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Even if This Love Disappears from the World Tonight
22 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
A movie about treasuring each day no matter what.
I hope I'm not too biased in writing this review just because I'm a fan of Micchi (Michieda Shunsuke) but I just think that this movie is really good. Even just from watching the trailer, it has greatly piqued my interest. At first, the plot reminded me of the series One Week Friends, where the girl also had amnesia, except her memories reset each week instead.**SPOILERS**
The start of the movie greatly hints on what eventually happens later in the movie, which is something that I didn't really like but I guess that's what made me want to continue watching it even more. And with how Toru and Maori's relationship started, you'd think it's a typical "fake dating" trope, but in my opinion, it wasn't, their chemistry didn't feel forced and it really looked like they enjoyed each other's company. It was painful still, because for Maori, she was meeting this stranger for the first time everyday and she always had to put up a front. The part that I really liked was from the point when Toru found out about her illness, because at this point, Toru had actually fallen in love with Maori and despite knowing that she forgets him everyday, he was determined to make her everyday fun. One of my favorite lines in this movie was when Toru was talking to his sister about Maori, when he said "When there are fun things written in her diary, it would be nice if when she reads it, she'd be able to look forward to everyday, even if just for a bit.", my heart hurt a bit when I heard him say that but at the same time, I felt so much respect for this character.
I think all the characters in this movie was well-written, I also liked Maori's friend, Izumi, who is always there to help her no matter what, and she also eventually supported Toru and Maori's relationship so much. She was truly one of the important characters in the movie as she also played an important role towards the end of the film. Although one thing that I didn't quite understand was the relationship between Toru and his family, but I do think that showing this was necessary especially for the ending of the movie.
Overall, I recommend this movie if you just wanna cry and feel all kinds of emotions. I will not forget the dread I felt when I finished watching this, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It made me think "Ah, this is why this movie was so popular". At first, everything would seem slow but it will just hit you like a truck towards the end so I think it's a movie worth watching lol it will make you think about a lot of things in life.
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Eventhough it is "realistic", the story still takes you in and is not boring.It is not like it is too exciting or something but somehow it is warm and calm so you just follow it peacefully.
The characters are pretty well thought and the actors all fit in perfectly. I always think the best acting is the one that you don't notice, so you can say everyone even supporting actors did perfect job.As a minus it has to be mentioned that the male characters were a little weak, but the actors somehow filled the void.
The opening theme along the insert songs are matching the concept very good as well.The intro of the drama is also well thought and along with the music it gives you hints about the characters.
To sum up, I do not think I will watch this drama again.Not because I did not like it but because the drama gave me something to think about and I do not think I'll forget it. Well it may not work the same for you though, so just consider this drama as a warm casual life drama, that will not addict you but probably pass your time.
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A heart-wrenching and bittersweet drama
Youth of May is a wonderfully made drama that will make your hear flutter but at the same time suffer. Its story is different from any other cliché and typical kdrama and the acting of each actor is top-notch.Despite it only being 12 episodes, it managed to capture the deep affection that the main leads had for each other and the struugles and cry for justice of the citizens of Gwangu during the month of May in the year 1980.
This drama will make you fall in love with the main lead's charming personality and look up to the female lead's hardworking and sefless personality. But this drama also shows that behind their strong and interesting character, lies their painful past and struggles in life. Watching this drama will make you realize that we shouldn't always carry our burden by ourselves, we should sometimes learn to say "no" to others and choose our happiness instead of living in regret. Aside from that, it also teaches us that those left behind shouldn't let sorrow take over nor drown in tears and get blown by the wind, but instead, they should courageously swim and fly high with the wind as they face their remaining years in life.
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If you like Amazing Race, you will like this :)
My hubby and I completed all 8 episodes today, with our faces smiling wide at the last episode.To give a short intro, the two celebs are Jasper Liu (Taiwanese) and Lee Seung Gi (S Korean). Both are them are literally like duck and chicken as they arent fluent with each other's languages, so they converse in a mix of Mandarin/Korean and English.
The premise of the show is for the two guys to travel to different places in Asia to meet some of their lucky fans. But, before they are able to meet the particular fan in one location, they have to undergo various missions to gather clues which will allow them to get to their fan's house. Sounds easy enough, but obviously, things arent easy at all...in fact, it is quite Amazing Race like :)
It is really interesting to see them start off awkwardly as fellow travellers, see them bonding thru thick and thin, bromance and rivalry, and then ending as travelling brothers and good friends towards the end of the show.
If you are into food, travel, stunning visuals and filmography which center around our Asian celeb travelers (first timers most times in the different locations), then you should watch this show. I especially love the segments where the show's missions require the two celebs to interact with the locals (and international tourists as well).
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Don't waste your time
this has GOT to be a joke. it started off as well as any other drama, honestly I was very into it until episode 10. it COMPLETELY lost me. it was already boring leading up to episode 10, with more screen time with the neighbor and her freaking GRANDPARENTS than any other thing but it was fine because the chemistry between the FL and ML was honestly pretty good, but it became such a dumpster fire. I was unfortunate enough to waste several hours on this show, so please take my warning and don't even bother. it starts off good, but the downfall is so dramatic and awful that you forget what's even happening. It gets to the point where you just have to laugh because what is even going on?!Spoilers but this is what I hated-
ML shouldn't have almost cheated on FL with Jessica, he went too far in the car scene
ML got SAed way too many times, and it gets so uncomfortable because it's honestly disgusting how he is treated
FL is way too trusting, it was refreshing at first and I enjoyed her trusting the ML, but it got to the point where she was just stupid. after finding the condom in his car, she BARELY gave any backlash to him
ML has no personality, and honestly the second ML would have been such a better choice, Mr. Aodd was a perfect guy that the FL should have gotten with. the ML was NOTHING compared to Mr. Aodd, only an attractive guy.
the grandpa. point blank and period, he is the most annoying character
the grandpa literally tries to shoot the ML at the end, ends up shooting the freaking mom, and then just goes back to FL and tells her he finally approves of her BF when it's like... bro, you just shot my mom over this??? get away from me!! this was honestly the most laughable part!!!
Truly a disaster. I hated it so much, and I'm so mad that I've wasted my life on it. it could have been so much more then what it was, but it was garbage. if I could give it a zero, I would. immediately. please please please don't even bother watching.
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I recommend this drama to anyone who is looking for something different. There isn't anything supernatural, there aren't any ikemen or suspense, but it draws you into the hearts and minds of the characters. It perfectly communicates the loneliness that can sometimes find you when you live in a big city.
If only I could find a Midnight Cafe here....hehe.
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This review may contain spoilers
An excellent drama
Ripe Town is a thoroughly watchable, neo-noir-style mystery thriller set in a prosperous rural area during the late Ming dynasty. The drama follows the investigation, by multiple official and semi-official actors, into what appears to be a ritualized serial killing spree. As the mystery plotline unfolds, so do multiple intricate backstories filled with bad behavior, conspiracy, outrageous social inequalities, and additional unsolved murders. We follow the action through a group of young sleuths (constables and their friends) connected to one of the murder victims, but other interesting characters (a brilliant but traumatized judge, prostitutes, local mobsters, well-to-do businessfolks with questionable backgrounds, and a seemingly inept magistrate) play critical roles in the action. The acting is excellent all around, and the mystery plotline is exceptionally logical, unfolds at a good pace, and is unveiled gradually so that the ultimate resolution is both eminently plausible and yet still a surprise.It's impossible to review this drama without commenting on its superior production value, which greatly exceeds that I've seen in any comparable piece (and even that of larger-scope historical dramas). The sound, visuals, cinematography, and editing are all top-tier. It's also worth noting that this drama has a very unusual tone for a Chinese historical piece. It's very sober and ultimately quite bleak, but not oppressively so (there's a surprising amount of fairly dark but genuinely amusing humor, as well).
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this drama from the ones sharing similar plot-line.
The story is depicted in a narrative style. Each episode starts and ends with deliberate, thoughtful insights of one of the main characters- Shiki. The drama follows a very classic style accompanied by beautifully fitting music and subtly progresses to unfold various events and develop the relationship among the characters. It tells us the memorable yet unlikely love story between Shunsuke, a talented and famed photographer, who is about to go blind in a few months and Shiki, a kind-hearted and unpretentious pediatrician, who seeks to define her role in the final moments of her beloved one. I said ‘unlikely’ because the role of Shiki wasn’t supposed to be the one who stands by Shunsuke at the end; rather it was meant to be that of a “mere audience”….. as she herself described it. One of the many things I liked in this drama is that it does not use the word ‘love’ lightly or take this intense feeling for granted rather it seeks to find out the true meaning behind it. As a result, we get to enjoy the detailed, gentle, fateful encounters which brought these two destined persons together. The meaningful sub-plots, perceptive dialogues, appreciative characters stir our emotion, compel us to ponder over life and appreciate what we have even more.
This drama has an ensemble of beautiful characters. Each of them shines in their own way and enriches the main story with their own follies, hardships, sadness and joys of life. They are not perfect but they tried their best to do the right thing from their own perspective and that’s why they felt so real. They are not persons who disregard the pains of others only because they didn’t have the misfortune to experience those themselves and that’s why I loved all of them. I promise that the characters will surprise you, will make you cry and laugh along with them.
I’ve always liked Fujiki Naohito but in this drama he was simply gorgeous. Kanno Miho did a fairly good job as an innocent, honest, young doctor. The rest of the cast was just impeccable.
Although the storyline hints at being pretty solemn, it’s not tearfully sentimental. It’s also a drama about family and friendship with lots of funny, humorous moments which make the mood lighter at the appropriate time. There are some dramatic, cheesy and predictable moments but it doesn’t affect the overall excellence of the tale.
I decided not to over-hype it but don’t think I succeeded. The plot isn’t unique after all and I’d recommend it only when you are in the mood to try something slow, earnest but significant. The very last scene of this drama is one of the most beautiful ones I’ve ever seen in a drama. Even if you don’t like the drama as much as I did and decide to drop it, I’d ask you to watch the last few moments of this drama and I believe it’ll be able to touch your heart.
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Great Storyline, Great actors
I loved this drama from start to finish! The leads were great. The chemistry felt so natural. No words for the male lead, great actor and very good looking. I have watched several Chinese dramas the last 2 months where the female leads were so disappointing. Shabbily dressed, looking like 12yr old kids cosplaying as adults. It was so refreshing to see a female lead who dressed well, didn't look shabby and unattractive and was a great actress as well. Storyline was great too. Highly recommended for those who enjoy love stories.Was this review helpful to you?
Off really looked like a matinee idol here, and Gun is such a believable actor. And that train scene?!
No cheesy high school-like scenarios. The story and the lines are well written for the age of the characters. Thoroughly enjoyable. This is the first Thai BL so far that i wished there were more than 12 episodes, i almost didnt watch the last episode cause i didnt want it to end.
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This review may contain spoilers
RomCom, crime, historical drama, fantasy & Makjang make the dough for something standalone new
"Durian's Affair" is set among the wealthy - ´here´ (2023) and likewise ´there´ (long gone Joseon days). The time may have changed for Du Ri-an and her daughter-in-law, but the place has not. They are instantly catapulted from their Joseon days to recent today. Some of the wealthy family, who own the property today, have apparently reincarnated again in this family. They are especially well known to Du Ri-an. Now those involuntary time travelling ladies have to deal with the culture shock and the traumatic leap in time that actually seems as incredible as a dream, whereas in their own days they were actually in the midst of grieving over the loss of their beloved son/husband...This bizarre, four-dimensional dramaturgical setting is providing a load of finely knitted entanglements and arising questions, yet unanswered. What had really happened back then? What's going on today in this family? Why the time jump? So what's next for the two Joseon-day ladies? How is everyone going to deal with this weird practical (and for some even emotional confusing) situation?
This production is full of zeitgeist of the 2020s, in which Anglicisms and Banmal (informal speech) are a matter of course, while in mass consciousness the curtain between different times and spaces has become extremely permeable. Yet, the icing on the cake: relationship dynamics in the fourth dimension. The people of that long gone time are not those of today. And yet... There are notions of their life back then, even if they cannot consciously remember it, as well as the option of making new decisions in their life today. Broken hearts, cupid's arrow, greed and passion, as well as a sense of responsibility or noblesse oblige... it's all mixed up through the perspective of the time-travelling ladies of days gone by. Situation comedy breaks through encrusted structures. The strangely insane is tossing and turning the minds of reincarnates and time travellers alike. Likewise, the strangely familiar is, too.
"Durian's Affair" is one of those KDramas that wants to break with established genres. The South Korean, but also the international market is currently being flooded with excessive KDrama productions. Thus there is increasingly space opening up for experiments... and that's what “Durian´s Affair” is, too. This KDrama is no RomCom, no crime thriller, no historical drama, no fantasy and also no classical Makjang. However, elements of each are richly included. Together they create something independently new. Anyone who is open to such an experiment should sit back, relax, shake off the usual expectations and get involved with the KDrama. It's entertaining. With some open questions that keep the suspension throughout all 16 episodes. There are also love interests. (Yes, plural.) All multi-layeredly entangled across time and space. Additionally, “Durian´s Affair” is even exuding a pleasant scent of humanness.
Be prepared for deliberate Sostenuto! The pacing is characteristic, since the production sticks consistently with the two outdated ladies from Joseon days. And in my opinion, those ladies are the ones who make the show as remarkable as it is. Regarding Du Ri-an and her daughter-in-law, all characters in the show as well as the audience alike can work themselves off. Nice!
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SIDENOTE: --- A reckoning with the lost virtues of a conservative South Korean society ---
“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” -Confucius
In my opinion, "Durian's Affair" is kind of a reckoning with pseudo-virtues of a conservative South Korean society. Du Ri-an and her daughter-in-law are catapulted into Seoul 2023 and show the elite clan around the Dan family what true Confucian virtue actually means. At the same time, they are caricatures as those virtues come along as an almost unattainable ideal. The two ladies from back then embody i.e. propriety, righteousness, integrity, benevolence, wisdom and trustworthiness in such an uncompromisingly consistent way that one cannot help but be amazed. Confucian virtues are inextricably linked to patriarchy. But the lesson in this idealistic self-image of a dignified, respectful life is given to us by two women! Adaptably creative, intuitive, respectful and well grounded. Timelessly human, righteous, wise and trustworthy.
Du Ri-an and her daughter-in-law embody the Confucian virtues, but more than that, they have transcended them without realizing it and found an answer for what these (and every other virtue, too,) are actually intended for: A source of self-confidence as a human being and dignity, from which a person can draw strength and grounding - even in the most adverse situations! In general, this as a prerequisite for any human, compassionate, authentic encounters. Those virtues had to be (necessarily, involuntarily) adapted by those ladies into a completely foreign century. (And they prove themselves again and again in every one of the three different households of the Dan family.) So it is actually about the core essence of any virtue: providing a human being with dignity and inner values as a compass – reaching out with the power of respect and thus transcending boundaries of specified classes, too.
The two time travelers come across as idealized caricatures of the bygone Joseon period, that is generally considered virtuous. As foreign ladies in Seoul 2023, they embody rather unreal, almost exaggerated ideals of virtues that are still upheld and (as it turns out) actually largely lost. And yet, the two ladies prove it: true, authentic dignity can grow from the upright embodiment of these virtues. This dignity matches its dramaturgical equivalent in the overall deliberate Sostenuto pacing of the K-drama.
The timelessness of the old values stands in apparent contrast to the growing western internationalized coolness and the elitist arrogant version of the new nobility, which however seems to have lost any grounding unless it is for money. It is rather obvious: a bit more humanness, morality, integrity, wisdom and trustworthiness would be nice here and there. What is offered above all is a shiny facade cushioned by the bank account. More or less covered underneath you find any human topic irrespective of class or wealth: longing to be loved, self-doubt, jealousy, gender issues, fear of aging, love in old age, temptation...
In "Durian's Affair" the head of the family clan may be a (actually surprisingly liberal) woman. Homosexual love can become a topic here, too. And then there are a few more time-sensitive issues in play. Yet, authenticity and sincerity are primarily triggered by the two noble, upstanding Joseon ladies... They may remind one or the other just by their attitude towards life, that human dignity is deeply rooted inside - even though one may have lost or forgotten about it along the way.
Don’t get me wrong. I'm not standing here for Confucian virtues. And neither does the KDrama. But it holds a nicely presented mirror to South Korean society, which to this day may hide behind the 'old, time-honoured' values. For better or for worse. If so, then it might be crucial to fill these virtues with life. Message: The present is far from that. Fascination? Yes. Attraction? Perhaps. But embodied? No. Two ladies from the past must be landing in 2023. (And actually they had to carry their baggage at home back then - a baggage whose weight was characterized by a questionable virtue (also) of the people of that distant time.)
“Durian´s Affair” rejects any kind of idealization. How nice, indeed! Yet it upholds authenticity (as a new and needed virtue?), basic for any respectful human-to-human encounter. As a value! As the true virtue! And with that - against this background - "Durian's Affair" becomes quite a progressive KDrama production. What a delightful surprise!
PS:
And then, the ending. It is open for all you can imagine. Any direction. You choose, where to go next. Drama just like the human condition (la condition humaine.) Like the wheel of existence, fueled by Karma! It goes on and on... A never ending story of birth and rebirth...
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This review may contain spoilers
An (erotic) melodrama whose melodramatics were brilliantly captured
"Obsessed" is an erotic movie about a passionate affair in South Korea around 1969. It is a melodrama whose melodramatics were brilliantly captured - with a Song Seung-heon, who absorbs the drama in his particular passionate manner. What is new in that context, is how he is allowed to act almost shamelessly here.However, "Obsessed" is also an exciting KMovie as it touches on a not so well known chapter in recent South Korean history: the time of Vietnam War.
------------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- South Korea and the Vietnam War ---
It is always the USA that come to mind. But South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines also fought in Vietnam. South Korea was the country most involved after the USA. Between 1964 and 1973, around 48.000 Korean soldiers were each year drafted into this war. They had all volunteered, not least because their monthly wages brought in almost twice as much as a normal annual salary would have at the time. However, the South Korean army has gained a dubious reputation with a few massacres (including among civilians) in this war - a chapter from the time of the military dictatorship that has not been fully processed by now. The KMovie gives at least some space/thinking to this aspect - in connection with the consequences of the post-traumatic disorders, including the protagonist.
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"Obsessed" conveys some impressions about those 1960s/70s. The already strictly authoritarian context of South Korean every day life becomes even more so during dictatorship at that time, let alone in military itself. Thus every spark of vitality is nipped in the bud by the stiff corset of an immaculate facade. With the affair, an erotic tension is built up that one is not used to from the KDrama orbit. For the protagonists, however, this tension opens up a forbidden, yet addictive space to breathe, love and feel alive - and this precious moment of feeling alive has more value for the distressed male protagonist than anything else - as he has already seen and brought way too much death into this world...
Provoking. Gloomy. Beautifully done.
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I just want to live, with you around….
Time Travel Done Right !!Ever happened, even when all the pieces of the jigsaw are in place ...you feel that it still doesn't fit...that's the case with most time travel stories ...even when everything falls in place there's still this sense of perfect fit that I have always felt missing …
and after being disappointed so many times ...you just want to give up on your expectations and start believing that you would never find a show that will give you a sense of perfect fit and maybe what you are looking for is something that doesn’t exist...
I wanted to give up too ...but I just can't, I still have my hopes up every time I start a time travel drama....but to my surprise this time I want to yell loudly …
"I am not disappointed .... !!”
what was all this not so necessary plot build for ...??
(just to make you realize how much I liked this drama ....)
The drama revolves around Oh Ha Rin and her best friend for 10 yrs or shall I call the love of her life Ji Seo Jun who died on her 18th birthday and even after 10 yrs, regret's still holding her tight. One day she comes into possession of some mysterious photos that her first love left behind...with painful memories relighted she decides to burn the pictures....and to much surprise (okay, not for us) finds herself in the past ...maybe now she has a chance to create a future she wished for....but you know in drama land and in reality too, things can never be that simple right.....
For every time you change the past, the future will change too ....she gets few attempts of traveling back in time ...and obviously, in all those, she tries to create a perfect future by saving her love and friendship...protecting the people she cares for...but you got to pay for what you get ...every action has a consequence...and so does trying to change the past …
What happens next is what you are supposed to see the show for ...lol
Similar in premise and tone to other stories that deal with time travel ...this drama holds it better than most hyped ones with a rookie cast that'll gradually adapt perfection (in their upcomming dramas in next few years-hopefully ...lol) and a storyline that's "simply amazing".....(it doesn't mean every second was perfect, and trust me it need not be...)
The overall quality and technical aspects, including the visual effects, background music are unquestionably well-executed within a relatively shorter duration of 20 mins and 16 eps, the storytelling is compact with explanation for almost everything that happens and without the intrusion of unnecessary fillers....it makes you involuntarily press the next ep button.
As for the characters ..they give off realistic vibes with their actions and decisions most of the time...and the overall friendship and all the happy moments they share make the whole show warming and beautiful as is ...a must-watch if you ask me …!!
I give a special mention to the photo studio owner ...I don’t know why but he made it so difficult for me to not appreciate his guest appearance.
As for re-watch value ...even when I know what happens ...I can still watch it (even tho I won't cuz I never rewatch) ...but yaa that’s how much I have come to like this show …!!
As always the column for my fav quotes and dialogues :
“We can draw lessons from the past but we can not live in it”
“I don't think about the past, the only thing that matters is the endless present.”
“All I want is nothing special ...talking to you, holding your hand, spending an ordinary day with you are all precious to me.”
“When you touch the past carelessly there will be big trouble and misfortune.”
"There aren't right answers. But what we confirm is that the least regretful choice ...would nearly be the most correct one."
“Finally your standstill time begins to flow, at last, it flows to me.”
In essence, if you are looking for a time travel with almost no plot holes, fast pacing, and well-written story ...then stop looking here and there ...go watch blue birthday!
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GREAT!
This is a point of view of someone who doesn’t watch the anime.I think it’s such a good history and the actors are fantastic! The soundtrack was amazing, the end was a true freedom! Yes I know all the fans of the anime was mad about the hair, how the actors look, but let’s be honest ok? They are AMAZING! I’m watching the anime right now and they are so faithful, they really make a good work. When you make a panorama you can see how the series are damm good, please Japan make more live actions I NEED that.
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It is my cup of tea
"Do you like Brahms?" is a drama that teaches me about the things that makes life so graceful. This drama may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for me, journeying with this drama is like sipping my fine tea on a lovely afternoon. Like my green tea, this drama wont give a strong and special impression, just simple and sweet feeling. That moment when you hear people playing their instruments somehow relates to that nice warm feeling when you smell from the aroma of the tea leaves. Its that kind of magic.
The story itself is something I would love to enjoy like how I would enjoy my tea. One sip at a time, feeling its flavor as the aroma engulfs your soul. I love how it was subtle and slow, that as I went through it, I gradually feel its elegance from the bits and pieces of emotion finally settling in towards the end. As tea comes with different unique flavors, so was the characters in the drama. Everyone character was like those different type of flavors, others were more bitter than sweet and some are too sweet to be bitter. But even for me, I appreciate all of them, no matter how bitter and sweet they are.
What made it special to me was because it was not special.
Its a mundane drama that reminds me of my love for tea.
I love it.
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