When the Phone Rings (2024)

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 !

Lire davantage

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

Lire davantage

Great Construction, Tragic Outcome

The show as a whole is excellent, with a strong narrative, engaging characters, and well-paced development throughout most of its run. However, the last 3-4 episodes leave much to be desired, suffering from poor and rushed storytelling. There were numerous intriguing directions the story could have taken, but instead, the writers opted for a nonsensical war plot that feels out of place and disconnected from the themes established earlier. This choice not only undermines the emotional weight of the series but also feels like a missed opportunity to deliver a more meaningful and satisfying conclusion.

The subplot involving his family, which could have added depth and complexity to the story, also feels hurried and underdeveloped. It seems as though the writers were trying to tie up loose ends too quickly, resulting in a lack of nuance and emotional resonance. Additionally, the repeated focus on her fear of losing him, while initially compelling, is overused to the point where it loses its impact. What starts as a heartfelt and relatable concern eventually becomes tiresome and fails to evoke the same emotional response as it did earlier in the series.

Overall, while the show excels in many areas, the shortcomings of its final episodes detract from the overall experience. A more thoughtful and cohesive conclusion could have elevated the series to an even higher level, leaving viewers with a lasting impression. Instead, the rushed and inconsistent ending leaves much to be desired, making it difficult to fully appreciate the brilliance of the earlier episodes.

Lire davantage

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….

Lire davantage

My new addiction

This drama just makes me stay excited for every ep. the acting is great and the cast is my fav actors and actresses. the story and the tension is top tier. we got one of the best chemistry in 2024 series here. love the ost and I keep listening to it on repeat, it is amazing. love everything till now and I hope it remains great till the last. I wish I had waited for all the eps to start watching because now I have to wait every week and it's tourturing I can't wait to see the next eps. really this year is full of amazing drama and this one might top them if it goes as great as now till the end

Lire davantage

De mis favoritas

"The Number You Have Dialed" me pareció una joya dentro de las historias de amor contemporaneas. La conexión entre los protagonistas es increíble, tan real que te hace sentir cada momento como si lo estuvieras viviendo. Los actores lo hacen perfecto, transmiten tantas emociones que es imposible no encariñarse con ellos. Los diálogos son lindos, a veces graciosos o profundos, pero siempre te llegan al corazón. Y todo está tan bien filmado que cada escena se siente como una postal.
La historia avanza sin aburrirte, con momentos que te tienen al borde de la sila y otros que te sacan una sonrisa o hasta una lagrimita. Sin embargo, el último capítulo me dejó algo agridulce. La parte en la que él decide alejarse para "proteger" la relación o darle espacio a su pareja me pareció un poco innecesaria. Después de todo lo que habían pasado juntos, ese giro se siente forzado, como si buscaran añadir drama donde ya no hacía falta. No digo que arruine la serie, pero creo que podían haber cerrado esa parte de una manera más natural.
A pesar de eso, el final logra rescatar todo. Te recuerda por qué te enganchaste desde el principio: por esos personajes que tanto querés y por cómo manejan los temas de amor y sacrificio.

Lire davantage