You know things are going down when the minute you sit down to watch a series, you’re squealing like a teenage girl who just discovered Ten Things I Hate About You for the first time. The Apothecary Diaries is like that for me, except so much worse. For someone with an unhealthy obsession, you can already guess just how fanatically I was waiting for this episode to get released, and oh to my luck I was blessed.
TOHO and OLM went above and beyond with the visuals of this episode, more so than they needed to. The way that this series can keep anyone hooked isn’t just an ordinary feat. We can see good romance anime all the time, but none that gains as much fandom as Natsu Hyuuga’s. Right as the episode begins, we get thrust into Jinshi’s dilemma as a man whose identity is split between responsibility and freedom. This is the moment he has been waiting for, and under no circumstances would it have been easy.
The Apothecary Diaries has a tight grip on its audience
Think of it this way, you’re bored one fine day, scrolling to watch a new anime but don’t want to invest too much of your time in it. The premise of The Apothecary Diaries seems interesting enough so you play it, thinking it would be nice for you as a casual watcher. Next thing you know, you finished the entire anime in two days and are frantically looking for any breadcrumbs to just get a little bit more of it. I made the same mistake and I’m sure some of you would have done so as well.
This episode was everything I was hoping for and so much more. Jinshi is going through a lot, standing there as a political figure and the most important guest during the hunt. At the same time, he is juggling his identity in front of Maomao. There exist two people, the burdened prince Kousen and the free-spirited Jinshi. Split between the two, he is not only deceiving the woman he loves but also himself in the process.
He is forced to hide his identity, and the rumor that the prince is too ugly-looking to wear his face with pride becomes another lie he has to live with. Maomao, in her obliviousness, cannot gather why Jinshi is so secretive about his identity. However, her growth is shown through how little she acts on her impulses and spouts conjecture like a natural thought.
The hunt is organized by Concubine Loulan’s father and while Maomao has many questions, she keeps them to herself. The entire event acts as an understanding of her character. She lives in a bubble despite having experienced the world in all its brutality. That bubble bursts by the end of the episode, signifying that she can no longer be the curious little girl who is fascinated by plants and herbs.
The Apothecary Diaries has a clear favorite
Every single time Jinshi comes on screen, it is as if TOHO forgets there is a budget they need to adhere to and they simply go all out. This entire episode felt exactly like that. Although it is a slow burn, The Apothecary Diaries has a tendency to follow its minor stories more closely than its actual plot. Oftentimes, Jisnhi wouldn’t even appear in an episode unless it was just for the sake of showing his face.
The focus on the main couple is very little compared to the interwoven stories that keep the palace held together. Although I wouldn’t mind seeing more of those, it is always good to see a shift from time to time, one that brings Jinshi and Maomao into the picture. These moments are rare and sometimes even forgotten. Their romance feels like a secondary story rather than a primary one.
To put that criticism to rest, the anime takes one episode and puts everything you want in it so that there isn’t any room for complaints for a long time. Although there is clearly more to come in the next episode, what was offered here painted a bigger picture for the likes of Gaoshun, Basen, Lihaku, and even Concubine Loulan’s father.
There was a lot that happened in this episode but something that stood out to me was the introduction of guns. This is the first time there has been and solid act of violence that can lead to wars. The gun could perhaps be foreshadowing the tonal shift of the anime from a slice-of-life yet dark series to one that is unafraid to express the horrors of the world.
Lastly, I count the CPR scene as their second unofficial kiss.
Rating: 10/10
The Apothecary Diaries is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
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