Kusuriya no Hitorigoto / The Apothecary Diaries / Maomao's Murmurs

[Death BOO Z]

new season.

It's weird that the kitten was able to jump at the beginning, but then was super weak and docile. but it's nice how they sneaked in a small recap with Jinshi. I also think the time between the scene where MaoMao get's the books and when everybody else gets other books is too short, it doesn't feel like cause and effect.

[Buffalobiian]

new season.

It's weird that the kitten was able to jump at the beginning, but then was super weak and docile. but it's nice how they sneaked in a small recap with Jinshi. I also think the time between the scene where MaoMao get's the books and when everybody else gets other books is too short, it doesn't feel like cause and effect.

Yeah, it went from being able to dodge Maomao to not surviving a bath.

I'd be entertained if the princess fails to distinguish Maomao (human) and Maomao (cat) as she learns to speak.

[DarthEnderX]

25

Glad this is back!

[neflight86]

Like it never stopped airing. Breath of relief the same staff seems to be at the helm this season.

Maomao is sorta like a stereotypical cat, now that they point it out...

[Buffalobiian]

E26

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More setting up.

The feeling of the festival being mostly benign before turning into possible ploy was well conveyed.

I'm a little annoyed that Lihua's underlings complained about Maomao. I would have thought they'd know her a little better now.

[DarthEnderX]

I'm a little annoyed that Lihua's underlings complained about Maomao. I would have thought they'd know her a little better now.

The lady that complained seems involved in the plot. So she probably doesn't want her around.

[Ryllharu]

I'm a little annoyed that Lihua's underlings complained about Maomao. I would have thought they'd know her a little better now.

Gyokuyou has so few because they're all fiercely loyal to her and all exceptionally trustworthy and capable. Contrast to Lishu where they're all just using her and only her poison taster has any loyalty to her. Loulan has an absolute ton, and no doubt several of them are just direct spies for her father to gain intel through.

As for Lihua, she has a good amount, so they're all varying degrees between the others. She has a "standard" set of them any varying personalities within, as we've seen before when Maomao has gone on a rampage over there.

[Buffalobiian]

E28

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Damn, granny was stacked back in the day.

So the whole moon fairy thing would require Maomao to lure in the specific species of insect that seem to glow while Jinshi dances. It's hilarious how Maomao calls him "technically" male.

[Buffalobiian]

E28

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Damn, granny was stacked back in the day.

So the whole moon fairy thing would require Maomao to lure in the specific species of insect that seem to glow while Jinshi dances. It's hilarious how Maomao calls him "technically" male.

[DarthEnderX]

Those mirrors seem sus.

[Buffalobiian]

Those mirrors seem sus.

I wondered about that, but hidden cameras can't think of anything obvious.

The whole "we want to trade so here's some goodwill" can work, assuming the concubine hold influence over that.

Mirrors that slowly release abortion substances may work, but that seems beyond the tech of the times.

[DarthEnderX]

I wondered about that, but hidden cameras can't think of anything obvious.

They could just be poisoned.

[Ryllharu]

Love that the old hag was always as mean and bitchy as she is today, but perfect at putting on an act.

They could just be poisoned.

The caravan was poisoned, but not really. I'd lean more towards this just being everyday shady statecraft of the era.

• Carvan is loaded with "new" fashion designs where the waist is tighter than previous years, Maomao caught this one for Gyokuyou
• A wide variety of the items available are in combination, more likely to result in miscarriages
• Full-sized mirrors are extremely valuable and the empire would be stupid to turn them down. They're largely using polished copper for mirrors. The empire is currently not capable of replicating them like the Southern European countries
• Gaoshun's mystery to Maomao was clearly a faked story to get her deduction on current matters (much like Rakan would have been used). They toyed with the idea that it was Gaoshun asking about himself or a relative, but he's not that type of person from what we've seen. Two "daughters" close in age and look alike and enjoy Western countries' hobbies like embroidery. He easily accepted Maomao's absurd explanation that a full-sized mirror was likely used while she demonstrated with a round copper one
• The two envoys are cousins that look alike (and we've seen them in the opening, they're more like twins). They were shown many beautiful women the empire had to offer, but quickly scoffed and wanted to see the Moon Fairy, who is likely the very top of what the empire has to offer as beauties.
• Maomao pointed out the painting is likely considered to be embellished it came from, though the old hag knows it is relatively accurate.
• It is common knowledge that the Emperor likes well-endowed women.
• The envoys have big boobs.

Put all this stuff together:
Gaoshun was probing Maomao to see if there was a means for the envoys to separate and do spycraft/assassination, or perhaps more significantly, sneaking off to seduce the Emperor.
The country they're from is trying to figure out how many of the Emperor's consorts are pregnant, because they probably have poorly placed spies getting info from outside the Inner palace. The caravan was used to first verify if this was true, and potentially secondly softball in some miscarriages.
The envoys, either directed to or as a matter of their own pride, are trying to figure out if they actually have competition within the country, since their high-trade country results in high-ranked people becoming very beautiful over generations.

The shady statecraft they're after is very likely the same shit that Lishu and Loulan's families are after, installing them as consorts by political force to have a chance at becoming the Empress, or at the very least have tremendous influence within the palace.

It's also important to remember why Maomao's surrogate and biological father both warn her to not jump to conclusions that the things she sees are connected. They might all be one conspiracy like before, they might all be totally unrelated, or they might be two parallel and completely independent schemes going on that know nothing of the other. Maomao is more cautious now to avoid making those leaps when the evidence doesn't support a link yet.

Given the murder plot with the super-toxic fungus and the speculated motivation behind it, there's also a possibility the miscarriage compounds were an unrelated plot all internal to the palace. This is why Maomao is remembering her father's advice and keeping that hypothesis close.

[DarthEnderX]

Put all this stuff together:
Gaoshun was probing Maomao to see if there was a means for the envoys to separate and do spycraft/assassination, or perhaps more significantly, sneaking off to seduce the Emperor.

Ohhh.

It's also important to remember why Maomao's surrogate and biological father both warn her to not jump to conclusions that the things she sees are connected. They might all be one conspiracy like before, they might all be totally unrelated, or they might be two parallel and completely independent schemes going on that know nothing of the other. Maomao is more cautious now to avoid making those leaps when the evidence doesn't support a link yet.

Even though she's usually right. And half the time, if she'd actually voiced her thoughts instead of keeping them to herself, these issues would get resolved much quicker, because she wouldn't be the only person thinking along those lines, and other people have information she doesn't that they'd actually add to the conversation.

[shinta|hikari]

Gyokuyou and Jinshi don't really have that much influence tbh. The story is unlike other shoujo/seijou types where the male lead and female support are usually OP in hard and soft power.

[neflight86]

Thanks for breaking down the twin sister's case as it relates to the envoys. I didn't make the connection.

How did the styles of dresses play into the intrigue? I didn't quite get that either?

[DarthEnderX]

29

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Lol, there's been a competent clinic there the whole time.

[Buffalobiian]

Yeah. Like, even Jinshi knew about her. Where was she when people were being poisoned and babies kept dying?

It was funny how straight forward the blonde was. "Thought we'd show our faces in case you want to bang us. btw where's your brother?"

[neflight86]

Granny got some nice sakuga during her dance.

The only thing that stretches disbelief is that they objectively quantify Jinshi as apparently the most attractive being on earth. There's a limit to how detailed and refined a character design can be in an anime, not accounting for taste, so what we get is a... pretty dude that has slightly more feminine facial features than the other men in the show? Its easy enough to hand wave as it is a minor plot point and the story isn't reliant on that being true to life for the viewers, but it is a little jarring when Maomao says things like 'nation toppling' about a simple dance in the moonlight.

The recovery clinic and its surrounding explanations were an interesting bit. Perhaps the presiding non-doctor there might have some use for under the counter meds and Maomao may be getting blackmailed?

[Buffalobiian]

Its easy enough to hand wave as it is a minor plot point and the story isn't reliant on that being true to life for the viewers, but it is a little jarring when Maomao says things like 'nation toppling' about a simple dance in the moonlight.

It's not the dance per se as it is about a crossdressed Jinshi. He's so beautiful that kings will go to war just to have him, is what we're told.

I can believe it, and it's in line with what we've been told to date thus far.