By 
I’m not a big K-Drama viewer, but I know that the few K-Dramas I’ve seen have kept me entertained. My list includes series starring actor Park Seo Joon, whose series Itaewon Class is one of my all-time favorites. I know he has been to Manila for a fan meeting back in 2019 when clothing brand Bench got him to be their ambassador. I didn’t have the chance to see him then but I was able to see him recently at his “fun” meet at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The fan meeting was hosted by I Am Worldwide, a networking company. They got Park Seo Joon as one of their ambassadors. Like other networking companies, they have a number of ambassadors such as Alden Richards, Ara Mina, Piolo Pascual, Heart Evangelista, and last year, they brought in Squid Game actress and model Jung Ho-yeon to also be their ambassador and for a fan meet here in Manila.
My friend Mara and I arrived to the event early. Unbeknownst to us, there was a program preceding Park Seo Joon’s fan meet. Two sports cars were parked on stage. I’m aware of how some of these networking companies operate. They offer a guarantee of luxury to their members in exchange for increased sales of their products namely slimming coffee, organic barley, fruit beverages, and dietary supplements. During their program, they raffled off millions of pesos to their members and awarded their top sellers with international trips and other incentives. People who came there to watch the fan meet started to come in and as people occupied their seats, the three sports cars (one was added which was driven by I Am Worldwide’s number one seller) were removed, which was the sign that they are getting ready for the fan meet.
Sam Oh, one of my favorite hosts, moderated the fan meet, and she did an excellent job as usual. Taller and more attractive in person, Park Seo Joon possesses an endearing smile. He appeared tired, but he was still game on stage. I only had a minor issue with the program; a couple of games and questions didn’t work out as well as they should have. I wish the program had been a little more engaging. The “Never Have I Ever” segment dragged a little, and the question could have not been more predictable. I enjoyed seeing PSJ live, but maybe the next time he comes back, it won’t be because he was brought in by a particular business because, I don’t know, it just felt a little restrictive and he had to do periodic mentions of the brand, which seemed too hard-sell. The program ended with sparklers and confetti.
Despite the fact that the fan meet fell short of my expectations, I remain happy to have had the opportunity to see PSJ in person. I intend to watch The Marvels primarily due to his participation in the movie.
Denise J. Mallabo 