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The Apothecary Diaries 3x3 (Patreon)

Published:
2026-10-22
Edited:
2026-10-29 20:15:31
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Hello, everyone! Please enjoy my detailed analysis of Apothecary Diaries Season 3x3. Part 1 of season 3 does not mess around, with Maomao and Jinshi discovering the ensuing opium crisis, its devastating implications, and the urgency to act fast.

My main takeaways from the episode

1) I love how fast-paced part 1 of season 3 has been, which makes sense because we are already at the halfway point of a 6-episode release before next year; the suspense, action, thrill, and Maomao and Jinshi's responses are truly worthy of the new season kickoff

2) Maomao's seemingly ruthlessness with the older sister must be viewed with the historical and cultural understanding, especially with their circumstances and Maomao's traumatic upbringing growing up near the slums by the pleasure district; underneath her "ruthlessness" lies her compassion and respect for the older sister's integrity, agency, and capability

3) So many deadbeat and negligent fathers in the show; we need to acknowledge that addiction truly is a brain disease, and not necessarily a reflection of a moral issue or laziness; while also at the same time, recognize that our conditions, addiction, trauma, or otherwise, do not permit us to inflict suffering onto others; a callback to the late Emperor

Also, I will be in China for my long-awaited annual vacation with my wife, who has never been to China, and this will be my first time revisiting in 19 years, which blows my mind. So, I will not be able to record for a week since TAD is airing as we speak, but I recorded everything else in advance. So, thank you for your patience, and I cannot wait to record episode 4 with my newfound perspective after the trip~

Until next time :)

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Comments

John Bowles

I think Maomao sees her adoptive fathers kindness as being taken advantage of, and her comment refers to the people doing it.

Andrestian

Maomao's behavior in this episode is really interesting and continues to confirm her significant cognitive dissonance. The scene in episode 1 where Maomao tells Chouu not to stray from the verdigris house was slightly toned down, in source material, she grabs Chouu by the face and forces him to look at the sick courtesan through the window. Taking that into account, along with this episode, we can see that Maomao is in a very unstable emotional state, directly caused by the events at the end of last season (the loss of her two friends, not being able to see Jinshi like before anymore, not being able to live with Luomen even though she returned to the pleasure district and suddenly having a child to care for). Maomao tells the man that it’s because of people like him that they live in such conditions, but that’s a lie, as you rightly point out, she’s taking it out on him because of the way he spoke to her, but there’s more: Maomao is being hypocritical. She’s the princess of one of the country’s most important clans and could live in the La Clan’s villa if she wanted to, not to mention her extensive connections with the most influential people, including Jinshi. She does NOT live in those conditions because of others, it’s her own choice, and while she criticizes Luomen, again, going back to your analysis, Maomao inherited that from her father, she’s a charitable person who just wants to live to take care of others and test medicines. She may criticize Luomen, but she still chooses to live like him. Not to mention that Maomao was born into better material circumstances than those two girls and than almost everyone else, despite her past traumas, she grew up in one of the most high-class brothels, protected by the most prominent courtesans and by the owner herself. She also had the opportunity to study medicine under one of the most renowned doctors, an enormous amount of privilege. The reality is that those girls didn’t have many other options for survival, better a high-class brothel than ending up on the street prostituting their bodies for pennies. And as you mentioned, it’s likely that she was testing her because that’s the nature of the brothel environment, but I still think Maomao was unnecessarily cruel and stems from her own frustrations, which of course, she keeps locked away in a drawer and refuses to address. By the way, your analysis of the symbolism of having three locusts on the plate is amazing, great observation skills

Psychotherapist Reacts

This is a great breakdown as usual. Yeah, I didn’t consider Maomao having ongoing emotional struggle from last season with all that you mentioned and was using the old man as an emotional punching bag as well. She is only 19 after all. What a traumatizing year it has been

Maran

Yes, Mao Mao seemed harsh, but I think she wanted the older sister to be certain that this was her choice given the grim options before her. Also, Mao Mao began her push when she say the sister’s bruises from obvious domestic violence. I think she was pushing the sister to consider her options without her father in her life. If she’d stayed with the father, she and the younger sister would continue to be beaten and most likely would have been prostituted by their father to support his gambling and refusal to work. If the sister could steel her resolve to make a life for her and her sister on their own terms, then Mao Mao would open the door for them.

Psychotherapist Reacts

For sure, plus what Andrestian mentioned below Maomao’s unprocessed emotions spilling out which manifested as anger from last season, as ongoing emotional toll

SarithaKabila

While I do agree with what some of the people have commented already, it is important to remember we are only 2-3 months out from Maomao returning to the pleasure district after everything that happened. She is technically in a depressive time with all the trauma she really hasn't worked through yet from losing her friends, being kidnapped, and all that happened with the Shi rebellion. She also doesn't have the people who have been her stability of Luoman or Jinshi. As much as she denies she is a member of the La clan/Lakan's daughter when she is left to her own devices with no supervision we see her more extreme parts of her personality. I do believe there will still be 12 episodes in this 1st half of the season based off of what they have previously done we are still currently on Light Novel 5. We are so far only on Chapter 5 with this episode. Looking at the preview we are looking at Chapter 6 maybe part of Chapter 7 next episode. There is 17 Chapters in Light Novel 5. There is still a lot of material to cover before we get to Light Novel 6. Part of why the way I explain to people from this season on we have much messier/heavier issues because at this point the author has completely taken the kids gloves off and if you have invested this much time into the anime/books/manga you can handle even more of the harsh realities of the time period she is taking inspiration from. There is nothing that is easy going forward, and it takes a certain level of maturity to understand the truth of where the author is coming from with the historical inspiration. I can not emphasis enough how everything ties together, things from Season 1 come up in Season 3, 4, 5. I look forward to seeing all that there is to come and warn everyone to be ready for a bumpy ride.

Gate

I don't think there's any shame in being a courtesan. The sister said that they would eventually be forced to streetwalk by their father anyway. And the place Maomao got them in a reputable place at that. The sister knew she was connected to the place. its a much higher station they could ever dream off as street beggers.