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@xmoon-prince
just little imperial family snippets from the latest translated chapters of light novel 15. wondering if ah-duo teared up when jinshi pointed out that he’d rather let maomao go than trap her in the rear palace, like ah-duo was. either way, this was a really emotionally charged scene.
Jinshi flirting and whispering in her ear, it’s so sexy and adorable at the same time. I love them.
Maomao acknowledging how much he changed after stop taking those manhood suppressors and that he looks more masculine which, for him, was a HUGE compliment coming from the woman he’s in love.
The fucking-almost kiss… they want me to have a heart attack…
Jinshi’s favorite pillow: Maomao
point of note: she doesn’t push him away.
ln vol 5
"three hundred silver would be cheap at the price of this girl"
can i just talk about this specific arc in volume 5 of the apothecary diaries T—T
so this is the part where they’re investigating the village of the quack doctor and i just want to HIGHLIGHT how insane it is how quickly jinshi picks up on whatever maomao is thinking.
to be loved is to be known.
he doesn’t need the full explanation. he doesn’t ask questions. he sees her in action, understands the direction she’s taking, and silently backs her up.
i fully believe jinshi is constantly amazed by maomao’s mind. he’s in AWE of her. her intelligence? her skills? her way of thinking? he watches her work and his eyes practically sparkle. he is the poster boy of “supportive malewife who lets the girlboss thrive.” and the best part?? he’s never once felt threatened by it.
never once has he been insecure about how smart she is. never once did he try to downplay her. never once been dismissive. never once been competitive. in fact, he actually tries to learn from her. remember when maomao was kidnapped and jinshi tried to think like her, to figure out where she might be and how she’d act? THAT’S HIM APPLYING WHAT HE’S LEARNED. that’s him treating her intelligence as something worth listening to, learning from, protecting. this man said “wow she’s incredible, i’m gonna start doing that too.” 😭
also can we talk about how at this point, jinshi is literally jus there to make sure maomao can do whatever she wants 😭😭 he is using his position to create space for maomao to move freely. ane he does it silently, without demanding recognition or credit. like. she has the freedom to act, investigate, speak out—because jinshi has the status and he uses that power so SHE can keep doing what she loves.
he’s not the type to put her in a cage and call it love—he’s the type to open the door wider.
maomao’s a low-born woman in a rigid society, and yet she’s moving through rooms she shouldn’t be allowed in, questioning people way above her rank, throwing herself into danger—and she gets away with it. because jinshi is behind her.
and the beauty of it is he never rubs that in her face. he never says “you can only do this because of me.”
NO. he simply uses his status to create space for her—a safe space where she can be brilliant, reckless, clever, infuriatingly blunt, and still be protected.
we love a supportive malewife who’s just out here empowering his genius goblin girlfriend 😭
he’s not just in love—he respects her.
SEE WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT 😭😭 he just lets her do stuff.
LET PEOPLE ENJOY THEIR INTERESTS!!!!!!! even if it’s borderline unhinged, even if it involves starting a drinking bet with 5 men and other maomao-coded behavior.
jinshi has so much faith in her. he doesn’t hover. he doesn’t interrupt. he just trusts that she knows what she’s doing—even when literally no one else does.
and GOD. may this love find me.
the kind of love that doesn’t try to change you or dim you down.
just watches you go feral in your weird little field of expertise and thinks, “yeah. that’s them. that’s the person I trust.”
jinshi NEVER holds her back. (okay, MAYBE sometimes he takes away her mushrooms and poison samples but THATS BECAUSE SHES INSANE. that’s not control, that’s just him trying to keep her from dying LMAO 😭)
but even then, he never tells her to stop being herself. he just wants her alive long enough to keep being brilliant. like… imagine someone believing in you that much. not just tolerating your interests. not romanticizing them either. but respecting them, supporting them, helping make sure you get the space to keep doing what you love.
and now as the scene progresses, all that “trust her” energy?? YEAH. it’s still there. but he’s also 1000% ready to step in the moment she crosses the line.
because like… let’s be real. maomao?? out of her mind sometimes LMAO 😭 she’ll do unhinged things without flinching. she’ll walk headfirst into danger with zero self-preservation and just go “yeah it’s fine <3” GIRL. STOP.
and jinshi??? he knows this. he respects her intellect, he trusts her judgment— but he also knows she needs someone to pull her back when she goes too far.
so the moment it gets tense? the moment the landlord starts getting pissed?
he stands.
his chair SCRAPES BACK.
everyone else is still sitting there stunned, but jinshi’s already up—because if anything happens to her, he’s already decided he won’t just watch.
this is what I love about them so much.
they balance each other perfectly. she pulls him out of his perfect palace persona. he pulls her back from the edge of self-destruction she’s the chaotic gremlin genius with zero self-preservation. he’s the calm, composed, high-ranking disaster with a soft spot the size of the moon, and together they function like one complete human being 😭😭😭
they are the definition of equal and opposite.
not trying to change each other—just naturally falling into place like two puzzle pieces.
they just fit.
he is her stability. she is his clarity. and neither of them asks the other to change.
okay but can we TALK about how maomao literally just accepts pain?? like. “yeah i’m probably gonna get punched but whatever, i need that info.” GIRL. what do you MEAN "its fine" 😭😭 this woman treats her own life like a tool. like a thing she can offer up to science or logic or knowledge or whatever cause she’s chasing at the moment. she was READY to get beat up if it meant getting closer to an answer. and this isn’t even the first time!!!
this girl has literally:
tested poisons on herself
walked around with reopened stitches like it’s no big deal
been punched in the face and brushed it off
was ABOUT TO CUT OFF HER PINKY
AND SHE THOUGHT THAT WAS FINE. she didn’t flinch. no hesitation. because that’s how little she thinks her body matters. to her, pain is just another step in the process. if she has to bleed for the answer, then so be it.
but Jinshi? Jinshi sees that. and it kills him.
he's the only one who stops her. he’s the one who sees her sacrificing herself over and over and goes “no. not like this.” the way he literally won’t let her hurt herself, even when she’s convinced it’s necessary.
like that one last scene in season 2— she’s about to CUT OFF HER OWN PINKY to test a medicine (she hasn’t seen jinshi in a while, she’s not in the rear palace anymore, she’s fully gone goblin mode with no one to stop her)
and then??? jinshi walks in. and she STOPS.
she doesn’t even argue. she just stops. because he’s there again. and he’s always been the one to keep her grounded.
girlie’s ready to bleed for her answers and this man is out here being like “no you are NOT cutting off your damn pinky, are you INSANE—”
jinshi is the reason maomao doesn’t self-destruct completely.
he takes care of her like she’s breakable—not because he thinks she’s weak, but because he loves her that much.
he treats her like she’s fragile. like she’s precious. like she’s someone who deserves to be protected—even from herself.
he’s the only one who reminds her she’s not disposable. he’s the one keeping her grounded. keeping her alive. she pushes herself too far and he pulls her back every. single. time.
they balance each other in the most painfully beautiful way.
maomao brings out his true self—the silly, unfiltered, messy version of him that no one else gets to see. and jinshi brings out the part of maomao that still wants to be human. to be cared for. to be held.
when he’s stuck being the perfect, composed, unreachable official, she’s the only one who treats him like a human being.
she calls him out. makes him sulk. brings out his bratty, petty, real self.
she gives him space to breathe.
they balance each other in every way.
they are each other's anchors and i am LOSING IT
"three hundred silver would be cheap at the price of this girl" that’s it. that’s the whole thesis. that’s the line.
you can write entire essays about their dynamic but THIS. RIGHT. HERE. is the mic drop.
maomao, who would willingly slice her own finger off in the name of science, who shrugs off bruises and reopened stitches like they’re part of the process, who thinks her value is in what she can do, not who she is.
and then there’s jinshi, saying with his whole chest that even 300 silver would be a bargain. even that wouldn't be enough. like he’s not just protecting her anymore, he’s putting worth on her in front of a whole room of people. redefining her value out loud.
and the way he says it so casually, brushing away the hand of the man holding her, like “don’t touch her. she’s not for you. she’s not for harm.”
that level of possessive protection??? ARE YOU KIDDING???
she risks herself like she doesn’t matter.
he guards her like she’s everything.
HE VALUES HER MORE THAN SHE VALUES HERSELF.
So, spoilers for those who haven't read LN 5
I would just like to add that one of my favorite things about this scene is that Jinshi knows Maomao can drink them all under the table, and while everyone else in their group is panicked, he's all
This is just one of the scenes in LN5 that makes me hope the "sequel production" is a full season & not a movie. These scenes need time, they should not be compressed into a 1-5 minute scene. There's so much to work with & if the scenes are rushed they'll lose their impact.
jinmao haters should read this entire analysis, op cooked with this one. the ship hate is unreal atp.
I loved all the scenes of Jinshi and Maomao in the last episode, but somehow this scene touched me especially and I haven't seen it appreciated. The way he stops for just a second to admire her in her element! LOVE IT! 💜💚 (And I'm sure it helps that she bosses him around 🤣)
Bonus - the sunshine!:
If nothing else solidified the fact that jinshi is really and truly in love with maomao for me, it’s this scene: his look back at maomao and the way he softens before he exits the tent.
what’s the saying again? the eyes chico, they never lie.
The fact that Jinshi came back for Maomao after everything is the consolation she needed.
She lost her job, and got separated from her friends and colleagues. He may have hid his identity from her, but his feelings toward her are genuine. He loves her. It wasn't a pastime thing for him, he truly wants her. It's real.
it's the little touches and subtle movements that always scream the loudest. it's not much, but it says enough <3
“touch me when i ask. touch me when i’m afraid to. touch me with your lips, your hands, your hands, your presence in the room.”
Ah Duo wanted to be free and travel the world but the Emperor trapped her in the palace by marrying her and making her the mother of his firstborn child because he thought that was what she wanted. Despite this, Ah Duo bore no ill will and stayed loyal to her former husband, whose romantic feelings she did not reciprocate and only saw as a friend.
While Loulan was sent to replace Ah Duo as the Emperor’s consort, she had no desire to bear his child and live in the palace for the rest of her life. She had no loyalty to him, though she did ruin her mother’s plan to overthrow him. Loulan faked her death and ran away to travel the world under a new name, finally free from the constraints of her old life. In the end, she got to live out the dream her predecessor once had.
She felt something warm roll gently down her cheek. Ploop, it went, falling onto the paper and distorting the characters. They hadn’t found Shisui’s body. She’d been shot with a feifa and then fallen off the stronghold roof, yet no matter how they pawed through the snowbanks below, they came up with nothing. They said they would look for the body again when the snow melted in spring. Maomao, for one, hoped they never found it.
Maomao hopes that Shisui/Loulan is alive and one day she’ll see her again, Episode 24, Volume 4
Not enough of you are going insane over maomao crying because xiaolan left the rear palace tbh
for real, i teared up myself when i heard the xiaolan voiceover, and when the tear rolled down her cheek. as much as maomao pretends that she doesn’t care, she actually really, really does. i’ll miss my precious trio. yao and en’en could never replace them.
Apothecary fam, we’re getting a sequel. You know what that means? That means:-
a) we’re lahan and getting rikuson content. i can’t wait for more lahan and rikuson’s “beef” with the moon prince, lol
b) we’re getting the infamous light novel 5 epilogue animated. not quite sure i wanna be on the socials when *that* happens
Everyone stop whatever you are doing and look at my babies (Spoiler Apothecary Diaries final s2)
I REALLY CANT WITH THE WAY THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER. I'M GOING SENILE I'LL BE THE MOST ANNOYING PERSON IN THE WHOLE FUCKING UNIVERSE WHEN THE EPISODE RELEASE
Mission status: sick
He was so fucking hot when he did that.
In Basen’s Defense
So, I have thoughts about this. Basen did not shoot Loulan in the light novel. Or should we say, it’s not clear. We know the soldiers who enter the room shoot at her multiple times and it’s unclear who strikes her. I’m not sure why they chose to change it to Basen, drama probably and focus on a central character, like making her exit a whole dance that was a bit too long.
But I liked the dramatic look of Basen when he sees Jinshi’s scar, the loyalty he shows to him and anger towards Loulan with an intense glint in his eyes as he wants her to be punished for hurting someone he deeply respects.
Also, keep in mind there was steep punishment for letting someone of a royal personage be hurt. In the anime they don’t really make it clear that it’s Basen who gets beat by Gaoshun. This is meaningful because it’s why he wants to always be in front of Jinshi and takes it seriously when he’s been hurt, besides I believe just caring for him as he’s known him since they were young, but also because the punishment falls on everyone for them failing to protect him.
Trust me when I say Basen is one of the kindest souls in the novels. Yes they changed this scene up a little bit but it very much exemplifies who Basen is. A deeply honest and loyal person who takes treachery and harm to Jinshi very seriously. I think it’s a good moment but if you haven’t read the LNs, I recommend it. If y’all can’t get the nuance of these characters you’ll miss out on some of their best stories, like Bashu.
listen, listen, listen. i’ve been seeing the Basen hate all over and i won’t tolerate any hate towards this man. he is jinshi’s best friend, his milk brother. aside from that, he’s jinshi’s right hand and protector, and we have seen many, many times over in the anime, how loyal he is to jinshi. when jinshi went missing, who was ready to start searching immediately? Basen was. when lakan came to jinshi’s office and began taking shit, who was ready to stand up for him? Basen was. light novel five spoilers here, but who saved lishu and maomao from being attacked? Basen did. Who did a little duckling fall in love with to the point that he had to adopt her? Basen.
furthermore, jinshi is the moon prince. If he gets hurt, Basen is directly responsible for that, regardless of whether he held the weapon to jinshi or not. We also have to remember that he isn’t privy to the information we, the watchers, are. he’s told things on a need to know basis, for example, he didn’t know Maomao didn’t know about jinshi’s true identity until gaoshun essentially told him no she doesn’t know and it needs to remain like that. All this to say: his best friend, who he has to guard with his life as it’s his duty, was hurt by the daughter of a traitor who is herself an escaped concubine. of course, he’s going to be angry. of course, he’s going to lash out at whom he thinks is responsible. of course, he knows he was going to get a beating. and of course, he takes it without complaint because he’s trained to think that it’s his fault.
"I have Yukio, and Yukio has me!"
Sources: 1. Blue Exorcist by Kato Kazue; 2. Song for Sasha Banks sung by The Mountain Goats; 3. How The Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard; 4. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother sung by The Hollies; 5. Brother by the Interstate by K. C. Cramm; 6. Blue Exorcist by Kato Kazue; 7. The World at its Beginning by Dustin Pearson; 8. Dioscuri by Dante Émile; 9. The Lunar Chronicles #4: Winter by Marissa Meyers; 10. I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson; 11. Blue Exorcist by Kato Kazue; 12. @/godlyrot; 13. @/scriptastra; 14. Trista Mateer; 15. Unknown; 16. Blue Exorcist by Kato Kazue
holding my breath as i watch Loulan dance. it was absolutely stunning. anime did the light novel justice in this ep. 10/10.
guys I know there isn’t any new episode today, but is that applicable to the dub as well? Been checking Crunchyroll for the past 20 minutes and there isn’t anything, and it’s usually out by now!
