I have mixed feelings about this manhwa. On one hand, I enjoyed the side stories, and on the other, I hated the underdeveloped relationship between the main characters. Pacing was this story's main problem.

Anyways, it's about a girl named Jin who had lost her parents and brother in a planecrash. She felt horribly guilty because she was supposed to be on that plane, but her brother managed to convince her to give her ticket up for him. She got mad at him and told him to die in a planecrash, which he did.

Then the story introduces us to magician K - he makes wishes come true, in return for your most prized possession. Jin wishes he could bring her family back from the dead, but he says he is unable to meddle with a person's life, he can do anything else though. As Jin tries to leave, K keeps her captive and demands she makes a wish, because otherwise she can't leave. Eventually she agrees to make a wish someday, and until then, K keeps her as a housekeeper who works for free.

The story is then all about side characters and their love story and how they make their wishes. I enjoyed some of these stories, each does have a happy ending because the author doesn't like unhappy endings. But unfortunately, these side characters had much more meat on their bones than the real main couple. You would barely even see them during one such story, only at the end you can see them comment on the love story for two panels or something. This is supposed to show 'progression' between Jin and K.

Then bam, the last two volumes kick in high gear, desert the side characters, and for some reason,

Did I enjoy this manhwa? I can't say that I didn't, but I can't say that I really liked it either. It's got huge problems with pacing, and if only the main couple got more screentime then it would have been different. As it stands now, it's not about Jin or K - but random other character, until the last two volumes that is. It's like the editor told the author to hurry up and conclude the story already.

If you got into this manhwa thinking it's going to be a great romance between the main characters, you're wrong. It's about the side characters, and if you manage to hold on long enough, you can see some progression between the two at the end, even though it's completely out of the blue.

I read a lot of good reviews, so I went into the series happily and was disappointed (I read through the first one and a half volumes or so.) I couldn't feel any connection with the female protagonist, who never seemed to mourn her parents or brother and didn't show any depth of emotion at all besides typical energetic type feelings (I'd have liked her better had she been a quieter, more serious sort.) I didn't feel anything for the male protagonist, who seemed like he was made for a more slow moving, lots of cool panels sort of style, but got crammed into lots of little panels. I just couldn't get into the story. So I put it down.

... Last updated on October 15th, 2010, 3:30pm

I thought "I Wish..." was a lovely manhwa (probably one of the best I've read) because it did a wonderful job of combining comedy with tragedy in a very unique, intriguing way; I was sincerely touched by its simultaneously heartwarming and heart-wrenching plot arcs. Admittedly it was a bit quirky and confusing at times but, all things considered, the emotional payoff was very worth it. The romantic idealist in me really, truly loved the whole thing.

... Last updated on July 31st, 2010, 4:49pm

The plot for the most part is decent and well developed. It is thought through and there are not a lot of holes. The premise itself has a bit of originality despite there being many types of these "wish granting shop" stories out there. The characters were likable, with uniquely different and endearing backgrounds. To this end, the manhwa was solid.

However, I cannot give it full points because of two factors: 1) the predictability of the ending and 2) the lack of actual consequences for wish abuse.

For the first factor, I saw as far as volume 1 what the ending was. It did not stop me from enjoying reading this manhwa because the development in the middle was really nice, but it did stop me from becoming excited about anything because I could guess too easily what would happen next.

The second place where I docked marks was for the lack of substantial punishment for those who abused their wishes. This manhwa is bubbly and happy and caters to a bubbly, happy audience who probably does not wish to think about people in pain and suffering. This is probably the key reason why everything in the manga was so predictable in the end- because you knew that nothing bad would happen anyway. Contrast this to xxxHolic or Petshop of Horrors which are manga that have a combination of happy and sad stories. Such contrast between joy and pain complement each other by heightening the emotions the readers feel. When reading a happy manhwa like this, yes it's pleasant, but there's not a lot of depth of emotion.

I think this manhwa is perfect people who want to smile, relax and have a good time reading. If you enjoy happy endings and romantic comedies with a supernatural twist, definitely read this. If you are looking for a mixture of both comedy and tragedy, go read xxxHolic or Mushishi. If tragedy is much more your cup of tea, go read Yumekui Kenbun.

A well-done must-read for anyone who likes shoujo and enjoys a bit of magic. I found no problems with the art, and although the comedy approached over-the-top and gag, it predominantly works.

The story takes a couple of chapters to get off the ground, and for the female protagonist to acquire her own identity; in the beginning she's mostly a very idealistic and silly drudge; the image cover above shocked me when I first started reading the manhwa, but before you realize it, you're drawn in quite quickly and then it makes more sense. Then the various plotlines of the wizard's clients are balanced against his past and the nice and slow-paced romance, combined with the aforementioned lively comedy.

Some of the stories are pretty weak compared to the others, and on the whole the female protagonist is slightly underused (her personality is mainly typical lively shoujo heroine without going overboard on that count), the male protagonist subscribes to poetry eventually and weakens his distinct comedic bite, and a few minor long-running mysteries wrap up in a disappointing way. The major mystery ends on a wonderful note, though. Any shoujo lover will probably be pleased with this manhwa!

... Last updated on March 19th, 2010, 9:28pm

I'm not really into manhwa, as I usually find them cheesy with underdeveloped character and plot. BUT this one was really nice. The art, the plot, the characters, everything is enjoyable and sweet. The romance -although it's central to the plot- isn't overdone.
So, absolutely recommended.

... Last updated on December 30th, 2010, 7:12am

I fell in love with this manwha...the art tripped me up for a minute or two, but i got used to it...it was sweet and funny. a couple of times i found myself laughing at K's expressions... the concept of wishes was just perfect...so many consequences and joys come from wishes...and my wish is that i'd read this earlier. you can almost guess the story's end from the beginning, but don't let that deter you...it still comes as a surprise....

so this manhwa is definitely romance-packed. i found the comedy to be quite funny.
the first few volumes are mostly about other couples but they are interesting stories. still, at the end of each chapter, there is progress in the relationship between the two main people. the last two volumes or so finally focus on them and i liked the ending

though i still wonder why the girl's brother is so special.
artwork is decent; i got used to it quickly. i think i'm used to it from all the hwang mi ri works.
but anyway, it's good stuff :-)

... Last updated on January 27th, 2010, 7:49pm

This manhwa is not for everyone, but it can be very rewarding for those who enjoy things that are different.

Be aware that it takes a while to take off: this is a story where the sum is greater than its parts. It takes a while for each episode to seep in, settle down like a layer in your psyche, and gradually turn into a watercolor painting of emotions. The theme of this painting is not really any particular people, but the idea of Love, which here includes familial love as well as romantic love. (Pardon the cheesy painting metaphor, but it's the best way I could describe it.)

Before starting this manhwa, you might ask yourself what you are looking for. I liked this series without caring too much about its flaws because it had hard-hitting substance underneath the strangeness. I was patient with the fact that the main couple was not really focus of the story. The first few volumes may give off a rough-around-the-edges, disjointed feeling because of the seemingly unrelated stories, which at one moment might be a dramatic tale about aliens traveling through time and space, at another moment a comic interlude about high school students. But if you suspend your need for logic and order, you might feel your mind expand in an exquisite dreamworld, full of wit, charm, and poetic twists of fate.

When I finished the last chapter, tears unexpectedly welled up in my eyes. It was not a tragic ending, but the beauty of it left a deep impression on me.

... Last updated on January 31st, 2010, 8:43pm

The story line in some parts is confusing and I feel a lack of connection with the main characters. The art seems to get better through the story but I have to say it is still not the best I've seen.