Possible Unicode Error? Field Calculator Help!!

I am getting funny symbols when I do a simple field calculate on a unicode field in a file geodatabase.

I do this:

arcpy.CalculateField_management(outFileThree, "HOTLINK", "!HOTLINK!.lower()", "PYTHON_9.3", "")

and get funny little L or upside down Ls in the field where there were \ characters or \0s.

How do I field calculate correctly field calculate and why is this happening?

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