Split-personality episodes are certainly nothing new for The Apothecary Diaries. So this week was pretty much business as usual. The first part was another snoozefest, as the series indulged in the sort of moe pandering that it just can’t break away from. Then we got to the actual story again and things improved substantially. It is what it is, and I certainly have no expectations that it’s going to change at this point (especially given that it’s obviously doing no harm to the show’s popularity).
Chalk up another invention to Maomao, ice cream. At least this one isn’t too anachronistic, or not in the usual direction for Kusuriya. Ice cream in some form has been around since long before whatever time period this series is nebulously set in. Some legend even ascribes its invention to China (supposedly Marco Polo brought it from there to Europe, where the Italians more or less created the modern version) but that’s probably apocryphal. You could hit the snooze button after the OP and you’d be fine – 9 minutes in is just about right for the ep to actually begin.
The one takeaway from that sidebar is further hinting that Shisui is actually Loulan (it’s subtle as a sledgehammer here). But for now the concubine in focus is Gyokuyou, who’s well along in her pregnancy. She makes a comment that this one is “kicking downwards”, which sets off alarm bells in Maomao’s head. A breech birth is never a good thing, but in the pre-modern era when any pregnancy was fraught with peril for both mother and baby it’s extremely ominous. She persuades Gyokuyou to let her do a full examination, and comes to the conclusion that her fears are probably well-founded.
Maomao is in a conundrum here, as she knows she’s not a proper doctor for all her accrued knowledge. Hongiang took charge of Gyokuyou’s first delivery herself (in-character) but that’s not going to work here, and the quack – decent chap though he is – obviously isn’t qualified. The answer seems so obvious that it’s a bit of a stretch to believe Xiaomao wouldn’t think of it immediately, but she has her blind spots when the plot demands it. Not that there aren’t problems with this approach, but considering the stakes, it’s pretty clear this is the only logical option for her to advocate.
I have my issues with Gyokuyou, who’s kind of a Mary Sue. She always takes the enlightened, graceful approach in any situation and never seems to exhibit any human frailties. Of course she’s fine with a criminal being brought in, even if Hongiang pushes back. Not that it isn’t the right decision – just that I’d like to see her make a wrong one once in a while. Undeniably Maomao has earned enough trust from her at this point that deferring to her advice here makes sense, though. And again, the stakes are certainly high enough.
The reaction of the court ladies to Loumen and his refined and gentle bearing is amusing. Certainly Loumen is not the sort of father one imagines for noraneko Maomao – though she does admit that he’s actually her great-uncle (which is as close as she’s come to acknowledging in name that Lakan – finally set to appear next week – is her father). This has to be complicated for Loumen (though not only Loumen), considering his circumstances. And his return dredges up the past in ways that seem certain to shed light on some of the longest-running secrets underpinning Kusuriya no Hitorigoto.
