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Jan 26, 2023
Short Review:
Objective rating: 7/10 (as of episode 3)
Personal Rating: 9/10 DnD + Isekai = Awesome
Alright sound, Decent-Great animation, unique story, interesting cast of characters, interesting narrative format
Long review:
Handyman Saitou certainly belongs to a top 15… OR even a “Top 10 Best Isekai Anime” list. If we’re basing the rankings off on production, story, and innovative qualities, then without a doubt Handyman Saitou is one of the greatest isekai’s released so far. Of course, this show is still currently airing, so take this all with a grain of salt.
If you like comedy, adventure, and a bit of romance or wholesome stuff…then you’ll surely be entertained
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by this anime. But beware, the romance or wholesome moments are genuine yet they can be a tad mature. Of course it’s a fantasy, but unlike others before it, I believe this is show is a rare example of D&D representation in anime. It isn’t completely Dungeons and Dragons, but it isn’t completely generic recycled content either. Or if it is, then it’s done splendidly well.
The biggest downside to this show for many people might be the format it presents itself. The story is decentralized, meaning that it’s broken up into pieces and is presented in a faster-than-average manner to the viewer. It strongly resembles its manga counterpart by following short scenes as one of the many segments which fill up the whole episode. Each segment lasts for about a couple minutes before switching to another scene, which could be in a different location, time, or with another cast of characters somewhere else in the world. When you don’t see our main character, Handyman Saitou, then you’ll likely be seeing the other cast. What’s great (or maybe not great) about this is that the show switches to side story with those different characters. These short stories don’t directly connect with the main story, but they aren’t completely arbitrary either. So far, in the first three episodes none of the side characters have interacted with the main cast, but once they do, I’m sure it will become a satisfying progression. Plus, the side characters are interesting on their own.
I enjoy pace of this show. It might be too fast for some people(like Lucky Star skits), which might make it hard to follow, but I still enjoy that, why? Simply because more content is shown, due to its short segments. There is extra fulfillment in this iskai that some other isekai shows lag behind in comparison. Handyman Saitou offers good story progression and wonderful world building. Also regular narratives of some other isekai can sometimes be too long, dull, or give room for boring 'empty space’. Handyman Saitou doesn’t do this, so that’s why I think this show excels at being a good isekai anime. It takes advantage of its manga-style presentation by directly touching the main point of every scene it presents, and then swiftly moves on. However, it doesn’t forget the previous information it had left behind. Whether a minute ago or a few episodes ago. Instead, as the show moves on it continues to build upon itself one way or another. Usually either for adventure, romance, or comedy or all three. When the show comes and goes, I believe it indirectly provides You with the sensations of seeing and feeling this otherworld in a way which lends itself for both the viewer's character progression and Saitou's as well. Because just like Saitou, we are also new to this otherworld.
Yet, because the story takes place about half a year after Saitou’s transmigration, he’s more or less become assimilated into to this otherworld. He is a participatory subject inside that world, just like his native teammates are. And that’s why he’s an interesting MC you should care about. Not because he’s an overpowered unrelatable cool guy with amazing magical powers (leave that to Oldman Morlock), but because he’s a foreigner, with foreign skills, and a foreign mindset. The WHY and HOW he interacts with the otherworld IS the interesting part of his adventure. And luckily, he’s a handyman. A jack of all trades, but a master of none. His skills aren’t literally overpowered, but they can become powerful because of the setting he’s in allows for him to become a valuable member for his adventuring-party. His skill? Lockpicking, and more. Just like the whole show, Saitou and his activities are fairly reasonable and realistic. Especially for an isekai.
Some other things:
-It’s not a generic isekai. But it’s a GOOD run-of-the-mill dungeon-fantasy resembling D&D sometimes
-The MC is generally not overpowered. The only overpowered thing about him is his power to conquer Raelza’s heart!
-Interesting parallels between the otherworld and modern Japanese trends, like marriage consultancies and “more women adventuring” also equals to “the dungeon-economy has become less profitable because there’s more women adventuring”
This is a poor review because I probably haven’t mentioned the things that deserved mentioning… Just watch the show! I think it's super underrated, especially since it’s a great isekai which has its own soul and style. The creators ought to be rewarded. Oh, and did I mention that its art style SLIGHTLY reminds me of Mushoku Tensei, or is that just me?
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 13, 2022
Objective rank 5/10 or 6/10
Personal ranking: 7/10
I recommend this isekai anime because it invites a semi-raw experience as you watch your 'generic op MC' go on an adventure in a fantasy world. The MC is certainly not the most interesting fella in existence, but what the show promises on, it delivers.
One of the greatest issue of this show, in my opinion, is the pacing. A lot of people will find it not so good. Aside from the MC, the other character you meet seem equally boring and 1 dimensional. Perhaps the whole world and the 'plot' is also boring...
Yet, if you're willing to immerse
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yourself into the isekai and go in without high expectations then this show will certainly entertain you. What I appreciate here is the MC and his genuine bonds with his familiars. It's a chill and passive relationship, maybe not a strong relationship but it's better than nothing when you're an ex-black company employee who overworked himself to death, finding yourself woken up in a fantasy world, then discover that you possess overpowered magic from an ancient Sage... what do you do? You go on an adventure, a type of adventure without a strong purpose except exploration and personal fulfillment for the MC. It's a type of adventure I wouldn't mind hopping along with.
Something which the anime could've done better is the portrayal of the MC. You get some blurry flashbacks but I am afraid that's not enough for some viewers who might not instantly register the kind of life (black company employee) the MC had previously before his transmigration. The way this isekai works as an isekai is that there is a good reason why the MC is a dull character who seems like he has a boring personality. I'd rather portray it as "a tired dude just wants to live well and is trying to learn how"
The show and the animation itself is sometimes awkward. But it's this type of awkwardness that might've been intentional, or probably not. Either way, I personally like it because it contains a "raw" charm to the show. It's the type of show which might have some epic music in the background but for the overall adventure, it's atmospheric. And for some odd reason... the seemingly lackluster supporting or background characters you encounter each episode alongside the MC... they feel a little more 'alive' and immersive because... maybe it's because the MC is dull? It balances out in the end. And maybe that's part of the reason why this show is unpopular, it's too mid.
If you're looking for something very unique or high-quality, then this is not it. But if you want to watch a "good type of generic" isekai, then this is something I recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jul 25, 2022
Fair score = 6, my score because I enjoyed the show = 7
Since there are already many reviews which give this show a bad score, I will just state somethings which I liked about this show.
-I like the big brother character of the main character. I love how he is in a bear suit and how cheerful he is. Later on in the show he also remained as a character I enjoyed seeing.
-Infinite Dendrogram, for all of it's lackluster happens to also have a lot of cool concepts which I personally find fascinating and enjoy seeing in anime format. As an isekai it is
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interesting, the setting is interesting and even though it's 'yet another mmorpg' or 'yet another isekai', if you pay attention just a little bit you'll notice interesting bits and pieces scattered throughout the show.
-This is the first time I've seen an anime character say 'XD' and 'THX' and 'lol'. I don't know how to feel about this in the grand scheme of things, but it was at least pleasantly shocking for me.
-Besides the older brother in the bear costume, while I dislike some of the design or general 'generic' aspects of other side characters, most of them still have a lot of neat perks about them and their personalities which I appreciate. It's even better on later in the show when those intricate details become more fleshed out.
-The show reminds me of Log Horizon and Sword Art Online in good ways. For those who received and appreciated the awesome aspect of "what if this game existed" like in Sword Art Online, this show did it for me. And even better, while the show isn't very similar to Log Horizon, I really like how the story explores the gameplay mechanics and possibilities of the video game. Plus, you could feel a larger online world ongoing behind the scenes.
I tried watching this in 2020 but only reached up to the 3rd episode before dropping. Now, I've recently decided to try and rewatch the show, starting at episode 3/4 because I somewhat remember the first couple of episodes containing a lot of things that irked me with this anime. But now having tried watching this show again and reaching the end, there are still many moments where I thought the plot was bad or not as good as it could've been. YET, I am HAPPY to say that I had a much more enjoyable experience than anticipated. I found more things in this show which I liked rather than disliked. And yes, I am an anime only. From what I've glanced at on the internet, I'm pretty sure the Light Novel is a LOT better than this adaptation according to the high MAL score and random comments I've seen posted, I believe them.
This was a pretty crappy review but I genuinely enjoyed the show. There were 'problems' I spotted and complained about, but for me that was part of the fun while watching the show which helped keep me entertained. Like, some scenes I thought were dumb and they sometimes even made me hurt watching them, but I couldn't help but look at them anyways.
I certainly don't think this show is anywhere below an overall 3 (unless you are sad about the terrible adaptation), however, it's certainly not above an 8 or a 7.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 23, 2022
It's good! It's soo good! Okay, I'll just say what I like about it. (contains minor/few spoilers)
-The setting is unique, set in a small countryside town in modern Japan.
-The theme is unusual, cool, and also unique, it is about the revival of a small town from population decline to prosperity, and the show doesn't go around this subject in a very neat or easy way but a fairly realistic and practical manner which I appreciate. Especially since this is a real issue today, and seeing the issue brought up in an anime is heartwarming to say the least, even if I'm not from a small
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community like that.
-The main character is so cute! A normal person who values and seeks abnormality. They are a recent college graduate with no luck finding a job in Tokyo, an urban center full of opportunity! Instead, her opportunity is back at the countryside...yet not even back at her hometown, instead in a foreign community that is largely indifferent. But, our MC finds ways to help this town in a positive way that aligns with the small town's community values...while also finding herself and about her values in the same process...Oh and, I guess the most important part is that the MC reminds me of Rimuru Tempest from that slime isekai show (y'know...that one), why? Well, she sure doesn't have super powers nor is this show an Isekai. But, the charm of the MC that reminds me of Rimuru is her cute expressions that are foolish, adorable, curious, peculiar, sneaky, sly. The character feels very much alive and real (like most other characters in this show)...yet she fulfills the role of the main protagonist who inspires others with the power of kindness and high level persuasion skills in a fulfilling manner.
-The rest of the cast of characters are fairly well developed, especially the main supporting characters that are often around Rimu- I mean our MC 'Yoshino'. But, the cast of characters in this show is large particularly for the "background" characters. They all also feel alive and full of personality, and I don't think I've seen any characters in this show which directly remind me of a stereotype. Sure, these aren't real people, but those characters are built on (the elderly, shop owners, kusogaki curry "I wanna go to Tokyo because my hometown sucks" girl, etc.) a well developed essence to each one of them that as the show progress I could feel immersed with this fictional community.
Art style...uh, it's not bad, right? And it probably isn't a masterwork. Yet, everything seems to match together very well. The backgrounds especially are probably renditions of real life locations, and the movements of the anime characters is interesting to look at sometimes because I don't often see those types of animations (like a drunk failed actress dancing as a semi-hostage in a room full of separatist elderly village people, or kids dressed up as zombies or kids and teenagers beating those drums).
The story? I love the story! Why should I try to review the story which I enjoyed thoroughly? What good would me pin pointing a certain part of the show which may or may not have bugged me, even though the end product was still great? Well, there is probably a good reason, but the point is that the plot does progress and the plot is interesting. This is a WORK-LIFE Slice of Life type anime show, so it doesn't have any queen slaying dragons, instead a hometown queen supporting her UMA-Minister friend to sing a song which adores and apologizes the dragon. Oh, and I like the international undertones throughout the series, especially the enigma which is Sandal and the Spanish folks.
Sound? Can't tell if it's great or not but it's certainly not terrible. There isn't a masterpiece orchestral soundtrack for this show either, but once again, everything worked out the way it was. And the UMA-Minister's song is sweet and simple.
Personally, I enjoyed this show immensely from start to finish. So, I give it a 10/10.
But, reality is calling me and is telling me to be more objective...so, if YOU are someone who likes these types of shows then I would say this anime is a solid 8/10. 6/10 if you are trying to be really fair. And, anything below that would be a cruel judgement...you "young foolish outsider"...baka!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 12, 2022
I adore it! Obviously our perspectives are probably different.
But, I don't think some people understand or appreciate how great/fun this short show is! Well, I don't even understand it myself very well... Yet, this is what I think. Like the lyrics of the Ending song "we are not miserable - we are just poor"... Well myself and this review it is "I can't logically tell you why I give this show a 8/10 - but I can simply FEEL it to be a good show"!
The show is 8/10 because it does well in what it presents. Personally I enjoyed it a lot, so
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I think it is a 9/10 but that is the extreme bias of my review showing. For another person it may be a 7/10 or a 6/10, but I refuse to admit this show is anywhere at or below a 3/10...unless you say it's too short.
9 for story not because it has a great, complex, thrilling, etc. plot but because it is simple and keeps to itself all the way through. It is a slice of life of two sisters, a 4th grader and an older sister. The 4th grader is too concerned about the finances of their small impoverished family because the older sister is an otaku who can't control their spending well. Contrary to some people, I don't think the older sister is terrible, her actions are unnecessarily expensive but it is true that both sisters love each other very much, and to me that makes this show heartwarming. In my opinion, a lot of animes which are said to be "wholesome" are not very wholesome but rather cute or something that is a little superficial or degrading. However, Miyakawa-ke no Kuufuku is truly a wholesome anime! The main character, the little sister, is great not only because she is a moe cute anime girl but also because she is actually smart for her age and attempts to be responsible for the sake of her family's lifestyle. Since the show is a slice of life, she reminds me of some kids who could or already do exist like her. She is a realistically depicted person (as far as anime goes) because they are a human, she may be an intelligent child but she is also still a child.
8 for Art because I like lucky star's art style. Some scenes are slightly too stale (as in the frame stays the same while the audio keeps on playing) for a little too long. But other parts are well enough animated and are consistent with the show. I like the designs of the characters too.
7 for Sound. I chose 7 arbitrarily since I guess if I was more objective (whatever that could entail to) then both art and sound would be 5 or a 6. But since I think both the art and sound compliment each other well and fit into the story of the anime and since it is a Lucky Star spinoff, I think the sound is A-o'Kay! Anyways, the biggest complaint from other views is probably related to the voices from the main cast's voice actresses. As far as I can tell, those two people have mostly only voice acted for this show. I don't know much else...but what I do know is that I actually like these voices. They are probably not great in industry standards, but since I don't understand Japanese very well and I prefer more unique voice performances, I think the two VA's did a good job. I think both the VA's also did a good job at capturing the characters of the show, perhaps other VA's could have done a better job but that better job would've been more generic I bet. So, the main cast's voices actually suit their characters nicely as they sound a little more realistic yet cartoony and charming enough for a lighthearted show with moments of some sadness, mainly from the light-stomachs of the sisters.
I gave 8 to characters and 9 to enjoyment. 10 I reserve for master-pieces. Like many reviewers or people in general, I haven't bothered checking up if there are 'proper' ways to review these shows. So, I give a 9 for my personal enjoyment since I think that's what mostly matters. To be more fair, the show I believe deserves an overall score of 8. For what it is, it accomplishes at depicting it's story well.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 8, 2021
You don't need to know about the .sign series to enjoy this show, because I didn't know about the franchise and I really liked it. Granted, if you have a fondness for isekai or video games then you'd probably enjoy it a little bit more.
As for the pacing, it is actually good if you know what you are watching it for. I realized that, what felt like every scene (surely not every frame) had something important in it. Granted, not every scene was truly important, but while I watched it you could sense the gradual changing of a character's development.
It is a really
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good isekai, in the broad sense of isekai I mean ("another world"), because the show managed to get me interested in literally "The World" (the literal game) and I could understand how those mmorpg players were so immersed into it.
I remember reading a comment recently and it basically described the show as being about the players who play mmorpgs, and I think that is a spot on comment. It isn't primarily about the game itself or the "isekai" part of it, but instead it's primarily about the types of players who play 'The World" and for what reasons. The lightly touched side stories were I think almost just as interesting as the main story.
It is also worth noting that the soundtrack is amazing. I especially love the very 90s-2000s opening of this anime. And perhaps, the music is what carries a large portion of the show because the animation is often stale. However, I also find that parts of the animation and art style of the show are comfy and special. I don't know much about it myself, but there is certainly a pre-World of Warcraft anime and MMORPG charm to the design of the world. It might not be super unique or actually very beautiful, but I believe it certainly adds to the factor of immersing the viewer into 'The World". However, sometimes the show and the characters in the show are a little bit too immersed into the game, to the point where certain situations where characters interact with each other are silly if you think about it too much, in terms of technological capability and also "nerdiness".
I score it a 8/10 for this review, but personally I believe the show deserves a 9.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 1, 2021
I think this isekai manga is great.
The main character isn't the most unique guy out there, but I actually like his personality and the way he is presented. His time as a Japanese black company employee gives off an aura of comedic and relatable things into the story based off his experiences.
He is OP, and there are very few times I thought the MC was being unreasonable or 'dumb' but otherwise I like the flow of this story and I think the actions taken by the MC are logical and acceptable because it goes back to how is character is like. He has a
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personality, but his attitude to things give off a 'deadpan' vibe but he isn't entirely like that. It also helps that his buddies are smiles which have their own great character since he can communicate with them. This guy basically goes on a fun and, in my opinion, a satisfying isekai adventure.
The art style I think is not amazing but it's still good. I found the to be characters enjoyable and so is the story. I wouldn't go into reading this manga expecting a serious adventure, but instead a more lighthearted one. While it is probably a generic isekai, I don't think it suffers from it's generic premise but uses it well.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 17, 2021
I really like the story because it deals with themes that few other isekai stories do.
Without going too much into spoilers, it's not exactly clear how or why the MC got isekai'd. One thing that is clear about the MC's past (he doesn't know much either) is that he was not a great person. However, for some reason he got blessed by a certain Goddess (there are others) and was reincarnated in another world where he grew up in a nice but strange family.
There is a vague yet strong attachment which the MC has with his Goddess. It is not forced, and it is
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not necessarily pretty, but from experiencing the story, it was easy for me to understand and feel why the MC felt the way he did and why he took on certain actions throughout the story. I really like the way the story explains why the MC is unusually powerful. He is physically, mentally, and emotionally (most of the time) strong for a good reason. The isekai portion of this story is not aggressively shown but neither is it forgotten. From what I can tell, everything that this story offers has a use and a value which makes me appreciate both the world and the characters of this manga.
The art is alright. It’s not amazing but it can be beautiful because it expresses the values this story has to offers.
I really like this isekai story because out of (literally) most isekai stories I have read or watched, this one is one of the best or THE best out of all of them. It's certainly refreshing to see an isekai which does not do every trope it could possibly use, or when it does have a trope it doesn't cheapen the vibe of the story.
The MC's relationship to his Goddess and the world around him made me really like the religion in this story. The way religion is presented in this manga is very cool.
Even if you believe or don't believe in something already, I think there is something that most people could appreciate here.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 11, 2020
I love this. I love the concept and I love the characters. I think this manga deserves some more love because of how unique it is as an isekai. To be clear, half of the story is spent on earth while simultaneously watching the other half which is spent inside the fantasy world.
The story is a bit depressing...now, it should be a bit depressing because a man went into a coma for 17 years after all. But during his coma he was transported into a fantasy world. The story starts with the MC eventually waking up 17 years later back on earth (at the
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age of 34) from his isekai world. This premise is already unique for an isekai... usually, most isekai stories start at the beginning of their isekai journey (often without sufficient background context), but this starts right at the end of the journey.
The overall atmosphere of the situation feels somber, but the more and more you read... the more comedic it gets!...and sometimes the story can get slightly infuriating or depressing depending on how you look at how each event plays out.
Some people might dislike the main characters because of how dense they can be...but for me, I love them for it. The uncle has a strange personality, and all the circumstances that happen in this story are so ridiculous that you can't help but appreciate uncle's story, perspective, or maybe way of life. Uncle is a radical-lover of Sega's video games. He spent most of his childhood and teenage years (before transfer) playing Sega's video games...so he's definitely not the usual MC hero you'd expect in a modern Isekai. Simply because his personality is so strongly bound around one specific company, so he's not just the "common gamer". He doesn't even play RPG games! That's shocking because fantasy-isekai stories, including this one, are so strongly tied to the RPG theme. What else makes Uncle unusual is how he operates in the world(s), he lacks some common sense in BOTH the fantasy and real world for separate reasons. In fact, the more read, the more it makes sense to me about why and how Uncle is such a dense MC. Especially when it comes to the girls he meets on his journeys.
This Isekai is a bit depressing, but not for the right reasons... Overall, it's a comedy. And I think it's a GREAT one at that, because it turns everything you usually expect from a generic fantasy isekai into something completely different...AND those twists (kinda) makes some sense!
Also the art isn't exactly beautiful but it's super fantastic in the way it represents and depicts the whole story. Especially the way which the character's expressions are drawn are hilarious!
I rate this manga a 9/10 because of how much I've enjoyed it and simply because I think it's purely well done.
Ojisan is beautiful.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 10, 2020
Short review: a bit of Overlord + a tiny sprinkle of Shield Hero + standard Isekai
While this isekai has the normal premise of the MC being a young guy being sent to a new fantasy world by a god(s), it does flesh it out really well in a way I think does a good compromise on "lets not spend too much time on this" and the "give me an explanation". Which is sadly rare in many Isekai.
Sorry this review just focuses on a specific part of this manga that I found interesting, but there are a lot more things going on. The comedy is
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good, the side characters are funny and awesome, the world building is also alright. I think what sold me this Isekai, is that I actually don't like the personality of the MC very much (why are u so harsh to dragon-chan?), but as a character he is written really well compared to many other isekai protagonists...(like a realistic human or something?!).
(Minor Spoilers) The MC was apparently a long term loan from one world to another...the characters don't talk about it in that way BUT I DO! His parents are actually foreigners from the fantasy world he goes to, and they ended up settling down earth with a family. But in exchange they had to pay the price of selling one of their offspring off! Luckily the MC doesn't view it that way, so it's all good? The big idea here is that the MC is not good looking...he isn't really ugly but just below average. Unluckily for him, the world he is going to be transported to has a goddess who really values good looks. As a result in this new world, the humans are all good looking in our standards...so much so that our MC looks like a disgusting mix between a human and beast. So, while the god from earth was a nice guy that the MC adores, the goddess of this new world is not. She basically screws him a bit over by not allowing him to speak the common (human) language and sends him off to the edge of the world where all the non-human creatures live at.
Why did I think they pulled off the introduction so well? Well because the Isekai part doesn't end at the introduction. In fact the story continues forward with more bits of information about our MC's personality and his memories back on earth and all the relationships he had. So, while he is our standard OP, young Japanese, short black hair, MC...he is actually a somewhat realistic person who inside has to deal with some trouble.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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