The Apothecary Diaries: Episode 1 FULL LENGTH Reaction!
Added 2024-07-17 13:00:03 +0000 UTC*CHILLAXING HEADPHONE WARNINGS*
I will admit, I was thrown off at first during the reaction by how CHILL our protagonist MaoMao seems! But...by the end of the reaction and into the discussion? I got it. And it has me SO excited to jump into this series!
Mystery? A rad female protagonist? A male co-worker that won't be creepily trying to hit on her? I'M IN. I did a little digging for this discussion, but it only has me more intrigued at what this series will bring us!
LINK TO REACTION: https://share.vidyard.com/watch/Cvog4sae8EjHuYdG76MUeH?
Thank you for watching with me and for all the support!
Comments
Thank you - I definitely will mention this in a future reaction, so I appreciate the comment and information! :) I hope you enjoy the other reactions; I'm excited about this series!
Romaniablack
2024-07-25 11:41:24 +0000 UTCI also had the thought to mention that Courtesan and Concubine are two different things, the Courtesans at the brothel Maomao grew up in are definitely sex workers and sex worker adjacent (as in some aren’t actually required to have sex with customers) the Concubines in the Imperial Harem are not Courtesans/sex workers and a lot of the high ranking Concubines will have either come from other noble families and clans or be like princesses of vassal states and neighbouring countries. Quite a few of the concubines will have joined the harem for political relations between factions and/or for the purpose of having an heir, there’s no guarantee that the Emperor will visit them regularly and gaining favour was a massive part of palace life. Just wanted to give some of that context because you were sort of using the word interchangeably in the discussion and it’s pretty important background knowledge on the way imperial harems work, but I love this series and I can’t wait for more reactions, from watching your videos on other shows I just know it’s going to fun to watch you sink your teeth into this season 😊
Madi
2024-07-24 09:42:41 +0000 UTCOh, you are too kind, but thank you for the support -- I have a feeling I'm going to be really into this show! Also, that is a good point about the kidnappers, since they were wanting to keep MaoMao in "pristine condition," they didn't harm her more than necessary. But yeah, for MaoMao not to be "phased," shows it's very much something she considers "normalized," which is really scary and sad! :'( And thank you for the well wishes and the heads up! Luckily, I have a moderator that is going to screen all of the Patreon and YouTube comments before I read them and the ones that "are" spoilery, I can just "heart" and move on without reading -- but I hate that some reactors were spoiled! That sucks! Hopefully, I make it through without anything slipping by! Thanks for the comment!
Romaniablack
2024-07-24 02:33:37 +0000 UTCExcited to join you for this one! Your perspective and knowledge add so much to the shows for me. The discussion of the world's ruling system with eunuchs and the emperor and thoughts on the kidnapping were interesting. Perhaps the kidnappers in this world that appear to be working for the emperor, while still shit, are not on the level of your average thug since they seem to be on retainer and collect a portion of Maomao's wages, so it's in their interest to make the kidnapping go as smoothly as it possibly can? It definitely is a very unfortunate set of conditions which Maomao doesn't seem very phased by as you note. Makes me think of all sorts of other systems designed to keep outsiders from obtaining power like bloodlines and pre-arranged marriages too. And like any show, I wish you the best luck in enjoying this one spoiler free! I've seen other reactors get very upset because they had this show spoiled through comments, so just a friendly warning to read (unknown) stuff through a broad lens if possible!
L Freya
2024-07-21 21:37:01 +0000 UTCI’m so excited to dive into this series! MaoMao is so much fun so far! And yesssss, another female protagonist to take the reins from Akane (for now)! Ahh, I guess this OP is the first thing that is seen is new! But DOESN’T Jinshi look like an MXTX character?! MaoMao’s attitude took me a second to get used to but then I instantly latched onto her character – ouch on the self-harm reference, though! Good note to bring up! Hmmmm, IS it my first harem anime? Didn’t I watch Free!? Or I guess SVSSS “could” have been, but not really. There’s a lot in this first episode and so much emotion, especially with Lihua, for certain! That part was heartbreaking! Yep, all we needed and minimalism at its finest and scariest! I love MaoMao and Jinshi’s dynamic with one another SOOOO much! I love that moment too when she stands up for herself and what she’s proud of – and yes, while Akane is a great male-created female protagonist - I do feel “safer” knowing that MaoMao in this world of concubines and potentially trafficked or sex-working women to be handled with “care.” And yes, SVSSS comes to mind with this as well! And YES, the way I was rattled because MaoMao WASN’T harmed in her kidnapping…says a lot. But I love MaoMao as our Sherlock-Apothecary! 😛The Watson add in is great! It’s going to be interesting researching this series with its history and see what it has to show this western-born content creator whose more unfamiliar with it! I wondered if the powder had a tie to some “lead” like the stereotypical “lead-based” white paint that we saw used in the US a LOT in the early 20th century that led to a lot of health problems. I’ll have to mention that in a future discussion! Thank you so much for the VA info and the comment and kind words! I’m SO ready for this series and to see what it gives me!
Romaniablack
2024-07-21 18:36:43 +0000 UTCThank you for that information on the VA for Jinshi! And yes, MaoMao’s VA - awesome range! That’s really cool to see that she’s an accomplished singer as well! That’s awesome to know about the concubine VA’s as well! I love that talent this voice cast has in this series! And with the girl giving rumours! Love it! I’m so excited to see where this series goes to and to know there’s a quality cast surrounding it – and MaoMao is a great character so far!
Romaniablack
2024-07-21 18:17:12 +0000 UTCYessss, it's so refreshing to see an act like that not be exploitive for once. It can be done! Anyway, MaoMao took me a second to get her game, but she quickly grew on me! I really like that she's this Sherlock archetype and I can get behind it! I'm excited to see where her character goes and what adventures happen to her! And yes, the similarities are probably there for the disclaimer, which is totally fine - it just took me back to my Sonic the Hedgehog comic days, and that made me chuckle. Thank you so much for the comment! So excited for this series!
Romaniablack
2024-07-20 13:11:25 +0000 UTCI'm a sucker for a Sherlock archetype and I like MaoMao a lot! I'm really looking forward to watching this series! And yeah, it'll be fun to learn from it as well! Thank you for the comment!
Romaniablack
2024-07-20 13:09:34 +0000 UTCI am glad I'm getting to watch two popular shows right now; so far, the quality has been fantastic! And I'm really enjoying them! Ahh, I'm not usually an OST-specific watcher and I haven't seen those series, but that's good to know! Thank you for the comment! The OST is great so far!
Romaniablack
2024-07-20 13:08:54 +0000 UTCEhhh, I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but the Chinese names and the way that this looks EXACTLY like the images of the Forbidden City...meh, I'm sure it's drawing influence from various places (it's fiction) but I say there's definite inspiration there, but if you're joking, I get your gist! :P But YES, I'm ALL FOR a blow to the "but it's historically accurate" crowd; honestly, I find myself irritated at that crowd in the comment section (as you probably know from my Berserk reactions) and I roll my eyes when I see that phrase. I like to learn a little about what the show my be taking inspiration from, but I don't consider it a huge point in my enjoyment in the show. And WHO KNEW you could touch on difficult subjects and not be exploitive! HOW NOVEL! Hahaha, that got me, so thank you! I like the aesthetics a lot! The saturation and colors are really great! Thank you for the comment and kind words!
Romaniablack
2024-07-20 13:07:16 +0000 UTCOH! I thought it was the lighting of the animation -- thank you for pointing that out and the comments!
Romaniablack
2024-07-20 13:03:22 +0000 UTCRight; that's what I sort of meant -- it's clearly a fictional story, but I'm sure it very much draws inspiration from real Chinese historical setting and events, and the disclaimer is to help add a barrier of legalese there - otherwise, there'd be no reason to put it there. Yeah, it's to cover themselves - I said that in the discussion! :)
Romaniablack
2024-07-20 13:02:52 +0000 UTCI agree that the gender of an author can make a difference in the writing style. I, also, agree I found the kidnapping a good change from what is commonly seen and realistic in its own way. From the logical standpoint, people kidnapping people to sale them as indentured workers would want them to be healthy to garner the best price. From episode 1, I saw MaoMao's cool, dethatched attitude as a result of her logical outlook on life. A logical outlook that was a product of her training and intelligence. If you cannot change a situation, you just need to make the best of it, survive it and return home after her forced time in the rear palace. And, yes, this is set in a Chinese-like setting in history. It has eerie similarities at times which is probably the reason for the disclaimer, as you said.
C. Davis
2024-07-19 21:48:10 +0000 UTCThank you for the comment! Super excited about this one!
Romaniablack
2024-07-18 12:24:20 +0000 UTCThere’s been a lot of Sherlock archetypes over the years, but MaoMao has quickly cemented herself as one of my favorites! So excited to see you get into this show. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! I also look forward to hearing any fun trivia that other viewers may know. I feel like this show has a lot of thought put into the little details of it and I’d love to learn about whatever ones I haven’t picked up on myself.
Amalia Jungclaus
2024-07-18 10:50:46 +0000 UTCThis one is a favourite of mine. I adore Maomao so much. And I can now squeal about how happy I am that the replacement of Psycho-Pass is an anime with another cool female protagonist 😂 It may also be the first anime I've watched I think where the Opening has been the first thing you see in Episode 1. I nearly choked on my dinner laughing at your first response to Jinshi in the Opening. "He looks like he's from a danmei" is on the fitting side with the setting being a fictitious Chinese land 😆 But well done on picking up the Chinese setting from Maomao's name and the design of the Pleasure District! By setting it in a fictitious Chinese land though they are able to not be constrained by actual historical events, fashion true to a specific time period, etc., as well as cover their asses legally. Maomao is ridiculous with just how blasé she is about her experiments (which you could definitely see as self-harm) and her own wellbeing. It does make her an intriguing protagonist because her reactions are not usually within the confines of what most people would consider "normal", case in point Maomao's entire outlook and acceptance of her kidnapping. I *just* realised, would this technically count as your first harem anime? 🤣 Whilst your first foray into the harem genre, thanks to the original work by Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky, could be said to be SVSSS 😆 First episode definitely throws you in at the deep end. You have all these beautiful, vibrant colours and characters and yet in the first episode it touches on courtesans, kidnapping, the *ahem* removal of certain body parts, social inequality [in regards to the hierarchy within the palace], gender inequality, and infant death. The scream and grieving of Consort Lihua was aptly done. Her seiyuu, Ishikawa Yui, did a fantastic job at really portraying her anguish in that moment. The death is subtly done and shows that, like with Maomao's kidnapping, we don't need things to be portrayed in a graphic manner for it to have impact. The empty cot, Consort Lihua's keening wail, and then the servants having to wear black bands to show the palace is in mourning for the death of the prince; all subtle details but its more than enough to hit home the pain and loss. Jinshi's first glimpse of Maomao is full of intrigue and interest. Maomao's first glimpse of Jinshi on the other hand makes her categorise him as an "arrogant woman" 🤣🤣🤣 Her interactions with Jinshi this episode really made me love her character so much. Its a little thing but I really like the way they change up the whole scene with the shift in Maomao's demeanour from being a subservient servant to being a proud apothecary when she realises she can't lie her way out of the situation she's found herself in. The complete silence as the mantel of servant falls off of her and she stands more straight and with more confidence really draws you into the moment. I agree with you that the gender of the author does matter in a story like this. One because we have a female protagonist, which there are some male authors that are good at creating good female characters (Urobuchi Gen being the creator of Akane from Psycho-Pass one great example), but more often than not I have found more critiques with how male authors write female protagonists. The other area it matters is the setting. Maomao, as shown at the beginning, is well known within Verdigris House, a courtesan house, and then she ends up in the imperial palace where the Emperor has a harem. Stereotypically male authors in comparison with female authors will write about courtesans in a different kind of light. That's not to say that I haven't read/seen female creators be unsympathetic towards women in such a job, but its more common for the characterisation of courtesans to be multi-faceted, and a distinction is sometimes made between courtesans and sex workers. As to harem stories, we have already discussed within your SVSSS reactions but such stories with the male gaze added to it due to a male creator do tend to follow more of the pattern of the harem members not being as well thought out/given more personality and/or realism. Whereas I've personally found female creators within harem stories to place more focus on the women's differing personalities, tastes, interests, thoughts, and feelings, rather than the focus being more so on the male love interest and their interactions with him. But yeah it definitely says a lot about how common its become for a female kidnapping scene has a more sexually exploitive undertone (or overtone in a lot of cases) when Maomao's kidnapping rattles you more because that undertone isn't present. Yes! Maomao totally gives me a Sherlock vibe too, with a little mix of Watson because her focus is on medicines/poisons. But her experimentation, alongside how the narrator describes her at the end ("Curiosity, a thirst of knowledge...And just a smidgen of justice.") embodies a lot of how I see Sherlock as a character [I've always seen him as a solver of crimes to expand his knowledge and find the answer to the puzzle over him being driven by a need to see justice done]. I do find the history of concubines interesting, and can kind of understand it due to life expectancy (especially infant mortality rate) and societal standards in regards to family structures and roles back then. But I do find it a little ironic that China, who have such a history, also in more modern history (1970s) implemented the one child policy - the only country I know to have created such a policy. I know there are a lot of other countries around the world that also had concubines, but personally I am more in favour of the concubine route in history than my own country's (and much of Europe's) history of nobles/royals having mistresses and illegitimate children. At least concubines are more or less married in to the family of the man they're a concubine to. Historically in Europe/Great Britain mistresses of royals were usually married to someone else, or even in some cases gifted to a member of court so that the king might be able to share the woman's bed. The only negative with a concubine system over the mistress system though is that, typically, a royal/noble would only have one mistress at a time, whereas with concubines it usually depended on how affluent you were as to how many concubines you could afford to have. The white powder poisoning is a nice little historical detail. Similar to how some medicines used to contain things like arsenic and cocaine, a lot of white-based make-up contained lead. It also wasn't a small issue but rather one on a more global scale. Its believed that a version of this make-up is what contributed to the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. Great reaction and discussion as always! Looking forward to seeing what you think about the rest of this series 🥰 Some seiyuu information: Maomao's seiyuu is Yuuki Aoi, and she has also voiced Tsuyu (Boku no Hero), child Sousuke (Free!), Ubuyashiki Kiriya (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Yuzuru (A Silent Voice), Madoka (Madoka Magica), and Tepes Krul (Seraph of the End). Maomao's Dad's seiyuu is Yanaka Hiroshi, who has also voiced Coach Sasabe (Free!), Coach Hibarida (Haikyuu!!), Dr Eisen (Monster), and Marquis Glover (YuuMori). Pairin's seiyuu, Koshimizu Ami, has also been the seiyuu for Ozaki Kouyou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Emma (Link Click, Japanese dub), and Sirius (Boku no Hero). Verdrigis House's Madam is voiced by Saitou Kimiko, who voiced Rem (Death Note), and the Chairwoman (Gokushufudou). Kuno Misaki is the seiyuu for Xiaolan (Maomao's little servant friend [her name is briefly given but easily missed]), and is the VA for Augusta (86), and Hawk (Seven Deadly Sins). Tanezaki Atsumi voices Consort Gyokuyou has also voiced Mayu (Death Parade), Kurata Tome (Mob Psycho 100), Frieren (Frieren), and Anya (Spy X Family). Ishikawa Yui voices Consort Lihua, and has also voiced Yukimi Shigure (Seraph of the End), Mikasa (SNK), and Violet (Violet Evergarden). The imperial physician's seiyuu is Mitsuaki Kanuka, also the VA for Kou-Guy [the locust curse] (Jujutsu Kaisen). And you already know that Jinshi's seiyuu is Ootsuka Takeo, but a couple of voice acting roles you might have missed are: Kakeru (KazeTsuyo) and Lucian Atwood (YuuMori).
Anime Annie
2024-07-17 23:27:55 +0000 UTCYou are 100% correct about the animation. I get choked up with emotion when Maomao turns the corner into the pleasure district at the beginning of the episode. It is just breathtaking
William Pina
2024-07-17 17:20:54 +0000 UTCI believe that if Frieren hadn't come out at the same time, Apothecary Diaries would have been hands down the anime everyone talks about. Not that it isn't popular on its own. The great OST is by Kevin Penkin, not sure if you've experienced his work yet, he is mostly known for the god-tier OST of Made in Abyss, as well as Tower of God and Shield Hero. I believe that this soundtrack is only second to Made in Abyss, from his work.
William Pina
2024-07-17 17:18:02 +0000 UTCI trust that disclaimer, this is absolutely not about China's Forbidden City, this is very clearly Shin-nah's Barred Settlement. This episode is such a blow to the "but it's historically accurate" crowd. Turns out it's possible to touch on difficult subjects and not be exploitative, who knew? And the environments are gorgeous. I'm usually more into more pared down aesthetics like minimalism, classicism, & Japanese aesthetic but I love the baroque & opulent look of this show's setting, so colorful & geometrically intricate. The background artists deserve bonus pay for this one. Show deserves a second watch just to ignore the action in the foreground and just picture yourself in the environments they're in.
Alex Kornejo
2024-07-17 15:35:14 +0000 UTCAlso I’m pretty sure the lady who tossed the note from Maomao away was one of Lihua’s lady’s in waiting. Lihua has purple/blue hair and the lady in waiting had brown hair
Madi
2024-07-17 15:28:55 +0000 UTCThat disclaimer is more like because it’s taking inspiration from the setting but is not trying to pass off anything that is happening as a real life depiction or retelling of true historical event, the same disclaimer is at the start of any show (I watch a lot of kdrama especially historical ones) that pulls from historical setting just to cover themselves
Madi
2024-07-17 15:11:23 +0000 UTCFirst voice actor check : Jinshi as you saw is Takeo Ootsuka their is one role that you didn't saw, he does Kakeru in Run with the wind. Maomao is voiced by one of my favorites voice actress Aoi Yuuki who as a CRAZY range, you heard her most recently as Madoka in Madoka magica, she also voiced Tsuyu from mha, Krul in Seraph of the end and A LOT of other role that you dont know yet, fun fact about her she is also a singer, she has sung a lot of anime song op, ed, theme song and you heard her singing, it was the first ending of madoka magica ( Title : Mata Ashita ) , i advice you to listen to it now that you have heard her tone on maomao, singing is not that rare with japanese voice actor but Aoi Yuuki is so cool because even when singing she keeps her crazy range, she can really sing in character and very well and she is really experienced in doing this, she has sung more than 60+ anime song. Gyokuyou ( pink haired concubine ) is voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, she voiced Frieren, Anya in spyxfamily, Tome Kurata in mod, Arisa Uotani in Fruit basket 2019 ect. Lihua ( blue haired concubine ) is voiced by Yui Ishikawa and i think the only role of hers that you know is Mikasa in snk, Violet in violet evergaden. And the girl that give rumours to Maomao is voiced by Misaki Kuno, she voiced Frederica in 86, Momo in Sangatsu ect. I think that's it for episode 1 . Very exited to see you watch this, its one of the rare case where i read the light novel, i began the manga a few years back and it totaly convinced me to switch to the ln, the anime is so great, and hearing your view on the first episode is so cool, such a good discussion. Cant express how much i love Maomao's character.
Kaku 💫
2024-07-17 15:09:23 +0000 UTClets goo
ile
2024-07-17 13:13:31 +0000 UTC
