The Rose, Vtubers, and Many More: What Really Went Down at CONQuest Festival 2023

MANILA, Philippines — Acclaimed content creators, voice actors, local bands and artists, renowned gamers, and anime fans gathered on June 2–4, 2023, at the Sky Islands of Manila to celebrate the largest and most anticipated gaming and pop-culture convention, CONQuest 2023.

This three-day convention includes events with the Genshin Impact voice actors, fanmeets, talks and seminars, and live performances by a variety of artists for Music Night. Merchandise booths were also set up on the second floor of the SMX Convention Center for Questers to explore. Thus, the con-goers anticipated a jam-packed weekend full of activities given the five venues hosting various programs and the stellar guest list scheduled for each day.

Shxtou Finally Meets His Filipino Guildies!

On the second day of the festivities, a growing number of attendees lined up to see the day’s long-awaited programs. The stage segments of VTubers Bao and Shoto welcomed the enormous crowd at the Creator Stage.

As Shoto appeared on stage in his cool, new outfit, he was greeted by the Guildies’ loud and joyful cheers. Some cosplayers also joined the hosts onstage for the interview. During a brief Q&A, he was asked if he had any plans to visit other places in the Philippines.

“Manila was the first one that I thought about [where I wanted to visit] and I got the opportunity to… I’m here right now. It’s awesome so far. But besides Manila, I think Boracay,” answered Shoto.

As one of the distinguished VTubers, he also gave advice to aspiring streamers and VTubers.

“My main advice is to just do it. I feel like a lot of people are afraid to make that jump and overplan. Just see if you like it, head into it; see if it is something that you genuinely enjoy. Commit to it too and make content. If you like it, you like it. Just make the jump.” — Shoto

Shoto established a name for himself in the VTuber community with his personable, easy-going demeanor as well as his incredible singing abilities. The Guildies certainly adore him, as evidenced by the number of people who came to meet him at his booth and MeetZone!

A Valorous Face-Off in the Sky Islands

The Valorant ShowMatch drew a large crowd because of its well-known lineup of gamers and content creators. Spicyuuu, Newt, Demenishki, KrisRey, Sykkuno, Een, The Rose’s Jaehyeong, Xavi, JoshSeki, and RazzieBinx took up the challenge of competing in an intense Valorant match.

Before the game, the hosts had a brief chat with the participants, during which they inquired about the players’ preparation for the match. JaeHyeong of The Rose stated that he had only recently started playing the game and had only played a few matches. He also added that the band will be at Music Night and the Q&A panel and he encourages the Black Roses to be prepared for their stages.

The game began with both teams immediately going for each other’s throats; it is fair to state that the game is not lacking in outstanding players! After having tied seven times in forty rounds, Team 1, consisting of Sykkuno, Spicyuuu, JaeHyeong, Xavi8k, and Krisrey, won with a score of 21–19.

Music Night with The Rose

Following the performances by local bands and artists such as Autotelic, Oh! Flamingo, Lesha, and James Reid, The Rose then began serenading the audience with their first set of performances with “Cure”! Their hit songs “RED,” “I don’t know you,” “Sorry,” “Shift,” and “Time” followed.

They asked the Questers how the event had progressed for them thus far. Additionally, they pointed out JaeHyeong’s participation in the Valorant MatchShow, where he was a member of the winning team. During this time, they also confirmed that they are currently working on a new album!

They then proceeded to sing, “Yes” joined with the Filipino Black Roses knowing full well of its popularity in the country. Angelic voices from The Rose and the Black Roses filled the venue. They then performed “The Definition of Ugly is,” “She’s in the Rain,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and the final song on their setlist, “Sour”!

Before leaving the stage, the boys made sure to convey their love to their fans by handing out red roses to those in the crowd. Seeing the boys interact with the fans with such vigor was a captivating and enthralling sight.

Their set concluded the proceedings for Day 2 of CONQuest 2023.

The Rose Reunites with Filipino Black Roses

More people have lined up for the third and final day of CONQuest to meet the guests, watch the performances, and also indulge in the merchandise market.

The Filipino Black Roses, who were getting ready for a wonderful time with The Rose for their Q&A Panel at the Creators Stage, were among those that lined up. The Black Roses can be seen waiting in front of the stage, holding ready-made banners and ready-to-ask questions to the boys.

Once The Rose entered the stage and the program commenced, they were asked how they felt about being back in Manila after their world tour.

“It feels great, we love Manila. We love the Philippines,” Woosung stated, which was met with passionate cheers from fans. They additionally mentioned that they gained a lot of Filipino fans during the pandemic, which is why they were so excited to perform at the event and see everyone’s faces.

Immediately after that, the hosts let the boys select fans who could come up to the stage and ask them questions personally. The Black Roses cheered loudly when asked whether they would be on a tour soon and if they would consider Manila again.

“Yes, we are going to have another tour! And we are definitely going to Manila,” they reassured the fans.

When queried about their knowledge of Filipino words, they answered “pogi,” “maganda,” and “mahal ko kayo.” The Filipino Black Roses also taught them the phrase “Shot Puno!”, to which they replied that they would use it the next time they go out to drink. As they departed the stage, they wished the Black Roses to sleep tight and made a budding promise to see each other again soon.

More panels, meet zones, workshops, seminars, and stages by varied content creators followed the panel.

#SeeYouInTheLines?

CONQuest 2023 was a magical three days for both guests and fans alike. With its jam-packed schedule and program, it is easy to justify that it is one of the year’s most anticipated gaming and pop culture events.

With the event’s jam-packed fun time come jam-packed lines for entering the venue. Despite the fun that it promised for everyone, hundreds, if not thousands, of prospective con-goers were unable to enter the venue due to the large number of people who showed up on the second and third days of the event. The significant number of individuals who attended the event was clear when the second floor of the SMX Convention Center was forced to close early owing to overcapacity issues.

Consequently, the meme “See You In The Lines” was formed, poking fun at the event’s slogan “See You In The Skies”. When they received notice about what happened at the event, many content creators also expressed their displeasure about the many issues present during the event on social media.

Despite difficulties encountered along the way, those who were able to go in and participate in the events that they wanted to attend hopefully were able to enjoy. It would have been much more enjoyable if everyone who paid for the event could have joined in on the fun. May this serve as a learning experience for both the organizers and the attendees of future conventions.

Rainy days and dreary nights should have given way to beautiful skies and a good time at CONQuest 2023. All events may have had hitches and difficulties, but hopefully, the days were still well spent for the Questers.

Media coverage by Sheleigh Azyl Magana

Image Post-Processing by Therese Dee