by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
We all have that feeling. You know the one: you finish watching a movie and something about it hits you in just the right spot. Whether it was the theme, the story, or even the characters, there was a quality about it that almost makes you want to turn around and go back a second, third, or even fourth time!
Bar the reality of living in the movie theater for the rest of your days, you turn to the rest of pop culture and start to look for other avenues where you can find that same feeling.
Well I’m here to make this plight easier for all. Each month, I will take a piece of pop culture that was prevalent in the social consciousness — whether it is a movie, tv show, or something else — and then recommend other forms of media for those who want to stay in that world a little bit longer.
Welcome to your One Stop Pop, internet!
This month we’ll be looking at the second big Marvel release of 2021, and arguably one of the most anticipated releases of modern MCU history — Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It was anticipated not only because of the fact that this is the first origin story we’ve had in over three years, but also due to the fact that this was really going to kickstart the next phase of movies, with completely new characters, new motivations, and possibly a brand new Marvel outlook.
Now, some of you may have walked away absolutely desperate to get your hands on more, and until the next MCU hit releases, I’ve assembled (get it!?) some fine recommendations below to help you pass the time until that day comes.
So without further ado, let’s begin.
Video Game: Yakuza: Like A Dragon
This movie and this video game have more than one thing in common. From troubled father-son relationships, to higher-than-reality abilities, to the fun snark that all heroes of the modern age now hold in their arsenal, which is why this recommendation is one I can make without much difficulty.
Set in modern day Japan, Yakuza: Like A Dragon follows Ichiban Kasuga, a low-ranking yakuza grunt left on the brink of death by the man he trusted most. In an RPG turn-based combat format, your job is to help Kasuga get retribution for his betrayal, while also trying to get his life on track along the way.
While the story might sound serious, I can assure you that it is anything but. Full of pop culture references, lovable sidekick characters, and quirky situational quests, this is a game that clearly has a lot of care behind its development. It will keep you engaged, and onside, as you follow Kasuga’s plight, one he surpasses with an incontrovertible sense of humor.
Add to that some truly cinematic visuals, and this is really a natural progression for anyone who had been wanting more after seeing Shang-Chi’s exploits on the big screen.
Sound like something you’d like to give a go? I don’t blame you! Grab it for yourself to play on the Playstation 4 or 5, Microsoft Windows, or Xbox One/Xbox Series consoles.
Book: “American Born Chinese” by Gene Luen Yang
This graphic novel follows three supposedly unrelated stories illustrating the Chinese-American experience through three entirely different eyes, and it’s wholly fascinating. A combination of modern storytelling and lyrical fable, this novel is all about how the past and its peripheries can cause ripples in time, resulting in dramatically different fates. To top it all off, it’s also an incredibly compelling read.
Traversing magical qualities and themes that reflect on the simplicity of humanity, there is something here for everyone to take hold. Add to that its unique isometrically inspired art style, and it’s sure to excite your eyeballs with every page turned. An education in culture, this character study is a great option for anyone who came out of Shang-Chi wanting to further explore Chinese-American culture in the individual sense.
On top of all of this, it’s actually a very quick read. With it only being around 240 pages in print, you can easily knock this out in an afternoon and still end up with the same amount of depth and character development as in the film of focus — just in an entirely different way.
Intrigued? Check it out at your local bookseller or library and discover some entirely new worlds.
TV Show: Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens
A situational comedy for the modern era, this is really about being a showcase for the perennial new name in comedy, Awkwafina. With her iconic husky voice, and scintillating ‘devil-may-care attitude,’ she has been nigh unstoppable since bursting onto our cinematic screens in 2016.
Granted, she’s definitely not one to ‘disappear into a role,’ but that’s not to say that the actress/personality/rapper/all-around-great-gal doesn’t have undeniable talent and impressive range when needed (check out The Farewell if you don’t believe me). However, she is at her best, when she is basically just playing an extension of herself, and there is no better example of this than the show Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens — I mean it’s literally in the title!
Following Nora, we see her and her cousin struggle with young adulthood in Flushing, New York, while still receiving a little help from her father and grandmother. In a way, you can kind of see it as a bit of a modern The Nanny, just with it looking at the Asian American experience, rather than the Jewish American one.
Enjoyable, engaging and a great way to pass any TV watching time, if what you loved about Shang-Chi was its Awkwafina-ness, then I recommend you queue up the first couple seasons of this on the weekend.
Check it out now on HBO Max or Comedy Central.
Album: Moonchild by NIKI
Maybe what really got to you from Marvel’s new movie wasn’t the performances, the visual effects, the lore, or even the story. Maybe, what really got your clock ticking, and your foot tapping was its stunningly curated soundtrack.
Making waves in the audiophile community, this is actually quite a special soundtrack in Marvel’s film oeuvre. Compiled by 88rising, a record label that primarily focuses on Asian and Asian-American musicians, the album truly exceeded expectations, managing to both elevate its film, while also serving as some great listening time after the fact.
However, the artist I want to focus on today is the one most heavily featured on Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings: The Album, NIKI. An Indonesian singer-songwriter, her debut record is one that is sure to impress even the most philistic of music lovers, through its ingenious way of telling a musical story, while still delivering some absolute bangers.
A concept album told in three parts, NIKI’s Moonchild weaves a fantastical narrative that describes both an allegorical and actual metamorphosis of its central character. If you have the time to listen to all 10 tracks in one sitting, I would highly recommend taking the time. However, like I said, this is still great to enjoy intermittently as part of your daily walk or errand-running, when you find that you just need some music to help you along.
Evocative, lyrical and exceptionally high quality, I suggest making your way over to Spotify now and giving it a listen.
Exciting, dynamic, and refreshing, these are all identifiers that easily fit in with Marvel’s latest hero origin story. A tale for the ages, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a movie that I’m sure lived in a few people’s minds long after the credits rolled. Whether you’re wanting to be Shang-Chi, learn about his experiences, hang out with his BFF, or enjoy the soundscape more, there should be something on this list to appease all who wanted a little more after the credits had rolled.
I’ll be back next month with whatever blew up the internet more in October (*cough* probably Squid Game *cough*), but until then, thank you for visiting Siftpop’s One Stop Pop, and we hope to see you again soon!
You can follow Alice-Ginevra Micheli on Instagram and Letterboxd