Editorials 
leaves you wanting more
What can I say? If you're wondering whether to watch this series, the answer is simple: What are you waiting for? I started watching casually, just looking for something to pass the time, but was completely surprised by how intense, intriguing, and captivating it is. The storytelling is brilliant, blending suspense and drama with unexpected twists. The well-developed characters are engaging, and the plot becomes more addictive with every episode. Highly recommend!🗣️GO WATCH THIS ON NETFLIX!!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A new kind of drama has emerged: the hatewatch drama that is not makjang
Not all dramas are created equally.Some are experiences you treasure and share and hope as many people watch as possible, some are so bad, you wonder why where they even created at all, some are filler shows, and you kind of know while watching a forgivable story and sometimes poor acting or messy production values.
We used to just drop the bad ones, but then a relatively good show like When the phone rings is announced, then we hope that maybe, it will be good, because everything sort of seems ok: good actors, good writers, good production teams and so, we go in not knowing what to expect, but then, when nothing in a show like When the Phone rings works, and I mean it, nothing in this drama works and the actors can't make miracles if their source material is just all over the place, you start to wonder why this even hit the air.
But yes, nothing in this drama works,, nothing in the story, plot, character development adds anything to a substandard story that attempts to be too much of a thriller/romcom/political drama, without setting on one (don't get me started with that last episode, because I refuse to believe the writer just got away with that)
Just from the many genres and plot, this drama is just a mess, that thankfully is a limited series and we will never waste another minute with these characters and messy story arc ever again.
And yet, this show gathered huge ratings in Korea, and elsewhere we watch, puzzled at the thought of why????, then, it is clear that the mess that started in the writing room cannot be saved, not even award winning actors, directors and producers can save a poorly written story. But then, you as a viewer keep watching, and wondering why and suddenly, it's been 12 hours, you wonder why did you waste your time with it.
Behold a brand new kind of drama: The hatewatch drama that is not really a makjang. You watch, you want to like, but no, you hate it and you keep on watching. Yes, the show might be nice to watch, thanks to the the Art and Photography departments that clearly deserve a lot of praise for their good work, but then, shows that are nice to watch should have some more positive qualities, right?
Just last week, it was announced that Netflix (and I suspect other streaming services) have asked show creators to dumb down their shows, because us as audiences ,are multitasking, stuck to our chellphones while watching whatever is on that tries to pass on as a entertainment. And while I was hatewatching this show, don't get me started on how that final episode was 100% filler made out stuff. I keep on wondering why, maybe we have begun to ask for nothing and happily consume whatever comes our way, not matter what. Let's hope that shows that are created equally might consider the investment audiences make and may we as audiences demand better stories to be told. Or better, let's just drop them as we used to.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is ALL ABOUT CHEMISTRY. It promises wattpad and it serves just that unapologetically
Plot - Very wattpad but it perfectly suits the vibe of a kdrama. The characters are thankfully NOT PERFECT.The tension between the leads is electrifying and addictive to watch. 🔥 If you love that sort of chemistry, don't have second thoughts about watching this drama.
This is NO SHERLOCK THRILLER so it does have plot holes like webtoons but it becomes clear for ep 1 that the drama is about romance and "tension" between the leads.
I am not fond of watching perfectly curated novel male leads with not a single hint of imperfection and just sad pasts which the female lead is supposed to heal with her touch. This is not that which is why I like it. I like the flawed characters.
ML - The male lead is shrewd, conniving, diplomatic and cold. He has all the qualities a politician needs to have in a dog eats dog world. They haven't tried to whitewash that part of his personality. Almost Every character of this drama is GREY and if you love grey characters, you're gonna LOVE THIS.
FL - she has a cute personality WITH A SPICY TWIST. Her character is interesting because more than her enemies, she is fighting her inner demons... asking her to stay quiet and guard every secret.
The actors - The ML is one of the best actors in Korea. He is the MSG of this drama. It seems like the character was written for him.
The FL has a challenging role and she brings out all the diverse and contrasting shades beautifully.
The supporting characters are also very interesting and I don't trust a single one of them.
Overall, its a binge worthy drama and if you decide to watch it when its ongoing, you're gonna have to endure the pain of suspense.
There's a lot of political propaganda in the comments as well as reviews. Its a decent wattpad style of story. Not much logic...but definitely not worth the extra hate its getting because of politics
Was this review helpful to you?
The chemistry b/w FL & ML !! The story!! The tension of Wattpad stories ?❤️
The chemestry and the real toxic couple that we were waiting for from past few years but couldn't find anything like this 😭.I just wanted to take a moment to express my admiration for actors incredible performance in it. You guys' ability to bring such depth and authenticity to your character truly captivated me. The emotions you portrayed resonated deeply, and I found myself completely immersed in the story.
It's clear that director & writer put a lot of effort and passion into their craft, and it certainly paid off! Thank you for sharing your work with us; it was an unforgettable experience. I can't wait to see remaining episodes. FL & ML chemistry is on fireee!!! Aughhhhhhh
Was this review helpful to you?
Captivating show ! I am watching it on loop ?
I must say this show has exceeded my all the expectations. From the very first episode, I got butterflies and this feeling is still there.The drama is so good. As everyone is saying even first episode is addictive. The director and screen writer have done great work i think. They have worked hard on this, and it can be shown right away. To talk about expressions and acting of actors, they should receive awards. Yoo yeon seok must be really good actor. I appreciate his skills and talent, as well as chae soobin. Both actors have worked hard on it. The show is going to hit and everyone's hard work is going pay off. God bless.
Was this review helpful to you?
"Drama When the Phone Rings: Cerita Klise dengan Chemistry Memukau"
Akhirnya, drama "When the Phone Rings" tamat juga! Ceritanya ngingetin banget sama drama-drama khas Indosiar—penuh konflik yang dramatis dan emosional. Tapi, ada beberapa bagian plot yang bikin penasaran, kayak "Siapa sih?" atau "Kenapa gitu?" Jadi, meskipun ceritanya agak klise, tetap bikin betah nonton sampai selesai.Salah satu hal yang paling oke dari drama ini adalah chemistry pemeran utamanya. Mereka bener-bener cocok dan berhasil bikin penonton ikut ngerasain emosi karakternya.
Sayangnya, endingnya agak kurang nendang. Walaupun begitu, secara keseluruhan drama ini tetap asik buat diikuti.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
An entertaining drama with a striking and innovative plot, good soundtrack and plenty of tension.
An entertaining drama with a striking and innovative plot, good soundtrack and a tension between the main characters that produces fire.At first I liked the beginning where you think Baek Saeon is a bad husband with no feelings and cold but at the end everything takes a 180 turn, where he was always in love with Heejoo and he just wanted to take care of her and let her be free.
The producers did a good job in creating the tension scenes, adding that it has a very good soundtrack. It also has good plot twists, like I didn't expect Baek Saeon to not really be Baek Saeon but a replacement because the original is a psycho and this original Baek Saeon chasing and threatening the replacement Baek Saeon, makes it peak.
Obviously there were things that I didn't like a lot, like the filler plot of Sangwoo and Yuri's or that they left scenes that showed evidence of something important but didn't finish it and left the viewers adrift until later where it picks up and then you just know what they were talking about, that makes you lose the thread and the viewers get confused about the plot. But overall, it's a drama that I recommend when you want to watch something with an original plot and if you want to blush and feel things.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
What person thought that this last episode was a good idea?
My wife and I enjoyed this series, and we were looking forward to the last episode, but the Argan was unnecessary and distracting. You could have had him “need to forgive himself” (which he didn’t) and come back more romantically. First, the writer who came up with this idea should NOT be allowed to input anything else, and more importantly, the management that thought this was a good idea should be fired. You don’t make a meal better than dumping a cup of salt on it.Was this review helpful to you?
Great Story, Bad End
The show was AMAZING! It was so good to see another kdrama like this. I missed this genre of dramas. The whole story was really sweet and unique. Seeing the main character not take shit from anyone was so refreshing. The guy also didn’t turn out to be red flag, so yay! The kdrama was perfect for thriller fans as well, like me. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending. It was so random and unnecessary. They could have had a fun, fluffy ending but instead they tried to add some weird, political scenes into the ending. Overall the great show, just has a bad end.Was this review helpful to you?
Ridiculously clichéd drama with so many wrong messages!
First of I don't understand the tendency of SK writers to just pick up a random individual and make him a monster, just like the one portrayed in MOUSE, a person isn't just born criminal, every person, every criminal has a reason for his actions, be it desperation, greed, list and just his situations. Even the so-called serial killers like Jeffery Dahmer have a peculiar environment and upbringing which sort of culminates in certain behaviors of an individual. There is no random monster gene present in an individual, shows like Bates Motel and Assassination of Gianni Versace show pretty well as to how a certain crimanal ends up being where he is, the psychology, of the individual, but we'll yeah, it's beyond the scope of this cliched rom-com.The script in itself is beyond confusing and childish, there have been so many instances where it was pretty obvious that Hong Hee Joo's mask was uncovered, yet the script kept annoying stretching that stupid cringey conversations which added no kind of build up or depth to the plot. The behavior of the ML being so repulsive and uptight and treated the FL so shittily, and just randomly being super possessive and empathetic of her in the end is super dumb, with no justifications of his actions? Wasn't three years enough for you to break down your walls?
Second, i absolutely don't digest the reason as to why Hong Hee Joo had to pretend to be mute and what her mother had to gain or lose out of it. The insensitivity of the show to use some disability of the show to gain traction from the audience to reveal it was just a suspence is quite nerving, instead of showing the struggles they go through, the show just used it as a plot armour. The FL lead loves to jump herself to death all the time and just resuscitate alive all the time, like what were the writers even thinking?
At last the worst moments of the show, the pro-zionist agenda? And what on earth was he even doing there and made his wife jump into a near death situation which in reality would've turned extremely horrendous? Were the writers smoking pot? The writers really belittled the maturity of the audience watching this show.
This show is an absolutely wasted potential, with such beautiful cinematography, catchy music, good budget, the script just ruined everything. What could've been an absolute thrilling cat and mouse chase between the ML and FL, they just ruined it by making it an absolutely cringey rom-com! Totally skippable!
Was this review helpful to you?
keeps you in suspense
at first I thought he is a total jerk but his the best the story always makes me want to wait for another episode and they make sure I can’t guess what will happen next I love it I am telling you all you have to watch this series but what’s the best that she is not boring she has her own cool story and in every new episode we are starting to know more about her they both are the best there is just one thing I don’t like and it’s the age gap you don’t even wanna know but when I am not thinking about this the rest is lovely and you won’t even feel the age gap that is in real lifeWas this review helpful to you?
When the Phone Rings": A Perfect Romantic Drama with a Unique Twist (5/5)
When the Phone Rings is an underrated K-drama that masterfully combines suspense, emotional depth, and a touch of romance. While it may not have the hype of mainstream hits, it stands out for its well-written plot and compelling performances.The drama follows a mysterious premise where every phone call brings a new twist, testing the boundaries of trust, fate, and survival. The story keeps viewers on edge, blending thriller elements with moments of heartfelt character interactions.
One of the drama's strongest points is its cast. The leads deliver standout performances, portraying their characters with authenticity and depth. The chemistry between them feels natural, adding an emotional layer to the gripping storyline.
The cinematography and soundtrack deserve special mention. The haunting melodies and atmospheric visuals perfectly complement the drama's tone, enhancing the overall experience.
When the Phone Rings is proof that great storytelling doesn’t always need flashy promotions. It's a must-watch for fans of thrillers with emotional undertones. Don’t miss this hidden gem!
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Was this review helpful to you?
