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Dec 9, 2013
This series is nearly 10 YEARS since airing, Which is crazy, One I always wanted to get around to but never did, until now.
Story: 9
The 1st Episode is crazy, The Pace of going from a typical everyday Random Encounter with a High School Girl at a Train Station to then going from an Evening trip for 2 to the local Theme Park WITH that young girl, To then at the end of the day finding out when her dad arrives to pick her up its YOUR Dad and that she is in-fact your Sister you haven't seen in many years...
How could you have these slight
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lustful desires disappear now that you are Brother & Sister?
From that initial plot is develops nicely, You see the story being told by both sides, you get a glimpse of Koshiro's work place & colleagues to Nanoka's school and her friends, The up's and down's of a newly formed Brother & Sister relationship that leads onto feelings of love.
The story is presented in a tasteful manner, No Ecchi moments or anything to take the shine off an incredible storied series, The 13 Episodes kept me glued in to see how the Up & Down roller-coaster that is their lives turns out.
This is a proper story telling experience and one that now shines even brighter, with the many Cliche driven storyline's it's refreshing to see a series like this daring to be different.
Art: 7
Such a tough subject to talk about, mainly due to the fact this series is nearly 10 years old and for screens now this can looks less than pleasing, But i liked the Art, Lovely character models and nice backdrops, For it's time this is a good looker and even now i'm still a fan of it, But some may not be due to it hasn't aged the best.
Sound: 8
Nothing bad but nothing that stands out much musically. Voices fit the characters, even if the recording's sometimes sounded strange at points, But overall a good sounding series.
Character: 10
Where this series really shines...
Koshiro Saeki - A Huge 27 year old man is not suppose to have "Lovey dovey" feelings, He is suppose to be strong and battle anything...Koshiro is visually weak, And shows this many times during the series, the pressure of falling for a 15 year old (12 years younger than him) takes it strains and this also shows and in Koi Kaze they portray it fantastically.
Nanoka Kohinata - A young 15 year old who has the pressures of being a teenager and having to handle her developing feelings for a person who is her biological Brother, She is mature and can handle it even better than Koshiro at times.
Really enjoyed her a character, She has depth to her and something that is showcased during the series.
Overall the characters develop enough for my liking, you even get a nice glimpse of the side characters and get to know their personality and styles and how that could impact on their lives be that from Koshiro or Nanoka's side of life.
Enjoyment: 9
I Really enjoyed this series, It's unique, Even with the "Incest" theme i would still implore you to watch it, The characters are very well rounded much like the story and it's a fun if not emotional 13 episodes.
Overall:
I really enjoyed this, But after reading some of the manga, they missed many things out, In some scenes they even differ from what happened in the Anime series, This was a slight down mark for the Anime adaptation, Some scenes were changed for no reason, and missed the impact that should of which was portrayed in the Manga.
And this isn't just some "Small" scenes, This is even to the bigger parts of the series
From what i have read it seems to go passed the point of the Anime and at times more well rounded so the definitive version is still the manga, But the anime is still incredible and HIGHLY recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 31, 2013
Mashiroiro Symphony: The Color of Lovers
NEVER Judge a book by its cover..........On the outside Mashiroiro Symphony reminds me more of a Game/Visual Novel adaptation rather than a Manga. Characters who seem after the first few episodes to lack any real depth or development and a series that will rely on Fan-Service or Ecchi moments to pull them through this 12 Episode series...............How wrong i was.
Story: 7
The Story is a little different with the aspect of the main character, Uryuu Shingo & others having merged schools. His school Kagamidai Private Academy is now being being merged with the "Elite" Yuihime Girls' Private Academy. This creates obvious
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tension with school mates sticking to their own groups and the boys in the merger to be somewhat alienated by a certain section of the Yuihime School thinking they shouldn't be allowed to be there as it was an all "Girls Only" School.
For me this was the "Initial" which i felt was rather unique for a School/Romance series. After this the story developed a Club story which is the driving force for the later part of the series.
Overall i enjoyed the story, But did find it lacking a little, After the unique aspect to start with it just became "Another" Club orientated series, It just didn't really have another idea to go onto and solely relied on the Character development to get them through.
Art: 8
As i hinted before this felt like more of a "Game" adaption, The characters have nice perhaps over the top styling, But it works + Also the background art and everything else is superb, Aired 2011, But far better than some i'm seeing today in 2013.
Sound: 7
All the female voices were really nice, my slight criticism would be some felt a bit too similar but you're bound to get this slight problem in many "Harem" type series. My personal favorite was Miu Amaha (Rikimaru Noriko) who's voice was perfect.
Character: 9
From my opening paragraph i mentioned that i felt this series was more similar to a Visual Novel/Game, What i mean by that the first few episodes just made me feel like the characters would be rather simplistic and really have no depth or personality to them, How wrong i was. The more the series went on they gave enough information for the people in the Harem to understand them more and you really do become attached to certain characters even if the outset you didn't think you would.
The Romantic "Harem" part was really done nicely and is a staple for any Romantic show, The story did run dry at points and many episode near the end Mashiroiro Symphony simply relied on the characters to help them get through the episodes, I for one felt this part of the show was so strong and is refreshing to see development done this well in a series i perhaps thought wouldn't have this depth.
Enjoyment / Enjoyment
Mashiroiro Symphony to me is a nice surprise, Something i felt that would another really average Romance series that had no real development or plot turned out to be a big surprise and a series i thoroughly enjoyed.
The series even wrapped up the romantic aspect and even gave additional "Bonus" Episodes to give the twist of how the other arcs could of finished which i felt was a nice touch
So overall, A very nice and well rounded Harem/Romantic series that i would highly recommend, The score is tough because 7 felt a tad too low yet 8 too high. So in the end i went for 8.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 3, 2013
Aku No Hana
Something so painful shouldn't be enjoyable...
Story: (7)
Centered around Kasuga Takao, a boy who reads books, he likes this girl at school Saeki Nanako. One day she leaves behind her gym clothes, Takao takes them without a moments thought, the following day the rumour around school is a "pervert" stole Saeki Nanako gym clothes, Takao is nervous because if she finds out he stole them, the goal he wants to be loved by will hate him. But if he destroys the clothes no one will know? well he thinks that until another girl in his class Nakamura Sawa saw him.
Overall, the Story is good,
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My slight issue is that after this initial plot it doesn't really evolve much and simply relies on the relationship(s) between the character(s) to pull Aku No Hana to the end.
Art: (6)
Backdrops in this series are really nice i have to say that first because the next is a very debatable topic, one that doesn't house a right answer, one that is subjective and thus creates issues.
The style behind Aku No Hana is done via "rotoscoping" This method pretty much is drawing over a real life film. The problem is there is far too many times it feels rather patchy and not that great, For example the distancing till when someone has features, Some key scenes lack any facial features which simply shouldn't happen. secondly at points when the characters are running or quick movement the animations feel laggy which felt sloppy.
Last negative is that the Art Style as it's being drawn or animated over Real Life people they carry the proportions of that, issue with doing this is characters are more rounded and look "Fatter" this can be rather worrying if you're fan of the manga because key characters don't look right, For example one of the main characters Saeki looks fatter and less attractive than what she does in the manga.
Overall, The art will usually be something you love or loathe, for me it's in the middle, i can understand the "Strange" vibe it gave the series but i simply don't think it was worth the risk.
Sound: (8)
Always a tough category to mark, The OP/ED Are good enough i'm paticually a fan of the outro to ED they use for every episode, really fit the strange and crazy vibe this series has. The voices are really suiting to who they represent, Saeki having a delicate, cute voice and Nakamura having a harsh and scratchy tone.
Character (8)
Nakamura Sawa - She is the driving force the catalyst for this series, An Incredibly strange individual who during the course of the series just intensifies her behavior, My overall view is she is looking for someone like her, completely odd, crazy, a deviant. She believes Takao is one, the way she manipulates and blackmails him is tough to watch, but what makes her the person you tend to fear at points rather than love.
Kasuga Takao - His character development is huge, As many people say "Never trust the quiet ones" and this quite resides in Takao, At first shy and what you can see from their on out is how his relationship (s) change and shape him, maybe some may say releases a side of him no one has seen, one he has kept hidden until the right person/people come along who he trusts to show it to.
Saeki Nanako - Her development is good too watch too, Takao puts her up on this peddle-stall and the side he see's is the ever loving/caring side who she truly is, But during the series you see that demeanor change slightly, she bares the stresses and strains a grown up relationship can create, it effects her and this is shown rather well during the later parts of the series.
Overall, the development of the characters is what makes this series progress, after the initial story not much happens and the characters have to drag Aku No Hana to the finishing line of 13 Episodes.
Kasuga Takao and Saeki Nanako arc nearer the end really didn't make any sense and brought this section's ratings down a bit.
Enjoyment (2) During (8) After
Why have i given 2 scores? Well Aku No Hana is one of the most intense, strange series i have watched this resorted in many nervous episodes where it was at times painful to view what was happening, I've not had that feeling where i really didn't enjoy it while watching because of how tense and tough to watch it was, but after it's done and i had time to reflect that's when you see the great side to the show.
So what i've done is - the during and after to get the final score of 6, It's tough viewing don't get me wrong but it's rather enjoyable is a strange way as well.
Overall
Aku No Hana as my header described as "Something so painful shouldn't be enjoyable" this term sums up this show perfectly, Each episode was incredibly tough to view, Tense,Nervous,Fear were a handful of feelings i felt during the season, But on the flip side it was enjoyable, Kinda of like how Horror films are scary and we hate being scared, but for something to be able to MAKE us scared we appreciate the series/film for that. Aku no Hana is the same for me.
As mentioned in the story, it does feel like it lacked a direction, the pacing at times were slow to show off the rotoscoping scenes which in my eyes were a mixed bag. The character development was great but on the other hand what happened between them didn't make sense in many places and even frustrated me (How Takao treats Saeki) really annoyed me, and all these negatives i have said during the review does leave a sour taste in my mouth over Aku No Hana..... It's something i know annoyed me, made it sometimes tough to even view, but i appreciated the series, It's far from being perfect but it's good in my eyes and worth your time watching.
The end hints at "End Of Season One" so that would suggest there will be a S2, I Hope this is the case because i feel the series needs it with how it finished S1.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jul 1, 2013
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru
Story (7)
Story centres around Hikigaya Hachiman who holds a distorted view on life and no friends or girlfriend. His teachers puts him into a "Volunteer Service" to join 2 other members Yukinoshita Yukino & Yuigahama Yui.
Seems a typical story, Add in 2 good looking girls and a school club setting and seems to be a good base for many Rom/Com's these days, From this sparks many episodes of the club doing activities given by requests from others students who need their help to solve an issue they have, Each one as varied as the next.
Art (8)
A really
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good looking series, Particularly a fan of the style for their characters, Like the eyes as well they gave Hikigaya & Yukinoshita.
Sound (8)
Great voice's for the characters, Stand out for me were Hikigaya and Yuigahama, Both suited their personalities perfectly.
Character (9)
So from the Story of this series i was worried how it could turn out, Was it going to be another bland Rom/Com's? Even during the first episode or so, When you get introduced to the 2 good look girls he is in a club with, It worried me even more. Thankfully Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru holds substance and depth to their characters, You gain a good insight to their personalities and for most and sense why they became who they are. And what brought them together in this club.
Hikigaya and Yuigahama are the core to this series, Being a very similar personality wise they clash frequently, each trying to out-do one another with witty, well thought out rebuttals, When Hikigaya gives his insight to solve a situation they were at times poetic and even thoughts provoking, The angle he comes in with his view was something i took on board and gave me a good perspective in life and relationships this is how incredible the dialogue is in this series.
Outside those 2 characters, Yuigahama Yui is the linchpin that holds this club and relationship together, Overly cheerful and somewhat naive she is a great contrast from Hikigaya and Yuigahama. But her character development is fantastic, I didn't expect her to grown and mature in the series, She learns how to deal with them both and to understand them, And how to put herself across.
The characters depth and development are the single key reason this series scored so highly with others and myself.
Enjoyment (8)
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru is one of those series you just don't expect to be this good from the outset, The Art/Sound were really stellar, The story was a constant and kept the series flowing nicely. But the Characters and the Development of them and the enjoyment i got from that aspect of the show is the CORE reason this rates so highly.
From a series i expected nothing from, Gave back so much to me, This is a good series and would recommend this to you if you are a fan of Comedy/Romance OR just want to see how Character Development done superbly.
Similar Series:
* Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru (But Yahari is far superior to this)
* Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! (Just less strange, More serious edge to Yahari)
Or basically any Romance inspired series with a School/Club setting.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 1, 2013
Photokano
Story (6)
Follows Maeda Kazuya, After a boring Summer he receives a gift of a Camera from his father, From there he gets addicted to it due to him seeing the ability it has to expand and enhance his social life.
Using Photography to enhance a social life or improve an non-existing one is rather unique, But that is pretty much the only positive about the story. The early episodes pans out in a way that everyone who takes pictures is perverts, It has this darker side i just didn't expect from Photokano, For example blackmailing a girl for her to take pictures of her in
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provocative poses. The Photography club is the prime example of wasted potential, They rarely have any purpose in the series and more of something Maeda stumbles into, rather than anything core to the plot.
Then like a few episodes in Photokano basically becomes "Amagami SS" Where each episodes focuses on a certain female character, In most they are resolved in one episode usually with a very romantic ending.
Art (8)
A good looking series, Isn't the best i've seen, Very similar to "Amagami SS" Art Style
Sound (7)
Voice's fit the characters and the music they used was good, Most where Piano pieces which i liked, But they all felt rather similar to one another, Even the same "Slower" tempo to fit the romantic portion of the series.
Characters (5)
As mentioned in the "Story" Photokano starts off focusing around a Photography Club, They are a constant in the Series, Yet the Characters all felt the same, Pervy with no real substance to them, This is mirrored by most of the cast, Due to the series from an early stage changing into a "Amagami SS" which refers to every episode being dedicated to a different girl who falls for Maeda. Most of these routes were finished in one episode and again most character felt a bit stereotypical and bland, Needed to have more focus to give Characters depth and some meaning.
Enjoyment (6)
Hard to say, At the start i felt this show was Strange, Really didn't have a direction to go down and was fixated of this pervy angle of taking pictures of girls in provocative poses, but i have to say after they found their feet the format of having one episode for one route (In a game) is nice and gave the series some structure but then again i felt it lacked many qualities to make it special, Characters are pretty much carbon copies of each other, Stereotypical with no depth or substance, Each episode usually ending in the same manner and result did get a bit predictable, I just hope they had more of a focus because the synopsis was promising, Yet it will be remembered by me as just one of those series that was wasted potential.
Overall it's a decent series, If you like Romance or School setting anime you will mostly like this, But in the end to me even though i some what enjoyed it, I felt it was just another "Average" series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 29, 2013
Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (Season 2)
Story (7)
The second season was for me a mixed bag for me, Many Ups and Downs and left me feeling an overall feeling of "It was ok"
I think not having a core story or plot didn't help, We know Kirino is an Otaku and we know all about her Friends etc..
So they mainly focus on the character development of the case from S1, This gives them a reason to fit a plot around rather than the characters fitting around the plot, Which at times worked, then sometimes it didn't.
Art (8) & Sound (8)
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Same style from S1, Really nice. Although on the OP/ED i preferred Season 1's
Character (8)
This season heavily relies of the Drama aspect to give depth to each character, Which for the most part was good to see, For example the real reason why Kirino likes her Brother and how that evolved over time. These parts made the Episodes worth watching, but i felt it lacked content and put some pointless plot to give the episode a direction or meaning. They only have Meaning when they developed the characters more, Episodes 7 onward did that
Enjoyment (7)
Enjoyment i felt was hanging on the development of the characters which for me was the core of the show, I enjoyed Episode 7 onward's, but before then it felt like it lacked a direction or focus and thus as explained in my introduction this season two is a mixed bag, but i have say it was worth my time and i felt it was going to be worse than it turned out to be, as i expected FAR more Fan-Service than what was shown.
Overall (7.5)
As i cannot do .5, I will be pessimistic and round down to 7, It was a decent series and was enjoyable so if you have watched Season One this is worth your time to watch.
Ending (Slight Spoiler)
OreImo leaves it open which i felt vindicates my points of their lack of direction, But they do resolve certain plots and gives the viewer a hint what could happen in the future, Will we see OreImo S3? Only time will tell.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 29, 2013
Hataraku Maou-sama!
Story (8)
Hataraku Maou-sama hooked me in, It started with 2 "Devilry" creatures are forced to drift to the other world: modern-day Tokyo.
The story follows Maou (Devil King) and his right hand man Ashiya's daily lives, Adapting to the new world, learning the culture and the ways in Japan and even getting a job and other "Real Life" things people need to learn. I found this aspect to the show rather rewarding to watch and kept the meaning of the series rather being just another Slice Of Life focusing on Characters ONLY. The balance is nice and adds elements and story twists that worked for
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the series.
Art (9)
* Backdrops are really stunning at points
* Characters are very diverse stylistically
* Characters also easily show slight emotions which was nice to see
Sound (9)
* OP - Was decent enough and catchy with the opening part of "Get out of gate"
* ED - Was nice nothing to complain about, Her voice is really good.
* Characters - All suited themselves for example Chiho's sounded Vulnerable yet feisty and Maou sounds nice when Normal, but you can tell he has a deeper/dark side to his voice which suited both of them.
Characters (8)
The characters drove the story forward and each different from one another, The slight issue is many characters are left rather one dimensional, Hardly focus on any bits in the past apart from some people from the "Other World" which for some hardly give any information, Just a simple instruction or goal.
I felt they needed to explore these further to give some depth to the characters, And they simply played on the little we know way too many times, For example knowing why Emi putting up a tough and uncompromising front when talking to/about Maou is something that got overused far too many times.
But don't get me wrong, I liked the characters i just wanted a bit more to round them off and give them needed depth.
Enjoyment (8)
Hataraku Maou-sama! is a really enjoyable series for me, Has decent characters and interesting and unique story and is pulled off rather well, Would defiantly recommend this series to you if you have watched Maoyuu Maou Yuusha (Maou Sama is better) or Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou etc.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 23, 2013
A special 13th bundled episodes to round off the Season 1 of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!, For me the original series was a blend of crazy/silly "8th Grade Syndrome" scenes but then mixed with the cutest & most heartfelt scenes (Usually ones with Rikka & Yuuta) Not many series can pull them both off well unlike this series.
The "Extra" Episode was showing off the dynamics of perfectly. The story revolves around a Christmas Party and the chaos that ensues. I enjoyed the episode for what it was, Didn't felt rushed that much and was enjoyble to delve back into the wacky and wonderful
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world of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai.
I also felt this Episode was a good appetizer for 2nd Season which was announced not that long ago and is rumored to be airing around November 2013.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 12, 2013
Hotarubi no Mori e
Love is something that can grow from a first encounter/friendship and this film shows that well.
I really liked how the feelings Hotaru has for Gin changes as she gets older and is able to fully understand and appreciate her own feelings.
The film is stunning at points, The music is a standout for me, always was fitting for the scene's + the visuals were very nice too, not the best I've ever seen even in 1080P.
Only downside i can think of, is the style of the film is mainly a Time-lapse of many Summers Hotaru has with Gin in the Forest.
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Some can take this the wrong way and find little content going on during most of these scenes, but for me i enjoyed the way the film was put together.
Hotarubi no Mori e is a small bundle of pure unrequited love that is an enjoyable 44 Minutes. It's a shame it wasn't any longer i would of loved a little bit more but it was short and sweet and defiantly worth your time to watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 19, 2013
Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki
Story: 8/10
Follows Hana a young university student who falls for a guy in her class, they spark up a friendship at first meeting on a regular basis, until one day where Ookami has to come clean, he hid a side of him he would only share to the person he trusts which is Hana, he shows that he is also a wolf (Wolfman) Hana accepts Ookami for who he truly is and become more than friends they eventually get married and have 2 kids (Yuki & Ame) Their life was going fantastically until one rainy day Ookami didn't come
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back home, Hana curious to where he might of gone starts looking for him until she spots a wolf lying dead in a open sewer area. She's lost her husband and father to those 2 kids who now have to brought up by Hana alone with massive hurdles to overcomes, one being they are Wolf Children, how can they adapt to normal society.
When i first saw the "wolf" part i was hoping this wouldn't be a cashing in on something that was popular in culture due to Twilight films, thankfully it wasn't.
The overall feeling i got from this film was its portrayal of how you have to adapt even if you think it can be difficult or near impossible, That and also how much stress and strains children and situations like this could cause to a single mum in Hana.
Art: 9/10
At time this film is simply stunning, i am a fan of the character design their facial features seem smaller than normal but it really worked nicely. Beautiful.
Sound: 9/10
Not many musical tracks but the voice acting is amazing, Love Hana's delicate voice, everything oozes class with Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki.
Characters: 9/10
Area where this film REALLY shines, the character development is fantastic it's nice to see how the 2 wolf children grow up its a journey through the early years of their life's and great to see how they overcome problems and turn into who THEY Truly are.
Even the minor or side characters are really good.
I love how they portray Hana the most, Losing her husband and having to look after 2 children who are not normal takes a strain of her, but she never ONCE complains, only smiles.
Overall: 9/10
Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki is a wonderful film, everything simply oozes class. I loved the characters they are which make Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki fantastic, it's all done with poise and perfection, my only slight issues were, I expected a little more to happen Story wise, after the initial plot it simply relies too much on the Characters and Slice Of Life aspect to bring the film through, Don't get me wrong i enjoyed it but i wanted more to happen at times which were left unfulfilled. That is my reasoning to mark this as a 9/10 Stunning film and worth the 1 Hour 57 Mins or so.
Series Or Films Its Like?:
I would say as this was done by director Mamoru Hosoda,His other works. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars would be worth checking out. Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki feels more a mix of his previous works and put together with series like Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai! and Usagi Drop, Which i think they a more similar too as a core part of the film is Hana raising both kids.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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