‘Blood Saga’ is a performance that actively utilizes the ‘vampire universe’ that has been inseparable from ENHYPEN since their debut, even giving birth to the nickname ‘Bamja-nim’ (a portmanteau of vampire and prince). By weaving this concept into the show in various ways, they created multiple ‘connected moments’ and maximized the audience’s immersion. Even for those who aren’t ‘ENGENE’ fans, there was a feeling that it would be easy to fall into this performance, and after watching the whole show, that judgment was confirmed.
On the evening of the 2nd, the second day of ENHYPEN’s ‘Blood Saga’ was held at the KSPO Dome (formerly the Gymnastics Arena) in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Interest was higher than ever as this was the first solo concert held after the group was reorganized into a 6-member lineup consisting of Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki, following the departure of the eldest member Heeseung (now active as Evan) in March of this year.
Since it was their first tour as six members, ENHYPEN prepared with great determination. Jay mentioned they “braced themselves,” and Jake added that they “gritted their teeth even more” to prepare. Sunghoon asked fans to pay attention to the fact that it is a “performance where the flow continues from start to finish without interruption.” Ni-ki also expressed his ambition, stating, “I want to make a concert that can be recognized even by those who are not (ENGENEs).”
Jay’s comment, “I feel like we’ve come through this in one single breath,” just before the last two songs of the main setlist, was no exaggeration. While VCRs and talking segments appeared occasionally, the core of ‘Blood Saga’ was the ‘stage.’ The performance, consisting of four chapters, proceeded under a tight concept for each section. It was a show that rarely allowed the audience a moment to catch their breath.
Filling the screen with red silhouettes, ENHYPEN performed motions as if slicing the large electronic screen with a knife. It was expected that the first song would be ‘Knife,’ the title track of their 7th mini-album. From the opening until the 15th song, ‘Stealer,’ ENHYPEN performed live using handheld microphones.
The first chapter, ‘Banish,’ which declares a true blood gift heading toward you by tearing through the oppression of the world that blocks our meeting, featured performances of ‘Knife,’ ‘Daydream,’ ‘Outside,’ ‘Brought The Heat Back,’ and ‘No Way Back.’
The second chapter, ‘HIDEOUT,’ where they sing of a future together while thinking of you in a beautiful forest reached by following your traces, consisted of 9 songs: ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry,’ ‘No Doubt,’ ‘Sleep Tight,’ ‘Bills,’ ‘Moonstruck,’ ‘Paranormal,’ ‘Blockbuster,’ ‘Go Big or Go Home,’ and ‘Future Perfect (Pass the MIC).’
The third chapter, sharing the same name as the tour, ‘Blood Saga,’ was a section where they accepted their ‘blood fate,’ willingly bore the sin of love, and expressed the most vampire-like love. During this part, ENHYPEN performed five songs: ‘Stealer,’ ‘Drunk-Dazed,’ ‘Bite Me,’ ‘Fate,’ and ‘CRIMINAL LOVE.’
As Sunghoon predicted, the third chapter ‘Blood Saga’ contained many ‘musical elements,’ allowing the audience to personally feel the deep and intense vampire universe. The VCRs, which could have felt long and boring if the content were lacking, played their part perfectly.
An ominous sign was detected as a statue of the Virgin Mary shedding tears of blood suddenly shattered. When a pursuit team wearing cloaks and masks threatened them, the members resolved the situation in their own ways. Thrilling developments followed, including Sunoo drawing loud cheers with a surprising ambush from behind, Ni-ki defeating enemies by lengthening his nails, and Sunghoon engaging in attack and defense with a knife.
As if to prove that the story just seen did not remain only within the video, the pursuit team moved through the standing area and climbed onto the stage, keeping the audience in a state of ‘tension.’ After finishing a satisfying group dance, the members premiered ‘Stealer,’ a track from their 7th mini-album, for the first time at a concert.
The performance of ‘Fate,’ which deals with the narrative of a boy who finally realizes and awakens to his destiny after recalling why he was cursed and where it originated, was the climax. The screen captured attention with close-ups of the members’ eyes, eventually focusing on Jungwon, who remained alone until the end. Soon, Jungwon falls backward, and a shadow jumping into a red sea appears on the screen. This organic composition allowed the screen to present the story even when the stage was empty.
During ‘CRIMINAL LOVE,’ the second OST for ‘DARK MOON: The Altar of the Moon’ which contains the ENHYPEN universe, Jungwon reappeared after having disappeared following his fall. Jungwon, who appeared to be lying quietly as if asleep, woke up and successfully finished the stage.
A similar production overlapping the stage and screen was also found in ‘No Way Back’ during the early part of the show. When the members turned their backs to the audience and walked forward, they disappeared from the stage, but their backs were captured exactly on the screen.
The ‘universe immersion’ continued even during the encore waiting time. Fans were asked to perform missions, such as shouting slogans in time for the six members engaged in a chase, or following cheering guides displayed on screen to guide ENHYPEN on the right path with the loudest voices.
The final chapter, ‘LOST ISLAND,’ where they shout to rewrite our world together with faith on an unknown island reached at the end of the journey, began the encore with a song of the same name. The members breathed closer with the audience by moving around the passage between the first and second floors using moving carts (Trotko). They concluded with ‘XO (Only If You Say Yes),’ ‘Meoleo,’ ‘Helium,’ and finally ‘SHOUT OUT.’
On this day, ENHYPEN handled all 14 songs in the early and middle parts with handheld microphones. The setlist was also challenging. Out of the 24 ‘scheduled setlist’ songs (excluding the double encore), the title tracks were ‘Knife,’ ‘No Doubt,’ ‘Future Perfect,’ ‘Drunk-Dazed,’ ‘Bite Me,’ and ‘XO,’ while the remaining 18 songs were all B-sides.
Since title tracks usually have higher exposure and recognition, a setlist with a high proportion of B-sides can easily be polarizing due to its ‘unfriendliness.’ Despite the risk, their confidence was evident in the steadfastly constructed setlist. It was welcoming to hear the members explain the attempts and backgrounds, such as adding a dance break for Sunghoon in ‘No Doubt’ and preparing a full version of ‘Helium’ because they felt it would be so exciting during the ensemble.
The members’ attitude of approaching live performances without fear compared to before was also memorable. While the delivery was generally better with handheld microphones, the live vocals were clearly audible even during the in-ear microphone stages in the latter half. Above all, the live performance by a 4-piece band (Guitar Yoon Jang-han, Bass Choi In-sung, Drums Park Seung-han, Director/Keyboard Hong So-jin) enhanced the auditory pleasure of the music.
“I don’t know why, but it’s just so much fun,” said Ni-ki, adding, “I hope today, even if it’s short, becomes true happiness and strength for tomorrow for all the ENGENEs.” Jake started by saying, “This performance is one we are creating together with you,” and added, “This was only possible because you all enjoyed it and cheered for us. We will continue to perform without regrets until the very end.”
While the first day of a tour always leaves some regrets, Sunghoon described the first day of ‘Blood Saga’ on the 1st as “a stage that was better than ever,” reflecting, “I think I learned a lot about what I should do next and what I should challenge myself with.” Jungwon stated, “I think we connected because ENGENEs truly enjoyed it and we also truly enjoyed it yesterday and today. It was a performance where all six members poured in 100% of their sincerity.”
Sunoo shared, “The energy from ENGENEs today was so great that it’s incomparable to yesterday, so I think I was able to gain more strength. Thank you so much. Today’s performance was really fun, but for tomorrow’s final show, I hope everyone jumps crazily with one heart and has a great time. I want us to release all our energy at the last concert and make unforgettable memories.”
“Every tour ENHYPEN has done is so precious and meaningful to me, and I think each one was a great performance that could only happen at that time,” Jay confessed. “(For this performance) I think we feel something different, and I feel that the way ENGENEs play and approach this performance is definitely different this time. That’s why I’m happy.” He added, “I had many worries but also confidence, and I thought a lot about how to show it, but looking at the two days we’ve spent, I feel relieved.”
With an expected total of 32,250 spectators over three days based on 10,750 per session, ENHYPEN is ahead of their final Seoul performance today (3rd). Tickets for the Mexico City show sold out quickly, leading to two additional dates, and accordingly, ‘Blood Saga’ will consist of 32 performances across 21 cities.
