YESASIA: YumCha! - Asian Entertainment: Editor's Picks, Articles, Professional Reviews, News

Pia EP - Urban Explorer
PIA

PIA, music explorer
July 23, 2008 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
Straying farther and farther from their origins with every release, PIA's new album Urban Explore again sees the band evolving and embracing a new amorphous identity. By now, I've almost forgotten that PIA started out as a metal band as they haven't been doing too much screaming lately. Compared to their 2001 debut album Pia@arrogantempire.xxx, Urban Explorer sounds like the work of a completely different band. If their music has gotten less defined over the years, it has also become more agreeable and diverse, indicative of the band's willingness to explore and experiment with new styles and elements. Seo Tai Ji continues to be an important influence over PIA as he serves as executive... [read more]
God Man Dog (DVD) (Deluxe Edition) (Taiwan Version)
Tarcy Su (Actor) | Jack Kao (Actor) | Chang Yang Yang (Actor)

Leap of Faith
August 1, 2008 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
Taiwan director Singing Chen waxes lyrical about religion, relationships, and stray dogs in her poetically quirky sophomore feature God Man Dog. This modern allegory follows a group of disparate souls who are very different and yet the same as they make sense of their fragile beliefs and bungled lives. Exploring self, questioning faith, and affirming life, God Man Dog's uncommon method of storytelling and odd leaps of faith should strike chords with both the doubtful and the devoted. The first half of God Man Dog is slow moving, if not downright depressive, as the characters and their various unhappy states of existence are introduced. Pianist Ching's (Tarcy Su) mental health and marriage to... [read more]
Forever the Moment (DVD) (First Press Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Moon So Ri | Cho Eun Ji | Kim Jung Eun | Uhm Tae Woong

A beautiful inspiring film
July 22, 2008 Picked By UniG See all this editor's picks
When it comes to typical sports dramas, the plot usually begins with a team of underdogs who end up reaching the finals after conquering insurmountable obstacles. Forever the Moment is no different from its predecessors, but the film does a fine job of overcoming its awfully predictable story by offering enough genuine emotional uplift and good, tasteful humor. Inspired by the true story of the 2004 Olympics Korea Women's National Handball Team, the story begins with a team of exuberant players celebrating their victory at the women's handball league's championship game in front of empty stands. Clearly handball is not one of Korea's most popular sports. And not a moment too soon, the cold... [read more]
I am Your Singer (First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
Southern All Stars

30 Years of Southern All Stars
August 15, 2008 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
It's hard to think of another artist or group that has given as much to Japanese music over the last 30 years as Southern All Stars has. With a laidback, rugged pop rock appeal that crosses generations and genres, the legendary band has been topping charts and cheering hearts for three decades. Life wouldn't quite be the same without the music of Southern All Stars. Marking the band's 30th anniversary, their latest single I Am Your Singer opens happily with jovial beats and a carefree trumpet, creating a blithe and relaxed mood as Kuwata Keisuke's familiar voice rolls in. The song's opening lines - "I am your singer/My reason for living/Is to see your countless smiles" - brought an immediate... [read more]
Faces Of FanFan (3CD)
Fan Wei Qi (Singer)

Music that Smiles
July 31, 2008 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
Fan Wei Qi is a singer who's easy to like, and yet also easy to let slip by. With her down-to-earth image and personality and comfortable, low-key numbers, she doesn't have the pop diva appeal of singers like A-mei Chang, Stefanie Sun, Elva Hsiao, and labelmate Angel Chang, but at the same time falls short of the full-fledged singer-songwriter acclaim of Tanya Chua and Cheer Chen. This might be why it took me so long to purchase my first Fan Fan album. Though I've always liked her music, come checkout time, I'm too easily lured away by the big name albums or the small, indie releases. I didn't quite realize how many great hits she has, how familiar her songs are, until I sat down to listen... [read more]
Lost In Time (DTS Version)(US Version)
Cecilia Cheung (Actor) | Lau Ching Wan (Actor) | Louis Koo | Derek Yee (Director)

Feelings frozen in time
August 13, 2008 Picked By Ceriseno See all this editor's picks
Cecilia Cheung, Lau Ching Wan, and Louis Koo star in Derek Yee's bittersweet tale Lost in Time revolving around a woman's desperate attempt to overcome the loss of the most important person in her life. Cecilia Cheung plays the female protagonist Siu Wai whose life is turned upside-down after her fiance Ah Man (Louis Koo) has a fatal accident. Now left alone to manage not only her own life, but also that of her late lover's young son, Siu Wai's formerly happy life takes on a new gloomy aspect, until an unexpected third party appears to lend her a helping hand. Cecilia Cheung offers a passionate performance in her role as single parent who struggles to make ends meet, while Lau Ching Wan... [read more]

Feature Articles

Not Just The Other Tony Leung
Written By James Mudge

When hearing the name Tony Leung, viewers would be forgiven for automatically thinking of Tony Leung Chiu Wai, the internationally acclaimed, sad-eyed Hong Kong star of In the Mood for Love, Hero, Infernal Affairs, and more recently Lust, Caution. However, particularly in recent years, the name is equally likely to be used in reference to another Tony Leung, namely Tony Leung Ka Fai, whose twenty-five year career has seen him grace the screen in nearly a hundred productions. Those confused by the similarity in English names may find it helpful to know that the two are often differentiated by nicknames, with Tony Leung Chiu Wai having been dubbed "Little Tony" and Tony Leung Ka Fai "Big... [read more]

Review Highlights

Entertainment News

Adieu to Monday Kiz

The Lady Iron Chef (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)

Three months after grieving the loss of Monday Kiz member Kim Min Soo who died in a motorcycle accident on April 29, the Korean pop duo's representative Can Entertainment officially announced the group's disbanding on August 4, 2008. The decision comes after months of consulting with surviving... [Read More]