WE cried over the romantic tragedy I’m Sorry, I Love You (2004), where he played the character of Cha Moo-hyuk, a thug turned show business manager. We pitied him as the cold-hearted Kang In-wook entangled in a triangle of love in Memories of Bali (2004). He proved his versatile talent as a cold and distant Joo Joong-won in the horror-romantic comedy series The Master’s Sun (2013).
On March 16, the top-tier 41-year-old Korean actor So Ji-sub flaunted the other side of him and showed the fans what he loves most—hip-hop.
So Ji-sub held his first-ever fan meet in the country, called “Hello, Manila,” the last leg of his Asia Tour, at the jampacked New Frontier Theater in Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City. He also toured Taipei, China, Bangkok, Jakarta and Hong Kong.
Fans were on their feet jumping for joy and screaming at the top of their lungs when So Ji-sub, clad in a spotless white suit, emerged on the stage and serenaded them with Barry Manilow’s “Can’t Smile Without You.”
The New Frontier Theater also echoed with laughter when host Kring Kim came onstage, and let So Ji-sub formally greet his fans and teased him as she addressed him as “sir” and oppa.
During the two-hour fan meet, in a segment called “Ask Terius,” fans were able to ask for his advice. Terius was his character’s name in his latest drama Terius Behind Me, for which he won two awards at the 2018 MBC Drama Awards.
He shared to a fan experiencing quarter-life crisis that, “even if I have been acting for 23 years, I still have concerns. It’s normal, don’t be pressured. It’s fine. As long as you are sure of what you want to do.”
So Ji-sub faced a more “difficult” question, he admitted, coming from a fan who confided her feelings toward him after seeing him in a Korean drama. The fan said So Ji-sub was her ideal type that she even turned down suitors because of him.
“To meet your ideal type is really hard. So, the person you’ll be meeting will eventually be your ideal type,” he said, encouraging his fan not to turn down future suitors. He continued, “Don’t think with your head. Feel with your heart [and know] who cares for you truly and loves you sincerely.”
When asked why he named his tour “Hello,” he said, “So what do people say whenever, wherever everyday is a greeting. So with that nice greeting, I want to continue our good relationship—that’s why I named it ‘Hello.’”
There was a segment where he was asked questions and with every wrong answer, he got penalized. The penalties included him wearing a flower crown, angel wings and giving a morning call that the fans were able to record.
Known for being generous, one lucky fan was given by the actor polaroid shots of him, plus a necklace which was especially made for the tour. The fan came all the way from California.
“You can’t buy this anywhere,” he said about the necklace. As his fan meet played on, So Ji-sub asked the crowd to drop their phones and just enjoy his performance with Soul Dive.
“Let’s make this memorable. I will do my very best, so please react, as well,” he said. Some fans danced in their seats while others swayed to the rhythm of the beat as So Ji-sub and Soul Dive rendered some of his popular hits, including a cover of iKON’s “Love Scenario,” “Good Night,” “Go Boy,” “aoaoa,” “So Ganzi,” “Coke Bottle Baby” and “So Love.”
Right before the show ended, a message appeared onscreen that read: “It is our first time to meet and spend time together. I’m so happy and will never forget this precious moment. I’ll wait for next time to meet you all—So Ji-sub.”