When the Phone Rings

I devoured it, but...

t starts promisingly and immediately draws you in with a combination of tension, passion and mystery. The first half is literally electrifying - you could cut the chemistry between the main characters with a knife. It has great dynamics, full of sexual tension and perfectly timed dramatic twists. Unfortunately, this quality will not last. The other half forgot their strengths. The script slips into telenovela clichés, the tension between the main characters loses its spark, and their passionate scenes are replaced by lifeless sweet ones. The final part is just the last blow. While the beginning promised a complex and captivating story, the stumbling block was the ending. The plot was slowly lost. The 12th episode was crazy and the plot didn't make sense. The main man made decisions that were not only questionable, but completely pointless. What did the creators come up with? I didn't understand that.

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Two wounded hearts heal each other: Shattering the chains.

When the Phone Rings tells the story a married Couple, Paik Sa Eon and Hong Hee Joo, whose marriage was arranged by their families. You can call their marriage a political one. Paik Sa Eon comes from a prestigious family, a family of politicians, he's also the presidential spokesperson of Korea, the youngest ever. Hong Hee Joo is the second daughter of Chungwoon Daily, a media corporation. Their marriage is icy and strained with minimal communication. However, when Hui Ju is abducted, the feelings that's been kept hidden surfaced, changing their lives and relationship.

Personally, I think Paik Sa Eon and Hong Hee Joo are each other's destiny. Why? Here's are the reasons: Paik Sa Eon comes from a respectable family, but he didn't get to feel any warnmt from his parents, or shall I say his fake parents? It's scheming all day long. He's nothing but a tool for his parents to gain power. Plus, he's not even his parents real child, they only value him because of the glory he brings the family. Hong Hee Joo on the other hand situation is also similar, she's forced by her mother to keep silent, not uttering a word for years. She's forced to pretend she couldn't speak even though she could. There's a difference between not wanting to, can't, and being forced to not. Being forced into something is the worst experience. These two have suffered greatly because of their families, they are two wounded hearts who healed each other and brought meaning into each other's lives. Previously, they're living a life without warmth, a life without a confidant, but these all changed with their marriage. An arranged marriage turned into happiness for them, it provided them what they both could call a home. I love how their relationship developed rapidly into a happy union. More importantly, I loved how they healed each other.

Just how much can a person's past, family secrets, and family sins become the shackles of your present? This drama digs deep into that. I loved it precisely because of that.
When this drama started, I thought Paik Sa Eon didn't have feelings for Hee Joo and that he'll only develop feelings for her afterwards, but I got it all wrong, they both had feelings for each other. To my surprise, Sa Eon fell for Hee Joo long before their arranged marriage. Just as their relationship was getting better after the failed abduction of Hee Joo, the shackles of the past comes in. I guess that's why they say, for every action, there's a consequence". However, Sa Eon and Hee Joo weren't suffering the consequences of their wrong decisions but from their parents. Sometimes I do wonder why the innocents are the one's who usually bear the sufferings of the sinners, it's not fair. It's clearly their family who committed the sin but they are being tormented for what they were dragged into because they were born into the wrong family. Their family that were supposed to be a support, a home to go back to became the chains that bind them. People make many choices in this world, but the one thing we don't get to choose is our family. Many would have chosen their parents in a heartbeat, but sadly, humans are not given such a chance.

When Paik Sa Eon's fake mother said, "I want you to feel the same pain your father made me feel". A lot of thoughts came to mind, thoughts in form of questions, questions without answers. "Why should he bear the sins of his father? He's not his father, is he? So, why must he bear his sins, even though he's a different person from his father"? After all those questions, I came to realize one thing, and that's the fact that people will always try to pin what's not yours on you, what's left is for you to not admit and take responsibility for what you did not do.

That siad. I really have to hand it out to Yoon Yeo Seok and Chae Soo Bin for their awesome acting and natural chemistry, they had me hooked almost throughout the episodes.
The first drama that made me liked Yoon Yeo Seok was Hospital Playlist, he left an impression on me with that drama. As for Chae Soo Bin, I haven't really watched anything of her until I watched When the Phone Rings. She is indeed a great and awesome actress like many say. At first, I wasn't sure the pairing would work, plus, I'm not really a fan of "older man/younger man" stuff, however, the chemistry of the FL and ML really surprised me. This is one of the few dramas in which the leads chemistry really amazed me. A massive applause to these two wonderful actors (Chae Soo Bin and Yoon Yeo Soek) for their captivating performance.
But of course, that's goes without saying, the performance of the whole casts.

Are there scenes I loved the most? Of course, there are, too many that I can't mention them all, but I'll mention some. Generally, I'd say I loved the times of "406" more, why? It's because during those parts, there were excitements, angst, and anticipations. The three scenes I loved the most during the 406 era were when Hong Hee Joo fell off a cliff and she called Pail Sa Eon for help with 406, that scene showed just how much he loves her, and how far he's willing to go for her. It's really good to see the care he has for her. It's a rare affection if you're to ask me. Another one is when Hui Ju called Paik Sa Eon with 406 again when she's in the hospital, when Paik Sa Eon said, "are you pretty? And Hee Joo replied with does it matter to you whether the person threatening you is pretty or not?" That scene made me laugh sooo hard. Lastly, the scene I loved the most is when Hee Joo finally confessed to Paik Sa Eon that she's 406, that scene cleared up a lot of misunderstandings. They finally mended their relationship after three years. "406", a number that's supposed to orchestrate their divorce became what made their marriage stronger, I loved how "evil turned into a blessing" for them 💞
I also loved the OSTs, especially See the Light by Lim Hyun Sik and Numb by Lim Yeon!


As for the ending. Indeed, the last four episodes were very confusing. It's as if it's a different writer who wrote those last four episodes. The plot was all over the place. I had to rewatch those episodes before I could get a grasp of what was going. And even though I did get a grasp of what was going on, I couldn't really figure out what happened in those episodes, even though I rewatched them. Also, what's with the charity thing? Plus, how did Paik Sa Eon end up in that terrorist zone? Hagan, was it? I don't even recall.
The most annoying part is how the romance of the second leads came out of the blue. There were no scenes of how they became a couple, nor were there any scenes of Ji Sang U's proposal to Na Yu Ri. Thinking about all those anomalies really makes me mad. Plus, as second leads, Heo Nam Jun and Jang Yu Ri had less screentime than the supporting roles. Although I loved this drama, I can't help but point out where it lacks.
However, even though it had all those anomalies, I loved the fact that Paik Sa Eon and Hong Hee Joo got their happy ending. More importantly, the fact that they're able to break the chains and overcome many trials and dangers together, hand in hand. Although they got separated for some time, but the result still turned out great. I also loved the fact that the villains received their well deserved punishment, although I still think Paik Eui Yeong didn't receive his well due punishment, but, I'll not go further on that.

Is When the Phone Rings plot new? No? But if you're to ask me, "is when the Phone Rings interesting and captivating despite all its anomalies?", I'd answer with a big YES! It's a captivating drama.
If you're looking for an interesting mystery/romance drama, this one is the right pick for you. You won't get bored,at least, not until you reach the last four episodes. It's a drama that'll keep you glued to your screen. Now I'm not saying it's a perfect drama, like I said above, it has its flaws, but above those flaws are its merits.
In a nutshell, When the Phone Rings has come and go, but it left a strong impression on me and many, so strong we start to think, "what to watch after this?" It's a drama that'll live on in our hearts for long time. Speaking of top notch acting, natural chemistry, family plots, dark secrets, mystery, emotional rollercoaster, and romance, When the Phone Rings has all these. After much thoughts, considering all its merits with its flaws, I decided to rate it 8.5/10
Finally, to all When the Phone Rings watchers and MDL users, I wish you a Happy New Year 🎊🎊🥂

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Good entertainment but bad drama

Before reading please note that this review can contain some spoilers.





I must admit that zi had a great time with this drama for most of the time. However in my personal opinion kdramas are geting worse and worse this days.

The strongest part of this drama was acting. Actors surely nailed their roles and made the climate so it was very enjoyable to watch. And that would be end of good parts.

As I watched literally hundreds of kdramas the plot was rather predictible. Maybe two or three things suprised me. So the story itself wasn't anything special or innovative. I would say it was full of typical kdramas cliches.

I didn't like the relation between the FL and ML. This guy literally was treating his wife like invisible for three years but when she wanted a divorce he had a change of heart. As always it was also unbelievable for me that FL suddenly fell in love with ML after being ignored for about three years.

And the ending... i know it was also in the web novel but still it could be made better.

To sum up you can have a good fun watching but sorry this drama definitely is not a masterpiece.

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You don't want to miss out on this drama, don't let the woke stop you!

Picture this: second chances, love, drama, and a dash of thriller all blended into one tantalizing concoction.

When the Phone Rings serves up everything it promises, keeping you on the edge of your seat with each episode.

The soundtrack? It’s like the cherry on top of a sundae, perfectly enhancing every scene.

The characters? They’re acted to perfection, and you can’t help but cheer for them as they navigate their tumultuous lives.

Their struggles make the eventual payoff all the more satisfying. I almost found myself sympathizing with the villain—how’s that for a plot twist? That’s the magic of great storytelling, pulling you into the depths of even the darkest characters.

Oh, the character growth was so good, especially with Hong Hee Joo! She starts off as this gentle, comforting figure and then BAM! She morphs into a bold, fiery woman who knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to snatch it up. No more Ms.. Nice Girl—she’s ready to take on anyone who dares to cross her! Watching her journey is like binge-watching a rollercoaster ride. And Baek Sa Eon? He’s going through the wringer but comes out the other side like a phoenix, ready to embrace his happy ending.

When the phone rings did toss in lots of cliché moments, but honestly, THAT'S THE POINT. They were like the necessary seasoning in a dish—essential for the overall flavor and message of the drama. Anyone going into this trying to make it deep or start wars over fictional countries are so dumb.

This drama was so much fun to watch. I gave it a solid 10/10 and plan on rewatching soon. But thanks to the woke brigade, it feels like we can’t just kick back, relax and enjoy dramas anymore. The comments section is a mess and bots / fake accounts keep leaving 1 star reviews to tank the ratings while also downvoting others. It's honestly laughable the lengths they go to, before they channel this same energy for other actors are still getting hired even though they have been perpetrators and committed serious offenses and violent crimes or worse. They are ridiculous... I bet some of these kids don't even put even a smidge of this same energy into their schoolwork 🤡

Seriously, these keyboard warriors need to step outside and get a whiff of reality. All this performative activism for what? I’d wager most of them haven’t even donated any money much less a can of soup for those in need.

Don't pay any attention to the woke. These psychotic dumbos are in for a rude awakening! LOL.

Anywho, grab some popcorn, kick your feet up and dive into this drama without letting the haters rain on your parade. You will not regret it. It's so delicious! The chemistry is a 1000/10.

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There was a lot of hype about this drama, so I was curious to see how good it was and if it was really worth it. I was hooked from the start and really enjoyed it, as well as the gradual unraveling of the secrets and mysteries that appear in the series. But as we slowly approached the end, I just couldn't get into it. I found it unnecessarily long and I honestly think that 12 episodes are more than enough. Most people complained that they wanted it longer, but I think 12 is okay. There's no need to prolong it unnecessarily. The idea was great, the actors did a great job, but I was just bored by the approaching end. Of course, there were moments of action that we couldn't skip and that wasn't possible because you just had to sit through it, but otherwise I found it unnecessarily long and the last episode left me with a huge question mark from the beginning: why? Of course, I rate the ending 10/10 because it was really nice, but before we got to it, it was like x million years...

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The most stupidest ending

There are 2 versions of me: before I watched episode 12, and after.

First let me start of by saying that ep 1 - 11 were genuinely very good episodes. They were interesting, fast past, the leads had chemistry. Nothing felt out of place or like it was just for filler.

The problem with this drama was ep 12. The controversy was ofc so unnecessary and dumb but I digress, even the plot of the episode is stupid, so let's get into that.

Lets start with the fact that the episode prior Sa Eon was saying that the thought of not knowing if his wife was dead or alive was torturous and it was killing him blah blah blah, he THEN proceeds to just disappear and makes his wife go through the same thing he just did. AND on top of that he also spent the prior episode regretting that he didn't communicate with his wife enough and they lost so much time, only to... yep you guessed it - abandon her and waste even more time. What a great husband. And you dear reader must be thinking. huh, I wonder what valuable piece of information he learned that caused him to leave everything he's ever known and move to a war torn country. Well let me enlighten you: it was something she already knew and didn't have a problem with. So really it was all pointless.

But now left move on to the actual episode because it doesn't end there. So we learn that he has moved to a war torn country because he really loved the sunsets there (or some BS like that), and hee joo decides she's gonna go to the place were he would watch them - oh except she can't, because it's been occupied by the rebels. But that actually doesn't matter cause she decides to go anyway. Now the whole point of this trip is to find Sa Eon, so why would she think that her husband would go to a place that's so obviously dangerous?????? But guess what she's actually right, because after she gets captured by rebels, Sa Eon ends up saving her, because for some reason he's there saving people (I don't know).

And at last the two are reunited, only narrowly escaping the close hot breath of death. So what do they decide to in this incredibly tense and dangerous situation? You guessed again reader: fight! and not even like a harsh whispering fight, they're full on yelling and crying and mind you there are literal rebel cars going past them as this is happening and I just can't help but think: are you guys stupid. This is all so incredibly stupid. In fact, I think this is the stupidest thing I've every seen.

Anyway in the end they get married (again) and this have cringy scene where they're all having dinner and everything is all right and then nothing more happens cause the show ends, and I closed netflix, opened a new tab, wrote kisskh and shared with you all just how much of a waste of time this was.

So thank you for reading, and if you also didn't like it, let me know, because TRUST, I want to hear it.

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12 episodes of cliff falls and regrets

I finished watching When the Phone Rings out of sheer stubbornness.

There is 12 episodes of this nonsense. It becomes an unintentional parody of every bad K-drama trope, taken to such ridiculous extremes that it feels like the writers were trolling their own audience.

The brooding male lead isn’t mysterious; he’s just exhausting. The female protagonist is passive and poorly written. The show is held together by implausible coincidences and a complete lack of credibility. People survive falls from cliffs and car accidents like they’re invincible, only to emerge unscathed and somehow still not learn a single thing.

Every time the story builds tension like it's preparing for grand explosion, it fizzles out before the characters finally confront the big issue. So, once there’s a big confrontation it’s ruined because we already know all the secrets—so it’s just people yelling things we’ve known for episodes.

The setup had potential—cryptic phone calls, mystery, suspense. At first, I thought, “Hey, this might go somewhere.” But then the female lead escapes a kidnapping and immediately steals a phone from her captors. Brilliant move. Phones can’t be tracked, right?

Meanwhile, the male lead’s “hidden love” is even worse. He treats his wife like trash for 3 years because he’s secretly in love with her but “didn’t want to get attached.” Yeah, that makes total sense. Also, I swear there is a slow motion walk in every episode. I don’t know if the editors decided that every single step he takes must be slowed down to showcase his “raw intensity", but the only thing it achieves is that it takes him forever to reach anywhere. Also, let’s pause to appreciate the British Embassy scene. The male lead walks in, and everyone stops to gush about how handsome he looks in a suit. Are you kidding me? He’s not on a runway, and no one in real life reacts like this. Anywhere. Ever.

And don’t get me started on his elite FBI/NYPD training. Is there some magical belief in K-dramas that taking a six-month seminar in the U.S. turns you into a super-genius? I don’t care how tragic his backstory is—unless he’s a CIA operative with a clearance level so high it’s classified even to him, there’s no chance he casually got FBI training as a non-citizen.

The good news is that this show pulls itself together in the end and makes you love it all.... I'm f***ing kidding. The final episode wraps this shit up in such a ridiculous way that you feel logic becoming a distant memory.

It starts with the male lead deciding that the best way to atone for something his father did is to leave his wife and wander into a war zone, as a self-punishment apparently. This happens right after he himself was devastated when she was missing. Naturally, she follows him to the war zone, declaring “I don’t care if I die waiting for him, or get shot in a war zone—it’s all the same to me.” She’s essentially equating heartbreak with surviving war horrors. But okay. You may wonder how does she find him? Well, apparently, he loves sunsets so she’ll go to a sunset spot (I'm not kidding). No mention of navigating logistics of a war-torn country or how she's planning to locate him among millions of people in a literal conflict zone. Then what happens? Even though she’s warned that place is overrun by rebels, she still goes. And then, yes, you guessed it, she gets kidnapped by rebels. Most likely to hammer home a damsel-in-distress scene, I think. And who swoops in for the perfectly timed rescue, may I add, coincidentally? Of course her husband single-handedly stops a car full of armed rebels and rescues her, freeing and then ignoring the other kidnapped people (literally leaving them behind in the dark forest) because they’re not important to the plot. Just when I thought this show couldn’t get any dumber, it outdoes itself in a spectacular fashion. Rebels are hunting them, but do they hide quietly? Of course not. They start yelling at each other in the middle of the forest. This is when male lead delivers personally my favorite line in the entire show: “I’m being punished because you’re standing in front of me, and all I want is to hug you, but I’m holding back.” FFS. You'll be fine. After all the yelling and self-pity they make up and go back home.

This show fails to deliver a cohesive and compelling narrative. It tries to be deep and meaningful but instead ends up being unintentionally hilarious. Watching it feels like the writers bet they could get away with every cliché, plot hole, and nonsensical twist in existence, and by some miracle, they did.

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Inspite of having a lot to criticize, it was a fun watch

When the phone rings has a intriguing plot, a wife threatening her husband on a phone call, YES. a hot and tsundere husband, YES. it had a lot of elements which made it attractive to watch as a viewer. but once you get into the drama, you'll realise how absurd some things are, which will just make you LAUGH.

I'll start with the pros. Why was it so hyped, it had some good reasons.
1. VERY GOOD CHEMISTRY. the leads just did so well, acting was good, chemistry was good, angst, feelings and everything else, they were an amazing couple.

2. the story, overall, was good. I liked the intense and very confusing plot which will make your mind spin for a minute. yes its a thriller afterall. i think things will not make a lot of sense until like 10th episode.

3. No love traingle, noone who tries to sabotage the couple. im glad they didnt add any 3rd person to the already very intense plot which i anticipated at the hint of fml's sister. i appreciate it <3

4. the pacing. i liked how things were revealed about the fml to ml at a very good speed. it didnt take him forever to figure about out what was going on like in other dramas where main leads discover everything about each other on 12th episode, then 2 episodes of heartbreak and finally happy ending. no, i loved how emotionally stable they were and how things were handled.


now to the cons.

1. very first it was, scientifically speaking, absurd. girlie fell from a cliff, didnt even break a bone. a man died while suffocating on a pillow while oxygen tube was connected to his nose? just remove that damn tube??? these things, where you should feel shocked/sad, you cant help but just laugh at it.

2. execution. as i said i liked the story but the way it was shown was BAD. i did not understand what the heck was going on until 10th episode. everything was just very mixed up and jumbled that you would want to pause and give your brain a break. and then they'll reveal EVERYTHING on 11th episode like you'll have to just take it all.

3. plot twists. the ones you'll guess easily, they'll show it like it was the greatest discovery made. but the ones you wouldnt even recognize as a possibility, they'll show them to you in a whim like it didnt really matter and just go with it. i had to rewind and watch some parts again to understand if what they said was real lol.

4. the fml was lowkey dumb at a lot of parts, especially when she was 406. at first when she threatened him, it was great. but gradually she gets emotionally driven, speaks stuffs that you will NEVER hear from a kidnapper. i can understand why he would think it was an affair partner. she has no real plan, just wants a divorce and has no clue how she'll get that. when ml discovers its her making threat calls, he made it quite obvious that he knows. but she till the end, she doesnt even give it a thought that the boy may already know. and when i tell you SHES SHOCKED TO THE CORE when she discovers it like yeah...

5. the last epsiode. ik they wanted to move the boy somewhere remote so that he's not discoverable but a warzone? and what exactly was he doing there? freeing hostages waiting to get killed? im sorry but when did he become a superman, bro didnt even have a fist fight in the whole drama 😭 the 1st half was so unnecessary just because they wanted to stay true to the novel. okay. also again, the girl easily got into the rebel region, i dont think the writers knew how it works because u cant just get in that easily.

6. lastly , the few seconds on the end. paltima and ijmael. i wonder if they really just put random names or hinted at something entirely different. i hope its not what i think it is because its very insensitive to the real world situations. well, it didnt just sit right with me.

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wasted potential

even tho i think that the tanked reviews on rotten tomato and google are deserved bc of the insensitivity to the ongoing genocide im going to be completely unbiased. this show had sm potential and the premise of the plot was really interesting but executed horribly. could have been completed in 10-12 eps it dragged way too long and what the hell was the last episode?? they completely lost the plot and threw them into a completely unrelated war like? and no hate to the actor herself, but the main female lead’s character was so annoying and useless they did not craft her personality/ambition/character well. besides that there was absolutely no chemistry between the main leads every time they came on screen i had to skip their “lovey dovey” parts. this was the first drama in a while where i was more excited to see the side couple than the main. there was so many loopholes and things that lacked basic common sense that u had to turn off ur brain and throw all logic out the window to get through an episode. it was full of cliches, and i will say that the first 4 eps were good, but after that everything was totally predictable and very boring to watch. utter doodoo

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Wattpad-y type of drama but executed well

This drama brought on so many wattpad and fanfiction tropes that I savored when I was a teenager. Marriage contract, cohabitation, and giving kinda enemy to lover vibe with the wicked family history plot. The first hald was fun and intriguing, it's been a long time since we have a drama with cliche plots but somehow still running pretty well.

The second half, not so much. Maybe because of the limited episodes, some scenes felt "jumped". I knew it was based on a manhwa and this was a work of fiction, but sometimes it just didn't make any sense. And for me, ep 12 was a let down, only their steamy scenes made up for it.

No complaints on the actors acting, Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soobin potrayed their roles well, and the others are fine too. Overall, just a fun drama and you didn't need to use your brain which was kinda the point.

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WATTPAD MEETS K-DRAMA

This k-drama is only two episodes in and I am already HOOKED!! It has all my favorite tropes: arranged marriage, she fell first he fell harder, cold male lead who secretly cares for the female lead, etc. The acting and the chemistry between Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin is so good! I am living for the tension and Baek Sa Eon's possessiveness/protectiveness! AND THE PLOT TWISTS!? SO GOOD!! It is also a plot that I have never seen before, especially in a k-drama. Overall, such a good k-drama that has me hooked since episode one!

Review update now that I have finished:

First off I want to thank this drama for giving me something to look forward to every weekend! It is one of my new favorites and will always hold a special place in my heart! Now onto the review!

I did take off .5 stars from my initial 10/10 rating since the imagination/dream bit was a bit repetitive and some things were rushed in the final episodes (In my opinion, it needed at least 16 episodes so a lot of the plot wasn’t so rushed towards the end). However, they still did a great job in executing everything with the limited episodes that they had!

This drama had ALL THE TROPES. Arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, etc. and all the tropes, in my humble opinion, were done tastefully! War trope was also thrown in last minute, but Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin actually executed it so well and not going to lie I ate it up!!

Speaking of Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin, their chemistry and acting was so good in this drama!! All the emotional scenes (especially the cliff scene) were done so well and the yearning and the tension was carried out so good! Cannot give them enough praise for the acting they did for WTPR!

They also used a lot of symbolism in this drama and a lot of the details were done with intention which I loved and appreciated!

Overall, this drama was a really good one and a plot I have never seen before in another k-drama! It’s interesting from beginning to end and one I would highly recommend for people to try and watch!

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