UK Christmas Ad 2025
In the UK, Christmas is the season when consumers loosen their purse strings—buying presents, food, and everything in between. Every year, countless brands release their Christmas adverts, which inevitably become a major topic of conversation. As an amateur observer, I want to highlight this year’s most talked-about ads and the key points behind their […]
First Trip Japan
Landing in Japan for the first time as someone from Barcelona is a bit like stepping into the TV during a Saturday-morning anime marathon. Everyone around you looks oddly familiar. Not because you recognise them, but because your entire childhood animated universe seems to have escaped the TV and spread across the country. However, I […]
Is Ramen Really Japanese?
A question I often get asked abroad. When people think of famous Japanese food, sushi is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But right next to sushi, you’ll often find another global favourite: ramen. In London, the ramen boom has been going strong for years. New shops pop up all the time, […]
Why Is Harry Potter So Popular in Japan?
4 Cultural Reasons Behind Its Enduring Success** More than 20 years have passed since the global phenomenon of Harry Potter first began, yet the series continues to be loved across generations. And surprisingly, Japan is one of the biggest Harry Potter nations—second only to the United States. When the films were released, they dominated the […]
Japanese love abbreviations
GRCON — GRA CON? GRCN? Why not just say “Ground Control”? When I was scrolling Instagram, I came across this funny and interesting video. Instagram Reel This account introduces many fun tips about Japanese. From a Japanese perspective, we’d say: “I totally get them, but I never really cared about these things.” Yes, we do […]
South Park Shocks the World—A Billion-Dollar Deal and a Deepfake Trump
Just one day after signing a $1.5 billion (¥220 billion) deal with Paramount+, South Park released a jaw-dropping new episode—featuring a deepfake version of President Donald Trump. The episode pulled no punches. Trump is shown confusing Iran and Iraq, sharing a bed with Satan, and repeatedly shouting “I’ll sue you!” at the slightest offense. It’s […]
Cartoon Grand prize – All you need is to get to know this prize to be a cool Manga nerd!
Image bymangataisho presspage I’m sure this is the coolest manga award in Japan, but I should say up front – it might not be easy to find an English version right now. The Cartoon Grand Prize was created by bookstore staff, purely out of passion for manga. It’s an award made by manga lovers, for […]
Why don’t Londoners go to the cheapest cinema?
Before I start this story—why am I talking about London cinemas?—I used to work at a film distribution company in Japan (luckily, I even met Bong Joon Ho!). I eventually decided to leave, but I still admired films. One of my dreams was to watch films without subtitles, which made me want to explore a […]
Four Facts about London
Hi! I’m Marina. I am from Barcelona and work as a Video Editor at Ground Control. The first week after I arrived in London I got stuck in a public toilet, met a WWII survivor woman that still worked at her library, and met one of the butlers of King Charles. In that thrilling week […]
Ground Control’s Survival Guide.
This article was first produced in July 2024. Hi, I am Michael founder of Ground Control. Ground Control celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. A decade! That’s 521 weeks or 3650 days or 87,600 hours or…well you get the idea. It’s a significant chunk of time for a creative SME to thrive. To […]