A Big Bang farewell: ‘Like seeing your first love for the last time’

Is this their last goodbye?

Having been a fan of K-pop and Korean entertainment in general since 2003, I have seen many groups debut and disband. In the fickle and competitive world that is K-pop, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. However, one group has remained strong together, relevant, and bigger than ever for ten years – Big Bang.

Big Bang is my ultimate favorite group and I have been ‘stanning’ them since 2008. Last January 21 and 22, they held the BIGBANG10 THE CONCERT 0 – ‘0.TO.10’ FINAL IN HONGKONG – the last show for the group before my ‘bias’, T.O.P, leaves for the military.

The writer eagerly awaits her idols

Thanks to Viu Philippines, I was one of the fortunate few who got to watch them perform live together one last time, along with Lovely Lavapie, the winner of our #ILoveViuBigBang10 contest. Viu also sent four other lucky Pinoy fans to watch the concert.

It will take another five years or so before they all finish their service and become complete again, so you can only imagine how emotional the fans were that night.

Thousands of fans gathered at the East Kowloon Cruise Terminal to show their love for Big Bang. Most were locals, but many were from other countries who flew all the way to Hong Kong to make sure they would take part in the historical moment.

Last shot!

The show was opened by YG producer, CHOICE37, who hyped up the crowd and got the fans dancing to Big Bang mash-ups. On the huge projectors, they flashed shots of fans dancing and having fun, displaying their banners and waving their crown light sticks, just going crazy for Big Bang.

When G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri finally came out, it was like the heavens opened (incidentally, their first song was ‘Heaven’, too). In usual Big Bang fashion, the stage, the lighting, the effects and even the LED screens used can only be described as majestic. I was at the VIP area by the aisle barricades so we were really close to the stage. The open-air venue was so big that they had to ride carts to go around and get closer to the fans in the other areas.

Last words

They performed the songs from their latest album, MADE as well as their past hits. I cannot choose a favorite performance because honestly, it felt like I was having a lucid dream. It was so vivid but a haze at the same time. I didn’t even take many photos or videos, as I wanted to live in the moment and fully experience the show.

I have watched their Alive and MADE concerts in Manila, and I may be biased but they really have the best concerts, and I believe it all boils down to their music. Beyond the fashion, the swag, the showmanship and the fan service, Big Bang is primarily all about the music. They have some of the best, most universal songs in K-pop that people all over the world enjoy, despite the differences in language. It can literally give you goosebumps to witness thousands of people who do not speak Korean, singing along to the music. Though we’re all strangers, we felt like we belonged to one family – the VIP family.

I did well trying to keep my emotions at bay for the most part of the concert until they started giving their individual messages and well, I just lost it. They promised to be back soon. It was not a goodbye, they said. But somehow, it’s not as simple as it sounds. I have spent nine years of my life with Big Bang (I have been in love with T.O.P before I even met my husband) and it was like a chapter of a book was closing right before my very tearful eyes.

So take your last look, girls!

I didn’t know what to feel when the concert ended. I was so spent, and I wasn’t even sure if I was physically or emotionally tired. Perhaps it was both. I told my companion while we were going out the venue that it “literally felt like your graduation day in high school, and somehow you know that it would be the last time you would see your first love, who doesn’t even know you exist.” Yes, being a dramatic, rabid fangirl makes one crazy.

Thank you so much again to Viu for making my and other K-fans’ dreams come true. They really know what Koreanophiles want and I can’t wait for their next VIUtiful surprises.