The Apothecary Diaries: Who Is Shisui?

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 has started with a great reception from fans and has already introduced a few new characters, including the cat Maomao and Shisui, one of the maids in the outer palace (or it seems so). The new season is streaming on Crunchyroll.

The season is currently covering events from the third volume of the original novel, and it will likely also adapt at least some events of the fourth volume, given it has already been confirmed to run for 24 episodes (too lengthy to cover just one volume). Anyway, the third volume hints more about the story’s “major plot” by connecting some dots. Maomao will soon realize that there’s more to Shisui than meets the eye, and, as we saw in Episode 2, she is already eager to learn who Shisui truly is.

Bug-Loving Girl Working At The Palace

One Of The Few Maids That Can Read

Shisui first appears in the story in Episode 25. She helps Maomao with catching the kitten later named Maomao — Maomao’s name and the kitten’s name are pronounced slightly differently in Chinese, but this distinction is not noticeable in the episode. At that time, Maomao still knew nothing about her.

They meet on the last day of the caravan, when they both want to buy jasmine at the same shop. This is when Maomao discovers that Shisui and Xiaolan are friends. Shisui expressed her fascination with insects while drinking tea together.

Illiteracy is a major issue in the second season, as Jinshi works to raise the literacy rate among servants, and Maomao will likely soon discover that Shisui is one of the few maids that can read.

This is actually a hint at Shisui’s true identity. In Episode 25 (the first one of the second season), Xiaolan states that a maid is reading a story from a book to the other servants, most likely referring to Shisui.

Shisui Is Actually High-Ranked

Like, She’s Really High-Ranked

Shisui is actually a disguise for Loulan, the Pure Consort, who debuted in Season 1. She is the daughter of Prime Minister Shishou, who forced her to take Ah-Duo’s former position and marry the Emperor. That means she is one of the four high consorts.

But wouldn’t it be difficult for a consort to pass as a regular maid? Generally, yes. However, the others only see Loulan wearing heavy makeup, which hides her true face. She also wears extravagant clothes from different places, changing her style frequently. This also helps her to prevent other people from getting a detailed picture of how she normally looks.

There is another indication that Shisui is Loulan: the size of her breasts, a feature that the Emperor generally favors.

While her father’s position allows her to have influence over the inner court, Loulan chooses to avoid politics (in general), disguising herself as a maid to be able to chat with others and collect bugs. Her fake name derives from her half-sister’s name, Suirei (born Shisui).

The Apothecary Diaries

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Release Date

October 22, 2023

Directors

Norihiro Naganuma

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Writers

Norihiro Naganuma

Franchise(s)

The Apothecary Diaries

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