Forest

I would rate this K-Drama as 6.5 stars (rounded up to 7), with little that stands out either positively or negatively. It was a pleasant, if generally tepid watch, with nice scenery, acceptable script, and a story and characters which were interesting, but not compelling enough to produce a lot of buy-in (for me).

The one noteworthy point was the ending, where the writers made an obvious effort to tie up all the loose ends for a clear-cut (if slightly unrealistic) conclusion. In short, if you like stories where justice is served, and the power of love changes people for the better, you might go for this one.

ROMANCE RATING: 7/10 * * * The romance in this show generally stays in the "warm fuzzies" category, with 4+ kiss scenes featuring gentle kisses or brief pecks. PHJ and JBA have believable chemistry together (though IMO it could have been even better). Sadly, the only real sexual tension was in a heated, pre-dating kiss scene where the leads are using their heart rate to prove how unaffected they are by each other. It would have been super spicy if not for the sound editing, which failed to adjust the BPMs and therefore made the intent of the scene confusing/ distracting.

" Forest " had potential but it didn't really exploit them.

The first episodes and the last ones were actually great. The couple had also plenty of romantic moments and they were sweet and adorable. Their love story was enjoyable to watch especially since both of them helped each other get through their phobias and problems. The big mystery behind the forest was solid too. In addition, the second couple was quite entertaining. Finally, the performances were great from all actors and actresses, though the bad guys tended to overdo it sometimes. And yet, somehow, the drama ended up boring. They didn't really handle the story very well and most of the episodes were tiring if it wasn't for some entertaining moments here and there.

So, overall, five out of ten.

Compared to many favorite romance dramas, this one seems highly overlooked. This drama should be sporting an overall rating of 9+

Although the cinematography isn't the best, the story, actors, characters, soundtrack, pace and romance are exceptionally good. In a word, Excellent. There are no stupid fisheye kissing scenes. In fact, the kissing is on the adult level - no immaturity involved. And while this might seem slightly a spoiler, there's no love triangle. How spectacularly refreshing.

Jo Bo Ah is one of my favorite actresses. First saw her in Destined With You, Tale of the Nine Tailed and then Doberman. Most recently her role in Dear Hongrang was also compelling. Park Hae Jin I am less familiar with, although he was good in My Love from the Star. With both actors being so attractive and well matched, the drama was easy to get into from the very beginning.

Highly recommended. I enjoyed it so much.

Park Hae Jin is so charming, sweet, gentle, attractive, handsome and I like him very much. I feel like watching other kdramas played by him. it's a MUST! Park Hae jin, you charmed me. Oh my God!!!

It's a tricky case. It takes some millennial themes simple and trivial and remakes them in a way that the result is truly worth it. The story of the rich and heartless, cold and bad businessman and the sweet, innocent, brokenhearted - I care about everyone and everything - doctor ... oh yes... The plot has enough side stories in order to make it interesting and hold the viewer, and in addition, they are slowly building the drama tension to the point where you anxiously wait for what is going to happen next, the secrets that 'Forest' is in no hurry to reveal. So, a well-written script, albeit a common theme, with an interesting touch of ecological awareness, nice dialogues which are natural and effortless without clichés. A fantastic Park Hae-Jin, gorgeous and upright, performs his best in a role cut and tailored to its own, that of a cold, heartless, but it also shows another more vulnerable side, which in the most private moments shows feeling as it should. Jo Bo-Ah's amazing, energetic, full of life portrays her role with great success and I think she has good chemistry with the protagonist. The romance does exist but it does not dominate the rest of the story, on the contrary it unravels simultaneously and sometimes triggers action, I think it is just right so it's not cheesy. The second roles are well written and realistically put to life, with O Bo Mi (Jung Yeon-Joo) standing out, I think she has a very interesting role: morally steadfast, politically correct, she is guided by her passion for her job so much that she wants to make the right thing as well as for her love for nature, shy and boisterous, agitator and brawler, stubborn and irreverent head, a character you first hate and then unconditionally surrender to. Furthermore good production - there were ambiguities or imperfections - great music that you can't get enough of. Nice landscapes and views of the forest. Clear messages of support for work of the Fire Brigade and Rescue Teams, in particular, environmental awareness and responsibility. The end was expected and cliché, a little too sweet in order to satisfy the general public. Personally I would opt for a more dramatic ending as the culmination of the dramatic agony that had been building up since the previous episodes, but it's a matter of personal taste !!!