Summary
In Apothecary’s Diary, Maomao’s method of solving mysteries reveals a strong empathy and willingness to break the rules, giving her more depth than the typical detective archetype. The setting of Imperial China allows Maomao to alter her findings and conceal the truth, giving her more agency in her detective work and adding to her character. Maomao chooses to carry out her own justice, even if it means hiding the truth from the authorities, out of sympathy for the disenfranchised women of her time.
Warning: Spoilers for The Apothecary DiariesAfter 12 episodes, Maomao quit Diary of an apothecaryis now streaming Crunchyroll, has become one of anime’s most interesting detectives. Although she is frequently tasked with solving mysteries within the Royal Harem, her method of solving them shows her strong empathy and willingness to elude rules in a way that gives her more depth than usual. with the usual detective archetype.
The context of Imperial China creates many implications for what it means to “find the truth.” Maomao, aware of this, often changed his findings and hid the truth.
This gives her more agency in her detective work than the others and also provides a strong characterization that serves the story well. The result is an intelligent and proactive leader who stands out from her peers.
Maomao of Apothecary’s Diary is a proactive detective who does more than solve puzzles
Episode 12 of the anime reinforces a recurring pattern for Maomao: while she may be ordered or forced to solve a mystery, the heroine often softens the truth enough to limit the potential damage. . Upon discovering that Fengming was the culprit behind the plot to poison Lishu, Maomao also advised the elderly woman on how to turn herself in, both to protect Consort Ah-duo’s reputation and to bear the guilt of death. of child Ah-duo to the grave. Time and time again, the famous apothecary has chosen to carry out his own justice, even if it means hiding the truth from the authorities.
Maomao decided not to report that Concubine Fuyou’s “sleepwalking” was just to buy time until she left the palace with her lover and discreetly warned Lishu’s bullying food taster about the dangers of food allergies, instead of marking her for punishment. All of this stems from the young apothecary’s silent sympathy for the disenfranchised women of her time, whose lives depended on the bureaucracy. The vast bureaucracy of the empire and the men who ran it. In such a law-abiding society, guilty verdicts mean harsh punishments, but Maomao would rather help people live and let live.
Other detectives in modern media are often portrayed as obsessive problem-solvers who prefer to treat a case as a puzzle rather than as a human incident. But for all their supposed rebellion, this ultimately robbed them of their right to self-determination. For them, their role in a case ends the moment they discover the truth and hand over the culprit to the police. However, Maomao’s perspective and love of life are so strong that she chooses to both find the truths and impact the world around her along with them. Because of that, Diary of an apothecary features one of the most dynamic and engaging detectives in anime to date.
Diary of an apothecary can be viewed on Crunchyroll.
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establish: May 14, 2006
Notable shows: In/Spectre, Tower of God, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Shenmue the Animation