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While Maomao doesn't lean into or reject her gender, gender plays a huge role in her character. Gender defines a lot of Maomao's lived experiences. Her freckles, her knowledgebase, her relationships to other characters are all colored by her gender. Heck, the plot only kicks off because Maomao is a girl, and thus worth kidnapping to be sold into the inner palace. And Maomao isn't the only character like this. The courtesans, the consorts, the serving girls, the ladies-in-waiting, nearly every single female character in the show are living lives defined by their gender. But Apothecary Diaries shows that even within this patriarchal, misogynist system, women still find avenues to assert their agency in the world

The fact that Maomao is ultimately a pretty normal teenage girl (albeit with a narratively justified set of unusual skills/interests) is my favorite thing about the story. Mystery stories are way more engaging when the main character is an observant everyman.

I learned that the people who made the anime were fans themselves so it makes sense the level of detail. Also I love how they did the lakan arc. It was my favorite arc from the manga

Having the second season announced the same day as the first season's finale was such good news. Maomao is not just one of the best female protagonists, but they got Aoi Yuki to voice her. Now I have to wait until next year to get more of this gremlin.

I absolutely love what weird little gremlin Maomao is about her favorite subject.

I felt the same about the surrounding world, the Palace truly felt huge and sprawling which I accurate to real life as they contained multiple mini palaces, gardens, departments, housing for staff etc. The city felt like a living place a bustling, bright city full of people living and loving there and poorer parts are realistically rundown but still full of people getting on with life. Crowds have children and animals, people are carrying things and moving around doing their errands rather than hovering just in earshot of the central character ready to react to what she is doing. Often in palace-style anime, they cut down on animation time by drawing zoomed-in corners of buildings or conversations in endless identical corridors, poor areas are a single deserted street view except for one pitiful old beggar. You are often told how big the palace or city is but it never really feels like it's that big. Another thing that's a nice detail is travelling times. Characters don't seem to have magical teleportation powers and can quickly go between palaces, servants' quarters and temples in the blink of an eye, or suddenly escape an inner palace building, get to the outer palace gate and out of the city in only a short time. One common trope is a servant sees someone being berated by the Emporer, runs all the way to the relevant Concubines palace, instantly gets an audience with her to explain what's happening, the Concubine instantly gets presentable and manages to dash over to the main Palace, talk her way past the guards into a private ‘no one may enter’ style meeting all in the space of half a conversation/berating to beg for the subjects mercy or incriminate further. The TAD shows (not tells) that Maomao has to take a whole day off to travel into the city just to visit home or investigate a case, she has to leave early and it's not until the sky is dark that she gets back to the Palace. They show that her getting sidetracked by harvesting herbs she finds makes her late for things. That chopping wood, cooking, cleaning and making medications are shown to take time and the day visually progresses, someone gets angry she's late or it's a certain mealtime now.

apothecary diaries was fire 🔥

The Apothecary diaries is my favorite anime of this year the concept is original and the story is really refreshing and Maomao I love her her personnality is like mine especially her obssession for her passion her IDGF attitude towards Jinshi and her down to earth aspect

I just feel sorry for anyone who dropped the series after a few episodes due to misjudging characters because they missed out on some epic scenes and an amazing series

She’s got severe PTSD, is hyper aware of the everyday danger, and finds comfort in facts

I don't think it's big brained, it's just well thought out. It's what shows should be honestly. I don't think enough anime they think far enough ahead when writing the story, but in this anime they did. With whole series of episodes leading to conclusive episodes and such, and something from 5 episodes ago being relevant later in the story, meaning they just don't do a "it's Done" and forget type deal with plot points.

I have watched your videos of Frieren Beyond Journyes End and The Apothecary Diaries. I must say your analyses are on point to me. This two anime series are on my top 10 anime all time. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽💯

The beginning of this makes me laugh every time 😂

What an awesome character, I love her so much I think she isn’t ordinary in any way tho, her admirable skills AND her itching sense of justice make her stand out

the story is so sideway that the whole 12 episodes are about the introduction of Jinshi and his circumstance without Jinshi as the main character. I only realize this after watching it the second run while the other 12 chapter is about Maomao and her circumstance with her father's bloodline (both actual and adopted). A head flipping way of introduction of the two main character using story plots and the viewer had to piece the puzzle together bit by bit throughout the series. The anime is so full of hint in every scenario and frame, not to mention all the metaphoric signals and scene that will live you more puzzle pieces then answer. Not for the lazy minded for sure😆

I just finished watching this. Really good anime. I feel like it got somewhat put under the radar because of other popular anime like Frieren, which is a shame because I feel like it’s just as good. Maomao is one of my favorite anime MCs in a while.

Mind you i love that there's no ficticious illnesses or conditions, and everything shown is based on reality. I livevthe sciencebhehind all of this.

so about the gun part....(spoilers ahead) if u read the manga and and least know abt the infamous frog scene, the chaps afterwards kinda confirm its existence

I have been on the fence about watching this and since Frieren is over and left a large hole and you gushing I might just give it a try. Thanks.

I seriously thought it was Ming dynasty. I've been calling it CSI: Ming Dynasty.

CSI: Imperial China, except it's House, MD, only it's Japan, so of course House is a cute teenaged girl. This show has so much going for it. The production value is off the charts, and it's clear the staff loves the source material, and that's always a good thing no matter the budget. The source material itself is thoughtful, intricate, and well-written. The MC is complex and likable, and her interactions with the rest of the cast are consistent, natural, and fun. And her voice actress, the always exceptional Aoi Yūki, is in rare form even for her. It's a complex role, often deadpan, but nuanced at times and over the top at others, and Yūki never misses a beat. As much of a Frieren stan as I am, Maomao is the performance of the year, and it's not even close.

Maomao is a peasant and, for the most part of the show, a (kidnapped) indentured servant in a strictly hierarchical society. She's not "free" in any way we would recognize.

This and Frieren- two pleasant surprises!

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this anime, it is so good! ❤❤❤

this one, frieren and dungeon meshi are currently my favorite animes!

I like that an MC is just a passing by bystander but she knows when to speak up what she knows and while staying off the lane unless desperately needed. I love the seiyuu Aoi Yuki as she brought life to her MC.

Yeah,finally good written female character and not some stupid fanservice.

I loved this video and I'm loving this manga!!! I think I'll start the anime, too, when I can.

Lol the intro somehow fit maomao

Maomao is a great character who happened to be female. The same for Fieren. This should be a template for every modern Western author who seemed to forget that they also got it from Katara, Toph Beifong, Star Fire and Raven (Original Teen Titan Cartoon not TTGo.) Maomao, just like Cartoon Mulan, is a problem solver and had to use every tools available to the best of their ability in order to overcome the challenges. Maomao passion about poison always tickled my fancy as well since I'm a very passionate coder and Fighting Gamer in general. Her "evil" moment was the best. Something they left from the show (correct me if I'm wrong) was that her surrogate father forbade her from doing autopsy because it would not be long for her to steal part of the corpse for researches. LOL

I hate so much that this anime is not receiving the attention it deserver. The anime, the manga is based, the music....look everything is great. I explained it to my son like this: this is like releasing a great movie the same year Titatic or Lord of the Rings is released... no matter how good Apothecary Diaries is .... everyone will still be talking about Frieren.

I usually have a low attention span but it only took me two days to complete the anime and read the manga lol it so fucking good

Someone in the production watches Chinese dramas and movies. Not only on how it looks but the soundtrack as well. I almost wish it has Chinese dub.

Very touching ending about the extraordinary within the ordinary.

I snorted my drink when you brought out Batman. Good job 👍

Thank you,.

You've talked about the top 2, now talk about the 3rd, -gushing over magical girls-- I mean, dungeon meshi, yeah,.

She is a beautiful polished Rock amongst the gold and silver Jade emerald and sapphire 😎👍

love this anime

For anyone who enjoyed the anime I'd highly reccomend reading the light novels. Even the manga only goes up to I think book 4 and book 11 is about to be translated, so if you're hooked on the story threads being teased you'll likely be waiting for YEARS until it ends 😅 And yes, totally worth it. The story keeps all of it's beats of mystery, romance, and political thriller all the way up to current while still staying grounded and realistic.

The story gets better. If you read the web novels, it gets juicier. This is the best Anime period.

Best anime of the year. I read the light novel. Season 2 must have the frog

haahaha "She's Batman!"

BATMAN!!!🤣 Omg that’s perfect!😂

Anime and SpongeBob jellyfish jam. Hmmmmm Time to subscribe

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

I know its unrelated but, Isekai weapons dealer just sounds fun!

猫猫の声優さんが好き❤️

how do u not have more subs

One thing I love is that MaoMao is obviously beautiful and smart enough to become an imperial concubine or powerful courtesan, but she knows that both of them are just gilded cages. So, MaoMao just. "mutilates" her face with freckles so she can actually mutilate herself with poison experiments lol.

🐸🐸🐸

🐸🐸

Guns actually exist in ss2

:3

I disagree with the setting being the equivalent of the Tang dynasty. it's more-or-less the Ming dynasty equivalent because of chocolate being present there.

personaly overhyped but it is a good anime... recomaded

This is not a big brained anime, its pretty good still, but a lot of its mysteries and trivia are wrong or outlandish.

pronouncing maomao as mawmaw is a crime