This review may contain spoilers
When the Phone Rings (2024) – My Honest Review
So, I just finished *When the Phone Rings*, and honestly, I have so many thoughts. This drama started off *so strong*—it had mystery, romance, and just the right amount of political drama to keep things interesting. The main story follows Baek Sa Eon (played by Yoo Yeon-seok), a politician from a prestigious family, and his wife, Hong Hui Ju (Chae Soo-bin), a sign language interpreter who lost her voice as a child. At first, their marriage seems like one of convenience, but when Hui Ju gets kidnapped, things take a serious turn, and we start to see their relationship unfold in a really emotional way.First off, the chemistry between Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin was **everything**. Chae Soo-bin, in particular, *carried* this drama. Even without speaking, her expressions and emotions were so powerful. The way their relationship evolved from distant to deeply connected was probably my favorite part of the show. I also really liked the supporting characters, especially Heo Nam-jun and Jang Gyu-ri, who added some depth and even a little bit of humor when things got heavy.
Now, let’s talk about the issues. The first half? *Amazing.* But as the show went on, the plot started to get a little messy. Some of the twists felt unnecessary, and by the last few episodes, I felt like the drama lost some of the emotional depth it had in the beginning. And then there was the controversy about how the drama portrayed certain fictional countries, which sparked debates online. I personally wasn’t too bothered, but I can see why it caused discussions.
That said, *When the Phone Rings* still had a solid impact. It pulled me in with its suspense and romance, and even though the ending wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped, I don’t regret watching it. If you love dramas with intense emotions, deep character relationships, and a bit of political intrigue, I’d still recommend giving it a shot. Just be prepared for some pacing issues later on!
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Love ?
Haven't watched a romance K-drama as great as this in a long time.This was so good; the action, the suspense, the tension between the couple
I was super exited for every episode. They didn't fall in love too fast, it was nice and slow and meaningful. The two actors complemented each other really well ,everything felt natural ,I didn't expect to love the male actor as much but he was really charming and charismatic, totally fit his role as for the female lead ,I'm a big fan of hers from before and she ate this up.
Totally recommend 👌 ❤️
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1When the daddy turns dad, and the thriller turns makjang.
I went into this drama for the most shallow reason ever - Yoo Yeon Seok looked extremely hot in the trailers being all possessive and domineering. And since that was my only expectation, I’d say the drama did not quite meet it. It gave me other things to enjoy though.Was it a fun watch? For most of it. The middle part became a bit too repetitive, and the ending went straight to fancy makjang territory. Some twists were more predictable than others, but overall it was a rather engaging watch. Did the plot make much sense? Not really. I mean, the majority of the characters did not even have half of the working brain cell and watching them making the wrong decisions over and over again, and being so painfully blind to the most obvious things was probably one of the most entertaining aspects of the whole drama.
On the top of that clownery we have Baek Sa Eon - for a smart guy he was really dumb. Did I care? Nope. Why? Because he was hot. Yes, that was my reasoning. Baek Sa Eon during the first few episodes was THE hot possessive toxic oppa and for that I am grateful. Whenever he went just the right amount of unhinged when something concerned Hui Ju, I went - yes! The angst, the low-key anger issues, the suits and them hands (the production team knew what they were doing with all the close ups of his hands). Exactly the guy you love to watch on the screen, and would avoid in real life. And then he did 180 in the second half and I became convinced that the perfect husband was cosplaying as toxic oppa.
Hong Hui Ju was honestly a placeholder. She had a few great moments here and there, but at the end of it all, she was just an overcooked potato. Which is fair - with the amount of trauma and abuse she went through, if she had more of a spine, she would leave. Since she stayed, we should not be expecting her to give us much spunk. Being in danger was her full time job, and saving her was Sa Eon’s life mission.
Surprisingly, the characters I got really attached to were Sang U and Yu Ri. The investigative duo with such fun chemistry. Waiting for Netflix to contact me, because I have the plot for the spin off of them already planned in my head. The way he became so conscious of her presence, and she was so oblivious about it all is my type of a connection.
The villains were villaining, but they were also so generic I did not really care for their shenanigans. So much happened plot wise, and yet it kind of still feels empty? When the Phone Rings had an extremely strong beginning, and lost its focus half way through. The issue might have been how packed the plot was -, they did not really have time to explore on a meaningful level any of the plotlines. One thing happened, and we moved to another thing - nothing felt developed, nothing had a proper closure. All had a closer, but none truly had THE closure.
Performances were mostly great. Yoo Yeon Seok aced that silent anger and concern. Whatever scene he was in, he delivered. On the other hand Chae Soo Bin… I know she is a great actress. I loved her in all the previous titles I have seen her in, but this role was just not it. Would I dare to blame the directing? Yes. Even though I thought the drama went downhill in the second half, her performance got so much better. First few episodes she was just a surprised big eyes victim with no facial muscles working.
Production was fine. As I already said, I'm grateful for the close-up shots of Yoo Yeon Seok’s hands. Some of the editing was questionable - too much repetition of what happened in the previous episodes - the viewers do not have goldfish brains like the characters, we do not need constant reminders.
Overall, what I thought would be a fun wattpad-esk romance with an entertaining dynamic between Sa Eon and Hui Ju, turned into a family mystery makjang with low level of brain energy. Still had fun though.
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This is my comfort kdrama<3
This kdrama is the best I have ever seen. Yes it has it's illogical moments BUT this drama just gets it in so many details.Yoo Yeonseok and Chae Soobin gave their all for their characters and their chemistry is the best I have ever seen in a kdrama before. They were so natural with each other and conveyed Baek Saeon and Hong Heejoo's love story with just the right timing. They start off cold with each other and then the love progession is so seamless.
This kdrama is addicting. It doesn't have any unnecessary scenes (even though the finale can be discussed). Every scene feels important to the story and it managed to keep it intriguing and interesting til the end. The mystery, the villains, the side characters were all interesting and fun to watch as a viewer. I love the entire cast in this.
Yoo Yeonseok as Baek Saeon is phenomenal. As a viewer you could feel his presence in every scene he was in. He showed various sides of Baek Saeon and nailed it every single time. He's shown what an incredible actor he is. In every project he is in, he's completely different which is a testament to how versatile he is as an actor. I appreciate that he chooses completely different roles in every project he's in. Well done.
Chae Soobin as Hong Heejoo made the viewers feel with her from the first moment she enters the screen. She nailed the sign language scenes and without lines she still managed to convey exactly what Hong Heejoo was going through. Incredible hard work. Well done.
Baek Saeon and Hong Heejoo's love story touched my heart. They are aware of their "worst" sides and still fight to protect each other til the end. Again, they are my favorite kdrama couple without a doubt.
The OST's are INCREDIBLE. I have the album on repeat. The cherry on top is Yoo Yeonseok singing the last one. Incredible talent. It warms my heart how much care they have showed for this show. Them winning all their awards was so incredibly well deserved.
I never usually get stuck to a kdrama like I have for this one. This one is special. It felt different from the very first moment.
Well done to the entire cast and crew!!
When the Phone Rings in my heart forever. 💗
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Enjoyable but disconcerting.
There's a lot to enjoy about this drama. Both leads play their roles well, especially ML is compelling. FL is less compelling, especially in beginning episodes she just didn't look that terrified at being kidnapped - but playing the quietly submissive person who pleases everyone to survive - that was convincing - having large doe eyes helps, and there is a warmth to her role that draws you in. The chemistry between the pair is great, of course, it helps they're both good to look at. The age gap between the leads is a little distracting, as they are supposed to be similar in age, but they're both too cute together for me to be bothered that much. It kind of suits the drama that he looks quite a bit older as he is quite dominating and paternalistic.There are quite a few times where we have to suspend judgement - especially around the FL being a sign language interpreter. As a person who cannot speak, she can only interpret one way - and yet there are many situations when two way interpreting is required, so another interpreter is bought along to support her. It's also odd that she signs to the British ambassador's wife in Korean sign language as the two sign languages are not mutually intelligible. Kudos to the actress though, she did look comfortable signing and learning those sequences would not have been easy. I use my country's sign as a second language, so it's comforting for me to see sign language taking a central role in a drama.
As in many Korean dramas, the inequality of the sexes in terms of influence and power stands out starkly to an outside observer. Often older women are portrayed as malicious and vain, and you wonder if that's because it's the only way they ever get to exert any influence. This particular dynamic is on clear display in this drama, and although it's there to add tension and not to make any kind of social commentary, it's such a force in this show that it's hard to ignore.
I am often struck too by how often the male lead tells the female lead to stand up for herself and in the next breath he orders her around under the guise that she doesn't know how to take care of herself. It seems like this is all the usual romantic trope of the powerful and commanding male lead and on screen it works a charm, but in real life it would be regarded as toxic masculinity.
So I find myself regularly suspending judgement and going a long for the ride. It's an enjoyable ride, as long as you don't think about it too much.
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A love so beautiful ❤️
Favorite drama I've ever watched. I was not going to watch it at first cause it looked like another one of Netflix's revenge and marriage messed up dramas but this was so FARRR from that. The way their love story is written, the way it comes full circle and that fact that we're not lingering on irellavent characters or prolonging short misunderstands and the balance between funny and serious was just everything.I binged it in one go and just couldn't go to sleep without finishing it. And then I watched it again with my sister right after because of how much I praised it she had to watch it. And it doesn't disappoint. I don't care about all the policial stuff people are spuing. this was a masterpiece and it will remain that way whether they like the director and writer's views or not. The people talking inf this low did not watch the same thing I just watxhed. Cause how. 10/10 would recommend if you like dangerous situations, or He fell first and then fell harder. It's just amazing. I can't say enough to good things.
Flower of evil, healer, marry my husband, and what's wrong with secretary Kim were among my top all time favorites but they don't hold a candle to this in my opinion. I just love this so much.
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A drama with a LOT of emotions and mostly just precious love
This drama. Was. AMAZING. Honestly like every character has so much depth and it felt like you could see from everyone's POV like hating them but also understanding their cruelty. It just had so much emotional depth I think. The story is essentially revolving around how things aren't always what they seem really but it's also about discovering true love, learning about love and honestly just cherishing it. It's definitely wholesome. It's how two people that are lying to each other in a marriage are finally learning to overcome these scandals and learn to truly love each other. It's incredible. The acting was absolutely mind blowing, every scene had me hooked, it felt like the scenes came ryt out of a book lol if was fantastic. The cast have done an impeccable job with this one. The music too was very touching and sweet and melodious and just perfect. Each scene was just perfection. And the OST had me melting.. Overall, This was a really emotionally well played drama with lots of mind-blowing twists and soulmates that share such a precious love it makes me want to bottle it up and just admire it T-T 📳👐🏻👰🏻♀️💖🧑🏻💼🗣️📢🪪Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Hodgepodge of craziness but it's Entertaining
I wonder if I would like “When the Phone Rings” more if I had watched while it was airing and joined in the hype and obsession on the Feeds. I vaguely remember the hype of a hot red flag ML in the beginning, the sizzling chemistry, screenshots of hands and veins, and how everyone was quite obsessed with the drama.Unfortunately, since I binged this, what goes in my head might have been the exact opposite of the hype. I do still think the chemistry between Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin is pretty good, though the majority of the time that happened on the phone. But I don’t get the craze about the hot red flag ML nor the slow-motion supposedly romantic shots, or the hands. I felt that these elements gave the drama a very fake rom-com feel, especially when this is not a romantic comedy. But yet, does this drama know what it really wants to be?
It started out as a serious drama with a thriller/mysterious plot. The background of the Presidential Office, Presidential spokesperson, interpreter and Presidential candidate give this drama a more ‘serious’ vibe. But once you add on the ridiculousness of the phone calls, it becomes a makjang. Add on those slow-mo romantic shots, it became a romantic comedy with accidental trips and kisses.
Let’s talk about the phone calls. The first one or two, I could understand the frustration and the daringness of it. As time goes by, these daily phones happen so frequently that there is not way a smart ML couldn't decipher someone’s wrong and the tone has changed. From a threatening voice of a murderer and kidnapper, to a lonely housewife who wanted a divorce and then a lovesick girl who just wanted to be loved by her first love. The change is so drastic that it’s ridiculous it can go on for so long. Unfortunately, that’s why the drama is called “When the Phone Rings”.
But viewers and Feeds users are correct that the second half just went down the hill into pure makjang territory. I don’t even know what that ending was. It took 2.5 long episodes to wrap up the thriller part, when we already knew who the culprit was. I could also understand wanting to leave the world behind after all that happened, but to disappear like that and to a place so ridiculous? The sunset reason is just weak. The whole last episode is just a filler. What is up with the sudden wedding announcement? We skipped the whole relationship and I was waiting for it to happen.
Despite all my complaints, I am still giving “When the Phone Rings” a rounded up 8.0. You can’t deny it was entertaining with great acting by Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin. Big applause to Chae Soo Bin for all the sign language she needs to learn, and there’s quite a few. I am a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope and despite the whole phone calling unreasonable plot, I do like the transition of the leads relationship. Kisses are great, as well, and that is to be expected from Yoo Yeon Seok. Everyone looks good (nice clothes and suits) and sounds good.
If you go in knowing what to expect - that is - not a serious thriller/mystery drama, and enjoy a hodgepodge of craziness, “When the Phone Rings” can be very entertaining.
Completed: 2/2/2025 - Review #539
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This review may contain spoilers
i forgot the actual plot
It was so beautiful at the beginning, but I don’t even know what happened later on.Honestly, it was shaping up to be a perfect dark romance—arranged marriage, the man secretly loving the girl from the start, him arranging his own marriage, and so on. Everything was going so well until it turned into a game of cat and mouse.
For the last, what, seven episodes? It was just one of them being kidnapped, and the other searching for them. Nothing else happened. And those last two episodes… THEY WERE SO RIDICULOUS. Why did Baek Saeon run away with some nonsensical guilt and become a soldier in some imaginary country? Bro, what happened to the actual plot? I seriously couldn’t understand anymore.
Other than that, the cast and everyone else were amazing. But why did they give so little screen time to Na Yu-ri and Ji Sang-woo? Their chemistry was so good! I wish they had more scenes together. Their relationship was rushed way too much.
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1This review may contain spoilers
When the phone rings - block the number !
Ok you all can call oppa the plot and be very happy with all the juicy scenes that were put forth but what in the world was this "LOGIC LEFT THE CALL" !! There are already 125 people giving out cents on this one so why did I decide to engage in the chatter bec - I am not okay unlike you all ! I can not accept this as it was !Okay look at me in the eyes and say (only for people who care about what's being served to them) is this what you wanted to see ? Is this how you imagined things would go? (Enny things will not go how you want them to - it's not a drama for you , Enny if you have that much talent write one yourself ) I might as well ...and trust me I'd do a much better job ! Bec for me the whole show was - I might just throw my phone in the same pond where they throw kids - no loss bec everything gets recovered ... does that not sound sensible ? I thought it very much was a 10/10 pitch!
Okay okay initial eps - banger ! Drop dead gorgeous people making me drop dead and crave for more !
Oppa as Hot, Possesive, Toxic and Domineering husband - just hit all the notes that somehow felt untouched through all the kdrama journey !
The whole calling aspect - nailed down very well.
Until !
Hi my cute "perfect husband material straight out of a fairytale romance male lead"- Why were you pretending to be something that you are not, for no good reason - just be the childhood bestie you are and say I love hong hee joo I am a fool in love and otherwise too, and trust me I would perfectly love you for that ! I swear I will !
Because the way you led me into believing that "not all kdrama men are the same" - I mean I love green flags I just hate being misled !
There are just so many things that are fucked up about this that I don't think I will ever be possibly able to curate a list but for the sake of saying it ...
I wish they would do something like - "REACTING" when they find out something - like hong hee joo is the blackmailer - oh my god I love her so much more - bruh hee joo can talk - yeah she's been wining singing competitions ever since she was a kid did you not know - Like seriously ??? - I am so pissed off at the way 90% of the ep is a filler ...and at how they choose the worst way possible to reveal anything ....and when it is revealed ...they do "nothing" ....oh wait 3 eps later they discuss this and sort it out ! - "sensible people" ...but did I sign up to watch sensible people ? NO
Wasn't this about angst and thrill and planning plotting??
also ...when the "phone" rings - the phone is out of picture ...we ain't even half way and the phone just doesn't matter ...! At this point I am really concerned -- what matters ?? jagganim ? They be going on field trips with the blackmailer out lose ...and quite frankly for someone who killed when he was a kid ...the villain was just for tomfoolery no offence but he could do way better than that ! I am to buy that this lunatic "kid murderer" as a grown up adult couldn't murder a mute girl who mostly has no protection and the one ep she does they don't seem to be working very hard - Like are they even for real !?
Also let alone the consequences of the calls - hee joo doesn't even have any consequences of THE FALL ! Let me see the dramatic fake blood and unreal bandages all over ...come on what the fuck !
Trust me I hate it , even tho I am keeping aside how pissed off I'd be if I also turn on my moral compass and realize that Hong hee joo deserves not a sorry but a good bye from all the people in her life - literally every one bec all of them have wronged her - she can talk and they let her pretend to be mute ! - she's neglected for 3 yrs straight in her marriage and he's been in love with her for 20 yrs and I am to buy that the girl just chooses to die for him instead of killing him - thriller where ?
Okay the girl got no spine but like literally just everyone treated her like trash - even at work
- in the initial eps - the sfl paid no heed to her and one day she suddenly starts crying -
I don't exactly remember when they became besties ...have I missed a few eps of them going on shopping spree and bitching about men ? - Like why make two characters be dead concerned when it could just be - okay I know you, I have spare time, I can look for you ?
The sissy comes back to say I know you could talk but it made me feel better so I am just going to let you suffer ...Quite frankly I really do like her - cause she left when she realized what was going on, got herself fixed, came back to save her sister, asked her father to take action, and supported her sister when she was alone. GIRL -got brain ! I wish hee joo did too but nevermind!
Let's not even go about to how trash her mother's arc turned out ...
Also stop making a big deal for the bare min that the ML does - learning sign language he should have done that years ago - he did not need tell her - he could very well be secretive about it like he was about other things ...!
Also the sml arc - was good but so unnecessary !
Has the rant been too long ? No guys we haven't even reached to the no brainer messed up story of the decade -
What in the world ...his mom holding hee joo captive , the real villain working under someone else ... hee joo's brother killed by the oldiee oh my I have no words ! And he's the son of oldiee - Explain pls - with whom, where is his mom ? what the fuck happened ? why did the dna report show otherwise ??
instead what we get ...car accidents after car accidents and literally nothing happens - it's just so annoying and repetitive !
At this point I have no brain cells to spare
the only thing I liked was the angle of the secretary and nothing more.
Tho with all of that I was wondering what more could go wrong - until they did show me exactly what they are capable of -
When you have a serial killer on loose, out to kill you, following you since last 10 eps and you have a car in which the love of your life urgently requires hospitalization you don't go out negotiating with the killer - you run over him - too much to expect... I agree, but what can be said when he just out right disappears and is found in a war zone among the rebels !
boy you built a beach house for yourself there.... property rates????- and you got your girl from the rebels without a gun let alone a plan - make it believable at the very least - atleast act like you are putting efforts !
Not gonna lie - with how illogical it was - I couldn't care less about the treat that was put forth !
in short "They should’ve scrapped the unnecessary sociopathic serial killer mess and made the story about him, her and the phone."
If you found this (bec I can see a lot of downvotes and it being kicked to the last page of reviews) and are still reading - hugs and a lot of love from the bottom of my heart !
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Lost its way ...
I'll keep it brief, it's ok to skip this. The chemistry of the leads can't make up for the fact that the plot is a convoluted mess. The premise is very good, however, towards the end this drama becomes a mess. The acting was great, chemistry is fire but the storytelling was actually painful. Save yourself the time and skip out on this.Was this review helpful to you?
There were a lot of things in When the Phone Rings that usually make me roll my eyes whenever they appear on the screen in romance dramas, like rich evil parents and their twisted family dramas and birth secrets and the like. But somehow the soapy goodness of When the Phone Rings managed to make it all work. A kdrama story about an emotionally stunted rich man and the woman who makes him open up just by loving him, with a dash of family drama nonsense and tropy plot that seems over the top but works so well within the universe that the drama has created.
The story felt airtight and structured where there was always plenty going on and a good enough flow to the story to keep you constantly entertained. There was always a plot twist, something that kept you on your toes, and the chemistry between the paths was so electrifying that you couldn’t look away. You never really knew what to expect.
The emotional weight of the story works well with the suspense. I enjoyed that Hong Hee Joo seemed helpless to the other characters in the drama, and yet the narrative showed her that she wasn’t, she was just trapped. It created such a beautiful contrast and interesting character dynamic, and Chae so Bin was great in this role. To me, this jerk who is the main male character is often in the beginning a double-edged sword. It can be an interesting character, dynamic and fun like the ‘I hate you, but I also adore you’ relationship that you have with that character while they’re opening. It’s become a tired cliché to a certain extent, as many of these characters because the narrative needs them to be, but it doesn’t feel organic, but here I thought it worked really well for the character.
These two characters’ longing for love was palpable, captivating, and addictive. The two main leads have quite a rich inner turmoil that becomes quite intense and addictive to explore as the story unravels and at quite a simmering speed. They are very interesting characters that you can’t help but root for in one way or another in their source of happiness and inner peace.
One of the few minus points I can really give this drama is the second way, which feels way too much filling and doesn’t help much in moving the story forward. If anything, these characters and their story seem to hinder the tension and the pacing of the story. And those secondary characters were just there, if anything. The plot didn’t need them.
Although those characters involvement in the mystery was perhaps because When the Phone Rings is only 12 episodes, and the story here so wants to dwell on the emotions and spark between our main characters and focus on telling that story as kdramas tend to have a slower and more emotional structure in their stories that the current twelve-episode formula doesn’t always allow for. And if so, I think it was the right call because Paik Sa Eon and Hong Hee Joo are the emotional core and focal point of the story and everything else revolves around them.
This drama is such a soap opera but that’s what made it so fun. It takes a bit of a skill to weave together such a story that uses tired and old tropes in a fun way and really leans into the soapy aspects of the old school kdramas while also finding a way to satisfy everyone no matter how long or not they have watched kdramas. Every episode had an intent, or a purpose and it felt like not much time was wasted as the story briskly takes us from one heartfelt moment to another cliffhanger and onwards. And with the exploding chemistry of the leads and the highly dramatic story it was very entertaining and an addictive watch.
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