The members of NCT Dream take a photo with the audience during the first of their two-day 'The Dream Show 3: Dream( )scape' at the Mall of Asia Arena, August 10, 2024. Photo from NCT Dream's X accountFollowing NCT Dream’s performance of H.O.T.’s “Candy,” member Mark could not hide his satisfaction with the crowd. “Your energy today is amazing. You guys are killing it,” he told fans who packed the Mall of Asia Arena on the first night of the K-pop group’s recent two-day “The Dream Show 3: Dream( )scape” concert in Manila.

By the time the Canadian idol made his remark, the two-and-a-half-hour concert had reached its midpoint. But from the very first number, the passion of the fans—affectionately called “Czennies” from the official fandom name “NCTzens”—was palpable, evident in the deafening cheers, enthusiastic sing-alongs, and synchronized waving of green cube-shaped light sticks.

For their part, Mark, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung blazed through a 28-piece setlist composed of mostly newer songs. The electrifying performances were par for the course, but NCT Dream—minus Renjun, who is on hiatus due to health reasons—and its team elevated the experience with stunning visuals.

Lasers crisscrossed the arena, striking images flashed on the screens, and flames occasionally shot up from the front of the stage. Combined with the K-pop stars’ song-and-dance numbers, “The Dream Show 3: Dream( )scape” was a sensory overload in the best possible way.

Produced by Live Nation Philippines, the Manila stop of “The Dream Show 3: Dream( )scape” served as the finale of the tour’s Asian leg and marked the band’s return to the country after over a year. Their previous concert, “The Dream Show 2: In A Dream,” also spanned two days at the same venue. However, Chenle was absent from the last visit due to health reasons.

“Last year, during ‘The Dream Show 2,’ I was not able to join you because I was not feeling well. Finally, I’m here!” Chenle said through an interpreter in his opening message. “I have a lot of energy to share. I promise to give you all this energy tonight.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve been back to Manila. Thank you so much for filling up this space,” said Haechan, who along with Mark performed at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan last January for NCT 127’s concert.

Dressed in studded black leather outfits accented with red, NCT Dream kicked off the night with a string of hard-hitting tracks: “Box,” “119,” “SOS,” and “Go.” 

“Poison” transformed the atmosphere into a sensual haze, the members’ sinuous body waves sending fans into a frenzy, followed by “Drippin’,” which featured razor-sharp choreography.

For more relaxed numbers like “Walk With You” and “Never Goodbye,” feel-good tunes such as “Tangerine Love” and “Yogurt Shake,” and emotional ballads like “Breathing,” the sextet opted for a more laidback approach, eschewing complex choreography. Their exceptional vocals and magnetic stage presence stood out as they moved freely around the stage to engage with the audience.

In perhaps the night’s most crowd-pleasing set, fans leapt to their feet and jumped in elation as the boys launched into the infectious grooves of “Dream Run” and “Better Than Gold” before segueing into the rousing trifecta of “Fireflies,” “Hello Future,” and “Broken Melodies.”

The group raised the energy once again with “Skateboard,” featuring b-boying and daring stunts where the backup dancers flipped over and lifted Jaemin. The excitement continued with the dramatic tempo shifts of “ISTJ” before transitioning to the smooth vibes of “Smoothie.”

For the encore, the group treated fans to “Dive Into You,” “ANL,” and “Like We Just Met.” During the final song, what was meant to be a poignant farewell turned into a comical moment after a storm of confetti engulfed the boys on the circular B-stage, eliciting laughter from the crowd. The unexpected flurry even had some of the members shielding themselves with the blue robes they wore.

‘Good memories’

By the end of the show, it was clear that NCT Dream relished every moment performing for their Filipino fans, who also showered August celebrants Mark and Jaemin with heartfelt birthday wishes.

“You guys did it again. Thank you so much for being an amazing audience, Manila. I personally have a lot of good memories in Manila, [and it’s] all thanks to you guys,” said Mark. “Should we just start the show all over again? You guys are too energetic for this to be the end of the show.”

“It’s been a while since we came back here to meet Manila Czennies. But the whole day I was able to feel how much you all waited for me. Although we’re not here so often, thank you because every time we’re back, you welcome us amazingly,” Jeno added.

Jaemin assured the crowd that the group would reciprocate the love they had received. “As much as you have shown us love, we will definitely give that back to you guys,” he said.

Jisung hoped that in future visits, fans would continue to teach the group trendy Filipino expressions, such as the “Eyyy” expression with its accompanying Y-shaped hand gesture, which the boys learned during the concert.

He also promised that the group would return for another “The Dream Show” as a full team of seven. “We’ll be back with ‘The Dream Show 4,’ complete as seven with Renjun,” Jisung said.

“I had so much fun because Manila Czennies, you were such a great crowd to be with,” he added. 

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