Entertainment

Lay Zhang is TECNO’s newest global ambassador

China’s rising tech brand partners up with the continuously rising Chinese superstar

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Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Any aging EXO-Ls out there like I am? Well, TECNO is proud to announce their newest Global Brand Ambassador, Lay Zhang!

Who’s Lay?

If you’re not following the K-Pop scene nor the Chinese entertainment industry, you might be questioning who is he even.

As early as 2012, I already knew Lay Zhang the moment he was unveiled as one of the members of the widely-popular 3rd generation K-Pop 12-member boy group ‘EXO‘ managed by SM Entertainment.

He was specifically meant for EXO-M, the group’s Mandarin-speaking/singing six-member sub-unit — not until member changes happened and later promoted wholly as nine.

But prior becoming a boy group member, Zhang Yixing (his real name) was already a prominent child actor in his hometown — Hunan, China. Several years and experiences passed by, he became an independent singer-songwriter, dancer, and even a fashion trendsetter. Eventually, Lay Zhang became a superstar to his motherland.

But that’s not all! He’s also well-known in Southeast Asia, especially with his very recent girl group survival show “Show It All” which featured several girl groups from various Southeast Asian countries such as ‘BINI’ and ‘G22′ from the Philippines, ‘4Eve’ from Thailand, and ‘DOLLA’ from Malaysia.

He earned several more recognitions not just in music and dancing, but also in more serious acting — specifically in his recent film “No More Bets” which was released just last year.

Why Lay?

Lay Zhang is deemed the perfect fit for TECNO’s brand mantra “Stop at Nothing”. Just like TECNO users’ relentless pursuit of excellence past the limits, Lay also never stopped pushing his boundaries in his career.

After his early calling as an actor later turned into an idol group member, he embarked on a new journey by being a soloist in 2016. This made him more popular not just in the K-Pop and Chinese entertainment scene, but also globally.

As told by TECNO’s Chief Marketing Officer, Laury Bai, “At TECNO, we are dedicated to igniting the spirit of relentless self-improvement among our consumers. Lay Zhang, a global star celebrated for his pursuit of excellence across diverse domains, exemplifies the ‘Stop at Nothing’ ethos we champion.”

And in Lay Zhang’s own words, he is very honored to be the new ambassador for TECNO and is much excited about the collaboration. He also stated that this brand mirrors his own journey of innovation and self-advancement.

The Perfect Synergy

This newly-formed alliance is of a perfect timing as Lay just released his latest album “STEP”.

STEP is a testament to Lay’s unwavering determination in continuous progression — “Every step, no matter how big or small, contributes to the journey toward progress and success”.

Moreover, the superstar is already gearing up for his upcoming world tour, GRANDLINE 4: STEP  with upcoming stops in Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This also makes the best opportunity for TECNO to bring out exciting activities for Xingmis and TECNO fans alike in order to engage and interact with Lay in more creative ways than one.

 

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Lay will also help showcase TECNO’s innovative technologies and participate in various brand activities and CSR programs. This not only shows the brand’s advancements in the tech scene, but also showcase creativity, style, and elegance along music and cultural engagements.

Fueled by both the rising tech brand and the top-tier Chinese icon’s commitment to “Stop at Nothing”, TECNO and Lay Zhang are dedicated to inspire and empower consumers globally to create a better life beyond one’s limits and creative imagination.

Entertainment

Supergirl gets its first teaser trailer

Milly Alcock stars as the titular character.

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Before the new year starts, it’s already fair to assume that Supergirl might be one of the most anticipated movies of 2026. Premiering a year after the globally successful Superman, Supergirl will see the adventures of Clark Kent’s superpowered cousin, Kara Zor-El. Now, the next film in the sage finally has a teaser trailer.

As James Gunn mentioned previously, Supergirl will be based on Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Off traveling to other planets to party, Kara finds herself thrust back into the role of being a hero after a young girl named Ruthye Mary Knoll asks her for help.

Though the teaser trailer is mostly a montage of scenes, we already know what we can expect. According to Gunn, Supergirl will be tonally different from Superman, and we see this in the trailer.

However, we can still see influences from Gunn including the usage of “Call Me” by Blondie for the trailer. Also, the film’s space scenes look like they can fit right in with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Still, that’s what we have, and we’re excited. Supergirl will premiere on June 26, 2026.

The film will be directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella). Milly Alcock plays the titular character. Meanwhile, she will star alongside Eve Ridley as Ruthye Mary Knoll.

SEE ALSO: Superman sequel, titled Man of Tomorrow, comes out in 2027

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Entertainment

Now Playing: Scarlet

The revenge story experiments with the idea of self-discovery.

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You can’t go wrong with a revenge story. Watching a group of evildoers get their deserved comeuppance is always a good time. Mamoru Hosoda’s Scarlet promises such a tale worthy of the greats. However, Hosoda quickly sheds the veneer of revenge for a tale of self-discovery.

Scarlet, the film’s eponymous character, is a princess on a quest for revenge against her uncle, a usurper who ordered the death of her father. However, before she can deal the killing blow, her uncle outsmarts the attempt by poisoning her. She dies and is teleported into a purgatory called the Otherworld. There, she must fight against the other departed to exact revenge from the other side.

So much for revenge

A mix between Dante’s Inferno and Hamlet, Scarlet should have the makings of an excellent revenge story. However, though Scarlet keeps revenge as her main motivation throughout the entire film, she eventually finds a new quest in discovering what she wants to be after she gets her retribution.

She meets Hijiri, a pacifist paramedic from the modern era, who persistently asks her to reconsider seeking violent ends to her enemies. With Hijiri in tow, Scarlet discovers that there is more value in helping other people and giving her enemies a second chance.

Was it a shift well earned?

Most revenge stories today come with a similar twist where the main character reevaluates their murderous rampage to seek inner peace. This usually comes after the murderous rampage. After all, how do you redeem someone who hasn’t done anything wrong?

In stories like these, satisfaction comes when the main character kills minor villains. After getting their fun, a traumatic incident causes them to lose their drive to fall short of killing the main villain. In some situations, the character sacrifices themselves to save someone else. In others, they choose to forgive the villain.

Scarlet fast-forwards straight to the finish by choosing less violent measure right from the beginning. As hellbent as she is on killing her uncle, she fails at every step, usually because of stronger enemies. The only thing she becomes good at is sparing and forgiving her foes, often prodded by allies.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with writing a unique take on the revenge story. However, Scarlet wants audiences to learn its lesson without going through the grueling work that often comes with such a lesson.

Hosoda wants to play it off as the futility of vengeance, and he’s right in making that the moral of the story. However, this just doesn’t stick.

A beauty on the screen

Amid all the criticism, Mamoru Hosoda always manages to deliver visually appealing pieces for the big screen. Scarlet is no different. It features hand-drawn animation that looks three-dimensional and laid on top of realistic scenery.

For all its misgivings, Scarlet transports audiences to a picturesque purgatory with a clear target, the Infinite Lands. If you love fantasy world-building, the movie showcases a fantasy worthy of the name. Though I had problems with Scarlet’s character, I still looked forward to seeing what comes next over the horizon.

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Entertainment

Netflix unveils Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 teaser trailer

Coming in 2026

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Courtesy: Netflix

Fans are finally getting an official first look at live-action Toph as Netflix has unveiled the first teaser trailer for Season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

It’s been more than a year since the announcement of the live-action adaptation’s renewal for Seasons 2 and 3. The second season is slated in 2026.

Aside from a short trailer, Netflix also bared first look photos for the upcoming second installment. Season 2 features new cast member Miya Cech, who plays master Earthbender Toph in the series.

Returning cast members, meanwhile, include Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kawentiio as Katara, and Ian Ousley as Sokka, among others.

In Season 2, after a bittersweet victory saving the Northern Water Tribe from the Fire Nation, Avatar Aang, Katara, and Sokka regroup and set off on a mission to convince the elusive Earth King to aid their battle against the fearsome Fire Lord Ozai.

Book 2 of the renowned Nickelodeon animated series, of course, focuses on the Earth Kingdom, with Toph Beifong among the key characters throughout that season.

The narrative also becomes more complex, with Zuko’s character arc and as well as the role of Azula as one of the intriguing antagonist figures to set up Season 3.

The 78-second clip mostly previews Miya Cech as the live-action Toph, plus the visual effects fans can expect with her ability to manipulate rocks and see the world through seismic vibrations.

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