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 If you have not heard of this series, do not google it(spoilers like whoa, seriously), just click this link to read the first volume before you do anything else in this thread. If you start reading it, don't give up on it until you've finished the first volume. Seriously. And don't skip around the first volume, though it's okay to skip over Suzuki's crazed ramblings and rants if you don't want to read all of that. Once you finish the first volume, post what you thought of it in this thread!No untagged spoilers for at least the first few pages of this thread, and I mean anything, whether it's chapter 5 or chapter 150. I Am A Hero is a series started in 2009 by Kengo Hanazawa, also known for Ressentiment(a good series) and Boys on the Run(almost as good as IAAH). He is EXTREMELY GOOD at what he does and is also an amazing artist. This is one of the most gorgeously and unabashedly detailed series I've had the privilege to read. It's currently over 150 chapters long, and, for the most part, very few chapters have been wasted. It is very slow, dramatic, atmospheric, methodical, with an inevitable pace and incredibly expressive and dramatic artwork. This is a story of Hideo Suzuki and the struggles he has to endure as he encounters many impossible obstacles in his normally stressful-but-tolerable life. It is a tale of love, loss, fear, violence, insecurity, and what it means to be one of the few owners of a shotgun in Japan. It should also be said that this is absolutely not a series for children.  ======================= Characters! I Am A Hero stars Hideo Suzuki, a fairly crazy person who is also a manga artist and one of the few gun owners in Japan. He is an pretty generic looking nerd who keeps his rage pent up and winds up saying the stupidest things instead of what he's actually thinking, or thinking he said things that was actually all in his head and sees things that aren't there. He works in a small manga studio as an artist assistant after failing to create a smash hit of his own. He says very stupid things when drunk. He also dances amazingly. It is literally the first thing that happens in the manga after he opens the door to his apartment.    His girlfriend is Tetsuko Kurokawa. She's a cute girl who also does manga stuff for her job. They've been together for a while before the manga begins and get along great! She's also a good cook, and likes to play pranks on her boyfriend. She's also a really nasty drunk, but is normally a very loving, kindhearted person. Talks too much about her ex.  Hideo works in this small manga studio with his various coworkers who include a tiny woman, a creepy-rear end stalker of said woman, a possibly pothead boss who doesn't appear to do much except moan and groan and laze about or act weird. It's pretty cramped. Stalker guy really likes the morning show "Boob Morning".  Nakata is a guy with a lisp. He's pretty friendly and also apparently ridiculously rich. Looks up to Suzuki a lot and is extremely energetic and willing to stand up for what he believes in or go out of his way to help! Looks a little weird.  There are more, but we'll leave those to be discovered by you, the reader. Please make sure to mark what chapter you're discussing spoilers for Captain Invictus fucked around with this message at 07:19 on Sep 6, 2013 |
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Sep 2, 2013 08:14
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Just finished volume one and I have never seen such a legitimately scary 3 page spread in my life. I literally recoiled and had to stop to catch my breath. The art style is mind blowing and absolutely perfect for capturing that scene.
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Sep 2, 2013 09:18
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I've read pretty much the whole thing and it is all very horribly wonderful. If you like dark themes, don't google it. Don't read a review, just read it. The first volume is a slow burn, just take in all the fine details and live the disgusting reclusive otaku life!
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Sep 2, 2013 09:52
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I just read the first two volumes. I love how Hideo's personal delusions helped to obscure what would happen.
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Sep 2, 2013 10:13
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Volume 12 spoilers: I'm wondering if there's a pattern or reason as to why people turn into a "Kasuma" instead of becoming a normal zombie. Right now there seems to be two reoccurring elements: 1. The person must kill someone close to them before turning. 2. The person is also somebody that's rejected by society and/or has a history of isolation. If there is a method to doing this, I wonder if there's eventually going to be survivors rescuing nerds asking for help on the internet and turning them into human weapons. It's unlikely however since they're highly unpredictable, and they seem to want to be the only "Kasuma". codeorange fucked around with this message at 11:59 on Sep 2, 2013 |
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Sep 2, 2013 11:55
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This is probably the first manga ever that got me to actually look up some raw scans so that I'd have at least some idea about what happens next, it's just so good once it gets going.
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Sep 2, 2013 12:36
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I wonder if it might not be a good idea to make this a general Kengo Hanazawa thread. IAAH doesn't update very often, and both Ressentiment and Boys on the Run are pretty popular in their own right. Though I haven't gotten around to reading BOTR yet.
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Sep 2, 2013 15:38
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There was one a while back, but it must have fallen into the archives.
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Sep 2, 2013 17:03
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I love this manga. I love all of his, actually. It's too bad BOTR has really slowed down in terms of scanlation. Can't wait for volume 12.
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Sep 2, 2013 17:45
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Great manga but the current side story arc is such a drag. I'm glad it seems to be coming to an end. Is there a place or does somebody have any idea on when the next chapters are going to be released? I started reading it before the recent releases and checked for new ones almost every day. It was such a long wait.  Edit: Seems like a new volume every 4 or so months with the last one taking about 2 months to get translated. Gaudia fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Sep 2, 2013 |
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Sep 2, 2013 17:45
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Gaudia posted:Great manga but the current side story arc is such a drag. I'm glad it seems to be coming to an end. I am pretty sure that with the end of volume 12, the side story is over and we're getting back to Hideo. Which is great because I really love our trio of protagonists on Hideo's end of things. Hiromi is an incredibly interesting character. I marathon'd this entire thing in the past 24 hours, taking breaks every so often to recuperate or do other things. I recommend everyone give it a read. Volume 2 spoilers: The thing with Tekko ripping her own teeth out so she couldn't bite Hideo struck me SO HARD when I realized exactly what happened there. She couldn't stop herself from hurting him so she chewed through the goddamn door next to him instead while screaming that she loved him and that's just. Wow. Holy poo poo. I have never seen a scene like that in ANY media I have ever watched and that will stick with me for life. gnome7 fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Sep 2, 2013 |
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Sep 2, 2013 18:09
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Question for those that can read the raws: What word do they have the otaku/side group use for the zombies? 'zombfag' is pretty much what I would expect a bunch of shut ins to use but I'm curious to what a direct translation would be.
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Sep 2, 2013 18:30
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gnome7 posted:Volume 2 spoilers: The thing with Tekko ripping her own teeth out so she couldn't bite Hideo struck me SO HARD when I realized exactly what happened there. She couldn't stop herself from hurting him so she chewed through the goddamn door next to him instead while screaming that she loved him and that's just. Wow. Holy poo poo. I have never seen a scene like that in ANY media I have ever watched and that will stick with me for life. Volume 2: Yeah, I am really amazed at how well that was handled. Some might say it was dragged out, but I feel like it was absolutely perfectly done, and that particular example of her ripping her own teeth out, and then ripping her own fingernails off so she couldn't scratch him, was so unbelievably well-executed that I knew I was going to love the rest of it. And I was not disappointed! Chapter 90-115ish area: My favorite characters in the series are the three main crewmates right now, Suzuki, Hiromi, and Yabu. The pissed-my-pants chapter was so amazing and a great little window in both the surrounding bleakness and also Yabu's pretty awesome attitude that I think she's my favorite character in the series now. "Pissed my pants and walking around naked but I DON'T CARE! PISS WHIRLWIND!" Then the whole vet thing was great, and the severed head still being alive was intriguing as well. I almost think that Tekko might not be "dead" yet since Suzuki only cut off her head cleanly with a knife, but maybe there's more to having a severed head survive than just being removed undamaged from the body. While I agree that(chapters 115-143)the current arc was way longer than it really needed to be, it also unveiled a TON of new info in an interesting and pretty believable way without just having the main crew Find The Next Bunch Of Soon-To-Be-Dead Survivors. There's a ton of interesting possibilities with the "ascended" virus and why the infected are going south(massive zombie orgy!), and I want to see what goes on in Hiromi's head some more. Autonomous Monster posted:I wonder if it might not be a good idea to make this a general Kengo Hanazawa thread. IAAH doesn't update very often, and both Ressentiment and Boys on the Run are pretty popular in their own right. 
Captain Invictus fucked around with this message at 19:05 on Sep 2, 2013 |
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Sep 2, 2013 18:52
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Volume 12: Takashi's story was definitely long but I don't think it was too long, I really enjoyed the side story away from Hideo's crew and like was said, we learned a lot in a very believable way as the new group was entirely different. That and, most importantly, it established a really cool origin story for (presumably) the Real Kurusu that people have been talking about online, which I thought was a really cool switcheroo. Shame about the crossbow duo though, I did like them. I am happy to be back with Hideo finally, though, so the real story can continue.
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Sep 2, 2013 19:21
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Captain Invictus posted:I want to see what goes on in Hiromi's head some more. Vol12: I kind of get the impression that removing the nail may have cured her. In her mental world, when it comes out it takes the monsters and the crazy stuff with it, and when we see her again in v12, her eyes are clear. And, to be honest, I think mute!Hiromi had run its course, narratively speaking. Cipher Pol 9 posted:Volume 12: Takashi's story was definitely long but I don't think it was too long It went on for two and a half volumes.  It's more than a fifth of the manga's entire run at this point.
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Sep 2, 2013 19:40
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Autonomous Monster posted:Vol12: It went on for two and a half volumes.
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Sep 2, 2013 19:51
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Autonomous Monster posted:Vol12: I kind of get the impression that removing the nail may have cured her. In her mental world, when it comes out it takes the monsters and the crazy stuff with it, and when we see her again in v12, her eyes are clear.
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Sep 2, 2013 20:08
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Oh wow I need more of this. Honestly, I don't even read comics or manga or anything and I got a big kick out of this. Any place to buy physical versions of this in english, i read this all on one sitting but I hate reading on my computer!
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Sep 2, 2013 20:54
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It has not been licensed in english yet, which, frankly, loving baffles me.
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Sep 2, 2013 21:00
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I read some of this a while back and should really figure out where I left off. I liked what I read but it was a little tiring to read a whole lot of at once and when I stopped I just never went back to it.  I also read a manga about high schoolers being attacked by giant monsters at around the same time and the two are a little conflated in my mind so it's hard to remember where I got to. I started to type out a "last thing I read" spoiler and realized I was thinking of the other thing. edit: just checked, I'm ready to start volume 3. Everything Burrito fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Sep 2, 2013 |
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Sep 2, 2013 22:16
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Good OP Captain Invictus you got me to bite, and I am enjoying the ride. I normally am not a huge fan of these types of stories (I feel they are pretty played out these days) but this one is really compelling. I can't stop reading!
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Sep 2, 2013 23:20
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This is really a fantastic series, and so well drawn too  this is pretty up there with Beserk for me in terms of art and story.Read it!
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Sep 2, 2013 23:36
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Oh wait wait wait, V12 came out today?! Yussssssssssss. I thought you guys were discussing raws. I think I'll read through from the beginning again to get re-caught-up.
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Sep 3, 2013 00:40
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The thing that really makes this stand out from all other zombie media is how it handles killing zombies. Other zombie movies or games or whatever will at most have the protagonist struggle with killing one zombie in the beginning, then it's fine, blow them all away, they're just zombies. I am a Hero never let's you get into that mindset. Smashing in someone's face is a hosed up act, and it never lets you forget that. Like, in World War Z, dudes with machine guns mow down dozens of zombies, and it's basically meaningless. But the scene with Hideo on the bridge is so horrifying, because you know, and Hideo knows that all of those zombies were people with lives who were cared about, and its hosed up that they're trying to kill him and it's hosed up that he has to kill them. Aside from the original Night of the Living Dead, I am a Hero is the only zombie thing I've seen that refuses to make it seem like a zombie apocalypse might be in anyway "fun"
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Sep 3, 2013 03:08
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boom boom boom posted:The thing that really makes this stand out from all other zombie media is how it handles killing zombies. Other zombie movies or games or whatever will at most have the protagonist struggle with killing one zombie in the beginning, then it's fine, blow them all away, they're just zombies. I am a Hero never let's you get into that mindset. Smashing in someone's face is a hosed up act, and it never lets you forget that. Like, in World War Z, dudes with machine guns mow down dozens of zombies, and it's basically meaningless. But the scene with Hideo on the bridge is so horrifying, because you know, and Hideo knows that all of those zombies were people with lives who were cared about, and its hosed up that they're trying to kill him and it's hosed up that he has to kill them. And when it (chapter 65+ arc) DOES have characters who treat it like a game or an excuse to have fun with both the infected and the living(such as raping Yabu), they get to have a little bit of "fun" before reality comes and literally rips their heads off. Off-panel, even. Not even worth showing the moment of their deaths. Speaking of which! One of my absolute favorite parts of this series is that a lot of people who aren't infected are shut-ins. Especially if "zombfag" is an accurate translation, it makes perfect sense that the people using that term are loving Channers. OF COURSE they wouldn't get infected, because they never go outside, and OF COURSE they would follow the cult of Kurusu because "this is their chance to make an impact!" Probably one of my favorite aspects of it, really.
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Sep 3, 2013 03:23
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This manga is amazing. I love the faces in particular, I don't know if any other artist out there can draw the 'upper-teeth biting lower lip' face as well as this guy can. Noticed this interesting thing when doing a quick reread;(Chapter 40)On page 15, are those razor blade scars on Hiromi's wrist? Or are they some kind of bruise from being tossed around in woods? Razor marks would make sense, considering her school life, and it would a little more texture to the fact that the reason she met Hideo was because she thought he was trying to kill himself.
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Sep 3, 2013 08:46
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Scrree posted:Noticed this interesting thing when doing a quick reread;(Chapter 40)On page 15, are those razor blade scars on Hiromi's wrist? Or are they some kind of bruise from being tossed around in woods? Razor marks would make sense, considering her school life, and it would a little more texture to the fact that the reason she met Hideo was because she thought he was trying to kill himself. Yea it makes sense. The ones who become "awakened" don't seem to have the same attachment to life. Unlike the other zombies who cling to their old habits or loved ones. The ones in the classroom looking disappointed to not see their kids were pretty sad.
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Sep 3, 2013 09:47
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Right when I got to the end of the first volume, Spotify started playing I've Had The Time of my Life. I don't think there's anything else that could have fit better.
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Sep 3, 2013 10:18
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vol12: I wonder if the NEVADA shirt auntie is wearing inside the school is a reference to nevada-tan...
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Sep 3, 2013 13:30
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That panel reminded me of something. http://i.imgur.com/uNPXeQY.jpg http://i.imgur.com/6qUt6R9.jpg
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Sep 3, 2013 19:11
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One of my favorite (among many) things about this manga is the art - People actually look like real life people, which means that they pretty frequently have some weird-rear end expressions on their faces. That's probably why I love that scene where main character and nurse high five over finding some change for a vending machine. I think that's my favorite scene in the story. Well, that and the gyrating while eating noodles or some poo poo. Main character's all like, You can't see my secret dance. Guy is a weirdo.
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Sep 3, 2013 19:25
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boom boom boom posted:The thing that really makes this stand out...I am a Hero is the only zombie thing I've seen that refuses to make it seem like a zombie apocalypse might be in anyway "fun" I especially liked how (vol 4 spoiler)before Hiromi could use the shotgun, Hideo had give her thorough lecture on gun safety and aiming. Even though the lesson took half a chapter, its an effective reality check on just how difficult it is to kill someone.
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Sep 3, 2013 22:48
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Started reading this, it's been fantastic so far. I just now got to Chapter 104 and saw "expected delivery date". No.... no.. no. No. No no no no nononononono 
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Sep 3, 2013 23:17
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What's up with "starting with rock" when playing rock-paper-scissors? Am I missing something obvious here?
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Sep 4, 2013 00:32
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Only read the first volume, chapters 1-11 now, figured out the "zombie-like" thing going on pretty quickly, but most people probably did and I read the first post so I was sorta expecting something, but I can definitely promise I didn't expect that. Initial impression.... Jesus. Sometimes good monitors are a curse because that was creepy as hell. Definitely gonna read more!
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Sep 4, 2013 00:44
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I don't read too much in the way of manga any more, but this is pretty interesting. I'm used to the protagonists having at least one or two redeeming qualities, but these folks are pretty reprehensible, which, for the most part, makes them more relatable. Just chewing through chapter 16 now, and the one thing that impresses me most is the artwork, which is phenomenal. Must be pretty cathartic to have all of these essays on manga culture embedded in a story like this.
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Sep 4, 2013 01:21
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Achtane posted:What's up with "starting with rock" when playing rock-paper-scissors? Am I missing something obvious here? It's a Japan thing. As part of the wind-up everyone puts a rock out first before they reel it back in and throw their play.
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Sep 4, 2013 01:47
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Achtane posted:What's up with "starting with rock" when playing rock-paper-scissors? Am I missing something obvious here? Epoxy Bulletin's got it, but it's basically a way to sync up the timing before you all start throwing for real. You've probably had that moment when starting a Rock Paper Scissors game where you're out of sync with the person you're playing with and it takes a couple tries to get the timing right, yeah? The "starting with Rock" thing is a way to get everyone on the same page. Using that to eliminate someone right away because you wanted to be sure they lost is really mean.
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Sep 4, 2013 03:09
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An excuse for Nichijou https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgTr4J2aMRw
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Sep 4, 2013 06:09
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I just read upto the end of the UberJumper fucked around with this message at 07:27 on Sep 4, 2013 |
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Sep 4, 2013 06:59
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