The dialog is so powerful --- right from the beginning, when Aka 'collects' Dora , well technically right after, Aka says to the girl he wants to 'show Dora there's a world even lower than this' meaning Dora hasn't seen sh*t in Aka's opinion even though Dora's life is no walk in the park.
But we all know the story is only just beginning.
And then Zebra -- Powerful stuff. That's all I'm going to say without any spoilers.
And it wasn't just Aka.
The same vulnerability, Ryusei Ryo gave to Dora's character who is pretty much consistently problematic but you still see his struggles. That resistance before he does something unspeakable.
The violence in the film is brutal and in-your-face but here's a kind of insane logic to the whole story that reels you in.
So, be careful but a must watch.
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A really good time travel drama
Story wise this was a really well written drama, There were quite a few surprises they gave which I defiantly didn't see it coming. Like they made me believe I had everything figured out but they dropped those and suddenly the story became even more perfect and emotional, This was definitely a emotional roller caster, Maybe you can't feel this in the initial starting episode but when it comes there you cant help but cry with the leads. I have to tell the acting of the leads is another reason why we can relate and feel their pain. The cast really did a good job .Personally for me the only flaw was the characters. I don't know for me I would have loved if they have a bit more to them. The characters for me was a typical and cliche characters from youth romance drama. Maybe it is if we forget the whole time travel plot then its really a youth romance drama. The characters was my only complain from this drama other than that the drama was perfect.
I have to say I really loved the music. For the music producer I have to give hats off, really I felt the youth, love and pain through the music. The music was really perfect and it went so well with the scene and made it even more enjoyable.
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Among the healthiest couples in dramaland.
So it seems that Secretary Kim is now a fangirl as well. Jokes aside, this drama was everything that I expected from a Park Min-Young drama, and a bit more. After being on my "to watch" list since its premiere, I finally decided to give this drama a shot, as I was looking for something light and fun to watch, and I was not disappointed.So, this is supposed to be a "mature" romcom, and by "mature", they mean that the couple we follow will actually act like a real couple. And I wasn't disappointed, Ryan Gold and Sung Duk-Mi looked and felt like a real couple, that understood and supported each other in everything. Instead of unnecessary jealousy and miscommunication that lead to conflict, they handled everything that came their way as adults, with conversations.
After watching this drama, I'm scared that I'll never find something like this again, not because the story is original. No, far from that, this drama has a lot of clichés, don't get me wrong, but the way they went about it felt exciting, and they even twist some of the clichés we are used to. I believe that it will be difficult to find another couple that is healthy and mature like them, that won't create drama for the sake of drama.
This drama is more character-driven than plot-driven, because for the most part there's no plot. In my opinion, the drama is divided into two parts. The first half is about Duk-Mi's private life, and the second half is about Ryan's private life, which is good, since we get to know both parts of the couple. Also this drama is filled with amazing romantic scenes, and don't get me started on the kisses and couple chemistry, they were amazing!
The story begins with the typical misunderstanding that leads to a "fake relationship". While I initially found an odd solution to the problem, after a while I just accepted it, and yes, this kind of trope has been done a million times already, but I enjoyed it regardless.
The side characters were interesting, I really liked Duk-Mi's family and how her mother just became everyone's mother. I liked Hyo-Jin's character growth, although her existence was merely a plot device in my opinion. The Duk-Mi bestfriend was really funny too, although I didn't like her storyline very much, I think they could've done something slightly different. My biggest criticism has to be the second lead, don't get me wrong, I loved him in the beginning, until he became the typical annoying second lead. But that's not the worse part, for me the worst was that they basically presented Eun-Gi has a brother to Duk-Mi, someone Duk-Mi grew up with, and that was raised by her mother, so it was very weird to watch this man, that Duk-Mi considers family, a brother, having feelings for her, I couldn't get used to it till the very end.
Acting and Cast: This drama had an excellent cast and good acting, which made it both captivating and not boring. In addition to having great chemistry with her male counterpart, Park Min-Young was perfect in this role. No gonna lie, at the beginning I found Kim Jae-Wook to be an odd choice for this type of drama, as I saw him to match a more villainy rule, but God was I wrong, this man was amazing playing the confident Ryan Gold. And I think overhaul all the cast was really good in this drama.
Cinematography and Sound/Music: Starting with Music, this drama has an incredibly catchy intro song. Although I thought most of the OST was adequate and what I expected from a romcom, I found Cha Sin-Ahn's group song "snapshot" to be rather annoying. As for sound mixing, I think they did a good job. The way they associated a melody with the bubble paintings was great; every time I heard it, I knew one of those paintings would appear. As for cinematography, this drama looks good, I think this is something common in romcoms, they always look pretty and bright with low contrast, even with the sepia filter in the flashback scenes. They also used a "photoshoot" style editing in some cases, that fifty percent of the time made sense, and the other fifty not that much. And except for some odd effects I noticed on a particular scene, this drama looks very pretty.
Will I watch this drama again? Probably yes, I really enjoyed this drama, and especially this couple, and I can see myself watching it again when I want to watch something light and fun with a healthy couple. Do I recommend it? Yes, if you like light hearted, slightly cliché, character driven dramas, with a healthy couple who communicate and a lot of great romantic scenes.
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Music: The music set the mood of the scenes really well, but it isn’t anything memorable in my opinion.
Cast/Acting: Fukuda Saki, who plays Shun, was just as amazing as she was in IS: Otoko Demo Onna Demo Nai Sei. I think she was even better in this drama, with all that angst and violence. There are several scenes where she has to speak Chinese and does it really well. I loved Takeru’s character. Matsushita Yuya did a great job being the comedy of the drama. There were a few moments where I didn’t really believe him, but he still was amazing.
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The songs by Melody Day and Ji Chang Wook were also good along with the background.
However, I must say that I would most likely not watch this again after watching it once because the plot is almost non-existent, the only thing attractive is that the lead actress fangirls over the boys the way we do her reaction was the most entertaining and of course do not forget the HOT AND HANDSOME MEN waiting for you.
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I would recommend reading the novel (people online are translating it) because the drama does not give the full story nor character development. The main character is a lot cooler in the novel! He is a lot more cunning and you get to see the development of weak to badass and cool. And those scenes you go "what the????" makes sense!
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An amazing journey, but a sad ending.
I gave it a 9.5 because I loved every single moment of the show until the ending. If it weren’t for the ending it would have been probably my all time favourite rom com kdrama. And I truly thought this was a rom com. But they ended up breaking up and I’m so sad and angry, it honestly makes zero sense to me. However, that doesn’t take away how the entire rest of the drama made me feel. It was an amazing 8 weeks, and this show made me so happy. I haven’t loved a drama this much in forever. I’ll just keep the happy moments in my memories and act like the ending never happened lol. thank you twenty five twenty one fore at least being perfect and wonderful for 15 eps. I’ll really miss you and I’m sad nowWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Fun watch that didn’t really drag much. It follows your typical revenge drama formula with some focus on acupuncture and herbal medicine used as the MC's weapons of choice.The main character, Phing, is very likeable and you feel the pain and anguish she goes through from being conned and then left for dead with her loved ones. I was totally absorbed in her quest for revenge. For me, the best part was watching the baddies eventually back stab each other as Phing set up her traps for them. Watching them suffer is satisfying, ok lol. Some characters I felt like got off way too easy for what they did, but in 12 episodes, the writers did their best with them.
Loved the ending. It’s like finally being able to exhale after watching Phing go through so much shit and being patronized along the way. A story can’t be good without having an MC I can be invested in, and Phing is a fantastic MC.
Doesn’t hurt that the supporting characters and especially the actors playing the bad guys brought their A-game, too. Art, Bee N, Victor and Duangta all slayed in their roles.
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More Cohesive Than Season 1
Going into this, I was a little taken back that they only decided to continue the story of 2 out of the 6 couples they told in season 1. But by doing so, the plot was held together nicely, and they developed a decent story that followed along an easier path. Close Friend Season 2 has definitely outshone its prior season, and I'm quite pleased to say I'm looking forward to season 3.Let's Dive In.
They took the story of Piece/Typhoon and Jedi/Ray and combined the two, where both of their stories overlap with one another. Phoon and Ray have been friends for a while, with Phoon helping Ray with his obsession with Jedi and being a good friend that gives him great advice. And Pierce is the songwriter who writes music for Jedi. So throughout, they all have interactions with one another while simultaneously dealing with their own conflicts. In the end, it all gets better.
Their choice of only continuing the lives of only two of their couples was a great idea. It worked because the storyline isn't jumbled up, and theirs no time for filler or unnecessary situations, and it all flows steadily on a thoroughly planned out plot. Even though I would LOVE to see more of Jimmy and Tommy's story (the 1990s couple) I was still please with what we did get. Max and Nat's story wasn't all that memorable, so it probably would be difficult to fit them in somehow. Lay and Yoon's story was decent, but nothing I craved to see more of. And of course, the cat story HAD to go. Anyways, the choices in this department worked out perfectly, and I enjoyed what I got to watch.
I remembered not liking Peirce and Typhoon's story all that much last season, but they redeemed themselves here. Pierce has that incredible fear of coming out to his parents, and Phoon is patient, but since they've been dating for so long, it's getting old for him. Phoon also gets a job at the same company as Pierce which causes some office turmoil, but I like that this part of their conflict was resolved pretty quickly and didn't linger on much more than needed. Eventually, Peirce comes out to his parents, and everything is wonderful and rainbows. I'm satisfied with what we got, but their story could've definitely been a lot stronger.
Jedi and Ray were why this works so well for me. I'm not usually a big fan of the idol/normal person stories that follow the same plot: the public finds out about idol's boyfriend, idol is told to break up with boyfriend but he refuses, idol then goes public with his boyfriend, it all works out because they both gain more fame from it. It's very much so blah blah blah, but, because it was Kimmon and Copter, it just worked. Copter is fucking adorable in this with his little pouts, panics, and whatnot. Once again, their dynamic is spot on. Chemistry is strong, and I can't wait to watch their other projects together.
Something I don't normally speak on, but I liked that the actors had on barely-there makeup, and we actually see their skin and they look imperfect because that's how everyone looks. It's a very different change in the usually caked-on, filter-heavy shit that's usually plastered onto the faces of these actors. Good job!
I sometimes take time to watch the BTS of series, but this show gave us the honor to watch it by putting it into the outro of each episode, and it was a delight to watch. It shows you that these actors are close in real life and just had fun playing their roles. It makes the story feel more real in a sense.
Ratings:
Story: 8.5 - Decent. A lot better than their stories in season 1. It follows a straight path from point A to point B and doesn't have anything unnecessary happen. Jedi and Ray's story is a lot more endearing than Peirce and Phoons's, but still, a very good job.
Acting: 9 - Good! Everyone did decently, and nothing was off! Some hiccups here and there, but overall, it was fine.
Music: 8 - I enjoyed the intro song a lot. Also, the songs Jedi sings weren't that bad either.
Rewatch value: 4.5 - Ehh, probably not. Not because it was bad, but just because it wasn't so good that I just need to rewatch it.
In the last few minutes, they bring in the adorable Bas and his partner Dun (from Gen Y) and show us that they've been living in Korea as Bas' character lives out his dream until they find out about Jedi and Ray and decide to move back to Thailand. I'm kind of excited to see how season 3 will take place, knowing these two will be added into the chaos. Overall, a decent watch, I recommend it, and you don't have to watch season 1 to be able to watch this.
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This review may contain spoilers
Warning! The cringe factor is fairly high in the first few episodes. Scenes meant to create moments of sparks between the ML and FL were so contrived that they made me laugh out of embarrassment. I can only handle so many scenes of the FL accidentally falling into the ML’s arms.Still, I found the show entertaining and, in general, well-paced. It's an interesting plotline with a ML who hates lies and a FL who lies mainly to avoid conflict and hurting others as well as herself. Adding depth to the story was the subplot behind the love-hate relationship between the ML and the second ML. Throw in a scheming, bitchy third party vying for the ML's love, plus other villains so gratingly annoying, and you have a rom-com that is delightful but with enough drama to cause your blood pressure to rise at times.
I did wish that the romance between the lead couple started earlier, but mainly because the chemistry was great! Fang Zhi You was just so charming and adorable once he acknowledged his feelings for Xu Yi Ren. He was always trying to be romantic with her, and the skinship progressed so naturally. Their kissing moments were cute, and I like that they both can be honest about their lack of experience in love. The fact that Zhi You always told the truth made whatever he said to Yi Ren so much more meaningful, and he did say the sweetest things.
I was also touched by their commitment to each other and how they were both consistent in their acknowledgment privately and publicly that they were each other's one and only love. Even when others have assumed that their relationship has failed because Yi Ren did something unforgivable in Zhi You's eyes, it was heartwarming to see Zhi You not actually giving up on her, and for Yi Ren choosing to stay as close to him as possible even if it meant being humiliated repeatedly. It was endearing to watch Zhi You struggle with his principles, while his love for Xiren remained unwavering.
I was less interested in the second couple's relationship. The chemistry was not there for me, and I have to admit that I skipped through their scenes a few times.
The character development of the two leads in the show was the biggest plus point for me. I liked how Zhi You matured into someone who is more mindful of other people's feelings particularly Yi Ren's. I appreciate how he still valued honesty and did not lower his own standards throughout the show but instead he became more aware of social graces and the "give and take" aspect that was necessary in relationships. My favourite moment was when Zhi You realized that loving someone 100% mean accepting both their strengths and weaknesses.
It was also gratifying to see Yi Ren drawing strength from Zhi You's love and became braver. The development of her self-awareness and self-confidence was satisfying to watch, especially when she finally stood up against her nasty aunt and cousin, and their emotional blackmail. Yi Ren never did stop lying completely, but she did become more honest and true to herself and Zhi You. She realized that she did not need to lie to avoid conflicts and that it was better that she faced her problems upfront.
Fang Shi Yu, the little sister, and Li Zhe, the second male lead, were absolutely awesome, and they were the perfect catalyst for the lead couple's relationship. Shi Yu was an absolute breath of fresh air, and she was the voice of strength and reason. It was cute to see her advise her brother in the matters of the heart, and so refreshing to see her stand up to adults and put them in their places. Li Zhe was so charming and disarming, and even towards the end, his longing for Yi Ren was still palpable despite him accepting that Zhi You and Yi Ren were meant for each other, and that he wanted the best for them. I suffered a little of the second lead syndrome, especially since I became invested in Li Zhe's back story with Yi Ren. Ultimately, I am glad that he still got his happy ending with his father.
It would have been nice to see the other characters develop further like the villains actually learning from their mistakes. It was a bit anticlimactic for me when there were no retribution or lessons learned for the aunt and cousin. At least the uncle showed some backbone finally towards the end. I did find the way the show wrapped up He Yu Wen, the third party's story in a rushed manner, but at least there was closure between her and Zhi Yu.
Acting-wise, I thought Xin Yun Lai's portrayal of Fang Zhi You and Liu Hai Kuan's as Li Zhe were really good. Their micro-expressions were on point, and you can see the array of emotions play across their faces nicely. Of course, it does not hurt that they are both good-looking in their own ways. I look forward to seeing these two actors play the lead roles in more dramas going forward.
While I like Yi Ren, the character, I was less impressed by Liang Jie, who played her. I really tried throughout the 31 episodes to like her, but it just did not happen. I would not say that her acting was bad. In fact, I think she did fine overall, but there was just something lacking. It could be her' resting bitch face'. She often looked like she's pouty or bratty even during scenes that did not call for it.
Like in most of my reviews, I am going to comment on the wardrobe styling. I find that in most C-Dramas, they must have a low budget for the female lead wardrobe and again it is a miss for this show. Both male leads’ clothes were fine overall even though less enviable compared to other shows. The female lead’s styling however was terrible. All the over-sized Peter Pan and shawl collars!!! It’s 2020 for heaven’s sake! Why in the world did they have to make her look granny-like and dowdy? I realized that they want to contrast Yi Ren against He Yu Wen in terms of sophistication but they really went overboard!
The OST was all right. Other than the two tracks that I thought suited the moods of the scenes well, I didn’t remember any other ones.
Overall, I would recommend this show for its fluffy romance, interesting plot lines, and good looking actors. I would probably re-watch the cute romantic scenes. Typically 31 episodes would be borderline too long for me. The fact that I continued watching and completed the show means that others may enjoy it as well.
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Think twice before you marry
No adultery should ever be justified but lee sang yeob and park ha sun's might be an exception. A very realistic story about marriage. This drama shows why we should think over and over again before we decide to get married. The naration at the end of every episode is very beautiful. Great acting presented by great actors. Sad and painful as it should be, but at the same time is also warm and hopeful. Very satisified by the ending as it gives full closure to every character. Thank God i came across this drama. 10/10 would recommend!!Was this review helpful to you?
One of The Best Mystery Dramas
Its been such a looooong time since I've seen a good mystery drama like this! The last time is Maou & Ryusei no Kizuna which is like 12 years ago.The plot is very interesting and the plot twist at the end is very unexpected (kudos to who manage to guess since the writer actually gave us various hints in the script). The leads' sexual tension is great (lol) and I love how despite they are not supposed to love each other, their relationship is not toxic at all. They comes terms to their feeling very early and everything moves very fast.
The girl is so pretty -- honestly the prettiest J-actress I have ever seen in my decades of watching J-dramas. And I have no idea who is the male lead but he emotes really well so all his emotional scenes are great.
I finished the drama in one day since it is that addicting. And those Japanese sweets -- I'm willing to pay good money to taste all of it! 8D
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This review may contain spoilers
When the story has such a grip on you that you are willing to watch the last three episodes without subs just to get the closure.Honestly? Even with the obvious blank spaces, that maybe will never be filled in, I think it’s one of the strongest scripts written by Nojima Shinji. Hell, I'd even go furhter and say it's my favorite alongside Kou kou kyoshi. It’s very dark, heavy and a little overdramatic, but I feel like it doesn’t capitalize on trauma that much, at least in comparison to Nojima's other works. It approaches the difficult topics with a decent level of sensitivity and leaves you with much to ponder about. The characters are complex and sometimes it really feels like you are watching a vivisection of someone’s twisted psyche. And it all just works together really well, creating really intense and compelling viewing experience.
I didn’t know that it is about bullying, so I also didn’t know what I got myself into when I started watching this drama. As much as I like to avoid this topic, I have to say that it was presented very well. The vicious circle of bullying, how formerly bullied became bully themselves, the power dynamics that mirror society’s structure, how it psychologically affects even the strongest, how the adults/authorities try to turn a blind eye to the uncomfortable truth. It’s scary how it still relevant even 30 years later.
I liked how Makoto's story was written. He was strong and feisty, not a saint himself since he often resorted to violence because that’s how a lot of problems were settled in his home. He stood up for a kid who was bullied and later fought back for himself, but was eventually broken by the lack of moral and emotional support from the people who were supposed to get his back. Teachers, parents, friends. The walls of his defense was being broken one by one leaving him lost, lonely and hopeless. It was heartbreaking to watch and I kept thinking that it shouldn’t have happened. The society as a whole failed to protect this kid.
I think the same thing about Ruka, even though I firmy believe that he was a serial killer (or a dangerous incel) in the making, he was clearly mentally unwell and no one gave two shits about it. Ruka was the opposite of Makoto, he was weak and lost from the beginning. Once again, someone could have saved him but he fell into the trap of a predator instead.
I really like the development of Makoto's father. He was not a bad parent but he was too short sighted and like many other people he focused too much on making a good impression and not sticking out. He thought that beating his son would solve a problem of him acting rebelious or being ungrateful for a great opportunity to studying at prestigous school but he refused to ask himself WHY his son was making problems. He wasn’t even interested in reasons, he was looking for quick resolutions that wouldn’t escalate the problem. I think he was one of the few characters that indirectly contributed to Makoto's death and took the whole responsibility for it. Even if his vendetta wasn’t the best way to bring justice.
Nimi, the teacher, is honestly one of the nost despicable antagonists I've seen. The prototype of self-loathing incel who is so focused on creating a whole ideology out of his own victimhood that it makes him project every misfortune on other people and some universal cruelity of this world. Honestly, I'd be „better" if was just seething creep on his own, but no, he decided to gaslight and manipulate other people, leading them into their own destruction. Very good villain because I hated his guts. He deserved worse ending though because I’m not sure if the cause of his dead was symbolic (as if it was guilty conscience that manifested itself as Makoto or Ruka) or if the writer just had no idea how to kill him.
And speaking of antagonists – I don’t like what was done with PE teacher. Because what exactly was the deal with him being a crossdresser? Was it his hobby, like he liked to deceive people? Was it drag? Was it a fetish? I'm sure it wasn’t any form of gender dysphoria. Kind of ironic that it was the main thing the escalated Makoto's bullying but in the end it was such a non event and no one talked about it? So does it really had to be cross dressing? Because it felt like the show was stereotype some harmful stereotypes but refused to elaborate further. It rubbed me the wrong way but I guess it's something I can call „a product of its time".
The other thing that didn’t do it for me was Ruka's alleged love for Makoto. I don’t doubt that he had strong feelings for him but was it really love? I saw it more as still developing friendship with a dash of obsession (another parallel between Ruka and Nimi) but I wouldn’t go so far to say that there was something romantic going on between the boys. And same goes for Nimi's obsession towards Ruka, it wasn’t romantic or sexual, he just wanted to mold Ruka into himself. The lgbtq+ tag may or may be not misleading, depending on what you expect.
So with all that said, I obviously LOVED this show and I'd love to give it a solid rate, but I can’t knowing that I didn’t fully get everything and a lot of dialogues got lost in (the lack of)translation. To be fair, I'm surprised how much I understood just from the context and with a help of @savethedata's (thank you♡♡♡) synopsis, but yeah, I don’t think I can rate it with a clear conscience, so it’s going to be the only unrated drama on my list. For the sake of this review I will give it a 9.
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Is it possible for a show to choke?
This Show starts well and showed a lot of potential. It was fast paced, funny and really hooks you within the first couple of episodes. The leads have great visuals and are charismatic. The OTP also has good chemistry and their love line is quite swoon worthy. Throw in some unusual litigations and messy family dynamics and we have a nice smorgasbord of stories. What more can you ask?Everything was humming along and plots are developing nicely. The love story of the leads are progressing well. We even have a psycho antagonist which really spiced up the proceedings. That is why it is so baffling when the story telling seemed to goes off the rails at the last 1/3 of the show.
The cracks starts to appear when Team Law Cafe took on a sexual harassment case.
It is set up nicely, all the background stuff was dip fed to us. Very troubling but impactful. The veiled threats and actual dangers are there to heighten the tension. Everything is set for a multi-episodic arc with a David vs goliath style battle both in and out of the courtroom. What I didn't expect was a seemingly rushed conclusion to that storyline just when it got interesting and the tension is rising. It just feels underdone.
Yes, it does set up the big showdown with the main antagonist but the handling of this key plot felts arbitrary. It sounds like the back of a napkin type of writing rather than a finely tuned one.
Next, the hostage scene at the church is laughable. It was really illogical. We are talking about a dozen or more armed police with guns drawn standing by while the antagonist stood in plain sight waving a knife and threatening the hostage. He stood like that for minutes while ranting at the assembled police. The sorry saga only ends when the injured ML tackled the antagonist single-handedly. Yes, we get the heroic act but it really defies logic and looks farcical. Not sure how that passed script review. That was the moment the Show jumped the shark.
The acting on the whole was good. The antagonist did a very good job of portraying an unhinged person. The FL was bold and sassy and she really had fun with that. The ML was low key and conflicted. He feels out of sorts around the FL and is over protective. It worked well in the early stage of the Show but it does get a bit tiring towards the end.
I enjoyed most of the show and loved the spunky FL and the OTP's cute interactions but the weird misstep in the story telling did give me pause and took me out of immersion. The last episode is pretty much fan service. I can't rewatch the whole show but a highlight reel will not be a chore. Peace out.
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