REVIEW: ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Season 2 Episode 10 — “A Ghost Story”

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 10, “A Ghost Story,” from Toho Animation Studio, follows Maomao (Aoi Yûki, Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising) and Yinghua (Rie Hikisaka, Megalo Box) as they attend an annual ghost story night with ten other court ladies. But the mysterious host puts out some ghostly vibes of her own as the night wears on.

At the onset of this episode, there is a lot to look forward to. Between Maomao’s deductive mind and her vast store of general knowledge, how the evening will play out feels obvious. Girls will tell ghost stories, and Maomao will nitpick each one, revealing the causes for the so-called “supernatural” events. If not out loud, at least in her mind.

Between the expressive way Maomao is always brought to life through humorous animation and Yüki’s hilarious voice work, this setup could deliver a fair amount of fun if handled right. Unfortunately, that is not what The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 10 does.

Instead, the story trundles along as several girls tell their stories. None ever manage to be truly scary. The best of the stories is one following a monk who runs afoul of a demon house. The monk chants a sutra that keeps him from the demon’s sight. As the monster searches for him, the monk struggles to maintain his focus and keep the chant going.

Court ladies tell disappointing ghost stories in The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 10.

The visual delivery of the shambling monster, along with the growing intensity of the audio as the monk’s chant amplifies with the threat, comes the closest to delivering a truly scary story. However, due to its length, it can’t deliver a proper payoff as it wraps up for the next story.

Maomao is also called upon to tell a tale. Her story stands out among the rest of The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 10 mini-anthology thanks to Maomao’s reveal of the fantastical element. She then disturbs Yinghua even more with more mundane truths that shock as much as the strangest fiction.

Near the end of the episode, a new ghost story is nearly written as the girls slowly begin to fall asleep. As each begins to succumb to the moment, Maomao realizes what is happening just before it’s too late. This last-minute save wraps up the haunting night with a moment of tension.

The situation that unfolds allows the audience to feel smart as well. The danger’s nature is one that many in the show’s setting weren’t aware of, but modern people are. Picking up on the situation moments before the brilliant Maomao leaves the audience feeling clever, even if it’s not such a brilliant deduction for us.

When Maomao and Yinghua return to the Jade Pavilion, they learn a last piece of information that implies the night may have been even more perilous than first suspected. This final small reveal leaves Yinghua in terror, pleading with Maomao to crash with her. The protagonist has to endure a stuffy, sleepless night.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 10 delivers an enjoyable, if meaningless, entry into its narrative. With all the dangling plot threads and hints the series has set up so far this season, it feels like there are better things the story could’ve done with its time. But as far as filler goes, this is at least fun. (If you are interested in an in-depth talk about what filler is, good and bad, check out But Why Tho’s podcast, Episode 20: “Can You Even Define Filler?” episode for more!)

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 10 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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