At this point, the show moved into a break segment titled “How Does Everyone See Maomao? ‘Ito’ Apothecary Cast Edition.” “Ito” is a board game where words representing numbers are lined up in order of their size. This time’s theme was “What would make Maomao happy to receive?” Right at the start, Yūki mentioned “Niu Huang” (bezoar), which was an obvious high number and got everyone excited. Ōtsuka followed with “Jinshi’s hairpin,” sadly noting, “Considering Maomao’s past behavior…” hinting that it would score low.

Seto and Nazuka also suggested items with connections to the story, such as “Jasmine flower artisan tea” and “A hairpin you could buy anywhere.” The lineup was guessed perfectly, and the cast’s understanding of Maomao’s character made the game a successful one.

The program then returned to the 8 Keywords segment. When “Jinshi’s Resolve” was chosen, Ōtsuka commented, “Jinshi is a character with many faces and how much of each he shows changes depending on who he’s dealing with.”

Yūki added, “He’s become so cool, all to help Maomao…! But Maomao doesn’t see this part of him, you know,” chuckling. She then analyzed, “Because Maomao doesn’t want to be swayed by Jinshi’s emotional side, she keeps a certain distance, but she does respect his work,” discussing Maomao and Jinshi’s relationship.

Here, the cast was given an early look at the new final visual for season 2 portraying Jinshi’s resolve, eliciting excited reactions from the women: “Whoa! He looks so cool!” and “Thank you for the ponytail!” Ōtsuka, who plays Jinshi, commented, “There’s a strength of will in his expression that isn’t in any of his previous visuals, it’s beautiful.” For the following keyword, “Shisui’s Resolve,” Seto recounted with joy, “In scenes where pauses were important, I paid attention even to the sound of my breath or nose, and I was really happy the production team picked up and used those sounds for the broadcast.”

As Yūki discussed Maomao’s inner struggle, “I wanted to stop her as a friend, but that would mean not respecting Shisui’s wishes,” Nazuka praised her, saying, “Acting that way was only possible because you, Aoi-chan, have built up Maomao so thoroughly.”

As the program drew to its close, an announcement segment began. Along with Blu-ray information for season 2, a release event appearance by Yūki and Ōtsuka was announced. Additionally, collaboration food items arrived on set to commemorate the Universal Studios Japan event “The Apothecary Diaries Mystery Walk: Investigate the Mysterious Medicine” starting Tuesday, July 1. The cast sampled dishes like “Maomao’s Colorful Sudachi Cold Noodles Combo” and “Maomao’s Strawberry Almond Tofu with Yellow Peach,” sharing their impressions while enjoying the collaboration foods packed with elements from the story.

At the end of the program, the cast shared comments with viewers. Nazuka said, “I’m more excited than ever for the episodes ahead. Please keep cheering for Shisui as well as looking forward to what’s next for Maomao and Jinshi.” Seto added, “After the dubbing finished, I felt a mix of accomplishment and loneliness, but being able to look back with the cast while watching the footage was wonderful. There are two episodes left, so I hope everyone will watch until the end.” Ōtsuka also commented, “It made me want to rewatch the anime. I hope everyone will watch episodes 47 and 48 and see where everyone’s resolve leads them.”

Finally, Yūki said, “While dubbing, I was fully immersed in the role during the acting, and during breaks, we’d get hyped talking about the story. So to be able to have such a deep discussion about the story in a similar atmosphere made this a truly happy time. It’s a very carefully crafted work, so I hope everyone will watch it with their own eyes,” as she reflected on the special and shared her hopes for the story’s climax. The special program then concluded.

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