On Jan. 29th, Se7en held a fan meeting in Seoul exclusively for his Japanese fans.
Fans were excited to hear the news of Se7en’s fan meeting, as it’s been nearly four years since he left for the States. This event was planned exclusively for his Japanese fans, and the 100 or so fans who gathered at “Marina Jefe,” a romantic cruise restaurant at the Han River, eagerly awaited for their favorite K-Pop star to show up.
Fans sat in a group of eight to ten members, while Se7en was getting ready for his appearance on stage. When he finally appeared in the hall, fans started screaming his name, heating up the entire place. As Se7en made his way to the stage, he called out the fans’ names one by one, greeting each fan personally. It was impressive to see him use the Japanese word, “-san,” a formal way of calling someone in Japanese, after each fan’s name, although the fans preferred him using “-jjang,” a rather informal way of calling someone, more like your friend or a close buddy. Fans replied by screaming, “I love you,” or “How do you do” in Japanese, and some even had tears in the their eyes, saying, “I feel like crying when you (Se7en) call out my name!”
After the personal greeting phase, fans showed Se7en a video that they made together with their personal fan letters. Se7en seemed overwhelmed by this special video, as he said, “I’m going to watch this over and over when I go home,” repeatedly thanking his Japanese fans. The fans went on to show him fan letters produced by each of the groups sitting together, and Se7en later picked the best video, rewarding them with pink roses.
The next activity to follow was Bingo. Se7en made funny jokes, and switched his voice tone from a bully to a gentleman, making everyone laugh throughout the event. When two girls from the same table finally won the game, he gave them a winning prize of a promotional t-shirt with the title, “I’m going crazy” printed on the front. Se7en also surprised the fans in attendance by revealing hidden messages placed under the seats of each fan. The lucky fan who had a sticker with Se7en’s picture on it won a very special—and probably most wanted—gift which was a jacket actually used by Se7en himself.
After all the interactive games and short talks, show time finally arrived. Se7en quickly got changed and started his live performance. He sang “La La La” and “Digital Bounce” and four other songs in both Japanese and Koreans. Fans held up their neon “7” sticks throughout the performance, showing their deep affection for the R&B star.
Immediately following the live stage, fans got an opportunity to take photos and shake hands with Se7en. While standing in line, the youngest fan present, Ineyama Hanata said that he and his two younger siblings started listening to Se7en’s music even before they were born because of their mother. “My two other kids dance automatically when they hear Se7en’s music,” the mother of the three children said. Another fan added, “Se7en has such a nice personality. He fascinates me with his singing skills and gentle manners.” There was also the 84-year old Osaki Yoshie, the oldest member at the event, who told a reporter with tears in her eyes, “It is my third time coming to Se7en’s fan meeting. I have introduced him to my daughter who is also a fan now. He recognized me when he called out my name—it was so touching.”
After wrapping up the event, Se7en invited all the fans in attendance to his newly opened chicken restaurant, “Yeul Bong Chicken.” When fans gathered at the restaurant, he surprised them once again by showing up as a server. He talked to his fans and thanked them over and over for coming all the way to Korea to see him. His Japanese sounded perfectly fluent that he didn’t need a translator at all. And the Japanese fans seemed truly impressed and satisfied after the event as they kept telling me how nice he is to his loyal fans. Japanese fans headed home with lots of Se7en love in their hearts and it looks like his popularity in Japan will continue to last for a while. But will this love spread to other parts of the world as well? We’re hoping for the best Se7en!
by katejang @ soompi
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