Summary
Hit Crunchyroll animeThe Apothecary Diaries, adapted from a successful light novel and manga series, isa thought-provoking watch worth viewers' time. Set in Imperial China, the show centers around Maomao, an apothecary in the imperial court. The series is anentrancing meditation on how power and preconceptions condition truth. Beyond the surface, it defies genre tropes with a unique perspective and impressive depth.
On its face,The Apothecary Diariesisan episodic medical mystery. Much can be said abouthow Maomao subverts typical mystery protagonists. What makes the series truly one-of-a-kind is its effortless combination of different genres, weaving them into a narrative that feels natural. In traditional medical mysteries, cases are generally one-and-done, serving to characterize the protagonist. InThe Apothecary Diaries, medical mysterycoheres disparate threads of slice-of-life and historical drama.
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The Apothecary Diaries Tests Traditions of Beloved Genres
The Peculiarities of the Series Make It Hard to Classify
The series opens with Maomao hard at work, shown to becourageous and insatiably curious, testing her apothecarial concoctions on herself. A sudden kidnapping leaves her working in the imperial court. She initially conceals her knowledge, as her literacy would bring a pay raise that would go to her captors.
The court is occupied by various concubines and officials,vying for imperial favor. When the children of concubines start to fall ill, Maomao discovers the culprit: white makeup containing lead. As the makeup is banned, Maomao gains notoriety and is promoted to a lady-in-waiting to another concubine, serving as a food taster who tests for poison.
Imperial concubines were women expected to bear children for the Emperor, protected by eunuchs in the Forbidden City.The Apothecary Diariesdepicts their complex social hierarchy of rank and influence.
As the series unfolds,Maomaoconstellates various symptoms into diagnoses and prescribes treatmentswhile resisting traditional explanations like curses and surviving different kinds of social intrigue. This consistent setting and recurring characters allow the series to explore beyond the constraints of the mystery genre. It could be called a historical drama or historical mystery. It’s meticulously researched, with dramatic elements: competition between concubines, Maomao’s ingenuity, and the backdrop of tragic misfortune that medical mystery invites.
While dramas can be tiring even with comic relief,The Apothecary Diariesis genuinely funny and never fatiguing, without being lighthearted in a way that would undermine its serious themes. In this way, it reminds ofDemon Slayer, where existential insecurity and intense action are punctuated byregular moments of legitimate hilarity. The historical elements are deftly worked into the story. The characters and situations are bitingly human. Once the viewer adjusts, the historical aspect is present subconsciously, not exaggerated by tropes.
Maomao Showcases What Makes The Series Special
Courageous and Intelligent, Maomao Bends the World to Her Will
Protagonist Maomao exemplifies what makesThe Apothecary Diarieshard to classify. While Maomao has one ofthe most captivating medical minds in anime,the series is not about herin the same sense that many mysteries and dramas are about a central character.The Apothecary Diariesis about the world it presents: a world where women are easily turned into property, and where dispossession of women’s agency is the norm.
The play of authority and its relationship with femininity undermines attempts at genre categorization. For example, one could argueThe Apothecary Diariesis a romantic drama because of Maomao’s complicated relationship with Jinshi, a high-ranking official. At the same time, Jinshi’s bestowing of a hairpin as a token of appreciation serves as a visual reminder that every relationship in the show iscontextualized by the power dynamics of the imperial court(episode 5, “Covert Operations”).
These dynamics underlie every interaction. In episode 3, “The Unsettling Matter of the Spirit,” a concubine pretends to be mentally ill to avoid an arranged marriage. Maomaouses her medical authority to “verify” the concubine’s claimsand protect her. The broader ramifications of these dynamics are apparent in Maomao’s choice to draw on freckles. While others use makeup to appeal to men, she uses it to make herself unappealing, a habit learned while working in brothels to ward off sexual predation (episode 5, “Covert Operations”). This response to the male gaze and masculine domination isan ever-present theme in the show.
The Apothecary DiariesOffers A Refreshing Take On Genre Conventions
The Series Perfectly Tempers Abstract Commentary With Delicate Humanity
At its heart,The Apothecary Diariesis a story about relationships between people and the economy of truth and power that surrounds them.
The imperial court is a microcosmic exaggeration of generalized patriarchy. The women living within it compete and cooperate, and are written thoughtfully with realistic motivations.The Apothecary Diaries' unmoralizing exploration of these is fascinating. Medicine, history, and mystery frame it,but are hardly the driving forces. At its heart,The Apothecary Diariesis a story about relationships between people and the economy of truth and power that surrounds them.
The Apothecary Diarieshas been mobilized in political campaigns, so claiming its focus is on the politics of women and their relationships in a male-dominated world is uncontroversial. The series is political by nature, and the politics of medicine, especially concerning women,remains a relevant topic today. For this reason, classifying it as a historical mystery or drama is an oversimplification. History and mystery alike act as a vessel for a broader commentary.
In the end, its centering of women leads it to subvert tropes of genres where men tend to take priority. Writing a story focused solely on one character’s grandeur and excellence all too often extends from a comfortable insulation from surrounding social factors — a comfort women generally aren’t afforded.The Apothecary Diariesisa bright spot for recent anime,playfully incorporating mystery, romance, and historical drama; at the same time, it goes beyond them with an utterly singular narrative.
The Apothecary Diaries
Cast
The Apothecary Diaries follows Maomao, sold from her peaceful life to serve in the emperor’s palace. Her unique talents emerge when she solves a medical crisis involving the imperial heirs, attracting the attention of Jinshi, a palace official, and launching her into the complex world of palace intrigue and mysteries.
