Great Chemistry directed/presented badly
Their chemistry was just off the hook. That first kiss oh my gosh... BUT there was a big problem. The way they edited, and presented the story was just the worst. The transitions from one scene to the other were choppy at best and made no sense. They would just cut conflicts in the middle and go to another scene, especially after leaving us on a cliffhanger in the last episode.They kept putting touching scenes that would have been important at the moment to be shown as memories later on. But then, at the time, they didn't show us, the viewers, that it had happened and just chopped it to a different scene. So we were left wondering whether the situation was fixed or not.
Things that should have been drawn out like a panic attack the Main Leads we're having would just abruptly cut to them waking up the next day as if nothing happened. Also, not only chopping the scenes but chipping full episodes into these 30-minute chunks just ruined it for me and made it feel tiring.
I generally like when they get over conflicts quickly and don't linger in them, but this drama made conflicts into a joke by making them irrelevant and like they never happened 30 minutes later.
The only reason I gave it a 6.5 and not a 5 or 4 was because they really did show tons of couple time. Tons of times of them being together and loving each other and progressively changing. The end left a smile on their face and I was happy for them. But the director or whoever chose to present this story this way did a horrible job.
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I'm glad I stuck with it.
Forest is an interesting cinematic story. The backdrop of the forest was a feast for the eyes. The story started a bit awkward for me but I think that is because the characters were a bit polarising.I think everyone did a good job in acting. But I think I have an unfair bias against Jo Bo Ah. I don't know why, but I find her unlikable at the start of her dramas. And because of this I have trouble watching her. It's not logical so this is no fault of the actress who is skilled, beautiful and redeeming by the end of the drama. What I will say is she does a good job of embodying a character so that I almost don't recognise her.
I love Park Hae Jin. Have since Man x Man, the Cheese and the Trap and many other dramas. I guess my bias for him is the opposite of how I feel about Jo Bo Ah. But he fits this role nicely as the morally ambiguous lead. He's had more practice.
I started this drama months ago and could only watch one or two episodes at a time. But I didn't hate it. I liked what I was watching but I could only watch so much before I would quit. It was like this up until episode 12, when I found myself addicted and falling for the leads and being drawn deeper and deeper into the story.
I don't want to spoil it for viewers, but things are not what you would expect and yet there are a lot of common tropes in kdramas. It's kind of a nice blend. The romance of this story is of the love / hate / love variety. So you need to brace yourself to their sweet and sour relationship. But they are couple who know they are cheesy so I didn't mind it.
If you have some patience and love scenic greenery I think you will enjoy this drama, it really does get better over time.
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Good drama to watch for natural lovers
I'm not a person who writes reviews for dramas.But this drama made me write it!.The main reason I watched this was for park hae jin. But this was awesome.Many people might find this drama boring and many might have dropped it. But for me it was good one. For nature lovers it will be a nice watch.Such a refreshing drama...From mesmerizing beauty of nature to bitter truth of reality.
Unique storyline which revolves around a forest and incidents happened there.
It starts from heart fluttering romance between the leads which was so amusing... Maybe you'll feel it's kinda slow but story progressed with the secrets of the forest interestingly and keeps curious and ends in a little dramatic way.
Park hye jin and Jo bo Ah, both did really well and looked amazing together and their romance and characters too admirable.
It really feels so good and refreshing while watching this drama also because of the beautiful sceneries of forest and to get to know about what happens there in reality.
Such a different drama and yet worth watching.Must watch.💯😊
THE OSTS WAS AWESOME 😍
THE LEADS WAS NICE.
NICE CHEMISTRY 👍
IT IS GOOD DRAMA.
GIVE IT A TRY!
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This review may contain spoilers
Completely forgetful show
God, I wanted to love this show. The ML and FL are some of my favorite actors. "From now on Showtime" is my most rewatched show, ever. The usual magic they both bring to their projects wasn't here, though. This drama surprisingly doesn't suffer from bad tropes,. Rather, it has horrible direction and writing. I mean it, it truly seems to have junior-high-level writing. The worst part is that the translation is bad. And I mean bad. In one episode, there is a tragic accident involving a rescuer who loses his leg. Three different translations state that he DIES. So normally, this wouldn't be the show's fault, right? Well, to make it worse, the FL has a panic episode. She runs into the hospital lobby after being unable to save the patient's legs and collapses in front of the ML. He then picks her up. This gives the original translation an incentive to make the reader believe that she lost the patient. Why does this matter? Well, for one, this is the first show to truly show just how bad a messed-up translation can ruin your experience and the entire story itself. So, when you have writing and direction that also confuses the audience, it's an absolute disaster.Another reviewer said that so many things seem unrealistic in the show. And I honestly agree. There are many examples. For one, the fact that the ML decides to join the rescuer team despite having his job of acquiring assets for his CEO, either land or property. While his job title is never stated, he's called the director. Basically, his job is like Edward Lewis from Pretty Woman. Naturally, the writers think it makes sense to turn him into a sort of fireman so he can better access the land he wants his company to acquire. The problem is how unrealistic it all seems and plays out. How about the romance? The FL lead literally just says, "Let's date." Simply because they end up in a common board house, stuck together. Which, btw, isn't revealed to be part of the hospital director's property 3-4 episodes after they both start living there. And because of the writing, nothing feels natural. There is no chemistry. Physically, they are a match. But the writing is bad, I just couldn't see them together. And because of the bad translation, in one episode, he says, "How could you not fall for someone as perfect as me?" Now, something like this has been done before. Like, for instance, "What's wrong with secretary Kim?" The problem, though, is that when they try to make ML's like this, it's usually comical. They aren't really that insufferable. But ML in THIS show is dead serious about how perfect he finds himself. He then starts obsessing over who she spends her time with and her ex, among many other things. It isn't THAT bad, but from what we know of the FL, it seems extremely unlikely she would have fallen for him. In reality, she would have despised him and moved out of the community house. Speaking of the Fl, she's a surgeon. Something that either got lost in the translation, or the show forgot what her title actually is. During the show, she acts more like a PCP than a surgeon. She never seems to worry about her hands. She also walked out and ran from a patient when she was first doing rounds as a psychiatrist. Makes no sense, right? I'll just stop here.
To summarize, this show is a master class in what happens when you combine bad writing and horrible translation. Honestly, if you truly want to watch this show, I'd suggest disabling subtitles and just making up your own dialogue. You'll have a better time at least trying to make up a story rather than reading whatever the writers intended. Otherwise, avoid like the plague.
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Jung Yeong Jae is much more emphatic and always wants to do the right thing. In the beginning she can’t stand Kang San Hyeok, but they’re inevitably drawn to one another. The two leads have amazing chemistry, both when they can’t get along and when their relationship evolves.
Besides the ML and FL, I really liked the other characters too. Choi Chang is very charming and a delight every time he’s on screen. Oh Bo Mi starts off as an annoying busybody whom you eventually can’t help but like. Park Hyun Soo is the perfect dependable right-hand man.
As for the story, it took a few episodes to get into it. The business aspects went over my head and there was a lot of that in the beginning. It became more interesting when the characters were more settled in their Miryeong lives. I liked how slowly the relationship between Kang San Hyeok and Jung Yeong Jae developed, as well as the mystery of Miryeong forest. I liked how the possible love triangle was quickly dismissed. Some of the vagueness of the past trauma was too drawn out though, while new information about it was squeezed in too late.
Speaking of Miryeong forest, THAT SCENERY. Absolutely gorgeous, lush, dreamy. So much of the story took place in the forest, which gave us many beautiful green scenes to look at.
One of the few things that irked me in this drama was the inconsistency of Kang San Hyeok’s character, mainly in the second half. In some ways he becomes kinder and less selfish through his love for Jung Yeong Jae. He becomes the perfect caring boyfriend to her, but then he seems to stay exactly the same in his work and his relationships with other people. Even towards his colleagues in the rescue squad, despite all they go through together, he barely changes.
Another thing was the dancey electronic music. At first certain tracks just completely tore me out of my immersion and all I could think was how terrible this music was. It didn’t match the overall mood and aesthetic at all. However, it did grow on me later on.
Other than those few things, I loved Forest. It has some flaws and I could see why people don’t like it, but there’s more than enough to keep you invested. It’s definitely worth giving a try.
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I don't know why so many people didn't like it.
I see mixed reviews here but more people that don't like it than do. To be perfectly honest I'm not sure why people don't like it it's a relatively good show the acting great I relatively like the story that I told and I found it pretty interesting. It's a lot better than a lot of people say it is. I definitely recommend the show I think everyone should check it out at least give it a chance. I know it's a long show with 32 episodes. But it really starts to get interesting halfway. Like I said good show give it a chance.*This is just my opinion of this show/movie. Please don't take my opinions or comments literal or seriously. I don't do well with people attacking me and leaving rude and nasty comments.*
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Its good but with flaws
this is a very good show very very good show but there are flaws depending on what you are looking for in a dramathe very very good is the story, the visuals, the thriller portions of the show.. its very mysterious, exciting and the story makes sense.. (drama land sense -- hold realism a bit..)
the cast was great the ensemble and the 4 leads are fun together.. the push pull of the romance.. i thought was fun.. some ppl may not like it due to the coldness and brashness of the ML
the 2nd couple was much more cute definitely.. but it felt way rushed.. but fun nonetheless...
the visuals was amazing.. just so beautiful and music was just on point. too bad its not on spotify anymore but its really really good the OST
now the not so great.. i did feel the bad guy felt too comical new the end.. too cartoonish.. i mean it started great and believable but they kept stepping it up and up and up till he became the omni of bad guys.. it felt.. too much for me..
there really is no character growth.. BUT each main character did deal with the thorn in their heart and psyche.. whatever trauma that was.. for each.. at the end both dealt with it and "moved" on from it.. for me thats growth enough.. but others may not feel that way..
for me some of the setup was boring.. like boring boring.. but.. some like that.. its all business blab... so.. be warned
its really good overall for me.. even with the gaps..
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This review may contain spoilers
Where the Silence Heals First
This wasn’t a drama I expected to carry with me. I didn’t press play looking for something profound. But somewhere between the slow turns of the story and the hush of trees swaying just out of frame, Forest settled into me. Not as a revelation — more like a whisper that lingered.The plot itself wasn’t groundbreaking. A man running from something buried, a woman trying to piece herself back together, both dropped into the stillness of the woods like two puzzle pieces that almost don’t fit — until they do. But it wasn’t the mystery that pulled me in, and not even the romance. It was the quiet. The way the show held its breath and asked its characters to listen — not to each other at first, but to themselves.
Park Hae-jin played Kang San-hyuk with this kind of stubborn restraint — someone who doesn’t know how to soften but is clearly desperate to. And Jo Bo-ah’s Jung Young-jae brought a grounded warmth, even when the script pushed her into polished, familiar beats. Together, they weren’t electric, and that’s what worked. Their chemistry felt slow, tentative, like people trying not to get burned again. It didn’t need sparks. It needed time.
What stayed with me most wasn’t dialogue or plot twists — it was the in-between. The walks. The silence. The way the forest itself felt like a third character — not pushing anything forward, just offering a space where everything else could pause. I didn’t even realize how much I craved that until it was there.
Yes, some parts dragged. There were moments that tried to force emotion where the quieter beats had already done enough. But that didn’t undo what the show offered me — that quiet ache of watching people learn how to breathe again. Not through grand epiphanies, but through stillness. Through presence.
It didn’t shout. It didn’t shake me. But it reached something I didn’t know needed touching. And when it ended, I didn’t feel thrilled or devastated. I just felt… softer. And in a world that rarely gives space for that kind of healing, that’s more than enough.
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i wanted to like this
Though released in the recent years, this drama seems quite old - old in spirit! It's too far from reality to be even considered seriously, relying on incredulous and never-ending coincidences, like the businessman becoming a special rescue officer just like this? A female surgeon living in the middle of the forest and sharing the house with the said businessman for pure coincidence? Both the ML and FL being traumatic and discovering the healing power of nature? The female police also being - accidentally - an old acquaintance to our surgeon? Everybody is single & willing too?? Plsssss this is too tropey to be saved!As someone who lived close to nature as a child, i'd also say that the imagery of the forest is not done right. It should've conveyed much more! Sadly, it fails to capture its unique beauty.
The pace is slow, i keep skipping a lot.
The director lacks a sense of humour, the very few funny scenes are awkward.
Add to this, the inability of adult intellectual people to recognize love and admit to it... like love is some kind of eternal teens' joke.
Too long for me to promise i'll watch till the end.
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This review may contain spoilers
Good story. Few tropes here and there. Happy ending.
Good story. Rich components, really good cinematography with a few tropes here and there.At first, it feels like a very chill one. The ML was a typical domineering powerful man from the business world, domineering and narcissistic but not cruel. The FL was a typical sweet and bubbly girl next door doctor, sweet but not dumb and love crazed.
Then the story developed with a good mystery/crime/power struggle that involved both the business and the medical world. Add in the RomCom feels from the main couple and the secondary couple. The story didn't rely on the classic love triangle or tragic love story angle, which is really refreshing.
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This review may contain spoilers
I was wondering whether to write a negative review, but I thought it was good to also talk about negative impressions so others can avoid them.In the first episode, a guy is in unimaginable pain and this scene is accompanied by silly music. A doctor and a serious businessman argue over a cup of coffee like five-year-old children and the doctor deliberately puts a slimy finger in his coffee. That's the kind of drama I can't survive. That alone is enough to make me abandon this drama forever and forget its existence. A doctor deliberately putting her saliva in someone's coffee? And this is supposed to be FL?
As for the plot, everything started so cliché and the characters are so idiotic that I can't expect either an interesting plot or strong emotions. Especially since the first scene already indicated that this would be a drama full of stereotypes, boring and badly shot.
The cinematography is weak. The dialogues are terribly bland. The music not only doesn't enhance the scene but totally ruins it. I feel sorry for Park Hae Jin for being ML in something so weak.
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Esse drama entra pra historia como o primeiro drama com o PARK HAE JIN que eu gostei.
Não tenho uma história de sucesso com esse ator, eu diria que não somos uma boa combinação, porque os personagens que ele geralmente faz são um misto de várias coisas que não gosto. Justamente por isso, criei uma resistência muito grande com ele e sempre que lhe vejo no elenco perco a vontade de ver o drama.Mas estava com animo para tentar uma coisa nova e por algum motivo resolvi me aventurar a assistir algo com ele. Até tentei ver Old School Intern antes de Forest, mas não consegui terminar nem o primeiro episódio.
Parti para Forest com um pé atrás e pronta para pular fora se não gostasse dos primeiros episódios, mas por incrível que pareça apesar de achar a cena inicial de incêndio muito mal feita, acabei gostando da história logo de cara e por isso fui convencida a continuar.
A fotografia é acolhedora e me transmitiu uma sensação de paz e tranquilidade enquanto assistia. A OST é bem animada e gostosa de se escutar. E sim, o personagem dele não era muito diferente dos outros que tive o desprazer de ver anteriormente, mas algo me fez acreditar que tinha algo nele que seria melhor do que os outros.
Sobre o romance: achei que o casal tinha uma boa química e compartilharam bons momentos de tela juntos.
Queria mais atitude da parte dela, esperei um bom tempo para que ela deixasse de agir como uma coitada e felizmente nossa querida protagonista começou a mostrar um pouco disso na reta final.
TENHO QUE RECLAMAR DE ALGUMAS COISAS
É uma pena que não tenham explorado bem os aspectos psicológicos que geraram o pânico dela e a dor fantasma dele. Senti como se os traumas de ambos tivessem sido apenas um atrativo inicial da história e depois foram esquecidos no roteiro.
Infelizmente, achei o casal secundário bem sem graça. Não senti que o relacionamento deles foi bem desenvolvido. E nenhum dos dois me cativaram ao ponto de ficar animada com sua aparição ao longo da história.
Oh Bo Mi mais parecia aquelas mulheres chatas que por estarem extremamente entediadas em uma cidadezinha de interior, do nada começam a implicar com tudo e imaginar coisas inexistentes só pra matar o tempo. E quando finalmente tive a oportunidade de ajudar acabou entregando o ouro para os superiores que só queriam acobertar os problemas daquela vila.
VALEU A PENA?
O resumo da ópera é que apesar desse não ser o drama do ano, foi bem fácil de assistir. A fotografia clara e acolhedora repleta de muito verde me proporcionou uma sensação relaxante. Como se isso tivesse me deixado calma ao ponto de não me importar com o fato da história não ser a melhor e mais inovadora do mundo. E é justamente assim que terminei esse drama. Sinto que valeu a pena, nada me deixou irritada ao ponto de começar a enrolar para assistir o próximo episódio o que já é um grande avanço.
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