Hopping onto the magical Bus No. 83 (Super Junior 83z's Fancon in Japan- Day 1: 8/1/2026)

Before the fan con

Motion picture after the fan con

Welcome to Bus Stop No. 2026

ELFs (Super Junior fans), Angels (Leeteuk's fans) and Petals (Heechul's fans) filled the standing arena of Toyosu's PIT on this scorching summer evening. Once the lights faded to black, the official audio of a fan-favourite song, "Miracle", blasted from the speakers. Minutes later, the introductory VCR flashed on a single big screen. It revealed a Matrix-inspired digital background with English words. The video commanded us, the audience, to enter a patch code. At first, I thought I had to come up with the answer, but the numbers "1983" appeared on the screen in seconds. 

Motion picture before the fan meeting

It transitioned to an animated scene of a white and blue bus with the number 83 on it. Heechul's voice came along, saying the next bus stop in Korean. Leeteuk's voice followed, "Next stop is 2026. 2026. If you're getting off at this stop, please push the stop button." And yes, he announced in English! Our leader did a great job with the pronunciation. 😄 

Credits go to SM Entertainment

The new subunit strutted onto the stage. They looked fresh and glowing! Heechul wore a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of white pants. Leeteuk wore a blue jacket over a white dress shirt and a pair of light blue jeans. They opened their first Japan fan meeting with their debut title track, "Promise". I chanted the key phrase of the chorus in Korean: "너를 의하약속!" (Neo reul ui ha yak sok: Our promise) Shortly after, four dancers entered the stage with umbrellas. The duo performed their next song, "Solove". They flexed their vocals while the dancers spun their props. Framed by a massive sunset behind the two performers, they exchanged glances. It was like the universe set TeukChul up on an intentional date! 😆 Before the song ended, both men giggled! Even Leeteuk covered his blushing face. 😂

" 僕たちはスーパージュニ...オです!" (Boku dachi wa supa juni o desu!: We are Super Junior! in Japanese) Super Junior 83z welcomed everyone. The Japanese ELFs unconsciously returned their greeting with the Korean answer, " 오리는엘프예요!" (Urineun elpeueyo!: We are ELF!) 😅 The K-Pop idols said their Korean greeting, " 오리는수퍼주니어예요!" (Urineun shupeo juni-oeyo!: We are Super Junior!) and we greeted them back one more time. 

Leeteuk asked us whether we were okay with the venue. I shook my head since I wasn't used to standing concerts. He mentioned that his first time in Toyosu PIT was during his first solo fan meeting in 2015. Heechul added that he first performed here in a fan meeting to celebrate his ramen book launch in 2017.  😮 Heechul also wanted to try crowd surfing on the spot. Petals screamed when he was about to tilt his head back above the front row audience. 😂 

Their last song of the opening section was a B-side fan favourite from the SuJu discography, "All My Heart". The screen showed a pretty collection of Leeteuk and Heechul from their debut days till today. Their friendship has come this far! They turned from acquaintances and colleagues to misunderstood frenemies to now irreplaceable best friends! 🥹 A transitional video of the number replaced the last chorus of the song. I couldn't remember the entire Leeteuk's English voiceover, but all I could recall was "Let's change the vibe(?) in this lazy afternoon haze." Again, Teukie Oppa nailed his English pronunciation! 🥹👏

Solo spotlight time!

Jiwoo and A-Na from the newest girl group of 2025, Hearts2Hearts, made a cameo in the second VCR. They were interviewing the rookie subunit, 83z, in an M-Countdown-like music show setting. Leeteuk and Jiwoo danced to a part of the girl group's popular hit, "Rude". They passed the baton to Heechul and A-Na who danced to "Lemon Tang". The VCR switched to a DDR-style game. We completed the mission, which was to clap, stomp, and whoop to the beat of SuJu's 20th anniversary title track, "Express Mode". I think we need more of this type of interactive game! People tend to check their phones or visit the restroom while a VCR plays. I felt involved in the fan meeting. 

The second section commenced; Leeteuk performed his solo song, "Bad Name". He appeared in a silk shirt. Four dancers brought in red curtains on wheels and danced alongside the star of the show. Once the charismatic duck stripped his shirt off to tease us with his toned, smooth back, we all screamed. 👀🔥 The dancers swept the curtains closed once the scene stealer turned his head back and gave a seductive glare. 🫠🫠🫠

Heechul stole the spotlight with his solo, "Godognam" (고독남). His majestic white and gold hanbok entranced me. He swooned the entire arena with his beautiful looks and powerful vocals, especially his high notes at the end. The screen showed an aesthetically-pleasing Chinese calligraphy of the song title. 

As Heechul went backstage to freshen up, Leeteuk entertained his spectators. He wore the shirt from the goods line and a pair of jeans. He also had a hoodie tied around his waist. One of his questions caused the Japanese fans to buzz with excitement: "What kind of performance do you like?" Some ELFs at the front said, "Sexy!" The artist exclaimed, "Sexy again??" 😂😂 Another fan shouted, "Cute!", and Leeteuk mirrored. Heechul stepped in right on time and said, "Leeteuk sexy daisuki!" (I like sexy Leeteuk!) 😂😂😂

Another moment I remembered from their commentary was when Leeteuk mentioned it hadn't even been a month since their subunit debuted. (Well, by the time I post this recap, it's been way past their debut date.) Heechul yelled, "Senpaaaaaiiiiiii!" when Leeteuk called D&E their seniors. The older member also shared a story about someone on his golf team. This golf-mate hadn't heard of Super Junior! The speaker explained to him that he's friends with TVXQ. The golf mate knew TVXQ, SNSD, and EXO, but not Super Junior! 😂😂 Meanwhile, Heechul pretended he's golfing. 😂

Game time!

The members took this time to entertain us through cute dress-ups and dance challenges! Heechul wowed the Japanese spectators with his Japanese reading ability; he read the kanji for time "時間" (jikan)! 😎👏 

The first game was called "プロアイドルはU" (The pro-idol is U). SuJu's "House Party" played from the speakers. Super Junior 83z rummaged through the boxes and trunks for aprons. However, they failed to put the aprons on in under one minute. They helped tie each other's apron strings! 🥺🥺🥺

In their second treasure hunt, they searched for fluffy headbands while the Christmas K-Pop classic from little SuJu and TVXQ, "Show Me Your Love", played for one minute. Heechul put on a pink ribbon headband, and Leeteuk wore a black cat ear one. They posed cutely before one minute passed! The younger member went, "Yaho!" and posed a peace sign upside down. 

There came the second mission, which was a TikTok dance segment. The two men attempted the "Nya Arigatou" challenge. Heechul cracked us up when he danced before the music started. 😆Leeteuk danced alongside his friend at the last minute. We requested Leeteuk to do it again, but we also asked Heechul to join him. They redid the dance, but Heechul replaced the last move with Aespa's signature choreography of "Whiplash". 😂

Leeteuk also joined two dancers to do 2PM's "My House" challenge. As they reached the climax, Leeteuk's headband flew off his head! 😂😂😂😂😂  Heechul picked it up and returned to him. 

The last game was a cute version of rock-paper-scissors. Heechul bet Leeteuk in the third round. He remarked that Super Junior D&E would more likely do challenges like this. Some fans yelled Yesung's and Kyuhyun's names, and they shocked Heechul that they could do cute stuff, too. 😆

Leeteuk lost the game, so he had to do the "可愛いだけじゃだめですか" (Kawaii dake ja dame desuka? - Is being cute not enough?) cute pose challenge. He did his best to act cute. We begged Heechul to do it, too. 😂 He showed off a lot of hand hearts and shook his booty as the song kept playing. "Why was the song longer?" he remarked. 😂

Before Super Junior 83z took a break, they performed a mashup of Super Junior T's "Rokkugo", Super Junior's "Super Duper", and Super Junior D&E's "Oppa Oppa". In the bridge of "Oppa Oppa", the men commanded us to chant "Oppa" after their names, "팔삼즈" (pal sam jeu- the Korean name for 83z), and "Super Junior". 

A notch of nostalgia

This subsequent VCR humoured the entire arena. Shindong wore a black suit and shades. He was judging an audition with Manager Kyumin, who was also Yesung's funny manager, and another manager (who I believe was his own manager). Leeteuk played the role of a contestant. He danced to H.O.T.'s "We Are the Future", and the judges nodded in approval. However, his potential dropped when he sang, rapped, and presented a gag. 😆😂 Shindong gave in and let the adamant man pass the audition. 😅😂😂😂

Heechul was next. He poked his head behind a red curtain. "Is this SM?" he mumbled. We all screamed once the camera paused at Heechul's immaculate visuals. Humour replaced his beauty; he sang the first line of the Korean national anthem, "Donghaeeeeboda!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 

Both passionate rookies failed the audition in this skit. However, we all know that SuJu has proclaimed their official title as the kings of the Hallyu wave. The video showed clips of the veteran group's achievements before transitioning to another skit. 

In a white lounge surrounded by cardboard cutouts of seven SJ members. Leeteuk and Heechul reenacted the infamous Incheon Battle! The leader blamed his colleague for taking all the parts of his favourite songs. The younger blamed Yesung, who was the one who stole his parts. 😆 A thought bubble popped at Yesung's standee that said, "I'm SuJu's main vocalist!" 😂 Leeteuk trashed Shindong for eating all the food he brought and ordered more. He also pointed out that Heechul still mistook him for Eunhyuk. Heechul apologized but addressed him as Eunhyuk! 🤣 

Both oldest members agreed on one thing: they can't excuse Donghae because all he did was working out. 💪💦Donghae will always be the innocent dinosaur! 😉🤣 Heechul then stated that Siwon was really rich, and Leeteuk took his comment to heart. 😇😆 The leader also admitted that he could get close to Ryeowook and even imitated his exaggerated catchphrase, "자진있어!" (Jajinesseo!: I'm confident!). I noticed Heechul was close to laughing hard here. 😂 He couldn't say anything bad about Kyuhyun because he had left the company. 😂 They agreed that his "antenna" kept on growing. 

The duo continued arguing. Leeteuk warned Heechul that they'll form a subunit one day, but of course the other disagreed. Shindong barged in and yelled, "Stop it! You call yourself a professional?" He kicked a box that had "coke". 🤣 The two protagonists stared at him, who pretended two bodyguards had dragged him. 😂😂😂 A staff member warned from a distance, "You're on standby for Bonamana!" We screamed in unison as we knew what happened after this scene. 😉😁 

Super Junior 83z appeared in real time to perform a dual version of "Bonamana", "Mr. Simple", "Sexy, Free and Single", and "Sorry Sorry". They wore black tops over crisp white suits. Heechul had a black tie on and even exposed his pretty neckline! 🔥🫠Leeteuk's top was a bit too translucent that we could see his washboard abs. 👀😏 We cheered for them as they danced their hearts out to these classic bangers, including the additional dance break in "Sexy, Free and Single". Their individual choreography swooned us right up! 😍😍😍💘💘💘💘

Adorable blooper!

Heechul went to change outfits while Leeteuk took over the commentary. At one point, he imitated Yesung's laughter. 😂 He also mentioned that Eunhyuk and Shindong were the ones who encouraged them to make 83z happen. Heechul liked his new subunit. Super Junior 83z is more chill and does cute things more. 🥺 He even added, "Eunhyuk and Shindong have good sense, right?" I couldn't agree more! 

Heechul broke the ice that we ELFs would keep asking for encores. 😁 Leeteuk then turned on his sweet, romantic self, "We just want to hear your voice." 🥺🥹 The younger member also made Japanese fans laugh at his "Oki, Oki, Okinawa!" pun. 😂

The two friends sat on the stage with their backs facing us. The screen played a montage of them from the past to the present. Heechul got excited at a photo of them eating ramen and said, "Ramen!" 😂😂 They stood up and sang the chorus while the screen showed behind-the-scenes photos from their music video shoot. 

As they reached the bridge of the song "More Than Love", Leeteuk proposed to Heechul and was about to put his necklace around his partner's neck. To his surprise, the clasp refused to open! He tugged the chain a few times, but it wouldn't budge! 😅😂😂😂😂😂 Heechul took it from him, and he also couldn't unhook it. He even fiddled with the necklace in the next song, "Onsaemiro"! 🥺🥺🥺 In the end, he kept the necklace in his free hand while finishing their last performance of the section. Even though I didn't get to witness the pair's successful vow exchange, I couldn't stop laughing at their adorable failure. 🥹😂

Heartfelt first encore

We watched a video of the two of them in an interview. In a question about first impressions, Leeteuk recalled Heechul wearing sunglasses, a floral shirt, and matching pants. He opened the window, and the other gave him a pep talk. After the free-spirited member gave him his two cents for the past two hours, he left without looking back! 😂 I can imagine that in their debut times! 

In a different question, Heechul said that Leeteuk's selfless gesture touched him. He invited him out for a drink, and Leeteuk didn't hesitate to go. They enjoyed each other's company since then. Leeteuk also told Heechul that he didn't have friends, so they made a promise to be each other's friends from that day onwards. 🥺🥺🥺

The question "What would you say to each other on the last Super Junior stage?" got a lot of us emotional. Heechul would tell Leeteuk that it's okay to let go. With Super Junior 83z happening in real life, it is something he shouldn't take for granted. Even today, SuJu receives comments from ELFs that they're still the best and most handsome group. Leeteuk still lives up to it. Heechul also admitted that he still takes care of himself, even though it wasn't easy. Therefore, on the last SuJu stage, he would tell Leeteuk that he deserves the biggest applause for carrying all the responsibility as the leader, father, and pillar of SJ. 🥺🥹💙

Leeteuk would tell Heechul, "You did well. You worked hard," while fighting back tears. He added that time will keep going and they'll realize that they've grown to be in their 50s, 60s, and so on. One day, they won't be able to do what they're doing, and it'll be hard to deal with. His eyes were red and glassy as he shared his true feelings. 😢

Back on stage, the duo donned the school uniforms from the "Promise" music video. They stood a few feet apart from each other while showing off their vocals in "Sweet Dreams". After singing it for the first time on Heechul's YouTube show "추카추카추" (Chukachukachu), it's nice of them to add this duet to the set list. 

In this final commentary, Leeteuk asked the audience, "At what age do you think we'll perform until? Maybe around 50?" Some ELFs shouted, "80!" Heechul's eyes widened, "80?!" He sang the first chorus line of "Sweet Dreams" and went "Ack!" while pretending to pass out. 😂😂 If SuJu performs until the age of 80, that means I'll be around 70! 😳 But I would continue supporting SuJu until the end of their idol career! 

Credits go to SM Entertainment

The artists gathered their dancers and posed for photographs. Then they unzipped their sling bags adorned with some can badges from the goods line. They held a red, heart-shaped ball with autographs. As "Sarang" played in the background, the artists tossed several autographed balls toward us. Most fans in the front and middle sections raised their hands and hoped to catch one of the signed gifts. Heechul threw two or three balls all the way to my section, and he yelped in pain because of his sore arm. 😅😂 Congratulations to those who caught a signed ball! It's a treasure that needs to be preserved forever!

Super Junior 83z proceeded to no other than "Miracle". Both men unslung their bags and waved goodbye to us. Leeteuk approached the very first row on the right side and gave some lucky fans an incredible fan service; he leaned back and let them touch his hair!!!! 🤯😭 Those girls probably didn't wash their hands for a week! 

Two more generous encores?! 

Just as I thought the lights would turn on, the audience barely moved. They shouted, "アンコール!" (Encore!) for the second time. Seconds later, the subunit surprised us with a second round of "Promise"! 🥹 

I giggled at Heechul because he made a mistake in the last chorus. 😅😆 The two friends hugged each other's shoulders as they left the stage. 

But isn't it over yet? Nope! 😉 We begged for another encore, and we got a second round of "Solove"! The duo knelt together while starting the song off. Heechul's voice cracked at the beginning. 😅 Leeteuk grabbed his water bottle; he was about to take a sip, but he quickly pointed his microphone towards his mouth and sang the middle chorus. 😂😂 He took a swig of water on his second attempt. He suddenly tilted the bottle away from him, close to splashing the front row. However, Heechul waved his hand in objection. He grabbed the bottle from his partner's and gulped down his well-deserved H2O. 

Super Junior 83z wrapped up their third and last encore; they did a hand-cup heart. 🫶Heechul wrapped his hand around Leeteuk's left wrist and dragged him gently to the left. They said their farewells before disappearing behind the curtain. This was my favourite part of the night! 🥺🥹🫶💙💙💙💙💙💙

Final thoughts 

Cons

• There was only one big screen. Not everyone could see the stage. 😟 I prefer a sitting concert to a standing one. I kind of regretted walking and exploring Toyosu (aside from how beautiful the city is) that afternoon. My feet were screaming in pain after I stood for two and a half hours. 😣😅😂 
• There were also narrow spaces between my front and back. I tried hard not to bump into my neighbours every few minutes! 😖
• The whopping 600 yen bottle will forever flabbergast me! I was a little upset by the misinformation of having a cashless payment method ready for the separate drink. I had to get my electronic Suica ready at the back of the line. 😒 

Pros

• I appreciated the air-cons that blasted cool air throughout the concert arena. 
• Three encores were also worth the money! 
• The audio was amazing! 
• Hurray for the coin lockers! The venue had enough space for everyone to stow away excessive luggage.
• There was also plenty of stock of goods when I arrived at 1:30 p.m. Some fans stayed back to line at the goods booth after the fan meeting! I bought my stickers and added them to my SJ journal, which I posted in the "Journal Pages" section of this blog post. 😉😊

Sticker set 

Free PC

Toyosu

Despite the venue having no seats and the heat being gruesome, the surroundings are breathtaking and jam-packed with tourist spots. My favourite would definitely be the rooftop view of Tokyo Bay from the 8th floor of a hotel and a free foot bath.

I saw this picturesque ocean view from Toyosu Park. You can also explore Lalaport Mall nearby, too. 

Toyosu Park

Night view from Toyosu Park

And if you're a station and tourist spot stamp collector like I am, you can find stamps at Toyosu Station and Senkakyubanzai. 

Stamps

Journal Pages

I've made some journal spreads to match the fan meeting theme. One material I used is a paper bag logo, which I'm very proud of. And as I mentioned before, I added the stickers from the goods line. 😊

Upfront cover page

Front cover page

Back cover page

Thank you so much, Super Junior 83z, for having the first destination of your first world tour here in Japan! I look forward to seeing you and the rest of SuJu again soon! Possibly next year, in 2027? 👀😉✨

Anyway, this might be my last concert recap of 2026. 😢😢😢💔 It’s way too soon to say goodbye this year, but I’ll be sure to save enough money for more SuJu concerts and fan meetings in 2027. In the meantime, please share this recap to your fellow ELF friends. I would greatly appreciate it. 🥺🥹🙏 Have a blissful rest of 2026 and see you in 2027! 

Stickers from the goods line, my Heechul PC, and an extra PC and streamers from a fellow ELF 🥰💙

Concert poster

Somewhat satisfied...(Review of Kyumae Bakery Pop-Up Store in Tokyo)

Store front posters

Intense Reservation

The Kyumae Bakery pop-up store opened at Line Friends Square Shibuya in Tokyo from June 12 to June 21, 2026. The reservation ticket sale opened a few days before. I accidentally cancelled my first reservation, which was a slot at 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 13. 😭 I bounced back to the reservation website and secured a 6 p.m. slot. There would be low stock by then. However, my non-ELF friend, whom I will meet up with that day, told me I could still at least check it out. By the time I refreshed the reservation website, most of the slots were full. I had a certain budget for commuting and shopping, so I kept my reservation.

First glimpse

I spotted the Kyumae Bakery wallpaper on the floor-to-ceiling glass window on the first floor of the building. My friend waited for me at a corner while I lined up and got my reservation details ready. 

Seconds later, an older woman turned to me and spoke to me in Chinese. She pointed at her smartphone and asked how I accessed my reservation receipt. Luckily, my brain switched from English and Japanese to my elementary-school-level Chinese. She let me use her phone, which was nice. I helped copy and paste her reservation ticket number and password into the website's login window. It was a hassle because I couldn't copy and paste both numbers in one go. After ten minutes, I'd pasted her information onto the website. She thanked me and showed her phone to the staff right away. 

Merch list

I saw the goods list at the storefront. As I expected, most of the pictures had a "Sold Out" sticker attached. 😮😭  The staff were clueless on how much of a struggle it was for fans to book a spot. If people arrived late, disappointment would strike them.

A small corner of Kyumae

Cardboard standees

A small section of the store was the pop-up event. Three giant Kyumae cardboard standees welcomed me as I entered. Two of them were Kyumae working as a baker. One of them had a penguin sticking its head out of a basket. There was also Kyumae wearing a paper bag with holes that made him a bread thief. He also had his comrade, the penguin in a paper bag, next to him. 

Too little, too late...

Empty shelves 

Most of the shelves were empty. I was just as disappointed. Not all the Kyumaes dolls were available, and the popular items had less stock than others. 😞

Kyumae pillows

Some of the most popular items were the pillows, and of course a lot of KyuPiters will spare a chunk of their money to own a burnt Kyumae cushion, a baked Kyumae cushion, and a Kyumae baguette body pillow. I had been eyeing the baguette pillow for a bit, but I didn't get one. 🙁

Can badges and keychains

The can badges were the cheapest items. They were in silver packs on the top shelf. Few people were interested in buying them because they were sold randomly. Few were into the keychains as well. 

Kyumae and Muzik Tiger goods

As I expected, there were several Kyumae and Muzik Tiger stuff left. I'm not very sure if this tiger character was well-known overseas. 😅😕 This was just my two-cents, so don't quote me on it! 🙏

Kyumae topper set and memo pads

The topper set was a cute idea for those who are into baking cakes. I can imagine baking lovers decorating a birthday cake with these to celebrate Kyu's next birthday. 😉🎂 Unfortunately, I didn't get one. 😅

I hoped to get the Tokyo-exclusive drawstring pouch as well. To my disappointment, it was out of stock. 😢

Some pluses and minuses

Goods display

Despite the limited stock the store had throughout the pop-up event, I appreciate the neat display of every item the store pulled off. It's a fangirl's dream to collect every single item from the goods list. 

I also liked the one-minute Kyumae animations that were on the giant screen above the cashier counter. It didn't quite feel like a bakery because there weren't any baked bread and pastries like the pop-up stores in Seoul and Taiwan. 😞😕 However, the staff of Line Friends Square Shibuya did their best to control the crowd and direct the customers to where the stuff was and where to pay. Although I heard that the security wasn't strict enough, as there were some foreign fans breaking the entry rules and purchasing limits. 😒😟😦😬

One more minus I would give was how high the maximum amount was in order to get the special Kyuhyun photo cards. One person can purchase up to 7000 yen for two photo cards or 12000 yen for a complete photo card set?! Not everyone had the money, as a matter of fact. 🙁 And since everyone went through a stressful registration online, shouldn't we all deserve at least one free Kyuhyun or Kyumae photo card for free? Or a thank-you card as a sign of appreciation? I mean, I would feel much more appreciated if I got one free souvenir from the store. 

Final thoughts

My Melon-pan Kyumae and memo pad

In the end, I got myself a Tokyo-exclusive Melon-Pan Kyumae doll and a memo pad with a cushiony baked Kyumae bread padding cover. Look how cute the pink apron was! And the green toque with a pink sakura flower on it?! 😍🥹💕 I got my OG Kyumae plushie a twin sibling! 😃😄 And I like the memo papers in the memo pad have adhesive! It's perfect for writing reminders and tasks. 😌😎

Overall, I would rate this pop-up a six out of ten puppies. 🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

I hope that whoever's in charge of a future Kyu pop-up event would note the frustrations fans had from this and come up with enough preparations for unlimited restock and facility improvements. I mean, it's the Japanese fandom I'm referring to here! All the Japanese KyuPiters I've met here are always so nice to me and committed to buying every single Kyuhyun item available! We all deserve something amazing to shower our favourite artist with the biggest love and the utmost support. 😉💖

My next blog post will be about Leeteuk and Heechul's 83z fan meeting this August! I look forward to what the pillars of Super Junior have in store for us. 😍🤩 Please stay tuned for my recap. 😉😊 Take care of yourselves this summer, and I'll see you soon! 👋🫶💙

My first ever Yesung solo concert! (Tokyo Day 2- 2026)

Ten minutes before starting!

Opening

Sapphire Blue ocean! 💙 (Credit goes to SM Entertainment)

Yesung, the art of voice of Super Junior, started off the last day of his Japan concert tour with the serene and sentimental B-side track, "4 Seasons". He appeared in a greenish-grey suit which sprinkled class and charm to his distinctive voice. His next song was the calm "Scented Things". I could sense that everyone's hearts melted from his vocals. 

He welcomed his audience right after with his opening comments. He joked he could end his show here because he had nailed his first two songs. 😂 The artist wanted to come out with a yazuka vibe, being all tough and gangster-like. 😆This wish of his couldn't come true because of his boogie olive-green blazer and striped pants. He switched back to his sweet, romantic demeanor when he performed one of his old but gold Japanese hits, "Because I Love You ～大切な絆～" (Because I Love You ~ A Precious Bond). The Clouds whooped and blushed at his flirty "Because...I like you" line. 😉

The lights faded out, and he band in the back started playing an accompaniment to the next song, "Little Things". Yesung reappeared and enlivened the crowd in this upbeat love song. 

He took an abrupt break again by continuing his speech. He shared that he had a sore throat last night. Thankfully, his first concert in Tokyo went well. He was "in a pinch" because of his condition. He asked us, his audience, to give him our biggest cheers. Before he transitioned to his next section, he mentioned he would do some songs that represent each season. As we ELFs know, our "art of voice" genius is very detail-oriented and caring when he arranges his set list. He also added that even though summer has started, he wanted to transport us back to spring for a bit. 

Spring

He sang the first half of "Spring in Me" from his first solo album. He included two songs from his new album: "あつらえたように現れた君～TO GET HER～" (You appeared as if made just for me ~TO GET HER~) and "Invincible～また、そうやって～" (Invincible ~Again, like that~). The electric guitar melodies and hopeful messages in both songs fit the spring vibe. 

The idol disappeared for an outfit change, and a VCR played in front of us. Yesung played the role of an antique shop owner and repairman. A female customer visited his shop and requested him to fix her broken watch. She spotted a potted plant by the shop window. There wasn't a sprout in sight. Days passed, and she returned several times to get her watch strap checked and watch cleaned. Yesung noticed her coming to his shop numerous times because she was worried about the stagnant seed buried in the soil for who-knows-how-long. The visitor even watered it and moved the pot toward the sunlight. The shopkeeper remembered to give the flora its well—deserved elixir as well. One day, the girl hurriedly left without checking on the plant. 😮😕  The story left us with a cliffhanger of Yesung looking up with a befuddled look on his face. 

Summer

Rocker look 😎 (Credit goes to SM Entertainment)

The Clouds and ELFs cheered once Yesung appeared in real time. He has changed into a black jacket with leopard and flower patterns. The fashionista also matched his summer outfit with a pair of black sunglasses. 😎 He heated the atmosphere up with "Fire～灰になっても、燃え付く僕ら～" (Fire ~Even if we turn to ashes, we will burn brightly~). His two subsequent songs for summer were "Make It Summer" from his second Japanese album and "Mad World" from his newest one. 

The artist and the band rested for a bit after performing. Yesung caught a fan at the front row laughing. He teased, "Why are you laughing? Are you having fun? Are you embarrassed?" The girl shook her head and held her uchiwa to cover her blushing face. 😂 The soloist then directed a comment to us, "You feel better after cheering, right?" He questioned the lucky fan again, and boy, was she dying of embarrassment! 😂😂

The singer also reenacted us screaming during upbeat performances. He even imitated us staring straight with his lips sealed in a thin line during a slow song. Our favourite Japanese interpreter, Nomoto-san, emphasized the "ジーーーー" onomatopoeia, which doubled the laughter among the Japanese fans. 😆😂

The performer and the musicians moved on to their last two songs that represent summer: "Chasin’ the sun (君の速度で)" (Chasin' the Sun- At Your Speed) and "写しかがみ～憎しみの矛先～" (Reflection mirror ~The target of hatred~). What I predict from this part of the set list is these songs pendulum from energetic and joyful to anger and self-awareness. We humans feel a roller coaster of emotions as we fight the summer heat and enjoy the longest break of the year. 

As Yesung caught his breath, he took his sunglasses off and exclaimed, "I can't see anything with these on! Are you hot and sweaty?" 🤣🤣🤣

Fall

"Shall We Dance" is the first song in this section. Yesung danced the samba before he started his first verse. 😂 He also did "僕だけが辛い一日ではないはず" (I can't be the only one having a tough day). Not only were these two songs easy for my body to sway but also easy to sing along, too. 

In his speech afterwards, the SuJu member saw several fans on the second floor sitting down. He lectured them unseriously, "Why are you sitting? You can stand up!" He also mimicked them sitting and staring down like stiff sticks! 🤣🤣🤣 The camera even showed the two girls hopping off their seats while giggling. 

Yesung announced his latest album, which marked his 10th solo debut anniversary. He chipped in, "I believe in myself. You believe in me, too, right?" We answered with a resounding "YES!" while waving our sapphire-blue light sticks. He didn't forget to remind us that SuJu will have a concert in Tokyo Dome one day soon! I hope our boys will keep their word this time! I'm manifesting Super Show 11 in Tokyo Dome! It has to happen! 🤞🤞🤞🤞

His last song for fall was none other than his beloved side track from his Pink Magic album, "Slide Away". It's brilliant of him to include this gem because not only was it a fan favourite, but the message behind it reminded us to never stop living our lives despite the gloomy weather and ever-changing seasons. He's telling us we can run away from the bad that is happening in this world as long as we have each other. 

Winter

The last bit of the VCR flashed on the screen.  Yesung, the repairman, expected the girl to return. Every time the bell rang, a different person came, including a mailman. He tried watering it and cooling it with an electric fan, but nothing worked. 

One day, Yesung walked towards the camera and exploded, "Why did you come now? I've been waiting for you!" 

He was complaining to a poor old man carrying a giant green cooler. 😂 In the end, Yesung ate a sandwich by the window while pondering whether the girl would come by. 

Back to real time, Yesung wore a white jacket with a grey shirt underneath and matching pants. He sat on a stool and sang two songs that signify winter: "Hibernation" from his second Korean album, Spring Falling, and "白い星(MELO)" (White Star) from his new album. We all listened to him as he dedicated his emotional, bittersweet ode to his beloved late dog, Melo. Melo passed away early this year. My seatmate, who was a Yesung fan, shed tears throughout the song. Everyone in the concert hall felt his sincerity and loneliness. He loves his pets dearly. 🥺

When he finished singing, he whispered, "I love you, Melo." He also left us an important message: "今そばに愛する人がいるのであればいつもベストを尽くして愛してください。" (If you have someone you love by your side right now, please always give them your best love.) (Source: ELF Japan website) 🥺 It also took the artist one entire year to make the album, and he might not make his next solo album for quite some time. That's understandable! He needs to recharge and focus on other projects. 

His last song was the highly-expected "Lost Heart" from his fourth Korean album, Beautiful Night. He hit the high notes so well! I had goosebumps during the climax of his performance! 😯👏 This was also my seatmate's favourite part of the concert. 

Encore! Back to spring!

"We'll meet again soon!" (Credit goes to SM Entertainment)

The final VCR showed Yesung the repairman smiling from ear to ear as he had fixed the watch. It was the following spring, but the plant was still lifeless. He sat by the window and stared, losing hope. The person Yesung wanted to see passed by in a red coat. He grabbed the watch and dashed through the door. From a corner, the plant had a green sprout budding from the soil! 🥹

Yesung returned as a singer. He wore a white top, a light brown cardigan with floral patterns, and a pair of jeans. Once the guitarist started his electric notes, I whooped and stood up. I could sing most of the lyrics of " 咲き誇る時を待つのは" (Waiting for the time to bloom). All the studying of Japanese words for the past month had paid off! 😄

Then, the K-pop star posed with hand hearts and winking for photos with his backup dancers. My seatmate held a Mexican flag while the photo-taking was in session. 

A couple in front of the star revealed they had been a couple for nine years. Yesung left the girlfriends blushing with a flirty comment, "You are pretty" in Korean. He flirted with a lucky fan on the second floor, too. The camera caught sight of another couple who wore the goods shirt. The celebrity acknowledged the boyfriends who accompanied his girlfriend to the concert and became a Cloud. 

Yesung thanked us all for watching him tonight. "You all are cute, except fanboys, which would be awkward. Fanboys, can you scream?" He watched in awe as a good number of male Clouds and ELFs gave their biggest cheers ever. There was a fanboy sitting a couple rows ahead of me, and he elatedly waved his light stick. 

Before he ended the concert, he delighted us with the title track from his first full Korean album, "Floral Sense". His ad-libs at the end entranced us all. He then shared his last comments, "It's too bad that it's the end. Please go home safely. We'll prepare something special very soon, so please wait till we meet again." 

Ni-san (兄さん: big brother/ Yesung's Japanese nickname) wrapped up the night with "Let Me Kiss" from his first Japanese album, Story. I remember how many times I replayed this song when it first came out! I felt lucky to witness him performing it live! It brought back memories!🥹 Aside from his cute mistakes in the middle of singing, he killed it in his last performance. 

He waved goodbye before leaving through the white door behind him. I recorded a video of his exit, too! 

Moments before the concert

Entrance

I can't express enough how happy I was to be back at Tachikawa Stage Gardens! It was one of my favourite concert venues in Japan. Not only did the concert hall seem big enough to hold a ton of people for a decent-sized concert, but there were also surrounding shops and restaurants that anyone could check out. 

Kyumae, PenguinKyu and BunnyHyuk sunbathed among hydrangeas!

I waited for my two seatmates to meet me. While waiting, I strolled around the garden where hydrangeas were already blooming. I found a spot that was perfect for a plushie photo. 😍😌

View from the observation deck of Tachikawa Stage Gardens

My seatmates arrived, and we chatted for a bit in a coffee shop. Since we had a bit of time to kill, I took them to the observation deck. We passed by the water stairs where families waddled in the cold water. At the top of the stairs, I led them to this view of greenery. It cleansed our eyes and souls. 😉😌We sat and chatted some more before I left to line up for goods. 

Merch list

I had missed the early lineup time for the goods. And to my disappointment, the tote bags were all sold out! I was hoping I could help a friend buy one...😢 

Goods display 

I saw a giant cat cushion that was attached on top of the umbrella in the goods display section. Apparently, people could only buy it online. 😮😕

Clouds would go crazy over this cat cushion!

I bought a hand towel as my keepsake from the concert. I like the raw, hand-drawn design on it! Yesung surely had an artistic eye. 😉

I also met up with two Japanese friends, and we exchanged gifts while catching up. One of them handed me two candy packages for my seatmates. 🥺 One comment they gave me took me by surprise: They said that my Japanese had gotten better. 😮 I spoke Japanese to them most of the time. Maybe the fact that I've lived in Japan for eight years now has helped me have a bit more confidence in speaking their language. Although I lacked a lot in communicating flawlessly in Japanese, my friends' impression flattered and motivated me. 💪✨

Gifts from ELF friends 💕

I also met a fellow KyuPiter as well! She's a friend of one of my Japanese Cloud friends, and she took a photo of our Kyumae dolls together. 😃😄

My Kyumae with a fellow Kyumae! 🥹

Shout out to my seatmate and friend for paying for my concert ticket! I couldn't thank her enough! 🥹 Now that I've experienced my first Yesung concert, I can see why he deserves all the love and respect. I'll mention all the attentive things he had done that made Clouds fall for him. 

Final thoughts

Final group photo (Credit goes to SM Entertainment)

First off, I want to share some oofs:

Yesung didn't include his cover of One OK Rock's "Chaosmyth" in the set list. 🙁 I hoped he would sing it that night. 

There were also no streamers! It was rare for me to leave a SuJu concert in Japan without an autographed blue and silver streamer. 😮

And here are the wows:

My favourite part was when we sang "咲き誇る時を待つのは" (Waiting for the time to bloom) together. I felt like I was a part of the audience when I could pronounce the Japanese lyrics while singing along. 

Overall, the concert was well-organized and heartwarming. Such a simple concept and minimal props, but everything in here gave deep meaning! Yesung linked all of his songs to his four-seasons theme, which made him a thoughtful genius.

Yesung also knew how to engage his audience. He let us scream to release stress and lent us his microphone to sing to choruses in almost every song. Yesung also gave some of us our moment to shine on camera and wasn't shy to tease and scold us. This wonderful human being was vulnerable to us, especially his true feelings about his album making and his precious paw-friend, Melo. 

Overall, I'll never forget this experience . Kim Kanghoon, you rock! 😎💙 Please keep doing what you do, and I look forward to your next album no matter how long it'll take. And of course, I'll root for you as a SuJu member!

So...what's next? I'm recovering from my fangirl fatigue for the time being. 😂 I feel lonely when there's not a next SuJu concert within the next few months. I've just visited Kyuhyun's Kyumae Bakery pop-up store in Tokyo as I'm writing this, and I might post a raw review of it on this blog soon! 👀 I'm bummed that I won't be able to see my ultimate bias live next Friday. My work schedule doesn't allow me to take a day off. 😢 But on the bright side, I'll be attending Leeteuk and Heechul's 83z fan meeting at Toyosu PIT this August, so stay tuned for my recap, too! 

Thank you for reading to the end! Please share this recap with your fellow ELF and Cloud friends! 🙏🥰🫶 Have a brilliant rest of your day or night, and I'll see you in the next blog post. 안녕! 👋💙💙💙💙💙💙💙