Here I am with my usual recap and reflection of any k-pop encounters or events I attend, for both the purpose of sharing the experience with my fellow friends (or those who care xD) and for personal retrospective purposes x)

I was lucky enough to attend SHINee’s 2013 Festival Tour in Taipei last Sunday (4^th August), thanks to my friend who got her hands on tickets for us~ \(^_____^)/

[I'm the one the left :3 With the Jonghyun fan, of course xDDD]

The event started at 8:00pm, but we met up at the place at 1:30 xD I thought we were early, yet the place was already packed with fans. There were dozens of official fan groups who had admins and club managers there, handing out free SHINee cards they printed. There were also free banners, two of which were compulsory, since there was a particular, designated time during the concert where everyone would hold them up at the same time.

It was literally sweltering hot. So hot that we had to take refuge inside the air-conditioned building every now and then, unless we wanted to faint from heat exhaustion before even seeing SHINee that night U_U Standing for ages in massive queues for a card with oppas’ faces printed on them was made a lot more enjoyable and worthwhile with the fans and the overall jolly and excited atmosphere :)

There wasn’t much merch (all non-official; there was no official merch .___.) for Jonghyun :( It was almost like Taiwan had the least number of Blingers or something :( And after my second experience at a SHINee event, I have come to the conclusion that Taiwan is predominantly Key-biased xD I swear, every time I heard a conversation around me, it was always about Key xD And most of the support banners and stuff were for Taemin. My friend’s Taemin-biased, so she was having the time of her life, while I trudged around in the scorching heat, hunting for Jonghyun things :(

Anyway, after a quick dinner and a long wait for a turn at peeing, we finally entered the actual stadium around 7:30 ^^ Our seats were surprisingly quite close to the stage! ^_____^ Well, close to the extended stage, which they only performed two songs on >.> But it was a decent view, overall :D They were playing SHINee MVs, in order from the earliest to the most recent, and fans were already practicing their fanchants with videos xD

[The queue of people waiting to have their tickets inspected before going in~]

The venue wasn’t really huge and spectacular or anything; quite simple and small-ish for a k-pop event, actually U_U And it was flat. Like, no levels, so I seriously wondered how the people who bought seats anywhere past about the first third of the audience area were going to even see anything at all >.< And because it was all flat, I couldn’t take a pretty picture of the pearl aqua ocean :(

[View from my seat :D]

The event was actually more of a mini-concert-slash-large-fan-meeting, leaning more towards the fan-meeting side, so most of the highlights and things worth mentioning involved the members’ talking and interactions, rather than performing. There were only about twelve songs performed. Emphasis was placed on spending a happy night with their fans in a celebratory mood to commemorate their 5^th anniversary, rather than full-blown, large-scale performances like those at a proper concert.

And because most of the highlights were quick moments of extreme cuteness or witty humour, they slipped my mind pretty quickly >.< But here are the main things I can remember and will spazz about, with an attempt at being coherent:

• The first performance was Dream Girl :D SHINee rose up from this platform thing at the back of the stage in their rainbow suits (I LOVE THEIR RAINBOW SUITS!!!) and ALDSKJHF;ASDKJFH;ASKJDHF;JASDHF;JKDSH;AJ OMGGGGGGGGGGG~ ^0^ <3333333 Love heart eyes everywhereeeee 8D
• The event was hosted by Wu Jian Heng (aka KEN), who seems to host the majority of k-pop events in Taiwan. He’s like Taiwan’s “k-pop guru” or something, and I swear there is not a single k-pop artist who has visited Taiwan who doesn’t know about him or hasn’t met him xD I watch some of his shows, so I guess unexpectedly seeing him in person was a pleasant bonus? xD
• Jonghyun got the loudest cheers, as pointed out by the host, because he wasn’t here the last time SHINee came to Taiwan (for M! Countdown) due to his car accident, and he assured everyone that he was perfectly fine again and a;sjkdhfas;dkjfas thank goodness for that ;___;
• SHINee also performed Stand By Me, Hello and Beautiful, before a cake was pushed out. The audience members sang Happy Birthday for them (we actually planned and were prepared to sing it in Korean, but the host told us to sing it in Chinese xD). I’m almost positive the members stopped listening to the host and translator at one point after the cake was pushed out; little kiddos too engrossed with the cake, playing with, cutting and eating it x) <33333
• Then it was a Replay performance. I couldn’t tell if it was live or lip-synched (the pains of being a Shawol: not being able to tell when your bias group is singing live or not U_U)
• They were then handed aprons to prepare for the cooking segment of the event. All the members were asked to strike a “handsome or cute pose” in their apron. Jjong’s adorable peace sign and aegyo-y “Buuu~~~” was just A;SJFHA;SDKJHFA;SDKJHFA;DJS *_____* But the highlight had to be Onew, omg. He hardly stopped smiling at all during the night, and all he had to do was widen his smile and nod his head and the whole stadium went over the edge. IT WAS THE MOST FREAKING ADORABLE YET HILARIOUS THING EVER OMGGGG ONEWWWWWWWWWW A;SDJFHA;SDJ <33333333333
• The cooking part was held on the extended stage. They had five minutes to make Korean style mango ice, though I’m pretty sure they all spent most of the time sneaking bites and nibbles of the fruit and chocolate and making ridiculous forms of dessert xD JongKey pouring all the ingredients into this huge pot and then feeding each other a;kdsjfha;dskjfhas MY FEELSSSS ;~;
• And then the SHINee members drew out lucky fans who could go up onto the stage and eat the dessert. With them. Fed by them. A;SDFJHA;SJKDHF;A;SJKHF;AJKSDHF;JAS DDDDD: But, of course, when these possibilities arise, somehow, those few lucky people will never be you, lol. U_U Only 5 out of over 5000 fans were selected, and the rest could only sit/stand and gape in absolute envy as the selected fans had the members feed their mango ice to them. I swear, I could feel the indescribably immense amount of “jelly-ness” oozing out from the crowd. And, mind you, I was definitely one of them ;_____; *le cries* Most of the chosen fans were from the standing area, and only one was from the sitting. AND THE NUMBER WAS “AREA B, ROW 9, NUMBER 51” (I think). AND I WAS “AREA B, ROW 9, NUNMBER 5-FREAKING-7”. ARGHHHH A;SDKJFHA;SKJFHA;SJKDHF;AKSHF;AKSDHJAF @__________@ So close, yet so far ;___;
• Onew’s fan managed to sneak in a hug with him (the screams were deafening xD), but most of the other members didn’t do much with the fans, except feed them lol. But they also got a free, signed copy of Why So Serious and got to take a photo with the member who drew their number out Dx SHOOOO JELLYYYYYYY!!!
• They then sang Life, which no one expected xD It was on the extended stage and was definitely live; it was a very nice and touching performance 8D <3333 And they were so close <3333333333
• Then there was the Q&A section, where fans could record videos of themselves asking SHINee questions. The event organizers then chose a few questions to play during the event, and SHINee answered. I’d asked my friend if she wanted to record, but she said she didn’t know what to ask, and I was too scared to do it myself, so we didn’t enter one. I kinda regret it now LOL xD But omg watching SHINee swivel around in their seats, raise their heads to watch the big screen playing the videos… their back views were just like primary school kids watching cartoons or something omg nawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww~~~~~ ^_____^
• We learnt that the members refer to each other more as “Yah” than their proper names, because they’re lazy and often forget each other’s names; the members are still calling Onew “old man”, which he said he’s used to and can’t do anything about (poor thing xD but omg he was so adorable when he did his little shrug a;sdkjfhas;kjd); SHINee recommends Incheon as a place to go when visiting Korea, their company building if you want to catch a glimpse of them, and ginseng chicken soup for summer.
• Jjong says their level of Chinese is pretty much all the same, though Taemin thought he was the best, and then proceeded to say an incoherent yet adorable short line that translates roughly to, “Maybe I… very good… I think… China… uh, Chinese… mm.” xDDD (Adorable maknae always ending sentences in foreign languages with “mm” but getting away with it all the time because of how adorable he is~) And then Jjong said, “I miss you all.” ALSKDJFH;ASJKDHF;AJSDHF;JSAD And then the host told him to repeat it but with more “feeling”, and A;SDKJFH;ASKJDHF;AKJSH;GKQUWHE;GKJHADS;FJKHADS;JKFHA;DSJFHA;SDJ *__________* <33333333333 The host then told Onew to use Chinese to tell the fans, “Don’t push”, because the standing area was getting really dangerous with everyone pushing around and stuff >.< I’m pretty sure the fans listened to Onew and SHINee much better than any intimidating security guard/staff member ;DDD Here's a video of this irresistably adorable segment. [I do not own the video. Credits to its owner.]
• Taemin performed a little solo freestyle dance on the spot~~~ [I do not own the video. Credits to its owner.] Gosh, has this boy grown and manned up, and pwoarhhhh, could he dance! *___* The audience went wild alsdkjfa;sdjkfhasdjkfha;sj HE’S SO GOOD AND SO Y 8DDD Though, I must say, immature Dumbhyun and friends at the back imitating the screaming fans and pretty much “fanboying” over Taemin was a huge distraction xD
• They then followed with a few consecutive performances, most of them being hit songs: Juliette, Ring Ding Dong, Lucifer and Sherlock. The fanchants during Lucifer were deafening; it was so amazing to be a part of it *___*
• They performed Stranger on the extended stage, and though this isn’t necessarily my favourite song of SHINee’s, it was most likely the highlight performance of the night. THEY WERE SO CLOSE. SO, SO, SO CLOSE. I was in the ninth row, and I don’t have the world’s best vision, but I could literally see every strand of hair – every single gleaming strand of Jjong’s silver hair bouncing along with his movements – and the patterns on their outfits and their expressions a;sdjkfha;skjfhasj. It’s the closest I’ve ever felt and literally been to them, and the “biggest” they’ve been in my line of vision *___*And their dance moves are even more sharp and powerful when viewed at a closer distance/angle <333 Imagine if it was Lucifer or Sherlock :O It’s that amazing feeling when the people you watch through television and computer screens everyday are RIGHT THERE, IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES, AND YOU CAN SEE ALL THE SMALL DETAILS ON THEM AND OMGGGGG A;DSKJFAHS;KJFHAS;DJ <3333333333333
• Last performance of the night was Why So Serious~ ^3^ And streamers burst out when they struck their final bowing pose~ ^3^
• The members seemed to be in a rush to leave? :( Most likely because of their incredibly tight schedule, since they waved to the audience sincerely, bowed and smiled a few times then scurried off the stage rather hastily ._____. It was so quick that we all thought it wasn’t the real goodbye and that there would be an encore or something, but nope ._____. I hope my SHINee boys are getting enough rest :’(

And now on to each member and my thoughts on them for the night:

• Taeminnie’s dancing is seriously so, so, so powerful <3 His singing has improved so much that a;skdjfha;sdkj <333 Notes he had slight difficulties reaching in the past are now belted out with the utmost confidence and power, and he definitely looks comfortable and relaxed on that stage ^^ But, just like SWCII last year, I felt the least connected to him. I guess Taeminnie really is a shy boy who doesn’t really speak much unless prompted to do so~ But all of his adorable antics make up for his slight lack of audience interaction :3 <3
• Minho, as usual, always looked excited and ecstatic, full of energy and just plain having a great time on that stage <3 I love how even though he’s not necessarily the most talented member in the group, he always gives 100% in every performance, and you can see it in his expressions and his actions that he fully appreciates and loves the support he’s receiving from his fans. He’s full of gratitude, and is nearly always the last one to leave the stage, because the adorable man always lingers for the longest, waving as though he doesn’t want to part with you because each and every single one of the audience members means a lot to him <3 I love Minho and his audience connection <33333 And he’s literally like a prince. No jokes. That face. Those legs. :Q_____
• Key is just plain adorable ^^ <3 Definitely one of, if not the, most popular members of the group in this country~ He may not speak as much as Jjong, but his actions and expressions are so full of life and character, you just can’t not love this boy <3 And his demonstration of his most unique and exclusive facial expression, i.e. the annoyed expression, was definitely filled with the usual diva-ness and b*tchiness that screams “Key” xD Oh, and he’s completely, utterly gorgeous ;___; <33333 His voice might sound a bit shrill in recordings sometimes, but it’s definitely another powerful force to be reckoned with. Key’s singing abilities are definitely underestimated and underappreciated, and he certainly performs confidently and beautifully each and every single time <3 Oh, and the amount of JongKey!!! Those two were on fire that night! xD The amount of touching and smiling and feeding and bickering a;sdkjfahs;jfha;sjfhas;j JongKey <3333333333333
• Onew. Onew, Onew, Onew. You know how there will always be a member who becomes the highlight of the night, whether or not he’s your bias? Well, it was Minho for SWCII, but this time, Onew took the crown. He is ABSOLUTELY F***ING ADORABLE IN PERSON, OH MY GAWDDDDDDDDDDDDD. NO SERIOUSY, HOW CAN THIS PERSON BE A 23-YEAR-OLD LEADER. I SWEAR HE’S LIKE 5 OR SOMETHING. AND HIS LITTLE CAP ON BACKWARDS A;SKDJFHA;SKJFHSJA HE JUST SCREAMED “KINDERGARTEN KID” THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE THING. And his smile, holy mother of cheese, his SMILEEEEE. I don’t think he ever stopped smiling during the whole event, and the few times when he widened it just A;SKJDFH;ASJKDHFA;SKJ it’s enough to drive anyone insane *_____* And can you seriously stand looking at the man acting like this for the whole night? D: [Gif not mine. Credits to its owner.] I love the aura that Onew exudes: so loveable and child-like, but still with that undeniable charisma of a responsible and mature (and y) leader. His speech, his expressions, his actions, his reactions (especially during Q&A), all scream not only “cute”, but sincerity. Onew just seems like an incredibly genuine person, and I just really, really, really want to place him higher on my bias list. But I cannot Dx Jonghyun is forever first, and Key is forever second. I want to put him higher but I can’t but omggg Onewwwwwwwwwwwww <3333333333333 And his voiceeeee :O :O :O No voice cracks (though I wouldn’t have minded, since I find his Oncracks ADORABLE <3), and his timbre and tone colour are absolutely gorgeous. Mind-blowingy gorgeous. Onew, I seriously don’t know what to do with you anymore ;_____;
• JONGHYUNNIEEEEEEEEEE <33333333333333333 I don’t know how many times I screamed his name and went crazy whenever he belted out a high note ;_____; His voice. His voice voice voice voice voice voiceeeeee *__________* It’s so loud and clear and bell-like and echoy and powerful and urgh the impact that it has on you and the whole stadium!!! Dx Every time (well, twice xD) I see SHINee live, Jonghyun reassures me that my worries about potential vocal deterioration are all but the workings of the mind of a paranoid fangirl. His singing is ABSOUTELY FANTASTIC. SUPERB. MIND-BLOWING. JUST A;SKDJFHA;DASKJDFHASJKHFJKASHF;J ADJECTIVES DO NOT SERVE MY FEELS ANY JUSTICE. And seriously, is this boy trying to adopt a new image? xD What happened to the y dinosaur we’re all used to? All I saw that night was adorable puppy xDDD This boy was on a high, his lips were permanently glued to his mic because of his inability to stop talking and trolling s, and omgggggg he’s just too, too, too cuteeeee ;_____; <33333333333333 I’m so glad I got to see him live with his silver hair, and I don’t know why, but I think my strange thing for his little head grew even stronger after that night xD It’s just so small yet round (albeit the marble-sculpted jawline *0*) and adorable OTL am I weird for thinking his small head (not just face, but HEAD, specifically xDDD) is adorable? D: I think the word I said/screamed the most that night was definitely “Jonghyun” ;~; PLEASE MARRY ME, KIM JONGHYUN ;______________; <3333333333333

[Credits to my friend for snapping this shot of the lovely SHINee boys making their mango ice ;D]

Other points:

• I underestimated my friend xD I thought she was just a “casual fan” instead of a really dedicated one, but holy shizzles she probably screamed louder than me and knew all the fanchants by heart, too xD Only thing is that she seems more like “a Taemin fan who also loves and supports his group”, rather than “a SHINee fan who’s Taemin-biased” >.<
• I wouldn’t say that they “didn’t try their best” or “give it their all”, because they always do, but it was quite obvious that they were more focused on the celebratory atmosphere rather than impeccably flawless vocal performances. Jonghyun and Key used falsetto for some of the higher parts of the songs instead of belting them, which I understand and don’t mind :) With all their concerts in their Japanese tour, I would worry if they didn’t take some measures to protect their throats and give their voices a little break from all the strain D:
• Money-wise, I was sliiiiightly disappointed? Probably because I paid more for this fan meeting than I did for SWCII last year, and not only was it a lot shorter, but about half of the event was comprised of SHINee talking, cooking or doing other simple yet adorable interactions with the audience. There wasn’t as much focus placed on performances, and quite a lot of the event was taken up with videos – ads they’ve filmed, MV behind-the-scenes footage etc. while the boys were backstage changing or taking a short break. The videos went for longer than the concert VCRs, so I felt that I didn’t see enough of SHINee and their performances, and considering that I spent even more money on this one… *sigh* xD But I would still do it just to see them in person a;sdkjfha;jskd *self-contradictory* Dx
• One thing that made me furious. There was a big, burly security guard/staff member standing beside the standing area in front of the seating one. I get that he’s got to be there, but he really didn’t need to stand so that his silhouette was covering about a quarter of the stage D:< Seriously, he was always covering Onew and half of Taemin. While the host was talking, I asked a female staff member (because a lot of people around me were whispering and complaining, too) if she could tell him to either sit down or move towards the edge a little bit, and do you know what she said? She said, “I can’t go to the front.” THAT’S IT. I paid good money for this event, and I shouldn’t have to crane my neck towards the right for the whole thing so that half the members weren’t consistently blocked by the outline of some unhappy, impatient staff member with his arms crossed throughout the whole thing. Grrrr >_____>

Some random pics of me after the event xD We weren't allowed to take any pictures, but yeah, stuff happens LOL xDDD

[Please ignore my retarded self and focus on the view of the stadium xDDD]

[Me and my friend, despite the staff member behind us telling us that we should stop taking pictures and leave LOL MUAHAHA]

I feel like I don’t really remember as much of the event as I would have hoped. Instead of being awestruck by continuous incredible performances (though the performances they did were incredible <3), I remember it more as a two-hour session of constant fangirling, watching their adorable interactions and “praise-worthy” culinary skills xD The night seemed to fly over my head in a dizzy yet ecstatic fit of endless “NAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW”s and “OH MY GODDDDD”s. It really was more of a fan meeting/party than a concert, but it was still amazing and I still had one of the most exciting nights of my life ;_____; <33333 I’m pretty sure I screamed even louder and more frequently that night compared to SWCII, since my mum wasn’t next to me and my friend was screaming like a madwoman xD I almost lost my voice about halfway ;~; I sound like a frog when I speak right now and I can barely move my right arm properly from all the lightstick waving, but I regret nothing 8DDDDD

I will definitely be going to SWCIII when the time comes (if I can get tickets >.<)!!!!!

Here's the stuff I came home with xD There was no official merch, so everything was, sadly, non-official :( And most of these were free, actually 8D Tehehe~

[Free cards, free banners, free postcard, notebook, fan, folder, badge, bracelets, lightstick]

[The bag I ended up buying to put all those huge banners and things in xD I figured quite early on that I would need one, and boy, was I right U_U]

My dad came to pick me up from the metro station and walk me home for my safety (since it was almost midnight by the time I got home), and the first thing he said to me when I approached him was: “So, how was it? Decided to marry them?” I damn well have.