Boyfriend headlines ‘Hallyu Fest 2012′ in Manila
Earlier in 2012, I posted a blog titled "K-Pop wishlist for 2012". In this particular blog, I wished that my list of K-Pop artists will release albums in locally. Little did I know that I will get more than that for one of the artists I listed--Boyfriend!
To celebrate its anniversary, the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines brought in Boyfriend to the Philippines. The six-member idol group boasts several YouTube records and won an impressive number of awards within less than a year of their debut. Boyfriend is composed of Youngmin, Kwangmin, Minwoo, Donghyun, Hyunseong, and Jeongmin.
As if bringing Boyfriend in the Philippines was not enough to get the Best Friends (Boyfriend fans) going, the organizers delivered more than what was expected. At the very start of the "Hallyu Fest 2012" program, the Boyfriend members greeted their screaming fans and took their seats at the judges' table. The boys served as judges for the K-Pop Cover Dance Festival which featured 12 talented local dance groups.
During the contest proper, it was fun watching Boyfriend's astounded wide-mouthed expressions while judging the awesome performances. I am guessing the young idols had a difficult time judging the contest. My favorite cover group? H3AT, an all-girl group who covered EXO. Too bad, they didn't win. The winners, Boys on Fire, covered 2NE1 and had incredible audience impact. The winner of the contest will represent the Philippines at the "Visit Korea Year 2012 K-Pop Cover Dance Festival" in Gyeongju, Korea which will be held at the Hallyu Dream Concert on September 21 to 23. This means that the winners will get to perform at the same stage where K-Pop stars perform!
So, what impression did Boyfriend leave the Best Friends? If the unstoppable almost undisciplined fan screams are to be interpreted, the fans were definitely overwhelmed by the idols' presence. Still, the fans were calm enough to offer Boyfriend their "Rookie of the Year" award which the group won during the "3rd Philippine K-Pop Convention", The fans also offer maknae Minwoo an advanced birthday cake. There were also small cakes for the other Boyfriend members.
What impressed me the most about Boyfriend is their obvious humble manners. Despite their fame, Boyfriend exuded a strong sense of humility. They were so down-to-earth. It was a joy to watch stars and those working towards becoming stars support each other on stage. Oh..and did I mention, they were awfully cute too?!
"Hallyu Fest 2012" will not be complete without the much awaited performance of Boyfriend. Boyfriend performed two of their hits including their latest single "Love Style" and the staple "Boyfriend". There is no doubt about it, Boyfriend's visit has made all their Best Friends in the Philippines giddy with joy. Congratulations to Boyfriend and the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines for a successful event which not only fulfilled fan girls' dreams but also brought Filipinos and Koreans closer together.
Catherine Deen blogs for Yahoo! Philippines OMG! She lives, eats and breathes Korean music, cuisine, telenovelas, and pop culture. Follow her on Twitter @cathsdeen.
