Filipino NCTzens, can we go back to the evening of June 24th? It was definitely no ordinary Saturday — NCT DoJaeJung arrived in Manila for their first-ever fan concert and the crowd made sure they got the warmest (and loudest) welcome. The SM Mall of Asia Arena was filled with fan chants before the trio even stepped foot onstage, and host Sam Oh ramped up the excitement minutes before the clocked ticked 7:30PM by having sections practice screaming "NCT - DoJaeJung - saranghae!"
Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Jungwoo were generous with fan service that night, so here are ten highlights from their Manila fan con:
1. NCT DoJaeJung have been practicing their Tagalog!
Aside from mentioning what Filipino food they wanted like to try while they were in Manila, such as lechon and halo-halo (they successfully tried halo-halo post-fan con!), the three boys encouraged Doyoung when he started listing the Tagalog words they learned:
Doyoung: "Mabuhay!"
Jaehyun: "Mahal kita."
Doyoung: "Mabuhay, Mahal kita, and..."
Jungwoo: "and? AND?"
Doyoung: "Kumusta?"
2. Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Jungwoo got competitive playing "Spot the Difference"!
The second segment the trio played was called "Spot the Difference." Each of the members had 50 seconds to pick out five differences between their selfie and an edited version. Jaehyun and Jungwoo tied for first place after finding all five edits, but Doyoung was a close second and got 4/5 correct!
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3. Doyoung shared the songs he thought suited each of the NCT DoJaeJung members best.
Sam expertly got the boys to share their thoughts on a range of topics during the third segment, TMI Talk. If he had to pick a song for each of his sub-unit members, Doyoung shared that Jungwoo is definitely "Strawberry Sunday." "You guys think so?," he teasingly asked the cheering crowd. "I think Jaehyun is a bit of 'Kiss.' For me, what do you guys think?"
After laughing at the diving hand motions the fans were showing him, he agreed with their choice. "Yes, I love 'Dive.' Thank you." Do you agree with Doyoung's picks?
4. Jaehyun described Filo Czennies in one word (well, three technically).
When asked what word he'd use to describe PH NCTzens, Jaehyun had to think for a moment before responding. "Vanilla," he shared while grinning, no doubt enjoying the crazed screams from the crowd. "Sweet as vanilla."
5. Jungwoo cutely showed off a music concept he'd like to try next.
Thanks to its many sub-units, NCT members have tried out various concepts in the past. Jungwoo would like to give Hip-Hop a try, and after the success of their R&B-led EP, we can't wait to see what NCT DoJaeJung have up their sleeves.
6. Doyoung has sung several OSTs, and he revealed his favorite during the Fan Con.
Fan con attendees were treated to Doyoung singing a "sample" (yes, the crowd chanted this so much all three members knew what it meant during their media conference on Sunday!) of "Like a Star" from 2021's Yumi's Cells.
7. Three lucky fans got a once-in-a-lifetime onstage *moment* with NCT DoJaeJung!
For the fourth and final segment, Sam Oh asked the boys to each choose a random ticket number from a box. The three lucky NCTzens — one each from Lower Box, Gen Ad, and SVIP — got to play a game of charades with a member, and it turns out that the first Filo Czennie has been a fan since SM Rookies 2015! Doyoung was happily surprised, and both he and Jaehyun gave an enthusiastic cheer when she perfectly demonstrated the point moves to "Perfume."
8. Aside from MV behind-the-scenes, DJJ created a heartwarming video that contained their letters to fans.
The fan messages played out onscreen and got the audience feeling a bit teary-eyed! "This is our first fan concert as NCT DOJAEJUNG," Doyoung began. "It's been a long time since I came to the Philippines, it's so enjoyable to be here again," Jaehyun continued. "More than anything, since it's been a while since I came to the Philippines, we'll show you a great performance," Jungwoo concluded.
9. The NCT sub-unit performed all six songs from their debut mini album, Perfume.
Beginning the fan con with an exhilarating performance of "Kiss," NCT DoJaeJung then interspersed their segments with thrilling live stages for "Dive," and "Can We Go Back," before moving to the extended stage for their so-called last song "Perfume."
The trio then came back onstage for an encore to serenade the crowd with "Ordinary" and "Strawberry Sunday."
10. They ended the night with a crowd photo!
Of course NCT DoJaeJung couldn't leave without a group photo! The boys perfectly positioned themselves for a picture with the crowd — and once a high-res version of the photo was available, fans eagerly tried to spot themselves. Were you successful? Either way, it was truly a scent-sational night!
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NCT DoJaeJung 'Perfume': Scented Symphony In Manila Fan Con was presented by Ovations Production and Viu Philippines.
