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Calling auditions for “Asia’s Got Talent” season 2

April 4, 2017, 8:37 pm
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AXN is kicking off its search for Asia’s next global superstar as it calls for online auditions for the second season of “Asia’s Got Talent”.

In its first season, the record-breaking series crowned Filipino shadow dance group, El Gamma Penumbra as the grand winner with a cash prize of USD100,000.

“Following the outstanding success of season one on AXN, and the awe-inspiring talent that emerged from 15 countries, Asia’s Got Talent has established its place as the region’s most powerful platform to launch aspiring stars,” said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

Starting from 10 April 2017, potential stars from Asia can visit AXN-Asia.com/AsiasGotTalent to submit an application and a less-than-two-minute audition video, which should include a short introduction of the act, and the actual performance.

In addition to the online auditions, AXN will also hold a series of open auditions in major cities across the region next month.

“For season two, AXN is looking for a variety of acts that span everything from thrilling, surprising and breathtaking to funny and quirky…and sometimes bizarre. Asia’s Got Talent is captivating entertainment at its best and there’s no better place than Asia to discover to the next generation of superstars,” said Lim.

The first season of “Asia’s Got Talent” had set new ratings records for the English general entertainment genre, taking AXN to the number one spot in its timeslot among all regional pay-TV channels collectively across Southeast Asia.

In Malaysia, it was also the highest rated entertainment series for the English language channels on Astro for the past two years, and in the Philippines, the Grand Final Results episode of “Asia’s Got Talent” was the highest rated pay-TV program in the country since 2008.

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UK upmarket grocery store Booths brings its brand to Malaysia

April 4, 2017, 10:25 pm
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Booths, the high-end grocery chain from North England has decided to expand beyond the North West for the first time, with a joint venture to sell its premium brand products in Malaysia.

Headed by Henry Booth, the company has signed an agreement with Hong Kong-listed retailer Dairy Farm who also brought us Cold Storage, Giant Hypermarkets and Guardian – to sell 40 of its best-selling products in 19 outlets across Malaysia.


The family-owned retailer is set to offer new markets a taste of its chutneys, jams, coffees and teas, flavoured water, healthy snacks and breakfast items.

“I’m very happy that British products made in the north west of England could have such a positive and enthusiastic reception on the other side of the world and I hope that the Malaysian customers will grow to love Booths’ products as much as the customers we serve in the UK,” said Booth as quoted by The Business Desk.

“There is a real fondness for heritage brands in Asia, and we hope the Booths story and products will capture their imaginations,” he added.


Often referred to as the “Waitrose of the North”, Booths started off as a tea dealer in 1847 in Blackpool, but now, it has become the first chain of supermarkets in the area, boasting 28 stores across the region in 2016.

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Mayday returns to Malaysia after a year

April 5, 2017, 12:32 am
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Taiwanese quintet rock band, Mayday (五月天), is making their way back to Malaysia this October after their overwhelmingly successful concert in the country last October!

Organiser Star Planet has announced that the band will include Malaysia as part of their “LIFE Tour 2017”, which is their 10th world tour, marking the band’s 20th anniversary in the industry.


The theme of the concert will be “Life”, which conveys the message of “breaking through” and “challenging oneself”, as the band strives to push their limits by breaking their own concert records and deliver a one-of-a-kind concert experience to fans from all over the world.


Kicking off in March, the band began their tour in Taiwan, and that will be followed by various states and cities in China including Hong Kong.


The band will then wrap the tour up with a three-day concert in Singapore after their visit in Malaysia.

The Malaysian concert will be held on 28 October 2017, exactly one year since the band’s last show was held in Kuala Lumpur!


Ticket prices and the venue for Mayday’s “LIFE Tour 2017” in Malaysia is yet to be announced, so stay tuned for more updates.

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Rock the Underworld will be a spin-off of Rock the World

April 5, 2017, 7:30 pm
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Get ready for a brand new rock festival that will bring in some of the biggest rock stars from the indie scene!

Rock the Underworld (RTUW), a spin off from Fat Boys’ successful annual concert Rock the World (RTW), is set to become an annual concert series just like its “local” cousin, with an awesome music line-up and plenty of fun activities throughout the day.


The inaugural festival will feature huge names from the rock scene like Boston metalcore band Unearth, electronicore band from Michigan I See Stars, Arizonian post-hardcore outfit The Word Alive, and Tokyo’s metalcore band Crystal Lake.


Also organised by Fat Boys, RTUW is scheduled to take place on 1 May 2017 at Chin Woo Stadium.

Tickets are on sale via ticketpro.com.my at RM120 for pre-sale and RM150 at the door.


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Singapore’s Star Wars Day introduces first Star Wars themed run

April 5, 2017, 9:09 pm
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The 4th of May has always been a special day for many “Star Wars” fans all over the world, but this year, Singapore’s Star Wars community is taking a step further by introducing their first ever “Star Wars” themed run, which will be a part of a three-day festival called May the 4th Be With You Festival.


Spearheaded by Esprimo and the Singapore Tourism Board, the three-day extravaganza is held in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of “Star Wars: A New Hope”, set to take place at the Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay, from 4 to 6 May 2017.

Get ready to be transported to the realm of a faraway galaxy as the Supertrees at the Gardens by the Bay will be lit up to glow like the iconic lightsabers, transforming into “Sabertrees”.


Then at 7.45pm to 8.45pm, there will be a special “Star Wars” edition of the Garden Rhapsody light show at the Supertrees, with John William’s epic “Star Wars” soundtrack playing in the background.

On 5 and 6 May, fans can join in the “Star Wars” themed Silent Disco from 9 to 11pm at Supertree Grove, but the main highlight of the event in none other than the inaugural Star Wars Run on 6 May, where runners can choose to either be on the Light or Dark side, between 4.5km and 10km runs.


Of course, since it’s a huge scale “Star Wars” event, expect some special appearances of several iconic characters like Han Solo’s faithful companion Chewbacca, and the villainous Kylo Ren, and don’t miss out on the ongoing giveaway of “Star Wars” special merchandises.

Register for the run now at esprimo.com.sg/StarWarsRunSG.
 
(Photo source: starwars.com)

Original article from Cinema Online
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Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad sparks anger among critics and netizens

April 5, 2017, 11:51 pm
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Pepsi has released a new advertisement starring model Kendall Jenner, with the aim to spread the message of love and peace, but the ad was removed within 24 hours after it was first posted as it received backlash from social media users, which criticised it for trivialising protest movements.

“Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize,” Pepsi wrote in a statement on Wednesday.

“We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”

Released on Tuesday, the two-and-a-half-minute ad features Jenner, who is in the middle of a photo shoot, happen to notice a protest march with generic signs like “peace”, “love” and “join the conversation” – making its way down the street.


Jenner then wipes off her makeup and takes off her wig to join the protest, but the part that makes people pissed off the most is when Jenner reaches the front-line of the protest, hands a can of Pepsi to one of the officers, prompting a smile from the officer, and thus there are cheers from the crowd – geez, if only protests were that easy!


The ad has sparked accusations that Pepsi is trivialising important movements like the Women’s Marches, Black Lives Matter protests, demonstrations outside Trump Tower, and the overall racial tension in America to their advantage.

The image of Jenner approaching a line of police officers was compared to a widely shared photo of Ieshia Evans, a black woman who stood calmly in the face of police protestors during a Black Lives Matter protest last year.


The video has sparked plenty of reactions; some of those who mocked the ad include Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, and DeRay Mckesson, a prominent member of the Black Lives Matter movement.


















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Netflix drops star ratings system, introduces thumbs up/down feature

April 6, 2017, 9:06 pm
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Netflix has officially dropped its 5-star rating system and in its place has introduced the new thumbs-up or thumbs-down ratings feature, hoping that it will makes it easier for its 94 million subscribers to either ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ the title they've just watched.

According to Netflix Director of Product Innovation Cameron Johnson, many users don’t seem to get how the star system worked.


So now, instead of the star rating next to each title, Netflix users will see a personalised percentage “match score”, which is a prediction “of what Netflix thinks you may enjoy watching, based on your own unique tastes,” Johnson said in a blog post.


The percent match score is based on an individual member’s unique viewing patterns and habits, and is member specific, and it does not measure the overall popularity among all Netflix viewers like the star ratings system, which reflected the average of all user responses.

After testing out the new ratings system before its launch, Netflix saw a 200 percent jump in ratings activity.


Additionally, the ‘Download & Go’ feature on Netflix that was launched for Android and iOS apps a few months ago is finally making the jump over to desktop with the addition of the ‘offline videos; function specifically for Windows 10 PCs.

Windows 10 users would now have the option of downloading Netflix’s entire video library, and watch them offline at a later time.


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"Get Out", "Beauty & the Beast", and "Stranger Things" lead MTV Awards

April 7, 2017, 2:23 am
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MTV Movie Awards is getting a makeover this year as it has made a few changes to the ceremony which includes a new name, inclusion of television categories for the first time, and removing gender specific awards.

Now known as MTV Movies & TV Awards, the 26th edition of the annual broadcast is slated for Sunday, 7 May 2017, and will honour work in television for the first time alongside feature films.

It is set to be hosted by actor and comedian Adam DeVine.

Additionally, the actors and actresses categories have been combined into non-gendered fields for movies and television shows, and two additional categories will be revealed closer to the show.

The nomination list for the prestigious ceremony is already out with Jordan Peele's record-breaking directorial debut, "Get Out" leading the pack with six nominations including Movie of the Year and a Next Generation nomination for star Daniel Kaluuya.

The live-action adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast" follows behind with four nominations, including a Best Actor in a Movie nomination for Emma Watson, who will be going against male actors like Hugh Jackman and James McAvoy.

On the television side, "Stranger Things" has also nabbed four nominations while "Game of Thrones" follows closely behind with three nominations, where both shows are nominated in the coveted Show of the Year award.

See the rest of the nominations below.

Movie of the Year
"Beauty and the Beast"
"Get Out"
"Logan"
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
"The Edge of Seventeen"

Show of the Year
"Atlanta"
"Game of Thrones"
"Insecure"
"Pretty Little Liars"
"Stranger Things"
"This Is Us"

Best Kiss
Ashton Sanders & Jharrel Jerome - "Moonlight"
Emma Stone & Ryan Gosling - "La La Land"
Emma Watson & Dan Stevens - "Beauty and the Beast"
Taraji P. Henson & Terrence Howard - "Empire"
Zac Efron & Anna Kendrick - "Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates"

Best Villain
Allison Williams - "Get Out"
Demogorgon - "Stranger Things"
Jared Leto - "Suicide Squad"
Jeffrey Dean Morgan - "The Walking Dead"
Wes Bentley - "American Horror Story: Roanoke"

Best Host
Ellen DeGeneres - "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
John Oliver - "Last Week Tonight"
RuPaul - "RuPaul's Drag Race"
Samantha Bee - "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee"
Trevor Noah - "The Daily Show"

Best Documentary
"13th"
"I Am Not Your Negro"
"OJ: Made in America"
"This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous"
"TIME: The Kalief Browder Story"

Best Reality Competition
"America's Got Talent"
"MasterChef Junior"
"RuPaul's Drag Race"
"The Bachelor"
"The Voice"

Best Actor in a Movie
Daniel Kaluuya - "Get Out"
Emma Watson - "Beauty and the Beast"
Hailee Steinfeld - "The Edge of Seventeen"
Hugh Jackman - "Logan"
James McAvoy - "Split"
Taraji P. Henson - "Hidden Figures"

Best Actor in a Show
Donald Glover - "Atlanta"
Emilia Clarke - "Game of Thrones"
Gina Rodriguez - "Jane The Virgin"
Jeffrey Dean Morgan - "The Walking Dead"
Mandy Moore - "This Is Us"
Millie Bobby Brown - "Stranger Things"

Best Comedic Performance
Adam DeVine - "Workaholics"
Ilana Glazer & Abbi Jacobson - "Broad City"
Lil Rel Howery - "Get Out"
Seth MacFarlane - "Family Guy"
Will Arnett - "The LEGO Batman Movie"

Best Hero
Felicity Jones - "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
Grant Gustin - "The Flash"
Mike Colter - "Luke Cage"
Millie Bobby Brown - "Stranger Things"
Stephen Amell - "Arrow"
Taraji P. Henson - "Hidden Figures"

Tearjerker
"Game of Thrones" - Hodor's death
"Grey's Anatomy" - Meredith tells her children about Derek's death
"Me Before You" - Will tells Louisa he can't stay with her
"Moonlight" - Paula tells Chiron that she loves him
"This Is Us" - Jack and Randall at karate

Next Generation
Chrissy Metz
Daniel Kaluuya
Issa Rae
Riz Ahmed
Yara Shahidi

Best Duo
Adam Levine & Blake Shelton - "The Voice"
Daniel Kauuya & Lil Rel Howery - "Get Out"
Brian Tyree Henry & Lakeith Stanfield - "Atlanta"
Hugh Jackman & Dafne Keen - "Logan"
Josh Gad & Luke Evans - "Beauty and the Beast"
Martha Stewart & Snoop Dogg - "Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party"

Best American Story
"Blackish"
"Fresh Off The Boat"
"Jane The Virgin"
"Moonlight"
"Transparent"

Best Fight Against the System
"Get Out"
"Hidden Figures"
"Loving"
"Luke Cage"
"Mr. Robot"

Original article on Cinema Online

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“That’s So Raven” sequel introduces Raven and Chelsea’s children

April 7, 2017, 8:00 pm
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Disney Channel’s favourite psychic is set to return to the masses as the spinoff/sequel of Disney’s beloved “That’s So Raven”, has finally revealed the entire main cast of the series – and that of course, include Raven Symone herself as the titular character, Raven Baxter!

“There is only one Raven – and for over 25 years, she has blessed audiences around the world with the greatest gift of all – the pure, unadulterated joy of laugh-out-loud funny,” said Disney Channels Worldwide president Gary Marsh as quoted by Deadline.


“After being a part of over 20 different Disney projects, we are thrilled to be bringing Raven home to Disney Channel once again.”

Titled as “Raven’s Home”, the series will also feature Anneliese Van der Pol who will be reprising her role on the show, as Raven Baxter’s best friend Chelsea Daniels.


This time around, the two friends will be playing the roles of two divorced single mothers raising their families in a hilariously out-of-control household – but things get messier when one of Raven's kids inherits her ability to see the future.

“When one of Raven's kids begins to show signs that they have inherited her trait of catching glimpses of the future, the already hectic household gets turned upside down, keeping even Raven on her toes,” as explained in a statement.

Raven’s children will be played by Isaac Brown and Navia Robinson as Booker and Nia, Raven’s 11-year-old twins.

Meanwhile, Chelsea's 9-year-old son, Levi, will be played by Jason Maybaum, and Sky Katz will play Nia's BFF Tess.


Rondell Sheridan and T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh, who played Raven’s parents Victor and Tania, as well as Kyle Massey who played Raven’s brother Cory, will occasionally make an appearance on the show.


However, Orlando Brown who played the role of Raven’s other best friend Eddie Thomas, will be replaced by YouTuber-turned-actor Alonzo Lerone, as Symone and Brown were in a particularly odd feud toward the end of 2016.


Raven Symone will also be an executive producer on the new series, which is scheduled to air sometime this year.

“That's So Raven” ran for four seasons, producing 100 episodes, from 2003-2007. The series shattered records when it premiered in 2003 as it was the highest-rated Disney show among kids.

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Love books? Book a stay at these literary-themed hotels

April 8, 2017, 8:00 pm
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Books have always been the perfect travel companions whether you’re on a train or waiting at the bus stop. Apart from a holiday, reading a book is always the perfect way to escape reality and kill time.

But sometimes, it is just so hard to finish a single book as there is just so little time in a day.

So why not do both? Here we have listed out some of the greatest hotels around the world that are made for book lovers!

Many hotels are now catering to bibliophiles with cozy libraries, book lending programs and even book-focused themes.

So, plan your next vacation at one of these literary-inspired hotels which are sure to appeal to all wandering bookworms.

1.Book & Bed – Tokyo 
(Photo source: liveinternet.ru)
Japan is known for its convenient capsule hotels, and Book and Bed is just another one of its many variations. Stocked with more than 5,000 books, visitors can opt to pop in during the day or stay overnight in your very own bookshelf bunkbed.

2.The Library – Koh Samui 
(Photo source: thelibrarysamui.com)
Overlooking the sparkling Gulf of Thailand, the chic boutique hotel is known for its minimalist aesthetic, beachfront views, and blood-red swimming pool. Its contemporary library features a huge selection of books, DVDs, CDs, and an iMac computer corner.

3.Taj Falaknuma Palace – Hyderabad 
(Photo source: room5.trivago.es)
This majestic 5-star luxury hotel set in a palace built in 1894. Its grand library is almost the size of a large banquet hall and acts as the passage to other parts of the palace. The library is a splendid blend of Italian and Tudor architecture and offers over 5,000 volumes of rare books and manuscripts.

4.The Literary Man – Portugal 
(Photo source: travelandleisure.com)
This library-style hotel is a true haven for bookworms as the entire hotel is literally a bookstore. Currently boasting more than 50,000 books and counting, the boutique hotel has only been around for less than two years and aims to have 100,000 books by the end of 2017.

5.The Commons Hotel – Minneapolis 
(Photo source: hotels.com)
Located within walking distance of the University of Minnesota campus, the well-stocked library is complete with a fire pit surrounded by leather seating that offers the perfect setting for cold winter nights. And if you’re too lazy to get out from bed, the hotel’s on-call Book Butler will deliver reading material right to your room.

6.Gladstone's Library – North Wales 
(Photo source: patriciabracewell.com)
Another hotel where you can sleep with books, the library which belongs to the former Prime Minister William Gladstone, became a hotel after Gladstone's death in 1898. The residential library is home to more than 250,000 books, where more than 32,000 of them was the private collection of the former Prime Minister.

7.Jumel Terrace – New York City 
(Photo source: jumelterracebnb.com)
Not exactly a hotel, Jumel Terrace Bed & Breakfast is a bookish retreat located in Sugar Hill. The accommodation shares the basement of a brownstone with a specialty bookstore called Jumel Terrace Books, specialising in local African and American history, with a focus on Harlem and Washington Heights.

8.The Nines – Portland 
(Photo source: thenines.com)
This is an urban chic luxury hotel located in the middle of Portland. The 5-star hotel features a leather-filled library which offers more than 3,000 books on loan, a pool table in the middle of the room, and also original works from Gus Van Sant, John Callahan and Chris Johanson

9.The Heathman Hotel – Portland 
(Photo source: gallagherstravels.com)
Situated in the heart of downtown Portland, the hotel houses one of the most exclusive libraries in the country, featuring more than 4,000 books, all signed by the author and most of them are first editions. The authors include Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize winners, U.S. Poet Laureates, a former United States president, and other authors who have stayed at the hotel.

10.The Library Hotel – New York City 
(Photo source: oxburghrow.com)
Housing more than 6,000 volumes, each room at the hotel is filled with books and art related to its designated topic and they are even decorated to reflect genres or topics related. The hotel’s reading room is open 24 hours a day and is stocked with hundreds of books, a wide selection of teas and coffees, and stellar views of Madison Avenue and Library Way.

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Janet Jackson splits with husband months after giving birth to her first child

April 9, 2017, 8:27 pm
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Three months after giving birth to her first child at age 50, Janet Jackson has split with her 42-year-old billionaire husband Wissam Al Mana.

The news surfaced over the weekend and was first reported by The Mail with a source telling the portal, “They’re both busy people but determined to be good parents, even if they’re apart. It’s amicable and Eissa will stay with his mother, who is basing herself in London.”

Though some source reported that the split was amicable, others said that trouble had been brewing for months.

“She thought he had become too controlling during the pregnancy and she had already allowed him to dictate her appearance and even the way she performed at concerts,” another source told Fox News.

(Photo source: etonline.com)

Last year, Jackson cancelled all of her tour and musical commitments to focus on her family.
The former couple welcomed their son, Eissa Al Mana, on 3 January 2017 after nearly five years of marriage.

This was Jackson's third marriage. She was previously married to singer James DeBarge and René Elizondo Jr.

(Main photo source: thesun.co.uk)
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See the colourful characters at AnimeXover!

April 10, 2017, 12:22 am
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The inaugural AnimeXover event took place last weekend on 8 and 9 April at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, presenting some of the biggest and upcoming stars from the anime world!

With the theme “East meets West”, the event featured an array of cosplayers dressing up as famous characters from anime, manga, games and comics, some of them include Deadpool, The Necromancer, Captain Jack Sparrow, Kamen Rider and more!

A variety of booths selling anime, manga, games and comics-related goods.

Some of the exhibitions at the event.

The eSports competition.

The event also featured performances from DJ Ram Rider, dance group TEMPURA KIDZ, model-turned-singer Anna Yano, and Jrock duo angela.

This event marks angela’s third visit in Malaysia. When interviewed by TheHive.Asia, the duo mentioned that they enjoyed the Chinese food here very much.

“When we visited here last year, we had a really great time here in Sunway Lagoon. We also love the Chinese food here as we feel that it suits the Japanese taste buds, and we love satay too!” said lead singer of angela, Atsuko.

angela

Meanwhile, Anna Yano who came to Malaysia for the first time said that she is interested to try out the local snack otak-otak.

“I'm an otaku, and I found out in Malaysia that there's a food called otak-otak (pronounced like otaku), so I did a research on the food and is very interested in it. I will definitely buy some and take it back home to Japan,” said the 25-years-old singer.

Anna Yano

Check out the creative cosplayers below.

Captain Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean" series.

Mavis Vermilion from "Fairy Tail"

The Necromancer from "Lord of the Rings".

The Sniper from "Sniper: Ghost Warrior".

Yuuki Asuna from "Sword Art Online", ALfheim Online version.

Kamen Rider Kabuto, Hyper form.

Sun Wukong from "Journey to the West".

Mr. Magikarp trying to catch a bunch of Pikachu.

Red from "Pokemon Red".

Venom and Spider-Man.

Umaru Doma from "Himouto! Umaru-chan".

Cybercop Jupiter from "Dennou Keisatsu Cybercop".

Ghost Rider.

Deadpool.

Yazawa Nico from "Love Live!"

Characters from "Counter Strikes".

Hatsune Miku, Senbonzakura version.

Mina Carolina from "Attack on Titan".

Zarya from "Overwatch"

D.Va from "Overwatch".

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W&W to deliver another night of EDM madness in Malaysia

April 10, 2017, 8:23 pm
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Dutch duo W&W will be shaking KL Live on 5 May 2017 as they return to Malaysia for another night of infectious, rebellious and highly energetic music!

Willem van Hanegem and Ward van der Harst met each other back in 2007 and formed the group W&W.

In the beginning, they ventured into the area of trance music and the celebrated their first big successes with their debut single “Mustang”.


Over the years, the group started to become active in big room house and progressive house genres, completing their trance career in 2012 with the founding of their record label “Mainstage Music”.

Throughout their career, their list of productions is championed by the likes of Hardwell, Armin van Buuren, Tiësto, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, David Guetta and more.


In 2017, the duo returned to their original trance style under a new project called NWYR.

They performed under the pseudonym at Ultra Music Festival, playing remixes of Robert Miles’ “Children”, Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” or Calvin Harris’ “Flashback”.

Coming to Malaysia for the second time, get ready to dance along to some of W&W’s latest singles including “Whatcha Need” and “Put Em’ Up”.


Performing alongside them at the event include Asia’s fastest rising EDM artist Justin Oh, 19-year old Dutch DJ and producer Maurice West, while on the local sides which will be completing the lineup are Chukiess & Whackboi and Hypeembeats.

Tickets for their show can be purchased at boxtix.asia. The price ranges from RM90 to RM150.

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Hijab-wearing teenage girls go viral for their amazing metal skills

April 10, 2017, 11:56 pm
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A certain metal band has been making rounds on the internet these past few days.

Meet Voice of Baceprot, or VoB for short – an Indonesian band made up of three meek-looking teenage girls in hijab who are currently taking social media by storm with their metal music!

Aged between 15 to 16 years old, Firdda Kurnia (lead guitar and vocals), Widi Rahmawati (bassist, vocals) and Euis Siti (drummer) have apparently been playing together in a band for three years now.

The girls who come from Garut, West Java, cite  Red Hot Chili Peppers, Muse, System of a Down, Eminem, Sublime, Linkin Park, Tool, Gigi, PAS Band and Netral as their influences.

Early last week, the band posted a video of them performing their original song “The Enemy of Earth is You” on their social media which has now gained 599k views, 11k shares and 8k reactions.


Since the music industry in Indonesia is often associated with alcohol and sex, the girls wish to change people’s perception by showing them that hijab-wearing women can stay true to their beliefs and teachings while also rock and roll at the same time!

VoB’s style is sort of similar to the currently hot Japanese metal idol band BABYMETAL who gained worldwide popularity in the late 2015 for their unusual fusion of heavy metal and Japanese idol music.


Their style is similar in terms that both bands are made up of cute young girls, singing a genre that doesn’t seem to suit them, but still manage to make it work!

VoB is also not the first innocent-looking girls in hijab who went viral for their metal talents. That honour goes to Meliani Siti Sumartini who got the world’s attention in 2015 for her rendition of Lamb of God’s “Hourglass”, Coconut Jakarta reports.


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10 things we learned from the cast of "Iron Fist"

April 10, 2017, 12:17 am
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Cinema Online is still reeling from having met the stars from the latest entry of the Marvel Universe, "Iron Fist", Danny Rand a.k.a. Iron Fist himself, Finn Jones, Jessica Stroup (Joy Meachum), Tom Pelphrey (Ward Meachum) and executive producer and writer Scott Buck, who were in Singapore to talk about their show that is currently streaming all of its 13 episodes on Netflix.

Approached as a corporate/family drama first then superhero show second, "Marvel's Iron Fist" follows protagonist Danny Rand who returns to his home, New York, 15 years after a plane crash somewhere at the Himalayan mountain range kills his parents and leaves him to train the ways of the Kung fu at a mysterious monastery called K'un-Lun. In trying to reclaim his identity and ownership of his family's business, Rand Enterprises, he also has to convince his disbelieving best friend Joy Meachum and her brother Ward Meachum - who have since taken over the enterprise - on who he is, while as the Iron Fist, Danny struggles to destroy a benevolent force in their midst known as The Hand.

Showrunner Scott Buck with the cast of "Iron Fist".
Since the show made its debut, not only are the critics and fans divided over it, but even fans can't seem to agree on whether "Iron Fist" is good enough compared to the critically acclaimed Netflix-Marvel predecessors, "Daredevil", "Jessica Jones" and "Luke Cage".

Surely with such big shoes to fill, this task may seem next to impossible? However, as the folks at Marvel have always said: the movies and shows are not made for the critics, but for the fans. For this case, that rings true to not all, but a niche group of comic fans who find the show to be not all that bad and a necessary vessel to lead off to the TV version of the superhero ensemble, "The Defenders".

Will there be a season two? That seems likely, considering the show remains at 3.98 over 5 star rating on Comicbook.com and is the most binge-watched Netflix drama of the year.

Hate it or love it, after meeting the cast and showrunner in Singapore, here are the 10 things we learned that is a must know for not only "Iron Fist" but all fans of the Netflix-Marvel series...

1. Netflix's "Marvel" cast didn't know what they were auditioning for

Be it for the big screen or the small screen, we all know how Marvel can get very secretive with their projects. Talking on how he ended up with the role, Tom - who already gained his own fan base while starring in the Cinemax series "Banshee" as the former neo-nazi turned policeman, Kurt Bunker - said he had blindly sent in a tape of his audition without even knowing what it was for. 

"The character was called Walter and the two-page script was of him having dinner with his dad. I thought that was a really good." A month and a half later Tom got the call that they wanted to have a screen test with him. 

"I was very flattered but I still had no idea what it was for! I asked them [Marvel] if I could get some more information, so I went to the Marvel lot in L.A. and they brought me down a long hallway to some back room. I had to surrender my cellphone! And so they gave me the first two scripts written by Scott Buck. Jeph Loeb of Marvel TV was there and it all became very exciting."

Jessica who is well-known for her role in The CW's teen drama "90210", also had somewhat a similar experience and her audition role wasn't anything like Joy Meachum.

"My character was hungover! Someone comes in and pisses her off and she tells them what to do with themselves and leave. It was a fun scene. I had to put it on tape and send it over." Just like Tom, Jessica too got a call a month and a half later. "Jeph Loeb called me and said, these are the best three words you'll ever hear, "Welcome to Marvel"."

Meanwhile for the "Iron Fist" himself, Finn facing unemployment, got a mysterious call for the role on the last day of filming for "Game of Thrones". "I was in the airport on the way home and I got a call for an audition. I put myself on tape in London and I sent it off. Didn't think about it for months and then in early 2016 I found myself in L.A. for auditions." What followed was an intense 3 week long audition and meetings until Marvel finally gave Finn the greenlight to become the "Iron Fist".

All we can say is at least he didn't have to spend 15 years in K'un Lun like his character Danny Rand to become the Iron Fist!

2. Tom Pelphrey has a crush on Carrie-Anne Moss

One of the best moments for the Daytime Emmy Award winning actor, Tom, was when he got to meet Carrie-Anne Moss, from one his favourite movies of all time, "The Matrix". "When I was a younger man, I had a very big crush on Trinity! When I saw that I had a scene with Carrie in the script, that was one of the more exciting moments for me on set. I kind of reverted to my 16-year-old self!".

3. People keep giving Finn Jones Iron Fist comics

There have been many interpretations of Danny Rand in the "Iron Fist" comics and there is another new comic out just last March that depicts a completely different version of Danny. But Finn believes that it doesn't matter how many versions the character ends up getting, as the essence of it is essentially the same and that's what he wanted to portray via his own take of the role. That doesn't mean he will ever stop reading the comics though, just ask him, cause he has tons of them!

"The comics go into the mystical elements a lot more. I have a huge stack of them at the end of my bed, and before I go to sleep I just grab one. People keep giving me comics so I never have to buy them!"

4. Jessica Stroup injured her hand on set

In trying to amp herself up during one of her scenes, Jessica had accidentally punched a board when the crew wasn't even filming and busted her knuckles open. "I wanted my older brother to be proud of me. So he could see that I could actually punch. And I was like, I'm going to make this look legit." Ouch!

5. David Wenham is a really funny guy


Tom said he had the best time on set with David Wenham who plays his father, Harold Meachum, on the show. "Apart from being a very talented actor, David's a really, really, really, funny human being! We had some scenes where Harold punches Ward and it was a lot of fun and there was a lot of playful banter with "Daddy" [British accent], as we like to call him."

6. Why the heck is Iron Fist so mellow?

Scott Buck ("Dexter" and "Six Feet Under") who is the executive producer and writer for the show, explained why "Iron Fist" is more mellow than the other Marvel series. As his first ever Marvel show, what appealed to him was that the core idea of it not being a show about a superhero, but about a person who happens to have a super power.

"I wanted to explore what that meant and what Danny Rand is going to do with that. Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are slightly older characters who are fully formed and are who they are. They're not going to change. They're dark characters with a dark outlook on life as opposed to Danny Rand who is younger and is still trying to figure out who he is and what it means to be the Iron Fist. Despite all the horrific things that has happened to him, he has this optimistic outlook and always believes that no matter what, things are going to work out some how. I think because of that, this gives the show a slightly different tone compared to the rest. A lighter tone, a happier tone."

7. Ward Meachum was originally Joy Meachum's uncle

The original comic book was lighter in tone despite the subject matter and had Ward Meachum's character as an older character. He had blonde hair, glasses, and is actually Joy's uncle. Meaning he could be Harry Meachum's brother or a cousin. Although it would have been also interesting to see a 'brother vs brother' dynamic on the show, we're glad that the creators of the show decided to go with the later reiteration of the character and play on the father-son conflict, or else we wouldn't even have had Tom Pelphrey on the show!

8. IF there's "Iron Fist 2", it'll be 'betrayal' themed and the villain is...

[Spoiler Alert] If you have seen all 13 "Iron Fist" episodes, then you know that there is now a lot of bad blood between multiple characters on the show. First off would be the definite and predictable tension between the Meachum siblings. After being surely felt like she had been robbed of her father (RIP Harold Meachum?), Joy must harbour some resentment against Ward, who in his defense was only trying to protect her from the evil that their father had become. But still, having not being able to see the abuse Ward has been through all those years, Joy might not be kind enough to take to Ward's justifications too lightly. 

In the last episode, we also see Joy meeting Davos (played by Sacha Dhawan), who conspiratorially tells her he knows how to bring Danny Rand down. Not only does Joy want in on his plans, but we are also surprised that Davos, who has been like a brother and best friend to Danny all these years in K'un Lun is suddenly letting his bitter resentment loose and seeking revenge against Danny for taking away his 'rightful' Iron Fist endowment. With some sneaking puppetry by the still creeping Madame Gao, we won't be surprised if Davos has indeed switched his alliance to The Hand. Plus, just try saying 'Davos' in a deep voice and tell me it doesn't sound like the name of a supervillain?

Speaking of The Hand, remember how Colleen Wing (played by Jessica Henwick) 'betrayed' her sensei Bakuto of The Hand? Well, The Hand knows, sees and hears everything, right? Won't they be coming after her then especially since she is now with the 'sworn enemy of The Hand', Iron Fist?

9. Finn doesn't give a sh*t about bad reviews

Even though the press didn't get to ask the cast any questions about the show directly, one reporter managed to shout out his question as the press conference was nearing its end, "What about the bad reviews?" To which the calm Finn quickly got to its defense and grabbed a mic, "Well, from what I'm experiencing, people have been loving the show. From the people on the street, there's been a hugely, overwhelmingly positive response from the fans and I'm very grateful for that." It must not be easy dealing with the harsh reviews of the critics, and we're pretty sure the cast and crew don't appreciate that their hard work is constantly being taken apart, but well, at least the team takes solace that the show does have its own group of fans and they will be ever ready to stand up for it and shut down all the negativity.

10. Krysten kicked someone in the face FOR REAL in "Defenders"


According to Finn Jones, the filming for "The Defenders" had wrapped up in the second last week of March in New York and the story takes place in a very short amount of time, meaning it could be highly action packed and generally awesome! After much persuasion, Finn couldn't reveal much except that Krysten Ritter had kicked one of the stunt guys in the face! We think it's by... accident? Anyway, in case you didn't know, the teaser for "The Defenders" has just been released and it will be coming to Netflix this August!

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Malaysian publisher of “Doraemon” comics ends their 24-year-run

April 11, 2017, 8:37 pm
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In Malaysia, most of us grew up reading the localised version of “Doraemon” comics regardless of your race.

Aside from school, “Doraemon” is probably the only comic in Malaysia that taught us Bahasa Malaysia during our early childhood, and even though the BM translations weren’t so great, at least the comics were educational in nature.

Recently, it has been announced that Tora Aman, the local publisher of beloved comic books like “Doraemon” and “Detective Conan” will be closing down for good after 24 years of operating.

To top it off, the publishing house will be having a clearance sale on all of its comic books, with prices as low as RM2 per book.

(Photo sources: Diyana Yang's FB)

“We would like to announce that we will be having a Clearance Sale. We will be offering discounts up to 50% starting from 11-April to 26-May,” read a post on Tora Aman’s Facebook.

The sale takes place at Tora Aman’s main store at 9, Jalan BK 1/18, Kinrara Industrial Park, Bandar Kinrara, 47100 Puchong Selangor.

The store is opened every Monday until Friday, 9am to 5pm until the stocks are finished.

(Photo source: Siakap Keli's FB)

Tora Aman is one of the major comic publishing houses in Malaysia which has translated many Japanese comics into the Malay and Chinese language.

Their most popular titles are of course “Doraemon” and “Detective Conan”, but the publisher has also released other popular titles like “Great Teacher Onizuka”, “Slam Dunk” and “Captain Tsubasa”.

(Photo source: Syafig Akmal's FB)

Due to the presence of online comic platforms today, the local publisher decided to halt their publishing activities as their sales have been dropping greatly in the past few years.

The closure of Tora Aman comes shortly after Comics House, another local publisher that released translated titles of “Dragon Ball”, “Crayon Shin-chan”, “One Piece”, “Naruto” and “Bleach” – ended its 21-year-run in  October last year.

(Main photo sources: Beautiful Nara's FB)
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No sexy outfit and dance moves at this year's Songkran

April 12, 2017, 2:10 am
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Songkran Festival AKA the water festival is the Thai people's New Year’s festival and is one of the most celebrated events in Thailand.

But this year, several new rules have been implemented for the festivity including a ban on sexy outfits and dance moves – yep, you read that right!

Earlier in March, the Thai government announced the ban of water splashing at the festival due to the shortage of water in Thailand, and recently, there is also a strict ban on traffic due to the many accidents that usually take place during the annual Songkran Festival – 442 people died on the roads last year.


In addition to the two new rules, the government also put the police on the lookout for those with skimpy outfits and suggestive dance moves – which means, no more twerking, butt-slapping, or any other dance moves that can get the opposite (or same) sex excited!

So we guess that moves like these are a no go.

Nope! Too much hip movement!

Making Snoop Dogg do this is just wrong!

There're two offenses here - sexy moves and Channing Tatum (Because he's hot!)

This is wrong because it's Justin Bieber!

For those who STILL dance suggestively or wear suggestive clothing, they will be slapped with a fine of THB5,000.

According to Deputy Commissioner Pol. Maj. Gen. Sompong Chingduang, this is done to protect people from unwanted sex crimes, Coconuts Bangkok reports.

So make sure to wear long sleeves and turtleneck instead, and here are some safe and non-sexy dance moves that we think you can pull off at the festival.

Stick with the old school dance moves. 

Flappy chicken should be fine too!

This seems a little bit sexy but probably because it's Tom Hiddleston.
Hmm, no comment.



(Photo sources: be2hand.com, worldof buzz.com)
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Sheila Majid returns to Stadium Negara for another legendary concert

April 12, 2017, 9:33 pm
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Twenty six years has passed since Malaysia’s queen of jazz music, Dato’ Sheila Majid performed her first solo concert, “Konsert Lagenda” at Stadium Negara, and now she is set to perform at the venue for the second time for her first major solo concert in seven years.

Dubbed as “Sheila Majid: The Concert Kuala Lumpur 2017”, will be held on 5 August 2017 and it is done to commemorate the singer’s latest 10-track album, “Boneka”, which is also the singer’s first full-length album in 13 years.


“I named this album Boneka (puppet in English) because that’s what I turn myself into when I am performing on stage in front of the audience,” Sheila Majid told Star2.

“Even with a glamorous image as an entertainer, the fact is that I am simply a human being with a high profile job. I see myself as a puppet that belongs to my fans when I’m on stage.”


The 52-year-old songstress had her last major concert in Malaysia at the Dewan Philharmonic Orchestra KLCC in 2010, and since then, she has been busy with plenty of overseas shows in Indonesia, Singapore and Los Angeles too!


Known for her iconic songs like “Sinaran”, “Warna” and “Lagenda” which broke racial and age barriers, fans can expect a stellar song list ranging from Dato’s Sheila Majid’s classics to her new album, coupled with her stunning stage prowess and impeccable singing skills – it will be another legendary concert you don’t want to miss!

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Fans wants M Music Festival to bring in The Chainsmokers

April 13, 2017, 1:12 am
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Rumour has it that DJ Duo The Chainsmokers, known for their viral hit “#Selfie” might be coming to Malaysia for the second edition of M Music Festival in Penang.

Last year, the festival featured huge names from the music scene including LMFAO’s Redfoo, Black Eyed Peas’ Taboo, Italian duo VINAI, The Leng sisters Leng Yein and Leng Sean, and more!


This year, M Music Festival has been teasing fans on their Facebook on who they should bring for the second installment of the festival, and some of the names suggested aside from The Chainsmokers are Showtek, Tinashe, Havana Brown, Paris Hilton, HyunA and others.

Based on the fan reactions, the festival might be bringing in some of the names mentioned above.

So far, the post announcing The Chainsmokers as the possible line-up is the one that received the most reactions, with more than 3,700 shares, followed by South Korean star HyunA with close to 300 shares as of now.


It hasn’t been confirmed whether the duo which is made up of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall would really come to Malaysia for the festival, but based on the immense reaction received, they’d better be!

If they really do come to Malaysia, this won’t be their first time, as The Chainsmokers had previously performed at Gravity Club KL in early June 2015.

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Reviewing the new MX4D seats with "Fast And Furious 8"

April 13, 2017, 7:28 pm
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The first ever 4D cinema technology finally arrives in Malaysia at the latest MBO Cinemas chain, MBO Starling Mall.

Known as MX4D Motion EFX Theatre, or just MX4D, the technology is created by Californian systems integrator, MediaMation, which provides creative solutions for complex interactive exhibits, shows, attractions, rides, interactive fountain shows and 4D/5D theater environments, worldwide.

The MX4D features motion seats with built-in motion and effects that sync together with the action on screen, giving you a totally immersive environment along with the added theatre environments like wind, fog and strobe lights.

The effects from the MX4D seat itself includes; front-back and left-right motion, wind, air and water blasts, rumbler, seat popper, back poker, leg and neck tickler, and a variety of different scents, from intense engine smells to the lovely fragrance of flowers!

The MX4D seats are currently only available at MBO Starling Mall, but it will also be available at all upcoming new locations of MBO Cinemas in the near future.

The Experience: Reviewing "Fast and Furious 8" in MX4D

The MX4D technology has come in at just the right time with the release of the latest "Fast and Furious" movie, and the Cinema Online team got to experience it first-hand – in 3D too!

Since this is the first 4D cinema technology in Malaysia, it is incomparable to other current cinema features, but if you've ever tried 4D, 5D or the 6D motion adventure rides which can be found in several indoor theme parks in Malaysia, then we have to say that the experience is somewhat similar, but not as intense!

After all, MediaMation also provides their service for famous theme parks all over the world.

OK, back to trying out the seats. It is quite expected that the movie experience for "Fast and Furious 8" will be one exciting bumpy ride filled with car chasing scenes, explosions, and gun shots – and you'll be glad to know that all of these are properly accompanied by the effects delivered by MX4D.

To be honest, throughout the movie you won't be sitting still at all – and we don't just mean because of the 'seat shaking' effect – but more because of ones jumpy anticipation from wondering when water will start splashing in your face, or when the seat popper or leg tickler will decide to catch you by surprise!

It is truly a two-hour long non-stop suspense especially if you're someone who is easily alarmed.


One of the most exciting parts of the MX4D movie experience is probably the car chasing scene as it really feels as though you are in a fast-speeding car, and with the unexpected blast of engine smells and strobe lights to accompany the fired gunshots – the experience just get even more real.

One tiny flaw that we have to point out is the smoke screen coming directly from under the projector screen, as it can only be felt by the audience from the first and second rows of the MX4D seats, but for those from the third row and above onwards, can only SEE the smoke coming out and not FEEL it.

There isn't much for us to comment on the 3D visual effects itself, as it is pretty much similar to the usual 3D movies that many cinemas are already offering, and we feel that even if you watch the movie without the added 3D effects, it will still be as enjoyable.


Comfort level

If you were to compare the MX4D seats to normal cinema seats, we have to say that it is slightly more roomy, but probably not as comfy as they are quite stiff and in an almost 90 degrees upright state. But because the seats are constantly moving and vibrating, it immediately distracts you from all the minor discomforts, and since there are moments when the seats will fall back – sometime to an almost 145 degree angle – you will hardly realise that the seat is actually quite straight up at a 90 degree angle.

What movies to watch in MX4D

Definitely action movies – the bigger the action the better! We also feel that horror or thriller films would also be suitable as there will be a lot of surprise elements, and with the leg and neck tickler, back poker and seat popper – you will surely find yourself literally jumping from your seats! But the best option will definitely be action-packed films like superhero or disaster-themed movies, but definitely not romance or drama, though we're pretty sure that those kind of films won't be played in the MX4D cinema in the first place. Some of the future titles that we expect would be made available in MX4D are "Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2", "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword", "Alien: Covenant", "Baywatch" (too much of a stretch?), "Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge", "Wonder Woman", "The Mummy" and others.


Value for money?

The indoor theme parks in Malaysia for 4D, 5D or 6D rides usually cost around RM10 to RM30 per ride, and that's like around 15 to 20 minutes max. But for an hour and a half to a two hour long movie at MX4D which cost only RM20, it is so worth it! In the United States, a similar technology called the 4DX by South Korea's CJ 4DPlex was introduced in 2014 and the tickets there go for approximately USD26. The technology is also available in Cambodia and Thailand, and it's priced around USD12, and in Indonesia, it costs around USD10. MX4D is also available in the U.S, but the price there ranges between USD22.50 to USD24, and that's five times more expensive than the price here!

Original article from Cinema Online
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