Non-traditional Age Gap Romance

7/10 is my rating. This 16 episode (~60 minutes/episode) series ran in South Korea in 2006. The female lead, Go Byung-hee (Go Hyun-jung) is an "old maid" by Korean standards. At 33 she feels like her life has not gone in the direction she would like. She works for a risqué magazine targeted at adult males and hopes to one day have a reporting job she can be proud of. She is also looking for that "perfect" man with which to start a family, or so she thinks. Park Cul-soo (Jung-myung) is not who she pictured as marriage material. He is her best friend's younger brother, whom she helped to raise after his parent's unexpected passing. She has always thought of him as a "baby" and as her younger brother. After a health scare that may have resulted in infertility she goes on a drunk bash and Park Cul-soo is sent to retrieve her. They wind up sleeping together and feelings long buried deep send Go Byung-hee into the arms of her "perfect" man, a urologist who was writing advice for her magazine. He seems ideal, he is close to her age, attractive, and well off. She denies her feelings for Park Cul-soo because he is nine years younger and also because everyone, herself included, has always thought of him as family.

spoiler 🚨 I had a hard time understanding how nine years was as big of a deal as this made it out. Even in American culture though there is cultural bias against older women with younger men. However, this was like she was robbing the cradle or something. I loved both characters, loved the character development and enjoyed exploring the ageism thing. I was a little disappointed in the ending as, for me, I felt it left me to decide what happened to all involved. It seems to be a common theme in Asian dramas where things are not wrapped in neat little packages. But, for me, it reduced my enjoyment. Not only did we not know, for sure, what happened with the main couple but the secondary romance was even in doubt. It is worth watching. I would not put it at the top of the list. More like somewhere in the middle.

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8.5/10 is my rating. This 2016 South Korean drama spanned 16 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). This south Korean drama's male lead Yoo Si-jin (played by Son Joong-ki) and female lead Dr. Kang Mo-Yeon (played by Song Joong-ki) seemed destined to be together as random events cause multiple meetings. Dr. Kang cannot envision herself, who saves lives, coupled with a special forces soldier, Yoo Si-jin who takes them. After spurning his initial advances and ending a relationship before it even started, destiny has it that she takes a medical assignment in the same place where Yoo Si-jin is stationed. You wonder if Dr. Kang can continue to deny the feelings she so obviously has for Yoo Si-jin or will circumstances drive them apart. Is love worth the chance of loss?

Spoiler 🚨 In terms of sexy male roles a tougher than nails special forces shoulder would have to top the list. As both fight battles on the field and in the operating room it becomes apparent that the two very seemingly different occupations have far more similarities than one would expect. I do not prefer war dramas but this one rated high enough I decided to give it a chance. This was good and ended well. I was a bit worried about whether it would end sad but it changed toward the end. It is a very serious, heavy movie as the topics are deep especially for those that were in the military or close relatives of those that were. As a war veteran's wife I found my self in tears multiple times and it brought back memories of those same feelings of worry and dread. It was a very good movie and I would rate it toward the top but if you are not in the best of moods or easily become saddened - you might want to pass.

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Thrilling and suspenseful the entire way through

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean television drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.

Cha Ji-won (Moon Chae-won) is an insightful detective who often sees aspects of cases even her sunbaes miss. She seems to have the perfect life, a handsome and attentive husband, a job she excels at, and a lively young daughter. Her husband, Hee-sung (Lee Joon-gi) is very secretive about his past, he is a metal craftsman so can keep hours as he chooses. He also has a sound proof shop perfect for hiding the loud sounds of metal working and other sounds if needed. Cha Ji-won and her team begin to investigate a string of murders that look suspiciously like copy cat murders from crimes that happened 18 years previously. The more she observes the behavior of the psychotic and sociopathic behaviors of the criminals she arrests the more curious she becomes about some of the behaviors she notices of her own husband. He also has been around victims and suspects they are investigating. It has piqued her detective senses and she is not sure what to believe. Does she believe in the kind and loving husband and father or dig deeper into the past he is so secretive about to determine if he is actually a sociopath skilled at hiding a duality containing a much darker side.

Spoiler alert ** I really don't know how to describe this beyond just masterful. One of the most suspenseful and interesting serial crime dramas I have ever seen. The romance is amazing as well. In the early part of the drama you are led to believe that the ML may be evil. His father was a serial killer and they are playing up the nature aspect of serial killer - get you thinking maybe he is just like his father. As the show progresses we get to see more of how he really is and, if you know anything about sociopaths and/or psychopaths he shows emotion that would not be possible if he were what he thinks he is. It reminded me, in that sense, of Psychopath Diaries, how a label can become an expectation. He lives a lot of his life under that stigma and expectation of himself. The FL is a very intelligent detective and has a lot of integrity as a police officer. I get how you might have some doubts as you saw stuff that seemed to point at one person, but it was disappointing how easily she believed badly of the ML. Then she comes around, or so it seems, until just a short while later when another thing happens and she, once again, believes the worst of him. His sister, who knew him about as long as his wife, steadfastly did not believe him capable of anything psychotic. It also did not make sense, to me, that she would trust her sister-in-law, who she knew had murdered, with her child yet so quickly jump to distrust with her husband. The reporter, it was nearly unforgivable the way he treated the ML back in the village. He did redeem himself in all the help he gave the ML later though and, given the ML basically kidnapped and tortured him they were pretty much even. I wish the "mother" had grown to love her adopted son and protected him more. It seemed cold the way they treated him after the real son woke up. I know that there can be a stigma with children of criminals, particularly killers as society has not drawn a conclusion on whether, or not, mental disorder, such as that are inherited. The little girl was so adorable I wanted to see, when he approached her after losing his memory, that his love for her was strong enough to give him full recollection. So it was overall a really great story and kept me engaged the whole way through with just some, relatively minor, inconsistent plot points, and storylines that did not completely wrap up. For instance, what happened with the guy that went crazy because he couldn't find his wife. Now that his wife was discovered alive did they talk? Just a few unresolved aspects. I highly recommend for anyone that loves crime dramas, serial killers or just complex love stories.

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Loved It - Should Watch You're Beautiful First

10/10 is my rating. Before I summarize the plot I want to say how excited I was about this one since I watched "You're Beautiful" with these two. In "You're Beautiful" this was the romance that didn't happen where you like the second guy as much or more than the male lead. Although they play different characters it was still very nice to see these two together. Made up for the small sadness I felt that they did not get together in "You're Beautiful". Park Shin-hye is just fun to watch she has played a nice girl in both movies I have seen her in and her singing voice is just beautiful. In this she plays Lee Gyu-Won who is steered by circumstance into playing Korean traditional instruments and although she loves them she also dreams of something bigger. Chance circumstances lead her and the male lead Lee Shin (played by Jung Yong-hwa) together to compete and to play in a Broadway level 100th anniversary performance for the university. The Director sees something special in Gyu-won and encourages her to challenge herself into more visible roles. Lee Shin is the lead singer of a popular male band, The Stupid, and is very cold, arrogant and aloof. He is also in love with one of the female professors and it seems does not even look Gyu-won's way other than to torment her as his errand slave for losing a bet between them.

Spoiler 🚨 I loved the backdrop of the music school. It was fun to watch all play and perform. The love stories are very sweet and believable. This is one of my new favorites and I would highly recommend it to anyone and it is a much watch if you have seen and enjoyed "You're Beautiful." I would say "Watch "You're Beautiful" first then definitely watch this. The 15 episodes of this 2011 South Korean drama will fly by and you will enjoy being immersed in their world.

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Well liked - I found the way the FL acted cringe worthy (stalker level)

7/10 is my rating. This is the Korean version of a drama that was originally a manga Itazura Na Kiss by Tada Kaoru and has been adapted multiple times once as a Taiwanese drama entitled “It Started with a Kiss” (2005) that had a sequel “They Kiss Again” (2007) and there is also a Japanese version I heard. The main story is this South Korean version was told over 16 episodes in 2010. There is some follow up episodes which I recommend if you like the characters which are published on you tube as Playful Kiss 2 (about 7 short episodes). The story is about an unlikely pair Oh Ha-Ni (Jung So-Min) who is popular among the unpopular so to speak and Baek Seung-jo (Kim Hyun-joong) who is genius level intelligent and one of the campus idols. He is cold, arrogant, and conceited about his intelligence. Oh Ha-Ni struggles academically primarily because it is a lot of work for her to succeed academically and she does not see the point. Oh Ha-Ni is drawn to the very “other” nature of Baek Seung-jo and is his “stalker” constantly there and watching him despite repeated rejections. As fate would have it their parents are best friends and when disaster strikes for Oh Ha-Ni which destroys their house she and her father move in to Baek Seung-jo’s house.
Spoiler 🚨 I really liked this story in the beginning. Found it very entertaining to see the dramatic difference between the two in the high school environment. The story moved on to college and I had a harder time with that. I really felt like she just wouldn’t leave the poor guy alone. She would follow him all the time when I thought it would be better to give him some space. My daughter pointed out that because of the restrictions on male/female interactions in that culture it is not uncommon for people to admire from afar – different than stalking. But I had a hard time getting past my own pride and thinking what I would have done in that situation. So that part was hard for me. I liked it again later though and, for me, it became like “I Love Lucy” in terms of some of the things she did and his response. Especially the episodes posted on you tube (which is where Playful Kiss 2 was officially "published").

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Undercover love

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 Chinese Drama that spans 30, relatively short (~30 minute), episodes (so would equate to about 15 of the typical episodes for a lot of dramas).

Chen Qin Qing (Sun Yi Ning) comes from a wealthy family and escapes an arranged marriage by going to college in disguise as an ordinary, somewhat nerdy, girl. A chance encounter with “Your Highness”/Si Tu Feng leads to a series of interactions. Si Tu Feng is also a wealthy heir but has chosen to focus his time on being a leading pop star. The two develop an unlikely friendship and Chen Qin Qing drags Si Tu Feng along with her on the many adventures she creates. Chen Qin Qing finds the need to toggle between her actual look and the alter ego she has created based on the needs of the situation and those around her do not readily recognize her whenever she takes off her disguise. This is a fun and quirky love story.

Spoiler 🚨 I was a bit disappointed that she did not go back to dressing beautifully. On one hand I get that it is really cool when someone can love someone regardless of how they look. But, for me, I found that can be taken too far. If you want someone to look less than their best because you may have some jealousy or insecurity - I am not completely comfortable with that either and that is why I rated it down.

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Exploring the concept of cellular memory

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2015 South Korean drama that ran for 16 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). The male lead, Min-Ho (Jung Kyoung-Ho) is a cut-throat businessman who works for a company that forces mergers and buys up assets on failing businesses. His near psychotic practices has earned him the nickname the serial killer. His life goal has been to get revenge on his uncle who cheated his family out of assets when his father died by taking over the company Min-Ho's father created. The female lead, Soon-Jung (played by Kim So-Yeon) is a senior secretary whose father was part of the power structure who enabled Min-Ho's uncle to gain control of the company when Min-Ho's father died. His father ran a large company, but his death led to his uncle taking over the company. Soon-Jung has lived her life caring about other people and the company she has dedicated her life to more than herself. Her please to Min-Ho to save the innocent factory workers fall on deaf ears until Min-Ho literally has a change of heart.

Spoiler 🚨 It was interesting to explore the issue of cellular memory and a thought that perhaps memories could be stored in areas other than the brain. There have been a couple of cases that have been hard to dismiss as coincidence in real life although mainstream science does not embrace the concept. This is a heavy show. There is romance, murder mystery and corporate intrigue which makes it interesting and keeps you engaged. I was really worried about how it would end and was convinced that it may not end well. It ended up okay though. I liked the interaction and relationship between a variety of the characters.

Most ratings are in the high 8s out of 10 and I would agree with that. I would add, however, it is not light hearted and those that are easily saddened by events in media might consider timing when they watch this (don't think it will cheer you up - the topics are much heavier than that).

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10/10 is my rating. This was a 2014/2015 South Korean drama than ran for 20 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). Choi Dal-po is a man with a troubled past full of family tragedy that resulted in him being orphaned and adopted into the female lead's, Cho In-ha (played by Park Shin-hye), family. Cho In-ha has Pinocchio syndrome where, in this drama, she hiccups if she lies making it impossible for her to lie without this "tell." Pinocchio syndrome is real although it does not typically exhibit in this way - more often associated with uncontrollable autonomic responses to stress. Playing along though Cho In-ha hiccups until she resolves the issue. Both decide to become reporters for very different reasons. They develop feelings for each other fairly early on but must suppress them due to family bias about an "uncle" and his "niece" being in a relationship.

Spoiler 🚨 I loved this one. These two were so perfect together it is hard to not envision them actually being together in real life. The "mystery" in this was very intriguing, the character development was deep and amazing, and the love stories were heart warming. It was not what I expected from reading descriptions but that is often the case. I looked forward to every episodes and gained even more admiration for the acting ability of these two incredible actors.

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Whiny stalker grade female lead

8/10 is my rating. There were 23 episodes (approximately 45 minutes/episode). This 2017 Chinese drama stars Hu-Yitian as Jian Chen an intelligent young man who secretly likes the female lead character Chyen Xiaoxi (Shen Yue). This is a somewhat typical story where the girl chases the boy in almost stalker like fashion until she wears him down and he eventually develops and admits his feeling for her. There is a second guy, Wu Bosong (Gao Zhiting) who is a competitive swimmer and gains fame for his swimming. He is in love with Chyen Xiaoxi and competes with Jian Chen for her affection.

Spoiler 🚨 I had a hard time with this as I often do with Chinese dramas. The male is often cold and cruel to the female even more so than in other Asian films. And there is usually a nice guy that the girl does not wind up falling for. I know that plays out sometimes across all cultures and in real life but it is not my favorite story line for a romance.

I would rated this lower because I found the female lead's character somewhat embarrassing and even demeaning in the lengths she would go to in order to capture Jian Chen's attention. I also rated it down as I did not enjoy how cruel he could be to her at times. It is worth watching but not top of the list.

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An Emotional Roller Coaster

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2012 South Korean drama (20 episodes/~60 Minutes per episode) that spans 2 generations and 2 couples. The mom Kim Yoon-hee (Lee Mi-sook) and father Seo In-ha (Jung Jin-young) of the two "main" characters lost their 1st chance at love and wound up marrying other people. The son, Seo Joon (Jang Keun-suk) and daughter Jung Ha-Na (Im Yoon-ah) meet by chance and fall for each other. As fate would have it, the mother and father meet later in life and have their 2nd chance at love. They decide to marry and when they tell their children the young couple must decide if they give up their own love for the love of their parents.

Spoiler 🚨 This was an emotional roller coaster and I felt heartbreak for both couples. I felt sad at the end and couldn't quite place why but I think it is because, although it ended well, not everything was tied up in a perfect bow. I had questions about what had happened with some of the characters and it just didn't feel like the happy fair tale I like to escape to. I would still rate this high but would say watch it when you are ready for an emotional roller coaster.

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One of My Ver Favorite Romances

0/10 is my rating on this one. This was a 2016/2017 South Korean television drama that ran for 16 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). The female lead character, Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) is a weightlifter and Olympic hopeful. She suffers the discrimination of a child with a larger figure in a setting where being svelte is prized. The weightlifters tend to stick together and socialize mainly within their group even more so than other athletes. She is strong and relatively tall for a woman and is often viewed and treated as something other than feminine. She professes no interest in dating and her focus is mostly on her sport. The male lead character, Jung Joon-hyung is a swimmer who also aspires to medal but has a serious handicap in that the stress of the start causes panic or migraine like symptoms that have caused him to make critical mistakes and ultimately lose races. Bok-joo and Sung-kyung's paths cross by happenstance and they slowly discover that they knew each other in grade school and had a friendly relationship.

Spoiler 🚨 I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful romantic comedy. Some of the scenes had myself and those I was watching it laughing. It is very lighthearted yet does give you a slice of life look at sports college life. The characters are well developed and you grow to know and like the majority and root for their success.

This is at the top of my watch list. The title threw me as many titles of Asian dramas do I thought it might be silly. It isn't silly in that way at all more comical and amusing at times but in the best of ways.

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Love is Imperfect When Mental Health Issues are at Play

8.5/10 is what I would rate this one.
A 2014 South Korean Television series that spanned 16 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). Jang Jae-yeol (Jo In-sung) is a disc jockey and popular author. He has obsessive-compulsive disorder but, despite that, he is very fun loving although a bit arrogant. Ji Hae-soo (Gong Hyo-jin) is an newby psychiatrist that takes her responsibility to her patients very seriously. Her mother and father's relationship has left Hae-soo with anxiety around all things related to relationships and intimacy. Jae-yeol and Hae-soo are not love at first site, at least not for Hae-soo who actually dislikes almost every thing about Jae-yeol and is surprisingly cruel to him given her profession. Proximity leads to a discovery that the differences that originally drove them apart are only surface and they are much more alike than first impressions would indicate. Jae-yeol and Hae-soo begin the process of healing each other through their growing relationship.

Spoiler 🚨 This was an absolute emotional ride. I never cease to be amazed at the onion like nature of these dramas. I read the title and look at pictures and even read some reviews and still feel like I have only seen the outside of the onion. I start with an impression in my mind of what the drama might be like and I am so surprised so frequently with what they are actually about. On this one I expected the typical guy meets girl, some conflict in the middle, maybe a 2nd guy then a happy ending. This did not follow that at all and had me delving into my thoughts on mental illnesses, what constitutes a family and just what is normal. This is deep and complex and sad at times but very good and compelling.

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Rare Dark Comedy/Romance

My rating 8/10. This 2018 South Korean Drama spans 10 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). The female lead Kim Ga Eun plays Lee Yeon Seo who works a contract job and is short of realizing her dreams.
Her horrible day and revenge on a horrible boss takes a bad turn when she thinks she is hitting her boss from behind in an alley only to find out she actually hit popular male idol, Kang Joon Hyuk (Sung Hoon). He falls unconscious and she thinks she killed him. So, she decides to take him home to dispose of the body. Joon Hyuk wakes to an alarming scene and thinks he has been abducted by a psychopath. Lee Yeon See decides to keep Kang Joon Hyuk prisoner until she can leave the country.

Spoiler 🚨 This has been described as a dark comedy and I would definitely agree with that. I also read that some felt it was originally intended to run for more episodes (rumor has it) and thus felt rushed at the end. I don't agree with that. I felt like it wrapped up nicely. I think some may struggle to decide whether the love that develops is Stockholm syndrome or a true meeting of hearts. Some of the decisions made by Lee Yeon Seo were hard to understand because they were different than what I would have decided. I rate this a little lower than some others because there are some aspects that are a bit hard to reconcile. However if you are able to stay within the moment and just go along with the fun and unique story you will be able to get past them. Definitely worth the watch and I would bump it up on your list if you are after uniqueness or dark comedy.

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Quirky and amusing - anime/manga fans would like most liekly

7.5/10 is my rating. This is close to the ratings I have seen of 7.8 average over thousands of reviewers on other sites. This is a 2010 Japanese television drama spanning 10 episodes (60 minutes/episode). It is an adaptation of a popular Manga and Anime series Wallflower/Perfect Girl Evolution. It takes place in a boarding house and the premise is if the four young men living there can convert the landlord's shut-in niece from a "horror girl" to a proper lady not only can they continue to live there but they will be able to do so rent free. Takano Kyohei ( Kamenashi Kazuya) is a college student who has exceptionally good looks. Everywhere he goes he draws a crowd of young ladies hoping to catch his attention. These unruly crowds of young women cause him to lose jobs and even ends close personal relationships with friends and family. He does not feel being born exceptionally attractive is a good thing and often hides himself to keep away from the unwanted attention. He has three other housemates, Yukinojo Toyama ( Yuya Tegoshi), Oda Takenaga ( Hiroki Uchi) and Morii Ranmaru ( Miyao Shuntaro), who are also college students and have become close friends over their time of living together. They feel up to the challenge even when they see the niece who moves in with her black hair covering her face, black cape and overall gloomy demeanor. She loves skulls, anatomical figures and all things spooky and does not relate well to others. If she sees someone attractive it causes her to say "dazzling" and typically head butt the beautiful being before her. Each episode has a bit of a side/additive story on each of the leads and keeps the story moving along.

Spoiler 🚨 This one felt like one part Adams Family, a portion of Beauty and the beast, maybe some Meteor Garden, and then perhaps Deadpool all mixed together. It kept me watching but I could see where some say things that have been converted from Manga or Anime in Japanese literature are not typically converted well into a live version. There were aspects that really took you out of the story when one of the characters did something that would not happen in the context of a live story. So it has some elements that were more cartoonish and silly relative to the story line. That is why I rate it down. The love story was good but I felt like it was more an aside than a central part of the story. Some of it is it is hard to imagine a woman falling in love with someone that can be so cruel at times and for a man to fall in love with someone that has such deep seated psychological issues that remain unresolved. I could a bit see why they "worked" both hid themselves for different reasons so you could understand how they related on that level but love is something else - not just having things in common but feeling really attracted to certain things about the other person and I just did not see that part. He continued to seem repelled by her love of horror and she did not change his knee jerk reaction to respond to certain situations by striking back with cruel words. You sensed that evolution of both starting but hadn't fully seen it by the end. It is entertaining and worth the watch if you really want something different but if you are into a realistic scenario and a strong love story this could be a bit of a turn off.

This was nearly impossible to find. I looked for ways to buy it or to livestream it on sites I subscribe to. I wound up watching it segmented on you tube with lots of advertisements. So, just be aware, it might be difficult to find it.

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A great workplace romance

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2013 Taiwanese drama spanning 21 episodes (45 minutes/episode).

Qi Yi (Aaron Yan) returns home after being successful oversees and buys a small advertising company as well as his childhood home. To his surprise his home is already occupied by Chen Liang Liang (Puff Kuo) who has a lease that was not cancelled desite the sale and she refuses to move out. Things are further complicated when Qi Yi discovers that Liang Liang also works at his newly acquired advertising agency. Recovering from a broken heart, Qi Yi forbids any office romances as one of his big changes. This sets him and Liang Liang at odds as two of her friends work at the office and were at the verge of a proposal. Liang Liang becomes determined to save their love and find a way to make Qi Yi change his policy even if it means taking one for the team and making him fall in love with her. Slowly, Qi Yi starts to fall for Liang Liang, but Qi Yi's former love, Ding Jia Yu (Lyla Lin) comes back into the picture when Qi Yi's advertising firm teams up with a company that insists on utting Ding Jia Yu not only on the project but in Qi Yi's office. Ding Jia Yu has had a change of heart and is determined to get Liang Liang out of the way and win her way back into Qi Yi's heart. Dean (Dean Fujuika) is also working on the project from a partnering company and is mutual friends with Ding Jia Yu and Ling Ling but develops special feelings for Ling Ling. This forms the basis of a love story with lots of twists and turns.

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked this story. The love story developed slowly yet it was easy to understand how they would have been drawn to each other. I liked how sweet natured Liang Liang was and what a great friend she was to those in her life. You really wanted to see her life go well. I am a fan of happy endings and that is definitely the case with this one.

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