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.

[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

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

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