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A Good Watch, but could have been so much better
BL needle score: 6.5 - Moderate but adorable BL-nessI used to look forward to this series with a lot of anticipation...the amazing chemistry and connect between the main leads, good acting, good production values, and the realistic storyline, it had everything going for it...and it successfully created these hooks that made me wait with a lot of anticipation and concern for the the two young boys, Qi Lu and Qin Xiao, who were trying to keep their love alive despite powerful adversaries like that disgusting piece of shit, Qi Lu's Father, and one hurdle after another that came their way....the way they watched out for each other, often quietly, and at the cost of their own selves, the way they were ready to give up everything in their lives just so that the other could go ahead, was heart melting...in other words, I was very invested in the story and the characters.
But with all those positives, one major problem with this show was how it just seemed to focus on the build-up, the challenges and one blow after the other for the leads, till the very last 10-15 minutes of the show...and then it seemed like an underwhelming and abrupt end....like we didn't really get a full closure...as a friend said, it was '12 episodes of pain and build-up, followed by some quick text explaining the next 7 years of their lives, and just 5 minutes of happiness'...leaves you feeling kinda betrayed.
It ended with Qu Li and Qin Xiao being reunited and leading a happy life, but it felt like a lot was left unsaid, particularly in terms of resolving a lot of angst and resentment that the show built for some of the characters like Qu Li's father...there were hardly any payback for that, or even a plausible explanation of how Qi Lu managed to really get past the clutches of his powerful and oppressive father so easily...if he could go on to study Film-making in the US right after he went to Russia, why couldn't he do so even earlier? Also, the storyline of the second couple kinda got diluted towards the end and their scenes started to feel gratuitous to an extent. Maybe they had to censor some scenes out when the series got held up for some months in between (the routine thing that happens to BLs from China I guess)? I would have wanted to rate this as a 'Great Watch', but due to these flaws I'm giving this a 'Good Watch' rating.
Anyway, at least it has a happy ending, and it was comforting to see them be a loving couple, doing everyday nice things that loving couples do ....the lines at the very end were beautiful, when they revealed that Qi Lu and Qin Xiao had wished the exact same thing for each other - 'In the future, you must do what you love'...
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Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island
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Like a breath of fresh air, beautiful coming of age story....and yes, absolutely worth the hype
This is so pretty, and refreshingly unpretentious, with a storytelling that feels almost lyrical...the tension and anticipation all through, for the 'dam to break' is plain beautiful,....and then when it finally overflows, it's so damn satisfyingBL-needle Score: 8.5. High BL-ness
They got most things right in this one, an arresting story and script (even though nothing new), stunning locales, beautiful cinematography, great editing, and acting.....I also loved the way they use euphemisms and symbols to depict the hurdles of a queer life and the unrelenting gaze of the disapproving society all around....
The elder brother and his constant attempts to drive a wedge and keep his friend and brother at a arm's length, strikes a raw nerve with me....reminding me of all those family and friends who go out of their way to try 'control' and suppress queer lives in the name of 'all for your good'.....even when well-intentioned, it is an absolute abuse of power and privileges
The story is one that most queer individuals will identify with.....about how queer people are afraid to live their authentic lives, how expressing and living even the most obvious and commonplace emotions feel like a huge hurdle...and how almost everybody around seem hell bent on keeping up the 'make-believe' given their own insecurities and an absolute lack of understanding and empathy.......but that kiss and the 'dam-break' at the very end, was like a befitting reply to all of that ....felt so effing good......
To me the recurrent visuals of two lychees, the sudden rains, and shaking of the water-laden trees seemed to symbolise the queer gaze, resisting inertia, shaking up the 'status quo' and refusal to 'do the expected'...
Update: They are releasing short Special Episodes now...treating us to the delight of everyday cute life of Chen Li and Xhiaozhi.....it gives off such a comforting and purr-y vibe..sigh..this is beyond cute... I just raised the score to 9
Definitely recommended.
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Best Thai BL in a long time....WATCH!
The endless cycle of being pawns in the power game of dating....to put everyone on hold forever and manipulate them like hell, just in case that one person says a half-yes and gives me the rush .....I guess a lot of us can relate to that, no?BL-needle score: 8 - Reasonably high BL-ness. But this is less of a BL, and more of a story about Boys who fall, fail, and rise in Love
This is the most un-BL, un-Thai, Thai BL I have watched in a loooooong time. I guess I can't stop gushing about this show now. The messy screenplay will make you relive all the painful/ blissful (depending on which end you were caught in, or possibly both?) memories of your intense love failures and wins....the unimaginable highs of that one nod from them, and the bottomless pit of pain of seeing them happy with someone else......be warned that it can be triggering if you haven't made peace with some of those memories...and even if you have, you might just feel flooded with them memories nonetheless.....it'll make you cry, laugh, and reel from all of it...Yes, it is THAT good
But in the end, this was so GOOD MESSY!!! The last episode was long, at times terrifying, and then finally completely melted me......oh! the angst, the almost-heartbreaks, the tension....almost killed me....ha ha! I loved loved loved this show...frankly, even if this had to have a heartbreaking finale, I would still love it ....maybe even a tiny-winy bit more than a happy ending (that masochist in me...lol) ..but mighty glad that it's a happy one....I can breathe again...
The show features some really stunning acting by all the four leads - New, PJ, Leon and Pide...but the real magic of this show was its art of storytelling, because at the end it was a very common coming of age story of four teenagers, who go through lust, love, friendship, angst, jealousy and pain as they inch towards being grown ups.....the screenplay, direction, editing and cinematography does a stellar job, alongside their acting to make this a compelling tale!
An extremely well-made and well-acted series, with a very satisfying end....I wish this team makes more in the days ahead....
WATCH, without any doubts whatsoever!
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This is like a breath of fresh air
I quite liked the story and execution, it feels fresh...also, easily the least 'challenging', low-trauma, Chinese (Hong Kong) BL that I liked in the recent times..🥰BL-needle Score: 8. Reasonably high BL-ness
Yu Lei is so crushing on Chen Ke....and its cute to see him confusing that attraction with rivalry.........so Yu Lei crushing on Chen Ke, Yu Lei's friend Ouyang Han is crushing on Yu Lei, and Chen Ke is slowly waking up to his attraction to Yu Lei....at times I also get this feeling that Yu Lei's cousin sister is also borderline crushing on Chen Ke...so a lot of confusing scenarios will probably emerge soon.. I'm also expecting major heartbreaks up ahead....
The quiet and insecure student is giving me a bad feeling, reminds me of that jealous classmate from The On1y One...I get a feeling that our duo will have something bad happen to them and this guy will be somehow involved
While it borderline reminded me of The On1y One at the beginning, beyond being a school life drama with a hint of rivalry and the whole boy-dorm thing, this is very different from that one
The story is quite engaging ..also liked how it is narrated in the flashback by the leads in turn, it gives you the feel right away that these people are probably estranged, or away from each other now and thinking back on the old days, how they met and got close to each other....
The production values are good, so is the acting, script, and music... I got hooked right from the start and felt compelled to write a review after quite some time.
Go watch!
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Damn...I'm already reeling from all that HAWTNESSS!!!
This show is going to be my undoing by bringing out the absolutely-disgusting-ravenous smuthound in me....even if the story and everything else falls through, I will turn up to just watch Joss and Gawin ...I mean the plot-holes in this one is more like a whole window, but who is to complain when the 'view' is so damn fine....:DBL-needle score: 9. Very High BL-ness
NGL....I would watch anything with Gawin in it...and was waiting a looooong time for him in a lead role, so there.....now, did I ever think that I will be drooling over another man with Gavin in the same frame? - NOPE....but boy! was I wrong!!!!Joss is like IMMEASURABLY HAWWT!!!!
The story is quite tantalising so far, even if a tad too 'fantastic'...but hey! what do you expect from a Vampire show if not fantasy!!! lol....and frankly, I don't really think this show will run on the story...because it needs nothing beyond the combined hotness of Joss and Gawin to run full-steam right till the end....phew!!
Should you watch it???..erm...do you absolutely despise shows that run on the leads' chemistry alone? If Yes, then No, you shouldn't watch this...but if you are part of the rest of the universe that doesn't belong to that set...then YES....
Just watch it for Joss and Gawin...there, I said it! :P
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Cute, as only teenage love stories can be...watch it for the feel good
A simple, and emotional teenage tale that I really enjoyed ....the boys are uber cute, and so is their story....err, a lil too 'photoshopped' yes, but then that's most KBL for you...:DBl-needle score: 8.5, Very high BL-ness
Woohyun has a crush on his homeroom teacher but knows that it can lead to nothing, and hence suppresses it, only confiding in his close friend Park Doha....following which Doha confesses that he likes Woohyun and proposes that they go out to see if that helps Woohyun get over his impossible crush. What follows is a simple and emotional teenagey tale of cute possessiveness, jealousy, heartaches and love....with a happy ending :D
The actors and the script makes it believable...but more importantly, it just makes you feel good...reminding of your first crush from school and the likes
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Started off spectacularly, but got tamer later, watch it for the leads #WeWantMoreOfPondPeterpan
I was so waiting for Pond and this drama and finally when it arrived, it just blew me...it started of as an absolutely ravishing, scintillating show, but the storytelling and script gradually got tamer ...Pond and Peterpan still slay, the less-than-great script notwithstanding .....while I feel this was a missed opportunity...I would still say watch it for the Pond-Peterpan magic!!...BL-Needle Score: 8.5. High BL-ness
The script started off really great but then grew increasingly tamer with time, and in the last few episodes heavily depends on the Pond-Peterpan lovey-dovey, which is disappointing, to say the least, given how good both of them have been...the production values are really high though and the frames look really seductive....Pond is ravishing and Peterpan is plain dandy, and together they have us eating out of their hands....only if they could keep the script more polished and taut....imagine what a cast like this could have achieved!!
After 180 Degrees, I had high hopes for this to be the next best BL for Pond, but well..it disappointed...but Pond and Peterpan are outstanding....watch it for them.
#WeWantMoreofPondPeterpan
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Intriguing story, great cast and acting, but the finale was a tad rushed and gratuitous
I had consistently given this show a 9 rating, untill the last episode, which seemed rushed, and a little too good and perfect an ending for a story so messy so far. So, I'm downgrading the final score to be 8BL-needle score: 7. Moderate BL-ness, interspersed with serious and interesting themes
An intriguing story on two lonely people who feel unloved, and stuck in their sex-less relationships. Feeling slighted by their respective partners, and unable to withstand the undeniable attraction between them, on a rainy night, they break open the dam of pent-up desires, emotions and frustration. Raises important questions around desire, control, norms and power-games in relationships.
Sei is attracted to Kazauki and lives with him as in a relationship...but Kauzauki was clear that they can never have sex or physically intimate...Sei feels cared-for and protected, but unfulfilled...starts to question and feel caged...Hagiwara has an apparently loving girlfriend who he is expected to marry, but they have completely stopped having sex...whenever he makes an advance, she avoids it indirectly.....which is starting to make him feel unloved, shut out, and slighted.... with a simmering frustration and anger that seems to be growing...
An accidental email gets Sei and Hagiwara talking...and as often lonely people do, they keep talking, unaware that they are actually office colleagues..even though they meet in the professional space, they do not know that their email-mate is this same person......Eventually their pent-up sexual and emotional frustration bursts forth as they act on the undeniable attraction and need....even though they initially agree to keep up with their respective relationships, things get more complicated as Hagiwara confesses that it is beyond just sex for him....Sei, even though palpably unsure about his own heart, makes an attempt to stick to his relationship..........until, as expected, their partners find out.....
The series was almost perfect till the last episode or may be teh last two episodes, I would say. It felt like they felt compelled to redeem all the characters and made it look like a gift wrapped finale, which was not to my taste because I was primed for the mess that it seemed to be headed for....mess that helps you clear confusion, and understand your heart better. Instead they did an 'All's well that ends well' and 'everyone gets to be happy (almost)' kinda finale ...which got me disappointed and borderline annoyed. Some characters need not be redeemed, even if it is important to depict why they are the way they are.
Anyway, I would still recommend the show because of the stellar acting and also because it raises questions and creates conversations around the spectrum of sexual expressions (or the lack of it), desires, social norms around them and how relationship power games manifest in that canvas.....
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Dollops of fluff, sure to lift your mood :D
Yummy and uber cute. It's the typical Japanese manga-inspired BL with a lot of cute and funny moments, a format that rarely fails for me.BL needle score: 8.5 - Very high BL-ness
The story is about Haruto, son of a evil corporate honcho and his mistress, who he kills, and Shiba, a lawyer who has never lost any of his cases but one, and dreams of becoming the 'Guardian of Law'. But the story is a really peripheral character in this show, the key players are the two good looking leads, they care for adorable manga-ish succulents (who squeak and cheer for them leads), do cute things to, and with each other, eat home-cooked meals together, help homeless kids, and pair-up to defeat the bad guys, PERIOD. This is meant to make you squeak with joy and get that warm, fuzzy feeling, that's it.
I also loved both the title songs, opening-Love Toxin- Wanuka, and ending - Geometric- Osage. They are now both available on YouTube.
Yes, you should watch it, will help lift your mood instantly :D
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Gritty storytelling, with flawed characters that you can't but love
Should I have the right to decide whether I want to live on or not? Is my sovereignty over my own body and mind beyond the scope of the state and its law?BL needle score: 6 - Moderate BL-ness, with sizzling chemistry but higher focus on suspense
This show raises critical and important questions about the moral and legal debate around euthanasia....and does it well. While it is a BL drama, it focuses more on the narrative and theme rather than only on the characters and their romantic developments.
It has Dr. Kan as one of the protagonists, a palliative care doctor who strongly believes in euthanasia, albeit with clear and mindful consent from the person...coming from his experience of seeing his mother suffer intense days and nights of pain due to cervical cancer, he feels people should have the right and resources to help them decide about their own lives, how much suffering is enough, and end it with dignity, if and when they so desire. The other main protagonist is Thiu, a police officer with integrity, who suffers from guilt and angst, for not having been there for his mom, and not being able to meet her at her deathbed. As Kan helps terminal patients find a peaceful end, with their expressed consent, Thiu struggles to untangle the mess that this trail of euthanasia, and his own angst around his mother's death, creates. There are a few other important characters who all help build this compelling tale that explores the theme of euthanasia, and raises important questions about our thinking, convictions, and views around life, death, family, body sovereignty and legality.
I love how this show has almost zero flab or unnecessary sub-plots......aided by a gritty storytelling about flawed characters, that you can't but love, despite their failings...this is just the kind of shows that I dig. This has to be one of the best BL dramas from Thailand that I have watched in the recent times. Go watch.
Review first posted on December 1, and edited after finale on December 25, 2024
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One of the most beautiful stories I have watched in a long time....slow, but definitely worth it
This has to be one of the most beautiful shows that I have watched in the recent times....the forests, the sounds, the moon, the camaraderie, and the love.....it was just so poignant....While the ending was bitter-sweet and real, it ended on a note of hope and was plain beautiful...... I still hope that they will think of making another season...but even if they don't, this will remain one of the most cherished Thai shows that I have ever watched...my verdict is just go for it....even if it seems slow in the beginning, keep at it, it is worth it.BL-needle score: 6. Low to Moderate BL-ness so far with interesting themes on life connections
I started this one with zero expectations..... since anything with a forest theme attracts me, I started watching this out of sheer curiosity.... but I never imagined that I would end up loving this so much......the gentle and yet deeply symbolic tone of this story grew on me with every new episode...and in essence it was way deeper than just the tale that it seems to be telling at the surface...even though the script does have loopholes, I loved how deep and metaphorical the narrative was.
I loved how they show the un-rushed pace of life in the forest, the mundane and small things like eating, getting together to eat, drink and sing for a birthday, raising a nursery, trying to make a difference by drawing the faces of the people for each meal box, picking some beautiful wild flowers for your loved one ....and all this while knowing pretty well that one tiny spark of fire can change the entire scene in a just a few moments and burn down an entire forest that has grown up like that...slow, quiet, and through small but painstaking effort by all beings that love the forest and call it home....I also loved how the simple, hard, and yet joyful life in the forest was juxtaposed with the starkly contrasting sparkle of the bustling city, of Fifa's big dreams, the reality and disappointment of Fifa's results....and then Hem's holding, almost protecting him, like the tall trees in the forest..
I also loved how Fifa and Hem inched closer in small, miniscule ways and yet there was no denying the strong connect between them...the restrained love was almost hurt and yet was so damn beautiful.....and then, those small things...Hem deliberately not taking the crutch from the forest office store so that Fifa has to depend on him to move around....the insistence to sleep on the same bed....they waited untill the very last to show explicit signs of closeness and even that was so superbly restrained, as it should have been.....in tandem with the tone of the storytelling all through....
Both the leads did a fantastic job and their subtle, restrained and yet undeniable chemistry was mesmerising.......This show really, really surprised me and in such a lovely way....
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Ok, this is trigerring, very triggering and gets really dark....but damn good despite all that!!!!
Be prepared to be very angry, livid, in fact, fuming and cursing a lot.....but don't you dare miss this!! Great story, acting, script...and wait till episode 5-6, when things get really good. I mean bad...really BAD and gets you hooked!!As the story progressed, with each episode this just gets better and better....but if you have been through homophobia, family opposition and blatant arm-twisting by parents and family, be warned that this will trigger you...BIG TIME.....the bottom line is -these parents, they needed to have died much earlier....BEFORE they ruined everyone's life...and queer people need to find their spine and STOP ruining their own and other people's lives just so that they can be the 'good child' to their monstrous parents, and play the victim of being the martyr. Ok, rant done, this is good...damn good...don't miss it
BL-needle Score: 6. It has a lot of men loving men, but not really BL-ishq, if you know what I mean
Started out uber cute, the ML looking super handsome, doting on the MC, and bordering on obsessive-possessive.. the super red-flag-ey, won't listen to no -kind ...just when they find each other, their love story quickly veers towards a complete mess and heartbreak, with families, money, reputation and homophobia ruining everything....separating them, across oceans, and timelines...and just when you think the bish parents, and entitled, opportunistic, younger bro can't be any worse...SURPRISE....the protagonist himself sabotages everything by walking away, getting married and completely blindsiding the one person who loved him against everything, and through everything.
At Episode 8 right now when things have just started to turn good, the wronged lover is finally seeming to have his time...though I get a feeling that Lu Feng will eventually melt and succumb to this undying love for Cheng Yi...I wish he takes till the very last moment to do so though...because if I was Lu Feng, I would rub it in harder...much harder
Ep 9 DAMN!!! This has gone absolutely pitch dark now.....beyond toxic....the devil in Lu Feng is unleashed...all that anger, jealousy, repression, sense of betrayal, has made him into another person altogether :(
There was a movie on the same book in 2016, which has rave reviews. While I haven't watched that one, I am definitely glued on with this show. As I already said, Damn Good!!
What are you waiting for...Go Watch!!
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This is still great, but not really EPIC as I had hoped for
It started off WOW! This had all the ingredients to become a Spectacular show, which it didn't really achieve, but I would say it still is a great show!!! I guess The Untamed just set the bar waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay high for wuxia BLs and to accept anything less as top notch is going to be near to impossible for us!!BL-needle Score: 7. Moderate BL-ness
To say that I was hooked after the first two episodes will be understatement. We had three Chinese BL releases this week and this is the last one that I got to, and it is, without any shred of doubt, THE BEST of all three!! The conspiracy theories are so delish and so is the understated chemistry of the leads!!
The script is script-ing, the cinematography is splendid, and the performances are fantastic!! The production values are also really really good..while it did not turn out to really epic, it still is a great show
Verdict: Yes Watch
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A cute cast and engaging story, sure to make you smile..:)
This is an 'easy on the mind and easy on the eyes'- show.....a cute cast, easy but engaging story, and reasonably okay acting...makes for a very pleasing and satisfying watch...ok, NGL, I watched it mostly for the cast...:PBL-needle score: 8.5 - Very high BL-ness
Final year Art graduate student Yu Xing, is forced by his mentor to go look for inspiration away from the city and on his recommendation, ends up getting a temporary art teacher job for a month in a rural hamlet by the sea, where he is supposed to find his inspiration....he meets Xu Lu Hui there, a smiling-all-the-time high schooler, who aspires to pursue painting, and is also his student at the school...Lu Hui is the younger brother of Xu Lu Xi who runs a homestay where Yu Xing will stay for his time at the hamlet...The story then follows the cute entanglements of Lu Hui with Yu Xing, and that of Lu Xi with a new ( and hot) neighbour Bingchen, who has come back to the hamlet to open a cafe in the memory of his wife who passed away due to terminal illness.
As with most Taiwanese BLs, the cast is so damn easy on the eyes...particularly the Lu brothers...I so want to go spend a few days at their homestay... .though my initial score was lower, I raised it to to 7.5, for the wholesome cuteness ..and then, also for Lu Xi (Will Wen) :D
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This is gonna hurt bad...all the way, but it will be oh so beautiful
So here it is, after this looooooooooong wait......and it has started to deliver right from the start. I am telling you this is going to be one of the best dramas of 2026....I'm so in love with Fourth's act as a quiet-reserved-repressed character....he's acing it, as always...and my heart just breaks for Tanrak... Barth and Tanrak are in that stage where you feel this strange pull towards someone you don't know how to define, you also vaguely know that the other person is attracted to you, and hence you love to tease them all too see their reaction....and yet all of this happens under a veil of apparent innocence, without an explicit understanding or spelling out of what and how they feel...but the pent-up tension is all too obvious....its exquisite as you watch it unfold..and then BOOM!
BL-Needle Score: 7.5 Reasonably high BL-ness
I have been waiting forever for this one. This is a subject very close to my heart because the theme of this show deals with an extremely important and relevant subject - that of homophobia from one's closest people, loved ones and family. The pain of rejection from one's own family and loved ones is THE most damaging thing to ever go through for young queer people. It has been pretty common, and unfortunately still is, in many parts of the world, to see parents sending off their queer children to be 'converted', 'cured of the sin' of homosexuality. And more often than not, religion plays a big role in perpetuating such harm, violence and damage. I have seen catholic gay men up close, going around in a loop of self-loathing, suffering and struggle, just to reconcile their selves to their faith, and in turn, fail miserably at any form of meaningful human connection. More importantly, their parents and immediate support systems, the people who should have loved and protected them, have pushed them towards a life of guilt, shame, and misery, all in the name of God. We need to have more conversations around this and we need parents and families of queer people to be a part of these conversations.
I know this is going to make us cry loads, get angry, scream and sink into desperation in the days ahead, but we need stories like these, we need them to be told, seen, heard, and repeated, so that no one is ever made to go through shit just because of who they are, and who they love...God, if he exists, is not sitting with a magnifying glass to judge your 'sins', its just us humans playing the power games using God's name ...
Other than that, this was also the next intense act for Fourth-Gemini after absolutely flooring me in Moonlight Chicken, followed by a big disappointment in My Love Mix-up. To top it, this is Aof's direction. It can't get better than that I guess.
I am hoping this show will help people become at least a little more aware and kinder.....and that this absolutely stellar combination of actors, director, and storytellers will help this show be a narrative changing act.
So far the cinematography, script, acting and music has been great and it can only get better in the days ahead. The only sad part is that this is just 6 episodes...I definitely wanted more. Anyway, while it lasts, DO NOT MISS IT
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