The Apothecary Diaries: An Anime Betrayed By It's Light Novel

[@merrikiwi]

Hey, thanks for all the comments! If you feel we have gotten something wrong because of an event later in the manga or light novel please add a spoiler warning! Now onto the songs: 00:00 Durarara OST Their Aspirations 00:36 Fruits Basket OST Reason of Quibble 01:46 Fun Fun Fun Dayo Lucky star OST 03:21 Golgo 13 The Professional OST Tail To Nose 04:00 K on flashing 04:05 Lovely Complex OST Bose Na Risa 05:47 Lucky Star OST Ran Ran Ran dayo 07:21 Space dandy OST Shiritai 08:31 Full Metal Alchemist OST Heavanly Spirit 08:53 Lucky Star OST Ran Ran Ran dayo (Again) 10:40 Fruits basket OST 14:07 Kiss X Sis OST Otawamura Massaichuu 15:30 Suzume OST Shinkansen Super Express 16:32 Naruto OST Afternoon Of Konoha 18:00 Horimiya OST Unsweetened Honey 18:42 Kino's Journey OST Kino and Kino 20:26 Tales of Vesperia OST The daily Routine 22:51 Lucky star OST Konota's theme 23:54 Suzume OST Hitchhike 25:07 Daughter Of 20 Faces OST Chiko 27:16 Bartender OST Godmother 28:39 Zelda wind waker OST Dragon Roost Island 29:14 Haruhi Suzumiya OST Itsumo No Fuukei 30:29 Ranma 1/2 OST Here's Ranma

[@rylee1470]

***spoiler warning** though i still plan on being vague hello, someone probably already mentioned this but the part in the intro where she does a dance in the dress is just a scene from the manga,, though it was probably included for the reasons you mentioned, saying she would never wear that dress isnt entirely accurate,, without context though i would completely agree with you (also sorry if this came off condescending or rude that was not my intention)

[@Loveless1128]

I actually think that the "This is Poison" scene is BEAUTIFULLY done. Maomao LIVES to consume poison, and just a scene or so earlier, she's absolutely giddy thinking about possibly eating fugu innards. So when she unexpectedly tastes the poison in the soup, she is delighted and savors it before admitting what she has just discovered. The contrast between her reaction and the fact that she just consumed something meant to kill someone elevates the scene for me.

[@FeyPax]

I like it a lot too because it almost shows the more wicked side of her. The fact she is savoring something meant to kill without any disregard for who it was meant to harm. It’s just 👌🏼 Maomao is generally a kind character even reluctantly so, but this scene hints at something deeper and maybe more traumatic lurking inside her that I’ve heard is hinted and shown more in the LN and manga. She is still a flawed human. And I LOVE that. I much prefer seeing a reluctant hero with flaws than some all around good natured individual. She revels in the mystified and dangerous.

[@nicolaspattini8616]

SAY IT LOUDER🗣 Nah bur fr my exact thoughts on this scene.

[@tobitobi2493]

The proportions of her face were kind of weird and off model in that scene, idk if it’s just me. It was super zoomed in and her mouth didn’t match her face

[@amothinspace3873]

Something people forget is that you can’t really expect a historical drama to play around today’s morals and common sense. Especially if it’s a good Historical Drama. For example, age of consent wasn’t really a concept a century ago

[@thehumus8688]

Life expetancy was Low back then. At bronze Age life expetancy was only 24, Ancient Rome is 33, Late medieval period is 35-40 so its not strange that marriageable age is low. as Early marriage is necesity Ancient Chinese was practicly consistent - since Confucian value is practicly unchanged. they have around 35 as Life expetancy and youngest Marriageable age was 14 India is even younger, compared to world standard. even today, Child bride is a thing. There Child Bride married at 5, Become mother at 13, and widowed at 20

[@seekittycat]

@@thehumus8688 For the record the reason why life expectancy was so low is because of high infant mortality rate dragging down the average and not because "most people die before they're 35". In China there is a "Full moon party" where everyone celebrates the baby surviving the first month of their life. The idea is that if the baby pass one month then they can make it to adulthood. Women also go through confinement where they don't leave the house for a month in hopes they have a higher chance to survive. Since infant mortality was extremely high age and gynecologists were non-existent child marriage is not as common as people think. As in if you have a child bride in expectation that she's going to give you a lot of kids there is an extremely high chance she and the baby is going to die. Childbirth was extremely dangerous and adult women die to all the time much less a child's body trying to give birth. Children are also physically weaker then adults in a society dominated by hard labour. Most "child brides" of political reasons like joining of families and stopping wars don't require the child to be present in the ceremony and the marriage is symbolic only because again, no gynecologist or doctors to ensure the royal kid this whole thing hinges on won't literally die.

[@katarh]

@@thehumus8688 In a very recent chapter of a web novel, one of the character states that in the world of KNH the life expectancy of someone who makes it out of infancy to adulthood is an average of 50 years old. Some will make it longer, some won't make it nearly that far. Disease, plagues, famine, and good old fashioned murder can all shorten a life to below what it could have been. And sometimes a lucky elder will see 70-80 years. The Empress Regnant made it to 82 year old, and her good for nothing son the former emperor made it to around 60. Once his mother died, he quickly followed after her. I believe the current emperor is 34 at the start of the series, and he ascended to the throne at age 29.

[@thehumus8688]

@ Noble class does lives longer than General population. Peasant would live shorter lives than King Avrg Medieval England Noble can reach 60, but for Peasant its 31. on other side of globe in 1850, avrg Life expetancy for Black Slaves in America is 21 - social class can play major diffrence look at the noble as example is flawed. as they less than 1% of population

[@cpink102292]

"For example, age of consent wasn’t really a concept a century ago" Except that it was. The age of consent was 12 years old in most of the world starting in the 13th century, and a century ago it was moved up to 16 in most countries (literally, too; this happened in the 1920s). Also, there's a difference between depicting something and endorsing it. All three versions of the Apothecary Diaries describe the former emperor as a pedophile in both his actions and in other character's opinions of his actions. Other characters in the story are disgusted and appalled by the fact the former emperor had concubines who were between the ages of 8 and 12. Even characters who were present when it happened describe it as a "shameful and immoral secret" that was kept from the public. The Apothecary Diaries draws a very clear line in the sand that says, "This happened, and it was wrong". Like I said, there's a difference between depicting something and endorsing it.

[@Nah_I-ll_Win]

12:48 let me clarify some things potentially or I might be mistaken but.. Lishu is still a virgin, she never gave birth, the Current Empress/Concubine of the Previous Emperor, "Anshi Dowager" is the one who first gave birth to the current emperor at 9-10 years of age and then gave birth again to the Imperial Brother/Current Emperor's Brother, at around the same time that "Consort Aduo" gave birth to the "Current Emperor/Then Prince's" child but because MaoMao's adoptive father was forced to pay more attention to Anshi and her child, Aduo's child was ignored and seemingly died of botulism by the mistake of her Head Lady-In-Waiting.

[@catouniverse]

thank you! I've read the manga and I'm up to light novel 4, and I was baffled as to when it was mentioned Lishu had a child when it was driven home that the mother-daughter dynamic between her and Ah-duo was because Ah-duo made sure the previous emperor wouldn't "visit Lishu's bed" (yuck) when Lishu was a concubine (and like 6 years old).

[@Moocow2003]

Yeah lishu is definitely a virgin cuz otherwise how would she have been sent to a nunnery? If the emperor sleeps with you you can never leave the rear palace even if that emperor dies. It's quite a clear rule.

[@tjpm]

Yeah I as turn off by the Lishu mistake. So this video is nothing but click bate

[@merrikiwi]

The title is referring to the demographic change from female to seinen and how that's confused a lot of people into not liking it. It's almost all of what the video goes into which is the opposite of clickbait. Between the two of us we've watched all of the anime that was out as of writing the video (episode 13) but neither of us are particularly into light novels so there may be information we don't have yet. Regardless this video is about the anime and it's reception with some of the history into its publishing. That's why we said anime in the title. I'm sorry that a misunderstanding of a scene caused you to dislike the video so much you had to stop watching and insult the months of work we put into this as being clickbait.

[@iamaylacat3935]

@@merrikiwi Just one episode off of where they more or less directly state it in the Anime. Its definitely left very up in the air as to what the status is with Lishu up until episode 14, especially with the characters all more or less coming to the same conclusion you did in the video regarding her. Really is a show where if you're not actively reading the light novels, there are lots of things that don't quite add up when only part of the story is available.

[@sophi_coo]

Just to clarify, Lishu is actually a virgin, the former emperor became mad and died before touching her, Ah duo was the one who gave birth to the current emperor's child, and the person who gave birth at around 10 years old was the current emperor's mother. So the same themes and plot points but wrong characters

[@SingingSealRiana]

Also, non of that was endorsed and it was not framed as common or OK, literally everyone is horrified by it!!! Depicting something as a regrettable part of reality is the opposite of endorsing!

[@AlbusVacuus]

I would say the first opening is still thematically resonant with the show. Those other flowers are pretty but dangerous, like the courtesans and the palace intrigue that surround them. While maomao is depicted as holding onto a weed and represented by its budding flower. She might be assumed to be plain or undesireable, but like many weeds, she is tenacious and resillient. Unlike all the other flowers in the start of the op which wither away.

[@katarh]

Her flower is in there too - she is symbolized by the little yellow wood sorrel, the smallest flower among all the other beautiful bigger flowers around it in the final bouquet.

[@AlbusVacuus]

@@katarh thanks for specifying tje name. I just knew it as a flowering weed

[@lukabellerose3385]

Actually I believe she's represented by the buttercup which was used in early medicine by usually skilled herbalists as somewhat of a panacea (headaches, chest colds, gout, boils, abscesses, sore wounds, ect.), but only use topically, if ingested it could quickly become lethal due to its inflammatory properties

[@pharuhs]

also, she can canonically dance since she was taught that much, on a basic level, while growing up with the courtesans

[@FirstLast-uj9ud]

Regarding the first op, I've seen some people interpret it as being from Jinshi's point of view on how he sees Maomao, and honestly I think it checks out pretty well. Translated, the lyrics are: Become a flower - Come on, laugh nihilistically at me I get a thrill from the look on your face, I can't take my eyes away! Let me taste it, your poison is my medicine I'll envelop you with love, so laugh Incidentally, I've also seen someone suggest that the second op is also from his perspective, and that seems plausible too. The final chorus of the full version of the song reads: Blue, blue, I'm not reflected in those eyes, but I want you to always be smiling To be excited about what you love Yes, always I surely like you just the way you are

[@moujayay]

Important note: in some episodes of time coming she will do that dance for one of her courtesan sisters from the pleasure district that is being sold out. So it is not even that far fetched off and the dress is actually exactly that. It being depicted in both dark and light colors is pretty much symbolizing the light and dark side of a life as a courtesan. I love the interpretation of slipping into Jinshi's POV in the intro. It would totally correlate with the melancholy 2nd ending too. It also plays so much into the manga story where he is often depicted spacing out thinking about her and actually wanting to share his secret with her and such. OMG I am already rambling so much again xD I just love this story xD

[@merrikiwi]

If it's Jinshi's perspective then it adds to the point. It was made with a male perspective in mind

[@nicolaspattini8616]

@@merrikiwi and also the second opening....

[@meezy9550]

​@merrikiwi it is a seinen so it was probably made with the male perspective in mind

[@Ghorda9]

@@meezy9550 to me it it looks more like a shoujo, it doesn't matter how mature the story gets if it still has elements in it that are meant to engage that demographic than it's a shoujo, if it drops those elements but keeps the heavily romantic themes than it becomes a jousei not a seinen

[@Animezingly]

I literally had no idea what it was labeled as. I just saw a video of someone praising Maomao and was like “YES” . I frickin love this show

[@Contherage]

As a guy, I didn't know that it was labeled seinen. I didn't even think to check any labels. The one thing that made me (at first) pass on this anime was the period drama aspect. I've never been one to enjoy historical or period dramas. So it took my awhile to pick this anime up. And when I did, I watched the dub (it midnight for me, a little tired and didn't want to read subs). At the time I think 13 episodes were dubbed and I finally went to bed around 6am. I did a proper binge. Something I thought I was getting too old for. Turns out, I just need the right anime. And even after catching up to the dub I was left with wanting more. So I went to the sub and caught up to that. Episode 18 happened, I then needed more. So I went to the manga. Only meaning to read up where the anime is, 3 days later (and 68 chapters later) I had caught up to the manga. And needing more. Haven't done light novel yet, but I have been considering it. This has become an obsession or sorts.

[@opfax163]

You should not care about seinen , shoujo, shonen, josei, etc because it's literally just a publishing label . It can give you an idea but that's it . Even yaoi is not a term used in Japan (they surprisingly use the BL label)

[@mightyserras6222]

"Poisons and their effect on the human body is feminine" is not a take I was prepared for today.

[@merrikiwi]

Women love poison! It's their murder method of choice!

[@mightyserras6222]

@@merrikiwi I am suddenly very worried for one of you

[@MahiMahi-yu5jo]

​@@merrikiwi Welp, that explains my fascination with poisonous plants, to the point of collecting them and fanatically guarding them...

[@Neuviletteiudexofmemes]

@@merrikiwiThat’s largely a consequence of them not believing they have an alternative option to males having half again the muscle mass on average. It’s not even debatable that more males have used poison to commit murder then women have, not to mention most poisons were discovered by and historically associated with males. Not even to mention that, hypothetically, if a girl was behind this account, she might feel the need to point out that poison is actually associated with cunning and ambition, and not to either gender in particular, and that associating it specifically to the female gender would be far more toxic, pun certainly intended, then empowering.

[@TrueFork]

poison and arson were long known as "weapons of the weak"

[@onebyonebby]

a thing to note: AD is not set in ancient China (the country the characters live in is called Li, actually) and it was never specified to be Ming dynasty. It’s a fictional world (with obvious inspirations taken from the ancient China tho lol)

[@merrikiwi]

This is really interesting! I had my doubts about the source I used so thanks for letting me know!

[@AlvissaCo]

@@merrikiwithis is actually a common misconception. If you guys are familiar with murim manhwas or even xianxia novels, most of those are set in a fictional world that is heavily based in an ambiguous "ancient" China but isn't China. For analogy, think of it as similar to romance fantasy manga/manhwas that have aristocrats. You get the impression that those are vaguely European and maybe set in Edwardian or Victorian era but it's not. It's really just a fictional world/country based on a mishmash of an approximation of the aesthetics and traditions from said periods.

[@KeaneCJK]

As a Chinese I do agree, it's not real history as the country name, palace names, concubine titles etc is incorrect or non-existent, although the palaces and their dress somehow "resembles" Ming dynasty since Qing dynasty, who uses the same palace after they conquered Ming dresses differently.

[@Ghorda9]

@@merrikiwi the names are also a mix of japanese and chinese and not a exclusively chinese

[@TryinaD]

@@Ghorda9the names are a Japanese attempt to pronounce Chinese, they do have official Chinese names

[@keter783]

Call me weird... but I feel like Apothecary doesn't belong in either... I feel like the problem shouldn't exist. It's a show that both genders (even the manly man or whatever) could enjoy. It's just solid storytelling.

[@merrikiwi]

It's really cool you feel that way! But when making something especially in the case of anime they have specific gender and age demographics in mind and that will influence how the show is made. What we learnt while researching and show in the video is that Apothecary was likely written with an older female demographic in mind but then when it was adapted to a light novel the demographic switched and that influenced the decision making for the anime and also for the viewer.

[@TheTenzen12]

@@merrikiwi I think, if ti was made with female audience in mind, it simply wouldn't be as popular with males as it is.

[@ivanav.3136]

wholly agree. it is just demographics. a good story is good regardless of marketed audience or which publisher published it. the discrepancy points is like a culture shock between the japanese and the western norms/expectations.

[@coyotecom]

You two are better investigative journalists than any major news outlet has seen in a decade

[@ThatOneAccount931]

Correction* Lishu was never pregnant with the emperor’s child. She was the former Emperor’s consort but he didn’t get her pregnant and if recall didn’t even touch her inappropriately before he died. I think there is a bit of a translation issue with her being a mother-in-law but regardless, she did not give birth at 9

[@Tamaki742]

I think they placed her as mother - in - law to Ah Duo by technicality because she was the emperor's father's concubine.

[@TheTenzen12]

That's true, but current Emperor mother young enough that she had to be around same age as Lishu, showing that previous emperor had some disturbing proclivities.

[@ThatOneAccount931]

@@TheTenzen12 yes he did. Sorry, didn’t mean to try and say the former emperor wasn’t…sus for lack of KZbin safe words. He was absolutely messed up in what he liked

[@katarh]

I think also by the time Lishu was sent to the inner palace (at the age of 6.... ooof) the previous emperor was already dying. He died 5 years prior to the start of the series. He was over 60 at the time and very sick. Lishu said the current emperor always treated her more like a daughter.

[@Tamaki742]

@@katarh You mean 9, Lishu is 14 currently.

[@eastbow6053]

if jinshi is an eunuch then i am an alien

[@lukebeich]

Yeah, conveniently, from what I remember, the fact he is an enuch is only an assumption made by Mao Mao. I only saw the anime, so I don't know if the LN was more definitive on that point either way.

[@spacelemming4493]

@@lukebeich It more like if he's not a Eunuch he must be SOMEONE TOO IMPORTANT and she must never learn that secret as it would only put her in danger, she avoids the politics like the plague even if that means convincing herself he is a Eunuch despite every arrow pointing to the contrary

[@mikefannin6278]

@@lukebeich The LN is more definitive than the anime has gotten to yet, but also there's more going on than a simple slap-a-label-on-it. Much like everything else in the show.

[@moujayay]

@@spacelemming4493 yeah she really just ignores all the hints he gave her about his actual identity and it becomes a really taxing chase between those 2 about when they talk about the elephant in the room :'D

[@norasyikinali6283]

​​@@moujayaythe girl is clever, and she is also very aware of how fragile her position in the palace. Knowing her, she already deep down knows Jinshi is not an eunuch, the label is only used to suppress any further thoughts on what kind of political position Jinshi actually hold within the imperial palace. In this instance, ignorance is truly her one true defense.

[@Pancoleon]

Honestly, when I first saw that Apothecary Diaries was listed as a seinen I thought it was a database error. It's genuinely fantastic but from having read the LNs even when it's at its most action-heavy, it really does not care for detailing the action in a way I would expect from a seinen title. That, combined with Jinshi looking & acting the way he does, made me assume it was probably a shoujosei of some kind. Also, in the spirit of the LN categorisation argument, I decided to check bookwalker for their tagging bc they tag it as seinen. Turns out, they're not particularly consistent about tagging demographics at all with only 41% having a demographic listing. That said, of the 266 with demographics listed, 109 are seinen, 79 are shounen, and 78 are shoujo. They literally don't have a josei tag for LNs. Make of that what you will.

[@merrikiwi]

The bookwalker stats are very interesting! Our main point is that all this demographic stuff isn't really that important and that really adds to that. They're a good place to start but basing your entire taste on them is just going to leave you missing out on anime you'd love or forcing yourself to watch things you don't like.

[@kikyo3146]

​@@merrikiwihey , how can i read these ln ? I ended up reading this manga upto 69 chapter. And now i want to read this novel. Can you tell me about some details from where to start ? Pls

[@FeyPax]

I also have seen a trend where people are caring less and less about genre tags like shonen/shojo. Funny enough my fiancé and I were talking about this in regards to Apothecary diaries. How we felt it was kinda a mix with different elements and then I said Tbh I don’t think it matters much anymore. Being NB I’m just happy to see everyone and anyone enjoy it.

[@amandabernard8179]

Lishu didn't give birth though. The empress dowager prevented the night from happening

[@shirohanejima-shirotorihit3193]

i have another interpretation for the first op, it may be wrong but its the first one that i reached when i had some more context of the show so i think it is not entirely worthless. i call it 'the rise of maomao' but first this come from a couple assumptions. first, that the concubines are represented by flowers (im sure of three of them, gyokuyou is represented by camelia, lishu by lily of the valley and lihua is also represented by a flower, but i cant remember which one it was. im not really sure about ahduo), the second, jinshi is actually the son of the emperor and consequently the next in line for the throne, and last, the op is from jinshis pov so from this assumptions my mind jumped to a kind of 'future plot' where jinshi is to rise to the throne and so to have a harem, but no matter how many beautiful flowers are in from of him, he only has eyes for a humble weed flower aka maomao, and so he chooses her as empress consort over all others idk if it is right, i only follow the manga but this does feel a little bit shoujo-ish

[@kopfloserbeginn3879]

Love that maomao is basically an addict trying to stay out of trouble

[@Josephll64]

It's really interesting to me that that was your takeaway from the first OP's direction. I kinda thought that her being dolled up and dancing in a beautiful dress was more targeting a female demo. Great OP, and great show. I discovered it mainly because of the "mystery" tag, and I'm glad demo listings or aesthetics don't bother me. Would've been a shame to miss out.

[@nopeface3371]

I know right!!!??!!! When he said that the op dance was erotic I was so confused, she just looks like she's dancing and having fun, where's he getting erotic from?

[@kouko6727]

Indeed, lmao. I got no sense of it being erotic just her having fun.

[@Makjaoiuewhxkjs]

Idk I thought it was weird and didin't really fit the show or Maomao. I also thought about it as erotic.

[@kouko6727]

@Makjaoiuewhxkjs I guess everyone has their own way of seeing it. Just a dance like that doesn't seem erotic. Though I do agree, it probably isn't something Maomao would do.

[@Makjaoiuewhxkjs]

It's not the dance itself but her dress, makeup, her facial expressions.

[@BaumMiner]

all in all amazing video... but I'm really hung up on calling Frieren depressing. There is a reason the first 4 episodes were released together as one big epsiode. The Story is the opposite of depressing: increadibly uplifting.

[@merrikiwi]

I (The one of us who has read the manga) found it super Melancholy. A story around the passing of time and making the most of the time you have with people. The passage of time in such a direct way is a stressful topic for some. I get the same feeling from Growing Tired Of The Lazy High Elf Life After 120 Years. There are happy, fun and exciting moments but after all that he still has to watch his friends die and move on. So yeah Melancholy.

[@RenSako]

@@merrikiwiA story would be pointless without a little stress, and Frieren handles that side of the story very delicately. For a video supposedly about not giving up on media for shallow reasons, "it's kinda stressful" is a pretty shallow reason. No human this young should be particularly affected by the idea of the passage of time in that way, and it having a melancholy side to it isn't a strike against it.

[@rudolfgrbavac5855]

I watch at least a few episodes of every new anime no matter what it is. It's best for people not to pigeon hole themselves and try many new things. I'm a guy and I fell in love with this show in the first episode. Maomao is easily my favorite MC ever written. You could put her character in any story or situation and I would watch it.

[@opfax163]

Yeah +1 , I watched it without verifying the dumb publishing labels . The first episodes (the rule of 3 episodes before dropping) kept me in .

[@net-42]

Blaming Square Enix is a valid take.

[@mikehawk8984]

I'm a nearly 30 year old dude and this was one of my favorite series that I've read in the last decade. Granted, I mostly read romance/slice of life so I guess it's already withen my tastes, but I think it's a show/ novels that anyone can enjoy. People get too hung up on whether something was "meant" for you to give stuff a chance. I assure you that Ouran High School Host Club or Fruits Basket wasn't written with teenage boys in mind, but I still picked them up and I've been in love with the genre ever since ✌️💜

[@merrikiwi]

We made this video with people who worry about demographics in mind. If you don't that's great but a lot of people will not watch an anime if it's under the "wrong" label. Be that women who won't watch shonen because it's just dumb action stuff or men who won't watch shoujo because it's dumb romance stuff. It's an immature but surprisingly common mentality. A lot of these communities will reassert these ideas so we wanted to give a thorough insight into how demographics are chosen and how they change to show all people that these aren't labels worth thinking on too much. It's great when people say that they don't mind the labels and just enjoy what they enjoy though.

[@teanbooks9539]

Attack on Titans is in the SEINEN category but it doesn’t stop people in SHONEN age group to be fans. Apothecary is very fortunate to be categorized in SEINEN, because if it is in JOSEI it will probably be much less popular (and might not get animated). Because women often read both SEINEN and JOSEI. Why men often only prefer SEINEN.

[@merrikiwi]

AoT is shounen not seinen and it's not good that being a josei makes something less likely to do well. That mentality is what we are trying to combat.

[@teanbooks9539]

@@merrikiwi It is very perplexing that AOT is categorized as SHONEN when it is so dark similar other to dark fantasies like Berserk or Abyss. Categorized as SHONEN really help with sales when its contemporaries in SHONEN are more light-hearted and heroic.

[@Kjaskar3003]

I personally never look at the genre of a show. most of the time I look at the cover and if it looks nice I take a look into the first episode. most of the times I don't get disappointed :D sometimes I also read a short description of what the show is about. Not too often though. :) I love the apothecary diaries as does my husband. And I also talked some friends into watching it. :)

[@Dntmindmeimjustbored]

I was surprised to know this was actually Seinen, because it feels so much like a Josei anime even though the leads are teenagers.

[@stealthy9754]

I started getting into this series by reading abit of the manga, then the anime came out shortly after that, i love it so much to the point that i started reading the LN, i’m at vol.10 already and i can not stop reading it. This series is special, i highly recomend the light novel

[@MillyKKitty]

Lets see badass older women... Riza Hawkeye, Izumi Curtis, Olivie Armstrong... Mikasa... My mind is hitting a blank right now. Uhh, Elsa Granhiet? No, that is more "oo la la scary" than "woah slay stronk". Ghost in a Shell mc is pretty cool in the first movie.

[@iAstra]

I don't think Mikasa counts as an older woman, given that by the end, she's only 22. I also think Riza's too young to count, as even by the end of the story, she hasn't even turned 30 and Elsa is apparently only 23, but Izumi and Olivier are amazing examples

[@MillyKKitty]

@@iAstra With the Mikasa one I forgot the story doesn't actually span out that long 😅, so she is only like 19. Riza being under 30 also slipped from my mind. Elsa on the other hand, her being only 23 is much more surprising than anything 🤯.

[@biazacha]

Miss Yuuko from xxxHolic is a great example of badass older lady.

[@iAstra]

@@MillyKKitty Right? So strange! I had looked them up to be sure and Elsa shocked me!

[@ralola1]

The thing is the scenes where she is more sexual along with the opening feels more symbolic of how poison makes her feel like herself. Like it's a hedonistic desire similar to sex and openly compares that desire to how sex is viewed in the world. Which brings up questions and thoughts of bodily autonomy and how one uses it or is forced to give it up. This comparison of poison and sex is for me the main theme of the show, how when used wrong it can hurt or kill or how when it's used right can be used to build others up. So when you look at the opening from that mindset it's no longer fan service, it's showing how our protag has to "pick her poison" and she quite literally chooses poison over sex. Repressing sexuality for a different kind of pleasure.

[@merrikiwi]

That's a really interesting way of looking at it!

[@CuddleCuttlefish]

My interpretation of the first Opening of the anime, is tied to the translated lyrics of the song itself: Although I definitely think it is likely they added a bit of extra sex appeal to the opening to try and hook boys in, I do think it doesn't stray as much from the message and theme of the show and the character, as it may seem. The lyrics of the song are very close to Maomao's experiences and philosophy in life. It's all about hiding yourself, and letting your beauty bloom in seclusion where it's safe, about not caring what others think, or about adorning yourself to appeal to others. It implores you to embrace your inherent beauty from being yourself. Regardless of Maomao's disposition and attitude, it is an undisputed fact that she grew up in a very sexual environment, and the anime does express that she *is* beautiful in her own way, and knows the arts of a courtesan from her sisters. I don't think it's coincidental that Maomao multiple times throughout the show mentions that she fears being put to work at the brothel herself, meaning that the madam of the brothel expects she would make them money as a courtesan. A spoiler detail that also ties into this (last chance to stop reading if you don't want spoilers) is the fact that her mother was a popular courtesan in the same brothel before her. I read the visuals of the OP along with the lyrics, to speak to Maomao's rejection of the beauty and sex appeal that she could realistically lean on like her sisters in the brothel. It is a part of her, hence why we see the second Maomao flow into the Maomao we know and love, but one she keeps hidden and safely guarded like the song suggests. She doesn't want to or care to exploit that part of her for money, adoration, or power. Thus we only see it in full display in the opening as part of her own internal world. The beauty and grace that she shows in the op dance, a part normally valued highly in the society and environment she grew up in, is also a danger to her safety. If nothing else, the visual narrative of the OP reinforces the idea that Maomao has survived so far as well as she have by keeping a low profile, and that her life could have gone very differently given the environment she grew up in. She doesn't need the validation from fancier herself up like a decorated flower pot, she succeeds on her own merits, carves her own path, and knows her own value. You could say the dance sequence wasn't necessary to make this point, but I would disagree to some extent. Without it, we don't have a reference for *what* it is that Maomao is keeping inside herself. In addition, I think it is an interesting contrast to show the viewer right from episode one. It similarly reflects the contrast of Maomao's background and environment she was raised in with how she acts and her humble profession as an apothecary. Maomao lives a life of contrasts and contradictions, so I think the sequence in the OP does a decent job of setting up an expectation for that contrast within the show. What she could be, compared to what choses to be.

[@rei_cirith]

That's weird... I've been looking for a decent anime/manga to follow and this is the first one that actually interested me. I never bothered to look at the label. It had a tiny bit of romantic theming but isn't about some trashy people backstabbing each other or some melodramatic shit with very age inappropriate characters which seems to be the direction almost everything is going.

[@merrikiwi]

It's great It definitely feels like a show designed for adults!

[@asscheeks3212]

Yeah i was bit confused too, after going through the whole LN, mao mao stayed Aromantic through and through, even after- *spoilers* Mao Mao and jinshi eventually end up together, mao mao still maintain her Aromantic traits. Shes a stern one.

[@zbear199b3]

Where do you read light novel 12 and beyond? I cant find them anywhere ​@asscheeks3212

[@eleinaedelweiss6215]

Meanwhile im a guy who actually read it and liked it. As long as it have a good stories i will read/watch the hell out of it.

[@merrikiwi]

Hell yeah! Keep being you!

[@manimations7007]

I absolutely love this anime! Watching it again for like the 4th time now. I honestly did not know it was labeled as an seinen?!?! I don’t really care what label it was given. The fact that our main character Maomao is very smart and uses her knowledge for good is refreshing. And that she doesn’t immediately fall for the handsome person Jinshi. I found it hilarious she feels grossed out by Jinshi’s flirting while others fawn over his beauty. He actually becomes more better when he’s around her…more human than the act he puts on for everyone.

[@canasnewell3089]

So, funny note on the openings. I (male) am watching the show with my sister right now (not quite finished but we will be soon) and for the note on the openings she... overwhelmingly prefers the first opening and not the second one as the video might suggest (while I don't really have that strong of feelings about it) Might be reflective of her interests but I do find it interesting that my personal experience with the show actually reflects the opposite of what the video posits in this case.

[@jooceebox]

loved watching this!! knh is my biggest interest rn so i had to watch it, and yall did great omg i loved every point touched up on and all the new stuff i learned abt its production!! i was actually one of the ones who found the show through a friend watching it, and then read the mangas, ln, and all the way up to the latest web novel chapter! if you like the apothecary diaries, the anime only experience is so magical!! they include stuff not in the source material (ALWAYS FUN!!) AND WE'RE CREEPING UP ON SUCH A GOOD ARC!! pls keep up positive reviews for the show i NEED season 2!!!! AND AND AND reading the mangas and the written versions of the story is so fufilling! like the mysteries just get bigger and more complicated and even darker in some cases! we learn so much about the characters, even the ones you'd think didnt have any room for depth like lihaku or the quack :) its so fun PLEASE give this series all your love

[@jeffro751]

I have been enjoying the series too, it can seem slow or like i had missed something, but watching week to week it is possible i had just forgotten something, I did learn from this vid and want to say thank you, we do need more love for this great series.

[@kradwolf5719]

It is mentioned many times by Maomao and hinted but not said out loud due to fear of punishment, many were disturbed by the previous emperor's like for VERY young and feminine women. The new emperor won't openly say it and is politically forced to keep the young concubines around although he doesn't touch them which causes them to be bullied by those around them. I find it interesting how the author went about such a sensitive subject of history without upsetting the public. I also appreciate it's ability to explain the difference in education and common knowledge during it's time historically. Like the average man not knowing about a womans monthly cycles (don't remember seeing it in the anime but remember it in the manga). It's also unique that instead of Maomao magically having the answer and knowledge to fix any situation, she often has to hold herself back even if she does know out of fear that drawing attention to herself or that someone of her status can't directly accuse someone without being put to death even if she was right. i highly recommend this series because, like you said, it is genderless and very entertaining while also being kinda educational. I certainly didn't know about the honey.

[@kikyo3146]

Dude , can you tell me about light novel , ? I've ended reading this AD manga upto chap 69 and now i want to start reading ln , how can i read it , pls tell me from where to start and can we read it for free ???

[@Atepa09]

/adds another anime to his watch list/... Thank you two! lol but seriously thank you for highlighting the show i look forward to going through it.

[@moujayay]

I (32 F ) am really hyping over this Anime AND mainly the Manga since I saw the first trailer of it. I reread and rewatched both over and over to find more and more nuances to the story. I don't really care about what categories both Manga and Anime are categorized in and just trial and error if something looks interesting. This is also how I found this gem and how I will continue dealing with my obsession over manga in general xD

[@mitacestalia7532]

Apothecary Diaries feels like I'm back watch Jewel in the Palace where it's all about political intrict in harem, knowledge about plant, mystery, etc.

[@apfelbirne7621]

I'm so glad that I was not the only person to be confused about the seinen tag. Thank you guys for the digging you've done. In my opinion it is 100% a josei series. Maybe publishers were confused because the MAIN plot isn't a romantic plot. And the romantic plot is really slow burn to the point where Mao Mao hasn't even entertained the idea of being in a romance because of how she views herself socially. Also a bunch of other intrigue is going on in the meantime which takes up the majority of the drama and plot. Of course the series obviously has universal appeal and I have guy friends who are also enjoying it because it's GOOD in general. I will yell into the void recommending it because I love the story and want to see the creators rewarded.

[@matthewvradenburg9234]

just wait for the frog scene from the manga

[@Litbolb]

Yeah my favorite part about the scene is when Maomao calls the dog over to get Jinshi off of her 😂

[@TheTenzen12]

Very average sized frog scene to be exact.

[@KiaraKitsune]

@@TheTenzen12 I thought she thinks he has an impressive frog

[@TheTenzen12]

@@KiaraKitsune Irc Jinshi would like her to think it's impressive frog, but Maomao insist it's very average. Leaving Jinshi having bit of frog complex.

[@nanoneko4511]

the frick are you guys talking about

[@scottjs5207]

Just off the heels of finishing AoT and Watching the first part of Invincible S2... I've watched almost every episode of this show... SEVERAL TIMES.... Gosh, I love this show and it's slow flippin out of place for what I typically like watching... 😅

[@apluska4398]

I watched the anime, am caught up on the manga, and am now reading the light novels. I am obsessed with this show/story to put it lightly, In the first opening something most people don't realize is that all of the flowers she is surrounded by and the bouquets are flowers of the consort and the women she gets to know/we get introduced to through the consorts and the courtesans. Someone broke it down on Tiktok with the flower's hidden meanings and looking at the character names. (I don't remember the exact video and I am aware Tiktok isn't the best at facts) So you could also break it down as Maomao slowly blooming into her own person and growing to flourish among these planted and manicured flowers into her own sort of new side we see develop through the show. We don't see a lot of massive growth from Maomao in the anime but when comparing it to the light novels/manga, this theory really could hold some weight and merit. I do love the idea of this theory but it could also be the main girl doing a sexy dance, because if this show was initially aimed at a male audience that could most certainly play a role.

[@PrincessDreamie]

SPOOOILEEEEER~!! Shinji is not an eunuch, he just pretends to be so that he can work there in peace

[@BlackReshiram]

ive recently gotten into this anime and im already addicted! ive been looking at jinshi fanart a lot more than id like to admit 😅

[@gerritvalkering1068]

I got recommended this anime somewhere and read the manga after. I honestly think they did a masterful job. The anime can put into motion the still frames of the manga or the descriptions of the novel, while they have to do away with a lot of the exposition. They show a very keen awareness of this. The manga has a lot of thought bubbles from Mao Mao. Large ones at that. Long inner monologues are unavoidable in the adaptation, but they try to follow the principle of 'show, don't tell', I feel. As it is focused on social interactions and all the subtleties that come with it, eye movements, facial expressions, posture, and all that play an important role. And since you're watching the show, that's probably something you pay attention to too. So instead of a couple of panels where she's thinking about how excited she was about the poison, we get a scene that's reminiscent of the 'woman eating something delightful for the first time' trope. You've already been conditioned to be aware of the expressions and movement of the people in the show. Which also makes it more understandable that everyone notices her excitement. If I recall, they actually add a few more scenes to the show here and there for this purpose (don't ask me an example, I'd have to re-watch and reread it). Could they have done it a bit shorter and more subtle? Probably. However, I bring forth a second point. You mention how she's considered plain or ugly even though she isn't really that bad. This part of the show is also the first part where they're trying to sell you her allure as a woman. So yes, they're going to put it on thick. On beauty, it's a funny thing. Nowadays we consider tanned people attractive (as long as it's not weathered). Why? Because it's an indication you can spend leisure time in a place where you get a tan, which means you have at least some wealth. Back then, pale faces were beauty. A pale complexion means you have the leisure of spending all your time outdoors or in shade, never having to go outside in the sun. There was a time in Europe when that was the beauty standard too. Any blemish on the skin was considered terrible. Except for that one beauty mole, for some reason. Freckles, even in Europe, were considered something only a peasant would have. In a highly stratified society, that would have a big impact. Also, I'd have to read the novel to check, but it wouldn't surprise me if there she did more than just add freckles. Like maybe adding a fake tan, or somewhat uneven coloring. Anything to make herself look more like a peasant. But hey, can't have that in the manga or anime adaptation.

[@blackfalconotaku4392]

I love this show and learning that it's still in publication in its earliest form is killing me inside. I so desperately want to be able to binge this but I feel like it's going to be a thing like one of my favorite manga which has been on going for over 20 years 😭. And as someone who grew up watching only anime that had been completed almost a decade prior I am dying inside. I don't like being a fan of things that aren't finished. But I am. So I am destined to suffer..

[@ellchenelle1682]

Also slight tangent : Lishu has no children. The current emperor's mother (Anshi) was also very young when she had him. She had a second child around the same time as Ah-Duo. It isn't mentioned in the show I believe but in the manga around the same time : Ah-Duo and the current emperor actively set up plans to stop the former Emperor from visiting Lishu as to protect her. So TLDR: Anshi was the young concubine and mother in question, not Lishu

[@gprovidakes]

I think the conclusions drawn are flawed since it excessively focused on the first 12 of 24 episodes. The world expands beyond the Rear Palace to the outer court. The deaths of Bureaucrat’s and artisans as well as artisans and the threats they endure and mysteries to be solved. It’s pretty clear Jinshi and Gaoshun are not Eunuchs. There is some kind of imperial conspiracy hidden in the mysteries Maomao solved.

[@gprovidakes]

I think the Josei and shoujo is not this series. It’s not an odysesy isakai fantacy but closer to a historical slice of life in Imperial China. I have seen very favorable compared to Freiren. Personally like like Freiren but it’s isakai immortal elf story while fun and at times deeply moving pales in comparison to the depth and range of character as well as rich world and storyline. Apothecary gains from reducing the world building by using the familiar Imperial China culture that was exotic yet easy to suspend belief within.

[@merrikiwi]

As we mentioned the video took a while to get out and those 12 episodes were the only ones out at the time of writing the script. Sadly we are not psychic and couldn't watch the episodes that are yet to come out (it would sure make videos easier tho). I'm not sure why you think the setting means it's not a shoujo or josei. Ancient China is a somewhat popular setting across many genres and demographics. And it definitely does a lot for the world building of the inner palace and doesn't just rely on the audience understanding the social structure and time period. Red River is a shoujo manga from 1995 that has a lot of similar themes of political intrigue and mystery. Ultimately I'm not sure why you think our conclusions are wrong when we researched and discovered that it and many other anime have had their demographic switched. Most of the video was explaining why women would like it as a way to try and encourage women who were put off by the seinen tag. Mystery is an incredibly feminine genre, look at shows like darker than black and hell girl. These are both shoujo. And in the west crime procedurals are very popular with women. Death Game manga are also popular with women. At the end of the day these are just words to help make an informed decision on if you want to watch the show and in the case of the Apothecary Diaries we think marketing it towards women would have been a better choice as a lot of guys would be put off by the themes and pacing.

[@gprovidakes]

My comments were done in real time before you revealed that you changed after writing from seeing later episodes. That aside I found your review great albeit loaded with a lot os insider details I couldn’t fully follow. @@merrikiwi

[@katarh]

@@merrikiwi _Fushigi Yuugi_ is as classic shoujo as it gets and it was also set in fantasy ancient China.

[@relic5752]

​@@gprovidakesFrieren is just fantasy, not at all an Isekai. It explores Frieren's detachment from the world around her, sure, but that's in line with her species' longevity, not due to being from another world.

[@criises]

~spoilers~ The first opening is gorgeous and highlights the duality of Maomao's character, as a girl raised in the red light district vs the apothecary. She does learn how to work/dance/entertain and in fact dances in an outfit just like the one in the opening later on the story. Another thing I noticed and thankfully others pointed out, the show is not set in China but in a fictional world and it's even stated at the start of almost every episode and if I'm remembering correctly, in the manga as well.

[@bluecherry1011]

I was going to say that. I've seen quite a few people comment that Maomao wouldn't be interested in make up or wouldn't know how to dance or that she wouldn't like to wear more feminine clothes. I agree that most of the time she's a little more tomboyish (understandably, with all the fear of being kidnapped and stuff)... But she's still a girl. She can be quirky and obsessed with poison, and at the same time she can know how to dance and can wear a super cute outfit. As you said, she was raised in the pleasure district, she knows how to entertain. I love her duality as a character. I'm glad that was shown in the last episode of the season 😊

[@S00NERD0G]

Just to be a pedant, but Lishu didn't get pregnant (it's unclear if she was ever a victim of the Former Emperor). That was the Empress Dowager Anshi, mother of the current Emperor - and while her age when pregnant wasn't given it was certainly young enough to horrify Maomao. (The overall point still stands though!) btw here is my badass older women list: Shinobu Nagumo Prospera Mercury Balsa (from Moribito) Lisa Lisa (& would Fujiko Mine or Michiko Malandro count?)

[@zefyrisd69]

I can confirm that Lishu never had sex with anyone to this point. What happened is that while the previous emperor was indeed into girls as young as her, he was already too weakened by illness when Lishu joined the inner palace, so she ended up never doing it with him. Then, she was released after he died, before being brought back to the inner palace as concubine for the current Emperor, who is into adult well endowed women, and look at Lishu not as a sex partner, but like a daughter; similar to his childhood friend Ah-duo. AFAIK Anshi, the current Empress dowager, gave birth to the current Emperor when she was 11, being assaulted by him at 10.

[@emmyalice]

I was glad to see someone mention this! Just to get the facts right, even if as you say, the point still stands.

[@DotTiuri]

That is very interesting, I never really think about things like these so it is always a refreshing viewpoint when a video like this pops up. Me and my (male)friends watched this together and enjoyed it greatly, that said I also know exactly why we did even if it where more focused on a female demographic which I could totally believe. It is because quality... The show's writing was really good and the visuals where amazing. We particularly couldn't stop pointing out the ridiculous amount of background details everywhere. In the end quality just overtakes any genre's or tags or the like at least in my eyes it does.

[@ThatOneAccount931]

So, I haven’t made it through the whole video yet but I’m kinda worried about how they prop up a particular element of jinshi’s character. If you’ve read the manga or read the light novel, you know 🐸

[@katarh]

They do make a good point though - from Maomao's perspective, and thus the audience's perspective, until his secret is revealed, it does serve to make him less threatening as a character. (You don't get those kind of muscles without some source of T, though, so the moment we saw him shirtless I went, "Aha...")

[@spring1610]

1. I have been assuming the term 'light novel' is from English where 'light reading' refers to mass market fiction genres like romance/mystery/horror/sf-f. 2. I also never once considered Apothecary Diaries as aimed at a male demographic, considering it as "Sherlock Holmes meets court drama meets historical fiction China," which is incredibly female themed, imo

[@tiacamp9349]

The apothecary diaries and frieren are animes i will show everyone who will watch and talk about endlessly for years. Many good points and i really hope she watches frieren too

[@sw-suddentraveller]

This makes so much sense. Having watched the anime, read the LN and started on the manga, the disconnect seemed weird. It might be that fewer people are talking about it because it has actually been watched by the demographic it was originally intended for. Us older women anime/LN/manga lovers tend to be less likely to comment on the forums.

[@katarh]

I wondered about the classification myself, and at first I thought it was due to the subject matter itself - historical drama + the brothels + the harem of the inner court. But after I got deeper into the light novels (after binge reading them after episode 2..... 10 are out in English officially!) I changed my mind and it's a lot simpler. No spoilers really: It's probably because of the sheer number of boob and dick jokes. But I like your technical explanation a lot better and I agree to blame Square Enix. Also: The fangirling is happening on Tumblr for Apothecary Diaries.

[@kazriko]

I personally like both The Apothecary Diaries and Frieren. I agree that AD is a bit of a misfit in Seinen, but it still works there well enough. When I watched it, my first comment was that this was one part The Red Sleeve, one part House MD.

[@jinx3980]

about sir integra shes only in her early 20s at the beginning of the anime only after the time skip she becomes a older woman😂

[@ericbunker6242]

I'm a 64 year old grandfather and I love this anime. The insights to China's Imperial life is fascinating. The anachronisms in MaoMao's knowledge are easily forgivable.

[@merrikiwi]

I'm glad your enjoying it!

[@TheTenzen12]

First of all it's nonsense to say that woman don't watch "seinen" (or that seinen is depressing by default). There is little to no overlap between shonen and shoujo, but both "seinen" and "josei" are more mature and realistic, which make them easier to watch for either gender. Generally speaking noone really care anymore. Second, I think main reason why it's generally categorised as "seinen" (not that it matter in any way) is simply because it's detective story with romance as mere subplot, which is prefered by male audience rather than plot that stories that primarily romance. Third: don't diss first opening, it's perfect representation of Maomao. Unremarkable common girl that intentionaly hides whole rich universe and beuty in her head where noone can see it. Maomao might look as nobody, but she is anything but. And most people that I personally witnessed talk about openings straight down prefer this first one. For respect of all time spend on research I will give this video like, even though I considered doing opposite. It was greatly informative video and I learned a lot, even if I disagree on takes it came with.

[@merrikiwi]

We have a whole little section on people deliberately avoiding the show or avoiding talking about the show because it's seinen. That's what inspired this video initially. A lot of women are put off by shounen and seinen and the point we want to make is that demographics are just the first step in deciding if a show is for you. Women absolutely deserve their own anime and manga and when we find proof that something was literally changed from being for women to being for men I think it's worth highlighting that maybe some of these shows are being twisted for a broader more male audience. We also never said we didn't like the opening just that it's very much sexualised more than the rest of the show and very much comes across as being for men despite the anime itself feeling very much lacking for this type of sexuality.

[@grenien4109]

I like the first op's music more than the second op's music so I'm really biased towards it. I think the music fits the themes of death and mystery better with its quick tempo and suspenseful feel.

[@sapphiremedia7777]

Yall are doing the digging my brain can't be bothered to do on a random late night anime Deep dive, thanks soldiers

[@martinicc67]

It's not the Ming dynasty, because there is a mirror in later chapters that's was invented after 1833

[@merrikiwi]

Sometimes when making art an artist will have to make a compromise because of a general audience expectation even if it makes no sense for the time. See Ghost of Tsushima deciding to have katanas even though that was set at a time before katanas were used. This doesn't mean the game isn't set then it means there was some level of artistic intent. Maybe they didn't want to show an authentic Ming dynasty polished bronze mirror because it wouldn't read well as a mirror to a contemporary audience or the composition looks wrong. Sometimes our jobs as artists is to lie a little bit to make things make sense. Equally sometimes you just don't know what you don't know and don't bother checking because it's a known thing why would it be false?

[@Beerbottles123]

The opening now made sense with the final episode of the season.

[@zoebrennan799]

I’m pretty excited to watch it. I’ve been watching stuff to get excited for it

[@guila5637]

8:42 Fine(フィーネ, Fīne) from Vampire in the Garden also Tohya Hachijo, Eva Ushiromiya, Featherine Augustus Aurora, Kyrie Ushiromiya, Virgilia and Beatrice from umineko are some pretty badass women. Also Erza Scarlet from fairy tail but she's a bit sexulized and younger compared to the ones I shared before, still an adult.

[@isaac_gs2995]

This is a really fun and interesting breakdown. Funny enough, Crunchyroll's genre listing throws another wrench into things with Drama and... Shojo. At least it reverts it back to the more appropriate female demo, but it's a bit odd to aim it at the younger and (usually) more romance focused portion of that demo. Edit: Almost forgot the assignment. Depending on cutoffs for age and definitions of badass maybe not all of these work, but Tsubone from Hunter X Hunter, Lady Eboshi from Princess Mononoke, and Eri Kisaki/Eva Kaden from Detective Conan/Case Closed.

[@merrikiwi]

I hadnt even considered looking at crunchyroll damn that's actually insane! Also thank you for the recommendations!

[@CandyThePuppy]

7:16 dang that background is really giving me nostaljia for my old programming on Eclipse days.... ^-^ ....wait . o.o where am I again?

[@Not_mera]

I have watched maybe like 15 animes start to end. Including the apothecary diary - at just 10 min in - 3 of them have been mentioned. And 2 of them were ones i just poked around and clicked on.

[@EgyptianDragon1]

A couple things I'd like to point out as more perhaps not portrayed quite right in the video from how the anime's narrative shows/tells us: I don't think I'd describe Jinshi and MaoMao's relationship as brother and sister honestly. I'd definitely say MaoMao does think he's annoying and brushes him off between thinking early on he's a bit of a creep/immature for someone in his position, mostly the immature part since the story points out there are ways he tends to act immature and we see it a lot, BUT, for Jinshi it's definitely something that quickly becomes an infatuation that just as speedily turns into him seeking romance because she doesn't fawn over him and bites back/stands up to his antics. There was also a huge bit of the plot with him worrying if she'd slept with anyone early on and the biggest intent behind him buying her out from the brothel when she went back was to preserve the fact she hasn't been with anyone because he aims to romance her entirely and is occasionally frustrated she doesn't seem to notice his feelings for her, though he loves to see her happy and still dotes on her (even if it's somewhat bribery at times too, he just likes messing with her a little bit for her reactions). I would over all call it a comedic romantic pursuit over a bickering sibling-type, just with one party as of yet not clued into the other's feelings due to her own social rank etc. Also the eunuch thing is a major plot point, so I'll only soft spoil that the jokes of Jinshi not having his male parts in the script is a taaaad misleading since they allude to a lot early on that there's something a bit off about him as well as his position and relations to some of the other characters. Like it's so pointed out at times by the plot within a few episodes I was already making guesses with some validation when i ran off to read it to current chapter from how much I enjoyed it and needed more after I finished season 1. Over all great video, I'm shocked to learn that there's any kind of discourse over this fantastic anime in the direction that it's 'not aimed at women'. With how prominent female characters are in the plot, MaoMao as the main lead, and the slow-burn romance vibes put in i thought it was entirely aimed more at a female audience and really it's sad anyone would avoid watching it for not fitting under a specific genre tag. They don't know what a good anime they're missing out on, one of the top best recent ones I've seen in modern anime so i hope your video does help bring interest and spread the word!

[@Robyntalks]

Regarding the first op, the flowers represent women and their beauty and diversity. (The end of ch.4 gave that away). As the "camera" travels into the background forest, we see a flower that hasn't bloomed yet. That represents Maomao. Her dress as she dances (the night sky) represents her depth of knowledge. The mirror says she has more sides to her than we know. The faces she makes as she dances show her personality. (Her disdain for Jinshi is clearly displayed). As the flower blooms, so will Maomao turn into a beautiful woman as she merges with her mirror self. After ch.4, I realized the meaning of the op and it became a lot better. love the song too. Robyn.

[@Yakle03]

I can see why you would want this anime to be classified as a josei. However, there are also a lot of elements that cater to a more masculine demographic. There are assassinations, suicides, political intrigue, and an entire episode dedicated to finding the mysteries of how swords are made, which are much more traditionally masculine topics that are most commonly found in the seinen genre. Ultimately, I don't think that either demographic fully encapsulates what the story is in its entirety. Men can watch this show and they will probably like it and women can watch this show and they will probably like it. That's why I like the fact that the anime itself isn't classified as either, because making it one or the other would just serve to alienate some of its potential audience from watching this great show.

[@rachelwebb8534]

This is a really interesting video! Something interesting that I've realized is that what happened with the Apothecary Diaries is similar to another favorite of mine, Ascendance of a Bookworm. It's light novel was also listed for a male demographic despite generally feeling more female oriented (Which honestly you could go into an entire discussion on what really makes something female vs male oriented and yadda yadda but whatever,) but it's manga is listed as shojo, switching back to a female audience. The theory regarding this gender swapping, which I think may also apply here, is that women and girls are far more likely to try media labeled for men or boys than vice versa, meaning that if you want to reach mass appeal and "Choose a side" so to speak, you have to label your audience as male. This problem is obviously rooted in sexism, assumptions, and the nature of having to needlessly gender things media. It's sort of what happened with video games too, when the switch was made to market them as toys and they needed to pick the pink or blue aisle, blue was more marketable, which obviously led to the current male dominated culture. It's almost... paradoxical? A male audience is assumed to be more universal than a female one, but being labeled as so leads to a toxic culture eventually developing that ends up isolating women and girls from media they may enjoy. Honestly this is why I wish that gendered genre's and audience labeling didn't exist, but I know how it's become so ingrained right now, especially with how things like that intersect with the publishing industry and other things in the production of anime. Good video! May not have agreed with all your points but it made me think enough to leave this ramble of a comment. Might check out your other videos and subscribe

[@merrikiwi]

Thank you! We're glad that even if you didn't agree with all our points it led to an interesting comment!

[@Bermeslivre]

I'm not sure why you got so hung up on the demographic, but otherwise good analysis. From what I've seen, the fans of Apothecary Diaires are almost evenly split along gender lines, so the demographic is "yes".

[@theredrighthandproductions]

The fact that i had no idea this show wasn't a shojou or josei until watching this video is telling

[@_Suprix]

my take : it's just a super good show and ppl should just give it a go instead of not even tryin' bcs some review or tag.

[@goofygoober4026]

Thumbnail says "taxonomy," my brain thinks "Taxidermy" 💀

[@kendrakirai]

So this is well old at this point, but the animation for the first opening is a flash forward to things later, as well as very linked to the *lyrics* of the opening song, 'Hana ni natte', or 'Be a Flower'. it's about the expectations of others, hiding ones self behind beauty, being demure, etc, and, finally, how you should just be yourself. It's INCREDIBLY on message for the animation to be Mao Mao being all pretty and dancing and such - while looking somewhat miserable the whole while, until, while the lyrics talk about loving you, the sexy Mao Mao dissolving into the one we know as being, if not the real her, far closer to her true self. Also, Apothecary isn't actually set in ancient china. It's a *Pseudo-Chinese inspired world* of its own that's *based* on the Tang dynasty.

[@shiroifeather]

my mom was recently at the bookstore so i asked her to pick me up the apothecary diaries mangas , she ended up reading t and now she is hooked wich is saying something considering she prefers her mature western fantasy novels and historical rettellings every time i talk to her about manga and anime its clear shes just politely intrested (ille be sure to tell her about the original novel too)

[@jyke321]

I haven't gone crazy about maomao since I haven't watched the anime yet. I absolutely loved maomao's character when I was reading the manga though back in 2021. I've fallen behind (the officially translated volumes have caught up to where I was when stopped, Vol 10) but I really liked the mysteries and maomao's portrayal.

[@kakaiyu]

I'd just like to point out that the first opening and extra cuts to make a few scenes more sexy aren't a bad thing or purely pandering to male viewers in my eyes. The show treats sensuality as empowering at times, so I consider them as depicting the times where Maomao feels the most "alive".

[@merrikiwi]

We don't think the sexuality is bad at all! We even praise the anime for how it treats sexuality in this video; the opening just shows a deliberate attempt by the anime to aim more towards men compared to the rest of the show which is incredibly feminine in its presentation.

[@lightpoint4426]

Take Sherlock Holmes, but set it in a country that's kind of but not exactly like Imperial China, add more political intrigue, and put the Holmes analogue at a significant social disadvantage to her 'clients'. She's even got her own Moriarty! Damn I love this show (and manga, I couldn't resist reading it and I need MORE).

[@NeonAtary777]

I didn't even realize that The apothecary diaries was a seinen 😂 I just watched it cuz it was associated with Frieren and I fell in love with Frieren (the character) because I have been needing a female character like her and I just knew apothecary diaries would also be satisfying. I was sooooo confused when I found out that it is actually seinen 😮. Anyway great video 🎉

[@theofiend11]

I love my castle of sand

[@Squiggy8440]

They kinda did this with ascendance of a bookworm too u-u and i even ended up in the cross fire of a dude adamantly denying that it’s shoujo all because the anime wasn’t labelled as such…. Hhhhh……

[@Mak10z]

Its House M.D. in ancient china, except Dr. House is a young woman. if you like diagnostic mysteries.. you'll like the show. its well thought out. and well paced. the art is beautiful, and mao mao has some of the best reaction faces in past decade

[@Miradai]

Woah cool video! Are those hand drawn pixel art versions of traditional Chinese patterns for the title cards? What a cool and fun idea!

[@Drumknott4304]

Has the anime made it to her mother yet? I took the dance in the op to be part of that arc.

[@kuraichyan]

Not to get into the weirdness of demographics and such, from what I understand the original web novel is published as general and the light novel physical publications are both in a seinen imprint and a jousei imprint (I could be misunderstanding some stuff though), it's both the manga that are specifically seinen imprints, which makes sense because women will still buy seinen imprint manga, but men generally won't buy jousei imprint manga.

[@digdogbulldogdog]

There’s a lot of badass middle aged women in the Umineko manga/anime/visual novel. Eva, Kyrie, Rosa, and Natsuhi from the Ushiromiya family are all middle aged mothers who swing around shotguns and fight giant goats to protect their kids. They also all have complicated character arcs in which being a woman in 20th century Japan and societal roles and stuff are discussed. Though I don’t know if Umineko is really possible to cover without having to read through fifty volumes of manga or hundreds of hours of visual novel:!8-!/);!3&-!:

[@merrikiwi]

I haven't heard of either of these. Ill have to give them a look thanks for the recommendation!

[@Caionnech]

I (M 40) loved this show, and I am thriled that it gets a second season in 2025. I dont think (personaly) that Seinen is more appealing to female viewers. and in fact some shows listet as seinen are more Shonen than one might think, and also the other way around. for example: Spy x Family is listet as Shonen but with Anya, a 6 year old girl as the "MC" (or more of an MC than in some other cases) it could have been a seinen as well. The Rising of the Shield Hero and Classroom of the Elite are also listet under Seinen with Kaguya-sama: Love is war thre shows with extreamly different premises or target audiances, in age and preference.

[@iAstra]

8:33 wanna add that Integra isn't an older woman until the very end of OVA 10. Before that, she's 22 But some examples, hmmm... Ren Gyokuen from Magi (49), Angelina Dalles (mid 30ies) and Francis Midford (mid to late 30ies) from Black Butler, Yu Ziyuan from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (no direct age, but her kids are late teens and young adults) and Chloé d'Apchier from Case Study of Vanitas (vampire, over 200 years old) come to mind - Also it really says something when an older woman qualifies as a woman who hasn't even turned 40 yet. Wow. That's a whole other topic

[@merrikiwi]

SHES 22!! I do not like that I'm older than her now. Thanks for the recommendations btw.

[@mightyserras6222]

I'm a guy who hasn't seen the anime but I really like this video about the anime

[@marions.3657]

from my understanding, a light novel is what you said but also it's usually a more casual type of reading, it's not huge complex classic literature it's a light reading. that's why they are called light novels from what i heard.

[@scottmyers6441]

I found it from a clip on KZbin, I'm pretty enamored with it now.

[@kimgodwin]

All of my male friends love this show. They are very firmly in the seinan demographic. I love it too.

[@kradwolf5719]

Names? "I like a girl that will just unalive me."