By skyforbes 
Actors Kim Woo Bin and Suzy Bae reunited in the series Genie, Make a Wish, having previously starred together in “Uncontrollably Fond. However, this drama was not well-received by audiences, primarily due to the controversy it generated.
One of the controversies surrounding Genie, Make a Wish was its deviation from the original religious narrative, sparking protests. However, even without considering the controversy, the synopsis of the drama was already problematic, particularly in terms of character writing.
The controversy and the poorly written script made Genie, Make a Wish disappoint fans who had been eagerly anticipating the collaboration between Kim Woo Bin and Suzy. The only commendable aspect of this drama was the contributions of the veteran actors, bringing the screen to life.
The story of Genie, Make a Wish begins with Genie (Kim Woo Bin), a genie from a magic lamp bottle who can grant human wishes. However, due to a mistake in granting his master’s wish in the past, Genie is imprisoned in the lamp bottle for thousands of years.
Until finally, Genie meets Ki Ka Young (Suzy Bae), who has sociopathic traits and characteristics, unable to feel emotions or empathy for others. The two meet while in Saudi Arabia, and Ka Young becomes Genie’s master and must grant his wishes.
The introduction of the two main characters, shown immediately in the first episode, is not the first time it’s been seen in Korean dramas, such as Doom at Your Service. However, the initial meeting between Ka Young and Genie is unnatural, and the awkward arguments, which attempt to create comedic situations, fall flat.
Although director Lee Byeong Hun attempts to create captivating views of the Saudi Arabian night sky, they don’t significantly impact the storyline. This drama adds to its poor track record following the 2024 failure of Chicken Nugget.
Genie and Ka Young’s encounter in the desert continues upon their return to South Korea, becoming an absurd romance between an astral being and a sociopath. The script is structured to show the romance between the two but doesn’t seriously depict intimate scenes between them.
Problems can also be seen with Ka Young, the main character in this drama, despite being played to the max by Suzy. Ka Young, portrayed as a sociopath, tries to show her evil side as a human, but also wants to change her attitude to become more humane.
The problem with Ki Young’s character isn’t whether or not she should be a sociopath. But the main strength of the depth that is wanted to be shown to the audience.
Because this drama isn’t intended to be a mystery or thriller, it would be better if a character like Ka Young were simply portrayed as a woman with a troubled past. Rather than portraying her as a sociopath, which would be unsuitable for the genre and would actually create an unnatural storyline.
Similar to Ka Young, the character of Genie also faces problems with Kim Eun Sook’s writing. While Genie wants to appear as a genie who appears friendly and handsome to humans, he’s not suited to dealing with humans who are demanding and greedy.
Genie is nothing more than a tool to fulfill the wishes of greedy humans, lacking any satisfying character development or depth. Fortunately, Genie’s past remains engaging and provides a surprising connection between the genie and Ka Young.
However, the drama still manages to show good character development in its antagonists. This is exemplified by Genie’s employer, who faces difficult challenges and misfortunes, leading some of them to desire large sums of money.
Characters like Kang Im Seon (Park Bo Kyung), a female supermarket worker hoping to secure a higher position at her workplace. But he was still dissatisfied so he wanted more wealth and position.
There are also characters like Gu Bo Gyeong (Kang Chae Yeong), who harbors a grudge against Ka Young and steals her money. These two characters may not be absolute antagonists who want to kill everyone on earth, but they perfectly reflect the greedy desires of humankind.
Meanwhile, Oh Pan Geum (Kim Mi Kyung) also successfully makes the comedy more relatable to the audience. This is due to the actress’s natural acting and undeniable experience.
Supporting characters like Ejlael and Ryu Su Hyeon (Noh Sang Hyun) also become uninteresting characters to follow in each episode. Their rivals, Genie, feel unnecessary, as the drama’s true story revolves around Ka Young’s desire to become a human and feel empathy.
Ryu Su Hyeon’s fight scenes with Genie also fail to excite the audience due to the stiff CGI and poor graphics. Unfortunately, actor Noh Sang Hyun has shown excellent acting in the Pachinko series and the film Love in the Big City.
Instead of inspiring viewers to watch, this series actually makes viewers drowsy.
6/10