Here comes Super Junior saving January 2024 with Blue World!

Before the event

Super Junior saved January 2024 in Japan with their Blue World fan meeting. Before I start my recap of the event, I want to recall when I obtained my two lucky capsule toys. I lined up on a freezing, rainy morning for over two hours. When the booths were opened, I bought two coins and chose a capsule container on the right side. I quickly got my two capsules since a long line awaited me. Minutes later, I peeked at my first gacha and squealed. I got an Ennhyuk pin! I looked at my second gacha and found out I got an Eunhyuk standee! It was indeed my lucky day! 🥹

Capsule toys booth

Goods display

Goods list

Goods display

Two tokens

My two Eunhyuk capsule toys! An Eunyuk pin and an Eunhyuk standee. 😍

After lunch at a Korean booth in a food court at Saitama Shintoshin's Cocoon City Shopping Complex, I met up with my seatmate for the first time. The Indonesian ELF was friendly. We helped take photos of each other at the giant lightstick photo spot and the advertisement on the LED screen. We had to wait three or four times to get the perfect shot before the ad disappeared. 😂

The giant lightstick

Forgot to stretch my arm out while doing the ELF greeting 😂

💗

Managed to take a photo with the ad before it disappeared!

We then chatted while waiting for the gates to open. A couple of Chinese ELFs gave us two freebies of their handmade figurines and stickers, which was very nice of them. I also met more fellow ELFs, and we took a photo together. 😄💙

Freebies from Chinese ELFs

Met more ELF mutuals 💙

At around 3 PM, we got our e-tickets scanned. We wrote a question for Super Junior to answer during their talk session. 

My question: "Which member do you want to do a music video collaboration with for Super Junior L.S.S.? Sadly, mine didn't get picked, but that's okay!

I was very thirsty by the time we got to our seats a few rows away from the middle stage. I asked the staff at the front whether I could go out and get some water, but they forbade me. To my relief, I found a candy store on the second floor of the concert hall, so I hurriedly went there and got a freaking 200+ yen bottled water. 😑 I mean, it's the only way to quench my thirst for the next three hours. I reunited with two Japanese ELF friends. One of them wanted to visit me in Kawahoe someday. She gave me a packet of tissues and a prawn cracker. The tissue packaging was a cute potato chip brand. The other friend surprised me with an armful of gifts: a framed photo of Eunhyuk, a couple of candies, Eunhyuk's fan from Super Show 9 special package, and a generous number of nicely printed photos of my two biases, Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk, D&E, and Super Junior. She said she hadn't seen me in a while and wanted to give me all the gifts. 🥺 I think my little Kawagoe treats couldn't beat their generosity. Still, I'm grateful for their kindness. 

Yesung had a stomachache and kidney stone problem. He visited a doctor before the show and was advised not to perform that night. The sudden announcement shocked us all. The concert was delayed for nearly 20 minutes. I predicted that the members were having an emergency meeting on how to carry on with the show without Yesung's important ad-libs. 

Welcome to the blue world!

"Song For You" echoed from the speakers. The lights faded to black, signalling the audience to turn on their fan lights and stand up. Then, a VCR accompanying the Japanese song of the event's title, "Blue World," flashed on the screen. We screamed when the names of our bises appeared. 

The opening VCR

Super Junior were in a mix of light blue, grey and white blazers, matching pants, and black and dark blue dress shirts at the front stage. The first song was the classic 2006 hit "U." Heechul joined the performance, but Yesung's absence made the formation empty. 🙁 The members left a space when Yesung's lines came. They did the same for "Black Suit" and "House Party". 

The boys switched from cool, charismatic looks to cheerful, playful ones in the introductory speech segment. Donghae and Siwon told us to clap for them and praise them for their hard work. Eunhyuk allowed us to sit down, but Leeteuk persuaded us that we could stand, too. Eunhyuk quickly changed his mind and told us we could sit or stand. 😂 Leeteuk spotted a fan wearing a completely different colour (I forgot what colour exactly) and advised her to leave in a jocking tone. The fan meeting was called "Blue World," so the dress code should be blue. The members said those who didn't wear blue should leave the venue. 😂😂😂 They also explained Yesung's absence and how much they've prepared for their upcoming stages, including a KRY song. They joked that Heechul had practiced for two hours and was ready to take Yesung's place as a vocalist for the night. 😂 Heechul joined Kyuhuyn and Ryeowook in singing the chorus of "Dorothy." They did this several times throughout the show. 😂😂 I could imagine Yesung laughing at them as he watched from backstage. 

They sang their next song, "Celebrate". Yesung appeared from a stage lift! 🥹 We all cheered. He sounded tired, but he sounded great, as always. 

Subunit showdown!

Leeteuk, Shindong and Siwon were the first subunit to perform. They did their Japanese version of their first official track, "Close the Shutter." They also showed a mini preview of their new song, "Suit Up"! I felt lucky to watch their performance LIVE for the first time because I couldn't attend last summer's concert. They sang so well, and their energy matched perfectly with the upbeat tempo. Then, they passed the baton to D&E, who hyped the audience with their iconic number, "Oppa Oppa." Eunhyuk waved to my side as he walked down the center stage, and I was stunned by how handsome he looked. 😍💘 Finally, the duo let the ballad trio, KRY, take over the platform with their beautiful tear-jerker "Dorothy." Yesung gave his all, pulling it off and making us all proud of his efforts and concerned about his health. 

Time to learn more about SJ!

Donghae and Heechul attempted to sing a chorus of "Dorothy" as they gathered in the brightly-lit front stage with the rest of the group. They walked to the central stage, where chairs were set up for a Q&A session. Leeteuk drew a question from a pile of paper slips, and the members had to share their thoughts.

The first question was, "Which member do you want to be manager for?" Shindong chose Heechul because of his generous pocket money. Ryeowook picked Leeteuk because Ryeowook himself sometimes had a busy schedule. Donghae chose Ryeowook because he's very good to the staff. Siwon and Kyuhyun chose Heechul too. Heechul chose Donghae because all he would do was stay home. Leetuek was a pass because he was obsessed with golf. Heechul didn't go for Siwon, too, because he speaks English almost daily. 😂😂 He didn't want Ryeowook as well because of his musical schedule. Eunyuk and Leeteuk chose Kyuhyun because they wanted to try working for Antenna. 😆 As a result, Heechul had the most votes!

Another question was what poses would they do. Shindong made his face look like he had a slim jawline. Ryeowook acted super cute by making bear-ear-hearts and many hand-hearts. Donghae leaned back on his chair while posed like a model. Siwon attempted to do three types of poses: idol, model, and CEO. He activated his maknae mode as he presented lots of adorable finger hearts. He wiggled his eyebrows as he did his model pose. He held his fist like he was encouraging people to vote for him in his CEO pose. 😂Kyuhyun made everyone laugh with his new favourite shoulder-to-chin flirting gaze inspired by one of the Singles Inferno 3 contestants. His cute, cheeky smile made his post look cuter rather than flirty.  🤣🤣 Leeteuk challenged him to do a Ben-Hur pose, but he stared at the camera blankly. 😂 As for Eunhyuk, he flashed his gummy smile and covered it with his hands like a shy kid. Heechul tried to do a cat heart with his fingers, but they hurt. 🤭 Other members could do the heart. Lastly, Leeteuk did an authoritative pose with his arms folded and shouted in a menacing boss voice, "Be quiet!" His pose made everyone roar with laughter. 🤣 He also turned the atmosphere's heat a little higher by stripping his jacket off and showing his chest and abs visible through his fishnet top. The fans shrieked, but the other SuJu members looked cringed and disgusted. 😂

Heechul answered another question on what SJ will be like 50 years later. He said everyone will remain the same. He imitated his fellow members' actions, dance moves and catchphrases. He also copied Donghae's way of speaking Japanese; he sounded like a beginner. 🤣 He did it a few times throughout the show. And Donghae, of course, laughed alongside him. 

There's a question about which member they would choose to marry. Eunhyuk wanted to live alone but chose Heechul because of his finger (?) 😂 Kyuhyun's smitten by Donghae's visuals, as we all know, so he would pick Donghae. Donghae chose Kyuhyun to return the favour. Leeteuk chose Kyuhyun because he described Kyuhyun as an "ikemen" (handsome man in Japanese). Ryeowook chose Eunhyuk. Our cute Gu-Gu pair! 🥺

A fan challenged Donghae to do 10 pushups on the spot. He did two when the other members asked whether he could do 12. He did 11 more while the other jokingly sounded pessimistic for not believing in him. Heechul even sneakily counted back to 1 when Donghae was nearly done with his pushups. 😂😂 Donghae succeeded! 

I didn't really pay attention to the visual ranking segment. Such ranking wasn't necessary. Every member of SJ is good-looking, and they have amazing qualities. A fan asked Kyuhyun how many times he looked into the mirror. He answered, "About 20 times." The members realized why he wanted to marry Donghae. Kyuhyun added that if he married Donghae, their kids would be just as good-looking. 😂 He also removed his jacket, and the other boys felt his toned shoulders. He has worked out a lot! 🙈🔥

The second half of the show! 

As the group left to change their outfits, we watched a nostalgic video of a show compilation. The screen showed footage from SJ's debut days to their recent ELF Japan events. I'm happy to participate in some events since moving to Japan. Every moment I spent in a LIVE event with SJ was truly memorable! 🥰💙

Super Junior returned with sparkly black jackets, matching tops and pants. They performed four of their famous title tracks: "Devil," "2YA2YAO", "Mr. Simple," and "Sorry Sorry." They killed every performance as expected. 

The stage lights faded away, which meant it was the audience's turn to get the spotlight. We waved out light sticks vertically while looking for the wave pattern approaching our rows. When the encore started, we were greeted by Yesung, who joined the group to sing the second last song, "Way." It is one of my favourite Japanese songs, so hearing them singing it LIVE was surreal. 

In their last talking segment, Donghae said he would study Japanese hard. Kyuhyun came to pat Donghae's head like a baby. 🥺🥰 They also dropped a bombshell about a new D&E Japanese album in the works! 😮🤩 Kyuhyun was inspired by Siwon, who spoke a little English in his goodbye speech. All he said was, "Hello! I'm Kyuhyun! God bless you." He immediately moved on to Japanese. 🤣 He sang the chorus of his new solo song, "The Story Behind," which melted me inwardly! 😍😍😍💓💘 He sounded heavenly! Donghae suddenly butted in, asking Kyuhyun to sing the second last line again. Donghae changed the last line to "hitori janai yo" from the song "Way." 😂 The youngest member looked dumbfounded, and the other members teased him. He reminded everyone about his upcoming solo concert tour. I can't wait to see him LIVE in Yokohama this April! 🤩😄 Eunhyuk advised ELF to make good money because the group has prepared a lot of gifts for us this year! They'll do their best for their 20th anniversary next year, too. Leeteuk told us a wonderful meaning behind the latest hand-shaped light stick. He said that the hand symbolizes the hand Super Junior will reach out and hold with ELF till the end. 🥺 

The boys ended the event with their go-to song: "Bambina." We waved our lightsticks and danced together with them. Kyuhyun made his chin-flirting gesture when he sang the last line of the bridge. Oh, Kyu! 🤣 At the last part of the song, streamers rained down the arena. I caught one just before they finished singing. Before they left, they took final pictures and videos with their phones and waved good night to us. Leeteuk, the grateful leader and last member to leave the stage as always, bowed at every corner of the massive stage. I couldn't express enough how grateful I am to encounter such a wonderful person in their precious group. 🥺🥹😭💙 

Members saying goodbye

Leeteuk saying his thanks and byes

More official images, photos, and videos

Bambina 💙💙💙

Look at the capacity of this venue! 😱👏

I love this picture! 😍🥹

The streamer 😄😍

My Eunhyuk standee 💕

Final thoughts

My seatmate and I saw pretty sapphire blue lights illuminating the trees in the dark as we exited the venue. This is one of the many reasons why I love SJ events at Saitama Super Arena. The organizers know how to make the event worthwhile with plenty of seats, excellent stage view, fantastic goods, convenient facilities, and even a beautiful tribute to the artists after a show. If you're joining a Super Junior event in this venue, you'll for sure have the time of your life from the beginning to the end. 

Blue illumination outside Saitama Super Arena 🥹

I really enjoyed my time with my seatmate and fellow ELF friends I reunited. One comment I'll never forget from her is that she got to know me because of my blog! 😮 She read the blog posts of my past Super Junior event recaps. She's impressed by the details I remember. As a writer, I care immensely about imagery. That's why I always make sure that I jot down as many notes as I can during a show so that I can remember. I guess I have the same note-taking habit as my bias Kyuhyun. 😂

I'm happy that my blog has reached out to so many people. And trust me, I'll never stop writing and sharing my experiences in Super Junior concerts and fan meetings. If you're reading till the end here, thank you from the bottom of my heart for appreciating my writing and love for Super Junior. This motivates me to hustle in more writing projects, including my long-awaited first novel. Fighting! ✊

My next blog post might be about Kyuhyun's solo concert in Yokohama this April! Stay tuned! 😉😄

Oh! And I've finished my SJ journal! I'll have to look for a new blue notebook to continue my SJ journaling saga. 😁

My SJ journal

Extras: Notes from my phone

My first Super Junior D&E's concert recap (DElight Party in Tokyo)

On December 16, 2023, Super Junior D&E celebrated their 12th debut anniversary with their last DElight Party world tour stop in Tokyo, Japan. I felt fortunate to be a part of this joyous, memorable event. It's been a dream of mine to watch this legendary duo LIVE, so this was indeed the right timing. 

Before the evening show

I arrived at Makuhari Messe at around noon. I was planning to check out the merchandise line, and to no surprise, the queue to the merchandise booths reached the end of the area. A staff person held a sign showing crossed-out pictures of sold-out goods. And one of them was, sadly....the photo card holder that I wanted. 😢 I decided to find a coin locker to store my suitcase, since I was staying at a hotel for the night, and have lunch at the nearby mall before returning for the second round of merchandise sale. About an hour later, I came back. A new line was already forming, but luckily, it wasn't as long as that morning. The second round didn't start till 3 PM, so I watched Super Junior D&E's world tour recap videos from their past destinations in Asia, Canada, and South America. Once the sale started, I crossed my fingers, hoping that I would get my photocard holder, hoodies and lightsticks several friends requested. Unfortunately, when I was in front of the booths, I saw one staff worker crossing out the hoodie picture on the merchandise list. 😱 The pretty blue zip-up hoodies were sold out within fifteen to twenty minutes! I got lightsticks for three ELFs who live overseas and my long-awaited Eunhyuk photocard holder. 

Eunhyuk photocard holder (one random photocard included)

I love this simple yet hot look on him! 😍💘

My Eunhyuk/SJ keychain collection 😁

I headed back to the mall for a quick dinner at around 5 PM. As I went to Makuhari Messe Event Hall for the last time, the sky was engulfed in night black. In contrast, the entrance's stairs were lit up in rainbow colours. It was a pretty sight. 😀

Makuhari Messe

I was about to enter the event hall when I suddenly spotted a bunch of people gathering around tables filled with Post-Its and marker pens. It turned out to be a message-writing zone. I quickly fished my hand into my tote bag for my handy dandy pen and ripped a cute Christmas-themed Post-It. 

A staff member cupped his hands and shouted like he was using a megaphone, "Attention! The show will start in 30 minutes!"  

I racked my brain for a quick message for D&E:

My message for D&E😄

A group of ELFs sought space to put their messages on this easel full of sticky notes. Worried about the time, I scanned for a tiny spot in the middle and pasted my message. 

Post-Its board

I zigzagged my way to the opened doors and showed the staff my e-ticket. In exchange, I got a photocard of both Donghae and Eunhyuk. I immediately took photos with it next to one of the posters on the walls. 

My free photocard (Eunhyuk's side)

My free photocard (Donghae's side)

Next to the poster-covered walls was a cute cardboard standee of the duo in traditional Japanese costumes. Were they yukatas? They looked a lot shorter than what I would expect a yukata is. There was a long line waiting to take selfies with it. A fanboy in front of me asked me to photograph him. I tried not to laugh as he posed cutely with the standee. My turn came, and I took a brief snapshot of the standee alone before dashing off to find my seat in the concert hall. 

D&E cardboard standee

I was lost while searching for my seat. I walked around like a headless chicken for the past fifteen minutes. I gave up and asked a staff for help. The staff pointed out that my seat was at the arena downstairs. But since there were no stairs around the second floor where I was stranded, he told me to go out and walk all the way down on the left. Thankfully, I found the stairs leading to the arena. Another staff worker helped me find my seat, and I relievedly sat down at my chair. Next to me was a mutual ELF friend, Kei. I used to talk to her weekly on the social app Clubhouse. But since Clubhouse has significantly transformed, we decided to text each other on Instagram. We didn't expect to sit beside each other because we bought our tickets separately. So, sitting next to her was a pleasant surprise. 😂😃😄

Starting!!!! 

The lights dimmed once the clock struck seven, and the Japanese song Wings blasted from the speakers. Everyone turned their lightsticks on and moved to the beat of the music. Next, the opening VCR was played on the screens. The stage lights flashed, revealing a band playing drums, a bass guitar, an electronic guitar (shout out to the talented J-Dub), and a keyboard. Super Junior D&E appeared in their flashy outfits, as shown in the concert poster. We all stood up and screamed happily. 

Sexy opening

D&E in sparkly suits (Picture taken by ODE Entertainment)

Super Junior D&E started the show with their latest comeback track, Zero, then went straight to BAD and Danger. Their choreography was sharp, smooth and sleek. And surprisingly, I remembered the fan chants. Then, they introduced themselves. Eunhyuk teased us with a half-stripping of his jacket, and Donghae took his top off to reveal his super-toned arms. Donghae also pointed his microphone towards Eunhyuk’s pants. To our surprise, Eunhyuk rubbed the fabric of his pants to let us hear the friction. 😂 He said the black leather pants made him hot and uncomfortable. 

Eunhyuk (Picture taken by ODE Entertainment)

Donghae (Picture taken by ODE Entertainment)

They also talked briefly about their 12th debut anniversary. As they left the stage, Eunhyuk killed his fans big time by taking his jacket entirely off and showing his sexy, smooth back peering out from his translucent top. 👀🔥 Lee Hyukjae! How dare you!😏😜

Christmas cuties

The band played the background tune to "Bout You'. The duo came in cute Santa outfits! 🎄🎅🤶 I don't know about you, but screaming "Lee Hyukjae" throughout the song felt so satisfying! After singing, Eunhyuk fooled around by commanding us to sit down and stand up several times like we were playing Simon Says. 😂

Donghae and Eunhyuk playing the 99-second mission relay (Picture taken by ODE Entertainment)

Now, it's the game segment! They were challenged to complete a 99-second mission with five mini-games: kendama (a Japanese ball and hammer toy), toy spider tossing, sword putting/ pirate barrel, limbo, and spinning fan catching. Unfortunately, they failed the relay three consecutive times. The web game was the most difficult, so it slowed them down. After the second attempt, Hyukjae had the funniest look on his face. He looked so defeated! 😂😂😂 And in the last attempt, Hyukjae didn't pass the limbo challenge. Ah...poor boys! 🙊😆

Eunhyuk with his Santa shawl (Picture from ODE Entertainment)

They immediately moved to the next segment: Moment of DElight. This was the time when they read some messages from the Post-Its notes. At one point, Donghae asked us, "What day is it today?" He answered, "It's Saturday Night!" The duo started singing the song but couldn't remember the lyrics, so they sang gibberish. The audience sang along: "Oh, oh, oh, oh, Saturday Night!" D&E  teased us because they noticed we only sang the English lyrics loudly and confidently. 😂😂😂

We also sang the birthday song in Korean to celebrate their anniversary. Shortly, they sang the birthday song to themselves in English. 

E.L.F. sang the birthday song in Korean.

Donghae then mentioned his cold and apologized for sounding very nasal. Hyukjae joked that Donghae would be out of breath if he sang their Japanese ballad, Kimi Ga Naitara. And Hyuk's interpretation of Hae's sickly singing was hilarious! 😂😂 I wished I could record that! When they sang the song with the band playing behind them, Donghae sang with the exact imitation Eunhyuk did. 

😂 After this lovely performance, they said they would later sing their hit song, Growing Pains. Little did they know, we sang the chorus of Growing Pains. They gave us surprised, slightly panicked looks and told us to stop singing. They didn't expect us to memorize the lyrics and sound so good! 😂😂😂

Starry ocean

They performed Gloomy, which caused Eunhyuk to sway his body cutely to the supposedly melancholic chorus. They also did Home and Growing Pains. Before they sang Growing Pains, they asked us to turn on our phone lights. We waved our phone lights in sync with our lightsticks. It felt like we were in a galaxy among the Pearl Sapphire Blue Ocean. This beautiful scene was my highlight of the event. 😍🌟💙

Stars ⭐ in the Pearl Sapphire Blue Ocean🌊

Club night

The duo returned with streetwear/ denim outfits after a VCR was played. They did the Japanese version of I wanna dance and Oppa Oppa. We were all so hyped up from these two performances as we sang along, twirled our lightsticks in the air, and yelled "Oppa!" during the bridge of Oppa Oppa. 

D&E singing I Wanna Dance and Oppa Oppa (Picture by ODE Entertainment)

Donghae (Picture by ODE Entertainment)

Encore with a bang!

The boys disappeared behind the curtains to change into their final outfits. In the meantime, we created waves with our cheer wands and chanted "D&E" for what seemed like more than ten times. The sound of a drum echoed from the stage. We kept on chanting to the rhythmic beat. Kei told me that the members would come from behind. Since she had attended the afternoon show, she knew what would happen next in the concert. And she was right! Donghae came from the left side of the hall. We all shrieked and called his name. I, too, was stunned by how close I was standing to Donghae. Unfortunately, I didn't record a video of Eunhyuk. He came from the right side. 😢 

Wave time!

Donghae's appearance

The boys started the encore with their side track Share My Love. They continued with Need U, one of my absolute favourite songs. They also did a mashup of their group's songs: Mamacita, Sorry Sorry and Bonamana. In their last speech, they took photos and videos with our lightsticks overpowering the dark. We even had to scream as loud and long as we could while Donghae was filming with his phone. They shared their final words about successfully finishing their DElight Party world tour. You did it, Donghe and Eunhyuk! 😄💕💙 

They ended the night with their final song, Hello. We copied the duo's towel choreography, waving and spinning with our lightsticks. Donghae switched to his fake maknae mode and playfully hit Eunhyuk's back with his towel. 😂😂 As the final confetti shower poured down the front of the arena, D&E took their final bows and waved goodbye. I watched as the stage lift carried the two precious men down for the last time. I didn't want it to end! 😭😭😭

Final thoughts

Kei had to leave early at the show's end to meet up with her friends. I realized I still needed to take a photo with her as she went. 😢 I don't know when the next time we sit next to each other will be, but I'm sure we will see each other again and take a photo as a new memory. 

Super Junior D&E's handsomeness, cuteness, charm, humour, wittiness, and heart reached everyone in the audience. Not only did they show gratitude to us for showing up and supporting them, but they also did so to the band who had played for them throughout the world tour for the past six months. They made us laugh with silly gestures and Japanese jokes (which I didn't understand 100% 😂), and that's why I love how professional, natural and chill they were. They've worked very hard in their first fan-con as a now-independent company, and now they've successfully wrapped up the DElight Party, they'll indeed have another fan-con to be planned and launched shortly. 

I look forward to my next D&E concert, but with one tiny condition. I hope that they will find another organizer. Even though the organizers of the DElight Party (I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about) work well with the venue workers here in Japan (i.e. early social media postings and surprisingly good merchandise sales), they didn't do this well in other countries. There were far too many complaints from ELFs who waited so long for ticket sales to start, and a couple of countries ended up not having a DElight Party fan-con at the last minute. These organizers also responded to ELF's requests tardily; some were left unanswered. This whole DElight Party excitement was a roller coaster of emotions for so many of us. ELFs who have attended a Delight Party show, I'm so happy for you! And for those who have not, I'm giving you a virtual hug and manifesting a D&E concert coming to your city soon! 🤞🤞

My anticipation of seeing Super Junior LIVE next will be short because I'm seeing them in the whole group in January 2024! ELF Japan's Blue World fan meeting is up next! Stay tuned for my next blog post! 

And, of course, I wish everyone who's reading till the end a happy new year. Let's all wrap up 2023 well! 😉😄💙

P.S. I know that my videos could be of better quality. And I should have zoomed in on my phone camera to closely examine the boys. 😅 I tried my best not to hold my phone too high to make myself look obvious for breaking the "No video-shooting allowed" rule. Maybe I'll get some close-up shots of Super Junior next time. 👀😂

Picture taken by ODE Entertainment

Picture taken by ODE Entertainment

Picture taken by ODE EnteEntertainment

https://youtu.be/6bSPDGOV

Super Junior's 18th anniversary special event (1t's 8lue) Beyond Live recap

To celebrate 18 years of blood, sweat and tears, Super Junior gave ELFs a special treat at Kyung Hee University. Grand Peace Palace on November 4th. The group performed a few fan favourites and a long-time-no-sing-B-side, "Disco Drive." The members delivered professional and relaxed choreography and interacted with the audience with heartwarming and nonsensical speeches. They entertained everyone by playing fun games, cracking dad jokes, and unlocking their kid-like energy. Their brother-like chemistry and desire to perform together were so evident to see. and the best part was the fact that Heechul joined the members throughout both shows of the event. He received the loudest cheers from the spectators, and his parts in the performances were a missing puzzle piece we had been waiting to be put together. 

I don't want to make this recap a 10-page long read, so I'm narrowing it down to some of my favourite moments:

💙 SJ and ELF's play time (Hooray, teamwork!)

I love that the members trusted the audience to know the song titles after listening to the one-second audio and singing the following line. 

💙 Heechul's infamous mic-holding in "Sorry Sorry" came back! 😂

💙 The middle VCR

It's hilarious! The members who were separated in twos or threes had to complete seemingly simple missions to get out of the escape room. I love how random the tasks were, like playing ping pong, tying a necktie blindfolded, singing telepathy, etc. Plus, Kyuhyun's musical voice got me giggling!

💙 Ryeowook's upcoming comeback spoiler!

He sang the chorus of his new, unreleased song LIVE! It sounded so good! 😭

💙Their last performance and Leeteuk's words.

After singing the well-beloved "Miracle," the group leader said we'll meet again on their 20th, 30th and 40th anniversary. The bow of all nine members got me emotional and proud of them for standing their ground till this day. 

💙 Hyukjae's low-key reminder of us as "Everlasting friends" made me realize there's no way we'll be their lovers in real life, no matter how attracted and hypnotized we are about their visuals, personalities and everything else. We're only fans and nothing else. 😢 Still, we can be loyal to their many-more-to-come group/ solo/ unit activities and other endeavours yet to be achieved personally and professionally. I mean, hey, fan love is considered love, too! Not just a sign or gesture of friendship. 

💙 From U 

I'm sad that they didn't sing their Christmas song "Celebrate. But this song, "From U," is a love letter from the boys. Even now, this song is an easy sing-along, and I couldn't feel the group's sincerity towards us. 😘

💙 Heechul, Siwon and Eunhyuk

These three stayed back to take a photo with the fans. Heechul's the happiest when he's with the members and on stage. 

I can't wait to watch it again when the res-streaming video is ready. I look forward to their 19th anniversary. And...D&E's DElight Party in Tokyo is next for me to attend in person! 😉

The first page of my handwritten recap from my SuJu journal

Second and third page

Last page

My loves! 😍💙

Opening

Game time!

Pearl Sapphire Bue ocean💙💙💙💙💙

Urineun shupeo-juni-oeyeo!

Love them so much! 😭😭😭😭💙💙💙💙💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

Super Show 9 Japan (Day 1) Recap

Before I get to the epicness of the long-awaited Super Show 9 in Japan, I want to reminisce about my experience of meeting a new fellow ELF in person. It all started on that rainy morning. I was at the front line for the merch booth at about 8:30 a.m. I had three layers of clothing on, and I had my umbrella ready for the whole day of rain. I was proud of myself for getting there hours before the merch booth opened because when my second ticket holder arrived, we got all the merch we wanted. Some of our friends requested us to buy some for them as well. But among all of the goods, the capsule toys were probably the most interesting (and slightly intimidating) SuJu goods out there. If you have a friend who is obsessed with capsule toys, you will have to deal with their goal of getting all or most of the whole collection. The maximum number of capsules a person can buy is 10, but my friend bought 14! I helped her with a few tries. She aimed to collect all of the standees and face keychains, so she traded with many ELFs who were also trading. I, on the other hand, held my umbrella and translated for her for the past two or more hours. On the bright side, I socialized more than I thought that day. I never knew that I had that much energy to talk to people. I was impressed with how I managed to have long conversations with her. After not having the chance to speak to someone around my age in English for quite some time now, it's comforting to have someone to share my love for Super Junior with that day. 

My friend and I entered the arena less than an hour before the concert started. At first, we were confused by our seats. We thought our seats were on the second or third floor. However, we were led to the first floor. It turned out our seats were next to the premium seats! We were far from the stage but could see the members and the screens. My friend was so happy that she squealed. We took photos and posted them on our fan accounts. I shared snacks with her while waiting for the concert to start. I tried to distract myself from the cold. My only complaint about Belluna Dome was that it's an open-air concert hall. No doors or windows kept the place away from the cold. It's also difficult not to ignore my very wet socks and shoes. 

The concert began with the opening VCR and the first song, "Burn the Floor." The performance gave me goosebumps. The members looked majestic in their white dress shirts and blue pants. Then, they had their blue jackets with gold tassels. They performed "The Crown," "Super," and "Mr. Simple. The fire from the machines surrounding the stage warmed the floor slightly. They immediately moved on to the second section, which was their dark, seductive theme. In the VCR, the members faced their evil alter egos who held chain watches as a sign of time running out. The members shortly appeared in tight black shirts and pants. Kyuhyun's opening dance solo in "Ticky Tocky" killed me! He was so hot!🔥 "Paradox" and "Mystery" were sexy too. Shindong didn't dance throughout some songs because his legs were still in pain. However, he was glowing as he took the center with his singing lines and dance movements that didn't require jumping. Eunhyuk's smooth body movements drove me crazy internally! 😵😭 

Then, the members introduced themselves. They remarked how cold it was a few times. Kyuhyun sang the chorus of his new OST "What Do You Think" for the K-drama "Delivery Man." He almost forgot his lyrics, so he tried singing again. It went smoothly when suddenly the arena was filled with guffaws. Kyuhyun turned to see Ryeowook floating his arms like a ballerina. Shindong joined in shortly after. 😂😂😂  Eunhyuk asked whether his ballad had become a dance song. 🤣🤣

Eunhyuk's introductory speech was strangely about his failed mission of finding purin (Japanese pudding) from a convenience store the night before. He craved Japanese pudding and was sad that he couldn't get one that night. And so, he called the audience his pudding. He even mentioned "purin" in his line for the song "My Wish." 🤣 And guess what? I bought Japanese pudding in memory of his speech last weekend! 

The social media king of the group, Yesung, wanted to impress the Japanese ELFs with a TikTok dance challenge. However, the members could have been more impressed by it. 🤭😂

Leeteuk joked about Tokyo Dome being booked because of a big baseball game. He even said Ohtani's popularity was more significant than SuJu's. 😂 By the way, Ohtani is Japan's beloved baseball player. 

After their "2YA2YAO" performance and the gorgeous flowery-themed VCR, Super Junior's ballad powerhouse, KRY, surprised the Japanese fans with their long-time-no-sing rendition of "Hanamizuki." Their harmonization blessed my ears! 😭 Shortly, the rest of the members appeared and sang "Believe" and "My Wish." They also brought back the revolving stage, which made long-time fans reminisce about "Super Show 5. 

They ended their ballad segment with "Callin" and "Celebrate." One unforgettable part was when all members jumped while singing their new Christmas title track. (Yes, they sang this in the middle of spring. 😂) They encouraged the audience to jump together with them to ease the cold. They huddled like a mega sandwich and jumped as fast as they could. Kyuhyun had a cute, annoyed look because a hyperactive Donghae held his shoulders. Donghae bounced like a rabbit.😂

Finally, the segment everyone was waiting for had begun! The members dressed in Victorian-style red, gold and white clothes. Large, poofy wigs covered their precious hair. They unleashed their inner opera as they sang a medley of "SPY," "Rokkugo," and "Mamacita." No matter what language the subtitles were shown on the VCR or how many fan cams from previous Super Shows I've watched, this segment was always fun!

The next few performances included dance songs: "House Party," "Everyday," "Wonder Boy," "Let's Dance," "Devil," and "Mango." I waved my lightstick and squealed every time Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk came to my side of the stage. Both of my biases were glowing! 😍 Then, there came the rock-music segment. The members returned with black leather jackets, patterned shirts, chain accessories, and fitting pants. D&E performed "BAD" and "Danger." The duo was overflowing with hotness and passion as always, especially when they revealed their toned shoulders.🔥🔥🔥

After the charismatic duo's showdown, the concert version of "Black Suit" played throughout the arena. Kyuhyun raised his hand and motioned D&E to run to join the rest, which was funny and cute. They also performed "Bonamana." I was sure Kyuhyun and Eunhyuk smirked at the camera once or twice!😵😭 

Super Junior had their last segment to close off the concert, which included the lovely "Analogue Radio" VCR, their final speech, and three more songs. While waiting for their last performances, we did the signature Sapphire Blue Ocean. It brought me back to when I went to my first Super Show four years ago! Seeing everyone waving their lightsticks up and down in rhythmic patterns and timing as we created illuminated waves was fun. 

The group reappeared, wearing their Super Show 9 shirts and hoodies. They were also holding the Super Show 9 Japan lightsticks. They sang "More Days With You" and "Walkin." They smiled and waved their lightsticks at the audience. 

In their final speech, Shindong's "Don Quijote" song cracked everyone up. In case you don't know, Don Quijote is a famous Japanese store. 

Kyuhyun said he wanted to study Japanese hard and thought of doing a Japanese program someday. Eunhyuk said he wanted to study Japanese too, but he admitted his Japanese level was lower. Kyuhyun chipped in that Eunhyuk's level was like a baby's level. 😂😂

Their final performance was my favourite part! We all jumped out of our seats and sang "Bambina" along with the members. We moved out lightsticks in sync with the boys'. And there was a loud "pop" at the end of the song. Blue and silver streamers rained down on us. My friends grabbed a good handful for me. We then took photos together before saying goodbye. The streamers have each member's autograph and name on the silver side! 

Oh, I may have been swayed by my friend to get a couple of capsule toys for myself. 😁

Super Show 9:Road in Japan is one of my highlights of the year 2023. They last came to Japan for a Super Show 3 years ago. And if the Covid-19 pandemic hadn't started in early 2020, we would have a Super Show 8 encore. Not only did I get to experience a Super Show for the second time, but I also got to meet a wonderful new friend. 💙💙💙 Super Junior will come to Japan again for more events this year, and I look forward to them. Till we meet again, my loves! 😄💖

The Little Prince Brought The Magic of Fall (ELF Japan fanmeeting Nov 3 2022)

Ryeowook's "Utage" fan meeting event this November was my first solo Super Junior member event, and I can guarantee that it was terrific. The merch display inside the lobby stood a life-sized giraffe plushie with a scarf wrapped around the lower of its neck. It was definitely a must for me to take a photo. I then bought the adorable giraffe lightstick. I couldn't help but look at the pastel pink part with the neat, black "Super Junior Ryeowook" engraved. The intricate fall leaves on the giraffe-shaped bulb were not to be missed. Okay, let's get on with the main event. 

A gorgeous stage backdrop welcomed the fans. The black screens on both sides have red and pink patterns and lettering. The centre of the stage had a huge maple tree. The concert started with a band playing the instrumental of Ryeowook's spring song. The star sang under the tree before walking down the stage. He looked great in his ash-grey hair. He then continued with Like a Star from his first album. The stage was surrounded by little glittering lights like stars. He also sang his 2021 drama OST, Starry Night.

    In his first talking segment, he asked the audience whether there were male fans. He saw some hands up, and he called them "princes." He said we were all princes and princesses. In some of his songs, a couple of dancers accompanied him on the stage. The front screen had special effects that looked like geometric patterns. The special effects make the performance look like a music video. As the idol prepared for his next song, we watched a VCR of a sit acted by himself and Shindong. I didn't quite understand what it was about, but the members' reactions were enough for me to laugh. Ryeowook mentioned "dance" at the end of the video. Soon after, he appeared with his backup dancers and danced to two Japanese songs: Edison by Wednesday Campanella and Habit by Sekai no Owari. He revealed his cute side in Edison and his sexy side in Habit. The camera zoomed in when he did a couple of hip thrusts. 

    Ryeowook disappeared as he got ready for his next performance. The band had their spotlight at this time. Their names flashed on the screen as they played an upbeat melody. When the singer returned, he surprised the audience with a couple more Japanese song covers: Nandemonaiya from the movie "Your Name" and Citrus by Da-iCE. I loved his Nandemonaiya rendition but was mesmerized by his version of Citrus. He started with a super high octave of the choreus and then to the normal range. That must have taken much of his skill and energy to manage such vocal balance! 

During the highly-expectant SJ hit mashup part, Ryeowook wore a sparkly jacket over his outfit. He nailed the choreography of Mr. Simple, Spy, and D&E's Oppa Oppa. He danced and sang the original version of the group's "forbidden" song. Give this man a massive round of applause!

    Shortly, it was time to be sentimental. Ryeowook has changed into another suit and poured his emotions into the ballad POOM. As he finished singing, the screen showed a photo of his mother. He moved on to the next song, To Me. Then came his next speaking segment. From what I understood, Ryeowook said he called his mother daily. He cried as he talked about his beloved mother. I heard that he cried in his other two shows too. 

    His pre-closing songs were Everlasting Love and a Japanese song from his new mini autumn album. When he finished the second song, he looked at the maple tree's leaves up close as the ED screens closed like automatic sliding doors. The concert hall was pitch dark, but the fans clapped in unison to hope for an encore performance. And it worked! The screen showed a VCR of Ryeowok smiling at the camera in different places (mainly in Kore and America). The third album's side track, Crying, accompanied the video. I recognized some parts from Los Angeles's Six Flags theme park and palm trees from a beach. 

    The little prince appeared with his last stage outfit: a white hoodie and a pair of beige pants. He sang his cherry blossom song. After that, he presented his final speech and did a "magic trick". When he snapped his fingers, the lighting around the maple tree changed from pink to red. He tried one more time, and the lighting changed back to pink. He hinted that Super Show 9 Japan will be next spring! After he sang My Dear, he gave shoutouts to the dancers, staff and everyone else who made the events possible. He gave a goodbye air kiss and a cute jump as he left the stage. 

    Overall, I think a fan meeting like this is an event a Super Junior fan should experience at least once. Even though we have our favourites from the group, every member in it is very talented and deserves a lot of support from everyone in the fandom. They've worked so much to present their fans with the best masterpieces and content, so we should do our best to show them that we appreciate their dedication to giving us amazing music ad many more things.