The Apothecary Diaries Season 2: Episode 23 FULL LENGTH Reaction!
Added 2025-07-02 13:00:10 +0000 UTC*THEATRICAL HEADPHONE WARNINGS*
This is easily one of the best episodes of the season and fits the penultimate vibes - the Shi Clan are definitely 100% theatrical and here to go out with a BANG!
Loulan takes center stage but the weaving of exposition, animation, and emotions made this a helluva episode and reminds me why I love talking about this series and why I get so excited to watch it!
LINK TO REACTION: https://share.vidyard.com/watch/6A1HbNYWeUEjFKaKV1PBKq
Thank you for watching with me and for all the support!
Comments
I appreciate you noting your anime only as well! Thank you!! I agree with you totally that Shishou was letting Shenmei do what she wanted – it sure was RISKY for what Loulan wanted, though, and her saying in the episode “we’re not that smart” – maybe that explains why they did the risk. I just want the best for Suirei, so if it works, I’m down for that – girl has suffered for no reason! I think I talked about it in a previous discussion but I thought that plan was a scenario as well from Shenmei’s perspective and Loulan was like, “No, I don’t want to have kids. Ciao!” 😛 That is true that Loulan is just the persona – I get the “symbolism” around it but it just…ehhh…I have a lot of thoughts about it but it is what it is. Thanks for sharing your comment and kind words!
Romaniablack
2025-07-05 16:26:18 +0000 UTCYeah, I guess it’s like you said - the fact that they “fake out” the audience by making us think that Loulan is heartless when it was really her saving them - I agree with you on the symbolism, but yeah, it feels like it’s just “jerking the audience” around and that makes me frown at the author. And kind of see behind the curtain because it’s like, “Oh, you’re going to have MaoMao find out later and be like, ‘oh what a good person Loulan actually was’ and maybe I wanted to be more surprised by it…it’s hard for me to articulate why it makes me grumbly, haha!! I appreciate you offering this view, though! Ooohhhh, I can 100% see the connection to Madame Yu and FengMian – except that while Madame Yu was abusive, she DID care about her kids and protected them until the end and didn’t treat them like dolls – Madame Yu is a much more redeemable character to me than Shenmei, but that’s just my opinion. Thank you for the comment and kind words! One more to goooo!
Romaniablack
2025-07-05 16:22:27 +0000 UTCI'm anime only so these crazy mutterings are my thoughts only. My interpretation of Shishou is that he wasn't trying to gather the rot. He just stood idle while Shenmei did whatever she wanted. But he played the part like Loulan asked him to in order to maybe save Suirei. I think Shenmei's plan was to have Loulan birth a son from the Emperor, kill all other potential babies, kill Jinshi to remove one more obstacle to the throne and then kill the Emperor once Loulan's son was able to take over. I'm not even sure that Shishou was aware of her plan, other than Loulan becoming a high ranking concubine. As for Loulan saving the kids and possibly surviving, I think it fits her character as a tanuki. Everything she does is fake. Loulan isn't even a real persona. But Loulan did try to die and I think she succeeded. But I think Maomao also succeeded in saving Shisui. Loulan is dead, Shisui survives (maybe?)
William Pina
2025-07-03 17:46:38 +0000 UTCI can see where you’re coming from about the kids possibly surviving, but I am hoping that Loulan did use the resurrection drug to try and save them. I feel like that would fit with her character and what she’s said about insects leaving their children behind, and how she wants everyone to take responsibility for what they have done. And I think all her actions concerning her parents keeps her plenty dark even if the kids do survive. That’s just my opinion, of course. But I do wonder why Loulan wouldn’t just tell MaoMao that’s what she did, considering it was just the two of them there. 🤔 As for Shishou and Shenmei, this episode had me comparing them to Jiang Fengmian and Madame Yu in some ways. Madame Yu and Shenmei both had to much pride and bitterness in them, and Fengmian and Shishou were both too passive, and that combo had very bad results for their respective children and later the world as a whole. Thanks for the video! Truly a wild episode, and your analysis added to my enjoyment of it.
Rose Jennison
2025-07-03 07:33:27 +0000 UTC
