Ever since The Apothecary Diaries anime started, I’ve been going through both the manga and light novel in an attempt to remind myself what’s coming and that got me thinking about which scenes I’m most excited to see animated. We’ve already seen a couple of my favorites – the infamous slap and the hairpin scene – and there are so many more great scenes to come.
Knowing that there will be 24 episodes this season and thinking back to the all the scenes in the initial series trailer, I believe this season will encompass manga volumes 1 – 6 (chapters 1 – 32). So within those volumes, let’s take a look at my top five most anticipated scenes. Oh, this goes without saying, but I’ll give a warning anyway:
MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE APOTHECARY DIARIES AHEAD. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
You’ve officially been warned! There are so many scenes that I love, so it was hard to choose just five. In fact, I kept switching number five with several different scenes, but I finally settled on the ones in the list below. Let’s take a look!
Number 5: Chapter 31 – Just a Coincidence
Maomao tells Jinshi about her suspicion that a series of recent events are linked somehow. She, however, doesn’t really have a reason to follow through in her investigation since she’s just a maid. In an attempt to entice Maomao to get to the bottom of whatever might be occurring, he makes her an offer: if she figures out what’s going on, he’ll give her a very rare medicine that a simple apothecary like herself could only ever dream of obtaining. In response, Maomao practically jumps the head eunuch, but Gaoshun manages to stop her.
The normally reserved and disinterested Maomao becomes anything but once Jinshi wagers the ox bezoar, and I can’t wait to see how the animators tackle this scene. Just looking at the facial expressions of Maomao, Jinshi, and Gaoshun practically guarantees it’s going to be quite hilarious.
Number 4: Chapter 13 – The Misunderstanding
Maomao returns from her visit back home to the pleasure district to find an upset Jinshi waiting for her at the Jade Pavilion. He doesn’t understand why Maomao didn’t ask for his help when he gave her a hairpin and instead she chose Lihaku. Maomao tells Jinshi that she couldn’t think of anything to give him that would satisfactorily return the favor. Curious, Jinshi asks what favor Maomao did for Lihaku and she responds, “I gave him a night to remember, the stuff of which dreams are made.”
Jinshi let’s his thoughts run wild and ends up dropping his tea cup and making a mess. Maomao runs to get something to help clean up the frozen-in-place Jinshi, and she’s met outside the door by a laughing Gyokuyou, a tired Gaoshun, and a fuming Hongniang.
Number 3: Chapter 18 – Consort Aduo
While on top of the outer wall, Maomao coincidentally runs into Consort Aduo the night before she’s scheduled to leave the palace. The two enjoy a drink together before the consort goes back to her quarters. Deciding to leave as well, Maomao climbs down the wall but is surprised by someone calling out to her and falls off the wall.
She ends up landing on none other than Jinshi. The eunuch, however, isn’t himself. Seems he’s had a bit to drink. He tells Maomao that he was having drinks with someone but then they rushed him out of their place all of a sudden. Maomao tries to wiggle away from Jinshi’s grasp but realizes that the eunuch has tears in his eyes. He asks her to help keep him warm for a little longer and she obliges.
Number 2: Chapter 32 – The Ritual
Maomao has figured it out. All the minor events that have happened recently aren’t just a coincidence, and something tragic is about to take place if she doesn’t stop it. She runs full speed to the ritual site and after a tiff with one of the guards at the entrance, she manages to get into the ceremony. She runs to the alter and body-rushes the individual underneath the large metal beam right before it crashes down, its suspension cords failing. The person Maomao saves turns out to be Jinshi, and after she asks for her reward, she passes out.
Interestingly, this scene isn’t in the original web novel. (For those of you who don’t know, the series actually started as a web novel, which was then adapted to a light novel and manga and now anime.) I remember having to re-read this chapter multiple times because you really get a sense of the urgency in Maomao’s actions, so I was rushing through it to see the events unfold. I had a hunch that it was Jinshi at the ritual (there’s a bit of foreshadowing in an earlier chapter), but it’s still a shock once you see him in the manga. Also, the look on his face when he sees Maomao’s injury… ugh, so precious.
Number 1: Chapter 20 – The Eunuch and the Courtesan
After Maomao was released from the rear palace, she went back to the pleasure district and back to the Verdigris House. The old woman has her follow her sisters to an off-site job where her main purpose is basically to smile and keep the drinks flowing. When attempting to serve one particular downtrodden gentleman a drink, she recognizes his voice and soon realizes it’s Jinshi.
Jinshi, shocked to see Maomao there and dressed as a courtesan, offers to buy out Maomao’s contract, to which she says isn’t a bad idea. Jinshi, probably either actually drunk on alcohol or drunk on the excitement of seeing Maomao again, reaches out to touch her. Maomao initially evades all of Jinshi’s moves, but finally caves and they share an indirect kiss.
You’ll notice that some all of my scenes are Jinshi x Maomao moments, which is funny in and of itself because the last thing The Apothecary Diaries is, is a romance. However, it’s the little bits of romance within the series that make it one of my favorites of all time.
From what we’ve seen so far in the anime, the animators have added content as well as moved some story points around, so who knows when or if theses scenes will end up in the anime. I personally will be disappointed if they leave or change any of theses scenes, but the animators so far haven’t let me down, so even if any of these are left out, I’m sure the series will still be one of the best this season.
What scenes are you most looking forward to seeing in the anime?
