Breaking Down the Unexpected Ending of Netflix K-Drama Genie, Make a Wish

The new Netflix K-drama Genie, Make a Wish marks a return to fantasy romantic comedy for screenwriter Kim Eun-sook (Goblin). This 13-episode series features Kim Woo-bin (Our Blues) as Iblis, a genie who believes people are naturally selfish.

After humankind was created, he wouldn’t worship them, leading to his exile in hell. But he struck a bargain with God: if he could demonstrate that all humans were capable of being corrupted – by tempting them with greed through just one of three wishes – he would be released.

Things are going perfectly for Iblis, until he encounters a slave girl from Goryeo – the kingdom that governed the Korean peninsula between 935 and 1392. This girl consistently makes wishes that benefit others, and as a result, Iblis is punished and trapped inside his lamp for a thousand years.

Following a thousand years of being sealed away, Iblis is briefly released when Ka-young (Bae Suzy), a mechanic from a small town who lacks the ability to feel empathy, accidentally finds his lamp while on vacation in the Dubai desert. Iblis sees something unique in Ka-young. She’s not simply another person he’s forced to serve, but rather the reborn version of the individual whose kind wishes originally condemned him to a millennium of imprisonment. Filled with resentment, Iblis makes a vow to end this new incarnation’s life as well.

First, however, he needs to fulfill her requests. Although Iblis wants Ka-young to use her wishes so he can ultimately harm her, the emotionally detached Ka-young doesn’t really mind either way. She’s managed to navigate life as a normal person, even without the ability to feel empathy, by strictly adhering to the rules taught by her grandmother, Pan-geum (Kim Mi-kyung). Pan-geum has been raising and loving Ka-young since childhood, and Ka-young places complete trust in her. A manipulative genie simply doesn’t fit into Ka-young’s carefully planned life.

Eventually, Iblis persistently pressures Ka-young until she gives in. He follows her from Dubai all the way back to her home in Korea, and she finally makes her first wish…

Ka-young’s first wish

Ka-young doesn’t make her first wish out of selfishness; she wants to protect her grandmother. She completely trusts her grandmother, who has always taught her that people are naturally good. Additionally, Ka-young is feeling bored and wants to see what Iblis will do. Therefore, for her first wish, Ka-young asks the genie to demonstrate that humans are actually flawed and capable of wrongdoing. It’s a test of her grandmother’s belief, and a way to satisfy her curiosity.

They make a deal: Ka-young will lose if most of the next five townspeople she meets make selfish wishes. If that happens, she’ll quickly make her own wishes and allow Iblis to kill her, as he promised. But if the wishers turn out to be mostly good, she wins. This means Iblis will lose his agreement with God and be killed by his brother, the angel Ejllael (Steve Noh), for submitting to a human.

It’s definitely not just a fleeting desire. It’s the foundation upon which their whole relationship will develop and grow.

Ka-young’s second wish

As Iblis tries to convince Ka-young that people are easily led to do wrong – demonstrating humanity’s flaws – Ka-young uses her second wish. She’s afraid of being left alone after her grandmother passes away, so she wishes for Pan-geum to become the same age as her.

Iblis fulfills her wish, and Pan-geum finds herself back in her 20s. Unable to reveal her true identity to those she knows, she takes on a new name-Mi-ju (Ahn Eun-jin)-and enjoys experiencing life as a young woman again for much of the story. She develops a close friendship with Min-ji (Lee Joo-young), a queer dentist who has been Ka-young’s only friend since their high school days.

Ka-young’s past life as the Goryeo girl

Even though Iblis is initially filled with hatred for Ka-young and all of humankind, his experiences in her hometown gradually shift his perspective. He starts to develop feelings for Ka-young, and discovers his memories of her past life aren’t complete. The woman from the Goryeo dynasty didn’t die young as he believed; instead, she grew up and became a selfless woman whom he fell in love with. Tragically, she was murdered by one of Iblis’ superiors – a poor man obsessed with gaining endless riches and recognition.

Deeply saddened by the loss of the woman he loved, and further believing in the wickedness of people, Iblis pleaded with God to allow him one final glimpse of the Goryeo girl. God granted his request, but removed Iblis’ memory of the meeting. A thousand years would pass before Iblis and Ka-young crossed paths again, their fates connected by the Goryeo girl’s last desire: to experience the genie’s pain alongside him.

Genie, Make a Wish’s ending, explained

As a critic, I’ve seen a lot of supernatural stories, and this one’s got a fascinating lineage of beings beyond just Iblis. It turns out he’s not alone; he’s part of a whole family of spirits. We’re talking about Ejllael, the angel of death, and Shadi, a genie with the incredible ability to literally sing the world to sleep. But the real heart of this story, for me, is Khalid. He’s Shadi’s half-mortal child, and he’s been patiently – or perhaps not so patiently – waiting for a thousand years for Iblis to reappear. It sets up a really intriguing dynamic, and I’m eager to see how this generational conflict plays out.

Khalid originally lived a normal lifespan, but he gained immortality when his father transferred his soul into the body of Hunbish, a child a woman from Goryeo had hoped to protect. Iblis fulfilled her wish not just by saving Hunbish’s life, but by making him immortal-an immortality that Shadi and Khalid then took for themselves. Now, Khalid desires Iblis’ lamp and the power of its wishes, hoping to claim them for his own.

In an attempt to draw out Iblis, Khalid kills Ka-young’s grandmother while she’s protecting Min-ji. Sade, a devoted follower of Iblis, also perishes. With Ka-young’s assistance, Iblis manages to destroy the Flower of Eternal Life-the source of Khalid’s immortality (up until now)-and the villain is reduced to dust. However, the cost is high, and Ka-young is heartbroken by the loss of her grandmother.

Ka-young’s third wish

As her last request, Ka-young asks Iblis to let her feel normal human emotions for just one day-a rather selfish desire, really. Ka-young hopes to truly understand the pain her grandmother felt, but she also thinks that making this selfish wish will give Iblis the opportunity to end her life and finally break free. However, Iblis finds he can’t bring himself to kill the woman he loves. Instead, he submits to her request, effectively breaking his agreement with God. He then seeks out Ejllael and allows his brother to kill him. At the same time, Ka-young is completely overcome by the intensity of her newfound feelings. She wanders lost in the desert and ultimately dies from the elements.

Does Genie, Make a Wish have a happy ending?

Considering what has just happened, it might not appear that Genie, Make a Wish will have a positive outcome, but surprisingly, it does!

After Ka-young passes away, she is reborn as a Jinniya, which is a female genie. She then goes to visit Min-ji, who is deeply saddened by the loss of both Pan-geum/Mi-ju and Ka-young herself, and offers her best friend three wishes. Min-ji uses her first wish to arrange regular weekly dinners with the genie Ka-young. For her second wish, she ensures that the children in town will come to her dental clinic when they need help, allowing Min-ji to provide care for them.

Ka-young doesn’t want Min-ji to use the third wish because it would make Min-ji forget about her. However, Min-ji notices how much her friend misses Iblis. During the New Year’s fireworks, Ka-young gets emotional, clearly remembering Iblis’ spectacular fireworks display from the previous year. This display of feeling strongly suggests that Ka-young is no longer a psychopath.

While everyone else moved on, Pan-geum decided to stay behind until she could make sure Ka-young was happy. She persuaded God to restore Iblis to his former life as a genie. Iblis and Ka-young were happily reunited, both now as immortal genies, and they lived together happily ever after.

2025-10-03 22:08