#tad maomao

[oexas]

the apothecary diaries basically took over my life for the last few weeks and I need more immediately

#tad #the apothecary diaries #maomao #jinshi #maomao and jinshi #kusuriya no hitorigoto

[aashi-heartfilia]

The hypocrisy of Jinshi and MaoMao

*light novel spoilers*

I just love how hypocritical MaoMao's nature is. She yells at Jinshi for being a 'Masochist' and yet we see that she's no different. Now, by definition Masochist is a person who drives sexual gratification from their own pain and humiliation, plus it relates to Jinshi's tendency to do self harm (like burning his skin with a brand)

And what is MaoMao's most favourite thing in this world?

POISON

She literally takes pleasure in consuming it and no one can convince me otherwise. Plus she uses dangerous plants and animals and snakes whatnot in the name of her so-called experiments. Her dad may call her a 'mad Scientist' but that is a direct indication of self harm.

And she calls Jinshi a Masochist.

I mean, think about it! The amount of anxiety she gives to Jinshi! She came prepared with a vomit inducing medicine but even she had no idea whether it would work or not. She was just hoping it would work in the salt chapter.

And the same goes for her hand, on which she has conducted countless experiments. One flower even burned her skin and its marks never left her skin. She said it was all for her hobby. What kind of weird hobby is that? Maybe, our little adorable mad scientist is just like that.

One brands his own skin, while the other takes heavenly pleasure in consuming poison.

So my point is, Jinshi and MaoMao are not that different as one might think they are and that's why their dynamic works so well.

Let's look at the excerpts from volume 5:

She didn’t know how long they sat that way. All she knew was that Jinshi was looking down at her with a faintly triumphant expression, as if he saw that the breath had reached every corner of her body now. He wiped away the tears that had sprung to her eyes as she struggled to breathe. It was then that Maomao felt a flash of intense anger. “I said that if you were going to kill me, you should do it with poison,” she told him. “I refuse to let you poison yourself,” Jinshi said, his fingers tracing her lips. “You can’t pretend you didn’t know that you were one of the candidates. As much as I’m sure you’d like to.” He wasn’t done, either: “Who was that man, anyway? I’m sure you’re not a dancer.” So he had been watching them! “I was just paying for my drink,” Maomao said. “It didn’t cost much.” She tried to look away, but with his hand on her head, she really couldn’t.

Jinshi just choked her and yet he refuses to let MaoMao poison herself. A lot of people misinterpret this scene, and don't like it all that much, saying it was just fanservice stuff but this is how I see it: Jinshi wasn't trying to kill MaoMao, he was just trying to make MaoMao submit to him for once (even if the way he did it was very wrong, but guess he's kinky like that). MaoMao is actively trying to harm herself and Jinshi loves MaoMao a lot, he cannot just let her kill herself.

It was more about him trying to exert his dominance in their weirdish - complicated relationship and that also backfires on him as we see in the next volume that MaoMao escapes Jinshi's grasps using Pairin's techniques.

And then they both continue to avoid each other in the entire next volume! Because they both realised that they have crossed boundaries.

They both are hypocrites.

And they both refuse to accept their feelings.

In one of the later volumes, she gives Jinshi a piece of her mind on how he should tell her everything clearly, unequivocally, what he feels, and he literally declares that "he will make her his wife", which is nice and all but look at the wording MaoMao used here....

Excerpts from LN Vol 7, chapter 19 called "A man and a woman play the game"

"You’re forever telling me I need to use my words, Master Jinshi, but are you in any position to criticize? Everything you say to me, everything you do, it’s like it’s calculated to save you from ever having to actually say what you mean! To make me figure it all out! You know, you remind me of someone. You act exactly like a man who used to come by our brothel all the time. He was in love with one of the girls, but he would never just come out and say it. He thought it should be obvious from the way he acted. He was so sure he had a good thing going with this woman that he never sent her so much as a letter. I remember how forlorn he looked when someone else swooped in and snatched her away! He kept coming to the brothel after that—to get drunk and whine to the ladies. Well, in my opinion, he could have avoided all that heartbreak if he’d told the woman how he felt. Clearly, unequivocally, so that she knew where they stood. It was the least he could have done!”

Everything came out in a torrent. She felt like she’d said it all in one breath. It was strange, she thought, to hear so many words come out of her own mouth. She was mystified. Jinshi was no less startled, but the shock soon left his face, replaced by something else. He got up off the bed and stared down at Maomao.

Shit. Now I’ve done it. She’d given him a piece of her mind, and he was about to give her one back.

“So I should be clear, should I? Unequivocal? I should say what I mean? If I did, would you actually listen to me? Is that what you’re telling me? I’m going to hold you to that! Right this minute. I’ll say it all. Don’t plug your ears—listen to me!” He grabbed her hands as she was in the process of trying to put her fingers in her ears. He took a breath. He was looking at Maomao, but somehow he seemed almost embarrassed. Finally he managed, “Now listen to me, y—I mean, Maomao! Listen close! I am going to make you my wife!”

It's one heck of a chapter and I suggest you give it a go! The title of the chapter says "A man and a woman play the game" as if to emphasize the very fact that both Jinshi and MaoMao are playing the game.

Jinshi has never confessed his true feelings before this chapter and only implied that he wanted to make MaoMao his wife.

The implications were heavy though on Jinshi's part, and as smart as MaoMao is, anyone would have guessed that MaoMao was one of the candidates for Jinshi's consort. Even the clothes she received (the ones she wore to the banquet) were also provided by Jinshi along with the hairpin. It is never stated outright but seeing as the hairpin was from Jinshi, the clothes are also implied to be the same.

More or less she's always deliberately ignoring the possibility of having anything to do with him, that is more than professional. Some may call it denial, I call it dense. Maybe, to some extent, she herself is not aware of her feelings because she never lets herself feel anything.

Even Suiren pointed it out pretty early in the manga, that maybe it's MaoMao's way of being reserved. We need to keep in mind that MaoMao is an unreliable narrator and it's more of what she does, rather than what she says that makes a difference.

Even in the chapter that I have quoted above, she had every reason to leave Jinshi, she wasn't working for him after all. But she stayed to make tea for him, even after the fact that she had a long day too. She was almost just as exhausted as Jinshi and yet she was there preparing medicinal tea, so that he could get a better sleep.

Maybe she herself is yet to realise just how deep her feelings run. Till vol 12 she seems to have accepted them, but she still is yet to acknowledge their depth. Maybe it's because of her childhood.

It's not a traumatic backstory but MaoMao had a sad childhood nonetheless....

She was raised by her grand uncle and her real father was eccentric, who scared her. Her mother must also appear to be kind of demonic to her, since she was desperate enough to cut MaoMao's Pinky finger and send it to Lahan. So it's safe to say that MaoMao never received proper parental affection. And adding to the fact that, a brothel is not exactly an ideal place for raising a child.... especially when the birth of MaoMao was the one thing that brought the brothel to its knees...even if being born wasn't her choice.

Plus MaoMao stated it herself that when she was a baby, no one would come to sooth her until their work was finished, implying that even if MaoMao and her brothel sisters are close, they are not that close. A mother's love is different and she never received it. No one can love you more than your mother and MaoMao was deprived of that. She soon realised that no one was coming. Life is hard and she has no choice but to face it!

So, she got interested in poison.

Maybe she doesn't love herself or her life as much as she says / pretends she does. She's always like "yeah, I would very much like my head to be with my body" and "if I stay low profile maybe I can survive here" etc but maybe deep down that's not the case. Maybe that's why she loves poison so much. The implications are crazy.

And to break MaoMao's shell, Jinshi has no choice but to be a bit more forceful at times? At least that's how I interpret that choking scene. Jinshi was angry at MaoMao because she deliberately suggested him to marry consort Rishu and danced with Rikuson.

Even if Jinshi never said it outright, he was giving hints the entire time.

But well the tables turned and MaoMao topped him instead, lol (vol 7) and later we even see that our little stray cat has accepted Jinshi and she's ready to be in a relationship with him (vol 12).

Plus she is intrigued by the process of birth (she wants to eat her baby's placenta, it's kind of uggghhh.... but anyways, that MaoMao we're talking about, she's just weird that way)

Maybe not after too long she'll realise that if she has to give birth, she can only have it with Jinshi and no one else.

~Sunshine

#maomao #kusuriya no hitorigoto #kusuriya no hitorigoto manga #jinshi #jinshi x maomao #maomao x jinshi #the apothecary diaries #the Apothecary Diaries manga #tad manga #kusuriya no hitorigoto spoilers #manga #anime #spoilers #kusuriya no hitorigoto light novel #kusuriya no hitorigoto LN #the apothecary diaries anime #shoujo #shoujo couples #seinen #aashi animetalks #aashi heartfilia #mao mao #mao mao x jinshi #mao mao x reader #mao mao tad #maomao kusuriya no hitorigoto #light novel #kusuriya anime #shoujo anime #shoujo anime couples

[greenteaandtattoos]

she's so fucking pumped about drinking poison i love her

#maomao #the apothecary diaries #kusuriya no hitorigoto #tad spoilers

[neo--queen--serenity]

Flowers are often used as a metaphor for the female characters in the Apothecary Diaries. And for the first time, we, the viewer, are given the direct comparison to which flower is meant to represent Maomao: wood sorrel (also known as “cat’s foot”).

It’s a flower that can treat poisons. A flower that is used to enhance the beauty of the courtesans by painting their nails. A flower with a name associated with cats. A flower that, in hanakotoba, represents maternal tenderness. It’s also one of the flowers that Lakan specifically associates with Fengxian, and by extension, Maomao herself.

In the first opening—aptly titled, “Be A Flower”—the wood sorrel is the only flower that gets special attention. The other flowers are shown together with other varieties, but only the wood sorrel is shown by itself, and more than once.

We see it again in the second opening, with an infant being held by a parent, while flitting between images of Lakan and Fengxian’s backstory.

It’s such a simple flower, too. Small, unassuming, but full of diverse uses and qualities, be they medicinal or ordinary. A very fitting flower for Maomao, and what she brings to the story.

#the apothecary diaries #kusuriya no hitorigoto #maomao #fengxian #lakan #knh #mao mao #knh maomao #knh spoilers #apothecary diaries #apothecary diaries maomao #maomao apothecary diaries #neo queen serenity’s posts #tad meta #knh analysis #knh anime #kusuriya anime #tad #apothecary diaries spoilers #knh meta #knh episode 23 #knh ep. 23 #hana ni natte #be a flower

[ingoodjesst]

one thing i really like about the apothecary diaries is how fluidly maomao moves between high- and low-class society, between the rear palace and the pleasure district, allowing us to see the parallels in the power dynamics. in both settings, we see women trying to make the most of their relative stations with whatever tools available to them, which are often shared. much of the politics of the series centers women and the ways they try to navigate the world through seduction, marriage, beauty, fashion, manipulation, etc, because these are the things they're valued for. their appearance, their social graces, their "purity", their marriageability, their ability to bear children, and beyond - these all lend political, economic, and social leverage to themselves and their families regardless of class.

the mystery angle in particular enables the story to closely examine what tools and motives are available to women in the apothecary diaries in a way that's contextualized and humanized. it's also how the series highlights said women operating with a keen awareness of society's expectations and systems. whether that's applying deathly white powder to maintain impractical beauty standards, faking illnesses to deter certain visitors, using parlor tricks to subtly punish callous men, or wearing ostentatious outfits to hide a certain truth, each mystery we encounter reveals more about what it means to navigate the world of the apothecary diaries as a woman in addition to revealing their cleverness (or lack thereof) in doing so.

maomao is no exception to the rule, often weighing similar questions of propriety and power before she acts - although she does engage from a unique position. she's a literate woman from the lower class with special circumstances surrounding her birth, versed as an apothecary, and favored by highly ranked members of the court. this, plus her marked lack of ambition beyond medicine, gives her a lot of mobility between and (relatively) unbiased insight into both the high- and low-ranked parts of society. in turn, we readers are given a fantastic protagonist to explore what i consider a core draw of the series: seeing how maomao chooses to move through the world, highly conscious of her own social positioning as well as that of all the other women around her

#the apothecary diaries #kusuriya no hitorigoto #maomao #my jessays #anime analysis #there's extremely light hints at content beyond the anime and even manga but i tried to be careful #kusuriya analysis #idr how to tag this for myself lmao i think tad stinks as an acronym frankly #anyway i love how much women are centered in the apothecary diaries it's truly delightful and i love seeing maomao connect with other women

[theflowerr-childdd]

the way they all had their heads bowed while he carried her out of the temple

big moon prince energy

#I wanted to scream #jinshi #tad #the apothecary diaries #maomao #jinmao #jinshi x maomao #kusuriya no hitorigoto #the apothecary diaries light novels

[ankhnu]

Enough flirting

#the apothecary diaries #jinmao #maomao #jinshi x maomao #kusuriya no hitorigoto #knh #tad #fanart #my art

[avatraang]

“The way he looked at you. I got it then. He loved you, and it was killing him.”

#jinmao #jinshi #maomao #the apothecary diaries #kusuriya anime #kusuriya no hitorigoto #my first edit in a looooong time #this manga/anime is sQUEEZING the juices in my brain #they r all i can think about night n day #👁️👄👁️ #<- me thinking abt jinmao #constantly all the time #tad is SO GOOD INDULGE YOURSELF PLEASE #my works #this quote is so them bro is insane for her #also. i could write a whole ESSAY on how that middle panel makes me feel #his face. her face. the look in his eyes. the way he touches her face. the dialogue (not featured). the look on his face. i say again. #the. look. on. his. face. #this scene is potent! i cant wait to see it in the anime aslkgalkga

[maomao9jinshi]

you have no idea hkw much this makes me sad ive been looking forward to tad week every saturday its nearing saturday and i no longer have my source of joy

#kusuriyanohitorigoto #maomao #kusuriya anime #theapothecarydiaries #maomao and jinshi #jinshi #love #jinmao #anime #aesthetics #kusuriya no hitorigot #kusuriya no hitorigoto #saiki kusuo #muu kusunoki #akira kusuru #knh fanart #knh anime #knhedit #knh spoilers #knh maomao #knh jinshi #the apothecary diaries #lakan #lihaku #the apothecary diaries manga #maomao x jinshi #apothecary diaries #starday #you have no idea hkw much this makes me sad #ive been looking forward to tad week every saturday

[playwithmydarkestdemons]

This is my personal Shibuya Incident Arc.😭

The last episode💔

#my post #me #anime #animeme #sousou no frieren #frieren at the funeral #frieren: beyond journey's end #maomao #the apothecary diaries #you are my specialz #kusuriya no hitorigoto #sad #episode #don’t leave me #stay with me #shibuya incident #shibuya Incident arc #batman #loss #SNF #TAD

[friedwizardwhispers]

Please do not read this if you haven't read the manga/light novel, spoilers:

Considering how reluctant Maomao is about everything linked to court drama, there is something really really funny about thinking the apothecary diaries might be the backstory to how she became an empress.

#the apothecary diaries #the apothecary diaries spoilers #kusuriya no hitorigoto #tad spoilers #kusuriya no hitorigoto spoilers #maomao #mao mao #knh maomao #i stopped at book 7 i think

[lilmisshungrytiger]

My Roman Empire is that part in the second opening of TAD where the scene closes in on a bouquet of blue roses and the music builds up while the flowers wither away, both representing the passage of time and Fengxian’s deteriorating health. The roses hide a sleeping Lakan in a dark office.

Then the music peaks and he wakes up to light and color - Fengxian and Maomao’s colors.

#this is why I like the second opening better #spoilers #the apothecary diaries #tad spoilers #the apothecary diaries spoilers #tad #knh #knh spoilers #kusuriya no hitorigoto #kusuriya no hitorigoto spoilers #lakan #maomao #Fengxian #why so tragic

[landofanimes]

The Apothecary Diaries

OST and single cover arts

Season 1 Soundtrack

OP 1: Hana ni Natte (Be a Flower) by Ryokuoushoku Shakai

OP 2: Ambivalent by Uru

ED 2: Ai wa Kusuri (Love is Medicine) by wacci

< The 1st Ending doesn't have an anime-themed cover! >

#the apothecary diaries #maomao #jinshi #kusuriya no hitorigoto #tad opening #tad ending

[kimboo-york]

OHHHHHHH

I just now realized that the person sitting on the roof and drinking at the start of Ep. 10 is NOT Jinshi (as I first assumed) but Ah-Duo!!!

Look at that outfit compared to the one she's wearing when MaoMao talks about how she would pass as a young civil servant (as a man, that is) if she dressed differently.

No idea what this means but I thought it is interesting, hmmmm?

#kimboo's musings #the apothecary diaries #MaoMao #TAD ep10

[ackerbabezzz]

No cause I’m so excited for The Apothecary Diaries anime but tell me why I just saw a TikTok comment saying that MaoMao looks like a child???? Like she’s just short, bro it’s already starting

#I lowkey wanna gatekeep now cause that’s my baby #but also I want people to experience the greatness of TAD cause it’s just so good #I’m conflicted #mao mao #maomao #the apothecary diaries #kusuriya no hitorigoto #Mao Mao x Jinshi #jinshi #the apothecary diaries anime #kusuriya no hitorigoto anime #the apothecary diaries manga #kusuriya no hitorigoto manga #seinen #seinen manga #tiktok #Mao Mao and Jinshi #anime #manga

[theflowerr-childdd]

Jinshi @ maomao: i !!! will !!! marry !! you!! you are perfection incarnate, the aPPle of my ✨eye✨ the most beautiful goddess i have ever seen !! i am uncontrollably in love with you !!!! please step on ME

Maomao: sry dude didn’t catch that, checkout this herb over here tho😍🥰!!!!

#the apothecary diaries #the apothecary diaries light novels #TAD #maomao #jinshi #jinmao #jinshi x maomao #anime #manga #kusuriya no hitorigoto #I’m at my wits end with my girl #give my boy his shot #😩😩😩😩 #they’re both perfection