The Apothecary Diaries episode 23 has come and gone just like the life of a flower. As a manga and light novel reader, I admit that it was hard waiting for Lakan’s arc especially when I still wholly remember the heartache of this chapter.
It felt like everyone was so quick to hate on Lakan in the beginning and the fact that the anime executes his villainy so well is something I love and hate. That said, I was confident that the production would do the material justice, so I’m happy to share that yes — episode 23 is hands down, brilliant.
Where does one even begin to describe the best things about this? The tragedy is terrible, but there is also beauty in its overall storytelling. Call me a dramatic fangirl or nerd or whatever, but I really appreciate the artistry of a well-written and well-executed anime episode.
I don’t have it in me to break it down as expertly, but I at least know that for it to effectively evoke so many emotions in its audience — that’s when you know it’s good stuff. You’d feel the dedication, thoughtfulness, creativity, and even respect or love towards the books.
In terms of character, the reason why this chapter or episode is a memorable one is because it brings us to see a different narrative. Not only did it peel down layers of Lakan’s dislikeable character, but the episode finally revealed how he’s been in love with the memory of Fengxian, Maomao’s mother.
He’s not the pure evil man we thought he was; he’s just a man, only human, played by the hands of misfortune. It’s different than most villain redemption arcs because well, was he ever really a villain to begin with? Looking back, I suppose the words “eccentric” and “weirdo” do fit him best.
Before we delve deeper into the episode though, let’s recap. The father and daughter go for a game of chess and a bet is placed on top of the poisoned cups; if Maomao loses, she will officially become Lakan’s daughter, but if Lakan loses, he must redeem a courtesan from the Verdigris House. Jinshi and Gaoshun are standing by, but it’s obvious that the worried noble is using all of his willpower to not interfere, so his internal narration makes the scene feel very intense (as it should, actually).
However, Maomao is calm throughout and Lakan is even more doting than ever. Lakan even goes as far as to purposefully lose a round since he doesn’t want his daughter to drink poison.
Unfortunately for him, Maomao tricks him into taking alcohol (if you missed it, the past episodes only show Lakan drinking juice), so the eccentric instantly passes out. This isn’t the ending I expected from such an intense confrontation, so it’s a bit of a funny turn of events.
From here on out, however, the episode takes a dark turn as the narrative switches to Lakan’s past and how he came to be who he is. It is revealed that his Prosopagnosia or facial blindness has challenged him since childhood, not to mention his family relationships. It is ultimately his uncle, the clumsy yet highly intelligent Luomen (Maomao’s adoptive father), who helps him overcome the disability into adulthood by learning to recognize people through other details, and eventually, as chess pieces.
In fact, it’s important to note that despite his struggles, the scenes here paint Lakan in a kinder tone as compared to the scheming antagonist we’ve seen in the last episodes. However, he still is as relaxed and uninterested, so of course, my favorite part is when he meets the lovely Fengxian.
Fengxian’s visuals in The Apothecary Diaries episode 23 are heavenly. Her aura exudes that of a delicate flower but her personality is headstrong, not to mention smart too. It’s at this moment that the eccentric experiences something that other people took for granted – Lakan sees Fengxian. Like kindred spirits, they begin a quiet back-and-forth banter through many, many games of Go and Shogi. Soon enough, their company blooms into something more.
Unfortunately, misfortune strikes. When Luomen is banished from the palace, it disrupts the entire clan and displaces Lakan for three years. It is only when he comes back and sees all of the courtesan’s letters – as well as a severed ring finger and a small pinky – that Lakan fully realizes what had actually happened. He desperately runs to the Verdigris House, only to be beaten up by the grieving brothel’s Madame.
The way the rain pours and mud splatters, this scene makes up for one of the most heartbreaking and emotionally shattering moments of The Apothecary Diaries. To realize all so suddenly that Fengxian had planned her pregnancy to lower her value as a courtesan, hoped and held desperately on for Lakan’s return, only to be left enveloped in feelings of heartbreak and betrayal — the sobbing that Lakan’s voice actor delivers here fully embodies the pain he feels of what he’s done to his loved one. Lakan can’t turn back time. Instead, he wallows in tears and regret, for the courtesan that he once loved, Fengxian, was already gone.
That is until you start to wonder the whole point of Maomao’s bet. I don’t think Lakan realizes that she isn’t exactly gone yet, but only the finale will tell us for sure. Before The Apothecary Diaries episode 23 ends, we find Lakan waking up at the Verdigris house.
Meimei, who was Fengxian’s apprentice, is also there to deliver medicine that Maomao made for him, which in turn, makes the eccentric quite happy to have his daughter’s attention despite her trickery. The apothecary also leaves a box with a blue rose inside — withered, but still preserved and whole.
Overall, Lakan’s story is really well done. I already knew this backstory was coming, but the anime went above and beyond with its execution for The Apothecary Diaries episode 23. It was able to perfectly navigate through his eccentric and villainous-ish character arc, to a doting father, and then into this kind of shy and bitter backstory.
I wholeheartedly appreciate how much work goes into the writing and direction of the anime. It is constantly pulling and pushing, refraining from stretching or being too overly dramatic like other shows do, and from that, there is a creative power in the delivery of its storytelling. It’s why Lakan’s history and character story arc are such a compelling experience.
Who was at fault here? It’s hard to say. It might be easier to blame Lakan as Granny did, but after seeing this episode, the ripple effect from the palace and the clumsy physician is also something to ponder about. No one meant for these events to happen, and yet, life goes on, misfortune and all. It’s hard to imagine what Fengxian and Lakan went through in their love story – destined to meet, but fated with bad fortune.
Fengxian and Lakan are quite alike if you think about it. She had a hard personality while he was an eccentric, but both with few words and a passion for Go and Shogi. In fact, their last conversation seems to imply (because they can’t communicate like normal people) that they really wanted to stay in that moment together forever. Fengxian was stronger in Go, while Lakan was stronger in Shogi – the rematches would be endless.
The episode shows how awkward their connection is and in turn, makes their relationship somewhat silly and special. It also makes it a bit lonely, highlighted by the fact that the episode makes us feel their distance with the lack of both of them in the frame together. It’s always either across each other or a solo shot. Out of all of them, my favorite one is during Lakan in the rain — the black ink-like raindrops and the looming dark edges of that scene truly delivered that tragedy. Meanwhile, Fengxian’s fate as she was disgraced, with her bright colors turning gray, expresses a strong yet simple visual of how the courtesan withered away.
What Fengxian did is called Yubikiri, a Japanese tradition that if you broke a pinky promise, you have to cut off your pinky finger. The timeline suggests that this happened after she got sick, so she must have already been so disoriented as to include her own child. I don’t think she meant to hurt any of them, but perhaps this was a desperate attempt to remind Lakan of his broken promise. If you are planning on to rewatch the anime soon, you’ll find that Maomao often looks at her odd-shaped pinky.
The fact that Luomen eventually finds Fengxian and Maomao also makes me somewhat relieved, especially when it was revealed that Luomen was the only one whom Lakan felt understood him. I do believe that Lakan loved Fengxian and Maomao, even so up to this day, but it’s hard to see through that especially when the things that happened were out of his control. It’s also hard to think about how he doesn’t know how to approach Maomao, so all his attempts to get her have come off in all the weirdest and creepiest ways.
Additionally, the last episode was called “Balsam and Sandalwood,” which was a reference to the courtesans’ red-painted nails. We do learn in this episode though that Lakan saw Fengxian as beautiful as a balsam flower while Wood Worrel (Sandalwood) is also called cat’s paw, a reference to what could be the origin of Maomao’s name.
The anime has been pushing around the blue rose theme as well, and here I am again to remind you of what it symbolizes — mystery, secrecy, pride, unrequited love, or a true love that feels just out of reach. It’s everything that Lakan and Fengxian are.
The Apothecary Diaries episode 23 is truly a bitter one, but I also want to say that there’s a sort of beautiful melancholy that comes from it, especially knowing where the finale next week may be headed.
The second opening song actually hinted at all of these – from the go and shogi pieces, blue roses withering, Lakan crying and waking up in a panic, the red nails, and then into Maomao in a field of yellow and red flowers. To be honest, I’m most excited to see her dance under the moonlight.
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The Apothecary Diaries is streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
© Natsu Hyuga/Imagika Foss/”The Apothecary Diaries” Production Committee