Gyeongseong Creature Season 2 (2024)

Yearning for Better Endings

The drama started off on a great note.. Their first meeting being chaotic again.. I thought this season would include some thriller elements but it didn't.. I dont remember why i even thought that..

This season started off with their reunion scene but it just didnt feel right.. FL clearly saw him when she kicked his ass in that room.. But she didn't recognise him?? She had to watch the cctv footage to finally realize who he was?? Just didn't make any sense to me..

Bae Hyeon Seong really surprised me with how good he was.. I am equally impressed by the scripts he chooses or are chosen for him.. Throughout this drama he was outstanding..

Another Flaw.. The Detective who was supposed to be following him only found him after the accident.. Where was she before that?? There was no way for her to find him so quickly if she was not already following him.. And she knew about the abandoned building as well.. That's another stupid mistake..
One more.. After escaping from the cops he went straight to his house.. I mean are the police stupid enough to ignore the house of an escaped suspect?? Seriously?? Shouldn't that be the first place they secured?? He was there for over an hour easily.. And then the detective.. She came alone?? To look for an escaped suspect?? And then all at once nobody cared about him and his connections to the assault and murder cases??
If I’m going to nitpick.. There were several flaws.. Compared to season 1, this season had a lot more mistakes..

In season 1 I felt she should have killed Kato instead of Ichiro.. If she had done that.. Maeda wouldnt have been able to build this empire or even be alive for that matter.. Well.. I suppose they wouldnt have had enough material for another season if that had happened..

" Do you know why hell is a dreadful place??
Because it never ends..
He and I couldn't be friends.. So I decided to become his hell instead.. "

Claudia Kim's back again.. Another powerful performance in her brief screentime.. She really was obsessed with the Jang Tae Sang.. And i dont know why her character is listed as Guest role in MDL.. She had support role.. More screen time and impact than typical guest role..

In Season 1, both Park Seo Joon and Han So Hee didnt outshine each other in terms of their performances.. They were equally good.. But season 2, Park Seo Joon truly outshines everyone..

" I don't remember when but everything started to fade away..
Why I'd been fighting, What I'd been fighting for, And even my rage..
I couldn't overcome a certain yearning..
I existed but I wasn't living.. I missed her.. All I wanted was to see her..
I wanted to embrace her and hold on to her..
Just once would be enough if it meant I could see you.. If it meant I could hold you "

Ep 5 was simply the best episode of the season.. The yearning.. The fighting.. The emotions.. Just incredible..

Something I noticed in the first season is that the creatures were influenced from The Stranger Things but chose to ignore it because it wasnt too obvious.. But this season they made it too obvious and evident that it was heavily influenced..

I was really disappointed at the fact that they didnt show us how she ended up in that river with shenshin at the end of season 1?? They should have addressed it this season because it clearly doesn’t make any sense.. I am still curious..

I am not satisfied with the conclusion.. After 69 years of yearning.. They are separated again?? If there is another season.. I might change my rating for Season 2 to an 8.5.. But for now it just doesn’t feel right.. Kdrama writers continue to falter with their endings.. Season 1 was definitely better..

Overall Season 2 had its moments.. It ultimately fell short of expectations.. Particularly in its ending.. The follow up seasons of dramas are supposed to tie up the loose ends but this just leaves me with more questions than answers.. I Hope there is another season..

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The back-up story would have been there, but the willingness to actually tell it was limited

So here it is, the second season. The historical coat is stripped away and the story transforms into a modern thriller, the theme of which revolves around a horror that only humans are capable of.

Pleasing and pithy: Some script scenes from the first season were hinted at and entertainingly mirrored in the present day mise-en-scene. That´s fun to watch. The confrontation with the longing for power and immortality also has its moments and insights. Additionally: the leads give their all, again.

On the other hand, someone in production probably didn't really feel like it anymore... There is only minimalist suggestion of what may have happened during the past 80 years. This could actually be a substantial story, yet they are not going to tell us. This serves merely for shaping a coarse (albeit promising) framework, unfortunately remaining pretty lean. Thus it is raising more questions than it feels like answering, its only mission being turning the two leads though the mill of horror once more. Accordingly, the story almost constantly takes place in gloomy night, dark rooms or sinister underground.

For season 1, the dramaturgical technique of hinting at historically shaped, individual fates may have had an effect, enhancing identification with characters. For the second season, continuing with this method only works to a limited extent, because by now we are already closely identified with them.

All in all, the second season comes across somewhat indecisive. The back-up story would have been there, but the willingness to actually tell it was limited. On the other hand, it is still fast-paced and emotionally dense. Nevertheless (at least for me) it is somehow unsatisfying, almost unnecessary. Second seasons for Netflix-KDramas haven´t really convinced me yet. Neither does this one.

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Not quite as good as the first season, but still enjoyable

First off, are they expecting to make another season? Because if it's not planned for sure, then WHAT was up with that little bonus scene (plus all the unanswered questions).
That aside, I really really enjoyed this season. It scratched a very specific itch I have for superhuman/experimented on heroes, giving me almost exactly what I wanted. However, I do think that the first season had better emotional arcs for the characters and more overall heart throughout.
I think this season could've given us what the first season did if they had a few more episodes. Usually I'm in favor of less episodes because some dramas take way too long to get to the point, but in this case, I would've liked to spend more time with these versions of the characters and to see the different relationships between everyone.
I also think that Lady Maeda should've been introduced sooner. We should've seen more of her with Seungjo so that when he kills her the impact would've been greater. I also think her twisted relationship with Taesang was a missed opportunity. It would've been interesting to see more of them throughout the years and actually see what kind of games she was playing with him. I think this would've given us more of an idea of why she had set up such an elaborate scheme to make Taesang kill Chaeok.
All of that to say, I really liked this season and if another season does happen, I'll be eagerly waiting for it.

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Alternate title: Lady Maeda's obsession.

Before I watched Gyeongseong Creature Season 2, my expectations was at its peak. Also, it's my most anticipated drama. As for Season 1, I didn't have high expectations for it, I only tuned in for Park Seo Jun and Han So Hee, but I was impressed with the first Season. As for this this one, which is also the Second Season of Gyeongseong Creature, I also loved it. If I were to compare it with Gyeongseong Creature Season 1 in terms of action, then I'd pick this one, it had more action scenes than the first season ever had.

Gyeongseong Creature Season 2 continues the story of Jang Tae San and Yoon Chae Ok as they give it their all to survive in a world that's has been polluted by Creatures created by humans because of their greed to rule it all, become invisible, unrivaled, and if possible, they want to gain Immorality. It's a bit different from Season 1. Why? Here's why; Gyeongseong Creature Season 1 was set in Gyeongseong, which used to be the capital of Joseon during the 1945s. However, Gyeongseong Creature Season 2 is set during the Present day Seoul (the new name of Gyeongseong).
The first episode of Season 2 showed Yun Chae Ok, who now possess the Najin that's passed on to her by her mother. Thus making her much more powerful than she ever was, she's basically no less than an immortal having lived for a century already without aging. Then we see Jang Tae San, who now goes by a different name, Jang Oh Jae. Jang Tae San/Jang Oh Jae has lost his memories of the past. In other words, he doesn't remember who he used to be, all he knows is that, he's the President of a Detective Agency. This two have been separated for decades.

This time, all their miseries and nightmares are all because of a woman's jealousy and obsession, "Lady Maeda." I've come to realize that a woman's jealousy and revenge can be horrifying. A man is ruthless, but I think a woman is much more ruthless. They say an obsessed and jealous woman can be worse than a beast, I agree with that. That's exactly what's showcased in this one. Because of Lady Maeda's obsession, she
begins a killing spree. I didn't know a woman could be this ruthless, cruel, and inhumane. That's why a woman mustn't be underestimated. A man is fierce, but a woman can be fiercer. Lady Maeda's love for Jang Tae San turned into obsession, that obsession turned into hate, and that hate eventually gave birth to revenge, and that unjustifiable revenge made Jang Tae San and everyone around him suffer. She wants him to be lonely with no one to turn to. She wants him to experience sadness all his life. She wants him to crawl back to him, begging for forgiveness. That's what she deemed as her way of getting back at him for betraying her. That said, Although Lady Maeda's role played by Claudia Kim was short, it's memorable. I've got to admit, she made the drama much more engaging than it ever was before her appearance. She almost stealed the show with her acting. I love her acting. "She's beauty and talent."

I've got to say I loved their reunion. Just like the first Season, or should I say it's a bit different? Anyway, just like the first Season, these two reunion came abound with a fist fight. I loved their reunion. When Yoon Chae Ok called his name, Jang Tae San, the way it echoed into his ears. The familiarity. And when She embraced him, and he just stood there like a frozen ice. I loved that scene. That reunion was epic.
I loved so many scenes in this drama that I can't mention them all, but I've got to say this one. That battle scene in EP 5, I loved it so, so much. The soundtrack, the OST, everything were excellent. My favourite OST is "Time by Baek A." What I loved most were Jang Tae San's words. Here's how it goes; "I was existing, but I wasn't living. I just wanted to see her again. I wanted to embrace her. I wanted to hold her in my arms. Even if it was just one more time. If it meant I could see you. If it meant I could touch you again." I loved those words. I almost cried while watching that scene.

Oh, the chemistry of Park Seo Jun and Han So Hee is overflowing in this one. Their gazes, their interaction, all of these were excellent. Park Seo Jun and Han So Hee performed exceptionally well in their respective roles as Jang Tae San and Yoon Chae Ok. Plus, their action scenes were exceptional and engaging, I couldn't stop watching. When I said "Season 2 outweigh Season 1 in terms of action, I wasn't lying, neither was that an exaggeration, it's the plain truth. All the casts performed exceptionally well in their respective roles.

Although Gyeongseong Creature Season 2 had almost everything. It's still lacking in some aspects. The flashbacks were there, but they weren't explored enough. For one, how Jang Tae San's Najin was removed from his body. How he was able to harness his power to such an extent where he could control it. Also, how he lived his life all these years. There are many more, that's just to mention a few of them. I'd have love to give this a full 10, or even a 9.5, but with all the backstory on the leads character development that were not explored well enough. Also, the ending was not detailed. After a long and hard battle for survival, we see Yoon Chae Ok who doesn't remember who she used to be, now a college student, and as she was on her way, she saw Jang Tae San a few meters away. The two saw each other a few meters away. There's no explanation on how Yoon Chae Ok survived, how she became a college student. Whether Jang Tae San still remembers or not. Nothing. The romance is 10/10, action scenes also 10/10, but I just can't give it more than a 9. Will I recommend this? Most definitely. It's a drama that's worth every hour, minute, and seconds of anyone's time. If you're an empathetic person, get your tissues ready, this one is a bit emotional.

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Worth the wait!

AVOIDED ANY SPOILERS AND DISCUSSION ON PLOT POINTS THIS EARLY INTO THE RELEASE.

Okay, so let's talk about this this. I was totally hyped for it after seeing the first one, and boy, did the second one deliver!
The atmosphere was sufficiently creepy. The whole modern setting/vibe felt like it was hiding something dark and sinister. The creature design was both horrifying and fascinating. It was like something out of a nightmare.
It's never just about the monsters; it was about the people and the messed-up things they were doing. It made me think about the real-world issues in a way that was both scary and thought-provoking. Symbolisms are pretty spot on too. The fight never ends and the suffering never ends. There are no real winners.
The leads were amazing. They had chemistry. I felt like I was right there with them, experiencing their fear and desperation. And the ending? Let's just say it left me wanting more.

Overall, Gyeongseong Creature 2 is a must-watch for horror, fantasy and GC Season 1 fans. It's scary, it's thought-provoking, and it's just plain good fun.

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Don't read reviews just watch it right now!

This is my 1st review even though I've watched around 100 kdramas. Its just that i am that much hyped after finishing this. so whether you should watch this or not? I'd recommend it 100% but still few key points for you guys to decide whether to watch it or not
• If you're a fan of either main leads then absolutely watch it you'll not be disappointed.
• If you're Action/Mystery fan the this is for you. There are tons of action scenes and the mystery behind PSJ & the plans of evil camp will keep you hooked
• You want something refreshing apart from generic kdrama

I don't know how to list more but just watch it. Of course finish season 1 first & I liked season 2(9.0) better than season 1(8.5).

Happy watching ✌️

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The Struggles and Pain of Life

(Minimal spoilers ahead)

This was very, very good.

I’ve been watching kdramas since 2013, when I was a very young person. As I’ve grown and matured I’ve become choosy about the shows I watch. Not just kdramas, any type of show. This was the first shows I’ve watched all the way through in months, to give you an idea of how picky I've become.

Just about everything about Gyeongseong Creature Season 2 was compelling. The commentary about human nature at the core of the story, the action, the CGI, the fluidity between this season and the last. The absolute highlights for me though were the acting and the soundtrack.

I’ve been a fan of Park Seo Joon since I watched him years ago in the movie Chronicles of Evil. If you are a fan, it's worth checking out. It came out in 2015, right around the time he had his breakthrough. Although mostly a side characters, he has one scene where I was truly blown away by the emotional range he displayed. I still sometimes go back and rewatch that scene. His ability to evoke raw, profound emotion is underrated, particularly as his comedic sense and timing is so good. In Gyeongseong Creature, I found myself crying along with him just about every episode. Han So Hee measured up to him well. Her acting didn't pack quite the same punch, but he's got a few more years than her in the industry and in life, and I have no doubt that she is going nowhere but up. I'm looking forward to see how her acting matures in future projects. Also, to be fair to her, Tae Sang/Ho Jae was a more fleshed out character than Chae Ok.

And then the soundtrack! The soundtrack added so much depth. Nothing rips me out of my immersion in a show more than a soundtrack not hitting the right notes. But this season's soundtrack did everything right. The composition's were good enough to conjure emotion on their own, but the music in conjunction with the intense action and emotional acting scenes was everything.

The CGI and the action scenes were fantastic. Enough said. As for the rest of the main cast, Claudia Kim was so creepy as Lady Maeda. She embodied the evilness, selfishness, and cruelty of humanity. She was a fantastic villain. The torture she put Ho Jae and Chae Ok (especially Ho Jae) through because she was bored in her position of power? That is a true villain right there. Bae Hyun Seong as Seung Jo flip-flopped well between being insanely psychopathic and somewhat endearing. Lee Moo Saeng as Captain Kuroko was the only character out of the main cast that fell a little flat to me, but I'll chalk it up to his character being written as emotionless and stoic.

One criticism I have seen of this season is that it is a repeat of the first. This, I think, is actually part of the beauty of the show. At its core, Gyeongseong Creature is about human nature, greed, selfishness, the struggle to survive, and life. And life has a strange way of repeating itself. How many actions do we complete, day after day, that are exactly the same as the day before? Part of the struggle of life is learning how to escape this repetitive process of pain, making the same mistakes, and experiencing the the same betrayals and traumas over and over. So many scenes this season were written to intentionally replicate ones in season 1. I felt for the characters, that even after experiencing such heavy hardship, they have to repeat and experience the same pain over and over, year after year.

Another criticism is that the motives of the big bad went largely unexplained. I don't disagree, but I also don't think it detracts from the drama. The executives of Joenseung Pharmaceutical are undergoing unequivocally inhumane experiments. All we really see of their motives this season is a supposed urgency to advance their research for the sake of preserving the human race. But perhaps it is this vagueness, when juxtaposed with the sheer desperation of the protagonists to survive, that makes the emotional impact of this series so strong. Every day in real life powerful people make decisions that once examined seem truly indecipherable. Meanwhile, "average" people struggle to survive, and are harmed or hindered by those inscrutable decisions.

In conclusion, Gyeongseong Creature Season 2 has it all. Park Seo Joon's acting and the soundtrack were stand-out phenomenal in a close to perfect production. If you are on the fence about watching, just watch it. The seven episodes go by so fast that it's really not going to waste much of your time. And hopefully it will evoke some serious emotion for you like it did for me.

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The second season is really good

Just finished season 2, first thing i wanna say is that PSJ's acting peaked in this show, there were many scenes where i was saying to myself that no other kdrama actor can match his skills and talent of acting, I can say Devil works hard but PSJ works harder What an amazing actor he is

Now come to the storyline, The show has engaging storyline and also the action scenes were topnotch, But it ended with a tease of separation, i really wanted them (ML & FL) to be together at the end but they left us with the possibility of third season and didn't bring back the couple together completely, But i am happy that both ML and FL survived at the end, It was neither sad nor a happy ending, Maybe we have to wait for another season to see them together happily.

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Let down after a gripping season 1

NOTE: Spoilers start in second half of review & noted.

Incredibly excited going in and knowing season 2 (S2 for short) was a fresh spin on a tried and true formula in season 1, came out disappointed and with more questions than answers. At the crux of it, the repetitiveness of plot beats in S2 made me constantly compare it to S1, and it just kept coming short every time.

Starting with the good:

– As usual, Park Seo Joon and Han So Hee are consistently strong actors and this season is no exception. Both are great at carrying scenes individually and have great chemistry when they're sharing a frame, but this season lacked the high highs and low lows that allowed them to really shine in season 1 (i.e. when HSH's character finds out the creature is her mother in season 1). The supporting cast did a fine job, but barring Bae Hyeon Seong's Seong Jo, didn't leave as strong of an impression as the House of Golden Treasure squad.

– High production value and special effects + CGI, creating a moody atmosphere and some pretty tense scenes. The only two downsides here were that 1) the 1940s setting of S1 had more charm than the modern of S2 (and personally, the prison / underground was creepier when old-timey than sleek & modernized); and 2) some action sequences were very lowly lit / have strobing lights, which while accurate, make them hard to follow

The bad:
– Tonally, the show was one dark grey slate throughout. There's no time for lightheartedness or camaraderie in this season – the shorter 7-episode length means there's room and only room for high-strung plot intrigue, interspersed by action sequences. Where PSJ and HSH separately and together had their cute / comedic moments in S1, S2 plunges you right into the thick of it and never lets you up for breath – and the leads are suitably broody until the end.

– The biggest disappointment, by far, was the plot. Without going into any spoilers, the show had me hooked with the dynamic between the two leads and many (many) questions that had me binging the episodes to learn more, only for plot threads to be left hanging. There's some interesting dynamics between the characters but the majority are left unexplored or touched on only at a surface level, which leaves characters' motivations flimsy at best.

** SPOILERS AHEAD **

At its core, the show has some straightforward messages: Humans should be treated with respect. Some acts are too terrible to forgive and can never be forgotten – and a fight isn't meaningless even if you're just one person against the system. Friendship isn't transactional, and trust – and love – aren't given, they just are.

Because of the modern setting though, none of these themes truly strike a clear and resounding chord the same way that PSJ and HSH's – and the larger Korean struggle – against Japanese Imperialist rule in the 1940s did in S1. The clear good vs. evil, the righteous fight for justice of the oppressed against the oppressor, the power of love and friendship – these are instead replaced by faux moral ambiguity that don't hold weight when peeled back.

Seung Jo had so much potential to be the core of that moral complexity but ended up as largely a one-note character. We know his cold upbringing with Lady Maeda is why he's so callous with murdering and doing what it takes to get what he wants, but we're never shown his relationship with Jang Tae Sung, which makes the absolute trust that JTS places with him seem ridiculous – especially because all we've seen up to that point is SJ murdering or absolutely beating the shit out of JTS, and for what? Just so he can have 'his version' of JTS back? Why would that inspire friendship, and why would JTS forgive him for both that and putting Chae Ok at harm? We're never shown how difficult of a choice it might have been for SJ to choose between his evil upbringing or the good that was extended towards him, and so his numerous choices up to his ultimate betrayal serve as one-dimensional villain decisions simply to move the plot along. Not only that, but the obvious betrayal also throws JTS' judgement into question.

More broadly, S2 leaves so many questions unsolved. What was the point of Chae Ok staying away (and not even keeping tabs on JTS) for 70 years if she only goes 'hungry' when she gets injured? Why does JTS' investigator buddy make a deal with Maeda to constantly protect JTS (and why was it something his grandpa asked him to do)? What was JTS doing in the 70-odd years after getting a Najin in the 1940s, and why does SJ keep going to meet him? What was the point of showing Captain Kuroko's disabled girlfriend / wife when he's said multiple times that all he cares about is that 'the company survives' (again, a try at moral complexity that doesn't add much to the story)? Speaking of Kuroko, wtf are the black-clad Kuroko armies? Did I miss where all the henchmen that can climb on walls came from? What was SJ's goal of releasing the grandson so he could kill people in public if SJ knew he was going to turn on JTS anyway? What even was the point of continuing development of the Najins – just for funsies (unlike S1, there was no General Gato and his 'next stage of human evolution' fanaticism to keep this convincing beyond a superficial 'we're just evil for evil's sake)?

Also, are you telling me that Maeda's entire, convoluted plot was to:
1. Force JTS to take back the Najin by 'threatening that he'd die in front of CO'
2. Allow JTS and CO to escape with SJ's help to gain their trust (and hope neither dies in the onslaught of Kuroko)
3. Hope CO and SJ ride in the same car and JTS is separate, so SJ can inject her to take away her powers
4. Subdue JTS via Kuroko to bring him back to the compound
5. Capture all of JTS' friends
6. Make JTS choose between the 3 friends and CO as what, some sort of test of 'people aren't all equal'? When Maeda had just killed all of JTS' House of Golden Treasure friends all in one go? I could even understand it if she was just blatantly holding a (LONG) grudge against JTS for rejecting / rising up against her, but they had to pull some moral question into the mix that felt out of left field

I don't believe it.

All that to say – don't regret the 7 hours, but that's not another 7 hours I'm going to be spending to rewatch this. Rewatch season 1 for the superior version.

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An okay follow up to a great season 1

Season 2 lacks the historical context/backdrop that made the first season so compelling, but it's still worth checking out for the leads...I guess.

In season 1, the characters all had to contend with numerous external and internal conflicts that tested them mentally and morally. It was both inspiring and heartbreaking to see play out each episode. There was a certain emotional depth that made the stakes real.

This time around, we shift the focus to present day where old horrors remerge to give our leads a hard time. The horror element is still there which is great news for those who loved seeing grotesque monsters and intense gore. The action is turned up a notch as well. But again, the emotional depth isn't all there considering a majority of the cast from season 1 is obviously not present. Sigh, I miss those interactions.

This isn't to say season 2 isn't worth watching. As I stated in the beginning, watch if nothing else but for the always stellar performances by the leads. Park Seo Joon and Han So Hee practically carry this drama on their backs. Performances of other cast members were ok. They did their jobs. No complaints here. But the leads? Honestly seeing them together made the story tolerable due to the fact there's a history between them.

Overall, this season seems like its own thing. Yes there are flashbacks spread out here and there, but it feels stand-aloneish. So yeah, watch it for the reasons I've mentioned above, but keep your expectations low if you're expecting a similar emotional thrill ride like season 1.

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JUST WATCH IT..

jst try watching once ,
at first i thought ok only seven episodes ,will they be able to convey the story nd all within nd tht too it's 45 min nd stuff but once I started watching omg it was perfectly done nd i wanted more of it .
The acting is jst best , cinematography the best , everything is done so well , the cast nd music is too good , u can feel the emotions of them in thier acting. I jst wanted more nd more nd more of it..

if u still don't watch ur gonna be missing a huge thing , yea some people who are unique may not like it but I guess nd wish most people will like this.

Only thing is i cried many times hah.
hope u watch this nd enjoy cry nd feel the emotions through out it , thank you :)

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Story + acting + chemistry = 10/10

We'll start with Han So Hee, she's amazing in this role and she might be the best female action star in Korea. I felt her emotions throughout the 7 episodes, her acting has improved drastically.

Park Seo Joon, he's one of my favorite male actors. His range of acting was on display, action, romance, a dash of comedy.

Their chemistry was amazing. The writing wasn't too complex and it made sense once the whole story was revealed. It was a roller coaster of emotions with an intriguing story.

Highly recommend if you enjoy action with a side of romance. 10/10

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