Everything GREAT About: The Apothecary Diaries | Fourth Quarter

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[@AnimeWins]

Hope you all enjoyed this series as much as I did! See you next week for Solo Leveling or you can watch it now over on Patreon and help out the channel greatly at the same time! bit.ly/2JY0E1f

[@AnimeWins]

@@zacheryschmidt2611 Sweet, vote it in on Patreon.

[@annabellathorne8553]

I couldn't wait for your response to the dramatic reveal and here is the Dramatic Reveal and You made me relive the dramatic reveal of all the cases coming together...

[@annabellathorne8553]

And that her explanation of what can potentially happen is almost like someone from the future revealing future events and everyone thinks you are crazy... And her conviction and determination to help save this person. It floored me when it was Jinshi, the series was hinting up until then something but still very vague his role in this and who he really is. I am awaiting Season Two and I hope you will also do the AnimeWins for it either but while or very soon after. 🙌

[@dethspud]

Solo Leveling? 😮 This appeals to my interests. 😊

[@RidOne285]

They took everything good about this anime and went FULL THROTTLE in the final quarter. The tension, the comedy, the suspense, the relationship of Jinshi and Maomao, emotion, wholesomeness, EVERYTHING!!!!! Such an amazing series. HERE'S TO SEASON 2 GOD BLESS!

[@Nokyyyyy]

Another thing I loved from the 2nd quarter or something, is when you learn why the emperor has a 14yo as a consort. He isn't a pedo, his dad was. He kept little Lishu to keep her safe from what could have happend if she was fired Truly a good man

[@Ikajo]

It is chilling when you learn that the emperor's mother was like 10 when she gave birth. It becomes a much more important plot point later on. The former emperor is also hinted to have been developmentally and intelligently disabled

[@Nokyyyyy]

@@Ikajo yeah, I read on the wiki that He was terribly afraid of women because of his terrible and manipulative mother and could only interact with girls hence why he became a pedo

[@MineNAdventurer]

I seriously love the reveal of Lakan's relation with Fengxian because it's previously shown that Lakan was some terrible man who just used Fengxian but then, like the theme of the Anime keeps telling us, we are given more and more information that reveals his true thoughts and not the surface level analysis.

[@Ikajo]

That's a good point actually. Maomao has been told to never jump to conclusions, and the story does the same to us. Though, I will say, Lakan doesn't come off nearly as bad in the light novels as he does in the anime. You also get to know more about him a bit earlier.

[@TheKueiJin]

I frankly didn't like the red herring being slapped over our faces and it could have achieved more with less. Arguably the best way would have been to not have the scene of utter, palpable, yet furtive, contempt that Maomao displayed. Why? Because even then she knew it wasn't his fault, she figured out Fengxian was orchestrating the situation, and Lakan was only a side character.

[@MineNAdventurer]

@@TheKueiJin While it could have been done better with less contempt, it likely would have been easily seen through if Maomao already knew since we spend the most time with her. As well the contempt can be seen as less of her still thinking he is a bad man and more of him continually dredging up terrible memories of the past. She was a mere child during that time and that is when emotional scars are the deepest. She may know what happened but she still recoils as if its a tasty food you once had but then choked on it.

[@supremefankai5480]

Maomao figuring out the assassination plot was awesome enough but then doing her damnedest to rescue Eunuch boi was also brilliant. Even getting smack in the head didn't deter her. And then Jinshi silently seething while taking her away is just chilling, that the rest of the season is about the fallout of the plot is a big deal.

[@eagless7778]

Also the face of her father showing the fear that she may be dead was a nice hint that he wasnt really bad person or at least no bad toward maomao

[@saurabhparikh7628]

26:23 you can hear the glass break as loumen gets up. Remember his monocle fell off when he jumped. That is an amazing attention to detail and awesome sound direction. AND YOU DID NOT WIN THAT?! 😢

[@AnimeWins]

Probably a touch too quiet to hear when writing the script in the middle of the night

[@grumpysanta6318]

@@AnimeWins Rewrite it. Let's go!

[@saurabhparikh7628]

@@AnimeWins you replied and acknowledged.... I am happy.... Please continue the awesome work that you are doing.... Would love to see you do Ghost in the shell SAC

[@Caionnech]

you "maybe" didn't noticed it, but she looks at her little finger fairly often throuout the Anime. so it is hinted but with no explonation. it came up mostly in sad/romantic moments, like the episode where the one side wife was gifted, at the end.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Maomao saving jinshi was EPIC! Best girl won't let anything happen to him

[@stevelordofdarkness2340]

Some bonus facts: The particular soldier that clobbers Maomao is rewarded for his efforts by being pettily harassed by Lakan but otherwise goes unpunished due to the fact that he was the only guard there that arguably did his job properly. Jinshi doesn’t run while carrying Maomao because he realizes that she is concussed and moving her too quickly would be a much greater threat to her life than the blood loss from the gash in her leg. The Madame has given Pairin full autonomy on who buys her out and for what price, so long as they fund a lavish send-off party. Lihaku technically has enough money saved up to purchase Pairin already. No one tells him this. There is no such thing as a naturally occurring blue rose, they are only created when a white rose is fed blue dye. Attempts to breed blue roses have failed to yield the desired results. Lakan is not sent to study abroad in the light novel, since putting someone who suffers from face blindness in that situation is completely stupid, instead he is sent on a military campaign that is supposed to last for six months but drags on for three years. Fengxian cutting off her and Maomao’s fingers and sending them to Lakan was not a curse but a twisted show of devotion. Courtesans of the Edo period in Japan were known to do this when they wanted a specific person to buy them out. This is where the term “pinky promise” is derived from. After Lakan learned that he had a daughter he started doing everything he could to get her out of the Verdegris House. These efforts are the primary reason Maomao resents him, as they proved quite traumatic for the three-year-old girl. Maomao wasn’t trying to lead Lakan to Fengxian, she wanted him to buy Meimei. This is because Fengxian has little time left and is likely to die soon, and no longer has the mental capacity to understand that the man she loved has finally come back for her. Meimei herself loves Lakan and would have been happy to go with him, but couldn’t bear keeping him away from Fengxian anymore.

[@Pelthis]

18:08 I definitely take that like a big wink towards the opioid crisis in China's XIXth century and the following Opium Wars. It satisfies my nerdiness. But yeah this last quarter when every dot is connected is what makes this anime go from a good 9/10 to an undebattable 10/10 in my book. I also can relate a lot to Lakan character. Mostly because I myself have troubles recognizing faces (nothing as dramatic as Lakan case ofc, but let's say if I see a familiar face when I don't EXPECT to see it, then I don't recognize it unless the person talks to me) and the whole communication issues / not knowing how to show his feelings towards people he cares about. His character arc got me right in the kokoro. Anyway, thanks to you as always for the video =)

[@jdoggivjc]

It's the fourth quarter that really flexes the genius of the writing of this series. It is so detailed and nothing is ever wasted - sometimes it's just to get a cheap laugh, but most of the time it serves a critical purpose, even if it isn't readily apparent to us the audience. Having read the LN, there are certain details which were shown and are in "second thought at best" status that won't be fully realized until seasons 4 or 5 of the anime (assuming future seasons are paced the same - 12 episodes per LN volume). But it was so impressive seeing what was assumed to be random, disconnected, and perhaps meaningless story arcs actually be woven together in a much larger conspiracy that nearly resulted in Jinshi's death. That is how good the writing is, and the writing only gets better in future seasons. Having read it, I already know S2 will be incredible and could quite easily surpass S1 in its writing.

[@ethermelt4780]

Lihaku is the embodiment of what I love about the writing and Maomao as a character. At this point in the story he isn't prejudice or sexist or classist against her, he doesn't owe her anything, he doesn't expect anything from her, he just genuinely respects her intelligence and appreciates her time like a true friend. Everyone comes to appreciate Maomao like that, but Lihaku is the one most divorced from her station so it stands out.

[@DonotmesswithStormfeoUA]

Once again, can't get enough from the astronomical value of being a patreon. Thank you for the hard work man - looking forward to the new series)

[@mantas8443]

I liked how casually she said she'd "Gotta stitch it" when she saw her leg cut open in episode 19. At first it was a little funny of how weird she was. Though now it feels kind of sad. That shows just how hard she had it as of how little she could rely only on others. I mean her mother was basically absent from her life, moreover it was Maomao who had to take care of her insisted of other way around. Stepfather may could have somewhat helped, but didn't seem quite in good health either. And probably wouldn't approve her experiments. And I'd highly doubt anyone from Verdigris house could have sufficiently help her if something happened to her too, even if they wanted to. So she had basically noone to fall back on. And as she didn't want to stop her experiments she had only herself to rely on... Though the follow-up in the last episode, how unhinged she was just going "It's fine I'll stitch it right back up" and Jinshi started panicking, was just hilarious. 😆 But also quite adorable as now she *_had_* someone who'd actively try to help her

[@dragonova279]

This honestly one of my top 5 anime. and all the others are flashy fighting anime with crazy animation. This one takes it for the MC and mysterys.

[@amandabernard8179]

Fengxian actually wanted her price to be lowered. I do love their love story even though she is at the very end of the syphilis journey.

[@hannelorek.2013]

I'm SO happy you enjoyed this as much as you did! The whole storyline with her bio-dad at the end is so good because I think everyone fell for the fake out that he's actually not a bad guy, and just SO in love with Maomao's mother, it's so so so good. Once again, loved the vid as always! Hope you get to enjoy more animes like this and that we get an S2 of this one soon hehe

[@durhamdavesbg4948]

As a note we still can't get blue roses, any around will still be dyed like this today. The rose growers keep trying but have yet to succeed.

[@bobbys332]

When it comes to MeiMei's reaction at seeing the two of them together it wasn't joy or sweetness that she was crying for, but despair. She was in love with Lakan and really wanted to be bought out by him given how enjoyable their reactions had been but she put her own happiness aside to alert him to the knowledge that the only woman he really loved was still alive. As such she knew her hopes of being with him had been crushed by her own hand and she was devastated that she had given up a super comfy life, even if it was with someone who wasn't really a "lover". Sure she did as MaoMao asked and helped them get their happy ending (more or less, she's still practically insane and dying from a horrible disease) but it really hurt to know that she had just given her best chance away.

[@Nokyyyyy]

Gigachad MeiMei

[@Ikajo]

Maomao did hope Lakan would buy Meimei, though. However, because Lakan married her mother, Maomao became legitimate. Making her the young miss of a minor noble house. That's also what Lakan actually asked of her in their game

[@AnimeWins]

You're assuming that though right? Given that she herself led him to her, that would at the very least show some level of joy at their reunion after all these years. Sure there could be an element of sadness at giving up a comfy life but to declare it's entirely despair seems too heavy handed of an analysis given that, as I said, she alerted him, against her Mistresses wishes, to her being there.

[@cass6082]

Eh…sort of? I do think she was crying because she loved him too, but Maomao was very happy with the idea of MeiMei getting picked. I don’t think MeiMei read MaoMao’s note (since it was at the bottom of Lakan’s gift) and did want him to make a fully informed decisions, that Fengxian was still alive if he would rather take her

[@bobbys332]

@@AnimeWins According to TVTropes TearJerker page on the series (Which may or may not be accurate but I'm assuming it is, at least it usually is pretty close to the mark): "Meimei giving up her chance to be redeemed by Lakan by showing him where Fengxian is being hidden away. While she does have feelings for him and would love to marry him, she understands that Lakan only ever had eyes for her former mentor, and her expression makes it clear that it was very hard for her to make this decision" So maybe not super clear but there was definitely a sense of it given she just threw away her best shot. Had she said nothing he would have bought her and that would be it. I suppose it wouldn't be fair to say the WHOLE thing was despair, but that hunched over bawling definitely felt more of a sad cry than happy.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Absolutely win as always with the Video and thumbnail! Maomao is beautiful ❤❤❤❤

[@christina_1313]

Really hope they keep this high level of detail and care for the next season. This Anime instantly took one of the top spots on my favourite-list

[@staris3712]

29:29 Not to nitpick but that is not the first time we have seen Maomao's left pinky finger, just the first time since it was revealed what her mother did. At the end of Episode 3 Maomao can be seen looking at her pinky while contemplating what medicine love would make. Aka this series should definitely be rewatched as there is a fair bit foreshadowing if you know what to look for.

[@MichaelHylands]

This show was such a gem, it brings me such joy that it managed to exceed expectations from when I had watched the trailer. So glad you seem to have greatly enjoyed it as well! Thank you for providing us with these amazing Wins for additional entertainment! Looking forward to season 2!

[@dethspud]

Thank you for giving the dubs to the color pallette. Fully deserved!

[@staris3712]

Such a good collimation to the season as everything starts fit together when it was not obvious from the start that they where. So can't wait for Season 2 and it getting winned.

[@lacytaylor1501]

I felt so bad when it the true relationship between Lakan and Fengxian was revealed. From the moment he was first shown and the way he was framed in the opening I thought he was just going to be some sick creep obsessed with Maomao and her mother, so much to the point of forcing himself on Fengxian, which in turn led to her hating Maomao, but learning that they truly loved each other and if things had gone right the three would've been a loving and genius little family hurts so much.

[@lacytaylor1501]

Well four of them being a genius little family because realistically Luomen would've definitely been included in their family. It's so sad thinking what could've been.

[@Ikajo]

​@lacytaylor1501 There is another genius in the family 😂 named Lahan. The La clan in the novels are famed for being eccentrics. Oh, the La in their name is their last name. So Lakan is named La Kan, with Kan being his given name.

[@lacytaylor1501]

@@Ikajo oh right, so a family of five geniuses.... Maybe it's better things turned out this way. That one family could've overthrown an entire nation faster than Jinshi with lipstick on.

[@Ikajo]

@@lacytaylor1501 I don't want to spoil things it is definitely interesting how that family work. Though, so is the family of Gaoshun. Basen isn't his only child

[@lacytaylor1501]

@@Ikajo I know, I'm up to date on the manga and have read a lot stuff that reveals things currently only revealed in the light novel. I believe the anime also already hints at Gaoshun having multiple kids as he mentions he has a daughter who is having a child.

[@TheShabick]

It is funny, I was so ready to overlook this anime. Rear palice intrigue, no real fantasy elements, meh... it was just a random clip of her reacting to poison that caught my attention and I'm glad. I think your videos will do the same for others. Keep up the great work getting people interested or help them review and re-enjoy these great series.

[@aronassketchbook4707]

Whoohoo! And with that, season one of the Apothecary Diaries is now done. Man I'm so glad you covered this anime. It was awesome to watch this again with you and listen to your thoughts and praises of it. Can't wait for season 2. Here's hoping it's even better than the first. 🧡

[@benlyon5118]

Now we wait for the 2nd season... and the moderately-sized frog.

[@chosenuwu]

Episode 19 was SO DAMN good, the pacing in it was so amazing! And I felt it was gonna be Jinshi there aswell O _ O

[@jonasstrohmer8480]

in the german sub version win 543 was a reference to the opium crisis.

[@911meltdown2]

I love that you brought up Shenmue. Glad to see that you adored that game. It is my favorite game of all time. So many wonderful memories.

[@tcp98]

final thanks for winning the series and I'm looking forward to winning season two next year

[@MythicalMutt]

I got into this anime for the sole reason that the screenshots looked really pretty, but damn I did not expect the emotional, investigative ride it ended up going on. One of my favorite comfort watches for sure.

[@travishoffman6120]

I love your videos. I watch anime the same way you do, always drinking in all the stuff that everyone else doesn't notice. Please keep making these!

[@codywhite6337]

These videos are always exciting to watch :)

[@mamaloyomo]

What a truly magnificent anime.

[@elessardragon7655]

Just finished watching this and now to wait to rewatch all four part with my mother who ENJOYED this series. She was hooked. hehehe and she cant not wait for season two to come out.

[@phantom9831]

14:15 that statement about her tho...I'd really love to experience that if I was able to lmao

[@Sgt_SealCluber]

Xiaolan's dub VA is even more Kawaii, to me at least.😊

[@ewaep]

The "slap" for comedic effect is a Japanaese comedy routine - specifically from Osaka - where you have the jokester getting slapped by the straight man. There's more to it, but it's a famous Osaka Comedy routine.

[@phantom9831]

I genuinely think it's one of the best anime that has been made so far, everything is handled just perfectly, relationship, foreshadowing, characters and their emotions, mysteries and tension, animation and story, it's one of those gems that pops up once every ten years

[@delmattia96]

thank you!

[@nate1daniels745]

Here I am, with another lovely comment, because you brought up the trails series

[@Itachi45481]

Man I really want a physical release of this hopefully a cool box set

[@jacob4920]

What could they possibly do in Season Two that could in any way be SUPERIOR to what we got in Season One??? I just feel like they have to clear a pretty high bar, here, and I sincerely hope they can pull it off.

[@travishoffman6120]

Thanks!

[@AnimeWins]

Thanks so much mate!

[@tylerstokes4124]

Win 585 was more about that sister actually loving him and wanting him to buy her out. She knew he loved her but would always play go with him as a substitute for mao maos mother. But he never even could see her face.

[@AnimeWins]

Is this something that is said in the Manga or something? I don't recall her ever once expressing love for him in the anime unless I missed that entirely?

[@tylerstokes4124]

@AnimeWins it's not so much shown in the anime but kinda implied by how she reacts, standing in the front of rhe available women, her fist clenching, and the cryjng ay the end she was both happy for the mom but also sad that it took so long that she got her hopes up. In the manga ch 38 at the end and in ch 40 which literally covers the end of the show and dance Mao Mao talks about how meimei would have been happy had he bought her out instead and how she also actually wanted him to buy meimei out because she loves her as a sister who cared for her. Basically when he would come to the brothel to try and find Mao Mao it was her who would keep him company playing go and that she eventually had feelings for him.

[@ShadowLightMewEndlessOceanMew]

Love this anime and yup still hyped for season 2. Still needs that DVD or Blu-Ray release though. Europe, make it happen

[@bobbenson6825]

I tip my hat to the skilled writing and plotting from the original author. No moment was wasted and it all tied together; remember that shot of Maomao looking at her bent (we now know regrown) little finger from one of the early episodes? I still think Frieren was the top show from that season but this is only a half-step behind.

[@bobbenson6825]

See 18:35 of the First Quarter Everything Great. The later episode was absolutely not the first time Maomao looked at her finger.

[@Marille7982]

I think the scene where he meets her is better in the manga because it hits harder. They fully show how syphilis ravaged her face, and yet he still finds her beautiful. I just think that in the anime one might think her face is still ok but in the manga we know that the beautiful lady we see is an image his own mind is making since that is how he still sees her even if her physical beauty is lost. Honestly just goes to show how much he loves her.

[@durhamdavesbg4948]

I'm sure it shows her earlier so her actual look is on screen, we just don't get the immediate juxtaposition iirc.

[@Ikajo]

Getting together in next season... yeah, about that...

[@Lohpezhoh]

Amazing saga of videos! Tbf it's very easy to misjudge Lakan given the perspective we are shown is Maomao's who doesn't really know why things happened and also to others he was kind of a dick lmao. But the moment he got tremendously pissed because she got hit I think we all knew things weren't as straightforward as we thought before. Amazing storyline, heartbreaking but beautiful. PS: I completely understand your hatred towards Gamers! but tbh the ULTIMATE MISUNDERSTANDING in that series was so well done and funny I can't hate it lmao

[@Shigeru0508]

7:20 3x showing the foot scene might be a coincidence but it´s funny to think it´s intentionally

[@midknightrockruff5844]

When will there be a full video of all the quartera

[@lorenzoditrolio6680]

At win 541, the reason it’s so exaggerated in anime like one piece is because anime like those are comedic in nature, so they are sometimes exaggerated

[@ephemispriest8069]

If we offer them money will season two be here faster?

[@kurisichin]

Xiao can mean "small / little" so Xiaomao is actually little cat or kitty. Such a cute nickname 🤭

[@LeoiCaangWan]

For those curious, the ceremonial building at 3:58 for win #478 is very clearly modeled on the Temple of Heaven in Beijing en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Heaven

[@christianallen7882]

Now that you know her name is basically CatCat you are obligated to make a 'being nice to animals is always a win' win anytime someone is nice to her in animewins videos of future seasons.

[@user-pq3bj6ud8b]

can't wait until chapter 63 animated😏

[@blazejcholewinski2566]

For Win 590 I wanted to see the full body with maybe side-by-side of her face.

[@bramweenink7697]

Can't wait for the next season and best girl Shisui.

[@cobiemackey3907]

This is so amazing and I’m hyped for Solo Leveling

[@keiai984]

Great

[@alt_4doodles]

Wake up Anime Wins posted

[@chosenuwu]

when they call her xiaomao they call her little cat :3

[@meganmartin3373]

I did really enjoy Misunderstandings: The Anime. Also had one of my favorite English dubs.

[@alexandersen1372]

. . . you didn't give a win specifically to Mei mei for her sacrifice??? i can't wait for the next season (assuming it gets one) your going to laugh heartily about the frog scene. i posted right near the end, didn't know season 2 is confirmed but it damn should have been earlier !

[@AnimeWins]

I didn't because I didn't see the scene that way, it seems people who read the Manga saw it more like that judging from the comments.

[@alexandersen1372]

@@AnimeWins i got that from the anime? i did later read the manga but not until after i saw that scene. well damn i had to go and rewatch all of ep 23/24. but the DID completely skip all the indicators (insert screaming emote). its manga chapters 39/40 if your interested but, not only did they cut some of Mei Mei's dialogue but there was a hidden letter in the box with the blue rose, AND in the manga she notes that even if lakan had missed the message in the withered rose AND the message behind it (mentioned when she talks with jinshi in ep24) that Mei Mei would lead him to the "missing option". the missing dialogue was when she says the madam shouldn't have kept them apart because "this could have been over and done with before i ever had the chance to get my hopes up"

[@phantom9831]

To be honest, I know you get a lot of request, and I don't really know if you'll like as much as I like, but I'd love to see you react to World Trigger if by any chance you can

[@AnimeWins]

Sweet, vote it in on Patreon.

[@phantom9831]

@@AnimeWins will do

[@grumpysanta6318]

And of course Xiaomao is "Little cat" or "kitten" perhaps...

[@johannesbowers7467]

Blessings on the house of Pairin x Lihaku FTW.

[@user-ct4po2sj1m]

Are you going to be covering spy x family season 2

[@ImFrelled]

Mao can be translated as cat or kitten. So, I prefer translating her name as Kittycat. But that's just me.

[@6Hell6oopz6]

What a show, Maomao is THE best girl in all of anime, maybe beside Shinomiya Kaguya. It's still long time to wait for the second season ;(

[@Kharaen]

Pretty sure Meimei was crying because Rakan chose Fengxian instead of her... not because of the reunion.

[@AnimeWins]

Strongly disagree on that, especially since she herself opened the doors which allowed him to get to her. Otherwise it'd make no sense.

[@cass6082]

I do think she was sad about not having Lakan, but she did love both of them very much. Fengxian was her ‘big sister’ after all, and she did what she did out free will to help Lakan. I think her tears were probably a mix of happiness and sadness

[@AnimeWins]

@@cass6082 Sounds reasonable

[@Kharaen]

@@AnimeWins I mean, if you're self-centered and didn't care about what the other person felt... yeah, it'd make no sense.

[@Player_Gantz]

Yo

[@Sirairas]

Commenting for the Algorithm God 🎉

[@zephdoesthings]

The only reason this show wasn't the best show of the season was because it had to compete with Frieren. And ho boy was it close