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⋮ ⌗ ┆raven of the inner palace • ryuu jusetsu.

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I've been watching both Raven of the Inner Palace and the new season of The Apothecary Diaries lately. It's obvious why people compare the two series, but one big difference I've noted is the protagonists' social awareness.

The semi-titular apothecary isn't a social savant, but she knows her place and how to keep it. Maomao is a lowborn servant surrounded by noble consorts and high-ranking eunuchs and the like. If she annoys them, her life will get harder; if she pisses them off badly enough, her life might end.

She acts accordingly. Maomao doesn't always do the socially appropriate thing, but she needs some unusual stress before she snaps.

By contrast, the semi-titular Raven Consort is a mixture of sheltered, isolated, and naive. There's a lot she just doesn't understand about the "proper" way for a noble consort like her to act. She didn't understand how giving Jiujiu something the Emperor gave to her could be insulting to either of them, let alone both. And even when she's not overtly oblivious like that, she's relatively informal and headstrong, even in the presence of the Emperor.

Luckily, she is the Raven Consort. On one hand, she's isolated from any schemers who could exploit her political incompetence. On the other hand, her status is grand enough that she can get away with more; even the Emperor is not that high above her station. No one would behead her for breaking a mirror.

Of course, she spent most of her childhood in the palace, being raised/trained as the new Raven Consort. Meanwhile, Maomao spent her entire childhood in the red-light district, learning how to be a skilled commoner while the rich and powerful tower above you. Of course they would have different relationships to power.

#raven of the inner palace #the apothecary diaries #compare and contrast #maomao #um #ryu jusetsu #liu shouxue #okay I admit it. I have watched several episodes of Raven of the Inner Palace without remembering what the main character's name is.