Category: The Apothecary Diaries
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The Apothecary Diaries S2E43 ‘Festival’
Maomao’s still a hostage but it feels more like a technicality at this point since she pretty much has free run of the village. Is that because there’s nowhere for her to run? Or because Shisui has a soft spot for her? She even finally gets her hands on Suiren’s…
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The Apothecary Diaries S2 Eps 40-42: Festering Resentment/ The Fox Village/ Lantern Plant
This is it – the episode where everything, all the various story threads and seemingly minor characters come together in one major storyline that will take up the rest of the season. I’ve seen the episode a couple of times and it gives me a thrill every time when I…
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The Apothecary Diaries S2 Eps 37-39: The Baths/ The Dancing Ghost/ Ice
A lighter set of episodes before we start off on the final story arc for the season, although as usual for the series, there are some hints scattered throughout further laying the ground for the final set of episodes. It opens up with Xiaolan looking for a job opening since…
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The Apothecary Diaries S2 Eps 35-36: The Hunt/ Ka Zuigetsu
My favorite episodes are generally ones which focus on the rear palace. The more intimate setting allows us to get to know a smaller cast of characters better. However as Maomao grows closer to Jinshi, her world (and ours by extension) is forced to expand beyond the rear palace. The…
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The Apothecary Diaries S2 Ep 34: Ghost Stories
‘Once you understand the meaning behind it, it’s nothing special.’ – Yinghua ‘The world is full of things we may never understand.’ – Maomao Two statements that encapsulate two opposing viewpoints that run through this episode. For surely part of the allure of a ghost story, a myth, a legend,…
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The Apothecary Diaries S2 Eps 32 & 33: The Empress Dowager/ The Late Emperor
We’ve had mentions of the late Emperor dropped throughout the series – enough to paint the picture of a weak, ineffectual man. An Emperor not held in high regard and viewed as a puppet of his power-hungry mother, the late Empress Regnant. Even worse, a man with a disturbing taste…
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The Apothecary Diaries S2 Ep 31: The Shrine of Choosing
Maomao, Maomao, Maomao…no matter how hard you try, you can’t hide your head in the sand forever. More than any other past event, we see here how entwined she has become in the imperial family, and not just as a useful retainer. Although Maomao is still trying her hardest to…
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The Apothecary Diaries S2 Ep 30: The Crystal Pavilion, for the Third Time
‘Each small bottle may not be considered poisonous, but if you mix them together, what may happen?’ – Maomao I always love the episodes that focus on the women of the inner palace and their dynamics and this one is no exception. Taking a bit of a break from the…
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The Apothecary Diaries S2- Ep 28 (Mirrors) & Ep 29 (Moon Fairy)
‘Rumors tend to spread rapidly. The further and wider they spread, the more they deviate from the truth. At times, rumors cease to remain mere rumors… legends and myths may be somewhat similar in that regard.’ – Maomao These two episodes are focused on the theme of subterfuge or how…
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The Apothecary Diaries S2- Ep 27: Corpse Fungus
‘This is the rear palace, a garden where 2000 women stir and scheme.’ – Maomao This episode follows more of a case of the week structure, focusing on the detah of a mid-level concubine called Lady Jin, apparently from food poisoning. In parallel, an attendant, Tao, who was due to…
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