This review may contain spoilers
The story line to this whole show is really good. I honestly super mad at Fang Jianming, like we all know he is in love with Haishi, but the fact that they both love each other and both know that, yet he doesn't do anything but instead he just pushes her away. It's really frustrating when he doesn't care about Haishi as much as the emperor. On the other hand Tilan is a wonderful girl, honestly a girl anyone's dreams to be. I don't know why Tilan resembles her sister so much, like even if they were twins they would still be something off and I don't think they're twins. And I think it's funny how Tilan and Zizan are sisters yet the emperor treats Tilan really bad, but then falls in love with her so he falls in love with both girls makes it absurd. Was this review helpful to you?
Watchable show !
It is clear that Novoland: Pearl Eclipse is a big budget production with elaborate costumes, great cinematography, and top stars as the leads. So, you can be assured that this would have a certain quality to make it watchable. Having said that, I think it still falls a little short compared to other top rated Chinese dramas in the past such as Nirvana In Fire and The Untamed. This is mainly because the story isn’t as riveting with the way it is told and edited.As you watch, it is quite obvious that certain scenes have been cut that the story flow becomes disjointed. For instance, the leads are shown falling off a cliff in one episode but we are not told what happened thereafter. Then, they just reappeared a little while later with no explanation offered. Simply put, the editing is not perfectly done in this drama.
Apart from that, the story is not told in a straightforward manner. You are given bits of what happened in the past between the 2 male leads every now and then through flashbacks as well as dialogues. So, it takes time to piece everything together. Similarly, the protagonist’s plots are never fully revealed. You will only be shown half of it initially with his actions becoming questionable, only for it to take a different turn later on. The way he handled Zhe Liu is one example of this slow reveal kind of storytelling with a twist.
Perhaps this is a way to get viewers hooked to the drama but it does become a little overdone to me after a few times. The plot also doesn’t have enough excitement to pull this off successfully especially when those twists to the story tend to fall flat.
Master-Disciple Romance Plot
Novoland: Pearl Eclipse is really about master and disciple romance amidst a plot to overthrow the Emperor and the effort to flush out the moles within the palace. This is a slow burn romance as feelings have to be hidden due to the male lead’s blood bond with the Emperor. But he loved her immensely and was always thinking of her safety with enemies lurking around. He would often hide things from her to the extent of hurting her feelings in the name of protecting her from danger.
Therefore, you will get plenty of those torment on the girl’s part because she is always kept in the dark and thought that her master didn’t really love her. I guess if you like this kind of painful love and feel that hiding things to keep the girl safe is romantic, then Novoland: Pearl Eclipse will succeed in evoking those deep emotions within you. But if you are the type who prefers upright honesty from the hero rather than pushing her away in the name of love, then this will be a let down.
As for the power struggle, it is a collection of subplots that are not effectively fleshed out. It is not convoluted like the Legend Of Fei but it lacks depth with a few villains rather than one big bad guy. Basically, these villains are there to drive the romance of the main couple forward as their schemes would put the heroine in danger.
Leads’ Chemistry
Personally, I don’t see sizzling chemistry between Yang Mi and Willian Chan. In fact, I think Yang Mi has much better chemistry with Mark Chao in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms. Perhaps that is because Hai Shi and Fang Zhu’s romance is kind of forbidden and he is always hiding his feelings. Fang Zhu is also a very complex character with emotions being deeply buried in his heart. Hence, I feel that William Chan failed to flesh out the different layers of the character effectively. Most of the time, he just appears as icy and stiff but I think there is more to Fang Zhu than that as he is a tormented man who also has desire, guilt, and frustrations in him.
I think Xu Kai Cheng did a better job with his character and I much prefer his acting here than the one in A Female Student Arrives At The Imperial College. At the very least, he could portray the dark and lonely side of Emperor Xu rather convincingly. In fact, I get the feeling that William Chan seems to have better chemistry with him than with Yang Mi in the drama.
As for Yang Mi, she still could play a girlish character well despite her age. I guess this is nothing new to her as she was also playing a cross-dresser with a mischievous personality in the first part of Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms. Being a seasoned actress, she could switch effortlessly from being girlish to being regal and back again as the story requires. It is just a pity that her chemistry with William Chan feels a little muted. Otherwise, this would be a much more memorable drama.
The Imperfect Ending (Spoilers Alert!)
For me, the ending is merely okay. It is realistic because it is Fang Zhu’s fate to be tied to the emperor of the day as the Fang clan has been for centuries. But at the same time, it lacks that finality that viewers crave for regarding Fang Zhu and Hai Shi’s relationship. While I’m not hard up for a happily ever after, I would have preferred for the screenwriters to give us some indication as to the nature of their relationship at the end.
As it is, it is really up to you how you want to see the couple and imagine their future. Personally, the ending has a bittersweet tinge to it with both of them still alive but sacrificing their carefree lives together for the sake of their friends’ young son.
My Verdict – Good To Watch!
While Novoland: Pearl Eclipse has its flaws, it is still a highly watchable drama. It could have been more highly rated if the editing is better and scenes are not cut out unnecessarily so much so that the third couple becomes an afterthought towards the end. But I guess the positive consequence from it is that the drama becomes less dragged out. The story flows pretty fast at times which minimizes boredom.
This is also not a fluffy kind of romance drama but neither is it as tormenting as One And Only. But it is certainly far from sweet like your typical rom-coms. The main couple has lots of interactions but few loving scenes in the entire 48 episodes. Maybe that could make some viewers feel the love more deeply as every one of these rare moments naturally become precious. There are a few kissing scenes but nothing too steamy either. It is not that kind of romance drama that relies on passion to drive the story but rather unexpressed love and devotion.
For this Novoland: Pearl Eclipse review, the score I would give is 7.5/10. It lacks that riveting feel to me unlike The Long Ballad because the story relies too much on pushing-the-girl-away-to-protect-her trope to drive it. Nevertheless, this is not a bad production overall. Despite the weaknesses, you will still be drawn to the story because you will want to know what will happen to the 3 couples and the moles’ identity. It is not a gripping saga but has enough anticipation and twists to make you sit through to the end.
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Not What We Expected...?
The Master Seamstress...her character was steadfast and resolute. All of which was beautifully packaged. I truly thought she would come off like a maid but she became a Madam and it fit her well. I also love that they didn't fix her most powerful story arc. If you reached the end you know why.The Khan...strong and lovable fit him the best. Where can you find a guy with such a beautiful heart? Totally free of corruption combined with extraordinary intelligence. He was a bird kicked out of the nest and it broke my heart to see the look of fear on his face. Not because of the mission ...because he realized he was never coming home. However, he feared disappointing his master the most...so he went. There he found as a child of two worlds...he became his own master.
The Empress...The Consort...I've stated why I hate doppelganger love stories in a rant. So I'll take the other side in the review. Cdramas usually have true love stories in regards to looking within...seeing a person's soul. So if you truly love someone...their exterior may initially attract you but their soul is what keeps you. This storyline was believable in the end. It was done well.
The Emperor...I stopped watching initially because I was like... what is he supposed to add to this story? However, I pushed through and came back. I wanted to hate him...we all wanted to hate him. But...How can you possibly hate the ONLY voice of reason in Fan Jianming's head? Fan Jianming was intractable in the worst and best of ways. The Emperor was the only one to truly get through to him. He was also the biggest advocate for Fan Hiashi...her greatest fan outside of her brother...so I needed him here. Otherwise I would have hated Fan Jianming...
Fan Hiashi...It's been awhile since I've detested a couple being together. I literally wanted her to walk and never look back. I was in turmoil over this. Last time was "Royal Nirvana"....good watch btw. I was in disbelief of how out of sync she was with her "shifu". She didn't understand him or know what he was doing. She didn't even know he was rich...but she loved him. Why? Sure...he's beautiful but if you speak to him over a period of time...his condescension was overbearing. She acknowledged this in the end and grew from it...but it was like being raked over the coals for 35 episodes. Did I ever come to love them as a couple?...No. Until, the end I felt they were out of sync.
Fan Jianming...sigh. Truthfully...this drama seemed to be his story. He also tested the limits of overbearing for me. He never yelled...he barely fought. He was just a mountain...quiet, looming and immovable. His worst quote for me was..."Go rest now." If he didn't want to talk about it ...he would tell people to go to sleep. Everytime he said it ...I wanted to slap him. This was the height of his condescending attitude. Gotta love William Chan...it's also the first time I've hated his character ...until episode 47. I also have to love William Chan for barely using Hiashi name in dialoge...unlike Yang Mi and "shifu". I do not want to hear that word for a long while...I mean it. He did end up growing emotionally at least...because he was too young to be this way.
I honestly couldn't wait for this drama to end. There was no mystery...no surprises. We knew where this was going...plus I wanted a resolution to their character development. However...when Fan Jianming sat quietly with a pleading look in his eyes at Fan Hiashi waiting for her to make the decision that would ultimately change their life forever...I was moved truly moved. He didn't command or entrap her. He waited. It's also the moment I was breathlessly waiting for without realizing it. His acknowledgment of Fan Hiashi...as an equal.
I am a true fan of William Chan and Yang Mi. I've seen many of their works. I would recommend seeing their other works if this is a first for you. See you then...
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This review may contain spoilers
i never felt that all dramas should have a happy ending,but this drama deserves a better ending
this drama makes me so... hard to sayalot of episode i watch with speed up, 1.3x (still normal) and when scene of haishi and qinghai llord 2x-30x aand1.3x again in scene of shurong consort
at the beginning of the episode I thought it was quite interesting, maybe it deserves a rating of 90, after episode 15 I thought 80, until eps 40+ I thought 70 but after eps 48 I'm not sure 75 or 80
from eps 1 - 15 the drama has pretty good detail but after that there are a lot of stories that don't have a clear purpose and are very chaotic because there are lots of spies from many parties, but it's not explained from where they are
plus, the time setting is not clear, things that just happened, but it's said as if it's been a long time, and people who have never met before seem to have met ,because this is a drama it should be shown to know the story
CASTING🙄 CASTING 😲CASTING
I see there are 3 couples, but! argggggggg!
from the start what made me notsure to start watching this drama was the cast, it didn't really match CP
1. lead FL AND ML
are a couple that I really don't like, I never felt they are matched, not until the end,
>>>never felt that Yangmi was suitable for playing a childish character since she played Fuyao,,
>>>william chan, i also doubt his acting, so i'm not sure to start watching this drama
because they are the lead then their scene is very much, but honestly very boring, many scenes are not important, and most of them are flashbacks that have been aired many times
but apart from when they were a couple,scene when they are alone THEIR ACTING was VERY GOOD! ESPECIALLY WHEN YANGMI BECOME A GENERAL IS VERY MIGHTY
2. king and consort shu rong
>>> I never think that one of the actress that made me not want to watch this drama was the CAST that I VERY like , she is fully immersed in her acting, if people who have never heard of her negative scandals (just rumour)will drift into his acting, Shurong妃 character can be said to be very close to real life of the actress who which is rumored to be very cruel to herself, SHE TRULY! AMAZING , 可惜了 ,,,
>>> the king , he is the source of all the trouble in this drama, a arrogant dumb king!渣男 always tormenting people around him,and always cry for the thing he do lolss,, not completely a useless king but, he is the source of the problem, especially at the end of the episode, desperate to make a decision that he already knows the consequences, lowering the price of gold so that it makes envoys come, and even deliberately invites other envoys, but instead fears there will be a war
3. zhe liu and zuoying
I quite like this couple, but I think the actress is still too new to about acting, just cry and sadly expression
the actor amazed me,the character is not a useless person, he is fully capable of being the lead in his next drama ,,the one who watches and protects love silently
even though their love story is not very detailed because they only support, but what can I do,, fine
1. I thought Chen he ran was the spy, but the one who was killed was the coachman zhao
2. xiu feng said he owed someone a life so he had to assassin qinghai lord but who was that person? it is not explained who
3. eps 15,, who told right huku king about the real identity of fang haishi? I'm sure it's ju qiqi, but why is the embroidery code given to right huku king even in ju qiqi? , then there is 1 more spy who kidnapped saliya ,mr su person? but i think the spy sent by "that guy" ,,,,and there is also spy right huku king in huangquan pass, but not told who it is
4. Since the beginning, mermaids and Haishi have never introduce each other, how they know the real name of the mermaid?
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Good historical drama
Novoland: Pearl Eclipse is a captivating historical fantasy drama that impressed me with its rich emotional storytelling. The chemistry between the leads, Yang Mi and William Chan, was compelling and heartfelt. I especially appreciated the complex character development. The stunning cinematography and costume design added depth to the immersive setting. Though the pacing lagged slightly in the middle, the gripping political intrigue and poignant personal journeys made up for it. Overall, it’s a beautifully crafted series that blends romance, sacrifice, and power with elegance. I highly recommend it to C-drama fans.Was this review helpful to you?
Never encountered such a drama before.
Finally finished the drama after sacrificing two days of my life and I wouldn't say it was worth it.It contains great acting and such complex relationships and personalities that I'm jealous of the writer's skills.
What threw me off the most, however, was how stretched out the drama was. It's like watching One Piece fillers... I've wanted to quit the series two times, but ended up completing it out of boredom. This is always the case with CDramas.
This is probably the first series that's gotten me this frustrated with the acts of characters - not only does the mc's crush throw her around without enlightening her about anything, but the watchers as well! Ugh.
Very VERY delightful ending, by the way.
Didn't come to some kind of conclusion and made me feel like this story didn't really have purpose. Though this series definitely portrayed understanding of the watchers' emotions, something I've never encountered before.
To say the least, I've never seen a drama like this. (Not in a bad way.)
Wouldn't really recommend, but I'm not against it.
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Started out as creepy, and ended up as not so creepy, and through no fault of the story really, but I blame the production company on this. First, why didn’t they cast an appropriately-aged actor to portray ML’s teenage self, when they did so for the FL and 2nd ML? All those screaming “Pedo” would have no grounds to stand on, if this was done, and frankly, not as disturbing to watch a 12 yr old smiling infatuatedly at a 35 yr old at the start of the drama.
Second, why they didn’t dub Yang Mi’s voice so it doesn’t come across as whiny and annoying throughout the show?
Third, why do production companies insist on casting actresses who cannot even clearly pass as a guy unless you are totally daft and oblivious? There are probably more androgynous-looking actors out there that they could have chosen.
I continued watching anyway, as I love a forbidden romance between Master and Disciple, but man, was it ever frustrating! By the nth time Jian Ming pushed Hai Shi away, I was actually rooting for her to end up with someone else and I would have been happy. You would have thought that Jian Ming was a green flag due to all his self-sacrificing intentions, trying to put Hai Shi out of harm’s way, but he is not doing her any favors as she keeps coming back. Why would she be hopelessly clinging onto somebody who doesn’t prioritize your happiness, but would always choose the country over you?
And don’t get me started on the emperor! Tilan clearly has a case of Stockholm syndrome! Actually Di Xu’s bromance with Fang Zhu looks more sus with all those half-naked, pact-making rituals and fussing over their bestie’s pale-looking lips.
The third coupling may seem the least toxic of all the pairings here, even though Zhou Ying was prone to peeping over the courtyard where Zhe Liu was working. Stalking seems to be the least of all evil here, so the show gave it a pass.
The drama also throws in half-baked villains with some half-baked back stories, expecting you the swallow the Kool-aid that they only did what they did. To watch this show to completion, you need to suspend your disbelief, and throw away logic, or better yet, hang on to that remote control. You need that FFWD button.
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Naga pearls to Lady Pearl!!
Haishi,a young girl from a coastal town,is taken to collect Naga Pearls and is rescued by Fang Zhu,the male lead and from then,their tale of love and destiny starts.Both Yang Mi and William Chan,who played the lead roles were impressive in their acting skills.
I liked the role and acting of Xu Kaicheng the most in this drama.I felt he was natural in his acting.He plays the role of emperor who is emotional,sentimental, loving, caring,values relations and is also a good ruler but unfortunately ends tragically.
The story and premise is relatively new and the way it was handled is also good.All the actors were good.Everything else is also good.
Overall it is a good watch.
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In Novoland: Pearl Eclipse, he plays Jinaming Fang, a higher ranking member of Emperor Xu’s court and his most trusted ally and friend. He is the head of a secret task force within the empire and is tasked with protecting the emperor and eliminating all threats to the empire.
Enter Haish, a girl whose village was terrorized by corrupt officials who leveled heavy and unfair pearl taxes on the village. She is recruited by gianming as a young girl and she chooses to dress as a boy and enters Fang’s secret force.
However, as Haishi grows into a young woman, she begins to have feelings for her master/teacher, Jianming. However, Jianming, because of who he is and what he does, cannot return those feelings as readily or as openly as Haishi wants, no matter how much he cares for her.
After watching and reviewing Novoland, I couldn't decide if it was a romance or political intrigue fantasy story. So I guess it was all of them? Also, aside from Jianming and Haishi, there are two more love stories and couples, and honestly, at times, I preferred them to the Haishi and Jianming romance, because of how frustrating it was to watch the back and forth between them.
But I think one of the strongest aspects of this series is its character development. Almost all of the lead characters mature and change by the end of the story and it is one of the more satisfying aspects of the show, especially with regards to Haishi’s character arc.
I also love the set, the beautiful costumes and cinematography. Unfortunately, the CGI and most of the fight scenes were nothing to boast about. But overall, they didn't derail my enjoyment of the show.
However, if I have one major criticism of Novoland, it's the editing. Novoland has 48 episodes to tell its story. But I think it could have been edited more tightly. In this way, the pacing would have become much faster and the story dragging on in some places or some parts that felt unnecessary could have been devoted to fleshing out the important characters, world building and history of Novoland and its effects on the present.
So, that being said, I think this series is good to watch, but not great and in terms of editing and some other decisions related to the characters, it could have been better. But if you're a fan of a fantasy setting with political intrigue and very slow burn romance, Novoland: Pearl Eclipse might just be up your alley.
Rating: 7/5 out of 10
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Don't watch if you are looking for a happy ending
I really enjoyed this story enough to binge watch it until episode 46 starting that was the ending I liked and just dropping it without watching the last two episodes.Characters: Emperor Di Xu hated him! I hated the way he treated Tilan! I'm sorry but just because you're bitter and resentful that your old love was killed and that your new wife looks like her because they're sisters doesn't give you the right to verbally emotionally and physically abuse her oh and sexually abused her as well! And then force her to take contraceptives and then when she actually gets sick from it realize that you've made a huge mistake! because the concoction actually makes her severely ill and you should be treating her nicer because somebody talked to you about it doesn't change that you're an abusive a******. I read that they eventually fixed their relationship it made me so angry. The only thing I liked about him was the banter between him and his best friend and advisor Jiangnan. Cuz of the Biaxi bond he had with his friend I felt like that spoiled him because anything that happened didn't happen to him it happened to his friend so he never made precautions to protect himself. Even though he constantly maintained that he didn't want his friend to be his Biaxi so didn't go out if it was the way to protect him either. To me this is such a lack of self awareness that it made me feel sorry for on his friends behalf.
Jiangnan I actually kind of like the super smart stoic types so the way William Chan portrayed him I actually didn't mind that. What I did mind is that he had Haishi believing that she had more control over her life as a boy then she would have had as a woman. Truth is she never had control of her life because he made all the decisions for her. He had a habit of keeping her in the dark about everything under the guise of protecting her, it's no wonder that she would get angry about not having all the facts when it came to her life. Even when the enemy found out that she was a woman instead of telling her what he had planned he just took action. No wonder that she felt betrayed and angry about having to be forced into being a consort of the emperor. I found it super amusing that when she was confronting the emperor and attacked him not only with a sword cutting his cheek but once he took that away and she ended up biting him the wounds didn't go to him they went to Jiangnan. But you totally deserve that you ass lol.
Haishi I had trouble getting into her character at first I think mostly because she was played by yangmi who's in her mid 30s and is playing someone in their late teenage years. So that threw me off for quite a while really didn't start getting into her character until she was older and more mature.
The ending : so to be honest I've stopped watching it episode 46 because to me that's when they should have ended the story everyone had their happy ending. No they had to continue on for two more episodes and then nobody got their happy ending well except Zhouying and Zhouli. But to be honest instead of the side characters getting a happy ending I'd rather have had the main couple get a happy ending. But no instead because the emperor was an idiot and rushed off to save his consort without planning anything because his friend always planned everything he ended up getting killed and his consort who in the stress of the situation after being kidnapped by her own brother who ended up being the mastermind behind the whole thing ended up going into preterm labor and then decided that she didn't want to live anymore without the emperor and killed herself. Like excuse me what about your baby like how selfish is that! Because they chose this the main characters couldn't have their happy ending because now they're separated through duty Haishi she now has to go back to the palace as a consort in order to raise their son and the Biaxi bond which was broken now has to be reformed with the child who was born with ill health. So again Jiangnan has to sacrifice his health, happiness and relationship for the emperor. Because both he and his consort are selfish people. Probably another reason why I don't like him.
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I’m completely hooked!
The drama give out an entirely different energy compared to other ones I have seen before. I actually love how the director keep the pace slow yet fresh and intriguing, it is almost like solving a puzzle. When I started watching historical Chinese dramas, I remembered it’s always been fun and exciting at the beginnings, but also a bit unrealistic. The pace of this one on the other hand gave me more mature vibe, very distinguished. Each frame was caught perfectly, from the beginning out in the middle of the sea to the many scenes showing the emperor’s court. The emotional flow was also very reasonable, very pleasing and easy to keep up. I have known the ending through book version and truely hope for a less mournful ending in film version. I guess I will have to wait and see. Fingers crossed!Was this review helpful to you?
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If only my tears can turned into real pearls after finishing this drama, I'll be loaded!
Fang Jian Ming to Fang Hai Shi: "Sorry to not have found you earlier."
Aside that this drama is far from being real and realistic, with all the mermaid thingy, some witchcraft/black magic practices, and beyond it's ridiculousness, far-fetched logic and too many loop holes. For me, it is still one of the best beautifully written drama which will be on my favourite dramas list.
I was too apprehensive to start watching this drama as I am afraid of BE as it will takes a toll on my mental health, so I always opted for HE. But, the trailer is sooo beautifully convincing and tempting plus Willian Chan is soooo handsome! So I braved and tested the waters and here I am, after several weeks invested in the show, left in a puddle of tears.
The drama, for me is beautifully made, written and well-acted. With all the breath-taking scenes, the CG/effects are all convincing and well-made. The actors portrayed their roles well and it is just remarkable and unforgettable story for me.
Their fight scenes are all nicely executed and you'll feel and see the actors/actress hard work in order to perform those scenes and to convinced us that they're really into their roles.
I just love the scenes in Jifeng Pavilion, especially when the tree is always shown in the scene, it is so breathtaking, even though it's just computer graphics, still it always amaze me to watch it.
Also, the OST of this drama is beautifully written and are all giving you all the feels you need in each scenes. My most favourite song is the ending song, which I always play on loop every night.
I know some people has complained of how toxic FJM and HS's relationship with each other, but for me it is justified and will always have room for understanding Shifu's selfish actions and decisions. I appreciate and loves all the interactions between Jian Ming and Hai Shi, may it be short, long, small or big moments. They are all too precious for me.
I have favourite characters, especially FJM, HS and Zhuo Ying. I love the sibling relationship between ZY and HS, ZY reminded me of my dead older brother. He is sweet, protective, supportive, loves to bully his younger siblings and will nag you to death if he knew you're doing something wrong.
I also love Mu De Qing and Shao Zi.
Emperor and Tilan's relationship is complex and I just hope for them to be happy with each other, but still...
The ending is expected, but I was still hoping for a happy ending, as I believe our Shifu and Hai Shi deserve to live a peaceful, happy and safe life.
But then, it was asking too much for that, as the theme of the drama is melodrama if not tragic ending.
So the ending is justifiable, and the writer left it as an open-ended. It is for our own imagination, what happens between Shifu and Hai Shi, if they live happy ending but in secret or just live separately and mind their own lives.
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