This review may contain spoilers
it was a drama with lots of laughter.
Bae Suzy played the psychopathic character very well. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. Kim Woo Bin's scenes where he was afraid of Ki Ga Young and ran away made me laugh out loud. Only the past love story was a bit dull. Other than that, it was a drama with lots of laughter and tears. I recommend it.Was this review helpful to you?
Step onto the Genie’s magic carpet to enjoy a great ride
Genie, Make a Wish was an enjoyable romp. With its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, Suzy and the Woob delivered in spades. The world building of the past captured the spirit of Aladdin and the mythology associated with a genie paying penance was interesting. Then we have the issues of that mythology, along with human greed and dysfunctional characters trying to make the best of what they have in the present day.So, what’s to like. Firstly, Suzy. You know, she rocks the roles she plays. Since Vagabond, she had never looked back. Her wardrobe was to die for. Her turnout as the psycho without empathy was very well done. I appreciated the humour she brought to the role.
Secondly, Woo Bin. He played Iblis to a tee and looked great while doing it. The way he showed both sides of a character wrestling with redemption, sorrow and human idiosyncrasies was absorbing. The cheekiness he had with Suzy was a delight. Her response was funny but I can appreciate some may say her violent reaction was too heavy handed.
Much has been said of the wigs, the visual effects and comical aspects. From my point of view, the wigs was very much a part of the cartoonish aspect of the show. I thought the visual effects were very good. My favourites included the Genie’s coming and going as desert sand and his mythical beast, Sade. As for the comedy, the physical interplay between Ki Ga Yeong and Iblis was reminiscent of Tom and Jerry.
My favourite other character was Sade. I think Ko Kyu Pil’s turn as the mythical jaguar is his best role for some time. That being said, the cast overall were great and delivered.
Genie was a bold departure from how kdramaland would normally do such a show. We have a person who has violent tendencies but a kind heart. Ki Ga Yeong puts herself last, she is selfless but this is only ever seen by the Genie. There is a serial killer in the show just so we get to appreciate the difference. Seeing grandma show Ki Ga Yeong how to be human, loving her all the while, refreshing.
Stepping onto the Genie’s magic carpet is well worth the ride regarding this show. Take a look, ignore the criticism here and help it reach a review score it truly deserves.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Si quieres reír y llorar aquí tienes para ambos
Me gustó, venía un poco indispuesta porque había visto comentarios malos acerca de la serie y de la actuación de los protagonistas, para nada fue el caso, la historia me encantó, las actuaciones porfavor, me reí muchísimo con las ocurrencias del genio y la dinámica entre ellos siendo ella psicópata. El final un poquito raro, no me gustó mucho eso de ella se fuera del mundo de los vivos y que la amiga quedara sola, pero bueno igual creo que era la única forma de que ambos pudieran estar juntos al finWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Lots of Mystery, Fantasy and Fun
A messy start, a heartfelt middle, and a slightly flat ending but overall, Genie, Make a Wish is an oddly addictive, emotionally layered fantasy drama worth giving a chance.It felt like a colossal misfire in the first two episodes mostly because of how much information they tried to pack in right away. But once the pacing settled, I started to warm up to the characters, and that’s when the show became genuinely enjoyable. The humor shines through more subtly than expected, so some viewers might miss it and dismiss the drama as “bloated,” but it actually balances lighthearted and dark moments quite well.
Personally, I could really relate to the female lead her emotional depth and inner conflicts felt authentic. The side characters were all adorable, adding warmth and personality to the story. The side romance between the second female lead and the grandma did feel forced (and a bit odd because of the age gap), but I appreciated how the show explored the many facets of psychopathy rather than reducing it to a lack of empathy.
There was mystery & comedy and both in a more than enough manner.
There was some unnecessary repetition the female lead constantly hitting the male lead got old after a while but overall, it was binge-worthy. Despite the uneven acting and a slightly unsatisfying ending, the storyline remained surprisingly solid throughout.
Pros:
- Strong character development once pacing improves
- Thoughtful psychological elements
- Subtle comedy and emotional balance
- Relatable female lead
Cons:
- Overloaded first episodes
- Uneven acting
- Forced side romance
- Repetitive slapstick moments
Was this review helpful to you?
The magic that happens when a psychopath meets a genie :-)
Let's clear the negative first there is a lot of hate seen everywhere for the series but if can just watch this series as pure fantasy entertainment and can ignore the religious spark, you'd definitely love this series.~~Here is my short review~~
The series starts a bit slow but soon becomes a colorful and fun fantasy love story. It is about Iblis, a moody genie played by Kim Woo-bin, who gets freedom after many years, and Ka-young, a quiet woman who doesn’t show much emotion, played by Suzy. Their connection slowly grows as they learn about love, kindness, and what it means to care for someone.
The best part of this show is the amazing chemistry between Kim Woo-bin and Suzy. They fit their roles so well, and when they are together, the story feels warm and real. The show also looks very beautiful - from the shiny Dubai scenes to the magical lights and special effects, everything feels like a dream. The side actors also did a great job, bringing laughter and emotion to the story, the child artists were great as well, and a very special cameo of Jinniya [Genie's ex-girlfriend] .
At first, the story moves slowly, but after a few episodes, it becomes very interesting. It mixes love and comedy nicely, and there are many fun and touching moments. It also has some light jokes and surprise cameos that make it enjoyable for drama fans.
It also shows a nice slice of life hidden inside all the fantasy. Reminds us that every person has two sides i,e. one that loves, hopes, and dreams, and another that can be selfish or lost. The story quietly teaches how greed can destroy happiness, while kindness and understanding can heal even the darkest hearts. It’s not just about magic and wishes, but about being human and learning to choose good over greed.
In the end, Genie, Make a Wish is full of heart, beauty, and imagination. The acting was great, and the story stays with you like a soft, sweet dream. Definetly the best K-drama of 2025 for me.
*****Special Mention for Suzy******
She was outstanding py playing the quiet and cold character that doesnt show much emotion, which makes her seem strange but interesting. Even with a calm face and soft voice, she makes you feel something. Her acting is simple but strong, and it fits the story perfectly
Was this review helpful to you?
..
Bro this drama is the only drama make me cry , I just cried like an idiot I don't know but I feel her pain it's really good drama it's really comfort me. i don't understand why is this underrated. it's a perfect drama why people are saying it's incomplete in some topics and why they can't understand the drama if we watch with focus we have everything in and every thing is completed. but this is just awesome 🤧. im definitely recommend this . this drama make me laugh and cry same this . i really enjoyed. it's a stress relief drama expect 11 and 13 episodes 😁Was this review helpful to you?
The male lead he was brilliant
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
suzy steals the show!
if I were scoring based on the plot, I would have given 7.5. because to be frank, the plot was a bit haphazard. but my overall score goes to a 9 because of Susie Bae. wow, not only was her acting fantastic whether comedy or tragedy, whether speaking or not, but she was absolutely gorgeous. from innocent pretty to sexy hot. easily the best performance I have seen from her. anyway back to the show. the side characters were great. The locations were also excellent. in most kdramas I fast forward quite a bit, but in this one I did not. also, the cameo by Song Hye- Kyu was fantastic. You want chemistry? her and Suzy's scenes together were brilliant. more please.Was this review helpful to you?
iconic story
tbh at first i was afraid to watch this as a muslim but i dealed with it since they didnt change basics .story:
i loved the story vibe so much it felt just like a fairytale and with that arabic vibe made it even real i adore it i only didnt like how it’s showing the angel “ ejlail” badly since it’s known that angels has no feelings they only obey god directly anyways apart of that i liked evth else especially the side comedy between main characters
acting:
it was cool tho main characters lack some chemistry but it’s shown wild in some kiss scenes i can also admit that it is shown how much efforts actors put to speack arabic it was awsome to hear them pronounce some arabic letters which is known that it is hard to pronounce.
music :
the arabic old music vibe was just perfect but it’s not something to stick on head yk
finally i would like to say it was enjoyable to watch this it will brings u back to old arabic vibes
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
One of the best kdramas of 2025 but at a huge cost
So we finally got the return of Woobin and Suzy and get to see their chemistry again after the booring 2016 show they were together in.However at what cost? At the cost of misuse of the religion of Islam and another plot with negative characters.
Woobin and Suzy slayed their roles, the acting top notch the outfits on fire and their kissing and chemistry amaaazing.
And the comedy omg I laughed my heart out. This show is actually so funny.
BUT
what a cringe plot and also overly complicated and weird and extremely wrong usage of things from the religion of Islam.
They could've just created a Korean version of the story of Aladdin's genie with a twist of something but nope for some reason they took the real Islamic backstories of Satan and mixed Satan with a genie like wth even. And then making up the story ahead as they wish. Worst move ever by the kdrama writers.
Anyways props to the cast for being able to slay such a weird show and such a fabulous cast was involved in this wow.
Was this review helpful to you?
Overall I experienced the whole gamut of emotions the show was selling. I laughed hard, felt giddy with joy, and was moved to tears. One of the best shows for me this year in terms of pure entertainment value. Chaotic, hilarious and moving are the keywords for this drama.
P.S: Even though I don't speak Arabic, I could tell the accents were not great. Wish they dubbed the Arabic for authenticity. But since my untrained ears could easily tune them out, it did not reduce my enjoyment of the show. They attempted something novel and unique, how successful that is will be a very subjective experience for each viewer.
Was this review helpful to you?
Heavenly cast but weird story :(
Short fantasy series starring Kim Woo-Bin and SuzyPLOT: The Satan-angels war has killed almost all the angels. The FL [psychopath, raised in a village by her grandmother] accidentally awakens the fallen angel / genie /Satan (ML), imprisoned in the lamp for 983 years. He must grant her three wishes for her to forget him and return to her life. The angel of Heaven (rather morally gray) is waiting for this moment to kill the ML. Both angels have spirit animals that assist them.
+++ Very strange plot (dreamlike? philosophical?). You have to stick with it in the first few episodes to keep watching.
+++ A killer cast, with angels as beautiful as gods and a gorgeous (and very well-dressed!) FL
+++ The director did a great job with the cinematography: sets, costumes, effects (I love the "evaporation" of the ML), lighting... Everything is top-notch!
+++ Superb OSTs
### A very Orientalist (in the 19th-century sense) reinterpretation of the Aladdin myth and the Arab world (lots and lots of clichés).
### Too much Dubai advertising (ノ°益°)ノ (ノ°益°)ノ
### High-quality CGI (except for the panther, which isn't convincing).
=> Good series, with brilliant actors, but the story (super weird) won't make it a masterpiece...
**************************************
Série fantastique courte avec Kim Woo-Bin & Suzy
PLOT: La guerre Satan - anges, a tué presque tous les anges. La FL [psychopathe, élevée ds 1 village par sa gd-mère ] réveille par hasard (?) le génie - ange déchu - Satan (ML) prisonnier ds la lampe depuis 983 ans. Il doit exaucer 3 de ses vœux pr qu'elle l'oublie et revienne à sa vie. L'ange du Paradis (plutôt gris) attend ce moment pr tuer le ML. Les 2 anges ont des animaux spirituels qui les assistent.
+++ Plot très chelou (onirique ? philosophique ?). Il faut s'accrocher ds les 1ers épisodes pr poursuivre.
+++ Un cast d'enfer, avec des anges beaux comme des dieux et une FL magnifique (et très bien habillée :)
+++ Le réalisateur a bien travaillé la cinématographie : décors, costumes, effets (j'adore "l'évaporation" du ML) , lumières, ... Tout est au top !
+++ Super OSTs
### CGI de qualité (sauf la panthère, qui n'est pas convaincante).
### Révision très orientaliste (au sens du 19e siècle) du mythe d'Aladin et du monde arabe (bcp, bcp de clichés).
### Trop de pub pour Dubai (ノ°益°)ノ (ノ°益°)ノ
=> Bonne série, avec des acteurs géniaux, mais la story (super weird) n'en fera pas un masterpiece ...
Was this review helpful to you?
