Adapted from the novel of the same name, the film "When the phone rings" tells the story of the arranged marriage of Baek Sa Eon (Yoo Yeon Seok) - the youngest spokesperson of the Blue House and Hong Hee Joo (Chae Soo Bin) - a sign language interpreter who lost the ability to speak after a childhood accident.
Since its November debut, the series has topped the most talked-about TV-OTT (online) drama charts, made Netflix's top 10 in 78 countries, and ranked No. 2 on the platform's global charts.
Despite the postponement of episodes 5 and 6 last week, "When the Phone Rings" is still in Netflix's top 10 non-English-language TV shows, ranking 2nd globally and holding the top 10 in 48 countries, as of December 11.
In addition to the popularity of the work, Geon Eomul Nyeo's original novel also increased 5 times in reading and sales increased 14.6 times compared to before the broadcast.
The webtoon (web comic) adapted from the original novel also became popular with a 3.6-fold increase in readership and 6.9-fold increase in sales, ranking second in Kakao's weekly romance webtoon category.
Talking about the drama, the novel author expressed his satisfaction: "Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin are 200% similar to the characters in the original novel. Now, when I read the original, I can hear Yoo Yeon Seok's voice. Baek Sa Eon in the drama is even more delicate and sexy than in the novel."
Geon Eomul Nyeo shared that she was very satisfied with the way Baek Sa Eon's cold, calm appearance but deep eyes were portrayed, while Hong Hee Joo appeared as imagined - "a rabbit-like face, a fearful expression, and somewhat clumsy attempts to threaten her husband".
The author appreciated the fact that the film added new characters, not in the original novel, such as Ji Sang Woo (Heo Nam Jun), Na Yu Ri (Jang Gyu Ri).
Details that are not in the original story, such as the female lead's childhood dream of becoming an editor, or the male lead always wearing a wedding ring and drinking the same glass of wine as his wife... also help make the film more seamless and engaging.
"When I wrote the novel, I wanted to portray a couple in a contract marriage - people who never shared their true feelings, discovering their hidden love for each other under harsh circumstances.
When adapted, the drama portrayed this so engagingly that even as the author, I couldn't miss a single episode and became an avid viewer," Geon Eomul Nyeo added.
