The Apothecary Diaries Episode 19, titled Chance or Something More, is probably one of the most emotional episodes of the series so far, showing how Maomao tried to save Jinshi despite being stopped by the guard. But before Maomao managed to rescue the then-yet-to-be-revealed guy at the ceremony, knowing that the lives of the attendees were at risk, she bravely faced the sentry who stopped her and eventually hit her with a paddle in the face. As many were mad after seeing that scene, the series’ author, Natsu Hyuga, actually addressed that issue back in 2021.
The Apothecary Diaries Episode 19 saw Maomao rushing to the ceremony. But as she was about to enter the temple, a guard stopped her, not letting a servant interrupt the proceedings. Maomao didn’t back down, manned up, and told the guard of the impending threat. Not minding everything she said, the guard hit her with his club, resulting in Maomao falling down the stairs, with bleeding nose and swollen face.
Timely, Lakan appeared, making the guard chill to his bones as he stood out for Maomao and asked him to let her pass. So, what happened to this guard? In a post on X (formerly Twitter) in 2021, Hyuga revealed the guard's fate, saying that Lakan beat him down.
“The military officer who hit Maomao was beaten down by Lakan for a while,” he wrote.
However, with his hard work and seriousness in his job, the guard got promoted after two years. In one of his replies to the fans’ comments, the mangaka also stressed that the guard was just faithful to his duty that was why he did what he did to Maomao.
What happened in The Apothecary Diaries Episode 19?
The Apothecary Diaries Episode 19 saw Lihaku telling Maomao about the theft of ceremonial tools during a warehouse fire in Episode 14. Their discussion then went to the death of the first manager and the poisoning of the second manager in Episode 9. Later, Maomao realized a connection between this series of incidents and the possible involvement of the court lady who delivered a smoke pipe found at the warehouse.
After getting Jinshi’s approval for a reinvestigation, Maomao discerned that these incidents were meant to disrupt an upcoming ceremony, particularly a significant pillar in a venue. Maomao then rushed to the place, but a guard denied her entry and hit her with a club. Fortunately, Lakan arrived and let Maomao pass. Despite being unstable, Maomao ran inside and saved the guy at the altar, who turned out to be Jinshi.
But as the pillar fell, Maomao hurt her foot and lost consciousness in the arms of Jinshi, who carried her to safety. As Jinshi made her way out, he walked past Lakan and didn’t mind him at all.
What is The Apothecary Diaries about?
The Apothecary Diaries follows the story of Maomao, who gets kidnapped and is later sold as a servant to the emperor’s palace. But instead of being a maid, she becomes a poison tester after finding a cure for the heir’s mysterious illness. Later, she gets the attention of Jinshi, who hires her to be his own servant and starts solving different medical and murder mysteries.
You can read the synopsis below:
Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!
The anime is based on the light novel of the same title written by Natsu Hyuga and illustrated by Touko Shino. It started its serialization online in 2011. It was then acquired by Shufunotomo in 2012 and published as a novel with a single volume in the same year and as a light novel in 2014. In 2017, it was adapted into two manga, published by Square Enix and Shogakukan. J-Novel Club licensed its digital release in English, while Square Enix licensed its print version and manga illustrated by Nekokurage.
In addition, Toho Animation Studio and OLM produced its anime adaptation, premiering in October 2023 and releasing 19 episodes so far. New episodes air every Sunday and are streamed on Crunchyroll in North America and Netflix in select regions.
After what happened to Maomao, fans are now patiently waiting for The Apothecary Diaries Episode 20 to see the aftermath of the recent incident and the future of the beloved mad scientist. As Jinshi already knows Lakan’s connection to the protagonist, it may only take a matter of time before Maomao learns the truth.
