Many may not know that Kim Bum and Hallyudorama have a history so an event that brings Kim Bum in Manila again is something we wouldn’t want to miss. Back in 2009, when the website was just a baby, and during the height of the “Boys Over Flowers” fever, Kim Bum visited the Philippines. As any Boys Over Flowers fanatic then, we pushed our luck to see him in person. And so with just our low quality phone cameras in hand, we scrambled to get inside the Dolphy Theater of ABS-CBN. Kim Bum was the first South Korean star that we met up close. He was just 20 years old then and I remember how incredibly small his face was. He was shy and didn’t speak a lot of English but boy was he charming and sweet.
Kim Bum in Manila
Fast-forward to 2023, Kim Bum returns to the Philippines, a lot more mature and confident yet still armed with his boyish charm. This time Kim Bum made sure to see more of his fans with two shows, one in Quezon City and another in Cebu last September 22 and 23 respectively.
Like the strategic INTJ that he is (He revealed his MBTI during the show), Kim Bum says he was heavily involved in the planning of his fan meet tour. And of course, the actor came prepared, starting off with his Filipino introduction.
“Ako po si Kim Bum. Kumusta po kayo? Na-miss ko kayo. Samahan n’yo akong gumawa ng di-malilimutang alaala today. Between U and Me simulan na natin!”
The Korean star serenaded his fans and even performed some songs from the OSTs of his hit K-dramas “Tale of the Nine-Tailed” and “Boys Over Flowers.”
Kim Bum, who revealed that he has never danced in front of his mother, shyly put on his dancing shoes and did some popular dance challenges to the delight and screams of his fans.
Coming full circle
What made the night even more memorable was when he surprised the audience by coming down the stage to say hi to us up close. Meeting his smiling eyes once again made me think back to those days when we just started our blog. We have come full circle.
To close the show, Kim Bum dedicated the song “When I Get Old” by Christopher and Chung Ha. He explained that he first heard the song during the pandemic and it reminded him of his fans.
The show ended with his cover of “My Universe,” which he sang along with the crowd.
Thank you, Kim Bum and Viu Philippines for that fun night we will surely remember for a long time.
The 2023 Between U and Me fan meetings in Manila and Cebu were presented by Viu Scream Dates.