This review may contain spoilers
If you liked "Bring it On Ghost", "Goblin", "Tunnel" - you will most likely like this
9/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean romantic comedy fantasy with 16 approximately 60 minute episodes.First I provide a synopsis then a review.
Synopsis
Cha Cha-woong (Park Hae-jin) comes from a long line of powerful male shamans. He chose not to follow in his grandfather's footsteps when he sees how well he is treated when things go well for people but how quickly they turn on him. So, he decides to use his skills to produce magic shows utilizing the skills of ghosts, which he employees. Fate makes Cha-woong and a dedicated female police officer Go Seul-hae (Jin Ki-joo) cross paths and the two use their individual supernatural powers to solve crimes.
Review
Overall I liked this very much. It had a supernatural element that had a lot of ties to the general beliefs on things such as ghosts and afterlife but had a lot of very unique twists. They wove the day to day police work in with the back story that was woven through very well. I loved the magic shows and how he utilized the ghosts to make shows that were so amazing it rocketed him to the top of his field. I was happy to see him in a role where I didn't feel I wanted to hate him. His role in "Cheese in the Trap" overshadowed how I felt about the actor so I was happy to see him in a role where he was a "good guy." The chemistry between the leads built slowly and realistically and they were a very believable couple. I liked that his character developed from being very self centered and selfish to what his core really was all about which was a more caring and thoughtful person. Other characters commented on the change and his character growth and it added to the compelling nature of such an unveiling of who someone really is under all the facade they put up. His ghost employees each had their own unique backstory, talents, and their relationship with the leads and each other made for a very heartwarming element. I highly recommend this for anyone that wants a unique and compelling drama. If you like "Goblin", "Bring it On Ghost", and "Tunnel" to name a few you will like this one as it has elements of all of those.
Spoilers* This one truly kept you going all the way to the last episode where there was still action happening and things going down. That was both a good thing (it kept you interested throughout) and a bad thing (the wrap up felt rushed). There were a few things that detracted ever so slightly from the story and kept me from indicating it was perfect. When the Male Lead character (MLC) is stabbed when he has the evil spirit in his body he somehow lives. But it is never clear how or why he lives or how just being stabbed got rid of the evil spirit. When he is taken in by his former ghost employees and they are suddenly back but pretending to be reincarnated versions of themselves - it is never reveal)ed how or why they were able to come back and help the MLC. It seemed as though the ghosts could decide when they were ready to move on. That was different than others have portrayed and also inconsistent with how it was portrayed earlier in the series. It never sounded or seemed like it would be their decision when they wanted to leave. It could be that what gave them that flexibility was being under contract with the MLC but that was never laid out. The children in the end who the MLC and Female Lead Character (FLC) indicated were reincarnations of the ghosts, it never showed how that transpired. Their son was a surprise and they alluded to him being a reincarnation of the general but that was not further discussed so it made it a bit awkward. The fact that he was working as a traditional magician and learned from the ground up from his former nemesis was an interesting angle but, as always, I was disappointed he lost his her abilities. I did like that it showed he was a lot more caring toward his employees based on what learned from the ghosts. The FLC was a kick butt detective and I loved that about her. I liked the reincarnation angle and thought it was amusing when he lived through his past life and came out of his coma all mushy and I love you princess. I thought, when she was out for awhile at the end that her experience going back and experiencing her former life as the Princess might result in her talking to him and indicating she understood how he was feeling when he was so over the top with her. It was a bit inconsistent that the MLC went back to the past and interacted with the Princess and she wasn't more surprised about this time traveling visitor. She sort of accepted it and even expressed feelings for this future version of her current love.
#ShowtimeFromNow
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This review may contain spoilers
Fun
This drama was fun to watch. There were times when I had tears rolling down my face and my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. This romantic comedy leaned hard into the comedy aspect, and it was truly delightful to enjoy. There were refreshingly few cliches (yes, I'm sure some would protest that "but past lives intertwined" but it was done in such a unique way that it doesn't feel like a repeat of the usual tropes at all). The progression from disinterest (or even mild dislike) to friends to lovers between the leads also felt new - and also led to some of the funniest scenes imaginable. It's really no surprise at all that the writer of Mystic Pop-Up Bar provided us with another fantastic series, and I look forward to watching more dramas from this screenwriter in the future.The cast was, for the most part, well chosen. Park Hae Jin and Jin Ki Joo were perfect in their roles. and the 3 ghosts portrayed by Go Gyu Pil, Jung Suk Yong, and Park Seo Yeon provided much of the comedy that made this such a fresh and delightful drama to watch.
The only real problem I had with the drama was that the OST was not particularly engaging or enjoyable. It was a real letdown for what was otherwise such a delightful watch.
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Like even the cloth, ML's seating position was same. Is this allowed? I am shocked how same the scene was. Too much similarlity.
I like the drama but that was weird as hell.
Otherwise i enjoyed it. I love Park hae jin's acting and charisma. Wish he gets more good work. The FL was cute too.
Also the comic timing was best, the romance was a bit on slow burn side but i liked it. Chemistry between the cast was cool too.
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Fun Homage to the Classic Cross-Genre Complex Romcom, But Lacks Depth and Finesse
Good Things:* The communication. For a largely tongue-in-cheek romcom, the leads actually sit down and talk things out at important junctures. They're not exactly good at it, but they try; and that counts for a lot in a Kdrama.
* The dog. Pets getting karmic closure was unexpected and delightful.
* The entourage. ML's ghost employees (and the itinerant guests) are practically a Greek chorus. Their running commentary on anything and everything runs the gamut from hilarious to poignant, and it's the highlight of the show.
So-So Things:
* The hasty closure. The plot has a lot of loose ends to deal with, and the overall wrap-up is satisfying but trite.
* The octave change. Despite the horror/supernatural revenge murder mystery main plot, it's very slapstick until things start getting serious around midway and the shift in the characters and story is jarring.
* The red flag SML. There's a love triangle, and he's a great big 'yikes' of a character.
Bad Things:
* The derivative story. If you've seen Mystic Pop Up Bar, a lot of the narrative elements are going to be very familiar. Which is iffy, because MPUB is an adaptation of a webtoon and the similarity skirts the line between imitative flattery and outright knock-off.
* The episodic vs arching narrative. Both are rough around the edges, and it doesn't quite successfully pull off smoothly integrating them even with the help of an extended flashback.
It's a homage to the complex, cross-genre romcom plots of the mid 2010s. FNOS! doesn't have the same depth as those older dramas, but it's still an enjoyable, nostalgic romp in the medium. Recommended if you enjoyed other karmic supernatural episodic mysteries like Hotel Del Luna / May I Help You? / MPUB, prefer comedies with a serious undertone or fun, frenetic stories with a little bit of everything.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama " From Now On, Showtime! " is a drama with an interesting theme.The drama has some pretty interesting characters. The female lead is enjoyable and quite different from the other FM out there, although, towards the ending, she got watered down. The ghosts, in addition, were those who stole the show and their comedy acts were spot on.
The rest of the drama had its moments, with a smooth mystery case and an interesting new world of ghost to be discovered. However, it got boring as it went on. The male lead was too predictable as well. Those silly final scenes were just okay as well.
The performances, on the other hand, were enjoable by everyone in the cast. The CGI were great as well.
So, overall, six out of ten.
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definitely worth watching
although the story may be pretty cliche it was executed well. the whole historical aspect was for sure really needed. there were cringy parts that made me close my eyes from embarrassment but all the characters were really charming especially the three ghosts. the chemistry between main leads was good enough in my opinion and it definitely made sense for a slower pace romance since FL was in love w someone else.I think that the casting was great and I genuinely loved most characters but also truly hated the antagonists of the story.
The osts were really fun and nice to hear however not something I'd add in my playlist like w other osts.
I rarely if ever rewatch kdramas but I do think that I'd watch this one after a few years.
It isn't a perfect kdrama but from what I heard it had low budget and no promotion however didn't seem like a low quality show. it's a great watch while doing something else maybe you won't be glued to the screen but u'll surely pause what you're doing to watch some scenes or even replay them.
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Just an average drama
LIKEWhen Cha Cha Woong was performing magic shows with the help of his staffs
When Grim Reaper appeared and the time he spent with everyone especially Choi Gum
The kind Cha Sa Geum
DISLIKE
No chemistry betweenPark Hae Jin and Jin Ki Joo
Kind of boring after a while
MUSIC
I'll Be There - An Da Eun
REWATCH VALUE
Five for now
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This review may contain spoilers
Getting to the happy ending is drudgery
Harsh lead female's character that I never could warm up to. Lead male was attractive but his character is not someone to root for. The demon/evil spirt is traumatizingly over the top scary . They catch the "bad guy" &then they brought him back 4 episodes (or so) before the end! (what!!??)The characters had already gone through ALOT so I just felt it was cheap & unnecessary to have them sacrifice , give it their all & it ends up not being enough. The romances were all pretty much settled by then so I felt it had lost the fun & was draining to watch. I dropped this for a few weeks then finished it. Yes there are happy endings for some, but getting there was a bit of drudgery. The pizazz that you got excited about in the first few episodes was long gone
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Because Romeo and Juliet failed to unite
The rating at the beginning of the episode, which was 2.8% and closed at 4.2% at the end, indicates that the Korean drama: From Now On Showtime is not that bad.I suspect that the audience survived until the final episode because this drama is played by Park Hae-Jin and Jin Ki-Joo. Both of them never fail to amaze the audience.
Acting as a magician Cha Cha-Woong who is self-proclaimed, cool and arrogant, Park Hae-Jin's acting turns ridiculous when he falls in love with police officer Go Seul-Hae (Jin Ki-Joo). Acting that makes the audience like a roller coaster, between excited and wanting to laugh.
Likewise, the acting of older actors, the majority of whom are subscribed to, plays supporting roles.
Added to this is the strong chemistry between Park Hae-Jin and Jin Ki-Joo, which is why the Korean drama rating: From Now On Showtime doesn't sink to the bottom.
The idea of the story is very ordinary, not even coherent and too wide. Maybe it would be more comfortable if the scenario writer focused on telling the story of the couple Park Hae-Jin and Jin Ki-Joo, before and after reincarnation, including when the couple had to solve cases at the police.
No need to peel off the story of the ghosts. Especially the addition of Choi Geom's ghost, who in the past played the role of the princess' bodyguard. What the writer-nim wanted, Choi Geom was ridiculous and funny, but the result was annoying.
Likewise, the scene from 2,000 years ago feels far-fetched. Plus minus the cinematography that isn't as good as other Korean dramas, and the music that isn't fun, it's completely boring watching Korean dramas: From Now On Showtime.
However, if you are a fan of Park Hae-Jin and Jin Ki-Joo, please watch the Korean drama: From Now On Showtime. Because as I have written above, the acting of the two of them makes me excited! 😀😀💗
then read my review on:
https://www.maria-g-soemitro.com/2022/11/from-now-on-showtime-review-romeo-juliet.html
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Pros: interesting concept, interesting characters headed by ML and the General, great secondary characters (ghosts) and a really funny sense of humor (at times). This is currently the only drama that piques my interest and I look forward to each episode with excitement. I have real fun watching it.
Cons: The reincarnation theme (watching it I feel like I'm listening to a broken record), scenes that just have to be in every k-drama (I'm really sick of them), a villain that doesn't smell like danger or horror at all despite doing very bad things. You just don't feel the atmosphere.
But overall this drama is great fun just sometimes boring :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Overall Drama is 95% Romantic Comedy, 5% Has A Bit Dark Story Plot
If you can get through the first 4 episodes, then I think you might like this, especially if you enjoy watching romantic comedies. The lead characters, Cha Woong & Seul Hae, do have an annoying aspect to them in the beginning but it wasn't to the point where I would get very frustrated with them. They both are very funny in this drama. Adding more comedic relief are the 3 ghost employees and then the Advisor, Mr. Choi.Romance wise, there is a love triangle. It's a pretty tamed love triangle. Nothing too crazy until the darker sections of the drama occurs. That's where it kinda gets creepy & scary briefly. There is a 2nd couple in this drama as well. Both couples do have their cute & romantic moments with each other.
The overall plot idea was a great idea. How the writers and the directing of the drama went? Well, it could've been better. They definitely stalled the plot for too long, showing a ton of comedy (which I enjoyed) but not really progressing the plot. This made our characters seemed oblivious to what was going on for many episodes and allow for the evil spirit to get away with many things. Even towards the final episode, it was very messy as the characters still didn't know who the evil spirit possessed. The final battle with the evil spirit should've been longer and more detailed but was mediocre and anti-climactic. I mean we don't even see the last suffering & pain of the evil spirit as he stabs. We just see a black aura disappears. I'm kind of frustrated of this after all the people this evil spirit ended up murdering. Some positives on the last episode, the last 20 mins of Ep 16 outweigh the rest of the episode. This is why I give story a 3.5/5 stars
It's a drama that will make you laugh overall but just some flaws with the plot progression and the last few episodes. I think most will still enjoy it overall.
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THIS IS WHY I LOVE KDRAMA
actually, i don't know about this drama, because it's closed with the fame of the new tvn drama until now tho, but after that drama airing their first eps, I thought it was very boring even though I was expecting a lot from it, then I start to see the drama that was on going and I found [from now on, showtime!] airing one day after that tvn drama, so I watching it and this drama was very very fun with the personality of the whole cast that was just PERFECT, even now their back sound can still be heard in my head lmaoI think u might love this drama sm if u like
- sell ur haunted house
- hotel del luna
- the master's sun
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