Samurai, Multiple Personalities, K-Everything: What’s New to Watch on HBO Max the Week of May 8, 2026

We’re getting ready to say goodbye to HBO Max as the merger with Paramount+ becomes ever more likely, but until then, I’m still pointing out the best new stuff to watch on HBO. The second week in May brings a must-watch Japanese historical drama based on a hit manga, along with an Australian true-crime documentary unlike anything you’ve ever seen. We’ve got a list of everything new streaming on the service below.

This Week on HBO Max: PCMag’s Picks

We Are Jeni (May 8)

This new documentary isn’t for the faint of heart: We Are Jeni tells the tale of one of the most fascinating and disturbing crimes in Australian history. The victim of sexual abuse by her father, Jeni Haynes developed dissociative identity disorder, eventually surfacing over 2,500 unique personalities. Finally, as an adult, she was able to put her dad behind bars in a landmark court case that shocked the nation.

Song of the Samurai (May 9)

In the final years of the Japanese shogunate, the Shinsengumi were the samurai police force tasked with keeping order in Kyoto. Song of the Samurai is based on a popular manga series and tells the story of Toshizo Hijikata, a street brawler who makes a living selling medicine for his family. When he fights and then befriends two other men in the Shinsengumi, his horizons expand even as he has to confront both enemies of the state and his own ideals.

K-Everything With Daniel Dae Kim (May 9)

There’s no denying that Korean culture has made huge inroads in the West over the last decade, as evidenced by the success of BTS and Squid Game. CNN is teaming with actor Daniel Dae Kim for K-Everything, a new four-part docuseries that tracks how that happened. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of Korean culture, from music to film to fashion and food, with interviews and deep dives with the people that made it happen.

HBO Max New Releases This Week

May 8

Greenland 2: Migration (Lionsgate)
House Hunters International: Volume 9 – Season 210
The Palu Family: Under a Dark Spell
We Are Jeni – Season 1

May 9

Deadliest Catch – Season 22
K-Everything With Daniel Dae Kim
Song of the Samurai – Season 1

May 11

90 Day Diaries – Season 8
90 Day Fiancé – Season 12
Filthy Fortunes – Season 2
Home Town: Inn This Together – Season 1

May 12

BBQ Brawl – Season 7
Behind the Bars: Shot in the Spotlight
U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team

May 13

Chopped Castaways – Season 1
The A List: 15 Stories from Asia and Pacific Diasporas

May 14

On the Roam – Season 2

About Our Expert

K. Thor Jensen

Contributing Writer

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Experience

K. Thor Jensen is a writer and cartoonist living in the Pacific Northwest. He has contributed to dozens of prestigious outlets, including PCMag, Tested, Clickhole, and Newsweek. His second graphic novel, Cloud Stories, was released in 2017.

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