allyson
San Antonio, TX
The storyline is one that I am sure many drama addicts have come across, at least the part where a girl discovers herself in a position where she must pretend to be a man. What makes this story rise above the other undercover girl shows is the cast of characters. If you look up the word 'bromance' in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Yeorim, Geol Oh, Ga Rang and Big Shot to describe it. Not really though, since bromance isn't really a word, but the point remains that the relationship between these four characters was just compelling and made you want to be one of them. The love the four had for each other, the willingness to put their lives on the line for the safety and well being of their friends is just incredible to watch. Not to mention how ridiculously hilarious (and good looking!) the four of them were together.
The romance angle was definitely not lacking either. But it also remains my contention of why this show doesn't warrant a 10, at least not from me. Sungkyunkwan Scandal excells when it is light and frothy, the fun and joking being the best part of the show. Whenever the show gets bogged down in court intrigue and other women and jealousy it really suffers, though not irreparably so. Even in the midst of all of the angst, there is still someone doing something that will make you smile!
If you are like me and you are hesitating to start this drama because of the historical aspect, stop! It's exceedingly easy to overcome that within the very first episode, and all you will want is more :) Definitely give this a shot and if after the first few episodes, if you still aren't digging it, you won't have lost much. But I promise, once you start it, you just won't be able to stop :)
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I debated for a while about whether or not I was going to write a review for this drama, since anything that could be said about it has probably been said by one of the multitude of other reviews, and probably said better than my bungling attempts to commit feelings to paper. But this drama is one of the few dramas I have watched that completely bewitched me from the get-go and never lets up! If you haven't watched this drama, you're making a mistake!
OK, so "mistake" is a little harsh. I watched most of the episodes as they were airing, which was absolute torture. Waiting each week to find out what was happening to these people I had grown to love so much was more than I could take, so I ended up stopping and catching up after it finished. It took me almost a month to actually find the courage to watch the last episode. Not because I was worried it would be bad, but because I was not ready to let go, and I still don't think I am.
The reasons to watch this drama are staggering. The cast is so amazingly well suited and have such great chemistry together. It was just such a fun ride to watch the characters grow and change together. And this drama is certainly not lacking in personal growth. There isn't a single character that does not undergo some kind of change in the way they behave or think, and it's really nice to watch how they navigate situations they are unsure of.
The storyline is compelling, I never once felt bored throughout all 18 episodes, which is definitely a praise-worthy feat. The romance is prevalent almost throughout, so it's important to like romance as a prominent feature of your dramas. It's not just the romance, though. There is a dash of mystery, quite a bit of action, revenge, romance, a little bit of a supernatural element. It's a pretty complete package.
Honestly, I have no complaints where this drama is concerned. I don't give out 10s very often, I usually can be pretty pragmatic when rating dramas. But I Hear Your Voice is such a winning combination of all of my favorite things, I am hard pressed to find fault with it.
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Though my scores are relatively low for this drama, I do want to start out by saying just how much I enjoyed watching Prime Minister and I. I have been in a drama rut for months now, and this is the first time I have had any desire to marathon anything in ages. I fell in love with the characters, and I found myself invested in their relationship from day one.
All of that being said, this is one of those rare dramas that make me think American television has the right of it, at least in terms of PDA on TV. There was just not enough of it in this show. Though you legitimately felt that the characters were in love, they were not very affectionate towards each other physically. Which is fine, not all relationships need to be physical, but it definitely leaves something to be desired. At least for me, anyway!
But the lack of PDA isn't what drove my score down at all. What really made this drama rank so low for me was the last 3 episodes. It's like the drama just lost all of it's consistencies and characters started acting ridiculous and out of place. In fact, I don't think I have been this disappointed by an ending of a drama since Cheongdamdong Alice.
Leaving all of the negatives aside, there are a lot of reasons why this drama is enjoyable. The characters are absolutely adorable. I am not a huge fan of children and dramas, but I defy anyone to watch it and not fall in love with little Man Se, or just want to hug all three of them when times get rough.
Yoona as Nam Da Jung was a surprise for me, I wasn't particularly impressed with her in Love Rain. But she seemed a lot more mature now, even though she was playing a relatively silly character. Her ability to seamlessly step into the shoes of the children's mother was really awesome to watch, and it was great to see just how she loved the children.
It was also really great to watch the Prime Minister grow into a human being after so long of denying himself everything. The characters all have a lot of scars and a past, but the story handles everything fairly well, at least till you get to the last few episodes.
All in all, this drama is worth the effort, especially if you like comedies and dramas with children. If you are as obsessed with romance as I am, you may take a pass on it. While it can be romantic later on, it is still missing a lot to be a truly great romance.
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I regret how long I put this drama off. I kept thinking that the lead guy was kind of old, and even though I loved Flower Boy Next Door, I wasn't sure if I would like this drama. I was pleasantly surprised, I have to say.
From the get go, this drama is funny and frank and draws you into the characters as if they were people you knew your whole life. While the characters weren't particularly nuanced, they were exceedingly enjoyable.
In particular, the actress who played Gong Min Young was delightful. Her smile was just absolutely contagious and I find myself laughing far more than I would have if she hadn't been in it. As an idol actress, I could not have expected that in the least.
The chemistry between Min Young and the flower boys was also a lot of fun to watch. She was just fearless, throwing herself into situations wholeheartedly, never taking no for an answer and always letting people into her heart.
Lee Jong Hyuk's Seo Il Rok was the quintessential cocky ladies man, with the twist of not actually being any good with the women in his own life. Ah Rang was cute, though not any different from the character he played in Flower Boy Ramyun Shop. Moo Jin's character was a little stilted, some of his scenes were a tad ridiculous.
The two henchmen were ridiculous in the absolute best of ways. They really did up the comedy factor, and I loved watching them get into trouble trying to bring Master and Min Young together. And their devotion to Master was touching as well.
If you like dramas to be fairly lighthearted and funny, but also able to bring in the sad/serious moments every once in a while, then this drama is for you. All of the side romance stories that the Cyrano team aided in were just a lot of fun, and kept the storyline fresh. It was also fun to guess which cameo they would bring out next.
TL;DR? The episodes are short, the cast is great together. You have nothing to lose in giving it a shot :)
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Now that I have seen true chemistry between leads, I can understand that the chemistry between Jan Di and Jun Pyo was just nonexistent. I can still remember right after I finished I was searching the web for more information, and was irritated by how many people were trashing the actress who played Jan Di for doing a horrible job, and it's taken me a year to agree with them. Jan Di's character was harsh and grating 75% of the time. To the point where I look back and wonder exactly what Jun Pyo found so alluring about her.
My love for Lee Min Ho is as great as it was a year ago, but now I can see that his acting in BBF is not anything like his acting ability in any of his subsequent dramas. Jun Pyo was over the top and ridiculous. But to be honest, that's why he was so lovable.
Three of the four F4 members are given pretty solid storylines, though So Yi Jung's didn't really show up til they needed to give Jan Di's friend a love interest. There is one scene where all of a sudden the writer's decided to try and give the fourth member Song Woo Bin a bit of a storyline involving his complaints about his mafia family and how F4 was his only family now, and it was just awkward. I felt bad for him that they never made a real effort to incorporate him into the storyline more than just the muscle.
I still love BBF and it will always have a special spot in my heart and I still find myself going back to some of my favorite scenes. If you want something that has a pretty ridiculous storyline and tons of drama, drama, drama and ridiculously good looking boys then Boys Before Flowers is exactly what you need!
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Man, this show. If there were ever a text book case of the old adage, too many irons in the fire, this show would be it. Some of the things this ambitious show aimed to cover: gumihos, ghosts, hidden identity, romance, love triangles, writing, nail art, medical issues, mysteries...the list could go on and on and on. Seriously. When I started episode 10, I knew the goal of my review would be to convince people not to watch this drama. At the end of the series, I still am so far away from recommending it, but I can argue that it really wasn't as bad as my brain kept insisting.
I think I'll start with reasons why you should save yourself the hours you would spend watching this show before jumping into the few redeeming qualities it possesses. First, this drama was just all over the place. I mean, one second it's about a girl pretending to be a boy so that she can get more info on the guy she wants to write a story about. The next, we are dealing with ghostly rape and shaman mothers. Yes, I did just say ghostly rape. Cause, you know, that's a thing.
This drama reminds me a lot of KPop TUA. Not because of the gender bender aspect, but because none of the acting is that good, and the characters are all so young and fresh and have no idea what they are doing as actors. I think if they wanted to have so many balls juggling up in the air, they should have gone with some veterans. But given the storyline, what veteran would have accepted a role?
The romantic aspect of the show was 4 parts irritating, 1 part cute. None of the characters could ever make up their minds about anything. I suppose in some way, that makes it pretty realistic. The indecision and fighting got old pretty quick though. I'd have liked it more if Bunny had picked Alex or Kay at like episode 6 and then we had happy episodes in between, not waiting til the end to find out who she will end up with. The constant back and forth was just tiring.
OK, now to the few redeeming things that make this drama, at the very least, skimmable. First, Kay. Even though his character was poorly written, the actor really did try and give his all in the role, and I really think there are times where he did an amazing job. His struggle with his sexuality was cute, and he was really graceful about it at times. The danger of gender benders is that writers can really make homosexuality sound like a fate worse than death. And while I understand that Korea is a different society than where I am, it's refreshing to see a character not too emotionally distraught over the idea that they might be gay.
Jin and Ji Soo would be the second reason this drama is worth a skim. Their relationship, for the most part, was the cute breath of fresh air this drama sorely needed. Even when they were fighting, it was mostly adorable.
I could have swore I had more redeeming qualities to list, but none are coming to mind. I wouldn't say that I regret watching this drama necessarily, but every single week I was yelling at the TV trying to figure out why I kept watching. It was oddly compelling, wanting to see how the characters would work things out in the end. That being said, I still don't think this drama redeemed itself enough in the end to be worth the time. I'm glad I finished it, but unless you have the patience of a saint, and the ability to MASSIVELY suspend disbelief, you might try something else instead. The popularity of gender bender dramas ensures that there is something immensely more enjoyable right around the corner.
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The acting was pretty amazing, especially by Park Shi Hoo. He was just a delight to watch for the majority of the show. Moon Geun Young was not bad either, and the supporting cast did a fairly good job as well. This isn't your average boy meets girl story, and it will have you questioning what makes a good person and what it means to love someone. Storyline wise, there were some stumbles and the pacing was a little funny at times. But all in all, it was a good drama, and I don't feel like I wasted my time watching it.
Now, for the subjective part. I HATE books, stories, movies,dramas that involve a major lie. They make me extremely uncomfortable, like I am just constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. The synopsis I read forever ago when they had first announced the drama made no mention that it was about a girl lying her way into the upperclass or I don't think I'd have started it.
If I were to break down the thought process I had for the episodes:
1 and 2 - Why is everyone crying all of the time? Is this a romcom or melodrama?
3 - So it IS a romcom. Park Shi Hoo, I need to have your babies.
4 through 7 - Seriously, Park Shi hoo, can I have your babies?? Also, Han Se Kyung stop being such a b***h.
8 through 13 - Why does everyone make such bad choices???
14 through 16 - I am ready for this drama to be done already.
I think the problem was that I hated Se Kyung too much to really get into this drama. Seung Jo was like a lost little puppy, and all along I felt like she was just kicking him over and over again, even if he didn't know about it yet. I understand her motives, I cann appreciate her gumption. But Seung Jo was such a good-hearted guy, I hated her.
All in all, it is definitely a watchable drama, just be prepared for a crap ton of lying and worrying about when the truth will finally come out. And if nothing else, at least watch this drama for Seung Jo's dance scene in episode 3 :p
Side note: Not that this drama had a love triangle in it at all, but will Kim Ji Suk ever get a drama where he gets the girl in the end??
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This review may contain spoilers
Honestly, I really liked the first several episodes of this show. I thought Jae Hee was seriously cute, and even though the chemistry between him and Yoon So Yi wasn't that great, it was fun to watch him and his ridiculously adorable smile. Not to mention Shim Ji Ho is just amazingly good looking! But then the jealousy just got out of control and the situations between the characters became more and more implausible. It got to the point where it became painful to watch! I will admit, I mostly pressed fast forward through the last 5 or 6 episodes, just cause I wanted to know who Byun So Ra chose in the end. So as not to get spoilery, I will just say that the ending was so contrived and forced. By episode 20, it was really difficult to care about any of the characters at all. Throughout, Shim Ji Ho is the only thing that made this drama even kind of watchable! Was this review helpful to you?
This show was one of the most surprisingly amazing shows I have ever watched. I was so reluctant to start it because I don't really watch high school dramas very often, but this show was just so amazing and just completely sucks you into its grasp.
The brilliance of the show lies in the way they laid the story out of the viewer. We were never given more than snapshots of certain time periods in the lives of the characters. There were flash backs and flash forwards and the way they revealed the different aspects of each character made you fall in love more and more each episode.
All of the characters had such intricate stories and had flaws that made them so real. You could find yourself identifying with all of the characters at one point in time. My heart stayed with Yoon Jae from beginning to end, even when I couldn't understand exactly what he saw in Si Won that had him so enamored. She was a really fun character to watch, but her clueless-ness bordered on pathological and she could be pretty selfish. Si Won's parents were just absolutely hilarious most of the time, though there were scenes where I thought the dad went too far in his anger and I wish they had scaled it back some.
I really did love Tae Woong too, and my heart broke for him when they revealed what happened to his past love and who she was to everyone in the group. I wanted so much for him to be happy, but I did not like that he went after Si Won. How he never realized his brother was in love with her blows my stinking mind. Maybe because we are the viewer and given different clues than he was, but it seemed plain to see from a mile away.
The rest of their group, Hak Chan, Yoo Jung, Sun Jae, Jun Hee were always a delight to watch and you will want so bad for all of their dreams to come true. Without spoiling too much, once you start watching it and you find out Jun Hee's secret, I was really really happy with how well the people who found out about it handled it. I worried I would end up hating some characters once they found out, but it was all really great.
All in all, this show is a must watch! I mean, seriously, if you haven't watched it yet for whatever reason, stop being stubborn and watch it! It will remind you so much of your teen years, even if you weren't a teen in the 90s. I grew up in the 90s in America, so a lot of the pop culture references flew straight over my head, but childhood is childhood and universally the teenage years tend to be the same. At least in obsessions, that is :p What teen girl hasn't been obsessed with some pretty boy in a band at some point in time? What teen didn't fall in love? What teen didn't fight with their parents or with their best friend or their boyfriend/girlfriend? This show is just so wholly satisfying and a nice walk down memory lane, even if it isn't your memories.
Side Note: There was A LOT of pop culture stuff I didn't get. I recommend having google handy while watching it, just to fully enjoy all of the quirky references. For example, so many of the characters told Hak Chan how much he looked like one of the group members from Sechs Kies. It didn't occur to me til over halfway through the show that he might actually be the guy from Sechs Kies, so I looked it up on here and he was! Others might not have been so dense about that, but it really did just go over my head :p
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I don't watch Jdramas as a general rule, I tend to find the comedy in them over the top. But my friends were curious about it, so we all watched it together and I was really pleasantly surprised by what I saw. This is only my fourth completed jdrama, and it has me hopeful that I can find other jdramas that are similar.
The acting in this drama was really believable, and quite good. I never once found myself rolling my eyes at what was happening onscreen, and the romance in this relationship was just spectacular. Jdramas have a leg up on Kdramas in the romance department, in that all of the kisses are so sexy! I thought Riko and Naoki had really great chemistry with each other from the get go, especially when they were just friends. It was so easy for them in the beginning, neither had to put in any effort while they were with the other and that kind of friendship is just endearing to watch.
As for the baddies, I have said this many times for other characters, and I am sure I will say it many more times as I am fickle, but I have never hated anyone as much as I hated the cheerleader! I think we all refused to learn her name because we hated her that much. This is a family friendly site, so I will just say that the best word to describe her starts with a B and it needs to be a giant, massive skyscraper sized B for her. She was petty and selfish and couldn't figure out why people would be upset with her over the awful things she did.
One of the best things about the shoe came from Mai and Shuji. Their comic relief was hilarious and I really loved watching them grow as characters.
The ending hit some bumps, a lot of the drama seemed pointless towards the end. I think that's why the rewatch value is so low. In fact, the only thing I will rewatch in this drama is a certain scene where Riko is screaming at Naoki from a window :)
All in all, this drama is worth the relatively short amount of time it took to watch, and even in the depths of your hatred for Cheerleader, there is still something going on that you can be happy about. If you haven't watched this yet, give it a shot! Naoki and Riko might just surprise you :)
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I don't know what it says about me that I am always shocked by the actual genres of dramas once I start them. You'd think after being surprised enough times that I would do some more research, or just look at the genres listed on here. But no, I just look at a poster and read a description and if it tickles my fancy, I'm in. That's what happened with this drama. I saw the placeholder they had up on Dramafever, the one with Soon Jung in the middle and Kang Ho and Joon Hee on opposite sides pulling each other's hair. Then I read the description, and thought man, this is going to be absolutely hilarious.
I don't want to say I was wrong, because there are quite a few legitimately hilarious moments in each episode, and it does do a fairly good job of balancing levity with melodrama. But man, this drama made me cry several times. And not the dainty, one shining tear cry. The ugly kind of cry that makes your boyfriend look at you like you have finally gone insane, just as he had been expecting all these years.
So yeah, this drama knows how to hit you right where it hurts. Which sucks if you hate sad things, but is also kind of amazing because of how well the actors pulled off this story line. I mean, Dong Wook was just this character you couldn't help but fall in love with the second you saw him. He was so upbeat and cheerful and was willing to do anything to make Soon Jung smile. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have Kang Min Ho, a revenge-fueled egotist who would stop at nothing to take down his uncle's company, even by destroying countless people's lives. They were as opposite as can be, but shared a fate that would forever tie them together.
Then you have Joon Hee, the second male lead of the drama. I don't want to say too much about his character, but Yoon Hyun Min was just perfect for this role. I mean, just wow. Soon Jung was probably the weakest aspect of this show for me. While I did actually like her, I feel like at times she was a little plain Jane of a character. I'd have liked at least half as much character growth for her character as we saw for the male leads. Cause boy did their characters grow and change. Jung Kyung Ho's Kang Min Ho has to be one of my favorite male characters that I've seen in a long time. After his transplant, the change in him was instantaneous. It was so adorable watching him struggle with his new feelings and emotions, and even more adorable watching him try to woo Soon Jung.
My only complaint about this drama, and what kept it from a 10 in my book, is just how much they focused on the company. It got a little boring after a while, and extremely predictable. One side was going to cause an insane problem, and whoever the "good guys" were of the episode was going to find a way to fix the problem. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Overall, this drama was just exceptional, and the romance in it was just so much fun to watch. All of the side characters really did bring so much to the show, and the Wendy/Tinkerbell side story was entertaining. If you are a fan of romance and melodrama, this show should not be missed!
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I feel like odd man out when it comes to this drama. Nine Times Time Travel is a really great drama, one that I think anyone could enjoy. It has something for all types of drama watchers, and I think the storyline is unique enough to keep you guessing at every turn. As soon as you think you have it figured out, the writers throw your notions out the window. It's rare for a drama to excel at that aspect so much without seeming like they jumped shark.
But here is where I start feeling odd man out from all of the people who gave this story a ten. I am not sure where to place the blame for this on. The writers touted the story as even better than Queen In Hyun's Man. The similar time travel also leads to comparisons, and every single person that recommended it to me mentioned QIHM and how similar they were. And, to a degree, they are similar. But 9 focuses much less on the romantic aspect than QIHM did. 9 is all about all of the relationships between all of the characters, not just the main couple. It also lacked the levity that QIHM embraced. There wasn't an episode of QIHM that went by without making you smile at least once. 9 was much more melodramatic and tearful.
All of that aside, the actors seriously did an amazing job, every single one of them. Lee Jin Wook just has this smile that conveys so much sadness and heartbreak, you just want to hug him. And the supporting cast all were absolutely phenomenal as well. I really liked the few QIHM Easter eggs that I noticed, like when the head reporter guy (who was the baddie in QIHM) ringtone was Hee Jin's ringtone. It was cute!
This drama had a lot of action and drama and was constantly moving from the getgo. There were very few slow scenes, and almost no useless scenes, which can be nice. Every scene felt like it had a purpose, even if you didn't understand the purpose for 10 episodes. There were, however, a lot of really boring car chase scenes. I mean, one or two is OK, if it's like a 3 minutes shot. But almost entire episodes were devoted to car chases, so it felt excessive.
All in all, this was definitely a drama I could recommend to anyone, and I really do think anyone would enjoy. My only caution would be to not go into this expecting a lot of romance, cause you will be disappointed.
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Story: The story is a mix of insanely unbelievable coincidences, overly used cliches with a heaping dash of wonderful thrown in. Even when they were completely disregarding the intelligence of the viewers by not only having her father being helped by one love interest but as well as having the lost brother being helped by the other love interest, this show was still a really great watch. Just be prepared to suspend disbelief in more ways than one.
Acting/Cast: This drama was way, way too long though. I didn't even like it all that much for the first 13 or 14 episodes, I persisted only so that I could finally start Flower Boy Next Door. But then Lee Seung Gi's character stops being such a self-centered jerk and starts to grow and mature and I was hooked. What new catastrophe would the evil witch and her daughter create next? Would Jun Se ever stop being the absolute perfect guy? Would the witch and her mother ever realize there was just zero way to win with the absurdity of the lies they spouted? These questions needed answers!
Music: I honestly can't remember a single song! Except for one that my friend pointed out sounded like a song from Full House. Which only made me realize how much the lead girl looks like Song Hye Kyo sometimes!
Rewatch Value: I rewatch, A LOT. There are very few dramas that I have seen that I can say I would never go back and rewatch my favorite scenes from. But I don't see myself ever going back and watching anything over again from this one. Too much sad and ridiculousness. I loved it, of course, but I don't think there is anything I want to go back for.
Overall: This drama is worth watching, even if you end up skimming a lot of it, like I was tempted to do. And did do for a couple of scenes, like everything to do with Jun Se's dad. This drama isn't an overly happy one, in fact for the most part it's pretty angst-filled. So be ready to shed a few tears if you decide to start it!
PS. Moon Chae Won is an AMAZING actress! I have never seen an actor or actress cry as naturally as she does, and even in midst of my deep hatred for Seung Mi, she was able to spark sympathy in me.
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Full of cliches and ridiculous plot lines, I can see why some people would be turned off by it. But if you have ever found yourself wishing at the end of the drama that they would have spent a little more episode time at the end showing the happy couple doing happy lovey dovey things, then this drama is for you! That's not to say this drama is also roses and being happy, but they definitely do have a lot of couple stuff that most dramas miss out on because of all of the angst.
Though, there was plenty of angst for those who like an ample dash of it in their dramas. I personally hated the entire Yoon Joo storyline, and seriously, why even make Sang Hee a character if you are just going to forget he exists after episode 8? And yes, it's true the last episode did seem a little pointless since by that point you knew how it was going to end. But when it's all said and done, this drama was a lot of fun to watch them try and work their way through the lies, and then try and figure out how to make it work once it wasn't a lie.
And, seriously. That coke kiss scene is so incredibly hot in context. I've seen the clip before and I have to say, it's not nearly as hot unless you have the episode before that with the karaoke kiss to compare it to that it becomes ridiculously hot :p Ki Joon was such a great leading male, I loved watching him. I can't believe how much I went from disliking his hair in the first episode (that man does not look good with bangs!) and hating his voice to loving him as much as I do now at the end. He was one romantic dude!
Anyway, before I make this even more unbearably long, I just want to say to give this drama a shot! You might just find out that it was worth the few days it takes to watch it :)
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