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Ryu Si-won Enraptures Fans in Japan

Actor/singer Ryu Si-won, 34, gave a concert on July 12 at the Budokan Hall in Japan--his long-cherished dream--as part of his seven-city tour. During the concert, Ryoo made a deep bow to his audience, saying his dream had finally come true. When he looked at the audience, his eyes were full of tears, moving the hearts of some 10,000 fans who came to see his concert.

Three years after his debut in Japan, Ryoo performed only songs with Japanese vocals at the concert, with the repertoire including three of his brand-new singles and songs from his three full-length albums. The singer received curtain calls twice, and even after three and a half hours the audience wouldn't let him go. While saying good-bye, Ryoo spoke both Korean and Japanese, thanking his audience. After he left, a video message appeared on the screen, making his fans burst into tears.

Ryoo's audience collectively sang his hit songs "Promise", "Sakura" and "Summer Dream", and even followed the rhythm of the dance song "Let's Get Together".

Ryoo won popularity in Japan for his kind personality, modesty and frankness. At the concert, Ryoo spoke fluent Japanese, and when he heard a new word, he asked the audience to help him. He also showed his fans the photos he had taken in the seven cities he had toured, and shared his impressions. Every time he spoke about a new city, his fans shouted out, "We like you", in their local dialects.

Ryoo even used a camcorder to film every placard his fans had prepared, reading what each placard said. The most noteworthy placards read, "Marry my daughter", "Give me your email address" and "Take me to Korea, put me in your suitcase".

His upfront and open personality captivated the audience, especially when he made deep bows onstage and admitted his mistakes whenever he sang the wrong lyrics. Ryoo is famous for being particularly meticulous about his hair, but he said at the concert, "I don't care if my hair gets wet with sweat today".

Fan Shinakawa Noriko, 41, said Ryoo's gentle smile looked very honest and that he has completely spellbound her. Another fan, Shimada Noburu, 41, who brought to the concert his wife and young daughter, said the concert was the best even in the eyes of a man, and that Ryoo looked charming and cute when he danced.

Ryoo's parents and younger sister also attended his concert. His mother said it was the first time she personally saw her son dance onstage. She added that she was proud of him because he looked more confident than during his concert last year at Budokan.

The entire auditorium was full of sunflowers after the concert, and some fans even painted sunflowers on their faces and brought sunflower-shaped balloons to confess their love for Ryoo and his hit song "Sunflower".

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