Cha Cha Woong’s grandfather was a gifted shaman who saw and talked to ghosts.  Watching how lonely and unappreciated his grandfather was, Cha Woong decides to take his own road in life.  But the gifts of a shaman come in handy in other ways.  Cha Woong becomes a famous magician and hires 3 ghosts to be his assistants.  Thanks to their invisible help, most of his tricks are possible.  But one day Cha Woong meets a police officer and is forced to confess his ability to communicate with ghosts.  The two become partners, using his gifts to help the local police department solve crimes and catch criminals.

Jin Ki Joo as Go Seul Hae

Go Seul Hae is a determined police officer whose dream is to be promoted to detective, like her late father, who died in the line of duty.  So when she meets a magician who can actually interview dead victims, she jumps at the chance to form a partnership.  But when she finds out that the grandfather of her new partner is the shaman she believes is responsible for her father’s death, she begins to have second thoughts about working with him.  When a current case is linked to the case Seul Hae’s father and Cha Woong’s grandfather were working on together, Seul Hae finds out that she may have been blaming the wrong person all this time, and that the true villain is closer to her than she would have ever believed.  

Go Seul Hae is tough and seemingly fearless, but her life is shadowed by the mystery of her father’s death.  She has been in love with Seo Hee Soo since she was young, but when she meets Cha Woong, her heart begins to waver  Jin Ki Joo is a charming actress and I thought she carried this role well.  The way she shined during her time on stage assisting Cha Woong was contagious and genuine.  She can easily convey her emotions through her facial expressions, which made her a perfect opposite to Park Hae Jin’s stoic seriousness.  

Go Gyu Pil as Ma Dong Cheol

Ma Dong Cheol is a former gangster who was killed by his boss.  He had planned to start a legitimate job and marry his girlfriend, but he is killed on his way to propose to her.  Now he goes on blind date with other ghosts, hoping to get married in the afterlife.  But it never works out, until he finally meets the ghost of his former girlfriend.  

Park Seo Yeon as Kang Ah Reum

Kang Ah Reum was a sickly young woman confined to a wheelchair before she died in a tragic fire.  Her time alone gave her the time to become an electronic and mechanical genius.  Now she uses her skills to create the magic for Cha Woong’s performances and spends her spare time playing video games.  As a ghost, she has none of the physical limitations she had in life.

 ♥ Ghosts

I loved this ghost trio, and I especially loved that they each got a full backstory with a satisfying conclusions.  And I really enjoyed seeing Ah Reum turn into Lulu.  They managed to keep the slapstick at a minimum will still giving me a few good giggles.  I liked that they focused on their more human sides, instead of making them spooky spirit types.   

♥ Balance of Genre

This drama did a really nice job of balancing a whole slew of genre, and they managed to move from one genre to another without seeming choppy or inconsistent.  I enjoyed the wide range and it kept the story engaging all the way through.  I have seen many dramas attempt these kinds of crossovers, but few have done it with the smooth transitions this one seemed to achieve.

Time Travel Scene

I get what they were trying to do with that time travel scene at the end where Cha Woong meets the Princess, but it just didn’t work for me.  It was too weird and out of context, and the idea that Cha Woong is saved because of Seul Hae gets buried in all the awkwardness of it. And speaking of time travel, it seems like there should have been more of the current characters, besides Choi Gum, around Cha Woong and Seul Hae in their past life.  Most particularly, I would have expected to see Hee Soo, as our second lead.  

Police Incompetance

There were several points that made me wonder how any of them actually became police officers.  But the most obvious point was when no one thought to look for Cha Woong in the town where he grew up, until they identified his car there.  Really?  Shouldn’t that have been the first place they would look?  There were blunders and oversights along the way, but this one seemed totally unbelievable.

“From Now On, Showtime” drifted a bit in my opinion trying to tie up every possible loose end, but at least it was a nice, if not slightly bittersweet, ending.  The bittersweet, of course, was saying goodbye to all our ghost friends, who are finally ready to move on.  But Cha Woong has hired a new set of assistants and is continuing on with his act.  5 years later, Cha Woong and Seul Hae are married and have a son.  The final scene shows the proud parents hosting a birthday party for their son and his friends.  But sitting across from the young group. Cha Woong and Seul Hae can’t help but notice striking similarities between these children and their old ghost friends.  Maybe what comes around really does go around.