What Happened at the Min Gyu Fanmeet

Carats, or what fans of K-pop legends Seventeen call themselves, were in for a treat this April when Snickers Philippines brought over Kim Min Gyu, one of the band’s most popular members and a brand ambassador of the chocolate snack, for a week of fan meets and other activities in Manila. It was excellent timing as the visit fell on the same week of the artist’s 29th birthday last April 6.

For months leading up to the week, Carats posed with Min Gyu standees and Snickers posters across the country and then uploading them on social media for a chance to see their idol in person. Lucky winners were revealed on a regular basis leading up to “Min Gyu Week.”

On April 8, just two days after Min Gyu’s birthday, Snickers unveiled the Snickers Pop-Up at Gateway Mall in Araneta City, featuring a host of Min Gyu-themed activities in “Energy Stations,” including a mini-basketball shooting station, a memory-game booth, and a “fast-grab” game that challenged participants to catch as many falling bars as they could. Fans who completed all three activities were rewarded with a bag of goodies plus a chance to post personalized messages on a “What’s Your Energy” wall for Min Gyu. Special edition transparent photo cards were also available for those who purchased a minimum amount of items in the Snickers Shop, and the rest of the dedicated area allowed visitors to take photos and selfies.

The Pop-Up lasted for several days, which culminated in the much-awaited fanmeet, #SNICKERSwithMINGYU, held at the Smart Araneta Colisuem on April 11.

Before the man himself appeared onstage, the over-flowing crowd at the Big Dome was hyped with different activities, with the most well-received being a dance challenge. As Seventeen music played, fans danced as drones flew by until the cameras zoomed in on the most energetic fans. One of the best was the Carat in a gown and sash who rocked the choreography to the hit song “Thunder.”

When Min Gyu finally came out onstage, the crowd cheered wildly. He had arrived only the night before, but this wasn’t his first time in the Philippines; he’s been here with his bandmates for multiple Seventeen concerts in the last few years, the most recent of which was just last month for the [NEW_] World Tour. So in many ways, it felt like greeting an old friend back.

Throughout the event, Min Gyu exchanged “Energy Cams” with the fans (when cameras zoomed in on random fans to pose with Min Gyu via split-screen views) and exchanged banter with the host and the audience. He also played basketball onstage. While he admitted it wasn’t his favorite sport, he did a lot of it for the shoot of his ads with the chocolate company.

Min Gyu's sense of humor was also apparent during the “This or That?” segment when, at one point, he was asked “Roller-Coaster or Merry Go-Round?” When he responded with “Roller Coaster,” the audience disagreed and jokingly screamed “Merry Go-Round.” This was a reference to his fear of heights and especially to a recent video of him riding a roller coaster as part of content with fellow member S.Coups, where pictures afterwards showed a visibly shaken Min Gyu. Laughing at the fans’ response, Min Gyu “boo’ed” the audience with an exaggeraed thumbs down as he insisted “Roller Coaster.”

While he already knew some basic Filipino words like “Mabuhay,” he clearly enjoyed learning new ones like “merienda” and “bakit?” – the latter of which he repeated a few times in an endearing accent of “bakeeet?” And he also kept repeating “merienda” every time the chocolate bar was mentioned.

Towards the end of the fanmeet, Min Gyu revealed the latest flavors of Snickers: Almond Dark Chocolate, Butterscotch (which he jokingly asked if it was a mix of butter and the alcoholic drink), and Strawberry.

Before the fanmeet ended, Min Gyu was given a surprise: a birthday cake for his recent birthday along with the audience singing “Happy Birthday” to him. The artist was clearly happy with the surprise, wondering and joking if birthdays here last an entire month.

As the event wrapped and Min Gyu left the stage, fans clamored for more and, in true Carat fashion, turned the Coliseum into a party arena as they repeatedly sang and danced to Seventeen’s iconic high-energy track, 아주 NICE (Aju Nice / Very Nice).