Actors Song Hye-kyo and Daniel Henney made special appearances in "Genie, Make A Wish," drawing mixed reactions.
On the 3rd, the Netflix original series "Genie, Make A Wish" was released for the first time on Netflix in about 190 countries.
This work attracted great interest as it is a new project by "The Glory" writer Kim Eun-sook, marks the reunion of Hallyu stars Suzy and Kim Woo-bin after 10 years, and features special appearances by top stars such as Song Hye-kyo and Daniel Henney. All 13 episodes were released at once during the Chuseok season, making it one of the most anticipated works of the second half of the year.
First, Song Hye-kyo appeared as Kim Woo-bin's ex-lover and the female genie "Jini-ya." She is a character who has a rivalry with Suzy and appeared with a fantastical look reminiscent of Princess Jasmine from the Disney cartoon "Aladdin." When Song Hye-kyo appeared after rubbing the jar, she boasted glamorous beauty with strong smoky makeup, and when Ga-young (played by Suzy) recognized her face and said "Song Hye-kyo," Song Hye-kyo coolly replied, "Is it a famous face? I just came to pick your side's face I like best on Netflix."
Song Hye-kyo's special appearance was arranged because of her connection with writer Kim Eun-sook. The two built deep trust while working together on mega hits such as the KBS2 drama "Descendants of the Sun" (2016) and the Netflix series "The Glory" (2022). Although she rarely makes special appearances, she reportedly accepted Kim Eun-sook's call at once, displaying their friendship.
Daniel Henney surprised viewers by appearing as an unexpectedly shocking character. Previously known to the public for handsome, gentlemanly, and righteous roles, Daniel Henney appeared in "Genie, Make A Wish" as a "dog turned human." Ppoppi, a neighborhood mutt, wished to the lamp spirit Genie (played by Kim Woo-bin), "Please turn me into a 40-something handsome man who looks like Daniel Henney," and later transformed into a real person, with Daniel Henney making a special appearance.
Although he became human in appearance, Ppoppi, who retained dog habits, sniffed around the street, and upon seeing a utility pole, crawled on all fours and lifted one leg to urinate. Citizens who saw this said, "Huh? What is that? He must be crazy," and "They say a handsome man is either gay or a dog, and his behavior really is doglike," and could not hold back. In response, Daniel Henney even barked "woof woof" at the citizens filming him.
While some reacted positively to Daniel Henney's 180-degree different performance from his usual image, saying "it's fresh" and "he's likable since he takes on any role," others questioned, "Did they put this in to be funny?" "This scene alone is unpleasant," and "What is this? Why is Daniel Henney doing that?"
Meanwhile, "Genie, Make A Wish" is a stress-free fantasy romantic comedy about a lamp spirit Genie (played by Kim Woo-bin) who wakes up after a thousand years and meets the emotionally deficient human Ga-young (played by Suzy), leading to events around three wishes.
According to OTT content ranking site FlixPatrol, as of the 4th (local time), "Genie, Make A Wish" ranked fifth (307 points) in the Netflix TV shows worldwide top 10. It ranked first in "Today's top 10 series in Korea" just one day after release, but its global ranking entered at fifth, failing to secure the topmost positions.
[Photo] Netflix
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