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Started off strong but...
This Drama really started off strong. However, it quickly fell off after the big reveal of who was behind the phone. After that, the drama went downhill quickly. Furthermore, the last episode was really bad. Overall, in the first half of the series, the show is AMAZING. the tension, the suspense, the drama is so good, literally has you at the edge of your seat. But sadly, halfway through, the show's plot seriously suffers. The only reason I have given it 7.5 is because of how good the first few episodes are. it's a shame they didn't keep up that quality throughout the show.Was this review helpful to you?
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When the Phone Rings: A Slow-Burn Thriller with a Misleading Title (Watch Now, Later or Skip?)
"When the Phone Rings" initially intrigued with its mysterious title, hinting at a chilling game of cat-and-mouse. While the series does delve into suspense and intrigue, the title ultimately feels misleading. The true mystery doesn't revolve around the initial "Caller 406" incident, but rather the protagonist's elaborate scheme to replace a psychopathic grandson with his own son.This slow-burn thriller effectively builds tension, though the pacing can feel sluggish at times. The plot felt scattered and unfocused, with too many subplots competing for attention and ultimately undermining the main narrative.
The inclusion of the news anchor (and her love interest) subplot felt unnecessary, detracting from the main narrative. Similarly, the investigation into the dead children, while intended to connect the twins and the true son, seemed to be stretching to tie everything together, resulting in a convoluted and unconvincing narrative.
The reveal of the true culprit fell flat due to an unconvincing performance from the actor. Their delivery lacked the necessary intensity and gravitas, making the moment anticlimactic.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the series boasts strong performances from the lead actors. YYS, in particular, impressively transforms into a character far removed from his real-life persona, showcasing his remarkable acting range. The female lead also delivers a compelling performance, and her dedication to learning sign language adds a layer of authenticity to her character.
Overall:
"When the Phone Rings" is a thought-provoking thriller with a unique premise. While the title and certain plot points could have been more streamlined, the strong performances and intriguing central mystery make it a worthwhile watch for fans of the genre. So, you should watch now, maybe a hyped drama, but worth the watch.
Note: This review reflects your personal opinions and may not align with the general consensus.
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ANOTHER CLOY IN MAKING?
YYS acting kept me watching this drama, ngl it was super addictive on the starting but after repetition of plot ( aka heejoo getting kidnapped for millionth time) i got pet peeveed ... ughh.
nevermind, the story was (at least for me) new because as new generation say it was " wattapad coded" lol sorry i never read wattapad so lol can't relate. tbh if any other was casted instead of YYS and i would have dropped it in an instant but because he was able to pull of this role due to his gaunty facial masculine features and death stare direct gaze... in short i stayed cuz of him
NOW... i would say that the last two eps made saeon character contradictory because you can't tell me that ep 6,7 saeon would ever pull THAT SHIT what was done in ep12... like wth was that au mercenary shit was that,... like in ep 6,7 he literally was close to having his arota closed because of heejoo missing and ep 12 saeon literally said sayonara cuz his big daddyoo pulled the truck on heejoo... like come on.
ughhhhhh.
and not to mention they didn't give us the second wedding, instead we got freaks in the sheet duo ( which was in my point of view was not necessarily needed, the proposal or second wedding would have been more impactful in my humble opinion)
anyways, it finally gave a trip down memory lane when i first started watching kdramas.. now??? mmmm maybe it's time to finally say goodbye to them cuz they can't writer a decent ending to all
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When the phone rings I’ll answer your call
I have been waiting what seems like ages for this drama. I’m a fan of both leads and know they are great at what they do. What I haven’t seen from the both of them was a genre like this for the pair, so I’m happy to see something sort of new.Dramas are getting stale for me these days but I always knew I was going to tune into this one. I’ll be honest though, say what I like and what I don’t.
What I’ll say right away is that the first episode hooks you in through the first scene alone. You wonder about the relationship of the leads and how it go to that point. Why is the husband so narcissistic? Why does the wife stay silent? How and why are they together?
It is clear it’s based on a contract, but I hope it goes into each layer and detail as to why. Thriller is a perfect genre for this idea and I know I’ve seen many contract marriage drama before.. but going the thriller route with it is such a smart move from a writing standpoint. Having all these questions hook the viewer, and to add to that you’ve got great visuals and chemistry.
I’ll comment briefly and add each episode though. I’m used to dramas being great the first few episodes and then really showing their true colors of not knowing what they are doing. Dramas greatest weakness are the runtimes being too long or too short these days. Thrillers have an advantage of being a slow burn though, so I am ok with a bit of slow build up as long as there are visual clues and smart dialogue that tie into each mystery.
Cha Soobin took a great role. She is very sincere with her acting and has a charm to her the same as Yoo Yeon Seok does. It’s seems like a pairing made from the heavens to me. What I’m happy to see is tension, the isolation within the relationship. I really wonder if the romance will work out or if it will be entirely a thriller and have one against the other. Soobin as I said is genuinely full of charm, and is quite cute in all her roles. Here although she isn’t as outspoken, she is just as cute. She is styled amazingly and her straight and long hair looks so stunning. She is quiet but has the acting chops to fill up her role with subtle expressions and emotions.
Yoo Yeon Seok is playing a tricky character. I don’t really know what to say of the lead he’s playing for now, I am enjoying that he is a demeaning figure. Obviously he is oppressive, but to play that sort of role and still have likability.. the man is doing it and it’s impressive. Also he of course is styled so well and looks beyond handsome. If only the couple were actually happy and perfect as they look haha
This is the only kdrama I’m watching at the moment but seriously that’s a lot for me. It means it is worth while and worth my time, so I would recommend.
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Very nice series but a bit exaggerated.
Hello, this series had great acting and acting, and they played a very realistic role together. I had a positive opinion about the series. As for the content of the story, Kdrama friends have always been fantasy and clichéd, and sometimes it was far from reality. We were crying until a few days ago, what a great acting and what an interesting and emotional story. Do you see all these negative comments because of the last two episodes, which were exaggerated?! We followed every moment of this series, every week we were excited about what was going to happen next? I mean, this whole series has been pointless, has it really had nothing?? When we were tired and waiting for a series that would entertain us, we would say, "Wow, how great! I love this series so much, I'm waiting for it." Now everyone says that the content of the story was not very good, or so it was. Yes, there were some bugs, for example, this last episode of the war and the Argan region, but we were always excited for the next episode when we saw it. Please don't ruin this series with negative comments. Take a break and rewatch it again. You'll see that it was really beautiful. The series is based on a manhwa. What do you really expect from a manhwa writer? Many friends gave this series a hit because they read the manhwa and were spoiled by the end of the story. They gave it a negative review because they already knew the story. The series was a cliché, and with these beautiful clichés, we felt good after watching this series. We weren't expecting anything extraordinary. We just watched it because of its beautiful atmosphere. You started this series yourself, with your own free will, no one forced you. Don't make a disaster out of this series. If the series had more episodes, it would have been too boring and ridiculous, and if it had been less, it would have gone too fast. The mistake that the director and writer made is that they left most of the events for the end of the series and it moved quickly and didn't follow the previous trend. The last episode was also able to answer most of the questions and meet our expectations.A question for dear friends: What did you really want from the end of the story???????!!
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8.0? No, not worth it.
I didn't get it, why are people obsessing over this shit? ML is a red flag for sure, he treats her like a thing & she is kinda used to it. Her own family also treats her like shit. She barely said anything when he said she couldn't initiate divorce & things like that. At first, I thought FL is cool. But no, she's worst. She totally lost her cool during that first phone call with ML. He secretly likes her, but had he ever asked her if she was ready for this contractual marriage or not? No bro, this isn't love, this is pure obsession & as a hardcore feminist, I can't support a series like this. And I literally don't give a damn what mystery they're talking about. Guys, don't waste your time.Was this review helpful to you?
Let's talk about this one...
You can say whatever you want, criticize the story, age difference, loopholes, etc.But you can't deny that this drama appeals to the general public and garners high reviews because it's an entertaining story: No, it isn't realistic—it's a typical drama with a Netflix stamp on it, etc.
But the characters are likable, with redeeming qualities. The violence is not excessive.
The acting and chemistry were good. Yes, there were some cringy moments.
Only disappointed with the ending and how they twisted the reality of a g*nocide. It was not necessary and very inhumane to use such a twist.
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It's sooooo goooddddd
It's mind-blowing and heart touching. It's a Must Watch 🔥🔥 the story is kinda new .. it's not a typical romantic love story but kind of revengeful............. i like the first episode very much looking forward to the pther upcoming episodes.. writing a 300 characters review is not my thingActually it's my first time writing any review because I don't want you people to miss this awesome drama
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The controversy surrounding this drama was a nothing-burger
When The Phone RingsGenre: Mystery, Thriller, Romance
Episodes: 12
Streamed on: Netflix
Plot Summary:
Pretending to be deaf and trapped in what seems to be a loveless marriage, one day, Hui Ju is kidnapped. The kidnapper calls her husband to inform him, and thinking it’s a prank call, he tells her to go ahead and kill her. What follows is a messy plot where the couple end up falling in love, and Hui continues to get kidnapped about a thousand more times.
Best of OST:
The stand out track from the OST (at least in my opinion). I’ve heard a few of her tracks and I’m quickly becoming a fan…
https://youtu.be/q8eupRpyUDI?si=yROrDXMycMRGXzK_
Overall the OST did ok.
Gripes:
That ending… It was going so well too, but the whole other country trip we had to make didn’t make much sense to me. I didn’t have a problem with the subtle (or not so subtle I guess) nod to the Palestine and Israel conflict. To me it seemed perfectly reasonable, I mean they could have even used the proper names to the countries and it would have been fine. It happened in a news station…
Re-watch:
**Would I watch it again?**
Nah, once was enough
**Would I watch it with my brother?**
Nah, he wouldn’t like it.
**Would I watch it with my kid?**
Nah, It doesn’t seem like a kid friendly show.
Final Thoughts:
The ending of a show really makes it. If you drop the cake taking it out of the oven, it doesn’t matter how well you mixed the ingredients.
Rating:
6.75/10
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The drama is so good and going to receive so many awards.
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?
it's mind blowing...... the plot >>
It feels like a crime to release only two episodes per week—I’m hooked! The anticipation for the next episode is unbearable. My entire TikTok feed is flooded with edits of this K-drama, and honestly, they’re the reason I started watching. Now, I have no regrets! The story, the characters, the emotions—everything is perfect. It’s a must-watch for any fan of the genre. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re missing out on something truly captivating. Highly recommend diving in ASAP!Was this review helpful to you?
