The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 Episode 5 Review: The mystery of the White Lady takes centre stage as Maomao steps in to investigate her strange appearance and seemingly miraculous abilities.
Akinori Fudesaka returns as the series director for The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 (薬屋のひとりごと 第3期, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 3rd Season).
The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 Episode 5 Review
Maomao Takes on the Mystery of the White Lady
The mystery of the white-skinned, red-eyed white lady continues, and Maomao takes charge of the investigation. We get a new addition in this episode as well because, for the very first time, we get introduced to Lahan, Lakhan’s adopted son. He is actually Lakan’s nephew, making him Maomao’s cousin and later adopted brother. From the way they both interacted, it was apparent that Lahan knew about Maomao. Not only that, but he was also very comfortable with her presence and literally came to her for help.
The issue of the white lady has caused him to come to Maomao because the woman was creating quite a ruckus. Nobody knows where she came from or how she manages to perform all the miraculous feats that she does in front of the palace officials. Thus, it becomes Maomao’s duty to crack the code and expose this white beauty as soon as possible.
A Strange Foreigner Leaves Palace Officials Convinced She Is a Goddess
The society of this anime is heavily inspired by ancient China, and the mysterious girl whom we see in this episode is most likely a foreigner to the anime characters. From a geographical point of view, there is a high chance that she is actually from a Central Asian background, which is why the white lady wore such strange clothes. However, even more mysterious are her pale skin and red eyes.
In those times, people were not as aware or knowledgeable about albinism as they are now. For them, having such an appearance is mysterious and also otherworldly. This new character utilises that in her favour and manages to charm the officials into thinking that she was a goddess.
Maomao’s Sharp Eyes See Through the White Lady’s Tricks
Nothing escapes Maomao’s eyes, and she proves that in this episode as well. When Maomao goes to the pale maiden, she is as impressed as others. The girl’s appearance is truly striking, and her antics are very mesmerising. She also calls Maomao to the stage to perform her magic in front of her. Weirdly enough, Maomao senses that there was something wrong but does not pinpoint what actually happened.
However, we again get a brilliant example of just how Maomao can deduce anything and everything later. Her foster father was definitely a man of tremendous knowledge because she literally got every bit of information from him. She also manages to deduce just what was happening with the scam of the white lady.
A Missing Maomao-Jinshi Reunion Makes Room for Political Intrigue
In this episode, mystery takes the centre stage and romance does not get much light. Though Maomao and Jinshi happened to be in the same place, they were in such a situation that they could not meet. On top of that, we do not see them interact as well. However, the political intrigue was definitely something far more interesting and kept you on the edge of your seat. Even though the white lady might not have too much impact in the story now, there is a high chance she would be an important character later.
Final Verdict
I like today’s episode a lot, even though it did not have too many things. The story was fairly simple, and the mystery also worked well. I would still love to see a bit more of the other characters, and obviously I would want Maomao to have more interactions with Jinshi.
Watch The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 on Netflix. What’s your thought on the new season? Let us know in the comments below!
Discover more from Leisurebyte
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.