Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to check back in on the reluctant adventures of our unfortunate Maomao, as we explore the second episode of The Apothecary Diaries. Having suffered the initial indignity of being abducted and sold into the emperor’s service, she has since committed the grave mistake of demonstrating her aptitude for poisons and remedies, thus earning herself a position as the favored Gyokuyou’s lady-in-waiting. And with that annoyingly handsome eunuch Jinshi peering over her shoulder, it now seems increasingly unlikely she’ll be able to live out her term of service in any sort of peace.
All of that sounds like nothing but trouble for Maomao, but certainly a gift to us sadists observing her suffering. Maomao has already proven herself a charming, multifaceted heroine, while Hyūganatsu’s storytelling has gracefully guided us into familiarity with the contours of her world. Additionally, Naganuma’s adaptation is doing a fine job of illustrating Maomao’s journey with bright colors and alluring visual motifs, alongside a wide array of excellent aggrieved expressions. The Apothecary Diaries has firmly announced itself as a compelling story told with professional confidence, and I’m eager to see what it subjects Maomao to next. Let’s get to it!
Episode 2
We begin where our last episode left off, with soldiers collapsing while eating, and their fellows accusing the locals of poisoning their food. It’s a bit of a shock to see a situation so far removed from Maomao’s, and thus be reminded of the various worlds different groups inhabited during this tumultuous era
It’s clear that part of Maomao’s power is her ability to work as a bridge between these worlds, to connect the lowliest servants to the highest powers of the imperial court. In that way, she is again defined as somewhat akin to the social stratum-hopping courtesans
The unexpected power those courtesans possess was also illustrated through the course of Maomao’s first investigation – the court’s official investigators didn’t even think to consider the potential side effects of different perfumes and makeups, presumably dismissing them under the umbrella of “women’s work.” As such, a crafty player like Maomao or any of these courtesans could easily have used such poisons in a genuinely willful manner, all while lamenting the implacability of the “curse”
At court, Jinshi receives news of the apparent sabotage
Jinshi justifies his decision to promote Maomao as a question of parity, considering Lady Lihua already has over ten servants, and Gyokuyou only four. Maomao is a valuable asset, but part of her value rests in the fact that she’s so far overlooked. I’m sure one reason Jinshi wants her under direct control is so he can have her investigate matters that he doesn’t want to be seen engaging with directly
“Being constantly wary of everyone around them is the only way an emperor’s concubine can survive.” While simultaneously maintaining that show of carefree gallantry. It’s a tough gig
“Gaoshun, I found just the right pawn.” Yep
“I suppose I should seduce her a little, just in case.” Gotta cover all your bases here
“Why’s he here, then? Nothing better to do?” Love her condescending lack of interest. Maomao just wants to sleep and not be bothered; he’ll have to find better levers of control than “hey, I’m hot”
Yep, him putting on the moves just creeps her out
Maomao then meets Hongniang, Lady Gyokuyou’s top lady-in-waiting. I wonder how the power structures work when it comes to upper ladies-in-waiting versus lower direct courtesans
The compositions emphasize the tremendous size of the Jade Palace, presenting Maomao as repeatedly lost in rooms that are far too large for her
We then meet the other ladies-in-waiting: Yinghua, Guiyuan, and Ailan. It seems they largely serve as maids
They see Maomao’s bandages, and assume she must have been abused at home. Nah, Maomao’s just crazy like that
This production continues to show off its eyes and shading effects as Maomao relaxes in her new private room. Also some impressive work detailing the folds of her loosely fitted robes
Jinshi announces she’ll be testing food for poison, a task that apparently thrills her. Of course Maomao would relish the chance to engage with some foreign poisons
Ooh, nice visual effect for this drop of poison diffusing in water
The previous poison tester actually suffered serious nerve damage when Gyokuyou became pregnant. An odd, paranoia-inducing contrast in palace life – the constant fawning and courtly politeness papering over backstabbing and genuine assassination attempts
“I’ve gradually trained my body against poisons, so many of them have no effect on me.” A crucial combination – natural defenses against poison combined with the awareness of their nature necessary to suss them out regardless. A poison detector who simply ate poison, didn’t notice, and declared there was no poison present wouldn’t make for a particularly useful guardian
“You’d rather take less pay than give your kidnappers drinking money, hm?” A very Maomao decision. She is certainly stubborn and vengeful
Hongniang respects her stance, and actually rearranges her finances such that the money that would be paid to the kidnappers goes to the palace, while Maomao herself pockets all the hazard pay of being the poison taster. The exercising of power must necessarily be underhanded for these ladies-in-waiting; they don’t have the ability to directly challenge the financial institutions controlling them, but they can rearrange things so long as the impetus for their actions falls under the umbrella of their general duties. Once again, power is diffuse and complex within these halls
Barred from contributing to the regular lady-in-waiting responsibilities, Maomao finds herself swiftly bored with her limited duties. An inherent contradiction of her character; she craves comfort and dislikes responsibility, but her restless intellect means she can find no satisfaction in simply enjoying an easy life
“If there was a venomous snake or something, I could experiment…” Goddamnit Maomao
Nice beat of Jinshi getting genuinely annoyed at how little his charms affect her
Jinshi offers her one of the steamed buns from the front, and she immediately detects that it contains an aphrodisiac
Maomao is of course all the more creeped out that Jinshi would attempt to make her eat an aphrodisiac. A classic romantic dynamic here, with Jinshi presumably finding himself captivated over time by the one woman who is somehow immune to his charms
Maomao points out that even the rhododendrons housed in the rear palace are technically a poison. Thus it would have been easy for the soldiers to store their utensils or eat their meals in the vicinity of a nausea-inducing plant
Great superdeformed Maomao just munching on poison, in her element
“Some wood can even emit poison when burned.”
“Is there more?” Simultaneously bored out of her mind and eager to escape all possible diversion. She’s an interesting mess
“Making drugs!?” Oh my god Maomao. Nature’s most chaotic pharmacist
Just incredible Maomao catfaces all around
Jinshi reveals that the emperor is explicitly using his beauty to test the loyalty of the rear palace’s courtesans. Beauty is a weapon that cuts both ways in this world
“I’ve never been so harshly looked down on in my life.” But unsurprisingly, it’s Maomao’s disdain that lingers in his mind
The next day, catfaces abound as Maomao exults in her potion-making freedom
We finally get formally introduced to Gaoshun, Jinshi’s assistant
Of course, the doctor is bitter and distrustful of Maomao. Everyone’s grip on their station is so tenuous here; the various servants are basically doing the emperor’s work for him, working their hardest lest they fall behind their peers
Maomao’s delightful victory dance contrasts somewhat awkwardly against the relatively stiff background art. Filled-over CG backdrops are basically the standard these days, but they never look particularly good
Thus she constructs chocolate-covered aphrodisiacs, and finds them accidentally tested by her fellow ladies-in-waiting
Personal annoyance aside, Maomao can’t deny that Jinshi’s got it
The conclusion offers an ominous stinger, a ghost-like woman walking atop the palace
And Done
Well Maomao, you’ve certainly integrated comfortably into the Jade Palace! I was a little worried her antisocial tendencies would make her something of a pariah, but the fellow ladies-in-waiting are just such sympathetic figures that she had no trouble finding a space for herself. And I suppose that itself points towards Gyokuyou’s thoughtful, perceptive nature – though she technically has fewer attendants than her “rival,” that mostly just means she has fewer people to keep an eye on, and is all the more certain of the loyalties of those she employs. I’m quite enjoying all the ways this narrative demonstrates the complexity of power’s distribution within the court, and also just having a great time watching Maomao pursue her own exceedingly unique passions. Get those poisons, cat girl!
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