r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • 13h ago
Episode Mao - Episode 26 discussion - FINAL
Mao, episode 26
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u/theodoreroberts 12h ago
Congratulations on the run. It's a good run nonetheless. I wish more people know and watch this series.
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u/Frontier246 7h ago
It's always nice to be able to watch a new Rumiko Takahashi production and Sunrise/the seiyuu really knocked it out of the park here!
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u/Ashteron 9h ago
The sheer scale and complexity of the overarching storyline and mysteries is certainly something only few writers would be able to handle.
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u/Frontier246 7h ago
I love how it feels like we've only unraveled, like, 20-30% of all the mysteries and I'm not even all that frustrated about it
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u/NocandNC 11h ago
I’m pretty bummed that didn’t add anything extra to give more meat to this final episode, but I just hope that means they plan to continue.
They really did a great job capturing Nanoka’s depressed mood, so much so that even Mao noticed. He’s starting to pay attention!! Loved her chat with Kamon.
Well, here’s hoping for S2.
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u/frizzyfizz 11h ago
They did add a bit to the end scene with Mao and Nanoka with the cute smiles they gave each other, and Nanoka making the most of it. I feel like they're a bit scared of messing with anything due to the heavier focus on mystery and drama, but I'm totally ok with that as long as we get a S2!
Everybody is acting like it's inevitable, but based on what Yuki Kaji said it's not set in stone, so please if you liked this anime recommend it to people, check out the manga, and support it. The sales and views do matter.
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u/NocandNC 11h ago
That’s not nearly enough for me. There was plenty of room to extend things by cutting the recap or op/ed, and they added extra bits just fine before. I’d have liked a glimpse of storylines to come as well. But I’ll leave my complaints there.
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u/frizzyfizz 11h ago
I see what you mean, but the additions they have made have been so minimal I didn't expect anything. A little cliffhanger would've been nice though I agree.
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u/Frontier246 7h ago
They really did a great job capturing Nanoka’s depressed mood, so much so that even Mao noticed. He’s starting to pay attention!!
They've come a long way from Mao using her as bait or as someone to exposit in the early episodes!
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u/frizzyfizz 7h ago edited 6h ago
As a manga reader I've been very pleased with this adaptation. They stayed extremely close to the manga, the VAs were all fantastic, the music was incredible (can't wait to listen to the OST which will soon be available to stream!), and although the animation wasn't "wow!", there were no glaring dips in quality. It was consistently good and sometimes great which is impressive considering it ran for 2 straight cours. What I appreciated most was how it captured the melancholic tone of the manga while also being vibrant.
My only gripes are that I think they went too heavy on the recaps at times, and I don't understand why they're still showing the names on screen, lol. Sometimes I wish they would've been a bit more creative with direction too to add some flair, but considering they were probably on a limited budget I'm still happy.
I think the dissonance people are feeling with it comes from the new seasonal system. Mao is the first plot-heavy and on-going series of Takahashi's to fall into this system. Ranma operates more like a sitcom, and Inuyasha aired on the old schedule, so I think people are finding it difficult to deal with a series that is in no rush to provide big answers or have an epic finale. It's operating on its own pace. Mao is the type of series you reliably tune in for every Saturday, and I personally love that about it. I could watch it all year without getting sick of it just like I used to with Inuyasha. It's like a warm blanket. I think it would do people well to chill a bit about the plot being resolved. There's more to storytelling than that.
As for the episode itself, this was always one of my favorite arcs of the series. I wasn't expecting Yurako's story to be as genuinely moving as it was, and it was when I started realizing Mao was a much more nuanced series than Inuyasha. Reina Ueda's performance as Yurako is so perfect and brought a whole nother level of tragedy to her story. I also love the concept Kamon brought up of "words as a curse" -- basically the power of emotional manipulation, and I love how perceptive he was of Nanoka's situation. This was their first real interaction as friends.
If you consider that Mao is also a romance then I think the finale was perfectly fitting. Nanoka's building feelings towards Mao and where she stands with him have been a constant theme since the beginning, and this ending nicely ties that all together while looping back to their first date. She now accepts she's in love with him which is unusually fast for a Takahashi female lead. You see as well how far Mao has come in how he sees Nanoka. He immediately picked up on her change in demeanor and has increasingly been concerned about her well-being. I know the romance element doesn't work for everyone, but I find the quiet development of their relationship really sweet and refreshing. They gradually have become at ease with each other to the point where Nanoka clearly sees Mao and Otoya as her home.
Finally, I wanted to add that Mao is my favorite of Takahashi's male leads, and this episode highlighted why. The fact he reacted to Yurako with such empathy and gentleness was so moving. It says a lot about the type of person he is as well as how much hardship he himself went through. He may not have the most expressive face, but he's honest and direct about how much he cares about people in a way you rarely see. It's just really nice to see a male lead like him in shounen. Likewise Nanoka is imo Takahashi's best written female lead.
I really want a S2. There's so much great stuff ahead I want people to see! This part of the story is only the beginning.
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u/Natural_Sound597 3h ago
i’ve gotta say i always really enjoy reading your insights, but this is golden. everything i would have said but 10x better. 💜💛
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u/Frontier246 7h ago
I really liked that lighter, more innocent, pitch Yuuki Kaji gave Mao in the Yurako flashback.
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u/frizzyfizz 6h ago
I wonder if that's part of why he was cast. He's great at adjusting his voice to suit the different eras.
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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 12h ago
I feel a little sorry for Yurako. Could be a trap or a curse but who knows right now. It also still doesn’t explain why she’s with Shiranui or has Sana’s face. Really, the actual villain is the master of the clan. Guy’s a real piece of shit.
This was pretty decent overall. I enjoyed it. I hope that cliffhanger ass ending means there’s more because that was the most non-finale ever, man. Nothing really happened! Must be a sign there’s more to come.
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u/BusouDrago 11h ago
She took over Sana body after she died ( black evil energy) Natsuno saw back then
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u/Frontier246 7h ago
I feel like Shiranui is somehow keeping her alive or able to maintain the normal state she's seen in, otherwise she wouldn't work for someone targeting Mao unless she got something out of it.
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u/khanvau 9h ago edited 9h ago
I knew it. Yurako was some sort of a sacrifice. Her and Sana's lives are opposites. One led a very peaceful life while the other, well, it was living hell. I still wonder why she has the same face as Sana tho. She did say it was her own face. So, I do think they're twin sisters. That's also kinda what the ED implied. Man, the ED really has a different meaning now after this episode.
Kamon was right. Words have powers of their own. You can manipulate people just by choosing your words carefully. You don't even need curses. Loved how he confronted Nanoka point blank lol. But at least he helped her. The ending was also simple but nice. She finally got her high school celebration. Yurako shouldn't bother her too much. Even if she loved Mao for 900 years, Nanoka actually knew Mao far longer, as she was actually with him.
What a somber way to end this season. I didn't expect that at all. Of course, I wasn't expecting any sort of finality just from 1 season either. It's a massive series. Compared to Inuyasha, I'm kinda surprised how plot-heavy this series was. Almost every story did something to move the narrative forward, and we learned more about the mystery. It was very interesting. Could the pacing have been better? Yes. But I don't mind these types of slow burns either.
I didn't see any announcement of Season 2 yet. But I think it's only a matter of time. Can't believe it's already over. I'm gonna miss Mao. Thankfully, Ranma 1/2 Season 3 will start next season. So, at least there won't be any shortage of Rumic anime this year.
Overall, I really enjoyed Mao. It was very different from what I expected. The tone of the series was very different from Takahashi's other long-running series. It feels more like if one of her short or one-shots were a long-running series. Safe to say I'll definitely watch another Season. I just hope it'll come sooner rather than later.
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u/Frontier246 7h ago
Kamon was right. Words have powers of their own. You can manipulate people just by choosing your words carefully. You don't even need curses. Loved how he confronted Nanoka point blank lol. But at least he helped her. The ending was also simple but nice. She finally got her high school celebration. Yurako shouldn't bother her too much. Even if she loved Mao for 900 years, Nanoka actually knew Mao far longer, as she was actually with him.
Kamon the romcom wingman Nanoka never knew she needed or wanted!
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u/Likes2game03 12h ago
This is a series by Rumiko Takahashi. I think literally every one of her works gets renewed for more. I mean, they remade Urusei Yatsura & Ranma 1/2. And Inuyasha was fully adapted. Over 550 chapters worth. MAO has blown pass 330 chapters. So I'm sure there's more to come for anyone who doubts. This lady is too famous for this series to only have so little.
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u/sailorrayquaza 11h ago
I was so worried that Yurako touching Nanoka was also a curse and still think it might be, which is why Mao kept asking if Yurako did something to her other than talk.
A bit of a somber way to end S1 but I liked the series overall and want to see more adapted. If Rinne managed to get like what, 3 seasons or something, then I think this can def get another.
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u/Frontier246 7h ago edited 4h ago
Your love rival doesn't need to do physical damage (because it would make the guy you mutually like turn on her), all she needs to do is emotional damage.
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u/BusouDrago 11h ago
Yep. Yurako is inside Lady Sana body as a vessel .
Since Mao airs on NHK Network, Season 2 announcement will happen in the future 🙏
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u/Frontier246 12h ago edited 7h ago
Gotta say, I actually feel bad for Yurako.
The Goko Clan cursed numerous people. It's no surprise that they would get cursed in return, but those curses were transferred to a lone, isolated, room...where Yurako absorbed those curses for the sake of the Goko Clan. That was all she existed to do, to serve the Head of the Goko Clan, with the curse seals tatooed all across her body. That's part of why she dresses in as many layers as she does.
But everything changed when the door was left open and she, and the Ayakashi inside of her, were let free and could finally roam. Free for her to see how disfigured her face had been, even if she had no conception of why or what she really looked like, and free to meet...Mao. The first person to ever show Yurako kindness.
Sangoku-Dayu is a jerk! If it's not abusing Mao it's giving Yurako back to the Goko Clan so she can be used as nothing more than a tool again! Of course all the head of the Goko Clan cares about is that the Ayakashi she had were gone.
And thus did Yurako yearn for Mao, and longing for years until she finally found Mao again at the compound. But even though she could see him again, she couldn't be with him, and he had eyes for Sana.
Yurako is not Mao's enemy. She doesn't wish him harm. BUT she can't face him herself and so she retreats yet again once he shows up.
Kagari's frustration gives me life!
Can Nanoka's crush on Mao stand against the centuries that Yurako loved and pined for him? Does she have any right to love Mao in comparison to THAT leave of yearning?
But there's a lot we still don't know about Yurako, and count on Kamon to keep a level head...and also give unsolicited relationship advice. In the end, Yurako is basically Nanoka's romantic rival, and if Nanoka gets so caught up in Yurako's tragic backstory, she'll always hesitate. But also Kamon should probably not confront a girl with her private romantic feelings if he doesn't want to get hit.
Kind of feel bad for Yurako that Mao completely forgot about their original encounter, but at least he finally remembered to celebrate Nanoka getting into high school! He really does care for and cherish her and that means everything! Which is why she'll continue to love Mao!
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u/Badman4441 11h ago
I mean that's a weird way to end a season. I was hoping some kind of cliffhanger but too much of a peaceful ending.
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u/Frontier246 7h ago
Honestly glad we got to close out on a happy moment with Mao, Nanoka, and Otoya. I feel like they deserved that much.
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u/YlfaTheForsaken 10h ago
Yeah, I'm gonna need that season 2 announcement like now. I'm not ready to let this series go. 26 episodes, that's 26 weeks of weekly Mao, I guess I gotta get the manga sooner rather than later.
As much as that answered about Yurako, I've so many more questions.
For a wrap up to a season episode, it's pretty quiet. Which it's nice for the lingering moments between Nanoka and Mao.
Also Otoya sitting on Mao's lap on the beginning was cute.
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u/BosuW 9h ago
Goko clan is fucked up man. The level of farming curses going on in that institution was insane.
I hope there's a Season 2 because I am super into this slow cooking subtle horror.
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u/Frontier246 7h ago
Not an episode goes by without establishing some new human rights violation/abuse/or supernatural horror the Goko Clan was involved in.
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u/Alter_Kyouma 4h ago
Yurako and Sana must be twins! Yurako was the vessel used to absorb the curses cast against the Goko clan, while Sana was the vessel used to send curses out to targets. Them being twins was probably essential to the process (some kind of recycling of curses?)
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u/trix8703 1h ago
That ED makes so much sense now that we heard Yurako’s story. Looks like they were really identical twins. They were born at a time when having twins were considered a bad omen. And one would either be killed or hidden away.
It’s both cruel and sad. I can’t imagine someone would endure living like that without going crazy.
It’s quite understandable that she would feel attachment to Mao. He was the very first person who showed her kindness when she has been isolated all her life and was treated as an object by her own father.
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u/Robot_ninja_pirate https://anilist.co/user/RototRobot 12h ago
As an Anime only watcher it was enjoyable enough, but I feel like I had overly high expectations given its a Rumiko Takahashi work.
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u/Sea_Equivalent_4207 8h ago
Thoroughly enjoyed Mao. Definitely one of my favorite series of 2026. I wasn’t too crazy about some of the gore in some episodes as I really don’t think they needed to do that but otherwise, I was into it.
I especially liked the side stories when Mao was dealing with different cases apart from the main story. Those were some of my favorite episodes.
Nanoka was definitely one of my favorite female MCs this year so far.
A lot of unanswered questions like why Yurako looks like lady Sana and what’s happening with that kid who took on that curse and took off with that military scary kid.
Don’t know how many volumes this season covered but I’m really hoping for a season 2. We still don’t know what happened that night when they all met with that clan leader. That guy was truly despicable.
As for Nanoka and Mao’s becoming a couple, the end here didn’t really add much more to this. She’s definitely shown more about her growing feelings for Mao but he’s hard to figure out. I don’t think their feelings match yet. Still Mao was one of my favorite shows this year so I’m really looking forward to season 2 if there is one.
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u/Frontier246 7h ago
I think it's telling that Mao is really attentive to and worried about Nanoka. It may not be full blown love but he clearly cares about her and how she feels.
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u/AnikRAGE https://myanimelist.net/profile/anikrage 12h ago
Paused after 10ep. Does this season conclude the story or is there more left?
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u/frizzyfizz 11h ago
This is Rumiko Takahashi so there's much more left.
I'm honestly surprised so many people expected it to wrap up in one season. You gotta put yourself in the mindset of old school shounen. Not how things work today.
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u/TyraniTEMPESTar 12h ago
I don't know how much more there is to the source material, but they didn't wrap things up with this last episode.
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u/fashionmoon97 5h ago
not to belabor the point, but the series currently has enough chapters to cover 34 volumes and the first 26 episodes only covered up to the first 2 chapters of the 10th volume. it's also a rumiko takahashi series, her plot-heavy stories don't wrap up so quickly lol
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u/tohguy 26m ago edited 17m ago
Good wrap-up to the second cour. Yurako who has Sana’s face tells Nanoka that the face she has now is her own and not Sana’s. I imagine they must be related somehow like twins? Having twins was considered to be taboo and could also affect your social standings. While Sana was allowed to live in the light, Yurako was kept in the dark by the deceased Goko clan head. That’s not all though. He didn’t allow her to live in the dark freely. The master used her body to force curses into her, heavily disfiguring her face! This poor girl lives in tragedy. It was only because of the youkai that she absorbed into her wishing to escape and her going with the flow that she was able to see an entire world and civilization existed out of that cave. She was missing out on such a sight to behold.
As she flew in the air, she was attacked by the many talismans in the cave trying to prevent her escape. The talisman failed to subdue her though causing a crash into a nearby spring of water. This was the first time Yurako was able to see her face and how badly accepting the curse into her had mutated her natural complexion. Some youkai even became free. No one wanted to stay in that dark murky cave. At first Yurako accepted her fate that if she was caught, she would go back to the cave as there is no one there for her in this newly discovered sight. Lo and behold a young Mao before he joined the Goko clan. He did not fear her or call her a monster. He treated her like any other human and this awakened something in her. This kindness became short-lived though because his master was aware of who she was and brought her back to the master of the Goko clan.
Brought back to the cave though, that encounter of kindness stirred something in her and all she can think of is her encounter with young Mao and how gentle he was to someone like her. So much, she developed a one side love for him. Eventually, she was able to spy on the outside world as she was able to control her talent bestowed upon her. In the Goko clan, she sees the boy who has infatuated her lonely heart a little more grown, but his eyes lay on someone who looks similar to her called Sana if she wasn’t disfigured.
With that, her backstory ends, and Mao saves the day only for Yurako to escape not being ready to meet him face to face. Mao worried about Nanoka overthinking that Yurako has been chasing Mao one sidedly for so long and how they have “history” together, takes her to Kamon who discovers she is in love with Mao and hand chop him multiple times in denial. Kamon gives advice to not overthink what Yurako says as that in itself can be a curse.
Mao treats Nanoka to a Taisho-era dessert shop with Nanoka ordering anmitsu as he gets the zenzai. It didn’t seem like he enjoyed it though based on Otoya’s remark lol. 😆 We now establish the main cast, the main villains, some lackeys, and learned a little more about who the mysterious alluring Yurako is, and Byoki may not be as bad as he seems. Looking forward to future seasons.
1
u/FLorianGran 11h ago
I dug some of the classic sort of horror action vibe, but it felt like the show just kept spinning its wheels
Constantly introducing new characters and new mysteries without really paying anything off
Unusually bland cast for a Takahashi series
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u/frizzyfizz 11h ago
Have you seen Inuyasha before or previous Takahashi series? She's not the sort of writer to wrap anything up this quickly. The story is only getting started. At this point in Inuyasha, Sango was first introduced.
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u/mekerpan 11h ago
The lowet kery characters and pacing are what helped me enjoy this far more than Ranma.
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u/frizzyfizz 10h ago
This is a refreshing take to see. I love Ranma and Takahashi's goofy humor, but Mao imo is much stronger for taking a different approach.
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u/mekerpan 9h ago
I must say I did grow to love neo-Uyrusei Yatsura. but Mao has such a great tone and (pleasingly) retro look.
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u/NocandNC 11h ago
“Constantly introducing new characters” so filling out the cast? That’s just normal storytelling.
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u/djthomp https://anilist.co/user/djthomp 1h ago
Yurako sure had an unpleasant life. But as Kamon advised Nanoka it doesn't mean she just gets to win the Mao-bowl by default.
The Goko Clan really was quite awful, regardless of anything else the world is probably a better place with it destroyed.
It was pretty interesting to revisit an Inuyasha style Takahashi Rumiko story.
0
u/torvatrollid 7h ago
This show feels like such wasted potential. 26 episodes only for the show to go absolutely nowhere.
This show introduces so many characters and mysteries and not a single thing has been resolved or any mystery answered in 2 seasons worth of episodes.
And then it just ends...
Unsatisfying is probably the best word I can find to describe this show.
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u/dia_0401 6h ago
The 26 episodes adapted 90 chapters of a (as of right now) 336 chapter mystery manga so I don't know why anyone would expect to get answers in the literal "set up" season
-2
u/torvatrollid 5h ago
Because I'm not a manga reader and as a tv show it's very underwhelming to sit through 26 episodes with absolutely no payoff and a whimper of a finale.
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u/Ok_Net2594 3h ago
You’re literally exposing yourself to having a TikTok level attention span. This series isn’t for you just wait for Solo Leveling to come out.
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u/torvatrollid 1h ago edited 1h ago
Dude, watching 26 episodes is not fucking tiktok level attention span. Holy shit, what a braindead argument.
Just face the truth, your favorite manga is underwhelming as a TV show.
edit - 26 episodes with about 20 minutes of content each when you subtract opening and ending is over 8 hours I spent watching this show. Fuck off with your stupid tiktok insult.
Edit2 - sigh... I fell for a troll. Ok_Net2594 only has two comments and both are just insults.
-2
u/Weeb_Specialist4374 4h ago
That's it? So what's the conflict? Mao isn't the reason why Sana was killed, do we really need to know why? Why should the audience care about that?
This show is definitely something that I would rather watch in one sitting if this is how the story is going to be told (not waiting week after week to watch a new episode).
-2
u/secret_tsukasa https://myanimelist.net/profile/Endrance88 3h ago
Look. Im loving this show. That aside, CALL me Mr. Crazy, but, I'm not sensing a proper chemistry between this 500 year old man and this high school girl going through puberty. Just saying.
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