Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: The Apothecary Diaries
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lossthief
ANN Reviewer
 Posts: 1397 |
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In some ways it might be an improvement, but it also comes with basically being sold into indentured servitude. The servant class don't seem to be allowed to leave the palace without express permission. They're also isolated from their friends and family, and since most are illiterate, wouldn't even have the option of sending letters. The servants don't seem to have any autonomy over the jobs they're assigned and we already have an example of the previous poison-taster suffering permanent nerve damage on the job. Also, while we haven't seen much in the way of abuse so far, I highly doubt this is the one place in all of history that doesn't feature some level of abuse towards the servant class. Maomao says in the first episode that serving girls are "expendable, and can can lose [their] lives at any moment" after all.
Well seeing as the population of the rear palace is in the thousands, "dozens of willing girls" isn't going to cut it. The palace is essentially a city unto itself and you need a work force where men are largely precluded from most jobs. That requires thousands of workers. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18210 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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The girls/women who contract into the harem aren't educated beyond what's needed for their positions. (Remember, episode 1 indicated that most of the servant girls are illiterate.) And there are some big negatives, too, some of which have already been touched on through the three episodes. They (usually) aren't allowed to leave the Rear/Inner Palace until their contract is up (with fatal consequences for attempting to escape), aren't allowed to have contact with any fully-functional man other than the Emperor, and may not be allowed a choice about who they get married off to. Essentially, they're subject to the whims of the Emperor and his subordinates. As we've seen hints of here, the intrigues can also be dangerous. More about this will come out as the series progresses. |
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Sekaro
Posts: 352 |
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I dont mind the mundane mysteries tbh. Its the characters that sells this show for me. The mysteries are just base of opportunities for the characters to interact, not to say that all of its mysteries are boring. There are definitely a few that will stand out for sure. If I had to make a tiny comparison, this is kinda like Hyouka for me - Mundane mysteries but great characters.
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Alan45
 Village Elder Posts: 9852 Location: Virginia |
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@kgw
The kidnappers make perfectly good sense. "The palace is giving out money for girls. Lets grab a few girls an get on the gravy train." The palace is huge, servant girls are numbered in the thousands. |
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NeverConvex
 Subscriber Posts: 2314 |
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re: kidnapping plot -- I think the paradox is that, if the city's literally teeming with families who'd be ecstatic to send their kids to the rear palace, it seems like there's a huge supply glut, and like you'd expect the rear palace to pay much less for them. But, presumably the families would no longer be willing/excited to sell off their daughters if it were cheap, so I guess it's just a matter of expecting that a fairly large price for a family's daughter(s) is this "market's" equilibrium (which also means kidnappers have large incentive, in equilibrium). I suppose that's... uh, heart-warming, and basically makes sense? Also, maybe a buyer like the rear palace pays inflated prices to maintain its reputation, or out of a sense of ceremony or something, rather than bargaining every human-trafficking price down to its minimum.
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yuna49
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I think most of the girls come from destitute families in rural areas. |
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Vs7
Posts: 35 |
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I doubt the palace just accepts any random girl off the street. They would be some pre-requirements, like looks, for example.
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Zefram
Posts: 107 |
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There is an implication in first LN books there is a corrupt official in Palace who is in charge of making such contracts who either overlooks such criminals or gives preference to taking kidnapped girls in lieu of those sold by their own families. Not sure if that part of the story goes somewhere down the line. Also there is such thing as "front" palace where normal men work and live, and getting a servant job there is far more prestigious for women since it doesn't involve indenture contract and essentially imprisonment, so rear Palace "work openings" are not as desirable. And there is also legacy of former Emperor, who made in VERY unpopular for girls to work in rear Palace. |
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Alan45
Village Elder Posts: 9852 Location: Virginia |
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Maomao's friend in the laundry, Xiaolan is quite happy to be in the inner court. She is housed, clothed and fed regularly, something not assured at home on the farm. If the food is not that great, it beats starvation. Her primary concern is making contacts so she can get a job in the city when her two years is up. Her family would not be welcoming her back.
The inner court is not the only market for young girls. The brothels in the pleasure district consume a lot of them. Their term of service is longer as they have to pay off the cost of their apprenticeship. |
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kgw
 Posts: 1069 Location: Spain, EU |
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I know it's a silly controversy, since it's a minor detail solved (if) in some lines in the novels, but the Imperial Palace "buying" or "contracting" girls through third parties makes no sense in the real world*. The author needed a way to put MaoMao in the rear palace/Imperial harem without her being asked about her talents or backgrounds so the story can happen**. A tragedy, but not too melodramatic and that's all.
* I've spent many years of my life studying history to let that go. ** being kidnapped/enslaved in a foreign land and being sold in Pseudo-China, now that's something that –unfortunately for too many people– happened a lot. But then we would have lost spoiler[the history about who's MaoMao real father], among other things. That said, MaoMao-doggie is cutely fun to watch 
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Alan45
Village Elder Posts: 9852 Location: Virginia |
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The kidnappers did not take Maomao very far. The Pleasure District where she lives is in walking distance from the Inner Court. You can see the district from the walls.
Maomao is not a doggie. Those are cat ears that pop up. Maomao literally means "Cat" in the language used. |
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SHD
Posts: 1752 |
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I just watched the first three episodes, and for someone not having much interest in the Fantasy Imperial Chinese Harem setting, it's actually fairly nice so far. It looks good, too, which doesn't hurt.
I'm not hugely sold on the characters yet, though. Maomao is serviceable as a lead, and she has her endearing idiosyncracies, but the whole "obsessed with poisons/drugs" aspect is a bit too heavy-handed... as is the part about her being Not Like Those Other Girls, fortunately this is not emphasized as much as in many stories. Still, she can sometimes come across a bit too strongly as the usual "quirky unusual girl" self-insert. I guess this is unavoidable, being a light novel, but it's not what I'm into so subjectively I'm not happy about that aspect. I also wish that her relationship with Jinshi would end up being platonic, simply because it's leaning so damn hard on some of the most overused romance tropes (the playboy and the Single Special Girl that his charms are not working on) that I just wish for it to be turned inside out and the two ending up as just good friends/mystery solving buddies. (Actually, if this is the case please tell me, it would improve my motivation to keep up with the show a ton, not in the least because while I'm not interested in this kind of a romance, I'd find a friendship between them really fun and sweet.) |
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michizure
Posts: 177 |
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Up through volume 9 of the LNs in English, the answer is spoiler[too close to call. There are circumstances that put them much closer together than their respective stations really permit, but Maomao, at least, seems to be holding out for "tolerate" more than "love." There is very little that is traditionally "romantic" about them, in any case.]
spoiler[Hold that thought.] |
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SHD
Posts: 1752 |
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Thanks, that's good to know. I guess spoiler[the romantic outcome is inevitable on the long run, but it's a relief that they're not going to get together in the foreseeable future (of the show, that is)]. As for episode 4, while I enjoyed the episode overall I guess the show really enjoys testing my patience for re: Very Special Main Characters whose specialness is shown by turning everyone else into idiots. :/ I really don't like the "only smart person in a sea of ignorant, superstitious fools" trope to begin with (Mark Twain's "Connecticut Yankee" kind of broke me, I generally love Mark Twain but that book... nope), but in the emperor's harem, of all places? I mean, am I seriously supposed to believe that there's not a single doctor in the emperor's court that could be trusted with properly caring for a sick person? I mean the whole kerfluffle with not giving her proper food, proper air, etc., it was one thing if this was just some random minor aristocrat's wife, but the emperor's consorts whom he clearly has great affection for?  (Not to mention having a doctor around with the knowledge, experience and/or just plain wits to figure out things like the face powder incident, but I guess then Maomao wouldn't be necessary.) I know Maomao is Special, but come on, she can't be the only person in court who knows how to properly care for a sick person.
Anyway, that aspect aside, this was again a nice episode, and I like that once again there were no bad guys, everyone just wanted to do the right thing, only some of them were sorely misguided. And even Lady Lihua ended up being a nice person, instead of some terrible harpy. Also, the visuals continue to be surprisingly good, I keep being surprised at how much attention is paid to character animation, etc. I wonder how long they can keep this up, and if they can do it throughout both cours, where they're getting the money from. Not that I'm complaining, of course, but I don't think anyone would have pegged this show to be one of the better animated ones in this season. |
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Shay Guy
 Posts: 2129 |
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Some unusual character animation this episode! Apparently one "Chinashi", the episode director and storyboarder, is to credit? Along with Moaang as animation director, it seems, but ANN's Encyclopedia doesn't list that yet.
One thing that interests me about this series is that it's deeply aware of how patriarchal power structures and values have shaped the society its characters live in, in particular the way women are valued above all else for beauty and fertility… but the way it approaches it is very different from a "heroic feminist" narrative like The Story of Saiunkoku. Patriarchy is rarely the direct antagonist. Most of the major players are female; most of the major conflicts are between female characters. It's more Mean Girls than Thelma and Louise. The emperor sets off this episode's plot, and Jinshi provides an assist, but the core conflict is Maomao vs. the ladies-in-waiting of the Crystal Pavilion, with the stakes being Lihua's life. Maomao's (both sweet and very funny) final encouragement to Lihua is an assurance that she can still appeal to the emperor and bear his children. The previous episode was a little more about defying the system, but Fuyo's aim is still to marry the man she really loves. And a lot of the later conflicts, too, are about the way women jockey with each other for influence within the system… but we'll get to that when we get to it. (Mind you, in the third LN -- the furthest I've read -- spoiler[the bit about the useless quack being the only official doctor in the inner court/inner palace/rear palace, because of rules saying the more capable women at the clinic can't supply medicine and such, does make me wonder if future volumes are going to feature more direct pushing against the dysfunction of patriarchy].)
Well, in this telling, she never saw the note -- but of course, she did ignore Gyokuyou's warning. She clearly respects Maomao by the end of this episode, and recognizes what Maomao's done for her, but I wouldn't be surprised if her feelings about her are still complicated, and maybe always will be -- tinged with grief, guilt, regret.
spoiler[She's reviewed both the manga and the LN for this site. She knows.] Anyway, looking forward to the upcoming storyline! Some good material to come. |
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