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[Drama 2019] When the Camellia Blooms, 동백꽃 필무렵


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On 9/30/2019 at 7:57 AM, 40somethingahjumma said:

 

 

I've had a look at the first episode... it had a fun, quirky vibe and GHJ doesn't look like she's aged a single day since Thank You. She has the girl-next-door look that sees her snagging these sorts of roles. This is something a bit different for KHN, certainly far removed from what he did in Moon Lovers. Loud, demonstrative, impetuous, blustering. Heh. Just adorable. He looks like he's having a ball.

 

 

Actually if you watch KHN Movie 'Midnight Runners' you know th KHN has done a character a bit similar to Dong Shik. But of course, if you comparing to the charismatic Wang Wook this is like a total opposite. 

Yong Shik has nothing much to offer except for his honesty and he could not stand bad behaviours. A sweet country bumpkin. I like how his character is quite sharp and observant. he can tell Jong Ryeol is Pil Gu's father just by watching them and how JR often being around the neighbourhood. I didn't take our hero to wait 15 episodes to learn about that. That's a new escapism in Kdrama too (you know how cliche drama can be when secrets only revealed towards the end of the series). 

 

I also like how they inject the mystery in this drama. Like in every episode there is a scene bout joker / history about joker. This plot is not abandoned eventhough the OTP already starts to embark in their relationship. I hope the writer won't forget about this mysterious plot and keep unlocking it every episode. 

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3 Ways “When The Camellia Blooms” Breaks Romance Drama Stereotypes

Oct 2, 2019
by M. Dang

 

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KBS 2TV’s “When The Camellia Blooms” is subverting romance drama tropes with its fresh take on the genre!

“When the Camellia Blooms” tells the stories of three couples in different stages of love. The drama focuses on the romance that blossoms between Dong Baek (played by Gong Hyo Jin), a woman who is trapped in a certain perception of love, and Hwang Yong Shik (played by Kang Ha Neul), who shows undying support and love for her.

When-the-Camellia-Blooms-1.jpg

 

more https://www.soompi.com/article/1356260wpp/3-ways-when-the-camellia-blooms-breaks-romance-drama-stereotypes

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:blink:OMO OMO:blink: Did Yong Shik finally managed to catch the Joker!? It can't be that easy right LoL? But geez who is it though..?! The suspense is killing me:crazy:

 

Landlord Noh's wife is no joke! Right now she seem to be a likely suspect for the Joker... I don't understand Yong Shik's mom. I too thought she was fond of Dong Baek but guess not-_- Jong Ryeol's mom is some piece of work:P I get you disapprove but that was a terrible thing to say! No wonder she left, though it was sort of unfair for Pil Goo. Her lying to her son isn't helping the situation either.

    Hyang Mi comes across as tactless & an opportunist. While I admire her gumption, her moral compass is seriously missing:rolleyes: Ha-ha Dong Baek/Yong Shik are the Brangelina of Ongsan:w00t: Honestly what's South Korea's obsession with Brangelina LoL?? And her friend running a tanning salon baffles me as South Koreans frown upon anyone with tanned skin. Then again they are nit picky on a whole lot of things:P Just look at the nosy ahjummas! 

    I was hoping for a dramatic makeover but all the stylist did was curl the ends of  Mr. Noh's wife's hair LoL?! She should get her facts straight before lashing out like that. That's another thing I'm bothered about. Why do the women automatically think it's Dong Baek's fault or any woman when it comes to cheating?! Do they think their husbands are saints!? And even if the men do cheat, it's fine because they (the wives) want to keep the marriage. Dear Lord.

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Hello everyone! I’ve been following all your posts for weeks now and decided to finally register because I like this show so much! I like Gong Hyo Jin but was initially frustrated she was playing this kind of character again (In the vein of her characters in Thank You, Pasta, and Jealousy Incarnate imo) but I can understand her decision to portray Dongbaek the way she does and I trust it completely now. They’re similar characters but definitely not the same. Given what Dongbaek’s been through I couldn’t imagine her ending up any other way. 

 

Episode 4 (Netflix) was where this show picked up for me and made it into a show I care about. So for those who are just starting, I’d recommend sticking around til then. The one liners in this show have me reeling with laughter and the flashback scenes turn me into a sobbing mess each time. The story is simply refreshing and fun. 

 

Now onto the next episode

 

Who do you guys think is Dongbaek’s mystery stalker? The guy Yong Shik caught did not seem like the Joker to me. It kind of seemed like an older lady to me (a really fast one) and I wonder if it’s Dongbaek’s mom quietly keeping tabs on her throughout the year. She may perhaps be the same person who triggered the fire alarm at the last murder scene. What do you guys think?

 

Edited by Dumdoc
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The dad continues to annoy me. 

 

Allowing press and bystanders so close to a murder side is all very weird to me. But considering all the cctv footages that always get to the public, police commenting on all kinds of ongoing investigations,  random policemen revealing sensitive information. Nothing really surprises me. I basically think their institutions are a joke^^

That said. It's in some village in the country. It's sometime in the late evening. Just from a logistics standpoint i have trouble believing that there are going to be dozens of reporters waiting.

 

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15 hours ago, Latte_Anyday said:

I don't understand Yong Shik's mom

I used to understand her cause I thought she's just scared of losing her son and bestfriend, but her reason is different from what I expected so now, I don't understand her either. :D I mean, out of all the people in Ongsan, I thought she'd be the most understanding. First of all, she's a single mother so she knows how it feels like to be looked down upon as one. Second, she knows Dong Baek well. Third, she knows Yong Sik well too. So I was a little surprised when her issue was that Dong Baek has a son, and I was like, "well, that's a little out of character" because she's more open minded than the rest of ahjummas in town. 


@Dumdoc you may be right about who Yong Sik caught. It may be his mom because in one scene, where she was lying on a tissue paper lol there was an energy drink beside her. So maybe it is her, spying on Dong Baek and Yong Sik. 

Or it could be Kyung Tae's lawyer wife. That's what I thought at first, but if she was there on the night Kyung Tae and Hyang Mi went wakeboarding, she would have known her husband wasn't with Dong Baek cause Dong Baek was with Yong Sik and Pil Gu soo... I don't know.

 

Also, I'm so thankful for Netflix subbers of this drama. You don't need to worry about waiting. I sleep and when I wake up in the morning, there's the subbed episode. :lol:

 

EDIT: I thought there's supposed to be 16 episodes of this? Why are there 20 episodes listed on Netflix? 

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On 10/1/2019 at 4:43 AM, 40somethingahjumma said:

I am concerned about the 18 episodes listing. 

...

I also think that her dynamic with the villagers from Onsang are somewhat different. The cattiness and the bullying stems from a jealousy that her place is popular with their menfolk. To be honest, I don't blame them for taking refuge at her pub. It's a "safe space" :P from all the "incestuous" connections. But I think these men need to find their own niche... start their own businesses, do their own thing etc rather than rely on their wives and the marinated crab trade. 

 

Uhh ohh, it's currently 20 episodes on Netflix.  LOL  not sure if the extra episodes is KBS capitalizing on the ratings or planned that way.  I am all for tight plotting, hoping the murder mystery mixbag gives the drama enough materials to keep good pacing till the end.

 

I believe GHJ will get the chance to shine in the second act when Dong Baek starts to blossom.  You're right, this first act focuses quite a bit on Yong Shik, KHN is doing a great job making this a unique first male lead.  Dong Baek is quietly graceful and strong in her own way... something this small town have yet to appreciate.  I agree that the jealousy is from attention by the husbands toward DB.  I do like that the townspeople do not seem to gossip about Pil-Gu's biological father,  once DB firmly told them she is a single mom and feels no regrets about it! I think these women do have a hidden kind streak in them.  LOL Now that Yong Sik is openly pursuing DB, I hope they will eventually befriend her.

 

BTW, ratings E9/10: 9.3%, 11.5% (1st in its time slot) :)

 

 

On 10/1/2019 at 12:39 PM, Fabbo said:

I agree that Dongbaek can be a bit frustrating at times because she is so timid. In kdramas we often see female leads who gets mistreated, hold everything in etc. And then at some point everything bursts out. There it's a lot more frustrating at first and satisfying when they finally push back. In this case it feels more like that's part of her character. And she does stand up for herself. It's just that she doesnt want to fight about small things, she doesnt get loud etc. and that there is not the typical revelation of empowerment.

 

 

Not sure if you have watched E5, we get a chance to see her as a little girl who learned to not take offense when a classmate's mom overlook her need for a ride home.  Then we get to see her taking in the ugly tirade Jong Ryeol's mom thrown at her for daring to date her son.  It's almost a victim mentality where Dong Baek is trained to believe that she doesn't deserve love or respect due to being an orphan.  Her perception of love is quite pragmatic and cynical.  It's something beyond her reach and she finds it hard to reciprocate.  Part I believe is not wanting to be hurt again.  I found her conversation, trying to break up with Yong Sik, very poignant.  A thoughtful and kind person always, Dong Baek understands that she cannot hurt his relationship with his mother.  But it's the collective calm way in which she tries to convince Yong Sik that touched me.  It's almost like she was relieved that she doesn't have to allow herself to feel vulnerable in love again.  In her mind, she is repeating "That's ok" over and over again.  I feel so sad to see DB resigned to happiness and love from Pil Gu as the only thing that she needs and deserved.

 

Though I like her resiliency, I want her to vocalize her opinions more cuz I think that's one of the ways to force a change in people's opinions.  Until you can communicate clearly what your opinions and needs are, you will continue to be at the mercy of others' prejudice.  Plus, there's much of her thoughtfulness that these town residents can learn from.  

 

On 10/1/2019 at 10:56 PM, liltash85 said:

Actually if you watch KHN Movie 'Midnight Runners' you know th KHN has done a character a bit similar to Dong Shik. But of course, if you comparing to the charismatic Wang Wook this is like a total opposite. 

Yong Shik has nothing much to offer except for his honesty and he could not stand bad behaviours. A sweet country bumpkin. I like how his character is quite sharp and observant. he can tell Jong Ryeol is Pil Gu's father just by watching them and how JR often being around the neighbourhood. 

 

I watched Midnight Runners and I agree! Yes, I love his straightforwardness.  That's a plus in communication.  In contrast, we have Mr Noh and wife lawyer whose breakdown in communication is detrimental (or fatal later on?) Theirs is supposedly 1 of 3 relationships we supposed to watch.  Hsb is dim, wife is too passive aggressive with her heavy meaning symbolic talks and actions.  They both are deceptive people who can still save their marriage if she learns to give him the respect he needs and be willing to communicate better.

 

3 hours ago, stroppyse said:

 

I also love DB’s son PG. his cynicism is both sad but also understandable, and way too perceptive of adult guiles and instinctively, fiercely protective of his mother. It’s great that YS doesn’t speak down to PG, but takes him seriously.

 

 

Episode 5 has this absolutely heartwarming scene, awesomely written, between Yong Sik and Pil Gu where the boy warned YS of trying to date his mom.  We obviously know he wants to protect her from heartbreak.  Deep between the lines, he cannot hide his disappointments toward his biological father or relationships in general.  Not too different than his mom.  Jong Ryeol will have to win his love back majorly.

 

PG:I hate all the guys who like my mom.

YS: What?

PG: Mr Noh, Jun-gi's dad and the rice cake owner.  They all talk casually to my mom, saying they like her.  But they didn't even do anything when Jun-Gi's mom was pushing her.  That's what you guys mean by "liking" someone.

YS: Pil-Gu, that's not how I feel about your mom.  With me, it's different.

PG:It's all the same. Mom, you told me my Dad is tall and smart.  My Dad is a renowned scholar. He earned then doctoral degrees in China.  Even my dad who's a wonderful man, liked my mom, but he's doing fine all by himself in China now. I hate all the guys who are interested in my mom.

YS: Pil-Gu, I don't know about anyone else but I won't do anything that you don't like... I remember going nuts trying so hard to protect my mom when I was your age. I know how hard you're trying to protect your mom, so why would I deliberately worry and upset you?

...

YS: Well, anyway, what I want to say is, just get a goodnight sleep.   You're at an age where you should be eating, playing, and sleeping as much as you want to so get a good night sleep.  I will never ruin the fabulous life of an eight year old boy.

 

 

2 hours ago, lollyminx said:

I used to understand her cause I thought he's just scared of losing her son and bestfriend, but her reason is different from what I expected so now, I don't understand her either. :D 


@Dumdoc you may be right about who Yong Sik caught. It may be his mom because in one scene, where she was lying on a tissue paper lol there was an energy drink beside her. So maybe it is her, spying on Dong Baek and Yong Sik. 

 

 

@lollyminx yes, the son seems to be the reason... let's hear her out next episode.

 

Welcome to the thread all the new posters!!! esp @Dumdoc to Soompi.  Please look around and join other drama threads!!  Good guess, it could be Deok Soon those nights only.... I don't think she is the Joker since she doesn't seem to wear those pants or even those shoes.

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12 hours ago, Latte_Anyday said:

:blink:OMO OMO:blink: Did Yong Shik finally managed to catch the Joker!? It can't be that easy right LoL? But geez who is it though..?! The suspense is killing me:crazy:

 

Landlord Noh's wife is no joke! Right now she seem to be a likely suspect for the Joker... I don't understand Yong Shik's mom. I too thought she was fond of Dong Baek but guess not-_- Jong Ryeol's mom is some piece of work:P I get you disapprove but that was a terrible thing to say! No wonder she left, though it was sort of unfair for Pil Goo. Her lying to her son isn't helping the situation either.

    Hyang Mi comes across as tactless & an opportunist. While I admire her gumption, her moral compass is seriously missing:rolleyes: Ha-ha Dong Baek/Yong Shik are the Brangelina of Ongsan:w00t: Honestly what's South Korea's obsession with Brangelina LoL?? And her friend running a tanning salon baffles me as South Koreans frown upon anyone with tanned skin. Then again they are nit picky on a whole lot of things:P Just look at the nosy ahjummas! 

    I was hoping for a dramatic makeover but all the stylist did was curl the ends of  Mr. Noh's wife's hair LoL?! She should get her facts straight before lashing out like that. That's another thing I'm bothered about. Why do the women automatically think it's Dong Baek's fault or any woman when it comes to cheating?! Do they think their husbands are saints!? And even if the men do cheat, it's fine because they (the wives) want to keep the marriage. Dear Lord.

Yes and she is really selfish too. Now, we know why HM became close to DongBaek. She had many reasons too. First, DB is in a similar situation. HM is also an outcast hence she had problems to find a job. Secondly, she knows about DB's kindness and empathy which made it possible for her to take advantage of it. She can live at the bar... thanks to the bar, she is able to meet guys so that she can get some money. The arrogance of No's wife makes her blind hence she believes that DB is the one having an affair. HM has realized the consequences of the affair but she won't stop at it as she wants to realize her dream. In the end, she will get killed...

 

As for YS's mother, I am not surprised by her reaction because many people are like that. They act as if they were generous and kind, but when they are concerned with such a problem, they don't want to be involved. Hypocrisy is rather common. Her words to DB (she wished, she could marry her son YS) were just empty promises. 

 

In my opinion, the stalker is the one who saved DB's life in the past. It is a woman... I had always said that the stalker and the Joker are two different persons and this episode seems to confirm it. The killer went to the bar in order to see if she could recognize him but she didn't... 

 

Now, I have a question: Do we know when the killing started? DB arrived in Ongsam in 2013 and her friend was murdered in 2015. She was the last victim. 

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The show is downright hilarious...  the men especially... and the neighbourhood ajummas occasionally. I'm surprised by how good it is (so far)... and what a breath of fresh air it is. Although I gravitate towards the quiet ones I do like it when the Kdrama male lead is upfront about his feelings and intentions. I realise now that I've been waiting all this time for KHN to play such a role. I didn't know that I wanted to see him in such a role but now that I have, I am eager for more.

 

Yeah, Yongshik, simple-minded fellow that he is isn't some raging intellectual but he has his own kind of intuitive smarts. But best of all, he is unerringly honest. Perhaps an argument could be made for him behaving like a stalker but the show smartly comes up with a reason why he should be following Dongbaek everywhere. It's a small town, there's a serial killer and he is an overzealous, duty-bound cop. Plus he's so adorable as he awkwardly and noisily attempts to find the right vocabulary to string it all together while channelling his inner Romeo. It's so cute that I want to pinch his cheeks and give him a great big hug. To me it's odd that everyone is trying to stop him from dating DB (even the lady herself) but it's one of those things that Kdramaland likes to do but I do love the *nudge, nudge, wink, wink* that goes on in that regard. There are obvious parodic elements. That's clear when the show flirts with breaking the fourth wall from time to time.

 

My favourite gag in Episodes 3 and 4 was the one about not relying on school scores to get into the police. The chief is a lovely man but he's not very bright. I suppose he sees himself more as a peacemaker than a detective in those parts. 

 

I was disappointed with Ms Kwak, YS' mother. But I guess despite her open-mindedness, she's still a Kdrama mother in some ways. Evidently the show is not in the business of making things easy for YS. Everything he says about his relationship with DB apart from being delightful... is actually logical. Because unlike everyone else, he actually thinks through his position clearly. Apparently everyone else allow their biases, tradition, egos and fears to affect their judgment. Why should YS' liking of DB be framed as a zero sum game? Except that the older generation sees that scenario as a personal threat. Framing the whole thing in those terms means that Mum is thinking about her choices/needs over her son's choices and preferences. I get it... we have things we hold dear and can't let go of. No matter how nice Ms Kwak is to DB, there are deep seated beliefs that can't be so easily dislodged. For her I suppose she can't bear the thought that her son will end up raising another man's son. 

 

The Nohs are exceedingly frustrating to watch. It's a textbook example of doing marriage very very badly. Of course the fact that they have separate beds should tell us everything we need to know about that dynamic. There's so little real communication and respect. The missus presumes she knows what's going on but she doesn't really because she doesn't ask. The husband wants respect and because he can't get it at home, he's looking elsewhere. If it weren't so funny, it would be tragic. Neither wants to break the deadlock because their respective egos get in the way. I imagine also that fear of the consequences is at the back of it all. I suspect that neither would like to end the marriage at this point but neither has the courage to do what it takes to help it thrive either. It requires a level of honesty that they are incapable of right now. The sames goes for the other ajummas in the vicinity. They tend to take out the problems of their marriages on DB rather than honestly dealing with their spouses. 

 

It's early days yet so I'm not too concerned about the OTP. For some reason I mostly really like this for YS' wooing of DB even while she shoos him off now and again. I don't even care about the serial killer story (odd for me, I know) which might be better developed as time goes on... but right now it feels to me more like a plot device or subplot (at the very best).

 

@liltash85 I don't do K movies in general. ;) The few that I've seen haven't appealed to me. But I've not seen KHN do comedy before. Even his role in Angel Eyes was largely serious.

@confusedheart326  :wub:Thank You must be at least 10 years old now? 

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2 hours ago, bebebisous33 said:

 

Now, I have a question: Do we know when the killing started? DB arrived in Ongsam in 2013 and her friend was murdered in 2015. She was the last victim. 

 

July 9th... same date as what Joker wrote on the bar wall.  He visited her on the anniversary of his first killing. The first victim was a prostitute.  The video Capt showed YS was of the church is dated 6/29/2014, the last day of the killing.

 

Screenshot 2019-09-28 12.35.40

 

I think it could also be July 9, 2014.... Pil Gu looks like he was a toddler.

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47 minutes ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

Perhaps an argument could be made for him behaving like a stalker but the show smartly comes up with a reason why he should be following Dongbaek everywhere.

Hahaha! This is true. I was watching the first two episodes and I was like, "Yong Sik is soooo adorable." But then I also told myself, "Hey, be honest! If someone does what he did in real life (follow a woman around even if she said no many times), it would not be cool." I'll just give this show a pass though because we already know Yong Sik is a good person so... :lol:

 

47 minutes ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

But I've not seen KHN do comedy before. Even his role in Angel Eyes was largely serious.

I've seen three comedies where KHN starred: Like for Likes (rom com), Twenty (coming of age comedy), and Midnight Runners (action comedy). 

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29 minutes ago, bedifferent said:

 

July 9th... same date as what Joker wrote on the bar wall.  He visited her on the anniversary of his first killing. The first victim was a prostitute.  The video Capt showed YS was of the church is dated 6/29/2014, the last day of the killing.

 

 

I think it could also be July 9, 2014.... Pil Gu looks like he was a toddler.

First, thank you for answering my question. We know that DB arrived in Ongsam in 2013 and since the last crime took place on 29th June 2014, this means that he started killing on 9th July 2013. So 6 persons were killed in one year.

 

I am curious to know if all the victims somehow met DB. I have the impression that the killing could be somehow related to her. Like I had mentioned before, I suspect that there are two persons involved in the serial killing.  

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I remember in Fight For My Way, Choi Aera didn't meet her mom until later on. What if the writer is adopting themes about parenthood from Fight For My Way in this series and Dong Baek's mom is looking after her from afar. As the Ongsan police captain noted, the sprinklers went off not to get rid of evidence but to scare the serial killer. What if there's a serial killer and then the other person, a stalker, is Dong Baek's mom and she protected Dong Baek by activating the water sprinkler? 

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@bebebisous33 yeah, killing started and ended with Dong Baek. 

 

July 9, 2013 is same day that he visited the newly opened Camellia bar (if we believe that he wrote on the graffiti his visit date).  The screenshot of DB holding an almost one year old Pil Gu was taken on the night the detectives camped out at her bar, after the last killing 6/29/14.   She refused to let them into her bar the next day. 

 

The last victim went to church with DB.  The detective said something about the esthetician being a former prostitute? Can someone please confirm, I remember faintly?

 

@lollyminx what I am more curious is when we will meet her other 2 sons? I have a feeling Deok Soon is a cleaner (cleaning up after the crime) who is protecting the killer!  LOL wild theory

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Who has watched E6?  The ending!? I just cannot compute!!!!

 

Spoiler

Is the corpse really Dong Baek?  The note said I told you 5 years ago (~ 2014) if the start of drama is the present. The graffiti is dated 2013, last murder was 2014... :wacko::huh:

 
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Sheesh WTF was that ending yo..??!! Does this mean it's not going to end well for Dong Baek?? Say it ain't so!

 

And yikes I cringed at Ha Neul when he threw a whiny tantrum LoL! He's such a man child:P But that b'day event he planned was super duper sweet so I guess he got his moments:lol: I'm glad things are ok between his mom & Dong Baek, and next week they date officially yayB):D

    So Mrs. Noh knew it wasn't Dong Baek, then why villify her?!:crazy: Wah that Hyang Mi's like every sugar daddy's worse nightmare. She has a lot of enemies as well.. Love how Pil Goo light up when Yong Shik lifted him up aww~ This week's ep. Dong Baek gets reunited with her mom (it's the scary ahjumma of Strangers From Hell:w00t:) She's really independent for a so-called Dementia patient. Her mind is also still quite sharp. 

 

So damn proud of Dong Baek for finally having the courage to shut down Mr. Noh plus she kept them down in her journal:w00t:  This seem to be true to life with South Korean men, they don't have boundaries and seem to think women  mean yes when they say no. 

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