The Apothecary Diaries 2x23 "The Shi Clan" - reaction & review
Added 2025-12-30 15:17:09 +0000 UTCComments
Yes, I can actually see how she was playing the long game now! She's totally admirable! That was a really clever way to clean house on all the Shenmei supporters wasn't it? I didn't guess anything on the hairpin but Leonie explained it to me after I watched the last ep lol. AHHHH the ship scenes were AMAZING!!!
Melissa Moore
2026-01-05 16:09:12 +0000 UTCOMG right?! Same!!!
Melissa Moore
2026-01-05 16:08:06 +0000 UTCWow, I love how deep you went into this! The Ice Cream event timing theory actually makes a ton of sense — I hadn’t thought about how the switch might’ve happened right there between Loulan and Shisui. It really does line up with Maomao’s confusion and how little direct contact she had with Loulan before. And yeah, the sex-ed scene always had that odd tension, like something wasn’t quite adding up, so your read that it was really Loulan makes a lot of sense. I also agree the hints about Loulan and the Emperor are there if you look closely — the plant detail especially feels like a quiet confirmation of that whole situation. Also I love the detail that Shisui took Suirei's original name! We knew there was some connection between the names from a few eps ago, but I never guessed it was just her exact name lol. Also, thank you for the fun manga rec! That sounds super intriguing. I hope you get to pick it up again soon — sounds like your wishlist is full of great finds!
Melissa Moore
2026-01-05 16:07:55 +0000 UTCI watched them both at once! It's crazy to think this all revolved around one clan! Oh I'm fine with calling this what it is, Shenmei was the worst! Ohhhh I hadn't even thought about that with the secret passage, wow! Yeah I think Shisui totally earned her moment to throw it in Shemei's face! I think you meant that Suirei is the late emperor's granddaughter, but yeah, this spelled it all out for us! I knew the stick looked different! Ah ok, it was nice of her to do anything for Shenmei really :P Ok good, really thought I'd confused shows with that last scene haha!
Melissa Moore
2026-01-05 16:04:38 +0000 UTCI’m gonna assume at this point you’ve seen the finale, so I’m not going to spend a ton of time setting up payoffs here… 🐸. But in a nutshell, everything that’s taken place in this series up to this point has come, intentionally or not, as a result of the actions of the Shi Clan. 🐸. I swear, some people just don’t get it - I know female characters in general tend to get more of a “free pass” in the minds of audiences usually, but Shenmei was really beyond saving. 🐸. I mean, I bet there’s a lot of other women who’d kill to have someone care about them as much as Shishou did but to her, money, power and status were just more important - and because of that not only was she miserable, everyone around her was too. 🐸. Heck, Shishou is even responsible for the secret passage into the rear palace - he built it because he wanted to rescue her - and it’s also where “Meow Meow” was first found and how Suirei got Maomao out of the palace. 🐸. Shisui is just eating up twisting the knife into Shenmei’s back, and honestly - she kinda deserved it. 🐸. Shishou and Shisui were basically literally “taking the fall” to salvage what was left. 🐸. Also, think very hard about Shisui’s direct request to Jinshi and what she asked him to do. 🐸. Suirei is in fact the late emperor’s daughter and has his blood - Shishou married Taihou after she was born - that is why she Carrie’s that particular hair stick, which is not the same as the one Suirei received from Maomao. 🐸. Isn’t it poetic that after all that, Shenmei would be killed by having something backfire on her? 🐸? That greed was the story of her life. 🐸. Shisui scratched Jinshi’s face to fulfill Shenmei’s wish - she just didn’t go as far as her mother wanted. 🐸. But that’s still punishable by execution - and she literally took the fall. 🐸. Yes, there was something shining at the base of the wall at the end of the episode, you weren’t wrong. 🐸. Gonna pocket that for now. 🐸.
Tyler Stobbe
2025-12-31 05:53:26 +0000 UTCOh yeah. Some people making a joke that during the Ice-cream event, Loulan tasted Maomao's Ice-cream and wants more, so she head to the kitchen instantly to have the rest. However, the timing is not right. The Eunich just get out from the kitchen and Shisui soon appear. So, the Ice-cream cup Maomao made goes to Loulan's impostor, while the remaining goes directly to Loulan in Shisui disguise. I don't know about the sex-ed scene, but I believe that's the real Loulan. Maomao once mentioned when Shisui is revealed to be Loulan that Loulan was there at the sex-ed event. And she avoid getting in contact with the other highest rank consorts as Shisui since she doesn't want to be exposed. She's allowed herself to be around Maomao because it seems Maomao don't recognise her. Which is make sense. Loulan never speak at the sex-ed scene. And she wear a huge make-up that time. There's no doubt Maomao never realized. By the way. I believe Loulan and the Emperor did spending some nights together. Due to political issues, the Emperor must visit Loulan times to times. Meanwhile, Shisui is seen eating a plant that have a side effect of causing abortion, combining with the fact that she see how ugly her mother was and how the others rumored that Loulan is pregnant back at the rear palace, I'm quite sure that Loulan and the Emperor did spend some night together in a passionate way. Loulan just doesn't want to get pregnant. And, they did revealed once. Shisui's name is actually her older sister name. Suirei was born Shisui. And Loulan used that name as her alias. Hey! Here's a little fun fact that's not directly involve the Apothecary Diaries. But I think it may related. I don't know if this series fame inspired other works, but there are more manga series setting in the rear palace as well. One of them I have seen is about a female leading protagonist who is a servant in the rear palace. She is the daughter of the most infamous officer who is says to be the greatest political villain with extremely powerful in power. The heroine somehow is a gloomy girl, but also want to find some friends, she somehow end up asking to work in the rear palace hoping that she can befriend with someone there. But everyone who hear her family name became frighten of her and avoid her. However, her existance there also averted assasination attempts as well. Many assasin were sneaked in or attempt to murder someone within the rear palace. And as the heroine is the daughter of the most infamous officer, she was taught with assasinating skills as well. So she turned up eliminating them all. I didn't read too far since I'm short on money recently, but I have already marked it in my wish list.
ABHB Ya-iba
2025-12-30 21:19:15 +0000 UTCThis show can really lead you astray. I can't believe that 2 of my favorite characters are Lakan and Loulan. I never would have thought that after seeing them for the first time, and this ending destroyed me.
JAMES D'ALESSANDRO
2025-12-30 20:57:03 +0000 UTCThe important thing to retain is that Shisui made it so those who already died once would not be associated with the Shi clan and be free of punishement, so, since you already watched the last episode too, you can see how kind and caring Shisui really was... Saying that she was the best character of this second season wouldn't be lying, it is just facts, I love her. Also, kuddo to both Shisou to have made that only Shenmei's followers are the one that rest on the Shi clan, those who were against her behavior were ousted of the clan, making so only "the rotten" would be swipe by the royal guard during this attack, a clever way to take responsability in a way and protect the empire even in his situation. For the hairpin, I don't think I need to tell you about it since you've seen the last episode by now. But I predict that you JinMao shipper heart will be pleased by what happen in it ^^.
Spadeas
2025-12-30 16:23:39 +0000 UTCJust FYI!! Ep 24 is coming on Thursday :D
Melissa Moore
2025-12-30 15:17:26 +0000 UTC
