Giant explosions, fight scenes and a load of special effects aren't everyone's cup of tea – but people in China can’t get enough of Hollywood action movies. They may have flopped in the US, but films like Warcraft and Resident Evil have seen huge success in China.

Eleven years after its debut, the Fast and Furious franchise is more lucrative than ever. The latest is the third film ever to break $1 billion in the box office. But is its success down to cars, girls and explosions? Or does it offer something no other franchise does – a cast as diverse as its audience?

People’s culinary horizons are wider than ever, with international travel broadening palates and ethnically diverse communities helping new cuisines find a foothold in foreign lands. But should it matter if an American chef sets up a Vietnamese eatery? Would the food be any less ‘authentic’?

With Haruki Murakami at its centre, Japanese fiction is booming overseas. The literary journal Monkey Business: New Writing from Japan is proof that the acclaimed writer is part of a lush literary landscape. Could the nation’s novels be an overlooked piece of the ‘Cool Japan’ puzzle?