Reviews

My Sweetheart Jom — One Actor Brings the Fire, the Story Never Does

My Sweetheart Jom is one of those dramas that isn't bad enough to hate but never good enough to become memorable. It has an attractive cast, a pleasant rural setting, and a few interesting ideas, yet nothing ever truly comes together. By the end, I didn't dislike it—I simply didn't feel much of anything.

The person who constantly caught my attention was Poom Nuttapart. Every time he's on screen, he radiates confidence and desire. Even in scenes that aren't written to be particularly intimate, he has this intensity in his eyes and body language that makes it look like his character is constantly restraining himself. That's become his trademark. After watching several of his dramas, I honestly think he'd be excellent in a role where his character fully embraces that dominant, emotionally driven energy instead of trying to suppress it. He has a natural magnetism that's difficult to teach.

Saint Suppapong, on the other hand, left me unconvinced. Returning to BL after several years should have been an opportunity to remind everyone why he became so popular in the first place. Instead, I found his performance surprisingly flat. His character is supposed to be an accomplished chef with confidence and authority, yet I never truly felt either. The role needed someone capable of quietly dominating a room. Instead, he often blended into the background while Poom naturally drew the eye. Whether it was the writing, the direction, or simply a role that didn't suit him, the result never reached the level I expected.

That imbalance also explains why the romance never worked for me.

Chemistry isn't just about looking good together. It's about creating the illusion that two people can't stay away from each other. Here, I never fully believed that connection. Poom brought emotional and physical intensity, but it often felt as though Saint was performing on a completely different emotional wavelength. Instead of watching two people gradually fall in love, I often felt like I was watching one actor trying to pull the relationship forward.

The story doesn't help either. The countryside setting is beautiful, and the production makes excellent use of it, but the script rarely gives the characters situations that allow them to grow. Several episodes simply drift along without adding much to the central relationship, making the pacing feel slower than necessary. There are enough ideas here for a good romance, but very few of them are explored deeply enough to become memorable.

Visually, the series is pleasant throughout. The rural landscapes create a warm atmosphere, and the production is consistently polished. Unfortunately, attractive cinematography can't compensate for a romance that never becomes emotionally compelling. By the end, I remembered the scenery more than I remembered the relationship.

Final Thought

My Sweetheart Jom had enough ingredients to become a charming rural romance, but it never found the chemistry or emotional intensity needed to make it truly work. Poom Nuttapart continues to prove he has exceptional screen presence, while Saint Suppapong never quite convinces in a role that demanded much more authority and emotional weight. In the end, the series is perfectly watchable—but also perfectly forgettable.

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A Story That Refuses to Give You the Comfort of Certainty

Adapting a psychological novel is never easy, but Notes from the Last Row succeeds because it understands what made its source material so compelling. Based on the Spanish novel El chico de la última fila by Juan Mayorga, the drama preserves the original's fascination with voyeurism, obsession, and the blurred line between reality and fiction while giving the story its own emotional identity.

From the beginning, the series isn't interested in telling us who is "good" or "evil." Instead, it asks a much more uncomfortable question: how far can admiration go before it becomes obsession?

Heo Mun-oh believes he understands Lee Kang because he's older, more experienced, and a respected writer. But every chapter Lee Kang writes slowly strips away that confidence. Watching Mun-oh lose control isn't just entertaining—it's tragic. His downfall isn't caused by a single event but by jealousy, insecurity, and his desperate need to prove himself superior.

Lee Kang is the drama's greatest achievement. Like the protagonist of the original work, he remains impossible to define. Even by the end, we never know whether he carefully orchestrated everything or whether everyone—including Mun-oh—simply projected their own fears onto him. That ambiguity is exactly what makes him unforgettable.

One of the boldest decisions is refusing to answer every question. The implication that Lee Kang slept with Mun-oh's wife is never completely confirmed or denied. Instead of giving the audience certainty, the drama forces us to experience the same doubt that consumes Mun-oh. In a story about imagination and storytelling, uncertainty becomes the real weapon.

Having read El chico de la última fila, I appreciated that the adaptation didn't try to copy it scene for scene. It respects the spirit of the original while taking creative liberties that feel meaningful rather than unnecessary. It stands on its own while honoring the themes that made the source material so acclaimed.

The ending is frustrating in the best possible way. It refuses easy explanations and trusts the audience to sit with unanswered questions. That's exactly what psychological fiction should do.

The performances elevate everything. Every glance, pause, and line carries emotional weight, making the tension feel constant even in the quietest scenes. Combined with restrained cinematography and a haunting atmosphere, the result is a drama that lingers long after it ends.

10/10. Whether you've experienced El chico de la última fila or not, Notes from the Last Row proves that the best adaptations don't replace the original—they reinterpret it in a way that feels fresh, thought-provoking, and unforgettable.

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Dead Air

'Love in the Air' presents every ingredient for a watchable romance; attractive leads, a dual-couple structure, and the occasional chemistry between PRAPAI and SKY; then methodically wastes all of it on dialogue that loops without landing and performances ranging from mechanical to genuinely difficult to watch.

BOSS SERMSONGWITTAYA renders PAYU so flatly inexpressive that his possessiveness reads less as smoldering intensity than vacancy, while NOEUL TANGWAI’s portrayal of RAIN reduces the character to something between a confused child and a prop, making their central relationship, built on coercion and framed as devotion, not just unconvincing but actively uncomfortable.

The series treats structural elements like character development and emotional stakes as aesthetic choices rather than narrative obligations, dressing predatory behavior in romantic music and letting a sexual assault subplot function as backstory decoration rather than something with actual weight.

Love in the Air was written for audiences who require nothing more than attractive men sharing a frame, and it fulfills that brief exactly... no more, no less.

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Sooooo Underrated

This series turned out to be so much better than the reviews lead you to believe!!!
I've never been one for giving praise to "affairs" in a story, where innocent people are hurt ... but this series is the exception. It's such an intriguing drama between two best friends that both fall fall for two older women, both women twice the age of the men ... but it's so much more than that.
Ren Nagase plays his character with such an innocence, his moral standards may be bad, but he really makes you root for him. Genta Matsuda delivers the same way. What starts out to be just a game to win over an older woman, turns out to be the true love in his life. Together, these two deliver both brilliant performances, (and I'm surprised to be saying this), but I wanted both of them to truly be successful in their adulteristic ways. The women opposite these protagonists were clearly unhappy in their lives. Yuka Itaya & Megumi gave us two characters we felt empathy for, making us like them for betraying their husbands.
Like I said, I wouldn't normally give this a high rating, but something about how everything falls together, I think it's a brilliant series!
The bond the two protagonists have toward each other, Toru & Koji, it shows how best friends are there for each other for whatever situation arises. They both need each other, especially since they are both in the same situation.
I kept waiting for the drama to turn bad, but it never did. Right until the credits roll in episode 9 ... excellent. truly excellent!!
There's a line used in the last episode that's so true ... "One man's truth is another man's bias".

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When Obsession Becomes Self-Destruction

Notes from the Last Row is much more than a psychological thriller. It is a story about envy, ambition, identity, and the terrifying consequences of becoming consumed by another person's talent.
What makes the drama brilliant is that Lee Kang is never reduced to a simple victim or villain. His silence constantly forces both Heo Mun-oh and the audience to question what is real and what is manipulation. Even when he says very little, he completely dominates every room he enters.
The most fascinating part of the story is Heo Mun-oh's psychological collapse. He begins as a professor convinced he can control his student, but little by little he becomes obsessed with Lee Kang's writing. By the end, it is impossible to tell whether he is trying to destroy Lee Kang or become him. His envy slowly destroys his marriage, his career, and ultimately his own identity.
One of the most debated moments is the implication that Lee Kang slept with Mun-oh's wife. The drama never gives an explicit confession or undeniable proof. Instead, it deliberately leaves enough ambiguity that both Mun-oh and the audience remain trapped in uncertainty. That uncertainty hurts Mun-oh far more than a clear answer ever could, and it perfectly represents the show's central theme: imagination can be more destructive than reality.
The ending refuses to provide simple closure, which is exactly why it works. Instead of rewarding the audience with easy answers, it forces us to question whether the real tragedy was Lee Kang's manipulation—or Mun-oh's inability to escape his own insecurities. The final scenes suggest that the greatest prison was never another person, but Mun-oh's obsession itself.
Choi Min-sik delivers one of the finest performances of his career, portraying a man whose pride slowly transforms into paranoia and self-destruction. Choi Hyun-wook is equally impressive, creating a character who remains impossible to fully understand until the very end.
This is not a drama about solving a mystery. It's about watching someone lose themselves while desperately trying to understand another person. Every unanswered question serves that purpose.
Many viewers may be frustrated by the ambiguity, but I believe the uncertainty is exactly what elevates Notes from the Last Row above a typical psychological thriller. Some stories end by revealing the truth. This one ends by showing that the search for the truth can destroy a person.

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Wandee Goodday — The Gold Standard for Modern Romantic Comedy BL

Every once in a while, a BL comes along that reminds me why I fell in love with the genre in the first place. Wandee Goodday is one of those dramas. It has everything I look for: believable chemistry, mature characters, excellent humour, a relationship that grows naturally, and enough emotional depth to make the comedy meaningful instead of superficial. I loved it so much that I even imported the official DVD box set directly from Thailand. That's something I rarely do, and it says everything about how much this series meant to me.

The story immediately stands out because it refuses to follow the typical romantic-comedy formula. Yes, it begins with a fake relationship and a friends-with-benefits arrangement, but it quickly becomes much more than that. Instead of relying on endless misunderstandings to delay the romance, the series focuses on two adults learning to understand themselves before they can truly understand each other. Behind all the comedy lies a surprisingly mature story about confidence, vulnerability, and the fear of not being enough for the person you love.

One of the biggest reasons it works is the sport itself.

Unlike many dramas where the profession or hobby exists only as decoration, Muay Thai is part of Yoryak's identity from beginning to end. His discipline, his emotional restraint, and even the way he approaches relationships are all shaped by the sport. That's why I often compare other combat-sport BLs to Wandee Goodday. It proves that a sport can become an essential storytelling tool instead of simply providing a few training montages between romantic scenes.

Then there are Great Sapol and Inn Sarin.

Honestly... what a pairing.

They're both incredibly handsome, but that's the least interesting thing about them. What truly impressed me was how naturally they complemented each other. Great has an effortless masculinity that never becomes intimidating, while Inn brings warmth, humour, and emotional sensitivity without ever making Wandee feel weak. They completely avoid the outdated "top versus bottom" stereotypes that still exist in parts of the BL industry. Instead, they simply feel like two adults falling in love.

Their chemistry is phenomenal.

It never feels manufactured for fan service. Whether they're arguing, teasing each other, flirting, or sharing intimate moments, everything flows naturally. There isn't a single scene where I questioned whether they believed in their own relationship. By the end of the series, they had become one of my favourite BL pairings ever, which is exactly why I'm disappointed GMMTV doesn't seem interested in continuing to develop them as a long-term ship. I genuinely think they're leaving something special behind.

The supporting cast deserves just as much praise. Drake Sattabut, Pod Suphakorn, Thor Thinnaphan and the rest of the ensemble all contribute to a world that feels alive beyond the central romance. Nobody exists purely to create unnecessary drama. Every supporting character helps the protagonists grow, making the story richer instead of simply longer.

Director Golf Sakon Wongsinwiset also deserves enormous credit. Balancing comedy, romance, sport, and emotional drama is much harder than it looks, yet the series constantly knows when to make you laugh and when to quietly break your heart. The pacing never feels rushed, the humour rarely becomes childish, and the emotional scenes are allowed to breathe instead of being overwhelmed by music or melodrama. Visually, the production is polished throughout, with energetic fight choreography and bright cinematography that perfectly matches the optimistic tone of the series.

Perhaps what I admire most is that Wandee Goodday understands that healthy relationships are actually interesting. So many romances depend on endless secrets, toxic behaviour, or artificial misunderstandings to keep the story moving. Here, the characters gradually learn to communicate, support each other, and grow together. That doesn't make the drama less exciting—it makes it far more rewarding because their love feels earned.

Final Thought

Wandee Goodday is everything I want a romantic-comedy BL to be. It's funny without becoming ridiculous, romantic without becoming cliché, and emotional without manipulating the audience. Great Sapol and Inn Sarin create one of the most believable and charismatic pairings I've seen in years, and I genuinely wish GMMTV had continued building on their partnership. This is one of those rare dramas I know I'll revisit again and again, because every rewatch reminds me just how enjoyable a well-written love story can be.

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From the Reader’s Point of View

Have you ever started a story without thinking much and suddenly it’s 5 AM, you’re 8 hours deep into the story and cannot stop until you’ve reached the end? That’s what happens to Heo Mun-Oh, only much worse. What started with the simple curiosity of a novel story, turns into a gripping obsession that slowly eats away at his personal life.

Heo Mun-Oh is a washed-up author who has settled into a bitter and stagnant life as a university professor, but his monotonous life finds a renewed spark when he comes across Lee Kang, an unpolished gem in the literary world, ready to shine under his mentorship.

Notes from the Last Row establishes Heo Mun-Oh as our narrator and tells the story as he experiences the events through Lee Kang’s words. Through Kang's writing, Mun-Oh experiences the fascination of a young boy as he encounters unfamiliar warmth, his curiosity and intrigue of meeting a seemingly perfect family. But as the plot thickens, cracks appear and secrets unfold - with every new chapter flowing in, Mun-Oh slowly sinks deeper into the quicksand of a compelling story without ever questioning his escalating descent until fiction bleeds into reality and conflates with real events.

The storytelling in this drama is really fascinating; it starts from a narrow point and slowly we can see the perspective change and widen as new information comes in and blur the lines between fiction and reality. The acting is also phenomenal and everyone including the main and supporting cast did a wonderful job portraying their characters which allowed the viewers to fully immerse into the story. The cinematography and music direction used is simple but effective and successfully creates the eerie atmosphere of a psychological thriller that makes you feel that everything can go wrong at any moment and constantly keeps you at the edge of your seat.

All in all, I did enjoy my time watching this drama, even if I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it yet. While I did not go into this with any expectations, it was engaging enough that I was pretty much hooked to my screen at times but there were also times when I felt that I wanted something more.

Overall, Notes from the Last Row is definitely an interesting watch. In its essence, this drama portrays the intimate and powerful relationship between a writer and his reader and the captivating allure of a unique story. It's fairly engaging, entertaining and a little unsettling, and provides a somewhat different perspective to our mystery and psychological thrillers.

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Knock Out — Living in the Shadow of a Better Sports BL

It's difficult to judge Knock Out on its own because I've already seen what a great combat-sport BL can look like. Wandee Goodday proved that Muay Thai could become much more than a backdrop for a romance. The sport influenced the characters, the story, and even the way the relationships evolved. Unfortunately, Knock Out never reaches that level. Instead of using boxing to create emotional intensity, it often feels like the gloves are simply another prop in an otherwise ordinary BL.

The premise had plenty of potential. Boxing naturally creates discipline, sacrifice, pain, and personal growth. It should have been the perfect environment to build a believable romance. Instead, the sport rarely feels essential to the story. Most of the time, it simply provides the setting while the romance unfolds almost independently of it. I kept waiting for the emotional stakes inside and outside the ring to merge, but that moment never truly arrived.

The biggest problem, however, is the chemistry.

I never fully believed the relationship between the two leads. Individually, the actors do a respectable job, and I wouldn't call either performance bad. But together, something is missing. Their romantic scenes never made me forget I was watching actors. I understood what the script wanted me to feel, but I rarely felt emotionally involved. In a genre where the central couple carries almost the entire story, that's a major weakness.

The acting overall is decent, especially during the training and fight sequences. The physical preparation is convincing enough, and the production deserves credit for making the boxing scenes feel authentic. Ironically, I often enjoyed those moments more than the romance itself. Whenever the story focused on the sport, it found some energy. As soon as it returned to the love story, that momentum quickly disappeared.

Another issue is the pacing. Despite taking place in such an intense environment, the series often feels surprisingly slow. Emotional conflicts are repeated several times without really evolving, making certain episodes drag more than they should. I finished the drama feeling that several scenes could have been cut without affecting the overall story.

Visually, the production is perfectly respectable. The gym atmosphere is convincing, the fights are well staged, and the cinematography captures the physicality of boxing nicely. Unfortunately, good production values can't replace emotional investment. By the end, I admired the effort more than I enjoyed the romance.

Final Thought

Knock Out isn't a bad BL, but it's an average one built around a setting that deserved much more. After watching Wandee Goodday, it's impossible not to compare the two, and that's where Knock Out struggles the most. One series made combat sports an essential part of its storytelling. The other simply uses boxing as a backdrop. The result is a perfectly watchable drama that never delivers the emotional knockout its title promises.

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The Sorrows of Old Heo

I hear what people mean by Lee Kang's motive wasn't strong enough... But that is only valid if we insist to observe the show as the thriller only. After episode 3, thriller vibe is probably structurally the weakest point of the show.

Lee Kang is the embodiment of Heo Mun-o's own rot. The devil incarnate of one's own making. The truth is Heo Mun-o was too far gone before Lee Kang even became old enough to do anything about it. Hollowed out by failure, envy and ambition, he couldn't even muster an ounce of empathy even for a child in an orphanage. Manipulating a story out of a boy just to see if there is anything 'special' in it which he can use to inspire himself, and then deciding it's just ordinary wailing not worthy of further attention.

Years later, he finds a 'special' story and ... oh the cruel irony... becomes one himself narrated in someone else's gift. The most terrifying part happens at the very end, even with Lee Kang in front of him, Heo Mun-o is still at risk of being seduced by the story. Lee Kang just holds the mirror to reflect everything ugly that already exists in Mun-o.

I have seen Hyunwook in many shows before, but found him unrecognizable here. I think his performance perfectly summarizes in 'if you are a villain to the villain...are you really a villain?' Deliciously manipulative. I was thinking him both naive and evil somehow simultaneously... There is really not much to say about Choi Min-sik. He is a legend for a reason. The ladies, Jim Kyung and Kim Yoon-jin were amazing. The whole cast is really great and I just wish that the narrative didn't drop the thread on their characters at times.

For me, this remains a 9/10

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A Demon Who Can Fulfill Every Wish… But at What Cost?

🚨 Manipulative ML alert!!! 🚨

Plot: Absolutely thrilling and exciting — it keeps you hooked without trying too hard.
Chemistry: I’m literally burning from their insane chemistry… it’s not just good, it’s EXACTLY what I signed up for — so YESSS, I’m HOOKED! 🔥
Visuals: Top-notch. The stylists absolutely nailed it. 👏
Acting: Perfect. No comparisons needed — they’re owning their roles in their own unique way.
Atmosphere: Pure fire. No notes. 🔥

And honestly? You don’t need to go flaw-hunting just to downplay perfection. A series is meant to be enjoyed, not turned into a full-blown documentary analysis 😌🍷

Unpopular opinion: If you’re going to watch a series, at least check the genre first. And yes—if you’re out here magnifying minor flaws while ignoring the masterpiece they’re delivering… I can’t help but side-eye that 💅

This one? Yeah… I’m staying seated. 😌🍿✨

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Eye Contact (Uncut Ver.) — A Better Journey, but the Same Frustrating Destination

After watching the Uncut Version, it's clear that this is the edition the production originally intended audiences to see. The additional scenes give the relationships more time to develop, certain emotional transitions feel less abrupt, and some conversations finally have the space they needed. The pacing is noticeably smoother, making the story easier to follow and the characters slightly more believable.

The romance benefits the most from these additions. The extra interactions between the leads allow their growing feelings to feel more natural instead of jumping from one emotional moment to the next. There are also a few welcome scenes involving the supporting couple, making the overall experience feel a little more complete than the broadcast version.

Unfortunately, the Uncut Version cannot fix what was always the drama's biggest problem.

The ending remains exactly the same.

I was still left staring at the screen asking myself, "That's it? Really?" The story still feels like it stops rather than concludes. None of the extra footage changes that overwhelming feeling of incompleteness. While the journey becomes slightly more enjoyable, the destination remains just as frustrating.

That's a real shame because the actors once again prove they deserved a stronger script. The additional scenes actually highlight their chemistry even more, reinforcing my belief that the cast was never the issue. The problem has always been the writing, which spends too much time building emotional investment without delivering a satisfying payoff.

Final Thought

Eye Contact (Uncut Ver.) is unquestionably the better version of the series. The additional scenes improve the pacing, strengthen the relationships, and make the emotional progression more coherent. But no amount of extra footage can repair an ending that still feels unfinished. If you've never watched Eye Contact, choose this version. If you were disappointed by the original ending, however, don't expect the Uncut Version to change your mind.

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A Masterclass in Wasted Potential and Ruined Characters

While the first season of Pit Babe was an absolute masterpiece, Season 2 feels like a completely failed production handled by a different director. The immense anticipation built up by fans was met with nothing but wasted potential, sloppy writing, and massive disappointment. Though I haven't fully finished watching the series yet, the episodes I have seen so far have been an absolute trainwreck.

The downward spiral begins with the main couple, Charlie and Babe. The incredible dynamic they shared in season one completely devolved into a toxic cycle of constant breakups, petty arguments, and exhausting miscommunication. To make matters worse, the writers introduced a highly distasteful cheating plotline involving Willie, which completely shattered the core trust of the main relationship just for cheap drama. The side couples fared no better. Alan and Jeff started out as a wonderfully sweet pairing, but their relationship was thoroughly ruined by forced lies. Compounding this was the production company’s unprofessional decision to entirely edit out their highly anticipated scene without informing the actors beforehand. This deeply embarrassed the cast in front of the fans, many of whom specifically paid for the uncut version expecting to see that scene, only to be completely let down.

The narrative mess continues with the storyline involving Pete, Chris, and Way. The promotional trailers heavily misled the audience into believing that Way was returning, or that he was deceiving everyone by masquerading as someone else. Ultimately, it turns out Way actually died, and the show simply introduced a new character named Chris. The show then features Pete making out with Chris simply because of his physical resemblance to Way. This choice makes the emotional weight of Way's death feel entirely hollow and cheapens their romantic history. Meanwhile, the vivid chemistry between Kim and Kenta was completely discarded. Even though the producers clearly knew how popular this pairing was, they merely threw in lazy, half-hearted crumbs of interaction before abandoning the storyline entirely. Sonic’s treatment of North is equally infuriating. North patiently waited for Sonic and remained fiercely loyal during his time abroad, only for Sonic to return as a spoiled, ungrateful brat who treats North terribly. North deserved a far better storyline and partner.

Finally, the handling of Dean and Tony highlights the lazy writing of this season. The constant, repetitive mistrust directed at Dean was exhausting to watch, and placing him into a coma just to write him out of the season felt incredibly lazy. Furthermore, Tony’s resurrection completely invalidated the high-stakes impact of the season one finale and served no narrative purpose. Unless the final episodes miraculously fix these glaring issues, it is best to treat the first season as a standalone masterpiece and pretend this sequel never existed.

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PieGolf deserves the world.

I loved them sooo much, like Tiger is really such a loverboy. It's so funny and cute that a mafia is so silly and in love.

I didn't think that I would love them so much... but Oh My God. Pie (Tiger) and Golf (Nao) are such a delightful surprise! They're such good actors, the mannerisms, the quirks. Perfectly developed characters, I'm so eager to see them together on-screen again!

And it's sooooo cute. Probably the cutest lovey-dovey of the whole Fourever You project?

I loved them, I loved Nao's family, they're so warm and cute. Like Nao grew up with so much love... that's why he has so much to share with Tiger, giving him a warm home. It's adorable.

I do wish that it was more... developed, I guess? I felt like the narrative got stuck for such a long time on some problems that, towards the end, it felt a little bit rushed. It wasn't unpleasant, but it's what made the series a 7.5 and not a 9, to me.

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