When the Phone Rings (2024)

If you’re not watching it now, then when will you???

An enormous fan of Yoo Yeon Seok, I heard this drama was about to air. So, I just casually decided to watch it without even knowing the plot or checking the trailer. Boy, I decided the right thing. This drama keeps you engaged right after it starts. Chae Soobin often keeps low profile in her dramas. But here, ufff the chemistry between the leads is so hot and interesting. Soobin just keeps getting better and better. The story is very interesting with unpredictable characters and the cinematography is so aesthetically pleasing. After each episode, you are only left with one line- When is the next episode coming, I can’t wait. ❤️

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this is why I never pick up unknown calls

The best way to describe When the Phone Rings is "tropey". In a way, it feels like the essence of classic kdramas. The contract marriage setup, the ML's cold and domineering personality, even the way the leads fall in love -- nothing is particularly fresh or new. Still, the writers spun an engaging idea out of a kidnapper's call that had the potential to create a tense, sizzling dynamic between the leads, but unfortunately, this potential was never fully realized.

The fundamental issue lies with the leads. Our FL is void of personality, will, clear goals, basically anything that makes a character a compelling person. Although her actions are consistent with her backstory, it would've made a far more interesting story if the FL were more of a ruthless, decisive character. Instead, we got a passive character with little resolve, little intelligence, and lots of scared expressions. It felt more like things kept happening to her rather than her taking control of the narrative.

The ML is... really something. They really did bring back the classic tsundere trope for him and I was not a fan. He has little personality other than being domineering, although he was pretty good at that. Maybe a little too good. I was kind of fed up with his bitchiness that he later tried to brush off. Like give my girl some free will, please. i.e. He's either inconsistent to an insane degree or has the maturity of a ten-year-old, take your pick.

Put these two together and the sizzling romance you wanted becomes a flat one. Their chemistry in the beginning is basically just Sa Eon: bursts into the room. Hui Ju: looks scared. Sa Eon: walks closer. Hui Ju: looks scared. Sa Eon: gets in her face. Hui Ju: looks scared. Then miraculously, one day Sa Eon wakes up and suddenly decides he doesn't want to be a jerk to Hui Ju anymore. Because he really needed someone to kidnap and threaten her in order to treat his wife with decent politeness. So the hope for good chemistry was already pretty low. But the little chemistry that could possibly have been siphoned out of this setup is completely lost because seriously, no one understands why they like each other. I believe the issue here is also that instead of the characters' actions furthering their relationship and the plot, outside factors and events seem to just be pulling this passive couple around.

The plot itself is not bad. The middle feels both useless and draggy, but the story ramps up near the end. The twists, reveals, and stakes were enough to keep me watching.

BUT FINALLY, the real reason I kept watching through it all! Yu Ri and Sang U. The most adorable second lead couple that has graced the screen. And I say this as someone who has never liked second lead couples. Yu Ri and Sang U, from the get-go, have far more palpable chemistry than the lead couple. Their "overdramatic fl x matter-of-fact ml" dynamic is so cute to watch, and I loved Yu Ri's cheerfulness and Sang U's casual quirks. Props to Sang U's actor, honestly. Did I watch 12 hours of this show for their meager 15 minutes of screentime? Yes, yes I did. Did I add .5 to the rewatch value because I will be rewatching their scenes? Yes, yes I did.

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Merecia mais (tudo!)

Sa Eon e Hee Joo estão em um casamento falso há três anos, sem comunicação, afeto ou parceria, mas isso muda no instante em que um maníaco a sequestra e pede resgate. De primeira, Sa Eon não acredita nas ligações, mas no viva-voz, sua esposa falsa ouve tudo o que ele diz: que não se importa nem um pouquinho e o sequestrador pode retornar a ligação quando ela estiver morta. Hee Joo sai viva com alguns arranhões, mas com o coração lidacerado.

Como uma criança que cresceu em um lar conturbado sendo uma filha sem importância após um grave acidente onde perdeu a voz, Hee Joo manteve-se enclausurada em um mundo de mentiras, sendo preterida e manipulada pela mãe. E mesmo após o casamento, com um pouco mais de liberdade, sua vida ainda é um tormento mesmo vivendo ao lado do homem que ama e não se importa se está viva ou morta.

No entanto, é com o telefone do sequestrador que ela começa a atormentar Sa Eon em todos os momentos que consegue. Ela liga e é apenas assim que consegue ser sincera e dizer tudo o que está entalado sobre como vivem e é colocada de lado. Já seu marido, fica inconformado como o "sequestrador" quer que eles se divorciem, afinal, Sa Eon também tem um cargo importante como o porta-voz da presidência, mas muito segredos que nunca dividiu com ninguém.

É maravilhoso como a Hee Joo no começo parece ser uma mulher tão frágil, e após um evento revelador toma uma coragem nunca antes vista. A dinâmica do casamento era muito estranho, e juro que achei bem esquisito como ela conseguiu se manter calada por três anos dentro de um relacionamento mesquinho com um homem que nunca a ouvia direito, e muito menos se dignou a aprender linguagem de sinais para melhorar um pouco o diálogo entre eles. Isso me deixou muito revoltada com o Sa Eon, ainda mais quando descobrimos como ele é apaixonado por ela.

E isso nem é um spoiler, pois no primeiro episódio já descobrimos como ele é louco pela Hee Joo. Aliás, esse é o plot de todo o drama: como ambos são loucamente apaixonados um pelo outro e se importam muito. E esse sentimento só cresce conforme as intrigas se agravam e o mistério expande. Para o telespectador é um tanto enlouquecedor, principalmente para os que foram acompanhando semana após semana os lançamentos na Netflix, os memes nas redes sociais e as teorias que se revelavam a cada dois novos episódios.

E foi assim que navegamos nos 12 episódios desse drama sul-coreano. Muitos segredos, intrigas familiares, mistérios e um casal que esbanjou química. Sinceramente, achei que tinha muita gente suspeita e poucas revelações no meio do drama; parecia que nada se definia. Foram muitos personagens que não tinham uma índole definida (além da âncora do jornal), todos tinham um mistério em volta, e os personagens principais não tinham pessoas de confiança, um amigo para desabafar ou alguém que servisse de suporte. Eu ficava pensando: "como alguém passa na vida sem uma pessoa de confiança?" Claro, que Sa Eon tinha seus motivos para isso, mas a Hee Joo não.

De forma unânime, eu adorei o casal; aliás, foi a minha coisa favorita no drama inteiro. O modo como se amavam, mas tinham motivos relevantes que os afastavam; os atores que se entregaram de corpo e alma aos personagens nos dando a horna de sofrer junto e torcer por ele; e uma trilha sonora viciante o suficiente para perturbar a todos nas redes sociais.

E fora isso, eu achei o roteiro bem enrolado. O mistério que demorava a desvendar mesmo com a chegada dos últimos episódios, um sequestrador/serial killer bem burro, e muitas cenas dignas de novela mexicana. Eu adoro novela mexicana, e creio que o México faria bem melhor com esse roteiro em mãos. O que na verdade me deixa questionando se esse drama não foi um grande copia e cola da webtoon, e não houve nenhum tipo de adaptação para ficar melhor desenvolvido para a mídia em questão, pois sabemos que algo bom nos quadrinhos não é a mesma coisa para televisão.

Eu odiei o final. Muita encheção de linguiça nos últimos dois epiśodios, merecia um final mais interessante com tomadas de decisões sérias por parte dos personagens principais que sofreram em todos os episódios, a falta de comunicação entre o casal que prevaleceu até o final. Apesar de haver um final feliz até que satisfatório, ainda acho que a Hee Joo e o Sa Eon mereciam muito mais.

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when the phone rings, sometimes you answer and sometimes you just call back later

An interesting premise: a mysterious caller and kidnapper. The phone changed hands.
A ridiculous premise: stand-in, for show marriage (and some, but not all, that followed.)

Chae Soo Bin delivers a particularly strong performance, effectively conveying the escalating tension and paranoia experienced by her character. While Yoo Yeon Seok also delivers a commendable performance, capturing the evolving dynamics of his character, his portrayal may not reach the same emotional depth or range as some of his previous work.
The chemistry between the leads, while present, could have been more pronounced. I didn't feel a strong spark between them as I wanted. Their on-screen chemistry felt a bit subdued, and I found myself wishing for a more intense connection. It felt like something was missing, and it prevented me from fully investing in their relationship.

Let's talk about the 3 years of emotional abuse...
I cannot and will not, no matter the MLs justification, forgive 3 years of emotional terrorism. At best, he was unfriendly to her; at worst he is just a terrible person that deservers no forgiveness for his neglect. I don't know how that can lead to any romance (other than the tired trope of first love conquering all.) His attempted justification is even more stupid. He could have just communicated with her. Their relationship suffered needlessly due to a lack of basic communication skills. Weird how a spokesperson would traumatize his wife with a basic lack of communication.

While the lead performances provide a solid foundation, the supporting cast may appear less developed in comparison. Some secondary characters feel somewhat stereotypical, and their motivations and reactions might seem painfully predictable. This lack of depth in the supporting roles can occasionally detract from the overall narrative flow and diminish the emotional impact of certain scenes throughout the show.

It's worth noting that both lead actors likely did the best they could with the material provided. The writing, although not exceptional, had its moments. The dialogue occasionally felt stilted, and some plot points lacked the necessary depth to fully engage the audience. The narrative could have benefited from a more nuanced exploration of character motivations and a more compelling overall arc. While there were moments of brilliance, the writing ultimately fell short of its full potential.

I think the initial phone conversations were fantastic. 406 should have stayed 406 until the finale (or at least much later in the show). It was really the best part of the show for me. I really wish that it was carried on for a while and was the main premise for unlocking the key relationships and key parts of the mystery. Furthermore, the show missed an opportunity to meaningfully explore the character's selective mutism, which could have significantly advanced the plot. Especially as a juxtaposition between the phone conversations.

Ultimately, it is a perfectly okay show for me (and that is okay.) I am glad I watched it, but don't think I will ever watch it again.

Pros:
• Strong Lead Performances
• The Visuals

Cons:
• Underdeveloped Characters
• Ridiculous Premise

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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 you 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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"Drama When the Phone Rings: Cerita Klise dengan Chemistry Memukau"

Akhirnya, drama "When the Phone Rings" tamat juga! Ceritanya ngingetin banget sama drama-drama khas Indosiar—penuh konflik yang dramatis dan emosional. Tapi, ada beberapa bagian plot yang bikin penasaran, kayak "Siapa sih?" atau "Kenapa gitu?" Jadi, meskipun ceritanya agak klise, tetap bikin betah nonton sampai selesai.

Salah satu hal yang paling oke dari drama ini adalah chemistry pemeran utamanya. Mereka bener-bener cocok dan berhasil bikin penonton ikut ngerasain emosi karakternya.

Sayangnya, endingnya agak kurang nendang. Walaupun begitu, secara keseluruhan drama ini tetap asik buat diikuti.

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I thought this was gonna be part of my top dramas in 2024….

Summary: Happy ending, high on angst, cliche moments, not medically logical

My advice watch until ep 9 and just pretend the rest dont exist. For the first time I feel like I need to divide this review into 2 parts…

Review for first half:
I really clicked in without expecting much cause I just saw it one day on Netflix that a new drama has started. Initially I didn’t want to start it so early cause I prefer to binge watch it but that one clip from the first call made me give in.

I was actually so shocked by the plot and execution. Usually after a few episodes the intensity dies down and we start to predict what happens but wow for this one every call they made every dialogue they had was amazing. Eps 6 contained my most favorite calls. The execution was insane…

YYS and CSB initially I thought their chemistry will be a bit off but omg they are so good. Im so glad the role was given to them because I don’t think we would feel the same way if the acting was not executed to this level. However, I did feel CSB just looked much younger than him but I valued the chemistry and acting more so it was fine.

The second main leads were so cute as well. They tried to steer us away for one episode but the writers brought it back haha…

Review for second half:
Now with all this expectations set from the starting few episodes around ep 9 is where is started to go downhill…

The reveal of the “Teacher” aka mastermind behind all this was really very underwhelming…really barely any impact at all. I expected him to be a smart psychotic villain…in the end he was just fooled chasing after the wrong target all this while.

Now, the kidnapper always acted as if he was under the mastermind’s control. But suddenly once the mastermind was out of the story he became so ambitious and had so many plans to continue the revenge…

Ok all this I can close my eyes and just leave it to my imagination to develop but that ENDING literally what was that. It felt like all the effort put into the front few episodes were just wasted. I really hoped so much that it won’t be a lame ending where there is no justice served and they just kill off the villain…but that’s exactly what we got…another unsatisfactory ending for the villain…the last eps was just so bad it made no sense. Him disappearing okay I give it to him cause he needs to get a new identity. Why did he suddenly go rejoin the forces out of nowhere in a war zone state?? And why did the writers make HHJ go to that state alone in the middle of all the machine guns thinking she can just walk freely in the woods…like seriously I was just so disappointed!!

Basically towards the end that’s when it truly became a wattpad drama. Initially at the start it was still okay but the end really just purely for their romance with no sense in plot.

Really it was such a good opportunity for a clean closure but wasted….

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