Category: First Impressions
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βThe Beauty of Becoming: Farzana Doctor’s The Beauty of Usβ by Hana Kim Farzana Doctor. The Beauty of Us, ECW Press, 2024. 304 pgs. Last year, I wrote about…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βThe Beauty of Becoming: Farzana Doctor’s πβπ π΅πππ’π‘π¦ ππ ππ β by Hana Kim](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/farzana-doctor.jpg?w=971)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Between Branding and Belonging: Re-Imagining Creative Cities in Twenty-First Century Asia” by Suyin Haynes Xin Gu, Michael Kho Lim, and Justin OβConnor (editors). Re-Imagining Creative Cities in Twenty-First Century Asia, Springer,…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Between Branding and Belonging: π
π-πΌππππππππ πΆππππ‘ππ£π πΆππ‘πππ ππ ππ€πππ‘π¦-πΉπππ π‘ πΆπππ‘π’ππ¦ π΄π ππ” by Suyin Haynes](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/xin-gu-michael-kho-lim-and-justin-oconnor-editors.-re-imagining-creative-cities-in-twenty-first-century-asia.jpg?w=901)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βHong Kong, Then and Now, Through the Eyes of Simon Elegantβ by Susan Blumberg-Kason Simon Elegant. City on Fire: A Novel of Hong Kong, Pegasus Crime, 2026. 288 pgs.…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βHong Kong, Then and Now, Through the Eyes of Simon Elegantβ by Susan Blumberg-Kason](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/simon-elegant.-city-on-fire.jpg?w=989)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Borrowed Strength: Longman Leung’s Cold War 1994” by Jonathan Han Longman Leung (director). Cold War 1994, 2026. 123 min. Prequels make for demanding films. They demand a connection to…
![[FIRST IMPRESIONS] “Borrowed Strength: Longman Leung’s πΆπππ πππ 1994” by Jonathan Han](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/https-mubi.comenfrfilmscold-war-1994.webp?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Between the Libretto and the Lion Rock: Bizet’s Carmen in Hong Kong” by Jonathan Han Warren Mok (producer) and Jia Ding (director). Bizet’s Carmen, Opera Hong Kong, 2026. Hong…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Between the Libretto and the Lion Rock: π΅ππ§ππ‘’π πΆπππππ in Hong Kong” by Jonathan Han](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/georges-bizets-carmen-is-often-hailed-as-the-opera-for-everyone.jpg?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “On Breathing Space: Sound, Memory, and the Quiet Weight of Francis Catedralβs My Third Home” by Nur Hasanah Francis Catedral (director), Rumah Ketigaku (My Third Home), 2025. 21 min.…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “On Breathing Space: Sound, Memory, and the Quiet Weight of Francis Catedralβs ππ¦ πβπππ π»πππ” by Nur Hasanah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/rumahketigakuposterupdatedtitlev4.webp?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “History and Anachronism in Christopher Smithβs Samurai with Telephones” by Raymond K. Nakamura Christopher Smith, Samurai with Telephones: Anachronism in Japanese Literature, University of Michigan Press, 2024. 242 pgs.…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “History and Anachronism in Christopher Smithβs ππππ’πππ π€ππ‘β πππππβππππ ” by Raymond K. Nakamura](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/christopher-smiths-samurai-with-telephones.jpg?w=1000)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Pains, Survival, and Self-Publishing: Gurpreet Kaur Khosaβs Pain & Other Inheritances” by Michael Tsang Gurpreet Kaur Khosa. Pain & Other Inheritances, BookLeaf Publishing, 2025. 50 pgs. This collection stands…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Pains, Survival, and Self-Publishing: Gurpreet Kaur Khosaβs ππππ & ππ‘βππ πΌπβππππ‘πππππ ” by Michael Tsang](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/pain-other-inheritances.jpg?w=850)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Terao Tetsuya’s Spent Bullets: Alienation and Intimacy in Silicon Valleyβs Taiwanese Diaspora” by Jennifer Eagleton Terao Tetsuya (author), Kevin Wang (translator). Spent Bullets, HarperCollins, 2025. 208 pgs. Set in…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Terao Tetsuya’s πππππ‘ π΅π’ππππ‘π : Alienation and Intimacy in Silicon Valleyβs Taiwanese Diaspora” by Jennifer Eagleton](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/spent-bullets-hardcover-e28093-october-14-2025-by-terao-tetsuya-author-kevin-wang.jpg?w=987)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βFor Novice and Expert: Jeffrey Wasserstromβs Everything You Wanted to Know About China (But Were Afraid to Ask)β by Susan Blumberg-Kason Click HERE to read ALL entries in Chaon…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βFor Novice and Expert: Jeffrey Wasserstromβs πΈπ£πππ¦π‘βπππ πππ’ ππππ‘ππ π‘π πΎπππ€ π΄πππ’π‘ πΆβπππ (π΅π’π‘ ππππ π΄πππππ π‘π π΄π π)β by Susan Blumberg-Kason](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-china-.jpg?w=936)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Understanding China Beyond the Headlines: Jeffrey Wasserstrom’s Everything You Wanted to Know About China” by Jennifer Eagleton Click HERE to read ALL entries in Chaon Everything You Wanted to…
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Jack Ngβs Night King: Elegy for a Vanishing East Tsim Sha Tsui” by Jonathan Han Jack Ng (director). Night King, 2026. 132 min. Growing up, East Tsim Sha Tsui…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Jack Ngβs πππβπ‘ πΎπππ: Elegy for a Vanishing East Tsim Sha Tsui” by Jonathan Han](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3333.webp?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βHope and Despair in Post War Japan: Akira Kurosawaβs One Wonderful Sundayβ by Jeremiah Dutch Akira Kurosawa (director). One Wonderful Sunday, 1947. 108 min. It cannot be said often…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βHope and Despair in Post War Japan: Akira Kurosawaβs πππ ππππππππ’π ππ’ππππ¦β by Jeremiah Dutch](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/https-mubi.comenbefilmsone-wonderful-sunday.jpeg?w=299)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Fragmentation and Repair in Leslie Shimotakaharaβs The Breakwater” by Jonathan Han Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon The Breakwater. Leslie Shimotakahara, The Breakwater, Cormorant Books, 2026. 350 pgs. Since committing his…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Fragmentation and Repair in Leslie Shimotakaharaβs πβπ π΅πππππ€ππ‘ππ” by Jonathan Han](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/the-breakwater.jpg?w=900)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βBearing Witness in Gigi L. Leungβs Everyday Movementβ by Rebekah Chan ClickΒ HERE to readΒ all entries inΒ ChaΒ onΒ Everyday Movement. Gigi L. Leung (author), Jennifer Feeley (translator), Everyday Movement, Riverhead Books. 2026.…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Bearing Witness in Gigi L. Leungβs πΈπ£πππ¦πππ¦ πππ£πππππ‘” by Rebekah Chan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/everyday-movement-by-gigi-l.-leung-translated-by-jennifer-feeley-.jpg?w=993)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “What One βNobodyβ Did: On Mr Nobody Against Putin” by Jennifer Eagleton David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin (directors), Mr Nobody Against Putin, 2025. 90 min. Mr Nobody Against Putin…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βWhat One βNobodyβ Did: On ππ ππππππ¦ π΄πππππ π‘ ππ’π‘ππβ by Jennifer Eagleton](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mr-nobody-against-putin.jpg?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Between Moonlight and Market Prices: Reading Yam Gong” by Jonathan Han Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon Moving a Stone. Yam Gong (author), James Shea and Dorothy Tse (translators), Moving a…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Between Moonlight and Market Prices: Reading Yam Gong” by Jonathan Han](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/moving-a-stone.webp?w=900)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Metamorphosis and Memory in Dorothy Tse’s City Like Water” by Jonathan Han ClickΒ HERE to readΒ all entries inΒ ChaonΒ City Like Water. Dorothy Tse (author), Natascha Bruce (translator). City Like Water, Graywolf…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Metamorphosis and Memory in Dorothy Tse’s πΆππ‘π¦ πΏπππ πππ‘ππ” by Jonathan Han](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/city-like-water-dorothy-tse-cha-an-asian-literary-journal.jpg?w=1000)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βOf Mirth-merchants and Humour Literature: Ankit Raj Ojhaβs The Bare Bones Book of Humourβ by Pradip Mondal Ankit Raj Ojha (editor), The Bare Bones Book of Humour, Bare Bones…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βOf Mirth-merchants and Humour Literature: Ankit Raj Ojhaβs πβπ π΅πππ π΅ππππ π΅πππ ππ π»π’πππ’πβ by Pradip Mondal](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/https-__barebonespublishing.in_product_the-bare-bones-book-of-humour_.png?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βLai Wenβs Tiananmen Square: A Coming-of-Age Dramedy Culminating in a Historic Massacreβ by Kevin McGeary Lai Wen, Tiananmen Square: A Novel, Spiegel & Grau, 2024. 528 pgs. βIn China,…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βLai Wenβs πππππππππ πππ’πππ: A Coming-of-Age Dramedy Culminating in a Historic Massacreβ by Kevin McGeary](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/lai-wen-tiananmen-square-a-novel-spiegel-grau.jpg?w=667)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βWhat We Keep: Memory, Migration, and Survival in M Lin’s The Memory Museumβ by Susan Blumberg-Kason M Lin, The Memory Museum, Graywolf Press. 2026. 272 pgs. Nostalgia is a…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “What We Keep: Memory, Migration, and Survival in M Lin’s πβπ ππππππ¦ ππ’π ππ’π” by Susan Blumberg-Kason](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/memory-museum-m-lin-cha-asian.jpg?w=1000)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βOn Grief, Diaspora, and Grace Loh Prasad’s The Translatorβs Daughterβby Rebekah Chan Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon Translator’s Daughter. Grace Loh Prasad, The Translatorβs Daughter, The Ohio State University Press,…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βOn Grief, Diaspora, and Grace Loh Prasad’s πβπ πππππ πππ‘ππβπ π·ππ’πβπ‘ππβ by Rebekah Chan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/the-translators-daughter.jpg?w=880)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Circumnavigation Without Glory: Lav Diazβs Magellan and the Violence of Discovery” by Oliver Farry Click HERE to read all entries in Cha on Magellan. Lav Diaz (director), Magellan, 2025. 165 min. Lav Diazβs Magellan…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Circumnavigation Without Glory: Lav Diazβs ππππππππ and the Violence of Discovery” by Oliver Farry](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/review-22history-as-painting-lav-diazs-magellan22-by-alicia-izharuddin.png?w=795)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βShining Through: The Loboc Childrenβs Choir in King Palisocβs Song of the Firefliesβ by Bryan Elijah Trajano King Palisoc (director), Song of the Fireflies, 2025. 110 min. Song of…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βShining Through: The Loboc Childrenβs Choir in King Palisocβs ππππ ππ π‘βπ πΉππππππππ β by Bryan Elijah TrajanoΒ](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/https-icff.catitle-itemsong-of-the-fireflies.webp?w=432)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Guan Huβs Black Dog: Olympic Ambition Meets Provincial Reality” by Oliver Farry Guan Hu (director), Black Dog ηι΅, 2024. 110 min. Guan Huβs canine drama delineates a quixotic episode…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Guan Huβs π΅ππππ π·ππ: Olympic Ambition Meets Provincial Reality” by Oliver Farry](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/black-dog-e78b97e998b5.jpg?w=945)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Dreams Without Dreamers: Bi Ganβs Beautifully Perverse Resurrection” by Oliver Farry Bi Gan (director), Resurrection ηιζΆδ»£, 2025. 156 mins. Bi Ganβs third film is a splendid-looking enigma in the…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Dreams Without Dreamers: Bi Ganβs Beautifully Perverse π
ππ π’πππππ‘πππ” by Oliver Farry](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/resurrection.png?w=960)
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θΆ Click HERE for all First Impressions entries. Illustration by Ruby van der Hoeven We are constantly seeking submissions for π π’π«π¬π ππ¦π©π«ππ¬π¬π’π¨π§π¬, a section of Cha: An Asian Literary Journal devoted to compact reviews of books and films (300β800 words;…
![[CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS] First Impressions](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/first-impressions-banner.png?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “On the Verge with Claire Lee: Where Objects Become Literature” by Susan Blumberg-Kason ClickΒ HERE to readΒ all entries inΒ ChaonΒ On the Verge. Claire Lee, On the Verge, Independently published, 2025. 120…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “ππ π‘βπ πππππ with Claire Lee: Where Objects Become Literature” by Susan Blumberg-Kason](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/on-the-verge_claire-lee.png?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βWhen Technology Becomes a Tool to Erase History: Prabda Yoonβs Transmissions of Unwanted Pastsβ by Lorence Lozano Prabda Yoon (director), Transmissions of Unwanted Pasts, 2019. 24 min. Prabda Yoon…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βWhen Technology Becomes a Tool to Erase History: Prabda Yoonβs πππππ πππ π ππππ ππ πππ€πππ‘ππ πππ π‘π β by Lorence Lozano](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/f09d9187f09d919ff09d918ef09d919bf09d91a0f09d919af09d9196f09d91a0f09d91a0f09d9196f09d919cf09d919bf09d91a0-f09d919cf09d9193-f09d9188f09d919bf09d91a4f09d918ef09d919bf09d91a1f09d9192f09d919.webp?w=724)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βWhere Do We Belong? On Language, Migration, & Teresa Wongβs All Our Ordinary Stories” by Rebekah Chan Teresa Wong, All Our Ordinary Stories, Arsenal Pulp Press, 2024. 240 pgs.…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βWhere Do We Belong? On Language, Migration, and Teresa Wongβs π΄ππ ππ’π ππππππππ¦ ππ‘πππππ β by Rebekah Chan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/arsenal-pulp-press-our-ordinary-stories.jpg?w=1024)
Cha 