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The 'Permission to Dance On Stage - Seoul' Cinema Experience: Larger than life
Yes, I was one of the many who flocked to the cinemas last weekend to watch K-pop superstars BTS perform for three days in their concert, Permission to Dance On Stage - Seoul.
It was the second time during the pandemic that the pride of South Korea staged an offline performance. International fans like myself did not miss out as two of the three day events were streamed online, while the second installment became available in cinemas.
I’ve been to countless K-pop events since 2010 and this is the first time I’ve watched a live concert that was streamed in a movie theater. It’s a whole new experience for me, but for now, this is the closest thing we could get to watching our favorite celebrities.
Fan experience
Before the live viewing, some fan groups organized fun meet-ups before the concert. Here’s a video of BTS member Kim Seokjin’s fans dancing to his hit song "Super Tuna:"
Therese Carrillo, who took the video of the dance challenge, said: “Mas pagod ako rito kaysa all four days ko sa [BTS] concert in LA and sa James Corden. Ang difference, mas masaya ako noong Saturday kasi kasama ko ‘yung mga kakilala ko, tapos sabay-sabay kami, ‘yung humor natin, iisa lang. Hindi mage-gets ng American ARMY ‘yung kilig na kilig tayo sa kili-kili at pabalikat ni Jin.”
A self-confessed ‘pandemic ARMY’ or new fan of BTS, Therese was fortunate to have seen BTS in person when they performed in Los Angeles last year.
However, she felt that last weekend’s cinema event was far more enjoyable: “Dito sa Manila, iba, kasi Filipino, tapos puwede kang magwala. ‘Yung excitement, masaya. Parang sila lang, mas masaya sila sa concert na ito, kasi nasa Korea sila. Iba ‘yung happiness kasi they are home. Ganun din ang feeling ko kasi kasama ko ang Filipino ARMY. Sa LA, I partied on my own. Over the weekend, lahat kakilala ko, lahat sumasayaw, parang belong na belong ang feeling mo!”
Another ‘pandemic ARMY,’ Lui Maddela, said this was her first time to meet other Filipino ARMYs: “I became a BTS ARMY last September, that was when my restaurant closed down because of the pandemic. They changed my outlook on life, I became inspired to prioritize and love myself, and work hard in everything that I do.”
She added: “It was fun because you were with your friends. You can scream about how much you love the boys and it’s like you're watching them in person.”
Joan De Venecia-Fabul, the main organizer for the live event, shared that mounting the cinema screening was no easy feat, “At first, only 400 guests were allowed because of IATF rules. But when Alert Level 1 was imposed, we were allowed to add more seats. Just seeing almost 500 members happily gathered during the cinema screening was pure joy!”
Filipino ARMYs also donned their BTS-inspired costumes for the pre-screening festivities. Shirley Pedrera, who played Kim Taehyung said: “I felt so honored to be chosen as V, a.k.a. Taechwita kasi we have thousands of members and I am so honored to play my bias. It was a collaboration of the admins from Kookiebunnies (Jeon Jungkook's fan group) and Vesties (Kim Taehyung’s fan group). We wanted to bring out the best of Bangtan.”
Another winner of the best costume, Katrina Malabanan, shared: “Given the opportunity of portraying Jungkook is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made, because I'm not sure if I can give justice to it, and if my family will be proud of me. But with the team work and positive vibes from my group, Kookiebunnies, we made it happen. In short, playing as JK served not only as a welcome respite, but it gives a new meaning to family and teamwork.”
Larger than life
Similar to live K-pop concerts, Filipino ARMYs got excited even if the screen was only showing the live audience in Seoul. When the lights turned out to show the concert’s opening video, the crowd went wild.
A 44 year-old BPO worker, Vhyck said that the live viewing felt like she was back in high school: “The night before the concert sobrang excited na ako, inayos ko ‘yung mga dadalhin ko sa concert, parang field trip feels eh!”
She added, “Understatement kapag sinabi kong sobrang saya. Ang hirap i-explain lalo na ‘yung kasama ko mag-fan girl halos same age ko rin. For 3 hours I got to enjoy the concert na walang iniisip na kahit ano!”
The crowd screamed and waved their "ARMY bombs," BTS’ concert lightsticks, as if the members could hear them. Meanwhile, our counterparts in South Korea cheered with their clappers as they were not allowed to shout or stand up because of COVID restrictions.
BTS members were gracious enough to acknowledge the limitations, with BTS’ leader RM praising the fans for their “platinum hands” and encouraging the crowd to “Make some hands,” instead of the usual “Make some noise!”
The youngest member, Jeon Jungkook, told the live audience that he ‘looked into their eyes’ and almost cried out of happiness upon seeing their fans in person.
It was ironic, even commendable, how ARMYs in their hometown cannot scream or dance to their hearts’ content, while those of us in the cinema went wild, as if momentarily forgetting that there is still a pandemic.
For the uninitiated, the whole fangirling experience may still come off as over the top. Even Joan admits: “My old self would have poked fun at K-pop fans, but ever since I became an ARMY in late 2019, I became immersed in the music and the boys’ story of redemption and success. I threw away my biases and completely embraced ARMY culture.”
The ‘Hallyu’ effect
When the pandemic happened, I noticed that more people got into Hallyu or Korean wave. Perhaps, in these trying times, many found solace in the role these “idols” remind us — a childhood friend, a lost love, our youth, or those days before we realized that everything in this life is fleeting.
Eventually, we all know that our favorite stars will live their own lives and give way to younger generations of K-pop celebrities. But just like the other people I saw in the concert, I’m just glad we got to enjoy this "guilty pleasure" with more people.
What struck me most was how the event head, Joan, summed up the whole experience: “I am a 41 year-old fan girl, and I am also a wife and a mom of four, and a company lawyer. I feel like my identity has become richer when I became an ARMY. I have also made new friends, something I thought was no longer possible given my age. Loving BTS has made me want to give back to the community, and I found like-minded individuals who could do events and activities that could change the lives of many people.”
When we were watching the concert, the "high" was similar to the "usual hobbies" non-K-pop fans enjoy. Even without the translation, the music touched us. Just like what BTS said, “we don’t need permission to dance.”
We don’t need permission to be happy. — LA, GMA News
