(CR) Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Apothecary Diaries)

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by nojay

It may be worth pointing out that the actual cure for syphilis and most other sexually transmitted diseases is antibiotics which are not really within the scope of this story's apothecary-style concoctions and herbal remedies. There were some treatments in the past that worked to reduce the symptoms but they were often as bad for the patient as the original disease -- some of them involved mercury (cinnabar) for example.

I don't think Luomen or any other apothecary could have saved MaoMao's mother even if he could have treated her soon after she got infected.

Mao Mao kind of worships Luomen and believes he can cure just about anything if given the chance. It's more the evaluation of a little child for their parent than that of an apothecary for a colleague.

Originally Posted by Huh...?

You forget that, Luomen had apparently studied Western Medicine as well.
And if its the same type as our world, then it possible that Luomen might have known about antibiotics.

Only if "the West" is anachronistically advanced. But it's possible they are - it isn't our world, after all.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Huh...?

And if its the same type as our world, then it possible that Luomen might have known about antibiotics.

The first antibiotic, salvarsan, was deployed in 1910. The preferred treatment for syphiliis, penicillin, was invented in 1928.

Seems unlikely there was an effective cure for syphilis in Maomao's world. I think she just idolizes Luomen.

[scififan]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Especially since Lakan shows no symptoms of the disease himself.

How did courtesans avoid pregnancy? Wouldn't they have been a relatively common nuisance resolvable by abortion?

Based on the past experience of past episode, the current detail is intent to mislead viewers. In another word, the plot will be reconstructed differently.

Some viewers thinks that Lakan as the character is created as afterthought. He is not planned in the initial script.

[Nachtwandler]

Courtesans have remedies for early period abortions, but I may be mix things up if they were mentioned already. So MaoMaos mother had some reason not to abort her child despite the risk.

[Decel]

Starting to think there's more to Suirei than being just some other girl. The Lankan-esque hair colour, the similar interests and roles, namely.

Related? Half-sister maybe? Then again, I might be overthinking this

[Thor's Hammer]

Originally Posted by Decel

Starting to think there's more to Suirei than being just some other girl. The Lankan-esque hair colour, the similar interests and roles, namely.

Related? Half-sister maybe? Then again, I might be overthinking this

Not everyone with similar hair colour needs to be related. Lakan did remain single his whole life after all, which probably meant that he genuinely loved Maomao's mother. Although I don't understand why he never ended up buying her out given he intended to do so. Maybe he just wasn't in a position to because he wasn't the high-ranking military official he is today 15 years ago.

[frubam]

Originally Posted by Thor's Hammer

Not everyone with similar hair colour needs to be related. Lakan did remain single his whole life after all, which probably meant that he genuinely loved Maomao's mother. Although I don't understand why he never ended up buying her out given he intended to do so. Maybe he just wasn't in a position to because he wasn't the high-ranking military official he is today 15 years ago.

Did he even have a choice? It was my impression that the baba hostess didn't want to sell her. I think a better question would be why didn't she sell her, and even went to the extent of taking care of her for literal years? She certainly had no trouble selling Maomao to Jinshi. Baba's not only not making any money off of her, but the medicine and food has to cost her money, as well as someone to take care of her particular needs. Even now, as she's (seen relatively) useless, and assuming Lakan comes by to try and buy her, baba refuses to sell her.

[Tenzen12]

It's implied Lakan raped her. That would be more than enough reason to not let him buy her out.

If that's not the case it could be her own choice when she was still right in the head.Knowing Syphilis is untreatable, she might not want to be burden to him.

[alex_drian]

Originally Posted by Huh...?

For those who might have missed the scene

Spoiler:

It was a good idea make it like this. Now I'm not a LN reader (I don't even know if the LN is in first person or thirth person) but I bet the scene is something ambiguous like "MaoMao face contorted in an expression that Jinshi had never seen, making him take a step back" or something like that. In the manga is something like a look of utter desperation but I think this get the point across better in the anime.

[Frontier]

Jinshi still reeling from the aftermath of Maomao's reaction to him bringing Lakan up...I don't blame him. That would stay with a lot of people .

Lihaku brings up a theft in front of Maomao and it's the domino that brings together so many disparate, seemingly random, cases Maomao has dealt with over the course of this season, and Suirei is right in the center of it. And it leads Maomao to realize that something serious, and potentially deadly, has been in the works for a LONG Time .

Jinshi finally gets himself out of the doghouse and Maomao motivated with some Ox Bozoar. He knows her well enough by now .

Thank goodness for that official who got demoted! Not only was he helpful to Maomao but he really helped her realize what the entire plot was about and it also was involved things he had legitimate concerns about that got him demoted in the first place. What are the chances ?

Maomao racing to stop a tragedy and having to grapple with how powerless she is because of her station even when she's just trying to help...even tanking a metal club to the head to show how serious she is about stopping this. Maomao will do all that she can to get through that rowdy guard .

Though when even that's not enough, Lakan will step in help get her through. Maomao hates having to rely on her biological father, especially because it seems very convenient he would just step in like this, but she can't waste time on that. Though it seems Maomao's death glare is genetic the way Lakan stared at that one guard for hitting his daughter !

Maomao saved a noble from getting crushed! And said noble was none other than Jinshi! And while it severely hurt Maomao, it lead to a surprisingly tender and sweet moment between her and Jinshi as he caresses and comforts her .

Wow, okay...no more better visual of how much Jinshi cares about Maomao AND how important he actually is than him carrying her all the way through a bunch of people bowing to him in deference. Lakan is stunned speechless, either from his daughter getting hurt, Jinshi carrying her so closely, or both. On top of the insert song, it's a very memorable way of ending the episode .

[nojay]

Banger of an episode, all the cats are out of the sack, and MaoMao earned her ox beozar.

"A lot happened." No shit Sherlock-sama.

[Thor's Hammer]

So it turns out that all the cases in the second half were part of a long-standing plan to assassinate Jinshi. Lakan knew of the plan, and I believe I know why he had Maomao solve it all rather than intervening himself. Lakan said it best in an earlier episode that those with talent should be recognized. He probably told Lihaku about the ceremonial tools being stolen so that Lihaku would approach Maomao, leading to her solving the case. He just had that much faith in his daughter. Maomao doesn't have proof, but she believes Suirei is the one behind this plot.

[Xiyon]

Originally Posted by Thor's Hammer

Not everyone with similar hair colour needs to be related. Lakan did remain single his whole life after all, which probably meant that he genuinely loved Maomao's mother. Although I don't understand why he never ended up buying her out given he intended to do so. Maybe he just wasn't in a position to because he wasn't the high-ranking military official he is today 15 years ago.

Wait, was it ever explicitly stated Lakan wanted to buy the mother? I thought he was trying to buy / see Maomao, given how much he was pressuring Jinshi.

Anyways, Lakan's expression at the end of the recent episode kinda feels like fire and brimstone is coming. For all his shady, squinty-eyed villain appearance, dude looks honestly furious that Maomao got hurt--- which kinda makes one wonder if Lakan's really as bad as Maomao says he is, or is there a misunderstanding somewhere.

[Nachtwandler]

Lakan explicitely said he wanted to buy the high-ranking courtesan he liked. I don't know why people assumed it is MaoMao in the first place as she never was one. He indeed was disappointed that Jinshi got MaoMao from Madam but it is a separate matter.

[ryllharu]

Originally Posted by nojay

"A lot happened." No shit Sherlock-sama.

It's nice to see everything stitch together and show that despite how little she has appeared, Suirei has long been set up as Maomao's Moriarty.

• She knows the approximately the same skill level in herbalism (she has been planting rare herbs for a year or more on that mound).
• She is in an equivalent position in the Court (Military vs administrative/Inner Court).
• She's been setting up or executing the same schemes that Maomao has been unraveling.
• She also wears very heavy makeup, so she can disguise herself in both directions (much like Maomao downplays her own appearance). Suirei was, with near-certainty, disguised as a man by using her height to her advantage to add the salt to the wine of the sweet-tooth guy. Then months later made herself way prettier to seduce the guard with the pipe.

[Nachtwandler]

Originally Posted by ryllharu

It's nice to see everything stitch together and show that despite how little she has appeared, Suirei has long been set up as Maomao's Moriarty.

• She knows the approximately the same skill level in herbalism (she has been planting rare herbs for a year or more on that mound).
• She is in an equivalent position in the Court (Military vs administrative/Inner Court).
• She's been setting up or executing the same schemes that Maomao has been unraveling.
• She also wears very heavy makeup, so she can disguise herself in both directions (much like Maomao downplays her own appearance). Suirei was, with near-certainty, disguised as a man by using her height to her advantage to add the salt to the wine of the sweet-tooth guy. Then later made herself way prettier to seduce the guard with the pipe.

Also, both in Kounen and his sucessor poisoning cases a suspicios blue-eyed low-ranking court official is present...

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by ryllharu

It's nice to see everything stitch together and show that despite how little she has appeared, Suirei has long been set up as Maomao's Moriarty.

• She knows the approximately the same skill level in herbalism (she has been planting rare herbs for a year or more on that mound).
• She is in an equivalent position in the Court (Military vs administrative/Inner Court).
• She's been setting up or executing the same schemes that Maomao has been unraveling.
• She also wears very heavy makeup, so she can disguise herself in both directions (much like Maomao downplays her own appearance). Suirei was, with near-certainty, disguised as a man by using her height to her advantage to add the salt to the wine of the sweet-tooth guy. Then months later made herself way prettier to seduce the guard with the pipe.

Not to mention she's voiced by Kaori Nazuka

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by ryllharu

It's nice to see everything stitch together and show that despite how little she has appeared, Suirei has long been set up as Maomao's Moriarty.

• She knows the approximately the same skill level in herbalism (she has been planting rare herbs for a year or more on that mound).
• She is in an equivalent position in the Court (Military vs administrative/Inner Court).
• She's been setting up or executing the same schemes that Maomao has been unraveling.
• She also wears very heavy makeup, so she can disguise herself in both directions (much like Maomao downplays her own appearance). Suirei was, with near-certainty, disguised as a man by using her height to her advantage to add the salt to the wine of the sweet-tooth guy. Then months later made herself way prettier to seduce the guard with the pipe.

Nitpick: Suirei's a Court Lady. Maomao isn't, she's just Jinshi's servant (because she failed her exams).

[ryllharu]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Nitpick: Suirei's a Court Lady. Maomao isn't, she's just Jinshi's servant (because she failed her exams).

Sure, but it doesn't change that Suirei works for the military branch and Maomao doesn't.

Maomao is very aware of her own position, but Jinshi treats her like she's a court lady who also has some chores.

[grecefar]

Spoiler for me watching the chapter:

so much happened and that ending was epic.

that guard... beheading him won't be enough with lakan and jinshi after seeing how bad maomao was.