It was only right that they started the concert with the song Superman, as it set just the right tone for the Super Junior Super Show 8 recently at the MOA Arena. I left exhilarated and thinking that these performers are supermen indeed, with three hours of high-performance, non-stop singing and dancing.
A friend of mine from work suggested we watch the upcoming Super Junior concert — she said it would be really fun. I am a newbie to K-pop but I’d been hearing about Super Junior for years now. They have 13 members, but I only was aware of handsome Choi Siwon, since he is also known for his K-dramas and for being a UNICEF ambassador.
I’ve watched a couple of his dramas, including Revolutionary Love and the most recent, My Fellow Citizens — both were really funny and dramatic at the same time. He is also known to be a chaebol heir, roughly translated as scion to a wealthy conglomerate owner, as his father was the CEO of pharmaceutical company Boryung Medicine Group.
Siwon is consistently among the top three on the K-pop “richest” list. Yet despite being popular for his looks, talent, pedigree and wealth, he is low-key and known for being a Christian. He often posts Bible quotes on his social media. No wonder he said “God Bless!” to the crowd at the end of the concert. His role for UNICEF as Regional Ambassador for the East and Pacific focuses on children’s issues. He travels extensively in the region to participate in various campaigns to protect children. Check out his Instagram; it’s full of his work for UNICEF.
And now, on to the other SuJu members. There were eight at the concert: Eunhyuk, Ryeowook, Leeteuk, Donghae, Shindong, Yesung, Kyuhun and Siwon. All of them were charming, talented and gifted with a sense of humor. Each stood out but they also complemented one another. I think what sets Super Junior apart from others is their charisma, which is so palpable. They are a second-generation K-pop group who debuted in 2005 and are, by now, “Legends of K-Pop.” They shot to international fame with their song Sorry Sorry and were the first Korean group to win the Teen Choice Award. With all that experience, and confidence to boot, they brought Super Junior Super Shows across the globe. Can you believe they’ve performed five concerts in Manila already? Where was I all that time?
The SuJu fans go by the tag ELFS, which stands for Everlasting Friends. As we entered the arena, I saw what you might expect from a Super Junior concert: a fan in a wedding dress (check); SuJu lightsticks (check); a girl in a sequined blue outfit, since sapphire pearl blue is their color (check). The screaming and the fan chants left me deaf, and I didn’t even realize I was screaming along with them. The ELFS are so supportive and loyal. You could feel their love in the arena. It’s amazing that most have been fans for 14 or 15 years.
The fans with the Suju lightsticks made me feel like I was in a sea of fireflies, swaying in unison. The ever-changing light show was timed to the music. It was surreal and magical. I was wondering how the lights could simultaneously change color and asked a girl next to me how it works. She said it was “automatic.” What technology does this, I wondered? Could it be Bluetooth? It really adds to the energy and ambience of the concert. I was in awe.
Before going to the concert, I did my research and listened to their concert playlist on Spotify. At least I would know what to expect. However, the Super Show 8 went far beyond any expectations I had. Wow, the creativity, production values and performances were superior. Each song was like a finale on its own, with laser lights, spectacular visuals onscreen, confetti and pyrotechnics. It got foggy in the arena for a while because of all the fireworks so they opened the back doors. Imagine this opening sequence: a giant screen of flames opens up and reveals each SuJu member standing on a lit elevated frame. And it only got better from there.
The stage was a configured like the number “8” so the idols could get as close to as many fans as possible. Their fan service included handholding, selfie-taking and signing autographs. Aside from the high-energy performances, there were really comedic interactions among the SuJu members and funny bits. There was a rap video with hilarious lyrics from all of them. They started the show with Superman and ended with Too Many Beautiful Girls to the delight of all the fans who, indeed, felt beautiful as though they were being serenaded. They wrapped up the show with heartfelt messages of thanks.
It was a stage taken by super idols — in front of equally super adoring ELFS waving their light sticks to the music and an ever-changing light show. Everlasting friends indeed!