Minority Mindset

Yes, there are definite parallels between Last Samurai Standing and Squid Game: people fighting to the death for money. However, Last Samurai Standing has its own unique background. It began as a 2012 novel called Ikusagami by Shogo Imamura, which was then adapted into a manga series in 2022. Being Japanese, rather than South Korean, the story is rooted in the Meiji period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries—a time when Japan was transitioning from a feudal society to an industrialized one. Unlike Squid Game’s brutal violence, Last Samurai Standing features beautifully choreographed martial arts and sword fights, with graceful movements and artistic displays of combat. There are many reasons to enjoy Last Samurai Standing for what it is, and here are five of them.

This year’s Oscars have a surprising potential frontrunner: the film Sinners. Released back in April, before the major film festivals, it’s been a topic of discussion among awards experts for months. Sinners has received excellent reviews and has also been a hit with audiences, increasing the chances that Academy voters have seen it. However, its genre and subject matter are different from typical Oscar winners, leading some to question how far it can go. Despite this, the Academy has recently shown more openness to science fiction and horror films, which could benefit Sinners.

The podcast Red Scare has featured controversial guests before, including Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones. However, the recent episode with Nick Fuentes reportedly contained numerous offensive remarks and stereotypes about different ethnic and religious groups – typical for Red Scare. Fuentes even admitted that trying to be provocative is “cringe,” which is ironic considering the episode lasted two and a half hours. Despite contributing to the episode’s inflammatory content, Anna Nekrasova has been steadily working as an actress, appearing in shows like Succession and the recent film Materialists. It’s surprising this particular episode caused enough backlash in Hollywood to potentially harm her career, as she’s previously managed to keep her work separate from her podcast appearances. It’s unlikely this will keep her off screens for long, and she might be able to get support from figures like Mel Gibson or other Hollywood supporters of Donald Trump, who could help navigate this HR issue.

Labubus, adorable alien-like figures, became incredibly popular after being sold by the Chinese company Pop Mart during their live streams on TikTok. For the past year and a half, you’ve likely seen them everywhere – from protests to attached to Rihanna’s handbag, and even placed on Karl Marx’s grave. Before their recent fame, Labubus originally appeared as a supporting character in the book series The Monsters by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, meaning there was existing creative material to work with.

Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus largely revolves around a single character. Carol Sturka, played by Rhea Seehorn, is the show’s central figure – initially described as “the most miserable person on Earth.” She’s a pessimistic romance writer who discovers she’s one of the few remaining fully conscious people on a planet where almost everyone else has joined a peaceful, collective consciousness. While Carol has lost everyone she knew to either death or assimilation into this hive mind, the loss of her manager and partner, Helen, clearly affects her the most.

Things are moving fast! This week is a big one for my favorite MomTok star. We’re back at the Sofitel, and honestly, the view from the window was lovely, even if just for a second, before Whitney started talking to Miranda about her dinner with Demi. Apparently, Whitney initially felt alright about it, but a conversation with Conner changed everything and now she’s feeling uneasy. Miranda didn’t hold back, though – she basically said they don’t have the full story, but Demi is definitely not being truthful. It’s wild how quickly these little ones grow up, isn’t it?