Military Prosecutor Doberman

How Far would you Go to Get to the Truth?

This is a drama not for the faint of heart and so I watched this drama in phases.
After watching this, you may think - how much of this can be true to a nation's military group?

Like any drama, it goes back and forth to present and past wherein we get to piece together the stories behind the tragedies the lead characters had experienced. At first Doh Bae Man was only after getting rich, so he will use his power to twist the truth in favor of his 'benefactor.' He did benefit so much, yet he is crooked. Little did he know that there is a much larger gangrene in the military involving the highest officials.

Power when mixed with greed is dangerous. That is where abuse, power-tripping and cruelty stem. For Gen. Noh, she uses people to further her cause, to protect herself and get away with the crime. How would you be able to fight this kind of monster.

Good thing the story had its redeeming factors"
1. When Doh Bae Man regained his memory of the true murderers of his parents.
2. When Doh Bae Man decided to join forces with Cha Woo In.
3. When other servicepeople felt used or guilty that they turn to say the truth.
4. The real criminals were punished giving hope for a better military
5. Cha Woo In regained her father's company.

But we cannot just set aside that there had been so many murders in this drama. Though it took a long time for the truth to be revealed, justice was served.

This drama may also be a message to those in power - whether be a government office, a head of a company or even a general - to live well, not be greedy rather serve with integrity with care for humanity.

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This was my first drama with Ahn Bo Hyun and I've definitely become a fan.

My favorite thing was, I think, the message that you can mess up, even badly so, but in most cases - murder excluded, of course - you can turn your life around, make amends and become a good person in the end.

I really liked the fine balance between funny banter/kick-ass scenes and very serious issues, especially when it came to mistreatment in the military. The drama knew when to pull back, when not to try and be funny.

Another great thing was the unexpected pairing that was Doberman's boss and his cop aunt. They were hilarious. And so sweet at the same time. And the fact that Doberman was very, very happy for them was the cherry on top for me because I expected the drama to go down the usual route of the ML not wanting his aunt to be in a relationship with his boss. So, thank you for that.

I must say that the role of a soldier really fits Ahn Bo Hyun. He's just the right type to play a guy in a uniform, he has the perfect presence for that. I very much approve!

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Both the leading actors did such a wonderful job with their roles, they were equally important to the story, had amazing action scenes as well as emotional ones and both were total eye-candies hehe 😍

The law cases were also pretty interesting as well as the side characters, although No Tae Nam didn't become likeable to me even after the sort of redemption arc. Oh and the scene with Do Bae Man's aunt in labor was very cringey to watch 💀

The OST was bomb! All the music matched the scenes really well, especially the song "My Zone" was really catchy and badass, it suited Wu In really well.

My final rating is 8.5/10.

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Doberman Bites and Doesn't Let Go!

Military Prosecutor Doberman is a fun ride that navigates through both corporate and military corruption. This isn’t something new, as we’ve seen plenty of stories with this combination, but this series certainly brings a new sense of style, combining drama, comedy, and thriller genres.

Captain Doh Bae Man (can’t believe it took me a whole episode to get his name connection!) is a military prosecutor who was orphaned at a young age when his parents (both military prosecutors) were killed in a car accident (of course, it wasn’t an accident). So many people in K-dramas are killed involving a vehicle, that it’s tantamount to the number of Americans in American series killed by gunshots!

Doh Bae Man is initially a self-serving prosecutor who uses the power of his position to put money into his pockets. As far as he’s concerned, nothing else matters. Suffering from memory loss, he doesn’t recall the details of the accident that took his parents’ lives. On the side, he works for Yong Moon Goo, then head of a prestigious law firm who promises a high position in any law firm that Doh Bae Man wishes as soon as he’s discharged. In exchange for handling (or in Doh Bae Man’s case) mishandling cases, he’s given boxes full of cash from Yong Moon Goo.

Little does Doh Bae Man realize that there is something sinister going on around him at the military base he’s assigned with General Noh Hwa Young being in the center of it all. He also doesn’t realize that there is a connection between the general and the death’s of his parents. It isn’t until Captain Cha Woo In is assigned to his office that she nudges him to start connecting the dots.

Cha Woo In also has a dark past with General Noh Hwa Young, as the general also ordered the death of her father in order to take over his company, IM Defense Industries, which was a major player in signing contractual deals with the military. However, General Noh Hwa Young isn’t just about gaining money, but power. As part of a secret society of high-ranking military officials who all wish to nudge Korea into a future that they want, Noh Hwa Young wants to be the top-dog. She has a spoiled cowardly son in Noh Tae Nam whom she wants to complete his military service.

We see corruption at its lowest as General Noh Hwa Young skillfully manipulates and removes anyone or any obstacle that gets in her way. She’s frightening enough to make any military official quake in their boots, and Oh Yeon Soo, does a fantastic job with the role, ensuring that Noh Hwa Young is a very cool, calculating person who should never be underestimated. Too often, we’ve seen men assume these types of roles, so it’s incredibly refreshing to see a woman take on the role of chief villainess.

As Cha Woo In helps Doh Bae Man peel back the layers of corruption as well as his own lost memories, Doh Bae Man begins to change. He realizes that he’s also been used by Yong Moon Go, and that it is finally time for him to utilize his office for which it was intended: to carry out justice.

Doh Bae Man is an extremely intelligent prosecutor who is a master of manipulation and seeing things that nobody else is able to see. He’s a bit reckless sometimes, but too often, we see how he’s the mastermind behind so many amazing plans. Ahn Bo Hyun is fantastic as the confident, often arrogant Doh Bae Man who flashes his boyish charm to manipulate witnesses or convicts into doing what he needs them to do.

Cha Woo In is more level-headed and less emotional than her counterpart. Aside from being an absolute master of hand-to-hand combat, she’s smart enough to allow Doh Bae Man to regain his memories on his own rather than simply tell him. She knows that it’s far more effective for him to do it this way. However, Cha Woo In doesn’t have Doh Bae Man’s gift for seeing the “bigger picture” and doing what is necessary to carry out their plan. At first, this makes her a bit of a “weak link” in the courtroom, until she begins to understand what’s going on. She tends to be a bit too naïve and trusting where being cautious and calculating is far more prudent. In short, these two make a fantastic one-two punch team as they begin to learn from each other and how to use each other’s tactics.

Kim Young Min is probably my favorite actor of this series as the very cool and highly intelligent Yong Moon Goo. I tend to prefer villains who show their prowess with intelligence rather than with brawn or ridiculous, over-the-top outbursts. While he isn’t immune to revealing his frustrations, we see just how formidable he is, and as a viewer, we wonder who will win out: Yong Moon Goo or Noh Hwa Young? The high-powered lawyer or the high-ranking general?

The series only has a few minor problems. First, is Cha Woo In going around a red wig as a vigilante. This was almost as laughable as Clark Kent hiding his Superman disguise with a pair of glasses. So many people who know Cha Woo In, fail to recognize her simply due to a red wig. Had she kept her sunglasses on, it would have worked. This ended up going way too far.

Next, we have too many actors—who are supposed to be military generals—not acting like military generals at all. They have no esteem or presence as a military general would. Only Noh Hwa Young is the exception. The worst is easily General Heo Gang In, who acts more like a bumbling, inept fool. He’s so bad that he’s not even believable as a military person at all. Jung In Ki’s interpretation was an especially poor one and completely unbelievable.

Finally, the level of bullying that seems to emanate at all levels of the Korean military makes anyone wonder how in the world the Korean military can function at all. We hardly ever even see soldiers on duty. They’re all playing sports, loafing around in their barracks, and having free reign to come and go as they please. Given that corruption was from the very bottom all the way to the very top was just too much. I understand that the writers probably wanted to do their best to expose this type of corruption, but for this story, it was a bit too much. It was overkill.

Still, don’t let these minor issues fool you. This is a solid series with something for everyone. The plot twists themselves will likely have you guessing what’s really going on. I was also tremendously relieved that the series didn’t get sidetracked with a silly romantic storyline that would have pulled everything off course. They saved the one kiss for the end. We knew there was something between Doh Bae Man and Cha Woo In. There was no need to go any further than that, especially when their focus (their goal) was on the case. Just like a Doberman, this series is likely to bite you and not let go until the very end!

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This is a 10 but i gave a 9 !

If after finishing a drama you feel the need to share your thoughts and write a review,this means the drama was really good or really bad.So you want either to encourage people watch it or prevent them and save their time.

Koreans never fail to surprise me.Once again i didn't say i wasted my time.
I didn't pay too much attention when this released. I had seen the title but wasn't interested enough to search it further.My bad!Big mistake.I started this right after i finished "Insider" Two revenge dramas back-to-back.I thought it would be too much but i was wrong.

I will summirize the basics briefly.

Music:i was hooked by all OSTs(i think there are 5 songs in total)Beautiful songs,catchy, perfect both intro & outro.In the future when ill listen any of the main Osts i will definitely remember it was from Military Prosecutor Doberman.I also liked that half of the lyrics are in English so finally i could understand what i was listening!

Production/Direction /Cinematography:A+++.Excellent.I didn't expect less to be honest.Especially i liked some direction tricks.I found very smart the presentation of the flash-backs as "live" scenes,passing infront of characters eyes.
Nothing was cheap,all at top level.

Cast:Judging by the result, everyone was chosen perfectly.Especially the Villains.

Acting: Superb!Natural.Dynamic.Passionate.Every performance was great.The one who really stood out for me though was Kim Woo Seok with his stellar acting.(because his character was really outstanding here,ill talk later about this)

Characters :

Do Bae Man,our ML: A dis-likeable character.Yes this is not a typo.In early episodes he is despicable,greedy,with no ethics.No respect to his job(he is a Military Prosecutor)He does all for money.He crosses all the -moral-lines.Actually i almost hated him.
BUT..here we have one of the most interesting and substantial character's development.From a total asshole,cocky and arrogant man to a kind,compassionate and righteous human being.An 180 degree turn.

Cha Woo In,our FL:A badass,strong,cold, smart, determined to take her revenge at any cost.Finally a well-written female char who doesn't play the sweet and innocent Dame.She is a badass with a cause!She is not just a beautiful face.The minus is there is no depth in this char.What you see is what you get!

Noh Hwa Young,our Female Villain:A psychopath.A true monster.A career woman who stepped over bodies to climb the hierarchy.A "mother" who doesn't deserve this sacred title.Cold as steel.Manipuative.Abusive.Murderer.A nightmare character,one of the most interesting villains ive ever seen in a Kdrama.And the actress deliverd all!

Noh Tae Nam,our Main Male Villain:What words should i find to praise the writer for this char!As i mentioned above,an outstanding character.In this drama i chose him as my favorite one.Yes i know he is the bad guy.He is evil,more than bad.But i loved him the most.
A rich-spoiled brat who thinks he can buy everything with money,including people.You can't help but hate him.Curse him.Wish him to die an agony death!Want him to pay for all his sins.But as the story goes,i ended from hating this char to loving him more and more.It wasn't forced or rushed.It was a smooth ride.The second best character development ever and what a treat!In the same drama!Thank you Mr writer!
His road to Redemption wasn't easy.Noone is born good or evil,Circumstances,environment and life itself drives us to make right or wrong choices.What matters is to acknowledge all the wrongs we did and try not to make the same mistakes.
He is such a sad and broken soul.His past is dark full of pain.His whole life is under his mother's manipulation.He was mentally and physically abused by her.This of course does not justify his evil deeds.But he worked with his inner self and tried to be a better person.Iam sorry for the mild spoilers here but i really loved this char so i want you at least not to hate him!

Closing with characters i have to mention the 4th Infantry Div. law Officers.The supporting chars who works with our main leads.One of the reasons i gave a 9 and not a 10.I didn't like any of them.(and i loved them all at the same time!i will explain in story)Simple because i found them just caricatures.And i was annoyed.A lot!

Story/plot: the second reason Doberman didn't get my perfect 10.No,let me say.I loved the story.I did.But i will be completely honest here.With this drama i felt i have a split personality!My half self wanted to give this an 8.My other half was shouting this is a perfect 10.Well thats why i gave a 9,somewhere in the middle!Why?Because....
This is a very heavy Revenge drama.To be more accurate the reasons behind our Ml's revenge are heavy and strong.The drama is also dealing with some really heavy issues like rape,abuse,bullying, Ptsd etc.So what i didn't like or what i really wanted was the story to has a more clean line.What i mean by this?It was like i was watching 2 different dramas in 2 different screens at the same time.The comedy element plus the comical characters-the caricatures i mentioned-was too much.Found all this out of place.Ruined the "serious" part of the story.Of course some funny and cute moments are always necessary in a drama.Can't be all the time in a dark mode.But the use of comedy wasn't suitable here.Is different to have some funny moments now and then so for the story not to be so heavy but still this mix-up was annoying to me and for my taste.
Ofc i laughed alot with the funny scenes and the "caricatures"were all excellent but i felt "guilty" Like the fun part was my "guilty pleasure"You know what i mean,right?
Continue with the story,there is a flair between our Mls since they first met.But both were focused on their revenge.They have some sweet and cute moments and all the time story immplies there is going to be a future romance.And yes indeed will be.But we don't see it.This side note is for the romance lovers.Don't have your hopes high.No kisses here!
Oh dont forget to say another thing i loved.Extra bonus:I had my fair dose of Kang Young Seok! ("blondie" from Insider.Yayyyy!)

So this is a Revenge drama with many funny moments.If you don't mind this,go watch it.Is really good!

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Stressing but refreshing (idk how that makes sense but it's fr like that)

Watching this (or anything) on going is stressl but also really exciting. And though this isn't to the point where I'm very obsessed that I talk about it 24/7, it's still really good and got me excited enough that I resubscribed to my trusty drama streaming app to watch it (I really only do that when I really can't wait to watch something). I haven't watched a lot of military themed dramas. Probably just D.P. which is solely about military and that's it. Well now with this too. And just the idea of a military prosecutor sounds new and interesting.

I really think all the characters are very well written, and my personal favorites are Kang Hajun and No Taenam. Though Hajun is more of a side, I think he still plays a very important role in the drama. He's not part of the military but is supporting Baeman and Wooin from the sidelines, equivalent to what Moongu is to No Hwayoung. Ngl when he "switched sides" I felt sad and panicked but still wished it was all just a play to get insider information (Oh to know that I'm right was the best feeling fr I was so relieved) He wasn't the strong guy but he was sweet and I loved his bickering with Baeman a lot (the tom and jerry in dramas will always get my heart). And No Taenam's character really got to my heart. Never will justfy his actions in the start of the drama, but I really loved his character development. It happened pretty slow, but smoothly. I loved how slowly he was being nice to just this one person (and eventually made him survive because of his nice acts to him), and to see him continue to be a nice person and stood up for the person who kept him alive and stood up for himself made me really proud and happy. It was really... the perfect character development.... Probably one of the best character developments I've ever seen.

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Stylish and well-paced, but the emotional weight never lands.

Military Prosecutor Doberman had the setup for a gripping revenge drama—strong premise, slick visuals, and a charismatic cast—but it never quite reached the emotional depth it needed. The story was decent, and the action sequences were sharp, but the *weight* and *seriousness* behind the revenge theme just weren’t there.

The emotional core felt thin. I never really believed in the pain or anger driving the main characters, and because of that, the revenge arc didn’t carry the impact it should have. It looked great on the surface—well-shot, well-paced—but it lacked that feeling of genuine stakes or raw emotion that makes revenge stories stick.

Ahn Bo-hyun and Jo Bo-ah both gave solid performances, and the chemistry worked, but the tone of the drama often swung between serious and overly stylized. Sometimes it felt more like a flashy comic book than a grounded military legal thriller. The potential was there—it just never went deep enough to make it *real*.

Overall, it’s an entertaining series with good production value and a few strong moments, but emotionally, it missed the mark. It’s more about cool moments than connection.

Pros:
✔ Polished action and courtroom scenes
✔ Strong performances by both leads
✔ Stylish cinematography and pacing
✔ Interesting mix of military and legal elements

Cons:
✘ Lacked emotional weight and realism
✘ The revenge never felt serious or fully earned
✘ Tonal imbalance between drama and spectacle

Would I rewatch?
Probably not—it looks good, but it didn’t leave much behind once it ended.

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Vengeance & Justice are Here!

He’s doing it for the money; she’s out for revenge. Having vastly different motivations, can this duo find common ground?

The ML is a red flag type at first by sacrificing his morals for dollars. He’s an ace in his field, but he’s only using his brains for selfish ambitions. As the drama unfolds, we learn more of what caused him to “turn dark”. He has a tremendous amount of character growth by the end after he’s faced with the reality of how much his disregard for justice hurt innocent people. When some truths come to light, he has to choose whether to continue on his path or to use his brains for good & make amends. Thankfully, with the FL’s help, he chooses wisely this time.

The FL is a mystery at first, intriguing & attention grabbing. We know there’s more to her story of why she joined his team & why she’s trying so hard to steer him back to the right path. As her history & motives are revealed, I liked her more & more. She’s a total baddie in the best, most righteous way.🔥

The Leads have great chemistry, despite their romantic portion not culminating until the end. Their bond was a delight to watch form & deepen as they worked together to bring down some truly heinous & twisted villains. I recommend this for anyone who’s a fan of the genre. 👍🏻

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Too reliant on cheap tricks to really shine

If you want an easy laugh, an abundance of twists and don’t care too much about credibility or depth, this show may well suit you. But if you are looking for something more sophisticated, challenging and suspenseful it will disappoint.

Okay let’s start with some of the good stuff before weighing in with the problems.

Such a cool sound track. I think this is my favourite soundtrack so far from all the dramas I’ve watched. The opening credits track really remind me of “The The”. The vocalist has a similar vocal style. Even the title font and colour felt like a graphic nod in that direction. Is this just me? Overall, the rest of the OST has got some great voices, with gritty undertones and pulsing instrumentals.

The military setting was a strong point, allowing for the investigation of a number of scenarios around the abuse of power and authority which offered a different slant from the more normal political or business environment. It examined some really good issues that had a lot of potential.

Do Bae Man was a quirky character well executed by Ahn Bo Hyun, although in the later stages I think he lacked subtlety. Jo Bo Ah as Cha Woo In also made a sound job of the action scenes. Oh Yeon Soo was less persuasive as their arch nemesis, Noh Hwa Young, for me she didn’t quite convince in the steely coldness that the role demanded. I thought that Kim Woo Seok gave the best performance as the damaged and unstable Noh Tae Nam and his screen time made for compulsive viewing.

This is a show of two halves. The first half is much lighter and quirkier than the second half. At first, there was a great mixture of the believable and the ridiculously unbelievable. I liked the way the writer managed to keep you clinging to the edge of credibility before tipping you over the edge. However, on a number of occasions, ridiculously unbelievable was not the writer’s intent and it really cast a shadow of stupidity and incompetence over the protagonists. That they would not properly protect vulnerable, mission-critical witnesses for instance. This is short-cut, sloppy plotting that requires manipulating the integrity of the characters. Of all writing faults, for me, this is the one that is absolutely unforgivable. Your characters are your connection to your audience, undermine them at your peril.

The one thing that this writer excels at is twists and there are some absolutely classic ones, along with a few oh-dear-whoops moments that completely cracked me up. The one at the end of Episode 7 was brilliant and showcased the vein of black humour running through this production.

However, a primary fault is its inability, particularly in the early stages to build sufficient tension. The blame can partially be laid at the door of cheap tricks to grab the attention, rather than systematically building suspense that carries the viewer with it. Particularly in the first half the writer allowed himself to get distracted by making a joke or trying to look cool, rather than making a point and again character integrity was compromised for the sake of a passing punchline.

Throughout there was all too frequent use of flash forwards and flash backs often at the start of an episode to try to peak interest. The fault might be laid at the writer’s door or maybe the director in the editing suite, but whoever did it the result is not persuasive. It’s a cheap way to get attention and smacks of covering up weak plot planning.

The mode of choice is to show the action and then tell the twist afterwards, as in a “gotcha”. This can be effective sometimes, but it is used too often here so that the viewer soon learns not to trust anything they are seeing. Instead of drawing the viewer in, it serves to alienate them, as though they are not part of the inner circle in the know. This technique is something to be used sparingly when it’s a huge twist that comes like a slap in the face. The cost for frequently using it is losing the building of suspense that the viewer does for themselves in anticipation of what might come.

Overall the plot lacked drive and coherence, jumping from scenario to scenario, with way too many plot threads. This meant that some of the serious issues aired in the second half of the drama were explored in less depth than they really deserved. Whereas more minor ones were left dangling for long periods only to be picked up again as a convenience. There was an awful lot to try and pack into the drama, a more in-depth exploration of either the corruption or the social issues would have made a full length drama and I felt that trying to do both meant that neither was fully done justice. The resulting shortage of time lead to a naive, fantasy land treatment of many of the complex issues, for instance, the development of a new weapon.

It’s a necessary skill for a writer to work out how to dump info without requiring the actors to do it for them in unrealistic and clumsy conversations. This is a skill not yet mastered by Yoon Hyun Ho and there are way too many pedestrian lines for the actors to say that slow the pace and muddy the credibility. Later on, there is a shortage of sophistication in the playing out of scenarios, including the legal ones, and the script is amateurish. That injuries on someone’s back from a beating could somehow be construed and accepted as self-harm is ludicrous.

The script was not helped by the lacklustre directing and the choices in the editing suite, which served only to disjoint further, rather than unify the disparate pieces of the plot.

The FL, Cha Woo In, says at the end of Episode 1 “A world where justice and truth have been reversed. Only from upside down can you see it properly.” Which has echoes of the twist in perspective of this writer’s previous offering, “Lawless Lawyer”. I like the sideways approach that he takes, he has good ideas and themes worthy to be explored, it’s just the execution of them that is sadly lacking.

What my rating means: 7+ A watchable drama, but nothing exceptional. Good enough to qualify for the race, but finished with the pack. The sort of thing that promises more than it delivers.

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I love Ahn Bohyun but ????

I am writing this review simply to explain why I dropped this drama and why I think you shouldn't watch it if you were curious. It has a minor spoiler but nothing huge for the overall storyline.

TW!!!: rape, sexual assault

I started this drama because I'm a fan of Bohyun and because I was interested in seeing Jo Boah in a role like this. However, the minute the show started I was worried already. The ML is a d*ckhead and one thing I cannot stand in kdramas is ML's who are a*sholes and get some stupid, poorly written redemption arc and we're all just supposed to forget they were a*sholes. But this drama truly takes it up a notch with the level of a*shole-ness (for lack of a better word).
The ML basically serves the rich and is their pet (Doberman), which irked me to say the least but I thought okay we'll get a redemption arc, or he'll have to defend something un-defendable and realize how f-ed up this has all been... But no! In fact even after his main client rapes a girl and films it (a very Burning sun-like scenario might I add, art definitely reflected reality), ML wants to help him and is looking for ways to work directly under him. They even have drinks in if I'm not mistaken the exact same place where the rape happened. I was properly pissed off already and seeing ML's redemption arc beginning having nothing to do with yk questioning his own immorality, I gave up. And for this I think you should not give this drama a chance at all.

Also, such a waste of Jo Boah and her character??? I actually liked her in this and thought the action suited her well but even she couldn't keep me interested.

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crazy bitch and her weapon

I just don't like the way they are harassing and forcing DBM to take her(FL) side. If a person does not want to take revenge even after knowing the truth or not knowing the truth, then forcibly harassing him for her(FL) own benefit, trying to take back his forgotten memory, is real torture.

You are causing him an accident so that his memory comes back are you crazy? (even doctors do not instruct/prescribe that kind of stunt) What hypocrisy, you are saying that he will decide himself, I have left him free, but the very next moment you reach to trouble him.

Don't play with the memory of those whose memory is lost, do not know if he goes mad, goes into trauma, or whatever.

I am feeling FL is more a villain than a villain, who can go to any extent for her own benefit. But she is showing as if she sympathizes with Ml. she shares the same pain (bullshit) . she is really a crazy bitch who just to make sure he becomes her weapon is going low to hurt him.

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