Arts
Asia Leaders
Gukesh Dommaraju Became Chess's Youngest World Champion. Defending the Crown Is a Different Business
A FigureAsia examination of how Dommaraju Gukesh is turning Gukesh's preparation to defend the world title against Javokhir Sindarov after a 2026 season in which his rating and tournament results became a public test of life under the crown into a test of economics, execution and durable leadership.
Asia Leaders
Divya Deshmukh Won the Women's World Cup. Indian Chess Must Turn Her Result Into a Market
A FigureAsia examination of how Divya Deshmukh is turning the commercial and institutional opportunity created by Deshmukh's 2025 Women's World Cup victory, her grandmaster title and her return to the women's top ten in 2026 into a test of economics, execution and durable leadership.
Asia Leaders
Fei-Fei Li Opened World Labs Through an API. Developer Demand Must Validate Spatial Intelligence
Fei-Fei Li has placed usage-based API access, creative tools, developer integration and world models that may eventually support simulation and embodied intelligence at the centre of the strategy. The next phase will test capital discipline, execution and durability across Asia.
Asia Leaders
Lisa Su Pushed AMD's Server Ambition Beyond GPUs. Memory Costs Could Split the Portfolio
Lisa Su has placed EPYC server CPUs, Instinct accelerators, adaptive computing, semi-custom chips and a common software and customer ecosystem at the centre of the strategy. The next phase will test capital discipline, execution and durability across Asia.
Asia Leaders
Rosé Carried Solo Demand Back Into BLACKPINK's Group Cycle. Ownership Will Define the Next Release
Rosé has placed recording royalties, publishing, touring, brand partnerships and the audience transfer between solo work and BLACKPINK at the centre of the strategy. The next phase will test capital discipline, execution and durability across Asia.
Asia Leaders
Jisoo Expanded BLISSOO Across Music, Screen and Luxury. Coordination Is the Hidden Cost
Jisoo has placed artist management, music rights, screen compensation, membership relationships and brand-ambassador contracts at the centre of the strategy. The next phase will test capital discipline, execution and durability across Asia.
Asia Leaders
Jennie Kim Made Ruby an Independent-Label Asset. ODD ATELIER Must Build Beyond a Release Cycle
Jennie Kim has placed recorded-music rights, distribution partnerships, performance, merchandise, pop-up retail and luxury sponsorships at the centre of the strategy. The next phase will test capital discipline, execution and durability across Asia.
Asia Leaders
Lisa Manobal Turned LLOUD Into a Multi-Platform Enterprise. A Second Album Must Prove the Model Scales
Lisa Manobal has placed music ownership, artist management, recording partnerships, live performance, screen roles and luxury-brand relationships at the centre of the strategy. The next phase will test capital discipline, execution and durability across Asia.
Asia Leaders
Min-Liang Tan Is Spending More Than $600 Million on AI for Gaming. Developers Must Become Razer Customers
Razer’s distribution comes from gamers, not enterprise software buyers. Min-Liang Tan’s AI strategy will work if studios adopt its tools because they improve quality and testing, rather than because generative features add another slogan to devices.
Asia Leaders
Shiori Ito Took Black Box Diaries Home to Japan. Distribution Rights Now Shape Its Public Reach
Shiori Ito has placed independent documentary production, international rights sales, festival visibility, book publishing and public-interest journalism at the centre of the strategy. The next phase will test capital discipline, execution and durability across Asia.
Asia Leaders
Neal Mohan Turned YouTube Into a $60 Billion Media System. Now He Has to Keep AI From Breaking Its Trust
Neal Mohan transformed YouTube from a video platform into a diversified global media economy. Artificial intelligence will determine whether its scale remains an advantage or becomes a crisis of trust.
Asia Leaders
Hasan Hadi Took an Iraqi Debut From Cannes Into 2026 Cinemas. The Next Film Must Make the Route Repeatable
Hasan Hadi turned The President’s Cake into a rare Iraqi international release. His next film must convert the breakthrough into a repeatable production route.
Asia Leaders
Lee Jun-ho Turned Idol Discipline Into Actor Longevity
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Lee Jun-ho, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance and music, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Yim Si-wan Broke Through Inside Squid Game’s Ensemble. The Next Test Is Carrying the Commercial Risk Alone
Yim Si-wan gained global visibility inside Squid Game’s ensemble. His next business test is carrying a project’s commercial risk as the lead.
Asia Leaders
Maggie Kang Won Animation’s Biggest Prize. Now She Has to Turn a Streaming Phenomenon Into a Franchise She Can Shape
Maggie Kang turned KPop Demon Hunters into an Oscar-winning global phenomenon. Its next phase will test the economics of creative control.
Asia Leaders
Ryusuke Hamaguchi Took His Japanese Method Into a Four-Country Production. Now Theatrical Economics Must Catch Up
‘Soudain’ proved Ryusuke Hamaguchi can scale his method through a European-Japanese co-production. Its long theatrical journey will test the business around auteur cinema.
Asia Leaders
Shirin Neshat Still Makes Exile Look Back
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Shirin Neshat, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of contemporary art and film, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Gege Akutami Turned Anxiety Into a Global Manga Language
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Gege Akutami, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of manga, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Shiori Ito Reclaimed the Camera
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Shiori Ito, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of documentary filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Ocean Vuong Took The Emperor of Gladness Into Paperback. The Format Shift Tests How Literary Prestige Becomes Scale
Ocean Vuong’s The Emperor of Gladness entered paperback in July 2026. The lower-priced edition tests how literary prestige converts into durable scale.
Asia Leaders
Rosé Broke K-pop’s Solo Ceiling With ‘APT.’ Now She Has to Make the Hit a Durable Business
‘APT.’ made Rosé the first artist outside North America or Europe to lead the IFPI global singles ranking. Her next release must turn crossover scale into durable control.
Asia Leaders
Uniqlo’s Tadashi Yanai Is Still Chasing a Truly Global Wardrobe
FigureAsia examines the strategic choices, governance pressures and market consequences defining Tadashi Yanai’s next chapter at Fast Retailing and Uniqlo.
Asia Leaders
Deepa Bhasthi Helped Turn Heart Lamp Into a Thirty-Language Property. Translation Now Needs a Fairer Business Model
Deepa Bhasthi helped Heart Lamp travel into thirty languages. The rights boom now tests whether translators share fairly in the value they create.
Asia Leaders
Ahn Hyo-seop Crossed From Drama Star to Animated Hero
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Ahn Hyo-seop, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of voice and screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
BTS Proved That a Hiatus Can Expand a Cultural Institution
A FigureAsia long-form profile of BTS, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Banu Mushtaq Turned a Booker Win Into a Thirty-Language Rights Story. The Next Test Is Who Keeps the Value
Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp became a thirty-language rights success. Its next phase will show whether global translation can return durable value to Kannada literature.
Asia Leaders
Hwang Dong-hyuk Ended ‘Squid Game’ at Its Peak. Now He Has to Prove the Creator Can Outgrow the Franchise
Hwang Dong-hyuk finished ‘Squid Game’ with its global demand intact. His next project must show whether the creator’s authority can travel beyond Netflix’s franchise.
Asia Leaders
Lim Sang-choon Made Ordinary Endurance Feel Epic
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Lim Sang-choon, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of television writing, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Shirin Sohani Won an Oscar for an Iranian Short. The Next Test Is Building a Studio Around the Craft
Shirin Sohani won the animated-short Oscar for In the Shadow of the Cypress. Her next test is converting recognition into a durable production pipeline.
Asia Leaders
Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke Turned a Haunted Vacuum Into Thailand’s Breakout Film. Now He Has to Build Beyond the Festival Circuit
After ‘A Useful Ghost’ won the Critics’ Week Grand Prix, Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke must convert festival discovery into durable financing and distribution.
Asia Leaders
Xin Zhilei’s Venice Moment Was Built on Controlled Fire
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Xin Zhilei, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
IVE Made Confidence Its Most Exportable Product
A FigureAsia long-form profile of IVE, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Hideo Kojima Extended Death Stranding 2 to PC. The Multiplatform Move Tests the Economics of the Auteur Game
Hideo Kojima extended Death Stranding 2 to PC in 2026. The move tests whether auteur-led games can widen reach without weakening studio independence.
Asia Leaders
Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Became an Institution
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Yayoi Kusama, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of contemporary art, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Hiroki Totoki Has to Make Sony’s Entertainment Empire Work as One
Hiroki Totoki is imposing sharper capital discipline on Sony while trying to turn PlayStation, music, pictures, anime and image sensors into one coherent global growth system.
Asia Leaders
Banu Mushtaq’s Stories Redrew the Map of Indian Literature
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Banu Mushtaq, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literature, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Why Demon Slayer’s Quiet Author Keeps Winning at Global Scale
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Koyoharu Gotouge, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of manga and storytelling, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Ma Dong-seok Built a Star Persona With Industrial Discipline
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Ma Dong-seok, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance and production, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Sepideh Farsi Turned a Video Connection Into a Global Documentary. Its Afterlife Demands More Than Attention
Sepideh Farsi carried Fatma Hassona’s testimony into global cinema. The film’s next life tests the ethics and economics of documentary distribution.
Asia Leaders
Lee Byung-hun Played Power at the Edge of Collapse
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Lee Byung-hun, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Sepideh Farsi Kept the Camera Running Across a Closed Border
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Sepideh Farsi, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of documentary filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Creepy Nuts Made a Tongue Twister Travel the World
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Creepy Nuts, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music duo, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Bong Joon-ho Bet Big on a Disposable Man
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Bong Joon-ho, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Neeraj Ghaywan Returned to Cannes With a Story India Could Not Contain
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Neeraj Ghaywan, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Lisa’s Second Act Was Never Going to Stay Inside Music
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Lisa, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Cao Fei Saw the Virtual City Coming
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Cao Fei, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of contemporary art and moving image, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Katseye Is Building a Global Group Without a Home Market
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Katseye, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Park Bo-gum’s Gentleness Became a Form of Strength
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Park Bo-gum, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Cai Shangjun Put Moral Compromise Under the Sun
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Cai Shangjun, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Ocean Vuong Writes About Work After the American Dream Runs Out
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Ocean Vuong, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literature, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Basel Adra Won Documentary’s Biggest Prize. The Harder Test Is Keeping No Other Land in Public View
Basel Adra’s No Other Land won the documentary Oscar. Its next challenge is maintaining public access after the awards cycle has moved on.
Asia Leaders
Janhvi Kapoor Stepped Away From Safety
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Janhvi Kapoor, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Hossein Molayemi Found Hope in the Shadow of War
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Hossein Molayemi, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of animation filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Hossein Molayemi Took Iranian Animation to the Academy Stage. Now Production Discipline Must Outlast the Prize
Hossein Molayemi took Iranian animation to the Academy stage. His next business test is building production discipline that can outlast a single prize.
Asia Leaders
Yim Si-wan Learned How to Make Stillness Dangerous
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Yim Si-wan, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Do Ho Suh Made Home Portable
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Do Ho Suh, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of contemporary art, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Liu Jiakun Makes Architecture From Memory, Ruin And Everyday Life
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Liu Jiakun, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of architecture, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Ishaan Khatter Used Homebound to Escape the Star System. The Next Lead Must Turn Credibility Into Control
Ishaan Khatter used Homebound to build credibility beyond the star system. His next business test is converting that authority into control over projects.
Asia Leaders
XG Refused to Choose One Pop Market
A FigureAsia long-form profile of XG, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Kiyoshi Kurosawa Can Make Any Room Feel Unsafe
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Tetsuya Nomura’s Characters Outlived the Hardware
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Tetsuya Nomura, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of game direction and character design, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
BINI Turned Local Pop Into a National Business Story
A FigureAsia long-form profile of BINI, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Bright Vachirawit’s Cross-Border Appeal Is a Business Model
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Bright Vachirawit, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance and music, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Park Chan-wook Moved From Cannes Competitor to Jury President. The New Role Tests What Auteur Power Can Build
Park Chan-wook’s 2026 Cannes jury presidency marked a new kind of authority. The test is whether auteur prestige can strengthen Korean cinema’s production system.
Asia Leaders
Radhakishan Damani Made Restraint a Competitive Advantage in Indian Retail
FigureAsia examines the strategic choices, governance pressures and market consequences defining Radhakishan Damani’s next chapter at Avenue Supermarts and DMart.
Asia Leaders
Bi Gan Made Time Itself the Spectacle
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Bi Gan, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Hwang Sok-yong’s Korea Is Bigger Than Any Border
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Hwang Sok-yong, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literature, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Haruo Sotozaki Made the Anime Screen Feel Monumental
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Haruo Sotozaki, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of animation direction, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
SB19 Built the Infrastructure Before the Breakthrough
A FigureAsia long-form profile of SB19, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Park Eun-bin Made Reinvention Look Methodical
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Park Eun-bin, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Jin Built a Solo Show Around Warmth Instead of Spectacle
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Jin, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
The Songwriter Behind KPop Demon Hunters’ Breakout Sound
A FigureAsia long-form profile of EJAE, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and songwriting, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Katie Kitamura Turned an Audition Into a Moral Trap
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Katie Kitamura, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literature, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
NIKI Wrote the Asian Diaspora Without Exoticizing It
A FigureAsia long-form profile of NIKI, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Basel Adra Put a Village at the Center of the World’s Attention
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Basel Adra, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of documentary filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Lisa Built a Career Across Music, Fashion and Television. The Next Test Is Making the Portfolio Work as One
Lisa’s solo career now spans music, television and global fashion. The business test is making those assets reinforce one another without diluting her identity.
Asia Leaders
Takashi Murakami Learned to Survive the Market He Helped Create
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Takashi Murakami, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of contemporary art, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Tatsuya Yoshihara Gave Chainsaw Man Its Most Cinematic Detour
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Tatsuya Yoshihara, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of animation direction, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
aespa Made the Future Feel Personal
A FigureAsia long-form profile of aespa, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Shantanu Narayen Started Adobe’s CEO Search. The Handover Must Preserve an AI Transition He Will Not Finish
Shantanu Narayen will remain Adobe’s chair after a new chief executive is appointed. His final operating duty is to make the succession clear enough that the next leader can reshape the company without inheriting a shadow CEO.
Asia Leaders
Ado Built a Global Career Without Giving Away the Face
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Ado, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Lee Jung-jae Made Survival Look Like Moral Exhaustion
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Lee Jung-jae, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Stray Kids Took Self-Production to Stadium Scale
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Stray Kids, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Nigo Turned Taste Into an Operating System
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Nigo, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of fashion design and music culture, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Tatsuki Fujimoto Writes Like the Internet Feels
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Tatsuki Fujimoto, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of manga, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Jennie’s Ruby Test
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Jennie, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
NetEase Is Staying Creative Without Chasing Every Trend
A FigureAsia examination of how William Ding is positioning NetEase for the next phase of media and entertainment.
Asia Leaders
G-Dragon Returned as K-Pop’s Unfinished Argument
A FigureAsia long-form profile of G-Dragon, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and fashion, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Divya Deshmukh Won the World Cup and a Grandmaster Title. Chess Must Convert Visibility Into Durable Income
Divya Deshmukh has placed prize money, federation support, private sponsorship, league contracts, streaming and the educational value of a large Indian chess audience at the centre of the strategy. The next phase will test capital discipline, execution and durability across Asia.
Asia Leaders
A Useful Ghost Made Thai Politics Strange Enough to See Again
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
YOASOBI Turned Fiction Into a Hitmaking Engine
A FigureAsia long-form profile of YOASOBI, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music duo, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Vishal Jethwa Made Restraint Travel in Homebound. The Next Project Must Price That Skill Correctly
Vishal Jethwa’s performance in Homebound travelled through Cannes and 2026 cinemas. His next test is converting ensemble authority into correctly valued lead work.
Asia Leaders
Rosé Found a Pop Language Bigger Than Fandom
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Rose, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Chiharu Shiota Gives Absence a Physical Weight
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Chiharu Shiota, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of contemporary art, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Rei Ami’s Voice Broke the Screen
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Rei Ami, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
IU Carried a Korean Century in One Performance
A FigureAsia long-form profile of IU, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Lee Byung-hun Dominated Streaming and Korean Cinema at Once. The Next Deal Must Preserve That Range
Lee Byung-hun held authority in Squid Game and No Other Choice. His next deal must preserve the rare ability to move between streaming scale and auteur cinema.
Asia Leaders
Shirin Sohani Drew Grief Without Making It Small
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Shirin Sohani, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of animation filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Deepa Bhasthi Gave Kannada Fiction a Passport Without Sanding Off Its Voice
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Deepa Bhasthi, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literary translation, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Jafar Panahi Took a Palme d’Or Film Into the 2026 Awards Market. Its Real Value Lies Beyond the Campaign
Jafar Panahi carried a Palme d’Or winner into the 2026 awards market. The harder task is converting prestige into durable distribution for independent Iranian cinema.
Asia Leaders
Mieko Kawakami Keeps Asking Who Gets to Own a Woman’s Life
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Mieko Kawakami, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literature, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Fujii Kaze’s Soft Power Travels Without Translation
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Fujii Kaze, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
SEVENTEEN’s Precision Is Really a Management Story
A FigureAsia long-form profile of SEVENTEEN, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
EJAE Turned a Film Song Into a Global Hit. Now She Has to Turn Recognition Into a Career She Controls
After ‘Golden’ made EJAE an Oscar-winning songwriter and a global voice, her next test is turning soundtrack-scale attention into a business she can sustain.
Asia Leaders
Yukinobu Tatsu Made the Weirdness the Point
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Yukinobu Tatsu, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of manga, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Hasan Hadi Found a Revolution in a Baghdad Cake Shop
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Hasan Hadi, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Neeraj Ghaywan Took Homebound From Cannes to 2026 Cinemas. His Collaborative Model Now Faces the Market
Neeraj Ghaywan took Homebound into 2026 cinemas. The next test is whether his collaborative production model can survive larger commercial pressure.
Asia Leaders
Park Chan-wook’s Darkest Joke Is About Having No Other Choice
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Park Chan-wook, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Cherien Dabis Turned Family Memory Into Palestinian Epic
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Cherien Dabis, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Lee Jung-jae Carried Squid Game to Its Ending. His Next Act Must Convert Global Fame Into Ownership
Lee Jung-jae carried Squid Game through its final season. His next business test is converting global fame into durable production and ownership power.
Asia Leaders
IU Won New Acting Authority Without Leaving Music. The Dual Career Now Needs a Single Strategy
IU strengthened her acting authority without surrendering music. Her 2026 business test is coordinating two careers without letting either become promotional support.
Asia Leaders
Kim Won-seok Directed Memory Like an Inheritance
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Kim Won-seok, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of television direction, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Jisoo’s Solo Year Tested the Power of Quiet Reinvention
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Jisoo, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
J-Hope Turned the Stage Into a Study of Motion
A FigureAsia long-form profile of J-Hope, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Ynon Kreiz Has Turned Mattel Into an IP Company. Tariffs and Margin Pressure Will Test the Sequel
Ynon Kreiz has taken Mattel beyond its turnaround and into a broader entertainment strategy. The next test is whether intellectual property can deliver durable growth without weakening the margins rebuilt under his leadership.
Asia Leaders
LE SSERAFIM Learned to Perform Through the Backlash
A FigureAsia long-form profile of LE SSERAFIM, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Shahid Khan’s Sports Empire Still Runs on an Engineer’s Bumper
FigureAsia examines the strategic choices, governance pressures and market consequences defining Shahid Khan’s next chapter at Flex-N-Gate and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Asia Leaders
Ne Zha 2 Changed the Scale of Chinese Animation
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Jiaozi, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of animation filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Kaveh Akbar Put Faith on Trial
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Kaveh Akbar, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literature, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
The Long Game Behind Squid Game’s Final Turn
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Hwang Dong-hyuk, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of television writing and direction, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Son Ye-jin Chose Emotional Risk Over Easy Familiarity
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Son Ye-jin, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Cherien Dabis Took a Palestinian Family Epic Into 2026 Cinemas. Distribution Is Now Part of the Argument
Cherien Dabis carried All That’s Left of You into 2026 cinemas. Its release tests whether independent distribution can sustain Palestinian historical memory.
Asia Leaders
Eiichiro Oda Still Runs the World’s Longest Creative Marathon
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Eiichiro Oda, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of manga, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Ishaan Khatter’s Most Important Role Refused the Star System
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Ishaan Khatter, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Haegue Yang Lets Objects Carry the Politics
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Haegue Yang, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of contemporary art, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Frieren’s Writer Found Drama in What Happens After Victory
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Kanehito Yamada, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of manga and storytelling, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Lee Bul Built the Future From Ruins
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Lee Bul, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of contemporary art, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Vishal Jethwa Let Restraint Do the Hardest Work
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Vishal Jethwa, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Joseph Lau’s Fortune Is Part Property Portfolio and Part Private Museum
FigureAsia examines the strategic choices, governance pressures and market consequences defining Joseph Lau’s next chapter at Chinese Estates.
Asia Leaders
Han Kang’s Nobel Afterlife Changed the Business of Translation
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Han Kang, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literature, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
BLACKPINK’s Return Became a Test of Global Pop Scarcity
A FigureAsia long-form profile of BLACKPINK, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
R.F. Kuang Sent Academia To Hell
A FigureAsia long-form profile of R.F. Kuang, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literature, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Audrey Nuna Turned the Animated Idol Into a Real Pop Persona
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Audrey Nuna, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
A.R. Rahman’s Quiet Revolution Keeps Rewriting the Sound of India
A FigureAsia long-form profile of A.R. Rahman, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music composition, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Yuya Tokuda Made Monster Hunting Feel New Again
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Yuya Tokuda, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of game direction, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Liu Cixin Became a Franchise Without Becoming a Brand Mascot
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Liu Cixin, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literature and screen adaptation, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Hidetaka Miyazaki Expanded a World Players Thought They Knew
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Hidetaka Miyazaki, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of game direction, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Diljit Dosanjh Took Punjabi Pop Where the Industry Said It Couldn’t Go
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Diljit Dosanjh, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music and screen performance, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Hamdan Ballal And the Cost of Bearing Witness
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Hamdan Ballal, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of documentary filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Ema Ryan Yamazaki Made a Japanese Classroom a Global Question
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Ema Ryan Yamazaki, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of documentary filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
BABYMONSTER Grew Up in Public at Global Speed
A FigureAsia long-form profile of BABYMONSTER, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of music group, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Park Bo-gum Turned Restraint Into Global Television Authority. His Next Role Must Broaden the Market
Park Bo-gum gained global authority through When Life Gives You Tangerines. His next role must broaden his market without trading on the same emotional register.
Asia Leaders
Rajesh Magow Is Turning MakeMyTrip From a Booking Site Into India's Travel Operating Layer
Rajesh Magow is using AI and selective acquisitions to widen MakeMyTrip's role. The test is whether one platform can improve every stage of Indian travel.
Asia Leaders
Arden Cho Gave Rumi More Than a Voice
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Arden Cho, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of voice performance and music, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Kia’s Reinvention Is Now Song Ho-sung’s Operating System
A FigureAsia examination of how Song Ho-sung is positioning Kia for the next phase of automotive.
Asia Leaders
Hideo Kojima Still Thinks Games Can Carry the Weight of Cinema
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Hideo Kojima, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of game direction, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Jafar Panahi Turned Confinement Into Cannes’s Most Uncomfortable Triumph
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Jafar Panahi, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of filmmaking, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
Yang Shuang-zi Made Taiwan’s Colonial Past Intimate
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Yang Shuang-zi, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of literature, international reach and creative control.
Asia Leaders
How Maggie Kang Built 2025’s Most Unlikely Global Pop Franchise
A FigureAsia long-form profile of Maggie Kang, examining how the 2025 work changed the terms of animation filmmaking, international reach and creative control.