Hello everyone and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I have a craving for some spine-tingling palace intrigue, a craving that apparently can only be satisfied through Momo and her aimless apothecary diary. The work has thus far proven to be a perfect blend of personal drama and mystical drama, rooting its various inexplicable illnesses in the pragmatic practices of harem political capital and gender. Meanwhile, Maomao’s own status has risen dramatically, to the point where two of the emperor’s high-ranking courtesans now regard her as a trusted confidant.
Our final episode was particularly stunning, thanks to the immense talent of young Guns directors/AD China and Moaang. In their hands, a work that only relies on layout rather than animation can complete some gorgeous character performances, vividly expressing the exquisiteness of Maomao’s career and the tenderness of maternal love. We may not meet such a brilliant character again, but I’m still excited to see how Shaggy continues to navigate this dangerous theater. Let’s get started!
Episode 5
We stopped by to take a night view of the palace from the air. The estate is massive but largely horizontal, never really stacking more than two floors. I wonder if this makes sense – prostitutes are subtly protected through the relative anonymity of their residences or some other means
Once again we rely on the aesthetic tools of horror for a grim opening, praising a man huddled in a corner on an ominous note. Suspense and horror are close cousins in terms of genre mechanics, differing primarily in the details of initial narrative disruption and final resolution. Between intellectual revelations or violent peaks, the two genres largely employ the same suspense techniques
This connection is particularly relevant to The Pharmacist’s Diary, as Maomao is often used to drag out the narrative from Fantasy Horror and Superstition Enter Worldly Poisons and the Realm of Human Motives
His hands appear to be covered in blood or some kind of rash
“Secret Operations”
Oh, and there were some solid cuts when we added goldstone to the morning swordfight
Clearly, he’s not letting office work sap his physical abilities. He’s actually a terrorist with a blade
Discussions with Gao Shun reveal that it has been a while since he interacted with Maomao, but he is clearly still preoccupied with her. This is an effective way to emphasize the passage of time since the previous episode
Meanwhile, our girl was rustling through the bushes looking for mushrooms. love you maomao
Maomao shares some delicious snacks with Xiaolan, who updates her on the latest gossip about a palace servant seducing an officer who allegedly hates women. Xiaolan plays a necessary role in the story, connecting the aloof and aloof Maomao to the day-to-day concerns of the palace. It’s essentially the same character played by Sherlock’s Watson or House’s Wilson – such a sociopathic detective necessarily needs a conduit, a personal companion to connect them to the mundane world. This way, their own antisocial nature is not tempered by general socialization, creating a greater contrast between their personalities and the mundane suspects they interact with
She then shared the fresh mushrooms she found with the palace doctor. We have a series of relationship check-ins here that make me wonder if this is the beginning of the second light novel
Their mushroom orgy is interrupted from the start by the man who longs to cure the “curse”
He told a story two days earlier of seeing a woman’s clothes and some sticks burnt during a regular garbage disposal and subsequently seeing the fire light up in various colors and subsequently developing a rash. It’s easy to see why “The Curse” would have been so prominent in an era before we had a common understanding of cross-contamination and personal cleanliness. Proper sanitation and waste disposal have saved more lives than any specific medical advancement
Of course, as Maomao explains, even people of this era understood the concept of adjusting the color of fire through chemicals, such as fireworks.
Next up is Jinshi, who also has questions about the chemical reactions of various colors, but mostly wants to eat her fresh mushrooms
“Find everyone who’s had a burnt arm recently.” So these sticks point to a bigger problem, some kind of conspiracy that might be using colored flames as flares.
“Food tasters don’t need to worry about anything.” Maomao once again denied his curious and ambitious nature
A long profile photo gives us the clearest view of Yu Yao’s palace. The structure is quite outstanding, magnificent, exquisite and elegantly furnished
Shaggy will apparently be attending a garden party, and the show uses the opportunity to shed some light on the power systems here. Apparently there were four high-ranking concubines who were all contenders for the role of empress, and she was actually married to our now unmarried emperor
In this way, Maomao could easily find that he was only one step away from the emperor’s ears.
Of course the maids of the Jade Demon understand that this incident is a key battlefield.
“This is a candy made with ginger and orange.” Maomao seems to have accepted the role of palace pastry chef
She was then enlisted to make pocket heaters to protect against the cold in the garden. As she says, tradition can stifle even small innovations – and as the only one here who clearly has no respect for the way things have always been, she can see many avenues for improvement
A montage of everyday chores brings us closer to the day of the garden party. This very much feels like a “piecemeal” episode, pulling together small pieces of narrative designed to set up the next major plot event. A natural consequence of adaptation; unless the dramatic rhythms of your source material match the structural underpinnings of the medium you’re adapting, sometimes your adaptation will either have to cut back on the material to maintain momentum, or retain the material and end up feeling a little shapeless
Of course, these interludes serve another purpose here: to space out sequences between this conspiratorial ruminations, thereby making it feel more like a slow-burning mystery thread
There are still some characters playing Shaggy who need a break. Pay full attention to how her bed folds under her and how this affects the shadows around her
Jinshi’s investigation yielded no clues and we arrived at the day of the garden party
Lady Jade Demon “marks” Mao Mao with one of her pieces of jewelry, essentially showing that she is an extension of Lady’s power. So this is one of the tools of this war – to show support, to emphasize the relative prestige of each concubine
We finally see Buttercup dressed up for a garden party, revealing that she’s actually been pretending to have freckles. A defensive make-up designed to make her appear more plain and thus less likely to be attacked or kidnapped. A cruel reminder of the violence that surrounds us; the palace has its own threats, but women outside its walls need to be even more vigilant
“The buyer can’t tell if you’ve been kidnapped, or just sold legally, so there’s one less mouth to talk to.” Maomao’s cynical indifference to the legal nuances of human ownership only emphasizes the barbaric nature of the Emperor’s so-called justice. Fortunately, she rarely takes the initiative to talk about politics
“Won’t this make you angry?” In comparison, Jinshi still seemed to believe in justice. But as this conversation highlights, it’s a privilege he can enjoy because he’s a man – a woman who knows the world is run by brute force, not by any higher law. From the back alleys surrounding brothels to the courts of the emperors themselves, this truth holds true
“Obviously. But it’s not your fault.” Jin Shi emphasized with a knife on his closed lips. His own complicity in the system cannot be easily ignored.
In perhaps his most sincere moment, he gives her a hairpin, signaling that she is officially under his protection. He can’t change the path she takes, but he will do his best to support her throughout her life
Of course, Maomao himself doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of this gift.
Finish
And just like that, we arrived at the garden party, attended by the four concubines and the emperor himself! The episode starts slowly but picks up steam by the end, hinting at a potentially deadly conspiracy while also challenging the social dynamics that define life inside and outside the palace. The removal of Mao Mao’s freckles was essentially an introduction into the formal drama of court life—she was now classified as a “beautiful young maiden,” a title that carried both political capital and palpable danger. So it’s only natural that she eventually develops her own unabashed thoughts on this patriarchal society and eventually develops a personal, mutually inclusive connection with the Jinshi. We’re clearly upping the drama here, and I’m interested to see how Maomao will carry herself as a full-fledged political actor!
This article is crazyReader support is possible. Thank you everyone for everything.