When the Phone Rings

Wow! Buckle up....You're in for a Ride

Last episode:
I liked the last episode but didn't love it. I thought including the two main leads coming back to each other in a war-torn country was a bit much. I'm not sure that was really necessary. Regardless, the last episode does wrap everything up nicely and gives us viewers plenty of romance between the two main leads. There are three strengths with this Kdrama that I believe made it a hit. 1) The chemistry between the ML and the FL. They were really good, and very believable in their attraction and love for each other. 2) The writer (or the director, or even the actors themselves) allowed the two leads to show us they were in an adult relationship with each other. There weren't any awkward physical interactions that seem to occur in so many of these dramas. This boosted the romance so much, and made their story together that much better for the viewer. 3) Lastly, the intrigue was top notch. The storyline of the parents ambition, the coverups and substitutions that occurred to keep the family image intact, the revenge, and, of course, the 406/phone/kidnapper angle--all came together to give the viewer the suspense needed to keep you dying to see the next episode. A really good Kdrama!! Congrats to all the cast and crew on this one!!! And with that.....I think I'll go watch it again.

Just watched the 11th episode:
#$@% what a story!!! I'm overdosing from the climatic endings and the "what will happen next" cliffhangers!! This is very well written. I am reminded of Reborn Rich which wove an intense and unbelievable plot around all these characters. And, just when you think you have it figured out....bam!!....there is another twist. The twist and turns of this story have kept me glued to my screen. I can't wait for the last episode to see how this ends. One of the best Kdramas of 2024-2025!!!

After 7 episodes:
The major theme--the children of terribly ambitious parents who grow up trying to please these selfish parents but realize how damaging it has been to their lives. In the end, the two main leads try to fix their wrongs into rights so they can be happy with each other. It's a wonderfully romantic story that is set in a thriller/mystery/political corruption drama that really keeps you glued to the story. I love that the main leads are able to express their love for each other in an adult manner. There is no stupid, juvenile embarrassment when expressing affection. It is real, and the actors do a superb job expressing the characters love for each other. I don't know what will happen next, and that is a BIG part of the appeal. The suspense is huge!

After 4 episodes:
I just wanted to post quickly and say that THIS Kdrama is good!! It's got the best hook that grabs you and won't let go. A mystery in the relationship between the ML and FL, with maybe a psychological thriller twist that makes you want to keep watching to see what happens next. Great acting by the cast. They are supremely evil, mysterious, timid, intense, comedic, and all sorts of divinely abnormal. The mothers are vicious. They all roll together to take you on the ride of your Kdrama life. We need to get a poll/wager going on who the real 406 is.

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THE DRAMA"S OVERRATED

Don't get me wrong it hooked me from its first episodes because of its unique concept. But it also gives me a typical Wattpad-like storyline (but it was fine since I was expecting something different from this drama). However, the drama got a little too boring for me because a lot was going on, and it was hard to keep up with the characters and the drama, especially with the last episode, it just went downhill. It was a little disappointing because they got a great start and if the production just kept it up, then it would have justified the hype of this drama. Although, the cast did a great job portraying their characters well.

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So Annoying

This series is not so bad that I want to stop watching, yet I'm really annoyed by a couple of things about it. First off, just how stupid is the ML that he can't put 2 and 2 together? How many episodes is it going to take before he can finally see what's right in front of his face? IMO it should have happened in episode 2 or 3 at most. And I refuse to believe that the FL can so easily control herself in difficult circumstances so as not to reveal her big secret. I find it easier to believe in zombies and I hate zombie series. Naturally, the 2 episodes a week format isn't as enjoyable as the binge-them-all-in-one-shot opportunities. Netflix arbitrarily skipping a week didn't help. As it is I have to watch everything at 1.5 speed due to the prolonged pauses inherent to a lot of Kdramas. Overall I just want this series to move faster. Hopefully it will ripen into a good romance, but it's just a bit too green for me right now.
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Just watched the finale and it was tot the ending I was hoping for:

The dramatic ending of episode 11 left us hanging (well, for a day) as to what Bad Guy (BG) said to his Uncle ML. I tried to think what new twist could have been so devious that ML would look so sad and made him disappear from FL? When I realized that BG was regularly calling FL "Sis" it occurred to me that maybe BG and FL WERE actual half-siblings! (Her mother would have some explaining to do.) I chuckled for at least a minute. That would have been so wrong! ML would be FL's uncle also and that would make their marriage a very bad idea.

Imagine my disappointment when finding out that ML went away because he felt bad. Yawn. And then there was the whole foreign war-torn adventure in the finale...all to set up some cozy time with a view of the sunset. Far too many footprints in that sand outside their window BTW. The rest of the victory lap episode was ok, not particularly earth-shattering.

Overall I felt that ML and FL didn't spend enough time smiling, or rather I should ask did they cast FL because she cries so well? And at the very end of the finale when 406 becomes a thing again, FL missed an opportunity to be more emphatic and demanding. "Get your a$$ back here right now or you'll be eating my cooking for the next two months!!!" Ah well.

Note: The preceding comments represent my opinions and are published as a personal record (and maybe for the entertainment of others.) Please write your own review about this show rather than critiquing mine.

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Best drama of 2024 hands down ?

I recommend this drama 1000 times. I Never leave writing reviews but this drama actually deserves one. I watch it because I love soo- bin acting since I’m not a robot, watch plenty of her drama, As for yeon seok I started the interest of love because I like Moon ga-young but that drama I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. When the phone rings is a truly masterpiece, I did not know the potential of the drama or the plot very well but I dived in and what a surprise the show hooked me since episode 1. The acting and chemistry of both of the leads got me watching behind the scenes something I usually don’t do as well. The OST is amazing as well. The director, the staff and the rest of the cast did an outstanding work.


Pd: Want to add to my review that i didn’t read the manwha but I do think the last six or five minutes of the ending episode were unnecessary except from their call at the very end and park do-jae comeback but this doesn’t mean I’m going to disregard the actors hard work, when they probably didn’t even know about it, blame the director and the writers. The Argan plot I do understand because he needed to change his name plus in the early episode they mentioned as well. The drama still enjoyable and you can feel how much effort every actor put into it specially the leads.

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It’s not bad but for me one of the most overrated drama in 2024

This drama wasn’t a totally failure for me. The plot twist on EP1 was good, the main couple had a good chemistry together, Yeon Seok (once again) was totally hot and the plot about the kidnapper/villain was entertaining enough. But I just can’t ignore all the cringey scenes, the bad script on some episodes, out of nowhere events and how everything feel apart completely after EP10. When I think about the drama in general, I feel it was kind overrated. But let me talk more about it.

For me this drama had a lot of cringe scenes since the beginning and this can make a lot of people give up of watching but I could ignore this thankfully to the main leads great chemistry. But I can’t lie, it was a little too cringe for me at times and I blame the script and the director for this. Speaking of another thing that I blame the script and direction for was the actors' performances.

For me, Yeon Seok delivered a good performance as always, but I found myself totally disappointed with Soobin. I like her as an actress but I think this was one of her worst works. And talking about their characters itself I found both male and female lead annoying and dumb in the beginning. Sa Eon should’ve been more smart actually but he wasn’t. And I expected more for Hee Joo but unfortunately she wasn’t what I thought she would be. Also I found kind funny how Sa Eon said he was in love with Hee Joo since the beginning but treated her like she was a nobody in their own home for 3 years lol and then he changed completely how he acted and started to care for her.

The secondary characters were kind ok. No one totally captivated me but I liked Sang U and Yu ri’s scenes together. Talking about the villain plot, I gotta say that it was kind well done and interesting enough for me, everything was making sense. Sure, the story itself was nothing different from what we usually see in kdramas but it was convincing enough. But gosh what happened with this drama after EP10?

What the hell was the revelation about Sa Eon’s real father? It was so out of nowhere for me and they didn’t explain nothing about it….like, why his real father abandoned him? And his father abandoned him to literally bring him back to be his grandfather later? Like…what? lol This plot twist was forced to me and it seems they did this just so Sa Eon could feel guilty for Hee Joo’s brother accident but why would he feel THAT guilty for something that a father he didn't even know he had did? Ater everything they went through, being away from her for months because of that was completely unnecessary.

In fact, unnecessary and inconsistent were two words that summed up this drama in general for me, especially at episodes 10 to 12. What the hell happened on episode 11 and 12 too? The whole kidnapping scene with Hee Joo on EP11 was inconsistent and this Argan arc on EP12 made no sense at all..the only good thing was the making out scene later lol

So yeah. Since the beginning I saw how popular this drama was and although I wasn’t feeling the same hype as others I thought it still was kind entertaining enough but then after EP10 everything feel apart and when I think about this drama in general I feel like the whole hype is not there for me. It’s not the worse drama of all but the cringy scenes, the inconsistency of scenes and characters, and out of nowhere events made hard for me to give more than a 7.5.

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Watch the episodes before reading this review it's sooooo good!!!

Mahn oh mahn this drama has got me hooked literally hooked!! Infact I am writing this review out of my frustration for waiting for the next episodes. The drama is sooo good it is a perfect mix of romance, suspense,thriller, action and what not...so stop doubting and give it a chance. It's been soo long since I have waited eagerly for each episode of a drama. Each episode ends in a insanely epic cliffhanger which keeps you on your toes for an entire week. The story is finger lickin good it is I think a romance thriller. The chemistry between the leads is literally chemistrifying ;) Yoo Yeon-seoks performance in this drama is soo gooood that I would watch this drama again just for him. The cinematography, the OST, the supporting actors, direction is all upto the mark. So When the phone rings is definitely a very good watch.
I thank the korean universe for gifting me this wonderful drama to end the year 2024...

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For me: best K Drama at the moment

Extraordinary, I watched first 6 Episoden, this K Drama did captivate me right from the beginning until now. The music, the atmosphere, the Plot, the scenes and the great chemistry between the leads. Worth watchable, absolutely. So, do yourself a favor and watch it 😉
It is about the marriage between a politican and his wife, she doesn‘t speak only with sing language. They live in a cold marriage and both hide their true ferlings. This marriage gets shaken up in the moment, when his wife gets kidnapped. The hidden emotions and secrets arise bit by bit. The Kidnapping Story also contains a lot of secrets, the childhood of both mainleads hold a lot of pain. We get to know them better and better, why both mainleads choosed to burry their feelings and I am stunned, when they begin to show them in captivating scenes.

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Answer it!

I decided to watch this out of the blue as I heard mostly good things about it and I am glad I did. I don't usually watch thriller or suspense drama tags but I personally found that the storyline evened those scenes out well for a mainly romance watcher like me.

I think that the ML and FL had fantastic chemistry and were just generally stellar, they had me pulled into the drama in the first episode. Their love story is very interesting as it was uncovering and realizing a hidden love that they already had for one another (not related to school life or years of separation), I haven't seen a drama focus on a love story like that before so it was very intriguing.

PROS: well as mentioned great chemistry and acting, I liked the OST (Yeon Seok's Say My Name is very pretty), I think it presents strong moral value - love overcomes past mistakes, giving second chances and choosing forgiveness over living in the past. I was never bored, held my attention all the way through.

CONS: I didn't love the ending for the second couple, I felt their love story was too rushed instead of showing a proper love confession and proposal. They were very cute so I was disappointed we didn't get a bit more for them. The most controversial thing I heard before watching this drama was that the last episode was disappointing. I agree it could have been tied up better and was a little unnecessary but I wasn't utterly disappointed in it. Could've been better but I will still take it.

All in all, a striking story and enjoyable watch

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From Kidnappings to Kisses Why This Kdrama is Unmissable

This kdrama is a fast-paced rollercoaster filled with suspense, romance, and mystery, balanced perfectly with moments of lightheartedness to keep it grounded. From the very first episode, you’re thrown into a gripping kidnapping tied to an intense international political crisis—a thrilling entry point that keeps you on the edge of your seat while introducing the characters.

As the story unfolds, expect twists galore—ransom calls, child-swapping, and missing orphans—all woven together in fresh and unpredictable ways. Adapted from a K-webnovel, the drama makes some changes, like adding new characters, toning down adult content, and refining the plot for smoother storytelling. Despite these tweaks, it stays true to the core narrative, with the sizzling chemistry between the leads taking center stage.

What sets this drama apart is the depth it brings to its characters and their relationships. Yoo Yeon Seok shines as Baek Sa-eon, transitioning from a composed presidential spokesman to a vulnerable, lovestruck man in a way that’s raw and emotionally gripping. Chae Soo Bin is equally incredible as Hong Hee-joo, a mute character whose powerful performance relies entirely on sign language. Together, their chemistry is electric and genuine, delivering one of the most passionate and unforgettable kissing scenes in kdrama history—brimming with emotion and intensity.

Adding to the charm is Im Chul Soo as Kang Yeong U, Sa-eon’s hilarious and down-to-earth colleague. His humor and heart bring warmth to the story, making him a standout supporting character.

While the drama uses familiar tropes like arranged marriages, political intrigue, and childhood connections, it reinvents them with clever twists and well-developed characters—even the villains are layered, with motives that go beyond basic clichés. Every moment feels purposeful, and the tightly woven storyline leaves no room for dull moments, demanding the viewer's attention throughout.

Suspend your disbelief, settle in, and let this kdrama take you on an emotional, thrilling ride. From the captivating romance and unexpected twists to the unforgettable characters, this is a drama you won’t want to miss.

The final episode might not be as strong as the rest, but it stays faithful to the novel, wrapping up the story in a way that honors its original source material.

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A drama where classic and modern danced eternally in a beautiful and intriguing way

*THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*
I ALWAYS LOVE marriage contract & stand-in bride's trope
First of all, i started this without any expectation, i watched the trailer in early November and thought "hmm this is interesting", i mean it's so rare (or maybe none) to have a young presidential spokesman as the main character and a girl who's suffering from selective mutism who works as a sign language interpreter. Both also comes from a prestigious & prominent family (which is again, quite rare). Also, both MC looks so gorgeous, stunning and handsome/beautiful in that trailer so it quickly gets my attention. I wasn't familiar with the ML, apparently he's well known but not as popular other popular actors. I watched Chae Soobin's dramas before (i am not a robot, a piece of your mind & rookie cops) and i quite like her but not much, just enough. I came to know later after watched the trailer that Yoo Yeonseok was in Hospital Playlist (and i haven't watch hosplay at that time yet). Teaser by teaser, trailer by trailer made me excited even more. I can sense a dark romance, wattpad-coded vibes from this drama. And i love it! It's been so long for kdrama to have this kind of vibes (i don't even remember the last kdrama who had this similar vibes).
When episode 1 & 2 aired, i knew my guesses were right. IT'S SOOOO WATTPAD-CODED & HAS A VERY FANFICT FEELS. From the character visualization, the way the director shoots a scene, the chemistry, the sexual tension between the main leads, etc. What makes this drama leaning towards wattpad-coded more is they way YYS & CSB portrayed the characters. See i'm a fool of an arrogant, alpha, dominant, cold, demanding, charismatic, bad boy-kind of male lead, but mostly from what i've read from novel, webnovel, comics, or even some short dramas, made me cringe, not only what the ML said but also the way they acted it's so random and out of place i can't feel the emotion. But here YYS successfully portrayed Baek Sa Eon, just like a live action ver of a character that's coming out straight from webtoon/wattpad without getting cringe. I also shocked by CSB, i always knew she's pretty but here she's elegantly beautiful, fragile yet strong-willed ver of FL that you usually read in webtoon/manga/novel. Both are so suitable for each other, they're sooo good together.
The story itself maybe not new/fresh but since i never watched this kind of romance thriller story, i still find it interesting and arguably very good. I like how it is so fast-paced and has no filler scene, with decent/good character development, and slow burn romance. Some plotholes and mistakes did happen, but i can overlook that as i enjoy how the drama's going and how both the MC took my attention fully. It always has plus minus from a makjang soap opera kind of drama, the writers are trying to sell you something unrealistic that's supposed to be fun and like a guilty pleasure, and i like how the story execution and brilliant performances of the lead actors that elevated the quality of this drama that is filled with cliche and common tropes. I also loved how the romance progression makes perfect sense within the genre we're in and the characters were dealing with and what makes it better is that YYS and CSB have given so much life to our trashy romantic fantasy plots and made it fun. It's like watching the stories you read come to life and in a non-cringey way.
The ending (especially the war part) felt quite random & silly (at least explain why BSE needs to go there TT) but i understand they wanted to make the ending closely like in the novel and they gave us so many sweet moments of BSE HHJ so i forgive the scriptwriter
Overall i'm very satisfied with this drama and this easily in my top 3 favourites drama of all time (i'm a kdrama sucker, i followed kdrama since autumn in my heart era and up until yesterday i'm only obsessed with 4 kdrama : boys before flowers, princess hours, moon lovers scarlet heart ryeo, alchemy of souls, but right now i can easily add when the phone rings as my new obsession)

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Extremely Boring Drama

It was a series that started very well in the first three episodes but gradually lost its pace in the following ones. I fast-forwarded through it to finish, especially since there were so many unnecessary scenes in the final episode that I wished they had ended it at episode 11. Half of the series was filled with the couple’s dream sequences, and there were hardly any substantial scenes. Even though they tried to salvage it with a last minute make love scene, sorry, it didn’t work. The writer wasted a beautiful subject with a trashy script. In the history of K-dramas, I’ve seen less terrible finales than this one, so my rating will be low.

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