The Apothecary Diaries Episode 11

The Apothecary Diaries are really moving along. I didn’t realize this story would come so soon. It felt like a long time before we got any insinuations about Jinshi’s background in the manga but maybe that’s just because I was reading as they came out and they had long breaks between volumes. I’m actually going to put off reading the last volumes I got just so I can experience the anime with fresh eyes and I am really looking forward to it. We’re not quite there yet but it won’t be long!

I read that the Apothecary Diaries will not be taking a break over the holiday season so I hope I can keep up with the posts. I will be keeping up with the episodes though! Watching this show is like a little present to myself!

So here it all is. Obviously, I did know what the point of the honey would be in this story, I hope I didn’t ruin it for anyone. But believe it or not, I actually knew that you aren’t supposed to give honey to babies before I read the manga. I’m not quite sure where I learned it but I feel like I’ve always known that hiney before the age of 2 can cause botulism. Oh and take that with a huge grain of salt, I say “know” but it’s just some random info I seem to have collected through some form of cultural osmosis. It could be an old wive’s tale. However, it’s definitely not something that the Apothecary Diaries made up. And I thought that was fun.

In fact, most of what I have looked up that was said in this show turned out to have some kernel of truth at least. On the apothecary side, the historical accuracy side is a bit more hit or miss. Still, it seems to have taken more pains in that regard than most anime in the same setting so I can only applaud. Like a lot of shows that have landed in my favourites, the Apothecary Diaries was originally a self-published novel. On the web of course. I am loving how this digital age is giving so many great young authors a chance. Although I have heard there are a lot of downsides as well. I don’t feel like I know enough to debate that here but I would love to know your thoughts.

There has always been something a little brutal about this show. You figure that the story will find a way to avoid making Maomao directly responsible for another person’s death. Especially someone who has been presented as kind and likable and whose crime is really an innocent accident. Oh, I guess except for the attempted poisoning. But you know, who hasn’t tried to poison someone now and then. It’s practically a right of passage. You can’t make such a big deal about it.

I had to look it up to make sure but Maomao definitely doesn’t have such a borderline worrisome love for alcohol in the manga. She does mention enjoying it but it’s generally much more understated. Let me show you what I mean. This is the rooftop scene from the episode. You know, when she turns into her cat form and glows with joy at the sight of sake:

That gives you an idea. The adaptation is in general more comical and jubilant. I like that about it. I mean I already liked the manga a lot so I’m not going to go as far as to say it’s a clear improvement but for the anime medium, I think it adds in some nice levity and dynamic imagery that comes across very nicely onscreen. Once in a while, there are shows that really make you appreciate the subtleties of adaptation and this is one of them!

So here we are. Consort Aduo has left the inner palace. The attempted poisoning and drowning have both been solved. And we know that Maomao’s dad is a lot more than meets the eye. But in the end, things go back to how they were. As Maomao mentioned, the lives of servants aren’t worth much in these parts. Hopefully, things will be peaceful for some time.