I’m an 18-year-old student from the Ateneo de Manila University, Bachelor of Fine Arts, major in Creative Writing. I’ve been a Carat since February 8, 2020 (shoutout to Ode to You in Manila!) after I saw all the buzz about this K-pop group coming to Manila. Before that, I had known of Seventeen from a few classmates who were fans, but I really wasn’t into K-pop at the time! Not until they stepped foot in Manila in 2020 and introduced me to a whole new world of K-pop— going beyond music and performances.
I’ve been a dancer all my life and have danced with several teams, so I know a good dancer when I see one. This made me fall in love with Seventeen even more as every one of them (even given their assigned positions) are amazing dancers and so well-rounded, self-producing everything such as their songs, their choreographies, their merchandise and so much more!
After deep-diving through the rabbit hole that is Seventeen, I stumbled upon their YouTube variety show Going Seventeen that showcased their amazing chemistry, entertaining gimmicks, and funny natures! After my years of being a Carat, Seventeen’s talent caught my heart, but their personalities definitely kept it.
And now I had the chance to see them in person—and so did thousands of others, it turned out. At the Mall of Asia Arena last October 9, the lines for the Upper Box and General Admission snaked all around the Marina Way entrance, breaking into two or three lines towards the doors.
Outside the venue was lots of merch, both official and fan-made. #TeamConcert and #TeamLabas fans were distributing several merch freebies throughout the morning, hand banners, posters, cut-outs of members’ memes, “pogi pics,” and most important of all, their own Caratbongs (Seventeen’s official lightstick)!
Entering the Arena, I could hear Carats’ screams, singing, and shouting as Seventeen’s music videos and songs played.
The concert started with Seventeen performing one of their new songs, Hot. Definitely raised the heat already felt by both Carats and Seventeen!
I could feel the songs and the audience’s shouts in my heart! The music shook the whole arena (both physically and emotionally). Feeling the ground shake right in my seat proved that you got to enjoy the concert no matter how far you were from the stage!
Screens and cameras don’t capture their truly beautiful faces! I was in shock to see how handsome they are in real life!
Their impeccable performances and stage presence never fail to amaze me. What I saw only onscreen was a hundred times better live! All the rumors are true— Seventeen is and always will be the “Synchronized Kings” and “Performance Powerhouse” of K-pop!
Seventeen’s live vocals, unmatched dance skills, and handsome faces were not the only things I looked out for! As Seventeen and “chaos” come hand in hand, they made sure we got to witness their chaotic energies and laughter-filled moments live. From everyone playing with leader S. Coups’ autotuned mic to freestyle dancing to a repeat of their encore songs Snapshoot and Aju Nice, Seventeen proved once again that the K in K-pop stands for K-haotic (in the best possible way)!
Not only that, but Seventeen made sure that everyone (and I say that with the greatest emphasis) got up and jumped to Aju Nice! As main vocal Seungkwan and S. Coups watched each and every fan as much as possible, they ensured that we got as tired as they did by the time the show ended by asking people to “Jump, jump, jump!” For the whole three to four hours, I sat down only when recorded videos ran and during their speeches!
They ensured that we got as tired as they did by the time the show ended by encouraging people to ‘Jump, jump, jump!’
Seventeen surely showed how much they prepared for Manila. Some members had their speeches/ments prepared fully in Tagalog, and some even made sure to comment in Tagalog, as well (tagging Joshua’s “sanaol”).
For this fan, one of the things I truly appreciated was that Seventeen made sure to take care of Carats, as they took a few moments to let Carats in the VIP standing area take a few steps back to ensure everyone’s safety. Not only that, but they took care of Carats from all areas, as they always had a number of members looking up at different sections and interacting with the fans as much as possible. No Carat left behind, indeed!
Seventeen wasn’t the only star that day as Carats made sure to raise the heat as well! Matching their energy perfectly and being commended by the boys for it, I am proud to say I was one of the Carats who shouted “AHH,” “SE-VEN-TEEN,” and their song lyrics at the top of my lungs. They even did energy checks to see if Carats could sing to every song by singing their old songs like Oh My and Campfire, and some members’ solo songs like Woozi’s Ruby and The8’s Side by Side, and guess what—of course we could! Safe to say in terms of energy, Seventeen met their match!
Post-concert, leaving the arena must have been one of the most bittersweet moments I have ever felt. Happy that I was a part of the crowd but so sad to say goodbye.
That sadness was somewhat short-lived, however, as vans shortly pulled up carrying none other than Seventeen, in the flesh! I got to see Mingyu, Joshua, and Dino as they pulled down their windows and made sure to wave goodbye and say farewell to Carats one last time.
Despite the hardships I faced before this long-awaited concert, the concert Be The Sun in Manila made me realize how Seventeen makes all the hardship worth it.
Here’s to the next concert in Manila (December 17)! Even after the last Say the Name, Seventeen!
Caratbong
