Jo Hyun Jae

Before June 2008 I had no idea what a fan meeting was.  For one thing, I’ve never been anyone’s fan before.  For another, I don’t like crowds, so I’d normally avoid such gatherings like the plague.

Having attended three Jo Hyun-Jae fan meetings, I can now say: “Only in Korea and Japan!”  Such a format will never work anywhere else.  Only JHJ fans are so considerate, so amiable, so gentle, so easily satisfied.

I have been to pop concerts in several parts of the world, and I’ve found that the most demanding audience is the Chinese in Hong Kong.  To put on a concert in Hong Kong, the artist has to have “3 heads and 6 arms”, meaning all round.  He/she is not only expected to sing, but also dance (like a pro), talk (like a talk show host), crack jokes (like a comedian), perform cartwheels (figuratively – but I’ve seen one do a flip!) and shake hundreds of hands (of those fans nearest to the stage who grab and scratch.)  A three-hour concert is the norm (with a very brief intermission lasting no more than 3 minutes) with several change of clothes; some last longer.

I once attended a Bee Gees concert in Los Angeles that’s just a little over an hour (with an unknown opening act) and a WHAM! concert (remember the very young George Michael?) in Hong Kong that’s barely an hour.  These are big names, big acts, and they can dictate terms, I guess.  But the biggest band of all, the Beatles, gave a full 90-minute performance (without a break – at least in the concert I was privileged to attend in Hong Kong many years ago.)

So what happens in a JHJ fan meeting?  Anticipation is in the air long before the start.  The fans work themselves up to a natural high.  They are ecstatic once JHJ comes on stage.  He sings a song and they have already reached fever pitch.  He is interviewed by the MC who does most of the talking.  He speaks a few words and everybody is so excited (even though some, like me, can’t understand a word!)  Just listening to his voice is enough to make ajumas swoon.  Sometimes he’s asked to interact with the fans, like playing games and presenting prizes.  Even those who don’t get to go on stage get all worked up.  In earlier fan meetings in 2005 and 2006, JHJ recites a poem or reads a letter to his fans (in Japanese) — to squeals of delight.  JHJ will then sing another song or two.

The part that every fan gets a piece of the action is the handshaking at the end.  This is the close encounter with JHJ, at last.  Everybody has her chance to shake his hand, and it’s all worth it.  JHJ takes his duties very seriously — he really “shakes” your hand, not just “touch and go”, and he looks you in the eyes and smiles and bows.  Problem is — it’s all over in a couple of seconds.

Well, that’s it.  That’s your dream meeting with your idol.  The true JHJ fan will be fulfilled.  This is something nobody can take away from you, not ever.  Everybody who has seen JHJ in person agrees he’s better looking in the flesh than on the screen.  You may find this difficult to believe, but it’s true.  I used to think that idols can only be worshipped from a distance — because you are invariably disillusioned once you see them up close and personal.  But NOT JHJ!  The more I see of him, the more “perfect” I find him.  I do not like using superlatives, but in JHJ’s case they are not excessive at all.

Some fans lament that with his qualifications, JHJ should be more popular and better-known than he is now.  Well, if he is as hot as Bae Yong-Jun, would I (an ordinary fan) have had the chance to shake his hand?  JHJ is wise not to over-expose himself like Kwon Sang-Woo (who took on any and all roles, not to mention advertising.)  To quote again that Chinese maxim I used before — 细水长流 (a small stream runs longer), JHJ will last longer than most Korean actors because of his solid ability, his sagacious choice of roles, and his resilience.  All he needs is a little luck.

Any Chinese fortune teller will tell you JHJ’s facial features should guarantee him a life of blessing, success, and prosperity.  And a palm reader will say JHJ’s soft and fleshy (that is, not bony) hands portend a great future and much happiness.  I do not necessarily subscribe to these pseudo sciences, but in JHJ’s case, I believe their predictions will come true.  Because he’s worth it!