1A Nearly Perfect Descent Into Imperfect Love
I absolutely loved this! Far more than I expected to if I’m being honest. I went in with some apprehension after being somewhat underwhelmed by the scripts of the past few CBLs, but this one pleasantly surprised me. The writing was tight, and both the acting and the chemistry were impressive. Scenes that could have easily fallen flat or failed to land emotionally instead carried real weight, largely because of how well the actors sold the gravitas of those moments. I think these are my favorite parts.That said, I do have two main complaints.
First, I would have loved more of the “I hate you, but I hate myself even more because I still love you” energy during the divorce era arc. You Shulang felt emotionally defeated for most of this arc, when I desperately wanted him to be angrier, uglier, and more volatile (yes, the bat swinging was immaculate but I needed more of that damn it!). I wanted him to stay with Fan Xiao while actively resenting him—lashing out, saying things he couldn’t take back, hurting him precisely because the love was still there and that made everything worse. Give me the mess. Give me the toxicity. Let him struggle, fail, and spiral instead of quietly enduring and turning into an empty shell. Don’t get me wrong I understand the pain You Shulang felt like a shock to his system and left him drained and I feel there is a place for showing that side of his emotional state but initially I wanted to see more venom from him.
My second complaint is that the drama really could have used one or two additional episodes to fully explore the final arc. You Shulang “learns” about everything Fan Xiao did for him almost entirely through other characters. I would have strongly preferred more showing than telling here. I wanted to see You Shulang experience Fan Xiao in a new light—grappling with his feelings, wrestling with the past and the present, trying, and failing, to let go—before being told outright how deeply Fan Xiao loved him despite everything.
I love toxic, morally gray (even red and black), deeply flawed characters, so this drama was very much to my taste. While it didn’t go as far as I might have liked in certain areas, it still delivered a lot of what I enjoy, and I’m genuinely glad I watched.
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Love is All You Need
Here's another example of Chinese tv series that are 100% light and binge-watch worthy, Lovely Swords Girl. I've completed all episodes in one day without using the fast forward mode, it's that good.Summary:
The story is centered around the love life of Sheng You, only daughter of the leader of a medical sect that possesses a code that can conquer death. She is allowed to choose a husband from three sons of the distinguished Gong family, because her father cured their father, but also to create a strong alliance in the pugilistic world.
The moment the Gong brothers present themselves to her, Sheng You recognizes the eldest as her savior from an accident in the streets. Gong Yuanxiu is a real champion fighter, and beautiful to boot, so she eagerly vows to marry him. At the wedding night however Sheng You discovers she has been tricked into marriage with a total idiot. Gong Yuanxiu seems to have lost his wits due to a strong love potion from a lady suitor.
At first Sheng You wants to annul the marriage that hasn't been consummated by the childish Yuanxiu, but her witty mother-in-law convinces her to try him out for two years. She's confident her eldest son will win his wife over, because he's so different from his arrogant, aloof brothers, and he has only eyes for Sheng You. It's not difficult to appreciate Sheng You as well. Soon the "lovely swords girl" has a lot of fans and two other suitors that are aiming for her heart. Each one of them has his own merits, and a different kind of love. Also there's a difference in their own need of love. Main question is which man will she choose, especially with dangerous times ahead.
The cast:
I appreciated the choice of the cast, all new, unknown actors who did a good job. They made it easy to follow the story. I liked the female lead Jiang Zhen Yu and the actress playing her mother-in-law, Vila Fan. Both played a support role in Hello Debate Opponent (2019) so I've put that series on my Plan To Watch list. Support actor Xu Kai Xin (Mengfei Comes Across) not only played second brother, but also outplayed his first brother here, delivering sound vibes of second lead syndrome. I hope he'll get the chance to play a lead role in future series.
The good and the bad:
Beside the actors I appreciated the well mixed feelings of joy and pain in this series. I could relate to all the characters with all their mistakes and different choices to cope with life, and love. It almost made me forget the bad editing and poor choice of cliches that seem to be chronic in c drama. Really... how many times do I have to see the emphasis on bodyfat, make-overs, memory loss, and evil characters that are wearing a mask.
Overall:
Still this series has some unique qualities. The characters are fleshed out, their dialogues, interactions, and inherent contradictions, make them more real and endearing. The story shows that love has many faces, more than other series I know. Not only is there a love triangle that isn't cliche at all, but also there are love stories of side characters that pulled at my heart strings. So, if you are a sucker for romance and a fan of the harem-in-reverse theme, this is for you.
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the best SI season! funny and chaotic
This season is definitely my favorite! You get so many emotions while watching it. It was really interesting to see how the relationships between the singles were developing. Many of them immediately expressed sympathy, but the chance to spend time alone in paradise didn’t come immediately.My favorite singles in this season were Min-gi, Hee-sun, and Go-eun, and the along men my favorite was HyunJae.
Min-gi captivated me with her personality and confidence. Hee-sun was charming, and it was heartbreaking when Su-bin's feelings were misguided. Go-eun had her own charm and radiated exceptional sincerity, care, and kindness. Despite the fact that Goeun couldn't decide or reveal her feelings until the last moment, I found her visually appealing and humble. I initially knew that she must have a lot of fans, because she does fit the standards of Korean beauty and her name sounds powerful.
Hyun-jae was greatly underestimated, as he was both handsome and charming. His character was initially modest, but it was evident that he would eventually reveal more of his personality.
There's no need to comment on Mina-su's antics, we all saw it online. Mina-su realized that she had lost everyone, so she clung to Sam Lee’s feelings to avoid being left alone. Min-gi's words helped her regain her sense of reason, as she had become too reckless. After the last Paradise, I-gon 's behavior became so erratic that it would have repelled any girl.
Despite everything, my favorite couples were Min-gi and Seung-il, Hee-sun and Su-bin, and Jae-jin and Joo-young, as their last trip to paradise was incredibly romantic.
This season provided plenty of laughs, but it also caused discontent due to Mina-su's antics. Although Mina-su's presence made the season more interesting, it also infuriated viewers.
However, I highly recommend watching this season, as it is a must-see show.
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p.s don't expect lovey dovey scenes to be abundant in this after all the age group is ... :[
BUT!!!! if u like comedy and cute yet sudden plot twists this is it u found it !and if u like fantasy suff this is the one !
>>> Oh my ... they said it must be 500 characters in length so if u don't mind me i have to fill up this gap right here XD
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Something fresh, light with a little bit of mystery
Watch this if you are looking for something light with a little bit of intrigue. I was in a drama slump wherein I couldn't get pass first few episodes. I found this drama light, intriguing and entertaining that I was able to binge watch it upon release in the streaming platform. I found the two lead actors quite refreshing, as well as the supporting characters. It was very light and funny. The SML and SFL were so funny. It was your usual troupe but I like the twist in the end which I didn't expect. Although not a perfect story continuity-wise, but it was cute an okay and entertaining drama - enough for me to finish the whole thing. Bonus -- I love their scenes in the farm. I look forward to the future dramas of the leads! Ending was simple but sweet.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Don't Forget Me is a film that tackles heavy and sensitive subject matter. It's a story about dealing with grief and struggling to cope with ones reality, and the frustrated dedication of those that love and support the bereaved. The movie is a slow burner. The story takes its time unfolding — you wonder what the intentions of the characters are, what this is really all leading to. Suddenly, the movie comes into its own, and it's like you've been hit by a truck. You were fine, and then you're in tears. You suddenly realise the depth of the movie, that you really were watch a true romance but you didn't know the extent of it til the moment it hit you. Suddenly you see that every character has a purpose, and every character acted the way they did for a reason.
It's a beautiful film, and for those of you, who like me, have tried to be a pillar of strength for someone, this is definitely one you can relate to.
If you're looking for something bright and light, this isn't it. But I urge you to come back again when it suits your mood.
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A nice fairy tale with a silly end...
With KBLs we never know if it will be any good, it's mostly a flip of a coin. This series managed to say on the "good" side. While the premise is not unheard of, they did it in a mostly funny way. The most impressive are the MLs switching between their personalities and doing so believable.The only questionable thing was the romantic part... it was not that convincing and of course the silly end which may disappoint some of you. Also there is the open end of the mother/son relationsship. Production quality was good considering this is a low budget effort, but we also get to enjoy the scenery.
I have not much more to say, I did enjoy this little series, with every episode running between 9 and 12 minutes the commitment is also not very time-consuming. If you need a palete cleanser or variety from all the toxic stuff now airing, this series will do it.
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This movie is really lovely - and definitely brings home the old saying "you never miss someone until they're gone...." We often don't appreciate those we love the most until they're no longer around. The ending is a cliffie so be prepared to hurl abuse, tearfully or otherwise (mine was very tearful but very definitely annoyed too). I hope there's another movie where she perhaps helps another set siblings overcome their differences without ending up as she did or something - so that way we at least know if the end......changed the cliffie (sorry, I don't know how to word that without spoilers....so take what I offer and run with it).
So now to the usual review stuff:
STORY - The story was pretty good; very much along the lines of what I think many siblings wish for when not getting along. The beginning was very funny. I laughed a lot and I thought the female lead would immediately regret her decision, but she didn't. The last ten minutes or so were very bittersweet - unless you have heart of stone, I mean it, you WILL cry though it's not really an unhappy ending......just...open,
ACTING/CAST - the two leads playing the siblings were EXCELLENT. Seriously they were really good; especially Peng Yu Chang who played the older brother Shi Fen. That young man is destined for great things you can see that already. The rest of the cast were pretty good too - the mum was played well, and the actor playing her boyfriend was very goo in his role as the bumbling but earnest stepfather to be. But Chang Peng Yu was the best of the whole lot, with Zhang Wendy as Shi Miao a solid second. The last scene will tear your heart I swear and you'll see why I'm praising these two so highly.
MUSIC - that's a straight 8 all day. Not terrible, but not memorable either; though it did really play well with the final scenes.
RE-WATCH VALUE - ooh that was a tough one to call; for me it was a definite 9 because I would definitely watch this again AND make all my bickering cousins sit down with their siblings and watch it too. But others might feel differently.
OVERALL - for me it was a 9.5 because the message was clear and simple - be grateful for who you have in your life because when they're gone you'll miss them and it's often to late then. It's a simple message and one that too many movies and dramas overdo; really labour the point, thereby making it a lot more complicated than it should (or even needs to) be. This movie however, kept it simple and the more touching because of it. The message remained the same, but more simply told and therefore all the more moving because of it.
I think it's also a movie that parents who leave older siblings as the younger children(s) caretaker/babysitter/entertainer, etc should watch. YOU have kids because YOU want them, so DON'T make the older ones the 'parents' to the younger ones so that you can have a social life/career - you should've thought of that BEFORE producing offspring.
Finally, I would say this - really, give this movie a try........you won't regret it.
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Successful Story of a Bright Girl
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Story: One of the first romcoms to be labeled as such, it comes with all the laughs and romance one would expect. It did have a nice plot which was an added surprise. The story is mostly about how the main male character changes from a rich douchebag to a poor guy with a purpose. The first half of the drama is the developing romance and the downfall of the male lead. Then in the second half (after a time jump) it kind of turns into an office drama with the bad guys competing with the good guys. The ending was very cute.
Acting/Cast: Jang Hyuk was awesome but his character was crazy! Like he just goes nuts and starts randomly punching things around him or yelling out of nowehere quite often. He was quite interesting though. Jang Nara matched him very well chemistry wise and I loved her character because she was strong and could handle his wild temperament. The only thing I didn’t like about her character is her accent. It was just too much. As for Ryu Soo Young (My Princess, Ojakgyo Brothers) it was so weird seeing him play the villain. But he played a very good one. As for the rest of the cast I didn’t find their characters that important.
Music: Very old school but I guess it went well with this drama because it is very old!
Rewatch: I liked it so I would watch it sometime in the future.
Overall Successful Bright Girl is impressive for an older drama.
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When Healing meets Romance and begins Restoration
What a sweet series that allows one to get vested in each character without dragging the pace. The trauma points were not overly done. The push and pull in business dealings were just enough to help understand the dynamics of each character's decision making. The budding romance was humble, communicative and endearing. The OST was okay and overall production was solid. The supporting cast was good at driving home the concept of differences from big city beliefs and smaller community relations and loyalty. This was quite enjoyable and a different pace from most romance dramas. FL and ML chemistry was warm and swoon worthy at times. Very good balance and life evolving and love blooming in the midst. Worth the watch.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
First things first. Should you or should you NOT watch this drama? Well, it depends. Are you ok with some pretty bad special effects and fake looking props? (Although there were moments they werent that bad) Can you handle a plot that is most of the times not realistic at all? (Ok, I get this is Fantasy, but still).
If not, this is NOT the drama for you.
If you want to watch it for the romance between the main leads, then I will still recommend it, as that was probably the ONLY reason I still watched this drama.
The romance between Ka Suo and Li Luo is pretty sweet and there are a lot of kiss scenes (and some hot ones too), but that is all mixed with a bunch of other ingredients that make the full story and it turns out to be kinda of a weird recipe. This is just my opinion. I believe that there are people out there who fully enjoyed this drama and watched all the episodes without skipping any parts. That was NOT the case for me. If there is one thing I did a lot was skipping. Skipping to what? Well, thats obvious. To the romantic scenes between the main leads.
If like me you are still going to watch this ONLY for the ROMANCE, then I recommend you to watch all the episodes while skipping the parts that you do not find interesting.
The romance starts in episode 3, if I remember correctly. And in almost all of the episodes till the end of episode 37 you will have plenty of romantic scenes. I personally skipped episodes 38-50 and only read the recaps so I wouldn’t completely miss everything that happened meanwhile, like new characters showing up and stuff like that. Why did I not even bother to watch all those episodes? Well, remember I was in this for the romance, and without spoiling it too much, lets say one of the main leads is going to pull a "sleeping beauty" through all of those episodes. If there is no interaction between the main leads in all those episodes and I was in this for the romance, why bother watching? Well, in episode 51 the "sleeping beauty" wakes up. I picked it up there and watched it till the end (since there were only 11 more episodes left anyway).
In the end of the day, if you like Fantasy a lot and can handle all the faults on this show (there were a lot in my opinion) watch everything. It will take a while, since it is 62 episodes but it will be worth. If like me, you only want to watch some sweet romantic scenes between the main leads and ignore all the bad acting and props, and pretty much everything else, then the key word is SKIP.
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no incest. dont worry.
i love the FL in other big dramas as supporting actress like Go Ahead, Royal Feast, As Beautiful As You. this is the first time i watch her as main lead (eventhough i know this drama is not her 1st time as main character). she nailed it. as expected.the ML is a great actor. i love his acting so much. but im not really familiar with him before. this is the first proper drama of him as main lead that i watch (only watch him in cuts and edits before)
the plot is good. the love game between the two is *chefkiss. but the family tree, i mean, familiES treeS are messed up. at first you are his son, suddenly you are not. she is your sibling, and later she is not.. but suddenly she is your sibling again (facepalm). the SFL is the half sibling, then she is suddenly not. the SML is half sibling of this and suddenly he is to that. so messed up lmao.
but dont worry, no incest in this drama. almost, but the plot twist said nope.
overall, rewatch worthy and recommended.
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Had to Fast forward to finish it, the ML is the only saving grace
Zhang Si Nian (ML): The actor that portrays this character does very well with roles that feature him as a genius. But he was much better in Unforgettable Love (2021). The ML in the show was pretty nice but a bit slow on the uptake. Once he figured out that he was in love in the FL, he didn't play any games and tried his best to win her over.Yun Shu (FL):
The Bad:
Childish character with annoying voice. I had to clench my teeth to keep going, because i just needed to know the entire story. I don't mind it when a character is a little bubbly, it makes things interesting, but Yun Shu was kind of unbearable. The ML looked better with Yun Shu's sister when they were all together in a frame.
The Good:
She was a nice person overall and also didn't play any games. She even reminded me of Shim Chung / Seo Hwa from The Legend of the Blue Sea even before she actually put on a mermaid costume.
It was an okay drama. Not worth a rewatch though.
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Sooo good yet so draggy...
Once upon a time there was a lonely prince who lived in a palace where toxic masculinity and rivalry ruled... The women where abused and used as objects owned by men. Tradition was supposedly strong in the palace and any one male or female who tried to go up against it was tossed in to a marriage against their will, pretty much forced to commit suicide or ended up in prison. People where scheming plots all over the place...But one day the prince met a girl whom was warm, funny and loved food above anything. And while he could not make her his wife he made her is concubine... Which made for the start of a whole bunch of people working towards new lives... and yes A New Life Begins...
The drama has a lot of everything, maybe a bit to much of everything as nothing seems to get fully explored and both drags out for what seems like an eternity only to be wrapped up with a few lines here and there... maybe a slow mo scene of the result but the turns are fast and the process extremely inconsistent. Is this the result of poor writing, censorship or a writer who just wants to include a bit to much I do not know... But it did feel very off at times. Which is really sad because there is so much good in here.
Both leads are lovable, good actors, have great chemistry and lovely interactions with each other with some pretty steamy kisses. Unfortunately. their story does not get nearly enough screen time as all those other side plots take away from their time together. However I do have to say that this is a male lead who even though he grew up in the toxic palace actually seems to have some kind of respect for women and can both take no for an answer and seems to try to avoid forcing himself on the female lead even if they are supposed to try to consummate the guy seems to want to the girl to actually want to consummate before consummating. Showing some type of consent culture.
The food in this drama is mouth watering, making you hungry every single episode.
The side couples are mostly lovely and show a bunch of ways of power relations and personalities... As we get to see the difference between domestic violence practiced by people with power and violence in the relationship practiced by people with less power. Non are good but we do get to see a nuance done pretty well.
We also get to see a lot of women empowerment, sisterhood and a potential poly relationship that could have been so good if the drama was not so obsessed with monogamy vs concubine culture.... There is one truly annoying character but she grew on me after a while, but then she pretty much disappeared from the plot.
This drama is a good pick for those who like c-historical with many episodes and do not mind the draggy parts. For those who want to see 100 years of woman's rights battles cut down to about 3 or 4 years and are okay with getting pebbles of great romance between sisterhood, friendship, family relations, politics, food and pretty much everything in-between...
However if you are like me you will miss the pebbles and find it draggy and may find yourself struggling to finish it wanting to drop it yet still not being able to score it to low because it just has so many good parts in it...
Also the predictability is pretty high so do not expect to be kept on your toes, at all.
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F4 Tailândia: Meninos Antes de Flores
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IMPROVED, BEAUTIFUL AND BETTER. WORTH YOUR 16 HOURS!
BOYS OVER FLOWERS.. it won't be a lie if we say the story is epic. having Korean, Chinese, and Japanese versions, we all knew that it is difficult to make a new version, especially when it already has a worldwide audience. I was very excited to see what the Thailand version had to offer us this time...surprisingly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT IS THE BESTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
like, I swear, I don't think I'd ever like any of its versions as much as I've loved the Thailand one...
let's just review the things one by one.
the characters:-----
1. THYME AKIRA- played by bright. I swear I never like this character to this extent.. no matter which version I watched I was always somewhat inclined to the fact that I don't like him.. especially if we talk about goo joon pyo, I kind of hated it it it him, in the Korean version. but thanks to BRIGHT, he has played the character the best. being a bad boy, he has been perfect, being a good boy too, suited him well. his anger, his conscience, and at the same time his soft part were very well depicted.
2. GORYA- I loved her character. the braveness well stored inside a cute little girl was sparkling enough to make you fall for her. the portrayal was beautiful. TONTAWAN did a great job doing it.
3. REN- played by dew. honestly, I was shocked when I got to know that f4 Thailand is dew's debut... I mean, how can someone be so spectacular at his debut.. his skills are commendable. his character of a suspicious and secretive boy was carried out very nicely. his love for Gorya was well hidden and especially there was no kissing scene between Gorya AND Ren. and I loved this part. in the Korean version after the kissing scene of jihoo and jandi, things were messed up to a very another extent. there was only one scene when ren was leaving for France and he gave a forehead kiss to gorya, it was personally, my favorite scene. ren's story was well depicted and the aura he held all along the show was beautiful. I fell for him at the moment when ren rescued gorya from being bullied by giving a false fire alarm in which he has all wet. he looked handsome as crazy and I can never forget that scene..... he was the first one I fell for among the four. there is a lot you can learn from REN.
4. KAVIN- played by WIN METAWIN. I am already in love with him. the depiction of his character was smooth indeed. METAWIN was perfect. considering his character as a playboy but still a person with a soft heart who values love. you are surely gonna fall in love with him.
5. MJ- his presence was felt all along. he looked handsome af. and I just loved how his story was also well shown. because when I watched the Korean version, I always felt that his story was ignored. there was almost nothing we knew about the song woo bin. but the SHORTS of his story at the end of every episode was very impressive and unexpected.
6. KANNING- I loved this girl. her sweetness, innocence, and selfless love for both her friend Gorya and her love KAVIN were beautifully portrayed. I just loved how she was always anxious about her loved ones and she carried herself... one thing which is worth mentioning is her get-up. I loved her floral outfits with her signature hairstyle with a ribbon on them. it made her look even more beautiful.
7. Roselyn Paramaanantra- THYME'S MOTHER- she was outstanding. I loved her display, her emotions, and her terror of hers.
other cast members which I significantly loved were
8. Maria Poonlertlarp as Tia Aiyawarin Paramaanantra (thyme's sister)
9. Niti Chaichitathorn (Pompam) as Gawa (Gorya and Kaning's boss). I loved him .. he was the best
10. Pansa Vosbein (Milk) as Lita Lalita Empicca (thyme's fiancee) was crazy af... and was a little toxic too, but in the end, I liked her
SHIPS:
1. GORYA AND THYME. I think their best work was on them only.. when I was watching the Korean version, in the end, my heart was not convinced, I somewhere believed that jandi would have chosen jihoo. but in this version, I swear, their pairing is the best. I also like their chemistry. in the Korean one, one thing which I didn't like was their height difference but there was nothing to dislike in this one. their love was pure. if we see the Korean version. there was a scene when Joon Pyo forcefully tries to kiss jandi, and she throws Joon Pyo off her, but there is no such scene here, thankfully. they are looking fabulous together.
2. GORYA AND REN- the bond they shared was the most beautiful thing in the story. I just loved the fact that both of them accepted that sometimes loving each other is not sufficient, sometimes two people are just not destined to be together. their bond was beautiful till the very last episode. I cried my eyes out when she danced with him saying he was her first love. they both looked just perfect together. ren never forced himself to gorya which I loved. their ship will teach you a lot about love.
3. KAVIN AND KANNING- oh god! they were so adorable together. they just looked like the perfect couple. they both will charm you out definitely. Kanning's love will show you how to love someone selflessly. their moments are beautiful.
EARLY EPISODES:-
in the early episodes in which thyme is a bad boy, I loved the way how gorya fought against him. the helping of ren, and also how Kavin and MJ advised thyme that he is doing wrong. bullying was well shown and the incidents were worth mentioning. Groya's friendship with a girl who later betrays her is also very nicely shown. Gorya showed us how to be a loyal friend even though your friend cheated on you. Gorya's parents are crazy as expected, I loved her brother. Gorya's brother was soooo cute!!
SOME OTHER POINTS:--------------
* THE OST'S WERE BEAUTIFUL. MY FAVOURITE IS "YOU ARE MY SHOOTING STAR"
IN THE END, I SWEAR, YOU'RE GONA CRY YOUR EYES OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
all over it is worth your 16 hours!!!!
ALL I CAN SAY IN THE END IS..
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, WATCH IT NOWWWWWWWWWWW!
-NANDINI SHRIVASTAVA
IG- the_koean_world.12
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