REVIEW: ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Episode 22 — “Blue Roses”

The final image of the previous episode, Lakan (Takuya Kirimoto) picturing blue roses, becomes the crux of this week’s entry. Requesting Jinshi procure some for an upcoming garden party, the desire seems nigh impossible. When Maomao’s (Aoi Yûki) help is requested, she takes on the task with determination. Now can she find a way to make roses bloom months early in The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) Episode 22, “Blue Roses?”

Opening this episode, we see a touching scene featuring Maomao attending Lady Gyokuyô (Atsumi Tanezaki). We see the lady taking it easy as she prepares for the arrival of her second child. Gyokuyô warmly receives snuggles from her first child. As Maomao and the others look on, there is a warmth that permeates the scene. From the softly spoken words to the relaxed music and warm colors, everything about the moment welcomes the viewer to the episode. But like so many times in the past, this opening sets up another of the show’s tonal switches.

Leaving the warmth of its opening, The Apothecary Diaries Episode 22 joins Jinshi (Takeo Otsuka) as he deals with the unpleasant Lakan. The eunuch’s forced smile serves as a cold facsimile of the warmth previously seen. As Lakan talks of blue roses, the score shifts to a lone piano. A sad melody plays, skillfully draining the relaxing atmosphere out of the moment.

Before Lakan leaves, he manages to get Jinshi to agree to acquire some blue roses for an upcoming garden party. The problem is that roses don’t bloom this early in the year. Also, where does one find blue roses? When his initial investigations fail to bear fruit he turns to the apothecary, who always manages to come up with a plan.

Sure enough, Maomao manages to construct a plan that could see flowers blooming in time. By retrofitting the sauna she had constructed to help Lady Lihau during her accidental lead poisoning into a greenhouse she hopes to have the roses bloom early. Maintaining the precise climate, humidity, and exposure to sunlight roses need is not as simple for our protagonist as it is nowadays. The work is taxing, requiring Maomao’s round-the-clock observation. Even when her old friend Xiaolan (Misaki Kuno, Summer Time Rendering) is called in to aid her, the task remains nearly impossible.

While The Apothecary Diaries Episode 22 follows Maomao’s work, it also sees some of the ladies-in-waiting take an interest in her project. Annoyed by their buzzing around, Maomao seeks to distract them. By introducing manicures to the rear palace she hopes to give them something else to focus on. While this feels like a throwaway moment, the narrative cleverly brings it back later in the episode.

As Maomao continues her work, we get a couple of side moments of her with Lady Gyokuyô and her other attendants. All are worried for Maomao. Seeing her work herself ragged, they struggle to understand why this project is so important. We also learn that they will not be attending the upcoming garden party. Lady Gyokuyô doesn’t wish to take attention away from the recently arrived Lady Loulan. It will be her first public appearance at the court. These moments always bring the same warmth as the opening. It gives the aura of the episode a nice rhythm, shifting from hardship to kindness and back.

When the day of the garden party arrives, Jinshi appears before the emperor bearing a vase of many roses, some even being blue. While the gift pleases the Emperor, we also see many disapprove. Jinshi is a constant favorite, and seeing him stand out once more causes enmity in many in the crowd. As Jinshi withdraws, we see Lakan’s clear displeasure at Jinshi’s success.

Once he is clear of the party, The Apothecary Diaries Episode 22 sees him catch up with Maomao as she recovers from her trials. Here, he learns how Maomao dyed white flowers from the inside to get the desired color. This moment continues the tonal rhythm of the episode as it calms the narrative just before ending with a tense note.

The final scene begins with Lakan as he meanders through the garden party. We hear an internal monologue from the strategist as he talks about the nature of people. Regarding most people as nothing more than pieces, he dismissed most as beneath his notice. The visuals reinforce this by replacing everyone’s faces with Go pieces.

But then he acknowledges a distracting red that keeps coming into his vision. It is the red of the nail polish Maomao introduced. As he takes stock of this new development, he turns to see Maomao approaching him. Baring a fairly sinister smirk, she is the one person whose head is not replaced by a game piece.

With the promise of the long-brewing confrontation between Maomao and Lakan coming soon, The Apothecary Diaries Episode 22 ends on a tense narrative cliffhanger. What comes next will hopefully pay off the excellent build-up that has brought the characters to this point.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.