Park Bo Gum’s feel good fan meet

By Cecille Santillan Visto

Fan Meeting Review
Park Bo Gum: May Your Everyday
Be A Good Day
June 22, SM MOA Arena

PARK BO GUM’s May Your Everyday Be A Good Day in Manila fan meet over the weekend had all the right ingredients, making it the best fan meeting of any Korean celebrity held locally over the past seven years.

It was a showcase of all the things that the 26-year-old actor can do. He sang, rapped, danced, played an instrument, engaged select fans in a role-playing segment, and even made a personalized gift for a lucky audience member from scratch. In various fora discussing Saturday’s show, some fans jokingly commented that had the Encounter star dished out some magic tricks, it would have been a complete and perfect performance.

But what made the event truly special was the Reply 1988 actor’s genuine demonstration of his appreciation for his Filipino followers, primarily in making the extra effort in speaking almost entirely in English during the fan gathering. Prior to Mr. Park, all K-actors who came to the Philippines needed interpreters to get their messages across.

“It’s showtime!” he quipped during the opening, referencing the noontime TV program of actress and self-confessed fan, Anne Curtis, who hosted the event.

Jointly staged by ABS-CBN and Ovation Productions, the Good Day fan meeting was originally set for April 27 but was postponed after an earthquake struck Manila days before. For the fans, the wait for the former Music Bank host was well worth it.

He sang more than a dozen songs, opening with “I Like You,” by DAY6, and even managing to throw in a few verses of Daniel Padilla’s “Nasa Iyo Na Ang Lahat.” After dancing to BTS’ “Boy With Luv” for the first time during his Asia tour, he bashfully told the MOA Arena that his friend, V, from the phenomenal K-pop group, taught him the moves. He obviously came prepared to please and the fans were very happy.

Although the show followed a script, Mr. Park accommodated impromptu requests, including a sample of his famous “Boombastic” dance, which became popular when he was promoting his smash K-drama hit, Love in the Moonlight, in 2016.

The two-and-a-half-hour show was divided into two parts. The first comprised of the interview portion, where the model-host answered some questions from fans. He shared that there are three main items on his “before age 40” bucket list, namely, to get married and have children, study abroad, and star in a foreign film. He said it was his third time to visit the Philippines, first being when he filmed Wonderful Mama six years ago, followed by a Cebu vacation with the Moonlight stars and crew.

He also shared some behind-the-scene clips of his activities and reenacted three scenes from Encounter, a drama he starred in opposite Song Hye Kyo, with some fans.

Mr. Park likewise told Ms. Curtis that he is shooting a futuristic film with Gong Yoo of Train the Busan fame. He plays a human clone in the movie, which started filming last month and which expected to be shown within the year or early 2020. On a lighter note, when asked what habits he wants to change, he said he opts to keep this “a secret.”

The musical theater major also made a diffuser from scratch, which, along with some personal memorabilia he used in recent dramas and commercials, he gave away to fans.

The second half of the show was a mini-concert where he performed some carefully selected ballads and upbeat numbers.

He rounded the MOA Arena in “Let’s Go See the Stars” and serenaded the fans with “Through The Night,” a well-loved piece first performed by Korean singer-actress IU.

Mr. Park played the piano while singing Steven Curtis Chapman’s “I Will Be Here”(which also has a Gary Valenciano version), and danced to “Bounce” and “Honey” with gusto. His K-pop medley, which included Twice’s “What is Love?”

Seventeen’s “Pretty U,” was a crowd favorite. He also managed to include meaningful songs such as “Yes, We Are Together” and g.o.d’s “One Candle,” in his repertoire to keep up with the “Good Day” theme. He closed with “Blessing,” sincerely expressing gratitude to those who “took time to spend time” with him.

In return, the fans sang “Happy Birthday,” as it was the week of his birthday.

After the show closed, all the attendees were led to backstage of the Arena for a high-touch session. The Hallyu star graciously greeted thousands of fans with a wide smile, not showing any signs of exhaustion after his performance.

Park Bo Gum is one of Korea’s global stars who has successfully maintained a squeaky-clean reputation image amidst the scandals of some of his contemporaries. With his hard work, dedication, versatility, and humility, he has rightfully earned his placed in the Korean entertainment industry.

His Manila fan meeting was, more than very entertaining, a feel-good event. He set the bar very high for similar future K-pop acts. It was truly one for the books.