The Apothecary Diaries is NOT what I expected (Episode 1 REACTION!)

[@AlanaMisako]

yall i am SO EXCITED TO START THESE REACTIONS ON KZbin. we're a bit further ahead over on patreon and i am already obsessed with this show LOL can't wait to share more maomao and jinshi mystery and adventures!

[@hkteru.2404]

"formerly male lost their important part" this is the rule when man go to the palace need to abandon their important part because this is a threat to the emperor so they made this as a rule when u want to work at palace except u are the emperor son or related to the emperor

[@Kaslana_Yumma_423]

Maomao is hands down one of the best Mc of the year and one of the best Fmc of all time . She is just perfect

[@francescawhite4166]

She's proof that we really need more female mcs

[@Credemis]

@@francescawhite4166or at least, better written female mc’s

[@LLGTMT]

I think her and Frieren are tied for me.

[@waterblue2261]

You guys need to dig deeper into the older animes then. Balsa from Moribito. Erin from Kemono no Souja Erin. If anything they should just adapt the entire Moribito novels into anime. Edit Holo from Spice and Wolf might count?

[@raec5426]

​@@waterblue2261Spice and Wolf remake coming soon to bring more relevancy to that nowadays.

[@MarinMBGillette]

"The Apothecary Diaries" and "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" are the two modern series that are so good I wouldn't hesitate recommending them to people who aren't already interested in anime. The art, animation, storytelling and music for both series are absolutely top-tier.

[@parthpillai9480]

8:38 Jinshi is voiced by same guy as Aqua from Oshi no ko and oushi from sign of affection

[@MOOTLEZ]

Knew he sounded familiar

[@raec5426]

Since Oshi no ko, he's been getting more roles quickly right after. He's a good newer VA onto the scene.

[@AniMageNeBy]

13:40 Small correction: those are not prostitutes, they are concubines. The prostitutes that are talked about in this story are in the Verdigis House (a high-class whorehouse), but that's in the inner city, where she and her dad lives. Now she's in the rear-palace, working as a maid, and now a lady-in-waiting for one of the four major concubines of the Emperor. What she was saying there, is that, even though it's on a different level and stratum of social hierarchy, the palace and the whorehouse have many commonalities - one may presume she means the inter-dynamics of how the place is run and how the women all deal with each other.

[@forotherpurpose3671]

13:33 She's not just chill; she's pragmatic enough to know it's a waste of energy to fret over it; that's one of the thing that I love about her. She is aware of her powerlessness, she didn't try to rail the guys who kidnapped her because she knows she'd be safer if she just kept quiet and do as they told. She even commented that she pretended to not know how to read or write to prevent her salary from increasing, because more money will go to her kidnappers and she'd hate that. She didn't try to escape from the Palace because it'll put her in even more difficult situation, so her solution was to keep working quietly until her term is over and she will be free; that's the safest option she considered to return home in one piece. She's so pragmatic when prioritizing her safety, but thanks to her curiosity & her sense of justice, she's now got promoted instead. I love her.

[@TheMinepath]

Really excited to see you start this show! It’s my favorite this season. Also, maomao being an apothecary is just cause her dad is an apothecary/doctor; she’s just her dad’s apprentice. She was delivering drugs her dad made in the opening scene.

[@SnehaKar23456]

Can't believe you started this. One of my favourites! Hope you enjoy the journey❤❤

[@memorandom7484]

Ah! You're in for a treat with this one - it's REALLY good. And Maomao is one of the best main characters in anime right now.

[@marcoftheninja6278]

I think a japanese anime with a setting in ancient chinese setting is pretty much rare and a big change... I also love the art style of this anime

[@eypandabear7483]

It’s not that rare, but it’s most often seen in shojo anime.

[@ChocolateKieran]

So glad to see you watching this! Easily been one of the best shows over the past two anime seasons

[@Ncyphen]

When I caught up to the anime and manga in December, I started reading the books. I've gotten pretty far ahead, and boy is the story interesting. She is so beloved by the people high up, but she remains humble, reserved, and distant. She's smart enough to know that the closer you are to the ones in power, the more likely you are to meet your demise.

[@arianeuy4663]

so so stokedddd you're watching the apothecary diaries 💝💝c:

[@kateho4637]

I'm so glad you're reacting to this show! I recently started this series and the plot has been building up quickly~

[@hellsing3169]

2023 really just gave us 2 of the best fmcs anime has seen in a while with frieren and maomao.

[@SohhamJeet]

This opening song (Hana ni Natte by Ryokuoushoku Sakai) is an absolute banger! No matter how many times I watch this opening, I get chills! Also, it's probably one of your greater choice of anime to this date, this anime is magnificent. Can't wait for watching the reactions on Episode 5 (One of my favourite episodes of this series so far), Episode 16 etc. Furthermore, an eunuch is technically a castrated man, and this practice was quite common in Ancient China, as well as in Ottoman Empire. These eunuch were made to serve the inner quarters, more precisely the residents of the concubines of the Emperor. But sometimes they held quite higher rank posts in the court as well. Also, apart from this series, I would like to recommend watching two series, which is kind of similar to the tone of Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: 1. Koukyuu no Karasu (English Translation: Raven Of The Inner Palace) [Actually, I started enjoying Kusuriya no Hitorigoto more than usually I do after watching this series] and, 2. Gosick [This is also an underrated mystery type anime, similar to Kusuriya no Hitorigoto with the female main character being voiced by Aoi Yuuki, the voice actress of Maomao].

[@d112cons]

Aoi yuuki kills every time. She steals every show she's a part of.

[@SohhamJeet]

@@d112cons Absolutely. She has a particular tendency to portray quirky characters with unfathomable intellect, which I really appreciate.

[@bennieboi3683]

Thank you for mentioning Gosick! Maomao from the very first episode already gave me a massive Victorique's vibe and I LOVE Victorique!

[@SohhamJeet]

@@bennieboi3683 Yeah, that series was magnificent. Especially, the second part, where the series takes on a darker turn and the second ending (Unity by Komine Lisa); this song is arguably one of my favourites.

[@douglasaccat]

Really great timing on this as I had been considering rewatching the earlier ones to remind myself of the details. Very fun to watch with the insights of what comes later. Absolutely one of my favorite animes of the year. Glad you're doing this one!

[@vinzegcs]

Jinshi's voiced by Ootsuka Takeo, also voiced Aqua Xiaolan voiced by Misaki Kuna, also voiced Frederica Gyokuyou voiced by Tanezaki Atsumi, also voiced Frieren and Anya Lihua voiced by Ishikawa Yui, also voiced Mikasa.

[@allyson2143]

I binge watched all the available episodes of this show and I am obsessed 😭 it's just so good. I didn't expect to like it so much and I am so glad to see you reacting to it ❤

[@Ash_Wen-li]

This is a great show. I'm sure you'll love it

[@rodionistratii8446]

thx for choosing "The Aphotecary Diary" I just can't get enough of that show! even better with your reactions)))

[@caliithildae8500]

This has quickly become one of my favorite anime. I must have rewatched it over a dozen times already and I never seem to get bored of it, and no matter my mood I can always watch it. Hope you're enjoying this as much as I am.

[@iam_the_boneofmysword]

When last season started, I had my eyes on: JJK, Zom 100, spy family, Tokyo revengers and Undead Unluck. I knew NOTHING about this show or Frieren.. I was very surprised when these 2 got into my top 3 REAL quick!

[@jcruz2255]

I feel the exact same. I gave Frieren and Apothecary and now they're both my top #1 and #2.

[@JewJitSuSixty9]

Bro, it's the hidden gem of the season 100%. I was surprised with how fantastic this show is

[@heathersky333]

I've been hoping and waiting for you to react to this magnificently phenomenal series sooner or later!! My prayers have been granted and I can't wait to see the rest of your reactions ✨✨

[@everett_tang]

SO excited you’re going to start this! I think you’ll love it :D

[@mithaseptiandari2647]

OH MY GOD YOU'RE TAKING APOTHECARY DIARIES!!!! I promise you it will blow your mind!!!

[@jcruz2255]

YESSS so glad you're reacting to Maomao and The Apothecary Diaries!! It's sooo good.

[@TheLorax787]

Horray! I just recently watched this series and was looking for reactions to this series but surprisingly there aren’t very many but you are one of my favourite reactors so can’t wait to see your thoughts on this series.

[@basilisk069]

maomao is one of the most unique characters i have seen in anime in a while

[@DesertHomesteader]

This is my favorite show of last season! It only gets better. Thanks for watching and reacting.

[@YaBoyHabieru]

So glad you are reacting to this! Maomao is hands down one of the best Fmc. No one hurts Maomao ❤️🔥

[@hunrahel]

Consort Lihua weeping over her son's death @7:38 is some viscerally wrenching sobs. Great vocal performance

[@sendisaputra3819]

Banger opening🔥

[@durango3063]

i just binged the show in 3 days. So now i can join the reaction train. The show is absolutely amazing

[@vice696]

So excited to see your reactions to this anime.

[@alech8892]

i'm so excited!!!! i'm so happy you're reacting to this

[@mirai2713]

YEYY! My favorite! Thank you, thank you ^^

[@hannahmariehisug4575]

Aaahhhh here we go! Been waiting for this!

[@HU3NINGS]

1:56 this is actually funny for me because my father is 42 years older than me and is mistaken as my grandfather

[@diegonavarrete7423]

Let’s goooooo so excited for these reactions

[@saidfurqan7198]

Yessss finally, you gonna love it for sure, love your content 🙌

[@sam_sa09]

YES THANK YOU FOR CHECKING IT OUT

[@SerendipityOfTheSoul]

I'm so glad! This show is amazing

[@188xander]

YESSSS!!!! I WAS W8 FOR U TO REACT TO THIS YAHOOOO MAOAMO

[@aijel1028]

I literally squealed when I saw this upload! So excited!

[@alemattosbr]

Apothecary and FRIEREN are my favourites. Have fun!

[@Alexenorio]

YAAAAAAAAY THE APOTHECARYYYY DIARIEEEEEES!!!!!!!!

[@yugi006]

You are in for a visual treat for this one

[@eypandabear7483]

The whitening powder is probably lead carbonate, a mineral lead salt also known as “white lead”. It is the same pigment that was used in lead paint.

[@wuawa704]

So exited for this one!!!!

[@alfredovidal6695]

Omg you are the best !!! i watched all your vinland saga reaction, now i will watch this one !! is a great anime

[@trafalgar8401]

You're reacting to all my favorites :sob:

[@shhhh4637]

I know you are about to absolutely love this show

[@basilisk069]

one of my favs from last year

[@fey9646]

i was waiting for your reaction !!! this show is sooo good its literally made from woman for woman i love it

[@ShinigamiKenReacts]

This series gets better and better the more you watch it. Probably my favourite from the fall season along with Frieren

[@EdLimaable]

i love that you're reacting to this and also hope you eventually react to frieren as well

[@verochan8046]

Wow I didn't know you had decided to watch The Apothecary Diaries! Between this and Frieren I cannot tell which gets me hyped more. I can only guarantee you definitely did a great choice and you won't regret it: this anime is so good and I think the plot its fantastic (but of course I won't spoil anything!) MaoMao is, like others have already said in their comments, one of the best female MCs I've seen in anime, and I can't wait for you to discover more and more of what makes her so unique. I wish you a wonderful journey ❤

[@feefkeef]

ooo yay i just started watching this on monday!

[@silvervibranium2832]

The episode is talking about lead poisoning. We had that problem a few years back with alot of made in China toys that had lead in the paint. babies would stick the toys in their mouths. Also third world countries used lead pipes in their plumbing. The romans had that too. I myself had problems when I found out there was asbestos in the adhesives used in my home. Large chunk of my kitchen had to be torn down to bare wood and concrete by law. Luckily insurance covered it. Scary stuff.

[@nlnloeo142]

8:40 Jinshi’s voice actor is the same as Aqua from Oshi no ko

[@JediLordWong]

Nice reaction. Glad you enjoying it and got your socks blown off. I also got roped in the same way, thought it was light hearted but right off the bat, we got tragedy and death of babies. As you say, this is a historical fiction heavily based on Tang Dynasty. I am not sure where you from (your name sounds Japanese), but as a Malaysian Chinese who grew up with this sort of live action drama, most of the names and clothing seem very authentic and based on various imperial Chinese dynasties although some commenters say it is more of Tang Dynasty (600-900AD). The palace looks a bit like Beijing forbidden palace though which is relatively recent. Maomao is literally cat/cat for example. Gyokuyou’s doesn’t sound Chinese but most likely a foreign princess from another country as opposed to a local Chinese woman. High ranking concubines would typically come from noble or influential families. The way the show talks about the concubines system, sadly is quite accurate. It can be a nice place to stay but if you don’t give the emperor a son, your status is constantly in danger of being stripped. Also some people may not want you to give birth to a son…… and I will leave at that with no further clues or spoilers for you. I don’t read the manga, just the anime which is episode 20 now. Enjoy the show.

[@agniswar3]

It was originally a Novel series.

[@tobioren3122]

Oh my god!!! I love this show ❤

[@jdoggivjc]

As far as anime for fall ‘03 and winter ‘04 this series is probably my second favorite behind only Frieren, but Maomao is absolutely my favorite female lead in any series in a very long time - and Aoi Yuki just slays the voice acting. I really can’t wait for the season to end because I am going to pick up the LN series, but I’m not doing it now because I enjoy the anime so much I don’t want to spoil that for myself (which is an odd twist for me because normally I’ll enjoy a series so much I’ll pick up reading the source immediately, spoilers to the anime be damned).

[@han-ek8pm]

i live in japan and i can assure u this anime is BIG BIG in japan, in every cosplay event there are more of this anime's cosplayers than kny/haikyuu/jjk/aot LIKE THEYRE BIG BIGGGG

[@andreadienes4714]

Boldog vagyok hogy reagálsz rá ! Ez egy nagyon jó sorozat.

[@UrusaiJoe]

Oh wasn't expecting this too, that's great

[@markmoore7620]

Yes!!! So happy you're reacting to this one!!! It's 🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾! And it just gets better and better. So, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End when???? 😀

[@raec5426]

Frieren tomorrow she said

[@Astravall]

Oh yes .... The Apothecary Diaries is really good. I can't wait what you have to say about episode 4 and 19.

[@Animated_wonder]

Eunuchs were emasculated. They had no sexual organs as they were part of the palace. Emasculation was done to males if they wanted employment. Specially in a place like the palace where concubines reside, and of course around that time, the concubines could only get intimate with the emperor. The idea of emasculation was abolish until 1924. That’s only 100 years ago. The last known palace eunuch, Sun Yaoting, died December 1996.

[@ma.2089]

Pretty sure enuchs were also used for sex as well. It really just depended on the emperor. Contrary to what China wants ppl to think, there was a lot of gay or bi ppl. Kinda like Ancient Greece. Passion of the cut sleeve and all that.

[@fchr0099]

Haruko from Ryokuoushoku Sakai is the one who sing this first opening. Big fan of their works.

[@julianjulianjulian380]

maomao! yesss i love this show, kusuriya no hitorigoto is so interesting

[@matthewk320]

this show is great. the main character is fantastic an de the animation is perfect

[@rowanbodhi3251]

Quick bit of trivia, the actress who voices Gyokuyou is the same person who voices ANYA FORGER. Talent.

[@dreadogastusf3548]

14:36 Hey! It's kittycat. A shiny black kitty cat.

[@loveonick1]

seeee bien ahi, tenia ganas de que reacciones a este anime, es muy bueno

[@brianhall23]

This show is so good.

[@AlexRonai]

correction: Apothecary diaries isn't a Shoujo. It's a Seinen

[@IZEASGT]

It’s complicated. The source material was published as a light novel, and those don’t get the same demographic labels manga magazines do. Both manga adaptations run in seinen magazines, but the more popular one is published by Square Enix, which doesn’t even have a proper shoujo magazine, so stuff aimed at girls and women tends to get squeezed into other magazines.(Monthly GFantasy doesn’t even have one of those standard demographic labels; I’ve been reading Hanako-kun, and it draws _very_ strongly from the shoujo manga tradition.) And from what I’ve heard, some Japanese retailers classify The Apothecary Diaries as “shoujo manga” anyway. It’s one of those weird edge cases.

[@AlexRonai]

​@@IZEASGT People mostly classify it as "Shoujo" because it has a female lead and a potential male romance partner but that's a bit reducing to me. That's the same as when people classify Death Note or AoT as Seinen but they have more mature theme but they're not. And even some shonen have some stuff that we'd find more commonly in Shoujo. But that's a "problem" without end anyway

[@IZEASGT]

@@AlexRonai I think it’s more of a gray area than that. Death Note and Attack on Titan originated in magazines with “Shonen” right in their names. The Apothecary Diaries originated on a free webfiction site that doesn’t separate by target gender demographic outside the R18 sections. And while we might wonder “how ‘shoujo-like’ is it really, anyway?”, there’s nothing seinen-like about it at all except in that “seinen” has become the label for anything that doesn’t fit the others. Besides, I can absolutely see the argument that the core target audience is female. It’s very much _about_ girls and women, and their desires and emotions, and the systems that constrain them. (On another note, both Death Note and AoT are edgy popcorn fare that are very much the sort of thing teenage boys love, so I’d say they fit pretty well in shonen magazines. Frieren feels like much more of a miracle to me - it runs in Shonen Sunday, but it’s quiet, meditative, and focuses heavily on themes of memory and regret that an adult audience can connect much better to than kids. Outside a few cases like the First-Class Mage Exam arc, it barely feels like a shonen manga at all.)

[@ma.2089]

Seinen also implies the audience is meant to be men, which is also reductive. Josei is usually the term for stories like this.

[@ma.2089]

@@IZEASGT could also be Josei, which is for older women.

[@diegostrossen6751]

I love Maomao and her Cat like curiosity always getting the better of her

[@B3FMandCProductions]

"How did they lose it" Welp, Alana is about to learn about eunuchs hahaha

[@Ryuuudox]

I'm glad you doing this anime reaction

[@KristeneT-h2h]

I really like how u show us the show to 😊

[@kathrineprincess14]

The English VA of the purple boy is freaking gojos va, I love that

[@patricktorres1292]

This is from the same studio that did Komi btw

[@SailorSetsuna7]

What's worth noting is that it's not even Lihua who ignored Maomao's message, rather a servant. Lihua never got to know the cause of the sickness, thus why her son died. Also about eunuchs, it was just a fancy way nobles used to make sure none of the concubines gets impregnated by someone other than the emperor.

[@Captainumerica]

Fun fact : Verdigris is derived from "vert-de-gris", the french name for greenish grey hue. The mao you know...

[@anishpokharkar8462]

Peak. This show been my favorite last and this season (that includes jjk and frieren)

[@basilisk069]

one of the best openings from last year

[@nar_by_marek300]

Good choice :)

[@idixal1836]

“How did they lose it?” - this question might be TMI, but I’ll answer it anyways if you hit the show more. Eunuchs were castrated men, for the purpose of guarding women’s quarters. I think it was pretty common in the distant past in east Asia. After all, can’t have other men capable of procreating near the emperor’s lovers.

[@diddliewinks3486]

finally. watching something good again

[@cannotdecideusername]

LET'S GOOOO !!!!!

[@richardthatsme]

Now I'm going to have to watch this.

[@Ban_anNn]

Hurrah for the reaction to the monologue of the formacute:3

[@jackclark4413]

Maomao has a lot of fun twists and kinks.

[@emperorpalpatine2957]

Eunuchs got their dongs taken away to prevent scandalous behavior. Such as sleeping with the nobles or Emperor's concubines they guarded. It's not entirely accurate as to how they were IRL, but close enough.

[@Clourie]

This probably the most popular anime in JP rn. And probably quite underrated oversea.

[@IZEASGT]

It’s one of the most popular new shows of the past half-year, but from what I’ve seen of both TV ratings and recent manga volume sales, I’d say Frieren’s been more popular. Can’t really blame people - it’s a fantastic show too - but it does make me a _little_ sad to see my personal favorite get the silver medal. (The most popular new anime of 2023 as a whole might’ve been Oshi no Ko. _Definitely_ had the most popular OP.)

[@cedricmichaud552]

I preshot the "Mao Mao best girl"

[@sintiger3486]

I was surprised that Gyokuyo and Anya plus Freiren same voice actress at first watching ending roll.

[@WijaVT]

Apothecary Diaries isn't shoujo, it's a seinen. It's released in a seinen magazine, just in case there's a misconception here, shoujo/seinen/etc are demographics and not a genre. lol