1
“‘Genie, Make a Wish" — drive-thru inside, Michelin outside.
These days, Korean shows feel like abstract art — you experience them, but don’t always know why. I’ve learned to just watch for what they are, without overthinking. The old “it” factor in them that kept people talking for years seems gone; now it’s more like, “Let’s watch this today, maybe something else tomorrow.” I approached "Genie, Make a Wish" with that same mindset. The show is “okay” — nothing extraordinary, but it doesn’t leave a bad taste either.
For me, the writing was poor — especially since it came from a renowned writer. The quality felt below average, and the unnecessary fillers kept breaking the flow to the point I ended up skipping parts. The dialogues were either childish or way too dramatic. Personally, I take dialogues very seriously, and here, that was a major letdown. Another thing that threw me off was the weird jumps between scenes and some really questionable camera angles. The CGI and VFX were just okay (that last fight scene was decent), but the sets… some of them looked so cheap and out of place, like school projects done by elementary kids. I kept wondering where all that funding from the Dubai government and advertisers went.
As for acting:
Kim Woo Bin was a joy to watch. The last time I saw him on screen was in Twenty (2015).I hadn’t kept track of him after that — so seeing him healthy and acting again felt genuinely hearty and a little emotional🥹. I honestly forgot to judge his acting properly, but I believe he did well for his role.
Now to Suzy, did she convince me that her character had that disorder? Not really. Did she make the watching experience bad?- Not at all. She did fine — and *extra* fine with her fashion. In her case her fashion stole the show, atleast for me.
As for the chemistry, personally, I didn’t feel any spark between the leads. Also, her beating him felt very off to me. (violence should never be appreciated, whether as part of comedy or in terms of gender dynamics)
Noh Sang Hyuk was another pleasant surprise. I was skeptical since he’s mostly done serious roles, but he handled comedy really well.
And Ahn Eun Jin — she didn’t have much to do here, yet she owned every scene she got. That’s the mark of a truly skilled actor: they don’t need 13 hours of screen time to make an impact 👍 (a skill some seem to miss even with longer careers and endless lead roles)
Honorable mention: the kids in this drama were such gems — absolute naturals! 😍
Now, a lot of people seem upset about the religious aspect in this drama. I have no knowledge in that area, so I won’t comment on it. What "did" bothered me though was how they portrayed “ASPD.” The creators completely conflated antisocial personality disorder with psychopathy, as if they were the same thing. How could anyone think that’s accurate? Did they even bother to research this? These are two entirely different conditions. Yet, as usual, K-drama writers didn’t care — they turned an ASPD character into an outright psychopathic caricature. It was careless, misleading, and frankly, shameless.
Overall, "Genie, Make a Wish" isn’t a must-watch. If you just need something to pass time, it’s a decent pick. This review is just one viewer’s perspective — a small glimpse of what you might expect. At the end of the day, it’s one's call whether to watch it or not.
For me, the writing was poor — especially since it came from a renowned writer. The quality felt below average, and the unnecessary fillers kept breaking the flow to the point I ended up skipping parts. The dialogues were either childish or way too dramatic. Personally, I take dialogues very seriously, and here, that was a major letdown. Another thing that threw me off was the weird jumps between scenes and some really questionable camera angles. The CGI and VFX were just okay (that last fight scene was decent), but the sets… some of them looked so cheap and out of place, like school projects done by elementary kids. I kept wondering where all that funding from the Dubai government and advertisers went.
As for acting:
Kim Woo Bin was a joy to watch. The last time I saw him on screen was in Twenty (2015).I hadn’t kept track of him after that — so seeing him healthy and acting again felt genuinely hearty and a little emotional🥹. I honestly forgot to judge his acting properly, but I believe he did well for his role.
Now to Suzy, did she convince me that her character had that disorder? Not really. Did she make the watching experience bad?- Not at all. She did fine — and *extra* fine with her fashion. In her case her fashion stole the show, atleast for me.
As for the chemistry, personally, I didn’t feel any spark between the leads. Also, her beating him felt very off to me. (violence should never be appreciated, whether as part of comedy or in terms of gender dynamics)
Noh Sang Hyuk was another pleasant surprise. I was skeptical since he’s mostly done serious roles, but he handled comedy really well.
And Ahn Eun Jin — she didn’t have much to do here, yet she owned every scene she got. That’s the mark of a truly skilled actor: they don’t need 13 hours of screen time to make an impact 👍 (a skill some seem to miss even with longer careers and endless lead roles)
Honorable mention: the kids in this drama were such gems — absolute naturals! 😍
Now, a lot of people seem upset about the religious aspect in this drama. I have no knowledge in that area, so I won’t comment on it. What "did" bothered me though was how they portrayed “ASPD.” The creators completely conflated antisocial personality disorder with psychopathy, as if they were the same thing. How could anyone think that’s accurate? Did they even bother to research this? These are two entirely different conditions. Yet, as usual, K-drama writers didn’t care — they turned an ASPD character into an outright psychopathic caricature. It was careless, misleading, and frankly, shameless.
Overall, "Genie, Make a Wish" isn’t a must-watch. If you just need something to pass time, it’s a decent pick. This review is just one viewer’s perspective — a small glimpse of what you might expect. At the end of the day, it’s one's call whether to watch it or not.
Was this review helpful to you?
