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| Before the fan con |
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| 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.
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| 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. 😄
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| 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!
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| 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. 😉😊
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| Sticker set |
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| 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.
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| Toyosu Park |
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| 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.
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| 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. 😊
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| Upfront cover page |
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| Front cover page |
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| 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!
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| Stickers from the goods line, my Heechul PC, and an extra PC and streamers from a fellow ELF 🥰💙 |
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| Concert poster |
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