The thing I love about how the romance element is handled is that it's ... respectful, I guess is the word? to why Maomao in particular wouldn't rush into a love story. This is a story that takes its characters seriously and prioritizes realism over giving the reader/viewer immediate satisfaction.
Nope, nothing wrong with your statement! It's a very real and respectable romance show! It handles it's characters well. They aren't just people that live to be romanced which is a nice refresher in the genre.
Maomao is borderline neuro divergent and she is very pragmatic. In a world like ancient imperial China, where women were only considered pretty much as progeny or sex vessels, she knows she is part of that system and that she is only a powerless girl in the grand scheme of things (like knowing her low rank status could eventually get her killed as she is seen as dispensable to the upper classes) but at the same time she is aware that she is different and she has the courage and willingness to break out of the mold. She has huge issues opening up and loving someone, as she herself said in one of the episodes, but the real reason she is pretending (mainly with herself) of having no interest in Jinshi is the fact that she believes the huge status gap between them, would only take her to a dangerous zone if they ever pursued those feelings (in a way similar to what happened to her mum) and that would prevent her from having the simple, low-key, quiet life she is hoping for, while preserving her life at the same time. So she ignores Jinshi's affection as accepting it could be fatal. But I also think she is an unreliable narrator, where you understand more of what she is feeling through her actions, not her thoughts. And this is more obvious as the series progresses in the light novel.
It a really amazing series. I wasn't expecting it to be this well written, even through just the lens of the anime I can tell how thoughtful it is. What I enjoy about it as well is that the way she acts is very human too, I think some animes and even movies lol struggle with that. Which is what typically leads to "Why didn't X do this or that!" but this show really eliminates that feeling. Another thing, which you bring up as well, is that the way it depicts China is pretty on the money in terms of hierarchy. Typically shows with this setting just us it as a set piece; so seeing this show really opened my eyes.
@Arimorciano Yeah, that's definitely where it started, even earlier, like the "frog scene", says she doesn't want to get involved because she doesn't want to get in trouble knowing the secret but I think part of it is knowing there's a possibility she might actually catch feelings knowing he's not really a eunich, she just keeps denying it. Jinshi can be annoyingly persistent but I don't really blame his frustration. haha.
@Arimorciano Yeah, she didn't know that the Emperor was involved and thought she'd be in trouble if the Emperor found out someone is pretending to be a Eunuch. With realizing her emotions, I mean like denial in a subconsious way? Like her mind just refuse to make sense of it. I don't know. lol. As logical as she is. She's very good at shoving down emotions. I think she learned it when she was a baby as she said, she has to, because feelings like love isn't really a thing at the brothel.
@Arimorciano Also, the way she thinks of him is funny. Everytime she sees something beautiful, she thinks of Jinshi. haha. The way she thinks he's the most beautiful is just sweet. hahah.
Thank you so much for making this and I’m glad you pointed out all of the themes in this series instead of just the mystery. As an LN reader I can confirm that romance absolutely does play a role in this series and that the romance between Jinshi and MaoMao does develop, introducing a ton of character growth for the two in the process. Anyone saying that this series has nothing to do with romance is probably an anime-only watcher
I’m late to comment, but I don’t think it’s accurate to say that Maomao doesn’t like Jinishi because he’s a eunuch. Like yeah, that wouldn’t work out for her in the LONG run. But the reason she doesn’t like Jinishi to begin with is because he’s shady. XD WE think he’s hilarious, but he’s also totally manipulative, uses his looks to get what he wants, constantly invades Maomao’s personal space, does creepy stuff for his own amusement, like the honey thing. And he is so far above Maomao in rank, that she’s completely reasonable to be suspicious of him. Because if he WAS evil and wanted to hurt her, he could absolutely do so and NO ONE could punish him for it. Maomao is so accustomed to treachery and shadiness in people, having lived in the Pleasure District, that she has the completely reasonable reflex to distrust others, and only relax when she can tell they’re harmless. But she can tell Jinishi’s always hiding something, even if she doesn’t know exactly what it is. This only starts going away when she gets to witness Jinishi being sincere around her… and when he stops being a trolling weirdo. XD
A funny thing about their relationship is that Maomao does actually get Jinshi to address a lot of his worst character flaws, but it's never purposeful on her end.
The purpose of Xiolan (in my opinion) is to show the viewer/reader what is "normal" for a girl in Maomao/Xiolan's position as a minor maid in the rear palace. Once there is no longer a need for this (should happen in season 2) Xiolan is promoted out of the story.
@@CatOnACell Yeah Xiolan is important because of her rank as a Maid It gives Maomao Info about the Basic Servant girls that she wouldn't be able to get normally
The emperor could choose any single women inside the inner palace to spend the night with. This emperor doesn't seem to be as lecherous as the previous one, so it is the reason you don't see him going nuts (literally) over all the inner palace.
In my opinion it's not really a romance. The romance in the show plays a minor point to the plot. I'd say Hyouka is more of a romance than Apothecary diaries.
@@Ghorda9romance is also in the concubine who gets kicked out and had those sleep walking dances to. For me it’s more that the romance is there, but it’s only there because of the drama. Drama can have romance in it, but it’s there a center focus because it’s there to give the drama more flavor. The show is a drama and mystery front and center with a hint from time to time of romance. But it’s never the main focus.
@@Ghorda9also the parents were not the focus of the second half. At most like three episodes given the second half was 12 episodes. The full first season had 24 episodes after all. It was focused on getting Maomao back into the palace, Jinshi noticing “oh shit I made an oopsie!” Brothel ties for the drama later, but a focus on the bigger overarching “who’s trying to kill royalty!” Plot point.
I read the LNs and although romance is not the center at all I’d say it’s absolutely a huge theme in it. I wouldn’t have stuck with this series if there was absolutely no development between the leads. That’s exactly why I dropped Hyouka. This series has a solid slowburn romance between the two leads that offers as lot of character growth for each of them. Spoiler: They are currently in a secret relationship and are unofficially engaged. They’re just waiting to clear the political mess that their relationship would bring.
The first anime one watches seems to be really important for most people, it leaves a mark that ends up being remembered with a particular fondness regardless of its overall quality, it is almost like an imprinting. You are kind of lucky you chose this one anime that is really good to be the first.
3:06 in terms of sales My Happy Marriage novels sold almost just as much. I guess romance with other genres is selling well, especially with female protagonists. There are many female led anime that have romance as a secondary genre. One of them being the magical girl genre and, most famously, Sailor Moon. It's a magical girl anime first and a romance second. It has two complete anime adaptations, so you don't have to read the manga to find out what happens next. Magic Knight Rayearth is another one with a remake announced. It seems female led anime protagonists with a romantic subplot are coming back with popularity. The closest thing to The Apothecary Diaries in anime is Raven of the Inner Palace but without romance and supernatural elements added in it. Another one is The ColorCloud Palace (The Story of Sauinkoku), which is also a palace drama. Unfortunately, the last two don't have complete adaptations.
apothecary diaries isn't a romance, it has hints of romance but it's far from a focus. what apothecary diaries IS however, is a mystery show, usually of the medical variety
Her parents were the best ending to that season. I wouldn’t call it expected but for some people their view on her biological father changed considerably. But if they wanted an example of romance earlier on. The one between the couple separated because she was chosen to be the emperor’s concubine works. She acted crazy and self sabotaged her change to be with the emperor due to her love for another man. We know the situation at with the “princesses” from the brothel will come up again at that point and we want it to end in romance for them, but we know it’ll be drama. Because this is a drama and mystery show. Drama has the advantage there can be romance but it’s never front and center. Or a better example of why it’s not a romance show. There would be tales of the past ones…like the previous emperor who preferred very young concubines and one of them would be extra “oh he loved me so much I miss him!” But it’s not. It’s a drama point to explain why the youngest is still one of the concubines because the guy was creepy.
@@Syvduck Anime only here but from what I've seen that's like saying Naruto is a Romance anime cause Sakura & Hinata crush over Sasuke & Naruto(couldn't think of a better description)
I'm so glad you are enjoying this Anime! I loved it so much, I started reading the manga, then the light novels. I've read it all now, and this is absolutely my favorite anime. If you enjoy it, definitely read the light novels. Maomao means "cat" by the way... thus the cat imagery with her. It's because she was literally a "stray" from one of the entertainers at the brothel, raised by her "sisters", who are elite entertainers, as well. Part of her cluelessness around Jinshi is that her upbringing in the Pleasure District has exposed to her a ton of human interactions, and without a real mother or father, she learned early on that emotions are dangerous. She didn't have a loving mother who raised her carefully, nor a doting father to be proud of her. She's seen the rough underbelly of humanity, and has inured herself to that part of being human to the point that it doesn't affect her. Well, at least on the surface. It takes her a long time to mature enough to recognize her own feelings about the people around her, and even longer to recognize that she does, in fact, care about Jinshi. But Jinshi has his own growing up to do, as well. He's actually just 19 in the first season, and Maomao's 18. His initial attraction to this interesting, unusually intelligent and unemotional apothecary is a little like how a cat tests something-- poking it, pushing it to see what it does, etc. By the time he understands the kind of person she is, he is already in love with her. As the "younger brother" of the Emperor, he is the only other male who can enter the rear palace as an intact male. He even has permission to enjoy himself among the less important concubines! So he can go into the rear palace without being an eunuch, but he takes medicine to make his testosterone level decrease (as does Gaoshun, whose nickname for Maomao means "little cat") so that he has no attraction to the ladies. His goal is to convince his "brother" that he doesn't want to be the next in line for the throne and should be left to be a civil servant and live a quiet life (not all that much different from Maomao, actually). So he proposed a bet to the Emperor, that he could serve as a high-level civil servant (at age 19!!!) for five years and not demand greater power. In the end, if Jinshi wins, the Emperor is supposed to accept Jinshi's choice for a future. What Jinshi (and the Emperor, too) doesn't know is that his "brother", the Emperor, is actually his father. His mother, Ah-Duo, exchanged babies with the Empress, who hated her husband, the previous Emperor, as he was a pedophile and raped her at age 10, giving birth to the current Emperor at age 11. That baby was the one who died from honey consumption. Personally, I don't think Jinshi is going to be able to escape the responsibilities of being next in line to the throne in the long run. For Maomao, who suspects the truth of Jinshi's birth (not confirmed until Vol. 13 by Ah-Duo herself), he is so far away, in terms of status, that getting involved with him is dangerous. Dangerous in the sense that she, as a lowly commoner, can be executed for the smallest things, and being involved with someone of a higher status increases that likelihood exponentially. It's a slow burn, but done realistically, instead of the artificial tropes we see so much in romance anime and novels. It's that realism that makes Apothecary Diaries so enjoyable.
This show was great and i just couldn't stop my self from checking a few chapters ahead before hearing about season two and let me tell you it was really hard to stop my self from going on reading because i really want to see what i saw animated so get ready for greatness ✨️👌✨️
What I love about this series is that it has more mature romance and it treats its characters as actual people not just vehicles for sugar and tropes/plot devices. It is more on the slow burn side but at least it doesn’t do the whole “will they, won’t they with a side of really dumb misunderstandings” thing that permeates a lot of romance (not necessarily a bad thing, but it does get annoying when that’s literally all there is). As a woman I also like how the show portrays women and what motivates them somewhat differently from men (especially in that time period). Bonus points for not having the main character be a blushing virgin that shrieks at the thought of holding hands.
But Apothecary Diaries is not a romance anime. It’s first and foremost a drama and mystery anime. Romance in the background is an afterthought or part of the drama within the story. If it was honestly a romance anime I don’t think it would be as popular as it is. The focus would be in how these two get together. Instead it’s about solving some issues and along the way these two will possibly get together. But we aren’t focused on that we want to know what’s going on. How will this be solved.
Oshi no Ko is another "mystery" show that I'm sad about the way they did it. It's supposed to be -------------------------(POST EP1 SPOILER)----------------------- ....a murder mystery, yet they quickly place it at the back and focus on the drama/romance. It's also one of those in which you can figure out the mystery by yourself since early, which I also love. But yeah I would like for them to focus more on it like Apothecary Diaries.
Considering you came right out the gate and mentioned this as a romance, i like to think of this as slow burn romance with misunderstanding. Considering Jinshj s naive and innocent to the outside world, and Maomao grew up in the Pleasure District and is very down to earth, I've seen it all at 17 and only care for my poisons. Maomao, who one could argue being neurodivergent when analyzing both the mother and father, has extremely EQ, and is just overly logical. And Jinshi, though intelligent, can at least discern emotion and read people except Maomao. I seems like there is a bit of match making being hinted at through out the show, i think until I read more of the light novels or the show developes it more, the romance might just be a way to bring humor and drama into the show since the main character seems overly serious or just emotionally numb. 🤷♀️ ive watched season 1 three and half time now, and read 2 of the novels currently. The anime helps me keep the book perspective better.
Here's a mystery anime you must not have watched: Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions. I'm sure you would have mentioned it if you had watched it. You might also try The Detective is Already Dead.
0:00 It's not really Romance, the romance isn't a main point at all. Maomao is her own person outside of who she'll get with. She chose her own path to go by. 8:15 no, Jinshi doesn't fall for Maomao straight away. He sees her more as a toy then anything. However, during the garden party, he actually no longer sees her as his toy but rather another human capable of her own choices. 9:04 Maomao knows he has a penis- 😨 she just is incredibly dense. She says Jinshi has no penis because he's to feminine. Like saying "oh I didn't know you had a penis because you look like a girl!" (Basically a femboy.) Also probably why she says he's the emperors "favourite". 9:23 what? I'm really confused, Jinshi is refered to as "Master Jinshi" which is a male term (way back when) he is a unix, a males job. Nobody actually thinks he's a girl. He was hired by the emperor to test the corazons aswell. That.. wouldn't work if he was female. 10:16 I'm gonna stop you there. She wasn't entirely useless, she was shown as someone who tells our incredibly dense Maomao what's going on, she's the reason how Maomao even learnt about the "cursed babies" alot of rumours are told to Maomao because of her, similar to Aoi from TBHK s1. She also has her own story, some servant girl who doesn't know how to read, and worries for her future outside of the castle.
I don't want to spoil much since I've seen a good amount of things online regarding the future of the series. But I would say it is a romance, it isn't the main genre but it is definitely there! Maomao actually doesn't believe he has a penis until way later when she actually gets a chance to feel it and even then she's absolutely shocked and confused why it is there haha. As far as her friend Xiaolong I think I downplay her role because I tend to compare it to the other characters in the series. Yes she is definitely useful but I just feel like ever since Maomao got the promotion we don't see her as much. (Kinda changes in S2)
Isn't Jinshi not really being a eunuch a pretty late-season spoiler? Normally if I heard a spoiler-free review mention it I'd think I missed it because I'm dense, but my friend who watched the show before I did, as it was airing, said there was speculation going on in the fandom over... to avoid getting my comment auto-deleted let's just say over how much was cut off (because apparently that varied a lot in the setting). But nothing about him not being one at all.
Rewatched a part of "The Perfect Insider" and I retract my statement lol, the anime was pretty bad. I think I just had a good first watch of it and that's it
I personally do not see Apothecary Diaries as a Romance Anime. It's more of a Mystery, Thriller anime with Romance elements than a straight up romance anime
It's categorized as a romance and is actually a shoujo not a shonen! I think it's fair to say that romance isn't it's main genre but it is definitely there in the anime and even more pronounced in the future of the series
The thing I love about how the romance element is handled is that it's ... respectful, I guess is the word? to why Maomao in particular wouldn't rush into a love story. This is a story that takes its characters seriously and prioritizes realism over giving the reader/viewer immediate satisfaction.
Nope, nothing wrong with your statement! It's a very real and respectable romance show! It handles it's characters well. They aren't just people that live to be romanced which is a nice refresher in the genre.
Maomao is borderline neuro divergent and she is very pragmatic. In a world like ancient imperial China, where women were only considered pretty much as progeny or sex vessels, she knows she is part of that system and that she is only a powerless girl in the grand scheme of things (like knowing her low rank status could eventually get her killed as she is seen as dispensable to the upper classes) but at the same time she is aware that she is different and she has the courage and willingness to break out of the mold. She has huge issues opening up and loving someone, as she herself said in one of the episodes, but the real reason she is pretending (mainly with herself) of having no interest in Jinshi is the fact that she believes the huge status gap between them, would only take her to a dangerous zone if they ever pursued those feelings (in a way similar to what happened to her mum) and that would prevent her from having the simple, low-key, quiet life she is hoping for, while preserving her life at the same time. So she ignores Jinshi's affection as accepting it could be fatal. But I also think she is an unreliable narrator, where you understand more of what she is feeling through her actions, not her thoughts. And this is more obvious as the series progresses in the light novel.
It a really amazing series. I wasn't expecting it to be this well written, even through just the lens of the anime I can tell how thoughtful it is. What I enjoy about it as well is that the way she acts is very human too, I think some animes and even movies lol struggle with that. Which is what typically leads to "Why didn't X do this or that!" but this show really eliminates that feeling.
Another thing, which you bring up as well, is that the way it depicts China is pretty on the money in terms of hierarchy. Typically shows with this setting just us it as a set piece; so seeing this show really opened my eyes.
Absolutely agree with you. Series 2 starts tomorrow! I can't wait!
@Arimorciano Yeah, that's definitely where it started, even earlier, like the "frog scene", says she doesn't want to get involved because she doesn't want to get in trouble knowing the secret but I think part of it is knowing there's a possibility she might actually catch feelings knowing he's not really a eunich, she just keeps denying it. Jinshi can be annoyingly persistent but I don't really blame his frustration. haha.
@Arimorciano Yeah, she didn't know that the Emperor was involved and thought she'd be in trouble if the Emperor found out someone is pretending to be a Eunuch. With realizing her emotions, I mean like denial in a subconsious way? Like her mind just refuse to make sense of it. I don't know. lol. As logical as she is. She's very good at shoving down emotions. I think she learned it when she was a baby as she said, she has to, because feelings like love isn't really a thing at the brothel.
@Arimorciano Also, the way she thinks of him is funny. Everytime she sees something beautiful, she thinks of Jinshi. haha. The way she thinks he's the most beautiful is just sweet. hahah.
Thank you so much for making this and I’m glad you pointed out all of the themes in this series instead of just the mystery. As an LN reader I can confirm that romance absolutely does play a role in this series and that the romance between Jinshi and MaoMao does develop, introducing a ton of character growth for the two in the process. Anyone saying that this series has nothing to do with romance is probably an anime-only watcher
I’m late to comment, but I don’t think it’s accurate to say that Maomao doesn’t like Jinishi because he’s a eunuch. Like yeah, that wouldn’t work out for her in the LONG run. But the reason she doesn’t like Jinishi to begin with is because he’s shady. XD
WE think he’s hilarious, but he’s also totally manipulative, uses his looks to get what he wants, constantly invades Maomao’s personal space, does creepy stuff for his own amusement, like the honey thing. And he is so far above Maomao in rank, that she’s completely reasonable to be suspicious of him. Because if he WAS evil and wanted to hurt her, he could absolutely do so and NO ONE could punish him for it.
Maomao is so accustomed to treachery and shadiness in people, having lived in the Pleasure District, that she has the completely reasonable reflex to distrust others, and only relax when she can tell they’re harmless. But she can tell Jinishi’s always hiding something, even if she doesn’t know exactly what it is.
This only starts going away when she gets to witness Jinishi being sincere around her… and when he stops being a trolling weirdo. XD
A funny thing about their relationship is that Maomao does actually get Jinshi to address a lot of his worst character flaws, but it's never purposeful on her end.
@@chanterellecryptid It gets purposeful in light novels)))
Not liking Xaiolan is a red flag imo
Xiaolan is great, I love seeing her pop up. She's a great friend for Maomao to have.
She is a dumb cute girl 😂
The purpose of Xiolan (in my opinion) is to show the viewer/reader what is "normal" for a girl in Maomao/Xiolan's position as a minor maid in the rear palace. Once there is no longer a need for this (should happen in season 2) Xiolan is promoted out of the story.
@@CatOnACell Yeah Xiolan is important because of her rank as a Maid It gives Maomao Info about the Basic Servant girls that she wouldn't be able to get normally
This show doesn't get enough love
The emperor could choose any single women inside the inner palace to spend the night with. This emperor doesn't seem to be as lecherous as the previous one, so it is the reason you don't see him going nuts (literally) over all the inner palace.
In my opinion it's not really a romance. The romance in the show plays a minor point to the plot. I'd say Hyouka is more of a romance than Apothecary diaries.
the romance is also about maomaos parents which is what the second half was about
@@Ghorda9romance is also in the concubine who gets kicked out and had those sleep walking dances to. For me it’s more that the romance is there, but it’s only there because of the drama. Drama can have romance in it, but it’s there a center focus because it’s there to give the drama more flavor. The show is a drama and mystery front and center with a hint from time to time of romance. But it’s never the main focus.
@@Ghorda9also the parents were not the focus of the second half. At most like three episodes given the second half was 12 episodes. The full first season had 24 episodes after all. It was focused on getting Maomao back into the palace, Jinshi noticing “oh shit I made an oopsie!” Brothel ties for the drama later, but a focus on the bigger overarching “who’s trying to kill royalty!” Plot point.
@@Fujoshi1412 it's a theme, also most of the second half was about Laken and how Maomao was connected to him.
I read the LNs and although romance is not the center at all I’d say it’s absolutely a huge theme in it. I wouldn’t have stuck with this series if there was absolutely no development between the leads. That’s exactly why I dropped Hyouka. This series has a solid slowburn romance between the two leads that offers as lot of character growth for each of them.
Spoiler:
They are currently in a secret relationship and are unofficially engaged. They’re just waiting to clear the political mess that their relationship would bring.
We were getting Frieren and MaoMao goatness back to back just a year ago, peak fem mc
What a time it was!
Guy I apreciate your comment. This is my first anime in my whole life. And I simply love this history. Also the songs.
Glad you checked it out brother!!
The first anime one watches seems to be really important for most people, it leaves a mark that ends up being remembered with a particular fondness regardless of its overall quality, it is almost like an imprinting. You are kind of lucky you chose this one anime that is really good to be the first.
3:06 in terms of sales My Happy Marriage novels sold almost just as much. I guess romance with other genres is selling well, especially with female protagonists. There are many female led anime that have romance as a secondary genre. One of them being the magical girl genre and, most famously, Sailor Moon. It's a magical girl anime first and a romance second. It has two complete anime adaptations, so you don't have to read the manga to find out what happens next. Magic Knight Rayearth is another one with a remake announced. It seems female led anime protagonists with a romantic subplot are coming back with popularity. The closest thing to The Apothecary Diaries in anime is Raven of the Inner Palace but without romance and supernatural elements added in it. Another one is The ColorCloud Palace (The Story of Sauinkoku), which is also a palace drama. Unfortunately, the last two don't have complete adaptations.
apothecary diaries isn't a romance, it has hints of romance but it's far from a focus. what apothecary diaries IS however, is a mystery show, usually of the medical variety
Yee I’d say it’s like 80% mystery and 20% romance which works as the perfect slow burn for Maomao and Jinshi.
it's not all about maomao and jinshi, it's also about the other characters around them like her parents
Her parents were the best ending to that season. I wouldn’t call it expected but for some people their view on her biological father changed considerably. But if they wanted an example of romance earlier on. The one between the couple separated because she was chosen to be the emperor’s concubine works. She acted crazy and self sabotaged her change to be with the emperor due to her love for another man. We know the situation at with the “princesses” from the brothel will come up again at that point and we want it to end in romance for them, but we know it’ll be drama. Because this is a drama and mystery show. Drama has the advantage there can be romance but it’s never front and center. Or a better example of why it’s not a romance show. There would be tales of the past ones…like the previous emperor who preferred very young concubines and one of them would be extra “oh he loved me so much I miss him!” But it’s not. It’s a drama point to explain why the youngest is still one of the concubines because the guy was creepy.
@@Ghorda9 From what I've seen online (spoilers) it does seem to be a romance. Again, while it isn't the main focus, it is definitely there
@@Syvduck Anime only here but from what I've seen that's like saying Naruto is a Romance anime cause Sakura & Hinata crush over Sasuke & Naruto(couldn't think of a better description)
You’ve convinced me sir. I love a good mystery show. Loved Moriarty the patriot.
I'm so glad you are enjoying this Anime! I loved it so much, I started reading the manga, then the light novels. I've read it all now, and this is absolutely my favorite anime. If you enjoy it, definitely read the light novels.
Maomao means "cat" by the way... thus the cat imagery with her. It's because she was literally a "stray" from one of the entertainers at the brothel, raised by her "sisters", who are elite entertainers, as well. Part of her cluelessness around Jinshi is that her upbringing in the Pleasure District has exposed to her a ton of human interactions, and without a real mother or father, she learned early on that emotions are dangerous. She didn't have a loving mother who raised her carefully, nor a doting father to be proud of her. She's seen the rough underbelly of humanity, and has inured herself to that part of being human to the point that it doesn't affect her. Well, at least on the surface. It takes her a long time to mature enough to recognize her own feelings about the people around her, and even longer to recognize that she does, in fact, care about Jinshi.
But Jinshi has his own growing up to do, as well. He's actually just 19 in the first season, and Maomao's 18. His initial attraction to this interesting, unusually intelligent and unemotional apothecary is a little like how a cat tests something-- poking it, pushing it to see what it does, etc. By the time he understands the kind of person she is, he is already in love with her. As the "younger brother" of the Emperor, he is the only other male who can enter the rear palace as an intact male. He even has permission to enjoy himself among the less important concubines! So he can go into the rear palace without being an eunuch, but he takes medicine to make his testosterone level decrease (as does Gaoshun, whose nickname for Maomao means "little cat") so that he has no attraction to the ladies.
His goal is to convince his "brother" that he doesn't want to be the next in line for the throne and should be left to be a civil servant and live a quiet life (not all that much different from Maomao, actually). So he proposed a bet to the Emperor, that he could serve as a high-level civil servant (at age 19!!!) for five years and not demand greater power. In the end, if Jinshi wins, the Emperor is supposed to accept Jinshi's choice for a future. What Jinshi (and the Emperor, too) doesn't know is that his "brother", the Emperor, is actually his father. His mother, Ah-Duo, exchanged babies with the Empress, who hated her husband, the previous Emperor, as he was a pedophile and raped her at age 10, giving birth to the current Emperor at age 11. That baby was the one who died from honey consumption. Personally, I don't think Jinshi is going to be able to escape the responsibilities of being next in line to the throne in the long run. For Maomao, who suspects the truth of Jinshi's birth (not confirmed until Vol. 13 by Ah-Duo herself), he is so far away, in terms of status, that getting involved with him is dangerous. Dangerous in the sense that she, as a lowly commoner, can be executed for the smallest things, and being involved with someone of a higher status increases that likelihood exponentially.
It's a slow burn, but done realistically, instead of the artificial tropes we see so much in romance anime and novels. It's that realism that makes Apothecary Diaries so enjoyable.
This show was great and i just couldn't stop my self from checking a few chapters ahead before hearing about season two and let me tell you it was really hard to stop my self from going on reading because i really want to see what i saw animated so get ready for greatness ✨️👌✨️
What I love about this series is that it has more mature romance and it treats its characters as actual people not just vehicles for sugar and tropes/plot devices.
It is more on the slow burn side but at least it doesn’t do the whole “will they, won’t they with a side of really dumb misunderstandings” thing that permeates a lot of romance (not necessarily a bad thing, but it does get annoying when that’s literally all there is).
As a woman I also like how the show portrays women and what motivates them somewhat differently from men (especially in that time period). Bonus points for not having the main character be a blushing virgin that shrieks at the thought of holding hands.
That role is left to Gaoshun's son, Basen, in later volumes of the novels. It's actually pretty humorous, showing the differences in life experiences!
But Apothecary Diaries is not a romance anime. It’s first and foremost a drama and mystery anime. Romance in the background is an afterthought or part of the drama within the story. If it was honestly a romance anime I don’t think it would be as popular as it is. The focus would be in how these two get together. Instead it’s about solving some issues and along the way these two will possibly get together. But we aren’t focused on that we want to know what’s going on. How will this be solved.
You should watch Tasokare Hotel for this season... It is also mystery genre anime based on a mobile game
Oshi no Ko is another "mystery" show that I'm sad about the way they did it. It's supposed to be
-------------------------(POST EP1 SPOILER)-----------------------
....a murder mystery, yet they quickly place it at the back and focus on the drama/romance. It's also one of those in which you can figure out the mystery by yourself since early, which I also love. But yeah I would like for them to focus more on it like Apothecary Diaries.
Considering you came right out the gate and mentioned this as a romance, i like to think of this as slow burn romance with misunderstanding. Considering Jinshj s naive and innocent to the outside world, and Maomao grew up in the Pleasure District and is very down to earth, I've seen it all at 17 and only care for my poisons. Maomao, who one could argue being neurodivergent when analyzing both the mother and father, has extremely EQ, and is just overly logical. And Jinshi, though intelligent, can at least discern emotion and read people except Maomao. I seems like there is a bit of match making being hinted at through out the show, i think until I read more of the light novels or the show developes it more, the romance might just be a way to bring humor and drama into the show since the main character seems overly serious or just emotionally numb. 🤷♀️ ive watched season 1 three and half time now, and read 2 of the novels currently. The anime helps me keep the book perspective better.
This show gave me detective Conan vibe and it has other stuff going for it as well it was such a great surprise for me last year.
Here's a mystery anime you must not have watched: Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions. I'm sure you would have mentioned it if you had watched it. You might also try The Detective is Already Dead.
0:00 It's not really Romance, the romance isn't a main point at all. Maomao is her own person outside of who she'll get with. She chose her own path to go by.
8:15 no, Jinshi doesn't fall for Maomao straight away. He sees her more as a toy then anything. However, during the garden party, he actually no longer sees her as his toy but rather another human capable of her own choices.
9:04 Maomao knows he has a penis- 😨 she just is incredibly dense. She says Jinshi has no penis because he's to feminine. Like saying "oh I didn't know you had a penis because you look like a girl!" (Basically a femboy.) Also probably why she says he's the emperors "favourite".
9:23 what? I'm really confused, Jinshi is refered to as "Master Jinshi" which is a male term (way back when) he is a unix, a males job. Nobody actually thinks he's a girl. He was hired by the emperor to test the corazons aswell. That.. wouldn't work if he was female.
10:16 I'm gonna stop you there. She wasn't entirely useless, she was shown as someone who tells our incredibly dense Maomao what's going on, she's the reason how Maomao even learnt about the "cursed babies" alot of rumours are told to Maomao because of her, similar to Aoi from TBHK s1. She also has her own story, some servant girl who doesn't know how to read, and worries for her future outside of the castle.
I don't want to spoil much since I've seen a good amount of things online regarding the future of the series.
But I would say it is a romance, it isn't the main genre but it is definitely there!
Maomao actually doesn't believe he has a penis until way later when she actually gets a chance to feel it and even then she's absolutely shocked and confused why it is there haha.
As far as her friend Xiaolong I think I downplay her role because I tend to compare it to the other characters in the series. Yes she is definitely useful but I just feel like ever since Maomao got the promotion we don't see her as much. (Kinda changes in S2)
Isn't Jinshi not really being a eunuch a pretty late-season spoiler? Normally if I heard a spoiler-free review mention it I'd think I missed it because I'm dense, but my friend who watched the show before I did, as it was airing, said there was speculation going on in the fandom over... to avoid getting my comment auto-deleted let's just say over how much was cut off (because apparently that varied a lot in the setting). But nothing about him not being one at all.
Rewatched a part of "The Perfect Insider" and I retract my statement lol, the anime was pretty bad. I think I just had a good first watch of it and that's it
I personally do not see Apothecary Diaries as a Romance Anime. It's more of a Mystery, Thriller anime with Romance elements than a straight up romance anime
All the characters play a part. Even the friend. ❤
Does anyone know Detective School Q?
love this content fr
The first thing is where it went wrong. It’s not a romance anime it’s a shonen anime and never got the genre romance
It's categorized as a romance and is actually a shoujo not a shonen! I think it's fair to say that romance isn't it's main genre but it is definitely there in the anime and even more pronounced in the future of the series