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Under deliver potential great fiction-drama
Looking forward to this drama because of Suzy and Woo-bin, equally great individual actors addition to a Promising storyline and concept. Just finished Bon Appetitè Your Majesty and was hoping this would help me move on but it was a disappointment. Sadly. Story was mostly dragging and confusing, i had to change the language just to check where i can more appreciate the lines and delivery. With all of the episodes the only episode that I did not hit the fast forward was when the Genie was taken back to the past and remembered what happened to him and Kayoung. Acting of Woobin as expected delivered but the rest, really a drag. There was also GL included which i appreciated but somehow added more confusion in the mix.Overall it could have been epic only it has a lot of unnecessary scenes and unrelated subplots that made it lost its supposed original concept. Aw! Hoping for a greater comeback for the actors very soon!
Note: I understand the reactions of using the iblis as a character and its relation to religion but I do hope we can look past it as a form of the production being creative instead of disrespectful.
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Disappointed. Drama with 1/5th baked plot. i actually suspect it was written by AI
i didnt like this drama at all. the acting was good, but what acting can you do if there is nothing to act about.pros:
- apply no brains drama
- very pretty cast
- desert aesthetic, dubai/arab fetish (ig a pro?)
- good friendship FL
- HE?
- limited chemistry between leads
cons (!! spoilers ahead)
- incest like relationship -- FL's bff falls in love with FL's granma
i wouldve shushed the "oh theyre doing the devils work" narrative, if they hadnt out this plotline. there was no requirement or closure to this either. the scriptwriter must be high. indeed makes me think about illuminati intents, eventho im not that kindof person.
- non consequential sidekicks
- ill timed comedy - im not supposed to be laughing about townsmen defense antics 10 secs after FL granma dies
- multi villian starrer without any context
- introducing random side characters with a lot of screentime and not even wrapping up their story properly. so why u introduced them in such length in the 1st place?
- the FL's bff dies alone. like after all of that trauma. she grows old and dies alone.
- funny DV just because FL is hitting ML. its supposed to be funny and romantic because the great ML is letting this mortal FL hit him "oh look how much he adores her"
- very concerning for me:
using names of very real entities who are worshipped/feared/believed. with one of them being very negative. and attempting to completely whitewash that one. I mean, the ML is supposed to be the devil, they say themselves according to their plot, then the plot says that the ML shall be punished for aimlessly killing people, but they dont show any character development? using their current plot only they couldve said "oh this is the guy he is superr powerful, he kills without thinking and feeling, but then he fell in love, and felt loss of loved one, so know he knows preciousness of lives." but no. THERE IS NO ARC. no plot development nothing. this is quite literally what we say in my mother tounge "a story without a head or feet". its like static gibberish and in between that some messages can be made out which are verrry disturbing. Like the "good guy" abuses his minion, he is too ambitious, doesnt care for the weak. he is not grey, he is pitch black character. the "bad guy" is not even grey or light grey , he is white only. and many such similar propaganda that is quite concerning.
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do not judge a kdrama by its title
a love that spans a thousand years, finding its way back again and again, no matter the life they’re reborn into 🧞♂️this kdrama mostly showed the many sides of humanity through wishes granted by a genie. some that are righteous, some considerate and some even selfish.
almost every character in the villages had roles that intertwined with the story. they contributed something to the plot even if it was just a small part.
tbh i thought this was going to be a corny kdrama but it had an interesting premise, the last episodes put us on the edge as it concluded with a satisfying ending
filed under: watched with chesky 👩🏻💻
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not good :/
really good premise that they did absolutely nothing with it.the story of the angel/genie was interesting& they could’ve developed that into so much more but instead it was all done half heartedly. IMO, Suzy’s acting was 10/10 in the emotional scenes and at times she was even comical but I don’t think she ever seemed like a psychopath . the young actor who plays her did it so well but I felt very disconnected with Suzy’s m blank stare/energy. of course she had terrible writing to work with so perhaps she did her best😵💫the acting, overall, was the best part of this show. 5/10.Was this review helpful to you?
Genie, What A Mess
Can’t believe this show is getting praised. Sure, watch it if you want but don’t pretend it’s well-executed.This show has no red-thread direction, no depth, and is just a inconsistent mess. It tries to do way too much and ends up doing almost nothing well. The plot feels like it was written by a first grader—childish, chaotic, and totally lacking emotional depth or any clear structure. It’s like they threw every random idea into a pot and tried to make a good soup: genies, Satan, immortals, wish-making dogs and plenty of other sub plots. The soup tastes so bad I have no idea how the recipe got approved.
The tone in this drama switches so fast it’s dizzying. The devil guy, with his Korean-style humor and constant personality switches, doesn’t even carry the aura of a devil. The female lead isn’t layered either. And any romantic chemistry between them? Gone with the sand of the desert. He even lets the female lead beat him up for "laughs" even when it’s clearly abuse. (why is abuse being normalized and funny ?!) This drama should’ve been buried deeper than the lamp that started this mess of a story.
Don’t claim to originate from a culture if you’re not going to execute it properly. Plot holes:
This drama explicitly claims that Iblis originated from Arabic mythology, was found in Dubai, and has lived there for centuries. That’s not vague—it’s cultural. So if he’s been there for a thousand years, then he should reflect that in how he thinks, behaves, and expresses himself—not just toss in a nose-rubbing for LAUGHS and call it depth.
Some people are saying he acts Korean because he’s “universal.” But being universal means you adapt your face, your language, and your culture to the context. So why didn’t Iblis do that in Dubai? And yet he claims he didn’t know the nose-rubbing gesture wasn’t used in Korea—which makes no sense. If he truly knows every culture, he’d know that’s not a Korean greeting.
And let’s say he can’t adapt and isn’t universal—despite what the show claims—then he should at least reflect the culture he’s supposedly lived in for centuries. Yet all the mystical beings default to Korean appearances, Korean speech, and Korean behavior, no matter the setting.
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A misguided fantasy
A fantasy drama retelling a story of our childhood in a confused drama version.With A-list cast, there was some sort of expectations, even if they weren't much high. But, instead of being magical, the show turned out to be boring and so hard to finish.
The first half of the show was diving into the nothingness - no story, no characterisation, only unnecessary conversations and unfunny moments. Now, about the characters. Suzy’s role was supposed to be intriguing — detached, emotionless — but it never evolved. Instead of pulling me in, it just felt flat, almost robotic. Kim Woo-bin had flashes of brilliance, but his genie/Iblis character was all over the place. One second playful, the next scary, but not in a way that felt layered… more like inconsistent writing. The supporting cast were just added layers. This is Suzy’s successive misfire, after 2023's Doona.
The visuals and OST were good, but that's about it. These were the only positives I could find about the show. In the end, the series misses an opportunity to explore the profound struggle between good and evil as it truly is.
Overall, Genie, Make A Wish is an extremely huge scale disappointment of the year.
My Rating : 2/10
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Been waiting for this duo since Uncontrollably Fond
Kim Woo-bin and Bae Suzy deliver an emotionally powerful performance, and their acting skills are truly top-notch. They’re incredibly versatile, and this series proved once again that they never disappoint. The supporting cast was fantastic as well—funny, engaging, and memorable—making the entire journey both epic and entertaining. I loved every moment of it. In the end, it’s the chemistry between the leads that really drives a great story, and this show absolutely nailed it.Was this review helpful to you?
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Korean Genies from the Middle East Makes for a Strange Fantasy Drama
Seeing as you have Korean genies and angels whose origins are in the Middle East one has to come into this not taking it too seriously. It works to start when Genie is spending most of his time trying to corrupt sociopath Ka-young and wrecking havoc by granting wishes that will inevitably go off the rails for the wisher. However, the story did eventually turn serious. Getting lost in the lies and sins of Genie’s spiritual brothers and sisters, past lives, karma and the obligatory character seeking power. Of course, the love story is thrown into the mix too. At this point, the story just wasn’t all that interesting anymore. So, I ended up dropping it.I know the series could not go on forever with the Genie granting wishes and causing chaos, but I wish it could’ve kept that premise. The show did have a couple of nice surprises with Song Hye Ko, who looked stunning as a genie, and Kim Ji Hoon, making cameo appearances.
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This review may contain spoilers
Because of a few negative reviews I came across, I was about to drop the drama—but I’m glad I didn’t, because I actually had fun. Sure, there were moments that needed a bit more polishing, but overall, it was an entertaining ride.The moment I found out that Bae Suzy and Kim Woo Bin were teaming up for another drama, I couldn’t wait to watch it. Especially after the emotional trauma they caused me with their first project, *Uncontrollably Fond*, which didn’t exactly end on a happy note. This new one felt like a breath of fresh air.
There’s nothing much to say about the acting—it was solid. But the plot...? Well... I had mixed feelings. Compared to most K-dramas I’ve seen, it was original—strange, chaotic, but still enjoyable.
Ki Ga-yeong doesn’t show empathy and is often described as a sociopath. That’s exactly what sets her apart from the typical damsel in distress waiting for a prince on a white horse. In fact, she’d probably beat up the prince just for fun. 😂
Iblis—better known as the genie in the bottle—might be all-powerful, but he’s also hilariously ridiculous at times. And that’s mostly because he met his match in Ki Ga-yeong. Instead of running the show, he ended up like Wi-Fi with a mind of its own—always present, but never working the way you expect.
The dynamic between them had a great mix of comedy and drama. A genie who expects to manipulate wishes, only to find out his new master doesn’t play by the rules.
Ki Ga-yeong’s grandmother and best friend accepted everything way too calmly. Anyone else would’ve freaked out, but their shock lasted about three seconds. As if meeting a genie and all the other weird stuff happening around it was just another ordinary day.
I didn’t really get the role of the boy (Khalid). Sorry, but I couldn’t take him seriously as a villain—he was in a child’s body. And aside from wanting to possess Iblis, his motives were kind of vague. Maybe the point was that he wasn’t supposed to be a real villain? I don’t know.
The final episode felt rushed. Things escalated way too quickly. Some events definitely needed more development, and because of that, I just can’t give it a full 5 stars.
The drama isn’t perfect—it has its quirks, rough edges, and characters who sometimes act in ways that make no sense. But despite all that, it manages to be fun, different, and even touching at times. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for something offbeat and slightly chaotic, it might surprise you in a good way. And if you’re looking for deep meaning... you might want to look elsewhere.
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An Okay watch
This drama has some parts that get u super hooked and some parts which are endlessly boring and dont make sense and leave u with more questions than answers aside from the first 2 episodes which where a total snooze fest the rest of the story is actually productive although they could do better with time and spacing all in all it's a nice drama to watchWas this review helpful to you?
I Can’t Believe People Hate This K-Drama
Most reviews say this is the worst K-drama they have watched, but I beg to disagree. This drama is what pulled me out of my K-drama slump. It has a good balance of romance and comedy. The first few episodes were a bit hard to watch, but by episode 3 the story starts to make sense and you slowly grow to love it.
I think the reason I loved it is because it isn’t entirely the kind of K-drama that’s so predictable it becomes boring. While it still has some cliché elements, it doesn’t rely on them too much. The writing, script, and the actors’ delivery was profound. Even so, the chemistry between the leads was enough to keep me invested.
That said, a lot of the time was spent on resolving conflicts and I felt that the main leads’ relationship could have been explored more. It left me wanting more, especially after the reconciliation. I wish they had added more scenes that lingered more on them than the journey that lies ahead.
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The Worst Drama Ever – Even a Great Cast Couldn’t Save It
Genie: Make a Wish had all the ingredients for success: a talented cast, fantasy elements, and a romantic premise that could have been engaging. Yet somehow, it managed to fail on almost every level. The drama’s biggest problem isn’t the acting — the cast did their best — it’s the concept itself. It trivializes sacred Islamic beliefs, turning jinn and Iblis into playful, romanticized characters. These are serious theological entities, not props for love stories or whimsical plots, and the carelessness of the writing makes the story feel disrespectful rather than imaginative.Even with strong performances, the narrative feels hollow. Romantic arcs clash awkwardly with supernatural elements, creating a tone that is confusing, insensitive, and ultimately frustrating. What makes it worse is seeing people rate this drama 10s and 9s, praising it as if everything is fine. The problem isn’t just the drama — it’s that standards and taste have sunk so low that careless, disrespectful storytelling is being celebrated. Talent can’t save a story that is built on a foundation of ignorance and insensitivity.
Conclusion:
Genie: Make a Wish proves that even a skilled cast cannot save a story that disregards its subject matter. A good cast can perform, but writing and concept define whether a drama resonates or offends — and here, it missed the mark entirely, despite what inflated ratings might suggest.
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