Reviews

"I can't jump! I'm not Tony Jaa!"

If you are looking for a tight, nail-biting action film with strong acting, Striking Rescue ain’t it. If you are in the mood to see Tony Jaa cut loose with fierce elbows and knees on his opponents like he hasn’t done in recent history…this is it. My rating is comparing this film against other Jaa films.

Bai An is on a vengeful rampage after his wife and daughter are gunned down in front of him. Believing the perpetrator to be his wife’s boss, Chairman He Ying Hao, Bai An leaves no stone unturned and no body unbroken in his hunt for He. Lying in wait for He and his caravan travelling through the jungle, Bai An is surprised to find He’s crew attacked and He taken prisoner. In a strange trick of fate, Bai An ends up saving He’s daughter, Ting. The two join forces to find He with nearly everyone in town hunting the pair including Ting’s dutiful bodyguard, Wu Zheng.

The story was a flat framework used to hold up the fights. There were a half-dozen bad guys with their own crews of machete carrying minions that queued up for Bai An to pummel his way through. Despite his hatred of He, he risked his life repeatedly to keep Ting unharmed. Chen Duo Yi made the most of her damsel in distress role. Wu Zheng ended up being a nice fight buddy as the two reluctantly helped each other out. Two of the villains were wildly over the top which didn’t enhance the story. Shi Yan Neng played a villain he could do in his sleep at this point.

Now for a reason to watch this film. Tony Jaa at nearly 50 years old was amazing. I had to look up the fight choreographer and discovered it was Guo Yu Long. I’m not familiar with his work and it doesn’t look like he’s worked on many films, but he certainly knew how to showcase Tony’s talents. One of the best things about Tony’s fights was that he didn’t do a lot of rapid-fire punches that seemed pointless, unless it was the main villain. He aimed for the weak spots-elbows, shoulders, knees, and neck, which down an opponent immediately. Tony may be small but he’s mighty and a thing of frightening beauty to behold.

Striking Rescue may not have provided anything new in an action story and did run long, but it was good to see Tony in fine form again. I’ve missed his vicious knees and elbows. Don’t stay away so long, ‘kay? Rated on a Jaa curve. If you are a Tony fan, you’ll think it’s Jaa-some. If not, probably Jaa-ful.

21 March 2026

Trigger warnings: A few grisly fight scenes and a short operation scene. Child murder.

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A real gem and absolute masterpiece!!

First of all, I've never thought that I'd feel so bad cause I haven't discovered such a k-drama sooner, plus that i've never been an historical k-drama fan, but this is beyond the good i had expected! I knew the actress but I think i didn't know her enough to watch her portray "Gil Chae" in such an outstanding way, and about Namkoong Min? i was chocked, I was blown away 'cause there was no way it was just an acting, I remember me saying during the first 4 episodes "Ahhh! so that's ACTING!"

the cast was just perfect, it felt like watching a real life movie where every character means something to us, and yes! i still remember their name, because what do you mean forgetting "gak hwa" and "Ryang eum" ? without them there would not be any extra fire and plots...
I've watched this k-drama more than four times and everytime i rewatch it i discover something, A new OST i didn't catch while focusing on the acting, Or the haunting cinematography i couldn't enjoy while savouring every melody of its OSTs, and the one underrated original soundtrack is called With My Heart (다만 마음으로만) .
the chemistry speaks to me everytime, i can't imagine ahn eunjin now acting with some other male actor because of her chemistry with namkoon min, and if that means something it means how good they looked together and how great their acting was! I loved the outfits as well, i loved how professional and perfectionist the acting was that they paid attention to the pschological state of gil chae in the second season and how she clearly lost weight to portray the traumatised went through a lot gil chae, and that was just so professional, the characters personalities were perfectly chosen, gak hwa which is the qing princess vs gil chae the nungunri noblewoman, jang hyun the mysterious who appears in her village oneday, they were studied well, the misogamist who still wants to win gilchae who believe marriage as a part of their traditions, dignity and nobleness, these contradictions created that chemistery, that hesitation, that longing and yearning, which made the drama even more powerful, this k-drama made me cry, i have to confess that i had stopped watching it especially during the episode 12 because it felt too hard, but after only two days i continued and instantly regretted stopping it, i've watched it twice at the same year, listened to its osts everyday, had its posters on my laptop, and sang its covers, but the most important part? the quote... the magical quote! the iconic confession! i would have rated it 11 if i could, but that's because i wished we had an even clearer ending, even more chemistry and time together, even more fight scenes... and still, my dearest k-drama will always be my dearest!!

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Why is this drama so UNDERRATED?

This film made me laugh, cry, feel pure joy, and even experience heartbreak, leaving me just as emotionally invested as the characters themselves. To give an honest feedback, this is a magnificent drama that is absolutely worth watching. It is a production of high investment, with the main cast comprised of actors with experiences, and good visual. The script and plot are equally well-crafted, weaving a sprawling narrative that takes you on a journey through every conceivable emotional nuance. The music is another standout element. I found myself listening to it on repeat, as it beautifully captures and reflects the inner sentiments of the characters within the story. I think the only reason why it being underrated is because the lack of “romance” element which makes it seem like a bromance. Personally, I can’t never see it as a bromance. The main characters didn’t kiss, hug, or said I love you. However, Ruan Lan Zhu would said things like “I will protect you for life, even if it’s your life, or my life.” And Ling Qiu Shi would said “I just want you to live, I want us to be together.” The love language is different, and the chemistry is fire. Even though without the romance element, I still think that it is a worth watching series because of the plot, acting, and music. On the bl perspective, the love language of this drama is quite unique, and using a lot of metaphor, not straightforward and intense which make you even more lingering after watching. The ending is quite unique too. Lastly, this is a very worth to watch bl if you love action and horror genre of film, and if you want something different and unique!

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A warm hug after a really long and difficult day

For real, where do i begin? This kdrama feels like a warm hug after a really long and difficult day.
The development of the relationship between the main couple was organic without seeming forced, and it definitely took the necessary time to build, considering the male protagonist's past with his first love. They understand each other without using words. The story is complex, but very well constructed.
It's a journey of self-discovery and healing. Sometimes the past weighs heavily, but we never know what the future holds.
Great acting and the cast? Incredible!
Loved it so much.

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Eu gosto muito do plot de renascimento quando o assunto é vingança, ainda mais quando o ML, obcecado, se mata com a FL na vida passada e ela finalmente descobre o seu amor kkkkkkkk
Acho que em 2025 foi uma das temáticas mais feitas de renascimento ou que eu assisti apenas kkkkk
Mas aqui é tudo meio caótico o roteiro, não foi bem elaborada a história e nem sempre as atuações me convenceram.

A FL que muda da água pro vinho, obviamente causa desconfiança no ML, mas ele, por amá-la, insiste em ficar ao seu lado para descobrir o que ela está aprontando. Acho que nessa temática os melhores de todos são: "Love & Revenge" com o Yao Guan Yu e a Yuan Yu Han, e o "Pian Zhi Jue Lian" com a Tian Miao Miao e o Chen Bai Qiao.

Aqui os atores, na maior parte do tempo, foram bem, seus figurinos eram bem bonitos, mas a maquiagem da FL era muito carregada em muitos momentos e quando ela abraçava o ML, dava para ver que manchava o terno preto dele kkkk
Quando chegou perto do fim, o plot inverteu, e tudo começou a acontecer mais ou menos igual com o ML, então ficou meio chato. Mas ok.. deu pra passar um tempo assistindo na velocidade 1.5x a maioria das vezes onde a antagonista aparecia.

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Vou explicar o final para a galera ! SPOILERS

A história tem ritmo bom , tem momentos que as coisas acontecem magicamente como: encontrar yu qianqian do nada justamente por quando ela decidiu fugir e eles estavam passando , esse falcão que sempre acha as pessoas no meio do nada e sem saber para onde vai tão rápido , a irmã da mocinha foi encontrada pela namorada do vilão , então a gnt aceita pela licença poética e vai junto para ver aonde vai a trama …

O nome da novela é por causa d a protagonista que significa Jade , isso é explicado no final lá pelo episódio 38 …

Tem também que pela lei do governo chinês nenhuma novela pode ultrapassar 40 episódios, a não ser que façam duas temporadas e teriam que separar por meses , então esses fatos abruptos seriam uma escolha para aproveitar o marketing que eles fazem uma vez só …
No geral qdo a história toma o seu o seu tempo, ele é mto bem feito, o roteiro focou mais nas relações amorosas dos protagonistas e casais secundários, por iss tev que resumir partes da trama dado essa limitação de 40 episódios …A história é densa , se não fosse isso daria para fazer uns 80 episódios tranquilamente , os personagens secundários e arcos paralelos são interessantes …

Os atores foram bem escalados , bem dirigidos , o cenário , a luz e as roupas , tudo feito com mto cuidado … tian xiwei está adorável e zhang linghe está melhor do que nunca … um casal que não briga a toa e se comunica é refrescante de se ver e por fim nota 1000 para o final … NUNCA vi uma novela de opção chinesa ter um final tão bem feito sobre como eles ficaram depois que eles resolveram a trama principal( pode ter mas são raríssimas exceções), geralmente eles colocam os protagonistas sorrindo um pro outro e acabou ;) mas dessa vez eles fizeram muito mais do que eu esperava o que com certeza vai favorece a possibilidade de rever essa novela futuramente …

Sobre o final de cada personagem :

* O grande vilão é o imperador velho … ele é quem armou de ferrar com a vida de todo mundo ! Ele estava ficando proeocupado que o seu filho quisesse roubar o torno dele é começou a maltratar ele , com frieza , desconfiança e etc …

O ministro Wei e o ministro Li apoiavam, o príncipe que teve que ir para Jizhou na fronteira , uma área de mtos conflitos … Antes do príncipe ir , ele fez um jantar privado com esses dois ministros , com o pai do protagonista general Xie e o Tutor Tao que na época era um ministro do governo do imperador pai / velho. Nesse jantar o ministro Wei falou demais e ofendeu o imperador velho…
O imperador velho se juntou ao marido da irmã dele ( pai dos dois malucos sui yuanqing e sui yuanhai …) e prometeu a ele o trono se conseguisse ajudar ele a afastar o príncipe do poder …
Teve uma guerra contra Beijue em Jizhou , onde estava o príncipe e o general Xie , eles precisavam de mantimentos … O ministro Wei mandou o general Wei Qilin pai da protagosnista ( fan changyu ) ir até o cunhado do imperador em busca de mais mantimentos , mas ele se negou dizendo que o talismã de tigre era falso e assim Wei Qilin levou toda a culpa como se tivesse fugido porque da a entender que o império resolveu dizer que nunca recebeu esse pedido de socorro … Wei Qilin fugiu com a esposa e primeira filha e assumiu a identidade Fan erniu…

Na noite do jantar do príncipe em que o ministro Wei ofendeu o imperador porque estava bebado , o ministro Li usou isso para tentar se fortalecer e contou ao imperador … O imperador resolveu tomar como concubina a noiva do ministro Wei como vingança, o ministro Wei disse que recebeu um chamado do rei para ir ao palácio e não conseguiu ir ajudar o seu cunhado ( general Xie , marido da sua irmã e pais de Xie Zheng o mocinho ) por isso mandou o general Wei Qilin. O ministro Wei viu que o chamado do rei era falso , viu o cômodo da concubina e sua ex noiva pegar fogo e foi socorrer , quando os soldados acusaram ele de vir sem permissão ele viu que era uma armadilha o lugar estava tomado de óleo para pegar fogo e não adiantava jogar água … a concubina resolveu se sacrificar e morreu dentro para não comprometer o ministro Wei.

A irmã do ministro Wei ( mãe do mocinho ) se mata porque estava deprimida … a perda do marido que ela achava que era por causa do irmão dela era uma dor mto grande …

Qi Min é filho do príncipe , a esposa dele chamou o filho do cunhado do rei ( Sui yuanhai ) para brincar com seu filho , colocou óleo em todo o seu cômodo , queimou o rosto do filho e mandou ele se passar por sui yuanhai filho do seu inimigo para garantir a sua sobrevivência … sui yuanhai verdadeiro provavelmente morreu naquela noite a mando da esposa do príncipe … a família sui sabia da verdade mas nunca tocou no assunto por pena mas o general deixava claro que o trono é a herança da família iria para o filho mais novo que era legítimo …

No fim o ministro Wei só foi culpado de ter tentado matar o sobrinho quando ele foi tentar revirar o passado sobre a morte de seu pai no começo da trama , com um rei fantoche e o poder estabilizado , ele não poderia deixar seu sobrinho arriscar tudo …


O final termina com os protagonistas saindo para mais uma batalha juntos … o que vem depois é um final alternativo caso não tivesse acontecido essa tragedia 15 anos atrás nos dias de hoje , fan changyu seria uma menina nobre da corte que cresceu ao lado dos seus pais , eles seriam amigos do Li wenkan, o filho do príncipe ( sui yuanhai / Qi min ) seria bondoso e sem traumas na so melhor de tudo com aversão a yu qianqian XD …

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God Tier Level Fantasy Boyfriends

This show really said, “What if we made a rom‑com, cast half the Korean male entertainment industry as fantasy boyfriends and to hell with everything else!" And honestly, I was here for it! Overall average series and a qucik fun watch. I gave an extra star b/c the fantasy delivered in all the ways!

The casting director clearly knows what women want (or what I want). Lee Soo Hyuk, Seo Kang Jun, Lee Jae Wook, Lee Sang Yi, Modern Tarzan — it’s a parade of heart‑stealers, each just as unfairly attractive than the last. The only person missing is Kim Ji Hoon!!

The real‑world storyline wobbles between heartfelt and exasperating. Kyeong Nam’s confession is handled with surprising maturity, Mi Rae’s avoidance tactics are comedy gold, and her Episode 8 meltdown is the kind of self‑inflicted drama that makes viewers yell at the screens.

The show ties up its central conflict with a mix of sincerity but it did feel rushed. I agree with someone else who said they spent way too much time in the VR world and specifically with Mi Rae dating the Eun Ho (boyfriend). Kyeong Nam processes, Mi Rae grows (finally), and the VR boyfriend saga gets the closure it deserves. Even when the pacing stumbles, the show remains entertaining — a rom‑com that thrives on its humor, its fantasy boyfriends, and its willingness to let its characters be messy, dramatic, and occasionally ridiculous.

3/21/26

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A MASTERPIECE and magnificent recreation of a tumultuous era.

PLOT: Bangkok is in a complicated economic and political situation in 1969, with a military dictatorship, student riots (brutally suppressed) protesting against poverty and the exploitation of farmers, and a lot of corruption. Trin, an economist trained abroad, wants to change the system from within. He meets Tanwa, a musician and rebellious (hippie?) son of a rich and powerful father. Krailert, a colonel and Trin's uncle, was forced into marriage to hide his homosexuality. He nevertheless falls in love with Naran, a journalist searching for truth and social justice. Trin and Tanwa are drawn to each other like magnets, and Victor, one of Trin's rebellious students, is also in love with him.

+++ Mile (gorgeous and charismatic with long hair) and Apo (super handsome) are fantastic and simply MAGICAL actors here. +++ The period recreation is perfect: hairstyles, costumes, music, sets, behavior... NO FLAWS. Kudos!
+++ The message is clear and progressive: we need more social justice, need to fight against inequality and the existing system.
Fight!! (ｏ＾-^)尸~''☆ミ☆ミ
+++ The OSTs are just amazing (now on my playlist) (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑ (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑

This isn't a BL. There are indeed two love stories between men, but nothing is sweet or cute. Each of the characters is "stuck" in a multitude of contradictions, constraints, desires, and longings, even some traumas.

These are harsh, unforgiving times, with a powerful, entrenched elite (wealthy or military), confident in its rights, and determined to stay in power (by any means necessary).

Things are starting to change:
- Tanwa represents this somewhat hippie, somewhat adrift generation, wanting to experience something different from their parents' lives.
- The students (poor but who have managed to access higher education) are challenging the existing system.
- There's no internet or social media yet, but we clearly see the impact the press can have in guiding—or manipulating—public opinion. The character of Naran is there to remind us of this.

=> A beautiful, harsh, and moving series. It's a real emotional rollercoaster.. . I binge-watched it , and I'll definitely rewatch it in a while. It's so hard to leave these characters ｡ﾟ(*´□`)ﾟ｡

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MASTERPIECE et magnifique reconstitution d'une époque tumultueuse

PLOT: Bangkok est dans une situation éco et politique compliquée en 1969, avec une dictature militaire, des émeutes d'étudiants (durement réprimées) protestant contre la pauvreté et l'exploitation des agriculteurs, et les corruptions multiples. Trin, économiste formé à l'étranger, voudrait faire évoluer le système de l'intérieur. Il rencontre Tanwa, musicien et fils rebelle (hippie ?) d'1 père riche et puissant. Krailert, colonel, oncle de Trin, a du se marier pr cacher son homosexualité. Il tombe cpdt amoureux de Naran, journaliste, en quête de vérité et de justice sociale. Trin et Tanwa sont attirés comme des aimants, et Victor, un des étudiants rebelles de Trin, est également amoureux de lui.

+++ Mile (magnifique et charismatique avec les cheveux longs) et Apo (super handsome) sont des acteurs fantastiques et juste MAGIQUES ici.
+++ La reconstitution de l'époque est parfaite : coiffures, costumes, musiques, décors, comportements,... NO FLAWS. Kudos !
+++ Le message est clair et progressiste : plus de justice sociale, lutte contre les inégalités et le système en place.
Fight!!(ｏ＾-^)尸~''☆ミ☆ミ
+++ Les OSTs sont juste géniales (sur ma playlist) (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑ (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑

Ce n'est pas une BL. Il y a bien deux histoires d'amour entre hommes, mais rien n'est ni sweet ni cute. Chacun des personnages est "coincé" dans une multitude de contradictions, de contraintes, d'envies et de désirs.

L'époque est dure, sans concession, avec une élite (riche ou militaire) puissante, bien installée, sûre de ses droits, et qui entend bien rester en place (par tous les moyens s'il le faut).
Les choses commencent à évoluer :
- Tanwa représente cette jeunesse un peu hippie, un peu à la dérive, qui veut vivre autre chose et autrement que ses parents.
- Les étudiants (pauvres qui ont réussi à accéder à des études) contestent le système en place.
- Il n'y a pas encore d'internet et de réseaux sociaux, mais on voit bien l'impact que peut avoir la presse dans la guidance? le maniement? de l'opinion publique. Le personnage de Naran est là pour nous le rappeler.

=> Série belle, dure, bouleversante, qui fait passer par toutes sortes d'émotions. Je l'ai regardée d'une traite, et je la regarderai certainement à nouveau dans qq tps. C'est tellement difficile de quitter ces personnages ｡ﾟ(*´□`)ﾟ｡

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El thriller mas hermoso

Hace mucho no veía un thriller de misterio y drama que me mantuviera al borde del asiento como este.
Es increíble que la historia mas conmovedora sucediera entre dos personas que tratan de sobrevivir a una maldición.

Es de esas historias que aunque te hacen llorar entiendes las decisiones que tomaron, porque entre salvar a los que amas a sacrificarte, el sacrificio, lo mas hermoso del guión es ver que el sacrificio viene de parte de la persona que mas era necesaria que sobreviviera, pero tambien entiendes el porque esta persona decide hacerlo.

Unas actuaciones espectaculares por parte de todos pero Gun y Pond sin duda alguna le mostraron al mundo lo que pueden hacer.

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A time-traveling mystery that's not your typical fluffy teen drama.

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

“Blue Birthday” is definitely very different from what I expected. I thought this would be a simple time-traveling sweet rom-com where the female lead finally got to confess her feelings and then something happened and they end up living happily ever after. NOPE! This is not that kind of drama.

I did get a few things right - time-traveling, cute and fun friend groups, adorable couples and romantic feelings here and there. These are to be expected in any teen drama. But if you are expecting fluffy romance, the second half of the drama proves that is not the case. I don’t want to spoil you, but if you are a veteran K-drama watcher, you know how K-dramas like to throw in a thriller component to many of their romance dramas. Afterall, there is a ‘thriller' tag here.

This is the female lead, Ye Ri’s first main role, and I think she did respectably but not amazingly. At least, she is the best of the bunch. She’s adorable when trying to be cute, and her emotional scenes are done right. In contrast, male lead Yang Hong Seok has more dramas under his belt, yet he’s not as good as Ye Ri. He’s cute, but his acting is inconsistent. He was pretty emotionless in the first half of the drama, but seems to have relaxed a little bit in the second half. The rest of the friend group is fine. The villain though, definitely gives off crazy, psycho vibes (maybe just a tad of overacting).

The fantasy element and time-traveling are interesting, though not explained as to why it happened to them. The drama did try to explain certain elements of time-traveling in words during the epilogues. I do applaud the drama for trying to do something different from a normal teen drama. The plot twists are interesting. Given this is a lower budget drama with short run time, the drama scratches the surface of these twists instead of really taking the time for a better buildup and execution.

This is a Friend’s Drop List Challenge watch for me. I picked it because the plot seems interesting and it’s short. I don’t regret my selection even though I was looking for something a little lighter and fluffier. If you are looking for a sweet and fluffy teen romance drama, this is not it. But if you want to try something different in a time-traveling drama with a dash of friendship, slight romance and mystery, this is a quick and easy watch.




Completed: 3/21/2026 Review #675

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STOP WHY DID JAEWON HAVE TO DIEE

I honestly loved this movie I don't understand why everyone is hating, like all seoyun wanted was to try something new and jaewon provided with TRUE LOVE like omg, and their first date at the beach was so cute and seoyun learning about jaewon’s mum dying and was so respectable and omg if he didn't die they would definitely would have been endgame like I already see it with jaewon being a stay at home dad and seoyun going off to be a successful artist with loads of exhibitions BUT NO WE JUST NEEDED TO HAVE THE PLOT TWIST WHERE HE HAS A WEAK HEART AND DIES LEAVING SEOYUN ALL ALONE EVEN THOUGH HE WAS THE ONLY WHO UNDERSTOOD HER AND HIS DAD HE WAS PROBABLY ALREADY GOING THROUGH DEPRESSUIN BECAUSE JAEWON’S MUM DIED 5 YEARS BEFOREHAND. and jaewon was such a green flag like he was genuinely just secretly supporting her with her anterograde Armenia where she forgets anything that happens after she experienced a car accident and her memory resets the next day, and yet he comforted her in ways she needed and jaewon didn't want seoyun to know that he knows about his condition because he didn't want her to be painted that the day would end and that she would forget her memories rather than enjoy the present moment with him, especially with the limited time they had left. He knew all the reassuring words yet HE NEEDED THEM HIMSELF BECAUSE HE KNEW HIS DEATH DATE WAS GETTING CLOER AND CLOSE LIKE UGHH and eventually she remembers after visitung the place of their first date, after visiting jaewon’s dad who gave her jaewon’s old iPad and a mini jaewon that was gifted by seoyun made from glass and jaewon’s dad reassured her saying that although some memories fade, what you feel in your heart never leaves. And BRO SHE VISITS HIS FUNERAL AND CRIES BUT BECAUSE OF HER CONDITION SHE FORGETS THE FUNERAL THE NEXT DAY YET OBVIOUSLY FINDS OUT AGAIN THROUGH HER JOURNAL SO SHEKS GOING THROUGH THIS CINSTANT CYCLE OF PAIN UNTIL JIMIN, HER BEST FRIEND, DELETES JAEWON FROM HER JOURNAL BUT THEN OUT IF GUILT SHE TELLS SEOYUN ABOUT HIM AGAIN since seoyun constantly asked jimin about who the guy was in her sketches since seoyun used to sketch jaewon a lot since he was such great sketch material ehehe, AND THEN THE MOVIE ENDS WITH HER SAYING IF EVERYONE WILL FORGET HIM BIT BY BIT THEN SHE’LL TRY AND REMEBER HIM BIT BY BIT.

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