Although Jinshi appeared only in Maomao's imagination, online comments such as "Pouting Jinshi-sama is so cute," "He's sulking, lol," "Jinshi-sama is mad, lol," and "He’s trending even without really appearing—amazing!" drew a lot of attention, with fans saying, "I'm happy he's trending!"

"The Apothecary Diaries" anime is based on the light novel series by Natsu Hyūga. The story has also been adapted into manga form, with over 40 million copies sold in total. It's a mystery-solving entertainment series that follows Maomao, the apothecary's daughter with an eccentric obsession with poisons and medicines, and the enigmatic, handsome eunuch Jinshi as they take on difficult cases within the palace.

Episode 43: "Festival"
[Synopsis]
The place Maomao arrives at after being taken from the inner palace is a secret village hidden deep in the forest. As a festival takes place in the village, Maomao and Shisui join in wearing fox masks. On their way to the shrine, Shisui tells Maomao about local legends and the meaning of the fox masks. Even after returning from the festival, Maomao remains free of restraints and grows suspicious of her situation, as well as the behaviors of Suirei and Shisui, eventually questioning Suirei about a certain matter.

(C)日向夏・イマジカインフォス／「薬屋のひとりごと」製作委員会

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