REVIEW: ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Episode 12 — “The Eunuch And The Courtesan”

With the mystery of the poisoning settled, life at the Rear Palace can return to normal, or so one might’ve thought. But when it’s discovered that Fengming’s family was responsible for numerous servants being sold to the palace, including a certain apothecary, a mass layoff comes to the staff. But does Maomao (Aoi Yûki) want to leave in The Apothecary Diaries Episode 12?

It is a common lament that life is complicated. Nothing is ever simple, straightforward, or clear in the moment. But while it is a sentiment we all have felt at times, it is also true that quite frequently, those participating in a moment are the ones most guilty of creating the opacity that causes the complexities of life. That is certainly the case in The Apothecary Diaries Episode 12.

This week’s episode opens with Master Jinshi (Takeo Otsuka) processing the revelation concerning Fengming’s family. While it’s unclear why the connection calls for a mass layoff of anyone brought to the palace by her family or even those connected to them, the imperative to do so is properly emphasized here. Jinshi’s struggle with the order is that Maomao is one of the workers to be laid off. While he wishes for her to remain at the palace, and concealing her connection to the family would be easy enough for him to accomplish, he struggles with whether or not denying her the opportunity to go home is the right thing to do. With a bit of a rift between the duo already, he fears what will happen if she were to one day discover the truth. And Maomao has a knack for discovering things.

This scene delivers a reasonable amount of growth for Jinshi’s character. Throughout the series, Jinshi has been inclined to do whatever he wants, with little concern for what others wish, including Maomao. His concerns about her feelings and how they impact his reluctance to act in his self-interest show character development to a point. While he exhibits concern over what Maomao wants, there is an underpinning that much of this concern stems from his fear of being caught in his deceit. While it may not be the motivation viewers would want from him, it’s a start. Development takes time, and seeing Jinshi at least showing awareness of other’s feelings is a first step.

From here, The Apothecary Diaries Episode 12 jumps to Maomao as she learns of the ensuing layoffs in the manner she gets most of her information about the Rear Palace, her old friend Xiaolan (Misaki Kuno, Summer Time Rendering). When she learns that many servants will be sent home, Maomao panics at the prospect that she may be one of them. With debts awaiting her at home and the loss of her position as a food taster and medical assistant, Maomao has no desire to leave the world she has found herself in, despite the many perils it brings with it. She is shown rushing around the palace in search of Jinshi to learn whether or not her name is on the list.

The following encounter is a fantastically crafted example of how wrong something can go when no one is willing to just say what they mean. Maomao, fearful of looking like she is begging, tries to say she is willing to stay if Jinshi orders it but never clearly expresses her desire to stay. Jinshi takes this to mean she doesn’t want to stay and, unwilling to express his desire for her to stay, offers to compensate her for the wages she will lose properly and sends her on her way.

The back and forth is handled perfectly for each character to read the situation the way that they do. While the viewer has access to the internal thoughts of both characters, allowing them to fully understand the motives and hidden intent behind the words that are spoken, that neither person can see through the veil they have shrouded those intentions in is perfectly reasonable.

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 12 then follows Maomao as she returns to her former life in the pleasure district. While we see her utilizing the apothecary skills she is known for, she is also seen working with the courtesans at an expensive party. While she isn’t taking personal customers, she is forced to doll herself up to entertain the wealthy men who are their patrons.

As she completes the task her new job requires of her, she comes to realize that working at the brothel isn’t all that different from the Rear Palace. There are dangers here for those on the lower rungs of society, just as there were there, increasing her regret at not getting to stay. Maomao’s struggle with her feelings reaches a zenith when she goes for a walk one night, reminiscing about her time at the palace. Brought to the viewer as a montage of clips from previous episodes, Maomao’s longing plays out beautifully before a breathtaking starry night. Her yearning may not need to be overly extended, though, as an unexpected opportunity arises when an elegant party causes Maomao to run into Jinshi.

This unexpected encounter gives the duo a chance to realize how they misinterpreted each other’s intentions at their last meeting.  The moment plays out well as the pair figure out where each other stands and have a reconciliation. This paves the way for the episode’s final moments, where Maomao’s return to the inner palace is made possible again.

This reversal of Maomao’s situation, granting her a chance to return to the palace in the same episode she left in, puts The Apothecary Diaries Episode 12 narratively in a bit of a weird place. While the plot is used for some solid moments of growth for the characters involved, having Maomao leave and then return so quickly makes the episode feel like a haphazard way to deliver that development. It would be better if the series could’ve found a way to create the circumstances for this growth while not jerking the plot’s direction back and forth as it does.

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 12 makes the most of its awkwardly rushed plot line by using it to craft some strong character growth. Given that the show has always been far more about the cast than the story, most fans are unlikely to complain too loudly at the series’ choice to sacrifice one for the other.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.