Genie, Make a Wish

Fun Watch

I went into this with no expectations, given the reviews were really negative. however upon watching the first few episodes, I was really hooked. I don’t think I’ve ever cackled this much at a kdrama, it was truly entertaining.

however it did come with some flaws, in episode 12, I felt the story started to become dragged, 12 and 13 felt like filler episodes and watching them made me feel like I wasted my time.

the acting was phenomenal, the cast was just right. the portrayals of each character was such a chefs kiss, especially Ahn Eun Jin, I don’t know how but she just nailed it so well. not to mention Suzy, her acting has came a long way, and she’s improved so much compared to her older works.

overall a very entertaining watch, but the plot towards the end was disappointing. don’t listen to the reviews and give it a watch!!

Read More

My only wish: take me away from this messy ride.

***Full disclaimer: I will not be mentioning anything religious in my review. There's plenty of those opinions in the comments. I also did not watch this on 2x speed, nor did a skip any scenes, episodes, or fast forward***

The Goblin crew is back for what I think we all hoped would be the next big thing in fantasy storytelling, but unfortunately this wasn't the magic carpet ride we were all waiting for.

Plot/Story: We start with our FL, who everyone calls a "psychopath" because she can't decipher feelings nor feel anything herself. She takes her annual trip to Dubai to meet her birth mother and basically cut ties with her. After taking a tour of the desert she stumbles upon the magic lamp which then begins the wild ride... I think.
Without getting into the weeds, this story is divvied up into many subplots - *deep breath*
the ML and FL's main story, including their past;
the 5 (all separate stories) of people (and 1 dog) that were involved in the FL's first wish;
the story between ML and the angel of death;
the "immortal child";
and the 2FL and grandmother.
.... to name a few.
Whew, that was a lot, right? You feel it while watching this show. It's a mixture of the main story between the leads, and then all this other...stuff. It's hard to keep up, it feels disjointed, and when you take a step back and look at it all you wonder why they decided to go down the story telling path of darkness.

Main Characters: The FL's lack of emotion felt fine throughout the series until the end, when we find out what this drama could have been like had they allowed her to act with emotions and feel - when that happened I felt a heap of disappointment on what could have been. They never shied away from her relentlessness towards the ML and being mean to him all the time which took me out of the romance element by a long shot.

The ML did a decent job with his role while we learned about his past and how he was probably misunderstood. However, they gave him a role that needed to be god-like and ruthless in one scene which he played well, but then the next scene he becomes silly and over the top at times, and I mean really goofy. Was it to play off of the FL's sternness/bluntless? I honestly don't know. One minute he's murdering everyone, the next he's being goofy. It was odd.

While the main leads acting was done well, the direction was too over the top, not allowing for basically any character development. When we think the ML will go from ruthless to understanding, kind, humane - that didn't really happen. He was kind of just always that way. When we think the FL will grow to understand those around her that love her and not feel burdened, well...that doesn't really happen either. She's very one note.

Music: There was very little music played throughout the series. What I heard was fine, but forgettable. I wish they could have incorporated more to add to the emotional elements.

Visuals: I saw a lot of people saying the CGI was poor. I don't feel that way. For a Netflix kdrama the CGI was done well. It was entertaining - it didn't take me out of the experience, and the visuals were quite captivating most of the time.

Final wish: I was hoping this drama could have been more magically captivating romance by really diving into the fact that the ML thought all mortals are corrupt until he meets FL. Their past together could have been the key to them uniting without all the BS of the other characters. I wish the FL wasn't emotionless. I really felt for her in the final episodes, and when I saw that I thought they did us and her a disservice by not having that be a part of this show.

Why 7.5/10? While this show is disjointed in many aspects, it was still entertaining. It had it's really great moments that weren't always overshadowed by the bad direction. The 5 "mini" stories surrounding the 4 people and 1 dog that started out the show felt strong, and I liked where it was going, but it turned dark quickly, and it just reminded me of "the first night with the Duke" and I just got bad joojoo vibes all over again.

Read More

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.

Read More

Unpredictable events

I am saturated with K drama that is so predictable in its outcomes, that I found this story to be refreshing and full of surprises. I did not take one bit seriously. Afterall it is a fantasy.

I did not expect Suzy as an auto mechanic. Her acting is better than she seems to be getting credit for. Her subdued emotionless aura is authentic. Her psychopathic outbursts were comedic not scary (its a fantasy). For me seeing Suzy acting is a pleasure worth waiting for.

Ahn Eun Jin's (young grandma) appearance on the set was the best highlight of the series for me. Her positive energy and pure joy for her newfound life was wonderful . Thank you for your contribution.

Given the production and directorial challenges faced , Genie Make a Wish is worth viewing.

Read More

Very wacky but in a good way. I had a blast watching it and it made me cry real tears. Also, fell in love again with Kim Woo Bin's acting. His comedic timing really carried a huge part of the show. Chemistry with Suzy was amazing. Suzy's acting really surprised me. She was so good. All supporting cast across the board were spot on. Especially the Haelmonis. The cameos were chaotic , hilarious, moving, unexpected, the meta references felt perfect. Also, I feel they really landed the ending, which most dramas struggle with.
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.

Read More

One of my Favorite watch this Year!

I read quite a few negative reviews about this show on MDL, I’m here to refute the claims!

I’m still trying to figure out how this show raked up so many negative reviews on MDL, but then to each, their own. I’m not exactly a huge fan of the “Netflix” format where they drop all episodes on a single day. But I was intrigued by the concept and mostly invested in the main leads. I wanted to watch for myself what kind of chemistry they will bring to the table. And they do, Kim Woo Bin & Bae Suzy have the kind of chemistry that takes eons to establish. It might be because both are veteran actors, and they knew how well to deliver the premise. So, what happens when a socially awkward psychopath meets a quirky Genie who is also the Satan? Chaos ensues and all hell breaks loose, while these two circumnavigate their romance from Dubai to South Korea. Major portions of the show have been filmed in Dubai, so you can enjoy the risqué scenery. I was seated for this unusual love story from the first episode; mainly because the said psychopath doesn’t act like a serial killer. Instead, she spends her day toiling in her garage, trying to act as a normal person because that’s what makes her grandmother happy. Our Satanic Genie is even worse; he loathes humanity and yet keeps falling in love with the same human again & again. These two make a riveting pair and their story drives the narrative in the right direction!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2025/10/15/genie-make-a-wish-series-review/#more-2098

Read More

It's still a good time - Farrr from perfect

I liked the drama. It wasn't 100% in everything but what worked really well for me was the acting. Suzy and Woo Bin had a really good chemistry, I liked their banter. It worked for the drama.
The essence of the drama is good, it's similar to the other dramas the writer has done. It kept reminding me of Goblin, in terms of the mystic aspects and the lore and the way the storyline unfolded.
I understand why a lot of people might not like it. The storyline is quite clunky with the 5 different people's wishes and the implications of them. I understand what they were trying to do but it didn't really work well. It felt like it was very separate from the overall drama.
There were too many characters, too many things happening at the same time. And the writer always does this where the plot is so convoluted, there's too many things going on. First he hates her, then he lost 20 years and in those years he loved her but she died because of so many stupid reasons. I just felt like it didn't need to be so complicated.
Also, the way they fell for each other was also fast for me but whatever.
The big reason why I think a lot of people might not like it is the 'culture appropriation' of it and the whole Satan of it all. To be honest, I don't know if it is the right way of thinking about it but this drama was sponsored by Dubai/Emirates. It's so obvious in the drama so with the way the country is, I don't think they would allow something that put their culture/religion in a bad light. That's why I cannot really think about it.
There are a lot of subtle messages happening in the drama anyways and you can chose to focus on it or just focus on enjoying the drama and moving on.
That ending was actually just poor. It's like they gave up at the end and just said 'let's make it a happy ending'. The reasons for it working out just didn't work for me. Her becoming a genie and then the wishes her friend made - what just confused me.
But ultimately what I really liked about the drama was it gave me that drama feeling. I didn't really know what would happen next, it was intriguing and exciting. It made me laugh and believe in love again. The chemistry honestly saved it, if it was any other main characters, it would not have worked.
What really made the romance work for me was their chemistry. It had that playful banter dynamic I love. Even though he’s a genie with all this power, someone who could technically kill anyone without effort. He’s completely “scared” of her in the funniest way. She 'beats' him up, and instead of defending himself, he just lets her. He looks at her with so much love in his eyes, always protecting and saving her. But she also protects him in her own way. Even with her anti-social personality, you can see how much she feels for him. Together, it gave the drama those sweet, cute romance vibes that kept me hooked.

Read More

Genie, Make a Wish – A Painful Waste of Talent

What started as one of the most anticipated dramas of 2025 turned out to be one of the most disappointing. With Suzy and Kim Woo-bin reuniting, I expected emotion, chemistry, and magic — but all I got was boredom and confusion.

The pacing was painfully slow, whole episodes passed with nothing meaningful happening. The story had potential but collapsed under weak writing, emotionless performances, and pointless subplots. Even the fantasy elements, which could’ve made this special, were misused and poorly executed.

And using the name Iblis for a genie? Completely tone-deaf. It wasn’t edgy — it was disrespectful and unnecessary. Instead of creating depth, it made the drama uncomfortable to watch.

By the end, I didn’t care what happened. I just wanted it to end. The OST, visuals, and actors deserved better than this disaster.

If you love Suzy and Woo-bin, go rewatch Uncontrollably Fond. This drama? Skip it.

Final Verdict: 1/10 – A waste of talent, story, and time.

Read More

Big Disappointment Despite a Strong Cast

What am I even supposed to say after finishing this?? I went in with such high hopes — Suzy and Kim Woo-bin back together, a big-name writer, a fantasy premise that should’ve been magical. Instead, it honestly turned into one of the most boring dramas I’ve sat through in a while. 😞

The pacing… oh boy. Entire episodes where nothing really happens, just stretched-out filler. You sit there waiting for that “wow” moment but it never comes. Episode 5 and 6 especially — I felt like I was just watching the same mood swings and empty conversations on repeat. By the middle, I was forcing myself through episodes, and that’s never a good sign. 🥱

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? Honestly, barely mattered. Their scenes were just… there.

And then there’s the elephant in the room: naming the genie “Iblis.” I couldn’t wrap my head around that choice. For anyone who knows the meaning, it just felt wrong. I saw so many viewers online calling it insensitive, and I totally agree. Instead of making the story dark or cool, it just left a weird taste and made it harder to connect with the character.

The visuals and OST were nice at times, I’ll give it that. But you can’t cover up weak storytelling with pretty shots. Every time I thought the story was about to take off, it just dragged right back into nothingness. By the end, I wasn’t even excited for the conclusion, I was just glad it was over. 😩

And here’s the most disappointing part for me: Suzy and Kim Woo-bin already proved their chemistry back in Uncontrollably Fond (2016), which I loved ❤️. That drama had heart, emotion, and moments that truly hit hard. But in this new one, all that spark and magic just… vanished. Same leads, but completely different results.

Overall? Huge wasted potential. Beautiful cast, decent music, but painfully boring execution. I don’t hate it — I just don’t see myself ever rewatching or even recommending it. If you’re only watching for the leads, fine, but don’t expect much else. 🙃

Read More