Just like last week, I almost cried watching this week’s episode, but it was for completely different reasons. I’m so, so happy with how they adapted my all-time favorite scene in the series. Was it perfect? No. But did it do the source material justice? Absolutely.
Fair warning: this post is image-heavy. I couldn’t help myself.
This episode, which covers chapters 19 and 20 from the manga, picked up right where it left off. We finally get an explanation of what Gaoshun and Jinshi were discussing at the end of last episode. Since Maomao is considered to be part of Fengming’s associates because of the men who kidnapped and sold her to the palace, she’s listed as one of the 80 court ladies scheduled to be dismissed.
Jinshi knows that if he gives the command, he could make it so Maomao stays in the palace, but he’s concerned that could lead to keeping her in a place against her will, furthering the gap between the two of them. One thing that I missed seeing in the anime was the darkened panel above of Jinshi’s anguished look. I think the episode still did a good job of portraying his dilemma, but I personally wanted to see that shot animated.
In the manga, we don’t see much of Maomao running around to find Jinshi after realizing her future in the rear palace was in jeopardy, so I really enjoyed the inclusion in this episode. To me, it emphasized her desperation in finding the eunuch quickly. I’m surprised that she even went to Lihua’s pavilion, especially after how the ladies-in-waiting treated her, but that only served to further emphasize her desperation.
Maomao finally catches up with Jinshi and the two head back to his office to discuss the dismissal order. Jinshi thinks keeping Maomao at the palace is against her wishes, yet Maomao wants to stay but doesn’t want to sound desperate in her plea.
Folks, there’s a reason why this chapter is called “Miscommunication” in the manga.
After Maomao is dismissed from the palace, Jinshi is depressed. Gaoshun, frustrated with his master, decides that he must do something to get Jinshi out of his funk. I must say that seeing fungi growing all over Jinshi is as amusing as it is in the manga.
I like the slight change that they made with Gaoshun’s reasoning. Gaohun, in the manga, after reminding himself that Maomao isn’t a toy, otherwise Jinshi would have kept her in the palace, decides to “go get the real one” instead of finding a replacement. In the episode, however, the eunuch’s minder says that he must go speak to “that” military official (clearly referring to Lihaku) without explicitly mentioning getting Maomao back.
The slight switch in reasoning makes the transition to the next scene smoother, since it’s with Lihaku’s recommendation that the courtesans of the Verdigris House are invited to a banquet outside of their quarters. Paying for one of the Three Princesses is expensive enough, but the patron hosting the banquet paid for all three and more. Meimei helps Maomao prepare as Pairin and Joka look on. This is another welcomed addition as the manga doesn’t give us many (if any) scenes with all three of the top courtesans from the Verdigris House.
At the banquet, while her older sisters entertain the crowd, Maomao is tasked to ensure that the officers’ cups are never empty. She notices a hunched over figure sitting by himself, and when she goes to approach him, he tells her to leave him alone.
Recognizing the voice, Maomao brushes aside the man’s bangs to reveal that it’s Jinshi (although, come on Maomao, you couldn’t tell by just LOOKING at him at a distance???). Jinshi’s shocked not only to see Maomao but to see her dolled up and working as a courtesan. After Jinshi lightly questions her chastity, Maomao comments that she hasn’t had any customers yet. Hearing that, Jinshi offers to buy her contract, and Maomao likes the sound of that proposal.
Incredulous, Jinshi tells Maomao he thought she hated working in the rear palace, but Maomao reminds him that she asked him to let her stay, yet he’s the one who kicked her out regardless.
See, folks, communication is key.
Anyway, Jinshi reaches out to touch Maomao, which Maomao expertly dodges. She eventually gives in, allowing him to touch her with just his fingertips. He presses his fingers against her lips, and then touches those same fingers to his own lips, causing Maomao to blush in embarrassment. (Hellooooooo indirect kiss!)
Maomao quickly realizes they’re being watched by her older sisters from the stage, as well as the rest of the room. After Gaoshun appears behind the pair, the rest of the night passes in a blur. Later, the Three Princesses hound Maomao for more details about the guy they saw her with.
After the banquet, the following scenes with Maomao and the Old Madam in the bath and Maomao back at home are not in the source material. However, I really liked the additions. Seeing Maomao with the Grams, for me, served to cement the fact that despite Maomao being concerned about being sold off by the Old Madam, I highly doubt that she would ever do so without Maomao’s consent of approval. She clearly cares for the apothecary girl, and I don’t think she would let Maomao go to just any man.
You should know by now how much I loath the montages in this show so far, but for once, I wasn’t mad at the one shown while Maomao is out in the herb field by herself. Why the difference? This being the twelfth episode means it’s the mid-point of the season, so a flashback montage of the previous episodes fit with the scene. Along with Maomao, we realize that it’s been a year since she first entered the rear palace, and seeing all the things she experienced during that time was fitting.
The episode ends with Jinshi and Gaohun coming back to the Verdigris House, and Jinshi makes good on his word to buy out Maomao’s contract. He brings enough gold to “blind” the Old Madam, but also brings an additional gift for the apothecary herself, causing her to dance in elation. Seeing both Maomao and the Old Madam dance around was quite hilarious.
Ugh, I don’t even know where to start with how much I loved the adaptation this episode. Like I mentioned earlier, it wasn’t perfect, but I don’t think the anime could have topped the manga anyway. The manga had more exaggerated expressions, especially during Jinshi and Maomao’s conversation at the banquet, and instead, I felt like the episode was more muted. But I’m not mad about it. It still fit the scene, and they made up for the missing humor in other scenes. The many additions they made to flesh out the episode quickly canceled out any nitpicky issue I had. In fact, I liked the episode so much, I’m trying to avoid every temptation to fill this post with even more screenshots. It’s hard. Very hard.
Oh man, the next half of the season is going to be INSANE. There are so many storylines coming that I’m excited to see unfold, especially the one that deals with this gentleman. I don’t think anime-only fans are ready, and I’m just so, so, so excited for all that’s to come.
