Why Jinshi Choked Maomao and What She Did After That | Jinshi and Maomao Moments |Apothecary Diaries

[@1Superclaw]

It may be a fictional story, but in real life, if your partner strangles you, the odds of being murdered by them go way up.

[@lunix3259]

I read a research about this. I think it was 10-20% your partner will most likely finish you.

[@Ana-h3w]

Fr just run away

[@nadiarey4196]

​@@lunix325910/20 % is a lot higher than zero, which is what it should be, so...

[@SilverWings733]

This act reveals Jinshi's core problem. He's entitled and only thinks of what he wants (the novel states this in this scene) and doesn't communicate to MaoMao or ask her how she feels. He is a product of the culture and upbringing where men command, and women submit. Cages are a motif in this story, MaoMao states that both the brothel and the palace are a cage, and Jinshi too is trapped into ceremonial expectations. And we see him do a horrible thing to show consequences of those core beliefs of Li. So, It is wrong that Jinshi choked her, and I will not excuse him because there's no excuse for this type of behavior. But people expect that only perfect people can have relationships in stories nowadays. The author shows us those demons, so that we may see characters conquer them. What is more inspiring than a love story of transformation, how selfless love can convict a man to change himself and his country. And sometimes change involves recognizing your own demons. Jinshi is going to transform into a man who doesn't wish to possess her, but gives her the freedom to do as her heart desires (as she would him.) He is going to ask her what she wants instead of commanding her to be his wife. I truly feel that MaoMao and Jinshi are going to set Li and the people in those cages free, and a revolution of culture begins with the transformation of self.

[@SilverWings733]

Again, sorry for the novel. I edited it to make it shorter, but well, it's a challenging discussion.

[@BishneenAbdulkabeer]

This is actually really good ... What u said is soo true and I completely agree with u

[@EmphaticNod]

I enjoy this take a lot. I feel like its very insightful, though it depends on how the rest of Apothecary Diaries plays out and whether the author follows through... And I think you are absolutely right that people hold fiction to a bizarrely high standard nowadays in its depiction of relationships. Could it be considered an aspect of current purity culture? Maybe. As if flawed characters don't fall in love, and their journeys don't make for excellent, engaging love stories BECAUSE of those flaws. I get the folks who are triggered by depictions of domestic violence because of legitimate trauma (it does happen very suddenly), but the ones who decry it because "it sends a bad message!" or "it normalizes abusive relationships!" need to calm down and learn to separate themselves from fiction. They're ignoring any nuance the scene might have in order to be outraged.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

You explained beautifully again! And I would LOVE IT if the author would write the ending like that, and it would make so much sense! (Considering how things have changed from ln 1 to ln 11 I am hoping it ends like that) Also, the part about not being perfect on both Jinshi and Maomao’s side is the most unique and captivating part of the story, but ppl rarely like the different things

[@SilverWings733]

@@EmphaticNod I absolutely agree with you. My confidence in this “will happen” was building upon my theory. Sorry, I am so used to writing essays that I forget to write like a normal person when I give my opinion. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

[@DanA-zf8bt]

She actually won in this scene, and both she and Jinshi knew that. She was even smiling at the end of it. Reposting my reply to someone else since I don’t feel like typing it all again: More than anything, he was really just trying to scare her. He initially was having a serious talk with her about marrying her, but she applied her usual tactic of playing ignorant since that is the way Luomen trained her (knowing less is safer) and then mocked him by telling him to marry his father’s consort. So he choked her as a way of saying “stop messing around and actually listen to me please”. That’s why later when she says “it hurts”, he says “oh does it?”, as in to say “oh does it? Maybe now you can finally understand the emotional pain you’ve been putting me through”. But she then puts him in his place by making his body spasm with brothel techniques. This was just another childish battle between them which she won. It’s similar to the frog scene, a scene where he was again trying to talk about something serious with her but she avoided the topic by mocking his frog. Edit: Also please read the reply by BlackHayate as they add some important context to this scene that the video left out

[@az_moondance]

Och, finally I understand that scene 🤣. Thank you for explanation ❤

[@yesthatmousyiris4887]

I remember someone explain they had weird game going on as Maomao stated something like "when a man and a woman play the game" still kind of messed up tho. I understand Jinshi being frustrated and needed to tell Maomao to stop being a pain and listen but the choking part was a yikes 😬

[@az_moondance]

@@lilacangelblue2404 but no one wrote here it’s ok or not. And… that is just a book… not real… but I also feel strange while I was reading about Jinshi chocked Maomao 🤦🏼‍♀️.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Like you said, Her saying *it hurts* and him replying with *oh does it?* does give me the same feeling too, like him making her understand how she have caused HIM pain, but while editing I couldn’t help but wonder…. How hard was he choking her for her to say THAT, instead of saying, ‘I can’t breath’. (thinking this she said she have high pain tolerance) 😭

[@DanA-zf8bt]

@@AkiraAnimeExpress Exactly. She said “it hurts” and not “I can’t breathe” because at the time it really did only hurt her at the time. And she got immediate revenge after

[@AlloftheGoodNamesAreTaken]

I read an analysis on tumblr after few months ago and the author suggested that Jinshi might be trying to get Maomao to react or fight since she didn’t when Lishu was attacked by the tiger. He was already hyped up about nearly watching her die and the whole ensuing drama. Anyway, I think everyone is right. Mostly, I think detractors need to read the whole series to watch the characters evolve like humans do. I mean, it wouldn’t be much of a story if they were both perfect or even good from the beginning. They both have a lot of issues to work out. That’s what stories are for.

[@Sheeeshchill]

I read it so lightly but after hearing about it again, it makes me rethink the whole situation. It must’ve caused Maomao a great deal to do what she did and face him afterwards but I am proud that she played it cool (that might’ve been one of the reasons why I didn’t took it too seriously) 11:36 it’s deep how the author give her character development, she says she doesn’t feel anything to actually have feeling for him

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

My insides were having a disco while *I* read it for the first time and was surprised at how cool she played afterwords, ig half-credit goes to Jinshi too for not making it awkward for her

[@StrivetobeDust]

I'd say there is no love between them at this point. He's got a crush and they are both caught up in a power-play that she is easily winning in spite of the huge advantage in social power he has at his disposal. She doesn't want to admit it but not only is she enjoying these victories she is her father's daughter (and her mother's) winning both through calculated strategy and intuitive insight.

[@xx.abbiez2]

wonderfully put

[@gprovidakes]

There is no justification for hitting choking or any other abuse. I want to emphasize there is no acceptable excuse.

[@liz9284]

I’m pretty sure no one is making any excuses for anything. There’s a difference between providing context and making excuses. Here’s a good example: a drug addict steals from his family to fund his habit. Saying he’s a drug addict doesn’t excuse his behavior, but it does provide the context necessary to see the nuances of a complicated situation. This is not a “thief” in the way most ppl think of thieves, but one who only stole bc he was under the influence of psychological and chemical demons. He’s not a “bad person”. Saying there’s never excuse for abuse while ignoring the point the author, and the CC, are making is kinda insulting to ppls intelligence, especially when you say that as if “excuses” and “context” are the same things. The soap box is unnecessary.

[@n0tgunshy]

Yeah, this scene totally took me out of the fantasy.

[@francesharville7656]

Yeah, this was a difficult scene for me to fully understand... What you said makes sense, and I appreciate your take on it! Jinshi is a little bit of a masochist, but he is like Lakan in that respect, fascinated by the woman who spurned him or treated him like an ordinary person (Maomao's mother is this way, too). I read Volume 12 as soon as I got it--I'd read online that Jinshi and Maomao's relationship changes in this volume, so I was dying to read it! I'm very happy to see that change, and the maturity of their characters that accompanies it. Can't wait for the next translated volume!!

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Thank you for reminding me that I should speed up my reading!

[@_nanami_momozono]

Aww man.. Maomao is always a savage and tough feminine. No one can conquer her, I guess. And also, sister, keep making videos of apothecary diaries. I'll be grateful to you.❤❤

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

She is one of the greatest characters 💯 And thank you so much ✨🤎

[@_nanami_momozono]

@@AkiraAnimeExpress ... welcome....

[@chessahaagsma6159]

I heard this was the writers last dicth effort to make people hate Jinshi because she dislikes the character so much (or so I heard). The author even wanted to kill Jinshi off but didn’t because her Relatives feel in love with him but these are things I heard from other fans who read the LN. Honestly the scene is never brought up afterwards and the characters forget about it basically. So hopefully the anime and manga does something different because I depise this scene....😢💔

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

😮😮😮 I didn't know about that! And you are right they played this scene off in the later chapters, I am waiting for it to be drawn and animated just to see how they will pull it off

[@risingray37]

I haven't read the novel but from just this description you showed in this video i feel like one of the reason can also be that jinshi was warning maomao to watch her words, as she could endup dead in these power struggles....he was jealous for sure plus maomao suggested him other candidate which angered him more.......more like his angered piled up and burst out.........i am not defending what he did but as said it was his upbringing in that era where males are mostly in dominating position, he is not a modern person and neither maomao is......they both are ruthless person and won't mind using violence when necessary......but these type of complex emotions is what gives them a human touch........

[@Vixandra]

This whole scene gave me so much ick. She used some her sister's techniques... her sisters who are courtesans, they excel in erotic and cultural arts... to get out of the situation. It reads like assault on Jinshi's part. In later books, she seems to think nothing of this in the long run, like its to be expected but holy hand grenades, it left me so dang mad at him for a while.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

I had to argue with my own brain on his behalf 😤

[@cucumbrouschimera3123]

I actually stopped reading after this scene just couldn't

[@blackhayate4131]

@@cucumbrouschimera3123You should pick it up again. The epilogue of volume 5 and the prologue of volume 6 are meant to be read together. They go through so much character growth after this over the next several volumes although it takes time. It’s now gotten to the point where Jinshi avoids touching MaoMao altogether and feels very guilty for what he did while MaoMao keeps teasing him and provoking him to get him to touch her. In volume 12 MaoMao even asks Jinshi if he wants her to repeat that night. The volume 5 scene was a harsh scene but it’s not worth dropping the whole series over.

[@-Saiah]

​@@blackhayate4131is this from the Light Novel or Web Novel? Are there differences between the two novels with regards to this specific scenes and interactions between the two?

[@blackhayate4131]

@@-Saiah Light Novel. Yes there are a ton of differences: The web novel is the rough draft of the Light Novel, so there end up being many changes by the time it reaches the Light Novel version. The Light Novel is the final canon version of the story which is used for inspiration of the mangas and the anime. You should read the Light novels before the Web Novels. That way you won’t be disappointed by any scenes left out of or added into the Web Novel. People usually follow this order: Anime, Manga, Light Novel, and then Web Novel since the wait time between Light Novel releases is endlessly long. Fair warning that the web novel is much more darker (MaoMao’s mom passes without reuniting with Lakan, Jinshi’s 2 fingers are cut off, etc.). But as long as you remember that the web novel is basically fanfiction by the author, you should be fine. Two scenes I really loved in the Web Novel that the LN sadly seemed to have left out was Jinshi pulling MaoMao into a hug while he was sleeping and Jinshi offering an official arranged marriage proposal to MaoMao, but I’m also glad that the LNs decided to leave out Jinshi losing his fingers

[@zerotodona1495]

Honestly they both physically attacked each other in this scene. It’s hard to explain but being physical is a basic form of human biology. Especially between men and women. Sexual touch is how women comply to men for love or their own safety. He was upset and she distracted him. Like I said, it’s hard to explain. To me, this is two young adults trying to have a serious adult conversation and failing. Failing hard.

[@Playdeadweeb]

I could never HATE him😩

[@LongLife-g1u]

I think he was trying to make her feel the way he did seeing when she danced with another guy and brought up another woman's name.

[@albadorado6280]

He did that so she would be in perfect position for him to kiss her , to prove the point 5hat she is a candidate and cants escape that and that the choice is his but then stoped to show that he understands her and excepts her denial although he isn’t giving up. It was never meant to actually hurt her it was simply to show her the current position they are in and how things are different in comparison to his eunuch days

[@ashez2ashes]

I appreciate you elaborating on the context of the scene. I still really hope the anime changes the scene so I can recommend a version of the story without caveats.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Thank you so much 🤎✨

[@shiraa7427]

Some of my friends thought the english translation of this epilogue was off. And I haven't seen a lot of japanese fans who are actually MAD at this scene rather they see it as an obstacle of their relationship to actually move forward. So now I'm just waiting for the manga version just to know what actually happened in that scene cuz istg the LN ver is so confusing ;; I think I just need visuals to fully understand this whole thing Personally, I think what he did was wrong but the important thing to me is that maomao really doesn't give af that much and even "won" lol he deserved it. And the fact that he learned his lesson. Its a very slow progress but yea Also // LN 12 spoilers He doesn't wanna be touchy with her anymore cuz he thinks she doesn't like it and now she teases him about it 😂

[@shiraa7427]

Btw! Thank you so much for this amazing video 💗

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Hhguchygfg I keep seeing spoilers about 12th volume and I might just skip the middle ones just to read that!!!

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Aham... Yeah I agree, there were times when I couldn't get what was going on while reading so I guess it’d be all resolved after they draw it in the manga. He did wrong and he came to know about it AND he learns his lesson as you said in vol 12 😍

[@erod97]

Haven’t seen this show but from shorts, he seems like he’s harassing her, stalking and just overall obsessed with the girl.

[@truthseeker7815]

Don’t worry, you are not alone 😅

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

I am afraid to tell you that it’s all true BUT the story has so much more than just him ALSO they both get so much better 🤓 ✌️🏼

[@truthseeker7815]

@@AkiraAnimeExpress, how cute... right 😅?

[@ShinThu-fk2ed]

He's not stalking actually but well his actions might look like creepy Keep reading the story further And don't worry, he's not a toxic red flag male lead who whould trap fml and lock her in the room. So to say, he gave her space as much as he could. In the later volumes, he doesn't even touch her anymore even she's been teasing to make him touch her. Well, it's understandable that people would think him as an obsessive, stalker creepy guy by only watching a few clips of the anime.

[@ginkage5863]

Girl's too aloof that his dominant side got out to remind her but ... 🤣

[@gagandeepkaur3730]

Thankyou for making video on this scene 🥰

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Your most welcome 🤎✨

[@rapana6926]

I do not like this at all.... but maybe that´s the point of it - the readers aren´t supposed to "like" what he did, he is a flawed hurt human, just like her. But MaoMao is the more mature person. He did what a wounded person would in that situation - which does NOT justify it at all. It´s forcing the readers to look at him as a flawed and selfish being (if they read with understanding) - willing to hurt even someone he loves, if they cross him (in his POV).... Immature and selfish. While still , at his core, being in love with her. I don´t think the author meant for this to be read in any positive or kinky way.... It was to portray just how imbalanced their relationship is, because none of them has overcome their hurdle just yet. Jinshi needs to mature and stop wanting to "own" MaoMao, since her nature is to be free spirited and dedicated to her work, not to a person. But MaoMao needs to understand that even if she is incapable of loving just yet, there are others who do want to connect to her in a loving way - and if it´s the right people, it´s allright to reciprocate. It´s a sad scene but a good turning point for them both I guess? - I did not read the light novels, but it sparked my interest just how much more is happening in the novels. I do hate the choking thing still. I would not trust him again in MaoMao´s place, that is not something you forget. You might surpress your emotion about it though - and because it´s a fictional story, she might just do that and forgive him at some point.

[@hauntedshadowslegacy2826]

Yes, thank you! People are flawed. People make mistakes. Books, movies, TV shows, etc., are supposed to show those flaws. They're supposed to help us understand the flaws and complexities of people by conveying them in a safe environment. Reading comprehension is how we learn to understand what media conveys to us. Just because a character portrays a particular behavior at some point in piece of media doesn't mean we should follow that example. We should have the capacity to develop our own thoughts and opinions about a character's actions regardless of the character's thoughts and opinions about those actions. We can decide how we conduct ourselves irl.

[@noru_chii]

People are actually misunderstanding this scene. It was actually another childish battle between them. And that’s all. Nowadays everything is a problem. We’re in a messed up generation. im sorry, jm just tired of these things. It’s starting to make me hate everything that once brought me joy. It’s so sick. I feel like we’re way to sensitive. We’re either in the “I DON’T CARE” mood or “NO BUT THAT IS PROBLEMATIC, A RED FLAG, DANGEROUS”. The virtue is in the middle.

[@samroberts5196]

Literal facts. Even MaoMao didn’t give af about this scene at all after it happened yet people are so triggered. They had no issue with MaoMao slapping people and forcing people’s mouths open. I guess they prefer the characters who are stoic and boring with zero character depth and no personality. I wouldn’t be surprised if the whiners are teenagers. This show was intended for adult audiences.

[@KarylleVenzon-t1b]

thank you for posting this mow i understand how it goes! i love your videos

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

It’s been a pleasure 😌🤭

[@t.ris_]

I actually don’t like Jinshi much tbh, especially with the progression in the light novel, idk he just doesn’t stand out like male protagonists usually do. If you’re a Jinshi girlie, sorry babe but I said what I said

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Hehehe it’s fine, he clearly is a bit different (in both good and bad way) from all the other characters I have read and seen

[@shinchan_13_]

Pllzzz keep making these videos😁😆.... I am not getting time to re read every single volume nor the manga 😩 plzz

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Request granted 😂 Proceeding to reread and write 📝

[@shinchan_13_]

@AkiraAnimeExpress Arigato 🥺🥺

[@Tashienna]

I stop caring about the choke scene the moment it was over.

[@Icycoldwynter]

I ain’t getting over it even after they get married I don’t hold any grudges against him but it’s just a big scene in their relationship / story

[@DanA-zf8bt]

@@Tashienna Honestly MaoMao did too. The fandom took it way more seriously than she did.

[@Tashienna]

@@DanA-zf8bt The way the fandom would talk about it was one of the reasons I read light novel and I was left deeply disappointed because it was not as bad as the fandom was making it seems.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

i wish i was like that 😂 (I have reread it at least 3 times)

[@DanA-zf8bt]

@@Tashienna For freakin real. I’ve seen far worse scenes in other romance anime that the same people who complain about this scene seem to have no problem with for some reason. I think those people just like to trash Jinshi

[@Arima_kana234]

I don't think there is justification for the choking scene, of course Maomao always tries to escape and this can annoy him and after he has done everything to make her understand his intentions and starts dancing with a stranger and proposes to them to marry a anyone else would get angry.. but the strangulation was too much anyway and for those who say that she is also a masochist, I don't agree, she is a masochist with poison and she experiments.. but I really don't think she likes being strangled. But we must always remember that this is a fictional story and also set in imperial China a long time ago (I don't know exactly if it is set there but I think so.) certainly if it had been in reality or even in a fictional story set in modern times the scene wouldn't be feasible... I can already imagine the police 😂 btw on the internet I see a lot of sensitive people who have started to hate Jinshi for this scene... but Jinshi doesn't do anything like this anymore after this time, so I will never come to ''hate'' his character even if the scene was a bit unpleasant and Jinshi will improve a lot as a character.

[@JigokuShoujo_4]

I don't know why but since the beginning of this series, I NEVER like Jinshi not once... I don't know... like his personality, his appearance, nothing finds me interesting at all about Jinshi. He seems pretty shady to me, very manipulative and pushy, VERY pushy, argh no thank you! I think MaoMao is waaay to good for him, MaoMao can either be with someone better or be on her own.

[@Multimonata]

There are people who like to be strangled while doing naughty stuff. Maybe the author is onto these risque stuff ?

[@blackhayate4131]

Facts. The author often includes many of her kinks in her writing, including tickling the back of the foot or the spine, neck bites, etc. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was one of her kinks as well

[@lizzymarsh2609]

Its giving dark romance vibes..

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

It wasssss!

[@Midorikonokami]

There seems to be a twisted power play going on here. He's obviously interested in her wellbeing, and has previously done things to make sure she was safe and healthy. Even here she tells him 'kill me with poison' just to see his face change. She knows he won't kill her, but she absolutely still doesn't want to be hurt (spoilers: she thinks in future that she doesn't want to provoke him enough to do that to her again, implying it was a negative experience for her). So MaoMao knows he won't kill her, but she's aware of his power, and right now she's does NOT love him. He's a nuisance, an annoying tool that has a double edge. Sure, she may like him, but she considers the drawbacks of who he is too large and annoying for her idea of a good life. (Spoilers ahead) She kissed him just to pacify him and nothing more, and they come away from this scene actually much further away from each another, to the point where they don't interact for a very long time after this mission is over. MaoMao has been willfully hurting him emotionally, but he's absolutely reacting badly here and the text says it: MaoMao points out he's spoiled, used to getting all he wants and her superior in every way, all excuses people may make for him, and she _dismisses them all_, preserving her right to choose her own life, and her right to refuse affection of she doesn't want to give it. She kissed him, but he lost, because he knows she only did it to get rid of him, and that is not what he wants. So by giving him a crumb, clearly out of pity, she's saying: here, you got what you wanted. Satisfied now? It's this really what you want? He comes away understanding that she cannot be controlled in that way, and she comes away with the knowledge that she isn't to hurt him so savagely without consequence. They give each other time, and when they next meet (which is actually after quite some time, because I'm sure he came away feeling hurt, guilty and humiliated) they behave differently with one another. They both need to respect one another more.

[@nanausbshz]

Ppl romantisize everything. He stalk and harrasses her, now he chokes her. U guys need help.

[@darkmode805]

She is my new crush maomao 🥰🥰😍😍

[@liz9284]

Ppl freaking out about this and going on and on about how “abuse of any kind is never ok!!” (umm, yeah, no kidding, we didn’t need you to tell us that) is so typical of ppl who don’t actually read history, or understand that this is a light novel set in ancient China. Put your Presentism away, it’s boring, and it makes you look hopelessly naive. It’s also annoying bc you guys make a huge deal out of literally everything, as if the story itself sucks bc something like this happens. Let me let you all in on a little secret (a history book told me about it a long time ago…shhhh…): being alive on this planet, no matter who you were or what your status was, SUCKED up until the Industrial Revolution. SUCKED. For everyone, men and women alike. Children most of all, since infant mortality was astronomical. Physical “abuse” (in quotes bc ancient ppl wouldn’t have perceived it as abuse) like slapping or choking wasn’t frowned upon back then bc those ppl had bigger shit to worry about. Like dying in the next 57 seconds from any number of things, like nature, or bears, or a toothache, a famine, uncontrollable fires and natural disasters, just to name a few. The men died in wars and the women died in childbirth, and the children never had enough to eat, if they were Ben lived long enough to starve at all. They didn’t have time to sit around opining on gender roles and how unfair life was for “________”, or to organize protests and make cute little signs that said “I hate poverty”, as if anyone LIKES poverty and therefore needs to be enlightened by some ridiculous sign carried by some college chick driving a Tesla.. I’m so sick of these fragile ppl who want to apply modern morality, cultivated ONLY through so many years of relative peace in the world, to stories written about the world before humanity was so privileged. If you’re so offended by something like this scene, then you don’t have enough to worry about in real life. Go get chased by a tiger or something, THEN tell me how much you care about this scene. Stop trying to cancel anyone who dares to offend your modern sensibilities, it’s asinine. Not a single person complaining about this scene and the “abuse”, or the ones who complained about Shield Hero or Goblin Slayer or any of the other outrage posts I’ve seen recently, would make it in the world 200 years ago, much less a millennia ago, they would die in a day. Period. Yet they act so superior, as if “society” has always been the same “society” it is now. it’s annoying, narcissistic, and pretentious at best.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Life was wayyyyy tougher before and after reading your comment I am very, VERY glad we aren’t in those times… And I think the story as a whole hints at how not only Maomao a woman but also Jinshi a man, had to go through hard times and how life sometimes sucked for them, and if I am being honest, I learned A LOT from the novel itself, about how life was back then (politically and socially) and how many dark matters it covers that were TRUE at that time!

[@blackhayate4131]

For freakin real. People are so sensitive. And it seems that everyone is forgetting that this is happening to MaoMao, the girl who doesn’t waste a second to slap tf out of anybody, take a metal bat to the head, devour snakes when thrown in a torture chamber, force open jaws, etc. She’s an incredibly strong woman yet so many people act like this happened to some helpless victim. They’re also forgetting to consider Jinshi’s point of view, because from his angle it looked like MaoMao showed up with Lahan (indicating that she was an eligible bridal candidate) wearing Jinshi’s hairpin (indicating that she belonged to Jinshi) and then decided to dance with Rikuson in front of everyone while wearing that hairpin.

[@zerotodona1495]

@@AkiraAnimeExpresspeople are forgetting the wife beating in the US was normal back even in the 1960s. It was how you dealt with a “loud mouth” or “hysterical” woman. Don’t I agree with it, no. It’s just life. Human’s response to physically pain different than verbal.

[@DarkMirria1]

How do I give your comment more likes?

[@kakis3637]

This. it is historic times, things like this, of course, sadly, was not uncommon. And a lot of opinions seem like to say and praise Maomao. She is a badass character, but she is not perfect. That is why I like her. Being avoidant of feelings is one of those things. It is already early on in the story when she lets know Jinshi that she does not listen to him. Then there is the scene where Jinshi asks her to not walk away from conversations. She still neglected that. And Jinshi is not perfect too. He does not even try to understand how it is to Maomao, that she is of low birth and does not think she can have a place like that. They both have faults.

[@SayaCross]

Modern audience seem to forget the that the values and context shapes the people of a given era, just like modern world has shaped ours. What is seen as non negotiable in a relationship might have been a non-issue some 100 years back. And no human is perfect just that what is acceptable in an interaction with another has been refined over the ages as we evolved as a society. Yes this act itself cannot be excused. But a few 100 years back, this really wasn't an issue especially for someone as high up in the hierarchy as jinshi. By the standards of ancient asia.. Jinshi being the second most powerful man in the country playing this game of cat and mouse with maomao, someone almost insignificantly lower in the hierarchy in terms of power and a woman to top that up, is a testament to his character or intentions to begin with. He intends to give Maomao a choice but combining Maomao's own character flaws and his, his upbringing and status and both their ages, it obviously often becomes a struggle. Second, for those comparing this to situation to a partner who strangles you may murder you, yes they do when they are abusers, but human beings have always been able discern mortal threat just fine it is denial that makes victims ignore their instincts, and maomao being the protagonist of the series, we have access to her thoughts all the time and never once had she described fearing her life in Jinshi's presence during or after the incident, nor do we ever see an internal monologue of her trying to convince herself that Jinshi will not harm her. If anything she took the chance to flip the powerplay by Jinshi again afterwards, back to her being in control. She is a deeply mistrustful person and the fact that it never really occurs to her to be wary of Jinshi is telling. Applying modern values on two really young adults from centuries back won't help us interpret this story or their characters any better. That being said.. to be clear I think Jinshi is annoying lol. Not a fan of him. This interaction though... there is too much discourse on this for no solid reason.

[@Myothers1992]

People keps saying justify this, justify that. You forgot that the settings is ancient china, and a fictional at that. In those times women are bellow men and people there doesn't even know the concept of "consent" yet. Also men at those times do whatever they fit to themselves. If this is modern settings, i will condemn Jinshi, but nope, this is ancient china ya all. Women are lesser to men in this period so Jinshi doing that is just fit to ancient Chinese norm. Given that you really can do nasty things when you are angry. You guys haven't read real Chinese novel with ancient theme so you lot are putting you modern mentality.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Ammmm… I have to admit I haven't read many Chinese novels, (especially the ancient one) so… If you don't mind, can you tell me some famous novels? 🥲 Would be great if they have donghua too ✌️🏼

[@Myothers1992]

@@AkiraAnimeExpress (Imperial drama) To Be A Virtues Wife Empress With No Virtue I Became The Stepmother Of My Ex-husband ill Fated Consort Real Missy Relies on Food to Counterattack The Dreamer Of Spring Boudour The Job Of An Imperial Concubine The Lofty Fierce Consort: The Rebirth Of The Empress From The Military Lineage Fields of Gold Xianxia (action) Ascending, Do Not Disturbed Unfortunately, I haven't listed the other novel I have read before. I can only list the currents that I have done reading.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

@@Myothers1992 thank youuu 🤩

[@hamburgerdog25]

[Manga spoilers] My opinion of Jinshi dropped below the bar when he tried to force himself onto her, and then threatened to do it again in order to ensure that she would do as he says. I don't know what kind of redemption arc you got to go through to come back from that but it better be good

[@blackhayate4131]

Spoilers: He was absolutely not going to force himself on her, and this is a common misconception of the fandom because of the way the scene is worded. The maximum he would’ve done is kiss her and that’s it. He has never gotten physical with a woman and is actually very shy when it comes to this topic (which is why MaoMao was easily able to make his whole body spasm after the volume 5 scene). He further has been nearly SA’d in the past multiple times, which is why he is very protective of MaoMao when she arrives at his palace and orders her to wear freckles in order to prevent her from going through what he went through when he first arrived. He also wasn’t trying to get her to do what he says. He just wanted her to listen to what he was trying to tell her. In the frog scene, he only wanted her to be herself and to get her to admit that she knows more than she’s letting on so that he could tell her his true identity. You can see from the desperation on his face that he just wanted her to listen to him instead of playing ignorant for once. In the current point of the series, he’s avoiding touching her at all costs while she keeps teasing him about it.

[@feiyuin4178]

ok i dont blame you for me being spoiled, i blame youtube for putting this on my home page. but for the love of all things holy please, as an anime only watcher? please dont post spoiler content on the thumbnail.

[@Sheeeshchill]

I think you get the *real* spoilers when you watch the video, thumbnail might just be a teaser

[@PurpleCyanideTube]

Ah this is light novel stuff, I’ll check this out later

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

I am sure you will love it!

[@rudichong3869]

He may choked her in this scene by accident and unintentionally ok but later Mao Mao may do the same but worse she may get angry and bashed him in the head with a stone brick out of anger this sort of conflicts and dramas are very common in these chinese period dramas ok I know because I’m chinese and I have seen it before these scenes are just for dramatic effects ok

[@yumenokareta]

This scene, among many others, was mistranslated in English.

[@SilverWings733]

Please explain more.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

I can’t read Japanese Would you please explain?!

[@n0tgunshy]

I hope so! It was messed up and people like it. Weird.

[@darkmode805]

13:34 natsu hyuuga (author) is now my friend becoz of this 😁😁😁😁

[@Ana-h3w]

6:30 so in modern time ita like teasing your bf about other woman ngl 😭 still wierd Maybe because she is she But cant justify that behaviour cause in reality it will only be toxic more and more

[@nadiarey4196]

I don't want to hate him... But yes, since the war arc, I feel Jinshi has become very unlikeable. Up to the frog scene (lol), there was an implied attempt at consent above all else, and even the frog scene was still open to interpretation (like, it was an invitation, and not him begining to force her before they were interrupted). It felt like he respected her... I don't know any more after this... Can you tell me from which chapter things get better? Because I wish I could skip directly to them...

[@samroberts5196]

I really wish people consider Jinshi’s point of view at least a little. He was wrong but also MaoMao is unintentionally and intentionally trolling him endlessly: The party was a marriage candidate party. By showing up to this party with Lahan, she is announcing to everyone that she is interested in being Jinshi’s bride as a representative of her clan, just like the other women in this party. She further is wearing his hairpin, which indicates to everyone that he chose her and that she and him are an item. Despite this, she then dances with another man (Rikuson) in front of everyone, and Rikuson even tells her that she needs to be more careful of her actions. She was totally humiliating Jinshi by doing this and sending mixed signals. Rather than firmly rejecting or accepting Jinshi, she’s showing commitment to him while dancing with another man. As a final straw, she then tells Jinshi to marry his father’s consort. She was mocking her boss endlessly and once again ignoring him when he was trying to tell her something important. He loves her to the point where he can’t live without her and she’s just playing with his feelings. That’s why when she says “it hurts” he says “oh does it?” As in “Oh does it? Maybe now you can finally understand the pain you’ve been putting me through”. It’s just like the frog scene where he was again trying to tell her something important and she instead rubbed his frog way longer than necessary, insulted it, and then did everything to play ignorant. Also, the maximum he was going to do to her in the frog scene was kiss her and nothing more. Far too many people misunderstand this. Jinshi is actually a man who’s never been with a woman and is very shy. That’s why MaoMao was able to make his whole body spasm during the volume 5 scene, as she is actually a lot more dangerous than he is. People underestimate her because of her size. Jinshi crossed a line, but people seriously need to stop dismissing MaoMao’s actions as well. She gets excused because the story is told from her point of view, but she often provokes him deliberately (her literal words) and she needs to be held accountable by the fandom for what she says and does. Jinshi had not planned to behave the way he did in either of those scenes, and he absolutely wasn’t the only one in the wrong in both of those scenes. They were both wrong. To answer your question, It gets better from here itself. He never does anything like this again. In volume 7 he declares MaoMao to be his wife after she asks him to be clear about his feelings, in volume 8 he burns himself for her, and in volume 9 she kisses him on her own will for the first time. She realizes her own feelings for him around this time, and by volume 14 he avoids touching her at all costs out of respect for her while MaoMao keeps trying to get him to touch her.

[@nadiarey4196]

​@@samroberts5196 Dude, first off: spoilers. The whole point was knowing from what chapter he stops being an a§ so I can keep reading from that point on. Second, what a load of c. Of course she's insufferable, of course she's driving Jinshi up a wall and making things deliverately ambiguous. If you see it from MaoMao's point of view, that's her surviving in a time where she has no other means to avoid the worst case scenario than feigning ignorance. So we all agree Jinshi is getting scrwed over with this setting... How exactly does that translate to it being okay for him to choke her...?!?!? This is probably worse than fans saying Griffith did nothing wrong after the events of the Eclipse - after what he did. Oh but he was mad because Caska took Gatsu away from him! Oh but Caska belonged to him anyways! Oh but he had lost literally everything and the only thing he had left was his rage so you can't blame him he took it out on Caska! This. This is how you sound. I don't care how frustrated you're with the other person, you do. Not. Use. Violence.... Not if you cared for that person. If you love someone, you want to preserve their well being, at all costs. "You hurt my feelings, I block your windpipe so you can't breath" is as far from love as it can possibly go. And I'm scared how many of you just jumped on the bandwaggon of Stockolm Syndrome justification of Jinshi. Only because we are invested and want them to get together, doesn't make this scene absolutely disgusting. The author was weird for including it if their intention wasn't to portray an entitled, power abusing narcisist that's issuing a threat with the express intention of gaining satisfaction. Basically an in cel. It's bad people. We have gone bad if we get to this point.

[@samroberts5196]

@@nadiarey4196 Please reread my comment. When did I ever say he was not wrong for doing this? He 100% was wrong but ignorant people like you who are incapable of properly reading are acting like he is the only one who is wrong. MaoMao pretty much appeared to be cheating on him in front of everyone and then mocked him after, and if you can’t understand the cheating concept then I suggest you open a book from historical China and educate yourself a little. MaoMao is also the kind of girl slaps people, forces people’s jaws open, feeds Jinshi grasshoppers, washes his face with her foot water, can make Jinshi’s entire body spasm, etc. yet you’re acting like she’s some sort of helpless little girl. She’s as wild as him and can handle him just fine. The fact that you’re calling their situation Stockholm syndrome further shows your poor understanding of this series. She literally asked him to buy her back. He fired her because he thought she despised him and wanted freedom, but she specifically said she wanted to return to the palace. She further wishes to return to his side every time she’s kidnapped. You sadly don’t seem to understand what an in cel is either if you seriously think Jinshi is one. Jinshi is someone who both women and men throw themselves at. He can easily get a partner with no effort but he only cares about MaoMao, and he was not showing his anger towards MaoMao here because she wasn’t responding to his feelings. He was showing it because she kept playing ignorant and he wanted her to just listen to what he was trying to tell her and take their conversation seriously. Also pretty ignorant of you to complain about spoilers when you’re on a page like this, but I’m glad I spoiled it for you. This way you can drop the series since you’re obviously too sensitive and immature to handle it, and your poor comprehension skills aren’t helping either.

[@nadiarey4196]

​@@samroberts5196Yeah, sure, lets get personal and insult me because I said I didn't like something, that will make you sound very mature... Ok. Let's get this out of the way: She was not cheating. And even if she was: you don't choke your cheating partner... I didn't realize I needed to explain this to anybody but here we are...

[@nadiarey4196]

​@@samroberts5196Next Point. You obviously are the one not reading. Not even your own comments. Your whole spiel from before was about how "Jinshi was wrong but was justified". And that's my problem with your whole ragepost. And you don't see it. I'm honestly confused how you don't see the enormous leap in logic here. You realize you keep doing it, right? You try to navigate through all the excuses in the world for Jinshi's actions - things I already know, by the way - while missing the entire point. No, he was not. He was not justified.

[@EMUMEANSSMILEE]

Idk but I HATE jinshi, idc if he’s the love interest of he’s “misunderstood” he’s annoying and doesn’t understand the concept of “no”

[@blackhayate4131]

He 100% does understand the concept of “no”. That’s why he terminated her contract when he thought that she didn’t like working in the palace. And he understands the concept even better later in the series thanks to MaoMao. It’s now gotten to the point where he never touches her without permission and she keeps trying to get him to touch her. You can feel however you want about him but it’s inaccurate to say that he doesn’t understand the concept of “no” because he actually does.

[@joaoafonso211]

Amo de como ele tentou ser o dominante nessa situação e cabou sendo a Mamao a estar por cima dele 🔥🔥

[@SilverWings733]

She won .LOL. The author gave her the upper hand for a reason.

[@joaoafonso211]

​​​Porquê ela e incrível 😼💚🔥 Porque você não namora alguém como o jinshi pra vê se você consegue ficar por cima também, e claro se você sobreviver ao extrangulamento dele antes LOL 😅

[@dojomojo-g1q]

4:54 Is this intentional the intro song ambivalent talks about blue eyes not reflecting the singer

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

It could be 😭

[@rinkimies]

Is this a novel and if it is manga jinshi and novel jinshi are not the same and anyone who diseagrees is just wrong and i refuse to think about it😭😭😭😭👾👾👾

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

He is *grown up, maomao-deficient, and a lil jealous* manga Jinshi

[@jacidurand2001]

I doubt he was choking her really hard. Its the same as your man giving you a little squeeze 😏

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

I thought the same but she said “it hurts” 😭 Even when her pain tolerance is high But I get what you meant 🤭

[@daniellemari4621]

Im so sorry I feel stupid but what exactly did Mao Mao do to win their little game? she kissed him?? can somebody explain please?

[@ShinThu-fk2ed]

she french kissed him so hard, shoving her tounge into his mouth and she won

[@Sheeeshchill]

Yea, she did. No offense but did you not get anything from this video?

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Yes she did, but if you read the novel the scene have no word like *kiss*

[@DanA-zf8bt]

@@daniellemari4621 At the very minimum she stuck her tongue in his mouth (aka French kiss), but I personally think she did something even more than that with her hands given that she made his entire body spasm. We’ll have to wait until the manga adaptations to find out if it was only a kiss or something more

[@wingadept8793]

@@DanA-zf8bt So she essentially played with his emotions in order to get the upper hand? Everyone's saying how she won this debacle, but I'm confused as to how she ended up winning.

[@Sumaiya-bh2]

Can anyone please tell me which chapter that happens??

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

It’s from the light novel… Volume 5 epilogue and volume 6 prologue ✨

[@jacidurand2001]

This isnt in the manga yet so does the light novel have drawings?

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

yes, some of the arts are given in the light novel.

[@Bumbledette]

Just another anime justifying physical violence for the sake of 'romance' god i hate this!! i cant even watch a anime anymore with out some messed up stuff being the 'plot' this is so sad and disgusting

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

I have noticed that ppl romanticize violence A LOT these days, and believe me it's only okay cuz i reminds myself it's not real… still I hope they don't get too into it and leave out the healthy animes

[@ShinThu-fk2ed]

it's not justifying the abusive thing. I also don't find this scene as romantic. So to say, it's fictional and this scene shows that both of them are too messed up. He did physical attack to her and she did the counter attack to defeat him. But how can I explain it? If you watch the story in historical lens, this scene makes sense for the character to behave this way. I just said 'make sense'. It's wrong to act like that. I likes jinshi but I wouldn't mind if maomao cut his balls in this scene. And I wanted to slap him hard when I read. But don't worry that much In the latest volumes, he turns to a complete green forest gradually That's why maomao accepted him at the end And take it slow since it's fictional

[@carolinpurayidom4570]

I hop they don't have this in the anime I'm fine with flaws but physical abuse should not be tolerated

[@paulaa5167]

They're toxic, both of them, end of the story

[@Ana-h3w]

True ngl maybe older time was all about toxicity ngl

[@AsukaAki_アスカアキ]

Is this like real, and what episode and does jinshi has a fetish or some?

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Yess! it’s from the light novel vol 5 & 6 You can download them online or buy them… (And they don’t explain, if jinshi is into those things…)

[@DarkMirria1]

His fetish is Maomao.

[@bazooka2476]

Oh I already didn't like Jinshi to begin with I wish he left Maomao alone

[@authorfabu]

Spoiler!

[@Lilia43209]

Y'ALL PLEASE WHAT DO YOU MEAN LOVE? HE CHOCKED HER TILL HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED AND THEN TRIED TO PLAY IT KIND LIKE HE ALWAYS DOES TO MANIPULATE HER?! TF??? I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU GUYS LOOK AT THIS AND GO LIKE 'Oh So CuTe!!' CUTE?! LOVE?! OH HELL NAH!! SINCE THE START OF THIS I WAS REALLY CRINGING BC OF HIM BUT I KEPT TELLING MYSELF HE IS MAYBE ONE OF THOSE BRATS THAT WILL GET BETTER AND IMPROVE...ON THE WAY I WAS PROVEN WRONG!! HE IS USING HIS POWERS TO SHOW ULTIMATE POSSESSION OVER SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T EVEN WANT HIM!!! AND THEN HE CHOKES HER AND ENJOYS IT??!! WOW JUST WOW. HE IS A WALKING NARCISSIST I SWEAR TO GOD-

[@robertwilson4856]

He 100% does improve and is currently like a different person in the series: It’s gotten to the point where he’s avoiding touching MaoMao at all costs while MaoMao keeps teasing him to get him to touch her. Please do not make assumptions about his character growth when you have not even read nearly enough of the novels.

[@creativedrawingbyi-da3777]

What the age gap tho?

[@diyaroy2105]

I years age gap.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

He is a year older

[@darkmode805]

Why he is choked her

[@DanA-zf8bt]

More than anything, he was really just trying to scare her. He initially was having a serious talk with her about marrying her, but she applied her usual tactic of playing ignorant since that it the way Luomen trained her (knowing less is safer) and then mocked him by telling him to marry his father’s consort. So he choked her as a way of saying “stop messing around and actually listen to me please”. That’s why later when she says “it hurts”, he says “oh does it?”, as in to say “oh does it? Maybe now you can finally understand the emotional pain you’ve been putting me through”. But she then puts him in his place by making his body spasm with brothel techniques. This was just another childish battle between them which she won. It’s similar to the frog scene, a scene where he was again trying to talk about something serious with her but she avoided the topic by mocking his frog.

[@Icycoldwynter]

She literally made a whole video explaining that 😂

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

Simply: To make her understand the pain he was having

[@darkmode805]

Ah okay

[@Ravenstudios-q3f]

I was gonna say, pedo.. i watched the series and got those vibes, am i wrong? Idk.

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

He is not a pedo, they are just an year apart 😭

[@tyladean6794]

Hes the emperors son

[@AkiraAnimeExpress]

💯💯💯

[@rudichong3869]

Anyway this anime is a homage to chinese period dramas ok this kind of conflict scene does happen a lot in these chinese period dramas which ended hilariously example the woman may have a conflict with the guy and kick him in the groin while guy have a conflict with the woman and ends up in quarrel and he ends up choking her by accident I know I have seen it before in all these chinese period dramas where they come a scene where the woman assumes that the handsome male character or Gong Zi is trying to take advantage of her and she ends up kicking his groin this scene of the male character choking the woman is no difference I admit it is in a way abuse but he didn’t really mean it besides he didn’t hit her or punched her he just grab her neck by accident and out of anger when he realized he had pressed hard on her neck he let go

[@rudichong3869]

Jinshi is not a physically abusive person ok if he is he could have punched or hit Maomao when the time he caught her with Lihaku half naked ok or even when he assumes that Maomao was having an affair with Lihaku how come he didn’t hit her or abused her I admit he may have choked her in anger which look like an attempt to abused or murder Maomao but he didn’t really choke her he was just feeling very depressed and he try to grab on to her and out of control he accidentally pressed onto her neck while he brushes her hair which makes us audience to think that he really chokes her come on y’all he doesn’t abuses her if he did how he didn’t lay a finger on her or even hit her or be verbally abusive and controlling towards her in the first place nope he didn’t as he let go or her neck later after she spoke to him and asked him to murder her with poison

[@ashton_playz9341]

You're kinda smoking some copium rn. Why are you defending him so much when later on he's ashamed of his actions, ashamed to touch her, and she's the one who has to coerce him to do just that? Like he fucked up, everyone makes mistakes, it was violence, it was abuse, and would not be acceptable would it have been based in modern times, but it isn't sooo it's not right, but also understandable, but it doesn't mean it should be defended blindly. He's a very deep and complicated character.

[@rudichong3869]

@ I’m not defending him ok but he ain’t no women beater ok his not Buck Thurman ok please he didn’t punched or hit her he didn’t even try to rape her he just accidentally choke her by not realising that he is choking her and when he realized that he pressed to hard he let go ok that doesn’t make him a women beater ok

[@rudichong3869]

@ I think you people don’t understand these chinese gong zi characters in these anime because you people have never watch a chinese period drama before

[@rudichong3869]

@@ashton_playz9341 he’s not an abuser ok are y’all people stupid or something huh he didn’t hit her he didn’t really choke her on purpose he was upset and he didn’t realized that he hold on to her neck and was pressing too hard and finally when he realized he let go ok trust this kind of shot always happens between guy and girl in this chinese period dramas ok but the impact on the guy will be worst later the girl character might end up in a quarrel with the guy and aggressively kicking the guy on the groin since he accidentally choke her you know that and later the drama unfolds I know I’ve seen it before in all these chinese period drama scenarios y’all never seen it before that’s why you don’t understand ok look he didn’t slap punched kicked or even spit at her face or try to rape and sexually harassed or assault her sexually and physically ok