I was hoping for something better
The thought I had while watching the series until the end was: "this is messy".The story had potential, and the first episode was excellent at grabbing my attention and my curiosity. Unfortunately, as the episodes went on, my interest in the series got weaker, until it sizzled out at about episode 7, which is where I had to start forcing myself to finish just to see the ending.
I couldn't help but feel that every aspect of the story was half-hearted. The investigation looked superficial, as if the police didn't care about the victims nor about finding the culprit at all. The mystery felt impossible in the first episodes, then turned almost too obvious. As for the characters, I had the constant feeling that they were acting through a checklist of things to do and lines to say - there were very few moments when they truly seemed alive to me.
This was also the first time I was annoyed by the romance. I'm not unfamiliar with Joong and Dunk, I was actually looking forward to see them here in these new roles, and yet whenever they had a romantic scene I just wished they could stop flirting and focus on their job.
In conclusion, I believe that this series is lacking proper focus on the themes and aspects it wants to portray, so it ended up showing it all, without putting enough care in anything. I don't recommend watching this.
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Tonal Whiplash: The Series
I love JoongDunk. They’re one of my favorite pairings at GMMTV, and I became a huge fan of them after watching The Heart Killers. I’ve especially enjoyed seeing Dunk improve with every project, so the low score I gave Dare You to Death has absolutely nothing to do with them or the cast. I wanted to make that clear first.But… this series is bad. Not even “so bad it’s good.” Just plain bad.
What makes it frustrating is that I can see a version of this show that actually works. There’s real potential here. I like the concept of a seemingly perfect friend group hiding horrifying secrets. I like that one of them is the brother of Joong’s character, which adds emotional complexity even if the show barely explores it. I genuinely loved the first half of the final episode, especially Pufai and the doctor’s dynamic while forcing Champ and Chereen into that brutal fight. Those were the moments where the series finally leaned into its darker ideas. I even like the officer's romance and dynamic, even though it kept changing the tone of the series.
Pufai, in particular, was compelling. We didn't see much of her in the present, but I liked how her trauma shaped her and how she ultimately became the mastermind behind everything. That psychological element had a lot of promise.
My biggest issue is the tone. This should not have been a romantic comedy.
This story would have worked far better as a full horror-thriller, with the JoongDunk romance as a side plot rather than the central focus. I know that’s controversial since this was meant to be their series, and I understand they were likely following the novel (though I haven’t read it, so I can’t compare). But it felt like the writers didn’t know what kind of show they wanted to make, and instead of choosing, they tried to do everything at once.
The tonal whiplash was exhausting. One moment, we’re in dark psychological manipulation, with characters being brutally murdered; the next, we’re back in rom-com territory. I truly believe these elements could have been blended successfully, but that requires careful writing and tonal control. Either the writers didn’t know how to balance it, or they didn’t put in the effort to make it cohesive. And that’s what makes it such a shame.
I didn’t hate the series. But it should have been so much better. If you loved this show, that’s great. I’m genuinely glad it worked for you. It just didn’t work for me. I’ll still support JoongDunk, and I hope their next series has stronger, more focused writing. I’ve heard the novel is quite good, so I have hope for what’s next.
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Dare You To Boredom!
The protagonists and many, many of the supporting cast are so handsome that the iceberg that sank the Titanic would have melted into a mere ice cube if these guys were in one location on the top deck of that ship. Their radiant good-looks melted everything bad about this series away which included an absurdly dumb murder mystery and, sorry to say, rather mediocre acting. If one honestly assessed this series with any sense of objectivity and detachment, one would see how wrought this series was. Everything about this series felt lazy to me. The writing and directing was frustratingly inept. The story drones on ad nauseum. One would suffer from neck whiplash the way this series ping-ponged from murder mystery to love story with no understandable transition. From my perspective, it just was not all that good no matter how you looked at it and is essentially forgettable.Was this review helpful to you?
not just danger - it’s about trust, loyalty, and risking everything for someone.
Dare You to Death is driven by tension, uncertainty, and emotional pressure, and its characters are shaped entirely by those conditions. No one feels fully stable, and that instability is what makes them so interesting. Every character is hiding something - fear, guilt, loyalty, or emotional conflict - and those hidden layers slowly come out as the story becomes more intense.What makes the characters compelling is how unpredictable they feel in a very human way. They don’t just change randomly -they react to pressure, fear, and emotional survival. That means even when their actions are surprising, they still feel understandable. You can see how stress affects their decisions, and how trust becomes something fragile that can shift at any moment.
The relationships between characters are constantly tested, not just through external danger but through emotional strain. People who seem close may start doubting each other, while people who seem distant may unexpectedly show loyalty or care. That shifting dynamic keeps everything emotionally unstable in a very engaging way.
Overall, the characters feel less like fixed roles and more like people trying to survive emotionally and physically in a situation where nothing is fully reliable.
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This review may contain spoilers
JOONGDUNK'S CHEMESTRY COULD SAVE THE WORLD (but they didn't save this show)
GMMTV has a big problem in the casting department. I am the first one happy whenever a couple leaves the high school/university dungeon, but why tf did they choose such young-looking actors in roles such as police captain and police inspector? It looks so wrong for some reason, like why tf is the boss a 9-year-old?? It's not even like they don't have older-looking actors available.It is not a problem of acting, I want to make this very clear. Besides Joong and Dunk not being the best or most experienced actors in the company, I know that they are able to do their job (and they did), they can carry various scenes, they have arguably one of the best chemistry in the entirety of that building, which genuinely was the truly best thing of the show, the only one that didn't disappoint me.
I will stand by the fact that they were not the right actors for the show, but honestly, besides being pretty bothering as a thing, it was not as bothering as basically everything else in the show.
Let's start by saying that the show is based on an absolutely impossible situation: they expected us to believe that Puifai was some sort of "Juliet", that took something to fake her death and then came back like nothing happened. If she took that KCl in that moment, by the time everyone was awake and the ambulance arrived (mind you, they explicitly said at the beginning of the show that they took their sweet time to call any help when they saw Puifai dead because they were scared), all of her vital functions should have been irreversibly shut off and she would be already dead.
And honestly everything after that was just a mess. You are telling me that Dr. Puth was the only one to have access to the body, that nobody else checked her? That nobody else noticed she was alive?? Bullshit.
Now, I was completely 100% on Puifai's side. She deserved to take her revenge. But the way she took her revenge was so goofy I always giggled when the killer appeared. They had to put the killer under an animated mask; I just know that whoever was in charge of it (I guess the director, but not sure) thought they ate when they put happy, funny and cute expressions on the killer mask, in the attempt to portray a psychopathic character and give a feeling of discomfort when opposing a happy mask to such cruel acts. But honestly all I could do was just laugh at them. Instead of thinking he was a sociopath, all I could think of is that they had to buy a mask and the only one available was this one.
And then again, why tf would the killer go out of their way to print those personalized truth or dare cards? Why doing so? No killers on the face of the earth ever did this, like just pick a paper sheet from your house and write on it. No really, goofiest killer ever. And also most powerful killer ever?? Can someone tell me how tf were they in possession of literally everything??? They had possession of basically every single security camera of the entire city, private or public. They knew and had everything, even when there was no way such a thing was possible. Literally wtf was this??
With this said, I want to make clear that I was 100% on Puifai's side, I was happy whenever one of them died, and I honestly hoped that both Champ and J met their fate too for the way they treated her.
And the police investigation was even worse?? I hope the Thai police department won't sue them because they genuinely give them such a bad look. Now, I'm no Thai police officer, no Thai law expert, and all my knowledge comes from years of following homicide cases on TV, so I don't want to sound like "I know everything", but damn, even a 5-year-old would have handled those investigations better.
Honestly, already from Bell's killing it was very much clear that there was not one killer, but that Puifai had a different assassin compared to the others given how different their deaths were. The police was sure instead that there was only one man they had to find… how? Puifai's killing had nothing similar to the others, there was no truth or dare card attached, she was not violently killed like the others. Of course they had different killers, it was so clear.
But in general, what did they even do? Kamin was in charge of the interrogations, and somehow messed up even those? I don't know how Thai laws work, I don't know if they have their own version of Miranda rights or whatever, but coming from someone who had their education and first years in the world in the United States, I found it very funny how he did his interrogations. When the suspect asked for a lawyer, instead of shutting up like he's supposed to, he got even more angry and refused?? Does he know it's not legal??
And honestly speaking, they could have very much prevented literally every single murder (besides maybe the first one) by placing the guys under constant police control, preventing them from being alone the specific moment they receive the letters. But no, what about we just let them be.
And in general, why tf are there just like three/four people to take care of a serial killer? It's a killer with an unprecedented amount of victims in a short time, and a lot of those people that are dying are pretty rich and involved in society, with powerful family members. The whole city should be in lockdown, they would have used way more than just two dumb youngsters to deal with such a thing.
And why did it take them so long? Couldn't they just give some police officers as personal guards until they discovered the killers? Couldn't they have done a more thorough investigation? Like digging into the victims' pasts, thinking of who could want them all killed and why (given that they all came from the same social group)? Or even just deeply searching the victims' houses?? It took them 0 seconds to find the cameras hidden.
You know what, I lost hope. Jade and Kamin, the two protagonists, have absolutely NO professional ethic. Nonexistent.
Let me talk about some instances where I was like ??? (buckle up cause this is gonna be veeery long)
It was already from their second meeting at the crime scene, when they decided to compete on who would solve the case first?? My face when I read that was absolutely disgusted. A girl is dead and you want to compete??
Or when they were at the bar and Jade, for jealousy reasons, decided to show his gun to a random man that was simply trying to approach and hit on Kamin?? I'm pretty sure it's illegal to do so. So unprofessional and also extremely risky given that you were undercover.
Or the fact that they keep taking statements from suspects outside of the police station? Are they even considered valid in court given that most of the time they are not recorded or taken in a private context? I guess we will never know.
Whenever they search for clues basically anywhere, but especially in a victim's house or at a murder scene, they don't follow a single protocol. They just vibe completely, which can result in ruined investigations and evidence that cannot be taken to court because it was not obtained ethically.
The whole way they discovered Bell's apartment would have been enough to fire them: if they tell you that there is a possibility of an assassin in the house at that moment, you check the ENTIRE house, not just trust that no one answered your "is anybody here".
And the worst part was how they kept flirting on literally every single crime scene. There is a mutilated body on the floor, blood everywhere, a young life has just been lost and your first thought is to flirt with your coworker… oh hell no. It was so unnecessary and, to a certain degree, even disturbing and uncomfortable to watch. I very much didn't like it.
To summarize how dumb this show was, let me tell you about a scene in ep 1 or 2, where Jade uses a spy that works at a food stand and the moment you give him a specific word, they give him an envelope. All this secrecy just for Kamin to take the envelope and open it in public, under literally everyone's eyes. Why all the struggle if you behave like someone just gave you a present??
And now onto the worst part: the directing department. Oh my God. It hadn't been in a long time that I saw such bad direction in a show.
The directing wasn't the worst part, I feel like the scenes were pretty good, the angles, the cameras and everything were not bad.
The screenwriter was fighting demons. It's been so long since I read such cringe dialogues taken seriously.
THE EDITING. Oh my God the editing. The scenes jump between one another without a single logical connection. No time to process anything.
The coloring was terrorism. It made everything worse. They should have gone for a grey/dark palette, instead of that heavy yellow tone. Everyone looked sick all the time.
The sound: the microphones were not microphoning. But at least they didn't overuse music.
Rewatch value is honestly very low. Once you know the mystery, there's no reason to watch again.
Shout out to the makeup department for not giving a single fuck whenever Joong/Jade's tattoo disappeared, and shoutout to whoever made the opening credits and basically spoiled the whole plot.
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If you're here for JD flirting, congratulations. You win.
If you're here for some semblance of plot..., just turn back now. For your sanity, go find something else.As a person who genuinely enjoys thrillers, I have several questions
1. Where's the urgency? Can someone explain to me why they were strolling everywhere? People were dying, falling like flies, and they never rushed to anything. They just be casually strolling everywhere
2. Why did they always speak in front of the suspects' door? Every. Single. Fucking. Time!!!
3. Did the person behind the camera know that this was supposed to be a crime thriller show? Why did we spend 97% of the time watching them flirt and be hot n' cold with each other as people were quite literally dying?
4. Seriously, what even was this????
OK, I'm done yelling. I came into this largely because
a. This is the 1st Thai bl to ever air on Netflix in my region. I wanted to support. You know, show Netflix that yes, license more Thai shows, Thai BLs, and air them in my part of the world
b. Joong was hilarious with his marketing. I'd have supported because of that alone
c. Joong & Dunk had impressed me in The Heart Killers. I'd previously dropped 'Hidden Agenda,' but the acting in THK gave me hope.
But now, after all those hours and episodes, my hopes were crushed, and I'm left disappointed. As I said in the title, anyone who came here to support JoongDunk simply because they are JoongDunk will have a fun time watching them flirt and banter. However, anyone like me who's here hoping for an actual plot with the mystery aspect... *sigh* don't do it. I'm so fucking let down
PS. I'm back to complaining again
i. Why does this feel like a 'Here, Damn!' type release?
ii. I lowkey think they (GMMTV) licensed this on Netflix as a way to promote JASP.ER, not really to promote Thai BL, Thai actors, or even Thai storytelling. This is not worldwide Netflix release quality. Maybe they also did that to follow in Dumondi's footsteps with Zomvivor. They didn't want to be left behind and just slapped some shit together real quick.
iii. This release made me think, 'Kpop companies🫱🏾🫲🏾Thai BL companies'. They both take their fans fi eediat. They give us the bare fucking minimum—sometimes even less than that— because, unfortunately, most people in the fandom will eat it up and praise it. Why would they need to do better?
iv. I'm giving this CP 1 more chance before giving up. I genuinely want to like them, but it's so hard to watch one of them try to act. The people said he'd gotten better, but I somehow think that he got worse from their last installment together.
I am on my knees praying to the Lord that the acting in the upcoming 'How to Survive my CEO' be better. Otherwise, I'll be throwing in the towel
v. I DESPERATELY need the pple in GMMTV's makeup department to do better with their tattoo work. When I saw First's tattoo in THK, I literally laughed outloud. It was so glaringly obvious that it was some cheap temporary tattoo. Something that bad on a tattoo artist was just...*sigh*. Like Khaotung has a tattoo. Use that as fucking reference on how tattoos should look like!
But the laugh that I laughed back then was nothing compared to the laughter I experienced in EP 9. What do you mean Joong's tattoo started running and fading coz of the water, and YOU PUT THAT IN THE FINAL CUT?!?!?!?!? They didn't even bother to try fixing it in post-production or nothing😭😭😭
I beg the pple in this company's make up departement to go to Dumondi and find the person/people who did Keng's tattoos for KhemJira. Get that person and have them train your people on how to do better work. You cannot keep insulting your viewers, tattoo artists, and tattooed people like this
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GMMTV’s Biggest Fumble
GMMTV really fumbled this so badly.After the success and global buzz of Heated Rivalry, more people started paying attention to queer shows. Thai BL had momentum. International audiences were watching. Then Dare You to Death released on Netflix worldwide as a crime thriller BL. This should have been the moment. It could have pushed Thai BL to another level.
The concept was strong. Murder mystery. Police investigation. Slow burn romance in the background. That combination could have been powerful.
But the execution was disappointing.
The thriller did not feel intense. The investigation did not feel smart or realistic. The police did not feel convincing. There was no proper tension build up. I wanted clever detective work and real suspense. Instead it felt rushed and shallow.
The pilot trailer was so good. Dark. Serious. High tension. I watched it many times. That is why the disappointment feels bigger. The actual series did not match that vibe at all.
It felt like random ideas were mixed together without clear direction. The production felt messy. The editing felt rushed. The tone kept changing. One minute it is serious crime, next minute there is flirting during investigations. It killed the seriousness. And the romance was also disappointing. In a story like this, we expect slow burn. Quiet tension. Two people slowly getting closer while working on a case. Instead it felt rushed. The buildup did not match the payoff. Important romantic moments were toned down or removed. After all that tension, it felt incomplete.
And yes, I’m going to say it, the acting didn’t fully carry it either. Joong was fine. Not bad, not outstanding. But Dunk… I really tried to see the growth people talk about, but he still felt stiff to me. His body language, expressions, the way he carried himself, it didn’t feel like a real detective. It felt like he was acting the role instead of becoming it. In a crime thriller, you need presence and authority. I didn’t feel that weight. The college students were actually good.
I heard the original director and writer left last minute, and that the new director was uncomfortable filming certain romantic scenes. If that is true, it explains some things. But it still affected the final result.
This had perfect timing, a huge platform, and a strong concept. And it still fell flat.
That is why it feels like a wasted opportunity during a time when Thai BL could have grown even more globally.
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Go girl, give us nothing!
Some people need to start watching things other than BLs. Like, what do you mean this is good? We need to stop praising mediocre pieces of media just because it has our favourite couple & is a BL.All aesthetics & no substance & the acting is criminally atrocious.
The show has everything going for it, an interesting plot, released on Netflix etc, but the main leads are just not it. Don't get me wrong, they have good chemistry, but the acting is just bland and giving nothing.
Making wise, I'm not expecting anything spectacular from GMM. This also looks about the same. Their typical laidback making style doesn't fit this series. Super unrealistic considering this is somewhat a police procedural (as a forensic person, I'm screaming into the void every episode). Idk if it's worth watching.
PS, the people hating on Dunk has no taste. Have you heard of power bottoms? The absolute best flavour.....chefs kiss**😘
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This review may contain spoilers
A Thriller That Forgot to Thrill
By the time JoongDunk reached their fourth series together — Star & Sky, Hidden Agenda, The Heart Killers, and now Dare You to Death — it was clear they’re one of GMMTV’s safest bets. Loyal fandom? Locked in. Built-in hype? Guaranteed. But star power and fan devotion can’t replace tight writing, tonal discipline, and convincing performances — especially in a genre that demands it.On paper, Dare You To Death sounds promising. A university student, Puifai, dies under suspicious circumstances after a party. A seemingly close-knit friend group begins receiving ominous truth-or-dare notes. Enter rival detectives Kamin (Dunk Natachai), the sharp but restrained newcomer, and Jade (Joong Archen), the instinct-driven senior officer. Forced to work together, they navigate secrets, revenge, and escalating deaths — with a slow-burn romance simmering beneath the surface.
It should have worked.
The core concept — a fractured friend group hiding horrific secrets — is genuinely compelling. Puifai’s psychological unraveling and the moral corruption within the group had real dramatic weight. For moments, especially in the latter half of the finale, the series hints at something darker and smarter. Those glimpses are frustrating because they show potential.
The problem is consistency.
Tonally, the series never commits. It swings between grisly psychological manipulation and soft-focus romantic comedy. Just as tension begins to build, we’re pulled into flirtation, beach dates, or extended lovey-dovey exchanges that stall the momentum. The romance isn’t inherently the issue — it’s the placement. In a thriller, pacing is everything. Here, urgency evaporates mid-crisis.
The investigative thread is also weak. For a crime drama, deductions are minimal, forensic work feels surface-level, and logic often bends for convenience. Characters make baffling decisions purely to move the plot forward. Suspense relies less on clever unraveling and more on characters behaving unrealistically. When viewers start questioning basic actions instead of the mystery, immersion breaks.
Performance-wise, the supporting cast carries significant weight. Pahn as Puifai delivers the most textured portrayal, grounding the revenge arc in emotional trauma. Ohm, Chimon, and Sing add credibility and tension where the script allows. They elevate scenes that might otherwise fall flat.
As for JoongDunk, their chemistry remains intact — that’s never been the issue. But chemistry alone doesn’t sustain a thriller. Emotional peaks require range and intensity. Too often, dramatic confrontations lack depth, and quieter moments feel one-note. It’s not that they can’t grow into stronger performers — it’s that this material demands more than what’s currently delivered.
Technically, the production is uneven. Editing choices blunt tension. Music cues overpower dialogue. Injuries appear and disappear as the scene requires. The police portrayal lacks procedural grounding, which undercuts credibility in a genre built on realism.
What makes this frustrating is that the skeleton of a strong series is here. Strip back the tonal confusion. Let the darkness breathe. Focus on psychological horror first, romance second. With sharper writing and firmer directorial control, this could have been a standout.
Instead, it lands as a thriller diluted by fan-service priorities.
If you’re watching primarily for JoongDunk moments, you’ll likely find enjoyment. Treat it as light entertainment, and it plays easier. But if you came expecting a gripping, cohesive crime drama, temper expectations.
I didn’t hate it. I just expected more — from the writing, from the execution, and from a production company capable of much better.
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More like Bore You to Death
Half crime series, half comedy BL, Dare You to Death tries to mix together two apparently contrasting genres, while presenting a grittier, darker version of JoongDunk and, may I say, fails spectacularly.The story tries to juggle between a very serious case of serial murders (and I will say, very gory ones too) and the development of a cheap romance between the main leads. The clash is honestly irritating: you will have two of the most incompetent cops ever seen on a screen shamelessly flirting while teens get brutally assassinated around them. The whole romance portion of the show is not only uninteresting and underdeveloped (you can't even understand why these two like eachother, besides finding eachother hot, I guess), but majorly inappropriate for the context of the whole show: after a while, seeing Jade getting jealous over Kamin on the crime scene of someone who just got crushed to a pulp by a falling car will just have you say "Can't these guys just do their job?".
Besides the boring romance, the crime/police part is honestly terrible, to the point that I doubt the writers of this show even bothered watching a single crime series in their whole life. Cops using guns to threaten suspects, undercover operations without any backup whatsoever, whole episodes spent on marginally important drug leads that lead to nowhere at all, no interrogations of prime suspects and key witnesses are just a few of the absurd things about this whole mess of an investigation that will make you feel like you could do a better job than these guys. The cherry on top was honestly the episode where Jade and Kamin wasted a whole day on a cute date because "they worked a lot so they deserved to rest": is the work in the room with us right now?
Acting wise, Dunk is as stiff as ever, but I at least appreciated Joong's performance, who is pretty good at portraying a goofier character for once. Regarding the supporting cast, they were ok, but unremarkable for the most.
In the end, while I found the show kinda funny during its first half, the latter one just got me so uninterested that I spent most of the time just gazing at the screen asking myself "How was this thing greenlit?" Dear writers, let's put the pens down for a while, shall we?
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The best mysterious,love and story all together
This Dara is so goated I don't know why everyone give hate to them not just because I am there fan but honestly I just love this drama itals has mystry , directive , love , lovely charector, and also after waiting we also have abcd all together 😀 I hope this drama get that ratings and views what it's deserved.Was this review helpful to you?
people are dying, kim
it is i, the niel.do these guys even have any professional ethics? i loved dunk's acting in this. he wasn't a useless character, and he was a real person. his eyes still remain open whilst kissing, but that's part of his charm. i was compelled, and i'm glad gmmtv didn't give him a goofy character this time. i liked him in a more serious role. there were still many hr violations. dunk is inherently goofy, yet i'm his biggest fan. joong also did a good job, unsurprisingly.
the plot was the real winner of this show. i was hooked from beginning to (almost) end. the last 15 minutes of the final episode were filler, but that's fine. there were so many characters, but i was able to keep up with what was happening with all of them. they made a smart choice by having only one couple, and keeping the show focused on them. i wasn't overwhelmed by unnecessary romance. ultimately, the crime aspect of the show's plot was kept central, rather than underdeveloped romance. the main plot was really interesting. this concept has been done before, but i was curious as to "who done it" the entire time.
i will say, i clocked the ending and other elements of the plot from the start. even so, that didn't take away from the enjoyment of it. there was room for improvement, though. i didn't mind their romance, but there could've been more of a slower development. they were u-hauling it. that sometimes made the dialogue between them unnatural. sometimes, they were developing the romance at times when they should've been focusing on their employment. they could've been investigating parts of this mystery way sooner, but they were too busy committing hr violations (lol). tbh if i were their boss, i would've been like "congrats on your relationship, you're fired." overall, thoroughly enjoyed! for a gmmtv show, impressive work. #longdunk4lyfe
best,
the niel.
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