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Cyber Hell: Exposing an Internet Horror
29 people found this review helpful
by Kate Flower Award1 Coin Gift Award1
May 22, 2022
Completed 17
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

“The crime would not have occurred if there was no demand for it.”

It’s not an easy watch. Even the reenactment of how the perpetrators usually trap their victims that was shown as the opening sequence just sets you on an anger trip. It’s impossible not the feel both the pain, frustration, fear and anger of these young girls who ended up in these situations.

Honestly speaking, I wanted to cry even before the intro with credits started. One of the most terrifying things about it was the number of perpetrators involved in it. We all know bad people exist, but we rarely truly understand how prevalent some actions are in society.

It also had a glimpse of hope? It was good to know there were people, even just university students, who risked a lot to expose and investigate these issues - otherwise it would be still buried and no one would know. It is reassuring to know that where there are bad people, there are also good ones. It was a rather detailed narration about the investigation process done by both the police and the journalists. The biggest heroes of the stories were the victims who stepped forward and helped the investigation to happen in the first place.

The commentary done while the credit rolled at the end was a perfect conclusion to the documentary. It’s not the victims’ fault. Anyone can become a victim. The way the society judges and blamed the victims makes it more probable for them to then do what perpetrators tell them to do, as they don’t feel like society will support them if they come forward and report the crime.

That said, one thing that bothered me was how they tried really hard to make it movie-like visually pleasing. At times it did not feel like I’m watching a documentary, but a drama. Just the style of filming the reenactment did not sit right with me. It was beautiful, but I honestly don’t think I should be getting distracted by the visual storytelling and pretty frames in a documentary about topics like that.

Another thing is the fact the documentary switches its focus from victims to the investigation process. I wish we got to see a bit more about the effects this horror hard on people involved and how strong and brave were the people who got through it and helped with the investigation.

On a personal note, exposing myself right now, but the topic is serious enough I think it’s worth it.

How big of a problem sexual exploitation and scams are in Korea? Me being a polish girl, got an email in Korean stating they have a video of me masturbating and if I won’t pay them, they will distribute it on the internet. Luckily, I knew a video like that cannot exist so I just ignored the email, but I know there would be many people who would fall for that scam.

Another personal story: one day before I started high school I was also threatened on the phone by a group of guys that they know where I live and they will have fun with me - it’s easy to understand what they meant. They told me which school I will start the next day. I assumed they were somehow related to a group of students that bullied me in middle school, but getting that phone call almost 2 years after the bullying happened was truly a terrifying experience. It ended on that one phone call and nothing happened - I was lucky. But being a victim of an incident like that myself, even though it was far less severe than anything described in the documentary, made it that much harder to watch it.

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Mission: Possible
1 people found this review helpful
by SieL68
May 22, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Light-hearted action-comedy 'secret agent' movie

This film officially enters my favorite Korean movie list. I love the overall plot of the story wherein along the way a misunderstanding happen but both main leads overcome it together. I wasn't expecting the twists that are presented throughout the movie and you should watch out for them too. There were subtle clues about it from the start but I didn't think much about it until it surprise me. I don't want to spoil anything so you should watch to know.

I watched it mainly because of Lee SunBin but then I am surprised that Kim YoungKwang is the main lead here so I got a one plus one bonus. Their chemistry is honestly good (I'm sorry KwangSoo but for a moment I thought YoungKwang and SunBin looks good together too.) Their bickering doesn't feel off at all. It was so natural that I feel like they've been working together for years. That's some real partnership in there. Specially this is like 'secret agent' / 'spy' movie so the smooth chemistry of the main lead made the movie better overall.

One of the selling point of this movie for me is the overall flow of the story, even though it's below 2hrs they were able to add depth on the story which makes it more interesting to watch. We've seen a bit of the male lead's life so if there will be a sequel, I hope that we get to know more about the female lead. The comedic relief on the movie is also subtle but still a big factor in setting the tone of the movie to being light-hearted contrary to the too serious issue at hand which is the firearm smuggling.

I really recommend it for a weekend/rest day watch. It's light-hearted, funny, cute and intense at the same time. I hope you emjoy this movie as much as I did.

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James & Pat & Dave
0 people found this review helpful
May 22, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 5.0

Better than I expected

My hopes were pretty low before watching the movie since I really doubted that Ronnie as James can deliver as a main lead. In fairness to him, he was able to portray the insecurity of not being the 'chosen guy' in the prequel 'Vince, Kath and James'. However, it went kind of overboard that the character felt so different. In essence, he became the 'Vince' in this story. Loisa as Pat was also able to deliver her lines well and made me cry in some scenes. Donnie as Dave felt kind of stiff in most of his scenes and I didn't really connect with him as a character. Overall, the movie is pretty decent, some jokes were overused (especially the petchay joke) and some of the characters' actions were unrealistic. Give it a try if you just feel the need for a happy ending since all of them had or was hinted to have it.

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Revenger
0 people found this review helpful
by SieL68
May 22, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0

Revenge story that has nothing much to it

Story-wise, aside from what was already stated on the plot summary, there's nothing much more to it. We learned some of the characters' pasts and why they want revenge but there's no additional details. They also tried to relate how the characters are connected however it still lacks context for me to invest on the story emotionally. I felt like they tried to supplement the bland story with the action scenes which I can say was done outstadningly. It was a high quality action for me.

Given the roles they have, the cast portrayed their characters effectively and I've seen most of them on other movies or show as well. Unfortunately, no matter how good actors/actresses they are, I really felt that the story didn't give much justice to this film. I didn't feel that 'fire' to root for the character's motivation to kill because all I know is that the bad guy did something terrible and that's how the revenge started. I was looking more of a back story before all the chaos started. I wanted to see the characters living happily and then the villain entered and ruined everything that way I could feel the real emotions. This film however just show all the chaos part where someone is killed so now someone wants revenge for that person's death.

I did enjoy watching it like the curiousity of how things will unfold and of course the action scenes, it's just that this movie felt short on capturing my emotion as a viewer. I still recommend it though and you might actually like it more than I did.

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The Whole Truth
0 people found this review helpful
by oriii
May 22, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 6.5

The truth always follows you around

With 20mins left I was all but ready shitting on the film, and much regret for not listening to the comments and reviews. However I'm a sucker for plot twists I don't see coming, that last last narrative change had my mouth wide open, I would recommend the suffering just for that.

Story is simple and goes on throughout the film. grandparents house; weird hole; reveals truth that has been kept hidden; the whole truth shows how the truth always has a way in revealing in finding and revealing itself. Also shows the toxic households and relationships in asian families.

CGI effects we're laughable and felt like was made for a child, I'm disrespected at the lack of effort the makers make. Music also was forgettable, either screaming or some random sound that filmmakers need to know is overused and doesn't work on horror films.

Acting was worse, they're better off stage acting with the amount of overacting they do, along with this is their awkward expressions that makes you unemotionally invested in them. I can't blame the stars too much since the script felt like equally a mess.

there's too much unnecessary characters taking screentime, to have no closure and never appear in the film again again again. We should never even have left the 2 main settings, since practically everything else was useless, would have resulted in a much more cohesive film.

It build a good atmosphere at the start just for it to fall short, because the same thing happens over and over and over and over. It makes a sound, they look at the hole, scared, decided not to look again, makes another sound, looks again. I was watching this stuck in heavy traffic and I really should have had that extra sleep instead.


Ending was puzzling more than anything, wasn't as satisfying as I expected. We're they intending to make a second film or just that? Either way not the most ideal conclusion to the film.

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Wet Dreams
0 people found this review helpful
May 21, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

"But I Think He Is a Dull-Looking Dork! Can't You Tell The Difference Between 'Dull' and 'Natural?'"

Known locally as South Korea’s first “American Pie”-like comedy, “Wet Dreams” is relatively low on gross-out visuals and rather higher on innocent romance. Produced by “Shiri” helmer Jacky Kang’s KangJeGyu Films and directed by NYU grad Jeong Cho-shin (who made clever crime comedy “Jakarta”), the well-packaged story of a hormonal teen who decides he’ll lose his virginity only to a woman he loves has done robust biz since bowing early November and would make an amusing curio in Asian-themed events.

Inspired by "American Pie" which did not sell well in South Korea, this movie was very successful in Korea which led to its sequel!

This film is available for free on Dailymotion, but is broken into 5 parts for viewing. Its companion sequel Wet Dreams 2 is available for free at Dramacool.

Kim Sun Ah wasn't bad on her comical timing; since I don't remember her in another comedy before, I cannot compare her in
any other comedy movie.

So Jung (Kim Ki Yeon) was also great as far as her comic timing and her supporting the main stories!

This movie is basically two love stories in one, with a bunch of pubescent stunts from the three younger male cast members, Seok Gu, Sang Min and Young Je filling in the scenes between the two love stories.

Dong Hyun (Noh Hyung-wook) is a middle-school student who is beginning his journey as a boy becoming a man; his object of affection is the new student-teacher (trainee student) Yoo Ri (Kim Sun Ah).

I love the way that Yoo Ri 'handles' the boys' pubescent yearnings in a professional yet caring way, the same way that she handles the teachers who also are interested in her.

I also like the sex jokes, as I was that age once and they remind me how "getting laid" and finding out about women pre-occupied most of my free time (which, living on a farm, was very little time at all for me!).

What I loved most, though, was the one scene where Dong Hyun's mother (uncredited and I cannot find the actress's name online) showed Dong Hyun that she was a great mother to him!

Yoo Ri, it turns out, is a former student of Byung Chul under which she is student teaching (Lee Bum Soo), also a bachelor who gave up years ago on women and comes to school looking like a bum instead of a teacher. he rejects Yoo Ri's advances, and still treats her like his former students, making her drink soda pop instead of saki when eating together.

Yoo Ri is persistent though, and gradually convinces her love interest since high school, Byung Chul, that she is both a good teacher and that she is a woman of legal age who likes him!

Dong Hyun and Byung Chul have a lot in common, besides their love for Yoo-Ri: both men also "grow" through their association with Yoo-Ri.

The teacher Byung Chul finds that he can be loved by a woman, who he finally grows to see Yoo-Ri as, and not just as one of his former high school students. He is given a reason, the love of a woman, to start actually dressing like the good-looking man he is, and he also begins to see a future with someone he finally found to love him!

Dong Hyun actually grows more than his male teacher; first interested in touching and sleeping with his female teacher, he matures rapidly and realizes that Yoo-Ri's wants and needs are more important than just his need of a night in bed with a female.

While he tries unsuccessfully tried to admit his love to Yoo-Ri, he finds that she is actually is in love with his original teacher, Byung Chul.

Knowing the truth about Yoo-Ri's love, Dong Hyan matures quickly into adulthood, rigging the outcome the way Rick [in Casablanca (1942) American romantic drama film] did with Ilsa and Laszlo.

I loved the atmosphere of a high school setting, which made it seem real enough to lose myself for awhile. I felt that I was back in high school; the only difference is that us guys back then made bets about getting to see the high school girls' panties, bras, whatever, but not the teachers!

The music and cinematography was good, but lacking somewhat in editing I thought.


I cut the score for this movie for a couple of main reasons: excessive (probably for some) sexual jokes and the editing lacked that of Seven Samurai (1954) Caijin (2012) or Xuan Zang (2016).


This movie reminded me of Beautiful Teacher in Torture Hell (1985), as far as the classroom scenes; Caijin (2012) as far as the students working together; Crazy Little Thing Called Love (2010) as far as 'first love'; Cry Me A Sad River (2018) as far as the students bullying each other; Ditto (2000) as far as student life; Middle School Student A (2014) as far as students interactions; Sex Is Zero 1 and 2 (2002, 2007) as far as campus hijinx; Su-ki-da (2005) as far as old/young romances; The Classic (2003) as far as high school romance; and Virgin Snow (2007) as far as impossible romances.

It especially reminds me of Middle School Student A (2016) as far as boy/girl relationships; Jenny & Juno (2005) as far as teenage relationships and maturity; Marbling (2014) as far as inexperienced lovers; My Love (2021) as far as adolescent romance; Nisekoi (2018) another high school comedy with loads of inuendo; On Your Wedding Day (2018) as far as adolescent romance; Samaritan Girl (2004) as far as old/young relationships and Who Slept with Her (2006) as far as high school sexual tension.

RE-WATCH VALUE: Yes!

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Some Like It Hot
2 people found this review helpful
May 21, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

So who's here after watching the clip with shaun music

Honestly I was also here after watching a clip of our main character watching the girl with red dress in basement car parking with shaun way back home flute music. It was love at firat sight with clip, so I'm here watching the movie.
What to expect?
1. Romance?
The movie ain't like the beautiful and funny romance like that clip lol. It is funny for sure but not romance just attraction.
2. Great Acting
I personally like the wife's acting in the movie she was so funny and in the character, it reminds me of those kdrama ahjummas 😆.
Overall it's 7 for me. Not a rewatch for sure. Can just watch that clip again so it won't let me down.

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And So the Baton Is Passed
13 people found this review helpful
May 21, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
 Am just a blithering mess of tears right now after watching the wonderful, wonderful movie “Soshite, Baton wa Watasareta” (…And So, the Baton was Passed), starring Mei Nagano, Satomi Ishihara and Kei Tanaka as a family of the most unusual disposition.
I ‘m a HUGE Mei Nagano fan, and have been dying to watch this movie ever since it came out late last year. With the online release of it this past month, I was crossing my fingers that some blessed subtitling team would pick it up, and just today I was overjoyed to find that a translating team picked it up and released subs for it!!!
WELL, I wasted no time sitting down to watch it, and I say without reservation that I loved, loved, LOVED it!!! I had always known the briefest of plot details: That Satomi Ishihara played a mother with a young girl who hopped from husband to husband dragging her child along, but I had no idea that that would be only the mere tip of the iceberg of what a rich, detailed and lovingly crafted story Baton truly was!
I simply adored this movie and was kept quite intrigued throughout the show by its little twists and turns, surprises and reveals, and though perhaps the ending might be somewhat predictable, I found the entire story to be wonderfully wholesome and sweet as any I've seen in years!

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Burning
0 people found this review helpful
May 21, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Unforgettable Performance

Every role of You Ah In is a masterpiece, just unforgettable, incredible masterpiece. He can be so smart, so dumbfounded, so sexy, ...lovable ... you name it - he is the best at any role! All his roles are so good, so heart touching that stay in your heart forever, but my favorite is Secrete Affair. I watched it SEVERAL times; he is so sexy in this one. In Burning he is in love and is shaken to his bones by a psycho to the point that is capable of killing when loses his love one. And this happens naturally, without any scruples, or hesitation. After watching it, I am shaken myself, had to take some time to breathe. The info about him in Wikipedia is ENDLESS, so impressive that keep you at awe for a long time! His rewards are another surprise to keep him in your heart for a long time!

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May 20, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Hell

Cyber Hell is intensely powerful and not in a good way, it's horrifying and mind overwhelmingly maddening. I couldn't stop crying, actually bawling tears of rage. I have never felt the way I did as I watched this, and that says a lot as I am an avid true-crime documentary watcher. The thought that human beings can stoop so low as to terrorize other humans (children not older than eight years old, teenagers, and women), the way the criminals depicted in this documentary did is unimaginable to me -- words fail me.

A true-crime documentary recounting a South Korean case in which chat room operators blackmailed young women (more like teenage girls) into sending explicit videos between 2018 and 2020 is tormenting. The thought that while I watched and filled my eyes with beautiful k-dramas, adolescent girls and women were experiencing the horror of this documentary is unspeakably horrific to me.

The synopsis described this case as a sexual slavery ring, an understatement. That it took place almost exclusively over Telegram, where thousands watched, shared, and reshared images of girls and women forced to send demoralizing pictures of themselves so a bunch of cowards could advertise and sell them for money is hard to accept even as one watches it unfold. To say that a bunch of soulless men and boys, for that matter, thought that it was perfectly okay to humiliate and demean someone's sister, daughter, cousin, and friend is what I struggled to reconcile as I watched the events of what I can only describe as ineffable.

Just thinking of this case fills me with rage—shame on the blackmailer(s) who started such an atrocity. But God heavens, those who participated, enjoyed, and perpetuated the actions are the actual monsters -- the depravity is unimaginable. It leaves me thinking about how, why, and when such young people lost their humanity to the extent that they believed inflicting the type of atrocities as the likes depicted here was fun. It's beyond anything that I have ever heard of or could imagine.

I commend everyone involved in bringing this case to light. Those who produced it to the whistleblower, reporters, tv producers, civilians, well-intended hackers, and the police who worked tirelessly to shut down this demeaning crime. But most importantly, the victims who endured the degradation and humiliation of their souls. If this documentary highlighted anything, it's that women are dramatically less safe and private on the internet than men, the mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, and daughters of society. They are the true heroes of this documentary.

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The Rookies
0 people found this review helpful
May 20, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

It was okay

The movie was okay overall. The main actor was funny, but I was it because had my favorite actor in it. My favorite actor is Xiao Zhan and I was watching the movie because he is in it. But he was only in it in the beginning when the people were climbing that electricity rod.

The movie is funny, but I wouldn't recommend for others to watch it. The ending of the show was great because the main lead survived an explosion. So, I think they might make a second one. If there is going to be a second I will still watch because I like the humor of they had portrayed in the movie.

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Microhabitat
9 people found this review helpful
May 20, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers
Lately, I've been feeling this urge to whittle down my material possessions. Why do I say this here? Because seeing Miso lug around her suitcases while dealing with homelessness but remaining calm and collected is making me double down on that feeling. Why do we think we need so much stuff? Miso leads an unconventional life. The rising costs has her cutting down on expenses. She needs a place to stay. She stays with friends who have normal conventional lives - marriage, family, career, nice living arrangements, money.

But as viewers we are made to question if unhappy or discontented people stuck in the conventional trappings of life are any better than people who seemingly have it worse? Why is it okay/better/smarter to choose a house over cigarettes and whisky? I mean, yes, there are going to be many arguments for a safe, secure living quarter. But I think the bigger question should be why is everything so expensive and why should people who make less money have to struggle and scrimp and save all their lives and forgo what they enjoy just to have a roof over their heads, medicine, and food? Life is hard enough as it is. I'm happy Miso enjoys her smoke and her drink of whisky.

The director did a great job with this movie. Each character was interesting to me. There's so much we can talk about, discuss, ponder over because of this movie.


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Hard Hit
6 people found this review helpful
by Moni
May 19, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers
A very exciting action film. Although it is a remake of the Spanish Retribution, the director and screenwriter Kim Chang Ju still managed to add interesting additions. Each scene has its own charm, Jo Woo Jin in the lead role perfectly depicts a desperate father and husband who will do whatever is necessary for the safety of his family. Ji Chang Wook, a villain whom we first meet on the phone, can completely steal the scene with only his voice. The scene in which the main actors meet for the first time perfectly demonstrates their acting talent. The story is an engaging one with realistic dialogues. Highly recommend, probably one of the best action films from 2021!

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Color Rush (Movie)
1 people found this review helpful
by puwupy
May 19, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
This review may contain spoilers

I was expecting it to be much better

I've watched a few of these Korean BL that have been coming out in the past couple of years. So far none of them were perfect - the plot was underutilized or full of holes, the characters weren't well built, or there wasn't chemistry, but usually there's at least one of these things that is well-made. That's not the case for Color Rush.
I'm probably biased because I've only heard good things about Color Rush, so I was looking forward to watch it, but the only merit I can give it is the fact that, somehow, I managed to watch the entire thing without quitting out of frustration.

First of all, the plot felt pretty inconsistent. I'm willing to give the unanswered questions about the Mono/Probe theme and Yeon Woo's mother the benefit of the doubt, just because the second season has already been announced, but all the other things don't work together all that much. There are characters that seem underutilized and I questioned their decisions, their words and their actions multiple times as I watched - in more than one instance I felt like the driving force behind the story was "this is being said and this other thing is happening because this is what the plot wants".

The characters were disappointing too. Yeon Woo seems to not have a life, thoughts, or a personality that doesn't revolve around being Mono: no hobbies, no dream job, no passions, nothing at all. Yoo Han is introduced as a trainee, but he's never seen during practice and seems to have a lot of time on his hands for someone who is supposed to be a trainee and to study at the same time. A big chunk of the interactions between the two are just long, uncomfortable stares. I don't get why are those supposed to be useful for the sake of the plot or even just the development of the relationship between them. The acting didn't help, especially for Yoo Han: many lines of his felt like he was just repeating his share of the script out loud.
The classmates and Yeon Woo's aunt seemed like interesting characters with a lot of potential, but they were barely utilized at all despite their potential, even when there were excellent occasions for them to get more spotlight.

I wish I could say that this story needed more time, but that would be a lie. It was 2 hours long and I believe that several scenes could have been paced much better to leave room for other things.
I'm going to watch the sequel to see if the story overall can be saved, but right now I only feel like I wasted my time.

I can only recommend it in case you're a fan of that specific "colorblind soulmate AU" kind of story, but other than that I suggest you looking for something else.

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Wuliang
1 people found this review helpful
by Kaptan
May 19, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
Despite such a beautiful story, I did not find it successful due to its interrupted narration. I think it was cut short, but it didn't quite convey what was meant to be told. Despite all their good intentions and efforts, the actors seem to have failed to deliver what they wanted. It says fighting world, but we were able to watch one fight scene. He was half. Everything was half. So are transitions. I couldn't taste it. I don't understand. I wish the story had been kept longer. I wish it was a longer feature film. If more experienced players played. If only it could be diversified with a larger group of players. I wish there were more fight scenes. How nice would that be. But it didn't suit me.

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