ReviewMake Cha Eun-woo your fantasy boyfriend in his 1st virtual reality concert

Singer-actor Cha Eun-woo performs in his virtual reality concert, "CHA EUN-WOO VR CONCERT: MEMORIES." Courtesy of CGV

Who needs a real-life lover when Cha Eun-woo — arguably one of the most good-looking men in Korea — appears before your eyes to woo you, cry over you and plead for your love that he so desperately longs for?

Sounds too good to be true? Well, it's not. At least not in the virtual world.

For those tired of ordinary love stories, an extraordinary date awaits — starring the famous singer-actor — in "CHA EUN-WOO VR CONCERT: MEMORIES." Here, viewers are invited to step into a one-on-one romance with Cha in an hour-long virtual reality (VR) experience delivered in a concert-style format.

The production marks Cha and his agency Fantagio's first foray into VR, combining a romantic narrative with Cha's music in a tech-forward spin.

Upon entering the dedicated theater for a press screening for the concert at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul Tuesday, attendees were instructed to don VR headsets that would soon transport them into a 12K-resolution virtual world where Cha awaits.

Inside the show, Cha plays the leading role in a story that explores the emotional highs and lows of a romantic relationship, from butterflies and love to heartbreak and longing. The viewer becomes his partner in this tale.

Structured like a drama, the experience allows Cha to showcase both his acting skills and musical talent, shifting between the emotional scenes and stage performances.

What elevates the experience is its interactivity. Viewers don't just watch the story —they participate in shaping it. Through a series of in-experience choices — selecting keepsakes, photos or settings — they get to steer the narrative forward, unlocking different scenes depending on their selections.

This choose-your-own-romance structure is a notable step beyond standard VR K-pop offerings, which have typically presented recordings of concert stages.

The official poster for singer-actor Cha Eun-woo's VR concert, "MEMORIES," which opens Wednesday at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall and CGV Yeonnam in Seoul. Courtesy of Fantagio

As the story begins with Cha on the losing end of a breakup, followed by his tearful farewell, his silent anguish in the aftermath and his shyness at your first meeting — what's most striking is the fidelity of his virtual rendering.

Cha's image, already famously unreal, is recreated in such detail that it becomes nearly indistinguishable from his real presence. The illusion becomes almost uncanny — his face, just inches away from yours, feels close enough to touch.

The auditory experience adds another layer of realism. When Cha sings and performs, the acoustics are finely engineered to mimic a live presence, making it almost too easy to forget he isn't actually in the room.

Still, the VR format comes with its fair share of trade-offs.

The headsets installed in the theater may feel heavy, requiring viewers to keep their neck and face muscles engaged throughout the hour-long runtime. At times, the shifting viewer perspective may also trigger motion sickness or a fear of heights in more sensitive individuals.

Even so, for anyone who's ever entertained a passing fantasy about Cha, this may be the closest thing to making it real.

Just don't bring company — your virtual flirtations are best kept private. Even the most skeptical viewers will find it hard not to melt when Cha lovingly serenades directly to their headset.

"CHA EUN-WOO VR CONCERT: MEMORIES" opened Wednesday at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall and CGV Yeonnam in Seoul.