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  • What to Watch This Week | 10 Recent Picks Worth Your Time

    What to Watch This Week | 10 Recent Picks Worth Your Time

    ☕️ TL;DR
    Recent recommendations worth checking out: [Film] Avatar: Fire and Ash, [Film] Knives Out 3, [US Series] Fallout Season 2, [K-Drama] Public Interest Lawyer, [J-Drama] They in the Shadows, [UK Series] Cooper & Frye, [Mainland China] Tang Mystery Tales, [Stand-up Comedy] Gianmarco Soresi: The Joy Thief, [Documentary] 100 Ancient Dishes, [Reality Show] Three Fools Go to Kenya

    Several standout trailers: the official trailer for Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash — The Witch of Circe, the first trailer for Revelation Day, the first trailer for The Diggers, the first trailer for Young Sherlock

    A few film and TV news items: Crayon Shin-chan: Strange Things! My Yokai Holiday set for release in 2026; Extreme Judgment confirmed for mainland China release on January 23; Eternal Station set for mainland China release on December 24; 96 Minutes: Train Bombing Case dated January 10; Robot Dreams scheduled for a mainland China re-release on December 26

    [Film] Avatar: Fire and Ash

    • Keywords: Sci-Fi / Adventure / Action
    • Also known as: Avatar: Fire and Ash
    • Runtime: 198 minutes
    • Where to watch: Now showing in theaters; Douban link

    You are given a new pair of eyes—use them to see this world.

    @SHY: Having settled among the reef clans, Jake, Neytiri, and their children struggle to mend the grief of losing loved ones—yet their enemies have no intention of letting them be. The surviving Colonel Miles forges an alliance with the Ash People, a clan that lives by plunder. To protect their homeland, the Na’vi must stand united and face an even greater battle.

    If there were one work to represent the pinnacle of the visual-effects industry, Avatar would surely rank near the top. Even after visiting Pandora twice before, this film’s overwhelming abundance of visual spectacle is still awe-inspiring. Soaring through the skies with the wind traders, diving into vast and mysterious oceans, returning to lush, vegetation-covered jungles, and journeying from the scorched wastelands of the Ash People to the steel-forged human bases—Eywa, the Great Mother, once again reveals both her miracles and her wrath. Each distinct setting delivers an unparalleled sensory impact.

    Compared with its visual achievements, the screenplay is less striking. Whether it’s family bonds or tribal conflicts, much of it feels familiar, largely retracing the narrative patterns of the previous two films. Fortunately, the film’s execution is rock-solid: the action sequences that run throughout keep the audience fully engaged, and the theme of harmonious coexistence with nature feels especially resonant today. Even if the story has its shortcomings, the visuals remain breathtaking. This epic, made for the big screen, is well worth the price of a movie ticket.

    [Film] Knives Out 3

    • Keywords: Drama / Comedy / Mystery
    • Also known as: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery / Knives Out: The Dead Return
    • Runtime: 144 minutes
    • Where to watch: Netflix; Douban link

    An incredibly annoying detective (

    @Liz and the Blue Bird: Young priest Jude is reassigned to a bizarre small town after assaulting someone. The local priest, Father Wicks, is a shameless bully who rules the place like a small-time tyrant—each week during his sermon he singles out one person to verbally attack until they flee the church. The remaining few loyal followers both worship and fear him, giving the whole place a cult-like, ominous atmosphere. Jude is sent there by his superiors to try and save the church. Before any real progress can be made, Wicks dies under mysterious circumstances in a semi–locked-room scenario, and Jude becomes the prime suspect. Detective Blanc arrives upon hearing the news and invites Jude to help solve the case. Strange, almost supernatural murders begin to pile up—what secrets lie behind the former priest’s massive inheritance?

    The film continues the Knives Out series’ signature blend of mystery and comedy. Priests blurt out “Holy Shit” in fright before immediately confessing their sins, and the detective’s exaggerated, theatrical mannerisms are even more over the top than in the previous entry—so much so that the film itself openly pokes fun at him for “acting like he’s in a third-rate cop movie.” The cast is once again packed with big names, making it impossible to guess the killer through off-screen clues alone. While the story uses its plot to comment on false marketing, cult-style brainwashing, religious corruption, slut-shaming, and human hypocrisy, the pacing is fairly flat and the buildup overly long. The focus leans more toward Jude’s inner struggle and personal growth, leaving the ensemble cast somewhat underdeveloped, and the murder methods themselves are hardly ingenious. Still, many of the shot compositions are thoughtfully crafted, making it a passable watch.

    [US Series] Fallout Season 2

    • Keywords: Game Adaptation / Sci-Fi / Adventure / Action
    • Also known as: Fallout Season 2
    • Runtime: Approx. 60 minutes per episode × 8 episodes, updated weekly on Wednesdays
    • Where to watch: Prime Video; Douban link

    Perhaps the real question isn’t whether the world will end, but who gets to press the button.

    @SHY: After an unexpected twist, Lucy teams up with the Ghoul to track down her father, Hank, following his trail all the way to New Vegas on the far side of the wasteland. Meanwhile, Maximus returns to the Brotherhood of Steel and is forced to shoulder greater responsibility, while Norman—having uncovered the truth behind the Vaults—faces a painful choice. Will their paths ever cross again?

    When it comes to the game Fallout: New Vegas, its peerless web-like narrative structure is impossible to ignore, and the second season’s storytelling clearly leans in that direction. Lucy and the Ghoul’s long journey is interwoven with Cooper’s pre-war past, back when corporate executives pulled strings behind the scenes and Vaults 31 through 33—key pieces of the plan—were already on the brink of a storm. Spanning space and time, the series weaves together a sprawling ensemble, with events influencing one another as a grand tapestry of the wasteland’s fate slowly unfolds.

    Hardened by the trials of the first season, Lucy is no longer the naïve vault dweller she once was, yet she still clings to her principles—placing her in natural opposition to a seasoned survivor who has scraped by in the post-apocalyptic world for over two centuries. The chemistry between these two polar-opposite partners is genuinely compelling. Beyond familiar faces, Mr. House also unveils some of his inventive gadgets, promising a memorable show in New Vegas. Carrying on the games’ signature black humor while delivering a gripping wasteland adventure, the series remains a standout example of how video game adaptations should be done.

    [K-Drama] Pro Bono

    • Keywords: Drama / Comedy
    • Also known as: Free Legal Service / Pro Bono
    • Runtime: Around 70 minutes per episode × 12 episodes; Douban link

    Become a public-interest lawyer, and then—win people over!

    @Pan Yuhan: Judge Kang David is widely seen as a rising star in the legal world. His public confrontations with powerful conglomerates in court have earned him widespread admiration. What people don’t know is that this is all a carefully constructed façade. In truth, Kang David is a yes-man for his superiors, enduring scolding and humiliation because he has his sights set on becoming Chief Justice—he’s willing to do whatever it takes to climb the ladder. Just as he finally secures a nomination for the position, he’s framed. Forced to resign, his only option is to become a public-interest lawyer, hoping to prove his innocence to the bar association and put his career back on track.

    At its core, the premise is straightforward: take a protagonist who doesn’t seem particularly kind and who plans every move with calculation, turn him into a public-interest lawyer, and let him rediscover his original commitment to legal justice through case after case of pro bono defense. Yet the series still manages to surprise. Kang David may appear shrewd and world-weary, but beneath that polished exterior lies a genuinely gentle heart. As a public-interest lawyer, he cleverly employs some less-than-spotless tactics to help ordinary people find justice. So while the story follows familiar beats, it ultimately feels warm and reassuring.

    [J-Drama] They in the Shadows

    • Keywords: Drama
    • Also known as: Shadow Work / シャドウワーク / Shadow Work
    • Runtime: Around 50 minutes per episode × 5 episodes; Douban link

    Isn’t domestic violence just a bit of couple’s quarrelling—can it really be this serious?

    @Liz and the Blue Bird: Noriko, a full-time housewife who has suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, is introduced by a nurse named Michiko to a mutual-aid organization. The facility is not open to the public and has strict admission requirements. Five women live together there, all bearing shocking scars and severe psychological trauma. Through working in a bakery and participating in game activities, they help one another ease back into everyday life. The orderly, warm, and seemingly peaceful routine gradually helps Noriko regain her footing—until she realizes that the organization may have deeper goals of its own. Kaoru, a conscientious police officer, once took her fellow officer husband to court over domestic abuse, only to be ostracized and demoted within the force. That experience leaves her intensely focused on domestic violence cases, and she soon uncovers something unusual in one particular case—bringing nurse Michiko into her investigative sights.

    Adapted from the novel of the same name by Sano Hiromi, the series excels in its use of light, shadow, and visual texture. It zeroes in on the issue of domestic violence in Japanese society, employing a dual-track narrative to portray a battle of self-rescue by survivors, while gradually revealing a buried criminal mystery as the two storylines intersect. The show powerfully captures the terror of abusers and the profound, indelible impact inflicted on their victims: the demonic face that swings a knife in manic laughter one moment, then begs for forgiveness in agony the next; the abyss of isolation, inescapability, and relentless self-doubt. How, then, can these women ever find redemption and freedom?

    [UK Series] Cooper & Fry

    • Keywords: Drama / Mystery / Crime
    • Also known as: Cooper & Fry
    • Runtime: Around 90 minutes per episode × 4 episodes; Douban link

    @Pan Yuhan: On Fry’s very first day reporting to the Major Crimes Unit in Derbyshire, a case lands immediately on his desk. An unidentified set of remains is unearthed at a farm called “Tanglewood.” Upon receiving the report, senior leadership promptly decides to pair the newly appointed Fry with Detective Inspector Cooper to jointly investigate the case.

    Released toward the end of the year, this British crime series centers on detectives Cooper and Fry, following their efforts to uncover the truth behind a series of cases. The one-episode-one-case structure is clean and efficient—once one case is wrapped up, the next story begins. The biggest draw of the series, however, lies in watching these two detectives with completely different styles gradually磨合 and work together in pursuit of the truth. A true local and a “second-generation cop,” Cooper knows the area inside out; relying solely on the network of acquaintances built over years of living there already brings significant advantages to his investigations. As a result, he struggles to understand Fry’s methodical, detail-driven approach to solving cases. Fry’s strictly professional demeanor, in turn, creates a sense of distance from other team members, who tend to view the major crimes unit as a close-knit family.

    Packed with classic rural mystery elements, the series delivers a very familiar British crime-solving vibe, making it an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.

    [Mainland China] Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty IV

    • Keywords: Action / Mystery / Fantasy / Historical
    • Also known as: Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅳ
    • Runtime: Around 18 minutes per episode × 21 episodes
    • Where to watch: iQIYI; Douban link

    It’s essentially the fourth season of Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty.

    @Pan Yuhan: Due to limitations on episode count, the third season of Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty removed two cases that had already been filmed when it aired. The collective efforts of the production team, however, deserved to be seen—thus this horizontal short-form series, with episodes under 20 minutes, Strange Tales of Tang, came into being.

    Staying true to the style of the original series, Strange Tales of Tang continues to showcase exquisite visual aesthetics beneath layers of radiant imagery. Each carefully composed frame, combined with its visual effects, is highly watchable. The case setups and the design of the tricks are equally meticulous. A golden mask conceals half of a true face, attempting to breed eerie घटन from the shadows; flocks of birds gathered deep in the forest are exploited by schemers, turning them into deadly weapons. The cinematic costumes and makeup, paired with a distinctly Chinese sense of mystery, give the series an outstanding texture.

    Independently titled and released this time, the series centers on The Worry-Relief Shop and The Song of the Guilty Palace, while also unveiling the mystery of Fei Jishi’s origins. Though presented in a short-form format, the quality remains consistently high. Through its two cases, the show also alludes to contemporary issues such as cults and psychological manipulation—bold and sensitive in its approach.

    [Stand-up Comedy] Gianmarco Soresi: Thief of Joy

    • Keywords: Stand-up Comedy
    • Also known as: Gianmarco Soresi: Thief of Joy
    • Runtime: Around 66 minutes
    • Where to watch: YouTube; Douban link

    Let a professional handle the job of making you laugh out loud.

    @Pan Yuhan: Should the root cause of being 36 years old and still unsuccessful be blamed on your parents? Faced with this question, stand-up comedian Gianmarco Soresi offers a sharp analogy: “If you’re already inside a building with a flawed foundation, would you really feel safer when you’re on the 36th floor?” And so, starting with his own family of origin, this laugh-out-loud stand-up set gets underway.

    Thanks to his background in theater groups and his college training, Gianmarco seamlessly blends voice, presence, and physicality into his performance, elevating the overall stage effect. His broad gestures and exaggerated movements feel as though he’s pulling the audience directly into the riotously funny stories he’s spinning. Even on a small screen, the sense of immersion is unmistakable. People often say the biggest selling point of stand-up comedy is that it’s funny—and this special certainly delivers nonstop laughs. But beyond that, its real strength lies in using comedy to reveal a tragic core. Over the course of 66 minutes, Gianmarco touches on many weighty topics, yet each time he wraps them up with clever bits and punchlines, ending depth with laughter.

    [Documentary] 100 Ancient Dishes

    • Keywords: Documentary / Food
    • Also known as: Ancient Recipes / Ancient Dishes
    • Runtime: Around 12 minutes per episode × 100 episodes
    • Where to watch: Tencent Video (new episodes every Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday at 12:00 noon); Douban link

    Bringing the cuisine of ancient times into the modern day.

    @Pan Yuhan: Tencent Video recently launched a documentary produced by Chen Xiaoqing’s team, with Taiwanese scholar Gao Wenlin as the host. Centered on the theme of “recreating ancient cuisine,” each episode invites a guest to cook dishes recorded in classical culinary texts.

    At just 12 minutes per episode, the documentary is light, enjoyable, and guaranteed to make you hungry. Through casual conversations between the host and guests—peppered with historical references—one ancient dish after another is either successfully recreated or, at times, ends in a spectacular flop. Either way, viewers come away with a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese food culture. It turns out that food delivery was already highly developed in the Song dynasty, and Emperor Gaozong of Song even used takeout to entertain his guests; a Yuan-dynasty “dark-cuisine” dish, honey-fermented swimming crab, somehow turned savory crab sweet by using honey; Zeng Guofan was so addicted to spicy food that he couldn’t resist sprinkling chili powder even on bird’s nest; and the seemingly humble bowl of rice soaked in broth was once among the national banquet dishes of the Southern Song dynasty…

    China’s culinary culture is vast, profound, and extraordinarily long-lived—yet few people ever stop to wonder what people in ancient times actually ate. The arrival of 100 Ancient Dishes goes a long way toward filling that gap.

    [Reality Show] Three Idiots in Kenya

    • Keywords: Reality Show / Travel
    • Also known as: Three Meals in Kenya / 케냐 간 세끼 / Three Idiots in Kenya
    • Runtime: Around 70 minutes per episode × 6 episodes
    • Where to watch: Netflix; Douban link

    A long journey to Kenya, just to see giraffes.

    @Pan Yuhan: Back in 2019, entertainer Cho Kyuhyun won a grand prize—an all-out luxury trip to Kenya—on the show New Journey to the West. Unfortunately, due to production budget constraints and then the sudden outbreak of the pandemic, the reward was never fulfilled. Thanks to a collaboration between Netflix and Na Young-seok’s production team, this long-delayed trip—taken by Lee Su-geun, Cho Kyuhyun, and Eun Ji-won for the sole purpose of seeing giraffes—has finally come to fruition.

    What makes Na Young-seok’s shows so appealing, beyond being genuinely funny, is their sense of freedom and ease. You never know what will happen next, but no matter how bad or unlucky the situation gets, the cast always manages to carry on in their own rhythm. Take this trip, for example: what should have been a pleasant journey is derailed almost immediately upon arrival in Kenya when Cho Kyuhyun loses his phone; meanwhile, the aftereffects of six airplane meals during the long flight leave Eun Ji-won with little appetite for local food. This is where the production team’s experience really shows—they start with games at the hotel, letting everyone recover their mood and energy before heading out again. Through these games, viewers learn about Kenya’s wildlife alongside the cast; by following their journey, we also get up close with some truly extraordinary animals.

    More

    [UK Series] Man vs. Baby
    @SHY: On Christmas Eve, Trevor Bingley—recently laid off and unable to reunite with his family—unexpectedly lands a job looking after a luxury apartment in London. Things quickly spiral out of control when an unclaimed baby enters the picture. Following Man vs. Bee, Rowan Atkinson (“Mr. Bean”) returns in this Netflix-exclusive series, delivering his trademark slapstick performance in a farcical comedy steeped in Christmas cheer. There are bumps along the way, but the ending is inevitably heartwarming. With just four episodes totaling about the length of a feature film, it’s a great choice for shared holiday viewing.

    [Canada] Face-Off at the Summit
    @Pan Yuhan: Sean, from a Montreal team, and Ilya, who plays for a Boston team, are fierce rivals on the ice, battling each other mercilessly in every match. Off the rink, however, they are lovers who share warmth and intimacy. Brought together by competitive sports, they clash—and attract—at the same time. Adapted from the novel of the same name, the series uses ice hockey as its entry point to tell a love story about sexual minorities, with hormones and adrenaline running high in equal measure.

    [Poland] High Waves
    @Pan Yuhan: This Polish Netflix series is based on the 1993 capsizing of the ferry Jan Heweliusz in the Baltic Sea. Through meticulously constructed ferry sets, the show simulates and reconstructs the real conditions of the disaster as faithfully as possible. Yet the bulk of its narrative focuses on the aftermath, when the ferry company attempts to pin all the blame on the captain who perished in the accident. Such a scheme—one that tramples on both human life and conscience in order to bury the truth—is infuriating to watch.

    [J-Drama] The Promotion Game
    @Liz and the Blue Bird: This under-the-radar Japanese drama, adapted from a novel of the same name, frames its story as a selection test disguised as a corporate job interview. Divided into two camps, participants compete for votes through publicity, agitation, brainwashing, espionage, and more. The series showcases various propaganda techniques alongside psychological warfare and battles of wits, making for an intriguing setup. Whether it carries real-world political allegory is open to interpretation, but with fairly average performances and a more entertainment-oriented tone, it’s a watchable option if the premise piques your interest.

    [Animation] The Dark Lord Appears!
    @SHY: The protagonist believes he has been transported into the role of the game character Black-Winged Overlord Rufus and sets out to reunite with his former subordinates—but is that really the case? Adapted from a Japanese manga famed among battle-power enthusiasts as the pinnacle of combat scaling, the first season may not yet reach the story’s most universe-shattering moments, but the glimpse of its worldbuilding alone is compelling. Beyond the premise, the misunderstanding-driven plot is equally fun, and the production team adds a number of clever touches. It stands as one of the most comfortable-to-watch isekai anime of the season.

    [Animation] Record of Ragnarok Season 3
    @SHY: The Ragnarok battles that decide humanity’s fate reach Round 7, where Qin Shi Huang faces off against Hades in a clash of kings. Next, inventor Nikola Tesla challenges the dark god Beelzebub, pitting science against divine power; later, Spartan king Leonidas takes on Apollo, the god of the sun. Who will emerge victorious in the end? This season sticks to the familiar formula: outrageous, over-the-top battles filled with wild rhetoric, interwoven with equally unrestrained backstories. It’s hype at every turn—sure, there may be more things to nitpick than there was budget, but as long as it’s thrilling, that’s enough.

    📅 This Week’s New Trailers

    Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash — The Witch of Circe | Official Trailer

    On December 18, the animated film Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash — The Witch of Circe released its official trailer. The film is set to premiere in Japan on January 30, 2026. As the second installment of the trilogy, it is directed by Shukou Murase, written by Yasuyuki Mutō, scored by Hiroyuki Sawano, and produced by Sunrise. Voice cast includes Kensho Ono, Reina Ueda, Junichi Suwabe, and Soma Saito, among others. Source

    Disclosure Day | First Trailer

    On December 17, Steven Spielberg’s brand-new film Disclosure Day unveiled its first trailer. The movie is scheduled for a North American release on June 12, 2026. Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, and Wyatt Russell, the film is a sci-fi story centered on UFOs, extraterrestrials, and “the truth.” Source

    Digger | First Trailer

    On December 19, the film Digger released its first trailer and is set to open in North America on October 2, 2026. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant) and starring Tom Cruise, the story follows the most powerful man in the world as he desperately tries to prove himself a savior—while the catastrophe he sets in motion threatens to destroy everything. Source

    Young Sherlock | First Trailer

    On December 18, the series Young Sherlock released its first trailer and will debut on Prime Video on March 4, 2026. Directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Donal Finn, Jing Zeng, and Natasha McElhone, the show is adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name and follows a young, inexperienced Sherlock Holmes as he becomes entangled in a murder case at Oxford University. Source

    More

    The Super Mario Bros. Movie releases a new teaser trailer:
    The film The Super Mario Galaxy Movie features voice performances by Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Jack Black, and is set to hit North American theaters in April 2026.

    TV anime The Darwin Incident | Official Trailer:
    Adapted from the manga of the same name by Shun Umezawa, the series is directed by Naokatsu Tsuda, with series composition by Shinichi Inotsume, and produced by BELLNOX FILMS. Official HIGE DANDism performs the theme song. The story follows Charlie, a hybrid born from a human and a chimpanzee, and is scheduled to begin airing on January 6. Source

    Animated film Animal Farm | First Trailer:
    Based on George Orwell’s novel of the same name, the film is directed by Andy Serkis and written by Nicholas Stoller. After a group of animals overthrow their human owners and take over the farm, they face new challenges under the cunning rule of the pig Napoleon. The film is slated for a North American release on May 1, 2026. Source

    The SpongeBob Movie: Deep Sea Adventure | New Trailer:
    A brand-new feature film in the SpongeBob SquarePants series, directed by Derek Drymon, with voice performances by Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Mark Hamill, Clancy Brown, and Eszter Balint, among others. The film will be released nationwide on January 1. It tells the story of SpongeBob being tricked into a mysterious abyssal sea, prompting Mr. Krabs to lead the crew on a daring deep-sea rescue mission to save him.

    📽 Weekly Film & TV News

    Crayon Shin-chan: Strange and Curious! My Yokai Holiday set for a 2026 release
    On December 13, the animated film Crayon Shin-chan: Strange and Curious! My Yokai Holiday unveiled a special teaser video and a super teaser visual. The film is scheduled to premiere in Japan in the summer of 2026. Directed by Masaki Watanabe and written by Yoshiko Nakamura, with animation by Shin-Ei Animation, the story follows Shin-chan and his family as they travel to Hiroshi’s hometown of Akita for a vacation—only to be swept into a grand adventure in a land of yokai. Source

    Extreme Judgment confirmed for a January 23 mainland China release
    On December 16, the film Extreme Judgment released its mainland China release trailer and poster, confirming a January 23 release date, day-and-date with North America. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, the film centers on Detective Raven, who finds himself on trial for allegedly murdering his wife. Given just 90 minutes to prove his innocence, can he find a way out of an algorithm-driven dead end? Source

    Eternal Station confirmed for a December 24 mainland China release
    On December 18, A24’s romantic comedy Eternal Station released its mainland China release trailer and poster, set to hit theaters on December 24. Directed by David Fain and starring Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner, the film poses a poignant question: with her longtime companion Larry of more than sixty years on one side, and her first husband Luke, who died young, on the other—who will Joan choose to spend eternity with? Source

    96 Minutes: Train Bombing Case set for January 10 release
    On December 19, the film 96 Minutes: Train Bombing Case unveiled its release-date trailer and poster, confirming a January 10 premiere. Directed by Hong Zi-xuan and starring Austin Lin, Vivian Sung, Wang Po-chieh, and Lee Lee-zen, the story follows former bomb disposal expert Song Kang-ren and his police-officer fiancée Huang Xin, who accidentally board a train carrying a special bomb. They have just 96 minutes—the duration of the train’s journey—to avert disaster. Source

    Robot Dreams set for a December 26 re-release
    On December 19, the animated film Robot Dreams was confirmed for a mainland China re-release on December 26. Directed by Pablo Berger, the film tells the story of a lonely dog and a robot who find companionship in a vast city—until an accident separates them. The film received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 96th Academy Awards and was previously recommended in What to Watch This Week, issue 240223. Source

  • What to Watch This Week | 10 Recent Works Worth Your Time

    What to Watch This Week | 10 Recent Works Worth Your Time

    ☕️ TL;DR
    Recommended recent highlights:
    [Korean Drama] The Price of Confession、[Film] Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc、[Film] Ordinary Accident、[Film] A Familiar Touch、[Mexico] The Death of a Girl、[Thai Series] The Betrayal at Wat Phra Si — Season 2、[UK Series] Shetland — Season 10、[Chinese] The Big Deal Maker、[Anime] Ranma ½ Season 2、[Documentary] No Name

    A few notable trailers: the first teaser for the Street Fighter live-action film, a new trailer for Extreme Judgment, the official trailer for Kaguya-sama: Love Is War — The Stairway to Adulthood, a new trailer for Fate/strange Fake, and the first teaser for The Boys Season 5.

    A few entertainment news items: main visual for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, A Step into the Past premieres December 31, Drama Stories releases its first official poster, and Supergirl debuts a teaser poster.

    [Korean Drama] The Price of Confession

    • Keywords: Mystery / Crime
    • Also known as: 자백의 대가 / The Price of Confession
    • Runtime: ~50 minutes per episode × 12 episodes
    • Where to watch: Netflix; Douban link

    The cost of confession.

    @利兹与青鸟: Ahn Yoon-soo is accused of murdering her husband Lee Ki-dae. Although Yoon-soo insists she is innocent, she is sentenced to life in prison. Her orphanage background and her neighbors’ descriptions of a gentle Yoon-soo seem at odds with each other, hinting that she may not be as simple as she appears. Nurse Moo-eun, after years of exploitation, poisons the couple she works for. She calmly waits at the crime scene for the police to arrest her, confessing everything with chilling composure. The two women meet in prison, and Moo-eun offers to take the blame for killing Lee Ki-dae—on one condition: Yoon-soo must help her kill someone.

    The series uses cold, muted tones to create a chilling atmosphere, and its visuals carry a strong sense of texture. The suspenseful narrative is tightly woven. Who is the real killer of Lee Ki-dae? How will Yoon-soo fulfill her promise? What secrets are the two women hiding? These questions draw the audience deeper, and the plot indeed takes unexpected turns, unraveling more and more cases until everything becomes increasingly enigmatic. The bloody confrontation near the end is especially memorable. Jeon Do-yeon and Kim Go-eun shine in their dual-leading roles—both adversarial and empathetic toward each other, completing their own redemption arcs through vengeance and the pursuit of truth. Beneath a gripping crime story, the drama explores themes of public shaming, prejudice, and arrogance, exposes the darkness of human nature, and ultimately lets the truth return to the light.

    [Film] Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc

    • Keywords: Manga Adaptation / Fantasy / Action / Romance
    • Also known as: 劇場版 チェンソーマン レゼ篇 / Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
    • Runtime: 100 minutes, with a post-credits scene; Douban link

    My heart was taken by Reze—perhaps never again will joy and sorrow feel the same.

    @SHY: After defeating Katana Man, Denji—the boy who can transform into Chainsaw Man—meets Reze, a girl working at a café. Their relationship quickly deepens. Yet just as things are about to move forward between them, Reze’s hidden identity leads to an explosive turn of events. Swept up by fate, where will Denji and Reze end up?

    Although this film lost “Mr. Cinematic” Nakayama Ryū—its famously beleaguered director who delivered a much-criticized TV adaptation—the new director, Tatsuya Yoshihara, picks up the mess left by his mentor and delivers a true dragon-slaying performance, achieving global acclaim and box-office success. With MAPPA returning for production—with staff largely unchanged—this theatrical version adopts a new creative direction that abandons the TV series’ pseudo-live-action aesthetic. Instead, it fully embraces the strengths of animation, channels the spirit of the original manga, and presents exhilarating visuals and direction that far surpass the TV adaptation.

    Adapted from one of the manga’s most beloved arcs, the film masterfully balances atmosphere—fusing a tender, emotional love story with roaring, explosive action sequences. With a score by Kensuke Ushio placed exactly where it belongs, the film becomes an audiovisual feast. Even a person as small as a mouse can burn bright like fireworks—this cruel, aching tale lingers long after the credits roll. This triumphant theatrical adaptation not only redeems the franchise but also stands as one of the best animated films—and one of the best films—of the year.

    [Film] Ordinary Accident

    • Keywords: Action / Thriller / Crime / Adventure
    • Also known as: It Was Just an Accident / A Simple Accident / Un simple accident
    • Runtime: 101 minutes; Douban link

    This is anything but an ordinary accident.

    @潘誉晗: One day, Narufar drives out with his wife and daughter. Midway through the trip, their car breaks down in front of a storage warehouse. After receiving help from the warehouse owner, Narufar goes inside to look for tools. The sound of his prosthetic leg scraping against the floor immediately puts warehouse employee Bashid on high alert. Years ago in prison, Bashid had been cruelly abused by a guard—and that guard made this exact sound when he walked. Believing Narufar to be that guard, Bashid plans to bury him alive in revenge. When Narufar denies the accusation, Bashid decides to gather former inmates to confirm his identity.

    Although banned from filmmaking for 20 years, director Jafar Panahi secretly shot this film and ended up winning the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. During the award ceremony, Juliette Binoche praised the film for “restoring our sense of life through shared humanity and freedom,” and rightly so. Faced with the dilemma of confronting their torturer or seeking revenge, the victims’ choices command deep respect—they are not brutal people, and even after inhuman suffering, they still hold onto kindness. The film is crafted with remarkable skill. Though it does not graphically portray the violence of the past, the actors’ words make the audience feel the weight of despair all the same.

    [Film] Familiar Touch

    • Keywords: Drama
    • Also known as: Familiar Touch
    • Runtime: 90 minutes; Douban link

    Don’t be a witness.

    @利兹与青鸟: Ruth, an elegantly dressed elderly woman, moves with practiced ease as she prepares her signature sandwich in her beautifully decorated home. Although she occasionally wears a vacant expression, nothing outwardly reveals that she is suffering from memory decline. And yet—the toasted bread meant for the plate ends up on the drying rack, and Steve, who should be recognized as her son, is instead treated as a stranger. Half coaxing and half tricking her, Steve brings Ruth to a high-end countryside care facility. The environment is tastefully warm, offering dining, reading, games, nursing, medical exams—everything one might need. The doctors and caretakers are attentive, but even so, it is difficult to feel that living here could ever be enjoyable.

    With delicate cinematography, thoughtful framing, and a gentle, tranquil tone, the director sketches the emotional journey of a proud elderly woman confronting her cognitive decline—subtle and deeply authentic. Newly arrived, Ruth insists she is no different from anyone else and refuses to accept the reality of her fading memory. She clearly remembers her date of birth, her home address, the recipe for her signature dish; she can prepare a refined meal more skillfully than someone half her age, and her handwriting remains beautiful. Yet her question, “Am I going to live here for the rest of my life?” pierces the heart like an arrow. The loneliness, loss of autonomy, and helplessness wash over the audience, prompting reflection on what it means to face aging.

    [Thai Series] The Believers Season 2

    • Keywords: Drama / Thriller / Crime
    • Also known as: The Believers Season 2
    • Runtime: ~60 minutes per episode × 8 episodes
    • Where to watch: Netflix; Douban link

    When faith becomes a tool for crime.

    @潘誉晗: One day, Win and Game are brought before Councilwoman Ai. Pointing to the lawn behind her, she claims she will build a hospital there—one that, once completed, will bring immense merit. Unfortunately, she lacks the funding and needs Win and Game to help her raise 1 billion baht within six months. It turns out that the seemingly kind councilwoman is actually the mastermind pulling all the strings. Win and Game want to refuse, but once Ai threatens their families, they have no choice but to comply. Meanwhile, after successfully escaping to the U.S., Belle begins building her own life from scratch.

    Although The Believers Season 2 has slightly lower ratings compared to Season 1, the finale considered, the series is still worth recommending overall. It continues the first season’s bold spirit—unafraid to take risks with its setups—and this season escalates the scams even further, intertwining them with politics and power struggles. In Season 1, the protagonists devised scams to pay off debt; in Season 2, they act out of desperation to protect their families, bringing deeper, darker motivations into play—money laundering for the councilwoman. Exploiting people’s suffering to sell faith-based anxiety, then weaponizing that faith for profit and crime… as the Buddha said, all of this is sin.

    [Thai Series] The Believers Season 2

    • Keywords: Drama / Thriller / Crime
    • Also known as: The Believers Season 2
    • Runtime: ~60 minutes per episode × 8 episodes
    • Where to watch: Netflix; Douban link

    When faith becomes a weapon for crime.

    @潘誉晗：One day, Win and Game are brought before Councilwoman Ai. Pointing to the lawn behind her, she claims she plans to build a hospital there—one that, once completed, would bring immense merit. Unfortunately, she currently lacks the funds. She needs Win and Game to help her raise one billion baht within six months. It turns out that the seemingly kind public figure is actually the mastermind behind everything. Win and Game initially refuse, but once Ai threatens their families, they are forced to comply. Meanwhile, Belle—who successfully fled to the United States—begins building her own career on her own terms.

    Although the second season of The Believers has slightly lower ratings than the first, considering the impact of its ending, it remains very much worth recommending. Continuing the boldness of Season 1—both in subject matter and narrative structure—this season escalates the fraud schemes and links them to politics and power struggles. In Season 1, the protagonists devised scams to pay off debts; in Season 2, they must act for the sake of their families, bringing deeper, riskier motivations into play—namely, the councilwoman’s money laundering. Exploiting people’s suffering to sell religious anxiety, then weaponizing that faith to commit fraud and crimes—thus, as the Buddha says, all of it is sin.

    [UK Series] Shetland Season 10

    • Keywords: Drama / Crime
    • Also known as: Shetland Season 10
    • Runtime: ~45 minutes per episode × 6 episodes; Douban link

    A traditional and classical Scottish detective story.

    @潘誉晗：One day, Tosh and Ruth receive a call from a colleague while on duty—there has been a murder, and the circumstances are extremely strange. The victim is a 76-year-old woman, strangled behind her own home, her body deliberately positioned facing the sea as if conveying a message. She had been dead for some time, but due to her remote residence, no one discovered her sooner. The person who finally found her was a neighbor who occasionally checked in on her and brought food. But when police investigate, they discover that this woman—who relied on her neighbor’s charity—actually had £400,000 in savings.

    Season 10 of the Shetland series continues its signature slow-burn narrative style. Under its cold, austere tone, the mystery grows as biting and chilly as the Atlantic winds sweeping across one’s face. Combined with the vast, desolate backdrop of the Shetland Islands, the story carries an air of solemnity. Following a distinctly classical detective approach, the investigators adhere to the most traditional—and fundamental—logic of deduction. Starting from the victim’s personal relationships, they peel back the layers one by one. As the truth gradually emerges, so too does the complex nature of human character.

    [Chinese Series] The Big Deal Maker

    • Keywords: Drama
    • Runtime: ~45 minutes per episode × 40 episodes
    • Where to watch: iQIYI; Douban link

    The art of doing business: from earning a living to building a nation.

    @潘誉晗：At Manchun Courtyard in Ningguta, a crowd gathers—these are medicine traders who have come for a rare thousand-year-old ginseng root. But to everyone’s shock, the ginseng mysteriously disappears. To prove his innocence, the gatherer Su Shuhe takes his own life. Witnessing this tragedy, Gu Pingyuan, who is overseeing the auction, resolves to seek justice on Su’s behalf.

    Adapted from Zhao Zhiyu’s novel of the same name, the series follows the legendary rise of Gu Pingyuan—a scholar wrongfully exiled—who transforms step by step from an outcast to a fugitive to a major figure in commerce. Ningguta, a place of exile for disgraced officials in the late Qing dynasty, is a frozen purgatory in the eyes of those banished there. Desperate to escape, exiles resort to every means possible, setting the stage for the story’s initial tragedy.

    Amid such harsh circumstances, Gu Pingyuan embodies the core traits of a compelling leading protagonist—using his intellect to solve problems, helping others while advancing his own goals. As he changes roles and ventures into business—establishing a foothold through banking houses, growing through tea trade, and expanding into the salt industry—he never forgets his identity and duty as a Chinese citizen. The full-scale on-location filming lends the late-Qing-era business drama rich texture, and several side storylines are equally captivating.

    [Anime] Ranma ½ Season 2

    • Keywords: Manga Adaptation / Comedy / Romance / Slice of Life
    • Also known as: らんま1/2 第2期 / Ranma ½ Season 2
    • Runtime: 23 minutes per episode × episode count TBA, updated weekly on Saturdays
    • Where to watch: Netflix; Douban link

    If you really hated it, you wouldn’t make it this hard.

    @SHY: Centered on Saotome Ranma and Tendo Akane, whose engagement was arranged by their elders, the chaotic everyday life continues. Gosunkugi vows to find Ranma’s weakness; the master’s master, Happosai, is unsealed; Shampoo returns with her great-grandmother Cologne, followed closely by her childhood friend Mousse; and Ranma’s other fiancée, Ukyo, suddenly appears, adding fuel to the fire.

    With director Kōnosuke Uda and animation studio MAPPA returning at the helm, the second season maintains standout quality. Its fresh visual style and music sustain a relaxed, pleasant viewing experience, while the content remains highly engaging. Rumiko Takahashi’s brand of absurdist comedy thrives as the cast grows—one eccentric after another takes the stage, erupting into nonstop, slapstick chaos. Amid the ever-inventive episodic stories, Ranma and Akane’s bond deepens, keeping a smile on viewers’ faces throughout.

    While following the original manga’s narrative spine, the new adaptation also makes thoughtful modernizations to elements constrained by their era. Happosai—arguably the most controversial character—still embodies his lecherous nature, but boundary-crossing behaviors are significantly toned down and swiftly punished, aiming to reduce audience discomfort. By fully channeling the manga’s essence without rigidly clinging to convention, the series becomes more than a classic remade in a new bottle—it’s a romantic comedy that earns its place in a new era.

    [Documentary] Nobody, But Somebody

    A group of people who refuse to slide along a predetermined track.

    @利兹与青鸟: This documentary is an exclusive production by SMG’s Real Media, airing on Dragon Television while also releasing weekly online every Tuesday. Over three years, the team filmed six stories about young people—among them a young film director, a professional athlete, and a blind massage therapist. Some once enjoyed moments of acclaim for their talent, yet all are ordinary people who carry dreams while remaining largely unknown. With calm, restrained camerawork, the documentary enters their lives, bearing witness to the anxieties and perseverance of a younger generation.

    Each episode approaches its subject from a different perspective, revealing distinctive sparks that also reflect our own lives. Sunil, who once won the top directing prize at the Beijing Film Academy, returns to a quiet, uncelebrated routine after graduation; seen through his brother’s eyes, a father calls him “grand in thought, weak in action,” while Sunil feels his family pressures him too hard. Jiu-jitsu athlete Miao Jie, expected to retire at 22, persists until 36, trapped in a painful loop of effort and “effort that leads nowhere.” Graduates from a school for the blind studying massage come to Shanghai for internships, living vibrant lives no different from others—yet still keeping company with solitude in the dark.

    Their stories are both a small slice of the many and unmistakably resilient and unique.

    More

    [US Series] Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty
    @潘誉晗: On June 7, 2021, police received a call from a man reporting that his wife and younger son had been shot dead on their family estate. The man belonged to the Murdaugh family, a powerful local legal dynasty. As the investigation unfolded, police discovered that the caller himself was the true perpetrator. Adapted from the real-life Murdaugh family murder case, the series exposes how this family—long dominant in the local justice system—manipulated the law and concealed crimes, prompting viewers to rethink human nature and the rule of law.

    [Thai Series] Prison Love Chaos
    @潘誉晗: Often described as the “Thai version of Orange Is the New Black,” this series is adapted from a novel. It follows Belle, who is framed with drugs at a bar and wrongfully sent to prison, where she faces relentless oppression. During her incarceration, she meets Claire and receives her help on multiple occasions. With a strong, immersive atmosphere, the show not only depicts a taboo romance unfolding behind bars, but also portrays the stories of many female inmates. Subplots are layered with foreshadowing and hidden threads, adding a strong sense of suspense.

    [US Series] The Abandoned
    @潘誉晗: Jasper Valley is home to vast silver deposits, coveted by Constance Vanness, the matriarch of the powerful Vanness family. She plans to mine the silver and blast a road straight through the valley, but faces resistance from four households led by Fiona. This Netflix historical Western, set during the frontier era of the 1850s, centers on the rivalry between two formidable female leaders. Beneath a land dispute lies a deeper struggle over power—and the protection of family.

    [Documentary] Even Angels Have an Internship
    @利兹与青鸟: Produced by Bilibili, this documentary focuses on the growth stories of five medical students interning at Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University. Rotating through departments such as orthopedics, breast surgery, ultrasound medicine, and cardiology, they participate daily in ward rounds, patient briefings, and assisting in surgeries. The documentary candidly presents the hardships, pressure, pain, danger, confusion, achievements, and joy of medical students, hoping to foster greater mutual understanding and respect between doctors and patients.

    📅 New Trailers This Week

    Street Fighter Live-Action Film — First Teaser

    On December 12, the first teaser for the live-action film adaptation of Street Fighter was unveiled at The Game Awards (TGA). The film is set for a North American release on October 16, 2026. Directed by Kitao Sakurai, the cast includes Jason Momoa, 50 Cent, David Dastmalchian, Noah Centineo, Roman Reigns, Olivier Richters, Andrew Koji, and Eric André, among others. Source

    Extreme Judgment — New Trailer

    On December 9, the film Extreme Judgment released a new trailer and is scheduled to premiere in North America on January 23, 2026. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, the story is set in a society where AI courts have fully taken over the judicial system. Its creator, Rayven, finds himself accused of murdering his wife and must prove his innocence within 90 minutes. Source

    Kaguya-sama: Love Is War — The Stairway to Adulthood — Official Trailer

    On December 9, the anime Kaguya-sama: Love Is War — The Stairway to Adulthood released its official trailer, announcing that the opening theme will be performed by Masayuki Suzuki feat. Aoi Koga. The special one-hour episode is scheduled to air on December 31. Adapted from Aka Akasaka’s manga of the same name, the project is once again directed by Mamoru Hatakeyama, with Tetsuya Kawakami and Rena Iwasaki serving as chief animation directors, and produced by A-1 Pictures. Source

    Fate/strange Fake — New Trailer

    On December 6, the TV anime Fate/strange Fake released its “True” trailer and announced that it will begin airing on January 3. Adapted from Ryohgo Narita’s Fate spin-off novel series, the anime is directed by Shun Enokido and Takahito Sakazume, with music composed by Hiroyuki Sawano and animation production by A-1 Pictures. The story depicts a false Holy Grail War unfolding in Snowfield, a city in the western United States, following the Fifth Holy Grail War. Source

    The Boys Season 5 — First Teaser

    On December 7, the series The Boys released the first teaser for its fifth and final season, set to premiere on Prime Video on April 8, 2026. This is Homelander’s world, ruled entirely by his volatile will. When Butcher reemerges wielding a virus capable of wiping all superheroes off the map, he sets in motion events that will permanently change the world—and everyone in it. Source

    More

    The Copenhagen Test released a trailer: Starring Simu Liu and Melissa Barrera, with Thomas Brandon (Legacies) serving as writer, creator, showrunner, and executive producer. The story follows Alexander Hale, a first-generation Chinese American and intelligence analyst who discovers that his brain has been infiltrated—allowing the perpetrator to see and hear everything he experiences, as if watching a live stream from his perspective. Premieres on Peacock on December 27.

    Pretend Family released a special trailer: Produced by Han Sanping, written and directed by Li Taiyan, and starring Jackie Chan, Peng Yuchang, and Zhang Jianing, with Pan Binlong and Li Ping also in leading roles. The film tells the story of a group of strangers, each with their own agendas, who accidentally come together to form a family. It is scheduled for nationwide release on January 1, 2026.

    Billie Eilish: Gentle Impact Tour 3D Film released a trailer: Directed by James Cameron and Billie Eilish, with Cameron employing 3D technology to film multiple concerts from Billie Eilish’s tour this year. The film will be released in North America on March 20, 2026.

    The film Just Enough released a dated trailer: Directed by Zhang Xuanpeng, with Shen Teng serving as artistic advisor, and starring Yin Zheng, Pan Binlong, Huang Cailun, Zhang Yiming, and Liang Chao. Adapted from the South Korean film Director Kim vs. Director Kim vs. Director Kim, it follows “internet-famous fake master” Jin Mao, who wins a competition by sheer luck and is then chosen by capital investors to return to his hometown and build a kung fu-themed town. The film is set to premiere on December 27. Source

    📽 Film & TV News Weekly

    JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run — Key Visual Released
    On December 9, the anime JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run unveiled its key visual and announced a 2026 release on Netflix. Directed by Yasuda Kimura and Hideya Takahashi, with animation by david production, the story centers on the century-spanning STEEL BALL RUN race—a horseback competition crossing the North American continent. Drawn by the promise of a $50 million grand prize, formidable adventurers enter a fierce battle. Source

    A Step into the Past Set for December 31 Release
    On December 10, the film adaptation of A Step into the Past released its dated trailer and poster, confirming a December 31 theatrical release. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Huang Yi, the film is executive produced by Louis Koo and co-directed by Wu Hyun-hui and Lai Chun-lung. The cast includes Louis Koo, Raymond Lam, Jessica Hsuan, Sonija Kwok, and Joyce Tang. As mentor and disciple Xiang Shaolong and Zhao Pan face off, decades of tangled grudges are finally set to reach a reckoning. Source

    The Drama Story Releases First Official Poster
    On December 9, A24’s new film The Drama Story, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, released its first official poster and trailer, with a North American release slated for April 3, 2026. Written and directed by Dream Scenario filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli and produced by Ari Aster, the film tells a romantic love story that takes an unexpected turn on the eve of a couple’s big day.

    Supergirl Releases Teaser Poster
    On December 11, DC’s new film Supergirl debuted a teaser poster and its first trailer. Adapted from the comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the film is directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella, I, Tonya), with a script by actor and playwright Ana Nogueira (The Vampire Diaries, Hamilton). The cast includes Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Eve Ridley. The film is scheduled for a North American release on June 26 next year.

  • HRV: Something You May Be Curious About But Don’t Fully Understand Yet

    HRV: Something You May Be Curious About But Don’t Fully Understand Yet

    Author’s Note: The initial inspiration for this article, as well as the research data and theories referenced throughout, comes primarily from my instructor Dr. Sylvain Laborde at the German Sport University Cologne. He has long been active on the front lines of HRV research and application. My sincere thanks to Dr. Laborde.

    The author is a current master’s student in the Department of Sport Psychology at the German Sport University Cologne (Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln). The author has no financial ties to any researchers, devices, or app providers mentioned in this article.

    Introduction: Starting With Questions You May Not Know You Have

    What is HRV?

    You might know that HRV stands for Heart Rate Variability, and that its Chinese translation is “心率变异性.” You may know that your wearable device can measure HRV; that the human heart is not a metronome; and that HRV represents the variation in time intervals between consecutive heartbeats. You might also know that trends in HRV relate to health or “readiness.”

    You may also know that HRV levels vary from person to person and cannot be compared across individuals; and perhaps you’ve heard about how and when HRV should be measured.

    But beyond that—how much do you really understand about HRV?

    Do you focus only on the HRV value changes shown under “Health” on your device, without knowing the evidence-based meaning behind an increase or decrease in HRV? Do you know that your device claiming to measure HRV might actually be estimating it?

    This highly sensitive and constantly fluctuating metric—when exactly should it be measured, and under what conditions? How should it guide lifestyle adjustments, including—but not limited to—exercise? And going a step further, are there specific forms of training that can enhance or improve HRV?

    If these questions interest you, then this article (and the follow-up pieces to come) may be well worth your time.

    HRV and the Parasympathetic Nervous System: A Reflection of Decision-Making and Adaptive Capacity

    In a world full of constant change, we need the ability to regulate our physical and mental states in response to shifting conditions, and to make decisions and take actions that best serve our goals and interests. HRV is an important metric that quantifies this adaptive capacity.

    The autonomic nervous system has two branches: the sympathetic nervous system, which acts as the “accelerator,” and the parasympathetic nervous system, which serves as the “brake.” This is common knowledge. But do you know which system is more important for modern-day adaptation?

    The answer is the parasympathetic nervous system.

    Take heartbeats as an example. Our heartbeat is governed by nerve signals originating from the medulla and realized through the sinoatrial node (SA node) in the heart. The SA node functions as the body’s natural “pacemaker.” Its intrinsic firing rate is 100 beats per minute. In other words, if nothing else intervened, our resting heart rate would naturally be 100 bpm. It is the parasympathetic nervous system—the “brake”—that slows a healthy individual’s heart rate down to 60–80 bpm, or even lower.

    With this brake engaged, we maintain a lower heart rate and deeper calm during rest, conserving energy and reserving resources for unexpected changes. Counterintuitively, when faced with a sudden threat, our body does not always activate the sympathetic “fight or flight” response immediately. Such instinctive, primitive reactions can often lead to very poor decisions.

    Why would a world-class athlete make an amateur mistake at the most crucial moment of their career? One possible reason is the overwhelming physical and mental stress that triggers a “fight or flight” response.

    More often—and more adaptively—when encountering a challenge, we first hit the brake and engage the parasympathetic nervous system. Our heart rate slows; our body enters a “freezing” state. In this state, our senses sharpen and our mind becomes more focused, allowing us to make better decisions. Once a decision is made, we release the brake and hit the sympathetic “accelerator” to carry out the most effective action.

    A quick side note: some people “freeze” when facing danger. This doesn’t necessarily mean they lack courage. More likely, the danger is too great or too unfamiliar (requiring more processing time), or their ability to smoothly switch between parasympathetic and sympathetic activation is underdeveloped. These limiting factors can and should be trained. There is no need to judge yourself harshly for freezing in fear.

    The caption: “Left figure from Karin Roelofs and Peter Dayan (2022); the viewpoint on the right is my own summary based on Krav Maga training practice.”

    Back to the main topic. The “brake” signal from the parasympathetic nervous system reaches the heart through the tenth cranial nerve—the vagus nerve (C10). Eighty percent of vagal fibers carry information to the brain, while the remaining 20% carry information from the brain to the body. All of this 20% belongs to the parasympathetic branch. Their electrical signals intervene in the firing rhythm and waveform of the sinoatrial node, creating variations—these variations form the basis of the HRV signal.

    Image source: https://www.daniellewis.com.au/health-information/stress-and-anxiety/vagus-nerve/

    If the parasympathetic system is functioning well and vagal efferent activity is strong, it sends a stronger “brake” signal. This leads to larger and richer variations in the intervals between heartbeats, which is observed as increased HRV. In such moments, the body spends more time in a state of rest and relaxation.

    Conversely, if vagal activity is inhibited—or if sympathetic influence increases while parasympathetic activity weakens—the intervals between heartbeats become more uniform, resulting in decreased HRV. In this state, the body leans more heavily into the “fight or flight” mode—in other words, a heightened state of tension.

    When the body is tense and the parasympathetic system is suppressed, decision-making quality and executive function decline. Moreover, people who remain in a tense state for prolonged periods experience elevated inflammation levels. Evidence suggests that vagal afferent fibers can detect increases in inflammatory markers in the body, while vagal efferent fibers can activate the immune system—especially the spleen—through the noradrenergic system, prompting T cells and macrophages to combat inflammation (Bazoukis, Stavrakis & Armoundas, 2023). In other words, the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic system not only act as a “brake” but also as a “firefighter.”

    In summary, HRV positively reflects the function of the parasympathetic nervous system and indicates the body–mind system’s adaptive capacity when faced with environmental changes. For this reason, tracking HRV allows us to understand and assess our adaptability and overall “health status” in a broad sense.

    Are You Really Measuring HRV? : The Principles Behind HRV Measurement, and How to Choose Devices and Software

    There are many consumer electronic products on the market claiming to measure HRV—smartwatches, fitness bands, smart rings, even smart mattresses. Focusing solely on HRV measurement, how reliable are these devices, and how much of what you’re paying is essentially a “tech tax”? To answer this, we need to begin with the basic principles behind HRV measurement.

    If a device isn’t mentioned in this article, it’s clearly not being recommended. If it is mentioned, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is recommended.

    The term HRV itself is somewhat misleading, because HRV does not measure variation between two “heartbeats.” Instead, it measures variation between two cardiac cycles—more precisely, between two R-peaks on an electrocardiogram (ECG). A more accurate term might be Heart Period Variability (Quigley et al., 2024). But since “HRV” is already widely used, we’ll stick with it for convenience. The key point is: HRV measurement fundamentally depends on collecting ECG data. Therefore, only devices that can record and analyze ECG waveforms can truly measure HRV.

    At the very least, it needs to look something like this…

    The most typical ECG monitoring devices are the multi-lead systems used in hospitals and laboratories. Clinical HRV monitoring often relies on such multi-lead setups, collecting long, continuous ECG recordings and calculating average interval variation between R-peaks. This method produces the gold-standard HRV data. Consumer wearables cannot provide multi-lead ECG recordings and cannot operate continuously for 24 hours. Whether it’s an Apple Watch, Garmin band, or Oura Ring, they all rely on a compromise solution.

    A common method they use is photoplethysmography (PPG). Devices using PPG emit green light into the skin to detect periodic changes in blood flow (pulse). They then infer HRV by analyzing the variability of pulse intervals—what we might more accurately call “PRV” (Pulse Rate Variability). Next time you open the HRV or heart rate feature on your smartwatch or fitness band, lift the device and check whether the back is flashing green. In short: your device does not record ECG data—not even close. It measures pulse changes and then uses algorithms to approximate HRV.

    The back of the Apple Watch

    Different manufacturers use different sensors with varying quality and parameters. Cheaper or smaller sensors may be inaccurate to begin with. PPG accuracy depends heavily on stable contact with the skin, meaning that in non-resting conditions—especially during movement—accuracy drops significantly due to micro-slips between the device and the skin. Combined with HRV’s inherent sensitivity to measurement conditions (discussed in the next section), HRV “averages” that mix rest and activity data can be highly inaccurate and misleading. Additionally, different brands use different sensor models and algorithms, making HRV data across devices incomparable. Stop comparing your Apple Watch HRV with your friend’s Oura Ring—it simply doesn’t make sense.

    Perhaps for these reasons, major HRV software platforms do not import data from many watches, bands, or rings—because these devices do not measure HRV, and their estimates aren’t reliable enough. As technology improves, consumer devices using PPG may eventually achieve HRV inference with high enough accuracy. But aside from quality and algorithm guarantees, they will require extensive ECG comparison data to validate their accuracy. Until such evidence exists, I cannot recommend using these devices to monitor your HRV. Wear them for fun, check heart rate, tell the time—that’s all fine. But that so-called HRV number? Don’t take it too seriously.

    Polar’s native app also tracks exercise load, which is not bad

    Among consumer-grade electronic devices, the most reliable tools for actually measuring HRV—with acceptable accuracy—are chest-strap heart rate monitors. The most common model on the market is the Polar H10. This device is supported by a wide range of measurement and analysis apps, and it is the preferred wearable HRV device among researchers at the German Sport University Cologne. The H10 consists of a detachable sensor and an elastic chest strap. To use it, simply snap the sensor onto the strap and fasten the strap firmly around the lower chest.

    I currently pair the H10 with two main apps: HRV4Training and Elite HRV. HRV4Training allows you to measure and store one HRV reading per day (if you measure again, the new data replaces the old). Combined with a post-measurement questionnaire, HRV4Training helps track correlations between HRV and daily habits such as exercise, alcohol intake, and sleep, as well as the long-term trends in your HRV.

    Image from Altini, M., & Plews, D. (2021).

    If you need continuous HRV measurement over a specific time window within the day—such as during and after a workout—Elite HRV is the tool for the job. It can track your real-time HRV curve throughout the measurement session and generate data logs. Elite HRV data can also be exported into desktop software such as Kubios HRV, allowing you to build and manage detailed “HRV health profiles” for yourself or others, tied to training and lifestyle patterns.

    The non-commercial version of Kubios HRV is free and can directly import data exported by Elite HRV.

    Across various apps (including Apple Health’s “Heart Rate Variability” section), the most commonly used HRV indicator is RMSSD (Root Mean Square of Successive Differences). RMSSD represents the average variance in time between consecutive heartbeats over a given period, measured in milliseconds (ms). Because it is less affected by breathing and is time-based, RMSSD reflects vagal influence on heart rate quite intuitively. The higher your RMSSD, the higher your HRV—and the stronger your body’s adaptive capacity.

    Although we shouldn’t (and don’t need to) compare ourselves to others, it’s hard to resist the urge when we see our own RMSSD value. HRV4Training provides normative data from all its users, separated by age groups. If you collect your HRV using a chest strap or ECG device, you can compare your readings to these norms. Kubios HRV automatically calculates your “parasympathetic recovery index” and “sympathetic stress index” from the imported data and compares them with its built-in norms. There is currently no nationwide HRV normative sample for China. However, a 2018 Dutch study collected RMSSD averages from 13,943 participants (van den Berg et al., 2018). You can check how your adaptive capacity compares to Dutch individuals in your age group.

    Is Your HRV “Good” or “Bad”?

    HRV as a Resource: The Vagal Tank Theory and the “3Rs”

    HRV does not directly reflect how much stress we are under, nor does it correspond in a strict one-to-one manner with indicators such as cortisol levels or gut microbiota composition. HRV—especially RMSSD—reflects the functional state of the parasympathetic nervous system and the availability and condition of our resources for coping with stress.

    With this understanding, we can naturally think of HRV as an internal “battery” or “energy bar.”
    When we are relaxed, the energy tank is full. As life events unfold, the tank drains bit by bit. When it runs low, we experience physical and mental fatigue, increased subjective stress, and diminished self-regulation. If the tank fully depletes, the body and mind may “shut down,” much like a smartphone that suddenly turns off with no battery.

    This is precisely the core of Laborde’s Vagal Tank Theory (Laborde, Mosley & Mertgen, 2018b). The theory revolves around the 3Rs. The first R, Resting, refers to our baseline parasympathetic activity—the “full tank” state. The stronger and healthier you are, the higher your baseline HRV (explained below), the higher your upper limit for resource capacity, and the better your ability to deal with stress.

    The second R, Reactivity, describes how we expend our tank when responding to challenges in life. Your challenge might be a difficult math problem, a fight with a friend, or a literal pile of bricks. In such moments, the vagus nerve “opens the valve,” draining the tank (“consuming blue”), allowing you to mobilize physical and mental resources to solve the problem.

    Once the challenge ends, we enter the third R, Recovery, where we replenish our energy tank. Some people recover poorly or use ineffective methods—their bodies behave like an outdated phone battery that never charges fully, or worse, becomes swollen. Others recover efficiently or use the right strategies, allowing the tank to refill quickly, sometimes even exceeding baseline—raising the upper capacity of the tank.

    The 3Rs vividly illustrate why we must resist burnout culture, reject 996 schedules, and avoid endless self-exploitation. If we constantly drain our tank in the name of productivity but fail to replenish it, our bodies and minds will inevitably collapse. Even if we force ourselves to continue, we will become like a phone that never reaches a full charge—always hovering near empty until one day it can no longer charge at all.

    I personally experienced such a collapse a little over a month ago. For a week and a half, I attended classes during the day and worked at night, with no rest days and less than six hours of sleep daily. Then I spent Friday to Sunday at the Essen Game Fair, commuting four hours a day, working twelve, and sleeping only four. After returning, I caught a mild cold but didn’t rest; instead, I continued the same schedule for another two weeks. After a month of this, my body finally fell apart—diarrhea, fatigue, low fever, chills, and insomnia. But none of this was due to infection—it was simply collapse from lack of rest. On my worst days, my HRV dropped to nearly single digits (which is borderline “corpse mode”).

    Realizing this was unsustainable—and life-threatening—I completely rested for two days and then significantly reduced my workload. After about two weeks of gradual recovery, coinciding with a trip to Japan, my HRV finally returned to—and exceeded—its baseline level.

    “Recovery” Doesn’t Mean You Must Lie Still: Doing What You Love Can Also Be Rest

    This is my personal experience and not something to generalize to everyone. I share it to illustrate that our energy tank is not infinite, and the consequences of draining it completely can be severe. To allow the tank to refill, we must grant ourselves adequate rest and recovery. When a battery swells, you can replace the battery—or even the device. But when your mind and body “swell,” sorry to say, with the little money earned through burnout culture, you truly can’t afford to replace anything.

    When talking about rest and recovery, the natural questions arise:
    What kinds of activities drain us the most?
    How can we tell when our energy tank is nearing depletion?
    How do we know if we’ve rested “enough”?
    Which activities help the tank recover (or even increase) most effectively?

    The answers to these questions can all be found through HRV. By measuring and tracking our HRV across time, we can clearly see which activities consume the most energy—and which forms of rest replenish it the fastest.

    More Sensitive Than You Think: Measuring and Tracking HRV

    That said, you cannot simply buy a wearable device, strap it on, and trust the HRV number it “measures.” Numerous studies (Fatisson, Oswald, & Lalonde, 2016; Laborde, Mosley & Mertgen, 2018a) show that HRV is extremely sensitive. Daily physiological fluctuations—including blood pressure, body temperature, and endocrine activity—affect HRV. Respiration and heart rate especially interfere with HRV measurements. If your device cannot even filter out these sources of noise, its readings are essentially meaningless.

    Age, sex, weight, BMI, and genetics (including ethnicity) also influence HRV. For example:

    • HRV declines steadily with age.
    • Women generally have higher HRV than men in the same age group.
    • People with obesity tend to have higher resting heart rates and lower HRV.
    • Travel, frequent commuting, or increased training loads tend to lower HRV.
    • Illness, alcohol consumption, medications, and circadian rhythms can significantly reduce HRV.

    To correctly interpret your HRV, you need to not only measure it but also know what state your body is in at the time of measurement.

    Alcohol significantly lowers HRV (Altini & Plews, 2021)

    But that’s still not the whole picture. HRV is so sensitive that even small changes in your physical state during measurement can cause immediate fluctuations in the recorded values. In class, Laborde once led us through a live demonstration. Several students (myself included) wore heart-rate chest straps and opened Elite HRV to track our HRV in real time. We first lay flat on the floor for two minutes, then quickly stood up, and after holding a standing posture for one minute, quickly sat down again. During those brief moments of “standing up” and “sitting down,” our HRV values shifted dramatically. Afterwards, we switched between different physical activities and breathing patterns—and every switch produced significant changes in HRV.

    For this reason, if you want valid HRV data, you must ensure that measurements are taken under the most consistent conditions possible. If you measure HRV at different times of day, in different physical or mental states, or even in different body postures, the readings may become inconsistent or meaningless.

    If we want to measure HRV once per day, keep each measurement within 3–5 minutes, and use long-term trends as the key indicator, then the best approach is to measure at a consistent time and in a stable physiological state. The ideal moment is right after waking up.
    Here is the HRV measurement routine I currently follow:

    1. Alarm rings (wake up)
    2. Put on clothes, get out of bed, go to the toilet (morning urination)
    3. Wash hands—but do not brush teeth or wash your face yet
    4. Return to the bedroom, put on the heart-rate chest strap, sit down, and regulate breathing for one minute
    5. Open HRV4Training and measure HRV (default duration: one minute)
    6. Fill out the behavior-related questionnaire in HRV4Training
    7. Remove the chest strap and continue with morning activities (brushing teeth, washing face, breakfast, etc.)

    If using a chest strap is inconvenient, you can use an arm-worn optical band (e.g., Rhythm 24). HRV4Training currently supports reading HRV data from the Apple Health app. However, as noted earlier, because the Apple Watch measures HRV multiple times per day—and wrist-based HRV accuracy during movement is limited—the best approach (if you only have an Apple Watch) is to follow the same morning routine and measure HRV as soon as possible after waking. Alternatively, you can enable continuous overnight HRV tracking so the watch records your HRV throughout sleep.

    May 21 was the first day after I returned to Germany from intensive training and long-distance travel from Israel. With your HRV data and your personal diary, you can regularly review what’s been happening in your life and how those events have influenced you.

    After collecting at least 4–6 weeks of data, HRV4Training will let you review your HRV trends and gradually understand how your exercise, rest, and lifestyle habits affect your parasympathetic system and overall “adaptive capacity.” With this foundation of data and knowledge, you can begin using HRV to guide your training and undertake targeted practices to improve HRV and adaptability. For details, please see my next article.

    Some Key Takeaways (Take-home Message)

    If you forget all the technical terms after reading this article, at least take with you the following core understandings about your body’s “energy tank”:

    • HRV is the variability of your heartbeat rhythm—and also your capacity to adapt to the world. Don’t treat it as a simple health score, and don’t become anxious by comparing it with others. High HRV means your body has the resources and ability to respond more effectively to challenges—whether that’s a major exam, high-intensity training, or a night of poor sleep. Low HRV is a warning that your “blue bar” is nearing zero, and you should avoid making major decisions or performing demanding tasks in that state.
    • Your body needs the brake more than the accelerator. Modern life doesn’t lack stimulation. If something goes wrong with your physical or mental state, it’s unlikely because your “accelerator” isn’t working—but very likely because your “brake” has gone rusty from underuse. Your HRV reflects the energy level of your vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system (the brake). This precious braking system not only keeps you calm, but also quietly helps fight inflammation and repair your immune system. Maintaining and improving HRV is essentially maintaining the brake pads that keep you alive.
    • Manage your “energy tank” wisely: resting isn’t laziness—it’s strategic action. Remember the Vagal Tank Theory and the 3Rs (Resting, Reactivity, Recovery). Your energy tank is finite. Whenever you must expend significant energy (Reactivity) to face life’s challenges, you must follow up with high-quality recovery. When HRV remains low over time, lying down to rest isn’t weakness—it is the smartest, most necessary tactical adjustment to prevent system failure.
    • Reject “junk data”: good decisions require accurate measurements. HRV is extremely sensitive—affected by breathing, posture, mood, and even tiny movements. Not all devices can measure HRV accurately. Don’t overly trust your wristband, smartwatch, or ring—their HRV data may be estimates, not measurements. If you want to use HRV to guide training or understand your body, use more accurate equipment such as a chest-strap monitor, and collect HRV under fixed conditions during a consistent “morning routine.”
  • What to Watch This Week | 9 Recently Worthwhile Titles

    What to Watch This Week | 9 Recently Worthwhile Titles

    ☕️ TL;DR

    Recommended picks of the week: [K-drama] Connection、[US series] The American Nightmare、[US series] St. Denis Medical Season 2、[Chinese drama] Three Walks、[Film] Ordinary Children、[Film] Crown Shyness、[Film] Hello, Amélie、[Animation] The Mighty Nine、[Documentary] A Thought of Ryukyu

    A few standout trailers: the official trailer for Doraemon: Nobita’s New Undersea Devil’s Rock Castle; the first teaser for Detective Conan: The Fallen Angel on the Highway; the official trailer for Foreign Diary; the official trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms; a new trailer for Supreme Marty.

    A few film & TV updates: Hirokazu Kore-eda will direct the live-action adaptation of Suddenly, Turning Back; The Deer and the Cauldron set for release on December 5; Mountains May Depart confirmed for a December 12 re-release; Nanjing Photo Studio special screening edition dated; and Shadow Spider-Man unveils a new poster.

    [K-drama] Spirit Fingers

    • Keywords: Drama / Romance
    • Also known as: Spirit Fingers
    • Episode length: ~60 minutes × 12 episodes; Douban link

    Find the color that truly belongs to your life.

    @潘誉晗: The protagonist, Song Yuyeon, is a high school student who has grown deeply insecure. Her family constantly compares her to her genius younger brother, and her mother’s oppressive, discouraging parenting leaves her unable to express her true emotions. One day, she joins an art group called “Spirit Fingers” and unexpectedly meets the male lead, Nam Ki-jung. Under the influence of Nam Ki-jung and the group, Yuyeon slowly finds confidence and learns to face herself.

    Adapted from the webtoon of the same name, the drama features no major stars, and some viewers even mocked the setup — the male lead suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (so he often has to run to the bathroom). Yet this seemingly quirky and bizarre series became a surprising hit, delivering bursts of laughter as well as genuine emotional resonance. What appears to be a simple romantic comedy about a good girl and a “problem student” actually channels a powerful energy through the “Spirit Fingers” group.

    The group is made up of students and adults, all with different levels of artistic skill. But this group of eccentrically dressed adults teaches Yuyeon — and the audience — an important lesson in their own way: live more freely, and go find the color that belongs to your own life.

    [US Series] Death by Lightning

    • Keywords: Drama / Biography / History
    • Also known as: Death by Lightning
    • Episode length: 47–66 minutes (per episode; final episode is 66 minutes) × 4 episodes
    • Where to watch: Netflix; Douban link

    About the second U.S. president to be assassinated.

    @潘誉晗: Chicago, 1880. Ohio Congressman James Garfield agrees to a request from Treasury Secretary John Sherman to give a speech supporting Sherman’s presidential campaign at the Republican National Convention. Garfield’s speech is wildly successful, winning broad support — and, unexpectedly, thrusting him into the presidency himself. Among those ecstatic about Garfield’s rise is his fanatical supporter Charles Guiteau, who rushes to the White House demanding to be appointed a diplomat. After repeated rejection, the mentally unstable Guiteau decides to assassinate Garfield.

    This historical drama is adapted from the book by Candice Millard and uses the story of former U.S. President Garfield as its central thread. As the 20th president of the United States, Garfield’s journey was extraordinary. A man with a background in ministry, he never intended to run for office; his first major speech was merely to help a friend win votes. After becoming president as an unlikely dark horse, he pushed forward significant reforms and defended Black Americans’ right to vote. Yet only six months into his presidency, he was assassinated. Ironically, the bullet wound itself was not fatal — he could have survived.

    Matthew Macfadyen and Michael Shannon deliver performances that not only bring this absurd and tragic chapter of American history to life but also expose the madness of political conflict in that era.

    [US Series] St. Denis Medical Season 2

    • Keywords: Drama / Comedy
    • Also known as: St. Denis Medical Season 2
    • Episode length: 22 minutes (per episode; exact episode count TBD); Douban link

    A hospital bustling with chaos, laughter, and life.

    @潘誉晗: After being promoted to head nurse, Alex finds herself even busier than before. She finally took a rare family vacation to Hawaii and was still basking in the joy of the trip, but the fast pace of work quickly pulled her back to reality. Joyce, now officially sponsored by the hospital, is excitedly planning to establish a birthing center to attract more expectant mothers and increase revenue…

    The second season of St. Denis Medical continues to focus on the everyday happenings within the hospital. Through a mockumentary lens, the show steps into the daily work of healthcare professionals — not only documenting how everyone performs their duties, but also using their humorous personal lives to sharply satirize and critique the current American healthcare system. Take the storyline where Bruce is attacked by a goose: because he passes out quickly and never sees what hit him, everyone initially suspects it was retaliation from a disgruntled patient. Terrified, they hope for better security measures, but installing surveillance equipment requires funding the hospital can’t spare, leaving the staff to brainstorm makeshift self-defense strategies instead.

    Through these quirky yet lovable characters, the series also reveals the deep, messy, and endearing bonds that hold them together.

    [Chinese Series] The Triple Echo of Time

    • Keywords: Drama / Fantasy
    • Also known as: The Triple Echo of Time
    • Episode length: ~47 minutes × 24 episodes
    • Where to watch: Tencent Video; Douban link

    In this life, the most important thing is not to forget who you are.

    @潘誉晗: In 2033, a global “internet blackout” turns the world upside down, reshuffling what used to be considered hot and cold industries. Print media suddenly experiences a revival. Meanwhile, 41-year-old programmer Zhao Zuoyou loses his job after the heavy blow dealt to the tech industry, and his wife files for divorce. Faced with this crisis, he decides to join a time-travel experiment run by a company called “Finite Life,” going back to his past so that his 16-year-old self will choose liberal arts instead of science. What he didn’t expect is that his 66-year-old future self also travels back — determined to stop the 41-year-old’s plan.

    Three versions of the same person, each at a different age, with different worldviews and life experiences. Created by the team behind Ancient Love Poetry, this soft sci-fi drama centers on the theme of difficult life choices. It plays with a dual-timeline time travel concept and introduces a fascinating scenario — your elderly and middle-aged selves standing before your 16-year-old self, each offering a completely different path and ending.

    The multi-thread narrative makes the series rich in information, while the fresh concept creates plenty of highlights. The setups, foreshadowing, and logic are all neatly resolved in the finale, making the overall execution impressively solid.

    [Film] How Dare You?

    • Keywords: Drama / Slice of Life / School
    • Also known as: ふつうの子ども / How Dare You?
    • Runtime: 97 minutes; Douban link

    Grown-ups have made a complete mess of our future!

    @SHY: Ueta Tadafumi, a 10-year-old fourth grader, develops a crush on his classmate Miyake Kokona — a young environmental activist passionate about protecting the planet. Hoping to get closer to Kokona, Tadafumi teams up with their class troublemaker, Hashimoto Haruto, forming a trio that starts with handing out flyers and gradually takes action to support environmental causes. But as their mischievous “missions” escalate, more serious consequences begin to loom ahead.

    Following the earlier recommendation of My Small Land, director Naomi Kawase draws inspiration from environmental youth activist Greta Thunberg and, through her sharp observational lens, presents this inventive children’s film. The story blends the familiar theme of environmentalism with the chaotic energy of spirited kids, depicting their small-scale revolution while also touching on family, education, and other social issues — creating a wonderful synergy that exceeds the sum of its parts.

    The film offers vivid, delicate portrayals of children’s psychology, and the young cast delivers impressive performances. Their improvisational moments feel natural and authentic, capturing the essence of real childhood. They are ordinary children, yet special in their own way; the questions they raise land with weight. Meanwhile, the adults’ supposedly righteous principles — which they themselves fail to follow — appear all the more ironic through a child’s eyes. The director’s messages, voiced through these children, are whimsical yet deeply thought-provoking.

    [Film] Crown Shyness

    • Keywords: Drama / Family
    • Runtime: 80 minutes; Douban link

    Do you think trees stand apart — or grow as one?

    @利兹与青鸟: Phun and Zai Zai are deeply in love, but Zai Zai has a five-year-old daughter living in Thailand, pulling her between motherhood and romance. Phun’s mother, Yu-Ling, had been away working for three years and passed away from cancer shortly after returning home. Their grandmother then moved in to live with Phun. She cannot accept the mother’s wish for a natural tree burial, nor can she accept Phun having a girlfriend.

    “Crown shyness” refers to the natural phenomenon where the crowns of neighboring trees avoid touching, leaving narrow gaps between them. The film uses this imagery to represent the love and distance between three generations — grandmother, mother, and child. Like trees rooted in the same soil, separated yet connected by blood, they move from resistance, to understanding, to depending on one another. The emotions feel genuine, as if unfolding right beside us.

    For a debut feature, the film shows remarkable maturity. The director expresses emotional currents mainly through visual language rather than dialogue — gentle, understated, yet powerful. The actors are intuitive and nuanced, with several scenes executed beautifully: Phun and Zai Zai laughing under the night sky, falling freely into each other’s arms; grandmother and grandchild lying together, remembering their daughter and mother, sharing grief, longing, and unresolved regrets.

    Love, family, and the sorrow of parting — from denial to anger to acceptance — are all portrayed with honesty, ultimately soothed by sunlight and the quiet of the forest.

    [Film] Hello, Amélie

    • Keywords: Drama / Fantasy / Coming-of-Age
    • Also known as: Amélie et la Métaphysique des tubes / Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
    • Runtime: 78 minutes; Douban link

    I want to see everything, feel everything, and give all the love I possibly can.

    @SHY: In the beginning, there was nothing. Little Amélie opens her eyes in the darkness and, from that moment on, regards herself as a god, refusing to respond to any external contact. But a small earthquake on her second birthday compels her to move by her own will and begin experiencing the world. As her third birthday approaches, Amélie must also learn to accept the things she does not like.

    Adapted from Belgian writer Amélie Nothomb’s semi-autobiographical novel, the film tells the story of her first years on earth through the eyes of a bewildered child. What makes it unique is that the protagonist’s seemingly naïve thoughts are portrayed as results of rational reflection, blending the process of infant development with metaphysical themes, all tinged with a touch of fantasy. After a series of events, Amélie evolves from the “god” of her inner universe into someone capable of accepting both others and her own ordinariness — and life becomes richer for it.

    To a newborn, everything is new. Amélie slowly learns the names of things, forms her own understanding of how the world works, and builds connections with the people around her — until sudden encounters with separation and death force her to bear sorrow she cannot yet describe. The film uses everyday imagery to craft a Zen-like poetic journey, its mood like falling raindrops: light, profound, and full of reverence for life. It is one of the most distinctive animated films I’ve seen this year.

    [Animation] The Mighty Nein

    • Keywords: Animation / Fantasy / Adventure
    • Also known as: The Mighty Nein
    • Episode length: ~45 minutes × 8 episodes; Douban link

    Can losers save the world and become heroes?

    @潘誉晗: At a sacrificial ritual, a bugbear cradles his dying wife and personally ends her life. Yet she does not fear death, because the beacon at the site will absorb her soul, allowing her to reincarnate once that soul finds a suitable vessel. Just then, three agents infiltrate the scene and steal the beacon. This sudden incident enrages the Bright Queen of the Dynasty, who accuses the Empire of stealing their sacred artifact and demands its immediate return.

    The latest entry in the tabletop-inspired animation lineup introduces a new protagonist group: the “Mighty Nein.” This party — composed of a mage, monk, goblin, goblin rogue, half-orc warlock, and more — is anything but conventional. In others’ eyes, they are misfits, “losers” who don’t quite fit anywhere. Yet it is precisely this marginalized group that pours everything they have into saving a world on the brink of collapse. After all, it’s often the overlooked nobodies who can act in ways no one expects.

    Continuing the D&D-inspired style, the animation embraces a dark ensemble tone. Occasional humorous exchanges between characters soften the heaviness of the plot. Paired with excellent fight choreography and dynamic storyboarding, the show delivers excitement even with fully 2D visuals.

    [Documentary] It Is Time to Change

    • Keywords: Documentary / History
    • Also known as: It is time to change
    • Runtime: ~190 minutes
    • Where to watch: Bilibili (Shípíndào Support Program; requires separate payment); Douban link

    True civilization never persecutes life.

    @潘誉晗: Mr. Gushiken, a 71-year-old resident of Okinawa, is a “bone retriever.” Since the age of 28, he has been excavating the remains of those who died in the Battle of Okinawa. He has little pension and lives a financially difficult life, yet he believes he must continue this work — because he is human.

    Over three trips and twenty days of filming in Okinawa, the Shípíndào team created the documentary It Is Time to Change, turning their camera toward a place not far from mainland China: Okinawa (the Ryukyu Islands). This region shares historical trauma similar to ours — once occupied by U.S. forces and later neglected by the Japanese government. Even now, although Japan has administrative control over Okinawa, the heavy presence of U.S. military bases continues to exert profound and far-reaching influence on the lives of the people.

    The nearly three-hour documentary is weighty. Aerial shots reveal the breathtaking beauty of Okinawa’s oceans — waters so crystal blue they seem dreamlike. Yet the islands’ history, and the many lingering issues it left behind, feel suffocating. Through interviews and on-site footage, the Shípíndào team weaves this fading chapter of grand historical tragedy into the fabric of everyday life, allowing viewers to viscerally experience the sorrow of what happens when history is forgotten.

    More

    [Film] Hello, Frida @SHY: A vibrant young Mexican girl overcomes illness and prejudice as she strives toward her dreams. Inspired by the real childhood of painter and activist Frida Kahlo, this animated film attempts to look beyond the cultural icon and portray the real person underneath. With a strong feminist perspective, dazzling visuals, and a touch of magical storytelling reminiscent of Kahlo’s artistic style, the film is aimed at younger audiences but remains engaging for adults as well.

    [K-drama] Kiss Boom @潘誉晗: To secure a job, the heroine Ko Dallin pretends to be a married and pregnant mother and successfully lands a position at a maternity product company. What she didn’t expect is that her boss, Gong Ji-heok, is the very man she once shared a spontaneous kiss with on Jeju Island. Recently released on Netflix and starring Ahn Eun-jin and Jang Ki-yong, this romcom balances workplace and family narratives well. While the character tropes are somewhat conventional, the leads’ strong performances make the series genuinely delightful to watch.

    [Chinese Series] The Mystery of the Brown Eye @潘誉晗: Detective-video blogger Yang Zhenghui suddenly realizes his ex-girlfriend Xiaowei has been out of touch for far too long. She hasn’t streamed or posted on social media in over a year — highly unusual. He begins to suspect something has happened to her. Adapted from the novel of the same name, the series expands on the original while staying largely faithful to it. Using the “brown eye” — a pottery flaw — as metaphor, the story exposes the darkness and complexity of human nature, involving cases tied to insurance fraud, wife murder, and other provocative topics.

    [Film] The Left-Handed Girl @潘誉晗: The film follows single mother Shufen, who makes a living running a stall at the night market. Returning to Taipei from the countryside means both she and her two daughters must adapt to an entirely new life. The older daughter, young and attractive, becomes a “betel nut beauty,” while the younger daughter, a left-hander, is labeled as having an ominous “devil’s hand” by her grandfather. Through the differing fates of this mother and her daughters, the film paints a deeply affecting portrait of the struggles faced by women living at the margins of society.

    [Documentary] But There Is Still Theatre @利兹与青鸟: A companion series to But There Are Still Books, each episode centers on a different theatre-related theme. It tells the behind-the-scenes story of actor Chiang Chi-ming and the stage play Assorted, Mixed, or Salad — rehearsals, character interpretation, and the meaning of acting in their lives. Other episodes follow theatre entering mountain schools, bringing children fresh, heartfelt experiences; the creation of a stage play by young disabled actors in Reversing the Future, showcasing the power of life; and the magical Asia Building and the neighbouring theatre troupe’s acting classes… inviting viewers to discover everything that theatre can be.

    📅 New Trailers This Week

    Doraemon: Nobita’s New Undersea Devil’s Rock Castle — Official Trailer

    On November 30, the animated film Doraemon: Nobita’s New Undersea Devil’s Rock Castle released its official trailer and is scheduled to premiere in Japan on February 27, 2026. This is the 45th entry in the Doraemon movie series, directed by Tetsuo Yajima and written by Isao Murayama. The film is a remake of the 1983 theatrical version and will follow Doraemon, Nobita, and friends as they embark on an underwater adventure. Source

    Detective Conan: The Fallen Angel on the Highway — First Teaser

    On December 3, the 29th Detective Conan movie revealed its subtitle The Fallen Angel on the Highway, along with a teaser visual and the first teaser trailer. The film will be released in Japan on April 10, 2026. Directed by Takahiro Hasui (True Legend of the Samurai YAIBA) and written by Takahiro Okura (The Million-Dollar Pentagram), the story will feature Chihaya Hagiwara as a key character. Source

    A Foreign Diary — Official Trailer

    On December 2, the TV anime A Foreign Diary released its official trailer and announced a premiere date of January 4, 2026. Adapted from Tomoko Yamashita’s manga of the same name, the series is directed by Miyuki Oshiro, written by Kohei Kiyasu, scored by Kensuke Ushio, produced by studio P.A. Works, and stars Miyuki Sawashiro and Fuuko Mori. It tells the story of the socially awkward novelist Takadai Makio and her cohabitation life with her late sister’s daughter, Asano. Source

    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — Official Trailer

    On December 5, the Game of Thrones spinoff series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms released its official trailer and will premiere on HBO Max on January 18, 2026. Peter Claffey stars as Ser Duncan the Tall, while Dexter Sol Ansell plays Egg — the future Aegon V Targaryen. Fate, formidable enemies, and dangerous adventures await. Source

    Supreme Marty — New Trailer

    On December 4, A24’s film Supreme Marty released a new trailer and is set to premiere in North America on December 25. Directed by Josh Safdie (Good Time, Uncut Gems) and starring Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow, the film tells the story of Marty Mauser, an American table tennis athlete chasing greatness in the 1950s. Source

    More

    “Home for Young Mothers” Sets Release Date: On December 1, the Dardenne brothers’ latest film Home for Young Mothers announced its nationwide release date of December 12. The film won Best Screenplay in the main competition section at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and will also represent Belgium in the Oscars’ Best International Feature category. It focuses on the survival struggles faced by five young mothers.

    A24’s “Mother Mary” Releases First Trailer: Directed by David Lowery (A Ghost Story) and starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, the film follows a pop superstar who, after an existential crisis, pauses her tour to seek out Sam — the fashion designer who once crafted her public image. The film will premiere in North America in spring 2026. Source

    “Detective, Your Backpack Is Open” Drops Teaser: Written and directed by Shuichi Okita and starring Ryuhei Matsuda, this marks their reunion after A Man of 0.5. Set in a rural hot-spring town, the drama follows a detective-inventor who casually solves various whimsical cases.

    “The Sanctuary” Releases Trailer: Starring Jason Statham and directed by Ric Roman Waugh (Angel Has Fallen, Greenland), the film tells the story of a mysterious man hiding on a remote Scottish island. One day, he rescues a drifting girl from the stormy sea, setting off a chain of dangerous events. It is scheduled for North American release on January 30 next year.

    “The California Scheme” Unveils First Trailer: This marks James McAvoy’s directorial debut, with cast members Samuel Bottomley, Seamus McLean Ross, and James McAvoy himself. Based on a true story, the film follows two Scottish men in the 1990s who impersonate a famous California rap duo in hopes of becoming hip-hop stars. It will be released in England and Ireland on April 10 next year.

    📽 Weekly Film & TV News

    Hirokazu Kore-eda to Direct Live-Action Adaptation of Look Back

    On December 3, it was announced that Tatsuki Fujimoto’s short manga Look Back will be adapted into a live-action film, directed, written, and edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda. The film is scheduled for release in Japan in 2026. The original work tells the story of the deep, unexpected bond formed between two girls, Fujino and Kyomoto, through their shared love of drawing. It won first place in the 2021 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (Boys’ Edition) ranking and was previously adapted into an animated film. Source

    Royal Tramp Set for December 5 Release

    On December 1, Stephen Chow’s classic comedy Royal Tramp (4K restored version) announced its first-ever theatrical release in mainland China, scheduled for December 5. Starring Stephen Chow, Ng Man-tat, Chingmy Yau, Sandra Ng, Michelle Reis, Brigitte Lin, Natalis Chan, Deric Wan, Elvis Tsui, and others, the film returns after 33 years, allowing audiences to once again experience the nonsensical comedic charm of Hong Kong cinema’s golden era. Source

    Mountains May Depart to Return to Theaters on December 12

    On December 3, a new poster confirmed the 10th-anniversary re-release of Jia Zhangke’s film Mountains May Depart, set for December 12. The third act of the film takes place in the “future” of 2025 — a future that has now become the present. Ten years later, we revisit that snowy dance and reflect on our own journeys of wandering and separation. Source

    Special Screening of The Nanjing Photo Studio Announced

    On December 3, it was confirmed that a special black-and-white commemorative version of the film The Nanjing Photo Studio will screen on December 13 in select theaters in Nanjing, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

    New Poster Released for Noir Spider-Man

    On December 4, Amazon’s live-action series Noir Spider-Man, starring Nicolas Cage, released a new poster. Set in 1930s New York, the series follows an older Spider-Man. Directed by Harry Bradbeer and written by Oren Uziel (22 Jump Street, The Lost City), Uziel also serves as an executive producer.

  • Heart Rate Monitoring, Noise Cancellation, Spatial Audio: AirPods Pro 3 All-Round Experience from Daily Use to Workouts

    Heart Rate Monitoring, Noise Cancellation, Spatial Audio: AirPods Pro 3 All-Round Experience from Daily Use to Workouts

    I suppose I can count as something of a headphone enthusiast. I started with the MX500 and CX300, and over the years I’ve played with everything from a few hundred to several thousand—or even tens of thousands—of yuan. I still regularly use six pairs today, but the one I use the most is still the AirPods. Simply because they’re just too convenient.

    But AirPods aren’t perfect yet. They can’t fully replace all my other headphones. When I need great sound quality, I’ll still reach for my Sennheiser over-ears plugged into an amp. When I need something for sports, I’ll choose a pair with longer single-session battery life, a more secure fit, and proper water resistance. When I need to completely isolate external noise, I’ll go for my custom-molded in-ears that physically block out sound.

    Yet the new AirPods Pro 3 have genuinely captured my attention. It really looks like it might be that “all-in-one,” well-rounded, hexagon-warrior, chosen-one device.

    The convenience AirPods are known for goes without saying. The new acoustic design reportedly improves sound quality and even brings spatial audio. IP57 dust and water resistance, an innovative heart-rate sensor, and 8 hours of single-charge battery life check all the boxes for sports headphones. And with twice the noise-cancelling power, it also meets the needs of isolating external sounds.

    Can the AirPods Pro 3 be used with three generations?

    Unexpectedly Strong Sports Capabilities

    The biggest innovation of the AirPods Pro 3 is undoubtedly the built-in heart rate sensor. This isn’t Apple’s first attempt at integrating a heart rate sensor into earbuds—its adopted child Beats used one more than half a year earlier, but according to professional foreign media tests, it was almost unusable. Will the AirPods Pro 3 be any better? Let’s take a look at what might be the only fully Chinese-language review of the AirPods Pro 3’s heart-rate-monitoring feature.

    What is a heart rate monitor

    Let’s start with a simple explanation of what a heart rate monitor is and what it’s used for.

    Heart rate has always been the most important metric for quantifying exercise intensity. Heart rate data reflects intensity, efficiency, metabolism, oxygen consumption, lactate accumulation, and fatigue/recovery status. It helps guide your training and ensures you don’t overwork—or underwork—yourself.

    But heart rate is not the best metric. Temperature, humidity, dryness, and even your mood can greatly affect heart rate, making it far less precise than power output as a real-time indicator of exercise intensity.

    However, that doesn’t mean heart rate is useless. For winter base training, recovery from injury, or beginners just starting out, using heart rate zones for low-intensity aerobic training is an extremely friendly and effective method.

    In addition, for those trying to lose weight, staying within Zone 2 guided by heart rate can make training more efficient—and more enjoyable.

    Today’s common heart rate monitors come in two forms: bio-electrical (ECG) chest straps and optical heart rate sensors.

    Bio-electrical or ECG chest straps are the most common type of heart rate monitor. They typically come as a strap worn across the chest—one of the infamous “two great embarrassments of sports gear,” along with compression tights.

    These straps measure the tiny electrical currents across your skin to determine heart rate, using the same underlying principle as medical ECG machines. This is a mature and highly accurate monitoring technology. Chest straps range from basic models costing a bit over a hundred yuan to high-end models costing over a thousand, with more advanced metrics. The downside: they’re not very comfortable to wear.

    For this test, the baseline device used is the Garmin HRM-Tri triathlon heart rate strap: formerly Garmin’s flagship product and a benchmark for heart rate straps. A versatile all-rounder, it not only provides basic heart rate monitoring but also tracks advanced running dynamics such as stride length, cadence, and vertical oscillation. It also has excellent waterproofing, can be worn for swimming, records heart rate during the swim and syncs afterward, and supports HRV measurements.

    Photoplethysmography (PPG) heart-rate monitoring works by using photodiodes to project light through the skin. Because changes in blood flow cause variations in hemoglobin density, a PPG sensor calculates heart-rate data by detecting differences in light reflection. This technology can experience slight inaccuracies due to sweat, motion, temperature, or ambient light interference, which manufacturers compensate for through their own algorithms.

    The strengths and weaknesses of these two heart-rate measurement methods are almost opposite. In real-world use, even high-end optical sensors may show occasional anomalies in the data and cannot match the 100% stability and accuracy of electrical-current-based sensors.

    But optical sensors are far superior in wearing comfort. They can be built into armbands, wristbands, and watches, and can even support 24/7 continuous monitoring. Apple has taken this even further by integrating optical heart-rate sensors into the already highly compact Beats earbuds and AirPods Pro 3—an impressive engineering feat.

    Comparing the AirPods Pro 3 and Watch Heart-Rate Sensors

    For comparison, I used the Garmin Fenix 7X sports watch, my primary optical heart-rate device. Heart-rate monitoring is just one of the built-in functions of a sports watch, yet the range of metrics it gathers is the most comprehensive: basic heart rate and HRV, blood-oxygen saturation, VO₂ max, respiratory rate, and more. After OTA updates, it even supports advanced running dynamics—like cadence and vertical oscillation—previously exclusive to high-end chest straps, though its accuracy still can’t fully match a dedicated heart-rate strap.

    A smartwatch can display heart rate and trends in real time

    Comfort of Wearing

    AirPods Pro 3 > Garmin Fenix 7X >> Garmin HRM-Tri chest strap.

    AirPods Pro 3 is undoubtedly the most comfortable, because you simply don’t feel it at all. There are no bumps or special materials on the earbuds themselves, and Apple made the whole sensor module so compact that unless you’re really familiar with product design, you wouldn’t even guess there’s a heart-rate sensor hidden inside.

    You’d never guess there’s a heart-rate sensor in there without looking at Apple’s official images

    Next is the watch. For people used to wearing watches, it’s completely natural and doesn’t require any extra step before a workout. Ever since I started using a sports watch, I almost stopped touching my chest strap. But the watch’s sensor does protrude noticeably, and after long wear it leaves clear marks on the skin. Some people even experience mild allergic reactions or slight burns from the optical sensor.

    The chest strap is, unsurprisingly, the most uncomfortable. If it weren’t for testing the accuracy of the AirPods Pro 3, I honestly wouldn’t bother wearing it.

    If you don’t know what it feels like to wear a chest strap, here’s a reference

    Test Data and Analysis

    First is the indoor bike trainer test, which provides the most controlled environment. The test covers Zones 1 through 7, from aerobic to anaerobic intensity. In all charts, green represents the baseline Garmin chest strap, blue is the Garmin Fenix 7X optical heart-rate sensor, and red is AirPods Pro 3.

    AirPods Pro 3 performed unexpectedly well.

    As you can see, the three lines almost completely overlap, with no major heart-rate drops or data anomalies. In the summary data below, all three devices show nearly identical average heart rates, and the AirPods Pro 3’s peak heart rate is only 1 bpm lower—well within acceptable error margins.

    Surprisingly, the AirPods Pro 3 actually performed better than the theoretically more professional Garmin device. If you look closely, you’ll notice that whenever power output fluctuates, heart rate also shows small variations. The Garmin chest strap (green line) reacts the fastest, and in some cases it’s the only one that responds at all. That’s why chest straps remain the most precise and detailed heart-rate measurement devices.

    But the AirPods Pro 3 performed better than the Garmin watch. During a large 500-watt power change, the AirPods Pro 3 responded faster than the watch.

    Next, let’s zoom in. During a sudden anaerobic burst, the chest strap is still the fastest, but the AirPods Pro 3 follow up very quickly—while the Garmin watch hesitates for a moment before catching up.

    In two sets of 300-watt high-power outputs, the trend remains the same.

    And during a longer period of medium-to-high power output, all three devices were able to measure heart-rate changes accurately enough within acceptable range. But when it comes to detecting subtle heart-rate fluctuations, only the chest strap can truly capture the details—this is determined by the measurement principle itself. For the vast majority of people, though, all three devices are entirely sufficient.

    What about outdoor conditions, where things get more complicated?

    As it happened, Beijing’s weather in October was unpredictable, so I tested them during a race.

    In this round of testing, the AirPods Pro 3 didn’t perform as well as they did indoors—the delay was slightly longer (see the last three red boxes). But overall performance was still very impressive. In fact, at the beginning of the activity, the AirPods Pro 3 entered the correct state even faster than the Garmin watch (first red box).

    Even when pushing to peak heart rate, the AirPods Pro 3 showed no issues, and their accuracy was not affected by sweat or other factors.

    AirPods Pro 3’s heart-rate measurement accuracy far exceeded my expectations. It’s remarkably good — completely usable. Keep in mind that AirPods Pro 3 measure from the auricle, which has only sparse capillaries, making the challenge much greater than that of a smartwatch. Apple’s technical capability is truly terrifying.

    If I have to nitpick, it’s that the overall curve is too smooth. This was already somewhat noticeable in the indoor tests, but indoor heart rate fluctuations are smaller, so it wasn’t obvious. Outdoors, where heart rate changes more dramatically, the curve lacks the small micro-variations that a normal heart-rate curve should show.

    But whether for elite athletes or beginners, heart-rate data is mostly for logging, not ultra-precise measurement. So aside from someone like me who zooms in on curves, almost no one would notice this.

    Data Collection and Expandability

    It’s a pity that AirPods Pro 3’s excellent heart-rate measurement capability is not fully utilized. Currently, only iPhone can extract heart-rate data, and even then, only a few native workout apps on iOS 26 support it — and you need to have music playing for it to work. You can’t use them as a standalone heart-rate device.

    Third-party app support is currently poor. Mainstream platforms like Strava and Zwift can’t use it. The only third-party app I found that supports it is Keep, but you need a subscription to enable it, which makes it hard to evaluate.

    It can’t be detected as a Bluetooth heart-rate monitor

    At the moment, AirPods Pro 3 cannot be recognized by more professional sports devices as a Bluetooth heart-rate sensor. The only thing that sort of works is the Apple Watch. According to Apple, when AirPods Pro 3 are used together with Apple Watch, the system uses algorithmic fusion to make the heart-rate data more accurate.

    Can AirPods Pro 3 Be Used as Sports Earbuds?

    AirPods Pro 3 improve fit. The new foam tips primarily enhance passive noise isolation but also incidentally improve stability. Paired with the new design, even without ear hooks, they stay secure during running and cycling.

    With an IP57 rating, they’re safe from sweat and can even theoretically be rinsed under water.

    Anyone who exercises often knows you rarely have free hands to answer calls. AirPods Pro 3 add gesture-based controls: shaking your head to decline and nodding to accept. Too bad it never once worked for me—maybe my movements weren’t big enough?

    Battery life is rated at 8 hours, or 6.5 hours with heart-rate monitoring. This easily covers a weekend 100-km cycling session. In my test, I listened continuously for 6 hours and consumed 72% battery—consistent with the 8-hour claim. For heart-rate monitoring, my multiple tests averaged 18% consumption per hour, suggesting about 5.5 hours of battery life. My highest was 20% in one hour.

    I suspect this is due to differing noise-cancellation loads, because one earbud consumed significantly more—and it happened to be the one facing constant wind. This leads to AirPods Pro 3’s fatal flaw as a sports earbud—wind noise is very loud.

    Because of the protruding stem, AirPods Pro 3 naturally catch wind. Whether ANC is on, transparency is on, or ANC is off entirely, the wind noise is always obvious. When cycling, it’s present 100% of the time—even at slow speeds. For running, it appears at around a pace of 4:00/km.

    You won’t be unable to hear audio, but it’s definitely loud. And when wind varies from side to side, the imbalance becomes uncomfortable—a common scenario in both running and cycling.

    Overall, AirPods Pro 3 are not a perfect sports earbud—and they weren’t designed to be. But their heart-rate monitoring is genuinely phenomenal. For indoor light exercise users without professional sports gear, they can absolutely serve as auxiliary training equipment, helping guide workout intensity and safety. Paired with ANC in a gym, they should be great.

    Given such impressive heart-rate performance, I’m very excited to see where Apple takes health monitoring technology next.

    Convenient and Comfortable Daily Earphones

    I believe many people, like me, always wear earphones when going out alone—both to isolate themselves from the world and to make the journey less boring. In this scenario, AirPods are undoubtedly the best choice.

    When the first-generation AirPods were released, Apple was heavily mocked—cutting off the EarPods’ wires just to make a quick profit? Yet once AirPods hit the market, both the media and consumers ended up eating their words: they were surprisingly good. No wonder—AirPods are simply excellent.

    Unlike traditional Bluetooth earphones, AirPods don’t require complicated pairing. They seamlessly switch between iPhone, Mac, and iPad. There’s no power switch—they’re ready to use right out of the case. Controls are simple; a tap plays, pauses, or skips tracks. Wearing them is effortless; the EarPods design is actually very well-engineered for long-term comfort. Most importantly, AirPods feature a semi-open design, so they don’t completely block out external sound, allowing conversations without removing the earphones.

    AirPods Pro 3 continues these advantages. The Apple ecosystem still achieves seamless switching most of the time, though I’ve encountered a few cases where incoming iPhone calls couldn’t be answered while connected to a Mac.

    In terms of wearing comfort, the AirPods Pro 3 is slightly inferior to the regular AirPods due to its physical structure. The semi-open design makes it easy to hear ambient sounds. Transparency mode can be a bit noisy—fine in quiet environments, but in an office or on the street, external sounds come through clearly. Turning off transparency mode gives a more in-ear isolation effect, though the new foam tips may feel slightly pressurized after extended wear. Overall, it’s still excellent, akin to a 99 versus 90 comparison with standard AirPods.

    Control-wise, it’s similar. The tap controls on the first and second-generation AirPods were the most convenient. The AirPods Pro series now consolidates all functions on the earphone stem, using different pressure levels and tap counts to skip tracks, answer calls, switch noise cancellation modes, and adjust volume. You just need to get used to the small stem; it’s not as instantly intuitive as tapping the original AirPods.

    Another feature I really like on the AirPods Pro 3 is the sleep mode—music automatically pauses when you fall asleep. I suspect this leverages the heart rate monitoring, similar to how a smartwatch tracks sleep. Once it detects you’re asleep, it automatically stops playback. Anyone who has ever slept with headphones knows the frustration of being abruptly woken by an unexpected track—after all, timers are rarely precise.

    Another significant downgrade: reduced battery in the case one notable compromise is the reduced battery in the charging case. Officially, the total playback time dropped from 30 hours to 24 hours, but in practice it feels even less. Previously, AirPods cases could go ten days or more without needing a charge, whereas with the AirPods Pro 3, after just a few uses, the battery seems noticeably lower.

    Here’s a quick record of battery top-ups: on average, a charge gives about 13 hours, the minimum is 8 hours, and the maximum is 17 hours. It’s not very stable. Interestingly, after heavy usage (like a 6-hour session), topping up doesn’t seem to restore much battery, while after lighter usage, the same top-up might feel like it drains faster.

    Sound Quality—Hardly Worth Discussing

    While all manufacturers love to tout their headphones’ sound quality, for Bluetooth earbuds, sound quality is largely a moot point. On one hand, Bluetooth transmission protocols inherently limit bitrate. Even high-end headphones supporting LDAC or APT-X Lossless peak around 1 Mbps. Four years ago, AirPods 3 claimed “lossless” support, and yet the AirPods Pro 3 still only supports the modest AAC codec.

    On the other hand, Bluetooth earbuds—especially in-ear ones—prioritize battery life over powerful DAC chips or large drivers, so HiFi-grade sound is impossible from both hardware and software perspectives.

    Does sound quality matter? Yes, but not as much as you might think. The human ear and brain are fascinating: I’ve listened to in-ear monitors costing tens of thousands, and large over-ear setups costing hundreds of thousands. Initially, the sound impresses—the soundstage feels expansive, the details smooth—but over time, it’s just “good-sounding music.” Different gear shows its strengths mostly in direct comparisons, but after prolonged listening, you acclimate and it all feels normal.

    Sennheiser Orpheus—Sold for 200,000 in the ’90s

    There’s a difference between active and passive listening. Active listening is like visiting an art museum to appreciate a master painting—every subtle brushstroke brings pleasure. Passive listening is like hanging a reproduction at home; you rarely scrutinize it, but glimpsing it in passing still lifts your mood.

    Manufacturers understand this. Meticulous HiFi music, like museum-grade art, appeals to a niche audience. It’s often more fun to offer something playful and engaging, like spatial audio.

    Spatial audio is a next-generation audio technology based on Dolby Atmos, designed around the listener in a point-to-point audio format. It can separate individual instruments and vocals across 360-degree positions, making sounds appear from above, in front, or behind you, creating the sensation of being in the center of the stage.

    Take my favorite spatial audio track, the musical number Satisfied from Hamilton, as an example. Angelica Schuyler, Hamilton’s sister-in-law, performs a toast song at Hamilton’s wedding.

    At the beginning, when Angelica delivers her lines, you can hear her calling out the bridesmaids and groomsmen in front, while harmonies come from behind your ears. It feels as if you are standing at the wedding, right between Angelica and the bridal party.

    Then the song moves into Angelica’s stream of thoughts and flashback memories, with notes swirling from all directions like a vortex, pulling you into the flow of time. You can hear snippets of the earlier track A Winter’s Ball coming from various directions, following Angelica’s recollection of first meeting Hamilton.

    Lin-Manuel Miranda uses parallel narrative in this song—two stories unfolding across a single time dimension. With traditional stereo music, all sound comes from one angle, making it hard to perceive depth. Spatial audio lets you “stand on the stage” as Angelica, experiencing her frustration and uncertainty firsthand. Coupled with video, it allows a deeper understanding of this groundbreaking musical.

    Currently, the best spatial audio experience is still a home theater setup. AirPods render spatial audio through headphones, which cannot fully replicate the sensation of being in the center of the stage. You can hear harmonies around you, but precise front/back positioning is limited. This is not a limitation of AirPods specifically—headphones in general face this challenge.

    So far, I’ve only experienced true home-theater-level spatial audio on Sonos’ Bluetooth headphones, Ace. This requires decoding full Dolby Atmos through Sonos speakers, then transmitting it via WiFi to the headphones. This points to another technical frontier for wireless headphones—WiFi audio. If Apple wants to push AirPods’ sound quality further, this is a potential path. Xiaomi has already demonstrated it, and Apple has related technology: Apple TV and HomePod can transmit Dolby Atmos audio via WiFi.

    Overall, in terms of sound quality, the AirPods Pro 3 is similar to its predecessors—above average, capable of providing enjoyable sound, but not exceptional.

    Top-Tier Noise Cancellation

    I’m very sensitive to the ear pressure changes caused by noise cancellation. I once tried the first-generation AirPods Pro, but I couldn’t stand the dizzying feeling of ear pressure shifting when ANC was on—it gave me a headache immediately, like a tightening curse. For a long time, on long trips or in noisy environments, I relied on a FiiO Bluetooth ear-hook paired with custom in-ear monitors for pure physical noise isolation.

    Active Noise Cancellation vs. Passive Noise Cancellation

    But as I mentioned at the start, AirPods are a must-have. Carrying an extra set of headphones is a hassle, so I’ve tried different noise-canceling headphones, including the AirPods 4 ANC version. Semi-open designs greatly reduce sudden ear pressure changes, but they compromise noise cancellation, making them unsuitable for long trips.

    The AirPods Pro 3, however, deliver outstanding noise cancellation. The new foam ear tips fully isolate external noise, and the new multi-hole design keeps ear pressure changes minimal—acceptable for me. Among all the noise-canceling headphones I’ve tried, only the Sonos Ace can achieve zero ear pressure change, but that’s a bulky over-ear design, not practical for travel.

    AirPods Pro 3 can fully replace my custom in-ear monitors while adding convenient features like automatically switching to transparency mode and lowering music volume during conversation—a true showcase of technological convenience.

    Summary

    The AirPods Pro 3 is a top-tier noise-canceling headphone, an excellent everyday headphone, a headphone with adequate sound quality, and, within limits, a top-notch in-ear sports headphone. It’s not a perfect “hexagonal warrior,” but it does cover all six sides and works hard to expand its boundaries.

    If you’re hesitating between different headphones, AirPods Pro 3 is the one you can choose blindly. For features that competitors have, like noise cancellation and sound quality, it excels. For features competitors lack, like the seamless ecosystem experience, it also excels. Its limitations stem either from form factor constraints, like spatial audio, or from overreaching beyond its abilities, like in the sports headphone category. But for users doing indoor workouts, yoga, or dance, AirPods Pro 3 is fully capable of supporting exercise.

    AirPods Pro 3 can rightfully claim to be the most versatile TWS Bluetooth headphone today, with enormous potential for future development. Imagine the possibilities when heart-rate monitoring is paired with health algorithms—the user base is far larger than that of the Apple Watch. With the newly launched real-time translation across Mainland China, the AirPods line truly deserves to be called Apple’s greatest product after the iPhone.

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Google Releases Gemini 3, Cloudflare Triggers Network Outages, and More

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Google Releases Gemini 3, Cloudflare Triggers Network Outages, and More

    Morning Brief Highlights

    1. Google Releases Gemini 3
    2. Cloudflare Outage Causes Partial Network Service Failures
    3. Zigbee 4.0 Standard Announced
    4. Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Anthropic Form Strategic Partnership
    5. Apple Shares Crafting Details of Apple Watch Titanium Case
    6. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Google Releases Gemini 3

    On November 18, Google announced the launch of Gemini 3 via an official blog post. Gemini 3 is said to feature top-tier reasoning capabilities, with a stronger grasp of creative concepts and contextual details in user requests, enabling it to better understand user needs. The Gemini 3 Pro model is described as having “PhD-level” reasoning abilities, delivering significantly improved performance over the 2.5 Pro version across all AI benchmarks. It shows outstanding mathematical abilities and highly reliable multimodal reasoning, capable of solving complex problems across broad fields such as science and mathematics. In conversational interactions, Google says Gemini 3 Pro is smarter, more concise, and more direct, “free of clichés and flattery.” The Gemini 3 Deep Think mode goes even further, offering superior performance in reasoning and multimodal understanding.

    In terms of programming capabilities, Gemini 3 is also described as Google’s “most powerful” Vibe Coding and agent-coding model to date. It excels in zero-shot generation, handling complex prompts and instructions with ease while providing richer, more interactive visual renderings. It can execute reliable long-term planning and maintain consistent tool usage and decision-making throughout simulations spanning up to an entire year. To support this, Google also introduced the new Google Antigravity agent development platform, which provides an AI IDE experience and an agent capable of directly accessing the editor, terminal, and browser. The platform integrates three models—Gemini 3 Pro, 2.5 Computer Use, and Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Image)—to autonomously plan and execute complex end-to-end software development tasks, including self-verification of code.

    Starting today, Gemini 3 will first roll out as a preview of Gemini 3 Pro across Google Search’s AI mode, the Gemini mobile app, AI Studio, the Vertex AI platform, and the Google Antigravity agent development platform. The enhanced-reasoning Gemini 3 Deep Think mode is now available to safety testers and will later roll out to Google AI Ultra subscribers.Source

    Cloudflare Outage Causes Partial Network Service Failures

    On November 18, several online services—including X, OpenAI, Spotify, and Downdetector—experienced outages due to a Cloudflare service failure. After the issue occurred, Cloudflare confirmed widespread service abnormalities, including problems with its dashboard and API. Full service was restored roughly six hours later. The Cloudflare CTO apologized on social media, and in a subsequent official blog post, Cloudflare confirmed the outage was not caused by a cyberattack. Instead, it was triggered by a permissions change in the database system. This change caused Cloudflare’s bot management system to receive duplicated signature entries. The resulting file—double in size—was then distributed across all machines in the Cloudflare network, exceeding the file-size limits of the software responsible for routing traffic. Source

    Zigbee 4.0 Standard Announced

    The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has officially released the Zigbee 4.0 standard. In addition to a simplified certification process, improved security, better battery life, and enhanced batch configuration capabilities, the 4.0 standard introduces a new feature called Suzi. Suzi stands for Sub-GHz and Zigbee. Unlike traditional Zigbee devices, which mainly operate in the 2.4GHz band, devices supporting Suzi can operate in the 800MHz and 900MHz frequency bands. This provides greater signal stability and enables long-range operation without additional hardware, making it especially suitable for commercial and industrial applications. Source

    Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Anthropic Form Strategic Partnership

    On November 18, Microsoft announced that it has entered a strategic partnership with NVIDIA and Anthropic. Under the agreement, Microsoft will invest USD 5 billion in Anthropic, while NVIDIA will invest USD 10 billion. In return, Anthropic will purchase approximately USD 30 billion worth of Azure compute from Microsoft, and sign a contract with NVIDIA to acquire up to 1,000 MW of additional compute capacity. The partnership will also bring more of Anthropic’s Claude AI models into Microsoft’s Foundry business. Source

    Microsoft also announced the rollout of the new Copilot Actions feature to Windows Insider testers on the same day, requiring an update to Copilot for Windows (version 1.25112.74 or later). Users can simply describe the desired task in natural language, and Copilot will attempt to automate it—such as processing travel photos, organizing the Downloads folder, converting file formats, or extracting information from PDFs. All operations run in an auditable, isolated environment controlled by the Agent Workspace policy, independent from the user’s interactive Windows desktop. Microsoft positions Copilot Actions as an experimental Copilot Labs feature, cautioning that it may still encounter errors or difficulties when handling complex interfaces. The company recommends that users stay attentive during use to intervene or take over when necessary. The feature will initially support a limited range of tasks, with Microsoft planning to expand its capabilities as feedback is collected and models are refined. Source

    Apple Shares Crafting Details of Apple Watch Titanium Case

    On November 18, Apple published a blog post detailing the case-manufacturing process behind the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the titanium Apple Watch Series 11. According to the post, both models feature cases produced through 3D printing using 100% aerospace-grade recycled titanium powder—a technique previously considered impossible to mass-produce. Apple states that compared with traditional subtractive machining of forged components, the additive 3D printing process used for the Ultra 3 and Series 11 reduces raw material consumption by half, saving an estimated total of more than 400 tons of titanium annually. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Google Play has announced its Best Apps and Games of 2025. The selections vary by region: in the U.S. store, the Best App is Focus Friend, while in Taiwan, the Best App is Adobe Firefly.

    To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Toy Story franchise, the Steve Jobs Archive released a previously unpublished interview recorded on November 22, 1996, one year after the film’s debut. In the interview, Steve Jobs discusses how Pixar’s business model was designed to ensure that artists and engineers could benefit from copyright revenue, and how leadership and team culture played a critical role in enabling that vision. Source

    According to a report from 9to5Mac citing leaker yeux1122, the battery capacity of Apple’s foldable iPhone has been “confirmed” to exceed that of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The unit currently in testing reportedly has a battery capacity between 5400–5800 mAh. The same source also claims that the original design for the iPhone Air included only a 3000 mAh battery—rather than the final 3149 mAh—suggesting that the foldable iPhone’s final battery capacity may end up even higher than current prototype data. Source