REVIEW: ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Episode 27 — “Corpse Fungus”

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 27, “Corpse Fungus,” follows up on the news from the last episode about a concubine dying of poison. Even as the Rear Palace absorbs this loss, another individual goes missing, even though her contract is about to expire. Now, Jinshi (Takeo Otsuka) has Maomao (Aoi Yûki) look into what is happening around the palace, though in a round-a-bout way.

This episode opens with Jinshi setting down a recently received message. Something about the missive concerns him. Beyond the graveness of his facial expression, the tone of his voice when he speaks, and the lighting reinforces this concern. When he states that he is going to the Jade Pavillion, a moment of worry arises as memories of last week’s ominous ending with Lady Gyokuyô (Atsumi Tanezaki) come to mind. Any fears of immediate danger are shown to be unfounded, however, as the scene quickly cuts to the lady still in good health as Jinshi arrives to visit her.

Before the exact reason for Jinshi’s visit can be revealed, The Apothecary Diaries Episode 27 pivots away from the Jade Pavilion to catch up with Maomao as she goes about her daily chores. During her work, she stops at the clinic, where she learns about the recent disappearance of a court lady. While the circumstances surrounding the disappearance are unusual, they aren’t unheard of, making the event feel more like a curiosity around the palace than a direct cause for alarm.

The way this scene provides information is wonderfully done. Packaged with the knowledge the doctor gives are Maomao’s internal observations about the Rear Palace and what the disappearance could signify, allowing the interaction to serve a double purpose.

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 27 keeps the moment from being a simple moment of exposition by wrapping it up in the cast’s charm. Maomao is her always expressive self, bringing some entertainment to what could be dry commentary. The new kitten also makes an appearance, trying to climb onto laps and providing other adorable distractions within the scene.

Once Maomao departs from the clinic, she finds Jinshi and Lady Gyokuyô having tea outside. She is surprised to see the lady outside, but she concludes it must be Jinshi’s idea, hoping to keep people from realizing Lady Gyokuyô is pregnant. When the pair notices her, they call her over because Jinshi has work for her. Though he has nothing he wishes to discuss in front of Lady Gyokuyô, he politely takes his leave.

Once alone, Jinshi picks Maomao’s brain about an idea to set up a reading and writing class for the servant girls in the Rear Palace.  Maomao finds Jinshi’s core plan to be sound but quickly recognizes potential problems with some of the details. The observations she makes reflect the character’s deep understanding of people and how their perceptions and emotions can cloud their attitudes toward things. The elements of Jinshi’s plan that Maomao calls attention to are also well chosen in that they allow Maomao to look clever while being nuanced enough not to make Jinshi look dumb for missing them.

Once the discussion moves past the plans for the new school, Jinshi assigns a task to Maomao. He understands that court ladies sometimes go into the nearby orchard without permission, gathering fruits and mushrooms. Not only is this not permitted, but the ladies sometimes take unsafe mushrooms, leading to food poisoning. He asks Maomao to go and gather any unsafe mushrooms she can to ensure no one gets sick. A layer of importance is applied to this request when he tells her to put this above all of her Jade Pavilion tasks, save for food tasting.

Maomao’s intelligence gets more moments to shine in The Apothecary Diaries Episode 27.

On the surface, this seems like a routine enough request. Jinshi has always been shown to care for the welfare of others, so his not wanting anyone to get sick, even those who may be stealing, doesn’t feel unusual. But it is the last part of the order that raises Maomao’s suspicions. Giving her a task that will take her away from her normal duties as much as this seems like something to be addressed with Lady Gyokuyô present.

Jinshi’s earlier insistence on not having her present makes Maomao conclude that there is more going on than is obvious. The Apothecary Diaries Episode 27 continues to keep Maomao’s intellect consistently sharp as she pieces together more from people’s words than they intend, but keeping her observations to the point of believability. 

From here, we see Maomao go on her foraging expedition. The following montage showcases the protagonist as she gleefully goes about her work. Each discovery brings gasps of joy from Maomao. This showcasing of her childlike wonder is perfectly placed, following a scene that highlights her sharp mind. That Maomao can be so deep and still feel such joy at simple things is a combination of traits not often used and helps set the character apart.

Shortly after returning to the Jade Pavilion, Maomao finds herself heading out on errands with Hongniang (Megumi Toyoguchi, RWBY: Ice Queendom). One of their stops is to pay their respects to a recently deceased member of the Rear Palace, Concubine Jin. While on their way, Maomao is surprised to hear Hingniang speak harshly of the dead.

It is soon revealed that Jin was not well-liked, as she was very difficult to deal with. She was bossy and would verbally, even sometimes physically, mistreat those beneath her. She also reveals that the deceased was previously suspected of poisoning Lady Gyokuyô, though Jinshi was unable to uncover any evidence to prove it. 

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 27 creates a strong mix of tension and sadness in this moment. Toyoguchi delivers Hongniang’s lines with a note of weariness. As if whatever happened in the past was bad enough to tire the lady-in-waiting just by thinking about it. The show also uses color wonderfully to help create the mood. The variety used between the present day and flashbacks creates a strong contrast that keeps the visuals engaging, while the various colors share a similar hue, allowing them to maintain the same energy.

Once the ladies arrive at the funeral, they witness an altercation. Someone not fond of Jin makes a raucous, removing her burial shroud and screaming. As all this plays out, Maomao notices wounds consistent between the disruptive individual and the deceased’s servants. This sets her mind spinning once again.

The moment of disruption at the funeral delivers a far stronger shock than it feels like it should. This is due to how quiet the rest of the episode has been. Outside of a few happy gasps from Maomao, no audio has gone beyond the level of a standard indoor voice. The sudden raucous breaks the quiet wonderfully, ensuring that full notice is given to the scene.

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 27 works as a standalone story with no problems.

Maomao’s observations at the funeral send her off once more to the forest, this time with Gaoshun (Katsuyuki Konishi, Yakuza Fiancé) and a couple of others for help. What she finds is a corpse. But the corpse belongs to Jin, the woman whose remains were just seen in the rear palace.

The remainder of The Apothecary Diaries Episode 27 focuses on Maomao and Jinshi as the former explains to the latter what has transpired. How all the elements come together creates a fascinating mystery. And just like earlier moments of exposition, this one never feels bogged down, thanks to the wonderful character writing and playful interactions that pass between the personalities present.

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 27 would be a strong story on its own. But with enough hints sprinkled through its narrative, it feels clear that what is explored in this entry will come back to play a larger role in the season, heightening the intrigue it crafts amidst its wonderful character moments.

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 27 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.