When the Phone Rings

A Must Watch!

This show was SOOOOO GOOD! I can't even begin to explain how much I loved it. The plot twists? Mind-blowing. The acting? Top-notch. Everything about it was so well-done, and the pacing? Perfect. I wasn’t bored for even a second. Every episode had me on edge, completely hooked and dying to know what would happen next.

Hong Hui Ju and Hong In A’s interactions were absolutely adorable. They were so sweet as sisters, and their bond felt so genuine. I loved their little moments together; they added such a heartfelt layer to the show.

And then there’s Hong Hui Ju and Baek Sa Eon’s chemistry—WOW. They were incredible together. The way they looked at each other, those subtle moments of connection—it was everything. Their relationship had so much depth, and I loved every second of it.

Now, let me just fangirl for a minute because Yoo Yeon Seok. Oh my god, his tears? I’m not even kidding when I say they destroyed me in the best way. This man knows how to pull at your heartstrings like no one else. Every emotional scene was pure magic because of him. I’m officially obsessed and already lining up his other dramas to watch. He’s just THAT good.

The plot itself was so well-crafted. Every character had a role to play, and nothing felt out of place or unnecessary. It’s rare to find a show where everything fits together so seamlessly, but this one nailed it. Every scene and every character added something valuable to the story.

That said, the ending? Eh, not so much. I really don’t think Baek Sa Eon needed to “go missing” just to stretch things out for an extra episode. It felt unnecessary and kind of threw off the otherwise great pacing. And as much as I adore Chae Soo Bin (she’s clearly a talented actress), I have to admit Hong Hui Ju’s cluelessness got a little frustrating at times. Like, girl, please, read the room!

But honestly, those minor complaints don’t take away from how amazing this show was. The acting, the story, the emotions—everything just hit perfectly. I’m in love with this drama and already planning to rewatch it. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re seriously missing out!

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No Drama, Just Thriller (with Makjang Ending)

The overall storyline is good. The pace of the story is quite fast, you can enjoy it since the very first episode. The pace picked up a bit after the phone stops ringing, but you may not notice it since it does not have much difference. You will enjoy more thriller in this show. At first I thought we will get a lot of heartbreaks since Sa-Eon statement about "Call me when there is corpse". I was wrong then. The romance is pretty straightforward, no need any painful flavor of faded or unexpressed love (at least until last episode). The thriller itself does a great job, since I saw a lot of theories appeared prior the airing of each episodes. The return of In-A successfully misleads a lot of audience, since she becomes the first person to side with the main leads. Both lead actors have a quite exceptional performance in this show. Soo-Bin does an excellent job potraying a fragile and vulnerable Hui-Ju, while Yeon-Seok potrays a stiff and strict bureaucrat who doesn't know anything about love and how to love.

Good storyline does not mean it is flawless. Na Yu-Ri does not get a good purpose for second lead, only to complete a second lead love puzzle. On the other hand, it is a bit weird that Sa-Eon keeps allowing Hui-Ju to use the burner phone, even after knowing that it is her behind the blackmails. Sa-Eon is a government negotiatior after all, he must have experience dealing with some threats against the country. However, he somehow fails to notice that the phone maybe hacked or tracked (which is logically, highly possible). On the other hand, I also feel that the killer does not have a really good motive to carry out all of his actions. When Sa-Eon confronts him regarding what he wants, he does not have a clear answer but "I want you to feel the same pain". This makes the killer sounds like a maniac psychopath. However if he is really a psychopath, why it takes so long for him to do this? I get it that he has tried to threaten Sa-Eon earlier, but why suddenly his threats become more successful (even off Do-Jae's plan)? Also the severity of threats those are addressed directly to Hui-Ju is somewhat more dangerous than his threats against his "other enemies", which makes him looks like just crazy about Hui-Ju. There are a lot of bloopers too (shoes, clothes altered, etc). But the biggest one is during the crash scene, Il-Gyeong arrives with her wife and In-A in a car. How is this possible because her wife doesn't follow him to the Memorial Park? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW SA-EON SURVIVES THE SHOT! IT IS A DAMN SHOTGUN FIRED FROM A VERY CLOSE RANGE!!! The last two episodes look like a spectacular show from the main leads with extreme pace and a bit confusing timeline, and more likely just a fanservice. To me, the last two episodes are total chaos.

I learned from Tiktok that this show reproduces a lot of scenes from Queen of Tears. I was on Episode 6 when I know it, and I did not notice it initially. As I was progressing throughout the new episodes, I began to see it, and I feel they take too much similar scenes (Sa-Eon searching for Hee-Ju in the woods, car chase scene with Sang-U, Sa-Eon first lines when he wakes up at the hospital, and some other scenes that I may have forgotten). This drama also makes QoT ending doesn't look very bad. Unfortunately, they don't mimic the strategy of soundtrack placement from QoT.

I still recommend this show. It has an enjoyable thriller, with additional sufficient romance. Yes the story quality has dropped a bit after Episode 10, maybe they actually deserve more episodes to explain everything. But hey, at least there isn't any super-uneccessary conflicts towards the end of the show. I would like to give a solid 9 previously, but the messed up final two episodes and excessive number of bloopers make me rethink about it.

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What a disappointment ! Such an overhyped drama !

It started so well (that "plot twist" ending of episode 1 was especially interesting and intense - I was seated !) and I was quite entertained until about halfway through where it rapidly started going downhill.
As the show progressed, the storyline became more and more unrealistic and the characters' development stayed too superficial. I could barely understand any of their (nonsensical) actions or relate to any of them.
The plot also became so predictable in a very chaotic way (like they were desperately trying to make each new episode more exciting).... until the most RIDICULOUS and UNNECESSARY (and politically shameful) last episode ever.
Btw, have you ever heard of the Republic of Argan... in Africa (obviously) ?!? ;-D

During airing, most viewers were talking non-stop about the main leads' fiery chemistry. Well, I'm not so sure about that, sorry, but I'm pretty certain the only thing that saved this drama is the ML (Yoo Yeon Seok) great acting.
PS: sadly, the second couple (was there even a second couple, really ??) had ZERO chemistry.

At the end, I was relieved it was a short drama.

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Spiderman will have a hard time with this tangled web

Like some other high profile k-dramas of late, I'm in two minds about this show. On the one hand, it totally nailed the romance. It was a slow burn in the beginning but when they jumpstart their relationship it is a sizzler! It hits you in the feels from all directions.

I think they hit the jackpot when they selected the leads for this drama. They really acted their hearts out. Bravo! Their chemistry will keep you warm in the depth of winter. I won't spoil the story because it has a nice twist early on but it has its flaws.

I know you are expecting this as I mentioned my reservations about high profile k-dramas. Namely the A-plot is very manipulative. It is like a piece of art that has been crafted specifically to be seen from a certain angle. If you look from the side then the illusion is broken.

To wit, the show has the ML protecting the FL by taking her away from her dysfunctional family but then spent 3 years treating her like a pariah. I accept his eventual explanation but Korean writers have problems with timescale. When 1 month will do, they'd go for 1 year. In this case we went for a grandslam. Why 3 whole years? Most prison sentences are shorter than that! 3 months is more reasonable. Why labour the point.

When you are dealing with years, other factors comes into play like resentment, despondency and resignation. So he took the FL from an abusive and unloving home and put her into a cold and unloving home for over 1000 days. Yay...?

You can sense the writer-nim micromanaging the plot to be as impactful as possible. Ditto the timing and backstory of the antagonist. Hey, don't looking too closely. This is ART, dammit!

The writer-nim then hit us with the angst bomb. No trope was spared. The mess those families are in will keep a team of therapists employed for years. I know it is part of the overarching plot but it can be overwhelming when twist begot more twists. Secrets are like nesting dolls. You just become numb.

The worse part is after all the pain and suffering, the ML repeated the same mistake. He disappeared for 6 months to punish himself while disregarding the FL's feelings. Of course, she finds herself in a dark, dark place and being tormented continually. Her life effectively grinds to a halt. Is he selfish or clueless? Neither label puts him in a good light.

The heart fluttering scenes after their reunion are major highlights but it is like being given a candy after having to drink a bitter draft.

BTW, I find the made up Argen plot poorly done. It is awkward and unnecessary. I can also see a storm brewing over the fictitious war where 2 thinly disguised middle eastern countries took some Koreans hostage. What is the point of that? It was on screen for 20 seconds but it will haunt them for a long time.

I have no doubt this series will be a huge hit and for good reasons. However, I'm not 100% onboard. There are lots to like but there are also bits that left me cold. On balance, I enjoyed the show and I would have no problem watching a highlight reel of the OTP's romance. That is definitely the glue that held the show together. I would have scored this higher if it is more focused on that. As it stands, it is a potboiler in needs of a script doctor's deft ministration. Peace.

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Amazing - I can't get enough

Final Review after 12 eps:
The last 3-4 eps have completely ruined this drama for me. It was easily 10 stars until that point but the story became very confusing and unnecessarily complicated towards the end as well as rather boring compared to the first few episodes which were all masterpieces, in my opinion. Overall, giving it 8 stars to account for how good it was at the beginning, but the ending really really sucked and let down the entire story.

Original Review after 4 eps: We're only 4 eps in, but this drama has been so incredible so far. Superb acting, a great storyline and a lot of tension. I'm very excited to see what happens next! I have high hopes for this drama!
The FL is absolutely incredible and I love her expressions, the ML is great too, very intense. The story is complicated and greatly complimented by the romance.
I hope to raise my rating even higher as the story expands in the episodes to come! If you like thriller/romance dramas then be sure to give this one a try!

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The Drama That Completely Surprised Me

I have to start by saying this: I was so, so, so shocked that I liked When the Phone Rings. Honestly, I went into it expecting something half-baked. I saw the title, saw that it was only 12 episodes, saw some of the chatter when it was airing, and I was very hesitant. I was almost bracing myself for disappointment.

But oh my word ,this drama really blew my socks off in so many ways.

If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s a mix of What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, Flower of Evil, Reborn Rich, and a bit of Perfect Marriage Revenge. If you liked certain elements from any of those dramas, you’ll probably find something entertaining in When the Phone Rings because it really has a little bit of everything.

What impressed me most was how well-balanced the show was. K-dramas often have a tendency to let one storyline completely swallow the others : the romance overtakes the thriller, the mystery disappears, or the melodrama becomes too much. But this drama kept everything in check. The thriller moved along nicely, the mystery stayed engaging, and the romance… wow.

I was genuinely shocked at how searingly romantic this drama turned out to be. The main couple might honestly be one of the best OTP pairings we’ve gotten in this new wave of mid 2020s K-dramas. Their chemistry was incredible. The drama really leaned into classic romantic tropes ,you know; love confessions, sweeping music, Namsan Tower moments, theme park dates ,all those elements we associate with classic K-dramas from the 2010 era. But it did it with a wink, almost like the show knew exactly what it was doing. I love when a drama is a little bit meta, and When the Phone Rings handled that beautifully.

The thriller and mystery elements kept things exciting too. Some plot developments were predictable, but that didn’t take away from the fun. There was also one villain reveal that genuinely surprised me. I didn’t see that coming at all.

The production also had moments that felt surprisingly cinematic, which added to the overall experience.

Now, to be fair, this isn’t a perfect drama. The political elements were definitely half-baked. The idea of a spokesperson doing some of the things that happen in the show is… let’s just say not very believable. But the drama never pretends to be politically realistic. This isn’t The West Wing. It’s just delivering the beats of a fun, entertaining K-drama and in that sense, it succeeds.

The male lead was one of the best I’ve seen in a while: virtuous, patient, understanding, and quietly self-sacrificing. The noble idiocy trope is there, but thankfully it never becomes unbearable. The female lead is the calm, grounding presence the story needed she is strong without being overly dramatic.

Even the villains were handled fairly well. They weren’t cartoonishly evil, and their motivations had some understandable layers, which I appreciated.

Ultimately, this drama isn’t trying to be profound or socially groundbreaking. It’s simply very good entertainment and sometimes that’s exactly what a K-drama should be.

For me, it sits somewhere between a 7 and an 8 out of 10 objectively. But because I emotionally connected with the characters, rooted for them, and genuinely looked forward to each episode, I’m giving it an 8.5.I had such a great time watching it.

And if you liked dramas like What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, Flower of Evil, Reborn Rich, or Perfect Marriage Revenge, I highly recommend giving When the Phone Rings a chance.

It might surprise you too.

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Most horrible thing I have seen

I started watching this drama because I saw many people talking about how amazing it is and decided to check it out. To say I was let down would be an understatement. From the very beginning, the ML is a complete a**hole and we are supposed to root for the ML and FL's relationship?! I would understand if he was indifferent or cold, but instead, he was straight-up mean. As the drama continued, his character improved, but the same could not be said about the plot. The breaking point is the 12th episode, where the writers just throw the entire plot out the window. The finale is a complete sh*tshow. The ML going to Argan makes no sense, not to mention that Argan is clearly a country in either Africa or the Middle East, while the rebels and children there are blonde, blue-eyed white people?! Also, almost at the end of the episode, they mention Paltima and Izmael (aka we know what) and portray Paltima as the villain, saying that it is the one attacking Izmael, like... If the writers are so incredibly uneducated, they should save themselves the embarrassment, and don't make a show mentioning other countries.

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Not worth watching

The drama started great and was kinda refreshing given the two leads were both from rich families, not poor girl meets rich man kind of, but the drama fell off especially with the last two episodes, what's wrong with karma, having a good beginning but a terrible ending. Their drama is also increasingly toxic, once someone is adopted into a rich family, it's impossible to find love because every rich parent and siblings in kdrama is horrible, while the only people capable of loving their family are the poor ones. I thought they had left this troupe behind in 2012, but here we are. Then the unnecessary plot twist at the end made me like the female lead when she was mute and not talking, I disliked the character so much in episode 12. Chinese drama are better with world building and telling wholesome stories, I hope Chinese pop culture catches on soon and they start taking themselves seriously to kick off kdrama off the global obsession. At least thankfully they didn't portray any African "Aprika" country as a worn torn zone that needed the generosity of South Korea yet again. I'm beginning to think these people are just really toxic in real life like their dramas.

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One of the best kdrama I've seen in a long draught of mid kdramas

Don't get me wrong, every single cliche you know in the kdrama world happened in this drama:
Truck of non doom
Cliff of non doom
Chaebol paternity secret
Secret wife that no one knows
Secret wife that is the LOHL etc etc.

But it was still the best, in that the ML and FL acted out the part so well I forgot I was watching the same thing told in a different way...until I did and found myself cheering it on all the same, and the leads chemistry was 🔥, and after they started dating over the phone, I was officially won over.

Although fictional, this drama and most of the rest I've seen this year (including cdramas) have me seeing how difficult it is to be a woman from another woman's point of view. It looks to me that whatever y'all do invites scrutiny no matter how well y'all do it. Makes me want ask the women around me, 'how're you holding up? Are you okay?'

My hats off to the women who take it in strike and still step out winners at the end of the day regardless, y'all are the real MVPs. See y'all in 2025.

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Unrevealing the mystery

"When The Phone Rings" is a captivating Kdrama that masterfully blends suspense, emotion, and intricate character dynamics. The story begins with the main character receiving a mysterious phone call that disrupts their ordinary life. This call leads them on a thrilling journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. As they delve deeper into the mystery, they uncover secrets that not only challenge their understanding of the situation but also test their relationships.

The chemistry between the characters is palpable, particularly between the protagonist and their closest allies. As they navigate the complexities of the unfolding events, their bonds strengthen, showcasing how trust and loyalty are tested in times of crisis. The interactions are rich with emotion, allowing viewers to feel the weight of their struggles and triumphs.

What sets this Kdrama apart are the numerous plot twists that keep the audience guessing. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a new revelation changes everything. Characters who seem trustworthy may have hidden agendas, and the true motives behind the phone call unravel in surprising ways. Each episode leaves you eager for more, as the tension builds and the stakes rise. Overall, "When The Phone Rings" is a thrilling ride that expertly weaves together a compelling storyline, strong character chemistry, and shocking twists that will keep you hooked until the very end.

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Gripping romance thriller with sublime acting

I was on kdrama slump after disappointment of Dreaming of a Freaking Fairy Tale & Cinderella at 2 AM. On 26 November 2024, I was about to watch cdrama on Netflix during lunch when the trailer of 'When the Phone Rings' automatically played.
Mature looking male lead ✅
Arranged marriage ✅
Thriller ✅
Intriguing...I immediately clicked 'Play'. I was excited for the series!

What I liked:
1. Acting - Sublime acting by Yoo Yeon Seok & Chae Soo Bin followed by supporting cast such as Heo Nam Jun, Han Jae Yi, Yoo Sung Joo, Im Chul Soo, Park Yae Jun. Yoo Yeon Seok was great at microexpressions - just watch episode 6.
2. Romance - I wasn't fond of Baek Sa Eon's frosty attitude towards Hong Hee Jo at first but that facade was lost once he realised he could lose his wife.
3. Voice theme - Both Baek Sa Eon and Hong Hee Joo lost their voice and autonomy at the start of the series. I like that the show their growth and resilience in reclaiming their voice and position within their family.
4. Baek Sa Eon characterisation - He was cold and distant at the start of the series, which turned out to be his defense mechanism against potential threats. I love watching his character growth. One thing is consistent throughout the series: his commitment towards his marriage. There were plenty of shots featuring his wedding ring. Would love to see more of his negotiation skills, which was hinted in the last episode.
5. Hong Hee Joo characterisation - She's soft spoken and dainty but grew stronger once she found convinction. She in a nightgown and being cheeky with Baek Sa Eon was my favourite part of her character.
6. Sign language - It's wonderful to see significant sign language scenes being featured in a tv series. My favourites were 1) when Hee Joo did live sign language interpretation during her interview and when she and Baek Sa Eon used sign language in the lift.
7. Music - 'See the Light' is wonderful song - it's been added to my playlist. I love the score especially the one featured during the rescue.
8. Thriller - I love the thriller suspense elements of the series especially regarding the kidnapper. The shots were gripping!

What I disliked:
1. Argan arc - Hee Joo going to foreign land alone was silly because she didn't have an exit plan.
2. Crime connection - I think the scenes that connect kidnapper to his mastermind and the orphanage were too simplified.

Favourite scene:
Baek Sa Eon-406 caller scene at the end of episode 6

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