Yoo Yeon-seok (left) and Chae Soo-bin play the lead in the series. Photo: Handout
The growing popularity of the drama series When The Phone Rings has led to a surge of interest in the original web novel that inspired it and the simultaneously produced webtoon.
The eponymous web novel on Kakao Page saw its sales increase 14.6-fold and its views grow five-fold following the drama's premiere, according to Kakao Entertainment. The data compares the figures 14 days before the drama's premiere (Nov 8-21) and the 14 days that followed (Nov 22-Dec. 5).
The webtoon, created alongside the drama and launched in advance, also saw significant growth, with revenue increasing 6.9 times and views rising 3.6 times.
Original web novels have often gained renewed popularity after their drama adaptations, as seen with hits like Lovely Runner and Reborn Rich.
"It appears that viewers are binge-reading the web novel and webtoon out of curiosity about the upcoming plot developments and interest in the original material," said a Kakao Entertainment official.
The drama is also performing well internationally, ranking second on the list of Netflix’s global top 10 non-English language shows two weeks ago.
The romance thriller follows Baek Sa-eon (played by Yoo Yeon-seok), a rising politician, and his wealthy wife, Hong Hee-joo (played by Chae Soo-bin), who has lost her voice and uses sign language.
After entering an arranged marriage, the couple barely communicated for three years. But a threatening phone call sets off a chain of events that leads them to confront their unspoken truths and hidden emotions.
Six episodes of the 12-episode series have been released so far. The drama airs on MBC on Fridays and Saturdays, and is also available on streaming platforms Wavve and Netflix.
"When writing the story, I wanted to portray a couple in an arranged marriage who never truly share their innermost thoughts, only passing along others' words. But going through extreme circumstances, they come to recognise their hidden emotions for each other," said Geoneomulnyeo, the writer of the original web novel.
"This aspect has been so compellingly portrayed in the drama." – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
Posters for the drama adaptation of 'When The Phone Rings', its original web novel and webtoon. Photos: MBC, Kakao Entertainment)
