49 Days (SBS, 2011)

seirin · Post by **seirin** » May 21st, '11, 03:39

Issy wrote: @seirin
everyone dies anyway. that's fact of life. they did not need to make a drama to tell us this message. the message was that you have to try making things better till last breath and grab every chance.
there was HUGE difference between JH who took the elevator at the end with JH at first day. she did struggle but set things right too. so her life had more meaning.

Silverman · Post by **Silverman** » May 21st, '11, 11:21

Serin wrote:

And what the heck is with the sister story. It's so "let's throw them a curve ball". I don't buy the story that JH's mom was so mean to leave the daughter at the orphanage. She seems like a really nice lady. She even took the other two girls in although they're not her own.

Issy · Post by **Issy** » May 21st, '11, 12:14

Silverman wrote:
Issy wrote:

And what the heck is with the sister story. It's so "let's throw them a curve ball". I don't buy the story that JH's mom was so mean to leave the daughter at the orphanage. She seems like a really nice lady. She even took the other two girls in although they're not her own.

She didn't leave Yk in an orphanage. YK vanished/was kidnapped at a busstation.

I believe above quotation was not mine but seirin's.

@seirin
My point to your post was that she was not the same person after whole 49 Days deal. Other points, more or less same point of view.

I guess I belong to group that tolerated and accepted the ending. Not angry and passionately dislike or loved it. I love happy endings most of times and liked to see it happening. The drama should have ended by ep19. It would have satisfied everyone but not so sure about the message they wanted to send though.

Silverman · Post by **Silverman** » May 21st, '11, 13:00

sry, yes

adigoni · Post by **adigoni** » May 21st, '11, 16:53

Crying again and again as I continuously am watching the final episode, I still feel the catharsis. So, I gonna always say that this drama is a masterpiece.Sorry people....That's life....

P.S. Ethlenn I'm waiting for your comments....

12bucklemyshoe · Post by **12bucklemyshoe** » May 21st, '11, 20:28

I think part of enjoying this drama depends on if and who you emotionally connected with. Those who liked the Yi Soo- Yi Kyung couple had the best deal in this drama. Their story was handled well and ended well. Those who liked the Ji Hyun - Kang couple either individually or apart got a very raw deal. The ending is cruel. Not just about her but they weren't even allowed to say a proper goodbye or even bare their souls.

If you weren't so emotionally invested or enjoyed it casually, the ending is fine.

For me, a masterpiece, it is not. Last week, without knowing the ending, I would have rated it a 4/5. The ending just makes me wish I never watched it. But to each his own.

kahlan · Post by **kahlan** » May 21st, '11, 23:42

After finished watching this series, i drop by this thread to read comments. I have to say i was quite disappointed with the ending. Agreed with some of the comments about "what the heck the writer was thinking about when he wrote this ending.?"

After saying that, would i recommend ppl to watch this series? Maybe, but not so enthuse as before i think.

Ethlenn · Post by **Ethlenn** » May 22nd, '11, 11:38

In case anyone is interested in the short overview of this drama^^

I would cut the 15 minutes of the ep 20 but in overall - really nice drama!

adigoni · Post by **adigoni** » May 22nd, '11, 12:21

As I expected......Literaly giving to us with some passages your absolutely fair opinion!!!Thanx teacher!!!
Respect, with my best regards!!!!

Ethlenn · Post by **Ethlenn** » May 22nd, '11, 12:28

I'm deeply honored you liked it

adigoni · Post by **adigoni** » May 22nd, '11, 12:31

Have a nice day! See you around with your amazing thoughts!

Orion1986 · Post by **Orion1986** » May 22nd, '11, 12:34

Will read this soon-ish as I'm rushing to cover three chapters of the japanese courses I missed last week.
I still won't watch the last two episodes and still hate what they did, but I gotta know what Ecchan thinks. ^^

Still, I'm personally forgetting this series ever existed and move on. I'm a very simple-minded person. If I lose respect for a writer or a plot, there's no fixing that.

adigoni · Post by **adigoni** » May 22nd, '11, 12:42

Orion, hi hi hi hi...go to finish your homework soon....meanwhile see you later at "the greatest love" thread!
I guess the age's gap is a good reason to not agree one another's opinion, hi hi hi....

Orion1986 · Post by **Orion1986** » May 22nd, '11, 13:04

Age has nothing to do with it. I enjoy my drama and my tragedy when they have meaning. I read most of Ecchan's review and all I have to say is that everything Ji Hyun accomplished would not be diminished had she survived.
Killing her just seemed like a way of placing more importance on what she did because she was gone. But I consider that a desperate trick to get people to care more about what you are trying to show them and I don't respect it.

It's like what happens with art. A painting's price suddenly skyrockets because the artist died. Does that change the painting? Is it not 100% done already? How did the work change when the maker living or dying wouldn't affect it?

It's our experiences, our mindsets and our own selves, likes and dislikes that form our opinion of a show. And this just acted against anything I consider right for both storytelling and scriptwriting, but also creating meaning.
To put it this way, my mother is 58 and very much into the afterlife and these issues and she still got as pissed as I did and can't watch the ending. Because she also watched a series that had "she will make it" all over it.

Like I said, different mindsets. I can't understand your views since I'm not you and you can't understand mine since you are not me. That doesn't make either side more wise or knowledgeable (neither do our ages), just different.

Now, time for food and... and what... I got nothing to do... Damn.

Ethlenn · Post by **Ethlenn** » May 22nd, '11, 13:40

PICSPAAAM!

(forgive the bias

)

adigoni · Post by **adigoni** » May 22nd, '11, 14:03

OMG!!!!! SCHEDULEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!! I wish I could meet him somewhere in real life ...just to chat with!(the actor I mean.....I'm not willing to die, hi, hi,hi...)

Thanx for screen caps Ethlenn!

Ethlenn · Post by **Ethlenn** » May 22nd, '11, 14:22

Sure^^

49 Days batch 720 HanSun

Orion1986 · Post by **Orion1986** » May 22nd, '11, 14:25

And Bae Soo Bin never stripped after all... Dang. Well that ain't fair, so here!

Ok, now I can let this go. Ahahaha. Thanks for the pics, Ecchan.

I think I'll watch Tempation of an Angel sometime. Just for him. Besides, that one has death and misery all over it so I know what to expect, for a change.

P.S: Woah, creep and topless Soo Bin in one post. Too much.

And still... damn this disease...

Sham26 · Post by **Sham26** » May 22nd, '11, 14:32

Orion, hope u could watch the last episodes !
Why cant I find NGR's photos ? Am I the only one who liked her acting ?

Orion1986 · Post by **Orion1986** » May 22nd, '11, 14:54

No you're not. I liked her acting too. A lot, actually. Considering the type of actress she is, she did a wonderful job.

And unless Bae Soo Bin strips in the last two episodes, I have no other reason to watch them. I'm easy like that.

Also. Here and here. Some NGR stills as well. Not too many, but some. You can google for more too. ;)

Sham26 · Post by **Sham26** » May 22nd, '11, 15:03

Yeah yeah I was talking about her photos after the end of shooting !

Thank you anyway

!!

Ethlenn · Post by **Ethlenn** » May 22nd, '11, 15:03

Orion1986 wrote:
And unless Bae Soo Bin strips in the last two episodes, I have no other reason to watch them. I'm easy like that.

He didn't.

Orion1986 · Post by **Orion1986** » May 22nd, '11, 15:06

It's ok. It would be a quite disrespectful to keep stripping the man all the time anyway. He's stripped enough. We can look to those for... comfort.

JiveTalkinRobot · Post by **JiveTalkinRobot** » May 22nd, '11, 20:29

Weird, I thought this drama was pretty awesome, then I logged on to see what everyone thought and....

12bucklemyshoe · Post by **12bucklemyshoe** » May 22nd, '11, 21:12

See the way I see it

JiveTalkinRobot · Post by **JiveTalkinRobot** » May 22nd, '11, 21:33

12bucklemyshoe · Post by **12bucklemyshoe** » May 22nd, '11, 21:50

I don't see it that way

JiveTalkinRobot · Post by **JiveTalkinRobot** » May 23rd, '11, 05:10

yo Orion, watch the last episodes. I don't think you will be as disappointed as you think you will be...

In the words of Dramabeans:

If I tried to explain this episode in a paragraph, I think I’d spill more tears, and frankly, I don’t know if I have any left. So here it is in a nutshell: It’s **** PERFECT.

Silverman · Post by **Silverman** » May 23rd, '11, 12:32

49 days is still worth watching it. Well without such ending i would have rated this drama with 9/10 (simply because i like fantasy+romance). With this ending its still 8/10 in my books. So still very good.
@all who say, that this ending is realistic and perfect. The most people, who complain about the ending (such as myself), don't have a problem with sad dramas and sad endings. Even though such dramas like The Devil or I'm sorry i love you have sad endings, but they fit in.
But in 49 Days its just kinda weird and it leaves the imression, that the writers though was :"Hehe, i want to make a suprising twist and a deeper meaning...all the other dramas at this point would ghave a happy end..but i want something different.....but wait there are just 2 episodes left...

then it would give a veeeerry deep meaning for this drama. Omfg i'm a genius !!!!" To make something different, just to make it different, isn't always something good. if i want to be different, than others, then i can go to work without my pants...yes i would be different...but also an idiot. And even in this meaningless and idiotic action you can find a deeper meaning. Such as "rebellion against the konservative society and equality for all people, because not all people can buy brandname-pants aso.".

Viande · Post by **Viande** » May 25th, '11, 00:09

Three more episodes to go, and I'm too scared to read this thread for possible spoilers. (Yes, spoilers totally ruin the enjoyment for me) But I just can't leave not commenting. lol

So far I have liked the series. It's not really "awesome" but enjoyable. I don't find myself crying much, even though the theme shoud be sad. In fact, I think the only tears I have shed were for Scheduler and Yi Kyung. I guess I just can't find sympathy for Ji Hyun. But... the story made me to think that what if I was a 49 days traveller, would I get any tears(?)

It's funny though that I have liked all of the male characters and not ANY of the female characters. Somehow all of the female characters feel so whiny and annoying. And now that I think, they aren't really special in any way, they're just women. But the male characters... I like how honest Min Ho is about his feelings even though he's an ass himself. I like how Scheduler was introduced as different kind of person than he really is. Han Kang in the other hand was annoying as young boy (he looked so fake, as did all of the characters) but as an adult he's so sweet. I like his smile. I think I found some new names to follow.

Orion1986 · Post by **Orion1986** » May 25th, '11, 00:40

Let's see what Viande thinks then. ^^

And I agree with Silverman, 100%. Again.

The entire tone of a work should be consistent. Or at least they should leave something as an option. In other genres, you can be more spontaneous. Like horror movies. Twists and entirely unexpected things are a norm there.
But when you've deliberately set a tone and a mood and expectations in a series (not a movie) and you know and wish for the audience to expect certain things of you only to go "Ha ha" like this for "depth" is just a cheap trick.

At least that's how I see it. If this show wanted to enrich me as a person, it should have invested the time to do that throughout. You can't add a twist and say that one thing made it meaningful. Especially when you trick people.

Take Hello Ghost as an example. That is a lovely movie. It does have a twist at the end, but that twist only gives more meaning to the already meaningful things throughout the movie. It elevates the meaning and stirs emotions the right way.
And the viewer doesn't feel cheated. They just feel that all the things they saw were honest and beautiful and that the movie is "agreeing" with them, not imposing something on them or fooling them with sudden misplaced "meaning" or so.

That movie was a family one and mostly a comedy and it still managed to create a meaningful story about life and love and be sad in all the right ways. AND it had a happy ending, as happy as such an ending could be. See the difference and what I mean?
But a series which barely grazed the surface of such heavy issues and played more on suspense and the "revenge"/justification/survival of the leading character, only to suddenly do a 180 in style and expectations just to be "deep" is meaningless to me.
Because I have seen other things that manage to be deep throughout, still be light AND have a happy ending, make me cry and think and feel a lot more than this series ever did. This series was not deep but enjoyable. Until they had the fine idea to feign depth.

I will watch the ending someday to see just how badly they messed it up, but there is nothing they could do within 2 episodes to deepen something which has been quite shallow, considering the types of issues it has been handling. The REAL big stuff.

Like Silverman said, we all have different experiences and opinions and tastes, but just because something feels meaningful to us doesn't mean it is. A series is a thing with more-than-one person as an audience. It should be appropriate for the target audience.
The target audience is drawn in and then the work is successful for targeting the right people. So when the show makes sure that people who expect things to work out are hooked and MAKES them expect that, it should deliver what it knows they want and need.

A movie is filmed and done. It's harder to know if it will touch the people you want, the way you want it to. A series, especially in S.Korea, is an evolving thing. They decided to hook as many as possible and did this knowing they'd crush many expectations.
And that's what I don't like about it. If a series wants to be meaningful, it has 16+ episodes to do it in and has a wide audience watching and judging. They gave me sugar, promised it was sugar, marketed it as sugar and then decided to make it poison.

Whatever the reason, I just don't accept that as a viewer. Meaning is there and it's in the writer and it shows when you have it in your heart. And ALL audience members see it. It's a universal display of emotion.
Such a twist is just masking as meaning and aiming at people's own experiences and feelings to make it meaningful without trying to really show them meaning that is intentional and honest. I just feel that way.

With a work like Hello Ghost (just as an example), I see the meaning and emotions in the heart and head of the writer. I see the things which create the thoughts and feelings in people. I see what started that lovely chain reaction.
With 49 Days, all I see meaning in is the things people say about it and their own views and thoughts that certain things created in them. But I don't see the intention from the writer to instigate those things. Just the audience.

Somethings are really meaningful because the makers want them to be. And they are pure and honest in their work. Some things gain meaning because of the viewers themselves. And the makers of the latter failed.
It was the audience which found meaning in meaninglessness. And maybe people don't realize there was no real effort for meaning. Just as I feel 49 Days knew exactly what it was doing and how dishonest it was being.

So I lose respect, feel cheated and don't even want to know what they consider "deep" and "meaningful". They lost my attention by being dishonest and giving me false expectations. And that IS a failure on their part.
They made sure they hooked people like me as well and they gave me what I wanted. I've been watching movies and series for years, since infancy, and I do have the ability to see where things are going and should go.

So they failed me and I don't want anything to do with them anymore. Simple as that. ^^

P.S: How the heck did I manage to write all this crap...

I should really refrain from writing about things I'm very passionate about at night.
Wait... I should not write at night, about things I'm very passionate about. I'm not only passionate about em at night. That sounded SO naughty...

Ethlenn · Post by **Ethlenn** » May 25th, '11, 01:14

As for me, I think writers planned this from the beginning. Plus, I said that few times, for me (personal opinion) this drama wasn't fluffy and light from the very first episode onwards. It had a heavy topic.

But yes, I won't cry if people don't agree. Big whoop...

Orion1986 · Post by **Orion1986** » May 25th, '11, 01:16

And I managed to gutter myself... Hot kiss in Lie to Me, bad syntax in the "p.s" above and many days without seeing my creep. Not good for Ori.

Speaking in tongues, I am. Tongues....

biniBningPunkista · Post by **biniBningPunkista** » May 26th, '11, 04:02

wow... so many mixed reviews in this thread.

I only got to finish this around yesterday. if i wasn't too cramped up with activities i would have been a couch potato and would be stuffing myself with so much kdrama i would have already vomited. setting that aside...

this drama, left me bawling even up to the very end. the essence and lessons learned in this drama made me really wonder as to how i am living my life fully. ghaaaaaa... reflection time! as for the story itself, i thoroughly enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. never really expected the twist... i even had a bet with my friend as to whom the tears would come from. I HAD A THEORY about the last tear, but it only remained a theory and bet my tears on someone else. tsk! should have stuck with my theory. sheez...

this is one of those dramas where i couldn't see MUCH loopholes in the story line, I say MUCH because there are still several scattered ones which i wouldn't bother on pointing out, thus making it more enjoyable. i just hate a drama that leaves me too many questions hanging about after the drama is already over. so points to 49 days for bow tying every issue up to the very end.

i know several of you are pissed off at the twist in the very end but for me, i'm embracing it. we were too used at having hints all over the place with this drama and that one bit twist was something i never expected which is alright. sometimes, we need something unexpected to deviate us from too much expectation... although... this drama has always been unexpected for me. i thought it was going to be a happy romantic ending but instead it left me rolling and crying about in my room.

KANG!!!! KAAAAANG!!!!

biniBningPunkista · Post by **biniBningPunkista** » May 26th, '11, 04:09

JiveTalkinRobot wrote:yo Orion, watch the last episodes. I don't think you will be as disappointed as you think you will be...

In the words of Dramabeans:
If I tried to explain this episode in a paragraph, I think I’d spill more tears, and frankly, I don’t know if I have any left. So here it is in a nutshell: It’s **** PERFECT.

i had to up myself on this one. THIS was girlfriday's words. I think Dramabeans would be agreeing with Orion as well... she didn't like the whole concept as i read through her review.

Viande · Post by **Viande** » May 28th, '11, 17:08

Ok, watched the last episode today...

...and I can say in the end I did find sympathy, not just for Shin Ji Hyun but also for almost all of the characters. It was just too much that Shin Ji Hyun had to see her "best friend" trying to finish her off while she coudn't do a thing. Yeah, I felt pity for her, no matter how annoying her character was. Even though Shin In Jung and Kang Min Ho were a bit over the top with their grudges, I think there was something realistic about them in the end. If you wallow in your pity for too long, you start to belive your own right for revenge, even if it was absurd by bystander. Also, not all people forget their hatered that easilly before it's too late.

What 49 Days did well was portraying life. There are some things we can change but there are always factors we don't know about and what we can't affect. I found it very meaningful in this drama. Just being fantasy doesn't mean it has to be unrealistic. Also, not all fantasies have to end "and they lived happily ever after".

What it comes whether the ending was happy or not, I think it was a happy one. Yes, Shin Ji Hyun died even after all her efforts but then again what she accomplished was something she probably couldn't have accomplished even if she had lived full life and especially not if she had not got into the accident and hadn't got the 49 days travel. So you could say she got more than she was supposed to get. Thanks to the 49 days Shin Ji Hyun's parents got their daughter back, Song Yi Kyung got reason to live and Shin In Jung and Kang Min Ho were released from their self-pity, which probably would have destroyed them. Also, even tough it looked like Han Kang lost in the deal, he did got chance to love Shin Ji Hyun, even though for a short time and he also got a bit closer to his father and he forgave his mother. So I think the ending was happy for all of them.

I really liked the wrapping up for 49 Days. The drama started a bit wobbly and there were a lot of questions but all of the loose ends were nicely wrapped up in the last few episodes. I also think 49 Days had one of the most surprising plots in k-dramas that I have seen. I had several visions how it would go "because I'm watching k-drama, it must go like this" and 49 Days surprised me in a good way. Also, I admit I'm a sucker for "lets make the world better" stories. ^^

AshLikeSnow · Post by **AshLikeSnow** » Jun 1st, '11, 08:10

I just started watching 49 days today.

I'm so jealous! -__-
Ji Hyun has to find three people that will sincerely cry for her outside of her family.
I don't have a single person outside of my family who would cry for me; let alone cry sincerely.

So far very interesting drama. starting episode three now.

yan_ange · Post by **yan_ange** » Jul 31st, '11, 08:07

i am watching episode 17 at the moment, the writing of the drama is amazingly good, especially with interweaving story lines and unexpected plots etc.

Highly recommended.

Jazzapple · Post by **Jazzapple** » Sep 16th, '11, 22:00

Although I initially hated that Jin Hyun died, I thought the ending was really pretty.
It was just... heartbreaking (I cried) and heartwarming at the same time. (:
But I didn't like that they suddenly revealed that Yi Kyung was Jin Hyun's sister.
I mean... It's kinda far-fetched, no?
But overall I think it was a good drama. Some may disagree, but I don't think the acting was that bad. But maybe that's because I don't speak Korean...
When I see English, French, Dutch or German films and series I can tell the acting is good or not, but when I see Asian dramas I can't.
But maybe that's a blessing, no? It makes it easy for me to enjoy dramas.. (':

OliveYou · Post by **OliveYou** » Sep 16th, '11, 22:53

i cried many times while watching this drama, thats all I can say (:
In my opinion, that was epic!! (:

koreanthings · Post by **koreanthings** » Nov 9th, '11, 07:15

I do agree that after watching this drama, your heart feels heavy. Imagine life is so fragile...
But I think it's worthwhile watching as the story line urged you to continue to watch on..
There is still story line in it..not just anything out of the blue..a fresh story line for me...compare to other Kdramas I watched...Oh...

DannyLaw · Post by **DannyLaw** » Jan 19th, '12, 11:27

Hope you guys can help me out here since it's driving me crazy that I cant find this song.

I don't actually have a link to the song but if anyone watches 49 Days hopefully can shed some light!

This song is played through out the series of the show. The instrument used to play this song is a piano and the chords go up and down (excuse my basic explanation of how the song goes, my music knowledge inst the best).

However, if any of you watched 49 days, there is one episode I can remember hearing it played in the background. Episode 14 around 17 minutes into the show where Shin In Jung is talking to Song Yi Kyung (with Shin Ji Hyun in her body) in the Purple coffee shop.

Hope you guys can help me!

Note: I have posted this somewhere else so that hopefully enough people can see this post (really want to know the song. I hope moderators will be lenient and not delete this post. Thanks!)

Silverman · Post by **Silverman** » Jan 20th, '12, 21:34

I think you have "There was nothing" by Jung Yeop in mind.

DannyLaw · Post by **DannyLaw** » Jan 20th, '12, 21:42

Silverman wrote:I think you have "There was nothing" by Jung Yeop in mind.

Was this answer towards my question?

If so, I just had a quick listen, it is not this one.

If you go to this link and go to 4.40 that is when the song starts.

Silverman · Post by **Silverman** » Jan 20th, '12, 22:20

Hmm it sounds similar to "Circle of Life". Perhaps a slightly different version. You have to hear the music till the end to see it.

DannyLaw · Post by **DannyLaw** » Jan 20th, '12, 22:35

Silverman wrote:Hmm it sounds similar to "Circle of Life". Perhaps a slightly different version. You have to hear the music till the end to see it.

Yes they do sound a bit similar but I'm not 100% sure. Hmmmm dont think I will ever find the song

Thanks for your help though, I appreciate it

Silverman · Post by **Silverman** » Jan 21st, '12, 22:18

It's not entirely the same, but the part, where the piano-tune goes up and down is the same an overall its similar, just the tempo is different. But then again, i have to hear the musik, without the women talking.

DannyLaw · Post by **DannyLaw** » Jan 24th, '12, 18:19

I'll try find a clip where it's just the music. Not sure what other scenes this is used. Although im sure it was played through out the show.

EDIT*

Here is another link

There is still speaking but there are a few parts where you can hear just the music. It starts at 2:40

The song lasts for a while, but I'm not sure if that's been mixed in with another song.

Silverman · Post by **Silverman** » Jan 24th, '12, 20:49

Sorry, i can't find the exact same score. Like i said, Circle of Life is the only score on the OST, where at least some parts fit, but not the whole song.

pekkauwer · Post by **pekkauwer** » Dec 25th, '12, 04:50

hi and sorry im new to this forum

at minute 10, what is this songs title? i cant find it on ost

nevala · Post by **nevala** » Dec 25th, '12, 05:34

pekkauwer wrote:hi and sorry im new to this forum

at minute 10, what is this songs title? i cant find it on ost

I think, it's 눈물 목걸이 - 이념. I hope, i could help you. there's link, where you can find this online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyTTgCkjy6E

pekkauwer · Post by **pekkauwer** » Dec 25th, '12, 05:49

nevala wrote:
pekkauwer wrote:hi and sorry im new to this forum

at minute 10, what is this songs title? i cant find it on ost

I think, it's 눈물 목걸이 - 이념. I hope, i could help you. there's link, where you can find this online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyTTgCkjy6E

Appreciate it, honestly i just stopped kdrama for 9 years(yep you gotta believe me)
And then after watching daring women, i stop again until a weeks ago when a friend recommend this kdrama n it makes me sad till now(i cant help crying everyday even not watching n im not sure why)

I wish the producer makes this drama a sequel, where we can see nam gyuri as reaper and who knows relationship on SJK and HK n IJ and MH.

I still hate the ending.... sister do not know other sister, 6 days left dead after 49 days and istill think theres a question that hasnt been solved, like after SJH and MH married, theres a call from SJH father, which leads after that introduction of SJK n her life and magically pop up his father return somewhere, visit SJH like regretting something(at that time SJH is sleeping) kinda curious, no?

Sorry for talking lots here, however i repeat my wish, hoping theres a sequel for this

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49 Days (SBS, 2011)

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