When the Phone Rings (2024)

the plot sucks

The plot is built with several levels of complexity, opening many possible doors for the story to develop. But in the end, there are so many doors that got tangled up. A weak story, with 12 episodes that could have been only 8. The main male character starts off with bad and self-centered behavior and later claims that he was like that to defend the female protagonist, but this is done in such an inconsistent way that it seems like a comedy. Don't get me wrong, the actors carried the story, both the main and supporting ones, but the story was poorly written, purposeless, disorganized and shallow.

Read More

For me: best K Drama at the moment

Extraordinary, I watched first 6 Episoden, this K Drama did captivate me right from the beginning until now. The music, the atmosphere, the Plot, the scenes and the great chemistry between the leads. Worth watchable, absolutely. So, do yourself a favor and watch it 😉
It is about the marriage between a politican and his wife, she doesn‘t speak only with sing language. They live in a cold marriage and both hide their true ferlings. This marriage gets shaken up in the moment, when his wife gets kidnapped. The hidden emotions and secrets arise bit by bit. The Kidnapping Story also contains a lot of secrets, the childhood of both mainleads hold a lot of pain. We get to know them better and better, why both mainleads choosed to burry their feelings and I am stunned, when they begin to show them in captivating scenes.

Read More

Love it!

This was one of my favorite shows ever. I know there has been a lot of controversies regarding the last episodes but I genuinely believe that Netflix mistranslated the subtitles. While I agree that even if it was mistranslated, it wasn’t necessary to involved those two countries, I do want to give the writers the benefit of the doubt that it was well intended. It could have been executed a lot better.

All that aside, while the last episode was wild I truly did enjoy it and loved the whole series. The actors, cast and crew did an amazing job. The styling was perfect too. I haven’t had a drama made me feel this way like at all and I’ve been watching kdramas since I was 6, and I’m 25 now. I also don’t rewatch shows but I’ve already started rewatching this.

Read More

Best drama of 2024 hands down ?

I recommend this drama 1000 times. I Never leave writing reviews but this drama actually deserves one. I watch it because I love soo- bin acting since I’m not a robot, watch plenty of her drama, As for yeon seok I started the interest of love because I like Moon ga-young but that drama I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. When the phone rings is a truly masterpiece, I did not know the potential of the drama or the plot very well but I dived in and what a surprise the show hooked me since episode 1. The acting and chemistry of both of the leads got me watching behind the scenes something I usually don’t do as well. The OST is amazing as well. The director, the staff and the rest of the cast did an outstanding work.


Pd: Want to add to my review that i didn’t read the manwha but I do think the last six or five minutes of the ending episode were unnecessary except from their call at the very end and park do-jae comeback but this doesn’t mean I’m going to disregard the actors hard work, when they probably didn’t even know about it, blame the director and the writers. The Argan plot I do understand because he needed to change his name plus in the early episode they mentioned as well. The drama still enjoyable and you can feel how much effort every actor put into it specially the leads.

Read More

Watch the episodes before reading this review it's sooooo good!!!

Mahn oh mahn this drama has got me hooked literally hooked!! Infact I am writing this review out of my frustration for waiting for the next episodes. The drama is sooo good it is a perfect mix of romance, suspense,thriller, action and what not...so stop doubting and give it a chance. It's been soo long since I have waited eagerly for each episode of a drama. Each episode ends in a insanely epic cliffhanger which keeps you on your toes for an entire week. The story is finger lickin good it is I think a romance thriller. The chemistry between the leads is literally chemistrifying ;) Yoo Yeon-seoks performance in this drama is soo gooood that I would watch this drama again just for him. The cinematography, the OST, the supporting actors, direction is all upto the mark. So When the phone rings is definitely a very good watch.
I thank the korean universe for gifting me this wonderful drama to end the year 2024...

Read More

It was close

I really enjoyed this series and waited each week for new episodes to release. The actors did their job well, the story was engaging and had some unexpected plot twists. The last episode was a bit of a letdown for me. It felt very cheesy and forgettable. It felt like 2014 daytime TV. I honestly preferred their relationship earlier in the series. Overall, I don’t think the show was a waste of time, but I do wish it had more of a serious undertone.

To add more to the review, I thought not only the main actors did well, but I thought the actors playing the parents did a great job. Maybe better than the main pair. I thought Chae Soo-bin could have done better; or maybe it was just the writing or directing of her character Hong Hee-joo; it felt very one-dimensional, even with the very clearly two-dimensional portrayal according to the storyline.

Read More

"The call from 406 to 604 "

If you like arranged marriage, hot couple with 100/100 chemistry and most importantly a male lead who would let the world burn for his wife this show is for you :)

Story:
in fact, the story has a cliché
base with some creative points. We've already seen series about two people in love but drifted away because they can't speak their true emotion out and stuck in misunderstanding, but that phone calls were the point and watching how they develop their feelings and relationship through the phone was interesting.
The story also gives the wattpad vibe: hot and cold daddy who is madly in love without showing his true emotion +arranged marriage
Actually it was adopted from a romance novel that turned out into a webtoon and it's obviously have its spice of cliché(but it's worth-watching).
(and god bless the director it's more logical than the novel) I didn't get bored till the last moment.
Talking abt the last episode it can be like two things:
A bonus for us to watch our couple in an action-romance scene that is very hot
a what the hell is happening
(You can choose one of them...
Anyway the ending won't change)

Characters:
YES! finally the male lead we craved for a long time.
Beak sa oun is HUSBAND MATERIAL 10/10. he was madly in love with his wife, protective and  possessive. he was caring so much for his wife that it felt so real.
I felt a little hatred when he said that sentence to the kidnapper but later I found no one could really care abt Hee Joo more than him.

Hong Hee Joo showed 2 sides of her character:
the one was the shy, silent and obedient girl
and the other was the fierce Hong Hee joo (Sa Oun's favorite)
she only needed to be loved and her husband's love gave her enough confidence to develop.

The second couple were cute too and wish we could see more of them. (But the first couple were something else)

MR. KANG was MY LOVE. He was one of the cute and wise charachter in this series. A family teacher for Sa Oun and a cutie pie for us ^-^


Chemistry:
The romance really touched my heart. I could really feel the love between them. The look at love was amazing in both.
Kisses were legendary and on another level. If we had any awards to the best kissers it would belongs to Beak Sa Oun and Hong Hee Joo defiantly.


flows:
drama after drama(read it as trauma after trauma) it became JAJINGNA CHINCHA...why you don't let them sitting 10 minutes with peace and without any accident?
romance scenes were less than we expected (the true ones)
if you search for logic specially a logical wrap up it's not for you.

overall:
Come on!
watch it for the attraction.
It's worth-watching for sure.

Read More

A Tale of Passion and Familiar Tropes

When the Phone Rings is a captivating drama that caters splendidly to aficionados of the romance genre. The sizzling chemistry between the protagonists, portrayed by Yoo Yeon-seok (YYS) and Chae Soo-bin (CSB), is palpable and undeniably a major contributor to the show's widespread acclaim. Their intense emotional connection and palpable yearning for one another follow a well-trodden path that audiences often find irresistible, which has undoubtedly propelled this drama to its considerable success.

Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin deliver stellar performances, breathing life into their characters with an authenticity that makes their romance both relatable and compelling. Their on-screen rapport is nothing short of mesmerizing, a testament to their undeniable talent and synergy.

However, while the romance is undoubtedly the highlight, one cannot overlook the narrative's reliance on clichéd tropes. The storyline, though competently executed, lacks a certain depth and originality, often falling back on familiar romantic conventions. The plot twist involving the mysterious "Argan" subplot towards the conclusion felt overly contrived and, frankly, a tad exhausting to endure.

A recurring motif in romantic dramas—the protagonists' decision to distance themselves for the supposed betterment of their partner—resurfaces here. This well-worn trope, while intended to evoke pathos, often feels counterproductive. It raises the question: is it not more compelling to witness characters confronting and overcoming challenges together, rather than resorting to separation as a panacea?

Despite these narrative shortcomings, the production values of When the Phone Rings are commendable. The casting is impeccable, with each actor delivering performances that enhance the drama's overall appeal. The direction, cinematography, and soundtrack further elevate the viewing experience, adding layers of emotional resonance.

In summary, while the overarching plot may leave some viewers yearning for more innovation, the undeniable romantic tension and chemistry between the leads provide a "feel-good" quality that is difficult to resist. My rating of 8 reflects the enjoyment derived from these elements, even if the story itself falls short of expectations.

Read More