
Perhaps the television series The Apothecary's Diaries is a tangible manifestation of this silent conquest. It's a story that translates the intrigue and alchemy of its source material into a visual medium of incredible refinement.
It's a triumph of intellect over noise, of detail over crude spectacle. There's no doubt about it.
The series has a sophisticated atmosphere. It's restrained. A product of OLM and TOHO studios, and believe me, those guys know what they're doing.
The setting, an imperial palace, is a character in itself, something like a microcosm of forced beauty, with its rigid rules and complex hierarchies, presenting the life of a concubine.
How curious that this character is designed to project political stability, and, oh, surprise, that very situation hangs by a thread as thin as a silken strand. But of course, it's poisoned silk.
All of this is seasoned with the opulence of the dresses and pavilions, which contrast sharply with the misery, conspiracy, and diseases lurking around every corner.
Maomao is the cornerstone of the plot, and she displays an almost fetishistic passion for pharmacology, but above all, for poisons.
At times, she tries to blend in, appearing apathetic; her internal and sarcastic monologues reveal someone with a keen eye, especially regarding forensic matters, which are the talk of the court ladies, overflowing with emotion.
I could tell you that it functions like clockwork, with each chapter a new case presented in a medical detective style.
But I have to confess that it's much more than that. Consider that there are imperial heirs who fall ill practically out of nowhere. All of which reveals complex rivalries between the consorts.
That's where Maomao applies her logic, her chemistry, and her knowledge acquired in the pleasure district. Nothing more, nothing less.
But there's something particularly exceptional in the subtlety of this anime, and that's the protagonist's relationship with the eunuch Jinshi.
The writers take a risk in humorous territory that works as an emotional counterpoint, much to the audience's appreciation.
And his role in the story is so significant and important that, with his almost supernatural beauty and manipulative power, he brings Maomao out of the shadows.
Want me to tell you more? The frustration is constant, there's a game of glances, there's disinterest, and the evolution of the bond between them is incredibly slow... practically imperceptible, to the point that at times it seems like a romance novel.
I see many interwoven themes in this series. The Apothecary's Diaries ranges from class differences to prostitution, court politics, and medical ethics, but it never—and this is very important—sacrifices its entertainment value.
For their part, Maomao's irascible intellectual attitude and Jinshi's superficial gallantry create an experience that many may find appealing.
Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'm certain that this is a well-written story with the clear purpose of captivating the audience.
Anime, as a genre, or as a subgenre, who knows, thankfully continues to captivate. The Eastern conquest of the world through its stories seems unstoppable.
🇪🇸 Los diarios de la boticaria|Reseña Original de Marabuzal
Bueno, ¿y si el Oriente guarda en un cofre, bajo siete llaves, el germen de las buenas historias. A veces creo que sí. Que lo hace. Y creo también que así va conquistando al mundo. Lento. Seguro. Indetenible.
Puede que la serie de televisión de Los diarios de la boticaria sea una materialización palpable de esta conquista silenciosa. Es una historia que traslada la intriga y la alquimia de su material fuente a un medio visual de increíble refinamiento.
Triunfo del intelecto sobre el ruido, del detalle sobre el espectáculo burdo, es. No caben dudas.
La serie es de atmósfera sofisticada. Es contenida. Producto de los estudios OLM y TOHO, y esos chicos créanme saben lo que se traen entre manos.
El escenario, un palacio imperial es un personaje en sí mismo, algo así como un microcosmos de belleza forzada, con sus reglas pétreas y jerarquías complejas, presenta la vida de una concubina.
Qué curioso qué este personaje está diseñado para mostrar una estabilidad política, y, oh, sorpresa, tal situación, pende de un hilo tan fino como una hebra de seda. Pero eso sí, seda envenenada.
Todo sazonado con la opulencia de los vestidos y de los pabellones que contrastan con la miseria, la conspiración y las enfermedades que acechan en cada esquina.
Maomao, es la piedra angular de la trama, y advierte de una pasión prácticamente fetichista por la farmacología pero sobre todo por los venenos.
A veces quiere pasar inadvertida mostrarse apática es un monólogos internos y sarcásticos hablan de alguien con gran poder de observación sobre todo en aquellos aspectos forenses que entre las damas de la corte hacen la comidilla desbordada de emociones.
Podría decirte que funciona como un mecanismo de relojería que cada capítulo es un caso nuevo con estilo médico detectivesco.
Pero Tengo que confesarte que es mucho más que eso. Fíjate que hay heredero imperiales que enferman prácticamente de la nada. Todo lo cual deja ver unas tramas de rivalidades complejas entre las consortes. Es ahí donde Maomao aplica su lógica, su química, su conocimiento adquirido en el barrio del placer. Ni más ni menos.
Pero hay algo particularmente excepcional en su delicadeza en este anime y es la relación de la protagonista con el eunuco Jinshi.
Los los guionistas se arriesgan en un terreno humorístico que funciona cual contrapunto emocional que el público agradece. Y es tan grande e importante el papel de este uno con la historia al punto de que con su belleza casi sobrenatural y su poder manipulador, saca a Maomao de las sombras.
¿Quiere que te cuente más? La frustración es constante, hay juego de miradas, hay desinterés y la evolución del vínculo entre ambos es lentísimo... prácticamente, imperceptible, al punto de que en ocasiones parece un relato de romance.

Veo muchos temas entrelazados en esta serie. Los diarios de la boticaria : va desde la diferencia de clases hasta la prostitución, la política de la corte, la ética médica, pero nunca, y esto es muy importante, nunca sacrifica su naturaleza de entretenimiento.
Por su parte la irascible actitud intelectual de Maomao y la galantería superficial de Jinshi, establecen una experiencia que para muchos pueda resultar atractiva.
Tal vez me equivoqué pero creo estar seguro de que este es un relato bien escrito con el propósito marcado de conquistar a la audiencia.
El anime, como género, o como subgénero, vaya usted a saber, felizmente, sigue cautivando. La conquista oriental del mundo a través de sus historias parece indetenible.
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Episode 3 of Welcome to Derry dropped yesterday, so far the series has been great overall but for sure there are moments that make you feel both good and kinda frustrating, Im not talking about the production but whats going on the story, aside from the fact that I havent read the books so this is just pure mainstream audience opinion. The show throws this massive nine minute scene that goes back in 1962 with a traveling carnival coming through town and yeah it looks beautiful, the production value is insane as always but the whole thing just feels like one giant explanation for why General Shaw is so obsesed with hunting down Pennywise, although he doesnt necessary knows wtf he is looking for, like we really needed all this backstory just to understand that this dude has some serius daddy issues and wants to prove himself to his dead father or whatever. The young Francis Shaw meeting Rose as a kid is actually pretty cool though and their friendship works way better than I thought it would, these two kids have some decent chemistry and when that creepy skeleton thing comes crawling out of the woods trying to kill Shaw and Rose saves his ass with a slingshot that moment actually hits because it gives that weapon some real meaning for later when Dick Hallorann grabs it during the plane ride and gets dragged into that insane vision, but we will get to that part in a minute because that whole sequence is probably the best thing in this entire episode.



[Source](https://tinyurl.com/36sr238y)
[Source](https://tinyurl.com/36sr238y)
The kids storyline with Lilly, Ronnie, Will and Rich doing their little graveyard scene to try and catch Pennywise on camera is where this episode starts losing me a bit because the idea is solid but the execution feels super rushed and not thought out, I really though Rich was going to add more context as he is the one who brought up the Santeria part of it but then they just jump directly into the scene at the graveyard. They go to this cemetery at night with a camera trying to summon ghosts or whatever and yeah some creepy stuff happens with gravestones cracking and dead kids showing up but it all feels like we have seen this before already, another scene where the show is holding back on actually giving us a proper look at Pennywise and just teasing us with blurry images and I get they just holding up the juicy part so the audience doesnt loose that fear generated by the Clown once is out there, its like watching Freddy after every movies it loose impact. When Will gets that photograph at the end showing the clown in the crypt it should feel like this huge reveal moment where finally the kids have proof that this thing is real but instead it just feels like another step in a process that is taking way too long to get where its going. I get that they are trying to build suspense and not blow their load too early with showing Pennywise in full clown mode but at this point I am just tired of waiting, we are three episodes in and the show is still playing this game of hide and seek when we all know what we are here to see. The kids actors are doing fine work and I like the dynamic between them but this whole plot about getting evidence to prove Pennywises existence is moving at a snails pace and its starting to drag down what could be a really tight and scary show, now been a more realistic I probably feel like this because of the movies to tv series transition, on a tv series things go slower than on a movie so I guess its totally normal if you feel this way too, its not that the series is bad.
[Source](https://tinyurl.com/36sr238y)
[Source](https://tinyurl.com/36sr238y)
The 1962 stuff does add some interesting context about how Pennywise operates and why he seems to be traped in the forest during that time period, Rose mentions something about the creature not being able to leave the woods and that makes sense with what we know about the Native American tribe trying to contain him. Seeing young Shaw and Rose become friends and then having to deal with this monster together gives their present day reunion some extra weight, when adult Shaw shows up at Roses shop in 1962 pretending he is just there to talk about water pipes you can tell she knows he is full of shit and that he remembers way more than he is letting on. The slingshot becomes this artifact that connects the past to the present and its a clever way to tie the timelines together even if the execution of getting there feels a bit clunky, like did we really need nine whole minutes of carnival footage to set this up or could they have done it in half the time and gotten to the good stuff faster. I appreciate what they are trying to do with the dual timeline structure but it only works when both timelines are equally interesting and right now the 1962 stuff with Dick and the military is way more engaging than watching kids run around a graveyard taking blurry photos.
This episode is not bad by any means but it is definitely the weakest one so far out of the three we have gotten, too much setup and not enough payoff for my taste but its true that FINALLY the military story side is starting to connect with the rest, on the first two episode felt like a totally separated story. The show is juggling like four diferent storylines right now with the kids, the military, Shaws backstory and Roses tribe and some of them are working way better than others, Dicks visions and his whole story with the military feels like he has a lot to loose and in constant danger while the kids plot feels like its on a treadmill trying to stretch out a story that could have been told faster. I want to love this show and there are moments in every episode that remind me why I was so excited for it in the first place but then there are also moments where it feels like the show is stalling for time and hoping we do not notice that its not moving forward as fast as it should be. Episode 3 gets like a 7 out of 10 from me, still worth watching but not as strong as the first two episodes and I am really hoping episode 4 picks things back up and gives us more of that intense horror and less of the slow burn setup that is starting to feel a bit too slow.






























