Baltimore Police Department and a drug dealing organization run by the Barksdale family. Caught between them is Detective Jimmy McNulty, who investigates the puzzling acquittal of D’Angelo Barksdale who was charged with murder.
The Sopranos ran from 1999 to 2007, and up to this day, it is regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time. It tells the story of Tony Soprano who runs a mob in New Jersey. After collapsing due to a panic attack, he attends therapy sessions with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The series then details the mobster’s struggles from handling his criminal organization, his family at home, and the enemies surrounding him and his mob.
Breaking Bad tells the story of Walter White, a chemistry teacher whose life is turned upside down when he discovers that he has lung cancer. Desperate to provide for his family even when he’s gone, Walter enters the methamphetamine drug trade with his former student Jesse. As they descend deeper into the criminal underworld, the dangers demand more and more ruthlessness from Walter.
History is not everyone’s cup of tea, and for some, their general memory of learning Philippine history in school is just trying to memorize names, places, and dates. While these are all important data, some of us can’t help but feel that we might have missed the bigger picture– the essence of the events that took place in our history, and the importance of the people who made it happen.
These days, our consumption of information has changed drastically with the rise of the internet and social media. Unfortunately, with this comes the rise of fake news which makes our beliefs vulnerable to influence from unreliable sources, just because the way they present history seems more intriguing. Luckily, reading history from credible authors can still be entertaining, if you just know where to look. Below, we’ve rounded up some books that make Philippine history more interesting and palatable to the general public!
Photo: Anvil website
Rizal Without The Overcoat
Ambeth Ocampo, who writes history for the general public, is a popular figure when it comes to the study of our National Hero, Jose Rizal. In Ocampo’s Rizal Without The Overcoat, the author gives readers a closer look at Rizal, including details that will pique anyone’s attention with interest and intrigue.
In this book, Ocampo discusses myths surrounding the hero such as the Jack the Ripper conspiracy; shares details about Rizal’s interesting entries in his journals; and other bits and pieces on Rizal’s life that would remind us that Rizal, just like us, is only human– he can laugh with his friends, be kuripot at times, and make mistakes– thus, we can also strive to be like Rizal.
Looking Back is a series of books from Ambeth Ocampo that touches on interesting topics in our history that go beyond just Rizal. The best part about these books is that each title offers a short but informative read perfect for those who find themselves unable to finish the books they’ve started. Since the chapters in these books are from Ocampo’s column in The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Looking Back is divided into short chapters that are easy to digest, in effect, making it also easier for the reader to dive into the past.
National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin first published A Question of Heroes in the ’70s, but it remains to be a must-read retrospective on our heroes. In this book, Joaquin subtly questions the heroism of our heroes, including Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Antonio Luna, and Gregorio del Pilar to name a few. Of course, the author tackles each case with evidence and testimonies, and he allows the readers to make their own judgments based on the available information. Thus, readers must approach this book with an open mind, and remember that the heroes we’ve always put on a pedestal are only humans like us. While they’ve made great sacrifices, they are also flawed and bound to make mistakes.
The Other Philippine History Textbook series by Christine L. Diaz takes the common history lessons and presents them with a more interesting writing and presentation. Unlike the textbooks in our classrooms that present cold hard facts waiting to be explained and interpreted by the teachers, Diaz’s books already include subjective commentaries by the author for the readers to ponder upon. Of course, while the facts are there, it is still up to the reader to decide whether they agree or disagree with the author’s interpretations of the historical events included in the books.
History with Lourd: Tsismis Noon, Kasaysayan Ngayon
Some may not consider this title a proper history book, but it is indeed a book about history. Lourd de Veyra is known for his satirical commentaries on TV that pull no punches. His show, History with Lourd: Tsismis Noon, Kasaysayan Ngayon has been adapted into a book that presents events and personalities from our history in a very entertaining way, centering on the most intriguing subjects and sprinkling humor on its storytelling. Of course, De Veyra still used the accounts of historians and experts to confirm the facts and invalidate the tsismis that have also found their way in our history. When diving into this book, readers must also have an open mind and be willing to research further to see the bigger picture in certain topics.
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Heads up, cat lovers! If you can’t get enough of the fluffy and fabulous felines, why don’t you exhibit your love for them in the digital world? Grab your smartphones, head to the App Store or Play Store, and download these mobile games that are loaded with kitty cat cuteness!
Set up your yard with toys and attract playful cats with food! Collect more than 40 varieties of cats, including rare ones, to add to your Catbook and become the next master kitty collector! You can even make albums with photos of your cats and use them as your phone’s wallpaper.
In this game, you play as a ghost who doesn’t know how to pass on, so you just pass the time watching the cats that visit your abandoned home. Feed the cats, redecorate your home, and watch them interact with the things and trinkets you’ve laid out for them!
This visual novel-style game puts you in the shoes of a girl who wakes up to find herself transported back in time when she was just a student. Create your cozy home, befriend cats, and watch them turn into humans! Just remember, the choices you make will impact your story so be sure to make the right decisions for a purrfect tale.
From the creators of Adorable Home comes KleptoCats, which lets you collect cats that will bring you all kinds of gifts. Send them away, see what treasure they will bring next, and watch your room transform from an empty space to a cool nook with eye-catching clutter.
What if instead of collecting cats, you become one instead? Cat Simulator lets you play and goof around as a kitty who seems to get away with anything thanks to its cuteness. Explore different environments, interact with other animals, and unlock new cats!
If collecting cats in your home isn’t enough for you, then check out this game. In this game, you get to fill a whole town with adorable felines! Relieve some of your stress by building establishments around Meow Town and watching the cute cats roam free.
Super Cat Tales 2 is a cute platformer where you join Alex the Cat and his feline friends as they save Cat Land from mysterious tin soldiers. Presented with a retro aesthetic, go on an enjoyable adventure and become the hero as you clear over 100 levels, unlock new cats, discover hidden secrets, and more!
Here’s another game that gives you a dose of retro. Mechanics may seem simple– just go jumping over obstacles with your cat, and collect new cats in the process– but this arcade game can easily become addicting with eye-popping visuals and high-flying levels.
A melodious pitter-patter of romance dropped on Netflix over the weekend with the premiere of the K-drama Forecasting Love & Weather. Whether you’ve watched and enjoyed the first two episodes already or are still forecasting your feelings if you’re ready to gush over another Korean series, you probably are most curious about the latest loveteam the show has to offer.
Park Min-young who everyone loved for her energy in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim plays the serious chief forecaster Jin Ha-Kyung of the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA), while Song Kang of dramas Navillera and Nevertheless plays the funny and innocent special reporter Lee Si-woo. In this rom-com series, the two would fall for each other while carrying the responsibility of giving the most accurate weather forecast possible.
Watch the show’s trailer below:
In a recent roundtable interview with the show’s main stars, we got to ask Park Min-young and Song Kang about their characters, experiences going into the show, and of course, their chemistry together. Check out some of the highlights of the interview below.
What were the challenges you faced in preparation for your roles?
Park Min-young: It was my first try as a public servant, so we had to dress differently because they had stricter rules in public offices so I would wear a long skirt. And the director and the screenwriter also said that I shouldn’t look too dressed up or pretty, so they would prefer me looking [plainer and like Jane Doe], so I would have to wear suits because I’m a chief forecaster. And also about the language, newbies could stutter but because I’m a chief forecaster, everything should come naturally to me so I’m trying really hard not to stutter and so I really practiced my pronunciation, but sometimes I would have bloopers.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Song Kang: Usually, when I would talk about the weather, it was okay. But when I’m in a scene where I’m upset or I’m angry, people tend to speak faster when they’re upset but you have to have the speed plus the terminology has to be correct. So those scenes were really difficult for me because I couldn’t go as fast as I would want to with the terminology. But as I got used to it, I could really express my full emotions even when I’m speaking faster, but that is more towards the end of the show so I really have a lot of respect for the professionals.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
How did you two first meet and how did you build your chemistry?
Park Min-young: The first time we’ve met is when the creator Kang Eun-kyung, the director, and us met for the first time. At the time, Song Kang was still in his last work’s character so he had this black halo behind him so I was like ‘uh-oh, what’s going to happen?’ But on the second and third reading of the script, he came as himself, and I knew that the chemistry between us is going to just naturally come to us. And after that, he delved directly into Si-woo, and after he became Si-woo, there was no problem at all. I think Si-woo is like naive and is a pure soul, which is very different from who Ha-kyung– my character– is, so I think this actually gives a lot of chemistry because they’re so different so they actually go together.
Song Kang: This was my first try at a romantic comedy, so I put a lot of thought into it. Really, Min-young solved a lot of my problems for me and as she said, the two characters are really different, and I think, I really like the fact that the two different characters came together and helped each other grow personally.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Working on drama after drama, what do you do to rest and reset before going into another project?
Song Kang: First of all, I like to work out and I also like reading novels. I also build legos and there are miniature houses that I like to build. So I basically do anything that I can at home. I watch dramas, I watch a lot of films. Because when I start working, I spend very little time at home, so I try to do everything that I can at home.
What do you find most interesting about meteorology during filming?
Park Min-young: I saw this documentary and in the documentary, this professional from the Korea Meteorological Administration [spoke] and he has this pure face like Si-woo and he said “If we didn’t forecast rain, but there is rainfall then that is our teardrops.” So when I listened to him, I really felt him and I thought the subject was very appealing to me so I wanted to immerse myself into these people who are really crazily in love with weather.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
If you were to choose one season for the entire year, what would it be?
Park Min-young: I would choose spring because I was born in spring and I like the feeling of freshness that spring gives us. It’s like the feeling of starting something new, and there are also cherry blossoms in Korea that bloom in the spring. And my nickname is Spring Park because my personal color is spring so I would choose spring.
Song Kang: My favorite season is winter. I am a homebody, I like to stay home. So when it snows, I like to stay at home and watch it snow outside. I also like wearing a short T-shirt, and when I have a T-shirt on and a padded jacket on, I like the cool feeling that I have on my arms, so I would choose winter.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Directed by Cha Young-hun and written by Sun Young, Forecasting Love and Weather also stars Yoon Bak and Yura. You can now stream the first two episodes on Netflix, with the next 14 episodes releasing every Saturday and Sunday.
Love is in the air as weather forecasters fall for each other in Netflix’s new K-drama Forecasting Love and Weather. The series directed by Cha Young Hun of When the Camellia Blooms and starring Park Min-young and Song Kang is heading to the streaming platform this February 12, 2022, with two episodes to be released per week.
Watch the trailer of Forecasting Love and Weather below:
Before the pilot episode of this series drops tomorrow, we had the chance to virtually attend a press conference for the show which included director Cha Young-hun, and the main cast: Park Min Young, Song Kang, Yoon Bak, and Yura. During the presscon, they talked more about the series, its characters, and how it all came together.
Synopsis
This 16-episode rom-com series follows the “cheerful romance drama” of people at the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The story centers on Jin Ha-Kyung who decides not to commit to an office romance ever again after a brutal breakup. But when the new team member Lee Si-woo arrives, she can’t help but fall for him.
As actress Park Min-young described the series, “It has elements of romance, it has elements of work, growth, and ambition. So it has a diverse array of emotions and elements, and I think this makes the story even more interesting.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Forecasting Love and Weather is heading to Netflix on Saturday, February 12, 2022, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Two episodes will be released every week on Saturdays and Sundays with a total of 16 episodes.
The Cast and Characters
Forecasting Love and Weather has a star-studded cast K-drama fans would want to watch out for. Park Min-young of What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, Her Private Life, and City Hunter plays Jin Ha-Kyung, the youngest chief forecaster in KMA’s Forecasters’ Division 2.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
“I think for the first time, we’re going to get some cold wind from Siberia,” said Min-young, comparing Jin Ha-Kyung with the bubbly characters she played in the past. “She is very cold-headed, she is a stickler to the principles and rules, and she’s not really a very popular character. Work is always first for her, and I think that’s one of the reasons she was dumped by her boyfriend, she’s always about work.”
Meanwhile, Song Kang of Navillera, Love Alarm, Nevertheless, and Sweet Home, stars as the special reporter Lee Si-woo. Kang described his character as “an innocent and very funny guy, but he is down to business about the weather.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Yoon Bak who starred in You Are My Spring and Itaewon Class will play Ha-kyung’s ex-boyfriend Han Ki-joon, who is the KMA spokesperson director. According to actor Bak, the character “cares a lot about what people think of him,” and is “the worst person.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Lastly, Yura of Now We Are Breaking Up stars as the daily weather reporter Chae Yoo-jin. “Yoo-jin wants to become successful,” shared Yura. “She is in her 20s, and she has a lot of ambitions, but not everything goes her way so she struggles really hard.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Getting the Cast Onboard
The series has an exciting roster of stars but what attracted them to join the project? The cast members also answered this question during the press conference. For Park Min-young, it was the uniqueness of the story that got her saying yes.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
“I never really knew much about the weather service and I don’t think there’s a series that really delved into this area so I thought that was really crisp-fresh,” said Min-young. But she also shared some of the challenges of doing this series: “If there’s like a medical drama or a legal drama, there are a lot of them so I can learn from the other dramas and series. And I kinda know how they speak and what terminologies they use. But for the weather service, I really had no idea how they spoke and what terminologies there are so it was really difficult to look up the terminologies. So I had to look up documentaries in order to familiarize myself with the service.
“So it was like a big, difficult homework for me. At first, I didn’t think it was too difficult, but now I think this series was one of the most challenging for me. But because it was challenging, I really enjoyed it, and I’m really proud that I pulled it off,” the actress added.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Meanwhile, Song Kang highlighted the humor of the story and how he relates to his character when answering why he got on board for the project. “First I thought the premise of the KMA is very interesting, and while I was reading the script, I think it was very humorous. It was very funny in some parts, so that is why it was really attractive for me. And my character Si-woo is really innocent, naive, and kind of dorky so I think that he resembles me to some extent that’s why I chose this series,” he explained.
Yura also loved the humor, as well as the heart-fluttering parts of the script. “I auditioned twice for Forecasting Love and Weather,” shared the actress. “When I read the script, I was just like an audience reading the script, right? So I read the [first through fourth episodes] in the script and I found myself bursting out in laughter and sometimes my heart would flutter. And then I went to see the director, director Cha is such a nice person. I was really touched by his good heart so I was sure that I wanted to be in this series.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Yoon Bak, unlike his co-stars actually wanted to say no to the project because of his character. Here’s why he pushed through with the role:
“I have to be frank, right? I don’t want to lie,” the actor began. “The three actors said that the script was fun and that applied to me too. Everyone was so nice except for my character, Han Ki-Joon. He’s like the worst person ever so I really didn’t like him, but they offered me this character. So I had a meeting, and I was going to say no, and I went to see the director, but then the director persuaded me that I should take this part, so that’s why I became a part of this series. But you know, filming was fun and exciting and I could find the evil inside of me coming out, so it’s a very meaningful experience for me as well.
Life and the Weather Side by Side
Asked how the story of Forecasting Love and Weather took shape, director Cha Young-hun explained that it has been in the head of creator and writer Sun Young for a very long time before it was finally brought to life on TV.
“I think it took her about two years to do all the research and for about eight months, she practically lived at the KMA,” revealed Young-hun. “She worked overnight with them for two months, to really get a grasp of what’s happening there and when I talked to her, I felt like the weather and life of people, I think there are many similarities and I found that very interesting.”
“We are not able to know what is going to happen next in our life and that is the same for the weather. Then I put myself in the shoes of the people who have to forecast this unpredictable weather, and I think that was the trigger that interested both the writer and myself to this story. We cannot predict what is going to happen next in our lives, or what’s going to happen in the weather. We sometimes get the wrong gut feeling but we don’t give up. Weather forecasters need to continue to make the weather forecast and people need to continue with their everyday life. And I thought that was very intriguing,” the director added.
Watch Forecasting Love and Weather when it starts streaming on Netflix this February 12, 2022.
About ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’ Directed by: Cha Young Hun Writer: Sun Young Premiere date: February 12th Episodes: 16 episodes (Every Sat & Sun 2 episodes per week) Starring: Park Min Young, Song Kang, Yoon Bak, and Yura Distributed by:Netflix Logline: Inside a national weather service, love proves just as difficult to predict as rain or shine for a diligent forecaster and her free-spirited co-worker. Release Date: February 12, 2022
While we appreciate Western horror’s slashers and CGI-infused jumpscares, Asian horror also has a distinct way of scaring us viewers– thriving from beliefs that are close to home, like curses and local urban legends, and slowly building up dread before a terrifying climax. But this style of Asian horror does not just apply to films or TV series, as video games created by Asian developers also create that distinct atmosphere for players.
If you’re looking for such video games, this list has you covered! We’ve rounded up some Asian horror games that can be fun and terrifying at the same time! Note that to give more attention to lesser-known titles, this list skipped some of the globally recognized horror games from Japan, such as the Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and The Evil Within franchises. If you haven’t played those, be sure to also add them to your list of games to play soon!
PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & Nintendo Switch
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is the fifth installment in Japan’s Fatal Frame, aka Project Zero,series. It puts players in the shoes of different protagonists as they try to uncover the truth behind the mysterious incidents in Mt. Hikami. Along the way, you will be faced with vengeful ghosts trying to drag you into the afterlife, but with the help of your camera obscura, you can defeat these spirits and be able to see their last moments in Mt. Hikami, leaving clues on what really happens in the sacred mountain.
PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, & Android
Taiwan’s Detention is a 2D side-scroller set in the 1960s when Taiwan was under Martial Law. It follows two high school students who got trapped inside their school, which has transformed in unsettling ways. To escape, the player must navigate the haunted campus that’s filled with tricky puzzles and evil creatures.
In this horror adventure puzzle game from Japan, players take the role of Aya Drevis, an 11-year-old girl who must uncover the secrets of the Drevis mansion where terrifying experiments are being conducted every night. Make use of dangerous tools such as knives, hammers, chainsaws, and bottles of eyeballs to survive and discover the truth.
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a chilling horror stealth game from Korea. Set on the eve of the gift-giving holiday White Day, the young student Hee-Min slips into school to hide a box of candies for the girl he likes. But soon, he finds himself trapped in the building with a killer janitor and the souls of the dead close on his heels. Play as Hee-Min and survive the night in the haunted school that’s full of secrets and horrors.
Set during the night of the Hungry Ghost Festival, this first-person horror game follows a group of young people who gathered in Kowloon Walled City to shoot for their online supernatural channel “Beyond the Invisible”. But as the crew members begin to disappear one by one, Ah Lok finds himself faced with a series of terrifying phenomena. The only thing that pushes him is to find their actress Kathy and get her out of there as soon as possible.
This Chinese horror game will also be appreciated by puzzle-loving players. Plagued by nightmares of paper dolls attacking you, you decide to take your daughter to your ex-wife. But when your disorientation causes theca, you find your daughter missing and your search for her leads you to a deserted Asian mansion. As you investigate further inside the mansion, a tale of terror buried for a hundred years starts to unravel.
This horror game gives players a dip into Indonesian folklore. Explore haunted places, interact with mystical objects, and discover the mysteries involving Indonesian myth, coupled with the country’s taboo and culture. Ultimately, survive the night filled with horrors in every turn.
This Korean survival horror game is presented as a 2D side-scroller. You play as Mina Park, a Sehwa High student who suddenly awakens in her school during the night. The school that was once so familiar looked eery, and she finds herself being stalked by a sinister figure that looks like her teacher. To survive, she must explore the school and its surrounding district where she will have to face mysterious beings and creepy creatures.
PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, & Nintendo Switch
This psychological horror game is another title to look forward to, set to release on March 29 this year with a demo now available on Steam. Steeped with the darkest tales from Japanese folklore, the game takes the player to the feudal era where a priestess of a shrine must defeat the spirits of both her past and present.
You’re a high school student, and a zombie outbreak happens while you’re on campus– will you and your friends survive? This is the premise of Netflix’s new zombie K-thriller All of Us Are Deadwhich premieres on the streaming platform this Friday, January 28, 2022. Directed by Lee JQ and Kim Nam-soo, the series stars Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, and more.
Watch the official trailer of All of Us Are Dead below:
Before we see the zombies unleashed this Friday, we got to join series creator and co-director Lee JQ, alongside the show’s main cast– Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon, Yoo In-soo, Lee You-mi, and Lim Jae-hyeok — where they talked about how this intense YA zombie horror series was brought to life on screen, the relationships between the actors, and more!
Here are things you need to know about All of Us Are Dead:
The Story
This 12-episode series is based on the 2009 Naver webtoon Now At Our School by Joo Dong-geun. It follows the students of Hyosan High, who are just living the normal high school life. But when their school becomes ground zero for a zombie outbreak that spreads across the town, a group of students, each with their own distinct personalities, must use their skills and limited resources to fend off the undead and survive the terrifying onslaught while trapped inside their school.
Lee JQ’s filmography includes The King 2 Hearts, Beethoven Virus, and Intimate Strangers. The series is written by Chun Sung-il of the drama The Slave Hunters and the films The Pirates and 7th Grade Civil Servant.
The Cast & Characters
Park Ji-hu as Nam On-jo
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Park Ji-hu who starred in the films House of Hummingbird and Black Light will play Nam On-jo in this new series. On-jo’s father is a firefighter who has taught her survival skills since she was young, skills that would surely come in handy during the apocalypse. Fun fact, Park Ji-hu is the only real high school student among the main cast members during the show’s filming.
Yoon Chan-young as Lee Cheong-san
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Yoon Chan-young of Mama, Doctor John, and Light for the Youth stars as Lee Cheong-san, On-jo’s close friend since childhood. Staying composed and quick-thinking in critical situations, Cheong-san exhibits fierceness and unwavering leadership skills.
Cho Yi-hyun as Choi Nam-ra
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Cho Yi-hyun who you might have seen in Hospital Playlist and Metamorphosis, plays Choi Nam-ra in All of Us Are Dead. She is a reclusive student who, as the class president, stands on top of her grade. Joining On-jo’s group, Nam-ra must gradually break down her walls.
Lomon as Lee Su-hyeok
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Lomon who has appeared in the film The Guardian and web series Lookism stars as the good-looking and athletic Su-hyeok. When the zombie outbreak erupted, he becomes a pillar of support for his friends, and takes on dangerous tasks to protect the people he cares for.
Other key characters in the series include the notorious school bully Yoon Gwi Nam, played by Yoo In-soo (My ID is Gangnam Beauty, Strong Girl Bong-soon); the wealthy and selfish Lee Na-yeon played by Lee You-mi of Squid Game fame; and the optimistic kid with explosive strength, Yang Dae-su played by Lim Jae-hyeok (Alice).
Yoo In-soo (top left), Lee You-mi (top right), and Lim Jae-hyeok.
Building Hyosan High
While viewers may think that most parts of the series were shot in a school, it was actually a set they built to become the Hyosan High campus.
“I think the space, the location, in a zombie content is very important,” director Lee JQ said. “There’s a lot of [blood], that’s why I thought we needed a set of our own. So when we looked into the set, it was like 100 meters wide, so it was basically like a four-story school building inside the set, and we would just be there all the time so it felt like we were really going to school.”
“Apart from these great young actors, another main cast would be the school itself,” the director added.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
The Intense Zombie Scenes
Director Lee JQ also talked about the scale of the intense scenes in the series. He shared that they used many one-takes and long takes at the beginning of filming, like the scene at the cafeteria where 200 students gathered as the zombies swooped in. According to the director, rehearsal was everything in pulling it off in just one take.
“I’ve never had full-day rehearsals, but for the cafeteria scene and the library scene, we would have all of the zombie actors and the crew members, and then we would do some test shooting, and then we would have another rehearsal with the cast. I think that was most important because what I wanted most was the realistic sense [of] the scenes. I wanted people to feel really immersed,” explained the director.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
While the zombie actors were trained through the collaboration of a dancer and a choreographer who used to act, the main cast also underwent training for 3 months in preparation for the stunts and action scenes. Yoon Chan-young, Lomon, and Yoo In-soo who have the most action scenes were grouped together for a more intense training. The three actors also shared about the experience during the press conference.
“The special training for the three of us was really, really difficult,” shared In-soo. “So we had the first 20 minutes, and I couldn’t control myself, I couldn’t control my body. So I went to the bathroom, I threw up, and then I was coming out and I saw someone else who was also vomiting, it was Chan-young.”
Meanwhile, Lomon who didn’t throw up during training revealed: “At that time, I also wanted to throw up, but I work out all the time so I wanted to not throw up. So I just told people I’m fine, but for three days after that, I just stayed in bed and I went to get some herbal medicine and acupuncture [Laughs].”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Creating the Chemistry of the Cast
During the press conference, some of the cast members talked about their relationships with each other during filming. For one, Park Ji-hu, who was actually the only real high schooler when the series was being filmed, had the nickname “Baby Angel” on set and is revealed to jokingly call her onscreen classmates “Aunties” and “Uncles”.
It was also revealed that the stars would stick their co-stars’ name tags on their phones, but Chan-Young only left On-jo’s name tag. The actor explained, “At that time, I wanted to show Cheong-san and On-jo’s relationship. Cheong-san wanted to protect On-jo and put her before his own safety. So I wanted to make sure that I become that character, so I wanted to think about On-jo every day, and think about how I could protect her and be nice to her.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Meanwhile, Yoo In-soo whose character is in tension with Chan-young’s character, admits that they are actually close friends in real life and that they enjoy going to the karaoke and singing “oldies” together.
To further build the camaraderie between the actors, director Lee JQ would also make them play games with each other. “Before the shoot, we would meet up and you know, talk about the script, we have to be close to each other, because we are actually friends in the show. So we would play some traditional Korean games and some board games as well. Dae-su really likes to become the emcee when we play games. So we really felt like we were classmates and when the shooting was done, I felt like we were graduating,” shared Park Ji-hu.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
What Sets ‘All of Us Dead’ Apart from Other Zombie Titles
This is not the first time that South Korea has pumped out a thrilling zombie title. Some of the most popular zombie horror films and shows from Korea are Train to Busan, Kingdom, and #Alive. So what sets All of Us Are Dead apart from these titles and other zombie titles out there?
“There is a lot of zombie content and in most stories, we look at what happens to adults when they [encounter] a zombie virus,” said director Lee JQ. “But this was a little bit unique. First, it happens in a very confined space that is a school, and it happens to students, who are not yet mature adults. We often say things like, some adults are ‘childish’, but I wanted to look into what kind of choices– and I felt that it would be extremely interesting and intriguing to look at the choices– that these young adults make, and I felt like it could bring a new meaning to the zombie genre.”
Watch All Of Us Are Dead when it starts streaming on Netflix this Friday, January 28.
About ‘All of Us Are Dead’ Director: Lee JQ, Kim Nam-soo Writer: Chun Sung-il Original work: ‘Now At Our School’ / ‘All of Us Are Dead’ by Joo Dong-geun Episodes: 12 Cast: Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young ,Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon, Yoo In-soo, Lee You-mi, Lim Jae-hyeok Produced by: Film Monster by JTBC Studios, KIMJONGHAK PRODUCTION Distributed by: Netflix Logline: At a school overrun by the zombie virus, trapped students struggle together to stay alive until help arrives. Release date: January 28, 2022
