REVIEW: ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Episode 32 — “The Empress Dowager”

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 8, “The Empress Dowager,” sets a new storyline in motion as the Jade Pavilion receives an august guest who comes seeking Maomao’s (Aoi Yûki, Unicorn Overlord) help. But this particular case could pose special trouble for the apothecary given its unique circumstances and particular nature. But if anyone can, it’s got to be Maomao.

Before jumping into the series’ latest mystery, a small sequence plays out that aptly highlights the difference between Maomao and those around her. After causing one of her fellow ladies in waiting to faint, Maomao is threatened with the prospect of being forced to live in the pavilion’s storage shed. Rather than being shamed into repentance, Maomao is thrilled with the prospect.

The threat is made, believing that sleeping in a shed would humiliate Maomao and kowtow her behavior. However, Maomao is far more concerned with practical matters than social implications. Rather than seeing it as a shame, the apothecary sees it as an improvement. It’s bigger, and its distance from the other sleeping quarters means she can be lauded without disturbing people.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 8 makes sure the audience understands how different Maomoa is from her peers.

This episode’s opening sequence drives home just how different Maomao is from her peers. It also draws attention to how many things are viewed as “bad” simply because of fictitious social perceptions naming them such rather than actual harmful elements of the things themselves.

Once The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 8 finishes exploring its lead’s eccentric quirks, it moves on to the core element of the episode. The Empress Dowager (Mamiko Noto, Ragna Crimson) has come to call at the Rear Palace. This rare appearance sees her stop by the unofficial clinic, then the Jade Pavilion.

When the Empress arrives, The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 8 does a great job of swiftly establishing who she is as a person. Through both word-of-mouth and direct observations, it quickly becomes clear that the Empress is a kind and welcoming personality. Despite some hard traumas in her past, or perhaps because of them, she has a surprisingly gentle approach to people, even those of low rank like Maomao.

With an impressive amount of discreetness, Empress Dowager gets Maomao alone when she reveals that it is her she has truly come to speak with. She wants Maomao to use her investigative skills to ascertain whether or not she put a curse on her husband, the late Emperor before he died. Maomao accepts the task, of course, though how she is supposed to prove or disprove that seems like a herculean task.

The Emporer died, how about a tea party with the Empress Dowager?

The back half of The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 8 follows Maomao and the other ladies to an afternoon tea party put on by the Empress Dowager for the four high-ranking concubines. While there, Maomao learns the details about why the Empress believes the prior Emperor’s death was her fault. While narratively important, this exposition is not the big moment of this portion of the story. Rather, the highlight comes from Lady Hongniang (Megumi Toyoguchi, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth).

While Lady Gyokuyô’s chief lady-in-waiting has always been presented as a stickler for details, the intensity of the character is ratcheted up a notch during an exchange with Maomao. Leaning in closely Hongniang towers over her often troublesome subordinate, creating a truly intimidating presence.

What sets this moment apart from most others is the clarity of her motivations. What Maomao does or says around the Empress and her servants could significantly impact Lady Gyokuyô. Her excessive forcefulness at this moment is borne out of concern, something acknowledged by Maomao’s internal monologue.

With all the current clues and history presented to Maomao, The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 8 comes to a close on the precipice of a new mystery. Its specific nature and curious details promise a challenge, one, unlike any Maomao, has previously faced during her time at the Rear Palace.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 8 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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