REFUGE in the MADNESS: ASTRO’s Moonbin & Sanha Reunite with PH AROHAs in DIFFUSION in MANILA

Last March 25, ASTRO’s first official subunit MOONBIN&SANHA held their first-ever fan meeting-concert tour abroad with [DIFFUSION] in MANILA. The New Frontier Theater in Cubao glowed with violet Robongs as AROHAs shining stars reunited with their Filipino fans, Manila as the first overseas stop of their tour.

Fiery Opening Numbers

The show started with a strikingly dim stage, then opened with flashy LED background and light works, as the dynamic duo performed WHO and Bad Idea.

The fans screamed even louder when Moonbin and Sanha introduced themselves, showing how much they missed their Filipino fans by learning Filipino words for their opening MENT.

“It’s so hot in here, and to be honest, we missed our AROHA fans so much. It’s been seven years since we last saw each other. Thank you for waiting!” said Sanha.

“It’s been two years and six months already as a subunit. Like the show’s name DIFFUSION, we want to make sure the charm of Moonbin and Sanha will spread widely. We tried to mix things up a bit for our first and second songs. How was it?” asked Moonbin.

They followed through with more exciting performances, from the catchy bop of DIA, to their much-awaited solo stages. Sanha performed a heartfelt version of the ballad Wish, as memorable photos of complete ASTRO members flashed in the background. AROHAs eyes haven’t dried up yet when Moonbin went on stage with a sexy number of Perfumer, even changing his top while doing the choreo. From tearing up to screaming real quick, it was a roller coaster of emotions for the fans!

In between all these, the fans even sang the birthday song for Sanha, who celebrated his 23rd just last March 21.

Getting To Know BinSan

A break from the hot performances, the fancon host Sam Oh entered the stage and entertained the crowd by reading the witty signages created by the AROHAs for the show. One said she came all the way from Doha, Qatar, while other placards said “Moonbin I’m a single noona tonight” and “Wechinda please!”, referring to the classic ASTRO song Call Out that they always performed during their past ASTROAD concerts. You can truly feel how much Filipino fans miss ASTRO.

When the boys were back onstage, the fun started again! Sam Oh taught them some Filipino words such as “Ang init” (it’s hot), which Moonbin and Sanha quickly repeated while fanning their faces. The host also taught them the Filipino slang “Charot” (just kidding!), which Moonbin readily applied by saying, “I hate you… charot!”

During the interview, the duo said that even after seven years since their last visit in the Philippines, they can still feel the warm welcome from PH AROHAs. And a fun thing they did since they arrived in Manila was getting a massage in their hotel, so they can be in good condition for their performances that night. Sam Oh teased the crowd with, “Nainggit ako sa nag massage!” 

Since it’s currently summer and “ang init” in the Philippines, Sanha wishes to see Cebu and Palawan, while Moonbin wants to visit the beautiful beaches of Boracay. “Bring me there!” Sanha teased.

And what are the things they learned from each other? Moonbin said that he realized Sanha, although the group’s maknae (youngest), is also very mature. “Even his physical appearance became matured too,” Moonbin teased the AROHAs while pointing at Sanha’s biceps. Meanwhile, Sanha said he respects Moonbin a lot, and learned a lot from his hyung (older brother) as a musician. Recently, Moonbin also shared that Sanha has been treating him with delicious food. BinSan showed us how much they treat each other as brothers.

Of course, for the idols, their best memory for this visit is being with their AROHAs. “And among the different countries, since the Philippines is the first stop, we are nervous about it. But when we see how much you cheer for us, we gain a lot of strength,” said Moonbin.

Moonbin&Sanha’s Tiktok Era!

The boys surely know how to please the crowd. From doing the Ting Ting Tang Tang Challenge twice, host Sam Oh said it perfectly, thank you for indulging us!

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After the Q&As, came a series of games and challenges. During the “Drawing Quiz” segment, the boys were not able to guess the answers so they also danced to the hit NewJeans’ song OMG! When the fans requested for more, they did this dance challenge twice too!

There was also a “Music Quiz” where Moonbin and Sanha needed to name all the song titles simultaneously played, and then dance to one of the songs to get a point. To give the boys a chance to get the right answer, they can also go down the stage and use up their “AROHA CHANCE” and ask the audience for answers in 30 seconds only! It was a difficult game, but also a chance for Moonbin&Sanha and the AROHAs to interact. In the end, they also danced to Fighting by BSS (SEVENTEEN), and Pink Venom by BLACKPINK.

More Mad Performances

After the interviews and missions, the boys went back on stage for more sub-unit performances, including Madness, Chup Chup, and Alone. Every song matched with the boys’ heavenly vocals and sychronized choreos. It was a fun watch!

And, as they always say, it felt like time flew by when you’re having fun as the boys gave their closing MENT.

“I am embarrassed to say this, but AROHAS are loving us so much, and it makes me realize that it’s a shame we can’t come back here for 7 years. But I’m so happy that we got to come back now even as a unit. And the reason why we can have this fancon is because of your love for us,” said Sanha

“We come to the end of this fancon. And like what Sanha said, what if we came back earlier?” said Moonbin, to which the crowd cheered, “ASTRO! ASTRO!”

“If we get the chance in the future, we will make sure to come back. Until that day, I hope everyone will be healthy. Mahal kita!” followed by Moonbin.

The show continued with the boys’ performance of Dream Catcher, a fun fan time for BOO while the boys changed backstage, and All I Wanna Do.

“Thank you for giving me an unforgettable memory. There are times I feel tired during my performance. But your energy AROHAS is amazing. So if I get the chance, we would like to come back right away,” said Sanha.

Before the photo time, a fan project was shown on the huge LED screens as fans raised their banners that read: “You’re always our REFUGE in this world of MADNESS”. The show ended with Your Day, as the venue was filled with confetti in the air and AROHAs jumping up and down for the best night of their lives.

ASTRO’s Moonbin & Sanha’s [DIFFUSION] in MANILA was truly pure MADNESS! It was an amazing night filled with music, fun challenges, and fan service. A night to remember for every PH AROHAs.

Buzzsetter extends gratitude to DNM Entertainment and In2ne Entertainment for the invite to Moonbin & Sanha’s [DIFFUSION] in MANILA. The event was covered by Ana Gonzales and Jacquelou Colitoy