“When the Phone Rings” revolves around the arranged marriage between the youngest Blue House spokesperson Baek Se Eon (Yoo Yeon Seok) and mute sign language interpreter Hong Hee Joo (Chae Soo Bin). Their seemingly perfect lives are turned upside down when Baek Sa Eon receives a threatening call from his wife’s kidnapper.
According to Hankook Ilbo, the unique appeal of “When the Phone Rings” lies primarily in its combination of genres. While romance is the mainstay, elements of thriller, mystery, and even action are seamlessly woven into the plot.
Screenwriter Kim Ji Woon has been praised for his ability to combine the emotional depth of romance with the breathless tension of a thriller. Viewers, especially female viewers, find themselves drawn in by the emotional complexity of the main couple.
Director Park Sung Woo was tasked with adapting the content of the web novel into a work suitable for television.
This requires carefully adjusting the content rating of the film, toning down the “adult” elements of the original work, to help the film reach a wider audience, opening the door to viewers from many different age groups.
“When the Phone Rings” has also sparked new discussions about the revival of the Korean melodrama genre, which has been in decline in recent years.
Unlike the classic Korean romance dramas that once dominated television, melodramas that emphasized deep emotional storytelling have begun to fade, as modern audiences turn their attention to lighter, more watchable content.
However, the global success of “When Your Phone Rings” shows a new demand for this type of storytelling. According to Hankook Ilbo, the sudden rise of “When Your Phone Rings” could change production trends, encouraging studios to reconsider the potential of the melodrama genre.
Alongside its popularity online, the film has also faced some controversy. The film's producers were forced to apologize for a scene depicting sign language that was accused of mocking the deaf community.
The show also faced scheduling challenges. On December 6-7, two episodes were canceled due to MBC switching to urgent coverage of the political situation in Korea.
But “When the Phone Rings” is being anticipated by global audiences through the online platform Netflix, so they expressed their indignation, saying that MBC is unprofessional and disrespectful to viewers when it suddenly announced the postponement.
Despite a one-week delay, “When the Phone Rings” still maintained its position as the second most-watched non-English-language show on Netflix globally. When it returned last weekend, the drama’s ratings on MBC rose to 6.9%, its highest since its premiere.
Hankook ilbo emphasized that with its genre-blending plot, attractive cast, and intriguing content, the film not only arouses interest in the genre of films that combine psychological romance with horror and thriller, but also sets a new standard for works adapted from web novels to the screen.
"As viewers eagerly await the next episode, the drama is on track to become one of MBC's most successful dramas this year," Hankook ilbo concluded.
