After the recently concluded First Generation General Election, MNL48 members and Kenkyuusei received an overwhelming support on their first official Fan Meet on June 3, 2018 at Elements at Centris.
Everyone was excited to finally see their Oshi live especially now that they have fully transformed into an idol-like individuals in just a month of trainings and makeover as they begun their journey as MNL48 first generation.
Aside from the members’ daily appearances on the newly improved MNL48 Online Update on their official Facebook page and YouTube Channel, now called MNLife and MNLaugh, the event was indeed special for both fans and the members since this was their first official gathering with their supporters after the announcement of first generation members last April 28 on ABS-CBN’s noontime show, It’s Showtime.
The excitement of the fans was evident even during the registration with some who headed straight to the merchandising booth upon their registration and bought MNL48 exclusive items including the MNL48 photo cards which later they excitedly traded with other fans inside the venue.
When the Fan Meet started, the group did not disappoint the fans as they opened the event with their lively performance of the Filipino version of one of the AKB48’s hit song Aitakatta – this is the first time the girls performed the song in Filipino which made the event even more special. After their first performance, the girls then welcomed their supporters with sweet smiles and excitement as they introduced themselves one by one that earned loud cheers from the crowd.
To make the event more fun and interactive, the girls picked random fans to join them on stage to play a game of Pick Pack Poink hosted by MNL48 First Generation members Lei, Dian, Ecka, and Erica while their co-members Shaina, Necca, Aly, and Joyce gamely played with the four lucky fans who won exciting prizes from one of the event’s sponsors, Mogu Mogu.
After an exclusive interaction with the fans, the girls got emotional as they thanked their supporters who were with them since the beginning of their journey. Alice, the overall team captain of MNL48, gave a heartfelt message to the audience and congratulated the whole team for the successful event. “Maraming maraming salamat po sa tulong niyo para mabuo po ‘yung pangarap namin,” Alice expressed.
Meanwhile, MNL48 Center Girl Sheki was overwhelmed with the support that the group has been receiving. “Sana ‘wag niyo po kaming iiwan hanggang dulo. Thank you po sa lahat ng effort niyo and sa time niyo na binibigay sa amin. Kayo po ‘yung nagiging lakas namin kaya nagagawa po namin ang lahat,” said Sheki to everyone who joined them for this special occasion.
During her speech, Sheki was also thrilled to share that the Kami 7 will soon fly to Japan to train and hone their talents as idols and prepare for their upcoming debut single, and informed every one about the MNL48 Theater that will open very soon. She also added that they will be attending the AKB48 53rd Single World General Election to be held in Nagoya on June 16, 2018.
When the crowd thought the event was already done, the Senbatsu slay the stage with their exclusive performance AKB48’s song, “Heavy Rotation”, and to capture the special moment at the first ever fan meet, five lucky winners of Fujifilm Raffle had the opportunity to have a picture taken with their Oshi using Fujifilm Instax.
More surprises were announced during the event including the launch of the MNL48 Fan Club. Faith, Ash and Alice briefly introduced the app which features news updates of the members, upcoming events and singles, and theater ticket reservations and announcements.
For their final song, MNL48 First Generation and Kenkyuusei closed the event with a special performance of the Filipino version of AKB48’s first highest debut single “Sakura No Hanabiratachi”. Sheki then bowed to everyone as a sign of her gratitude on behalf of the group.
The event officially ended as the girls visited the Merchandise booth and thanked the supporters for the last time.
To get the latest update on MNL48, make sure to follow and subscribe to their social media accounts and download the MNL48 Fan Club App for free, available on Apple Store and Google Play.
Website: mnl48.ph
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @mnl48official
YouTube: @mnl48
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