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10 things we learned about Hyun Bin at the Smart Hallyu Hangouts

We crashed K-drama actor Hyun Bin’s fan meet

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Over the weekend, Korean superstar Hyun Bin had a virtual fan meet with his Filipino supporters. Through Smart’s Hallyu Hangouts, thousands of fans were able to watch the interview hosted by Sam Oh and Park Kyung-Lim.

A couple were also given the chance to ask Hyun Bin some questions, one of them even showed off their prowess in speaking Korean. It was a fun evening for everyone, especially his biggest supporters whose dreams of attending his fan meets were hampered by the pandemic. Thank goodness for technology and fast internet, Filipino fans still got to spend with the actor even virtually.

During the hangout, we picked up a couple more interesting things about Hyun Bin that makes him more than just the characters he plays on screen.

He’s a perfectionist

While shooting for the Smart commercial, Hyun Bin admitted that it took a while to learn his line. “Simple, Smart ako” might be a short and easy sentence to say for Filipinos but  “simple” proved to be quite tricky for him. He took some time to learn it and even asked people for help.

He says that he’s always been like this and while filming for dramas, he would even be quite hard on himself. There are times when his directors are already happy with the scene but he would still want to iron out his acting.

He had a fan club when he was in high school

Before entering show business, Hyun Bin already had his own fan club. Talk about being extremely good looking! He was modest enough to say that he didn’t know much about it, though.

He’s a news junkie

We love a well-rounded oppa and Hyun Bin admits to reading all sections of the news. “It’s nice to know what’s happening in the world I’m living in,” he said during the live.

He doesn’t watch his own work

He admits to going on OTT platforms a lot to watch series and movies but never the ones that have him on them. In fact, he has never seen Crash Landing on You (CLOY) after they filmed the drama.

Hyun Bin is passionate about golf

He says he would love to become a golf player. This, after getting hooked on the sport. He admits it’s just a hobby and that if he weren’t so busy, he’d probably be doing it more often. It’s also something that relaxes him.

Hyun Bin

He rarely cries IRL

Hyun Bin admits that he doesn’t cry much in real life. Maybe it’s because he does it a lot for work or maybe because he’s just extremely happy right now.

He searches his name online

Rarely does any celebrity admit to Googling oneself so this was quite refreshing. He says he does it about once a day. “I want to know if there’s something about me that I don’t know of. I also want to see how events like these are covered by the media,” he added.

He knew how to play the piano

Hyun Bin learned how to play the piano as a child. However, he forgot most of it as he rarely used the skill. So, when they were filming for Crash Landing on You, he would practice in his hotel room using an electric keyboard they brought with them all the way from Korea.

He would’ve loved to play two other CLOY characters

It’s hard to imagine Hyun Bin as anyone other than Ri Jeong-hyeok in CLOY. However, he says that he would have been open to playing the villain, Cho Cheol-gang and the wiretapper, Jung Man-bok.

Hyun Bin

He has an upcoming movie

They just finished the sequel to Confidential Assignment and he promises that it will be bigger and more international than the first one. “In the first movie, it was just North and South Korea that were involved. In the sequel, the US and other countries will also play a part in the story,” he shared.

Smart Hallyu Hangouts was powered by Smart, one of the country’s top network providers. Internet metrics company Ookla recently cited Smart as the country’s fastest mobile data network in the second half of 2020 after it achieved a Speed Score™ of 24.99, with average speeds of 20.08 Mbps for download, and 7.42 Mbps for upload.

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KPop Demon Hunters is officially getting a sequel

Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans will return to write and direct.

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March 13, 2026

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This feels like a formality at this point. Netflix and Sony have officially confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters is getting a sequel.

If you feel like you’ve read this exact title before, then you’re not alone. Since its massive success last year, the hit animated film constantly spawned talks of a potential franchise. It probably helped that the title quickly became Netflix’s most-watched film of all time. From the last we’ve heard of the rumors, Netflix was reportedly eyeing a 2029 premiere for the sequel.

Now, it’s official. As posted by Netflix itself, KPop Demon Hunters will get a sequel soon. Even better, the follow-up will be written and directed by the same duo, Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans.

Kang, who celebrated the first movie’s ability to tell a Korean story, says that there’s a lot more to explore in the film’s universe. “There’s so much more to this world we have built and I’m excited to show you. This is only the beginning,” she said.

Right now, the plot’s sequel is still unknown, especially since the Saja Boys were defeated in the first film.

Given how big the original movie got, the sequel is no surprise. Besides bagging the top spot on Netflix’s charts, the film also got an eventual release in theaters. KPop Demon Hunters is up for a potential Oscars win after it was nominated for Best Animated Feature. Its hit song, “Golden,” is also nominated for Best Original Song.

SEE ALSO: KPop Demon Hunters is now Netflix’s most-watched movie

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The internet is thirsting over the One Piece Season 2 cast

And honestly, fair

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March 12, 2026

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Netflix One Piece Season 2

Clips from One Piece Season 2 are circulating across TikTok, Threads, and X — and the internet has reached a very clear conclusion.

Screenshots of Zoro, Nami, Luffy, and Miss All Sunday have been circulating widely online.

This cast is aggressively attractive.

One Threads post even asked the question outright: “Why is the One Piece cast aggressively attractive?” Judging by the reactions online, plenty of fans seem more than happy to investigate.

And after watching the new season ourselves, we can confirm: yes, the viral moments making the rounds online are very real.

Zoro continues to be the internet’s favorite

A big chunk of the viral clips revolve around Mackenyu as Zoro.

Specifically, a scene where the swordsman appears shirtless — showing off a physique that fans immediately began thirst-posting about across social media.

It’s the kind of moment that practically feels engineered for screenshots. Stoic expression. Scarred swordsman energy. Abs fully visible.

Naturally, the internet noticed.

Luffy gets his Hollywood abs moment

Even Iñaki Godoy gets a similar viral moment.

One circulating clip shows Luffy wearing nothing but a towel, with his abs in full view. Fans quickly clipped the scene and began sharing it across social platforms.

Godoy himself seems aware of the moment. In one interview clip now floating around online, the actor joked that he might as well enjoy the “Hollywood abs” moment now — since his next role might just have him playing a regular guy.

Fair point.

@lyn_ching7 Have you seen shirtless LUFFY yet? Prepare for his “12 pack” ⚔️😁 @Netflix Philippines @Netflix @onepiecenetflix #onepiece #netflix #netflixph ♬ original sound – Ms. Lyn Ching

The internet also noticed Miss All Sunday

Another character generating plenty of reactions online is Miss All Sunday, also known to fans as Nico Robin.

Trailer comments posted by Netflix quickly filled up with reactions from viewers pointing out the character’s striking appearance — including jokes asking why her chest looked so prominent in the preview.

Other fans quickly pushed back, asking the obvious question: why complain?

Nami might be winning the internet

Still, the character that seems to be getting the biggest reaction online is Nami.

Clips and screenshots of Emily Rudd wearing a tiny red bra have been circulating widely, with fans praising both the character’s look and Rudd’s screen presence.

The scene is brief, but it clearly made an impression.

And judging by the number of screenshots floating around online, a lot of viewers had the exact same reaction.

Some people tuned in out of curiosity.

Others may have tuned in after seeing those screenshots.

Honestly, fair.

Either way, the viral clips are real — and they’re all pulled directly from the new season.

One Piece Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

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Entertainment

Samurai Champloo is getting a live-action adaptation

The adaptation is coming from One Piece’s Tomorrow Studios.

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March 11, 2026

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The live-action One Piece, which recently premiered its second season on Netflix, is one of the rare wins for the anime adaptation segment, especially after a string of misfires. Now, after the success of that series, things are getting bolder. Tomorrow Studios, which produced Netflix’s One Piece, will adapt Samurai Champloo into a live-action format.

Still from the brilliant mind of Shinichirō Watanabe, Samurai Champloo is often touted as the samurai version of Watanabe’s more popular Cowboy Bebop but with a more cohesive story and a hipper soundtrack. Since its first airing over two decades ago, the series has enjoyed a cult following, especially for those who enjoyed Cowboy Bebop.

First reported by Variety, Tomorrow Studios will adapt the show into a live-action series. Critically, Watanabe will be involved in the show’s production.

Because the show is still in early development, there’s no news beyond that. In fact, though it’s likely that Netflix will pick the series up, Tomorrow Studios hasn’t shopped the series to platforms yet.

Samurai Champloo is going to be a huge gamble for the studio. Previously, Tomorrow Studios crashed and burned with its Cowboy Bebop adaptation, which ended up getting canned soon after its premiere. Watanabe even criticized the series for changing the plot too much.

This time, however, Watanabe has given his blessing and will likely steer the adaptation to success. The studio has also promised an adaptation more faithful to the original’s story and soundtrack. Both of which were crucial to the original show’s success.

SEE ALSO: One Piece: Into the Grand Line unveils final trailer ahead of premiere

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