Bae Suzy's New Netflix K-Drama "Genie, Make a Wish" Faces Online Backlash
The series is being accused of romanticizing an Islamic figure, played by Kim Woo Bin.
by Jam Nitura
Published on Oct 4, 2025
Netflix’s latest K-drama Genie, Make a Wish, released yesterday, October 3, is already getting heat online. The romantic fantasy stars Bae Suzy as Ka-young, an emotionally stunted woman who unleashes a genie from his thousand-year sleep, played by Kim Woo Bin.
Woo Bin’s character is a mischievous figure called Iblis. The name and Iblis’ backstory caused an uproar among Muslim viewers who cried foul at the series for portraying the Islamic figure as a romantic interest for its heroine.
LOOK: K-Drama “Genie, Make a Wish” Faces Online Backlash
In Islam, Iblis is the personal name of the devil. According to the Qur’an, he fell from grace after refusing God’s order to bow down before Adam, claiming that he was more noble than human beings. The K-drama characterized Iblis, not as a demon, but as a tempting genie, however he bears the same backstory as that of the the Islamic figure.
Viewers took to X to express their disappointment in the show after finding it culturally insensitive. One post with over 12,000 likes and counting wrote, “Why on earth would they adopt the whole Iblis concept straight from Islam?? In our faith he’s literally the embodiment of ultimate evil & now like we’re really meant to root for an Iblis love arc?”
Another pointed out that the writers took a passage about Iblis from the Qur’an and simply paraphrased it to fit the genie’s story. “The disrespect is very evident,” said the X user. “How are we supposed to watch a show that glorified Iblis. My religion is not your costume.” Many more shared the same sentiments on the social media platform, appalled at the drama’s “total disregard for our faith.”
Teasers for the show that were revealed a month ago garnered the same criticism, with early reviewers calling it a “religious mockery.” While Netflix Korea has kept mum about the situation, Woo Bin himself already responded to the backlash even before the show was released.
When asked in a press conference about concerns regarding his character’s name, the actor replied, “If you watch the drama, I believe any misunderstandings will be lifted. Please stay with us until the end — you’ll come to understand.” Now that Korean media has achieved global recognition, more and more pressure is being put on the industry to become culturally sensitive to its internationl audience.