The Hong Kong government is looking to implement a plan allowing Mainland Chinese visitors to come to Hong Kong by car, starting in March.

This proposed regulation incited negative reaction from some Hong Kong citizens, and many took to the streets in organized protest.

A Facebook page was set up to rally protestors for this event, which took place in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park earlier this month. Over 7,000 people pledged to attend this rally, but about 500 showed up.

Protestors warned against dangerous Chinese driving and used graphic pictures of Chinese car accidents to make their point. They also argued that Mainland cars would add increased pollution and traffic volume to Hong Kong’s streets.

The Hong Kong government, on the other hand, believes that the new regulation will encourage increased integration between the two societies and stimulate greater flow of Chinese tourist and investment dollars into Hong Kong.

It was announced earlier that Tite Kubo’s hit series Bleach coming to an end, in both the anime and manga. However this doesn’t mean the end for the series: it was announced that Warner Bros. Pictures has acquired the rights to a live-action feature film of Bleach.

VIZ Media, the distributors and licensors of the series, made the announcement today of the upcoming movie and expressed how they felt that “Warner Bros. shares our belief that Bleach can also become a live-action film”.

Producer Peter Segal (50 First Dates, Longest Yard) and writer Dan Mazeau (Wrath of the Titans) have already been hired by Warner Bros to help bring this iconic anime manga series to life.

The creators of this film are going to have a huge challenge ahead of them. The Bleach universe spans a massive cast of characters that would be difficult to bring to the big screen. Even Ichigo Kurosaki’s origin story would be a complicated task  to compress all the key elements into a feature length film.

Hopefully we won’t see what happened to the Dragonball series when Dragonball: Evolution in 2009 came out and that the creators can truly capture the best of the Bleach series.

Source: 1, 2

T.G.I.F! For those who are studying hard or working hard in your offices, you have the weekend to look forward to! Enjoy today’s CHARGED tunes with South Korean super sensation: Rain (Bi) with his hit song “Rainism”.

On November 24th, 2008, he released this single but has caught on to quite some controversy for sexual references in his lyrics of the song. Soon after, he focused on promotional activies (mostly acting in films) in the U.S and has gained quite some success.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ever since his rise in popularity due to his participation in the popular Korean drama series “Full House” back in 2004, Rain has succeeded in establishing is international fame through numerous world tour concerts. He left his debut label JYP Entertainment (which currently produces Wonder Girls, 2PM, 2AM etc.) and started his own company J. Tune Entertainment in 2007.

Could another east meets west collaboration be happening between two music giants? American hip hop producer Swiss Beatz expressed his hopes to see Rihanna collaborate with 2NE1. Swiss Beatz acknowledged the growing phenomenon of K-Pop in the music business in a press conference at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul.

He stated:

“I think Korea’s K-pop is a kind of expression. The world is looking for something new and K-pop is a new trend. I want to play a part in making Korean music known worldwide.

As I travel around the world, I learn about the sound of each country. I’m not only interested in hip hop, but other musical genres as well. For Korean artists, I think KARA, Big Bang,2NE1, and BoA (among other musicians) have many strengths. K-pop is an opportunity, and the future is bright.“

When asked about the impact K-Pop would make if it entered the American music industry, He answered:

 “Although Korean people are accustomed to American pop music, K-pop may be unfamiliar to American people. However, the world’s hearts are open to music. K-pop has great potential. I think if 2NE1 and Rihanna got together, the effect would be great.”

If this collaboration does go through, K-pop would definitely see more international recognition and break its way into the international music industry. With figures as big as Rihanna and 2NE1, we could definitely expect something big, so let’s hope that this east meets west crossover finds a way to happen!

Source: 1

In a recent newspaper article, Xinhua News, the official news agency of the Chinese government, called for Chinese ethnicity NBA sensation Jeremy Lin to join the Chinese national men’s basketball team prior to the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

The same article even suggests that Lin should consider giving up his US citizenship in order to become a Chinese national and play for China, asking Lin to “Please make up your mind, seize the opportunity, and take up Chinese citizenship.”

The Lin family is from Taiwan.

Lin himself is a Harvard graduate. He is one of few Asian Americans in NBA history and the first American player in the league of Chinese ethnicity.

Below is a TV commentor’s response to the Xinhua article:

Click here to view the embedded video.

After a year in hiatus, the highly anticipated Kpop group has risen from their frozen chambers! Following the teaser videos and concept images released on the YG-Life blog, Big Bang has finally unveiled the first of six title tracks, Blue.

The song is a heart warming and smoothing track dealing with the acceptance of loss and loneliness. The song is fitting for the boys’ return as 2011 was a year plagued with scandals surrounding the group, primarily with Daesung’s car accident and G-Dragon’s illegal drug usage. With a new year brings a new start. Blue shows the reformed Big Bang are capable of withstanding hardships, creating a stronger team that may be united for the long hall.

The release comes a week before their 5th mini-album, “Alive,” which goes on sale on the 29th. Afterwards, the group will be taking over the planet with their first ever World Tour starting March 2nd.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sources : 1, 2