Summary

• Slow pace enhances the story, balancing intense action with absorbing slice-of-life drama. (95 characters)
• Setup of new storylines: cat mystery, illicit books, and mysterious visitors from a faraway land. (97 characters)
• Promising start for the new season with character interactions and introduction of potential story arcs. (100 characters)

The Apothecary Diaries was one of the biggest surprises in 2024. On paper, a slice-of-life story about the life of a maid in the inner court of ancient China’s Imperial Palace sounds quite dull. However, that statement couldn’t be further from the truth. This series manages to weave politics, mystery, drama, deceptions, betrayals, assassination attempts, and detective works into a highly engaging story.

As if that’s not enough, it has an ample dose of comedy and romance as well. It’s not an exaggeration to say that The Apothecary Diaries was one of the best anime series in 2024. And now we get to see the second season. So let’s dive into the first episode of the second season of The Apothecary Diaries.

Slow and Smooth

Not Everything Has to be Fast

The first and most notable thing about this episode is the slow pace. A stroll around the inner court, a gentle conversation under the tree, a quick banter over illicit books that MaoMao just procured from outside the palace which she intends to sell to the women in the inner court, everything unfolds with deliberate, unhurried rhythm.

As someone who often watches action anime, the difference in the pace of the story cannot be more palpable. That being said, the pace always serves the needs of the story. Action needs to be fast to create a sense of intensity, while slice-of-life drama needs to slow down the pace so that the audience can absorb every passing moment.

That is certainly the case with this episode. The story moves as fast as it needs to be. Not too fast, and not too slow. Just the right amount. The key is finding the right place for the story. Too slow and it will bore the audience, too fast and we’ll miss out on what actually matters. So in this regard, this slow and smooth pace undoubtedly enhances the story. And that is all that matters.

Setting up New Storylines

The second most notable thing is the intention to build some new storylines. Good story arcs work just like a well-crafted joke. There’s the setup, and then there’s the punchline. As the first episode of a brand new season, the job of this episode is to build the setup for the upcoming drama and mystery that will happen in the subsequent episode. Here are some of the storylines that may or may not be explored in the near future.

The Cat

During the princess’s stroll around the inner court, with MaoMao happily tagging along, the group encounters a stray kitten. As expected, the princess takes a liking to this kitten. So now it becomes MaoMao’s responsibility to take care of this cat so that it can safely interact with the princess.

It’s quite rare for a character—yes, she may be a cat, but she is still a character—to be introduced and end up having nothing to do with the story. So there might be some roles or at least mysteries surrounding this kitten. Maybe about its origin, maybe about how it managed to get into the tightly sealed inner court, or maybe she will do something for the princess in the future.

The Book