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Terrible script, amazing acting
I’m going to start with the positive. Beautiful OST and amazing casting - because this group of actors, including the younger supporting cast that have heavy chunk of the dialogue were absolutely hands down incredible. This is the saving grace foe this show, the only saving grace.Of course I’ll give a shout out to the stunning location they set this, and the cute doggy that low key rolls through this drama like a boss.
However, what a gigantic mess this script is. FL starts out a timid doormat of a mess, with everything going wrong for her in her life. I was hoping amidst all of that nonsense this was setting a stage for a great rediscovery of herself and a massive character arc. Half way thru, I’m thinking, nope we are no further forward in that regard. In fact what we got in small town Korea was the most toxic behavior possible. We have enabling of addiction, we have enablers of violence, enabling cover ups of potential murder, we have emotional manipulation of people perceived as weak, and lets why not just for fun pad all of that out with violent bullying (with victim blaming by the resposible adults), drunks up the wahzoo and psychological trauma that has been left untreated. Shoddy police work and lets just say, I hope when people claim Korea os nothing like these dramas, that they are correct. Because that is surely no advertisement for Korea or its people, and I certainly don’t think their cultural issues are going away when that kind of behavior is promoted as acceptable in their media.
This contiues and just when you hope it might have been an annoying one time only deal-you have another and then another toxic scenario. Perhaps the writers delight in all of that stuff. The result was that it overwhelmed the sweet and wholesome slow-burn romance (that will frustrate you if you need more from your romance) and the bonding of the friendships that develop here. It ends satisfactorily-for the most part. But I feel like the ratings are far too high for this considering the content. Hometown Cha Cha Cha did this better, similar feel, but better script. The actors deserved better than that, because they truly pulled out all the stops.
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This review may contain spoilers
A dark, symbolic look at the harm of social ostracizing
I wrote a full analysis of the short, because I found it very fascinating. It was initially jarring, but I felt like everything was very intentional.As far as non-spoilers, the acting was great for the brief amount of time that the actors had. It felt very gritty and authentic, and the setting was intentionally and successfully disturbing. I think the concept was interesting and heartbreaking, but highly effective. As for the music, I don't recall if there even was any, so I can't say much there. It's heavy and not exactly a light watch, so I can't say the rewatch value is high. But it did inspire a lot of thought in me, hence the veritable essay.
I only wish it could be longer, because there was a lot to unpack here. For what it was, and for such a short length, it was impressive. I'm just sad I couldn't see the theme explored more thoroughly, with time for us to love the characters.
It's worth a watch and is very short, so don't read the spoilers below until you've seen it!
SPOILERS:
The entire short is an allegory for the way society rejects gay youth, which leads to them ending up in dangerous situations because they're unable to find love in healthy, safe places. Elijah is a protected, middle class boy with parents who worry about him, entering a dank, dirty area to have sex with a stranger because he's not in a position to court and date the boys at his school, etc. He has to hide who he is, which leads him down a deadly path.
Kokoy plays two roles in this short, which is very significant to the story's climax. Elijah sees four prostitutes, the REAL Kokoy among them. They all die in highly symbolic ways throughout the evening, and the killer is very likely the final, fake Kokoy that Elijah sees in the last shot. Although the killer himself may be more of a metaphor for the way the streets (bad people included) are what kill a lot of these young men, as far as a narrative device, this is a wolf in sheep's clothing scenario for Elijah's character.
In the beginning, it's clear Elijah has only ever spoken to this person online and on the phone, so he has no way of verifying that he is who he says he is. This is reflected again in the bathroom scene, when Elijah hears the phone ring but can't be sure where it's coming from. He's being catfished, but he doesn't know it yet.
All of the boys Elijah sees are already dead, victims of the man who is now using Kokoy's phone and photos to lure Elijah out. This is why in the end there's an exchange where Kokoy clearly doesn't know who Elijah is, and when he turns back to him, Kokoy is also dying.
The final shot is Elijah nervously approaching a person wearing Kokoy's face. The audience still sees the catfish identity, but Elijah is seeing the actual man, the killer. This is why he hesitantly walks toward him before the screen fades to white, as if overpowering the viewer. Elijah's own uncertainty and naivete are his undoing. We can assume he meets the same fate as the other boys this man has trapped.
The fact that the bodies of each victim are out in plain sight is reflective of the same society that cast them out now expressing indifference at their loss. These young people are treated like trash rotting in the street, undesirables, purely because they're males who love other males. The purpose of bringing Elijah in was to show how even sheltered children are exposed to these risks because of how society treats LGBT people.
I can see why people didn't like this, but honestly, I really enjoyed it. I think it's initially confusing, but when you stop and think about it, the pieces are all there. It had a clear and powerful message once you decipher all of the hints and implications.
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Doctor Prisoner is a great cat and mouse, revenge drama. The pacing of the story is spot on, I rarely felt that a scene or arc, for that matter, was dragging on for to long. The story stays true to the original premise throughout the show. It is sometimes quite predictable. But, more often then not the they story stays one step ahead to keep the suspense and intrigue.
Acting/Cast: 8.5
I thoroughly enjoyed the acting in Doctor Prisoner and found the cast to amazing fits for their respective characters. I would have loved to see more emotional range from Nam Goong Min who plays the main role as Na Yi Je. His character often feels a bit one dimensional, as 99% of the time he is a mysterious, stoic character that shows little to no emotion. My rating might be lower if not for Kim Byung Chul as Sun Min Shik and Choi Won Young as Lee Jae Joon. Their acting was spot on and often had me at the edge of my seat.
Music: 8.0
I am not to picky about the music in the dramas I watch; all I ask is that it not be over the top or over used. Thankfully Doctor Prisoner mainly uses music too enhance scenes and often it is in the background. It is never over the top and never finds itself out staying its welcome. Nothing blew me away, but at the same time nothing bothered me about it.
Rewatch Value: 6.0
I don't see myself ever re-watching this show. Not that its a bad show, but their are much better shows I would watch if I wanted to re-watch something.
Overall: 7.0
I would recommended this show if you are looking for a interesting revenge story that is not crazy dark or you just want to watch something that is not a romance drama for a change of pace.
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Story: I extremely love how the concept, storytelling, writing and characterization were full of creativity and uniqueness. You’ll never miss a single smile per episode, the opening scenes were like appetizers, it sets the mood in a fun way, every flashback has a story, it’s great to see how they formed and maintain their brotherhood through the years. The story mainly dealt on the 4 main casts friendship, romance and careers.For me, they offer the ultimate story of real friendship; through thick and thin they’re solid, when caught in several mischiefs, they cover up for one another and if they happen to hurt the other, though it’s hard, they forgive. When the four unites, whether they drink, play or have some issues to take care of, the way they handle their talks will make you laugh at some point. Another good point of this drama was the balanced use of limelight for all of the characters, it stays strong that the 4 gentlemen were really the center of the story. Every individual shines on their own, each of the gentleman had their conflict to resolve, no one overshadowed the other though it’s clear from the beginning that the main romance will revolve on Kim Do Jin and Seo Yi Soo . Each one has a romance to follow, they were engaging and it’s mostly on a mature tone which is expected; we were dealing with middle-aged man in the first place, however if I may pick on the best love story of the four , I would choose the one who has the story of first love, their love was simply wonderful . The chemistry of all the couples were greatly seen, I’m always betting for all of them to have their own happy endings, they looked attractive couples on screen. The ending was unexpected and fun! What an outrageous yet very sweet proposal, who wouldn’t say yes to it? Honestly, the ending made this show a 10 for me.
Acting/ cast: Well, the utilization of the 40 year old gentlemen as main casts were already daebak for me, it’s original and interesting already and that made me watch this show . How they blend perfectly as to how the story unfolded made the story even better. In my opinion, no other casts would have done their roles better than them. To make it simply, the characters they portray fit them with every emotion they show was credible, no complaints at all.
Music: The songs were melancholic, sometimes fun, sometimes sweet. Well there’s distinctive song here which was a first for me to hear. I don’t know if it’s the OST because it’s mostly played but it’s a first to hear a song in a Korean drama having an English lyrics. It’s good and another good deviation from the usual Korean music scores.
Rewatch Value: I rarely rewatch, but this deserves a high rewatch value for me.
Overall: A great unique drama. Different in a lot ways but share a deep bond within themselves, having same passion of loving their women – these gentlemen , who wouldn’t love them? :)
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it started off good but plummeted
I started this drama because my friend said it came from a webtoon and it was good. I'm a fan of the main leads as well. They casted them well I must say. The first episode was good, I am hooked. I was looking forward to this every week even though the it only released one episode. This schedule made people not tune it but that did not stop me. I was watching holding back other kdramas because of this and thought of the one episode per week as a blessing (to catch up with school works). The episodes went well until it went downhill. I'm disappointed.Was this review helpful to you?
The story was about a girl that has been secretly in love with a boy that's like boy wonder to her. He's smart, handsome, the whole package and she's smart, quiet and pretty and they are just a good combo. She's really strong, not ditzy in anyway, she holds her own and I love that about her, WE LOVE A STRONG FEMALE LEAD. Lol. But this is the nostalgic part for me that I can relate to so much that I instantly could not help myself from tearing up a little bit is that feeling of having your first crush/first love that has no idea who you are. Like I think everyone has had that ONCE in their life where this person has no idea you even exist but you admire them from so far because they're the next best thing to sliced bread, I kid you not dudeee. That feeling just hit me, made me laugh, cry and reminiscence on that time where I was just young, dumb and carefree. Like "what is love?" ya know what I mean, but that's what I love about this show because it takes the chances of being a nobody, to a somebody, going through ups and downs like your average relationship and just...living. Man, what a feeling. Lol.
I loved the acting. I definitely get what everyone is saying though because the ML played, I wouldn't say a jerk but he was naive and young. Lol. He was a clueless boy that really was just a boy in my opinion and what I mean from that is he doesn't think of this love and just doesn't think too deep. He's smart and living his life and just living brightly. I LOVE THE FEMALE LEAD. SHE PLAYED SO WELL AT THIS CHARACTER. NOT A PANSY BUT NOT TOO BAD, SHE WAS SO FITTINGGGGG. I also liked the friends, I hated the secondary characters, the acting was just fitting for this kind of storyline.
The music is cool, I didn't mind it.
When I'm feeling blue and down or I just need a stretch, I think this is definitely a rewatch. I think this is honestly just an extremely good show. I dig it. 10/10. For sure.
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Simple yet sweet mutual pining love story between two childhood friends
Seeing reviews and comments about how this show was bad and boring, I decided I will give my own thought about it after weekly watching each episode. (Apologizing beforehand for my clumsy English )The Characters:
Kazuhito and Ryota, for me, are fresh characters. While their story is simple and not much different from other Jdrama that had been done before, I love how these guys tried their best (clumsily) tried to communicate their feelings for each other the best they could as college teenagers. Kazuhito, being born in a more traditional family and has the pressure of being perfect, he tends to be the quiet one and keep his feelings to himself afraid that he could make the other uncomfortable while Ryota, while he’s awkward, he’s big brother in his family and chose to be the one initiated the question which Kazuhito would not hesitate to give answer. They are perfect combination for me and both actors did very well with their chemistry.
The Story:
I used to don’t have much patience for slow burn slice of life BL but a few good one taught me to love it and I really love how Living with Him did it. Some might say they are too slow and dragging but I think the pacing was perfect for a character to prepare his thought process to seriously consider his friend’s romantic feelings toward him.
Kazuhito has years to get ready to accept his own feeling but Ryota only had a short time and It’s necessary for him to have space for thoughts.
Each episode focused on how Ryota fell in love with Kazuhito and come to accept his feelings and decided how he should give his response which was realistic for someone like Ryota.
A lot were complaining about the lack of passionate kiss in this drama but it’s exactly following the source material (except their smut manga spin-off), Kazuhito barely kissed Ryota after confession in the manga which Ryota in the manga even asked him one day how could he hold himself back so much lol and Kazuhito was just being his considerate self and didn’t want to startle Ryota who just recently come to accept his feeling.
My only complaint would be the filter and colors choice used for this drama which was not my favorite and I think it didn’t give the Actor’s visual full Justice but it wasn’t too bad that distracted me from enjoying the drama overall.
In conclusion, Living with Him wasn’t for everyone but It’s definitely for me. I will put it as one of my favorite JBL from now.
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This review may contain spoilers
To preface I'm not sure what it was about touch that kept me coming back but objectively I know that the drama was a solid So-So. The Good
Whilst many complained about the lack of romance within the series, this is what endeared me the most about it. The
"romantic couple" were not wrapped up in each other in the obsessively aggressive way which is norm that is usually portrayed by other dramas. I liked that they had their own lives and problems and being together was not the magic cure that fixed everything. It was a quiet love that they came together to support each other when needed and even give the other a gentle push when needed. During the episodes you can see how they cared for each other. It wasn't a bells and whistle kind of romance but I liked it just the same.
The So-So
The casting was a major problem for me. I tried not to be but I was often bothered by the age difference and I think it largely had to do with watching Kim Bo Ra as a high school student last year in Sky Castle and then switch it up to this. Although they kept saying she was 25 she came across as a 20 year old which I think is why I enjoyed their luke warm romance.
The side stories really didn't help the drama along and it was at these moments where I loudly questioned why I was watching this drama to begin with.
The show also touched on a lot of controversial topics but didn't quite accomplish it the way they had expected. The age gap, domestic abuse, chaebol power struggles where the daughters of the family are mostly considered inferior and the pressure of fame with balancing your personal life with your public image.
I was also not a fan of Lee Tae Hwan character as he didn't seem genuine in the least. His feelings were all but superficial except in the part of the friendship.
My Feelings
As I said in the preface I was weirdly drawn to this drama. In my heart I gave it a solid 7 but my brain was ranting 'why why why?' Being a Joo Sang Wook fan probably had a lot to do with it and maybe he mesmerized me for a time. I'm not even sure I would recommend but I guess I kinda liked it.
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The overly dramatic scenes ruined it!
Thrillers, mystery and crime shows are my kind of thing. I think I have watched so many of this genre that I could always guess whodunit. I am always excited to watch these type of shows. Flower of Evil was quite interesting at first. It had a nice atmosphere and storyline. I was so into it up until the last few episodes. The overly dramatic scenes ruined it for me. It was just unnecessary and felt so contrived. I guess the writers wanted the audience to sympathize with the lead actors so badly. They were trying too hard! I know this is a melodrama but some of the scenes didn't go well with the initial vibe of this show. It didn't flow smoothly with this crime, whodunnit plot. The writing got lazy and it feels like they just threw all this heavy, crying scenes out of nowhere. This could have been one of my favorite asian mystery thriller. If only the writers were just consistent.Was this review helpful to you?
Vehement Transactional Toxic Realtionship-In its core two soulmates falling for one another.
I remember reading old-school Harlequins with a trope like this with FL being ML´s live in mistress-him giving her anything for full access to her body- except for giving her his heart. LuYu Chen is a hero that once you sees that he truly cares for his heroine, while in his passionate pursuit of her, that nothing is quite as it seems. He is a man who is caged by a sworn duty to his parents in the name of his older brother who died in the past. He does not live his life for himself, the upcoming engagement he has with SFL is only a neccesary chore for him. Although eventually, in hurting his heroine, he only hurt himself.Despite thinking she may not love him, he should deep down know that she is not a woman who would ever willingly be anyone`s mistress (even if money was involved) if her heart was not involved. The sweetly way they treated each other, the way he held her hand, the way he could NOT STOP kissing her in any scenes whatsoever. I mean, you could see through his eyes how he found her utterly desirable! I find LiZi Jie a terrific gorgeous actor, this is my second Vertical i have finished starring him!
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It has a good balance of mystery, humor, romance, and other themes common to these kinds of dramas. It's great for people who like detective shows, but without it being too dark or too serious. "The Memorandum of Kyoko Okitegami" is a quick, but endlessly amusing watch. Simple, but sweet.
I thought the acting was very good, and basically all of the characters are very lovable, each in their own ways. Admittedly, Kyoko and Yakusuke's chemistry is kind of average, they still make the romance aspect of this drama enjoyable to watch. Okada Masaki does an especially great job at conveying Yakusuke's obvious infatuation with Kyoko in the most endearing way.
Honestly, my only complaint is regarding the ending. It wasn't bad per se, just.. lackluster. It felt rushed, IMO. The last bit was nice enough, but everything leading up to it just left me feeling kind of disappointed.
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Jang Hyuk first won me over in Fated to Love but this role is completely different. There's no infectious laughter, in fact he rarely cracks a smile, but as Pil Joo he shows so much emotion behind what on the surface seems like a permanent poker face. From the beginning I was fascinated with, and rooting for, Pil Joo. Seeing the constant torment on his face at each betrayal, then watching him always be a step ahead, was an addictive combination. Even though he is insanely manipulative, he's also extremely sympathetic, and it's impressive watching this master strategist implement his ultimate plan for revenge. Whatever praise he gets for this role is well deserved.
The majority of the rest of the cast is just as praise worthy, and help create the perfect atmosphere. With a character like Pil Joo, you need characters just as compelling to make the story work, and although everyone was really good, Jang Seung Jo, Lee Mi Sook, and Lee Soon Jae were perfection. I loved Lee Soon Jae's matter of fact callousness as the head of the Jang family, Jang Gook Hwan (aka Grandpa from HELL). He was so nonchalant about being so unbelievably evil that I almost had to laugh at times. I adored Seung Jo's manic charm as Boo Cheon (the ultimate frenemy). Boo Cheon was so complicated that he's the kind of character you sympathize with and want to see destroyed. I loved him, and loved to hate him. He was also really good at saying more with his expression than words could. He had one scene where just him closing the hotel door was one of the most gripping episode endings.
Then there is Mi Sook's Jung Mal Ran (aka Psycho Mommy Dearest). Mal Ran is the kind of villain that I love. She somehow made being completely unmerciful attractive. Without giving away too much, she is the main target for Pil Joo's revenge, and their scenes together are many of my favorite moments in the show. It seems weird to call what they had chemistry, but that's what it felt like... intense rivalry, constant suspicion for sure, but also a little sexual tension. Even her outfits were amazing. I already liked her as one of the dueling mom's in Jealousy Incarnate, but I had no idea she was capable of this kind of performance. She is the worst mother possible, but in the best way!
The only character who was good but not as great as the others in my opinion is Park Se Young. As Na Mo Hyun she did a good enough job, but with such an epic cast it's easy for her to look mediocre in comparison. It could also be the way her character was written, being the least duplicitous of the bunch. She does hold her own in many scenes, but always in a way that still seems to leave her out-shined by her costar. I guess being the only goodie two shoes among the vicious can have that effect.
Betrayal, greed, and revenge is what drives this drama from start to finish, so don't get fooled by the genre tags or the synopsis. This is about THE WORST family you could ever imagine, and the fight to see who will be the next to lead the company once grandpa dies. Even though I've seen way too many dramas with this kind of plot, I don't ever remember one doing ruthless so well. Don't expect laughs, or anything even slightly resembling comic relief. Expect lots of people not trusting each other, and for good reason. Still it doesn't go overboard with melodramatic sadness, so its more engrossing than depressing. Instead of romance, I would say there is intense longing and deception. Instead of law, I would say that these characters take extreme liberties with the law in ways that are very entertaining. This is a drama where you wonder how far each character will go for their goal, and then stand back and watch them probably go way beyond what you would imagine they would do... at least that was the case with me. I had many jaw dropping moments at their actions.
Another thing worth mentioning is the music. It's less about songs and more about how much music is used to drive the intensity in the story. I especially loved the cliff hanger music at the end of each episode. Once I heard that music play I knew something unbelievable was about to happen. Even in the last episode, when I thought they couldn't possibly fit in another twist, that music always told me otherwise.
Would I watch this again? Absolutely, but I couldn't give it a perfect rewatch score, because knowing what will happen does lessen the intensity. The performances themselves are mesmerizing enough to keep me watching, but cliff hangers lose some of their charm when you know what will come next.
Overall I highly recommend this drama. The writing, directing, and acting were all too good to miss. If you want something light to watch, this is definitely not for you, but I'd still say add it to your queue for when you may be more in the mood. If you start watching and feel like it's too slow, this is one of those dramas that just gets more and more exciting as it goes on. If the idea of a makjang scares you away, think of it more as a revenge drama, and if revenge dramas aren't your thing, maybe think of it as a character driven melodrama. I say this because Money Flower is missing some of the elements I normally love in a drama, but I didn't really miss anything at all. I started watching with no expectations, and an open mind, and I knew early on that this would end up on my favorites list. It was so fun being shocked every week, and wanting to curse at my screen. I was satisfied with the end, and liked that it still left me wanting more, but with enough closure to not feel cheated. After 24 episodes I am sad that it's over. I'm not sure there's another drama that can fill the intensity void this one will leave.
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Ok, but needs adjusting
While I enjoy the concept of this show, this season felt a bit lazy. Also, I think the spy part got in the way often times. I think the director needs to let go of Running Man concepts like that. I also think it was better when they voted individually. Voting by teams made it less interesting. The voting booth was always fun at the end before.One of the problems with this show in general is the struggle guests have when they come on this show. They get talked over so much and when they can finally get a word in they get dismissed right away. Most of the time guests can be altogether ignored for much of the show. Towards the final 5-6 episodes, Na Ra was just unreasonably snappy with the cast and guests. Mi Joo's thirst was making male guests visibly uncomfortable. Kim Min Gue was struggling with being a good sport. Yook Jae Suk is falling into the same pattern as he did with Lee Kwang Soo in Running Man by referring to Mi Joo's profession as being a comedian multiple times per episode. She worked hard to become an idol and during her active career as one. I don't get why Jae Suk feels the need to try and erase that. Just let them be funny people in their respective main careers.
If there is a 4th season I'll watch simply because I'm an OG for the show, but if it was announced that it wouldn't be returning for another season, I wouldn't be disappointed.
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Please give this a chance
If I'm honest, I wasn't exactly feeling it after finishing episode 1. I hung in there because I can see its potential.This show is basically Border Security: Japan dramatised. It actually feels quite claustrophobic as the bulk of the set consisted of a smallish passenger processing area and a few small auxiliary rooms/office. There are scenes shot in the airport proper, but you know the set is in a studio.
Gate24 is meant to be an experiment where Immigration and Customs are integrated into a coherent unit. Hence it is placed in a separate area. As you can imagine, the friction between the two groups is amplified rather than lessened at first. Lots of sly remarks and feather ruffling.
On top of that, there are no top stars in the ensemble, just semi familiar faces. The characters are roughly divided into key/quirky characters and boring ones. You know who will be waving the flag from the front and who are the well-paid extras.
As you can imagine, the storyline is contrived. A plane full of international passengers seldom go on a crime spree. However, the show has found its footing by EP 3 and the plot does develop more depth. This is particularly true towards the end where the plot becomes more coherent and the A-team has assembled. It went from a promising start to a solid finish. Congrats!
This doesn't mean the show will appeal to everyone. It is still an acquired taste and quite niche. Some viewers might take one look and hit the skip button. I was THAT close to doing the same.
As a complete package, it is idealistic and a bit jingoistic in a low key Japanese way. The reward is there if you last the distance. Don't expect any exposé on Japanese Customs and Immigration though. ;)
In terms of acting, it is a mixed bag. The whole ensemble did fine. Individually, it is a bit patchy. I appreciate the FL being a smart and nerdy type, but I don't understand why she has to try to look mousy and invisible for the entire run. I wish there is more growth in her character. There is also very little interaction between the team members other than the odd shared meals after work. We assume they all become fast friends . . I hope.
In the end, I enjoyed this series. It is almost quaint to see this type of "old fashion" drama being produced. Trust the Japanese. Even though it has limited appeal, there should be room in the dramaverse for something different. Peace.
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