the last men standing!
The amazing thing about this group is that you can be half out of the fandom and kind of yeah well this doesn't apply to me anymore cos it's, you know. I've better things to do, like read a book (not that I am saying anything against books, okay, just that they're a completely different sort of pleasure), and then BAM you go watch their concert just because they're here and you know that Super Shows are always fun, and BAM BAM BAM you're pulled straight back in like you put a foot into quicksand.
They're just so absolutely fantastic at tugging at your heartstrings, making you want to cry, instigating you to laugh and scream ridiculous things at them like: "GET IT SUNGMIN", and dressing up as Marilyn Monroe and Britney Spears and Steve Jobs and still managing to look madly adorable. And I mean, if you're able to look adorable in a black turtleneck, jeans and a creepy centre parting while chomping on apples, you've got a mad talent, just saying.
Also, OUR LOVE. I'm dying to find a fancam of it on the second day because it was the most stunning moment I've ever encountered in concert. All the factors just culminated together (despite the lack of EunHae, which I'm still bewildered over cos, I mean, no EunHae during Our Love?! The world, it is collapsing!): 1) Almost every single fan in the stadium holding up red hearts, 2) the absolutely gorgeous remix and musical interlude, 3) the video of their debut days and first concert, 4) the boys all hugging each other, 5) the fans singing one verse unaided, 6) Teukie and Shindong both crying. It was a gorgeous moment. I can't even begin to describe it. Certainly it's not on the musical level as say, X Japan, but it doesn't really have to be because it was so emotional and you just wanted to bawl and be all, aww my boys look how far you've come and despite all the members leaving and leopard prints and fishnets and music videos in a box - YOU'RE STILL HERE SINGIN' TO US.
The opening, too, was kind of...stunning to say the least. With the stadium waving the glittery blue lightsticks (okay, so Sapphire Blue Ocean is not the most mature name around but the effect is still very beautiful) and the stage all flashing red and the boys coming out silhouetted against the red light and...SUPER JUNIOR, THE LAST MEN STANDING! God it was dynamite! It was goosebumpy! It was screamy! It was - OH MY GOODDDD LOOK AT THEMMM THEY'RE SO PRECIOUS AND ARROGANT AND DESERVEDLY SO! And BAM BAM all the greatest hits came rolling out one by one, Twins, A Man in Love, Opera, Don't Don, Rokkugo, etc.etc. and you're like okay so what if they have an average age of 27.5 years and are thus considered a step before being fossils in the Museum of Kpop, THEY CAN MOVE. AND THEY CAN MAKE YOU MOVE, OH YES THEY CAN.
All the solos rocked out, Kyuhyun with his beautiful harmonica rendition of "Isn't She Lovely", Henry with his Bruno Mars (I LOVE BRUNO MARS), Hyukjae with his SAY-MY-NAME (and you'll always be Lee Hyukjae, stay that way, you couldn't be more fabulous if you were Brad Pitt - actually you would be older and graying with a little belly so.), Sungmin with his girl-grinding, everything was so - for lack of a better word, wonderful! They just make you smile and sing and dance and chant along. And of course, Oppa Oppa. BEST CONCERT SONG EVER EXCEPT FOR ROKKUGO. Says something that it got HALF A STADIUM OF SOUTH-EAST ASIAN GIRLS ROCKING OUT. Cos we're South-East Asians, and we're as slitty-eyed (well actually SE-Asians have pretty big eyes) and poker-faced as they come. You do not get us out of our seats easily. We have special butt glue that keep us stuck to our seats. And yet half the stadium got up and bounced and screamed OPPA!
The ridiculous antics and getting splashed by jets of water and the cheesy pick-up lines ("Everytime we come to Singapore, we're amazed at how beautiful the country is. But even more beautiful, are the fans. What do they eat to make them so beautiful?"), the comebacks ("CRAB!"), the silly bantering ("I want to do this for ten hours." "....YOU DO IT YOURSELF."), the bowing, the gratitude, the interaction, the acknowledgement of fan projects, the always-on understanding of what fans want and the sincerity in wanting to please their fans and put on the best show (cos, I mean, FOUR HOURS AND JETS OF WATER HITTING THEIR CROTCHES).
I love this group and I will sing my heart out for them, and I will wave my little blue lightstick (that says 'Donghae' because it's the only stick I have that works - um), and I will clap till my hands are sore and scream "SARANGHAEYO " during Our Love. That's all. ♥