One of the most fearsome creatures of Malay folklore is the pontianak.

To my partner, thank you for putting up with my grumpiness, my impecuniousness and my constant need for validation while researching this dark topic.

And how the unmighty have risen: Fox, which after all these years is still not counted among the “big three” networks by some old-timers, now attracts the audiences advertisers desire more.

An evening out with colleagues here follows a predictable, alcohol-centered pattern: dinner, usually some grilled pork, washed down with soju, Korea’s national vodkalike drink; then a second round at a beer hall; then whiskey and singing at a “norae bang,” a Korean karaoke club.