[BIFF On Location] ‘Shaving’ Marks Show Kasamatsu’s First Korean Film Challenge: “We Create 100% Miracles on Set”

Show Kasamatsu prepares meticulously for his first Korean-language acting role

Show Kasamatsu, a rising Japanese actor known for his talent, plays Su-yeon’s boyfriend opposite Roh Jeong-eui and took on Korean-language acting for the first time since his debut in the film ‘Shaving’. At a news conference held Oct. 9, he said, “I have broadened my acting range by deeply studying numerous Korean productions since I was young. Being able to appear entirely in Korean in a Korean production I had long admired is a priceless, irreplaceable No. 1 experience in my acting career.”

The screenplay for the film was written entirely in Korean. Show Kasamatsu underwent an intensive ‘script’ study process to fully absorb the meaning and emotion of his lines. “Overcoming unfamiliar pronunciations and subtle differences in intonation was not easy, but director Kim Jung-hoon constantly communicated with me and provided direction on set, which enabled us to create highly polished scenes,” he said.

How South Korean and Japanese filmmakers view miracles before the camera

At the news conference, Show Kasamatsu also offered sharp insight into the structural differences between South Korean and Japanese film production systems. Drawing on his direct experience on sets in both countries, he provided an authoritative comparison of their distinct strengths and appeal.

“South Korean sets have an overwhelming energy that meticulously controls and prepares every element—from storyboards to costumes, makeup and thorough rehearsals—in order to deliberately create a single ‘miracle’ in front of the camera,” Show Kasamatsu said. By contrast, he added, “Japanese sets have a distinctive atmosphere in which actors and their surroundings blend naturally, while everyone quietly waits for an unexpected miracle to emerge on its own.”

Rather than declaring one side superior, he respected the unique value of each country’s system. “Both systems provide essential nourishment for bringing out a perfect performance as an actor, and I gained deep ‘synergy’ and valuable lessons from both kinds of sets,” Show Kasamatsu said, heightening expectations for the film.