Cha Cha-Woong (Park Hae-Jin) is a famous magician descended from a long line of powerful shamans, which allows him to see ghosts. Yet, while he has three of them as his aides for magic shows, he’s always refused to become a true shaman. But he may not have a choice when he becomes embroiled in a murder case and has to reveal his ability to Go Seul-Hae (Jin Ki-Joo), a young policewoman who immediately understands the potential of such a power.
From Now On, Showtime! is a charmer. I pressed play on it without much enthusiasm (I’m still traumatized by Man to Man), but it took only a few minutes for it to completely win me over.
Step By Step…
Go Seul-Hae was the one I fell for at first because of her sincerity, frankness and her ability to apologize when she makes mistakes instead of clinging to her pride. Cha Cha-Woong took a bit longer. Such is the uniqueness and beauty of this drama: the characters feel like real people, and act like it, too. As such, their reactions and conflicts are very realistic. And sometimes, it takes time to get to know and truly appreciate someone. This is what happened with me and Cha-Woong: under his caustic exterior, he retains a form of innocence in the way he takes in the world that makes him immensely endearing.
Both Park Hae-Jin and Jin Ki-Joo do an incredible job playing those characters. The former manages to give his character minute expressions ranging from open vulnerability to wary sarcasm in a way that makes him incredibly real, while Go Seul-Hae’s crying scenes (among other things) could make angels weep.
From Now On, Showtime! also boasts a colorful gallery of secondary characters with a wide array of personalities. The only one that I really disliked throughout was the shaman apprentice, who was only ever interested in money, making her storyline really annoying.
Fascination
From Now On, Showtime! manages its pacing very well for the first two-thirds of its run, but then becomes much slower in the final stretch. Still, it ends on a very satisfying finale, leaving us on a positive note. It’s actually rather similar to Bulgasal in some aspects, but also infinitely superior in the way it handles its characters, relationships and plot lines, even if some questions remain unanswered by the end.
Cha-Woong’s little troop of ghosts also contributes a lot to the humor of the show, bringing some truly hilarious scenes to the mix which give genuinedepth to their relationship with the magician.
All in All…
The plot is very interesting, but the true strength of From Now On, Showtime! lies with its characters first and foremost. Be they wounded and wary, extroverted, eccentric or a mix of all that, those characters all feel very real, and spending time with them is a beautiful experience. The music and directing are nothing exceptional, but from its very beginning to its last minute, it’s obvious that a lot of love was poured into From Now On, Showtime!.
Title: From Now On, Showtime!
Country: South Korea
Aired: 04/23/2022 to 06/12/2022
Starring: Park Hae-Jin, Jin Ki-Joo, Jung Joon-Ho
Number of episodes: 16
Genres : Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Supernatural
My Rating: ★★★★☆
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