The Forest Called You

In a future Korea, the world has been ravaged by dust clouds and the deadly Akanta virus. Rather than live in their nightmarish present, people slip on virtual reality headsets to indulge in nostalgic simulations of the past.18-year-old Soop – stigmatised due to her brush with Akanta, which causes VR-rejection – is bullied at school for having to live solely in the real world. Her only solace comes from the K-Pop music she listens to on repeat. When a chance encounter brings Soop face-to-face with her idol, Yichae, a super-star whose new music video is being filmed at Soop’s high school, she hopes this might be her chance at real connection. But Yichae has her own troubles. She is one of the few remaining ‘real’ human idols. In a K-pop world where virtual stars dominate, Yichae is forced to live up to unattainable beauty and body standards, under the guise of being celebrated for her supposed authenticity.

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Description

Klara and the Sun meets Mean Girls in this queer coming-of-age K-pop love story between an idol and her fan

Worship the idol. Fall for the real girl.

In a future Korea, those who can afford to have retreated from the ravaged world outside, slipping on virtual reality headsets to lose themselves in simulations of the past.

But high school student Soop, unable to access VR, is bullied by her classmates for being forced to remain in the real world. Her only solace comes from the K-pop she listens to on repeat. When Yichae – Soop’s favourite idol – comes to film a new music video at her school, Soop hopes this might be her chance at real connection.

But Yichae has her own troubles. She is one of few remaining ‘real’ idols, celebrated for her authenticity, yet forced to live up to the unattainable beauty standards of her virtual counterparts. As Soop and Yichae are drawn closer through their shared love of music and unexpected feelings start to grow, both must question how to stay true to themselves and each other in an increasingly artificial world.

Translated by Joheun Lee, translator of Holy Boy

Additional information

Weight 0.3 kg
Dimensions 21.6 × 13.5 × 2 cm
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