One K Global Peace Concert unites Kpop fans in Manila

It was the usual rush hour on a Thursday evening. I left work early to make it before the show starts. When I arrived, I was actually quite surprised to see so many people attending a concert on a weekday. But well, you can never underestimate the love of Filipino Kpop fans, because this night, seven fandoms gathered to watch their favorite K-idols perform in a very unique and symbolic concert.

March 2, 2017 marked another milestone in the history of Kpop in the Philippines as One K Global Peace Concert Tour, a concert rallying for global support for the reunification of Korea, made its first stop in Manila. Thousands of Kpop fans convened at the SM Mall of Asia Arena to see popular Kpop artists such as BTOB, B.A.P, B1A4, AOA, CNBlue, SHINee and PSY!

Unlike most Kpop concerts I’ve watched, which either starts with a teaser video of the performers or sometimes a front act featuring local artists, One K Global Peace Concert started with a brief overview of the One K Global Campaign, which includes the history of Korea and how war made it the only divided nation in the world. 

Korean host Sam Oh was also there to introduce some significant personalities behind the event such as internationally renowned producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who co-produced the One K global campaign song; and Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, the founder and Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation, a leading international non-profit organization which co-organized the concert tour. 

There was also a ‘Dove soaring high segment’ where huge white dove-shaped balloons held by VIPs from different nations were released inside the Arena. This was done while everyone waved their glowsticks and cheered “One dream! One Korea! One World!” as loudly as they can, a symbolic act in wishing for a unified Korea and global peace. 

Free lightsticks were given to fans during the concert.

The SM Mall of Asia Arena became a sea of Blue and Green lightsticks, which coincidentally symbolizes the colors of the 2 main fandoms who attended the concert: the Boices (CNBLUE fans) and the Shawols (Shinee fans). 

Concert Highlights: It’s show time!

B.A.P.

After the introduction, the fans went wild as they knew that the concert was about to start. Kpop boy group B.A.P. was first to show off their prowess as they perform their hits ‘Skydive’, ‘One Shot’, and ‘No Mercy’, wowing the crowd with their powerful vocals and superb dancing skills.

BAP members Youngjae, Daehyun, Himchan, Jongup, and Zelo stood on the spotlight as they prepare to perform their last song for the night, the crowd favorite ‘No Mercy’. 

In between groups, AOA’s Seolhyun and SHINee’s Min Ho also amused fans with their hosting, keeping their energy on a high. The two even excited fans further as they shift roles from host to performer and back again.

B1A4

Of course, B1A4 certainly didn’t let the crowd’s energy to falter as they sent everyone on party mode with their cute dance moves and upbeat music. They performed ‘Beautiful Target,’ ‘Baby Goodnight,’ and ‘What’s Happening’, making everyone fall in love with their charms and endearing performance. They also showed everyone their aegyos (cute poses), and leader Jin Young earned the most screams and was crowd favorite.

B1A4 members Baro, Sandeul, Gongchan, CNU, and Jinyoung doing their cute aegyos in front of the audience.

Tribute to Kdrama fans

The night wasn’t only meant for Kpop fans as there was also a tribute for Filipino Kdrama fans as OSTs from top Korean drama series such as ‘Descendants of the Sun’, ‘Moonlight Drawn by Clouds’, ‘Boys Over Flowers’, and ‘My Sassy Girl’ were performed by the Kpop artists. The crowd was nostalgic as they sang along the familiar lyrics and was even more delighted to see their favorite scenes flashed on screen.

'Descendants of the Sun' OST ‘You are My Everything’ was performed by AOA's Choa. Other OSTs that were performed are ‘Swallowing my Heart’ from 'Moonlight Drawn by the Clouds' by B1A4's Sandeul, 'Paradise' from Boys Over Flowers by BAP’s Youngjae and Daehyun, and Shin Seung Hoon’s ‘I believe’ from 'My Sassy Girl' also by AOA's Choa.

AOA

Girl power is certainly very much present that night as AOA amused the crowd with their girly charms, angelic voices, and sexy performance. They were adorable and eye candy as ever as they performed songs ‘Excuse Me’, ‘Miniskirt’, and ‘Heart Attack’. They also showed some aegyos too, much to the delight of their male fans.

BTOB (Born to Beat)

Perhaps one of the most anticipated parts of the concert, was BTOB’s set as Philippine Melodies (their fanclub’s name) have really missed them since their last visit to Manila in 2015.

Fans sang along while the members perform ‘Pray (I’ll Be Your Man),’ and ‘Beep, Beep.’

“Wow, nice to meet you Manila!..I missed you! How have you been Manila?,” BTOB leader Eunkwang asked. 

“Hi Philippines! Long time no see!...Louder! Louder! Louder!,” shouted Yook Sung Jae, prodding the crowd to scream even louder for him. Known to be the group’s adorable maknae (youngest member) and for his famous role as Yoo Deok Hwa in the recently concluded Kdrama hit, ‘Goblin: The Lonely & Great God’, he was darling of the crowd that night. He was so amazed at the fans’ support for him that he later said “I love Philippines!”

The group later on invited everyone to do the peace sign, as they briefly talked about the noble cause behind the concert. They ended their set with their hit single “Wow”.

CNBLUE

Next in line was Kpop star CNBLUE, whose fans comprised almost a third of the crowd in the arena. Having been missed by their supporters for almost two years, the screaming got even louder when it was their turn. 

“Long time no see! Thank you for waiting. Thank you for screaming. I love you! Today is 2017 Global Peace Concert One Korea in Manila,” said CNBLUE leader Jung Yonghwa. He’s indeed a total performer as he sent everyone’s energy on a high with his superb vocals and suave dance moves . His fan service also made a lot the girls’ hearts flutter as he threw hearts and kisses in the air while walking around the stage.

The CNBLUE boys made the crowd roar louder with their insanely amazing performance of songs “Can't Stop,” “Cinderella,” and “You're so Fine”. 

After this, BTOB’s Eunkwang and Hyunsik went back onstage to perform a special acoustic rendition of ‘Anak’ by Freddie Aguilar, with Filipino actor Cesar Montano on guitar. The audience was surprised with Eunkwang’s perfect Tagalog accent and cheered throughout the entire song. 

SHINee

Of course, the night wouldn’t be complete without the electrifying performance from Kpop boy group SHINee, whose energetic dance moves and powerful vocals impressed everyone in the audience. They totally rocked the arena as they performed songs ‘View’, ‘One of one’, and ‘Everybody’. 

Thousands of Shawols gave the boys a standing ovation while singing their hearts out to each song. The fans were so happy to see their idols again that they started chanting “Shinee! Shinee!”. The group heard this and joined in the chanting.

PSY

The last artist to perform was Korean superstar Psy with his hits ‘Napal Baji,’ ‘Gentleman’, and of course, ‘Oppa Gangnam Style’, which made everyone jump and dance. He also performed a heartwarming song that speaks about the hardships and sacrifices of fathers for their families titled “Daddy’.

Finale: A Call for Korean Reunification and Global Peace

The night ended with all the artists singing the One K Global Campaign song, which serves as the anchor of the entire concert. There were fireworks onstage and confetti filled the center of the arena as wonderful music filled the air.

After the song, CNBLUE’s Jung Yong Hwa walked to the center stage and started bowing and bidding everyone goodbye. His example was followed by the other artists as everyone soon started bowing and waving to the audience.

It was indeed an awesome and unforgettable night as fans were all smiles as they left the venue. All the artists not only showed exemplary showmanship but also great love for fans with their excellent fan service.

Moreover, aside from just fun and entertainment, this concert served as a call for continued support for the dream of a peaceful reunification of the Korean people and global peace, a noble cause that’s truly worth supporting.

Now more than ever, the One K Concert attests to the power and influence of Hallyu in the Philippines, as well as the strong Philippine-Korean ties, which goes as far back as the 1950s when the former gave assistance to the latter during the Korean war.

The One K Global Concert Tour is set to take place in other countries like the United States, China, and Japan among others. It’s Manila leg was organized by KBS Media and ONE K Global Campaign Organizing committee, in partnership with All Access Productions. #

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[FANGIRL ADVENTURES] Moffatts in Manila: The Farewell Tour

Before Kpop, or any of the things that I fangirl about, I was a huge Moffatt fan back in high school. They were the first group that made me realize how much of a fangirl I can be. And the best thing was, I shared the entire experience with my childhood best friends. 

My favorite was Clint, and each of my friends chose one member too. We'd buy song books, watch MTV everyday so we can see their videos, we'd request for their songs, buy their albums, go to their concerts (and beg our parents to buy us tickets!), and I remember printing out tons of Moffatt photos in a whole rim of bond paper (I first got addicted to the internet because of them). It was all pretty crazy, and one of the best moments of my teens.

I was really happy to see them again recently. Now they're all grown up (we all are). Bob is now married, and Clint has a girlfriend and is becoming a dad. He and Bob now have their own group called Endless Summer.  Dave, although he did not attend the concert, turns out to be a yoga master now. And Scott is a solo artist still writing and composing his own songs.

I took lots of photos and videos from their concert here in Manila last February 18 and would like to share some here :) I promise to upload the rest when I have the time.

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Beast 1st Fan Meeting is a dream come true for Philippine fans

Published in Inquirer.net :)

For Philippine fans of multi-awarded Korean boy band Beast, their 1^st Fan Meeting in the country which is organized by Cube Entertainment, Butterfly and All Access Productions, is worth the wait, because after almost 6 years, their idols came back to Manila and gave them a night they’ll never forget at the SMART Araneta Coliseum last March 19, 2016. Thousands of ‘B2uties’ (collective name for Beast fans; pronounced as ‘Beauties’) flocked the Big Dome to see the boys showcase their talents, and flaunt their charisma in a night of musical madness, fan interaction, and entertainment.

Media photo op with Beast! ^^ Thank you All Access Productions and Inquirer.net for this :) If you will see all media photos, Dongwoon and Yoseob has the same pose all throughout. So cute!

Unfortunately, vocalist Jang Hyunseung was unable to attend the event because of some personal reasons. But even with one member missing, the remaining Beast members, which consists of leader, vocalist and sub-rapper Yoon Doojoon, main vocalist Yang Yoseob, main rapper Yong Junhyung, visual and vocalist Lee Gikwang, and rapper and maknae (Korean word meaning ‘youngest member’) Son Dongwoon did their best to return the love of their fans through their powerful performances, high energy level and heartfelt sincerity.

The boys warmed up the night with hits like “Good Luck”, “Yey”, and “I Think I Love You”. The fans were all ecstatic and screamed their hearts out as the boys performed one song after the other. After that, they all bowed and introduced themselves to the audience. Gikwang was all smiles when he addressed the fans and said “Hello to all Philippine B2uties! It’s been a while since the last time we’ve been here, so it’s nice meeting you guys.”

Member Dongwoon, who previously studied English in Laguna, amusingly introduced himself and said, “Hello Philippines! Mabuhay! I’m Dongwoon from Sta. Rosa.” Yoseob went along with him and responded “Hello! Nice to meet you! My name is (Yoseob). I’m from Korea.”

Junhyung assured the fans that they prepared a lot for that night and won’t let them down. Gikwang thrilled the fans even more by saying “Hello! What’s up Philippines? I missed everyone. Long time no see. I love you!” Leader Doojoon followed him by saying “Mabuhay! Enjoy tonight!”

Since a fan meet offers more fan interaction than the usual concerts, some lucky fans were selected via raffle to play games with Beast members. The 1st game was the cup stacking game where each Beast member was paired with a fan. While choosing the players, Beast learned that one of them was celebrating her birthday so they immediately sung a cute rendition of Happy Birthday for her in acapella, and even hugged her.

For the 2^nd game called ‘Kick for Gifts, Beast prepared presents for some lucky fans, which include a Starbucks tumbler, a teddy bear called ‘Yoseob Edition Teddy Bear’, their 2016 Seasons Greetings Calendar and a signed album. Selfies with the members were also included as prizes. The game required Beast members to kick a mini soccer ball into a numbered board that contains the names of the prizes. Since not all the numbers have prizes in them, the members had to try again a few more times, and after several futile attempts, the members started playfully rigging the game to make sure all their gifts are won by the fans.

All the fans enjoyed seeing their idols’ fun and competitive side. They were screaming and laughing at the boys’ crazy antics, and playfulness. The members also impressed the audience with their excellent fan service, enthusiasm, and charm. They interacted with the fans without reservations, hugging fans onstage, singing ‘Congratulations’ songs to winners, and taking their selfies using fans’ cameras while they roam around.

After the games, Beast continued to fill the night with musical frenzy as they performed hits like  “Gonna Go To Work,” “Midnight,” “On Rainy Days,” “Suite Room,” “12:30,” “Beautiful Night,” and “How to Love” for encore. Check out the boys' photos in action (and guess who my favorite member is):

The fans also returned the love they got from Beast by singing and dancing, and waving their rose-shaped light sticks all throughout the night, creating a wonderful sea of dark grey among the audience. They also surprised Gikwang with a special cake as an advanced present for his birthday in March 30, and came up with various banner projects and a special video presentation for the boys.

At the end of the show, Beast thanked their fans for the wonderful night and their heartfelt support. “Thank you for coming tonight…I love you. We will come back. Please wait for us and our songs. Until we meet again,” said Junhyung.

This is the cake that Beast Philippines prepared for Gikwang.  Credit: Beast Philippines

“…I am really happy to meet my Philippine fans after a long time… Thank you guys for being here today. To be honest, we really missed you too. We don’t know when the next time would be, but we’ll try to make that as soon as possible. This time, not just a fan meeting but an official concert. Thank you!” said Gikwang.

Dongwoon also followed and said “Did you guys have fun today? For us also, this will be an unforgettable memory.” He then recalled his experience while studying in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and said, “I’m hoping to see you guys again at a concert and enjoy taho (Pinoy street food made of soft tofu) with you. During my study at Sta. Rosa, I really enjoyed taho… Thank you everybody. Mahal kita!”

The fan interaction did not end there though as selected fans were able to take advantage of meet and greet perks that include a high-touch session, group photo ops, and signed photos which were given by the members themselves.

A day after the concert, Doojoon posted in his instagram account, “Seeing a placard saying that seeing us is a dream come true kind of touched my heart. Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you Philippines. Bye. See you again.”

Note: Photo has been translated already :)

Truly, good things come to those who wait, and in the case of Philippine B2uties, all the years of anticipation only made their reunion with Beast even more special.

Beast first visited Manila in 2010, when they were still rookies, for a charity concert. Despite being considered underrated, the group has proven their exceptional talent and resilience by winning several awards, which includes the Bonsang Awards at Seoul Music Awards, as well as Artist of the Year at the Melon Music Awards in 2011 and 2012.#

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Thank you very much for All Access Productions and inquirer.net for giving me the chance to cover this event and to get to know Beast! I arrived as a mere spectator but came out a fan :)
Please don't forget to credit me when using my photos. Thanks!

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