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"Good intentions don't always lead to good outcomes"
Genie Make a Wish was a fantastical and chaotic carpet ride that at times required a dose of Dramamine. Yet as weird and wild as it got, I wasn’t able to stop watching. Genies, angels, mythical creatures, immortals, unconventional friendships, greed, love, loss, murder, sacrifice, and forgiveness, Genie Make a Wish ran the bases and the bleachers trying to hit as many plot points as it could. (Seriously mixing my metaphors! Lol)
Ki Ka Young leads a rigidly scheduled life with rules largely set down by her grandmother. Her mother abandoned her because she was “difficult.” “Difficult” in this sense was having “anti-social personality disorder.” Ki’s life is boring to her but she maintains it to keep her grandmother happy. On a trip to Dubai, she visits the desert on a tour and literally stumbles across a lamp. A genie appears saying he will grant her three wishes. Unimpressed she leaves the genie with his mouth agape and his hair flowing about. Ki finds it’s not so easy to be rid of a magical being intent on not only granting her wishes but killing her as well. What the genie doesn’t know is that their connection is deeper than he realizes and other forces are at work against him.
What worked for me:
I loved the female relationships. Though Ki wasn’t able to feel the same way, her bestie-Min Ji, and her grandmother were devoted to her even when she could be trying. She was also devoted to them, her love strong enough as she would say to kill for them. There were villagers ready to accuse her of every crime committed in the area and yet others ready and willing to come to her aid when needed.
Characters were complex, comprising the best and worst of human nature. Some leaning in one direction more than the other. The question was also asked, “Is evil innate or a choice?”
Iblis and Ejlael were not confined to their job descriptions. Iblis, much like the original accuser/adversary from my book was capable of more than just corrupting people. Ejlael had spent too much time on Earth accumulating wealth after having discovered the hell of poverty. Both would learn that winning was not the point and both were in need of redemption.
For a television drama, the CGI and cinematography were unexpectedly good. The night tour of Dubai was especially beautiful.
Writer Kim Eun Sook dropped Easter eggs from her other dramas such as Goblin, Mr. Sunshine, and The Heirs.
I enjoyed the adversarial relationship between Iblis and Ki. It had a slightly different flavor than many Kdrama romances. Sade, the mythical beast was a nice touch as well.
Daniel Henney and Kim Ji Hoon’s microplot was strange and sadly heartwarming.
I enjoyed the comedy and actually laughed out loud several times.
What was more problematic:
I was uncomfortable with Ki’s abuse of Iblis. Had the roles been reversed it would not have been filmed. At the same time my first thought was that there was a lot of feminine repressed rage at the male dominated society being given a safe space to spew out. Kdramas do like their barely in check “psychopaths”.
The story was uneven and as could be as chaotic as Iblis with numerous micro black holes where plot elements disappeared. The whole choice about the grandmother was not well thought out for someone who was supposed to be smart.
This was one of those dramas where the essential story wrapped too early and the last episode dragged on too long.
To sum up:
Humans are unpredictable when offered anything they want, with the exception of raising the dead or going to the future, of course. There are those who make wise choices and those who choose selfishly. Wishes like choices often come with a price and unexpected consequences. Love can involve both growth and sacrifice, joy and heartache. GMaW was addictive and I devoured it easily, though like a third wish I may forget it soon after.
16 November 2025
Trigger warning: A few decapitations
Ki Ka Young leads a rigidly scheduled life with rules largely set down by her grandmother. Her mother abandoned her because she was “difficult.” “Difficult” in this sense was having “anti-social personality disorder.” Ki’s life is boring to her but she maintains it to keep her grandmother happy. On a trip to Dubai, she visits the desert on a tour and literally stumbles across a lamp. A genie appears saying he will grant her three wishes. Unimpressed she leaves the genie with his mouth agape and his hair flowing about. Ki finds it’s not so easy to be rid of a magical being intent on not only granting her wishes but killing her as well. What the genie doesn’t know is that their connection is deeper than he realizes and other forces are at work against him.
What worked for me:
I loved the female relationships. Though Ki wasn’t able to feel the same way, her bestie-Min Ji, and her grandmother were devoted to her even when she could be trying. She was also devoted to them, her love strong enough as she would say to kill for them. There were villagers ready to accuse her of every crime committed in the area and yet others ready and willing to come to her aid when needed.
Characters were complex, comprising the best and worst of human nature. Some leaning in one direction more than the other. The question was also asked, “Is evil innate or a choice?”
Iblis and Ejlael were not confined to their job descriptions. Iblis, much like the original accuser/adversary from my book was capable of more than just corrupting people. Ejlael had spent too much time on Earth accumulating wealth after having discovered the hell of poverty. Both would learn that winning was not the point and both were in need of redemption.
For a television drama, the CGI and cinematography were unexpectedly good. The night tour of Dubai was especially beautiful.
Writer Kim Eun Sook dropped Easter eggs from her other dramas such as Goblin, Mr. Sunshine, and The Heirs.
I enjoyed the adversarial relationship between Iblis and Ki. It had a slightly different flavor than many Kdrama romances. Sade, the mythical beast was a nice touch as well.
Daniel Henney and Kim Ji Hoon’s microplot was strange and sadly heartwarming.
I enjoyed the comedy and actually laughed out loud several times.
What was more problematic:
I was uncomfortable with Ki’s abuse of Iblis. Had the roles been reversed it would not have been filmed. At the same time my first thought was that there was a lot of feminine repressed rage at the male dominated society being given a safe space to spew out. Kdramas do like their barely in check “psychopaths”.
The story was uneven and as could be as chaotic as Iblis with numerous micro black holes where plot elements disappeared. The whole choice about the grandmother was not well thought out for someone who was supposed to be smart.
This was one of those dramas where the essential story wrapped too early and the last episode dragged on too long.
To sum up:
Humans are unpredictable when offered anything they want, with the exception of raising the dead or going to the future, of course. There are those who make wise choices and those who choose selfishly. Wishes like choices often come with a price and unexpected consequences. Love can involve both growth and sacrifice, joy and heartache. GMaW was addictive and I devoured it easily, though like a third wish I may forget it soon after.
16 November 2025
Trigger warning: A few decapitations
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