If Wishes Could Kill

Similar to movie Nerve!

This show had me immediatelyyyyyy hooked. From the beginning till the end. I started it yesterday and finished it today. 8 Episode kdramas are always so damn good..

From relationships to friendships, I liked all of the bonds that we had. Even though we spend quite a short time with these characters, you end up caring for them and their relationships with others.

Although it was a bit frustrating how stupid the main characters could be but that’s like a given in Horror plots lol…

I usually never watch horror genres but this one was watchable, it wasn’t scary at all (coming from a scaredy-cat) more like gore and shock value stuff but it wasn’t jumpscary which made it even better and watchable!!!

Really quick series to keep you from being bored, and a potential set up for season 2 in the end. I would definitely stick around and watch the new season if it ever gets renewed! I recommend it!

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Great Premise Ruined by Poor Writing

The first 4 episodes were fantastic. Like 'edge of your seat, trying to piece everything together' type of fantastic. However, the latter half takes all that away and ruins it. The story is filled with plot holes and relies on idiotic characters to further the plot and raise the stakes - Spoiler, the stakes remain dead in the water.

I think the writers had a great idea. Combining tradition, i.e., shamanism, with technology, a killer app, and a not-so-stable friend group was a solid idea. If only they hadn't made their characters' one consistent character trait be bad decision-making.
Tbh, of the 5 main characters, the one character who (largely) made smart decisions throughout was Kim Geon U. Even Ha-Joon, who was presented as the logical friend, was only proverbially saved by the bell from adding his name to the kill list of that app

Generally, I expect such shows to have dumb characters. It's part and parcel of the genre. Frustrating, yes, but you've got to sacrifice a few for the theory of evolution by natural selection. However, when the majority of the group is dumb, the viewing experience becomes frustrating.

I wish they had given me

1. Better, smarter characters - Personally, I believe that smart characters make for a better viewing experience. As a viewer, I'm not dumb, so the writers shouldn't treat me as such. Stupid mistakes being the thing that consistently pushes the plot is insulting my intelligence. And undervaluing my time

2. Tighter plot - There are so many plot holes with the main and even supporting characters. I could list them out, but I'm not enjoying typing this out. Part of me suspects that this could have been intentional for them to try to create a hook for the 2nd season. However, that just made this season feel incomplete.

It's like buying a sandwich and finding out it's all crust and a few unseasoned lettuce leaves. Then being told that you now need to get a 2nd sandwich so you can get all the other good stuff - The actual bread, the sauce, and the meat. Why TF would I buy from you again? Not only did you make me waste my money, but you could end up giving me another crust sandwich and telling me to wait for sn 3. No, thank you.

3. A better villain - Honestly, I'm lowkey tired of the whole 'insecure bully from a broken family' narrative. When the show started, I had hoped that the backstory of the app would be quite sinister. They classified it as horror after all. However, learning that all this happened coz one girl wanted to bully her one genuine friend... *insert hard eye-roll* come on now. Kwon Si Won being evil for the sake of being evil is just... meh

PS. Actually, I don't mind a villain who's evil for the sake of being evil. But they need to face smart and resourceful 'heroes' for the story to stand out and keep me hooked.

Three Extra Thoughts

a. I will say, the most memorable thing was the eye in.... was it episode 3 or 4? That eye made me jump. I think it (and the 1st time we see Do Hye Ryeong slit her throat) were the only parts of the entire story that felt like they fit adequately with the horror tag

b. There is a lesson here about choosing better friends. About not staying friends with mean people simply because of history. About not trying to save everyone because (again) of history or coz you're a nice person

c. If they were to announce a 2nd season, I suspect that Na Ri would be the villain in that one - based on the after-credits scene. I, however, will not be tuning in. Netflix hasn't had a great track record with sequels, even when they had strong 1st seasons. Look at shows like Sweet Home, BloodHounds & the 1st 2 seasons of Alice in Borderland. Strong starts that were butchered later. This show didn't even have a strong start. I'm doubtful that the 2nd season will be anything good.

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Lesson in karma. Spiritual equvlnt of "don't drink and drive or else bad things will happen to ya"

This drama is about absolute stupidity of ppl who do NOT listen and who think certain things are a joke or some kind of fun, and who utter wishes which are totally ... inappropriate, and who make actions that are totally inappropriate - and then cause unnecessary trouble like crazy

For example: the shaman's daughter wishing that her mother dies. then getting soooo mad about the talisman that she publicly ridiculed her friend; the "pretty boy" who beat up the friend; and then friend wishing they all die and hurting herself. THOSE ARE VERY DUMB STUPID ACTIONS

This drama is really a lesson on karma and what not to do. It is spiritual equivalent of "dont drink and driver or else you will get in trouble."

The drama is quite cringe and totally Hogwarts kind of stuff for young ppl

BASICALLY THE MESSAGE OF THIS DRAMA IS TO STAY CALM, PAY ATTENTION, NOT GO TO PLACES THAT FEEL WEIRD, NOT HANG OUT WITH PPL WHO FEEL WEIRD, AND NEVER WISH OR SAY OR BEHAVE IN WAYS THAT ARE LESS THAN EXEMPLARY

the whole drama is about the law of karma
and the demonic forces that help to execute punishment for creating bad karma

Also, it is notable that most kids got in trouble for sheer curiosity, stupid needless joking, as well as perceived "needs" such as grades, and asking to get it without any effort, i.e. the kid was delusional in their thinking. Also notice that no kids wished that the app be deleted forever, they all were too self-centered and did not see beyond their own little issues in front of them - and that allows the evil to propagate.

Notice that only kids who had the courage and intergrity to HONESTLY TALK about what happened to them survived. Kids that believed some bs and never asked to clarify it, did stupid stuff and died/got stuck.

Also notice that all key players actively contributing to the evil app were somehow connected to evil and/or had a propensity for it. For example:
Shaman's daughter GENUINELY wished her mother to die, publicly ridiculed her friend, did not stop the beating of her friend by the "pretty guy", wished to create the demonic app - she was truly the daughter of her mother whom she so hated - her mother was a black shaman, capable and willing to harm others...

the friend kept hanging out with the shaman mom and wished death to others;
Na Ri was a chronic liar and deceiver/manipulator/backstabber, grabber, club goer/drinker and an entitled rich kid; I would think she would end up as a drug addict and/or a major nasty figure of authority

and the weird Discord kid who reactivated the app was taking pills and giving them to HJ; he read the online manual for the app; and he knew for sure that HJ died and the app kills - YET he listened to what the demon wrote online and went to retrieve the phone and reactivate the app. That kid was off the rails somehow...

All the kids who helped the evil had some major problems and evil streaks
and some looked so cute ... those girls with long hair, so pretty like dolls... but ... killers
The discord kid definitely looked weird and behaved weird

So the bottom line is - be someone exemplary, live a clean decent life, and do not indulge in things that are overboard, shady, etc communicate honestly,
and that will be your "wash your hands before you eat and dont drink when you drive" kinda protection mechanism.

>>>>> The drama has some very deep messages that most of the audience might miss while watching the glitz special effects :) <<<<<

For those messages, I give the drama 10/10.
The gory details and shocks are kinda cringe cheesy so that's why overall lesser rating.

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Creepy, winding, esoteric… and incomplete

I was unimpressed in the beginning. It felt like If Wishes Could Kill was trying to reheat Night Has Come’s nachos, which didn’t sound particularly appealing considering I didn’t care for those nachos fresh.
But then it took a step back from shock-value gore and leaned more heavily into eldritch suspense, and it started to grow on me. It knew when to slow down and linger, when to pan away, when to lighten the mood and let the viewer breathe, and when to trust the viewer to read between the spoken lines.
For a minute there, it felt like I was in good hands. I could just sit back and enjoy the ride while the rollercoaster took us up, up, up the track to the misty summit, where the carriage crested, the mist cleared, and we plummeted…
10 feet.
After all that anticipatory climbing, the ride proceeded to slow to an anticlimactic stop not even a third of the way down, dump us, and reverse.

Is that it? Is the ride over, or is it still under construction? Why would they let us on an unfinished ride? Why build it so high if they didn’t have the materials to bring us the same distance back down?

Yeah.
That’s the feeling, and it’s a shame because I think this cast had a lot to juggle and, for the most part, managed to pull it off (shout out to Mina—I haven’t really kept up with her since IOI and she did a fab job portraying a completely incomprehensible character). And what did they get for their hard work?
A non-ending positively swimming in unanswered questions.

• What happened to Si Won’s dad?
• What did Si Won do to provoke whatever it was her mom died trying to protect her from?
• Why was Hye Ryung so easily convinced to just… leave her friend’s mom to die???
• Why did Hye Ryung immediately jump to SACRIFICING HERSELF IN THE MOST GRUESOME MANNER IMAGINABLE TO CURSE HER EX-BFF & FORMER CRUSH when she was bullied for the first time?? I feel like that is a plan z course of action???
• Why did Si Won wish for the curse to continue? The only people she might want dead are ALREADY dead?? What was the thought process here, because attributing it to revenge is just not cutting it for me
• How did Hyeong Wook’s death get settled so quietly??
• Why introduce the mechanic of subsequent wishes stopping the timer on previous wishes if Si Won is still gonna hunt all wishers down, regardless?
• Why did no one even consider wishing to end the cycle?
• Why was Se A given such Chosen One treatment if there wasn’t gonna be any payoff? No dormant shamanistic aptitude? No family secrets? No “I almost died in the accident that killed my parents and have a stronger connection to the afterlife” reveal? NOTHING???
• Ha Yeong. What’s with the snake? How did she go from Regular Joe to Vessel of Divine Power? Was the power acquired? Awakened? How did she link up with Bang Ul? Ffs.
• If Ha Yeong can weaken Si Won’s influence, why didn’t anyone suggest rounding up all the wishers and bringing them to the shrine, if only to contain some of the chaos while Se A and Bang Ul set out to fight the final boss?? Hello?? Risk & liability avoidance anyone?
• Why was Na Ri so fixated on her crush??? Girl, you were just STABBED, and you’re more mad that your crush got with your friend??? Be so fr

I could go on but I don’t feel like it
You get the idea
This drama is a tease

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I wishes it could have been better.

What I disliked:
Few participant: The show tries taking a turn from the normal high school drama, but the turn wasn't good in the aspecct of leaving 5 students playing the game, for how few the numbers of the game player was, it created less thrill to me, the death was once and all, the last death happened because she was a big villain that deserved death, not because you were innocent, the death was created to get your attention into the show for those who love horror and suspense tag.
With how few the student participating actually is and only the main characters made a wish, the story wouldn't definitely want to leave half of the main characters dead.
The concept was nice, but wasn't a strong pulling force: Expected something more, like the students forced inot the app or entered accidentally, not expecting you having a choice to make a wish and coincidentally with most of the main characters playing the game they all made a wish which was lame and dumb.
A student actually writes down their birthday and everything and tells the app to grant their wisha and you say they thought it was a joke 'I find it a joke", when your birth calendar has been written purposely, and you then wish for the death of your friend in the so-called phone and you don't believe in the app, it sucks. They could have just made them real villains
Talking about some ridiculous concept, it was already reluctantly okay with the the premise, but then the wish could actually stop, at some incidence I mean does the writer actually wants to save the children.
Pacing Inconsistencies: The minor problem that I actually found heart wrenching the pacing was bad the writers were wrong they jumped from a real suspense moment of searching the house of an occultist into flashbacks on one of the leads and it continued through the end I mean are you actually playing me down in seeing my etching suspense.
Pick up one: Stop playing some rom-com in my suspense-horror, we didn't come for those hectic romance, you could have stopped in EPS one since the horrors haven't yet come by then and not stretched out to the romance to the end, they can play the real rom-com at the end of their struggles.

What I Loved:
The actors performance: As young as the actor they were the light of this show, the performance carried out by each of them was noteworthy and I was overwhelmed by distinctive villain and saving roles.

The suspense was a real hook, the horror was okay and the lighting gave in a lot for those horror.

Overall If wishes could kill is a drama I can't rewatch (I don't basically rewatch dramas) it had some horrors in to that, it gave me some flinching jumpscares, with plot holes that kills me and I find it had not to get tired but I basically enjoyed it.

P.s Netflix better stop their greedy nature the series have come to a close, their is no need to foreshadow that their is gonna be S2. The ending was really okay.

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Okay If you didnt whatch it yet go or it its really worth it.All with that Girigo app and the wishes and the plot also verry interesting the drama step by step tell you everything about the girigo thing. And if you not really like horror whatch it too its really worth it,I mean the series have a small romantig side too. :)
The drama have lot of sides its tell how bad can be a schoolbullynig,we have love triangle too I guess... and we have a little saman ting too...We also can se how bad can people feel if their friend let them behind...Anyway..
As I said the drama have lot of sides :D
The drama really tell you everything how the girigo app made how the curse even exist, I was supprised tbh.
And the illusions what the curse made to controll you and trap you inside with them its really crazy.
And untill the last episode you cant guess who made the curse,Okay we talkig about a horror show ofc people dying in almost every episode,if they dont hen where is the horror part?
Here is what i dont understand :When Yoo Se A friend wished something and her boyfriend too why both got a call from her like shi connected somehow the curse?..Or am I missed something.
And the end of the drama what happent to Na Ri? when u know Yoo Se A did that to her why? okay she was mad at her but why am I think there is a third spirit too who didt show ut themself?
Okay I dont understand things too but im sure if we get a season 2 we will get answer to our questions too:)
(Sorry for my broken english...pls forgive me..)
Please tell me your option this ,bc Im lost I never write review but I just cant stan see that this drama only got bad review :)

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I Wish it was better

I was eagerly awaiting this one and after binge-watching it in one seating I must say I am quite... disappointed ?

I found the Shamans couple much more interesting overall, and I felt the main teen characters all lacked depth and emotional maturity... Even considering their age(they’re supposed to be 16-17), I found they all lacked emotional depth and felt like flat archetypes/2D characters, not really “alive." The actors did a good job portraying emotions so it's really not their fault, i think it's because of the production.. I'm throwing some shade here tbh but back in my days, dramas used to be able to pull credible characterisation even with shorter episodes. Enough for us to get attached to the characters you know?

I am aware that with multiple main characters and a group of friends, you can’t really do that deep dive and show their family or the dynamics in the group with more scene, etc (oh and conveniently the main character's aunt is always away etc. felt like a budget decision more than anything), but they felt more like archetypes : the otaku, the sporty girl, the rich mean girl, the nerd, the cute guy. I don’t know, it just lacked that zest.

Also I would’ve loved more scenes with the older shaman lady and at school. It lacked that “this is satisfying” feeling you sometimes get when you're get REALLY into a drama you binge watch, so I felt they didn’t delve deep enough. Also, the timeline and school stuff were skipped. This felt lazy and I am starting to wonder if they use AI to write some of the scenes. ( wouldn't be surprised)

I understand Netflix’s strategy of spending less on dramas with a small cast to boost viewership, rack up numbers and keep everyones eyes stuck on their screens.. but even with just eight short episodes, I think they could’ve gone deeper into the details to really immerse us in the series.

Finally I agree with some comments there and reviews there, especially those comparing it to previous short productions like 8 Show, Pyramid Game, and Might Has Come.

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Interesting Concept with badly written characters...

Similar to what many have mentioned there wasnt any bond built between the viewers and the characters, so if anything bad happens we are just like "ok next". This is also probably cause the characters were not unique or interesting. Its like every school drama has the same type of people, some overly kind and some just inhumane...Honestly the most interesting character in this show for me was the shaman's husband, probably the only person I was hoping survives.

Logic....logic is something definitely not found here cause I still find it weird how the phones were left untouched but there were no bodies....lol (prob a plothole). There are no higher ups involved at all like that portion of the story is fully removed. The focus is only on the kids. But...the kids are not that smart as well...the decisions they make are so bad its ridiculous...

Overall although it is a thriller, its not the exciting kind...you just want to know the end.

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bloody themes, strong language, and school settings

If you enjoy bloody themes, strong language, and school settings, then give this a try.

It can feel a bit confusing at first since no backstory is provided, and it seems like a normal school drama. However, once the context is revealed, everything becomes much easier to understand.

The casting is excellent, especially the younger and adult versions of the characters. The actors deliver strong performances that feel natural rather than fake.

I do wish some parts were explained more clearly or given additional context to better understand the characters’ motivations and emotions.

Despite that, it is a show that keeps you hooked, making it hard to stop watching episode after episode.

Overall, it is a great watch, and I hope there will be a second season with more depth and explanation.

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