Did 'Genie Make A Wish' fail to deliver thoughtful portrayal of Islamic beliefs?

Netflix’s newly released K-drama Genie: Make A Wish has hooked the viewers since its first episode due to various reasons.

Premiered on October 3, 2025, officially on Netflix, the fantasy series consists of 13 episodes in total.

The fantasy-romance show revolves around a genie named Iblis, played by Kim Woo-bin, who is awaken from a long sleep of thousands of years.

He hasn't granted a wish in ages, but that all changes when he meets a young woman named Ka-young, played by Bae Suzy, whose life is a monotonous routine, and is controlled by her grandmother's strict rules.

Apart from Suzy and Kim, who also starred in 2016’s series Uncontrollably Fond, the series also feature Ahn Eun-jin, Noh Sang-hyun, Ko Kyu-pil, and Lee Joo-young.

By name Genie: Make A Wish may look like a drama based on genie granting three wishes to a person who rubs the magical lamp, giving a hint of just another fantasy based drama usually shown in South Korea but it’s beyond that.

The representation of Islamic beliefs, particularly with the character Iblis, has sparked a debate.

In Islamic religion, Iblis is considered a demonic figure known for misleading human race, but the show has portrayed has romanticised the character and also showed how it’s misunderstood by the people, dodging a deeply important religious concept.

Many social media users claim that the whole backstory in Genie: Make A Wish is lifted from Islamic scriptures and feel it could have been shown in a better manner.