dallina17

[dallina17]

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH 🏳️‍🌈

To all of us who’re just a mess ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎

[dallina17]

I think it is also a declaration of loyalty. "I am on Jinshi's side even thou I don't express it verbally and I don't agree with this dumb rebellion of yours"

Maomao having Jinshi and Loulan’s hair sticks in when she gets to the fortress but then the next day only having Jinshi’s, says a lot about who she thinks will really protect her even though Loulan is right there

[dallina17]

I love that Maomao plays stupid to the bitter end even with her life might depend on it

[dallina17]

Neither like nor dislike: Attraction

A JinMao LN1 analysis

So I was supposed to write this after reading the apothecary diaries light novel 1 but life happened and I already finished the second one. Still, I wanted to write this. I have seen plenty of fight over if MaoMao likes Jinshi or not. I kinda understand where they both are coming from. Because yes, MaoMao doesn't like whenever Jinshi gets too close to her in many instances, both the light novel and the anime.

—The apothecary diaries, Season 1 Episode 1

Gaoshun politely fetched any medicines that were in drawers too high for Maomao to reach. His superior, meanwhile, did nothing. Maomao maintained a neutral expression but privately wished that if he wasn’t going to make himself useful, he would go away.

—The apothecary diaries LN 1 - Chapter 8, Love Potion.

—The apothecary diaries, Season 1 Episode 2

After Consort Lishu had withdrawn, Maomao sensed an almost viscous atmosphere behind her, and finally felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned a cold look on the hand’s owner; it would have been better had she looked at him the way she might look at an earthworm.

“I am but base, and wish you would not touch me.” In less elegant words: Screw off.

—The Apothecary diaries LN 1 - Chapter 19, After the Festivities

-The apothecary diaries, Season 1 Episode 6

That’s right... I forgot he’s one of those types. She tried giving him a crushing look, as if he were a small, brown rat, but it was having the opposite of the effect she wanted.

—The Apothecary diaries LN 1 - Chapter 27, Honey (Part Two)

—The apothecary diaries, Season 1 Episode 3

While MaoMao is an unreliable narrator (girl what do you mean you feel no love when you are one of the sweetest girls I have ever seen), here her reactions are not limited to thoughts of "I do not wish to be near him. I would rather not have any relationship with him" which could be a greater indicator of unreliable narration, instead, her thoughts are backed up with actions and, most importantly, physical reactions, which are harder to pretend, specially the later. The way she gets chills because of him touching her? Well, this can have a couple reasons worth exploring on it's own analysis but we can say she is not comfortable with him getting too close.

Yet, she is not indifferent to him. Chapter after chapter, we see Maomao describing Jinshi in an unique, beautiful way, which she only does when describing Jinshi. Neither of the characters she describes the way she does with Jinshi.

Lets see how she describes Jinshi when she meets him for the first time.

This had to be the immensely beautiful eunuch of whom she had heard so much. He had hair as fine as silk, an almost liquid presence, almond-shaped eyes, and eyebrows that evoked willow branches. A heavenly nymph on a picture scroll could not have competed with him for loveliness.

—The Apothecary diaries LN 1 - Chapter 4, The Nymph's Smile

She uses a lot of metaphors which yes, Maomao is someone that loves describing with metaphors, but she is super descriptive of Jinshi in this part. Her description vivid and ends stating that something from Heaven itself is not match for Jinshi's beauty.

Now lets see how she describes Lihaku, which is the only other man aside from Jinshi and Gaoshun she gets to know.

Maomao looked up to discover a virile-looking man giving her an ingratiating smile. He was still young, and had no beard. He looked manly enough as far as it went.

—The Apothecary diaries LN 1 - Chapter 18, The Garden Party (Part Three).

There is no metaphors, no vivid descriptions, no comparisons or saying how beautiful he is. Just plain, straight facts.

Now, we could argue that Jinshi is canonically more attractive than Lihaku and that's why Jinshi's description is more vivid, which totally, but for me there is also something deliberate in the way Maomao describes Jinshi versus when she describes Lihaku.

She goes to every part of Jinshi's face. She plays attention to his hair, his eyebrows, his eyes, his presence. Jinshi has her attention and that's why she analyzes him in this detailed way.

While Lihaku, one brief look, a few comments and she is over with the matter. Of course, he doesn't have her attention, Lihaku is just some guy more.

There is no attention. No interest.

No attraction.

I think that if for Maomao stating Jinshi's beauty was just a "matter of fact", her descriptions would be something like Lihaku's, straight facts, just like she is with everyone else. But not only the way she describes Jinshi is different from everyone else, almost everytime (if not always) she sees Jinshi, she has a unique way to describe him.

Here are some of my favs.

Smile as sweet as ambrosia (chapter 4)

His gorgeous smile suggested he wouldn’t hurt a flea (chapter 5)

Maomao met the man’s smile, lovely as a peony blossom, with studious indifference (chapter 10) (by far my favorite)

The sparkle that lit in Maomao’s eyes at that word wasn’t lost on Jinshi. A naughty bit of satisfaction entered his lovely smile (chapter 10)

His voice was as sweet as a fruit liqueur (chapter 10) (my second favorite)

What terrible news,” Consort Gyokuyou said, her face darkening. Standing before her, Jinshi’s heavenly countenance was likewise troubled (chapter 25)

The needling comment came from an all-too-familiar, heavenly voice (chapter 26)

Come evening, that loveliest of eunuchs appeared, as ever (chapter 27)

Everytime she sees Jinshi she can't help but say how gorgeous-lovely-heavenly the man is. And she works in the palace for ten months, one could expect to get used to Jinshi's beauty and stop describing him but... she doesn't, time after time, Maomao says how beautiful he is.

And other people? They don't have her interest at all. She doesn't give them a second thought. This are the inner thoughts of Maomao, hard to show in the anime, but obvious in the light novel. She doesn't like Jinshi, but there is something in him that attracts Maomao a lot, or she wouldn't describe him the way she does.

Attraction doesn't necessarily mean you like someone. For me liking means you want to try something with that person, get to know them more, see where the relationship go, there is a closer level of intimacy. And I won't debate you, at this moment Maomao absolutely doesn't like Jinshi, she is not interested in having something with him at all.

But saying she dislikes him is also not true, for there is something that catches her interest.

Attraction is that there is something about the person that you are interested in and gets your attention. Have you ever watched someone walk on the street and say "wow, they are beautiful" and then you continue walking? That is attraction, even for a brief moment. But most of the time we don't go, ask for that person's number, get to know them and try something with them, which would be liking. Attraction can lead to a dance, a kiss, a night together, with not necessarily becoming something else.

And I don't think that attraction is something "objective". For there is something so personal that there has to be something about the other that you desire. If they don't have something that is appealing to you, they simply don't have it. Doesn't ever happened to you that everyone says that some person is so beautiful and you can't see it? Because that person doesn't have the qualities that catch your interest.

But Jinshi does have Maomao's interest.

She just is not going to do that anything with it.

For now.

[dallina17]

Jinshi Jinshi Jinshi, my sweet baby boy, you are nothing like him. I want to hug him so badly

Yes, this is about the most recent episode of KNH

[dallina17]

Me reading The Apothecary diaries LN2 Chapter 14: Ice. Frío. Cold. Hielo. No me podía mover (I couldn't move). WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THIS INFODUMP

[dallina17]

RIGHT! YOU SAW THE ANNOUNCEMENT

I DID OH MY GOD THEY CAN FINALLY CROSS OVER I AM SO EXCITED OH MY GOD????????

Y'all don't realize just how important this is for the indie animation studios too. This has a real world effect on the industry I want to go into. And it is such a good example to set Oh my God????? People are going to criticize it and take it in bad faith and whatever, I don't care. They're all haters who don't realize what's at stake here!!!!

I love this!

Not only do they get to tell the stories they want to tell, they get multiple seasons, bargaining power, and to tell the stories of a lifetime! Also not being replaced by AI! You know how good that is? I'm screaming. I'm yelling. I'm shaking you. This is such a positive step forward for 2d animation.

[dallina17]

DANGER! DANGER! Who let Maomao and Senku experiment together?!

Наконец-то тархун 🧪

[dallina17]

I admire how deeply Lakan loves his wife. Despite being a high-ranking officer, he married a consort from the pleasure district without hesitation. He never cared about her past, her illness, or the fact that she had lost her beauty—nor did he let society’s judgment affect his decision. What matters to him is the person she is. Now, he openly expresses his love for her without shame, speaking of her with pride and affection wherever he goes. His love is genuine—unshakable and pure. I truly respect him for that, and nothing could ever make me hate him.

[dallina17]

BLOOD IS GOING TO BE SPREAD

MY KIDS MY KIDS MY KIDS

[dallina17]

BLOOD IS GOING TO BE SPREAD

MY KIDS MY KIDS MY KIDS

[dallina17]

same energy

[dallina17]

I've been seeing a lot of posts flying around Apothecary Diaries Tumblr with the same structure.

The poster acknowledges that Maomao has not demonstrated any attraction towards Jinshi and has said she doesn't like him.

The poster points out that Maomao is often an unreliable narrator.

Explicitly or implicitly, the poster argues that Maomao is, to some degree, in love with Jinshi.

I'm kinda sick of seeing these posts, in no small part because they confidently assert this argument, despite the fact that it's missing one key component:

Any reason at all to think Maomao is in love with Jinshi and also in denial

[dallina17]

XIAOLAN MY DEAR WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED

[dallina17]

It's still sinking in that The Owl House was about a girl running away to a fantasy world, all because of the ripple effects of losing her father at an unfairly young age — only to eventually learn that the fantasy world itself was made of the bones, and the flesh, of a loving father who'd protected his child with one of his final actions, before dying and giving life to that fantasy world. And eventually, in his truly final action, ever giving life to Luz herself. Luz ran away to the Boiling Isles, all because of a single book that her dad gave her — and unknowingly, she spent every day walking over ground that embodied parental loss. A world that was born from a parent's death, a parent who had to leave their child far too soon — and not just any child, but Luz's own new best friend, in all of this new magical world. And King and Luz were only ever brought together because of their fathers' deaths — before they even realized they had anything in common to grieve. Before they realized a reminder of that grief had been beneath their feet this whole time.

But, at the end of the day... their fathers both gave them parting gifts. Their fathers both gave them the key to come of age in a world full of people who'd care about them — maybe not the only world where they could've been happy, but a world they wouldn't want to imagine missing. Their fathers gave them the chance to meet each other. To understand each other. And, ultimately, to heal and grow up together. Until the ground beneath their feet stops feeling so heavy, like grief — and starts feeling lighter again, like a gift, and a happy memory.

[dallina17]

CRAAAAAB! Thank you! You are my friend too!!!

[dallina17]

The frog scene wasn’t “toxic”

Say👏 it 👏with👏me👏: You can dislike a scene or characters behavior and at the same time not call it toxic, sexual assault or predatory behavior. Honestly I’m just kinda over this discussion. Jinshi was not assaulting MaoMao.

Tell me you don’t get nuance without telling me you don’t get nuance. Also that you haven’t read the light novel or understand what the author is trying to portray. People who like this scene aren’t justifying “toxic behavior” or into assault, many get the layers of plot unfolding here and like to have discussions around it. It’s not as black and white as “man forcing himself on a girl”. Not everything is men vs women, #metoo. Let’s all be grownups and realize authors can write more realistic characters with complicated backgrounds and emotions where everything isn’t taken at face value. MaoMao hiding her emotions isn’t a cop out to excuse that scene, it’s the reality of her characterization. Saying Jinshi wasn’t using status or his superior strength to hurt her isn’t lying, it’s using simple deduction from their dynamic as well as knowledge of the plot in the light novel to know that’s not how he operates. Does he challenge her on her dense behavior, 100% but they’re both aggressive like that so MaoMao gets equal share of the call out then.

Not to mention the author has shown she’s against assault in different forms already. Did we forget the Anshi episode? So why would she go on to then make the romance include assault, especially when both characters have witnessed and been subjected to objectification in different forms so are averse to it themselves and are trying to move on from that. I think we can say she clearly isn’t, there’s more it it than that.

I’m just really over the virtue signaling and calling out most of the fandom while they know so little of the plot. If you don’t like the way the dynamic between MaoMao and Jinshi is written, that’s your preference but then please just block the tag and move on. Don’t come into the tag and claim SA with a scene people have shown evidence had more nuance from the source material over and over. Then you’re just going against the author so at that point why keep watching?

MaoMao and Jinshi are complicated but that’s what makes them interesting to watch and read about, their story takes time to unfold. And in the end, let’s remember this is all fictional material written by the author meant to be enjoyed as a such. Maybe go read the light novels before you expect everyone to be morally outraged at something fictional characters are doing in a fictional world that is in line with how the author wrote them. Again, not your preference, perfectly fine but then let’s not hate on the rest of the fandom who is enjoying the scene just how it was written. Just choose to move on to something you would enjoy better. This isn’t me wanting to start fights or be rude, it’s just me wanting people to stop telling the fandom who’s actually enjoying the material that they shouldn’t because they want to shove modern sentiments onto it and not take time to appreciate how it’s written.