REVIEW: ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Episode 24 — “Jinshi And Maomao”

Awakening at the Verdigris House, Lakan (Takuya Kirimoto) must choose which courtesan he will buy out. But his choice becomes crystal clear when he learns the secret of the brothel. Also, Maomao (Aoi Yûki) and Jinshi (Takeo Otsuka) have a final moment of sweetness together to close out the season in The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) Episode 24, “Jinshi and Maomao.”

This episode opens with Lakan’s side of the tale. Picking up where the last episode left him, he is approached by the proprietress of the brothel about his desire to buy out a courtesan. She guides him to the main hall, where an array of options has been set up for him. As he judges who to choose from, the episode reveals how Lakan views those before him.

During this sequence, we see the world through Lakan’s eyes. While everyone’s faces are once more reduced to playing pieces, there is a difference here. In the past, the individuals Lakan sees as low are marked as pawns on their pieces. While one assumes this is how he would place courtesans, it isn’t. Rather, their pieces are entirely blank. While this could be an error in the visual presentation, the implication, if not, contradicts the efforts of the sequence. That he sees the woman before him as nothing due to their profession is despicable.

As he eyes the various girls, he eventually settles on Meimei (Megumi Han, Oshi No Ko). This seems largely due to her connection to his lost love. While Meimei is willing to accept his request, she casually walks out of the room, opening a doorway to an inner garden. From this garden, Lakan hears the words of a familiar tune. Recognizing his lost love’s voice, he rushes out to find her.

The reunion between the two is a moving wrap-up to Lakan’s part of The Apothecary Diaries Episode 24. When we see his love through his eyes, we not only see her face but also see it without the blemishes of the disease that plagues her. His devotion to her feels true and sincere. Despite the character’s many questionable actions throughout the season, one cannot help but feel some warmth in this reunion.

From here, we catch up with Maomao as she returns to the Rear Palace. On her way, she oversees a meeting between Lady Loulan and her father. While the nature of the meeting isn’t clear, the ominous tones of the moment imply an importance to the moment. Something viewers will have to wait for next season to learn more about.

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 24 leaves this clandestine meeting as Maomao arrives at Jinshi’s. While Maomao enjoys a well-earned meal, we learn about her feelings towards Lakan and the nature of the antagonist’s situation.

The picture Maomao paints here is far kinder than previous impressions had made of the man. Likely the victim in many ways, she doesn’t like him, but hate is a bridge too far. While the audience has no reason to reject Maomao’s explanations outright, it feels hollow. The series leading up to this point tries so hard to convince the viewer that Lakan is bad that this about-face on the character feels poorly derived. Rather than a skillful subversion of the audience’s expectations, the show has simply lied. It presented a convincing thing, only to pull the rug out from under the audience, seeming for no reason other than it can.

After this meeting, The Apothecary Diaries Episode 24 skips ahead a few days. Maomao receives a package from Meimei, letting her in on the details of events concerning Lakan. With this message, Meimei includes a lovely, sheer, pink shawl. Seeing the shawl, Maomao remembers a custom for courtesans to dance in celebration when one of their contracts is bought out.

The episode then cuts to a familiar corner of the outer wall of the palace. Dressed in her finest and wearing the recently received shawl, Maomao dances under the stars. The visuals at this moment are nothing short of breathtaking. As Maomao spins and twirls, the fabric flows lightly with her. As the camera pans around the dancer, we see an awesome field of stars illuminating the scene in glowing light. Accompanied by background music that perfectly fits the scene, this moment is easily the highlight of the entire episode.

Maomao’s serene moment is interrupted when Jinshi appears. Startled out of her dance, Maomao loses her footing and nearly tumbles off the wall. Luckily, Jinshi catches her at the last second and pulls her safely back from the brink. The pair have one final conversation here, wrapping up the last details of the events concerning Lakan and revealing some more elements of Maomao’s childhood. It is a pleasant moment for the duo to wrap up the story.

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 24 serves as a solid finale to the season. It wraps up the narrative well and pulls a few heartstrings along the way. While there is a hiccup or two, they never amount to enough to hurt the story too badly.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.