REVIEW: Kokoon – Assembly Checkpoint, Edinburgh

Bursting onstage to BTS’ mega hit Fire (불타오르네) is brave indeed. The tightest of tight choreography is exhausting even for the global superstars. Such is the belief in their abilities of Korean Idol-comedy group Kokoon.

The world is riding the Hallyu wave on the back of BTS chart busting success and the phenomenal support for K-Pop, K-Drama and Korean food and goods. While BTS pursue solo activities and statutory military service, Kokoon might be your only chance for a while to see some real-life Korean talent live.

Describing themselves as “a new kind of boy band – combining K-Pop with K-Comedy”. They’ve appeared on TV comedy show Comedy Big League and released successful singles and albums in their home country. The quintet are hugely talented and perfectly drilled.

They rip through some familiar K-Pop tunes, some Blackpink How You Like That (looking resplendent in pink Hanbok), more BTS (Idol and the beloved Spring Day) and of course some PSY, Gangnam style and his recent hit with BTS’ SUGA, That That. They also perform their own single What? (뭐라고?) an electro banger that is incredibly well received. The music is interspersed with comedy routines, all performed in English and there’s some audience participation during a rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight and a bellringing sequence (yes, bellringing). As absurd as it all sounds it works – phenomenally well,

While the whole house is packed with K-Pop fans and fired with an irresistible, infectious energy, it’s the band’s appealing personalities that shine and the energy and commitment invested in the performance that makes this such a delight.

Utterly entertaining, a little bit different and thoroughly worth watching, in a (Korean) word Daebak 대박.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐