Reviews

"Love Between Fairy and Devil" tells a love story that defies all odds. DongFang Qing Cang and Orchid come from opposing worlds—he is the fearsome leader of the Moon Tribe, and she, a kind-hearted immortal from the Immortal Tribe. These two factions have been enemies for over thirty thousand years. DongFang Qing Cang is determined to annihilate Shui Yun Tian, home of his rivals, until Orchid’s presence turns his fate upside down.

He is a cold, emotionless being who knows only destruction. His very gaze can strike fear, but Orchid’s gentle spirit begins to melt his icy heart. What starts as a reluctant bond evolves into a profound connection, proving that true love can break curses, heal wounds, and transcend any divide—no matter the status or background.

Visually, the series is a feast for the eyes. The costumes and hairstyles are stunning, from the shimmering beads in Xiao Lanhua’s hair to DongFang Qing Cang’s regal golden crown. Every element feels rich and meticulously crafted.

The lead actors elevate the entire story. Dylan Wang embodies DongFang Qing Cang with magnetic presence, balancing strength and vulnerability. Esther Yu brings charm and warmth to Orchid, making her both lovable and radiant. Together, their chemistry builds an epic, emotional, and unforgettable romance.

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CUTEST WEREWOLF FAMILY, EVER!

I'm copy/pasting my review from my conversation with EmberZMars after we buddy-watched.

The directing and script are very fun, the perfect cuteness to balance the ridiculous. The storyline was unique! I didn’t predict anything that happened! The effects are a little cheesy, with the werewolves looking like furries, haha, but since its it’s a vertical drama, there’s grace for that stuff 😉, and it kind of made it endearing. The green, glowing eyes are pretty cool! I have never watched these 2 leads before. I thought the acting was good. The little boy is so cute. I loved the way he clenched his fists and said to his mom that he’d avenge her when he grows up. He’s so feisty, brave and protective of his mama. The main misunderstandings between the leads were driving me nuts, but it was cleared up by halfway which was awesome, way better than other dramas that drag it out until almost the end. Also, the ML apologized to the FL 2-3x, AND he was very genuine about it. I liked that his integrity INCLUDED humbly owning his behavior. I really like the FL’s strong, fighting spirit. She ferociously protects her son, and she stands her ground and can’t be bullied. She’s a perfect wife for an alpha werewolf who is responsible for a whole pack, and definitely being the mother of little cubs. One of my favorite scenes that made me laugh was when the ML rubbed the FL’s pregnant tummy and he said, “steeaak”, to the unborn baby and it kicked, then he listed a bunch of other meats and the FL went into labor and gave birth. Haha!!! These writers 😄. The leads had good chemistry in the second half, and GREAT kisses. I definitely liked that the FL reciprocated and initiated sometimes instead of being a still brick. I agree with Ember, the drunken / drugged intimate scenes always bum me out somewhat because its more special when the characters have their wits and are making a clear choice. However, this was indeed different because the FL seemed to really want to be in the moment, regardless. I loved their family loyalty and how they stood up for each other, even before the ML was sure his first son/cub was his. I was bracing for the moment he threw her to the curb like ML's who misunderstand in other dramas, but he never did 💚. Also, like viewer "jubie33" said in the comment area, I LOOOVED that the ML REMEMBERS the FL, even 5 years later after a one-night-stand. By the end, the little werewolf family of 4 were a tight pack! 🐺💚. Ember, thanks for sharing this drama, I really enjoyed it!!

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PN 3, THE MOST HILARIOUS IN THIS FRANCHISE !! :)

This is the MOST HILARIOUS n CHAOTIC movie in this franchise 😂
(Not a Scary horror).

As said in my previous Pee Nak Reviews:
Thai Comedies (Horror or Rom-Com), as usual, are always CHAOTIC ! :)
(If U are aware of Thai comedies, only then, U can enjoy this.
Bcz Every Country has its OWN TONE OF COMEDY, especially Japan or Thai comedies are not for everyone)

***
A Good Mix of Horror + Comedy + serious stories of the ghost's past and the main story.

***
Entertaining n Funny, except 1-2 scenes like making fun of the little monk (Novice kid) n Old Monk by characters First n Balloon.

Those looked insulting n very disrespectful towards Monks, though meant for comedy purposes only.

***
The Main Story is about a Cursed Golden Anklet n is INTERESTING to watch.

The intertwining of
the Main story (Cursed golden anklet n the dangerous effects of the curse like growth of snake scales over character Aod's body n finding a solution to it),
the Ghost's past (why n how it became a Vengeful Spirit n why it keeps haunting) and
the Story of Rebirth / Past lives of some of the characters (Aod, Noht, First, Balloon n the ghost, as shown in PN 2),
is Well Written.

The Ghost's past, the anklets' issue, the Naga (Giant Snake) story and the "Past lives" are beautifully blended into the Main story.

***
Like in previous Pee Nak movies,
Even here, The ghost story n the main story depict religious process n ritual like "Ordaining to be a Monk" in Buddhism and is Very Interesting to watch.

The Story of the Naga,
Boon of the Naga - "Nak" in the ordain process,
The Golden Anklets of the Naga,
the Ghost's past life and its anklets,
the Past lives of everyone etc,
how all these are related to the present Main Story (The adventures of the team in search of the temple where golden anklets are given to Naks during the ordain process thereby to revoke the curse), is Well Written.

The Haunting scenes are VERY FUNNY n CHAOTIC 😂
Even the scenes of the team trying to find a solution to the cursed golden anklets, the Buddhist Monks helping the team to ward off the ghost n to revoke the curse, are very funny :)

***
Director Mike is known for Comedy genre!
Production, Screenplay are good enough.
Locations are cool.

***
The Curse of the Golden Anklets:
Whoever steals the anklets, will be haunted by the ghost, have nightmares, develop snake scales all over their body and dies, finally.

The ghost claims the anklets to be its own precious possession (though owned by the original Naga), keeps haunting the person who steals those from it n doesn't allow the person to wear or remove the anklets, thereby disturbing the ordain process.

Intially, there is a lot of Chaos within the team, when the ghost claims that 4 of them stole its anklets - this confusion n fear among the characters about which 4 of them, is hilarious 😂

The way how PN 2 n PN 3 are related with recurring characters, is well written.
The Past lives of the characters and the golden anklet is just referred in PN 2, while it is the main story here.

***
Every Actor performed well.
Every Character is lovable.

The recurring characters n the cast, Mean, Aim, James, Pond n Tar are cool.

Aim n James as queer characters are hilarious n chaotic, as usual 😂

Plan's cameo in two characters as Naga and human :)

New cast n characters introduced here, especially Korean YouTuber n little Novice kid are funny.
First n Balloon with that young Novice are more chaotic😂

Mean is cool n plays a K-pop idol character.
Mean looks like KDrama actor Park Seo Joon ;)

Director's cameo as the one who helped them with truck.

Placement of that Insurance advertisement as a part of the story is funny.

***
In the end, the curse is revoked n the ordain process of Aod happens as planned n peacefully.

The climax scenes are Funny.
At the end of every movie, a Buddha Amulet is given to one among them n whoever takes it, faces trouble in the next movie , haha.
And here, Aod gave that to Mean's character n so he would face Haunting in PN 4, like how Aod was given that amulet in previous movie n faced trouble here :)
(In the beginning of PN 1, August was given that Amulet by a monk, he faced trouble there n in the end, August gave it to First.
And so in PN 2, First faced trouble n gave it to Aod in the end.)

In the end, where everyone screamed out of fear, when the Naga (Plan) tells everyone that they will meet again in the future, is funny n gives a hint, forms a base to next part /Sequel.

***
My RATING is 8.5 / 10

*** COMPARISON OF THE MOVIES IN THIS FRANCHISE:

Can't really Rank any movie as the most or the least favourite, in this franchise.
My Rating for all 4 is the same n liked all 4 equally bcz one with more comedy, another with subtle comedy but all have serious stories.
And so ALL 4 MOVIES ARE ENTERTAINING n FUN TO WATCH!

In terms of Comedy,
PN 4 < PN 1 < PN 2 < PN 3

In terms of Story,
All have Serious Interesting Stories.
Story of PN 1 is a simple one while the other three have twists n little complicated stories.

Also, Watched this franchise long ago n remembered these as STANDALONE n UNRELATED MOVIES n need to watch all, just to know the background and the relations of the Recurring Characters.

But now when I re-watched all 4, realised that all 4 movies are RELATED, may not be a Proper n Direct SEQUEL to each other.
But One movie's storyline is taken from a scene or concept from the previous movie. That's how they are related.

For eg;
1) PN 2's main storyline "One old Monk n Buddha with Naga hood Amulet" is discussed in 1-2 scenes in PN 1 n are elaborated in PN 2 as the main story.

2) PN 3's "Past lives, stealing Golden Anklets etc" is depicted in PN 2 n are elaborated in PN 3 as the main story.

3) PN 4's Naga n Plan's character is shown in two scenes in PN 3 n are elaborated in PN 4 as the main story.

And so Need to watch all 4 movies in the same order to understand n enjoy the franchise.

Also, it's fun to watch the recurring cast n characters in the franchise :)
Actor Tar, literally grew up along with this franchise, haha .

***
Give a try! Especially Horror genre lovers who love to watch every type n a variety of Horror concepts.

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Interesting Drama a break from usual CDrama tropes.

On the very first impression of the leads, ML is very good-looking. This look suits him so well. Nothing to comment all very well done. FL, the costume styling and hairstyle don't suit her at all, but I love the way she looks with her hair down. I really hate this drama FL costume. Even in other dramas, I do not like this clothing styling. Rarely a few look decent in this style to me.
The EP 1 OST with the mountain demons was so good; the very scene pulled me into continuing to watch this drama. Wow, I wish I could see more of them.
The Demon Cases:
1. Sister-in-Law Owl Demona good one, didn't you think? And she was not harmful to the leads.
2. Mirror Demon - Good case; I did accept this demon; it's kind of common.
3. The Inn & Doll Demon - Expected case, but man, the shoot and acting of everyone was just amazing, mainly the doll demon. She played the role very well and very impressively.
4. Cat Demon with Nine Lives was a nice play to connect many things.
5. The Snake Demon—Sad they were not given much importance and were sidelined because of the turning-on-leads story. He deserves more screentime, and I feel sad for him. Very good, demon.
The white bird was a nice play to the story.
6. Painting Demon Case—The demon case that took too much EP and dragging; it was kind of nice but dragged a lot and was given unnecessary importance. The guy playing the sand demon—man, I hate him now. I hated his role very much on Moonlight Mystique; with this role, I hate this guy.
7. The villain guy—boy, you were less interesting and made the story boring as well, very common power hunter.
The life stories of both leads were given less importance.
8. The half-brother: Thank God, man, you were not an evil person. Very happy to see that.
The ML demon arc and his demon world were almost forgotten. Why not have a story there and develop a connection because it was interesting but missing opportunity?
Overall good drama that breaks froml C-drama, which is refreshing to see.

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A Powerless and The Most Powerful

This movie is worth your time. Full of fluff scenes, and amazing chemistry between the actors. Cuteness overload. I love that he is said to be very cruel and scary, but is such a sweetheart when it comes to Mayo. A family-friendly movie, so you can watch it with your kids too. The powers confused me, but the cute scenes made it nice to watch. The ending was satisfying. I love his expression softens after seeing her. he saves her like a knight in shining armour when she was in danger, couldn't stand the thought of her having a nightmare. Keep in mind, He is an elite in the military, said to be one of the cruellest people in the whole city 🥹.ill rewatch this when I'm craving a good fluffy romance.

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Impressed by the writing and acting despite the goofy styling

I found out about this drama on Tian Shou Le, Ta Lao Gong Er Zi Shi Feng Huang MDL page. Other MDL members were talking about a werewolf drama and I got curious. I did a buddy watch of this drama with Fae and both of us enjoyed it very much.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - She's an awesome mom! I love her protectiveness over and love for her son. That dialogue when she comforted her son because his werewolf features were showing, was really touching. This is my first time watching Lin Zirong and I must say I was impressed by how she expressed her character's emotions. I'll definitely watch her other dramas.
2. ML characterisation - I loved it when he apologised for misunderstanding FL at the start of their acquaintances. It's quite rare for me to hear ML explicitly say sorry for making assumptions. Anyway I liked ML as an individual, boss/leader, and a father. Zhao Guan Yu was good in this role.
3. Romance - The romance had a good balance of sweet gestures and spicy intimacy. I usually don't like sex scenes when FL is intoxicated but in this case, it seemed that alcohol lowered her inhibitions and led her to express her true feelings. That scene was hot because she took initiative. I also liked that they talked about their feelings and initial impressions of each other.
4. Supporting characters - The kid actor was well cast and did well in his role. His eyes looked like Lin Zirong's and loved the mullet hair. ML's assistant was a great sidekick and I also liked the other werewolf who told FL about the prophecy.
5. Styling - I find the werewolf hair and paws so adorable hehehe. I wish the stylist had not used glasses on ML. Just let him rock that weird hairdo, fangs and coloured contact lenses without the glasses.
6. Wolf lore - I liked how wolf lore was integrated into the story e.g. 1 mate for life, travel in packs.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - I think the baddies at the restaurant was quite random even though they were connected to FL's cousin. However overall I think there were good variation of baddies from FL's family & ML's wolf tribe to the evil scientists.

Favourite scene
FL calmed her son who was starting to show his werewolf features in public

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I love this series but it lacks intimacy

I binge watch this for straight two days. I was here after watching Laws of attraction.

This series won me over despite initial reservations about its large cast. As an old soul with a fondness for historical settings, I was drawn to the show's unique backdrop. While I anticipated Yang, Thian's half-brother, might play the villain, I pleasantly surprised by his unwavering loyalty and love for Thian throughout the series. And I'm glad that his mother did not successfully brainwashed him. Though Yang mother's character in this series was full of hatred I find her hilarious sometimes lol.

This show is not focusing on romance but it focused more on family dynamics, business, and societal pressures. The real conflict arises when Thian's mother discovers that he is gay since he was young highlighting the struggles of acceptance in a conservative era. The character development between the leads is gradual, with Jiu's introduction spaced out over few episodes. While the chemistry between the actors is superb, their relationship lacks intimacy, which might be due to the actors' comfort level with romantic scenes, a trait also noticeable in Laws of Attraction the series.

Despite this, I enjoyed the series and appreciated its happy ending. If you're a fan of historical BL dramas with complex family dynamics, this series worth checking out.

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A window to the China the world does not much know about

I have just completed one episode and I could not resist expressing how lovely the show is. It is cinematic in its treatment, the cinematography, natural acting, stunning visuals...I am so looking forward to watching the remaining episodes.
This is a China and people the world does not know much about beyond the news about unrest that trickles out to the world.
I had to pause at several places to start reading about Xinjiang, about Altay, about the Uyghur language and in just one episode the show is opening a window to China that outsiders like me barely know about.
I am hoping that as episodes pass by I can give higher scores to the story and overall to the show.

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You don't get everything you want in life

Where do I start?
im a huge sucker for highschool cdramas. But this one made a huge impact on me. An amazing drama with good characters, visuals, storyline, morals, etc. I love the fact that this drama was realistic, and you just watch the characters grow and get mature. The love square at the beginning was good. At first, I did get second lead syndrome, but as the drama progressed, I got to understand that Xichi is perfect for Hanuer. Everyone has their problems, just like how life is very unfair and has ups and downs; first Song when his mother got paralysed, and then Xichi's dad, who died (I was not expecting that one bit). Last but not least, Hanuer's mom, who got a tumour. It showed me in life you don't always get the things you want, like Li Tian never went to Cambridge and Xichi never got his soccer dream he always had, but it did teach me to adjust and be happy even if you didn't achieve your goals. Their friendship circle is very wholesome. I first did not like the character Li Tian, but as the drama progressed, I started to love him more and more. He was the only one who noticed the love square, and He was the only person who gave comedic relief in stressful moments(ABCD😂😂). I especially loved the fact that Song Cong did not end up with QiQi. I thought she didn't deserve him, and since she's the SL, she will end up with him, but I'm glad that's not the case. The whole casting was perfect, as a person who watched the ML star in different dramas as either the second lead or as the Ex, I think this drama is his path to success. It's painful to watch the always funny, chaotic, easy-going person as Xichi goes to a mature person after his dad died. Overall, a great drama to watch to teach you life lessons, amazing couples, good comedic scenes and very nostalgic. And you'll get motivated to study after their hard work. The romance is slow burn, but as soon as it starts, you'll melt with cuteness. highly recommend this drama!

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strong visuals, weak plot/production value (watch suggestions)

Overall: I'm hoping they get a better script in Doctor's Mine. 30 episodes about 8 minutes each (not including the intro/end credits). Aired on Kongthup's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-3lmw1GIQMkzjvvXYxvOC0yN5ih5-OeB&si=qXXf3GlWE0mGTY8M

Content Warnings: suicide in episode 1, start at 3:45 to skip it, non con touching, voyeurism, past: drugging, murder, blood

Watch Suggestions (focus on sweet/steamy romance moments)
- start at 3:45 in episode 1
- skip ep 2
- episode 3 watch 6:30-end
- skip ep 4
- episode 5 watch 8-end
- episode 6 watch 7-end
- episode 7 watch 2:30-end
- watch episode 8
- episode 9 end at 4:40
- episode 10 watch 2:45-end
- episode 11 skip 4:30-7:05
- watch episode 12
- episode 13 skip 6-end
- skip ep 14
- episode 15 watch 4-5
- episode 16 watch 4:20-8:05
- skip eps 17 & 18
- episode 19 start at 4:45
- watch episodes 20 & 21
- end episode 22 at 8 min
- watch episode 23
- skip episode 24
- watch episode 25
- skip episodes 26-29
- watch episode 30 6:50-end

What I Like
- the actors
- clear premise
- the first shower scene lol
- supportive friends
- intimacy

Room For Improvement
- 1 minute intro and 1 minute credits were too long for such a short series (also repetitive flashbacks and overly long recaps, episode 5 had 4 minutes of recap!)
- spent too long on the first scene in episode 1, overall the plot dragged/was repetitive, the story could have easily been told in half the runtime
- totally nonsense approach from the ML, he could have had a 2 minute conversation at the very beginning instead of being creepy, he later said he wasn't allowed to say anything and then shortly thereafter explained things
- several scenes were too dark and it was difficult to see the actor, it was very blurry I keep trying to change it to 1080 only to realize it was on 1080
- sound effects
- moping for multiple episodes
- more angst for several episodes
- production value (several scenes at night were way too dark, it was frequently blurry, I liked the song but it played over and over and over again)

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Another overhyped series with disappointing outcome

Yeah, no. I gave this series a chance when it first aired and then gave it another chance after the sixth episode aired, but the outcome is still the same – disappointing to the max. GMMTV needs to understand that paring down two good-looking actors is not the only ingredient to make a show sell. The leads are not the best at delivering the story, the emotions of the characters, or their body language. Sure, they are good-looking, but that’s not why I was interested in the series in the first place. It’s the straightest BL couple to date. I’m sorry, but they are not doing as good of a job as I first thought they would when I first saw the trailer.

Moving forward to the storyline itself, it’s great that we finally see a new concept in the BL world, but man, this was very poorly done. From the CGI in the first episode to the cringey moments and predictable plot, GMMTV needs to step it up and make their production better. The soundtrack was also nothing to write home about.

For those who are new to this genre or love the leads, especially Joss, go ahead and watch it. It’s nothing spectacular, but for me, this is another overhyped series whose delivery was very disappointing.

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I Wish This Was A Healing Drama

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I decided to watch this because I was feeling a cozy town romance. I was surprised when I got something different.

Acting/Cast: This drama is well cast. I’m not too familiar with Kim Seol Hyun (김설현), who plays the female lead, but she was good. I am a fan of Yim Sin Wan (임시완), however. I know he can act. I don’t think this was a role that required a lot from him, acting-wise, but he fit the role nicely. I like Shin Eun Soo (신은수) as well, as I always enjoy her acting. The cast had good chemistry together. 7.5/10

Writing: Um…this is weird for me to say but...the murder mystery stuff wasn’t necessary. I felt like it took away from the story. I was really vibing with this drama, too. It had a My Liberation Notes feel to it at first. The female lead is really dumb in the beginning. People are telling her straight to her face how they feel about her and she’s somehow still surprised by their actions towards her. It’s frustrating, but that just means there’s room to grow...or maybe that was just a directing issue… Because I don’t think she really changes from being a doormat. She instead finds a place where people appreciate her. So, there is no real character growth. There's also a weird story arc about an abusive alcoholic father, who, for some reason, gets a free pass. This young girl is miserable, and everyone rather protect the alcoholic. It was really strange and seemed to go against the female lead's quest for freedom from assholes (since she doesn't actually become stronger, she just finds a chill place where she doesn't need to grow). Shin Eun Soo's acting was on point though. She has no protection at school, she has no protection at home, but SHE'S the problem? I could feel her frustration and desperation. Although, it made the other characters reactions to her situation even more strange. Anyway, the female lead’s revelation early on in the drama was inspiring to me. The idea that she has worked for years for terrible people, saved up some money, and now she can just go do nothing in a new place with no pressures. That’s awesome. It actually helped me a lot to stop stressing about my job (of course this only works for people who are good at saving money and budgeting). That’s why I wish this drama was just of the healing and romance genre. It has really good vibes. I feel like the murder mystery stuff just rained on my parade. The romance aspect was too light, as well. This isn't a slow burn romance...it's a no burn romance. The story with the high school kids is more romantic. There’s more of a focus on past trauma due to murders...you know, the usual. It was nice to see her build bonds with the people in the town...until the murder of course. Don’t you just hate it when random murderers are running around some nice, peaceful town? If I had a nickel… Don’t mind me. I’m just annoyed that this drama harshed my mellow. Anyway, the ending is alright. 3.5/10

Direction/SFX/Music: I like the tone or aesthetics of the film style. It has a relaxing, calm feel to it. The OST is alright. It has a feminine or girly feel to it, which isn’t exactly my style. I still liked some of the songs though. 6.5/10

Entertainment Value: This was a nice watch for the most part. It feels comfy. Since it deals with a problem that everyone encounters in life, it’s relatable and inspiring. I was interested to see how the female lead’s revelation and big life change worked out for her. I wish it was a bit more easy-going for her. I mean, the murderer stuff isn’t very realistic or applicable to most people. There was a disconnect for me because of that. The treatment of Shin Eun Soo's character was disappointing, as well. 5/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 5.5/10. I keep comparing it to My Liberation Notes, which is much better written. I really like the cinematography and the overall feel of this drama, but there was a lot about the story that disappointed me. However, it was easy to get through and didn't drag.

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Toxic Story and Flawed character but must watch

Initially, I wasn't sure what to make of it and almost stopped watching after the first episode because I thought it would be confusing. However, I'm glad I persevered, as the story eventually clicked into place. If you're tempted to drop it early, I encourage you to keep going.

One aspect I appreciate about this series is its portrayal of flawed characters, particularly Ming. While some viewers might find his actions hard to accept, I think it's refreshing to see realistic, complex characters. Ming's journey from a place of hurt and possessiveness to one of growth and self-awareness is compelling. Yes, he crossed a line by hurting and locking up Joe, and being a bad and insulting boyfriend at first. This made some of the viewers tough to watch. But what's admirable is how he acknowledges his mistakes, apologizes, and works towards change.

It's also heartwarming to see Ming realize his true feelings for Joe, distinct from his earlier infatuation with Tong. The character development and emotional depth make My Stand-in a worthwhile watch. If you are not into toxic story then don't watch this. Surely you can't handle this. It's a heavy series and not light.

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