©日向夏・主婦の友インフォス/ 「薬屋のひとりごと」製作委員会
One of my favorite aspects of Maomao is the way she tells things as casually as they are. This episode reveals that her freckles are fake, something she applies every morning to appear unattractive, and even if there is no reason she shows it off to a Jinshi who is very shaky, there’s still something incredibly relatable about it. With the emphasis on beauty, Maomao wanting to dress modestly is not something anyone would think of, but it is a very reasonable way to avoid unwanted attention. Even if you didn’t grow up in a red light district like Maomao, you may still feel a lot safer if you disregard your appearance, especially if sexual or romantic attention isn’t a thing. You care. Attitude will help, but appearance will help. can stay away from unwanted attention in the first place.
Jinshi is stunned when it is revealed that Maomao hid her face with makeup instead of adorning it. (Perhaps Gyokuyo and her women are the same.) He never thought that in this world, women might need to protect themselves in any way possible, especially because of his beauty is a very important factor in how people treat him.. When he hears her talk about how male attention can be annoying or threatening to a girl of social status like Maomao, it was like the veil had been torn from his eyes – he suddenly realized that this young woman he found so attractive was in danger of being sexually assaulted outside the Inner Palace and kidnapped just for being a moderately attractive woman. Beauty could very well take away Maomao’s choices, the hairpin gift could show what he understands, and it will be interesting to see if he starts thinking about his handsome looks in terms of a different perspective after hearing her story or not.
He was also impressed by how she accepted what she told him as normal. To her, that’s just the way the world works and crying about it won’t help her. Maomao just makes the best of every situation she finds herself in, albeit with grim resignation at times, such as when she is told that she will dress up and attend the garden party. She seems to be able to find positives no matter what, such as the joyful mushroom harvest and her budding friendship with the so-called quack doctor. She’s very pragmatic, and that doesn’t seem to be something Jinshi, presumably raised in the luxury of the Inner Palace, ever experienced. His world is all hidden blades wrapped in silk.
However, it still allows him to get a pretty impressive body. If you’re looking for male fanservice, look no further than the beginning of this episode, which features Jinshi straightening her long hair and taking off her shirt. It’s surprising that a eunuch should have had the physical training to achieve that body type, or at least the time needed to cultivate it, even though given his position as a harem manager, that maybe not that shocking. However, I’m sure many will try to be the old lady who wipes him clean.
This week marks our first continuing story, with the garden party barely getting started as the episode ends. Two other popular (or at least high-ranking) consorts also appear on screen, and now the flowers in the opening theme will have a bit more meaning – each representing a consort. random, while the weed at the end is Maomao herself, or at least as she sees herself. It also doesn’t hurt that when she dances, she doesn’t have freckles, so extra points to the animation studio for excellent work there. Now we’ll have to see if the remaining two consorts are worthy of their flowers or if they’re just hiding poison beneath a pretty exterior.
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The Apothecary Diary is now streaming on Crunchyroll.