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Viral stories

Viral stories
Trending events, happenings and people that have made waves on social media or online in wider Asia, and the world beyond.
In Japan, a 60-year-old dancer has captured social media’s attention with her unexpected romance with her 26-year-old apprentice. Photo: tv-asahi.co.jp
Japan

Unexpected love: Japan traditional dancer finds love at 60 with 26-year-old protege

The couple’s recent appearance on a Japanese television show generated considerable buzz and discussion among the public.

Singapore

Singaporean man charged after viral Lucky Plaza assault on Filipino woman

United States

US animal rights activists clash with police over Wisconsin dog breeder

Thailand

7 French tourists arrested after viral Songkran clash with van driver in Phuket

Police said the group of revellers blocked traffic, sprayed water at the driver and ignored orders to disperse.

Screenshots from a viral video showing Songkran festival revelers spraying a van driver in Patong. Photo: TikTok / littlepatong
Trending in China

Japan-based China nurse slammed for posting work clips; privacy, ethics fears raised

‘Irresponsible’ member of medical staff posts videos showing patients’ medicine bags, hospital beds; forces bosses to apologise.

Japan

Japan food company’s ‘manly’ revolution of ‘boring’ tofu captures youth market

Ito begins by reshaping tofu into paddle boards, teardrops, stepping away from traditional moulds to give it a contemporary appeal.

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Seoul

Video | Low BTS concert turnout causes slide in agency shares

The heavily secured Gwanghwamun Square performance drew 104,000 fans – less than half the turnout police expected.

BTS fans watch the comeback concert of K-pop boy group BTS on screens at the venue in Seoul on March 21, 2026. South Korean megastars BTS reunited on March 21 for their first show in nearly four years, blowing away enormous crowds in Seoul for a K-pop extravaganza livestreamed to millions more worldwide. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
Food and Drinks

Mouthing Off | McDonald’s CEO’s burger blunder shows the problem of lacking a common touch

Chris Kempczinski’s timid taste test of McDonald’s new Big Arch sparked a slew of trolling responses from Burger King, Wendy’s and A&W.

Video | Chinese game centre slammed for using live hamsters in claw machine

Some people tried to file a complaint with a citizen service line but were told the city ‘does not have an animal protection law’.

Food and Drinks

She hated working at her parents’ Chinese restaurant. Now she’s made it viral

Anna Peng shares the daily joys and challenges of running Canada’s Great Fountain Fast Food to its nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram.

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Anna Peng with her parents at their eatery Great Fountain Fast Food, a Hong Kong-style Chinese restaurant in Scarborough, in Canada’s Ontario province. Photo: Great Fountain Fast Food
Japan

Japan trans woman, 64, enjoys slow-paced life with lover, 86, wears princess dresses

Sex reassignment surgery recipient who faces problems using women’s facilities because of her size says she wants to slim down, wear miniskirts.

A 64-year-old Japanese trans woman enjoys a slow-paced life with her 86-year-old boyfriend, often wearing princess dresses and wigs on their dates. Photo: SCMP composite/QQ.com
Japan

Viral video of child being shoved at Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya Crossing stokes anger

The video shows a masked passer-by appearing to knock the girl to the ground, prompting calls for an investigation.

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Japan

Video | Fans flock to Japan zoo to see viral baby monkey

The baby monkey went viral for dragging a stuffed orangutan around as a surrogate mother after he was abandoned.

Malaysia

Bikini-clad mermaid sales stunt triggers religious probe in Malaysia

Authorities in conservative Kelantan are investigating the viral cross-dressing video after online critics accused the men of mocking Islam.

An expanded screenshot of the mermaid sales stunt that circulated on Malaysian social media. Photo: X/dahfollowbelum
Japan

Japan youth share before and after cosmetic surgery photos raise copycat fears

AI-generated before and after images posted online raise fears about promoting risky procedures; warping youngsters ideas about beauty.

Japanese youngsters are sharing AI-generated before and after photographs of themselves following cosmetic surgery, raising fears about psychological damage. Photo: SCMP composite/X.com
Thailand

Video | Thai police pose as lion dancers to nab a thief

Thai police were tracking a suspect accused of stealing US$64,000 worth of Buddhist artefacts.

Hong Kong aviation

Video | Man takes out his anger on Hong Kong airport kiosks

Viral video shows man toppling self-check-in kiosks with a stanchion before being arrested.

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Fame and celebrity

Hollywood shaken by Brad Pitt-Tom Cruise fight video made with Chinese AI

The viral clip was generated with a two-line prompt on Seedance 2.0, a platform owned by ByteDance, the company behind TikTok.

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Brad Pitt (left) and Tom Cruise attend a film premiere in London in June 2025. Photo: TNS
South Korea

‘Smaller than a closet’: the tiny Seoul flats going viral on YouTube

YouTuber Drew Binsky tours Seoul’s US$250-a-month micro-flats, sparking conversation on urban housing and South Korea’s hidden pressures.

Trending in China

Cultural currents: how ‘Becoming Chinese’ trend is transforming Western lifestyles

Although trend may not persist indefinitely, cultural imitation driven by digital platforms will resurface time and again, expert says.

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Japan

Japan couple spark child neglect concerns for letting son, 12, babysit 5 siblings

Young boy who cooks for, cleans, bathes, his younger brothers and sisters contacts TV station seeking relief from his responsibilities.

A Japanese couple with six children, the youngest less than one year old, rely on their 12-year-old son to babysit, raising concerns about child neglect. Photo: SCMP composite/YouTube
Japan

Japan calls for action on GPS stalking after woman allegedly murdered by ex via device in toy

Pregnant 31-year-old manicurist beaten and stabbed to death in own home; police arrest suspect after viewing surveillance footage.

Concerns are rising in Japan over safety measures against GPS stalking after a pregnant woman was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend who tracked her to her home. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/YouTube
Japan

Japan eateries and pubs implement age restrictions for optimal dining experience

Policy has ignited heated debate among Japanese netizens, with some labelling it as discrimination.

Wellness

Japanese-American, 60, who went viral saying it’s never too late to start over

Dana Nakagawa reinvented herself as a content creator and now posts videos on starting over, decluttering and her interpretation of ikigai.

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Singapore

Would you intervene? Singapore train-spitting case spotlights bystander culture

A viral MRT incident has revived debate over whether Singaporeans should intervene when disorderly behaviour plays out in public.

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Screengrab from a viral video of a woman spitting out water on the floor and at passengers on an MTR train in Singapore. Photo: Instagram / summeryeow0573
Lunar New Year

Video | Sad horse wins over Chinese social media

Factory error of a sad New Year’s horse plushie wins over Chinese social media.

Factory error of a sad New Year’s horse plushie wins over Chinese social media
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Thailand

‘So fake’: viral Lisa image for Thai tourism fuels AI concerns

The image of K-pop star Lisa Manobal framed against blooms of the Red Lotus Sea has sparked a meme wave and debate about AI in creative work.

South Korea

Dubai chewy cookie: K-pop post sparks viral South Korean snack frenzy

South Korea’s highly interconnected culture has fuelled a series of viral food crazes, the latest being a chocolate-loaded cookie known locally as ‘dujjonku’.

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