An excellently written masterpiece that will make you feel intelligent.
Season 2 of Stranger follows the journey of Prosecutor Hwang Shi Mwok and Superintendent Han Yeo Jin in their relentless persuit of the truth even when everyone around them seems hella shady.If you don't remember season 1 at all, I suggest you give it a rewatch before going into this or else find a friend who is a MASSIVE stranger fan to run you through the past events like I did. Why? Because, even though S2 follows a whole new storyline, the characters are the same. There are no re-introductions as their personalities have already been established in the previous season. And this season deals with the aftermath of a lot of things that went down in the past.
I, for one watched it 3 years after finishing the first season and because of my goldfish memory, I remembered absolutely nothing. Despite that, however, the story hooked me in and kept me with it throughout.
Stranger 2 is less action focused and takes more of a philosophical note for the most part. It's a critique on the system that runs a country. It shows how power is exploited. How the media, the prosecution, the police and the conglomerates influence the very foundation of a nation and yet there is always some conflict of interest between them.
The story starts with a battle between the police and prosecution as they debate over investigative rights. A lot of dirty politics is involved as both the sides try to one up each other. From there on it branches out to multiple plotlines as more and more cases, mysteries and problems come to light. Nothing is handed to you on a plate. The drama gives you a serious mental workout as it forces you to pay attention to everything. Slowly but surely, all the various plotlines come together to meet and punctuate the overall message with multiple punches.
The show, like its predecessor does not bank on thrill or 'the next big moment' instead it takes its time, moving with this undercurrent of tension you can't look away from. All along, you feel like something important is happening and you just can't miss it even when there are no huge developments.
The beauty of it is that nothing that's happening is stupid. This is not a show that is trying to pretend to be complicated and fool viewers into thinking it's smart with lazy writing. It's actually fucking smart with zero plotholes as the story flows smoothly, connecting all dots as episodes progress. And it hits home beautifully as the final episodes approach and the intensity skyrockets.
However, I will say that this is not reccomended for those who like their shows easy to digest. Who don't like heavy dialogues and aren't fans of politics, debates and philosophical questions. 'Cause there is a LOT of that stuff. To the point that I actually felt productive after watching each episode. I felt my mind broaden and working overtime and I absolutely loved every second of it.
Ofcourse, with a show like this the biggest danger is of it going in the direction where it becomes clinical, preachy, dry and boring. And that's where the drama wins by using small but extremely powerful interactions between characters that does wonders to humanize everything and make you emotionally connect with these people.
Shi Mwok, our emotionally stunted prosecuter is so clueless and indifferent about feelings that it's simply hilarious and adorable. Han Yeo Jin, with her quirky personality and chill as fuck persona is extremely endearing.
We saw the camaraderie between them in season 1 and that was one of the major selling points of the show. But, in this one, for the majority of the drama our duo stands on opposite sides confronting each other and you feel rather starved for their interaction. So when it happens, it's all the more impactful.
With incredible small gestures and tiny moments they show how they care for each other. How she's still his best friend. How they are the ultimate team. How she's the only one he feels comfortable around and how they just seem to get each other. And it's absolutely glorious.
These two are badass in a very real sense. There's no posturing or camera effects or cheesy dialogues/action scenes that make their badassery known. It's the effortless good in them and their dogged pursuit of what's right, realization of their own mistakes and unimaginable strength that wins your heart.
It also helps that both the main leads have extremely natural and nuanced acting. Bae Doo Na and Jo Seung Woo just killed it. With the latter blowing your mind with the subtlety of his expressions and the former making you invested by the transparency of her emotions.
The season also explores a plethora of other characters, with their own motivations and personalities that are extremely well developed. Strong women in power. Morally grey characters who come through deliciously. The acting is outstanding across the board and the soundtrack is phenomenal.
You think the OST (an instrumental with no lyrics) is nothing special? Wait till it makes the simple act of two people talking business in an office, the most thrilling thing to ever happen to you. Simply stunning.
The show also has one of the most beautiful endings I have ever seen. It's so full of hope and warmth that it made me cry.
Even as it highlights the never ending corruption, the ugly politics that makes one feel that their country is too far gone to make a change, Stranger comforts and shows what it could be. How, in these murky waters, being true to yourself is the real power because it gives you dignity, confidence and most importantly, peace.
So all in all, I'll say that while Stranger 1 is kinda like everyone's cuppa tea as a crime/thriller, Stranger 2 is definitely an acquired taste. It's still excellent though and completely unique in its genre with masterful execution. Hopefully, some news of a 3rd season will come to save all of our souls soon enough.
So hey, if you wanna leave the mainstream behind, feel a little bit smarter after every episode and question everything you know about the system, then this show is your go-to!
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Another perfect season of Forest of Secrets (Stranger)
Forest of Secrets continues to shows Korea how it should be done. This is what happens when a writer as skillful as Lee Soo-yeon gets teamed up with brilliant actors, a talented director and a PD that understands how to bring all of that talent together.Jo Seung -woo is back as Hwang Shi-mok, the incorruptible prosecutor suffering from brain damage following surgery when he was young. He is joined once again by idealistic police officer Han Yeo-jin (Bae Doo-na). Set several years after the events of the first season, time and an inherently corrupt system has not been kind to either character, both ground down by the machinery of justice and both clearly nearing burnout.
This season starts with fog, Shi-mok's headlights illuminating it faintly and this image underpins everything the writer is trying to tell us about the quest for justice. Which way do we go through the fog? What step do we take? Which direction is the right one and which just gets us more lost? While blood splatter led us through the forest in the first season, there is no clear direction here: just people going through the motions and wondering whether they make any difference in the world.
The tone of season 2 is not just grim, it's leaden. The weight of those years bears heavily on our two protagonists as they attempt to navigate their way out of the fog, their path lit however dimly by a belief that justice is possible even if the pursuit of it is exhausting.
Forest of Secrets has grounded its narrative in this season in the fight between the police and the prosecution over investigative rights. As the infighting accelerates and the two sides seem more intent in slinging dirt than in serving the public, corruption gathers apace as it always does. And with our eternal partners Shi-mok and Yeo-jin on opposite sides, both will begin to question their role, their ethics and their ability to retain their independence and objectivity in an environment where it seems everyone is compromised in some way.
Forest of Secrets 2 may not be as rollicking as its first season but the writing is even more skillful, insightful and mature. We flounder in the dense fog as much as our characters do at first, waiting for that path out. And by putting us there and building that atmosphere, everyone involved shows us that they are truly at the top of their game.
Everything - the writing, direction, music, design - every aspect of this drama is almost perfect as its first year was as well.
This remains the pinnacle of Korean drama and its sophomore season merely cements that rank.
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Brilliantly evolved
Season 2 is vastly different from season 1.Although the main leads remain in place, the transitioning of an extended stellar cast to a distinctly more complex and elaborate plot distinguishes Lee Soo Yeon's follow up effort from the hit first season that took the world by storm back in 2017.
From the intense and visceral depiction of criminal investigation into corruption and scandals, the 2020 version has evolved into an in-depth study of a sophisticated web of corporate and political conspiracies intricately woven amidst the backdrop of judicial uncertainty and bipartisan face-off between the prosecutors and the police. This evolution, in my humble opinion, has been brilliantly done.
There is less action and much more dialogue, Hwang Shi Mok and Han Yeo Jin share less screen time together, and even their individual roles have been somewhat diminished by the presence of many new characters. However, in the grander scheme of things, the overarching plot is given so much more depth and significantly enhanced by the performance of the extended cast. To balance the slow-burn nature of the start, the business end of this season provides the dramatic closure that ties up all the loose ends and plot twist that viewers have been patiently awaiting the entire run.
We know all about Jo Seung Woo and Bae Doo Na, the quality of their chemistry never falters even in the face of reduced screen time. The debutants to the franchise have been immensely impressive. Jeon Hye Jin's Choi Bit is a display of empowerment and relentless zeal to protect what's at stake for the police force and for herself. Choi Moo Sung, I suspect, was entirely in character playing a version of himself. His brazenly supercilious Woo Tae Ha has such screen presence that dominated every scene. Yoon Se Ah, personally for me, is such a delight to behold. Her Lee Yeon Jae is the epitome of elegance and grace combined with a quiet resolve and shrewdness, as befits her role as the head of a chaebol. Lee Joon Hyuk returns as the opportunistic Seo Dong Jae. This time, he has a notable story arc that culminates in many viewers agonizing over his welfare.
Overall, Stranger 2 is a well developed production and fantastic addition to the hit franchise. Even though it may not hit the dizzying heights of popularity garnered by the first season, this drama still represents compelling viewing for the discerning viewers of this genre.
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This review may contain spoilers
I really wanted to love it as much as Stranger 1.
Lee Soo Yeon does not disappoint and delivered yet another masterpiece of a crime/political drama. Despite my header, I still really enjoyed the show, with it's actions, twists and drama. However, in my opinion, every aspect is definitely lacking when compared with season 1.Plot wise, the overall story was definitely less tight-knit. Story telling wasn't great (it wasn't obvious to follow and link together all the different cases). There were lesser shock reveals, twists were somewhat expected and most of all, the protagonist was (imo) too weak. It was obvious from the get go that WTH was no LCJ. He lacked the charisma, the brains and the personality to fill in those big shoes. I felt like too much time was used building up the base premise of the Prosecution-Police Rights discussion (which could be an important topic in Korea) and on SDJ digging into police power abuse cases (to get into the team). In fact, by the end of it, no real resolution was reached (except that both sides do not deserve to have exclusive rights). Pace in the first half was slow but it quickly picked up in the 2nd half with SDJ's disappearance, which I would rather the drama had started with. The ending felt rushed and I would have preferred the last few episodes to have spread out more. Many arcs were not closed out well such as, with Hanjo Group, LYJ's secretary's being suspicious, potential Kim Sa Hyun involvement, Oh Ju Seon, Segok Police Case etc. Overall, I felt the writer was trying to do too much in too short of a time. Maybe season 3??
Cast wise, I thought everyone played their part well but again, WTH's character was (imo) too underwhelming when faced with LCJ. LYJ as well did not compare up to her father. In fact, no mention was made about the status of her father by the end of the show, which I thought was pretty suspicious considering he could be used as one of the masterminds of these plots.
Overall, still a very enjoyable drama. Perhaps a slight tweak by the writer, aiming for a more philosophical style with more dialogue. Would have preferred more action/strategy like in season 1, which is what I fell in love with Stranger for.
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I was kept on the edge until the very end!!!
Stranger has a way of keeping you on your toes. You're suspicious of everyone and you never really know what direction the story is going to take. And everything always appears to be disconnected at first but it all ties together.I always feel a bit hesitant about sequels but they have really done a good job here. They kept the essence of all the characters and made sure to develop all of them and humanise them further, even the most menial of characters were well-written.
They kept that realism and that noir and gritty urban aspect filled with corruption that I loved from the first season.
And once again they hit us with reality by touching on, and intertwining the story with very relevant issues and errors within the judicial system.
I won't rant on because no one likes reading a long and rambling review. To end this I'll just say this was extremely enjoyable to watch and I really want a third season because I already miss Inspector Han and Prosecutor Hwang Si Mok.
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I just love how the plot was smartly written and well-executed, and props to the writer and director for casting such a solid and incredible cast. So many twists and turns, and the versatility they portray is truly commendable. This just shows that the cast need not to be entirely star-studded/full of A-listers (Bae Doona and Cho Seungwoo are though) to be able to make a drama successful.
The drama was able to excellently portray how the events that took place in season 1 shaped the characters at present. I'd like to believe that the fog in episode 1 was a foreshadowing on our morally gray characters and principles; the deeply-rooted corruption and power play; as well as the never-ending feeling of being lost and frustrated in pursuit of justice. And I'm pretty much in awe at how a motive so simple was made entirely intricate, and has managed to create a domino effect, affecting so many people and in so many ways. And in great detail, too! Even the slightest act or situation that may seem harmless or nothing at all, can bring so much implications and impact on the characters -- all because everyone has different motivations and principles.
The finale was a bit of a cliffhanger IMO, but I'm still incredibly hopeful that there will be a season 3 with how things ended.
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This Season SHINES ITS OWN WAY
It took Stranger 2 to get me to do my 1st review on the site cause I want to share the good things the Cons people didn't see.I’ll be honest with you: If you’re looking for something like Stranger 1 then you’re not in the right place. If on the other hand you are looking for a BEAUTIFUL REALISTIC STORY like Life or more like Gus Van Sant then welcome to you.
The biggest mistake of the second season was to be out 3 years after the first. It is tainted with the nostalgia it has left in people’s memories. We always prefer everything comes 1st because it brings the beauty of novelty. Stranger 1 introduced a new kind of Thriller, so many, even I expected to relive the same story with season 2.
But after watched it I realized, Stranger 2 isn’t really a season 2, it’s more a Spin off of the first season. Some characters are still there but the story is quite different.
The critics who came back had nothing to do with the quality of the script but rather the codes that defined season 1, Precisely the SM-YJ duo, an investigation conducted throughout the season, the emphasis on secondary characters to the detriment of the main characters. I fully understand these reproaches, one of the goals of a tv show is to follow its established codes and eventually improve its content.
But all these shortcomings in no way detract from the script quality of this season 2. Contrary to the first one, it's much closer to reality, and it MAYBE this that takes away the Blockbuster side of the previous season. Here it's the real life of the job where the hero is not necessarily someone who shines, but rather lives under the codes of a humiliating hierarchy. This season begins as calmly as possible with a good metaphorical scene of Fog, I really love it, You perfectly understand the link between this scene and the original title of the drama, it's a rather original way of saying to the audience, Welcome back to the Forest of Secrets.
And there's a debate that echoes a similar subject in Korea, the investigative powers between Police and Prosecution. Here we talk a lot, a lot, because as in real life everything is a political and every word has its importance, it is a power War between two giants.
Here The Devil is in the Details, this sentence quoted by SM takes all its meaning when we do the retro of the script. It is understandable that such long and difficult to understand conversations are necessary, as well as the introduction of all these new characters.
If you like me, are interested in political and mind games then you will have fun... This season starts very slowly, but don’t let yourself be discouraged, the more you go to the fog of the story, the more fascinating it will be. For my part, if this season didn’t have that Fancy side of season 1, it still shines it own way, it have a much better, smarter, more elaborate and more Realistic scenario. As the writer said the first season was more idealistic than real and hopes with this new season people will aspire to make the world a better place. Oh and Gaho song is so powerful and emotional.
Besides, every time I was asked if we should watch season 1 before season 2, I always said yes because it was necessary for me to understand the essence of the characters. But now that I have an overview of both, I realize that NO, it is absolutely not necessary. On the contrary, I would very much like to have the opinion of anyone who followed season 2 before the 1st. I bet the comments will be completely different than what I read now.
Guys watch it, and if you don't find any interest it's okay.
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SLOW BURN COVERING UP THE DISASTER IT COULD'VE BEEN
First of all, If you've watched Season 1 thoroughly in a consisted manner and thought process, you'll agree to what I'm about to say. I had a hard time writing this review but I will be honest, many people will overrate 2nd season but I'm not gonna do that.Season 1 was so good that it makes Season 2 look worse in front of it.
The direction was an absolute disaster in the first half of this drama.
It was so slow and inconsistent.
They made a 12 episode drama be stretched to 16 episodes and that's the biggest problem in this drama for me.
There were few episodes where I was awestruck and a few where I was so disappointed by the quality of writing and direction in which the whole plot proceeded.
And this is more disheartening when you've everything, all the cast from season 1, a great plot but what goes wrong?
The direction which is the most important part of any cinematographical scenario.
Perhaps that's why they say that to continue a sequel to a legendary plot is so difficult .
Acting was top notch . No holds barred that was the only thing perfect in this drama.
Elaborating the writing part, the writer tried to touch every controversial aspect of government officials and the issue of investigative rights, What made it fail was the direction.
The damage in the first 8 episodes was so grave that the nothing the writer could do to improvise it in the 2nd half.
All in all , we were left with a half heartened try and rushed the final 2 episodes.
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This show is beyond good! A must watch!
This season starts with a foggy scene, Shi Mok is driving, it's all misty, nothing can be seen. That's how I felt this whole season was, so mysterious, so many things hidden. Eventually, everything slowly comes to light. The story might be so slow but it's so hard. There are so many scenes I was filled with chill, every single scene is detailed. This season is a war fought by the Police and the Prosecutors. It's Police vs Prosecutors, both fighting for investigative authority. Han Yeojin (Bae Doo-na) and Hwang Shi Mok (Jo Seung Woo), both are in a powerful position compared to last time. Though one is in the police force and the other is Prosector force, both have this beautiful chemistry and a thirst for justice. I am telling you all, Han Yeojin and Hwang Shi Mok are the greatest characters to be ever made. The acting and the storyline is so brilliant. Let me stress that, the character development is mind-blowing, evening single scene to the episode, there is this transition of developments between all characters.The side characters are not a joke, they are the catalyst to this season, the story circles around the main characters. Woo Tae Ha (Choi Moo Sung) is the boss of Shi Mok and Choi Bit (Jeon Hye Jin) is the boss of Han Yeo Jin, I love the acting of both. So brilliant. The cinematography is beautiful, the soundtrack is powerful, it's a swing of mystery and emotions. The set design, production, editing, color tone, story, and writing, well done. So perfect! Brilliant.
I felt this season was slow and could have explored even more into the wilderness. Shi Mok's sickness and Han Jin's quirky sides but instead they gave us a slow burn and more to come vibes. I loved it. The final episode got me teared up so badly, it was a reflection of season one. This show is beyond good! A must watch!
The ending was bittersweet. Looking forward to season 3!
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This review may contain spoilers
Much worse than a 1st season
To be honest, I had to fight with myself a couple of times to do not drop it.*** SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS ***
First of all, it totally resets everything from the previous season. Theoretically, a story is continued but please - everyone both in prosecution and police should be basically scared of Shi Mok like hell. He brought down the biggest tycoon as well as one of the closest men for the Korean President. Both public and police/prosecution inner circles must know everything on him in detail - here it seems like they do not. The police bad woman and her equally bad superior should basically piss their pants after getting to know who's on the other side and the bad prosecutors should also do EVERYTHING they can to stop him from joing the commission equally pissing their pants that he'll cause troubles for all of them. However, it doesn't happen. She Mok is basically nerfed and pushed back and back, bullied by everyone (he's still pure and fair but even police and friends treat him as an enemy!!!), while police pack from the first season gets promotions out of nowhere. Also, a bad/good/shady, young prosecutor from the first season does everything like he did not have any problems - he should be always scared, monitored and invigilated by a lot of parties! It does not make sense at all, it does not work like that. I get that they had to present a new story, it started well but it went totally wrong - worse and worse with each episode.
Next thing - there's literally no bond between Shi Mok, that police girl and the other "friends". The first season established quite strong understanding as well as friendships. We could expect it to be continued already in a perfectly working team with no superiors, no external forces being able to create the slightest confusion between them. Especially with our police girl - so pure and particular about honor, justice etc. - inn the end of the 1st season, it turned out that LITERALLY, ONLY Shi Mok & the stood by justice side, was honest and true to those values. After all the others disappointed the police girl returning to normal, corrupted, self-centred or irrelevant attitudes, Shi Mok literally slayed them and the public with honesty, good intentions and from beginning to the end - went to TV to keep his promise, even the police girl was quite passive, he gave chances to those who deserved, destroyed evil-doers, gave credit to all working with him even if they were not pure at all.
Here - it's all erased. The police girl behaves like she cares only about her new job - doing what superiors want instead of rebelling from the previous seasons, she openly stoods against and against Shi Mok while he's still the only pure being in this show - the only rational party of the whole commission even. He still does things he doesn't have to for his previous friends like getting a warrant for them without even being asked for - what's more - not only without being asked but while being betrayed by people he keeps helping just for the sake of some stupid prejudice and conflict of interests between their organisations - we see how the police girl's assistant blabbers bullshit that Shi Mok is just a prosecutor like the whole rest and that during the meeting he was against them, that he couldn't ask him for help - which is a total, total bullshit and Shi Mok does everything without even being asked. The police girl still does nothing, goes against and against him for no f***ing reason.
I really can't accept a lot of things happening here. There're interesting parts, yes, the story of the ex-wife may be a great arc. The team gets together in the end and brings down the new bad guys but it's horrible, literally horrible and so stupid. Suddenly, they're friends again while Shi Mok is still the only pure one but why does he care that much about the police girl if she's basically treating him like shit in this season.
The intrigue is also just boring & small as compared to the blast, highest degree one from the 1st season. A horrible disappointment.
I totally do not understand the ideas behind it, I do not like the 2nd season while I totally loved the 1st one both because of th intrigues, characters, development.
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Excellent Follow-Up That Exceeds Its First Season
It's very rare for a drama to be able to have two seasons. But the story is so rich and full of mystery while matched with incredible, deep, well-written characters that you can have two seperate seasons with different stories and have room for one more (hopefully). There were many different side-plots and stories that were all perfectly combined together to create a perfectly puzzlling experience that keeps the audience engaged from start to finish. Sometimes they were included to give the characters something to develop outside of the story, sometimes they were apart of the over-arching story. Each served its purpose superbly. It's one of those drama that doesn't forget earlier scenes that seemed like filler at the time, rewarding viewers for paying attention despite it's complicated script.Cho Seung Woo and Bae Doo Na perfectly reprise their roles as the stubborn Prosecutor Hwang Si Mok and emotional Inspector Yeo-Jin. They are on the opposite sides but they are still a great unit of justice and ethical rights and wrongs. Plus they are a little more romantic than in previous seasons, furthering their warming chemistry. But that's not all. The additions to the S2 were splendid. Jeon Hye-jin as Choi Bit and Choi Moo-sung as Woo Tae-ha were brilliant as the counterparts to our main leads. Both are the bosses of the other two but have a more grey sense of justice and priorities. Their relationship was just as riveting as it was interesting. Lee Joon-hyuk had a limited yet pivotal role. Her was able to keep the same essence of the Seo Dong-jae character while getting more likeable and friendly with Shi Mok. Yoon Se-ah coming back with a stronger role as Lee Yeon-jae was another great inclusion to the show. An extra flavour in the world that Stranger is built upon.
Would watch again. In fact, I might revist the S1 and then come back. Must-See!
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This review may contain spoilers
"I don't operate like that" <3 <3 I just want to see more of Shi/Si-Mok!!
Haha, hey I was being honest! Not only am I here to see more of actor Jo Seung Woo as Hwang Si-Mok, but I'm excited to see so many mature actors in an intense, smart and captivating series where they are playing roles outside of traditional roles! Si-Mok makes the show for me & his interactions with Bae Doo Na's character Han Yeo Jin - the other characters too, are worth while. I keep watching to see if he reveals more emotion & just how much he does. I'm so thrilled & happy they did a second season!! They just upped the intensity and I fall in love with the characters all over again! Si-Mok, even if he didn't have the surgery or condition that led to it when he was younger, he's relatable to the people like me who just work, socialize a little, get out a little with no interests in sports or games. He's just gorgeous <3 and now he's pitted against a dear friend in his heart, who understands him better than most. Watching this, you'll also discover just how much you really feel for an annoying but likeable, annoying, semi-endearing & intelligent character that puts you on edge as the suspense is turned up (I discovered that I really like him). This episode had me tense and tearing up at the end. He's so lucky to have two people like Si-Mok & Yeo Jin looking for him, especially Si-Mok. Si-Mok knows him well <3 Please be alive you lovable jerk! Boy oh boy I wish there weren't only 16 episodes or just this season!Another quick tangent, I think I'd love to watch a series about Si-Mok finding love & reconnecting with his closed off emotions with potential health problems that subdued intense emotions could cause him.
I absolutely loved this & the last episode was done so well, just like me, you'll be smiling with him as it comes to a close. One of the best sequels!
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