WHAT BETTER WAY to spend a Friday than gorging on a dozen fried meat skewers and clogging one’s arteries in the process? Well, that’s exactly what this reporter did last week as she paid a visit to the first Philippine branch of Kushikatsu Daruma, Osaka’s popular kushikatsu restaurant.

WHO IS Pacita Abad? In 1984, she became the first woman to win the prestigious Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awards for her contributions to the art world. She had broken barriers then, and, her legacy resonates until today, because 14 years after her death in 2004, Ms. Abad still has “a million things to say.”

IMITATION MAY be the sincerest form of flattery, but in a world where brands, artists, and services strive to be original and different, fakery — or bootlegging — can really get annoying.

FROM A dance that empowers women to a metaphor on the fluidity of gender and to that defining moment when we finally meet our significant other, the repertoire of Ballet Philippines’ Ang Pilya atbp. feat. the Young Choreographers Showcase, highlights not only the power of narration and dance, but also the talents of young choreographers and dancers in the country.

FIVE seasons and 300 shows since it first opened in 2013, Rak of Aegis returns to the stage when Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) presents the latest iteration on June 20 to Sept. 2.

FOR ITS 23^rd year, the French Film Festival is serving 21 films with the aim to “embody the richness and depth of French society through the creativity of French filmmakers.” Among the critically acclaimed films to be shown are Olivier Assayas’ Personal Shopper (2016), which competed in the official competition of the Cannes Film Festival that same year; Cedric Kahn’s Le Priere (2018), which won Anthony Bajon the Silver Bear for Best Actor in the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival; and the jazz biopic Django (2016) by Etienne Comar, which served as the opening film of the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival.

SHANGHAI — China will launch a tax evasion investigation into the country’s film and television industry, the tax bureau said in a statement posted on its official website on Sunday.

SPOTIFY Technology SA rescinded a short-lived policy that penalized artists for misconduct, bowing to pressure from irate musicians and record labels.

ENGLISH singer/songwriter Dua Lipa is returning to Manila for a solo concert on Sept. 14 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and is bringing with her the chart-topping hits including “New Rules,” “IDGAF,” and “One Kiss.”

NEW YORK — Given the boot after a racist rant by its star, Roseanne was a rare TV series depicting conservative America despite the election of President Donald Trump, which could have popularized the genre.

LONDON — Hollywood actor Benedict Cumberbatch channelled his inner Sherlock Holmes by leaping to the defense of a cyclist under attack by four men, according to reports.

LOS ANGELES — Solo: A Star Wars Story clung to the top spot in North American theaters this weekend but again fell below expectations, taking in $29.3 million, just over a third its opening-weekend receipts, said box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.