Story | Leslie Yip Boucher-Harris Photography | Sing Tao Media Group, Peter K. C. Ho
It was past midnight on Sunday, April 14, 2024. Most of the city was in bed, but inside the arrival hall at Toronto Pearson International airport, nearly a thousand Chinese, mostly female, were camping out. They held giant banners and neon signs, and every time someone exited the security area, they perked up, only to be disappointed.
They had been waiting for more than four hours, but you know how air travel is like these days—the plane from New York City was delayed. Others might have gone to the coffee shop to rest their feet, but not them. They were here to catch a glimpse of their idols as they arrived in Toronto and didn’t want to jeopardize this precious moment.
Who Were They Waiting For? Hong Kong’s Home-Grown Boy Band—MIRROR
The 12 boys were coming to Toronto for the only Canadian stop on their international tour, aptly named Feel the Passion. Tickets to the concert sold out in just eight minutes, leaving many fans in despair. For them, hanging around the airport could be their only chance to see their idols.
1:08 am: Something is happening. Four “big guys” who were standing at the back walked up the ramp and stood in attention beside the door. A few more stationed themselves along the walkway. That could only mean one thing—MIRROR was arriving!
1:18 am: SCREAM! Led by “Captain” Lokman and the end capped by Keung To, the 12 young singers paraded out amidst ear-piercing screams. Everyone held up their smartphones to record or livestream the event, making sure they had a permanent record of this moment. The boys were not able to stop to greet their fans, as they were quickly whisked on to a waiting motor bus. That did not dampen the spirits of their worshippers, however. What they had just experienced was enough. For a Canadian MIRROR fan, that could be the closest they would ever get to their idols, and they had the selfie video to prove it.
So, Who Is MIRROR? And Why Are They Special?
MIRROR was formed in an age when Hong Kongers felt they were losing their self-identity. Since the 2000s, Mandarin productions have been slowly and steadily taking over Cantonese in movies, TV and music. Beloved local artists were all “Going North”, for what performer doesn’t want a piece of mainland China’s 1.4 billion-strong market, which is 2,000 times Hong Kong’s population?
At first, it was a kick to see home-grown stars appearing in the biggest Mainland shows, but bit by bit, fans felt they had been deserted. Few Cantonese albums were released. Local movie production came to a grinding stop. Even local shops took on a Mandarin flavour—little mom-and-pop stores were forced out by exorbitant rental prices, to be replaced by ritzy stores catering to high-spending mainland Chinese tourists.
All this was leaving a bitter taste with Hong Kong residents. “This city is dying,” a character remarked in English in a popular TV series, and it became one of the most repeated phrases on everyone’s tongue.
That was just the beginning. In 2014 and 2019, political issues divided the city. Mentions of tear gas, smoke bombs and water cannons dominated the news. When a third-grader could recite what the blue, red, purple, orange and black police warning flags stood for, you knew something was very wrong.
If that wasn’t bad enough, COVID arrived and city morale hit rock bottom.
And Then, MIRROR Came Along
It all started with a reality talent singing contest called “Good Night Show-King Maker” on the local ViuTV station. It started with 99 hopefuls, who were at the mercy of a panel of star judges for the chance to advance to the next round. After three months of elimination, the top contestants were already gaining their own fan bases. The finale was aired live, and to the delight, they were invited to vote along with the judging panel.
Keung To won the competition, Ian Chan came second, followed by Lokman Yeung. The organizers felt that some of the other participants held great potential and deserved another shot at stardom, so they handpicked nine more boys—Alton Wong, Anson Kong, Anson Lo, Edan Lui, Frankie Chan, Jer Lau, Jeremy Lee, Stanley Yau and Tiger Yau—to join the winners and form the now legendary group, MIRROR.
Unlike the homogeneity of many K-Pop bands, individuality is encouraged with MIRROR. Captain Lokman explained: “The meaning of MIRROR is that a mirror can reflect the truest self of each member. At the same time, if there are multiple mirrors, they can reflect countless or infinite possibilities, symbolizing that each member is independent and unique, and when they come together as a team, they have infinite possibilities.”
Their debut single was launched in November 2018. The song was called “In a Second”, and in the music video, the boys were dressed in dazzling white, smiling and brimming with energy. The music was upbeat and the lyrics were uplifting—be resilient and your dream will come true.
This was exactly what Hong Kong needed at the moment: positivity, energy and optimism. The group became an overnight sensation.
A New Era of Cantopop Has Begun
The group’s core fans were not just the typical teenage girls. Many were older, including middle-aged housewives. These ladies bonded over their love of the group and formed fan groups with memberships in the tens of thousands. Some even exceeded one million followers.
These fandoms have very cute and creative nicknames, like the Beliebers and Swifties of Western music. Keung To’s fans call themselves Ginger Candy, since Keung means ginger in Chinese. Edan Lui’s fans took inspiration from his Chinese name and call themselves Cheuk Si, which means “bird poo”. You will also find Cornflour, Protein Powder, Disciples, Unicorns, Tiger Cubs, Willow Stir-fry, TeamStanley and The Bandana Troupe. And fans of the group as a whole? MIRO.
It wasn’t just the fans who formed a tight bond around their idols. Even those who are not fans became a community. The husbands of MIRROR fans formed a “My Wife Married MIRROR and Left Our Marriage in Ruins Concern Group” on Facebook. The description of the group says: “One day, my wife fell in love with MIRROR, and now at home, all I hear and see is Anson Lo. But, I don’t hate MIRROR. I just felt that us men needed our own support group.” It garnered 343,400 members in less than a year.
Hong Kong’s marketers took advantage of the group’s success in a big way. Their fans are known to shell out to support anything their idols endorse, and so whether individually or as a group, they became the city’s hottest brand ambassadors. From luxury fashion brands like Cartier, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, to fast-food restaurants, toothpaste and electronic goods, MIRROR is everywhere. It was reported that in the first eight months of 2021, 70 per cent of all advertising in Hong Kong featured the band or one of its members.
The MIRROR craze caught international attention, and every media outlet was trying to analyze the phenomenon. New York Times may have got it right: “This boy band is the joy that Hong Kong needs right now.”
At the same time, the MIRROR fan community also began to go international, as many Hong Kongers began leaving for the UK, the US and Canada from 2021 onwards. For them, MIRROR is a source of comfort, a sense of connection with those back home as they begin a new life in a new country. They are also a hit among existing overseas Chinese. It’s been a while since Cantopop was so exciting.
MIRROR’s tour was a roaring success in the US. They were featured on CNN, Rolling Stone, Fox News, Variety Magazine and more.
Here in Canada, fans spared no efforts in showing their devotion. Videos of Keung To, Anson Kong and MIRROR overtook the giant billboards atop Eaton’s Centre and the YongeDundas Square. A giant bus shelter poster from Edan Lui’s fans wished him a “good show.” Fan trucks with splashy LED screens lined Front Street, giving out souvenirs to the 3,000-plus MIROS braving the rain to get into Meridian Hall.
Our reporters talked to some of them, and learned that many had travelled from Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg, while a few said they had followed the group from San Francisco to Los Angeles to New York and now Toronto. One couple left their children with friends so they could make the trip together.
We met an ardent group of devotees who commissioned the electronic billboard display at Union Station, while a pregnant woman told us she had a special MIRROR playlist for her baby in the womb. Despite the cold and damp, everyone was smiling, hopeful and brimming with love and energy.
MIRO has become a reflection of MIRROR.
