Genie Make a Wish- Episodes 7-8
“When Truth Awakens the Past”
Episode 7 is one of those quietly powerful episodes that sneaks up on you emotionally, even while juggling mystery, magic, and chaos.
We begin exactly where we left off, with Ka-young and Ejllael standing in the moment of her past death. Ka-young notices something she didn’t expect at all: Iblis’s face is filled with genuine sorrow and remorse. That look hits her deeply and reminds her of a poem her grandmother used to read about true sorrow, the kind that comes from regret rather than punishment. It’s a soft but haunting parallel, and it immediately reframes how Ka-young sees Iblis.
Ejllael, of course, is not impressed. He keeps pushing the narrative that Iblis is evil, but Ka-young finally pushes back. She asks the question that’s been hanging in the air all along: if Ejllael had the power to intervene, why did he just stand there and let everyone die? When he has no real answer, she lashes out and hits him. Irem feels the pain instantly, and at the same time, Sade senses Iblis’s growing agony and rushes to him.
As the poem continues in the background, the inscriptions on the lamp begin to glow again. Iblis struggles to stay upright as the pain in his chest worsens. Sade manages to get him back to the lamp, where Iblis, shaken and confused, asks about the women in his past. Sade doesn’t know much, but he does notice something alarming: the hourglass is flowing again. To Sade, it looks like Iblis is running out of time to corrupt Ka-young, and that realization sends Iblis into full panic mode.
Meanwhile, Ejllael learns about Iblis’s condition and is quietly relieved by his suffering. Still, he’s frustrated that Ka-young wasn’t fooled and worried that Iblis may soon uncover the mysterious twenty-year gap in his memories.
Back in the present, Ka-young can’t stop thinking about that gap either. She starts digging into Goryeo-era history and connects it to the strange things Jung-hoon mentioned earlier. Her curiosity is no longer casual; she knows something important is buried there.
Iblis, on the other hand, decides the best way to deal with looming doom is seduction. He binge-watches K-dramas and tries to recreate iconic romantic moments, confidently mimicking everything from tragic intensity to melodrama. His impression of Song Hye-kyo in The Glory is unexpectedly perfect and completely ridiculous. Ka-young is not impressed.
Instead, she asks him about the expression he wore in the past and whether he had ever been in love. He casually mentions a former relationship with a female genie, and that’s when Ka-young’s jealousy slips out. She presses for details, and sensing danger, Iblis bolts. He seeks out Irem and asks her to track down his ex, Jinniya.
Elsewhere, life keeps unraveling. Im-seon is fired from the supermarket. Kim Gae continues searching for his old family, refusing to leave their former home, while his driver patiently helps him. Yeong-hyeon, drunk and desperate for views, uses a genie app to make his first wish: to uncover a crime that will boost his YouTube channel. He’s immediately transported to the forest, where he accidentally discovers a body on livestream. The channel explodes overnight.
The village grows uneasy. Rumors spread quickly, and when Seung-rye suggests Ka-young is somehow involved, Chang-sik shuts it down, pointing out the body is from twenty years ago. An eight-year-old Ka-young couldn’t have done this.
At home, Pan-geum breaks down, begging Ka-young to ignore the gossip and keep living her life. Bu-gyeong later storms in, demanding Ka-young clear her name. Instead, Ka-young calls her out for her greed. When Bu-gyeong admits she used a genie wish for money and threatens Ka-young, Ka-young calmly reveals she still has one wish left and is fully prepared to undo Bu-gyeong’s last one.
That evening, Iblis checks on Ka-young and takes her stargazing again, trying to lift her spirits. She even pushes him playfully, just to feel lighter. But peace doesn’t last long. Min-ji confronts them about Mi-ju living in Pan-geum’s house. Mi-ju claims she’s Iblis’s sister, which convinces no one. Ka-young asks Min-ji to trust her and promises answers later.
Meanwhile, Sang-tae discovers the lamp at the guesthouse and makes his second wish: to revisit a specific day in 2004. Iblis takes him back, and Sang-tae confirms the truth of the murder he committed. Worse, he relishes it. When he returns, he thanks his sleeping mother, revealing just how twisted he truly is.
Ka-young finally understands that Sang-tae is a serial killer. She begins setting a trap, determined to stop him. When she tells Iblis she’ll help him win the bet, her words hit him harder than expected. For the first time, Iblis realizes he’s genuinely falling for her. He returns to the desert, replaying memories of Ka-young over and over.
As Ka-young prepares her plan, Jung-hoon continues visiting the man locked in the attic, always bringing him apples. That man eventually puts the entire village to sleep and heads for the lamp. His name is Shadi, a genie who hates Ejllael for killing his brothers but isn’t here for revenge. Instead, he binds Iblis with magical strings.
The next morning, everyone gathers at the lamp. No one can free Iblis until Ka-young makes a brutal decision and cuts his arm to release him. He heals quickly, but when she starts asking about the past, Iblis panics and rushes out, accidentally leaving Ka-young trapped inside the lamp.
Determined to get answers, Iblis confronts Ejllael and learns something shocking: Shadi’s master is the immortal being Iblis created long ago when he saved Hunbish. The problem is, Iblis no longer remembers Hunbish’s face. Desperate, he travels back in time with Sade, finally reconnects with Hunbish, and leaves a warning not to harm Shadi.
The episode ends on a chilling note as Jung-hoon receives that very warning, tying the past and present together in a way that feels both inevitable and deeply unsettling.
“Secrets, Swords, and the Wish She Wouldn’t Make”
Episode 8 dives straight into danger and doesn’t let up, balancing myth-heavy revelations with some of the most emotionally honest moments between Ka-young and Iblis so far.
We open with Iblis sending a stern warning to Jung-hoon from the past, but it’s already clear that Jung-hoon is several steps ahead. Back at his house, he interrogates the men who helped Shadi escape. When one of them breaks, Jung-hoon kills him without hesitation. Jun-u witnesses the violence and is so shaken that he runs to the bathroom and vomits. This household is no longer just suspicious; it’s terrifying.
Shadi reveals his true goal: he wants Iblis to know he’s nearby and come stop Jung-hoon. What Shadi didn’t anticipate is that Jung-hoon planned to use him as bait. Things get even stranger when Shadi calls Jung-hoon “Khalid,” hinting at a much deeper identity. Jung-hoon’s real ambition comes into focus: he wants the lamp, wants to become Iblis’s master, and ultimately wants to rule over all spirits.
Inside the lamp, Ka-young finally lets Iblis have it for abandoning her. She already knows he learned something important from Ejllael and presses him for answers. She also shares another vision from the hourglass: a boy named Khalid weaving a rug. The pieces are starting to line up.
Once she’s out of the lamp, Ka-young ropes Pan-geum and Sade into figuring out the magical strings. The conclusion is startling. Only Ka-young can untie them, they have no weight, and they don’t affect humans at all. When she notices the strings are blackened with blood, she realizes the truth. The strings are stained with her own blood from a past life. That’s why she alone can undo them. As payback for Iblis leaving her in the desert long ago, she ties him up with the strings at home and leaves him there to think about it.
At Jung-hoon’s house, Jun-u begs to be released from his contract. The woman posing as Jung-hoon’s mother warns him not to ask questions or act out. The group calls Jung-hoon “Father,” explaining that he trained them to survive like dogs. Loyalty through fear is the foundation of this family.
In contrast, Min-ji shows quiet loyalty of her own. When she runs into Mi-ju at the café, she agrees to keep Ka-young’s secret and defends her against the spreading rumors. Mi-ju is deeply moved by Min-ji’s trust and kindness.
Sang-tae, meanwhile, watches videos of his crimes on Yeong-hyeon’s YouTube channel like it’s entertainment. Ka-young pays him a visit and hands over evidence from his car, pretending she wants to become his partner in murder. Sang-tae is thrilled. She tells Iblis later that her real plan is to recover the second victim’s body. To do that, Sang-tae must use his final wish to erase evidence by retracing his steps. She asks Iblis to safeguard her notebook until that moment.
Ka-young also confronts Iblis about the lamp and the twenty-year memory gap. For once, even he has no explanation.
Sade then reports that he’s tracked Jung-hoon’s scent. They stake out the mansion and spot Shadi. Iblis suddenly suggests going to Dubai to follow another lead. Ka-young agrees, on the condition that Pan-geum and Min-ji come too. Sade, of course, tags along. At the airport, Min-ji runs into an ex, and there’s a quiet, loaded moment between them that says everything.
In Dubai, while the others enjoy an impromptu vacation, Iblis finds his ex, Jinniya. The reveal is dramatic and unforgettable when Song Hye-kyo appears. Jinniya immediately recognizes Ka-young and insults her, but Ka-young swallows her jealousy and stays focused. Jinniya invites Iblis to her lamp and confirms his fears: his memories from the twenty-year gap are sealed. She refuses to answer anything from that period but does explain Shadi’s situation.
Back in Korea, Jung-hoon locks Shadi in the basement, gagging him. It becomes clear that the past, the present, and the memory gap are all connected.
Elsewhere, Ejllael visits Zahara, who tends the soul seeds. All the flowers are dead except the immortal one. Ejllael warns him not to tell Iblis anything about the memory gap, then punishes Irem by taking her voice for helping Iblis find Jinniya.
Back in Dubai, Ka-young finally learns from Sade that Jinniya dumped Iblis out of boredom. Meanwhile, Min-ji and Mi-ju go shopping, growing even closer. While wandering the city, Ka-young discovers a display featuring Iblis’s sword, embedded in stone for centuries. When Iblis approaches, memories flood back, and he pulls the sword out effortlessly. Ka-young immediately orders him to put it back.
On their way home, Iblis asks about Min-ji’s ex glaring at Ka-young. A flashback reveals the truth: Min-ji’s devotion to Ka-young has always driven people away. On the last day of the trip, Ka-young takes Pan-geum to see her daughter from afar. Watching Pan-geum cry breaks her heart.
Back in Korea, chaos spreads. Bu-gyeong spirals trying to find Ka-young. Im-seon decides to divorce her husband and disown her daughter. She summons Iblis for her final wish and asks him to forget her previous wishes. He grants it, but reveals the cruel technicality too late: once the final wish is made, all memories of the genie and lamp disappear, and no more wishes can ever be made.
Even knowing she may lose the bet, Ka-young becomes more determined than ever to save Iblis from Ejllael, especially when she realizes she’ll forget him after her own final wish.
Sade, furious over Irem losing her voice, attacks Ejllael. Iblis joins the fight, and the brothers clash once again until exhaustion overtakes them. Iblis asks about the feather taken before his imprisonment, but Ejllael can only tell the truth, and he doesn’t know. What he does reveal is devastating: Shadi is not a slave. Jung-hoon is Shadi’s son.
The episode’s final moments are pure tension. Jun-u approaches Ka-young during a hike and begs her to explain the wishes. He admits he entered a contract to pay off debts, never knowing what it would cost him. Then, without warning, he pushes Ka-young off a cliff.
As she falls, Ka-young thinks of everyone she loves and the danger they’ll face if she’s gone. She braces herself for death, refusing to use her last wish. At the last second, Iblis saves her. Furious and terrified, he demands to know why she didn’t call for him.
Ka-young answers simply. She didn’t want to lose him. She would rather die than forget him. Iblis pulls her into a tight embrace, and for the first time, the stakes feel heartbreakingly clear.
DramaZen's Opinion
Episodes 7 and 8 feel like the moment Genie, Make a Wish fully takes its gloves off. The story gets darker, deeper, and surprisingly more emotional, but it never loses that warm, character-driven heart that makes the drama so addictive.
Watching Ka-young witness his genuine sorrow in the past adds so much weight to their relationship. For the first time, it feels less like a battle of wills and more like two wounded souls circling each other. At the same time, the village mystery ramps up in a chilling way, and Sang-tae’s reveal as a serial killer adds real tension that grounds the fantasy in something disturbingly human.
Then there is Jung-hoon emerging as a truly terrifying antagonist, and the lore surrounding the lamp, the sealed memories, and Ka-young’s past lives becomes heartbreakingly clear. The Dubai arc adds both spectacle and emotional friction, especially with Jinniya’s appearance and Ka-young’s quiet jealousy. But the real gut punch comes at the end, when Ka-young chooses Iblis over her own survival. Her refusal to use her last wish, and Iblis saving her anyway, cements their bond in a way that feels earned and devastating.
Together, these episodes mark a turning point. The story is no longer just about wishes and corruption. It’s about memory, sacrifice, and choosing someone even when it costs everything.
