Episode 16 of Kusuriya no Hitorigoto , released on April 25th, stands out as one of the best of the second season. Full of revelations and possible clues, it surprises from beginning to end. Furthermore, it becomes evident that the intrigues and mysteries developed throughout the plot are much deeper than we could have imagined.
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"Fostered Evil ," the title given to episode 16, does justice to the discoveries presented throughout the plot. At the beginning of the episode, Luomen, the adoptive father of the apothecary and temporary doctor of the Inner Palace, drafts an informative note about troubling issues within the Palace.
The purpose of the leaflet is for the ladies-in-waiting and servants to be aware of which substances are dangerous and to avoid using them, such as lead-based bleaching powder, which was the cause of Consort Lihua's illness in the first season.
With this, Maomao discovers that Luomen produced the same informational pamphlets when he was a doctor at the Palace, more than twenty years ago. The girl sees this as a problem, because although her father's intention was only to help, the information contained in the pamphlet could teach people with bad intentions about the use of dangerous substances.
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto picks up the mystery from the beginning of the season
In the episode "The Crystal Palace," for the third time , Maomao discovered that Miss Shin, the former head of the ladies-in-waiting at the Crystal Palace, had created an abortive substance to harm Consort Lihua. However, she lacked the necessary knowledge to create such a substance, leading Maomao to suspect that Shin had received help from someone experienced.
After discovering the pamphlets written by her father, Maomao concludes that the person who helped Shin is probably someone who has lived in the Palace for a long time. Therefore, the apothecary remembers Shenlü, a servant who works at the Palace clinic. In case you don't remember, Shenlü is the lady who asked Maomao to find the sick servant in the episode "The Crystal Palace, for the third time ." So, to try and understand what happened, Maomao visits the clinic and talks to her.
With this, Maomao gathers each piece of information and connects the dots. The girl realizes there's a good chance Shenlü is the person who asked the caravan merchants for the abortive ingredients and helped Shin. However, since she has no proof, she decides to dismiss this suspicion. When Maomao is ready to leave, a voice catches her attention. After that, the protagonist discovers one of the most surprising revelations of the episode.
The true identity of the new eunuch of the Inner Palace (episode spoiler)
The voice that draws attention is known and described by Maomao as "A voice with a tone too high for a man, and too deep for a woman." The one who appears and surprises the protagonist is Suirei, the servant who had faked her death in the first season.
Thus, it is revealed that the new eunuch of the Imperial Palace, the one who is popular among the servants, is actually Suirei in disguise. All the events of the episode prove that the script of Kusuriya no Hitorigoto is very well constructed, since nothing is left out. In the end, Suirei threatens Maomao and insists that she accompany her outside the Inner Palace.
In the first season, after the revelation that Suirei had faked her own death, both the motive and her whereabouts remained open—something the anime finally picks up now. Also, during her visit to the clinic, Maomao finds a book about insects, in which there is an illustration of a species identical to the one used in Jinshi's presentation as the Moon Spirit.
With this, the apothecary concludes that the book belongs to Shisui, since, during a conversation between the two, the girl mentions that she learned about that insect through a book. The discovery makes Maomao suspicious of some things, such as Shisui, being a servant, possessing such an expensive book.
Furthermore, the protagonist mentions that the girl has a notebook made of paper, an expensive and hard-to-find material, and also knows how to read and write, something uncommon among imperial servants. All of Maomao's speculation is a sign that the work Kusuriya no Hitorigoto will reveal something about Shisui soon.
The episode's ending brings something unexpected and reveals the return of a character
The revelations don't stop there; Kusuriya no Hitorigoto brings one surprise after another. At the end of the episode, Lakan, a high-ranking strategist, invites Ka Zuigetsu—the Emperor's younger brother—and Shishou for a conversation. During the meeting, Lakan mentions the weapon used in the assassination attempt on the Emperor's brother. He also asks how the men responsible obtained such a weapon.
Shortly after, he says that whoever was interrogating one of those involved exaggerated the method and now the person can no longer speak. Then, Lakan asks if Shishou knows anything about the assassination attempt, and he denies it, saying that if he knew, he would have already reported it. However, there is an intriguing moment in the scene. As they are leaving, the strategist offers him grape juice and comments that, in a glass, the red color tends to be quite pronounced.
However, when the juice is served, everyone notices that the liquid is green, except for Shishou. The man shows no reaction to the juice, and this shows that he may be unable to differentiate between red and green, just as explained in the episode "The Temple of Choice".
Furthermore, the final scene reveals that the person dressed as Ka Zuigetsu at the meeting with Lakan is actually Ah-Duo, the Emperor's former consort. And if, until now, you hadn't noticed the resemblance between her and Jinshi, this episode proves it.
With so many revelations, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto delivered one of the best episodes of the second season. Beyond the impasse between Maomao and Suirei, there's the mystery surrounding Shisui and Shishou. More and more, the anime shows us that nothing is left behind, and that every detail is carefully considered and makes sense within the narrative. And it's precisely this, combined with incredible animation, that solidified the anime as one of the best of its season.
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