Ramadan 2026 dramas under the microscope: critics weigh in on Kan Ya Makan and El Set Monalisa
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Two Ramadan 2026 series sparked outsized debate for different reasons. Kan Ya Makan (often referenced by some viewers through its theme “El Hob Elly Kan”) is a family drama that puts divorce and custody at the centre of the home, while El Set Monalisa leans into thriller pacing through a marriage that turns into a trap.
Al Jazeera’s review said Kan Ya Makan drew attention early for tackling divorce and its impact on children, but later polarised audiences. The critique focused on an uneven narrative balance that, in its view, tilts sympathy toward the husband and flattens the wife’s motivations, relying on repetitive scenes and overly didactic dialogue.
Still, Egyptian critics interviewed by Al Masry Al Youm listed the show among the season’s standouts in the first half, underlining its visibility even without consensus praise.
For El Set Monalisa, Al Jazeera noted the show’s wide traction while flagging logical gaps and a disjointed script, weak direct dialogue, and uneven performances. The same piece acknowledged strengths, including its willingness to approach private, often unspoken realities around women’s fear of losing themselves in unequal marriages, supported by real locations and fast pacing.
The series also triggered a legal-logic debate around a “pension” scene, which later episodes reportedly addressed within the plot.
In opinion columns, critic Tarek El-Shenawy described the show’s paradox: heavy viewing paired with aggressive online backlash, and pointed to Mai Omar’s shift to director Mohamed Ali away from Mohamed Sami.
Separately, critic Magda Khairallah criticised Ahmed Magdy’s performance for repeating a violent character template rather than evolving it.
