According to Koreaherald, the popularity of the Korean drama “When the phone rings” has led to increased interest in the original web novel and web comic series of the same name produced at the same time.
Kakao Entertainment said that the online novel “When the phone rings” on Kakao Page saw a 14.6-fold increase in sales and a 5-fold increase in views after 2 weeks of its broadcast.
With the heat of the film, a webtoon of the same name is also being produced, achieving a 6.9-fold increase in revenue and a 3.6-fold increase in views.
Previously, many original novels became popular after being adapted into films, including hits such as "Lovely Runner" and "Reborn Rich".
"It seems that viewers are continuously reading web novels and comics out of curiosity about the upcoming plot developments and interest in the original work," said a Kakao Entertainment official.
“When the Phone Rings” also performed well internationally, ranking second in Netflix’s top 10 most-watched non-English-language shows globally last week, despite two episodes being delayed.
This drama revolves around the arranged marriage of the youngest Blue House spokesperson Baek Sa Eon (Yoo Yeon Seok) and mute sign language interpreter Hong Hee Joo (Chae Soo Bin).
The couple was cold for 3 years. But their feelings began to change after Baek Se Eon received a threatening call from his wife's kidnapper.
The show has aired up to episode 5-6. Although the rating on MBC is not too impressive (about 5-6%), the show is a hit on Netflix.
The original novel's author shared, "When writing the story, I wanted to portray a couple in an arranged marriage who never really share their innermost thoughts.
But through harsh circumstances, they realize their hidden feelings for each other. This aspect has been portrayed very attractively in the film".
