Icelina
Netherlands
Short, but powerful
This is one of the most impactful dramas I’ve watched so far. I knew it would be a dark, brutal story going in, but damn, this is one dark, brutal story. The opening scene already gave me the shivers and D.P. held that tension throughout all six episodes.From the first deserter to the last the D.P.’s had to catch, they all had gripping, heartbreaking stories. There were some lighter moments, sure, some things that made you laugh aloud, but then you’re brought back to the horror of the situation of these men. You keep hoping for a happy ending, you keep hoping that the efforts of the characters will lead to change, even though by the beginning of the last episode you know there’s only one way this can end.
The acting was phenomenal, across the board. Jung Hae In portrayed the complicated, conflicted Ahn Joon Ho beautifully. At times you hate him for how stoic and passive he is, while later on you can’t help but love him when he tries so hard to do some good. As Han Ho Yul, Koo Kyo Hwan goes seamlessly from comic relief to emphatically, capably handling the challenges they come across.
As for the music, I honestly don’t remember any of it except the opening theme. It didn’t leave much of an impression, but didn’t distract me from the story either so that’s good.
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I loved everything in it. I loved the characters, the actors who play them, the story and the music. Han Seo Woo and Moon Ha Won are the sweetest. The chemistry between them is incredible. How they unconditionally support each other and grow through their relationship is beautiful. The other characters are great as well. My other favourite character is probably Jun Eun Joo. She goes through a remarkable transformation and how she cares for Han Seo Woo is precious. Kim Ji Soo also left a lasting impression, though her appearance was brief.
Aesthetically this drama is an absolute dream. The colours, the setting, the framing, the many plants, everything was wonderful and calming to watch. I can savour every little detail in this drama. The soundtrack is gorgeous too. It complements the story and the mood so well. The music flows naturally with the scenes, it’s never invasive or distracting. It just adds to the whole.
The one thing I had an issue with was the pacing. For the most part I enjoyed the slowness, but in the second half the storyline with Kang In Wook was drawn out to the point of frustration. Still, this is only a minor thing. Overall I loved this drama and I’ll definitely watch it again.
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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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This review may contain spoilers
Twenty-Five Twenty-One is a story about going after your dreams, friendship, love and growing up. Na Hee Do dreams of becoming a professional fencer to rival her idol, Ko Yu Rim. The slightly older Baek Yi Jin has no dreams left and is just struggling to survive. As he supports Hee Do with her fencing ambitions, he’s slowly inspired to go after something better himself. I loved this so much. I loved the 90s setting, the fencing, the characters and their relationships. The relationship between Hee Do and Yi Jin is so lovely. They really lean on and bring out the best in each other. The relationship between them did feel a little strange when she was still in high school, but it became more natural after she graduated. The relationships between Hee Do and Yu Rim and Yu Rim and Moon Ji Woong are precious as well. At first Yu Rim is antagonistic towards Hee Do, but later on they develop a great friendship. They get each other really well and the way they later unconditionally support each other is gold.
The story builds fairly consistently, with some gutting twists in the second half. The ending is bittersweet and realistic. The last two episodes were way too drawn out though. While they had some very beautiful tearjerking moments, things became too overdramatic and I found myself checking multiple times how much longer they’d take.
All of the actors did amazing. Kim Tae Ri was very loveable and relatable as Na Hee Do. In the beginning I thought her character was kind of obnoxious, but Kim Tae Ri completely won me over with her sincerity. Nam Joo Hyuk, what can I say, just amazing. Baek Yi Jin had the biggest character arc and Nam Joo Hyuk portrayed every step of the journey wonderfully. Bona was great as Ko Yu Rim too, at times so sweet and fragile and at others cruel and cold. I could go on and on.
The one thing I didn’t love about this drama is how the story is framed in the present day. The long present day intro of the first episode almost made me drop it completely. It didn’t add anything, then or later. As a viewer I just found it jarring to be pulled out of the glorious 90s storyline and to be confronted with the Covid nightmare and Hee Do’s annoying daughter. The feeling of nostalgia and the message that youth and the good times etc. are temporary could just as well have been limited to the last episode.
If any of the other things mentioned above speak to you, I would absolutely recommend giving this drama a try.
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I liked the characters, they were the main reason I watched this through to the end. I was invested in their journeys. I liked the friendships between them more than the romance though. The romance between Su Mo and Bai Ling was here and there. Na Sheng and Yan Xi were sweet together, but Na Sheng’s clinginess could get really annoying.
Other than that I loved the world the story was set in and, again, the merpeople. I’m a sucker for anything with merpeople. The costumes were absolutely gorgeous. The OST is another highlight, every song is beautiful and fits so well. The sets and the CGI, while not great, also had a particular charm.
As for the editing, yes, that is definitely the worst part of this drama. Several important things are skipped over, while less significant things are painfully drawn out. The last few episodes especially feel both too rushed and too slow. Still, I think as a whole it has enough qualities to redeem this.
If the story/the world appeals to you, it’s worth giving this drama a try.
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