The Gay Ninja Show: Still Gay
You know that gay show about emo ninjas I stopped watching approximately two years ago? Well I recently decided to give Nabari no Ou another chance.
Every so often I fumble a show, that is to say, I drop it unintentionally. Such was the fate of Nabari no Ou upon its licensing. I cared so little about the show that I simply forgot it existed when fansubs stopped coming out. Fast forward two years. Since I’m currently in no condition to watch a complete series, I’d been browsing some streaming sites for series I’d half-finished. After coming across Slam Dunk and Eyeshield 21 on Crunchyroll, I moved over to Hulu where I found Nabari no Ou (along with Higurashi and Claymore!). I would’ve stayed on Crunchyroll a bit longer if not for their sleazy business tactics. Their master plan for selling premium memberships: bombard freeloaders the most annoying Skittles ads in the universe until they pay up.
I used to love Skittles. When I was little I pretended they were gummiberries. Now I’m never buying Skittles again.
As I was saying, Nabari no Ou is really emo and gay. Sasuke tried out for the show but got rejected for being too straight and self-assured. FUNimation deliberately downplayed the gaiety, instead choosing to advertise the show from the action-comedy angle. Effective? Hell yeah, the trailer looks fucking awesome. Misleading? Grossly.
You just saw half of the action in the entire show.
The action isn’t bad; it’s just non-existant for large stretches. The show is more of a drama than anything else. There’s about a 20:1 ratio of feelings scenes to fight scenes. Instead of bloodthirsty hardcore ninja battles, you get anorexic, brooding girly-men with hair in their eyes whining about their insecurities. The main character doesn’t know any ninja techniques. His only skill is manipulating onlookers with moé.
The teacher has black hair, so you might think he’s Japanese until you find out he’s Irish. The adversary-turned-ally points his fingers to unleash a forbidden technique known as kira.
There are only two unambiguously male character designs: a guy with sideburns and a guy with a goatee. Naturally, both are bad guys, because men are evil.
Harem? No, unless it’s a gay harem. Everyone in this pictures is supposedly male.
Like far too many series nowadays, Nabari no Ou got an anime-original ending because the manga is still running. I could tell without having to look it up. Characters were irrelevant, like that immortal guy and that elegant psycho blind chick. Issues were unresolved. Deaths came a little too easily. All are classic signs of a cop-out ending. I’d neglect it under the forward progress rule, but it’s not enough to change the final grade.
Final Grade: ~
Though the ending of the ninja side of the show left much to be desired, the ending of the drama side was well done. The dramatic moments throughout the series were compelling at times, just not enough to justify all the feelings talk.
Would the manga be better? I’m honestly tempted to skim it. Despite the characters looking girly and wanting to sodomize each other, the cast overall is pretty strong. The plot had potential as well.
Tags: adventures of the gummi bears, cop-out endings, fumbled anime, gaaaaaaaaaaaaay, get a haircut ya hippie, nabari no ou, non-japanese characters looking more japanese than japanese characters, real men have sideburns, shocked i have not used the gaaaaaaaaaaaaay tag yet, single tilde
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August 12th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
I had never heard of this series until now. After reading your review, I’m glad I had never heard of this series until now. It sounds absolutely terrible. Now if I could only forget I ever read this article, I could go on living in ignorant bliss.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
If you entered Miharu and obtained the magical power inside him, which is totally not gay, you could alter the universe such that you never read this article.
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August 12th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
I fumbled this one as well when it got licensed and all the takedowns happened. It was pretty gay as I recall. Someday I’ll probably finish it because I can’t say I hated it.
I haven’t read that far into the manga but as of the first book it is fairly dead-on with the series.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Good, saves me the trouble of starting at the beginning. The series felt like it was the type that was true to the manga until a few episodes from the end. It explains why there were so many unresolved issues and useless characters.
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August 12th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
It was THE most BORING show I had EVER WATCHED. Ever.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Never seen K-ON?
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RP Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
Yeah, but K-ON has yuri undertones which is +. Nabari no Ou wasn’t just the most boring anime I’ve ever seen, but definitely the gayest one too.
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August 12th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
I watched the first 4 eps back when it was airing, and liked things about it, but I got too bored by all the infodumping in ep 4 to continue. I’ve considered picking it up again though for the sole fact that Miharu is played by Rie Kugimiya. And maybe because I want to rape him >.>
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
I don’t remember any infodumping, but it was two years ago, so there’s a lot I don’t remember.
Miharu certainly sounded like a girl. Maybe it was Rie, maybe it wasn’t. The only voice actress I can recognize with any consistency is Mamiko Noto.
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August 12th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
When I heard “gay ninja show” I assumed this would be about Naruto.
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TJ Reply:
August 12th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
That was exactly what I thought as well.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 11:50 am
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August 12th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
I personally, enjoyed this show. Apparently, not enough to finish it, though. I’ll have to make a visit to Hulu.
Also, if you pay the premium membership on Crunchyroll, you’ll get no ads and an award every time you watch a new show (I’m not kidding). Plus, it plays on the PS3.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Someone too cheap to buy a premium Crunchyroll membership is probably too cheap to have a PS3. Case in point: me. The PS3 is almost five years old though. That’s usually around when I buy a “new” system.
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August 12th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Why you still insist in picking those crappy shows to watch in the first place ? (example: Nabari no Ou, Naruto Filler/Shippuden, One Piece…et cetera)
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digitalboy Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 3:38 am
Because he’s a cool guy who doesn’t afraid of anything.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
This too.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Because I’m the most objective, unbiased reviewer ever. I can’t know for sure if something sucks unless I watch it.
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Thiago Pagogna Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
that’s why i keep reading your site so much, now i don’t have to loose my time watching crap, you do it for me =P (like in I-WATCH-KON-SUCH-AS-YOU-DON’T-HAVE-TO)… sorry, lazy to search for the reference post =P
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August 12th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
I recommending using Adblock Plus add-on for Firefox. I get no pop-up ads on crunchyroll and any other sites, and it blocks even most embedded ads.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Holy shit, I think this actually works. You have earned 10 Baka-Raptor Rewards Points.
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maha Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
I earning it
…yea, don’t know how that extra -ing appeared in my original comment. I calling shenanigans
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August 12th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
That funimation trailer honestly makes me want to watch it, because it does look pretty damn good.
However, I just can’t stomach girly men, and God knows that I hate when people talk about their feelings. Personally, I don’t have feelings, cuz feelings are gay:
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
The trailer looks awesome. It’s a shame it’s nothing like the show.
Even for a regular show there was too much drama, and we’re talking about ninjas here. Under no circumstances should ninjas ever have feelings. What do they think they are, robots?
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August 12th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
You have done what I cannot do, finishing this anime. But now I am compelled to do so.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
You’d better finish it. There’s no way I can have a higher tolerance for gayness than you.
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August 13th, 2010 at 6:50 am
“This video contains content from Funimation Entertainment, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds.”
Oh, fiddlesticks.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Depending on what country you’re from, the video may have actually been blocked on grounds of rampant homosexuality.
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August 13th, 2010 at 7:18 am
Ah I remember the quest to find subs of this when it got licensed – not because I enjoyed it, but rather because I just wanted it finished and out of the way! Normally the Inner Fangirl is all over these angsty, ambigiously gay shows, but Nabari was a bit to emo and whiney even for her!
Still the action was good when it happened, and I liked the character designs. The fact the teacher is meant to be Irish still amuses me though.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
There you go. The show is amusing from the otaku angle at times, like with that one guy who’s always playing dating sims.
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August 13th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Ah man!I have been wanting to see Nabari since long!!
Its main character seemed really cool in the pic!
Plus the soundtracks are by Ooshima Michiru (who composed the awesome 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist soundtracks)
I really hope I enjoy the anime!!
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
I really hope you enjoy it too. But if you don’t, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
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August 13th, 2010 at 11:39 am
When I saw the title of this post, I automatically assumed it was about Naruto. As I clicked on it, I was already formulating my comment: “Still not as gay as Nabari no Ou!” And then I saw it WAS about Nabari no Ou… which, incidentally, I just started re-watching/finishing, since I’d gotten through about twenty episodes when it was licensed.
I would argue that the manga is gutsier than the show is… or at least it was when I stopped reading (it got licensed, so I decided to just switch over to the official releases). The manga-ka actually did stuff in it that I never thought she actually would.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Naruto is A Gay Ninja Show. Nabari no Ou is THE Gay Ninja Show.
Gay rape? Necrophilia? Please do something to limit my imagination.
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A Day Without Me Reply:
August 15th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Nah, nothing like that, she just actually did what she said she would, something a lot of manga-ka could really take a hint from. I’m trying really hard to not spoil it, though, its a fairly important plot-point. I’m also assuming she didn’t backtrack on it a few chapters later.
Good point about the difference between Naruto and Nabari no Ou. Also, though: Miharu > Naruto. Miharu gets big points for not being a total retard, though, so that may be damning with faint praise. But I really did like what I read of the manga and what I’ve seen of the TV show, so I don’t really mean it that way.
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August 13th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
I don’t even know why the blonde chick is present in Nabari no Ou. It’s not like most guys watch this kind of stuff. And I’ve heard that the lack of action is a common complaint.
You know what other show has a trailer that looks completely badass? Birdy the Might Decode. Too bad it has a shitty title. But the presence of a female lead in a bathing suit means that at least it won’t be completely gay.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Isn’t the blonde chick a self-insert character for female viewers? It fulfills the common female fantasy of living in a world full of gay guys. I never saw her as eye candy for male viewers; then again, I usually go for older women, like that mind-reading chick.
Birdy is another show I fumbled around the same time. I’m getting on it right after I’m done with Spice & Wolf.
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Leanie Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
I always assumed there was no way she could be a self-insert character because she was blonde and not overtly an everygirl. In the male version of shows like this the self-insert is always really bland and unnoticeable. Guess it’s different for guys.
Being a girl, if I’m gonna watch a show about gay guys, I don’t want any girls in there. That would defeat the purpose.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Yeah, I feel the same way about guys on lesbian shows. All that straightness ruins everything.
Raimei had brown eyes, if that’s enough to drag a blonde girl back down to normal in anime. In any case, I’d say Miharu makes a much better female self-insert character. Theory #2: she’s there for the brother-sister relationship. Maybe a brother-brother relationship wouldn’t be as appealing to girls, but that’s probably not true, and Raikou was given a little brother figure anyway. I give up.
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August 13th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
On the one hand: It has hot guys wearing bakerboy hats in it.
On the other hand: ANN summary sounds boring.
Hrm, decisions, decisions…
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
On the one hand: Unless you have hands you’re not telling me about, my writing has not influenced your decision in any way.
On the other hand: I now know what those hats of yours are called, even if you accidentally said they were on “hot guys” instead of “guys who look like 12-year-old girls.”
Your comment made me sadder but wiser.
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Hana Reply:
August 14th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Okay, now I feel bad. I’m sorry. If I had any Gummiberries, I would send them to you. (They don’t sell them around here anymore, unless you want Jelly Babies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jelly_baby )? Though I’m guessing, after looking at those images, you probably don’t.)
For the record, though: your writing did make me want to check out this hitherto unheard of by me series (esp. the lines ‘anorexic, brooding girly-men [but nonetheless men, not shouta bait] with hair in their eyes whining about their insecurities’ and ‘the ending of the drama side was well done. The dramatic moments [...] were compelling at times’. You are talking to a Fruits Basket fan). However, the trailer didn’t work for me either (bloody Funimation grr) and I wanted to know more about the plot, hence the ANN cross-referencing.
Incidentally, Bakerboy hats are fucking fantastic. They look good in virtually all fabrics, colours and patterns, and they suit pretty much everyone, got loads of ‘em myself (compact, but also roomy enough for stuffing long hair into). In short, they are all kinds off Win. And no I don’t work for Accessorize (http://tinyurl.com/3xjv28r). If I did, I’d be broke. And they’d never get their staff discount card back. Ever.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 14th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
I hope Jelly Babies are at least as delicious as they are creepy.
I heard the entire Sohma family tried out for Nabari no Ou, but they were all rejected for being overweight.
I can’t trust people with Bakerboy hats. Makes you look like you’re hiding something. Nobody’s head could be that big. They also look like they’d fall off easily. I prefer hats with a lower center of gravity.
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Hana Reply:
August 15th, 2010 at 8:51 am
To be honest, I can’t remember, it was too hard to eat them without feeling like a cannibal.
I watched the first epi. I thought the first 5-10 mins were promising. Then I got increasingly annoyed with megane guy and the boy who cried moe. However, the hot teacher made things bearable, until I started wincing every time he busted a move, thinking he was gona bust one of his toothpick limbs. (You were right, the Sohma boys would completely kick their arses. Even Ayame). However, I kept watching, waiting for Mr Bakerboy hat to appear. But. He. Didn’t. GRR.
In short: it was too vague, too slow paced and too boring. The BL stuff wasn’t even fangirl-worthy, it was just lame. In shorter: I’ll never doubt you again.
Until you review the next girly looking show.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
The teacher lives with a female. Sometimes he performs CPR on her. She’s a paleontologist. The fact that he hasn’t married her yet is proof that he’s gay.
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August 14th, 2010 at 7:38 am
I discreetly recall a close ex-friend liking this show exactly for the gayness in it. Of course she was into that sort of thing.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 14th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
No wonder she’s an ex-friend.
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August 15th, 2010 at 12:07 am
I remember trying to watch that show but I couldn’t even make it pass the introduction. I don’t remember ninjas controlling giant tentacle things that come out of the ground. From reading over this post I guess I was lucky.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 15th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
It lasted about 3 seconds and never happened again. Like I said, it’s the most misleading trailer in the universe. The trailer might even be a ninja in disguise.
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August 15th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Oh yes this show. I watched this and thought it was okay until…
SPOILER
–
they made friends with the ‘bad guys’, the blonde girl gets her plot resolved in a fairly quick and anti-climatic fashion, and the main character runs off with the the guy with magical cancer.
–
SPOILER
I think I’ve been at episode 22/26 of this show for about a year. Time to move it from On-Hold to Droppped on MAL I think.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
I accidentally had the show listed as completed. It was a factor in my decision to complete the show for real. I advise you to officially drop the show and never look back.
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August 15th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
Fuck you ass hole, those Skittles commercials are awesome. Will probably start watching anime on crunchyroll for the promise of Skittle ads before a show.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Well, Sockfucker here likes watching old men tonguing socks. Good for you, Sockfucker.
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August 19th, 2010 at 8:07 am
I haven’t watched this show and did not plan to do that anytime soon.
What’s sad was when I tried to watch the trailer you put up above, it said the clip was blocked for my country and all I could watch was that sock commercials.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 2:57 am
If it’s any consolation, the show was only slightly better.
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August 23rd, 2010 at 1:36 am
I’ve never even heard of this. Seems mediocre, which I suppose is good. I don’t have time for more anime anyways.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 2:53 am
Lucky you, I have a whole slew of mediocre anime ripe for reviewing.
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August 25th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
I hate you. I was slowly re-watching the episodes I’d watched when it aired with the idea of finishing it off finally. Your post made me go back and start watching it at a faster pace, and I just finished it and cried into my fucking keyboard because I am a raging loser. Ugh, if you hadn’t posted about it, I could’ve delayed that embarrassing behavior until after I started living on my own and not had a room-mate ask me what the hell was wrong with me and start freaking out… only for me to say I’d watched something sad. That was a cartoon. Geez.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 2:53 am
Wow, you are a loser. However, it’s nice to have someone backing up my opinion that the ending was dramatic. I wasn’t a big enough loser to cry about it though.
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August 30th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
[...] three days to put off blogging this epi: pretended that I had another wedding to attend; watched a gay ninja show even though I was told not to; did an inventory of how many Bakerboy hats I own; ate some dessert [...]
September 25th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
In the manga: Miharu actually used powers, there was more action and comedy, emo-guy was an emo-guygirl for realz – he had both girl and guy bits, apparently.
Much more awesome. Still probably not your thing.
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May 16th, 2011 at 9:14 pm
I have to agree that the anime of Nabari no Ou sucks. The beginning was so dragging (to me anyway). It even reminds me of Soul Eater, forcibly finished even though I love SE (I hate the ending of its anime is LAME, LAME, LAME!!!).
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