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When I saw on social media that Thai actors Archen “Joong” Ayden and Natachai “Dunk” Boonprasert, known as JoongDunk, were coming to Manila as part of the GMMTV Fanday 8 in Manila event, I was excited. Jitaraphol “Jimmy” Potiwihok and Tawinan “Sea” Anukoolprasert were another Thai couple who also took part in the Fanday. I decided to only attend the JoongDunk fan meet because I haven’t had the opportunity to see any of JimmySea’s shows, though I’ve heard their chemistry is also quite strong.
The fan meet took place at The Podium Hall, which is located on top of the Podium mall in Ortigas. The location was great because there are numerous places to dine and pass the time. The show was slated to begin at 2 p.m., but it began a little later than that. While people started to gather inside the hall, I noticed GMMTV’s Managing Director P’Tha and P’Jack from GMMTV’s Artist Management observing the audience and ensuring that everything was in order before the fan day began.
Mela Habijan was the wonderful host for the day. Can I just say that I love Mela’s hosting style? On stage, she combines wit and humor to make the entire show more enjoyable and engaging. I wish she’d be the one hosting all of the fan events I’ll be attending. Finally, when JoongDunk walked on stage, I was taken aback by how attractive they both are in person. They began the show with Nont Tanont’s “First Love” cover. Unlike practically all Thai fan meetups I’ve attended, they didn’t have a translator on stage. They’re both fluent in English, especially Dunk, so they can express themselves clearly. Joong was brooding and overflowing with sex appeal, whereas Dunk was surprisingly charming and talkative. Such an introvert and extrovert duo. They played a few fun games and sang a few more songs (Joong sang “Let’s Try,” the theme song of the series Only Friends, while Dunk performed “Rock and Star” from the OST of the series My School President), and they even did a sample of their infamous “biting part” for their performance of Jeff Satur’s “Dum Dum” earlier this year at the LOLFanfest. JoongDunk got the crowd dancing by urging everyone to join them in the dance “Watch Me (Whip/NaeNae).”
GMMTV Fanday 8 in Manila featuring JoongDunk was one of the most fun fan meets that I’ve attended. They gave out enough “kilig” moments that left their Pinoy DungJangs happy and wanting more. During the hi-touch session, I was able to congratulate Dunk because he just graduated at that time. I have to commend CDM Entertainment for producing a successful show and also improving the fan incentives. Originally, my ticket didn’t have a group photo included but I’m glad I checked their Twitter account and that fan benefit was added. All in all, I had a fun experience at the fan meet and I can’t wait to catch JoongDunk in another series together.
Denise J. Mallabo 