Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
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Hopeless Weeb
Posts: 52 |
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This is a kinda ridiculous claim to make as already in the ancient Hellenistic world women, but also men, were supposed to shave their bodies to conform to the "youthful" beauty standard of the time. Likewise in the Islamic world since day one plucking all bodyhair has been part of keeping oneself "clean" and respectable based on religious law. And in Southeast Asia but especially in Japan's case bodyshaving was heralded and spread by Buddhist monks as they first began to proselytise their religion. |
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MFrontier
Posts: 15652 |
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The new OP is probably my least favorite. I get what they're going for and I like the first-person shots of Maomao, but the fox masks and mrs. green apple felt out of place. The ED with the friendship trio was pretty nice though, even if it makes me concerned that our adorable friendship trio might be heading for a tragedy.
That's a very familiar looking "eunuch." Honestly have a hard time imagining the Emperor and Loulan actually having sex. Dang, Xiaolan might be leaving? That would be pretty sad for both the audience and Maomao. Yeah, maybe don't try to steer her towards the pleasure quarter. She'd try to commit to it too much. A bath episode! Filled to the brim with underdressed ladies and female friendship! This week on Shisui being as suspicious as she is likeable: she seems knowledgeable about the bath despite not knowing how hot it was going to be when she dived in. She doesn't seem to know how to properly bathe herself. She seems knowledgeable about the section of the bath that houses concubines. She seems far more aware of what's going on in the palace than the average servant. She seems to be trying to hide her ample chest. She makes herself scarce when Lishu enters the plot. Seki-U rounds out this friend group by being the most "proper" and bashful. Albeit with an immodest chest, not that I'm complaining! Well, I guess the fact that Maomao can't forget the feel of the "frog" on her hand and how she reacts when people tease her about her relationship with Jinshi means he accomplished something! Nice to see Lishu back into the plot. Poor girl really shouldn't even be in the rear palace, but she's stuck there and at least she's got Kanan. And a helpful ghost-buster in Maomao. |
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Zefram
Posts: 122 |
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I am afraid that OP as ever is filled with spoilers |
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Thesarum
 SubscriberPosts: 638 |
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I missed commenting on last weeks episodes due to meatspace generally getting in my way (just busy, everything's fine).. so:
Last week was another great example of a more light hearted and "plot light" episode where there's actually a lot going on if you're paying attention, fleshing out the world and broader themes. I think we get our first ever spoken lines from Loulan, though it is but a single word. Xiaolan is an adorable little squirrel (still wearing the cute hair ties big sis Maomao got her), but she can't trade on that for employment once her term of service is up, and she doesn't really have a home to go back to (I think she was sold into service in the palace by her family). She's working hard at school, but obviously lacks the finance and education to set up her own business if that was even a career path open to women. So she needs connections to the sort of moderately rich that would employ household servants. Though the only people of status she has access to are the mid tier concubines To the bathhouse it is!
I think this episode once again illustrates Maomao's stubborn determination to define herself as the girl who lives in a run down shack in the pleasure district with Loumen. She can't really process information that's inconsistent with that version of herself. When Xiaolan asks about connections, she can really only come up with the Verdigris House, and later when the three sisters interrogate her about why Gyokuyou trusts her, it's like all the many ways she's demonstrated her usefulness and trustworthiness just don't occur to her. There are many ways to answer this question, but "I'm just a poison taster" is so clearly untrue that it really only makes her look more suspicious. Jinshi's name coming up and Maomao's reaction to it is pretty funny. Totally not spending too much time thinking about a frog that shouldn't exist.
I like that about the OPs though. It's fun digging through all the little (and big) hints and references.
I'm not sure anything has changed about the issue that he finds her gaudy and constantly changing appearance a bit of a turn off that Maomao refenced a while ago. Loulan certainly doesn't give the impression of a concubine going all out to win his affection. This week, it's the return of the Jinmao tag-team, which is nice. Maomao fairly adeptly solves the issue of the ghost (and probably a black mould related impending health issue), and Jinshi just as adeptly puppet-masters an entire pavilion's worth of women. I think Maomao is learning to understand and appreciate how he goes about his work in situations like this, which is growth. (though she does still find his sparkles irritating). Still refusing to think obvious thoughts though... She'd be the first to advise others that refusing to look at something doesn't mean it goes away. Won't take that advice herself. Poor Lishu though.. immediately lost her mother.. and I think we must assume she's not exactly got a healthy relationship with her father since he sent her to be bait for the former emperor as a very young child. This, presumably, is the reason her Ladies act with such impunity - they're probably employed by her father, not Lishu, and they know he doesn't care. Alone at home, and just as alone here in the palace. Ah-Duo and the emperor care for her, but neither is in a position to actually do much. Kanan tries, but her decision to do so has mostly just resulted in her being ostracised by the other women, leaving her too weak to really do very much either. But more than a protector, she needs someone who can teach her to stand tall for herself. |
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Shay Guy
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We got a "Gokigen-yo, Jinshi-sama" in S1E20, and I think a "Dozo" two episodes later at the spring garden party (the exchange that led to Mamiko Noto's first credit as Anshi).
Absolutely. Her avoidant nature goes deep, and it's clear where her mind was going when she talked to the quack and thought, "…nah, no way." This girl's scared as all hell to be in the thick of it -- but honestly, it's too late. She has the respect and attention of too many powerful people to go back to her biggest problems being a crabby old lady and some weirdo who wants her to call him "Daddy". Gaoshun knows what makes her tick as well as anyone does, but he's still been saying it for a few episodes now: The secret she's looking away from may be on a need-to-know basis, but she needs to know. Over and over -- with the lead makeup, the honey, the fish Lishu was allergic too -- she's seen how ignorance can kill.
I assume technically, she has the authority to dismiss a lady-in-waiting, just as much as Lihua does. But authority on paper will only get you so far if there's nobody around you who respects you. Of course, I'm sure he was the one who actually hired Hitomi Nabatame's character, the former head LIW. And she probably picked the others, like Shin at the Crystal Pavilion. They all know nobody gives a shit, and they don't give a shit, so Lishu herself ranges from "nuisance" to "easily exploited resource" to "amusing punching bag" to them. ("Except for that tryhard Kanan -- what's she sucking up for? What, does she think she's better than us or something? What a killjoy -- you know, I never did like her…")
whoops
It really says something that this memento of her mother is so precious to her, yet the thought of her mother looking down upon her immediately makes her think she's unhappy with me because I've been a bad daughter. In a way, she is like Maomao. Maomao learned when she was little that everyone at Verdigris was struggling because of her. But they recovered, and Maomao learned to blame Fengxian. Lishu's been carrying this shame her entire life. Okay, gotta split. Chag sameach. |
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MFrontier
Posts: 15652 |
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Dang, Jinshi came to play with Gyokuyou this go around! Seems like the whole Ox Bezoar incident has taught him he needs to be as clear and straightforward with his feelings as possible even if that means openly flirting with using Maomao's actual name in front of her. Like, he actually surprised/shocked Gyokuyou and Gaoshun. He actually made Gaoshun sweat! That never happens!
Maomao just can't help contemplating Jinshi and Gaoshun's "frogs" and why they still have them, even if she's still in denial. Though honestly I couldn't tell if she was perplexed or just annoyed at Jinshi in all smile mode for the other ladies. This short arc really doubled down on how Lishu is in a terrible situation. Her ladies-in-waiting have no loyalty towards her and are frankly abusive outside Kanan, she's internalized heavy trauma from the loss of her mother to the point of feeling like she deserves to be haunted by her mothers' "ghost," she lost the closest thing to a mother she had in Ah-Duo, and she's really got nothing going for her at this point. Well, yeah, I can imagine that Maomao can't really understand having such strong affection and loyalty, even to the point of heartbreak, for a mother knowing how complicated her relationship with hers is. When Jinshi needs to let loose a pleasant smile, he does. When he needs to let loose the venom, he does. Even Maomao is impressed! Characters keep telling Jinshi to tell Maomao the truth and make his move, something bad is liable to happen before he gets to. Though I love how the only thing more intimidating to Jinshi than Maomao's dad is her reaction to his true identity. That's love for you. I get that Suiren is probably passing for an eunuch because she doesn't have a "frog" and is tall for a woman...even though she clearly has a womans' body type. Also ironic for Jinshi to be facing a woman who plotted to kill him and he has no idea about it. Oh no, not Xiaolan getting in trouble! |
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TJ_Kat
Posts: 479 Location: Saskatoon, Canada |
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I think Maomao, as annoying as she may find it, is coming to understand that Jinshi's smiles are a calculated thing, that he knows exactly what he's doing, and isn't just trying to grab attention.
I was worried about this at first too, but considering the ice is for a high ranking concubine, a word from her bestie Maomao can probably get her off the hook with three of them, and the fourth... well... And who knows this may be a blessing in disguise allowing her - as a friend of Maomao - to get acquainted with a high ranking concubine giving her that post-rear palace connection she's looking for. |
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Minos_Kurumada
Posts: 1257 |
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Sorry, help me remember:
Why Maomao Gyokuyou's employee? She was supposed to to be Jishi's but she failed the test because she couldn't care less about having a desk job and then Jinshi had her do odd jobs around the place between mysteries to solve and then.... I can't remember why she stopped being his subordinate and became Gyokuyou's. |
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Azure Chrysanthemum
Posts: 169 |
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Maomao is on loan to Gyokuyou during her pregnancy, but Gyokuyou makes no secret that she wants Maomao as her permanent lady in waiting again. Jinshi still holds her contract. I must say though, I really have to applaud Lishu's voice actor Hina Kino. The raw pathos she packed into that scream was stunning. |
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SinisterOracle
Posts: 519 |
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I presume that Maomao is going to be kidnapped before Jinshi tells her who he really is since he has no sense of urgency about it. I’m also assuming that at least one of the new eunuchs will be the kidnapper (probably the attractive one).
Maomao continues to curiously wonder about Jinshi’s “sizable frog”. I can understand. Sometimes a random sizable frog appears and you’re left with no choice but to tackle it head on. I really don’t like that Lishu has to endure such poor treatment. I don’t understand why someone has not reached out to Gyokuyou on behalf of Lishu to mentor her in the ways of a concubine and the inner palace. Jinshi clearly knows what’s going on, as does Maomao and I assume Gaoshun, so why not help her behind the scenes? Or if it wouldn’t be okay for another concubine, bring in a former head lady-in-waiting to one who can help her. Is Lishu the only person who can remove one of her ladies-in-waiting? Because that witch needs to go. She’s lucky someone hasn’t chopped her hand off. I absolutely love Omoinotake’s outro song. It’s one of my two favorite outro songs this season (the other being “Moonwork” by ASCA). |
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KarlFranz
Posts: 190 |
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Because Gyokuyou is a rival consort. It doesn't matter if she helps Lishu with the best of intention, people will still see it as she manipulate a younger consort to consolidate her power. Accepting another consort help publicly mean accepting that you're lesser than that consort. Being a consort is a race to the top of being the empress and your kid being the next emperor. Heck, if Gyokuyou touch the ladies-in-waiting of Lishu, even if the reason is sound, it would still mean that Lishu can't control her people and allow other consort to touch her people. Another reason is that Lishu spoiler[was never mean to be the emperor's consort. It was a favor for her mom from An-dou and the Emperor to keep her away from her father. They are still waiting for the time is right to ship her away from the palace.] |
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Alan45
Village Elder Posts: 10162 Location: Virginia |
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It is a bit easy to miss in Maomao's discussion with the doctor, but the source material shows spoiler[she is actively investigating how to remove Jinshi's frog if it is necessary to keep him out of trouble. He really needs to explain to her why he is allowed to keep it.]
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leeoflittlefaith
 Posts: 108 |
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I have managed to make myself unreasonably annoyed seeing a certain freesub translating the title of the next episode as "Ice", when it's CLEARLY "Ice Cream".
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Akcoll99
Posts: 314 |
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"Ice" is the title Crunchyroll is going with as well. But I agree, "Ice Cream" would be more apt. Also, I could have sworn I left a comment about the opening credits but now I don't see it. Did I have a fever dream and misremember posting it, or did it get deleted? |
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Minos_Kurumada
Posts: 1257 |
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Perfect, thanks. ---------------- Anyways. In Latam there is a joke about seek to marry a woman with little hands "so everything he grabs feels big", I wonder how much of that is truth here seein how little Maomao is. |
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