Girl group ILLIT kicked off its first-ever live tour with a show doubling down on what the quintet does best: showing off its glittery charm with a wink of cheeky humor.

Fans who came expecting that signature sweetness would’ve got exactly what they wanted and then some. The roughly two-hour show unfolded like a pastel-hued spectacle filled with whimsical stage sets and polished production.

Those looking for the raw thrill of a live vocal showcase, however, may have found the experience a little too polished. The production ran with seamless precision that rarely broke the glossy surface, dulling the opportunities for genuine connection between ILLIT and the fans.

ILLIT launched its first concert tour, “Press Start,” with two shows at Ticketlink Live Arena in southern Seoul on Saturday and Sunday.

Consisting of Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee and Iroha, the group debuted in March 2024 under HYBE’s Belift Lab after competing on JTBC’s audition series “R U Next?” (2023). The quintet is known for its dreamy, fairy tale-inspired aesthetics, which lean into soft and whimsical visual elements marked by frilly dresses, school uniform-inspired costumes and pastel color tones. Its musical narrative centers on embracing one’s true feelings and their unique self — best reflected in the title of the girl group's debut EP, “Super Real Me” (2024).

“Do you remember the moment that ILLIT and GLLIT met each other?” said Minju at the beginning of the evening, referring to the girl group’s official fandom. “The title of our first live tour, ‘Press Start,’ means that we want to let you relive the excitement of that first encounter.”

The show opened with the bubbly synth intro of “Magnetic” (2024). A dreamy fog filled the stage before the five members emerged from a giant heart-shaped installation.

Small details amplified ILLIT’s signature vibe during each part of the show, including the fantasy-inspired decorations on the mic stands during “bamsopoong” (2025).

True to its title, the concert also leaned into a video game theme, with playful elements scattered throughout the show, such as 8-bit pixel art visuals, a retro game console-like stage setup where the members lined up like characters inside a game while performing “little monster” (2025).

The first prerecorded interlude of the show, in particular, leaned fully into rhythm-game nostalgia, as ILLIT guided fans through playful dance instructions in a segment reminiscent of the 2009 Nintendo rhythm game Rhythm Heaven, adding a quirky, distinctly ILLIT touch to the production.

After “Cherish” (2024), the concert shifted toward more vocal-focused performances, including “I’ll Like You” (2024), “Pimple” (2024) and “Almond Chocolate” (2025). However, loud backing vocals made it difficult to distinguish the members' live singing from the show's backing track.

Adding to the show's minor drawbacks, many of the comments from ILLIT's members during the first hour also felt somewhat scripted rather than spontaneous. Yet, as the show moved forward and the members began exchanging banter and sharing their thoughts, the genuine sense of fun gradually emerged, revealing the “Super Real Me” ILLIT has built its identity around.

One surprise prepared for GLLIT was a set of unit performances of songs the members performed during their audition program days — a charismatic and chic performance of “Desperate” (2023) by Minju, Yunah and Iroha and “Scrum” (2023) by Moka and Wonhee.

The show’s pace picked up with “My World” (2024) and “oops!” (2025), followed by a medley that covered tracks “Midnight Fiction” (2024) through “Do the Dance” (2025), “Not Cute Anymore” (2025), “Lucky Girl Syndrome” (2024) and “Not Me” (2025).

Minju, who said that she nearly teared up when fans chanted “ILLIT, I love you!” during brief intervals between sets, described the evening as dreamlike.

“I always wondered what it would feel like to have fans,” she said. “I’m so happy to perform in front of such a crowd — and once again realized why I wanted to be an idol in the first place, thanks to GLLIT.”

ILLIT will now continue the tour in Japan with stops in Aichi, Osaka, Fukuoka, Hyogo and Tokyo before wrapping up in Hong Kong.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]