No Spoilers Here
This is an 18+ Novel. My post does not have any adult content but the novel itself does. If you are not over 18 wait until you are old enough before you look at this one. Go and play outside with your friends or take a look at some of the all ages novels or anime out there.
Initial
Impressions: If you are like most people you are probably asking yourself
what the heck is Forest? Don’t worry though if you are because I had no idea
Forest even existed until a friend of mine recommended it. Even then, my
initial impression of Forest was actually confusion as it seemed like a very
strange Alice in Wonderland interpretation. This initial impression was not
that far off and as the novel continued it actually got weirder and even more
difficult to understand. It really was not until halfway through, as well as a
few drinks later that I finally began to partially understand this novel. That
being said I really enjoyed this VN and even now I still cannot completely
understand it but I will do my best to try right here and now.
Characters
Kinosaki Akeru: A drifter by admission and a very
mysterious individual overall. He gives very little information about himself
and seems to want to have as little to do with everyone in the group as
possible. He seems to have a strange connection to the events going on in
Forest but what exactly that connection is will not be explained by him.
Amenomori Nozomi: A very mysterious character who
shows her mysterious side right from the beginning. She officially works as an
office lady but is rather antisocial and emotional at times. Even though she is
another member of the group she appears to have her own internal demons as well
as some connection to the Forest from before the events of the present began.
What this connection is however is not known and only time can reveal what is
going on between her and the strange land that is Forest.
Kariya Maki: A very mature and pragmatic women who
acts as a parental figure for the group. She also has a past of her own that
she will not reveal without some effort. She seeks to understand the mysteries
of the Forest so that everyone can escape from this strange land alive and
continue with their lives. What will become of her as events progress? Who
knows what the future has in store for her.
Mayuzumi Kaoru: A spitfire medical student that is
dragged into the strange world that is Forest. She has a very short temper and
can be very harsh at times. How will she contribute to the group as they try to
figure out the mysteries that Forest presents? Only time will tell.
Nagatsuki Amane: A woman of the streets who has been dragged
into this strange world. She is actually a very carefree and outgoing
individual and acts kind of like the groups anchor in the storm. She tries to
see the better things to come but also has some inner demons of her own that
she does not share right away with everyone.
Kuroi Alice: A mysterious girl that seems to know a
lot more about what’s going on than the other main characters and appears to
have an agenda of her own. She appears as a gothic Lolita type and does in fact
go by the name Alice. What is this mysterious characters agenda and how will it
affect our main characters, read on and try to find out the truth for
yourselves.
Story:
The story is probably the most nonsensical part of this novel. It makes so
little sense as you’re reading it and even with a lot of research afterward I
still cannot wrap my head around some concepts in the story. Even the bad endings that you can receive throughout the novel are not necessarily all that bad either because you will find even more mysteries, as well as a few answers, when you see them. Despite this
however, the nonsensical nature of this VN is actually one of its greatest charms
in my opinion. It does not hold the readers hand and it does not explain
everything to you in the end in case you wanted to take the easy way out and
wait for the novel to explain everything. This novel does what few novels dare
to do these days and actually assumes that you have a brain in between those
two ears of yours and expects you to figure most things out for yourself.
Artwork:
The artwork is actually very unique and I have not seen anything quite like it
sense. It is almost otherworldly and yet simplistic as well. Overall I wish
there was more of it as a lot of the scenes in the novel rely on the readers
imagination and I think the novel could have benefited from a few more CGs to
assist it with getting its message across. With that said though, I also am a
fan of letting the readers imagination run wild and this novel definitely lets
you do that and then some so it is definitely not a major hindrance at all.
Music:
There is only one word that can describe the music in this VN and that is amazing!
It actually reminded me of a Celtic bands concert I went to a few years ago and
I thought it was pretty awesome. Every track is good in its own way but tracks
10-17 are the best by far. Unfortunately though, the VN only has the first set
of tracks and excludes these for some strange reason but I would highly
recommend going to YouTube to get them as they are very good. Here is a little sample just to give you a little teaser to show you what is in store for you in
the future.
Final thoughts:
This novel honestly felt like one big and crazy dream that I woke up from and
am struggling to figure out before I forget it all. The novel does admittedly
also have some sexual content although that content completely pales in
comparison to the overall story of this novel. Forest will leave you wondering
about even the most simple things in life and asking yourself what does it all
mean anyway? What is the point of existing in this world? What can we as
individuals do in this strange place known as reality? These are just a few of
the questions that this novel will leave you thinking about and I must say that
it is a journey well worth the effort.
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