Why Genie, Make a Wish is facing backlash over cultural appropriation and representation

Genie, Make a Wish arrived on Netflix promising a sweeping fantasy romance: a lonely young woman, Ga-young, frees a powerful genie named Iblis after a thousand years. What should’ve been a simple hook for escapist magic has instead sparked one of the year’s loudest cultural controversies. The debate isn’t about acting or production value in Genie, Make a Wish. It’s about faith, cultural heritage, and the risk of romanticizing a figure with deeper religious meaning.

The spark that ignited the backlash

Trouble began the moment viewers realized Genie, Make a Wish’s mysterious male lead called himself Iblis. In Islamic tradition, Iblis isn’t a mischievous genie or a trickster spirit. He’s the devil himself, the being who refused to bow to Adam, was cast out of Paradise, and now tempts humankind until Judgment Day. For Muslims, Iblis isn’t a loose myth but a doctrinal figure with a fixed theological role.

Seeing that name attached to a romance plot in Genie, Make a Wish with a handsome star like Kim Woo-bin playing a tortured, lonely antihero felt offensive to many. On social media, Muslim viewers argued that the drama was taking a sacred story and reshaping it into a love interest for entertainment. Hashtags criticizing Genie, Make a Wish trended on X and TikTok. Some posts compared the move to turning Satan into a misunderstood boyfriend.

Why names and theology matter

For audiences outside Islam, the reaction might seem exaggerated. Western pop culture has long taken liberties with demons, angels, and biblical lore. Shows like Lucifer or Good Omens play with theology in playful or romantic ways. But Iblis isn’t a casual monster to Muslim communities. He’s central to the Qur’an’s explanation of evil and disobedience.

Using that name in a K-drama such as Genie, Make a Wish without respecting its weight can feel like erasing sacred meaning. It’s more than borrowing a cool-sounding villain; it reframes a spiritual figure still deeply alive in worship and cultural memory. Critics point out that Korean dramas often reach a global audience now, and that means creators must consider how viewers from other faiths will read these symbols.

The writers’ creative liberties

The show doesn’t just borrow the name. It rewrites Iblis’s story. Instead of the devil cursed to Hell until the end of time, Genie, Make a Wish turns him into a once-noble genie who loved a woman in the Goryeo era, lost her tragically, and was punished by being sealed in a lamp. He now roams the human world under a divine bargain: grant wishes, test humanity, and search for a selfless heart. If he fails, he faces erasure.

This reinvention in Genie, Make a Wish is meant to fuel romance and tragedy, but it crosses a line for some viewers. By giving Iblis a love story, a chance for redemption, and a personal vendetta against humanity, the show drifts far from scripture. It’s a mythic remix, not theology, yet the name makes it feel like an official rewriting of faith.

Global streaming changes the stakes

A decade ago, a Korean drama might’ve flown under the radar outside Asia. Now Netflix releases go worldwide overnight. Muslim audiences from Indonesia to Turkey to the Middle East can stream a show the same day as viewers in Brazil or the US. That reach turns what might’ve been a niche fantasy into an international flashpoint.

Viewers posted threads explaining why the portrayal of Iblins in Genie, Make a Wish hurt them. Some described childhood teachings about Iblis as the embodiment of disobedience. Others said it felt disrespectful to make him a sympathetic lead. The conversation spilled into English, Korean, and Arabic hashtags, amplifying the backlash.

Comparisons to Western media

Fans defending the drama often point to Lucifer, the Fox and Netflix series that turned the devil into a suave nightclub owner who helps solve murders. They also mention Good Omens, which made an angel and a demon friends and gave them warmth. But critics answer that those shows play with Judeo-Christian figures in a cultural context where Christianity dominates and is often comfortable with satire or mythic reinterpretation.

Islam’s global minority status changes the power dynamic. Many Muslims feel their sacred stories are exoticized or misused in media they don’t control. There’s also a difference between reshaping a symbol that’s been secularized for centuries in Western culture and altering one that remains closely tied to daily belief.

Representation gaps behind the scenes

Another frustration is the lack of Muslim voices in the writing room. There’s no evidence the creative team consulted Islamic scholars or cultural experts. The series seems to treat Iblis as a generic dark spirit, similar to djinn in Western fantasy, without acknowledging living Muslim traditions.

Representation isn’t just about casting diverse actors; it’s also about respecting the cultures you adapt. Viewers note that Genie, Make a Wish shows little awareness of how sensitive the name is. The result feels like a missed opportunity to build authentic fantasy while honoring faith.

The production’s response so far

As of now, neither Netflix nor the main cast has issued a direct apology or clarification. Press interviews with Kim Woo-bin and Suzy focused on acting chemistry and fantasy romance, avoiding the religious debate. This silence has frustrated some fans who hoped for engagement or explanation.

Korean media outlets have covered the backlash, though often framing it as an unexpected international issue rather than a local scandal. In Korea, where Islam is a tiny minority, the name Iblis doesn’t carry the same weight, and that cultural gap may explain the misstep.

What this backlash regarding Genie, Make a Wish means for K-dramas going global

The controversy surrounding Genie, Make a Wish highlights a growing challenge: K-dramas are no longer just domestic products. When they use global myths or religious figures, they step into audiences with their own sacred frameworks. That can be thrilling but also risky if research and sensitivity aren’t prioritized.

For creators, the lesson is clear. Borrowing from living religions isn’t the same as adapting fairy tales. It asks for consultation, context, and respect. For viewers, the debate shows how streaming connects cultures but can also cause painful collisions.

A future of more thoughtful fantasy

Genie, Make a Wish may still win fans who love its tragic romance and supernatural stakes. But its reception shows that fantasy can’t ignore the global lens anymore. Iblis isn’t just a name to many; it’s a symbol of profound spiritual meaning. Turning him into a heartbroken hero without care invites backlash that could’ve been avoided with dialogue and research.

If K-dramas want to keep enchanting international viewers, they’ll need to weave magic with a sharper eye on the cultures they touch. Stories travel farther and faster than ever, and what feels like harmless fantasy in one culture can land as deep disrespect in another. Audiences no longer watch in silence; they speak back, challenge, and demand care when sacred symbols are turned into entertainment.

Respect isn’t a limit on creativity, it’s what keeps imagination powerful when it crosses borders.