Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: The Apothecary Diaries
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Alan45
 Village Elder Posts: 9872 Location: Virginia |
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Sorry duplicate post.
Last edited by Alan45 on Mon Feb 12, 2024 8:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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MFrontier
Posts: 11660 |
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Maomao always tries to keep a cool-head and not overtly emote (over anything that doesn't involve herb or poison) but there are some things even she struggles to remain indifferent towards, such as her feelings towards her mother and her feelings towards Lakan. The latter of which is such a degree of hatred and bitterness that it's utterly terrifying.
It's kind of cute in a way that both Maomao and Jinshi get their hair (and their beauty) from their moms, though ironically neither was able to have a conventional relationship with their moms...though Ah-Duo didn't give Jinshi nightmares and remain as a half-dead shell of herself that Jinshi is stuck with. Poor Maomao. Grams is trying to sell off Pairin and Meimei might have her eyes set on someone buying her. You can only be a courtesan for so long before you either find someone to buy you out or you end up wasting away (though the syphilis didn't help). They sure do love featuring Maomao and her sisters in the bath, huh? Man, Jinshi really did not endear himself to Maomao in this episode, even if he meant well. Even then his feelings for her are facing up against Maomao's own inability to understand and comprehend romantic love because of her own backstory. Let alone how she never seeks anything above her station (even if Suiren doesn't want her to limit herself like that). That being said, the way she reacted to him seemingly heading into a brothel was kind of noticeable in my opinion. I don't think she'd react that way to another guy. Whatever Lakan really did to Maomao's mother, he seems particularly intent on Maomao now, and is using his pull and knowledge of Jinshi to worm his way in and enjoying every minute of it. I thought Suirei and Maomao could be herb buddies, but Suirei seems really suspicious. |
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Thesarum
Posts: 418 |
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Potentially it's not, and it's a flower language thing instead. Though I'm not clear what her meaning would be there either.
I was erring towards no - but it's unclear what she knows. It's equally unclear if she knows the woman in the annex is her mother (if, indeed, she is...) she never refers to her that way in this episode that I can remember, but that might be simply indicative of the state of their relationship. She provides medical care but no affection, and her response to the woman laying out the go pieces is pity verging on disgust: "stupid woman". That reaction to someone who has had everything including their mind stolen by an illness seems out of character for Maomao. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11418 |
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Different parts of various species of morning glories have been used for all kinds of medicinal purposes in many cultures. From hallucinogenics and aphrodisiacs, to curing flatulence, digestion, liver and even eye and ear ailments. Also the seeds are used for menstrual problems and as an abortifacient, among other things. Doesn't really narrow it down much, huh. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6268615/ (can't vouch for the scientific rigor of the article, but there ya go) |
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shosakukan
Posts: 294 |
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spoiler[Suirei takes part in a court intrigue, and in the process of the intrigue, she compounds a medicine which makes her be in a state of suspended animation, and she takes the medicine. An ingredient of the medicine in question is Datura metel. The common Japanese name for 'morning glory' is 'asagao'. Whilst Datura metel is plant taxonomy-wise rather different from a morning glory (asagao), since the flower of Datura metel resembles the flower of a morning glory (asagao), the common Japanese name for Datura metel includes the Japanese word 'asagao'. So what Suirei has mentioned in the scene is probably Datura metel, rather than an ordinary morning glory.] |
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Covnam
 Posts: 3692 |
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So it seems that Lakan either assaulted her to lower her value or she consented to lower her value so that Lakan could buy her. But then he didn't for some reason.
I would guess that might be because she got pregnant, causing him to change his mind or renege on the deal depending on the situation. Maomao's dream about her mother trying to kill her clearly says she's unwanted and perhaps was being blamed for ruining her life. Presumably she didn't terminate the pregnancy because she didn't think it would be an issue for Lakan (more likely if it was consensual), failed to by whatever methods they use or Lakan told her it wasn't an issue and then ended up not buying her. Presumably Lakan didn't want a child at the time, or at least one from a courtesan would have been a problem. I don't remember if they said if he has any kids, but perhaps the reason he is interested in Maomao now is that he needs an heir. The mention that Verdigris is much better off now is an interesting note. Presumably she had to start servicing clients once she was no longer pure and that's what led her to catching syphilis, but perhaps if this happened in the present, she could still go on to just entertain guests mentally instead of physically. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18230 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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But remember that Maomao has previously mentioned that she doesn't have a mother. I've encountered numerous teenagers (and even some adults) who refer to a biological mother as "that woman" (or something like that) instead, usually because the mother was some mix of abusive, had legal/addiction issues, and/or abandoned the family. Hence, Maomao referring to her as "stupid woman" seemed to me like a combination of a typical case of emotional detachment from a biological parent and her disgust over the the woman getting herself in this condition because she hid her condition until it was too late. IOW, Maomao probably knows everything. The other interest point about the anime episode is that the anime is distinctly less graphic in these scenes than the manga version was. (For those who are anime-only viewers, there's a reason why the woman's nose was always carefully hidden by strands of her hair in every shot of her face - and I don't consider bringing that up to be a spoiler, since if the anime isn't going to show it here than they probably never will.) |
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Leviathonlx1
Posts: 199 |
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It makes for a pretty good character flaw for her as well which (future volume spoilers) spoiler[becomes more apparent in later volumes as she gets more and more involved with her family. An actual commoner probably wouldn't like listening to this girl who can become a Princess of her Clan with a single word going on about the woes of being a 'commoner' especially when her lineage gives her so many perks even without her bevoming part of the family.] |
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Alan45
Village Elder Posts: 9872 Location: Virginia |
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Key Wrote:
I looked this up to see if it was a real thing. According to the Wikipedia article on the disease, it is called saddle nose. It results from syphilis causing the cartilage of the bridge of the nose to collapse (in extreme cases the bone as well). |
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Zefram
Posts: 108 |
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There is an actually pretty decent explanation for Lakan in the novels that doesn't make him look that bad, just far more on spectrum than Maomao is and very oblivious to subtle hints.spoiler[ It was all consensual and it was their mutual plan to lower Maomao mother's value as top courtesan so he could buy her out and they can get married. But Maomao mom wanted to force the issue and got herself pregnant at the worst time for Lakan who was ordered to leave for far borders for several years (as up-and-coming mid-level officer at the time) and didn't get any mail from her and didn't found out about Maomao till too late .]
Yes, this is very important and its a major clue for Suimei's plans, will found out during final few eps of the season. Also major clue for future books.
Yes and yes, Maomao knows everything |
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Electric Wooloo
Posts: 311 |
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These past two episodes have made me wonder
Could the courtesan who feigned illness in episode 3 in order to be bought at a lower price have been Maomao's mother attempting to be bought out by Lakan? I assume no, but I can't help but wonder |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18230 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Sounds too out of character for what's been revealed about Maomao's mother. (Remember, Lakan described her as proud to the point of arrogance.) |
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TJ_Kat
Posts: 368 Location: Saskatoon, Canada |
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I interpreted that as he found out she was in the palace working for Jinshi. Which still doesn't clarify whether she knows he's her father, or just the creepy guy who was trying to buy her from the brothel. |
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Azure Chrysanthemum
Posts: 119 |
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I think even without spoilers from the manga/light novel, it's not a stretch to think Maomao's figured out who her parents are having grown up in the brothel where her mother was housed and cared for and with Lakan's general presence and rough relationship with the madam. Maomao's whole thing is incredible deductive ability after all, she's good at reading between the lines and picking up on facts.
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dm
 Subscriber Posts: 1382 |
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Thanks for your explanation. I read that bit in the manga, but had forgotten why Lakan failed to follow through on the arrangement. |
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