More than six years is a long time to be apart, and K-pop boy band ASTRO members MOONBIN and SANHA know this well. The last time they set foot in Manila was in their debut year—2016—then as a rookie six-member band performing alongside more established K-pop stars.
Now they’ve become industry heavyweights themselves. Still, when Moonbin and Sanha learned they would kick off their “DIFFUSION” tour in sunny Manila—their first fan con since debuting as a sub-unit in 2020—they felt both excitement and pressure from facing their Filipino AROHAs.
Thankfully, love often finds a way to stay strong through time. So when the lights went down at New Frontier Theater last March 25, the cheers felt just as, if not more, loud as it was in 2016.
“I feel kind of embarrassed to say this with my own mouth, but I can really feel the AROHAs love us very much,” mused the younger Sanha, gazing across a sea of purple lights. “I’m so happy that I got to come back here even as a unit and get back with our fans.”
“Seven years ago, you welcomed us very dearly. And now that we’ve returned, you remain as warm as ever,” echoed Moonbin. Then he fanned his face to joke about the weather: “If anything, it’s too hot.”
Organized by DNM Entertainment, the two-hour fancon by the hyung-maknae duo showcased 14 songs—almost their entire discography as a subunit.
Happiness
Each act is separated by a VCR showing how “we were so enclosed and limited before, but through the Diffusion fancon, we get to experience happiness once again,” said Moonbin.
While ASTRO as a group is more known for their youthful, upbeat songs, the two often explored more mature, introspective themes and genres in their music.
The openers—”Who,” “Bad Idea,” and “Dia”—reflected BinSan’s signature emo-sultry sound, perfect songs for their sizzling choreo.
The second act focused on their solo stages, allowing them to create their own memories with their AROHAs.
An adorable Sanha tried to stay professional when the guitar he was supposed to play for his ballad “Wish” didn’t connect to the sound system.
“Sorry, but I think I’ll have to sing with the instrumental,” he started. But when cries of aww’s flooded the theater, Sanha started to protest cutely in Korean—and the translator came swinging in glorious Filipino: “Eh anong gagawin ko, di gumagana ‘yung gitara!”
Then a shirtless Moonbin sent fans into a frenzy as he strutted onstage for his solo “Perfumer” and “Desire” stages, his full musculature caught on literal 4k screens.
BinSan Pinoy
Host Sam Oh, who moderated the following Q&A segment with the duo, quipped: “Oh my god, it is hot in here!”
At the halfway point, Oh taught the boys some Filipino phrases: Ang init (It’s hot), and charot (Just kidding). A quick-witted Moonbin used it in a sentence: “I hate you. Charot!”
She also asked them what places they wanted to visit in the Philippines (“I would love to go to Boracay!” Moonbin exclaimed, while Sanha pled with him through the translator: “Sama mo ako Kuya Moonbin.”)
They also played—and lost—some games, leading to penalty dances that made fans swoon. Who knew BSS’ “Fighting,” the “Ting Ting Tang Tang” challenge and NewJeans’ “OMG” fit them so well?
For the final act, the duo fired up the stage one more time with “Madness,” “Chup Chup,” “Alone,” and “Your Day.”
For “All I Wanna Do,” BinSan came down the stage to meet their AROHAs and make a promise: “It doesn’t matter, I just need to be by your side / I won’t stop loving you / Cos all I wanna do is be with you.”
Dreamcatcher
In return, the fans showed BinSan a short VCR fan project on their seven-year journey together, to remind them that while it took them seven years to come back, “all of us have been with you in our daily lives.”
“The reason why we were able to have this fancon is because of your love for us,” Sanha said. “That’s why I thank you and love you all.”
“If you call us, I’m sure we will come back,” assured Moonbin. “Until that day, I hope you will remain healthy.”
And as the confetti came down and “Dreamcatcher” started playing, Filo AROHAs made a similar promise for their best boys: “Don’t forget me / After withstanding the seasons, on the day spring comes / I’ll wait for you in a beautiful dream.”
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