Cinderella At 2 AM (2024)

Un vero e proprio strazio...

Serie dal nome che attrae...e nient'altro. Fin dal primo episodio manca qualcosa, la capacità di coinvolgere e dare una direzione precisa alla storia. I protagonisti assolutamente insopportabili, presi da un tira e molla sconclusionato e insipido come una minestra riscaldata. La differenza di età tra i due - nel drama e nella vita reale - eccessiva: lui è un bambinone cresciuto, poco espressivo, poco incisivo (avevo già visto questo attore in "Impossible marriage", altra serie pessima e da dimenticare). Continuo a ritenerlo un attore mediocre in drama che creano aspettative ma che fin quasi dall'inizio si rivelano dei flop tremendi.

Con rammarico - poiché non è cosa che mi piace fare - mi arrendo dopo il supplizio di sei episodi e metto la serie tra i droppati. Unica nota positiva, il pairing secondario costituito dal matrimonio combinato tra il fratello di lui e la cognata che ricompare dall'estero, dando il via a sprazzi interessanti sulla convivenza di due coniugi che mai avevano vissuto sotto lo stesso tetto. Ma è poco, davvero troppo poco, per potermi indurre a continuare una serie che, per quanto mi riguarda, è già nel dimenticatoio.

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Chasing Love The Korean Way

The drama starts with the FL taking money from the ML's mother to break up with the ML.. Honestly.. If you love someone truly.. No matter the reasons.. You wouldnt normally do that.. And her reasons were ridiculous.. Then begins her struggle to breakup with him and get over him..

She broke up with him because he is rich?? Feeling she wouldn’t fit in with him or his family.. Most of the drama, she kept judging the ML because he is rich.. She had the audacity to ask him ' Did u ever skipped lunch because u couldn't afford it? ' That was her reason to breakup?? He was rich?? He loved her wiht everything he had.. Apart from the fact that he hid how rich he is.. Did he make any other mistake?? Most people don't know how to cherish true love.. The ML deserved someone better..

She acted like the most mature and smart character in the drama.. But I felt it was the ML who despite seeming childish at times.. Showed the real maturity in their relationship..

" You were afraid you would get hurt and let go of my hand right away.. "
" I know I am pathetic for not being able to get over you after breaking up.. But even in this moment I am only worried how to keep you from getting hurt.. So how could you do this to me?? "

ML was really pathetic.. But he wanted to fight for his love.. Unlike the FL who was waiting for a reason to runaway.. I don't know who was more pathetic..

I understand she went through her own hardships.. But that doesn’t give her the right to judge someone else’s life.. He showered her with love in every way possible.. While all she did was hurt him when he was trying to protect what they had.. Even when she got back with him.. She chose to have dinner with someone else instead of the ML.. Her situation was understandable.. But she could have shown some decency and spared her boyfriend the embarrassment instead of indulging some random guy’s interference in their relationship..

The second couple literally stole the show.. I found myself wanting to see more of them than the main couple.. They deserved more screen time.. And their relationship really called for deeper exploration.. Their chemistry was captivating.. And the moments they shared felt more genuine.. It would have been great to see their story developed further..

Overall.. The drama falls short of expectations..The FL's choices undermined the genuine affection of the ML.. In contrast, the second couple shines with authentic chemistry..

P.S.. Moon Sang Min needs to find a new agency or start picking good scripts for himself if he doesn't want to waste his career doing dramas that doesn't treat his career well.. This drama was an average one.. But He could do better..

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NOT A CINDERELLA STORY

A May-December chaebol-poor girl love affair, that to be honest, doesnt offer anything new, that you have to question what's the point of this entire series, if there's anything.

This type of story has been done so many times in a K-drama. Its not even a fairy tale, i dont even get why they titled it Cinderella at 2AM - main lead putting on a pair of shoes to the female lead a few times doesnt make it a Cinderella story. It doesnt even draw parallel to the fairy tale title. And why 2 AM, maybe i just dont get the symbolism.

Whats sad is this is such a waste of the talented cast. I dont know why Moon Sang Min's management team chose this project for him, are they trying to sabotage his career? This is very similar to the tone and vibe of Wedding Impossible, even down to his personal styling. Such a waste of a talented actor because we know he can do more. Shin Hyun Been did the most of the heavy lifting in this drama and she is as beautiful as ever and lets just say she did a good job with the material she got.

Even worse, at only 10 episodes, it still felt too long that the events in this series felt repetitive and extended that you feel like they can squeeze everything out in 6 to 8 episodes without losing the story. The two office co-workers are so annoying and unnecessary.

There are some hints of discarded gold here - Yoon Park and Park So jin's pairing and love's story was a much more interesting story and could have used a lot more screen time and their characters could have been elevated more to co-lead status. I also feel like they have underused Lee Hyun Woo here because they just conveniently pulled the rug on his storyline just when he is starting to make an impact.

Also, I need to mention I am inlove with the soundtrack! Yeonjun's Boyfriend is so catchy and fits the sh ow perfectly!

Will i reccommend? Not really unless you are big fans of the actors, just watch the soundtrack music video. Will I rewatch? My goodness, no! Is it bad? No not really, but it is also not good enough to make an impact. This is one of those rom-coms that is just there because some producers have money to throw away - for sure I wont event remember it's story after a few months.

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I had fun!

I'll keep this review short and say people are haters.

This was a delightful show. A generic but unique storyline, with well-written characters, a great cast with superb acting, an OST that complimented the show so well and aesthetically pleasing cinematography. It was well-paced, consistent, short and sweet. The show was extremely warm and fluffy. I found myself smiling, giggling, swirling my toes, laughing and internally screaming at how cute, fun and funny it was. If you are looking want a simple, cute and enticing storyline. Then this is the show for you.

If you don't like romance then this show is not for you. Simple.

People were just so salty about the age gap that the rating ended up very low. There are plenty of dramas that have the same agenda but apparently this was a world crisis.

If you are an open-minded person you might enjoy this, don't ponder over the other bad reviews and just go for it. I'm sure you won't regret it. I won't go into extensive detail about the show because it's not very complex and it's better to see it for yourself. However, I believe that the show dealt with relationships and break-ups in an insightful and somewhat relatable manner.

I 10/10 would recommend and watch again!

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When All You Need is a Simple Romance

I might have an unpopular opinion based on what I’ve been reading from others lately, but I have to say—I really enjoyed every episode of Cinderella at 2 AM. The plot intrigued me from the start, offering a fresh twist on the classic rich-guy, poor-girl romance. I especially loved how the main leads were already deep into their relationship before the story really began, which felt like a refreshing change.

What stood out to me was how the two leads continued to have a deep respect and love for one another, even after their breakup. I do agree that the breakup phase dragged on a bit, and I wish Moon Sang-min’s character wasn’t the only one holding onto the relationship for so long. I would’ve liked to see the female lead fight a little harder at times. That said, the subplot surrounding her family’s history was heart-wrenching and helped explain why she held back emotionally.

I also wish there were more scenes exploring her relationship with her brother, as well as a deeper dive into the male lead’s relationship with his mother. Of course, I understand those weren’t the main focus. Overall, while the show was full of clichés and tropes, it genuinely made me laugh and had me rooting for all the characters involved. So, no—it’s not a perfect show, but if you go in without too many expectations, I think you’ll enjoy it. Side note: The OST is stunning, and TXT Yeonjun’s Boyfriend was instantly added to my playlist after watching!

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GREAT Acting, Story, Cast, Humor, Production Values, Length. It's Both Sweet and Realistic.

I finally signed up for an MDL account just so that I could write a review to balance other reviews that seem to be written by people who did not actually watch this excellent and professional show.

This is a VERY GOOD show: a bit sweet, a bit funny, a bit modern, a bit warmhearted, a bit tear-jerking. It was just the right length for me, without all the excessive political intrigue and evil characters. The "recommendations" include What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, so that gives you an idea of the "feel," just a bit more compact. The production values are high (with the exception of one blue screened backdrop of the city of Madrid), the music is good, everything is top-notch even though it is a shorter length. The script is tight with good dialog that enters a relationship mid-way and then references back to previous events (as many dramas do). I like the unusual 10-episode length, and it is possible that they arrived at that because of production scheduling issues. Any cuts that might have removed the storylines or scenes of peripheral characters are all good as far as I am concerned. The story as shown is tight as a drum and still includes the now standard "social issue" message, this time against violence and bullying. (There is, however, too much drinking going on, even more than usual in a Korean workplace-based shows.) What really blows my mind are the reviews that say that the script/plot/story is bad or not understandable. This is IMHO totally UNTRUE. Some reviewers seem to take exception to the idea that the FL could agree to stop dating the ML. In real life many woman stop seeing their current boyfriend when they realize that a long-term relationship won't work out. And many of these women in real life still like or love their boyfriends when they decide to end the relationship. It happens all the time; many relationships unfold just as that of the ML and FL does. Many of the negative reviewers mentioned that they did not understand the title of the show. It is explained in the first episode, further explained mid-way through, and referenced a number of times with "glass slipper/broken shoe" events and references to Cinderella. The actors include some excellent newbies and many, many seasoned favorite actors with tons of experience. Their acting is pitch-perfect for this comedy/drama. The ML did a wonderful job of portraying the sweet, devoted boyfriend and the FL did a great job portraying the dedicated professional woman. Their love/chemistry was very warm, joyous, and, later, realistic. The secondary couple and the two mothers are actors that are the best in the business for both campy comedy and melodrama and bring additional energy and chemistry. I don't understand what is behind the poor reviews. What could motivate people to be so false?

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A bit different romance

I found this a bit refreshing, as in a bit different romantic drama.

Very brief synopsis:
The FL protagonist escaped a violent upbringing with her little brother, and raised him on her own. She is now building a career, and has been in a relationship with her junior colleague for over a year. It turns out he is the younger son of the chaebol family owning the company they work for.
The ML's mother approaches her with money to break up. As FL doesn't believe in fairy tale endings, she takes the money and promises to break up with him.
To brake up turns out to be harder than she thought, especially because he loves her dearly. Will he manage to keep her in his life?

What I found a bit different with this story, was that it took a well-known trope about being paid to break up, and gave it what for some might seem like a more realistic spin. It is easy to say "love should be more important", but is it really? I found the scriptwriters gave a plausible reasoning for her to accept the money, and at the same time showing that love is a strong emotion.

The sidestory with ML's brother felt a bit unnecessary. I kind of got the feeling that it was done for the writers to justify arranged marriage to balance the narrative.

The acting was OK. I think maybe Yoon Park as the brother gives the most memorable performance.

Watch it if you want a rather light, easy romantic drama that stands out a little bit.

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I finally decided to drop this one...

At first, I decided to watch this because of Moon sang-min. I really liked how he played in My name, I enjoyed his acting. What I really didn't like at first notice was the FL's acting, I was okay with the age gap it wasn't something too bothering, it was rather sweet, but the chemistry between the main couple was off from the start. I didn't see the spark between them like other kdrama main couples. They should've had a better casting or writing. I'm not saying that they're bad actors, in fact I like them individually but not together, IMO they didn't make a great couple with appealing chemistry.
And about the story I have a lot to say...
If I was the FL, I would've dumped him ASAP. I wouldn't respect a boy who can't even take my side and confront his mother properly. If he really loved her, he would've done something to prevent his mom from messing up their perfect relationship. He is such a baby and a manchild who can't even stand up on his own. The FL was so dense for continuing to acknowledge him after his mom offered her the money. Girl don't you have an ego to protect? If you love money, it's okay, but don't accept it and then keep up with having feelings for him afterwards.
Some episodes had the comedy I've been looking for in a rom-com. But they wasted the actors' talents. The writing was too poor to be honest I skipped half of the last episodes I was watching before I decided to drop it.
Last words: If you're looking for a cozy rom-com to watch this is not for you cause it only pisses you off with poor writing and off chemistry.

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2AM is a moment of choice

I came into this series expecting a lot of cuteness and fluff and the series definitely delivered. What I didn't expect was the little life lessons sprinkled throughout. I also wasn't expecting so much honest and sincere conversations. Any misunderstandings that happen gets resolved pretty quickly and I loved that. The main reason I was interested in watching this was because of Moon Sang Min, who I saw in "Under the Queen's Umbrella", which was a series I loved. However, while he was very cute and adorable, it was the female lead that I truly loved. She was a strong and capable woman, who never really needed anyone to save her. Truly a different kind of Cinderella.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
--Her goal was revealed by Ju Won's brother in the first episode, so we didn't have to see her confuse Ju Won for two month in order to get him to break up with her. Everyone is on the same page as far the situation was, nobody was in the dark.
--Many great life lessons were presented in this series with some memorable dialogues/conversations.
--The series does a great job of showing how emotions are very complex and how trauma/adversity can affect us differently.
--Female lead was very capable and wasn't someone who needed saving. Ultimately, she's a hard worker and very sincere. For the major obstacles in her life, including the male lead's mother, she was able to resolve them with her own efforts.
--I enjoyed all the different relationships in the series. A key component of all of them was honesty, which I loved.
--And obviously, very cute/sweet, funny, and very sincere with some thoughtful, emotional ,and heartwarming moments.


DISLIKES:
--While Yun Seo's colleagues were well-meaning and very good coworkers in the sense that they cared about Yun Seo, they were often misguided. Other than being comedic relief characters, I'm not really sure what value they added to the story. I say this because I know they were suppose to add humor but their scenes just felt unnecessary
--While I have nothing against people getting drunk, I dislike its use as a plot device for certain honest conversations or actions to happen. It makes it convenient for the characters to later deny something or use it as an excuse. So when I see scenes of characters getting drunk, I just feel like such a cliché direction to take. If it's used for humor, I don't mind so much depending on the scenario and what kind of a drunk they are.


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --THE TITLE: Cinderella at 2AM-- ]

You can skip this section if you want, this is mostly me giving my thoughts on the title of the series. In the classic fairytale, it's at 12am that the spell starts wearing off and the magic is lifted. It's a return to reality. So why 2am? What happens at 2am? The first thought was that 2am is a time after the magic ends, when Cinderella is back to living in reality...which describes the world Yun Seo has lived in. The second thought that came to mind was the kpop group named 2AM. Their name was given to them on the idea that 2:00am is a time to reflect on the previous day. What I loved about this series that there were a lot of self-reflection and moments of inner dialogue. The leads look back on their situation and reflect on their actions or feelings, giving us some both understanding on their choices or insight on their growth/development. From an internet search, 2:00 AM could also have spiritual significance relating to duality and balance. We can't be so caught up in romance that we can ignore the realities of life like social class differences. Life isn't a fairytale. At the same time, we shouldn't be so much of a realist that we stop believing that happiness and romance we want are not worth fighting for. There needs to be balance.

The actual answer to why 2AM is significant to the series is actually answered starting from episode 8. It is explained that from 2am until Prince Charming arrives, it is the most difficult hours of Cinderella's story. It's when the harsh reality sets in as she waits to be saved by the prince. But as the artist Seong Min points out, she's not the typical Cinderella. She's never been. Our female lead, like Cinderella also comes from a poor background where her parents abused her and her brother. The sad thing was that these were her actual parents and not even step-parents. It's a sad backstory, but unlike Cinderella who waited for Prince Charming to save her, Yun Seo was able to save Ji Seok and herself from their abusive situation. Already, she is shown to be very strong and capable. She worked hard to raise and take care of brother alone. She got herself through college and got a great job. There was no prince to save her. She is the heroine of her own story. 2:00AM represents a moment of choice for Cinderella. She can suffer until happiness finds her, or she can go fight for that happiness.

[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

There was so many things that stood out to me about this series that I liked, but at the heart of it are the sincere characters. I loved the female lead, if that is not already evident. There are so many series where when the female lead is in trouble, the male lead comes in to save the day. In this series, Ju Won is our Prince Charming, but there isn't anything major that happened where he needed to "save" Yun Seo. She did a great job at taking care of herself. If anything, Ju Won was only there for emotional support and to give her the fairytale happiness she deserved after overcoming her sad background. Her character is also pretty honest. The only major dishonesty was her initial plan to try to get the male lead to break up with her, but that didn't last long thanks to Ju Won's brother Si Won. I also love the way she take cares of her brother. It is very clear that she loves Ji Seok deeply. When you're young, it's easy to be selfish and focus on ourselves. However, Yun Seo made sure she saved her brother too from the abuse. Not only that, she imparts on him lessons about helping others, the consequence of inaction when someone needs help, following through with his education, and doing his best. At the same time, even when she is harsh, she makes sure he knows she love him. It is also clear that her brother loves her very much and how appreciative he is of her.

Our male lead, Ju Won, was also a very likable character. Cuteness aside, he was very sincere in his pursuit of Yun Seo after she broke up with him. Although he was aggressive in his pursuit of her initially, he learns to reign it back and respect her boundaries. Later, when she expresses her frustrations, he finally accepts her wishes of breaking up. Ju Won also expresses his feeling fairly well, whether it is jealousy or hurt. I think episode 5 was a memorable moment where he expressed his hurt over how "easy" she thinks the breakup is. It gave some depth to his character as well. A lot of the things he has were not the result of his own hard work. However, his relationship with Yun Seo was achieved with his own effort and so he clings to it dearly. It was also during this conversation that made realize selflessness and selfishness is matter of perspective. There is a duality to it.

I also liked Si Won and his wife Mi Jin's story very much. Although their marriage was arranged, they learned to love each other. The development of their story was cute. Any misunderstandings they had were always quickly resolved through communication. It was often very endearing. Individually, they also both great people. Si Won is a supportive brother who always has Ju Won's back. Mi Jin is also a strong, capable and perceptive female lead with great empathy. She was emotionally aware enough to recognized when her husband was feeling disappointed after a tennis photo session. She is the first to point out that even strong people can feel lonely, giving us some insight into the mother. In fact, I think it was both Yun Seo and Mi Jin who ultimately are the heroine of the story. It was their empathy that helped the two brothers gain some perspective on their mother and ultimately help mend the family's relationship.

The artist Seong Min was also an interesting character. His father was also an abusive one. Through an accidental interaction with Yun Seo, his life was saved. In return, regardless of whether it was intentional or not, he kind of becomes the fairy godmother of this Cinderella story. It was his actions and suggestion that motivated the female lead to finally fight for her love and go find her Prince Charming at the airport. I personally don't think we needed to introduce the artist to fill this role. I think maybe Si Won and Mi Jin could've fulfilled a similar role, or even the female lead's best friend. But I guess he's also here to add some kind of urgency/rival for our male lead. I initially didn't like him because Seong Min came on way too strong for someone Yun Seo has never met, but I liked that he ended up being a friend to both Yun Seo and Ju Won.

[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

I saw a lot of comments about either the female lead being too old or the male lead being too young. While I was watching, it never really saw the age difference because I thought their chemistry was quite good. It would be a lie of me to say that physical attractiveness between individuals doesn't play a part in chemistry, but it only makes up a fraction. Compatibility/personality, familiarity, and actions/expressions all also play a part. Personally, I didn't think any of the actors in this show was lacking physically. All very pretty and/or handsome actors/actresses. And talented. I won't say there weren't some scenes where the humor didn't hit or the acting wasn't over the top, but I feel like usually, this is more of a director/characterization choice than an acting one.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

The music definitely enhances this series. There wasn't any songs that I did not like. Shoutout to Vincent Blue, Sam Kim, Ha Hyun Sang, Yeonjun, Kim Haewon, Ejel, and Riwoo for their contributions to the soundtracks. Let me know if I missed anyone. I loved them all. Fitted well in the scenes they were played. They all left good impressions on me, not much else to say there. If I had to pick a favorite, I really like "Sailing" from Ha Hyun Sang. Of course, being a TXT fan, "Boyfriend" from Yeonjun was also quite memorable.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

Chances are good at I may revisit this series again someday. There was a lot of cuteness, but the most memorable moments for me were the conversations between characters that imparted some kind of perspective or lesson. I am also a sucker for series with good female leads and this was one of them for me.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

I would recommend giving this one a chance. For me, this series wasn't just another romcom. It was very thoughtful aside from being cute/funny. Some of the many lessons this series delivered:

---When someone is getting bullied/abused, doing nothing means you are actively letting the victim get hurt. You don't have to be confrontational but do something. Tell a teacher, tell a family, tell someone.
---Don't be so quick to judge how easy someone has got it. We all have different things/values we fight for.
---Humans are weird. Our emotions are complex. Even if someone has hurt us before, we can still have lingering/buried feelings that makes us mourn their loss.
---Know when to be angry and when to show understanding and compassion. It's about picking your moment. When you handle situation with sincerity, compassion, and maturity, it can be more effective than getting angry.
---The respect you get from others isn't as important as knowing your own worth.
---Be in control of your own happiness, don't wait for it to come to you.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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Boring ending

What started out really interesting, became mundane, repetitive, dragged on and dull at the end. Which is really sad because I like the ML

The FL had serious issues with her acting. Always looking annoyed with the same expression, and just couldn’t carry the role. So sorry to the actress but it was just very flat and no chemistry with the ML. 2nd couple were quite forced as well, no real connection there.

The storyline is the most basic, poor girl rich boy, mother gives her money to break up, which she accepts!! That’s what made it interesting, but the remaining episodes could not live up to any excitement or interest. Was this production on a budget? The friend’s restaurant always had NO customers, and their wedding at the end had no one else attending??!! The final episode was a bore.

Very harsh, so sorry. It could have been so much better. :(

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Legal, mas...

A história começa bem, eu sei que a premissa do dorama era a luta em si para conquistar e poder ter o verdadeiro amor, mas achei as rejeições da Ha Yun Seo em excesso, meio bipolar o conflito com ela mesmo, coitado do Seo Ju Won que penou por episódios a fio, mas também brigava e voltava rapidamente a fazer as pazes com a mãe..
Adoro o ator Yoon Park que faz o irmão Seo Si Won, ele deu um ar cômico ao drama que foi divertido de acompanhar, além do apoio para que o irmão buscasse o amor e não fizesse como ele, que o perdeu e teve um casamento arranjado com pouca convivência inicialmente. Confesso que adorei o desenvolvimento da história dos "secundários".
A equipe que integra o Mkt 1 da Ha Yun Seo também foi super engraçado de acompanhar.
Passei muita raiva acompanhando as recusas da mãe "vilã", mas acho que a moral da série foi mostrar realmente que mesmo sem o amor materno/paterno e todas as dificuldades que a vida impõe, é possível crescer e ter a resiliência e encontrar a felicidade, seja profissional, seja amorosa.
A música tema se encaixou bem e quando você se dá conta, está cantarolando junto kkkk enfim, é um dorama bom, para se passar o tempo e um pouco de raiva rs
Eu fiquei boba ao descobrir que a atriz tem 38 anos e o ator 24, não parece nenhum pouco. Não entendo porque vemos tantas notícias em relação a boicotes de atores e atrizes por causa disso.

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