Sapphire Inspiration (サファイアひらめき~사파이어영감): Am I dreaming? My first Kyuhyun solo concert ever!!!!!

Concert poster in the venue!

Opening

Cho Kyuhyun entered through a door on the gigantic LED screen. He wore a black and gold blazer over a black shirt and matching pants. He looked like he was attending a royal gala. He began his show with the first verse and chorus of his latest song, Restart. Not only it's a great song of choice to start the concert, but it's also meaningful to the new beginning of his solo career.

Official photo from Antenna Entertainment

Next, he sang one of his Seasons project songs, Dreaming. Immediately, he involved the audience to sing along to the "whoa" part at the song's end. He began his introductory speech right after. He recalled his last solo concert in Japan, which was in 2017.

He then started his next song, A Million Pieces, which was one of my absolute favourites. After listening to this song on Spotify and watching the music video many times, it felt like a dream come true as I watched the artist singing my favourite song LIVE!. 🥰 He also sang one of his newest B-side songs, Slow, Slowly.

Slow, Slowly

Korean ballad corner

In his second speech, his back was facing the audience. He turned back while wiping his sweat off his forehead with a towel. 😆He also groaned as if he had joint pain as he sat on a chair. 😂 He couldn't remember some Japanese words, so he asked his translator, Nemoto-san, to translate. The next thing we knew, he copied what she said. 😂

He continued with two mellow ballads: Was It Love and Aewol-Ri. In the first few lines of Was It Love, the singer sang without any instrumental music. My ears melted into a puddle as his raw, heavenly voice floated across the concert hall. Shortly after, the band's playing accompanied his vocals. It was magical! 😭👏 He blew us away with his high, long notes in Aewol-Ri, especially at the end of the bridge. As he slowly pulled his microphone away from his mouth, his voice trailed off like an enchanted echo. Just...goosebumps! 👏👏👏

Official photo from Antenna Entertainment

His third speaking section came, and he split the band introduction into two players per part. It's friendly and thoughtful of him to do so because such a time allowed each player to show off their skills.

Finally, here came the moment I had been waiting for. Kyuhyun did his cover of the Japanese song Marigold by Aimyon. When he finished, he said he did it better than when he was in Osaka a few days ago. However, he noticed that his pronunciation of the word "全部" (zenbuu) was wrong. It was supposed to be "zenbuu" and not "jenbuu". I didn't catch that mistake, though. I think he did a fantastic job in that song! Some Japanese fans shouted, "大丈夫!" (It's okay!), and I'm sure he heard them. One fan said, " もういかい!" (One more time!) Kyuhyun was surprised by the sudden request, but he pulled himself together and sang Marigold's chorus. He stopped halfway and said, "I can't!" He tried again but stopped after he gave us an air kiss. 👀😆 We all giggled at his cute reaction.

Marigold

After the short speech, he performed a five-song Japanese medley: Comet, Beautiful, Yuki No Hana, Terminal, and ハーピエンド (Happy End). Comet, Beautiful, and Terminal were from his Japanese album One Voice, and the remaining two were covers of two other popular Japanese songs. Again, his Japanese pronunciation was excellent! He should be proud of himself for studying Japanese to the point of pulling all of these Japanese songs so well!

Terminal and Happy End

A little taste of Musical Kyu

Later, the star asked whether there were Japanese ELFs who had watched his musicals. A big number raised their light sticks and screamed. His eyes widened as he commented that so many had seen his musicals. I wish I could have the chance to see his musicals one day. 😭 A hall of fame with posters of his musicals appeared on the LED. He described his musicals briefly before presenting us with a song from Ben Hur. His final note drew a pause in the middle and end of the performance. The hall was dead silent, and you could hear a pin drop! Everyone held their breath as they focused on the emotions layered in his versatile voice. Truly a masterpiece! 😮👏👏👏

Kyu's hall of musical fame

Official photo from Antenna Entertainment

Kyu Hur

The artist finally went backstage to take his well-deserved short break and change his outfit. Meanwhile, we were entertained by the parody VCR of the Frankenstein musical. Instead of Kyuvic creating Frankenstein, he created his character, KyuMae! 😂😂😂

FrankenKyuMae

Kyu came closer to KyuPiters and ELFs' shaking hearts!

Kyuhyun returned to the spotlight, but he was on the audience's floor this time. He waved at the fans on the first floor while serenading everyone with his hit OST from Netflix's Hospital Playlist, Confession is Not Flashy. Before he did the second verse, he disappeared through the doors and went to the second floor, where I was seated. Everyone stood up and screamed when Kyuhyun appeared on the right side. This moment was when it was dangerous for my poor fangirl heart. He waved as he sang the second verse and passed every corner he could go. He locked his eyes onto every row. His eyes were a sparkly, lovely shade of chocolate brown. His skin was as white as snow. His hair looked so luscious and fluffy. His smile was so dazzling that my heart stopped briefly, and my knees became weak. He looked like the ideal male lead of a romance drama. Even though my seat was a few rows from where he was walking, I couldn't believe I saw him very closely. Wow, he's that man any girl would dream of marrying! 😍😭💓💘💗 Imagine Cho Kyuhyun singing this song as his confession to you! OMG! I would dieeeeeeee in a pool of hot chocolate just by sinking myself into his dreamy gaze! 💓💓💓And he's even wearing a white dress shirt and jeans??? 🥵🫠Okay, sorry for going on a tangent. 😂😂

Official photo from Antenna Entertainment

He went to the third floor and sang his comeback-from-the-army-song, Time With You. Again, he took his time to wave to his fans at every corner he could find. As the song neared its end, he rushed back to the first floor, waved to more lucky fans, and returned to the stage. In his next speaking segment, he re-enacted himself when he ran up the stairs to get to the second and third floors. He then had to switch from hurrying to calm while singing. 😆 Before moving on to the next song, he introduced the band's main guitarist and bass guitarist(?). I don't really remember which of the band members, actually. 😂

Official photo from Antenna Entertainment

Kyu unleashed his dance energy!

Flying Deep in the Night and Together were the next two songs he performed. Four dancers came to the stage and did the adorable choreography with him. They transitioned to a performance mashup of three Super Junior's title tracks: Devil, Black Suit, and Sorry Sorry. And, of course, being the legendary idol he is, he nailed the choreography like it was a breeze. He even put a cherry on top by showing his vocals off at the end of Sorry Sorry! I mean, the high note of "shawty" twice?! Insane!!! Round of applause to this man!!! 👏👏👏

Sorry Sorry

Another moment I was waiting for was his dancing to Idol by the J-pop duo Yoasobi. He wore a pink blazer, like in his viral TikTok video and Instagram reel. I was elated when he did it. 🤩

Idol

While Kyuhyun was catching his breath, he allowed his dancers to have their time to shine in their respective self-introduction. When the dancers let him do a solo dance, he shook his butt while turning 360 degrees. 🙈😂🔥 That's hot and funny at the same time!

Another awe-inspiring moment

His makeup artist, fashion stylist and hairstylist rushed by to retouch his look. As he talked, the employees got their job done swiftly and precisely. The hairstylist did one last spritz of hairspray onto his hair and fixed some tiny strands of his bangs and sides, which was funny to watch. 😂 He didn't forget to introduce the keyboardist and drummer before continuing with the subsequent songs: At Gwanghwamun, Daystar, and Moving On. While we listened to him singing his first solo song, he directed his microphone towards us, and we sang the chorus. He was touched that we knew the Korean lyrics. Everyone was drawn to his voice for the other two songs as if he were casting a spell on us. He told the story of heartbroken lovers in the ballads, and he was exceptionally amazing, as always. When he finished, he confessed that he was worried about Dreaming, Aewel-Ri, and Moving On because of the long, high notes. Apparently, Yesung (or 兄さん, as the Japanese ELFs like to call him) was the one who encouraged him to do these songs. He believed that Kyuhyun would sing these difficult songs well. Thank you so much for giving Kyu the confidence boost, Yesung! 🥺

Official photo from Antenna Entertainment

He then went on with his next song, The Story Behind. After that, he waved briefly before leaving the stage. The LED screen displayed a starry background with a Japanese translation of the lyrics from At Gwanghwamun. Some fans started singing the whole song in Korean. In the final chorus, the screen said, "歌いましょう!" (Let's sing!). We sang while watching the Japanese words appear and fade. Ultimately, we all clapped and cheered, knowing we'd sung the song well.

Encore

Kyuhyun came in a white Restart shirt from the concert goods and a new pair of jeans. He sang my favourite song from his new album, Restart, and we sang along with him. After days of practicing singing, I sang the chorus entirely in Korean! I couldn't be prouder of myself! 😃😄 When the song ended, Kyuhyun asked us to shout "アンコール!" (Encore!) instead of "Cho Kyuhyun" because he thought we would say that to ask for an encore. After we did it, he thanked us and said the concert was ending. 😢 He said he could extend the concert for another two hours, but he's worried about our way back home due to the transit schedules and other things. 😂

Restart

Now, it was photo time. He posed for a few snapshots with his dance crew before doing solo ones with the audience. I remember him listening to pose ideas from some of us, including a heart pose and a cat ears post. How cute! 😍💕

Official photo from Antenna Entertainment

He promised us he would return to studying Japanese after stopping for a while. According to a radio show he did after his Osaka show, he told the host that he took the 3rd level of JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). 😮 After 2019, he didn't catch up with his Japanese learning. And so, he asked the Japanese ELFs to teach him Japanese and correct his pronunciation whenever possible. 🥺🥹 He also said he was supposed to have a Japanese song/ comeback planned in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic. I really hope he'll release a new Japanese album soon! 🤞

We all went "Ehhhhhh?" when the singer announced that the concert was ending. He did his cute "えじゃないか？" (Ehjanaika?) dance, and commented on how old the dance was. 😆 He said he created it ten years ago and still did it. He was supposed to have. a new signature dance by now. I don't mind him doing this dance. It's still cute!

He left us on a hopeful, happy note with his final song, Rainbow. It's a wonderful song to close the night because he has a lot planned for his new chapter as an artist. Of course, I look forward to seeing him grow as not just the Super Junior member Kyuhyun and Antenna's new artist Kyuhyun but also the beautiful, humble, and phenomenal man Cho Kyuhyun. As he waved us goodbye, the hall was filled with screams of love and pride. Like the other KyuPiters watching him that night, I hope he'll have another solo concert in Japan soon, and I'll keep on supporting him. 🥰

Rainbow (1)

Rainbow (2)

Farewell! Till we meet again!

Final thoughts

The past me wouldn't believe that she would get to see her ultimate K-pop bias LIVE. 🤭😁😄 And every single moment of the concert was so worth it! I'm also relieved I got the last KyuMae plush doll keychain because it got sold like hotcakes at every concert stop. And not to mention how fast the T-shirts got wiped out ten to fifteen minutes later. 😮

My KyuMae acrylic keychain!

Binder set

A smaller folder and two stickers

Look how cute?! 🥹

The second sticker! Awwwww! 🥺

Three clear photocards and two Polaroids

Love these Polaroids! 😃😄🥰

The tiny KyuMae doll! 😍

I was also thrilled to meet more lovely fellow KyuPiters and ELFs at the venue. I won't say their names, but I want to thank them for saying hi and exchanging gifts. I had an early dinner and a nice chat with a sweet Filipino ELF. I got my long-time-no-eat Reese's from a North American ELF. Psst...thanks so much for the candy, BTW! I really enjoy them! 😄

I was also happy to meet a fellow Japanese ELF who I've kept in touch with on Instagram for many years. She was one of my first Instagram friends, and we have occasionally been messaging. I had hoped to see her since I moved to Japan, but life gave us challenges that delayed our IRL encounter. And so, on the day of Kyuhyun's concert, I was excited rather than nervous about meeting her. She was a kind, welcoming person. We shared a bit about our life updates and, of course, our love for Kyuhyun. 😊💙My new North American ELF friend also came by, and the Japanese ELF attempted to talk to her in English. We had a lovely chat. She even hugged us goodbye and hoped to meet up again soon. She mentioned both of our names in her Instagram post, too. 🥺🥹 How am I so lucky to meet good people?

Merch and gifts (snacks) from friends

Kyuhyun Oppa, thank you to the galaxy for coming to Japan for your solo concert tour! My first concert with you was one of the best nights of my life. I'll catch you LIVE in Japan or anywhere else in the world very soon! Thank you for making my life a lot brighter. I love you so so so so much! 너무 고마고, 사랑해요! 😄😍😘🥰

Giant KyuMae! 😃😍

Tiny KyuMae and giant KyuMae!

KyuMae bouquet!

Official photo from Antenna Entertainment

Extras

The next day, I checked out the touristy mall called World Porters. Guess what I found at the Kira Kira Don Quijote.

SMTown section poster

medium posters

binder sets

Yep! There was an SMTown section! It even had Super Junior stuff! The prices were high for me, but the quality of the posters and binders seemed nice!

binder set

The store even played two MVs on loop: Mango and Don't Wait! Don Quijote in Yokohama, thank you for promoting my boys! 🥹😭👏

Mango

Don't Wait

It has also been years since I came back to Yokohama. This time, I explored the seaside. And gosh, I didn't regret checking it out! There's so much to see! The red brick warehouse, World Porters, the international cruise terminal, Marine & Walk, Cosmo World, the cup noodle museum, Rinko Park...you name it! The view of the ocean was spectacular! 😍😄 Even my KyuMae agrees!

See you someday, Yokohama!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my recap of my first-ever Kyuhyun's solo concert. This is truly a magical memory for me, and my heart has never felt so full in months. I am still determining when my next SJ event in Japan will be, but I hope it will be soon! It may be the end of this year. Super Junior's Super Show Spin-Off in Japan? Perhaps? I'm crossing my fingers! Thank you for reading this blog post! Please help share this with your fellow KyuPiters and ELFs as well! And if this inspires you and gives you a glimpse of what a Kyuhyun concert feels like, I'm hoping you will have a chance to see him LIVE someday! This man is truly a gift on Earth and in my life. 💕💗Until then, see you in the next blog post! 👋💙

P.S. Below are the brief notes I typed in the Journal app on my phone and the physical journal pages of my first draft of this recap. If you want to read my not-so-pretty handwriting, here you go! 🙈😂