Quando o Telefone Toca (2024)

Color me Pink I'm Blushing

Couldn't review this series without starting at the ability the two main actors have at making a kissing scene a lesson in how to do it to make the audiences toes curl By far the most believable kiss scenes just enough and not vulgar I thought that given the premise of the show that for sure it would loose the plot at some point But I am happy to say they kept you guessing intrigued & waiting for the next episode with anticipation Again with the despicable parenting Wow talk about toxic Making your daughter play mute for most of her life & the grandfather killing his own grandson just awful but makes for a killer series Going to miss it!! One critique the mother at the end crying about her son's death is just not pleasant She is not a believable cryer and yelling your cry doesn't make it more emotional just annoying

Leia Mais

It’s not what you say it’s how you say it is something that can be said when you slowly tire of tropes and stories and too often with poor results. And yet, occasionally you come across a story that manages to use these tried-but-true tropes and old soap opera clichés so well that they remind you why these narrative elements have become so widely used and turned into clichés in the first place.

There were a lot of things in When the Phone Rings that usually make me roll my eyes whenever they appear on the screen in romance dramas, like rich evil parents and their twisted family dramas and birth secrets and the like. But somehow the soapy goodness of When the Phone Rings managed to make it all work. A kdrama story about an emotionally stunted rich man and the woman who makes him open up just by loving him, with a dash of family drama nonsense and tropy plot that seems over the top but works so well within the universe that the drama has created.

The story felt airtight and structured where there was always plenty going on and a good enough flow to the story to keep you constantly entertained. There was always a plot twist, something that kept you on your toes, and the chemistry between the paths was so electrifying that you couldn’t look away. You never really knew what to expect.

The emotional weight of the story works well with the suspense. I enjoyed that Hong Hee Joo seemed helpless to the other characters in the drama, and yet the narrative showed her that she wasn’t, she was just trapped. It created such a beautiful contrast and interesting character dynamic, and Chae so Bin was great in this role. To me, this jerk who is the main male character is often in the beginning a double-edged sword. It can be an interesting character, dynamic and fun like the ‘I hate you, but I also adore you’ relationship that you have with that character while they’re opening. It’s become a tired cliché to a certain extent, as many of these characters because the narrative needs them to be, but it doesn’t feel organic, but here I thought it worked really well for the character.

These two characters’ longing for love was palpable, captivating, and addictive. The two main leads have quite a rich inner turmoil that becomes quite intense and addictive to explore as the story unravels and at quite a simmering speed. They are very interesting characters that you can’t help but root for in one way or another in their source of happiness and inner peace.

One of the few minus points I can really give this drama is the second way, which feels way too much filling and doesn’t help much in moving the story forward. If anything, these characters and their story seem to hinder the tension and the pacing of the story. And those secondary characters were just there, if anything. The plot didn’t need them.

Although those characters involvement in the mystery was perhaps because When the Phone Rings is only 12 episodes, and the story here so wants to dwell on the emotions and spark between our main characters and focus on telling that story as kdramas tend to have a slower and more emotional structure in their stories that the current twelve-episode formula doesn’t always allow for. And if so, I think it was the right call because Paik Sa Eon and Hong Hee Joo are the emotional core and focal point of the story and everything else revolves around them.

This drama is such a soap opera but that’s what made it so fun. It takes a bit of a skill to weave together such a story that uses tired and old tropes in a fun way and really leans into the soapy aspects of the old school kdramas while also finding a way to satisfy everyone no matter how long or not they have watched kdramas. Every episode had an intent, or a purpose and it felt like not much time was wasted as the story briskly takes us from one heartfelt moment to another cliffhanger and onwards. And with the exploding chemistry of the leads and the highly dramatic story it was very entertaining and an addictive watch.

Leia Mais

secrets and lies -- a crazy chaebol thriller and star-crossed lovers

An excellent K-thriller w/a contract marriage complicating a truly super chaebol-evil kidnapping, blackmail and murder mystery plot. Fans of the genre will rejoice. I loved it.

The heavy use of text and phone to move both plots along is a brilliant metaphor for the communication problems in the marriage. The tangle of deception and family secrets is a particularly vicious one with one or two good surprise reveals (its pre-produced!); the script keeps it tightly organized. We regular people are still capable of being enjoyably scared and surprised, unlike many jaded reviewers only too pleased to trot out their superior foresight.

Really excellent cinematography throughout, taking full advantage of the excellent settings. Huge empty chaebol apartments contrast with the pleasantly crowded work environments of the couple, and lots of the action takes place outside in an autumnal landscape. The opening scene is of course breathtakingly Bond-ish and I originally hated the contrast with the opening credits' sentimental design visuals and music, but as it turns out, sentimentality wins in the end in the show. The spy-flavor is merely a decorative surface. Although the ML at first looks like a dashing superhero, he turns out to be a much more interesting character, very very introverted and inhibited.

Yoo Yeon Seok, playing Baek Sa Eon, the scion of an important political family, is living a lie; he is a fake son. YYS is incredibly good; what I loved about his tragic yakusa turn in Mr.Sunshine and his sexy chaebol self-assurance in Warm and Cozy is eclipsed by this more mature work.

Chae Soo Bin, playing Hong Hee Joo, daughter of an important media family, is also living a lie; she is a fake mute. CSB's portrayal starts off as an impossibly isolated woman whose controlling and gaslighting relatives have forced her into mutism for over a decade. She communicates by written text and through sign language, and works as an interpreter.

She also believes that her marriage is a fraud and her obligatory 'silence' (by contract) about this subtly isolates her from the 3 lively groups of work colleagues who actually hold her in great affection. She, as it turns out, needs her husband's love to grow in confidence and to express her own needs. He is equally in needs of her affection to break the shell of his false life, so that her clinginess, timidity and weepiness are overshadowed by the ultimate closeness and equality of their emotional relationship.

Highly recommended unless you hate kdrama, in which case it will drive you nuts. On another note having the novel at hand is sometimes a problem -- the husband treats his wife very roughly, whereas in the series he is merely insanely cold. Sa Eon is not a tsundere type, though -- he is actually really scary and sort of threatening in a more classically literary sense -- more like the MLs in Jane Eyre and Rebecca.

ps. I am sure many waited to see if that daring phone sex was going to happen, but then this would have been a very different series!

Leia Mais

so far still PROMISING!!!

this drama is getting better and better!
a lot has happened, romance is blooming, secrets are starting to unravel, and i’m totally seated!

Baek Sa Eon looks cold and stiff on the outside, but his heart is full of warmth for Hong Hee Joo. i was so happy when Hee Joo was looking at the photos taken during the team retreat and realized that Baek Sa Eon was looking at her with such loving eyes all the time. it’s amazing how actors can do that—one moment they show you a cold and sharp gaze, and the next, they give you loving heart eyes.

i really want to commend Chae Soo Bin for her sign language skills. her efforts truly shine through, and it’s clear she put in a lot of work. i’m sure it wasn’t easy to learn and memorize, but she comes across as both comfortable and convincing. i’ve seen a drama before where the male lead used sign language, but it didn’t feel authentic at all. that’s why i especially want to applaud her dedication and performance.

p.s. help, i find the actor who plays Ji Sang Woo so charming…

Leia Mais

This was good TV

I am only going to list out everything I liked about this kdrama. I love the OSTs 'See the Light' and 'Numb'. I loved the cinematography. And all the meaningful details they put in with thought that enhanced the love story, mainly The wedding ring. Great chemsitry between the leads- it was old school electric.

Mostly I loved all the side characters(love to hate the evil Baeks tho But not my Frankenstein's psycho- hes tragic in his own way). They are all well-rounded and I got attached and was so happy the final episode gave every single one(not 'em Baeks) a happy ending. I love how the step-sister turned out to not be nefarious. And I loved how gentle the second leads were and I only wish they had got more screentime both for themselves and to show more their interactions(I wanted to see Sang-woo see the real grown up kidnapper at least once and also meet his No. 1 fan and fellow commiserant Park Do-jae. And for Yu-ri to finally have that long convo with Hee-joo...). The way boundaries were respected and their feelings were dealt with was refreshing. Reporter Jang is the MVP of the drama. Real Sa-eon's actor(Park Jae-yoon) also gets my respect on his brilliant portrayal which made me feel for him and wishes on his future.

More than anything I love, love, love Mr. Kang and Park Do-jae. Together and separately. I love their stupid bromance and every bit of second-hand cringe war over Sa-eon they are in together. I felt sorry for Do-jae after the reveal. And Mr Kang is a pure ray of sunshine and goodwill. And I adore Mr Kang's 🥕 pens.

But most of all I love Hong Hee-joo and her absolute boss attitude. I called her eonni-ya with utmost respect in my mind.

Leia Mais

When Suspense and Romance Collide

is an intriguing drama that captured my attention from the very first episode.

This cleverly written series begins with a series of questions that gradually unravel throughout the episodes. By the final episode, all the pieces fall into place, culminating a beautifully crafted conclusion. I particularly liked how the drama mainted a suspenseful atmosphere while seamlessly weaving in the romance between the male lead (ML) and female lead (FL).

While I was already familiar with the ML and FL from their previous works, I was especially impressed by Yoo Yeon Seok's portrayal of Paik Sa Eon (ML). He flawlessly delivered the wide range of emotions required for his character, making him relatable and compelling. Chae Soo Bin (FL) also delivered an impressive performance. I found her role as Hong Hee Joo particularly challenging, especially in the earlier episodes, but she executed it with skill. The chemistry between Yeon Seok and Soo Bin was undeniable, further endearing their characters, Paik Sa Eon and Hong Hee Joo to the viewers.

The original soundtrack (OST) also deserves special mention. My favorite track is "I Feel it Now" by Whee In of Mamamoo, which added emotional depth to the scenes featuring the ML and FL. Additionally, Yoo Yeon Seok also sang for one of OST, " Say My Name", which showcase his versatility.

Overall, is a must-watch drama that masterfully combines suspense, romance, and stellar performances to create a very great drama.

Leia Mais

A Tale of Two Families

Somewhere inside this melodrama is an excellent story about two people who have trouble communicating with each other and their journey to overcome all and finally open up to each other honestly. The use of the phone calls, sign language and other motifs help to tell this story in a creative away.

What is more difficult to achieve in this drama, and where I feel things fall apart a bit especially towards the end, are the more classic drama storylines involving two powerful families with dark secrets and the triller/kidnapper psychotic son. The story simultaneously feels over-bloated and too simplistic - something about the story just does not work by episode 12. However, this is primarily a romance tale, and the superb performances of the cast, particularly Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin as the leads carries the drama to a solid ending.

Leia Mais

Simply a must watch drama

I won't try to spoil anything but I'll say this. It's a crazy show. Don't expect it to make any sense but it has the ability to hook you and keep you wanting more and more. The acting is gold, the chemistry is overflowing, the music is awesome - especially Lim Hyunsik's See The Light ( got it playing on repeat) and the story? The story is bonkers but I love it all the same. Every bit of it. Can't get enough. Just wish Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin would be cast together in another project. So go ahead and watch the show and allow yourself to be swept away. But before that, shut down the logical part of your brain 😂. Happy watching.

Leia Mais