It's abundantly clear that Bo Wang and Ma Zhai Xing had a strong connection to each other, from beginning to end. However, I first started losing interest during episode 15, because I felt that Bo Wang's actions were over-the-top. I understand that his goal was to push Ma Zhai Xing away and make her give up on him, but I refuse to believe he had to resort to those actions. Then it was Ma Zhai Xing's turn to cause me to lose interest. Halfway through, I started to feel like Ma Zhai Xing was obsessed with her memories of Lang Zai, self-absorbed, and not nearly as smart as she thought she was. Did she ever consider what Bo Wang had been through in those eight years or try to understand the ways that his situation had changed? All she did was try to bring back every single thing they liked together in the past, to drag him back to the Lang Zai she had preserved in her heart. Sure, you could say she was trying to help him find his true self, she brought him warmth and kindness... but she disregards his precarious new identity as a prince and becomes his weakness, a tool that can be used against him, and she doesn't even realize it.
When Ma Zhai Xing finally learns the truth, I thought this drama had a chance to prove me wrong and offer some growth. But what does Ma Zhai Xing do? She repeatedly makes emotional, impulsive choices when it comes to anything relating to Bo Wang. Does it ever really feel like she cares about those loyal family troops of hers? From beginning to end, I felt like that kindness and pureness of heart that everyone loves Ma Zhai Xing for has always been reserved for and dedicated solely for Bo Wang. Even if it seemed like kindness toward another character, wasn't that character someone related to Bo Wang?
I kept powering through this drama because I felt committed to seeing how things would end, but those last 10ish episodes didn't make sense to me. We kept being reminded of what a connection and understanding Ma Zhai Xing and Bo Wang had, and YET Ma Zhai Xing didn't see through his actions during that battle scene? Sorry, you can't keep trying to sell me the ~special connection~ and ~Ma Zhai Xing is so smart~ but tell me that Ma Zhai Xing had no suspicions at all despite everything that happens during and after the battle. Then, the last episode celebrates Ma Zhai Xing as this grand hero and it made me roll my eyes. First, where was that Ma Zhai Xing in the previous ten episodes??? That's what I wanted to see much earlier. Second, what happens just doesn't make sense, for each character. I won't get into the details because I don't want to spoil anything.
As for the other characters: Although I liked Ji Chong's character, especially in the beginning, I was never rooting for a relationship between Ji Chong and Ma Zhai Xing, because it was always clear that her heart belonged to Bo Wang. I was surprised that I liked Bao Na a lot, except for her last story arc, because it felt too contrived for me. The biggest surprise for me was Wang Jia Yi as the fourth prince: a great performance and a likable character. (Can you believe it was only about two years ago that Wang Jia Yi was on Idol Producer and auditioned while holding that stuffed animal?!) The biggest missed opportunity for this drama was Yao Ji. Xin Zhi Lei is such a great actress and I would've loved to see more of her character's backstory. I also liked the members of the Night Fury a lot but would've liked more depth to them than just their fierce loyalty to Bo Wang. There was a scene where they did acknowledge their internal conflict, but I thought there could've been more. The emperor had a strong storyline throughout the drama and the actor did a great job. In general, the political storylines were pretty solid.
All in all, I'm glad I watched The Wolf because I was so curious about the hype, but it was a disappointment for me.
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Engaging story
I binged this show over a week. It was very watchable and the plot moved along relatively quickly without any fillers.With that said, there’s a number of scenes that don’t make sense. The story is about a boy raised in the wild by wolves that later become a prince, so there is a fantastical component in there in the male lead having wolf like capabilities. That part is expected and delightful to watch. But expect plot holes. I read that the script is based on a novel that had different characterization, so the novel probably made more sense.
The acting by the actors were all on point. I was especially impressed by the male lead, as he demonstrated both child like innocence and animal instinct ferocity quite effectively. The characters also all were reasonably developed throughout the story. All very easy on the eyes as well.
The music was great, and certain characters received their own little soundtrack intros when they appeared on the scene. I’ll be listening to the OST for a while after this viewing.
All in all, very enjoyable watch (and binge) if you are in the mood for some star crossed angsty romance. Just be sure to turn off your inner sense check. After all, this show underwent quite a bit of editing for the last three years. I’d argue the writing and production from three years ago are of a much better quality than now (2020) and it certainly shows when you compare this show with the web dramas that are so common now in Chinese dramaland.
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The actors and musics are awesome!
I really like all the musics in this show, they are really well created and sound very beautiful. The concept of this historical fiction is new, and I kinda like it. The fighting scenes were pretty cool and actors did a great job in acting. The actors are very good looking too (Especially Xiaozhan). Also, I heard that this drama was actually taken in highland. The scenes are pretty, and you can definitely see the beauty of nature in this drama. If you like Chinese drama and have nothing to do on your free time, I would recommend this drama, it’s pretty awesome! Hope you guys have a nice day!Cet avis était-il utile?
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Everything is great except the script
The script could have been improved. FL was supposedly smart and independent. I didn't like that she appeared needy, kinda obsessive with Lord Bo and stupid.Her family was massacred but she was only in shock and sad for what seemed like a few days. Once she was at the capital. her focus was on Lord Bo/Wolfie and was acting happily like nothing tragic just happened. It would have been better if FL was made aware of Lord Bo's bad (evil?) reputation before meeting him in person. Once they have met, she would have thought that he only resembles wolfie but he's definitely not him since wolfie was kind and not worth her time to "chase" and accept his maltreatment. Although she has said many times that what she wanted was to avenge her family but at Bo's Mansion, there weren't much scenes where FL has flashbacks with her family or her father. which would have shown her sadness and that her priority was to avenge her father. I would have liked Lord Bo to feel very guilty about it killing her family. It was only shown at the later part just before the war of Boxiang.
I really love the OST though. I think it helped people overlooked the lousy script.
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Good drama
Well i’ve watched this drama because of xiao zhan but eventually I must admit that after finishing some episodes I started to like every actors in this series. Xiao zhan is really a good actor, well actually all of the actors in this drama. They have strong chemistry and great action scenes. There is never a boring episode, once you started watching this drama you are already hooked. I’m excited to watch every episodes. This drama is really worth the wait. I highly recommend this drama to all. I hope we get to see all of Xiao Zhan’s drama after this. Good luck XZ may you always be blessed and I hope you get all the love you really deserved because you are very talented and kind. Ajah!Cet avis était-il utile?
Hellopeopleandworld
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I liked how the story contained wolfs which makes the ML cooler than he already is. The beginning was okay and it had a steady pace which kept me interested. In my opinion the last 10-15 episodes were the best as those episodes showed the different strategies of the both kingdoms and the wits of the leads. Overall I liked the story. One thing that led me not to give the story a perfect 10 was how the misunderstandings between the ML and FL were dragged on for too long. I hated to the point that I skipped the scenes wherein the FL was happy whereas the ML was suffering. I did not have second lead syndrome as the FL did not deserve the second lead, he was too good for her. I did not even think the FL deserved the main lead. I liked Yao Ji (former enemy to friend) more for Lord Bo (Main lead) as she always believed in him. I find the FL a bit annoying towards the end.The acting was great and the OST was the bomb. The OST kind of gives a modern feel which I liked, it kind of resembles K-Drama OSTs.
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Wish it there were as many good dialogue as (hyper) stylish outfits.
Pros: The main female actress, two or three of the soundtracks, some really nice scenery.Cons: Everything else!
Some of the soundtracks were annoying or even off putting during some scenes (at least for me).
The main couple was only interesting when there was antagony between them. The other times the acting was way too sweet/cheesy/childish without any real feeling chemistry (probably the biggest "con" for me).
I honestly don't know why I wouldn't drop it.
The plot seemed to be an interesting set up... but it fizzled out and was kind of underwhelming - like so often.
I found many of the dialoges so pointles and emty - I wish I would have started to press fast forward sooner.
I didn`t particularly like ANY of the characters and the relationships/interactions. And a lot of the performances (with a few exceptions) didn't feel natural/genuine. But then I don`t think the characters where well written and the different sides of them didn't really fit together well... I assume some of the actors just tried to give the director that she wanted.
A lot of scenes where so unconvincing - it was like the writers/producers were allergic to logic or paying attention to detail. I don`t expect Wuxia dramas to stick to rules of physics or human biology... but they really aren't hiding their disregard for the latter. Thought I could hear my brain cells dying ...a bandage OVER armor... OUCH!
And I know they wanted the make the mail leads look "manly" but Darren Wang looked like he had to much tanner and Sean Xiao`s few facial hairs looked weird.
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Okay so, it's a journey, bear with me - take the good with you and leave the bad behind
I'll be quick and to the point in giving my opinions. I've already said almost everything I had to say in the comments bellow while watching the episodes. Here, I'll try and keep it short. (P.S - I lied so hard, sorry, arrest me ahahaha)*minnie tiny wheeny spoilers in this review, if you're really scared of knowing something or even hate hints, maybe don't read but if you aren't I'll be glad*
THE GOOD:
This is what kept me watching the series. The "support cast":
Ji Chong. This is how you make and develop a character, let him be the example, he's certainly mine. I can see how much care was put into creating the character of Ji Chong and how beautiful and graceful he turned out to be. Kudos to Xiao Zhan too, for breathing life to this wonderful role! I can't call him a second lead. He's one of the main leads, fully deserving of his place there. I wasn't a fan before because, well, I haven't watched him in anything before, and when he appered I was like "Hey, handsome" and then I was like "Okay, now it's starting to become interesting.." From the start he was shown as a free spirited, larger than life type of a person, then to the same guy but with different reasons and a good backstory and then revealing the honor, the grace, the beauty and the very realistic personal tragedy of someone experiencing unrequited love. *SPOILER* --> But after all he went through he managed to break free of the prison of love in dramas and walked out as the coolest dude there can be with some bomb-ass lines like "There are many things in life that are more important than romance and love affairs." DID I HEAR WHAT I JUST HEARD? A character from a romance drama is saying that? Excuse me while I stand up and clap for Ji Chong - the greatest man from a drama, The Coolest Man. PERIOD. FULL STOP. HATS OFF. "I let her go, wasn't I so cool for doing that?" "You're the coolest man I've ever seen."Who migh be saying that? hmmm ;) *end of SPOILER*
They wrote him to have so much spirit, sass, charm and in the same time maturity so that he can be more than just an aesthetic, if I may say so . Every time he showed up the pacing of the drama got faster, he was there both to bring action and to teach some characters and the audience lessons of humanity. He was also given a good backstory that gave reasons for his choices and showed clearly his personality. And they casted exactly the actor for him to better portray this specific type of a character that is not often seen in dramas because I think the free-spirited people are often written to not be mature and it was a very good artistic choice to bring these characteristics in the story of one person. It served the overall plot and the story of Ji Chong very well!
Another good: Yao Ji, Bao Na. Yao Ji (played by Xin Zhi Lei). Yao Ji had a pretty great character development. I can't tell you much but expect to have the feels and enjoy the amazing acting from Xin Zhi Lei!
Bao Na - started from the "bottom" and look where we are! I wish I could spill the tea and tell you more but I will spoil all the good things. Normally, I find the "cute"characters in cdramas to be plain annoying and girly and nowhere near cute at all. But here we are presented with the Cute itself and its loyal friends - the Ferocious, the Brave , the Kind and the Sassy. Just forget her first episodes, everyone wants to choke her there, it;s alright, it;s gonna pass xD. It's a good coming of age story that has still not come fully of age and maybe never will, hopefully, because I strongly believe people should guard their kids' spirit to the end of their life ^^
other good: The cinematography! The grand production! The aesthetics! The soundtrack! The editing! - this was a master editing work. It was technically freaking amazing! Well done to the operators and the editos, it's a work made on another scale and that's what draws you in from the start. Inner decor, outer shots...One time I was so amazed by a scene just because of how it looked and the accompanying track that I almost teared up and there was nothing much happening on the screen between actors then. It's just well done and I was pleasently suprised! I will cherish all the beautiful scenes in the future when I rewatch my favourite parts!
What I didn't like and thought was wack: The main two leads and their story which is theoretically the whole plot and if there weren't other characters with their own individual stories to keep things interesting, I would have dropped the series. Just, their thing...was not my thing. It was supposed to be epic, deeply felt, grand, to make me feel the power of love...but it was badly done. Bo Wang and Ma Zhai Xing had young love, infatuation, appreciaion..okay, maybe, but a relationship needs communication and growing up as people together as a result of the SHARED fortunes and misfortunes in life. They shared...almost nothing since the time they parted in the woods. They had a great and sweet friendship as the wolf boy and Xing'er and then they were different people that never got to to have a real conversation together. All they did they did in secret, their most important moments that shaped who they were happened while apart. For their ending and the emotions the screenwriters wanted to portray to be deserved, they needed better written characters and more time for a relationship to form. Theoretically, what they had should have been great but the time to show it was wasted for scenes I see in many other dramas *the cold man/warm woman trope* and when they parted the show became more interesting for me. Seeing as they didn't contribute so much to forming a relastic bond, in my opinion, I wish we focused more on the other characters at the times when the angst was too much. For Bo Wang - it would have been nice to see more of his personal story and path and not so much focus on their relationship (a strong word for that in most episodes). If we saw the transformation, his past and more interactions with the people that were important for Lord Bo I think he really would have grown on me. For Ma Zhai Xing - that girl was written with all logic thrown to the wind. She was promising in the beginning and then she was no one and without certain two characters (Ji Chong and the king of Jin)- she wouldn't even have a spec of character development. Even when she had a better moment it didn't lead to anything pretty good, she made a step forward and two backwards. She was basically a plot tool for the ML to use and tell his story that wasn't even told fully. If her character was written off and her role in the plot was given to circumstances and other people, everything would still be the same.
And I didn't like that Bo was not given a true inner fighting spirit. I really didn't! He was shown to be holding up just for the sake of another person who, ironically, he kept making miserable in certain episodes. That was so...demeaning and senseless - for her and for him. It's a story of an innocent person coming under the control of the wicked and presumably fighting his way out while keeping his humanity but all he ever wanted was to die. For sure, a peron's life has a greater meaning than that. What's te point to show such a journey of someone enduring all this and finding friends and ways to stand against his captor if the only "coping" mechanism he got from all these years is the memory of a girl and mind you when he meets the girl he is is being a total jerk to her. But it should be "okay" because he later reveals he never hated her, he did everything in the name of love and the audience should appreciate his inner struggles even though we didn't really see what he went through and he was not given good inner convinctions. He could've told a good story about humanity and the battle to keep it - if he thinks such a battle is a lost cause, then, why? It should've been shown and developed. The drama took the "romance" route but I don't think it was well done, it was a poor excuse for a reason to live and die. It;s 2020 - characters should have more to them than romantic fantasies, I prefer them to have their own life and then their relatioships with other people will be so much more beautiful and meaningful.
OVERALL: I stayed for the not so main characters that I think were favourites of the screenwriters. They were really given the time to grow and the actors the freedom to show their journey and emotions. For me, they were the true main leads that lead the show from a certain point in the plot. That was new to me and I enjoyed it so much! I like to see lively people that can take you on a ride of emotions and teach good lessons. When I watch a drama I look for the shining ones in it, for the people with that X factor in them, the different and the original that make your time worthy. My rating of 9 is 80% because of Ji Chong and other good characters and 20% because of the cinematography. I have never given such a high rating for a drama with so many things that weren;t to my taste and I found boring...but here I am, appreciating the other things that were done so well! Watch and see for yourself how you feel about the show. It;s 50/50 - there are many annoying cliches and also a lot of originality. Take the good with you and leave the bad behind if you think like me.
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Just Beautiful
There's already great detailed reviews so mine will be short. I finished 10 episodes subbed and watched rest raw because I was so mesmerized by the story. For me, I love the development of the story where we are introduced to the most precious innocent relationship of the princess and wolf boy. Their scenes on the mountain, happy go free discovery of nature, self, and adoration of friendship is just memorizing. She teaches him about love of a human to human and when he innocently puts his head on her shoulder to mimic love and she pats his head for approval, it's like my heart stopped for such a capture. The separation was to save him and that has you tearing up. Reunification was bittersweet and then from there a rollercoaster of highs and lows. All within the first ten episodes you will experience so much emotions that you won't turn away even if you wanted to; it's an incredibly moving story. The connection to our emotions is what keeps us glued in. I have never experienced anything like it so quickly with a story that though i have caught ending results, I didn't care. (I usually shut down if I know something beforehand). EVERYONE did such a remarkable job (particularly leads) I wanna thank them personally for powerfully moving me. I loved it and you will too. I've seen lots of excellent c-dramas of 2020. This one would sit with two others on top. Please watch and give this production your two thumbs up!Cet avis était-il utile?
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This is not the worst but not really good either
I wanted to watch this for 2 reasons. I really liked the trailer and wanted to support one of the actors. To be honest because of the trailer I was expecting a lot more fantasy elements what it has. The story starts pretty interestingly, the base of it has a lot of potential. However the journey between the start and end point is very messy. The plot is very stretched out and boring in a big portion of the drama. In other places it is very hazy and rushed with no explanations. The support characters tend to be more interesting and lovable than the 2 main characters. There are a couple of very nice scenes also, when you wonder if it's the same drama what you were watching 5 minutes ago. The ending is really obvious from pretty early on wich makes the whole drama feel like it's way too long for the plot. Kind of like a twisted and bad remake of Romeo and Juliet. Honestly the plot doesn't make it worth to watch it but other things kinda make it up for it.Characters
Prince Bo: Very interesting, two sided character used in a really bad way. Overall he is not bad, has very human traits but his character is romanticizing of being rude and using brutal actions towards your loved ones. He is also intelligent and can be kindhearted. His relationship with his brothers and the Night Fury makes him likable.
Ma Zhai Xing: A hot mess, the most frustrating female character ever. One minute she is a genius, independent and strong and than suddenly she is a crying kindergartner who naively using everyone who helps her. The only character development she has is actually in the last episode. I don't know what the writers thought when they created her.
Ji Chong: One of the good ones. Really free spirited, playful and intelligent. A little bit arrogant. He was really relatable for me. A little bit unrealistically kind, putting others before himself. The thing that made him the most human was his argument with Bao Na.
Yao Ji: One of the most interesting one, with not enough screen time. She wasn't used for her potential but had a great character development. I really wanted to see more of her.
Bao Na: A spoiled and immature princess starting pretty badly and growing on you. She has some smaller improvements during the story. She is more like a true support character with good intentions and flaws.
Night Fury: The gems of this drama. They are not likable at the start but growing on you quickly. I can't even understand how are they this well written when the main characters are so messy.
Ma Jing: I have to mention her because I feel bad for her. She is created to bring comical relief to the drama. It would be okay if she wouldn't be the stereotypical chubby girl. Really? That's the best? The chubby girl talking about eating and having a crush on a handsome guy. She was lovable but this solution is disappointing.
The villains are so boring I don't even want to write about them.
Personal favorites: Ji Chong, Wen Yan, Ma Jing, 4th prince, chief eunuch of jin
Personal ships: Prince Bo and Yao Ji, Ji Chong and Bao Na, Wen Yan and Ma Jing, Mo Xiao and Hai Die
Production
One of the things that makes this drama worth to watch is the production value. The cinematography is gorgeous, one of the most beautiful I ever seen. There are no good description for it. Amazing location choices witch makes you want to travel there. The music is very good, the opening song is very unusual but I liked it a lot. The editing is also good, the filters used make some of the colors too bright but overall it isn't too bothering. I have mixed feelings of the cg however. The backgrounds are okay not the best not the worst. However the animals are quite bad for excepting Zhui Ri. The bird looking so realistic that I doubting it is cg. The props in some places look kind of fake, mostly hair pieces and bowles. The make-up is good however on close ups fake eyelashes and circle lenses are standing out way too much. The fake blood seemed super realistic in some places, but the color was too bright and foundation looked orange sometimes probably because of the filters used. The wigs are often fake looking and the actors real hair peaking out. I wasn't fond of the clothes. The fabric choices were too modern for the era. Many plastic looking, too shiny outfits even the armors can look unrealistic. However some of the female clothes are super nice. Unfortunately the drama was dubbed with voice actors. Most of the voices fitted to the characters but Ma Zhai Xing's and Ji Chong's voices can be annoying.
Acting
Very impressive acting work given the the story material. The acting is the other thing that makes it up for the story. I think everybody did a good job so I can only praise them.
Darren Wang: First time watching his drama and I am really impressed. His execution of emotions through his expressions is truly amazing. I am definitely keeping an eye out for his future works.
Li Qin: Her character was so annoying I could barely pay attention for her acting. I think she did a good job but I don't want to judge her by the role she was playing. I am looking into BTS scenes for more content. Currently watching an other drama with her in order to get to know her acting better.
Xiao Zhan: It is noticeable he had less acting experience when this was filmed but did a really good job regardless.
I only recommend this drama if you are looking for beautiful filming locations, good music and you are fan of any of the actors or actresses. Otherwise you will find this drama boring pretty quickly. It would be nice if the rating would reflect the value of this drama but many people rating their favorite actor/actress. Don't have high expectations and you might even enjoy this.
Apologies for any grammar or spelling mistakes, english is my second language :)
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Fast pace Storyline
Finished this in 4 days...Literally swollen eyes daily...
One of my top drama for 2020.
I must say although this was filmed 3 yrs ago, it did not look much outdated.
I also did not read preview and went to watch. I believed watchin with open heart rather than knowing ending.
Cinematography
Because they went to Shangri la for filming. Most are real scenery.Backdrops are wild and amazing... sweeping majestic scenes
Lots of real ground for battle scene. Forest suitable for wolf scene.
There is very little cg. Except for the animals...
Kudos to actors able to act with cg on point... eg watching how the butterfly flies, eyes following it...
Fightin i would say its,better in the first few episodes.
Esp,when for wolf prince and in battles.
Costumes
Very heavy armour for ML. But its menacing and he carries the look well, though it seems a size bigger. Not sure if cos its too cold. I like his hair! Punk! Very apt for this show.
Second ML as a prince should wear better and more luxurious costumes i feel... his wanderer look is better.
FL have good range of costumes i feel so its not boring.
Villian lady have ridiculous headpiece i feel. As with those silly makeup on some attendants.
The kings and army are also well dressed.
Actors
FL is veteran actress. So very impressed with her crying scenes. Although at 30 she can act and looks like a young girl.
She also seems too tired i feel as can see her eyebags even with makeup. Her character supposed to be strong and clever. In several episodes, the script portrays her as childish. But i like that she is kind and forge lots of friendship. She carries her amour well.
ML is also veteran actor. He is a dude who can smirk and still looks good. Rarely have such actors who has natural smirk, shows true emotions and not caring if handsome on screen. Many scenes with raw angry emotions across his face. So many smirks that score points. His cold heart black face and trusting wolf face also on point. He is made for this character. He lets off his rage face 100% in show. Ugly but cool. Suffering on the inside, still look cool. Very Man.
Second ML is quite cool. He carries the look of wanderer better than a prince. His acting when fighting with ML is good. Very natural at laughing. Though i don understand why still need to keep a stubble when became a prince. He has his puppy eyes always looking at FL, boost his lovelorn look.
Khitan princess was quite refreshing.
Acting very realistic to spoilt princess.
Pouting lips and all
Story
Not based on book. So im impressed by the the flow... it is quick and makes sense. I hardly do marathons. The storyline helps. Very sad, both characters made for each other and sacrifice for each other. Went through alot yet still cannot be together. I did not expect so much raw emotions, almost crying every other episode.
script writing is good, at the heartless part of the wolf prince. He suffering inside so much. Really makes one heart pain for him. Many heartfelt scenes.
I usually drop dramas that dont gel and make sense.
I believed the editing falls short. Some scenes were deleted that left me abit confused as it fast forwards the show. Esp towards FL getting poisoned.
There.are.some flashbacks which i think can reduce.
Would love more involvement of the wolves.
OST is amazing as per all other reviews. It truly helps lift the show.
Overall good job by producers, team and actors. Finally made it to screen after 3 yrs and its well done.
Will rewatch for WoLf's smirk.
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