Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m feeling a craving for some prickly palatial intrigue, a hunger that can clearly only be sated by Maomao and her rambling Apothecary Diaries. This production has so far proven a crunchy mixture of personal and mystery drama, grounding its various inexplicable illnesses in the pragmatic realities of political capital and gender within the rear palace. And all the while, Maomao’s own status has risen precipitously, to the point where two of the emperor’s top courtesans now consider her a trusted confidant.

Our last episode was a particular stunner, benefitting from the tremendous talents of young gun director/AD China and Moaang. In their hands, a production generally reliant on its layouts over its limited animation was able to pull off some gorgeous feats of character acting, realizing the subtlety of Maomao’s professional poise and the tenderness of a mother’s love with equal acuity. We’re probably not in for another standout like that, but I’m excited nonetheless to see how Maomao continues to navigate this treacherous theater. Let’s get to it!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eager to return to the imperial palace, and check back in on the continuing adventures of our dear drug-dealing Maomao. Having ingratiated herself into the rear palace’s upper echelon through her apothecarial know-how and generally keen intellect, she now finds herself in the unfortunate position of being Jinshi’s top field operative, an agent he can employ in situations too delicate for his own imposing presence.

Of course, Maomao being Maomao (gosh her name is fun to say), she’s still going to bring her own rebellious spirit and sense of moral responsibility to her assignments. Thus she ended up holding her tongue through the conclusion of last episode’s drama, as Concubine Fuyou demonstrated the unique peculiarities of back palace politics. By suffering the “disgrace” of being offered to a soldier as a gift, Fuyou was actually able to find freedom with the man she loved, while avoiding the greater sin of directly refusing the emperor’s company. Power works in interesting ways here; like Maomao herself, the concubines are both elevated and imprisoned, fearful of drawing either too much or too little attention. It’s a delicate balance of social performance and backstage plotting, and really the perfect venue for Maomao to strut her stuff. Let’s see what she gets up to next!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m thinking we could all do with some thorny palatial intrigue, meaning it’s likely time for a fresh episode of The Apothecary Diaries. The show has proven an absolute delight so far, in large part due to its preposterously charming heroine. Combining a keen intellect and curious mind with a variety of more grumpy, gremlin-reminiscent qualities, Maomao fits into a proud tradition of reluctant detectives, running from modern favorites like Oreki Houtarou all the way back to the indifferent, self-medicating Sherlock Holmes.

With Maomao as our guide, life at the palace has proven a treacherous and fragile balance, a continuous negotiation of loyalties spiced with the threat of venomous betrayal. It’s becoming oddly understandable how Maomao might find comfort in poisons; poisons might harm, but they rarely lie, generally revealing themselves through odor and texture and a certain stiffening of the limbs. In contrast, the nobles of the court are born liars, and that bastard Jinshi the least trustworthy of them all. Let’s see how Maomao navigates this nest of vipers as we return to the palace!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to check back in on the reluctant adventures of our unfortunate Maomao, as we explore the second episode of The Apothecary Diaries. Having suffered the initial indignity of being abducted and sold into the emperor’s service, she has since committed the grave mistake of demonstrating her aptitude for poisons and remedies, thus earning herself a position as the favored Gyokuyou’s lady-in-waiting. And with that annoyingly handsome eunuch Jinshi peering over her shoulder, it now seems increasingly unlikely she’ll be able to live out her term of service in any sort of peace.

All of that sounds like nothing but trouble for Maomao, but certainly a gift to us sadists observing her suffering. Maomao has already proven herself a charming, multifaceted heroine, while Hyūganatsu’s storytelling has gracefully guided us into familiarity with the contours of her world. Additionally, Naganuma’s adaptation is doing a fine job of illustrating Maomao’s journey with bright colors and alluring visual motifs, alongside a wide array of excellent aggrieved expressions. The Apothecary Diaries has firmly announced itself as a compelling story told with professional confidence, and I’m eager to see what it subjects Maomao to next. Let’s get to it!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re checking out a production that’s earned basically universal acclaim over the past few years, as we explore the first episode of The Apothecary Diaries. Based on a light novel series by Hyūganatsu, the series takes place in an alternate medieval China (apparently specifically based on the Tang dynasty), and centers on a girl named Maomao. After learning the ways of medicine (and poison) from her apothecary father, she is sold as a servant to the emperor’s palace, entering a world of courtly intrigue with only her pharmacological skills to aid her.

That already sounds like a novel, compelling premise, and from what I’ve heard, both the light novels and their adaptation ably realize its potential. Our director and series composer Norihiro Naganuma seems perfectly appropriate for the job, given their hands-on work directing, composing, and even key animating portions of The Ancient Magus Bride. It’s a rare thing to find a director who both composes and animates, and I imagine the production will feel all the more cohesive as a result; meanwhile, character designer/AD Yukiko Nakatani appears to be an old hand at Toei, having handled similar duties for both Precure and One Piece productions. An accomplished team adapting a sharp historical drama? That all sounds great to me, so let’s dive right into The Apothecary Diaries!

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