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The Apothecary Diaries Season 2: Episode 21 FULL LENGTH Reaction! (Patreon)

Published:
2025-06-18 13:00:07
Edited:
2026-10-19 04:35:33
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*SLITHERING HEADPHONE WARNINGS* So....is this MaoMao's Yuri arc? Toxic Yuri? Doomed Yuri? ALL OF THE ABOVE?! Regardless, this episode was B

*SLITHERING HEADPHONE WARNINGS*

So....is this MaoMao's Yuri arc? Toxic Yuri? Doomed Yuri? ALL OF THE ABOVE?! Regardless, this episode was BONKERS and my jaw was on the ground more than once as things are winding up in the Stronghold and it's to the breaking point!

I was not ready for this series to REALLY be like Game of Thrones...but here we are! Let's nervously laugh and screech about it!

LINK TO REACTION: https://pixeldrain.com/u/j8S8Fpv3

Thank you for watching with me and for all the support!

Files

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2: Episode 21 Reaction! TAIBON?!

LINK TO REACTION: https://pixeldrain.com/u/j8S8Fpv3 **SLITHERING HEADPHONE WARNINGS** So....is this MaoMao's Yuri arc? Toxic Yuri? Doomed Yuri? ALL OF THE ABOVE?! Regardless, this episode was BONKERS and my jaw was on the ground more than once as things are winding up in the Stronghold and it's to the breaking point! I was not ready for this series to REALLY be like Game of Thrones...but here we are! Let's nervously laugh and screech about it! Thank you for watching with me and for all the support! #apothecarydiariesreaction #theapothecarydairies #apothecarydiaries #apothecarydiariesseason2 #romaniablack Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RomaniaBlack My Anime: https://myanimelist.net/profile/RomaniaBlack Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/RomaniaBlack You can mail me a letter or anything (except food, please) at this address: Romania Black PO Box 768 Harrisburg, IL 62946 USA

Comments

Nadj

I think the statement that Taihou was banished along with the doctor and the baby was just a translation error. My reading was the jade ornament was just a bribe. In several previous episodes they stated that the Emperor "visited" Loulan frequently since her father was such a high ranking member of court. Last season they even said he had trouble recognizing her during this conjugal visits since she changed outfits and makeup so often...which is gross to think that perhaps he was having sex with some of her stand-in ladies' in waiting who had no choice in the matter as the posed as her.

Madi

I’m just saying as soon as the army rolls in there they’re all dead anyway, they mentioned it previously but treason is a Captial Offence, the whole Shi clan, inlcuding all the women and children who didn’t even do anything are getting executed anyway, that’s why Loulan mercy poisoned the kids. They’re not going to be captured then imprisoned or let go, theyre all dead, Shishou/Shenmei/Loulan/Suirei/every single member of that entire clan

C.Davis

I really get to feel for Loulan (Shisui) in this second season. You initially this she is this haughty, arrogant concubine but that changes steadily here in season 2. I think that she is a decent, even kind person, who was raised in a rather horrific way and forced to do things that she would never have done. I think her time spent as the servant girl Shisui displays more her real self where Loulan was a face she had to wear because of her deranged (sociopath might be a better descriptor) mother. I am actually holding off watching the show ahead of you since about episode 16 (I think) and have not read the light novels, to avoid accidentally doing any spoilers from me. It is fun to do it that way too. I will be looking forward to episode 22 next week :) (I hadn't posted in awhile because I fell an episode behind and just caught up watching with you this week.)

LoreleiS

Okay, glad I am not the only one. I have read the light novels and do not want to let anything slip.

Icy

You know what I find hilarious how many fans shenmei has. She just keeps breaking fans over peoples heads. I thought she broke one over mao mao’s head before she swiftly turned around and broke on suirei’s

Kelven

Sorry for the long post. I know this show is only loosely based on historical facts so all of what I say below may not even apply, but I've always been interested in history, so I love doing research on stuff like this when it comes up. "In Loulan's mind, them dying is more merciful then them being cogs in a machine." (EDIT: Later on in the discussion you DO mention that you think Loulan did this because she believes the kids will be executed anyways, so the first part of the next paragraph is kind of moot). I think Loulan's reasoning is, they know the Royal Army is coming to punish them for treason. Historically, in Imperial China treason was often punished by family extermination. They executed not only those in charge, but their immediate and sometimes even extended family. They even have TWO terms for it; zuzhu ("family execution") and miezu ("family extermination"). In English, it's translated to "Nine Familial Exterminations". I decided to google this to see exactly what it entails, and it's actually pretty interesting (and terrifying). Nine Familial Exterminations, the punishment involved the execution of all relatives of an individual, which were categorized into nine groups. These groups being: - The criminal's parents - The criminal's grandparents - Any children the criminal may have, over a certain age (varying over different eras, children below that age becoming slaves) and—if married—their spouses. - Any grandchildren the criminal may have, over a certain age (again with enslavement for the underaged) and—if married—their spouses. - Siblings and siblings-in-law (the siblings of the criminal and that of his or her spouse, in the case where he or she is married) - Uncles and aunts of the criminal, as well as their spouses - The criminal's cousins (in the case of China, this included up to second and third cousins) - The criminal's spouse - The criminal's spouse's parents - The criminal Some more interesting actual history: During the Ming and Qing dynasties (which this show loosely is based in), the breadth of family extermination was increased. Under the Hongwu Emperor those committing rebellion and treason were punished by having their parents, grandparents, brethren (by birth, as well as "sworn brothers"), children, grandchildren, those living with the criminal regardless of surname, uncles, and the children of brethren put to death, as well as death for the rebels themselves by "Lingchi" (which is translated as "death by a thousand cuts". I'll leave it up to your imagination what that means. It's definitely not pretty.) So *at best* the children can look forward to slavery. However, since slavery was recently abolished by the Empress Dowager (Anshi), we'd have to assume the punishment would then default to the more harsh (execution) rather then the less harsh (indentured servitude? or just freedom?). So Loulan's choices would be mercifully "put to sleep" the children with some juice in the comfort of their home in a safe environment, or let them be captured, potentially tortured, potentially having to watch their parents being executed before potentially being executed themselves. I think Loulan's choice is pretty rational, albeit extremely f'ed up.

C.Davis

Even in European, African, and Middle Eastern nations/states in ancient and medieval times, there were brutal types of punishment for High Treason that kind of fell into three categories when it went beyond perpetrator/immediate family: Extended Family, Once Removed and Twice Removed. Extended family: It was quite uncommon but found a number cases of it. Once Removed: Pretty Rare but did find a several cases of it. Twice Removed: Exceedingly rare, only remember finding two cases (this is in European, Middle Eastern and African cultures, excluding Asian cultures since you summed up the worst pretty good there!) In most cases, small children beyond immediate family (ie babies and toddlers) were sold off as slaves. Most authoritarian governments went pretty brutal for High Treason. I did a paper about this when I was getting my undergrad for a class called "Death and Dying in Ancient Times". It was a fascinating class, if rather grim. Sorry if I got a little off topic with all this, but what you wrote stirred memories of that class lol.

Be Happy

Honestly I genuinely don’t think Loulan/Shisui switched places during the emperor’s visits for different reasons. As we know from the episodes of this season, the emperor is a cunning man (quoting Jinshi from S1 here) So it’s a thing to fool people from the Rear palace that see her once in a while clothed differently but it’s another one to fool the emperor who as we were told in S1 visits her 3 times a month because there is intimacy there and make up and clothes can give the illusion they are the same but not in the bedroom So I think Loulan slept with the emperor as it’s her *duty* and that is why she used the abortion medicine in the palace and also Ate the lantern fruit later during the festival as a contraceptive measure be it pre or post intercourse.

Be Happy

What an amazing reaction and discussion, as always. Such a roller coaster episode I can never get over the look on Kyou u’s face when his mom stand there unmoved while Shinmei was psychologically abusing him. You can see his little heart breaks into a million pieces because the person he loves the most, the person that even her mention brought a smile to his face , the person that is supposed to protect him from every harm is just … there. It took a stranger MaoMao, and a familiar face, Suirei to defend him and protect him from Shinmei’s sadistic tendencies So no wonder, even if he suspected , the juice was not only juice, he decided to drink it with a smile It just breaks my heart as a mother to see his little face smile but his eyes tearlessly cry. Now I love getting our poison crazy MaoMao back, Aoi Yuki does a tremendous job conveying MaoMao craziness and had even a hint of sadistic flair in the way she says ‘ how adorable’ in the Taibon before litterally feasting on those poor snakes. The snakes weren’t there to terrorize MaoMao’s, it’s MaoMao who was there to terrorize and snack on the snakes. Suirei’s character gained another layer this episode. She is a kind hearted woman, an abused woman, a very smart woman that was used and wrongfully abused for being the daughter of a hated woman and has PTSD from those experiences. Suirei is royalty and nobless , but was treated as a servant and abused as a prisoner. She deserves so much better especially seeing how worried she was about MaoMao and Kyou u and trying to help them before Shinmei arrived Now Loulan, I think is the most complex character in this season (Lakan having that honor in S1) I can’t express how fascinated I am with her character. Being a horrible mother’s doll, modeled and raised to serve a revenge cause but finding solace in a half sister with whom she can be herself and not the Loulan facade. Being brought to the palace to give birth to an heir even if it’s not what she wants but obediently execute to satisfy the never satisfied and inferiority complexed Shinmei but finding Solace in being Shisui and her relationship with MaoMao and Xiaolan who treated her as a person and not a character she must be It’s fascinating The look on her face when MaoMao called her Shisui, her true self and especially acknowledge their friendship despite everything is heartbreaking. And then there is the ending scenes, which might be some of the darkest scenes i ve seen !! I get why Loulan did it, I truly do. Being peacefully gone rather Than executed or tortured is most likely her reasoning and it comes from a place of care but it’s just shocking for us the audience to walk in the room and discover the kids 😭 It may be an act of grace but it’s still an act of taking lives And MaoMao is also aware of that but it doesn’t prevent her from wanting to reach to Loulan and kick her Ok and can we talk about the intense Yuri vibes this episode gave us all along. I mean I get they are friends but those touches, worry and looks in the eyes were so very much intense MaoMao may be oblivious to sentiments per her personal history (good luck Jinshi) but I m absolutely convinced in my head that Loulan has feelings, a lot of feelings for MaoMao and also admires her for being herself even if she is considered a weirdo while Loulan suppressed herself and became who her mother wanted her to become Somehow I think MaoMao is a role model for Loulan after Suirei A special mention to Shinmei’s VA because she is doing an amazing job with that calm detached yet terrifying tone of hers.. she made her even more frightening

L Freya

Finally, the OP! Now you get to be like all the rest of us haha! I have been enjoying the song this season, the Apothecary Diaries has consistently has some great OPs and EDs! So - I have not seen ahead of this episode yet, it's definitely more enjoyable to stay in line with your reactions being spoiler free! I know nothing of the light novel/manga either - so while all I have to work with here is conjecture, I have theories! But I will keep them to myself, honor system - next week(s) to see if I am correct or not! I don't want to guess correctly and take anything away! So we'll see haha! Imagining your description of Jinshi on the battlefield 💕 What is Maomao going to react to that I wonder? Will she just shrug it off? Probably!! Just wanted to chime in quickly and say thanks for your reaction and discussion! This one in particular really helped me follow the plot better, the family tree / lineage gets a bit confusing for me so I'm glad to have you breaking it all down! Got a good laugh at the happy pride month in the reaction too, wow that didn't last long!

romaniablack

I honestly never thought of her as a haughty or arrogant concubine - since I thought her and Shisui were the same person for so long, I just took Shisui as her “actual” personality. But that’s interesting to hear your perspective so thank you for sharing! I talk about what you’re saying in your comment in Episode 22 - if it wasn’t in episode 21’s discussion, so hopefully you’ll appreciate that when we get to it! 😀 I am excited for Episode 23 and yes, I know it’s hard for people not to spoil, but I appreciate people being considerate so I can discover all the surprises as the show gives them to me! Thank you for the comment!

romaniablack

I honestly just assumed he hadn't had sex with her because he was "confused" by her and wasn't sure what to make of her - the show doesn't confirm for us, so it could be that he slept with her and that's why she's eating the lantern plant, or heck, she could have been eating it as a precaution - however, her eating it at the fox village would lead one to believe that she had had sex with him, which knowing her desires, is really sad - considering she didn't want to have sex with him. Anyway, thank you for the comment!

romaniablack

I appreciate Shenmei as a LEGIT malicious antagonist that strikes actual fear and concern for me with the characters around her - but YES, hahahah, how many fans does this woman have?! It's almost a comedic gag that she has a stash of spare fans! :P Thank you for the comment!

Anime Annie

Yeaaaah the Opening was so spoilerific! And not just in the way that it's spoilers once you have more context. Maomao thinking she should stay out of it just before she draws Lady Shenmei's ire reminds me a lot of the end of Episode 1 of Season 1 when the narrator talks about Maomao saying: "There are some things Maomao cannot hold back. Curiosity, a thirst for knowledge, and just a smidgen of a sense of justice." The scene though is truly perfect to make your blood boil all the more over Lady Shenmei's character, especially given how terrified Kyou-u, Suirei, and the guard are of her. Definite hats off to Nazuka Kaori (Suirei's seiyuu) though. At any other time she makes Suirei's voice so confident and strong, but when around Lady Shenmei she becomes a shell of herself and speaks so hesitantly and fearfully. Taibon is better than the Water Chamber simply because Maomao is built different 🤣 After this episode I can now say that I rolled my eyes and laughed at Maomao's treatment of Shisui eating the bugs on a stick when not too long after here she is eating snake on a stick 😂 So many yuri episodes this season, but this one tugs on my emotions so much. I love the softness Shisui treats Maomao with 🥺 Well done for guessing Taihou and Suirei's familial connection, even if it was out by one generation! 🥳 My heart always aches for the tears in Shisui's eyes and the slow way she turns to Maomao after Maomao acknowledging her as Shisui, not the doll "Loulan" that her parents created 😢 Then to go from that painful moment of learning Shisui had no desire to be the Emperor's concubine or mother of his child(ren) to the reveal of the poisoned children...it's such a sudden change-up and when I first read this part I was very conflicted about my feelings regarding Shisui and her actions. The show really does like lulling you in with things like Maomao eating snakes only to hit you with some really dark themes and plots. Romania: Having her stronghold study abroad fling with Shisui Not how I ever thought of it but honestly that could work so well as a modern AU that would hopefully take away the doomed part of the yuri 😂 I think the confusion for the bit about the doctor, Taihou, and Taihou's daughter leaving the rear palace is just a translation error. I think it should be "And then the doctor and Taihou's daughter were expelled/banished from the rear palace." I can definitely see the Lady Shenmei/Denethor comparison, especially given her treatment of both Suirei and Shisui. Voice actor information: The guard guarding Maomao is voiced by Maeno Tomoaki. He is also the seiyuu for Hak from Yona of the Dawn; Shimada (Yamaguchi's floater coach) from Haikyuu!!; Harada from Daiya; Pain from Naruto: Shippuden; Michele from Yuri!!! on Ice; Hiiragi from Seraph of the End; Olivier from Vanitas; and Decim from Death Parade.

romaniablack

Yesss, I’m so glad to be watching it now! And yes, the OP and ED are great! Thank you for the comment and kind words! I love to see how the theories shape up and what ends up happening! And if you end up being right about a theory, feel free to let us know once it’s out! MaoMao is an ENIGMA when it comes to Jinshi and what she will react to! And I am all for family trees and genealogy so this series scratches that itch so well for me so thank you for the kind words as well! And yes, we are getting treated for Pride Month, aren’t we? 😛I guess we’ll see where that goes in the weeks to come!

romaniablack

Never apologize for a long post; y’all know how long I ramble in my videos! 😀 Thanks for the information and the comment as well!

romaniablack

Thank you for the comment and kind words! A roller coaster is such a great way to describe this episode - And UGH - I FELT SO BADLY FOR KYOU-U! His mother not helping him through his abuse and then him poisoning himself? UGH…I cannot imagine what he was going through! And for MaoMao to be his defender in that moment (well, with SuiRei too) and then her having to see him die at the end of this episode? CRUSHING. I cannot imagine as a mom what this episode was like to watch! T-T Seeing poison-crazy MaoMao was so much fun, as well! The “How Adorable” line was so perfect for MaoMao - I love seeing her old gleam back in her eyes! I looooove all the layers with SuiRei! It’s WILD watching her be a literal Cinderella in all this. Loulan is definitely the complex character of the season, like Lakan was in season 1, as you said. She’s definitely interesting! And MaoMao calling her Shisui and acknowledging her as she wants to be known was such a moment as well! The ending scene is darrrrrrrrk - I get it, but still, I wouldn’t have done it. I would be MaoMao wanting to slap her despite her reasoning. But yes, the YURI VIBES Y’ALL. MaoMao is either demisexual or an aromantic bisexual and I’m fine either way! And there is no doubt in my mind that Loulan loves MaoMao - y’all just wait for Episode 22’s discussion hahaha!! Also, Shinmei’s VA is truly frightening; I love how she’s made this character so menacing! Thank you for the comment and kind words!

romaniablack

I’m so glad that I missed the OP until this moment! YES, that note about MaoMao’s sense for justice fits so perfectly here! And Shenmei’s character is so deliciously evil in this scene as well! The transformation of Suirei like you said is so sad and striking as well. MaoMao is INDEED built different! And yeah, her judging Shisui rings different now, doesn’t it? And ooohhhh, the Yuri of Shisui and MaoMao – Happy Pride month, indeed! That moment where MaoMao refers to her as Shisui is one of the best in the episode, agreed! And the sudden change up is WILD! I totally GET why Shisui did what she did, but it does make me like her character just a bit less. MaoMao doesn’t approve of it in any case. But this show definitely does a great job of smacking you with dark themes when you least expect it after laughs over bbq’d snakes! So excited to get confirmation about Taihou and SuiRei! Woohoo! Thank you! STRONGHOLD FLINGS! Yes, let’s get a modern AU please! Ahhh, that makes more sense about the translation error - thank you for clearing that up! Glad someone gets the LOTR reference as well! 😀 Thank you for the comment, kind words, and the VA information as always! 😀

Will

I don't think the OP spoils anything. Yes, we see Suirei in the OP, but literally as soon as it's over we see her posing as a Eunuch in the very first scene after the new OP is played. The rest is the usual no context spoiler stuff.

Will

This was my understanding too, but it seems I was wrong

romaniablack

I would respectfully disagree - to me, that OP would have spoiled a lot of the surprises that the show gave me for the reactions! But I appreciate you sharing your opinions, even if I don't agree! Thanks!

Will

I think OP 2 and 3 are way more spoilery! Also OP 1 has so many spoilers, but they're so coded in symbolism! Lol... anyway we can all agree that all the OPs are amazing!

romaniablack

They all are amazing; I'm just glad I waited until Episode 21 to see the OP - that's all that matters to me and I'm glad the people that care about me and what I want as a content creator respected my wishes. :) I'm looking forward to the OP's we get in the future with the show!