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As early as the afternoon, VIPs, how Big Bang fans are called, were already beginning to flock the surroundings of the Mall of Asia Arena. The booths outside, which featured the band’s official merchandise and some of their advertised brands, were raided by fans. Their life-sized cardboard representations alone proved to be quite an attraction to the frantic audience that was just waiting to storm the arena to see their much loved Korean boy band.

Even with the overflow of foreign acts that passed Manila, Big Bang’s Alive tour remained to be one of the highly anticipated events of the year as the band makes their way around unchartered territories for their first ever world tour. K-pop, which has spread its influence over people like wildfire, definitely burned its influence in the Philippines, as the genre infectiously catches more and more Filipino fans who ardently and painstakingly make the effort to learn their language just to sing along to their songs and understand their raw interviews.

Since their debut in 2006, T.O.P., G-Dragon, Daesung, Seungri and Taeyang have always stood out among others not just because of their undeniable good looks, but also with their trendsetting fashion sensibilities and their ability to compose their own songs. Over the years, they have proved to be capable as both musicians and performers by creating their own brand of hiphop. The band is now one of the most well known Korean acts across the world, inspiring a cult-like following from most of its fan base.

The 24th of October was marked as their first stop in Manila. Surely enough, no rain, no distance, no threat of bankruptcy was going to keep their fans from seeing the show. Outside, long queues of people were frantically waiting for the gates to open. The VIPs, proudly wearing crown headbands and strutting in outlandish fashion, eagerly waited to get in among thousands of others. On their hands were meticulously designed banners that express their appreciation for the five boys and the official Big Bang crown light sticks. Their imagination, running wild. Their anticipation, just so obviously soaring.
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