Maomao Smiles at Jinshi with a Beaming Face... Is This Reality? "The Apothecary Diaries" Sudden Character Break Causes Jinshi Great Confusion, Banging His Head Against a Pillar

Just because she usually looks at him with "eyes as if she's looking at a caterpillar," what's with this reaction!? In the anime "The Apothecary Diaries," Maomao (voiced by Aoi Yuki), who normally treats Jinshi (voiced by Takeo Otsuka) coldly, suddenly directed an incredibly cute smile at him for some reason, causing Jinshi great confusion.

"The Apothecary Diaries" is an anime based on the light novel of the same name by Natsu Hyuga. It has also been adapted into manga in two monthly magazines, with the series surpassing 40 million copies in total circulation. The TV anime aired consecutively for two cours starting in October 2023, featuring the mystery-solving drama of Maomao, who works as a "poison taster" in the imperial court, and the comedic interactions between Maomao and the handsome eunuch Jinshi, which gained popularity and became a hot topic. The second season has been airing since January 2025.

While Jinshi captivates the women in the imperial court with his otherworldly beauty and gentle smile, Maomao, who is only interested in medicines and poisons, not only doesn't react to Jinshi's flirtations but rather treats him coldly. On the other hand, Jinshi, perhaps finding Maomao's lack of interest in his appearance unusual, often teases her and enjoys her reactions - this was their daily routine.

One day, during a break from work, Maomao was getting excited thinking about cordyceps, a type of mushroom. "Should I make it into medicinal wine, or into pills? Hee hee hee hee," she was smiling and spinning around when Jinshi approached. Maomao bumped into Jinshi but, maintaining her excited state, turned to him and said, "Welcome back," with a dreamy smile.

Faced with an expression and words from Maomao that she would never normally use, Jinshi froze for a few seconds as if his brain couldn't process it. Then, in the next moment, for some reason, he started banging his head against a pillar.