When the Phone Rings (2024)

A Masterpiece of Suspense, Emotion, and Stellar Performances

When the Phone Rings is an absolute gem that deserves every bit of praise it gets. From start to finish, this drama keeps you on the edge of your seat, blending suspense, mystery, and heartfelt emotions seamlessly.

The storyline revolves around an arranged marriage thrown into chaos by a chilling kidnapping threat, and it masterfully unfolds into a rollercoaster of emotions. The tension is palpable, and every episode leaves you wanting more, with cliffhangers that are brilliantly executed.

Top-Notch Performances -
Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo-bin deliver career-defining performances. Their chemistry is nothing short of magical. They bring such depth and authenticity to their characters that you feel every ounce of their fear, love, and determination. Watching their relationship evolve under life-threatening circumstances was a highlight of the drama.

Gripping Plot and Pacing-
The plot is airtight, with twists and turns that you won’t see coming. The suspenseful moments are balanced beautifully with emotional depth, making it much more than just a thriller.

Emotionally Resonant-
Beyond the thrilling plot, this drama is deeply emotional. It explores themes of trust, love, and resilience, making it easy to connect with the characters on a personal level.

Memorable OST-
The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful, adding layers to every scene and staying with you long after the drama ends.

When the Phone Rings is a perfect example of how a drama can be both entertaining and deeply impactful. It’s not just a show; it’s an experience. The intricate storytelling, combined with the powerhouse performances and gripping suspense, make this drama an unforgettable journey.

Whether you're a fan of thrillers, romance, or just excellent storytelling, this is a must-watch. It’s no surprise that I rate this a 10/10 – it's simply flawless.

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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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It starts with a situation, then becomes a story.

I knew that they only have 12 episodes, so the show will be fast paced. But this one really didn't give me enough time to breathe. The first half of episode 1 is all about world building. And they delivered it really well. They give all information in just the first 30-40 minutes, The personality, the couple relation, and the side characters. Thriller shows usually use hooks, to make the story more thrilling, but they used conflicts. As every episode you definitely will be conflicted.
Let's talk about it's negative first,
The only thing I want to complain about is its lazy screenplay in the finale episode, the scene holds too much information the whole Argan sequence needs to be stretched, to understand it in more depth.
Now it's positive,
1. Having a mature approach in the direction, of how they developed the understanding, after resolving all the miscommunication and misunderstandings between them.
2. Acting, All actors did an amazing job in portraying their role. Yoo Yeonseok and Chae Soo Bin you guys proved You are the best choice for this role. The one gem whom I wanted to highlight is our Kidnapper Park Jae Yun you deserve all the praise, The way you adapted your character was amazing. Same with all the senior experienced actors less screen time but huge impact.
3. The chemistry between the leads is amazing as in the first half there was zero lines between them it was one side conversation, still they managed to show that chemistry....
4. The thing I liked the most is that they didn't add too many unnecessary supporting characters in the plot, also the amount of screentime they gave to second leads is decent. Because half of the dramas in 2024, second leads were the highlight of the show and got more praised than the main leads.
5. The technical aspects of the show the sound design, cinematography, OST's were amazing. The OST made the scenes 10× better.
6. The last but not the least is a well written villain, Believe it or not the writing of Villain is 100% perfect. A psychopath who likes to play with peoples life by killing them, He gets thrill from doing that. But in Heeju's Sa Eon (Baek Yu Yeon's) case the whole situation is different.
Psychopath accomplished what He longed for He wanted to ruin Baek Yu Yeon and He accomplished that not physically but mentally this time. He made Baek Yu Yeon lose his mind that he stopped thinking rationally and started being dumb and acting cowardly.
The Romance of drama is divided into 4 parts
From Suspenseful/Thriller Romance, The starting of everything where the initial stage of the caring nature of Baek Sa Eon first appears.To slow burn which unfolds gradually, with the characters moving from emotional distance and mistrust to connection and reconciliation over time. To the psychological where romance emerges as a product of healing and understanding, with characters emotional states, traumas, and inner conflicts. To mature phase, where narrative focuses on a marriage rather than a budding love story, emphasizing the complexities and struggles of maintaining and rediscovering love in an established relationship.
Its not a perfect but a good show you can enjoy, it'll entertain you. And will not make you bore...

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Came to see Tsundere Yoo Yeon Seok ended in a total Makjang style

It is a drama that fills in almost all wattpad / manhwa plots that is Everyone's guilty pleasure. Don't deny it!! I'm as equally charged kkk. So, those of you contemplating whether to watch or not, I think you got your answer from the first line so stop looking for whole reviews and just start watching the drama. PS. They had really passionate kisses and warm hugs in this drama. Made me feel single af : (
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Now, I really liked this drama in the beginning, plot was intense and it was just all guilty pleasure so no need bring out logic here. Anyways logic and the characters' judgement flies out of the window in the second half of the drama.
Though the repetition of the flashbacks did make it annoying that I kinda did skip 10 secs ahead. But it wasn't as bad as how we ended up in the made up Argan xD. It was soooo unnecessary, I get it, you wanna keep it as close as to the webtoon but still, We didn't need the Argan place for them to make out!!! Honestly, They could've just skipped those parts and given us some more role playing, lovey- dovey stuff but we ended up getting some bland, BS out of the world minisub- plot. Tsktsktsk.
Their acting was top notch, I loved the MLs chemistry, the supporting roles were also great with right amount of comedy, care and love. I loved Baek Sa Eon, just my type of tsundere who melted into a puppy.
But I knew the drama won't move ahead if they didn't bring in the makjang so only that would explain Baek saeon . Overall I really enjoyed it and I will rewatch some clips from this drama and I don't think I'll forget the phrases Unnie~aa~ or 406.

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An overall entertaining experience for what it is

I just want to preface this: I am by no means an expert on dramas. I don't write reviews, nor am I overly critical on what I watch. If I like it, I like it. THIS one got me to write a review only because it had the potential to becoming one of my top dramas (I mean honestly speaking it still is but I'll get to that).

My ratings for dramas usually stem from my overall enjoyment and how invested I am in the plot and characters, as is with most people. WTPR had me interested from episode 1 and I was glued to my seat since then. Full send binge all the way through. It didn't feel like a chore to watch. It wasn't the most groundbreaking thing but I thought the concept was fresh and I absolutely loved the leads and their chemistry. Piece of Your Mind put Chae Soo Bin on my radar and I loved her role in this one as well. It had over-the-top drama cliches and tropes but I didn't mind it all cause it felt like an exaggerated soap opera where so much was going on I was just like "yeah give me more of this unrealistic train wreck, I'm locked in." The acting and production were great and I completely understand why Yoo Yeon Seok got nominated for an award cause one of his scenes is in my top 5 performances for me out of all the dramas I've seen.

Now the reason why I mentioned this HAD the potential to be one of my top dramas is the conclusion... I have no clue why it went down the route it did but man, they absolutely overcooked it in my opinion. It's like when you're cooking and following a recipe and then you suddenly start deviating from the recipe. You start adding in ingredients that you FEEL would elevate the dish but it just ends up becoming worse. Some people might have differing opinions on this but I think it's completely fine to leave loose ends with the plot as long as it doesn't shake up the pacing and narrative too much. It wasn't horrible by any means, but it just ended up feeling emptier than it should've been cause it felt like they were shoving the drama out the door.

In the beginning, I felt that this heavily benefited from the 12 episode format but now that I've finished it, I think the standard 16 would've been way better with the route that the writers and producers decided to take in closing it out. I appreciate that it didn't drag out, but in this case the runtime felt like a double-edged sword. With that being said, I still rate this so highly because I enjoyed the hell out of it (but also I'm basing this out of how I've rated the ones I've seen, so others might not consider this to be as high as 9/10). Do I wish some things could've been done differently? Clearly. Would I recommend this one? I would. For what it presented itself to be, I got more than I bargained for.

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not totally enemies to lovers?? MY FAV

WOW!!! YAY!! This is over omg. The beginning eps of this had me HOOKED holy jee. The enduring plot, the plot twist of heejoo being able to talk, WOWOWOWOWO!!! Omg and the TENSIONNNN AND YEARNINGGGG!! Much needed… esp over the phone & sa eon flirting. I LOVED IT. COLD GUYS W WARM HEARTS>>>>!! Omg these two went through it … my lord. the first half of the show i liked better. but then the whole murderer shit was batshit crazy. like HOW COULD U LET HIM GET AWAY WITH ALL OF THAY. and i don’t understand the president dad guy letting him out. and like UGH! how does he keep getting free. the mom is FOUL!!! but i love how each of the enemies all have a morally gray backstory that made them into the monsters they are currently… my golly. but awesome story!!

HATED. Absolutely HATED sa eon leaving like😭😭😭😭😭😭😭after ALL YALL WENT THRU. and you LEFT??? What the eff… that was so unrealistic to me cuz he would not keep her out of his sight. disappearing is stupid . ugh. i hated that. but afterwards was cutie. minus points for that god damn. but beginning backs it up.

NOW TO THE MAIN EVENT: YURI AND SANGWOO. oh my god. this side couple was EVERYTHING TO ME. I KNEWWW they were gonna be together from the beginning. ugh they rly compliment each other sm. love yuri she was so cutie. omg watching the progression of the couple… so cute. i replayed the CRUMBS this drama gave me of them like 30 times. no joke. WHY ARE ALL THEIR MOMENTS JUST PLOT FILLERS??? LIKE???!???? ugh. i rly rly wish they had more cutie scenes. CUZ jumping from flirty and cutie to ENGAGED is crazy😭😭😭no kiss no nothing. UGH PLSSSS IM STARVING FOR MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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When the Phone Rings" is a gripping drama that combines mystery, emotion, and suspense in a way that feels fresh and captivating. The acting performances are stellar, with each cast member bringing depth and complexity to their characters. The direction and cinematography are polished, creating an atmospheric tension that keeps you hooked.

What truly stood out for me was the emotional undertone woven throughout the story—it’s not just about the thrills but also about the human connections and decisions that shape the characters' lives. The pacing is solid, although a couple of episodes felt slightly dragged.

Overall, this drama excels in delivering a unique blend of suspense and heart. It's a must-watch for anyone who enjoys thought-provoking, edge-of-your-seat storytelling.

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Dysfunctional marriage with all the kisses

No major spoilers:
That is so satisying. When The Phone Rings' premise needs a LOT of suspension of disbelief...but who cares right? Those kisses(omg!) alone make it all worth it. We get a delicious male lead, a heroine we can root for, an 'it's complicated' marriage in the midst of it all, with a bit of psycho killer mystery and endless taboo family secrets thrown in.

Yoo Yeon Seok's looks are not typically what I go for as male lead, but he is amazing as Paik Sa Eon, who is the epitome of what all kfangirls go weak for---dashing 24x7 in a suit, each strand of hair meticulously arranged, so competent, ruthless, and unbothered, until you threaten his wife (yup, the one he's supposed not to care for). Then he goes all bonkers. Chae Soo Bin equally embodies vulnerable yet strong-willed Hong Hee Ju well, whose life has all been about sacrifices because of her selfish mother.

Someone likened this couple to the Flower of Evil dynamic, and I see the likeness. There's something delectable about watching a dysfunctional marriage, where they clearly care about each other, but all the secrets and miscommunications are on the way.

Spoilers
Where else can you see a distant couple who can only communicate their deepest secrets and repressed feelings behind a kidnapper's burner phone? Where a wife blackmails her husband to divorce her for 20 billion won?

I like it that Paik Sa Eon doesn't dwell too much on his hurt on Hee Ju's betrayal, he knows he wronged her a lot too, and he understood right away the reasonings behind her actions. Oftentimes it's easier to communicate behind the phone, things we cannot tell the other in person, and it was wondrous to see these two slowly fall more for each other as they open up their feelings.

Since childhood, Sa Eon found a kindred state with Hee Ju, amidst all the affluence surrounding them, they felt suffocated in a gilded cage, living a life forced upon them. There were probably some shortcuts so the story can fit into 12 episodes, so now I'm excited to tackle the webtoon and the source novel material. But undoubtedly, this is an easy recommendation, for those looking for a different spin on the 'dysfunctional marriage' trope, which I'm getting way addicted to.

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An intense thriller/romance drama with perfect chemistry between the leads

*** SPOILERS ALERT*** (review re-upload)

For starters, I don’t gain anything from defending or throwing shade at this drama, and I don’t have the egocentrism to think that I know better than anyone else on the subject. So, I will first give my honest opinion on the controversy with the last episode before commenting on anything else.

When I watched episode 12 yesterday, I was taken aback by the countries names that are 100% a reference to the conflict between Isreal and Palestine. I guess it makes sense for the drama to use references to war because of the news coverage background and the beginning of the drama in which the ML reports on a hostage situation executed by a terrorist organization. Well since he’s the spokesperson of the presidential office, it’s clear that covering such a theme is realistic. BUT was it done well? Honestly, I don’t think so… When I was watching the breaking news scene of the conflict in the last episode, I understood that the fake Palestine retaliated on the fake Isreal because the later took some people hostage, so I guess it makes the fake Isreal the bad guy but I only read the English subtitles so I can be mistaken. Honestly, they should have chosen entirely different names for this fake conflict, and I don’t even understand how they didn’t think one second that this would create outrage (understandably so), especially nowadays with kdramas being very popular with international viewers. All in all, I don’t think the show supports genocide in anyway, but it is such a sensitive and hurtful topic for many people that this kind of outcome was to be expected. (This is only my two cents on the subject, for what it’s worth.)

I will now write what I liked and disliked about the drama:
Liked:
- First and foremost, the chemistry between the leads was phenomenal!! They were the backbone of the drama and honestly without them, it wouldn’t have been the same. The tension, pining and caring coming from the leads are simply perfect. It also felt very mature, and I’m glad they chose YYS as Baek Sa Eon because I simply can’t think of any other actor who could have embodied this role as well as he did. For being an ex-war reporter to being the spokesperson of the presidential office (and many other things in between), he totally had the charisma and maturity to take on this difficult role. Also, I’m just going to say that casting an “older” actor was the perfect choice, because I couldn’t imagine taking seriously a younger guy having so many responsibilities while looking 20 at most. For the FL, CSB was also very convincing as Hong Hui Ju, at first a timid and gentle woman that gradually learned to gain confidence and use that to protect her loved one(s). Unfortunately, I don’t know a single thing about sign language, but I feel like she did a great job in this aspect. Furthermore, their relationship kinda reminded me of the main couple in Flower of Evil, only with a little less trauma maybe…? I think if you liked Flower of Evil, you could also like this drama, it’s just much heavier on romance than Flower of Evil so keep that in mind! I also really liked the “second couple” if we can call them that, sadly we didn’t get much of them as a couple, but they were still cute and interesting together. I was so glad to see HNJ here, because he made quite an impression on me when he acted as a soldier in Sweet Home lol.
- The mystery aspect was done very well in my opinion, even if some plot twists were quite obvious but it seems like the writers wanted the viewer to follow along so it’s not necessarily a negative point, just don’t expect to be mind-blown every 10 minutes and you’ll be fine!
- Acting wise, the main villain was also very good! Kudos to the actor because it didn’t seem like the easiest performance to be both menacing and still have a personality other than “I’m the big villain hahaha”. His backstory was interesting, and I guess somewhat believable, in kdrama world at least. The second supporting role that I particularly liked is Park Do Jae, the assistant/confident of Baek Sa Eon. He didn’t have the opportunity to show a lot of different expressions in this drama, but when it was done, it was done extremely well. I hope to see more of him in the future!
- Some cliché tropes were used, like in most kdramas honestly, but in a refreshing way. For example, there was a mini love triangle (Ji Sang U had a crush on Hong Hui Ju for a long time) but fortunately they didn’t present him as an obstacle in the leads’ relationship. On the contrary, it was pretty obvious early on that he would be a romantic interest for Na Yu Ri, the news broadcaster. I was also glad that they didn’t make the character of Hong In A, Hui Ju’s older sister, a villain or a jealous SFL for no reason other than to create another obstacle between the leads. The writers also used the childhood connection trope, but it was necessary for the story to develop as it did. I only whished we were shown more of their relationship as children, because he liked her since forever and I think they should have insisted a little more on this connection, to make the following events more believable but I guess time was limited, with only 12 episodes in total.
- The OST was great! It complimented the story very well and added to the tension and mystery surrendering the characters. I found the cinematography a little less impactful than the OST, nevertheless it was still a joy to watch each individual episode.
- Overall, a satisfying and happy ending, I’m not going to say too much about it, but I especially loved the final scene between the leads.

Disliked:
- Obviously, the last episode, with the mention of the “fake” conflict that I addressed in the beginning of this review.
- Overall, ep11 and 12 felt very rushed. Mainly because the Argan arc felt a little bit out of place. To be honest, when I saw the FL in the middle of the jungle with a scarf around her head like Gaby from Desperate Housewives trying to be incognito, I couldn’t help but laugh a little. All that was missing from her attire were black sunglasses to complete the look lol. Also, she was kidnapped AGAIN, and of course the ML had to save her AGAIN. The following scene was satisfying enough (the black attire was definitively a dream come true) and their reunion was definitively heartfelt and very heart fluttering, but the context around this event wasn’t well executed/well brought up.
- I also couldn’t really believe the fact that the ML would disappear like a ghost for 6 months without explaining his reasons to the FL… They learned to communicate with each other on this difficult journey and so his disappearance felt very out of place, because even if he could feel guilty about his father’s past actions, the FL already knew and didn’t find it a dealbreaker. So why punish her also? At the very least, he should have made himself clear and reassured her that he just wanted some time to sort himself out before returning to her.
- The final confrontation with the villain wasn’t perfect either, like let’s be real, couldn’t he run him over with the car instead? But at least, the ML wasn’t shot like I expected for a hot second, I even thought for a moment they would resort to the amnesia trope to occupy the last episode but fortunately (I guess?) they didn’t go down this treacherous road.
- Finally, I don’t understand the “redemption arc” of Hui Ju’s mom. Excuse me but if I remember correctly, her mom clearly wanted her to die after the accident, so to say that the only thing she wished for her in the end was a better life is completely nuts to say the least. The writers just wanted to throw in the mix a happily ever after where all is forgiven, and all is good again… That was not necessary at all in my opinion but I’m nitpicking at this point.

So I think that’s it for me and my “review”. I wanted to make it a little shorter, but this drama is obviously a new favorite for me, and I will surely re-watch it again one day. Is it a masterpiece? Not really. Was it realistic? Absolutely not. Entertaining? Heck yes!! In short, give it a try if you are in the mood for leads with incredible chemistry engaging in a palpitating journey of self-discovery and thrilling romance, with a good dose of mystery and a lot of secret pining added to the mix.

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Unheard Love!!!!

My god I was really Excited when I saw the Trailer but Again I thought I will Binge Watch it after all episodes are released but of course , It is not Possible and I started watching it and I literally waited for every episode and It was worth it . The characters of Dramas and their acting were very good and The persons who I thought would mess up the Story for Main leads were Hee Joo's Senior brother ( Heo Nam Jun ) and her sister(Han Jae Yi) but turns out that they are very cute and supported her in every single way possible and I should not forget Jang Gyu Ri she is dumb but beautiful and cute here , I liked Sa Eon's secretary a lot but it turns out that he had something to do with Kidnapping and Etc , Even though it was a misunderstanding but I liked the ending with him .
Overall it is a drama where it has thrill plus Love . I think every one will Enjoy It.

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