Genie Make a Wish

Overall Review

7/10 is my rating. Just not my thing.

I really wanted to like this show. I find genies interesting and expected a light, fictional dive into that magical genre. The characters are vivid and the leads, Kim Woo-bin and Bae Suzy, have undeniable chemistry, but the show’s irreverence toward sacred concepts makes it unsettling. There was a dark twist on principles that felt like an insult to Christianity. Those with strong religious beliefs, such as Christians or Muslims, may find this show deeply disturbing due to its flippant handling of good and evil. The main character and romantic interest, Iblis, is explicitly Satan, punished by God and still called by that name, despite being a genie. With all of this, the plot, while unique, simply crosses too many moral lines in my opinion. I wouldn’t watch it again—it made me uncomfortable the first time (pretty clear to me rooting for any entity called Satan is a strict no), and I can’t recommend it to others who avoid anything that might violate religious principles .

Spoilers

The main character, Satan/Iblis, isn’t all bad—he’s kind to Ka-young, shows empathy, and plays tricks to “help” people. Not very Satan-like, right? And we’re supposed to root for him. Rooting for Satan is a problem if you’re religious. Some gloss over this and say but it is fictional. But this isn't even a gray area in religious doctrine - you simply do not root for any entity that is entitled Satan. Then there’s Ejllael, the angel with black wings and zero empathy, who tortures his assistant Irem for mistakes. So, evil acts good, and good acts evil. Ka-young, the main girl, is a psychopath trained by her grandmother Pan-geum to avoid murder, channeling her urges into skydiving or rock climbing. That’s fine—not all psychopaths are killers—but she’s abusive to Iblis, pushing him off buildings and beating him with bars, which he fears. We’re supposed to find this funny? I didn't. I don’t root for abusers. The creation myth—God making genies on Wednesday, angels on Thursday, humans on Friday—mimics religious stories but twists them in a way that feels disrespectful to both Christianity and Islam. Ka-young’s a “good” person because she doesn’t kill, but her violent streak undermines that. When she wishes her grandmother to be her age so they’ll die closer together, Pan-geum becomes a young, reckless version of herself, losing all grandmotherly wisdom. Ka-young bets Iblis that random people’s wishes will be good, but most are selfish and greedy, suggesting humans are inherently evil. I was glad the bank teller Bu-gyeong got caught for stealing from Ka-young out of apparent jealousy—ridiculous. Then, Pan-geum flirts with Min-ji, Ka-young’s childhood friend, in a gay subplot that feels forced and creepy, since Pan-geum knew Min-ji as a child. I’m tired of obligatory gay couples, especially when they add morally questionable elements like this. The show’s attempt to humanize “villains” doesn’t justify its disregard for sacred values, and it left me completely turned off of anything else this show had to offer. Which wasn't much. The back story, origin story, became the main focus in the last few episodes to the further detriment of the show. It was no longer about a genie and a romantic interest now it was just a continuation of a battle between the Angels and Genies. That was better as just a back story.