Finally, a Female Lead Like This!
The psychopath male lead in Flower of Evil was written so brilliantly that I’ve always wondered what the story would be like if the psychopath were a female lead instead. I’ve wanted to see a drama explore that concept for a long time.In Genie, Make a Wish, the female lead feels like that kind of character — calm, rational, and unshaken by emotional turbulence, which makes her fascinating to watch, much like in Flower of Evil.
These kinds of unique protagonists bring fresh perspectives and storylines that stand out from the usual tropes. We’ve already seen dissociative or split-personality characters in dramas like Kill Me, Heal Me, Hyde, Jekyll, Me, and It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, but psychopath leads offer something entirely different — a new kind of intensity and complexity.
Also, in the case of the extraordinary character Genie — in stories, genies often see themselves as superior to humans, believing that humans are weak, ruled by fleeting emotions, and quick to betray. So how funny and ironic it is for this Genie to meet a female lead like her — a human who doesn’t waver emotionally, who seems stronger and colder than he is. What would he think of her now? What would his usual nagging about “humans” even sound like in front of someone like her? She becomes a contradiction for him to figure out — and for us, the viewers, a fascinating conflict to watch unfold.
What’s especially interesting about Genie, Make a Wish is that none of the leads feel ordinary, and that makes you genuinely curious to see how the story will unfold.
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When a Charismatic Protagonist Carries the Story
This is what happens when you write a truly charismatic protagonist. Every side story and subplot in the drama exists for a reason — there are no meaningless characters or filler moments. Everything feels well-placed and intentional, making it an enjoyable watch within the school drama genre.The story has a clear purpose that’s revealed right from the start: a gangster wishes he could go to high school. That simple setup plants a question in the viewer’s mind — “What would it be like if a gangster actually got the chance to finish high school?” The rest of the well-structured story unfolds naturally to explore and answer that central question.
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I found watching this drama a pleasant experience. The story and progression through the episodes were easy and light. The encounters and events made you laugh or react without having to worry too much about the plot or any hidden conspiracy theories. The main plot wasn’t dumb, and it didn’t try to throw all sorts of hints at you in every episode.The conflict was easy to understand — the son wasn’t getting along with his mother. You didn’t have to think too hard about the way he tried to solve things. His solutions — their solutions — were stupid and faulty, which caused even more ridiculous and funny situations to happen. It felt like the writers were having fun writing each episode too.
At the beginning of each episode, they foreshadowed some extraordinary event — a big, unexpected plot twist carried over from the previous episode. You had to keep watching to figure out why and how that situation came up. Of course, it always turned out to be the result of a chain of stupid decisions made by the protagonists, which made everything even more complicated. In each episode, a small event would happen that pushed the main plot one step forward.
It’s more of a comedy–slice-of-life kind of story. Each character has their own signature behavior in the show — for example, the mother-in-law with her echoing voice every time she calls out “Jang Mi!” Or Jang Mi’s behavior whenever she’s about to reveal the truth but decides instead to play along, pretending she enjoys being part of that family.
Character interactions: You know what to expect from each character — they change very little throughout the story. They are who they are. No matter what kind of offer the mother-in-law makes, you know it’s coming from a bad place, and her way of “people management” always ends up putting her daughter-in-law beneath her.
We also know the outcome of every challenge or “game” started by the mother-in-law: Jang Mi tries her best to be the worst daughter-in-law they could ever find, yet somehow she survives and even wins in the end. This is shown through her unexpected reactions, her expressions and mimicry, which make watching her even more enjoyable — along with the background music that adds to the humor and excitement.
In my opinion, the most interesting character in the whole show was the mother-in-law.
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A Drama That Feels Like Reading the Protagonist’s Own Novel
This drama belongs to the spectrum of more artistically written works. Since the main character himself is a writer, it often feels like you’re reading a novel written by him — especially in the episodes where he appears alongside his so-called young ghostwriter. You can sense exactly what he’s feeling — whether it’s happiness, sadness, or being lost in his own illusions — simply through the background music.Those particular scenes have multiple layers that unfold each time you rewatch them. The whole drama feels like a collage — a careful “paste-together” of several beautifully written and emotionally crafted scenes. We experience moments of epiphany about the protagonist’s mental state, carried by dramatic music that shifts your emotions, enhanced by well-designed visuals — the artistic combination of colors, patterns, and elements within each frame.
The inclusion of several side stories about minor characters seems intentional, aimed at broadening the audience’s awareness. However, you can feel the story getting lighter and less layered whenever these parts appear. It’s clear that these subplots were written differently from the main narrative, and they often make you impatient for the main story to return — the one that truly holds the magic.
It’s also very clear that the scenes featuring the male protagonist were written to be more profound, emotional, and artistically elevated than the rest of the show. In my opinion, these scenes alone are what earned the drama its high ratings from viewers.
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What I found especially effective about the drama is the way character traits are shown rather than explained. Instead of using dialogue to describe a character’s emotional issues or social awkwardness, the writing lets us see it unfold through their behavior and presentation.Instead of explaining these traits through dialogue, the story shows them through how the characters present themselves to society — one hides her face and wears a flower on her head to look strange on purpose and keep people away, while the other reacts with anger to ordinary situations, which also pushes people away.
Narrating backstories: The backstories are revealed gradually through interview sessions and bits of dialogue, sometimes supported by short flashbacks. Before the full story is shown, each episode gives small hints at the beginning — we see the protagonist’s strange or emotional reactions to certain situations without knowing why. Later, during a therapy session with the psychiatrist, they explain what happened and how they felt. The doctor then offers advice or suggestions for how they can improve.
Later on, the characters encounter a similar challenging situation, and we can see how their reactions have changed.
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Chanwook Scofield becomes the Big Mouther of the Squid Game.
This is the action-packed story of Chanwook Scoffield, a man who decides to push past every limit he once thought impossible after being ruthlessly betrayed. Along the way, he gains both allies and enemies — some cheering for his rise, others determined to destroy him.Like the protagonist in Big Mouth, his true potential begins to surface only after being jailed and beaten by tough criminals. One by one, his hidden talents emerge, and his transformation from a naïve man to a sharp, strategic survivor becomes gripping to watch.
But just when things seem to settle, an unexpected twist pulls him into a deadly “squid game” created by a bored, brilliant villain. Now stronger, smarter, and far more dangerous than before, Chanwook faces his ultimate test. The stakes are higher, the tension sharper, and we can’t help but wait to see how this new version of him will play the game — and whether he’ll outsmart everyone watching.
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A Nymph’s Dance, a Night of Snow, and the Magic
If you like poetry,and you like fairytales,
if you believe nymphs exist — and that sometimes they appear as human beings —
here comes Chaerok: the story of a nymph.
His wings were broken,
until one day an old grandpa found him and helped stretch them out again.
The nymph stayed by the grandpa’s side.
One day, he realized the grandpa was in pain —
and that his own dance held a kind of healing magic that could help him.
So the nymph began to dance.
One cold night, as snowflakes fell and the lights glowed softly,
he danced and danced for the grandpa —
and in that moment… he healed him.
And then, we realize how precious his magic truly is.
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