#kiatheater

GOT7 in Manila Hard Carry December 23, 2016

The journey will not always be smooth, but keep on holding on that the end will still end up even greater.

By this time, out of all the shows I have attended, they are the newest artist out of all of them, GOT7. They are into their third year this year, at the same time their third show in Manila. I had second thoughts on the first two times they have been here since I lack a companion, thus I decided not to go. Fortunately, this year, my concert buddy is now an iGOT7 which made it easier to decide coming and watching the show. This was also the very first KPOP group fanmeet that I have watched, it has its own pros and cons of course. I would love it to be a concert though, they are not rookies anymore, they really do deserve a bigger stage and a longer show. Last year they did their fanmeet at Araneta Colesium - such a big place for a fanmeet, it’s a concert venue here in Manila. Also a first for me is going to KIA theater for an event. One of the biggest advantage of a fanmeet really is you’ll be so close to the members and there would be a lot of interactions with the fans especially if you’re lucky enough to be a chosen one. I am pretty sure, I would be seeing Mark Tuan super up close. Yes, I am really a Mark Tuan biased, then became to like all of GOT7 members.

The Journey.

The journey to this fanmeet was never ever easy. First, we had to go to the onsite VVIP ticket selling to be sure we get a good seat. We waited hours to get a queue number, then lined up for several hours more to finally buy the tickets. It took us almost a day to finally hold on to our precious tickets for the show. Second, I and my concert buddy had our own little changes on our working environment. Of course, we do have all the faith that eventually we will really attend the show and make the most out of it, to be fair, it was quite expensive so we do not plan to waste any cent. There were a lot of unexpected happenings at work, we have our own busy days, bad days until it was five days before the fanmeet. On my end, I have finished up all my commitments as much as possible so it would not be hard for me if I take an earlier shift on the day of the event. Luckily, the fanmeet date is December 23rd, which is a day before Christmas weekend, everyone is friendly at the office, but the traffic is not. On the other hand, my friend did really try her best to accomplish all her tasks even if day by day she works late, but she doesn’t know if she’ll get through it and watch the show with her heart not burdened. I did pray with her, all the timing and circumstances in the world might not agree with her taking her feet on the show, but I really do believe that everything will be alright. We just have to keep hanging in there. We may faced whatever it is before the show, but when it comes to a time we finally realize and be present on the fanmeet, I knew that it would even be greater, or even be greatest. Third, I had met the Manila traffic and made way to the concert venue. I got a bunch on my list of to dos when I got there. I claimed the lighstick my friend has reserved and paid. I did go around to collect some freebies, banners and photo cards from the official fan clubs - who are by the way I am still amazed by the dedication and effort and their love for the artists. I managed to get a few of the freebies. Finally, the last hurdle coming to the show, my friend coming from BGC going to Cubao, with her car - ultimately a challenge. The traffic is the worst, it was a Friday before the Christmas weekend, almost everybody is on their feet going out from Manila to spend the holiday with their loved ones. So it was the ultimate challenge. She called me from time to time checking out what is happening on the fanmeet venue, and also to update where she was. I was like updated almost all the time of her whereabouts while I was monitoring the queue line of people with tickets. Thirty minutes before the show, people are still in line - still quite long, I’m still on the phone with her, I’m standing right at the valet parking waiting for her. Counting down to fifteen minutes before the show, we are both on our edge of our panic mode moment, she’s literally like shouting wanting the cars to move and trying to rant on people not following traffic rules. On the other end, this is me looking back at the line almost gone now. I saw her car less than ten before the show starts. Everything felt so fast, she gave the keys to the valet parking assistant, we opted to avail the VIP so quick, almost to no thinking. We just get our stuff ready to enter the venue - the ticket, phone and banners that I was able to get. We had our free poster before we enter the actual show area.

Finally, with our hearts still thumping from all the rush, we are finally seated and now we are almost ready to enjoy the whole show. We saw seven stools on stage realizing how near will they be with us, we’re on row six at the very left most. One disappointing rule is, we cannot take any pictures even with our phone. There were securities left and right so yes, I did save all my phone memory space for nothing. All I have to do is to truly enjoy the show, stare at the boys and capture the moments with my eyes - this was something I really wanted to do even on other shows but I end up taking pictures and videos to record moments for my own keeping, something I can get back with when I wanted to.

To the End?

The show has finally started, the first VCR played, it was so loud - as expected from PH fans. You can feel each and every person’s passion and love with the screaming and cheers for the boys. Then, their shadows appear onstage, walking their way to their respective seats, the music turned on together with the lights. And there, the members are onstage, I can see them in flesh so near, so clear and on our side the nearest member is Jackson. He was really handsome with his hair down - thank you Lord because I personally loved that look on him. I intentionally look for Mark first who was on the  middle for their first song which is also my favorite on their Hard Carry album, “Let Me”. These young boys were totally lit, they all look adorable, pretty in their own way.

I don’t know how many times my friend and I exchange our pinches on each other, randomly screaming for just how we cannot believe they look like what they look like. We can feel they were all on the mood, there were a lot of MarkJin moments. Also, little cute gestures from Mark that only my eyes have captured. I was excited to finally see Jackson’s super hyper personality at hand, also the lines from BamBam that will make you laugh because he has undeniable wit and humour. After two consecutive songs, the MCs of the show entered the stage stating first that taking pictures is really not allowed, and other rules to be followed. Then they introduced the boys, GOT7 said their group greeting and one by one they introduced themselves. The screams are so loud with every member taking their turns to talk. This group even when they were still rookies are so energetic and all of them have beagle personalities, with their very cheerful and 4-dimensional characters. They are all cutely weird in their own way, that’s why you cannot stop laughing at them while loving them even more at the same time. They are too good with their fan service also. Their ‘mission’ segment had them to dance sexily, individually. The whole sexy dance segment has spread hearts and hotness all over the Kia Theater, you’ll be amazed on how good they dance, and also how you can laugh at the same time be so kilig. It was one of the highlights of the show, they made all iGOT7s dead on the spot and it was just twenty minutes after the show started. Then, they proceed on singing more songs, this time while dancing. It feels so different watching a fanmeet, even the dancing felt so different, the stage was pretty small with these gorgeous guys dancing. You’ll be very clear on how much effort they’re giving. Continuing the show with two games - first, which will be played by the members themselves, and the second, each member will play with one iGOT7, my heart screamed for that. The first game, they were divided into two groups - the hyung and the maknae group. They have to guess correctly the item in the box which they can only touch. The hyung has to get the pine tree plastic plant, and the maknae has to guess the coconut. Even when they’re playing, they were really on another level of randomness, cuteness and playfulness. Both groups got their items correctly - with the hyung group using their wit and humour. In the end, the winner will be decided with rock, paper, scissors to which Mark won against BamBam. The loosing group will have to take their group photo with their ugly faces, while the winners will have to take it handsomely. Here comes the game which they get to pick their partner. My red lipstick, and whole outfit is ready for this you know. But I don’t have any expectation since when it comes to lucky draws I’m no lucky at all. They each get their partners, with BamBam choosing a six year old iGOT7 - so cute. They played charades wherein the winner is the pair with the most number of correct words guessed. An iGOT7 gets to have a polaroid picture with the whole group if she’s on the winning pair. The whole game was entertaining with the iGOT7s on their seats all only cheering for the six year old cute girl. Inside me, I can relate though, jokingly, I’d rather loose to a cute kid. Kidding aside, you’ll really feel all the envy cells on your body throughout the whole game. Jackson was so like a friend talking to his partner and others, holding her hand, almost clasping each other, sometimes he’s also putting his partner’s arms unto his. Every after the game, each member is giving out their hugs, tight hugs not just any hugs to their partners. And the last pair won who were Jackson and his partner, he did not only hugged his partner after winning, that lucky iGOT7 also even got carried by Jackson while hugging. How lucky she is right? She got a polaroid photo and got all those moments. I don’t know if she’s gonna sleep through the night.

Moving on with the show, they sang their other title songs from their previous albums, “Fly” and “If You Do”, both are my favorites, and I loved the choreography. Then, a surprise happy birthday video and cake for JB, the leader. I will say this, the MCs are so good, making the show more entertaining, they can really ride on the jerkiness of the members, also on the loudness of PH iGOT7s. Into their last ment, they each gave their message to PH iGOT7s. They all promised to give more next time, promised to come back in  Manila, and also promised for better performances and better representation of themselves moving forward. I screamed my lungs out for Mark and Jackson for sure. Mark, though most of the time is very quiet, gave a long speech even if he’s lost for words. He really was so thankful, as he and Jackson are English fluent speakers, they were able to speak their hearts out and their message were both pretty long. Jackson’s message was like everything, “Do not let haters be contented…”, he has this thought along his messages. I can appease with him especially on how I was doing at this particular time of my life - work, family and self aspect, I was currently in state which I can relate to all what he had said. Coming to the show, then he has to say all of that, making it more really worth it to come. What he said was a great reminder to myself. Before they performed “Hard Carry”, the surprise project of the fans played. For me as part of the whole crowd felt so touch, it was a video of the whole journey of the boys. After the video, some of the members almost had their tears falling down. JB said his thanks, Mark translated them. Then again, how he has delivered the message was so touching. GOT7 and iGOT7 will forever hard carry each other - its like a good curse to be fulfilled no matter what, but with no consequence, just out of pure love and care. Then, they performed “Hard Carry”, the tears which must have fallen after watching the project video was instead seen on how they danced so passionately. All their energy cells were like given to the performance, I felt how thankful they were by how hard they danced and sang.

They sang “Home Run” for their encore stage, this time they go around the stage meeting iGOT7s on a closer scale, and this is the only time we can stand and have our chance to record the moments. One and only song I took a video of. Each member came to our side, meeting us. It felt good and even if it was too short, every ounce of second of the show gave a great feeling.

This is not yet the end. keep holding on. Throughout the whole journey coming to the fanmeet, most of the happenings are out of our zone, definitely not ones which are of our liking. But this time, we get the opportunity to have an encounter with the members. Though I am not one of those lucky ticket holders which get to have a Photo Op with them, still I get the Hi Touch event. This was the very first Hi Touch event of my entire stay in the KPOP world. I cannot hide my excitement while we’re on the line. I cannot control my mind thinking of what to do when it was my turn high fiving them. I had to make the experience really worth it since that would be really short. When the Hi Touch started, I looked carefully to study of course the members’ position, I had to be on point and be grace under pressure. I know I just have seconds encounter and I intended to make them memorable. Every staff there is telling you to be fast, so when it was my turn, it was Jinyoung first - so handsome as expected, then BamBam - literally cute, tall and handsome, then Yugyeom -  tall of course and cute, he really is the maknae. Then come, Mark - my ultimate biased, I already ran of words to describe him, out of this world beauty. Youngjae - with his hands waiting for the fans’ hands was weirdly cute, then JB with is eye smile, your heart will skip a beat, then Jackson with his hat on I cannot really see his eyes because of it, but still the swag and cool vibe is there. I tried looking at their eyes as I was doing the high five, it will be a little slower but I had to make my own moment. With Mark, I said “love you Mark”, with  my personality, never in my life I imagined to do that, but hey, I just blurted out what I really felt. I made an eye contact with him while saying that, I wanted to stay for like a few seconds more in front of him. My whole body was literally shook after that I don’t know how many seconds encounter. I was really at great happiness. I will not move on for days, that’s for sure. Every time that I will be reminiscing that moment, especially that eyes of Mark, I will not be able to control my smile that’s also for sure.