Reviews

There is a huge difference between a good man and a bad man

A Dream of Splendor is a Chinese historical comedy that I have been lucky enough to find and watch before the winter holidays. For those who are thinking about what to watch over the holidays, I recommend that you consider this comedy as an option for watching. There are many interesting, funny and positive moments in this series that cheer you up. And although the plot sags in some places, it's not critical.

In this series, I have seen both the blue and yellow coloured things and the familiar pattern which is depicted on my blue and yellow face and body towels. This is probably the most popular pattern in China. :) In addition, in the series I heard again the phrase “dead bees don't buzz” that I heard in Shang Yang Fu (The Rebel Princess). It's an idiom, and even though it sounds in English like “dead men tell no tales”, however, it is translated into Ukrainian just as “dead bees don't buzz”. As I have written earlier in my review on Turn on the Right Way to Life, the Ukrainian singer Pavlo Zibrov has one of his songs with the same title.

God has given me signs and clues in every drama I watch. You know, I believe that Ukraine's fate is linked to China, just as China's fate is linked to Ukraine. Moreover, I am sure that my destiny is connected to China. God has given me enough signs and clues about this not only in the dramas I watch, but also in real life.

I love to drink tea, especially green one, so it has been interesting for me to watch tea craftsmanship and tea painting in this comedy. Also, thanks to the series, I found out about the existence of such a Chinese four-stringed plucked musical instrument as the pipa. While watching the show, I enjoyed the fans Tuanshan, just as I did while watching The Story of Ming Lan. I even bought one of those fans. Although I also have a folding fan, I like the fan Tuanshan more.

What I didn't like about the series was that the characters in it swore very easily, especially by heaven, without planning to fulfil their oaths. In the Bible, in the New Testament, it is forbidden to swear at all, as Jesus Christ has pointed out. Here are Christ's words from the Gospel of the Apostle Matthew, chapter 5, verses 33-37: “You have also heard that it was commanded to the ancients: “You shall not swear falsely”, but “you shall keep your vows before the Lord”. But I say to you that you shall not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King; nor shall you swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. But your word shall be “yes, yes”, “no, no”. Anything more than that is of the evil one”.

I was happy to see many familiar actors in the series. I was especially happy to see Wang Luo Yong, who perfectly acted Zhuge Liang in Growling Tiger, Roaring Dragon. In A Dream of Splendor, he performed no worse. By the way, in A Dream of Splendor, one of the scientists had a fan similar to the one that Zhuge Liang had in Growling Tiger, Roaring Dragon.

There is a huge difference between a good man and a bad man. The series shows it very well. Unfortunately, the three main heroines had to learn what a bad man was. The youngest of them was especially unlucky, having experienced it twice. And though the two older protagonists were lucky enough to know what a good man was, the youngest was not so lucky.

I should say that I didn't like the actress Liu Yi Fei (Crystal Liu), who performed the main heroine Zhao Pan Er in the comedy. I liked neither her appearance nor her acting. In my opinion, Zhao Pan Er was supposed to be the most beautiful and spectacular heroine in the series, but that was not shown. Liu Yi Fei has bulging eyes, a humped nose and horse teeth. Her acting in the series is also mediocre. She spoiled her character with a bad performance. Liu Yi Fei is vulgar and has made her heroine vulgar, although according to the plot she shouldn't be, despite her past.

As for me, the main goal of the series is to show that you can work as a musician, singer or dancer in a brothel and not be a whore; but you can not work in a brothel and be a whore, because a whore is not a profession, but a state of mind. Liu Yi Fei couldn't show it. But Jelly Lin (Fei Xia), who portrayed Song Yin Zhang in the comedy, showed it perfectly. As a result, due to Liu Yi Fei's bad performance, I didn't like her character as much as I should have. It was necessary to cast a more beautiful and more talented actress for that role.

But I really liked the actresses Ada Liu (Liu Yan) and Jelly Lin, who acted Sun San Niang and Song Yin Zhang accordingly, both in appearance and in their performance. I especially liked Ada Liu's character, Sun San Niang. Not only me, but even a blind person could have noticed her beautiful figure, especially her lush bust. In my opinion, this is how a real woman should look like. In Ukraine, older men say that it's better for a woman to have a little cellulite and excess weight, as long as she has something to grab onto. :) No one needs a “ladder” in bed.

Sun San Niang was not only very beautiful in appearance, but she was also brave, courageous and had “golden” hands. What delicacies she could cook! You will lick your fingers! How was it possible to abandon such a woman?! Her first husband is a complete idiot. And her son is an ungrateful little pig, just like his father. It's a good thing that life has taught him to appreciate his mother. The only thing I agreed with Du Chang Feng on was that Sun San Niang spoke as if she had swallowed a firecracker. :) She should have a little more tenderness. But it's not such a big flaw.

Among the male characters, I liked very much Gu Qian Fan. He is another “kindergarten teacher” in a body of a warrior. :) Gu Qian Fan is tough, strict, principled. He is the best detective in the Capital Security Office. For his integrity and justice, his enemies and detractors gave him a nasty nickname that didn't correspond to him at all. Gu Qian Fan didn't hesitate to kill even his best friend for his betrayal, but he treated the protagonist Zhao Pan Er like a small child. And rightly so, because it is a man who should carry a woman in his arms, and not vice versa. He quickly figured out his feelings for her. What can I say, he's a straightforward guy.

Gu Qian Fan helped his beloved woman as much as he could, but when she shone like a star, he stood behind and silently admired her success. From the first time I saw him, I knew he was a good man. Watching Gu Qian Fan, I thought “where does my “Gu Qian Fan” walk and when will I meet him?” He is tall, slim, strong and smart. You can see such men only in films and books. But it was a pleasure to look at him. Chen Xiao did a great job in his role.

Gu Qian Fan said the right thing in the series. Weak men can't stand up to any test. Only a real man can defy the odds and be with the woman he loves no matter what. I believe that the main hero is the kind of person who can challenge any circumstances.

Gu Qian Fan had a charming assistant in the series named Chen Lian. However, in my opinion, he didn't know anything about women, even though he boasted about it. All his knowledge about women ended when he met Ge Zhao Di. :) But that dude was so sweet that he melted even her heart.

Guan Yun Peng performed splendidly not only in the series but also in the advert. If you've watched episodes of the series from Tencent Video on YouTube, you'll know what I mean. I especially liked the moment at the end of the fifth episode with the flower in his ear. :) I love watching episodes from Tencent Video. They always have high-quality subtitles. Not only the lyrics of the songs are translated, but also the names of all the buildings, inscriptions on the beams, the names of the characters, etc. By the way, in the advert of A Dream of Splendor episodes, I also saw Liu Tao and Tang Yan. Liu Tao is unsurpassed even in advertising.

Gu Qian Fan and Chen Lian are two cool “chupa chups” :) whom I have liked the most among the male characters. But there were two more “chupa chups” that made me laugh. They are a “play-man” Chi Pan :):):) and a fatty but kind “chupa chups” He Si. And although Dai Xu went a little overboard with his acting, Hu Yu Xuan coped with his role one hundred percent. Honestly, while watching, I wanted to stand with He Si and his fellows, beat the drum and shout as well with them. :) As I have already said, I don't like when men dress in women's clothes. But He Si was just a superstar in the series. :):):)

As for Xu Hai Qiao and his character, I will say that he is obviously born to perform all sorts of assholes. He portrayed such a schmuck in Marvelous Women. But in A Dream of Splendor, he acted a real scoundrel. His character Ouyang Xu reminded me of that sucker on thin, crooked legs, a hundred and five centimetres tall, similar to the ugly Zaches-Zinnober that I once fell in love with by mistake.

A year ago, that scarecrow wrote on one of his Weibo pages regarding me something like “we will protect such beauty”. Of course, I didn't believe his lies, and then I thought: “You should learn to defend yourself first, you jerk! I will do without your protection. God will protect me”.

I've dealt with such jackals in my life that that lousy goat is like a piece of pie in my mouth. I can crush him with one of my paws. When last year God let me know that he was not my soul mate, as I thought, but a fake, I laughed so hard for several days that I could not calm down, so it was funny to me. A good “Muyun Sheng” is a screen, a golden mask. In fact, he is a thoroughly rotten, lying, vicious and useless piece of shit. Let him stick his “protection” up his ass! Let that pig-dog continue to eat mud and bark like Ouyang Xu does in the series.

That sadist and sexual maniac never understood that I was a furious tigress whom Christ released from the leash, pointed at him and gave me the command “attack”. It was for all the bad, evil and immoral things he had done in his life. You know, I don't even hate him anymore. Because, as Tuo Ba Jun rightly has noted in The Princess Wei Young, there is hate when there is love. I have no love for him, no hatred, only deep contempt and indifference. I hope he ends up like Ouyang Xu. Anyone who cannot empathise with others does not deserve to be empathised with.

Sun Jian is another piece of shit who thinks he can use women to his advantage and get nothing for it. He has no feelings or emotions, he is like a mannequin and looks the same. How many plastic surgeries has he had, twenty, thirty? I wish him to end up like such male characters of A Dream of Splendor as Zhou She and Shen Ru Zuo.

Well, and the third “honourable” place in my anti-rating of men-goats deservedly goes to Dou Xiao, because I feel contempt for men who marry rich women for profit. They are called alphonsees, which is what Dou Xiao is.

At the same time, I will name three male Chinese actors who I like the most as actors and who look like men, not mannequins. They are Hu Ge, Zhou Yi Wei and Qu Gao Wei. But this trio of actors should not relax. Because just as I raised them to the heavens, so could I lower them below the plinth. Let them just give me a reason.

By the way, next year will be the year of the dragon. So Blue water tigress will have fun! She is not afraid of any dragon. She will put out his fire with her water, tear off his wings, bite off his head and send him by her paw under his ass in the course of the russian warship. Although, I will tell you that last year has been the year of Blue water tigress, this year has been and next year will also be the year of Blue water tigress. I will not let some lice dragon take my place! :)

It's time for me to quote you my characteristic according to the Pythagorean square. Here it is: “An extraordinary personality with a rare mind. Such people are almost completely protected from failure in any endeavour, everything is very simple for them. The person's mind is a supercomputer. The truth and the nature of knowledge are revealed to this person. The school curriculum, higher mathematics, Chinese, programming are like seeds for her. She can hold and process many processes in her head.

The potential of the person's talent is very strong. She has the talent of a genius. This person can share energy with others. Sometimes such people can have healing abilities. The person is a good family member with a developed sense of responsibility. You can rely on such a person, she is always ready to provide support. Family values are not an empty sound for her. She consciously plans to start a family and proves to be a good family member. She wants a partner who shares this goal”.

That's my brief description, but that's not all, it's just the main thing. But now you know who I really am. When I have said that I am a genius, I have not bragged, but have stated a fact. And in general, I am a woman-paradox. I have a man's mind and “iron” logic, but the heart and appearance of a real woman.

I dedicate to myself a song by Roy Orbison called Oh, Pretty Woman. And to the main hero of the comedy A Dream of Splendor, Gu Qian Fan, I dedicate the song All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey. The title of this song is a solid spoiler. :)

As I have already mentioned such a wonderful holiday as Christmas, which is approaching, I would like to recommend you to watch two movies that are suitable for watching on this holiday. Firstly, it is The Nativity Story (2006). In my opinion, people have not yet made a better film about the birth of Jesus Christ than that one.

I also advise you to watch The Christmas Candle (2013). The soundtrack to that film is a Susan Boyle's song called Miracle Hymn. Very rarely have I heard such a magnificent, angelic voice as Susan Boyle's. She also performs one of the female roles in that movie. Be sure to watch that film and listen to its soundtrack.

I recommend to all listening to the wonderful song Jesus To A Child by George Michael. That's not just a song, but a musical poem about love. I dedicate these songs about Christ to Him. I also want to dedicate another song to Jesus. It's the song O Come, Emmanuel which is sung by Simon Khorolskiy.

And no more any “Last Christmas”. I will no longer give my heart to anyone for free. To get it, you have to deserve it. Besides, I have already given my heart to Jesus Christ, because He is my true love. I used to be a big romantic and idealist about romantic and family relationships, but God showed me what a naive child I was. Now everything will be different.

You all need to understand that I am a princess who sits in a fortress whose walls are much higher than the Great Wall of China, and this fortress is guarded by the Greatest and Most Powerful Lion in the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. And He will let only another lion come to me, and all the wolves, hyenas, jackals, goats, peacocks and other evil spirits may “walk in the forest”.

To this year, which is coming to an end, I dedicate the music track Remember (Instrumental Ver. Feat.서호) from the South Korean TV series My Country: The New Age (what is happening now in my country can also be called “my country: the new age”). It was a turning point year. This year, the Lord has turned my life around and has made it what it should be; He has changed my life for the better, and me with it.

But the most interesting things are still ahead. So, see you in the new year.

Merry Christmas... and the Happy New Year!

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Descendants of the Mafia

He is her everything


Story has obvious flaws but enjoyable. Sometimes the pacing was abit scuffed. I feel like one of the events that happens feels like its happening over a year or something. When in the show its actually a month or something like that. Character continuity and them referencing things said in previous episodes was quite fun to watch.
Acting was a bit goofy at times. I find that the villains had better acting. The script was funny and well written. Music was peak. Osts were used well to fit the mood of the show or for dramatic purposes.
Minus 1 point for no title drop.
Overall very enjoyable watch. 8/10

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It was underwhelming. I am a sucker for happy endings, but here I wouldn't mind if they stayed broken up in the end.
Having said that, the chemistry between the two actors is undeniable, their acting is top notch, the story just feels too rushed towards the end. Maybe 2 more eps would have helped? There needed to be a growth shown for the FL's character. We accept that she is flawed, we want her to succeed, we root for her. The ML too, he is right in his ways, he is strong and goes for his goals, and achieves them, but he is a doormat when it comes to his feelings for the FL. He can't think straight and is completely blind in love.
They both have flaws, it makes sense that they come together and stay together.. We just need a little more justification as to why they choose to do this in the end.

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oh. my. gosh.

I felt the pain and adrenaline throughout the whole show and all I can say was that was crazy and I can’t wait for the next episodes to come out. It feels like I’ve been rating all the shows a 10 recently because everything is so good but this is on another level. I feel this show so deeply and it truly is a masterpiece. Not only is the acting unbeatable but the story, the songs, the CAST everything is amazing. I went into this show expecting it to only be good because of the vast cast, but the story is executed so well it’s crazy. I thought having only 8 eps would be too short but even within these 4 episodes I think it is a very smart move and would 100% recommend this to everyone. Go watch it now!!!

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Dived right in

After watching the 1st two episodes:

This is something that triggers all the most intriguing feelings in me. After watching these episodes I am all mushy in a billion different ways. But I will try to sum it up as short as possible:

Length - so we will probably have a bit more time for character development which is not so often in Korean BLs

Plot - I just find military comeback stories very interesting. Characters are mostly full of melancholy, or if I put it plainly, they are mostly depressed. So, starting all over again with a changed mindset sounds promising…

Characters - Full of insecurities and yet so brave…

After finishing it:

I loved the pace of the story, the music, the chemistry...

I did not adore the extreme mood change of the main lead because it seemed a bit rushed. However, I really love the way it ended. If it were me, I would make this into at least 12 – 50-minute episodes (like Koreans do with they romances) so nothing would seem sudden and rushed, and I would be able to enjoy it to the fullest.

Overall:
I am all ⭐️10/10⭐️ because my heart was in the right place, and the anticipation for every Wednesday was just fine by me. It made me excited and I am all about emotions that raise the heart rate!

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Many things bothered me about this drama, not the least of which was the Jang Se Mi character, who came across as predatory and creepy. I’ve never liked the drama trope that indicates that it’s a sign of true love when someone ignores a person’s NO and instead aggressively pursues that person (e.g., Secret Garden). Jang Se Mi was particularly problematic because she got too close when the object of her affection was sleeping or impaired or physically weak. I did wonder at one point whether the writer was tryng to play to homophobic fears. In addition, all of the other love lines came off as more crude and tawdry and less romance and roses to me.

The writing seemed so off that I looked up the screenwriter Im Sung Han.

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I had high hopes for this drama after the first couple of episodes but I became less enthusiastic as I kept watching. First, Jung Geum Ju’s antics and tactics started bothering me as she stepped up the lying and coercion and criminal activity. i know that the drama is a satire but it also seemed to be touting her prowess and skill and showing that the ends justify the means. Plus she never developed as a character. Second, I didn’t like the way that Yoon Hee Jae kept pursuing her after she rejected him. If someone says no, the other person needs to back off; it doesn’t matter how sexy or attractive he is, he needed to respect Jung Geum Ju’s wishes. I do think, however, that Ju Ji Hoon’s acting was amazing. Kim Hye Soo not so much, especially her cringe-worthy overacting at the hotel suite towards the end. There’s a way to do that over-exaggerated acting and make it funny (I’m thinking of Han Ji Eun in Be Melodramatic) but Kim Hye Soo’s was too much.

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ugh. First, I think that the women should have concentrated on setting up their businesses and dumping their respective boyfriends who regressed to middle school with each other. All sorts of sniping and glaring and hurt feelings. I kept expecting the boys to start pulling each other’s hair and slapping each other.

As for, Yoon Ha, she comes across as inept (everything she accomplished at Tae Jin was a result of work Joon Gi, Chang Soo or Yi Ji did for her) and somewhat hypocritical (e.g., criticizing the privileged for abusing their power then using her brother’s power to take revenge on those who offended her). And when the first male lead declared that he fell in love with Yoon Ha the first time they met, I wondered what the prior 15 episodes had been all about.

Finally, after all of the fuss about the brother’s disappearance, the “resolution” seemed to be almost an afterthought.

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This deserves a PREQUEL!!

It's about the Journey and it was worth my time! I cried and laughed with them which i haven't experienced much with cdramas.
I loved the cast. LYN and LSS are very well matched and their chemistry is amazing. Their portrayals of the characters are on point and it looked like they are born for the roles. I will forever remember LYN as chief ning, ever supreme and honorable while LSS always will be my favorite cdrama assassin, exuding elegance and grace. Ying is a character to watch. Her development is my favorite part of the series and the actress portrayed it perfectly. LTG is a pain but a needed one. The actor also did a fabulous job.
My FOREVER SQUAD is worth the watch. The brotherhood relationship did not look forced and the actors blended well with each other.
The OST is amazing. I don't understand chinese language but the emotions from the songs are felt in the heart. LYN has 2 songs here and i hope he wins awards for them.
The production did not disappoint. The explosions, the setting, especially the war scenes did not look easy to film and i hope no one got injured.
I am an international fan and I truly enjoyed the series. I have been rewatching it and i still get teary eyed. I expected the ending because they are warriors. Their individual endings are glorious for me. The writer made it a point that the characters will choose their own endings and i really appreciated that.
Kudos to everyone. It was a great series and what way to end 2023 ?????

I think this deserves a PREQUEL!!!!!!!!

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My expectations may have been too high because I was underwhelmed by this drama. I think that the ending focused too much on the charming, but very predictable romance, at the expense of the other story lines. The “surprise” was not a surprise because the happily-ever-after ending was such a foregone conclusion that I assumed immediately that the shooting was a setup. What I liked instead throughout the drama were the flashes of humor, such as when Moon Ho pushed Jung Hoo’s “dying” face down. Or when Min Ja paused during her escape from her lair to stare longingly at all of her knitting projects.

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One of the best dramas I've watched. This drama has a lot of complicated political intrigue and beautiful cinematography, and, importantly, a lot of very smart characters, including plenty of smart women. There was some romance but it paled in comparison to the wonderful heartfelt bromances. And, unlike most Korean dramas, everything wasn’t neatly tied up into one big happy pill, which made Nirvana’s ending much more meaningful and satisfying. I nearly gave up after the first episode because it was confusing with too many characters being introduced too quickly and too briefly (hint: learn their names!) but I’m glad I stuck with it. I would recommend this drama to people who like complex plots and who like to watch smart people behaving intelligently.

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The lead couple has sizzling hot chemistry. You might enjoy this, especially if you like the combination of smirky teasing hero (there are times when I sympathize fully with the villain’s desire to throttle the hero) and fierce and fearless heroine. There are enough political machinations, elaborate fight scenes (oddly bloodless for the nameless hordes, only the main characters seem to bleed), and lavish spectacle to keep things interesting. I especially appreciate the touches of humor, which keep the story from bogging down under its own weight and seriousness. Both lead actors, Yang Mi and Ethan Juan, are killing it.

Sure, there are logical lapses and “wait, what?” moments. There are some fantasy elements that might remind you of Harry Potter. But I don’t recall any shirtless scenes in Harry Potter, particularly anything approaching the Ethan Juan shirtless scenes….

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It’s a bad sign when I’m laughing at the wrong things, like the leading lady running duck-footed in her nightie through the streets of Barcelona demented Wee Willie Winkie-style, past a score of oblivious Spaniards. And WHERE do they find all of those non-Korean actors? Is there a special bad acting school for foreigners that rents actors out for free? Ji Chang Wook’s character is a shade too similar to his role in the Healer to make me think that I’m watching something new and interesting. I might continue to watch if there were a chance that Mr. Healer 2.0 character and Evil Witch might end up falling for each other, which would at least be fun to see. But I assume that he and Wee Willie Winkie are destined for each other. My primary beef with most Korean dramas is that the romance is too conventional and predictable and I’m afraid that this drama will follow the same trajectory. I wonder whether better actors could have redeemed the show. But then I remember inane scenes such as Dancing With Ramen and realize that there is no excuse for this drama.

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I watched the first two episodes of Abyss but I became tired of the almost constant harping about the leads’ physical attractiveness or lack thereof. It makes them, as well as the people around them, seem boringly shallow. Yes, I know that it’s supposed to be funny: They died and got another chance at life and instead of being in awe of their second chance, they dwell on their looks. But that joke gets tiresome and I don’t think it works as a satire of Korea’s obsession with physical attractiveness. Because neither leads’ personality seems particularly winning up to this point (Park Bo Young’s character is smug while Ahn Hyo Seop’s character is just stupid), it makes this a hard watch despite the interesting setup

This doesn’t always bother me; I like watching pretty people as much as everybody else. But I wish the leads in Abyss could just get over themselves and move on. I probably will stop following this and watch the last episode just to see who the killer is. If I can drum up enough interest.

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Liked: The scenes of Shanghai; the music; the acting by Victoria Song, Wang Yaoqing, and Yang Zhiying; the characters Ye Luming and Wu Yei Min; the friendships between He Fanxing and her buddies and between He Fanxing and Ye Luming; and the way the drama handled the issues with the father. Bonus point: Lots of cute dogs.

Did not like: Any of the romances. The age gap in the two primary romances was exacerbated by the immaturity of the younger half of each couple. Relationships between teacher and student always make me uncomfortable but the one here was made worse by how naive and childlike the student was contrasted against a teacher who was depicted as something of a rake. As for the main couple, I found Yuan Song irritating and selfish. It bothered me, for example, when he pursued He Fanxing then “teased” her about sexual harrassment (that's not funny and is pretty passive aggressive); tried to out her without consulting her first (I’d be ticked off if someone had done that to me, too); and most of all, the way he made her grovel at the end. All of the other relationships (including the parents’) were also problematic in one way or another.

I look forward to the inevitable sequel: Find Yourselves Divorce Lawyers.

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