We’ve been following the results of this season’s Asia’s Got Talent pretty closely here because not one, but two magicians have made it into the Grand Finals: Syrian close-up magician Sobhi Shaker and Indonesian horror illusionist the Sacred Riana. While we wait for the results to come on the season finale on December 14, Asia’s Got Talent’s YouTube page has hosted a few behind the scenes videos for each of the contestants, which you can watch in the videos below.

First up is Sobhi Shaker, who talks about his surprise in making it past the tryout phase of the show, and where he hopes to take his career if he wins:

Next is the Sacred Riana, who continues her unwavering commitment to the bit:

Both illusionists face stiff competition this year from beatboxer Neil Rey Garcia Llanes, dance troupes ADEM Dance Crew and Urban Crew, digital dancer Canion Shijirbat, and kid guitarist Feng E. However, The Sacred Riana’s behind the scenes video is currently sitting at over 200,000 views and rapidly climbing, while the other performers hover around 2,000, if you want to get a sense of who the clear favorite of the show is. Stay tuned as we find out who wins in a couple days.

It’s been a great year for magicians in this season of Asia’s Got Talent, and two illusionists have both wowed the the judges and won enough votes to progress onto the Grand Finals. 

First up is The Sacred Riana, who has been spooking the hell out of everyone with her horror-tinged illusions. Now, you’ve probably seen a vanishing/reappearing act before, but you’ve probably never seen one with dozens of zombies pouring out of a box:

Next is Syrian close-up magician Sobhi Shaker, who uses his card magic to tell a heartfelt story about overcoming adversity to follow your dreams:

They’re both facing off against Canion Shijirbat’s impressive dance skills, who even whips out a little bit of magic of his own: 

Whoever ends up taking home the grand prize, both magicians will likely have a long career ahead of them thanks to their impressive performances. 

Before Sobhi Shaker escaped to Malaysia, he spent his nightly curfews in Syria playing card games and teaching himself tricks from videos he found on the internet. Now he wants to make a name for himself and his country, and has arrived on Asia’s Got Talent to prove himself. To do so, he brought along a deck of cards and a bag of rubber balloons. Check out the video above to see how he did.