The Apothecary Diaries: Episode 4 FULL LENGTH Reaction!
Added 2024-08-07 13:00:03 +0000 UTC*THREATENING HEADPHONE WARNINGS*
If we learned one thing from this episode: DO NOT make MaoMao angry.
Lessons were learned, y'all. And I've taken notes!
MaoMao gets assigned an important undertaking from the Emperor himself, and Jinshi seems adamant to see how she can fare "on her own" with this one, but that doesn't mean MaoMao isn't going to employ all the resources she has available to help "solve the case!" This episode was a GOOD one!
LINK TO REACTION: https://share.vidyard.com/watch/dPd38rYkyeb7e3APLEnSKZ?
Thank you for watching with me and for all the support!
Comments
Hahaha, this episode was wild! I love that MaoMao is NOT a force to be reckoned with! And ha, yeah, I cannot IMAGINE what went through Jinshi’s head! >.< I love that MaoMao gets protective of others (despite not being afraid to self-harm herself) and yeah, given the circumstance of that moment/time/place, it seemed to be the course of action that was most “fitting” there. HA – well, I’m not maybe the “best” person to give this lesson – but hahahaa, those were just my guesses! XD “For Higher Education!” is something I need to start saying in my reactions! Seriously! But yeah, the hook REALLY set in for me with this episode as well, I agree! Thank you for the comment and kind words!
Romaniablack
2024-08-12 18:28:12 +0000 UTCHAHAHAHA -- MaoMao has taken the role of sexual education coordinator! LOVE IT! I would honestly watch an entire "bonus" segment of MaoMao teaching sex ed to us the audience! :P And imagining a "modern AU" of her as the executive editor of Cosmopolitan! Hahah, I love it! Thank you for the comment and kind words!
Romaniablack
2024-08-12 03:36:13 +0000 UTCI really love MaoMao’s character and she’s grown on me as the story has moved forward! I love how she’s a more “caring” Sherlock archetype but also her own person, developing these intimate and personal relationships in the rear palace. And yesss, Lihua surprised me in the best way in this episode, showing her side when she’s not under insane traumatic situations involving her poor children. I was really happy with her character work this episode, too! And hahahahaha – MaoMao knows all these secret techniques to please people. Let’s hope Jinshi doesn’t find out…or hope that he does at some point. 😛I’m ahead of myself, though! Thank you for the comment and kind words!
Romaniablack
2024-08-11 17:43:54 +0000 UTCMaoMao has really gotten me in her grasp after this episode! Her fire! And yes, seeing these characters showing so many sides to themselves is so interesting to me! And HA, that is QUITE the point about her not realizing ways in which Jinshi could find pleasure in another's company...*ahem* Maybe she'll get "educated" by another eunuch or through the grapevine in the future and realize that possibility! Thanks for the comment!
Romaniablack
2024-08-09 17:27:02 +0000 UTC*Slaps lady-in-waiting* "Oh, shit!" I enjoyed this episode! Seeing our mostly humble and proper Maomao out of nowhere slap another lady-in-waiting in their own home so hard she immediately falls to the floor, that was such a shock! Jinshi definitely did not need to see any of that! Him and his twisted mind, haha. I like that Maomao doesn't fool around with making sure people understand the consequences of their actions especially when they affect another's health. These days it's hard to imagine situations where hitting someone can come across as an appropriate punishment, but we can suspend some of our cultural / ethical beliefs here! And that Hot dog lesson! Oh my god, I'm here for all of it! Is it wrong that's what was for dinner last night, oh no! Definitely needed to switch to the full 1080p HD to soak in all that learning, bandwidth savings be damned, this is for higher education! I think this show maybe has more of a rule of 4 than a rule of 3? Episode 3's happy story was enjoyable, but the hooks felt more present here.
L Freya
2024-08-09 03:12:08 +0000 UTCI think the emperor does care about the concubines at least nominally, after all he tasked Mao with taking care of Lady Lihua. Him discussing one concubine in front of another I think that's just the emperor conducting himself as emperor. For anyone else multiple relationships would be scandalous but in his case, it's seen as outright necessary. So why would he go around keeping one relationship away from another as if he had something to hide.
Alex Kornejo
2024-08-08 18:02:59 +0000 UTCI think that for a lot of people it was the same, I had been enjoying this show well enough so far, but this episode with that MaoMao scene is when it really caught my full attention "Wait, this show can really go there and Mao has that kind of fire in her? Sign me up". I guess it wasn't just Mao, but Lady Lihua and her hand maiden too, people showing different faces to what our initial impressions of them were. Pretty cool episode. P.S. For someone with such an in depth knowledge of the 'secret techniques' to be found in a brothel, unexpectedly Mao lacks the imagination to see the things a girl and a guy could get up to if you remove penis out of the equation. Perhaps it shows a flaw and bias in her brothel upbringing.
Alex Kornejo
2024-08-08 17:45:08 +0000 UTCThere is no internet, women’s magazines, or even sex ed probably, not in this time. So MaoMao has taken it upon herself to provide for these ladies. MaoMao: You want 10 secrets to pleasing your man? Number 5 will surprise you 😏 Lihua: 🫢🤭 Excellent analysis! Thanks for the video!
Amalia Jungclaus
2024-08-08 01:25:12 +0000 UTCDon't mind me, just wanted to mention there is an option in Crunchyroll under settings (on the top-right icon), where you can set your desired language and sub language. Not sure if it always works correctly or gets overridden when you've already watched an episode, but just in case you didn't ever check there, you can configure that in theory! Also, it feels like you're a celebrity here to me haha! I've seen a half-dozen or so series' reactions, and Anime Annie is one of the top names I recognize from comment discussion, I always enjoy hearing comment discussion before episodes, and you seem to have many comments worth discussing so that's really cool!
L Freya
2024-08-07 20:08:29 +0000 UTCCrunchyroll keeping you on your toes with changing to the dub and changing the quality! 😂 But seriously, I wish we could input in our personal settings that we prefer sub or dub (and which language) over the other so, where possible, it'll automatically play in that. Makes for re-watching Tian Guan Ci Fu an annoyance because every single episode reverts back to the English dub when I've already set it to watch it in the Chinese or Japanese 😭 The difference in Maomao taste testing Consort Gyokuyou's food when it's just their little palace in comparison to the much more proper and almost ritualistic way when the Emperor is present is so good. Like you I'm glad the animation team took the time to animate the little movements. Your shock at seeing Maomao's other side was hilarious! That slap was brutal, but I have to say it was justly deserved. It also sucks that the eunuch who didn't do his job and remove the powder got whipped and kicked out of the palace, but because she is of a higher status the lady-in-waiting who physically put the powder on Consort Lihua (thereby technically being the one to poison her) was simply reprimanded with confinement. I believe the specific term Maomao uses (kinshin/謹慎) is simply like house arrest or a form of penitence. Definitely an easier punishment than the eunuch received. The bit about it not mattering if Consort Lihua was hurting whilst drinking the tea really hit home for me how nowadays getting fluids into a person is a lot less painful as they use an IV drip instead of forcing the body to drink and swallow copious amounts of liquids. Also crazy to think that she was in such a poorly state that she couldn't swallow congee, only water leftover from either cooking rice or rinsing it. Consort Lihua's realisation that she didn't actually want to die breaks my heart 😭 Her grief for her baby is unimaginable to me, especially as (unlike with Consort Gyokuyou) it was Consort Lihua herself who was wearing the make-up that harmed her baby. Though there may have also been others within her palace wearing it too, she definitely (unknowingly) contributed to the poisoning of the prince. Whereas with Princess Lingli, it was only her wetnurse who wore the powder that poisoned her. I love the ED too, but mostly because it's sung by my favourite singer (AiNA THE END) from a JPop band I liked called BiSH. They disbanded last year, but I believe a number of the singers have released solo songs now. BiSH as a band though have done a few anime Openings. Here in NI the main go-to foods for when you're sick but need to keep eating are: boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, jelly (which can have some fruit pieces in it if you feel up to that), plain toast with a taste of butter on it, and vegetable broth. The latter can be substituted for tomato soup but it may be too rich for some people's stomachs or a little astringent on the back of the throat if you have a cold. The reason for Consort Lihua questioning on if she could have another child I feel highlights the lack of knowledge these women had in regards to their own fertility. But if the make-up was a kind of lead poisoning, potential side effects can include: impaired menstruation, altered hormone production, and a reduction in your fertility potential. Also, with how much she had wasted away there is the chance that her menstruation may not be regular or as regular as it previously was (if it ever was regular prior to her being sick, as in some cases due to diet and other factors some women of a higher social standing did not have regular periods). There is a chance that she has not had a menstruation cycle during her recuperation period because she has been so unwell, and due to her lack of knowledge on her own fertility she could think it meant she would never have another period and therefore may be infertile. I had to laugh at your research this episode! 🤣 Random knowledge in my head: in Japanese the term used is "paizuri". Do not ask me how or why I know this information but yeah 🤣 I love that your co-worker's hot dog maker came in handy for today's extra lesson in this anime 😆 I just hope that when Maomao suggested it to Consort Lihua (and when her courtesan "older sisters" taught Maomao) that they specified using some kind of lubricant to make things...glide easier 😇
Anime Annie
2024-08-07 18:06:45 +0000 UTCI think the Emperor just doesn't care about how his actions affect the concubines. Or he might think that it doesn't affect them or that it doesn't really matter what they think or how they feel.
William Pina
2024-08-07 16:57:11 +0000 UTCMaomao is such a strong female lead character. Intelligent, wise and funny in a quirky way all wrapped in one. I love her logical, almost clinical view, of people in situations but, as we have seen in the first four episodes, she also has the wisdom to understand why other people view things differently. And, despite her analytical personality, she does really care for people too (yes, she was doing it under the emperor's order, she also came to care and respect Lady Lihua). Like you, I really enjoy the character development with Lady Lihua. I had the same thoughts about her before this episode but this episode made me think of the old saying "Don't judge a person until you walk two moons in their moccasins". There are many sides to a person and we get to see in this episode a different side to Lihua and I found myself really liking her at the end of this episode. I love Maomao metaphor using the flowers. It shows her wisdom, and actually her kindness. I would be willing to bet a significant sum of money that you were right about the 'secret technique'. I laughed at the end of the episode with Maomao saying she hard a lard time not laughing when Lady Gyokuyo mentions how its nice to get a good rest. See you next week for episode 5!
C. D.
2024-08-07 15:33:09 +0000 UTC
