The Apothecary Diaries episode 4

Rating: B+

Despite the ominous episode title (“The Threat”), this episode focuses almost entirely on dealing with the consequences of a previous mystery rather than initiating a new one. This provides a welcome rounding-out to a matter which felt like it got dealt with too quickly given that it was literally a life-or-death situation.

This is, of course, referring to the matter of the poisonous face powder in episode 1. Toxic cosmetics are a known problem even to current day – with recent studies showing significant links between certain hair sprays and straighteners and increased risk of breast cancer, for instance – and white lead-based makeup has technically been banned for nearly 400 years in the United Kingdom because of its known harmful side effects. Such substances are known to have existed and been used since antiquity, so a problem like this coming up in a Red Light District or even an Emperor’s harem is quite realistic. That the harem’s doctor didn’t figure it out is also realistic; Maomao only knows about it because she has very unusual experience on this matter. Thus, it also makes sense that she would know how to treat someone who has been poisoned by it, and why wouldn’t the Emperor assign the person who brought the problem to light in the first place the important task of seeing to the recovery of one of his favorites?

Hence, the predicament Maomao finds herself in this time is not a mystery, but rather figuring out how to get past Concubine Lihua’s jealous and overprotective ladies-in-waiting and actually treat the woman. Some might wonder why Maomao didn’t assert herself more from the beginning (being under the Emperor’s direct order would, one would think, give her greater authority than normal), but recall that she’s normally a level-headed girl who prefers not to needlessly rock the boat. However, discovering that thoughtlessness is further endangering her assigned patient is enough to get her ire up, and when she does get angry, she’s magnificent. Credit partly goes to Aoi Yuki for making Maomao’s voice so quickly but naturally become frigid, but even beyond that, Maomao displays a take-charge tenacity which tolerates no fools (while also, amusingly, illustrating to Jinshi exactly the point she was talking about to him earlier about how women can change temperament very abruptly).

This sets ups the strong sequence of events where Maomao is nursing Lihua back to health. Maomao’s bedside manner isn’t the kindest, but it is appreciably pragmatic, and Lihua is not foolish enough to not recognize that. Rather than platitudes, Maomao is giving her the food for thought necessary for her to to accept that she wants to get better. A clearly-beloved infant dying because of ignorance and carelessness is a terrible thing, but a person has to move on from it and learn from those harsh lessons. Of course, this also allows Maomao in the end to engage in one of her other distinguishing habits: throwing in sexual references saucy enough to make even an experienced concubine overheat. (If you’re curious about what she probably described to Lihua, look up the word “paizuri.”) Although she probably wouldn’t admit it, Maomao does seem to revel in tossing in advice she’s picked up from the courtesans of the brothels.

The one concern in this episode – and the reason why I’m not giving it a step higher grade – is that the artistic quality control looks much shakier here than in in previous ones. It’s not a big problem, but how rough some of the scenes in the middle of the episode look is readily-noticeable. Otherwise, this is another fine entry in one of the season’s most likable shows.