Reviews

When they let you dive into the world of the characters

One of the biggest driving factors of this drama was the relatability of the characters and how every scene made me feel like I was part of their universe

The plot was simple yet heart touching. The contradicting life of two different person and how the fate of twist bind them together. It showed the world of corporate and the struggle women face there. The second half of the story held much more depth. The storyline was multi dimensional with comedy, emotion, romance as a compact set. I loved how they showed the character development of each character, especially Wine. It was subtle yet very realistic. The way they depicted the past traumas and how with each other they were able to overcome everything was so satisfying to watch. I felt content with the friendship the girls had created. I was expecting A little more banter between Lal and Wine and maybe a little more angst and the love hate relationship since it explicitly says enemies but the fluff came too soon for me. It feels so good to see GLs highlighting workplace struggle of women.

The direction was clean, not rushed or filled with unnecessary scenes to prolong the show. The set design was beautiful as if it came right from a shouju manga. They perfectly caught the slightly Japanese style the novel was aiming for with set, color-grading and style of direction. The cute little animated characters in the middle made it so narak. The stylist deserves a special applaud for the gorgeous outfit.

JanJing has insane chemistry both on and off screen. They genuinely seem to have a great bind which reflected int he drama as well. They e emotional scenes were top notch. I could feel their emotions through the screen. I wish we had more KapookCiize but even with whatever they were given they did an amazing job. Ploypach and JJ kept it light. The entire cast fir perfectly and created an amazing drama.

This was my second GL and I am highly satisfied with tit. Definitely a great watch. Give it a try and you will have a taste of everything.

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Japan Sinks is not about Japan sinking

Japan Sinks is not about the actual sinking of Japan. Shocker! It never happened and is unlikely to happen any time soon. Everyone realizes this but it is never brought up due to being... well, quite obvious. So what is 'Japan Sinks' even about, then? Its an answer that seems equally obvious to the point where people ignore explaining *why* its about climate change but rather *how* it showcases this supposed theme. No, 'supposed' is an incorrect term to use here because Japan Sinks *is* about climate change and it doesn't attempt to hide this... but I'm here to argue that there's a lot more to chew on from another perspective - one that can only be understood under the context that Japan is a population in decline... quite literally.

But that's a strong stance to take, so how did I arrive to it and what makes the story more interesting from that perspective? I suppose the best way to prove my point is by analyzing its two most prominent (but not its only, as it delves into topics like capitalism disincentivizing an efficient response to incoming disasters) themes first, starting with its take on a climate change story.

Um... its alright, I guess! Nothing ground-breaking (pun intended) but it gets the job done in a sobering reminder that horrifying science fiction is a lot more analogous to our real-world circumstances than we like to think. in Japan Sinks, Japan sinks. [gasp] which is blatantly analogous for melting ice caps and the subsequent rising sea level that threatens many countries but especially those surrounded by the sea, such as Japan. Before this happens, however, the chance that Kanto sinks is made aware to the public by doctor Tadokoro and the government only looks into it after one man that's secretly sympathetic to Tadokoro's cries convinces his branch that the best way to soothe public morale would be to dispel the rumor... however, when its confirmed that the chance of Kanto sinking truly exists, this is covered up in an effort to prevent worsening morale that could impact Japan's economy. After all, Kanto is the bulk of industry within the country. Its an understandable motivation that doesn't render the antagonists comically evil (and thankfully they aren't treated as such) but it ultimately leads to the evacuation effort being delayed until this cover-up is found out and leaked prematurely to companies first, causing even more distrust in the government than would have otherwise occurred by valuing companies over human life. Its eventually revealed that all of Honshu will sink, and even the other islands are at risk of this... the others never actually end up sinking, but Honshu -- where most of Japan's population lives --does go under while only a portion of the country remains above the sea, something that's accurate to how rising sea levels actually work, even if the division of land isn't accurate whatsoever due to the circumstances being different here. Additionally, it is planned for the remaining Japanese citizens to push for a climate-friendly future in new cities across the world. Its clear that parallels exist here between real-world climate crisis, but again, its nothing particularly fascinating as it hits the notes of delayed response, building back from ruin, and an uncertain future similar to the Fukushima disaster more so than rising sea levels.

However, the Fukushima disaster is not what Japan Sinks is about either... no, its about Japan's lost decades! More specifically, this story is representative of the slow bleed-out during the Reiwa era. Now, if you are familiar with the original novel you are probably ready to point out how it was written during the end of the Showa era... which is absolutely true! However, what is an adaptation if not a way to bring source material to a new audience, and in this case, quite literally a 'new' audience as this released decades later and thus uses the story of Japan Sinks to tackle contemporary issues in Japanese society. You know the ones... a declining birth rate, aging population, weakening of the yen, late stage capitalism, a government that refuses to address the issues its country faces. While these issues are never tackled in Japan Sinks, you can still feel the acceptance of an inevitably bleak future where the Japanese islands slowly depopulate and lose their place on the world stage. Hey, I just lied by the way... that last issue is brought up directly as I stated earlier in the review. Its no secret that the government in Japan refuses to address its population decline in any meaningful way and using a double analogy for that and the delayed response for the Fukushima disaster is not only elegant but also gets across how much weight this incompetence holds.

Okay, I've set up my analysis and given an example of how its commentary on Fukushima works in tandem with its contemporary Reiwa themes... what else, though? Hey, I lied again... in fact, I'm a dirty little liar so you better get used to it. Here's my thesis: the sinking of Honshu is an analogy for the issues I outlined previously. The population loss aspect is obviously analogous, but what else can we draw from? First, I'd like to ask you how you think people react to an era of stagnation that never ends, one that only grows worse year-over-year and shows no sign of ever seeing a remedy due to the incompetence of those in charge of creating one. How do you have a child in a country like that? Scratch that, how do you grow up in a country like that? You don't, its enticing to leave your country which is an issue that only compounds on itself. The population ages, which causes the birth rate to decline, which causes the labor force to shrink, which causes burden on the youth, which causes them to flee, which causes the cycle to loop in on itself over and over. I'm not Japanese, but its pretty easy to imagine how this can make someone from the country feel... like its sinking into irrelevance on the world stage slowly but surely, and as people flee the country it only speeds up the collapse (represented through the sinking of Honshu accelerating as evacuation efforts do, even if they aren't literally connected). I don't think anyone believes that Japan will literally have 0 people someday, it is rich land with millions of people and Japan Sinks addresses this by only sinking the main island of Honshu... most of what made Japan the richest country and most powerful country in the continent is suddenly gone... eerily representative of today as it slowly drains people. Perhaps the sinking of Japan is not so dramatic or sudden in real life, but its an undeniable fact that the country has reached its peak and will continue a slow decline.

Japan Sinks proposes three solutions.

Solution 1 - Immigration
As to be expected, the citizens are evacuated to other countries and continue to uphold Japanese traditions across the globe in these sort of sanctuary cities. There are fears about culture staying relevant when moving to an entirely new home, but the writers believe that cultures can survive alongside each other and, ultimately, people believe in the greater good in times of crisis regardless of race or culture. This is interesting from the angle of leaving Japan to escape its stagnation but also also a criticism of the Japanese government having extremely strict immigration (which worsens the decline) under this notion that it'll help "protect Japanese culture". It's also incredibly fitting that a pandemic plot starts in the final episode as Japanese citizens immigrate, sparking fears that they will not be accepted across the world due to spreading a disease... sound familiar? Its similar to what led to increasingly violent rhetoric against Asian people in the west during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Solution 2 - Sink with Japan
Many people--especially the elderly--choose to go down with the ship, so to speak. Either they don't believe Japan will actually sink or they are so deep in their nationalism that they'd rather die than live in another country. I do not think this choice was a coincidence considering nationalism and conspiracy theories are more prevalent in the older generations, including in Japan.

Solution 3 - Rebuild Japan
The story ends in a way I didn't expect... Japan does not entirely sink! The main character and doctor Tadokoro choose to stay in Hokkaido and continue their work. Their new objective? Rebuild Japan to be more sustainable. In universe, this obviously means environmental sustainability but when read through an analysis of this sort--or even within the story itself in certain cases--you can make the argument that this represents addressing the actual underlying issues the country faces. I imagine that the 'lost decades' period would end with the sinking of Honshu in this world and a new era would emerge, not necessarily because the conditions improved or they recovered any land, but because a new shift towards designing the world so that it truly does end up becoming better than it is today. If Heisei is the 'peaceful' era that refused to act, Reiwa may just be the 'hopeful' era as its name suggests. Lets pray that this is the case.

There is more I would like to talk about in regards to how the show is framed only through a Japanese perspective--you never see how the world reacts unless a Japanese citizen is actively monitoring it--or how I have critiques with it not giving enough weight to the deaths caused by staying within the country, but ultimately? Japan Sinks is a great show that stands on its own, separately from the novel its based on... and I believe it deserves more recognition than it gets because it is so much more than a tired warning about climate change and commentary on the Fukushima disaster's relief effort. Thank you for reading my review.

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A Republican-Era Journey Through Crime, Mystery & Comic-Book Magic

What drew me into Back for You was the Republican-era setting. A Republican-era drama that wasn't going to give me the usual angst-filled revenge and love-hate story? I was immediately in. And thankfully, it did not disappoint.

The setting and costumes were beautiful, and the whole drama had this dark, whimsical, almost comic-book-like atmosphere that made it visually stand out. The colours, production design, and cinematography were genuinely eye-catching. I especially loved the comic-style sequences. I only wish we could actually see more of those comics because the artwork looked so interesting!

The biggest strength of the drama for me was definitely its unique format. It's only 12 episodes, and almost every episode gives us a new case. A mysterious, initially blank comic begins drawing out stories based on real crimes, but with a strange supernatural/fantastical twist. The ML, who is a detective, has to interpret the clues from these bizarre comic stories and figure out what actually happened in the real world.

I really enjoyed this concept. It kept the drama moving at a fast pace because there was always a new case to uncover. Some cases were definitely stronger than others, but I was rarely bored. The individual stories ranged from crime and psychological dilemmas to supernatural situations, shifting identities, morally complicated choices, and even love that crosses time. Each story had its own atmosphere while slowly contributing to the bigger mystery.

And this is where I think people should adjust their expectations before watching it.

The ML and FL are not really the centre of the drama for most of it. If you're coming specifically because of the cast or expecting a romance-heavy story, you might be disappointed. The ML is primarily there as the detective investigating the crimes, while the FL is mostly bedridden until around episode 8. Their actual story together only becomes important later, and even then, the romance is extremely limited.

In fact, we basically have to wait until the very last episode for the romance.

But honestly? I didn't mind as much as I thought I would because I was so invested in the cases and the overall mystery. And when the ML and FL's story finally starts to come together, their interactions are actually really cute. I just wish we had gotten more of them together because there was so little time left.

I also liked how the drama gradually reveals that these seemingly disconnected cases aren't actually random. What initially feels like an anthology of strange crime stories slowly starts connecting to the larger mystery surrounding the ML and FL. That structure made me curious about where everything was going, and the eventual payoff was satisfying.

The cast also did a good job, particularly considering how much the format changes from episode to episode. Different actors get the opportunity to take on almost lead-like roles in individual cases, and I appreciated that the drama actually gave those characters enough space to make their stories matter.

That said, people coming primarily for the main cast might be disappointed by their limited screen time. This really isn't a conventional lead-driven drama.

I also really liked the darker humour sprinkled throughout. It somehow worked with the strange, surreal atmosphere rather than taking away from the seriousness of the cases. The whole drama has this quirky, slightly unsettling quality that made it feel different from the usual Republican-era dramas.

Visually, though, this drama is probably one of the things I enjoyed the most. It genuinely feels like watching a comic book come to life. The bold colours, unusual imagery, costumes, sets, and cinematic framing give it a very distinctive identity. At times, it almost felt more like a collection of short films than a conventional C-drama.

Of course, it isn't perfect. There are some plot holes and moments where the logic of the fantasy/mystery elements doesn't completely hold together. But for me, the creativity, pacing, atmosphere, and overall execution outweighed those flaws.

I also want to mention that this drama gets quite dark, especially in some of the cases. There are scenes involving violence, blood, sexual assault, attempted assault, and multiple non-explicit rape references/scenes, with particularly difficult material around episodes 8 and 11. So definitely check the trigger warnings before watching.

Overall, Back for You was such a pleasant surprise. I went in for the Republican-era setting and the promise of something different, and what I got was a fast-paced, visually beautiful, darkly whimsical mystery with a really creative concept.

It isn't the romance drama. It's much more of a crime/mystery anthology with supernatural and time-travel elements, where the romance is almost an afterthought.

But somehow, that worked for me.

From beginning to end, I was invested in finding out what each case was about and how everything connected. Some arcs were better than others, but the drama never lost my interest.

A short, quirky, visually gorgeous mystery that feels like a comic book brought to life. I only wish it had given us more of the ML and FL's story because that tiny bit of romance at the end had me wanting an entire drama about them.

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Morals are blurred too apparently

Disappointment is an understatement.
I would've given this a solid 9 if it weren't for the following-
T/W: Rape (ep 3)

• Let's not try to downplay rape. What Zhen Xin did was rape. There is no argument there. And the confrontation scene pissed me off; Zhang Zhun clearly explained what he did, literally spelt it out for him, and this bitch had the audacity to say, 'Is it that serious?' gang. fam. please.
• Why include the cheating arc? And if they included it, why make two innocent women suffer? The only way I would've rooted for the main couple was if their partners were cheating on them too (doesn't make it better, but still), or if Zhen Xin's partner was a pr stunt. Glorifying cheating without any consequences and happy endings pisses me off. Genuinely wanted the two mains to have some sort of suffering for their actions.
• Reenacting the trauma. Wtf? At least they acknowledged it was fucking weird; wish they had fought to change the script.
• No real relationship between Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun. All they did was be physically involved. Wish they had emotionally connected, since the rest of the drama was layered. Their relationship felt so superficial. Also, a proposal? After what, he said that they should break up? Also why? Bro doesn't even properly know who he is.

Right, all of these aside, the actors acted beautifully. The emotional scenes were carried out perfectly; I cried several times (or maybe I just cry a lot). Very great premise. I got too immersed in their world. All the more increasing the feeling of disappointment. More character depth and details were needed, but morals were clearly thrown out the window.

Really wish the drama ended with them breaking up and crying, and both of them suffering the consequences of their actions. Then it'd be 10/10. Can't believe men can get away with pulling stupid shit like this.

4/10 only for the premise.

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a mismatched soup, poor editing, and at least some AI output too

Love For You is a mismatched soup that combined various influences without fully understanding what makes them good. Initially I thought you kind of need to have seen both Light & Princess (same FL, same director, similar pushing away party around timeskip years) and Speed & Love (Thailand crime badboy ML, step-sibling romance) before consuming this one. However, people claiming it a less braindead (more realistic) Speed and Love are totes wrong. When it veers into that direction is really is just as Wattpad, but far less catchy. I've seen comments praising one particular episode as stand-out amazing, but while I agree it's the best in this show, in Speed And Love it would just be average.
Then, LFY tried wading into Hong Kong crime drama a la Infernal Affairs, but again without knowing how to make it exciting. We have a whole business and crime segment that goes nowhere for the longest time.
Maybe the biggest issue is that none of the genres attempted are executed in a convincing way, they're all just lightly cosplayed into and then ignored for the next thing, to the effect that none of these ever connect into anything cohesive.

Song WeiLong is nowhere near the level of good CN idol actors like Zhang LingHe or He Yu. Seems he'll forever be on the mediocre Yang Yang level.
Zhang Jing Yi does a decent enough job in her role and makes the show kind of watchable, but she also can't stop how dragged out the overall unspectacular core plot is.
To pad that out, LFY brings out some of the least interesting/charming/novel side characters ever seen. A huge chunk of the show goes into their school years, but not a single (!) of their peers is fleshed out in any way. The ML has two friends who just live to be tethered to him and cater to his whims, while the FL doesn't even have a single classmate with a name. In that phase the show does a good job of showing the leads' relationship, but besides that there is literally and I mean literally zero meaningful content. Yet the viewer has to see Love For You wade through all the motions of growing up in China, from dragon festivals through college qualification exams to swearing loyalty to the flag, all executed with as much ritualistic pomp as could possibly be shown on TV.
I'll admit for one friend character they eventually manage to give him a life, but instead we get new work colleagues etc that are just as bad and generic, while simultaneously the world's most irrelevant second leads (of sorts) claw their way into hogging screen time. Liang JingKang and He RuiXian deliver performances that are as meh as their characters; the other supporting actors generally do well (Miao RuoPeng as best friend Wang BoZai and He MingHan as policeman Zhou in particular are good, and they're also the only two you couldn't just delete entirely).
By episode 24, we have full-on AI written trash scenes to forcefully stuff some personality into those husks of half-dimensional side characters (if you've ever worked with AI creatively you will immediately spot this). Other times, it's clear that a particular plot idea was planned out in multiple different ways, but the editors just kept several. Or they keep two near identical dialogues, so you sit there thinking "but this character already said this a mere minute ago".
Near the end, the production got so sloppy that you have:
- crew members in the frame https://i.imgur.com/pDHcred.png
- 2 or even 3 film crew vehicles in a shot https://i.imgur.com/aRZe5ty.png
The editing regularly fails to explain things properly, does not deliver flashbacks of what a character has been up to off-screen during an important period, or tells you ten episodes after you gave up on every finding out. One plot arc supposedly wasn't filmed for budget reasons, so it's a gaping hole with a one minute summary, and no attempt made to tell you how it affected the character's growth. On the production side, only the camerawork of one of the crews working on this stands out as consistently good (while another likes to shove their camera almost up the actors' nostrils).

We also constantly go through checkbox drama scenes picked from the list of things that happen in dramas, and they are placed in totally random spots without meshing with anything around them. It's like they had bingo cards to fill out of "in a drama, the leads run away from something hand in hand", "in a drama, when one of them is in the rain for half a minute they get sick"; I'm truly surprised that the ML catching the FL for a near-kiss wasn't shoved in anywhere. Even a character having a trauma is handled that way: checkbox ticked for trauma present, checkbox ticked for trauma somewhat resolved, and afterwards nobody remembers a trace of it; best of all you're now free to obtain a new trauma later, like one is the flu and the other a stubbed toe.

The OST is alright (and the leads have some songs on it), but it doesn't hold a candle to shows with memorable OSTs, and some of the background music is dreadful. There are irritating comedy noises too, for generally very unfunny scenes. Sometimes even the foley sounds stick out as notably bad / mis-timed.


If you're here for the step-sibling plot, watch Speed and Love instead. The writing is super stupid, but it demolishes Love For You in chemistry, production/editing, scene lighting, OST, BGM, ML acting skills, action scenes, and so on.
If you are here for slice of life or side character matters, run for the hills.
If you are hoping for an interesting crime or business plot, this isn't it either. At all. Those take turns between not fleshed out, then forgotten about, repeat.

I for one wish I had entirely skipped or dropped this colossal waste of time.

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A hidden gem for anyone who just wants to laugh and have a good time.

Just finished watching Modern Farmer and loved every second of it. Damn, this drama is an absolute gem! It's perfectly funny, wholesome, and ridiculously entertaining from beginning to end. I had such an amazing time watching the characters and their hilarious lives unfold, and every character gets their own chance to shine with their unique comedic moments.

What I loved most is that it isn't like most modern rom-com dramas. It doesn't rely on an overly dramatic romance, an annoying villain, or unnecessary conflicts to keep things interesting. It's simply a pure, lighthearted comedy that focuses on friendship, everyday life, and the wonderfully ridiculous situations the characters find themselves in.

They honestly don't make dramas like this anymore. Modern Farmer is funny, warm, wholesome, and full of charm—a genuinely enjoyable drama that knows exactly what it wants to be. A hidden gem for anyone who just wants to laugh and have a good time.

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Don't miss - great drama

Don't read the negative reviews and don't pay attention to the ratings, you might miss out on a great drama, personally, I enjoyed every moment (episode) The casting is perfect, the acting is perfect, the chemistry is great (not just between the main characters ), it has a little bit of everything, (haha), healing and recovery, love and disappointment, joy and sadness, (there were parts that made me cry), relationships between parents and children and vice versa, support, dreams and fulfillment, female empowerment, what goes on behind the scenes of the entertainment industry (dramas/movies) * Trigger – it also has domestic violence – I recommend it with love

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Pain and Revenge

My Name is a dark, heavy and intense show from beginning to end. Dr*gs, mu*der, knives, blood are everywhere, and the fight scenes are especially graphic and brutal.

I suspected early on that Jiwoo’s father was undercover and that Mujin had killed him, so the reveal wasn’t really shocking to me. But Pildo’s death shocked me so badly. I genuinely did not see it coming.

The action was entertaining, although some scenes weren’t very sensible. Jiwoo taking on so many people while already badly injured felt unrealistic, but I understand it was done to add more drama and intensity.

final episode I cried for the first time when he was tending to her and sharing his pain... I really liked the connection they were forming. It wasn’t loud or heavily developed in the usual K-drama romance way, but the connection between Jiwoo and Pildo felt deeper because of their shared pain and trauma. Even their explicit s*x scene didn’t feel vulgar to me; it felt more like two people with similar wounds finding comfort and connection in each other. I really thought they will end up together.... (why the f*ck they did they k*ll him!!!)

The acting was really good, especially Han So-hee’s performance as Jiwoo. She conveyed a lot through her expressions, especially during the emotional scenes. The music and OST were also excellent and fit the dark, intense atmosphere of the show perfectly.

The ending was interesting but left me slightly unsatisfied. I liked the idea of Jiwoo leaving her old identity behind and starting over, but how she survived and managed everything afterward wasn’t shown. I guess that ambiguity was intentional, but I still wanted a little more explanation.

Overall, My Name was gripping, brutal and emotionally heavy. Even when I could predict certain things, I was still completely invested.

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Cute, funny, and an easy watch

I really enjoyed How Dare You? It was such a fun and easy watch. I loved the humor and all the cute moments, and Wang Churan and Cheng Lei really delivered. Their chemistry was great, and they made the whole drama very enjoyable.

I especially loved Cheng Lei in this one. I’m more used to seeing him in serious, intense roles, so I really enjoyed getting both sides of him here. He was very convincing as the intimidating, more serious tyrant, which is exactly the kind of role I already know and love him in, but his funny and playful moments were such a nice surprise. His expressions and comedic timing made some scenes genuinely hilarious, while he could switch back to being serious so naturally. It definitely made me appreciate him even more as an actor.

Overall, I’d give it an 8.5/10. It’s funny, cute, romantic, and very easy to binge. Nothing too crazy or groundbreaking, but I had a really good time watching it, and sometimes that’s exactly what you want from a drama.

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Loved it

It is an entertaining, and thrilling drama that beautifully blends several different genres: fantasy, mystery, drama, and romance. This combination creates a fast-paced and seamless viewing experience that constantly leaves you wanting to jump right into the next episode.
One of the absolute highlights of the series is the lead cast (Park Bo-young and Ahn Hyo-seop). Both are exceptionally talented and well-regarded actors, so from the very beginning, there was no doubt the result would be fantastic. Their acting is outstanding, and their onscreen chemistry feels completely natural and delightful. Another major thing i loved is the ending: the storyline receives a complete, satisfying closure with no open ends, which is always a huge plus in this type of drama.
it is a very engaging, and enjoyable show, and I found myself finishing it in a very short time. Highly recommended!

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'I'm Seong Hui Ju'

IU's acting is really something I like. When I saw this drama a few months back and when it was airing, I wasn't much curious about it.

And when I watch it now, I was a little bit disappointed with the how the last eps went but it wasn't bad either. Some weren't punished and some character have their development.

It's nice they demolish the crown but I was a little disappointed because the setting is a modern monarcy so I really thought there will be crown, king and queens until the end.

but then, I still love the ending. Just like the same stories with happen endings, I wish they have shown us more about their life after the monarchy.

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