"Just Like Jinshi-sama": The Person Impersonating the Imperial Brother Was Former High Consort Ah-Duo! Episode 40 of the Anime "The Apothecary Diaries"

In Episode 40 of the anime "The Apothecary Diaries," which began airing on April 25, it was revealed that the person thought to be the imperial brother was actually a disguise by former high consort Ah-Duo (voiced by Yuko Kaida). Reactions poured in on social media, with comments like "It was a body double!" and "Ah-Duo, of all people!?"

In Episode 40, titled "Malice That Nestles," Lakan (voiced by Takuya Kirimoto) and Shishou (voiced by Cho) were joined at a tea gathering by a masked figure thought to be the imperial brother, Jinshi (voiced by Takeo Otsuka). However, once the tea gathering ended, it was revealed that the person masquerading as the imperial brother was not Jinshi, but Ah-Duo. When the mask was removed, the resemblance to Jinshi was striking. Apparently, Jinshi was busy dealing with the disappearance of Maomao (voiced by Aoi Yuki), which led Ah-Duo to take on the role of the imperial brother.

In previous episodes, there was a scene where Maomao observed that Jinshi and Ah-Duo looked remarkably alike when standing side by side. Additionally, Ah-Duo had mentioned her supposedly deceased child with the phrase "Since my son disappeared from my hands," leading Maomao to theorize that Ah-Duo's child might have been switched with the former emperor's child and could still be alive.