The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 16 is a critical moment in the series. And not just because the anime is perilously close to catching up to the manga. In “Festering Resentment,” we watch as the series makes a crucial pivot as Maomao’s intellect finally comes to bite her, something she’s been wary of since the series premiere. With the return of Suirei (Kaori Nazuka), the woman who seemingly cheated death in Season 1, Maomao (Aoi Yūki) is presented with a very real, very immediate threat. The episode begins with an even keel as her adopted father, Luomen, returns to work for the rear palace, but that stability is lost by the end.
For all intents and purposes, the arrival of Luomen should suggest an easier time for Maomao. Here’s someone who can practice real medicine to help in at least two pregnancies amongst the high-ranking concubine. Instead, Luomen’s introduction produces the thread Maomao starts to pull at, pulling hard enough to unravel many of the season’s mysteries. Luomen’s decision to make a notice that warns against lead-based makeup, strong scents, and picking palace plants without permission makes sense and leads Maomao down a dangerous path.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 16 reminds us that while women don’t hold an iota of the same power as men in this world, they’re often the ones pulling the strings or making notable decisions in the background. From Maomao’s intellect and guidance in helping Jinshi (Takeo Ōtsuka) to Ah-Duo’s reappearance to help excuse his absence while she plays his princely part, it’s evident that the women of this world are vital in keeping it moving. So, it makes sense that the most significant threats Maomao runs into are women who have seen more of this world than she has.
“Festering Resentment” is an apt, brutal title because the episode also reminds us of the former emperor and his abusive cruelty towards young girls. Young, abused girls who the emperor forbade from leaving the rear palace. The notice launches Maomao in their path as she searches for Shenlü, who runs the clinic for women. She realizes that Shenlü, who was in the palace when her father was, must remember the notices. Which means Shenlü knows which substances could be abortifacients. It would make her a potential suspect who let Shin know about these items, who was then able to pick them up at the caravan.
Suirei remains Maomao’s perfect foil.
But all of this is conjecture until Suirei arrives. Suirei, whose androgynous nature let her play the part of eunuch. Suirei, whose physical ailments are leftover side-effects of her feigning her death. Shenlü and Suirei work together in some capacity. But it’s Shisui who makes a more confounding addition. Suirei uses her as a hostage, threatening her if Maomao doesn’t leave the rear palace with her. But we’ve also learned that there’s more to Shishui than meets the eye. Episode 16 drives this home when Maomao finds a book of hers, suggesting greater wealth than a mere servant girl.
Forcing Maomao’s hand further in Suirei’s promise to give her the formula of the resurrection medicine. Considering Maomao’s thirst for knowledge, it’s an easy sell. Though her abduction was inevitable regardless. Her departure opens The Apothecary Diaries up for even greater storytelling possibilities in and out of the rear palace. With Lakan seemingly on the case as Ah-Duo pretends to be the Crown Prince, and Jinshi is preoccupied with Maomao’s disappearance, the rear palace is finally getting the shake-up suggested since the start of Season 2. From attempts on Jinshi’s (the crown prince) life to the foreign envoys planting seeds of doubt, darkness has been brewing for a while now.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 16 delivers haunting visuals and tense showdowns as the series receives a major shakeup. The mystery of the week’s structure becomes a cataclysmic event, whisking away our main mystery solver. It’s a terrific narrative tool as it forces viewers and characters into new territories while giving characters new hurdles to overcome without their typical support. With Maomao out of the rear palace, the series introduces a dramatic, necessary shift of focus that will redefine the characters and their purposes.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 16 is out now on Crunchyroll.
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The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 16 - 8/10
8/10
Based in New England, Allyson is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of InBetweenDrafts. Former Editor-in-Chief at TheYoungFolks, she is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. Her writing has also appeared at CambridgeDay, ThePlaylist, Pajiba, VagueVisages, RogerEbert, TheBostonGlobe, Inverse, Bustle, her Substack, and every scrap of paper within her reach.
