Forum - View topic(The) Apothecary Diaries (TV).
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 24432 |
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Geez, Edjwald, your last post wasn't bad but I don't think it deserved the "reposting for emphasis" treatment (...hee hee hee...)
I've definitely decided to buy a Kindle when I get back home. They are a bit more expensive than I had thought, but Amazon offers an interest free "pay off in six months" deal which I will avail myself of. It will be interesting to see how much use I make of the digital option going forward. Like Alan45, shelf space has become a critical issue for me and I don't exactly hate spending less money, either. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2890 |
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That was a very comfy first episode, in fact, I would describe it as feeling like you have come home somewhat. That is in part since most(all?) regularly appearing characters show up and you get reminded of their relationships/bonds. Maomao the cat also helped reinforce the comf feeling.
Otherwise some fun moments with the books and Jinshi having a revelation due to the explanation of why people like cats. Loulan still appears sus to me and given the lovely OP the two ladies at the end are of importance. |
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Thesarum
Subscriber Posts: 568 |
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Loulan is totally sus. Look at that aloof scowl!
So pleased this show is back, and seems to be maintaining its quality and careful pacing. Maomao the porn dealer. Branching out from being the Emperors exclusive dealer in smut to supplying the rest of the inner palace..Though old man Gaoshun thinks maybe it's a little too saucy. (I notice he did suggest Jinshi keep a copy though. Still pushing his adoptive son to find a girl and settle down, though I think he's fairly clear the first half of this has been achieved.) |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 3007 |
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#25
The crowd favourite from its original airing is back for more, and the starter for this season is a case-free reintroduction into the world Maomao inhabits. The starting panorama hinted as such, but the episode packs a surprising amount of content in its airtime. Although the focus is on the kitten Maomao now has to take care of, the episode never fails to show off the painstaking research that goes into making its period drama setting so authentic. Side issues like Maomao's smuggling of XXX manuals being the catalyst for Jinshi and Gaoshun's nudge towards improving rear palace literacy rates, the changing power dynamics of the concubines with Loulan getting a huge increase in staffing even though Gyokuyou remains the favourite with her minimalist staffing, the distillation of high grade alcohol for use as a disinfectant (and admitting the practice is knowledge learnt from overseas without prejudice), contemporary methods of taking care of household pets thrown in as part of living with the other Maomao (they're written differently even though they are romanized the same way in English) and Maomao's best friend making a drive for self improvement by embarking on Spartan Maomao's reading and writing classes (with the inevitable joke about Maomao being so wedded to her dream job the first thing she teaches her friend to read and write are the names of famous herbs). There's even a new character thrown in this episode, although her name is only given in the subtitles for now (子翠). Zicui is better at catching stray cats than Maomao is, and she's taller than Maomao. That's all we know about her for now, perhaps she'll reappear as other characters have done in this adaptation and we find out more about who she is and where she works. The relationship between Maomao and Jinshi hasn't progressed at all with the passage of time, although that last scene where Jinshi is uncomfortably reminded of the parallels between his obsession with Maomao with the Quack and Gaoshun's pampering of kitten Maomao is comedy gold. She still thinks he's a creep, but he's still in charge as far as palace hierarchy is concerned so she'll indulge him as required and then find excuses to be on her way. Next week should be the official start of the new story arc, especially as the caravan coming in has two very important passengers by the looks of things. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24432 |
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Welcome back, Maomao. I had a bad moment when I thought the female briefly seen in some sort of trouble (?) was Xiaolan, Maomao's chirpy little rumour-loving friend, but it wasn't. Yes, Maomao's oblivious explanation to Jinshi about the appeal of cats was hilarious. Really looking forward to watching this pair's dance.
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter Exempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4640 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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I was about to watch the new episode, then I realized I should do a rewatch of the series first.
Such a great show. I'm on the big episode 19 now. Maomao's been hurt, Jinshi gets up and starts to do the big dramatic walk and... What the...? You're kidding?!! I know I can't be the first to notice it, it's such a huge scene that people have watched multiple times. I'm pretty sure CR has an official "Maomao saves Jinshi" clip on YouTube, but no one in this thread and, from a quick look through the weekly reviews, no one in the weekly reviews talkbalk thread noticed the HUGE continuity error in the section. Go back and look at it (possibly fixed on home media releases). Maomao tackles Jinshi, saves him from being squashed by the huge pillar and banners (and they show the aftermath) and after the exchange, the animators reuse a shot of the room as Jinshi picks up Maomao and does his weirdly slow walk out... The pillar and the banners are hanging up again! |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24432 |
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I confess I did miss that. However, that's not unusual. A continuity error has to be pretty massive for me to notice. It's either because I'm so immersed in the show I don't notice them or I'm just super unobservant. You decide!
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minamikaze
Posts: 261 |
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I just checked the CR stream and there isn't an error. If you look carefully at the scene in episode 19 at 17:11 (in the CR stream), when Maomao first arrives, you can see that there are actually 2 rows of banners. There is a row in the front, and another one further in the back, which was over the spot where Jinshi was standing. The banners hanging from the beam in the back row were longer (or perhaps hung from a lower position) than the ones in the front. When we see them again, after the accident at 19:11, only the front row of banners is still there. It is clear from their length, that the ones that are shown as still hanging after the accident, are the banners from the front row. Additionally, the fallen ones from the back row and the beam they are attached to are shown lying on the floor. |
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter Exempt from Grammar Rules Posts: 4640 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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Ah, okay, I was confused by 17:44, when they come down and no other banners are shown, because the frame is too tight to show them and they are actually just above and beyond what we can see.
Confusing, but not exactly an error. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2890 |
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The second episode was a good reminder of how dangerous the Inner Palace can be and it being hard to be sure of who you can trust there. Given the situation of how the Emperor's children have a habbit of dying it feels more like someone made use of the caravan to smuggle certain items in than it being purely a coincidence. The bit at the end only adds to that.
Seeing Maomao mess around made me forget that the show can get pretty deadly. |
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Thesarum
Subscriber Posts: 568 |
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Talking of sus characters, Lihua's lady in waiting definitely made a face that nobody with benign intentions makes when she received the letter from the clinic. That's just not the face of an innocent. New girl to the group seems fun, geeking out with Maomao over what insects the might find in the northern quarter of the palace.
Yep, I think we're done with playtime now. It's back to murders and political intrigue. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 3007 |
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#26
The franchise has never been shy with its attention to detail, and this episode is packed with it. Whether it's the caravan and its cargo and shopkeepers, the side-effects of certain aromas and herbs based on Chinese pharmacological knowledge or even mundane things like the myriad effects of Jasmine tea, there's a lot to appreciate how much the show can impart knowledge to its viewers in its unique storytelling. The conspiracy to bring down the imperial family by aiming for its descendants never went away since the masterminds are effectively untouchable due to their political influence. Good thing the resident toxicologist Maomao is on the case, since no one in the palace except her has the wits or knowledge to realise something is afoot. Lihua again is the target of another attempted miscarriage, only this time it's much more subtle than the lead poisoning affair and more likely to succeed if no action is taken. Thanks to the credit she earned from the first season, Maomao escapes with nothing more than a slap of the wrist because the concubine owes her and is aware of her strange antics. Gyokuyou's tendency to keep her household small and economical makes her less susceptible to unwittingly harmful trends, but having Maomao as a direct subordinate is arguably the best protection she has. Main plot aside, the new girl is acquainted with Maomao's best friend and has her own peculiar habits. Her knowledge of insects is all the excuse Maomao needs to head to the north quarter, which will be all the more likely for business as I assume the concubine who died was based in the north quarter. The talk about drainage systems (albeit without modern sewage treatments) sounds like a foreshadowing of something more sinister, but that will have to wait for future episodes. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2890 |
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Episode 3 of season 2 made clear that the Rear Palace is never going to be remotely safe, no matter what measures they take. You can try to keep dangerous substances from being smuggled in but this week showed that nature is perfectly capable of providing plenty of dangerous goods. Given just how many poisonous mushrooms were on display this week I would call it a huge security oversight, anyone with the knowledge has a treasure trove of poison nearby. Add not knowing where loyalties lie plus lots of messy interpersonal relationships and the result is a mess.
Kudos to the emperor/Jinshi for giving the women in the rear palace the opportunity to learn how to read/write and thus have a life with more options. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 3007 |
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#27
The murder mysteries begin in earnest, but I'm not sure if this week's case is a one-off or the start of a series for Maomao to deal with. There was some foreshadowing last week when the odour was commented on, but to think it would turn out this way so quickly. Mushroom poisoning is still a common occurrence today as certain types of lethal mushrooms are mistaken for edible varieties because of their similar appearances. Japan alone sees 10-20 fatalities annually, so fictional settings with less advanced medical knowledge will see higher incidences, especially if it's used for homicidal purposes. Palaces being what they are, maximum utilisation isn't cost effective so it's no surprise pockets of nature are left as is since most ladies won't bother making the trip to untended and uninhabited areas. This week's mystery is quickly solved because Maomao has the specialist knowledge and is sufficiently aware of the subtle hints given by Jinshi to find evidence for what was previously only conjecture without hard evidence. The untended north area will soon change though, now that a classroom area is to be set aside to improve palace literacy rates. Best to get the corpse out of the way to stop the prospective students from complaining about mysterious unidentified stenches. The episode title is a twist on the usual 冬虫夏草, the valuable herb east Asia pays exorbitant amounts for a miniscule amount for its reputed health benefits. Swapping 虫 for 人 turns out to be a huge hint to casual viewers, which the English title of corpse fungus does its best to emulate to a less effective degree. |
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