[17-Sep-10][lifestyle]The fan-girls went home happy

 

From the ‘ahjumma’ (‘manang’ in their 50s) to the tweens and teens, they got their fill of Rain TOUTED as the biggest K-Pop event to hit Manila, “Intensity” which featured Christian Bautista, U-Kiss and Rain clearly showed the growing popularity of K-Pop in the Philippines. With only three-week notice, fans found their way to the MOA concert grounds Sept. 11. It was perfect time to watch the different fan-girls who came to support their idols. Rain’s ‘ahjummas’ At around 6 a.m. on the day of the mini concert (in Korea a performance has to last at least three hours to be considered a concert) some 60 to 70 foreign fans had already started to mass near the VIP entrance. The concert was to start at 8 p.m. but the fans were already there to make sure they’d get the best spots in the mosh pit. Most of the fans were what I would call Rain’s “professional ‘fan-girls’” (boys). They’re mostly from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Macau, China, and even HK. They’ve made it their business to follow him around the globe for his concerts, fan meets and other activities. Some have been following Rain around the country since his arrival in Cebu Sept. 1. Rain spent two weeks here to shoot for his TV series Fugitive. On the day of the concert, they were joined by Pinoy fans, many of whom are members of Cloud PH, Rain’s local fan club. None of them fit the K-Pop fan-girl stereotype—they’re certainly not in their teens. Most of Rain’s fans are in the 30s to 40s. The age range of Rain’s Japanese fans is 40 to 60, while here, most of his fans are in their late 20s to 30s. They are mostly “ahjummas”—or “manang.” These are mostly women who followed his dramas, the most popular of which was “Full House.” I talked to two fans (who requested anonymity) who admitted to being in their 50s. They said they’ve never experienced being a fan-girl until Rain came along—and they’re proud to be his fans. They initially admired Rain for his good looks and pumped-up performance. They became loyal fans because his life story inspired them. Rain rose above difficulties to be famous. Since most of these “professional” fans are actually professionals, with high-paying jobs, they can afford to follow Rain around and buy his albums, DVDs, photo-books, whatever merchandise. They’ve also come to love fan-girling because it has allowed them to network with other fans from all over the world, creating a community bound by their love for the Korean pop star. U-Kiss’ fan-girls While most of the early birds were Rain’s “ahjumma” fans, another type of fans started flocking to the venue around mid-afternoon. This time they were real fan-girls. They are girls in their tweens and teens accompanied by their moms and older relatives. Among them were cousins Sofia and Corrinne, aged 10 and 11, respectively. They wore cute, colorful outfits with glittery sneakers, and they hoisted lightsticks. They were at the Araneta Coliseum in U-Kiss’ first major concert a few months ago. They said they like U-Kiss because “they’re so cute.” And they like the way they’re dressed. They said they discovered the K-Pop idol band through their music videos. Since then they’ve bought the boys’ albums and posters, followed them on Twitter and online forums, memorized all of the group’s songs and dance steps. Their love for U-Kiss has also led their moms to check out the K-Pop scene and eventually to pick out their own “idol” boys. Christian While a few local artists opening for foreign acts would get booed by an impatient audience, Christian Bautista was definitely not. The audience was quite enamored of Christian who sang three slow songs. He looked good and had the best vocal performance that night. When U-Kiss’ turn came, the girls started screaming and jumping. Sofia and Corrine asked their adult companions to carry them on their shoulders for a better view of the guys. It was a very short four-song set, but the girls were happy and thought that it was all worth it. The crowd went wild when Rain appeared through the stage floor. He sang nine songs, including the hugely popular “Rainism,” “It’s Raining” and his latest songs, “Love Song” and “Hip Song.” The guy gave it his all and was a powerhouse onstage. You just couldn’t help but be in awe of his energy and charisma. Too bad he had to lipsynch some songs, but the fans understood—his dance moves were quite complicated. The fans seemed satisfied, although they would have wanted a longer set. There was no encore too. Although the concert got mixed reviews, one thing was certain: The fan-girls—the “ahjummas” and the girls—went home happy, with yet another successful fan-girling experience to blog about. source: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/super/super/view/20100918-292868/The-fan-girls-went-home-happy