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Comment on Well, Just You Wait! (8) (1974)
2.Cynir

I've long known that many Russians have tried to find information about the Vietnamese version of Well, Just You Wait!. Yes, it is indeed an imitation. However, in this version, all the characters have their own dialogue and fates.

In the early 1990s, Vietnamese society was undergoing economic recovery and also beginning urbanization, something previously considered forbid. Vietnamese animators designed two characters representing what was typical at the time : The Wolf embodying all the vices of a conservative and unmotivated society, while the Hare is merely a weak reaction of the new generation within a still troubled system. The series has only one character at the top, the Crow, who enjoys philosophy. This is essentially the fate of the intellectual class, those who are intelligent but powerless. In the 1990s, this series was often shown for free on the national television to promote reform, but it later lay dormant in archives. It wasn't until 2016 that government funding allowed the series to be made available online.



Comment on Hobbit. The Treasure Under the Mountain (1994)
4.Cynir

>>3

I am sorry! I have updated it again. In reality, there are two versions of the video on social media. The version provided by the film studio omitted the ending theme song and replaced it with a modern piece, which detracts from the film's spirit. My video was originally uploaded to Facebook 10 years ago, and it was taken from a film studio's website.

You know, that's the general situation in Vietnamese cinema. For many reasons, film scores or dialogue often disappear, so the videos are usually very bad. That is the reason for the low popularity of Vietnamese cinema and television.




Comment on Hobbit. The Treasure Under the Mountain (1994)
3.Admin

>>1
> I suddenly remembered The Gnomes and the Mountain King (Гномы и горный король)
Thanks for the recommendation, I hadn't seen that one yet. Unfortunately, I don't see any existing subtitles for it anywhere (in any language).
Adding obscure things to Wikipedia is tricky and often more trouble than it's worth. The only surefire way is to pore over their notability guidelines and find some unimpeachable source (especially a book or academic article). E.g. a film festival for a particular year I had added once was on the verge of being deleted until I found a mention of it in a scholarly book as being "one of the biggest cultural events" that year in the region (there was no online mention of it, because that part of the world was not very online at the time). Only then did the critics back off.

>>2
Which film are these subtitles for? Is it on YouTube?


Replies: >>4

Comment on Christmas Eve (1951)
2.Admin

>>1
Nice comment, Cynir, though that's the first time I've seen Gogol's name spelled Hohol. :) I don't think that's really being done in English yet (not even on Wikipedia). Maybe because he never wrote in Ukrainian. But maybe you're just ahead of the curve. There's some discussion about it on Reddit here.



Comment on The Little Angel (2008)
1.Admin

A rare well-drawn paint-on-glass animated film that's NOT directed by Aleksandr Petrov. About a boy who has a pretty terrible life at home and at school (partly through his own fault), who is saved by "the magic of Christmas" (and the tree was still put up at Christmas in Russia at the time that this story was written, not at New Year's). Although a good film (and the director's ONLY film), I do think that on the whole I prefer the original story. The film makes the boy who is the main character a little less nasty (it takes out all the times he bullies the other kids), adds a dream sequence (that ties in with a poem by Vladimir Nabokov that seems like it was made for this story, thought it was really written a few decades later), and plays up the hopefulness and the benefits of religious salvation, leaving out parts of the original story which are rather more ambivalent about the matter. The original story at least implies that the "magic", such as it is, does not last past Christmas, while the film ends on a hopeful note.

This is part of a trickle of animated films with a specifically religious message that have been funded in Russia in recent decades. They aren't especially well-represented on this site yet, but I should probably add some more of the most "notable" examples.



Comment on Well, Just You Wait! (8) (1974)
1.Admin

Isn't it a bit strange that I've waited this long to add "Nu, pogodi!" to the site, and started with #8?
Well, this is a classic, beloved holiday-season cartoon, so it's timely.
I can't be neutral about this one; it's part of my childhood. It's quite fun.

Though it also showcases some Russia-specific holiday traditions that can be a bit tricky to describe to others. Like the kids gathering around the big fir tree, Father Frost (like Santa Claus, but originally something like "Old Man Cold" or "King Winter") coming out, and all of them chanting "Sne-gu-roch-ka" ("Snow Maiden") to get his daughter to come out and hand out the presents (her mother is Spring). The Snow Maiden isn't some old folk character, but was really created (for all intents and purposes) only in the late 19th century by Ostrovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov in their opera, about the power of love and the pagan Sun god to melt coldness in springtime. Later adapted into an animated feature in 1952 by Ivanov-Vano.

Odd bit of history there, but it's basically just a fun tradition for kids now.

There are a few reasons the series hasn't been here until now - the films are a bit deceptive in that they mostly have almost no dialogue, but they do have many songs with lyrics that can be tricky to translate (yet often not very important to the film itself). This one is a bit of an exception (along with #15) in that it has a song sung by the main characters very prominently in the middle of the action. I'm lucky that I was able to find a good, rhyming translation of it by Boris Anisimov, which I've edited further.

Also, this series is/was so famous that it seemed like it didn't really matter whether it was here or not. And, the sheer number of episodes was a bit intimidating. I felt like if I was going to add one, I should add all of them at once. Not great reasons, but it is what it is.



Comment on There Will Come Soft Rains (1984)
2.Cynir

Hanoi is experiencing very hot days, which is considered unusual for the end of December. You know, the winter in Northern Vietnam is very similar to the melting snow in the Arctic, when the cold seeps into the clothes and makes anyone shiver. However, climate change has made summer longer. Without wind, the combination of air and sunlight creates environmental problems : Dust flying everywhere, the smell of bacteria and garbage. So, this film is truly a frightening warning to all of us !

This is the comic version of the short story : EN & RU.



Comment on Merry-Go-Round 7 (1975)
1.Admin

Only two films in this entry, whereas the first 5 Merry-Go-Rounds had had at least 3. Galina Barinova (married to series co-founder Anatoliy Petrov) again played it extremely safe artistically (after being criticized for being too bold in "Mosaic", in Merry-Go-Round #1). The project was likely chosen for her by the script editor (the Party's man at the studio). It's kind of charming but rather average, like most of her films during this period. I think she only became an excellent and artistically bold director about 10 years later in her career. I do wonder who the female voice in the song is, as it's not credited. Is it Barinova herself?

Next is Eduard Nazarov's film, adapting a children's story about a little hippo. It's only his second film, and probably my least favourite film of his career. It spends quite a long time being mopey and sad... which, to be fair, is in the original story, but when one is reading the original story, it goes by much quicker. Maybe the original voice actor (removed by management for his "sighs being too erotic") was better. I don't much like the design of the hippo, either (though Nazarov was quite pleased with how symmetrical he was). Nazarov's films after this would be much, much better, especially his final five. They're all on the site right now, except for his contribution to Merry-Go-Round #9.

I tried to translate the song to rhyme in the first film, but it wasn't always possible. For the second film, I did most of it myself but got stuck on translating the "mayhem" passage ("представляете себе, что бы это был за грохот и топот! И гул и гам! И бам и тарарам! И ужас что такое!"), and ended up using Microsoft Copilot to help (final result: "just imagine what sort of crash and clatter it would be! And roaring and racket! And wham and ker-whallop! And a terrible to-do!").

Overall, this entry (and the one before) were kind of low points in the Merry-Go-Round series up to this point. From its start as artistically-bold mini-films for children by enthusiastic artists at the beginning of their careers, it had become safe and anodyne, with uninspired direction, and scripts and art style made to appeal to management. In the following years, though, I think they began to get more interesting again.



Comment on The Little Humpbacked Horse (1947)
1.Cynir

According to the ancient worldview, life was formed, sustained, and developed by the harmony, or rather the continuous movement, of living beings. All of this was encapsulated in the image of the fiery horse and the love of the boy for the girl. However, why did Ivan have to ride a small and somewhat disabled horse? And why did Ivan become a tall and strong man after bathing in boiling water? Ultimately, the tsar always made unreasonable demands and met a tragic end?

Although the 1947 film has a simpler structure and is quite faithful to the original compared to the 1975 version, I consider its artistic meaning to be deeper. However, this is just my personal opinion, as each era will have a different perspective on a work, because they are always influenced by societal factors.



Comment on Hobbit. The Treasure Under the Mountain (1994)
2.Cynir

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Vietnam Animation JSC

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Legend has it that:

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Right here – Bích Đào Cave,
now known as Từ Thức Cave,

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belonging to Nga Thiện Commune,
Nga Sơn District, Thanh Hóa Province.

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Around the third year of Quang Thái
in the Trần Dynasty, or Gregorian 1390,

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it happened that:
<b>Từ Thức Marrying a Fairy</b>

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It seems that the love's warmth
still lingers to this day.

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- Subtitles by Duy Kiền -

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[Village festival]

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[Folksong <i>Entering to the Pagoda</i>]

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[Buddhist chanting]

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Glory to Buddha!

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Lady, why are you picking flowers?

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Novice Monks!

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I accidentally broke that stem.

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Then you have to pay for it.

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Have you ever heard this saying:

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Even though paying Buddha ten times,
he just smiled and refused to accept it.

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What will you pay us?

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Novice Monks!

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I have nothing to pay.

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We'll have to keep you here
until someone bails you out.

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Sir, the pagoda is a merciful place.

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Why can you keep me
for a small mistake?

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For the love of Buddha, forgive me!

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It can't be!

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Novice Monks!

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Why would you tease a flower
in the Buddhist sanctuary?

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Young master, we really
didn't mean to tease her.

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Why did you want to keep a maiden?

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She broke a flower stem
but she refused to pay it.

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How do you want her to pay?

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Sir, it has to be anything,

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because the pagoda is a fair place.

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I'll give you a brocade tunic.

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Release her immediately!

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Glory to Buddha Amitabha!

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Forgive us, young master!

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We were monks, but our hearts
were still not free from life dust.

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Young master, who are you?

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You have such a kind heart.

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Tell me your name!
I want to repay you.

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I am Từ Thức (awakening).

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Don't rush, please!
I am very grateful to you.

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When can I meet you again
to repay your kindness?

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Never mind, lady!

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Where did you come from...

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...to encounter such misfortune?

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Now cross Thần Phù Estuary
to reach the other side of sea,

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where there is a mountain
shaped like nine dragons.

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I will answer you there.

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Go ahead, Sir!
Don't be afraid!

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Now cross Thần Phù Estuary
to reach the other side of sea,

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where there is a mountain
shaped like nine dragons.

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I will answer you there.

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We bow in greeting, my lord!

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You have brought here
the warmth of the earthly world.

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But where is this?

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And who are you two?

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M'lord, this is a fairy word.

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We are servants of Fairy Queen.

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She's waiting for you, Sir.

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Welcome to young master!

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I am Giáng Hương (perfume),
who you saved at Peony Festival.

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Do you remember me, Sir?

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I do.

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But why are you here?

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Where is this place?

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A fairy world just for you.

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Thank you for bringing here
the warmth of earthly world,

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and the tolerance of gentleman!

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Thank you for bringing me
the beauty of the fairyland!

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Did this fairy mountain satisfy you?

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You have given me the honor
of visiting the fairy mountain.

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But I just...

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Is there anything else that worries you?

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I believe you did everything for me,

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while I was unable to reciprocate yet.

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Because I remember the earthly world.

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♪ O you who are enjoying yourself in the fairy mountain!

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♪ Do you remember the peaceful life in the earthly world?

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♪ O two boats drifting aimlessly!

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♪ If it's crowed there, come here!

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♪ My bed mat and net are ready here,

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♪ Come, my arm is as a pillow for you.

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Indeed for him,

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there's no place like the earthly world.

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Did I bring him unhappiness,

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yet I mistook it for happiness?

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Từ Thức!

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I understood your feelings.

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I don't want my own happiness...

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... to make the fairyland gloomy.

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I leave the decision to you.

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You brought me happiness
in the fairy mountain,

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but I couldn't control myself:

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I still yearn for the earthly world.

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It is my letter.

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You should only open it,

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when you don't want to return here.

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This is a peach of longevity,

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what to help you in times of trouble.

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Thanh you, darling!

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Elder!

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Do you know of a family
that used to live here?

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Where have they gone?

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Oh!

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How can I remember?

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A long time has passed.

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Now I am 130 years old,

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and the oldest person in this village,

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but I know nothing about them.

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Hey!

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Young man!

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Don't be disappointed!

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I remember now.

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When I was a boy,

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the elderly said that:

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This is a family with a son named Từ Thức,

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whom went to Peony Festival one day
and then disappeared in the fairyland.

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Sir!

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I am Từ Thức.

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♪ O you, who is going downstream,

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♪ Let me send a message to him that:

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♪ If he gets on a boat to go out to sea,

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♪ I'll row it no matter how hard it is.

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<i>Farewell, darling!

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<i>I wish you find happiness
<i>in your earthly world soon.

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<b>THE END</b>
© Animatsiya.net 2025


Replies: >>3

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